Last week, I was given the chance to do a one-shot for SR4. As I only have the core book and Runner's Kit, I didn't have many options - the regularly scheduled GM plans on doing the run inside the Kit, so I dug out an old favorite that should have enough Seattle flavor to give the players a taste for SR: Supernova, from the SR3 "First Run" book.

It's not difficult to port over most of the run, but SR4 is a change in how the mechanics are handled (I don't know for better or for worse yet, I've been learning on-the-fly). So I need some crib notes from the system experts. I have three core issues with the scenario.

1) Hacking the lab: I'm having a hard time grasping the "everything is a node" concept with the wireless world. A secure lab like The Pit might not have the wireless capability like everything else, for security's sake. I was hoping someone would please run me through a few key examples of how the party hacker would deal with this - from a mechanics standpoint, that is.

2) Combat: When I was first told, I had maybe 18-19 hours' of time before the game, so I used the SR3-4 conversion guide and tried to assemble some proper stat blocks. Since I've been blessed with more time, I'd love someone to check my test math, as well as my conversion numbers to see if I'm doing it right. (I will post these in my next post.)

3) Celebrity NPCs: No spoilers here, for those who might not have read or run it, as I'm not familiar with how stringent DS is about "<spoiler> is Luke's father" kind of spoilers. (Yes, there are still forums out there that will moderate you for that out of pure spite. >_<) How would this run, and these guest appearances fit into an SR4 timeline? Or should I just re-brand the corps involved and handwave it with, "Smith and Johnson are top notch corp players from the trids, even those of you who don't pay attention to the news know who these guys are, that's how big the --storm you've stumbled into is," kind of scenario?

Other than "Food Fight," which was the first scenario we ran on chargen night to get some people familiar with mechanics, I'm going to be the first REAL sample of SR these people get, so I'm wanting to do my best to get these guys up and running on the right foot before our new GM takes over.

I've included notes for myself about the first shot from each type of weapon, remembering that recoil penalties go up for each successive shot, and so on. I also have made flow charts for myself (I might post those later, if anyone's interested - I did them up in Visio - to check my understanding of that) to catch me for things I may have missed in this math.

Please feel free to correct my liberally here. I don't learn otherwise. Thanks a ton!

CYBERZOMBIE
Body 3 (8)
Agility 4 (7)
Reaction 4 (7)
Strength 4 (6)
Charisma 2
Intuition 5
Logic 5
Willpower 4

Edge -
Essence *
Magic 0
Initiative 12
Init. Passes 1 (4)

ACTIVE SKILLS

Automatics: 4 (AK-97: +2)

Athletics: 4

Blades: 4

Heavy Weapons: 4

Pistols: 4

Longarms: 4

Unarmed Combat: 4


KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
n/a


WEAPONS

AK-97, folding stock, gas vent 3 (-3 to recoil), recoil compensator in arm 3 (-3 to recoil), smartgun link (+2 pool)

Damage: 9P
AP: -1
Mode: SA/BF/FA
RC: -
Ammo: 38c

*SEMI-AUTO 1*
TO-HIT (semi-auto): 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce)


*BURST 1*
TO-HIT: 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart) - 2 (recoil) + 2 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) [+ 2 (if narrow burst)]


*FULL AUTO*
TO-HIT: 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart) - [5 or 9] (short or long recoil) + 6 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) + [5 or 9] (short or long)

Ingram Valiant SMG, hip pad (-1 to recoil), gas vent 2 (-2 to recoil), arm gyromounts 6 (-6 to recoil), smartgun link (+2 pool)

Damage: 6P
AP: -1
Mode: BF/FA
RC: 5 (6)
Ammo: 100b

*BURST 1*
TO-HIT: 4 (heavy) + 2 (smart) - 2 (recoil) + 2 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 6 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) [+2 (if narrow burst)]


*FULL AUTO*
TO-HIT: 4 (heavy) + 2 (smart) - [5 or 9 (short or long recoil)] + 6 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 6 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) + [5 or 9] (short or long)

Cyberspurs

Damage: (STR/2 +3) 6P

TO-HIT: 4 (blades) + 7 (agl)

DAMAGE: 6P

ARMOR
8/8

====================

RED SAMURAI
Body 4 (5)
Agility 6
Reaction 6 (8)
Strength 4
Charisma 2
Intuition 5
Logic 5
Willpower 3

Edge -
Essence 2.14
Magic 0
Initiative 13
Init. Passes 1 (3)

ACTIVE SKILLS

Automatics: 4 (AK-97: +2)

Athletics Group: 4

First Aid: 5

Demolitions: 2

Electronics Group: 3

Etiquette: 2 (Corporate: +2) (Military: +2)

Leadership: 2 (Tactics: +2)

Pistols: 4

Unarmed Combat: 4

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Corporate Politics: 2
Psychology: 2
Renraku Structure: 4
Security Procedures: 3

WEAPONS
AK-97, folding stock (-1 to recoil), gas vent 3 (-3 to recoil), smartgun link (+2 pool)

Damage: 9P
AP: -1
Mode: SA/BF/FA
RC: -
Ammo: 38c

*SEMI-AUTO 1*
TO-HIT (semi-auto): 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce)


*BURST 1*
TO-HIT: 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart) - 2 (recoil) + 2 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) [+ 2 (if narrow burst)]


*FULL AUTO*
TO-HIT: 4 (auto) + 2 (ak) + 2 (smart) - [5 or 9] (short or long recoil) + 6 (recoil comp)

DAMAGE: 9 (weapon) - 1 (ap reduce) + [5 or 9] (short or long)

Browning Max Power, Explosive Ammo

Damage: 5P
AP: -1
Mode: SA
RC: -
Explosive Ammo: DV +1

*SEMI-AUTO 1*

TO-HIT (semi-auto): 4 (pistols) + 2 (smart)

DAMAGE: 5 (weapon) + 1 (explosive ammo)



ARMOR
7/7 (8)

====================

MAGES
Body 2
Agility 7
Reaction 7
Strength 2
Charisma 4
Intuition 5
Logic 5
Willpower 4

Edge -
Essence 6
Magic 4
Initiative 13
Init. Passes 1 (2)

ACTIVE SKILLS

Assensing: 4

Athletics: 3

First Aid: 4

Pilot Ground Craft: 3

Conjuring Group: 4

Clubs: 4

Etiquette: 2 (Corporate: +2) (Military: +2)

Leadership: 2

Pistols: 3

Sorcery Group: 4

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Corporate Politics: 2
Pyschology: 2
Renraku Structure: 4
Security Procedures: 3


SPELLS

Acid Stream, Phys, LOS, I, DV: (F/2 + 3)

Confusion, Mana, LOS, S, DV: (F/2) -- each net hit = -1 to all dice pools

Decrease [ATTRIB], Phys, T, S, DV: (F/2 +1) -- resisted with attrib, net success = "reduced by"

Fling, Phys, LOS, I, DV: (F/2 + 1) -- spellcasting test = ranged combat test

Fireball, Phys, LOS, I, DV: (F/2 + 5) -- explosion dealing Fire Damage (SR4 p 164)

Lightning Bolt, Phys, LOS, I, DV: (F/2 + 3) -- lightning damage (p 163)

Increase [REF], Phys, T, S, DV: (F/2 + 2) -- +1 Init, +1 Pass

Stunball, Mana, LOS, I, DV: (F/2 + 1) -- Stun damage = net successes

CASTING

1. Pick Spell and Force (Max= MAGx2)

2. Targets: single, or FORCE meters

3. Spellcasting + Magic + Bonuses – Penalties (NOTE: hits may NOT be >FORCE)

4. Effects: resist = body/phys, will/mana

5. Damage = Force + net hits

6. Drain, Stun = (Force + net hits) – (Will + Logic)

Browning Max Power, Explosive Ammo
Damage: 5P
AP: -1
Mode: SA
RC: -
Explosive Ammo: DV +1

*SEMI-AUTO 1*
TO-HIT (semi-auto): 3 (pistols)

DAMAGE: 5 (weapon) + 1 (explosive ammo)

ARMOR
7/6

Phew. That's a lot of stuff, and not really easy to look through, but from what I can gather, you seem to list the dice pools for the different kinds of attack?
If so, you may be forgetting to add agility to the pool.

Also, in the spell list, you may want to add that if the magician casts a spell with a force over his magic attribute, the drain will be physical.

I dislike this adventure immensely, though. It's not made for freshly created characters and the premise is just insane, IMO. But, as always, YMMV and maybe it's good for your group.

However, in response to your questions in the first posting:
1.) Just get the Hacker inside with the crew. Then he can physically hack, all old school like.
2.) The statblocks look reasonable enough, the CZ is maybe a bit on the weak side. I would add a lot more armor for him and the Samurai
3.) Not much to say on this matter. I don't think, those NPCs should show up at all. Replace them with something far lower on the ladder, IMO

Good luck and have a lot of fun, in any case

I'm not familiar with the run, but that CyberZombie was not worth the Nuyen they would have needed to put in him. If you want him to be a scary scary threat he'll need more armor, and possibly just more stuff. That red Samurai needs to look less like a starter PC and more like a scary thing, I'd suggest more armor for him too. Look up the Full Body Armor. I think that's in there somewhere and certainly fits more thematically. At five body he ought to be wearing more than armored jacket and helmet. I think that there's actual Red Samurai armor somewhere, but I don't recall.

Oh, and there's spoiler tags on DS so you could post in the spoilers, but on the whole I don't think the mods care that much about spoiling things. Warning on the Mages, if you start throwing lightning around they will pass out. Physical spells are nearly as lethal to the targets as they are to the casters in 4 due to the target getting to roll more dice pools to resist than the caster does. Fireballs at a force that would actually hurt people tend to be costly on the caster unless he's casting through a fetish.

Let me give you a quick rundown, then. The adventure is billed as a milk run for dirt-level zero-nobody wet-behind-the-ears runners.



So, I can only guess that the Sams and the Zombie aren't supposed to be... up to snuff. They didn't seem like spectacular numbers in SR3, either. Just enough to put the fear of God into the players, or make them feel like God when they succeeded. Depends on how the dice fell, I guess.

Although, because Reanraku strike teams are competent, I have zero idea how the players are supposed to retrieve the case and survive the ensuing chase. The part about the players not getting the Second MacGuffin is not covered in the debugging section...

To answer that, I'll certainly use the upgraded versions straight out of the 4A book. The mages and zombie will still be a project for tonight to stat-up, since I didn't see a match for them in the grunts and professional ratings section.

Chummer should be a good guideline, though, to get all the numbers in place, as has been mentioned before.

As a good way to get a group started use the free Missions http://www.shadowrun4.com/missions/

I'm familiar with the Missions program, but I'm not going to be the regular GM. They just need me for a one-shot, not a season, otherwise I probably would have picked up S2 (that's the free one, right?).