Hello Dumpshock,

I've posted to several different forums across the net but haven't ended up spending much time on any of them because they didn't feature my favorite game, Shadowrun. I was turned on to Dumpshock by a fellah over at rpg.net and its like coming home to read the posts here. This is an amazing place you folks have created, and I'm thrilled to find it!

I started playing Shadowrun months after it came out, and have collected books for years. I haven't run a game for several years, and have only recently put together a second game group for my Friday evenings and we are going to run a Shadowrun campaign.

Looking at everything thats been done over the past five or six years since I've last played I honestly don't know where to start a game. I have all the old adventures and want to use them, but the game universe has created some really fascinating opportunities (the Arcology, the death of the Dragon, and seemingly endless numbers of little plot hooks) that are so tempting. I have both the Harlequin books and have started the first one several times but not ever completed it. Same with the NAN books, so I've decided to run them both, and that right there is a campaign. Any other suggestions?

The group is four strong, an Elven Fox Shaman, Dwarven Security Specialist (Street Sam), Dwarven Decker, and one other who hasn't decided yet. I've suggested that he not play a Rigger as he is new to the game, and consider a second Street Sam instead.

I've decided to use the full matrix rules in this game (all my previous games have involved abbreviated decking rules) and have purchased the Matrix book (great book). Any ideas are welcome, and thanks again for having created such a useful forum!

Hey

I'd suggest starting with one or two non-plot essential runs that you are familiar with, so that will make it easier for them to have fun while getting the hang of the game...without affecting the storyline unnecessarily through game mechanics misunderstandings.

Learn the rules. Sit down with each player and go over any and all rules that may pertain to his or her character. This will put you at least on equal ground with the players when they pull something out of their ass that you never expected.

Agreed. Start off with a milk run. Not an easy one, but one that with enough forethought can be accomplished without complication. See how the players handle it and how the rules go, and go from there.

~J

Welcome to Dumpshock. Watch out for dikoted anthroform ally spirit silverguns.

If you're looking for some relatively straightforward SR3 runs, I advise that you check out the Shadowrun Missions series. There designed to be run at conventions, so theyre pretty simple and to the point, but also fun. The first couple would make nice introductory runs, while the others can build into a nice side campaign if you so choose. The best part, however, is that they're free.

'lo. I'm Ancient. Pleastamecha.

Well, all three scenarios you listed (Harly, NAN1, NAN2) are set before (sometimes well before) the Dunkenstein's demise. I don't see any problems with starting them around '56 or so (a little late for Harly, but it doesn't matter much) and let it go from there.

Don't feel pressured into allowing any or all the new tech listed for SR3. Some of it wasn't around then, and it's always fun for characters to get 'the next big thing' in-game.

You'll need to upgrade the scenarios to SR3 stats (assuming you are using SR3). I recommend going with the feel of the adventure, as opposed to translating everything specifically. If it's supposed to be tough, just make it tough in-game. The players don't know the specifics of everything they encounter.

By the time the campaign gets to some of the many official Plot Lines, you can pick and choose what direction it goes from there. It is unrealistic for the PCs to be involved in every little thing in the Sixth World, but it isn't a stretch to connect them to a World-shaking plot or three.

That should take you through to the Comet in '61. By then, I'm sure you won't need our direction.

The only problem with starting as late as '56 is that Harlequin needs time to get good and drunk and set off Harlequin's Back before Dunkie bites it.

~J

:: leans on a keg of alamestra :: Heya, I'm Zenmaxer...one of the rare resident meta-munchkins.

Try setting it late 55 or so.

I would recommend starting somewhere in 54 if you want to weave the climax of the insect spirits metaplot (by subtly inserting the Universal Brotherhood as a background element in your campaign) by sending your runners through "Double Exposure" (or even "Missing Blood" from "Universal Brotherhood" a few months before) then wait a few months during which a few Harlequin runs can easily be inserted (you don't want to run them all in a row, because it is such a revelation when the players realized all those runs were connected...they really feel like pawns in a great game) after the fall of the UB to start letting hints about the Chicago crisis (summer 55) in the media (VITAS outbreak, quarantine of the CZ). More runs in between then send them into the bowels of Bug City..big shock guaranteed!...after that , your runners can catch their breath just in time to be flung in the chaos of the 57 elections...then 58 is the Mob War, followed by Corporate War, then the Arcology Shutdown., the Year of the Comet ..ah...so much fun...what a bright dystopian future....I envy you in a way...(tears of nostalgia)

Peacekeeper is a very nice one if you had some color, and Harlequin can get awesome if you integrate elements from Tir Tairngire (which was not released at the time) or even from the Earthdawn setting to give depth to charcters such as Ehran, Harlequin and their past...

Wish I were here...and by the way...welcome to the shadows/bienvenue dans les ombres/willkommen in den shatten

Heya Zenmaxer. Good to know ya. I'll do my reasearch on 53 - 55. Is there a comprehensive timeline on Dumpshock?

I thought about recommending starting earlier, but based my advice on the scenarios listed. I didn't assume he wanted to go through every single plotline along the way, especially when he might not possess the appropriate source books. In fact, a fairly full list of events was listed in the question.

I think pushing the setting forward to '56 (or late '55) gives time for the completion of Harly and the relatively minor NAN runs before flowing naturally into the lead-up to Super Tuesday (the election). Harly has plenty of time to do what he needs to do with an off-camera team in the meantime.

After the election the whole Mob War/Corp War plotline plays out, and the characters can be worked seamlessly into these.

Timeline

Hello Ombre, and thanks.

I love UB, my copy is lovingly battered from re-re-re-reading it, but never put to the test, so yeah, I'd really like to run it

I will investigate starting in early '54.

Thanks for the ideas gentlemen.

BTW, I don't mean to get gushy, but I really am excited about this forum guys. I've been looking for a place to post about a topic I love for six months now... Alternity.net, Enworld, rpg.com, Kenzerco boards, and now I've found Dumpshock, and after reading the content of these posts I'm almost giddy.

Great to have you here, twofalls. I hope you and your players have a wonderful time.

I started a weekly campaign in December 1999, and we started with the very first published adventure and have gone through them in published order, interspersed with about an equal number of home-made adventures. I did it this way because I wanted my players to have a very strong foundation in Shadowrun (which they have -- 5 are now GMs for other players but still play in my campaign). The only problem with this is it takes perhaps 130 gaming sessions to get up to the Renraku Archology shutdown in 2059, just using published runs. And that was History by the time Shadowrun 3rd Edition was published.

Wow Ourteam, thats one heck of a game! I can only hope this group has that type of success.

I run an every other Saturday group, we have been gaming together for 7 years and are currently running a D&D game that is giving way to the Worlds Largest Dungeon. The group started with Earthdawn, that game lasted 31/2 years and was the longest campaign I've ever run. It was a blast... and thanks for the kind words. Nice to meet you.

The Shadow run game is a different group run opposite Fridays with some of my best friends in it. I'm very excited about it.