so here i am, no one to play with, and i've always kinda preferred gming over being a character, so i was considering running a PbP game (maybe here, maybe on rpol) but i wanted to see what everyone thought about someone not having alot of experience playing, taking up GM reigns.

I think my biggest downside, is i only have the BBB and matrix (no CC, no MJLBB no m&m etc)

I need a game.

If you have a half good idea, I'd probably submit a character. So would most around here, I suspect.

If you run it here, I can be all in. Anywhere else and Websense might not let me there.

I'd perfer to do it here as well.

I actually think it'd be cool to do a run say 2060 using just the BBB (matrix doesn't worry me since I shy away from deckers). Sortof a "return to the roots" without digging up the first edition books

Give us a description of the game and lets see what rolls. If you're a Shadowrun newb then that's perfect because I'm an online RP newb. Plus, I got lots of free time at work to burn...

Everyone was a n00b at some point. Just read the books and be familiar with the stuff and you'll do fine. Looks like you have players as well.

I did a "just the BBB" run a while ago here. It ended prematurely but the mechanics were fine. We used Sum to Ten for char gen.

You can actually get some decent characters using just the basic book. I'd be interested. A forum game might actually be a pretty good way to get your feet wet, GMing-wise, since you can look up any rules that you need to before you post. New games in the Welcome to the Shadows forum usually fill up fast, so you probably won't lack for players.

Aku-you know i am in

I think if you let everyone know in recruitment that you are a newbie with few books, only those that would be understanding to your rookieness would apply to run anyway. That way you have a group of runners who are willing to work around the newbie factor and will probably assist you with any problems or questions that may arise. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

I've done the n00b-as-GM thing before, and let me tell you, even if you're a very experienced roleplayer you'll find things tripping you up bigtime. Like that time that I issued a mook a sniper rifle because I had no comprehension of how deadly they are in SR.

Newbie GMing is never pretty, but that doesn't mean it can't be a whole lot of fun.

~J

The first time I ran Food Fight (I'd played through it before, but never run it), not a single member of the game's six-strong Shadowrunning team (30ish karma each) limped out of that Stuffer Shack with less than a Serious wound.

Runners in street clothes + bad guy with a shotgun = hurtin' Runners.

And, well, the moral of the story is just that it can be very easy to overestimate the players, or underestimate the opposition, or both at once. Don't sweat it, this happens. Make sure your buddies know you're new to running the game, etc, etc, and make sure everyone's real clear on the basic combat rules. Go in with the understanding that you might fudge a die roll here and there (if you're not out to kill someone at the time)... and just have fun with it.

The setting is what counts. Don't worry about the rules so much yet, as worrying about the ability to understand and convey the feel of the setting. Rules (as mentioned) can be wholly unimportant, given the GM's ability to fudge a roll every now and then, or what-have-you, if something's not important to the plot.

I have played for quite a while but ran my first game a few weeks ago, it went really well to the point where i have been asked to turn it into a campaign, yes i needed help on some of the rules! but i think it went really well!

you can't knock people for having a go, thats what i say anyway!


torz x

I still remember the first game I ran. The players cleaned the floor with me. It was set on a timeline that should take about 48 hours for the job, and they finished it within an hour and a half.

Sticking to just the main book for your first game is actually a good idea. Fewer rules to know, fewer to abuse.

Keep things short for now. Food Fight, a single, small, easy run, things like that, 'til you feel ready to really embrace the masochism.

Don't feel bad if you want to reject a player. You'll get roleplayers, munchkins and none of the above. Decide which group you want (roleplayers or munchkins) and aim for them. If they can't spell or always say 'u', drop 'em before they drop out of the game. I generally reject about 25-40% of the applications I receive. Because I'm picky, I enjoy the game more and so do my players.

If you're doing a pbp game, I expect about a 25-35% dropout rate. Plan on it.

You may want to create an NPC who travels with the party if you're doing an actual plot line, so he can give the group a nudge as necessary (and fill any roles no one else wants.) It gives you a little more control over the plot which is nice early on.

Also, if you're doing pbp, make it clear how often you will post as GM. Stick to it. If the PCs are too slow, let them get shot up for not making a choice. That'll encourage them to get their butts in gear. Your game will fall into lulls, so you need to be ready to pull it out again.

Learn to think on your toes!

And wear sunscreen ; P

Hope things turn out well. Which site are you on?

heh i wonder who those three people are who say they'd make sure it went horrible, everyone's being really supportive, like i said, if i do a run, it's going to be really basic, but hopefully, i wont let my years in that other game ™ show through but i think i'll let the idea brew and my head, and then put it up over in the shadows at some point...

how much info should i give about the run in the basic recruitment thread?

edit heh ok, i think i have a workable idea, getting something set up in a few moments.

as for the PbP site i use rpol.net

Good Luck.

I have had nothing but terrible experiences trying to run or play games PBP. But I'm not one of the 3.

Put enough to get the kind of characters you are looking for. If you don't specify what kind of run, be ready to get all kinds of submissions, you can pick the ones best suited to the run. If you say what kind of run or runners you are looking for, you will probably get fewer responses, but the ones you get should be close to what can do the job.

Uh, the problem with newbie GMs is that people get pissed off when the GM does the rules wrong. The GM, not knowing any better, decides to improvise since he dosen't know the rules: "Uh, Bob beats you up in melee." Then the player replies, "NO HE DOSEN'T! I have reach 2, and he CLEARLY already used up all his combat pool on the last dodge test, and I CLEARLY have Edged Weapons 6 (12), and since you're a newbie you let me take Aptitude: Edged Weapons, so I have that as well! There's only a .00000005645685489% chance that he could have beat my successes! RAARGGHHHH!"

And then it becomes all downhill from there as everyone keeps correcting the GM on the rules and throwing a hissy fit every time their character takes damage.

I've only had extremely depressing experiences with newbie GMs.

[asian mentor mode]

Velly good, Aku. You have ploglessed upon the path of the Lures Ninja. But you folget that Edged Weapons 6 (12) might be flom 6 revers of the "Imploved Abirity" physad power.

[/asian mentor mode]

N. B. It's okay for me to make Asian jokes because I'm half Japanese. So nyaaah. Also, if that was too hard to read, just change all "r"s to "l"s and vice versa.

Yay! I'm on RPOL as well. Always need more newbie GMs there. If you're interested in getting some help, I'm happy to jump in or whatever you'd need there.

Personally, I hide all the dice rolls on RPOL. If they want to roll, they can, but they gotta do it before I do, or I do it myself. And I do them on another site (irony games has an SR dice roller which is faster than RPOL). So they never actually know if I rolled or not, which means I don't take flak for not following rules (plus it moves MUCH faster that way.)

Generally I specify the world (game year, anything unusual in it), what books are allowed (in your case, only the main manual), and enough about the mission that people can really pick who's most appropriate without giving away too much. Perhaps put up the opening thing the Johnson will say, so they know the nature of the job. But in general, you'll end up with no shortage of mages and sams, a few electronics experts and a decker or rigger if you're lucky.

I think it's a wicked idea, Aku - everyone needs to start somewhere. Make sure you have supportive players who understand and you'll be well away. Almost everyone on here is cool.

My trick was to play in a couple on here first to see how others do it. I didn't manage to get into a Sphynx game (which I regret) but the Gm I had was very cool. I learnt a lot, then had a whack at it myself.

Failing that, try to "cast" your game with people who GM either on here or in RL. They'll be real understanding...

There is nothing wrong as a newb to learn to GM. I played Shadowrun less than a half dozen times before I was nominated the group GM (we lost our previous GM and I had the sourcebooks).

I've been GMing ever since (and it's a lot of fun pulling all the strings). Some might consider me to be a bit lax, since I have yet to cause a fatality amongst my players' characters, but so long as everyone is having fun, I feel my job is being done properly.

That should be the only standard you hold your games up to and as far as I'm concerned, it shouldn't be too hard to do.

SR13

well, if anyone's interested, it's over in welcome to the shadows, titled, "First shadow" and as i think i might've said, to add a twist, it's set in pittsburgh

I started running a game before I played it (assuming, of course that Sega doesn't count as playing). I've been running the game for 5 years and it's still going strong. My players love it and beg me to play more than we already do, which is once a week). So yes, run the game. My game is living proof that it can work.
Just a side note: I didn't know about DS when I started, so you're way ahead.