One thing that's irritated me for many a year.
Critters 3.
Love the book. Love the critters.
Don't love the write up on each of the critters.
If/when the book gets redone for SR4, could we please, please, please see some kind of standardised format for each of the critters, such as:
Name:
Location found: (America/Africa)
Preferred Environment Type: (Jungle/Tundra/Sewer/City)
Feeding habits: (Omnivorous/Carnivorous/Magical)
Awakeness: (Nocturnal/Diurnal)
Description: (Ugly, with a hint of stuffs)
Notes:
Stats:
Now, I suspect that the earlier critters books had such a format, but I never got the chance to grab a copy.
There's my only major beef with 3rd. At least, the only major beef with 3rd that I remember right at this moment.
Full Version: Critters
Critters are near and dear to my heart. Rest assured that I'm pushing for something along these lines; I don't want them to get short shrift again in the new edition.
Funnily enough, I was discussing paranimals with someone yesterday, and we both agreed we preferred the old Paranormal Animals sourcebooks with their couple of pages per critter. Nice picture, involved background, shadowtalk commentary, even a size comparison. Now that's what I'd push to see for critters in the new edition.
I always though critters were kinda cool, but they are difficult to add in a game as an obstacle. Most runners can waste even a piasma before it can do much, plus you have to justify why the critter would attack such a large target in the first place. It often feels like the typical D&D monster encounter.
I agree that critters won't turn up every run (although you'll see more of things like barghest, hellhounds, piasma etc that get used by security companies with paranormal animal licences). But they're good to use occasionally, and especially at times when the runners' usual edge is somehow a bit screwed up 
A classic example: I was running a game where the team had been forced to bail from an airplane over the wilderness. Since most of their good gear had been checked and was riding in the cargo area somewhere, they had zip in terms of firepower. That was when the wild barghest showed up. An encounter which would have barely had them pausing for breath fully tooled up severely wounded two of them and damn near killed a third.
(For the record, an awful lot of points were spent on unarmed combat skills in the few runs after that...)
A classic example: I was running a game where the team had been forced to bail from an airplane over the wilderness. Since most of their good gear had been checked and was riding in the cargo area somewhere, they had zip in terms of firepower. That was when the wild barghest showed up. An encounter which would have barely had them pausing for breath fully tooled up severely wounded two of them and damn near killed a third.
(For the record, an awful lot of points were spent on unarmed combat skills in the few runs after that...)
Two pages a critter just ain't gonna happen; it's just not economically feasible. There was so much wasted white space in the Paranormal Animals books. But I am pushing, from my position as a playtester, for more concrete information and a more useful presentation.
And that's the sort of thing that critters are meant for, Doc. I like it.
And that's the sort of thing that critters are meant for, Doc. I like it.
Don't forget the pictures (especially the scale part of it)
A complete critter book has always been lacking from the SR line. I don't want a booklet. I want a real book in the same fasshion as those created for other games (i.e. Monster Manuals for D&D) with one page for each critter containing standardized 'stat blocks' for easy reference, a picture for each critter, a brief synopsis of what it is and where it comes from, and maybe a quick reference to "round by round" tactics commonly employed by the critter.
Of course not everyone wants the exact same thing, but I think most can agree that critters could use better representation as a more complete element of the Shadowrun setting.
Of course not everyone wants the exact same thing, but I think most can agree that critters could use better representation as a more complete element of the Shadowrun setting.
edit: feh, nm.
| QUOTE (DrJest) |
| I agree that critters won't turn up every run (although you'll see more of things like barghest, hellhounds, piasma etc that get used by security companies with paranormal animal licences). But they're good to use occasionally, and especially at times when the runners' usual edge is somehow a bit screwed up A classic example: I was running a game where the team had been forced to bail from an airplane over the wilderness. Since most of their good gear had been checked and was riding in the cargo area somewhere, they had zip in terms of firepower. That was when the wild barghest showed up. An encounter which would have barely had them pausing for breath fully tooled up severely wounded two of them and damn near killed a third. (For the record, an awful lot of points were spent on unarmed combat skills in the few runs after that...) |
True, I'd forgotten about security use. It's something I've always wanted to integrate more into my games, I juts never thought about it. Actually, now that you mention it, I did include a pair of Barghest as security detail in a past game. Certainly scared the shit out of my players after they reviewed it's terrible potential as a security measure.
What would be a very good idea is to have a small blurb, a paragraph or two, on how exactly to integrate critters as security measure. The section in SR3 where they talk about mesh pas, turrets, fences, etc would have been a good place.
As for the second part of your post, you see that those wild barghest were only a problem cause your runners were weaponless and bleeding. Any opponent that is only useful when the runners are weaponless and bleeding is not in my opinion a good opponent.
Some critters are really good, but some are just not gonna happen. What's the point of having a rare-ass critter from the remote reaches of Siberia? Keep those in supplements. For the core book, only put useful security critters (barghest, etc) or common urban critters (rats, gabriel hounds, etc).
On the topic of critters, is Running Wild still being released, and if so is it going to be released for 3rd or 4th edition...
| QUOTE |
| Some critters are really good, but some are just not gonna happen. What's the point of having a rare-ass critter from the remote reaches of Siberia? Keep those in supplements. For the core book, only put useful security critters (barghest, etc) or common urban critters (rats, gabriel hounds, etc). |
I planned once, but didn't runned it, a game where the player had to get one of these critter from the remote part of the world. can be a good time out of town for long-time runner that want to have a little safari.
About the critter part in the core book. I don't consider it essential, if there is some space left, it could be filled with critters, but i much prefer descent chapter on magic and matrix rather than on critters. MHO
PANA and PAE are great. I was lucky enough to get both second-hand but if the FLGS had them new, it is unlikely I would have got them. Two pages is just a bit much. PAE is of the two the better - it at least tries to justify why the runners would meet up with these frightening beasts.
That said: There was massive redundancy. Between them there must have been a dozen kinds of monkey. The hydra and gorgon serve the same general purpose. And there were a few more snakes than there really needed to be. Some fluff creatures are't bad, but half the books are fluff critters.
I like the concept that the site claimed was beheind Running Wild. Critters style descriptions, (Maybe with pictures) and the rest of the book on how they fit into the 6W
That said: There was massive redundancy. Between them there must have been a dozen kinds of monkey. The hydra and gorgon serve the same general purpose. And there were a few more snakes than there really needed to be. Some fluff creatures are't bad, but half the books are fluff critters.
I like the concept that the site claimed was beheind Running Wild. Critters style descriptions, (Maybe with pictures) and the rest of the book on how they fit into the 6W
As soon as we know something about Running Wild, I'll let you know. I've got a vested interest in that one.
what exactly is running wild supposed to have in it? (i've been out of the loop for a while)
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