Hey folks,

In an effort to continue the great work that’s happened to date, I’ve accepted the position of Shadowrun Missions Coordinator. I’m pretty sure that I’ve posted enough here that at least a few people will recognize my handle. So, hopefully we won’t need an awkward “getting to know you” phase.

Between getting SR4 out the door and the summer con season, the FanPro folks have been a bit busy lately. I’m afraid that the Missions e-mail address hasn’t been transferred to me yet. For now, if you need a Shadowrun Missions Event, please e-mail me at missions@shadowrunrpg.com

Because I haven’t seen this posted anywhere, I also want to share the list of existing adventures. As I mentioned, if you are interested in obtaining copies of any of these, to run for your home groups, conventions, or game days, please drop me an e-mail. (To clarify -- the GenCon SoCal ones won't be available until after that convention.)

SRM00-01 Mission Briefing
SRM00-02 Demolition Run
SRM00-03 FORCEd RECON
SRM00-04 A Fork in Fate’s Path
SRM00-05 A Dark and Stormy Night
SRM01-01 Double Cross
SRM01-02 Strings Attached
SRM01-03 Harvest Time
SRM01-04 The Gambler
SRM01-05 A Walk in the Park
SRM01-06 Lost and Found
SRM01-07 Keys to the Asylum
SRM01-08 Duplicity - GenCon SoCal PREMIERE
SRM01-09 For Whom the Bell Tolls - GenCon SoCal PREMIERE

The next burning issue that needs to be addressed is, I suppose, SR4. Rumor has it that a few people are curious about that.

Here’s the plan:

The Rose-Croix story arc will end with the two adventures that premiere at GenCon SoCal in November. Our crack team of authors are working on them right now. (More on that later.) Those will be the last Missions adventures for SR3. Your feedback forms have been meaningful, and the conditions of those adventures are based on tracking information from the outcomes of past adventures.

Next summer at Origins, SR4 Missions will premiere. Yes, that means that there will be a lag period of 6 months or so without new Missions adventures. I’m not thrilled about it, but we do need to give our authors a little time to learn the new system. If, by the grace of god, I find myself with an excess number of adventures, (Hint, Hint.) I’ll see if I can’t leak something a bit earlier.

Characters will not be converted between systems. I don’t want to have to deal with an approval process, and I very much doubt that any of you do either.

Instead, new characters will be created using the SR4 rules and 400 build points. HOWEVER, KARMA WILL TRANSFER FROM YOUR SR3 CHARACTER TO YOUR SR4 CHARACTER. If that means that you’re playing the exact same character re-created under the new rules, then more power to you. If that means that you’d rather start fresh with a completely different character concept, that’s perfectly acceptable as well.

On New Adventures/Authors:

Currently, there is a small stable of talented authors assembled who have worked on Missions adventures. Did you notice the word "small?" That's a bit of a problem. I'm actively looking to expand that stable. If you are interested in writing an adventure, please drop me a PM here, and I’ll be happy to get you further details on the submission process.

This is an open call. The cupboard is bare. Writing a Missions event is not the fast track to the professional game designers circuit. It is, however, an exercise in writing, with someone who will happily edit your masterpiece. If nothing else, it’s excellent practice.

I'm currently in the process of compiling a campaign outline and a campaign writer's bible for the SR4 Missions campaign. This will be available to anyone that shows a productive interest in the campaign. (A productive interest is measured by authors who submitted me a detailed adventure outline that they're interested in fleshing out.) Don't wait for me to finish it. If you've got a plot that you're burning to have run in games all over the world, start typing! Please!

Now that the essential info is out there, I’ll try my best to answer anyone’s questions.

I'm pleased that you accepted the coordinator position. I'm sure you will inject energy and enthusiasm into your work for the campaign.

It sounds like the adventure I submitted to Rich died a slow death at the old SRM email address. Unfortunately, I was unable to buy a copy of SR4 at Gencon due to the limited quantities available at the FanPro booth, so any conversion of my mod to SR4 will have to wait.

Will your new position have any effect on the schedule of games you are running at the Warzone? Benny the ex-janitor still needs to experience a Walk in the Park.

Mark

There shouldn't be any negative effect on my schedule for running events. I plan on getting events scheduled up at Warzone again in the next couple weeks.

I'm sure you will inject energy and enthusiasm into your work for the campaign.

Either that or he'll crack, go on a killing spree through a grade school screaming "Screw Shadowrun! FanPro Sucks!"

*blink*

Damnit... did I say that outloud? Crap... uh... What I meant by that was, "Glad you're on board John. Looking forward to your work on Missions, I'm sure you'll do well."

Yeah... that's it.

Hehe. Lessee... That happened to me a couple years ago. I think you're about 1, maybe 2 cons away from that cracking point, Moo.

John though, he's fresh meat. He's got at LEAST a year in him before the cracks really start showing

Bull

Man what are you talking about? I scream "FanPro Sucks!" constantly.

Well,

There's a slight difference in The Dunner and ya'll. The Dunner is better at this than you all are.

He also has some muscle backing him.

He'll be jussst fine.

Clutch

He'll be fine before or after the cracks show....Actually he coordinated I think alot of this summers events and what not so he's already up and running.

do any of the missions events also happen in europe? and will there be more online ones in the future....

apologies if this is a daft set of questions

He'll do fine. I've seen him work. Now, I have to get a copy of SR4.

Quick question, though. Will there be any expansion books out for SR4 by the time the new system starts up? Or are those sufficiently spaced that they won't come out until after we start the new system?

It's possible that Street Magic might be out before the campaign kicks off, but I'd be shocked if any of the other advanced rule books were available. The current plan is to allow for the incorporation of materials from advanced rule books as they become available.

So, new gear in books that is legally available, will be available for purchase to existing characters. New skills/abilities will be available for purchase with earned Karma. Illegal/restricted items will, as always, require RPing the purchase through with a GM.

TimberWolf--I have yet to see firm dates for the expansion books, primarily the dates have been season and year.

The unofficial response is something akin to:
the new SRM story arc will begin before all of the advanced rulebooks for SR4 are available. Because of that, players who created their characters before those books were published, may see exciting new toys that they really want. In order to accommodate this, street legal materials from new publications will be freely available for purchase to characters as soon as the new books are published. New skills, qualities, and other items purchased with karma will be immediately available as advancement options. Items with high availability or restricted status will require a GM¹s help to role-play out their acquisition.

This answer should probably be considered subject to change depending on final decisions closer to release dates...

RE: The timeline for when Missions will roll out--it was initially slotted for an Origins release, but is moving earlier as Dunner has receieved Mission several proposals.

My goal would be for us to release one every month though that may not be what happens...

[edit] damn my slow fingers[/edit]

As his message hints at -- McQuillan is a member of the writing team working on the new Missions.