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Star Wars Saga/D&D 5th Hybrid [OOC/Rolls]
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<blockquote data-quote="GreenKarl" data-source="post: 7452775" data-attributes="member: 6801242"><p>How to run Shadowrun in a PBP?</p><p></p><p>Something I encountered trying to run Shadowrun here a few years ago was that the game really REALLY bogs down during planning and legwork. There are just to many options for players on what to look into, bouncing ideas around, plans and strategies they might consider, etc. </p><p></p><p>So I have forming two ideas but they are still early and looking for any feedback and thoughts from the boards would be cool. Here is what I got so far…</p><p></p><p>“<em><strong>Its’ lucking I have a plan for this…</strong></em>” The biggest problem that I see with Shadowrun and PBP is pre-planning. Part of the fun of a lot of Shadowrun games and the players making plans and counter-plans. In most of the face-to-face Shadowrun games I have been in we tend to have one or two sessions of NOTHING but planning and re-hashing the plan. In a PBP setting this can last for months if not years if you let the game go that way (or should I see if people stayed interested in the planning that long. They don’t they just dropped the game or are waiting for the “planners” to come up with the plan). </p><p></p><p>So my idea is to use an idea from <strong>Blades in the Dark</strong> a ‘powered by Apocalypse World’ RPG system. In this game players take on the roles of rogues and hucksters in a big urban fantasy thieves’ guild. In that game you start out with “Planning & Engagement” where the crew (the heroes) huddle around flickering lanterns in their lairs to plot, scheme, bicker about the best approach, lament the dangers and lust about the coins to come. But the players don’t have to do the nitty-gritty planning. Instead the heroes take care of that off-screen and instead they choose a <strong>type of plan</strong> they have already made. The types of plans there are include – “Assault”, “Deception” or “Stealth” to name a few. </p><p></p><p>After that is chosen the type of plan they go over some basic ‘Details’ (where’s the point of entry, who’s on point, how much mayhem (do we want to avoid everyone if possible or are we supposed to make a mess), etc. You also must determine how much ‘stuff’ you are carrying with you (“The Load”). Then they make something called the <strong>Engagement Roll</strong> which is to determine how well the plan goes off and the complications they encounter. </p><p></p><p>Then the way they can influence the adventure in the middle of the game is called a <strong>Flashbacks</strong> where some action might have an impact on the present situation. </p><p></p><p>Also…</p><p></p><p>“<em><strong>What did my contact say about that?</strong></em>” Legwork is another area I feel the game can get really bogged down in as the players ask different questions and many of them having nothing to do with the case/adventure at hand (sometimes as they get off on a tangent or mislead, etc.)</p><p></p><p>My idea would be that players can do a bit of initial legwork before the mission to gain some insight into their target or boss and what is really going on. After all, in Shadowrun the Mr. Johnson almost never is telling the truth or giving you all the information. You are a ‘denial asset’ after all and it would not be good for the bottom line if you divulged sensitive information to the wrong party. </p><p></p><p>So players get the mission and can ask the Mr. Johnson some questions. They then get to ask their contacts any quick questions they might have as normal and then on to the mission. If in the middle of the adventure comes up that a contact might have pertinent information the player can ask the GM “Hey my contact X might have had some info on this, can I have contact him?” If it makes since the GM gives the character a normal contact roll, pays the cash to his contact based on that roll and the GM gives them whatever they might have known. Now the player has the info and it can be assumed that everyone heard about it from the player and can act accordingly. </p><p></p><p>For example, the team is breaking into an Ares’s facility in the Barrens, looking to steal some research into a prototype laser weapon system that Ares is supposed to be testing here. Inside the Decker stumbles across some files on a new germ-warfare treatment that Ares is testing for the Confederate States Marine Corp to combat some flu strain they discovered in the Caribbean League recently in the Narco-Wars with the Cartels there. One of the team members has a Street Doc contact and she asks “Hey my Street Doc use to do research in germ theory, can I have asked him about any ‘super-flus’ he might have heard about coming from that area?” The GM knows that the Mr. Johnson wants this research also ask his corporation is developing the flu weapon and wants to know how far along Ares is in developing a vaccine. He had told them to steal any and all research they stumble upon at the facility in the hopes they stumbled onto it also. He did not want them to know this of course but with a good contact roll the runner learns from her Street Doc contact that there was a corp by the name of <strong>NewGenics</strong>, that is based in Aztlan, was working on something similar and that the doc had heard rumors that the corp was partially funded by the drug cartels in the nation as well. This could have an interesting impact on how the heroes proceed. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Now I like the basics of BITD but I don't want to go completely that route, instead my idea is something like this… that for each mission, depending on the danger-level, etc. that he grants each hero 1 to 3 (or maybe more for really dangerous) “edits” or “flashbacks” or pre-planning and/or legwork rolls during any given mission. </p><p></p><p>Mr. Johnson hires the team. He gives them a basic mission spiel and offer of cash payout. This will set a basic ‘mission type’ (blow up some center at night would be an ‘assault’, sneak into area and plan evidences, don’t get caught might be ‘stealth’ etc.) that gives the team their basic ‘plan or mission’ type. </p><p></p><p>The heroes maybe ask some question and/or negotiation extra cash or equipment rewards. After that the heroes each get to make one or two contact rolls (Gather Information vs. their Contact type) for any extra basic information they might get. The heroes should have their basic load or equipment already on hand and picked out. If they want something extra they can purchase or attempt to find it (with a roll) now and add it to their sheets. The heroes decide when and where they are going (here is where we are breaking in) and the basic mission plan of sorts. Nothing to details but just a basic (we are following the Johnson's plan but I want to do this also, etc.)</p><p></p><p>Then we move into the action. The GM gives them the basic set up of where they are and what is happening for this mission. If there is a complication that is somewhat outside their control (like say someone already knows about the Mr. Johnson’s actions and is trying to stop it and already knows about the heroes) this can be where the action starts instead. Say the heroes are heading towards the start of the mission and are about to get ambushed (maybe making a roll vs. Passive Perception) and then “Roll Initiative”. </p><p></p><p>I mentioned about the legwork thing but I also like the idea of not sweating the nitty-gritty details and just getting to the action (especially in a PBP) so they heroes are moving along and a complication comes up (because there are always complications in Shadowrun, no matter how good the plan). One of the heroes pipes up saying he wants to do something or to have planned for this situation or maybe wants to have picked up a piece of gear and forgot so can he say he purchased it already? </p><p></p><p>The GM then provides a roll, depending on the situation. Some examples…</p><p>The group is sneaking into a place. The job did not say to totally avoid collateral damage etc. and the team spots a pair of barghest guard dogs outside the facility they are breaking into. They don’t want to take the chance that the dogs howls might attract the guards so one of the heroes says “Hey could I have purchased some of those ‘stummer-sound wave jammers’? I think they should be able to mask these dogs howls for us to take them out and not alert anyone! The game sees that the stummer is not restricted or illegal and just costs money. The character could use one of his ‘edits’ to have the stummer on hand and ready to go. </p><p></p><p>1. Or the heroes are breaking into a facility and forgot to bring wire-cutters when they encounter a chain-link fence. Its’ also electrified. Someone could use an edit to have remembered to grab a pair of ‘grounded’ non-conductive cutters and just pay the money now.</p><p></p><p>2. Or the heroes are sneaking down an interior hallway and see a check point ahead that also has a big gun emplacement in front of it. While the rigger is attempting to hack the security system that controls the gun itself, one of the other heroes might ask if he could have planned on using the ventilation system at some point to get closer to one of the guard posts unnoticed. The GM had said that the ventilation system was too small to crawl through earlier. But the runner had studied the schematics and noticed that at this point there was an older design or something similar and it was big enough to get through here. The GM might give the runner a Dexterity (Stealth) check DC 15 to be able to use this edit in this situation. Failure means he can’t use this edit in this situation as the building had been updated since the runner saw the plans or if he makes it by +5 or +10, not only does he get the edit but he is able to sneak closer than he had asked for or that more of the team could his lead, getting a bonus on a group Stealth check, etc.</p><p></p><p>3. Or the heroes are fleeing the corp with security hot on their tail. The team spotter notices some flashing Lone Star cruisers heading this way. She asks if she can use one of her edits to have bribed the local Lone Star Sergeant to be slow on any responses to calls to this neighborhood. The GM asks how much the bribe might be and then gives the runner a Charisma (Persuasion) based on that. If she succeeds she deduces the cash and notices that they are a few blocks off and that they don’t seem to be in too great a hurry and have slowed for stop-lights, etc. Failure might mean that the cops are little closer and that Sergeant is in the lead car with a pissed off look (maybe he is honest or he is pissed the offer was so low, etc.)</p><p></p><p>Anyway, I need to flesh this out some more. What are your thoughts?? Where can this be improved?? Do you think it might work in a PBP?? I don’t want to many of them to be dependent on any one character and want them to be pretty generic for the heroes to use as they want, when they want. Maybe it does not make sense to change or edit or have planned for some situation and the GM says no right up front or maybe they should have planned for this and the GM does not require or roll or even for them to ask. Not sure yet…</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GreenKarl, post: 7452775, member: 6801242"] How to run Shadowrun in a PBP? Something I encountered trying to run Shadowrun here a few years ago was that the game really REALLY bogs down during planning and legwork. There are just to many options for players on what to look into, bouncing ideas around, plans and strategies they might consider, etc. So I have forming two ideas but they are still early and looking for any feedback and thoughts from the boards would be cool. Here is what I got so far… “[i][b]Its’ lucking I have a plan for this…[/b][/i]” The biggest problem that I see with Shadowrun and PBP is pre-planning. Part of the fun of a lot of Shadowrun games and the players making plans and counter-plans. In most of the face-to-face Shadowrun games I have been in we tend to have one or two sessions of NOTHING but planning and re-hashing the plan. In a PBP setting this can last for months if not years if you let the game go that way (or should I see if people stayed interested in the planning that long. They don’t they just dropped the game or are waiting for the “planners” to come up with the plan). So my idea is to use an idea from [b]Blades in the Dark[/b] a ‘powered by Apocalypse World’ RPG system. In this game players take on the roles of rogues and hucksters in a big urban fantasy thieves’ guild. In that game you start out with “Planning & Engagement” where the crew (the heroes) huddle around flickering lanterns in their lairs to plot, scheme, bicker about the best approach, lament the dangers and lust about the coins to come. But the players don’t have to do the nitty-gritty planning. Instead the heroes take care of that off-screen and instead they choose a [b]type of plan[/b] they have already made. The types of plans there are include – “Assault”, “Deception” or “Stealth” to name a few. After that is chosen the type of plan they go over some basic ‘Details’ (where’s the point of entry, who’s on point, how much mayhem (do we want to avoid everyone if possible or are we supposed to make a mess), etc. You also must determine how much ‘stuff’ you are carrying with you (“The Load”). Then they make something called the [b]Engagement Roll[/b] which is to determine how well the plan goes off and the complications they encounter. Then the way they can influence the adventure in the middle of the game is called a [b]Flashbacks[/b] where some action might have an impact on the present situation. Also… “[i][b]What did my contact say about that?[/b][/i]” Legwork is another area I feel the game can get really bogged down in as the players ask different questions and many of them having nothing to do with the case/adventure at hand (sometimes as they get off on a tangent or mislead, etc.) My idea would be that players can do a bit of initial legwork before the mission to gain some insight into their target or boss and what is really going on. After all, in Shadowrun the Mr. Johnson almost never is telling the truth or giving you all the information. You are a ‘denial asset’ after all and it would not be good for the bottom line if you divulged sensitive information to the wrong party. So players get the mission and can ask the Mr. Johnson some questions. They then get to ask their contacts any quick questions they might have as normal and then on to the mission. If in the middle of the adventure comes up that a contact might have pertinent information the player can ask the GM “Hey my contact X might have had some info on this, can I have contact him?” If it makes since the GM gives the character a normal contact roll, pays the cash to his contact based on that roll and the GM gives them whatever they might have known. Now the player has the info and it can be assumed that everyone heard about it from the player and can act accordingly. For example, the team is breaking into an Ares’s facility in the Barrens, looking to steal some research into a prototype laser weapon system that Ares is supposed to be testing here. Inside the Decker stumbles across some files on a new germ-warfare treatment that Ares is testing for the Confederate States Marine Corp to combat some flu strain they discovered in the Caribbean League recently in the Narco-Wars with the Cartels there. One of the team members has a Street Doc contact and she asks “Hey my Street Doc use to do research in germ theory, can I have asked him about any ‘super-flus’ he might have heard about coming from that area?” The GM knows that the Mr. Johnson wants this research also ask his corporation is developing the flu weapon and wants to know how far along Ares is in developing a vaccine. He had told them to steal any and all research they stumble upon at the facility in the hopes they stumbled onto it also. He did not want them to know this of course but with a good contact roll the runner learns from her Street Doc contact that there was a corp by the name of [b]NewGenics[/b], that is based in Aztlan, was working on something similar and that the doc had heard rumors that the corp was partially funded by the drug cartels in the nation as well. This could have an interesting impact on how the heroes proceed. Now I like the basics of BITD but I don't want to go completely that route, instead my idea is something like this… that for each mission, depending on the danger-level, etc. that he grants each hero 1 to 3 (or maybe more for really dangerous) “edits” or “flashbacks” or pre-planning and/or legwork rolls during any given mission. Mr. Johnson hires the team. He gives them a basic mission spiel and offer of cash payout. This will set a basic ‘mission type’ (blow up some center at night would be an ‘assault’, sneak into area and plan evidences, don’t get caught might be ‘stealth’ etc.) that gives the team their basic ‘plan or mission’ type. The heroes maybe ask some question and/or negotiation extra cash or equipment rewards. After that the heroes each get to make one or two contact rolls (Gather Information vs. their Contact type) for any extra basic information they might get. The heroes should have their basic load or equipment already on hand and picked out. If they want something extra they can purchase or attempt to find it (with a roll) now and add it to their sheets. The heroes decide when and where they are going (here is where we are breaking in) and the basic mission plan of sorts. Nothing to details but just a basic (we are following the Johnson's plan but I want to do this also, etc.) Then we move into the action. The GM gives them the basic set up of where they are and what is happening for this mission. If there is a complication that is somewhat outside their control (like say someone already knows about the Mr. Johnson’s actions and is trying to stop it and already knows about the heroes) this can be where the action starts instead. Say the heroes are heading towards the start of the mission and are about to get ambushed (maybe making a roll vs. Passive Perception) and then “Roll Initiative”. I mentioned about the legwork thing but I also like the idea of not sweating the nitty-gritty details and just getting to the action (especially in a PBP) so they heroes are moving along and a complication comes up (because there are always complications in Shadowrun, no matter how good the plan). One of the heroes pipes up saying he wants to do something or to have planned for this situation or maybe wants to have picked up a piece of gear and forgot so can he say he purchased it already? The GM then provides a roll, depending on the situation. Some examples… The group is sneaking into a place. The job did not say to totally avoid collateral damage etc. and the team spots a pair of barghest guard dogs outside the facility they are breaking into. They don’t want to take the chance that the dogs howls might attract the guards so one of the heroes says “Hey could I have purchased some of those ‘stummer-sound wave jammers’? I think they should be able to mask these dogs howls for us to take them out and not alert anyone! The game sees that the stummer is not restricted or illegal and just costs money. The character could use one of his ‘edits’ to have the stummer on hand and ready to go. 1. Or the heroes are breaking into a facility and forgot to bring wire-cutters when they encounter a chain-link fence. Its’ also electrified. Someone could use an edit to have remembered to grab a pair of ‘grounded’ non-conductive cutters and just pay the money now. 2. Or the heroes are sneaking down an interior hallway and see a check point ahead that also has a big gun emplacement in front of it. While the rigger is attempting to hack the security system that controls the gun itself, one of the other heroes might ask if he could have planned on using the ventilation system at some point to get closer to one of the guard posts unnoticed. The GM had said that the ventilation system was too small to crawl through earlier. But the runner had studied the schematics and noticed that at this point there was an older design or something similar and it was big enough to get through here. The GM might give the runner a Dexterity (Stealth) check DC 15 to be able to use this edit in this situation. Failure means he can’t use this edit in this situation as the building had been updated since the runner saw the plans or if he makes it by +5 or +10, not only does he get the edit but he is able to sneak closer than he had asked for or that more of the team could his lead, getting a bonus on a group Stealth check, etc. 3. Or the heroes are fleeing the corp with security hot on their tail. The team spotter notices some flashing Lone Star cruisers heading this way. She asks if she can use one of her edits to have bribed the local Lone Star Sergeant to be slow on any responses to calls to this neighborhood. The GM asks how much the bribe might be and then gives the runner a Charisma (Persuasion) based on that. If she succeeds she deduces the cash and notices that they are a few blocks off and that they don’t seem to be in too great a hurry and have slowed for stop-lights, etc. Failure might mean that the cops are little closer and that Sergeant is in the lead car with a pissed off look (maybe he is honest or he is pissed the offer was so low, etc.) Anyway, I need to flesh this out some more. What are your thoughts?? Where can this be improved?? Do you think it might work in a PBP?? I don’t want to many of them to be dependent on any one character and want them to be pretty generic for the heroes to use as they want, when they want. Maybe it does not make sense to change or edit or have planned for some situation and the GM says no right up front or maybe they should have planned for this and the GM does not require or roll or even for them to ask. Not sure yet… [/QUOTE]
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