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Shadowrun 4e - Some quick questions
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<blockquote data-quote="Wik" data-source="post: 4209649" data-attributes="member: 40177"><p>Thanks, Ipissimus.</p><p></p><p>So, I bought the 4th edition, and read it over the course of two days. I like how the rules have changed in a lot of ways, though it is still a bit confusing to me. I guess I'm too used to d20; these sort of complex rules systems used to be second nature to me. </p><p></p><p>I even made a generic character and ran him in a fight against some basic thugs as described in the GM section; my basic shadowrunner wiped the floor with them. I guess that's to be expected, though. When I ran him against three of the same thugs, my shadowrunner lived, but only thanks to the fact that he had armour, and they didn't.</p><p></p><p>The "roll to dodge" attacks bit is not something I'm fond of (it's why I dropped the d6 system, really), but I'm willing to give it a try here. Though, I sort of like how earlier SR editions just had flat modifiers based on the character's cover; it made the combat seem a lot more tactical, and less skill-based. </p><p></p><p>(In my opinion, no one is ever really trained to "dodge bullets"; most smart people are trained to "hide behind cover". Since dodge is described mostly as just moving to not get hit, and cover grants a seperate bonus, I feel you can't just say "Dodge IS using cover". But I digress).</p><p></p><p>What really got me is the same thing that ultimately stopped me when I picked up 3e; I have no idea how to run SR adventures. While I generally run "sandbox" adventures as Ipissimus already mentioned, I felt like I was hitting a brick wall in how to stage SR adventures. My basic model was always: PCs meet at a location, get a job, hit a corp, steal information, and get out in a firefight. </p><p></p><p>It wasn't something I was fond of, and most of the adventures in my mind just couldn't be expanded enough to really work.</p><p></p><p>So, I went out today and bought the GM's screen (first time I've ever paid for a screen, I think!) - and it really helps to have all those tables. It includes a 32 page booklet of adventure ideas and an adventure generator (this is why I bought the thing, initially), and many of those ideas helped me figure something out.</p><p></p><p>Shadowrun isn't really a game about the combat, or investigations, or hacking. It's more about contact-building, and generally just looking badass. I've already written an adventure checklist in my head. Each adventure needs to have:</p><p></p><p>1) A combat, with multiple combatants on each side.</p><p>2) A hacking scene, or an encounter best served by hacking.</p><p>3) Some sort of magical encounter, or an area that can be bypassed by magical surveillance.</p><p>4) An investigation scene, or an extended "legwork" bit.</p><p>5) Using contacts.</p><p>6) Some sort of reference to the high tech level.</p><p></p><p>The big problem with the given adventure generator, though, is it makes it pretty much a given that Mr. Johnson is going to screw you over somehow; I tend to think that Johnson should only screw off PCs about one time in five, or else it'll be something the players expect too much ("Oh, hey. Johnson screwed us over again. Thankfully, we figured this would happen. Plan B, boys." compared to "It's a double cross! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!")</p><p></p><p>Anyways, I'm liking what I've got so far. Does anyone have any info on the 4e supplements, creating adventures, or how to turn SR into a campaign?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wik, post: 4209649, member: 40177"] Thanks, Ipissimus. So, I bought the 4th edition, and read it over the course of two days. I like how the rules have changed in a lot of ways, though it is still a bit confusing to me. I guess I'm too used to d20; these sort of complex rules systems used to be second nature to me. I even made a generic character and ran him in a fight against some basic thugs as described in the GM section; my basic shadowrunner wiped the floor with them. I guess that's to be expected, though. When I ran him against three of the same thugs, my shadowrunner lived, but only thanks to the fact that he had armour, and they didn't. The "roll to dodge" attacks bit is not something I'm fond of (it's why I dropped the d6 system, really), but I'm willing to give it a try here. Though, I sort of like how earlier SR editions just had flat modifiers based on the character's cover; it made the combat seem a lot more tactical, and less skill-based. (In my opinion, no one is ever really trained to "dodge bullets"; most smart people are trained to "hide behind cover". Since dodge is described mostly as just moving to not get hit, and cover grants a seperate bonus, I feel you can't just say "Dodge IS using cover". But I digress). What really got me is the same thing that ultimately stopped me when I picked up 3e; I have no idea how to run SR adventures. While I generally run "sandbox" adventures as Ipissimus already mentioned, I felt like I was hitting a brick wall in how to stage SR adventures. My basic model was always: PCs meet at a location, get a job, hit a corp, steal information, and get out in a firefight. It wasn't something I was fond of, and most of the adventures in my mind just couldn't be expanded enough to really work. So, I went out today and bought the GM's screen (first time I've ever paid for a screen, I think!) - and it really helps to have all those tables. It includes a 32 page booklet of adventure ideas and an adventure generator (this is why I bought the thing, initially), and many of those ideas helped me figure something out. Shadowrun isn't really a game about the combat, or investigations, or hacking. It's more about contact-building, and generally just looking badass. I've already written an adventure checklist in my head. Each adventure needs to have: 1) A combat, with multiple combatants on each side. 2) A hacking scene, or an encounter best served by hacking. 3) Some sort of magical encounter, or an area that can be bypassed by magical surveillance. 4) An investigation scene, or an extended "legwork" bit. 5) Using contacts. 6) Some sort of reference to the high tech level. The big problem with the given adventure generator, though, is it makes it pretty much a given that Mr. Johnson is going to screw you over somehow; I tend to think that Johnson should only screw off PCs about one time in five, or else it'll be something the players expect too much ("Oh, hey. Johnson screwed us over again. Thankfully, we figured this would happen. Plan B, boys." compared to "It's a double cross! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!") Anyways, I'm liking what I've got so far. Does anyone have any info on the 4e supplements, creating adventures, or how to turn SR into a campaign? [/QUOTE]
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