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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Brian Rogers <rogers@****.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:09:07 -0500
Has anyone else had a chance to take a look at this yet?
Message no. 2
From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 17:02:37 -0400
I've been looking for it...but I haven't even seen it in my area as of yet!
Tom
Message no. 3
From: "Mike J. Langley" <mikelang@*******.TELEBYTE.COM>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:16:44 -0700
On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Brian Rogers wrote:

> Has anyone else had a chance to take a look at this yet?
>

I bought a copy about a week ago. Have only skimmed it. but I liked what
I saw. I liked the running plot they had with hatchetman thoughout the book.
Message no. 4
From: Beowulf <beowulf@**.CENCOM.NET>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 00:28:15 -0500
>Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 17:02:37 -0400
>From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
>Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
>
>I've been looking for it...but I haven't even seen it in my area as of yet!
>Tom

Probably the fastest way for you to get a copy is to have a bookstore order
it for you. I work at Barnes & Noble and I ordered it through their system
and I had it in my hot little hands in less than a week.

Let me tell you, if you haven't seen CyberTech yet, you are in for a real
treat. Scary stuff. I ran an adventure last week and I used CyberTech
stuff for some of the bad guys that the part went up against, and I found
that one well designed Sammy using the Cybertech rules should be able to
fight a small group of PCs (4 or 5) to a standstill. Not all that
surprising I guess when you take into account that negative essence makes
the character more resistent to spells and can easily give the character
Body, Strength, and Quickness ratings of 15 to 20 and Initiative in the area
of 15 + 5d6. The only thing I'm not so sure about with respect to Cybertech
is that you would now be crazy to make a PhysAd. Using the Cybertech rules,
they just can't compete. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who, prior
to Cybertech, was a devout PhysAd lover. At any rate, lots of great story
ideas come just from reading Cybertech. It might make a good storyline on
ShadowTalk to have a group of these cyberpsychos go beserk and go on a
killing spree, or something like that. Just a thought.

---------
Kurt <beowulf@**.cencom.net>

"I am but mad north, northwest. When the wind is southerly I can tell a
hawk from a handsaw."
-- Hamlet
Message no. 5
From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 01:38:09 -0400
Ah, but I like to wait for the sourcebooks...:)
Tom
Message no. 6
From: Chris Daniels <DANIEC01@******.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 09:18:26 -0500
I found the Cybertech book thought that it is good. Help to clear up a few
things about how much stuff you can pack into a sammy. over all it's ok. was a
little light on new cyberware i thought, but the 'borg stuff makes up for that.
Message no. 7
From: Freddy Frypp <JAMES-CUENO@*********.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 10:54:57 CST
Personally, I'm getting a helluva rush out of it. However, I think
we need to do some serious thinking about this. So.....

I'd like to make a proposal:

NO NEGATIVE ESSENCE CHARACTERS ON TK!!!! And pretty darn rare
villains at that.

Can't enforce it, just like to toss the idea in. There's enough
power mad characters already (hell, I should know, I run most of
'em and I don't want anybody intruding on my turf <grin>).

But seriously, there's only 5 or 6 or a zillion highly controlled,
regulated delta clinics. Whoever gets in becomes a full-blown corp
pawn - or as I prefer to call them "corporate whores". Something no
self-respecting shadowrunner would willing let himself become (I
should hope). And no nasty corps coming in, grabbing somebody and
making him a big, bad borg against his will - you can just let your
body crap out, or the corp would shut you off (or cut off your drug
supplies) when you go power mad.

Anybody else agree with me?
Message no. 8
From: Mark Imbriaco <mark@******.NET>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 15:16:38 -0400
> I'd like to make a proposal:
>
> NO NEGATIVE ESSENCE CHARACTERS ON TK!!!! And pretty darn rare
> villains at that.

Well, personally, I think this may very well be a good idea.
On the other hand, I'm reluctant to impose a limit like that
when we have characters like dragons and other high-powered
entities on the list. It's really a matter of self-control.
There are quite a few characters on the list who could cause
a lot of damage, but don't. What does everyone else think
about it?

-Mark
Message no. 9
From: ANGLISS BRIAN EDWARD <angliss@****.COLORADO.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 18:33:35 -0600
As for people who supposedly had negative essence...well, my one cyborg
got killed by an assassin with a vehicle missile last year. There is
another somewhere, Mike Hilliard's character, I believe, but don't quote
me on that.

RIP Collussus.

Brian
Message no. 10
From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 1995 00:28:35 -0400
I know I have one, Brian, named Shogun...I don't use him very often, BECAUSE
I think that he WOULD imbalance the game.
Tom
Message no. 11
From: SCN User <bd042@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 21:06:07 -0700
Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the asphalt...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the new stuff means you no longer
hafta play a Mage to be a total powergamer, yes?
--Moonwalker
Message no. 12
From: Demonic Intent <gerrtts@********.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 21:22:22 -0500
At 09:06 PM 9/11/95 -0700, SCN User wrote:
>Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the asphalt...
>
>Correct me if I'm wrong, but the new stuff means you no longer
>hafta play a Mage to be a total powergamer, yes?
> --Moonwalker


Didn't have to before. Just ask Bob (topcat@**.cencom.net), he'll tell ya
all about how to create the ultimate killing machine on 100 karma and an
unlimited budget. Professional twinks only need apply.

<G>
(gerrtts@********.uiuc.edu)

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Message no. 13
From: "Mike J. Langley" <mikelang@*******.TELEBYTE.COM>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 17:02:54 -0700
On Tue, 12 Sep 1995, Demonic Intent wrote:

> At 09:06 PM 9/11/95 -0700, SCN User wrote:
> >Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the asphalt...
> >
> >Correct me if I'm wrong, but the new stuff means you no longer
> >hafta play a Mage to be a total powergamer, yes?
> > --Moonwalker
>
>
> Didn't have to before. Just ask Bob (topcat@**.cencom.net), he'll tell ya
> all about how to create the ultimate killing machine on 100 karma and an
> unlimited budget. Professional twinks only need apply.
>
> <G>
> (gerrtts@********.uiuc.edu)
>
Don't even need that, You can make a killing machine, as a legal starting
chararacter. I ought to know my players keep tring to slip them past
character aproval.
Message no. 14
From: TopCat <topcat@**.CENCOM.NET>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 03:34:05 -0500
>Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 21:22:22 -0500
>From: Demonic Intent <gerrtts@********.UIUC.EDU>
>Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology

>>[powergaming with samurai]

>Didn't have to before. Just ask Bob (topcat@**.cencom.net), he'll tell ya
>all about how to create the ultimate killing machine on 100 karma and an
>unlimited budget. Professional twinks only need apply.

I don't need 100 karma or unlim budget. Just give me the same thing anyone
else has and permission to go munching and it will be done. Now if I have
to roleplay the beasty, I will end up dumping a lot of the tweaks for stuff
I like to have or things that fit the character. I (as well as pretty much
anyone, I would think) have a rough time playing a supertweaked munchkin
char (a.k.a. toxic roleplaying spirit). With Cybertechnology is tweaking
more effective? Nah, because everyone gets access to the new toys when I
do. And as long as the rule base stays stable, then the best anyone can do
to powergame is tweak what everyone else is able to.

Cybertechnology is a much-needed supplement to the game. Few people seem to
notice that the character becomes dual-natured when essence drops below 0.
Fewer still notice that they need a chip in them to remind themselves that
they are alive. And finally, I personally don't know of a runner YET (in
any game I've played in) who could afford to use Cybertechnology to it's
full potential. Shadowrun was lacking severely in cyberware and increasing
steadily in the realm of magic. Admittedly, I find the fact that magic is
needed to get negative essence quite sickening. I thrive on a more
"Cyberpunk" style cyberware environment, where nearly everyone is juiced
somehow and some are chromed to the gills.

(would quickly like to answer the dreaded "Well, go play Cyberpunk, then!"
thread about to begin) Cyberpunk's rules system is ugly and
oh-so-incredibly tweakable. I don't despise magic in the genre. In fact, I
kinda like it. But to see EVERYONE magic in one way or another is pretty
rough to choke down (I mean... the ratio of magicked chars to chromed in
current campaigns has to be around 60/40, tonight's session didn't have a
single piece of cyberware shown the whole night) Isn't it supposed to be
extremely rare to be a magician? (stops his whining because he nearly went
on forever... go fig)

<thinks....> Oh yeah!!

I was wanting to grump a little about the "no Cybertech chars on the list"
whine from a few days back. If you can't handle the thought of someone
controlling those kind of resources... If it just seems insane to you that
someone might be more resistant to magic... If you cannot fathom why someone
would want to play something powerful... then drop all your chars above
level 3 initiation, all your non-standard race chars, all your corporations
and corporate chars, and pretty much anything of any power whatsoever.
Because man, the cyborgs aren't THAT powerful. They are powerful compared
to baseline samurai and FASA has never published archetypes this mean
before, but they aren't anywhere near the capabilities of about 40 percent
of the chars on the list.

<realizes that he's grumped more than a little and chills...>

As far as me telling anyone how to do the tweaking... mail 5 karma to
topcat@******.net and you'll recieve "TopCat's Tweaks!" a few little tips to
making a little character go a long way.

<wonders if Geoff knew I'd type this much... heheheh>
________
This multipage rant was brought to you by topcat@******.net.
Another product of Mohican Industries "Save the Samurai" Foundation.
Proceeds gained from "TopCat's Tweaks!" will be donated to karmically
impaired street samurai.
Message no. 15
From: SCN User <bd042@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: New Book -- CyberTechnology
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 12:46:10 -0700
Not as bad as some of the mage-tweaks I've seen:

The subdermal Spell Lock: "No, you can't target it because it's
_inside_ my aura and you can't see it there."
or better yet, the mage that burns a few elementals and all his magic pool
once a month to cast a Personal Barrier with 20 turns duration with
an activation link to a Detect High Kinetic Energy spell... "All you
see is a slight sparkle around me for a split second before the
assault-cannon shell bounces off."

Of course, this is in a campaign where a little girl once offed a
troll samurai with a Tiffani Light Defender...
--Moonwalker

Further Reading

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Thwap!