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Message no. 1
From: Tony Glinka <porthos@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Runner Card Ideas
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 23:35:40 -0700
Since we are throwing around new runner cards, I thought I would throw
in a few that would be near and dear to my heart: The 3 Musketeers.
These are meant to be fun ideas. Now, these are not supposed to be any
way shape or form related to my "real" card. And yes, I know there are
four of them, not three. If you want to know more about why the title
is wrong email me in private. :)

All are Human Prime Runners

D'Artagnan -- Musketeer
Cost: 8/1
Threat: 5/5
Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Streetwise
Athos -- Musketeer
Cost: 8/1
Threat: 5/5
Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Leadership
Aramis -- Musketeer
Cost: 8/1
Threat: 5/5
Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Stealth
Porthos -- Musketeer
Cost: 9/1
Threat: 5/6
Skills: Melee-3, Firearms

Special:
For each Musketeer in play, the other musketeers get +1/+1. Yes,
that makes the cards 8/8 (or 8/9 in the case of Porthos) if you manage
all four out. This comes from the fact that they always fought better
together. Two were said to be worth 50 men and the four of them could
take on anyone.
If you have more than one in play at a time, their upkeep is cut in
half (rounded up). They always had a knack for supporting each other in
terms of monetary obligations.
You may frag Porthos, to defeat any one challenge. He also resets
the alarm by doing so. If you have read any of the later books in the
series, you may guess the reason behind this.
If one of the Musketeers is targeted with a Wanted, he may take
along any of the others as his "seconds." All who go can be used in the
fight.

I was also thinking of giving all of them Social, since they have a
knack for finding a way to turn anything into a party, especially a
fight.
I gave them high costs to reflect the power that they can obtain as
you put a number in play.

Tony
--
GridSec: SRCard
Porthos@**.netcom.com
Porthos' World of Shadowrun: http://porthos.base.org/sr.html
Tony's SRTCG Site: http://porthos.base.org/srtcg.html
Message no. 2
From: David Reis <david.reis@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Runner Card Ideas
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 23:00:33 -0800
At 11:35 PM 3/5/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Since we are throwing around new runner cards, I thought I would throw
>in a few that would be near and dear to my heart: The 3 Musketeers.

Couldn't let this go by without a few comments!

<snip>

>D'Artagnan -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Streetwise

Why Streetwise? I thought he was a young guy with dreams of being a
musketeer (at least at first), not someone who knew his way around.

>Athos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Leadership
>Aramis -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Stealth
>Porthos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 9/1
> Threat: 5/6
> Skills: Melee-3, Firearms
>
>Special:
> For each Musketeer in play, the other musketeers get +1/+1. Yes,
>that makes the cards 8/8 (or 8/9 in the case of Porthos) if you manage
>all four out. This comes from the fact that they always fought better
>together. Two were said to be worth 50 men and the four of them could
>take on anyone.

I like this! Definitely an incentive for a theme deck.

> If you have more than one in play at a time, their upkeep is cut in
>half (rounded up). They always had a knack for supporting each other in
>terms of monetary obligations.

I'm not sure, but this seems to make them too powerful for their cost.
Still, it might be justified, since without this, all four in play eats
your entire credstick each turn.

> You may frag Porthos, to defeat any one challenge. He also resets
>the alarm by doing so. If you have read any of the later books in the
>series, you may guess the reason behind this.
> If one of the Musketeers is targeted with a Wanted, he may take
>along any of the others as his "seconds." All who go can be used in the
>fight.

Do you mean any as in any ONE of the others or any as in any UP TO ALL
THREE of the others?

>
> I was also thinking of giving all of them Social, since they have a
>knack for finding a way to turn anything into a party, especially a
>fight.

Definitely give them Social. I'm not sure if they should have so many
skills, though. I think they should be fighters, not sleazers.

> I gave them high costs to reflect the power that they can obtain as
>you put a number in play.
>
>Tony
>
It takes a lot to get me out of lurk mode, but this idea was so original I
just had to do it. Thanks!

David
Message no. 3
From: "Jens P. DrÀger" <a1616@****.UNI-BAYREUTH.DE>
Subject: Re: Runner Card Ideas
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 10:37:31 +0100
Tony Glinka wrote:
>
> Since we are throwing around new runner cards, I thought I would throw
> in a few that would be near and dear to my heart: The 3 Musketeers.
> These are meant to be fun ideas. Now, these are not supposed to be any
> way shape or form related to my "real" card. And yes, I know there are
> four of them, not three. If you want to know more about why the title
> is wrong email me in private. :)
>
> All are Human Prime Runners
>
> D'Artagnan -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Streetwise
> Athos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Leadership
> Aramis -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Stealth
> Porthos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 9/1
> Threat: 5/6
> Skills: Melee-3, Firearms

I just wonder why Porthos happens to be 5/6 ;-)

> Special:
> For each Musketeer in play, the other musketeers get +1/+1. Yes,
> that makes the cards 8/8 (or 8/9 in the case of Porthos) if you manage
> all four out. This comes from the fact that they always fought better
> together. Two were said to be worth 50 men and the four of them could
> take on anyone.
All for one and one for all, huh? :-)

> If you have more than one in play at a time, their upkeep is cut in
> half (rounded up). They always had a knack for supporting each other in
> terms of monetary obligations.
> You may frag Porthos, to defeat any one challenge. He also resets
> the alarm by doing so. If you have read any of the later books in the
> series, you may guess the reason behind this.
> If one of the Musketeers is targeted with a Wanted, he may take
> along any of the others as his "seconds." All who go can be used in the
> fight.
Doesn't that trait make them a little too invulnerable?

> I was also thinking of giving all of them Social, since they have a
> knack for finding a way to turn anything into a party, especially a
> fight.
But then you might want to raise the upkeep to 2 and 3 Yen - they'd get
too powerful and too cheap otherwise (especially if all four are out)...

But well, cool idea!
Jens P.
Message no. 4
From: Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Runner Card Ideas
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:25:48 -0800
Tony Glinka wrote:

(Snip Runners' stats)

I'd probably start them off as 4/4's; even rough-and-tumbly stalwarts
from early centueries shouldn't be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder
with, say, Ravage (the second toughest human in the game.)

> If you have more than one in play at a time, their upkeep is cut in
> half (rounded up). They always had a knack for supporting each other in
> terms of monetary obligations.

OK, this is cool.

> If one of the Musketeers is targeted with a Wanted, he may take
> along any of the others as his "seconds." All who go can be used in the
> fight.

Wanted, but not a Bar Fight?

If you have D'Artagnan, and I have Aramis, can my guy help yours?

Are the others who join in turned as a result?

Nifty, but too problematic as things stand to stay.

...So where's Cardinal Richilieu? And isn't Porthos using a monowhip
just the *coolest* image? (Unfortunately, I'm stuck thinking of the
Disney movie version....)


-Matt

------------------------------------
I will work harder. -- Boxer: Animal Hero, First-Class

GridSec: SRCard
Teen Poets FAQ: http://pw1.netcom.com/~mbreton/poetry/poetfaq.htm
SRTCG Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/2189/ccgtop.htm
Message no. 5
From: Tony Glinka <porthos@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Runner Card Ideas
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 10:58:13 -0700
I'll try an answer as many of the questions about the Musketeers as I can
here.

Here are their stats again.

> All are Human Prime Runners
>
> D'Artagnan -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Streetwise
> Athos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Leadership
> Aramis -- Musketeer
> Cost: 8/1
> Threat: 5/5
> Skills: Melee-2, Firearms, Stealth
> Porthos -- Musketeer
> Cost: 9/1
> Threat: 5/6
> Skills: Melee-3, Firearms
>
> Special:
> For each Musketeer in play, the other musketeers get +1/+1. Yes,
> that makes the cards 8/8 (or 8/9 in the case of Porthos) if you manage
> all four out. This comes from the fact that they always fought better
> together. Two were said to be worth 50 men and the four of them could
> take on anyone.
> If you have more than one in play at a time, their upkeep is cut in
> half (rounded up). They always had a knack for supporting each other in
> terms of monetary obligations.
> You may frag Porthos, to defeat any one challenge. He also resets
> the alarm by doing so. If you have read any of the later books in the
> series, you may guess the reason behind this.
> If one of the Musketeers is targeted with a Wanted, he may take
> along any of the others as his "seconds." All who go can be used in the
> fight.
>
> I was also thinking of giving all of them Social, since they have a
> knack for finding a way to turn anything into a party, especially a
> fight.
> I gave them high costs to reflect the power that they can obtain as
> you put a number in play.

Thinking about it, maybe they should have a threat rating of 4/4, except
Porthos who should be a 4/6. He was considered a "giant of a man" and I was
considering making him a troll, but I left him as human. He was well known
for for fighting ability and and not just with his sword, numerous times he
pummeled people to death with his bare hands.

All four were given Melee-2 and Firearms as a base set of skills. I them
picked one additional skill that fit their character. A little justification
for the additional skill:
D'Artagnan: Steetwise. I agree that in the first book (3 Musketeers) he
was young and new to Paris. But I was thinking along the lines of him in
Twenty Years After or the last set of books (e.g. The Man in the Iron Mask).

Athos: Leadership. He was the eldest of them and they looked to him for
advice. So he gets leadership naturally.
Aramis: Stealth. He had a habit of sneaking in and out of the windows to
ladies' rooms. He was quite the womanizer. And to think he became a priest
and it never slowed this habit down. :)
Porthos: Melee. As I mentioned before, he was best known for his fighting,
especially with his fists.

As some have suggested, I left off social mainly because I didn't want them
to be "sleaze" runners. And that would give them 5 skills which is more
than pretty much any one.

With regards to upkeep. Yes, they get cheap when you a bunch of them out.
But, you have to get a bunch of them out for this to happen. This kind of
gives the feeling that they need each other or, maybe the total is greater
than the sum of the parts. If you only have one, you have a runner with 4
skills, a 4/4 threat and a cost of 8/1. That is pretty expensive.

As for the use of Wanteds on them, I meant it as you can take as many of the
others as you have. But maybe it should be only one additional one. In the
stories, they usually all went, but their opponent usually had three others
also, to make it fair. So, I will revise it to say that only one additional
musketeer may go. But I think Bar Fights would also has this special
ability. And the runner who joins is also turned.

Matb had mentioned helping out other players' Musketeers with yours. I think
this is acceptable. They always were friends/brothers even when fighting
for the opposite cause. We had a discussion a while back on adding another
players runners to your shadowrun and this may work along the same lines. I
just don't remember all of the details.

I am working on their enemies. And man are their a lot of them. :)

With regards to the Disney movie, they did a great job, capturing the
spirit of the musketeers, but they left missed the fact that the real enemy
was Milady and not really the Cardinal. He was bad, but not too bad. But I
will save this as it will go OT very quickly. This isn't the place to
discuss Disney's adaptations of great works of literature. :)

Tony
--
GridSec: SRCard
Porthos@**.netcom.com
Porthos' World of Shadowrun: http://porthos.base.org/sr.html
Tony's SRTCG Site: http://porthos.base.org/srtcg.html

Further Reading

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