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Message no. 1
From: Simon Fuller sfuller@******.com.au
Subject: Critters [Re: Year of ... ?]
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 17:11:46 +1100
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven A. Tinner <bluewizard@*****.com>
To: shadowrn@*********.org <shadowrn@*********.org>
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: Year of ... ?


>>> I could go for a Year of the Critter too. Each month FASA could release
>a
>>> small critter themed adventure - along the lines of their old line of
>>> adventure books, or even something the size of the quickstart rules.
>>
>>ACK!!! Steve, are you nuts??? The workload for this alone would be nuts
>>IMO. However, doing some kind of "critter expansion" would be okay, if
it
>>were part of something else (perhaps as part of the "Target: Awakened
Lands
>>book, critter inserts for some of the regions?).
>
>Not nuts. I just beleive in MORE lead time.
>As you said, the next two years are essentially fleshed out.
>However, I see no reason why FASA could not follow Pinnacle's example on a
>critter book.
>When Pinnacle wanted to do their Deadlands book Rascals, Varmints and
>Critters, they tapped their players for ideas.
>Less than one year later they released RV&C, with several dozen critters in
>it, along with short fiction peices for each, and some adventure seeds.
>The only thing offered the contributing writers was a chance to see their
>creation in print.
>RV&C was one of Pinnacle's best selling books in the Deadlands line!
>
>With a three year lead in, and the sheer number of fans that SR has, I see
>NO reason why FASA could not publish 12 SMALL books each detailing one new
>critter, and an adventure to go with it.
>Something along the lines of Pinnacle's Dime Novels even (Gee - can you
tell
>I'm quite impressed with Pinnacle? ;-))
>
>IMO FASA is doing a great job right now.
>These comments are not meant to be a rant about FASA at all!
>Rather, this is just something that I think would be popular, would sell
>well, and could be done without too much trouble.
>
>Steven A. Tinner


I bags Cockatrices! One thing, if there is a Critters sourcebook planned, I
would like to see critters made tougher. I haven't seen the third edition
version of them, but second edition animals were pretty weak. Your average
man on the street could take out a guard dog pretty easily, and runners
barely bother to slow down. For me, guard (para)animals should be extremely
tough, and wild animals that can be expected to attack even more dangerous.
Para Animals of Europe toughened their beasties up, and I think it works
well. It should be a terrifying experience for city born and bred alley
runners to come across a rampaging wild beast. After all, dragons went from
giant scary talking lizards to near godlike beings.
Message no. 2
From: HHackerH@***.com HHackerH@***.com
Subject: Critters [Re: Year of ... ?]
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 02:14:05 EST
In a message dated 2/16/00 2:02:27 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
sfuller@******.com.au writes:

> I bags Cockatrices! One thing, if there is a Critters sourcebook planned, I
> would like to see critters made tougher. I haven't seen the third edition
> version of them, but second edition animals were pretty weak. Your average
> man on the street could take out a guard dog pretty easily, and runners
> barely bother to slow down. For me, guard (para)animals should be extremely
> tough, and wild animals that can be expected to attack even more dangerous.
> Para Animals of Europe toughened their beasties up, and I think it works
> well. It should be a terrifying experience for city born and bred alley
> runners to come across a rampaging wild beast. After all, dragons went from
> giant scary talking lizards to near godlike beings.

Actually, we've been having barrels of fun here with critters, paranormal and
otherwise, for quite some time. I usually run most critters (dogs, cats,
etc...) as having one or more "enhanced senses" automatically, regardless of
what the game write-ups officially say.

Also, one dog sure. But in "wildernessed urban areas", packs of dogs can be
far more entertaining than the lone mutt. Of course, if the lone mutt is
also a carrier of some obnoxious disease and on literally a limited lifespan,
that too can be fun.

Bring in paracritters, and the world goes wilder. I've told the stories of
"Billie and Kray" here in RN for years literally. Loads of fun, if for
nothing else, the role-play possibilities. And, recently in the "Tailchaser"
game I've been running for a while now, a normal house dog (Pekinese little
scruffy thing) became *THE* headache to the projecting magician. She kept
having to manifest to get better ideas of the surroundings, and within 2-5
seconds each time of doing so, the scruffy animal would show up and start
barking at her (which of course got the attention of the owners).

And, as the group has long since learned here, bringing the term "Magician"
and "Critter" into the same sentence, on the same side/cooperative working,
is a guaranteed nightmare.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-K
-"Just a Bastard"
-Hoosier Hacker House
"Children of the Kernel"
[http://members.aol.com/hhackerh/index.html]
Message no. 3
From: Patrick Goodman remo@***.net
Subject: Critters [Re: Year of ... ?]
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 07:47:50 -0600
From: Simon Fuller
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 12:12 AM

> One thing, if there is a Critters sourcebook planned, I would like
> to see critters made tougher. I haven't seen the third edition
> version of them, but second edition animals were pretty weak. Your
> average man on the street could take out a guard dog pretty easily,
> and runners barely bother to slow down.

With all due respect: If this is the case, I don't believe you're running
your critters right. I think most of the players in my game have a healthy
respect for guard critters, even mundane ones (it's amazing the kind of fear
you can inspire when you have a small pack of Rottweilers and know what they
can do).

> Para Animals of Europe toughened their beasties up, and I think it
> works well.

Mine not being close at hand: Didn't the Wonder Twins write that one during
the "everything in Europe is bigger, meaner, and niftier than in North
America" phase of the game? I don't necessarily consider this a sterling
recommendation (even if I do agree that some critters should be tougher than
others).

--
(>) Texas 2-Step
El Paso: Never surrender. Never forget. Never forgive.
Message no. 4
From: Tony Rabiola argent1@****.com
Subject: Critters [Re: Year of ... ?]
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 08:58:02 -0600
> > One thing, if there is a Critters sourcebook planned, I would
like
> > to see critters made tougher. I haven't seen the third
edition
> > version of them, but second edition animals were pretty weak.
Your
> > average man on the street could take out a guard dog pretty
easily,
> > and runners barely bother to slow down.
>
> With all due respect: If this is the case, I don't believe
you're running
> your critters right. I think most of the players in my game
have a healthy
> respect for guard critters, even mundane ones (it's amazing the
kind of fear
> you can inspire when you have a small pack of Rottweilers and
know what they
> can do).
>

If it's just a question of toughness, tweak the numbers a
bit...larger/smarter/meaner than the average for the breed sort
of thing. Adding a couple to the headcount usually sweetens the
pot as well.

Argent

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