Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "Beta.Cynik" <S28H@***.EDU>
Subject: Hello, introduction.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 08:25:28 EST
Greetings to the list at hand:

Whether or not this is germaine to the topic at hand remains to be
seen, but I have read all the posts and lurked for a week or so, and
I want to take the opportunity to introduce myself, as a way to put
my future posts in perspective.

My name is Matt Diederich, although frequently I am known by my
nickname, Beta. Don't ask, it's a looooong story. College friends,
and all that. (Four Matts in our little group, and no way to tell us
apart.)

I'm currently attending Northern Michigan University, in lovely
Marquette,MI, situated about half a mile south of Lake Superior, and
a few hours east of WI. I am a double major in Political Science
(Pre-Law concentration) and Criminal Justice. When I leave this
wonderful academic utopia, I'll have a BS in the first, and a BA in
the latter. Then it's on to law school, and possibly grad school.
I hope to teach law/criminal justice at a university someday.

I am married, and twenty one years old. I have a child on the way,
due the second week of April. (Yeah!)

I have been playing Srun since first edition, and have been off
and on this list in particular since the fall of '92. I am currently
a Player Help Admin/Judge on the ShadowrunMUSH, and work as a Player
Help Consultant and Player Help Admin/Wiz (Not sure yet) on Shadowrun
Denver and ShadowrunDCMUSHes, respectively. I'm also the Player Help
Wizard/2nd in command of the EarthdawnMUSH, but that's not important
here...

In the nonce, I have a few question for the list in general:

1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
in some way?

3. Have any of the listmembers ran _Paradise Lost_, the overseas
adventure, and if so, any tips for successful use?

I think that about covers it...
Beta.

(Still need to dig up my Geek Code...it's around here someplace.)
Message no. 2
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 22:01:03 +0930
Beta.Cynik wrote:
>
> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

Too high, in my games, is 1.5 times Racial Maximum, for ONE attribute. For
a human, this is nine (oh, these are base figures, of course, unmodified by
cyber/bio/spells). For a troll, it's a lot more for Strength and Body.
>
> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
> in some way?

Hmm... timing is important. If you follow the books properly, bioware hits
the streets sometime around 2053. Given that it's now 2056, it's getting
more and more common. Heck, in "Cybertechnology" they say you can now find
alpha and beta grade 'ware in NORMAL shadow clinics, so...

> 3. Have any of the listmembers ran _Paradise Lost_, the overseas
> adventure, and if so, any tips for successful use?

Get LOTS of pineapple... :) More seriously, be prepared to bail out your
characters. The end scene, in particular, is EXTREMELY heavy.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 3
From: U-Gene <R3STG@***.CC.UAKRON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 09:25:47 -0400
Welcome abourd Beta.
Congrats on the kid :)

About your questions:

>1. What attribute do you consider to high? I.E. I have a player
> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

I'll assume you mean cybered attribute. Other people on this list have
ruled that players can raise their attributes above racial max, but alas
that is another thread. Yes thats typical to my campaign. Actually
Bob has 9,11,10 for his Physical attributes.

>2. Bioware. Do you play as if it already hit the market,
[snip]

I can't REALLY answer that. I started my campaign before that was out so
all the samms had to purchase it during the campaign. If you listen to
some of the threads about limiting starting equipment (forgot the name),
you might get some ideas. It mostly depends on the tone of the campaign
you plan to run.

>3. Have any of the Listmembers run _Paradise Lost_,
[snip]

Well yes I have. First tip would be somehow make sure the players don't
get anything heavier than an HP starting out. This works wonders for
roleplaying especially if their characters are already used to using
heavier weapons. They make that extra effort to be sneaky, GMs love that!
You should have seen how happy Bob was to get that HK227 of that dead Dwarf!
Of course that creates problems for the final encounter, but players usually
figure something out. (okay, not usually ;)

U-Gene < Remembers with horror at his "vacation" in Hawaii >>
Message no. 4
From: Jani Fikouras <feanor@**********.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 15:33:37 +0100
> In the nonce, I have a few question for the list in general:
>
> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

We generally dont have any characters with natural attributes that
exceed the normal maximum (not the 3/2 limit). Its too expensive
and doesnt really give you any advantages.

> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
> in some way?

I consider bioware to be generally available, but you still cant get
it over the counter. This means that characters can get it after the game
has started, but not during character generation.

> 3. Have any of the listmembers ran _Paradise Lost_, the overseas
> adventure, and if so, any tips for successful use?

No but I am currently reading house of the rising sun, great read
up till now :)

--
GCS d s+: p1 a-->? C++++ UA++$S++L+++>++++ L+++ E--- W+ N+ w(--) M-- !V(--)
PS+ PE Y+ PGP-- @*++ 5++ X++ R+++ tv++ b++ G+++ e++ h+(*) r

"In my mind I see the matrix, and in the matrix is held the power. The lock
to the matrix is my will, and in the matrix my will becomes the power."
Message no. 5
From: "Beta.Cynik" <S28H@***.EDU>
Subject: Re[2]: Hello, introduction.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:28:37 EST
>> In the nonce, I have a few question for the list in general:
>>
>> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
>> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
>> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.
>
> We generally dont have any characters with natural attributes that
>exceed the normal maximum (not the 3/2 limit). Its too expensive
>and doesnt really give you any advantages.
Okay, my fault, I should have made things more clear. The character
in question has attributes that high from cyber/bioware, and is an Ork.

>> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
>> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
>> in some way?
>
> I consider bioware to be generally available, but you still cant get
>it over the counter. This means that characters can get it after the game
>has started, but not during character generation.
>
>> 3. Have any of the listmembers ran _Paradise Lost_, the overseas
>> adventure, and if so, any tips for successful use?
>
> No but I am currently reading house of the rising sun, great read
>up till now :)
I loved House, it was an awesome read! The author will be missed.
Message no. 6
From: Andre' Selmer <031SEA@******.WITS.AC.ZA>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 09:23:41 +0100
}>
}> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
}> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
}> in some way?
}
}Hmm... timing is important. If you follow the books properly, bioware hits
}the streets sometime around 2053. Given that it's now 2056, it's getting
}more and more common. Heck, in "Cybertechnology" they say you can now find
}alpha and beta grade 'ware in NORMAL shadow clinics, so...

Depends when the GM starts the campaign. Our characters are still
in 2053..

Andre'

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
|It has been said that the they who stay in the shadows have|
|no soul, no depth, no moral conviction. But how can one |
|say this when, it is they who have lost themselves in the |
|search utopia. We are the realists, we work from the |
|unseen corners of society, we do what no another has the |
|strength to do, with our cybered bodies and magic extreme |
|we prevent the corruption from spreading and destroying |
|your dreams, not through power, but bullets, sweat, tears |
|and blood. All of this we do for your sake, and few nuyen. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+

-
|_|_
/ \ \ /~\/~~~~
| | | - \_/ + THUMP...Thump..thump = Boom ?
| | |
\___/
Message no. 7
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 11:34:17 +0100
Beta.Cynik said on 3 Oct 95...

> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

9 is definitely high, but you didn't say anything about what kind of char
this is except for "street samurai," not about the attribute. Like, if
it's a troll sam, 9 is rather low if it's Body, but pretty high if it's
Intelligence...
Also, is this due to bio-/cyberware or is it the natural rating?

> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
> in some way?

I simply use the Availability figures, like for everything else. If you
roll the Avail, you can buy it. If you don't, you can't.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Keep on running back into that wall
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+
PE Y PGP- t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G(++) e h! !r(--) y?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 8
From: Jani Fikouras <feanor@**********.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Hello, introduction.
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 14:16:53 +0100
Beta.Cynik wrote:
> >> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
> >> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> >> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.
> >
> > We generally dont have any characters with natural attributes that
> >exceed the normal maximum (not the 3/2 limit). Its too expensive
> >and doesnt really give you any advantages.
> Okay, my fault, I should have made things more clear. The character
> in question has attributes that high from cyber/bioware, and is an Ork.

Well in that case I think that is is abit on the week side, at least
compared to our sammies. Not that this is bad or anything, it probably
is quite good :)

> >> 3. Have any of the listmembers ran _Paradise Lost_, the overseas
> >> adventure, and if so, any tips for successful use?
> >
> > No but I am currently reading house of the rising sun, great read
> >up till now :)
> I loved House, it was an awesome read! The author will be missed.

Did you get the reference to Die Hard I, being Dirk Montgomery's
favourite film ? :)

--
GCS d s+: p1 a-->? C++++ UA++$S++L+++>++++ L+++ E--- W+ N+ w(--) M-- !V(--)
PS+ PE Y+ PGP-- @*++ 5++ X++ R+++ tv++ b++ G+++ e++ h+(*) r

"In my mind I see the matrix, and in the matrix is held the power. The lock
to the matrix is my will, and in the matrix my will becomes the power."
Message no. 9
From: Sebastian Wiers <seb@***.RIPCO.COM>
Subject: Re: Hello, introduction.
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 12:05:52 -0500
> I'm currently attending Northern Michigan University, in lovely
> Marquette,MI, situated about half a mile south of Lake Superior, and
Nice place.

> Denver and ShadowrunDCMUSHes, respectively. I'm also the Player Help
> Wizard/2nd in command of the EarthdawnMUSH, but that's not important
> here...
Cool

> 1. What attribute do you consider too high? I.E., I have a player
> with a nine in his top tier of physical attributes. Is this
> typical of campaigns across the board? Yes, he is a street sam.

No, that is not abnormal for a Samurai. If its body, It can make him damage
proof compared to normal humans, particularly with armor. I play an elf sam
with quickness 11, and it lets me wear lots of armor. Thats what sams do- it
is thier specialty, as high decking skill would be, or high charisma and
conjuring. Any attributte around 15 could get imbalancing, but most players
won't bother. Mongoose had reaction 16 for a while, and it was a bit much for
most fights.

> 2. Bioware. Do you play as if it has already hit the market, and is
> as readily available as cyberware, or do you restrict it's access
> in some way?
Yes, in our campaign it is just like any cyber. We play our game year at
2056, and live in chicago, so starting caracters need all the help they can
get. The availability coads are nor very high, and the stuff costs more than
most campaign caracters will ever have.>

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Hello, introduction., you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!