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Message no. 1
From: Toby <t_strube@**********.UTAS.EDU.AU>
Subject: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 11:11:08 +1000
Damion Writes :

>Well, I think it is. True, a runner is supposed to be able to walk all over
>standard corp guards, but believe me (I've tried it) runners much less
>powerful than the ones you can create by the book can too. I lower starting
>attribute points, skills, tech and force points, and use the more metahumans
>rule. I also restrict what weapons and gear can be purchased with tech.

Do you reckon the mores Metahumans rule is a good one to use? I was making
up some NPC's by the More Metahumans rule and they seemed more powerful
then a normal human, simply because of their extra stats and the optional
use of allergies. However I reckon their heaps more fun to Gamemaster so
it's a difficult one, especially if their enemies of the shadowrunners.
By the way, what is the Geek Code?

>Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au
>
>(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
> !V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
> f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+



Tobias Strube
University of Tasmania

SPLAT
Message no. 2
From: Hamish Laws <h_laws@**********.UTAS.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 14:46:29 +1000
Tobias Strube asks
>
>Do you reckon the mores Metahumans rule is a good one to use? I was making
>up some NPC's by the More Metahumans rule and they seemed more powerful
>then a normal human, simply because of their extra stats and the optional
>use of allergies. However I reckon their heaps more fun to Gamemaster so
>it's a difficult one, especially if their enemies of the shadowrunners.

I would say no, it's not a good one to use because they will have
higher stats but this may just be a marginal thing. Who else thinks that
without it the most powerful character which can be created is a human
rigger with top priority in Resources?


*************************************************
There has to be an optimist around here somewhere
*************************************************

Hamish Laws
Message no. 3
From: Darth Vader <j07c@***.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 11:49:07 +0100
> Who else thinks that
> without it[more metahumans]the most powerful character which can be created
> is a human
> rigger with top priority in Resources?

The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any race)
If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
most powerfull char is a decker.

--
Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong!
Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall.
That is the way of things ... the way of the Force.

GCS d>d- h s+: !g p? !au a- w+ v-(?) C+++ UAVSL++>UAVSL+++ p--(aren't we all?)
L+>L+++ 3 N++ K W(+)(---) M-- !V(--) -po+(---) Y+ t++ !5 !j- r+++(--) !G
v(++) b+++ D++ b- e+ u++(-) h*(+) f+ r- n!(----) y?
Message no. 4
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 21:06:11 +1000
Tobias writes:

> Do you reckon the mores Metahumans rule is a good one to use? I was making
> up some NPC's by the More Metahumans rule and they seemed more powerful
> then a normal human, simply because of their extra stats and the optional
> use of allergies. However I reckon their heaps more fun to Gamemaster so
> it's a difficult one, especially if their enemies of the shadowrunners.

Yeah, the allergies let them be quite powerful, ya gotta watch 'em. As
someone else suggested, if you use the more metahumans rule, perhaps give
the allergies a miss. Or at least crack down real hard on them, make 'em
regret ever getting that allergy. I know almost every metahuman in my games
has always had a sever allergy to silver. Next one who chooses that is going
to get geeked by werewolf hunters.

> By the way, what is the Geek Code?

A quote from Our Fearless Leader "Read the FAQ".
It is a parody of other famous internet codes, and allows us geeks to
codeify our geekish attributes. There is a copy of version 2.1 at the ftp
site vorlon.mankato.msus.edu or if you like I could mail you a copy.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
!V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+
Message no. 5
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 21:14:13 +1000
Darth writes:

> The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
> an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any race)
> If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
> most powerfull char is a decker.

I have to say that the theoretically most powerful character is a decker.
Someone who can remove all your income, sick the government and corps
onto you, file 37 arrest warrants for murder on you, and control all manner
of automatic weaponry has quite a lot of power. He doesnt need to be good in
a straight out face to face firefight, just skim some nuyen from accounts,
and hire the best street muscle to do it for him. Aint no-one going stop him
when hes up on that orbital platform neither, no mage, no rigger who doesnt
have rigged spacecraft and no sammi is gunna get near him.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
!V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+
Message no. 6
From: Ivy Ryan <ivyryan@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 09:42:02 -0700
Hi Toby,

I use the "More Metahumans" rule. It doesn't make them any more
powerful, that I can see (I play both humans and metas and my latest human
St. Razor seems to have started more powerful that her Metahuman St.
Razor buddy) and it does give the players more of an option starting out.

When it comes to NPCs I don't bother to make them up. I just decide on
their power level vis a vis the PCs and run them from that.

Ivy
Message no. 7
From: Ivy Ryan <ivyryan@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 10:58:00 -0700
On Fri, 22 Jul 1994, Hamish Laws wrote:

> Tobias Strube asks
> >
> >Do you reckon the mores Metahumans rule is a good one to use? I was making
> >up some NPC's by the More Metahumans rule and they seemed more powerful
>
> I would say no, it's not a good one to use because they will have
> higher stats but this may just be a marginal thing. Who else thinks that
> without it the most powerful character which can be created is a human
> rigger with top priority in Resources?

That rigger is only useful whist they're in their vehicle Hamish. And I
have yet to see a vehicle that was any good at stealth. My own personal
favorite character is the Decker / Razor or the ex-Company man with his
extra skills filled in. (there is a mistake in the priority allocation
on the ex-corp body).

I find the "More Metahumans" rule quite a good thing myself. From
experience.

Ivy
Message no. 8
From: Tim Skirvin <tskirvin@********.UNI.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 19:00:46 -0500
> Yeah, the allergies let them be quite powerful, ya gotta watch 'em.
> As

Another possibility is, of course, to make them take allergies. If they
put an 'A' into race, then they only take a minor one...if they put a 'D', they
need a major.

Then again, you could also just allow allergies for humans...

-------------Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@********.uni.uiuc.edu-------------
"He's NOT a gibbering idiot - he's cured of gibbering, he's just an
idiot now." -- Jane, "Waiting for God"
Message no. 9
From: Hamish Laws <h_laws@**********.UTAS.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 10:33:58 +0000
>> Who else thinks that
>> without it[more metahumans]the most powerful character which can be created
>> is a human
>> rigger with top priority in Resources?
>
> The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
> an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any race)
> If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
> most powerfull char is a decker.

How do you figure an elven mage to be the most powerful character
head to head??
With reguards to the rigger how many drones can you buy for 1 000
000 nuyen? Ouch.
>
>--
> Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong!
> Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall.
> That is the way of things ... the way of the Force.
>
>GCS d>d- h s+: !g p? !au a- w+ v-(?) C+++ UAVSL++>UAVSL+++ p--(aren't we all?)
> L+>L+++ 3 N++ K W(+)(---) M-- !V(--) -po+(---) Y+ t++ !5 !j- r+++(--) !G
> v(++) b+++ D++ b- e+ u++(-) h*(+) f+ r- n!(----) y?


*************************************************
There has to be an optimist around here somewhere
*************************************************

Hamish Laws
Message no. 10
From: Hamish Laws <h_laws@**********.UTAS.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 10:39:03 +0000
>Darth writes:
>
>> The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
>> an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any
>>race)
>> If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
>> most powerfull char is a decker.
>
>I have to say that the theoretically most powerful character is a decker.
>Someone who can remove all your income, sick the government and corps
>onto you, file 37 arrest warrants for murder on you, and control all manner
>of automatic weaponry has quite a lot of power. He doesnt need to be good in
>a straight out face to face firefight, just skim some nuyen from accounts,
>and hire the best street muscle to do it for him. Aint no-one going stop him
>when hes up on that orbital platform neither, no mage, no rigger who doesnt
>have rigged spacecraft and no sammi is gunna get near him.
>

A very good point.

>--
>Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au
>
>(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
> !V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
> f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+


*************************************************
There has to be an optimist around here somewhere
*************************************************

Hamish Laws
Message no. 11
From: Eve Forward <ez019741@****.UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 16:06:43 -0700
Hamish Laws says:

>With reguards to the rigger how many drones can you buy for 1 000
>000 nuyen? Ouch.

Well, yeah, but:

A. You can only personally control 4 at a time (with a remote deck)
B. You can only fit maybe 5 in your avergae corp hallway, or 30 say
in your average Seattle alley (no nitpicking, I'm generalizing here)
C. Unless you ride around in a tank controlling drones, you still can
get geeked in a second by a good sammie with a gun.
D. When the mage sends a couple Force 12 fire elementals down at you,
you quickly find you're controlling a couple pools of molten metal.

I guess it depends on your game. If your Shadowrun consists of an armored
robot assault against targets in a big spread-out battlefield involving
EFA variants and helicopters and Banshees, then yeah, looks like good turf
for a rigger. If, like many Shadowruns, what you're doing in sneaking
into places and trying to interrogate people and solve puzzles and
occasioanlly tangle with security, then your rigger's probably gonna be
going "yawn". (Try walking down the street with a couple armed and armored
drones tagging at your heels and see what Lone Star says.)
My rigger likes to help out by stealing cars. "Tigger! Get us some transport!"
"Ok, no problem... How about this police helicopter?" "NO! Put it
BACK!"

I dig riggers... :)

-E
Message no. 12
From: "C. Paul Douglas" <granite@*****.NET>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 19:58:23 -0400
On Mon, 25 Jul 1994, Eve Forward wrote:
> A. You can only personally control 4 at a time (with a remote deck)

That depends on the rating of the deck..If the rating is 10 then you can
control 10 drones..
-----------------------------GRANITE
Message no. 13
From: Eve Forward <ez019741@****.UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 17:54:19 -0700
Granite says:

>That depends on the rating of the deck..If the rating is 10 then you can
>control 10 drones..

Bigolly, you're right! I've just been running around with a 4-port deck
(because that's usually more than I need) that I forgot that you could
buy more...

'Course, you can still only command one drone per action...
Message no. 14
From: Darth Vader <j07c@***.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 11:14:39 +0100
> > The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
> > an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any race)
> > If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
> > most powerfull char is a decker.
>
> How do you figure an elven mage to be the most powerful character
> head to head??

I) Well an elven mage with 6 Impr. Invis is totally and uterly invisible
II) Give him a 6 Sleep spell and 7 Sorcery (Concentration spellcasting)
and he'll be able to drop any enemy you can think up, with only a
TN of 2 for his drain.
III) Give him 8 charisma and he'll have force 10 Elementals to back him up.
IV) Give him 8 Armed combat(specialised in monowhip) and being invisible
ge can cut ANY enemy to pieces.
V) He can see you no matter where you go or hide (astrally)
VI) He can heal himself in less than seconds
VII) He can shapechange to an elephant and take a Panther Cannon Blast and
survive it.
VIII) He can have barriers that totally shield him from the rest of the world
etc. etc. etc. etc.

Of course all of this stuff goes for the other races too, face it
mages have only one weakness - themselves. If you want to kill a mage you
have to catch him unprepared. An unprepared mage is catfood most of the
time, but give him some time to power up (as in a head to head thingy) and
he'll cream you.

--
Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong!
Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall.
That is the way of things ... the way of the Force.

GCS d>d- h s+: !g p? !au a- w+ v-(?) C+++ UAVSL++>UAVSL+++ p--(aren't we all?)
L+>L+++ 3 N++ K W(+)(---) M-- !V(--) -po+(---) Y+ t++ !5 !j- r+++(--) !G
v(++) b+++ D++ b- e+ u++(-) h*(+) f+ r- n!(----) y?
Message no. 15
From: Ivy Ryan <ivyryan@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 07:15:35 -0700
Eve, your Rigger musta been an absolute gas in action.

On Mon, 25 Jul 1994, Eve Forward wrote:
> My rigger likes to help out by stealing cars. "Tigger! Get us some
transport!"
> "Ok, no problem... How about this police helicopter?" "NO! Put it
BACK!"
>
> I dig riggers... :)

Your points were all well taken, but the "police helicopter" routine had
(has) me giggling. Hades, laughing out loud. THAT'S the way to do it!

Ivy <ROTFL, or real close to it.>
Message no. 16
From: "C. Paul Douglas" <granite@*****.NET>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 11:28:03 -0400
On Mon, 25 Jul 1994, Eve Forward wrote:

> Granite says:
>
> Bigolly, you're right! I've just been running around with a 4-port deck
> (because that's usually more than I need) that I forgot that you could
> buy more...
>
That is about what I figured..It is an easy thing to forget..

> 'Course, you can still only command one drone per action...
>
Actually..If you are giving the SAME command to ALL of the drones active
[like - attack target `A']then you can command all the drones at the same
time..
-----------------------------GRANITE
Message no. 17
From: Ivy Ryan <ivyryan@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: MetaHumans Rule
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 11:37:54 -0700
Well, again lets take this one thing at a time. Y'all know where the 'D'
key is...

On Tue, 26 Jul 1994, Darth Vader wrote:

> > > The most powerfull characters in head to head combat are either
> > > an elven mage. Or if you are talking BIG karma, a physical adept (of any
race)
> > > If you are playing cloak and dagger(behind the scenes stuff) the
> > > most powerfull char is a decker.
> >
> > How do you figure an elven mage to be the most powerful character
> > head to head??
>
> I) Well an elven mage with 6 Impr. Invis is totally and uterly invisible

Well, not really. With 12 dice against a TN of 4 he will probably get 6
successes. This means that your TN to see the guy went from 2 to 14.
Not impossible with the Karma Pool. And a grenade doesn't need to see
him. Plus the invisibility doesn't work against pressure sensors on the
floor, or air movement sensors either.

> II) Give him a 6 Sleep spell and 7 Sorcery (Concentration spellcasting)
> and he'll be able to drop any enemy you can think up, with only a
> TN of 2 for his drain.

Again, 12 dice against a samurai out of the book means 4 successes so the
Sammy is resisting a 6D attack with a Willpower of 5. He'll probably get
the one success he needs to stay on his feet. And with the spotting
spellcasting rule he needs a 2 to get the general location of the mage,
and general is all you need with a grenade.

> III) Give him 8 charisma and he'll have force 10 Elementals to back him up.

OK, he'll have force 10 Elementals. That's expensive, and they can be
fought too.

> IV) Give him 8 Armed combat(specialised in monowhip) and being invisible
> ge can cut ANY enemy to pieces.

The whip isn't invisible. And his TN is a 4 while he's sustaining the
Invis. spell. Full defense and let him play with his whip (keeping
himself from killing himself) while the sammi gives him a grenade.

> V) He can see you no matter where you go or hide (astrally)

Astral is cute, until you enter a bioshielded building.

> VI) He can heal himself in less than seconds

He's gonna need to be way higher than a starting mage to "heal him self
in less than seconds". In fact, he's gonna have to be on the level of my
"monster-mages". The successes are divided between boxes of damage
healed and the time it takes to do the healing.

> VII) He can shapechange to an elephant and take a Panther Cannon Blast and
> survive it.

That's gonna be a bit harder than it looks too. You didn't give me the
mage's willpower to work with, but with Charisma of 8 he probably has a 6
in Willpower. So he casts his Shapechange (or Critterform) 6 spell and
gets 2 Successes (average) so he's an elephant with 16/3 Body/armor. The
Panther does 18D and probably has 2 successes behind it for 18D+1. He
subtracts 3 for his armor for 15D+1 to take down. He has 16 dice and 9
Combat Pool for 25 dice. Chances are he won't get even 1 success trying
to take that down. Dead mage!

> VIII) He can have barriers that totally shield him from the rest of the world
> etc. etc. etc. etc.

All those barriers do is raise the Target Number of whatever is trying to
get him by 1/2 the Force of the Mana Barrier, or act as a normal barrier in
the case of Bullet Barrier, and they don't stop gasses at all. See
"Firing Through" on SRII, pg. 98, right column.

> Of course all of this stuff goes for the other races too, face it
> mages have only one weakness - themselves. If you want to kill a mage you
> have to catch him unprepared. An unprepared mage is catfood most of the
> time, but give him some time to power up (as in a head to head thingy) and
> he'll cream you.

Mages are tough, but they are far from invulnerable.

Ivy

Further Reading

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