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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (aaron b chappell)
Subject: Newbie packet
Date: Wed Oct 3 17:30:01 2001
I might POSSIBLY have it next week or week after but its highly unlikely
if damion goes ahead and sends me his stuff I'll mangle/shred/rip/tear it
and combine it with my own basically all it now includes is a description
of damage levels (that seems to be my most asked about subject) a short
blurb of SR history found on lady j's site a LONG time ago (back when I
still had www access on my own computer *wistful sigh*) now what I want
it to inclube: probably some stuff and being proffesional and meeting and
maybe a thing or 2 about how to utilize the different abilities of each
archetype and some things that most people carry on a standard run thats
about it now all people who have some pull with fanpro and those who run
the SR website this goes out especially to you (read this carefully):
MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD BE A GOOD ADDITION TO THE SHADOWRUN
WEBSITE OR MAYBE EVEN A SMALL BOOKLET TO BE PASSED OUT AT SR DEMOS!!!!!!!
*wink wink* *nudge* *nudge* But before I do anything maybe I oughta
obtain permission from the guys whose stuff I will be cannibalizing so I
don't get sued or anything wattya say guys do I have the list's
permission to put messages from the list in this newbie packet and then
I'll haveta track down all the people who don't subscirbe to the
list....oy vey

"One for all and all for one if he's out of arms reach than go for your
gun"
Words to live by
Death on the Wind (TM)

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Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Damion Milliken)
Subject: Newbie packet
Date: Thu Oct 4 03:50:01 2001
aaron b chappell writes:

> basically all it now includes is a description of damage levels (that
> seems to be my most asked about subject)

I guess it might be worthwhile making a very brief 2 page or so summary of
the "Game Concepts" chapter at the start of the main book. The bit where it
describes things like Attributes, Skills, and so forth, and what the
different magnitudes of things mean.

Come to think of it, a brief description of how common game mechanics work
might not be too bad either. Combat for example, or spellcasting. I still
have players who, even after 5 years of playing, ask me "so how many dice do
I roll to cast my Manabolt?" _every_ time they ever cast one. Hmm, on second
thoughts, there's probably little hope for these guys and the rules anyway
(hey, at least I know they're roleplaying more than rulesmongering :-)).

> maybe a thing or 2 about how to utilize the different abilities of each
> archetype and some things that most people carry on a standard run

That'd be very handy indeed. A little blurb on what each "archetype" is
usually good at. You run the risk of turning SR archetypes into D&Dish
"classes" or something with this, though - especially with ex-D&Ders. A
blurb
on a well mixed, efficient team might be good, too. That way players can
look at how things are "supposed" to fit together.

As for the gear, I'd keep it to essential minimum items such as
communications gear, emergency getaway gear (smoke grenades, flash paks,
rope, etc), armour, and other similar vital gear that pretty much everyone
should carry.

> But before I do anything maybe I oughta obtain permission from the guys
> whose stuff I will be cannibalizing so I don't get sued or anything wattya
> say guys do I have the list's permission to put messages from the list in
> this newbie packet and then I'll haveta track down all the people who don't
> subscirbe to the list....oy vey

I don't think most people here would have a problem with you doing so.
Everything we say here is posted to a public forum.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong
Unofficial Shadowrun Guru E-mail: dam01@***.edu.au
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Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (shadowrn@*********.com)
Subject: Newbie packet
Date: Thu Oct 4 10:40:01 2001
> That'd be very handy indeed. A little blurb on what each "archetype" is
> usually good at. You run the risk of turning SR archetypes into D&Dish
> "classes" or something with this, though - especially with ex-D&Ders.
A
blurb
> on a well mixed, efficient team might be good, too. That way players can
> look at how things are "supposed" to fit together.

When I have a player start to make a character, I ask 'em a basic question:

"Do you want to:
beat 'em up physically,
beat 'em up magically,
nuke 'em from orbit,
or ruin their credit rating?"

Everything breaks down into those four 'categories'. PhyAds, street sammies,
and gang members fit into the first; any type of spellcaster or summoner mage
fits into the second. Snipers and riggers fit into the third, while 'face'
characters and deckers fit into the last. These are all basic descriptions,
but when you get down to it, a starting character will probably be good only
at one of those. They can cross-train later on.

And every team should -have- one of those four types...

> As for the gear, I'd keep it to essential minimum items such as
> communications gear, emergency getaway gear (smoke grenades, flash paks,
> rope, etc), armour, and other similar vital gear that pretty much everyone
> should carry.

Especially if the character has a large amount of money and didn't spend it
on loads of cyberware or magical gear, help them work out a 'packet' that
they can buy a number of times. In my game, a packet usually consisted of
some variation on the following...

1 - Pistol of choice, loaded
2 - Extra clips of ammo, full
1 - Hand weapon of choice
1 - Armored Jacket
1 - Preferred mode of transportation, gassed up
1 - Abode or storage location (Buy a 'squatter' lifestyle for 10k, and
read this
as a U-Stor-It barely-wide-enough garage)
1 - Radio or Cellphone.
2 - Level 1 Contacts.
X - Credsticks or hard cash, in local currency and global nuyen, to round
the
amount off to something easily multipliable.

Usually it cost about 50k, and the character would go past every couple or
three months to fire and clean the gun and turn over the Mode of
Transporation (usually a bike). Buying a couple or three of these means you
-never- have to go home to get your X, and you can -always- 'bug out' to a
different locale.

In my game, that 'X' in credsticks is NEVER immediately accessable, and if
the character puts away a lot of cash that way and then goes around to
collect the 'set-aside' funds, I penalize them -- it got swiped along with
their pistol, a pickpocket nicks them, or they get 'accosted' by a bunch of
grabby street kids who lift the character's credstick, wallet, or loose
change. (This last is my favorite; shooting or beating up kids in the street
is just an invitation for local gangers AND good citizens to coalesce on you
and lynch you. The 'pack of street rats' is a great tool, and great fun to
watch your experienced gamers flee from.)

You can also come up with your own 'bare necessities' list to make it easier
on your gamers -- things that everyone, from the sammie to the decker, should
be humping. A spool of stealth line, a flashpak, a radio w/ headset,
whatever. Have your 'in/famous' local survival store (aka the Runner Supply
Store) put them together in a bundle and sell them at a slight discount.
And, when the character needs to get some more, the player can just say 'I'm
buying another survival pack'.

I should look around for that swamp survival pack I made ...


The Wyrm Ouroboros
'The ultimate decker?
Half Russian mathemetician,
half Silicon Valley code freak.'
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (shadowrn@*********.com)
Subject: Newbie packet
Date: Thu Oct 4 11:30:01 2001
Hah! I found it. 'BILLY JOE'S BAYOU & DELTA DEALING SHOP'. Okay, so it
isn't technically finished; a lot of the prices aren't in there, but that's
mostly guns, ammo, and other piddling stuff you can figure out or decide for
yourself.

As I'm sure posting attachments is frowned upon, I will instead email Billy
Joe's out to anyone who drops me a PERSONAL line and asks. If you post to
the list saying you want it, I WILL ignore you. Bad 'Runner; no cookie.



The Wyrm Ouroboros
'The ultimate decker?
Half Russian mathemetician,
half Silicon Valley code freak.'

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Thwap!