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Message no. 1
From: Tomasz Kubacki <josefs@****.POLBOX.PL>
Subject: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:45:45 PST
Hi!!!!!

I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
Message no. 2
From: Shane Courtrille <hardware@*******.DATANET.AB.CA>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 15:09:07 +0000
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>

Well..first off.. take a damn good look at what he is using for
cyberware and bioware, alot of this stuff cannot be used together.
2nd look for any bad things about using his stuff, first time I did
it I found the player had to make a willpower test or suffer
seizures... well he rolled all 1s so was on the ground seizuring for
5 minutes.. in the middle of a firefight ;) (This is about the time
when another player in my group yelled out... 'Hey.. I'm a mage.. I
forgot that..') and if he is using Wired Reflexes, there is a rule in
Cybertechnology about those. They are always on so they cannot be
controlled... I've had a player shoot an innocent person because they
came up behind him and touched him on the arm and he hadn't noticed
them before. :)

Shane Courtrille - hardware@*******.ab.ca
Message no. 3
From: Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 16:19:23 -0600
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997, Tomasz Kubacki wrote:

> Hi!!!!!
I beat Bull! Hello, and welcome to the list. :)
Sorry Bull.
:)

>
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........

Two words, Held Actions. I've been in the same situation you are in
now. That was the only way to get around that.

As GM though, you have the final say-so as to who gets what. It's hard
playing with friends though. Like I said, I've been there. Don't let
them get those Wired 3's, Move-By-Wire 4's, etc. However, this really
only applies to future games. Now you can just throw tougher stuff at
them. They sound like a pretty min/maxing group, like mine. If you have
Cybertechnology, I'd throw some of the people from the back at them.

Another solution, just put them in situations where speed isn't
everything. A slow precise person would be better than a super fast
person.

Also, make them pay the penalties of having super reflexes. Have them
punch, or even shoot friends cause they get so jumpy. Or how about
getting through security with Wired 3's. That should be interesting.

There's lots of things you can do, but it's tough when your'e GMing for a
group of friends. My best advice, let the character play this one out,
let him get bored with the speed of killing everyone without them even
having a chance, then the next one he makes, enforce some rules about
what he can have. I have adopted the no higher than 6 Availability at
start-up rule. It seems to be working out rather well. And don't give
out obscene amounts of money. That seems to keep them in check.
Damaging cyberware might also help that character in play now.
Hope it helps. :)
And believe me, I feel your pain. :)

-Court

/* Court Schuett, a totally modern boy.

schuett@*****.ivcc.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is no space
for what you need to know
on the forms that I must fill out
I'm happiest alone
I'm miserable that way
All this stuff just wants to spill out
-Too Much Joy
*******************************************************************************/
Message no. 4
From: NightLife <habenir@******.SAN.UC.EDU>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:19:55 -0500
At 10:45 PM 3/12/97 PST, you wrote:
>Hi!!!!!
>
>I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
>What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
>Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
>around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
>So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>

Stick him in a room with half a dozen bugs and watch the fun begin. Let him
talk to Pete about genetics and watch him kill himself. Of have me argue
half breeds with him from a fifth story apartment and wait until I rip a
sink from the wall and drop it on his head. Have him stand in a puddle of
water and throw Sparky the Wonder Troll at him and watch him short out. Or
have a rigger run him over. ;-)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Nightlife Inc.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Goodie!
Maybe it's those Rocket Skates I ordered from the ACME company!
The last pair backfired and almost blew my legs halfway to my Duodenum.
But I'll get that pesky Road Runner yet.
With My Life's Blood I swear it!

"Deadpool #3"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Document Classified
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Message no. 5
From: Jonathan Wright <jwrigh01@********.CA>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:25:47 -0500
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997, Tomasz Kubacki wrote:

> Hi!!!!!
>
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>

There are two general ways to deal with this:

1) Throw lots (and I mean LOTS) of NPCs at the player at once.
Initiative of 40 is fine but if you have to deal with 12 security guards,
its safe to assume about half of them will survive. Attack from all
sides, don't group everyone together to be raked down by full auto fire.
This causes the player to use strategy (maybe even retreat!) instead of
just brute speed and force against slower opponents.

However, this isn't fun when it's only one person in your group with a
high intitiative. It's unbalancing, the others in the group are either
mowed down by the excessive number of NPCs you had to use to take out the
one guy or they just sit around while you and the speedy player roll lots
of dice.

The Alternative...

#2) Take the cyberware away! (Gasp). Hey, if you don't like it and it's
disrupting both the fun and play style of the game, get rid of it.
Lonestar frequently removes cyberware from criminal offenders
(particularly those with no SIN).

SOTA (State of the Art) involves monthly advances in technology which make
the player's cyberware obsolete (unless he pays). Have a _big_ advance in
Wired Reflexes that allows Corp Security Guards to move as fast as the
player.

In Cybertechnology there's a drug (MAO, I think) which removes initiative
dice like you wouldn't believe. Have NPCs carry Squirt pistols with a
DMSO and MAO cocktail and watch them walk all over the offending player.

Jon Wright
Message no. 6
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:35:30 EST
court sez:
>Cybertechnology, I'd throw some of the people from the back at them.
----
As a GM, it's my job, (when they have those nasty initiatives and I stick
cybermantic characters in they're face) to have people in the crowd act
as goalies and kick the PC's back into play when they go out of bounds.
I love fragging with PC's when they think they're the drek.


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 7
From: Mark McLaughlin <mmclaugh@*******.EENG.DCU.IE>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:50:50 -0800
Tomasz Kubacki wrote:
>
> Hi!!!!!
>
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........

Some of the others have said most of what can be said on the subject,
I`ll just add one point..
When players can act that fast they tend to think nothing can touch
them, so they burst in to rooms without planning and do rash things in
general. Remember that if NPC`s in a room here gun shots down the
corridor before the PC`s burst in to the room, their going to be
ready.. ie. when the PC`s finally come in the door the NPC`s should at
least act simultaneously with the fastest PC -Its called ambush and it
works!!

After all reflex enhancers should only give you the edge when everyone
is on a level par otherwise there would be no point! (why increase your
reaction when you already act fastest).

Anyway just some stream of thought!!

Mark.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark (Merlin) McLaughlin RPG http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4194
Email: [merlin@********.dcu.ie] [mmclaugh@******.eeng.dcu.ie]
I am but mad north-north-west when the wind blows southerly I know a
hawk from a handsaw...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 8
From: Tim Serpas <wretch@**.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 16:38:42 -0600
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........

You could consider that each character can't use their total movement
allowance on every action, but that it must be spread out over each combat
turn. I'm not sure how the official rules stand on this, but it's
common sense to me and you should feel free to enforce any rules you
care to! Anyone who can manage that kind of initiative should still
have a rather absurd quickness, so he'll still run much faster than the
slow-pokes.

Welcome to the List.
Tim Serpas
wretch@**.com
Message no. 9
From: Bull <chaos@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 21:06:24 -0500
At 05:19 PM 3/12/97 -0500, NightLife wrote these timeless words:

>Stick him in a room with half a dozen bugs and watch the fun begin. Let him
>talk to Pete about genetics and watch him kill himself. Of have me argue
>half breeds with him from a fifth story apartment and wait until I rip a
>sink from the wall and drop it on his head. Have him stand in a puddle of
>water and throw Sparky the Wonder Troll at him and watch him short out. Or
>have a rigger run him over. ;-)
>
Or you could just have them mention small, burrowing mammals that Chuck
Wood to the list... that'll kill them off faster than anything...:]

Bull-the-throwing-Chucked-Wood-on-the-Fire-ork-decker
--
Now the Offical Shadowrn mailing List Welcome Ork!
Fearless Leader of the Star Wars Mailing List

=======================================================
= Bull, aka Chaos, aka Rak, aka Steven Ratkovich =
= chaos@*****.com =
= "Order is Illusion! Chaos is Bliss! Got any fours?" =
=======================================================

"You know, I think I had a dream that I'd go out like
this, only I was wearing a dress."
-Mighty max
Message no. 10
From: Bull <chaos@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 21:06:39 -0500
At 10:45 PM 3/12/97 PST, Tomasz Kubacki wrote these timeless words:
>Hi!!!!!
>
[Time for the Bull-Bot to do his job...:])

Hi there!!! Welcome to the list! Hope ya like mail,...:]

>I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
>What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
>Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
>around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
>So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>
I managed to fix this problem by making EVERY bad guy as fast as the
fastest PC... It's not exactly something easily explainable ("What do you
mean all the gangers have Wired 3??")

When they made up new characters, I reminded them of the fact that all the
bad guys would have the nastiest thing that the players had, including
speed, and the couple slow guys (The Shaman especially) threatened everyone
if they even thought of anything higher than Wired 1 or Synaptic
Accelerator 1...:):):)

Or simply up the scale on what they fight... Insect Spirits are great for
knockingHigh powered characters down a peg or two...

Street Sammy Munchy: "What do you mean I use my Willpower to fight them??
It's only a 3... But... But... My Armed combat is a 27 and my strength
is a 19!"

GM: <huge evil grin> Tough...:]

Bull-the-welcome-Bot
--
Now the Offical Shadowrn mailing List Welcome Ork!
Fearless Leader of the Star Wars Mailing List

=======================================================
= Bull, aka Chaos, aka Rak, aka Steven Ratkovich =
= chaos@*****.com =
= "Order is Illusion! Chaos is Bliss! Got any fours?" =
=======================================================

"You know, I think I had a dream that I'd go out like
this, only I was wearing a dress."
-Mighty max
Message no. 11
From: L Canthros <lobo1@****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 18:07:10 EST
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:45:45 PST Tomasz Kubacki <josefs@****.POLBOX.PL>
writes:
>Hi!!!!!
>
>I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
>What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
>Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
>around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
>So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>
Kill him. Oh, wait. That's what _I_'ve got to do to one of _my_ player's
characters. Options:

a) bring up the level of lethatlity in the game in general. If the other
PCs aren't as powerful as this guy, you may just be killing them.
b) Use the SOTA rules:) (in the Shadowrun Companion, if you haven't seen
them, as well as in VR2.0).
c) kill him. If it works, it works.
d) force him to retire the character.
e) start over. If the PCs are all this powerful, this may be a good
option for you.

And welcome. Bull will greet you soon (if he hasn't already. He usually
beats me to the newbies:)


--
-Canthros
If any man wishes peace, canthros1@***.com
let him prepare for war. lobo1@****.com
--Roman proverb
http://members.aol.com/canthros1/
Message no. 12
From: "Faux Pas (Thomas)" <thomas@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:13:05 -0600
On 10:45 PM 3/12/97 PST, Tomasz Kubacki screamed at the world:
>Hi!!!!!
>
>I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
>What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????

When starting a character, disallow bioware (Shadowtech) and only let the
characters have items with availability 6 or less.

Allow one die in the initiative roll (an off-colored die) to be subject to
the Rule of 6. Sometimes your speed freak will get to go faster, but the
normal guys with 4+1d6 will also get to go faster.

Start utilizing the surprise rules.

Have the opposition shoot from cover, hold actions, and aim.

If the character got to +4d6 initiative from cyberware, make sure it
doesn't conflict with the bioware or other pieces of cyberware. Remember,
things that are installed can be taken out. Painfully.

If the character gained the initiative from magic, have astral NPCs ground
a spell through the spell lock. Fry the lock and the PC will slow down
considerably, plus he might take damage from the attack.

The opposition's primary target in a fight against the runners are the mage
and whoever is moving fastest (your guy). Whoever is moving fastest is
probably cybered to the hilt and a combat machine, a logical target. Use
the wound modifiers on initiative (every little bit helps).

Have the opposition use the home turf to their advantage. Have them drop
back to a better location for them. Let them use cover, call for
rigger/drone support, or call in the mages.

Elementals, nature spirits, blood spirits, and bug spirits. In groups.

With a lot of cyber, he'll have a low essence. An astral mage for the
opposition will be able to spot this and relay the information back to his
side. Low essence = lots of cyberware = combat monster = high priority to
take out.

In melee combat, have multiple people attack him, gaining that "friends in
melee" bonus.

Read Cybertechnology's section on nerve damage and other bad things that
can happen to you when you have wired reflexes/move-by-wire/boosted
reflexes. The character is going to be edgy and strike out at anything
that sneaks up behind him, like a buddy in a movie theater tapping him on
the shoulder. Think slamming two or three espressos for each level of
move-by-wire.

Involve the character on a run that doesn't involve combat, like a murder
mystery run.

Two words: sniper rifles.



Thomas Deeny
Infobahn Austin
512 320 0556
Message no. 13
From: david lowe <dlowe@****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 15:31:16 -0800
We've been using a house rule where everyone gets only one die for init.
and reflex enhancers reduce the number of phases between actions. It
compresses the round and gets everyone involved in the combat. Forgive me
if this has been discussed before on this board, but our group has been
extremely happy with the results.

D.
Message no. 14
From: Droopy <droopy@*******.NB.NET>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 19:45:49 +0000
> From: Tomasz Kubacki <josefs@****.POLBOX.PL>
> Subject: REFLEX

> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........

Holding actions and ambushes usually work. Snipers can do wonders,
too.


--Droopy
droopy@**.net
Message no. 15
From: Caric <caric@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:54:22 -0700
> We've been using a house rule where everyone gets only one die for init.
> and reflex enhancers reduce the number of phases between actions. It
> compresses the round and gets everyone involved in the combat. Forgive me
> if this has been discussed before on this board, but our group has been
> extremely happy with the results.


How do you decide the reduction?...I am curious how it would work.

~Caric

p.s. Quote a little of what you're responding too, it'll save you some
heartache in the future...free advice do with it what you will. =)


"All the world's indeed a stage, we are mearly players.
Performers and portrayers. Each anothers audience,
outside the gilded cage." -Rush
caric@*******.com
Message no. 16
From: "David R. Lowe" <dlowe@****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 20:42:05 -0800
At 5:54 PM 3/12/97, Caric wrote:
>> We've been using a house rule where everyone gets only one die for init.
>> and reflex enhancers reduce the number of phases between actions. It
>> compresses the round and gets everyone involved in the combat. Forgive me
>> if this has been discussed before on this board, but our group has been
>> extremely happy with the results.
>
>
>How do you decide the reduction?...I am curious how it would work.
>
> ~Caric
>

We take two phases off for each extra die. i.e. 8+2D6 translates to 8+1D6,
action every eight phases. 3D6 would go every six, etc. It limits the
usefulness of some cybertoys/spells, but overall, it works well. And no, we
still haven't come up with a satisfactory method for movement during combat
using this system.

D.

>p.s. Quote a little of what you're responding too, it'll save you some
>heartache in the future...free advice do with it what you will. =)
>

pps. Yeah, I ususally do, but I wanted to make sure that this wasn't one of
them boards that does it automatically and I'd be repeating myself more
than I usually do.
Message no. 17
From: Shawn Baumgartner <deosyne@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 23:44:31 -0800
>Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 21:06:39 -0500
>From: Bull
>Subject: Re: REFLEX
>To: SHADOWRN@********.ITRIBE.NET

>At 10:45 PM 3/12/97 PST, Tomasz Kubacki wrote these
timeless words:
>>Hi!!!!!
>>
>[Time for the Bull-Bot to do his job...:])
>
>Hi there!!! Welcome to the list! Hope ya like
mail,...:]
>

Whew! I was worried for a bit. With all of the list
crashes, I thought maybe the Bull-bot had crashed
too. :)

Shawn
Dreading the thought of having to program another
welcome bot.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out of the gutter and into your mailer!

---------------------------------------------------------
Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 18
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:54 +0100
Tim Serpas said on 16:38/12 Mar 97...

> You could consider that each character can't use their total movement
> allowance on every action, but that it must be spread out over each combat
> turn. I'm not sure how the official rules stand on this

You can walk on each of your actions, but you can run on only one of
them. For example, a human with Quickness 4 and 3 actions can move 20
meters per turn (4x3 when running, +4 +4 for the remaining two actions).
This is one of the reasons why the elven speed samurai runs the 100
meters in less than half the time Olympic sprinters do :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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Message no. 19
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:54 +0100
david lowe said on 15:31/12 Mar 97...

(Has the Bull bot greeted you yet?)

> We've been using a house rule where everyone gets only one die for init.
> and reflex enhancers reduce the number of phases between actions. It
> compresses the round and gets everyone involved in the combat. Forgive me
> if this has been discussed before on this board, but our group has been
> extremely happy with the results.

I think that's a new one, at least I can't remember seeing it before...
Could you post more details, like in exactly what way the number of phases
between actions gets reduced?

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

-----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
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Message no. 20
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:54 +0100
Tomasz Kubacki said on 22:45/12 Mar 97...

> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.

As others have suggested, there are a number of ways to deal with this.
One is to give the NPCs equal or better initiative, but that can get out
of hand. Also, if only one player has this kind of initiative, the others
will get bored because the one player is doing all the fighting...

One good way to handle this, IMHO (since you're new to email, that means
"In My Humble Opinion"), is to put the players in situations where their
massive initiative won't help them. For example, run an adventure where no
combat takes place at all, so it doesn't matter if they're 18+4D6 machos
or 1+1D6 wimps. The players may not like this kind of adventure, though,
if they've built their characters to be combat monsters.
(This suggestion also works if players have a tendency to carry around big
guns or shoot everyone in sight before thinking the situation over.)

If you have the Cybertechnology sourcebook, I suggest you use the rules
for social situations (pages 57 and 58), and apply them strictly. If you
don't have the book, in short they say that people with much visible
cyberware get treated distantly by others (note: this is _not_ the same
as CP2020's cyberpsychosis).

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

-----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
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------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 21
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 14:59:01 GMT
Tomasz Kubacki writes
>
> I'm new ( e-mail and GM). So i have a litle problem with my players.
> What can i do witch player who have about 12+4D6 initiative????
> Average NPC have 6 to 8 +2-3D6?? My player can ten times walk
> around NPC put on him expolosives and escape.That is not right.
> So ............HELP MEEEeeeeeee........
>
three methods work.

Insist on a maximum reflex enhancement be agreed by all players at
character creation 'for the sake of a playable game'.

Hire tham for adventures fitting thier skills, where they fight folks
wired to the same extent, and refuse point blank to pay enough for
lower threat runs to makle them worth it. Basically major anti corp
stuff and big nasty magical threats.

Use tactics. Held actions always rule.
Bad guys in cover with lighting modifiiers also work wonders. if the
base target number to hit anything is 10 (+4 partail cover, +2
shooting out of cover, +2 lighting, on smartgunnned 2's) your bad
guys will live a LOT longer. If you use numbers (to get the same
total actions/round as the PC's) and keep folks spread out and close
(to discourage the MGL6 based IPE grenade solution) wonders can be
done.

Mark
Message no. 22
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 15:06:44 GMT
David R. Lowe writes

> >> We've been using a house rule where everyone gets only one die for init.
> >> and reflex enhancers reduce the number of phases between actions. It
> >> compresses the round and gets everyone involved in the combat. Forgive me
> >> if this has been discussed before on this board, but our group has been
> >> extremely happy with the results.
>
> We take two phases off for each extra die. i.e. 8+2D6 translates to 8+1D6,
> action every eight phases. 3D6 would go every six, etc. It limits the
> usefulness of some cybertoys/spells, but overall, it works well. And no, we
> still haven't come up with a satisfactory method for movement during combat
> using this system.
>
I think this bears more investigation though you mgiht like to llok
at what happens with a PC acting in 24+4D6, yes i have one, yes he's
legal, and the game initiative record is still over 10 above his best
ever roll! [the guys that hold that were mundanes with NO magic, and
synaptic accelterator 2.. sound very strange :), well ok so a rating
14 (effective) tactiacal computer, small unit tactics (linearly add
computer rating to any tactics kill, 6+14 = 20) and a battletac
system, 3 friends and one action, lets just say it broke the record
set by the force 10 spirit energy 5 (= effective 15) queen ant insect
spirit shall we!]


As to moving during combat you could just calculate the average
walking and running speeds on FASA's ayatem and split them between
the actions that result from yours.
Run , one action quickness *3M, rest quickness (you i know it says *3
one place and *4 another in SR2)

so a 33, equals 33,23,13,3 =
quickness* (3 + 1 + 1 + 1)M run
quickness* (1 + 1 + 1 + 1)M walk per round.

Mark
Message no. 23
From: Caric <caric@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 18:11:52 -0700
> >How do you decide the reduction?...I am curious how it would work.
> >
> > ~Caric
> >
>
> We take two phases off for each extra die. i.e. 8+2D6 translates to
8+1D6,
> action every eight phases. 3D6 would go every six, etc. It limits the
> usefulness of some cybertoys/spells, but overall, it works well. And no,
we
> still haven't come up with a satisfactory method for movement during
combat
> using this system.

Makes sense...initiative isn't much of an issue with us currently, but I
will definately keep that in mind for future reference. As far as movement
during combat we actually lengthened the combat phase to ten seconds
instead of three. This makes it a little more beleivable for us as well as
making healing in combat and the response times of say Lone Star a little
more of a factor in combat.

> pps. Yeah, I ususally do, but I wanted to make sure that this wasn't one
of
> them boards that does it automatically and I'd be repeating myself more
> than I usually do.

Works for me =)

~Caric

"All the world's indeed a stage, we are mearly players.
Performers and portrayers. Each anothers audience,
outside the gilded cage." -Rush
caric@*******.com
Message no. 24
From: david lowe <dlowe@****.COM>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 09:50:27 -0800
>Makes sense...initiative isn't much of an issue with us currently, but I
>will definately keep that in mind for future reference. As far as movement
>during combat we actually lengthened the combat phase to ten seconds
>instead of three. This makes it a little more beleivable for us as well as
>making healing in combat and the response times of say Lone Star a little
>more of a factor in combat.
>


That makes sense. We sort of use a quasi-hero system for movement. Half
reaction with no penalties, full for normal walk penalties, and 2xreaction
for run penalties to actions. One of my players keeps breaking it down to
feet per second and comparing to this and that and arguing about how it
stacks up to real life, but I tell her I just want to play the damn game!
Whatever works, is easy and fair, is just fine for me.

D.
Message no. 25
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: REFLEX
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 10:40:26 GMT
david lowe writes
>
> One of my players keeps breaking it down to
> feet per second and comparing to this and that and arguing about how it
> stacks up to real life, but I tell her I just want to play the damn game!
> Whatever works, is easy and fair, is just fine for me.
>
Actually if you take FASA's system, 3 second rounds, a quickness
about 8, int around 4, and athletics skill 8 or so (ie pretty maxed
normal human) you get 100m sprint times of around 10 seconds, ie
olympic performance. So it works out pretty well.

quick 8 + int 4gives reac 6 +1D6 = areage 1/3 actions per round

gives quick 8 * 3 1/3 (for 1 extra ection evry 3 rounds) plus 4m (50%
sucess on athletics) *1 1/3
(8 * 3.33) + (4 * 1.33) = 26.66 + 5.33 = 32M/3seconds = 106.66M in 10
seconds, not that bad! (quick 8 is above limit but withing the FASA
*1.5) and athletics 8 is superb)

Mark

Further Reading

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