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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Walker of Shadows <OABBrother@***.COM>
Subject: Run Ideas (Was Re: Gamemasters)
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 19:14:34 -0400
>>I am puzzled where those permanent gamemasters get their
>>inspirations from... I can maximally write a run per month...
>
>Ah..well, since I rarely write up anything in advance besides a few notes,
>I don't have near the problems. If anything, I let the players decide what
>they're going to do for the night. Remember, it doesn't need to be a
>'run', it doesn't even need to be 'work'.. :)

Take ideas from TV, movies, cartoons, comics, "Real Life", or mabie family
and friends. Listen to the runners, and do the opposite of what they want.
If they are dreading an incounter with a toxic shaman, then go ahead and
send a low level toxic spirit their way. Then slowly evolve a plan about how
he intends to take the UCAS capitol and turn it back into a swamp. And throw
in a few major players, like a dragon or a coporate big boy. Then evolve it
past there to an all out magic and guns fight to destroy an army of toxics
backed by the corp. There, a run, no a campain right there!

Walker of Shadows
Message no. 2
From: "Simon T. Sailer" <Simon.Sailer@****.AC.AT>
Subject: Re: Run Ideas (Was Re: Gamemasters)
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 12:20:56 +0100
> Take ideas from TV, movies, cartoons, comics, "Real Life", or mabie family
> and friends. Listen to the runners, and do the opposite of what they want.
> If they are dreading an incounter with a toxic shaman, then go ahead and
> send a low level toxic spirit their way. Then slowly evolve a plan about how
> he intends to take the UCAS capitol and turn it back into a swamp. And throw
> in a few major players, like a dragon or a coporate big boy. Then evolve it
> past there to an all out magic and guns fight to destroy an army of toxics
> backed by the corp. There, a run, no a campain right there!
>
> Walker of Shadows

If it only were that simple... Designing a nice story and a powerful,
evil opposition is the smallest part of the work... The REAL problems
are what I would like to call 'encounters', the parts where the
actual action takes place, no matter if its a meeting with
friends/enemies, a intrusion into some hisec area, a simple
firefight, a meeting with Mr J or whatever you can think of...
By now, I get the feeling that I've already played anything any
possible way- how can I make the meeting with mr j make interesting
after I've mastered and/or played it hundrets of times?
I can't just let the players do what they feel like, and then
improvise... I spend hours working out the oppositions personality,
so I'll really be able to react according to the situation...When I
prepare to master a run, I do lots of writing... make sketches,
shortly describe the oppositions armament, their possible
actions/reactions, as well as the final goal...
When all this is done, the basic work is finished... A basis to run
upon is established... And then, I can improvise since I know what to
expect and what to work for.

ss

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Thwap!