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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: "Shifting" Power Levels (Re: How old get Shapeshifters ???)
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 18:44:28 EDT
In a message dated 4/25/98 3:58:52 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
scrose@****.COM writes:

> In the sixth world most often and in the case of shadowrunners in
> particular bullets or other violence.
> The gritty world of high tech and magic that make up the sixth world is
> a rather dangerous place in live.
> Thing is shapeshifters are by and large ignore and/or soak up many of
> the these dangers. They do not have many natural foes those they do
> have. Are all to often a shifter can over powered most foes. If and you
> create or use a foe which will challege a shifter you have to raise the
> power levels of the game to compensate for it in other areas. Blowing
> the game balance all out of wack in the process. I hear the word
> shapeshifter and start looking for the little short guyswith the lolly
> pops and expect to hear singing. :)
>
Boy does this sound familiar.

Shapers do indeed change the power level of the game, but they can be
balanced. As for the opinion of the "magical/cybertech sixth world", that is
true, but that is also, IMO, demographically focused. Stuff that happens in
more "urbanized" areas would probably have the focus that you mention.

It all basically becomes a question of what is allowable or usable in a
particular game group/setting.

-K
Message no. 2
From: scrose <scrose@****.COM>
Subject: Re: "Shifting" Power Levels (Re: How old get Shapeshifters ???)
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 17:26:09 -0500
Ereskanti wrote:
> If and you create or use a foe which will challege a shifter you have to raise the
> power levels of the game to compensate for it in other areas. Blowing
> the game balance all out of wack in the process. I hear the word
> shapeshifter and start looking for the little short guyswith the lolly
> pops and expect to hear singing. :)
>
> Boy does this sound familiar.
>
> Shapers do indeed change the power level of the game, but they can be
> balanced. As for the opinion of the "magical/cybertech sixth world", that
is
> true, but that is also, IMO, demographically focused. Stuff that happens in
> more "urbanized" areas would probably have the focus that you mention.

I didn't say you could not have game balance with them. Rather that when
the power levels get that high things can and do tend affect
game/campaign balanced. IMO at higher power levels it is a great deal
more difficult for the GM to keep things in balance...

> It all basically becomes a question of what is allowable or usable in a
> particular game group/setting.

Personally I like to keep the power level of the game fairly low in most
cases. The "Power Gamers" want to stay out of my games my house rules
make it almost impossible to make ultra powerful starting level
characters. Things like if has a street index higher than 1 you can't
find it and assorted other things of this nature...

Further Reading

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Thwap!