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Message no. 1
From: Steven A. Tinner bluewizard@*****.com
Subject: Speedy Combat Tips - (Was - First Shadowrun game)
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 06:18:15 -0400
One of the things that has helped me speed up combat (especially large scale
fights) is using a "battle grid".
Have everyone roll initiative, then write the characters names down in
initiative order, with their initiative total next to their name. Then make
a grid showing each players turns, and the initiative number they will act
on. You can then quickly call out each character's name when they get to
act.

It looks like this ...

Johnny 33 - 23 - 13 - 3
Bull 25 - 15 - 5
Codis 12 - 2
Bubba 4

Just go down the column and you'll have everyone in the proper order for
each initiative pass.

Other things that really speed up combat include.

GM's screen - until you're used to all the different combat modifiers
(vision, attacker moving, recoil, etc. the GM screen is very valuable for
helping you find the right target numbers quickly. You might also want to
xerox the action list from the back of the SR Companion, so you can access
that quickly as well. That really helps you keep track of who can do what in
each action.

Make the players learn the rules for their own characters. If you've got a
mage on the team, make sure he knows what his drain codes are, and make sure
he has at least marked down the page numbers for his spells. There's nothing
that slows down a fight more than waiting for someone to figure out what
exactly he can do.

Hope this helps.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://listen.to/tinner
"I'm a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess. But not that much." -
The Possum Lodge Motto, The Red Green Show
Message no. 2
From: Gurth gurth@******.nl
Subject: Speedy Combat Tips - (Was - First Shadowrun game)
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:20:39 +0200
According to Steven A. Tinner, at 6:18 on 17 Aug 00, the word on the
street was...

> GM's screen - until you're used to all the different combat modifiers
> (vision, attacker moving, recoil, etc. the GM screen is very valuable for
> helping you find the right target numbers quickly. You might also want to
> xerox the action list from the back of the SR Companion, so you can access
> that quickly as well. That really helps you keep track of who can do what in
> each action.

It's my experience that making rolls out in the open also helps, as long
as you're not used to the game -- that is, if the players have taken an
interest in the rules :) If they have, rolling in the open even for NPCs
means more players will look at the rolls and think about what's
happening, and therefore arrive at solutions faster than when it's just
the GM who has to do all the work.

Once everyone knows the rules (or at least the important ones), it's often
a good idea to move the NPCs' rolls behind the GM screen, so the players
won't go figuring things out that their characters would never know just
by looking at the GM's rolls.

> Make the players learn the rules for their own characters. If you've got a
> mage on the team, make sure he knows what his drain codes are, and make sure
> he has at least marked down the page numbers for his spells. There's nothing
> that slows down a fight more than waiting for someone to figure out what
> exactly he can do.

A thing here that I've taken to doing for new players, is to type up a
summary of each spell, cyberware item, and other stuff that may be
confusing for them. If you play in English you can just copy the stuff
from the book directly, of course, but it often helps the players to say
it in words that people who aren't used to the rules will understand more
easily. For example, instead of saying "This spell uses area-effect
rules," you'd look at the character's record sheet, discover he or she has
a Magic rating of 4, and instead say "This spell affects everyone within 4
meters of the point you aim it at."

For players who haven't read the rulebook (yet -- try to get every regular
player to read it at least once), a short summary of the rules relevant to
their character is also handy.

If you're an inexperienced GM, you benefit from doing this for your
players, too, because it forces you to read the descriptions/rules and put
them down in your own words (and think about the bits you don't
understand).

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Imagine doing just what the Big Bang did
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
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