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Message no. 1
From: brett@***.orst.edu (Brett Barksdale)
Subject: Starting character restrictions
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 16:58:15 PDT
Right now, I've had my first SRII campaign going for about 6 month
with good results. I learned how to play under a few other GMs and
then decided that I wanted a much lower power game. So, while my
players are very "manageable" stat-wise (don't need freaky Move by
Wire 4 monsters to scare them - normal guards do just fine), I
am thinking that my second campaign (whenever it happens) will use
some tighter restrictions. What do some of you think about these:

Starting characters....

can't have any alpha-grade or better cyberware (already used this).
can't have wired 3 or VCR 3. (already used this)
can't start with any spells of force greater than their magic
theory (is this a standard rule?) (didn't use this)
can't start with certain spells like Increase Attributes, Increased
Reflexes, and other "primo" spells that all magic chars always
seem to get. (didn't use this)
can't start with any foci at all (didn't use this, but limited ratings
to level 2)
can't /ever/ raise starting attributes higher than one (didn't use this and
now sixes are the norm and not the exception)

If you, as an experiences player, were told about these guidelines -
would you find them excessive? I've found that a lot of "casual" threat
situations (low-level goons, etc.) are absolutely worthless since everyone
in the group, including the mages, always are rolling 3 (or more) dice
for initiative or have power foci (even low levels make a big difference)
or have spell locks etc. My sams are about where I want them. But the
mages always seem to be right with the sams with advantages all their
own. Would you resent, as a mage player, being forced to acquire the
"primo" spells and toys via role-playing and successful runs and developing
contacts in game? Then, I could actually have a faze where, in the beginning
of a character's history, gang punks and normal riff raff are an actual
threat to mages.

Thoughts?

- Brett
Message no. 2
From: The Jestyr <s421539@*******.gu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Starting character restrictions
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 10:25:29 +1000 (EST)
> can't start with any spells of force greater than their magic
> theory (is this a standard rule?) (didn't use this)

That raises rp problems - I'm playing a street mage who found she was a
mage *after* she became a rigger. She has very little Magic Theory, and
the spells she *does* know, she rote-learned from her teachers.

> can't start with certain spells like Increase Attributes, Increased
> Reflexes, and other "primo" spells that all magic chars always
> seem to get. (didn't use this)

I wouldn't start restricting what spells people can learn, but tis up to
you. (If it helps any, the only one of those that my character has is
Increase Reflexes +1d6, and she hasn't even used it yet.)

> can't /ever/ raise starting attributes higher than one (didn't use this and
> now sixes are the norm and not the exception)

We always played using this, but have recently said that after 100 total
karma you may raise your attributes a second time, up to 1.5 times racial
maximum.

> in the group, including the mages, always are rolling 3 (or more) dice
> for initiative or have power foci (even low levels make a big difference)

We had that problem, so we're consciously restricting Initiative.
*No-one* has over 2d6 initiative on the physical plane, even the big tuff
sammy (who's got 14+2d6). And power foci don't need to be a problem -
just make astral very busy, have a few foci slagged off by astral mages
dumping spells through them, and you'll find that mages start getting a
lot more careful, and only use their foci when they really need to.

Lady Jestyr

------------------------------------------------------
A titanic intellect... in a world full of icebergs
------------------------------------------------------
Elle Holmes s421539@*****.student.gu.edu.au
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1503
------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 3
From: "Mark Steedman" <M.J.Steedman@***.rgu.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Starting character restrictions
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 09:59:06 GMT
Brett Barksdale writes
>
> Starting characters....
>
> can't have any alpha-grade or better cyberware (already used this).
standard rule, why you get sams with essence left to spend.

> can't have wired 3 or VCR 3. (already used this)
generally a good idea, this sort of kit tends to unbalance the game
too easily unless you want to play in the BIG league from day one.

> can't start with any spells of force greater than their magic
> theory (is this a standard rule?) (didn't use this)
No its not, your thinking of the limit on spells research force equal
to theory. Its a reasonable house rule if you want to keep things in
check a bit but it won't stop much.

> can't start with certain spells like Increase Attributes, Increased
> Reflexes, and other "primo" spells that all magic chars always
> seem to get. (didn't use this)
You won't be popular, these are the magicians answer to wired
reflexes and muscle repacement which is why they are as popular. They
do make you vulnerable to astral attack which cyber does not however.

> can't start with any foci at all (didn't use this, but limited ratings
> to level 2)
for a low powered game an idea. My suggestion (unused to date) is no
items above 42,500 yen (neatly short of spell locks [45K] and wired
1 [55K])

> can't /ever/ raise starting attributes higher than one (didn't use this and
> now sixes are the norm and not the exception)
i have run , first incease FASA cost, 2nd double FASA, third tripple,
helps a bit. The one push ever rule really keeps things in check mind.

>
> If you, as an experiences player, were told about these guidelines -
> would you find them excessive? I've found that a lot of "casual" threat
> situations (low-level goons, etc.) are absolutely worthless since everyone
> in the group, including the mages, always are rolling 3 (or more) dice
delayed actions and flash grenades, plus partial cover, best resons
for magicians to get cyber eyes are flash grenades. but yes your
average goon squad vs typical runners is toast but vs hardened well
equiped criminals/terrorists (even though many have better morals
than that) they should be.

> for initiative or have power foci (even low levels make a big difference)
> or have spell locks etc. My sams are about where I want them. But the
> mages always seem to be right with the sams with advantages all their
> own.
with reasonable access and no excessive tooling thats typical, there
are some tricks to get an average 30 odd out of either and physads
can go faster still but they generally have drawbacks.

> Would you resent, as a mage player, being forced to acquire the
> "primo" spells and toys via role-playing and successful runs and developing
> contacts in game? Then, I could actually have a faze where, in the beginning
> of a character's history, gang punks and normal riff raff are an actual
> threat to mages.
you will have to limit locks and probably find some way to ban force
6 spells. You will have to do this in liasion with your players and
stamp out wired reflexes while you are at it to make things fair or
the manaball in lots will soon become IPE grenade in lots..

>
> Thoughts?
>
Mark
Message no. 4
From: readle.cr@**.com
Subject: Re[2]: Starting character restrictions
Date: 11 Sep 96 09:08:00 -0400
> can't start with any spells of force greater than their magic
> theory (is this a standard rule?) (didn't use this)

That raises rp problems - I'm playing a street mage who found she was a
mage *after* she became a rigger. She has very little Magic Theory, and
the spells she *does* know, she rote-learned from her teachers.

> can't start with certain spells like Increase Attributes, Increased
> Reflexes, and other "primo" spells that all magic chars always
> seem to get. (didn't use this)

I wouldn't start restricting what spells people can learn, but tis up to
you. (If it helps any, the only one of those that my character has is
Increase Reflexes +1d6, and she hasn't even used it yet.)

> can't /ever/ raise starting attributes higher than one (didn't use this and
> now sixes are the norm and not the exception)

We always played using this, but have recently said that after 100 total
karma you may raise your attributes a second time, up to 1.5 times racial
maximum.

> in the group, including the mages, always are rolling 3 (or more) dice
> for initiative or have power foci (even low levels make a big difference)

We had that problem, so we're consciously restricting Initiative.
*No-one* has over 2d6 initiative on the physical plane, even the big tuff
sammy (who's got 14+2d6). And power foci don't need to be a problem -
just make astral very busy, have a few foci slagged off by astral mages
dumping spells through them, and you'll find that mages start getting a
lot more careful, and only use their foci when they really need to.

Lady Jestyr

I agree that power levels sometimes get out of hand and what not, but
a well played mage whether with foci/locks/munchkin spells or not is a
*MAJOR* tactical advantage to the team that has one(as opposed to the
team that doesn't...I think it mentions that somewhere in either the
combat or magic sections or either the blue or black book(real certain
aren't I? :)). The only way to NOT mhave the mage be a huge tac
advantage is to take all his spells except for say....illusion, and
I'm not 100% sure about that. :)

chris
<Zero length text item>

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