| From: | "Dark Thought Publications." <JEK5313@*****.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | "Exotics" in SRUN (funny, thought this was a family show. . . ) |
| Date: | Tue, 26 Jan 93 01:33:37 CET |
> Personally, I dislike how Shadowrun makes many or most paranormal
>creatures (especially the basic rules ones) dual natured. Not to
>mention that what this implies is badly explored, if it's explored at
>all.
> I also suspect that social reasons will sharply limit the use of
>nonhumans (in the broad sense) in Shadowrunning groups; how hard *is*
>a Sasquatch/fill in any exotic type to track down in Seattle, after
>all? Not to mention why something like that is shadowrunning at all.
> - cks
RESPONSE TO CKS: <LONG, LONG, LONGO, LONGISH, TRES LONGUE, MUCHO LONGO>
1) Speaking from experience, the dual natureed aspect is well enough
"explored," as you put it, to provice rich and eventful roleplaying.
2) Have you ever been in a well-renowned bar in Srun? The good groups
have sasquatches in them. Check Seattle Sourcebook, Sprawl Sites,
and Shadowbeat for more info. Trust me, it's there. (I had many
an argument based on info from them that I looked up meself, so
it'd BETTER be there still.)
When I first started this character, I had the roleplaying challenge of
being unable to talk. You would be surprised at the fun it can be (right
guys?!) to try and get across the concept of your _name_, much less the attack
plan. It ain't too hard if you think in pictures, as I do, but it sure is a
different way of thinking if you don't. Because of the difficulties invloved
with learning to communicate in that fashion initially, I was dubbed,
unfortunately "Fuzzy," by one of the characters. Inevitable, I suppose. *sigh*
As time went on, we got to the point that we could communicate MUCH
better, both in-game (through the learning of Perkins-Athabaskan by members of
the party) and out-of-game (me learning to communicate key concepts through
gestures), and our party became much more integrated than anyone could have
predicted previously. Perkins-Athasbaskan became our "battle tongue," unless
we were invis, of course (repeat please. . . repeat please!!. . .
REPEAT PLEASE!!)
As for how hard it is to track down a sasquatch in a major metroplex;
not quite so easy as you might expect. There are a fair number of sasquatches
in any burg worth mentioning. In our world, they are the discontents in
sasquatch life, the delvers into new knowledge, and the young who don't know
any better. At any rate, to leave the rural life of the sasquatch is to be, to
a certain extent, pariah. There are groups to cling to, but your family you
leave behind, sometimes forever. The entertainment community is VERY helpful
to new sasquatches. (You would be surprised how easily you can occupy a
sasquatch's mind with a sound they haven't heard previously.) If you don't
watch it, they will snatch you up and confuse the hell out of you, just to turn
you into a sound tech and make _them_ a million Y.
>>>>>[Ed Note: Sasquatches, especially the Northern variety, seem to have
developed a real aversion for Neil the Ork Barbarian simsenses
since the development of the Neil the Ork Barbarian Goes Bad sim.
Reasons unknown.]<<<<<
Dual-naturedness has its advantages, and it's not-so-obvious
disadvantages. You try going into suborbitals when you're dual-natured, buddy.
NOT ADVISED!!!
Then there's the problem with going through barriers: you can
detect them for the rest of the party, but if you want to keep the mage from
knowing you're there, the sasquatch (read this now "the killing behemoth") must
remain outside the building, or whatever.
And as to answer your aspersions on whether 'tis or 'tis not
shadowrunning, lad; it was, from our standpoint, shadowrunning. A sasquatch
has some extra motivation to invest in a stealth skill, though. Alternatives
to that form of camouflague are available. A seemingly out-of-work sasquatch
can get into a wide variety of places. Two suggestions however:
1) Don't >please don't< carry any weapons. They are
detectable, and performing sasquatches are generally
pacifistic unless threatened.
2) The cyber should be few and far between, and should be
easily justified as performance gear (dual natured
getting cybered?!?!?! Are you crazy?!?! It happens.
For one reason or another, it _does_ happen.)
Played in a manner somewhat like those suggested above (I've got more,
MUCH more, but in the interests of brevity. . . ) and the sasquatch character
is not unlike a troll with several role-playing hooks.
Additional details available from:
jch8169@*****.tamu.edu
mdb0213@****.tamu.edu
jkf7477@****.tamu.edu
--Flare <NULLSIG COURTESY OF DOOM>
Dark Thought Publications & Doom Technologies, Inc.
>>> Working on solutions best left in the dark.
