| From: | "Richard C. Osterhout" <rcoster@*****.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Kill em! Mutilate them! Dispell them, even! |
| Date: | Tue, 10 Aug 1993 19:01:21 -0400 |
> ]they average about 4-5 karma per adventure for each player...the sammis
> And how much money?
they get whatever they negotiated for at the beginning of the module...if
a johnson and them settle on 10k each for a job (using the starting offer
in the module and using the negotiation skills, etc to modify it up or
down), then they get 10k each, plus maybe a thou or so extra if they were
able to scrag some bodies or data or such...
>
> ]resentful..to go to a level 7 firearms takes 14 karma points...with 14
> But lower level skills take fewer points... instead of working to getting a 7,
> try getting a level 3 skill (2 for 1, 4 for 2, 6 for 3===>12 karma)! Then, you
> can have multiple skills, while the mages are only good for one particular
> thing. Think utility, and keeping out of combat, rather than becoming good at
> combat. My riggers tend not to have good unarmed/armed combat skills, instead
> preferring to get sociology/languages/electronics/build-repair/etc.
>
this is all well and good, except for one thing: my players don't WANT
lower level skills, they care spit about languages, etc (until they went
through harlequin and got sent to germany) all they want to do is shoot,
shoot, shoot...i have tried to get them away from it, but hey, thats what
they told me they like to do, thats what makes the game fun for them, and
after all, thats the purpose of the game...and thus the original
problem...if the mages are faster than the sammis are, the sammis dont get
to use their pop guns...
> ]this is EXACTLY what i've been doing, they only quicken spells like
> ]increase intelligence +4...
> Again... how easy is it for them to get it? How easy SHOULD it be?! Increase
> ANYTHING +4 is one hellacious spell, and be near-impossible to get. No offense
> to your running style or anything, but next time you might want to make it
> difficult to get stuff like that, making it a run or two to even get it. It
> seems that they just look in the book and ask for it, and you give it to them.
> Not a good idea, especially with the group you've described to us.
as i think i have stated already, i will do this if we start a new
game....they picked those spells at character generation...i will limit
the spell selection in the future for starting characters, but hell, these
guys were pissed when we started because i wouldnt let them buy anything
with an availability higher than 6, and non sammis could only get heavy
pistols or less, the sammis could have up to smg's...
> ]lso, you can only say NO for so long...these guys have been playing these
> ]particular characters for over a year now....it was over six months before
> ]i let them have the stuff in shadowtech, and even then, only a limited
> ]selection of bioware...they still cant have some of the cyberware,
> How much karma do they have? Is this a year real time or game-time? A year in
> our campaign is only a few months in game-time. And may not be that many runs.
> Also, after a certain point, it's time to retire the characters.
it has been almost a year and a half, real time...the group goes through a
shadowrun (have ya ever noticed they all haved to be done in three
days (game time) ???) module in about six sessions...with breaks, we still
have managed to fit in 8 modules...at an average of 5 karma per adventure,
that means they average about 35-40 karma points...i let them find a
shadowtech clinic about three months ago real time (2 modules ago) and
they had been saving up the money to hit the place...it took them over 8
months (game time) to get the stuff installed...and yes, they had enough
(BARELY) for the monthly living expenses...
the party has thought about starting over with new characters, after our
email "conversation" that the party had last week, but they are very
attached to the present characters...
> > Not really necessary. Have you looked at Shadowtech? Be forewarned, though:
> ]yes, they have already maxed out on bioware and stuff...
> WHAT?!?!?!?!!!! HOW?! Sorry, but our last run just started biotech. We sold a
> guy for a LOT of money, and assurance that we could get it sometime. This guy
> had the new muscle augs, and enhanced articulation. Our street doc had never
> seen anything like it, and is now taking apart the body, hoping to be able to
> re-make some of the stuff this guy has. That should only take a few game
> months. Also, how much are you charging them? A beta-clinic I once visited
> wanted about 100000 NuYen for a SMARTGUN LINK! (35000 for the link, plus
> surgery, prep time, doctor's fees, recovery, ...)
see above, about three months ago real time...the party had been playing
for over a year real time already, and were complaining that they had
earned some shadowtech stuff...well, i am a gm who believes i am there to
serve my players' needs, and i thought a year of playing these characters
was a reasonable amount of time...
> ]why bother using a module or even
> ]making up your own when the characters blow the story and screw up the
> ]continuity/logical outcome of an encounter...
> Hmm... in that case, do what a couple of my GMs have done: set up the universe,
> and let them do what they want. Our group started trying to figure out "weird
> happenings", which led to some VERY interesting runs
sorry, too much chaos and not enough creativity/energy/time on my part...
actually, i think my problem is solved...my application for getting out of
the military early is on its last step...if my commander signs it, i'll be
in florida by the middle of next month (have to go to gencon first,
though!) .... i'll hopefully get into shadowrun again down there, and if i
end up gm-ing, i WILL be even MORE stingy on creating characters (skills
and spells, not just equipment)...
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| rcoster@*****.net Currently in Baltimore, MD |
| Richard C. Osterhout but hope to be home in |
| professional nerd Orlando, FL soon!!! |
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