| From: | Nilo Nolasco <nilo@*******.com> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Reputation skill |
| Date: | Tue, 7 May 1996 19:36:12 -0600 (MDT) |
skill of Reputation. This idea was inspired by the SEGA Shadowrun video
game in which you had to have a certain level of reputation to meet with
veteran shadowrunners (they start to know you for your accomplishments)
and work with them, have dealings with the underworld (ie. Yakuza, Mafia
alliances), work with up-scale Mr. Johnsons who pay the big money,
and so on; the higher you got your reputation, the further along you
got into the game - along with all its benefits and consequences for
being famous in the shadow-world.
It had many uses to my players. First it allowed them to gain
karma in between runs (due to the fact that we'd be lucky enough to have a
gaming session or two each month). After they would finish a major run, I
would ask them to heal up, raise attibutes/skills or learn new ones (that
takes SOME time), and basically get prepared for the next big one. Since
certain players use up more days getting their characters prepared for the
next one, I allow those who are VERY ready but are waiting for the others
to finish to roll their Reputation skill (if any) to get some Karma. I
assume thir characters try to occupy themselves with menial, low-risk
one-man runs (such as courrier, bodyguarding, or maybe even a ghoul hunt
or two). I let the player roll their character's Rep skill each day to a
T# of 4 (or higher, it seems my characters are improving at a faster pace)
with each success at one Karma each. They must have at least 1 success
each day or failure risks in no Karma and a nasty street encounter of some
kind (GM's choice). Heh heh, give them something really nasty to confront
if they all roll ones!
Another purpose for the Reputation is the ability (or the risk) to
use your clout as a veteran shadowrunner (providing he's got a decent
skill of at least 3 or 4, then MAYBE they can throw their weight around).
I allow my players to use it like a Pool dice for their social skills,
especially Etiquette (all types), Leadership, AND interogation (ie. Ork
Street Sam named Carnage with a Rep skill of 6 threathens stret thug by
just his presence and his name associated with his rep). Useful with
certain NPCs who might not trust you because they don't know who you are,
special red-carpet treatment with other Shadowrunners, places in the city,
and certain corps you have good dealings with.
Karma Pool is spent to learn and improve the Reputation skill
instaed than Good Karma simply because it is not like speaking a
language or being a good shot with a gun. It's more than that - it's how
well you carry yourself as a Shadowrunner, how you are looked upon by other (if
they loathe or respect you) espectally the corps have to hire you or worry
about you at some point, etc.
My players have kept their Reputaion skills quite low (at 2 or 3).
They know that it's quite helpful when it comes to social situations,
getting easy karma, but they also realize that if they raise that skill
any higher - it would be detremental to their character's lives and pose
them to more risks that goes with a highER reputation skill.
Nilo IMightAsWellWriteANovel Nolasco
