The Wrecking Crew (Inactive)

Game Master Ryuko

This still open? I would love to join up with Shadowrun, I've always wanted to play it. Sadly a lot of the groups dissolve before game time and I never get to use the characters. If it's still open I'll start on my character ASAP.

Absolutely still open. The only person garanteed in right now is DogofEris (mostly because not only is his character good, but he has been absolutely helpful the entire time with all players, good show).

Thanks =D I'm around the computer a lot for work so I get plenty of opportunities to lurk.

Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to go with the skill groups for most of my beginning skills. My first 20 karma or so will go toward buying the appropriate specializations, but I think this is fairly solid to start with:

ATHLETICS 2 (+2 to gymnastics)
INFLUENCE 2 (+2 to leadership)
STEALTH 1
OUTDOORS 1
Summoning 1
Spellcasting 3 (manipulation) (+2 to illusions)
Counterspelling 1
Perception 2 (scent) (+2)
Pilot Ground Craft 3 (bike) (+3)
Unarmed combat 1 (shapechange)
Gunnery 1 (ballistic)

I'll write up the background story and bike tomorrow.

I'm glad I saw this before it closed up! I have a real love for SR and don't get to play it anywhere near enough. I wanted to post here that I was tossing my hat in the ring and will have a character created and submitted tonight.

Thanks =D I'm around the computer a lot for work so I get plenty of opportunities to lurk.

I used to be this way before I got a twelve hours a day job. Now I barely have any time. Sad day

dammmit...i soooooo want to get in on this...cursed RL.

Alright, I'm not sure if I am going to be finished tonight since I've forgotten how long it takes to get a SR character fully fleshed out, but I wanted to see if my idea might get some approval before I bury myself too deeply into it.

If we are serving as a team in this 'league' I was thinking I might make more of a fixer type of character, someone who is good with the bike but not likely the racer that some of the heavily focused are. Instead on race he'll run interference to make sure our stars take top place, and off the track he'll have the contacts and connections(along with the suave) to make sure our bikes have the top specs and we get the best paying contracts.

I was picturing him as something of a minor drug runner who has been working his way up the criminal food chain(moving from drugs, to hawking stolen goods, to maybe finding folk to do low end robberies himself) and sees this new sport as a great way to make some cash and get his name out there. After all if this takes off he could be the best kind of criminal, a businessman!

All right then, while I work on my character concept I have to ask if you're allowing people to use the qualities presented in Runner's Companion, namely the Class III SURGE characters.

One of my old char concepts for Shadowrun was a SURGE char, scales, tail, the like. Was abused by one of the Corporations and tested on. Has a hatred for said Corp, and a little reckless nature would fit perfectly into the combat biking.

I really liked the concept char and how he looked and how he acted, but I understand if those qualities push him too far into beast territory and not suitable for the run. However, its just his appearance that is bestial, and it lends to his actions to either prove himself to the 'normal' people, or just show them up all together. Those that he does befriend are fiercely protected, you have to value the few that like you after all.

If you're allowing the SURGE III qualities I'll happily flesh the character out more than I did before to give you more information, and a char sheet.

I'm not a big fan of the SURGE qualities and such, sorry.

Ah, shame. I really wanted to use that sort of character, explore that kind of story. However, if you really don't care for 'em I can try and figure something else out. I'll work on it.

Here's Neko!

All the numerical stuff is done, now I just need to get to the writing. The weapon I want to mount on my bike has an availability code of 15F, but it seems perfect for UCB. Can my agent pull some strings to get it for me?

I don't like to post with a new profile until I know whether I'll be accepted in a game. I already have two unused aliases that I can't get rid of because I jumped the gun and made a post with them in the recruitment thread...

I could surely be fine with your agent procuring one forbidden item, as long as that's it.

I am sorry to say, but I think I am going to withdraw my submission. Something has come up that has limited my amount of time so I have to cut back a few things and since this hasn't started yet it is easier to cut back. Again, I am sorry.

That's a shame Mendez. Good gaming.

Ok, to get my ducks in a row and hopefully get this started soon:

Neko is finished and ready to roll.
D-Frag is finished and ready to roll.
Kid is finished and ready to roll.

Still need at least one more for a respectable team.

I haven't heard back from Shane Grifford (Disappeared after Dotting) or Monkeyfeet (Disappeared after mentioning an Ork that got drugged up as hell then raced)

And Aruetti is making a char as is Tarlane

On Kid -- I am thinking to drop the pistol skill and instead spend the points on contacts (1 to raise the loyalty of the talismonger) and the other three on cash to have a good garage with some security for the team as well as the storage compartment -- I'm alright with that not being shielded as I see it as a 'legitimate' compartment.

My thought on his 'trajectory' as a character is this is him starting into the less legal side of things -- up until now he's been pretty straight lace and too busy to get into trouble... now life starts! :D

For his magic rating I'm going to split it 5/1 -- 5 for spells and 1 for adept traits: Flare Compensation, Attribute Boost (Reaction), Rapid Healing 1, Sound Dampening

His power focus is a amulet he wears under his clothes on a chain.

Sounds like things are coming together nicely =) If I can do anything to help expedite the process let me know.

Quick question, will a Technomancer have any use at all in this? Considering char ideas.

Part of the reason I chose this particular type of game is because, to be perfectly honest, I straight up don't understand how hacking works in Shadowrun. So while I think a technomancer could be useful... I'd prefer not to have one.

I feel bad for shooting down all your ideas lol

Just keep stabbing me in the heart why don't ya. Can't go for the monster racer, or the hacker tech support for the team, let's see...what else do I want to do....

:(

Sorry man

Well we don't have a medic or a veteran/street samurai type yet. If you go straight Adept that could fit in well and be cheap on the cash (street sams are a bit hard to get the skills, cash and stats for).

A combat medic that's off the force for one reason or another could do well (perhaps he got caught removing 'scrap' cyber from patience for 'medical necessity' that wasn't so needed or stealing drugs to sell).

A one time combat pilot (or combat pilot drop out) that's taken to bikes could fit well too (perhaps they wanted him to go rigger and he didn't feel that was 'right').

I'd like to claim a spot here if there's still an opening. I was thinking if I paired up with someone (a gunner or mage of some kind) on a two-man bike, I could focus on driving skills, while the other could give those up in favor of other skills. Any thoughts?

Also, where can we find information about rules and the manner of play in combat biking?

Part of the reason I chose this particular type of game is because, to be perfectly honest, I straight up don't understand how hacking works in Shadowrun. So while I think a technomancer could be useful... I'd prefer not to have one.

One way I've seen that handled in other games is to treat that part of the game as rules lite. The shadowrun system lets you cram an amazing amount of detail into what you do, but it is easy to get bogged down. You could handle matrix stuff with mostly narrative and only call for the occasional simple pool+attribute test when absolutely necessary. The skill ratings table on page 108 of the main book gives a good idea of what a character can accomplish without having to worry about calculating difficulties or numbers of successes. ::shrug:: It might work for a support skill, but probably not if it was the whole focus of your character.

A medic of some sort would be great. Maybe a docwagon employee who got blacklisted for some reason? If they were an adrenaline junky who always volunteered for the hot extractions, UCB would be right up their alley.

Right now I think Neko is the most socially capable character in the group, and that's a little depressing. Someone with solid contacts among the various gangs of the sprawl could be handy, or maybe someone involved with the higher-level organization, promotion, and backing of UCB...

:(

Sorry man

Heh, don't worry about it. I'm just glad I pitched the ideas before I created a character I really enjoyed.

Yeah a socialite could work well too.

I don't see Kid as having the experience right now really. Neko seems like he wants the limelight but isn't sure what to do with it (I really like the simsense show angle that's going to be interesting to see play out).

I'd like to claim a spot here if there's still an opening. I was thinking if I paired up with someone (a gunner or mage of some kind) on a two-man bike, I could focus on driving skills, while the other could give those up in favor of other skills. Any thoughts?

Also, where can we find information about rules and the manner of play in combat biking?

Vehicle Combat can be found starting on page 169 of the Core Rules book (here I am specifically referencing the 4th Edition 20th Anniversary book). To condense; skills that should be a focus for vehicle to vehicle combat are Gunnery, Pilot Groundcraft and possible Perception or Dodge. Mainly those first two though.

Deirdre is a hotshot biker but more a fast moving, maneuverable harasser (on bike) and a fairly durable (for an elf) tough with a nasty claw cyber-arm out of vehicle combat. Not very social but fairly flexible on and off the pavement in terms of combat.

RainydayNinja if you go for a two-seater Kid would be willing to ride shotgun (literally and figuratively) since his spells are generally complex actions to use. I figure there will be times when we'll want everyone driving and times when we want pairs so I don't think it's a horrible idea.

Actually, on further consideration, I like the idea of a "rogue"-type character, with the Stealth skill group, Locksmith, etc. I'll try to put together a rough sketch of one tonight.

BTW, if I took the Poor Self Control/Compulsive quality (RC) for Kleptomania (stealing candy bars and the like), how many points would that be worth?

I would suggest Kleptomania is a good way to end up on the unhappy end of a load of buckshot -- especially in shadowrun. Not to be rude, or that Kid would shoot you (as if he could) but I've seen that end poorly many a time in the past.

I just thought of something; is our team/gang going to need a name? And if so will we get to pick it?

Probably, but I don't have a thought to one yet. If it goes into syndication I'm sure our 'corporate lords' will pick one for us. Maybe I'll get a deal like oCc!

I just thought of something; is our team/gang going to need a name? And if so will we get to pick it?

DEFINITELY! I'm all for this, though I suppose it isn't technically necessary.

OK, here's the starting point for my character. I still have 14000Y sloshing around for my bike and other gear. I've never really put together a vehicle, so any advice on what mods to get for it would be appreciated. Any other advice on these stats is welcome too.

OK, here's the starting point for my character. I still have 14000Y sloshing around for my bike and other gear. I've never really put together a vehicle, so any advice on what mods to get for it would be appreciated. Any other advice on these stats is welcome too.

** spoiler omitted **

I'm guessing you will go with a Suzuki Mirage based on your Gearhead positive quality. All the vehicle mods can be found in the book "Arsenal" - I would suggest at the very minimum a vehicle weapon mount, a weapon to go on that mount and Motorcycle Gyro-Stabilization. At 14k you may not be able to reach more than that. If you can free up some BP in your build for more "muscle" for your cycle I would advise some Armor, a little security and maybe something to punch up the speed a bit (an Engine Customization or at least Nitrous Injection). If you need to free up somewhere in your build; you could potentially look at trimming back some of your top level skills - even one rank of one skill is 4 points and that is worth 20k all by itself. Alternately you could dial down the Reflex Recorders a little bit; I don't know how expensive those are but a savings there could also go towards your bike. Just some initial thoughts from scanning your sheet. Incidentally; what meta type is this character?

To build on what dogoferis said:

I would suggest:
Blades 1 (specialization) -- net savings 2 points
Gunnery 3 -- net savings 4 points
Pilot Groundcraft 4 (specialization motorcycles) -- net savings 2 points and you will be 6 on motorcycles instead of 5.

That would net you 8 points back which would provide 2 for the little more wealth you need, and 6 for some contacts (a loyalty 3/ connections 3 or loyalty 4/ connections 2 contact is a good thing to have).

It's a very interesting character regardless -- got some back story yet?

Wow that's some nice edge too by the way... a real thrill seeker huh?

I probably could trim a couple of skill points off my better skills, but it makes me a little uneasy not having some skill maxed out the wazoo. My very first character was a social adept, who routinely got 19 dice on Negotiation and Con, so that's what I compare all my dice pools to.

And I don't really have any specific back story yet, except that he's Korean, and I think his handle is going to be "Slide."

Well I don't think you should kill your skills -- but going with one rank less and specializations means that for your specialty you'll be an actual rank higher and you still save some points.

I'm not a mind reader but since we are starting with less than the suggested 400 points I think the idea is that we'll have room to 'grow' into our roles more, so I wouldn't worry too terribly if you are missing a rank here or there. After all we have a team to help cover our own short ends.

Personally I really like the fact that your character is such an adept driver as it gives kid someone to learn more about driving from (as well as guns and such).

Honestly I think shorting yourself the contacts is the biggest issue. Having a fairly 'stock' bike could just mean you are new to the circuit and just getting into combat bike racing -- your other skills certainly suggest this isn't your main gig which offers some interesting ideas for back story hooks. Perhaps you started as an elf poser to get close to a 'job' (meaning burglary) and it went so well that you haven't been able to shuffle off the disguise yet.

By the way, in order to avoid a stall, I will be starting when we get one more submission completely finished. We won't be up on the action right from the start so there'll still be time for one or two more players but I really don't want to stall waiting for one person to finish a character.

Sounds good to me =D

Let's start thinking about how the characters ran into each other - are we being put together by the corporate sponsor? Or are we an already existing group that is being picked up by a sponsor because we look like a good bet? I think personally Deirdre would have a deeper loyalty to a group she joined first on the street. She has enough professional chops as an UC biker to be an effective team player no matter what (winning the match comes first and all that) but it would make the difference between being willing to do something crazy dangerous to bail out a team mate and possibly just playing it a little safer if her own skin is on the line. Deirdre is very loyal to the few friends she does have (if any ha ha ha).

Also been tossing about some team/gang names just for kicks; do any of these strike people's fancy?

• Pale Riders
  
• The Wrecking Crew
  
• Furious Angels
  
• Jaaku (wicked)
  
• 4Horsemen
  
• The Firebrands
  

I wouldn't mind if Kid had been set up to do work on Deirdre's bike before. After all she doesn't have a mechanic it would make sense. He would have probably approached her about getting into combat biking since having worked on her bike he would have know that she was into it.

I intended for you to know one another before the game begins. Whether you've ever ridden together before your sponsor picks you up is up to you.

@abraham - Love it; let's roll with that. D has enough mechanical skill to do kit based mods herself as long they don't involve electrical or software work...so she would definitely want/need to know a real mechanic. As a fellow bike lover he would get instant cred with her (especially if he is really good) and she'd have been happy to speak up for him joining the "team". :D

I just wanted to let you know Ryuko, that I am still interested in the game. And if things clear up for me later down the road that if you are still looking for another player, I am willing and should be able to fill that role, either with The Doc or a new character if needed.

@dogoferis -- The neatest part about kid is that due to his magic fingers spell he can get the job done much faster than normal -- he doesn't have to take the bike apart to fix hard to get to components. He just needs enough room to get in the tools and parts.

@ Ryuko -- if it isn't too late I would like to grab a day job as a mechanic and use those points to put my mechanics group back up to a full 4 ranks. I don't mind if the day job is with the sponsor either.

OK, I'm working on the last details of my character now. Are we using any house rules, like CHAx2 free points of contacts?

OK, here are my (I think) fully fleshed-out stats. I'll still take suggestions if you have them. Backstory to come, but the gist of it is that he used to be part of a thieving crew/low-level runner as the wheelman. Also, I should have 9 points left for contacts, once I work out the backstory.

dogoferis here reporting in with Deirde's board alias. Here is a link to her profile:

Deirdre LeBlanc

Cancel that on the dayjob -- I just found the limits on points from drawbacks... considering I'm already over that's probably a good place to stop.

From amongst the group names dogoferis mentioned, I'm partial to 'The Wrecking Crew'.

I'm having a hard time imagining how Neko would know the rest of you outside of the racing league; most of his time is spent in the slums with other orks. He would travel into the more reputable parts of the city from time to time to visit recording studios and trid sets for his day job, but not for much else. Perhaps he did some work with Slide's crew?