January 2, 2076: 13:56 - Seattle, Downtown. Der Gute Messer
Der Gute Messer's usually lively atmosphere is quieter, as is usual for a bar on a Thursday afternoon. There's a couple of wageslaves plugged in the corner, and a couple of retirees in slightly too-tight leather punk vests, slowly sipping beers, eyes stared at the AR around them.
The waitress, a teenage human with neon-green spiked hair and multiple piercings on her face, gives you a nod and a smile as you make your way towards Berlin Freddy's favourite meeting place, a remote corner, tastefully designed as a vandalised set of cubicles, anarchistic sprays on the walls. It's painfully clear the punk is just for aesthetics, however, as the tables and floors don't stick to your clothes, and the air lacks that distinct smell of stale Azzie beer, cigarettes and recent slotting. For better or for worse, it's up to personal opinion.
The retro music is just loud enough to add to the ambiance and quiet conversations from the nearest tables, but not loud enough so you can't hear your thoughts.
That's just a little pre-game preamble - feel free to post how you're going in, how your day has been, and what you're wearing to a meet withcher fixer. And absolutely, do feel free to continue a conversation you had when you met at the car park/parking lot.
Hello, omae. Welcome to a GMCP Adventure, one that hopefully will be exciting, action driven, and even heartfelt and depressing at moments. Because Shadowrun.
I say we start with any outgoing mechanics questions - the Gameplay will open on Tuesday, and there's bound to be plenty of stuff to know until then. So, any mechanics that need smoothin' out, smooth them out.
Some of the players are very experienced in the system, probably more than I am, so they'll be able to help out.
Also, if you could send me a copy of your Chummer sheets, if you'd used them that'd help me considerably.
Afterwards, I think I'll have some questions on your contacts.
As the bells strike midnight on January 1, 2076, something lingers in the air in Seattle. Outlasting the familiar smell of fireworks, weaving past the scent of the pure white snow turning to dark gray muck the moment it touches the tarmac. Tangible despite even the infamous Tacoma Aroma, all who listen, no, feel the heartbeat of Seattle, its beat, feel a rhythm clear through even the thickest of New Year's highs.
Change.
The end of The Great Dragon Civil War was the Christmas present nobody dared hope for. Last year's Proposition 23, the legislation bringing the Ork Underground as fully fledged, if still suspect, neighbourhood of Seattle, bringing in the lowest crime and highest tax revenues recorded since Crash 2.0. On the other hand, the impending Corporate Revision, the word lingering on every sarariman and corp-drone, yet hiding in the darkest corner of their mouth in fear of bringing in the Corporate Court's attention.
The feeling of the drug of choice kicks in as you raise your glass to a new year. Another year you may not have thrived, but you survived. As a firework explodes in a dragon's head above you, the shadows recede for a brief moment, only to envelop you back.
Happy New Year, Omae. Make it a good one.
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Captain Placeholder:
Hey there, chummers. Your (hopeful) GM for this game is a PbP gamer veteran and a PbP GM grasshopper. Some of you (or most, as I suspect) may know me by my other handle on these forums, The Lion Cleric, or TLC. I've ran some games IRL, a couple of them quite successful, and I've been playing tabletop RPG's since 2013. And I've lately noticed how much I love the Oxford comma, and adding brackets (even in places where brackets shouldn't be).
My personal preference is Roleplaying always trumps Roll-playing, unconditionally. Even though I adore the mechanical parts of Shadowrun.
The Three Rules:
- Friction OoC is completely unacceptable. Friction IC is potentially amazing.
- I have a warm spot in my heart for players who help others understand the mechanics of the game, triply so when they do so with understanding of the other player's concept.
- Be reasonable. Whatever you think that means. That means it. That look that you've undoubtedly seen GM's give a player on your table (maybe even you, at some point) when they bring that technically legal half-drow-half-orc-half-drow-again-and-half-mutant-for-good-measure? I don't want to give that look over the internet. Again, be reasonable.
Regarding the Setting:
I've been a fan, putting it mildly, of Shadowrun ever since one fateful night I happened to stumble upon an artefact bearing the name of 'Shadowrun: Dragonfall', and thirty odd hours (and one short nap in between) later, I told myself, How the hell did this setting escape my notice for so long?!
A troll with a minigun and an Native American shaman, taking cover behind a NYPD police car. Hackers delving into a web so deep and intricate, that at some point it has a life on its own, both alien and unknown to us, despite being our creation. Dragons and fae creatures as CEOs and COOs of companies wealthier than the richest of countries...
...This is Shadowrun.
Four years later, it remains my favourite setting by a long shot, and I've jumped at every scarce opportunity to play it. I've read a lot about it, and I'm looking forward to bringing the shadows to your home as well.
Inspiration would be the Shadowrun Returns video game, Bright - which is officially unofficially known as Shadowrun 2020 in my RPG area. The Harry Dresden books, urban fantasy and cyberpunk, they all are a good fit.
Regarding the game:
Ripples in the Lake is set in Seattle, 2076. I've long had plans to start a Shadowrun campaign, and I've had ideas, but I've never had the time, energy, but mostly, belief in myself that I could pull it off. But another recruitment seems to have fallen through, and I just can't bear some of my chummers' faces (even if I can't technically see them) when that happens. The Sixth World is grim, but we still like it too much!
My commitment and promise, for the moment, is for a small adventure, which would be self-contained. The general tone I go for is the Brown Business Suit (or to the less Shadowrun-wary, realistic, but not to the point where you're never paranoid enough). General estimation would be it might last for around half a year, maybe 7-8 months. I'm aiming to start the normal way Shadowrun does, with some milk ru... simple jobs, that may or may not be interconnected, in front, behind, or somewhere around the scenes. And after, well. There may be more, depending on all of us.
And finally. I love characters with rich and interesting backstories. I fragging love characters with rich and interesting backstories which I can explore upon for emotional impact, both good and bad. But what I love the most is characters who want to interact with the world around them, and are shaped by it.
To New Players, or those who feel intimidated by the system:
Hey there! I hope you read the second spoiler above, and I'd love to welcome you to Shadowrun! We'll throw a party.
Shadowrun is what happens when D&D meets Cyberpunk 2077 - a dystopian setting where dragons rule corporations, elves stare down arrogantly as they step into black BMWs, mages' colleges have exorbitant fees and goblinoids are racially discriminated against and their plight is merchandised into music and trideo.
The mechanics can be somewhat intimidating (partly why I love them), and the setting has its quirks, mainly being a lot more lethal than D&D. If you don't have the books, I recommend the wiki for the basics, and for the rest, there's the books.
If you're still reading this and want to join, I'd be more than happy to help you mechanically build your concept, and explain the basics.
Character Creation:
Firstly - It's dangerous to go alone in the Character Creation - Take this.
Chummer helps CC immensely. Like, I've only created one character without it, and that guy didn't use the cyberware, magic, matrix, commlink, or vehicle sections.
Secondly, to those experienced:
- Standard Runner. Use Sum to 10. I find it an excellent compromise between Karma and Priority.
- Availability is 12, up to Alphaware cyberware.
- I'm not inherently opposed to Restricted Gear and other somesuchs, but check Rule #3.
- Metavariants are allowed. Shapeshifters and Metasapients are heavily discouraged, but if you feel you can pull it off, PM me!
- No Initiation at character creation, and any Foci you buy are bonded with the 25 Karma you get at the end.
- Lastly, remember that licenses and SINs exist. Not saying get them. But, you know.
And also - the way I run things there'll be opportunities for everyone to shine, so don't worry if you're the rigger with the yerzed out van or the ex-Horizon ex-weather girl with the golden voice. Just remember to have a plan B.
So, I am absolutely certain, that despite all my efforts, you still have plenty of questions, and I'm ready to answer the first one. Recruitment will be open until January 23rd. Posting requirements are 1/day and 1/weekend.
All the other ones, feel free to ask in here. And of course, remember:
"Watch your back, shoot straight, conserve ammo, and never, EVER cut a deal with a dragon."
I've recently attempted to gift a person a PDF book, and it arrived in my own digital contents. I clicked on it to see whether or not it's supposed to be there, and it started personalising it.
Since I want it as a gift, I hadn't downloaded the files (one of which is marked Single File, and the other is One File per Chapter).
I'm not quite sure how I should proceed here, as I've only purchased a couple of Paizo books so far, and I've never gifted anyone here before. Would it be possible to refund it, or remove it from my folder and send it and personalise it for the other person?
Recently, our Giantslayer game ended after concluding Book 2 of the Giantslayer Adventure Path, The Hill Giant's Pledge.
The game has been going on for just about three years, with ebb and flow in activity (the former being a bit more common recently). As such, we find outselves adrift into the green, hilly, orc-and-giant infested plains of the Hold of Belkzen, looking for a passionate (if not necessarily compassionate) GM to take the reigns.
There's four of us still interested in the game, with two of the original players still in, as well as two newer arrivals.
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What we offer:
- An already set and prepared level 6 party, with a strong bent towards handling things the dwarven way (with sticks, things attached on sticks, and sticks that project other sticks), as well as well-developed personalities, and promises of reliable RP Posts and interest in the game.
- I would also be willing to purchase the third book, Forge of the Giant God for the GM that would like to take upon the task. And the others, in the future, but we'll burn than bridge when we cross it.
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What we would like:
- I understand completely that when looking for a GM, while unable or unwilling to take upon the mantle yourself, you can't be terribly picky. However, I would like at least a reliable (not necessarily once daily, but at least several times a week) posting, as well as an interest in the story, the setting and the characters. Experience as a GM isn't necessarily required, but some experience with PbP would be.
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The far future:
- In the event that someone is willing to pick up the game, I'm assuming that we'd also need some additional players. However, for the moment, this recruitment is for a GM-only. This will change as soon as we set with our perfect partner. I'll either re-open the recruitment, or open a new thread when and if that moment comes.
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The usual suspects:
The current party members we have are listed below, by alphabetical order. As much as I was tempted to sort us by height.
- Crom Iron Cudgel - a no-nonsense axe-wielding dwarf, displaying all the qualities a good dwarf should. Hard-hitting, hard-headed, and hard-drinking.
- Yours Truly - A human orphan adopted by dwarves. Jokey, not-too-serious, and an expert shot and infiltrator. Tends to use humour for deflecting on a hard life. Has a horse named A&%+&@&.
- Wulfrum Boulderhead - An old-ish warpriest of Torag, and wielder of the artefact hammer Aggrimmosh (as well as his belly), Wulfrum serves as the moral compass of the party, keeping everyone grounded.
- Zekal Cooper A follower of Erastil, and possibly the best-smelling person in the party, Zekal is a defender of both the wilds and civilisation.
Feel free to ask questions - I will be keeping a close eye on the recruitment, and I'm very much looking forward to answering your questions.
Hello, all. I was posting in an advice thread where it was mentioned again that your character class isn't a description of what your character is. Then the idea of making this thread happened, and then, this thread happened.
So, to all you master builders, I present to you the challenge of thinking of a character idea, and then building it... with an alchemist. Or, for those of you unfamiliar with the Alchemist, simply giving a concept and asking for someone to build it is also an option. I'll be paying attention to the posts and if someone has a concept that needs to be built, I'll gladly help.
Suggestions as to how spells and abilities work fluff-wise is also a good idea, in order to better make sure that the character fits like an alchemist. Examples:
Alchemy? What's that?:
A fighting man, who needs to get that one drink in him, in order to perform to maximal capacity. (Mutagen)
A magical engineer of sorts, making small bots that affect only him, unless he managed to arcanoprogram them to affect his friends as well (Infusion)
These builds need not to be great power-wise, but it'd be nice if they can at least handle themselves. A whole build is not required, just a mention of feats, traits and I'll start by suggesting two different character concepts:
Concepts:
The Smooth Talker - an alchemist taking all the traits replacing social skills with INT instead of CHA, mastering Blistering Invective in order to deliver that sick, sick burn. Could be build with Intimidating Prowess if STR built in order to be an intimidater in combat, or simply focus on out of combat activities.
The Psycho - a normal strength Alchemist that seems to be so ridden with drugs that he can perform stuff that non-drug abusing people would simply not be willing (or able) to do. Such as being able to dodge bullets, carry enourmous weights, sprint like a cheetah, etc.
So, what do you think that you can't build with an alchemist? What do you think that you can? Go ahead and experiment!
"We don't fly, and we don't let anyone else either."
-Unofficial moto of the Russian Antiaircraft Corps.
Now my idea here was to make a sorcerer for a mid-level party, that specializes as an anticaster - dispel magic, greater dispel magic and secondary specialization as party support. I, however, am not usually a caster player, so I come to you for help.
What would be the best way to achieve a caster that just doesn't let other magic users do nothing? Starting with readied magic missiles/burning hands? A sorcerer is practically necessary, because not every encounter will be with casters, but I'm open to suggestions.
A sample build from 1-10 will be greatly appreciated.
