Hey Chummers!
So with all the 4e/3e shifts and changes, I decided to take a small break from D&D/D20 to make a side run in the old Shadowrun universe. I have played the game maybe a half-dozen times but never run it. I also am rather short on time, so I decided to raid my rather solid library of dungeon magazines (from 87-150). I reread the Shadows over Istivin and thought that it sounded like it had potential to convert to Shadowrun.
Here is what I have so far. Any helpful suggestions or tips would be great as I have never GM'ed Shadowrun before.
As a side note I am going to try and limit the amount of Matrix and Hermetic Magic use, to keep things simple, at least that seems like a good approach for my first campaign, maybe not?
Oh and I am using 3rd edition, mainly because thats what we have played before and own the books of. Is 4th edition Shadowrun so much cooler that I should just not consider running in 3rd even thoguh it would mean more work for me?
Shadowrun – Istivin City of Shadows
Setting: Cripple Creek-Victor, Colorado (45 Miles outside of Colorado Springs)
Istivin
Elevation: 9,400ft Population: 149,000
Demographics:
Human 57%
Elven 4%
Dwarven 13%
Orc 21%
Troll 5%
Economics: Mining, Trade,
Timeline:
1891 – Rich gold Ore found in Cripple Creek – Last great Colorado gold rush of the 19th
century begins.
2018 - Treaty of Denver. The city of Cripple Creek forms the South-West border of the Front Range Free Zone. This area becomes a Black Market trade zone between the Ute Nation, the Sioux Nation, and the Pueblo Corp Council.
2020 – Franklin Istivin discovers the Collins Load gold/something else? strike.
2021-2035 – The Istivin Gold/? Rush – Population grows from 1,000 to 63,000 by 2035.
2025 – Franklin Istivin dies in a mine collapse near Victor. Many theorize this was not an accident. Some fingers are pointed towards Eilservs Mining Corp.
2026 – Cripple Creek is renamed Istivin in honor of the Collin’s Load discoverer.
2031 – Eilservs Mining Corp. files for bankruptcy following a series of bad test mines.
2035 – The Gold Rush ends. From here on out all mines are owned and all mining is organized by the big three mining corporations:
Verbane Mining Interest LLC, Querchard Entreprises, and Oestral Corp.
2038 – The Oestral disaster strikes. A minor earthquake devastates their mines and kills the board of directors who were visiting the site. The company files for bankruptcy and it’s holdings are bought out by Querchard and Verbane.
2041-42 – Time of Troubles – The Elven Mage of the Eilservs family causes problems from within. Takes over the city, begins a mass slaughter in the center of the city.
2042 - Istivin devastated by the Troll Nomad Invasion. The city manages, with help from Denver to throw off the invaders.
2042-2050 – Istivin rebuilds. Verbane and Querchard expand operations throughout the entire region. Most buildings in the outer city date from this era.
2060 – Modern Day
Major Players:
D&D Shadowrun
Drow House of Eislervs Eilservs Mining Corporation – Elven o
Marquis Querchard - City Rulers Querchard Enterprises –
Giants Ilkaris - Troll Nomads
Demon Malgoth Demon Malgoth
Sage Algorthas Decker Algorthas, working for some corp
Verbane – Mage Verbane Mining Interest, LLC
Major Locations:
D&D Shadowrun
Temple of Pelor (pg 48, #117) ?
Deeper Dungeons (Pg. 52, #117) Asylum? Corporate Warehouse?
Temple of Peolor (pg. 40, #118) ? Place of Ambush
Border Fort (Pg. 49, #118) Old US Military Installation
The Oestral Abyss (pg. 33, #119) Abandoned Oestral Mine
The City Square of Istivin The City Square of Istivin
Minor Players:
D&D Shadowrun
Ruga the blind war veteran Ruga the blind war veteran
Crylis – Male Kaorti Sorceror ?
Sufrira – Female Frost Giant
Barb 4-pg. 45 ?
Baron Teusele & Mad Amos – Prospectors perhaps?
Velikar the Hill Giant 12
Cleric, pg. 54 ?
Gleodites, Male Drow, rogue6/
Fighter6 55 ?
Minor Locations:
D&D Shadowrun
Gates of Istivin (Event 1,
Pg. 48 #117) Gates of Istivin
Tavern of Bar Fight (Event
3, pg. 49 #117) ?
Back Alley (Event 4,
pg. 50 #117) Back Alley of the City
Oh and the Reason for the mining? Morphesium. Still not sure about magical effects as I am still reading the Shadowrun magic system.
Morphesium – The Rock of Dreams
Specific Density: 12.5 g/ml Mohs Hardness: 6.5 Absolute Hardness: 86
Appearance: Morphersium is a metamorphic mineral, formed when gold-quartz is exposed to heat (in excess of 1,500 C though less than 3,000 C), Pressure (4-10 Atm), and mystic energy. Because of the extreme rarity of these processes, combined with it’s rapid deterioration when exposed to the visible light spectrum, Morphesium is one of the rarer minerals mined on earth. When seen under normal light, before deterioration, it appears to have a slight surface iridescence quartz like crystal, rutilated with strands that appear strongly iridescent.
Properties: Morphesium is a dangerous mineral to handle under normal conditions. It releases high frequency gamma ray radiation that can cause mutation in life forms when placed in close contact over a long period of time. These mutations tend to be associated with those created via awakening energies. Morphesium shatters into long rods when placed under duress. These vary from ½”-3” in width and 2”-14” in length. The number of sides varies from 3-12, depending on stress factures and purity of the sample.
Handling: Morphesium quickly deteriorates when exposed to UV radiation. When purity levels are above 37%, if the sample is exposed to direct sunlight, detonation can occur, at a rate varying from 4 m/sec (37% pure sample) to 150 m/sec (99% pure sample) . The visable range of light causes a slower, though consistent deterioration of samples. Thus pure morphesium must be mined under conditions that limit the amount of light and specifically UV radiation from exposing the ore. Extraction mining is usually done via shaft-pit mines, with miners using nightvision goggles and low frequency infrared lighting.
Due to the radiation released from Morphesium, miners, transporters, and processors must wear clothing infused with Lead-Gazardiel. Long term exposure, found in miners especially, where ventilation is limited, creates mutations found within the lungs and respiratory track as well as skin abnormalities, ie. troll like skin or other growths.
Processing: Morphesium can be processed into a variety of chemicals and forms. The most common processed form, Istivin 4M, known on the street as Krystal-M or White Dream, binds crushed Morphesium with Zinc Oxide to create a fine crystalline powder that has a wide variety of uses for adepts in circles and spells. Istivin 4M causes a increase in both potency, duration, and radius of effect.
A less common form, Istivin 12NG, more commonly known as Vulcan’s Blood or Suicide, binds finely powdered Morphesium with a mixture of oxybenzone and glyceryl trinitrate. This explosive and highly unstable mixture is used in techno-adept arms and ammunitions. The rarity of this substance is in no small part due to its ease of detonation at room temperature.
A final form that is just beginning to see testing is Instivin 249F, more commonly known as Eye-Steel, binds molten Morphesium with wrought iron. The result is a blackened, dull steel with iridescent flecks. This material is as strong as Titanium steels and as hard as tool steel, yet also has resistance to adept effects. Uses in adept-tech are not known at this time.
Price: Unrefined -
Refined -
Is 4th edition Shadowrun so much cooler that I should just not consider running in 3rd even though it would mean more work for me?
Simply put... yes.
I have been playing and running Shadowrun since the early days of Second Edition and I have a deep love for every incarnation. Third Edition was a fantastic system but what they did with Fourth Edition is worth every bit of work it takes to get used to using.
As far as Istivin is concerned, sounds awesome. Istivin has a great Shadowrun feel to it and I don't imagine it would be too hard to run the stories in that world. I'd probably do the cheap thing and plop it down in the middle of a city I was already using rather than make a whole new city, but I'm lazy like that.
Some adventures are surprisingly easy to convert to Shadowrun. My best success was back in Second Edition when I converted Drums on Fire Mountain to a psuedo post apocalypse adventure.
Keep us posted on how the game goes for you.
[shameless self promotion]
Shadowrun: Urban Kaos
[/shameless self promotion]
Is 4th edition Shadowrun so much cooler that I should just not consider running in 3rd even though it would mean more work for me?Simply put... yes.
I have been playing and running Shadowrun since the early days of Second Edition and I have a deep love for every incarnation. Third Edition was a fantastic system but what they did with Fourth Edition is worth every bit of work it takes to get used to using.
As far as Istivin is concerned, sounds awesome. Istivin has a great Shadowrun feel to it and I don't imagine it would be too hard to run the stories in that world. I'd probably do the cheap thing and plop it down in the middle of a city I was already using rather than make a whole new city, but I'm lazy like that.
Some adventures are surprisingly easy to convert to Shadowrun. My best success was back in Second Edition when I converted Drums on Fire Mountain to a psuedo post apocalypse adventure.
Keep us posted on how the game goes for you.
Thanks, I will check out 4th Edition then. Read it over and knock out some characters and see how it feels. Since I do not have any cities yet, and have traveled to the Cripple Creek/Victor Colorado area, I thought it would be fun to have a ultra modern throw back to the old western mining towns, 10,000ft up in the Colorado Rockies.
We shall see how it goes.