[toad]

My last Shadowrun games were back in the 1st/2nd edition days. I'm returning to GM a SR4a game for a group of gamers who have never played SR before.

So I'm looking for something to give them a good impression of the game world, and provide a memorable first run. I've read through "On the Run", but didn't find it inspiring. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good first module or mission to use?

[Seeker]

Very first run was the Stuffer Shack one.  Unsure where it was from, but it gives a very good area to introduce the characters to what is 'normal' in the world, and the obtrusiveness of corporations.  Plus, I loved the rules for spraying someone in Aztechnology Brand Super Soyghetti Sauce.

Just me, though.

[Chrona]

Very first run was the Stuffer Shack one.  Unsure where it was from, but it gives a very good area to introduce the characters to what is 'normal' in the world, and the obtrusiveness of corporations.  Plus, I loved the rules for spraying someone in Aztechnology Brand Super Soyghetti Sauce.

Just me, though.

http://www.shadowrun4.com/wp-content/uploads/Downloads/Shadowrun%20Quick-Start%20Rules.pdf

[Seeker]

That one right there, thanks.

[toad]

Definitely using Food Fight, it's a fun classic 
Planning to run that scene to end the first session, right after character creation. What I'm looking for the first Mr. Johnson -> legwork -> explosions style mission.

[Walks Through Walls]

I used Food Fight to start my new campaign out and it worked well.
You could do a followup where the characters are hired to find out who is after whats her name or by Knight Errant to investigate the rash of Stuffer Shack violence recently.
If you don't want to have to create it yourself to start missions are a possibility.

[The Cat]

Definitely using Food Fight, it's a fun classic 
Planning to run that scene to end the first session, right after character creation. What I'm looking for the first Mr. Johnson -> legwork -> explosions style mission.

Since you're returning to the game after a long absence this may not be possible, but IF you're confident enough GMing 4th edition rules this might be a way to go.

When dealing with a new group that contains a number of people who've not played SR before (or havent in just short of forever) I tend to create a "quick and dirty" mission from scratch designed to last two or three sessions and specifically containing a "spotlight moment" for everyone's character to shine in so they not only see their typical role in the group but als have a chance to bask in "solo" success absolutely vital to finishing the mission (IE something that if they weren't there, there was simply no way arouind for the others in the group).  It's the only time I will "railroad" a group, but it has to be subtle railroading so they dont' get the impression I'm just telling a story and their actions don't matter.  I "railroad: them into getting to those spotlight moments, but nothing else, the rest fo it is all their doing, I'll just shoft those plot moment to wherever they happen to be when I want it to happen.

It tends to work out quite well, especially for the new folks, and everyone gets a moment of glory in which to "really test drive" the new characters as well.

[Crash_00]

I actually recommend the Shadowrun Missions for new players (and GMs even) to SR4. I think Season 3 and 4 are the best way to go if you choose this, but Season 2 are free on the SR4 main site.

[Malex]

I too used the Food Fight module to start things off with a bang for my current campaign. The chick ended up hiring the team to sabotage Mel Cozi's life. "I don't want to have him killed, I just want to ruin him" was Mettlinger's plan. PCs ended up kidnapping the guy, breaking into the facility he was the General Manager of, and stole some prototype cyberware. Unfortunately this bit them in the ass later when they came to find that Aztechnology was backing the small corp, but these things happen.

[Walks Through Walls]

Malex,

I wish I had thought of continuing from food fight like that when I ran it for my new group, but I already had some other run ideas in mind and they have gone well with some interesting consequences along the line.
I really like it when the team does something unexpected that then leads to more adventure ideas down the road. It gives them the feel that they are shaping the world not just living in it, and makes planing the next run easier when they give you help.

[FastJack]

Definitely using Food Fight, it's a fun classic 
Planning to run that scene to end the first session, right after character creation. What I'm looking for the first Mr. Johnson -> legwork -> explosions style mission.

First mission I ran my group on after Food Fight was that they were hired to break into a cookie factory and change the recipe of the newest product. What they didn't know is that they were supposed to be a distraction for another job. Of course the other team frakked up, and they were hired to clean up the mess.

[Sichr]

For a team new to 4ed the first run Ive used was their meeting, organized by the face character, who wants to assembly the team to run with. Thez meet in the pubm, so it was a nice place to throw in some fistfights when an evening moves toward midnight, so they have a chance to experience close combat rules. They have broken some noses, so on their way home they were stalked and attacked by some gangers, whose friend got beaten in the pub..good way to show them how the surveillance and shadowing works, and introduce some firefight. They had a feeling that they know how to handle this things. Next run was magic. Not being very nice man, Ive sent them to resolve the strange hotel where guests keep disapearing. First, there were ghouls...and from this point, there was a lot of ghouls in all our games till then. Then there was a hotel...massive Shedim infestation. When paramedics evecuate them from the roof of building, burning and collapsing around opened astral gateway, they had a feeling of how magic works...those 3/5 who survived this run...next run introduces matrix...but that is another story...

[nakano]

I've used a variation of Food Fight for 90% of the campaigns I have run over the years to get things going.  Its a great situation for a combat tutorial, and fun.

I had a group of veteran players I kicked off a campaign with a couple of years ago who actually complained when I did not use it, so they started a fight in a Stuffer Shack!   

[Crash_00]

Personally, I've hated the Food Fight scenario since the first time I experienced it back in 2nd edition. Then again, I've never had a GM that I consider to be a good
GM run me through it (Not saying all GMs that use it are bad, just the ones I ran it under). I would much rather have a good old break into a low security warehouse
and steal a baseball card for a punk rich kid, get to know your character style run. I just always feel either useless (because I was a decker or face w/ low combat
abilities) or like I was making everyone else useless (because I was a rigger with a Steel Lynx and 3 Guardians in the van).

It did produce one of the funniest expressions I've ever seen on a GMs face though when I was playing my face. They busted in and screamed for everyone to get
 down in the corners and my face fires his pistol off into the air and yell's "Everyone drop your weapons, this is a robbery." Literally three minutes of complete blank
face on the GM before he could figure out how to respond to it.

[toad]

...
It did produce one of the funniest expressions I've ever seen on a GMs face though when I was playing my face. They busted in and screamed for everyone to get
 down in the corners and my face fires his pistol off into the air and yell's "Everyone drop your weapons, this is a robbery." Literally three minutes of complete blank
face on the GM before he could figure out how to respond to it.

Now we need to know, how did he respond?


Thanks everyone for the feedback.
At this point it looks like we'll do the Food Fight scene to end character creation.
Giving people a chance to feel comfortable with the rules, without being on an actual "run".

Since these players are new to the game, I think we're going to run the first part of Harlequin, for a simple B&E.
Then follow that up with "Missing Blood" (aka UB) updated to 4a with some name changes and smaller scale cult.