Shadowrun Missions Living Campaign > Living Campaign GM chat
Looking for ideas: How to keep Lightning Ball from "winning" SRM?
Stainless Steel Devil Rat:
Mystic Adepts. It's absolutely stupid what's possible when you combine Spellcasting, Summoning (Spirits of Man to sustain your buffs), and Adept powers all in the same character.
DringDring:
Unless I'm mistaken. Aspected magician can only do "one" things... And can't be MA.
They can be summoner, but they lose the possibilité to spellcast (and a runner who only summon spirit for him...)
They can be spellslinger but they can only use the spellcasting skill
So either your whole tea has been created as a unit to be "as broken as possible while cleaning all possible mistake". Or they cheating.
Stainless Steel Devil Rat:
No, you're right. I meant Mystic Adepts. Post is corrected.
Although for what it's worth, the problem has somewhat diminished in SRM's new setting: Neo-Tokyo. Whereas there largely never were consequences for blowing up a whole city block in Chicago's CZ, the NTMP will ruin your day in Neo-Tokyo.
But that "come on, be reasonable" effect on the players has largely only impacted high force spellcasting... the underlining/contributing factors are as irresistible to the players as ever. Force 9 spirits are still the rule (for beginning level PCs, no less) and init scores over 40 are still expected.
Tarislar:
A couple things.
1. The Dodge Test for AE is a misprint from SR4E where the rules were different.
So they don't get a Dodge Test period & I can't see changing that for SRM which isn't designed for House Rules.
2. The Run Away / Jump on a Grenade test from R&G seems completely applicable however.
3. Its the GM's job to tailor opposition based on the Runners. My GM has removed or added targets as needed based on how many players showed up to SRM game.
So I think you should do the same.
4. #2 above is for the chosen targets but nothing says about them not being in range to start with.
Change up the opposition a bit. Instead of 7 guards coming through X-doorway bunched up, have it be only 3-4 & the other 3-4 enter from variant entrances.
Also upgrade their weaponry a bit. Add EX to their ammo. Add a pair of Assault Rifles to the Squad of Pistol Armed guards. Have 1 guard sniping from the rafters or a window.
Increase RC from 1 to 3 for bigger bursts from the guards. Swap out Pistols for SMGs or SMGs for ARs & use that burst fire.
If the group is Magic Intensive then start adding in a Lt. with the group who is Counter Spelling & has a Spirit with him.
5. In regards to Quickened F12 Spells. When they walk through a Mana Barrier / Ward, start having larger repercussions. Increase the Ward level to give it a bigger dispel chance. Have the attending Mage send a F4 Bound spirit to immediately check out the intrusion & if it runs into trouble then send your own F8 Summoned spirit to back it up & call down HRT squads with better armor & gear.
6. F12 Spells have the power to blow out walls. When that happens power goes out. Civilians start screaming in a panic. Sprinklers turn on. Etc etc.
MUCH larger response teams start coming. Fire/Police get called.
Drones show up, first 1 to recon but the minute the destruction is spotted have BumbleBees with MMGs arrive to lay down suppression fire.
7. As someone else stated, the effects of #6 above can & should start to affect Public Awareness & Notoriety.
Suddenly sneaking around starts to be harder.
Suddenly the some cop recognizes one of their faces on the way in & calls it in. So as they just start their B&E job multiple HRT teams are arriving behind them.
We had a Druid who cast Ball Lightning in a populated area & killed some Civilians. Got Notoriety/PA point for that 1 single cast & was spotted several times when we were hiding out & made it harder on the rest of us.
8. With all those F12 spells. Are they taking the time to wipe the astral afterwards? Tracking them should start being easier if not & at the least explosions should make spotting them on any nearby cameras easier as well. Maybe the Law starts doing a Computer skill check to search traffic/atm cameras & see where they are going because its not a just a quick In & Out B&E any more when they lay waste to half a building & KILL a bunch of licensed security guards. Corps & Cops start to take that shit personally after a while.
9. Above all, remember the GEEK THE MAGE FIRST rule.
My GM was notorious for putting more targets on the mage if said mage had high initiative & showed spells/spirits first.
I got good at using my SMG for early fire till all targets had shown up & then casting Stun Ball or Lighting Bolt once I'd assessed where they were best needed.
I've played multiple Mystic Adepts, my elf had 21 Drain dice (5+8+4+4) pretty early after 4-5 runs and I've tossed some full strength spells but usually limited them to Bolts when civilians were around or Blast that doesn't KILL everyone or blow out the walls.
Also the GM always has the power to start tossing stuff back themselves.
The first time the Party has to dodge their own F12 Fireball from a Combat Mage backing up the Swat Team, the hint should be given that some alternative options to tossing SPELL GRENADES as soon as the doors open should be used.
Stainless Steel Devil Rat:
The FAQ suggestion of an opposed roll between EDG and FORCE, where NTMP shows up to investigate on a failure, has tamped down a bit on using high force spirits and Attribute buff spells.
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