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[SR5] Creating an opening social test

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Oski

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« on: <11-24-13/1626:25> »
I am crafting my first Shadowrun campaign.  I want to give my players an early attempt to engage in a social test to learn some information relevant to their first run.  Since this is the beginning of the campaign, I want to make things easy.  I generally want it to give players an idea of the kind of information they can learn by searching for social tests in future missions, that sort of thing.

So in that spirit, I want them to succeed in this first test, but at the same time I don't want them to stupidly succeed.

I've written out stats for the NPC they'll be trying to get information from, and all the modifiers.  Based on the modifiers and stats, the best option will be for the players to intimidate the NPC.  They should recognize this from the circumstances, and they should recognize the option to swing modifiers in their favor by pulling out a weapon or even torturing the NPC.

Through it all, depending on how the players create their characters, they should have someone who can roll between 10 and 13 dice on an intimidation test, and the NPC will roll four dice to oppose it.  So I'm counting on 2-5 hits for the players, and 1-2 hits for the NPC.  Only with really bad luck would the rolls foreseeably tie.

So far so good.  Now, I've written 10 items of information that this NPC has which would be of use to the players.  I'd like the players to more likely than not learn all 10 items through this process, again going with the idea that this is an introductory situation.  What I'm thinking is that for every hit above the opposed roll, the players will get one item of information.  In addition, they can repeat the social test without penalty as long as the prior test was successful.  If the prior test was not successful, they can also repeat the test with a -2 modifier, which will accumulate with repeated failures but reset to 0 with a success.  This setup would make it very easy for the players to learn all 10 items of information as long as they're smart enough to use intimidate and maximize their modifiers.  They'll have a much harder time if they try any other approach.  They'll also have some room for forgiveness in the event of bad roll or other failure, though the minimal potential for missing the information will be there.

Does this generally look like a good setup for my goal?  Are there any rules about applying successes or repeat tests that I might be missing?  Thanks!

Reaver

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« Reply #1 on: <11-24-13/1811:08> »
that's pretty much in line with the way it works.


on a side note however, Some players get squeamish at the thought of torture. Make sure you players/character do not have a problem with this line of info gathering.

Also, have a back up plan for how they can get the info in the case that they don't actually take any info gathering skills (this may sound odd, but I can't count the number of times I have had groups NOT take info gathering skills... it is literally in the hundreds! Especially heavy handed info gathering skills....
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Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.

Oski

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« Reply #2 on: <11-24-13/2124:27> »
Thanks for the feedback Reaver!

Yeah, I considered both those considerations.  I'm not worried about the social skills.  This is a pretty smart group of players, and I've given them notice that a balanced party with breadth across as many types of skills as possible will be important for my campaign.  I can count on them to include at least one social character in the group.  And if they insist on proving my estimation of their intelligence as wrong, then they'll lack a lot of background information going into this introductory mission I'm creating.  That won't be game-breaking.  They'll just be more likely to get hurt and less likely to maximize the loot they come away with.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how they handle the torture option.  It's a +2 modifier, so even if they don't torture the subject, they should still have at least 8 dice in an intimidation test against the subject's four.  In addition, I won't have any consequences to using torture on this subject, but in future missions that will be a factor.  Not everyone is comfortable dealing with a group that will employ torture to get what they want.  On the other hand, some folks might particularly seek out their services based on that and other moral decisions they make...

Right now though, it's just the introduction.  It's just about giving them a chance to get used to my style of GM'ing, and my opportunity to make sure I've got the mechanics of the rules down!

Reaver

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« Reply #3 on: <11-24-13/2133:49> »
yep, Absolutely nothing wrong with running an "introducing the GM" style game to a new group of players. It lets them see where you are coming from, what you expect from them, and what they can expect from you.


when I do this type of thing, I usually given them the option to re-work their characters at the end of the run for free, just to make finializations to their characters and patch up any missed holes or skills they over looked. (had one game with 6 players.... and not ONE took perception! it was an interesting shake down run to say the least :D)
Where am I going? And why am I in a hand basket ???

Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.

Oski

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« Reply #4 on: <11-25-13/1023:12> »
Thanks again Reaver!  I'll borrow that technique from you, and credit your advice if any of the players have to take advantage of it!

BetaCAV

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« Reply #5 on: <11-25-13/1725:23> »
The only thing I can think of to add to this is, "be generous with bonus dice for good roleplay in the interrogation scene".

If a mage, for example, brings a manifested spirit to the "party" (of any force level), and directs the spirit to squeeze the answers out of the subject (i.e. engulf), that should be a really hefty bonus. A Phantasm spell would be almost equally as good, if s/he has it, but spirits are a bit more common.

Likewise, a PhysAd might be able to adapt their abilities to cause more pain than actual damage. "We'll talk later. Right now I'm busy hurting you."

A Rigger might think to improvise an interrogation drone, even though there aren't stats for such a thing. Much like using a spirit, this takes (meta)humanity out of part of the equation, which ought to be good for a die or two of general dread.

A decker might be able to scrounge up a 'trode net and some nasty BTL appropriate to the task. Odds are, if the subject isn't a decker, they won't know the difference between simulated dump shock and the real thing. If they ARE a decker, they probably know that a hot-sim depiction of it is just as bad -- or worse, since it can just be looped. (Completely aside from the potenital of making them a BTL junkie in the process).

Reaver

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« Reply #6 on: <11-25-13/1810:51> »
bah, all you need is a chair, a heavy book, a hot plate, and some zip staps.


Strap victim to chair, including legs (but leave enough slack so he can lift legs at the hips, while keeping feet and lower legs parallel to the legs of the chair.

place hot plate on floor directly below bare and bound feet. Turn on

Place heavy book on knees.


just a matter of time before hips muscles fail and drop feet onto VERY hot, hot plate.

then wait for answers to come to questions.


Or a easier, cheaper solution requires:

1 Walmart propane torch (value: $10)
1 large metal pail (value $15)
1 common rat (free!!)


A: Place rat on stomach of victim.
B: place pail over rat
C: heat pail with torch
D: rat chews into stomach to get away from hot pail
E: Victim answers questions to escape rat, and rat chewy death.
« Last Edit: <11-25-13/1814:59> by Reaver »
Where am I going? And why am I in a hand basket ???

Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.