Shadowrun Missions Living Campaign > Living Campaign Discussion

May I Suggest Cribbing From Pathfinder Society

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Spanner:
We all know that there are a few quirks with our current Missions guidelines that we'd like to see resolved in the upcoming season. I'd like to suggest looking at the Pathfinder Society (PS) Organized Play model to provide some of these solutions. In particular, buying gear seems to be a common source of tension for players and GMs so maybe we can look to their model for solutions.

1) Gear looted from the Mission. In PS modules, you can pick up and use anything you want during the adventure, but once the adventure has ended, you don't get to keep it. However, you do have the option to buy certain things that are listed on the certificate at the prices shown. For example, you run a Mission and successfully complete it. During the Mission, you encountered a top-tier bodyguard with a fully modded Ares Alpha using APDS rounds. During the Mission, you took him out, scooped up his gun, and used it as your very own. Once the Mission is over, you don't get to automatically keep the gun, but it's shown on the certification with a price of 2,500. At that point, or any point in the future, you can purchase that gun for that price since you've successfully completed the run. This solves the loot/fencing/Monty Haul issues that some organizers are worried about while still giving players a chance to pick up some cool stuff from the run at discounted prices.

2) Purchasing specialty gear. In PS modules, certain stuff is always available for purchase (+1 stuff, 1st level potions, etc.), and other stuff is available as your faction rating increases. This could work the same way in Missions. Some things at a certain price and availability are always available. As your karma rating increases, so does the availability of all gear, but as your rating increases with certain factions, certain gear becomes available more quickly. Once available, you pay for the gear and move on. No availability tests, no waiting weeks for it to come in. You been around enough to know the folks who can get you the gear. Done.

3) Sharing gear. In PS, you can share gear during an adventure, but you can never sell or give your stuff to another player. Period. Players need to be able to show how they bought the gear (i.e., it's listed on a cert for an adventure they played in or it's available due to their experience/faction rating).

They also use a system of "tiers" for their adventures (i.e., you must be a certain level to play in a certain tier of adventure), but I realize that they have a lot more adventure submissions and players than we do. I don't think it would be feasible for SR Missions. Table rating and retirement may be here to stay for us.

Anyway, I've been impressed by their system, and their guidelines are freely available so why not give them a look. I think they're practical, and could be put to good use for SR Missions.

Tenh:
While the PFS system (modeled on the LG system) works well for that game, I would really hate to see it used in SRM.

One of the reasons I (and my group) starting playing SRM and enjoying it so much is that it really feels like you accomplish something.  Need a gun?  Take out the bad guy and you just might get one.  Need to upgrade your ammo or your armor?  Well, hopefully you'll take out the right baddie and get something good!

We actually made a conscious decision to get away from the LG (and subsequent PFS) way of doing things.  It was always such a downer to find this great item, then not be able to afford it ever again and have to give it up.  If a player has something another one needs - I hated that I had to take it back at the end of the mod.  Why couldn't I just erase it from my sheet and give it to the other person???

Personally, I hope that this kind of thing doesn't get into the SRM rules.  It works well for a level-based game, and SR is definitely not that.

Just my $.01 (not even worth the extra penny!)

Spanner:
Four samurai at your table (a very possible scenario) all want the modded Ares Alpha I just mentioned. In your version, only one gets it, in mine, everyone can. If not after this adventure, then maybe after a couple down the road. And they can have it without any of the bollocks "4 for 1, spend your lifestyle" rules nonsense. And really, I would expect the prices to be quite a bit less than book (50%) seeing as how they're used gear and all.

And in terms of any "great items" you mentioned, you just save your nuyen and buy it later. Certainly easier than trying to get it via legwork and contacts.

And I don't agree that the PFS rules are any more valid for a "level-based" game than they are for one that is not. They are rules for "organized play" which Missions most certainly is.

KarmaInferno:
I dunno who'd you have to bribe for the author rights, but having a Claudia Tyger cameo would make my day.

:)



-karma

Bull:
One of the goals of Missions is to keep the game as close to the normal "Home tabletop" as possible.  And one of my goals with Season 4 is to simplify some of the stuff that's crept into it over the previous 3 seasons.  PFS has some good ideas, and I'm always willing to steal borrow pay homage to good ideas, so you never know.  :)

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