Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ashley002 on <01-05-11/1807:42>
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heyo all, im new to tabletop rpgs, never played one before and i wanna start playing shadowrun but ive absolutely no idea on how to play and everything is so confusing :( please help :(
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Best things you can do is to look for an active group. Find it, get in and learn. Simply play. It's easiest way and I presume that most roleplayers started in that way. Goodluck!
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ive been involved with sr for a few years both playing and gming any specific questions feel free to private message :) XxswitchxX
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Welcome Ashley!
If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask away. As for where to start, here's some quickstart rules (http://www.shadowrun4.com/quickstart/) to get you and your friends started.
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Do you know of anyone who would be interested in playing? Gaming stores are a good place to look if there are any near by.
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Do you know of anyone who would be interested in playing? Gaming stores are a good place to look if there are any near by.
well i have a fair few friends so i could ask them if they want to play but i know of no local hadowrun players, i guess id just have to teach my friends the rules (once i learn them of course :))
oh and btw thanks for the quickstart guide, its told me everything i need to know :)
also what things do i need to play? books, how many dice etc, thanks :)
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All you technically need is the core Shadowrun 4th Edition rule book. After that you can get the books that expand on these rules. Those are Augmentation (for implants, medical rules, nanotech, and genetech), Street Magic (it's all in the name, this expands on magical stuff), Unwired (For all matrix/technomancer needs), and Arsenal (rules on modifying weapons, vehicles, and drones. More weapons, vehicles/drones, and gear.) Runners Companion offers a bunch of new options when it comes to life style rules, playable races, and qualities but some of the stuff should be kept from the players until they have a better gasp of the rules.
My advice is run a test campaign where you all learn the system and how you like to play it. If the players want to use stuff they couldn't before from RC then do a "retcon" of sorts where they can remake the characters a little to give them access to that stuff and play like it was always like that. Making completely new characters can be a pain after all.
Everyone should probably have at least 12 dice with them. That's not hard to find. All you need besides that are character sheets, something to keep track of information during the game, a place to play, and some willing players.
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And I would adviice to Start with a very easy adventure
Food Fight would be my recommendation
HougH!
Medicineman
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I'd go a step farther. Use the Quick Start with premade characters the first time. Gives you a rough overview and you know what to expect. Use Food Fight the first time you're comfortable letting people make their own characters.
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thanks guys :) so i only need the rulebook and food fight (and a heck load of dice xD)? anyone know a good english site where i can get the books for cheap? they are quite expensive on amazon (£20) each and im kind of on a budget so any suggestions would be good :)
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And I would adviice to Start with a very easy adventure
Food Fight would be my recommendation
HougH!
Medicineman
What Meds said. For a good idea how the adventure might play out I posted a short story of how our Food Fight went!
I truly think it will give you things you'll remember for years to come!
???Fizzy Meat ??? Thats all I have to say about that!
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About 12 six-sided dice. I'd recommend just picking up the Core Rulebook and hold off on the others until you get more into the game. If you want to get the books for cheaper, they are available in PDF form on BattleCorps (http://www.battlecorps.com/) and DriveThruRPG (http://www.DriveThruRPG.com/).
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Have a look to see if there's a FLGS* in your area, and go into there; it might not be any cheaper, but you'll probably meet some people there who might be interested in playing Shadowrun with you and could be really helpful.
*: friendly local gaming store
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ebay and half priced books.com could be good online sources for used material.
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I'd recommend getting the Anniversary Edition of the Core Rulebook.
That's this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-20th-Anniversary-Catalyst-Game/dp/1934857319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294326667&sr=8-1
Although you can use the older version, the Anniversary Edition is one of the best Shadowrun products ever produced.
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Ashley, welcome to Shadowrun.
There are various ways to find fellow players (in addition to your friends). Social networking sites might have a Shadowrun group that you could use to find local players. In my area, a lot of people use Meetup. But LiveJournal or Facebook or MySpace might have a group too.
I know Twitter has a couple of Shadowrun hashtag group lists which someone in your area might be watching. (I watch the #Shadowrun tag myself). And, as previously suggested, your local comic book / gaming store might have a board on which you can post requests or other people post requests.
Don't forget conventions. There are a lot of comic / gaming / sci-fi / fantasy cons that have gaming rooms in them. You might be able to connect to local gamers that way.
As far as sticking your toe in the water, I agree that Food Fight and the Quick Start Rules (I think FastJack linked to it) are probably the best way to start. It gives you a feel for Shadowrun Combat (probably the most difficult part of role-playing) without having to go whole-hog on the sourcebooks. Used bookstores, EBay, and Alibris are probably the best bet for finding second-hand sourcebooks if you want to go buy a few, though.
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thanks for the help guys :D ive decided to get shadowrun 20th edition from drivethru rpg as it doesnt require postage and is pretty cheap, but where can i get a PDF form of food fight? i havent found it on amazon, ebay or drivethru rpg, thanks :)
also sadly i can't go to conventions and there are no gaming stores nearby so i guess the only i can play is with my friends
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I advise also listening to these guys
http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/page/49
I started you on the page with the first episode but essentially it's a podcast that talks about table top games. I think it may offer you some help.
As for GMing help make sure each player knows the rules of his role but as GM you need to know all of them. Sticky notes and flash cards are your friends as you can divide the different area's you've posted the rules by what they pertain to. A matrix section, a magic section, a combat section, etc. Eventually you won't have to look at the cards and things will run much smoother.
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Food Fight is part of the GM's Quick Start rules at the link I put up before.
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Food Fight is part of the GM's Quick Start rules at the link I put up before.
thanks :)