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New GM, New players.

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Xexer

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« on: <08-20-11/2335:16> »
I'm a part of a game group that generally plays D&D type roleplaying games. Recently we decided to try a bunch of new games, and I picked Shadowrun.

I've played a handful of times, but most of the players are new to Shadowrun.

That being said, I need suggestions on what modules (missions?) to run. In the past, I've tried to make up my own to get people to play, but I don't want my lack of knowledge to interfere with enjoying the game.

Crash_00

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« Reply #1 on: <08-21-11/0011:51> »
Well Shadowrun Missions is part of a Living Campaign designed for Shadowrun 4th Anniversary.
You can read more on it at Shadowrun Missions.

If you're wanting to play an actual missions campaign, Season Two is available for free and Season Three and Four are currently being sold for around 4 bucks a piece. You could also sign up to become a Catalyst Demo Agent at Demo Site. If you run events at a gaming store (they call them Firebases) you'll be able to download missions for free after the first several events you run.

You can also run the individual missions as part of a home game, but players will not be able to use those characters at normal Missions events.

That said, there is a free food fight adventure available on the main site that should help teach you players the rules at least.

Xexer

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« Reply #2 on: <08-21-11/1247:15> »
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check those out!

StarManta

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« Reply #3 on: <08-21-11/1655:36> »
The On the Run adventure has a number of little hints and tips sections in the relevant areas of the adventure that are helpful. It's meant for beginners.

Xexer

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« Reply #4 on: <08-21-11/2348:09> »
That is exactly what I was looking for. Awesome!

Bull

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« Reply #5 on: <08-21-11/2356:43> »
I would actually strongly suggest getting the Runner's Toolkit.  It's designed especially for new players and new GMs. 

It comes with:

    * A deluxe, four-panel gamemaster’s screen that puts critical information directly in front of you;
    * On the Run, one of Shadowrun‘s most popular introductory adventures;
    * Contacts, Adventures and Sprawl Sites, a booklet that gives you the who, the what, and the where to launch runners on new missions;
    * 4 laminated maps of Sprawl Site locations;
    * The Pre-generated Auxiliary Character and Kit System, a modular system that makes character and NPC generation simple while keeping characters highly customizable;
    * Anatomy of a Shadowrun, a two-column book; one column tells the story of a high-stakes run, while the other details the tests and rules that players involved in the run would encounter, giving gamesters insight into how a Shadowrun game flows;
    * Six quick-reference sheets that, with the gamemaster’s screen, greatly reduces the time spent flipping through books to find a particular rule;
    * A Shadowrun logo sticker;
    * A poster of the Sixth World Seattle skyline, and
    * A book compiling tables from Arsenal, Street Magic, Augmentation and Unwired—it’s the ultimate shopping list for runners!

We used this during our introductory demo games at Gen Con to great effect.  I'd seriously consider checking it out.

Bull

Onion Man

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« Reply #6 on: <08-22-11/1529:49> »
Crash, or Bull I guess, do you know if the pdf pack includes CMP modules too, or is it just SRM modules?

I've been dragging my feet on the essay portion, mostly because my current ID doesn't include my current address and I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to go buy a new one.  I'm figuring the photocopy of an ID (redacted) with a photocopy of some of the correspondence I have with SSA and DoHHS (also redacted) should satisfy their picture and current address requirements, but still, dragging my feet....

Also, toying around the idea of writing the essay as a piece of fiction.  Something about how I live in an Ares town... you might not know it if you just drive through, but when you live in the shadows.....
Description/Narrative
{Thoughts}
"Conversation"
"Voice over commlink"
Code: [Select]
Text over commlinkOrson "Pig" Fletcher

baronspam

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« Reply #7 on: <08-22-11/2300:19> »
I second the notion that Runner's Tool Kit is seven kinds of awesome with a side of cole slaw.  My favorite part is Anatomy of a Shadowrun, as Bull said its set up in two collums, on the left is a shadow run told in story form (and its a pretty good story) and on the right is a breakdown of how to model everything with game mechanics.

The only "complaint" I have, and its a faint one, is that the characters used are some NPCs known as the Smoker's Club, a shadowrunning team known for wetwork.  They are fairly experienced.  I would have liked to see some well built 400 point (maybe even mission legal) characters used instead(and fully stated out).  Some of the dice pools chucked around in the example are a bit larger than what one might find on a typical starting character.

But overall its a great product.  Really helpful if you have a technomancer in the party, as one of the example characters is a technomancer and you get a high level of detail on how their funky rules work.

The free season of missions is set in Denver.  There are something like 20 or more of them I think, and the "missions" adventures are generally designed to be played in a single session of 3-4 hours.  If you wanted more details on Denver the recent book "Spy Games" have a detailed write up.


Crash_00

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« Reply #8 on: <08-22-11/2351:41> »
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Crash, or Bull I guess, do you know if the pdf pack includes CMP modules too, or is it just SRM modules?
I haven't gotten any events finished yet (just got around to getting into the program myself), but all I've seen so far in the PDF rewards that wasn't a standard mission is the Appetite for Vengeance (which is meant to help get players donating food to local food banks I believe).
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I've been dragging my feet on the essay portion, mostly because my current ID doesn't include my current address and I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to go buy a new one.
My doesn't have my current address either, but they accepted it. I just filled out the app with my current address. I moved states eight months ago and should be moving again within eight months, I didn't feel like buying a new one just to turn around and do it again (especially since I keep moving around in this state to top it off).

They aren't looking for anything absolutely spectacular in the essay from my understanding. It's really more of a "Hi, my names Onion, I'm a man that plays SR...etc." kind of deal.

lurkeroutthere

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« Reply #9 on: <08-23-11/2005:01> »
Other things will show up once you've got 4 events under your belt.
"And if the options are "talk to him like a grown up" versus "LOLOLOL murder him in his face until he doesn't come back," I know which suggestion I'm making." - Critias

No team I'm on has ever had a problem with group think.

Crash_00

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« Reply #10 on: <08-24-11/0155:05> »
Good to know, I just reported my first event and had things disappear so I was kind of worried.