[jdrakeh]

So, I'm something of a curator of OOP RPG systems and I recently acquired a copy of the Shadowrun 1e core rules. I plan on running it warts and all from my Electronic Role Playing Simulation Station (I can't leave the house). These rules were my introduction Shadowrun, but that was a looooooong time ago (early 90s). My memory is a little fuzzy. Are there any terribly broken problems? I should note that I could give two figs about artificial "balance" in RPGs with Stormbringer being one of my all-time favourite RPGs (a RPG where you could conceivably have living agents of primordial forces and literal beggars in the same party). So casters being more powerful than martial classes and such is of zero concern to me.

[Redwulfe]

The one that comes to my mind right off the bat is that the target number to resist a spell was based on the Skill of the caster. So when specialized your caster casting any type of ball spell forces the targets to resist at Diff 8. That is a starting character. It was not hard to push a spells damage up and with the difficulty 8 even easy to resist spells could knock out an entire room of guard in one go with little reproductions on the attacking mage. and if that mage has improved reflexes or the like spell locked to them they are as fast as the SAM.

Combat mages made short work of many runs.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

The automatic/ burst fire rules were insane:you'd resolve EACH bullet as a separate attack.  Highly recommend house ruling something similar to a subsequent edition.

[Redwulfe]

Also wanted to Say kudos, this is one of my favorite editions. Deadly AF which I love.

[jdrakeh]

The automatic/ burst fire rules were insane:you'd resolve EACH bullet as a separate attack.  Highly recommend house ruling something similar to a subsequent edition.

Thanks. I'll be sure to check that out.

[jdrakeh]

Also wanted to Say kudos, this is one of my favorite editions. Deadly AF which I love.

I played more 2e than any other edition, but as I've grown older I've come to appreciate the roots of many popular game systems, Shadowrun included. There's just something incredibly satisfying about playing the original edition of games that I love. Out of the box. Just like my ancestors did. 😉

[Redwulfe]

Plus all the old school modules. I tried running them in 5th edition for my group to get them up to snuff on the fluff but it just wasn't the same as when we used the original edition rules.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Spell grounding.  It kind of solved that spell lock problem mentioned above. It also caused a issue when players got creative and summoned 1 force spirits into a X room filled with enemies and ground a spell through them. I think the metamgaic in 5e that caused backlash to the focus holder is was what grounding should have been more like just without needing a metamagic. Zap the focus and the owner from the astral is good, detonating the room is a potential problem.

[jdrakeh]

Thanks for the responses, all. I think my book(s) should be arriving tomorrow (I also got DNA/DOA).

[cantrip]

Adept automatic successes --- "I throw a knife over my shoulder at a target, blindfolded, standing on a galloping horse in the rain while reading the Art of War and sipping my favorite brandy" --- oh, that's three hits to start with....

[jdrakeh]

Adept automatic successes --- "I throw a knife over my shoulder at a target, blindfolded, standing on a galloping horse in the rain while reading the Art of War and sipping my favorite brandy" --- oh, that's three hits to start with....

I'm not sure that's an issue if only playing out of the core book (I don't think adepts are an archetype in the core book, but can't check right now).

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Adept automatic successes --- "I throw a knife over my shoulder at a target, blindfolded, standing on a galloping horse in the rain while reading the Art of War and sipping my favorite brandy" --- oh, that's three hits to start with....

I'm not sure that's an issue if only playing out of the core book (I don't think adepts are an archetype in the core book, but can't check right now).

Yeah Adepts were not in the 1e CRB

[RuleLawyer]

Street Samurai can finish a battle, taking several actions, before some runners get their first action. I could go out for dinner at the start of a Combat Turn, come back 90 minutes later as the last enemy drops and say “At count 6 my magician dives under the table.”

Pistols get just one shot on your initiative count, until you buy a second book (Street Samurai Catalog, maybe) and upgrade to a Reactive Trigger and can shoot twice on your turn.

[Reaver]

The initative system in 1e very much favors boosted initatives... so much so that a full kitted out initative build will go 4 to 6 times before an unmodded person gets to go....

Which can lead to large time sinks for those not modded....

[jdrakeh]

Thank you for the replies, all! I think many of the issues raised here are only a problem if I focus too tightly on one style of play (e.g., combat). My hope is that I'm able to run some adventures that divvy up focus between combat and non-combat interests somewhat evenly.

My core book arrived earlier this week, but I had to give it the ol' dryer sheet treatment (it smelled VERY musty) and I haven't had a chance to get back to it because I'm having the foundation of my home re-anchored and raised this week (so contractors have been in and out all week long and I have to allow them access to locked/keyed areas).

Once I get the book absorbed, I'll probably start a Discord voice/text game (I already have a server set up due to quarantine issues and have been running some OSR stuff).