Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: Kylen on <08-11-11/0102:59>
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Recently, I was reliving my love of the anime Black Lagoon, which, in case you don't know, features a team of four people who are 'delivery boys who sometimes have to skirt the law to put bread on the table' in the worst hive of scum and villainy on the earth: The city of Roanapur, somewhere in South East Asia, near Korea. Most of the arcs involve the group getting some item (some info, a person, an actual object) or a job to get said thing, and shenanigans follow in the form of running gunfights, explosions, and other Shadowrun-esque stuff. The city is ruled by three major criminal groups: The Italian Mob, Hotel Moscow (a form of the Russian mafia), and the Triad. As you can bet, this town is generally crazy.
The problem I'm having is what to do for runs, because some of the out of town stuff requires at least a boat. Should I make the city (it's quite large in the anime, maybe in the almost century since then it's grown to sprawl levels) similar to Denver, where an intercity run is craziness on it's own? Any suggestions for runs? Should I start them as the current incarnation of the Lagoon Company (that being the four main characters)?
Suggestions and criticism will be accepted.
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Hey there,
I feel I should first point out that I am not at all familiar with the anime from which you draw the ideas for your intended Shadowrun campaign. Regardless, there are a few things that I would like to point out:
Firstly, no matter the setting or how cool something is, you should probably initially ask yourself what kind of stuff goes on there so to better pinpoint where from you will draw inspiration to design your adventures.
You mention the Mafia, Triads and a version of the Vory. That, to me, means you have the potential to cover most of the bases from which typical Shadowrun campaigns draw from. Whereas Seattle and Denver-based campaigns often draw the source of Runs from Megacorporations, you can easily swap their role in the scheme of things for that of the three criminal syndicates which are inherent to your chosen source of inspiration.
As for the Runs themselves, well, they can pretty much be anything:
Courier jobs wherein the characters are required to deliver a package (or data, or a person) from one place to another. The place itself can be anything, really: warehouse, camp, house, apartment -- what-have-you. What's more important is the motive behind it: who, in your setting, would want goods moved from place to place and, more importantly, why?
Escort (no, not that kind) duty wherein the characters are hired to serve as a personal security detail for some character or another, possibly in transit from one place to another, or something more localized to a particular venue. Again, so long as you can answer the what, where, why and how of it, it should be no different than if a likewise Run in one of SR's main "hubs".
Infiltration and spy games wherein the characters are hired to operate undercover by one syndicate into the fold of another. It need not be something necessarily done on a very grand scale (especially considering many criminal syndicates operate in several small quasi-independent "cells").
Training wherein the characters are hired to train a certain someone on behalf of their employer (again, drawing from the criminal-element-heavy elements of your intended campaign setting), or, conversely, they themselves must undergo some form of training. The location of your setting can no doubt make for very interesting opportunities for jungle survival, scuba expeditions, exploration, and possibly guerrilla warfare.
Alternatives are nearly limitless in regards to the population at large inhabiting your city: how does the criminal element affect their daily lives? Do they/would they need/want protection? Enough to hire the Runners? Do they also have particular needs that warrant hiring Runners to deal with the syndicates? How about law enforcement? Etc.
Regarding your worry about waterway travel -- there needn't be any. Just make sure to inform your players that, in your setting, the most usual means of transportation is by waterfront and the like. If none of your players pick up a relevant skill in that regard, simply add a boating NPC to the cast of characters who will lessen that difficulty. Of course, you could feasibly run a perfectly fine game in which the characters continuously need to find ways to secure marine transportation so to accomplish their goals.
Allow yourself to be inspired by your chosen setting and take the time to go through the logistics of how the city is run, if for no reason other than to give yourself enough material with which to work. I would recommend you do some quick Wikipedia-ing in regards to the general area wherein your campaign will take place, read up on how the Vory, Triad and Mafia operate. The more information you allow yourself to have access to, the more likely you will be able to come up with solid material to keep a healthy game running.
Good luck and have fun!
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Thanks for the insight. I'll be honest this will be my first self-made series of adventures and such. I'll definately look into the actual workings (Thanks to Vice I actually have how the Shadowrun counterparts work) and work some stuff out.
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Nothing wrong with using basic Seattle for boat-adventures. It has a harbour, island and even tributary rivers.
Also, there's nothing wrong with just inserting neighbourhoods that suit the feel of what you're trying to accomplish...images like these might be useful...
http://coolvibe.com/2010/future-back-alley/
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKfkqssTanU/Tced3ugGPAI/AAAAAAAAEw8/M4GzuuvS4c8/s1600/Bladerunner+Street.jpg
http://mcf.epilogue.net/cgi/database/art/view.pl?id=113647&genre=1
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=154755
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I'm very glad that I'm not the first person who thought this would be a wicked idea. I'd very much be interested in finding a city map for Roanapur to use in our campaign. we've got a team that's gonna set up operations there sometime in the near future. there's a LOT of opportunities to be had there.
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Danka. I'm still working on it. As soon as I get a tablet, I can start drawing up maps and junk.
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This page has some info: http://roanapura.city.free.fr/roanapur-gta-vice-city.html (http://roanapura.city.free.fr/roanapur-gta-vice-city.html)
Also a google image search showed some cityscapes.
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I love the thought of this, I'd been thinking of doing something similar for a while, but I don't have a tablet or that much time, so I've been putting it off.
Hearing that someone is doing it fills me with glee.
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This page has some info: http://roanapura.city.free.fr/roanapur-gta-vice-city.html (http://roanapura.city.free.fr/roanapur-gta-vice-city.html)
Also a google image search showed some cityscapes.
Oh. My. Gods.
I've needed this sort of page forever! It's so bloody hard coming up with a slotting list of various important locations. You just made my job like, ten times easier.
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Dude, I've been thinking of this for such a long time. They go together almost perfectly!. You've got the street sam (Revy), the Hacker (Benny), The Face (Rock) and the generalist (Dutch). The nazi storyline also translates rather well into the game, though it would probably be aided if your group was primarily composed of non-humans, and the group was pro-humanists instead of nazis.
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See, I'd cast them as Revy the lightly auged GunAdept (human or elf), Benny the (hacker/techno here, human), Rock the human newbie pornomancer, and Dutch the heavy auged street sam.
Also....Roberta's Blood Trail is a 6 episode OVA now :D
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I'm glad I could help. Good luck on your project.
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I wanted to help you with this, but then I read that you wrote "anime".
Although reading Black Lagoon reminded me of Shadowrun again. Good luck.
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I wanted to help you with this, but then I read that you wrote "anime".
Although reading Black Lagoon reminded me of Shadowrun again. Good luck.
Hey now. The anime is VERY loyal and connected to the manga. The only real issue is during Gangster Paradise in Japan in the dub. Minor script stuff, but nothing horrendous.
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I wanted to help you with this, but then I read that you wrote "anime".
Although reading Black Lagoon reminded me of Shadowrun again. Good luck.
Hey now. The anime is VERY loyal and connected to the manga. The only real issue is during Gangster Paradise in Japan in the dub. Minor script stuff, but nothing horrendous.
While I do agree with the Black Lagoon anime following the manga, it does not change the fact that manga is, in almost every single case, superior to the anime.
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See, I'd cast them as Revy the lightly auged GunAdept (human or elf), Benny the (hacker/techno here, human), Rock the human newbie pornomancer, and Dutch the heavy auged street sam.
Also....Roberta's Blood Trail is a 6 episode OVA now :D
Does Revy really strike you as an adept? I mean, honestly, she isn't the kind of person to go for magic or other such stuff, she would go for the chrome. And I can definitely see Dutch auged out, but he isn't really the team fighter. He can talk, he can shoot and most importantly he can lead and plan. I don't think Dutch would be a full out street sam, but he would definitely have elements of that in his build. As for Rock, I doubt he would be an adept (pornomancer is social adept right? I hope I didn't mix up the term). He lived a very boring non eventful life before he joined the crew. This means he most likely didn't have any actual magical talent. However, augmentations are commonplace, so for an average businessman to have maybe some eye augs would be normal. I really don't see much magic use in the team, they seem more the type of people to be aug users. But that is just my opinon.
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Guys, guys. Dutch is the driver/wheelman/smuggler.
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I thought Benny drove the car? I know Dutch operates the PT Boat, but Benny's always driving the car.
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Lee: I disagree and think both are on equal footing, mostly because action stuff is ALWAYS better in motion, but respect your stance.
Now, I really couldn't see Revy as augmented simply because she is hardcore about relying on her own skills. Again, lightly auged, likely phys adept. Rock could go either way honestly, amd I suggested Dutch to be highly augged due to his supposed time in the military.
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Revy is definately a gun adept, with something that boosts her mobility. Dutch is a street sam/merc type.
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Ya, I see what you mean about Revy being an adept now. I just didn't figure her to be the mystic type, but then again, mysticism is commonplace in the sixth world, and her belief in herself and her skills is very much fitting with the warriors path. I think I am going to try and catch up on Black Lagoon, I haven't read it for a long time, nor seen the show.
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Yeah, the manga-ka seems to be on a long hiatus...there hasn't been a chapter in around a year or so, so take your time.
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i agree with rock being a social adept, but he would have to also boost whatever covers for alcohol consumption, a japanese business man has to be able to read his mark and have their mind move where he needs it to and alcohol helps in the matter. plus it socially accepted habit in japan for a office man to have. also i agree on revy being a gun adept and dutch a merc.
remember though that dutch apparently served in vietnam when he was way young, but i don't know the shadowrun equivalent of fucking hell hole that no one gave a shit about till communism came.
also you forgot the cartels, though i don't know if they still hold a presence.
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Oh, in my version (Thus far) The Triad(s) and Hotel Moscow are still two of the Big Three, with the Italians, the Yaks, and the American Mob all vying nicely (as in "As quietly and not "Piss off the Big Two this time you idiots" as possible" nicely) for 3rd. Not sure who I'll put up there.
The Church of Violence will be a major player world wide, but they still have their chapel on the hill. Hell, I'm trying to decide if "Lagoon Company" is just a title given to the current group of people who are competent enough to not get killed. Or maybe Rock has survived all these years and is running it from behind the scenes (Leonization FTW, and you know he would.)
Still trying to figure out why china/Japan/Insert Corp Here hasn't Thor shot the damn city yet though. Maybe same reason they haven't for that one area of Hong Kong...or most of Southern Africa.
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Better to have all the troublemakers in an out of the way place than in the good parts of town. Plus it's a good place to get deniable assets.
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So would that mean (New) Roanapur would be the (Insert megastore here) of Shadowrunners and Other Ne'er-Do-Wells?
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Aye, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. It's like a better well off barrens in my mind, basically no law enforcement, lots of random violence and overt action, but with utilities.
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There's Law Enforcement!
Just not....Knight or Star level enforcement.
(Yes I'm bringign this one back. I've been busy)
Anyways, I've fleshed it out a little more. Hotel Moscow's current leader uses the Title of Balalakiva (I think that was her name) or Captain, as respect to the first leader of the region. The Triad is still the same, though I need to decide a name for it other then just "The Triad". Flip flopping between Yakuza having finally gotten a foothold in the city and is the new Big Third, or if the Italian Mafia got it back, or maybe the American Mafia.
Lagoon Company (Likely the players) is a "hereditary' business, similar to the Get Backers. Sometimes passed down, but usually more to a "There always is x group, and there always will be." Certain members of the original may or may not be alive. I haven't decided yet.
The Church of Violence still is there, and is now likely run by Mother Eda, after her predecessor's passing. She died in a gunfight, of course.
Not sure who else I'll transplant in as "elders"/still in business, but that's what I've gotten to so far in the "Gist" category. A lot of other details really depend on the group playing, the campaign, and what you actually need.
Also: If someone can come up with awesome Shadowrun based Black Lagoon pics, I'll love you forever.
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You find a large bunch of good cyberpunk cityscape pictures in this thread: http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=5104.0 (http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=5104.0) and the "original" Roanapur at http://www.animevice.com/roanapur/23-31/all-images/84-56996/roanapurbudda/83-454204/ (http://www.animevice.com/roanapur/23-31/all-images/84-56996/roanapurbudda/83-454204/).
In Shadowrun i´d keep Roanapur small. It has a special flair because it is not a Megacity and nearly all the players know each other personally. Here are some impressions that may fit a Shadowrun Roanapur:
(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs46/f/2009/176/c/3/A_near_future_by_merl1ncz.jpg)
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/111/0/1/night_city_by_josh_finney-d3eki31.jpg)
(http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/124/9/f/city_noir_28_by_kennethy512-d3fkqpr.jpg)
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/233/e/6/black_market_by_kaesestrahler-d47bi23.png)
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/325/5/d/red_light_district_by_thorcx-d33b6lp.jpg)
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/170/1/6/red_light_district___3d_by_thorcx-d3jdqft.jpg)
(http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/123/9/b/painted_alley_20100907_by_inkless_illustration-d2y8uz4.jpg)
Oh and Dutch... He´s a Street Sam, but a 1st ED one for sure
(http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss297/Nezu_chan/Darkskin%20characters/BlackLagoon-Dutch.png)
(http://cdn.okcimg.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/0x0/0x0/0/2263885496091180918.jpeg___1_500_1_500_cb94de6a_.png)
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*insert fanelf squee here*
I've been hooked up on BL lately, and was considering a campaign based off of it just last week (well, everything that our GM didn't rip off already - he did a run based on "Greenback Jane"). We even figured out metatypes/professions for the characters.
Good luck in worldbuilding, Kylen!
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I'm currently writing up Roanapur as a setting based on the island of Tarutao in Thailand, a pirate haven and free city off the coast of the Islamic Republic of Pattiti. SR backstory and conflict in south asia allows easy replacement of vietnam vet's etc easily. backstory also gives huge scope for gaming in the area, Shadows of Asia, Cyberpirates and Smugglers Havens are invaluable for the setting and feel of the area. 8)
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>Disappear for a few months
>Show up to check in and start being active again
>One of his threads is high up on the first page
>iloveyouguys.jpg