[Raven Runner]

I might be running a pbp game.  Here's the deal...

I've been GMing various RPGs for over a decade, and while I still feel new to SR I really like the setting and the system.  I've been involved in several SR PBP games so I have a decent sense of how that works.  That said, EVERY online game I've been part of has died out pretty quick. I'd like to think it wasn't just me, but I know my schedule fluctuates a lot.  When I'm too busy with real life I just don't have time for SR games.

I'm interested in GMing a game though, I have some spare time right now, and I know full well that I might have to bail if I don't have time to keep it going.  You have been warned!

Okay...if I haven't turned you off yet then by all means keep reading

I can run either SR4 or SR5, the rules just help everyone create a story together.  The whole point is to have fun, be creative, and create a good story...if you're in it just for the number crunching this game is not for you.

I want characters that feel real, at least as real as a character in a TV show.  We're creating a story here.  They can be simple, they can be like secondary characters in a TV show that's not too popular, but they need at least some personality, some real motives, and some kind of relationship with their contacts.  Shooting bad guys and making money isn't enough of a story for my style of game.  Your characters motives will be helping to build the story.

That said...you have to have a solid character sheet and know the rules for what ever it is your character does.  If you are new to SR, then I'll try and accommodate you as best I can, and I'll expect you to make a fairly straight forward character (rules wise).

This game will be about how you play your character, not your stats.  Some characters might be more or less "powerful" then others, I have no intention of keeping this game "fair" though I do intend to keep it fun.  We'll be working together to create a story, and as the GM I'm expected to make things interesting and challenging all in the name of fun.  The players will have to trust me a little bit.  If anyone ever feels things could be more fun then I very much appreciate feedback IN A PRIVATE MESSAGE!  Thanks

Also in the interest of keeping things fun, for me and the group as a whole, my word as the GM will be final law when ever necessary.  My game, take it or leave it.  If things go smoothly then feedback and healthy debate are all good and I'll never have to use my big voice.  I only mention this because, if a player is making the game less fun (for me or other players) I will address it as I see fit.  Any one can leave at any time, no pressure to stay, no hard feelings if you go.  I very much dislike railroading and will do my best not to control the game.  If you questions or concerns about my style please just let me know.

Okay...hopefully I haven't scared everyone away now.  If you managed to get through all this and think you still might want to be a part of this game, then send me a PM or post below.  If there's sufficient interest then I will go from there, and let you know.

I do NOT need character concepts yet, but if you want to tell me any way then all character concepts should be sent to me in a PM.   Some characters will not know each other when the game starts,  and no one should have access to each others character sheet.  You will be a team, you will work together, but some of you will still have secrets...mwahaha

Cheers chummers! 
-Raven

[Ravensoracle]

I'm interested in possibly joining the game.

[Raven Runner]

@Ravensoracle: cool, I'll keep ya posted.

[Raven Runner]

I'm thinking I'll give this about a week and see who responds, and from there I'll do some more enticing recruitment to fill in as needed.

I'm quite flexible regarding the campaign, here's what I've been thinking so far though...

- Seattle
- New runners (or more experienced runners who are new to Seattle).  Making a name for yourself and proving yourself will be part of the campaign.
- Simple builds
- 60/40 Campaign driven missions vs. player motivated missions.  In other words, their will be a campaign, but the characters own motivations should be a key part of many of the missions...even if that just means the characters are calling up contacts and looking for work.
- Lower powered campaign: my first choice is for magic to be rare, hacking to be somewhat rare, and simply having a gun would be worth something.  People will freak out and call the cops at the first sign of magic, and any time a gun is drawn the open.  Unarmored security guards with handguns will be more common then while high level corp swat teams will be very very rare and you will generally run from them as fast as you can.
- Keeping a low profile will be key, a little paranoia is a good thing.
- It's all about who you know.  Contacts will generally be more important then gear, and enemies will be a common thread from one mission to the next.  I want to get some memorable villains going  
- Friends and enemies will be dynamic, and change.  Characters will encounter contacts and have to figure out if they want them as enemies or friends.
- Lastly, shit will happen.  Some characters might die, and the characters will certainly have some dark moments and be screwed by some contacts.  To me, this is a key part of SR.  There will also be some big wins, no worries!

I'll continue to post thoughts here, thanks to the folks who have shown interest!

- Raven

[Beta]

I would probably be interested, but call me a 'low priority' player.  As in, I'm in one very solid PBP game and one that is struggling but so far is still going, so I'd rather not take a spot that could go to someone with no games going on.  (I could also be on call as a back up player, if someone falls through, perhaps?)

Before joining these PBP games, I'd last played in first edition (but am running a one player SR5 game for my teenager--he saw some of my old SR books and thought the setting looked cool, so we dropped the other game we'd been running and moved to SR).  One thing I've missed from SR1 was how thin resources were for starting characters.  I remember playing a shaman with 10 force points of spells (not ten spells, you had to buy the fixed force of your spells, so he had all of three spells, two of them very weak).  Nobody had super high initiative or dice pools that made gangers or guards into trivial opposition.  You had to really think your way through every encounter -- or at least that is how I remember it, 25 years later :p

In short, colour me intrigued by your approach.

[Raven Runner]

@Beta: Awesome, yeah, I will keep you in mind and in the loop.  Feel free to post here and add your voice as much as you like, whether you end up playing in the game or not.  Secondary characters are easy too, so that's always an option.

Hmmm, would be fun to track down some old SR 1 books some time, just to see what it's like

I got into RPGs with DnD 3, but one of my favorite systems was d20 Call of Cthulu.  We played a sort of black ops version and if your character got to all the way to lvl 2 it felt like you had won the game.  Many didn't survive their first encounter, let alone first adventure.  It was insanely hard but also insanely fun!  A real fight to survive.

Interesting what you said about your SR 1 character.  For this game, I was actually thinking of tweaking the magic rules so that it's more expensive during char gen but also much less common and very powerful in game.  For example, you might not be able to summon such powerful spirits but the cops wont have any spirits and they will probably panic as soon as yours shows up.  Alternatively, rather then making it more expensive, it could just be much harder to control...hmm.  Curious what everyone else thinks about this.

I'm very adaptable and open to other folks preferences.  It will most likely end up being a pretty gritty game though.  Every bullet should count

[Stoneglobe]

Sounds like it could be interesting. Am a big fan of the gritty game. I would potentially be up for this.

[Raven Runner]

@ Stoneglobe: cool, as I've said to others I'll keep you in the loop and see where all this goes.

And again, if anyone has thoughts please feel free to post here or send me a PM.  I generally don't do games half way, so I want this game to be as awesome as possible!

[Raven Runner]

So I seem to be posting a lot in this thread...hopefully none of you are getting too tired of me already

I was thinking more about the setting today, and wanted to share my ideas and see what you all thought...

- Low Power: I'm looking for more of a tv/movie feel then a video game feel.  With the emphasis on character decisions rather then how has the latest gadgets and the biggest dice pools.  I'm planning on scaling the setting down to match, so the characters will still be quite capable compared to their enemies.  Not sure about exact char gen rules here, but I like gritty decision focused play.

- Magic, rare but powerful: I want magic to be rare, rare enough that any and all magic is totally epic and awesome!  I was also thinking most awakened characters would either work for corps/government or have gone underground.  Normal people/police will not know much about magic or have access to it.  High level security/corporate security would be more prepared for magical threats.

- Hacking: yes, it will be a thing.  No, it should not take over the game.  You won't succeed or fail simply because you do or don't have a hacker.  I'm thinking, for the most part, hacking will be a way to gather info and a support role on missions.  It won't be a game changer either way...again, emphasis on character choices not skills or gear.  Though of course skills and gear will determine the choices available in many situations.

- Characters should be new to Shadowrunning in Seattle, and preferably new to running in general.  Characters probably will not know each other when the game begins.

- Contacts will be a big part of the game.  I will work with each player to flesh out their contacts before the game starts, and more contacts (and enemies) will come in to play once the game starts.

- Money will be less important, because gear will be less important.  New contacts, better loyalty, gear, and favors might all be rewards for a mission, in addition to credits or even in place of credits.  Life styles should be maintainable and characters should be able to buy some ammo when they need it but characters will probably not be saving up for personal aircraft or mil-spec gear.

- I'm thinking of a gritty game kind of the way Firefly (the tv show) is gritty, or the Bourne movies.  If you get done a mission and you're still alive and maybe even have enough money to buy some more bullets for your next mission, why then you're doing fairly well.  And while you're at it you might have to kill someone with nothing but a ball point pen

- Along these lines, be ready for bad bad stuff to happen...loosing contacts, loosing resources, potentially loosing lives, and maybe even being sold out by your team mates...who knows!  Some missions will be a disaster.  I'm not trying to make it cruel, but I'm imagining the characters will be trying to keep their heads above water, so there will be some give and take.  It wont be a rocketing upward progression by any means!

Okay...thoughts?  Does this style of play sound fun?  What would make it better, or what don't you like about it?

I'd love to hear what everyone thinks!

[Ravensoracle]

I am liking the idea of the game you are wanting. I do want to point out though that street chargen rules tend to produce more magic characters than any other simply cause the money is about the only thing that is really limited. It will also limit the number of contacts a character has.

[Stoneglobe]

Works for me. I've always loved the more gritty noir style of game anyway so this doesn't seem that far removed from that.

[Raven Runner]

Awesome, I'll look over the char gen rules in more detail and see what tweaking might be best.

There has been some discusion of 5e vs 4e, at least through PMs.  I'm open to either, though it seems most folks have switched over to 5e and it has Chummer support now too (such a life saver!).  Sounds like 5e might be the way to go but I'm curious what you all think.

Also, I only have the core book and run and gun for 5e.  Are there other crucial books I should track down?

If worst comes to worst we can just deal with characters on a case by case basis.  I'm not too concerned about perfect balance between characters here because it really wont make that big a difference with the game I've got in mind.

I think magic is the bit I'm really going to need to tweak, not just for char gen but in general.  I want each individual spell or summoning to feel like a huge deal.  Not sure about physical adepts, they probably wont change too much...chances are I will just be tweaking the way spells are cast and the way spirits are summoned, and then doing the rest through fluff in-game.

Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming!

Cheers, Raven

[Ravensoracle]

I am happy with 5e, I can play in a 4e game but then I'll have to go back and look over the rules again.

[Beta]

I only have 5e rules.  (Well, also 2nd, but not 4th), so 4thwould be an issue for me.

[Raven Runner]

Cool sounds like 5e is probably the way to go then