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Pen and Paper RPG II

13

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Banjo wrote: »
    Can I ask how unforgiving this game is? Its very complicated, but is it lethal? Is my first character likely to die and maybe I should keep it simple and unemotional until I've learned the ropes?
    The majority of the time, if the team works together, they will survive a run.

    More so, I would say it's not very random. Most deaths can be traced to an overly risky decision, not thinking about your characters limits or not getting enough info about the run. I'll comment a bit on this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,631 ✭✭✭✭OldGoat


    I'm planning on doing a few runs, learning a bit about how the set up operates cautiously. No Leroy Jenkins heroics till I at least figure out how to shoot stuff up. I'm going to be more of a cudgel in the dark alley on the unsuspecting and weak victims.

    Are we starting off with no cash, no gear and no history of each other?

    I'm older than Minecraft goats.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    OldGoat wrote: »
    Are we starting off with no cash, no gear and no history of each other?
    Some gear from character generation, some cash and Rolland will introduce you to each other. The set up is that she has recently hired all of you, but you don't know each other.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Quick note, before a longer one. Attributes are on caps, like BODY.

    Shadowrun has two types of health, physical and stun. Physical is what guns, explosives and melee weapons cause.

    Stun is what kicks, punches, blunt weapons and some spells cause. Essentially bruises.

    You have separate health points for each of these, called condition monitor boxes, but I think that's a bit long winded, so I'll just say points!

    Physical Health:
    If all your physical health points are used up, you are near death. At -BODY physical health points you die. At zero or less you begin to bleed out or slowly die in some way. The rate of death will be BODY minutes. Example:

    Let's say Debby has Body = 5, her health will be 11 (I'll get to this later).

    If something does 12 damage, she has -1 physical health. Every 5 minutes (due to BODY) she will lose 1 more health point. At -5, she dies.

    Your total physical health is BODY/2 + 8

    Stun Health points:
    Once you use up all your stun health, stun damage begins to turn into physical damage (punches and kicks eventually cause serious injury) at a rate of 2 stun = 1 physical.

    Your total stun health is WILLPOWER/2 + 8


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Combat is basically:

    Skill + Attribute [Limit] vs Reaction + Intuition

    If the attacker gets more hits on the roll than the defender, then they land a shot, otherwise they miss.

    Every weapon has its own damage rating, to which you add the number of hits you beat the defender by.

    So if Debby shoots somebody with a pistol that does 4 damage it is:
    Pistols + Agility [Physical] vs Reaction + Intuition

    If she gets 3 hits and the defender gets 1 hit, then she does 4 + 2 = 6 damage.

    Cancelling Damage:
    After the attack above, the defender's physical constitution and armour can cancel some damage.

    The defender rolls: Body + Armour, where armour is the rating of their armour.

    In the example above, let's say the defender gets three hits on the roll, then Debby's attack only does 3 damage.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,631 ✭✭✭✭OldGoat


    I'm just about to create another new character. Each time I create one I learn something new as it takes me to parts of the book I've not read yet. :o I'm going to try out an augmented shooter to see how that works.

    Anyone else got any ideas for who they are going to play yet? Any suggestions from Fourier as to what character types would be a reasonable starting gang? Six tanks would be my choice. :D

    I'm older than Minecraft goats.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    I think roughly the following types on a team:
    Good with guns
    Good with long range guns
    Good with melee, cyber augmented
    Magic user of some kind, not cyber augmented
    Hacker


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    Fourier wrote: »
    I think roughly the following types on a team:
    Good with guns
    Good with long range guns
    Good with melee, cyber augmented
    Magic user of some kind, not cyber augmented
    Hacker

    i sorta claimed street samurai but i'll take whatever people dont want


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,485 ✭✭✭✭Banjo


    This is sooooo complicated.
    So I started out looking at a the cool and cooky Technomancer, realised I didn't fully understand it, dialed it back to Decker but still, all that matrix stuff, so tried a couple of different magic users but it's quite involved so I figured roll a straight forward Street Samurai just for practice and JESUS CHRIST.
    And that's using a helpful tool to do it :D

    What's the story with Resources at Priorities A-E. Standard rules values? Also, are there any choices that are offlimits at character generation?

    Is it as hard as I think it is or is everyone struggling? :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    Banjo wrote: »
    This is sooooo complicated.
    So I started out looking at a the cool and cooky Technomancer, realised I didn't fully understand it, dialed it back to Decker but still, all that matrix stuff, so tried a couple of different magic users but it's quite involved so I figured roll a straight forward Street Samurai just for practice and JESUS CHRIST.
    And that's using a helpful tool to do it :D

    What's the story with Resources at Priorities A-E. Standard rules values? Also, are there any choices that are offlimits at character generation?

    Is it as hard as I think it is or is everyone struggling? :D

    shadowrun is complicated


    https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/3mkzyw/shadowrun_we_all_want_to_try_it_but_i_fear_it/


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,485 ✭✭✭✭Banjo


    OK, here - you've played before and if last night taught me anything it's that if you start talking about something there's no force on earth will shut you up :D
    Q1 : Skill groups vs Skills.
    I was rolling a shooty shooty bang bang dude, so I naturally took Firearms, and then couldn't push points into Fire Arms skills. The manual says this is because those skills get grouped together so I can't boost them individually. So should I use my 2 Skill Group points to boost a set of secondary skills instead?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    I'll post some advice now, but in general just make somebody you think is cool and just pick a few things to be good at. Trying to optimize a character perfectly will take ten times longer, requires a good understanding of the rules and will only result in a character ~15% better than one you made via the rule of cool. You could do all that optimization and then make the wrong decision in game and die.

    However if you want to optimize of course go ahead, just don't feel you need to.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Just a quick guide to character creation if it helps. It starts basic, but then gets onto the stuff I think can be hard to follow.

    The main five steps are:
    Metatype
    Attributes
    Magic/Resonance
    Skills
    Resources

    Metatype is race, attributes are inbuilt qualities (strength, intelligence), skills are learned qualities (pistols, hacking) and resources is money.

    Magic/Resonance is only for magical characters. Resonance is Technomagic.

    You assign a rating, called priority, of A-E to each of these five areas. So assigning A to Attributes gives you a total of 24 attribute points, E only gives you 12 points. Similarly A in resources is 450,000 nuyen, E is only 6,000. You can only assign each letter to one category.

    Metatype:
    When choosing Metatype, be sure to look at the table on the bottom of p.66
    For example dwarfs start with 3 in the BODY attribute and have a maximum of 8. Humans start with 1 in BODY and have a maximum of 6.

    Note that some races are only available at high priority. Troll is only available at A or B.

    Listed in brackets next to each metatype is the number of "special attribute points". These are points that you can spend to raise Edge, Magic and Resonance. This is in addition to however many points you have from the Attributes column. A magic character would generally find this useful and hence tend to have metatype taking a high-ish priority. Note that Edge, Magic and Resonance are sort of the special attributes. Magic and Resonance are for magic (of different types) and Edge is "game rule altering luck", see below.

    Attributes:
    Most of these are obvious in meaning and purpose. Also most of them are useful because of the skills they go with. So really look at the table on p.90, there you see each attribute with the skills that are rolled with it. If you plan on using Blades, then your Agility shouldn't be too low. This is I would choose attributes for your first character, think of the skills you want to use.

    Some attributes have special implications beyond the skills:

    Body: Related to physical health and resisting physical damage per the posts above
    Willpower: Related to stun health
    Initiative: Going first in combat and dodging attacks
    Reaction: Used with Initiative to dodge attacks
    Essence: How non-robotic you seem, i.e. low essence makes you act like a machine or souless individual. Used for people's reactions to you and low essence depowers your magic.
    Edge: In short luck, affects the rules of the game. The oddest Attribute

    Edge:
    Spending Edge allows you to reroll, improve rolls, go first in a fight, cancel glitches, extra action before being knocked out, automatically succeed with four hits or cancel death.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,404 ✭✭✭✭sKeith


    The main five steps are:
    Metatype
    Attributes
    Magic/Resonance
    Skills
    Resources

    CAEdb or bd, have my char at home, in work at present ;)

    Metatype:
    Done ;)

    Attributes:
    Done ;)

    .


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Banjo wrote: »
    I was rolling a shooty shooty bang bang dude, so I naturally took Firearms, and then couldn't push points into Fire Arms skills. The manual says this is because those skills get grouped together so I can't boost them individually. So should I use my 2 Skill Group points to boost a set of secondary skills instead?
    Yes essentially. It's often better to be trained in one or two weapons rather than them all moderately.

    Cracking is a good skill group for a decker, outdoors is good for anyone, stealth for anyone.

    They're used either to be okay in something you're not going to concentrate on or to represent a background, like a former soldier may have the firearms group rather than the individual skill.

    Edit: Athletics for anyone, Firearms is good if you're not going to concentrate on guns.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Addition, this is only during character creation. When making the character you cannot take firearms to 2 and then Pistol to 3. However if you take Firearms to 2 and gain Karma (XP) during play, that could raise Pistol to 3.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,485 ✭✭✭✭Banjo


    Can you take "Athletics" from 2 to 3 after character creation using Karma?

    BTW, the Excel sheet I was using wasn't working, found a windows application called Chummer5 that seems to handle the maths for you - everything I've double-checked looks fine. As if I'd spot a fault :D
    Anyway, it's handy enough, just remember when creating a new character to change the "build method" to Priority so you aren't dealing in karma all the way, that's soul-destroying level of detail!
    It's clearly a well known enough program, and there are Android apps that are compatible with the character files it creates so once you have your character rolled you can track them on your mobile for any late night runs.

    And if Chummer is considered ****e by those in the know, put me out of my misery now please :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Chummer5a is good, it just has some problems with certain magic stuff like spirits. Also save often, it tends to crash.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,485 ✭✭✭✭Banjo


    I learned the save thing the hard way.
    Eventually.
    Sadly, not soon enough for Othegretron 3000 who will now never see the light of day :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    Fourier, I’m only gona have time to do runs the odd time is that oknor should I give the spot up ?

    The dnd is a priority


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Tigger wrote: »
    Fourier, I’m only gona have time to do runs the odd time is that oknor should I give the spot up ?

    The dnd is a priority
    That's fine, jump in and out. If you're out one week somebody else can hope in or I'll have a different type of run designed for fewer people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    I'll post more on Char Gen either tomorrow or Wednesday. Until then just send me your current thoughts on what sort of character you're going to be.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,631 ✭✭✭✭OldGoat


    A work in progress. Still farting around with the skills choices.
    Happy to change out to suit others. I know Tig is going for street samuri.


    Human
    Weaponsmith/smuggler/potential decker


    Priority Table:
    Meta (D) Human(3)
    Atrib (A) 24
    M/R (E) ~
    Skills (B) 36/5
    Resources (C) 140000


    Attributes (Not yet finished)

    Type Base rate + atrib
    Body 1+5
    Agi 1+4
    Rea 1+3
    Str 1+5
    Wil 1
    Log 1+2
    Int 1+3
    Cha 1
    Edge 2+2
    ESS 6


    Pos Qualities
    Ampidex 4 No penalty when using off hand
    Natural Athlete 7 Running or gymnastics tests +2
    Quick healer 3 Healing tests +2
    Toughness 9 Body+1 Vs damage

    Neg Qualities
    Addiction 9 Physical tests-4 after 2 weeks with no fix
    Allergy 10 Common,mild allergy to addictuion - Resistance test -1die
    Distinctive st 5

    Initial Karma 25
    PosK+ 23
    NegK- 24
    Total 24

    I'm older than Minecraft goats.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    That's grand OldGoat.

    Everybody else, is it too complex?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,404 ✭✭✭✭sKeith


    i'd like a random roller, but want to go on....

    i will roll a character fully if others are going to play..


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    There are pre-made builds if anybody is interested


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,404 ✭✭✭✭sKeith


    please , i'd take a random non magic user. play form there. i'll learn what my personal preferences should be after playing a run and either keep with the rand or reroll then.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Cool, I'll post them tomorrow.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,397 ✭✭✭✭Digital Solitude


    Is there a spot open here? Was chatting to my housemate/apprentice DM/pita and he's interested in giving it a punt


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