Session 0

[Shadowstarr]

Welcome to Session Zero: Here we shall flush out the Campaign, figure out everyone's expectations, lines and veils, and all that drek.

My vision. I want to build a world that feels lived in, one where the team's contacts are embedded in, one the characters can affect and be affected by. I'd like to have a team of 4 or 5ish active characters as well as a few less active, backup/alternates.

My ideal style would be dark, gritty, mature, harsh, and rewarding. The bad guys are real bastards, and the runners aren't angels. But I am open-minded. For those less familiar with the Shadowrun universe, it is a cyberpunk/fantasy mash-up set in the near future (+ 60'ish years from real-time) It was first released in 1989 and became much more built up in the early 1990's. Ironity it "predictions" of how technology would develop was rather off. So some stuff may seem rather retro vs futuristic.

Generally in Shadowrun, you're a criminal doing criminal stuff for clients who do not want to get caught doing it themselves. Dealing with other criminals you'll be exposed to some damn distasteful stuff. Drugs, Sex workers, metahuman trafficking, organ harvesting, and Wetwork to name a few.

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Things I don't want:

Murderhobos

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Alternative rules:

Essence Holes

Post-character creation only. Essence lost due to installing cyberware is not refunded when cyberware is removed or upgraded but instead creates a "hole", equivalent to the number of essence points removed. When cyberware is swapped out, the game will use points from the hole, rather than the remaining essence.

Reputation in the Spirit World:

Counjurers interact with the spirit world regularly, and odds are they might purposely or unwittingly perform actions that endear the spirit world to them a bit more or less than usual. Word travels fast through the spirit world, so if you have trouble getting spirits to answer or obey you, maybe it's time to take a good look in the mirror.

Actions of consequences, and nowhere is this more true than with dealing with spirits. To reflect how the spirit world regards a character.

Accruing Spirit Index

The following actions increase a character's Spirit Index by the listed amount.

1

Action	SI gain
Disrupting a normal spirit	1
Destroying Disrupted Spirit in its native metaplane	5
Banishing then conjuring the same spirit	2
Rebinding (per test beyond the first)	1
Binding a free spirit	5
Permanently Banishing/Destroying a Free Spirit	5
Long-term binding	10
Fettering	20
Using Resist Drain power	5
Using spell-binding spirit service	20
Exposing spirit to toxicity/corruption (per hour)	1
Exposing spirit to mana void (background count per hour)
Losing an ally spirit	20

 

The gamemaster is encouraged to keep a character’s Spirit Index secret until its effects begin to impact gameplay. A character can negate accruing Spirit Index for his actions in one of two ways. First, any action—regardless of its Spirit Index value—that is deemed helpful to the spirit world (gamemaster’s discretion) does not accrue Spirit Index. Examples include using a Spirit Index action to disrupt a magical threat, such as a blood, insect, or toxic spirit. Second, by expending ([Astral Reputation + 1] x [Spirit Index value of action]) drams of radical reagents (p. 210), a character may prevent accruing Spirit Index points for any action worth 5 or fewer Spirit Index points. Unfortunately, no amount of reagents can offset the immediate damage of more heinous crimes against spirits. Those kinds of actions require slightly more contrition to erase.

ASTRAL REPUTATION

A character’s Astral Reputation begins at 0. For every 25 points of Spirit Index a character accumulates, his Astral Reputation increases by 1. When performing Summoning, Binding, or Banishing Tests or when conducting interactions with spirits that require using social skills, a character incurs a negative dice pool modifier equal to his Astral Reputation

Rating	Effects
0	Spirits either don’t know who you are, or you’ve atoned for all your spiritual crimes.
1	You’ve only managed the rock the spirit boat a little, but who hasn’t? Spirits are relatively obedient.
2	Some spirits suspect you don’t have their best interests in mind. Others give you the benefit of the doubt.
3	The jig is up. Powerful spirits rarely speak to you, but weaker spirits aren’t yet wise to your game.
4+	You’ve rightfully earned the spirit world’s enmity. Only desperate spirits answer when you call.

Way qualities cost Karma x1 during advancement

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Please answer the poll, and post any thoughts or concerns.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Shadowstarr (see edit history)

[Havelock]

Personally I'm in the camp that the GM should stick to the style that makes his thankless job the most rewarding. But as far as my preferences goes, I kinda finds it a little easier to play characters that are somewhat cartoonish and hammy, but world-weary gritty survivors does resonate better with the overall genre to be sure. At least this far removed from the influences of the 80's.

 

For character creation, I prefer whatever is the most simple, the mechanics of Shadorun and espescially character creation is so cumbersome that 90% of all my characters are physical/social adepts so that I don't have to care about spells, matrix or ware.

 

My ideal style of game is sort of that IC the danger is real, it isn't paranoia because everyone is out to get you, but the game and story is somewhat forgiving if one isn't entirely thorough onscreen in terms of taking precautions and such, or forgot putting points into such and such critical skill.

 

[Harding]

The Dungeon Master should stick to what he feels most comfortable with, and I personally thrive in grim, dark, and gritty settings.

Regarding character creation, I'm inclined towards point buy because I don't care about number crunching and like the creative freedom it provide. I'm considering a magically awakened character this time, but steering away from the adept archetype I've played too extensively.

My tendency is to craft characters who are survivors with a moral code preventing them from descending into the depths of depravity. This code could be rooted in an honor system, family ties, religious beliefs, lifestyle, and/or philosophy, serving as an anchor for unwritten rules and providing intriguing roleplay challenges within a dark and gritty setting. Essentially, I envision a sliver of light amidst all the darkness surrounding (and within) the character.

My ideal game style involves characters striving to prevent the world from worsening, not necessarily out of personal desire, but because there's no one else capable or willing to take on the task.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Harding (see edit history)

[Laird_Thorne]

It has been a while since I was part of any SR, but I've been a fan ever since 1st edition.

For the setting, I lean more between the "Less Serious, but mature" and the "Dark, gritty, mature" with lean more towards the less serious. However, I am comfortable in any of the settings, even if it were cartoonish. Maybe something along the lines of the recent Cyberpunk animated series. (Now, if could find someone to do a SR version of that.. LOL )

[eltorin]

If it's any help, regardless of the chosen character generation method, I would apply with a Street Samurai, no magic or rigging or Matrix.

[Shadowstarr]

If you guys want to start your character creation Post, go right ahead. Just no crunch yet.

[Harding]

Quick question here: Out of curiosity, why you choosen Denver for the setting?

[Shadowstarr]

Was always one of my favorite cities in shadowrun. I loved the box set when it came out. The divide nature of the city seems fun in terms of complications of crosses borders as shadowrunners.

 

I always dislike when I'd have teammate in a game who would think nothing able being subtle. For instance in downtown Seattle, wearing Mil grade armor and a assault cannon strapped to his back while going to the corner market for a case of beer.

With Denver you have to consider such things. Taking that into account whe. Planning jobs.

 

Lots of cool stuff happens in Denver too. Ideally we'll be playing long enough to take part in some of them.

[saithor]

I don't mind what style gets chosen, but I'd prefer not to do Street level because 5e incentivizes magic characters too much already.

[Shadowstarr]

36 minutes ago, saithor said:

I don't mind what style gets chosen, but I'd prefer not to do Street level because 5e incentivizes magic characters too much already.

that is a good point.

[Kuri_kun]

I am both a long time player and GM so I know both sides of the fence. I believe the best approach is for us to find a common ground where everyone can have fun. Me personally I like a dark and gritty atmosphere that has occasional silliness or something humorous. If you want to go full pink mohawk Im down for that

As far as level of play I have to admit Ive only ever played street level so Im a bit biased there. Im not opposed to higher levels of play, its just where my personal comfort/knowledge level is. That said I have also only really played deckers in the past because we didnt have one and I find the matrix pretty awesome. Ild be happy to do that again but Ild also be happy to play a magic user as its something Ive always wanted to try

I also tend to prefer RP over combat. Both have their place, dont get me wrong, and getting rid of either is madness. That said, especially in play by post formats combat bogs the game down pretty bad. RP between NPCs and our fellow characters though is what I live for as I tend to approach these games as a writer/roleplayer first.

[Essex]

Is this open to anyone?

[Shadowstarr]

16 minutes ago, Essex said:

Is this open to anyone?

session zero is yes, I'll make a selection of about 4-6 players/characters for the active runner group and a few others to be backups. That is not to say the backups won't be inactive. I'll have some content for them as well even if it is solo stuff outside of the main runner group. One of the big determines will be how active you can be. Ideally, I'd want the active runners to be able to post every day, or every two days at worse. Shadowrun can be slow going in PBP so I'm gonna really try and keep the flow.

[Roughtrade]

I think I’d dislike full on pink Mohawk. Gritty but not bleak is more my field.
GMs gotta do what they find as fun or the game won’t last.
 

I do prefer street level in that, if your character isn’t hungry then why are they running the shadows? But this is in the writing, not how your character is generated. Almost always seen it as point buy for character generation.
 

Fairly competent, and established in the underground is what I prefer to play as a character. I have one or two concepts which are green/neewbs. Still trying to prove themselves. But they were built with the same point buy as my cynical mercenary sniper.

[DoNotFearToTread]

Things seem to be swinging toward point buy, which I'm interested to use. Got a weird idea scratching at my brain for this. When were you thinking of setting the game? Post Azzie-exile? CAS in their place? I know the meta is smeared across a dozen books but a general idea of that might help me out.