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2080: Running Ain't Easy

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Broomhandle45

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This is a cyberpunk/shadowrun-lite idea that I was 'volunteered' to DM, information down below. Readers beware, infodump down yonder. Try to distance yourself from the concept of it actually being "Shadowrun", it borrows concepts, but it's mostly it's own entity.

The main meat and taters of this concept would be playing a group of shadowrunners on a job by job basis with potential for some overarching plot of some kind. Corporations are not a static entity, depending on how things go, some corporations will be wiped out and reorganized, and others may just get stronger. This will probably be in systems, as there will be minor things in play to see how things go.

The first of which is the 'fucked' die, I'll roll to set the run, and subtle(or not so subtle) hints as the level of fucked it'll be, and the higher the number, the harder it'll be to unfuck it. Creativity is rewarded, I'm not asking for hardline realism, I'm asking for something fun to read within limits to character talent and experiences.

The second is character creation, it works under a simple rule. You have 9 'Background points' and these points are simply things that your character has a 'background' on, and things relevant to that are considered your characters bread and butter. Generally speaking, you can be...general! If you want to put...I don't know, 'Hunter', then it is assumed that the traits and abilities that hunters possess, you would be capable in. This is by no means a mechanical thing, this is merely a quick chart that allows you (and me) to understand your characters specializations and needs and make it so everyone has a fair shot at doing something if I don't suck at this. This does not mean you character cannot excel at other things, this is simply a reference to the notable talents. If I can drive that through your head enough, I'll be happy.

Also, don't hesitate to toss out a weird race or something. This is the realm of magic and cyberpunk, shit is weird anyway. Give me a decent enough story and I'll let it pass.

An example character could be (at the most optimum set-up)

Joe Schmo
Data Entry (+2)
Driving (+2)
Coffee Making (+2)
Paperwork (+1)
--

If people are okay with it, things could be added as they survive runs, but as of now. However you divy up the 9 points is up to you, playing into character strengths is a sign of good writing and fun, playing outside of your comfort zone makes for a creative read just as much as playing strong does. Don't use them as a crutch, use them as an ace in the hole. Be creative! The only thing I'll call bullshit on is...well, bullshit. It's a team effort, not a lone wolf effort.


And the fluffy stuff:


Well, it's 2080. You're in the future, a future with high technology and magic...a future where elves are dicks and trolls are the best bouncers you can find. Corporations are everywhere, and they're greedy. Everyone has a ID, you see. A SIN, a system identification number that tells everyone else you exist...not being part of the 'system' means you don't get any of the benefits...but not being part of the system effectively means you are invisible, and that can be a very good thing.

Corporations are like trees, or like trees used to be in the early 20th Century. Some have a space of a few blocks, others own entire states and some are currently trying to maintain entire continents. The balance is constantly shifting and the only reason for it is Shadowrunners.

None of the Corporations would openly admit a word of it, or how their territory would mysteriously shrink and competitor assets are suddenly absorbed, but Shadowrunning is how it's done. They are invisible to the system, and that makes them powerful assets to businesses.

Of course, being a Shadowrunner doesn't mean you're a corporate lapdog, some people do it out of their own desire to see the world burn, others do it because they like danger and money. But whatever the reasons, there's no stoppage of demand for Shadowrunners, and an even larger demand for GOOD ones.

---

The World of 2080 is a mess of magic and technology that has blurred more lines than it has made. But there is a clear rule: If you want magic, your body must be real. The more metal you shove into your body, the less the magical spirit gods give a shit about if you exist or not.

  • Cybernetics are cheap, good cybernetics are a dime a dozen, excellent cybernetics are the work of artisans. Better than limbs if you hate that whole 'real' feeling and dislike magic, anyone can shove just about anything in a cybetnetic something if they get enough time and credits.
  • Bionetics is the organic option, but with less 'shoving things in' and more using what mother nature already has. Beef up your muscles, give yourself cat eyes to see better, give yourself a pointy ear if you wanna feel special. It costs an arm and a leg to upgrade your arm and leg, but it keeps your attachment to magic strong.
  • The internet is now the Outernet, anyone who doesn't live in a cave without wi-fi has a plug at the base of their skull that they use to connect to a living, breathing electronic world. Any sort of portable terminal (a laptop, a cellphone) that can provide a mobile signal can be used to access the Outernet. Good hackers are hard to replace, excellent hackers are probably too rich to give a shit about your problems and make a game out of breaking everything they can find just to see if they can.
  • The world isn't so clear cut anymore, humans, elves, trolls, dwarves...they're everywhere, once magic started seeping into things, puberty suddenly became a bitch and a half to figure out. If you think it exists, it probably does and hates you and wants to eat you. Or is a normal person doing normal things...one of the two.
  • Weapons are the modern age with some tweaks, melee weapons are in vogue again, and some fancier gadgets are around If you're not sure, ask away to see if it's cool.


Questions, comments, interest...etctera. I'm sure I missed something. (I probably most likely did)
 
Not sure how good I'll be with a point system anything, but this is cyberpunk and it's been on my brain these days and.... YES SO JOINING!!!!!!! COUNT ME IN!!!!!!!!!!
 
Great job on the interest thread, Broom.

This is based on shadowrun, I understand. I have a few questions, if I may;

1. Are the nations/countries/territories/states/and borders going to be the same as in SR?
2. Are the player character races going to be the basic, i.e. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orks, and Trolls?
3. Is everyone going to start out as rookie or novice runners?
4. Will there be a means of advancing your characters "abilities" or "skills" (though I know there will be no skill points to speak of) through game play?
5. Where will the game's setting take place? Seattle?

That's all i have for now, but I reserve the right to ask more questions later. :p
 
1. Generally speaking, probably not. But maybe, I don't ultimately think taking that entirely from Shadowrun is going to ruin anyone's day either. So I will probably refer to that as the easiest way, but the setting itself will be a little loosey gooesy with the harder details until I have a finer understanding of what is done and what isn't done.

2. Those are the majority, yeah. But since we're not really limiting ourselves in terms of 'gameplay', I saw no reason to restrict it in so much as there is a reasonable justification for it. So while those are the racial majority, there's all kinds of weird shit around. Who knows when something wants to make a living.

3. Most likely, if only because it gives everyone the same playing field and nobody is overlapping anyone with in game 'experience'

4. Probably, but it really all depends on the preferences of the people playing.

5. I have no flippin clue, to be honest. At the moment I'm considering somewhere that I can pretty much put a brush to and paint what is needed. I'd like to shy away from places that have actual grounding in SR simply because I don't want a lot of association with it, when it's not entirely Shadowrun.
 
I call for a character template and possible discussion of a plot of some kind... it'll help us think of characters for this nifty idea. :)

I have a couple character ideas rolling through my head, but the only way I can pinpoint what I'll do is to have an idea on such things. >.<
 
Plot will be harder to pinpoint until I decide on a proper location, but my general idea leans around a group of runners getting in deeper than they expected, or attempting to be used as a scapegoat for a corporation that gets into a spiral of shenanigans.

Could go somewhere in the American Midwest, or Eastern Europe. Undecided.
 
I can adapt to location (hooray for maps). But a basic plot premise and a template will be helpful in determining what sort of character to create. I know I have 3 basic ideas running through my head, but which one I run with will depend on a few factors and the like. That said, I anxiously await updates!!! :)
 
darkangel76 said:
I can adapt to location (hooray for maps). But a basic plot premise and a template will be helpful in determining what sort of character to create....
Click to expand...

I agree :) also Europe or US Im good with both, though my European geography is better than my American
 
I've more or less determined the sort of character I'll be creating, however I don't have a back story for her yet. That is TBD. XD But, I think she'll work pretty well with the general idea of what's going on here. hehe!
 
As it stands, here's what I've gotten so far.

  • The setting will be Eastern Europe
  • The plot could mostly be about dealing with the tense corporate atmosphere there, with one large corporation having a stranglehold over smaller corporations that survive only by Shadowrunners. Plot potential includes helping the big fish take out the small pond, or vise versa. Always open to suggestions.
  • The general 'flow' will be a simple roll in any sort of situation requiring a resolution, the closer to the number that I roll (or better) is how much the success or how fucked you are.
  • Subsequent successes will offer more background points to expand the utility of characters. You'll have a set amount to start with, and they can be anything you think adds flavor, I'm not exactly making them a priority in terms of 'min-maxing' they can be as vague or as narrow as you want them to be, HOWEVER, you will have to give a reason as to why you think your background would warrant adding a modifier to a roll...and as long as you don't give me a pants on head retarded reason, I'll generally allow it. Be creative, but don't be stupid.

    The growth will be a 1 to 1 point buy, so you'd need two points to upgrade a background from +1. I'd like to mostly encourage more versatility as opposed to specialization, so I'll probably be tweaking things as I go.
  • When it comes to gear, I'm thinking of more or less making a list of 'important' items that can't exactly be handwaved away as something the runner would have on them anyway, like weapons, some fancy technological bits and so forth.
 
Count me interested.

Just a question:
Does decking/hacking/the Matrix work much like it does in Shadowrun or are there any significant changes to the setting's cyberspace?
 
Essentially, it's just going to be something people can plug into like a second realm. Virtual reality and all that. I'm not immediately familiar with Shadowrun's cyberspace, so I'd have to check and see what the exact differences are. My main thoughts were leaning toward directly jacking in through the brain (kind of like Ghost in the Shell) or through a more traditional 'terminal' like a computer or a laptop and using some kinda extra accessory to get the virtual reality vibe, like goggles or a sensor or something.
 
Shadowrun has both. A datajack (Shadowrun's name for GitS's brain-plug thing) is necessary for any interfacing in cyberspace, but within that you have two options. Hackers and technomancers interact directly, sort of like cyber-mages, manipulating data, and don't need any foreign tools, whereas a Decker uses a Deck (essentially a glorified tablet PC) to enslave programs to do his dirty work for him. He can dive into the matrix himself, but is far more limited than a technomancer in that regard.
 
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