Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: lord_shadow_666 on <08-19-12/1536:04>
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Hey guys, I am writing a campaign for a bunch of new guys plus this is my first time GMing Shadowrun, I am going to do the Ghost Cartels story to get them into the game and then I am going to run campaign with all characters being infected with a form of HMHVV.
So to start off the first game I played the GM did not allow Technomancers as he wasnt happy with them, now to simplify them I take it from what I have read they are just mages but in the matrix. Any tips on how to GM them or shall I also say no to letting Technomancers into my game? So what I am really looking for is an idiot guide to how to play them as well as how to GM against them.
Next for my HMHVV campaign I am just looking for tips on how to run with a full team of infected. They will be in a facility so it rules out all sunlight damage so on that aspect we can play a standard game.
Also any tips for a starting GM would be great :D
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Technomancers and Infected can really be at odds as some of the infected also get a magical trait and Magic and Resonance are always one or other but NEVER both.
Technomancers as Technomancers go aren't 'bad' themselves. They are very nitch or hyper-specialized characters. They can get a lot of power with Threading for some high rating programs if they Overthread. But there are a lot of cons to them too. They tend not to be as solid 'in the thick of things' as they lack sustainiable spells, adept powers or cyber/bio-ware. The lack of IP boosts means in AR they will tend to do a lot than a combat hacker. (there are some high end Echos that can fix that, but that's a chunk of karma investment.)
Hacking as a whole can add a lot of 'rules weight/time' to a group as it is (Technomancer or just hacker as it is) so that's more what I'd question as a GM if the group playstyle/comfort level really welcomes the level of hacking a Technomancer will really NEED in a game to make their specialization worth while.
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WSNOW so you would say a technomancer takes up more game time then a standard character? How does threading and overthreading work, I have given the rules in SR4 a quick glance but the lack of cyber/bio-ware did make me think unless they have a drone they wont be that good in combat.
And dont worry I know infected cant be technomancers.
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I wouldn't say they take up more time than an other character. A pure hacker though can, as Hacking can get rather intense and there are a lot of 'wait while I handle this moment, guys'.
4th Edition Shadowrun has really pushed a reason for the 'on site' Hacker and Mage so that can keep everyone together for the action.
Technomancers, especially early character ones, tend to be best suited as remote hackers (in VR) or Riggers (which can have a solid presence, though they are still in VR usually) and as such require a lot more of a specialization.
So my warning isn't really against Techomancers, but 'a high hacking focus' character can both be time intense for 1 PC and also a bit more rules heavy for a new GM/Group. And unlike a Hacker, Technomancers have a bit more trouble branching out into doing something besides Hacking (save maybe being the Face)
Threading (and overthreading) Allows a technomancer to 'know' a Complex form (program) they don't already know...or use it at a higher level. Overthreading lets them go above their Resonance (up to double). So a starting Technomancer with a Resonance of 5 (which is a likely starting Res) can thread say...the Stealth program upto 10. (they have to resist 'fade' which is the like Drain for mages) and it would be Physical damage, but having a stealth 10 is VERY nice as a starting character.
The Technomancer side of things play very much like a Magician does. Threading is 'casting and sustaining' a spell and Spirtes are just like Spirits (more or less. there are a few minor details, but honestly, it was intentionally done so Magic and Technomancer aren't weird different systems).
And it's not that a Technomancer can't also shoot a gun or be sneaky or whatever, but to really do their Hacking job, Technomancers need to really invest into their Technomancer abilities, which leaves them less 'spread around' points and cyberware costs them abilities as well, so the 'cheap and easy' boosts from 'Ware are less attractive for them as well.
So my caution is more 'just make sure you and the player(s) know what to expect from campaign tone and style.' If Hacking is going to be a big part of the game, then a Technomancer will shine. If it's something you want to downplay to avoid the bog down of rules and the like, then a technomancer might not be the best choice. But that's really the same for any concept. You want to make sure the concepts of the PC's match the tone/style of the story. A high spy intrigue game would make an Uncouth pure combat Sam likely to be very bored and maybe even a detriment to the group.
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Thanks for the explanation on the technomancer. It is quite rule heavy so I will rule it out as a starting character but later on I may let someone be one so I may let players start as a latent technomancer.
I know hacking can take up a lot of time as I normally play a hacker/sniper dwarf so I can do more than sit there at a computer :D