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New GM Requiring Assistance

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Lockdown2341

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« on: <01-31-16/1247:21> »
Hello all from Canada!

So here is the deal. I've played a little bit of tabletop over the years. I had one D&D session a few years back, two Pathfinder campaigns that went off the rails with the same DM, and one very successful (so far) Pathfinder campaign with a different DM.

However I want to start DMing myself. I never have before, but from reading some stuff online, attending some seminars at a convention on how to be a good DM, and seeing in person what makes a good one and a bad one, I think I'm ready to dive into it. But I want to dive in with Shadowrun. It always fascinated me back in the day on the SNES, and even moreso with Shadowrun Returns/Dragonfall. I think it would be great to introduce my wife and best friends to the world and we can all experience it together.

While I do intend on grabbing the quick start rules and 'Food Fight'  of course, whatever else I buy I intend to read through extensively before we get going; that way we don't have delays in checking the rules and such. But I'm not sure where to start. Everything I've read says to start with 5E, but the site here says there is a beginners box set and a tookit you should buy before getting the core rulebook. I'd rather not use pre-generated characters long term as I know the players and they will want to make their own.

Any suggestions?

El Diablo

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« Reply #1 on: <01-31-16/1302:14> »
I come from DnD and PF as well :P

Your best option is the Quick Start rules. Read 'em twice. It's the most direct and summarized set of rules you will find. The CRB has a lot of messy lines and will confuse you if it's your first reading.

About characters, you can do it with the CRB only. It even has examples to help you undersand. You don't really need the Beginner's Toolbox 'cause you already have experience translating ideas into paper with DnD/PF. Also, it's quite simple to make a character. The difficult part is to pick your options and/or tone down your concept 'cause it's a LOT harder to make an overall 'round character when compared to DnD/PF.
Booyah!

Mirikon

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« Reply #2 on: <01-31-16/1327:46> »
Food fight is a good intro to combat for newbies. The Quick-Start Rules will give you a good overview as well. My advice would be to pick up some of the Missions. Basically, they're Shadowrun's version of D&D modules. The runs they have aren't 'easy', but they do have a good general difficulty and fairly balanced rewards, as well as having all the stat blocks and other such things ready and laid out for you. This makes it much easier to prepare, and is one less thing for you to worry about while getting your feet under you as a GM.

I will say kudos to you for stepping up. Not everyone has what it takes to be a GM, so best of luck to you.
Greataxe - Apply directly to source of problem, repeat as needed.

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Zweiblumen

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« Reply #3 on: <01-31-16/1339:01> »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkmp-JePNJk&index=1&list=PLmlAiLD6dwbG6B81SNlh1QfLYGs0aVzFP
Go to 6:47.  Bobby responds to this very question and I wish I'd had this advice when introducing my group to SR.  Especially for FoodFight, just use the pre-gen characters.
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jknudsen

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« Reply #4 on: <02-01-16/0933:57> »
We started just over 2 month  back also from dnd. We did not use the start up rules, because we wanted to learn the real thing first and not learn something and then unlearn it afterwards. Instead we just played the game and implemented the rules a title of the time. First basic skills and combat, then a little matrix and magic, then rigging etc. Furthermore we play in Seattle and I introduced a little of the city at a time. First downtown and Tacoma, then Redmond etc. You can see the posts on our campaign website how I push knowledge about the setting to the players a little at a time. We call it "between sessions" (http://littlegreenhorse.dk/).

We play mission 4 and started with Back in Business. In that mission I adapted the Food fight encounter, so we learned combat and everybody got to fire a weapon at our first session. Awesome.

Seattle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun

http://shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Seattle

The real town:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle

Interactive map we use and update:

http://www.chinagreenelvis.com/gaming/tools/shadowrun/map/

General on Shadowrun

http://shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun

Char background tool:

https://wrathofzombie.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/shadowrun-background-generator.pdf

Tool for Char creation:

https://code.google.com/p/chummer5/

Welcome to 6th world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qcyTMJ0hPY

How to play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIkoRIAnG18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqBUQxP8x0A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10X7GZz7NIY

Char creating

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZJD_CnMugY

Matrix intro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrAn-72IMZc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9T2oJcm1BA
« Last Edit: <02-01-16/0936:21> by jknudsen »

farfromnice

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« Reply #5 on: <02-03-16/1420:44> »
don't forget that Shadowrun is a 3 worlds World, if you design your own game

you have to think about the Astral, The Matrix (and Drones) and the "Physical" World.

Normally I Start with the Host (because it's the most easy with the new Matrix rules). Found out it's rating, now it's Stats and IC/deckers and after that his metaphore (I recently design a DocWagon Host. it's valley with patients link to the trees, when it's raining it mean that an emergency is happening, etc.)

Now think of how you see your site, does it use drones ? Grunts ? Critters (I like that one) ? Does it Have patrol ? What type of weapon do your gards have ? find a kwirk (he is pist off when is coworker put milk in is coffee) for one of the guard and bingo.

after that Magical Security : How Many Spirits ? wich rating ? for what purpose they are there (In my DocWagon clinic the Air Spirit protecting the Helipad have light that show if the building need to be quarantine for ariel vector pathogen and he have a protocol if this light is on) ? Do you have Mana Barrier ? wich rating ? for what ? and what Happen if one of the above is dispel ? (DocWagon : if my mana wall/spirit is dispel a mage and a patrol are dispatch to asses the situation) ? Finally, how this security influence your physical one ?

don't forget to put some fluf in it, junk data that are useles to the run but could be cool, funny, gross, totally useless

and don't follow the rules. Players know (normally) the rules their character will be using, trust them. If they don't know, you don't know, don't find it in the book : Make one ! You know the logic behind the game, you could do it.

Trust yourself, you're way better than you think