[betafu]

I'm looking for some advice on a new game I'm starting up.

One thing I'd like to explore is this idea of change within the campaign. For example, I'd like to have three 'phases':

1. The Man Pays The Bills: Working for a corporation. I think I'm going to base this in Central Texas, I like the idea of basing it in Dallas, with Austin (and it's split half personality) nearby, not to mention the border with Aztlan. The corp in question would be a small to midsize corporation I think. 

2. Burn Notice'd: Sort of a premise not unlike the USA tv show - the group is either burned and disavowed, or the corporation is taken over and they are pink-slipped, or something happens to throw them onto the streets. During this time period they are forced to become 'real' shadow runners, without the backing of their former bosses. The characters who were very corp-focused in phase 1 are now way out of their depth. The characters from 'the street' in phase 1 who chaffed at the offices and cubicles and 'rules' are now in their element.

3. Redemption: Either the group shifts into working for the government, or another corporation - having come through their previous two phases, they are now not 'on the streets' anymore but still have their fingers in what's going on.

My main questions were:

1. Are there any optional rules you really love in your campaigns?
2. I'm considering using the Karma System for character generation, from pg 41, Runners Companion. Does anyone have any experience with this positive or negative? I see it as a way to let people make what they truly want to play, and look for more nuanced characters.

Thanks in  advance!

[All4BigGuns]

My advice:
1) Keep restrictions to a minimum and to do not ban any source books.
2) Throw karma gen and priority gen into the toilet and flush.

[Netzgeist]

Well, I can't say I played Karmagen, since it's a little bit difficult to find a game which uses it, but I've practiced making characters with it a little bit, and it does serve your purpose of more nuanced characters, as it really helps to make characters who are more rounded (I like BP gen too, but it implores you for overspecialization, so it's more a thing about if you want specialists or versatile characters).

[betafu]

Can anyone clarify while folks don't like Karmagen? I'm just curious, and since I don't have any 'real' table experience with it, I'm trying to understand the pluses and minuses of build point vs priority vs karmagen. (To be completely honest, I have zero interest in priority as a way of creating my characters.)

[Zilfer]

We actually switched to the Karmagen at our table though I recently realized I wasn't going by the base karmagen rules where Metatypes are free. Did not notice that, i had them spending double the BP into Karma. So I may be changing that, and yeah I've noticed the similiar, it seems well rounded characters come out of Karma Gen IMO.

I've still seen some monster's come out of the Karmagen however as well. I play around at least weekly on a new character trying to explore all that can be done. I've yet to even touch Cyberarms and the like.

I think you should try building in both systems and see which one you like. To me it seems like Karma gen gives you more, but it depends on what type of character your building.

[Netzgeist]

Can anyone clarify while folks don't like Karmagen? I'm just curious, and since I don't have any 'real' table experience with it, I'm trying to understand the pluses and minuses of build point vs priority vs karmagen. (To be completely honest, I have zero interest in priority as a way of creating my characters.)

BP is easier and it's considered the "default" method, so most people don't even bother to try karmagen. Also, BP creates, as previously stated, more specialized characters, and a lot of players think specializations is more in tune with the mood of Shadowrun.

Also, karmagen has some problems, specially when it comes to playing other metatypes other than human, since it costs too much to raise Body and Strenght of a Troll, for instance (RAW, the price is based solely on the atributte rating, which turns buying them prohibitive).
For a good sumary, check this thread here, especially Lethe's suggestion on how to fix the problem with the metatypes atributte price[on the first page], and Glyph's summary of it's differences from BP-gen [on the second page, near the end].

[betafu]

Oh wow, thank you. That link was invaluable!

[Netzgeist]

You're welcome. We aim to please!

[FastJack]

You're welcome. We aim to please!

I personally aim a little higher. Head shots are best.

[Critias]

If you're aiming for a Dallas and Austin campaign, be sure to send a hojillion dollars to the handsome, genius, brilliant, awesome, freelancer that wrote about Austin in Spy Games, and finally snuck Dallas an Urban Brawl team in a Missions adventure: Super Brawl Sunday (because, seriously, the love child of football and gunplay, and there weren't any teams from Texas?). 

Because that mysterious stranger, whoever and where ever he may be, is obviously deserving of your adoration, money, and any attractive women you might have laying around, extra. 

 

Have fun, man!  It looks like you're gonna be running a pretty awesome campaign.  Have you thought about Lone Star for the parent company?  You said you wanted a little bit smaller corp, but they're certainly local, and could provide them with some cool contacts and make the transition from Company Man to criminal...well, easier and harder.  Easier, because of some of the people they'd know, and the skills and comfort with the street they'd have.  Harder, because it might mean a real paradigm shift for some of the characters, particularly if they thought of themselves as "cops" originally.  Could make for some neat role-playing.

[Digital_Viking]

If you're aiming for a Dallas and Austin campaign, be sure to send a hojillion dollars to the handsome, genius, brilliant, awesome, freelancer that wrote about Austin in Spy Games, and finally snuck Dallas an Urban Brawl team in a Missions adventure: Super Brawl Sunday (because, seriously, the love child of football and gunplay, and there weren't any teams from Texas?). 

Because that mysterious stranger, whoever and where ever he may be, is obviously deserving of your adoration, money, and any attractive women you might have laying around, extra. 

 

Reminds me, owe you a meal at Kerby if we are ever in Austin at the same time.

[JustADude]

Also, I'd recommend giving them some bonus BP that can only be spent on gear, as well as more-relaxed-than-normal Availability restrictions (20 across the board, maybe?) since working for a Corp would give them an equipment budget and legitimate access to Restricted and Forbidden hardware, which would make the availability test "call the company and order one."

Also should give them "free" Ammo, 'nades, and other such things during Phase 1 and Phase 3, since a corp, again, would be giving them funding. Ditto for temporary access to things like expensive attack choppers and support drones.

[Crash_00]

I've run and played in a few Lone Star Rapid Response game as well as a Spec Ops game where we got burned about six sessions in (All 3rd edition). I agree that the corp would be supplying some gear, but I would more recommend building standard loadouts that they can take (company armor, weapon, and some general gear). I do agree that the company would probably cover most standard ammunition.

A few people have already commented on the BP vs. Karma Gen, but what it really boils down to is, some people get crabby about having to pay a lot more for really high dice pools. It really only becomes a huge problem for high body/strength orcs and trolls, but the karma cost to start softcapped in a stat is very high compared to BP when the cap is over six.

It promotes characters to start with slightly lower stats and/or skills to be well rounded and build them up through play. Almost everything costs the same or less in karma gen (even a skill at 6 is 44 karma compared to 24 BP (48 Karma effectively)).

Also keep in mind that the rules in Runner's Companion are outdated and use the old SR4 prices for stats (new rating x 3) instead of the newer prices (new rating x 5).

[Netzgeist]

You're welcome. We aim to please!

I personally aim a little higher. Head shots are best.

Depends on the target; it is said that cockroachs can live up to a week without it's head.

It's good to remember that when on Bug City. 

[Digital_Viking]

Also, I'd recommend giving them some bonus BP that can only be spent on gear, as well as more-relaxed-than-normal Availability restrictions (20 across the board, maybe?) since working for a Corp would give them an equipment budget and legitimate access to Restricted and Forbidden hardware, which would make the availability test "call the company and order one."

Also should give them "free" Ammo, 'nades, and other such things during Phase 1 and Phase 3, since a corp, again, would be giving them funding. Ditto for temporary access to things like expensive attack choppers and support drones.

But make them fill out the request forms...in triplicate.