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Shadowrun ROLEPLAYING-HEAVY ADVENTURE RECOMMENDATIONS?

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EccentricOwl

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« on: <11-03-12/0039:41> »
I am running a Shadowrun 4e game. I've got no regrets. It's a load of fun.

Well, for the most part. Most of my players like the setting and the roleplaying way more than the combat, hacking, and so on and so forth. Now they like it in doses, but they don't enjoy missions and sessions here it's the main focus of the game.

In small part because we're an older group who've grown impatient with the multiple initiative passes and dice rolls and just want to have fun RPing.

I'm looking to see if any of you have recommendations for roleplaying-heavy Shadowrun or Cyberpunk or even just sci-fi adventures. (Premade, is what I'm getting at, but if you've got some good plot threads I'd love to hear them.

Of course, I love RP-heavy adventures to begin with, so if you've got any favorites, share and share alike!


TL; DR

I'm looking for published or written adventures for any system with a big focus on roleplaying or some awesome roleplaying scenes.

rasmusnicolaj

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« Reply #1 on: <11-03-12/1021:09> »
Hi

My experience with premade adventures, are that they are set up to be fairly straight forward with some combat and some puzzels.
Roleplaying is not a big part of those and social encounters are often desribed by a roll or two.

So I guess you have to modify what ever module you buy. Downplay the rules part and focus on the story. Often there is a fair amount of background in a module that explains the involved characters motives. You just have to emphasises those and let your group roleplay.
And just leave room to improvise.

Rasmus
Deplore killings made in the name of religion. Can't it just be for fun?

Critias

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« Reply #2 on: <11-03-12/1344:00> »
Heavily character-driven role-playing tends to be very character specific, driven by the particulars of a group, the quirks of the GM, and the players involved.  They are, to compare to restaurants, a very personal dining experience custom tailored to the diner by a fantastic chef, prepared to their exact specifications with care and precision.  But that sort of thing takes time and effort, and if you try to cut corners it can go sour pretty fast.

Pre-published adventures tend to be bundled and packaged collections of scenes designed specifically to be as applicable possible to as many players as possible, as easily understood by as many GMs as possible, and as easily played-through as possible regardless of group dynamic.  They are, in contrast, the reliable and predictable quality of a chain restaurant, where you might not always get the mouth-watering meal that was exactly what you wanted, but you'll get it fast, reasonably priced, and without any surprises.

These two things are, as written, largely incompatible.  You can't pre-write and publish playing a role.  Without knowing your group, the whims of your players and the details of their characters, how can you?  Any adventures you find, you're probably going to have to reskin and/or house rule.  Any adventures you find that are broad enough to allow for heavy role-playing, you're probably going to have to put some work into in order to make them run as quickly and smoothly as a tighter, play-ready, adventure. 

Wakshaani

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« Reply #3 on: <11-04-12/2055:17> »
Yeah, groups make a big difference. If you have a published adventure where, say, runners are offered money to go blow up a bridge, somegroups will wince, some will shrug, but most will do it. Pay them instead to snuff some guy and many groupswill flat-out say no.... but others will take the easy payday.

So, it's tricky to find one that can press the right buttons. Back in the day, "Hooker with a Heart of Gold" was the template, where most 'runners followed a code and wouldn't cross a line for any price. Selling out was losing. Later, 'runners became more professional, doing whatever was asked for the price (But some deeds would cost more) ... screw the other guy, I got mine jack. The idea of being the elite of the elite and not getting out of bed for less than 50,000Y ... and doing pro-bono work was unthinkable.

SO, the adventures with more RPin them are mostly older at this stage. Queen Eurphoria, for instance, or Dreamchipper, with Elven Fire and the much-maligned Imago being at angles as well.

I kinda wonder if there's not a market for smaller PDF-only modlues, rather than the larger 'super-modules' like Jet Set or the like.

No idea.

If you think that there might be, well, this is kinda the place to say so. Demand creates a supply, after all. :)
 

JustADude

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« Reply #4 on: <11-05-12/0048:22> »
Now, to add a bit of a counter-point... there are still lines that people won't cross, and things they'll do for free. They're just fewer and farther between.

I've got a character, for example, who will kill anyone and kill or destroy anything (yes, including orphanages and hospitals) if you pay him enough. He won't touch human trafficking with a 10-foot pole, though, and hate-groups... especially Human Supremacists... make his trigger-finger itchy.
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jamesfirecat

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« Reply #5 on: <11-05-12/1239:34> »
Try out "Now for Something Completely Different" it's fairly easy to do the entire run without having any fights outside of a deeply philosophical one that could just as easily be resolved through other means and lots of chances for talking to people/exploring your characters natures...

All4BigGuns

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« Reply #6 on: <11-05-12/1347:49> »
Try out "Now for Something Completely Different" it's fairly easy to do the entire run without having any fights outside of a deeply philosophical one that could just as easily be resolved through other means and lots of chances for talking to people/exploring your characters natures...

I have one thing to say about this, unless it's a solo game. Boooooring!
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jamesfirecat

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« Reply #7 on: <11-05-12/1354:41> »
Try out "Now for Something Completely Different" it's fairly easy to do the entire run without having any fights outside of a deeply philosophical one that could just as easily be resolved through other means and lots of chances for talking to people/exploring your characters natures...

I have one thing to say about this, unless it's a solo game. Boooooring!

I'm not saying it's a good/great run in the essence of what makes a fun run to go on, if you don't believe me just check out my review  http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=8352.0 of it.

But the OP asked for a run with a minimum of hacking/fighting so I gave him one.

The same way where if I was asked by an OP to name an adventure where Mr. Johnson tells you things that are wildly out of character and make no sense at all I would suggest he take a look at Spin Control, of if he wanted a run where all the people who could possibly hire you act like backstabbing pricks for no reason at all I would tell him to look at Firestorm.



Wakshaani

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« Reply #8 on: <11-05-12/1408:54> »
Try out "Now for Something Completely Different" it's fairly easy to do the entire run without having any fights outside of a deeply philosophical one that could just as easily be resolved through other means and lots of chances for talking to people/exploring your characters natures...

There's an issue of What If? that I've been after for years which includes a *great* bit based on this. It's only two pages, but I can't find page 2 scanned in anywhere. :(

It features Spider-Man vs the Mad Thinker, as presented in a story backed by the National Foundation for the Arts. The two face off against one another a debate over philosophy, where Spider-Man comes out the victor.

http://spiderfan.org/comics/images/what_if/034-c.jpg

If anybody can find page two, I would love you forever.

Black

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« Reply #9 on: <11-05-12/1459:40> »
Don't know the issue number by chance Wak?
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jamesfirecat

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« Reply #10 on: <11-05-12/1519:24> »
Don't know the issue number by chance Wak?

if I had to take a guess I'd bet on What If #34, because there' s a 34 in the page link and because I did a little quick googling to back up my hunch that number 34 was basically a bunch of really short one and two page gag what ifs...

Black

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« Reply #11 on: <11-05-12/1524:16> »
Don't know the issue number by chance Wak?

if I had to take a guess I'd bet on What If #34, because there' s a 34 in the page link and because I did a little quick googling to back up my hunch that number 34 was basically a bunch of really short one and two page gag what ifs...

Doh! Thanks James!  :)
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Change perception and reality will follow
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EccentricOwl

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« Reply #12 on: <11-05-12/1759:03> »
Sometimes I feel shoehorned into having combat missions. I'm sure I'll think of something.

Ympulse

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« Reply #13 on: <11-05-12/1912:13> »
There is no reason to have a run turn into combat.

An example from a run in one of the games I GM;

Team was contracted to gather information on a cult of awakened. Team was able to get their mage into the cult (after a bit of social engineering) and from there, they were able to gather information while RPing as the curious new cult members. Fast forward two days of RP (literally took 5 hours of game time worth of character interaction between PCs and NPCs) and the team cuts ties and reports info the the Johnson. Not a single roll of the dice (outside of some con and etiquette and the obligatory data search) happened for the entire game.

All you need to ask yourself, as a GM, is "What can the runners conceivably do outside of combat?" and then go from there when planning your run. If you're going with the published adventures, feel free to remove actors in situations wherein the combat is forced. Example below, because spoilers

(Perfect example being in the Jetblack adventure, when you're in the graveyard, you can simply just not have the third party come in guns-a-blazin' and let the PCs roleplay out the encounter with the woman.)

WSN0W

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« Reply #14 on: <11-06-12/1202:23> »
Also, even if there is to be violence does not mean the PC's must be IN the violence. if the characters are more social and sneaky, planting evidence, working people up and turning them against each other could work as well.

If the runners want to get the McGuffin that's held by a gang/syndicate group, they could destabilize the power base by turning the trusted Lt against the boss and slipping in during the confusion or getting Gang A to war with Gang B.

It's a lethal system as well, so sometimes the threat of violence could prevent a need for one. A troll PC with a heavy weapon of some kind pointed at the surprised group might be enough to keep everyone from doing anything while the PC Face explains why they are taking the McGuffin and that it's in their best interest to just sit there. So the PC's are just making infiltration, con and intimidate rolls rather than shooting a place up. Or a sniper shooting the weapon out of the badguys hand might put talking back on the table.