Editing A Place Called Home

=A Place Called Home=

A freeform Shadowrun campaign.

==Main Links==

[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?738636-Interest-Recruitment-Stripped-Down-Freeform-Shadowrun Recruitment Thread]

[IC thread]

[OOC Thread]


==Player Characters==

[[APCH:Miss Fortune | Miss Fortune]], a Human Street Samurai played by  [[User:Silent Wayfarer]]

[[APCH:Taug | Taug]], a Troll Street Mage played by [[User:Argh]]

[[APCH:Trixxy Nyxxie | Trixxy Nyxxie]], a Dwarf Decker played by [[User:Devin Parker]]

[[APCH: Cleo Hogg | Cleo "Hatchet" Hogg]], an Ork Street Shaman, played by [[User:Baeraad]]

[[APCH:Nathaniel Weller | Nathaniel "Alpine" Weller]], an Ork Mercenary, played by [[User:Insomniac]]

==Home==

[[File:APCH_Block_Map.jpeg]]


==Some Rules and stuff==
CHARGEN STUFF


===Step 1:=== 

Pick an Archetype from the following list [Choice of type], (Free skill(s); Free Item):

Decker (Decking, 1 Etiquette; Item: Battered old Custom built Deck)

Former Company Man (Etiquette: Corporate + 1 other Etiquette, Knowledge: Corporate, +1 Contact (Corporate); Item: Armour-Lined Suit (concealable armour))

Ganger [Stret Gang, Go-Gang] (Contact: Gang Leader, Contact (Underworld), Etiquette: Gang, Knowledge: Gangs, either Rigging (if a Go-Ganger) or Close Combat (if a Street Ganger); Item: Go-Bike or Hand Weapon)

Hermetic Mage [ex-Wage Mage, Street Mage, Burned Out Mage] (Sorcery, Knowledge: Magic Theory; Item: Enchanted Item (Has a Spell already enchanted and ready to fire - will have an increased chance of success. Item can be re-enchanted when you have downtime.)

Mercenary (Close Combat or Shooting, Knowledge: Military, Contact (Government), Contact (Arms Dealer); Item: Armoured Vest (level 2 armour) or Another Gun)

Private Detective (2 extra Contacts, 1 Etiquette, Stealth or Shooting; Item: Polymer Holdout Pistol)

Rigger (Rigging, Contact: Mechanic, Knowledge: Vehicles; Item: Vehicle or Drone)

Shaman [Tribal, Street Shaman] (Totem, Conjuring, Item: Fetish (Has a Bound Spirit of one type in there, can be automatically summoned and bound))

Street Doc (First Aid, Etiquette: Street, Knowledge: Medicine, Knowledge: Bioscience. Item: Field Medic Kit)

Street Samurai (Close Combat or Shooting, 1 Contact, 1 Etiquette; Item: Katana or Extra Gun)

Tribesman (Etiquette: Tribal, Contact: Tribal Shaman, Tribal Chief, Knowledge: Tribal, Choose one: Athletics, Close Combat, Shooting, Stealth); Item: None extra)

Wannabe Fixer (Choose 3 Etiquettes, 4 Contacts; Item: Armoured Suit (concealable))


===Step 2:=== 

Rank the following from 1 to 5 (5 is highest and best):

Attributes
Essence
Race
Skills
Stuff

The rank you give each section is the number of points you have to spend in that section, as can be found below:


====Attributes====

There are four attributes. When / If I have to make a roll, I'll add whatever modifier best fits to the roll. You have a number of points equal to the rank you gave to Attributes in step 2 above. The maximum (before racial or cybernetic etc modifiers from below) that you can give to an Attribute is 3. All Attributes start at 0. They can below 0 if modified by race, wounds etc. 

The four Attributes are:

Brawn (physical presence, 'hit points,' strength, endurance etc)
Observation (knowledge, intellect, perception etc)
Reflexes (Agility, dexterity, speed, reactions etc)
Social (charisma, persuasion, willpower)

Generally, Brawn also tends to help Close Combat, Observation tends to help Hermetic Mages (spells) and Deckers, Reflexes tends to help Shooting, and Social tends to help Shamans (conjurings). When you are harmed, any of the four Attributes can be used to deflect damage, such as using Brawn for shrugging off damage, Observation for being perceptive enough to see where an attack is likeliest to come from, Reflexes for dodging the attack, Social for appearing the least offensive (and thus not as big a target), pleading with your attacker, whatever works for you. Armour will help even more. 

====Essence====

You have a number of Essence points to spend equal to the rank you gave to Essence in step 2 above. Each Essence point can be spent on either a Spell Group, a Spirit, or a Cybernetic Implant as described below. Both Cybernetic and Magic-wielding characters will thus find Essence useful, and a magic-wielding character that chooses to have Cybernetic Implants will have less ability with his magic. These are your initial Essence points, not your final limits - you can gain more spells, spirits and cyberware as the game goes on.

Spell Groups

Spells are pretty freeform - if you know the Spell Group, you can cast just about any spell that comes under that category. Combat Spells are ranged, if you want to do Close Combat damage, choose Dervish.

Physical Combat Spells (Can affect anything with a physical element, Powerbolts, Powerballs, etc)

Mana Combat Spells (Doesn't affect physical elements at all (including armour), Manabolts, Manaballs etc)

Detection Spells (Spells that involved detection or analysis to some extent, Hypersenses, Detect Life, Mind Probe, Astral Perception etc)

Health Spells (Spells that heal or cure, Heal Wounds, Reduce Toxins and Diseases etc)

Illusion Spells (Spells that disguise or hide in some way, Invisibility, Mask, Mask Object, Cause Confusion, Silence etc)

Manipulation Spells (Spells to control or otherwise manipulate, Levitation, Telekinesis, Control others' mind or body spells etc)

Transformation Spells (Spells for changing one thing to another, Create Light, Darkness, Create Barriers etc)

Dervish Spells (Spells that affect your own Attributes and body (like Physical Adept powers), Armour etc)
Spells that do harm (combat spells) can either do targeted damage to a particular thing or person, but can miss, or do area effect damage which isn't as powerful, but which is more likely to hit someone in the area affected. Also, the more you want out of a spell, the harder it is to make it work as you want.

Spirits


Spirits can be conjured where they exist. Hermetic Mages can choose Elemental spirits, which exist where that element is represented in some way, but the spirits have to be bound and forced to comply; Shamans can summon spirits where the environment is conducive to the spirits they have a good rapport with, and bargained with - they are easier to persuade than elementals, since Shamanic spirits are on good terms with the shaman, whereas elemental spirits are neutral at best. They are also generally more common than elemental spirits. Each rank spent on spirits grants you one spirit from the list below. The downside for Shamans is that there are more varieties of spirits to choose from (12 in all).

Hermetic: Air, Earth, Fire, Water

Shamanic: (City): Urban, Hearth, Field. (Land): Desert, Forest, Mountain. (Water): River, Sea, Swamp. (Air): Wind, Storm, Fog.

Cybernetic Implants

Choose an implant (R/L Eye, R/L Arm, R/L Leg, Head, Chest) and a power. Use your judgment to choose a suitable power based on the Shadowrun world (See the various books on cyberware for ideas). Describe what the implant does so I know when you're likely to use it. This is bog-standard cyberware (possibly even second hand). A datajack is pretty much free, so everyone can have one (except for mages and shamans) if they want one at no cost.

====Race====

If you want to be Human, you get no benefits, and can set your Race to 1 in step 2 above. 

If you want to be an Ork, you get Low-Light Vision, a +1 to your Brawn Attribute and a -1 to your Social Attribute, and can also set your Race to 1 (The two Attribute modifiers offset each other, and your low-light vision is offset by societal prejudice against Orks). 

If you want to be a Dwarf, you get Thermographic Vision and +1 to your Brawn Attribute, but you must set your Race to 2 in step 2 above. 

If you want to be a Troll, you get Thermographic Vision, Dermal Armour, +2 to your Brawn Attribute and -1 to your Observation and Social Attributes, and you must set your Race to 2 in Step 2 above. 

If you want to be an Elf, you get Low-Light Vision, +1 to your Social and Reflexes Attributes, and must set your Race to 3 in Step 2 above. 

====Skills====

You receive one Skill Group for each rank you put into Skills in step 2 above. You know at least one Skill Group already based on the Archetype you chose in Step 1 above. Skills are an on/off thing - you either have skills or you don't (so you only have to spend 1 point to get a skill group, you can't spend 2 points to be extra good at Decking, for example, just 1 point). Anyone can attempt to use a skill, but those with that skill have a much better chance of success. In some cases, simply having the skill gives you a free pass.

The following skill groups may be chosen:

Sorcery [Only if Shaman chosen as Archetype] (Spells)
Conjuring [Only if Hermetic Mage chosen as Archetype] (Spirits)
Athletics (Running, jumping, climbing, swimming, throwing, etc)
Close Combat (armed or unarmed)
Shooting (all sorts of guns and stuff)
Stealth (Hiding, sneaking, legerdemain etc)
Decking (includes electronic door locks and other security measures) 
Etiquette [Choose 1: Street, Corporate, Gang, Government, Media, Tribal, Underworld] (Knowing how to act around them what leverage to use when negotiating with them, etc)
First Aid (Care for wounds, shock, etc)
Knowledge (You start with knowledge applicable to your Archetype and you can also pick another specialty of any sort (medicine, bioscience, history, a particular corporation, dragons, etc)
Rigging (driving or piloting all manner of vehicles)

====Stuff====

This is a general category. You get a number of points in Stuff equal to the rank you gave to Stuff in step 2 above. For each point, you can choose something extra. It might be a better Item (you all start with an item relevant to your Archetype, light armour, and a hand weapon), an extra Spell or Spirit, an extra Cybernetic Implant, an extra contact, speak an extra language (otherwise you all just speak English), an extra Skill, an extra point in an Attribute, or something completely outside of the above constrictions - anything extra that you can think of that you want your character to be known for that isn't covered above, basically, but within reason and within the bounds of the Shadowrun universe in 2050.

===Step 3: Everything Else.===

As mentioned above, you start with an item relevant to your Archetype (a battered but custom built old deck, a cherished but worn katana, your shamanic fetish, an old Remington Roomsweeper, some better armour from your army days, that sort of thing), a credstick with your last few creds on it (looks like someone is in need of some work), and a hand weapon (your trusty old Ares Predator or Ruger Super Warhawk, or maybe a wicked-looking combat axe). 

Think of a name and some background, maybe a street name if it differs from your actual name, and your contacts - come up with 1 + your score in your Social Attribute (to a minimum of 1, if you have a Social Attribute that's negative), plus whatever extra ones you get for your archetype. For your contacts, just give a name and occupation if you want, or pad them out a bit with back history - how you know them, whether you trust them fully, how reliable they're likely to be or how easy to contact they might be. You have free reign here, but remember, complications are what make roleplaying fun. If you only give a name and occupation right now, the rest can be filled in later as we go along. Oh, and everyone starts with a free Fixer contact. See the next post below for a list of ideas for contacts.

Finally, choose a Flaw of some sort (what's going to come back to haunt you, what are you scared of, why do things usually fall apart?, How are you going to Fuck Up A Perfectly Easy Run?), and a Motivation (why do you run the shadows?)

==Extra Info==

===Some Suggested Contact Occupations:===

Corporate [Choose a Corporation] (Secretary, Wage Slave, Corporate Decker, Security Guard, Lab Rat)

Government (City Official, Metroplex Guardsman, UCAS Army Grunt, Docwagon Paramedic, Street Cop, Policlub Officer)

Street (Bartender, Street Doc, Snitch, Street Kid, Squatter, Community Organizer, Junkie, Bounty Hunter, Anarchist Collectivist, Metahuman Right Activist, Club Bouncer)

Professional (Academic, Talismonger, Mechanic, Arms Dealer, Cybersurgeon)

Underworld (Ganger, Mafia Mobster, Yakuza Soldier, Triad Enforcer, Seoulpa Ring Member, Smuggler)

Media (Reporter, Journalist, Producer, Agent)

Tribal (Warrior, Shaman, Tribesperson)

===Totems (for Shamans): They generally give two advantages and one disadvantage.===

Bear (Gives Healing Spell Group, Forest Spirits, Can go Berserk when wounded)

Cat (Gives Illusion Spell Group, Urban Spirits, Toys with enemy rather than kills immediately)

Coyote (No advantages or disadvantages)

Dog (Gives Detection Spell Group, Hearth Spirits, Stubborn (doesn't adapt well to change))

Eagle (Gives Detection Spell Group, Wind Spirits, Won't tolerate polluters or evil)

Raccoon (Gives Manipulation Spell Group, Urban Spirits, Can't help but steal)

Rat (Gives Illusion Spell Group, Urban Spirits, Cowardly - can't take Combat or Dervish Spell Groups)

Raven (Gives Manipulation Spell Group, Wind Spirits, Claustrophobic - If you can't see the sky, you're running subpar)

Snake (Gives Healing Spell Group, Desert Spirits, Obsessed with learning secrets)

Wolf (Gives Dervish Spell Group, Forest Spirits, Cannot break pack loyalty)


===Decking===

A Battered old Custom Built Deck will allow you to take 4 programmes on a run, as things go along and you make some Nuyen, you can upgrade your deck to include more programmes. You can make up and name your own programmes (describe what they do), use the ones from Shadowrun books as examples. 


===Improving your character===

As you do runs, you'll pick up Nuyen (which will allow you to buy more or better gear) and you'll improve in other ways too - you'll get 1-2 XP a run to spend as if they were points put into Stuff - so you can increase an Attribute, get a new Skill, a new Contact, a new Spell or Spirit, or a new piece of Cyberware or other gear. 


===The system, if it can be called one.=== 

Often I'll just make up a reaction, an effect or whatever based on what seems to be a likely outcome, so a lot of things won't even see dice rolls. If I do have to make a roll, usually when combat is taking place, but at other times when a random element is needed too, I'll roll a die, and add some bonuses or penalties based on what I know about your character - her Attributes, what Skills she has, what Gear she's using, her Motivation and Flaw as well as environmental factors (having 4 red samurai bearing down on you while you try to get the computer lock on the door to open is going to be slightly terrifying), and her Archetype - even though a Rigger and a Decker might both have the Decking skill, the Decker is going to be better, because decking is what she is, chummer. Then I'll write up what happens based on what I end up rolling. Again, you can see what this looks like for PCs by picking a page at random from my other game (The Words that Maketh Murder) which is linked in my sig below. 

In terms of HP etc, it's more abstract. There are 5 levels of being, from Perfectly Fine to A Few Scratches And Bruises, to Starting To Hurt, to Uh-Oh and finally to Medic! I guess there's really 6 stages, the 6th being Alas Poor Yorick, from which there's no coming back. I might not always use those exact phrases, but you'll have a good idea of what wound level you're at when it comes to it (You Can See his Fucking Brain! is equivalent to Medic!, That Ankle is Definitely Sprained is equivalent to Starting To Hurt, and You'll Feel That In The Morning is on a par with A Few Scratches And Bruises, to give some examples. Some characters will take more time passing from one stage to the next, based on stuff like the Brawn Attribute, race (Trolls can take some damage) and Archetype (Street Samurai are tougher than Deckers), but in general, if you're shot or whacked with a combat axe, it's going to hurt you. A professional doing the hurting is going to hurt even more, especially if he's wired and using top of the line gear. Sometimes you have to realize why they call it running the shadows. 


==Additional Notes==


'''Fixer: Tommy Panic.'''

Your local fixer is Tommy Panic, who used to run the shadows years ago until he got mangled by a Renraku Red Samurai team while trying to get out of run that went bad. His legs got shot up bad, and the resulting medical treatment affected his magic (he was a Hermetic Mage). He's got a little juice left in him that he doesn't want to lose (though not much - it's more of a sentimental attachment to his prior magic than any real ability left), and doesn't want to get replacement cyberlegs because he knows he would lose what remains of his magical ability if he did. Hobbling around with a stick is no place for a runner, so, in his mid forties now, he's retired from the shadows, but since he still has a lot of contacts from his day, he acts as a fixer for the small number of runners who live in the 8 block area around the park. Lives in Block A.

'''Community Leader: Ula Deneir'''

The person who has done most to create this sense of community is a (human) woman in her mid 50s or 60s, Ula Deneir. She's the one who first set up the urban garden project here, who has arranged defence patrols when things have been looking dicey, tries to keep the really bad BTL pushers out of the community, and even helps out teaching the young kids who don't have any other schooling available to them. She's also turned a few blind eyes over the years to less than legal methods of bringing in food, medicine and other goods into the community (in other words, she's fine with shadow runners operating, as long as they help the community too). Lives in Block B.
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 A freeform Shadowrun campaign.
 ==Main Links==
@@ Line 10: / Line 7: @@
 [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?738636-Interest-Recruitment-Stripped-Down-Freeform-Shadowrun Recruitment Thread]
-[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?739270-A-Place-Called-Home IC thread]
+[IC thread]
+[OOC Thread]
-[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?739266-A-Place-Called-Home OOC Thread]
 ==Player Characters==
-[[File:SR2050APlaceCalledHome.png]]
 [[APCH:Miss Fortune | Miss Fortune]], a Human Street Samurai played by  [[User:Silent Wayfarer]]
@@ Line 27: / Line 22: @@
 [[APCH: Cleo Hogg | Cleo "Hatchet" Hogg]], an Ork Street Shaman, played by [[User:Baeraad]]
-[[APCH:Nathaniel Weller | Nathaniel "Laredo" Weller]], an Ork Mercenary, played by [[User:Insomniac]]
+[[APCH:Nathaniel Weller | Nathaniel "Alpine" Weller]], an Ork Mercenary, played by [[User:Insomniac]]
 ==Home==
-Welcome to Sanctuary Park.
+[[File:APCH_Block_Map.jpeg]]
-[[File:APCH_Block_Map.jpeg]]
 ==Some Rules and stuff==
@@ Line 243: / Line 236: @@
 The person who has done most to create this sense of community is a (human) woman in her mid 50s or 60s, Ula Deneir. She's the one who first set up the urban garden project here, who has arranged defence patrols when things have been looking dicey, tries to keep the really bad BTL pushers out of the community, and even helps out teaching the young kids who don't have any other schooling available to them. She's also turned a few blind eyes over the years to less than legal methods of bringing in food, medicine and other goods into the community (in other words, she's fine with shadow runners operating, as long as they help the community too). Lives in Block B.
-==REP==
-Blow's Gang -1
-Ula Denier / Sanctuary Park +1
-==Spending XP and Nuyen==
-New rules on XP, nuyen and stuff:
-You get 1 XP for going on a run, another 1 XP if you're successful, and 1 XP if either your Motivation or Flaw comes up and affects you adversely. You will also get an amount of Nuyen for each run too.
-Weapons, armour, ammo, grenades etc can be bought with nuyen, but you'll need a contact for restricted or military grade equipment. That means gel rounds can be got fairly easily (as can normal ammo), but if you want to buy AP ammo, grenades other than tear gas etc, you'll need a relevant contact (Laredo has one) and I'll make a roll for availability. You can try through your other contacts for such gear, but there'll be a penalty to the roll. You can also use up an XP to get 1 item of gear (in the case of ammo, you get...er....a case of ammo). Basically, unrestricted gear can be easily found, restricted gear other than normal ammo is at a penalty unless you have a relevant contact, military grade gear is at a penalty with a relevant contact, and almost impossible without one. I'm making an exception for normal ammo, and handwaving the cost for that, your food and living expenses. Consider whatever you get from your runs to be what's left over after you've bought your various necessities of life.
-XP and nuyen will buy you cyberware, decker programmes, deck upgrades, magic spell groups and spirits. Cyberware will vary, but will usually be 1-3 XP + nuyen, depending on what you want. Programmes will usually be 1 XP + nuyen, deck upgrades will normally cost 1-3 XP + nuyen, again depending on what you want to upgrade. New spell groups and spirits will escalate in cost - so adding one more spell group will cost you 1 XP and some nuyen (for materials, spell formulae etc), adding a second spell group will cost 2 XP, adding a third will cost 3 XP, etc. So to use Hatchet as an example, she currently has 3 spell groups. If she wants to gain another two spell groups (Mana Combat spells and Illusion spells, maybe), it will cost a total of 3 XP (1 for the 1st group, 2 for the 2nd group). If she does another run and ends up with another 3 XP, she can buy a third extra group (Detection spells maybe), and then start saving up XP to buy a 4th extra spell group for 4 XP. Ditto for new spirits.
-Stat increases and new skill groups will cost you XP only, at 2 XP for either. New Contacts will cost you 2 XP too.
-I'll base nuyen costs on the various Shadowrun books I have, most notably the 2050 book.
-So to answer your questions, Laredo can buy some Stick 'n' Shock rounds quite easily for nuyen (since he has an arms dealer contact). Call it 50 nuyen for a box of them. Grades for the launcher depend now what type you want, and might not be available to you - Smoke grenades are 50 Y for a box, normal offensive are 60, flash bangs are 50 Y. All are military grade, so won't always be immediately available. If there's something you really want, but which your dealer can't get hold of right away, let me know; he'll keep his eyes peeled, which means after your next run, I'll make another roll with a bonus. Eventually he'll be able to get some. A new taser for Nyxxie will cost Fortune 500 Y (and is restricted, so might not be available). Or you could spend 1 XP and be sure to get one. Obviously, more expensive items will cost more in XP.
-As for looting and stripping people - you can grab a weapon or so, but trying to cart around an extra suit of combat armour is going to take you time to strip it off its previous owner and be cumbersome while you're carrying it around. Trying to take out cyberwar and the like will require either cybersurgery rolls and a long time (they're surprisingly delicate when you try to install or remove them), or a combat axe and a reputation for barbarity (which may affect how you're treated when you try to get jobs). Fortune, if you want, you can set aside part to your proceeds for runs, or use up 1 XP to account for gear you've managed to strip from your enemies and sold or other stuff laying around that you've scavenged to then sell. We'll count each XP you spend in that way to be about 10K nuyen.