[Game On] Shadowrun 3rd "Just Another Day in Paradise." Chapter 2 "Paradise"

illgottengains

Cast of Characters

JohnnyCache as Juton

SteelHawk as Raven

Chrysis as Lyov

Rucdoc as Squirrel

Gabriel_Pitt as Mao

Captain Carrot as Rose

Just another day in paradise is a 3rd edition Shadowrun game.








What the eff is this Karma stuff?

For those rusty in, or never introduced to, the SR3E xp system:

Total Karma is all the karma your character has ever been awarded. This number is roughly equivalent to your character's "level" in other games.

Karma POOL is a stat that starts at 1; you can deplete your karma pool temporarily for various effects - one die of karma pool typically buys either a re-roll of all failure dice, one extra success on a test (provided you rolled at least one to begin with), or extra dice to roll at a progressive cost(1 die costs you one, two die costs you 3, three die costs you six, four dice costs you 10, etc). If you buy extra dice you declare it before a roll against a target number but in the case of an open test, you may invoke it between learning the numerical result and the success or failure. The karma pool is refreshed at the GM's discretion, with a rule of thumb of once every MAJOR scene change or RL gaming session.


Humans place 10% (1 in 10) of their karmic awards into the Karma Pool at whole intervals, metas 5% (1 in 20). This donation PERMANENTLY increases the MAXIMUM of your karma pool (there are a few rules and situations where you can lose a point of it forever, but they are rarely invoked and generally specifically story driven). This faster rate of donation is the sole human "racial advantage" - essentially representing that they are a compromise between slow-starting, long lived elves and dwarves and the fast but brightly burning trolls and orks.

Good karma is your unspent XP bank.

So if an elf and a human have been awarded 40 karma, the human has Total Karma of 40, a max karma pool of 5, and good karma of 36. The elf has a karma pool of 3, and good karma of 38 for the spendin'

Right now, we should all have a karma pool of 1 (as standard starting characters), a TK of 1, and GK of 1.

If we spend the GK, that doesn't effect the pool, nor does it effect the GK to use the pool.

Yes, the language is a bit ambiguous. The "karma pool" stat has been renamed to "edge" in SR4

Chrysis

I'm interested. Got involved in a PbP before, although it quickly imploded as most PbP games I get involved in seem to do. I'll see if I can dig up books tonight.

I assume the averaging of initiative rolls is so that we all act simultaneously, thus preventing the problem where no one can do anything until a particular person has posted.

Character Sheet:

Lyov Popov

A slightly crazy Russian ex-pilot, drummed out of the corporate air-force just before retirement after a work-related accident left him with a prosthetic arm. Took up smuggling to keep himself active. Makes his own vodka.

Race: E - Human
Magic: D - None
Attributes: C

Body 2
Quickness 6
Strength 3
Charisma 2
Intelligence 6
Willpower 5
Essence 1.80
Run Mult. 3
Reaction 6
Init. Dice 1

Combat Pool 8 dice
Control Pool 10 dice

Skills: A

Active
Pistols [3]
Shotguns [6]
Negotiation [2]
Gunnery [4]
Car [5]
Rotor Aircraft [5]
Fixed-Wing Aircraft [4]
Gunnery B/R [2]
Pistols B/R [2]
Shotguns B/R [4]
Car B/R [4]
Rotor Aircraft B/R [4]
Fixed Wing Aircraft B/R [4]
Brewing alcohol [1]

Knowledge
AK:Greater Seattle(KNO) [2]
SV:Navigation(KNO) [4]
SW:Corporate Politics(KNO) [2]
SW:Corporate Procedures(KNO) [2]
SW:Corporate Security(KNO) [3]
AC:Chemistry(KNO) [3]
AC:Engineering(KNO) [4]
AC:Gunsmithing(KNO) [4]
Smuggling Routes(KNO) [4]
NAN Border Patrol Tactics(KNO) [2]

Language
Russian(LAN) [4]
Russian(LAN) (RW) [2]
English(LAN) [3]
English(LAN) (RW) [1]
Japanese(LAN) [2]
Japanese(LAN) (RW) [1]

Resources: B

Lifestyle
5 Months Medium - Refurbished warehouse in industrial areas.
2 Months Low - Safe house distant from main accommodation.

Cyberware
Vehicle Ctrl Rig [2] E:3.00
Datajack E:0.20
Obv. CyberArm E:1.00

Armour
X:Secure Long Coat 10 4 2
X:Secure Vest 15 2 1

Weapons
X:Survival Knife(EDG)
X:Rmngton Roomsweeper ShG(HPist)
+X: Concealable Holster
X:Defiance T-250 (ShtG)
+X: Shock Pads (RC:1)
+X: [100]Regular Rnds
+X: [100]Flechette Rnds
+X: [50]Gel Rnds
+X: [50]Explosive Rnds
X:Micro Flare Launcher None
+X: Micro Flares 6M 10
+X: Micro Flares 6M 10

Gear
Ration Bars (10 Days) @sr3.295
Ration Bars (10 Days) @sr3.295
Tent @sota.75
Survival Kit @sr3.295
Canteen and Mess Kit @sota.75
Sleeping Bag @sota.75
Basic Medkit @sr3.304
[20]Medkit Supplies @sr3.304
Rope (50 meters) @sr3.295,fof.56
Binoculars @sr3.290
Flashlight, pocket @sr3.290
Goggles, Low-Light @sr3.290
Nav-Dat GPS @sr3.295,cc.122
Respirator @sr3.295
Pressure Reg. for Respirator @sr3.295
DocWagon: Basic Service @sr3.304

Vehicle Kit @sr3.288
General Kit @sr3.288
Gunsmith Kit (Pistol) @sr3.288,cc.72
Gunsmith Kit (Shotgun) @sr3.288,cc.72
Vehicle Shop @sr3.288
Gunsmith Shop @sr3.288,cc.72
General Shop @sr3.288

Handset Cell Phone @sr3.287 (Burner)
Handset Cell Phone @sr3.287
Scanner [4] @sr3.290

Vehicles
MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone
- Remote Control Encryption [3]

GMC Bulldog Stepvan
- Rigger Adaptation
- Sensors [3]
- Remote Small Turret (Pop-up)
- - Ingram Valiant LMG + Customisation kit
- - Ammunition Bin (600 Tracer, 1400 Regular)
- Folding Bench Seat
- Drone Rack
- Morphing License Plate
- Library Transponder Chip [4]
- Anti-Theft System [6]
- Rollbars

Rigger
Remote Control Deck Rating [5]
R-C ECCM Rating [3]
R-C Encryption Module [3]
Intercom System
Audio/Visual Screen Display
Hitcher Jack
Storage memory 200Mp

Contacts
Koresh Fixer (1) - Fixer who recruited Lyov for smuggling after departure from corp airforce.
Takuma Tsukino Technician(1) - Tech met through Koresh, provides electronics expertise.
Eduard Volkov Mechanic(2) - Partner during corp airforce. Runs mechanics shop and supplies parts.

Cash/Credsticks

Standard Credstick (Rating 2 - Lyov) - 1294
Certified Credstick (Job deposit) - 2000

Vehicle Stats
GMC Bulldog:
Handling: 4 / 8 Speed: 85 Accel: 4 Body: 4 Armour: 2 Sig: 2 Autonav: 2 Pilot: N/A Sensor: 3

Nissan Roto-Drone:
Handling: 4 Speed: 70 Accel: 6 Body: 2 Armour: 0 Sig: 4 Autonav: N/A Pilot: 1 Sensor: 1

illgottengains

That's right Chrysis. I've run and done some PbP before and combat seriously bogs down a game. With simultaneous turns the players will be able to take their turns in the natural order they post them, on the party's turn.

Chrysis

What will that do to Initiative passes? Or are you just going to do away with them?

I found the core book, and have a fair idea where I'd be going. Definitely Rigger/Mechanic, and probably with a helicopter too Of course, a lot depends on other people being interested.

illgottengains

I think balance wise it would be best to do away with the initiative passes. It wouldn't do to let the street sam get 4 turns before the other team gets a go.

rucdoc

interesting, I'll have to look and see if I have the 3rd ed book sitting around

illgottengains

Sounds good rucdoc, I can't wait to get started

Chrysis

I had a play with that chargen, and it's fairly intuitive. Didn't have the Ares Dragon in the vehicles section though. With the regards to vehicles, they list capacity for passengers and cargo. While rules are given for stashing more cargo in passenger seats, can passengers be stashed in the cargo hold? I don't imagine it would be very comfortable, but beggars can't be choosers. There also don't seem to be options for upgrading vehicles except for weapons, I assume pimping your ride was a separate source book.

illgottengains

Ya, NSRCG is pretty easy to get around, the main thing is to make sure you are not using sourcebook material. It says what book any skill or item is drawn from.

As far as the ares dragon goes... I also am not seeing it here. My books should be coming through the mail tomorrow so I'll have another look to be sure.. but just looking around here I see that the docwagon ares citymaster has 2+2b. If I recall correctly that's two up front and 2 in the back.

I would venture to guess that you could of course put bodies into a cargo bay if there is enough room for them, but climate conditions could make such a trip dangerous or even fatal.

Chrysis

I did a search for pictures of the Dragon, and the only pictures I found were of a twin prop sky-crane. That didn't really match my understanding of what it was given the rules, and the other pictures on the site for other craft are screen-caps from Ghost in the Shell, so I'm wary of taking the picture as gospel.

EDIT: Ah-ha, figured it out. By default NSRCG limits gear to availability 8. An Ares Dragon is higher than that, so it doesn't show up. Are we limited in availability at all? You can also change the options to remove all the extra sourcebooks, which is handy. Looking at the character creation section gear is limited to availability 8, so no option to have any sort of aircraft. That puts a damper on things.

illgottengains

Well... we could look at that a bit differently. This could provide for an interesting first episode. If you work the details so that your character is a helicopter-less pilot, we could begin with the theft of a helicopter, which admittedly would be a VERY risky mission for beginning level runners. OR, you could begin the game working your contacts for a chopper... the old fashioned way which will of course take some time to come to fruition. That, however, should not effect things plot-wise in a negative way.

Yes, by the rule book no starting character may begin with equipment higher than availability 8.

rucdoc

I have found my books and will begin putting together a little something

Captain Carrot

I'm up for a face.

JohnnyCache

I'm down. I liked the last one we tried, where I played the medic, I hope this one catches fire a bit better. I'll make a character after the UFC tonight. probably a sneaky adept...

street sams technically get extra passes AFTER everybody else, fwiw. think of init in sr3 as a pool of points, not a single high score. It essentially costs 10 init to buy a pass, but you can round up on your last pass, and you can only buy one pass at a time.

and you fall down initiative in tens, IE a pc sam rolls a 22, the npc crime boss rolls a 15, and his two thugs roll a nine - sam goes first on 22, the boss enemy goes on 15, and his thugs on 9, subtract ten and do a new pass: then the sam goes on 12, the boss goes again at 5, the thugs don't get to go as they are out, subract ten a final time, now everyone is out but the sam, so the sam goes again at 2

what's being simulated here is the sam can actually just think faster and take free actions faster, not really move faster, so what he's really able to do is plan a few more actions - he has faster wits, not faster arms and legs, that would be a function of high quickness. Passes are powerful, but not god-like once numbers and modifiers for shifting targets and that sort of thing start coming into play, since even a mob of mundane humans all get to take one swing before that PC that is totally the ninja from metal gear gets his second.

Captain Carrot

Hmm. One sneaky adept and one tricksy adept so far. This should be interesting.

JohnnyCache

I might just end up skill based. But ill be a stealthy generalist

Chrysis

OK, now that there's more than two people signing up I'll start putting a character together. Vehicle rigger, less focus on piloting now I've realised I can't actually have an aircraft. Just means I don't have to spend as many resources on things and can have more skills

rucdoc

I'm still debating what kinda character I want to build, why must they give me so many choices

JohnnyCache

more of the stuff i wanted to use is in the companion/mits than i thought

rucdoc

I know

Gabriel_Pitt

I love SR3, never really got into 4. For a one run character, I'd love to play a well chromed street samurai.

illgottengains

Ah! Interest is ON! Glad to see it.

Hey, JohnnyCache. Ya I enjoyed that last SR game too and was sad to see it fade off. I also hope that isn't the case here, and am planning a somewhat shorter adventure that may not be as open ended as Celtic Double Cross.

@Gabriel_Pitt Ya, I played a little sr4, it's ok but I dunno, I guess I'm just old school about it. There are some changes to the wording that I liked though.

I'm on the fence about allowing the sourcebooks. I've got em all, pretty much, but they open up a lot possibilities, much more to keep track of; which, I know should be a good thing, right, but I'm not convinced that it's needed to just have some good ol' fun. I may be convinced otherwise but I'm not overly interested in power gaming. Ok, rant over.

JohnnyCache

Well, im really used to using a chargen, so i was a bit fuzzy on what was where...what i want to make is a grifter adept/master of disguise - you know, with the melanin control, face and voice control, kinesics etc, Which i sincerely thought were core powers when i started - the adept powers in the book are actually pretty cursory, though, and seem like they're just the core "build a real ninja" powers.

Captain Carrot

That's exactly what I had in mind. Hmm. Well, having two would be helpful, I think, if leaving the team a little short on muscle.

JohnnyCache

Captain Carrot wrote: »

That's exactly what I had in mind. Hmm. Well, having two would be helpful, I think, if leaving the team a little short on muscle.

Dang.

What exactly were you thinking about? I have a free-runner with a lot of fast talk, the shape-shifting stuff, and voice of command. Oh, and kinesics. Very, very combat light. I could make some muscle instead if you're a ways down the road with it. Edit: I've been watching Swamp People and have a hilarious idea for a muscle character, I'll do that.

Captain Carrot

Yeah, I've got Command, Empathic Reading, Enthralling Performance, Sculpt, Kinesics, Melanin and Voice. I've done pretty much all the stat and story work.

JohnnyCache

Well I made a different character entirely, and finished my adept as well - how do we turn this things in?

Captain Carrot

Generally we just post them in-thread. Gains, are you okay with including Companion and SOTA 64?

Gabriel_Pitt

My 2 cents is for a one run character, keep it to the core book and companion. Since sme of the mechanics are being shifted, the fewer extras the simpler it stays.

Chrysis

I've put together a vehicle rigger (with 1 drone) mechanic type character. He has a shotgun, and should be good with it, but not exactly a combat character. I wouldn't have minded more vehicle options, but looking at Rigger 3 you suddenly jump from almost no options to too many options. The chargen doesn't seem to have the option for the short-barreled Defiance, but as that's just a range, damage, and concealability change I'm not sure that's a huge issue.

Captain Carrot

Ugh, I hate Priority character creation.

JohnnyCache

Captain Carrot wrote: »

Generally we just post them in-thread. Gains, are you okay with including Companion and SOTA 64?

Well the char gen just spits out html

edit: was supposed to be IRT your post about "just posting them in the thread"

Captain Carrot

Then post the html, I guess?

Steelhawk

I'd be interested in playing a Shadowrun game again. I played the 2nd edition back in the day for a bit, but I'll put something together. Do you still have room?

Always been partial to street sammies, but I might do something different. We'll see how it goes.

JohnnyCache

Captain Carrot wrote: »

Then post the html, I guess?

It's like a form, like a huge table

Captain Carrot

Then put it in spoilers? Anyway, here's what I have so far:
Stats:

+1 Quick, +2 cha: elf
STR 1
QUI 2 (3)
BOD 1

INT 4
WIL 4
CHA 6 (8)

18 points

ESS 6
MAG 6
REA 5

skills:
Disguise 3 (int[7])
Stealth 3 (qui[7])
Computer 4 (int[8])
Etiquette 4 (12)
Interrogation 4 (12)
Intimidation 5 (13)
Instruction 3 (11)
Leadership 4 (12)
Negotiation 4 (12)

Knowledge [Literature] 4 (8)
Plays 2
Knowledge [Psychology] 3 (7)
Knowledge [Adept Magic] 3 (7)

Sperethiel 2
Japanese 2

50 points

adept powers:
Commanding Voice .5
Empathic Reading 3 .75 (-3 to determine lying)
Enthralling Performance (oration) .5
Facial Sculpt 1
Kinesics 1 (-1 Etiquette/Negotiation, +1 social test, +2 bluff)
Melanin Control .25
Voice Control .5
Total 4.5

Background:

Rosa Maria de la Plata is the third daughter of Eduardo and Helen de la Plata; Eduardo is a senior member of the Dunkelzahn Institute, and when they were growing up, she and her sisters had very comfortable lives. Rosa, or Rose as she preferred, was the only elf in the bunch, but nobody ever cared much about that, and her father was very proud when early testing by their tutors revealed that she had the capacity for magic.

It soon became clear that she was no formula-reciting mage or totem-carrying shaman, but an adept whose power lay in her body. Rose was already a very pretty girl with a silver tongue, and she honed these abilities, learning how to change her appearance at will to suit her desires, persuade even the most stubborn people to oblige her -- and sneak out when she wanted a night to herself.

Given the resources available to her, it was no surprise that Rose entered college at 16, nor that she finished a degree in Theater and Communications in only three years. After graduating, however, she was chafing at the tight restrictions on her lifestyle more than ever, and hoping desperately for some real excitement.

One of her father's friends heard about her boredom (and talents) and offered to employ her as a shadowrunner. All she knew of the occupation was what she had heard: people living on the edge, constantly in danger, a continual adrenaline rush. It sounded perfect, and Rose eagerly agreed. Since her father would flip his lid if he found out, Dr. McGillicuddy officially gave her a job as a troubleshooter, who visited problem areas under the good doctor's purview and investigated.

Rose is waiting eagerly for her first assignment (complete with a fake ID and downscale apartment), but it's unlikely she really has any idea what she's getting into.

Chrysis

I'm not entirely familiar with the Shadowrun universe, but is not speaking English practical if you live in Seattle?

Captain Carrot

Bleh, I was hoping that would be assumed.

Chrysis

Well you still have 2 points to spend on Languages (It's Int x 1.5), so you could buy English.

Looks like you've taken all the skills from the same pool of creation points. The points you get from Priority are only for Active skills, Knowledge skills have a separate pool of Int * 5, and Language another separate pool of Int * 1.5 (although you can use Knowledge skill points to buy Languages as well).

Captain Carrot

Oh, maybe that's what I was thinking in the first place, and just left it off.

rucdoc

Still a work in progress but I don't want to be late to the party

Jeremy Colins, aka Squirrel or Jimmy White, is a dwarf. He was made aware of that thru out his early life. This is of course not to say he is old, being only 22. However, given the resources left to him by his parents when they died, he thought he had a chance to over come his height. After finishing school he applied to work for Lonestar Security. Despite having passed all of the recruitment testing and meeting all the qualifications he was denied employment. Lonestar said his Father's past made him a security risk.

Jeremy's Father was of Japanese decent, his mother was American. Both had been born in Seattle, met while in school and had married, both had been from affluent families. Jeremy's father worked as an accountant, sadly he was not the best judge of character and ended up working for the Yakuza. This cost him his life and that of his wife. When Jeremy was ten he was away at a boarding school in San Fransico, his father took a stand against those he had been working for, this resulted in the house being fire bombed.

Jeremy's father had set up a contingency in case this had happened, and had setup a trust fund that would allow Jeremy to be educated properly and then when he turned twenty one he would get access to the balance of the funds remaining.

Jeremy took the rejection from Lonestar badly, he had always been taught that justice was fair, and that a person was judged based on their actions, not on those that are beyond their control. Jeremy took everything he had and melted into the shadows. Using the merger connections and alot of the assets he had, he shed his Identity as Jeremy Colins and became Jimmy White. Most of the people on the street in the areas he moved to didn't know his name, they just called him Squirrel.

Priority Attributes 30, Resources 400,000, Skills 34, Race Dwarf, Magic none.

Attributes
Body 5+1 6
Quickness 6
Strength 4+2 6
Charisma 4
intelligence 6
Willpower 5+1 6
Reaction 6
Essence 6
Magic 0

Spent Attribute points 30


Active Skills
Sub Machine Guns (Q) 6
Build/Repair 4
Pistols (Q) 4
Build/Repair 4
Unarmed Combat (S) 4
Athletics (B) 3
Etiquette (C) 4
Bike (R) 4
Build/Repair 1

Active skill points spent 34

Knowledge Skills
Lone Star Tactics 3
Gang Identification 2
Police Procedures 3
Yakuza Territory 1
Yakuza Politics 1
Economics 2
History 2
Gunsmithing 2
Literature 2
Military Theory 1
Background Sub Machine guns 3
Background Pistols 3
Interest Japanese Society 3
Interest Bushido Philosophy 2

Knowledge skill points spent 30

Languages
English 6
Read/Write 3
Japanese 3
Read/Write 1

Language points spent 9