/srg/ - Shadowrun General

Assuming everything goes ok, the team will be whisked off to Hong Kong, given plenty of free lodgings in an upscale hotel, asked to do a sidejob for the triads, and then asked to hit another Maersk vessel.

I haven't worked the details for this one, but it will be a genuine hit and burn - smuggled onto ship, likely the same as before, and given enough explosives by the triads to sink the ship mid-transit, and then rescued by Wuxing, with a scary day long stint in the water, worrying whether Wuxing betrayed them (which they didn't, just a timetable foul up, which Wuxing will apoligize for, and give them a free car from Wuxings ESSY division)

All together, the job for all three parts will pay a total of 100,000$ nuyen.

Thanks for all the great work!

Chronicles is a bag of dicks, but cyberpunk elves are relatively thin on the ground so I save whatever I find.

How long can a mage keep their true form a secret from their party?
What are some ways they can enhance their ability to hide their true form?

Um
That depends on what kind of mage you are?

Probably a shaman-y type.

Well what exactly is your true form

Probably an old lady.

We reworked much of the Matrix at our house; no more marks and special rolls and special rules and overcomplex shit for us. The Matrix uses the exact same type of rolling rules as meatspace, just using hacker-type skills and actions.
In addition Overwatch and it's "hurry the fuck up" mechanics are done away with and the Matrix uses the structure of 4e. So in our Matrix 5e never happened.

We also use 4e prices for cyberware.

>We also use 4e prices for cyberware.
Doesn't that cause balance problems?

We thought it might at first.
As it turns out, no so much due to the increased damage weapons do.
Our troll got unlucky and took a couple of bursts of assault rifle fire last game session and he was about 2/3rds of the way dead, and he is by FAR the tankiest guy in the team and if it were any of us we'd be crippled or dead outright.

>The Matrix uses the exact same type of rolling rules as meatspace, just using hacker-type skills and actions.
But that's exactly how it works already!
Perception = Matrix Perception
Sneaking = Stealth
Unlocking = Hacking
Buildings = Hosts
:^)

Indeed, this is basically true.
Which just took off the useless bells and whistles which I can only assume were added because the Grognard Squad can only enjoy the Matrix when it's as hopelessly overcomplicated as possible.

I used the 4e Matrix architecture for the reason is that it's decently-developed, well-explained, and most of all the information on it is actually organized enough to be something resembling fucking useful. Plus no "magical hacker subspace" arbitrarily inserted into the Matrix for no goddamn reason.

I don't know, maintaining your presence in multiple nodes was kind of a hassle as well. Taken RAW, 4e looks to be somewhere between mini-dungeon and 5e's cyber plane.

So far we haven't used multiple nodes, and we think of you do then you basically have to split your dice pool the same way you do if you were shooting multiple guns; basically dividing up your attention among multiple hacks at the same time.
Long-term hacks are back but hackers still can't wait in the van because all a corp needs to do is put the data on an internal network that's isolated from the rest of the Matrix. To get at that shit you have to actually jack into the physical computer or a terminal networked into the separate system.

Multiple guns, I'll remember that analogy.

On Herolab, how the fuck do I actually buy a new secondary license? This shit is an outdated mess.

So just like before 5e your hacker sits in a van multiple blocks down, well out of any danger and just hacks from there? Sounds thrilling.

Group mantra after a newguy PC tried to steal a murderhobo PC's shit.

Why are you using a character creator?

Because it's good shit you cheap nigger. Now do you have an answer to my question or..?

>Being a rude cunt while asking strangers for help

Yes, because that was an entirely innocent question with no intent to start any arguments...

Also
>answering a question with an unrelated question

>Aztechnology blood magic fuckery finally causes shit to go sideways
>Horrors enter into the world
>They look like this

Is a rating 2 power focus worth it or should I wait till I raise my magic rating so I can pick up one at 3? I already have a sustaining foci 4 for initiative and worry about addiction

Go to lonewolfdevel.com
Click "Login With Your License"
Login
"Purchase Additional Secondary Licenses"

ezpz

So that group I finally got together to play Shadowrun for the first time? The DM killed himself yesterday. I'm starting to think that the universe itself is keeping me from playing this game.

Just barely hidden. Boob tape is a wonderful thing.

I'm more interested in her panty situation

She's got white ones on, you can just see a little tiny bit under the right bow.

Probably something like this.

>all a corp needs to do is put the data on an internal network that's isolated from the rest of the Matrix

I've always hated this answer. If you know anything about connectivity and the way that large enterprises need to use and constantly transfer their data, you know that this would only be an option for the blackest of black-sites that have no need to communicate with the rest of the enterprise. It's like securing your social media account details by deleting it off the web and keeping it in a flash drive in your pocket. Sure it's secure, but it can no longer perform its function.

First there's the fact that, you know, you need to move your data place-to-place to make it useful. It has to come from somewhere in near real time, and shipping it in hard drives is not a viable answer. And it has to *go* somewhere that it can be used. Regional HQ doesn't just magically teleport its sales data in from the local offices. If you refuse to use the matrix, then you're probably looking at unacceptable costs and wait times for most things.

Then there's the fact that you need to keep backups in multiple data centers. So that if a disaster (like an earthquake, or overexcited runner team) destroys your Minnesota server full of petabytes of irreplacable application and customer data, you still have the stuff backed up in your Hong Kong office and can recover from that.

And there are many other reasons it's ridiculous too. But if I dive deeper into this then someone will bring up the resonance and give this poor IT worker an aneurysm.

>he doesn't lay direct hard-connections between his sites to prevent wireless niggers spying on his shit

>It has a number of automated defense turrets to pulp pirate takeovers, and the ship has a heavy security system. If the team Hacker tries, its going to be considerably harder to take over the turrets then to just nuke the system and shut everything down (which will stop the ship, so counterproductive).

How the hell are they supposed to do it, then? If the host is so tough the decker can't penetrate it, and the automated security is so strong it is expected to pulp dozens of pirates later on, what are the players supposed to do? Try and stealth through to a big manual off-switch, with instant death if they fail the roll?

Also
>huge firefight planned
>players not likely to have the turrets
>players have lack of dakka, and at best have one extra guy to help them defend an entire ship

bad shit/10.

If you want to have a huge fight, let them use the cool weapons on the ship (when are they ever going to have missile batteries and mounted assault cannons again).

Thanks, I was trying to find a way to do it through the actual software...

It'll be nice when the hacker's part of a run is as simple as digging a hole and tapping a wire to steal all the data ever.

...

>mounted assault cannons
Mounted heavy machine guns with APDS is objectively better and something that a bunch of pirates would be more likely to have.

The cannons would be on the Maersk ship. And a Panther XXL or a Thunderstruck are better choices for anti-vehicle weapons- for instance, if you wanted to sink a bunch of speedboats full of Somalis.

Damn, chummer. That's rough.

Looks like a fundoshi would fit under there no problem.

Null sweat, chummer.

Are you really that incompetent?

What's the best 5th edition character sheet? I've always been dissatisfied with the default ones in the core book, especially the skills segment. It only has a column for rating, but not for the full diepools. There also isn't space for weapon diepools. Everything ends up looking really cramped when I try to squeeze diepools in there.

Also what do you guys do for tracking inventory space? The character sheets don't have nearly enough space for gear.

>inb4 use chummer5
I do use chummer5, but I want something to use when my GM activates luddite-mode and tells us to close our laptops. Also I can't erase a printed sheet.

GM here

For one, the heavy defenses are pointed out, with the security team responsible for anyone who gets on board - each container has its own security, most of which aren't even connected to the main hub of the vessel itself. The Bridge castle has a number of personal defenses inside it, but those ARE connected to the OS. So with the team onboard already (inside a container) then theyre already protected from the heavy auto-defenses, but they still need to get into the bridge castle.

The OS doesn't have Black IC, so the hacker doesn't have to worry about killing himself, and while the security is difficult, it isn't insurmountable at his skills - my post said specifically "considerably harder" not "impossible" - besides, he can't use the turrets against the security team anyway, but without the turrets, their ability to fight off the pirates will be "considerably harder" - if he takes the easiest method, and not engage the IC, he'll just have the system shutdown (either as an emergency response or because he nukes it), the end result will be having the ship shut down completely. But hey, assuming they haven't murdered the crew, they can get those guys to fix it (the team has a good face, so odds are the crew will likely try to get the ship moving while covertly trying to get an alert going). The pirates aren't going to have warships, and at worst they'll have anti-vehicle small arms (rocket launchers, etc).

>If you want to have a huge fight, let them use the cool weapons on the ship

I plan on it. They just have to work a bit for it.

>bad shit/10.

At least everything you've said are things I can work on. I was expecting the last response which was basically
>maersk ships travel in convoys with military protection, there is no way a runner team could ever hope to sink one, your idea is dumb

Favourite criminal organization?

Whoever is hiring at the moment.

I'm playing a Sum to 12 game at the moment, and it's a pretty solid approach for people who want to make better-than-average runners to start out with. It's easier to make some disgusting things, though, so you need to either have trustworthy players or some good GM reviewing.

I started work in an experimental gunner with as much combat optimization as possible without cyberware, and I ended up with an Ork with 10 Agility, 13 Strength, and 22d6 pools for Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Revolvers, and Machine Guns, right out of the gate.

It feels much better for professional-level runner builds, but the power level can get a bit silly if you're not starting with missions at that tier.

Well, if you're at that level of skill you're going to get offered high-profile jobs. You'll also get offered basic bitch work but why would you even take them

I've always figured they'd only do this with truly valuable information, akin to putting it in a vault.
If they'd need to move it they'd put it into their networked system, or for more security you send a mnemonic courier; it's why that implant exists after all.

>a mnemonic courier
A fancy term for a fellow with a datavault, I presume.

Sometimes you need the ego boost that comes with slaughtering a group of upstart gangers

....have you not read Gibson then?
Or even seen the Keanu Reeves movie?

It's been a while since I read Neuromancer, and I'd sooner trust a datavault than a meatbrain for this purpose.

One of my PC's wants to be a small business owner with a couple employees at chargen. What qualities or other features could be taken to represent this?
Sinner, if she wants to be legit, day job to represent the income and time put in, but what about the actual business side of it? Should she have a secondary lifestyle for the actual building, power etc? But if it's self sufficient or near it would that lifestyle still cost a monthly fee?

Johnny in the short story Johnny Mnemomic has this job. Sort of.
I think he's more like a data smuggler then a data courier, but same difference.

SINner, Day Job, Dependents. Commercial lifestyle secondary.

>Should she have a secondary lifestyle for the actual building
Yes, there is a "commercial" lifestyle detailed in Run Faster for this exact purpose. It costs 8000 per month, but at the start of every month you make a Charisma + Etiquette (Corporate) [Social] test, and every hit reduces the cost for that month by 1000. If it's a pawn shop, you might be able to make money off selling stuff you swiped on runs but otherwise you need 9 hits on that test to actually make a profit on the business.

Oh yeah, he was the guy who hooked up with Molly Millions and got killed by the Yakuza, right?

Have them then have to dress up as Maersk staff to attack Wuxing to make it look like Wixing is the wounded party in all this, trying to do good deeds and those nasty, nasty Norse fuckheads tried osmething stupid.

I kind of want to play an aboriginal koradji, one of the ones from near Ayers rock, who knows Sacrifice from the get go. Uneducated, uncouth qualities. See how long he lasts before someone unloads a round into his head. Perfectly honest and open about it, I forget the book that shows that they never use someone elses blood, only their own.

>Oh yeah, he was the guy who hooked up with Molly Millions and got killed by the Yakuza, right?

Yes indeed. Notably the only person Molly ever seemed to legitimately care about and didn't remain emotionally distant towards.

She wasn't emotionally distant to Case. She just left when she realised it was happening.

Yakuza, because muh weeb honor.

Hosts, chummers. Do they add their device rating to their stats when rolling oposed rolls, like resistance vs Hack on the Fly.

For example, what if the host is Rating 5 and has 7 Firewall. Does it roll 7 dice, or 12 when someone tries to sleaze in?

Yes the host Device Rating replaces mental attributes.

Anyone got updated statistics on New Orleans? Last one is from 2066 in 3rd edition.

What other cities are good to look at in shadowrun besides Seattle?

You want North American cities or ones in other countries?

north american and european would be good. we're starting in new orleans and i noticed its a top smuggler's haven

San Francisco in CalFree.
Los Angeles in the PCC.
Manhatten in the UCAS, as long as you're discreet and willing to mostly work for corps.
Formerly Boston, but now you'd have to pretend CFD never happened (we don't).
Denver, which is basically the North American Casablanca.
Rhine-Ruhr Metroplex in Germany.
Marseille in France.
Rome in Italy.
London (aka, "The Smoke") in the U.K.

But really, you can find runners everywhere if you look hard enough.

Lot of big hedge funds today keep their key IP on isolated internal networks. It's not cheap, sure, but a futuristic Corp should have at least as much wherewithal as a 2017 fund.

neat. I'm going to need to crawl through a ton of old books for shit now.

I forgot Montreal, actually.

Also Havana for a Caribbean game.

Woh woh woh, you're telling me Montreal is actually described in Shadowrun ? I can't wait to see this trainwreck.

If i use a hacked verison of Ends of the Matrix for a 5e game, does the advice of not letting first-timers play hackers or technos still apply?

Hong Kong is an obvious answer. Instanbul and Lagos also have significant amounts of fluff on them and runs that can happen there.

Well, you can still tell them to not make matrix characters and just use a NPC if you want to make this easier for yourself
But I don't think you have to. The system itself is pretty simple.

Yeah, from my experience you need someone who can understand several systems at once to do play those properly, or at least a player who has a lot of experience with other games.

It helps if you as a GM are quite versed in the rules to help out, that's how I started, first character was a decker and I had no clue what I was doing till I played for half a dozen sessions.

He's talking about the Ends of the matrix rules, which are basically the magic rules, but a bit different

Yeah I know, but it's still another part of the game the player has to learn. The standard matrix rules are a bit easier if you just wanna dabble a bit in the Matrix for your runs, if he plans to use Ends of the Matrix, it means his game would probably focus a bit on it.

Yeah honestly, try to give them a hacking NPC.
Hacking and alchemy are those two things where players CAN do it but proably shouldn't, since it is non-intuitive and cumbersome crunch wise.

I used to play an decker, but i noticed that i can to 90% of the stuff (without boring the rest of the party into a coma) with a Hornet + Agent 6 or just a good commlink and high computer skill, since you can also get marks by breaking the owners bones/ Talking to him/ using spells on him.

That is also the point with marks, you do not need to be a decker to get them, your partys coputer suave face can get them proably even more easily and less boring than a decker.

It's not that difficult
You have 4 matrix attributes: For most people only Firewall and maybe Signal are actually important, so for them they only need to know. Most of your tests are normal or opposed tests
>Your brain can be hacked
>You basically get a free image link
>There are no agents anymore
>You defend against attacks with WIL+Firewall

For actual hackers it's additionally:
>System determines how many programs you can run and your CM
>Firewall determines your defense and IC attributes
>Response determines your VR initiative, the max rating for your programs and the amount of matrix free actions each IP
>Your skills determine your dicepool for the different programs
>Your program categories are basically the same as with mages, just named differently
>If you don't have a program you can just make on up on the fly

And for technos:
>Just like mages you have 10 possible sprites of which you can compile only 5
>You can basically attack everything as if you were connected to it, even if you aren't

Here you go.
It's not really any worse the Seattle. Remember, this Montreal is a product of a nation that finally went through and seceded from Canada and became a company town for Cross Applied Technologies.
ttop.rem.uz/Shadowrun/Sourcebooks/26S026 - Montreal 2074.pdf

Asked a question last thread - don't feel it got answered. As a Mystic Adept human, is Channeling possession spirits enough to mitigate low stats? Or should I hold onto Attribute Boost powers as well? If not I'll sack the AttBoost for some more stealth shit.

Here's a doodle of my character as well.

How does Channeling interact with Adept Powers?

Yes. Channeling, while not as broken as Quickening, is an exceptionally powerful ability. As a mystic adept using it you can concentrate PP on stuff to support your casting rather than your stats and be god.

Be nice to your fellow players and buff others a lot to be invited back to the game!

Channeling allows you to utilize your own magic when possessed, so it wouldn't stop them.

Thanks guys. Here's another doodle of Samsa, but in his running gear. I'll use the spare adept points for improved reflexes, etc.

Appreciated.

So, if the USSR is still a thing in Shadowrun, do they manufacture their own weapons still or just use offerings from megacorps like everyone else?

The USSR is not a thing in SR, and in fact SR famously predicted the fall of the USSR before it was really talked about as a possibility, off by a few years late

But from what I've read it's still called the Soviet Union and they still have stuff like the KGB and GRU and National Supreme Soviet?

It's called the Russian Republic, and while it still has a lot of the old governmental agencies in place pretty much the exact same thing happened to the USSR in Shadowrun as happened to the USSR in life, excepting of course the that there actually WAS a quasi WWIII with the Euro Wars that bankrupted the country.
Then just like in real life organized crime and wealthy plutocrats (mostly megacorps) took over Russia while the government limped alongside them.
The two greatest powers in Russia are Zeta-Imp Chemicals (apparently a lot of Russian oil and industrial interests were bought up by them) and Saeder-Krupp (because if you live next to Germany and your big corp starts to loose lots of money then you gotta worry about being bought by the Dragon).

The Vory are also bit on the streets, but so are the Yakuza because I'm pretty sure there's more Japanese people in the Sixth World then there's been at any point in real life.