This episode was mostly just a test run to try my hand at streaming and the various technical things I’ll need to keep an eye on for future streams; the signal to noise ratio is low! In the future, I want to use this format to answer questions and have discussions with people via the chat interface, but I’ll happily take questions in advance. It’s an experiment; we’ll see where it goes. Comments and suggestions welcome, as always!
Also, Dana and I made a lot of progress on art and layout for the next supplement today. More news on that soon!
So I finally played The Sprawl at a local anime convention’s gaming room (with Hamish!), on a playtest of Touched…
So I finally played The Sprawl at a local anime convention’s gaming room (with Hamish!), on a playtest of Touched (yay!) and I think the game overall went really well. So much so, that I’m going to pitch it to the online group for our next Shadowrunesque game.
Anyway, the one thing that bugged me about the game is the concept of Cred as both a measure of money and reputation. It’s combining the two coupled with staking some at the beginning of a mission that I keep having issues with. Here’s something I wrote a while back:
Tuck has 5 Cred and gets a job. She stakes 2 Cred on the job, which means on the actual job, she has 3 Cred to spend to get stuff. She needs to get something from her fixer for this mission, a quite illegal narcoject gun and some KO darts. That’s 2 Cred. She now has 1 Cred left. The mission is successful, but the crew didn’t choose the “job pays well” option: Tuck staked 2 Cred, so she gets that back and then 2 Cred more, bringing her hidden Cayman Island bank account to… 5 Cred.
But what if she staked 3 Cred? Then when she got that narcoject gun and ammo with her last 2 Cred, she’s down to 0 Cred. Job is done: 0 + 3 + 3 again = 6 Cred. Stake 1 Cred? Tuck starts off at 4 Cred, spends 2, dropping her down to 2. Job is now done, so 2 + 1 + 1 again = 4 Cred.
Where is the profit in crime?
Playing the game, my thoughts led me back to that, so I wrote a thing that separates money and reputation. My thought it is would wind up getting characters to a point where they’d have enough to retire from the biz. (I have a difficult time thinking of how a character could save up the 20 Cred to pull off the Retire to Safety move.)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, even if it’s “Thomas, you totally misunderstand how easily it is to accumulate Cred.”
A couple of thoughts on playing un-cybered characters:
A couple of thoughts on playing un-cybered characters:
I think that a whole Playbook for this is a bit excessive, my idea is to simply replace standard cyberware from a Playbook with as many moves from the playbook itself. However, these extra moves should come with tags like +owned, +hunted, +oldwounds or +traumatized.
Why? well these extra skills should be the byproduct of some special training or “intense” experience on the field.
Well the first arc of my Sprawl wrapped up last night.
Well the first arc of my Sprawl wrapped up last night. I asked if they wanted to stick with the system and the players to my surprised wanted to move on. They are from a more traditional tabletop background so maybe its not too surprising. Anyways I wanted to drop the custom moves I made for my game. I hope you find them interesting.
Right side of the Story
When you attempt to extort someone with the threat of a scandalous story and intend to follow through roll Edge.
10+: NPCs do what you want. PCs choose: do what you want, or suffer the established consequences.
7-9: PCs choose: do what you want, or suffer the established consequences. They take a +1 forward to acting against you in the future.
For NPCs, the MC chooses 1:
@ They do it, but they want payback. Add them as a threat.
@ They do it, but tell someone about it. Advance the appropriate Clock.
@ Unable to live underneath the pressure of the story anymore, they opt for the only route out they see: suicide.
6-: They call your bluff and force your hand. The story is out and can no longer be used as leverage.
Just Another Narrative
When you have staggering evidence and decide to broadcast. Name your audience and explain how your evidence gets under their skin. Then roll Style.
10+: Pick 2
@ Advocate for open violence against a target.
@ Organize a protest at a location.
@ Ask for an anonymous tip [Take Intel].
@ Plead for charity on a victim’s behalf.
7-9: Pick 1 and expect collateral damage
Psychic Onslaught
When resisting the mental intrusions of a psychic the GM will ask 3 questions, then the player will roll + MIND
10+: Your thoughts are you own. Which question do you answer with a lie?
7-9: Pick one question to answer honestly
6-: Answer all questions honestly
The Streets are a Battleground
When you rush through a neighborhood, paying no attention to the faction war around you roll +COOL
10+: You make it to your destination with no incident. Instead you stumble upon a battle long finished. [Take Gear/Intel]
7-9: Choose 1
@You are caught in the crossfire of both factions
@You find yourself in a dead end with a patrol clearing the area closing in on you.
@An agent spots you out in the opening and is approaching for a conversation.
6-: GM chooses 1
Hold onto the Conch
When you hold the Hi-TuneX23* Transmitter and try to impose your will upon the bio-weapon roll +EDGE
10+: Choose 3
7-9: Choose 1
@ It does as you commanded
@ It does not draw attention to itself
@ You do not have to feed it a living human.
6-: The bio-weapon tries to escape.
*There was a project in the works to upgrade the transmitter which would of allowed players to choose 2 on a 7-9.
So I’m back asking for help again. In our game, set in the Android:Netrunner universe nearly everyone has an e-ID. This often takes the form of a chip implanted in the back of the hand, and is linked to damn near everything: biometric data, bank accounts, social media profiles, net access, health and social security records, etc. You name it.
A citizen can wave their hand in front of a reader to pay for their subway ride or for a coffee at Starbucks. Wave your hand in front of your skyhopper or arcology door and it’ll recognize you and allow access. You can use your PAD (personal access device) to ping an e-ID to get superficial information about anyone you meet. The NAPD can go go deeper; criminal records, home and work addresses, skyhopper registration, etc. These e-IDs are so ubiquitous that not having one instantly makes you look suspicious. All that data is tracked and logged by NBN, but most people have given up that privacy for the security an e-ID offers. Plus, without one, you have no records, can not get any kind of on the books help, and for all intents and purposes don’t exist in any kind of official capacity.
Of course being constantly tracked that way is really bad for a team of operatives. It is possible to wipe an e-ID, or to make a fake one. (It’s also possible to cut out someone’s e-ID to fool the system.) I’m trying to write a custom move for hiding or creating an identity by tampering with that e-ID chip. I’m thinking something like this:
When you modify or create an electronic identity, roll + [STAT]. On a 10+, choose two, and on a 7-9, choose one:
– It’ll hold up to intense scrutiny;
– It doesn’t take a long time to make;
– You don’t need to purchase parts.
I’m thinking along the lines of “better/faster/cheaper” here. I’m also unsure what stat this should be. Thoughts?
So, I was reading through the Worlds of Android book last night while prepping for Friday’s game and guess what? It turns out that synap pistols can do actual damage to people, fry cyberwear, and aren’t always 100% effective. So I’ve made an updated version of the weapon that uses the “non-lethal” tag.
A weapon with the non-lethal tag doesn’t do any physical damage, but the target still adds the harm rating of the weapon to their Harm move roll.
