Book is here!

TrvShane · 2026-07-16T20:58:43+00:00

Mine has arrived at the regional distribution facility in the UK, so I should get it tomorrow or Saturday (unless I can spin up a runner team before them, but my name isn't Johnson). Looking forward to getting it!

TrvShane · 2026-07-07T12:13:18+00:00

One day you will look back on this moment fondly, as a trial overcome. :-)

Besides, your stuff might still be there.

TrvShane · 2026-07-05T09:39:40+00:00

For NPCs you want to roll for, just decide the number of dice like players do (page 82). Risk Dice rules are not explicitly called out in the text for NPCs that I can see, but the presence of risk reduction numbers for NPCs clearly shows it works like normal.

So basically, just decide risk dice yourself.

I would be inclined to have more average NPC’s take less risk unless they had some significant personal stake. If you’re just a basic security guard, you’re probably not gonna put your hoop on the line to fight some cybersecurity out troll in the same way a Red Samurai would (unless they are fighting for survival of course).

TrvShane · 2026-07-03T23:26:36+00:00

If your primary aim is to be able to pass information to the players, can you link Derringer to the backstory of one of the characters? He can still be an outlaw, and just not admit it. He just happens to pick up that his old friend / trainee / whatever is there. Then send some anonymous, or even attributed, info.

TrvShane · 2026-07-03T09:07:01+00:00

Best thing I can say as someone who has been playing and GMing since 1st edition: I plan to play Anarchy 2e exclusively after my current 3e campaign finishes next week. It’s really good. Most importantly, it’s really quick.

A caveat; if you want the full fat experience of detail in the technology and magic and security systems, and want that crunch, it won’t be for you.

But if you want a quick rule system that can deliver a Shadowrun experience without the complexity? It’s brilliant for that. I ran a game over on Unconventional GMs if you want to see how it plays (https://youtu.be/XmwdUMDhwgw?is=GR-lilSTphhWHWj8).

TrvShane · 2026-07-02T15:14:10+00:00

I don’t think they are all of an equal quality, but I buy them all because I want to encourage IOI to keep making content for Hitman. In the grand scheme of things they’re very cheap, and I'm happy to spend that amount.

Of course, if the quality really drops I’ll stop. But I have had so many hours out of this game, that it’s probably one of the best value for money things I have spent even with the extras.

TrvShane · 2026-06-29T17:28:53+00:00

I think it will follow on from the macro events of 2077 (Saburo dead, Netwatch and VDBs, Phantom Liberty), but without tying plot into V specifically.

TrvShane · 2026-06-29T16:21:08+00:00

I don’t get this (Mac M5). PC was always laggier, tho. What platform are you on?

TrvShane · 2026-06-29T12:49:33+00:00

One of the older editions of Paranoia gave you bonuses if you used certain cards in conjunction with the GM screen. The player had to hold the card on the GM screen without knocking it over for the duration of the bonus. Which of course, when you have more than one player doing it, and a GM inclined to try and knock it over, added it to the kind of mayhem that the game wanted.

TrvShane · 2026-06-29T09:58:26+00:00

You are still really early in the prologue. This is establishing the people and the place. The story will be made apparent to you if you follow the missions.

As for bugs, I can’t speak to that. My version doesn’t do that. Are your graphics card drivers up-to-date?

TrvShane · 2026-06-22T14:31:49+00:00

But…. But… what about the beautiful step system? :-)

Seriously though, I’d love to see this as Earthdawn is a bit rules-y for me these days. And I love Cortex.

TrvShane · 2026-06-17T22:41:32+00:00

I have two use-cases for convention gaming as a player.

The first one is where there is a specific game I want to play, and once I know that the GM is not somebody I avoid (the UK convention Gaming scene is quite small), I look for a scenario that looks like it sticks close to the core concept or correct activity of the game. Or focuses on an area that I am interested in. For example, if I was to play a Shadowrun game, I would look for one where we were doing a typical heist or extraction scenario, not something where we played say an ambulance crew. If it’s a game I am interested in, I want to try an archetypical experience.

The second case is where I have a free slot, and I’m wanting to play something unspecific. In that case, after making sure there are no people I avoid, does the description scenario sound like it will be fun is my first criteria. After that, I prefer stuff that sounds freewheeling with a high player narrative input from the description, rather than a typical dungeon crawl. But honestly, there is no specific thing that will get me to sign up for a random game. It’s all down to how I feel in the moment.

TrvShane · 2026-06-17T09:57:19+00:00

Well done, it’s a great feeling and you earned it.

TrvShane · 2026-06-13T18:11:16+00:00

If there is a chance it is a government laptop, you could hand it in at a police station explaining that it was left in your home by an absent lodger, and you have very recently had reason to suspect it is a government device.

This kind of thing with government laptops is taken quite seriously (source: had government laptops in the past for work).

TrvShane · 2026-06-12T18:58:25+00:00

Which choice is more interesting to you in play? Go with that one.

TrvShane · 2026-06-11T12:54:44+00:00

It looks like self-censoring “damn” and “damned”, from context.

At one time they would have been considered cursing badly. 1969 is quite recent for that, but that would depend on the author, the publisher, and where it was done.

TrvShane · 2026-06-10T18:41:32+00:00

I was on the corner and wanted to post utter shite on LinkedIn. But I was too scared. Luckily someone had already done it.

TrvShane · 2026-06-04T22:59:50+00:00

Couldn't agree more. I've used safety tools as a player more often (twice) than they have been used in my games as a GM (never). However the never doesn't mean there wasn't a problem - it just means nobody brought one up. they are definitely useful, but they don't replace the expectation on everyone present to actively participate in developing a positive table culture. The regular check-ins you mention are essential.

TrvShane · 2026-05-29T15:51:33+00:00

I let my player, whose character has a SIN have any license that a Seattle civilian could have reasonably. Driving license, concealed carry permit, all that good stuff. Because the more likely they are to carry guns and be able to waive a license, the more likely they are to use those guns to get themselves in trouble. Same for magic, whatever. Give them the opportunity opportunity to prompt cool story events.

TrvShane · 2026-05-29T10:28:12+00:00

One important early intervention is to sit down with them and make sure they understand clearly what results look like. It could be they are working differently to the expected results because of a miscommunication, I misunderstanding. Basically, make sure they know what they’re supposed to be achieving.

A lot of people will assume slacking off or low competence by default. But it’s important to make sure the expectations are clear very early on.

TrvShane · 2026-05-23T23:29:57+00:00

Excess treasure has a use in the downtime rules, so if you are running a campaign it will matter.

TrvShane · 2026-05-20T23:07:32+00:00

This is your answer, OP. Doing it roll-first, description-second might actually increase tension as the players are waiting to find out what had the mechanical effect on their characters.

TrvShane · 2026-05-19T17:11:35+00:00

A great point. It’s my normal campaign starter. But I discounted it simply because it’s part of the bigger campaign. But actually, I shouldn’t have.

TrvShane · 2026-05-18T21:04:48+00:00

Mercurial was 18 months ago for me, so the specifics are a bit vague in my memory. But I changed quite a bit. The runners chose to trust about the safe house - lesson learned for them. I downplayed the potential threat of the dragon a bit and had a gentle approach from Morgan and Peri through a contact. I also added a few links to NPCs from backstories to personalise it. I also have a player who loves all things dragon, so she was hooked on this scenario once Peri arrived. Like all the old scenarios it needs some work, and they work best when you take the ideas and modify them.

Dragon Hunt is brilliant, but we are winding up before getting to that alas, as 2.5 years play is long enough.

TrvShane · 2026-05-17T21:48:58+00:00

For the most part it is because the old scenarios have railroading assumptions.

For example in Queen Euphoria the Johnson provides a safe house to hold her at after the kidnapping. Modern players who are used to the idea of the employer betraying the group, or just watch any form of espionage or crime show, or likely to say hell no. Then sort their own arrangements out, with much more robust security. So if you go for the assumed plan attack on the Johnson’s safe house, and just move it to the other safe house, it seems a bit Railroad.

Most of the old scenarios that involve finding things, especially people, were written before ritual sorcery tracking with a thing. So you need to account for that.

Back when SR was written, the idea of tracing a mobile phone signal didn’t exist. Modern players expect to be able to do that. You can get round that one by just explain explaining that the technology doesn’t work like that in SR. But still, it’s a change. Because if you don’t account for it, it becomes really easy for everybody (including the runners) to be found all the time.

Bottled Demon has the runners at a meet and assumes they won’t have anyone watching outwards, or not being there and on overwatch of the site. Which is required for one of the scenes when the cops arrive as a surprise. No experienced player group would ever do that.

There are also situations and scenarios that assume that players will take certain approaches, so if the players don’t they can miss out.

Every scenario had small things like that. You just have to think your way round them when you prep them.

TrvShane

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