SR4 Learner Game Thread (Food Fight)

[Brennor]

This in an OOC administrative post...

Hoi Chummers!

Welcome to the SR4 learner game thread. For this game, since we'll be focusing on learning the mechanics of the SR game, things will be a little bit different than they are in most other games here.

First of all, I'm going to be using a pre-published 'adventure' called Food Fight! This is more of a combat example than anything else, but it will let you guys explore the system.

We'll be concentrating on learning the game system mechanics behind the game, which is good, since this particular 'adventure' is a quite cheesy, but we won't really focus on storyline too much. Don't worry though, my other games will have plenty of story.

I'll be posting the mechanics that are used and descriptions of them in spoiler tags.

I'll be posting an intro to the scenario. Once that post is made, feel free to introduce yourselves. If you want to have all run together previously, that's fine, otherwise you'll all be randomly stumbling into the same Stuffer Shack at the same time.

Oh yeah, before I forget, since this is mostly a combat example, don't worry about what happens to your characters. It won't matter.

I've only given backgrounds and stats for the characters, they have no physical descriptions, no real names, and no street names. We should come up with at least a basic description and a street name. If you'd like help with this, either find me on IRC, or PM me here.

end Administrativia post!

[Brennor]

OOC: For now, I'm going to assume that everyone knows everyone else, and has run together at least once. It'll just make it a bit easier.

It's the great equalizer. It'll stop a troll the size of a car as easily as the smallest dwarf or the thinnest elf. It ain't a weapon, a spell, or even a dragon '€" it's hunger. When it's time to eat, you just gotta get the stuffers into your stomach before you go berserk.

What are stuffers? They used to be called junk food or munchies. They're probably just as good for you as nutrisoy and krill-filler, regardless of those ads from the Nutrition Council.

When the pangs hit, there's only one place to go (especially when the sun rises in about an hour) to find that kind of chow. It's the place everyone loves to hate. Stuffer Shack.

Even though the rain is pouring so hard that it is tough to see beyond your arms reach, it is not enough to keep the group's van from making its way into a parking space in the lot. Currently in the lot are 4 cars of various makes, 2 vans, a pair of bikes and an electo-scoot.

Display

When a test is called for, the player rolls a number of dice equal to the character's dice pool. The dice pool is the sum of the relevant skill plus its linked attribute, plus or minus any modifiers that may apply. When a test is called for, a description of the task at hand and the skill (and linked attribute) most appropriate for it is given. Applicable modifiers are then applied to determine the final dice pool. The player then rolls a number of dice equal to the dice pool.

The dice are then compared against the standard target number of 5. Each result that is 5 or greater is considered a hit. If half or more of the dice pool are 1s, then a glitch occurs. A glitch causes the results to go wrong in some way, but does not automatically mean failure. If a glitch occurs and there are no hits, then a critical glitch actually happens. This is generally bad for the character, generally ending up in an injury for a character (miss the target, and possibly hit a friend; jammed gun; triggered alarms; etc). Edge may be spent to downgrade a critical glitch to a regular glitch.

When Edge is spent on a test, any dice that are rolled are subject to the Rule of Six. Any die that comes up as a 6 counts as a hit and is rerolled.

I'll go more into the different test types later. For now, we'll look at Success Tests (which is what a Perception Test is). Some Success Tests may be more difficult than others. This is represented by the Threshold of the task. Thresholds range from 1 (for an Easy task) to 4 (for an extremely difficult task). The Threshold is the base number of hits required for a Success Test to succeed. So, for example, if a player rolled 2 hits, they would easily succeed at a Threshold 1 test, but fail at a Threshold 3 test. The hits left after meeting a threshold are net hits. Some tasks require a certain number of extra hits for extra information, for example.

Success Tests will normally be written like this: <Attribute> + <Skill> (<Threshold)> Test

If the character does not have the skill in question, it is possible they may be able to default to the linked attribute (check the skill description for whether defaulting is allowed or not). When defaulting, only the Attribute's dice are rolled, plus or minus any other modifiers. Defaulting imposes a dice pool modifier of -1 in addition to all the other modifiers.

Perception Check

Normally a perception check is made to notice things out of the ordinary. The status of the parking lot isn't very strange, but there might be something strange going on. I'm going to make a perception test for everyone.

Normal Perception Test is made with Intuition+Perception, plus or minus any modifiers.

I am setting this as a Perception + Intuition (2) Test.

Currently, it is raining buckets, good for a -4 pool penalty for those with normal vision. For those with Low-light/Thermo/Ultrasound, the penalty is -2 dice.

To make the roll, we roll a number of dice equal to your Intuition+Perception +/- modifiers.

Mako/Occult Investigator/boggensagg: (4 Intuition + 4 Perception + 2 (Visual Perception specialization) - 2 (Low-light glasses): 6 6 5 4 4 4 1 1 -> 3 hits
Rick Smash/Enforcer/JohnnyWeird: (3 Intuition - 1 (defaulting) - 2 Thermo): No dice rolled
Spectre/Technomancer/Trogdor: (5 Intuition + 3 Perception - 4 (natural vision): 6 4 3 3 -> 1 hit
Titalicious/Combat Mage/TetNak: (3 Intuition + 2 Perception - 2 Low-light): 6 4 2 -> 1 hit
Wadatits/Gunslinger Adept/Shinling: (3 Intuition + 3 Perception + 2 (Visual Perception specialization) - 2 Low-light): 6 5 5 4 3 2 -> 3 hits

Normally, I'd PM everyones information to them and let them figure out how to divy it out, but for the interests of the learner game, I'll put all information here, so that you guys can see how the test resolution system works.

As the runners rush through the pounding rain and into the Stuffer Shack, Rick Smash/Enforcer/JohnnyWeird, Spectre/Technomancer/Trogdor, Titalicious/Combat Mage/TetNak see nothing out of the ordinary (ie: what was mentioned above). Mako/Occult Investigator/boggensagg and Wadatits/Gunslinger Adept/Shinling note that there appears to be some sort of gang symbol on the bikes and one of the cars (the same symbol on all 4 vehicles) and also that there appear to be 2 figures huddled just around the corner of the building.

For those of you currently in Augmented Reality (AR), the Stuffer Shack actually has a couple of Augmented Reality Objects (AROs or arrows) that jump out at you as soon as you step foot in the parking lot. One of them offers a store directory and a map overlay of the store. Another arrow broadcasts information about today's in-store specials:
"New and improved Buzz Cola! Today only! 2Â¥!"
"Try our better tasting nutri-meat dogs! Buy 2 get 1 free!"

OOC

I'll be using names in the format I used above in the next couple of posts. Then I'll switch to using just the character's names. Since you guys didn't actually invest into these characters, I figure that this will help everyone (myself included) remember who is who.

[Trogdor]

Spectre glances over at the arrow and raises an eyebrow. He had a taste for Buzz Cola. It was often just what you needed for a late night hacking session. Not that it tasted all that good. But you got used to that.

Almost out of habit, he tested the security at the Stuffer Shack. They weren't likely to have a very good firewall. After all, what did they have to hide? But a good shadowrunner was always careful. And given the level of crime in this neighborhood, a lot of stores and restaurants had surveillance video. I wonder what's going on inside, the technomancer thinks. Let's see.

OOC

Okay, to get the ball rolling, I'll try hacking on the fly to see if I can get inside their security. As I understand it, I make a Hacking+Exploit ( 8 ) roll with their Firewall as a target. They then get an Analyze +Firewall roll with a target number equal to my Stealth (5) to detect me.

I assume that I am using a spoofed ID. If not, I'd set that up beforehand. But it would seem odd not to have a spoofed ID already.

[JohnnyWeird]

Rick Smash not mind rain, but want food. 3 dogs for price of 2 good deal. He go inside.

[boggensagg]

"Darn, I hate wasting all day and night on a stakeout for nothing" Mako mumbles as he is approaching the Stuffer Shack.

"Kaf; must have Kaf, lots of it".

OOC

As he approaches the door, he notices the gang symbols and wonders if that is a local gang or not. Using Local Area Knowledge Skill to see where those gangers are from.

He approaches the door and goes inside making a beeline towards the coffee dispensing machines.

[Shinling]

"Aye.. its not a waste when you get a hit... not like to day"

Wadatits hops from the van into the rain. He pasues for a moment as the gang symbles come into view.

"Drek.. always gotta be something..."

He sends a quick message over his comlink to the others. ::4 gang vehicals in the lot.. eyes open:: Normally, he would have checked his guns at this point. Not wanting to get them wet or not really caring about the gang stop him from doing so.

Wadatits continues his walk to the store again, staring at the two figures around the corner for as long as possible.

OOC

would like to defult to see if this 'feels' like a casing

[TetNak]

The metrosexual elf, Titalicious, walks slowly toward the shack. He pops the collar of his coat, weaving forward, dodging aside anything that gets into his path. He frowns at Wadatits report, looking through his mage goggles at the shack as they walk closer to it.

[Brennor]

Lazar Novikov is the last one out of the van. He too takes a look around after stepping out.

Display

This is a Perception + Intuition (2) Test.

Currently, it is raining buckets, good for a -4 pool penalty for those with normal vision. For those with Low-light/Thermo/Ultrasound, the penalty is -2 dice.

Lazar Novikov/Street Samurai/Nate: (3 Intuition - 1 (defaulting) - 2 Thermo): No dice rolled

Lazar Novikov/Street Samurai/Nate sees nothing out of the ordinary (ie: what was mentioned above).

Mako notes the gang symbols and racks his brains for anything he can think of about the symbol.

Display

Using Local Area Knowledge to determine what gang it is is much more difficult than using a skill such as Seattle Street Gangs would be. This is a Intuition + Local Area Knowledge (3) Test.

Mako has an Intuition of 4 and Local Area Knowledge of 4, rolling 8 dice:
6 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 -> 3 hits

Mako recognizes the gang symbol of a skull with a bloody icicle pierced through an empty eye socket as the symbol of a low-life thrill gang called the Chiller Thrillers. There have been many holdups and shootings attributed to them.

Those of you currently in AR have a message from Wadatits pop up in the corner of your field of vision. Expanding it, you get the text that Wadatits sent.

Those of you not in AR, get a notification of a new email from your commlink.

Wadatits peers over into the darkness and the people huddled there, trying to figure out what they are doing.

Display

Going to make this a Intuition + Perception (1) Test, with the same penalties as the last time, however, since you are aware of the people, it is a bit easier to pick up more details.

Wadatits: 5 3 2 2 2 2 -> 1 hit

Wadatits peers at the people, noting that one of them is lighting a new cigarette as another, still partially burning, falls to the ground. There is a glint of metal at the side of one of them, possibly a commlink. They may have been here for a while.

Those of you that have already begun the long, wet trek across the parking lot are now approaching the doors, which whoosh open for you. Titalicious, Wadatits, Mako and Rick Smash are now at the doors, dripping just inside them.

OOC

Work is calling right now. I'll do up your hacking attempt a bit later, Trogdor.

[JohnnyWeird]

Sigh. Comp say "You, Rick Smash, make busy when you want eat." Rick Smash mull this problem over delicious discount meat dogs.

[Shinling]

Wadatit's steps into the Stuffer Shack and looks himself over, dripping. "Drek, I don't know how them guys on the corner could be waiting in this crap... outside even!"

In AR again, another quick message is sent, ::the two out side been hanging around in the down poor for sometime now...::

He shakes like a dog, getting some of the water off then starts to ponder what he will chow on.