From: mfterman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Mutant for Hire)
Subject: Re: ShadowRun HEROIC??? (was Re: Burn, GURPS...)
Originator: news@nimaster
Reply-To: mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu (Mutant for Hire)
Organization: Mutant for Hire, Inc.
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 17:07:29 GMT

In article <1jubsrINN4k2@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>, cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Christian Wagner) writes:
><chuckles at the wonderful SR pseudo-slang> Tell me, Axly, would you play a 
>character like Slick Henry (from _Mona Lisa Overdrive_) in SR? Someone with no
>cybercrap, no ultra-skills, no real advantages to speak of except being an 
>interesting character?

Of course you're right. Just like that support book Shadowbeat, where they
give rules for playing journalists and rock stars, which we all know are
combat monsters of the highest order. They also give suggestions for how to
stage adventures for some of these types, which we all know involve the
character tossing grenades and spells left and right.

Besides, I can create a corp character easily using the rules. The question
is, whether my GM will run a campaign where all those non-combat skills will
be needed and helpful.

You could for example create an investigative team. That is, one that doesn't
do the combat stuff like extractions and runs, but pieces together information
for other people. A private investigation team. At that point combat skills
become less important, and other things like contacts and social skills, which
make for fun and interesting roleplaying. That's part of what Shadowbeat has
for the journalist stuff. A journalist is supposed to gather information, not
shoot it up.

>Wonder-schmucks like Cowboy and Molly have a place in cyberpunk, yes, but in 
>SR, -everyone- is like Cowboy, or Molly, or Case. Due to the very nature of 
>the game, you -can't- play an interesting character, because the game is 
>basically one firefight after another, in search of a particular person/chip/
>diskette/demonic artifact/bigger gun. 

That's because of the most general role that the books give for the characters.
I hope you're imaginative enough not to simply limit yourself to the fact that
PC's have to be shadowrunners because that's what most of the books have stuff
for. I can think of plenty of non-runner adventures that can be done. Playing
politics in London between the Druids and Elves? Lots of possibilities.

Besides, I look at the GURPS CP adventure book and what do I find? Lots of
runs with lots of combat potential. Gee whiz, are we claiming that GURPS CP
is better because of the lowered emphasis on combat and runs? Maybe its the
fact that SR has a lot more modules published for it than GURPS CP. If the
only superiority of GURPS CP is that since there are so few modules published
for it, people are generally forced to invent their own worlds and runs,
which don't have to be combat oriented, then its hardly better at all.

-- 
    Martin Terman, Mutant for Hire, Mean Ol' Top, Priest of Shub-Internet
    Disclaimer: Nobody else takes me seriously, why should you be the first?
mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu mfterman@pucc.bitnet terman@pupgga.princeton.edu
"Sig quotes are like bumper stickers, only without the same sense of relevance"