Keep these in mind and you'll do fine:

1. When in doubt ask.
   If you're stuck in-game or out-of-game, not sure how to react or feel like there is anything preventing you from posting, either drop a line in any OOC chat or send me a PM. If you don't get an answer within 24 hours, poke me via PM. While I may not update every day, I do keep an eye out for PMs and questions.
   
   
   
2. It's your character.
   I spend my day trying to figure out plot lines and run encounters. I do not memorize character sheets. If there is important information pertaining to your character (like how you have dark vision so you don't get the dark penalties I posted) it is your responsibility to bring that up, not mine to remember it. You are the advocate for your character, it is your job to give them every advantage they can have. If you have questions, see Rule #1.
   
   
   
3. If you have to leave, drop me a line.
   If you're going to be absent for longer then a week, or your RL schedule means you're going to be busier then normal, or school is starting and RL has to be adjusted...whatever the case, drop me a PM before you disappear for longer then a week. If you haven't posted in a week I will view you as an AFK player. I will then begin to NPC your character if they are vital to the plot, finding a replacement player, or working them out of the story. If you disappear for two weeks without prior warning, don't be surprised to find that you no longer have a character. This doesn't mean I can't work you back in, but it would ALL be resolved much better with a bit of forewarning. Even if you don't KNOW but just THINK you might have difficulty posting, see Rule #1: When in doubt, send a PM.
   
   
   
4. If you take too long, I will advance the story.
   PbP can be slow enough without spending weeks/months trying to create a plan. I've seen this happen game after game after game where when the party has to make a decision nothing gets done and the game grinds to a halt while people just mill around without anything to do. When you are ready for the scene to advance you can notify that clearly by writing in an OOC line at the bottom:
   
   OOC: READY!
   
   This will signify to both me and the rest of the group that you're ready to move on. When the majority is ready (or I get bored :P) the game will advance. I will post a default plan and if the plan hasn't changed before then, then that is what you're going to be doing. If you don't like it you'd better speak up and get a new plan in the works before I get bored and hit the fast forward button.

This message was last edited by the GM at 15:54, Tue 05 Oct 2021.

I am trying to keep the number of house rules down to a minimum but as stuff comes up I will address final decision here:


Spirits
It is possible to summon high level spirits and they are powerful enough to break the game. Consider this an act of last resort for two reasons:

1) You are typically facing off against gangs and corporations with a lot more resources than you so for every high level spirit you summon, they can summon more.

2) Spirits are not pokemon that just sit quietly waiting for you to shout "I CHOOSE YOU" and if you make them upset by using them frivolously they can and will make your lives a living hell. Nothing like going out for a pack of smokes and getting possessed by a double digit  spirit and coming to staring down the blades of a Red Samurai kill squad.

Intention: Avoid a magical arms race where encounters just become a "spirit-off" between high powered spirits time and time again


Custom Spells
By default NPCs will generally stick to default spells. I know there is customization that can be done and there are many ways someone can break the game with custom spells. Consider that a particularly rare or unusual spell is like leaving your calling card behind and will alert everyone who cares about what jobs you're taking and any spell that is so useful it would be stupid not to use will quickly become a go-to element in enemy spellcasting arsenals.

Intention: Avoid a magical arms race where broken spells are used to neutralize the PCs and NPCs to the point where the game is too dumb to continue.


Metahumans & Priority Picks
The general consensus is Trolls and Orks get screwed because of how they take up priority picks. I'm willing to consider allowing trolls and orks at lower priority in exchange for lowering their base states. So a Priority (E) Ork would be a human with tusks, basically. I don't have any hard rules set for this, its something we can discuss privately and hash out to find a compromise that balances the game mechanics with the lore and your desire to play a metahuman that doesn't feel crippled from the start.

Intention: Open up more metatype options even if they aren't mechanically advantageous.

Edge
Edge will be slightly nerfed. If you spend Edge before a roll you get a flat +3 to the dice roll. If you spend Edge after the roll you can reroll any "misses". Other usages for Edge (moving first in a turn, negating a glitch or getting an action before passing out) remains unchanged.

Intention: Nerf the frag out of so-called "Edgeomancers" as well as making Edge useful for low-Edge characters.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:25, Sat 09 Oct 2021.

The nature of dice and Shadowrun's system can lead to some...awkward moments. A chromed up street sam unable to knock out an ordinary wageslave or a decker getting caught by the crappy Stuffer Shack security net or the Rigger jacking into their wheels only to spin out on the first turn.

Therefore based upon your role as long as the odds are stacked heavily in your favor and there isn't some narrative reason why failure would even be interesting, you're going to be able to autopass rolls and tasks at my discretion.


Street Samurai/Physical Adept - handling a low level ganger or rent-a-cop in a 1 vs. 1 situation is a no brainer. Some punk steps up to you, you knock their lights out or cut them to ribbons without breaking a sweat. Now if he's got backup or you're dealing with proper Knights Errant security, that's another matter...

Decker/Technomancer - Riding along on your team's comms and doing some light sniffing at the local public nodes is perfectly fine. You can keep an eye out for watchers and follow your team mates around even while your meat rests comfortably back in the apartment. As soon as security gets on high alert or an enemy decker/mancer gets involved...

Rigger
Assuming you're the kind of rigger that drives, you can drive like a pro. Weaving in and out of traffic and even evading mild pursuit like a go-gang that isn't particularly interested in you or a KE patrol looking to do a "Stop & Frisk" is standard procedure. Now if that go-gang has a burning desire to smear you across the road or KE is trying to pin some dead bodies on you...

Mages/Shamans
Every magical user has a small number of minor cantrips to make their lives easier. In addition mages tend to slip into another role: Combat Mages can geek a low level ganger, Support Mages can do the thing they specialize at with their go to spells.

Face
Faces are weird in that they're not a specific archetype but many people can dip into it. Depending on much you dip into charisma and related skills/tech/spells I''ll consider letting you schmooze your way past bouncers or negotiate better rates automatically or where applicable.


Intention: Similar to allow players to buy hits, rpol is a slower play style already and it has burned my enthusiasm to come up with an elaborate plan and then 5 seconds in botch a stupid roll like "parking the car" and having an overly enthusiastic GM derail all our plots and schemes because of something stupid easy failing due to bad dice.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:27, Sat 09 Oct 2021.

Just a quick blurb so that we are all on the same page.


Themes

- Dystopia vs. Utopia -
Detroit is one of the crown jewels of the UCA, protected by Ares and touted as the most prosperous and safest city in North America. Most of the wageslaves that live in Detroit believe this but your character knows this is all corpo propaganda. Beneath the pleasant veneer of clean streets and the friendly Knight Errant on every street corner is an underworld just a slimy and dirty as any other city. The only difference is that in Detroit all the scum wipe their shoes before and after their dastardly deeds.

Your character is one of the few in Detroit that recognizes the world for what it is, who sees through the propaganda and veneer and understands it is just as brutal and corrupt as anywhere else and this knowledge will forever prevent them from being part of respectable society. They are awake and cannot go back to sleep. Even the best face can only fit into the sheep for so long before being revealed to be the wolf that they are.



- Opportunity vs. Danger -
Why would your character stay in a place that will never accept them? The money, of course. Being awake and immune from the big lie means your character can see the opportunities that others cannot. Most of the city doesn't even believe shadowrunners exist in Detroit so as long as you look the part and keep things subtle it can seem like everyone has their guard down. Even Ares as a AAA-mega corp is a little more relaxed here because it figures anyone bold enough to strike against them would be intercepted long before they set foot in Detroit. There are pragmatists who still keep the doors locked and are just as vigilant but despite the looming shadow of Ares, it can feel like smart and savvy operators have a bit more room to move around in.

That being said the opportunity only exists as long as you don't attract too much attention. It is the home of Knights Errant so if you start making waves and start attracting attention that threatens the great corporate facade of safety, security, and stability Ares will drop the hammer on you and there are far fewer restrictions on what they can do here as opposed to someplace by Seattle. There are no rival megacorps to take shelter with and the UCAS is a puppet of Ares in Detroit. If things go wrong they will go very very wrong.


- Easy Come, Easy Go -
Despite all the nuyen flying around you just never can seem to get ahead. The stories of the "one big score" just seem to be that. Every time a job goes well, karma seems to bite you in the ass dumping bills and expenses in your lap making you hungry for the next big score. You run and cheat and steal as hard as you can and all you seem to be able to do is tread water. And yet...maybe just maybe that next Johnson will finally give you the job of a lifetime letting you finally make it big and get out of the shadows once and for all.

Objectives
My goal with this game is to dive deep into life in the 6th world, to explore the nature of cyberpunk and magical fantasy. I have tried running these games before with grand plots and epic storylines and ultimately they have failed time and time again because the emphasis ended up being on the plot and not on the characters. With this game I want to fix that and give the players a tailored experience in Shadowrun. I want you to feel like your character is moving around a living breathing world, that you can close your eyes and see them walking down the street or picking up a cup of soykaf. Heists and extractions and epic battles are in the cards but will not be the emphasis of the story.

Group vs. Solo Play
In my view the players will primarily be playing either solo or in very small groups. My goal is to match players by posting rate and compatibility and perhaps organically develop teams of runners that do jobs together. Too many times I have had issues where you jam 6 players together and they have wildly different characters/goals/posting rates and it makes the group as a whole seem unworkable.

Instead your character will be a mostly solo runner, a freelancer that gets added and removed from groups as needed. The hope is that as you play and bump into one another you will organically form like minded small groups but please be prepared to play in a mostly solo adventure.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Sun 17 Oct 2021.

My goal with this game is to present your characters a sort of "choose your own adventure" style game backed by Shadowurn setting and rules. In my mind at least the real challenge isn't going to be rolling dice though, it's the decisions that are presented and unlike many poorly written CYOA books, there isn't a "right path" or "wrong path". Every choice you make moves the story forward in the direction of your choosing...and many paths you don't choose will still circle back onto you.

So you will get scenes where several people are demanding your attention at once and who you choose to listen to and who you choose to snub will alter the story. You will be given the option of letting people off easy or finishing the job and that too will have consequences either way. There are times where you might feel that you are drowning in plots, that there is too much to focus on, too many plates to keep spinning and that is the feeling I want you to feel (although hopefully it isn't an unpleasant one).

You are an amazing badass right out of character creation...but you can't predict the future and you can't be everywhere at once. While you were out earning money, someone broke into your apartment. While you were beating the crap out of your rival that street kid you liked got picked up by KE.

Compared to more linear games this might be overwhelming so first of all always remember Rule #1: Talk to the GM. If you feel you are struggling or not having fun let me know. I want to apply good stress to you and your character but if you're not having fun let me know and I can ease off the gas a bit and give you a breather. Real life is not nonstop, there are breaks and dull moments and once in a bull moon you do get to wrap up a loose end and clean something entirely off your plate.

Also if you're the kind of CRPG player that has to obsessively check every corner of the map and complete every single side quest before continuing on set your expectations accordingly. You cannot do everything. For every "thing" that you do, two or three "things" will go unresolved. That's just the way it goes.

But How Do I Choose?
Be your character. Figure out what things in their life are important to them and what isn't. If you're late to an interview and some guy goes "hey! Wanna buy some stolen miltech?" think about what your character values. If they are flakey and unreliable or obssessed with military hardware maybe they go down the alley. Otherwise it's fine to just wave your hand at the guy and keep moving on.

But...why?
My goal is to make it feel like a living breathing city in a way you can't get out of a computer game or even a typical table top. Around every corner is a little plot thread and it is up to you what you want to pick up on and follow. I'm not here to recreate a tabletop experience or a computer game, I'm here to deliver you a unique feeling that can only be delivered through this medium.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:21, Wed 20 Oct 2021.

Every drone has basic functionality (pilot rating) however as written out when confronted with any kind of "difficult" situation it gets confused. Instead autosofts can be used to increase its intelligence.

A drone can run a number of autosofts equal to its pilot rating but its pilot rating is also the limit on the autosoft bonus.

Why run autosofts?
Autosofts can either give your drone new skills or it avoid the Device Rating x2 vs. GM specified threshold. It can move with its pilot skill but it can move reliably with an autosoft even though it uses the same dice pool.

Always a bit of a sticky point is what license is required for what?

Here is a breakdown of how I view licenses to help streamline things. PM me if this changes your character load out in any way and we can swap some stuff around:


Driver's License - needed to operate a vehicle manually. Not needed if you're using the car on autopilot only.

Firearm License - in Detroit a carrying permit is not needed but guns need to registered. This is Ares HQ so they are less concerned about people being armed (so long as it is Ares brand weaponry) but they do want to crack down on illegal sales and transfers so the fake license doesn't cover guns but is a strawman you can register your firearms to.


Concealed Carry - owning a firearm for your house or car glove box is one thing, having it hidden on your person at all times is another.

Spellcasting - magic users are supposed to be registered and licensed.

Private Security Spider - this covers restricted cyberdecks and programs.

Private Security Rigger - this covers restricted drones and RCC

Private Security License - (aka Bounty Hunting license) this covers most restricted armors and associated things like restraints, bug scanners and most other restricted items.


Now a typical KE patrol will use a Device Rating 3 while typical private security and checks (rent a cops etc) will use Device Rating 2. Here are the % chances of hitting certain thresholds:


So as you can see a Fake SIN/License is almost worthless. It is only good until someone looks at it at all. I would say the minimum "useful" SIN is level 3.

What Does SINless Mean In Detroit
Detroit is a corporate haven and a UCAS gleaming beacon of safety and prosperity so being SINless outside of the Auburn Blight is going to be very very difficult. Most SINless are viewed as criminals and vagrants so most businesses and security drones will do basic SIN scans just to clear out the riff-raff. It is going to be hard to go anywhere or do anything as a SINless in Detroit with the following exceptions:

Public Transportation like buses and subways still do security checks but do not remove the SINless and not only accept credsticks but typically also accept hard currency as well.

Fast Food Restaurant like your McHughs and Stuffer Shacks always accept credsticks.

Discrete Busineses typically adult entertainment, gambling etc. do not perform routine SIN checks and accept traceless credsticks to allow for customer privacy.

Commerical Businesses typically have a single credstick point-of-sale somewhere behind their customer service desk. This does allow for "surprise gift" purchases but using one is going to attract attention as it is non-routine and typically a SINless is asked to leave long before they get to this point.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:47, Wed 27 Oct 2021.

A common question that comes up is "can you glitch on a soak roll" and the answer is: Yes! The rulebook doesn't put any restrictions on what can and cannot glitch and specifically mentions glitches in relation to "tests" so pretty much anything can glitch.

For soaking/drain etc. a general rules is that a critical glitch will probably increase the damage dealt while a regular glitch will impose some kind of penalty or status effect. Knocking you off your feet, giving you a die penalty for one round due to blurry vision etc.

You will not know what kind of glitch I impose until after you've decided to use Edge or not so if you roll a test and glitch decide then and there whether you are using Edge to reroll or not. Otherwise once I post the update it's too late.

EXCEPTION: I will sometimes make rolls for you to speed up the game. Perception checks, defense and soak rolls when receiving damage etc. Depending on how I feel the game is progressing I may just ignore the glitch to avoid delaying the game asking about whether Edge will be used or not. Critical Glitches will always be show stoppers though as those are too big and rare to ignore.

Here is a quick rundown of how I am going to run the Matrix:


AR - by default I am assuming you have your AR systems in place so I'll bombard you with ads and AROs when you are out and about. You will need to explicitly say you are going Private or turning wireless off when you're in a casual setting.

NOTE: I am assuming your characters are not idiots so before going on a planned criminal mission I will assume you're taking all necessary steps for secrecy. I'm not a "gotcha" kind of GM that will punish you because you didn't explicitly list every item you were turning off of wireless.


Matrix: For most people the matrix is made up of two parts: Grids and Hosts. Grids are like the streets you use to get to a destination (host). Public Grid is easy accessible but slow speeds and because it is free for most people, it is very busy and crowded. Good for getting lost in the crowd but if you're on a time sensitive mission the slow speeds might hurt you. Corporate Grids are high speed interstates and typically only their own corporate wage slaves are using it so overall faster and more streamlined. For example on Ares grid, you're not getting bombarded with every adertisement under the sun, just Ares and their subsidiaries.

Hosts: These are your destinations. Virtual stores, community hang outs, industrial/corporate networks etc. They are often customized for their specific needs (Virtual Shops are designed to be very open and accepting of all visitors, industrial networks are designed with a lot of redundancy etc.). Inside the host the aesthetics and physics are up to the host owner and by most accounts are set in proverbial stone by the owner. The new Matrix is incredibly stable so gone are the days when a hacker could rewrite the sculpting of a host for a "home turf" advantage.


Personas: Personas are your digital "body" and are unique to every person and cannot be changed, altered, or duplicated. The Persona's appearance can get altered in several ways so most people other than hackers or GOD ever know what a true persona looks like. Instead your commlink puts a layer of sculpting on top of your persona (like a costume & makeup) and then many hosts apply their own layer of aesthetics on top of that. For example by default an FTL Quark commlink applies a spaceman theme to your persona so in the matrix you will look like your persona but in a retro spaceman outfit. But then you go into a Renraku corporate host which has a a Japanese Teahouse setting so your spaceman would lose his helmet and get wrapped up in a kimono.

In general public facing hosts do little sculpting on personas. Virtual malls and nightclubs are a riot of different themes while "professional" settings often impose sculpting to make everything look nicer and more uniform.

But what does your persona look like? Well...by default they look like you but an idealized version of you. Maybe you think of yourself as being taller or having lighter hair or higher cheekbones. Or maybe you're an elf that secretly has always viewed themselves as big and brawny so your persona ends up being very troll-like (although possibly with a few elvish features thrown in). The weird thing about this matrix is that you do not pick your persona, your subconscious creates it when you first join the matrix and while you can alter the outer appearance via sculpting that is akin to using makeup and clothing to change your appearance, underneath it your persona remains locked in forever.


GOD - Grid Overwatch Division sees all and knows all (according to their press releases). The new Matrix makes it impossible to perform unauthorized activities without leaving a trail. The key to modern hacking is to be quick and efficient. Once you've started causing trouble, every move you take increases the chance of GOD zeroing in, dumping you from the matrix and alerting local security to your physical location so hacking involves being quick (so they can't zero you in) and efficient (so it takes them longer to realize you're up to trouble).
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:30, Wed 27 Oct 2021.