Hi there. I’m planning a #SixthWorld adventure /never tried this Shodowrun hack before, but I feel it’ll be nice/ and having trouble with one of my players. He is a really great guy, but he totally loves playing mindgames, subverting me and trying to lawyer his way through to get something cool and/or possibly gamebreaking. I don’t enjoy it that much.
So this time he wants to play a billionaire character running the shadows for thrills. The story is his character once had an important technical position in a big corp and when he was quitting he left a piece of code in their systems that transfers minuscule amounts of money – the result of rounding off – to his accounts. Over the years the sum got really big.
I don’t want to ban this straight up, since it is a viable plot hook, but I’m toying with the idea of introducing a move that would limit the party’s access to endless financial resources – big thing shadowrun-wise. I’d like your help with the wording /it will be lawyered big time/ and the effect.
Blast from the Past
Any time you try to use the vast resources accumulated as a result of your scheme, roll + Craft. On 10+ choose 2, on 7-9 choose 1.
– You get the money where you want them
– Your actions don’t attract unwanted attention
– You don’t leave a trace leading to you
– ?
– ?
Sounds like Office Space. As far as the move goes, you could simplify it a lot by making it a both/one option:
When you make a withdrawal from your ill-gotten gains, roll +Craft. *On a 10+, both. *On a 7-9, choose one:
– You get the funds you need, when you need them.
– You don’t attract unwanted attention.
It may seem somewhat boring, but the awesomeness is between the lines via flexibility. For instance, you may not get the funds you need at all, or you may not get them in time to be useful, or you may get funds on time but not enough for some reason. Unwanted attention can be interpreted many ways, including leaving traces of what you’ve done – hence the simplification.
Blast from the Past
Madness R, cycling 1R, kicker 2R, flashback 3R, buyback 4R
Blast from the Past deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
If the kicker cost was paid, put a 1/1 red Goblin creature token into play.
I feel like on a hit the character should be able to get his money that shouldn’t be one of the choices…. so maybe like this.
Blast from the Past
Anytime you access your vast resources accumulated as a result of your scheme, roll +Craft on a hit you access your money and can transfer/use it how you would like. On a 10+ choose 3, on a 7-9 choose 2.
Your transaction does not attract unwanted attention
Your transaction leaves no trace leading to you
Your virus is not detected
The transfer does not take a long time.
First time he tanks the roll, his money will probably be gone… or really hard to get a hold of after that (expend their resources). Some GMs might not move that hard… but the Sprawl aint for pussies.
Plus it would be interesting to see how a guy that used to be a billionaire deals with suddenly losing everything and has to live on the streets like the bums that he stepped over before.
When you try out the game for the first time i would tell your player to stick to the normal options provided by the book.
Tim Franzke Yeah, but we have quite a long story of playing Shadowrun the classical way with a bucketload of dice, so new things always seem welcome.
The moves that have been suggested all look good. But am I the only one thinking that the player in question is going to continue to play mindgames, subvert the GM and try to lawyer his way into getting something cool and/or possibly gamebreaking?
I know you asked for advice on the move, but rather than trying to reign this guy in with mechanics, I think you need to sit down and have a serious, adult conversation about what he’s doing.
That is why i would focus on the core experience to see how it changes comparing to the Shadowrun system. If you drift too much at the beginning that can have unforseen consequences.
Just my opinion.
Yeah. I’ll echo what Tim Franzke has said. You’ve played a lot of Shadowrun, but you haven’t played Sixth World yet. They’re not the same. Play it straight before tinkering around with it.
So, this player wants access to vast amounts of one of the scarce resources of the setting? Easy answer: No.
Also, what Christopher Stone-Bush said.
Noah Doyle I feel like answering “Yes, but…” is more in tune with World-games spirit if you know what I mean.
You know what Юрий Ёжикович? You only have to use “Yes, and…” when the player is not intentionally trying to break the game or get over on the GM. I’m with Noah Doyle. Just flat out tell this guy “No”.
Юрий Ёжикович I know what you mean – and on one level, I agree. I’d be very, very hesitant about breaking the setting’s economy (poor, hungry runners).
Now, on consideration, you could give him a ‘Yes, but…’ response, and then in the Cyberpunk/Shadowrun theme, hammer him with all the problems that could come up:
being robbed by others (unless he lives like your typical Runner/hobo, he’ll be a target.)
other corps sniffing around his spending patterns – and no Runner likes that kind of scrutiny.
And the best – he gets caught. The corp attacks him legally, financially, cybernetically and physically. Anyone nearby is acceptable collateral damage…
However, I’d still say ‘No’. Tossing piles of cash at the PCs in the basic setting (poor, hungry Runners) breaks the game.
Noah Doyle That is the whole idea. I just wanted to give him a little precious time to enjoy his fortune until he botches a roll and the drek starts hitting the fan.
Thank you Chris McGee and Chris S. I’ll think it over.
If he left years ago, then the company could have discovered the virus and the attached account. Now they are waiting for him to try and access it. Mwahaha