I’m intrigued by Luke’s suggestion for a Shadowrun Hack. I’ve been palying since SR1 and I love the SR rules, but they are too complicated for some of our players and I want to focus the detail on the roleplaying not on the bullets flying. I really like the elegance of MG so I have chosen this as the system.
Just putting out some ideas to see if anyone else is also interested. I’m assuming a basic level of knowledge with Shadowrun in the below, but I figure people interested in hacking this would have this.
First of all I’m sure this meets the needs:
• Team-based adventure: Yes, a flexible team of professional criminals undertaking dubious tasks for cash.
• An implacable, over-arching force (of nature): On the surface this is corporate power and perhaps the wild, awakened nature of the world. Underneath I think it is really about loss of humanity from undertaking this mercenary work for faceless organisations, from the cyberware you’ve had grafted in, or from the inhuman spells you can cast.
• Dramatic adventure that focuses on fighting for what you believe in: Not really the shadowruns themselves, the tension over where the shadowrunners draw the line. What are they prepared to do for the NuYen? Will they fight back if the corporation uses them or another innocent party?
After reading the other hacks defining Nature seems to me to be place to start. This is my first suggestion:
• (Meta)human nature: Follow the trend, keep your head down, get paid.
It follow the concept of what the average wage slave is interested in.
But I also like the idea that Nature parallels Essence (or humanity) and you lose Nature as you install cyberware, undertake inhuman activities like killing innocents, being immersed in the Matrix, and by using BTL chips or narcotics.
Cyberware seemed like the biggest hurdle at first, but looking back at my older books there was always a downside from getting cyberware, like Wired Reflexes making you twitchy and trigger happy. In this way some Cyberware is very similar to Traits, other cyberware has different trade-offs and the rest is just like standard gear. Some examples:
• Cyberlimb (Trait - stronger but obvious, and add other minor effects that are similar to gear like gyromounts or built in concealed holsters)
• Dermal plating, bone lacing or similar (Trait - tough but obvious)
• Muscle replacement or Muscle Augmentation (Trait - stronger but doesn’t know own strength)
• Skillwires (know any skill at 2, but can’t use Fate or Nature for them, and no training bonus from using them)
• Tailored Pheromones (Trait - smooth but overconfident socially)
• Wired Reflexes, Synaptic Boosters or similar (Trait - fast but twitchy, can use +1 help action to assist another teammate instead of trait bonus in combat ‘turn’)
Magic also can be made similar to gear or Traits:
• Attack Spells (+Trait Level to Attack actions)
• Health Spells (+Trait Level to Defense actions, and can use to treat injury instead of Healer skill)
• Illusion Spells (+Trait Level to Feint actions)
• Manipulation Spells (+Trait Level to Maneuver actions, and can be used to replicate gear effects in other Conflicts)
• Spirit or Elemental Summoning (+Trait Level to one action for rest of fight, and can replicate gear effects in other Conflicts)
• Adept and Technomancer Traits just parallel the similar Cyberware
Apart from these most of the other rules connect straight away:
• Circles = Contacts
• Resources = Lifestyle
• Weapons have features similar to MG weapons
• Need to add and change a few skills, but this is pretty straightforward
• Traits can be similar (Trolls = Big) plus add a few unique SR ones like Blandness and Elf Poser that are also double-edged
• Goals (for the Shadowrun) and Instincts and Beliefs fit in perfectly
Not sure what to do about the Seasons. Perhaps times of the financial year?
Anyone else out there interested?