True20 Shadowrun Conversion
One of the things that I love as a Game Master is to tweak and experiment with the rules. This is why I decided to convert the Shadowrun 4th edition rules - one of my favorite games - to the True20 system, since I find this system to be simpler.
Now, the conversion is still in progress and there are some parts missing. These include all the Matrix stuff (that for some reason, I cannot get enough motivation to sit and finish it) plus some qualities and gear. Nevertheless, I decided to publish the conversion so I can get feedback and perhaps some collaboration as well. Bear in mind that I’m new to GMing Shadowrun (though I’ve played it since eight years ago) and there may be some mistakes.
Anyways, download True20 Shadowrun and feel free to post some useful feedback (flames will be deleted).
September 28th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Not bad. I have some questions but haven’t had the time to go over everything so I’ll hold off for now. More to come.
October 4th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Ok, I read through everything - some with more detail than others - and here are my comments.
Races / Backgrounds
Metatypes … where do I start. This is potentially the weakest section of your conversion. Some of the decisions seem to run contrary to the SR world. Having played for over 10 years and since SR 2nd Edition, I barely recognized some of the metatypes. I know that the True20 background rules don’t match the way SR does metatypes; however, I think you can get closer than where you are now.
Suggestions:
1) Drop Large trolls and Small dwarves. Really, it won’t hurt the your game. If you feel the need to have one or the other, fine but not both.
2) Don’t be afraid of using Lagging Levels to gain some extra pizzaz for the metatypes that need it to gain their bonuses without penalties.
3) “Race” specific languages smacks of fantasy. While it is more likely that an elf knows Sperethiel and an ork Or’zet, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a dwarf that knows Sperethiel or an elf that grew up in the Redmond Barrens that knows Or’zet. I would suggest that you allow bonus languages to all backgrounds or none.
Feats and Flaws
I wasn’t sure how you were going to pull this off but you did a good job. Not a perfect overlap but well done within the True20 mechanics.
Magic
Well done here. I have always struggled with any 20-sided-die-game magic mechanic. True20 is better than most but it still bugs me. However, I can appreciate how hard it is to get magic from another system right. I thin that you have done the best possible in the conversion. I may have missed it but did you preclude the use of all forms of teleportation as they really screw with the SR world?
Essence
This really needs it own category. Tucked into the Magic section, I could get the impression that a non-magical character can load up on cyberware to the point of death in the source material.
Weapons / Armor / Equipment
WOW! You were busy. Nicely converted and feels about right. Excellent job here. Consider adding a note to explain cyberware capacity for the non-SR player.
Lifestyle (separate from other equipment)
I’m not sure I understand the lifestyle nuyen modifiers as you are using them. Please provide an example. At present I have no idea how much money I have to purchase cyberware, etc. during character creation. Are you handwaving that? Is it Narrator fiat?
Contacts
I’m not a big fan of this section and was wondering how you got this from SR until I read that you modified rules from someone else. I would suggest modifying this section to get closer to the feel of the source material.
Paths
Well done here. Not everyone’s cup of tea; however, they are needed for a level-less game being translated to one with levels.
October 6th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Thanks a lot for reading and posting! I will get to implement your suggestions as soon as I can (don’t have much time now). And yeah, I must get to finish the Matrix section. It isn’t a SR conversion until I get that done.
*On Metatypes:
1. I put the size differences so that the metatypes would be greatly distinguished from one another in terms of rules. I wanted that, when a player chooses a troll, he does so mostly because he is Large. The same goes for the dwarf. Putting them as Medium-sized does not reflect well (within the rules) the fact that trolls are damn big and that dwarves sometimes have problems for being little. A Medium-sized troll is almost an ork. Nevertheless, I will consider your suggestion of having only one metatype with size difference.
2. This is exactly as you put it. The troll, for example, have a few other bonuses that I omitted in my attempt to avoid Lagging Levels. I will draft other versions of the metatypes with Level Lag and see how they compare.
3. Actually, the point you raised is an issue that I also share, even in fantasy settings. I’m thinking of dropping the Bonus Language to all elves and orks, and suggest in their descriptions that their respective languages are likely (but not necessarily) picked up as starting languages (ie. native + Int bonus).
*On Magic:
Exactly. I avoided Teleportation magic for that same reason that you put forward.
*On Essence:
I will do that, as it makes sense.
*On Weapons / Armor / Equipment:
Again, your suggestion on clarifications will be taken.
*On Lifestyle:
I got the modifiers from the SR 4e core book (pages 84, 85, 86). As for starting nuyen, I put a section on it at the beginning of the Equipment chapter. It is determined as a base amount multiplied by your level, with bonus nuyen based on your Charisma and lifestyle. Anyways, I will write an example later.
*On Contacts:
This actually was like a bonus section to the rules (and perhaps not directly tied to the setting conversion). I’m thinking of dropping it completely, or see if I can improve it.
*On Paths:
Quite a hard part to come up with, precisely because of the level-less nature of SR.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@ Lifestyle
Specifically, I was thinking …
Know what, let’s do the example and see if I understand.
@ Contacts
I think you need some form of contact rules. The concept is fine it just needs an overhaul to work in the setting. I’ll see if I can come up with ideas later.
October 7th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Source material uses two dimensions for contacts: Connection and Loyalty. The Connection piece measures how well … connected the individual is. A PI might have little pull with city hall but could know a few people. The Loyalty is a measure of how far out on a limb the contact will go for the character.
Group Contacts are more expensive but essentially have the same statistics.
Location Contacts (something unique to the ruleset currently published) could either be a subset of “normal” contacts - Jimmy the Knife has a garage out a the airfield you can use … for a small fee. Alternatively, you could still keep the location idea but rank them in terms of Security, Amenities, etc.
Just my two cents.