User:Dejapes
GM Style
Hello! I am a friendly and open-minded GM that enjoys rolling with the punches and improvising to accommodate player initiative. That said, please take note of a couple of important caveats:
- While I am not new to GMing or TTRPGs in general, I am new to Shadowrun. If you spot an error, do not hesitate to bring it up.
- I'm here to collaborate with your efforts, not to work against you! If you're planning something crazy, feel free to chat with me about it first. This is especially true when there are other players are at the table, whose fun and enjoyment should always be considered.
Runner Selection
- I am willing to take on runners that will derail or subvert a run. Please let me know as soon as you realize your character is going to do this.
- I am willing to entertain runners that have a strong chance of refusing a job. That said, please keep in mind that other players might have wanted in on the fun. Please only apply if there is a greater than even chance your runner would accept the run. Also keep in mind that walking out of a meet or run will carry consequences for your runner's reputation.
- Generally, I will try to pick runners and team compositions that both have a strong chance of success and who would be challenged by the planned difficulty of the run.
- New players and characters will generally take priority, and I will try to select a team around their presence.
Run Content
As a GM, my natural inclination is to root for a team's success. When I throw tough challenges at you, keep in mind that I'm doing so because I believe you have a good chance of overcoming them - or because you have made specific and tangible choices that warrant that kind of danger showing up. I am not the type of GM that wants to see players burn edge or suffer severe negative consequences at their table, unless those consequences are forewarned and deserved.
When it comes to content, Shadowrun will inevitably rope in themes of violence, drug addiction, and corporate-run dystopias. I will assume that players at the table will know that about the setting when signing up. (If not, please inform me immediately!)
Additionally, Shadowrun heavily features issues of metahuman racism. Hostility and violence between metatypes, between infected and noninfected, etc etc. are embedded into Shadowrun's world and the history of that world. I will do my best to present the fantasy racism of the setting without trivializing the gravity or oppressiveness of actual racism. If this aspect of Shadowrun is uncomfortable for you, please let me know and I'll adjust the content of the run.
Beyond that, I tend to step around or, at most, allude to more sensitive issues. My runs will not deal with issues of sexual violence, bigotry directed at sexual identity, or extremely graphic depictions of torture and violence. Minors will be conspicuously absent from any scene in which violence or abuse directed at them is a real possibility.
As always, communication is key. If there's any matter which makes you uncomfortable at the table, do not hesitate to let me know!
Threat Level
If you haven't already read it, check out the ShadowHaven wiki entry on Run Threat Descriptions.
At Medium threat and lower, I am generous in interpreting rules for the players' benefit, and forgiving in terms of player oversights and ret-conned decisions.
Starting at High threat, I am stricter in what I will allow a runner to get away with under the rules as written. Additionally, I will rarely correct player oversights or allow players to do things retroactively. The training wheels are off, and the team will face plausible defeat and harsh consequences. Plan carefully and calibrate risks.
Escalation
There are circumstances in which the opposition on a run will exceed the listed threat level. This usually occurs when the runners do something so wholly unexpected or mess up so spectacularly that higher-threat security forces or other powerful enemies get involved.
Generally, I will not increase run rewards past the originally posted threat level. This is to discourage runners from intentionally going loud in order to up the reward. Additionally, if the merited response goes beyond my GM level authorization to freeform, I will pause the run or schedule a continuation for when a higher level GM is available to coach.
Play by Post
Occasionally, I will do runs by PbP or 'Play by Post.' If so, the run announcement will make that clear.
If you're not familiar, PbP is a style of table-top roleplaying that is entirely text-based. You describe your character's actions as if in a discord RP room, except a GM will be handling narrative elements and NPCs. PbP games will take place on Shadowhaven's discord server, making use of the bots for dice rolling.
The advantage of play by posts is that it is a more relaxed pace of participation, friendlier to multi-tasking. One doesn't need to be attentive to voice chat during the entirety of the run to keep up or engage with the story. The disadvantage is that PbP games sometimes drag on. I have seen servers where the culture of PbP posting means some quests last weeks, or even months, as players end up posting just once a day if that.
I want to maintain the advantage of PbP games while minimizing the disadvantage as much as possible. I do not want to see PbP games lasting more than 2-4 days at most. To that end, I'll be making use 'Active Hours' for PbP runs.
Active Hours
'Active Hours' refers to a stretch of time, usually several hours long, where it is understood that both GMs and players will be available and on point when responding to roleplay in the PbP run. In many servers, this is referred to as 'short form PbP,' where complicated plots unfold within the same time span as a voice-chat ttrpg game. The active hours for a PbP game will be the same each day, allowing players to decide whether the PbP run is compatible with their time zone or schedule before signing up.
Outside of active hours, roleplay can still take place and I will still set up narrative beats for the plot to move forward. But there won't be the expectation that a participating player should be online and responsive outside active hours.
Past Runs
| Run Title | Threat Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Undervalued Prisoner | High | 09-29-2021 |
| Until Dawn | High | 09-21-2021 |
| Digging out Roots | Medium | 09-19-2021 |
| Third Party Rescue | Medium | 09-16-2021 |
| Glow Guerillas | Medium | 09-13-2021 |
| Broken Tusk | Medium | 09-11-2021 |
| Expedited Extradition | Medium | 09-05-2021 |
| Perilous Detour | Medium | 09-02-2021 |
| Spotted Wings | Medium | 08-30-2021 |
| Lost Coyote | Medium | 08-28-2021 |
| Steamed Pork Substitute | Milk Run | 08-27-2021 |
Characters
I also enjoy playing as a runner! My active characters are:
| Cold Hands | Katana-Wielding Biker-Elf |