I’ve been away from RPOL and GMing in general for a few years (real life issues that don’t apply any more).  The last Shadowrun I played/GM’d was SR3, but I got a stack of SR5 books from humble.com that I’m working my way through.  I’m okay with any sourcebook I have… I do have Run Faster, but I’ve not read it yet.  If I don’t have a sourcebook that you want to use, make your case and if it sounds interesting, I may go buy it.

I’m not comfortable enough with the system yet to go the Prime Runner route, but I do really like the cohesive team idea, even if it’s a dysfunctional family sort of team.  No real lone wolves, but a family/team of the sort where ‘nobody kicks my brother but me’ variety is fine.

I’m not interested in running military/merc, but the other options are possible.  Here are some options/variations.
===================
Magical Collection Team (freelance, DIMR, Atlantean, Black Lodge)

Bug hunters / Shedim hunters / Infected hunters / Toxic hunters

History rollback to the dragon civil war using SR5 rules, working for a dragon or dragons, though they may not know it to start out, and may not really know which one(s) for a while (yes, this calls for some tweaks to the canon history lines, but I’m good with that if people are interested.

Corp Troubleshooters / HTR, defense against shadowrunners

Ex-corp team with a grudge against their former employer… not all runs will go that way, but there’s a definite slant

Blackmailed and forced to work together… if they can make it as a team, may be able to clear the blackmail threat… then what?

Misfits that just clicked together… what keeps them together?  Us against the world?  Shared history?

Let's talk it over and find something everyone will enjoy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:38, Wed 28 Feb.

Until we settle on what direction we want to go, I'll just add people with the user name the RTJ comes from.  If you have another name you would rather be added with, just let me know.

I'm onboard with most of these ideas, personally.

Roughly in order of how they appeal:

1. Corp Troubleshooters / HTR, defense against shadowrunners.
   Being legit and having more of the toy chest to work with appeals greatly.
   
2. Misfits that just clicked together… what keeps them together?  Us against the world?  Shared history?
   Might be a good opportunity for everyone (not just me) to brush off some more esoteric concepts.
   
3. Magical Collection Team (freelance)
   Pixie Mage!

Thanks.  I've added a few more people.  Let's see what the others want too.  There's also no reason we can't combine or mix a couple of different ideas, if that appeals to anyone.  The misfits one, the ex-corp one, and the blackmailed ones would all be easy to mix with something else.

thanks for the add, of those 3 i would go with these 2

1) Misfits that just clicked together… what keeps them together?  Us against the world?  Shared history?
Might be a good opportunity for everyone (not just me) to brush off some more esoteric concepts.
2)Magical Collection Team (freelance)
Pixie Mage! (well not pixie for me as someone would claim that but i have other ideas)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Sat 02 Mar.

Hello everyone! I have similar thoughts on game concept.

Corp Troubleshooters / HTR: possibly DocWagon or KE?

Magical Collection team: never played a magical creature before, so that would be cool!

Blackmailed and forced to work together… if they can make it as a team, may be able to clear the blackmail threat… then what: DC’s Suicide Squad-esque?

Misfits that just clicked together: common childhood background at an orphanage or city block where a mentor/parental figure died which brought them together aka Umbrella Academy on Netflix

  I also like the idea of troubleshooters. I once tried to run a game where the players were a strike team for Grid Oversight Division, but it fell through; mostly my fault. Still, I like the idea of a branch or team that handles messy situations for a more specialist group.


Maybe a Thunderbolts type thing of deathrow inmates given kink bombs and allowed to work towards freedom or at least some privilege/comfort.

I've seen a mystical lodge concept kicked around before, but it would need to be a lodge concept that finds that right balance of limitation and freedom to get a nice 'coherent diversity'. might be fun to be forced out of conventional concepts and try something like an adept hacker or something like that.

In reply to serrasin (msg # 7):

Honestly, the magical lodge would probably work better if it's the case that the team has something else in common.   Which might fit some of the other campaign ideas as outlined by TheGM.   That campaign idea would work best with Magical Collection Team or any that really has a full (or nearly full) magic using group.

It strikes me that the Corp Troubleshooters would benefit mundane characters greatly; especially riggers who'd have to worry much less about replacing destroyed assets.

Misfits could also work in tandem with the other ideas.    You could have a group that's basically a group of odd-balls who've been thrown together because they really don't fit anywhere else.   Like the magical lodge idea, this could work in tandem with another.

As far as the Blackmailed group goes, starting with a shared friend/associate strikes me as the simplest solution; coming up with a why to stay together would be easier to work out through the first run rather than right up front.  It's not necessary that the PCs be the ones being blackmailed, after all.

Aside: In my experience, the Prime Runner route plays out about the same as the regular one; but gives a bit more freedom in character building.    Both for mundanes (who gain access to better gear via the increase in availability rating) and mages (who benefit from the increase in quality points).
This message was last edited by the player at 17:18, Sun 03 Mar.

I agree about Prime Runner allowing for more potential for characters. It also allows for non-traditional archetypes and roles to be more viable.