So, you've created a character, acquired software and possibly hardware, and now want to start playing. Maybe you've started to post the character on HubChargen, maybe you need some help getting there. That's where this page comes in. The goal is to give you enough of the tricks of posting to make you fit in as well as possible. How you play is then up to you.
Step the last: Tips and Tricks.
So there you have it. All the steps you need to be able to join in the games that go on through the Runnerhub. Following those steps will get your technical aspects covered. But if you want to take your game play to the next level, and provide feedback for both GMs and Leadership, there's a few more nuggets of wisdom to be passed along.
Formatting
Each system online has it's own unique method of formatting. Fortunately, there are some similarities between a couple. For example, when posting for a job on Runnerhub, you will need to add a link to your character sheet. You could just insert the link into the text box, or you could look like a pro and tie that link you your character's name. To do this, simply type the following code in:
- [.name](.link).
The ".name" is your character's name; the ".link" is the link to your character's file. (The last dot is a period.)
When inserting your character's name as the sign-off, type an asterisk ( * ), followed by a space. This will create a bullet entry. Combine the bullet with the link, and your name stands out as the calling card link.
So, to get something that looks like:
You would need to type: * [Joe Fabeetz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Joe_Fabeets). (Please note, "Joe Fabeetz" is used as an example only.)
- To add an OOC (Out of Character) comment to the post, hit enter twice, then type a double set of parenthesis. ((An OOC comment would look like this. But you probably got that by now.))
- To make things bold, in Skype put an asterisk in front of and behind (without spaces) the words you want to make bold. In Reddit, use two asterisks instead of one.
- So Bold in Reddit would look like this: **Bold**
- To make things Italicized in Reddit, use the single asterisk in front of and behind the text.
- Italicized would look like this in Reddit: *Italicized*
Roll20
Dice rolling in Shadowrun uses 6 sided dice, and lots of them. Rather than have bricks of dice, you can have Roll20 do the hard work. (There's also a 3d dice roller, but that gets annoying quickly.) To roll to see if you hit the broad side of a Troll with a shotgun, you would need to roll a number of dice equal to the skill plus the Attribute. If that totals 3 dice, then you would roll 3 six sided dice. The format for Roll20 is this:
- /roll 3d6
However, because Shadowrun rules state that any result over a 5 is a hit, Roll20 can also calculate the numbers of hits you got. Simply type the following:
- /roll 3d6>5
and Roll20 will count the number of dice that rolled 5 or higher.
Shadowrun also uses Edge to enable the character to add that "extra something" to a task. If the Troll wanted to stand there and take that shotgun blast, and look like a boss doing it, he would roll his defense. By adding in Edge before hand, he can do what's commonly called "exploding sixes," or a rules bonus to the dice roll. Essentially, any sixes rolled count as a hit, and you can then reroll the die to find out if it hits again. If the Troll has an Armor and Body pool of 30 dice, and an Edge of 5, he can then roll 35 dice (to start) with this:
- /roll 35d6>5!
If you want to roll so that the rest of the players don't see how many dice you have, or so you don't clutter up the chat bar, there's a different code.
- /gr 35d6>5!
Note that this looks different: this is combining three tips into one. The first is a to-GM code (/gmroll), the second is a "shortcut code" for Roll20, and the third is that there are shortcut codes. (Perhaps the fourth tip is to never shoot a Troll with only a shotgun.)
The last tip for Roll20 is to create macros, so you don't have to type all this in yourself. You will, however, need to copy your macros to a save file. This is because Roll20 does not always save your macros at the end of your game session. (Best stored with your online character sheet.)
<Here's a link to a thread specifically about Roll20 Macros. Might want to bookmark it.>
And now, you have enough information to start playing. Start posting to the IC discussion threads with your approved character, and join the conversations. Or join the Chat channel, and do the same in realtime. Read what happened on other runs, or find out the OOC information about the rules and settings. But be aware there's still more that we can discuss.
Fleshing out the Character
There's a lot of good information already on the Wiki regarding character approval and the process of creating it. Rather than repeat it, this section will just have links to those pages.
- Good Role Play: "twenty questions." These can help you create the backstory on your character, bringing them to life for both you and your GMs.
- Best Practices: speeding you through character approval.
- Definitions of Runner Types:
- Street - beginning. Rules variant of lower cash, not used on the 'Hub
- Runner - also known as "Normal." Congratulations! You're like almost everybody else!
- Note: all characters on Runnerhub start out in this Runner Type.
- Prime - The Professionals. These characters typically have over 75 Karma, with the recognized names having over 100. Higher risks, higher reward.
- Occasionally, runs will be listed as "Prime." This means there is a very real risk of your character dying. Most Prime runs follow the high risk/ high reward formula, and GMs usually only accept characters over 75 Career Karma. You've been warned.
- Starting Gear you might want to check out.
- We are also collecting thoughts on gear for advanced runners.
After the Run:
What you can do to give feedback, stay connected, and keep up with the latest news.