Advice for new SF GMs

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Spinachcat
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Advice for new SF GMs

Unread post by Spinachcat »

I just got Systems Failure as part of my Christmas Grab Bag and I am very impressed with most of the book. I have Nightbane and BTS 1e so having a plethora of modern day equipment is easy. I am thinking about running a short campaign or convention one-shot. I am a veteran GM, but obviously new to the SF setting. What advice do you have for GMs who are new to running Systems Failure?
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RockJock
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Unread post by RockJock »

My advice is to have fun. The person to person contact is what System Failure is alll about. The crazy dude down the street with a 10x10 bedroom full of macaroni is your new best friend.
RockJock, holder of the mighty Rune Rock Hammer!
Mike Taylor

Unread post by Mike Taylor »

Watch these movies to get a feel for the game:

Tremors
Aliens
Mad Max
The Road Warrior
A Fistful of Dollars
28 Days Later
Slither
Army of Darkness (more for Bruce Campbell's Ash character, who would make a perfect Exterminator)
Bubba Hotep (Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis as inspirations for Wackos)
Mike Taylor

Unread post by Mike Taylor »

mattling wrote:
Mike Taylor wrote:Bubba Hotep (Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis as inspirations for Wackos)


They were not wackos. <:-x> They put a bag of sand in his head!


Note that I said inspirations, Matt. :)

Anyway, it's good to see you. How's your hair? Has it taken over the East Coast yet?
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glitterboy2098
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Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

Mike Taylor wrote:Watch these movies to get a feel for the game:

Tremors
Aliens
Mad Max
The Road Warrior
A Fistful of Dollars
28 Days Later
Slither
Army of Darkness (more for Bruce Campbell's Ash character, who would make a perfect Exterminator)
Bubba Hotep (Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis as inspirations for Wackos)


the Terminator trilogy has some nifty 'future war' segments that get across the feel of the SF struggle. (hiding in bunkers, paranoia about newcomers, surviving off anything you can find)

The postman also is great for gettign the "post collapse" feel, and it has good inspiration for the lowertech side of the game. (M-16's on horseback, modern howitzers towed by teams of mules, modern buildings, but medieval cooking/cleaning...)
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
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glitterboy2098
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Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

the biggest bit of advice game wise i can think of is:

the bugs can only travel as electricity. thus they have to travel down conductive surfaces. they cannot travel as light or radio waves, so cellphones, radio's, and fiberoptics cannot be 'bugged'.

something i've noticed alot reading the online stuff. so many tales of bugs popping out of radio's, cellphones, ect.
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
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* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
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