SRM 05-06 Take A Chance
The cast:
Nox - Human Combat Mage - played by yours truly
Umi Love - Elf Face/Adept
"James" - Human Weapons expert/Adept
Night Eyes - Human Decker/Rigger - Security Spider
Snuffleupagus (yes, the character is named after the Sesame Street character - more in a future blog post) - dwarf decker
There are some Spoilers but I'll do my best to avoid plot specifics. While players can replay modules Shadowrun Missions, I feel its best if some surprises exist. As such as I'll focus more on how our group approached the module and how our group of fledgling Shadowrun 5E gamers are slowly learning the rules. Of note, this was the module that was postponed on Halloween to a month later...
As per the boiler plate of the module, our group of runners went to a meet where other groups of runners were - and our characters learn we're auditioning for a job. Everyone in the group decides not to bring weapons in. We meet a new associate named Night Eyes whose referenced to us by a storyline contact. James buys our table a sample of all the appetizers. Umi buys pork for the table as well. Snuffleupagus also peruses the menu. Nox who spent plenty of downtime Working for the People... uh... mooches... I guess? We notice other groups are watching us but we pay them no mind. Then some dragon-looking dude approaches us whom everyone but Nox (and maybe Night Eyes?) recognizes as Simon from the first module SRM 05-01. Offers a money making opportunity. When we enter into our interview with Sarah Silverleaf (there's frequent Sarah Silverman's interjected into the out-of-game chatter), Night Eyes mentions Simon's job offer...
While waiting on whether or not we're hired, James orders wine for all the other tables. Snuffy and Umi also partake in trash talking the other groups. At some point, one group tries to mess with James, he becomes extra confrontational with them as a result. Believe it or not, combat does not break out.
Long story short. We're hired. Turns out the run is underwater and we'll have to rent a submarine and some underwater gear. Our contact for this winds up being Goober whom we met during a prior module. He sells us some gear, modifies some of our weapons, and pilots our submarine. I joke so is it yellow? Why yes it is! Thus as title states, we embark on a shadowrun within a yellow submarine.
While underwater, we discover that the background count is less than Chicago normal but Noise is so bad that Matrix and Wireless-connected activities are unreliable. Huge, huge change from prior modules. Nox discovers while astrally projecting that two building were enclosed within astral barriers as is one room within a third building.
When we dock with the third building, Night Eyes uses a skill that hasn't really come up to hook up power to some oxygen tanks. He would later use the same skill to recharge some electrical devices...
At this point, I am going to forgo the traditional session write-up as it spoils too much. Instead I'll supply some highlights:
- Nox - honestly doesn't play too much of role other than Stunbolt-ing a character and achieving maximum Force 6 result. His inability to speak a language kind of limited him, kind of didn't. When we entered our final combat, he used a service for his fire elemental. Unfortunately the combat was too hectic that when the fire elemental could have been used, there was too much confusion and we ran out of time for the session. Which kind of sucks...
- There was an underwater shaft filled with perilous obstacles to swim past. The GM skipped this section to save time.
- We also skipped a combat encounter due to lack of time as well.
- Our characters encountered a group of metavariants/metasapients!
- The final combat is complicated by lack of familiarity with the grenade rules and botching the movement rules to catastrophic results! We forgot movement was for the entire Combat Turn and not individual pass and didn't realize grenades explode much, much sooner during a combat turn.
- Yep, the chunky salsa grenade rule applied!
- Before this session, I was lukewarm to full-auto. Afterwards, I am a believer.
James exercises his small group tactics skill to initiate a group dynamic entrance. Unfortunately, our enemies were lying in wait. Before he sucks up three bursts of full-auto, James fires a gas grenade at two men armed with AKs. He suffers some Stun. Umi grabs a frag grenade off James belt and runs toward moon pool bay door and tosses the grenade. By sheer luck, as she missed, the grenade scatters into the room with the moon pool! She (yeah Umi is a she) runs into a nearby room. Unfortunately, a fourth gunman runs into the room. However, before he can fire Umi performs a melee interrupt as he passes by and incapacitates him with a Nerve Strike! A fifth enters and is Nerve Striked as he passes. Alas, he isn't incapacitated and opens fire. Fortunately, Umi has an ability where she is too pretty to be hit and evades the full auto-fire. Night Eyes covers a side that no enemy approaches from - it was because of the gas grenade? Snuffy full-autos a sixth who enters the room with Umi. Fleeing the moon pool room another enters Umi's room and unleashed full auto-fire upon her. With four assailants within the same room firing full-auto, Umi is stunned a bunch. James runs to her room, fires a flash bang (which scatters to Umi's feet) and runs back. Umi tries to flee the room and the flash bang but is melee intercepted by one of her four assailants (granted one is incapacitated) with a shock glove and is stunned unconscious. Two of her assailants exit and fire at James dropping him. Flash bang goes off. Yeah... All three remaining in the room are declared out for simplicity's sake. Our remaining opponents flee.
Overall: SRM 05- 06 Take a Chance is an excellent module with some off-the-beaten-path situations for the average runner. I'd love to play the mod again when we're more knowledgeable with the rules and less rusty. Still it was quite a memorable session. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars with a chance at 4 stars.
Till next time,
Happy Gaming
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