Written by Akira Egawa (Group SNE)
This book contains three "Re-play" (A RPG playing scene written in conversational style. Its purpose is introduction about that RPG for readers. ) of apeared serially on a fantasy novel magazine which carries article about RPG also, it's named Dragon Magazine. *1
Same player characters appear in each Re-play and each Re-play lines in time order. But each Re-play is completed itself. And there is game master's brief note about his mastering intention after each story.
Intoroductions about each story are below.
A detective requested player characters to search his disapeaered wife and they started investigation. At last, they found a wendigo controlls a corporate research worker with its influence power.
This play has many problems. It seemed gamae master and players are all inexperienced because several mistakes are found. Picking up conspicuous ones are next.
(1) Too poor reward.
(2) Wendigo's action are inappropriate.
Title story. Corporate mage hired runners to find betrayer who was former street kid. The subject is good but some problems are.
(1)Game master is perplexed of the torture prisoner.
(2)Pleyer characters break faith with client easily a bit and make an enemy of Corporate. But the risk of such action is little appealed.
(3)A player character pinted from behind but settlement of this combat is unsuitable.
From this story, submaster who control important NPC joins. He makes NPC's action as cool and dry. But all the others are so wet and emotional that he looks like mismatched.
Player characters were tempted by orc street samurai(NPC) to make a run. But it was the trap to use them as guinea pigs to test trial Samurais.
Subject itself is very orthodox and has the factor of treachery by client. So it can be said that this stroy is the most suitable for the purpose of Shadowrun introduction.
But strange to say, the orc SS has superfluous background. (He gave money to a metahuman orphanage. For that purpose he sold his mates to the corporate. )
Such "Wet" background maybe accepted by Japanease but needless for cyberpunk.
Generaly to say, player characters have too little interest to reward. They think a great deal of obligation and love. (In the second story, they betray the client because the target guy is acquaintance of one of these player characters.
I think Shadowrun stands on such a dry relationships that "Keep relation while biz runs, no superfluous ties after that.". I feel this is supported by quotes in the rulebook. Nevertheless thease re-plays are not so. Then I worry the gap of playing style between who consult the quotes in the rulebook and who consult this re-play.
This magazine is issued by Fujimi-Shobo and stared in 1988.
It may be said as RPG magazine but most of articles are fantasy novel and Japanimation because RPG is given only low status in Japan. Under the influence of this situation, RPG introductions appeal itself as reading matter and distorted the part of system-aid.
Today, RPG relational articles are divided into another magazine named "RPG Dragon".