MonSTeR

The mechanic finishes with the rag and throws it gently on the counter before reaching over for a cookie himself.

"And Jesus sent you about..?"

He raises his eyebrows in a manner appropriate to his cagey and probably expected reply. He's giving nothing away other than the fact that this is something he'd rather not be talking about right now.

I have done this sort of thing for years, since I realised how unbalancing Combat Sense can be.

The guards I use are still solos. They have the weapon skills and the cyberware but they also have A zero level SA.

That's right, Combat Sense +0.

that means all the other PCs are on an equal footing, and a PC solo with a combat sense of +4 is both reasonable in terms of background AND not something that unbalances the game.

Belated Christmas greetings to all Good to be back online after an effing hectic couple of weeks !!!

The team drive by unnoticed, the  hustle and bustle of the airport means that yet another vehicle passing by is not at all out of place.

A man in dark blue coveralls comes to the front desk wiping his hands on a rag, Shrap notes that they're not even that oiley, and that it's probably just an affected motion to keep the cutomers happy or a habit that the guy has gotten into prior to meeting folks in the office.

"Morning," he says, "what can I do you for, other than the cookies?"

The mechanic smirks to himself, pleased with his little joke.

In the hanger itself, thumper gets into position easily enough, the music drowning out his already quiet footsteps, and the mechanics attention trained fully on their task. But if one of them was to turn around for something, like a different tool, or to stretch their legs, they'd see him straight away.

Neko, is on full alert, if something is out of place here, he hasn't worked out what it is just yet.

Rat chats briefly with the security guards at the gates, about the delivery for one of the other firms, based there, how there must have been a mix up, how it won't be his job that gets canned when the pig-headed security guard won't let him through, in truth the security guard isn't that bothered, there must be 10 or 15 of these screw ups every day and the this delivery isn't going anywhere near the corporate areas. As such the van and it's "special delivery" are on their way to the private hangers at the south or the airport.

Whether by a cursory drive by under the pretence of finding the right place to park or by walking blatantly up to the front door the team can make out the following...

Relativity Aeronautics is a small operation run out of the many private hangers at Night city international airport. The hanger is like any of the others, white painted steel skeleton and white painted internal walls.

Daylight cascades in from the open hanger door bathing everything in bright sunshine.

In the right hand corner at the front of the building stands a partitioned office, the door to which stands open. On the shop floor stand a couple of AV4s, their intakes blocked for safety purposes. A couple of mechanics working on one stripped down airframe, wiring looms and mechanical parts strewn everywhere as they breathe life into the dead machine. The mechanics both are wearing navy blue coveralls and some nameless, faceless 5 year old rock song blasts out from a boombox on top of their skeletal occupation...

Well it seems that they're no longer playing Cyberpunk, just a game using the interlock system (assuming this is where the talk of munchkinism comes from). Set presumably in 2020 or so.

This sort of thing regularly happened in games of Marvel Superheroes and some D+D style games. So it's nothing to worry about if everyone is happy. Munchkinism is only a problem when folks are unhappy or someone is upsetting the balance of the game.

One of Rat's pockets starts to buzz quietly. He reaches and takes out his phone, there's no caller just a new message that's arrived.

Get well soon hun'

Guest lists are cool

But I know what you mean about getting home and hoe frustrating delays are.

Last time I drove into the centre of London for a gig (cos trains to my hometown stop running at about 10pm) it took us 5 hours to get home, on what's supposed to be a 2 hour journey!!!

Yep 2 hours up the M1 and 3 hours getting diverted this way and that by roadworks. Getting home at 5 am did not make for a happy MonSTeR  

I think the "original" cyberpunk vision was dark and bleak, just like the "original" sci-fi had us all living on Mars by now

Things just don't move as fast as these films suggest.

I think the "false" world in The Matrix is one of the portrayals, most in line with my idea of stereotypical modern cyberpunk . Everything for "normal people" is exactly how you'd expect, they wear their normal clothes and do their normal jobs, with the Edgerunners going all out on the cool clothing to co with their calm confidence in their own abilities.

Heat has the look I try to portray in my games, normal clothes and blending in are the order of the day. Ordinary guys doing extraordinary things.

Coffee cups clatter and folks grab jackets. Outstanding bills are settled and the team moves outside into the glare of the morning sunshine. Mirror shades had never been more appropriate.

Relativity Aeronautics is run out of one of the many private hangers at Night City International Airport, so the team heads South-West braving the morning traffic. It could be a long drive.

Spend the night with buddy's or strippers, but in the day or this weekend visit your folks. I bet they'd love to see you

See I never have treated them as baby solos. Ive always taken this to mean that when they're in a PANZER they're in their element, when not driving said craft, but still driving any OTHER craft, that's when they get the half level bonus, if they're not in a craft at all then they don't get any bonus.

GW is in the money making business these days, they have shareholders to answer to. I also play their stuff a lot and I bought my first ever copy of CP2013 from my local GW store

(But I live just over 10 miles from their HQ and would love to work for them)

But their games are the only thing that kept children here interested in "real" gaming at all while the whole CCG thing was in full swing.

The big G might have gone corporate and had to stop selling other companies stuff, but their "old timers" are definately the "good guys" I'm very impressed with their "Fanatic" games and they do support their older lines. I definately think WHFRP  will be on the shelves again before long, coming either from Fanatic, or the Black Library.

Interestingly Joe said a few days ago, "when was the last time you saw a CP mainbook on a shelf in a games store?" I'm pleased to say I've been to 2 gaming stores in the last week or so and BOTH had CP2020 on the shelves

I know Wizards has a huge monopoly at the moment, but I was talking to some younger folks I know, but who I didn't till recently know were gamers, after getting off on totally the wrong foot with me insulting the D20 system like mad, they then tell me that's what they play...    

One of them also said she wasn't totally happy with it but that it's the first system they've played and it's kinda stuck with them.

I guess if they were to see some other systems it might even get them to change, but at the moment I too am drawn to the nicely produced well illustrated, glossy paged layout that only wizards can afford

There's a proverbial train of waitresses ferrying coffees and pastries and donuts and anything else high-fat and high-carb that makes a good, if unhealthy, breakfast over to the team. The girls seem chirpy enough, probably because the grumpy customers don't come in till lunch hour.

8 am the following day.

The sun is up but low in the clear blue sky, lending a yellow tint to the horizon and the autumn weather is cold and damp, luckily that's not so noticable as Rat, Shrap,Thumper and Neko sit in the Starbucks coffee house. It's safe it's warm and it's anonymous.

Bloodbath sees the team as he enters the place and holds up his hand gesturing for 2 minutes to get some hot java.

There's a brief and friendly exchange between the old nomad and the teenage girl serving coffee. His friends notice him point over to their table and she nods. The big man wanders over to the table and sits down.

The van drives into the night across town to Shrap's pad. The rain is coming down heavier now and can be seen in the orange glow of the streetlights and in front of the neon glow of the occasional signs scattered here and there. Top Jimmy turns on the van's windshield wipers, they squeak slightly as they clean away the grime and rain from the glass. Nine-Mill points out turnings here and there cursing quielty on occasions at the glare of oncoming headlights catches her full on.

The rumble of Bloodbath's Harley can be heard from behind the van, the old nomad is picking up spray, but he's out of the worst of the rain not that he'd really mind, or feel it, anyway.

Happy thanks giving everyone

If it's not too expensive I'd pick it up for completeness

With regards to which sourcebooks are essential, I think that it depends greatly on what you already know and where you want your game to head and also how experienced you are as a stern GM, because GMing Cyberpunk is different to GMing ANY other game I can think of.

The CP2020 Rulebook is all you really need to play.

The first supplement I'd advise anyone to pick up is "Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads". the GM's helper guide. It tells you exactly what you already knew, but should hopefully give a GM the confidence to actually put that sort of knowledge into practice.

The chrome books are all good imho they can add a lot of scope to your game. but some folks, like me, don't really think that full borgs by 2020 is a likely element and I try never to use them, just like powered armour.

The world books vary in quality, the "net" books are both  rather good, but for the physical world I think the Night City Sourcebook is the best, if you aren't sure about where to set your game this really is a gift, a complete ready made city complete with a big fun tabletop map

OF the role specific books, I think Wildside is the best. It's got a lot of details about the "street" side of things that can be of use in most campaigns regardless of the roles played by the party members.

I also think folk should try to pick up a copy of GURPS Cyerpunk. I think there's a lot of helpful hints and tips and the like , it's good for atmosphere and can provide a slightly different perspective from Rtal's viewpoint.

Oooh jeez this is a great topic Check out THIS LINK for a selection of CP cinema classics discussed on RTal's site

I think my top 5 goes something like... (and in no particular order)

1) Heat

2) Batman

3) johnny Mnemonic

4) Escape from New York

5) Blade Runner

6) The Matrix

7) Robocop

8) Predator 2

OK so that's 8. I couldn't really cut any of those out and I really feel like I need to add more.

I might discuss them in a bit more detail if I have time, regardless of whether folks are interested or not

With the rain still coming down and the night well and truly set in around the city, the group sets about making a move for a good night's sleep. Bloodbath has his Harley, and there's the van and a choice of who's sleeping where.

It's looking like crashing at the techie's place and probably more chinese food too is the most popular choice.  

A trip to Relativity Aeronautics seems to be first order of business tomorrow, especially if there's some online assistance in the team's corner.

Snow Crash is perhaps my favourite Cyberpunk novel, I love all the little touches such as the "doggies" and the Ng's converted firetruck/vietnamese office VR. Oh and I also developed a crush on Y.T. when I was reading it

I feel I have too little spare time at the moment, so I just thought I'd drop in to say that

Manu mentioned street racing and I think there's been a little discussion surrrounding the film "The Fast and the Furious" using the whole illegal hot rod racing/challenge the system type thing to give the game the "edge".

Personally no, I've never seen a "sports" campaign. I've had PCs got to a couple of ball games and the like, but never had a professional athlete PC in any of my games.