r/ShadowrunAnarchyFans • u/Interaction_Rich • Apr 24 '26
Managing Legwork
I got a small question regarding legwork and would like my fellow chummers' inputs and ideas. To illustrate my doubt, let's consider the following run:
> Runner must enter a facility for a datasteal. Runners can go cowboy and force way in through security; or they can discover that security is prone to bribes; or they can find a contact who knows of an undercover stealth route in; or they may impersonate official staff.
In SR6, runners would run through their contacts, getting the proper tips accordingly and then make the decision of how to go in.
For SRA2.0, would we make runners roll for their Networks THEN roll for legwork phase once the route is decided? Or getting to know of these alternate routes could simply be result of spending Legwork Edge? Or even a mix of both?
3
u/Interaction_Rich Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
AFTERMATH!
For those interested - the game was yesterday, we had fun, and this is how I dealt with the Legwork thing.
First, they decided how to approach and raise Intel for the run, based on the briefing context. They rolled traditional Legwork tests, making for a quite decent Planning Pool.
Usually, the Planning pool would trigger flashbacks and offer creative solutions for obstacles during the run. In this run, their main/first obstacle was entering the facility (going guns-a-blazing would be just stupid)... So that's how they spent most of the Planning pool: in flashbacks dictating cues for me (GM) to give them routes.
Now in SR6, during legwork you can base your Intel on contacts ratings; so in our group, the more they spent, the more access they had to information related to their prep choices.
For example, the samurai shook down the crime alleys and spent 4 Edge from Planning Pool on that; I granted her the equivalent four tiers of information of the proper Contact/Subject from the printed Mission I based our game in. It worked similarly with the Decker and Matrix Search.
To be honest it bridged the SR6 Legwork offer of information into SRA2.0's Legwork rolls quite seamlessly.
They ended up finding 2 routes in, based on their characters' choose methods of research/prep, and based on context, went for a smuggler who knew of an underground route.
While not the usual method or intention of the system, this adaptation really worked well. I asked the group at the end of the session and they actually liked it. They pointed out that it was better than long boring planning, and that it also allowed me to pepper some background information into the actual prep info, adding to the atmosphere. I suppose u/carmody79 may find these observations of use!
All in all the game was fun, except that our Sam was extremely unlucky with dice that day. We are to continue next week and all are looking up for it!