I have always been fasinated with time travel, post-apocalyptic senarios, and People-Out-Of-Their-Element. A few years back, I had the pleasure of playing the actual "Morrow Project" game. Sadly it is out of print, but I still remember the Nurse I had.
Time-travel, how they travel time wasn't always important, was/is/will be a favorite theme of mine. I love to see future types thrust back into the past and try to deal with "things" and not screw up the past so much that they cease to exist. I also like seeing people from the past brought to the future and seeing how they comprehend the miracles of technology.
Post-Apocalyptic senarios were always interesting due to the myriad possibilities of what could happen, the new cultures that could spring up. It seemed to me like hitting the world's, "restart" button. There are places to explore once more, inventions to re-invent, etc. I like to see how technologically minded people dealt with a situation where all their toys were taken away. Take a second to think: What would life be like without e-mail, computers, microwaves, cell phones, or TV. Makes one's heart skip a beat, eh?
People-Out-Of-Thier-Element. Techies without toys. Amish types dumped in the middle of Silicon Valley. Hermits put into the democratic convention. Politician left in the desert. (Maybe that's not such a bad thing.) Adverse situations always seem to build character. Those who don't build character usually die or get committed.
The ideas for this game come from my memories of the "Morrow Project", some MP logs I found on the internet, a wonderfully crafted computer game that I own, and a well written series of books. Since I know my players will be reading this, I prefer to keep them in the dark and I will not get specific about my source material.
Strains from an old turn of the century song blare out of your television. The refrain, "Its the end of the world as we know it," mocks your current situation. Before you can ponder that, the music is cut off and the screen is occupied by the seal of the President of the United States. "We interrupt this program to bring you an announcement from President Harrison Ford."
The picture shows the President bundled in an all too familiar parka seated in the Oval Office. Behind him, through the large window, you can see the gray wintery sky and snow covered city of Washington D.C. Small puffs of mist appear each time President Ford breathes. He gives the camera a tired look. "My fellow Americans, let me wish you a happy Independence Day on this day, July 4th, 2009. I also apologize for interrrupting your daily power allotment, but I have a good reason."
"It has been a year since it started and we still don't know who started things off. We do suspect that it was started by tensions in the Middle East. But for the last year, the world and our beloved America has suffered massive nuclear, chemical, and biological weapon strikes. For a year we have endured this nuclear winter. For a year crops have died. For a year thousands have been killed by engineered diseases. For a year people have died from radiation exposure. For a year we have suffered the wrath of God."
"But there is a silver lining. We have a solution. It's not the best solution, but it is the only one we have." President Ford looks seriously into the camera. "The Scientists have perfected the cryogenics techniques. Working in juncture with the military, the Scientific community has proposed the 'Morrow Project.' They tell me it is named after some role-playing game from the turn of the century. You see, in 50 or 60 years, the radiation count should be low enough for viability. We plan to cryogenically freeze groups of people that will be revived in 60 years to help rebuild what is left of our once great nation."
"So I am asking for volunteers from all walks of life. We need people of all skills for this great project. You will be pioneers in the rebuilding of civilization after it's fall. If you would like to be considered for this great task, call 1-800-MorrowP. We'll save a cryo-tube for you. Thank you and good night."
Creation FAQ: These are the guidelines I gave my players to make their character with.
Characters: Here is a list and description of my current players.
Backlogs: Here you can find the adventure logs.
Sourcebook List Here is a list of all the Shadowrun Sourcebooks that I currently own.