Energy from spiritual sources or "souls", Mako energy has been quite contraversial since its discovery by Shinra Corp. It provides energy which is clean, reliable, portable, and long-lasting, but it is powered by "souls" (and it's status as renewable energy is debateable).
Many Mako battery reactors are powered by captured free spirits, ghosts and spectres, or even live critters (who die during the process).
In game terms, Mako batteries usually cost double or triple what normal batteries do, with an extremely high availability. They generate a small aura (as if a sustained spell), and the batteries will last 10-20 times as long, making them ideal for rutheneum suites or energy weapons. Once the batteries drain, they can only be recharged by replacing the spirit trapped within, either by catching one and using a spirit trap, or by going to a designated Shinra facility and purchasing one. Some free spirits have been known to be powerful enough to have charged batteries which still have not run out!
A few small mako reactors have been created, usually on site to help power Shinra's own corporate buildings. Rumors about them using the "earth's soul" abound, though their spirit fighting equipment and reputation implies that they could easily be powered by strong captured spirits. The effect of draining the earth's soul (if it exists) leads to debates as heated and varied as the global warming debates of the late 20th century. So far, no ill effects have been observed (or at least reported).
Anyone seen with a mako battery seems to be treated as if they had the spirit bane flaw for all spirit types. There has been some debate as to whether this is an evil practice or not, particularly in relation to blood spirits, toxic spirits, and insect spirits.
Showing posts with label missions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missions. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Relics of the Faithful
Some objects seem to have taken an almost "awakened" style, based on the beliefs of people and the constant legends surrounding such object. Scholars have wondered if it was some kind of magical placebo effect, something the user is doing instead of the item itself, which seems to be justified when some items don't work for active disbelievers, but then sometimes people are able to manipulate objects without being aware of their history, so the debate rages on.
In shadowrun campaigns, some kind of relic might be the focus of a mission, or a mission may take place near a museum where they can go to ask for a blessing (such as a mission in Jerusalem where they can go to the site of Jesus' birth).
Example Relics:
Jesus Toast: It could be jesus, it could be Mary, it could be toast, it could be wood, but when people flock around a naturally occuring religious icon, it seems like their own prayers are infusing it with the semblance of power. Some people have claimed that the relic has cast the heal spell on them as if it were an anchoring focus using its own skill.
Saint's Remains: The remains of a saint, their burial shroud, their thigh bone, or whatever is sometimes worshipped in its own right, and people have claimed to have diseases cured by touching such a vessel, or by praying before it.
Legendary Weapons: Some legendary weapons (such as Masamune or Excalibur) have been said to act as a weapon focus without the user needing to bond with it, being able to overcome natural weapon immunity and slay regenerators with ease. Of course, with all the frauds out there (and the ability to create your own weapon foci) such claims are hard to verify.
God's Own Items: Whether it be the Holy Grail, the Tablets of Joseph Smith, a thorn from jesus' crown, or a splinter of Noah's Ark, some holy relics have demonstrated magical ability to those who come and touch them or pray to them. Sometimes this comes in the form of a boost or detection magic on behalf of the worshipper. The Catholic Pope's orb is said to act as a sustaining focus, for example, and none of the popes ever needed to bond with it.
Holy Sites: Some locations themselves seem to act as power sites, despite no actual mana lines going through or converging there. The site of Jesus' birth, Stonehenge, the Easter Island Heads, Old Faithful, or the top of Mt. Olympus may be examples of some power sites, empowered by the mysteries and faith of those around them more so than by "measureable" sources.
In shadowrun campaigns, some kind of relic might be the focus of a mission, or a mission may take place near a museum where they can go to ask for a blessing (such as a mission in Jerusalem where they can go to the site of Jesus' birth).
Example Relics:
Jesus Toast: It could be jesus, it could be Mary, it could be toast, it could be wood, but when people flock around a naturally occuring religious icon, it seems like their own prayers are infusing it with the semblance of power. Some people have claimed that the relic has cast the heal spell on them as if it were an anchoring focus using its own skill.
Saint's Remains: The remains of a saint, their burial shroud, their thigh bone, or whatever is sometimes worshipped in its own right, and people have claimed to have diseases cured by touching such a vessel, or by praying before it.
Legendary Weapons: Some legendary weapons (such as Masamune or Excalibur) have been said to act as a weapon focus without the user needing to bond with it, being able to overcome natural weapon immunity and slay regenerators with ease. Of course, with all the frauds out there (and the ability to create your own weapon foci) such claims are hard to verify.
God's Own Items: Whether it be the Holy Grail, the Tablets of Joseph Smith, a thorn from jesus' crown, or a splinter of Noah's Ark, some holy relics have demonstrated magical ability to those who come and touch them or pray to them. Sometimes this comes in the form of a boost or detection magic on behalf of the worshipper. The Catholic Pope's orb is said to act as a sustaining focus, for example, and none of the popes ever needed to bond with it.
Holy Sites: Some locations themselves seem to act as power sites, despite no actual mana lines going through or converging there. The site of Jesus' birth, Stonehenge, the Easter Island Heads, Old Faithful, or the top of Mt. Olympus may be examples of some power sites, empowered by the mysteries and faith of those around them more so than by "measureable" sources.
Player-Made Missions
Not all missions must be Johnson bringing you in to go on a special run for them. Sometimes the month is coming up, rent's coming due, and the players need some kind of payday. Here's some ways players can come up with their own missions.
Mugging:
Players looking for a quick couple bucks could go on simple muggings to get some cash, but we're talking about cash in the $100s here, probably not much of a payday.
Robbery:
Planning a robbery of a store, bank, armored car, jewelry store, or other facility can be a fun way to make that payday without having any johnson to answer to. Usually these are difficult missions, but since they aren't dealing with "the most advanced development in the X field" or anything, security isn't as tight as they're probably used to. Deckery-style robberies should be made into full missions in the same sense.
Con Job:
Getting a bunch of PCs together to pull a crazy con job can be fun too. GM: don't be tempted to make people act smarter than they should- people believe what they WANT to believe, and the two biggest motivators are GREED and FEAR.
Shipments:
Finding a shipment of weapons, drugs, etc to break up makes for a straightforward gang-style mission full of shooting and looting, and in the end they can get some guns, some drugs, or some crap to sell for money.
Prison Break:
Sometimes people get caught and it's up to the other PCs to break them out of jail. This can be a very difficult but rewarding mission that builds teamwork and trust between members, though it can greatly increase wanted levels (especially if they're using lethal force).
Elimination:
Whether it's a witness, a nosy detective, a loudmouth reporter, or whatever, sometimes a mission or identity is close to being compromised and you need to shut someone up. This can be as simple as a bullet, beating, or threat, or as complicated as getting them a better job further away which makes them forget all about their business here.
Just some ways to break the old formula of Meeting-Mission-Meeting.
Mugging:
Players looking for a quick couple bucks could go on simple muggings to get some cash, but we're talking about cash in the $100s here, probably not much of a payday.
Robbery:
Planning a robbery of a store, bank, armored car, jewelry store, or other facility can be a fun way to make that payday without having any johnson to answer to. Usually these are difficult missions, but since they aren't dealing with "the most advanced development in the X field" or anything, security isn't as tight as they're probably used to. Deckery-style robberies should be made into full missions in the same sense.
Con Job:
Getting a bunch of PCs together to pull a crazy con job can be fun too. GM: don't be tempted to make people act smarter than they should- people believe what they WANT to believe, and the two biggest motivators are GREED and FEAR.
Shipments:
Finding a shipment of weapons, drugs, etc to break up makes for a straightforward gang-style mission full of shooting and looting, and in the end they can get some guns, some drugs, or some crap to sell for money.
Prison Break:
Sometimes people get caught and it's up to the other PCs to break them out of jail. This can be a very difficult but rewarding mission that builds teamwork and trust between members, though it can greatly increase wanted levels (especially if they're using lethal force).
Elimination:
Whether it's a witness, a nosy detective, a loudmouth reporter, or whatever, sometimes a mission or identity is close to being compromised and you need to shut someone up. This can be as simple as a bullet, beating, or threat, or as complicated as getting them a better job further away which makes them forget all about their business here.
Just some ways to break the old formula of Meeting-Mission-Meeting.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Your Family
A shadowrunner's family can mean a lot of things. It can be a dependant (as in the flaw), it can be a source of contacts (or a pirate family edge), or it can be a complication. It should be all of the above.
First of all, is your family still alive? Many PCs take the easy route and say no, they're all dead. But I'll have some possibilities here for GMs and PCs for the players to leech off their families.
Benefits
Contacts: Your family is easier to maintain as a contact, always accepting time as a method of payment. They can still be level 1 contacts (cousins and such), though parents and sibligns are usually level 2 or 3.
Favors: Family will eventually cut you off, but is usually willing to help you out, whether it's for a free squatter (or better) lifestyle as you live at their house, or even with some small short term loans to help you get by with the rent.
Missions: Families might (on purpose or not) provide missions for you. Perhaps you hear a rumor from your sister you want to follow up on, or your dad just "wishes someone would take care of that barking dog next door". Maybe your family supports your shadowrunning or does it themselves and they can provide advice or actual missions to go expore, or even introduce you to their johnsons. (Bring your daughter to work day is very popular in the shadowrunning community- she's Daddy's little Assassin!).
Complications
Favors: Families need (and expect) favors like anyone else, and this can be inconveniences (they borrowed your car without asking), nuisances (they dropped by your house while the mob was there) or missions (they need help getting their house out of foreclosure).
Leverage: If bad guys can't get at you, sometimes your family may be easier to find and get at. Especially if they're unaware of your past.
True Lies: Keeping your shadowrunner identity hidden from your family (especially wives and children) can be a fun level to the game, and put extra pressure on you to not get arrested. (I'm talking to you Dexter Morgan!).
Immersion: Having family characters show up and BS every once in a while can add immersion to the campaign (especially when another PC starts dating your sister and you need to have that "talk"- with bullets!).
Another one of those things that gets often ignored by PCs and GMs alike.
First of all, is your family still alive? Many PCs take the easy route and say no, they're all dead. But I'll have some possibilities here for GMs and PCs for the players to leech off their families.
Benefits
Contacts: Your family is easier to maintain as a contact, always accepting time as a method of payment. They can still be level 1 contacts (cousins and such), though parents and sibligns are usually level 2 or 3.
Favors: Family will eventually cut you off, but is usually willing to help you out, whether it's for a free squatter (or better) lifestyle as you live at their house, or even with some small short term loans to help you get by with the rent.
Missions: Families might (on purpose or not) provide missions for you. Perhaps you hear a rumor from your sister you want to follow up on, or your dad just "wishes someone would take care of that barking dog next door". Maybe your family supports your shadowrunning or does it themselves and they can provide advice or actual missions to go expore, or even introduce you to their johnsons. (Bring your daughter to work day is very popular in the shadowrunning community- she's Daddy's little Assassin!).
Complications
Favors: Families need (and expect) favors like anyone else, and this can be inconveniences (they borrowed your car without asking), nuisances (they dropped by your house while the mob was there) or missions (they need help getting their house out of foreclosure).
Leverage: If bad guys can't get at you, sometimes your family may be easier to find and get at. Especially if they're unaware of your past.
True Lies: Keeping your shadowrunner identity hidden from your family (especially wives and children) can be a fun level to the game, and put extra pressure on you to not get arrested. (I'm talking to you Dexter Morgan!).
Immersion: Having family characters show up and BS every once in a while can add immersion to the campaign (especially when another PC starts dating your sister and you need to have that "talk"- with bullets!).
Another one of those things that gets often ignored by PCs and GMs alike.
Panic!
I've heard this several times: "I push the panic button."
This usually happens when people are either in over their heads in combats (i.e. getting their asses handed to them), or are attempting to flee the scene (usually unsuccessfully because they're being pursued by helicopters or being trapped on the roof or something) or when they're about to blow the mission for some reason (just been detected, set off the alarms, etc).
What the PC is saying is "NPCs please save us." This may indicate that they are calling their employers or buddies for help. Sometimes this is a group decision, sometimes this is one player who can't think of anything else. This should be explored.
1) How does one push the panic button?
First- who are you calling? How are you calling them? If you're jumping on a cell phone or radio you should know that such conversations may be monitored, meaning that you may be putting whoever you're calling at risk just by making the call. At the very least when you're captured their number will be on the recent call list.
Secondly, who will help you? A shadowrunner is supposed to be a deniable asset, not a government agent. Shadowrunners are sent by a company that cannot or will not send official support- they sure as hell aren't about to go bail you out.
That being said, let's look at a scenario when you CAN call for emergency backup, and the consequences thereof.
2) Who do you call and how can they help?
This isn't D&D: there are no teleporters to zip in and save you. Even if you call someone for help, the most they might be able to do is to run to your house and get rid of all your porn before your mom sees it. Seriously, they can send a car, but if you're inside the building what are they supposed to do, send a rescue team?
If you get away, maybe they can send cars, or a helicopter to pick you up. Such things should be an hour away AT LEAST (maybe more) unless you're working in the same city, but even still the prep time should stop next round rescues. Perhaps if you're arrested they can get lawyers for you, but you're probably loaded with illegal foci and cyberware and weapons, so you're probably better off having the runners who did escape stage a jailbreak.
3) So they did help you, now what?
Okay, let's say you called for help- the helicoptor came and pulled you off the roof or something and now you're away. How pissed are they? First of all, did you complete your mission at all? If stealth was any part of it, probably not. If it was an assassination mission, or a theft mission and you completed the primary goal, at least there's that.
Most employers should consider your rescue to be your pay (or the whole group's pay!), not paying you anything on a successful mission. On an unsuccessful mission they should be very pissed and demand compensation, either in terms of another mission or flat cash. Maybe they demand you try again, regardless of the heightened securty and new danger. They aren't doing this for your health, you know!
If it was contacts that saved you, this counts as a major favor, which requires you to do a major favor back to them at their request or risk losing the contact forever. If I saved your life, then you wouldn't help me move out of my apartment, we would no longer be friends I guarantee you.
As far as experience goes, this is essentially an instance of a failed mission. Even if the goal was accomplished, it seems like you were about to die or get captured if not for that panic button. GMs should consider awarding 1/2 (or no!) karma for such a failed mission. If the mission was successful even if the player died (such as the other PCs got away with the stolen merchandise and only the panicked character got screwed) he might consider this penalty only for that character. If the party wants full karma, they should go back to save their comrade (or put a bullet in his head and finish the job!).
In genaral, a Panic! button situation should only be usable in realist situations, the GM should not be afrad to kill characters (or TPK) if shit happens.
This usually happens when people are either in over their heads in combats (i.e. getting their asses handed to them), or are attempting to flee the scene (usually unsuccessfully because they're being pursued by helicopters or being trapped on the roof or something) or when they're about to blow the mission for some reason (just been detected, set off the alarms, etc).
What the PC is saying is "NPCs please save us." This may indicate that they are calling their employers or buddies for help. Sometimes this is a group decision, sometimes this is one player who can't think of anything else. This should be explored.
1) How does one push the panic button?
First- who are you calling? How are you calling them? If you're jumping on a cell phone or radio you should know that such conversations may be monitored, meaning that you may be putting whoever you're calling at risk just by making the call. At the very least when you're captured their number will be on the recent call list.
Secondly, who will help you? A shadowrunner is supposed to be a deniable asset, not a government agent. Shadowrunners are sent by a company that cannot or will not send official support- they sure as hell aren't about to go bail you out.
That being said, let's look at a scenario when you CAN call for emergency backup, and the consequences thereof.
2) Who do you call and how can they help?
This isn't D&D: there are no teleporters to zip in and save you. Even if you call someone for help, the most they might be able to do is to run to your house and get rid of all your porn before your mom sees it. Seriously, they can send a car, but if you're inside the building what are they supposed to do, send a rescue team?
If you get away, maybe they can send cars, or a helicopter to pick you up. Such things should be an hour away AT LEAST (maybe more) unless you're working in the same city, but even still the prep time should stop next round rescues. Perhaps if you're arrested they can get lawyers for you, but you're probably loaded with illegal foci and cyberware and weapons, so you're probably better off having the runners who did escape stage a jailbreak.
3) So they did help you, now what?
Okay, let's say you called for help- the helicoptor came and pulled you off the roof or something and now you're away. How pissed are they? First of all, did you complete your mission at all? If stealth was any part of it, probably not. If it was an assassination mission, or a theft mission and you completed the primary goal, at least there's that.
Most employers should consider your rescue to be your pay (or the whole group's pay!), not paying you anything on a successful mission. On an unsuccessful mission they should be very pissed and demand compensation, either in terms of another mission or flat cash. Maybe they demand you try again, regardless of the heightened securty and new danger. They aren't doing this for your health, you know!
If it was contacts that saved you, this counts as a major favor, which requires you to do a major favor back to them at their request or risk losing the contact forever. If I saved your life, then you wouldn't help me move out of my apartment, we would no longer be friends I guarantee you.
As far as experience goes, this is essentially an instance of a failed mission. Even if the goal was accomplished, it seems like you were about to die or get captured if not for that panic button. GMs should consider awarding 1/2 (or no!) karma for such a failed mission. If the mission was successful even if the player died (such as the other PCs got away with the stolen merchandise and only the panicked character got screwed) he might consider this penalty only for that character. If the party wants full karma, they should go back to save their comrade (or put a bullet in his head and finish the job!).
In genaral, a Panic! button situation should only be usable in realist situations, the GM should not be afrad to kill characters (or TPK) if shit happens.
Learning Something
Sometimes the party needs a clue, a lead, or something to go on in order to track down the enemy, to solve the case, or whatever.
What I've seen is that groups tend to rely on 1 or 2 methods they're used to, then tend to get lost, forgetting what else can be done. Hopefully this will help them.
Computers: Using a computer to search out the matrix is a great way to learn where someone is or more about him. It can also help find out about special events or dates.
Beat the Streets: Sometimes you need to gather information about a topic by going around and asking people on the streets. This is a use of etiquette or gather information if you want to make a new skill for it. The TN is based on the area you're asking and the level of information (asking people on the streets about the events in a corporate meeting is pretty tough, but easier if you ask around that corporation's break room).
Investigate the Scene: Searching a crime scene is important if you want to learn things about what happened. I suggest creating the intelligence based skill: Investigate in order to search for and analyze clues. They can provide leads. When in doubt- re-check the crime scene. This can also mean breaking into a home or office for clues.
Magic: Psychomancy(metamagic), Astral Tracking, Divining (metamagic), Search (spirit power), Mind read (spell), Detect Lie (spell), Assensing- these can all reveal information about people or places and what happened and perhaps provide clues into what to do next.
Knowledge: Having the relevant knowledge skill is always useful. I suggest making a knowledge: triva type of skill that has a higher TN (+4) but is almost always relevant in a situation, or that can suppliment any other knowledge skill roll. Knowing that what you're looking at may be involved in Moloch worshippers makes those few points in knowledge:fringe cults worth it and makes the mission a bit easier.
Contacts: Have contacts who know things instead of just sources to buy cheap equipment. It helps. You might have to call in some favors sometimes, but it's worth it.
Stakeout: When cops are out of ideas they stakeout a suspect. Use your surveillance equipment and watch him for a while (all day maybe)- perhaps even on the astral, and see what he's up to. He might just lead you to the clues you need!
Go with your Gut: Hey, are you a Lone Star officer? No! You're a shadowrunner. Maybe you should just take a chance and jump that guy. He's probably guilty! It's not like you have to worry about preponderance of evidence or something like that. If you make a mistake, try again! :)
Of course, you could just snipe out cops from the roof or steal semi-trucks and blast through civilians with it in an attempt to trigger the next cut-scene, but is that really going to help?
What I've seen is that groups tend to rely on 1 or 2 methods they're used to, then tend to get lost, forgetting what else can be done. Hopefully this will help them.
Computers: Using a computer to search out the matrix is a great way to learn where someone is or more about him. It can also help find out about special events or dates.
Beat the Streets: Sometimes you need to gather information about a topic by going around and asking people on the streets. This is a use of etiquette or gather information if you want to make a new skill for it. The TN is based on the area you're asking and the level of information (asking people on the streets about the events in a corporate meeting is pretty tough, but easier if you ask around that corporation's break room).
Investigate the Scene: Searching a crime scene is important if you want to learn things about what happened. I suggest creating the intelligence based skill: Investigate in order to search for and analyze clues. They can provide leads. When in doubt- re-check the crime scene. This can also mean breaking into a home or office for clues.
Magic: Psychomancy(metamagic), Astral Tracking, Divining (metamagic), Search (spirit power), Mind read (spell), Detect Lie (spell), Assensing- these can all reveal information about people or places and what happened and perhaps provide clues into what to do next.
Knowledge: Having the relevant knowledge skill is always useful. I suggest making a knowledge: triva type of skill that has a higher TN (+4) but is almost always relevant in a situation, or that can suppliment any other knowledge skill roll. Knowing that what you're looking at may be involved in Moloch worshippers makes those few points in knowledge:fringe cults worth it and makes the mission a bit easier.
Contacts: Have contacts who know things instead of just sources to buy cheap equipment. It helps. You might have to call in some favors sometimes, but it's worth it.
Stakeout: When cops are out of ideas they stakeout a suspect. Use your surveillance equipment and watch him for a while (all day maybe)- perhaps even on the astral, and see what he's up to. He might just lead you to the clues you need!
Go with your Gut: Hey, are you a Lone Star officer? No! You're a shadowrunner. Maybe you should just take a chance and jump that guy. He's probably guilty! It's not like you have to worry about preponderance of evidence or something like that. If you make a mistake, try again! :)
Of course, you could just snipe out cops from the roof or steal semi-trucks and blast through civilians with it in an attempt to trigger the next cut-scene, but is that really going to help?
Apocalypse Scenarios
For those of you who want the fun system of shadowrun, perhaps even the history, but not all that corporate nonsense, you might try an apocalypse scenario instead! (Perhaps more suited for D20 modern, but...)
In any case, here are just a few possible apocalypse scenarios you can have- either coming in post apocalypse, during the apocalypse, or you can introduce the problem during play.
Zombie Apocalypse: Perhaps the most likely scenario in shadowrun considering the constant mutation of HMVV, the zombie apocalypse would play out much like in film: zombies kill other people and turn them into zombies too. To make the scenario playable you'll probably need some kind of "cure" that can protect the PCs from turning if they take it soon enough after a bite. This scenario is a true survival scenario, with them scouting out for weapons and ammo to help defend themselves from waves of zombie attackers.
Plague Apocalypse: Streets littered with cars but devoid of people, the plague scenario (or the "rapture" scenario, if you don't want to deal with dead bodies) has the players survivers of a plague or event that wiped out 99.9% of the living people, leaving the survivors to rebuild society with all the old toys, using only their own knowledge. After a while power will start going out, and unless the survivors can work together the elements will quickly defeat them. Perhaps made more fun if the survivors group together into rival civilizations.
Christian Apocalypse: Like the zombie one, but angels and monsters fight it out in the streets, fire and brimstone rains from the heavens, the Lady of Babylon joins with the Corporate Court to subjugate the people as the horsemen of the apocalypse roam the world bring chaos with them. Can the players survive, or can they be the heroes they need to be and halt the apocalypse? Why were they Left Below?
Weather Apocalypse: Global Warming, rising seas, long blizzards and drouts can cause a scenario where mass starvation becomes a huge concern. While some groups become hunting cannibals, others strive to fight off the ravenous madmen and maintain society in the face of human extinction. Perhaps it starts raining non-stop and the power goes out, or winter never ends. This allows for odd weather conditions and an almost D&D style atmosphere- with guns! Perhaps this is after an astrological event (meteor, solar flares) which wipe out much of society's advancements!
War Apocalypse: War has broken out, WWIII (or WWIV?) and this is probably going to mean the end of societies. Nuclear bombs may have been detonated in many major cities, and the PCs can be soldiers seeking to end the conflict, or just survivors trying to wheather out the storm. Perhaps the war is over, mankind is all but gone, and the PCs are trying to survive in a barren land where most of the buildings and food were destroyed by the war machines.
Robot Apocalypse: Like the war apocalypse but robots, AIs, etc have taken over and now hunt people, who must scrape by attempting to destroy robots who do not know fatigue, fear, and can work stronger and faster than man, and perhaps even think faster or better. Can mankind prevail?
In any case, here are just a few possible apocalypse scenarios you can have- either coming in post apocalypse, during the apocalypse, or you can introduce the problem during play.
Zombie Apocalypse: Perhaps the most likely scenario in shadowrun considering the constant mutation of HMVV, the zombie apocalypse would play out much like in film: zombies kill other people and turn them into zombies too. To make the scenario playable you'll probably need some kind of "cure" that can protect the PCs from turning if they take it soon enough after a bite. This scenario is a true survival scenario, with them scouting out for weapons and ammo to help defend themselves from waves of zombie attackers.
Plague Apocalypse: Streets littered with cars but devoid of people, the plague scenario (or the "rapture" scenario, if you don't want to deal with dead bodies) has the players survivers of a plague or event that wiped out 99.9% of the living people, leaving the survivors to rebuild society with all the old toys, using only their own knowledge. After a while power will start going out, and unless the survivors can work together the elements will quickly defeat them. Perhaps made more fun if the survivors group together into rival civilizations.
Christian Apocalypse: Like the zombie one, but angels and monsters fight it out in the streets, fire and brimstone rains from the heavens, the Lady of Babylon joins with the Corporate Court to subjugate the people as the horsemen of the apocalypse roam the world bring chaos with them. Can the players survive, or can they be the heroes they need to be and halt the apocalypse? Why were they Left Below?
Weather Apocalypse: Global Warming, rising seas, long blizzards and drouts can cause a scenario where mass starvation becomes a huge concern. While some groups become hunting cannibals, others strive to fight off the ravenous madmen and maintain society in the face of human extinction. Perhaps it starts raining non-stop and the power goes out, or winter never ends. This allows for odd weather conditions and an almost D&D style atmosphere- with guns! Perhaps this is after an astrological event (meteor, solar flares) which wipe out much of society's advancements!
War Apocalypse: War has broken out, WWIII (or WWIV?) and this is probably going to mean the end of societies. Nuclear bombs may have been detonated in many major cities, and the PCs can be soldiers seeking to end the conflict, or just survivors trying to wheather out the storm. Perhaps the war is over, mankind is all but gone, and the PCs are trying to survive in a barren land where most of the buildings and food were destroyed by the war machines.
Robot Apocalypse: Like the war apocalypse but robots, AIs, etc have taken over and now hunt people, who must scrape by attempting to destroy robots who do not know fatigue, fear, and can work stronger and faster than man, and perhaps even think faster or better. Can mankind prevail?
The Un-Shadowrun
So a shadowrunner can have plenty of missions. But then, perhaps there's plenty of missions that don't involve shadowrunners at all! Here are a few mission types that certain character groups might be interested in that don't involve building a crazy shadowrunning type character.
Doc Wagon:
The group is a bunch of doctors or EMT professionals trying to get around and "fix people up". Complications can arrive when there are hostile situations, delivering someone wanted by the mob, or whatever. Has the advantage of also counting as a day job, may have the disadvantage of not getting "extra pay".
Cops:
An easy transition, they might be employed to solve crimes, catch criminals (possible shadowrunners). Contains all the fun stuff you can do in the shadowrun campaign, while also being on the "right" side of the law. Requires more gathering of evidence and an emphasis on capturing people "alive".
Shadowriders:
A step between cops and shadowrunnres, shadowriders specalize in hunting shadowrunners- finding their hideouts, working their contacts, and defeating trained criminals in massive firefights. Can make for a very interesting campaign. This might also include bounty hunter groups.
Private Eyes:
Like cops, but the players work for an independant agency. As such, they can get hired for money, but may have to walk a fine line between the law and the job, and probably won't want the police to solve the case for fear of losing the payday.
Government Agents:
All the fun of the cops, maybe working in foreign countries, working in deep cover, possibly even being deniable assets by the government, or working in special black ops. All the fun of shadowrunning, all the danger, with a feeling of doing something "good".
Security Company:
Being hired to work security puts you on the defending side in the shadowrunner conflict (for once). Perhaps you even have some lesser agents to help you out, and you have to deal with all those tricks you'd otherwise be DOING. If you're a private security company you can go from location to location and avoid all those boring nights when "nothing" happens. You might even be hired by a company to break in and "test" their own security force.
Animal Control:
With awakened critters and free spirits, the animal control agency can have their work cut out for them! You never know what kind of pixie or elemental is going to tear up downtown Seattle! Hopefully you purchased the right equipment! (Especially good for bug city!)
Political Intrigue:
Perhaps the most difficult to run (especially in large groups), the PCs could be corporate employees (regular businessmen) who need to negotiate large billion dollar deals, and to do so they need to spy out their competition, investigate their potential clients, and do whatever it takes to make sure the merger goes through (including hiring or becoming shadowrunners sometimes). Perhaps Ares is about to get in the way of a Renraku merger, and the Renraku PCs need to find a way to blackmail the Ares employees into "botching" the deal. Can involve high use of negotiation and ettiquette as well, and might not be particularly illegal.
Gangers:
Very close to shadowrunners, the ganger campaign might mean more straightforward (and lower paying) missions (but with more mayhem!): tag enemy turf, kill rival gangers, get business owners to pay protection money, explode cars! What fun you can have! And since you're always "laying low" there's no need for tons of extra money, you're doing this for your gang family! Can also be incorporated into higher level criminal syndicates. Might also be a good one for PETA style fanatics who want to free animals from labs or religious zealouts out to destroy vampires. Also good for an ocean-based pirate campaign!
The Serial Killer:
Better for smaller groups, but perhaps the PCs play serial killers. Maybe they're "good" ones like Dexter, or just your run of the mill evil characters, but their targets should be tough to get at, causing ever-increasing skill to get at. Of course, this can get stale quickly, but it's something!
Sidekicks:
You are the limo drivers, the helicoptor pilots, and the shadowrunners you drive around keep getting into trouble- like inspector gadget style trouble, and you need to get them out of there to protect your job!
Merchants:
The PCs just play your typical merchants- running a small laundromat or convenience store. They must make special sales skill checks in attempts to turn their business into an AAA corp! The ultimate goal! Sometimes they must deal with criminals bothering their stores, but it's almost all skill checks and money investments! Perfect for the nPC in your group! ;)
Note: Sometimes these indicate jobs that don't get paid on a per-job basis (like animal control, EMT or cops). Instead, perhaps your "department" gets a special bonus which can be used to purchase group equipment to help out the job, availability being altered based on how likely it is to come up for the special job (no guns for EMT, but a new ambulance...).
Doc Wagon:
The group is a bunch of doctors or EMT professionals trying to get around and "fix people up". Complications can arrive when there are hostile situations, delivering someone wanted by the mob, or whatever. Has the advantage of also counting as a day job, may have the disadvantage of not getting "extra pay".
Cops:
An easy transition, they might be employed to solve crimes, catch criminals (possible shadowrunners). Contains all the fun stuff you can do in the shadowrun campaign, while also being on the "right" side of the law. Requires more gathering of evidence and an emphasis on capturing people "alive".
Shadowriders:
A step between cops and shadowrunnres, shadowriders specalize in hunting shadowrunners- finding their hideouts, working their contacts, and defeating trained criminals in massive firefights. Can make for a very interesting campaign. This might also include bounty hunter groups.
Private Eyes:
Like cops, but the players work for an independant agency. As such, they can get hired for money, but may have to walk a fine line between the law and the job, and probably won't want the police to solve the case for fear of losing the payday.
Government Agents:
All the fun of the cops, maybe working in foreign countries, working in deep cover, possibly even being deniable assets by the government, or working in special black ops. All the fun of shadowrunning, all the danger, with a feeling of doing something "good".
Security Company:
Being hired to work security puts you on the defending side in the shadowrunner conflict (for once). Perhaps you even have some lesser agents to help you out, and you have to deal with all those tricks you'd otherwise be DOING. If you're a private security company you can go from location to location and avoid all those boring nights when "nothing" happens. You might even be hired by a company to break in and "test" their own security force.
Animal Control:
With awakened critters and free spirits, the animal control agency can have their work cut out for them! You never know what kind of pixie or elemental is going to tear up downtown Seattle! Hopefully you purchased the right equipment! (Especially good for bug city!)
Political Intrigue:
Perhaps the most difficult to run (especially in large groups), the PCs could be corporate employees (regular businessmen) who need to negotiate large billion dollar deals, and to do so they need to spy out their competition, investigate their potential clients, and do whatever it takes to make sure the merger goes through (including hiring or becoming shadowrunners sometimes). Perhaps Ares is about to get in the way of a Renraku merger, and the Renraku PCs need to find a way to blackmail the Ares employees into "botching" the deal. Can involve high use of negotiation and ettiquette as well, and might not be particularly illegal.
Gangers:
Very close to shadowrunners, the ganger campaign might mean more straightforward (and lower paying) missions (but with more mayhem!): tag enemy turf, kill rival gangers, get business owners to pay protection money, explode cars! What fun you can have! And since you're always "laying low" there's no need for tons of extra money, you're doing this for your gang family! Can also be incorporated into higher level criminal syndicates. Might also be a good one for PETA style fanatics who want to free animals from labs or religious zealouts out to destroy vampires. Also good for an ocean-based pirate campaign!
The Serial Killer:
Better for smaller groups, but perhaps the PCs play serial killers. Maybe they're "good" ones like Dexter, or just your run of the mill evil characters, but their targets should be tough to get at, causing ever-increasing skill to get at. Of course, this can get stale quickly, but it's something!
Sidekicks:
You are the limo drivers, the helicoptor pilots, and the shadowrunners you drive around keep getting into trouble- like inspector gadget style trouble, and you need to get them out of there to protect your job!
Merchants:
The PCs just play your typical merchants- running a small laundromat or convenience store. They must make special sales skill checks in attempts to turn their business into an AAA corp! The ultimate goal! Sometimes they must deal with criminals bothering their stores, but it's almost all skill checks and money investments! Perfect for the nPC in your group! ;)
Note: Sometimes these indicate jobs that don't get paid on a per-job basis (like animal control, EMT or cops). Instead, perhaps your "department" gets a special bonus which can be used to purchase group equipment to help out the job, availability being altered based on how likely it is to come up for the special job (no guns for EMT, but a new ambulance...).
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Rotating Player Character
Sometimes the problem with a group is that they never seem to have the skills they need to accomplish a goal. Enter the Rotating Player Character method.
The rotating player character method (RPC) allows you to play as many characters as you want- just not all at once. This means that you'll earn less total karma, but you'll always have something to do on a mission, and works out well when you have smaller groups that are all fairly trusting towards one another.
Basically you make more characters, and as each mission is explained you choose what character you'll be using for it based on the expected mission parameters. You don't change characters during a mission. The character you play gets full pay, full karma. The other characters gain only day job type pay and only 1/4-1/2 karma at the end- enough to gain something, but not as much as the primary. Averaged out amongst 2 charcters they'll earn 3/4 as much karma as they would have earned, but now have plenty of downtime for day jobs, private goals, maintaining contacts, etc.
While it can be difficult managing so many players and PCs, especially for the GM, not knowing who's being played when, it can make sure a variety of characters all have things to do without becoming reliant one 2-3 PCs who happen to have a more varied character.
The rotating player character method (RPC) allows you to play as many characters as you want- just not all at once. This means that you'll earn less total karma, but you'll always have something to do on a mission, and works out well when you have smaller groups that are all fairly trusting towards one another.
Basically you make more characters, and as each mission is explained you choose what character you'll be using for it based on the expected mission parameters. You don't change characters during a mission. The character you play gets full pay, full karma. The other characters gain only day job type pay and only 1/4-1/2 karma at the end- enough to gain something, but not as much as the primary. Averaged out amongst 2 charcters they'll earn 3/4 as much karma as they would have earned, but now have plenty of downtime for day jobs, private goals, maintaining contacts, etc.
While it can be difficult managing so many players and PCs, especially for the GM, not knowing who's being played when, it can make sure a variety of characters all have things to do without becoming reliant one 2-3 PCs who happen to have a more varied character.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Alert!
Well, it happens all the time- someone gets spotted. But then what happens?
First of all, should they even be spotted? Just because someone walks in front of a camera doesn't mean the get spotted. Guards goof off sometimes, they nap, the go to the bathrooms, they read magazines with one eye on the monitor. Sometimes they have 30+ moniters to watch at once, and sometimes they have only one or two monitors that flicker between 30+ cameras. What are the odds that you've been seen?
The GM can decide how cameras are monitored. If a few monitors cycle through images then the GM should roll to see if that camera was even active at the moment you were seen. If the guard is present during a monitor showing your transgressions, he should make a perception test to notice it (the difficulty having to do with what you're doing, and how long you're on camera doing it!).
But let's say that you are discovered. Shots fired, alarm tripped, guards alerted, maglock sequencer set off an alarm, however it happens. What goes next?
Step 1: Release Security
The alarm goes off (either silently or loudly) and security rushes to the area. Depending on where the security guards are, it may take them a few rounds (or even a minute or so) to get to you (with weapons ready).
If you're in some area that security can't get into (like you've locked a door behind you), they will probably crowd around the doors with readied actions to shoot you when you come out, or while they wait for someone else to force open the door.
Step 2: After the 1st wave
Perhaps you've defeated the guards that came. At this point when you haven't been arrested, police are likely called (or backup security for large extraterritorial compounds), doors are all locked and mag-keys disabled (except for top secuirty), and the gates are closed. If you have a vehicle nearby they are probably writing down the plates and telling the police about it and guarding all routes to it. At this point if you're pressing onwards, you're probably going to get yourself killed. Even trying to escape at this point might be a problem.
Police should be able to get on scene within 10-15 minutes. Sequencers should stop working in maglocks (though taking them apart still would). Every guard should be rushing to your location in full gear and ready for you. Guards will actively try to capture your face on cameras.
The hard part for the players and GMs is that this might mean the end of the mission, either by failure or TPK. While some missions might still be salvagable (RARELY!), that's probably going to be a physical theft when you're already near the target (or a hostage is already going out with you) or an assassination when you can still get to the target. Sure you can leave and try again, though security measures will be increased and this will be difficult. Also they'll be watching for you.
Computers should be harder to hack into during an alert- perhaps all shut down and impossible to access.
What Players can do
- A quick acting decker might be able to hack the system and turn off the alert, perhaps even providing a false "reason" for the alert (cat got in the ventilation system).
- A team that really works well together might allow for a "fake arrest", where they get caught, but not all of them, hoping that the security will chase some of them, or even send them to the police, so that the last guy they don't think is still there can complete the mission. A risk, but at least might help salvage the mission.
- There's always the kaboom that so many runners love. If the bombs are already set, the risk of explosion can get them out, or they can just light the place and destroy everything. Sinner points go way up- but perhaps they survive! (Perhaps not!)
- Have a contingency plan up front for what to do if alarms are triggered. They almost surely will! Perhaps you can cut the building off from outside communication to prevent extra security from coming, or re-route extra agents to the wrong place.
With stealth being such a huge part of the mission, with such terrible consequences for failure, it's a good idea to take some extra ranks in it, just to be safe. Not every mission will be easy, and sometimes you have to fail them.
First of all, should they even be spotted? Just because someone walks in front of a camera doesn't mean the get spotted. Guards goof off sometimes, they nap, the go to the bathrooms, they read magazines with one eye on the monitor. Sometimes they have 30+ moniters to watch at once, and sometimes they have only one or two monitors that flicker between 30+ cameras. What are the odds that you've been seen?
The GM can decide how cameras are monitored. If a few monitors cycle through images then the GM should roll to see if that camera was even active at the moment you were seen. If the guard is present during a monitor showing your transgressions, he should make a perception test to notice it (the difficulty having to do with what you're doing, and how long you're on camera doing it!).
But let's say that you are discovered. Shots fired, alarm tripped, guards alerted, maglock sequencer set off an alarm, however it happens. What goes next?
Step 1: Release Security
The alarm goes off (either silently or loudly) and security rushes to the area. Depending on where the security guards are, it may take them a few rounds (or even a minute or so) to get to you (with weapons ready).
If you're in some area that security can't get into (like you've locked a door behind you), they will probably crowd around the doors with readied actions to shoot you when you come out, or while they wait for someone else to force open the door.
Step 2: After the 1st wave
Perhaps you've defeated the guards that came. At this point when you haven't been arrested, police are likely called (or backup security for large extraterritorial compounds), doors are all locked and mag-keys disabled (except for top secuirty), and the gates are closed. If you have a vehicle nearby they are probably writing down the plates and telling the police about it and guarding all routes to it. At this point if you're pressing onwards, you're probably going to get yourself killed. Even trying to escape at this point might be a problem.
Police should be able to get on scene within 10-15 minutes. Sequencers should stop working in maglocks (though taking them apart still would). Every guard should be rushing to your location in full gear and ready for you. Guards will actively try to capture your face on cameras.
The hard part for the players and GMs is that this might mean the end of the mission, either by failure or TPK. While some missions might still be salvagable (RARELY!), that's probably going to be a physical theft when you're already near the target (or a hostage is already going out with you) or an assassination when you can still get to the target. Sure you can leave and try again, though security measures will be increased and this will be difficult. Also they'll be watching for you.
Computers should be harder to hack into during an alert- perhaps all shut down and impossible to access.
What Players can do
- A quick acting decker might be able to hack the system and turn off the alert, perhaps even providing a false "reason" for the alert (cat got in the ventilation system).
- A team that really works well together might allow for a "fake arrest", where they get caught, but not all of them, hoping that the security will chase some of them, or even send them to the police, so that the last guy they don't think is still there can complete the mission. A risk, but at least might help salvage the mission.
- There's always the kaboom that so many runners love. If the bombs are already set, the risk of explosion can get them out, or they can just light the place and destroy everything. Sinner points go way up- but perhaps they survive! (Perhaps not!)
- Have a contingency plan up front for what to do if alarms are triggered. They almost surely will! Perhaps you can cut the building off from outside communication to prevent extra security from coming, or re-route extra agents to the wrong place.
With stealth being such a huge part of the mission, with such terrible consequences for failure, it's a good idea to take some extra ranks in it, just to be safe. Not every mission will be easy, and sometimes you have to fail them.
Stealth
Stealth is the worst skill in so many systems- mainly because unlike almost every other skill, where whomever gets the highest roll can share their success with everyone else, stealth forces the person with the lowest roll to share his failure with everyone.
And yet, stealth is such a big part of so many missions. For this, we're going to focus on the sneaking/hiding aspect of stealth, perhaps with some mention to disguise.
The problem is that you need to get everyone in to the facility to "steal" the information (or why bring them?) and yet, not everyone builds the stealthy character. If one guy sneaks in and does all the work, not only do other PCs "sit out" but he also wonders why he should cut them in on any mission pay.
Here are a few things that can be done (by GMs or players) to help the stealthy character succeed without making others sit out.
GM:
Divided Missions: We hear about not splitting up the party, but maybe a situation can arise where the main force of the party is fighting the "boss battle" during the time that the other PCs are sneaking around the facility. Perhaps they serve as a distraction or something. The problem here is that combat is very "quick" in game time, but very slow in real time. Sneaking is the opposite, with several minutes going by very quickly in game time (especially when you take 15 minutes picking a maglock).
Scouting Missions: One way to help everyone get in is to design the facility so that a "backdoor" or something can be opened up from the inside, so the sneaker can break in, then set up a situation so everyone else gets a huge bonus to stealth afterwards. (Maybe he disables all the alarms, loops the cameras, kills security members, or just opens the hidden entrance).
Stealth as Info Gathering: Instead of stealth being the crux of getting the party from the outside of the facility to the boss, perhaps stealth can be one of the ways of gathering the relevant information, stealing uniforms, card keys, etc so that while other people are decking or gathering information, the stealth guy gets to go steal equipment or something and then the party can go in together when it comes time for the "actual run".
Various Methods of being "There": Sometimes only the stealthy people need to phyically be present. They can sneak in small drones for riggers to control, deckers can be outside controlling the remote guns or cameras, and mages can be there "in spirit", even providing real sprits to back up the stealthy characters, which doesn't hurt the sneaker's stealth rolls while still providing actions and backup.
Players
Augument Stealth: Clearly it's worth it to put some points in stealth, and stealth can be further augumented by ruthenem, (physical) invisibility, the stealth and silence spells, etc. Certain cyberware that enhances perception and good radio communication might identify guards and cameras before they become a problem also. These things can provide bonuses to the stealth rolls of the less sneaky characters. Plenty of spirits can help conceal, also.
Instruction: Using instruction can allow other players to "mimic" skills if done properly. The stealthiest characters might want to help other players "fake it" before going in.
Synergize: Whether it's scouting ahead for guard and telling players when its safe, or using disguise and speaking for the dumb ones (taking this wookie to detention cell 2), finding ways to utilize the stealth of the primary for the benefits of the secondary are great ways to use skills and teamwork to accomplish a goal.
Take the Damn Ranks!: Okay, I get it. You are a merchant, or marine biologist, or crazy cyber minotaur with 1 charisma. Just take a few ranks (3+) of stealth! You know it's going to come up! You're already a monster with no social skills or no combat skills or something else, at least have something you can do to help with the missions all the time!
And yet, stealth is such a big part of so many missions. For this, we're going to focus on the sneaking/hiding aspect of stealth, perhaps with some mention to disguise.
The problem is that you need to get everyone in to the facility to "steal" the information (or why bring them?) and yet, not everyone builds the stealthy character. If one guy sneaks in and does all the work, not only do other PCs "sit out" but he also wonders why he should cut them in on any mission pay.
Here are a few things that can be done (by GMs or players) to help the stealthy character succeed without making others sit out.
GM:
Divided Missions: We hear about not splitting up the party, but maybe a situation can arise where the main force of the party is fighting the "boss battle" during the time that the other PCs are sneaking around the facility. Perhaps they serve as a distraction or something. The problem here is that combat is very "quick" in game time, but very slow in real time. Sneaking is the opposite, with several minutes going by very quickly in game time (especially when you take 15 minutes picking a maglock).
Scouting Missions: One way to help everyone get in is to design the facility so that a "backdoor" or something can be opened up from the inside, so the sneaker can break in, then set up a situation so everyone else gets a huge bonus to stealth afterwards. (Maybe he disables all the alarms, loops the cameras, kills security members, or just opens the hidden entrance).
Stealth as Info Gathering: Instead of stealth being the crux of getting the party from the outside of the facility to the boss, perhaps stealth can be one of the ways of gathering the relevant information, stealing uniforms, card keys, etc so that while other people are decking or gathering information, the stealth guy gets to go steal equipment or something and then the party can go in together when it comes time for the "actual run".
Various Methods of being "There": Sometimes only the stealthy people need to phyically be present. They can sneak in small drones for riggers to control, deckers can be outside controlling the remote guns or cameras, and mages can be there "in spirit", even providing real sprits to back up the stealthy characters, which doesn't hurt the sneaker's stealth rolls while still providing actions and backup.
Players
Augument Stealth: Clearly it's worth it to put some points in stealth, and stealth can be further augumented by ruthenem, (physical) invisibility, the stealth and silence spells, etc. Certain cyberware that enhances perception and good radio communication might identify guards and cameras before they become a problem also. These things can provide bonuses to the stealth rolls of the less sneaky characters. Plenty of spirits can help conceal, also.
Instruction: Using instruction can allow other players to "mimic" skills if done properly. The stealthiest characters might want to help other players "fake it" before going in.
Synergize: Whether it's scouting ahead for guard and telling players when its safe, or using disguise and speaking for the dumb ones (taking this wookie to detention cell 2), finding ways to utilize the stealth of the primary for the benefits of the secondary are great ways to use skills and teamwork to accomplish a goal.
Take the Damn Ranks!: Okay, I get it. You are a merchant, or marine biologist, or crazy cyber minotaur with 1 charisma. Just take a few ranks (3+) of stealth! You know it's going to come up! You're already a monster with no social skills or no combat skills or something else, at least have something you can do to help with the missions all the time!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Alignment
Alignment is relatively non-existant in Shadowrun. Partially this is because morals are not absolute (as in D&D), and runners tend to be operating outside the law, which sometimes makes an alignment system superfluous. Reputation is generally good enough to have an idea about a runner- but what happens when runners go out of their way to be holy... or unholy?
Saintly- The runner goes out of his way to help others. He tries to avoid using force at all, and then tends towards nonlethal unless lethal force is the only option. He is willing to fail missions (or abandon them) if he discovers that he is doing something evil. While he's not above stealing information from one company to give to another, he can justify this by the fact that corporations are not people, and there is no moral obligation to them at all. He is the person that might blow cover during surveillance to stop an unrelated spousal abuse in process.
Sinner- The runner cares about nothing except his own agenda. He will fire for lethal, snipe out children, or do whatever it takes to succeed on a mission (unless he doesn't want to do the mission anymore). This is not to say they must be monsters, but they just don't let complications get in the way of their mission. Some may have personal codes of honor or justice they follow, but the core of the sinner is that he puts no special value on life, and may use torture, murder, extortion, or other means to get what he wants.
A runner can have a sinner or saint score based on how he accomplishes his missions. Having a certain level of these scores can provide benefits. For one, you're likely to gain a reputation, with its own benefits and drawbacks, but you qualify for alignment perks based on your score. A runner begins with a Sinner Score of 0 and a Saint Score of 0. The DM tracks this. 100 is the max score in either. Generally as one score goes up, the other goes down.
Powers: You can learn special perks by meeting a certain saint or sinner score requirement. Each power costs 5 karma points to learn. You keep the power even if you later lose the prerequisite saint/sinner points, but you may only "use" it when the prereqs are meant (meaning you don't have to pay to learn it again if you dip below and come back up).
Saint Powers
Luck of the Faithful- (Requires 25 Saint Points): You are blessed with good luck (usually called karma, but for the XP system used). You have an extra point of karma pool that you can use each session.
Blessing of the Holy- (Requires 50 saint points): You can cast the treat spell as if you were a mage with a force equal to your charisma. You must resist drain using your charisma also. If you have sorcery dice you may use that instead if you wish.
The Left Hand of God- (Requires 75 saint points): You may call in a lesser hand of god favor by "burning" 1 point of karma pool. While this is not guaranteed to save your life or get you out of a tight jam, some piece of good luck will go your way to "help" save you. Maybe the enemy runs out of gas, maybe for one turn you get missed by every bullet, but some minor miricle happens. You may use this on behalf of someone else if you wish, though you are the one that loses the karma pool point.
Moon-Granted Wish- (Requires 100 saint points): You may ask for a blessing from your allies. (Non-action) Any ally can then say something inspiring about you, and grant you use of either their karma pool, their spell pool, their combat pool, or they can sacrifice health boxes of damage to restore the same number of boxes to you (meaning that they can take 3 physical damage to heal you 3 physical damage). While the pool dice last only for the round (and must not have been used up by the allies), the damage is as standard damage (as is the healing), and the healing is not limited by how "new" the wounds are. Allies may willingly do this without being asked at any time. Any time this ability is used it costs a point of karma pool, as if you used it, so you must have at least 1 point of karma pool available.
Sinner Powers
Bullet Curve- (Requires 25 sinner points): You may twist your gun in a strange way when you fire, and the bullet will curve, going around cover, or possibly hitting 2 targets with the same bullet. Distribute your dice between 2 targets (if you want to hit 2). The 1st target is normal, the 2nd target grants a +2 TN penalty. If the 1st target dodges or takes damage, the bullet continues to the 2nd target- however if he resists all damage then he also blocks the bullet from going to the 2nd target. If you're just trying to avoid cover, take a +1 TN penalty to the roll and eliminate all cover from the defender. Using this ability costs 1 point of kama pool.
Headshot- (Requires 50 sinner points): You may spend 1 point of karma pool before rolling your action and determine that a given shot will be a "headshot". The shot does +2 power and +1 damage level, and ignores all armor on the part of the target (even if he wears a helmet- you found a weak point in it). The target may use dodge and resistance normally otherwise.
Heart of Evil- (Requires 75 sinner points): You may spend 1 karma pool at any time to make an immediate recover check against any stun damage you have as you demonstrate movie-monster super recovery. This does not help you overcome physical damage, but does help overcome drain. Alternately you can spend 1 point of karma pool to ignore all wound penalties for the round.
Blackguard- (Requires 100 sinner points): You may fire a bullet (or use a melee attack) infused with the power of your own soul. When firing the bullet, you automatically take an amount of damage of your choice. (Up to 10 points, or more if you have overflow boxes). The would penalties do not apply to this shot. The shot bypasses any kind of natural weapon immunity, and automatically deals to the opponant an amount of damage equal to the amount you took BEFORE they roll to resist damage (but only if it hits, if they dodge this doesn't help you).
Saintly- The runner goes out of his way to help others. He tries to avoid using force at all, and then tends towards nonlethal unless lethal force is the only option. He is willing to fail missions (or abandon them) if he discovers that he is doing something evil. While he's not above stealing information from one company to give to another, he can justify this by the fact that corporations are not people, and there is no moral obligation to them at all. He is the person that might blow cover during surveillance to stop an unrelated spousal abuse in process.
Sinner- The runner cares about nothing except his own agenda. He will fire for lethal, snipe out children, or do whatever it takes to succeed on a mission (unless he doesn't want to do the mission anymore). This is not to say they must be monsters, but they just don't let complications get in the way of their mission. Some may have personal codes of honor or justice they follow, but the core of the sinner is that he puts no special value on life, and may use torture, murder, extortion, or other means to get what he wants.
A runner can have a sinner or saint score based on how he accomplishes his missions. Having a certain level of these scores can provide benefits. For one, you're likely to gain a reputation, with its own benefits and drawbacks, but you qualify for alignment perks based on your score. A runner begins with a Sinner Score of 0 and a Saint Score of 0. The DM tracks this. 100 is the max score in either. Generally as one score goes up, the other goes down.
Powers: You can learn special perks by meeting a certain saint or sinner score requirement. Each power costs 5 karma points to learn. You keep the power even if you later lose the prerequisite saint/sinner points, but you may only "use" it when the prereqs are meant (meaning you don't have to pay to learn it again if you dip below and come back up).
Saint Powers
Luck of the Faithful- (Requires 25 Saint Points): You are blessed with good luck (usually called karma, but for the XP system used). You have an extra point of karma pool that you can use each session.
Blessing of the Holy- (Requires 50 saint points): You can cast the treat spell as if you were a mage with a force equal to your charisma. You must resist drain using your charisma also. If you have sorcery dice you may use that instead if you wish.
The Left Hand of God- (Requires 75 saint points): You may call in a lesser hand of god favor by "burning" 1 point of karma pool. While this is not guaranteed to save your life or get you out of a tight jam, some piece of good luck will go your way to "help" save you. Maybe the enemy runs out of gas, maybe for one turn you get missed by every bullet, but some minor miricle happens. You may use this on behalf of someone else if you wish, though you are the one that loses the karma pool point.
Moon-Granted Wish- (Requires 100 saint points): You may ask for a blessing from your allies. (Non-action) Any ally can then say something inspiring about you, and grant you use of either their karma pool, their spell pool, their combat pool, or they can sacrifice health boxes of damage to restore the same number of boxes to you (meaning that they can take 3 physical damage to heal you 3 physical damage). While the pool dice last only for the round (and must not have been used up by the allies), the damage is as standard damage (as is the healing), and the healing is not limited by how "new" the wounds are. Allies may willingly do this without being asked at any time. Any time this ability is used it costs a point of karma pool, as if you used it, so you must have at least 1 point of karma pool available.
Sinner Powers
Bullet Curve- (Requires 25 sinner points): You may twist your gun in a strange way when you fire, and the bullet will curve, going around cover, or possibly hitting 2 targets with the same bullet. Distribute your dice between 2 targets (if you want to hit 2). The 1st target is normal, the 2nd target grants a +2 TN penalty. If the 1st target dodges or takes damage, the bullet continues to the 2nd target- however if he resists all damage then he also blocks the bullet from going to the 2nd target. If you're just trying to avoid cover, take a +1 TN penalty to the roll and eliminate all cover from the defender. Using this ability costs 1 point of kama pool.
Headshot- (Requires 50 sinner points): You may spend 1 point of karma pool before rolling your action and determine that a given shot will be a "headshot". The shot does +2 power and +1 damage level, and ignores all armor on the part of the target (even if he wears a helmet- you found a weak point in it). The target may use dodge and resistance normally otherwise.
Heart of Evil- (Requires 75 sinner points): You may spend 1 karma pool at any time to make an immediate recover check against any stun damage you have as you demonstrate movie-monster super recovery. This does not help you overcome physical damage, but does help overcome drain. Alternately you can spend 1 point of karma pool to ignore all wound penalties for the round.
Blackguard- (Requires 100 sinner points): You may fire a bullet (or use a melee attack) infused with the power of your own soul. When firing the bullet, you automatically take an amount of damage of your choice. (Up to 10 points, or more if you have overflow boxes). The would penalties do not apply to this shot. The shot bypasses any kind of natural weapon immunity, and automatically deals to the opponant an amount of damage equal to the amount you took BEFORE they roll to resist damage (but only if it hits, if they dodge this doesn't help you).
Friday, December 17, 2010
Surrogate
Ares revolutionized the secuirty buisness when it came out with the securo-drone, the first in what would be their Surrogate Line. A rigger (or even a layman with a specially designed VCR pod) could control a security drone as if it were themselves, a bipedial robot under their complete control, allowing them to be patrolling, fighting in wars, patrolling the streets, without any physical harm coming to themselves.
With the advent of cloning and AI, riggers have been able to build realistic molds on these Surrogates, and some of them may be completely indistinguishable from normal people (except on the astral, of course). Some more advanced riggers can even connect to more than one unit at a time for maximum security with minimum human necessity.
Of course, the system is not perfect- while the rigger can experience sight and sound (and some are equipped with a detector that mimics scent); magic, touch, taste, and true odor are not yet within the drone's capability. Being a drone, they are more suseptable to physical illusions, though active riggers can use their own intelligence to combat illusions rather than the drone's.
The drones also require a strong signal, and are suseptable to jamming, there are generally encrypted signal boosters in facilities which use such drones.
Still, they have revolutionized warfare, replacing the need to ever send humans directly into battle (though the cost of a proper unit still makes it difficult for a replacement army to be comprised completely of them). Many megacorps make full use of these in low-security facilities (while higher ones use a combination of these, and living secuirty forces).
Ares is still doing research in their Surrogate line to attempt to replicate the sensation of touch, balance, and similar sensations. It's expected that once they figure it out, mankind may develop into a full rigging state, sending out drones for everything except copulation (though when reproduction is not the goal, perhaps even that!).
With the drones unable to use magic, there are still plenty of reasons why not to pilot such a thing, but these can be quite valuable to a shadowrunner- or a johnson, though neither they, nor their specially built VCRs, are yet available to the general public.
With the advent of cloning and AI, riggers have been able to build realistic molds on these Surrogates, and some of them may be completely indistinguishable from normal people (except on the astral, of course). Some more advanced riggers can even connect to more than one unit at a time for maximum security with minimum human necessity.
Of course, the system is not perfect- while the rigger can experience sight and sound (and some are equipped with a detector that mimics scent); magic, touch, taste, and true odor are not yet within the drone's capability. Being a drone, they are more suseptable to physical illusions, though active riggers can use their own intelligence to combat illusions rather than the drone's.
The drones also require a strong signal, and are suseptable to jamming, there are generally encrypted signal boosters in facilities which use such drones.
Still, they have revolutionized warfare, replacing the need to ever send humans directly into battle (though the cost of a proper unit still makes it difficult for a replacement army to be comprised completely of them). Many megacorps make full use of these in low-security facilities (while higher ones use a combination of these, and living secuirty forces).
Ares is still doing research in their Surrogate line to attempt to replicate the sensation of touch, balance, and similar sensations. It's expected that once they figure it out, mankind may develop into a full rigging state, sending out drones for everything except copulation (though when reproduction is not the goal, perhaps even that!).
With the drones unable to use magic, there are still plenty of reasons why not to pilot such a thing, but these can be quite valuable to a shadowrunner- or a johnson, though neither they, nor their specially built VCRs, are yet available to the general public.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Chase Scene
Eventually it comes up - your characters are being chased by security, police, or whatever, and you need to escape. Enter the chase rules!
In order to escape, you basically need to run until you can hide. Hiding can mean outrunning them and just going about your business, hiding in a crowd, running into a building, or whatever. A chase might also take place via vehicles or on foot.
In order to "escape" pursuers, you must "outpace" them by 3 rounds.
Roll an stealth check opposed by their perception. Both of you may suppliment this with an athletics test.
The following modifiers apply to YOUR roll:
For each number your running modifier is greater than theirs: +1
For each number your running modifier is smaller than theirs: -1
This is your home turf: +1
This is the pursuer's home turf: +1 (for police, the city streets might be their home turf)
You have GPS or some other system helping you navigate: +1
Opponant has some system helping them navigate: -1
Opponant has some means of tracking you electronically: -10 (homing beacon or something- note this might make it impossible to hide unless you can get out of range)
Opponant is flying, in a helicoptor, etc: -5
Opponant is chasing you astrally, or is a spirit, etc: -5 (stacks with flying) (sometimes this can be avoided by running through various places- like city and hearth)
You are flying: +5
Each additional pursuer -1 (harder to hide from a group)
Obstacles - GM discression (having to scale a fence or something can slow you down).
Each extra person in your group -1 (harder to hide a whole group- if vehicle chase, only count each extra car)
(Aptitude: Stealth and Perceptive apply to appropraite rolls)
Weather: GM discression- weather makes it harder to see, but some cyberware may overcome this. Lighting conditions should be treated similarly.
Each round, see who got the highest result. Then compare the number of times the person with the highest result beat the highest result of the other. This is the net chasing success. If the pursuer gets 3+ net chasing successes, they catch you. If you get net 3 successes, you escape. Otherwise, the chase continues.
Example: You are fleeing 5 lonestar officals on foot through your home turf. You roll stealth suppliment by athletics. You get a -3 penalty to your roll (-4 from extra pursuers, +1 for your home turf). Your max roll is a 15. Their max roll of perception supplimented by athletics is 12. You now compare how many of your rolls beat a 12. You also have a 13, so you have 2 successes. Next round you roll again. This time you got a 9 and they got a 10, 12, and 16. They catch up to your 2 successes, and gain 1 further. On round 3 you get a 16, 14, 12, and 10 against their max roll of 8. You beat their 1 point lead and get 3 points ahead- you manage to escape!
Note that if a shadowrun team splits up in various directions, the pursuers may have to do the same. Some people might automatically get away if there are less pursuers than escapers. Note this does not take into effect if they enemies can trace you, track you, gather information about you, etc. You are assumed to have found a place to hide and hid there until they lost track of you, then snuck away.
Also note that people may be shooting at you- wound modifiers apply!
In order to escape, you basically need to run until you can hide. Hiding can mean outrunning them and just going about your business, hiding in a crowd, running into a building, or whatever. A chase might also take place via vehicles or on foot.
In order to "escape" pursuers, you must "outpace" them by 3 rounds.
Roll an stealth check opposed by their perception. Both of you may suppliment this with an athletics test.
The following modifiers apply to YOUR roll:
For each number your running modifier is greater than theirs: +1
For each number your running modifier is smaller than theirs: -1
This is your home turf: +1
This is the pursuer's home turf: +1 (for police, the city streets might be their home turf)
You have GPS or some other system helping you navigate: +1
Opponant has some system helping them navigate: -1
Opponant has some means of tracking you electronically: -10 (homing beacon or something- note this might make it impossible to hide unless you can get out of range)
Opponant is flying, in a helicoptor, etc: -5
Opponant is chasing you astrally, or is a spirit, etc: -5 (stacks with flying) (sometimes this can be avoided by running through various places- like city and hearth)
You are flying: +5
Each additional pursuer -1 (harder to hide from a group)
Obstacles - GM discression (having to scale a fence or something can slow you down).
Each extra person in your group -1 (harder to hide a whole group- if vehicle chase, only count each extra car)
(Aptitude: Stealth and Perceptive apply to appropraite rolls)
Weather: GM discression- weather makes it harder to see, but some cyberware may overcome this. Lighting conditions should be treated similarly.
Each round, see who got the highest result. Then compare the number of times the person with the highest result beat the highest result of the other. This is the net chasing success. If the pursuer gets 3+ net chasing successes, they catch you. If you get net 3 successes, you escape. Otherwise, the chase continues.
Example: You are fleeing 5 lonestar officals on foot through your home turf. You roll stealth suppliment by athletics. You get a -3 penalty to your roll (-4 from extra pursuers, +1 for your home turf). Your max roll is a 15. Their max roll of perception supplimented by athletics is 12. You now compare how many of your rolls beat a 12. You also have a 13, so you have 2 successes. Next round you roll again. This time you got a 9 and they got a 10, 12, and 16. They catch up to your 2 successes, and gain 1 further. On round 3 you get a 16, 14, 12, and 10 against their max roll of 8. You beat their 1 point lead and get 3 points ahead- you manage to escape!
Note that if a shadowrun team splits up in various directions, the pursuers may have to do the same. Some people might automatically get away if there are less pursuers than escapers. Note this does not take into effect if they enemies can trace you, track you, gather information about you, etc. You are assumed to have found a place to hide and hid there until they lost track of you, then snuck away.
Also note that people may be shooting at you- wound modifiers apply!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Meeting With Your Johnson
So you've got a call for your mission. What do you do?
Well, first of all, if you trust your Johnson, this might not be a concern. But then, they are hiring you to commit crimes, it stands to reason they can't be completely trusted. Plus, it might not be them actually calling you, but an imposter. How can you keep your team from walking into an ambush.
Face Time: This is a great opportunity for your face to earn his pay, even if he does little else during the mission. By going in "alone", he protects the rest of the team from a trap, and has no one standing in his way when it comes to negotiating or learning mission parameters. He takes all the risk up front.
Backing up the Face: There are plenty of ways to provide back-up to the face without all walking in at once.
Sniper Support: Having a hidden sniper (or mage) watching over the face can provide him cover fire if things go bad.
Spy Tech: Having a hidden character with shotgun mics or other equipment can get you the dialogue and make sure everyone's aware of what's happening in there.
Getaway Driver: Riggers (or even normal drivers) can have a car just out of the area to pick up the face if things get hairy. (Or bring in a prepared extraction team!)
Magic: Whether sending spiritual guards, astrally projecting nearby, or even watching though his eyes with certain spells, a mage can provide actual protection, or at least tell the rest of the team what's going on in there.
Hacker: Whether doing the pre-research on the johnson, or watching through the building cameras (or controlling things in the building), a good decker can help make sure your face makes it out alive.
Leave the Troll at Home: When negotiating, it may be a good idea to leave that giant ganger with the heavy machine gun and the uncouth, attack-anything-that-pisses-me-off attitude at home- or at least in the truck in case an extraction is needed. We don't want the johnson questioning your professionalism, do we?
Cyberbomb: Who ever puts this in their own head? Well, like it or not, the big ones can provide your face with a Mutually Assured Distruction pact. If he dies, they die too. A good trigger is the death of the face, though this might cause more trouble than it's worth. If the face doesn't plan on going into combat (ever), this might be a good way to ensure that the bad guys don't take too many liberties with him. Even better if the face (or someone he really, really trusts) can deliver this payload manually, in case of capture, torture, etc.
Tracing: Having the face with (cyber) tracing beacons can be helpful if he's ever kidnapped or anything. Sure, it can be jammed, but jamming can be a pain on city streets.
You Came Alone?
Some Johnsons might ask this question, either to learn about you or out of surpise, but if they know you have a team, they might be foolish to assume you came alone. Of course, you may really have come alone, but a good bluff might lead them to believe you're being protected, even if you aren't. Faces should be good at bluffing too!
Well, first of all, if you trust your Johnson, this might not be a concern. But then, they are hiring you to commit crimes, it stands to reason they can't be completely trusted. Plus, it might not be them actually calling you, but an imposter. How can you keep your team from walking into an ambush.
Face Time: This is a great opportunity for your face to earn his pay, even if he does little else during the mission. By going in "alone", he protects the rest of the team from a trap, and has no one standing in his way when it comes to negotiating or learning mission parameters. He takes all the risk up front.
Backing up the Face: There are plenty of ways to provide back-up to the face without all walking in at once.
Sniper Support: Having a hidden sniper (or mage) watching over the face can provide him cover fire if things go bad.
Spy Tech: Having a hidden character with shotgun mics or other equipment can get you the dialogue and make sure everyone's aware of what's happening in there.
Getaway Driver: Riggers (or even normal drivers) can have a car just out of the area to pick up the face if things get hairy. (Or bring in a prepared extraction team!)
Magic: Whether sending spiritual guards, astrally projecting nearby, or even watching though his eyes with certain spells, a mage can provide actual protection, or at least tell the rest of the team what's going on in there.
Hacker: Whether doing the pre-research on the johnson, or watching through the building cameras (or controlling things in the building), a good decker can help make sure your face makes it out alive.
Leave the Troll at Home: When negotiating, it may be a good idea to leave that giant ganger with the heavy machine gun and the uncouth, attack-anything-that-pisses-me-off attitude at home- or at least in the truck in case an extraction is needed. We don't want the johnson questioning your professionalism, do we?
Cyberbomb: Who ever puts this in their own head? Well, like it or not, the big ones can provide your face with a Mutually Assured Distruction pact. If he dies, they die too. A good trigger is the death of the face, though this might cause more trouble than it's worth. If the face doesn't plan on going into combat (ever), this might be a good way to ensure that the bad guys don't take too many liberties with him. Even better if the face (or someone he really, really trusts) can deliver this payload manually, in case of capture, torture, etc.
Tracing: Having the face with (cyber) tracing beacons can be helpful if he's ever kidnapped or anything. Sure, it can be jammed, but jamming can be a pain on city streets.
You Came Alone?
Some Johnsons might ask this question, either to learn about you or out of surpise, but if they know you have a team, they might be foolish to assume you came alone. Of course, you may really have come alone, but a good bluff might lead them to believe you're being protected, even if you aren't. Faces should be good at bluffing too!
Magic Security
The corporations have really learned how to use magic to their advantage, and few things can be more advantageous to a mage than knowing his home turf. Here are some techniques you might need to be wary of when breaking into a facility with mages.
Invisible Mirrors
Mages can target optic reflections with magic- so putting a mirror in a hallway is a great way to target people with spells while avoiding gunshots. Of course, this also leaves you vulnerable to spells and gives away your position. Unless, of course, you've made the mirror invisible (or hidden it behind an illusionary wall). Having bypassed the illusion yourself, you're free to target, without being a viable target to the criminals!
Imaginary Walls:
Whether it's an illusionary wall to hide behind, or a real wall you've made invisible AND put an illusion back over, it can hide troops, or give a real wall that a mage can shoot spells through with complete privacy.
Fiber Optic Binoculars:
Sometimes it's simpler (and more cost effective) to have a mage in a control room with fiber optics connecting a variety of binoculars to each room, allowing the mage to comfortably cast magic at intruders from a control room. It may not be easy to manuver the "cameras" around, but then, they don't have time to shoot back, either. Also, being opitcal, they are not fooled automatically by physical illusions spells, which can be helpful. The logical evolution of the periscope.
This is just a small taste, to be sure, but the ability to use invisibility, optics, and/or illusions to grant them the ability to see you when you can't see them makes even the most basic of spellcasters quite a threat!
Background Counts
What better way for mage on mage action is a background count that doesn't affect you, but affects everyone else? There are at least 2 metamagic techniques that allow for this (filtering and virtuoso). By the time they can get someone in there to cleanse it, you've discovered them and are tearing them up.
Invisible Mirrors
Mages can target optic reflections with magic- so putting a mirror in a hallway is a great way to target people with spells while avoiding gunshots. Of course, this also leaves you vulnerable to spells and gives away your position. Unless, of course, you've made the mirror invisible (or hidden it behind an illusionary wall). Having bypassed the illusion yourself, you're free to target, without being a viable target to the criminals!
Imaginary Walls:
Whether it's an illusionary wall to hide behind, or a real wall you've made invisible AND put an illusion back over, it can hide troops, or give a real wall that a mage can shoot spells through with complete privacy.
Fiber Optic Binoculars:
Sometimes it's simpler (and more cost effective) to have a mage in a control room with fiber optics connecting a variety of binoculars to each room, allowing the mage to comfortably cast magic at intruders from a control room. It may not be easy to manuver the "cameras" around, but then, they don't have time to shoot back, either. Also, being opitcal, they are not fooled automatically by physical illusions spells, which can be helpful. The logical evolution of the periscope.
This is just a small taste, to be sure, but the ability to use invisibility, optics, and/or illusions to grant them the ability to see you when you can't see them makes even the most basic of spellcasters quite a threat!
Background Counts
What better way for mage on mage action is a background count that doesn't affect you, but affects everyone else? There are at least 2 metamagic techniques that allow for this (filtering and virtuoso). By the time they can get someone in there to cleanse it, you've discovered them and are tearing them up.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Lethality!
How lethal to be can be a major decision for shadowrunning teams. On the one hand: dead men tell no tales. On the other hand: murder gets investigated!
Certainly the ideal shadowrun (for the runner) is to sneak in, accomplish the mission, and sneak out, with no evidence left behind (including astral signatures- use cleansing!), and no one seeing you.
Things rarely go that well.
If you're being recorded (video surveilance), watched (astral perception), or otherwise seen by things you can't take care of (or have reason to believe that you will), using non-lethal force is best. For one thing, it doesn't matter if the bad guys see you if you're already on camera, so why add (multiple) murder to your list of crimes? On the other hand, stun damage heals faster- so use discresion. Also, being the one guy on the team to use non-lethal is probably not going to make much a difference to a jury.
If you're sure no one else can see you, using lethal force becomes an issue of morality, but keep in mind that people will hunt down murderers. Extraterritoriality means that it's the company's "job" to look for you, and they may or may not want to "waste" resources tracking down a murderer. However, they could have agreements with local police (lone star) to find you, and the UCAS may be willing to "extradite" you to the company. After all, who wants a murderer living in their city?
Generally speaking, a single murder should increase the heat that you have to evade by 1 level, and multiple murders by 2 or more levels (or more if you blow up a building or something extreme). The GM decides what these "levels" mean, but it may be increased TNs to get away, or bonus dice on the part of law enforcment (or corporate security) to find you. This can be worse if you were photographed or otherwised winessed.
Keep in mind that dumping an identity is only really useful if the shadowrunning identity goes with it. (They can always try to set you up- see after the mission). Dumping a shadowrunner identity may lose you the benefits of your reputation, unless someone connects you to that identity.
Lethality may be less of an issue if no body is found. People you've tortured, kidnapped, etc may be able to provide information that only killing them can keep safe. That becomes a whole other issue.
Ultimately, lethality is up to you. Here are some alternatives to using lethal force:
Memory Wipe: Hooray for Mages! If they can't remember you, they haven't really seen you, though a good mage can beat this with mind reading.
Drugs: Some drugs cause memory loss, which can be the mundane's way of accomplishing memory wipe. Still suseptable to mind reading, and might not work as well.
Disguises: This can help avoid the issue of being identified- though using a shadowrunner network to locate you is not affected by this if you're reputation is increased by this mission.
Blackmail: Not always effective or available, but people are less likely to spill their guts about you if you are able to get revenge later- either by passing on secrets about them, or hurting their loved ones. This is the main reasons big companies don't get ratted out by each other. Ah, masquerade!
Stealth: (yeah, no kidding, right?) Of course, if you can knock them out before they see you, there's no reason to kill them.
Certainly the ideal shadowrun (for the runner) is to sneak in, accomplish the mission, and sneak out, with no evidence left behind (including astral signatures- use cleansing!), and no one seeing you.
Things rarely go that well.
If you're being recorded (video surveilance), watched (astral perception), or otherwise seen by things you can't take care of (or have reason to believe that you will), using non-lethal force is best. For one thing, it doesn't matter if the bad guys see you if you're already on camera, so why add (multiple) murder to your list of crimes? On the other hand, stun damage heals faster- so use discresion. Also, being the one guy on the team to use non-lethal is probably not going to make much a difference to a jury.
If you're sure no one else can see you, using lethal force becomes an issue of morality, but keep in mind that people will hunt down murderers. Extraterritoriality means that it's the company's "job" to look for you, and they may or may not want to "waste" resources tracking down a murderer. However, they could have agreements with local police (lone star) to find you, and the UCAS may be willing to "extradite" you to the company. After all, who wants a murderer living in their city?
Generally speaking, a single murder should increase the heat that you have to evade by 1 level, and multiple murders by 2 or more levels (or more if you blow up a building or something extreme). The GM decides what these "levels" mean, but it may be increased TNs to get away, or bonus dice on the part of law enforcment (or corporate security) to find you. This can be worse if you were photographed or otherwised winessed.
Keep in mind that dumping an identity is only really useful if the shadowrunning identity goes with it. (They can always try to set you up- see after the mission). Dumping a shadowrunner identity may lose you the benefits of your reputation, unless someone connects you to that identity.
Lethality may be less of an issue if no body is found. People you've tortured, kidnapped, etc may be able to provide information that only killing them can keep safe. That becomes a whole other issue.
Ultimately, lethality is up to you. Here are some alternatives to using lethal force:
Memory Wipe: Hooray for Mages! If they can't remember you, they haven't really seen you, though a good mage can beat this with mind reading.
Drugs: Some drugs cause memory loss, which can be the mundane's way of accomplishing memory wipe. Still suseptable to mind reading, and might not work as well.
Disguises: This can help avoid the issue of being identified- though using a shadowrunner network to locate you is not affected by this if you're reputation is increased by this mission.
Blackmail: Not always effective or available, but people are less likely to spill their guts about you if you are able to get revenge later- either by passing on secrets about them, or hurting their loved ones. This is the main reasons big companies don't get ratted out by each other. Ah, masquerade!
Stealth: (yeah, no kidding, right?) Of course, if you can knock them out before they see you, there's no reason to kill them.
After The Mission
Many people think of the mission as a 3 part process:
1) Meet the Johnson
2) Complete the Mission
3) Report success or failure.
That, of course, is the ROOKIE way!
One of the most important parts comes AFTER the mission, because you'll need to do some personal damage control in order to make sure you make it to the next mission.
If the mission is successful, you've probably made an enemy (though he may or may not be aware of who just wronged him). But just like you want your fame to grow so that you can get better paying jobs, high fame makes it easier for a company to find out what running team went on that last run- and to find them.
Likewise, a runner that has plenty of extra cash to spend can come under suspicion by law enforcement. (Odd that after the robbery someone's blowing a bunch of cash!)
The following are techniques ever runner should use to make sure that he's done as much damage control as possible.
1) Launder your money.
You may need to spend that money on legal stuff (like lifestyles). You might be blowing a lot of money, but if the cops think you got that money from your "legitimate business" then what's the harm. Of course, laundering also means paying taxes, so that could mean a 30% decrease to your revenue (10% lauderer's fee + 20% in taxes), but that's a small price to pay to keep out of prison. On the other hand, if you're spending the cash on illicit equipment on the streets, you may not need to worry about that part of your money. (Though a lot of cash spending may help people find you via gather information).
2) Try to deal with your contacts primarily
Sure you might not have a guy who can get you a helicoptor, but if you need to buy stuff you can't get through your friends, you may want to wait a few months. This way time has passed from the robbery to the purchase and it might not bring as much suspicion on you. Your contacts probably aren't going to be chatting about you anytime soon, so they are considered relatively "safe".
3) Know who's hiring you!
If the bad guys do find out about you, they'll do 1 of 4 things. 1) Nothing (let's hope) 2) They can approach you with a do-this-or-else mission. 3) They can hire thugs to go kill you. 4) They can set you up.
If they do nothing, great. If they hire thugs to kill you, that's another issue. However, they can't set you up or approach you for a make-up mission if you don't fall into the trap. Before meeting with a new johnson, do some homework so you know whatever you can about them. You can never be too careful. Of course, you may miss out on great opportunities when johnsons are very secretive and hard to find out about, but if your contacts can vouch for them, or their own reputation preceds them, perhaps a little risk is worth it- just make sure you aren't walking into an ambush. Having a designated person meet with johnsons for you can help a lot!
4) Lay Low!
After a mission, you may want to hide out in a secure place for a little while: it may not just be police looking for you! If thugs can't find you, eventually the company will give up (depending on how big the mission was!). Of course, if you were identified on a mission, this may mean getting a new cover identity!
5) Protection for Pay
Some lifestyle options in other posts provide bonuses to hiding out, laying low, or being safe. Maybe they're a worthwile expenditure. Likewise, burned karma can kill heat on you if it's that big a deal. The bigger friends you make usually come with big enemies too- just watch out!
Remember, the reason they hire shadowrunners is beacause they want someone else taking the risk for the mission, including having "deniable assets" after the mission! If heat never got generated, they'd send employees! Of course, small companies may not have resources to hunt you down, and large companies may have bigger fish to fry- but high profile missions come with high heat- be careful!
1) Meet the Johnson
2) Complete the Mission
3) Report success or failure.
That, of course, is the ROOKIE way!
One of the most important parts comes AFTER the mission, because you'll need to do some personal damage control in order to make sure you make it to the next mission.
If the mission is successful, you've probably made an enemy (though he may or may not be aware of who just wronged him). But just like you want your fame to grow so that you can get better paying jobs, high fame makes it easier for a company to find out what running team went on that last run- and to find them.
Likewise, a runner that has plenty of extra cash to spend can come under suspicion by law enforcement. (Odd that after the robbery someone's blowing a bunch of cash!)
The following are techniques ever runner should use to make sure that he's done as much damage control as possible.
1) Launder your money.
You may need to spend that money on legal stuff (like lifestyles). You might be blowing a lot of money, but if the cops think you got that money from your "legitimate business" then what's the harm. Of course, laundering also means paying taxes, so that could mean a 30% decrease to your revenue (10% lauderer's fee + 20% in taxes), but that's a small price to pay to keep out of prison. On the other hand, if you're spending the cash on illicit equipment on the streets, you may not need to worry about that part of your money. (Though a lot of cash spending may help people find you via gather information).
2) Try to deal with your contacts primarily
Sure you might not have a guy who can get you a helicoptor, but if you need to buy stuff you can't get through your friends, you may want to wait a few months. This way time has passed from the robbery to the purchase and it might not bring as much suspicion on you. Your contacts probably aren't going to be chatting about you anytime soon, so they are considered relatively "safe".
3) Know who's hiring you!
If the bad guys do find out about you, they'll do 1 of 4 things. 1) Nothing (let's hope) 2) They can approach you with a do-this-or-else mission. 3) They can hire thugs to go kill you. 4) They can set you up.
If they do nothing, great. If they hire thugs to kill you, that's another issue. However, they can't set you up or approach you for a make-up mission if you don't fall into the trap. Before meeting with a new johnson, do some homework so you know whatever you can about them. You can never be too careful. Of course, you may miss out on great opportunities when johnsons are very secretive and hard to find out about, but if your contacts can vouch for them, or their own reputation preceds them, perhaps a little risk is worth it- just make sure you aren't walking into an ambush. Having a designated person meet with johnsons for you can help a lot!
4) Lay Low!
After a mission, you may want to hide out in a secure place for a little while: it may not just be police looking for you! If thugs can't find you, eventually the company will give up (depending on how big the mission was!). Of course, if you were identified on a mission, this may mean getting a new cover identity!
5) Protection for Pay
Some lifestyle options in other posts provide bonuses to hiding out, laying low, or being safe. Maybe they're a worthwile expenditure. Likewise, burned karma can kill heat on you if it's that big a deal. The bigger friends you make usually come with big enemies too- just watch out!
Remember, the reason they hire shadowrunners is beacause they want someone else taking the risk for the mission, including having "deniable assets" after the mission! If heat never got generated, they'd send employees! Of course, small companies may not have resources to hunt you down, and large companies may have bigger fish to fry- but high profile missions come with high heat- be careful!
Anti-Stealth Measures
Breaking and Entering is such a common problem for large corporations that some have devised brilliant ways of dealing with such problems.
Illusion Walls:
Illusion Walls are walls that have been treated with a quickened Phantasm or Trid Phantasm.
Phantasm Walls are usually brightly colored orange or white walls with a phantasm of appearing as a normal wall. People who fail to see through it suspect nothing, but cameras and rutheneum are not fooled, and ruthenum that enters the area takes the coloring of the white walls, ruining it's effect in the same way as if you had move too quickly. The higher the force, the more useful these walls.
Trid Phantasm walls work in the opposite manner: the minimum force is used to disguise regular walls as bright orange or white walls. The idea is that normal people will easily overcome the illusion, but your rutheneum will be tricked. Anyone who fails to the illusion is still tricked by the ruthenum, which is auto-tricked and mimicks the orange or white color. Anyone who bypasses the illusion sees the rutheneum change and can take advantage. While much cheaper, anyone who sees through the illusion knows that the illusion is there, making it more difficult to surprise people with.
Invisible Paint/Heated Wall:
This is not a magical paint, this is paint that is that is visible only in the ultraviolet spectrum. The rutheneum, which does not respond to the invisible light, does not detect the hidden paint, ruining it's effect on people with ultraviolet vision.
Heated Walls is a misnomer- the wall may be hot or kept very cold. The ruthenem does not mimic the temperature of the walls, and the person stands out against it. Hot walls may mask the signatures of normal people walking by, but cold walls make thermographic signatures of people that much more intense, providing a +1 TN penalty to stealth checks if heat is not accounted for, and ruining rutheneum's benefit for those with thermographic vision.
These two do not provide the rutheneum PENALTY that the magic versions do.
PKE Doors:
The PKE door uses PKE technology to detect magical auras passing underneath it. It can be defeated by taking it apart (much like a maglock), or with masking. Otherwise it searches for magical auras passing within range much like the hand held device, and may be linked to an alarm, or just changing color or beeping if detect auras pass underneath. This is less likely to provide full assensing, but it is possible.
This helps prevent smuggled magic items or invisible characters from passing through, though any awakened character or spirit might trigger it, or attempts to use illusions to modify the appearance of the door (such as making it appear closed when open).
Pressurized Floor:
Besides simply triggering an alarm, some pressurized floor plates might cause ultraviolet, glowing ink to spray down, ruining rutheneum suits or invisibility, or might cause a spray of water which allows people to be detected for a moment. The latter are much more rare, unless it is a very high profile location.
White Mold:
A special kind of mold some companies grow within their walls, they are specially bred to require minimal moisture, and do not require light. The important thing is that, as living things, they block spirits, astral perception, and astral projection in between walls. Some very high profile companies may but these inside doors also, though this is very rare due to the automatic watering and maintenance mechanisms needed to grow the mold and control its growth. White mold in the walls tends to make the physical structure of the wall slightly weaker (as one solid wall is now 2 thin walls with a bit of space between them). Certainly the mold is visible to normal vision also, so is almost never used in glass or other clear windows.
Active Jamming:
Simple but effective, some companies use active jamming within their walls to prevent shadowrunning teams from using radio communication while inside. This also has an effect on their guards, so it's only used in specific types of area- such areas typically include landline phones in a multitude of places around the structure so guards can call in backup, or even simply panic buttons to be pressed. Such areas tend to have higher video surveilance as well, to make up for lack of radio ability. Still others might have guards with powerful signal boosters to their own radios, though this is very rare.
Spirit Patrol:
Those with access to conjurers frequenly use non-manifest (or sometimes manifested) spirits to fly around the building (or inside) searching for auras. Astral percieving mages (or projecting) can assist with this task also, or even dual-natured critter guards.
Critters:
Whether dual-natured critters, mutants, or even simple dogs, sometimes having animals with thier keener perception (and in many cases, lack of fear) can be enough to detect anyone who doesn't belong there. Dual-natured critters are nice that they can also fight astral projectors.
Fences:
Electric fences might not keep out fliers, diggers, or high jumpers, but disarming the electric fence can be problematic, since many companies monitor the power of the fences. If the power goes out (due to muddling with the fence by electricians), the people inside will probably know about it. Cutting through the fence may or may not trigger such an alarm, but the fact that the fence is electrified can make that a problem also. Electric fences may also generate heat, hiding the thermographic signatures of physical guards inside the fence.
Detection Spells:
Mages can detect for a variety of materials that have no business being brought into their buildings- though detection may be limited by the power of the mage. Common detection spells look for rutheneum or explosives.
Ultrasound Emitters:
While the ultrasound detector is fine in it's own right, it may also be vulnerable to jamming or silence spells. The solution became quickly apparant: have an ultrasound signal beep at random or regular intervals to be detected by the emitter. In case of silence, jamming, etc, the electronic confirmation that the signal was sent will be detected by the computer, but the detecter will not have recieved audial confirmation, triggering an alert.
This can be difficult to overcome by electricians, who need to determine whether it is regular or random, and possibly disable the emitter before the detector, or vice versa to face recieving the sound. Anyone with high frequency hearing can detect the emmitter easily if within the area. (But this means guards so eqipped might detect the lost signal too if nearby).
Illusion Walls:
Illusion Walls are walls that have been treated with a quickened Phantasm or Trid Phantasm.
Phantasm Walls are usually brightly colored orange or white walls with a phantasm of appearing as a normal wall. People who fail to see through it suspect nothing, but cameras and rutheneum are not fooled, and ruthenum that enters the area takes the coloring of the white walls, ruining it's effect in the same way as if you had move too quickly. The higher the force, the more useful these walls.
Trid Phantasm walls work in the opposite manner: the minimum force is used to disguise regular walls as bright orange or white walls. The idea is that normal people will easily overcome the illusion, but your rutheneum will be tricked. Anyone who fails to the illusion is still tricked by the ruthenum, which is auto-tricked and mimicks the orange or white color. Anyone who bypasses the illusion sees the rutheneum change and can take advantage. While much cheaper, anyone who sees through the illusion knows that the illusion is there, making it more difficult to surprise people with.
Invisible Paint/Heated Wall:
This is not a magical paint, this is paint that is that is visible only in the ultraviolet spectrum. The rutheneum, which does not respond to the invisible light, does not detect the hidden paint, ruining it's effect on people with ultraviolet vision.
Heated Walls is a misnomer- the wall may be hot or kept very cold. The ruthenem does not mimic the temperature of the walls, and the person stands out against it. Hot walls may mask the signatures of normal people walking by, but cold walls make thermographic signatures of people that much more intense, providing a +1 TN penalty to stealth checks if heat is not accounted for, and ruining rutheneum's benefit for those with thermographic vision.
These two do not provide the rutheneum PENALTY that the magic versions do.
PKE Doors:
The PKE door uses PKE technology to detect magical auras passing underneath it. It can be defeated by taking it apart (much like a maglock), or with masking. Otherwise it searches for magical auras passing within range much like the hand held device, and may be linked to an alarm, or just changing color or beeping if detect auras pass underneath. This is less likely to provide full assensing, but it is possible.
This helps prevent smuggled magic items or invisible characters from passing through, though any awakened character or spirit might trigger it, or attempts to use illusions to modify the appearance of the door (such as making it appear closed when open).
Pressurized Floor:
Besides simply triggering an alarm, some pressurized floor plates might cause ultraviolet, glowing ink to spray down, ruining rutheneum suits or invisibility, or might cause a spray of water which allows people to be detected for a moment. The latter are much more rare, unless it is a very high profile location.
White Mold:
A special kind of mold some companies grow within their walls, they are specially bred to require minimal moisture, and do not require light. The important thing is that, as living things, they block spirits, astral perception, and astral projection in between walls. Some very high profile companies may but these inside doors also, though this is very rare due to the automatic watering and maintenance mechanisms needed to grow the mold and control its growth. White mold in the walls tends to make the physical structure of the wall slightly weaker (as one solid wall is now 2 thin walls with a bit of space between them). Certainly the mold is visible to normal vision also, so is almost never used in glass or other clear windows.
Active Jamming:
Simple but effective, some companies use active jamming within their walls to prevent shadowrunning teams from using radio communication while inside. This also has an effect on their guards, so it's only used in specific types of area- such areas typically include landline phones in a multitude of places around the structure so guards can call in backup, or even simply panic buttons to be pressed. Such areas tend to have higher video surveilance as well, to make up for lack of radio ability. Still others might have guards with powerful signal boosters to their own radios, though this is very rare.
Spirit Patrol:
Those with access to conjurers frequenly use non-manifest (or sometimes manifested) spirits to fly around the building (or inside) searching for auras. Astral percieving mages (or projecting) can assist with this task also, or even dual-natured critter guards.
Critters:
Whether dual-natured critters, mutants, or even simple dogs, sometimes having animals with thier keener perception (and in many cases, lack of fear) can be enough to detect anyone who doesn't belong there. Dual-natured critters are nice that they can also fight astral projectors.
Fences:
Electric fences might not keep out fliers, diggers, or high jumpers, but disarming the electric fence can be problematic, since many companies monitor the power of the fences. If the power goes out (due to muddling with the fence by electricians), the people inside will probably know about it. Cutting through the fence may or may not trigger such an alarm, but the fact that the fence is electrified can make that a problem also. Electric fences may also generate heat, hiding the thermographic signatures of physical guards inside the fence.
Detection Spells:
Mages can detect for a variety of materials that have no business being brought into their buildings- though detection may be limited by the power of the mage. Common detection spells look for rutheneum or explosives.
Ultrasound Emitters:
While the ultrasound detector is fine in it's own right, it may also be vulnerable to jamming or silence spells. The solution became quickly apparant: have an ultrasound signal beep at random or regular intervals to be detected by the emitter. In case of silence, jamming, etc, the electronic confirmation that the signal was sent will be detected by the computer, but the detecter will not have recieved audial confirmation, triggering an alert.
This can be difficult to overcome by electricians, who need to determine whether it is regular or random, and possibly disable the emitter before the detector, or vice versa to face recieving the sound. Anyone with high frequency hearing can detect the emmitter easily if within the area. (But this means guards so eqipped might detect the lost signal too if nearby).
Mission Pay
There has been a lot of discussion in our groups regarding what a mission should pay out. (And how a mission should pay out).
It's been suggested that the costs in the shadowrun companion are too low- that they are comperable to day jobs, so why should a shadowrunner do shadowruns instead of getting a job? First of all, there may be a variety of reasons a shadowrunner doesn't get a day job: Some runners (like Shapeshifters) have no rights, they may have no SIN, they may be hunted, have a criminal SIN, be abrasive or otherwise unemployable, and even if the monthly pay is the same, the hourly contribution per month is much less. (Of course, shadowrunning might just provide supplimental income to an existing day job, rather than being a replacement for a day job.) Besides, he might not be shadowrunning for the money, he might be running for the thrill, prestige, contacts, a favor to friends, or to "stick it" to a specific company, or out of some moral obligation.
Then there's the matter of Fame and Reputation. No one is going to hire a stranger to steal a secret prototype weapon from Aztechnology and trust that they'll deliver it back to them fairly, when they could auction it amongst other companies, or just betray them to Aztech for quick profit. Thus, a runner needs Fame to get those high profile missions.
The next issue is how payment is made: pay per person, group pay for a mission, payment in form of cash, credsticks, equipment, favors, goods, vacations, hotel stays, lifestyles, etc. In the RP world, all of these can be great sources of mission reward. From a mechanics standpoint, equipment costs money, and varied lifestyles require various amount of upkeep. Thus "cash is king", and PCs may be quick to cut each other out of the mission if it provides a group pay rather than a per person price.
The way I run my own campaigns is as follows: Newly created characters are runners without much (if any) of a successful shadowrunning history. As such, they are forced to rely on their contacts to get jobs, which are usually low pay (or paid for in favors- like gaining extra contacts, equipment, etc). These jobs provide fame and reputation.
With Fame and Reputation come referrals to bigger and better jobs. (Just like in Grand Theft Auto!). These better jobs pay much better. You have to work your way up, and in the beginning you may have to settle for cut rate equipment or lower lifestyles to make ends meet, but once you're getting up there you'll more than make up for the initial investment of effort with missions that pay very well.
Remember, you might not think it's worth it to mug a guy for $500, but who wants to pay you $5000 to mug some guy? (Or worse, $5000 per person!).
Sometimes the Johnson is testing you also. There may be negotiation room, or maybe this is a "first we try, then we trust" mission, where he wants to make sure you won't betray him or screw things up before he gives you the real missions.
In any case- even if the mission is low pay, PCs are encouraged to go with the low pay at first (just like in D&D), and trust that as they level up they will have access to more money. Remember, not all starting characters need to be able to afford full ruthineum.
It's been suggested that the costs in the shadowrun companion are too low- that they are comperable to day jobs, so why should a shadowrunner do shadowruns instead of getting a job? First of all, there may be a variety of reasons a shadowrunner doesn't get a day job: Some runners (like Shapeshifters) have no rights, they may have no SIN, they may be hunted, have a criminal SIN, be abrasive or otherwise unemployable, and even if the monthly pay is the same, the hourly contribution per month is much less. (Of course, shadowrunning might just provide supplimental income to an existing day job, rather than being a replacement for a day job.) Besides, he might not be shadowrunning for the money, he might be running for the thrill, prestige, contacts, a favor to friends, or to "stick it" to a specific company, or out of some moral obligation.
Then there's the matter of Fame and Reputation. No one is going to hire a stranger to steal a secret prototype weapon from Aztechnology and trust that they'll deliver it back to them fairly, when they could auction it amongst other companies, or just betray them to Aztech for quick profit. Thus, a runner needs Fame to get those high profile missions.
The next issue is how payment is made: pay per person, group pay for a mission, payment in form of cash, credsticks, equipment, favors, goods, vacations, hotel stays, lifestyles, etc. In the RP world, all of these can be great sources of mission reward. From a mechanics standpoint, equipment costs money, and varied lifestyles require various amount of upkeep. Thus "cash is king", and PCs may be quick to cut each other out of the mission if it provides a group pay rather than a per person price.
The way I run my own campaigns is as follows: Newly created characters are runners without much (if any) of a successful shadowrunning history. As such, they are forced to rely on their contacts to get jobs, which are usually low pay (or paid for in favors- like gaining extra contacts, equipment, etc). These jobs provide fame and reputation.
With Fame and Reputation come referrals to bigger and better jobs. (Just like in Grand Theft Auto!). These better jobs pay much better. You have to work your way up, and in the beginning you may have to settle for cut rate equipment or lower lifestyles to make ends meet, but once you're getting up there you'll more than make up for the initial investment of effort with missions that pay very well.
Remember, you might not think it's worth it to mug a guy for $500, but who wants to pay you $5000 to mug some guy? (Or worse, $5000 per person!).
Sometimes the Johnson is testing you also. There may be negotiation room, or maybe this is a "first we try, then we trust" mission, where he wants to make sure you won't betray him or screw things up before he gives you the real missions.
In any case- even if the mission is low pay, PCs are encouraged to go with the low pay at first (just like in D&D), and trust that as they level up they will have access to more money. Remember, not all starting characters need to be able to afford full ruthineum.
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