The concept was stolen from Paul's Health and Wellness page, but the overall treatments are mine.
There are certain spas, mechanics, doctors, and other professionals who can provide people temporary boosts or optimizations.
Renraku Rigger Realignment:
Renraku can update the latest software, provide special programming, and "tune-up" a rigger's VCR. This process involves the sedation of the rigger, opening the headware, and tinkering with it. Once completed, the rigger gains a bonus to his control pool equal to 2x his VCR's rating (from 1-3). This effect lasts until the rigger suffers a deadly stun or physical wound, or until 28 days have elapsed. Such a treatment costs $5000 per level of the VCR.
Decker Update:
This involves turning in your cyberware to a local "geek squad" to have it updated with the latest software, and protections against the latest malware. Each level of the treatment gives you +1 die to each of your hacking, digital perception, and digital stealth checks when splitting dice between them. The treatment is available in 3 levels. The cost is $5000, $10,000, or $20,000 respectively, and the treatment only lasts for 7 days (when the new programs are developed and the old ones are obsolete again).
Crash Study:
This involves finding a private tutor to instruct you in a specific skill. This is available in 8 levels, representing the skill level of the instructor, and takes 2 days of study. This is useless if you have the skill at rank 8+. Afterwards, make an intelligence check, TN 4+level. If you have the skill to be taught already, roll it as a suppliment. If successful, you gain the skill at the level (overlapping the skill if you already have it). However, the information doesn't stick in your mind as it is not formal training, and you only keep the skill for a number of days equal to your successes. Successful or not, the training costs $1000 per level. If you decide to learn the skill with good karma during this time, it costs you 1 less point of good karma per success you got, but you cannot use this benefit to improve the skill beyond 8.
Spa Treatment:
Avalon has perfected a spa treatment based on purifying the body and soul. It's a one day appointment that involves a special laxative and colonoscopy, meals of organically grown foods and specially purified water, and involves exercise routines, deep tissue massage, special grooming, and sleeping in a special container where you breathe purified air and absorb slight sunlight beams. This gives you a boost to your essence equal to 1/6 your current essence score(use no rounding just like when calculating cyberware loss)- which does not improve magic, but can provide better TNs for health spells, allow for a higher "safe" bio index, or improved mutant powers. It also provides a 1 point boost to all attributes (S,Q,B,I,W,Ch). This effect lasts for a number of days equal to your increased essence. The one-day treatment costs $20,000. Some wealthy people do this once or twice a week to keep the benefits at all times.
Cyberware Nanite Optomization
Developed independantly by Ares and by Nova Robotics, the Nanite Optomization involves the injection of special nanites that head for the cyberware and miniaturize it while it is already in the body. The user makes a test using the rating of the service against double the total essence lost from cyberware in the user(round up). (So if you have 3.5 cyberware loss the TN is 8). Each success on this test decreases the essence cost of your existing cyberware by 5%, with a maximum decrease of 50%. This does not decrease essence lost, but allows for the difference to be used on new cyberware, or for the user to benfit from some kind of essence restoration treatment. This has no effect on bioware. The cost for this is Level^2*$5000, so for a Level 10 treatment (which is the max), it will cost $500,000. Of course, it could potential cut your cyberware essence cost in half.
Cyberware cannot benefit from further treatments (once decreased it is decreased), but cyberware already optomized still affects the TN the nanites use to repair your system. Unused essence lost (such as the difference between the essence lost and the new cyberware cost) does not contribute to the TN. This effect does not fade.
So you have 3 points of essence taken by cyberware and get a R5 treatment. You roll 5 dice against a TN of 6. You get 4 successes, so you decrease the essence lost by 20%. You're still down 3 points of essence, but only 2.4 is taken up by cyberware. You can add .6 worth of cyberware without further essence loss. If you only add .4, you're at 2.8 lost from cyberware (still TN 6) even though you are still down 3 essence, and can only decrease the cost of that extra .4.
Brainwave Stimulation
By going into Aztechnology, you can get special experimental shocks done to your brain, altering your brainwaves. Each level boosts your intelligence score by 1 point and provides you a task pool of 1 die, as well as giving you +1 die to knowledge and language checks (but not when defaulting). It is available in 3 levels. This effect lasts for 1d6+4 days (the d6 can explode). The treatment costs $15000 per level.
Mental Training
Avalon corp (as well as Shinra) offers this magical service to people who are worried about pesky mages stealing their secrets. They bombard the user with mind reading and control spells, while trying to train the user to defeat them. Each level of the treatment adds +2 to your effective willpower score, which only affects the number of dice you have and the target number for resisting spells and other willpower targeting effects. It does not help you resist drug addiction or nonmagical acts of will. This is available in 3 ratings. Your willpower can not be increased to more than double it's beginning rating and this does not stack with magical enhancements (such as a quickend improve willpower spell). When this is complete, roll a willpower check against a TN of 4 using your increased willpower. Each success increases the duration of this treatment by 1 day, with a base time of 2 days. This takes 1 day to perform the treatment, and costs $5000 per level. Some runners are hesitant to use this service as the person performing the service gains access to their memories and actions during this time, though the people performing the service are usually quite professional. As such, it has a street index of 2 for those who also need to hide special secrets that might come out.
Patches O'Houllihan's Quickness Exercises
Developed by Patches O'Houllihan as training for the sport of dodgeball, this 1 week training program involves having wrenches thrown at you, dodging cars on the street, being shot at, and is an overall dangerous and reckless means for improving reflexes and reaction time. When the 1 week session is complete the person gains +1 iniative dice, +4 to reaction, +1 to quickness, and lowers his TN on dodge tests by 1, and can make dodge tests for attacks he is not aware of. If he has the combat paralysis flaw, he ignores it for the duration. However, he takes a penalty of (1d6/2, round up) to strength, body, and willpower due to the stress (and injuries) he suffers during the training. (Roll once and use the same number against all) The effect lasts for one month and costs $15000. It stacks with any magical, cyberware, bioware, perk, or edge boost to these stats. Strength, Body, or Willpower brought below 1 involves failure and injury, and the person must spend the month "healing up".
Mental Tune-Up
This use of brainwave altering chemicals and electroshock helps to "tune up" the brain and combat the mental effects of aging, including Alzhimer's disease and dementia. Any mental stat bonuses due to age are doubled. This process costs $30,o00 and lasts 1 year.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday, December 24, 2010
Renting your Body
There are multiple ways in which one might rent their body- described below.
Prostitution: Generally in a night, a player should be able to make CHA*$100. They have a risk of getting arrested if in an illegal area, or being abused by targets, but there it is. Patrons are usually men, for prostitutes of either gender. Being a "woman only" prostitute gets you only 70% pay.
Birthing Surrogate: While electronic wombs exist, nothing can really work better than a healthy woman. On successful implantation, the woman becomes pregnant and carries the child for a term of about 9-10 months, during which time they get weak immune system, -1 running modifier, and -2 to strength and body, but may earn up to $90,000 for the total time (or about $10,000 per month). Of course, this is paid at the end assuming a successful delivery (so women that go shadowrunning have to be EXTRA careful!). The woman may also be bothered by the doner parents about her lifestyle. (See the movie "Baby Momma"). Still, for someone who thinks she can pull it off...
Body Smuggler: Not just for drugs anymore, many items can be stashed in the body (especially for people with cyberware compartments or data storage). A good smuggle can take only days and earn anywhere from $500 to $10,000 depending on the goods. Treat this as a shadowrun instead of some back end stuff.
Spirit Mount: Some free spirits (or astrally projecting initiates with possession) may wish to use your body for a time. Perhaps it's one gender trying to get a feel for what it's like to be another, perhaps they want to get your fingerprints all over their crime scene. Regardless, there is a market for it... this should also be run as a shadowrun, unless it's just minor fun, in which case, treat it as prostitution. You must be astrally active to be able to rent yourself in this way.
Prostitution: Generally in a night, a player should be able to make CHA*$100. They have a risk of getting arrested if in an illegal area, or being abused by targets, but there it is. Patrons are usually men, for prostitutes of either gender. Being a "woman only" prostitute gets you only 70% pay.
Birthing Surrogate: While electronic wombs exist, nothing can really work better than a healthy woman. On successful implantation, the woman becomes pregnant and carries the child for a term of about 9-10 months, during which time they get weak immune system, -1 running modifier, and -2 to strength and body, but may earn up to $90,000 for the total time (or about $10,000 per month). Of course, this is paid at the end assuming a successful delivery (so women that go shadowrunning have to be EXTRA careful!). The woman may also be bothered by the doner parents about her lifestyle. (See the movie "Baby Momma"). Still, for someone who thinks she can pull it off...
Body Smuggler: Not just for drugs anymore, many items can be stashed in the body (especially for people with cyberware compartments or data storage). A good smuggle can take only days and earn anywhere from $500 to $10,000 depending on the goods. Treat this as a shadowrun instead of some back end stuff.
Spirit Mount: Some free spirits (or astrally projecting initiates with possession) may wish to use your body for a time. Perhaps it's one gender trying to get a feel for what it's like to be another, perhaps they want to get your fingerprints all over their crime scene. Regardless, there is a market for it... this should also be run as a shadowrun, unless it's just minor fun, in which case, treat it as prostitution. You must be astrally active to be able to rent yourself in this way.
Selling your Body
If you thought this was about prostitution, perhaps you should conider a "renting your body" post instead.
Selling your body is a way shadowrunners can make a little money on the side getting rid of those extra organs. For particularly viscious shadowrunners, perhaps they can use this as a market for organs they just happened to "find". All such body parts have a street index of .75
Selling Blood/Plasma:
A person can sell a number of "blood units" equal to his body modifier in a month. Each unit sold decreases his body for 1 during that month, and provides $500. Treat this as availability 4 for purpose of the sales skill.
Selling Sperm/Eggs:
A person can sell eggs or sperm. Selling sperm can provide $100 and be done once per week by fertile males. Treat this as availability 1. Sperm cannot be sold from a dead body.
Eggs can be sold as well. Each fertile female should have a total of about 1d6 egg units they can sell during their lifetime for about $1000 each. They may only undergo the operation once, but may sell any number of eggs during that time. Treat this as availability 4. Eggs cannot be sold from a dead body. Egg units represent how multiple eggs are sold at once.
Marrow:
A painful procedure, but bone marrow donations can help many people dying from cancer or who have trouble pronouncing the "T" in Planetarium. Any month where marrow is donated the donator gets +1 tn penalties to all rolls, as if they had a permanent light wound. They can get $1000 for such a sale, with availability of 8.
Duplicate Body Parts:
Sometimes you can sell one of those organs you happen to have two of. Each instance provides a penalty for having only 1 instead of 2.
Part___Avail___Price___Penalty
Lung___ 10____ $5,000_ Short of breath flaw.
Kidney__ 10____ $3,000_ Weak immune system flaw.
Liver___ 10____ $1000__ (-1) body (represents loss of part of liver)
Not So Duplicate Body Parts:
Sometimes you want to sell something you don't have extra of. Of course, if you took them off someone else, you may have to go with street index.
Part___Avail___Price__
Eyes(2)__ 8____ $1000
Heart___10____$3000
A mean harvester can make a biotech roll to remove these from unconscious patents. The roll is TN 4 if the patient need not survive the operation, TN 8 if you want them to survive.
As you can see, there is quite the possibility for you to earn some extra money. Such organs must be refridgerated if sold "on the street". A body must be living at time of extraction or have been refridgerated. It can go up to 1 hour without life or refridgeration to be useful. Cyber-enhanced parts cannot be sold as parts, but can be sold as used cyberware instead.
(And, for the record)
A full human body, with the proper extraction, provides the following:
Eyes: $1000
Heart: $3000
Lungs(2): $10,000
Kidney(2): $6,000
Liver: $1,000
Marrow: $1000
Blood: Body*$500 (minus physical wound boxes)
Eggs: 1d6*$1000 (determine remaining eggs) (female only)
That's $22,000 for parts
Body * $500 for blood (average body = 3 = $1500)
So $23,500 * .75(street index) = $17,625.
Each extraction should have a base time of an hour. 0 successes means that the part is ruined. Oops means that all the parts are ruined.
Refridgeration units, blood bags, and the equipment should cost about $5000 for the whole reusable set, about $500 for each body in bags and containers.
Selling your body is a way shadowrunners can make a little money on the side getting rid of those extra organs. For particularly viscious shadowrunners, perhaps they can use this as a market for organs they just happened to "find". All such body parts have a street index of .75
Selling Blood/Plasma:
A person can sell a number of "blood units" equal to his body modifier in a month. Each unit sold decreases his body for 1 during that month, and provides $500. Treat this as availability 4 for purpose of the sales skill.
Selling Sperm/Eggs:
A person can sell eggs or sperm. Selling sperm can provide $100 and be done once per week by fertile males. Treat this as availability 1. Sperm cannot be sold from a dead body.
Eggs can be sold as well. Each fertile female should have a total of about 1d6 egg units they can sell during their lifetime for about $1000 each. They may only undergo the operation once, but may sell any number of eggs during that time. Treat this as availability 4. Eggs cannot be sold from a dead body. Egg units represent how multiple eggs are sold at once.
Marrow:
A painful procedure, but bone marrow donations can help many people dying from cancer or who have trouble pronouncing the "T" in Planetarium. Any month where marrow is donated the donator gets +1 tn penalties to all rolls, as if they had a permanent light wound. They can get $1000 for such a sale, with availability of 8.
Duplicate Body Parts:
Sometimes you can sell one of those organs you happen to have two of. Each instance provides a penalty for having only 1 instead of 2.
Part___Avail___Price___Penalty
Lung___ 10____ $5,000_ Short of breath flaw.
Kidney__ 10____ $3,000_ Weak immune system flaw.
Liver___ 10____ $1000__ (-1) body (represents loss of part of liver)
Not So Duplicate Body Parts:
Sometimes you want to sell something you don't have extra of. Of course, if you took them off someone else, you may have to go with street index.
Part___Avail___Price__
Eyes(2)__ 8____ $1000
Heart___10____$3000
A mean harvester can make a biotech roll to remove these from unconscious patents. The roll is TN 4 if the patient need not survive the operation, TN 8 if you want them to survive.
As you can see, there is quite the possibility for you to earn some extra money. Such organs must be refridgerated if sold "on the street". A body must be living at time of extraction or have been refridgerated. It can go up to 1 hour without life or refridgeration to be useful. Cyber-enhanced parts cannot be sold as parts, but can be sold as used cyberware instead.
(And, for the record)
A full human body, with the proper extraction, provides the following:
Eyes: $1000
Heart: $3000
Lungs(2): $10,000
Kidney(2): $6,000
Liver: $1,000
Marrow: $1000
Blood: Body*$500 (minus physical wound boxes)
Eggs: 1d6*$1000 (determine remaining eggs) (female only)
That's $22,000 for parts
Body * $500 for blood (average body = 3 = $1500)
So $23,500 * .75(street index) = $17,625.
Each extraction should have a base time of an hour. 0 successes means that the part is ruined. Oops means that all the parts are ruined.
Refridgeration units, blood bags, and the equipment should cost about $5000 for the whole reusable set, about $500 for each body in bags and containers.
Gambling
Gambling is a new active skill, intelligence based.
To gamble you must decide on an amount of money to risk. This is considered the rating of the gamble.
Rating:
1-3 = $100*R Avail 5
4-6 = $1000*R Avail: 10
7-9 = $10,000*R Avail: 15
10-12 = $100,000*R Avail: 20
Once the rating is "purchased", make an opposed test using your gambling skill against the rating of the "gamble". Whoever has more net successes wins. If successful you get a 20% return on your money. For each net success beyond the first, increse this return by 10%.
Example: Bob has gambling 6. He purchases a 6 rating gamble which costs $6000. He rolls 6 dice against a TN ogf 6, and the "house" rolls 6 dice against a TN of 6 also.
House: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 (3 successes)
Bob: 2, 4, 7, 8, 8, 9 (4 successes)
Bob wins so he walks away with $9000 for a cost of $6000, or a $3000 increase. If he rolled one more success, he would have gotten a 60% return, or $3600 gain for $9600
Example 2: Bob has a gambling of 8. He has aptitude: gambling. He purchases a rating 12 gamble which costs $1.2 million dollars. He rolls 8 dice against TN 11 (12-1), and they roll 12 dice against TN 8.
House: 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 11, 13, 18 (6 successes)
Bob: 4, 7, 8, 9, 9, 11, 13, 15 (2 successes)
Bob is out his money! But wait, he uses karma pool to reroll failures!
Bob: (15,13 kept), 4, 9, 10, 14, 16, 18 (now 5 successes)
He still loses.
As you can see, gambling is difficult, but can allow for money if you spend all your points on this. Gambling checks should only be allowed 1/month to prevent the campaign from quickly becoming a "gambling campaign".
Alternately, this might be role played where people roll opposed checks regardless of the amount wagered, at GM discresion.
To gamble you must decide on an amount of money to risk. This is considered the rating of the gamble.
Rating:
1-3 = $100*R Avail 5
4-6 = $1000*R Avail: 10
7-9 = $10,000*R Avail: 15
10-12 = $100,000*R Avail: 20
Once the rating is "purchased", make an opposed test using your gambling skill against the rating of the "gamble". Whoever has more net successes wins. If successful you get a 20% return on your money. For each net success beyond the first, increse this return by 10%.
Example: Bob has gambling 6. He purchases a 6 rating gamble which costs $6000. He rolls 6 dice against a TN ogf 6, and the "house" rolls 6 dice against a TN of 6 also.
House: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 (3 successes)
Bob: 2, 4, 7, 8, 8, 9 (4 successes)
Bob wins so he walks away with $9000 for a cost of $6000, or a $3000 increase. If he rolled one more success, he would have gotten a 60% return, or $3600 gain for $9600
Example 2: Bob has a gambling of 8. He has aptitude: gambling. He purchases a rating 12 gamble which costs $1.2 million dollars. He rolls 8 dice against TN 11 (12-1), and they roll 12 dice against TN 8.
House: 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 11, 13, 18 (6 successes)
Bob: 4, 7, 8, 9, 9, 11, 13, 15 (2 successes)
Bob is out his money! But wait, he uses karma pool to reroll failures!
Bob: (15,13 kept), 4, 9, 10, 14, 16, 18 (now 5 successes)
He still loses.
As you can see, gambling is difficult, but can allow for money if you spend all your points on this. Gambling checks should only be allowed 1/month to prevent the campaign from quickly becoming a "gambling campaign".
Alternately, this might be role played where people roll opposed checks regardless of the amount wagered, at GM discresion.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Team Base
A team base is, in many ways, a lifestyle that any team member can crash at. But then, it's more than that- it's also a place for them to do their research, initiate, summon spirits, and all that fun stuff.
Team Bases must be agreed on by all team members and they are responsible for the upkeep every month (represented as a lifestyle cost). Team members are not "individually" responsible for their base- as long as the total cost gets paid it doesn't matter who pays it.
Team Bases can also provide a number of bonuses to shadowrunning teams who build it up.
Bases should have the following stats:
Computers- Represents by the level of matrix access a place has.
Storage- Represents the storage capacity (for storing vehicles/equipment)
Living Space- How much room there is to crash/throw parties
Security- How hard the place is to find/ how secure it is against threats
Magic- Represents built in libraries or lodges.
These stats all start out at 0. For each level of lifestyle (starting at low), the team has 2 poitns to distribute to these stats.
The GM might choose to increase these stats via story bonuses (such as finding a bunch of special computer servers during a mission to increase the computer rating by 1, or having a magic ghost live in the area and increase the magic rating by 1).
The stats can also be increased by spending money. You can increase the total monthly cost of the base by $5000 to raise any score by 1.
Each score can provide team members a benefit when doing things at their base.
Computers: The base can roll a number of dice equal to its computer score TN6, each success lowers the TN of a computers check made by a PC at the base by 1. This also affects knowledge and research rolls.
Storage: Bigger bases can hold more stuff. Rank 0 can hold guns and personal equipment, 1 can hold motorcycles and small vehicles like bikes, Rank 2 can hold cars and trucks, Rank 3 can hold helicoptors and planes, Rank 4 can hold tankers and large ships.
Living Space: Each score allows for 2 people to live there comfortably at the level of the lifestyle. (Luxery 1 = 2 people can live there and enjoy luxury living). The number can be increased by 2 to decrease the lifestyle by 1 (4 people @ high, 6 people @ medium, etc).
Security: When laying low, being pursued, being attacked at the base, etc, have the base roll security TN 4 check. Each success increases the TNs of all attacker tests by 1.
Magic: Represents having magical libraries and such on hand. Each rank is the equivelant of a 2 force lodge or hermetic library. (Both @ once). Magic 4 could be treated as a force 8 lodge for purposes of spell learning.
Example: The group decides to purchase a High group lifestyle for 10k/month. They have 6 points to distribute (low, med, high x 2). They put 3 in living space, 2 in storage, 1 in computers. Now 6 people can stay there enjoying a high lifestyle, they can store their vehicles there, and they have 1 die to try to improve their computer rolls made from inside the base. Later they might decide they can afford an extra 5k/month to increase the computers up to 2. On another mission they recover several expensive servers from a decker compound, which they bring to the base and the GM raises the computers rating to 3!
Part of the point of this is that a group lifestyle can provide everyone benefits that they contribute towards together, allowing for party cohesion. The bonuses encourage people to spend more time at the base instead of at personal locations.
Team Bases must be agreed on by all team members and they are responsible for the upkeep every month (represented as a lifestyle cost). Team members are not "individually" responsible for their base- as long as the total cost gets paid it doesn't matter who pays it.
Team Bases can also provide a number of bonuses to shadowrunning teams who build it up.
Bases should have the following stats:
Computers- Represents by the level of matrix access a place has.
Storage- Represents the storage capacity (for storing vehicles/equipment)
Living Space- How much room there is to crash/throw parties
Security- How hard the place is to find/ how secure it is against threats
Magic- Represents built in libraries or lodges.
These stats all start out at 0. For each level of lifestyle (starting at low), the team has 2 poitns to distribute to these stats.
The GM might choose to increase these stats via story bonuses (such as finding a bunch of special computer servers during a mission to increase the computer rating by 1, or having a magic ghost live in the area and increase the magic rating by 1).
The stats can also be increased by spending money. You can increase the total monthly cost of the base by $5000 to raise any score by 1.
Each score can provide team members a benefit when doing things at their base.
Computers: The base can roll a number of dice equal to its computer score TN6, each success lowers the TN of a computers check made by a PC at the base by 1. This also affects knowledge and research rolls.
Storage: Bigger bases can hold more stuff. Rank 0 can hold guns and personal equipment, 1 can hold motorcycles and small vehicles like bikes, Rank 2 can hold cars and trucks, Rank 3 can hold helicoptors and planes, Rank 4 can hold tankers and large ships.
Living Space: Each score allows for 2 people to live there comfortably at the level of the lifestyle. (Luxery 1 = 2 people can live there and enjoy luxury living). The number can be increased by 2 to decrease the lifestyle by 1 (4 people @ high, 6 people @ medium, etc).
Security: When laying low, being pursued, being attacked at the base, etc, have the base roll security TN 4 check. Each success increases the TNs of all attacker tests by 1.
Magic: Represents having magical libraries and such on hand. Each rank is the equivelant of a 2 force lodge or hermetic library. (Both @ once). Magic 4 could be treated as a force 8 lodge for purposes of spell learning.
Example: The group decides to purchase a High group lifestyle for 10k/month. They have 6 points to distribute (low, med, high x 2). They put 3 in living space, 2 in storage, 1 in computers. Now 6 people can stay there enjoying a high lifestyle, they can store their vehicles there, and they have 1 die to try to improve their computer rolls made from inside the base. Later they might decide they can afford an extra 5k/month to increase the computers up to 2. On another mission they recover several expensive servers from a decker compound, which they bring to the base and the GM raises the computers rating to 3!
Part of the point of this is that a group lifestyle can provide everyone benefits that they contribute towards together, allowing for party cohesion. The bonuses encourage people to spend more time at the base instead of at personal locations.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Magic Services
While your character may not be a mage, he has plenty of reason to hire mages. Here are some of the services mages have been known to supply:
Spell Teaching, Talismongering, Etc: Ah yes, the basic services mages provide to each other- glossed over here.
Entertainment: The entertainment spell can provide lifelike illusions even better than simsense programs, with the only downside is that some mage is controlling them (and thus watching you interact).
Spellcasting Services: Whether it's magical healing, or even quickening spells, mages are right up there wanting to cash in (though karma intensive spells are very expensive).
Astral Scrubbing: Grab a mage with cleansing and help clean up the psycic images so no one can come in and psychomancy or astrally track you. Great for cleaning up crime scenes, horrible for cleaning up your house.
Psychic Detective: Maybe you need to bring someone with psychomancy to a location to read the past or astrally track someone else. Hopefully he didn't hire a scrubber
Spirit Summoning: For a fee a mage might be able to summon a spirit to follow you around and assist you for a while. The problem with this is you almost always need a greater form (not always, but almost always) to be able to bring him from the summon spot to where you're going. But having a spirit on hand to conceal you can be very useful.
Aura Reading: Maybe you need a guy with astral perception to read your own aura (or thoughts!) to find out some secret about your past (or to discover what that mysterious piece of cyberware is!).
Spy: A mage can astrally project and check an area out- though this can get very dangerous and is closer to hiring your own shadowrunner than purchasing a magic service.
Sustainer: Maybe you need someone to take over sustaining a spell for you. Usually you're paying this guy a high hourly rate, but he requires a special metamagic feat for this.
Healing: Restoring essence or magic can get very expensive as this experimental metamagic feat is used to heal you up. Almost always at GM call.
Magic Surgery: Get a mage with biotech and the right metamagic and cyberware/bioware essence reduction can be greatly reduced! Even better if you can get magical cyberware to begin with!
Sometimes it doesn't hurt just to look up a mage- as long as he can keep a secret!
Spell Teaching, Talismongering, Etc: Ah yes, the basic services mages provide to each other- glossed over here.
Entertainment: The entertainment spell can provide lifelike illusions even better than simsense programs, with the only downside is that some mage is controlling them (and thus watching you interact).
Spellcasting Services: Whether it's magical healing, or even quickening spells, mages are right up there wanting to cash in (though karma intensive spells are very expensive).
Astral Scrubbing: Grab a mage with cleansing and help clean up the psycic images so no one can come in and psychomancy or astrally track you. Great for cleaning up crime scenes, horrible for cleaning up your house.
Psychic Detective: Maybe you need to bring someone with psychomancy to a location to read the past or astrally track someone else. Hopefully he didn't hire a scrubber
Spirit Summoning: For a fee a mage might be able to summon a spirit to follow you around and assist you for a while. The problem with this is you almost always need a greater form (not always, but almost always) to be able to bring him from the summon spot to where you're going. But having a spirit on hand to conceal you can be very useful.
Aura Reading: Maybe you need a guy with astral perception to read your own aura (or thoughts!) to find out some secret about your past (or to discover what that mysterious piece of cyberware is!).
Spy: A mage can astrally project and check an area out- though this can get very dangerous and is closer to hiring your own shadowrunner than purchasing a magic service.
Sustainer: Maybe you need someone to take over sustaining a spell for you. Usually you're paying this guy a high hourly rate, but he requires a special metamagic feat for this.
Healing: Restoring essence or magic can get very expensive as this experimental metamagic feat is used to heal you up. Almost always at GM call.
Magic Surgery: Get a mage with biotech and the right metamagic and cyberware/bioware essence reduction can be greatly reduced! Even better if you can get magical cyberware to begin with!
Sometimes it doesn't hurt just to look up a mage- as long as he can keep a secret!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Contacts and Maintenance
Contacts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's the guy who sells you newspapers who sees what's happening at that Crip hangout across the street. Sometimes it's an Aztechnology cybersurgeon who likes you well enough to "accidentially" leave a door unlocked.
Contacts need maintenance. No one wants to be part of a one-sided friendship, especially when it's not one-sided in their favor. Higher level contacts require more in terms of maintenance.
Contact maintenance comes in 3 forms: Time, Money, and Favors.
Time: Just hanging out and bullshitting with your contacts can go a long way to keeping them as friends. Roll an ettiqute test with a TN of 6+the contact level (1,2, or 3) every month. No successes means you've failed to upkeep the contact. Each success provides 1 unit of contact maintenance. This time should generally be non-business related, such as going out to a club or bar, a sporting event, dinner, or watching TV, whatever.
Money: This might be combined with time, but it involves sending cards, attending sporting events together, christmas presents, flowers when the contat is sick, getting dinner together, and various other expendatures you make on the part of the contact. The shadowrun companion (I believe) gives monetary values for contact upkeep. Failure to pay means you've failed to upkeep the contact.
Favor: Just like you, your contact will occasionally call you with a favor. Sometimes this can be mundane (I need you to help me move!), sometimes it's more severe (I need you to hack into the LA police department and erase all my parking tickets), or for high level contacts, very severe (I need to you take my wife's friends out on the town, make sure they all get back safely, and by the way, the mafia may have a hit out on one of them). Generally speaking, refusing a failure is failure to upkeep the contact. Attempting a favor but failing may be considered upkeep or not as the situation warrants, and of course, accomplishing the favor is upkeeping the contact.
Failure: Failing to upkeep a contact will generally lower a contact's level. (Going from 3 to 2). A level 1 contact no longer considers you a friend and may stop taking your phone calls or helping you out.
Upgrading a Contact: A contact can be upgraded. This should generally be left up to the GM, but may include you helping the contact with a very difficult favor or spending lots of time and money towards hanging out with the contact, and usually requires some kind of etiquette or charisma check.
In game terms, this can simply mean writing a check and saying "during my down time I upkeep my contacts". Favors come up as the GM sees fit, and will probably come up about as often as the PCs request favors from the contact.
When a contact does a favor for you, the contact generally needs special upkeep. This may be in the form of a gift (money), spending time together, or a return favor. The new upkeep need not happen immediately but should be on par with the favor provided. (A guy who risks his job and being investigated by the police generally needs a big favor back, but a guy who sews you up with no questions asked could probably just do with tickets to the Nicks game).
Contacts need maintenance. No one wants to be part of a one-sided friendship, especially when it's not one-sided in their favor. Higher level contacts require more in terms of maintenance.
Contact maintenance comes in 3 forms: Time, Money, and Favors.
Time: Just hanging out and bullshitting with your contacts can go a long way to keeping them as friends. Roll an ettiqute test with a TN of 6+the contact level (1,2, or 3) every month. No successes means you've failed to upkeep the contact. Each success provides 1 unit of contact maintenance. This time should generally be non-business related, such as going out to a club or bar, a sporting event, dinner, or watching TV, whatever.
Money: This might be combined with time, but it involves sending cards, attending sporting events together, christmas presents, flowers when the contat is sick, getting dinner together, and various other expendatures you make on the part of the contact. The shadowrun companion (I believe) gives monetary values for contact upkeep. Failure to pay means you've failed to upkeep the contact.
Favor: Just like you, your contact will occasionally call you with a favor. Sometimes this can be mundane (I need you to help me move!), sometimes it's more severe (I need you to hack into the LA police department and erase all my parking tickets), or for high level contacts, very severe (I need to you take my wife's friends out on the town, make sure they all get back safely, and by the way, the mafia may have a hit out on one of them). Generally speaking, refusing a failure is failure to upkeep the contact. Attempting a favor but failing may be considered upkeep or not as the situation warrants, and of course, accomplishing the favor is upkeeping the contact.
Failure: Failing to upkeep a contact will generally lower a contact's level. (Going from 3 to 2). A level 1 contact no longer considers you a friend and may stop taking your phone calls or helping you out.
Upgrading a Contact: A contact can be upgraded. This should generally be left up to the GM, but may include you helping the contact with a very difficult favor or spending lots of time and money towards hanging out with the contact, and usually requires some kind of etiquette or charisma check.
In game terms, this can simply mean writing a check and saying "during my down time I upkeep my contacts". Favors come up as the GM sees fit, and will probably come up about as often as the PCs request favors from the contact.
When a contact does a favor for you, the contact generally needs special upkeep. This may be in the form of a gift (money), spending time together, or a return favor. The new upkeep need not happen immediately but should be on par with the favor provided. (A guy who risks his job and being investigated by the police generally needs a big favor back, but a guy who sews you up with no questions asked could probably just do with tickets to the Nicks game).
Friday, December 10, 2010
Day Job Edges/Flaws
Much like lifestyle edges/flaws or standard edges/flaws- these are modifiers you can give to a day job to make it a bit more personal than the standard day job. A day job's extras may exceed the flaws: for each point that it does so, the Day Job Flaw itself becomes 1 point more expensive. Thus for a day job with +3 net edges, the Day Job is a 0 point flaw, any above that and it costs as an edge.
Day Job Flaws:
Jerk Manager (-2)
Your boss has no tolerance for you. Tardiness, absenteeism, showing up with bullet wounds, all these things are reasons to hate you. You have +1 TN penalty to any check to avoid being fired for being late, missing days, etc- even when it's a medical emergency.
Unscheduled Overtime (-3)
The job may contact you at any time and expect you to come in to work, making it difficult to leave town, or even expect standard shadowrunning. This even comes up while you're on vacation.
Night Job (-1)
The job is open 24/7- maybe it's a 7-11, maybe it's a fast food place, but your schedule can vary and can sometimes require night work. This makes it difficult to plan for shadowruns in advance.
Salary (-1)
You aren't paid hourly- you're paid salary. This means that every month there's a 1 in 6 chance (a roll of 1 on 1d6) that you have extra work to do- you must increase your hours by 10% with no increase in pay.
Corporate Job (-2)
You work for a megacorp. In addition to having your fingerprints and personal information on file with that corp (making it hard to do jobs against them), you are also paid in corp$ instead of nuyen. This may interfere with your lifestyle costs or other purchases.
Work with the Public (-1)
Your day job is retail- either sales or customer service or some other job where you see dozens (or hundreds) of people per day. You take a +1 TN penalty to disguise checks, and someone you've wronged may just happen into your branch one day.
Job Stigma (-1)
Your job is not only unglamerous, it's one people despise. You may be an IRS agent, a cop (or blood spatter analyst) or other job that causes people to distrust you. Take a +1 TN penalty on social skill rolls with people aware of your profession, except with other people who share your profession.
Uniformed (-1)
Your job requires a specific uniform. Maybe it's the Wendys vest or a blue shirt with the company logo on it. In any case you need to wear your uniform at all times, which may cause difficulty if you're rushing to or from work to somewhere else.
Physical Labor (-2)
Your job involves heavy lifting, construction work, or other physically demanding activity. Every day you work make a body test TN 4 for -1 day job, 6 for -2 day job, or 8 for -3 day job. If you generate no successes you are exhausted and must go home and sleep after the job. 2 successes makes you fatigued: -2 to all skill rolls until you rest. 4 successes means you're fine.
Continuous Work (-1)
All your weekly or monthly hours are worked more or less consecutively (with 8 hour breaks for sleep if necessary). Maybe you work on an oil rig or as a fisherman and must go out to see for a long time. In any case, for great spans of time you are unavailable, then you're free to act for the rest of the week or month.
Weather Reliant (-2)
Your job is related to the weather. Maybe you drive a snow plow or rake leaves. In periods of weather not complimentary to your job you cannot work and either lose the money or have to make the time up later.
Work Outside (-1)
You work outside. On days of severe weather (heavy rain, extreme heat or cold), you must make a body test (TN 4,6,8 based on severety of weather). On no successes, you are fatigued after work. On 2 successes, you are able to continue with no problems after work.
Need Equipment (-3)
Your job requires specalized equipment, such as a semi-truck driver, fork lifts, or other such large bulky equipment that you are responsible for. You almost always need to stop at home to pick something up before work, and can get into trouble if equipment is damaged.
Specalized Training (-2)
Your job requires a special skill (either active or knowledge) to do. On the one hand, you have the skill. However, each month you must make a TN 4 check with that skill. If you don't generate any successes, you get fired. 2 successes keeps the job, but you don't get paid. 4 successes keeps the job and pays you.
Your own supply (-1)
Your job requires you to provide some of your own equipment, perhaps you buy your uniform, rent your stage, or something else. Every month, on a roll of 1 on 1d6, you make only 50% pay as you spend the other half upkeeping the materiales you're responsible for.
Government Job (-2)
Like corporate job, but doesn't pay in corporate dollars. Makes it hard to have the law after you, as they have lots of info on you. Not available to people with criminal SINs.
Work With Kids (-1)
Maybe not with kids, but you have some job that requires you to be "A fine upstanding citizen". You can get fired for being involved in a scandal, being wanted for the law, or acting "immoraly". Carrying guns, being drunk, getting DUIs or traffic tickets may make you lose your job.
Dirty Job (-4)
Your job is high risk. Maybe you breathe asbestos, work at a critter zoo, or whatever. Every month roll 1d6. On a roll of 6 you might suffer some ill effect (getting sick, hurt by the critter, etc) unless you make a body check as decided by the GM.
Illicit (-2)
Your job is illegal in nature. Every month roll 1d6. On a roll of 1 you risk being investigated by athorities in connection with your job. Maybe you're a hooker or something. This can cause fines, lose your income for the month, or get you arrested, depending on the nature of the job.
Shitty Job (-4)
Either double your hourly requirement or halve your monthly pay. Your job sucks.
Day Job Edges
Unsupervised (+2)
Your job requires minimul supervision. Maybe you work alone at a gas station or as a lone security guard. In any case, you can sometimes hold meetings or get away with a lot at work, so long as you show up, you might even be able to sleep.
Vacation Pay (+2)
You can take 2 weeks every year where you don't work, but get paid anyway. Useful for extended out of state missions.
Health Benefits (+3)
In addition to your pay, your job will decrease the costs of one of your lifestyles by 5% as you get discounts on health insurance and are provided other money saving tips.
1099 (+4)
As long as you put in your hours, you get paid. You can take up to 2 consecutive months off (with no pay), so long as you occasional do your work. Maybe you're a salesman or something.
Commissionable (+3)
Your job pays you more when you do it well. Choose a relevant skill to your job. Every month, roll that skill against a TN 6. Each success increases your monthly pay by 5%. Can be combined with Early Workload, but you roll the same roll for both and divide successes.
Tax Hole (+2)
You may be self employed, a business partner, or have some other major expenses for your business. As such you pay only 1/2 as many taxes as normal, as you have plenty of things to write off. If you pay taxes on shadowrunning mission pay (as a part of laundering), only pay 1/2 as many taxes. This doesn't affect lifestyle costs as the lower taxes balance out lower pay.
I have a key (+2)
You have a key to your job. You might be able to get in after hours to borrow equipment, hold meetings, or do other things, depending on the nature of your job.
Manager Buddy (+1 or +3)
You have the manager as a contact. (+3 if the manager is a johnson). As such, he is a lot more understanding than most when you have to take a day off to go shadowrunning. For +1, get a -1 tn bonus to keep your job when late or absent. For +3, you always keep your job- if you're doing a run (or regular runs) for the boss.
Telepresence (+3)
You can log in your hours almost anywhere. Maybe you work via computer or you're a telemarketer. In any case, you have no physical location to go work, as long as you log the hours (at the right times!) you get the paycheck.
Deals with Documents(+2)
Maybe you work for the police, maybe for the treasurer- wherever you work, you have access to confidential documents. While you probably won't get away with tampering with things or stealing things, you may be able to peek at some documents, granting you +3 dice to any knowlege rolls relevant to the documents your work might have (such as police cases at the police station or who owns a poperty at the clerk's office).
Disguised Job (+1)
You might work as a clown or other job where people tend not to see your face. This helps you avoid people recognizing you as you do your day job.
Hand Shaker (+2)
You meet a lot of interesting people. Gain +1 die per level of day job with attempts to gain contacts.
Dirty Industry (+2)
You work in an industry known for being dirty. Stripper, porn star(or filmer), repo man, etc. The bosses don't care if you're a criminal, what DUIs you get, or what the problem is, so long as you show up to work and don't bring any trouble to them.
Early Workload (+2)
You know your job in advance. As such, you can work extra hard to get done the same work in less time. Every month roll a skill check as appropriate for your job. Every success you roll takes 2 hours off your monthly work commitment for the same pay. (Minimum 1 hour/week). Can be combined with Commission, but you roll the same roll for both and divide successes.
Perks (+4 or +6)
In addition to pay, your job provides a free low (+4) or medium (+6) lifestyle, probably with roommates or in some other community living. Of course, that's a lifestyle you don't have to pay for!
Company Car (+2)
You have a company car you can drive around (and park, and gas up) for free. However, you're responsible for it if it gets damaged. (You might work at a rental car place or impound lot or something). It might not always be the same car.
Great Job (+10)
Either halve your hourly requirement for the job, or double your monthly pay. Your job is AWESOME!
Day Job Flaws:
Jerk Manager (-2)
Your boss has no tolerance for you. Tardiness, absenteeism, showing up with bullet wounds, all these things are reasons to hate you. You have +1 TN penalty to any check to avoid being fired for being late, missing days, etc- even when it's a medical emergency.
Unscheduled Overtime (-3)
The job may contact you at any time and expect you to come in to work, making it difficult to leave town, or even expect standard shadowrunning. This even comes up while you're on vacation.
Night Job (-1)
The job is open 24/7- maybe it's a 7-11, maybe it's a fast food place, but your schedule can vary and can sometimes require night work. This makes it difficult to plan for shadowruns in advance.
Salary (-1)
You aren't paid hourly- you're paid salary. This means that every month there's a 1 in 6 chance (a roll of 1 on 1d6) that you have extra work to do- you must increase your hours by 10% with no increase in pay.
Corporate Job (-2)
You work for a megacorp. In addition to having your fingerprints and personal information on file with that corp (making it hard to do jobs against them), you are also paid in corp$ instead of nuyen. This may interfere with your lifestyle costs or other purchases.
Work with the Public (-1)
Your day job is retail- either sales or customer service or some other job where you see dozens (or hundreds) of people per day. You take a +1 TN penalty to disguise checks, and someone you've wronged may just happen into your branch one day.
Job Stigma (-1)
Your job is not only unglamerous, it's one people despise. You may be an IRS agent, a cop (or blood spatter analyst) or other job that causes people to distrust you. Take a +1 TN penalty on social skill rolls with people aware of your profession, except with other people who share your profession.
Uniformed (-1)
Your job requires a specific uniform. Maybe it's the Wendys vest or a blue shirt with the company logo on it. In any case you need to wear your uniform at all times, which may cause difficulty if you're rushing to or from work to somewhere else.
Physical Labor (-2)
Your job involves heavy lifting, construction work, or other physically demanding activity. Every day you work make a body test TN 4 for -1 day job, 6 for -2 day job, or 8 for -3 day job. If you generate no successes you are exhausted and must go home and sleep after the job. 2 successes makes you fatigued: -2 to all skill rolls until you rest. 4 successes means you're fine.
Continuous Work (-1)
All your weekly or monthly hours are worked more or less consecutively (with 8 hour breaks for sleep if necessary). Maybe you work on an oil rig or as a fisherman and must go out to see for a long time. In any case, for great spans of time you are unavailable, then you're free to act for the rest of the week or month.
Weather Reliant (-2)
Your job is related to the weather. Maybe you drive a snow plow or rake leaves. In periods of weather not complimentary to your job you cannot work and either lose the money or have to make the time up later.
Work Outside (-1)
You work outside. On days of severe weather (heavy rain, extreme heat or cold), you must make a body test (TN 4,6,8 based on severety of weather). On no successes, you are fatigued after work. On 2 successes, you are able to continue with no problems after work.
Need Equipment (-3)
Your job requires specalized equipment, such as a semi-truck driver, fork lifts, or other such large bulky equipment that you are responsible for. You almost always need to stop at home to pick something up before work, and can get into trouble if equipment is damaged.
Specalized Training (-2)
Your job requires a special skill (either active or knowledge) to do. On the one hand, you have the skill. However, each month you must make a TN 4 check with that skill. If you don't generate any successes, you get fired. 2 successes keeps the job, but you don't get paid. 4 successes keeps the job and pays you.
Your own supply (-1)
Your job requires you to provide some of your own equipment, perhaps you buy your uniform, rent your stage, or something else. Every month, on a roll of 1 on 1d6, you make only 50% pay as you spend the other half upkeeping the materiales you're responsible for.
Government Job (-2)
Like corporate job, but doesn't pay in corporate dollars. Makes it hard to have the law after you, as they have lots of info on you. Not available to people with criminal SINs.
Work With Kids (-1)
Maybe not with kids, but you have some job that requires you to be "A fine upstanding citizen". You can get fired for being involved in a scandal, being wanted for the law, or acting "immoraly". Carrying guns, being drunk, getting DUIs or traffic tickets may make you lose your job.
Dirty Job (-4)
Your job is high risk. Maybe you breathe asbestos, work at a critter zoo, or whatever. Every month roll 1d6. On a roll of 6 you might suffer some ill effect (getting sick, hurt by the critter, etc) unless you make a body check as decided by the GM.
Illicit (-2)
Your job is illegal in nature. Every month roll 1d6. On a roll of 1 you risk being investigated by athorities in connection with your job. Maybe you're a hooker or something. This can cause fines, lose your income for the month, or get you arrested, depending on the nature of the job.
Shitty Job (-4)
Either double your hourly requirement or halve your monthly pay. Your job sucks.
Day Job Edges
Unsupervised (+2)
Your job requires minimul supervision. Maybe you work alone at a gas station or as a lone security guard. In any case, you can sometimes hold meetings or get away with a lot at work, so long as you show up, you might even be able to sleep.
Vacation Pay (+2)
You can take 2 weeks every year where you don't work, but get paid anyway. Useful for extended out of state missions.
Health Benefits (+3)
In addition to your pay, your job will decrease the costs of one of your lifestyles by 5% as you get discounts on health insurance and are provided other money saving tips.
1099 (+4)
As long as you put in your hours, you get paid. You can take up to 2 consecutive months off (with no pay), so long as you occasional do your work. Maybe you're a salesman or something.
Commissionable (+3)
Your job pays you more when you do it well. Choose a relevant skill to your job. Every month, roll that skill against a TN 6. Each success increases your monthly pay by 5%. Can be combined with Early Workload, but you roll the same roll for both and divide successes.
Tax Hole (+2)
You may be self employed, a business partner, or have some other major expenses for your business. As such you pay only 1/2 as many taxes as normal, as you have plenty of things to write off. If you pay taxes on shadowrunning mission pay (as a part of laundering), only pay 1/2 as many taxes. This doesn't affect lifestyle costs as the lower taxes balance out lower pay.
I have a key (+2)
You have a key to your job. You might be able to get in after hours to borrow equipment, hold meetings, or do other things, depending on the nature of your job.
Manager Buddy (+1 or +3)
You have the manager as a contact. (+3 if the manager is a johnson). As such, he is a lot more understanding than most when you have to take a day off to go shadowrunning. For +1, get a -1 tn bonus to keep your job when late or absent. For +3, you always keep your job- if you're doing a run (or regular runs) for the boss.
Telepresence (+3)
You can log in your hours almost anywhere. Maybe you work via computer or you're a telemarketer. In any case, you have no physical location to go work, as long as you log the hours (at the right times!) you get the paycheck.
Deals with Documents(+2)
Maybe you work for the police, maybe for the treasurer- wherever you work, you have access to confidential documents. While you probably won't get away with tampering with things or stealing things, you may be able to peek at some documents, granting you +3 dice to any knowlege rolls relevant to the documents your work might have (such as police cases at the police station or who owns a poperty at the clerk's office).
Disguised Job (+1)
You might work as a clown or other job where people tend not to see your face. This helps you avoid people recognizing you as you do your day job.
Hand Shaker (+2)
You meet a lot of interesting people. Gain +1 die per level of day job with attempts to gain contacts.
Dirty Industry (+2)
You work in an industry known for being dirty. Stripper, porn star(or filmer), repo man, etc. The bosses don't care if you're a criminal, what DUIs you get, or what the problem is, so long as you show up to work and don't bring any trouble to them.
Early Workload (+2)
You know your job in advance. As such, you can work extra hard to get done the same work in less time. Every month roll a skill check as appropriate for your job. Every success you roll takes 2 hours off your monthly work commitment for the same pay. (Minimum 1 hour/week). Can be combined with Commission, but you roll the same roll for both and divide successes.
Perks (+4 or +6)
In addition to pay, your job provides a free low (+4) or medium (+6) lifestyle, probably with roommates or in some other community living. Of course, that's a lifestyle you don't have to pay for!
Company Car (+2)
You have a company car you can drive around (and park, and gas up) for free. However, you're responsible for it if it gets damaged. (You might work at a rental car place or impound lot or something). It might not always be the same car.
Great Job (+10)
Either halve your hourly requirement for the job, or double your monthly pay. Your job is AWESOME!
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.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Extra Lifestyles
In addition to the standard lifestyles, there may be other services that pay out in a similar manner to lifestyles, but for some special perk.
Example: Taking out a loan gives you an up front money amount in exchange for a new monthly cost. Investments can provide you with income (like day jobs and side incomes), and addiction can provide you with a cost of living to maintain such an addiction.
Mind you, many of these are similar to the contacts system, except they relate to spreading your money around to a variety of people who wont' help you in any other sense except as described here- perhaps a "lateral" contact-building strategy.
Each of these lifestyles provides benefits after gameplay begins, never during character creation. Also keep in mind that the "Street" and "Hospitilzation" levels do not exist, Squatter is level one for these purposes.
AA Corporations and megacorps may have higher versions of these lifesytles available called "Corporate Level", so may have bonus dice all the time which may be higher than those listed below, at GM discresion.
Bribery
Bribery is a kind of lifestyle which involves regular contributions to Lone Star or other athority figures (judges, etc) which helps you get out of trouble. For each level of lifestyle, add 1 die to any test to avoid pursuit, make bail, or get out of legal trouble. Missing payments on this lifestyle may incur a similar penalty for the month missed. This may represent some on-retainer lawyers as well.
Playing with a full Decker
This lifestyle implies funds spent towards one or more deckers or security forms which help protect you from people spying on you or coming after you in the matrix. For each level of lifestyle, add 1 die to any test involving digitial stealth or protecting your files. This does not help you do anything "offensive" on the matrix, but helps prevent you from being located, and may help you notice if you are. Missing payments provides no help during this time.
Doc on Call
This lifestyle represents donations to doctors and hospitals, or mafias or other institutions that can get you ahold of a doctor (or cybersurgeon) with no questions asked. You still need to pay the doctor, but you can be assured that wherever you are there is someone on hand to provide you with emergency medical care. Each level of lifestyle represents 1 skill rank that the doctor you can find anywhere has, with +2 ranks in your home city. Missing payments may provide you penalty dice to find good doctors until paid again.
Gang Houses
This lifestyle represents maintaining a series of contacts who do nothing else but provde "safe houses" for various people. These can be crack houses, apartments full of people, or abandoned warehouses. For every level of lifestyle, you can find a location in any city rated 1 lifestyle lower, and full of other people hiding out for one reason or another. Sure, it isn't private, but it's "safe".
PR
This lifestyle represents having a PR group manage your public image. This might mean helping you gain fame, or keeping you OUT of the news, perhaps by faking "bigger" news stories, or just putting a spin on incriminating pictures, coming up with alibies, etc. Each lifestyle rank gives +1 die on tests to spin news stories about you in a direction you choose, including attempting to bury the story on the back page.
Finder
This lifestyle represents have a kind of "shadowrunner agent" who is "in the know" when it comes to people who need things done. He can help you find new johnsons, or smooth things over with johnsons if you did a bad job. Each level of lifestyle gives him +1 die to find new missions for you, or on social skills to improve the mood of a johnson you've wronged. Each level can also help to find "higher profile" johnsons.
Astral Support
This lifestyle represents some kind of astral defense- maybe someone sends an occasional watcher spirit to check up on you, or goes and cleanses your aura in your house from time to time. Each rank of lifestyle gives +1 die for checks related to preventing astral tracking, ritual sorcery, and other such magic that involves using magic on you from a distance.
Vehicles
This lifestyle represents series of rental cars, cabs, limos, or drivers on call to get you around- or away, in a chase. Each level of lifestyle represents better vehicles and/or better drivers: each level gives +1 rank in the driving skill (with a base of 3 for cars, 2 for water vehicles, and 1 for air vehicles), and a different level of vehicle (squatter might mean broken down cabs with no boat or air options, while luxury would mean a helicoptor, charter jet, or limo/suv as needed). People still take time to get to you- you don't "summon" them.
Shoppers
This lifestyle represents contacts that can provide you with illegal goods, discounts, or other such merchandise quickly and easily. For each level of lifestyle you can either add +1 to your availability, OR -0.1 from the street index for your purchases (and +.1 to your sale prices). You easily get reliant on this network, however, and missed payments result in a similar penalty for a few months or until you begin paying again. You can purchase 2 seperate lifestyles for this: one for the street index discount and one for the availability if you wish. Street index never goes below .5 and sale price never goes higher than purchase price. The ability to purchase items does not get you out of trouble if you are caught with them. This discount or sale price increase does not stack with any "connected" edges you have, though it may apply to other products or increase availability.
Deposit Boxes
This lifestyle represents safe deposit boxes, warehouses, garages, and a variety of places where you can stow vehicles, cash, or equipment. These boxes are hidden from searches and seizures by police and officials, each rank of lifestyle granting +1 die to avoid law officials finding out about your relation to the storage space (which may stack with decker support). Squatter represents small safe deposit boxes that can hold disks or cash, Low represents a storage unit which can hold equipment and a bike, but not larger vehicles, Middle represents a garage which can hold a single car + the capacity of Low, High represents the ability to stow a specialized vehicle and some gear, while Luxury represents several vehicles along with gear- perhaps a whole warehouse.
Hired Goons
This lifestyle represents some on-retainer hired goons who can go do mundane tasks for you: get groceries, deliver messages, beat up reporters, or other low-level missions that are benath your time, or that you don't want to get noticed doing. Each level provides +1 goon (with squatter giving 1) and the goons have 1 die in relevant skills per level. Goons almost never participate actively in shadowruns, but might act as getaway drivers or deckers if that's their sole purpose.
Quiet Workers
Like hired goons, this represents the ability to find cheap laborers who don't ask questions- perhaps illegal immigrants who don't speak the language, or a carpet cleaner to get the blood out of your car. Each level adds +1 die to tests to find semi-skilled workers for otherwise legal tasks that you want carried out in secret. They won't dispose of a body, but they won't report the blood stains they clean, or they may represent a butler who "doesn't see anything".
Magic Membership
This represents making regular contributions to shamanistic lodges, hermetic circles, or other large magical orginizations. In response to such regular contributions, you can more easily find mages willing to quicken spells, groups to initiate with, or power sites to summon or cast in. A squatter lifestyle gives a place where you can find an initiation group and the ability to purchase talismans normally, Low lifestyle gives you a basement to sleep in once in a while, and a power site you can occasionaly come cast in (+1 die to magic tests made there). Medium lifestyle grants access to mages with other techniques you can call for favors (they must still be paid for: cleansing, ritual sorcery, dispelling, astral tracking, etc). High lifestyles grant +1 dice on tests to make initiation ordeals, and Luxury Lifestyles will contribute 1 karma point towards any quickened spell or initiation you attempt, and to any ritual of change used to improve an ally spirit. Failure to pay loses all benefits until past contributions are caught up.
Your Neighborhood
This represents regular contributions to the right people in your neighborhood. Maybe you build schools or parks, maybe you pay law enforcement and keep thugs out of the area. In any case, people recognise your contributions and tend not to spread bad rumors about you. Anyone trying to gather information about you has -1 die/level of the lifestyle as people tended to not see anything you did, or not be willing to talk, since you're an overall positive force in the community. This bonus also applies to checks to avoid foot pursuit in the area, as people "accidentally" get in the way of cops, or open doors for you to run through their building.
At luxury level, you gain an additional 1 die bonus against digital tracing in the area as well, as people tend to go out of their way to step in front of cameras or let you buy items on credit or whatever. This only applies to the given area, multiple similar lifestyles might represent various other areas (such as redmond barrents, and downtown as 2 lifestyles).
If two people have the same area with this lifestyle and they are acting against each other, subtract the lower from the higher bonus and use the net as a bonus to the person with the higher dice, as the people have torn loyalties.
Conveniences
You know all the right people and have greased all the right palms- you can always get a ticket to an event, a seat at a table in a restaurant, a seat on a train, or other convenience item, partially due to all the money you pay buying coupons, meeting people, or investing in the restaurants themselves. Each level of lifestyle lets you get "free" transportation, restaurant service, and similar convenience item at any locale in any city that matches the lifestyle. (First class plane tickets for high, luxury restaurants and hotel rooms for luxury, etc). This doesn't represent your primary lifestyle, as there is no specific location, and it applies anywhere. You can always use a facility below your lifestyle. While these things are "free" it generally assumes you're paying for them as a part of your lifestyle costs.
This one blends with your existing lifestyle costs somewhat, but a low convenience lifestyle might be able to grab football tickets whenever he wants for free, while a luxury might be able to get superbowl tickets in the box for him and his friends every year. It represents more the convenience than the actual living and comes up as an advantage during travel and wining and dining people brought along.
Conventions
You go to a variety of conventions and network with various people. For each level of this lifestyle, you have 1 extra die for any attempt to find someone with a specific knowledge skill- an expert in the field. You may pay for this generally, or you may pay for only a specific knowledge skill, in which case each level of lifestyle also provides +1 bonus to the knowledge rolls made by such experts. If you buy this specifically, you can purchase it multiple times for multiple skills.
Example: Generally, with a medium lifestyle, you can get +3 dice to find someone with knowldge of gangs, knowlege of lone star tactics, etc, wherever you are. If you instead puchase this specifically to deal with knowledge of dragons, you get +3 dice to find such an expert, wherever you are, and that expert gets +3 to his knowledge rolls to know the answers to the questions you provide to him.
Example: Taking out a loan gives you an up front money amount in exchange for a new monthly cost. Investments can provide you with income (like day jobs and side incomes), and addiction can provide you with a cost of living to maintain such an addiction.
Mind you, many of these are similar to the contacts system, except they relate to spreading your money around to a variety of people who wont' help you in any other sense except as described here- perhaps a "lateral" contact-building strategy.
Each of these lifestyles provides benefits after gameplay begins, never during character creation. Also keep in mind that the "Street" and "Hospitilzation" levels do not exist, Squatter is level one for these purposes.
AA Corporations and megacorps may have higher versions of these lifesytles available called "Corporate Level", so may have bonus dice all the time which may be higher than those listed below, at GM discresion.
Bribery
Bribery is a kind of lifestyle which involves regular contributions to Lone Star or other athority figures (judges, etc) which helps you get out of trouble. For each level of lifestyle, add 1 die to any test to avoid pursuit, make bail, or get out of legal trouble. Missing payments on this lifestyle may incur a similar penalty for the month missed. This may represent some on-retainer lawyers as well.
Playing with a full Decker
This lifestyle implies funds spent towards one or more deckers or security forms which help protect you from people spying on you or coming after you in the matrix. For each level of lifestyle, add 1 die to any test involving digitial stealth or protecting your files. This does not help you do anything "offensive" on the matrix, but helps prevent you from being located, and may help you notice if you are. Missing payments provides no help during this time.
Doc on Call
This lifestyle represents donations to doctors and hospitals, or mafias or other institutions that can get you ahold of a doctor (or cybersurgeon) with no questions asked. You still need to pay the doctor, but you can be assured that wherever you are there is someone on hand to provide you with emergency medical care. Each level of lifestyle represents 1 skill rank that the doctor you can find anywhere has, with +2 ranks in your home city. Missing payments may provide you penalty dice to find good doctors until paid again.
Gang Houses
This lifestyle represents maintaining a series of contacts who do nothing else but provde "safe houses" for various people. These can be crack houses, apartments full of people, or abandoned warehouses. For every level of lifestyle, you can find a location in any city rated 1 lifestyle lower, and full of other people hiding out for one reason or another. Sure, it isn't private, but it's "safe".
PR
This lifestyle represents having a PR group manage your public image. This might mean helping you gain fame, or keeping you OUT of the news, perhaps by faking "bigger" news stories, or just putting a spin on incriminating pictures, coming up with alibies, etc. Each lifestyle rank gives +1 die on tests to spin news stories about you in a direction you choose, including attempting to bury the story on the back page.
Finder
This lifestyle represents have a kind of "shadowrunner agent" who is "in the know" when it comes to people who need things done. He can help you find new johnsons, or smooth things over with johnsons if you did a bad job. Each level of lifestyle gives him +1 die to find new missions for you, or on social skills to improve the mood of a johnson you've wronged. Each level can also help to find "higher profile" johnsons.
Astral Support
This lifestyle represents some kind of astral defense- maybe someone sends an occasional watcher spirit to check up on you, or goes and cleanses your aura in your house from time to time. Each rank of lifestyle gives +1 die for checks related to preventing astral tracking, ritual sorcery, and other such magic that involves using magic on you from a distance.
Vehicles
This lifestyle represents series of rental cars, cabs, limos, or drivers on call to get you around- or away, in a chase. Each level of lifestyle represents better vehicles and/or better drivers: each level gives +1 rank in the driving skill (with a base of 3 for cars, 2 for water vehicles, and 1 for air vehicles), and a different level of vehicle (squatter might mean broken down cabs with no boat or air options, while luxury would mean a helicoptor, charter jet, or limo/suv as needed). People still take time to get to you- you don't "summon" them.
Shoppers
This lifestyle represents contacts that can provide you with illegal goods, discounts, or other such merchandise quickly and easily. For each level of lifestyle you can either add +1 to your availability, OR -0.1 from the street index for your purchases (and +.1 to your sale prices). You easily get reliant on this network, however, and missed payments result in a similar penalty for a few months or until you begin paying again. You can purchase 2 seperate lifestyles for this: one for the street index discount and one for the availability if you wish. Street index never goes below .5 and sale price never goes higher than purchase price. The ability to purchase items does not get you out of trouble if you are caught with them. This discount or sale price increase does not stack with any "connected" edges you have, though it may apply to other products or increase availability.
Deposit Boxes
This lifestyle represents safe deposit boxes, warehouses, garages, and a variety of places where you can stow vehicles, cash, or equipment. These boxes are hidden from searches and seizures by police and officials, each rank of lifestyle granting +1 die to avoid law officials finding out about your relation to the storage space (which may stack with decker support). Squatter represents small safe deposit boxes that can hold disks or cash, Low represents a storage unit which can hold equipment and a bike, but not larger vehicles, Middle represents a garage which can hold a single car + the capacity of Low, High represents the ability to stow a specialized vehicle and some gear, while Luxury represents several vehicles along with gear- perhaps a whole warehouse.
Hired Goons
This lifestyle represents some on-retainer hired goons who can go do mundane tasks for you: get groceries, deliver messages, beat up reporters, or other low-level missions that are benath your time, or that you don't want to get noticed doing. Each level provides +1 goon (with squatter giving 1) and the goons have 1 die in relevant skills per level. Goons almost never participate actively in shadowruns, but might act as getaway drivers or deckers if that's their sole purpose.
Quiet Workers
Like hired goons, this represents the ability to find cheap laborers who don't ask questions- perhaps illegal immigrants who don't speak the language, or a carpet cleaner to get the blood out of your car. Each level adds +1 die to tests to find semi-skilled workers for otherwise legal tasks that you want carried out in secret. They won't dispose of a body, but they won't report the blood stains they clean, or they may represent a butler who "doesn't see anything".
Magic Membership
This represents making regular contributions to shamanistic lodges, hermetic circles, or other large magical orginizations. In response to such regular contributions, you can more easily find mages willing to quicken spells, groups to initiate with, or power sites to summon or cast in. A squatter lifestyle gives a place where you can find an initiation group and the ability to purchase talismans normally, Low lifestyle gives you a basement to sleep in once in a while, and a power site you can occasionaly come cast in (+1 die to magic tests made there). Medium lifestyle grants access to mages with other techniques you can call for favors (they must still be paid for: cleansing, ritual sorcery, dispelling, astral tracking, etc). High lifestyles grant +1 dice on tests to make initiation ordeals, and Luxury Lifestyles will contribute 1 karma point towards any quickened spell or initiation you attempt, and to any ritual of change used to improve an ally spirit. Failure to pay loses all benefits until past contributions are caught up.
Your Neighborhood
This represents regular contributions to the right people in your neighborhood. Maybe you build schools or parks, maybe you pay law enforcement and keep thugs out of the area. In any case, people recognise your contributions and tend not to spread bad rumors about you. Anyone trying to gather information about you has -1 die/level of the lifestyle as people tended to not see anything you did, or not be willing to talk, since you're an overall positive force in the community. This bonus also applies to checks to avoid foot pursuit in the area, as people "accidentally" get in the way of cops, or open doors for you to run through their building.
At luxury level, you gain an additional 1 die bonus against digital tracing in the area as well, as people tend to go out of their way to step in front of cameras or let you buy items on credit or whatever. This only applies to the given area, multiple similar lifestyles might represent various other areas (such as redmond barrents, and downtown as 2 lifestyles).
If two people have the same area with this lifestyle and they are acting against each other, subtract the lower from the higher bonus and use the net as a bonus to the person with the higher dice, as the people have torn loyalties.
Conveniences
You know all the right people and have greased all the right palms- you can always get a ticket to an event, a seat at a table in a restaurant, a seat on a train, or other convenience item, partially due to all the money you pay buying coupons, meeting people, or investing in the restaurants themselves. Each level of lifestyle lets you get "free" transportation, restaurant service, and similar convenience item at any locale in any city that matches the lifestyle. (First class plane tickets for high, luxury restaurants and hotel rooms for luxury, etc). This doesn't represent your primary lifestyle, as there is no specific location, and it applies anywhere. You can always use a facility below your lifestyle. While these things are "free" it generally assumes you're paying for them as a part of your lifestyle costs.
This one blends with your existing lifestyle costs somewhat, but a low convenience lifestyle might be able to grab football tickets whenever he wants for free, while a luxury might be able to get superbowl tickets in the box for him and his friends every year. It represents more the convenience than the actual living and comes up as an advantage during travel and wining and dining people brought along.
Conventions
You go to a variety of conventions and network with various people. For each level of this lifestyle, you have 1 extra die for any attempt to find someone with a specific knowledge skill- an expert in the field. You may pay for this generally, or you may pay for only a specific knowledge skill, in which case each level of lifestyle also provides +1 bonus to the knowledge rolls made by such experts. If you buy this specifically, you can purchase it multiple times for multiple skills.
Example: Generally, with a medium lifestyle, you can get +3 dice to find someone with knowldge of gangs, knowlege of lone star tactics, etc, wherever you are. If you instead puchase this specifically to deal with knowledge of dragons, you get +3 dice to find such an expert, wherever you are, and that expert gets +3 to his knowledge rolls to know the answers to the questions you provide to him.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Money Issues
How a shadowrunner can gain more money...
Loans: The shadowrunner takes on a high-interest loan. The GM approves a dollar amount. Thereafter, the shadowrunner takes on a lifestyle with a cost equal to 2% of the loan amount. (Borrowing 200k costs 4k per month). This represents the interest only: the shadowrunner must pay the 200k to remove the loan, with a 10% upcharge (costing 220k). Failure to pay may add the hunted flaw or bad reputation.
Investments: The opposite of loans, the shadowrunner invests a specific amount wisely. He puts aside a dollar amount and each month gains 1% of that amount. (So a 200k investment earns 1k per month). This represents the interest; the shadowrunner may remove his 100k at a later time, though at a 10% penalty. (Removing 90k).
Money Laundering: When getting ahold of money, there are 2 sources: legal money and illegal money. Money that comes from day jobs, loans, etc is legal- it can be traced as far as where you got it, and you are allowed to get it. Money from illegal means (most shadowruns) is not traceable, and the IRS may be interested to find out where all your income is coming from. This is where the money laundering comes in.
A shadowrunner can be assumed to spend 30% of his gross shadowrunning income on laundering (10% for the launderer, 20% in taxes). The money laundering specialization of knowledge:economics can help with this. Each success at TN4 increases the TN for someone to detect your wrongdoings, but prevents you from paying the 10% laundering. If a shadowrunner chooses not to pay taxes, the IRS will roll a yearly Audit Check. (TN 8, dice = to the lifestyle of the shadowrunner with 0=squatter, and 6 at luxury.) One success means they take note but do nothing. Two+ successes means that they audit the shadowrunner, which may cause all kinds of problems. The IRS gets +1 die per 10K of the shadowrunner's bank account. Money spend on purchasing illegal goods does not count towards this (as he never generated recipts). Multiple identities are hard to maintain, but may help avoid audits, though if the shadowrunner pays taxes, he is much less likely to be noticed by the IRS- increasing the TN to 12, but paying 20% of his runner income.
Technological Decay
Each year a shadowrunner's equipment is assumed to be a little out of date as new techniques come up. The rating of any device with a rating goes down by 1 each year unless the shadowrunner pays 5% of the purchase price of the item getting "upgrades" to keep himself current. This goes for cyberware also.
Loans: The shadowrunner takes on a high-interest loan. The GM approves a dollar amount. Thereafter, the shadowrunner takes on a lifestyle with a cost equal to 2% of the loan amount. (Borrowing 200k costs 4k per month). This represents the interest only: the shadowrunner must pay the 200k to remove the loan, with a 10% upcharge (costing 220k). Failure to pay may add the hunted flaw or bad reputation.
Investments: The opposite of loans, the shadowrunner invests a specific amount wisely. He puts aside a dollar amount and each month gains 1% of that amount. (So a 200k investment earns 1k per month). This represents the interest; the shadowrunner may remove his 100k at a later time, though at a 10% penalty. (Removing 90k).
Money Laundering: When getting ahold of money, there are 2 sources: legal money and illegal money. Money that comes from day jobs, loans, etc is legal- it can be traced as far as where you got it, and you are allowed to get it. Money from illegal means (most shadowruns) is not traceable, and the IRS may be interested to find out where all your income is coming from. This is where the money laundering comes in.
A shadowrunner can be assumed to spend 30% of his gross shadowrunning income on laundering (10% for the launderer, 20% in taxes). The money laundering specialization of knowledge:economics can help with this. Each success at TN4 increases the TN for someone to detect your wrongdoings, but prevents you from paying the 10% laundering. If a shadowrunner chooses not to pay taxes, the IRS will roll a yearly Audit Check. (TN 8, dice = to the lifestyle of the shadowrunner with 0=squatter, and 6 at luxury.) One success means they take note but do nothing. Two+ successes means that they audit the shadowrunner, which may cause all kinds of problems. The IRS gets +1 die per 10K of the shadowrunner's bank account. Money spend on purchasing illegal goods does not count towards this (as he never generated recipts). Multiple identities are hard to maintain, but may help avoid audits, though if the shadowrunner pays taxes, he is much less likely to be noticed by the IRS- increasing the TN to 12, but paying 20% of his runner income.
Technological Decay
Each year a shadowrunner's equipment is assumed to be a little out of date as new techniques come up. The rating of any device with a rating goes down by 1 each year unless the shadowrunner pays 5% of the purchase price of the item getting "upgrades" to keep himself current. This goes for cyberware also.
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