[Shadowrun 5] When you're at the bottom, there's only one way to go?

[Ebony]

Bob Schroeck wrote:

---

Also, Bob, do you mind if I borrow the basic concept of Mossad? It gives me an idea...)

Not at all, go right ahead. The world needs more Jewish street samurai spellcrafters. (Did you know, by the way, that the Seattle sourcebook for 1st Ed SRun has absolutely no Jewish delis or bagel places in it? None! How is that realistic, I ask you?)

I played Boris, a Russian Jewish Dwarf, former Spetsnas and physical adept. He lived within walking distance of his synagogue, kept kosher, and carried an eTorah. He lived in New Orleans, though. Hated Seattle; too many shadowrunners.
(I kept hoping someone would play a female elf in that game, named Natasha, but it never happened.)
  
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Rajvik]

Could you guys email me those characters, I want to have them to update to 5th edition in my Hero Labs so I can use them. I'll even come up with a female elf with the name Natasha Fatale and their government oposition code names Moose and Squirrel.
 

[Ebony]

Rajvik wrote:

---

Could you guys email me those characters, I want to have them to update to 5th edition in my Hero Labs so I can use them. I'll even come up with a female elf with the name Natasha Fatale and their government oposition code names Moose and Squirrel.

I can certainly try. I'm not sure if Boris is still in my character folder.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Bob Schroeck]

I'll have to go looking. I thought my character binder was within arm's length on the shelf to my right, but when I pulled it out it turned out to be something else entirely in an identical cover. Now I have to go figure out where I put it. When I find it though, I'll scan the sheet and mail it to you.
Edit:  Found it.  I never unpacked the bag of game goodies I took with me to Canada to show Rob and Ian.  It was there.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

Rajvik, I left you a note in your Yuku inbox a few days ago, but I guess you haven't noticed it. I have scans of Mossad's character sheet for you -- where do you want them sent?
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Rajvik]

reply sent and thanks again
 

[Bob Schroeck]

Okay, something went wrong then, because there's nothing in my Yuku or regular email inboxes.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Rajvik]

Rajvikwolfboy@Gmail
 

[Bob Schroeck]

And sent!
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Dartz]

------------

So, To recap...

The Team has it's first run - it seems to be a firly simple smash'n'grab of some prototype hardware. After doing some due dilligence, they discover that the person who hired them is putting on a fake accent, while the memory stick with the job information on it turned out to be bugged with Sleaze action. Still, tempted by 9000 NY a head, they press on, scoping out the AGILE Microtechnology lab. In the process discovering that AGILE's reasently been taken under Lofwyr's corporate wing.... SK are running the show. Knowing they need an 'in', they kidnap the Lone Star Wage Mage -Resden- providing magical security - setting up a fake Mage recruting agency to entice him into an interview in a limousine. He next wakes up strapped to a chair in a basement....

-------------
Tuesday evening finds the team in planning, discussing how to approach the run.

Adonis is preparing for his reconnaissance, disguised as Resden. Depending on how it goes, they're running through ideas. Adonis hopes to be able to act as a 5th column inside the building, using his Mage disguise a 2nd time, while Wraith enters the building invisibly and just grabs the hardware. Secure the prototype, set off the firealarm to force all the maglocks open, then run for it. Should be simple. There is a discussion over whether Count Zero should also go in to deal with any maglocks or security systems.

Count Zero is of the opinion that being onsite physically may be a lethally bad idea for her. Instead, Count Zero plans to compile a sprite and have it use Gremlins on the security cameras.

Adonis, however, has his 7pm appointment to make. He goes through the front door, and - after a moment to check - his disguise is accepted by the receptionist as genuine.

(GM Note, the receptionist tied the roll on Limit - actually rolling higher.)

After a few minutes waiting, he's met by Max Reinhardt -a middle-aged man speaking in a polite and kind German accent whom, Adonis notes, is wearing a fairly snapping Actioneer suit. Reinhardt leads Adonis through the building, discussing security plans and warding arrangements, along with whether or not the building ward extends to the ceiling.

Of course it did - it didn't take long to check. Reinhardt is polite and friendly as he leads him around the building, before dropping a minor bomb on proceedings. He's aware of the run coming in in the near future, what with the earlier hack on the building's security systems, and the spotting of one of his former colleagues smiling and waving at him from the cafe across the street.

Meanwhile, Wraith is scaling the outside of the building with a tingle in his ears. He confirms that the ward extends to the top of the building and the location of a vent stack that could be used to access the inside - guarded by a maintenance grate with maglock - and that there's a ladder to gain access. Stealth, and Invisibility keeps him from being spotted. He also spots the Wards.

(GM Note. A minor ruling on the Earth Sphere acting as a barrier for Astral projecting. If it's penetrated by a shaft or other manmade object, it's possible for a projection to travel down this shaft. It doesn't stop at an invisible line where the earth level would've been.)

Reinhardt meanwhile, asks Adonis whether the building's internal high-security ward also accounts for the ventilation stack. It doesn't, it's only encompassed by the building's own outer ward. Reinhardt asks him to cover the gap. This is a minor problem for an Adonis, who doesn't know the spell. Still, he's good at bluffing, so gives it a go. In this instance, he gets it right. Reinhardt believes him. It also gives him a good chance to investigate the ventilation stack for a possible entry point.

(GM Note, I'm not sure I did this exactly right. I was trying to do something suspensful, while dropping a potential hint about an entry and the location of the target, and it wasn't until afterwards that I realised it might just have come across as drawn out)

Reinhardt leads Adonis down to the lower, high security, level of the building. Along the way, Adonis makes a mental note of the locations of any emplacements or security cameras, along with the types of locks along the way. First on the list are the two engineer prototype offices where highly secret tests are performed. Reinhardt has to check to make sure that nobody is performing any sensitive tests before allowing Adonis in. The Engineer's office area is locked down tight. Individual cubicles are fitted with privacy screens, shielding work theirin from what unauthorised eyes might accidentally see. A red light warns people not to enter when sensitive work is being performed. For the really secret stuff, there're the two labs.... one of which has a red-light glowing over the door. Reinhardt allows him into the second.

(GM Note: Inspiration from Apple)

In the first room Adonis is alone while Reinhardt sanitises the next one. He's able to take a few notes and discover one of the carrying cases for the Wafers. But it's empty. Again, he fools Reinhardt into thinking he's cast a legitmate spell.The second one is more of the same, with an added sprinkling of Cheeto dust. Reinhardt watches him 'cast' this time.

Another beautiful deception. Adonis fakes the drain, asking for a few minutes rest. They have a break in a small employee locker-room. Reinhardt chats about the benefits employment with Saeder-Krupp could bring - a job which rewards success, though punishes failure. It's a 'friendly' chat.

(GM Note. I was trying to create tension here. It was somewhere around this point that Hollywood's player pointed out there wasn't a single toilet on the floorplans I created. This is the future...we have the three seashells for that sort of thing. )

Last stop on the tour is the Secure Storage room, behind a guarded desk. Adonis spies two more wafer cases, one of which is obviously locked. Again, Reinhardt watches him perform the warding 'ritual'. Something catches his attention for a moment, and Adonis tries to pass his slip off as the effect of drain induced fatigue. Reinhardt cools, quickly concluding their business

(GM Note. Reinhard pulled enough success to realise this instance was a deception, but not that Adonis was anyone but who he appearred to be. He actually rolled very well, but his social limit kicked in hard. So, Reinhardt allowed Adonis to leave, before getting in touch with his employers to complain about shoddy service. Which then revealed the truth. Reinhardt's plan was to set a trap, welcoming Adonis in disguise back, allowing the run to proceed, and then springing a trap when everyone's inside. One full captured Shadowrun team. Or an awesome complication for the team to beat. As it would happen....)

Wraith aquires a grappling hook and climbing gear.

Adonis returns to the shop the team are using as a base and fills them in. Reinhardt knows something's up and expects a run coming in. He lets Wraith know why exactly he expects a run is coming.

Wraith: "Makes it fun"

(GM Note: If anyone asked Adonis anything he hadn't specifically noted on his original walkthrough, I asked him to make a memory test. It seemed like a good idea at the time, to account for things noticed, but not specifically looked for.)

Based on this, their first idea to deal with this, is to create a distraction run, to divert attention away from their real attempt.

Hollywood: "What about Hiring someone to do a fake run?"
GM: *Nervous laughter*

Their second idea is to attack Reinhardt's car and go after him directly, take him out of the picture. But that would definitely give the game away. AresPredator suggests using knockout gas on the complex - but that would involve hauling something heavy up to the ventilation system without getting spotted.

By the end of the night, they have a plan:

*Adonis will infiltrate the office as Resden again, under the guise of detecting something crossing the Ward. He will palm his key off with someone in the security office, to get better access.
*Hollywood to listen to conversation in the Cafe to determine who has what access
*Count Zero will hack the lock on the roof, then compile a Gremlin sprite to hit the surveillance system.
*Adonis gains entry to the Secure storage room and grabs what he thinks is the hardware.
*Wraith will then repell down into the vent shaft on a rope, to wait for Adonis
*Adonis hands Wraith the hardware.
*Trigger the Fire Alarm to unlock the doors. Then escape
*AresPredator is nearby incase things go south and guns get needed.
*Scorch is in the van listening to Spanish Flea while all hell breaks loose inside.

---

Wednesday. The run should happen tomorrow.

AresPredator53 spends some time on the roof of the building, using his cybernetic augmentation to listen to what's going on inside. He managed to capture snippets of five conversations:
*Someone complaining about how they've been told to move wafers to secure storage, but don't have access.
*A german accent "Act as if his card has been accepted, the call me"
*Another voice "We are emptying the clean room until the situation has passed"
*A German Accent "It was definitely not legitimat"

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Resden earns an invisible boot to the head after his attempt to get enough attention to get a meal ends up being mistaken for an escape attempt. He tries to inquire about the PC's plan...

Resden: "Who am I going to tell"
Adonis: "This isn't one of those movies"

(GM Note: "We did it, 35 minutes ago.")

Finally, Adonis manages to track down a lead on the Autopicker he's been looking for. It's good. Still in stock, ready to go.

AresPredator53 returns, reporting in. It's quickly obvious that Adonis has been made in some way. Reinhardt is expecting them to come in disguised as Resden.

The planning begins again, wondering how to get through when Reinhardt is expecting Resden. Thoughts turn to the Wage Mage himself:

"There is one person who has no choice but to look like the son of a bitch"

Hollywood's first idea is to puppet Resden in through the front door, but it's quickly pointed out that the building's wards would release him from her spell - and he could then blow the whole thing.

They decide to stick closely to their original plan - as close as possible anyway.

*Adonis will slip in using a stolen ID card
*Trigger an Evac with the fire alarm.
*Taze a Guard
*Use his key to get access to the goods
*Meet Scorch outside.
*Resden is a liability before the run happens.

----

Thurday. Run day.

Aware that Resden's access card is now definitely Non-Grata, Adonis follows one of the security staff he recognised leaving the building after a shift change. His attempt at grabbing the guard's wallet unnoticed fails. The guard doesn't push the matter when Adonis just hands the wallet back to him - and doesn't notice his missing security card. He's lucky enough to get his wallet back without a fight.

(GM Note: Nicely pockerfaced. Nicely done. The way he said 'I give him his wallet back', had me fooled. )

It's only when he makes it back to home base that he realises it would've been easier to just replace the guard.... maybe have him go back for something he forgot on-shift. But, it's too late for that now.

Runtime is 6pm. A little bit early compared to what was suggested, but should suffice.

(GM Note. And a perfect explanation for what happens next.)

AresPredator, Adonis and Wraith sneak up onto the roof, followed by Hollywood and Count Zero. Count Zero quickly and competently obliterates the security on the lock, hacking on the fly within two seconds, shutting it down, then mentally rebooting her persona before GOD even wakes up..

Meanwhile, AresPredator manages to capture a single snippet of conversation with his augmented hearing.

"Reinhardt will be back in 20 minutes"

Adonis immediately changes his disguise.

A few minutes later, 'Reinhardt' walks through the front door of the building.

---break for the night.

(GM Final comment. I like the plan here. I especially like how it's been continuously amended and adapted as things went on. With Reinhardt, I was hoping to create someone who came across as competent and planning, without being omniscient. Going into this, I was concerned that his stats might've been a little bit too tough, but he rolled honestly the whole time. Like I mentioned, I was hoping for Adonis' scenes to come across as quite tense. As it was, this meant for a fairly Adonis-heavy session since it took longer than I thought.

Next week is run-week. This plans to be an interesting one. )
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

I'm seeing increased competence amongst the runners. That's always nice.

Did Adonis try and sell it as 'you lost your wallet sir?'

[Dartz]

Nope. Just handed it back. Was just so funny and pokerfaced. I stole your wallet, you caught me, have it back.

It's just a matter of everyone getting into the swing of things.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

Well, that's one way to do it. Probably because the guard didn't want the hassle of all that paperwork.

[Dartz]

Shadowrun #5.

---In Which the GM is Impressed.

In our last session, Adonis managed to slip inside the facility, impersonating a Wage Mage. The deception almost worked - until Max Reinhardt, the local corporate security chief, realised he was being deceived. Allowing Adonis to leave, Reinhardt hatches a plan to snare the entire team when they make their entry. Using his cybernetics, AresPredator catches snippets of a conversation indicating that they've been blown, and the team decides to move the timetable up a bit.

At the last moment, they learn that Reinhardt has in-fact left the building, and won't be back for another 20 minutes. Never one to pass up a good opportunity, Adonis quickly re-sculpts his appearrance to match Reinhardt, and drops down the ventilation shaft.

Scorch waits in place in his van, biding his time. He's the first one to notice a speeding van come tearing past. Coincidentally not too dissimilar to the one parked outside the Motel where they'd met Kitsuribami. Count Zero realises the plan immediately - figuring that they're being used as a distraction run by another team of runners, and that they might've just accidentally blown the run.

"If our employers are dead, we don't get paid!"

The team continues with the plan. Interfering at this stage risks not getting paid. Count Zero compiles a sprite which infects a security camera facing the access hatch for the vent with a nasty case of Gremlins. l

(GM Note: It locked it on a single frozen image. But it never came up. )

Hollywood readies her firearm - at least, she holds it in her hand, accidentally pointing it at the entire party in turn while she readies herself. AresPredator hides behind cover. Eventually, she follows Count Zero to a nearby Cafe to observe proceedings. With both of them gone, Adonis exits the ventilation shaft. Wraith drops down, then makes himself invisible to follow beind.

(GM Ruling: Incidentally, it was ruled that spells being sustained are ended when the person sustaining them passes a ward. Even if the actual spell's effect - such as another person remaining invisible, remains outside)

AresPredator drops to the bottom of the shaft and waits for things to go south as Adonis in disguise enters the building. Wraith follows him invisible. Guards are fooled by the Reinhardt disguise, Adonis' purloined security key allowing him easy access all the way to the desk and the guard.

The Guard, of course, is a little bit nonplussed about the re-appearrance of Reinhardt when he wasn't expected. Informed that it's a test, he decides that proceedures must take precedence over common sense and asks to see "Reinhardt's" security card. Adonis Zaps him with a Tazer. Wraith zaps him again when it's clear the first shock just wasn't enough.

(GM Note: Well, it seemed logical to include nonconductivity in their armour....)

Adonis strips him of his keycard and radio, before stuffing the unconscious guard under the table.

(GM note: I half expected Wraith to cast invisibility on the Body....)

The first purloined keycard won't allow him into the secure storage room, but the second one works. Adonis grabs three sealed wafer holders, assuming they have something valuable inside them. Leaving with the units, they pass another Guard, who fails to spot the deception. Despite "Reinhardt" carrying three supposedly secure items. Wraith and Adonis take a moment to try gain access to targets of opportunity, but the Maglocks won't open for any keycard they have.

(GM Note: The Guard they passed found the body)

The Guard calls in a warning. Adonis immediately answers, impersonating Reinhardt, calling for a full alert. Alarms go off and guards mill around, while Adonis and Wraith make their escape Meanwhile, Reinhardt himself cuts into the comm wondering what the hell is going on.

Only to be answered by 'himself'.

Outside, the Prime Runner's van pulls up outside, its contents quickly exiting the vehicle. Count Zero quickly spots her Matrix watermark on Jake204 - he's inside the van. The other team begin to move towards the second building in the complex. Hollywood recongnises Kitsuribami amongst them.... clearly far more a Razorgirl than they'd been led to believe.

(GM Note: It's only around this point, as the team starts wondering how the other team realised the run was going ahead early, that I realised I hadn't actually thought of that part.... I came up with a rapid answer)

Inside, Adonis is busy sowing amusing confusion between himself and Reinhardt, but it's quickly clear his cover's blown. He's up and out of the ventilation shaft, quickly followed by Wraith, then AresPredator.

On the roof, Adonis is spotted. Wraith spots the real Reinhardt running towards the building. Reinhardt, guided by his com, realises that Wraith is there. Initiative is rolled as Wraith levels his AK-97

Initiative is Rolled. Guards Arrive in next turn. 2 Minutes until Knight Errant.

6 Shots full auto from Wraith.
It Wings Reinhardt, shaving some hair.
Reinhardt ducks out of the line of fire, putting he building's wall between himself and Wraith.
Scorch pulls up beside Adonis.
Adonis Drops his magazine, planning to drop a magazine. Flip a mag in as a free action. He runs to the van
AresPredator runs for the van.

Wraith makes a break for the van.
Reinhardt fires at the van with his slivergun.... but it does no more than cosmetic damage. Nothing unusual. Not even a -1 on attributes.
Scorch floors it.
Adonis takes a pot-shot from inside the van.
Hollywood and Count Zero enjoy their coffee while the entire shop films the ongoing Shadowrun.
AresPredator Takes a shot at Reinhardt. with a silenced pistol, and injures him.

Wraith uses his final initiative pass to knock Reinhardt down with another fully automatic burst. Reinhardt staggers to his feet, stunned but unhurt. His armour holds.


(GM Note: I'm trying to play Reinhardt as an intelligent antagonist.... hence the whole 'taking cover' and waiting for guards to show rather than standing in the way of bullets.)

Meanwhile, the Prime runners are going south in a very big way.. Count Zero notices that the Jake204 has 'stopped' moving. As the van speeds away, they discuss bailing the other team out...

Wraith: "Let's just fucking fence this shit."
Adonis: "If they were straight with us from the start?"
Count Zero: "Fuck that shit. It's not worth loosing our necks."
Adonis: "Not getting paid is bad. Getting killed is worse."

Count Zero and Hollywood take a cab back to the shop once the shooting has stopped.

As the team returns to the shop, they notice that the front door has been kicked in. Carefully sweeping the building, they discover that the Wage Mage has been freed, but nothing's been stolen. Count Zero pulls the CCTV and notes a suspiciously familiar van outside. Still, they realise their hideaway has been compromised, so leave.

(GM Note. Totally not an asspull. Completely and utterly not made up on the spot. The other team figured out the angle with the Wage Mage the same way Reinhardt did, tracked him down through a contact, then kicked in the door and found out what was happening. They've been on the back foot ever since Count Zero spotted the program they'd created to monitor the PC's.)

They spend the night at home.

The next day, AresPredator and Wraith scope out the Motel where the handover was supposed to happen. Aside from a family in a green,dishevelled Ford Americar station wagon, nobody shows up. Count Zero checks Shadowpoint, Finding Jake204 and Arbalest noted down as dead and missed, with Kitsuribami and one other team member missing and unheard from. Adonis breaks in to the Motel office, checking off a list of names of guests. 'Griswold Family', 'Mr. Johnson', 'Mr. Smith', 'Ms Kitsuribami'..... each time the name appears, it has a different contact number. On a hunch, he tries ringing them.

It dawns on them that they may not be getting paid for this run.

Markas, their fixer calls. Adonis quickly realises that's pretty angry at how things went - but probably not at them. He calls them in for a meeting at his club. Adonis wears his Amazon Web Services hat. He orders Virgin cocktail. AresPredator is staying sober. Driver Scorch is drinking.

Saeder Krupp have been in contact. They have Kitsuribami. They'll trade her for the wafers. The offer Markas makes is simple. 40,000 Ny for the wafers, and to make the handover in person. Suffice to say, Adonis is somewhat disturbed at the potential for meeting Saeder-Krupp in person. He demands 100k, straight up. Markas offers 80, and they agree.

He returns to the team with the deal. They are about as enthusiastic as could be expected.

Wraith takes a call on his comm while the group is talking through their plan for getting in touch with Saeder-Krupp and and making the exchange without getting horribly, horribly killed. They have a phone number to call, all they need is a location.

Count Zero suggests they go to the Barrens, with hired Gangers as redshirts since SK while be bringing the best. Matrix connectivity is poor, and it'd keep Saeder Krupp away from physical support. Puyallup is suggested.

Scorch points out the obvious flaw.: "They just throw money at the problem."

The team get some of the money upfront - enough to plan - but not even a grain of sand compared to what a corporation could bring. Even so, doing this right without getting dead means this is going to be Expensive.

Wraith returns to inform them that Reinhardt contacted him, offered him 50k to betray the group, which he earned a Karma point for declining, then lets them know that SK have no intention of giving up Kitsuribami.

---

GM's final comment. Thus ends the first full mission I've ever run. More or less. Thanks to all involved for making it fun.

Also, I must say. Really, truly, epicly done. I was surprised Wraith didn't try make the unconscious guard invisible, but most of the major angles were thought of and considered and dealt with. And the other team learned a valuable lesson - unfortunately, they're a bit too dead or captured to enjoy the benefit. Oh well.

And yes, Reinhardt is hard as nails, and then some.

Finally, Cash and Karma awards:

Adonis: 7
Count Zero: 7
Wraith: 7
Hollywood: 6
Scorch: 6
AresPredator53: 6

Cash, to be split as the team sees fit: 40,000 NY.

----------------
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Black Aeronaut]

And the moral of the story is: If you're gonna use another Shadowrunner team as a cat's paw, make sure they know about it so, you know, you can actually work together.

[Foxboy]

Good old Shadowrun. I had some fun with high-concept shamans.

Overweight Elf Skyfather Shaman - Santa Claus/Father Christmas schtick, tends to a commercial holiday theme. I stole a name from Marvel Comics: Nicholas St. Christopher. Got made, but the game sessions crashed and burned due to Real Life™.

Troll "media" Shaman - Basically a Thunderbird shaman played as a (non-Shadowrun usage) Otaku who focused on Urusei Yatsura... basically just having fun imagining a "cute" troll in a tiger-striped bikini flinging lightning around. She had so much luck not getting hit in combat and I never put any points in making it like that beyond basic, starting-level appropriate stats, she just kept rolling really well.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Hazard]

Well, seems like the crew has grown in leaps and bounds in competence, that was actually a pretty well done run.

Also, when you involve another team, make sure they know what's going on and what they're supposed to be doing.

[Dartz]

It's been a while. During which our gaming group only managed 2 sessions due to schedule conflicts and the like.

Still, we managed a nice short followup mission to the above. This writeup comes from Adonis' player, with GM notes and additions marked. A good chunk of this scenario was spent running and gunning on my part, with only basic notes and profiles on various characters generated beforehand. I'm finding this a lot easier than having a full plotline that falls apart on contact with a PC with ideas.

AresPredator has dropped out of the game.
Otherwise, we're all good.

---

Journal of a Scoundrel

So we got out first payout... a payout with strings attached. The crew seemed less than pleased with the prospect of heading back into the jaws of the dragon. Still, we some time to prepare I was confident we could do it and keep our brains on the right side of our skulls. Besides, we need to start making good impressions if we want to get regular work. Walking out on a contact who just lost their go to team is going to leave a bad taste. Coming through though, that gets you off of the rolodex and onto speed dial.

The job, to exchange the wafers for the Razorgirl. Sounds easy but given Saeder-Krupp's resources if we didn't keep them on their toes and out of their element we were toast. Count Zero brought up the idea of bringing them out into the barrens and getting some extra muscle.

(GM Comment. This one sentence took about two hours ingame planning and discussion. The group discussed various options, from doing it in a public place, to arranging it in a restaraunt. To paracrocadiles. Full Text transcript here).

Luckily I knew some Orc gangers, the Softies, who were a little down on their luck having recently lost a turf war. Their turf out in Puyallup ain't pretty but it would do the job and they could do with the creds. Only problem would be them being desperate enough to try and work both sides. We decided it would be best to keep the details vague and keep them away from direct contact with whoever the corp sent. There was an exchange happening but with who and for what, they didn't need to know. After a bit of haggling we arranged the details with their bossman Slaphead.

( GM Comment. Yes, they were originally from Redmond, Why do you ask? My own fault for writing while tired and up on Coffee. Also in this segment, was Mikey, an ork teenager who managed to negotiate himself 10% of the action for letting the players know where to find Slaphead, and,most importantly, a name on the GM's character notes sheet. He's in a local bar on Ezra Pound street formerly named Hop King, where the PC's are their usual gregarious selves....

Adonis: "Not bad for horse piss,"

Bartender: "Only the best damn horse for sure,"

Slaphead is gregarious, the CEO of his own personal gang. He's hesitant to get his people shot up at first. Adonis negotiates 10 Guys, 700 NY a head after negotiation with Mikey getting his evetra 10%. Wraith ups a decent battleplan with the gang-leader, combining military knowledge and local knowledge. (3 succeses - 2 for not quite an appropriate skill.))

They recommended a disused internment camp from some old war, Camp Harmony. Used to be a museum but after Mount Rainier went up it was abandoned. Out of the way, plenty of old buildings for cover. Walls and fencing to limit access. It was perfect.

Count Zero put together a shopping list. Something about the barrens messing with out commsets and no matrix. Can't say I know how but by the time he was done we had cameras covering the approaches and comms that worked despite the static.

(GM Notes: Count Zero suggests grabbing some microtransceivers to assist in comms. Adonis suggests adding a jammer, while leaving a single frequency free. Count Zero suggests combining Microtransceivers with Cameras. GM suggests it might be possible with a good hardware roll. Count Zero purchases 6 Microcameras, alongside Microtransceivers. Adonis merely takes a few successes to find the low rarity item for Count Zero. (GM sets threshold of 4..... to get one working. Once one's working you can do it over and over again, so he builds 5 of them. But it takes him into the late evening. Adonis' player earned a bonus karma point for pulling Count Zero into the game here. Count Zero earned one for a really clever idea.)

We made the call. The next day Reinharte would receive instructions on where to go, 2 vehicles only, I guess I should learn to be more explicit. After giving the coordinates they turned up in a transport and a gunship!

(GM Comment: A flash of an idea based on his specific wording, but It seemed like just such a Corp-y thing to do! Remind them of the true pecking order. You hold cards sure, but I have an entire deck.)

Reinharte landed on the field and took the first of the wafers. The gunship then landed and the Razorgirl was brought out. She looked like she had been through hell, most of her augments had been pulled out but was mostly in good health. Crucially, it was her, assensing confirmed it. Scorch then brought up the van with the second wafer. The swap was made. Once we were away we would call Reinharte and let him know the location of the final wafer we had hidden. He had an unexpected curveball, a cortex bomb implanted in the razorgirl head. He would give us the deactivation code when we gave up the location of the last wafer.

We gave the signal for the Softies to clear out and Scorch burned rubber. Once we were clear we called in the location, our little joke. Wafers should be kept in the a clean room so where better than the sanitation block (well, what was left of it). Reinharte got a joke over on us though, turns out there was no cortex bomb!

(GM Comment: They pulled the same stunt in the last run. It seemed like such a perfect thing to do in return. It also forced the players to play their final card while still in Gunship range - which in any other game might've led to a chase scene since 5 minutes is nowhere near enough time to go to ground.)

After getting what was left of the Razorgirl patched up at a Steetdoc we dropped her off at Marcus club and collected our payment. He seemed pretty grateful so we could be looking at getting a regular gig. The Softies were likewise pretty happy with things, 700 creds each for a babysitting job with not a single shot fired.

When the dust had settled Reinharte called one last time. He was impressed and wanted to put us on the payroll. Not sure how I feel about working for a corp. It's secure yeah but seems like fun of living on the edge is gone. That thrill is why I do it instead of going for the easy con jobs. I told him I'd speak the crew and we'd talk it out. I guess we'll all have to decide, go straight or keep running on our own terms?

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(GM Comments:

ALL players earn 6 Karma for a job well done.

Adonis and Count Zero, gain a Bonus point as detailed above. Adonis given the option of improving his contact rating with Slaphead, rather than take the bonus point, which he took.

One thing I have been specifically trying to do is avoid the usual Shadowrun Cliches and have adversaries try be reasonably smart rather that 'lol Evulz corps'. (Even the prime runners had their reasons for being so tightlipped about the true nature of the run) Generally, I'm trying to play 'fair', rather than drop a bridge. I was worried that there might not have been enough tension to the meet if everything went to plan, but positive player feedback makes me glad that I stuck to that. One of my goals is to try and reward good planning of a run and just not running and gunning it, and the players appreciated that. They also like Reinhardt as a character.

On the whole, it actually proceeded in a fairly straightforward manner when you look at the big picture, with only the minor setback of the choppers causing a moment of actual concern to the players. Nobody did anything stupid or really reckless.

As for Reinhardt - I am hoping to bring on one or two more job streams, rather than just Markas. With him being the one offering some of the more morally suspect jobs.

One thing that has been brought to my attention is my tendancy to take too many notes mid-game. Partly it's me being a pedant, and partly because it gives me space to clear my head and work out what's happening relative to what I expect. The sum total of my experience GM'ing a game is basically in this thread. Especially since I hadn't expected this to become a campaign, only the original break-and-enter run was realy planned.

There has been one other session since, but between chargen and other matters, it'll be rolled into the next one. In which what I thought would be an offhand amusing piece of background caused a PC to have a panic attack. In character, of course. Which is gonna be fun when they find out where they're going)
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[Black Aeronaut]

I was wondering what happened to these!

Thanks for sharing, Dartz. These really are entertaining to read. Though I wonder if the Razorgirl is gonna show up anymore.

[Hazard]

TBH, unless you really want to go for the very deep punk side of cyber punk (that is, the world sucks and everyone is trying to make it worse except maybe you, and you've given up on making it better), choosing to go for 'corps are probably not going to get rid of you just because' is a very good and far more interesting choice than leaving it certain that Shadowrunners get betrayed by the corp they work for.

[Ebony]

Foxboy wrote:

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Good old Shadowrun. I had some fun with high-concept shamans.

Overweight Elf Skyfather Shaman - Santa Claus/Father Christmas schtick, tends to a commercial holiday theme. I stole a name from Marvel Comics: Nicholas St. Christopher. Got made, but the game sessions crashed and burned due to Real Life™.

Troll "media" Shaman - Basically a Thunderbird shaman played as a (non-Shadowrun usage) Otaku who focused on Urusei Yatsura... basically just having fun imagining a "cute" troll in a tiger-striped bikini flinging lightning around. She had so much luck not getting hit in combat and I never put any points in making it like that beyond basic, starting-level appropriate stats, she just kept rolling really well.

I'm just gonna link to this here (SFW). Because this... this is the best Shadowrun team ever.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Black Aeronaut]

Snrk! Ya know what? I think that'd work out fairly well as an NPC team to work alongside in a run.

[Dartz]

*scratchy scratch*

Added to the GM file.

Otherwise it's a case that, well, if every corporation betrayed every shadowrunner ever, nobody would ever go shadowrunning. Nothing would ever get done. Johnsons who pop teams tend to find it hard to get people to work for them and get things done. Like contractors who take forever paying subs.
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[deadpan29]

Ebony wrote:

I'm just gonna link to this here (SFW). Because this... this is the best Shadowrun team ever.

I initially read this entry from a network that wouldn't show me that picture.  In trying to find a work-around, I stumbled across this powerful but possibly overly specialized team.
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No, I don't believe the world has gone mad.  In order for it to go mad it would need to have been sane at some point.

[Dartz]

So, we just had our bi-weekly session, and it could've been one of the best. The right mix of competences, and C.L.U.E.-worthy stupidity. The easiest, and fastest way to describe that session.... #orklivesmatter
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