Planet of the Drop Bears, Curious Stories of the Ridiculous Options

[Witness]

Yeah, ,definitely Threats:Drop Bears, because Target:Drop Bears is just askin' for it. Someone talk to Jasoin Hardy, he hinted he might slide some more Drop-ings ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) into SR novels in the future.

We also need someone to stat the Vampiric Drop Bear ShapeShifter Adept Albino Cyber Ninja with Bungee suit. Say... SR3 (since it's the only one w/ shapeshifter ruels so far), 150 BP, as is appropriate for a proper Drop-Foot Soldier?

Perhaps one for Brother Witness to tackle? Elders, thoughts?

Forgive me Master, for I have most egregiously slipped in my daily devotions to the Great Cause. If it will in some small way atone for my sins, I will most assuredly and gratefully set out upon the worthy quest entrusted to me.

But first, coupla questions... what does SR3 stand for again? And what is this 'adept' thing people speak of?

[fistandantilus4....]

Superlative Render 3 (means it's real good at cutting stuff)

Adept - Check your local shadowland node (or SR3 book if ya got one ;) ). It's someone/thing that has some magical ability that augments it's already formidable ability to drop, rend, and jump, etc. I hear there are others that can do other things, but they don't really matter.

[nezumi]

Brothers, I know I have not been specifically given permission to engage in this endeavor, but I have put pen to paper and have written out the first skeleton of a possible adventure. I am aware that it will take some work to carefully present all the appropriate information to what may be a wide audience, so any input you may have on the scant work I've done so far would be quite appreciated.

Bla bla bla stuff (IE safe)

[ Spoiler ]

INTRODUCTION

Bear With Me is a parody roleplaying adventure set in the world of Shadowrun. The year is 2065. Advances in technology are astonishing, with Humans able to blend with computers and travel through that netherworld of data known as the Matrix. Even more astonishing is the return of Magic. Elves, Dragons, Dwarfs, Orks, Trolls and more dangerous creatures have assumed their true forms, while megacorporations (rather than superpowers) rule much of the world. Moving among it all like whispers in the night are the shadowrunners. No one admits their existence, but no one else can do their secret work.
This story takes place in the streets and shadows of the Tacoma, Redmond and Downtown Districts of the Seattle metroplex, now an urban sprawl encompassing some 1600 square miles on the eastern shore of Puget Sound. Yet even this vast megaplex is but an enclave set admit even larger states ruled by Native American nations and other sovereign states of Metahumans and Awakened Beings.
As Bear With Me is a not-for-profit parody work, it is available for copying and distributing, but not modification, under the United States Fair Use rules set forth by the Copyright Act in Section 107.

GAMEMASTERING NOTES

Bear With Me uses a decision-tree format, meaning that the player's team could arrive at the same encounter via various different routes, depending on the choices that they make during roleplay. They could also just as easily miss a planned encounter altogether. To run the adventure, the gamemaster needs a thorough familiarity with the contents of this booklet as well as a working familiarity with the basic Shadowrun 3rd Edition rules. The contents of this booklet are for the eyes of the gamemaster and the Secret Drop Bear council only, except for certain items earmarked as handouts for the players or immortal elf pawns. Everything needed to roleplaying Bear With Me is included here.
Bear With Me is designed for a party of four to eight player characters. The group should contain a variety of talent. Note that combat skills will be very important to a successful run. The gamemaster may also use pre-generated character types from the Shadowrun basic rules.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Aside from the basic Shadowrun rules, this book references animals and powers from Magic in the Shadows, Target: Awakened Lands, State of the Art 2064, and makes heavy use of the Athletics rules from the Companion. The gamemaster and players are not required to own these books, however they may benefit from having them on hand. The gamemaster should read through the entire module before beginning the game. Some important plot developments will not become apparent until well into the adventure, but the gamemaster will have to lay the groundwork much earlier on. He can only do that by being familiar with the story line.
The gamemaster should also examine the maps, plans and diagrams found throughout The Adventure. Where appropriate, the map is coded with letters and numbers to link a section to an actual encounter description.
Though this book tries to cover all the likely-and even unlikely-things that can happen during the adventure, it is impossible to foresee everything. The gamemaster may find that sometimes a good beating is required to avoid letting the players deviate from the set-out plot.
A Plot Synopsis is a summary of both the story background and the course the adventure is intended to follow.
The Adventure begins with a section entitled Surprising Results. Following that are a number of short sections describing each of the encounters will face or are likely to face in the course of roleplaying Bear With Me.
Most of the encounters begin with a text entitled Tell It To Them Straight. This intended to be read, verbatim, to the shadowrunners. It describes where they are and what is happening to them as though they were there. Any special instructions to the gamemaster are printed in boldface type and signaled by the words "Gamemaster's Notes".
Next comes the information entitled Behind The Scenes. This is the real story, for only the gamemaster and the DBC know what is really going on at any given moment in an adventure. If there is a map needed to play this encounter, it is included in this section. Non-player character stats needed to roleplaying the section are usually included here, too.
Finally, each section includes hints entitled Debugging. These notes often include suggestions for getting the story back on track if things go too far wrong. For example, most gamemasters will not want the characters to get too discouraged or killed off too easily. This section will explain why they are wrong. The gamemaster is, of course, bound to obey the laws set down by the Drop Bear Council, as any deviance will result in an ambush attack by the Drop Bear Commandoes when he goes out to walk his dog.
Legwork contains the information the player characters can obtain through their contacts or through the public data nets.
The Cast Of Characters includes pre-generated player and non-player character descriptions and stats.
Picking Up The Pieces includes tips on Awarding Karma and contains newsnet items for handout to the players, depending on the outcome of the adventure.
There are also several Player Handouts, including a news item relateing to the run, with a version appropriate to either a successful or unsuccessful run.

Absolutely nothing of interest here

[ Spoiler ]

PLOT SYNOPSIS

The hit trid-show, UCAS Idolize, is going into its seventh season and boasts unprecendeted ratings as well as, to most everyone's surprise, their first non-metahuman contestant, who has actually made it to the semi-finals and seems on the brink of taking the title. The immensely popular, furry singer, known only by her stage-name, 'Becka', is a member of a rare but extremely intelligent Australian species colloquially known as 'Drop Bears'. Despite the claims of "objective journalists" that she lacks the ability to actually sing, and merely sits on stage and chews eucalyptus, she has swept the competitions, every week receiving more votes than the entire number of viewers of any previous seasons. The corporate sponsors are more than happy to boast of the skyrocketing viewing rates, and so are hesitant to allow any claims that she is unable to vocalize sound stand in the way of her taking the crown.
Unbeknownst to Becka, not all of her detractors are willing to simply allow her to take the title without a fight. In the shadows, an immortal elf pawn by the name of Fortuna, conspires with the shadowrunners to kidnap Becka. The runners will find the defenses of UCAS Idolize are substantial enough to keep away starry-eyed fans, but an organized running team should have little trouble extracting the witless marsupial and delivering her to Fortuna. Fortuna, revealing the true stinginess of the factors he represents, cheats them on payment and escapes. What the runners do not expect is Becka was only the forefront of a much greater conspiracy, going on right above their own noses. The runners are given a second job offer, short on the heels of the first. When they go to meet the Johnson, they are ambushed by packs of Drop Bear Commandos. Assuming one or more of the runners survive, they are brought, mostly unharmed, to speak with the Drop Bear Council (DBC), a group of spiritually inspired but mysterious masterminds, who guide the enigmatic drop bears and, in fact, all of metahumanity, ever closer to spiritual enlightenment.
Should the runners escape the organized ambush, they will have clues as to who tried to contact them. Should they decide not to pursue this source of information, the mission ends and they are awarded karma appropriate to being puppets of egomaniacal but foolish super-villains. If they follow up on gathering information as to who orchestrated the non-lethal ambush, they will come into contact with the Drop Bear Council or their appointed representative, and the mission continues.
The DBC explains the truth behind the immortal elves, and their meddling in the affairs of humans for their own benefit. They demonstrate that they represent a force of freedom-fighters, come to Seattle to share the good word and eucalyptus. They offer the runners a chance to make up for their lost pay from trusting Fortuna, and to undo their previous crimes. Should they accept, they are first sent on a mission into the deepest parts of Tir Tairngire, to Fortuna's private estate, where they have a chance to discover both the terrible fate that befell Becka, as well as the true wickedness of the immortal elf agenda. Fortuna, they find, has served an unknown immortal elf, or a thousand monkeys on a thousand typewriters, it is uncertain which, for very many years in exchange for elusive promises of power and bananas. The immortal elves (or thousand monkeys), they find, were aware of the drop bears well before the awakening, and feared their freedom- and eucalyptus-loving ways would serve as a thorn in the side of the wicked elven agenda, should the bears be left to their own devices. A shadow war waged primarily in the minds of metahumans has been going on for some time, discrediting drop bears as mindless beasts. Becka was proof to the contrary, and so had to be "put down". While the runners will be unable to rescue Becka, they will return with a better appreciation for the ages-long war they've gotten themselves embroiled in.
Upon their return, the DBC mourns, but pays the runners' their due, offering them a chance for a final job (assuming their raid on Fortuna's estate went unnoticed). The DBC feels Becka's death must be avenged, and so arrange for the runners to be involved in a false mission against the drop bears themselves, retrieving fake documents "proving" that drop bears are in fact highly contagious carriers of HMHVV and therefore extremely dangerous to metahumanity. The runners are instructed to try and sell this information "to the highest bidder", with the intention of getting Fortuna's attention and arranging a meet. If the runners are successful in acting out the role set for them, they will win the attention of Fortuna and several of his pawn companions, so they can arrange an exchange in the open (but under some pleasant trees). When the runners and Fortuna show up for the meet, the trap is sprung, and the runners get to participate in the final, epic struggle of the adventure.

I can only pray that this is worthy of the Drop Bear effort.

[Witness]

**bow**

[Angelone]

Darn, I've slipped far. Been trying to think of a good "O Fortuna" joke for days and I've got nothing.

As far as infiltrating society, how about masks? People will think the Drop Bears are hairy little tourists, ex-presidents, or elvis impersonators.

Remember WWBD? What would Becka do?

[Jame J]

There should be an Order of the Drop Bear Throwers.

I appoint myself a member.

[fistandantilus4....]

Elders, if Nezumi isn't an elder yet, he should be.

[Grinder]

Yup. Even more for the fact that he quoted me in his sig. :love: :grinbig:

[nezumi]

I am not worth of such honors, however if you feel compelled to bestow them, it would not be my place to deny you that.

[nezumi]

Scenes 1 and 2.

BEARLY UP

[ Spoiler ]

TELL IT TO THEM STRAIGHT

Read the following to a character with an appropriate personality:
You wake up on a sagging, stained mattress in what you faintly recall being a two-bit, S&M midget brothel as your personal secretary rings. Locating your pants, you secure the device, and it reports an incoming call from your fixer. Flicking on voice only, he begins to talk, "hoi chummer, I've got a job for you and your pals. Keep your pants on, its a real winner."

See Behind The Scenes for more information on the conversation. Once all the basics have been covered, read the following:
The fixer repeats what he's said, hoping to get through your synthahol induced haze. "Alright chummer, make sure you get there on time, ten o'clock at Ears. Don't be late, the Johnson doesn't like to be kept waiting." The p-sec clicks off and you're left to your throbbing headache and a peculiar burning sensation. Taking the time to gather up your things, and ducking by the dwarf madame, you barely catch sight of the neon sign above the door, "Ronin's Wounds", as you work to surreptitiously duck back into the pedestrian traffic outside.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The man on the pocket secretary is the character's fixer. The fixer has been hired by Fortuna to assemble a shadowrun team to kidnap the UCAS Idolize star, Becka the drop bear. The meet is at a high-class restaurant, Ears, at 10 pm. The fixer has a professional and perhaps a personal relationship with the character, and knows they are up to the job. The fixer will make sure the character gets the relevant details of the meet, using small words if necessary, as he only gets his fee if the runners show up to meet Mr. Johnson. He will repeat things as often as necessary and, if he thinks it will guarantee the runners make the meet, he will actively drive to the brothel to write it on the character's hand. He's not going to take 'no' for an answer, because his fee depends on it. He knows very little of the Johnson himself, who doesn't seem to have generated much of a reputation on the streets yet. He does, however, believe that the run will be profitable, and may say "I believe the run will be profitable", so as to inform the runner of such. Once the player character agrees, read the final part of Tell It To Them Straight.

DEBUGGING

All that can go wrong here is that the player character does not agree to the meet, does not contact the rest of the team, or fails to overcome his advanced BTL addiction. In any event, it is important to make sure the players take the bait, as you've been working far too hard at this point to let them get away with not following the clearly delineated plot you have in mind for them. Should the first character fail to bring the rest of the team to the meet, the fixer will call the rest of the characters until they get the hint. If the thought of nuyen doesn't entice the characters, then they've been leading too easy a life. Let one or two f them be mugged, robbed, raped, and/or randomly murdered, then see if they aren't suddenly interested in sticking with what's written. If all else fails, the game master may use his laptop or computer as a blunt object to beat his wayward players into submission.

EMBEARASSMENT

[ Spoiler ]

TELL IT TO THEM STRAIGHT

As the characters arrive at Ears, read the following:
Ears is a high-class restaurant in the Elven Distrct of Downtown. Its storefront is relatively small, almost demure, clearly a place that gets business by name recognition rather than glitzy advertising. Inside, it features subdued wood analogues, post-modernistic paintings displayed proudly on the walls, and the smell of food made from real plants and animals gently wafts on the air. The door man carefully scrutinizes your appearances as you enter, more than happy to turn away anyone who appears to be a dwarf, ork, troll, or otherwise lacking in style. He gives the impression he'd turn out the entire group, except he is forced to acknowledge your reservation on his "list". Once past the door, he prompts each of you to turn over any weapons or especially unsightly armor, and will lend suit jackets to those who lack their own. Having survived the first trial, the party is greeted by the maitre d'hotel, who quickly and quietly guides you to your table, well obscured in the far corner of the restaurant, and well out of sight and easy hearing range of any other diners.

If the characters arrived at or before 10:15pm, read the following:
Menus are speedily provided, written entirely in Sperethiel, and the waiter arrives soon after to take your orders, hiding his smirk as unfamiliar tongues struggle with the foreign words. You have a modicum of privacy as you await your food, but you can't help but notice irregular glances in your direction. The sommelier arrives for your selection of wine, and will walk you through the process of choosing an appropriate one with all the patience and sincerity of a second grade teacher. Keeping an eye on your watches, the time for the meet arrives... and passes. Minutes tick on and the possibility of having been stood up, as well as the threat of being left with the tab for what is certainly an extravagantly overpriced meal, rises in your mind. But in a flurry of activity, at 10:16, the maitre d' returns to your table, accompanied by a tall, lean, impeccably dressed elf. He sits, rattling out a quick food order without even glancing at the menu, acknowledging your party only after the serving staff have disappeared. "Ah, I'm pleased to see you made it."

If the characters arrived late, read the following:
As you approach, you can make out the figure of a lean, and apparently displeased elf, waiting for your arrival. As you sit, the elf dismisses the serving staff before they have a chance to provide you with menus. The staff disappears, leaving you to face the wraith of your Johnson. He examines the group coolly, clearly displeased, but does not voice his obvious displeasure.

Once the party and the Johnson have all arrived at the table, read the following:
Once the elf is settled, he begins. "You may call me Mr. Johnson, of course. I know it is rude to go immediately to business, but by doing otherwise we would have to suffer either uncomfortable silence, or your banter, so let us make this quick while we wait for our food." He produces a pocket secretary and pushes it across the table to the party, then waits for you to read. The p-sec has, neatly typed out, the following statement:

"This year the popular trid show, UCAS Idolize, goes into its seventh season. It would seem that a candidate in favor with those in power is not in favor with the voting public. Without the votes of viewers, the favored candidate will not proceed to be crowned as the greatest new pop singer that week. This is unacceptable to several powerful parties who are willing to pay for an unexpected shift in the competition. Each member of the party will be paid a sum of 10,000¥ for successfully <<press down>>
kidnapping the current leading contender. Payment is due on successful delivery of said contender, alive, to me, Mr. Johnson. If any other UCAS Idolize contestants are eliminated from the competition, no payment will be rendered. Upon payment, the contract is terminated, and neither party holds any further obligations over the other. <<end>> "

As the party finishes reading, Mr. Johnson pushes a manila envelope across the table. Careful block letters across the top say 'TARGET'. Within are pictures and dossier on the leading candidate.

Name: Becka (presumed to have no last name)
Species: drop bear
Weight: 23 kg
Height: 1.2m
Physical description: Sable colored fur with coral colored eyes, ear tips marked with self-described "chocolate tufts"
City and country of birth: Australia (more detailed information lacking)

Current status:
Becka is currently the leading contestant in the popular competitive singing trid show, UCAS Idolize. Poorly rated by objective journalists due to her inability to actually vocalize words, Becka has, every week, pulled in record numbers of votes. Shows oriented around Becka have gotten unprecedented ratings, which have encouraged the corporate sponsorship to allow her continuation in the competition despite requests to the contrary. Analysts believe she will easily win the competition.

Residence:
She is currently residing in a hotel suite adjoining the trideo studio. The suite and its security are all provided by U-Luv-It productions, a media subsidiary of Mitsuhama. She is believed to share her suite with a personal trainer by the name of Baz Ulbrich and three Elvis impersonators. Her room number is 613, at the address 1414 124th Ave. NE in Bellevue.


BEHIND THE SCENES

Ears boasts fine Tir cuisine, and snootiness to boot. It resides in the Elven District downtown, a AAA security area. Runners will need to be cautious about what they carry and wear in these areas, since Lone Star response is exceptionally fast. Entering the restaurant, they are first judged based on their apparel and race. Anyone not wearing Moderate styled clothing or better, who is not elven or human or who sports excessive obvious cyber will not be permitted entry. As they enter, they pass through a rating 6 doorway Magnetic Anomaly Detector. They will be asked to leave behind any weapons and obvious armor, and a suit coat and tie will be provided if they are wearing less than High fashion. Should the entire party be excluded for assorted reasons, the doorman will select a single member, showing preference based on, in order, willingness to show discretion, race (preferring elves), style (of clothes and obvious cyber) and finally, apparent intelligence. The doorman realizes he is obliged to get at least one member of the party to the table, and so if he has to take said member into the kitchen where the bus boys will wash his face, clothes and hair, and then deliver him through the back door to the table, he will.

The restaurant itself is equipped with radio blocking equipment, preventing cell phones and radio receivers of all sorts from functioning (works as ECM with a rating of 3). They will not allow any sorts of drones in. They have a Force 4 Water elemental on standby at all times, and at least four members of the staff are surreptitiously armed (Fichetti Security 500a loaded with flechette and gel ammunition, a skill of 4 in pistols, combat pool of 6, and an initiative of 4+1d6). If the runners seem to be particularly threatening, they will be quick to insure a pair of Lone Star officers are nearby to react instantly to any sort of trouble.

Mr. Johnson is actually an elf by the name of Fortuna (see Cast of Shadows for details), although he will avoid revealing any personal information to the runners. He realizes the true goal of the run has nothing to do with any other competitors, and doesn't truly care if they all burn, he only wants to get at Becka. He wants to retrieve her alive first, dead if need be. Regardless, if he can find a reason to skimp on the runners' payment, he will do so. He can be negotiated into raising the price, and would prefer to give untracable money rather than favors or equipment, but will do so only grudgingly. He will offer an extra 5,000¥ bonus if the job is done "quickly and to my satisfaction", but will not mention the only way the job would be to his satisfaction is if each runner delivered, along with Becka, 5,000¥. He may offer up to 5% of the total value of the run up front, but no more. Fortuna is condescending, but realizes if he lets it get too far, the runners are less likely to be cooperative. Fortuna has some limited knowledge of the layout of the buildings in question, but it is up to the GM to determine precisely how much, and what he is willing to share. He doesn't feel this should be a difficult job (and rightly so), and so he is only meeting for the sake of formalities. However, he will entertain questions if it puts the runners at ease and increases the odds of the job getting done properly.

With Fortuna present, the food will be prepared far quicker. Any character that asked for nothing gets a glass of crystal clear water, a small salad and some sort of hard bread. This costs 25¥. If they ordered at random from the menu, use the chart below to determine the results of their order. The meal costs 1d6*20¥. If they arrived late, Fortuna ordered for them and they are given small hot dogs and french fries for 30¥. If the character speaks Sperethiel, he can order on behalf of the party, and they have a wide selection of primarily vegetarian foods to select from (as well as some influence over the price. The meal costs between 0¥ and 300¥, if they make reasonable choices, but quickly can go beyond). Let the GM be creative with this. Should the characters select something not on the menu, they will do their best to deliver, but the price goes up by 200¥ (no, they don't tell you this). Fortuna will order something not on the menu, and it is delivered quickly (the kitchen anticipated his request). He gets a plate of what appear to be small, carefully cooked kittens, that he eats happily. Should the characters ask, Fortuna makes a regular diet of kittens and similar baby animals, as they're more tender. Fortuna will cover the tab if the characters leave first, however if he finishes his meal first, he will depart and will not paid unless "reminded", leaving the party to cover the tab.

Random food table (roll 1d6).

1 The waiter delivers a colorful looking salad. Or a bouquet. You can’t quite be certain.
2 Some sort of yellow soup. Could use salt.
3 A platter of green leaves, small, white flower carvings, colorful fruit and an assortment of other vegetation. You’re not precisely sure which part is meant to be eaten.
4 A small cup of coffee and little pastries.
5 An extra plate and set of silverware (but no food).
6 A very tasty looking, flaky fruit pastry. Sort of describes most of the people in the restaurant, actually.


DEBUGGING

All involved NPCs have a vested interest in the PCs making the meet and listening to the job, and are willing to go to some lengths to make it happen. However, PCs wouldn't be PCs if they didn't find ways to mess up even the simplest situations. The most likely complication is if the group has been infected with the tired dogma of 'political correctness', and refuse to go to a meet if their metahuman buddies aren't along as well. The doorman may be convinced with sufficient fast talking, and if the characters are snazzy enough. Should it truly come down to a battle of wills, however, he will concede, but will bring the party in through the back, or move them all into a completely separate room. In addition, he will tack on an additional 200¥ per unwanted character to the bill (by increasing the costs of what they did buy) and will make sure that bill is passed on to the characters, not Fortuna.

If the characters decide against taking up the job, the game master has many options to determine why they aren't taking it, and how to ammend the problem. We recommend beatings. Should the characters truly make a scene, Lone Star will respond quickly and is not afraid to arrest a bunch of SINless trouble makers. With many parties, this will inevitably lead to a firefight in downtown Seattle and ultimately the deaths of all or most of the player characters. This can be quite fun, so should the characters pursue this course of action, the game master is encouraged to reciprocate with extreme prejudice. When all the characters are dead or in hiding, the players are welcome to roll up a group of new characters and try the mission again, this time without being chowderheads.

[nezumi]

I've been redoing stuff as I go along on the old things, and I will post the completely updated doc when I'm done. The next few scenes I'm still working on, since I got down the mechanics of things, but haven't made them especially amusing yet (and I do know the DBC like their amusing bits). I present them for completeness, for comments, and most of all, for further input (which I will expound upon after).

DROPPING IN

[ Spoiler ]

TELL IT TO THEM STRAIGHT

The U-Luv-It facilities occupy two city blocks, half dedicated to offices and residential suites, half to the recording studios and transmitting equipment. The studios are certainly the more flashy of the two, the building built around a great, semi-circular hub, with regular outcroppings. Its bedecked with a pair of giant antennaes and dozens of satellite dishes, with a fenced in group of transformers around the back, the whole place covered with reflective windows, bright, neon lights and shifting holographs. Several of the major large walls are currently displaying whats being played over the public airwaves, adverts and all. Of course, regular guards and heavy video coverage make entering the building a difficult proposition.
The second building is slightly more low-key. It combines polished chrome and tinted windows, highlighted with bright, neon lights and shifting marquees, but ultimately is much more static than its neighboring building. Like the studio building, access is denied except to employees and invited guests, but spacious green areas and sidewalks around the building give you plenty of space to stretch your legs and consider your plan of attack.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The characters choices are fairly limited when it comes to how to extract Becka. She leaves her room to visit the greenspaces outside, where she enjoys climbing trees, but otherwise stays in her room or in the studio for filming. The characters have three obvious choices on how to capture her. Should they decide to quietly break into the complex, they'll find subtlety is the word of the day. If they alert security that something is wrong, response will be quick and heavy. Extracting Becka during her arboral jaunts requires speed and brute strength, since security will react almost immediately. Attempting to capture her when she's on set is the most dangerous method, although it offers the most ways for the group to conceal themselves and their intentions.

TAKING BECKA FROM THE ROOM

Becka resides on the 13th floor of the U-Luv-It office complex. The complex has restricted access, but so many people come and go that guards rely almost exclusively on the matrix system to determine who belongs. Becka resides with her two bodyguards and trainer, 24/7. Refer to the next section, "Falling Star", to conduct the characters' invasion.

TAKING HER FROM A TREE

Becka spends a considerable amount of time trying to feel like she's back in her natural habitat. On dry days (rare as those are), Becka enjoys finding a tall tree out of doors, where she and her guards find comfortable spots to rest and eat their picnic lunches. Their trainer, Baz, is almost always close by, although never within forty feet of the tree. It is not uncommon for them to spend the night in trees, when weather permits. The GM may, at his option, roll 1d6 and on a 4, the weather is suitable for an afternoon climb. On a 5, Becka spends the entire day there. On a 6, she spends 20 hours in the foliage, and will return to her room the next morning for breakfast.
Should the characters approach the tree, Baz will warn them off and may even try to grapple them if they don't seem to hear him, but will not try to harm them unless they are obviously threatening. When any character gets within range of Becka and her entourage, they will attack, regardless of the character's apparent intention. This is a natural response, and only Baz and other drop bear trainers know how to approach Becka and company without causing them to attack. For the stats of Becka, Baz and their companions, refer to Cast of Shadows. Becka's three guards, who are disguised as Elvis impersonators, are in fact all Drop Bear Commandos, who can be identified as such with a successful Perception(6) test. Regardless as to the effect of their attack, they will be within visual and video range of the building, and security will respond immediately, calling in reinforcements and medical support. Two MCT security guards are approximately 80 meters away, and will run if there is any trouble, arriving in 6 combat rounds (although perhaps stopping to do other things beforehand, if the situation warrants), accompanied by a pair of roto-drones launched from roof-top nests. An additional eight drones and two guards will arrive one minute after that, with further drones and guards arriving as time continues.

TAKING HER FROM THE STUDIO

This is the most complex option. In two days, Becka and the other contestants will go to the studio for their next episode of UCAS Idolize. The show is open to an audience of approximately 350 people, all of whom hold tickets and are registered on the studio's matrix host. Seating begins at 5:30pm and continues until 6:30pm, when the doors are closed. The show starts at 6:50pm and continues on until 8:30pm, with regular commercial breaks. Security is high, but they have many things to worry about and aren't expecting professional shadowrunners. Refer to the section "Simone Says" if the characters decide to pursue this option.


1414 124th Ave.

1414 and 1413 both belong to U-Luv-It studios, a subsidiary of Mitsuhama. They do have posted extraterritoriality, but have extended permission to allow Lone Star access, should it be required. 1413 124th Ave. is described further in the section "Simone Says". 1414 is twenty five stories tall, with four sublevels for parking. The bottom two levels contain the lobby and some small shops. The next ten contain business offices. Levels twelve through nineteen are each dedicated to housing employees who live on site, as well as lesser tridio personalities and stars. Twenty to twenty five house the high-level stars and executives, as well as several large board rooms. This area serves more as a hotel than permanent housing, as most big names work and reside at specialized sets or offices, and only visit the studio for brief periods. The floors twelve through nineteen each contain 22 rooms of different sizes. The rooms towards the center of the floor are smaller, largely as single-occupency rooms or for lower-ranking employees.
The building employs eight guards, one at the front desk, one at or near each of the four entrances (two above ground, two parking entrances), and three roving. There is also a small serving staff attached to a restaurant out of the lobby, who will deliver food or otherwise serve as couriers for certain privileged guests, Becka included. The top levels of the building are warded, but otherwise the only magical security is dedicated at watching over the studio building. Should things go wrong in 1414, elementals can be sent over quickly, but there's nothing actively looking for magical trouble beforehand. Hallways, elevators, doors, some stores and exterior spaces are all watched by security cameras connected to a non-matrix connected host.
Visitors must check in at the entrance, where their SIN is verified against a matrix-connected host to determine whether they've been granted access, or where they use specialized keycards. If they have access but no keycard, they are referred to the desk to get one appropriate to their privileges. The keycard determines where guests can and can't go, and is a wireless device by its own right. It will allow access only to the level the person sleeps on, any levels required for their work, and the bottom two levels (as well as the parking area). Additionally, access controlled hallways have rating 3 motion detectors at major intersections connected to the non-matrix host. If motion is detected that is not associated with an appropriate keycard, it will send a silent signal to the guard at the front desk, who will dispatch units to collect the errant visitor. Interior door locks have a rating 4 maglock, connected to matrix-accessible host.
Should the characters try to enter through other means, they will find that there is a helipad on the roof, but it is watched also by cameras. Most windows have a barrier rating of 4, except Becka's, which has been reinforced to 8 to prevent any unfortunate drops. A third of the upper windows, and all of the lower windows are alarmed, connected to the non-matrix accessible host.
There are drone-nests set around each of the buildings, discreretly built into corners and the roof. Drones are released in response to a security alert. They can be commanded from the front desk or one of the system deckers (use the rules for captain's chair mode, with a computer skill of 4), but otherwise are ordered to respond to voice commands of any on-site security guards and to fire on any targets the security guards fire on. There is no on-site drone rigger.

1414 124th Ave. COMPUTER SYSTEMS

1414 holds two U-Luv-It hosts. While the studio doesn't seem to feel that active physical security is especially required, matrix security is a different question. Any decker will find them a tough nut to crack, since free tickets would make for easy money. The primary host is connected to the matrix and, among other things, provides the access rights of people residing in the building, as well as information connecting to ticket holders for assorted events at this and other local studios. From this host, a decker can add or subtract individuals from having access to the building and modify their specific access rights, create or modify ticket holders for local events, interact with most door locks for both buildings, read or modify e-mails, electronically available information, and even interfere with the recording and transmission of shows. It can only be accessed from the Matrix by connecting through the main Mitsuhama host (Red-15/15/14/14/15/14, with a disturbing lean towards Black IC). Once past that, the U-Luv-It host is significantly kinder. The system can be accessed directly once inside of either of the buildings, in which case the character does not need to pass through the primary Mitsuhama host. There are two security deckers online at any given time. The host has the following security sheaf:
Orange-7
Access 12
Control 13
Index 12
Files 15
Slave 12

Trigger Step Security Event
003 Trace 7 ®
007 Tar Baby 9 ®
010 Trap Trace 7 ® / Killer 7
015 Passive Alert (+2 on all Subsystem Ratings)
019 Trap Trace 5 ® / Blaster 7
024 Trap Trace 7 ® / Killer 5
028 Blaster 9
032 Active Alert
036 Lethal Black IC 9
041 Non-Lethal Black IC 5
045 Ripper (Bod) 9
048 Non-Lethal Black IC 9
051 Lethal Black IC 7
054 Shutdown Started


The second host is only accessible from within one of the U-Luv-It buildings. It controls most of the security controls, including drones and can be used to manually override door locks, as well as to initiate functions relevant only to those two buildings (such as fire alarms, building-only documents, etc.) There is one security decker online at any given time. The host has a security sheaf as follows:

Orange-4
Access 8
Control 9
Index 10
Files 8
Slave 8

Trigger Step Security Event
003 Trace 5 ®
006 Trap Probe 5 ® / Sparky 5
009 Trace 4 ®
013 Trap Trace 7 ® / Killer 5
016 Passive Alert (+2 on all Subsystem Ratings)
019 Trap Probe 6 ® / Killer 4
023 Trap Probe 5 ® / Sparky 4
027 Blaster 5
030 Active Alert
035 Blaster 5
038 Blaster 5
042 Killer 5
045 Shutdown Started

Jack points are fairly common once past the first two levels, but within the parking and two lobby levels, jack points are either hardwired to specific devices or part of security stations.

OTHER NPCs

Mitsuhama Corporate Security
These guards are building security. They've been selected based largely on their ability to kiss up to fat-headed trid stars, however they are more than capable at neutralizing most low-level threats. They will immediately call for backup if required.
B Q S C I W E M R Armor
4 3 3 4 2 2 5 - 2 6/4
Pools: Combat Pool - 3
Skills: Etiquette (Corporate) 4, SMGs 4, Unarmed Combat 3, Armed Combat 4, Biotech(First Aid) 1
Gear: Armor jacket (5/3), helmet (+1/1, integrated transceiver rating 2), Uzi III (Smartlink-2, personalized safety, folding stock (-1 rc), 6M, BF, 1 magazine standard rounds, 1 magazine gel rounds), Stun baton (6S stun)
Cyber: Smartlink-2, cyber-eyes with magnification-3, flare compensation and low-light, headware radio, biomonitor

MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone
These drones are housed in nests around the roofs of the two buildings, and are released in response to security alerts. They've been wired to accept orders from anyone with a security-guard badge or through deckers on the non-matrix connected matrix host who have appropriate authorization. They will fire on anyone the security guards fire on.
Hand Spd Acc Bod Arm Sig Pil Sens
4 70 6 2 0 5 1 1
Features: Matrix, voice command, Ingram valiant LMG (BF/FA 7S), 100 standard rounds

Security Decker
These deckers have an assortment of duties, but are generally working on maintaining the system or sniffing out illegal trid piracy or fradulent tickets. If the system goes to Passive Alert, they will begin searching for any deckers, and will attack with extreme prejudice. They have icons modeled as exciting motorcycle action-movie police.
Deck: MPCP-9/9/9/9/0 Hardening 4, Response Increase 2
Pools: Hacking Pool - 4
Skills: Computer 5
Programs: Browse-6, Scanner-4, Track-3, Black Hammer-4, Armor-2

FALLING STAR

[ Spoiler ]

BEHIND THE SCENES

Becka's apartment suite is surprisingly spartan. It has four rooms, two bedrooms, a main living room/kitchenette and a bathroom. The first thing the characters will notice when entering is the suite is crowded with fake and real shrubbery, providing +2 to all perception and shooting modifiers within ten meters, +4 beyond that due to soft cover. It would appear the entire building has been searched for anything resembling a tree and its all been brought to this room. Several of the rooms are stacked high with couches, modularized entertainment sets and many of the other conveniences you'd expect to find in the average sarariman's home. All the rooms smell strongly of eucalyptus. All four of the drop bears (the three 'Elvis impersonators' are in fact undercover Drop Bear Commandos) will be hidden somewhere in the foliage, using their adaptive coloration to practically disappear from sight. Only Baz will be easily spotted, although he maintains a largely nocturnal lifestyle so he can better care for Becka, so he won't always be where the runners would expect him. When Baz becomes aware of something going wrong, he will primarily work on calling security, then defending Becka, but hopefully without sacrificing himself in the process. All four of the drop bears will attack as soon as they feel they have the best chance of making a successful attack (including when they've been spotted or when the other bears attack). Security will arrive in approximately a minute and a half. Security drones will wait outside, but will not shoot into the room, only attacking any runners who try to exit through the window. The window has a barrier rating of 8.

SIMONE SAYS

[ Spoiler ]

BEHIND THE SCENES

If the characters decide to wait two days, they can intercept Becka during the actual show, across the street at the trideo set. There are approximately 350 people in attendance in the audience, as well as 60 crew members and eight actors. The vast majority of the audience members are young teens, wearing the trendiest fashions. The crew includes camera men, the twenty five armed guards, and a large number of people behind the scenes. Also included in this number are the three judges, lovable Eva Diola, funny-man Lucien Page, and snarky Simone. Simone has largely made the show with his biting insults against singers, and aside from the guards, he can be considered the only other armed person in the crew, wielding his rapier-like wit against the runners should he encounter them. Becka's guards will stay back at the room, as they get edgy around so many people. She will be accompanied solely by Baz, and she will spend the majority of her time backstage in a semi-private room munching on eucalyptus. She will never be out of Baz's sight, and will almost always be in the company of at least four other contendors, one guard, and two gofers.
The building itself has several employee entrances, including an underground, highly secured walkway to the office building next door, and a single public entrance. The public entrance has a rating-8 cyberware scanner, rating-8 metal detector, four security guards including one on-site sorcerer to watch for magical trouble. The guards are under strict orders not to allow in any unregistered or suspicious cyberware, any weapons whatsoever. However, once past the entrance, there are too many people for the guards to be able to see most of what is going on in the audience. They will respond to any apparent problems, and at least two guards wander around back stage and another four around the main stage. There is one full mage on guard, with two force 5 Earth elementals and two force 7 Water elementals on call. Tickets are verified at the main door and again when entering the studio, checking them against the matrix host. Seating begins at 5:30pm and continues until 6:30pm, when the doors are closed. The show starts at 6:50pm and continues on until 8:30pm, with regular commercial breaks.


OTHER NPCs

Mitsuhama Security Sorcerer
His primary duty is to watch the astral for magical threats, call in to the site mage for elementals and then sling spells until the threat is neutralized.

B Q S C I W E M R Armor
3 3 2 4 4 5 6 6 3 6/4
Pools: Combat Pool - 3
Skills: Etiquette (Corporate) 3, SMGs 3, Armed Combat 2, Sorcery 4, Aura Reading 5
Gear: Armor jacket (5/3), helmet (+1/1, integrated transceiver rating 2), Uzi III (laser sight, folding stock (-1 rc), 6M, BF, 1 magazine standard rounds, 1 magazine gel rounds), Stun baton (6S stun)
Spells: Stunball 4, Stunbolt 6, Treat 4, Mind Probe 2, Analyze Truth 4, Detect Enemy 3, Detect Line-Hopper 6, Barrier 4

Mitsuhama Corporate Security
These guards are building security. They've been selected based largely on their ability to kiss up to fat-headed trid stars, however they are more than capable at neutralizing most low-level threats. They will immediately call for backup if required.
B Q S C I W E M R Armor
4 3 3 4 2 2 5 - 2 6/4
Pools: Combat Pool - 3
Skills: Etiquette (Corporate) 4, SMGs 4, Unarmed Combat 3, Armed Combat 4, Biotech(First Aid) 1
Gear: Armor jacket (5/3), helmet (+1/1, integrated transceiver rating 2), Uzi III (Smartlink-2, personalized safety, folding stock (-1 rc), 6M, BF, 1 magazine standard rounds, 1 magazine gel rounds), Stun baton (6S stun)
Cyber: Smartlink-2, cyber-eyes with magnification-3, flare compensation and low-light, headware radio, biomonitor

Simone
His tongue should be a licensed weapon. He's sent the meanest trolls home crying and doesn't hold back from children and women either. He's confident enough to not be easily cowed, and has seen more than a few guns in his life (and even been shot at twice, during UCAS Idolize: Excursion Miami). If he gets the chance, he'll grind the runners mentally into the dust.
B Q S C I W E M R Armor
3 4 2 6 5 6 6 - 4 3/2
Pools: Combat Pool - 7
Skills: Etiquette (Stupid People) 5, Intimidate(Insult) 9, Interrogation(Insulting) 7, Leadership (Cowing) 5, Stealth (Awareness) 8, Unarmed Combat 3, Pistols 3, Insult b/r 8
Gear: Armored fine clothing (3/2), rapier-like wit (6S Self-confidence)
Cyber: cyber-eyes with magnification-3, microscopic vision, ultra-sound vision, flare compensation, low-light, datajack, cyberears with high, low frequency, hearing amplification, recorder, select sound filter 5, headware radio, biomonitor

DEBUGGING

The guards really don't have patience for standard runner hijinx, and aren't interested in making a scene. Body armor and weapons are common enough that, unless the runners make a show of things, they'll simply be denied entrance. The tickets explicitly say body armor, weapons and unregistered cyberware is not allowed, nor are any SINless allowed in. If the runners pose any physical threat to any Mitsuhama employee or any visitor, the guards won't hesitate to smoke them. Simone enjoys wandering the set, and has very keen eyes. He will almost certainly spot the runners if they're around and, while he doesn't expect they're up to trouble, he'll mercilessly insult them if he gets the chance. Runners can roll their Willpower against a 6S attack. Any damage not staged down is applied directly to their self-confidence for the remainder of the run. If their self confidence reaches Deadly, they run crying to the nearest restroom and lock themselves in a stall for 1d6*10 minutes.

So this is what I need...

1) Funny names, situations, details. I'm happy to change anything I've written so far. Most of what I've written out is the body required for an ADVENTURE, not the style required to make it a DROP BEAR adventure. I've done the easy part. So feel free to help give me style. Character names, situations, details and descriptions all give the story new style. Easter eggs are great, don't be afraid to toss in names of forum members (in fact, I plan on it).

2) Maps. I hate doing maps. Read through, if you think you can make a good map, go for it. PM me and I'll give you my e-mail address. E-mail it and I'll include it in the plot.

3) Most important, plot questions. I have put up the plot as I have it planned:
i Fortuna hires the runners
ii Runners kidnap Becka
iii Runners deliver Becka to Fortuna
iv Runners are kidnapped by the DBC. This is where help is certainly appreciated. I don't look forward to making up the holy words of the DBC on my lonesome. What we write may be considered canon by future generations, so each word must be considered carefully.
v Runners are hired to go get Becka back from Fortuna, probably requiring they break into Fortuna's mansion in the Tir. What is this mansion like? What do they encounter? There is lots of room for help here.
vi Runners return with information. What do they learn?
vii Runners are hired again by the DBC to set up a fake meet with Fortuna
viii Runners partake in a battle of awesomeness
ix Wrapping up - what do the screamsheets say? What else happens if the runners have failed? Survived?
x Cast of Shadows - hopefully this won't be hard, but I will need help going over the stats of the Drop Bear Commandos and other critical NPCs.


As always, your humble servant requests your aid in spreading the good word.

[Ophis]

You know if this is done quickly enough it could be the missions for April. Then everyone would think it was a joke and be sucked into our control completely unaware...

[nezumi]

Wow, whats the deadline for that?

[Sticks]

breaking information on why the bears may be so agressive :rotfl:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/austra...icle2303027.ece

[Grinder]

Bah, IE propaganda, nothing more.

[nezumi]

It occurs to me that, while I will likely finish writing the first draft within two weeks, unless I get more support, I can't expect this to be done done until approximately 4/1. I'm still not sure what the deadline is for Missions submissions, but we'll need some more contributions in order to get this wrapped up in March.

[fistandantilus4....]

Apologies, been wrapped up in other things. Happy to help. What specifically would you like me to work on?

[nezumi]

In short, I need flavor. I've been writing out plot and mechanics, but I have a little drop bear calf who still does not sleep all night, so my humor is not always as sharp as his teeth, nor have I been making the best character names, etc. I'm also sure that I've missed little details in the plot, or have made things more complex than they strictly need to be. Finally, I'm missing things like maps and character portraits. I may make maps myself, if I get a copy of visio here, but I hate doing it, so it will be time consuming and probably not especially good.

[fistandantilus4....]

I hate doing maps, but portaits I'd be happy to do. I can also go over the advneture "bare bones" and see about intro paragraphs, that sort of thing.

[nezumi]

What ever you feel comfortable adding, I would be very, very happy to have. Keep in mind, if you are interested in running this for your own group, you'll need to read it all anyway, so it shouldn't distrss anyone to read it now ;P

[fistandantilus4....]

Well, I do drawings in my spare time (you know, when that most precious of gifts actually occurs). What would you like me to draw for it? The intro paragraphs I can manage on my own. Just need to read over a bit.

[Trigger]

Brothers, I am also willing to add my artistic talent to this most holy of drop bear endeavors, just tell me what you need and I will draw it.

[fistandantilus4....]

Cast of Shadows:

Fortuna:

[ Spoiler ]

Fortuna

The elf today known as “Fortuna” was born one Lenn Dudley, an Australian native living in Sydney. Lenn was a troubled youth, having spent many years feeling out of place among his peers because he was born an elf. Lenn was one of the first elves, having been born in 2012, when such things were just beginning to happen. He went to special schools for a time while his parents could still afford it. Unfortunately his parents were killed in racist violence. He was an elf, and so his parents were responsible, or so reasoned the angry mob. Lenn managed to escape the flames and fled.

For some time, Lenn took up with a group of what could only be called hippies, out to see the natural wonders of the world. These psychedelic foster parents watched after Lenn and taught him the was of free love and peace, and what frogs were good to lick for a quick trip. They weren’t the most responsible of guardians, but they were what he had.

Eventually Lenn’s guardians decided to go into the Outback on a walk about, or, as they called it, a “way groovy trip way out that way man”. They walked most of the way, seeing it as the more natural course. This “way groovy trip way out that way man” would be a major turning point in Lenn’s life. It was on this trip that Lenn encountered the legendary drop bear.

The trio was slumbering beneath a tree, enjoying some “way sweet dope man” when the trees above rustled, followed by a crashing and thumping sound. Lenn looked up just in time to see a pair of large furry creatures fall from the tree and fall on his foster parents, killing them both. Lenn ran, screaming and terrified. It was only when he was hiding in a cave later that he had time to process what had happened. His parents had been killed by drop bears.

In truth, the drop bears involved were young and impressionable drop bears that had heard the hippies having a good time and wanted to se what was so much fun. They had positioned them selves above the campers, and begun to inhale the sweet fumes wafting up to them. Having never experienced marijuana, and having very little resistance to it, they quickly fell asleep, and fell from the trees, killing Lenn’s guardians.

Lenn was found there in the cave by an black skinned elf who called himself Urdli. He told him that being an elf was a proud heritage that he should be proud of, not ashamed of. Urdli adopted young Lenn and told him many tales of ancient elven culture, taught him Sperethiel, and even a smattering of magic. Young Lenn was a magician, but untrained, which was why Urdli brought him in. he had uses for the boy.

Some many years later, Urdli took a trip to Tir Tairngire, to meet with a young elf of the House Oakforest. This was a difficult time for young Lenn, now called Fortuna, the “elf” name he had adopted. His master was not present, he was finally out of the hated out back, and in “true elven civilization”. So when Prince Aithne Oakforest approached him and offered him a position of power, Fortuna leapt for it.

He had hated the outback since he first ventured in to it, and his master Urdli had forbade him front hunting the Drop bears, claiming they were powerful opponents, and not to be trifled with. But in Prince Oakforest, Fortuna had a powerful patron who was more than willing to aid him in personal war. Oakforest confided that he too had once run afoul of the Drop Bears. It had been a very long time ago. On a long sojourn, a drop bear had dropped on a young Aithne Oakforest, and immediately leapt away, having been stabbed in return. Aithne mentioned something about a “protection of thorns” that the Drop ears could not stand against. Ever since then, he regularly received pin cushions in the mail from Australia. Aithne hated the Drop Bears, and was more than happy to support any effort Fortuna made against them.

Today, Fortuna spends his time between the Tir and Seattle. There he can rub elbows with what he calls “the common sorts”. He spends quite a lot of time on matrix forums. He also plays many matrix games, but for some reason uses the matrix icon of a human man in his 40’s , with a husky build, and long gray hair. Some speculate that this was the appearance of the hippie man that adopted him. He has also attempted to moon light as a Shadowrunner more than once, but Prince Oakforest has kept a close eye on this.

Fortuna is intelligent, but is also extremely well read. He has staggering amounts of knowledge of hundreds of completely worthless subjects. He is known to have some combat training, as all Tir nobles do, and favors the Ingram Smartgun. If faced in a combat situation, he will likely be carrying one.

Fortuna is in the lower tiers of a world spanning conspiracy of elves that claim to be immortal, and have their fingers in pies throughout the world. He has very little practical knowledge of their actual doings, but is very up on his conspiracy theories. So far he has only been trusted with the doings of the so called “Drop Bear Conspiracy”, and is ranked as a lieutenant. He has no one beneath him however, so he isn’t really sure what the title means. He works alone, generally appearing as a Mr Johnson, hiring shadow runners to do his dirty work.

Fortuna aka Lenn Dudley
Race : elf
Archtype: Hermetic Mage

Body: 3
Strength:3
Agility:4
Reaction: 4
Intuition: 5
Logic:5
Willpower: 6
Charisma : 5
Magic :8
Edge: 6

Sorcergy (G) 5
Conjuring (G) 4
Influence (G)5
Con 6 (s) fast talk
Perception 5 (s) visual
Infiltration 4
Survival 5
Athletics (G) 3
Pistols 2
Automatics 4 (s)submachine Guns
Assensing 4 (s) aura reading

Initiate Grade: 2
Metamagics:
Shielding
Sensing

Knowledge skills:
Parazoology 5 (s) Drop bears
Conspiracy Theories 4
Magical theory 4
Tir society 4
Hallucinogens 3
Matrix Sites 4 (s) RPG chat forums


Qualities:
Sensitive System
Magician
Addiction (mild, matrix)
Incompetent (computers)
Guts
Spirit Bane (beast)

Equipment:
Ingram Smartgun
2 clips APDS
power Focus III - form of a pendant, in native american style, apperaing similar to a dragon coiled in an "S" shape
Armored jacket
Eurocar west wind
Transys Avalon w/ Novatech Navi system

Also carries around a stock bond for S-K, that Aithne gave him in a bet. Fortuna bet Dunkelzhan would win the election, Aithne voted agisnt him.

[Tattered~Seraphi...]

*Applauds* You are a genius, Nezumi. The idea is simply marvellous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[nezumi]

Excellent job, fistandnatilus. This does bring up an interesting quandry, however...

Do we want to make this an SR3 or SR4 game? Or should we dual-stat everyone? SR3 will give us an audience who otherwise have few new published missions to turn to, SR4 will allow us to perhaps even get published through the shadowrunrpg site as the monthly mission!

Assuming we do go to SR4, can I get an example of a 'standard' security guard? I'm guessing the rule of having an average attribute of 3 still stands. What about skills? Once I have the average security guard, I can build off of the templates in the book for runners and create a reasonable cast of nobodies.

In regards to art, I personally am a fan of the first edition style. Most of the main characters (Fortuna, the DBC, a drop bear commando, Becka) need portraits. Some cool action scenes would be awesome, although ones that fit into a quarter page are certainly acceptable (I know how long it takes to do a full sized picture). Cover art will be terrific, but is going to be tough, since it should probably be in color, full sized, and as close to professionally done as possible (unless we want to just do a huge drop bear mouth, an action scene of 'last thing the victim sees'). So there's plenty of space for art, and people are welcome to use their artistic license.

I love to see big hair, dirty urban scenes, leather jackets and spikes, glitzy advertising, etc. But my experience with artists tell me that they, like cats, generally have their own ideas of how it should look, and that's more or less what they're going to go with. So I won't try to intrude overly much on what you do or how you do it, I trust you'll work to maximize your skills. It would probably be best to "call" what you're specifically working on, so we don't get two portraits of Fortuna, for instance.

Thank you everyone for the support, this is going to be great!