The Code, Does your Runner have rules to live by? Options

[Lazarus]

Frosty and Bookwyrm brought up some nice points in my Nuyen post. I started this as a reply but I thought it would make a good post in and of itself.

One group I played with for a while had running almost down to science (Well IMHO we did.) But did we sweat? You betcher ass we did. We laid down some ground rules on what we would do and what we wouldn't. So I guess I'll lay them out here. These are in no particular order.

1. Only the face and one other person go to the meet with Johnson. At least that is what the Johnson hopefully thought. We never went with the whole team at the meet. Sure they were close by in the building as they could be in case s**t went down. We basically did this to limit exposure. If all the Johnson saw were two people then we might have an edge. Sure the Johnson could be ultra-paranoid and it wouldn't matter but it pays to be safe.

2. Do not get to know each other contacts. Your contacts are just that, YOURS. Again this was good to limit exposure. Generally if someone captures and interrogates you they will want to pry all the info they can from you. With mages this becomes an even bigger problem. The less you know the better.

3. Always have a safe house. We had team safe houses and we also had safe houses that no one else on the team knew about. Again if the s**t goes down you know there is always someplace safe you can go. Maybe.

4. Hoard info like miser hoards gold. Information is power but it can also kill you. This is one problem with Legwork. Spreading nuyen and info around town is great way to get yourself killed. Sometimes you have to but like Redford's character told Pitt's in Spygame "You just gave away three pieces of information for one. Also you lied so now the lie has to become truth." Basically give away just enough to get what you need. A good Face is essential for this, or a kick ass decker who can cover his tracks.

5. Always have a way out. On run always have at least two escape routes. Know how to get out of city if everyone is looking for you.

6. Check out your contacts. Now your GM may not even think of this, but it's good to know who you're dealing with. Have they screwed people over in the past? Why? What happened? What is their normal business practice? And get some dirt if you can, especially if you don't trust them. Is that Street Doc you go to a junky? Does that fence have a Lone Star sheet? Does he trade people to the Star for letting him off the hook? Is there a cop you know who is dirty?

7. If you have to shoot or fight assume the worst. Basically if you have to use your weapon things have gone to hell. If you make it out dump your gear. Cops love Ballistic matches. Burn you clothes. Hell blow up your gateway vehicle if you can. Basically if there is anything that can tie you to a run dump it. One thing is to get a former Forensic Mage to use magic to wipe a place clean. Ritual Sorcery is a bitch. I know some of you munch players are saying "What the hell are you talking about? That's where the fun starts!" And there is nothing wrong with a game like that but if you are playing an SR game with a more realistic aspect this is very bad.

8. Don't ever screw a Johnson. Sure he may be the prick of the world. He may stiff you on some payment. But don't get cute. Basically come humble and leave quietly. Now that's not to say you should take in the ass but don't start it. In our world Johnson's could be got it to. By screwing people you make enemies. Johnsons wouldn't do that to us all that often (I think it happened twice), but you know karma is a bitch. One Johnson died by our hand the other was killed by someone else who was more badass then us who had a score to settle.

9. Always take into account the possible consquences of your act. Only fool takes a job he doesn't how it's going to go down after it's over. Sure sometimes you need the money and can't know all the particulars, sometimes you don't want to know, but don't be spending that nuyen you just got when Knight Errent is looking for persons matching your description. I mean all you did was rip a file from a small software Corp, right?

Remember this mantra "What we do is illegal somewhere. To someone I'm a criminal."

If you guys got any rules your team or character lives by and why post 'em. Be glad to read 'em