Need Advice, Please, about tracking PCs... Options

[JustSix]

In my game, the Johnson is planning on screwing the players. He planted stealth tags on the certified credsticks he gave them as a "down payment." Once the PCs have served their purpose, he plans on making an anonymous tip to Lone Star, supplying them with the passcodes for the tags. Assuming the runners stay put, how long do you think it would take LS to track them down? Would they need to physically sweep the 'plex for the signal, or would a simple jaunt into the Matrix suffice (since tags can transmit to the Matrix)?

[Dashifen]

Aside from this being rather dastardly of you, if the signal capabilities of the RFID tags would allow them to communicate with the matrix, then it's conceivable that a matrix data search would help the Star track them down.

[Divine Virus]

If my understanding is correct, if they are within 40 meters of any Matrix grid the tags would register their location. Lone Star would be able to pinpoint the credstick in minuets and get a lock on it unless the players were in a deadzone.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Finding a stealth tag isn't that easy - it's response is only heared when within 40m of a node.

Your setup basically requires a constant broadcast of the specific code all over seattle... which is kind of a problem.

[Brahm]

Agreed with Dashifen and Rotbart van Dainig, on the Search, it taking a good deal of time and broadcasting everywhere, and you being a rat bastard. :)

Unless the J can give more specific details about the area that the runners are in it'll take them a while. The runners moving around a lot will make it tougher too. Remember that the Secure RFIDs by default only respond when queried with the correct password. Although theoretically the J. could rig them to turn to beacon mode at a predetermined time I would give a Hacker, and especially a Technomancer a chance to casually notice it.

Unless you have a very sound reason, I suspect not giving them a chance to notice will have them feel like they were given a ride on the Plot Device Express.

So the team didn't strip the cred out of the certified sticks into their account right away and toss them? Apparently they haven't read the part about forging credsticks on page 125? They certainly aren't paranoid enough yet. ;) Be forewarned though, this might cause them to become paranoid enough to act in ways that you won't like.

[JustSix]

[Rotbart van Dain...]

It hase a Device Rating of 6, indeed - just, RFIDs have a Signal of 1.

[Kleaner]

Since you're the GM doesn't really matter. Have the cops show up when it best fits your story.

If the cops know little to nothing about these guys then they'll probably send a few squad cars over.

However if they are know that they are going to be dealing with a group of heavily armed shadowrunners, lone star would throw down the hammer and hard...depending if it was worth it.

You have to remember that lone star is a company now, and they aren't going to crack down on some randoms unless they've been contracted to do so. If the crimes that this Mr johnson is framing them for didn't happen on their watch, I see little reason for them to care.

As for actually tracking them down, if the johnson gives them the actual IDs and passcode to the stealth tags, I don't see why there would be any problems. If you don't have to hack things matrix actions should only take a few seconds.

If you didn't know the ID and passcode of the tags, then yea I'd agree it'd take a long time to find then hack them.