Some old plot hooks. Options

[Prime Mover]

I'm sure everyone whos played since 1st edition,read some novels....even dabled in earthdawn for the lore has few unswered questions. So I thought I'd ask see if any of my questions may have been resolved and I just missed it or misunderstood. Also be happy to see some other folks questions. Looking for more storyline then rules problems...I'll try to fill in any blanks I might have insight into.


1. In very first novel a "Doppleganger type creature was used in a snatch and grab in Renraku arc. Was this creature every statted or explained anywere?

2. In first Tir sourcebook several Apt sized blocks appeared over wizard island in crater lake, was this every explained or referenced elswere?

3. In Aztec sourcbook a locus is mentioned and hinted thats its power was on par with the greatest of magics. (still waiting too see if holostreets is gonna post south america book) any other mention elsewere?

4. T-birds, every mention of a smuggler almost always includes mention of the t-birds...but ones ever seen stated are Banshee (military vehicle) and Stonewall (simply described not stated). Has there ever been smuggler version stated (gonna have to dig out some old books have in storage, possibley in rigger 2?)?

5. This ones more of observation then question and possible fix. In SR4 it implies that not haveing active commlink in certain areas can cause authorities to give you some attention. Technomancers dont seem to have need to carry or are they stated with commlinks in example charecters. Also they lack ability to store or download info without offline device. Fix in my campaign has been Technomancer has hacked team members Comm and uses it for storage, file transfers and leaveing as his contact number. Only issue then becomes the security issue which we've resolved with some "Spoofing" rolls.

Look forward to comments and some other lists, thanks ahead of time.

[eidolon]

My understanding is that the "smuggler" T-birds were just customized (by the rigger or for the rigger) versions of the base models. At least, that's how I run it.

Sorry, no questions coming to mind at the moment for addition.

[SL James]

[fistandantilus4....]

to my knowledge:

1) the doppleganger was never addressed agin, except in SOTA 63, where they said the viable clones still weren't possible. So who knows what it was except perhaps "artisic license"

2) The floating stones thingies get mentioned a few more times, but no details are ever really given, except that the area eventually became a mana ebb, and blocked off by the TIr military after Dunkie's death in 57. After 61 (year of the Comet), they changed out the guard with all mundanes. Never any explanation. Mayeb that'll change soon since it's now a democracy lead by good ol' Larry Zincan, and not the Princes anymore.

4) technomancers do need "off-brain" sotrage. Check out Runner haves, end of the Hong Kong section for an example. So yeah, they'd 'prolly still carry a commlink, even if it is a bottom grade.

[Nath]

[fool]

every good tm buys a link if for no other reason than disguise. That way when he's arrested, the sec for doesn't immediately throw a head jammer on him. As far as data storage goes you can use anything, clothes and guns being two of my faves.

The dopplganger thing was defintely not a drone it was grown through some draconic magic iirc.

[Ophis]

2) The floating stone blockies are still there mentioned in Street Magic, they're still there and the place is still locked down.

4) There was a heavier version statted in aztalan. I suspect they're custom build jobs, using the old vehicle design rules.

5) techno's in my game just buy their own commlinks, sure they don't need them but there is no rule against them having them.

[fistandantilus4....]

2)my theory for the floating blocks is that they're some sort fo Citadel from the 2nd age. They're trying to distance the old ED connections now though, so I wouldn't expect much on them, but I suppose they have to address it at some point.

5) Correct me if I'm wrong, but if a techno uses a commlink to hack, they need a completely seperate computer skill don't they. If they use the channels and all that, they use computers/hacking, but if they want to use other hacking-ware, they have to work on a second hacking/computers skill since they're very different. I think I recall reading something along those lines in the SR4. Hoping I'm not just smoking crack again.

[kzt]

[fistandantilus4....]

yeah, we worked on a smugglnig campaign for a while. The first thing we did was spend gads of cash modifying the engine so that we could go more than a few hundred miles on one tank. That jet fuels expensive ya' know. T-birds I think are more inteded to be short range interceptors for things like border patrols and countering/chasing down choppers. They work good for hopping borders in a hurry, but not much besides laying down heavy damage they way their stock fuel systems work.

[TheRedRightHand]

Can I add a question to the mix?

What was the deal with the medicine that Dunky left the formula for in his will? I know that it was never made, but did we ever find out what it would have done or prevented?

[fistandantilus4....]

Read the book The Forever Drug. Supposedly it was supposed to prolong life spans. AH says it was suposed to include dragon blood or something to that effect. I think his theory was making a servitor race, but don't quote me on that. IIRC, it was destroyed by Humanis agents that were working (unknowingly) for Lowfyr. The head researcher got her brain jacked up, and when she tried to go back and fix it, Lowfy decided to step in. Wasn't that nice of him? :)

[Slithery D]

The fiction had a few refueling stations on popular t-bird routes. Of course, the odds of such fueling points being able to avoid being busted if anyone really cared about smuggling were always...low.

SR2 era Aztlan sourcebook did have "Lobo," which was supposed to be lighter than the Banshee, but I don't have a copy of SR2 anymore and can't compare it to the Banshee of that era. It's in almost all ways grossly inferior to the SR3 stats.

[Big D]

Does Movement multiply the speed without increasing the fuel consumption?

[Grinder]

[DragginSPADE]

[eidolon]

Just...change the fuel consumption.

I know we all get stuck in "canon" mode, I'm not poking anyone with the nyahnyah stick. But it is a really easy fix, and doesn't really do a whole lot to hurt the game, especially when you get workable baddassery out of it. :D

[DragginSPADE]

Unfortunately I'm a pilot in real life, so the whole suspension of disbelief becomes flat out impossible for me when it comes to the aerodynamics and fuel consumption of T-Birds, especially compared with the economics of them. (i.e. what the things would actually be useful for that other flying machines couldn't do better).

Realize this is just a personal pet peeve of mine that I couldn't resist chiming in on, not meant to be any kind of serious discussion of the things.

[eidolon]

Well sure, if you're going to let reality get in the way. ;)

[FrankTrollman]

Given the way Shadowrun Magic works, the T-Bird concept doesn't seem weird to me at all. Spirits have Movement. That lets them get things from point A to point B in 1/6th the time. And that means 1/6th he fuel consumption.

So the idea of putting your contraband on a rocket that has a toggled nozzle that allows it to set down in a parking space is pretty silly with modern technology and no Magic. The fuel involved would ruin you.

But divide the fuel consumed by 6 and you're talking. Energy is just Energy, a rocket is potentially a fairly efficient use of fuel if you're going to be burning a lot of it. It's damned fast and with the adjustable directionality it is pretty maneuverable. I can easily see that as being the best possible template to llay the Movement power on - it's going through the air so you can take advantage of your whole speed, it's setting down somewhere other than an airstrip so you have a chance in hell of getting away with it, and it's extremely fast to begin with (being a rocket and all) so the speed multiple puts it into the mid-machs.

Honestly, if you're the air defense of some country like the CAS, a T-Bird can be over your entire country in minutes. In the time it takes for someone to request authorization for an interceptor to shoot down that T-Bird, it's not in CAS airspace anymore. That's a reasonable smuggling tactic.

-Frank

[Mr. Unpronouncea...]

[kzt]

[eidolon]

True, but when their radar says that you're a flock of pigeons... :D

[kzt]

[FrankTrollman]