Muggers.....on your Mark!, Create a Mugging Victim!!! Options

[MadDogMaddux]

OK, so I'm probably going to need a bevy of drunken mugging victims in my next session.

Rather than taxing my own personal creativity to make a lot of varying victims, I thought I'd see what the dumpshock community can turn up!


So here's the deal. Jace is staking out a few bars, hoping to catch someone staggering out afterwards, mug them, and take their stuff. He's sticking to the seedier parts of the Downtown area, hiding in alleys near bars, and jumping 'em as he can.

What I'd like from you guys is nothing more than a well-made mugging victim.

Stats, equipment, and state of innebriation - along with any other details you'd like to throw in there. Make as many victims as you like.

If I like 'em, I'll pull 'em in to get mugged, then post the story of how it went down.


So - what've you got?

[Demerzel]

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

[MadDogMaddux]

OK, thank you, but that is not a mugging victim. That is a pithy statement. :P

Please only post Mugging victims. Thanks!

[Demerzel]

Well I wanted to post more, but I didn't have time. Here's my issue:

There's this common theory that someone or a group of DSF users believe that goes something like why would anyone ever run shadows for less than 5000 :nuyen: per day when you can just be a idiot thug and spend every day boosting cars and make more money.

If you're going to let your players become a common criminal than you're degrading shadowrun to something less than I believe it should be.

In a case like the one you're in if my players decide to start mugging people or boosting cars than something bad would happen to them. After all that bar he's waiting outside of is paying protection money to the local gang/mob/yak/triad/seopula ring/lone star like corp/etc. You're mugger PC is making them look bad.

Please, for the sake of your game, make something better up. Even if it is far fetched you preserve the integrity of the fantasy that is SR if you prevent that kind of abuse.

Soory for the rant. Keep in mind it's jusy my 0.02 :nuyen:

[Wakshaani]

Not much to say, really. Mugging's kind of a dead-end in Shadowrun, since no one has cash and a Commlink just touches on bank info, rather than carry actual credit inside. You could take someone's *shoes* I guess, but, really, there's nothing to take.

There's a reason that robberies are actually *down* in Shadowrun ... all they can do is swipe stuff from the shelf, since the cash register's quite empty.

[Fortune]

You player's character has Contacts (even if a Fixer is not among them). Instead of having to see this character stoop to this type of degradation, one of them might call him (maybe even at the very last minute) and offer him a loan, or a job, or set him up with a friend-of-a-friend. Maybe a rival gang seeks him out for a plan all their own, and is willing to outfit him in exchange (the Ancients come to mind ... they dislike the Halloweeners, and could always use a deniable asset ;)).

If you do insist on playing the mugging thing out, make sure the character knows that his reputation should take a big hit, and he will be a long time living it down.

Again, if you want to use a few 'muggables', there really is no need to flesh them out with complete stats. Just pick a couple of the Contacts (or even grab stats from low-level posted characters right here on Dumpshock), and fill in the gaps according to what you think they should have. Really, it should take a whole 30 seconds per person.

[MadDogMaddux]

Guys. I'm not asking for your opinions on mugging.

Frankly, I really don't care.


I just thought it'd be fun to get some help making mugging victims. Nowhere in the above did I ask for your rant. Nowhere did I ask for someone to clutter this thread with opinions and arguements.

I just asked for people who are interested to post their idea of a fun mugging victim.

If you don't want to participate, don't. But please don't hijack the thread. Quite frankly, it's rude.

[Glyph]

A sammie shouldn't have trouble mugging a drunk person, other than the occasional ringer. For most, the stats for a humanis goon would be a good enough fit (and maybe the humanis lieutenant for slightly tougher targets like dock workers or headbangers) - and give them, say, +1 to all thresholds, -1 reaction, and 2 points of pain resistance for being drunk. I agree that his Notoriety should be affected by this - both getting robbed by gangers, and resorting to mugging to get enough scratch for some replacement gear. The real challenge will be in things like watching out for witnesses, fencing the loot, etc. Here is one quickie from me, not quite a challenge for a street sam, but slightly more than he seems:


=Description=
An adolescent troll staggers out of a nightclub, taking a right turn in your direction as two of his equally wobbly friends wave to him and walk left in the opposite direction. He has a bristly mohawk, several tattoos in a flourescent ink that has become recently popular, and is dressed in typical street punk denim and synthleather. He is wearing trodes, and his head seems to be bobbing to some kind of music. No visible weapons, although he could be packing under his leather jacket. Overall, he looks like a fairly typical club kid or ganger poser.

=Attributes=
Body: 6
Agility: 2
Reaction: 2
Strength: 5 (7)
Charisma: 1
Intuition: 2
Logic: 1
Willpower: 2 (4)
Edge: 1

Essence: 6
Initiative: 4
Initiative Passes: 1
Physical Damage Track: 11
Stun Track: 9

=Skills=
Dodge: 1
Intimidation: 1
Perception: 1
Unarmed Combat: 2

=Gear=
Leather jacket (2/2), Metalink Commlink with Vector Xim OS, trodes, a simlink modified for BTL and Hot Sim, a playlist of troll speed metal songs, several porno sims that are riddled with adware, and a virtual girlfriend, a vacuous and improbably proportioned elf; a certified credstick with 200 Nuyen, and 2 more doses of Nitro.

=Notes=
Whoops, this youngster isn't drunk, but hopped up on Nitro (a perception test, threshold of 2, might reveal this IF he observes the troll for a bit before attacking). In addition to the stats in parentheses, he also has +2 perception and 6 points of Pain Resistance. His heavy gloves add an additonal +1 to his damage, although it will still be stun.

[hyzmarca]

Vlad "Dracula" Tepes
AKA: The Son of the Dragon
AKA: The Son of the Devil
AKA: Vlad "The Impaler"
Former Crown Prince of Romania
Former King of Romania

Body 5
Agility 7
Reaction 7
Strength 5
Charisma 7
Intuition 6
Logic 5
Willpower 6
Edge 3
Essence 9
Magic 8
Initiative 9
IP 3

Skills
Infiltration 5, Perception 5, Shadowing 6, Disguise 4, Unarmed Combat 5, Blades 5, Clubs 4, Con (Seduction) 5 (+2), Etiquette 6, Leadership 6, Negotiation 5, Tracking 5, Navigation 4, Survival 3, Counterspelling 7, Spellcasting 6, Ritual Spellcasting 6, Conjuring Skill Group 6, Firearms Skill Group 4, Athletics Skill Group 3, Dodge 5, Assensing 6, Astral Combat 6, Escape Artist 4, Arcana 5

Knowledge Skills
Impalement 6, Wines 4, Romanian History 5, Thaumaturgy 5, Vampire Politics 6, Strategy 5, Piano 4, Battleship 5.

Powers
Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Smell, Thermographic Vision), Essence Drain, Immunity (Age, Pathogens, Toxins), Infection, Mist Form, Natural Weapon (Bite: DV 2P, AP 0, –1 Reach), Regeneration, Sapience.

Weaknesses
Allergy (Sunlight, Moderate), Allergy (Wood, Severe), Dietary Requirement (Blood), Essence Loss, Induced Dormancy (Lack of Air)

Qualities
Magician (Hermetic)
Mentor Spirit (Dark King)
Animal Empathy
Focused Concentration 2

Spells
Manabolt, Manaball, Powerbolt, Powerball, Fireball, Levitation, Critter Form (Bat), Critter Form (Rat), Critter Form (Wolf), Detect Life, Detect Blood, Detect Magic, Detect Enemies, Combat Sense, Mind Link, Mind Probe, Armor, Heal, Oxygenate, Stabilize, Chaos, Chaotic World, Trid Phantasm, Physical Mask, Control Actions, Mob Control, Control Emotions, Mob Mood, Control Thoughts, Mob Mind, Influence, Orgy, Agony, Mass Agony, Eyes of the Pack, Control Pack, Improved Invisibility, Stealth, Bugs, Swarm, Offensive Mana Barrier, Turn to Goo, Dream, Diagnose

Grade 6

Metamagics
Masking; Sacrificing; Blood Spirit Invoking; Psychometry; Quickening; Geomancy; Shielding

Equipment
Tres Chic Armored Clothing, Ring bearing his family crest, Fairlight Caliban with Novatech Navi, AR sunglasses, AR glove 5000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) certified cred, Force 4 Power Focus, Force 4 Counterspelling (Combat) Focus, Force 4 Counterspelling (detection) Focus, Mitsubishi Nightsky (driven by a chauffeur)

Intoxication Level:
Falling down drunk (Willpower (2) extended test to stand upright; -8 modifier to all other tasks); Cannot walk more than a few feet under his own power; Will remember nothing in the morning but will be pissed off if his ring is missing.

Description:
A pallid man in clothes that are far too expensive for this side of town, much less this establishment, has been downing shots like it was the end of the world for the past several hours. He must have some sort of toxin filter because the amount of alcohol he has consumed would have killed Lord Torgo by now. As he stumbles out of the bar, disoriented and unable to keep his footing, you notice a giant jewel-encrusted ring on his left hand. If that piece of bling is real it must be worth more than your life.

Perception Test (Threshold 3) or (Threshold 0 if the PC examines his mouth in detail) The man has the tell-tale elongated canines that are indicative of vampirism.

A Eastern European Heraldry (1), Romanian History (2) or Vampire Lore (3) test would reveal that the ring contains the rest of the Tepes family

The Comlink, if the PC examines it, contains several fake SINs all registered under variations of the traditional aliases of Dracula (ie. Lucard Christian, Alucard Tepes, Vlad Alucard).

Nothing should happen to the PC unless he takes the ring. If he does Dracula will want it back.

[Fortune]

[Jack Kain]

You really might just want to cut your player some slack, and after he's suffered a bit eh actually fines one of the ganger's who took his gear. Who happends to be wearing it all. I'd easily see the ganger leader taking all the stuff Jace lost for himself.

[Digital Heroin]

[Critias]

[Digital Heroin]

[Narmio]

Screw the bickering, let's pay attention to Hyzmarca's mugging target.

Best. Bad. Plot. Ever.

[knasser]

Topic drift and odd discusions are often what we get out of it. We can't branch off another thread every time someone says something interesting. But often it's a positive thing because the meta-threads keep the main thread near the top, being read and commented on. A single, very focused thread can peter out and die quite quickly. To be honest, if it were kept very on the topic, a narrow thread like this, will get you four of five responses at best and then sink into the bottom of Dumpshock and never be seen again.

Topic drift has two positives. One, it sustains the thread so you continue to get the odd useful response. Two, for subjects that have quite a limited lifespan, such as this, the thread can move on from this start and evolve into an enjoyable free for all and conversation space which is what many of us like. It stirs the creativity.

I say, go with the flow, and just sift the gold that you want from amongst it all. :)

Now, to back up my words, here's some mugging victims. I'm not bothering to post stats unless necessary as this is too much work. But I'm doing a rough description and a response to the mugging. Adjust as needed.

Ralph Hill
Description: A short man, with thin red hair and thin frame. He looks down, lists very slightly as he walks. He wears a simple suit so he's probably some low-pay shop or office clerk, stopped off on his way home.

Reaction to mugging: As you point the knife at him, his expression, after a mild surprise, settles back into a bleak despair. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a cred-stick. It's plain white with a single black band around the end - certified for up to 50 :nuyen: . He tosses it to you in resignation and then walks off.

Notes: This is all he has on him. He knows how it works.

Robert Lee
Description: A young chinese orc walks out of the bar. He wreaks of synthahol and is having a slurring conversation in cantonese on his commlink. He bumps into a couple of people as he leaves the bar and curses them loudly before staggering on. His clothes are fairly this-minute, though dishevelled.

Reaction to mugging: Screams of "Do you know who I am?" "My uncle will cut your balls off and make you eat them." Use stats for ganger, modified for orc. Will fight depending on manner of mugging and chances of putting up a fight. Is a minor nephew of a local triad gangster. May be repurcussions. Has no uncertified cash on him (so would have to authorised a cred-transfer to be robbed of money), but has goods worth a few hundred nuyen, including the all important comm-link.

Will Loman
Description: A middle aged man with thinning hair comes from the bar. He doesn't look incredibly drunk, but he also looks like not much of a fighter and is carrying a briefcase. As he starts to walk past you, he pays you no mind at all.

Reaction to mugging: The man begins to sob, paying your knife no mind at all. He sinks to the ground and (if the player doesn't stop him), grabs the player's legs and weeps on his knees. "I don't have anything. I don't have anything. I don't have anything. My wife has cancer. Cancer! She's dying and I can't even buy her painkillers. She's too ill to even move now. She just lies there and shivers and I can't even buy her the morphine for her final days. I already sold tamanous a kidney. And the money's gone. It's gone. And all I do all day and all night, is trudge around trying to sell these crappy toys. He strikes his briefcase with as much hatred as his thin arms can manage. It springs open spilling little pink hippos and puppies that yip out various phrases. "I think," begins a happy hippo, "today is going to be a wonderful day." On the ground, the salesman sobs "Janine, oh Janine, I'm sorry."

Notes: The hippos are 10 :nuyen: each if the player can be guilt tripped into buy one. Puppies are 12 :nuyen:

[Narmio]

Hahaha. Mugging Willy Loman.

Seriously,though, Maddog, I adlib the stats of things like random mugging victims which aren't plot-critical. It's more important to deal with their reactions, how they're going to try to get back at you, and what might happen next than their game stats in a fight totally stacked against them.

Methinks that after a session of petty crime and being the lowerst of the low, it might be the time for your "runner" to be contacted by someone who knows he's on the thin threads right now, with basically nothing to lose, but that suits him just fine.

Any shadowrunner can get you deniability, but a Shadowrunner you *own*... He knows that without you he's back to being a mugging random street-folk (who may or may not be Transylvanians)...

Jobs, money, success, equipment, climbing the ladder, moral ambiguity, realising he's in too deep, trying to figure out how the hell to get out with his skin... Awesomly epic campaign right there, and you won't have these gimps here on DS screwing you around so much after that. ;)

[eidolon]

Knock off the attacks. Stick to the topic. Thanks.

[knasser]

[eidolon]

There is a marked difference between giving a view on the subject, and telling them what kind of personal hygiene issues they should be focusing on.

A valid contribution is always welcome, even if it takes an opposing viewpoint. Attacking another forum member is not.

[Steak and Spirit...]

Mugging Victim: Joe Burnout

Joe Burnout doesn't need stats because he's an old, crusty samurai, with implants dating back to the early 40's. He may be a crusty old drunk, with more stories than anyone ever cares to hear, but those dikoted spurs are still sharp as shit. And if you had time to do more homework than the few moments of sizing-up before a mugging, you might note that he won the 2042 South Asia free-style Bare-Knuckle boxing title by default, after impaling his opponent on a stop-sign three days prior to their fight.

Your would-be mugger will eventually wake up in an emergency clinic, courtesy of a Good Samaritan, after getting himself royally fragged. The good Samaritan will have the bill payed, naturally, and will place the character into personal debt.

This plot hook will allow the game to turn back towards Shadowrun as he works off his debt to the mysterious-later-to-be-fleshed-out NPC, and stops trying to mug people on the off-chance that they have certified credsticks or some sweet ass shoes.

[BishopMcQ]

Knasser--I don't think the admin post was directed at you, so much as the folks above who made personal attacks on the original poster...It just fell right behind yours...

Hyzmarca--Any languages we should worry about for Vlad, or just apply what fits? I love the write-up, though how do we deal with the problem of escalation?

[lorechaser]

Billy "Bull" Robertson.

Billy stands 6'5, and weighs probably 300 lbs. Billy has heard of those pieces of technotrash called "Comm links" and wants nothing of them. Billy goes in for good ol' certified sticks, make no mistake.

Billy also goes in for drinking. A lot. So when Billy stumbles out of a bar at 2:30 at night, he's usually pretty far gone. And he usually ends up waving his credsticks about shouting "schome on, man. I'll giya a gol' stick fer two more drinks!"

Sadly, Billy has a live feed from his cybereyes to his dad's corp squad, who make sure no one messes with Billy. They may have a conversation with any would be muggers about why it's a good idea to leave people alone....

Relevant stats:

B: 5
S: 4
A: 2
R: 2
I: 2
L: 2
C: 4
W: 2

Edge: 4

Unarmed (Brawling): 2
Con: 2
Negotiate (Seduction): 1

[2bit]

ROFL @ will loman... anything to make the mugger PC feel like an ass. If my character mugged those three, he'd probably go home and shoot himself.

[eidolon]

I just wish hyz would post up the SR3 version, maybe in a spoiler...;)