Zero Sum Gain, A Free, Original Adventure for SR4 Options

[Ancient History]

Linkey.

Decided to try the Worldwide Adventure Writing Month around about the 9th of this month, and the above critter is the result. 's my first shot at an adventure so apologies all around.

[Ravor]

Although I've just skimmed it so far I have to say that it looks really good. Two thumbs way up. :cyber:

*Edit*

[ Spoiler ]

Although I'm definately going to go with the suggested twist that Ms Johnson is a lying slitch and her "miscarriage" wasn't the Runner's unborn child.

[Geekkake]

Man, I wish I'd known about this prior to June. I would've participated.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Hm. The setup is a bit generic:

The card that a runner is captured and subsequently forced into service has been played quite often.
The suggested primary method, on the other hand, left me bewildered: I can't honestly see it working in any way. ;)

[Ancient History]

Fair enow, that's why there's a Carrot to offer the runners if they won't respond to the Stick.

[hyzmarca]

My question is, what happens if the kidnapped runner insists on trying again after hearing about the "miscarriage"?

[Ravor]

Well I guess it depends on how good they are at keeping a hostage quiet and hidden from nosy neihbors. :cyber:

[Ancient History]

I laugh at the gamemaster's plight from my cold throne, of course.

Really, if the runner is that interested, I'm sure 'Ms. Johnson' can set up a surrogate or an artificial womb or something at work, or at least make the arrangements.

[WearzManySkins]

I and most of my players do not care for Deus Machina adventures, that take a character and bypass/circumvent any skills or preparations he/she may have, to put them into a place where they are "forced" into a situation, like you have described.

As for the baby, some of my player's characters would just off the b*tch. Others would say name it Sue if a boy, or Peanut Butter if a girl.

Too many times in the past, my players in the past have short circuited quasi linear adventures like this.

They think outside the box too much so to speak. :)

Not saying for the right group it would not be a nice adventure, but with mine, not a adventure for them.

WMS

[Ancient History]

Which is why there are options presented to help suit differing styles of play. It's not everyone's cup of tea, I know.

[hyzmarca]

I think it has more room for player and GM improvisation than most canned adventures.

I've looked at the places where characters can make some out of the box decisions (IED; IED; cranial bomb; throw a grenade in his face; fall to the floor laughing so hard that it hurts; drive a truck through it - fertilizer bomb optional; threaten to kill the joyboy if she doesn't carry their child herself as per their agreement (the only professional thing to do); killing the Joyboy, putting his minced parts in a burning paper grocery bag, and throwing it through her front door before running out and ramming her apartment building with a remote-controlled semi-truck filled to capacity with a giant fertilizer bomb; pooping on Chaco's bar and using Control Actions to force him to eat it; going to Lone Star and reporting a sexual assault while also filing a civil suit, a custody suit, and an injunction to prevent her from having an abortion until the legal status of the zygote can be determined; or just pornomancer-seducing her in an attempt to make her forget about the joyboy so that the three of you can live happily-ever-after together) and these decisions, which would break any other adventure, do not break this adventure. Some are easily compensated for while others simply work within the context provided. I'm pleasantly surprised by how robust this low-level adventure actually is.

[Ancient History]

Thanks, I think. :P

[bibliophile20]

Personally, I would like to see the expression on the GM's face (especially those that follow the RAW slavishly) if they tried any of hyzmarca's idea, especially if they tried the "going to Lone Star and reporting a sexual assault while also filing a civil suit, a custody suit, and an injunction to prevent her from having an abortion until the legal status of the zygote can be determined" option (I think it's the "custody suit" bit that makes me laugh :grinbig: )

[Rotbart van Dain...]

About the same as the look on the players face when confronted with the threat, I guess.
Basically a great thing to introduce a lighthearted intersection into the current campaign. :grinbig:

[Aaron]

Nice. Very nice, indeed.

[MaxHunter]

I liked it, but I thought the whole pregnancy thing unnecessary... how did it come up to you?

Cheers,

Max

[Ancient History]

<shrug> Rare twist on an old standby.

[Critias]

I guess what bugs me the most about that particular set-up is...if Mr Johnson, etc, have the know-how (and the toys) to track down a Shadowrunner, find out where he lives, and set up that elaborate a two-or-three-turn-KO ambush for him...

...why haven't they just done that to The Greek, instead? They know where to find him, he gets drinks (since the guy's willing to poison alcohol for another plot point) served to him all the time, etc, etc. It just feels a little contrived to me for them to go through all that trouble (again, the "track down a Shadowrunner and find out where he lives" part especially) instead of just taking a shot at the guy themselves.

[Ancient History]

And what if it goes wrong? You fuck up on the runner, you disappear and never bother them again. As the plot goes along people get more desperate or frustrated and do things that they wouldn't normally do. That's the idea.

[Critias]

Well, no. If you "fuck up" on the runner he turns around and murders you both, just as certainly as the Greek would. If they're looking for Shadowrunners that are getting decent reps, that means they're specifically looking for people dangerous enough they've been repeatedly hired to do horrible things to people for money... and putting forth the effort to track him down to his home, and ambush him.

I'm not saying it sucks, I'm just saying it seems like a bit of a stretch. It seems a little odd to me to work that hard at finding someone, and then beat that person up, so that you can force that person to...go beat someone else up for you. If you can do it to the 'runner, why not just do it to The Greek, y'know?

If Shadowrunner > Greek (otherwise it would be silly to hire them to kill him, or at the least steal from him), and Ms. Johnson/Chaco's Ambush > Shadowrunner... it just computes to me that Ms. Johnson/Chaco's Ambush > Greek.

It doesn't wreck the whole adventure for me or anything, I still think it's cool and very street-flavored, gritty, detailed, and dark (some of my favorite things). It's just that the opening itself is kind of a stretch, to me. It stood out, moreso than any other part, as something that required I just play along. I understand that's the case in MOST adventures, of course, so I'm not meaning to sound like a dickhead that's picking on you. Just offering up what I saw, personally, as the weakest point in the plot, y'know? Givin' feedback and whatnot.

[hyzmarca]

But the Shadowrunner doesn't have One-Nail. That's really key. We assume that the runner is ambushed while he is alone. It is unlikely to get to The Greek when he is without bodyguards.

[Ravor]

Besides the way I read it Chaco is using Ms Jonhson as cover by allowing her to show the runner(s) her real face while he stays hidden. (And since Johnson is completely new to the Shadows I can easily see her being dumb enough to fall for it.)

Whereas if something goes wrong with ambushing The Greek then Chaco is going to have a much harder time covering his own ass.

[Ancient History]

[FriendoftheDork]

Hey ancient history I'm considering using your adventure. Problem is, 2 of the players will be gone and their characyters as well, will this adventure work with only 2 PCs?

Another problem is that one of them is the mage, the other is a hacker/thief that is extremely paranoid and reclusive. No one knows where he lives, he uses disguises all the time (he's actually a girl), and has scrapped his previous comcodes and is only accessible by the party and their contact through an anonymous email drop.

So yeah I can probably abduct the mage, the party has SOME street credit now, and he lives in Renton so he's the most likely candidate to attract the attention of Ms. Johnson, Chaco or the Pig.

I don't care much for the embryo option though, the PC, although the probably the most moral in the group is still not going to be blackmailed by some peace of cell (we don't consider embryos human beings where we live), and that Ms Johnson would kill her own child is too unbelievable..

The cranial bomb is better then, although kinda mean and they do cost 5000 nuyen, so why not pay the runners that instead of trying to blackmail them? Ok, she could have stolen the bomb from her work, but still.... the runners are bound to try to disable it, anti-tamper system or not. Why don't they just go to a cyberware specialist and pay to have the bomb removed safely?

As for the payment option, yeah that could work. This party probably has no problems getting paid in dirty means, as long as they're getting paid. But I don't see why she insist on killing the Greek, I thought getting her lovetoy is her primary motivation?

At last, do you think I need to tone down the encounters because of the low-powered party? Note that they lack both their face and combat experts. The hacker is almost useless in combat, and the mage is at least vulnerable although he packs a Manabolt now. The encounter with the Pig could well be overwhelming, as the initial encounter with the Greek, but I don't want to force them into a shootout meant for a whole party with at least one sammie or adept.

[Ancient History]