Campainge Start: London ClusterFrag, How to start a game with a bang Options

[Gerzel]

I am looking to both get feedback and to just share this idea with the community.

This is how I am going to start a game.
The Setup:
PCs are all standard starting runners/gangers/punks/whatever living/squatting/existing for the moment in The Smoke's LCZ (or London's Lambeth Containment Zone).

The First Job
A pair of mages have secretly filled a large abandoned warehouse full of racks upon racks and crates upon crates of guns, heavy weapons, armor and assorted other fun items. One day out of the blue they start advertising "Free guns! And Looting Opportunities!" and they mean it. Also in their possession are two "Gate Stones" spell foci that they can use to open up one-way gates large enough to drive a small van through to other parts of the city miles away.

They use these to open up gates to three initial places, The Underplex, just outside Paddington Station, and right outside the Lord Protector's Offices. The gates are open in a large central area with literally a big neon sign of an arrow and the words "Looting This Way" directed down towards them.

The two mages, who are dressed and appear to be simple Londoners are known by and call themselves "Red" and "Blue" each with a crowbar painted the same color. The two pleasant gents with Cockney accents answer most questions cheerfully with responses like:

"We're giving you free guns, and weapons as well as access to some of the wealthier parts of the London's 'plexes; what do YOU think we want you to do?"

"Was the big neon "Looting this way" sign not clear enough?"

"Well we figure it's a lot more fun to riot in someone else's neighborhood."

"Safe? Why do you think we're giving away the free guns?"

They do have several powerful spirits around charged with making sure there is a reasonable amount of sharing and that no one is stupid enough to start firing off explosives inside the warehouse armory--They also have friendly signs pointing out why this is stupid and asking to please hold the rioting until you are in someone else's neighborhood.

Their gates once opened stay open for 36 hours slowly shrinking as the time ends. Their strategy is to let the authorities set out their defenses and then open new gates right behind the lines and in increasingly higher-value Corporate areas. After twelve uses the Gate Stones that Red and Blue hold crack and shatter at which point the pick up their crowbars chink them together in a toast and dash merrily though the nearest gate.

When asked they call this either operation "ClusterF***" or operation "Fuzzy Kittens."

The date this fun happens Saturday December 22, 2063.

The basic idea can easily be moved to other cities of course.

[Fortune]

Interesting, but adding an otherwise non-existent 'teleporting element' to Shadowrun can have far reaching effects.

[Gerzel]

Exactly.

However I would like to point out that the game only has two special items with at most 24 uses, in the hands of powerful NPCs who cannot replicate the items.

The ability to teleport is severely limited and is kept well within the realm of plot and in this case campaign hook which the PCs will never get their hands on.

You can be drek sure there will be a lot of runs sponsored by corps and other parties interested in getting their hands on Red and Blue (making for more adventure hooks).

So while it does have many implications it is for a campaign hook which is very strongly controlled by the GM and not to change canon or to go into the hands of the PCs.

After all magic and dragons and ancient elderitch artifacts are Supposed to have wide ranging implications.

[Gerzel]

Oh I was just thinking it might be good to state the obvious and put down some of what is planned for the aftermath.

For starters the central government of Britain will be crushed, however Blue and Red conspicuously do NOT open gates into the old royal estates and the compounds of the nobility, while seats of government and corporate power are primary targets. This leaves things open to allow a resurgence of England's Monarchy and nobility to calm the masses and take control following the riots.

Of course the city will be locked down for weeks even months afterward but the actual fighting will only last so long as the weapons provided are without massive stores of ammunition (there is only about 1 reload of ammo per weapon provided in the warehouse) and due to rioters' disorganization and their being wide spread once the ammo runs out the tide quickly turns.

Also it is staged the weekend before Christmas, lots of big Corp parties going on before the more somber festivities, and a huge amount of shoppers out and about making crowd control near impossible (after all this time there are civilians with money mixed in with the rioting crowds).

Of course there is no way to tie the riots to the royalty conclusively and just because they come out on top doesn't mean they planned it that way. Then again there has been a guy running around with a sword calling back to Old English traditions who is able to somehow disappear and evade. Perhaps the Pendragon is using a similar technique to get away? (He is going to be instrumental with helping to calm the riots.)

Then again it is a strike on the British government and economy. There are many foreign sources who would have more than enough motive to do so and who's to say where such teleporting artifacts might come from? It is plainly obvious that the citizens of the Squeeze didn't do this all by themselves, and that someone took advantage of the existing hostility and discontent.

[Wounded Ronin]

'ello muy name is Simon, and aye like to do drawerings....


I think that the GM is going to have to sit down and and design a few corp facilities with full security for the player characters to assault, and plenty of targets so that the PCs can dump thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The GM must be sure to keep track of encumberance and be sure to screw over people whose eyes are bigger than their stomach.

This would actually be a pretty good way to get the PCs familiar with the combat engine. Combat band camp, as it were.

[Kyoto Kid]

...then the NP, Oversight Office Operatives, SAS, and Templars show up :grinbig:

[Gerzel]

The actions of the PCs will guide how the riots go indirectly. If they do well then the rioters will do better. I need to make a list of objectives and effects that meeting or missing those objectives will have. I also need to figure out how much stuff the PCs can get their hands on and how the heck they might be able to get said stuff back to their kips, or at least escape the baggies.

All that said lets cover the options I'll present for the PCs. I plan on doing this the first session while the Players create their characters so I have time to tailor maps and such for the chosen situation. Given that the portals will only be open for 36 hours I don't anticipate them being able to go through more than once. Also the Corps/Authorities are liable to figure out the start point to all the mess sooner or later. The warehouse is warded and protected from direct assault but the area can be cordoned off to stem the tide or rioters from the LCZ.

The Westend Underplex
Broken glass litters the floors from the shattered skydomes and the broken storefronts. In the distance a slowly spreading fog of tear and knockout gas marks where the authorities had attempted to set up the first line of defense. Here and there terrified shoppers try to scurry and flee to safety, while the service worker drones, shocked from their normal zombified stupors try to barricade themselves in the safety of the back rooms and corridors.

Paddington
Sirens and house alarms blare punctuated with automatic gunfire and explosions. Nearby you can hear a stern computerized voice warning looters ineffectually that the premises are under the protection of SecuBlue private security officers. Overhead the stray security drone buzzes about most having been shot down already. Only the most paranoid security setups are now worth anything, alarms only serving to call attention to the fact that rioters have made it to that part of the neighborhood.

The Temples
A warzone. There is a reason that Red and Blue directed the heaviest arms through this portal. Still it is difficult to tell where the Authorities have control and where the rioters rules. The hardest of the Lambeth Martyrs when through this portal and are all to happy to bring the fight literally to the steps of Parliament and beyond. Furthermore, it seems that several real shadowrunner teams have already been tipped off and are taking advantage of the disturbances.

[Kyoto Kid]

...buggers wouldn't get very far in my London. The NP, Templars, Triple O, SAS and UK military would see to that.

Of course I base my setting partially on the London Sourcebook along with the UK chapter in SoE. Unlike the Star in Seattle, The NP is not afraid to go into the LCZ, and can (& will) call on UK military if extreme force is required. For one, the NP itself is a military (not paramilitary) organisation. Second, don't count out the security forces of the various Megas either. They will most definitely join with and assist the UK forces to protect their "home ground".

With the way the Triple-O is said to operate, there would be a good chance the LPO and UK military could become aware of the plan ahead of time and make the appropriate preparations to counter the rioting, if not launch a preemptive strike at the LCZ. Keep in mind the appearance of the Pendragon (December 2062) will have caused the level of security in and around London to be heightened. Furthermore the authorities also have magic on their side and they don't need to operate under any rules or laws in the event of a national security threat. A couple FAEs dropped near the warehouse and it would be a whole different cricket match.

...and it could all be blamed on the Pendragon for convenience sake.

[Gerzel]

[Kyoto Kid]

...OK teleporting aside (since it really cannot be done except by a very chosen few & even that is hearsay)

Well to get to two of the major command centres, Lakeneheath and Mindenhall, they would have to deal with the Stinkfens. I have a hard time accepting that two mages could take on even one let alone two large and well defended military installations such as these.

Hitting New Scotland Yard? Best I can offer is good luck & good hunting on that one.

Even if these sites are threatened there are other bases in the UK that could respond in short order. A flight of Super Tornadoes and heavily armed Sperber class attack choppers could have things under control rather quickly. Add to this armed drones (Wanjina class). Ruhrmetall Leopard class MBTs and a wing of heavy T-Birds. As I inferred earlier, the military would also have it's own magical contingent to handle awakened threats as well (as would the SAS and Triple-O).

Since the appearance of Lyonesse, Channel traffic is tightly monitored. It could be very likely that any suspicious ship will be ordered to heave to for boarding or blasted out of the water if it fails to comply (the Navy at this point in time is on a hair trigger).

In the UK of 2060s, there is no due process and anything considered to be a major threat to the Crown (such as a citywide riot) would most likely become an issue for the Military. After all, the government (more likely the LPO) will want to make examples of anyone involved to keep the rest of the populace in line.

To the NP anything out of the ordinary is considered to be suspicious, especially during times like the Holidays. Keep in mind that when the Pendragon first appeared it was Midwinter's Festival.