Help with a problem Options

[piiman]

Now im stuck, and it might be against what my DM wants if i ask you for help, and he probably will say so in this forum but my group is in a situation

There is a rather hard mission that we got to do, involving alot of soildiers and a valcano, we are getting paid 90k all together for this mission and the likelyhood of one of my group dying is rather high. should we just abandon it or try to do the mission, cause it might have something to do with the story if my gm made one yet.

Whats ur idea

P.S. im not telling you whart the mission is, and asking help on that part cause i think thats cheating

[Malicant]

Do you even have to ask if there is a volcano involved? Awesome!

[b1ffov3rfl0w]

Well, your problem as stated is really vague: "the mission looks hard and one of us might die" is sort of the point of Shadowrun. But some general advice that could be helpful:

1) Have a Plan B. Really, not just one, but for each thing that might go wrong -- at the very least have an alternate way you can get out alive, but try for a way that fulfills your objectives too.

2) Find weak spots. If you can't find any, make some. Security is dependent on people, and people can be subverted in a number of ways (eg bribes, mind-altering magic, kidnapping them and replacing with someone disguised as them, blackmail, threats, well-spoofed orders) just like technology can.

3) "Plan B" can also mean turning down the job, refunding payment, and taking a big financial hit if you just have a really bad feeling about it. There will be consequences, but usually they're not as bad as getting killed, so you might as well take them.

EDIT: Also, 4) Make sure your plan involves rappeling into the volcano while shooting guns! I cannot stress the importance of this enough.

[kanislatrans]

I'd personally go for it. a couple of tips though.

1) plan things out and do your leg work. Information is power. remember that the first casualty in any engagement is your battle plan. so be ready to adapt to the environment .

2) carry lots of ammo.

3)Explosives are your friends. (unless no one thought to take a couple of points in demolitions. if so ignore tip #3)

4)Fire environment + summoning fire elementals= cake walk for any mage worth his mojo bag.

5)did I mention bring lots of ammo? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

Sounds like a thrashing good time, chummer, drop us a post to let us know how it goes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

edit:
beat me to the post, Omae! good advice though. I like the dropping into the volcano part. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)

[BlueMax]

EDIT: Also, 4) Make sure your plan involves rappeling into the volcano while shooting guns! I cannot stress the importance of this enough.

Ohh man. Now I want to give my players the chance to do that.

[Wounded Ronin]

Is it the Drake volcano? In that case the solution is to shoot the dragon repeatedly in the face with your assault cannon.

[piiman]

alright well thanks for the advice, the volcano its important cause at 1st we thought it was on a level ground. I hope we do it but we spent the entire last session trying to get info and all that (about 6 hours) and we still dont have a plan A that isnt really dangerous

[b1ffov3rfl0w]

Don't go in until you're ready. If the GM kinda makes you do that, though, point out (just the one time) that you're going along with it for the sake of pacing/tension/story and that doing so means you are trusting the GM not to screw you over. It's important that you can trust your GM, and to know that he doesn't think the point of GMing is to destroy character sheets. For fifteen dollars you can buy a shredder, you can get matches for free, a GM should be better than that.

Also, maybe a contact could do you a favor of some kind?

[Aaron]

Hell yeah. That's pretty much most of my reaction.

Also, make a plan. Take into account where you can see them and be seen by them, what points you can deliver fire to key locations, cover and concealment, obstacles, key terrain, and avenues of approach and departure. Make a plan and stick to it, and remember the KISS principle.

Also remember that one or more of your characters might die (or burn an Edge). Then again, the run's worth 90k, so accept the risk and reap the reward.

Now I want to run a game with a volcano, except that one of our players is a DS junkie and will anticipate it. Maybe I can drop a whole frickin' building on somebody.

[Crusher Bob]

Erm, that's 90 each after expenses, or 90 to split between the team? If it's 90 to split, consider a more remunerative profession, like stealing cars.

[Cthulhudreams]

If its a volcano and dangerous, there are probably not many other people.

There not being many other people means that you have a once in a life time oppotunity to buy as many drones with guns as you possible can, and send them out in front. If they get shot, who cares!

[Critias]

You're getting paid 90k altogether, there's a volcano involved, and your group is already acknowledging that casualties are a possibility.

Remember: You don't have to run faster than the bear, you only have to run faster than your teammates.

Also remember: It's hard to run fast when someone's just shot or stabbed or kung-fued you in the knee.

Also also remember: Volcanos eat evidence of wrongdoing and a lack of evidence cleanses you of all sin.

Also also also remember: 90k split one way beats the crap out of 90k split any other way.

[nathanross]

If it is impossible and you still have other options in the shadows, my character usually backs out. I mean, you can't really spend the money if you're dead. That said, if for some reason you feel this could be your opus or you have no way to back out, buy boat loads of explosives.

Explosives will seriously make your day. I suggest at least 30kg of C-12 per character. Just strap them to yourselves and walk in (or at least once you are in the facility, they won't touch you). Make sure you have redundant detonators tied to your vital signs and you're set. Big balls are what shadowrunning is all about. Also, make sure you memorize the demolitions rules and know the damage codes. Don't let your GM shaft your firepower.

[Wounded Ronin]

After reading this thread I have come to the conclusion that the one PC who gets flung into the volcano will come back with martial arts prowress and the irritating tendency to morph into a purple kung-fu devil at inconvienient times.

[Malicant]

Urgh, let's hope not. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[Whipstitch]

A volcano and soldiers? Make sure you have a couple methods of escaping as well as the tools to steal a ride out if you have to. You could very well be dealing with rocky terrain and if they're real soldiers they likely will have at least limited access to the kind of weaponry needed to disable your typical shadowrunner vehicle. Getting into trouble is suprisingly easy, after all; it's that darn getting out alive part that's the problem.

[KurenaiYami]

Don't go in until you're ready. If the GM kinda makes you do that, though, point out (just the one time) that you're going along with it for the sake of pacing/tension/story and that doing so means you are trusting the GM not to screw you over.

So it doesn't sound like I'm a random nutjob: I'm the GM.

But I'd just like to say there's no problem with them taking as much time as they want except for the problem they made for themselves, which I'll get to later.

The group JUST got stealth skills, so they can sneak. As such, I made an awesome fortress that could be snuck into, MGS-style. The problem is, they didn't have this before, so prior to this mission they had two other missions: The first was "walk up and kill this guy", the second was "protect these two from being killed."

But now, I've placed them in a situation where walking up and shooting everybody won't work as well, so they tried to plan it out, thoroughly. I encourage this greatly. They spent 9 hours RL time and a week and a half in-game doing this, which I would still think was awesome...were it not for the fact they still have no plan.

Now, their Johnson spoke very poor English, none of them spoke his native tongue (Italian), and there was no translator present. So a lot of the information they were given from the Johnson was vague (moreso than usual), and he critically glitched on his language test during negotiations, so their pay isn't what they think it is.

As to the problem of time I mentioned earlier, they kidnapped one of the Knight's Errant captains (for the record, I have none of the fluff supplements for Shadowrun, so my Knight's Errant looks NOTHING like any one you've seen before), and said captain said he'd be on duty the day after tomorrow, at 10:00 AM.

So that's the only real time constraint, and they kind of did it to themselves. Not sure what a high security complex would do if one of the lower rung folks on the hierarchy didn't show up. He only has like a dozen people working under him, but still.

One thing I DO like about it is most of their plans involve them buying a helicopter, which is 12 kinds of awesome. Who cares if they can't fly it. That's what a Pilot program is for.

EDIT: To the OP, I really wouldn't care if you tried to fill them in to get better help, as I'd make your work through your plan in character anyways. The only problem I have with that is none of you have the solid information you need to give them an informed decision. Like, you know there are 600 soldiers on site, but you have no idea how big the site is. They could be spaced fare more sparsely than you're thinking.

Also, Critias, I like your style.

[Fortune]

Also, Critias, I like your style.

His character better not be thinking that way in our game. Tain's in enough trouble already. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[CircuitBoyBlue]

Now I want to run a game with a volcano, except that one of our players is a DS junkie and will anticipate it. Maybe I can drop a whole frickin' building on somebody.

a) if it's a volcano, it's got a volcano god/powerful free spirit
b) this volcano god/powerful free spirit has Concealment
c) if volcano has Concealment being used on it, it can sneak up on people
d) as with ninjas, if it's capable of sneaking up on the PCs, it already has
e) therefore, your players' characters are already in the volcano

You're welcome.

[CircuitBoyBlue]

Crap, I just realized that I've only bitched about this once today, so I need to do it some more. Spoilers about a classic old module beneath the cut

[ Spoiler ]

Stupid Harlequin....
Sorry, just thought it might give away the ending to say I had a character play around in a volcano during Harlequin.

[piiman]

alright so i got more info, this mission isnt as hard as we thought, it just inviolves someone sitting out and just making the other 3 better to go in and do this

[nathanross]

alright so i got more info, this mission isnt as hard as we thought, it just inviolves someone sitting out and just making the other 3 better to go in and do this

Now the question is, did the Johnson mess up your figure by a factor of ten? and is this in your favor or against. Also, who is the lucky guy that gets to sit out and plot your destruction while the rest do his job for him?

[KurenaiYami]

Now the question is, did the Johnson mess up your figure by a factor of ten?

As a matter of fact, yes. This was one of the things I always screw up in other languages, so I thought it an appropriate area for a check.

and is this in your favor or against.

The world may never know. Actually, the game ended mid commlink-conference, so had they not wimped out at 1:15 AM, they would have known already. Which is partially why I don't care if I give all this info away on this thread.

Also, who is the lucky guy that gets to sit out and plot your destruction while the rest do his job for him?

Likely the mage.

"I'll make you all Invisible! It'll totally work!"

Buwahahahahahahaha...

Let's just say that the defense of this place is...quirky. It has some nifty things going for it, as well as some glaring weaknesses. I blame structural things having to be messed with due to working in a volcano. Because "GM fiat" sounds so much worse.

[nathanross]

As a matter of fact, yes. This was one of the things I always screw up in other languages, so I thought it an appropriate area for a check.

The world may never know. Actually, the game ended mid commlink-conference, so had they not wimped out at 1:15 AM, they would have known already. Which is partially why I don't care if I give all this info away on this thread.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) I feel so sorry for them if it is 9,000/ea and they didn't negotiate cause they thought they were getting bank. That's why you always purchase the linguasoft via Wireless if money is involved

Likely the mage.

"I'll make you all Invisible! It'll totally work!"

Buwahahahahahahaha...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) WOW, that is great! This is why KK would never trust our Elven Black Mage with anything.

[KurenaiYami]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) I feel so sorry for them if it is 9,000/ea and they didn't negotiate cause they thought they were getting bank. That's why you always purchase the linguasoft via Wireless if money is involved

Prepare to love it more:

That's the pay for the GROUP, not per individual.