Ghettopunk, Because it's not all about working for the Big Corps! Options

[X-Kalibur]

I'm currently planning a "Ghettopunk" campaign. The PCs are in the Gutter, but are looking up.

Now, how do I step on them and show them that they can fall further down?

Turns out they all had Data Filters implanted at a very young age and do even MORE questionable activities they are unaware of.

[Bugfoxmaster]

For added torture, make them scrounge for food, and roll for diseases!
Also, put hookers all over the sidewalks - even propositioning kids. And Pickpockets. I was in Ecuador a year or two back, and DAMN f I didn't have to keep my hands IN my pockets to keep my shit there... Not saying Ecuador is like that, just giving an example. I respect the Ecuadoian people, and would rather not be eaten or sodomized (kudos to Chrysalis)...

[Warlordtheft]

Ah, what sights I could show you. Where would you go first and what would you sample?

Either the petting zoo or bunraku parlor....oh wait, they are one in the same. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

PS:Sorry couldn't help myself.

[Paul]

Do you happen to have notes from that campaign? If so, can I get copies?

Sorry several rebuilds later my machine has been cleansed of anything I'd like to have saved. Luckily from now on I have a 1Tb back up drive, so I won't lose anything. But I'd love to help you out!

I started by picking a section of map from Google, hitting Print Screen and pasting it to Paint. From there I edited the map and added locations of note-Police Substations, Fire Substations, important physical plant structures (Any power substations, sewage treatment, etc...), landmarks, bars, etc... When the players asked for something I could look at the map, and so could they. I used a second copy to keep track of other things: strange possible random encounters (One home was the lair of a serial killer, another was a randomly placed ATF safe house-if the PC's never came near them they'd never encounter any problems.)

From there an essential piece of notation is the Gang. If they work for the Yakuza, you'll need to know who the local mover and shakers are, who their enemies are, and what they're up to. At any rate let me know if you have any specific questions!

[Paul]

Also I spent a lot of time making the PC's deal with neighborhood issues. If someone pays you protection money, then they'll occasionally expect actual protection. I made sure that at creation several of the Player Characters were invested int he neighborhood. One had a mom that lived there, whom he pampered and spent massive amounts of his take on, another had a day job in the hood. They spent as much time dealing with issues like finding illicit sources of power, food and water as they did stuff like actual Shadowruns. Remember these guys generally live in their hood.

[SpasticTeapot]

It's an interesting idea. I once played a game of 2E D&D where I was a goblin. It was a lot of fun - after hacking through rooms of giant celestial badgers, it was interesting to deal with the simple issue of not getting eaten by a bear.

Encourage characters to take useful background skills: for example, a thief might be very athletic and skilled at breaking and entering, a drug dealer might have a reasonable negotiation skill, and a geek with a high intelligence and enough B/R skills can turn worthless garbage into just about anything. You might also want to use the karma build system, as it punishes anyone trying to heavily optimize a character. (I could probably build a competent gunslinger with 250BP.)

[Paul]

I made sure that all of the players invested in Local Area Knowledge Skills. (Their Neighborhood, so they should know where breaks in the fence occur, which spots the police avoid, who's doing what and when.)