Interrogation of an Officer, Specifically the Deputy Chief Commissioner of Lonestar! Options

[kxU]

eh, i don't like blackmail, especially not against powerful people. it just creates a new enemy and encourages them to take all means necessary to eliminate you, since whatever incriminating evidence you may have will still be in your possession after they give you what you want. for someone as connected as a lone star deputy chief commissioner, it's usually better to just use direct tactics to get what you want, then kill them and dispose of the body. a corpse can't come after you, a guy pissed off because you blackmailed him can.

[Xahn Borealis]

I love how easily I made everyone think he used KE for security. Critical success on my Con roll, I think. Yay, Edge point for me!

[DBSubashi]

Wow. Everyone just goes for the hammer. What is wrong with the honey? "Deputy Bob, we have hit a neobrick wall in our investigations. Is there anything else you can tell us? I feel you are holding back some info. How can we help you with this severe situation if you won't help us? Please, sit down, let's share some of this pre-Crash scotch and talk..."

I can only hope that after 8 years of playing you or a party member have more than a 2 in Con or Charisma. Spend an Edge point and roll that phat die pool....

And yes, Edge point to Xahn! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Majhra]

eh, i don't like blackmail, especially not against powerful people. it just creates a new enemy and encourages them to take all means necessary to eliminate you, since whatever incriminating evidence you may have will still be in your possession after they give you what you want. for someone as connected as a lone star deputy chief commissioner, it's usually better to just use direct tactics to get what you want, then kill them and dispose of the body. a corpse can't come after you, a guy pissed off because you blackmailed him can.

A corpse can't, true. The friends of the corpse can - and powerful people have a lot of friends.
So: Blackmail means one new powerful enemy.
Not blackmail (death) means one or more new powerful enemy(s).

Not to mention what do you do when said powerful person doesn't tell you what you want to know.

[Majhra]

Wow. Everyone just goes for the hammer. What is wrong with the honey? "Deputy Bob, we have hit a neobrick wall in our investigations. Is there anything else you can tell us? I feel you are holding back some info. How can we help you with this severe situation if you won't help us? Please, sit down, let's share some of this pre-Crash scotch and talk..."

I'd assumed this had been tried. Goes to show just how out of practice I am. As the old street saying goes: when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of "u" and "umption".

[kxU]

A corpse can't, true. The friends of the corpse can - and powerful people have a lot of friends.
So: Blackmail means one new powerful enemy.
Not blackmail (death) means one or more new powerful enemy(s).

Not to mention what do you do when said powerful person doesn't tell you what you want to know.

when you murder someone, the general idea is to try your darndest to make sure no one knows it was you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Mystweaver]

We have yet to try ANY approach. We shall see what happens on Sunday when we play.
Our characters can be very persuasive, one in particular. Intimidation is not really all that required as I believe the DC Commissioner is well aware of what we are capable of. The direct polite and organised approach as mentioned before will indeed be the first method. If nothing is revealed it will the be time for further action. We have a lead to following regarding the whereabouts of an affiliated group to the KKK terrorists which might know something about the nukes. After following this up, we will search some shadowfiles (I think our decker has access to a few servers) for some black on the DC Commissioner. I suspect this will be futile but its worth a look.

If there is still nothing, and our fixer gets back to us with little, then it will be time for pulling teeth and disposing of the body.

[Banaticus]

DBSubashi has it right. Why are you asking him these questions? What do you hope to gain out of it? The whole truth behind missing nukes?

That's the really unsatisfying part about torturing someone in his position. He's going to have been trained to resist interrogation. In the technological world of Shadowrun, is it that he won't tell you something or that he literally can't tell you something? In the end, no matter what torture you apply, you may be left unsatisfied. Did he tell all that he knows? Was he truthful when he told you things? Did he mix any lies in with what he said? How do you verify whatever he does tell you and if it turns out to be incorrect, how are you going to get the correct information?

So, forget about torture. Forget about kidnapping his family. Do what DBSubashi said. Sit down and talk with him. Find out what he wants and get it for him. Bargain, cajole, offer, work.

[Mystweaver]

DBSubashi has it right. Why are you asking him these questions? What do you hope to gain out of it? The whole truth behind missing nukes?

That's the really unsatisfying part about torturing someone in his position. He's going to have been trained to resist interrogation. In the technological world of Shadowrun, is it that he won't tell you something or that he literally can't tell you something? In the end, no matter what torture you apply, you may be left unsatisfied. Did he tell all that he knows? Was he truthful when he told you things? Did he mix any lies in with what he said? How do you verify whatever he does tell you and if it turns out to be incorrect, how are you going to get the correct information?

So, forget about torture. Forget about kidnapping his family. Do what DBSubashi said. Sit down and talk with him. Find out what he wants and get it for him. Bargain, cajole, offer, work.

Agreed, torture has failed more than it has worked in the past. I suppose it all depends on what else we find out from other sources.

Still might end up torturing SOMEONE, just probably not the DC Commissioner.

Even the gangers we will ask are a bit fanatic. I fought 3 in melee and gave them 3 chances to surrender while parrying them off and they kept on coming. I proceeded to kill two and knockout the third for questioning later. Unfortunately he had some sort of preventative measure which killed him while unconscious (perhaps an unknown drug, we are not sure).

Lots of dead ends generally. This investigation is far from easy.

[Xahn Borealis]

Edge point to Xahn! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Which I'll now spend on starting the following rumour: Did you hear? Gary Cline and Damien Knight are totally gay for each other! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Saint Sithney]

I like the kidnapping/torture/intimidation thing.

8 years is way too long to be playing the same characters. Maybe if you go ahead and screw yourselves for all time, your GM will let you roll up some new ones.

[Mystweaver]

I like the kidnapping/torture/intimidation thing.

8 years is way too long to be playing the same characters. Maybe if you go ahead and screw yourselves for all time, your GM will let you roll up some new ones.

Yeah on an off dont forget.

I'm afraid Ill just have to agree to disagree though. Having a character that has been through several campaigns, has a deep and rich background and has been rewarded with excellent storylines, fun memories and 1100 karma... I'd like to keep playing as the challenge is to still stay alive.

We almost had a death this week... was very touch and go.

Anyway, back to the case in hand.

Unfortunately we took a little too long to find the DC Commissioner and he has since turned up dead. Dawg gawn it! Fortunately, we have found the assassin though. We also know who paid the assassin... the DC Commissioner's wife... who... happens to be a toxic shaman & particle physisist were chasing (but never found) in a previous campaign (probably about 6 years go RL). They were some hard notes to find ill tell you...!


Thanks for all the suggestions and funniness on this one. I think I'll leave this thread alone now.

Myst

[IKerensky]

I would have loved to see you try to kidnapp his family, definitely not prepared to be dealing with toxic shaman and spirit and not classic housewives with kids.

"Please Madam, follow us and be quiet or the big bad troll will go hungry on your children"
"You mean the big puddle of green and radioactive goos that use to be the big bad troll behind you ?"

[Mystweaver]

I would have loved to see you try to kidnapp his family, definitely not prepared to be dealing with toxic shaman and spirit and not classic housewives with kids.

"Please Madam, follow us and be quiet or the big bad troll will go hungry on your children"
"You mean the big puddle of green and radioactive goos that use to be the big bad troll behind you ?"

Yes hillarious it would not have been... but lots of fun for sure!

[Traul]

Unfortunately we took a little too long to find the DC Commissioner and he has since turned up dead.

So where did your money go? Just wondering whether I get to say "I told you so" or not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[Mystweaver]

So where did your money go? Just wondering whether I get to say "I told you so" or not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

It no longer exists. We still managed to find some of the missing military shipment though so our leads are on track and we are still able to find whats going down.

We are turning into unpaid heroes here. The only option is forcing some funds out of the FBI as they are now our port of call (oh its nice to have friends in highish places). There is all sorts of other crazy stuff going down atm.

Basically, there is something linking Tempo, the Nuke and the release of a horror all together at the same time..

Not good, but makes for an interesting game...


Go on... say it.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

[IKerensky]

Time for a Great Ghost Dance ?

[Mystweaver]

Time for a Great Ghost Dance ?

Why would that help?

[IKerensky]

"Basically, there is something linking Tempo, the Nuke and the release of a horror all together at the same time.."

If you refer to "Choose your own path" it would solve 2 of the 3 troubles at once (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Mystweaver]

"Basically, there is something linking Tempo, the Nuke and the release of a horror all together at the same time.."

If you refer to "Choose your own path" it would solve 2 of the 3 troubles at once (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Cryptic. We are just gonna try n find em all n kill em all. Normally works.

[IKerensky]

In the Novel "Choose your own path", to resolve a problem with Nuclear Weapon stockade and the totem Spider (+/- horror), the shadowrunner organise another Great Ghost Dance... talk about a RPG to swat a dinosaur....

[Mystweaver]

In the Novel "Choose your own path", to resolve a problem with Nuclear Weapon stockade and the totem Spider (+/- horror), the shadowrunner organise another Great Ghost Dance... talk about a RPG to swat a dinosaur....

Cool!

Don't happen to have an ISBN number for that? Google is being particularly useless...

All I can see is "Choose your enemies carefully" & "Find your own truth".......

[IKerensky]

Twas "Find your own truth" ... Title tend to vary depending on the language. But it is the last tome of the trilogy and you really really need to read the second ("Choose your ennemies") before (the first one isn't as much required).

Interestingly, you can be interested in "2XS" for your tempo problem (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[JaronK]

Interrogation does not mean hostility or torture. In fact, usually the best methods make the subject believe you're on their side and want to help them. Don't go in guns blazing against a top level Lone Star official... if he's RPed reasonably, this guy has been through a lot and is unlikely to go for something like that. Make him be on your side.

JaronK