Real Life Group Game Journal: Game 3, Death Becomes Them Options

[Paul]

As promised Game 3 The Behind the Curtains Stuff:

Synopsis: The PC's have a contact named Angel Lopez, who is a Street Doc that runs a free street clinic out of her veterinarian clinic. She contacts one of the PC's and tells them that her niece, Maya Lopez a bike courier has been missing for 48 hours. She implores the PC’s to rescue the girl, and if pressed she will reveal that one of the PC’s is the girl’s father.

Orientation: The girl was a bike courier for Emerald City Courier’s, running a regular route along the northern edge of Bellevue and the edge of Redmond-crossing between the two parts of the city. Her bike was originally Lojacked, like many couriers however she pulled the GPS unit, claiming frequent damage as an excuse. This section of the city is a mixture of industrial and office space.

Major Terrain Features in the area include: Highways 520 and 908 are both elevated four lane, multitiered highways. The environment is very hilly, making LOS from block to difficult. Marymoor Park is also in the area; and finally at the northern edge of the map is a Mitsuhama Drone Production Facility. The Sammamish River bisects both highways running from the Park northward.

Weather prior to this operation has been sunny and warm, but now that it’s October the weather has taken a turn for the worse. It’s raining and a brisk 57° F during the day, dropping to 43° on average during the night. The weather will become severe thunderstorms on Oct 3rd, lasting three days, after which the weather will again switch to dry and cool.

Situation: Maya Lopez was assignment when she decided to check out a new eatery that recently opened the area. After getting herself a Kaf and a bagel she spotted someone trying to snag her bike. She didn’t realize it was a set up and while she argued with the street kid trying to steal her bike-which was parked in the alley across the street a white utility van pulled up and she was snatched by a Ghoul ripper gang, that plans on spanking her a lot, then eating her and selling the better parts to Tamanous. They have a hideout in the Barrens, which is a six story abandoned apartment building they’ve made numerous improvements to the building to make it dangerous for interlopers, and trespassers. The Ghouls make use of their natural gifts-there is no natural lighting inside the building, and there a number of barriers inside the building preventing easy lines of sight and approach.

For the first 72 hours (So 24 hours after the PC’s learn about the girl’s disappearance the Ghoul’s will simply do really horrible things to her and the other victims. (Six in total.) At the 73 hour mark they’ll begin processing the males, removing usable vital organs and tissue for resale. This will take approximately 6 hours per victim, and there are 4 males. (So 24 more hours.) Then they’ll start on the three women. Because they use only the minimal amount of hygiene and chemicals to keep their victims from thrashing about this tends to be a really loud process.

Mission:

The Skin Walkers: Consisting of 12 Ghoul’s (10 Male and 2 Female) and 10 other metahumans (8 Male and 2 Female; 8 Orks and 2 Humans.) they make their living kidnapping and processing their victims for resale to Tamanous. They also sometimes work as muscle for hire, but they are too reviled to sell anything proper. Rather they rip off people and resale what they can, and keep what they can’t. They’re great at close quarters combat, and they’re armed with a variety of small arms, and melee weapons. They’re filthy at pretty much all times, and their attitudes often match their appearance.

The Burien Apartments: A Six story brick building, this was once gutted by a fire and only partially rebuilt. The gang has occupied this space for about three years now, and has extensively rebuilt the building to meet their needs. All of the main floor entrances and exits, and windows have been barricaded. While these barricades could be removed they’d require a chainsaw, and other construction grade tools and often several hours. All of these barricades have also been booby trapped. These will be designated on the map. The main floor itself is a maze of booby traps. They use the third and fourth floors as holding pens, and they’ve built a variety of effective cages, and have a number of high grade animal cages as well. These cages are generally filthy, being washed out with fire hoses. Anyone spending more than a few hours in them runs the risk of catching a variety of diseases, as well as lice and fleas, and a host of vermin. Devil Rats and more mundane vermin are common place in these areas.

The fifth floor is the processing center, and pretty much the cleanest part of the whole building. They’ve liberated tile floors and walls from run down food processing factories, and hoisted up flood lights and other lighting. They have a scrub room, which is basically a shower without curtains, a drain in the floor and dirty scrubs hanging from hooks. They have some recording equipment set up as well, hoping to sell footage as Snuff Sims-but lack the equipment to mass produce these horrifying films. They have a large assortment of surgical grade tools, which they clean in a dishwasher on a semi regular basis. They have a sound system set up that they blare music on when they work. There are two cages on this floor for holding victims awaiting processing.

The sixth floor is the residential area, a haphazard assembly of rooms the gangers live in. They have a common area where they have a large amount of consumer electronics, a few couches and is pretty much where they hang out when they’re bored and not doing stuff. There is a large amount of stolen items in this area ranging from household drones to munitions.

The entirety of the building is the domain of a twisted toxic hearth spirit that goes by the name of Knemus, that is a force 6 toxic hearth spirit and as twisted as the Ghouls who reside here.

Execution: Angel will have no resources to provide the characters with; she has no information to provide them and pretty much is not much help in any significant way.

Administration and Logistics: Tamanous will pick up their product at +120 hours from the kidnapping. The product will be processed and placed into sterile (Mostly) containers, and loaded into a cargo van they have stashed across the street. They’ll meet Tamanous at a location in the Barrens, where they’ll exchange the processed parts for payment. Tamanous comes in heavy, with a lot of armed and magically active security.

Command and Signal: The Ghoul’s all have commlink’s but there is a limited amount of AR available in this part of Redmond. They primarily use code words and verbal commands to communicate. The primary gang members have motorcycles, although several use quads and sidecars. They never travel in numbers less than three.

Angel will, once notified, ask that Maya be taken to a clinic she believes can help her. If she’s dead she’ll be distraught but will ask that the remains be given to her forper burial.

[JonathanC]

Call me thick-headed, but I don't see how the PCs would find the apartment in the first place, given the general lack of info they've got. Unless one of them is a mage and can track her by sympathetic connection....

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Call me thick-headed, but I don't see how the PCs would find the apartment in the first place, given the general lack of info they've got. Unless one of them is a mage and can track her by sympathetic connection....

Maybe some witnessed the Kidnapping?

[JonathanC]

Maybe some witnessed the Kidnapping?

The PCs would have to locate the site of the kidnapping first...it's a long route, I'm sure there are plenty of eateries around, and a van snatch wouldn't leave much of a trace, especially after 48 hours. So they'd be on foot, walking her route, asking around...that could easily take all day. Even with witnesses, they'd just have a description of a white van...their best bet would be to track down the street kid, who probably just got paid on site to provide a distraction.

At that point, they're looking for a white van that headed into Redmond...not awesome chances.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

The PCs would have to locate the site of the kidnapping first...it's a long route, I'm sure there are plenty of eateries around, and a van snatch wouldn't leave much of a trace, especially after 48 hours. So they'd be on foot, walking her route, asking around...that could easily take all day. Even with witnesses, they'd just have a description of a white van...their best bet would be to track down the street kid, who probably just got paid on site to provide a distraction.

At that point, they're looking for a white van that headed into Redmond...not awesome chances.

*Shrug* Don't know. I bet that Paul does, though.

[Paul]

Call me thick-headed, but I don't see how the PCs would find the apartment in the first place, given the general lack of info they've got. Unless one of them is a mage and can track her by sympathetic connection....

Well they'll have a lot of leg work in front of them-As I see it there a multiple witnesses to the kidnapping that can provide a variety of information-some obviously more useful than others. Also as I see it several CCTV cameras in the area will have captured the kidnapping on film. Because it's not been reported Knight Errant has yet to initiate an investigation. Some of these clues will be easier for them to locate than others.

Once they begin tracking the Ghouls, the good news is they're not super clever at covering their tracks. This is the one time they kidnapped someone who actually has family, and friends who could track them down.

But yeah, it won't be easy. A lot of our games revolve around the leg work.

[Paul]

And the nice thing is I have some room in here to make witnesses as useful as I need them to be, or as obstructionist as I need them to be. My players are damned smart, and their Face is very effective.

[Method]

And ahhhhhhYOink!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Not a bad little scenario. I can plug this directly into my current game.

As far as the leg work: the easiest route I can think of would be to hack the survailence cams at the bistro --> identify street kid --> find street kid just in time to thwart another kidnapping --> street rumble with ghouls --> uncover the nasty plot.

[Paul]

Not a bad little scenario. I can plug this directly into my current game.

Help yourself!

As far as the leg work: the easiest route I can think of would be to hack the survailence cams at the bistro --> identify street kid --> find street kid just in time to thwart another kidnapping --> street rumble with ghouls --> uncover the nasty plot.

One thing I've been considering is: If the girl would and could afford a Doc Wagon or Crash Cart contract.? Even a basic one? I think for my game the answer is that she's living off the grid as far as possible, hence the disabling of her LoJack. But it may yet slip in-I have until this Saturday to make a final decision. I'll spend some of that time fleshing out witnesses in the area, and other physical evidence they may be able to get hip to.

[JonathanC]

And ahhhhhhYOink!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Not a bad little scenario. I can plug this directly into my current game.

As far as the leg work: the easiest route I can think of would be to hack the survailence cams at the bistro --> identify street kid --> find street kid just in time to thwart another kidnapping --> street rumble with ghouls --> uncover the nasty plot.

How would they find the bistro? It's one restaurant of hundreds along her known route.

[Method]

Well one would assume the girl's aunt would give them her commcode or something. The bistro could be the last known location of her comm or last credit transaction. Or the girl's friends could know the place.

Also, I assume you want the bikes GPS to be deactivated to make the adventure more challenging? I would leave it intact and use the bike as a red herring: the ghouls ditched it or their street kid minion gave it to a friend. When the runners finnaly find it, it can lead them back to the bisto, the street kid or a witness.

[Udoshi]

Call me thick-headed, but I don't see how the PCs would find the apartment in the first place, given the general lack of info they've got. Unless one of them is a mage and can track her by sympathetic connection....

Depends how close you are to playing it by core book rules - i find the RFID paranoia to be a bit overly much in games i play, so its toned down a bit. But, off the top of my head:

Witness from Restaurant/shop, security cams on entrance of said store(possible favorable angle).
Putting the pieces together: Traffic cam footage or radar trap records, if they know she was in a van.
Luck Data Search: Dude with cybereyes and a blog, may want money. Alternatively, someone who happens to have a blimp drone or other flying vehicle nearby.
Mage with a spirit with Search.
Unrelated incident: there are 5 other victims, maybe they hear about related incidents(in the area, with a specific vehicle, a specific group)
RFID in her caff-cup/ Receipt? Promotional buy-one-get-one-free-next-visit coupon since the store just opened?
Commlink + Trace? At the very least, this will show her up to the point she dissappeared. and THAT can be used to investigate for more data.
The bike: Vehicles have all sorts of sensors. Its possible it recorded something. Additionally: if its keys have remote buttons, it may be possible to Trace that.
Gridguide: Highways means gridguide means lots of sensor input to trawl through - if the team can gain access and knows when to look.
Wi-fi Mesh and Passive Traces: If the ripper gang wasn't careful to put a Jammer on their targets, or have their abduction van equipped with a faraday cage, its entire possible that part Maya's PAN is leaving access ID logs in nearby nodes that the wireless mesh automatically acceses - and you can use Passive Traces to find that.(unwired). Alternatively, a technomancer using a sprite Traceroute and/or Information Sorteilage.
Stealing or Buying Other People's Data: lonestar case files, perhaps ongoing investigation into dissappearing people. Police band scanners?
Does she have a docwagon bracelet?
Tattling Neighbors or Competitive Rivals: Someone in the barrens that wants the Skinwalkers gone, and is willing to hand over smoking-gun evidence that will get them shut down for good.

Just some ideas off the top of my head.

How would they find the bistro? It's one restaurant of hundreds along her known route.

Oh come on, finding someone's purchase/account history once they have their target's SIN should be fairly easily doable. When in doubt, follow the money trail.

[Method]

Interesting idea: if you really want to throw the runners a curve ball consider the package she was carrying at the time of her abduction. If it looks sufficiently like a McGuffin the runners might go charging down all kinds of interesting paths trying to figure out who might have motive to steal it. You could even introduce a third party who's only interest is recovering the package. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

[JonathanC]

Oh come on, finding someone's purchase/account history once they have their target's SIN should be fairly easily doable. When in doubt, follow the money trail.

What SIN? She's a bike messenger living off the grid, remember?

[Udoshi]

What SIN? She's a bike messenger living off the grid, remember?

Had to buy that bagel somehow, and even fake sins leave datatrails

Also moving important packages without a sin(and thus being subject to random stops or being arrested with other people's property) just seems like a BAD IDEA, you know?

There's a difference between off grid and under the radar.

[Paul]

How would they find the bistro? It's one restaurant of hundreds along her known route.

Actually the area is mostly industrial and office space, so the restaurant is one of the few places that food can be found. I get you seem to think this is going to be hard, but really that's not the focus of the game Jonathan. The point of this game isn't "Fuck with the Players!" Rather it's "Yeah we spent some time on the leg work, but now we have clues to work with." If they never get to the dinner and the show, why the foreplay?

[Paul]

Just so you know Jonathan I addressed some of your concerns here. That's how my players operate. They'll BAMCIS:

• Begin the Planning
• Arrange for Reconnaissance
• Make Reconnaissance
• Complete the Planning
• Issue the Order
• Supervise

They don't see it those terms, of course. But that's literally how they do it.

[JonathanC]

Ah, I see. I have a mental picture of Bellevue that probably isn't that accurate; I've only been there once, many years ago, and I never left the downtown area (I was there for PAX). I wasn't trying to criticize your setup (it sounds awesome), I'm just a little paranoid about throwing scenarios at players where they might give up on me (my groups aren't always investigation lovers, but I am, which means I usually have to rein myself in).

Thanks for sharing so much about the details of your game.

[Paul]

The Bellevue Section of Seattle is nicer than the Redmond section of Seattle. I've never been to Seattle in Real Life-so for me it's all made up out of clothe. I try to keep a balance between the Leg Work and the Action portions of the game. I figure that's where we as GM's come in-finding that balance.

[Magus]

Just how nasty are you playing the Ghouls? Strickly RAW just getting spit on by one and you are infected? SR4A made HMVV really really nasty.

[Paul]

Good question Magus. I'll have do some reading, especially since it's like 3 hours until game time.

[Paul]

So the players did a pretty decent job resolving this game. Working off of very little knowledge they put in a lot of leg work, hitting a few dead ends-but smart thinking on their part meant as each dead end came up they had already opened a new avenue of approach. After eliminating the girl's fellow employee,s and employer as a suspect, and then eliminating customers on the route they were pretty intuitive-and guessed correctly that this was likely a snatch and grab by some sort of group selling illicit body parts. They subcontracted some computer research and eventually figured out that this wasn't the first victim, and victimology also helped them figure out that whoever was doing this had a specific hunting area, and a definite preference for certain phenotype's.

They got some good roles, and keyed onto the various camera systems on the routes and actually deduced on their own a few they wanted to start with-which included a CCTV circuit that had a direct view of the kidnapping. They tried to track the van's plates-but that was a dead end, but they did have better luck with a gang symbol painted on a rear door, and were able to identify the Skin Walker's as the likely culprit's. While waiting on their subcontractor they decided to just start touring the Skin Walker's last known haunts, and key in on a single occupancy dwelling near the hide out as a potential target. As they move in on the single occupancy dwelling they are spotted by a Skin Walker sniper, on the roof top. He botches a tactical decision, and just opens up on them hitting the Street Samurai. The Gun Adept returns fire, with a silenced weapon and nails the die roll-his die rolls were awesome all night long, great luck on his part yesterday! He manages to nail the sniper before he can make a better decision and call for help.

Now realizing that the single occupancy home was likely a red herring, they split up and scout the six story gang hide out from the ground. They quickly determine that it's booby trapped at several possible entry points, and decide clearing it from the top down makes better sense.

It's here they realize they have no climbing gear, or rope. But the Gun Adept had spotted some hoses in a graveyard earlier, that was nearby during the scout of the neighborhood. So they decide to try and chance him free climbing, and using the hose to pull up the others. it's a pretty risky maneuver and we settle on an extended climbing test, with a pretty harsh threshold. He manages to just barely pull it off, and the other players manage to also score enough hits to make a semi assisted climb. (One did have to burn a point of edge to make it because he was defaulting.)

On the roof they see that the sniper was alone, and they were lucky that he hadn't broken the LMG they had in a tarp out. (I rolled pretty poorly for the NPC's all night. Poor bastards.)

They recover a tank of propane from the BBQ grill the gangers Ork members use to cook out with, and as they're rigging it to blow someone finally comes to check on the sniper-who hasn't checked in for a while. They manage to get the drop on him, but as dead-man's trigger action he pops off a burst to warn the others.

They know the element of surprise is blown, and decide to give the gang the first move, waiting to see if they flood up the stairwell where they'd be easier targets in a contained area. But as it quickly becomes apparent this isn't going to happen they decide they can't risk blowing a hole through the roof and breaching that way as they don't know where the girl is. So against their better judgment they make their way down.

They end up engaging a team of Ork's and make pretty quick work of them-and it's here we hit a few mechanical issues. We stuck tot he 45 second rule, and luckily Chrome Tiger has a really cool IPAD with a neat search function so he could keep playing, while it searched.

Moving quickly now, because the last gun battle got loud they know they're on a clock. As they clear the area the manage to spot an ambush as it's being set up, and use the propane tank to both blind and damage them, but this sets the building on fire, and blows a hole through the floor. Spotting his daughter below them, D-Train the Face character, leaps headlong into the fray and ends up taking a shotgun blast to the chest that messes him up pretty good.

They are engaged in force, but through better tactics, way luckier die rolls-I ended up having them roll for me at a few points, but apparently the six sided gawds were not meant to be on my side this game. They all end up a little shot, and the girl ends missing a hand-but they manage to maul the gangers, eventually killing them all. They discover that there are more hostages, which they settle on freeing and a large stash of stolen goods which they decide to abscond with.

All in all it was a great game. They played their characters really well-and there was some funny scenes where it really highlighted the difference between their Face and their semi-homeless Street Samurai. And a hilarious bout of cross dressing that paid off-and showed great creativity on the part of the players!

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Awesome Indeed... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Paul]

Just because I didn't mention it, the building eventually burned-but the fire started by their explosion actually burned out for lack of fuel. Sadly it looks like it''ll be two weeks until our next game.

[Brainpiercing7.6...]

Just some questions that interest me from a design perspective:

How did the gangers enter and leave the building with all the entrances barricaded and booby-trapped? Through the underground?

How did they alert the ganger sniper? (Actually I'm guessing having him open fire is as much a present as a threat, but...) And how do you rationalize a ganger simply opening fire at anyone who approaches?

And what about the spirit from the initial post? Or did you leave that out? A toxic F6 inside his domain could be really nasty - if he's got it aspected.