What do you bring?, Why are you bringing a LAW to the meet? Options

[psyberian]

Well my first time starting a thread here. I just had a interesting question. Are there things almost all your characters generally carry?

As for me, a multi-tool. Much like the Leatherman or Gerber tools you can get. You can get it more places then a weapons since it is a very small tool, but it can do almost anything. I have picked locks and got into a knife fight with one character when I first came up with it. Since then all my characters have one.

I also find duct tape is just as universal in 2063 as it has been since man invented it.

[Luke Hardison]

My character (if I ever get to play him) is a bit of a preparedness nut, much like myself. His typical around - town gear includes:

Two pocket utility knives
EOD Multitool
Lighter
Cigarettes
Tactical Flashlight (despite having low light, thermo, and US vision; it's mostly to cause 'glare' for an attacker)
Flat roll of duct tape, small roll of electrical tape
Pocket Secretary
A nice pen and pad of paper, just in case the PS craps out
Typically one or more thermo smoke grenades
Skeletoned medkit supplies, without the kit

Oh, yeah, and in my vehicle there's an extra pistol, SA First Aid kit, survival kit, simple tools, blanket, and a well hidden assault rifle and half dozen thermo smoke grenades and a tactical ballistic shield.

Which is not to mention the two pistols (and three spare clips), taser, FFBA and long coat, shock glove, and, in certain heavy threat situations (by escelating threat): HV SMG, Carbine Assault Rifle (house rule about carbines), or even a collapsed LAW under the coat. I can't imagine the situation where I would need the LAW, or really the AR for around town stuff, but it's an option.

IMO, it's part of the fun of the game to a) be prepared or b) deal with your lack of preparedness.

[Kalibar]

Well, its really situation dependent, but assuming its at a quality establishment:
-FFBA, gas mask and hood safely tucked away for emergency use.
-Spell locks :grinbig:
-Armored Executive suit or Long coat depending on the establishment
-sometimes a WW Infiltrator loaded with HI-c rounds or my RCD

If its a more seedy location I throw in a stacked Weapon/Power Focus, and maybe a White Phosphorous grenade, I also replace the HI-c rounds with Magnesium or APDS

[Ol' Scratch]

As usual it depends entirely on the character. But I do usually include a few "miscellaneous items" on my equipment list for most of my characters. Some of the items include:

• At least 1,000 nuyen in local hard currency
• Alcohol Immunity Pills
• Assorted Rubber Bands and Paper Clips
• Bottle of Aspirin
• Bottle of Gorilla Glue
• Butane Lighter
• Cheap Magnifying Glass
• Compact Mirror filled with Cornstarch instead of Make-Up
• Dental Mirror (good for peeking around corners)
• External Transducer
• Flash-Pak (in the form of a Cigarette Case)
• Flask of Cheap (and highly flammable) Booze
• Little Black Book (full of random names, addresses, and cryptic notes; meant to be left behind on a crime scene as a red herring if things turn really ugly)
• Matchbooks (from various pubs and businesses, selected for the same reason as the Little Black Book)
• Mini-Can of WD-40
• Pack of Condoms
• Pack of Red Apples Cigarettes (people tend not to bother you less if you're just chilling out smoking rather than just milling around)
• Personal Comm Unit
• Pocket Flashlight
• Pocket Secretary
• Spritz Bottle of Ammonia (for non-mages, inspired by Boondock Saints [duh])
• Swiss Army Knife (dikoted)
• Ziplock Baggies

[Kagetenshi]

Great Dragon ATGM and a welding torch.

~J

[banditf50]

[Paul]

I like Doctor Funkensteins list for players a lot. Thats a great list of small, easily portable, easily concealed items. That, as far as I can tell, all of it is also legal is pretty damn cool.

Mr. Johnson, since I am the GM never a player, carries a sort of similar list, although much smaller:

• A roll of quarters. They fit nicely in your hands for an improvised sap, and if he needs it, he 10 dollars in change.
• Breath mints. Never know when you will need them.
• sunglasses. Even if your not paying attention to what they're saying it doesn't hurt to look like you are.
• Just enough cash or certified cred to pay for exspenses. (Cab rides, drinks, dinner, etc...)

Keep in mind this is my professional Johnsons.

I also have my Johnsons protected by a hidden security team. Usually they will pretend to be a part of the crowd, or couples having dinner-whatever is appropriate. Professional Johnsons know they are expendable, so these teams not only attempt to protect them, but if it becomes necassary they also put an end to them.

Mr. Johnson's team will usually attempt to discreetly take pictures, record -whatever to gather evidence on the runners.

[Necro Tech]

[Ol' Scratch]

Not if the one tool is a Lockpick Gun.

[Necro Tech]

Still need two. All pick guns come with tension wrenches made for them.

[Ol' Scratch]

Eh. The description of the one in M&M suggests you just jam it in the lock and it does all the work. Failing that, a shotgun works nicely, too. Failing that, so does a troll.

[Kagetenshi]

[Clyde]

Light pistol, concealed body armor, sensible shoes (able to run, if necessary), briefcase with pocket secretary, cell phone and car keys. (Never forget your keys).

[Siege]

Not to derail the thread, but there are lots of past discussions on what characters carry on a daily basis versus to a meet versus hard or soft jobs.

Oh - trauma patch, anyone? :grinbig:

-Siege

[mfb]

for a long time, i've limited my physad to carrying holdouts or other high-conceal weapons in public. no more. every time he gets ambushed, his dinky little weapon invariably turns out to lack enough punch--and everyone else he's with whips out regular pistols and small SMGs. screw it: from now on, it's Savalette or nothing.

[Necro Tech]

[Necro Tech]

To actually adress the thread, a pocket secretary. Its a phone, storage memory and a camera all in one. How fun is that. Plus what ever weapon I can sneak by the coat check girl.

[Fygg Nuuton]

although ive never used a lockpick gun, i think its made to not need the second tool. normal lockpicks, however, ues 2 tools

EDIT: a quick search tells me im wrong, i could have sworn i saw some that didnt need a second hand though

[Siege]

Well, tack on a concealed holster (+2 conc.) and a long coat (+50% conc.) and you can get away with sneaking in the heavy pistol of your choice.

-Siege

[Necro Tech]

Filthy MAD detectors and supra-genius door guards!! Theys hurts us and makes us give up our precious. Filthy, nasty sneaking bouncers!

[Fygg Nuuton]

about MAD detectors. would there be anyway to technologically disrupt them?

[Clyde]

Besides decking? I find a couple of frag grenades tend to shut down most mad detectors. Also, you'll find that the guards aren't paying nearly as much attention to the monitors. ;)

I suppose a powerful electromagnet located nearby (and powerful needn't mean large) would affect their field somewhat. Done right, you might be able to set the thing off on command. After enough false positives (particularly when some corporate bigwig is embarassed) they'll probably switch the thing off and call maintenance.

[Fygg Nuuton]

hehe i mean, is there no material which blocks magnetic fields? kind of like lead blocks radiation?

i do not pretend to know anything about this kind of stuff, hence i ask.

maybe cray knows of something

the electro magnet does make me think however.

[Necro Tech]

An electromagnet powerful enough to screw up a MAD detector at range would need a sizeable power supply. A MAD field is surprisingly localized. It has to be to work reliably and not go off when the guards toting firearms stand a foot from it. The traditional way to beat a detector is the old bait and switch. Walk through it with a bunch of ferrous metal items. When it goes off, drop some in the dish a go back through. When it goes off again, drop a few more items in the dish. Do this 4 or 5 times and they will pull you out of line and use a wand (if they haven't already). Because they probably think you are borderline retarded, when they go over you with the wand and find yet more metal in one spot, you give them the watch that you forgot about. You would be surprised at the large percentage of guards who then wont go over you again to make sure you only had one metal item in that pocket.

In shadowrun, carry two pistols. One in a shoulder holster, the other under your shoulder holster (or where ever you holster your weapon) Try to sneak in the gun, when they find it, sheepishly hand it over. Then walk in with your other gun.

[Enigma]

Every time this topic comes up I feel the urge to post, but this time you've pushed me over the edge.

I know a lot of police officers, and not a single one of them is stupid. You basically have to be cunning to be a police officer - it's part of the job description. Whether or not each individual item is concealable, if you have a long list of things you carry (including multiple spray bottles of liquid), duct tape and so on, someone will see that your pockets bulge in weird ways, and they will stop you. Whether they are a security guard guarding something worth guarding or a police officer, they will see you're carrying all this stuff and they will stop you.

You will also make clinging and swishing noises as you run around doing anything. You can forget stealth rolls, and you can forget carrying a weapon because so many people are going to stop you that you won't be able to carry much of a gun as you'll be stopped and searched anyway. As you go through scanners they will see you're carrying a massive quantity of barely-explainable property and they will haul you up. Whether you write on your character sheet "no, I've checked, all of this stuff is legal" or not, the security guards on any scanner will stop you and you'll need to explain yourself. You will need to make a Fast Talk roll to explain to the nice officer why you're walking into a high security area wearing an Armane suit carrying duct tape and a multitool. You will be out of place. You will stand out.

In my games, if I ever see a list of "stuff I normally carry" on a character sheet that goes beyond "clothes, a phone, a gun, a knife, and only the gun and the knife when I can get away with it" then there will be trouble, and the trouble will come with a yellow and blue uniform, a pistol, body armour and a mean inquisitive nature.

Shadowrunners should act like spies. They don't want to be noticed, they don't want to stand out, they just want to get the run done and get out with minimum notice. Sure, there are "collateral damage" runs but they just mean we want people to know it has happenned, rather than whodunnit.

So, an end to long lists of key equipment I say!!! Use your imagination, not your ability to copy equipment lists.