 ShadowNews... Today |
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 Aug 22 2004, 04:11 PM
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#1
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Running Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,049 Joined: 24-March 03 Member No.: 4,323  |
One of the things I like to do as I read through various news articles is pick out ones that seem to possess a certain shadowrunnish flavor to them. Sometimes I adapt them as hooks for future runs, but mostly its just entertaining.
In particular, these two recent articles struck me as a pair of crimes that had a sort of shadowrun "feel" to them - in large part because of the aura of mystery surrounding them. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/22...heft/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/08/21/coun...n.ap/index.html That first one, in particular, I can imagine a shadowrun group going through meticulous plan after meticulous plan to bypass the security, avoid the cameras, and make off with the paintings... and then decide "eh, screw it, lets just take them by force!" If anyone else out there does the same sort of thing, post your shadowy news stories here. I figure, entertainment value aside, that having a list of potential run ideas derived from real events seems like a pretty good idea. (Disclaimer: Please note that I do not find the crimes themselves to be amusing, rather, reimagining them as shadowruns is something I find entertaining.) |
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Aug 22 2004, 07:45 PM
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#2
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Resident Legionnaire Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,136 Joined: 8-August 04 From: Usually Work Member No.: 6,550 |
I don't have a link but that Idema guy was tracking Bin Laden with own private mercenaries...I could totally see that as a shadow-op.
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Aug 22 2004, 07:46 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 131 Joined: 1-April 02 From: Finland, Iisalmi Member No.: 2,497 |
The art theft has somewhat of a shadowrun feel, as I once ran a game where the players had to steal 3 different paintings from different places. One was in a collector's mansion, one was in a museum and the third was supposed to auctioned...
The other one just feels as a random streak of violence... not really shadowrunnish at all. |
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Aug 22 2004, 08:16 PM
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#4
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,049 Joined: 24-March 03 Member No.: 4,323 |
I agree that the first one is more shadowrunlike than the second. But the murders seemed rather far from being random... the shadowrunlike aspect - they werent beaten to death or even robbed, just a single bullet to each of their heads out in the middle of nowhere while they slept. I just get the feeling that there was some purpose behind their deaths, but a strange, mysterious, unknown purpose.
It's the "professional" manner in which they were killed combined with the lack of any apparent motive that makes it reminiscent to shadowrun to me... were I to try to use that as the basis for a run, I would insert a purpose. Perhaps they were undercover Cross Seraphim agents whose identities were somehow compromised. I dunno. In Threats 2 theres a news article clip talking about how a missing woman who was presumed dead for a long time "miraculously" returned home uninjured one night. If you were to read a similar article now it might not seem particularly odd... but, when presented in the context it was in that book, it suddenly seems much more sinister. Thats the sort of thing I'm doing here... imagining contexts. I hope this makes sense... I get the feeling that I'm rambling. I'll stop now... |
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Aug 22 2004, 08:38 PM
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#5
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
My thoughts exactly. The fact the scene wasn't made to look like a random killing or robbery indicates it was a message for someone as well. |
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Aug 23 2004, 12:10 AM
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#6
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Target Group: Members Posts: 18 Joined: 20-August 04 From: Alive and Breathing Member No.: 6,581 |
I think I figured out the motive for the killing. The murderer clearly had something against big ears. I mean dear god, look at the picture people and it's as clear as day! Be warned residents of Jenner, CA! If you have big ears then your days are numbered!
Yes... I'm an insenstive bastard. Actually that would be a fun shadow run idea as well. It's somewhat hitler-esque, but I'm sure there are many groups out there who would love to see the meta humans all dead. Even better, to add that bit of work finding the connection, simply make the group of killers on who targets humans who they classify as meta-human sympathizers. See?!? I can turn a completely off color post into a wonderful idea! |
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Aug 23 2004, 12:28 AM
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#7
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
How's this for something out of Harlequin?
How is this for some kind of obscure one-upmanship? Harlequin or even SotF anyone? |
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Aug 23 2004, 02:31 AM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 20-June 04 Member No.: 6,423 |
How's about this?
Child kidnapper gets shot by a Chinese policeman during a hostage crisis on a ledge, at point blank range, in the head, and then falls for five stories, and is found alive in his coffin. And in a related story, another Chinese man has a heart attack and is revived three hours later after numerous resuscitation attempts. Anyone who's read or heard of YOTC knows what this sounds like. |
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Aug 23 2004, 05:43 AM
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#9
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,049 Joined: 24-March 03 Member No.: 4,323 |
Oh no! theyre here already!
Edit: Though, really, it seems more like a Threats2 reference, given that the story doesnt mention the guy immediately trying to kill whoever opened the coffin This post has been edited by Jason Farlander: Aug 23 2004, 07:06 AM |
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Aug 23 2004, 06:56 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 8-June 03 Member No.: 4,696 |
Must've been a light pistol. |
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Aug 23 2004, 07:21 AM
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#11
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Target Group: Members Posts: 50 Joined: 5-August 04 Member No.: 6,541 |
And the bloke was an adept with freefall... :)
Wait a minute. I may have missed this, but where did it say he was shot in the head? |
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Aug 23 2004, 12:41 PM
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#12
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
No, he was shot at point blank but no mention of being shot in the head.
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Aug 23 2004, 01:32 PM
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#13
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
A really good one was the heist back a few decades ago in the Northeast, some art thieves posed as policemen on St. Patty's day (or other holiday), and convinced the museum guards to let them in at a side entrance. There they overpowered them, went to the paintings they wanted, and made off with them. The paintings are still unrecovered to this day. |
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Aug 23 2004, 03:16 PM
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#14
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Technomancer Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,638 Joined: 2-October 02 From: Champaign, IL Member No.: 3,374 |
Interesting.
Real applications for running to steal the technology, maybe corps looking for "test" subjects (i.e. guinea pigs) but the subjects want extracted, etc. |
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Aug 23 2004, 03:32 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 20-June 04 Member No.: 6,423 |
I think the initial report I read mentioned a gunshot to the head, but most of the others I've read don't mention it. The photoset that was released by the People's Daily in China does make it look like it was a shot to at least the upper torso area, if not the head, and the policeman hanging out of the window is clearly aiming at his head. The kidnapper head recoils forward then his body falls back out of the window. Actually, I looking over the LJ post that originally mentioned it (the guy speaks Chinese apparently). Two shots to the head. It's irregardless anyway, as he landed, hard, on the steps and leaked like a sieve. I'm surprised anyone could've survived that. |
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Aug 23 2004, 06:34 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 654 |
Sounds like its time to build a better mouse trap. Shoot, the quote buttons are at the top of the post on this forum, never noticed that before.... |
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Aug 24 2004, 05:53 PM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 223 Joined: 24-February 03 From: The Containment Zone Member No.: 4,151 |
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Aug 24 2004, 08:15 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Curse those physads....
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Aug 25 2004, 03:55 PM
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#19
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
It doesn't get more shadowrunny than this:
Explosives found in van near consulate in Montreal MONTREAL - Montreal police acting on a tip cordoned off a section of the city's downtown and discovered 15 firearms and as much as 135 kilograms of explosives and detonators in a parked van. This happened last night (August 24th) so details are still getting in. Here's an article in french for those that read la langue de Molière: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/artic...04,773238.shtml Basically, due to a tip-off, police found inside a stolen van multitude of guns ranging from handguns to automatic weapons as well as explosives. They say the explosives were not conected to the detonators, so it looks like the stuff was about to be sold. Police says it is most likely an organised crime thing. I bet some runner somewhere is having a stern talking to one of his contacts! |
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Aug 27 2004, 07:31 PM
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#20
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Target Group: Members Posts: 44 Joined: 19-July 03 Member No.: 4,984 |
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Aug 28 2004, 02:25 AM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 20-June 04 Member No.: 6,423 |
Yeah, this is the scaffolding technique I mentioned a few months ago in this thread and got shouted down for it being "not Shadowrun enough". I didn't think the procedure could grow bones, at least not this soon. It looks like the science is maturing faster than I thought it would. |
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Aug 28 2004, 02:35 AM
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#22
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
"Shouted down" is a bit of an exaggeration. One person said it was sad to lose an ethical conflict like forced cloning...
Fungal Risk Assessment Helps Clear Trade Hurdles This could be the basis of runs between agricorps trying to discredit one another, or environmental groups trying to prove the Risk Assessment was faulty, and so on. |
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Aug 28 2004, 07:50 PM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 20-June 04 Member No.: 6,423 |
Well, someone did invoke the Crash as a cop out to bring back the ethical conflict, which is what turned me off about that thread.
BTW, courtesy of Bruce Sterling, Milan or Tehran?, a rather eye-opening look at fashions in the style captial of the world and the home of Shiite Islamic fundementalism. Guess which pictures are from either city, and most likely, you'll be wrong. |
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Sep 8 2004, 08:32 PM
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#24
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 223 Joined: 24-February 03 From: The Containment Zone Member No.: 4,151 |
Some more totally freaky news from the world of today:
In a secret Paris cavern, the real underground cinema |
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Sep 9 2004, 05:39 PM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 611 Joined: 21-October 03 From: Yorkshire Toxic Zone Member No.: 5,752 |
ooohh... you're on the wrong forum with that one! Head over to white wolf... :D
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