I'm just starting to GM Shadowrun (SR3), and I put together a run for my entry level victims. However, I only have 3 players, and every week one of them has canceled with some problem at home. I decided with just two, they would be hard pressed to complete the mission I devised, so I suggested we postpone the game until everyone could show. My two newbies are a little aggravated by the delay, so It occurred to me I could just throw together a run for them (I'm a little slow sometimes ) They will be surprised, because they think the game has been canceled and are just showing for fun. The two attendees are the newest to the game (they have never played SR before aside from Food Fight), so I'm tying to come up with something that will showcase the SR setting and will be easy, and let them cut loose a bit. That is, before I bury them with my soul crushing Dystopia campaign.

Heres the problem, This idea just occurred to me. (I've been trying to add a little polish to the original run idea instead.) and the meeting is late tomorrow, and I'm drawing a real blank. My two players are a (non-adept) Face with some gun skill and a Streetsam Light with skillwires.

The face knows the Daughter of a Lonestar Cop (Saved damsel in distress as part of background.) I thought I have her come looking for him, sobbing, that she had gotten herself into some kind of trouble with gangers, some trite blackmail of some sort, but I'm stumped after that. I need something that I can run with little preparation too! So I thought I'd turn to the vast knowledge base that is Dumpshock for help. Help me get my players addicted to Shadowrun!

The girls father could have developed a habit of staying out later than usual. Suspecting that he's having an affair she askes the runners for a favor, follow her father after work.

- Perhaps he picked up some extra overtime to put some money away for a family vacation.
- He's being blackmailed into selling lone star files to a crime syndicate.
- Maybe he's simply having an affair.
- He could have joined some kind of underground organization (Humanis).

oft times I've found that the best beginning runs are the kinds taht require legwork and some amateur detective-ing . That way they get used to the idea of gathering information rather than shooting at a problem first. It also gives them a chance to see some of the sites, and interact with the SR world.

Try something off the wall, that they won't expect. Have it so that the girl made some type of web cam strip or SIM recording of her doing something naughty with a boyfirend. Not something so bad that they'll consider her a whore, but jsut a little scandalous, so that she can't go to the daddy cop. Some ganger found out and got the tape/recording, and is black mailing her with it to get some kind of Lone Star gear, or information that he can sell to a syndicate. The problem is that he only called her with a blank screen, and only gave a street name.

That way the Face will have some shine time talking to folks on the street, while the sammie flexes his muscles, and then the sam gets to shine when they finally track the guy (and a few toughs he calls friends) down and demand the recording.

If you are interested in working the Lone Star deal for new players, how about something like this:

The Internal Affairs [they call that department in Lone Star something different iirc, however, you get the point] department of Lone Star has gone to Cop's Daughter and asked her to go undercover for them to help figure out if Daddy Cop is dirty. Cop's daughter does not want to do this, but the Star leans in pretty hard-if you help there is a chance that you can get us what we need to clear Daddy Cop's name, and even if he has made some "mistakes" then we will take your assistance into account when he is punished and he will receive much more easy treatment. Regardless of the outcome, you will be taken care of, as well as your mother, siblings, etc.... If you do not help, of course, there will be no chance to save Daddy Cop's career, and not only his, but Cop's Daughter as well as the rest of Daddy Cop's family's health will be in danger.

Cop's Daughter, of course, has no choice but to comply, however, she does higher the runners on the side to help her cause- to investigate the situation on the side and help her figure out what to do about everything.

When it comes to Daddy Cop, and the runners investigation, at this point, you can introduce a second game element [the first being corp. power/politics] into the game. specifically, whatever the squad that Daddy Cop works on-Vice, Organized Crimp, Gangs, Corp Crime, paranormal investigations, etc....

Have someone that Daddy Cop is investigating have some influence in Lone Star and have them had used that influence to get the investigation of Daddy Cop started to slow down his investigation.

So, the players need to:
[A] Find out who Daddy Cop is investigating that has pull in Lone Star.
[B] Who in Lone Star is working with outside forces against Daddy Cop.
[C] Help Cop's Daughter figure out how to solve the problem and then execute the plan as is necessary.

Note, of course, that you have complete freedom with how Dirty or Clean Daddy Cop is, he could be a good cop trying to do his job in difficult times, and thus just a victim. Or he could be a cop who was dirty, and who is trying to end his relationship with the corrupt partners,. Or, he could be all the way corrupt, and his problem is that he is to closely involved in whomever he is investigating and has been drawn into one of their power struggles [e.g. he is a contact/ally of the boss, and the number two man needs him out of the way so that he can take over].

Note: esp. as far as legwork goes as being a good way for new characters to get introduced with the game, as is suggested above, my experience has been that that is a really good idea, and I have tailored this idea along those lines.

Whether you use any of this or not, good luck with the run-I hope your players like it enough to become fully addicted to Shadowrun-AFE

P.S. It is getting a bit late/early here, so I will say I am sorry for any bad grammar or spelling in advance.

Thanks Guys, this has been huge help. I'll post a After action report later, wish me luck.

edit:s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g

After action report, cautiously optimistic.

The Run:
Jenny Genovese, college Freshman at Washington State U, Daughter of Lonestar Vice Squad officer, is being blackmailed. Somehow, some risque (Sex, Drugs, Rock&Roll) video she recorded of her and her boyfriend has fallen into the wrong hands. Blackmail ensues, the culprit demanding to keep quiet. Jenny complies, but when she drops the credstick at the appointed time, the blackmailer claims he now has enough info on her father (from the credstick) to ruin he fathers career (A Lie, but Jenny isn't technically inclined enough to know this), unless she hands over more

If my group is reading this, stop now, ya bastards.



Thanks again for the feedback!