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tisoz

Mar 7 2007, 07:42 AM

QUOTE (Ravor @ Mar 4 2007, 04:04 PM)

Well I don't remember if its in this thread or another, but I remember reading something here on Dumpshock that has forever changed my shadowrun universe for all time...

In the world of the shadows, there is one line that no-one will ever dare cross, and that is the Runners and Johnson will *NEVER* try to touch each other, and if either side crosses that line then the other has total right to rape, torture, and then kill the other without fear of lossing their rep.

Sounds like something Kagetenshi said.

Spike

Mar 7 2007, 03:24 PM

QUOTE (kzt)

QUOTE (MaxHunter @ Mar 5 2007, 10:21 PM)

Unluckily for some of my players, they got outstanding good rep for a couple bodyguard and security duties and now are called for the most horribly difficult runs. (and their character stats still lag behind their reputations)

I've always felt that games where PCs were supposed to be bodyguards is a lot like having the PCs work as a SWAT team, in that most of the things that make the operation work or not work are not things that show up in a game.

Careful advance teams, methodical research, careful observation, self-discipline, routine, organization, and ability to influence your customers schedule, lifestyle and actions are the keys to keeping your customer alive. I can't see how to effectively roleplay most of these. Attacks typically take advantage of weakness that are created in some fashion and are extremely violent sudden bolts from the blue. "and the limo with Jack, Steve and your client is shredded when the baby carriage on the sidewalk explodes. What do you do now?" has struck me as less than fun.

How do you make it work?

A couple of years ago I was studying on how to be a bodyguard, thought it would make an interesting second career, but my first career got in the way.

Essentially, you don't make guarding the client the focus... that is actually babysitting him, you make all that prep work the main part of the run. Your players ARE the advance team. They ARE looking at potentially hostile persons of interest. THAT is what you make the focus of the run.

This being shadowrun, rather than the real world, they could even launch pre-emptive attacks against potential attackers to keep them out of the way.

The actual babysitting is your climactic scene, where all their work either pays off... or it doesn't. Certainly you should never just blow them up without some sort of warning, after all they are professionals of a sort and should get a chance to notice something is not right.

Bodyguarding a client against their will is even easier as you CAN control their every move, of course, for Shadowrun, the biggest threats are going to be the bastard escaping.... in emulation of the source materials.

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