There is some debate about the role various characters play in the world of the Shadows. There is even some confusion in how things are presented. This here is my take/conversation starter on the topic.

Johnson. This is the guy that gives you the job. He could be anyone and any thing. It could be the guy across the table from you or the guy's boss, depending upon who you talk to or the book you read. Every contact they make for a job eventually involves a Johnson, and typically it's a new Johnson every time.

So.

We have Mr. Johnson as a 'buyable contact' right there in the book. Players start with Johnsons all the time. What does it mean, really? It means the players have a Johnson they've worked for before who keeps them on tap for specific jobs. They've cut out the middle men, and depending on the type of Johnson we're talking about, it means they are just one step closer to being Company Men, rather than Deniable Assets. To be honest, it probably means the runners are in for better paying jobs, since they have one less middleman to deal with. Personally, I'd recommend that a player be discouraged from starting with a Johnson as a contact unless they have something to back it up.

The Fixer. This is the ultimate generic contact. Every player should have a Fixer contact. Period. Every group should have between them two or even three. If no one in the group has a Fixer contact, something is very very wrong... or you are playing some other variation on standard Shadowrun.

You see, the Fixer is a clearing house, a talent agent for the Corps. Johnsons don't trawl the streets looking for worker bees, they contact trusted reputable fixers to find the talent for them. It's another level of deniability, and someone they can squeeze if the fit hits the shan. The Fixer, above all other things, is a contact mechanic. He knows everyone and everything in the city, if not the region. His exact network is smaller than that, but he'll know about the people he CAN"T get in direct contact with. Runners can, for a fee, have the Fixer work HIS contacts, if they don't have the time/aptitude/attitude to play investigator. The Fixer will WANT to do this. Every time 'his' runners succeed, his rep goes up. Every time they fail, his rep takes a hit. Unless he was paid to find someone to take the fall. Make no mistake, most fixers are more loyal to the corps than their runners. When in doubt, follow the money, and the runners don't have any.

By extension of his contacts, the Fixer can move any time, any direction. Want to get some illegal military hardware, the Fixer might have some 'on hand', or more likely, he'll know who does. Need to unload that hot drone you snagged on the last run? He'll have a buyer somewhere the Corps won't be looking for it. Someplace like the Yucatan if it's really hot.

Like Johnsons, Fixers will have 'types'.

Organized Criminals: This is a good type of contact to have. While the differences in the various branches of organized crime are notable, as contacts go it's significantly minor.

First of all, it's a great way of explaining how a character got into the shadows.

Second of all, organized criminals combine some of the best attributes of Fixers and Johnsons. They are middle men, sure, but unlike the othet two, OC's tend to be much more loyal to 'family'. And make no mistake, if you are dealing with this type on a regular basis, you ARE family, or you are an enemy. One thing you can always count on is these types never sell out their own. Kill them? Certainly. But never ever sell them out. Of course, the LEVEL of the contact within 'the family' is a very important consideration. High level OC's are veritable GODS on the streets, capable of going toe to toe with even AAA corps or the Fed if stakes are high enough. But they better be fakkin high if you want them to go to bat at that level for you. OC's survive by staying under the radar, not by flexing their muscles. Of course, there is a downside. Once you are in, you are ALWAYS in. Expect to cough up Vig if you are running a side business. Expect to have to do 'freebies' for them if you aren't. This goes above and beyond the typical maintence of contacts.

Lonestar: There are two ways to play lonestar contacts. Buddy and Broken. They are vastly different contacts depending upon which way you go, and you better get your players to cough up which they are working.

The Buddy Cop is the guy you used to work with, or who married your sister, or who believes in your 'cause'... you don't have a 'cause'? Well, then he won't be helping you unless you know him personally. He's probably honest. He'll help you, but you better be doing it for a good reason. His honesty isn't 100%. If it was, he wouldn't be a contact at all, the Star frowns on that sort of thing. He's good for getting access to information you can't get legally, or warning you if shit's going down. He may even unpinch you if you're caught up in something. But he's hard to keep unless you have that elusive 'Cause' I mentioned. Or you were once a Star yourself. If he used to be your partner, then all bets are off. The Star may be a soulless corporate lapdog, but the cops that work it are fiercely loyal to their own. By extention, if you have him as a contact then its a damn good bet there are other Star's willing to look the other way if you are involved as well.

The Broken Cop is bent. He's dishonest, probably evil in more than one way. He shakes down store owners and crooks, maybe does some freelance crime himself. He's a runner with a badge, and you are almost certainly just business to him. Other than that primary difference, he'll be pretty similar to the Buddy Cop in what he can and will do. The difference is he'll charge, and he'll work harder to keep you out of LoneStar hands... if only to keep you from squealing. On the other hand, its a good bet he isn't squeamish. He'll kill, steal, lie and cheat if you are willing to pay for the priviledge. The most important difference is that he very much is like the Organized Criminals. You WILL have to do some bad shit to keep working for this guy, and depending on how high up he is, he's got some serious mojo he can work for you and yours. You may not have a badge, but in the dirty cop world, you're family. You know too much not to be. And like the other Family, the only way out is feet first.


Typese of Johnsons:

Free Agent Johnson: This is essentially a very specialized form of Fixer. He's the guy other people contact to get runners. He doesn't work for any one person, though he might be exclusive for stretches at a time. If you have a strong bond with him, you might be his 'exclusive team', his first Runners for the sweet jobs. Unlike any other Johnson, he can be the fast ticket to 'prime runner' hood. Of course, he could also be a bottom feeder, or maybe shady. You could be 'just another gang of thugs' to him. Its all in the ratings. Of course, just having a private line into the good jobs doesn't mean the Runners are instant experts. They still have to complete those jobs. He is a Fixer who is ONLY good for work. But he's damn good at it.

'Mr. Johnson': This is the guy who works for Ares, or some other big name group. He's almost as deniable as the Runners.... almost. His authority and bankroll are limited, his biggest asset is that his loyalty to the corp is easily compromised by his freindship with his runners (if you have the rating), since it's just a paycheck. This is the default Johnson setting.

'The Johnson': This guy IS the mover. He's a good Corporate ladder climber. His loyalty is always to the Company first, though it can be 'equaled'. He actually writes the Jobs, determines the budget for them. He has no underlings as far as the runners are concerned, no middle men. He's got leeway the other guy doesn't have, but he's always got his eye on the bottom line. He also has a vested interest in the success of the Job, far moreso than the others. Ironically, this makes him less useful if you want the inside track into Company Man status. You are just as likely to be doing personal jobs as company jobs, and at the end of the day, if The Johnson goes down, so do his 'pets'. And if he thinks sacrificing them might keep him afloat a little longer... well, that's the cost of doing business. The most you can hope for is a 'fair warning' that you are being 'cut loose' before he throws you to the wolves.


Types of Fixers:

Former Runner: This guy is the most loyal to the streets. Not saying much, mind you. He knows how rough it is, and he's happy to be out of it. His contacts are going to be more useful to runners, but also ironically, somewhat redundant. The players will typically meet most of the same types of people he knows in short order. Typically, he is a good starter but he's always going to be an 'also ran' in the Fixer game. Maybe he even knows it. The good news is, you'll get steady paychecks, and the worst jobs won't make it past his bullshit detectors unless there is one hell of a pot in it. The downside is the truly sweet jobs are rare as a sunny day in Seattle Winter.

The Hustler: This guy is street as well, but he's never been a Runner. He's mostly flash. He knows a lot of people, but no one trusts him that well. His contacts are going to be different than a Runner's, but more criminal work. The upside? He payes well. The Downside: He takes a bigger cut, the jobs are dangerous, backstabbing is common, and you risk being tainted for legitimate work. Worst of all, this guy has no morals at all, either in the jobs he offers, or how he treats his talent. He'll stab you with a smile if the paycheck is big enough.

The Pro: This guy is the cream of Fixers. He's worked the feild, but mostly to learn the ropes. This sort of Fixer is sort of a spontanious creation of the universe, that guy who manages to get hired into high contact work, but doesn't stay long enough to become permanently assosiated with anyone. He's been a merc, or at least worked with them, he's done corp freelancing, he's even done a shadow run or two in his day. He's a close cousin of the Hustler without the street in him. But the biggest difference is that he is trustworthy. He has contacts because people like him, they like working with him. He does good deals, takes a fair cut and goes on to the next job. He has the widest array of contacts, has access to work across the spectrum, and can accomplish just about anything any other fixer can. Of course, he also is going to have several other teams of Runners in his stable, and you'll never have his undivided attention, much less loyalty. His success comes at a price, in that he owes EVERYONE something. While he won't like burning a runner team, he will just to keep the network ticking. This guy is hopelessly compromised in a thousand small ways, and you'll never know how you were sold out if that day comes. But at least he'll attend your funeral. In short... he's more honest than the Hustler by a long shot in the day to day, but in the long run he is the least honest of all.

Feel free to add to this.