So I was sitting down reading some of my old scenarios that I had written back in the middle of SR3. I noticed that they fell into 1 of 2 categories: Too little security or too much security. I'm not sure why some were way too over secured and others of the same type weren't.

My question is: When is a good security plan too much security? For those 50 karma characters is it alright to have patrolling Force 8 spirits with high flying drone coverage and security guards in full body armor walking around with hell hounds just for a measly 25K ? At what point is too much security not worth the nuyen, or the risk?

Just wondering how you guys gauge security levels and what is your standard security response.

I'd say 'Any security that makes the run a suicide is too much' and 'Any security that makes the run a cakewalk is too little'. This sort of thing depends on your players, and I'm sure some would argue with me, but nevertheless.

Of course, if the players go looking into something that they can't handle right now, and insist on doing it, you shouldn't tone down the opposition. They're being stupid, and should pay the in-setting consequences for that. Don't turn Z-O into a cakewalk.

However, you as the game master establishes who's hiring them, and while from time to time in setting, runners get 'geeked' by a run way out of their level, that sort of thing isn't really fun for a player. Or at least, I don't find a run where I die instantly or semi-instantly fun, and wouldn't GM one for my players, either. This isn't to say not to make some runs quite challenging, it's a gray area, but there's a difference between 'hard but doable' and 'just write up new characters, you're screwed'.

As for the example? Force 8 spirits and full security armor dudes, for 25 =Y=? That does sound rather ... extreme to me.

You could always just set a budget. Total security budget equals total nuyen paid times some multiple.

I tend to set security at levels that make sense when considering what is being secured and the budget that can be funded.

It is irrelevant of the experience of the runners. The GM should be choosing the proper level of resistance to match the runners.

Any security that is so tight that the facility cannot be effectively used is too tight. Sure, you could have giant metal doors that only open after completing a full background check every four meters, but that would make the place unusable.

Any security that costs more than just rebuilding the place every couple of months is likewise over the top. Corporations look at the big picture, if a facility costs 2 million nuyen to start up, they aren't going to pay 500,000 nuyen a month to secure it.

-Frank

What would be nice is some sort of security levels similar to the old color codes for SR## node security. You know, some sort of general catagories.

Any suggestions?

well theres always the neighborhood security levels. from AAA for the insanely rich and secure, to Z for the barrens and other combat zones.

those where mostly about lone star response times and response styles, no talk about expected on site security level and density of sensors and locks.

sounds like a workable system.

...agreed it would be especially useful for when the runners take a tangent you didn't plan on & still would like to give them a challenge. I think I'll use it next SR4 session I run.

Made up an adventure for the players that involed a recovering an object from a museum. The Job itself had no set time limit, except that they were told there was probably another shadow-team working to recover the item for another client, and that there was the possibility that the item in question might be transferred to a different location.

As this is a museum that housed other expensive historical artifacts security was tight, and several checks were made on any request by an outside agency for temporary ownership of its more precious items. Cameras broadcast, but did not record, and any commands were broadcast to a receive only node, along with the camera feed. Pressure plates were hardwired, except for a few that had been installed in the past 5 years. Motion sensors and trip beams were simular. Axcess during the day was easy, but held several witnesses and a fast lockdown procedure. Axcess at night was tougher, but response time was considerably less.

The security system was hard wired and could only be assessed from a few hard to get to points, that the team decided would probably not be worth the effort getting to.

A separate adventure happened while they were planning.

At one point a player realized that it would be easier if some of the key players for the security force called in sick or gave up information that could not be found by searching through databases.

The Human resources system was wireless out of need and lower security measures than the rest of the building. The Hacker got in and got the employee files. All that was left was to convince the employees to cooperate.

They also slowed and tested outside respace time by causing several false alarms. Cat in the building, stone with angry note through window, local gang hired to have fun then leave, stolen van abandoned in parking lot, and anything else that the players could think of to make the Outside security force's first thoughts be, "Oh, groan, not again."

The mechanic had managed to come up with a good cover, infiltrate the facility, tie the power to the security computers to a wireless relay bypassing a step-down transformer to a highpower juntion.

They hired a gang to distract attention from the facility at the time of the run by doing a drive by grenading at a different facility also owned by the Security Company in question, as a different runner team attacked a 3rd facility with the sole purpose of getting in and out while making as much noise as possible. The fire-alarm was tripped turning off mag-locks and openining escape routes as mandated by the local Fire-Marshel. Sprinkler systems were set only to activate in area were an actual fire was detected. (Nothing sucks worse than having your priceless antiques distroyed by water damage when the fire was on the other side of the building in the employee lounge.

For dramatic reasons I had the opposition eliminate 1 potential employee problem for each one that the runners did, and their assault was to go off at the same time as the runners.

Originally, the security was at impossible levels for the runners, but with the main Security Rigger having to leave on a family emergency, his replacement delayed, the third Security Rigger, a disgruntled empoyee, convinced to quit and run the shadows, things became easier. The security measures were fully known.

If security is set to high for the runners to overcome they should be given a way to lower it through hard work. The Job paid 100K and cost them about 40K and 2 weeks to compleate.

Seconded