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MaxHunter
Warning: very long post. I need to organize my ideas and I am using this forum. Help really wanted.

I want the next run to be memorable because the lives of some good, long-played characters are at stake. I am the GM and there are still some things I haven't decided so I surely appreciate any ideas. We play a very grim but cinematic, player-centered game.


Players: please do not read on. SPOILERS AHEAD






Situation: a group of three runners have got carcerands in their blood and 72 hours to find some prototype and associated data buried deep at Ares heart and extract it while, if possible, inserting a virus and erasing all traces of what they left there.

We are playing SR4 in 2062. The object and data in question is a data module from "Gagarin"; Yamatetsu's probe in "Wake of the Comet" and most especially, the records of its mission. The runners need to extract the data and delete copies of it. How they came to this beleaguered situation is explained better in the "revenge in the shadows" topic : here

The three runners surviving are:

- "Darko": a serbian sniper / adept with some bio and astral perception. He doubles as a light Matrix runner.
-"Uknar Gun": a Sioux orc street samurai, a "tank" full of cyber and bio. Combat, very tough and some social skills
-"Hunk": a dwarf former company man, high on perception, reflexes and some general skills. Has a pet hellhound "Heckler" which he doesn't take to runs. Used to work for Ares and hates their guts.

All are quite good at infiltration and excel at combat, they are around 130 karma. We are going to play this run in two-three sessions.

What I have decided so far:

In the first scenes of the story the runners will fake their own deaths at the hands of Yamatetsu to avoid Ares from looking for them. Immediately they will have to solve some small scenarios while they recruit a couple runners to complete the team. (this first part comes from what the players told me they want to do...)

I want to play this like those scenes on stories when they are gathering the team, picking up people at odd locations. Think: the begining of "Neuromancer", opening scenes of the "A-team" or team assembly in "Armaggedon"...

They will pick up a decker in Boston. They will have to rescue him from the Mob or something. I don't know yet, but it is a NPC they know and they sure will need a decker. (some ideas here would be nice!!!)

They will surely need a good mage also, haven't thought much about it. There are twp retired PCs I could use. One lives in trans polar Aleut with some indians and the other got crazy in a run Yucatán and was last seen in Panamá, talking with himself about an upcoming "spirit war"

Note: I would probably call in someone to roleplay one or both these characters.

The team will also include a rigger (friend of the party) and a female elf weapon specialist NPCs (one of my favourite NPCs, developed from the archetype, 70 karma )

I know the climax of the run would involve ducking it out with a couple elite Firewatch teams in power armors right after they -hopefully- got the goods (I have stats for those)

I can imagine the epilogue from what the players told me they want to do. It would involve some heavy handed deals with Yamatetsu (kind of Bourne negotiating with the CIA), maybe some revenge and the team moving to another country.

I am having problems with the core of the plot, though.

What I don't know yet:

1 -Where would this run take place? -I am considering four options, in order of preference:

a. Some "Area 51" type of corporate compound in the middle of the desert. (think of the movie Resident Evil 3 )

b. Number 1 at Ares Plaza, Detroit. (Mission Impossible 1)

c. Ares Space at Cabo Cañaveral

d. Some Ares secret orbital lab. Like the "Spindle" or something.


2-Mid-Scenes. These questions are closely tied to number 1

a: What kind of security would this location have?

b: What kind of plans of infiltration would the runners come up with considering their abilities and the time limit?

c: What kind of activities should be completed prior to the run in order to accomplish the plan you suggested for b?

3-What kind of complications could come up in the run itself that would make it more memorable?



If you can help me solve 1 and 2a I am sure I can think 2b and 2c. But If I have some ideas myself I could nudge the runners into the funnier plan, considering there will be two NPCs participating in the planning and executing of the run.

I desperately need ideas for number 3.


Cheers,

Max



Edited to add spoiler warning.
Dashifen
QUOTE (MaxHunter)
1 -Where would this run take place? -I am considering four options, in order of preference:


If you're thinking something like the bunker in Resident Evil 3, I'd raise you the concept of the mansion outside Raccoon City. Let them infiltrate some kind of out-of-the-way location that isn't cut off from civilization. Don't make it a mansion, that's a little obvious. That has the added benefit of combining both the first and second ideas: a bunker in the middle of nowhere and a intracity complex too.

Alternatively, put it in an arcology of another color. Instead of a tall building like the Renraku arcology in Seattle, make it a corporate housing sector. Underneath the housing sector is the R&D lab (or whatever).

QUOTE

2-Mid-Scenes. These questions are closely tied to number 1

a: What kind of security would this location have?

b: What kind of plans of infiltration would the runners come up with considering their abilities and the time limit?

c: What kind of activities should be completed prior to the run in order to accomplish the plan you suggested for b?


Phew ... for 2a, that depends on where you put it. But, for Ares, nuyen wouldn't be the limiting factor but remember the harder the security is for runners to beat, the more invasive it would be for the workers when they're trying to do their jobs. Build a very secure environment, but leave some holes. Maybe a number of the guards lick out early to go drinking. The runners could exploit that in a number of ways, if they find out. Or, maybe there's weekly shipments of supplies (chemical agents or something) which the runners could exploit.

After that, most of the stuff in the physical security section of the SR4 manual (I misremember the chapter ... it's the one after the Matrix chapter, IIRC) would probably be appropriate, but don't be afraid to think outside the box. Even something as simple as a guard cage (a room with a one-way window through which all personnel must past) with scanners that can catch bad guys some how.

The worst one I've ever done was a radioactive substance placed under the skin of all employees. The scanners in a guard cage were set to detect the isotopes of the radioactive decay and the personnel were all treated for the side effects (pesky radiation sickness). Those sorts of thing can ruin a team's day, but they do make for a memorable run.

I'd remember though that the biggest part of a memorable run is how you get out of the trouble spots. So you have the guys in the guard cage and they don't have the thingy that would get the out. They can't see the guards due to the one-way glass but the guards can see them. The mage is on full counterspelling and defense when the sammie redlines his cyberarm, goes through the glass giving the mage the LOS she needs to wipe the floor with the guards. Meanwhile the hacker can now get the doors open. An illusion sustaining focus and a powerful trid-phantasm later, and the team is in the building, maybe with no one the wiser and they just beat a security system they never expected to find.

In other words, just because it's unlikely to succeed, doesn't mean that it's not dramatic and AWESOME! if it does. Where is emo_samurai when we need him biggrin.gif

As for 2B and 2C, that's mostly up to the players. Be prepared for some heavy surveillance of the target area, but don't draw it out. Make them do a few perception tests, get a sense of their rotations (to see if anyone gets fatigued), figure out if they're watching the astral or matrix activity, and see if they might get found. In the end, though, move quickly beyond passive, stake-out type leg work and into following and interrogative (aggressive or otherwise ) work because it's more interesting. Nothing kills the fun of a game than too much die rolling to see when they get information. Just say something like "You watch the place for 8 hours. It sucks. But, you get lucky. At about 9pm, three guys leave, pile into a ford, and head for town. You look at [insert-name-here]'s notes and realize that they did this on Tuesday, too" and the players will be all over them.

QUOTE
3-What kind of complications could come up in the run itself that would make it more memorable?


If you're going for a Mission: Impossible style, then betrayal is always an option. One of the ringers on the team might sell them out. Death is a good option, too. Especially if the ringer can be in the game for a few sessions. That way other players can get attached to the NPC before you kill it. But don't kill it stupid. Let it go out saving a PC or something heroic.

Also, check the character backgrounds and see if there's something you can farm out of them. If a character has a sister or some other relative that they've lost contact with, maybe said sister is now working on the premesis and might end up in the line of fire. Or, if there's a Criminal SINner in the group, make that come back to haunt them if they get caught. Is there a smoker? Make the chem sniffer find the cigarettes he forget to take out of his back pocket.

Finally, never under estimate the power of detailed descriptions of the giant explosion the players inevitably cause at some point. And if they're not exploding something, I'm not sure you can call it a Mission: Impossible style run biggrin.gif

Oh ... and someone Hunk knows has got to be at the facility, too. Old co-workers are always hard to shoot in the face. Well ... not always. In fact, sometimes it might make it easier!! smokin.gif
kzt
Given the 72 hour limit I think you are trying too much. How long does it take to find a smuggler to get you to these places and back? Remember, they can't use any contacts that they have except at really high levels, cause they will sell them out. How are they going to pay the expensive smuggler?

I'd expect they would need 72 hours just to case the site, plan the attack and get away.
MaxHunter
good points both of you, and many thanks, now:

@dashifen: really good ideas there, I agree completely with "watching the tempo" I do not want to spend much camera time on stake outs and planning. I want to gloss over details and, as the runners now they are dying, they have some motivation to speed up things too. (I believe I would enjoy your games, I find your style and mine similar)

I would probably go with the "Racoon city" angle, it sounds like fun. So be my guest and suggest a name and location for a remote sleepy town with a ultrasecure underground complex underneath... smile.gif

I will take the guard cage idea too. Probably using cyberscanners and an implanted RFID tag. ("look at that strange wrist tattoo everyone has in this town") The "weekly supplies" hole could be used... and I had and idea about an interesting way to present it too...


For complications: well, considering Hunk's past, someone will probably recognize him at some point, and he has a secret friend still working at Ares so he might be able to contact him somehow....

Plus, the carcerands are going to start degrading a little faster than expected, presenting the runners with some surprise nausea checks at not approriate moments and such (I am thinking tension-enhancing not crippling time) Now I need to find a in-game reason to blow everything up at some time... (or better, have the runners blow everything up for me... mmm....)

@kzt: True. I forgot to mention resources; the runners have one fixer buddy (4/4) that might help and their other fixer (3/4) was caught with them and has the same carcerands problem too! So, there are many contacts available via those two if the runners mind to ask. The runners also have some high loyalty contacts they might get in touch with, namely a Wuxing exec (4/4) who is into smuggling. They also have their own Ares Dragon, some Saeder Krupp Fake IDs for the vehicle, one unpaid favor from Seattle's governor, one from a Lone Star lieutenant 3/2 and 100000 nuyen for expenses.

I will describe someone (the fixer? their pilot friend?) getting in touch with the NPCs but for the hacker and/or the mage who they will have to rescue and "hire" themselves. I also expect the runners to come up with some ideas to make the poison act slower... Someone mentioned "binders" at the end of last session and I am willing to let them buy some extra time if they present with a good plan. Mind you these are and have been extremely resourceful and clever players and did surprise me in the past with excelent ideas. I also help them gauge the feasibility of their plans with world information that the runners might know / probably think of. These guys ask lots of interesting questions. Our style of game is more cooperative than antagonistic. However, runners have died and these runners in particular have been severely beaten in the recent past.

I usually plan the other side's activities and responses well before the game and improvise from there, then it is mostly a "runners vs. environment" thing.


Thank you both for your contributions, some ideas are already brewing up in my head. Feel free to comment and build on this if you come up with something else.

Much appreciated

Max
Riley37
A possible outcome:
The PCs succeed in gaining possession of the target, but their plans for extraction/exfiltration fail. They end up cornered/bunkered. Ares doesn't want to use heavy firepower on them, though, for fear of the goods getting damaged.
Ares tries negotiation... and Ares says it can cure their carcerands.
It might not be possible to figure out a deal that both sides trust the other to keep, but it's a possibility to consider.
FriendoftheDork
Ok, here are my ideas:

If I read you correcytly the probe data is worth ALOT to Ares. If so, they wouldn't just keep the data and a few copies in one location alone. First of all, the network with the data will be off the matrix, and additionally they should have 2 backup copies in two different locations on either terminals (not connected to ANY network and with highest clearance only), or on two hardcopies protected by vaults.

So an idea might be that when the runners think they have got the copies, they learn from the node in question about the extra backup copies (not to far away, in the same city preferably), and has to rush to these locations, brute force through the security, and destroy the extra copies. This could be the climate of the run, where Firewatch teams attack the runners and they have to make desperate assault to destroy the data and then start worrying about getting out alive.

Locations: The problem with having the data or backup data in the middle of nowhere is that it takes time getting there. A possible solution could be to have a convenient chopper on the landing pad of the building with the data, that the runners can highjack and use to get to the secret underground lair (I love those) wink.gif

A city close to a desert could do, like Las Vegas or some such.

Security: Sky's the limit. Good wards on every entrance to the underground lair (spirits and mages cannot go through actual earth remember), security checkpoint with better than average guards supported by drones, cameras at almost every angle, either a wireless network protected by WiFi/low signal rating or a complete wired system the runners can't easily get into without line tap equipment. And of course traps. You gotta have traps! Gas coming out of the walls for example.

Motion detectors should be used frequently, that turn on whenever anyone with the right implanted RFID tag leaves the room and vice versa, gun turrets at strategic locations to hose down the runners should they trip alarms (SFPs with HMG), a local response team of special forces or HTR team ready to engage, critters?

Plans: If the team only has 72 hours, they will need support from Yamatetsu. This makes sense as Y wants this as badly as them, so they should be able to recieve surveillance footage (with danger points marked out), and whatever info Y can get from the locations. I'd still like to keep the info about the backup data out of the runners hands until the end, but for the rest they should get everything an AAA corp can provide - which includes pretty much anything in gear that isn't too obviously Yamatetsu - after all they don't want Ares getting an Omega order against them.

They could potentially get info about someone from the underground lair living in the small town. When they try to get him to get info, they find out he has not only some security but can defend himself as well! But there should be no sign of that, it should seem he's living in a quiet neighbourhood with his family.

What are Carcerands? Poison? Nanobots? Can it be reversed, and if so can Ares do it?

Complications: Well the "sorry-mario-but-the-princess-is-in-another-castle" thing is almost bad enough, but if you really wanna do it tough you could have one of the NPCs you mentioned already compromised by ARES and forced/bribed into helping them. The team could catch the person sending info about them to Ares, or even directly sabotage their work at some point.

That's all for now - need food smile.gif
Jack Kain
Of course one possible trick is the Carcerands are completely are non fatal the runners are just suppose to THINK its fatal so they do the job. Say its a weapon designed to simply incapacitate soldiers.
kzt
I'd suggest that you not have the information extracted from the probe. Have it sitting in a secure clean room at the main plant where ares assembles space probes while ares tries to figure out how to open it without triggering the thermite around the memory module. The players know how to disarm this (or at least they SHOULD be able to disarm it if it wasn't damaged...)

If it's been copied on the network you can NEVER be sure it's really all gone. I'd expect it's all over the place and copies are stored off-line in secure places, etc.

Of course, their isn't any way for Yamatetsu to know whether the data was really all destroyed or not in the time frame given. Weeks later they might know that it wasn't....
MaxHunter
Good ideas, everyone.

The city close to the desert will work.

I am placing some traps for sure. I think remote pop up turrets with HMG is very Ares indeed. Deep in the complex will come the
[ Spoiler ]
I am really considering calling the secret compound
[ Spoiler ]


about carcerands, well, they are a kind of nanobot that works as a capsule, programmed to open at a preset time or if certain conditions are met. In this case the runners do not want to risk filtering their own blood because they might as well crack open and release their agent on time to kill them.

What's the agent they are carrying? Well... I haven't decided between a dirty mutant version of carnage (a radioactive virus) or some prototype neurotoxin for which no know antidote exist. I am edging towards the first, as the runners consider Yamatetsu "the russians" and the players clearly remembers that RL polonium incident. There are probably some solutions but the timeframe is too restricted. Just analyzing the nanobots without knowing the compound takes a Nanoengineering (24, 1 day) test. none of the runners sport a nanotech contact....

[BTW] If it were my character I would probably look at the cover of "Nanotech Today" magazine and kidnap that guy and force him to save me instead of working for the scumbags that poisoned my blood. However, I do believe I was pretty convincing when I was torturing them. They know the big Y wants the probe so badly they could never hide for long, even if they survive.


Things are shaping up!

Cheers,

Max


Ryu
Location:
"Sunny Hills" is an Ares Corporate Enclave close to Vegas. Its main purpose is providing the best living amenities Ares scientists might want for.

As it is in the middle of nowhere, matrix security is only strong on the outbound servers. Even physical security does not have to be strong, there is no human rubble to keep out.

Both overground and underground research facilities are present. The secret facility is in a sandy? (made mostly from sand) hill on the outskirt of the enclace

Proceedings:
Yamatetsu can arrange for transport, and fast. Unfortunately "fast" still takes time. Have them search for a smuggler. Provide bad ones. Have fun if they accept one of those, if they don´t (intent here), they should by now feel the lost time.

Once on-site, they need to reach the secret compound. Their problem how. Have only light security outside and have the hacker find a list of delivery companies from the matrix marketing of the enclave.

Inside job. I´d consider
[ Spoiler ]
.

Getting out and back home should eat most of the remaining time.
Mercer
QUOTE (MaxHunter)
So be my guest and suggest a name and location for a remote sleepy town with a ultrasecure underground complex underneath...

Harmony. (Being a big Prisoner fan, that's what I'd go with, although any ironic name would work, Salvation, Prosperity, Eden and so on.)
MaxHunter
Yeah Mercer! I was thinking "Liberty"... but "Harmony" is so good...

BTW: ryu, "Sunny Hills" is a go.

Nostalgic Jester
Wow, just finished reading this thread and the "revenge in the shadows" one.

Weird scenario... I feel truly amazed at how different, yet valid ways of playing Shadowrun are out there!

Actually, I would need some time to "rewire" myself in order to produce material you can use in this particular situation. Nevertheless, I love challenges.

When are you pulling this off? Maybe I could come up with some ideas... in less than 72 hours wink.gif .
MaxHunter
@nostalgic Jester: I am curious; how is my style different to what you are used to? (I think my scenarios are somewhat original sometimes)

Well... we just had a short session where I started rolling the plot. The runners have found out about a place called "Sunnyhills" and have an idea of its location, but not much else.

They also picked up the NPCs and are having problems with the hacker and the mage who are essential for the runs success. The mage will come next session if the player shows up, and the hacker needs to be rescued from a mob-run hotel in Boston. -The runners are already on site- and moving fast towards extraction. We played a couple hours and stopped because most people had to work tomorrow. They came up with one of the best, most hilarious plans for the extraction in a long time!!

Cheers,

Max
Nostalgic Jester
You did notice I said "different yet valid", didn´t you? Because I was just making an observation without any intention of being derogative and maybe you think I did...

I assume our styles are different (as well as our players styles are) because the described scenario would be impossible to happen in our table. Okay, I know I am not giving out what I was asked to, but doing so will cost me some precious time that I think said differences aren´t worth.

If you are really interested and were not just testing if I meant to disrespect your style (which was in no way what I intended doing) I promise to elaborate on the subject if you ask me to.
MaxHunter
don't worry, I did not get "derogative" at all.

Just curious to different people's styles. I do would like to know why that kind of scenario would be impossible t happen at your table. (and that out of pure curiosity, nothing like "mine is better than yours" or anything) So, yes, elaborate a little...

BTW: you should check Emo Samurai's gameplay sometime, It makes my games look like Robert Altman movies. grinbig.gif
FriendoftheDork
Hey Max, you owe it to us to post an update on what happened in your story smile.gif

In return I will finish my latest AAR update before I leave for Thailand wink.gif
MaxHunter
True!! For now not much has happened. -we got together once and didn't play for more than three-four hours because some had to work the following day-

But, without further due, I tell you what happened in the new, exciting episode of the series: "Carcerands time"!

The runners got in contact with their street doc, who took samples of their blood and started analyzing it, but didn't promise much. Then they contacted their pilot friend "Gibson" (a rigger NPC who had been in the original probe run and escaped getting captured because of pure luck and coincidence) Gibson was obviously quite paranoid, hiding in a hangar were he keeps the party's Ares Dragon. He had hired some Triad thugs to keep guard. They had a little encounter with the PCs but this was sorted out without problems. In the hangar, they got Gibson updated and assigned him the task of picking up the original party's mage and meet them later.

[ Spoiler ]


To complete the team they needed a mage and a backup runner. Their primary fixer -who is also living in carcerands time- sent them a weapon specialist to be the backup. She also had a run-in with the triad thugs, without any problems. Third came a team of Ares Company men who had heard the team was compromised and wanted to clean any company connections with that run (namely, Gibson) Gibson's precaution paid off and they were spotted by a spy drone before arriving. The Ares team was ambushed by the triad goons, the team and the elf weapon specialist. Predictably, the company men were wiped out. The team moved to another location rigging up the hangar to blow up and burn some minutes later. Gibson took off to Vancouver and to the North.

Next, the team started moving contacts and handing out money (they collected some 40k for expenses) in order to find out the possible location of the Ares compound. They contacted some guys in Yamatetsu to ask them for further intelligence. The runners also started making preparations to fake their own deaths after the run. They also prepared a preliminary list of equipment they would probably need (explosives, infiltration gear, etc) and gave it to their fixers to gain some time. But they still needed a competent hacker and they did not know any.

Their fixer and partner-in-disgrace told them that the best hacker he knew was currently unavailable because of some problems with the mob. If the party could rescue him on time he would be an essential asset for the Ares run. The runners agreed and were smuggled in a T-bird to Boston, where the hacker was an unwilling guest in a mob-run hotel. (think: Payback)

Even with the T-bird, they lost some precious hours on the trip. Luckily for them, one of the runners -the ork samurai- had ran in Boston some years ago (in game) and had a couple contacts he could use. Most useful came to be a high-class elven hooker that the party had helped in the past. Last year, she had had some problems with a stalker. Her friend the ork sammy, together with the team travelled to Boston and shot the bastard in the face. She was still grateful and she had been inside the hotel before. Under the instructions of the runners, she talked to some contacts, mob pimps and former clients and got a room in that hotel for a "party". Once inside, she would contact a bell-boy she had met who would probably know where in the hotel the mob kept the hacker. The runners quickly prepared a plan, which was aptly called "Putas y Trompadas" (in English something like "Punches and Hoes")

They would arrive to the hotel dressed up as some pimps with two prostitutes (the contact and the elf weapon specialist in disguise) The girls will be wearing miniskirts, high-hell boots, cowboy hats and fur coats. (they will surely be searched at the entrance so they will be mostly unarmed- they will try to smuggle a narcoject pistol, a light pistol and a knife-) The runners plan to go straight for their room, call the bell-boy and extract the information they want from him. After that, they want to give the elf contact a dose of Laes they have, strip her naked and leave her in the room. Then use infliltration to get to the hacker. Then, they would knock his guards silently, disguise the hacker with the prostitute's clothes (he is also an elf) and leave via the front door. They bought a disguise kit and the ork sammy just bought an epilator! :grinbig

We got up to that. Before they could initiate the run they got a call from their contact in Yamatetsu who told them about "Sunnyhills" a lonely town in the desert where they suspect is the secret Ares facility. The runners contacted the t-bird smugglers again ("Elvis" Szeto and his crew, haha!) they also called Gibson and notified him of the new rendezvous point. He would have to arrive at the desert with the mage and the rest of the runners' gear on time. They have less than 59 hours left.

Cheers,

Max



Mugzug
It is too bad I didn't see this earlier!

I made a run a while back which was very mission impossible-like. It was based off of that small blurb in corporate wars about raiding the Ares Station Daedalus. I have a whole write-up and scanned map of the space station. It was entirely possible to finish the mission without firing a shot, but I pulled a bluff on the players.

I had some guards responding to an emergency elsewhere in the space station 'running towards' the players. They were going to go past them.... But one of the players lost their nerve and shot at them! They ended up doing a spacewalk to evade security, and had to manually disable weapon systems on the space station so their ride could escape without getting blown.

It was a data-run too, and would have easily been switched around.

If anyone really wants it you can send me a PM.
FriendoftheDork
Nice story Max, I love the Putas Y Trompadas miniquest biggrin.gif

I feel a bit bad about the hooker though, or did she agree to be drugged and act the fool? What is an epilator?
Stahlseele
QUOTE (FriendoftheDork)
Nice story Max, I love the Putas Y Trompadas miniquest biggrin.gif

I feel a bit bad about the hooker though, or did she agree to be drugged and act the fool? What is an epilator?

she's a hooker, they don't have to agree, they get paid for that . .
epilator is something masochistic women(and men) use to get rid of hairs in unfavoreable places by ripping them out if i remember correctly . .
FriendoftheDork
QUOTE (Stahlseele)
QUOTE (FriendoftheDork @ Dec 17 2007, 12:48 PM)
Nice story Max, I love the Putas Y Trompadas miniquest biggrin.gif

I feel a bit bad about the hooker though, or did she agree to be drugged and act the fool? What is an epilator?

she's a hooker, they don't have to agree, they get paid for that . .
epilator is something masochistic women(and men) use to get rid of hairs in unfavoreable places by ripping them out if i remember correctly . .

Considering she helped them in willingly drugging and leaving her potentally to be killed is not a very nice thing to do, no matter her profession. Then again this is SR not Heroes&Saints - my team would probably have done as bad, if they didn't have a thing for elf chicks wink.gif

Epilator... ouch that hurts. I think I used one of my mole a few times. Now, I just cover it with a mustache instead.
MaxHunter
well... she does not know about the full extent of their plan. They actually thought that was the best they could do. presenting their chain of thought: they believed that If they left her drugged, naked and with her memory erased she would certainly look like a victim of the plan and not an accessory to it. They might be right. They certainly intend to kill the bell-boy. Of course, survival is their issue right now, morality is certainly not.

And oh! dear Mugzug, I do want whatever you have. I am trying to use the forum pm function with no success right now. All I get is an intriguing white screen. Let's see...

Cheers,

Max

Ps: Friendofthedork, pick up the gauntlet and tell us something about your group!
Mugzug
Yeah i get the annoying white screen often to. The only way I get around it is by click "X new messages." I can't get profiles either.

But at least I see you got through!
FriendoftheDork
Well Max it seems I'm a bit delayed since I got a suprise job interview tomorrow and had to spend time getting my papers right.

Still, should have some time after the interview or even wednesday. I'll do my best to get it done before I have to go, even if it's the last minute!
Fortune
QUOTE (MaxHunter)
I am trying to use the forum pm function with no success right now. All I get is an intriguing white screen.

For PMs, click the 'x new messages' link at the top of the page and manually PM people from there. wink.gif
MaxHunter
thanks, I got it through.

Cheers,

Max
Nostalgic Jester
What´s "derogative" standing for where i used it? Mmm, english is not my first language so there should be some perfect reason for me doing so... wait... What the f***!? It doesn´t have any sense in spanish either! biggrin.gif

About the differences: on my table runners live on the "cracks of society" and only for as long as they manage to keep their ugly heads low. This is as true on a gunfight as on any other kind of situation: the very moment their cover (physical or otherwise) gets truly blown it means (almost always) that it´s new characters time.

Plain corps (not to mention Mega´s) are way to powerful for them to oppose (nor defend against) should any of these come gunning down for them, so only if they screwed up really horribly will I choose said path as it will be some kind of dead warrant (yet sometimes it has been fun for all involved smile.gif ).

Besides, we stress the "punk" side of Shadowrun... There´s no f****** way they will choose submission over the precious opportunity of biting the "hand holding the leash"... and I will throw myself out of the nearest window if they did so (after finding some semi-logical reason to slaughter them all).

Now that I have thought it more thoroughly, maybe the biggest difference we have lies in our players and is because mine would have gone the opposite way of yours (suckers all of them, yours and mine biggrin.gif ) is that your scenario seems so alien to me.

By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the course of action chosen by your players... err... isn´t the brightest nor the one with the highest aspirations? I mean, they are willfully choosing to become the whores of the corp thugs who just tortured them and poisoned their blood by doing something that will be (at the very least) as difficult as solving their carcerand issue and getting even with said fuckers! Jesus, is like watching one of those movies where you scream: "no, not that way, the other way around! What the fuck are you doing!? Oh, come on..."

Ok, that wasn´t polite (though somehow sums it all up) and I´ll take it as a good sign that I´m sleep deprived enough, so for the time being i´ll call it quits. I promise to check up soon how it all went on, cheers!
MaxHunter
Got your points! I take it your style is "blacker" than mine. That's perfectly all right with me. I also do not get offended at all by your less polite remarks. (though the players probably would) I do believe they could have chosen a less submissive approach. -The "Nanotech Today" approach- However, I would like to stress some points.

a. We roleplayed the torture sessions and the following "negotiation" at Yamatetsu's safe house. I can assure you the NPCs were pretty convincing and effective in their methods. -much more than I even expected- It is highly likely that the runners didn't have the time or the serenity to really think things through. The moment they realized they were already en route towards their first contact meeting and the Ares Run.

b.The players consider this approach fun. I think that deep in their hearts they wanted to perform this kind of run. Under this kind of conditions. It is so cinematic... "Time is running out, Mr. Bond"

c. The characters are rats. It has been stressed many times over the campaign that survival is their first priority, money coming second and payback a third. They have had their heroic moments, but even then they have been anti-heroes. It's very cyberpunk, that.

See you around.

M;


MaxHunter
holy thread necromancy Batman! I just got to post that, FINALLY, we could managed to get together to play this run. After a two month break due to exams and my players going on holidays to remote beaches while I stayed here at work, it's quite satisfactory.

The run itself took four sessions to play: 1 captured runners, 1 legwork and minirun in preparation for raid at Ares facility, 1 for the run itself, 1 for its bloody conclusion. It came out real well, very cinematic and edgy.

When I get some rest I think I could post what happened. Now... I ... need... sleep...

Cheers!!
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