The group I run with have asked me to do a little mini-campaign for them. With a little time on my hands, I agreed. I've been casting my mind back over the best stuff I ever played and, for me, the highlight was when the plotline got personal. There didn't have to be huge financial rewards at the end; if anything, you might even lose out financially (part of the grittiness of Shadowrun that I love). But it's got to be personal. Fortunately, the players are keen and most of them have written really good back-stories that I'd like to try to tie into the plot arc.

So what I'm looking for is this. There are some talented writers on here and I wondered what we could cook up together. If anyone is interested, please have a look at this and see what you can do with it. I'll leave it open so that people can feed off each other's ideas. I'd like this campaign to bring tears to the players' eyes.

What do we have to work with? Well, as soon as I figure out how to do spoilers, I'll start dishing the dirt.

Right, here's what I've got to work with so far:



Any takers?

I'm still thinking about it here. Sorry for the wait but I read this just before karate and work last night. I'll be posting up some ideas soon.

What kind of adept in Alex, btw?

Enigmo is a interesting blurb but what drives him from the safety of the stage to the uncertain world of the shadows?

A bit more background on these two would help me out.

John and Arthur have the most backstory so they get the cool emotional drama. Everyone else can learn a lesson.

Here we go...

Brian gets a tip that Ares is looking for something in Chicago. They're not sending in a heavily-armed firewatch team, thought. This is more like accountants and hackers. Guessing that whatever this McGuffin is, it would be profitable to sell it to Ares' competitors (and hurt Ares), they start looking for it, too.

Blah blah blah legwork, shooting, etc. Eventually, everyone gets a note about the next room...

... Brian, Alex, and Enigo: You burst into the data center of the burned-out office. The floor is littered with the dead bodies of ghouls and Ares personnel. At the end of the room, there's a standoff between a few ghouls and a woman in an Ares jumpsuit. Two children cower behind her.

... John: You burst into the data center of the burned-out office. The floor is littered with the dead bodies of ghouls and Ares personnel. At the end of the room, a woman in an Ares jumpsuit is pointing a top-of-the line Ares pistol at your brother, who is with two other ghouls. There are two children behind her.

... Arthur: You burst into the data center of the burned-out office. The floor is littered with the dead bodies of ghouls and Ares personnel. At the end of the room, your ex-wife and kids are surrounded by ghouls. She has a light pistol.

Hi, psycho and Memeurgy. Thanks for your reply. Where in Washington State are you? I used to live there a long, long time ago (in Seattle, actually, which is how I got into SR). Some stuff for you and anyone else interested in the spoiler below. Thanks.

Brian and Tin get hired by an old Ares contact of Brian's to watch two freaked out kids in a secret location as a "protective detail" with another 'runner they've never worked with before. It doesn't take long before they start to realize that this "protective detail" might not be as benign as they first think, and this other 'runner has some sort of issue with Tin...

Bob, Enigmo, and Alex are hanging out one night when Bob hears from a random contact of some sort that a woman has been looking high, low, and in-between for him. She seems a lot more like a soccer mom than anything else, so their curiosity eventually got the best of them. Any idea who she might be, homie? He's thinking about who it might be when his ex-wife shows up at the club, eighteen kinds of stressed out, and starts to very nervously telling him that she needs his help to do a quick 'run for her. Enigmo and Alex see this conversation from across the room and wisely decide that interruption would be a bad idea judging by how BOB seems to be reacting to the woman's presence...

The realio dealio: Bob whacked an Ares exec's, who wasn't an exec back then, brother and now she finally has the money and power to make that sumbish pay. She digs around and finds out about Bob's ex-wife and kids, hires a bounty hunter/'runner to kidnap the little bastards and uses them to squeeze the wife into going to Bob to tell him about a ambush she wants Bob to run into for the exec. If the wife doesn't get him to do the deed, the kids are toast...
Of course, the real deal is the wife is being followed by an two-man Ares neutralization team and they're just trying to make sure that Bob is alone at the time of the meet. Seeing a pair of 'runners across the room scoping the conversation with interest, they are trying to figure out how they can pop the dwarf without getting into a crossfire with his apparent crew...

Ooooh, dastardly! Those are pretty evil, Psycho and Memeurgy.

There are one or two logistical issues, like Bob's ex-wife and kids being in London, but those are both excellent. Thank you both very much.

If anyone else has anything to add to the good work these two have done, please feel free to add to it, or suggest alternatives. A big thank you to the two of you for the wickedness you have created.

The big question in my mind is this. Does Bob still love his kids?

If so, Christ, it's easy. You've got a tailor-made villain in Brian and a tailor-made weak spot in Bob's family. You want easy, simple, and won't cause inter-party conflict? (Sorry, Memeurgy, but I really can't approve that idea because it sets PCs against each other.) Doesn't get easier than this.

Brian feels like he;' still got a score to settle with Tinman, but he needs a way to get his attention. He knows Tinman's a good soldier, and anything targeted at him he'd KNOW was a trap. So he does a little research... and lo and behold, looks like one of his new friends has a tailor-made weak spot. Brian takes Bob's wife and kids hostage, but lets a message to Bob "slip" out. Now all he has to do is wait for Bob and friends to come running in... and if he has to kill some of Tinman's crew to get even, well, hell, civilian casualties never really concerned him. And it's not like anyone will miss them.

In fact, I'd have him actually SAY that last part. If he survives, he could make a good recurring villain as someone who now wants the CREW dead -- and if he's working for Ares, well, that could cause problems....

Nasty idea, Tsuyo, but Brian is a pc too. He could turn Tinman in at any time: Tinman has a criminal SIN. So far, he's been very loyal.

Besides, turning on your crew is about the only unforgivable sin to any 'runner regardless of skill level or specialization. You better kill them all or there's a very high chance of needing a corp to take you in for protection, let alone to work for them.

To get quickly personal. Split the group make both think that the others been kidnapped can be fun.
Or:
1) some one in ares is wanting bob dead (the reasons up to you)
2) Anne tells Brian that ares has a boonty on a dwarf and wires a pic. (its Bob)
3) Acting on this how he will (most likely trying to help his friend)
4)Most likly Alex, Tin and Enigmo and Bob if some one wants to help him (this will happen if there going to help or kill bob)
5) now the path splits to save bob the will need to clear his name/kill the corp exe how wants him dead.
6) cleaning up after what ever happens as a reward have some nice swag in the place they raid if the wack bob ares could whack them as they think they know to much or just hand them the cash and thank them.

Of corse this rough plan s just that. any help. I dont want to stop you form using any other data you get. As you can see I cant make much for the ones who are only slightly back storied. Again the group may split on trying to save or kill bob then it turns in to a race between them trying to call off the bounty before he gets killed.This race is still on Part of me would have a group of gangers go for the payday while ares assassins are waiting in the wings. (sorry to psychophipps for kind of stealing your idea came up with it myself then read yours)

No, it works, Dumo: it sorts out some logistical issues. It was going to be hard trying to get Bob's wife involved from London. Your way goes some way towards ironing a kink. This is what I wanted! Yay! People building on other people's good ideas. Thanks, guys. Keep going!