In at least one published adventure, the runners have to pass as homeless. I understand that the people checking them out won't be super suspicious, but still, how do you hide several hundred K of ware when pretending to be a homeless person? I can see some runners having a much harder time of this than others.

I think this is why Mask and Invisibility exist. Along with things like nano disguise paste.

If you even bother to go that fancy. One of my players splashes cheap booze on herself, occasionally pisses herself, and wears baggy, raggedy clothes.

To be fair, though, she was a homeless voodoo priestess before becoming a runner, so it's not that far of a step.

"Pass" for homeless? I've sceen plenty of PC runners that are homeless, it's the whole point of Street Lifestyle.

But there are Skills and other means, such as those Draco mentions, for appearing to be something other than what you are.

Most 'ware isn't obvious to visual inspection and some that is can easily be covered with clothing. There are also rules for detection of internal ware via scanners and reading auras, which means those methods are not foolproof. Typically the more expensive the 'ware the harder it is to detect. Plus so what if that rummy lying in the gutter has has a metal leg? It looks dented and rusty and he's limping on it. He's probably some burned out merc that ended up on the wrong end of one too many grenades.

P.S. In the current day the homeless rate for ex-military is much higher than the general population.

Unless you're going to pass through any kind of metal detector, one of those supermarket carts with an old blanket, some trash and bottles could hide your equipment if it's wireless is shut down. Some nano-paste disguise (with scars, infections and everything nasty), you're good to go.

Well, the adventure I saw had the runners infiltrating a homeless work camp. So they had to go to the social services office and sign up, and they were then bussed over to a work camp to help clean up the neighborhood.

I would assume at some point that they would pass through at least some minimal security check.

"I was a Desert War star I tell ya! A real combat stud!" *limp, limp*

DJ'd folks, some with some crappy headware of some sort or another, are going to be a dime-a-dozen in the streets.

Or just send in bioware/innocuously 'wared guy by themselves and then follow them over/through the wall later. If that adventure is the one I think it is that's what we did.

Yeah unless the 'ware in question is something high tech, it shouldn't set off too many suspicions. Besides, it this time period they're describing cyberware as "out of style".

If you're looking at Double Exposure, Bai Shen, then yes - the runners do pass through a security screening. The only thing the screening cares about is if they're armed or not. It seems implied that cyberware on the homeless isn't that unusual unless it's high grade-stuff, due to homeless bets or whatnot.

Yeah, Double Exposure is the one I'm talking about. I'm just trying to figure a decker and rigger, both with over 500k of cyberware, passing themselves off as homeless.

That might require a little handwavery from the GM though I'd imagine a 500K implanted commlink would pretty much look the same as a 500 nuyen knock-off on a cursory scan.

Does it scan as a cranial bomb? As some sort of physical weapon? If not, it gets past the security check. That's all that security check is looking for, weapons.

The next step is do the PCs act and have the outward appearance of someone living on the street? Clearly the prevue of the Disguse Skill (see page 118). If you want to give them a little bit of a die penalty for some obviously shiny bits of chrome showing [on the outside] or maybe for a skull jampacked with hardware, then have at it.

But I'd urge the GM (you?) to ask themselves "what good does it do to quibble over this". If you can't think of an interesting scenario or consequence for the PCs failing their test then don't bother test. Move forward to where the action is, they are on the inside. You WANT them there, right?