Hi, everyone,

(I tried searching for this, but couldn't find a previous thread.)

I'm planning on incorporating an airport into my next run, and I need to figure out how tight the security should be.

I've already decided that people will be required to set their commlinks to public mode. Obviously, there will be MADs, but I'm not sure where to put them. At most airports I've been in lately, you can access the terminal without going through a metal detector, and only have to go through security to get to the concourse. But in 2070, I thought they might scan you before you even stepped foot inside. What do you think?

And what other kinds of security measures would you put in an airport? Armed Lone Star guards? Magical security? Security cameras with face recognition software?

Any ideas are appreciated.

I think a big question is what kind of airport? Are we talking a big international hub like Heathrow, or a smaller domestic strip?

For the system to work there has to be a reasonable degree of freedom, else it would grind to a halt with the time and effort required to run in depth security over passengers.

Most likely there'd be a lot of guards, acting as a visible deterrent, and I'd stick in a bunch of chemsniffers. Most of the security would be post check-in though. No point running all those checks on folk just dropping off their friends or greeting people. To actually get on a plane though, they prolly run the works; cyberware scanner, a warded room you need to walk through, actual physical searches if anything looks suspicious and for flying while trog... Smaller places with smaller budgets would likely rely more on physical searches. They have fewer passengers so can afford the extra time.

YMMV

Well, if the only thing the guy has to declair is a pair of custom pistols, and no luggage, then he gets picked for the "Random" Full Body Cavity Search by the Troll Security Guard, and full-on Spectral Scan by the Security Mage and his gaggle of Watchers.

Which might be distraction enough to allow other people to get through with other things, maybe.

I think ornot hits on a key point. A large airport like DIA (I see you are in Denver?) would be a nightmare if the goal was to evaluate every single passenger for potential threats. The strategy there is to make the place a death trap for anyone brave or stupid enough to try anything. Your runners may have a little more leeway to spoof their way in and move about, but they should have the feeling that a big clock starts ticking down as soon as they are detected. Exfil ASAP.

Now smaller airports would likely be far more numerous by 207x given the widespread use of aerial taxis. Most large corporate facilities would maintain small heli-ports if not fully equipped (but small) airports. The baseline security at these places might be a little tighter, but there would be a finite and predictable escalation of force, similar to any corporate facility.

In other words, a large international airport like DIA would go from 25% to 110% deadly at the drop of a hat, but a small corporate heli-port (of which there are many) would have an escalation like 50% -> 75% -> 100% allowing your runners some time to do shadowy stuff if need be.

Basically, you just take every possible sensor that'd be useful and put them inside the security check. There's no need for them to have wireless on and they'd probably be wired to the security terminals to prevent hacking.

But don't overdo it: they didn't have 9/11 in Shadowrun and I don't remember any big terrorist attack involving plane hijacking or anything like that in SR. Besides, Nation-States don't have a lot of money to spend for airport security.

Airport security at major airports will be tight, while private airstrips will have as muc or as little security as posisble.

For an international airport expect a lot of "invisible" security For example, cameras, choke points, scanners, and dogs. There will also be magical counteragents. Wards and mage-cuffs are going to be quite common.

Don't expect to be able to take spell focuses on flights or cyberware without restraints.

Heavy wards, MAD, chem sniffer, bomb-sniffing dogs/drones, plenty of people with guns and random strip searches (all passengers are required to get to their terminal half an hour early to allow sufficient time should they be randomly selected for a full cavity search, for your safety). Security will be tight for those coach-flying passengers. On the flip side, this is dystopia, so imagine they miss a lot and they pick a lot on the wrong people. They'll stop the one guy for a 4 oz. package of apple-sauce, but then miss your disassembled handgun in your carry-on.

Of course, as you throw more money around, things get easy. You better believe no business class passenger is getting searched, and they get the 'express' security line.

Private airports are set up however you'd like.

Generally, I'd model airports as slightly more advanced versions of airports today; high technological security with generally inept and underpayed employees. Corporate attempts to minimize costs and maximize profits would only exacerbate the problems we see with TSA personnel today. If you try and get through any kind of detection point without proper preparation (ceramic weapons, cyberware jamming), expect to get caught. Main points of weakness would be the susceptibility / unreliability of people, and the runner's initiative to plan beforehand. Social engineering rules here.

Also, I disagree with the mage-per-airport logic. If anything, they have FAB-based detection systems, and perhaps a small number of watchers. Hermetic corporate resources are busy guarding important things, like top-secret research labs a half-mile under a Z-Zone.

As required by your plot... Do you want getting past the security to be a big part of the run, or not? You can basically make it nigh impossible, requiring weeks of preperation and bribery, or make it 80s cyberpunk and say nobody really cares.

Terrorists used a plane to take out the Sears Tower in Chicago in the SR timeline.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

The airport is supposed to be a big international hub; I'm using DIA as my main inspiration. The runners aren't going to need to get on a plane. They're goal will be to steal some data off the commlink of a corporate exec as he passes through the airport.

I think the main obstacles will be the guards, some passive magic protection, and cameras just about everywhere. The runners won't have to deal with any serious scans to get into the terminal, but with the guards around, they'll have to make sure that they're not too conspicuous. As long as they can get their data without any major mishap, they'll be okay, but if they get caught, or rouse suspicion, they'll have a bunch of Lone Star guards to contend with.

Some armed guards are going to be a given, but the security guard at every metal detector may not be packing. If you decide you want them to be armed, then your generic guards have some kind of light armor jacket and a light pistol, and then for a major international hub, there's probably a dedicated rapid reaction force on standby somewhere in the airport. Think your generic SWAT team, ready to respond to any incidents at the airport. MAD and chemsniffers are a given, along with security cameras in high traffic areas and on the security lines. Magical security is probably pretty minimal, but there might be one or two mages on staff, especially if the airport serves Denver, where you'd likely have a lot of important people coming through.

A combination of magic and explosives, according to the Neo-Anarchist Guide to North America. AFAIK, no sourcebook ever mentioned the involvement of an airplane in this.

No, somewhere some idiot wrote there there was this giant insurance fraud/defamation plot that involved blowing up a dozen airliners in flight. This was used as the start of the whole Shadow Run business. Naturally nobody got caught because it had the power of PLOT behind it....

No, that was a magical demolition job by the Alamos 2000.

This is one of those sites where a high force long term bound spirit would work. Force 12 spirits get 8 average successes on assensing, and they are hugely hard to target if they have magical guard/counter magic.

Depends on the airport, really. Some are lax, others aren't. Just like real life.

In the UCAS and CAS, the security is probably not going to be too tight, well, except for New York. England is going to have heavy Magic Security (Due to their politics.).

Israel is... Well, hell, Israel sets the high bar for security today, why would it change?

Aztlan. Well, um, well... With all those laws and everything, your asprin that you keep in your kit bag can be considered heavy contraband and get you a visit from the Blood Mages!

Some European Countries, you can probably get through some of the more chaotic country easier with obviously fake papers and a subtle bribe than you could with legit papers.

Africa, just try not to get shot out of the sky as you enter/leave.

Austrailia, well, Mana Storms.

And, of course, the main issue with lots of flights now are "Non-IFF Using Flights", AKA Dragons and other Para-Critters big enough to take on a Jumbo Jet.

I advise using Zepplins. Slower, but a lot less issues.

I'd point you to the Travel and Smuggling Section in Runners Companion. It admittedly is designed to teach runners how to bypass the security, but it mentions the type of security and the protocols that various locations use (Train Stations/Airports/Bus Stations etc)

According to California Free State and Corporate Enclaves, LAX was destroyed by an earthquake in 2028.

I was inspired...

I read that as LAX and not "lax, as in relaxed" too.

You read that correctly.

If I meant LAX, I'd have written LAX, not lax.

And I'm sure it was meant as a pun, as well.

A light pistol? What do you think they'll be shooting at? Cockroaches?

Last time I went to an airport, BWI had pretty standard handguns, tac vests, probably bulletproof vest under that (I wasn't really looking) and some dudes with shorty M-16s. DEN had guys with normal service handguns, but I don't remember seeing any vests (they could have been there, but I just don't recollect).

Granted, DeeCee area might be unusual. Our train stations have guys in body armor with M-16s waiting. But I would assume they will have, at minimum, armor vests and medium or large handguns, equivalent to police (since they usually are police, either TSA or some sort of federal DOT police). People with automatic weapons should not be unheard of. The guy with a light pistol and light armor jacket maybe is the redcap outside.

Enter the guys who got the short end of the stick, and only has the quality which gives them astral sight. These are the guys who aren't good enough to be paid to stand over a corporate negotiator's shoulder and tell him what the opposition is feeling. Don't forget though, airports are big business. Like any important target, they will have at least a mage or two around and on duty.

(I like the suggestion that the security checkpoints are warded.) Likely the security all have those nifty glowsticks that light up when magic is aboot.

"Have you seen the SIZE of cockroaches recently??? You'd need a PANZER ASSAULT CANNON to take them out!"

"You've just been to Chicago, haven't you?"

"How could you tell?"

Actually all the security stuff goes out the window when you switch over from Commercial to Private airfields. Hell, even the private area of Commercial airfields have a totally different security framework. Mostly it is "Don't piss off the big spenders". You hire/own a private plane, you got zero problems with security. You going over to the office (looking to rent/hire/buy/etc), you got zero problem with security. Mostly, they won't even talk to you other then the guy at the gate.

I think with private travel it pretty much is the same as a cabbie driver. The pilot may do a quick security check that would be all. I would expect they would be more concerned with the aircraft's ability to fly then if you have a toothbrush with you on the plane.

As for international flights I would take the international airport in Dubai as an example. When you come up to the building there is a first level quick security (manly you walk through a metal detector and any metal devices would be checked out. In SR I would expect that they would use a cyber detector as well and maybe a quick astral scan as well). After you check in you go through the second security check point where you have to do the usual put all your watches, chains, rings, cellphones, etc into a bin and hope you still don't set off the detector. This takes you to the waiting area (which is more like a minimall at the Dubai airport). Then you go through the last level of security before boarding the plane. This is like the first check point but random people are pulled aside and their carry lugage is checked by hand. The three levels concentrate on different areas (the highest concern for the area your going into) and this speeds up the process greatly. I imagine in a world where corporations control everything they would want things to be safe but efficent. I could see a series of detectors built into every doorway you have to pass through and they would indicate individuals that are potential threats (these people would be pulled asside and checked).

Ares isn't going to worry about the people who are Ares wants armed being armed on their planes. It's ensuring that they really are who they claim. Full biometric ID to start with, which would be compared to the main Ares records, which better show you being assigned to travel on this plane. If you have odd things (like cyberarms) that make it difficult to do a verifiable ID then you get extra-special treatment.

Something I'd like to get opinions on in particular is how mages are treated.

I'm guessing they might have a line for the Awakened and anyone watchers pick up as Awakened that tries to go through the regular line draws a red flag. In the Awakened line, they get all the ID checks to make sure they're a licensed magician and all.

I'm going to be using this shortly, as the PCs in my game are going to need to get into an airport to catch someone before they get on a plane. One of the PCs that will be there is a SINless Maya shaman that doesn't have Masking yet. So, with a setup like this, I'm guessing the best way for her to get through it is just a fake ID and magician's license. Are there any alternatives? How would you set this up?

Bluff, lots and lots of bluff.
"Awakened? No sir, I assure you I'm not awakened. Aura? I have an aura? I'm a mage!?"

Remember that there is the Quality: Astral Sight. Those people (whose who haven't burned out from getting a point of ware, of course) have a useful but very limited skill. Besides having them be Astral Spotters in combat squads (for the military minded) and teamworking/building low level wards, they are likely to be hired to stand at important security checkpoints (like at the airport).

By the 2070s most airports have probably already been privatised. Hell, BAA Airports Ltd. already own and operate a number of the largest airports over here in the UK like Heathrow plus own or manage airports in foreign countries as well.

Generally I would also model an international airport after today, and add technology to cover the gap.

-underpaid airport security
-Radar scanners checking every passenger through single file entrance
-Chem sniffers looking for chemical explosives
-Magecuffs for magically active people (don’t want them to hurt themselves going astral accidentally)
-Inhibitors for wired people (they might loose control by accident, for their protection)
-All luggage scanned and X-rayed
-Spot checks on random passengers
-High sensor software to analyze and interpret data
-Cameras with facial rec. software going through international criminal photo lists.
-Item database for recognizing threat items in luggage
-All items and people go through a field to destroy RFID tags (might disturb navigation)
-All wireless appliances are turned off (High fines if they go online during flight)

See I don't think that SR Airports would be like today. I would think that if the Megacorps had taken over they would want to have good customer service to those who pay for it, and "default" (read really, really, really shitty) for those who can't. I would expect that security check points are set up like priority queues with Corp Execs and hyper elites being only given a token scan down, while the SINLess masses would have to bend over and cough (scale the security in between as appropriate). The key to the system is being able to spoof yourself as an elite, high paying customer worthy of bypassing airport security (plus you need to look the part as well). You may even be able to get away by spoofing yourself as a long term wage slave with good standing in the corp that owns the airport (allowing you to be magically active, or cybered up the yazzo, but you still wouldn't be able to bring guns onto the plane).

Then use my list and remove a few security measures per customer "lvl"

ALL: Tourist
SOME: Business
FEW: Exec
NONE: VIP

Tough has the GM needs is a good answer.


Just remember that cyberware is going to be very common by 2070.

Looking at the 3 to 6 thousand already being spent on Lasik eye surgery, cybereyes are also going to be extremely common.

And for injuries cyberware also remains cheaper and so much faster than forced grown transplants. Just take it out of the box and slap it in.


I do wonder how heavy security on board the flights will be at least as far as cyber restraints except for Spurs and the like.

Based on the current size of the military in the US (talking infantry and marines only), some thing like 1 in 18 men would have at least Wired 1.

If a airport security guard passes 500 people through in an 8 hour shift, then over 40 of them are going to have military cyberware.

Add in enhancements for sports, injury, or on the job and you are talking about a LOT of people to put cyber restraints on.


The best way to keep from being hijacked is to just not let any one in the passenger compartment in to the cockpit.

Something goes wrong you flood the compartment with knock out gas.


Not to mention some people might not like to see service men/fire fighters/law enforcement and security personal treated like criminals (cyber restraint cuffs).

Especially since Orcs and Trolls are already that strong. Unless you are going to "Profile" and require all Orcs and Trolls to have remote taser restraints on in case they go berserk?

Ok, thanks guys. There are some really interesting ideas in this thread.

I can certainly imagine Humanis sympathizers trying to legislate that, yeah.