Hey guys, I've seen a couple of new runners around lately and thought I'd give some advice (listed below). Nothing frags a meet with the Johnson than your troll street sam thinking that an assualt rifle is a sidearm. Note that the local law enforcement will not agree with that assessment--Der Nacht


SOP for Street Sam/Physad while not expecting trouble:
1st: Face masks-not just for air pollution. Use it to hide face, many styles to choose from.
2nd. Cyber wireless-keep it to a 0 (or turn it off), and make sure it doesn’t link to your PAN.
3rd. Concealable holster+weapon (pistol/knife). No more than 2 extra clips. In any event, smg’s and heavier can be stored in the car. Unless you expect the car to be searched.
4th. Armor: up to a jacket is OK. Any more you may be asking for a lot of questions.
5th. Avoid cameras as much as possible, but be inconspicuos to. Walk casual.
6th. Dress like you want to blend. Yes even the troll should do that.

SOP for Hacker in this situation:
In addition to the street sam:
1st. Constantly scan for hidden nodes.
2nd. Always keep your eyes on the cameras. If noticed-remove the footage.
3rd. Hack the J’s commlink----you’ll learn if he/she knows what the frag he/she is doing (don't get caught either!!).
4th. Change Icons, daily or more if needed.
5th. If remote hacking-find a coffee shop or other public nexii to connect to.

SOP for the Mage:
As street sam plus:
1st. Counterspelling is always up for you and your team.
2nd. Having a spirit or more on call is always a good idea.
3rd. Sustained Improved reflexes should always be up/sustained.
4th. Ditto for an armor spell.
SOP for the rigger:
 
Same as street same and hacker:
1st. Use a drone wherever possible.
2nd. Note what Johnson is driving (consult with hacker later).
3rd. Extra armor is good, but so is an observation drone.


Hey, you other professionals out there may have some other bits of advice. Especially those in different locales such as Lagos, and Tokoyo, where proper protection may dictate different accessories.

It should be pointed out that most Js are going to bring a blank commlink to a meet. It -might- have the ability to pull some funds to pay for the job (And you might be able to figure out how much he is authorized to pay from that) but is otherwise unlikely to contain anything useful.

If it does contain more info, you could be dealing with a novice, or you could be dealing with an overachieving backstabber.

Always remember to bring a knife. Always. Besides the fact that it is a potential melee weapon, it is much more importantly: a knife. It has tons of uses, most of them involve cutting things. You will never find yourself in a situation where you say "Gee, I really wish I didn't have this knife on me." so bring it.

Depending on where you are meeting, a lined coat would be considered acceptable as armor, but some places you might get in trouble for anything more than armored clothing. The general rule is: the more the food costs, the less armor you can bring. Same goes for weapons. In some places it would be foolish to not have a weapon showing at your side, and in some it would be suicide to do so.

White noise generators are your friend if the J didn't bring one of his own. Be suspicious if the J didn't bring one of his own.

While fly-spies are larger than their namesakes, very few places that you would meet a J have well lit ceilings, use this to your advantage. And just because you aren't a rigger is no excuse to not have at least one of these things on you. They can do all kinds of useful things: Surveillance, scouting, grabbing keys or datachips, create distractions, all without the intervention of a skilled rigger.

Emotitoys are your friend, they are common enough to not raise eyebrows if obvious, and if disquised are even better, running that body language analysis software is a great way to gain an edge, but never assume you're the only one at the table doing so.

I'll second that point regarding disguised. I've seen Johnsons put a bullet in one of the more obvious ones. You also have to be careful...thet emottioy software only gives you emotional information. I've (on more than one occasion been the Johnson and conned those things. They are not really good at discerning that stuff. IE the fake from the real.--Der Nacht


PS:Always Always baby your drink.

PSPS:This message brought to you by a 3shot Gin and tonic (with limade)

Armor has a glow. I would have thought it should be kept off and an armored jacket/lined coat used instead for a 'low-risk' meet.

Also active spells/focuses and astral barriers don't go too well together, and chances are the meeting place is warded.

True about the active foci, but then again all you need to do is reactivate them. Go to the John and refill the sustaining foci. But just check to make sure the privy is indeed private.

I guess this also goes to the dress appropriately for Street Sams, also applies to mages foci to some degree.


PS: Yes the armor spell does crackle when hit, but is not noticible otherwise. At least that is what my casting of the spell looks like.
PSPS: What does a low risk meet look like? I don't think I've ever been in one.

whitenoise generators create noise.

Indeed they do, which makes it harder to eavesdrop on your conversation. Generally you don't want people listening in about how you are going to kill X at place Y at time Z.

you do understand that everyone else can also hear that noise? and that the noise it not pleasant? nor does it blend into the background of the area you are in if you feel the need to use one in the first place.

most everything else posted for suggestions are good suggestions, like everyone has said before to make note of your environment changes what is and is not acceptable. that particular one is however not useful at a meet in public with a johnson

I think the idea is that you move to a back room and then turn it on, to foil any spybugs. In a bar it'd look somewhat rude, yes. Of course, some bars offer privacy features themselves.

In that sense I would agree, and it is a good suggestion by karoline,
Any johnsons that do not know the PC's would not want want to be anywhere but in public. unless they come with a high reputation or at the recommendation of someone with a high reputation.

Actually real world white noise generators can be fairly unobtrusive, there are alot of things that can be done outside the range of human hearing that hash things up for electronic listening devices, for this reason I've played the ones in SR as being better versions of the same tech.

You forgot to mention duct tape. A knife and 10ft worth of duct tape can take you out of ANY TROUBLE.

It looks exactly like:
There's always trouble, there's always risk, otherwise there would be no use for this list.

As Garou likes to say, and I quote "paranoia is only a condition when there is no one after you, because when there is, it becomes a lifestyle"

I guess this means that our SURGEd troll with mood hair, quills, and 6 foot long arms stays in the van, huh?

Probably---either that or mask him to look like a normal troll. He could also go with a long coat and a hat, and fold his arms.

Of course he may be fine for the ganger bar in Redmond.

Wear whatever the highest etiquette skill team member suggests is appropriate for the meet. You can always kill your team mate later.

Wear whatever the Johnson is paying you to wear. If you don't like wearing it, charge more.

There is no need for the whole team to be near Mr. J. Best to have the Face and 2 heavies with backup nearby.

No one can tell you're wearing FFBA if you keep the hood and the gloves off. Always scope the meet place out, preferably with UWB radar.
You can sometimes use the cops to your advantage. Since the basic idea of a meet is exchanging info, not bullets, a little police presence helps that idea.

Yeah probably.

For the face, one problem you have is you kinda need to be seen. You can't obstruct your face with a mask or a helmet. It is most important you dress for the Johnson. If you haven't dealt with this Mr. Johnson before dress for the establishment your meeting in. In a dive bar or other low end place. An armor jacket or lined coat. But for a high class establishment the Auctioneer Business Suit if a must. If you DO now your Johnson from previous dealings then you want to dress him. If he wears a suit to that low-end dive eatery he meets you at. So do you. And some johnsons always wear a suit.

Hiding your face can interfere with negotiations but a nice hat or wig, sunglasses and a fake beard is almost as good as a face mask. This can be good advice for anyone in the group as its not quite as obvious as a face mask.

Its also important to know WHO introduced you to the Johnson. If Mr. J calls you personally with the job and you don't know'em be worried because they obviously know you. Usually a Johnson through a fixer and your fixer calls you about the job. If Star is planning to use the meet to arrest you chances are it will be done when you arrive for the meet. OR they'll nab you in the act of performing the job you were hired to do.

Giant shoulder pads, spandex (cod piece optional), sequins, big hair, platinum blond or white are most common, but other colors are acceptable. Giant boots. Leave your equipment in the bus, but make sure you know how to improvise. Bring a pen, a knife, a few of your favorite drugs, and your sexy 'stache.

and to scare the Johnson you can adopt a Stallone slur in your voice and scream "I am the law!!"

Meeting in a public place to talk about future criminal activities for money always seemed a bit silly to me.

One of Johnson's skills should be "Find and acquire secure, private meeting location."

**

I think players (this includes GM's) forget that Shadowrunners are dangerous people. Johnson wouldn't drive down to the edge of the Barrens to hire a soccer mom for a shadowrun. So, yes, the troll may show up with the barrel of an FN sticking out the bottom of his trenchcoat. If it "offends" Johnson's sensibilities, then Johnson needs to go back to Accounting.

It's called being inconspicuous.

Generally speaking...

Actioneer Business suit.
Light Pistol of some variety.
Mirrorshades.

Indeed. Coming without any visible weapons only suggests you're packing a lot of hidden ones. One "polite" pistol is much better - of course, only one that's actually legal. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression on the bar staff.

Fixed it For Me.

Except that groups meeting in "secure" places are oh so easily found and compromised. Crowds allow one to blend in, and talking in a way that it gets swallowed by environmental noise (people, music, gunfire, whatever your preferred ambiance) is oh so much more effective.

And as for the knives, those are so 50's. A ceramic telescopic staff on the other hand, is quite useful and makes a beautiful impression in a bar fight!

I second the light pistol or holdout pistol being discreetly visible. My personal favorite is a hold out which uses stick n'shock, since I generally don't like killing in front of people who pay me (unless they ask, of course)

You know, I almost forgot. There is a second outfit to wear to a meet depending on what your recon says about it.

If it's a shitty dive bar and/or in Redmond then I switch it up a bit and wear an:

Armoured Jacket
Heavy Pistol
Mirrorshades.

Think of meeting with Johnsons as meetings for an interview. Dress up, dress smart and most of all dress in a manner which will impress the future boss.

Situational awareness. You don't wear a suit for an interview for a construction job or worn paint spattered denims and a loggers shirt for a job at a bank.

So if the Johnson expects a certain subset of shadowrunner - dress like them.

Funny, this is exactly what went wrong for the guy in the Actioneer Business Suit yesterday. He managed to "fix" the impression he made by one-blow knocking out the orc that tried to slap him about though.

Seems to me like the J and the runners may both have motives for meeting in a 'public' place. Not all J's are ICP's, and meeting a dangerous bunch of shadowrunners in a dark alley may not be the best idea. There are plenty of Runners with corps enemies who would view a private first meet with outright paranoia.

When I lived in Las Vegas, the local paper voted a small strip-club (Larry's Villa) as "The number one place to plan your next felony." My hand to God, this was in the newspaper, and if you've ever been to Larry's, you might agree. The place was loud, smoke-filled, dark, had strippers near the end of their careers, multiple emergency exits, and muscle on the door. Perfect place to meet a J. Loud, loud music, and plenty of strobe lights means less ECCM, and as a bonus: naked chicks!