So, the group that I play with just went from being the shing stars of LoneStar, with our own hit movie, to being on top of the `Star's most wanted list (framed I tells ya, framed!). Now we move from the corp paid apartment complex to the Barrens and maybe beyond.

Now I have questions on boosting services; matrix, electric, water, gas, etc. I know the info on boosting Matrix services are listed in Matrix and Target: Matrix but does anyone have reference for boosting other services.

Obviously it is going to require logging into a system monthly and hacking accouting records to show the bill as paid but what level hosts are we talking about for electric, water, gas, etc. Any thoughts and ideas? Any angles I am missing here?

-Wolf

Err.. I don't recall seing that stuff anywhere. I guess SSG would have it, but I don't remember reading stuff like that. I believe stealing such basic things can be covered by your lifestyle costs. If you really want to play the mechanics of it, you might have to invent some rules.

Incidently, I can't help but ask... why is the monkey in the branch?

It was in Shadowbeat.

But... all that's included in Lifestyle. Including bribes and greasing palms to get it without a SIN, so you never have to go into that level of detail. Just buy a lifestyle.

Right, that's covered by the Comforts portion of your Lifestyle (see the Sprawl Survival Guide).

If you're boosting Matrix access, that can increase your Entertainment portion by one or two levels for free, though I don't remember the exact mechanics involved for that particular one. If you really want to go into it, just treat it the same way for Comforts and your utilities. Boosting them would be about the same as boosting Matrix access as far as I'd be concerned metagame-wise.

Yea, I had seen things about boosting matrix service in Sprawl Survival Guide to increase your entertainment one point higher then you paid for it.

I was looking for more in-game ways to take care of it, hence the question on what kind of hosts we would be looking at.

-Wolf

Well as far as game mechanics are concerned I believe there are rules in the BBB. IIRC in order to get a certain lifestyle without a SIN they have to pay for the next highest level.

As for role-playing, one thing you might consider is giving the players access to NPCs that can help them, but give the NPCs quirks or other drawbacks to balance the advantages they provide the PCs....

For example: I'm planning on introducing a new NPC in my game based on "the Cable Guy" ala Jim Carey who I hope will "befriend" the teams decker, and thus establish a means by which the decker can access disposable MSP accounts as needed. The problem is "Chip" fancies himself a runner and is desperate to find a way into the business. With his over-active imagination he assumes anyone who wants to boost MSP services must be a runner. It just so happens that in this instance he is actually right! He will harass the decker (and his friends) to no end and, well, you can see where this is going....

That last one is hilarious

time to pull out R3 again. daddy needs a monkey-drone...

Don't forget the robotic advanced pilot

There aren't really rules for it. Screw rules, anyway. What does it take to boost utilities today? That, pushed into 206x, is what it'll take in Shadowrun.

Always start with reality, then extend to Shadowrun.

<deleted>

he really IS a cheeky monkey.