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Solstice
Hey guys,

The GM is working all day so he put me in charge of NPCs for tonights run. He says he needs a Novatech security team (exactly what kind I don't know) and some security "schemes" for a top secret Novatech and/or Renraku lab. I think by schemes he just means what kind of security and where it's located (generally) and anything special. I'm combing the net and the books that I do have but anyone have any advice on any kind of notable schemes that either corp has? Or any idea where to get ready made NPCs? I can make them just fine but it would save some time. For the "security team" I was thinking a company man, a heremetic mage, possibly an adept and maybe a gun bunny. I don't have much experience building NPCs for SR so it's difficult for me to guage the challenges and I want to make some unique NPCs that will be remembered. Any advice?
Thanks in advance.
Wounded Ronin
Well if it's a corporate security team, I'd build a coherent fire team.

Several riflemen or SMG guys, one guy with a SAW, and then maybe 2 mages for magical support. Give them all hand grenadesDepending on how expensive the facility is, the grunts might have wired reflexes or something, or maybe APDS ammo.

Anyway, the basic plan would be the SAW man uses some kind of machine gun to constantly lay down suppressive fire, and the riflemen take aimed single shots. If targets get close enough they fling grenades. The mages might have a few elementals on call at level 4 or so, but they'd be mostly alert towards providing spell defense unless they had a great shot to take with magic.

That's the way I'd see it.

Plus, since people with combat training tend to be in better shape, I'd give them baseline attributes of 4 or 5 instead of 3. Intelligence can be at 3, but for the mages maybe it should be 4 or so.

The key thing is to use the fireteam in a very effective tactical manner. That will make the party remember them.

EDIT: If it's an important "top secret" lab then maybe there shoud be two such fireteams who communicate with each other and attempt to set the party up. I.e., 1 team tries to pin the party down with gunfire, the other one tries to get into position to grenade them to oblivion.

Alternately, if it looks like that wouldn't be practical, both teams could just lay down a *lot* of suppression fire (i.e., both the riflemen and the SAW people dump their 10 rounds per turn at the party) and the mages could simultaneously sic all their elementals on the party. Air elementals make a lot of sense for corporate security since they can envelop the party and make them pass out for questioning later.
Solstice
QUOTE (Wounded Ronin)
Well if it's a corporate security team, I'd build a coherent fire team.

Several riflemen or SMG guys, one guy with a SAW, and then maybe 2 mages for magical support. Give them all hand grenadesDepending on how expensive the facility is, the grunts might have wired reflexes or something, or maybe APDS ammo.

Anyway, the basic plan would be the SAW man uses some kind of machine gun to constantly lay down suppressive fire, and the riflemen take aimed single shots. If targets get close enough they fling grenades. The mages might have a few elementals on call at level 4 or so, but they'd be mostly alert towards providing spell defense unless they had a great shot to take with magic.

That's the way I'd see it.

Plus, since people with combat training tend to be in better shape, I'd give them baseline attributes of 4 or 5 instead of 3. Intelligence can be at 3, but for the mages maybe it should be 4 or so.

The key thing is to use the fireteam in a very effective tactical manner. That will make the party remember them.

EDIT: If it's an important "top secret" lab then maybe there shoud be two such fireteams who communicate with each other and attempt to set the party up. I.e., 1 team tries to pin the party down with gunfire, the other one tries to get into position to grenade them to oblivion.

Thanks for the suggestion, I think that would be just fine and certainly realistic in terms of HTR teams. There are only 3 PCs I guess I should have mentioned it.
lodestar
If you're really pressed for time just take one of the published modules and steal a team out of there. Corporate Punishment has several good security teams that could easily be quickly modified in their gear to suffice, but then that's something your GM should have came up with.
Solstice
I got the basic gunners of the team worked out and the mage(s) built except for his spells and foci...need some help on that.

Also I don't know how to make the overall security scheme of the place.
The White Dwarf
Well, if its a top secret facility, theres 2 kinds of top secret.
-Top secret like right in downtown where ppl blend in and wear plainclothes
-Top secret like middle of nowhere with military soldiers patrolling the grounds

Pick which one, gear the npcs appropriatly and bear in mind what the PCs can bring to bear in each situation. For example, PCs can certain use big guns and obvious armor in the second; but in the first they may be limited to pistols and lighter armor. Also, in that first one, no way the security is gonna bring grenades if theres civilians around an undercover area, but theyd likly have assualt rifles or better in the second.

If theres 2 mages (which may be overkill depending on how *you* personally deal with them, Id use 1 stronger one for my group just fyi) have one focus on defensive measures and another on offensive. One should sustain armor, do spell defense, etc while the other lays down some manaballs and flamethrower spells.

Be sure its tough for the players: if its top secret and highly sensitive the players probably *should* lose a straight up fight. Make sure they could win if they play smart and use surprise and stealth.

When you lay out the maglocks/cameras make it challenging but passable. Maybe something like 100% coverage but the cameras have to each go offline for 10 mins every 2 hrs for backup, so they could sneak by in sequence or something. Also, maybe give the players a chance to shine here and avoid all the guys mentioned above entierly.

Just some ideas.
FlakJacket
Novatech prefers to use non-lethal measures since that then allows them to interrogate the runners later and try and find out who was behind the run and why. Plus if it's a top secret place you get to pull out all the stops- Novatech used to have their Delta clinic located in the Pueblo Corporate Council so the first thing you can throw at them is another country.

Multiple rigged security systems are a must. Security barriers and gas traps are always a good idea. I figure the guards themselves will be either assualt rifles/carbines or SMG's with one guy a team with the combat shotgun. Gel rounds or capsulse rounds with something nasty in them, switching to APDS if they have to get serious. If you give them grenades make them ones like stun grenades, neurostun, slip-spray or those goop ones that stick you down.

Edit: You absolutely have to make it so that all the weapons security use in the place have the Biometric Security accessory. All the security personnel will have their palm-prints on file and loaded into all of the different weapons but if any of the runners try to pick them up they wont fire. smile.gif
jezryaldar
Curious, would anyone else put in a security rigger??? And if there was one, how would you suggest they get past him/her??
Solstice
Yeah I was thinking the same thing....pretty hard when your decker can't even touch him.

I was informed that we actually have two facilities involved on of both flavors mentioned by White Dwarf.

The in-plain-site facilitiy is Renraku and the Novatech one is middle of nowhere militaristic.

Now I'm working on the two different schemes and looking for maps.

Thanks for the suggestions thus far has helped flesh our the situation alot.
toturi
Yes, I can see how secure facilities can have a non-Matrix Interlinked CCSS networks, but I would be wary of putting them in-charge of areas larger than they can handle. The way I play it, first the Sensor in question needs to detect the intruder, then the rigger makes the Perception check as specified in Rigger 3 or any equivalent TN. So after Mr Runner trips a pressure pad sensor, I would make the rigger roll a Perception against TN of 6.

Also the issue of Matrix Interlinks has never been answered to my satisfaction. If the decker tries to deck a CCSS he receives a huge penalties. But to me Matrix Interlinks represent the rigger's attempt to control or recieve data from things from the Matrix, where the decker should have the upper hand. So my idea is that if there is a Matrix Interlink somehow, the rigger would have to fight the decker on the decker's terms as if they were in the Matrix.

For the various NPC, I suggest you reference the MJLBB for more ideas.
DrJest
As someone already mentioned, Novatech like to capture rather than kill. I'd arm the gunners with the Ares ELD-AR assault rifle, which fires paintballs on full auto - then refill the paintballs with a DMSO/Gamma Scopolamine combo. A backup weapon of a heavy pistol or machine pistol with APDS rounds would be appropriate. I'd also recommend the use of security drone - a rather nice one is the Sentinel "P" series, which runs on rails throughout the complex, or the technologically more natty Guardian vector thrust drone, which also has a rather good storage/rearming facility that allow it to swap out weapons on the fly. All the above found in the Corporate Security Handbook, I don't know if they made it into any of the later books.
Critias
I'd just keep 'em with standard SMGs or assault rifles, but give 'em a 3:1 ratio for ammo, clips of gel rounds versus EX or maybe APDS (they only go for the "real" stuff when it's hit the fan, so standard military ball might not be hardcore enough). Concussion grenades (IPE, of course, the Corp's footing the bill) as standard, maybe even a flashpack or two (if they've got decent smartgoggles with flash comp built in).

You might find they're more effective at winning a fight than someone who's just waving around a regular gun, btw. All the stun stuff in SR can end a firefight pretty quickly (and that's not even counting gas grenades).
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