Im setting up a mission for 2 rookies, one experienced (though not gifted rpger), and maybe one experienced leader type (hopefully). I want to work it around the two rookies backgrounds and abilities. One is a mechanic, and does a little illegal sidework, so this will be his first actual "run". The other (first ever rpg), is a wilderness survival expert, (macgyver-like) electrician/chemist-lots of knowledge skills type.
As of now a Corp is going to hire them to go to Alaska/Canada area to recover a drone/probe device, and repair it if possible. Mission is top secret so stealth is important.
Behind the scenes-the device is located in hostile ground (military or corp property-what have you) so a little muscle, or stealth tactics will be needed. This is why there is an actual shadowrunner on the mission. The device also turns out to be tactical military type, and may lead to other missions revolving around it.
I know how I will set up the intro and meet, but I would appreciate any suggestions to mission details, or ideas. Im not really into double-crosses (too expected and way too played out thanks to FASA), but I am open to all suggestions. I want to make sure I keep the flow going and the rules simple, keeping the rookies interested is the main goal.
We just planned the thing tonight and set the run up for the 17th so I need the help, to make it great.
Full Version: GM for Rookie Runners
Hmm,
How are they getting there? Will they provide their own transport, or will their employers?
How are they getting the drone back (is it too heavy to carry?)
What kind of clothes/survival equipment will they need.
Vehicles?
All sorts of other illegal stuff (guns, etc) if they need to provide their own transport, they'll need to get their stuff there too.
Next what is in the area (pull maps from Internet) where is the nearest town, major roads, etc.
Why are he PCs being hired for the job (ie, try to make their technical skills important).
Why hire a pickup team (who has never worked together before, vs an already established team?)
So somthing like: the mechanic is supposed to reapair/retrieve the drone or the pieces and the wildreness survival guy is supposed to keep the mechanic alive (with a pickup team, you need a reason for every member of the team to be there).
Next, the Johnson has to address what exactly their mission parameters are:
what if the drone is in bits all over the countryside?
What if someone else has the drone (i.e. destory it instead?)
a pair of new runners will probably need a bunch of logistical support to pull this off, maybe thier paymnet should (in part) be getting to keep the gear?
How are they getting there? Will they provide their own transport, or will their employers?
How are they getting the drone back (is it too heavy to carry?)
What kind of clothes/survival equipment will they need.
Vehicles?
All sorts of other illegal stuff (guns, etc) if they need to provide their own transport, they'll need to get their stuff there too.
Next what is in the area (pull maps from Internet) where is the nearest town, major roads, etc.
Why are he PCs being hired for the job (ie, try to make their technical skills important).
Why hire a pickup team (who has never worked together before, vs an already established team?)
So somthing like: the mechanic is supposed to reapair/retrieve the drone or the pieces and the wildreness survival guy is supposed to keep the mechanic alive (with a pickup team, you need a reason for every member of the team to be there).
Next, the Johnson has to address what exactly their mission parameters are:
what if the drone is in bits all over the countryside?
What if someone else has the drone (i.e. destory it instead?)
a pair of new runners will probably need a bunch of logistical support to pull this off, maybe thier paymnet should (in part) be getting to keep the gear?
Smugglers? You're going to have to get them in and out with gear (and eventually that drone), are you using smugglers? It's a whole new element, and a potentially useful contact for later.
A mission like that has great potential to introduce all kinds of critters. Also, you can have their mode of transportation get damaged (either by an attack or just cause things break down sometimes) giving the mechanic a chance to flew his muscles. You can also have tense Stealth moments by having the runners hide from a patrol helicopter or ground force. Plus include interesting Native communities for fun roleplaying opportunities.
Man, now that I think about it, I'm so making a mission like this for my players! Thanks for the idea
!
Man, now that I think about it, I'm so making a mission like this for my players! Thanks for the idea
!
If the drone is top secret it'll be wanted by a number of corps and maybe some intel agencies. Though you're not into the double-cross, you could make the "runner" that they head out with a ringer...make them hafta take him out later in the adventure and figure out how they're going to get out by themselves.
Thanks for the ideas so far...still looking for more, but thought I would clarify a few things.
They are to repair and preferably reset the drone (or satelite, havent worked out the fine details yet), back into flight. If they are unable to, they should destroy (by white phosphorus preferably) the device. I like to leave it open and let the players do as much as possible without a story line that HAS to be followed. I like to be able to work the story around their actions, instead of working their actions around the story. If they leave it there, or try to carry it out (I wanna watch that one), then they can do so...conciquences will be adlibed. Of course I dont think Mr Johnsons going to be happy with them leaving it there.
As for transport...when I GM I try to let the characters find their own as much as possible. If they dont have a suitable contact, their fixer can always set them up. Or I will NPC another PC they've run with before such as a rigger, or to use friend of a friend type of contacts.
Great suggestions so far...I cant believe I didnt think of critters...I always use critters.
I like the idea of taking the rigger out...but since when my experienced-runners GM they are very stingy with the Karma and we dont play often...so Karma is gold, they cant pass up giving it to one of their PC's. I dont know why...I always give out shit loads of Karma, especially cause we dont play very often.
They are to repair and preferably reset the drone (or satelite, havent worked out the fine details yet), back into flight. If they are unable to, they should destroy (by white phosphorus preferably) the device. I like to leave it open and let the players do as much as possible without a story line that HAS to be followed. I like to be able to work the story around their actions, instead of working their actions around the story. If they leave it there, or try to carry it out (I wanna watch that one), then they can do so...conciquences will be adlibed. Of course I dont think Mr Johnsons going to be happy with them leaving it there.
As for transport...when I GM I try to let the characters find their own as much as possible. If they dont have a suitable contact, their fixer can always set them up. Or I will NPC another PC they've run with before such as a rigger, or to use friend of a friend type of contacts.
Great suggestions so far...I cant believe I didnt think of critters...I always use critters.
I like the idea of taking the rigger out...but since when my experienced-runners GM they are very stingy with the Karma and we dont play often...so Karma is gold, they cant pass up giving it to one of their PC's. I dont know why...I always give out shit loads of Karma, especially cause we dont play very often.
Why preferably by WP?
I really like this run idea. It'll be the first time (as GM) that I'll take the team outside city limits. Any suggestions on how it would be run differently?
for instance: how difficult is it to get into another country, either legally or by jumping the proverbial fence?
for instance: how difficult is it to get into another country, either legally or by jumping the proverbial fence?
TTC-
WP---it burns quickly and melts everything. If you set a WP grenade on top of the hood of a car it burn right through everything, including the engine block fairly quickly....somewhere around 1-2 minutes...if even that long. Of course Im not going to give the runners that idea.
D/A-
There are boarders to cross, but its not that difficult to get out of someplace like Seattle, where it is virtually a city-state. I dont think that the boarders to Seattle are very tightly secured either, I could be wrong. Its not like its Denver though. If you run into problems, you can always have the fixer or smuggler contact work out all the details, for a price.
WP---it burns quickly and melts everything. If you set a WP grenade on top of the hood of a car it burn right through everything, including the engine block fairly quickly....somewhere around 1-2 minutes...if even that long. Of course Im not going to give the runners that idea.
D/A-
There are boarders to cross, but its not that difficult to get out of someplace like Seattle, where it is virtually a city-state. I dont think that the boarders to Seattle are very tightly secured either, I could be wrong. Its not like its Denver though. If you run into problems, you can always have the fixer or smuggler contact work out all the details, for a price.
Lots of stuff you can do.
The drone works just fine. Someone is jamming its signal from nearby. Mr Johnson wants the jammer disabled but not destroyed. It needs to look like it is still working.
The drone is working. Only someone added some hardware to it.
The drone lost communications with its controller and switched to combat mode.
The drone needs a replacement part the team doesn't have. The team needs to contact Mr Johnson and have him send a replacement. Either paradropped near the drone or they have to pack in in.
The drone is leaking a hazardous chemical.
Mr Johnson doesn't want the team working on the drone. They have to pack a repair drone in and ensure it can communicate with Mr Johnson to fix the broken drone.
Someone disabled the drone and has teams waiting for people looking for it. They want to capture whoever is coming in and question them.
Bad weather, thinks snow storms, flooding, forest fires, etc.
Someone is already there. A lost backpacker, a plane crash survivor, or para-normal animal hunters. Someone that is curious on why people are there but not hostile.
The locals have already scavanged parts of the drone. The team will have to retrieve any parts that Mr Johnson wants. Maybe even steal them from people.
The drone works just fine. Someone is jamming its signal from nearby. Mr Johnson wants the jammer disabled but not destroyed. It needs to look like it is still working.
The drone is working. Only someone added some hardware to it.
The drone lost communications with its controller and switched to combat mode.
The drone needs a replacement part the team doesn't have. The team needs to contact Mr Johnson and have him send a replacement. Either paradropped near the drone or they have to pack in in.
The drone is leaking a hazardous chemical.
Mr Johnson doesn't want the team working on the drone. They have to pack a repair drone in and ensure it can communicate with Mr Johnson to fix the broken drone.
Someone disabled the drone and has teams waiting for people looking for it. They want to capture whoever is coming in and question them.
Bad weather, thinks snow storms, flooding, forest fires, etc.
Someone is already there. A lost backpacker, a plane crash survivor, or para-normal animal hunters. Someone that is curious on why people are there but not hostile.
The locals have already scavanged parts of the drone. The team will have to retrieve any parts that Mr Johnson wants. Maybe even steal them from people.
For the incindiary grenade you probably mean thermite not WP, WP dosen't burn that hot, while thermite does.
If this drone is so secret and assumably important, why would anyone entrust it to a pair of unproven guys with street contacts?
And why, for that matter, don't they do it themselves? Without twisting the story around, it doesn't really come across as the sort of thing that requires the discretion of criminal third parties and all the risks that brings along.
And why, for that matter, don't they do it themselves? Without twisting the story around, it doesn't really come across as the sort of thing that requires the discretion of criminal third parties and all the risks that brings along.
Because its a shadowrun?
I thoght bastard Said that it was in "Hostile Territory". Whoever owns the drone know they would really piss off the locals If they knew that the Johnson put the drone in their territory. Kinda along the Lines of an unmarked plane over Soviet Russia or N. Vietnam, Air America or somesuch. The owners of the drone don't want it traced by to them, so deniable assets are crucial.
Excellent point DK.
Like the audience says at the beginning of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, if you don't task the risk, there won't be a movie.
Other issues, Target:Wastelands is a great resource for hostile environ equipment, modifiers, etc. If there are heading into tundra country, that means winterizing weapons and other essentials, packing insta-heat meals, cold weather gear, etc. You should determine what the purpose of the run is. Drone are large and heavy generally, but their memory core isn't.
Maybe they have to recover a small, easily transportable piece, but someone has beaten them to the punch and set a booby trap in it's place. They find it in time and have a tense few moments disarming it while gunmen advance.
Maybe they have to find the real component then destroy the remainder of the probe.
Maybe their guide has other plans for them.
Do they have a guide? Those are an important piece of getting in and getting out, after all you wouldn't want to wander unknowingly into the den of awakened polar bears with a taste for metahumanity.
Maybe a tribe of barely self-aware awakened critters worships the drone as their god (yeah I know, ripoff from GIJoe, but it's a good twist).
I like the idea of the lost backpacker, maybe the Johnson gave them orders to neutralize anyone in the area, to maintain secrecy (though that would almost preclude the necessity for a Johnson Double-cross. Which means if there isn't one coming, they'll be incredibly tense and paranoid, waiting for it to happen, so much better than a real double-cross)
Maybe they don't want to kill the backpacker for what ever reason, maybe he knows where the missing piece (the one they need) is, and will tell them, for a price (food, blankets, environmental tent, etc.).
Maybe the backpacker is a little 'off' and is a Donner Party waiting to happen. They find him, thaw him and tend his wounds, only to have him turn and try to eat them in the middle of the night.
Like the audience says at the beginning of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, if you don't task the risk, there won't be a movie.
Other issues, Target:Wastelands is a great resource for hostile environ equipment, modifiers, etc. If there are heading into tundra country, that means winterizing weapons and other essentials, packing insta-heat meals, cold weather gear, etc. You should determine what the purpose of the run is. Drone are large and heavy generally, but their memory core isn't.
Maybe they have to recover a small, easily transportable piece, but someone has beaten them to the punch and set a booby trap in it's place. They find it in time and have a tense few moments disarming it while gunmen advance.
Maybe they have to find the real component then destroy the remainder of the probe.
Maybe their guide has other plans for them.
Do they have a guide? Those are an important piece of getting in and getting out, after all you wouldn't want to wander unknowingly into the den of awakened polar bears with a taste for metahumanity.
Maybe a tribe of barely self-aware awakened critters worships the drone as their god (yeah I know, ripoff from GIJoe, but it's a good twist).
I like the idea of the lost backpacker, maybe the Johnson gave them orders to neutralize anyone in the area, to maintain secrecy (though that would almost preclude the necessity for a Johnson Double-cross. Which means if there isn't one coming, they'll be incredibly tense and paranoid, waiting for it to happen, so much better than a real double-cross)
Maybe they don't want to kill the backpacker for what ever reason, maybe he knows where the missing piece (the one they need) is, and will tell them, for a price (food, blankets, environmental tent, etc.).
Maybe the backpacker is a little 'off' and is a Donner Party waiting to happen. They find him, thaw him and tend his wounds, only to have him turn and try to eat them in the middle of the night.
Actually I'm really liking this scenario too, I think I might run something close to this if I run again.
As a note for outta town runs, look at Wake of the Comet and the satellite hunt adventure and the First Run books last adventure, which takes place right outside the city limits, buit in a wilderness enviorment. They have some ideas for these tyoes of runs and what can go wrong.
As a note for outta town runs, look at Wake of the Comet and the satellite hunt adventure and the First Run books last adventure, which takes place right outside the city limits, buit in a wilderness enviorment. They have some ideas for these tyoes of runs and what can go wrong.
| QUOTE |
| Maybe a tribe of barely self-aware awakened critters worships the drone as their god (yeah I know, ripoff from GIJoe, but it's a good twist). |
It is ok. I ripped the "switches to combat mode" off of the Val Kilmer Mars movie. Red Planet I think? TV and movie plots are a great place to get ideas.
There are a lot of good movies about people going out in the woods and having bad stuff happen. Rent some of them and rip off their plots. Cliffhanger, Predator, The Bear.
Or just watch Deliverence a few times. Extra Karma if for who ever squeals the best
| QUOTE |
| Maybe they don't want to kill the backpacker for what ever reason, maybe he knows where the missing piece (the one they need) is, and will tell them, for a price (food, blankets, environmental tent, etc.). |
Or is too cute, or is someone they reconize. Rescuing someone famous means there is going to be a lot of press. Mr Johnson might decide to elimenate them before someone decideds to ask them what the heck they were doing in the woods. Unless they take off right after returning to civilization.
That could make for an intersting chase. Mr lost movie star wants to publicly thank his rescures but can't find them. So he puts a bounty out for them.
The last wilderness run I went on had a tendency to drift into various D&Disms. As we were trekking overland in hopes of raiding a secluded compound, we kept running across various paranormals who only real purpose in life seemed to be to hamper us. These weren't guard animals either; it was as if nature's sole purpose was to give us Reaction checks and hopefully inflict a L or M wound before being obliterated.
Its the sort of thing that no one would question in a typical (read: bad) D&D game, but stands out like a sore thumb in a game like SR. I guess its a pet peeve of mine in any system, but animals should act like animals, even paranormal ones. Unless they are rabid, cybered, wounded or under magical compulsion, they're probably not going to be looking to sacrifice themselves on the altar of pc inconvenience.
Its the sort of thing that no one would question in a typical (read: bad) D&D game, but stands out like a sore thumb in a game like SR. I guess its a pet peeve of mine in any system, but animals should act like animals, even paranormal ones. Unless they are rabid, cybered, wounded or under magical compulsion, they're probably not going to be looking to sacrifice themselves on the altar of pc inconvenience.
"Squeal like a pig!!!!"
DK youre right on it. I planned on hostile territory-hence the need for a shadowrun, and if they are caught they have no ties back to the company or nation that sent them.
DK youre right on it. I planned on hostile territory-hence the need for a shadowrun, and if they are caught they have no ties back to the company or nation that sent them.
| QUOTE |
| I want to work it around the two rookies backgrounds and abilities. One is a mechanic, and does a little illegal sidework, so this will be his first actual "run". The other (first ever rpg), is a wilderness survival expert, (macgyver-like) electrician/chemist-lots of knowledge skills type. |
The reason for the rookies is one is a mechanic B/R in everything from choppers to toasters. The other is wilderness survival expert. And I now have the third party, my experienced runner, who fits in perfectly being a demolitions expert with electronics skills out his ork ass. The two rookies skills are definately needed, its like hiring a pilot, he may not be a runner, but you still might need his services.
NikoliI like a lot of the info in Wastelands, but the winter stuff is mostly bs. Laser designaters work fine, as long as there isnt too much fog, snow or dreaded ice fog. You dont have to winterize most of your weapons, just dry em off, and you shouldnt bring them into any warm areas, you dont want them in a freeze-thaw cycle cause it warps the barrel. Its best to just let them freeze, and keep them oiled (dont let the oil freeze--but its good to very extreme temperatures such as -60s and -70s without freezing).
I have a good background in cold weather-I spent 4 years marching around the snow like a jackass while I was in the Army. Yes it gets that cold out at Ft Greely, Alaska---plus windchill. Alaska is pretty, until your in a tent in the middle of January freezing your nuts off-but thats another story.
Good plot ideas-even if they are ripped off from GIJoe-the real American Hero. Its good to know some other plot lines from other sources-and knowing is half the battle.
Crusher WP is what I used. Ive used it a couple times and it kicks ass. What is thermite? Is it something completely different than PO4 or is it a variation.
algcs-Ill definately use something off your list a couple posts back. Probably some backpackers will find them-I will let the team decide what to do with them.
Mercer-Great point. I like to have a mother bear or something protecting a cub. Or just place random animals here and there...then let the players paranoia take over. Usually the animals dont attack them, but the runners insist on instigating them. Its kind of amusing-its the one thing you can predict when running a campaign. If something is there, everyone thinks it must have a purpose or play into the story somehow, so you can always count on players harrassing animals or anything else out of the norm.
----------------Here is the plan so far:
1-Fixer hires mechanic, electrician/computer specialist, muscle to meet with Johnson
2-Johnson gives team a grid location and a map of last known coordinates of probe
3-They are to assemble in White Horse, Athabaskan Council Territory (aobut 100 miles east of Fairbanks on the old Alaska/Canadian boarder)
4-From there they will head out to repair the device some distance away.
5-After finding the device they will have to locate the damage repair it, if possible.
6-Somewhere they run into a patrol unit-either dogde using stealth or fight and hide the bodies
7-Maybe run into the hikers as well--who may be able to lead them to the drone.
8-Return from wilderness....
Ill probably throw some more stuff in there...definately some critters
any more suggestions?
| QUOTE (algcs) |
| There are a lot of good movies about people going out in the woods and having bad stuff happen. Rent some of them and rip off their plots. Cliffhanger, Predator, The Bear. |
Actually, I found that "The Hunted" worked well for a run idea (UCAS military loses one of their top assassins or operatives or something, not because he was captured or killed, but because he went "off the reservation" - Runners are hired to bring him in, dead or alive - preferably alive. However, their target knows the woods and surviving in them better then the PCs do).
I think thermite is what you mean. He is correct, WP doesn't burn hot enough and is primarily anti-personnel.
Yeah, but what is thermite--I used WP while i was in the military and it wasnt AP it was to destroy equipment. A white phosphorus grenade doesnt explode, it burns, at a very high temperature. Its what flares are made from as well, because it burns bright white, military flares at least. Red road flares are made from strontium I think. The ones you see in movies floating down during night combat (like in Apacalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket), are white phosphorus. Military WP grenades are like big tin cans, you set it in place, pull the key out and it burns straight through whatever you set it on (i.e. equipment such as vehicles).
Now...what is thermite? Cause that is white phosphorus...and I know there are rules somewhere in a source book. If it says its an AP grenade they are retarded.
Now...what is thermite? Cause that is white phosphorus...and I know there are rules somewhere in a source book. If it says its an AP grenade they are retarded.
You are thinking of a Thermite grenade, used for demolition. Hell if I know exactly how it works, but I think it's a reaction between aluminum and iron that oxidizes the aluminum. A "thermite" reaction, thus the name.
WP grenades (I've never actually seen WP grenades, but we used it a lot as mortor rounds) splash as they ignite. It's different reaction, and though it won't burn through an engine block easily, will burn through a jungle pretty quick.
WP grenades (I've never actually seen WP grenades, but we used it a lot as mortor rounds) splash as they ignite. It's different reaction, and though it won't burn through an engine block easily, will burn through a jungle pretty quick.
Probably....I used white phosphorus...unless they were all mislabeled. Thermic reactions are any that have to do with the release of, or taking in of heat, thus a white phosphorus would be a thermic reaction as well, so we are probably talking about the same thing. It probably has both names. Anything that gets hot via chemical reaction is going to be exothermic- so that name doesnt really indicate the chemicals involved. Im sure WP will still do fine. I will search for it in a resource book tomorrow.
I dont know if a mortar round is AP or not...I wasnt with them. I was with the 12B and 11B, so as for my experience with WP is that it was to burn through equipment. It didnt explode at all...just smoked a lot.
I dont know if a mortar round is AP or not...I wasnt with them. I was with the 12B and 11B, so as for my experience with WP is that it was to burn through equipment. It didnt explode at all...just smoked a lot.
Hmmmm, could be.
I'm not a chemist. Maybe the demo ones just didn't have the charge that caused the 'splash'?
I'm not a chemist. Maybe the demo ones just didn't have the charge that caused the 'splash'?
Is there something to trigger it so it will spread? Does it ignite mid air?
There's an explosive charge just powerful enough to propel the WP in all directions as it ignites.
FUN!
"Thermite" is Iron Oxide and I believe Aluminium. It is a very hot burning compound.
JaronK
JaronK
Yes, the much vaunted and stupidly expensive (in SR, anyway) thermite is just rust and iron. It is not white phosphorous.
wikipedia entries:
Thermite
[Phosphorus
You can make Thermite at home used rusted iron, powdered aluminim and an igniting compount (typicall powdered magnesium.
Phosphorus does not burn hot enough to melt metals,
Since white/yellow phosphorus burn by simply being in contact with air, it does not need an igniter. While phosphorus grenades are a shell of WP with a small explosive 'bursting' charge designed to spread the phosphorus over a wide area. In addition to thier anti-personnel usage (which is not really what they are for anyway) they can be used to start fires and provide smoke.
(Don't some tanks still use white phosphorus to produce smoke?)
Thermite grenades are used solely for demolition, as they have no real area of effect. (well I gess you could throw one into a small room and cook the inhabitants ... )
Thermite
[Phosphorus
You can make Thermite at home used rusted iron, powdered aluminim and an igniting compount (typicall powdered magnesium.
Phosphorus does not burn hot enough to melt metals,
Since white/yellow phosphorus burn by simply being in contact with air, it does not need an igniter. While phosphorus grenades are a shell of WP with a small explosive 'bursting' charge designed to spread the phosphorus over a wide area. In addition to thier anti-personnel usage (which is not really what they are for anyway) they can be used to start fires and provide smoke.
(Don't some tanks still use white phosphorus to produce smoke?)
Thermite grenades are used solely for demolition, as they have no real area of effect. (well I gess you could throw one into a small room and cook the inhabitants ... )
I think they still use phosphorus in smoke grenades....but I dont know for sure.
Thanks for the links, but since thermite is so expensive and wp will do the job, why is it no good?
Doesnt matter, its not relevent to the story. Two of the guys are mil in the group so they will already have it and know what to do with it. If they have to destroy the probe due to being unable to repair it, I dont care if they pack it with C4 or dismantle it piece by piece
Thanks for the links, but since thermite is so expensive and wp will do the job, why is it no good?
Doesnt matter, its not relevent to the story. Two of the guys are mil in the group so they will already have it and know what to do with it. If they have to destroy the probe due to being unable to repair it, I dont care if they pack it with C4 or dismantle it piece by piece
Phosphorous is used primarily for smoke grenades (and, yes, it's one method of creating smoke screens in vehicles; oil from the motor burned off is another), actually. The combat/brush clearing WP grenades we're used to in cyberpunk/post apocalyptic lore exist, but they're completely secondary.
Also, thermite is not expensive. It's actually pretty cheap. Except in SR. See, in 2011, the awakening returned magic to the Earth, and one of the less reported but still very important awakenings was the awakening of most of the world's rust and alluminum. Now conscious and able to form unions, the cost of using these materials skyrocketed, resulting in the rust and alluminum wars of 2023 after years of failed negotions and broken promises.
Also, thermite is not expensive. It's actually pretty cheap. Except in SR. See, in 2011, the awakening returned magic to the Earth, and one of the less reported but still very important awakenings was the awakening of most of the world's rust and alluminum. Now conscious and able to form unions, the cost of using these materials skyrocketed, resulting in the rust and alluminum wars of 2023 after years of failed negotions and broken promises.
Also, as everone knows, effectivity is directly linked to the price of an object. That's why the famed reliability the the AK series of rifles comes at with such a hefty price tag, while the failure prone M-16 and L85 are so much cheaper. 
Just had a brainstorm. How about this: instead of landing in corp territory, the drone--which should definately be nuclear, btw--falls near the territory of a known quasi-terrorist independent millitia, one of those anti-government, anti-corporate survivalist groups. Maybe make them some sort of religous doomsday cult if you want to send some magic after thr group as well. Guys like this would simply love to get ahold of a stray nuclear drone, not so much for any SOTA technology it has, but just so they can raise a stink about the environment and stuff. The main reason the corp that hired them--it could even be the government hiring them, if you like--wants to keep it secret is the bad press they would get if the thing is discovered.
It makes more sense than falling on extranatinal territory, as anything that's been declared extranational is likely heavily guarded and patrolled, and would really be beyond a three-man team, particularly one without some serious mojo backing them up. The team still has to be careful about discovery, but in this case a small team would be less conspicuous than a large one, and would make more sense. Also the mission wouldn't be as important to keep quiet about, making the Johnson backstab much less likely.
And yes, thermite being expensive is pretty dumb. You can easily scrape together the important materials for a good hot thermite reaction using some really cheap household ingredients. I really can't think of why they made it so expensive in SR, except as maybe a point on balance. As I see it anyone with 3 or more ranks in Chemistry could probably make a thermite stick out of stuff in their kitchen or garage for a few bucks and a few hours of assembly.
It makes more sense than falling on extranatinal territory, as anything that's been declared extranational is likely heavily guarded and patrolled, and would really be beyond a three-man team, particularly one without some serious mojo backing them up. The team still has to be careful about discovery, but in this case a small team would be less conspicuous than a large one, and would make more sense. Also the mission wouldn't be as important to keep quiet about, making the Johnson backstab much less likely.
And yes, thermite being expensive is pretty dumb. You can easily scrape together the important materials for a good hot thermite reaction using some really cheap household ingredients. I really can't think of why they made it so expensive in SR, except as maybe a point on balance. As I see it anyone with 3 or more ranks in Chemistry could probably make a thermite stick out of stuff in their kitchen or garage for a few bucks and a few hours of assembly.
Eyeless- great point! I didnt plan on too much combat, but I thought that hostile territory of any type would add to the need for stealth and caution. The militia sounds like a better plan...but I dont think any corp or nation would want to have someone else pick up their proto type or any hightech equipment. Basically the Johnson wants it reset into flight without anyone knowing it crashed.
The whole reason for this mission is to use the mechanic's and the wilderness survival expert's skill. Since it is the players first run, I wanted to make their characters also rookies. Both characters are already shady, so its not a stretch for them. One is involved with the mob and the other we still havent worked out a background, or even finished building the character...just the outline.
Crusher- Are you saying the M-16 isnt a good weapon? Just cause it jams every 5th round it gets a bad rep.
The whole reason for this mission is to use the mechanic's and the wilderness survival expert's skill. Since it is the players first run, I wanted to make their characters also rookies. Both characters are already shady, so its not a stretch for them. One is involved with the mob and the other we still havent worked out a background, or even finished building the character...just the outline.
Crusher- Are you saying the M-16 isnt a good weapon? Just cause it jams every 5th round it gets a bad rep.
Actually burning bars are a bitch, bags or toothpaste style thremite is much easier
Thanks for the advice everyone-
We will be running it this weekend...
Im pretty sure the team Im running it for will love it--especially the hellhounds Krem
I kind of left out the hostile territory-seeing most shadowrunners are paranoid enough, and will just assume that.
I will tell everyone how it turned out on monday.
We will be running it this weekend...
Im pretty sure the team Im running it for will love it--especially the hellhounds Krem
I kind of left out the hostile territory-seeing most shadowrunners are paranoid enough, and will just assume that.
I will tell everyone how it turned out on monday.
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