Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
[Shadowrun 5] When you're at the bottom, there's only one way to go?
 
#14
And now, session 2.

So, we have our PC's from last week:

Adonis, the Groups face with a thousand faces
Wraith, the Limited Corporate Sinner and Mojo Slinger with an SK pin.
Hollywood, also the Limited Corporate Sinner and Mojo Slinger.
Count Zero, the Technomancer...
Scorch, the one that makes things move fast.

To whom we add AresPredator2053, the man with multiple guns, who named himself in the traditional manner one does when registering on a forum.

Where we left off, lunchtime at a McHughes just saw it's first actual meat in a few decades when Wraith sent an innocent wageslave to the Happy Hunting Grounds, while Hollywood probed their minds. Some Seals got Clubbed and the PC's made their escape at high speed before the first round of combat had finished. But, at least they know where their target is being held.

-----------

The Knights are slowly riding to the very belated rescue, eventually taking an hour to show up. The KE Mage Detective fails to detect the Astral Signature of Hollywood or Wraith's spells - probably lost in the grease.

(GM's note. I actually rolled these to check. Hollywood's Astral Chameleon helped... two dice were knocked off, and you need a minimum of three successes to make the dection, so it was tricky)

Meanwhile, as Vic regains some consciousness thanks to a fairly decent DocWagon contract. He's enough of a mind to guess what was happening, and make a call ahead and warn Fab, who takes the warning that violence was coming his way as you'd expect someone who's a non-fighter. (GM's note. This is all the data we are given on this particular individual. A name, that's guarding Moxie, who's knocked out by the time the PC's arrive. But we are far beyond that scenario now....) He has been ordered to move Moxie.

The PC's in the van are aware of none of this. Adonis finally wakes up.

They're driving at high speed across town towards a docklands Warehouse. It's one of half a dozen identical units in a small managed industrial estate, guarded by a single guard in a dirty old hut.

Scorch pulls up outside, while the guard asks for an ID key. Adonis talks their way in, convincing the guard that they'd come from McHughes in a hurry after someone shot it up and left their I.D's behind. The Guard buys the story, not really being too bothered to interrogate.

(GM Note: Adonis Rolled a glitch for this initially, so I decided that the guard would allow them to pass, but call the warehouse and let Fab know that his colleages were coming. Adonis used some Edge to cancel the glitch.... dissapointingly. I had a whole car-chase scene in mind.)

They find the warehouse quickly. It's the only one with a McHughes sign on it - a sign which dates back to a time when Pontius was a pilot. Count Zero is quickly able to locate a Comm-link running silently inside the building. And running is the right word, it's moving fast and apparently in circles. Scorch parks his van right outside the front shutter door of the warehouse. Adonis, Wraith and Hollywood bail out.

(GM Note: My intent was that Fab was having a full blown meltdown panic attack, he'd get a call from the guard to snap out of it, board the truck and come smashing through the gate just as the Tean rolled up.... )

Count Zero is trying to find architectural plans for the warehouse on the Matrix. She finds the management company's website, showing shiny pictures of brand-new warehouse units with internal office space, bathrooms, and various modular layouts with the option of a Mezzanine. The Team bails out of the van, searching for another door.

Hollywood takes a quick Astral stroll around the industrial estate, spotting a Mana barrier around another building, before diving in to the McHughes warehouse, finding a heavy rigid-frame delivery truck pointed at the closed door.

She finds one Aura in the back of a truck that is equal parts angry and terrified.
She finds one Aura in the driver's seat that is also equal parts terrified and angry.

She also manages to report back on the layout of the warehouse.

Scorch, meanwhile is worried his van has spun a bearing - it's making a diesel-like knocking. Did he do more damage at McHughes? Adonis hears what sounds like a very sick noise from Scorche's van as he slips around the back of the building. (GM Note: My handwriting at this stage decends into something resembling arabic.... Bad Arabic.) Wraith figures out that it's a diesel engine starting nearby, while Hollywood knows exactly what's going on. The truck's been started.

Adonis meanwhile prepares to shoot out the lock in the back door.
Hollywood casts an armour spell on herself.
Fab can't open the door, so he moves to ram it. (GM Note: My intention was that he wasn't aware of players, but He's been phoned and told what happened at the restaraunt so suspects they might be after him. And he's heard Adonis opening the door.... I still had hopes of 'Chase Scene')
Count Zero intends to tag the truck.
Scorch, sensibly, moves the van away from the door.

Initiative is Rolled. (GM Note: House Rule. Instead of worrying about a mnemonic and stat-comparing, actions on the same level are taken simultaneously.)

*Wraith delays to see what happens....
*Adonis places a hole where there once was a lock with his Predator, swinging the door open before moving in.
*Scorch opens the back doors of the van.
*Hollywood sneaks in after the thunderous gunshot, moving into the building, while Count Zero waits to see what happens, and Fab rams the door with the truck. The door holds, but buckles part-way open.
*Count Zero tags the truck.
*Wraith takes his action, and dives under the damaged door and takes an shot at the driver with an AK97. It's super effective.

(GM Note: At this point, it was remarked that the driver should've tested for Surprise, since he hadn't yet seen the Team and didn't know they were there. Honestly, I forgot.)

Next Initiative pass.
*Wraith boards the truck and pulls the driver out of the driver's seat, leaving him bleeding and moaning on the ground.
*Adonis makes it through the dusty boxes of long-expired 'meat' to find the driver on the ground, reaching for something in his pocket. A bullet and a big roll of the dice put an end to his misery.

In the back of the truck, is Moxie, thrilled to have her comm-link returned by real Shadowrunners.... even if she's not quite sure how her dad could afford them when he couldn't afford the ransom, and these people don't really look like she expected Shadowrunners to look like. Adonis explains it to her as:

Adonis: "Misdirection,"
Moxie: "Who's She?"
Adonis: "Old Friend of a Friend"

The security guard in the booth puts up a token resistance by firing his tazer at the van, deciding that his wages really weren't worth risking his life. He phones in a description of the Bulldog, and calls for a repair on the gate. Maybe it won't get taken out of his wages.

Scorch is driving like hell to get back to Hampton. On the way, he dodges a stack of cardboard boxes in an alley, runs over a plexiglass window being carried across a street by two orks, and dodges the rubbish truck backing out of the alleyway by the skin of his teeth. (GM Note: Dissapointed I didn't get my chase scene......)

Moxie is delivered home to her waiting Hampton. There's a tearful reunion where's she's impressed that he hired Shadowrunners. The Team are keen to remind that they were *hired*... to which he asks Adonis to come inside.

Sure he has the 500 he promised them initially, but Adonis the agreed fee was 1000 a head. The thought that they might not get all the money they were promised turns a warm reunion cold. Hampton reminds them that Vic is still alive, and probably not too pleased at having his restaurant disturbed, and distant unfavourite relative killed. Adonis suggests they skip town, and that gives Hampton an idea.... he offers the remaining 3 months of his building lease as part payment.

After a quick discussion, and a vote, the team accepts the terms, becoming the proud leaseholder of 33 Ballimer Way, Redmond.

(GM Note: I always had it in the back of my mind that he wouldn't be able to pay, but this was a spur of the moment idea.)p

Count Zero dissents, needing the money, so Adonis and Scorch buy our her share. Immediately, discussions are hatched about what to do with the place. The first answer is that setting up their own lodge would make the perfect cover for three Awakened people living together. The second answer is that it could become a Shadowrun Shop. The Third answer, Sell shite to mundanes and use magic to scam people into thinking it works.

Adonis : "Well, it worked when you bought it, you saw. Must've been drained by a powerful magic attack. It saved your life."

(GM Note: Paraphrased slightly. But I really like what was made from this. It gives me so many *ideas*)

Meanwhile, Adonis receives a call from their fixer, Markas. He wants to meet at 9:00pm the following night, at his Nightclub. He promised them a real job if they finished their milkruns, and he's giving them one.

Still, they have a little downtime. Scorch repairs the light damage to his van with a panel found in the junkyard, while the Mages make themselves at home with a Mana Barrier around the building. Discussions of a magical protection racket, or similar. Or defense against protection rackets.... something that brings in money. Count Zero has a child to take care of, so spends the next few days at home.

That night, the group (Minus Count Zero, who has obligations), meet up at the Rainy City Night's Dance Club. Above the door, the rainworn sign, 'Amazon'.

(GM Note. The spurt of prose I prepared to describe this seemed good on page, but not so much when I had to say it. It's a nightclub built inside an old Amazon datacentre, playing retrothrash music. )

They enjoy the club and a few drinks, waiting and passing the time. Markas leaves them waiting just long enough to remind them who's in carge. It's long enough that Adonis is about ready to ask what the hold up is, when a fairly large bouncer looms behind him, informing the Team that Markas is ready for them.

They're lead through a dimlit lit corridor to a classy, well-appointed office, with the person in charge right at the centre. Wraith immediately notices Markas' cybernetic right fingers, drumming on the top of his desk. Hollywood notices it's a full arm, along with hints of a tatoo beneath his greying hair, and a face that's seen a lot of 'city' miles, fady scars hinting at a bloody past.

Scorch, meanwhile, trips.

Adonis leads by complimenting Markas on his suit. It is a damned nice suit. But Markas is polite and Business-like.

It's a simple BNE job. Client doesn't expect heavy security. They're offering 9k a head for the job. Meet at the Zemliane motel tomorrow. Ask for a woman named Kitsuribami.

(GM Note: I'd intended for Markas to make some sort of passing reference to the dead wageslave....but fluffed the wording of it completely.)

With a day or so before the meeting, Adonis calls up an old friend of his who he thinks might be looking for work, expecting the team to need some firepower.

Enter AresPredator2053, the man with multiple guns.

Zemliane motel is the sort of place that people only stop at if they can't afford to go to the better franchise a few hundred yards down a road. The fleas have fleas in this pit. Waiting for them at reception is an Ork teenager who's more interested in a Wrestling match on Trideo than actually doing his job. Adonis tries to make small talk, but is directed to room 4 to meet Kitsuribami. The kid's just not interested....

Adonis, Scorch, Hollywood and Wraith get the awful feeling that something has walked over their graves, a chill carressing their spines.

A quick peek into the Astral by Hollywood reveals that there were just observe by someone else's Astral projection, and that there's a mana barrier around the doorway to room four. They don't see this as anything out of the ordinary - expecting it's just the customer taking care to check them out.

(GM Note: I thought it'd be a good idea to ask Perception + Intuition scores, so I could make Astral detection rolls in secret, without saying what they were for, and only relaying the result.)

Adonis knocks on the door.

Kitsuribami is dressed up in corporate-standard clothes better suited to a boardroom than than a fleapit. She's dressed to perfection, either the HR drone who fires you, or the executive that drone was covering for. She greets the team politely, her Japanese accent showing strongly.

Wraith believes it to be genuine. Hollywood realises it's a put-on.

(GM Note: I specifically asked a what languages were known at character gen for just this reason....so I could pick a language someone could make this roll. Not sure if this is the 'right' way to do things, but it seemed fair to me. Also... nobody checked her out, beyond a cursory glance to make sure she wasn't Awakened, and didn't score that high on that roll either.... missing all the goodies)

Kitsuribami adds details. The target is a small technology company named AGILE Microtech. They've been bought out by a competitor of hers who's intentionally keeping a low profile, while she's looking to get a particularly advanced prototype stolen. The full details are offered on a portable disk drive, which Adonis accepts.

She sets a specific date for the run to take place. Monday, March 30th, 2075. It is currently March 25th.

Adonis tries to negotiate for a better rate, but Kitsuribami shuts them down. 9000 is the final price, per-head.

This is agreed. The teams takes the job...

Leaving the Motel, Scorch notices a Mitsuhama Jigabatchi parked outside, A fine, high-class luxury vehicle, and well beyond their means. He concludes it belongs to Kitsuribami.

The Team proceeds to plan the operation..... and we break for the night.

(GM's notes: This went better than I expected. I will admit that most of the first half of this session was done on the fly. Including maps sketched in a notepad that proved barely more informative than my descriptions because my handwriting really is *that* bad. We went so far beyond the original quick start module it was hilarious. But fun.

Also, Scamming Magical Items Sales. That alone made this worth it.

Since we were just getting into the swing of things, and it was expected to not be a 'real' operation. There weren't any Karma bonuses or penalties for 'Food Fight' because everyone believed it wasn't a 'real' game, just a shakedown of the rules. Since character sheets aren't fully set in stone yet, it seems fair. Going forward, Karm and Reputation will be worked out at the end of each run.

There's also a couple of things happening behind the screen at the moment that will be mentioned when the run ends. Far from just Kitsuribami, there was a whole team of Prime Shadowrunners present, including a Decker, a Rigger and a Mage, keeping an eye on things incase it went south while feeling out the team. Aside from copping the Astral projection, nobody looked around to see.... just assuming it was a natural attempt to see who they where and that they had no unpleasant intentions (Which arguably was true ). I'm concerned that maybe I'm not dropping enough of a hint, or the 'twist' will come as too much of a surprise. I'm trying to create evidence that Kitsuribami was trying to mislead them. Working into the Matrix, the datadisk includes instructions and maps that're to be downloaded into the team's comlinks - along with with a Sleaze action that'll put a Mark on each one if their commlink's firewall doesn't stop it.

On a related note - I need to add more detailed Matrix work to this, I'm aware of that. I'll try do better next time.

Finally, I have a few plots in my scratchpad.
First and foremost, planning for the job gets interrupted by some of Vic's goons annoyed at Hampton. The PC's must deal with the interruption
The main run happens...
Based on how it goes, PC's might be stuck with a valuable artificat, which 2 Johnsons try to buy off them. And both of them are trying to screw them over.
More Capitalism. A few requests from contacts. Customers in the shop. Bad Future-Yelp reviews.
The Team is offered a job to Guard the maiden drive of a cross-continental non-stop nuclear-powered bus from Seattle to Denver, which has been threatened by an environmental group. While one of the PC's contacts has asked them to bring some gear aboard.
Splintered State module I bought.
A few 4th-ed modules I was loaned....
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Reply


Messages In This Thread
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-07-2015, 10:07 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 03-08-2015, 01:46 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-08-2015, 04:57 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-08-2015, 03:47 PM
[No subject] - by happerry - 03-09-2015, 12:20 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 03-09-2015, 02:33 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 03-09-2015, 03:31 PM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-09-2015, 07:46 PM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 03-09-2015, 09:51 PM
[No subject] - by s3yang - 03-11-2015, 06:17 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 03-12-2015, 12:01 AM
[No subject] - by happerry - 03-16-2015, 12:28 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 03-22-2015, 03:47 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-22-2015, 04:31 PM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 03-22-2015, 11:29 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 03-22-2015, 11:44 PM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 03-23-2015, 02:21 AM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 03-23-2015, 07:30 AM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 03-23-2015, 06:47 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 04-05-2015, 03:15 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 04-05-2015, 04:26 AM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 04-05-2015, 04:42 AM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 04-06-2015, 02:56 AM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 04-06-2015, 03:48 AM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 04-06-2015, 03:37 PM
[No subject] - by Rajvik - 04-06-2015, 03:41 PM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 04-06-2015, 09:14 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 04-06-2015, 10:34 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 04-10-2015, 12:26 AM
[No subject] - by Rajvik - 04-10-2015, 03:52 AM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 04-10-2015, 04:20 AM
[No subject] - by Rajvik - 04-11-2015, 03:52 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 04-11-2015, 09:22 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 04-19-2015, 04:50 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 04-19-2015, 12:50 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 04-19-2015, 05:51 PM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 04-19-2015, 08:27 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 05-05-2015, 02:11 AM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 05-05-2015, 08:22 AM
[No subject] - by Foxboy - 05-05-2015, 11:43 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 05-05-2015, 01:46 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 07-25-2015, 06:23 PM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 07-26-2015, 11:49 PM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 07-27-2015, 03:21 AM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 07-27-2015, 04:20 PM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 07-27-2015, 10:15 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 07-28-2015, 12:44 AM
[No subject] - by Deadpan29 - 08-03-2015, 05:34 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 08-07-2015, 12:56 AM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 08-07-2015, 02:39 PM
[No subject] - by Foxboy - 08-07-2015, 04:38 PM
[No subject] - by Ebony - 08-07-2015, 05:43 PM
[No subject] - by Dartz - 08-08-2015, 12:51 AM
[No subject] - by Hazard - 08-08-2015, 05:49 PM

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)