[Shadowrun 5] When you're at the bottom, there's only one way to go?

[Dartz]

...hopefully.

So, I've always had a little bit of a thing for Shadowrun but could never find anyone to actually run the thing, so when the gaming group decided a break was required from the ongoing game, I offered to run a Shadowrun game - at Street Level.

This will be the first time I have ever attempted to run a game in person before. An online HG game sort of fell apart due to timezones after one session....

We had our first gaming session on Thursday, after a slightly extended character generation. It didn't help that RL spanked me in the previous two weeks and I wasn't really ready to run much of anything anyway.... So, we ended up running Fast Food Fight (The starter-pack intro scenario), just to get a feel for things. With actual full-blood PC's. The beginners module was never meant to take this abuse.

Now, We have our dramatis personae - in short form because things are still being finalised:

*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.

All human. With 2 Magic users and 1 technomancer, I think we see why they caught some attention, especially given that we used slightly adjusted Street Level rules, so everyone was fairly limited on cash for the real shiny gear.

So.... on with the story.

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Markas, the teams local fixer Calls Adonis on his comm-link with a job offer. It's another milkrun for a personal friend of his named George Hampton. Markas informs them that Hampton probably won't be able to pay them much, so adds a little sweetener - he'll give them their first shot at the big leagues if they do the job right.

Adonis pitches it to the group. Wraith is hesitant, but all agree that if it gives them a shot at a big job, it's worth the hassle of taking a 'milk run'. The Runners are to meet a 'friend' of Markas and do a low paying happy feel-good job for him. The team agrees that it's good idea to take it on.

On the trip over Adonis admires himself in the Bulldog's mirrors as Scorch clearly isn't using them anyway.

Scorch tests his subvocal mic with a 'Can you hear me know?"

The team pulls up outside Hampton's Hollistic Healtchare - a Shaman-kitsch Hollistic medicine place of the sort that sells any sort of snake-oil people are willing to pay for. The shutters have been pulled. Even so, they're smeared in garish graffitti promising all sorts of unpleasantness if money isn't forthcoming.

Adonis knocks on the door, politely introducing the group as friends of Markas, sent to help with his problem..

(GM's comment. I like how this was played calmly. Knock on the door. Introduce yourself. Had in the back of my head the idea of Hampton assuming the 5 people who 'broke into' his shop being hired by the mob and panicking, but we didn't go there.)

Inside, is George Hampton - a middle aged elf in what might've been snappy suit a few days ago. Hampton is close to a full blown nervous breakdown, barely able to stutter out the details after being awake for days. Adonis calmly extracts the details from him, discovering that he'd been paying protection to a local Mafioso. Recently, the protection rates had skyrocketed, matching a sudden dropoff in business. Eventually, the local mob simply figured he was holding out on them and kidnapped his 16 year old daughter Moxie.

He explains that he thinks the person responsible is Vic Fratelli - a small time made-man who uses a nearby McHugh's franchise as a front. He's in a panic as he paces around the room, only able to offer 500 a head. He offers a little extra if the team's able to 'make his problem with the Fratelli's go away' in a way that can't be traced back him while bringing his daughter back. Adonis is able to convince him to make it an even 500 extra a head - he's not hard to convince, his mind is elsewhere. (GM comment. and his stats non-existant in the module. So I gave him a few dice and he... did not roll well. Ahem. )

The team drives a few blocks to the McHughes and park up inconspicuously outside. As inconspicuous as it's possible to be in a GMC Bulldog with a poor-quality replica of a paint-scheme from a century-old flatscreen tv program very few if any remember watching.

Count Zero decides to search for information on this particular McHughes, but finds nothing more than a single one-star review online warning against trying the food. Hollywood checks for Astral threats, but it seems reasonably clear. Wraith decides to scope out the place while under an invisibility spell, rather than let Count Zero try hack the cameras. Instead, Count Zero takes the time to look for Moxies Icon on the Matrix, to pinpoint her in the restaraunt. Adonis has dozed off in the van, it seems....

Wraith takes the time to wait until someone exits the restaraunt to make sure that the door doesn't open and close suspiciously with nobody walking through. It slams shut behind him. It's only after he's through the door that Wraith notices the metal detector, which should've gone off as he walked through. And the fact that it's been unplugged. (GM Comment - about the same time I remembered it being there myself, so it was 'off')Inside, he is assaulted by a wall of grease. The air is thick with it. The walls dripping and the floor slick. Things are being fried on the grill that look vaguely like meat-substitute, but there's so much grease frying is as much a case of keeping it from sliding off the griddle, as letting it cook.

Clearly, this is a Franchise McHughs. It follows the same basic open plan layout, but lakes the care an maintenance a proper corporate-owned restaurant would have.

He slips around the prep-area unnoticed by those too engrossed in keeping patties from sliding off the griddle under their own power. He steps back into the store-room, finding boxes of uncooked food basking in the heat theirein. It is not a hygenic place. Count Zero gets in touch to inform Wrait that Moxies own comm is broadcasting from inside the manager's office. He opens the door to find the office empty...

(GM Comment. Thank you to whomever does print layout and writing for Catalyst game labs for not obviously pointing out that Moxie was in the meat-locker in the storeroom. It's kind of an important thing to know. The map doesn't even feature the locker.)

Wraith finds the comm-link in the desk drawer, covered in glitter and sparkly stars. It's a budget Sony model.

Count Zero then directs the still invisible Wraith across the restaraunt to a table in the far corner. Vic is there, sitting with two henchmen discussing 'business'. Confirming Vic's presence, he leaves through the front door, getting back inside the waiting Bulldog. The team is filled in with the details. A plan is formulated.

The basic plan is a simple one. Someone, hopefully Count Zero, will distract Vic - most likely by spilling food on him, while Hollywood tries to surruptitiously touch him and cast a Mind Probe spell.

(GM Comment: There was a bit of a question over whether Vic would notice the spell and it's origin or not. The rules state that the target is aware of the mindprobe, but at the same time can't tell who it's coming from. At the same time, it's hard to miss someone touching you, and making the connection seemed simple if only one set of fingers is in contact. In the end, I decided to give Vic a perception test to realise if Hollywood was touching him - and if he passed, it wouldn't take two braincells to add 2 + 2. Otherwise, he just realised Magic happened from somewhere.)

Meanwhile, Scorch notices a van pull up in front of his - one prominently emblazoned with the SecTec logo. (GM Comment - Totally and completely not made up on the spot to cover the fact that I forgot the metal detector, but still wanted to do something with it.) 2 Men get out, each carrying tools. Realising that the SecTec employees are there to fix the broken metal detector, the team decides to enter quickly, leaving Adonis snoozing

Scorch decides that a distraction is required, and promptly runs into the van in front. Not enough to seriously anything, but enough to annoy the driver.

The SecTec driver is, naturally quite appalled and irate with Scorch for damaging company property, which will make him look bad in front of his bosses and probably get him goddamned fired and Scorch better be ready to pay for all the damage goddammit. Drekking idiots with their wannabee A-team Vans. You'd expect this sort of idiocy from an Ork, but a human being? 3000nY could make the trouble go away....

Scorch demands *proof* it was him at fault, which can be readily provided by the building's camera system. They both go inside and promptly begin arguing with each other in front of the security guard. Meanwhile, the rest of the team makes their way inside and sits down at a table beside Vic. Wraith slips inside, under an invisibility spell again....

Vic is holding a discussion with two of his men.... Frank and Dipsy. Another, Patsy, is manning the grill. Lucy is the guard in the booth.

Hollywood makes the mistake of ordering a Sqealer, while Count Zero has more sense and buys a soykaf. It probably still comes with a skim of grease on the surface. They both take their seats beside the Fratelli's, and listen in....

They hear nothing about Moxie, just some warehouse and general business. They also go unnoticed. The three gentlemen are too engrossed in their dripping lunch. They decide to go ahead with the plan...

Meanwhile, the Security guard, Lucy, is getting annoyed at the argument in his Booth. Scorch makes the fine suggestion to the SecTec driver that he could get his payment in the back of the Bulldog van. The driver doesn't fall for this, sarcastically suggesting that they meet in the back of his company van.

Remarkably, Scorch agrees.

Lucy, the guard, follows them towards the door to make sure the two troublemakers actually leave....

(GM Comment - The GM's intention at this point had been for both the Van Driver, and Scorch to go out through the metal detector, for the metal detector to go off, and then the second technician to proudly announce. Hey! I fixed it!. If Scorch kept his cool and pokerfaced it, the Tech would show the security guard the tools he was carrying as an explanation. If not.... roll initiative. It might also have given an opening to Hollywood...)

However, this is not what happened. Deciding that the plan as agreed required a distraction, Wraith promptly whips out his Ares Predator and shoots the hapless SecTec driver in the back of the head. The first the innocent driver learns of the impending attack from the invisible mystic adept is when he wakes up in the Happy Hunting Grounds with an odd headache, a ringing in his ears and the lingering sensation that his mind had just greatly expanded.

Meanwhile, back in the Real World, Scorch has turned around just in time to be treated to the sight of a man's head exploding into so much bloody mincemeat, followed moments later by the defeaning roar of an Ares Predator shattering one of the establishment's windows. There is only silence in the restaraunt as the now headless body crumples to the floor. A child screams. Chunky Salsa spatters across the floor.

Everyone instinctively hits the ground. Scorch throws open his coat, revealing his weapon.

Vic is aware of something probing his deepest, most innermost thoughts, even as the person beside him shrieks in 'panic'. He doesn't notice her fingers on his hand. Hollywood dives into his mind, past his surface thoughts which are a little bit uncomfortable to know, through his inner thoughts which are even more uncomfortable to know, down to the exact wharehouse address where she is located. Then on to his innermost subconscious thoughts, which probably explain why he starts panicking.

Initiative is rolled. (GM Comment. In hindsight, I should've called this before the previous mindprobe action..... My bad. General rule I'm going by is that if something happened because I forgot about something, then it's happened, and it can be worked around. Also my notes for the next section are a bit sparse because I was face down in the rules for a good chunk...)

*Wraith opens fire with his AK-97. He manages to break more glass, but not hit anything useful. He doesn't realise who the Mage is.
*Scorch runs for his van. Being covered in brains while beside an armed security guard tends to make a person do that.
*Patsy takes a shot with his Predator at Scorch, but misses completely.

*Vic recoils in horror at having his innermost thoughts, memories and subconscious probed, but doesn't realise it came from the 'screaming and panicking' Hollywood beside him. He doesn't notice the touch, he just manages to cry out to Frank that someone in there's using magic on him inside his head.

*Count Zero realises that Frank is the magic user, and marks him as such. Geek the Mage! Then Decides that being in the middle of a firefight is a bad idea. A handy 'open' window offers an escape.

*Hollywood starts to run.....
Dipsy attempts to shoot Hollywood with his America. It''s not very effective.
Frank attempts to cast Agony on Hollywood, But it's Counterspelled Handily
Lucy is pushing the Silent Alarm button.
Hollywood responds on the way out with a stunning Blast spell into the trio. Frank, Dipsy and Vic are momentarily stunned.

*Wraith delivers the final blow with a final Stunball, knocking all of them unconscious. Frank's rapid attempt at counterspelling on himself doesn't help. He's out for the count too. (GM Comment: I'm not quite sure on the order here as I was face down in the rules for a proportion of this.... but this seems like the most logical sequence of events given what I have noted, and what the initiative order was.)

By the time anyone even has the chance to think about calling Knight Errant, the Team are out the broken window, in the van and running for it. Vic, Frank and Dipsy are unconscious with Stun, and the second technician is already cursing the Van-owning mage who made his colleagues head asplode with a glance (GM Comment: Well, Wraith was never spotted, and the two were having a big argument before KERBLAMM! KBBBBLLT). Some bystanders are getting sick. A child is crying having been introduced to magical ultraviolence for the first time. Another bystander. is finding his courage and drawing a pistol.

Lucy has got some 'splainin to do.

Doc-Wagon's on it's way. Knight Errant are just about waking up and rolling over to the idea of sending out a patrol to see what the hubbub was.

(GM's Comment. There is a term for this in War Thunder; It's called Seal Clubbing. I think it's highly appropriate considering how badly beaten these low-level mobsters were. We basically managed 1 full initiative pass - that's less than three seconds. I suppose if your lunch was interrupted by a random head exploding, you'd be a bit slow to do much more than WTF too.

As a Final Note, This was a little bit rough and a bit wrong in places as everyone was getting into the groove of things and the GM was getting used to the idea of being on the other side of the screen. Had I remembered the metal detector when Wraith stepped through it while invisible, it could've been interesting much earlier. Also, If I'd called initiative when I was supposed to, chances are things would've gone slightly different. Hollywood wouldn't have been able to mindprobe Vic so easily, for a start - and her stunning attack might not have happened, which would've meant she was facing potentially three irate and half-stunned mobsters on the next combat round - with Vic getting another stab at her since he was initiative 12 and she was 9 - and potentially right beside him.

Either way. It was definitely a unique experience and one made enjoyable by the players. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it so.

I liked how Moxie's actual location goes completely unmentioned, except in one somewhat out of the way location that I only found after I got home to double check because it seemed odd there was no mention of her, but I didn't want to hold the game up to find it so I just sort of made something up in the interim. She's now in a warehouse rather than where she was actually supposed to be, and we've a second session out of that, which I have to prep for.

Which means this shows every horrible risk of becoming a campaign)
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

...

Yup, that sounds like a Shadowrun going every way but smooth.

[Dartz]

It seems normal enough.... although there's a good chance that it isn't necessarily a canon adventure since everyone's still getting used to the system and exercising a few things.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

Well, it's more that, apparently, these runners' idea of 'a distraction' in what's basically a 'retrieval in civilian locale' job (AKA 'avoid making a mess and/or leaving bodies') is 'headshot some random guy.' And that's on a Karma job (IIRC Shadowrunners are supposed to get extra Karma from their GM for doing cheap feel good jobs). Which are generally meant to balance the scales in the runner's favour.

In the first, as GM, I'd ding them a Karma from the awards for this stunt. In the second I'd ding their reputation in the shadows, because this is the sort of shit that draws the attention of guys like Knight Errant and other rent-a-cop corporations with lots of manly men with (para)military training. For a runner, that's a bad thing. For a runner, 'I shot the security guard I couldn't sneak past' is just part of the job, and the police don't object too strongly so long as it's just part of the shadowgame. But shooting civilians and inducing public panic? They're going to be very unamused...

[Hazard]

In that case you could run it as a thought exercise performed by the team at the behest of their fixer if they clean up their act next session. Also don't underestimate the usefulness of having the entire group suffer the reputation damage from having a lose cannon on the crew, just make sure they realise who is responsible.

[Happerry]

Yah, this was cool, but I have to admit I facepalmed when the guard got shot. Really, he wasn't even part of the mob anyway, all he was there to do was to help fix the Metal Detector, right? He really didn't deserve that.
Also, man, this is making me wish I could find a Shadowrun game of my own again. Here's hoping you keep posting these stories, because this one was amusing. ^_^

[Bob Schroeck]

Yeah, geeking the driver was just... gangbanger level stupid.

And I'm getting flashbacks to Helen's campaign as well -- lord, would I love to play Srun again. I need to get Mossad, my Jewish street sam, out of mothballs. Hare Brained Scheme's Shadowrun video game is good, but it's just not the same.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Dartz]

I've a feeling this sort of...ahem.. callousness won't be a common thing. As it is, I've listed in my notes as "Road Rage Mage" with the potential news story "Security Driver killed in Road Rage attack." I'm almost certain this isn't 'canon' anyway. It happened because we had an hour after chargen. I figure it's like the tutorial level in most games.

Speaking of bad ideas

Anyway, Shadowrun can always throw up humorous situations if given half the chance. It's a great setting for some gonzo adventures - which is why I always wanted to play it, and ended up running it. I've already got a list of potential followups and hooks if this needs to run a little longer.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

I'd be happy to play it for the first time.

Unfortunately, given that I'm running on GMT+1, it seems unlikely to me that I'd find people to play with on this board.

[Ebony]

Ah... "milk run." Such an interesting term. Like several words in the English language, it sounds differently from how it's spelled. Generally, I've found that it rhymes with "fuster cluck."
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[s3yang]

Hazard wrote:

---

In that case you could run it as a thought exercise performed by the team at the behest of their fixer if they clean up their act next session. Also don't underestimate the usefulness of having the entire group suffer the reputation damage from having a lose cannon on the crew, just make sure they realise who is responsible.

Snerk. Now I'm imaging the actual _characters_ sitting around with their fixer, essentially playing shadowrun. The one guy going 'Okay - I shoot the guy in the head'. Everyone going silent and _staring_ at him and after a few seconds the guy going 'What?'.

[Dartz]

We've already gotten the Platinum recursive gaming achievement, I'm afraid.

There's a pub in Dublin called The Brazen Head which dates back to 1198. And we were playing a game of Ars Magica in that pub. Where the players and the PC's all met up in the same tavern, 800 years apart, and the PC's rolled dice and tried to imagine what the future would be like.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Happerry]

...Oh, wow, that is just giggle worthy.

[Dartz]

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....
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

Well, that went much better.

I hope the players catch on to what's happening though.

[Black Aeronaut]

Curious: Does Shadowrun allowing for multiclassing or dabbling in cross-class abilities? (Example: A Decker that also happens to know a few useful Technomage tricks.)

[Dartz]

There's no actual classing.... though only characters with Magic can take magical skills and Resonance take technomancer skills- but otherwise it's all fair game.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

Black Aeronaut wrote:

---

Curious: Does Shadowrun allowing for multiclassing or dabbling in cross-class abilities? (Example: A Decker that also happens to know a few useful Technomage tricks.)

Shadowrun is point buy based, rather than class based.
It's actually possible (if you have the Karma to spare to buy everything, mind you) to be a guntoting, spellslinging, facebreaking, computer cracking face with a knack for handling drones. Of course, by that time we're talking about a 1 man Shadowrunning party...

[Black Aeronaut]

.... Oooooo~OOOOOO~ooooooo!

Sign me up!

[Bob Schroeck]

Dartz wrote:

---

There's no actual classing.... though only characters with Magic can take magical skills and Resonance take technomancer skills- but otherwise it's all fair game.

Interestingly, you don't have to be a mage to learn how to create spells.  At least in the editions of the game I played in, a big enough library and a high enough skill in the theory side makes it possible for a complete muggle to create solid working spells.  My street sam, Mossad, used to design spells that he'd trade to local mage (who sucked at spell design) in exchange for getting them cast and quickened on himself.  (Said mage being so pathetic that Mossad usually spent at least one karma to make sure the spell got successfully cast or quickened.)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Dartz]

My first month behind the GM screen comes to a close with the Third session. So, in Summary so far:

As a reward for a milk-run well completed, well, completed at any rate, the PC's have just received their first real paying Shadowrun. And it promises to be a doozy at 9k a head. The meet with the Client - Kitsuribami - has gone remarkably well, even if Hollywood realised the Japanese accent she was putting on was bogus...

Still, she gives Adonis a disk drive with the job details on it, then sets a specific date for the run to take place. Next Thursday. It's Currently Saturday Evening....

(GM Note. Oops.... Teaches me to use my computer calender at a glance. I got the dates in my notes mixed up in a moment of confusion, and all my notes are now in the 'revised' date format. Reality Quake!)

So, on with the game.

Morning. Count Zero investigates what's on the drive, immediately getting a warning of an attempt at hacking her comm-link for two marks. It's not a particularly effective attempt, giving her the idention of the hacker in the process. The Icon for Jake204 appears.

(GM Note: He had a profile. He had a roll. He didn't do good.)

Jake204, is not some corporate goon. He's been associated with a couple of high-profile corporate hacks. Count Zero thinks he might be more of a Shadowrunner. As a final gesture, CZ fires back a quick response that any Hackers would recognise. "Better Luck Next Time". She keeps an eye on him and his social network posting.

Count Zero copies the useful and genuine data from the disk, before sending it to the rest of the team. Inside are plans, a discription of the building layout, and a few suggestions for completing the mission. Count Zero then sets about digging up whatever information she can on AGILE and their building security.

Meanwhile, planning is in full force.

First thing's first - With Hollywood claiming Kitsuribami's accent was a put on, and the hacking attempt from a Shadowrunner, things don't add up.

Second, questions on how to properly handle to prototype wafers, which must be delivered cleanly. There's a little confusion as to what exactly a wafer is and how to properly transport them. AresPredator2053 calls an old school-friend for advice - someone who actually paid attention in class and got themselves a cushy job. He gets told that the wafers need to be transported in special cases, they're not generally sold to the general public, but there'll probably be some around the lab.

(GM Comment. In the process, rolling a Glitch..... which, IRC, wasn't edged away. *Scribble Scribble* Also, this is what happens when anyone with an engineering background tries to run a game)

Third. The Plan.

What is agreed upon, is to ignore any of the suggestions in the document. Instead, the team eros in on the Wagemage named Damien Resden (GM Note. I'm sorry... small reference pools) as their potential in. He's a 20 year LoneStar employee, on a LoneStar contract to AGILE - and LoneStar's contract is running out in a month's time so there's the possibility he might be disgruntled... Their first idea is to try and hire him to give them an in, since he's probably at risk of loosing his job. But rather than nab him violently, they decide a much better option would be to set up a fake WageMage Recruiting agency, named Mages-R-Us. Jobs for Mages, by Mages. They spend most of a day putting together a believeable looking matrix presence with appropriate contact details, false referrals and enough doodads to make it believeable as a company.

(GM Note. This was about where what I thought would happen, and what actually happened went in different directions.... I was expecting something 'simpler'. Take a peek. Then go in, cause some ructions, then leave. This is so much better)

It's also agreed that gear could use some investments and additions. Count Zero is interested in aquiring a good quality sequencer to make entry easier, along with an electronics kit. Adonis is interested in a decent set of lockpicking tools.

Count Zero does some more digging on the background of AGILE microtechnology, attempting to work out just who it was who bought them out. Unusually, it hasn't been publically announced.

Hollyood uses her experience of corporate politics to surmise that the Lone Star contract might've been abruptly cancelled, if Lone Star weren't popular with the new owners. It isn't hard to find that there's been some disagreement between Saeder Krupp and Lone Star lately.

(GM Notes. 11 edge-assisted successes on a corporate politics test.)

Meanwhile, Wraith takes a watching position in a Starbucks across the street from AGILE offices, watching the comings and goings of employees for most of the day, checking for any who are awakened. Aside from the usual background percentage of 'slightly' awakened individuals, he doesn't see much. Until a BMW-manufactured van parks up outside, disbursing its suited and armed contents.

Wraith recognises "Bob" from "Accounting", from his corporate days. A reasonably low-level Security Officer, but still a corporate officer. Wraith waves, inviting him over for coffee.

(GM Notes. 7 edge-assisted successes on a perception test.)

Saeder Krupp.

Count Zero's response when told is an uneasy: "Lofwyr! Lofwyr! Lofwyr!..."

The sun rises on another monday morning. The Mage Recruitement Agency is now enough of a thing for the plan to be further amended. They then receive their first customer phonecall from a mage who's been unemployed for a few months. So it's a good fake. Good enough to give false hope to innocent wageslaves.

Count Zero "Going Straight is Easy!"

The team seriously consider taking on an innocent mage, and using them as a scapegoat. Especially as an unpaid intern.... like a Jobbridge. With this in mind, Adonis pays a Visit to the AGILE offices on behalf of Mages-r-Us, trying to talk to a manager to bid for the security contract. He gets stopped at reception, failing to convince the on-duty sanitisers that he was there on genuine business. Mr. Carrington is not available, but please leave your contact details, and we'll be in touch.

(GM Note.I was worried about accidentally railroading things.... but it all makes sense and dice were rolled fairly.)

AresPredator2053 spends some time in the same Starbucks, watching the comings and goings from the building with his augmented senses. Heat and Cooling emissions are well within normal bands. His augmented hearing however, captures a scrap of a conversation from inside the building....

A engineer arguing with a security officer about his Maglock priveleges. Aparently, he's been denied access to the parts of the building he needs to work. Moments later, someone storms out the front door. AresPredator2053 takes a snapshot with his optics.

Count Zero wonders if it might be possible to find the engineer, forge his maglock card, then swap the forgery for his real one, leaving them with the good card. But the idea is set aside.

The team returns its attention to Resden. Adonis' revised plan is to call him up, make him a false job offer, and take him in for interrogation, then Adonis will use his ability to replace him. He takes the phonecall from 'George, of Mages-R-Us' and seems remarkably amenable to the idea of of being picked up in a limousine.

Scorch rents a good one. And a chaffeur's outfit.
Adonis gets a lead on a lockpick, but it's been sold. Still, the seller knows a guy who knows a guy who might have what he's looking for . So it's progress.

(GM Note: Houserule/Correction. Searching for gear is an extended test... )

Tuesday. Time for the Headhunt to begin.

Scorch dons his suit and driver hat.

Adonis "Try to drive a little less like a maniac."

Adonis slips into the back, and Wraith tags along incase things go South. They are all thoroughly enthused about being in a snazy rental limo. AresPedator2053 trails conspicuously on his motorbike.

(GM Note, I had it in mind that Resden might ask if they knew they were being followed, depending on his dicerolls.... but alas, that's not what happened)

Resden is waiting for them when they arrive, dressed in his best suit. He is also thoroughly enthused about being picked up in a Limo for the first time in his life. Otherwise, the interview is a car crash. Clearly, Resden has been 20 years in the same job, and gone a little stale on interviewing skills. He's able to spot that Adonis is a mage with a little astral perception. Still, he's especially enthusiastic about working for a Mage-based agency.... by us, for us. The negotiation begins, Resden wanting 100k to switch from Lone Star. Adonis goes through the rigmarole of negotiation up until Resden elects for a quick demonstration of his abilities. After a moment's consideration, Adonis agrees. Wraith glances at his pistol.

(GM Note. It's not just the players familiarising themselves with the system. On a side note, he fires off a Force 6 spell, with Drain of F-2, and failed to soak any of it, so took 4 stun. )

Resden is surprised by the drain, winded a little, but correctly points out the guns Adonis is carrying. Adonis tries to act impressed and they both agree on a salary. Adonis and Resden shake hands, and the wired tazer in Adonis suit does the rest. Wraith is dissapointed that his gel-rounds won't be needed.

In the meantime, Hollywood nicks him in the back of a neck with a scalpel, before bandaging it up. The only thing better than putting a Cortex bomb in someone's neck, is making them think you have a Cortext bomb in their neck. Wraith adds a quick Ward to keep him in the Astral dark, simultaneously remembering that he'd forgotten to establish the building's Ward earlier like he'd agreed to...

Wraith: "Oh, I didn't do that..."

Resden is treated to the experience of waking up tied to a chair in a basement, to a group of Shadowrunners, with obvious signs of a Cortex bomb in his neck. So naturally, his first instinct is to moan about how he's definitely going to loose his job now.

Adonis: "Perhaps we can now drop the ruse,"
Resden: "I'm due in work at 7,"
Adonis: "I'm sure it can be arranged that you'll show up,"

The sight of another man shifting his face to match his own, is enough to convince Resden to sing like a canary. That, and the company's just not being paid enough to have him die for his clients, so he's at least protected by contract if he talks. He talks about his life, gives a reasonably detailed layout of the building and it's security services, then gives an insight into some of the events going on inside. There's security chaos with the new Saeder Krupp-supplied troops, and some engineers are finding that their security clearances have arbitrarily been modified or revoked, making it impossible for them to do their jobs. The SK troops are also a bit more gunhappy, being armed only with lethal weaponry. He gives the lowdown on the number of guards and their distribution, how strong the internal security is. Three engineers had recently been fired over a security breach that allowed an outside hacker to break into one of the secure servers. Jennifer, Allan Jenning, and an "Ork"... apparently, someone had used pirated software, which realised it was pirated, and hadn't been patched or updated.

(GM Note. I had Adonis roll for his interrogation, based off his Con skill to gather the required information, with the idea that the amount of hits he gets acts as a limit to his rolls to pass as Resden. But this might not be the best idea.... )

Count Zero quickly finds a post by Jake204 bragging about how easy it is to crack corps hoping to save some coin using cracked software. Pieces fall into place. Adonis and Count Zero start to suspect a doublecross is awaiting them when they go to make the handover. It may get violent.

Finally, Resden informs Adonis that he has a security check at 7pm. This gives Adonis his in - a chance to snoop around and get a lay of the land. Resden requests that his great-grandfather's M1911 pistol be returned to him when it's over.

Meanwhile, Count Zero manages to compile a sprite, with the intention of watermarking Jake204. The process of compiling and attempting to register the sprite with the Matrix knocks her out for an hour. She manages to come around before GOD converges on the innocent sprite, and sends it away to do its duty. It watermarks Jake204's person, then returns to the resonance.

(GM Note. There was some confusion here. Originally, the intention had been for Count Zero to watermark the wafers being targetted, but a bit of a communication error occured at the tabletop, and this was the agreed upon turn of events. The wafers are basically just slabs of Gallium Arsenide crystal and are effectively inert in the matrix, I figured. An argument could be made that they might've had some sort of RFID tag or similar that could be detected.)

Adonis gets ready for his performance....

And that's where we break for the night.

-------

(GM Final Note. Like I said, this was not the direction I expected everything to go in. Especially given how the last session went. As usual. Still, it was a more fun direction for all involved. We also got to exercise a good variety of rules in the session. I'm still getting caught on the hop more than I'd like... but I can get better. Resden basically existed as a profile, to act as a spellslinging target, for a start. Now he has an elf for a wife and children, worries about his job and something of a backstory.

Also, I've gotten at least two more notes to add to my 'possible plotlines' if the game continues beyond this run. Bonus Karma has been noted....

Wraith waving at his former associate from SK has been noted, and will be a cause of problems in the next game. The presence of Saeder Krupp and the fact that he is known to them might also add a complication for the team later.

AresPredator glitching his roll to call his contact, means his contact has also forwarded details of the call to the boss. Ares Macrotechnology might be able to join 2 and 2 in the aftermath of the forthcoming run, adding to complications.

The Team also knows they're being messed with a little - but not quite how. I'm happy with this turn of events.

Also, Bob, do you mind if I borrow the basic concept of Mossad? It gives me an idea...)
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Hazard]

I've found that unless you prepare for everything the players can throw at you, or at minimum cover the basics of every approach, they will force you to improvise something from wholecloth once a session at minimum. Having something to start off of is a lot better than having to start from nothing though, since you don't have to come up with a name on the fly and define the basic backstory like age, ethnicity and employment.

Oh, and if you are hard up for names, try Behindthename.com's random name generator. It's got dozens of existing languages/cultures that you can pick and choose from and there are links for short blurbs about the history of each name. Unfortunately, most of the available cultures are European, but that's a small flaw compared to what you can get out of it.

[Dartz]

Yeah. I know. I'm trying to prepare locations and people, rather than scenarios. But the people I don't think will be important, so don't spend a lot of time on - are the ones getting the screentime. I've got a different mindset to players and it shows.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Bob Schroeck]

Also, Bob, do you mind if I borrow the basic concept of Mossad? It gives me an idea...)

Not at all, go right ahead. The world needs more Jewish street samurai spellcrafters. (Did you know, by the way, that the Seattle sourcebook for 1st Ed SRun has absolutely no Jewish delis or bagel places in it? None! How is that realistic, I ask you?)
Edit:  I could go dig up Mossad's character sheet for you, if you want, although the difference between editions might make it not worth the time...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Dartz]

Thanks. There's no need to go that far. It just gave me an amusing idea for a potential contact, job-source, or even potential enemy. That said, I'm still getting a handle on being on the GM-side.... I'm just about able to monitor a single plot thread righ now.

and I wouldn't know anything about Jewish food. But I'll add one in, just for that....
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?