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Need some consequences for working for a dragon....

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cantrip

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« Reply #15 on: <12-15-15/1522:14> »
A common consequence for dealing with a dragon is that the dragon merely doesn't fulfill his end of the bargain.

Or, they fulfill their end of the bargain to the letter. Kind of like making a wish...  ;)

Underbridge

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« Reply #16 on: <12-22-15/2224:33> »
I'd give the chummers exactly what they ask for. I mean that, literally, EXACTLY what they ask for. Except, twisted, of course. Like somebody's great and powerful reward winds up binding them to the Dragon because why hand out one bennie when you can get two in return?

I'd treat the Dragons like some folks write about the sidhe; like the Merry Gentry books by Laurell K. Hamilton, for example, or Mab from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.

That's why you never deal with a Dragon.

Marcus

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« Reply #17 on: <12-31-15/0346:45> »
No one pays extra for milk runs. You get paid extra for extra risk. Why don't runners work for a dragon? B/C then your enemies are the dragons enemies, and means other dragons. This many multi-order consequences, that need to be considered. On the short list is  expendable and deniability. Dragons aren't going to take more risks then are necessary, and means sometimes an operative learns to much and needs to be "retired".

When you consider the word johnson and dragon there are couple serious differences. Getting into a brawl with a johnson is for sure a bad idea, it'll cost rep, opportunities and time, but odds are good that the team will walk away. Getting into a brawl with a dragon has no such guarantee, which means you may not really have a choice to turn down a run put up by a dragon.

Next the shadow community, takes don't deal with dragons seriously, your team gets a rep for breaking that rule, and they will quickly find such things have real consequences socially. Beginning with contacts drying up, as being associated with the PC b/cs too dangerous. Next they will certainly draw fire if the relationship continues and something happens that inspire fear among the local populace. Such events don't have to even be true that can simply be out of control rumors. 

Finally fear, working for dragons should eventually make you a scary SOB, who know's what that will result in. Runners need support to operate, when that support becomes hostile, the shadows will become a very lonely and dangerous place.
« Last Edit: <12-31-15/2358:35> by Marcus »
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BetaCAV

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« Reply #18 on: <12-31-15/0613:11> »
You don't have to be willing, either.
If a Johnson says "Do it, or else...", you may be able to call their bluff, or find some way to get out of it without burning your edge. You may get a bad rep, or lose street cred, but you still own yourself, for all the soy that gets you.
If a Dragon says "You're in" on  a job, however, you fragging well better find a way to make it happen, whether by your hand or not.
You can try going where you want when it's over, as long the job gets done, but you're still on that hook for as long as the dragon says you are. And imagine being in a safehouse, when that slotting dragon shows up to pay you off in person. They may not say it, but everyone is going to be thinking, "Holy drek, omae! Get the frag out of our safehouse! Now would be good, sooner would be better."
Luckily, you're the Dragon's friend, so they're probably not going to do a wet-vac eviction... until the dragon says you're fair game.

brasso

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« Reply #19 on: <01-03-16/1218:13> »
This adventure requires at least one of the runners to have a "valued person" in the area. It could be their mum, a child of their own, a high rating contact, or whoever.

After kidnapping and delivering the child, the runners are contacted by a Mr Johnson, who wishes to engage them to use their confidence of the dragon Urubia to gain access to Urubia's lair, and find out what's happened to these missing children, and get one in particular back - the Johnson's daughter.

He then sets down a commlink on the table so they can listen to someone in obvious distress. He will then explain that if they fail then their "valued person" will be eaten alive by ghouls, while they get to listen. (for only a few seconds, then the commlink at the other end goes to wireless off and is dumped at another location - no tracing I'm afraid)

The Mr Johnson is a very angry, very powerful person, who has lost a son or daughter very close to  them. It could be the leader of a large gang like the Ancients, or exec of one of the megacorps. He will take appropriate precautions to prevent the runners from taking action at the meet (eg. it's in public, dozens of his goons are close by, snipers perhaps)

The runners have several choices (perhaps more):

#/ Do the run for Mr Johnson. Betraying a dragon. Oh boy.

#/ Do the run against Mr Johnson, and retrieve their valued person, perhaps killing Mr Johnson.

#/ Take Urubia into their confidence, and explain their situation, so that Urubia can then conspire with the runners to carry out the run against Mr Johnson.

All three possibilities would need to be worked out in advance (both the dragon's defences and Mr Johnson's) and be completable by the group.

When working with a dragon, the dragon's enemies become your enemies.
The system we learn says we're equal under law
But the streets are reality, the weak and poor will fall

CitizenJoe

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« Reply #20 on: <01-03-16/1638:00> »
If one of the runners hasn't already taken the reputation hit, they'll draw straws to see who whacks the Johnson and the associated reputation hit. Rescuing anyone was thrown out the window as soon as the Johnson hit their family.  The players need to make that absolutely clear to the GM, but the runners need to make that absolutely clear to anyone wanting their services.

brasso

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« Reply #21 on: <01-03-16/1948:57> »
If the runners are willing to allow someone close to be eaten by ghouls, rather than doing the run, then this is probably the wrong hook for the table. Perhaps because it feels too much like player strong-arming?

If so, then it can be removed a place, so that instead of the runners having someone close kidnapped, then a valued contact has had a loved one kidnapped, the Johnson knowing that the valued contact would come to the runners for help, and do the run on the contact's behalf (for a huge favour and a suitable payday). Of course, the runners could refuse but would lose a contact.

Also bear in mind that the Johnson is backed by a powerful group. Whacking the leader of the Ancients would certainly have repercussions...  I don't think I would penalise reputation from the runners if they killed this Johnson, as he doesn't really deserve the title, and the rest of the shadowrun community would probably chink glasses for removing him for his outrageous behaviour. But I think it's important to realise that the reason that the Johnson has done this is not because he's an asshole, but because he is a very desperate person, who has lost a child, and wants them back. Having him break down in tears in front of the runners could make them realise just how wounded he is, and maybe open the door to negotiations...

It's an important point that the child may never have been taken by Urubia in the first place, the Johnson is simply jumping to a conclusion. Imagine the child turning up the day after the runners have whacked the Johnson, none the wiser of the trouble they have caused.

If the runners need an "in" to carry out the run against the dragon, then the dragon may have taken a "voice" who, although they fully back their master in their schemes, is privately against the kidnapping of the children, and has reached out to the Johnson, and is willing to provide information to assist in the investigations. The runners may only initially find out that someone at the other end of a commlink has info for them, but nothing else.

I hope this gives a few ideas of how such a campaign could be handled. YMMV.
The system we learn says we're equal under law
But the streets are reality, the weak and poor will fall

Glyph

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« Reply #22 on: <01-04-16/0226:09> »
According to the OP, the group doesn't know that the "package" is a kid.  So there is already some strong-arming setting the situation up in the first place.  The players might already be pissed at having this sprung on them, with a Johnson that they can't just tell to go to hell.  So they might feel they were semi-coerced into a run, with the GM then turning around and punishing them for it right afterwards.

Faust

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« Reply #23 on: <02-02-16/1739:06> »
Have your dragon, work through a johnson, this way the team doesn't know they are working for one. Not knowing its a kid is cool but what's special about this kid? who wants to keep the kid/prevent dragon from having said kid? Dragon runs are a chess game that runner lose Always. Also be careful cuz some groups won't touch that run regardless, human trafficking rates up there on bad karma