[firebug]

I have been trying to think of a good way for my group to do several courier-style runs.  I like the idea because they can be big in scope, make use of a lot of different skills, and are a good way to include combat without it being the direct result of the group fucking up.

My issue is though, I'm not really sure what someone would need delivered.  I'm up for all kinds of smuggling or courier job ideas, I just need one.  XD

Also some suggestions about what the group may need to focus on as they improve.  I assume having good transportation is a must.

[Mirikon]

One of the Denver Missions was literally a courier run. Take a treaty between the Koshari and the Mafia from A to B as quick as possible. Meanwhile, it is rush hour, and the Yaks (and others) are looking to stop you.

[Tsuzua]

The question boils down to "what is valuable enough that it makes sense to pay out tens of thousands of nuyen to ship it, but is sketchy enough that I'm paying shadowrunners but not a real company?" The answer is quite a lot. Generally the reason why you'll be hiring shadowrunners for this is that they leave no paper trail* and ideally no connection to you. This makes them perfect for embezzlement operations. You sell the stuff, have shadowrunners take the stuff and deliver it, and then report it stolen.

As for the value, it likely ought to be at least in the hundreds of nuyen. That's enough that spending ~60000Y (10000Y for a group of 6 runners) to ship it makes sense. You can do the illegal or highly regulared substance du jour. Other possibilities are vehicles, highly modified warform animals / paracritters, authentic foods**, and clones***.

*- Now I almost want to see shadowrunners writing invoices.
**- There was a side mission in one of the Season 3 missions where you could smuggle real milk.
***- A Type O clone costs 25,000Y and 8 weeks to grow. It's likely easy to sell since nearly anyone can use its organs. An inter-hospital shipment of 10 clones would cost 250,000Y and hospitals likely do this to make up shortfalls while new bodies are grown.

[Warmachinez]

Here is a great one, based on Tsuzua clone idea.

Have DocWagon smuggle these clones to the UCAS army as a special research clone project... 

Half-way through the run, the clones come to life as Super-Cyborg Ninjas and attack the PC's. Make sure two escape and they can be recurring villains.. or rival shadowrunners in the future.

Plus it will be really great for the Runners to deal with the DocWagon Johnson and the aftermath.  Hehehe

[GiraffeShaman]

Also some suggestions about what the group may need to focus on as they improve.  I assume having good transportation is a must.

Smuggler contacts, bribable law enforcement contacts, and perhaps knowledge of the major smuggling routes. Go gang contacts are also highly useful. One of the major pastimes of the large go gangs such as the Spikes and the I5ers is to shake down couriers and smugglers passing through their stretch of major highway. It can be helpful to not only be immune to these shakedowns in an area, but also able to sic them on opponents.

[Warmachinez]

Also some suggestions about what the group may need to focus on as they improve.  I assume having good transportation is a must.

Smuggler contacts, bribable law enforcement contacts, and perhaps knowledge of the major smuggling routes. Go gang contacts are also highly useful. One of the major pastimes of the large go gangs such as the Spikes and the I5ers is to shake down couriers and smugglers passing through their stretch of major highway. It can be helpful to not only be immune to these shakedowns in an area, but also able to sic them on opponents.

You could also use the Spikes as an obstacle, not necessarily an ennemy... They could of heard that this job was coming down and they blockade the runners under a bridge. Theywant a few 1000Y to let them pass. (Time for the Face to shine) If the players do not agree, shoot up the players vehicules (which should explode) and the gang leaves.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

... wow, you guys really want overboardness.

Look, anything that needs to get there NOW is not going to necessarily be able to go by Corporate Express; use runners.  If it has to go to someone and you want The Opposition looking the other way, use runners.  If you're expecting more trouble than you want to spend corporate resources on, use runners.

Quick, "short," nasty courier run: Have the character either with the fastest, most agile mode of ground transport (specifically) or the one with the Fixer contact get the call.  "I need your motorcycle speed demon at 9th and Foxwell in Ft. Lewis in 20 minutes.  He'll be taking a series of chips to several locations, including the Snohomish docks; I'll send you the location en route.  ##k for a safe and on-time delivery."  ##K is, of course, however much is typical for your team's runs; add on 10, 20, 50% because it has to be done on the fly and because you want them to concentrate on Doing The Job and not on how much it might cost them.

Why ground transport?  Make something up.  The Federal terrorism warning is at Double Red, and anything that isn't broadcasting a steady AA+ corporate signature is gonna get shot the hell out of the sky.  You have to go through a couple of narrow places in order to drop off the chips, and you need a personal touch for it.  Whatever.  Because Mr. Johnson Said So.  And if you don't obey him, then one of your drop-offs rockets the drone you're using, swipes all the rest of the chips, and you get a Rep hit.

Then you have everyone else converging on the route as the speed demon goes.  The mage gets his optic binox and climbs into the rigger's helo to zap stuff from afar; the rigger runs sky interference.  Other PCs play blocker, tangling up 'the bad guys' as the ball-carrier scrambles to get clear of the scrum.  The face is babbling to three different gang leaders, promising whichever one gets there first a 10% cut of the whole in order to be MORE blockers.

Never tell them what's on the chip(s).  They pick up from one guy, they drop off to another guy.  If you want it more complicated, they pick up a bunch of chips and deliver one to each of several targets - or pick up Chip A, drop it off with Guy A, who gives them Chip B, to be delivered to Guy B, who gives them Chip C ... all the way down to Chip Z.  Or whatever.

Don't let them plot or plan for very long.  Run the timer; constantly push them for decisions in 'three, two, one'.  Make it - KEEP it - exciting.  Run combat fast and loose.  Run, run, run is the name of the game.  If they lose the bike, hey - they still gotta get there, right??

[firebug]

Those are all good, and range from more action-movie parts to a more serious courier job, which I like.  I tend to have the jobs go between them (one player likes the idea of having his face/street sammy fire some heavy grade weaponry at some 'bad guys' so I intend to have at least one job end up like slightly-less-intense Michael Bay movie, probably out in a desert in Nevada).

Thanks for the wide-array of ideas, I've got some good plans for the future, now.

[I_V_Saur]

Something to consider about Courier runs. Sometimes, things get 'lost', perhaps a matter of incompetence, perhaps a Shadowrun - maybe even one the party did recently. Making sure the replacement shipment gets from A to B on time would require planning, rushed resources, overtime, and paperwork in the office. But if it just shows up, then the mid-manager's reputation inside the corp is saved, their profits only take a mild hit. Damage control, sometimes, involves throwing money at the problem.

[Aryeonos]

Another thing is they could be hired to rip off a van (That's been paid off by the johnson), so the goods look stolen, then get the goods to johnson's friend who has a special interest in them, maybe he'll sell the package for even more profit or maybe it's a big bite of paydata that'll push his branch up the ladder.

I'm personally quite fond of on foot courier jobs, they don't raise a huge trail and the chase can be quite dramatic, the other bit is they can drop off at any cafe,  post office, doorstep anywhere without a huge footprint. I always recommend making the package mysterious, and the johnson (usually rightfully) does not want them poking their noses in the envelope, and maybe there is some heat following that package, so really it's up to the face and the runners how inquisitive they want to be with it. Make it something sinister, or innocuous but make sure they know people won't be happy if they take a peak, and keep it mysterious. Good things are Foci, paydata, drugs, or blackmail, but sometimes it's a little more innocent, a letter maybe from one insider to the other, maybe they're working for 9x9 or the White Resistance or AB+.

[farothel]

Another option is the discreet delivery.  While a big convoy leaves the corp, the runners are tasked to deliver a package discreetly somewhere else.  Of course, the big convoy is just a decoy, but some of the opposition have learned otherwise.  Think the movie SWAT, but then with goods instead of people (although it is possible with people as well, if you want to).  The opposite is also an option.  The runners are charged with bringing a package to point B while all sort of nastiness comes down on them.  In the end it's just an empty box, while the real stuff has been discreetly moved by someone else.

[Aryeonos]

Kinda like how one of the beginning episodes of Second GIG turned out. Also why my most characters have radiation film badges.

[JoeNapalm]

Kinda like how one of the beginning episodes of Second GIG turned out. Also why my most characters have radiation film badges.

Mine tend to keep a Geiger counter handy.

A film badge is a dosimeter. All it tells you is how long you have to get your affairs in order before you realize you're already dead.


-Jn-
City of Brass Expatriate

[Aryeonos]

It's there to let you know you're no longer safe, and a sound less conspicuous. Since it's just a chemical strip there are very few scans in which it would show up. I thought about geiger counter, but these are much cheaper and anyone could hide one on their person.

[JoeNapalm]

It's there to let you know you're no longer safe, and a sound less conspicuous. Since it's just a chemical strip there are very few scans in which it would show up. I thought about geiger counter, but these are much cheaper and anyone could hide one on their person.

A Geiger counter is a ¥50 sensor that takes [1] slot and tells you the actual radiation count. It doesn't have to make any externally audible noise, it isn't illegal, and would only be detected if someone was actually messing around with our sensors - and even if they did, who cares if you have it?

A Film Strip Badge is a ¥25 piece of film on a holder on your person that tells you how much radiation you've already absorbed. That's fine for long-term threats like walking around in a hospital, a reactor, trans-Pacific flights, etc.

For short-term dangerous exposure levels, all it tells you is just how much death you've already eaten.

So, epic frugality has saved you a whopping ¥25, and thanks to your FSB, you know exactly how many hours you have left to spend it as you die a slow, horrible death.


-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist