[Zilfer]

So saw a topic about gang member ship which reminds me that i wanted to ask how people around here deal with contacts adding to the story line or making requests from players. Maybe get a few brainstormed ideas from your brains here...

I know for example the hacker "Zero" has another hacker called "CrashBurn" <-- (Kudos is anyone get's that reference). Anyways they've never met face to face and he has no idea whether it's a guy or girl. As of recently he's been recieving strange messages that don't come out right. Last message i sent him the beginning and last letter of every word, which is jumbled beyond being able to decipher i know. Well i've already thought up it's actually an AI that I want to eventually run the idea of it possessing a burntout Bunraku woman, though as of recently someone's been hunting crashburn, and wanted him possibly to be called in to help stop a "rogue" AI before finding out it's crashburn to see what he does. I don't want it to happen all at once but i don't think i want to make it into a whole run itself ideas?

For other contacts i'm trying to come up with sort of mini missions, another character has a loyalty 6 Lonestar and i'm thinking maybe his daughter/family member gets kidnapped and turns to him for help or finally wants to switch to Knight Errant and needs to "die" in order to assume this new identity. Something along those lines (thought about tying it in with Tosh from Missions who'd be accepting him as a member of the Knight Errant's Special Task Force) (we just got past mission two and they are sitting at 0 for Seattle (+1) (-1).

The Mademan i'd like to get a few more mob type deals going on, though i can't say i know exactly what a mob does, besides drugs. xD


So what do you guys do in your games with contacts? How often do they come up in games and do they provide incentives? If so what kind? Additional pay? Maybe discounted item through them, or a free item? They obviously won't get bonus' all the time for helping their contact but more loyalty is nice no? xD

Alright time to wait and see responces.

[JoeNapalm]

Hackers. Too easy. 

I always had Contacts play as big a role as the players made them - if the players used them all the time, they demanded quid pro quo.

Of course, if the PCs ignore their Contacts, they may start to not be there when the PCs need a favor. Gotta maintain those relationships!

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

[Lysanderz]

One of the better contacts I've played with was a guy named Proffitt. He started as a PC but then the player retired and his character suddenly became a primary fixer. Of course, Proffitt has been spending nuyen left and right to tie up a lot of his old loose ends so he can make his run for president (I know, high goals for a fixer but you try telling a playboy magician that he can't run for office.)

[Mirikon]

I remember one game I was playing in, I put down a dragon as a contact. The look of horror/glee on the GM's face was priceless.

[Lysanderz]

A dragon as a contact? That's like willingly jumping into slavery for the rest of your life....... damnit, rule 1 of shadowrunning: Don't Deal with the Dragons!!

I bet your gm had a fit of Maniacal laughter. Mwhuahahahhahahahahahahhaahahahahahhaa.

[Zilfer]

One of the better contacts I've played with was a guy named Proffitt. He started as a PC but then the player retired and his character suddenly became a primary fixer. Of course, Proffitt has been spending nuyen left and right to tie up a lot of his old loose ends so he can make his run for president (I know, high goals for a fixer but you try telling a playboy magician that he can't run for office.)

oh god why does this sound like my own mage? xD

My group actually has a contact that i'm fiddling between being a Drake or a 'younger' Dragon. No one has tried assensing him, or really pushed questions towards him. His appearance seems to be that of an elderly man. XD

[Lysanderz]

Rule Number Two of Shadowrun: Paranoia is healthy. Perception Test/Assensing Test every person who is supposed to be your friend. Enemies are also a good idea but sometimes optional.(Before or after you load them full of bullets/shrapnel/magic)

[Maded]

The Mademan i'd like to get a few more mob type deals going on, though i can't say i know exactly what a mob does, besides drugs. xD

It depends on exactly what kind of Made the Made-man is, exactly. Every mob has its specialty, besides breaking kneecaps when you welsh on a debt to them (though that's always a great standby job to send the low-ranking Made-men on ). Besides drugs, there's also money laundering, prostitution, gambling, protection rackets, arms dealing, info brokering and telesema dealing.

Speaking of prostitution, you could always tie the Made-man in with the hacker through the possessed bunraku woman. Say it was his mob's parlor the woman was from in the first place? The Made-man's looking for her, for his own (or his people's) reasons, while the hacker is doing the same.

[Mirikon]

A dragon as a contact? That's like willingly jumping into slavery for the rest of your life....... damnit, rule 1 of shadowrunning: Don't Deal with the Dragons!!

I bet your gm had a fit of Maniacal laughter. Mwhuahahahhahahahahahahhaahahahahahhaa.

Yes, it was an interesting game, to say the least. But the enjoyment value alone was well worth the 10 BP on that one contact.

[Zilfer]

A dragon as a contact? That's like willingly jumping into slavery for the rest of your life....... damnit, rule 1 of shadowrunning: Don't Deal with the Dragons!!

I bet your gm had a fit of Maniacal laughter. Mwhuahahahhahahahahahahhaahahahahahhaa.

Yes, it was an interesting game, to say the least. But the enjoyment value alone was well worth the 10 BP on that one contact.

sounds fun. Feel free to share if you want to extrapolate.

[DoubleTap]

I alwasy At least make index cards for the Players contacts.  I use contacts for side jobs all the time.  Favors for favors ect. Usally depends on how much risk the Contact has to take to help the PC out.

[Lysanderz]

I've been working on something similar. Since I play a majority of my runs via skype, I'm working on a digital download version of business cards of some sort. So far the results have been more miss then hit, but I agree that short contact cards for players is a good idea.

[Zilfer]

That sounds like a good idea.