[Unadept]

Hey, all,

I'm running a game tomorrow and it's been a while since I've run Shadowrun- I was wondering if any capable GMs could glance over the opposition NPCs and drones and tell me if these are too powerful for a slightly-above-starting group of 5-6 PCs, pretty well-rounded, but not perfectly min-maxed?  Thanks.  Oh, and if anyone likes and wants to use these NPCs, drones or vehicles, glad to contribute to the common good.


Renraku Quick Response Team Member

The quick responders are trained to be the first on the scene when an alarm sounds at a Renraku facility.  Because of an incident 2 years ago, the teams are not allowed to use lethal ammo unless the intruders have been proven to use deadly force themselves- i.e. good intel or the team is fired at.  For that reason, their clips are initially loaded with gel rounds.  The teams tend to think this rule is stupid, and will typically have the Controller falsely report that one of the team members is packing gel when they really have regular rounds loaded.  If the event of an emergency, the member armed with lethal rounds will lay down cover fire while the rest of the team switches magazines.

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
4   4   3    4   3   4   3   2   -
               (4)

Initiative:  8 x 2

Active Skills: Firearms 4 (8+2), Athletics 2 (7), Clubs (Bayonet) 3 (7), Unarmed Combat 3 (6), Dodge 3 (7)

Cyberware: Wired Reflexes 1, Aluminum Bone Lacing (+2 Body to Resist and +1 Impact Armor), Internal Commlink (R: 4, Sig: 3, F: 4, Sys: 4), Datajack

Armor: Full Body Armor (10/8), Chemical Protection, Fire Resistance, Nonconductivity

Gear: Goggles 4 (Flare Compensation, Low-Light, Smartlink, Thermographic), 2 Flash-Bang grenades

Weapons:

FN HAR   Dam: 6P, AP: -1, Mode: SA/BF/FA, RC: 2, Ammo: 35 (c)
Smartlink, Stun Bayonet (Dam: 6S, AP: ½), Gel Rounds (Dam: 5S, AP: +1)
FN 5-7C   Dam: 4P, AP: -, Mode: SA/BF, RC: 1, Ammo: 20 (c)


Renraku Quick Response Controller

The Controller stays in the QRV while the team takes down the intruders- he runs the tactical matrix system that allows the team to act as a single entity, and also translates the sensory information from the QRV to the team, which gives them a major advantage in combat.


B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
3   2   4   3   3   4   5   5   -

Initiative:  8 x 1, Matrix: 10 x 3

Active Skills: Firearms 3 (5+2), Athletics 1 (4), Clubs (Bayonet) 2 (5), Dodge 3 (7), Electronics 4 (9), Cracking 4 (9)

Cyberware: Internal Commlink (R: 5, Sig: 4, F: 5, Sys: 5), Datajack

Armor: Full Body Armor (10/8), Chemical Protection, Fire Resistance, Nonconductivity

Gear: Goggles 4 (Flare Compensation, Low-Light, Smartlink, Thermographic)

Programs: Common Use 5, Attack 5, Armor 5, Encrypt 3, Track 4, Spoof 3, Biofeedback Filter 4

Weapons:

FN 5-7C   Dam: 4P, AP: -, Mode: SA/BF, RC: 1, Ammo: 20 (c)


Quick Response Vehicle – Usagi

The Renraku Usagi is a QRV, a quick response vehicle designed to allow corporations to respond to small, remote offices that are too expensive to staff with well-equipped and heavily modified security personnel.  In addition to a way to deploy a team within minutes of an emergency signal being triggered, it also acts as a tactical node that allows the deployed force to act in concert with each other, and remotely access the combat resources of the QRV as well.

Vehicle   Handling   Accel   Speed
Usagi       +2   10/45    180
Pilot   Body   Armor   Sensor
4           15               15      4
Response   Signal   Firewall   System
5                       4                 5        5

Standard Mods: Ram Plate, Smoke Projector, 2 remote weapon turrets, 4 minidrone racks

Weapons:

Assault Cannon   Dam: 10P or 9S, AP -5 or -2, Mode: SS, RC: -, Ammo: 15 (c)
Dual Clip system selection: regular or gel
Grenade Launcher   Dam: Varies, AP: -, Mode: SA/BF, RC: -, Ammo: 6 (d) x4
This grenade launcher has 4 drums containing 6 minigrenades each, which can be selected between as a free action each round.  Typically, these contain Flash-Bang, Thermal Smoke, Pepper Punch and Neuro-Stun Gas grenades.

The assault cannon is a modification of an Ares Panther XXL that is modified to accept two magazines that can be electronically selected between.  It’s typically used to take down hardened targets like trolls hopped up on psychotropic drugs, though regular rounds are sometimes used to bust down barriers or secured doors to allow the team to enter and subdue intruders.  The launcher is a versatile device that is usually used to disorient targets, but in the event that the intruders are in a confined, hard-to-breach area, Neuro-Stun grenades are almost certain to bring them down.

Autosofts: Maneuver (Ground Vehicle) 4, Targeting (Heavy Weapon) 4, Clearsight 3

Sensors: Camera 4 (Flare Compensation, Low-Light Vision and Thermographic), Radar 4


Renraku Yokujin

The Yokujin is similar to the Dragonfly counter minidrone system sold by Cyberspace Designs, but with a shape more reminiscent of a spider with a rotor blade mounted on its back- when attacking other drones, it wraps its extended legs around the offending device and bites into it with its mechanized fangs.  These same fangs are also able to deliver a potent dose of Neuro-Stun to Metahuman targets, knocking them out to be apprehended by the team.

Vehicle   Handling   Accel   Speed
Yokujin      +1          10/20     30
Pilot   Body   Armor   Sensor
3      1              1               2
Response   Signal   Firewall   System
4                       3                3                4

Standard Upgrades: Improved Takeoff and Landing 2, Minidrone weaponry

Autosofts: Targeting  (Close Combat) 4, Defense 3, Maneuver 3

Special Equipment: The Yokujin can use the same minidrone attack as the Dragonfly, with a DV 5 and AP 0 against mini- and microdrones, but only DV 1 against all other targets.  If the drone makes an attack that bypasses a metahuman target’s Resistance roll, a dose of Neuro-Stun is delivered into his or her bloodstream, and must immediately deal with the effects of the Toxin next Turn.  Neuro-Stun takes effect in 1 Combat Turn, has DV 10S and Disorientation (-2 dice to all pools for 10 minutes), and is resisted by Body + any particular antidotes in effect.  Then Roll Willpower to resist Stun.

Sensor: Camera 2 (Themographic)


 
Renraku Security Guard

Renraku baseline security guards are lightly armed and cybered- wage slaves with a two year education and a license to carry a weapon (non-lethal in public areas, otherwise in more secure locations).  They serve 2 purposes: sound the alarm and slow down the intruders; whether they survive the encounter is only a matter for Renraku’s accountants.

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
2      3      3      3      2      3      3       2      -
               (4)   (5)            (5)            (4)

Initiative:  6 x 1 (7 x 2)

Active Skills: Firearms 3 (, Athletics 2 (5), Clubs 3 (6), Dodge 3 (6), Perception 3 (6 +2), Etiquette 3 (5)

Cyberware: Auto-injector (Cocktail of Nitro and Jazz; +2 to Str, Will and Per, High Pain Tolerance 6, +1 Rea and +1 Initiative Pass for 10 x 1d6 minutes)

Armor: Vest 6/4

Gear: Commlink (R: 3, Sig: 2, F: 3, Sys: 3), Glasses 4 (Low-Light, Image Link, Smartlink)

Weapons:

Shocker   Dam: 8S (e), AP: 1/2, Mode: SS, RC: -, Ammo: 4 (m)
Sakura Fubuki   Dam: 4P, AP: -, Mode: SA/BF, RC: (1), Ammo: 10 (ml)x4
Stun Baton   Dam: 6S, AP: 1/2, Range: Melee   -   -

 
Renraku Security Kumo

Security spiders in the Renraku mall and Productivity node dress as samurai, katana at their sides and hair in topknots.  Their watchful eyes and countless spirits/applications help them watch the matrix and the meat for criminal intrusions or programs that seem out of place.

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
2   2   4   1   3   5   5   5   -

Initiative:  9 x 1, Matrix: 12 x 3

Active Skills: Hacking 4 (9), Electronics 5 (10), Gunnery 3 (Sensor + Gunnery), Pilot (All) 4 (8+Handling)

Cyberware: Internal Commlink (R: 5, Sig: 4, F: 5, Sys: 5), Control Rig, Datajack

Armor: None

Gear: None

Programs: Common Use 5, Attack 5, Armor 5, Encrypt 3, Track 4, Spoof 3, Biofeedback Filter 5, Defuse 4, Medic 4, Black Hammer 4, Stealth 5, Oni Agent 3

Weapons: None (Besides drones)



Renraku Security Liaison Support (SLS) Drone

This small, wheeled drone is designed with a cartoonish, ball-like appearance and ill-fit to move about on anything other than the flat, polished floors of a Renraku mall.  Designed as a non-lethal, media friendly means of disarming and detaining even the most frantic of shoppers-cum-assailants, the SLS is a friend to the security officer who has determined his taser isn’t enough, but isn’t ready to resort to lethal force yet.

Vehicle   Handling   Accel   Speed
SAS                 -    10/25      60
Pilot   Body   Armor   Sensor
3      2                 4         3
Response   Signal   Firewall   System
3                    3                 3        3

Standard Upgrades: 2 Weapon Mounts (remote-controlled, internal)

Autosofts: Targeting  (Heavy Weapons) 3, Targeting (Longarm) 3, Maneuver 3

Sensor: Camera 3 (Smartlink, Low-Light, Themographic)

Weapons:

Glop Cannon   Dam: Special, AP -, Range: SMG. Mode: SA, RC: 2, Ammo: 50 (belt)
Freeze Foam 4 – Armor and Structure = 4
Defiance T-250   Dam: 6S, AP: 1/2, Range: Shotgun, Mode: SA, RC: 2, Ammo: 5 (m)
Stick ‘n’ Shock ammo



Renraku “Tengu” Tactical Intervention Drone

The Renraku Tengu, sometimes known as “the walking gun”, is an uncomplicated drone with two spindly, bird-like legs surrounding a light, SMG-or-smaller gun.  This light system couldn’t possibly hope to bring down a prepared team of shadowrunners, but in combination with some electronic counter measures and thermal smoke, it might serve to delay them while a Quick Response Team makes the scene.  These small drones can be hidden, inactive, in small broom-closet cubby holes throughout Renraku facilities, awaiting the need to come to life and surround intruders.

Vehicle   Handling   Accel   Speed
Tengu        +1    10/20      40
Pilot   Body   Armor   Sensor
3      3               3               3
Response   Signal   Firewall   System
3                       3                 3        3

Standard Upgrades: Weapon Mount (external, remote turret), Smoke Projector (Thermal), Jammer 4

Autosofts: Targeting  (Automatics) 3, Defense 3, Maneuver 3

Sensor: Camera 3 (Smartlink, Low-Light, Ultrasound)

Weapons:

Colt Cobra   Dam: 5P, AP: -, Range: SMG, Mode: SA/BF/FA, RC: 5, Ammo: 100 (drum)
Smartgun, Sound Suppressor

 
Renraku Security Mage

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
2   3   3   4   5   5   2   5   -

Initiative:  8 x 1
Astral Init: 10 x 3

Magic: 5

Active Skills: Firearms 2 (5), Melee 4 (9), Athletics 2 (5), Dodge 2 (5), Spellcasting 5 (10), Counterspelling 4 (9), Banishing 4 (9), Summoning 0 (5), Assessing 5 (10)

Cyberware: None

Spells: Manaball (F/2+2), Heal (DV-2), Increase Reflexes (F/2+2) Wind Aura (F/2+3), Mana Net (F/2+2), Armor (F/2+3)

Armor: Full Body Armor (10/8), Chemical Protection, Fire Resistance, Nonconductivity

Gear: Commlink (R: 4, Sig: 3, F: 4, Sys: 4), Sustaining Focus 3 (Jade Amulet)

Weapons:

FN 5-7C   Dam: 4P, AP: -, Mode: SA/BF, RC: 1, Ammo:   20 (c)
Katana Focus 2               

 
Renraku Shinto Exorcist

The Shinto exorcist has a deep and meaningful relationship with the spirits- but that doesn’t matter.  Renraku uses their enlighted perceptions to protect their facilities with spiritual energies and the mighty Kami of the Island Nation.

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
2   3   3   4   6   5   2   5   -

Initiative:  8 x 1
Astral Init: 10 x 3

Magic: 6

Active Skills: Firearms 2 (5), Melee 4 (9), Athletics 2 (5), Dodge 2 (5), Spellcasting 4 (10), Counterspelling 4 (9), Banishing 5 (11), Summoning 5 (11), Assessing 5 (10), Astral Combat 4 (9)

Cyberware: None

Spells: Manaball (F/2+2), Heal (DV-2), Increase Reflexes (F/2+2) Wind Aura (F/2+3), Mana Net (F/2+2), Armor (F/2+3)

Armor: None

Gear: Commlink (R: 4, Sig: 3, F: 4, Sys: 4)

Weapons: None

 

[Unadept]

Anyone?  A quick hot-or-not would be sufficient.  I just don't want to put my PCs up against something that's too much for them.

Thanks

[WellsIDidIt]

It's a bit hard to judge without seeing what the characters being played look like. I run several games at different power levels. My lower powered group would probably get hammered by these guys, but my higher powered group would chew them up without slowing down.

Just a quick glance over, if your group's characters are able to put out 9DV per simple action, they'll drop one of these guys a pass. That takes a dice pool of around 12 to be a good chance of happening. If you've got five to six players, you can expect these guys to to drop at least 3-4 per pass assuming 3-4 of your players are combat geared (more if all your players are combat geared).

If the players charge them, they could easily get wiped out, taking around 4DV + autofire per action.

[Walks Through Walls]

I agree with WellsIdidit in that it depends on the group. One thing that I noticed and almost always try to think about is the number of IP of the NPCs. Unless I couldn't read your sheet it looks like most of the builds have 1 IP which unless your group is the same way will put them at a major disadvantage in a fight.

Also are they meeting all of these bad guys at once or is this possible encounters for the whole run? This makes a huge difference as even a heavy combat build has trouble when outnumbered in Shadowrun.

Hope this helps

[Unadept]

Thanks, guys, I appreciate any and all input:

The characters we have are:

1 Full Street Sam out of the book- no changes.  (I'd call his combat effectiveness High)
1 Firearm enthusiast/infiltration expert. (High, in the right situation- gunfights)
2 Physical Adepts, probably not perfectly specced for combat, but they can lay down some damage (Upper-Medium)
1 Expert Hacker, who unfortunately is still getting the hang of things, and might not be a major benefit in combat (Low)
1 Mage, no spirits, a few spells; will probably effectively use Increase Reflexes and Manabolt, perhaps Chaos. (Lower-Medium)

This is all for a bit above starting level characters.

The way these encounters will be grouped is outside the main facility they'll encounter 6 Renraku QRT members, with a QRT Controller, supported by the Usagi vehicle and Yukojin drones, should they trigger an alarm.

The 'weak' guards of the facility, those that trigger the alarms and slow down intruders, are the Renraku Security guards and Renraku SLS drones- in the more secure areas of the facility, they'll have the Tengu drones show up to support the security personell.  (I don't think the Tengu is too dangerous, but as the majority of the party relies on Thermographics, the Thermal Smoke and Jammer ought to cause some problems for them).

Inside the secure facility, if an alarm is triggered, they'll be met by the Renraku QRT team, with 1 Weapon-Focus Wielding Security Mage and backed by a Renraku Kumo on Matrix duty.

The mage will have Increased Reflexes up, and will try to drop the party with Mana Net.  If that fails, Wind Aura to increase DV and Armor for defense will be cast and sustained.

The Kumo will attack in the 'trix normally with Blackhammer, but will also deploy "Shinobi" IC to trace the Hacker to their home node and attack them there, thus forcing that PC to split their actions, which I think will be a clever and surprising little trap for them. (I realize this will take a while, as Trace, Exploit, ect.)

As to initiative passes, the drones and vehicles all have 3, the Matrix Characters will be in cold or hot sim, depending, so 3 there too.  The Security Mage has Increased Reflexes, so he'll probably hit 3 too.

The Guards only have 1, but they also have an autoinjector with a Nitro and Jazz cocktail, which will probably put them up to 2.  The Renraku QRT only have 2 passes, and what I'm hearing here is that might be a bit light - or not, depending on the group.  I might keep them at 2 for now, as this is something of a "Testing the Waters" run, and I don't want to over do it (though I also don't want it to be a cake walk).

Thanks, and any further advice or suggestions are, of course, appreciated.

[Glyph]

From a quick glance, most of the stats seem logical.  It's hard to tell how challenging they will be, since the terms of the confrontation determine so much.  The only thing that doesn't quite seem to fit is the Nitro and Jazz cocktail - I would probably take the Nitro out; it doesn't make sense for one of the megas to give their personnel a street drug like that, especially one that has such a crash.  The main thing you want, the extra IP, comes from the Jazz.

[Unadept]

Hey, guys,

So, I took people's advice and created something of a harder NPC to oppose the PCs, seen below.  I tossed 4 of them at the 5 PCs, and it managed to annoy the melee PCs with their frankly-ridiculous armor, but magic and guns with APDS chewed them up, so it clearly wasn't enough.  I had them supported by the Tengu drones described above to slow the PCs down, and that worked, but it frankly wasn't that much of a fight.  They also had Counterspelling assistance from the Shinto Security Mage above.

I'm wondering how to up the challenge while being fair.  These guys have a lot of the best cyber there is to offer; the Red Samurai armor is frankly ridiculous, and they have a very decent assault rifle and melee weapon.  I don't want to just give them the best guns ever, because the PCs will just snag those and use them, thus upping their power.

Is the answer just MOAR?  More guards, more drones, more spirits?  Or is it better to have better integrated security?  Like, should triggering an alarm put the PCs into a carefully manicured kill zone, if they haven't set stuff up right, with turrets popping out of walls and shutters closing over key doors?  Or should I go to cyberzombie level of opposition- stuff that is well beyond the level of stuff PCs can take advantage of?

Most of my PCs are fairly new to the game, and not entirely savvy on how to use their abilities to their best advantage.  I do have one player who's really set his character up to be pretty impressive- he's an adept with the Boost Agility and Reaction Powers, as well as phenomenal Edge, and he's very good at using the rules in the game to his advantage.  So, that's all well and good, but it means that I'm kinda looking at 2 different skill levels of Player- one (or two) that's just dynamite, and the rest are a little behind the curve.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

Renraku Red Samurai

The rarified and elite protectors of Renraku’s most secret sanctums are outfitted with the very best cyber and bioware, trained extensively and tested in the field for years before being positioned in such a great position of trust.

B   A   R   S   C   I   L   W   E
4    4   4    4   3   4   3   2   -
(7)          (8 )   (7)

Initiative:  12 x 3

Active Skills: Firearms 5 (11), Athletics 4 (9), Blades 4 (8 ), Unarmed Combat 4 (8 ), Dodge 4 (10), Perception 3 (Vision 11, Hearing 9)

Cyberware: Move-by-Wire 2 (+4 Rea, +2 Dodge, +2 IP), Internal Commlink (R: 5, Sig: 4, F: 5, Sys: 5), Cybereyes (Flare Comp., Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 2, Smartlink), Cyberears (Audio Enhancement 2, Balance Augmenter, Spatial Recognizer), Titanium bone lacing (+3 Body, +1 Ballistic/Impact Armor)

Bioware: Reception Enhancers 2 (+2 Perception), Muscle Augmentation 3

Armor: Red Samurai Armor with Helmet (15/15), Chemical Protection, Fire Resistance, Nonconductivity

Gear: Thermal Smoke Grenades

Weapons:

Weapon             Damage   AP   Mode   RC   Ammo
Nitama Optimum   6P   -1   SA/BF/FA     4   30 (c)
Shotgun                   8P   -2   SA             4   5 (m)
Smartgun, Ex-Explosive Rounds in Shotgun, Gasvent 2, Shockpad
Mono-Katana           7P   -3   -   -   -