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So, need some feedback on a run for my players...

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Cheesedapplications

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« on: <10-01-10/1658:23> »
I'll be starting off a shadowrun game soon (probably within 2 weeks), and want to hit the players with a run that's reasonably simple (yet hard enough if your stupid) while at the same time introducing combat, the matrix, and the astral plain slowly. It'll also be my cue on where the group sits on the pink mohawk-mission impossible scale, as well provide a morally ambiguous situation for the RP. This is what I've got so far. Feedback would be appreciated.

The runners are a semi-pro crew in good ole Seattle, UCAS. Not at the top of the game, but good enough that it makes sense to pay for them rather than just pay off some local gang to do your work.

-Their fixer hooks them up with a 'sweet and simple' job because his regulars are lying low at the moment, the job looks like it only needs some competence, and who's going to pass up free money like that. A Mr. Johnson, middle aged, human, male, and dressed in distinctly middle class clothes meets the runner's for a face to face at Greasy Ben's (Renton). He has a simple proposition: In 36 hours, there's going to be a a peace meeting behind a Crimson Crush chapter and a neighborhood branch of the Skraacha out in Redmond. The two groups stopped their ideaological-blood-feud/smuggling-turf-war six months ago. Now that they're not shooting, are really putting a hurt on business, and its time for them to go. The runners will be paid (players X 7,000 nuyen) if they can make sure a full gang war kicks off between the two factions at the meet.

The truth is that the Mr. J is a former Lone-star turned KE, eager to look good for his new bosses. He's been building a file on the groups, as rising stars in KE make sure the corp can show Brackhaven that they're their dealing with the Meta Menace. He could nab them all right now for a variety of charges, but why do that when KE can be seen as moving in to help keep the population safe from the savage violence of Meta gangers? A full blown gang war, shut down quickly and efficiently, will be a big PR release for the corp. And these guys are a lot less influential than the big boys...the gangers aren't saints, but a community could do a lot worse. Especially in Redmond.   

The players can expect to see TruePride (orc, skraacha) and BurntMetal (troll, Crimson) arrive by vehicle (with gang escort) to the meeting site, each accompanied by ten gangers (as per agreement). This includes a street shaman for the Crush, and a pretty decent hacker for the Skraacha. Both leaders have some cheap chrome. The abandoned tenement where they meet has some squatters, but no other appreciable civil considerations. A temporary network and matrix hotspot has been set up in the building to allow the leaders quick access to information. The astral plain is a little hazy, but not far from normal.

 


Irian

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« Reply #1 on: <10-01-10/1800:46> »
Doesn't sound "sweet and simple" to me, honestly. Gangers do not have to be stupid, so to certainly start a gang war you would have to do more than place a sniper and fire some shots, for example. The problem is, that any noticeable third party attack could also be the reason for a temporary alliance, which would be even worse... The run idea is not bad, don't get me wrong, it's totaly ok, just not "sweet and simple" in my book :-)
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Angelone

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« Reply #2 on: <10-01-10/1906:23> »
Instead of killing both have them kill one and frame the other. Have the players plant evidence that will point at the other gang, they will relatiate rather than talk and you have your gang war. Plus it will be alittle more complicated than just sniping a couple of gangers.
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Shanfara

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« Reply #3 on: <10-01-10/1909:26> »
I know the topic of what a run is worthi in nuyen is endlessly debated, but the possibility of dying for 7K isn't usually what my players go for.

Also, like Irian said, this one isn't as easy as "easy". Easy is a clean wetwork or a straight forward data grab. YMMV.
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Walks Through Walls

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« Reply #4 on: <10-01-10/1917:41> »
Another option would be to have the team hired to commit some more violent crimes that can be pinned on one or both of the gangs so that KE can step in to stop the terrible gangs
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street.mage

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« Reply #5 on: <10-01-10/2243:23> »
I agree with Angelone.  They wouldn't talk after, just payback for geeking their gang member.  Question now is, how do you frame them?  Take some pictures for taunting?  Have the SR team wear some opposing gang colors in the pic without showing their faces?

Even better, get a gang member on tape/record, then contact the other gang with that recording.  Make them say something that sounds like a threat...then hang up the commlink.

Cheesedapplications

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« Reply #6 on: <10-01-10/2321:05> »
Its an open ended mission. The johnson doesn't care HOW they do it, just THAT they do it.

Cheesedapplications

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« Reply #7 on: <10-03-10/0038:11> »
Hmm...so what would appropriate nuyen be? My understanding is that 5-10k per runner on an early run is fairly solid, but obviously I'm asking for advice because I'm not 100% synched into the system..

Also, the secondary job, should the players refuse number 1. Also pretty street level.

The Mr. J meets them in a soy-kaf slam poetry cafe in the renton area. He is, unsurprisingly, hip to the avant-garde theme. It turns out a Horizon exec has a pair of snotty kids, brother and sister, who have taken to running with the Spikes. Bad for the corporate image if anyone finds out. They aren't necessarily what you would call prime Spike's material, but when your free with the nuyen, its amazing how many "hardcore bikers" are willing to bemusedly tolerate your presence. Their particular pack tends to cruise I5 when it isn't trying very hard to see if it can pass out at Engine Rat's, a local dive bar. Extract said kids from the middle of their pack in the next 72 hours. The job pays 20,000. If you can make sure the little punks never want to do that again, there's a 10,000 nuyen bonus in it. Obviously, seriously injuring or killing the kids would be bad.

The truth: Horizon would have already dispatched corp sec to make the snatch, but a the exec in question is in a tough competition for an assistant VP position and has kept this off corp radar so far. Other than that, its what it says on the box. Of course, any monkey business by the runners and its too easy for the powers that be to stage a raid to free those "innocent kidnapping victims.

 

mortonstromgal

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« Reply #8 on: <10-04-10/1257:22> »
Hmm...so what would appropriate nuyen be? My understanding is that 5-10k per runner on an early run is fairly solid, but obviously I'm asking for advice because I'm not 100% synched into the system..

I would go with a total nuyen, maybe like 20-30k. Payment should reflect the assignment. Make X happen should be a flat fee where as body guard duty would be per runner per day. I also agree that I would run a simple smash and grab for first timers. Or perhaps a courier or bodyguard mission.

Angelone

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« Reply #9 on: <10-04-10/1335:04> »
Hmm...so what would appropriate nuyen be? My understanding is that 5-10k per runner on an early run is fairly solid, but obviously I'm asking for advice because I'm not 100% synched into the system..

Also, the secondary job, should the players refuse number 1. Also pretty street level.

The Mr. J meets them in a soy-kaf slam poetry cafe in the renton area. He is, unsurprisingly, hip to the avant-garde theme. It turns out a Horizon exec has a pair of snotty kids, brother and sister, who have taken to running with the Spikes. Bad for the corporate image if anyone finds out. They aren't necessarily what you would call prime Spike's material, but when your free with the nuyen, its amazing how many "hardcore bikers" are willing to bemusedly tolerate your presence. Their particular pack tends to cruise I5 when it isn't trying very hard to see if it can pass out at Engine Rat's, a local dive bar. Extract said kids from the middle of their pack in the next 72 hours. The job pays 20,000. If you can make sure the little punks never want to do that again, there's a 10,000 nuyen bonus in it. Obviously, seriously injuring or killing the kids would be bad.

The truth: Horizon would have already dispatched corp sec to make the snatch, but a the exec in question is in a tough competition for an assistant VP position and has kept this off corp radar so far. Other than that, its what it says on the box. Of course, any monkey business by the runners and its too easy for the powers that be to stage a raid to free those "innocent kidnapping victims.

 

I agree with your payment plans for the runs so far. The first is fairly straightforward and shouldn't pay more than 10K. The second is harder and should pay more to reflect that, tangling with a bunch of troll bikers is not something to be taken lightly.
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RamEtemeFah

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« Reply #10 on: <10-19-10/1057:32> »
Finally got a Mac but Im having some trouble getting off the ground. Ive got an error in some code that I cant bust, even though its probably staring me in the face. Can anyone take a look?
BTW, I'm a happy owner of
http://www.ps2netdrivers.net/pc.suite/lg.kg200/
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FastJack

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