[Sonarean]

My players have just finished a run by rescuing a dwarf who got kidnapped.  The mage who did the kidnapping had used an area effect "Turn to Goo" to keep his victims in jars with sustaining foci to keep the spells going.  The players turned the mage over to Lone Star, but kept the foci for themselves.

The next evening's news revealed that the mage was being implicated in approximately 30 kidnappings over the last 6 months, but that with "key evidence" missing, there was little chance of the charges sticking.

Personally, I was hoping this guy would get to become a recurring villain, but the news report has prompted the runners to try to turn the foci in to Lone Star.  So the question becomes, where do I go from here?

I know this should be difficult to do without major consequences; you can't exactly walk into Lone Star, hand over evidence of a crime and walk out.  Not quite sure how to how to proceed with this.

[Kot]

I'd say that's just a way for the LS to get their hands on the goods. Foci are expensive, sustaining foci especially. And you don't need them for evidence - astral imprints of spells and the mage's aura all over them is enough. And if he cast the spell, he had to be in LoS of victims. And some of them could remember him.

[Sonarean]

Even by today's standards, eye witnesses are unreliable at best.  Come 2070, unless the person has an image recorder, it's going to be even worse.  The problem with that, though, is the recorder can be hacked relatively easily.  Particularly when no longer attached to the owner, which is the other reason to love Turn to Goo.

[FastJack]

If they really want to turn the focus in, they could choose to do a blind drop, then informing Lone Star where to find it. I'm sure the mage's signature is still all over the thing.

[Kot]

Eye witness? That's one of the victims. Testimony is a proof.
And Jack, if he's the one who attuned himself to the focus, then yes. And Sonarean wrote foci, so there's more of them. They could give only one or two away.

[Chaemera]

Kot, Jack, the problem our OP is getting at is that, by turning in the foci, they're putting the mage behind bars, functionally forever.

Assuming, Sonarean, that LS isn't using the claim as a ploy to get themselves some free Foci, as Kot originally suggested. The evidence is turned over to LS, and goes missing a few days later during a "routine fire drill" of the evidence building.

Of course, if you want LS to be more "White Hat" good guys (it sounds like you're group has a strong good v. evil, White Hat streak), Mr. Mage could have been keeping a bound spirit (or an Ally Spirit or Free Spirit bound via a Spirit Pact, if his regular spirits are unimpressive) on standby for just such a contingency.

It is now acting out the orders of "acquire all of my property which was stolen from me and eliminate the rest of the evidence". As such, it's laying in wait (spirits have Sapience and Logic = Force, anything over Force 3 is going to make a pretty decent plan, not barge in head first), following his master's astral signature to the foci, and ambushing the LS fools who take custody of the evidence.

Alternatively, the spirit is instructed with a simple "set me free of the prison", and breaks the bum out. Player's have given their all, so they don't feel terribly cheated, and the mage lives on to fight another day.

As long as you don't make the players feel like they're impotent to stop Mr. Mage from escaping, they'll generally accept story complications that unravel their efforts. You can reinforce their own competence by having LS turn to them to help re-capture the lost foci / mage. On the other hand, they might blame the team for trying to "double dip", get the reward for turning in the evidence, then using magic to steal it back.

Plenty of options to consider. But, the key is, remember that your baddy is a powerful mage, presumably, he's smart enough to have considered at least one, if not several, viable contingency plans in the event of his capture. Perhaps he wanted to be caught, to gain plausible deniability for the next phase of his diabolical plot. After all, he couldn't possibly have committed that crime from prison. Or, he's there to help with a break out of an even bigger bad guy (or very loyal underling).

[Kot]

Kot, Jack, the problem our OP is getting at is that, by turning in the foci, they're putting the mage behind bars, functionally forever.

He wants him to be a recurring villain. No better way to do that, than making the team responsible for his release.

[FastJack]

Yeah, but like Chaemera said, if he really wants him as a recurring villain, then he can have him escape or even have the case thrown out on a technicality (LS forgot to read him his Magical rights or something). He doesn't have to rely on the foci to get him released.

Not too mention, I'm pretty fond of the case thrown out even after they turn in the evidence. Not only is the baddie free, but the team lost some powerful mojo for no reason.

[Sonarean]

Well, his use as a recurring villian was merely a "wouldn't it be fun if...".  I'm sure he'll figure out a way to escape in a couple of months.  Or escape during the tumult when LS loses their contract with Seattle (We're running in mid-June 2070.)

Mostly, I was trying to figure out how to proceed with turning in the evidence, since that seems to be what the runners want to do.  Though, honestly, I should be letting them figure that out. 

One of them does have a LS beat cop contact, though.  That'll likely make things a tad easier.

[Critias]

Don't forget you're dealing with Lone Star, not the cops.  He doesn't have to escape, he can be let out -- if Lone Star will cut deals with Shadowrunners (sending them to do blackops style jobs in exchange for early parole), why wouldn't they cut a deal with a powerful mage, along the same lines?

Maybe criminal syndicate leaders around Seattle start turning to goo, in a few months...

[Crossbow]

There are all kinds of chain of custody issues that a good defense attorney would have a field day with in this scenario, getting his client off.  Escape is always possible also.  There is no reaon this guy couldn't wreck havoc on the runners' lives from a jail cell either, depending on what kind of non-magical mojo the guy has.  Never let a happy ending get in the way of a good story. 

[Mystic]

There are all kinds of chain of custody issues that a good defense attorney would have a field day with in this scenario, getting his client off.  

Bingo. Even though the Star or any corp is a private company, they are still under contract by the municipality to uphold all laws in regards to criminal matters or face breach of contract, this includes all criminal procedure and or laws. Now, speaking with SOME *wink* real world authority, once the chain of custody is broken, no prosecuting attourney wourth his bar card would go anywhere NEAR this now tainted evidence as it would constitute possible "fruit of the poisionous tree". All one has to do is raise ANY reasonable doubt, and the prosecution's case goes poof.

"Why yes your honor, the officers did lose track of this evidence for several days only to be turned in later by "annomyous" persons. No, your honor, they can't confirm what may or may not have happened to it. Yes, there could have been tampering". Chances are, this evidence would be excluded, and if the entire case was based on this evidence alone, the judge would under law have to throw it out.

Best bet would be for the attourney to keep the case open, and hope for new evidence later. Heck, there is your hook. Bad mage gets let go, the DA, now under pressure but unable to do anything "officially" goes to said runners to keep an eye on the mage, hopefully leading the Star to some evidence he could use or gathering evidence in a way he can legally use in court.  

[inca1980]

I ran some friends through a run where they had to bust out a mage from an awakened cell block of a prison.  They had to become prisoners though....spend a week in jail....survive that, then while on the inside help bust this guy out.  We never finished it though...it was a cool idea though....couldn't have any weapons, cyberware gets a hack which nerfs it.  They had a trigger software that could disable the hack when they needed it....but once disabled, a system alert starts and you can't nerf it again so you basically gotta be ready to fight all the way to the end.

[Nomad Zophiel]

Well, his use as a recurring villian was merely a "wouldn't it be fun if...".  I'm sure he'll figure out a way to escape in a couple of months.  Or escape during the tumult when LS loses their contract with Seattle (We're running in mid-June 2070.)

Mostly, I was trying to figure out how to proceed with turning in the evidence, since that seems to be what the runners want to do.  Though, honestly, I should be letting them figure that out. 

One of them does have a LS beat cop contact, though.  That'll likely make things a tad easier.

Well, at the end of the day, if they want to be white hats I personally say let them. Being SINless means Lone Star can arrest and harass you for no reason but it doesn't mean they have to. Hell, let 'em walk right into the station, turn in the evidence and get some time on the TV news (which they'll probably try to avoid), testify in the trial and generally be as legit as they want. Each step raises their Public Awareness. People are afraid of evil mages. Most everyone will be happy to see someone step up and take one down. . . except for the evil mage himself, of course. Every second they're on TV is a week he spends behind bars plotting his revenge.

[Kontact]

LoneStar is a bunch of corrupt, inept bullies-for-hire who exist to keep the underclass in check.
A mage is a living weapon of mass destruction.
SINless people are non-citizens who do not even exist according to the governing body.

Add these things up and they do not equal "trial by jury" so much as "what mage?"


Maybe they execute the naughty mage, without trial or record, and his body rots in a ditch, unclaimed.  (the conservative option: not much fun, even if it's realistic.)
Maybe they employ the guy via cranial bomb and he gets loosed on the runners by the Star. (the ironic option: I like it, but it'll just confuse the children.)
Maybe the mage has made enough with these kidnapping schemes to buy his way to freedom. (the 'it could happen to you' option: Corruption at Lonestar PD?  Zounds!  Does that sound possible?)