[Exodus]

My only question at this moment is "What in the blazes is a mafia stronghold?" They've got warehouses and restaurants with back rooms and back room deals in restaurants. I've never thought of a place as a "Mafia Stronghold" Besides, adding some innocent civilians trying to enjoy their soytalian soypasta adds a lovely layer of chaos to a simple job.

[James McMurray]

Looks workable, but I've got a few suggestions/things to point out.

1) They shouldn't be hired by the CEO. That's what Mr. Johnsons are for. Sometimes a private citizen will hire a team directly, but corp execs know better.

2) The meet really sets the scene for the whole run. Figure out the details of it. Meeting with a band of professional killers is risky business, so the Johnson should have precautions in place. But if he's got too many the players may think it's a trap and walk away from the job. An online or completely astral meet is great for extreme security, while the wifi dead zone in a back room of a titty bar is the norm (at least for low tier runners in our campaigns).

3) Perception checks of 5 are pretty high. Unless everyone in the group is extremely good at infiltration they'll never be able to sneak around. A typical pedestrian has a check of 1, while a security guard will average closer to 3.

[CanRay]

My only question at this moment is "What in the blazes is a mafia stronghold?" They've got warehouses and restaurants with back rooms and back room deals in restaurants. I've never thought of a place as a "Mafia Stronghold" Besides, adding some innocent civilians trying to enjoy their soytalian soypasta adds a lovely layer of chaos to a simple job.

How about their houses?  Nice mansions that just happen to have steel behind that wood paneling?  Windows that are rated to be resistant to 40mm Cannon Fire?   Those nice flower beds that prevent vehicles from ramming through them?

And some bars can easily be modified into strongholds and still appear to be quite respectable.  Flip of a switch and a huge steel door and shutters with re-enforcing beams comes down and blocks off the entrances.  Security Companies can only afford so much time before it no longer becomes profitable to have a standoff with non-confrontational types that just have some rather extensive "Security Shutters".

[Charybdis]

I like the premise, but there are a few things here that could go pear shaped....

A) CEO's don't meet runners.Plausible deniability is required for any criminal dealings...

B) Runners rarely know who they're actually working for. If there's no strong reason to tell them, don't. Why would an employer just hand over such leverage to known criminals?

C) By 'Enemy perception of 5', is that 5 Skill or 5 Successes?

D) Why is the Johnson recommending any Lone Star involvement? Including Lone Star is a complicated issue for any runner:
- Initiating combat with them is a risky, long term problem (Lone star gun cams, surveillance drones etc)
- The Mob will be very suspicious of any co-incidental help such as  'Well, we were in the neighbourhood and wanted to rick arrest to help you out with Lone Star. No reason....'
Unless the Johnson has a specific reason to mess with Lone Star (for another personal agenda) this seems unnecessarily complicated for an initial run.

E) How about a simpler mission brief?
- 'Mob soldier Tony Russo has learned information regarding Synergistic Technologies. It's valuable, and I want it, discreetly and courteously. He must not be harmed...'
Then let the players have a few brain-storming options as to how to do this:
- Does Tony have any vices to exploit?
- Is the information stored on file requiring a local hack?
- Do you need to slip the guy a Mickey to get him to talk, and wipe his memory?
- Is the information for sale?

I find it much easier to tell a group What needs to be done (eg get information from X), and what limitations need to be addressed  (eg X must be unharmed).

Then let the PC's work on the 'How'. Give them hints via legwork if you want:
- Contact A says X has a mistress on the side, calls her at least once a every day
- Hack B shows X has an offline data storage at home with voiceprint access
- Bartender C advises that X is always at Pub Z on Wednesday nights.
As GM, you've now advised the PC's that X is away on Wednesday night, data needs voiceprint access, and he uses his voice every day calling his mistress. Bingo, 3-step mission.

[Sliver]

The CEO meets them in person for a specific reason. Trust me, it makes sense in the story.

A perception of 5 is what the entire group would roll. We have a stealthy player.

Yes, good point. Including lone star makes it more complicated than it needs to be. But I still need the players to earn the mafia's trust. Any suggestions?

And ill give your method a try, its similar to what I used to do, just better. I can create a list of opposition and use them a necessary, editing them for the situation.

[John Shull]

The CEO meets them in person for a specific reason. Trust me, it makes sense in the story.

A perception of 5 is what the entire group would roll. We have a stealthy player.

Yes, good point. Including lone star makes it more complicated than it needs to be. But I still need the players to earn the mafia's trust. Any suggestions?

And ill give your method a try, its similar to what I used to do, just better. I can create a list of opposition and use them a necessary, editing them for the situation.

The only reason a CEO will risk the meet is he doesn't trust dropping it down on a handler, maybe comprimised (ie. Not working in company best interst or he thinks eyes are on him) or conflict of interest (ie. He wants to have that handler killed), or he only trusts his own majic touch to make this work and he really aboslutely cannot fail. 

Mafia trust is a rather tricky thing.  Go with popular concept of give them what they want.  Like give them a police informer they are looking for, information on a rival is good also.  You fill a need like that and you have their interest. For a relationship they want someone they can expect some reliability, non junkie and non crazy and non stupid and non genius are musts.  They will also want something to hold over the new friend and have some control.  So ideally they would like you to kill a police informant, keep the weapon with your prints on it, and keep you happy at helping them with modest gifts and encouragement with one guy in charge of keeping an eye on them, out of site of course.  Long list of mafia infiltrations have made them kinda untrusting.  Best infiltration points are young hotshot who is arrogant and ambitious and will jump at chance to embarrass a rival, take out a rival, look good to the boss, etc without overthinking it.  Trick will be to fool his level headed buddy, uncle, or maybe wife or girl who has been keeping him alive to this point.  Mafia is not a stupid factory but they will take a risk on a payday or grabbing laurels over their peers at least when they think they can get away with it.