Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: cyclonus743 on <12-01-10/1043:06>
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I've got a player trying to fence some paydata. I have not idea what the street value of the data would be. Is there something i'm missing the the SR4A book that would have the street value of various types of data. Unwired points to a page in the SR4 core book but i don't have a copy of that.
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Uhm, how exactly do you play without a core rulebook...?
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Well I have the anniversery edition just not the original 4e core rulebook. In other words all the same info just different page numbers. Only reason i ask is that Unwired's street value table for paydata sure does make it seem like there should be a baseline somewhere. Same goes for the Fenceing rules in the core rulebook. It works if they bought the data from someone but they found it on a commlink. So i'm stuck with picking an arbitrary number and i have no idea how to gauge whats fair. Which i guess would be up to me but i feel like i'm pissing in the wind.
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The 4E book has no further information than the SR4A does. Determining the base cost of paydata could be accomplished by finding an equivalent program's cost, or determining how much a Johnson would hire the 'runners for to get the paydata on a legitimate run. Depending on the nature of the data, I'd start the base cost from anywhere between 500¥ (next week's security shift report for the warehouse) to 500,000¥ (Damien Knight's personal calendar and contact book).
If you want to randomize it to make it a bit easier to determine, look at where they got the data from. Firewall × System × 500¥?
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Heh. That reminds me of Decker (the game), and running around nodes for paydata. Those were the times.
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Thanks for the advice Fastjack. Actually helps a lot.
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Just remember, that would be the base cost, and will be modified per the tables in SR4A (p. 312) and Unwired (p. 94).
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The 4E book has no further information than the SR4A does. Determining the base cost of paydata could be accomplished by finding an equivalent program's cost, or determining how much a Johnson would hire the 'runners for to get the paydata on a legitimate run. Depending on the nature of the data, I'd start the base cost from anywhere between 500¥ (next week's security shift report for the warehouse) to 500,000¥ (Damien Knight's personal calendar and contact book).
If you want to randomize it to make it a bit easier to determine, look at where they got the data from. Firewall × System × 500¥?
Just remember, that would be the base cost, and will be modified per the tables in SR4A (p. 312) and Unwired (p. 94).
FastJack pretty much said it all.
For your own reference, the section call out on page 95 of Unwired (SR4, pg 303) is for Fencing Gear (SR4A, pg 312-313).
Additionally, in some of the "Missions" modules, they treat paydata very esoterically, referring to it in terms of "points", with each point being worth 500¥ (scaled to the group's relative level).
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Just remember, that would be the base cost, and will be modified per the tables in SR4A (p. 312) and Unwired (p. 94).
Thanks again a way to come up with a base cost was exactly what i was looking for
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And, for better or worse, what you're left with for coming up with base cost is whatever you think it's worth. Information is nebulous like that, to one person, knowing where I plan to build my fence might be seen as invaluable, and they'll pay 200¥ for it. To just about everyone, it's worthless.
Even FastJack's example of Damien Knight's personal calendar / little black book. To many (most) in the megacorp world and shadows, it's worth a large pile of diamonds. To Damien, it's probably worth twice that (if you can get away with selling it back to him).To at least a few people, it's worth nothing.
So, if it's generic "paydata" that you never gave a description of, decide how much ¥ you're willing to hand to your players, or figure out a random system you like (roll a DP equal to the net hits your hacker obtained to get on the node, multiply the result by 500¥, instant pay-data value). If you did give him an idea what it was (the formula for New-SoyCaf), decide what it's worth to the people the hacker's fence knows (or the person the hacker is selling it directly to) and offer that up. Same process as deciding what a Johnson would pay a runner team for the intel.
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The only thing I don't agree with is basing it off the Hacker's net hits. I think basing it off the Node's System and Firewall is a lot better since that implies what may be on the system rather than a Hacker making an out standing roll and finding info on Ares' newest weapons while trolling their public database.
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I'd make a specific roll if the Hacker in question is trying to find paydata, or just roll his Edge (or a dedicated for that purpose agent if he has one), if he doesn't. The number of hits then would cover the amount of data, and - as Jack stated - the system in question would define it's worth. I'd handle the worth with another roll too, since every bit of data worth the same nuyen isn't reallistic.
P.S. Yes, that's a lot of rolling. I like rolling. :)