[ChaosPhoenix]

When designing runs, my biggest problem is security & legality. Shadowrun is a world where nearly everything is possible. You could lock down a place with Spirits, Drones and a fistful of Tanks (huge fists needed). Yeah they're some place like that, but I don't think it's common. Another thing is, how do law officials fit in? I think legality of weapons is really important, because it's a limiting and balancing factor. But if you won't use a Sniper Rifle as walking stick and only bring it to covert runs, legality isn't a problem, right?

When designing the security of a facility, I try to think like a corp manager. Why spend 50.000 ¥ to protect a 50.000 ¥ item? You could buy a new one for the money. The facility costs money, the guards cost money and security systems cost money too. So a "cheap" item could be only slightly guarded. Or you pack a lot of 50.000 ¥ items together and maybe security tight as hell.

What do you do? How do you balance the runs? And foremost? What do you with Lonestar and other "officials".

[GiraffeShaman]

Always err on the side of the run being too easy. Especially in the team's early runs. This prevents early TPKs and lets you get a feel for what they can do. You can do a lot with just some rentacops, some smoke grenades, and some wired doors. Cameras, Guard dogs, electric fences, motion sensors are all pretty common and cheap devices. Cameras are only good in real time if someone vigilant is actually watching them. (But might be useful later if the criminals aren't masked or disguised)

When you create harder systems, also create realistic holes in those systems that runners can take advantage of. Some sites will have less Magic security than others. That's a hole, since Awakened shadowrunners can really run over such sites with things like Invisibility and Mental manipulations.. Some sites need various non employees to come to the site, like janitors and maintenance. That's a hole.

Be aware of HTR and responding forces response times. When the runners stay too long and run into them is when the drek really hits the fan. I was very happy to see they put HTR response times in the main book for 5th edition.

[ChaosPhoenix]

Btw aren't cameras evil even if the run went well? Theoretically it could take you picture and store it on some far away corperate server were you can't delete it. Maybe I'm just paranoid

[Valashar]

Btw aren't cameras evil even if the run went well? Theoretically it could take you picture and store it on some far away corperate server were you can't delete it. Maybe I'm just paranoid

If the decker/techno is doing their job, then there's never an image for it to archive. But my favorite thing to do on occasion (if my players have been having it a bit too easy or are getting a bit sloppy) is to hit them with the cameras that were NOT at the target location, but rather next door/down the alley/on a nearby advertising blimp. Depending on the scenario location, it's not always the target's security that you have to worry most about.

One of my favorite things to do is to describe the target as 'just across the street from a bank' and do the area layout so the bank's ATM camera is pointed in the direction of the most likely approach to the target site.

[Black]

Btw aren't cameras evil even if the run went well? Theoretically it could take you picture and store it on some far away corperate server were you can't delete it. Maybe I'm just paranoid

If the decker/techno is doing their job, then there's never an image for it to archive. But my favorite thing to do on occasion (if my players have been having it a bit too easy or are getting a bit sloppy) is to hit them with the cameras that were NOT at the target location, but rather next door/down the alley/on a nearby advertising blimp. Depending on the scenario location, it's not always the target's security that you have to worry most about.

One of my favorite things to do is to describe the target as 'just across the street from a bank' and do the area layout so the bank's ATM camera is pointed in the direction of the most likely approach to the target site.

Good call on the off-site camera.

Might be worth asking the players some basic standard outfit, standard approach type questions.  Eg when on a b&e run... what steps do you take to cover your image (eg mask, gloves), what clean up do you complete when leaving the scene (spell cleansing, wipe surfaces etc).

I think Face types are the most vulnerable, because they tend to bluff their way into places, meaning that unless the decker does his job, their image is everywhere (and even then, with cybereyes, smartgun image recording, and old fashion scetch artists, going unmasked is a pretty big risk,)

[White Flare]

A good method to fudge a few things up or down I've found is the relative age of a facility. Older buildings have older tech and maybe the corp just doesn't want to bother spending the money to upgrade. This can also be a fun way to throw some roadblocks, like old physical or non-matrix connected systems. On the other hand a new-built place in the downtown area is going to have all the new fangled gadgets, and maybe some of the employees haven't been trained on them yet.

Another fun little loop can be the plausibly deniable shell company. Maybe the corp is up to something at the facility they don't want anyone (even other people in the same corp) to know about so they've put up sturdy local security but aren't going to send a HTR team if something happens as that may blow their cover.

[Valashar]

White Flare brings up a good point as well, that of making extraterritoriality work for you in the same way that your players should be thinking about making it work for them. Such things include that all-important Doc Wagon contract. They're not going to pick you up if you're on another corp's sovereign territory (there is a fiction blurb in Augmentation to this effect). Also, in order to benefit from extraterritorial status, a corporate facility needs to have clearly marked borders and be clearly declared as that corp's property. So in White Flare's shell company/hidden facility example, should the players get in too deep with the on-site security in such a way that the fight continues on outside... either the players could (try to) turn the tables by hitting a PanicButton and calling the cops on the corporate heavies off their legal turf... or, as GM if the players are getting a bit too worn and you're not in the mood for a TPK, you could say that someone else called in back-up with a 'shots fired' report or PanicButton call.

[GiraffeShaman]

One of my favorite things to do is to describe the target as 'just across the street from a bank' and do the area layout so the bank's ATM camera is pointed in the direction of the most likely approach to the target site.

Happened on Breaking Bad.

First  responders, especially in rich areas, are often high altitude drones. If the PCS aren't careful they might get some video of them or follow the team and report their location.

Cameras are a tricky issue for SR GMs. On the one hand, it gives a GM tremendous power with which to challenge PCs. On the other hand, it gives you tremendous power to be a dick with. Between cameras all over the landscape, citizens with cameras, drones all over, and sats, it's not hard to find ways to not only capture PCs in acts of crime committed outside, but also have it immediately posted to the Matrix. Of course the problem is it's a good way to bring a game to a screeching halt if overdone.

So, create holes and give PCs breaks, especially if they are dilligent. Okay maybe the PCs did end up on that citizen's camera. Now what? Post it to the Matrix and end your team's career? Or maybe the guy is a wannabe shadowrunner and admires the team's antics. Maybe he wants to meet some "real shadowrunners" and he's happy to erase the video if the PCs aren't jerks about it.

[DoubleTap]

always depends.  Low level ware house maybe a couple ferret drones, some rent a cops with pistols, and armored vest, with a panic button in the security office to call the cops.   Maybe some rating 2 or 3 mag locks.  A couple external cameras.   

A Medium security, add more guards, maybe with some shot guns, nissan dobberman drones,with ARs, or SMG.   a couple of flyer drones.  Sub machine guns for the guards maybe.  Rating 4 mag locks, RFID scanners, keycards.  Panic button to call in a SRT team.

Seeing a tend here? 


As far as cameras go, you have to think the almost over abundence of pics tures and information,  you could have a agent sort through, but how many "Medium height, medium build, human, casusain male, wearing smart glasses" will they have to track down sift through and interrogate.  As far as over head drones, in my experience over head ISR is not all its cracked up to be.  "You mean we are looking for another, white datsun pick up truck, with a lugauge rack?".  Worst comes to worst depending on how your getting in, and your infil plan just buy a damn ski mask.