Welcome to the Data Haven

Hello chummers. 

My name is J, but I also answer to Insomniac.  This blog will soon be the home of all my Shadowrun stuff that I have scattered around the Net.  Primarily a place to grab run notes, I plan on reviewing sourcebooks, posting fan fiction and perhaps even commenting on the game itself.

If you’re not familiar with Shadowrun (in the P&P RPG style, rather than the video games), it is a near-future, dystopian, cybernetic future game where fantasy elements have been re-introduced to the world causing an interesting blend of magic and machine.  The storyline is in-depth and there are so many things going on at once that Game Masters should have no shortage of material.  However, if you find yourself short on material, hopefully some of the future posts on this blog will help with that. 

While I will occasionally pipe up like this, the bulk of my posts will likely be “in-character” as my grumpy, sleep-deprived sysop alter-ego, Insomniac.  He runs a board in the Seattle Matrix where shadowrunners can look for work.  He’s a no nonsense kind of guy, but he does welcome some discussion.  So if you’d like to comment on run notes, feel free to do so in character and become part of the dialogue.

Well, I think that’s it for now.  Hopefully, you’ll check back from time to time.

J.

>>Oi!  Who’s grumpy?  Anyways, I figured I’d step up and introduce myself.  The handle’s Insomniac and I run my own little corner of ShadowSea.  If you need work, I’m your guy…assuming legality ain’t a scruple you tend to have.  If you think the shadows might be the place for you, then loiter for a bit and see what’s around.  Who knows…maybe you’ll be the next best thing round here.  Or maybe you’ll end up as the next red stain on the asphalt.  Either way, these should be interestin’ times, omae.  Perhaps I’ll see ya round.
>> Insomniac
“The shadows never sleep, so why should I?”

Ravages of Time (CthulhuTech)

As a reminder, all my developed CthulhuTech adventures are developed around an advanced team of mecha soldiers (pilots that have specializations outside their vehicles that facilitate investigative work).

The Unit has been assembled and is stationed in Egypt prior to being shipped out into the Congo.  The CO for the area briefs them before they are to head out.

“We have maintained a small airfield and training facility outside of Embe in the Congo for a couple of decades now.  It has trained our men in the face of the Migou and the cults in relative isolation, so not to draw their attentions.  Being tropical and inland, both the Migou and the EOD are far away from the location.  It has been a month since we have last received communication from the facility, which is unusual, but not outside the scope of their operations, but two days ago, we received a distress call from the base.

“We have a working relationship with the village of Embe, which is the closest thing to civilization the base has, but our communiqués to the village have gone unanswered.  Something has gone wrong in the jungle and we need you to figure out what is going on.  You have the choice of going into Lodja, which is the closest city with an airfield.  From there, you can gather supplies and arrange a trip into Embe.  Otherwise, you can saddle up in your mechs and drop into Embe Training Facility and ascertain what is happening at the base.  This mission is status red, so if you require the requisition of additional hardware, upgrades are authorized.”

Once the team selects their weapons of choice for the mission, they will be dispatched to their chosen theatre.  If they drop into the Embe Training Facility, go to Act I.  If they decide to investigate the village first, go to Act II.

Act I – Brother vs. Brother

If the Heroes come here first:
From the air, nothing appears out of place about the training facility.  When they touch down, the details on the ground are quite the opposite.  Burned out vehicles dot the area and bullet holes pepper the walls and windows of the base.  Thermal scans of the base reveal nothing, thanks to the tropical sun beating down on the base, though any X-Ray scans do show two distinct groups within the confines of the base.

One group is centered in the main building and have erected regular patrols within their space.  A few others patrol the surrounding buildings for activity.

The other group scurries through underground tunnels like rats.  They move in small teams to complete whatever their objective.

The organized group is busy sending their men into the underground after the arrival of the mechs (they don’t want to get killed by having their base of operations vapourized).

If the Heroes went to the village first:

Following the cleared path through the jungle, they finally push through the brush into a vast clearing.  Burned out vehicles dot the area and the walls have been peppered with bullets.  The area is very still and there are no signs of activity.

Both options
The building with the most damage is the central building on the Northern side of the runway.  Most of the soldiers are stationed in here.  Not far away is the Control Tower, perched at the edge of the tree line.  On the west side of the base, under the canopy are the hangars where mechs and transports can stop to be repaired and refuelled.

Dotting the runways are wrecked trucks and transports.  Many have been riddled with bullets and some vehicles (the ones that have the range to get them out of the jungle) have been blown up using explosives.

A series of tunnels run from the hangars to each other and to the main terminal.  The main terminal are under the control of a number of insane NEG soldiers who are captained by a sleeper agent in the form of a Gelgore Dhohanoid (see Corebook for stats).

The sane soldiers skulk around in the hangars and tunnels, trying to stay out of the line of sight of the control tower where a sniper keeps watch over the tarmac.  Interviewing one of the few sane soldiers left alive will reveal that a large number of soldiers went into the village for some leave and came back changed.  They were paranoid and excitable and ultimately turned on the NEG when a Colonel incited them to revolt.

Act II – Embe:  Town Insane

If the Heroes land in Lodja

Despite the level of technology available, Africa still lagged behind the rest of the world and it was evident in the Congo.  Outside the airport and nearby commercial district, the town degenerated to shanty town and dirt paths.  A transport takes the Heroes from the airport, directly to Isandja Etat, where they can gather supplies.

While not being the most modern of cities, the city has enough amenities for the soldiers to get what they need.  Rumours around town speak of serial killers in the town, though no one has the slightest idea of who it might be.  Brutal killings happen every couple of nights and police are baffled.  What people don’t mention are the increased number of suicides as well.

Once they are ready to go, the journey to Embe is a slow one, as it is 40 kilometer journey either through the jungle or over the canopy.  The technology is old and barely mobile, but it will get them there.

If the Heroes arrive after dealing with the base

After finding a working vehicle (or if they insist on taking their mechs), they embark on the 30km journey back to the village of Embe.  A path has been carved through the jungle for the transports to slip through, but they could go over if they chose to.

Upon arriving at the town

The town of Embe went from a tiny village of mud huts to a suburban appearing village almost overnight several years ago.  When the base was established, the NEG offered to upgrade the standard of living in the village in exchange for free room and board when the soldiers came on leave.

As a result, a small clearing in the jungle reveals a suburban neighbourhood without roads, with well-constructed houses, running water, air-conditioning and several places of employment.  The town center is dominated by a large clock tower.  On the North end of the village is what looks like a church.

Think a little along the lines of the Dharma Initiative village in Lost.

But something feels wrong.  As they arrive, there is no one in the village.  The green fields are void of human presence, though fleeting shadows can be seen from upper floor windows in some of the houses.  A lot of the homes have windows boarded over, but one house appears to have burned to the ground.

Paranoia is rampant here.  A few things can happen at random:

Someone shoots from a bedroom window at the Heroes
Make random Tenacity tests for the Heroes if anyone fails, give them random penalties.  Small at first but growing more severe with each failure.
Insane ramblings from the townspeople for anyone who gets close to a house

Some houses hold people who have gone off the deep end.  They will babble about nothing before frothing at the mouth and lunging at the soldiers.  Other homes hold people who still have command over their faculties, but supplies are running low.  They will be resistant to helping anyone, since most people have gone nuts.  Earning their trust will get them some information.

The clock tower was the town hall, but the walls are streaked with gore.  The council hall reeks of sun-heated bodies and the village elders all lie in pools of blood.  It appears that they attacked each other with their bare hands and ate the corpses before succumbing to their own injuries.  (more info on the clock later)

The church is inhabited by a dozen villagers and the local priest.  A few bodies lay piled in a far corner after succumbing to illness.  Everyone here is deep in prayer and are very jumpy.  The priest pulls double duty, teaching Christianity as well as the old shamanistic rites.  Murmurs among the villagers hold the priest responsible for everything that is going on.  Christians don’t like that he reveres the old pagan rites and the shamans feel he’s angered the Gods and they have brought a sickness of the mind among them.  The priest is innocent and has insulated the Church against the damning effects of the clock.

After interviewing people in the village, they will learn that the clock tower was broken in 66, but last month a man from Isandja Etat came to town offering to fix the clock for a pittance.  The elders agreed and the clock has been working since.  However, it tolls at the wrong times and ever since, people have been getting sick.

Every time the bell tolls from the clock tower, the non-Euclidian mechanics the man used, send ripples through the minds of anyone who can hear it, often making them insane.  Investigating the clock tower, will show the rear of the clock having no visible cogs that would allow it to keep time and yet it does.  Destroying the clock will stop the mind-altering effects (but not reverse any damage already done).  At GM discretion, the destruction of the clock opens a rift and allows something to escape into the mortal realm, which will need to be killed (use your imagination).

Act III – The Clock Maker

Once the town has been cleared of the taint from the clock and the base has been reclaimed from the Dhohanoid, the unit will likely want to take down the man responsible.

There aren’t many shops in Isandja Etat, so finding one that specializes in clocks will be easy.  However, those driven mad by the man’s handiwork are being puppeted by a malevolent intelligence on the other side of the veil and is going to work against the unit.  Seemingly normal civilians will suddenly turn on the team and attack them in the streets to try and slow their progress.

Once they find the clock shop, set up beneath a busy marketplace, and get inside, they find the place full of clocks running at different speeds and directions.  They chime almost constantly, so anyone going in must make an Insanity check to ignore the cacophony.

In the workshop in the back of the shop, they find a wild-eyed, middle aged man, leaning over a workbench.  When they walk in, he smiles a pleasant smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes and asks, “Care to buy a clock?”

He will throw himself at the group, frothing at the mouth if they brandish weapons, but he will die quickly enough (he’s only human after all).

Experiments!

Hoi chummers!  How’s it going?

First off, I will apologize for my long silence.  The holiday season isn’t exactly conducive to gaming and there hasn’t been a lot of activity in that regard lately.  But there will be some new material posted pretty soon, so fear not.

Now, in relation to my post’s title, I’ve been undertaking a few experiments of late and it has been yielding some interesting results.  The first one has yet to happen, but I eagerly await the results.  In March, I’m attending a one-day convention locally and running a series of linked events.  Normally, this isn’t anything unusual, but this campaign is three games spread over three very different systems and settings.  7th Sea, followed by Shadowrun, followed by CthulhuTech, all with a common thread intertwined.  I’ve been writing the material and I’m very curious to see how that pans out in the end.  Once the convention is done, I’ll probably posted all three pieces here in case anyone else decides to attempt my insanity.

The other experiment has really surprised me.  I’ve talked in the past about Shadowrun and RPGs in general in the office.  My coworkers have asked me questions about it from time to time, but nothing that I would deem as genuine interest.  But just before Christmas, one of my newest coworkers asked about the game in detail.  Since she’s one of those few in my age bracket that has never even played a video game, I kept the description short and simple.  She expressed interest in trying it some time.
So, I told her if we got any other interest, I’d consider running a game at the office during lunch breaks, figuring that the wealth of rules and the stigma attached to our genre of game would keep the majority at arms reach.  At this point I have six players and growing.  We’ve all sat down, made characters and I’ve been building back stories for each of them, save for a few who wanted to take a stab at it themselves.  In a couple weeks we’ll play our first game.

I would never have fathomed such a widespread adoption of the game.  Even of those people who aren’t playing, some wish they had more free time to join in, or they hope to observe to ultimately decide what they might like to make in the future.  The company I work for is relatively small, but there are only a couple of people who expressed no interest in the game.  I’m sure it helps that I work in a “nerdy” occupation, but I am eagerly awaiting our first game session to see how many of them will hang around when the dice hit the table and they need to remember rules.

But we’ll see how many converts I can get.

Post again soon with some new material…

J.

Review: Dawn of the Artifacts – Midnight

What with work deadlines and the approaching holidays, I didn’t really have a ton of time to develop new material.  After the successful go at the first in the series, I thought I’d give the second book a try.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that the second installment was even more enjoyable than the first.  After reading Feral Cities, I’d been wanting to toss the team into Chicago and this story opens in the ruins of Bug City.  The GMPC that dominated the first adventure is back, but thanks to the story of Midnight, her utility is limited, leaving the runners to do all the work this time around.  Bouncing from Chicago, to Denver to Los Angeles gives GMs the option to use material from Feral Cities, Spy Games and Corporate Enclaves respectively.  If your group isn’t centered in any of these cities, it allows you to explore arcs otherwise untouched.

The challenges were significant in the adventure and the NPCs, again, were of a very high caliber.  Initiate mages, high armor and ample weaponry posed a very real hazard to the players and watching them deal with their level of opposition was entertaining.  The storyline was solid and the game of cat and mouse that predominates the story was quite enjoyable.  There was room to move within the storyline, which was good as my players threw me one curveball after another and I had to overhaul the last third of the story in order to get the players to follow the last leg of the adventure.

Overall, the book was challenging and well done, if a little linear.  The adventure was fun and the resistance they were faced with was some of the steepest I’ve seen in Fourth Edition thus far.  My players are looking forward to my running Darkest Hour and seeing what comes from Artifacts Unbound.

Quieting the Storm

This was my first attempt at GMing a CthulhuTech adventure.  I ran a semi-advanced campaign, where the players were building a character with a certain number of skills given to them for free, making them a basic mech pilot.  Then they got to build around that template to give them a specialization outside of the craft.  The goal was to make an elite group of soldiers who could engage in mech-level combat as well as do inner-city investigation (non-Tager).  It was fairly well received, but the adventure definitely shows that it was my first attempt.  Given the shortage of CthulhuTech material online, I’m hoping this might help generate some ideas for a needy GM.

J.

Act I – Into the Fray

The team is pulled together to deal with the Rapine Storm in Central India.  The capital of India has been razed and the Disciples of the Unnamable continue to put pressure on NEG forces in India.  Intelligence has noted that the enemy is using Halwara Air Force Base as a barracks for their mecha and soldiers.

The unit is to descend into the base via airdrop, and inflict as much damage on the facility and stationed troops as possible before moving on to their main objective.

Forces on the ground will already be firing on the aircraft they’re aboard and will continue firing as they descend to the ground.  Chaff dispensers and suppressive fire would be definite assets on the approach.  Most of the ground forces are foot soldiers, but they do have a few tanks to deal with the inbound NEG mechs.

M-4A1 Vreta Battle Tank

Control Response 4, Sensors 5, Frame 7, Actions 1, Warning System 5
Night Vision, Radar/IFF, Targeting +1, Ejector System, Sealed System
Ground Speed: 90 mph (222/54 ypt)
Accel Code:  C (2/2)
A-Pod Lifters
Integrity:  10
Armor:  2/2
Main Cannon (Plasma Cannon, range 500/1500/3500 to 7000 yards, Large), 2*Laser Cannon (Large)

M-68 Defender AA System

Control Response 4, Sensors 5, Frame 7, Actions 1, Warning System 5
Night Vision, Radar/IFF, Targeting +2, Ejector System, Sealed System
Ground Speed: 0 mph (fixed emplacements)
Integrity:  10
Armor:  2/2
Pair of Linked RMG-10M Rail Guns

Act II – An Agent of Chaos

After clearing out Halwara, the unit is dispatched WNW to the old city of Jagraon, roughly 10 km away from Halwara.  In this burned old city of 80 thousand, hides a cultist captain who orders around the barely restrained fury of the Rapine Storm.  He manipulates the dreams of influential captains of the NEG to either drive them insane or over to Hastur’s cause (in some cases, both).  After some key losses, the NEG has sanctioned his elimination.  While there they are to try and discover the whereabouts and condition of the latest captain to go missing from the NEG front lines, Ahmed Pakresh.

The city was once a city of religious significance to the various Indian religions, but every shrine has been desecrated or burned.  The residents are either desperate or insane from the war that ravaged their city and the sorcerer who haunts the dreams of those nearby.

The locals speak of Rakshas; demons of men that wander the streets to destroy the remnants of their society.  They come in the form of insane cultists, who have devoted themselves to the sorcerer to spare themselves from the nightmares.  Ghouls (called Pisachas by the locals) that walk the streets, feasting on the dead and nearly dead and feral dogs that will attack anything that enters their territory.

Cultists

Scrubs (2d10+5 for attack tests, 1d10 for defense, no armor) – Armed with clubs and rough blades

Feral Dogs

Scrubs (2d10+5 for attack tests, 1d10 for defense, no armor) – Armed with teeth

Ghoul

See CthulhuTech Core Book for stats

Navigating the streets, the unit must locate one of many religious temples that inhabit the city.  Underneath one of the largest temples in the old city are a network of old tunnels that wind through the hills of the area.  Once underground, they lose all outside transmissions.

The crew must disembark their mechs and sweep the tunnels.  Cultists will charge them in typical Rapine fashion (screaming and foaming at the mouth) until they find the sorcerer.  Captain Pakresh is here as well, though he has been turned and mutated.  Bulky muscular tissue has enveloped his right arm, such that it partially absorbs the heavy gun he carries and his offhand has morphed into a thick muscled claw.  Captain Pakresh can be found in the under hallways of the temple, while the sorcerer is further underground in a concealed chamber.

Once they find the concealed chamber they find a hallway with chained dead soldiers.  A Challenging Observation test will reveal that several of the corpses don’t have secured manacles.  These are Shade Corpus and will attack when the soldiers are not expecting it.  The sorcerer is warded with corporal protection and guarded by cultists, a several Bahki.

Cultists

Scrubs (2d10+5 for attack tests, 1d10 for defense, no armor) – Armed with clubs and rough blades

Sorcerer

Elite Scrub (2d10+5 for all tests, 1/1 Armor, 10 Vitality) – Armed with a Handgun (CS-40), a Woeful Orb and Degeneration

Mutant Captain

Agi 7, Int 3, Per 5, Pre 3, Str 8, Ten 4
Act 1, Move 13/32/8, Org 8, Ref 5, Vit 13
Dodge (Novice), Marksman (Expert), Fighting (Adept)
Damage Bonus = +1
Armor = 1/1
Fear Factor = 8
Armed with RG-11 Assault Rail Gun

Stats for Shade Corpus and Bahki are from the CthulhuTech core book.

Once everyone inside is dead, they can return to their mechs.

Act III – A Not-Quite-Clean Getaway

As they surface in Jagraon, before their ride can retrieve them, a fragment of the Rapine army arrives a little too late to save their local commanding officer, but in time to try and prevent the unit’s escape.  Several cultists, a couple mechs as well as some otherworldly beasts (Lindorm and a Shantak) sweep in to keep the do-gooders from escaping.  The Shantak will try to keep the unit on the ground and drop any transports that try to retrieve them.  Use the NEG Claymore and Rapier, as well as the Nazzadi Tornado for the opposing mechs.  The mechs should harry the unit until the Lindorm burst up from underneath, trying to consume the mechs whole.

Street Legends…Insomniac style

So, I’ve read the Street Legends sourcebook.  Aside from a few omissions I would have loved to have seen (Dodger and Sally Tsung for example) I really enjoyed the book.  Some pretty cool history from the eyes of the runners that either shaped them or at least experienced them.  Plus the summaries on some of the Immortal Elves and Dragons were pretty cool as well.  As usual, I also enjoyed the fiction that preceded each chapter.

Reading the sourcebook made me think though.  I post all of my adventures here and I’ve written several pieces of Shadowrun fiction over the years.  I always get requests from people to post the characters that participate in these tall tales and I’ve never really wanted to post a wall of statistics.  However, the dossier format and a summary of the runner’s past and present is really cool and I’m thinking I may stat posting characters both old and new.  Some of my old Third edition movers and shakers, plus the Fourth Edition runners that are defying the odds.

Some characters I’m thinking of posting:  Revenge, Wraith, Glasgow, Blender, Zeyda, Burn, Fade, Inquisitor, Akira, Judge… I have several characters from either Edition, but these are some of the memorable ones.  This list will continue to grow, naturally, but this would be the initial set.  If you’ve read my material and there are any characters you’d like to see, let me know and I can potentially add them to the queue.

J.

Pinocchio Part 2 – Mind

The runners are contacted directly by Mr. Johnson in a rare case of re-hire by a previous employer (rare in that Mr. Johnson is actually showing he’s a repeat customer).  Same as before, he asks to meet the runners at the Azteca in Renton at 8PM.

The spicy bouquet of the restaurant fills the air the moment they enter the Aztech/Mexican establishment.  The restaurant is half empty, with the dinner rush ending and they are quickly escorted to the rear of the restaurant where Mr. Johnson is already waiting.  He looks much the same as he did the first time he hired them:  clean-cut, very expensive suit.  The one thing that is different is that his creepy, perfect plastic smile has faltered some and he looks unrested, with puffy eyes and less kept hair.  He has done his best to conceal these, but anyone with a good perception roll can see through his attempts to hide it with makeup (someone with a knowledge of Disguise can lower the threshold).

“Thanks again for coming,” he says with rehearsed happiness.  “Please, order anything you want from the menu and we’ll get down to business.”

After the runners have ordered anything they want from the menu, Mr. Johnson starts into his speech.  “My employer was impressed with your success before and requested you be hired again for a high-profile job he needs done.  There is a scientist we require; one Hiroshi Takamoto and we need you to acquire him.  He is an unwilling participant, but we need him alive and able to perform on delivery.  We are prepared to compensate your travel expenses.  There is no finite time limit, aside from as soon as possible.  We are willing to pay you 10,000¥ apiece for this task.

Unless prompted, the Johnson is not going to mention where they are headed until they’re agreed that they will take the job.  He is able to negotiate on price to some degree, although the pay for the job is already quite substantial.

Once the runners are on board, if they don’t already know, the Johnson reveals that they are headed for Hiroshima, Japan.  The man works in a R&D facility in the rebuilt city and they will need to get him out alive and well in order to get paid.  The team can contact the Johnson to bankroll their travel expenses and the drop off location is the same as before:  a small, nondescript corporate warehouse in Renton.

However the runners choose to get into Japan, they shouldn’t have too any issues (unless they are metahuman or obviously trying to smuggle in contraband/weapons).  Japan is full of strange blend of feudal history and ultra-modernism.  The astral plane is alight with power, sitting atop a dragon line and the kami spirits of the Shinto faith playing a large role in the island’s culture.  A definite culture shock from Seattle.  However, things change when they get to Hiroshima.

The astral taint from the atomic bomb over a century ago still blankets the area, creating a city-wide semi-toxic environment.  Spellcasting will be tricky while in the city and if the runners do their research and learn about the Taint Blindness that plagues the city, they will setup outside the city limits for the sake of their spellcasters.

The small two-story complex is small enough to disappear into the sea of high-rises almost completely.  It shares the grounds with a large Renraku corporate tower.  Despite the glass monolith beside it, the R&D buildings are the money-maker inside the compound walls and security will move in quickly at the first sign of trouble.  The security in the complex is de-centralized, preventing a precision strike from crippling their ability to counter any perceived threat.  There is a lot of personal and automated security, but no astral security, thanks to the background count here.  If a mage does show up, projecting security mages and spirits will arrive from remote locations.

Hiroshima R&D Complex – Main Level

Hiroshima R&D Complex – Upper Level

North Building Main Level

100 – All rooms with the 100 designation is the development floor.  All the designed computer and cybernetic systems the researching concoct are sent here to become reality (if they’re feasible).  The subdivisions are:
100A – Atrium.  A simple reception area to greet newcomers, though no one outside Renraku is permitted access to the building.
100B – Comm Booth.  Personnel commlinks are not allowed on the development floor, so if a call has to be made, this station allows them to do so.
100C – Component Storage.  All sorts of servos, gears and parts are stored here to help assemble any form of prototype they’re called up for.
100D – Assembly.  This massive area is used for building the frame for their new designs.  Vastly automated, the creators can supervise as their simulations are brought to fruition by the robotics here.
100E – Break Room.  Open onto the shop floor, the workers on the main floor can sit and take a break here.  There is a fridge, stove and microwave available to employees to store and prepare food.
100F – Final Assembly.  When the frame is assembled, this floor is for intricate work that requires a lot of manual manipulation.  Most of the workers are in this space, busily working away at attaching casings, fine wiring and final cosmetic touches.
100G – Medical.  When working with machines, there is always the risk of injury.  This medical station is here to address any on-site injuries or medical emergencies with their employees.
100H – Supervisor’s Station.  The shop floors are all heavily monitored by camera and supervisors watch the progress of all stages of the creations from this station.
100I – Servers.  The machines that drive the programming of the plant’s robotics are stored here.  Heavily and closely monitored for abnormalities, a spider is plugged into this system at all times.
100J – Maintenance Supplies.  Drones for cleaning as well as all cleaning supplies for after hours are stored in here.  If the floor is dormant, this room is empty.
Rooms 1-9 – Offices.  Roboticists, engineers  and designers reside here, ensuring that the designs from research are properly thought out before moving onto the shop floor.

South Building Main Level

101 – Women’s Washroom
102 – Men’s Room.  102A is the storage closet for the bathroom supplies.
103 – Conference Room.
104 – Dining Area.  Main area is seating, 104A is the kitchen and 104B is the pantry and food loading area.  104C is a walk-in freezer.
105 – Cubicles.  Divided into a series of small desks, this is where the rank and file workers develop the ideas suggested by senior management.
106 – Imagineering.  This is where the brainchilds of the company work on new concepts and ideas.  106A is the atrium, a clean and lightly furnished area with a receptionist.  106B, 106C and 106E are all offices of individual idea men and women.  106D is a conference center where the idea people can pitch their ideas to other likeminded intelligents from around the world.  106F is the visualization room.  It’s a place with modelling supplies, office needs and anything else someone might need for making a new model.
107 – Office with skylight
108 – Office with skylight

109 – Building Maintenance
111 – Open Concept Office.  With ample windows and a lack of cubicle walls, this work environment is designed with the comfort of the employees in mind.  This is the public face of Renraku and the employees here are all attractive people, so seem to genuinely like their jobs.  Their role is part liaison and part think tank.
112 – Public Relations.  The first room most will see upon visiting the complex, this room shows all of Renraku’s charity work, global involvement and world-changing advances they’re working on.  A smiling, gorgeous Japanese woman is there to greet them and tow the company line.
113 – Employee Entrance and Security.  This large room serves as the security station for the building, as well as a checkpoint for all employees to enter through and be verified.
114 – Senior Management.  This office complex houses the senior managers for the building.  114A is Otomo Fuchita and 114B is Mori Iko.  The front room serves as reception and conference area.
115 – Conference Room.
116 – Planning Area.  The room is full of holographic screens designed for spreading ideas out upon and manipulating them to make relevant connections between ideas.  116A is a computer room that coordinates related projects so only required data is compared.

Out Buildings

C100 – Security.  Renraku security forces are stationed here before doing rounds on the compound grounds.  Consisting of drones and personnel, they also have a pen for guard animals as well.  C100A is a relay station that coordinates security communications.  If it goes offline, the compound is automatically put on high alert.
D100 – Gatehouse.  This tunnel is the only entrance through the outer wall of the compound and is only one lane wide.  Spike strips can be deployed if someone tries to get in or out without offering further clearance.
D101 – Guard Post.  The two guards that man the gate are behind reinforced walls and bullet proof glass and will double check all credentials for anyone going into the compound.  The passenger registry is recorded on entrance and double-checked on exit.  If a vehicle goes to leave with different passengers or driver, it will be detained for questioning.
E100 – Guard Tower.  Halfway between the buildings and compound corners are four towers spread about the place, spraying the area with ultrasound to detect cloaked foes.
R100 – Rigger Security.  While this area seems unmanned, all spiders are tied in remotely through the hub.  Should these systems be taken offline, all drone frequencies will be scrambled and all users ejected.  The spiders will then take individual control of key drones and hunt down the source of the hub failure.
R101 – Repair Bay.  All drones down for maintenance or repair are stored here until they can be returned to active duty.

Upper North Building

20 – Executive Office
21 – Executive Office
22 – Executive Office
23 – Supervisor’s Mezzanine.  This has an open wall overlooking the development floor with seating for a meeting if needed.  Usually used when entertaining potential buyers for produced technologies.
24 – Secured Hallway.  Being just off the lobby, the hallway is decorated with Renraku propaganda, but it can be locked down quickly in the case of an intruder.  The hall can be fully sealed and the area gassed in a pinch.
25 – Atrium Overlook.  This is a U-shaped area of balcony, overlooking the reception area below.

Upper South Building

201 – Senior Executive Office.
202 – Head of Development.  202A is his inner office, while the other area is the receptionist, who rarely lets anyone pass through.
203 – Executive Conference Room.
204 – Teleconference Room.
205 – Teleconference Room.
206-211 – Offices.  Hiroshi Takamoto is office 208.
212 – Executive Break Room.  A games room, with trideo unit, refrigerator and microwave.  For those times an executive pulls an all-nighter and needs a minutes rest.  Late at night, you can find people catching a quick nap here.
213 – Engineers Conference Center.  This looks like most other conference rooms, but is equipped with a state of the art holo-projector system so engineers can get some ‘hands-on’ time with a new design.
214 – Overlooking the offices below (the skylights in the office ceilings are one-way glass, so people in the Mezzanine can’t see in, sunlight filters in from above for this seating area.  Vending machines dot the area, providing people with a snack and place to rest when they have a few minutes to themselves.

Hiroshi can be found in several places depending on the time of day.  They can find him asleep in the break room late at night, in his office after dinner.  In meetings for the mornings and supervising the floor in the afternoon.  Once the runners pacify the target, they need to get him out alive and out of the country.  Assuming they can get him back to Seattle, they will get paid on delivery as promised.

Legwork

Mr. Johnson
Threshold:  Corporate – 2, Matrix – 3
0 – I have no idea…
1 – His name is Marcus Hale.  He’s a mid-level HR exec with Horizon.
2 – He’s one of Horizon’s cheery axe-men.  His job is to lay off the people who no longer fit Horizon’s vision, while maintaining a positive disposition.
3 – Mark is not an authorized black-ops recruiter, so whatever this job is for, it’s not likely sanctioned by Horizon.
5 – He has a thing for young prostitutes.  That information hasn’t reached his employer yet and it would detrimentally affect his P2.0 standing and his position within the corporation, if that information were made public.

The Delivery Location in Renton
The address is a fenced in warehouse with high levels of drone and automated defense security.  A small group of armed guards patrol the grounds.  There are no outer markings as to what company actually runs the facility.
Threshold:  Corporate – 2, Matrix – 3
0 – What am I, your realtor?
1 – That property was recently acquired by Singularity, a Matrix company.
2 – Singularity is a subsidiary of Horizon.  They specialize in skillsofts, knowsofts and training programs.
3 – Singularity is supposed to be a safe haven for technomancers and AIs.  They were one of the first companies to open their doors to digital savants, even while everyone else was still panicking.
5 – Rumour has it, the technomancers in their employ have put together the software for prison rehabilitations.  Very strong psychotropic suggestions, unlike anything else on the market.

Hiroshima
Threshold:  1
0 – Bless you…
1 – City in Japan.  Got nuked back in the 20^th, right?
2 – They’ve done a lot of cleaning up since the Awakening and the city is supposedly on a major growth spurt these days.
3 – Despite their cleaning efforts, there is still a city-wide background count from the bomb.
4 – The city suffers from something they call Taint Blindness.  The Awakened who are exposed to the background count for any duration go blind until they are removed from the area.

Hiroshi Takamoto
Threshold:  Corporate – 2, Matrix – 3
0 – Who?
1 – Takamoto is some big mover and shaker in Renraku.  Word is he’s got Mitsuhama’s number when it comes to robotics and cybernetics.
2 – He’s an expert cybertechnician, but he’s been working in other areas recently.  Outside of Renraku, no one really seems to be aware of what he’s doing.
3 – It may be nothing more than hearsay, but word is he got his hand on an AI and has been studying how AI’s interact with machines in order to optimize neurological connections.

>> An extraction from Renraku in their own backyard?  I don’t think there’s enough nuyen out there to make me jump on that train.
>> Fade

>> A cyberneticist huh?  Think he’d give me a consultation?
>> Basher

>> Word has it that this guy’s been dabbling in virtual sapients.  Do you really want this guy dipping into your ware?
>> GridRunner

>> Renraku and AIs… do they ever fucking learn?
>> Wraith

Paid in Blood

The runners are contacted by their fixer for a meet at Dante’s Inferno at 9PM.  They are to meet with a prospective Mr. Johnson on the 5^th level.  The job has been described as a protection detail.  Show up ready to run.

The club is its usual busy self, with heavy dance beats echoing out into the surrounding street.  Name dropping Mr. Johnson at the door gets them past the door without waiting in line or paying a cover.  The scantily clad masses are a gyrating horde on the main level, but taking an elevator down to level 5 shows a smaller, quieter and more professional space.  The seats are nicer, there’s room to move and the tables each have their own waitress to prevent waiting.

When the runners arrive at their table a man in a custom tailored silk suit is sitting at the table nursing a glass of expensive Elven wine.  When the runners arrive he offers them the menu and to order what they’d like before they get down to business.  Despite movie star makeup and his pristine attire, the man’s age and fatigue is still visible behind the veneer of his front.

“Glad you could come.  I represent several parties who require more than simple bodyguards for the task at hand.  We have an eye witness who is willing to testify that Aztechnology is dabbling in forbidden magics.  While many on the Corporate Court are excited at the possibility of this information coming to light, naturally, this places the witness at great risk.  We need you to keep him safe for 24 hours, starting at the end of this meeting.  How you do that is up to you, so long as you bring him to this address at 9PM tomorrow night, alive.  We’re willing to pay each of 5000¥ for this service.  Seeing as he is worth nothing to us dead, we can only give you a small percentage up front.”

For what it’s worth, the man’s on the level.  The witness is named John Acevedo.  They really need him to testify and while he is able to negotiate on the overall price, they aren’t willing to make a huge investment initially, as they’re out their cash if the witness dies.

The address the runners are given is the Downtown Metroplex Courthouse.  While closed at those hours, the Corporate Court is using the space to conduct their investigations after city business concludes.  Once the runners sign on, he gives the team an RFID code.  “This code is for the armored vehicle that is transporting the witness presently.  They’re keeping him mobile until you arrive.  Best of luck.”

Using the signal provided, the runners are quickly able to locate the truck in a high security neighbourhood.  However, it doesn’t stop Aztech from making their first attack.  As the runners round the corner nearest the truck, an explosion rocks the armored vehicle and causes it to pitch onto its side.  There is a team of eight mercenaries involved in the hit on the truck:  an Aztec mage, a hacker, two snipers, a rigger, a demo expert and two weapon specialists.

There are two escort vehicles that accompanied the truck and they will aid the runners in the defense, though the first indications of the snipers will be those NPCs being picked off.  This mage is not a blood mage, just a traditional Aztec mage.  Still they should harry the runners with spirits and mind-control until they track him down and kill him.  The rigger’s airborne drones with lob canisters of tear gas into cover to try and flush the runners out into the open.

Whether the runners stand and fight, or quickly rescue the mark and make a fighting withdrawal is up to them, but they will want to relocate and conceal the mark as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, Aztech has a sample of his DNA and can use it to ritually track him anywhere.

If the runners try to remain mobile, they will run into another mobile strike force, but if they try to bunker into a building, the attack with come from two sides.  A blood spirit will manifest in their safehouse next to the target.  Jaguar Guards will burst in and try to take the runners out quickly and silently, but if they appear to be losing, they activate a series of incendiary charges, to burn the runners alive in the building.

Assuming the runners escape the fire, they may have different ideas as to how to proceed.  They may try another safehouse, or they may dig into Aztech and find out who’s orchestrating these attacks.  If they decide to counter-attack, they find a man, Jose Redondo with Aztech security running a remote command center in Tacoma.  They can end the chances of further attacks by destroying the command center.

When they head for the courthouse, Aztech makes one last attempt to stop them, using a small fleet of vehicles, drones and spirits in the busy streets of Seattle.

If the runners get the witness to the courthouse alive at 9PM, they will get paid in full and be dismissed.  It isn’t until the next day they hear about a massacre at the courthouse when the witness they delivered turned out to be the unwitting host of a potent blood spirit and killed most of the inhabitants before Knight Errant got the thing under control.

>> Protecting one man from a massive corporation with infinitely deep pockets?  Yeah right.  Good luck to the fool who undertakes this job.
>> Basher

>> Any chance to hurt the Azzies is a risk worth taking.
>> Revenge

>> Maybe for someone with a death wish like you.  Or have you forgot the lesson you learned all those years ago?
>> Pyramid Watcher

>> Someone has to get the truth out.  If scars are the cost I pay for spreading that message, so be it.
>> Revenge

Duplicity

The runners are contacted through their usual channels for a datatheft.  If they’re interested in hearing the proposal, the can meet at the old Club Penumbra in the downtown core at 8PM to hear old Mr. Johnson.

At Club Penumbra, the most recent decor changes still augment the twilight theme of the old club.  Nowhere near the hotspot it once was, getting into the club is easy enough, with barely a glance from the doorman.  The dance floor isn’t jam-packed like newer clubs, but the DJ at the club still draws a respectable crowd.

In a private room in the back is a Japanese businessman in a crisp navy blue suit with black shirt and tie.  The man bowed as they entered and motioned to a table covered in assorted Japanese dishes.  His English is immaculate with no trace of an accent.  “Please, join me for some food and we’ll discuss business.”

Once people have gathered up some food, Mr. Johnson began.  “My employer would like to acquire your team’s services to gather up some vital information.  Pathfinder Multimedia, a subsidiary of Horizon, has obtained some rather damning footage that we would like to see erased from their database.  The footage was shot in Chiba two days ago by some hack-job reporter.  While the footage could be buried by our PR department, we would much prefer burying without it being seen at all.”

“As an added bonus, Pathfinder seems to be in possession of a file regarding the Consensus.  We are willing to pay your team 2000¥ each for the acquisition of the footage and we will double it if you can obtain the information on the Consensus.”

The file on the Consensus is the real target, but Mr. Johnson is gambling that the runner’s greed will see them expand their mission parameters to double their payout, while providing the blind for the operation.  He is open to some negotiations, but since any payment will be doubled, it should increase in small intervals.

Once the team accepts the job, they are provided with a series of file names of the footage they need to steal.  The target Pathfinder building is a simple two story complex with a small plot of satellite dishes and antennae in an adjoining field.  The compound is surrounded by walls, covered in AROs for all Pathfinder’s shows and news anchors.  These will show any attempts to climb them by distortions in the holograms.  The compound is heavily patrolled by drones and minimal human presence on the outside.

Pathfinder Studio Main Level

Pathfinder Studio Second Level

Map Legend – First Floor

1 – Entrance and Reception – The reception area has a single, clean, modern desk with a smiling woman behind it in the center of the space.  All around are shows created by Pathfinder playing over a series of AROs.  The woman will happily answer questions about the company, even if threatened (she does her best not to flinch).

2 – Offices – Executives and TV Personalities all have their offices here and each is heavily personalized for who owns it.  Despite all the personal touches, the rooms seem devoid of any real personality (lots of family photos and the like, but the style of decoration is actually very similar).

3 – Dimmers and Camera Store – All the extra parts and equipment for filming are stored here, close to the Studios.

4 – Wardrobe – Everything from period costume to suits for the news anchors are stored in here in endless rows of hangers.

5 – Makeup – This is where the makeup artists take years off the faces of their TV personalities and get rid of any annoying shine areas.  The cupboards are all well stocked with all sorts of makeup in haphazard pile.

6 – Laundry – Costumes need to be cleaned between takes.  This is what Pathfinder uses for their laundry needs.

7 – Kitchen – Celebrities have to eat too.  This is where food is prepared and consumed by the staff.

8 – Change Rooms – Once they’ve chosen what they need from Wardrobe, this is where actors go to change.  They are kept clean and maintained by the janitorial staff.

9 – Washrooms

10 – Stairs

11 – Green Room – Where guests, interviewees and actors all go to wait for their time in front of the camera.

12 – Security – This is the base of operations for security.  Vastly automated, the personnel here have an attached armoury in case they need to break out the stopping power (though their first choice are the nanite guns they carry (see below)

Second Floor

1 – Vending Machines – Floor Execs on the go, there are an assortment of vending options here, from meals to snacks, from pop to coffee.

2 – Offices – Executives and TV Personalities all have their offices here and each is heavily personalized for who owns it.  Despite all the personal touches, the rooms seem devoid of any real personality (lots of family photos and the like, but the style of decoration is actually very similar).

3 – Office Supplies – A room that holds all the surplus pencils, pens, paper and other misc supplies.

4 – Editing – Anything filmed in Studio 1 is fed into here where skilled editors can make sense of all the various scenes, trim the bad takes and turn a handful of scenes into movie magic.

5 – Screening – After the editing is complete, senior management can preview the work to see if they are happy with the potential final product.

6 – Props – Props too large to be safely stored in wardrobe come here.  In here are replica weapons, simplistic drones and animatronic monsters.

7 – Footage Archive – This is where footage is stored when not being used.  This is where the runners will find the media footage they were hired to steal.

8 – View Station – Filled with a dozen hardwired stations, any footage that a user finds in the archive can be viewed here to ensure it was the one they were after.

9 – Washrooms

10 – Stairs

There is also a basement, which is a security checkpoint and beyond a cold room for the servers.  This server room is where they’ll find the file on The Consensus.

Studio 1 is used as a local sound stage for any movies and TV series filming in the area, while Studio 2 is used for local newscasts and talk shows.  Both feature holographic sets, solid state props, numerous cameras with crew and an upper level which grants access to lighting and environmental controls.

The inside of the building has a civilian presence at all hours.  There are some magical safeguards (wards, spirits, etc) and smaller drones that guard the hallways.  Horizon puts their psychological programming skills to work for them.  The guards don’t carry lethal weapons, but dart pistols loaded with an experimental nanite.  The Nanite latches into the target’s cerebrum and begins a psychotropic reprogramming that turns the would-be thief into a loyal member of Horizon’s security force.  After any threats have been suppressed, they will dutifully tell Horizon who hired them and what they were after.

The problem they face is that while they are securing the primary objective, another team (hired by another Johnson) is stealing the Consensus file.  When the runners go looking for the Consensus file, they find the mainframe computer rigged to explode when the door opens.  Hunting through the security system will see an Agent quietly controlling the cameras used to cover the other team’s escape.  They will have to chase down the other team to get the Consensus data.

If the runners get to the files they’re after, the Consensus file is heavily encrypted and is marked with a data seal, which records whether the file is still pristine.  Opening it reveals that the file is a decoy and houses a nasty degenerative data virus that will infect the computer opening it up and all nodes in its PAN.  If the runners don’t open the file and deliver it in pristine condition, they will get the latter half of their payment (virus or not).  The media footage is unprotected and it shows amateur film of a Japanese businessman killing a tattooed young man in an alleyway.

Legwork

Mr. Johnson

Threshold:  Corporate – 2, Matrix – 3
0 – Can’t help ya, pal.
1 – The guy’s name is Steven Yang.  He’s a local black bag guy for Renraku.
2 – Yang specializes in PR missions…tries his best to make his company look good.
3 – The guy has a clean record in the shadows.  Good guy to work for, even moreso because he doesn’t strictly adhere to his company’s ideals on metahumans.
4 – He was recently passed over for promotion.  Rumour has it, he’s out to try and get something big to secure his advancement.

The Consensus

Threshold:  Corporate – 1, Matrix – 2
0 – That means agreement, right?
1 – The Consensus is part of Horizon’s administration.
2 – They handle all decisions on business ventures and special projects for the company.
3 – Membership fluctuates and has an undetermined number of members.  Nobody knows who is a member of the organization.
4 – If someone were to get a membership list of The Consensus, it’s worth a ton to any AAA corp out there presently.

Pathfinder Multimedia

Threshold:  Corporate – 2, Matrix – 2
0 – Who?
1 – Pathfinder is a rapidly growing media giant owned my Horizon.
2 – Pathfinder’s got some pretty big companies under their umbrella, like Cunard and Disney.
3 – They are always one step ahead of many of their competition.  They bought out at least three other studios recently.
4 – Despite taking down the competition, no one seems to be upset about being conquered.  Not sure what the deal is there…

>> Suppressing media footage?  Pffft.  That’s what PR is for.
>> Burn

>> Perhaps, but larger scandals are more expensive to bury.  There comes a time when a PR campaign to bury something is more expensive than hiring runners.  Though rumour has it that the media footage isn’t the prime reason for the job.
>> Sensei

>> Hey, just heard from a corp pal of mine… apparently Horizon is experimenting with weaponizing their mental reconditioning software.  Not sure how they’d do it, but be careful at any rate.  I’d hate to have to shoot you next time we meet.
>> Wraith

Phantasm!

It’s time for another Convention!  I’ll be at Phantasm in Peterborough, ON this weekend (Sept 24&25).  I’m running Shadowrun, 7th Sea and CthulhuTech all weekend long.  If you’re in the area, stop in for some games ($25 for the entire weekend…I mean seriously, where else can you get a weekend’s entertainment that cheap?).  There are more GMs and more games than ever before.

The best small-but-growing gaming Con in Ontario (in my opinion).  Hope to see you there!

J.

Review: Fistful of Credsticks

It’s one of my busiest times of year between moving, work and Conventions and so with no time to plan out adventures for my local crew, I decided to give another book adventure a try.  This time out, I decided to give the first of the Horizon series a go;  Fistful of Credsticks.

My exposure to Dusk was overall pretty positive, so I had faith that this book would be of a similar caliber.  Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.  The storyline wasn’t predictable, the main opposition were of a decent caliber and unlike Dusk, there was no GMPC that was required to ferry along the story.

While not required, the experience is certainly enriched by having some knowledge out of ‘Corporate Enclaves’, as the bulk of the adventure happens in Los Angeles.  The idea of being in the spotlight during a job is likely foreign to the runners and running around with the P2.0 program running (almost like posting your job details and those you meet on Facebook or Twitter) was enough to make my team balk in a few instances when stealth was the order of the day.

The storyline was good and the players never lost sight of the prize.  Only on a couple occasions did they deviate from the marked path, but bringing them back into the scope of the book was easy, without railroading.  I don’t think there would be any way for the players to predict the end of the adventure without a blind guess or metagaming, which made for a very enjoyable twist ending for my players

Overall, a well written adventure, taking the team out of their comfort zone for a twisty storyline and something for all runner types to participate in.  As more adventures in the Horizon series become available, I would certainly investigate them and follow this one up.  The feedback from the players was very positive, which I find is very nice, when the GM has to run something quick and is at the mercy of someone else’s handiwork.

J.