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Message no. 1
From: "David L. Hoff" <DLHOFF@****.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Types of shadowruns
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 1994 12:29:00 CDT
I was wondering what sort of campaigns/runs that the GM's out there run
the most? For example, are your runs mainly:

Datasteals from corps?
Kidnapping/assasination/etc of high-profile people?
"Charity" runs (doing stuff for the "greater good", not neccessarily
for
nuyen? Ex: taking out a Humanis Policlub that has been geeking lots of
innocent orcs/elves/etc.)
"James Bond" style runs? (Where "The World As We Know It" is at stake,
and
the runners are the only hope)

I tend to actually run more of the last two. I actually had a campaign once
where the entire group was _legal_. SIN's, permits for weapons, etc. They
were a detective agency, that also hired out as private security. They
never did datasteals, industrial espionage, etc. They also had a lot of fun
with it.

Im just curious to see what other GM's and groups do.

--Phoenix

dlhoff@****.wisc.edu
Message no. 2
From: the holy Entombed <rasputin@***.UMD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Types of shadowruns
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 1994 16:48:41 -0400
On Sat, 23 Jul 1994, David L. Hoff wrote:

> I was wondering what sort of campaigns/runs that the GM's out there run
> the most? For example, are your runs mainly:

> Datasteals from corps?
> Kidnapping/assasination/etc of high-profile people?
> "Charity" runs ... ?
> "James Bond" style runs? (Where "The World As We Know It" is at
stake, and
> the runners are the only hope)

I've been GMing SR from the beginning, and my adventures tend to be
rather long, loaded with plot twists, red herrings, travelling, setbacks,
etc. What is unfortunate about our situation is the regularity with
which we can meet to play: we rarely play more than once a week, and,
even then, we oft thymes have to postpone for one reason or another. I
won't run a session if we're missing more than one player, and, with
conflicting work/school schedules, it's a helluva chore to come together
regularly...

There4, while we've been playing for years, we haven't completed too many
adventures.

My favourite runs encompass "seek and capture/destroy," usually
targetting an individual, object, or piece of data that needs to be
found. My current adventure centers around the team hunting for a cache
natural diamonds stolen from the coffers of a megacorp. I can't go into
more detail, as a couple of the players currently enjoy this list...

I like the "James Bond" theme because I've always enjoyed creating and
role-playing the 'super-villan.' Unfortunately, whether the world's at
stake or not, the morals of the runners don't often drive them to try to
stop the villan for the common good. If the Big 8 have an interest,
however...

Runs for charity? Ha ha ha. Right up there with all the O.J. jokes going
around lately.

I've run one adventure surrounding simple wetwork, but the mission was
botched and the team had to flee to the Caribbean League until the heat
from their employers subsided. It's bad enough when you fail to pull of
a kidnapping and subsequent assassination; it's even worse when you leave
a clue behind indicating who was backing the "ruffians"...

I ran one quick scenario where an employer wasn't involved. The lead
character wanted to settle an old family duel with the guy he suspected
killed his father. Imagine going to the Hoosier Dome to murder some
civvie who can't recognize you through his drunken haze.

If you want to know anything else, e-mail me and I can tell you more. I
kinda feel like "Higgins" from Magnum, P.I. ("...in fact, this reminds
me of my trip to Nepal in the winter of '58...")


the holy Entombed
Rasputin the Rambling "It must be the pretzels."
rasputin@***.umd.edu

pubnet.nixpub needs posts...
Message no. 3
From: "David L. Hoff" <DLHOFF@****.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Types of shadowruns
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 1994 21:54:00 CDT
The holy Entombed (rasputin@***.umd.edu) wrote:

{stuff about how characters don't have the morals to do something for
the greater good, and that "charity" runs are a joke}

One thing you didn't figure into your reply: what if you don't give the
runners a choice? :-)

Two examples: A Humanis Policlub starts killing off lots of metahumans in
an area. Since the area is basically a metahuman slum, the cops don't do a lot
about it. A couple of the runners happen to be metahuman, and have families
that live in the area [remember, not all shadowrunners are orphans, runaways,
or the like. Some have actual families]. They convince the rest of the party
to help eliminate the threat, even though there isn't a lot of money involved.

Example of a "James Bond" type adventure: The runners get hired to go to
Arizona to take out some terrorists that have captured a research facility.
In actuality, the facility was conducting magical research for Aztechnology,
attempting to open a gateway to the realms of the old Aztec Gods. What they
actually did was open a gateway to an alternate dimension where vampires rule
the earth. The party ends up having to fight off a bunch of vampires and seal
the gateway before the vampires organize an army and invade.

Like I said, they didnt have a lot of choice. But, you would be suprised. As
I said in a previous post, my players like to be the "good guys", and have a
lot of fun with it.

--Phoenix

dlhoff@****.wisc.edu
Message no. 4
From: the holy Entombed <rasputin@***.UMD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Types of shadowruns
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 1994 02:50:04 -0400
On Sat, 23 Jul 1994, David L. Hoff wrote:

> Two examples: A Humanis Policlub starts killing off lots of metahumans in
> an area. Since the area is basically a metahuman slum, the cops don't do a lot
> about it. A couple of the runners happen to be metahuman, and have families
> that live in the area [remember, not all shadowrunners are orphans, runaways,
> or the like. Some have actual families]. They convince the rest of the party
> to help eliminate the threat, even though there isn't a lot of money involved.

Sure, I've run a couple of "grudge" or anger based scenarios that didn't
involve any kind of payment. When I think of "charity," in this
situation, I picture the Sisters of Heavenly Flatulence begging the
runners to go after a local gang which is responsible for the constant
vandalism of their convent. Unless the players are hungry for some good
ol' fashioned lead-slingin', they'll turn the nuns down.

The closest one of my groups ever came to charity was breaking the
"rigger's" girlfriend out of the local Star confinement. She dumped him
the next day for working in a much too dangerous field. (And yet, LS
picked her up for... military weapons trafficking...?)

> Like I said, they didnt have a lot of choice. But, you would be suprised. As
> I said in a previous post, my players like to be the "good guys", and have
a
> lot of fun with it.

My group has a player with a strong "good guy" mentality. However, most
decisions are group ones, democratic ones, and he often goes against his
better judgement for the "TEAM."

the holy Entombed
Rasputin the Godfather of Soul
rasputin@***.umd.edu



PS: Anyone out there play "Mutant League Hockey"? If so, I need a few
questions answered about it...
Message no. 5
From: Ivy Ryan <ivyryan@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: Types of shadowruns
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 1994 09:24:47 -0700
Well, for my campaign there are a lot of different types of runs

On Sat, 23 Jul 1994, David L. Hoff wrote:

> I was wondering what sort of campaigns/runs that the GM's out there run
> the most? For example, are your runs mainly:
>
> Datasteals from corps?

Once the runners have a good Rep, but not till then.

> Kidnapping/assasination/etc of high-profile people?

No, but many preventative runs, to stop the same thing.

> "Charity" runs (doing stuff for the "greater good", not
neccessarily for
> nuyen? Ex: taking out a Humanis Policlub that has been geeking lots of
> innocent orcs/elves/etc.)

Often. Sometimes for pay, (though the pay is generally small, the poor
are the ones most often prejudiced against, and the poor can't pay much,
though salvage helps) but normally for nothing.

> "James Bond" style runs? (Where "The World As We Know It" is at
stake, and
> the runners are the only hope)

Only things like Bottled Demon from FASA. In noermal play the runners
aren't powerful (even the monster-mages) to make a large effect. Though
the UB did come apart in my world partially due to our runners sending
out information on them.

> I tend to actually run more of the last two. I actually had a campaign once
> where the entire group was _legal_. SIN's, permits for weapons, etc. They
> were a detective agency, that also hired out as private security. They
> never did datasteals, industrial espionage, etc. They also had a lot of fun
> with it.

I have a strictly legal group running right now. One of the groups in my
game. They recover kidnapped persons, data and such. Another group is a
legal courrior group running from Seattle to Los Angeles and Denver in a
3 cornered route. PLus I have the Monster-mage (only one left) and
Sister Sinister who do anti-racist terrorism and are working to stop the
coming of the Horrors.

Ivy
Message no. 6
From: Tyger09@***.COM
Subject: Re: Types of shadowruns
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 05:20:45 EDT
>I was wondering what sort of campaigns/runs that the GM's out there run
>the most? For example, are your runs mainly:

>Datasteals from corps?

All too common.

>"Charity" runs (doing stuff for the "greater good", not
neccessarily for
>nuyen? Ex: taking out a Humanis Policlub that has been geeking lots of
>innocent orcs/elves/etc.)

I tried to run one of these once. But the players DEMANDED nuYen or they
wouldn't care less about it. Most annoying.

>Im just curious to see what other GM's and groups do.
>--Phoenix

My players idea of a perfect session :

You're all called by "Mr Johnston." He hires a group of rag-tag people to
got to a rival corp and steal something. (Data, files, hardware, whatever.)

Players break up, talking to their contacts about it (usually ALL their
contacts, which can range up to 36 with some players...) Reconvene to
discuss how to do it, then they full frontal assault the place, grab the
thing and bust ou the door, scot free.

They tehn meet up with the employer and get money and leave with 2-6 karma
points for their efforts.

What ***I*** do...

The players are hired by Mr. Jonston to do a run agains his own company to
test the security of the place. They don't get paid, 'cept for the cash up
front.

And the only reason I do this is becasue the few roleplayers in my group are
usually shut up by the "LET'S DO SOMETHING!!!" mentality of the rest...
Annoying, at best.

My perfect game would be watching the players interact in character for three
hours, only talking breifly about the mission at hand...

-Tyger

******************************************************************
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! (I)_(I) ! few other locations as well.) !
! --- \ / --- ! Paintball, Pinball, Macintosh by candlelight, !
! --- | --- ! Slot Cars, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, and Felinity. !
! \___/ \___/ !***************************************************
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