RelativeDimension
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 10
Preferred Game Systems: Any
Currently Playing: D&D5, Fantasy Hero
Currently Running: Shadowrun
Favorite Species of Monkey: Howler
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Post by RelativeDimension on May 31, 2017 21:37:38 GMT -8
I am looking for opinions.
In my last shadowrun game, I offered the team a job to intercept a shipment and redirect it. Problem is, I'm having problems coming up with just what's in the truck. Now, they shouldn't actually go looking, but they might, and I want to be prepared.
So, the details. Seattle Mafia member hired the group. Target - Something arriving on a ship in Norfolk, VA. Destination - Dallas Fort Worth.
So, the shipment is arriving in port, and will be loaded onto a truck that will then leave for ground travel. Should take a day and a half to two days to reach DFW. The Mafia member wants it hijacked, and redirected to Chicago.
So... what's in the box? Guns? Sea Life? Something rare, unique maybe.. that is worth a lot of money, and worth enough that someone would want it redirected to Chicago.
so, if anyone has ideas, I would appreciate it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2017 22:00:01 GMT -8
Depends on the motives of the Mafia. If they are trying to retake Bug City (Chicago), maybe its heavy ordinance. Maybe they are trying to extract product they had to leave behind when shit went down and they need drones to bypass the zero zone and get the product out of the city.
Heck, maybe the box is full of Soyrito's and the entire thing was a rouse to get the runners to a 'drop off' where some friendly bug spirits are waiting to posses their bodies. Once you know the motivations of the mafia it becomes much easier to figure out why they would have ______ stolen.
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RelativeDimension
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 10
Preferred Game Systems: Any
Currently Playing: D&D5, Fantasy Hero
Currently Running: Shadowrun
Favorite Species of Monkey: Howler
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Post by RelativeDimension on May 31, 2017 22:09:00 GMT -8
I guess I missed that info. My game is set in 2054, so Bug City hasn't happened yet. Universal Brotherhood has only recently been discovered by some to be a problem, and the knowledge hasn't spread so widely just yet.
The mafia member is someone they've worked for int he past, and he's pretty happy with the team, so he's not looking to betray them. The recipient is a family member. So it's something that they are looking forward to. I am just not sure if it is an awakened critter to try to tame.. maybe one to eat. Drug shipment.
As a last ditch decision, I can just have it be medical supplies, or drugs or something. I was just thinking I wanted something that would be a surprise of sorts, but I was having trouble actually thinking of something.
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Post by lowkeyoh on May 31, 2017 22:23:33 GMT -8
Chicago is Bug Central.
Dallas/Fort Worth has the following organizations operating in it. Atlantean Foundation, Children of the Dragon, Draco Foundation, Sons of the Alamo, Free Aztlan, Illuminates of the New Dawn.
The major metaplot point in Dallas is the Aztlan invasion of CAS and Pueblo. Aztlan is known for blood magic.
Here's what my angle would be. The truck is filled with what trucks are always filled with in Shadowrun: Guns. Guns being sent down to Dallas to arm rebels against Aztlan sympathizers and invaders. These rebels are Sons of the Alamo, Free Aztlan, or both. But these rebels aren't acting alone. In order to combat the blood magic of Aztlan and their supporters, they've teamed up with a splinter faction of one of the magic foundations, I'd probably pick Illuminates of the New Dawn, to provide magical ordinance against the Azzys.
So this truck is packed with guns destined for the Texas Rangers with the intention that a percentage of the cargo would be lost in a warehouse to arm rebels. But more important than the guns are the hidden Magic Reagents being sent to empower the mages to fight against the Azzys.
All the guns are Ares, but that's just a smokescreen. The entire operation is being funded by PLOT IMPORTANT CORPORATION HERE (PIHC) to destabilize the region for PLOT IMPORTANT INTRIGUE HERE and profit.
Guns and Magical Reagents are also in high demand in Chitown, now that it's Bug Central. Your Seattle Mafia discovered PIHCs plans and decides that even after a shadowrunners cut, they can make bank by rerouting the truck to Chicago.
The dismount is tricky, and can be made to fit with whatever plot you're going for. I'd have the people the Seattle Mafia tell the party to sell the weapons and magic too be an undercover arm of PICH. That way PICH can dime them out to the Rangers, the Rebels, and The Mages. This animosity comes around to bite them on the ass later.
Or maybe the deal is legit and they make a quick buck. I'd tie one of their contacts or an NPC in their personal lives into the conflict in CAS to make them aware of the consequences of stealing these valuables.
This also gives them the opportunity to hijack the truck but still deliver the goods to Texas and get involved there directly if they want.
That's just me, though
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2017 22:27:31 GMT -8
I guess I missed that info. My game is set in 2054, so Bug City hasn't happened yet. Universal Brotherhood has only recently been discovered by some to be a problem, and the knowledge hasn't spread so widely just yet. The mafia member is someone they've worked for int he past, and he's pretty happy with the team, so he's not looking to betray them. The recipient is a family member. So it's something that they are looking forward to. I am just not sure if it is an awakened critter to try to tame.. maybe one to eat. Drug shipment. As a last ditch decision, I can just have it be medical supplies, or drugs or something. I was just thinking I wanted something that would be a surprise of sorts, but I was having trouble actually thinking of something. Oh, easy. Have it be a gift that was meant for a rival mafia person. Maybe some kind of tiara or something similarly notable. It doesn't even have to be something they would want for themselves, but that they would enjoy knowing was stolen from the original recipient. If you want it to be super messed up, have it be some kind of pet. Then leak the sex tape of them on top of the rug that used to be said pet. Really highlights the craziness that comes with those ultra rich type people and their feuds.
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Post by lowkeyoh on May 31, 2017 22:31:41 GMT -8
With the knowledge of this being 2054, my knowledge of the 3e lore being pretty shit so all of my ideas are out the window.
If it's a Mafia guy routing a truck to a family member I really like the idea that it's a Pet. But it also could be seized property. Sentimental stuff. Makes this a 'favor to family' kind of job instead of a 'let's get rich and exploit political unrest' situation.
The real question is why is this cargo getting into VA by boat and then getting trucked down to Dallas. Who there wants it and why?
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RelativeDimension
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 10
Preferred Game Systems: Any
Currently Playing: D&D5, Fantasy Hero
Currently Running: Shadowrun
Favorite Species of Monkey: Howler
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Post by RelativeDimension on May 31, 2017 22:48:19 GMT -8
I like the Pet idea. As for why it's going to DFW... I have to admit, it was a decision made based solely on keeping it the original path in the CAS, and diverting it to the UCAS. Some new players are joining up and one's a Rigger, so I wanted to have plenty of opportunity for Rigged vehicles, chases, etc.
As for enemies. The group has dealt with Aztechnology a lot recently (and more in the future) so I don't want to drop that boogeyman again. Maybe Yakuza, or a Pro-Aztechnology organization. I do like the idea of guns. Maybe they want the guns to start some troubles, ambushing Lone Star and CAS citizens. Local Mafia heard about it, but for whatever reason had no assets to call in to deal with it, so he called in a favor from family, and word spread to have to shipment hijacked and sent to a different mafia source to be used as necessary.
I also like the idea of a pet too. Not as part of the job, but as a complication. the pet belongs to someone influential, and someone got a hold of it and sent it along. Or, I can really complicate matters by having it be a Wyvern that someone managed to capture, secure in a cage somehow, and was sending it down to be used in a ritual, or as a general nuisance to be loosed on the city.
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Post by chronovore on Jun 6, 2017 1:35:45 GMT -8
Your food idea is pretty good. How about if it's sea turtles being shipped in, live, for a particularly finnicky dinner guest? They're being transported at ground level because the stress of flying would cause a chemical reaction in the turtles, making them less tasty.
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RelativeDimension
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 10
Preferred Game Systems: Any
Currently Playing: D&D5, Fantasy Hero
Currently Running: Shadowrun
Favorite Species of Monkey: Howler
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Post by RelativeDimension on Jun 6, 2017 23:43:41 GMT -8
Your food idea is pretty good. How about if it's sea turtles being shipped in, live, for a particularly finnicky dinner guest? They're being transported at ground level because the stress of flying would cause a chemical reaction in the turtles, making them less tasty. Oh, I like Sea Turtles, thank you for that idea. The group has learned a little more about the shipment, but it's still vague to them. They are aware that it originated in St John's Port in New Foundland, and there's a ton of nature reserves up there. So the Sea Turtle thing could definitely work for that. I also think I am set on the Wyvern. I think it's going to be kept sedated by the other group, but the players may not know to do so, so a few hours into their trip, the Wyvern may just wake up and make a mess of the turtles, and the PCs.. We shall see.
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cybereverything
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 15
Preferred Game Systems: Narrative
Currently Playing: Cortex+ (mostly) not-quite Steampunk Pirate Viking...thing.
Currently Running: rotating GM for above
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Post by cybereverything on Jun 7, 2017 16:57:14 GMT -8
We did a 'real food' high value shipment theft (er, liberation) once, and I think lobsters were included.
Also the food may or may not have been poisoned with a slow poison in order to extract leverage on the rich people by a bunch of anarchists.
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