Some Shadowrun Ideas

[Ferahgo]

All right; pretty soon, I'm going to be starting an old Shadowrun campaign back up. And... I need some ideas. See, the last time we played, my players (there's two of 'em) got an offer; take some blue prints and a prototype of some cutting-edge surveillance tech to Washington, D.C.. get a lot of nuyen. And they want to drive there from Seattle. So, I'm going to need some ideas for some adventures along the way (because just saying, "OK, you drive for a few weeks and are there" wouldn't be any fun).
The characters are both the run n' gun type, and they're driving to D.C. in a heavily-armed Saab Dynamit, with both Lone Star and a shadowy secret organization chasing after them. Any ideas? (I've already got a few, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.)

[Swordguy]

http://archive.dumpshock.com/

http://www.dumpshock.com/

Merry Christmas.

[Raum]

They want to drive cross across the continent?! Frankly, it should cost them more to drive than any other method of travel. They'll have to cross multiple borders and have both ID and cyber / weapon permits valid for each border they cross. Not cheap. Alternatively, they could either hire a smuggler to get them across each border or attempt to sneak across on their own. Either method will have it's own costs and risks.

Guess I'm basically recommending you create an encounter / situation at each border in addition to the people chasing them. And the route they choose will make a big difference...sneaking through the Tir shouldn't be easy. :->

[Tobrian]

Highway pirates. Roving armed motorcycle or car-wars gangs, the modern equivalent of highwaymen. They feature heavily in both Shadowrun Germany and Cyberpunk rulebooks.

Random stops and searches by police who are looking for an escaped criminal or bank robber, or they might get midtaken for drug carriers or illegal data carriers who wants to cross the borders.

And let's not forget they have to sleep... probably in motels near the highway. Unless they decide to go on stimulants for the whole trip and take turns while driving so that the other one can take a nap. But sitting in a Saab (I'm assuming it's a sports car, not a van version?) for days without a shower and no real sleep and only brief breaks for food and taking a piss will be uncomfortable, tough shadowrunners or not, add to that the stress and they might even get into a car accident.

On the topic of bodily functions... do they plan to stop from time to time at gas stations to buy some food and take a dumb, or do they plan on loading the car with bottles of water and some energy bars, and to wear diapers or tinkle into a bottle instead of stopping for toilet breaks?


Frankly, can't they just rent a private plane and a pilot? It'd be faster.

[Wagadodo]

Oh plenty of stuff driving.

A flat tire in a ghost town, with actual ghosts!

White man haters of the NAN as as they cross the contintent.

Gas station robbery while they are in the gas station.

Getting lost as thier Nav system conks out.

Run ins with some very unfriendly wildlife.

Hitch Hiker! Beuatiful but deadly, either by the people chasing her, or being something else in disquise.

Border Disputes between the various nations catching them off gaurd.

[Ferahgo]

I really have no idea of where the idea to drive there came from; probably, the car's owner just didn't want to part with it (he REALLY likes that car. Which is why, eventually, it's going to get blown up). Thanks for the suggestions, though. They like over-the-top stuff, so they'll probably try sneaking across all of the borders. And they probably won't think too far ahead at all, really; they aren't the sort to do that. I don't know what they'll do for food, etc., and, quite honestly, I wouldn't be suprised if they didn't think of it until they started the trip.
Oh, yeah, this is going to be a fun trip for them.

[Tobrian]

I really have no idea of where the idea to drive there came from; probably, the car's owner just didn't want to part with it (he REALLY likes that car. Which is why, eventually, it's going to get blown up).

Hey, be nice. Blowing it up just to "teach the player a lesson" is mean. Being proud of his car makes the character more human.

Of course, if they stop somewhere where there's lots of people, say a rest stop or motel, the car's owner might come back to his car to find someone left a long scratch all along one side, really messing up the paint. Or stabbed all tires with a knife. You know, it could have been a bored motorcycle gang, doing property damage for ****s and giggles, in which case a fight will be imminent.

But what if the long gash in the paint wasn't done by someone out for vandalism, but made by a little child that ran around unsupervised on the motal parking lot one morning and played with a piece of metal it found, dragging it along the sides of several cars while it skipped around? Will the player character bite down on his anger and ask the parents if they have insurance? Will he get mad and blow the child and her parents away? What if the family already left, and there's only some janitor guy who saw the girl do it but didnt bother to tell the family?

Start by making him realise that cars can be damaged. No need to blow it up (if you go for realism, cars dont blow up that easily unless someone fires a rocket launcher at it)... just have a bullet or two leave marks next time there's a shoot-out with some bad guys on the highway. Even armored cars
can look pretty banged up after a while.

[Ferahgo]

Getting the car blown up is a joke, really; they always manage to get it out of really dangerous situations with hardly a scratch (like, for example, actually having a rocket shot at it after burning down a gang's hideout... that's a long story...). Although, all those things you just mentioned are cool ideas. Thanks!
ALSO: can anyone give me an idea of what sorts of opposition the players can expect when trying to sneak across the border, military-wise? Like, if they try to sneak into Tir Tairngire, what kind of force they can expect to be confronted with if they botch it?

[Raum]

Well, if they're sticking with the Saab they'll have to go through a check point at each border. Figure there will be enough personnel to process the traffic. Personnel will probably have stats and training similar to your average street cop and will primarily be concerned with verifying paperwork and finding contraband. Depending on the border, the contraband may include any thing from awakened creatures, to drugs & BTLs, or even cyberware and weapons.

If the neighboring states aren't on relatively friendly terms the difficulty will go up. There will be a check point for exiting as well as entering the country and the checks will be more stringent.

Frankly, it's not likely they'd make it through even one check point without planning ahead. They'll need either forge paperwork (permits for weapons & cyberware as well as passports) or they'll need to know who to bribe...and probably have to set that up ahead of time to make sure they see the correct agent.

Avoiding the check points would probably be easier every where except the Tir, but that would require a vehicle with cross country capability. The Tir however, is heavily guarded and patrolled by both metahumans and awakened creatures.

[CockroachTeaParty]

I hope I never live in Shadowrun land... these days, driving from Seattle to DC would take five days tops, four if you really tried, and maybe even three if you have an IV of Red Bull in your neck the entire time.