[ImaginalDisc]

In the game I am running the players have completed Chapter 1 of a major plot after months of gaming.

The Reader's Digest version is as follows:

Evo hired several gangs to steal a boat to plant five massive bombs along the levees on the west side of the Miami Sprawl that could have catostrophically flooded about a hundred square miles of farmland and squatter areas just when a tropical storm struck. Evo's plan was to swoop in after the catastrophe, conduct the clean-up, and then acquire the land of anyone unable to compensate them for the clean-up efforts,  making this a land grab.

The players thwarted the plot, found evidence that Evo was behind it all, and that the Project Director of an Evo subsidiary was working for a dragon to gain the feathered serpent access to a location in the flood zone.

The players have enough evidence to name the dragon, name the PD, and pin this along with some murder and grand theft on them. They are going to RP selling the info through a data haven. https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/709948/a-thread-titled-evo-caught-redhanded-is-opened-by-zeerust-on-the-round-square#post-709948

Any advice on what sort of bids they might get?

[Charasanya]

If they aren't one of the most careful Shadowrunner teams in existence, they are gonna get a visit from an extremely angry dragon (plus backup), before any of the bids roll in. IMHO this data is WAY too hot for your normal team, and even most fixers to handle, and even if they sell it somehow, they better watch their backs the coming years.

Most of the time, Shadowrunners are relatively secure, because nobody really cares too much who they are, but mega-corps, and especially the big ten, all have ways of finding the ones that really annoy them sufficiently.

The safest routes out might be: A) Destroy the data, or B) Trade it for a "future discount on EVO-Products" back to the corp.

[Namikaze]

Agreed - dragons don't like their plans revealed.  If I was the runners, I'd leave out the dragon's name and affiliation with the plot.  Otherwise, the data is validly damning.  Evo would naturally cut off the affiliations with the person who approved the plan on down, so Evo would probably not take it personally.  However, if the manager survives and goes to a new company, he/she might seek out retribution.  In either event, dealing with Evo is a lot easier than dealing with the dragon.

If they do leave in the dragon's information, some of the bids will almost certainly be from the dragon's agents.  And any of the dragon's rivals' agents.  Evo will probably bid on the info, or at least the manager who approved the project.  Bloggers will offer to "make the info public knowledge" which means they won't be able to afford the info.  Politicians looking to get a foothold in the area might also bid on the info, as would any politician that would have been negatively affected.

Where are they putting up this bid?  If it's a public data haven, they're probably going to get flooded with BS, cops, and hackers trying to discern the group's physical location and identity.  If it's a private data haven, then that limits their exposure (which is both good and bad) and then it will depend on who has access to the private data haven to determine who/what bids on the info.

[Kincaid]

They'd better get enough to retire in anonymity, because pissing off a AAA and a dragon is going to shorten their careers considerably.  They'd also better be really sure that the bidder isn't Evo looking to trace them.

The "problem" with this sort of paydata is just about anyone capable of paying for it would see killing the players as good for business.  Let's say Horizon wants dirt on Evo and this fits the bill.  They probably aren't going to dump the file on ShadowLand--this sort of thing would take years to maximize.  What about those pesky runners who also know what's in the file and could disrupt their long-term plans?  Well, I hear Bogota needs some muscle...

[ImaginalDisc]

Mmm, you guys raise valid points.

They're posting in the Rounded Square, a pirate data haven from unpublished material in a 4th ed book. Leaving out the dragon reference does seem like a smart move.

I have thought that without the dragon angle the bids would be lower.

With the dragon angle the bids would be higher, but so would the commensurate risk.

[ImaginalDisc]

They've been playing the same plot with no downtime for six months. They've managed to take in about $35,000 each once all their fencing was done.

I figured the blackmail data would be a nice plot hook and a chance for more money - enough for the characters to make modest investments in 'ware or gear, but not enough to retire them.

[Zeerust]

It sounds like you need to make some determinations about the next steps for your game:
1. Are you planning to unroll a wider plot?

2. Are you or your group thinking of transitioning to different roles or are they satisfied so far?

3. How aggressive do you want this situation to be? Can they be found?

4. Different dragons act differently - like people.
-How robust is the proof? There's lots of false information out there.
-Is this someone who will aggressively terminate?
-Or is this someone who will create a blackmail file of their own for later use? 
-Or hire them and make use of them as disposable mooks?
-I like to think of Shadowrun as a more dangerous world for most people - but that's also combined with the game of espionage.

5. Evo's a AAA - it can cut off a bad acting subsidiary and move on.
- Also, if every time a group of Shadowrunners uncovered corporate malfeasance they were killed, there would be far less Shadowrunners. The assumption is that a Megacorp is involved in bad things.
-Also, they're powerful but not perfect - still a collection of beings.

6. I would price the data at $50-75M if you're planning on having the AAA and a dragon suddenly decide to relentlessly hunt them.
- Minimum price $5M

-Zeerust

[ImaginalDisc]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the group's hacker. :-p

[ImaginalDisc]

I tend to think that a dragon using a megacorp's subsidiary to throw a few thousand SINless out of their homes is the Megacorporate equivalent of a peccadillo.

[Namikaze]

Welcome, Zeerust.  You bring up some excellent points.  Overall, a great first posting. 

[ImaginalDisc]

After some discussion here are the player options:

1. Private, no bids, no dragon information - low risk - ~$125k (~25k a piece) more or less based on negotiation
2. Private, no bids, with dragon information - medium risk - ~$250k (~50k a piece) more or less based on negotiation
3. Open bids, no dragon information - medium risk ~250k (~50k a piece) more or less based on number of bids - some bids may be special
4. Open bids, include dragon information - high risk ~500k (~100k a piece) more or less based on number of bids, some bids may be special[/b]

So far the group is split between options 2 and 3. No one wants to touch 4.

Basically selling only the megacorp shenanigans material has a smaller market than tying those activities to a dragon. Of course, a many bidders in that larger market eat Shadowrunners for breakfast.

[Palladion]

What is the cost to Evo if the information was leaked (either in fines or cover-up money)? What is the cost to Evo and dragon to silence the runners effectively? If the cost to pay-off the runners is less than those, Evo will pay.

If they are going to shop around for bids, then will the price paid for the information be worth the advantage (or damage) done to Evo?

Whenever we used to extort corps, we made sure the price was enough to make us happy, but not enough to hurt the corp (pay without thinking).

[ImaginalDisc]

Palladion,

Best case? They cut loose some executives, cover their tracks, and have to dismantle a the subsidiary that was making them money in food products in the area. Millions in revenue annually.

Worst case? The Caribbean League stops doing business with Evo. My version of Miami has all the megas doing some kind of business there.

In any event, the players chose to anonymously allow bids. This is what they got in offers. Keep in mind this is for a group of five runners:

"The word goes out and offers come in. Choose:

1. Wuxing Johnson makes an offer for $40,000 each plus access to one year DocWagon gold contracts. Contracts are encrypted several times between them, you, and DocWagon – allegedly untracable.

2. Anonymous Johnson offers $45,000 plus any ten spell formulas you want.

3. Ares Johnson offers $50,000 in secure credsticks in small denominations delivered in a Northrup Wasp aircraft sent you remotely - keep the Wasp.

4. NeoNet Johnson offers $44,000 each plus 4 Steel Lynx drones.

5. The Dunkelzhan Institute for Magical Research offers you $40,000 each plus a Cesna C750 airplane."

[Namikaze]

Interesting.  I just wanted to add this: if you hold down the ALT button and type 0165 using your numberpad, you end up with the Yen symbol, which is used for Nuyen as well.  Fun with ASCII!

[ImaginalDisc]

Interesting.  I just wanted to add this: if you hold down the ALT button and type 0165 using your numberpad, you end up with the Yen symbol, which is used for Nuyen as well.  Fun with ASCII!

Thank you!