[maquise]

I'm working on writing a campaign in the event I actually ever get the chance to run an SR game. Was looking for some input; just spit-balling right now.

The basic focus of the campaign is about the players going up against a cyber cult. The sort that thinks "Flesh is weak, become one with the machine," that sort of deal. The nature of this cult means that they require a lot of money; cyberware isn't cheap, after all. To this end, I figured either the cult was founded by a corp, or co opted very early on. It was intended as a way of providing the corp with plausibly-deniable muscle. A conflict between the cult leaders and the corporate backers is likely, I think.

Other idea: The corp is a security corp, and is intending to use the cyber cult as a means to exert greater control; see the Agency in Crackdown.

The cult would recruit primarily from people who've already been cybered, and are maladjusted. Other potential recruits include BTL addicts. Could use some other ideas.

[ProfGast]

Cults make for pretty poor plausibly deniable muscle, simply because they tend to be sloppy, unpredictable and well, unprofessional.Corps hire shadowrunners for a reason, after all.

On the other hand, they may make a decent plausibly deniable test location for new, interesting and unethical cyberenhancements.  A group fanatically devoted to self-modification make for excellent willing test subjects after all.  And when they become too unruly or dangerous well, pull the plug.  Let someone else deal with the problem.   Unless someone in the cult finds out how their group has been getting all of the cyber supplied and a pathway leads back to your corp...

... that's when there's problems.

[Namikaze]

Burnt-out mages, BTL junkies, people with AIPS...  sounds like they could have someone recruiting for them as a "rehab" facility.  The facility is able to rehab some, but a few out of every class end up in the cult (the cult might call them "enlightened" or something).  I did something similar with a backwoods town once.  The idea was that the leader of the cult was a dissonant technomancer who was cut off during the last crash event.  He was building up the cultists so that they could act as a device of sorts to allow him to reconnect with his Paragon.  If you wanted to have the corp backing, like you suggested with the security corp, it would make sense as well.  These people get hired on as normal employees, but the best of the best are allowed to join the "inner circle."

[maquise]

Burnt-out mages, BTL junkies, people with AIPS...  sounds like they could have someone recruiting for them as a "rehab" facility.  The facility is able to rehab some, but a few out of every class end up in the cult (the cult might call them "enlightened" or something).  I did something similar with a backwoods town once.  The idea was that the leader of the cult was a dissonant technomancer who was cut off during the last crash event.  He was building up the cultists so that they could act as a device of sorts to allow him to reconnect with his Paragon.  If you wanted to have the corp backing, like you suggested with the security corp, it would make sense as well.  These people get hired on as normal employees, but the best of the best are allowed to join the "inner circle."

I suppose they could use both means; having them funnel into the same place. After all, they have different needs.

I first envisioned this idea as "the Borg in the Sixth World." This cult places great emphasis on collectivism, as well as self-modification. And once they get enough muscle, they aren't averse to kidnapping people and "Enlightening" them against their will.

Just another idea I had: I'd like to find some way to integrate a bunch of brains in jars as the cult's main means of Matrix defense/enforcement. Or just have them use brains in jars for something.

[Namikaze]

Brains in jars sounds like the "gardens" that MCT was building.  They're technomancer brains, all hooked together to create some very powerful cloud computing.  No reason to assume they were all destroyed. 

[cantrip]

...they aren't averse to kidnapping people and "Enlightening" them against their will.

A lot of plot-hooks with just this line!  A contact could disappear mysteriously, or a Johnson hires you to find their missing <fill in appropriate person>, if you wanted to make it real interesting, you could have the PCs get captured and they have to make their way out before being 'enlightened'. Of course I know a couple street-sams that would like to be further 'enlightened'...

And who's in charge - A mysterious cyberzombie? A resonance being of some sort? AI? A mischievous sprite gone free---(which I guess would still be an AI, I suppose)?

Could also add the twist that the cybered individuals are sent back into mainstream (corps, businesses, government, shadows, etc.) and have a Persona over-ride built in. Could tie into current Sybil plot or just be used as a sleeper agent type scenario.

[maquise]

I'm hoping to give this campaign more of a horror-theme to it. Any ideas in that regard are useful.

Also, I'd like to find a way to draw the players in without them realizing what they're getting into until it's too late to get out.

[GoodChummer]

On the horror bent, cyber zombies would work pretty well IMO. Also, cybered ghouls? Used to dispose of unwanted 'meat', especially terrifying to the unwillingly Enlightened.

[Novocrane]

I read once that, way back when, there were barbarian
fanatics who’d go into battle stark naked and could still do
enough damage to rout hardened soldiers. The fanatics we
get these days are equally barbarous, only they tend to go
into battle with hardened steel plating welded to their skin and
industrial diamond saws grafted to their hands. You do the math.

What’s worse is they seem to be spreading. Read
between the lines of most of the big Corporate newsnet
updates and you'll always find the stories; a terror raid here,
an Underswell massacre there, three Agents in the next Spire
with their cybernetic bones torn out and dumped in a mining
hopper. My gut says they’re gearing up for something, and it
seems the UIG can’t do anything to stop them. Or won’t.

Just taking an IC quote from Corporation. It seems relevant for what you're doing, but the Cult of Machina goes for more of a cell structure of Architects (decision makers and cyberneticists) surrounded by Chimeras. ('fore-mentioned berserkers) They seek to liberate cyberware from those with no intention of true transcendence, but they are driven rather than evil; once they have done so, they care little for the flesh that remains. In Corporation they do what they can to uplift and merge with AIs, or translate themselves through nanite plague, but I'm a little hazy on what an equivalent would be in SR. At the very least, they would be seeking to cultivate protosapient and metasapient AI as pets and equals, respectively.

[maquise]

Cyberzombies were an obvious, though I'll have to remember the cyberghouls. Those sound interesting.

Stealing cyber-ware from non-cultists seems... well not like something they'd do. They'd probably either find some way to convert the non-cultist, or use them as sleeper agents.

[cantrip]

Could also go a Deus based cult -- perhaps created/led by a survivor of the Renraku Arcology Shutdown --- well, survivor in this case that has PTSD at best; delusions of creating a superior race if they are really off the rails!

[maquise]

Here are a couple ideas I have so far:

• The cult was started by several ill/genetically disabled individuals. It stayed fairly small, until a subsection of Lonestar or some other security force came up with the idea to use the cult as a means of justifying increased security/control. Then they begun smuggling illegal weapons and augmentations to the cult. However, they soon lost control of the cult, which in turn was able to infiltrate the security agency.
• The cult took on several fronts. It used the security agency to locate maladjusted cyberware users, and recruit them. First via payment, then by using indoctrination techniques during the augmentation surgeries for their complementary upgrades.
• In the Barrens (or any city's equivalent) they offered BTLs and other services that allowed them to subtly preach their message. They also begun abducting individuals for forced conversion.

I guess right now my problem is that, while I have an overall structure for the bad guys, I'm not really sure what to do with them.

[SirValeq]

There should be a clear leader with an angle that is unknown to his followers. His ultimate goal would most probably be egocentric and egoistic. The leader himself might even not be as crazy or maladjusted as his flock.
Next you could create some kind of "circle" hierarchy inside the cult, with some members closer to the leader and his "Truth".

The above give you a chance to do several interesting things like rebellious subgroups, power-hungry inner circle members wanting to overthrow the leader, members who play they parts but actually have no connection with the ideology and only want money or power. These can all happen inside the cult.
Outside you can have players (organisations, corps) that will want to exploit the cult to their benefit. Some might succeed, some might get exploited in return.
Also, don't forget about anti-augmentation cults and organizations that would wage open war on yours if they found out about it.

[RulezLawyerZ]

Here are a couple ideas I have so far:

• The cult was started by several ill/genetically disabled individuals. It stayed fairly small, until a subsection of Lonestar or some other security force came up with the idea to use the cult as a means of justifying increased security/control. Then they begun smuggling illegal weapons and augmentations to the cult. However, they soon lost control of the cult, which in turn was able to infiltrate the security agency.

Ah, the "Raise no demon you cannot lay" scenario... it's a good start, but I wouldn't use LoneStar or Knight Errant; maybe a smaller, second or third tier security company, one that has some resources but not enough to play with the big boys. Gives it an incentive (and maybe enough desperation) to take a big risk.

I guess right now my problem is that, while I have an overall structure for the bad guys, I'm not really sure what to do with them.

Think of what their agenda would be. Do they want to spread their message? Expand the personal power and influence of the cult leaders/members? Burn the world that never cared for them? Maybe they just want to help other people... y'know, like the Universal Brotherhood did?

Once you've decided what they want, how they think they can get it should suggest itself (I think you've got a good beachhead already).[/list]

[maquise]

I suppose their goal could be achieving the Singularity (in the technological sense).

Right, so I just had an idea; Could they create Bunraku soldiers? Fanatically loyal to their cause?