[Trencher Johnny]

This is copypasted from my thread in the character creation forum because I got carried away. We just ran Fast Food Fight, all my players and myself are new to Shadowrun.
The Team:
Troll Samurai- only good at shooting and stabbing.
Human Mage- Addicted to Psyche, likes to use mind control/invisibility
Human decker- classic neoanarchist.
Elf Face- great at the face roll, some spells to cover a bit of B&E
Ork Occultist- magic investigator. has spells and knows the streets.

The Missions:
Here's what I've got so far: Next week is breaking the organ harvesting ring-  guards to kill (Sammy), doors and turret to hack (Decker), blood'n'guts elemental to banish (Mage). Getting in will require figuring out a disguise (Investigator) and bluffing their way past the security check point (Face). I want their to be a mission specific job for every player.  The players will find a Yakuza lieutenant in restraints, who will serve as a valuable contact if the group saves him. Mission name: An Arm and a Leg.

Other adventures:
After a run goes south the runners get trapped in an elaborate and unused sewer system where they will need the help of young teen toxic shaman to get free, in exchange for helping her control some toxic dump/nuclear waste elementals into a secure location around an abandoned fusion generator. Activating the generator will allow the runners to open blast doors and get free, but this will irradiate a large part of the sewers of Seattle, which will eventually cause problems for the ghoul population. Mission name: Mr. Warm Hugs

A series of grisly murders are being perpetrated around Seattle, and a Johnson wants to know what the theme/connecting element is. Associates of random mid-level Corps and being grossly murdered to make snuff film BTLs, then those BTLs are being forcibly slotted into the target so they die from mental anguish. All the targets have the same job: Vice President of Cyberware R&D. The killer was a failed experiment to make cyber brain chips that allowed people to be controlled, and is killing every VP because he can't remember which corp he worked for before the surgery. He was not a willing participant. Johnson is the actual mark. Mission name: I guess you had to be there.

Team needs to heist a priceless antique grand piano, but to get it across the lawless highways they'll first have to win the trust of Seattle's best drivers, the Golden Horde. The Horde can protect them in a Death Race type event but only if their enigmatic leader feels the runners are worth helping. How will they win his trust? Mission name: Princes of the Night .

And one bonus one: The team has to reach the top floor of an abandoned ofice building and crack a CEO's safe... but they soon find out they aren't the only crew on the scene. Can they go toe-to-toe with the legendary Shadowrunner team known as the "Ladies From Hell"? The rival runner group are hired to test the PCs skill at improving and overcoming challenges, the Johnson wants to make sure they can handle a hard mission. Mission name: I Know You Know I Know.
------------
Well, I was hoping you guys would share advice on two things: How to make everyone specifically useful to the mission, and how to put in twists and hooks. General tips are appreciated too!

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Mr. Warm Hugs is not a great idea (as some promise, if to help urban shaman capture/banish the toxic spirits). Main issue is no one (other than other toxics) will help a toxic mage/shaman/adept ever. They will either kill him (good idea) or stick'n'shock his a$$ and turn him in alive for a large ¥ bounty (250 thousand ¥ to 1 million ¥ (best idea)). I know you said you are all new to the game/setting but toxic shaman have no redeeming features ever. They are truly evil (up there with shadiem, bug spirits, and horrors). Best to shoot first, then shoot them again. Sorry, that run doesn't fit the setting at all. Otherwise the rest sound fun and are good ideas.

[Trencher Johnny]

Oh, I had thought of her as being abandoned in the sewers and growing up on her own with a toxic spirit guiding her (The radioactive Mr. Warm Hugs). I guess I could change that to being an urban shaman trying to lure and banish toxic spirits and keep the rest of it. I didn't know Toxic Shamans were always irredemably evil.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Pretty much, since everyone of them wants to spread toxic goodness everywhere.

[MijRai]

You could have them be a toxic...  Just don't reveal them as such immediately.  Make them manipulative, acting the part of a concerned eco-shaman trying to clean up the place, when in reality they're setting up to flood some regions with radiation.  It's more of a twist at that point, especially if they're a young toxic and show some 'possibly' redeeming traits, or endear themselves.  Then it'll at least cause a little tear when the team tries to gank her for the bounty (or take her alive).  Keep in mind that Toxic bounties are much lower, now.  The cheapest bounty out there is for 50,000 on an Initiated Toxic, but he hasn't been going out there and stirring things up outside of Chicago.  The ones that'd been involved in the Azt-Am War and other higher-profile stuff (the Four Horsemen, a Lion-Shapeshifter toxic shaman) are at a quarter-million each (the shapeshifter has a half-million bounty from Saeder-Krupp, alive only). 

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

When did the modified bounty happen (SR year) and what book is it from. This is the second time I have heard of a lesser bounty than what is in Big D's will.

Otherwise, this idea works as well, if you want to have some fun with your players.

[Namikaze]

Best advice I can give you is to take each of your games and run it yourself in your head.  Come up with every permutation you can think of for getting past the obstacles, and then realize there's probably a dozen more ways that your players will come up with that you haven't accounted for yet.  As such, making obstacles that are designed with one player in mind isn't a great way to do things.  Instead, create obstacles that fit into the world and the NPCs that populate the world.  Is the target trusting?  Is the target more paranoid than normal?  Is the target a fan of magic?  Is the target wealthy enough to have personal staff?  All these kinds of things are what makes the world more "real."  Because if the players know you're going to only put them up against things they are already capable of doing, they'll never have a reason to branch out from their specialty.

Case in point, you mentioned the security gate that you expect the face to bluff past.  What if the mage, who favors mind control and invisibility, decides to mind control the guards or use invisibility to bypass them?  Then the face has nothing to do, right?  Well, maybe the face decides he wants to social engineer his way past the electronics in the place, stealing a guard's keycard?

[MijRai]

When did the modified bounty happen (SR year) and what book is it from. This is the second time I have heard of a lesser bounty than what is in Big D's will.

Otherwise, this idea works as well, if you want to have some fun with your players.

Hazard Pay, specifically in the 30-40 page range, give or take EDIT: 25-37, specifically.  It's where it discusses bounties on the malefic mage types; Toxics, Bloods, Insect Shamans, and a pair of Shades. 

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Thanks! Hazard Pay was 4th so early 70s, 73 for 4a right?

Anyways, enough derailment. Namikaze had a good point, while it is good for you to make plans for each character to had moments in the spot light, also expect complete derailment as far as how the characters approach each situation. Example: runner are to pick up dealer associated with there target, but is located at a flea hotel run by gangers. This can end anywhere from quite extraction to hotel is run through by rigger's Ares RoadMaster (true story my team mate did this).