[littlenog]

Hello all

I have a lot experience running games but this will be my first shadowrun game.

Right now I am working on an opening plot and would like the input of other who are familiar with the system.

Ok

1. I am thinking of using an AI as the main Mr. Johnson.
-Her name is River
-She was a web bot before her awakening (An infomation gatherer)
-Her purpose now is to gather and facilitate the exchange of information which she does though a network of fixers.
 -The players will start off meeting one of her fixers a technomancer name who goes by the name Stream.  She is one of the fixers who is aware that River is an AI.

2. I'm using a Stream as a flow through because if I want it will allow me to have the group go on Runs in different areas of the country under River but using other fixers.

3. First mission setup is a Bio Package has been taken from Aztec.
-The thiefs are a gang of elves who pose as an actuall inner city gang.  I was thinking the Halloweeners.
-River knows about the package and would like to examine a sample of it. 
-Aztec actually came to Stream but River is aware of the job.

4. The acutal goals of the missions are two fold.
-Find who took the bio package
-Recover the bio package
 -This is not a combat heavy team so i'm going to have the client put in a clause for no wetworks.
-The client would also like information on who allowed the leak. (I was going to just use a contact from one of the elves)
-The package is in a sealed container and if the group wanted to open it they would require special facilities.  Which is how River would get a chance to look at it.

5. The bio package is part of a larger initiative and is only phase 1 of 5 I'm haven't come up with a final goal but I was thinking of a bio weapon that would work only on ghoul infected meta's.

I figure the group depending on make up can track down the elves.  If that are feeling generous maybe even inform locals that the act was not done by the Halloweeners for a little more karma.   As the heat comming down on them is fairly signifigant.

I figure between this that should be plenty to setup a simple run.  What do you guys/gals think?

This is my first post be gentle 

[Glyph]

It sounds pretty solid, not too much railroading, good potential.  But why would the PCs be interested in clearing the good name of the Halloweeners, or get karma for doing so?  I mean, they aren't nice guys - they are sickos who go around setting people on fire.  And why would this gang get all of this heat coming down on them for a simple snatch-and-grab, when normally they commit brutal acts of arson and destruction?  I dunno, maybe the Halloweeners are nicer in your campaign, or something, but I think the angle might work better if it's actually a decent gang, the neighborhood kids/mutual protection kind, maybe with some ties to the runners (one has a little brother in the gang, etc.).  I mean, if it's even an unstated goal of the run, the runners should have some motivation to want to clear the other gang's name.

Overall good so far, though.  You are giving them a simple job to do, which is good.  I see too many GMs who have these stories where the PCs are supposed to pick some "right" way to do things, or be sympathetic to certain NPCs whether they are inclined to do so or not.  It has potential to develop into a big arc, but if the players don't show much interest beyond doing the individual runs, then it won't mess things up.

[Charybdis]

I think you're onto a really solid concept, and look forward to hearing hwo it all pans out.

What I would also suggest is to be very limiting in what the PC's know about whom they're working for:

A) Don't mention anything about AI's or technomancers. Not only does this build up the shadowry world of mystery that is Shadowrun, but if later on, you as GM decide you want to completely change who the players are working for, you can do that freely (maybe a great campaign adventure leads to Ares, or Dragons, or Vampires etc etc)

B) Don't give the players any hints on technomancery names etc. It should make little/no difference to the PC's whether the person offering them money is a technomancer, pixie, or hobo. For a first mission set, it could even be Jimbo from the local 7/11. Same as point A), leave yourself some wiggle room as the campaign goes along, and you'll be able to slide stuff in later and pretend you meant to do that all along 

[littlenog]

Don't mention anything about AI's or technomancers. Not only does this build up the shadowry world of mystery that is Shadowrun, but if later on, you as GM decide you want to completely change who the players are working for, you can do that freely (maybe a great campaign adventure leads to Ares, or Dragons, or Vampires etc etc)

Very good point, I tend to give away the basket of eggs a bit early sometimes I'll keep them quite in the dark until they are able to form a relation with the Fixer.

But why would the PCs be interested in clearing the good name of the Halloweeners, or get karma for doing so?

A chance at more karma points and get a feel of what type of group they are running.  Also a tie in for a local gang.  They would have no real tie.  I do like the neighborhood kids idea I might let them get word of a seeker squad about to get sent out after the container.

[John Shull]

Since the AI, River, is your Johnson and it will want to blend in it may go to interesting lengths to do so.  It is a program and mimicing a person is harder than it looks for such.  He could hire an actor and send him a script with a amalgam bad guy thrown together from a cross section of modern Trid Johnsons and tell him this is a reality trid show he wants him to work on.  So Mr. Johnson can show up once in the back of a room behind a heavy antique desk, drinking a scotch, petting his white fluffy cat in his lap, and stroking his evil black goatee while listening to the players.  Then just pass off messages with other intermediaries from the Mr. Kat Johnson.  You can run that til the PC's see Johnson in a ad for the new blood pressure medication on a holo-ad in a drug store.  If you want to drop a clue later that is.  Had a idea once for a AI that hacked itself into a full android body and ran around trying to act human.  Kind of a reverse technomancer.  He could be doing it just like we play video games for the sheer fun of messing with humans or as a experiment in learning humans as they are the creators of his environ and are everywhere.  Maybe he could trade favors with other AI's to Hack flesh world and make things happen they would like.  Let a AI out of a bottled up node with no access to the Net, etc.  Like your idea of the AI, it could be a good starting point to driving your adventures. 

[littlenog]

River doesn't really want to blend in.

She is quite happy with what she is doing.  She is aware of the social stigma against AI's so chooses to keep herself secluded.

Right now she has a home node in a blogger's site since all the infomation that traffics though make it easier for her to hide her identity.

I'm would think the blogger is aware that someone or something is in his node but due to the upgrades that AI's affect on their home nodes he's willing to look the other way.

But thats more back story than relation to the actual mission.

[Blond Goth Girl]

Welcome to the SR4 world of GMing. 

Your plot idea sounds great and I agree with the slow build.  However, with you being new to GMing the system and I assume your players might be new to the system as well, you may want to have that as their second or third run.  I prefer letting a new team do a simple courier run or two to build their street cred and get them used to the rules.  That can help a new GM as well get used to the rules/roles so when you get into a heavier plot you won't be halted so much my what to roll.  Also, that could build some loyalty to River.

[Charybdis]

River doesn't really want to blend in.

She is quite happy with what she is doing.  She is aware of the social stigma against AI's so chooses to keep herself secluded.

Right now she has a home node in a blogger's site since all the infomation that traffics though make it easier for her to hide her identity.

I'm would think the blogger is aware that someone or something is in his node but due to the upgrades that AI's affect on their home nodes he's willing to look the other way.

But thats more back story than relation to the actual mission.

As a side note, you can have a fixer/johnson working for someone higher up the chain very much anonymously. Just follow the following steps:

1) Via an eMail job description, hire a Charismatic person (Patsy A) to go to a store you designate, pick up a specific commlink as designated by you, and to follow your other instructions. Ensure commlink is hard-coded for two-way communication at all times (and routed a million ways so it can't be tracked back to you easily or quickly...damn easy for an AI, but also well within the limits of a semi-decent hacker)
2) Send all messages and activity requirements to Patsy A) including the hiring of shadowrunners, and to turn up at the rendezvous meeting
3) Have Patsy A) receive text messages/attachments etc from yourself to pass on to the runners, so they are acting as a charismatic output for your own messages.
4) Once rendezvous.Shadowrun mission is complete, depending on your personal agenda:
- Pay Patsy A) accordingly for their services, and never see them again. Return to Step 1) with Patsy B) for any future interaction with the Shadowrunners.
- Pay Patsy A) accordingly and re-use them as a contact officer again.
- Kill Patsy A) and return to step 1) with Patsy B) for any future interaction with he shadowrunners.

Easy to do in the background, provides a layering security level keeping Shadowrunners from the face-behind-the-curtain, and keeps the PC's guessing.... which can be fun.

[John Shull]

River doesn't really want to blend in.

She is quite happy with what she is doing.  She is aware of the social stigma against AI's so chooses to keep herself secluded.

Right now she has a home node in a blogger's site since all the infomation that traffics though make it easier for her to hide her identity.

I'm would think the blogger is aware that someone or something is in his node but due to the upgrades that AI's affect on their home nodes he's willing to look the other way.

But thats more back story than relation to the actual mission.

As a side note, you can have a fixer/johnson working for someone higher up the chain very much anonymously. Just follow the following steps:

1) Via an eMail job description, hire a Charismatic person (Patsy A) to go to a store you designate, pick up a specific commlink as designated by you, and to follow your other instructions. Ensure commlink is hard-coded for two-way communication at all times (and routed a million ways so it can't be tracked back to you easily or quickly...damn easy for an AI, but also well within the limits of a semi-decent hacker)
2) Send all messages and activity requirements to Patsy A) including the hiring of shadowrunners, and to turn up at the rendezvous meeting
3) Have Patsy A) receive text messages/attachments etc from yourself to pass on to the runners, so they are acting as a charismatic output for your own messages.
4) Once rendezvous.Shadowrun mission is complete, depending on your personal agenda:
- Pay Patsy A) accordingly for their services, and never see them again. Return to Step 1) with Patsy B) for any future interaction with the Shadowrunners.
- Pay Patsy A) accordingly and re-use them as a contact officer again.
- Kill Patsy A) and return to step 1) with Patsy B) for any future interaction with he shadowrunners.

Easy to do in the background, provides a layering security level keeping Shadowrunners from the face-behind-the-curtain, and keeps the PC's guessing.... which can be fun.

To fill in the methodology of AI River it would be best to understand what the motivation is.  Is it living out its design to manage criminal activities (original program design?), getting a group to take out a threat to itself flesh side, etc.  It obviously has some flesh side goals but it needs to be spelled out so you can reason how it goes about it.  River is the hub driving the story and you have to start with that.