[Van Gogh]

I'm starting a new campaign as well, and I haven 't GMed anything since I was a kid. This stuff is very helpful and adds to some ideas I had for a campaign several years ago.

[GiraffeShaman]

A regular one is, of course, other Shadowrunning teams. Six is the number of choice as it's small enough to learn and large enough to factionalize (7 entities is the sociology standard for maximum Michavellianness and teh PCs count as one of those.) This gives job rivals who will be bidding for the same jobs as the PCs, who might show up in opposition to them at some point (Sorry chummers, it's just biz), who can be used as contacts or who can use the RUNNERS as contacts (Nothing more fun that having an NPC call up a PC and try to use them as a Legwork source, just to show them what it sounds like form the other side)... Give each group a name, a hook, and fill in members as needed. For example:

This is a fantastic idea and I'm going to implement it immediately. It's good timing too, since the team just had a string of successful runs and has finally achieved a small reputation as competent in Seattle's shadows. So, it makes sense that they will now branch off their single fixer to a group of different fixers with better contracts and also begin hearing about groups they are in competition with for jobs. In addition, I just started a second game set in the same setting and time, some of which are the same players. So, I can also use that second group as a competitor.

This made me decide to implement an idea I think will go well with this too. I'm going to create a post area on my gaming group's online forum which will be for a Matrix site where the various fixers and runner teams can communicate with each other. A specialized site based upon who has worked with this group of fixers. Maybe the fixers created it to spur competition. Anyway I think it'll give them another way to communicate with these runners, even between gaming sessions and help crystallize them in the player's minds.

Here's a few running teams I started creating, based on your template. I'm drawing blanks for now on Fixers.

The Screamers. Affiliated with the Night Hunters, a pro Humanis policlub gang out of Renton that the player's team just had a bad run in with. The player's team will definitely want to squash these guys to settle the score, if they can find them. Former members of a racist technofetishistic green-mohawked gang. This team is decent at physical breaking and entering and violence, but lacking in other areas. No mages or deckers. Not especially skilled and definitely not subtle. Like the Night Hunters, they make use of vocal and ear modifications to to make weird "hunting calls" to terrify their victims.

The Firm. A bunch of rich kids out of LA. Poor skills, but a huge bankroll and lots of expensive cyberware. They also have a team of professional talent agents from an agency that aggressively attempt to steal contracts from other runners. One Decker and no mage. This team is less interested in the nuyen than in having thrilling experiences and living the "Shadowrunner lifestyle", perhaps as seen on Saphirre, Professional Shadowrunner. They hang out a lot in Bellevue, perhaps with members of the Nova Rich gang.

Blackwawk Down: Professionals and one of the two teams that are difficult competition for the runners. They only recruit former UCAS special forces. Fairly skilled. They specialize in physical intrusions, stealth, and technical skills. They also have a decker and a mage, both competent. They have a clubhouse and training grounds in a warehouse on Seattle's Harbor Island.

The Bishops. Professionals and one of the two teams that are difficult competition for the runners. An Irish team out of Boston composed of elves and Humans. They have a mage, an adept, a shaman, and a decker. Mafia affiliated and they hang out a lot at the Italiano in Renton. They will likely attempt to recruit the player's team's elf adept.

Tusks 'R Us. All Orc gang. Explosives experts. Specialized in intimidation, arson, and bombings.

[Wakshaani]

For more fun, have a couple of fakeout adventures ready. These are adventure seeds that have some basic info but don't get followed up on. (Johnson needs a team that he can trust, so I called you guys up. // Talking to Johnson, one of the runners gets lippy ... so he doesn't hire them, instead grabbing another group. Wait. The GM *didn't* hire us?! What're we going to do with the rest of the night? Well, it turns out that your contact, Joey Smiles, needs a favor, and since you're not busy...) Then you can pivot to the actual planned adventure, keeping the group on their toes. If they miss a payday or two from other 'runner teams being more professional, or having better negotiation skills, or whatever, they'll start reacting differently when Johnson gets involved.

It's a nice soft way to guide them to different behavior if needed.

Another bit of fun is to try and make a timeline that's three months, or better a year, out. It doesn't have to be too detailed, but if you know that, say, Shiawase will be snapping up the Red Cross in eight months, you can lead to it here and there with rumors, news clippings, or Shadowruns. (Wait. Three months ago, we took out that one office ... Think that Johnson was Shiawase? Frag!) ... it lets you keep an eye on the prize, but at the same time, you can give the players a chance to read the tea leaves and see what's down the pipe.

[GiraffeShaman]

For more fun, have a couple of fakeout adventures ready. These are adventure seeds that have some basic info but don't get followed up on. (Johnson needs a team that he can trust, so I called you guys up. // Talking to Johnson, one of the runners gets lippy ... so he doesn't hire them, instead grabbing another group. Wait. The GM *didn't* hire us?! What're we going to do with the rest of the night? Well, it turns out that your contact, Joey Smiles, needs a favor, and since you're not busy...) Then you can pivot to the actual planned adventure, keeping the group on their toes.

Hahah, yeah I'm going to try this at the game later today. I'm curious to see their reactions and it should go well with everything else going on. They were definitely complacent with their one fixer giving them runs.

Another bit of fun is to try and make a timeline that's three months, or better a year, out. It doesn't have to be too detailed, but if you know that, say, Shiawase will be snapping up the Red Cross in eight months, you can lead to it here and there with rumors, news clippings, or Shadowruns. (Wait. Three months ago, we took out that one office ... Think that Johnson was Shiawase? Frag!) ... it lets you keep an eye on the prize, but at the same time, you can give the players a chance to read the tea leaves and see what's down the pipe.

Sounds good, I just need to learn this decade's events a bit better. I do see on the SR wiki that some mysterious virus is hitting the Seattle Matrix in just one month's time though, so fun. I've been doing some Seattle Times news stories, using an event from the Seattle Guide, Task Force Seattle's arrival, and some campaign created Ork riots. I just created the in character private Matrix site for the runners, called the Bell Street Exchange. I also just started an in character shadow news site, Bell Street Buzz, which lets a few more people in than the Exchange, but is still limited to people in Seattle's shadows who run in certain circles. This lets me have random thieves, deckers, and street docs leave comments, like the old Shadowland, and lets the runners interact with them.

Below is one of the Seattle Times articles and the first of the Bell Street Buzz series:

Originally published February 1, 2060 at 8:02 AM | Page modified February 1, 2060 at 6:20 PM

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Joint Task Force Seattle Brings 5,000 troops; Soldiers and Airmen ordered to conduct "peacekeeping operations" in the Seattle Metroplex in response to the Renraku Shutdown

By Janice Harper and Reggie Stanze

Seattle Times staff reporters

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This will drive the Injuns up the wall...
(February 1, 2060, by Horace) MORE
It's all over chummers. We'll soon be part of NAN... (February 1, 2060, by Cpirast) MORE
Rumor is that Colonel O'Neil isn't happy about his command being taken over like this... (February 1, 2060, by nihilist) MORE
General Angela Colloton is a puppet of the Seattle Yakuza. Look at this Pic of her brother. Those tats signify that the Yaks own him, body and soul... (February 1, 2060ConcernedCitizen)
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Joint Task Force Seattle Brings 5,000 troops; Soldiers and Airmen ordered to conduct "peacekeeping operations" in the Seattle Metroplex in response to the Renraku Shutdown

5,000 UCAS soldiers and airmen arrived in Seattle today, a move sparked by the continued ominous silence inside the Renraku Arcology. Joint Task Force Seattle is led by Brigadier General Angela Colloton, deputy division commander of the First Infantry Division. General Colloton outranks the current Metroplex Guard commander, Colonel Ben O'neil, which puts her in charge of all armed forces in the Seattle metroplex. General Colloton brought with her a detachment of forty magicians-almost two thirds of the First Division's entire magical force. This is in stark contrast to the four magicians currently serving in the Metroplex Guard. Joint Task Force Seattle is ordered to conduct "peacekeeping operations" in the Seattle metroplex.

Responses were swift from other Nations bordering the Seattle Metroplex. NAN border forces, already operating in an increased presence on the Seattle border immediately responded with massive force deployments and increased military movements and stances along the border.

The Seattle Metroplex is a valuable source of healthy competition and an excellent outlet for our goods, said Salish Chief Harold Gray Bear.

"However, this aggressive move by the UCAS is greatly disturbing and we will do what we must to protect our borders and our people. Formal protests are being filed."

*The rest of this article contains various reactions by nearby nations, including Tir Tairngire, Aztlan, and the California Free State*

Janice Harper: 206-818-1822 or jharper@seattletimes.com. Reggie Stanze: 206-813-4611 or rstnze@seattletimes.com.



Bell Street News, your source for the paydata you need to keep your hoop safe in Seattle's Shadows

Newsdate: January 31, 2060

Ragers Gang Leader Shin Brickbat Assassinated Near the Crying Wall

by

Muckraker Mike

Ragers Gang Leader Shin Brickbat was fatally burned by an unknown magical assailant late Saturday night, along with 3 other orks all affiliated with Tacoma's Ragers gang.

The attack happened on E Portland Avenue in Tacoma, Just blocks from the Crying Wall, a monument to the metahumans who died in the Night of Rage, and the Port of Tacoma. Witnesses reported seeing flames shoot out from a Samuvani Criscraft Otter pleasure boat out in the nearby Commencement Bay to the north, which struck the orks, causing a massive explosion. A crate one of the orks was carrying apparently held illegal fragmentation grenades, which set off several lesser explosions.

No others were injured and the Otter immediately departed north out into Commencement Bay and further out into the Puget Sound. No one was spotted crewing the Otter, leading some experts to theorize that invisibility or other illusion magics might have been used in the attack.

Lonestar detectives and DIP magicians investigating the attack are keeping the case very tight, but appear to have no solid leads at this time. The Ragers have had various gang conflicts and Humanis thugs in the past, but no major battles in recent days. It is rumored they greatly disliked the Yakuza, but they had no real ties to other organized crime syndicates.

Comments

Those in the know have known quite a while that Don Bigio wants to use the Ragers gang against the Yakuza. His overtures to the Ragers were met with cold rebuffs, but that could change under new leadership. How convenient.-Tempyst

Frag that you ignorant slot, for this to be a Mafia attack, and with that amount of mojo used, it would have to be the work of the Merlyns wizzer gang, the Mafia's go to guys for spark throwers. The Merlyns are under the thumb of the Finnigan family, and there is no way Rowena Finnigan would have approved this. It's obviously a Yakuza hit.-Plex Peon

I hate to interrupt the makeout session, but I heard that the Ragers just scored some major hardware, something like LMGs. No word on the source. And no, I didn't hear nothing about no frag grenades.-The Reading Rat

Humanis skags maybe? That's it, time for this ork to take a vacation out of the plex.-Dozerman

When in doubt, I always blame the Brackhavens.-Noose9

Or insect spirits. Nasty fraggers.- Net Ned

Newsdate: January 31, 2060

Aztechnology Extraction

by

Samantha Squealer

Researcher Dale Hastings was extracted from the Aztechnology Pyramid early Thursday morning around 3 am by some Shadowrunners. My sources say that two individuals were involved, a Troll and a Human, and the target appeared to be willing. The runners should have been captured on cameras, but to the frustration of the Leopard Guard, the files were mysteriously eliminated. The duo and their target proceeded from the employee mall on floor 38 to the B2 parking garage, where they hopped into a Eurocar Westwind 2000 and drove out. There was only light pursuit by Aztechnology security forces and the Westwind outraced them and escaped. Aztechnology is not cooperating with Lonestar in this case.

Comments

My sources say it was inside job.-Azzie Observer

No big shocker there vidclown. The Azzies are always at each other's throats. Probaly why they haven't already ripped all our hearts out or some such drek.-Space Needle Squatter

So, who did it?-Gorge

Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies.-Black Bishop