®
A HORIZON ADVENTURE
A SHADOWRUN ADVENTURE ADVENTURE
The Backstab Slide The only shadowrunners in the world who don’t understand the importance of eliminating the competition are the ones who have already been eliminated by someone else. The Horizon Corporation wants its stable of music artists to sell a few more albums and its brain trust has decided that the best way to accomplish this is to t o move some artists at the top of the charts out of the way. Outright killing the competition is no good—that often just boosts the deceased’s album sales. The secret is to get the public to stop wanting what they’re they ’re currently buying, and Horizon has developed some creative ways to make that happen Anarchy: Subsi Anarchy: Subsidized dized is a complete adventure that takes shadowrunners to Neo-Tokyo and plunges them into corporate intrigue involving street gangs, vandals, scandal-mongers, and one of the most impressive technological innovations the entertainment industry has ever seen. Anarchy:: Subsidiz Anarchy Subsidized ed is is for use with Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Edition.
Under License From
®
www.catalystgamelabs.com
©2011 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Horizon 2: Anarchy Subsidized and Shadowrun are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in the USA.
The Backstab Slide The only shadowrunners in the world who don’t understand the importance of eliminating the competition are the ones who have already been eliminated by someone else. The Horizon Corporation wants its stable of music artists to sell a few more albums and its brain trust has decided that the best way to accomplish this is to t o move some artists at the top of the charts out of the way. Outright killing the competition is no good—that often just boosts the deceased’s album sales. The secret is to get the public to stop wanting what they’re they ’re currently buying, and Horizon has developed some creative ways to make that happen Anarchy: Subsi Anarchy: Subsidized dized is a complete adventure that takes shadowrunners to Neo-Tokyo and plunges them into corporate intrigue involving street gangs, vandals, scandal-mongers, and one of the most impressive technological innovations the entertainment industry has ever seen. Anarchy:: Subsidiz Anarchy Subsidized ed is is for use with Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Edition.
Under License From
®
www.catalystgamelabs.com
©2011 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Horizon 2: Anarchy Subsidized and Shadowrun are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in the USA.
. . . TABLE OF CONTENTS . . .
anarchy subsidized
2
introduction
5
outline of the adventure
6
aPPendices
7
background
7
the setuP
12
trial run
14
i’m keePing my baby
18
getting the confession
22
a hummingbird wouldn’t know
28
moving out of the basement
31
final mission
36
aftermath
37
legwork
40
cast of shadows
41
Player handout handouts s
44
CREDITS: RChy SubSIDIzED Writing: David A. Hill, Jr. Writing: Editing: Jason M. Hardy Development: Jason M. Hardy Proofreaders:Jean-Marc Proofreaders: Jean-Marc Comeau, Lars Wagner Hansen, Mason Hart, James O’Laughlin, David Silberstein, Brandie arvin, Rebecca Rebec ca Welch and Jeremy Weyand Weyand Art Direction: Direction: Brent Evans Illustrations: Ian King Maps: Sean MacDonald Cover Art: Jason Juta Cover: Matt Heerdt Layout: Matt Heerdt Maps: Sean MacDonald Copyright© 2011 Te opps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shadowrun, Anarchy: Subsidized and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks o Te opps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. No part o this work may be reproduced, reproduced , stored in a retrieval system, sy stem, or transmitted in any orm or by any means, without the prior permission in writing o the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any orm other than that in which it is published. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks o InMediaRes Productions, LLC.
First Printing by Catalyst Game Labs, an imprint o InMediaRes Productions, LLC PMB 202 • 303 - 91st Ave. NE, E-502 Lake Stevens, WA 98258. Find us online: http://www.shadowrun4.com (ocial Shadowrun website) http://www.catalystgamelabs.com (Catalyst Game Labs website) http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog (online ordering)
2 Anarchy: Subsidize Subsidized d
. . . ANARCHY: SUBSIDIZED . . .
“This is Lisa Watanabe, Watanabe, sta reporter or Club Odakyu and pop culture ninja. I’m reporting on the run, r un, while ollowing the man who supposedly athered a child chi ld with Teiko Ikemoto.” Lisa spoke rapidly rom the back o a news van, her voice barely audible over the overac tive grind gr ind o the engine and the blaring noises rom rival motorists outside. Lisa crashed crashed to to the side, barely barely maintaining posture. “Damn it! Chuck! Watch what you’re doing with that tha t thing!” thing! ” She snapped at her cameraman as they steadied themselve themselves. s. She dusted o her skirt, skirt, clearing her throat throat to speak again. again. “You say say you don’t know who Teiko Teiko Ikemoto is? I you’ve you’ve lived under a pop-culture rock or the past six si x months, I understand. Otherwise, O therwise, you’re you’re alling behind the rest o the world, dinosaur. Teiko Ikemoto is a ab new idoru on the Japanese maibumu scene. She’s She ’s the coolest teenage construct to grace the lens o every e very camera that matters. She’s hal cybernetic, hal bishojo, all sensation! Her chart-topping hit ‘Lollipop Dreams’ is taking the world by storm. I you’ve seen commercial vids or a new Yamaha, you’ve heard ‘Lollipop Dreams.’” The van careened and swerved, throwing Lisa o-balance again. She grabbed the side wall, both angry and amused at the same time. “I you have plans this summer, summer, drop them immediately. Teiko Teiko is on tour all year long, all over over the world, world, in her, her, Too Cool for New School live tour. She’s visiting one hundred cities worldwide in her bid or pop superiority. She’s even hitting a sub-orbital. sub-o rbital. You You can fnd dates and locations at the end o this article, but take it rom me when I say her live show is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Anyway, we’re ollowing a man who suppose supposedly dly ather athered ed a baby with her her.. How that works? We don’t know! But But the DNA tests can’t can’t lie, can they?” The van stopped stopped abruptly, abruptl y, slamming sl amming Lisa against the wall. wal l. Her H er camera c amera technician techn ician rushed to help her up. “Handle the the camera, camera, Chuck. Chuck. I’m fne.” fne.” She grunted at the cameracamera man. “Alright “ Alright , Lisa. You’re back on in three, two, one …” Chuck re sponded. Another voice came rom rom the ront. “Lisa, come on! He’s outside. We have him cornered.” As Lisa got out o the van, she continued conti nued her report. “Ikemoto is the brilliant invention o Mitsuhama research scientist Kane
Kobayashi. She reads reactions and responses live rom her audience, adapting her show show to their likes likes and dislikes. This means means she she can cater every little sound to the crowd. While she can’t please everyone—who can?— she always pleases the majority o a room. Kobayashi sees Ikemoto as an advanced prototype, prototype, and he wants hundreds o her in every major city. I his dream is realistic, he could revolutionize the way people experience music. Naysayers say that she’s a cheat, a creation without any vision o her own, only a built-in desire to cater to the lowest common denominator. We know what we like, and so does she. Sometimes, she knows knows what we we like more than than even we do.” do.” The camera camera crew surrou surrounded nded Lisa, Lisa, rushing rushing out alongside alongside her her. The van had blocked a black sedan into a corner, where a man struggled to climb out a window. Two members o the news crew rushed him, him , inspiring a pantomime o the words “Oh shit!” by the man. Lisa’s narration maintained its ow. “Beyond her musical talents, Kobayashi enabled Ikemoto or personal development. Outside the studio and o the stage, she lives a normal lie. Kobayashi’s Kobayashi’s tech allowed or rapid rapid acial reconstruction reconstruction to to allow her to have a personal lie outside the limelight. Every now and again, paparazzi paparazzi discover her identity, and she has to change, but in a recent interview she told Club Odakyu, Odakyu, ‘I wouldn’t wouldn’t give give my lie up or anything. anything. I live everyone’ everyone’ss dream, and and I never take take that or granted.’ granted.’ Horizon Horizon is in talks talks with her manager manag er,, David David Murakami, Murakami, to do a ull seaso seasonn o a reality vid ollowing ollowing a dierent dierent persona each each week.” Two crewmembers approached the car. The one closest to the th e man put a fst through the window, grabbing grabb ing him h im and a nd wrenching wrench ing him rom the vehicle as Lisa continued. “She’s a hop, skip, and a jump rom breaking breaking the world music music sales record. You’ve heard heard it here frst: We think that once she passes that benchmark, the sky is the limit. She’ll move beyond millions, she’ll be the frst billion-seller in history. Club Odakyu is proud to be right there the re alongside along side her in her rise ri se to superstardom. superstard om. Either you love her or you hate her, her, but Teiko Ikemoto Ikemoto is here to stay. The critics can keep complaining, but that will only uel the fre o her her star.” star.” Lisa then approached the man with her camera crew. Her two enorcers slammed slammed him against a wall, and Lisa ashed him a sassy little grin. “We’re ready or our exclusive, Mr. Goto!”
3 Anarchy: Subsidized
ITRoDuCTIo eiko Ikemoto is hot. Tere’s no getting around that. he dierence between a building and a reputation is that when you tear down a building, it stays down. When you tear down a reputation, i it has a shred o a oundation le, it can regenerate. Power brokers know this, and they use it to their benet. Tey know they can destroy reputations, and it’s only temporary assassination. It’s an unwritten rule: Character assassination is a petty crime—actual murder raises the stakes. I you want to play the game, you don’t play or keeps. You hurt your enemies, and you let them grow back and come aer you later. Tis way, you’re sure to always be ghting with the top names in the game. But what does all this matter to shadowrunners? Tat kind o loy reputation is generally beyond their means. In this mission, shadowrunners become agents in this ongoing ight. hey’re charged with destroying a reputation, though they’re not initially aware o whose reputation is really on the line. Tey directly attack the character o a pop star. Tey devastate her popularity, changing her public image. Tis throws her career into a downward spiral, destroying her articial lie. But the real target is the manager riding the coattails o her success. He is a man o wealth and privilege, and the reputation o the people he represents is one o his ew weak spots. When it comes down to it, Horizon needs this manager to be stripped o his standing, but it can’t draw undue scrutiny without risking its brand. he manager is a terrible human being and deserves ar worse than what they want to give him. Sometimes a corporation wanting to keep their good name has to play with kid gloves or the greater good. Still, i they do this right, the ultimate blow will be devastating. I the manager loses Ikemoto, he loses his ortune. In the corporate world, that’s a ate worse than death.
PREPRIg ThE DvETuRE Anarchy: Subsidized takes place over seven distinct stages. Four are small, sel-contained missions. he other three are capstone pieces, along with a trial run to give the runners a taste o what they’ll be doing. Te deault setup assumes the game takes
unique challenge or almost any level o characters. Some o the scenarios will present relatively daunting odds i approached headon. Tat’s intentional. Tere are a number o situations that the runners won’t be able to stomp roughshod over unless they’re at the absolute high-end o the power scale. Lastly, some o the inormation about Neo-okyo can be ound in the Corporate Enclaves supplement. It is not necessary to have that book, however, as everything in this adventure is sel-contained.
MI SECTIoS Tis book is divided into several sections designed to assist you in bringing the adventure presented herein to your table:
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D
• PreparingtoPlay: A plot synopsis, necessary background inormation, and other useul details and data. • AdventureScenes: Te adventure itsel, broken down into individual scenes. • Legwork: Summaries o inormation and data the player characters might nd during their research. • CastofShadows: Proles o the primary NPCs with whom the player characters will interact during the adventure. • PlayerHandouts: Inormation designed or players.
I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DvETuRE SCEES Te adventure itsel plays out over a series o sequential scenes. Each scene contains some, or all, o the ollowing subsections: • Scanis: A brie summary o the events in the scene. • TellIttoemStraight: A text selection that can be read
•
•
•
place over six sessions, though expansions are possible; throughout the book, you’ll nd hints or side missions that you can use i you and your players are interested in lengthening the process. Tere’s
•
nothing wrong with this. It might break the six-session model, but that’s encouraged. I you want to run the whole thing in a single, long session, more power to you. I you want to turn it into a yearlong campaign, awesome. In-game, the mission is very long, compared to some Shadowrun published missions. Because o the nature o the events, the mission takes approximately nine months to a year to
• •
directly to the players or paraphrased when the player characters reach specic points in the scene. Hooks: Descriptions o ways that characters might be encouraged to play a scene. Behind the Scenes: he mechanics behind each scene, including NPC motivations and any secrets or special instructions. Subplots: Secondary adventures—or red herrings—that oer avenues or gamemasters to develop that make the adventure less linear or players. PushingtheEnvelope: Suggestions or gamemasters on altering the scene to challenge more experienced players or more powerul player characters. Debugging: Suggestions or getting the adventure back on track i the player characters’ actions derail it. PlacesofInterest: Locations eatured in the scene, including
descriptions and ratings or security systems and Matrix systems. • GruntsandMovingTargets: NPCs in that particular scene. NPCs that are eatured in multiple scenes are ound in the Cast o Shadows.
accomplish in entirety. Te path through the adventure is relatively
linear but isn’t a strict directive. Te outline o the adventure is more o a toolkit with guidelines to help gamemasters through the process. Creativity plays heavily into the nature o planning and executing the campaign. Te deault campaign assumes that the characters involved are a little above average, but is perectly playable or 400 BP characters. It may be a bit challenging, but it’s designed to be a
o-PlyER ChRCTERS Non-player characters (NPCs) are crucial to bringing any adventure to lie; they include the allies, enemies, and contacts the characters will interact with during the shadowrun. Important NPCs have relevant proles, including stats, in the Grunts and Moving argets section or each scene. Major NPCs who appear in multiple scenes are listed in the Cast o Shadows section at the end
5 Anarchy: Subsidized
. . . . . . . . . . . . o f n I e m a G
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
gMEMSTERIg ThE DvETuRE Ana rch y: Sub sid ize d is an adventure designed for Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition, and is the second in the Horizon series of adventures that involves
characters in the machinations of the newest megacorporation, Horizon, and its unorthodox methods for conducting business. In this adventure, players and their characters will see the extreme lengths that Horizon will go to in order to carry out its agenda. They will discover that the phrase “by any means necessary” may require blood to be spilt; and that ultimately, that blood will be on their hands, and that they will have to live with the consequences of those actions. Here are a few suggestions that will make the adventure, and gamemastering it, run mo re smoothly.
Step one: Read te dentre Reading through the adventure prior to introducing your group to it ensures you know what’s coming down the line and are familiar with the entire story. This helps when your players (inevitably) come up with something not p resented in the adventure. Step Tw: ssess te dentre Rarely does any gamemaster take a written adventure and run it without any changes. You may decide it needs to be more challenging for your players, or perhaps they form a specialized team (such as all mages) who will undoubtedly approach certain tasks in unique ways. You may want to switch certain NPCs with characters your players are familiar with from their game, such as a common xer or gang contact. Assessing the adventure lets you make notes on how you want to customize the adventure to best t your game and your gamemastering style. Step Tree: Knw te Caracters You should have a copy of each character prior to running the adventure, so you can review their individual (and group)
skills, contacts, and abilities. If a scene calls for them to y a plane through the Rockies, and none of them have a Pilot Aircraft skill, you may need to tweak the scene so they’ll still have a chance at success. If a character is sidelined for parts of the story due to lack of abilities or skills, the gamemaster should consider adding scenes that play to the character’s strengths. Step fr: Take tes Written notes help you keep things organized. You may want to jot down a note to give a particular handout to players at a specic moment or highlight important details about an NPC or combat scene. Taking notes during the adventure helps you remember characters’ actions, which is useful in awarding Karma and handling contacts at the conclusion. Since this is the second adventure in a series, if these characters played through A Fistful of Credsticks , you may want to refer to your notes from that adventure. Likewise, it is not unlikely that the players’ decisions in this adventure might come back to haunt them later! Step fie: Dn’t let te Dice Rn te game Dice rolls normally dictate the outcome of events in a roleplaying game. Sometimes, however, the dice fall in such a way that they interfere with the story. Remember, as gamemaster, you can always tweak the dice to enhance the story. As a rule of thumb, a gamemaster shouldn’t fudge the die rolls to hurt player characters, but occasionally might tweak the roll to help them out or to help the story progress (softening a roll to seriously injure a player rather than killing them is one example). Step Six: Dn’t Panic You’ll make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. You may forget a rule, misread a scene, or forget an important clue. Don’t worry. The reason you’re there is to have fun, and fun is far more important than a awless performance. If you or the players make a mistake, do your best to straighten things out, then keep moving forward.
o this book. Some o the major NPCs are recurring characters rom the previous Horizon adventure, A Fistul o Credsticks; they have additional background provided that reveals more o their motivations. Gamemasters can and should tweak the NPCs to make them more or less challenging opponents (see Prime Runners , p. 284, SR4A). NPCs in groups benet rom Group Edge (p. 281, SR4A), while individual NPCs in this adventure possess their own Edge stat to use.
lucrative pay i they destroy her reputation. All the work is in Neo-okyo, so there will be a short-term relocation package involved. Mr. Johnson has very speciic guidelines in mind, a series o complex acts o vandalism and slander. He inorms
ouTlIE of ThE DvETuRE
SCEE TWo: TRIl Ru
SCEE oE: SETuP
Te trial mission is, on the surace, just a grati job. Mr. Johnson had previously set up a security orce at the site to accost
his stage starts in Seattle. Mr. Johnson oers the gang a meeting in an odd location: a live perormance o a pop singer. He oers an interesting prospect: he runners can earn
them that they’ll be given assignments one at a time, and they’ll
only receive the next assignment once the past assignment is inished. While Mr. Johnson has heard some great things about
the runners, he needs more evidence, so he wants the runners to take a single trial mission to prove that they’re what he’s looking or.
the runners. Te whole scenario is an opportunity or Mr. Johnson
to assess the strengths and weaknesses o the runners. While it ultimately doesn’t change the fow o events, he will remember any
6 Anarchy: Subsidized
mistakes they make and regularly remind them o these slip-ups any time he talks with them in the uture.
SCEE ThREE: I’M KEEPIg My bby his mission is the longest o them. his is a long-term mission, at least in scope. Te ruits o its labor probably won’t be seen until later on, during scene six. Te characters must steal some o Ikemoto’s DNA. Aer doing so, they must engineer a child with that DNA, again while staying under the radar.
SCEE fouR: gETTIg ThE CofESSIo Tis is the most straightorward o the our main missions. Mr. Johnson has the gang elicit a conession rom a known criminal . Te catch: He’s innocent. Not only does Mr. Johnson want him to
coness, but he wants the conession to make international news in the process.
SCEE fIvE: huMMIgbIRD WoulD’T KoW In this mission, the runners are charged with hacking the augmented reality systems o Neo-okyo. he goal is to subliminally manipulate the people o the city via their commlinks, compelling them to adore Ikemoto on a completely dierent, less wholesome level.
SCEE SIX: MovIg ouT of ThE bSEMET his scene is the dramatic climax o the adventure. he characters must invade a Horizon-owned skyscraper without being ound out by its management. Tey must manipulate the external lighting and monitor system to exhibit a graphic sexual video o Ikemoto or all o Neo-okyo to see.
SCEE SEvE: fIl MISSIo In this scene, the runners take the cloned child o Ikemoto and introduce it onto the black market without drawing attention back to the Horizon plot. Ten they must draw attention to the child, getting the scandal on international news. Tat’s the last support in the castle o Ikemoto’s positive reputation. In the second hal, they conclude the mission. hey meet with Mr. Johnson, tabulate their successes and ailures, and receive their nal payment.
PPEDICES Here, you’ll nd all the background inormation like NPC inormation, handouts, and other items o bookkeeping import.
bCKgRouD Horizon wants eiko Ikemoto. Tis comes as no surprise. Everyone wants eiko Ikemoto. You probably want eiko Ikemoto.
eiko is a technical marvel. She’s set to be the biggest thing to happen in entertainment. She’s adorable. She’s witty. She’s sympathetic. She’s exotic. Everyone has a reason to like her. Horizon likes that. Te problem is, she’s signed to Mitsuhama or at least another three years until she becomes a legal adult.
ThE SToRy of KE KobyShI Kane Kobayashi was a simple man with simple tastes. He was a research scientist with Mitsuhama’s robotics division. He lived with his wie and son in Arashiyama, a suburb o Kyoto. Te amily lived a rather boring lie, while Kobayashi won dozens o prestigious awards or his advancements in robotics. He was the type o man always denied promotions because the company was araid o losing him i he gained enough power to become autonomous. But he didn’t mind. He didn’t want or ame and ortune. He only cared or stability and a happy amily. In early 2039, the Kobayashi family experienced tragedy. e son, age, ell into violent seizures. Te seizures didn’t stop even when he ell into complete unconsciousness. Doctors perormed tests that revealed an enormous tumor in his brain, and they acted quickly to save his lie. age barely survived the ordeal, but not without lasting damage. He was rendered completely and irrevocably blind. While eye replacement surgery was a commonplace thing, it could not help age, since the doctors had to remove the vision centers o his brain during the operation. age never recovered. While he returned to health, without his vision, depression overwhelmed him. Beore the event, age was a relatively normal teenager, with a passion or vid
I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
entertainment. He wanted to be a director. He dedicated his every
moment o ree time to making independent movies. In one ell swoop, his lie’s love was stolen rom him. Urgent Message.........
TIMElIE 2040: Renowned Mitsuhama research scientist
Kane Kobayashi’s son Tage Kobayashi loses his vision to a fast-acting tumor. Without vids, he becomes desensitized and loses interest in ever ything. Kane vows to solve his son’s melancholy. 2042: Kobayashi discovers an important neural association in his son’s brain. Tage cannot get the same level of feedback and interaction with his other senses that he had with his vision. Kobayashi moves into the exploration of sounds. 2045: In his first major development, Kobayashi reveals the neural attachment to aural appreciation. Theoretically, this could be used to cater music to a potential listener and heighten the listener’s response. 2051: After several years pass with no major advancements, Kobayashi moves on to the study of genetics and robotics in the effort to cure his son’s loss. Continued, next page
Anarchy: Subsidized
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D
7
His ather was devastated by his son’s loss. He ell to a similar depression, as his son’s happiness was the man’s passion. His perormance at Mitsuhama declined, but he couldn’t concern himsel with that. He swore he’d repair his son’s damaged lie. Even i he couldn’t nd a cure or his vision, he’d nd something to bring the sunshine back to his son’s demeanor. He threw himsel wholeheartedly into his research. Te Mind and te Msic Kobayashi soon made his rst discovery in his research o the human brain with regard to age’s tragedy. He discovered that the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
boy’s neural joy centers were strongly associated with his sensory inputs, particularly the visual ones. Tere was another similar association, but it was an isolated part o his primary auditory cortex. He hypothesized that with the right stimuli in place, sound could bring happiness back to his son’s lie. Tat ocused and redirected his obsessive studies. Five years aer the accident, Kobayashi made a quantiable advancement. While it had little to do with his son’s vision, it set the groundwork or all o his uture realizations. Almost by accident, he mapped the brainwaves responsible or the appreciation o music, translating them into an algorithm. Teoretically, what he came up with could be used to edit music to make it more palatable, possibly even catering the tone o a song
to a particular listener. At rst, he had no idea what he could do with this inormation. What he did know, though, was that it was too important, and too personal, to share with Mitsuhama. Te aural algorithm data sat, while Kobayashi didn’t know how to use it. His privacy le him unable to benet rom the scientic community at large, and his resources were limited to whatever he could commission, leech, or steal rom Mitsuhama. He all but gave up on that route when he made no progress. He delved deeper into his day job in robotics, researching genetics and how the two could be meshed. He thought that i he couldn’t please his growing son through sound, he’d develop an articial way to repair the boy’s vision. Years passed. He researched like mad, but sat on his discovery until stumbling upon an aggregation tool that bound a voice synthesizer to his original algorithms. With minimal data input, the synthesizer would emulate the voice a listener most wanted to hear. Complex visual sensors could read the necessary cues to determine responses, and data could be ed through wireless routes to a processing unit. He made the hard decision to capitalize on it: He made a young girl to whom he would give this almost magical voice. Enter: Teik Kaasi Kane Kobayashi made what amounted to the most advanced
construct o the time, all in the comort o his home, and all with stolen and otherwise misappropriated resources. She was part cybernetic, part biodevelopment. Te genetic material used to orm her was Kobayashi’s own, since he couldn’t ethically nd an outside donor. Tat’s what he’d tell an ethics board, i he had to. But there was more to it than that—Kobayashi had become selcentered in the wake o his son’s tragedy. He was so very concerned with continuing his amily line that he couldn’t conceptualize not using his own DNA or the project. He knew he couldn’t share this inormation with the world; i he were lucky, it would only
Urgent Message.........
TIMElIE 2053: In a stroke of brilliance, Kobayashi finds the link between computational data and the neural impulses necessary to produce listener-centric music.
His rst prototype uses a weak synthesizer, so it cannot facilitate the true depth of human interest. He keeps these studies to himself. 2055: Kobayashi’s development progresses. He perfects the devices necessary. He uses his skills in robotics and genetics, along with some stolen Mitsuhama resources, to create a construct specifically to take advantage of this technology. 2058: Teiko Kobayashi is “born.” She is the child of this project. Because of her illicit genesis, Kobayashi keeps her, claiming she is his own flesh-and-blood daughter. 2059: Mitsuhama auditors discover Kobayashi’s illicit appropriation of company resources. Per company policy, he is terminated over his refusal to report on or share the fruits of his labor. He uses his life savings to start a new career as a sherman with his “daughter” in tow. Continued, next page
land him in prison or lie. At worst, his whole amily could end up dead. Either way, the Kobayashi name would be smeared all across
their home, Kyoto. Kane made a decision that would reshape his amily orever: He claimed the construct was his daughter. On record, Teiko Kobayashi was born on August 16th, 1957 (exactly one hundred years aer the birth o the pop music legend, Madonna). Kobayashi ound that particularly ironic. With Kane’s genes, eiko looked like a perect addition to the amily. Her supposed parents were a bit old, but Kane’s coworkers saw the daughter as a welcome addition to Kane’s lie, something that might drag him out o his slump o nearly two decades. It did exactly that. While age had moved out o the house long ago and started a lie o his own, eiko gave Kane a new lease on lie. A year later, lie caught up with the joyous scientist. An audit ound evidence o Kobayashi’s misappropriation o company resources. One piece o evidence led to another, which led to another, and Mitsuhama realized that or many years, Kane had been stealing. Knowing how valuable Kobayashi had been—and could be in the uture—Mitsuhama execs treated him with ar more leniency than was their custom. Tey oered him a single chance or redemption, asking what he’d done with the stolen equipment. He knew he couldn’t put his daughter at risk, so he reused to respond.
Mitsuhama’s only recourse at that point was to re Kobayashi; he was a thie, and the only motivation his superiors could come up with or his the was that he must have been selling company assets to competitors. Kobayashi didn’t mind. While it was a dramatic burst o instability into his lie, he made the most o it. He sold the Kyoto home and moved the amily to Yaizu. aking residence in a home overlooking the ocean, Kobayashi took up shing as their new source o income. Fishing was peaceul, and it kept attention away rom the amily, which kept eiko sae.
8 Anarchy: Subsidized
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As much as he wished or stability and saety, Kobayashi
Urgent Message.........
couldn’t keep his brilliant invention to himsel. Te summer eiko
turned our, Kobayashi entered her in a local talent competition alongside y-some children o all ages and talents. She won. Not only did she win, but she had most o the audience in tears with her rendition o “Kimigayo,” Japan’s national anthem. A recording leaked to the Matrix, going viral within hours. While the recording didn’t reect music that appealed to every listener, the audience was diverse enough that eiko’s emotional rendition touched more than a ew hearts. Immediately, Kobayashi received oers rom agents, managers, and other assorted representatives o media companies big and small. He considered the oers, but deerred to his sense o security. He told them that her education was the top priority, and he couldn’t put that in jeopardy. Te oers eventually slowed, but did not go away. Even at the slowest time, not a week went by without an oer. A ew years passed, and Kobayashi was talked into entering eiko in another competition. his time, it was a competition or the entire Shizuoka preecture. Te eight-year-old won by a landslide. She improvised a song, resulting in a standing ovation lasting nearly ten minutes. Again, the oers or record deals, commercial deals, movie deals, and anything else the entertainment corps could imagine fooded Kobayashi. He pushed against the tide, no matter what numbers they put beore him. Someone was displeased. o this day, Kobayashi’s not sure who hired them, but a gang o mercenaries stormed the amily home, looking or eiko. Kobayashi had prepared or this, trapping
TIMElIE 2062: Teiko gets her rst taste of fame. Kobayashi enters her in a local talent contest at the ripe age of four. She brings more than half her audience to tears with a single song. She receives invitations to greater competitions and agents swarm to represent her. Kobayashi states that fame would put her education in jeopardy, so he refuses all offers. 2068: After a province-wide talent show is a smashing success for the young girl, she has her rst run-in with the darker side of life. Mercenaries hired by an unknown megacorp attempt to kidnap her. Kobayashi outsmarts the mercenary cell and ees the country with the girl. 2069: Now in Los Angeles, Kobayashi markets the tween as “ Teiko Ikemoto” at upscale nightclubs, where she sings for the rich and while keeping a relatively low prole to avoid massive crowds. 2071: After a full investigation of Kobayashi’s former holdings, Mitsuhama uncovers details about Teiko. They begin looking into Kobayashi’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, Kobayashi enters talks with Horizon to market and produce Teiko as a pop musician. The negotiations move slowly, but they increase in scope once Teiko wows top Horizon executives, including CEO Gary Cline, in private performances. Continued, next page
Anarchy: Subsidized
9
Urgent Message.........
TIMElIE 2072: Mitsuhama initiates a shakedown once they uncover Kobayashi’s current location. He is given the choice of death for him and his “daughter,” or a terribly strict record deal. Kobayashi is left with no choice, and he accepts. This means he must cut off all talks with
Horizon.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
2073: Teiko Ikemoto has taken the world by storm. She’s a household name. Kobayashi discloses the full details of their history to the public, at the request of his new (and former) employer, Mitsuhama.
the seaside house with breakaway foors that stalled the would-be kidnappers. Unortunately, Kobayashi’s wie did not emerge rom the chaos alive. During the asco, the Kobayashi home was torched with eiko’s surrogate mother crippled inside. Adding insult to injury, Kane’s notes and research were all consumed in the re. Kane and eiko fed—not just rom Yaizu, but rom Japan. He took his lie savings, paid or new identities, and moved to Los Angeles to hide with his daughter. brader hrins
Kobayashi knew he couldn’t keep eiko a secret any longer. He gave in. He decided she’d be best served in the limelight, because that would allow millions o eyes to keep track o her. He might ail, but he wouldn’t ail her the way he ailed his son. He entered her in contests. She won, regularly and easily. He presented her to agents. Tey all oered representation. He looked actively or the best deals. He negotiated. He teased. He experimented with the entertainment industry the way he used to experiment with bionics. Te next two years passed at a panicked pace. eiko, now being billed as eiko Ikemoto, was a local legend. Kobayashi booked her at upscale nightclubs, where her talents graced the ears o some o the most powerul names in the world. She le her audiences unable to think straight. Every megacorp with an interest in entertainment made multiple oers. At any point, Kobayashi could have accepted millions o nuyen and retired a wealthy man. Maybe he should have. he oer he was most interested in came rom Horizon Corp’s Pathnder Multimedia division. Tey pitched a lucrative package that involved extremely limited work hours, a massive pay structure that would support eiko throughout her entire childhood, and most importantly, it would terminate upon adulthood, opening her up to whatever decisions she wanted to make. He loved the oer. His agent called him ignorant or not jumping on it. Horizon seemed genuinely interested in guaranteeing eiko as normal a lie as a pop sensation could have. Yet with all that, Kobayashi dithered. Tae’s betraa
Meanwhile, Mitsuhama’s internal aairs department continued to investigate the details surrounding Kobayashi’s ormer employment. Tey kept hitting roadblocks, since all o Kobayashi’s material was destroyed in the mercenary raid in Yaizu.
Just around the time when the company was prepared to write o all the losses, they ound an epiphany rom an unexpected source: age Kobayashi. age was approached a number o times over the years. Every time, his amily’s dignity and honor came rst. He denied oers or reward money. He reused vague threats. Eventually, though, his jealousy boiled over. He tired o his ather’s behavior. Te amily name was being dragged through the mud, and his mother was dead because o the old man’s hubris. age approached Mitsuhama with an oer. He’d give them all the inormation they wanted i they used their inuence to eliminate his ather and cover it up, oering the public a story that would return the Kobayashi name to its ormer respect. Mitsuhama agreed, and the blind son told the whole sordid story. He explained about his ather’s mania, his depression, and his avoidance. He told o his long hours in the basement, using Mitsuhama equipment to study neural composition and aural associations. He told o the stolen bionics, the bioengineering provisioning . He told about eiko, and how Kane declared himsel her ather. He told how eiko became the avored child, the ocus o Kane’s lie. Mitsuhama, understandably, was not pleased. Almost immediately, Mitsuhama investigators ound Kobayashi’s whereabouts. Tey didn’t hesitate. Tey sent our crack squads o runners to abduct the ather and his daughter, dragging them back to Japan or a “talk.” n oer Te Cdn’t Rese
Back in Japan, eiko and Kane Kobayashi were put beore a panel o Mitsuhama directors at the Neo-okyo oce that handled their entertainment acquisitions. Tere was no negotiation. Te directors briey explained the ins and outs o a contract, while the runners in question stood behind the ather and daughter with assault weapons. Te oer was simple: Mitsuhama would own eiko’s contract until she became a legal adult, at which time it would be “renegotiated.” Kobayashi would be given a modest sum or his eorts. eiko would produce and
perorm on a rigid schedule, with strict nancial penalties or any exceptions. Mitsuhama would own all rights to her work produced under contract without exception and would continue to own licensing rights or potential perormances aerwards.
Kobayashi was given twenty-our strictly supervised hours to make his decision. He knew Mitsuhama’s attitude toward dissent and disagreement. He knew he’d end up a statistic, and that eiko would be no better than a slave. Once, while his guards were distracted, Kobayashi attempted to contact Pathinder Multimedia, even leaving a message or Horizon’s upper management, trying to accept their oer i they’d bail him out. Unortunately, Mitsuhama guards caught him in the act and removed any opportunities or a callback. Horizon tried to reach him—they tried hard. Te twenty-our hours passed with no progress, though. In the end, Kobayashi signed on the dotted line. In essence, eiko was now the property o Mitsuhama Computer echnologies. Konichiwa Rainbow!
Withi n an hour o signing the deal, Kob aya shi was thrown to the streets. He took what little money he had
10 Anarchy: Subsidized
le and established a squalid home in the Neo-okyo sprawl.
Te TK-103 Mde
Mitsuhama wasn’t joking. Tey backed Ikemoto’s rise to stardom
Internally, eiko’s bone structure is an advanced selimproving cyberware rame. It’s ar ahead o any cyberware on the market in 2073, though. Her joints and muscles were all vat-grown and have been completely sel-sucient or her entire lie. Without her external esh plates, eiko would look like a creature composed purely o muscle tissue, not unlike an image in a medical textbook. Unortunately or those so interested, all o Kobayashi’s prototypes and documentation were destroyed during an early raid on his home. While he may possibly be able to replicate eiko, it’d be highly unlikely unless he had ull access to her or quite some time. Because o the clandestine nature o his research,
with unheard-o resources. Beore Kobayashi could hail a taxi, agents ushered eiko into a recording studio. Other ag ents were advertising her upcoming al bum, despite the act that she hadn’t started recording. She was signed or trid appearances. She had her rst lm role. Her rst concert sold out beore she even knew tickets were on sale. Konichiwa Rainbow! , her irst album, sold iteen times platinum in Japanese pre-orders alone. eiko Ikemoto was an industry powerhouse beore her rst album hit the streets. Te album broke every domestic Japanese sales record to date. Her rst Asian tour le concert venues with crowds swarming or
blocks outside, thanks to overcrowding. en people died during her irst record signing, trampled under a swarm o teenage commercialism. While she was amazingly big in Japan, her rst tour didn’t hit stateside or logistical reasons. Tis hurt her chances or North American sales, but it had very little eect on her rise to Japanese stardom. It got to the point where eiko Ikemoto cosplayers ormed a proessional union. All this, in the name o bubblegum pop. During her rise to ame, Kobayashi contacted Pathnder Multimedia, giving ull details and begging or assistance. Horizon was hesitant to make such high-prole moves against Mitsuhama. Any move on Ikemoto could be construed as an act o war, and Horizon just didn’t have the resources necessary to handle a counteroensive rom Mitsuhama, especially with the amount o eort they were putting into work tie d to the Az-Am War. Tey wavered. Tey considered eorts, but wouldn’t push the button. Kobayashi didn’t stop. He kept pushing or Horizon to save him. 2073 and Lollipop Dreams
Mitsuhama prepared to ride Ikemoto’s stardom or everything it was worth. Without taking a breath aer her last record and tour, they prepared or her next sensation, Lollipop Dreams. World news lauded Mitsuhama’s eorts, and speculators everywhere predicted that the new album would completely shatter all previous records. Tey were shooting or y mi llion copies sold. During the push or Lollipop Dreams, Kobayashi continued his eorts to rescue his artiicial daughter. Once he started making headway, Mitsuhama struck back, physically. Tey sent a crew to beat him within an inch o his lie, leaving both his legs broken. Tis, combined with a number o investigative reports about the unethical treatment o Ikemoto, led Horizon to take action against Mitsuhama. But due to Mitsuhama’s strength and Horizon’s desire to avoid retaliation, the action had to have more deniability than normal.
hoW TEIKo WoRKS eiko isn’t dissimilar rom a MacGun in character orm. But depending on your players, she may or may not have a more direct role in your story than simply the prop that needs to be rescued. Te deault assumes she’ll only play a background part, but many runners will at least conduct minimal research into who and what she is beore they start destroying her reputation.
everything was a prototype, everything had to be done quickly and haphazardly. Even or a g enius like Kobayashi, the sheer volume o
study necessary to produce something like eiko is daunting. He still considers her success a complete uke, and he was surprised she survived even a ew years o lie beore her body rejected the cybernetics.
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Te Se
eiko Ikemoto is adorable. She was engineered that way. She’s everything that might be considered cute about a young Japanese girl, only emphasized. Her eyes are a little bigger, her smile a little wider. Her shiny black hair ows in the wind, but otherwise hugs her head perectly. Her brown eyes captivate, her mannerisms give an air o perpetual innocence. Her body is a complex blend o cybernetics, bioware, and old-school esh and blood. o a casual observer, she looks rather human. With scrutiny, she’s not imperect enough to be called human, properly. She has seams at most major joints, because Kobayashi’s design involved requent microsurgery as she grew into her body. Most o her esh was vat-grown and applied in panels as needed. Conveniently, this means that with little eort, she can be changed. Kobayashi developed a number o alternative aces or her, so she could blend with crowds. eiko also knows how to develop additional aces, but she keeps this knowledge secret rom Mitsuhama. eiko is a living, breathing girl. She technically shares DNA with Kane Kobayashi genetically modied to make her something between a daughter and a clone. her vice
Her vocal cords are barely biological, mostly composed o a complex synthesizer system with ADSR envelopes, oscillators, and a lter system. With the complicated system, she can emulate any
voice she hears. She does have a “primary voice,” but sometimes alls out o it because o fawed programming on Kobayashi’s part. Most importantly, she has a complex series o empathy sensors attached to each o her sense glands and inputs. his allows her to respond in real-time to peoples’ reactions. She can read aces, voices, and body language—she knows her listeners. With some accuracy, she can even detect the electrical impulses o nearby audience members the way a shark can. Her tone changes subtly to match these changes. She agg regates all her input quickly; her processing core handles thousands o data streams at any given
time. Eectively, her receptors read as many as ve thousand o the nearest reactions. While this doesn’t actually oer a holistic
11 Anarchy: Subsidized
sampling, it’s broad enough to please a crowd beyond compare. While she does have the ree will to speak and sing independently, her programmed instinct is to please the crowd. echnically, eiko Ikemoto’s music combines two things in one: Maibumu and Yubumu.
MIbuMu
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
Literally, “My Boom.” Tis reers to the personal experience o listening to Ikemoto live. As one listens, Ikemoto adapts tone, rhythm, and even lyrics to suit the reactions and tastes o her audience. Tis results in a composition that, when she perorms with a single listener, is perectly catered to that individual’s tastes. In a massive live environment, her Maibumu is ruled by consensus, which means that she experiments with modest changes until she’s ound her sweet spot. Tis means that every show in every city is completely dierent. At a Maibumu concert, not all attendants are scanned. Ikemoto’s range only goes so ar. She usually detects a couple thousand listeners, but she can’t stretch her senses urther during live perormance. Tis doesn’t stop ans, but it raises the price o the best seats exponentially, as those in ront get to play a vital role in the shape o the nal composition.
yubuMu Picture a composition where the producer gets exactly what they imagine. Picture the best producers in the world, unlimited in their visions. Imagine listening to the perect song , according to the people o Stockholm. Te vast majority o Ikemoto’s music is what’s called “Yubumu,” or “Your Boom.” Anything recorded or otherwise heard secondhand is Yubumu, music catered to someone else besides the immediate listener. Now, this doesn’t lessen the appeal. Quite the contrary, Yubumu anatics are completists. Tey’ll collect every recording on the market. Every city Ikemoto plays in, she’s perorming what are on the surace the same boring pop songs. Te value, and the variety, comes rom each audience’s interpretation. Mitsuhama guarantees that these anatics will never go hungry. Tey have a particularly popular subscription service where ans can listen to each new song as it’s recorded live. During concert season, Mitsuhama claims over one hundred million subscribers. echnically speaking, Ikemoto’s two albums are Yubumu that are based on the tastes and preerences o those in the recording studio at the time. Tis leads to polished, clean releases. Production sta claim she’s the best musician in the world to work with, since her music needs absolutely no modication or ltering. O course, this means the music was recorded with a bias toward what the studio crew might think is good, so the music is hardly “perect,” but it’s good enough to rack up nearly a billion albums sold.
ThE SETuP SC ThIS Seattle, 2073. The runners are toggling through their messages, and one grabs their attention: an invitation to a pop concert, to meet with Mr. Johnson. Tis isn’t a show by just any pop star; it’s a eiko Ikemoto show. eiko is the newest sensation
Urgent Message.........
lEXICo There are a few words used specically in this book that aren’t as widely used as many pieces of 2070s slang. Most are Japanese loanwords that are still used by those English-speakers working in a heavily Japanese environment. h: Derogatory noun. Similar term would be “dumbass.” bisj: Commonly used term for a particularly cute female. Che: Profane exclamation, not unlike saying, “Shit!” when making a mistake. fuzku: The sex trade. This is generally considered to be a less acceptable arm of Mizu Shobai. gartaci: This means “ low-level thugs,” and usually this word refers to those outside of organized crime groups. Idru: Idoru is a popularized version of a Japanese term usually referring to a pop idol. In this instance, it means an idol that’s transcended humanity; a construct. Maibumu: Music that’s engineered specically to appeal to a person’s innermost interests and appreciation. Strictly speaking, it’s Japanese for “My Boom,” implying, “My Really Cool Thing.” This being a personal reference to “Yubumu.” Mizu Shobai: The term literally means “water trade.” It refers to nighttime industries, usually in reference to illicit labor, such as children being sold into bartending and entertainment roles. Saite: A term for something that’s trashy, dirty, or cheap. Ture-Shn: Term when two opposing businesspeople are not-so-secretly working together. Evolved from a phrase referring to going to the bathroom with a friend. yubumu: This refers to recorded instances of Maibumu music. Since it’s recorded, it’s technically not catered to the listener. But many listeners are obsessed with Yubumu recordings, as they give a sense of community.
out o Neo-okyo, and a record-breaker at that. You can’t tune into a trid without hearing about her. I the news is correct, she’s set to be the rst musician ever to sell one hundred million copies o a record. She makes a new kind o music called “Maibumu,” adapting the sound to her listeners. Tere’s a ticket or every one o your crew. Tese tickets go or a ew grand each on the black market. ickets like these aren’t given to just anyone, or any job. Tis is big time. he concert is at the Seattle Coliseum tomorrow night, giving the runners some time to prepare. he concert isn’t something they’re liable to enjoy, as they won’t be among the lucky ew responsible or the way the concert plays out. Te whole goal
o this chapter is to get the runners into the trial run, where they can prove their worth beore being shipped o to Neo-okyo or a more complicated gig.
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Te invitation is nothing special. In act, it’s rather bland. Handout 1 on p. 44 can be passed to the players. I they raise questions or concerns, just stress the value o these tickets. Tey can do research and discover that the tickets are very valuable— once the concert sold out, tickets have been selling or thousands o nuyen. O course, these particular tickets aren’t salable, and sending strangers to the box with a business contact would be silly at best. I they bother to investigate urther, they can discover that the message comes rom Horizon servers.
“Good. I’m glad you’re open-minded about this. It’s just a ormality, o course. So the job is, we need you to plaster some simple graiti at a little bar called Lost Wages downtown. It doesn’t really matter what it says. Be creative. Have un. Make it very visible, but get in and get the hell out. Te goal is to not let anything you do get back to me in any way. Biggest, most important part: Make news. Get someone to pay attention to what you write. Make sense?”
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT
I the runners are concerned about Mr. Johnson’s oer, stress that it’s supposed to be an easy job, more a measure o their perormance than a direct challenge. It’s technically the type o job where they can’t ail unless they ail spectacularly. I they insist on knowing about the pay, he’ll inorm them that it’s on a sliding scale, depending on their perormance. I they want a more specic number, give them a range equal to six to twelve times the cost o their wealthiest character’s Liestyle or as long as the mission lasts. Money is good. Tis mission pays remarkably well and covers expenses. Also, it leads to potential career work through Horizon in the uture. I the players completed A Fistul o Credsticks, the initial contact or the job can come rom someone they met in that adventure (such as Slade, Desperado, Pandora, or Richard Fermin). Tat contact can impress on them the act that doing this job can build their reputation within Horizon, which could be a very good thing or them.
You enter a lavishly appointed box. o either side are tables laden with expensive alcohol and exquisite ood. Mr. Johnson stands in the center o the room, anked by two bodyguards. He is an el with pale, perect skin and slicked-back blond hair. His suit costs more than you make on an average run. His two guards, a man and a woman, are both impeccably dressed in matching, obsidian-black business suits despite about 75 kilos in weight dierence. hey’re groomed or crisp, sharp neutrality, with clean-cut dark hair and costly interacing sunglasses. “Make yourselves at home, runners,” Mr. Johnson says with a welcoming smile. “We’ve already had dinner, don’t be shy.” He motions briey toward the tables, beore sitting down on a chair behind him. He then nods to a row o chairs acing him, one or each o you. “Relax. Have a seat. Let’s talk business.” He waits a moment, giving you the opportunity to help yourselves. “So, the job.” He clears his throat and straightens his tie. “It’s a high-prole gig. No, let me correct mysel. It’s a prestigious gig. It’s a very low-prole gig with high-prole results. I we become high prole because o it, there are going to be problems. But, don’t take my caveat too seriously. We want to be on good working terms here. Horizon is banking a lot on this mission; it’s very important it goes as planned. Tat’s why we’ve contacted you.” He runs a comb through his hair, watching your acial responses. “Te job is, at its core, a character assassination. But it’s also a lot more complex than that. It’s a long-term contract. It could take upwards o a year, depending on how you manage it. It’s a our-stage aair—there are our major missions within the contract’s scope. It’ll involve relocation to Neo-okyo or the length o the contract. O course, the extra inconvenience brings extra compensation, and we’ll make sure you’re taken care o during your time abroad. Now, beore I get into the hard details, I’d like to set you up or something o an entry exam. A short mission—paid, o course—to show your chops. We’d hate to send you out on something or which you’re not well suited. I hope you don’t mind?”
hooKS A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
bEhID ThE SCEES Te meet itsel is very easy. Unless the characters try to cause problems with security, it should fow perectly. It’s a job oer and a potential contract i accepted. Nothing more complex than that.
DEbuggIg Te most likely problem arising would be i the runners try to intimidate or attack Mr. Johnson. In this case, his security guards will do their best to stop the runners and get them in line.
PlCES of ITEREST Te Seatte Center
Te Seattle Coliseum has seen better days, but it can still draw a crowd when the attraction is right. It serves as the home o the Federated-Boeing ransonics and has a seating capacity o around 17,000 people for the concert. Secrit
[ He gives the group a chance to think on it. I they agree, he oers a contract or the trial run. I not, he politely tries to convince them to reconsider, but he won’t push the issue. (Clearly, acceptance is important to the progress o the plot. Te players likely understand this, though.) I they accept and sign, he moves on to the ollowing statement. I the characters insist on not making the trial run, he only allows them to skip it i they have particularly solid reputations. Successul completion o A Fistul o Credsticks would proide a sucient reputation or the players to skip the trial run i they wish. I they do, you can moe them to the I’m Keeping MyBaby scene, p. 18. ]
As mentioned, security at the Seattle Coliseum is remarkable. Getting a gun inside isn’t worth the eort. Guards are heavily armed, with all manner o high-tech surveillance equipment. Mitsuhama’s investment in Ikemoto is one they’re willing to protect at any cost. Unless there’s an escalated risk, guards will use non-lethal orce, but they don’t hesitate to kill quickly and quietly when push comes to shove. I the players insist on sneaking weapons in, doing so shouldn’t be impossible, but present it as a daunting task. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, so don’t waste too much time on it. Te coming scene has no direct threat o violence.
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Te bx
B
Mr. Johnson has reserved a private box or the meeting. It’s ully catered with extravagant ood and drinks. It’s in a prime
5
location to view the concert, with a perect ront-view o Ikemoto’s
singing. Upon entering, the runners are greeted by Mr. Johnson, acknowledged by his two guards, and invited to make themselves at home. Te Cncert
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
Te concert is an hour and a hal long. Within ve minutes o the show’s opening, the entire crowd is enchanted. It’s almost rightening how much they love it. Beorehand, and aer every song, the cheering is so loud it can be heard or miles. At times, Ikemoto is impossible to hear over the raving ans. Anyone online during the show will be bombarded with simulcast advertisements; people the world over are watching the same show. Te characters
may or may not be interested; it’s a rather poppy perormance, albeit a wonderully executed one.
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS MIK (huM fEMlE boDyguRD) (Pressina Ratin 3)
Namika loves her posh little job with Horizon. She escorts clients rom point A to point B, and she guarantees that the clients return to the oce unharmed. She has a bit o a violent streak, and this job allows her to show it. She doesn’t speak unless absolutely necessary, and she’s not above making rapid, deadly moves to eliminate potential assailants in a combat situation. Physically, she’s diminutive but well built or her size. She’s hardly intimidating at a glance, but has a killer instinct in her eyes. She’s perectly clean, and very well groomed, almost painstakingly so. B
5
A 4
R 4 (5)
S
4
C 4
I 4
L 5
W 5
Ess 3.8
Init IP 8 (9) 1 (2)
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 14/8 Skills: Acrobatics 3, Automatics 2, Blades (Cyber-Implant Blades) 5 (+2), Dodge 4, Perception 5, Pistols 2 Augmentations: Han razors (retractable), wired refexes 1 Gear: Armor jacket, FFBA (ull-body suit) Weapons:
Nitama NeMax [Heavy Pistol, DV 6P, AP –2, SA, RC 0, 10(c), w/ EX-explosive rounds, internal smartgun system, sae target system, and biometric saety system] Hand Razors [Blade, Reach —, DV 3P, AP —] ToShIRo (huM MlE boDyguRD) (Pressina Ratin 3)
oshiro is a shooter, and he is willing to let his gun do the talking. In an encounter, he lets Namika take the lead, then supports her with his gun as needed. He steadastly reuses to get drawn into conversations with strangers when he is on the job. He usually dresses in business suits, but tattoos poke out rom under his sleeves. He is medium height and wiry, making him stronger than he looks.
A 5
R 4 (5)
S
4
C 4
I 4
L 5
W 5
Ess 4.0
Init IP 8 (9) 1 (2)
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 14/8 Skills: Acrobatics 2, Automatics 2, Dodge 4, Perception 4, Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 6 (+2), Unarmed Combat 2 Augmentations: Wired refexes 1 Gear: Armor jacket, FFBA (ull-body suit) Weapons:
Nitama NeMax [Heavy Pistol, DV 6P, AP –2, SA, RC 0, 10(c), w/ EX-explosive rounds, internal smartgun system, sae target system, and biometric saety system] MR. JohSo (Mae E)
Mr. Johnson is smooth, posh, and elegant. He moves like he is expecting people to watch him go by. His demeanor is pleasant and approachable; he eels his appearance will do enough to make run-o-the-mill runners uncomortable, so his manners can be extra polite. He also believes the presence and appearance o his bodyguars eliminate the need or any tough talks o threats. B
3
A 5
R 4
S
3
C 5
I 4
L 5
W 5
Ess 5.6
Init 8
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 8/3 Skills: Con 4, Dodge 3, Etiquette (Shadowrunners) 4 (+2), Negotiation 5, Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 2 (+2), Perception 4, Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 6 (+2) Qualities: None Augmentations: ailored pheromones 2 Gear: FFBA (shirt), Synergist Business Line (suit jacket, slacks, high-collar shirt) Gear: Hammerli 620S [Light Pistol, DV 4P, AP —, SA, RC 1, 6(c)]
TRIl Ru SC ThIS he bar graiti is the goal o this trial mission or the players. For the gamemaster, the goal is to show the runners that Horizon knows what it’s doing. Mr. Johnson didn’t choose this bar randomly. He assigned a small gang specically to look or and
attack the runners. Teir reaction to the attackers, and the ease with which they deal with them, determines his response and the pay oered at the end o the mission. Encourage creativity in the players—or this job, being fashy helps. Ten set up the encounter at the end o the scene.
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Wen te arrie at lst Waes, read te win:
Lost Wages is the kind o place that closes and reopens a couple o times per year. Since it has a solid clientele base, each
14 Anarchy: Subsidized
new owner gives it a newer, more annoying theme that manages to not drive the regulars away. Right now, the theme is twentieth century Las Vegas. It’s a gaudy little neon stain on the already stained Seattle streets. People are lined up outside; it looks like this place is taking in every patron in the city not at the concert. Most o them wander aimlessly, in various states o inebriation. At a glance, there are only two external walls with any space to mark up. One side is too close to the nearest building to be noticed. Te ront wall is too plastered with old-ashioned neon signs to draw attention. Te most important note though is that you can’t nd enough room to stand without someone seeing you. Te joint has eyes on it rom all directions. Wen te meet te bm gan, read te win:
Four people stride toward you, and they look like they mean business. Te man in ront is short and wears an ill-tting suit, probably one he stole o someone. Next to him is someone who has human eatures but a stature that would make a troll proud. He towers over the entire group, and he slaps the baseball bat he is carrying in his palm as he walks. o his right is a woman wearing piecemeal armor that looks like it was salvaged rom allen cops and hardware stores. At the back o the group is someone with at least two dangerous characteristics—a vest ull o grenades and a twitch in his eye. Te leader speaks, “Look! What do we have here? Gang o uckin’ vandals. I think they’d better consider paying us to stay quiet and back o. I’d hate to see them get in trouble with Lost Wages’ most avoritest security orce, the Bomb Gang.”
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wen meetin Mr. Jnsn ater te cmpetin te j, read te win:
“So you’ve done your job. Congratulations. I hope the Bomb Gang wasn’t too much o a setback. I also hope you’ll orgive us or the intrusion; it was a part o the test we couldn’t reveal beorehand without compromising the value o your results. I’ve discussed it with my superiors. We’re suciently impressed that we are proud to set up your contract or the ull assignment. Will you be able to leave within orty-eight hours?” Wen te rnners aree t te erarcin missin, read te win:
“Excellent. So you can sign here, here, and here. Te last page is a standard nondisclosure agreement. I’m sure you’re used to all this. It’s the most important part o this mission. Failure is preerable to disclosure. Do you understand? Great.” He doesn’t skip a beat. “So I’ll arrange your ight. oss me a message with the best time or you; we’ll have living arrangements ready or you on-location, so don’t worry about anything like that. ake any supplies you want, but you should nd your compensation package more than suitable to purchase new equipment once you are in place.” Wen te caracters make te trip t e-Tk, read te win:
Horizon didn’t skimp. Your travel is by private jet. Tere’s no pesky security, so you can carry on whatever you’d like. When you enter the jet, you see a ully stocked bar. Tere’s an in-ight che. ere’s a 3D trid screening room. ere’s a sauna. is monster
15 Anarchy: Subsidized
will be in the air or about twelve hours, and the designers clearly wanted to make those the best twelve hours o your career. [Give the players a chance to interact, but don’t let this trip lag too long. Play up the value o the trip. Horizon is sparing no expense on this run. Remind them, and it’ll keep them on task later.] Te twelve hours pass without a hitch. Upon landing, you get a message rom Mr. Johnson. It says, “Tere’s a vehicle outside. It’ll take you to your condominium. Once you’re settled in, give me a ring. We’ll talk about your rst assignment.” As he stated, there’s a large, black minivan outside ready to take you to your new home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
bEhID ThE SCEES At the climax o their vandalism eorts, make a Perception check or the runners to see i they notice the approach o the our-
person Bomb Gang. For this check, use the highest Perception pool available in the group. Add +1 or every other runner directly present (to a maximum +5 modier). Distraction causes a –2
modier. Basic visibility concerns levy another –1 modier, or a net –3 modier. e threshold for success is 2. If the characters ail, a random character receives a surprise attack rom Bragg, the bruiser o the gang. Te attack is a non-lethal attack or a reason: Te gang wants a chance to talk to the runners. I the characters are successul in their Perception test, they notice the gang sneaking up behind them. Either way, Jimmy the Fist opens dialogue with them unless immediately assaulted. Te characters have a number o choices at this juncture. Te most obvious would be to attack. Te gang isn’t green, but isn’t really at the level o a solid group o runners. Tey could talk with the gang members, trying to convince or intimidate them, or they could pay them o.
FirstFailure(Negotiation): “You know, we’re not really here to ail. I get that you don’t want to get your a sses kicked all over the alley, but I don’t really see the downside or us. No oense meant; it’s nothing personal.” SecondFailure(Negotiation): “Okay, runner. I think you’e convinced me.” He grins widely, showing a ew missing teeth. “Yeah. You’ve convinced me that your ass hasn’t been kicked enough today.” Te gang moves in to attack. FirstFailure(Intimidation): “Yeah? hat’s what you’re gonna do? I think I’d rather take my chances, and at least turn some prot i I win. Now, how about you reconsider that shut-up money?” SecondFailure(Intimidation): “You really don’t have any room to be threatening us. We were polite. We oered you a chance to pay or your sae passage. You turned down our polite oer. So things are going to get very impolite in return.” Te gang leaps to attack. FirstSuccess(Negotiation): “Yeah? I think we might be able to come to an agreement. Te thing you’ve still not addressed is, what’s to stop us om just kicking your ass and pummeling you until you decide to give us more?” SecondSuccess(Negotiation): “Okay. So, you’ve sold me. How about we just call this a night? We’ll go our way. You go yours. I’ll tell Mr. Johnson you handled the situation well.” He shrugs and motions his gang to back away. FirstSuccess(Intimidation): “ Fine. So, you say you can stop us. I’m a little convinced. But we’re a working crew. Backing o isn’t really gonna pay the rent now, is it?” SecondSuccess(Intimidation): “Okay, okay. We get it. Let’s not make this something it’s not. We’re gonna step away, and the management’s gonna be none the wiser. I’ll tell Mr. Johnson we didn’t even see you until you were gone. We’re cool, right?” He motions or his men to back o. Te fit
Pain Tem o Te gang asks or a 1,000 nuyen payo in exchange or leaving
the runners alone. With a successul Negotiation + Charisma Test (–3 for the hostility) against Jimmy the Fist’s Negotiation + Charisma, the runners can reduce the price by 100 nuyen per net hit. Te same thing can happen with a successul Intimidation check (the modier or this test is –2.) Te smaller group in this encounter receives an additional –2 modier because they are outnumbered. I the runners succeed in both Intimidation and Negotiation ests, they can buy o the Bomb Gang or as little as 250¥. Additionally, they’ll reveal that they were hired by Mr. Johnson to accost them. Tey’ll also note that Mr. Johnson said it was ne to pass this inormation on to the runners. Cercin
Similar to the previous section, the characters can use their social skills to convince the gang to leave them alone. For these tests, all Street Cred bonuses (see Social Modiers Table p. 131, SR4A ) are doubled. Tis scenario plays out as a series o as many as three tests. I two out o three are successul, the gang leaves the runners alone. I two ail, the gang attacks. All o these tests receive a –3 penalty due to the Bomb Gang’s initial hostility. If the characters change the skills used to respond to the gang’s reactions, they can negate the –3 for the next roll. e success and failure results are below, based on the skills used.
I things come to blows, it’ll be a rather quick situation. A ew bullets, a ew spells, then the gang runs away. I they’re not allowed to run, they’re not too prideul to beg or release. Te point o this mission is to avoid the ght, so the ght should be anticlimactic i it occurs. Te bm gan
he Bomb Gang has been around or a while. hat’s somewhat impressive, but it’s hardly reective o their ability. Tey’ve been relatively lucky, and airly conservative. Tey’re not the smartest gang out there, but they try not to jump in ront o bullets or cash. In this particular scenario, Mr. Johnson hired them to accost the runners. Tey were told specically not to kill anyone, but they’ll come as close as they need. Tey were also told not to get themselves killed, so they’ll run away beore anyone drops. Most importantly, they were paid to report exactly what happened, no matter what happened. Even i the characters successully intimidate or negotiate them away, they will betray the runners or the exorbitant sum Mr. Johnson is oering them or the job. Te gang has no pride. I it comes down to it, they will beg or their lives. Tey’ll even pay meager sums to stay alive. But i the runners are particularly heinous, the gang will spread inormation
and try to hurt the runners’ reputations. I anything bordering on torture enters play, the gang will go to great lengths, including
16 Anarchy: Subsidized
attempting to ollow the team to Neo-okyo to ambush them on much more overwhelming and lethal terms. (Tey can ll a lull in action later, i it occurs.) Pament For the trial run, payment depends on perormance. Te base
pay is equal to one month o the most expensive liestyle in the team. For example, i the team’s wealthiest member has a High Liestyle, then the base pay is 10,000 nuyen. I the characters managed to make headline news, the amount is doubled. I they killed a member o the Bomb Gang, the amount is halved. Each member killed levies a cumulative 50 percent penalty. If they somehow got Horizon implicated (a dicult thing to do), they make no money whatsoever. I the team deals particularly well with the Bomb Gang, they could become a relatively useul contact, at least in Seattle.
hooKS Te mission is relatively straightorward. Mr. Johnson won’t allow or more than a week o preparation. Once the runners have completed the trial run, he oers them a contract. It’s very complex, with dozens o pages. He also makes it clear that they’ll be well handled or the year they’re in Neo-okyo, and they won’t want or much.
PuShIg ThE EvEloPE Te goal o this mission isn’t to be particularly challenging, it’s determining how the runners perorm under stress. Tat said, i the runners don’t seem stressed, raise the stakes a bit. Te Bomb Gang isn’t above blung, saying they’ve planted bombs or other silliness.
PlCES of ITEREST
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS JIMMy ThE fIST (huM MlE) (Pressina Ratin 2)
Jimmy is the ace o the group, the leader, the brains, and the nancial strength. Without Jimmy, the Bomb Gang couldn’t exist. He does most o the talking or the group, though Bragg sometimes chimes in with a threatening statement to back him up, and Ripper gives a “Yeah!” or “You tell ‘em!” to back Jimmy up every now and again. He’s not ignorant, but he’s ar rom educated.
He has street smarts and is a quick thinker. When playing Jimmy, remember that he’s always looking or a proit. He’ll always abandon a plan i another route is more benecial. B
4
C 5
I 5
L 4
W 6
Ess 6
Init 9
IP 1
Bragg is dumb, and he knows it. But what he lacks in smarts, he makes up or with raw power. He’s always been huge, and he doesn’t shy away rom it. Jimmy made up or Bragg’s stupidity, and Bragg doesn’t take that or granted. He lives and dies or his leader; his loyalty is as erce as a wol ’s. He won’t make any important decisions without Jimmy, and he doesn’t even speak without consulting him, even i it’s as simple as a nod o approval. B
7
this is dicult. It requires some thinking outside the box. Clearly, noises and fashing lig hts probably won’t do it. Explosions draw more attention than Mr. Johnson wants. On one hand, the mission requires a heavy hand. On the other, it requires some delicate thinking. Te important thing to note though is that there is no real ailure. Tis is a mission to judge the runners’ creativity and raw capability. It doesn’t exclude them rom the later mission; it only opens them to some potential mockery in the end game.
S 4
bRgg (oRK MlE) (Pressina Ratin 2)
Lost Wages was chosen or a reason: It’s crowded. Mr. Johnson elt that, as a microcosm o Neo-okyo, it would reveal much about the runners’ abilities to work in crowds. At any given time, there’s an unocial line outside. Crowds o people stand around, perpetually waiting or Lost Wages to “calm down a bit.” It never does. Inside, the patrons almost rock the oundation. It’s bouncing with heavy music, so loud that it’s dicult to distinguish
R 4
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Con (Fast alk) 6 (+2), Etiquette (Street Gangs) 2 (+2), Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Negotiation 4, Perception 5, Stealth skill group 3, Unarmed Combat 3 Gear: Armor vest
Te bar: lst Waes
individual notes. Te place is so loud, a small rearm could be discharged inside without attracting much attention. Neon permeates every available surace; it’s headache-inducing i you pay attention to it, so most patrons just zone out and dance. For the players, the location should be somewhat challenging. Doing something to draw attention in a place like
A 4
A 4
R 6
S
7
C 1
I 3
L 1
W 3
Ess 6
Init 9
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 12 Armor(B/I): 8/6 Skills: Blades 3, Clubs 3, Heavy Weapons 3, Intimidation 5, Perception 4, Pistols 3, Stealth 1, Unarmed Combat (Block) 5 (+2) Quality: Human-Looking Gear: Armor jacket Weapons: Bat [Clubs, Reach 1, DV 5P, AP —] SA Nemesis LMG [Light Machine Gun, DV 6P, AP –1, BF/ FA RC 2, 60(c)] Survival Knife [Blades, Reach —, DV 5P, AP –1] RIPPER (huM fEMlE) (Pressina Ratin 2)
Ripper’s a sadist. Jimmy recruited her because she’s not araid to do anything to anyone. She’s not a monster in a ght, but i Bragg stops someone, she moves in or the kill. Functionally speaking, i Bragg’s attacks hurt an opponent enough to knock them down, then Ripper attacks the prone target. She’s clearly warped, and it shows in her mannerisms. Tat’s why she avoids
17 Anarchy: Subsidized
speaking too much; she knows she’ll upset whatever situation Jimmy is trying to manipulate. B
4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
A 6
R 6
S
4
C 3
I 3
L 4
W 6
Ess 6
Init 9
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Blades (Knives) 6 (+2), Intimidation 2, Perception 6, Stealth skill group 5, Unarmed Combat 2 Gear: Armor vest Weapons: Survival Knife [Blades, Reach —, DV 3P, AP –1] booMER (huM MlE) (Pressina Ratin 2)
Boomer is a rebug. In act, i it weren’t or Jimmy reining him in, he’d have been given the death penalty a ew times over. Jimmy taught him to ocus his mania, leading to his current obsession with explosions. He can restrain himsel until either Jimmy commands him, or he gets into a particularly heated situation. Unortunately or the Bomb Gang, Boomer doesn’t discriminate. Fortunately, he has good aim with a grenade. Tis usually means the team will only take negligible harm rom his explosives, but a esh wound still hurts. ypically, he seems ar too amused or his own good, which disturbs those with whom Jimmy deals. So in most dealings, Jimmy has him stand behind Bragg, keeping him essentially out o sight. B
2
A 5
R 4
S
3
C 3
I 4
L 3
W 6
Ess 6
Init 8
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Intimidation 2, Perception 6, Stealth skill group 5, rowing Weapons (Lobbed) 5 (+2) Gear: Armor vest Weapons:
High explosive grenades [Trowing Weapon, DV 10P, AP –2, Blast –2/m]
I’M KEEPIg My bby SC ThIS eiko Ikemoto is a construct, but a very unique one in that she has many living parts. Since nobody except her ather, Kane Kobayashi, understands her innermost workings, it’s not too dicult to breed conusion about the way she does and does not work. Rumors about her are just about as common as her album sales. In this scene, the characters are going to set up the most elaborate and damning o these potential rumors: Tey’re going to convince the world that she, at the ripe age o ourteen, had a baby. Tis requires cloning, and can happen in one o two ways: Tey can steal DNA rom eiko Ikemoto hersel, or they can get it rom Kane Kobayashi. Also, the process will take at least as long as the gestation o the child, which is to say about nine months. Tis will help set up some o the other steps o Mr. Johnson’s plan.
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Wen te caracters speak t Mr. Jnsn at te j, read te win:
“So team … what do you know about DNA?” Mr. Johnson asks. “Tis rst mission sets the stage or what you’ll be doing in Neo-okyo, and it’s why you’ll be there or most o a year.” He clears his throat. “Do you remember eiko Ikemoto? From the concert? Horizon has an interest in her. Unortunately, Mitsuhama sniped her contract last year through a very unethical deal, and they’ve been running her ragged ever since.” He shakes his head sadly. “We
can’t move against them directly or a number o reasons, so we need to adjust eiko’s value as an asset. We have to destroy her reputation—and thereby her value to Mitsuhama—beore we have any chance o prying her loose.” Mr. Johnson stares intently at each runner in turn. “Let me be
absolutely clear: We’re talking about a smear campaign against a major international pop star. It’s going to get dirty. But believe me when I say she’ll be better o in the long run.” He waits or that to sink in, then continues. “Our analysts have explored a number o scenarios, evaluating potential impact to her popularity in the short term, as well as our ability to rebuild her image in the long term. One approach stands out: eiko Ikemoto is going to have a baby.” He pauses again or eect. “So your rst job is to collect some o her DNA. I don’t know a lot about it, or whether it can be aked, but it’s important that the DNA can be identied as eiko’s. From what we’re told, she can’t actually have babies, so we’ll need her DNA to clone one. Once we have a baby, it’s going to appear on the black market, and we’ll ensure that it makes international news.” I te caracters ject t deain in cidren, read te win:
“Relax—the baby won’t be on the market or long. In act, the moment you tell us the job is done and give us a location, we’ll present a buyer to whomever you passed it o. We’ll put it through the news, let it make its rounds, then we’ll give it a good lie where it never has to see the limelight. It’s all in the contract. We wouldn’t have you do anything that unethical.” He chuckles. “Keep in mind; this is all in eiko Ikemoto’s best interests.” Wen te aree t te task, read te win:
“Good. I’ll message you with inormation on an account you can use or mission-related expenses. Now, I’m not going to dictate how you have to do this. But understand that she’s usually surrounded by no ewer than ten bodyguards, any one o whom could give your team a air amount o trouble. hey’re street samurai with the ull power o an unlimited Mitsuhama expense account or mods. So i I were you, I’d look
or a window when she’s alone. I you want, I can put you in contact with a guy who has a lead. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to your own devices.” s te caracters are n te streets e-Tk, in t teir apartment, read te win:
As you walk down the street, you hear some chatter coming rom a group o schoolgirls wearing traditional uniorms:
18 Anarchy: Subsidized
“I heard eiko Ikemoto is dating Ginjiro Goto,” Te rst girl exclaims with high-pitched, giddy intensity. “No way. He’s twice her age!” the second says in disgust. “But she’s a robot. It’s dierent. She was never a kid. She was made that age,” says the third, clearly the brainy one. “No she wasn’t! I saw a trid. She was like six or something. She was at the Shizuoka preecture’s talent show in ‘62. I saw it.” Te rst sounds a little deensive now, and looks quickly back and orth at the other two. “So maybe she’s really een?” Te second girl does not seem convinced. “O course she’s iteen. But she’s super smart. She was programmed to know everything.” “Aho! I Mitsuhama could make a perect robot, don’t you think they’d sell them?” “Duh. Tey do. Tey sell Ikemoto’s work. Tey make a lot more money i they keep her and let us pay or a taste.” “Yeah. Mitsuhama’s smarter than that. I everyone had a perect robot, what would they ever want to buy?” “Ummmm … eleporters? Nanoabricators?” Te rst girl is trying to keep her argument up, but she was clearly losing steam. “Tat’s just stupid.” Te third interjects. “I guess you’re right,” says the rst, and the argument is over.
Daitar Dnn
During the discussion, Mr. Johnson oers the runners a lead. I they accept, he directs them to Daitaro Donny (who is detailed in CastofShadows , p. 41). Daitaro Donny claims to be Ikemoto’s biggest an. At least a million other people say the same thing, but Daitaro Donny has a ew reasons to be able to assume that title. He’s less a traditional an, more a stalker. Despite Ikemoto’s relatively private lie outside her work, he almost always knows where she is, why she’s there, and who is accompanying her. At this stage in the game, he’s only reachable by archaic e-mail. I he’s reached, he responds with the e-mail message in the sidebar.
Urgent Message......... frm: daitarotaku Sject: Ikemoto Meeting
runnerz, i heard wut ur doin an i wanna help. tomorrow: gt 300 yiri dr look under owerpot ur payment: git me a strand of ikemotosama’s hair kthxbai ^_^ DAITARODONNYSAN
s te rnners enter te ma, read te win:
Te World Mall is huge. You’ve heard o it beore—it’s the largest indoor mall in Asia. Depending on which metric you go by, it might be the biggest in the world. It’s ull o all the commerce you’d ever want, and then some. You can buy shoes in twenty-seven dierent stores. You can buy a hot dog in the ood court, at seven kiosk vendors, and at a novelty shop. You can buy uniquely craed aghan rugs, antiques, and pets. You think that you could probably buy a person in here, i you looked hard enough. As you move through the crowded commercial hub, you see Ikemoto. She’s dressed in a very simple purple silk dress. She’s wearing a dierent ace ; it appears a little older, and there’s a clear and brilliant tattoo o pink LED cherry blossoms covering her let cheek and eye. She’s looking at sweaters in a little boutique shop called Atatakai Clothing. She takes each o the rack, looking over it beore putting it back politely and moving to the next one. Wen te rnners reprt ack t Mr. Jnsn, read te win: “So—we’re having a baby!” he says. “Congratulations, runners.
I presume we’re not dealing with any issues o overwhelming complexity, am I correct?” He pauses only momentarily or a simple answer. “Well, that was probably the riskiest job you’ll be doing. But don’t think you’re out o the re. I you’d like to rest up, you’re welcome to. I wouldn’t take more than a month, though. In two weeks, your next mission will be ready, but we’re in no hurry. And by ready, I mean he’s getting out o jail.” He hangs up.
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Te location they are directed to is just an apartment building. Outside is a single fowerpot with a peace lily in it. Under it, they’ll nd a small, crumpled-up piece o paper (see Handout 2). Note that i they contact Daitaro Donny and do not get him
a strand o Ikemoto’s hair, he spreads rumors to try to hurt their reputations later. Since he doesn’t make personal appearances unless he knows someone well, he can make or a rather annoying little roadblock. findin a vnerae Ikemt
Te second part o this scene is the actual search or Ikemoto, and more importantly her DNA. Te most logical solution to the problem is to nd Ikemoto when she’s not surrounded by bodyguards. Tere are a ew ways this could be done. Te easiest is through Daitaro Donny, as detailed above. A more tedious but relatively eective method would be to ollow her around, waiting or a window. It’s essential that she is watched at all times or that method to work, as she changes appearance when in public. aking your eyes o her means she could alter her appearance while you’re not looking , and she’ll be lost. With some eorts made toward research, the runners can learn the same inormation Daitaro Donny would give them (when she’ll be at a specic mall and what she’ll look like while she’s there). Attempting a direct approach is its own, remarkably dangerous, animal. It’s addressed separately due to the logistics involved. Researcin Ikemt’s Wereats
bEhID ThE SCEES Finding Ikemoto in order to get a DNA sample can be done through several methods. A ew o these are detailed here.
Finding Ikemoto’s current whereabouts requires a Data Search (24, 1 minute) Extended est. Once she is located, the runners have hal an hour to get to whatever her current location is—aer that, it changes. Note that any glitch on the Data Search
19 Anarchy: Subsidized
test serves to alert Mitsuhama agents that the characters are investigating. Te Mitsuhama agents will be paying very close attention to their eorts in the near uture. I they notice a direct move against Ikemoto, they may even intervene. You can nd a unit o Mitsuhama agents in the GruntsandMovingTargets section o this scene. Alternately, i runners have any contacts in Neo-okyo, they might be able to reach out to them to see i they know anything about Ikemoto’s whereabouts. Te threshold or knowing where she is the moment the runners call is 4; i the contact asks around to nd out where Ikemoto is going to be at a given time, have the contact make a Charisma + Connection (24, 1 minute) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
Extended est. Again, once the runners discover Ikemoto’s current
location, they have hal an hour to reach it beore she moves on to somewhere else. Traiin Ikemt
Ikemoto isn’t hard to nd in a proessional capacity. She’s always perorming. At the end o the summer (right around the time when the characters start the mission), her tour is over, and she’s ocusing on recording and perorming at local estivals. At any given time, a character can ind where she’s working. Te complication comes rom ollowing through and tailing her. Shadowing rolls can be made against the Perception of her handlers (a basic pool of 9, which includes a group bonus of +5 and a –2 penalty for the host of distracting sensations that
perpetually surround Ikemoto). A glitch on the Shadowing est results in direct Mitsuhama attention. I the runners are successul, they’ll be able to trail Ikemoto to the World Mall. Te Wrd Ma Encnter
Ikemoto loves to shop at the World Mall. It’s currently the biggest mall in okyo and the biggest mall on the Asian continent. It’s a giant, glaring throwback to a simpler time, ull o all the expected, standard-issue commercial ilth shoveled down the throats o its visitors. Game Info......... From Corporate Enclaves, p. 82: “On another island off the coast of central Tokyo stands the World Mall, a twelve-story shopping mall and amusement park where each oor is devoted to a particular international theme. One oor looks like the crowded streets of Hong Kong, while another looks like the Amerind streets of Santa Fe. Each oor sells products related to the part of the world it represents and has numerous restaurants specializing in that culture’s cuisine.”
Aer reading the text in TellIttoemStraight, make a Perception (3) Test for the group (use the highest dice pool for the group, +1 for each additional team member, up to +5.) If they are successul, the characters realize that our people wander the crowds, paying close attention to Ikemoto. While they don’t look directly malicious, it’s obvious they’re watching her. ell them that
any direct action would need to be quick and covert i the runners want to avoid detection. Te characters won’t have a completely ree window. o get what they want, the players will have to succeed in a Palming est against the handlers i they want to get a sample o DNA (hair being the most likely source). I the runners caught Mitsuhama attention in a previous situation, the handlers receive a +2 bonus on the test since they’re alerted to the runners’ presence and they know who to look out or. I the handlers notice the runners, they politely approach them and ask i they can help them. Tey position themselves between the team and Ikemoto. While they won’t initiate violence, they yell or security i the conversation gets heated, alerting another hal dozen security ocers. I the situation dissolves into blows, their goal is to escape with Ikemoto. I the runners succeed, they should be able to get out with no urther complications, as once they are moving away rom Ikemoto, the handlers lose interest in them. Rnnin Rsd
Tis is the opposite o the previous segment. In this path, the runners go or the direct nab. Tey rush in and grab some hair, or they do something else quite noticeable while Mitsuhama employees are present. Due to the attention and alertness o Ikemoto’s security, they receive a +2 bonus to their Perception ests to detect what the runners are up to. Ikemoto’s handlers are well trained and don’t take chances. Unless an attack would put a number o bystanders in direct harm, they won’t hesitate to kill any oenders. A rule o thumb in these instances is to have two handlers present or each runner in the team—or or a particular challenge, three. Te point is, this isn’t supposed to be an easy task. Play up the number o visible guards. Encourage the players to reconsider brash action, and don’t shy away rom punishing them with a ew well-placed bullets. Remember that the handlers are smart. I they notice suspicious runners, they do not
always immediately attack. Tey may sneak about a bit themselves, trying to overhear plans. Tey’ll launch ambushes. Tey’re paid on results, so they take as ew chances as possible. Cntactin Kane Kaasi
I the characters look into Ikemoto, they will learn that Kane Kobayashi not only created her but also used his own DNA as a model. Tis means the runners could avoid all risk by simply getting a DNA sample rom him. Depending on their approach, he might just give it away. For those so inclined, he’s not hard to nd (a Charisma + Connection (12, 1 hour) Extended est rom a contact or a Data Search (12, 1 minute) Extended est will suce). He’s almost always at home in his little apartment. It’s above a ratty pizza parlor. Te doors are paper-thin. He’s become a drunk, and he is happy to talk to any visitors that come his way. Since Ikemoto’s removal rom his lie, he’s become a lonely old shut-in. Te characters would do best i they treated him well— attempting to intimidate him just triggers his protectiveness o his daughter. I they talk to him nicely, he will eventually spout out the entire story o Ikemoto’s creation, his son’s blindness, and his own despair over his hubris. A successul Negotiation + Charisma Opposed est is all that is needed to obtain a hair or something similar rom Kobayashi. I the characters present the plan in such a way as to indicate it’ll
20 Anarchy: Subsidized
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
help Ikemoto get away rom Mitsuhama, they won’t even need to make the roll. He will do anything or that child at this point. I they mention the cloning, he’ll be somewhat wary but will believe any plan enough to help. He eels that nothing is be yond trying, since he can’t seem to do anything that’ll work. Not only that, but i they bring up the cloning in a positive way, he’ll point them in the direction o a black market cloning bank (see Dealing with aBlack Market Clone Bank below), which avoids the complications involved with nding such a service.
Game Info.........
PlyIg KE KobyShI Play up his desperate nature. He’s broken from drinking, and he spends most of his time blaming himself for his children’s problems. He’s an old Japanese man. He’s not entirely traditional, but he’s certainly from a different time. He has an interest in science, but it’s hidden under layers of self-destruction. He’s barely mobile. He doesn’t clean his little apartment, and he sleeps among dozens of old bottles of sake. Almost nothing will bring him to violence; he’d rather die than ght, since he’s been so defeated by life.
Deain wit a back-Market Cnin bank
Ater the DNA is procured, the last step beore the completion o this stage is to actually commission the cloned child. Most cloning banks won’t use a stranger’s DNA to create a clone; a signer must be present, with very ew exceptions. Te characters will most likely have to work with a black-market cloning bank to get the job done. Without local contacts, nding such a place will be dicult. Te threshold or both Data Search and Leg work tests by contacts is 6, though characters without contacts will have to either make some new friends or try for a Data Search with a –5 penalty due to the unamiliarity with the area (i the runner in question has signicant experience in Neo-okyo, remove that penalty). Te search is made more dicult by the act that black-market banks don’t exactly advertise. Tis may be a challenge, but it should not be a game-stopping hurdle. Note that no black-market cloning bank deals directly with customers. Tey require drop-o points, which usually are anonymous mailboxes (physical mailboxes—Matrix drops are too traceable). Te going rate or the service the runners need is 50,000 nuyen, but the price is covered by Horizon’s expense account. Once the payment is made, the bank sends mail messages updating the runners on the progress o the etus so that they’ll know when it’s completely ready or “birth.” I the characters cannot or reuse to search or a black-market bank, they can trick a legitimate bank into cloning the DNA. Te easiest way would be to sell them on a story with a Con + Charisma est. Kobayashi receives +2 dice or his part o the test, since the characters really don’t have much inormation to support
21 Anarchy: Subsidized
their claims. I they come up with a particularly interesting story (“My mother died … I … I … never got to say goodbye …” or example), the gamemaster can negate the modier. Unlike a blackmarket bank, the characters will actually deal with a doctor, who is required to conduct a ull consultation beore committing to the cloning. Wrap-p and Pament
he last part o this mission’s main leg ends when the characters report their status to Mr. Johnson. I they’re
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unsuccessul, he oers them one more chance beore accepting the results and insisting they proceed. Otherwise, read his concluding response in TellIttoemStraight. Te base rate o pay is two months’ Liestyle cost or the wealthiest character in the team. I they made it through the mission without drawing any Mitsuhama attention, they receive payment or an extra month. I they draw enough attention to bring a direct intervention against the team, their reward is halved.
SubPloTS Te characters can have downtime. In act, they can have almost as much as they want. I you’re interested in turning this adventure into a ull-fedged campaign, you should consider using material rom Corporate Enclaves or the upcoming Corporate Intrigue or subplot missions. Te runners can also return home
or a time and run other jobs, or the gamemaster can simply astorward the timeline until the child is born.
PuShIg ThE EvEloPE Ikemoto might scream. In act, i your runners are particularly
conident about their abilities, it’s not out o the question to simply have her call or help and have more show up than was initially planned. Also, giving the various NPCs a little more push to conceal inormation can benet a more experienced group. For example, Kane Kobayashi might slam the door on the runners, or rst insist that he’d rather die than help anyone involved with his daughter.
hese workers are the epitome o grunts. hey ollow Ikemoto wherever she goes, and they rough up anyone that gets too invested in her aairs. Luckily, since she always wears a costume ace out, they rarely have to act. Tey’re quite skilled, but the have no emphasis on people skills, and eiko cannot stand being around them. Tey’re well dressed and well groomed, made to stand out as little as possible. C 2
I 4
L 2
W 4
gETTIg ThE CofESSIo SC ThIS Kiyoshi akahashi was inectious human waste. He was a con artist, a thie, a stool pigeon, and an all-around coward. He was serving ve years or administering a small-time gambling ring,
since the Japanese government couldn’t get him on the human tracking charges they tried pinning him with. He’s made local news a number o times; he’s known to be bad news and bad luck. Given his track record, i he’s out or three months, it could be irreutable evidence o a miracle. Tis scene begins with the runners contacting Mr. Johnson or
the next mission in their campaign against Ikemoto’s reputation. He tells them to extract a conession rom Kiyoshi akahashi about sordid things he allegedly did with eiko Ikemoto. In truth, he hasn’t committed any o these acts; neither has she. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that he plants seeds in the minds o the public. he runners aren’t told why akahashi is singled out or this assignment, but he has a history with Horizon that isn’t entirely peaceul. In the end, Horizon doesn’t care i it’s akahashi who conesses, as long as someone is talking and it makes news. But they’re trying to knock out two birds with one stone. hey won’t tell this to the runners directly, though, at least not at irst. Tis mission allows or some straying rom the linear part o hooks that your players can take. his could extend the total length o their tenure playing in Neo-okyo i you’re so inclined.
MITSuhM hDlERS (Pressina Ratin 4)
S 4
w/ are compensation, smartlink], muscle replacement 1, wired refexes 2 Gear: Victory Globetrotter Line heavy armor clothing, FFBA (ull-body suit) Weapon: Nitama NeMax [Heavy Pistol, DV 5P, AP –1, SA, RC —, 10(c), w/ smartlink] Sap [Club, Reach —, DV 3S, AP —]
the plot. From here on out, the book is spattered with side mission
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS
B A R 5 (6) 5 (6) 5 (7)
Augmentations: Bone lacing (aluminum), cybereyes [Rating 1,
Ess 0.8
Init IP 9 (11) 1 (3)
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 10/5 Skills: Clubs 4, Etiquette (Corporate) 1(+2), Intimidation 4, Perception 3, Pistols (Semi-Automatics) 5 (+2), Unarmed Combat 4
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Wen te caracters cntact Mr. Jnsn r teir next assinment, read te win:
“So, you’re ready to take the next step? Wonderul. Kiyoshi akahashi is the man you need to nd. He’s been out o prison or a ew weeks, and you should be able to dig up all manner o inormation about him without much o a problem. What do we need with akahashi? Very simple. We need him to coness to doing things with Ikemoto since he’s been out. Drugs. Sex. Murder. Whatever works. It doesn’t matter, so long as it makes international news. “And don’t worry. She won’t get pegged with it. A ew weeks aer the allegations, the news will clear her o all transgressions. Te important thing is that we plant that seed in the back o the public’s mind.
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“We don’t know where akahashi is o-hand, but he shouldn’t
be too hard to nd. Any two-bit drug lord in Neo-okyo should be able to give you a lead. Te cops have brought him in seven times in his short adulthood, so I’m sure a team o resourceul shadowrunners should have no problem. his is not a timesensitive mission. We’re more concerned with success than speed. It needs to be done, and it needs to be done right, so take the time you need to make sure that happens.” I te caracters tak wit Takaasi’s mter, read te win:
“Kiyoshi was a good boy. When his ather died, everything went downhill. It’s my ault. I told him that i he wanted to eat as much as all his little riends that he had to nd a dierent way to get ood, because I didn’t have any money.” She holds back a sob. “I thought he’d nd some work with the local Yakuza. Most o the local boys do a ew minor errands or them, at very least, when they are growing up. But he said he was going to do something to
make sure we never went hungry again. I didn’t stop him.” She pauses or a moment, steadying hersel. “He … he robbed Shiyoza Bank. At een! He was just a boy. I couldn’t talk to him beore he got thrown into prison. Since someone died during the robber y, he was tried as an adult and received a very long sentence. He got out in ten years because o good behavior. He’s been in and out o the system or over hal his lie, that boy. It’s so sad. Nobody’s ever given him a chance.” She looks up at you, thinking or a moment. “He came here.
I wouldn’t let him stay. I told him that I was tired o holding his hand rom crime to crime. I told him he needs to gure things out on his own, that it’s too much stress or me to see him constantly messing up. So he le. He even took our amily’s heirloom sword.” She looks back to the mantle, where a sword stand sits empty. “I put a 5,000 nuyen reward for it. It’s the only thing I have le from his ather. Kiyoshi has taken and sold everything else he owned.” She takes a deep breath, and prepares to tell you where you might be able to track him down. I te rnners speak t te man in te Kae, read te win:
“Kiyoshi akahashi … Yeah, he used to come in here all the time, beore he got arrested. Five years passed, he was back ag ain. And beore you ask, no, I’m not loyal to him. He’s a shitty tipper. He’s saite, his amily is saite, he’s worthless. I’ll level with you. One
hundred nuyen, I’ll tell you what I know about him. I’d do it or ree, but I can’t build a reputation or giving ree inormation.” I te rnners speak wit heisei n Pacink Street, read te win:
You see an old, dark-skinned man with a green visor obscuring his ace while he picks through a bin o thousands o metal balls. He glances up and yells over the loud crowd. “You must be the runners looking or akahashi! Tat aho broke two o my pachinko machines this week. You’re looking or him maybe
so you can kick his ass? I’ll tell you where he is i you make me a promise: I want you to take eight thousand nuyen rom him, and I want you to bring it back to me. Tat’s the cost o my machines, and I want him to pay.”
I te caracters scceed and ten ca Mr. Jnsn, read te win:
“I saw akahashi’s conession. You runners are not letting me down, and I like that. You’ll nd a nice surprise in your account when we’re done with this conversation. In act, I think you’ll see about ten thousand surprises, i I’m correct in my estimate. Tis is hitting all the tabloids, exploding. Some buoons have even mocked up ootage o what akahashi supposedly did with her. It’s brilliant. We’re about halway home now. You’re going to nail this one i you keep up the good work. “So, on to the next job. Have you ever experimented with subliminal messages?” I te caracters ai and ten ca Mr. Jnsn, read te win:
“What am I paying you guys or? Remind me. You can’t even get a two-bit criminal to coness to something that won’t get him into any trouble?” He sighs. “Look, take some time. Find someone else. Tere’s got to be someone you can shake down and get to tell these stories. Maybe a schoolgirl, or someone like that who might actually be intimidated by you people.” Wen te caracters speak t Mr. Jnsn at te next j (ater initia aiin), read te win:
“All right, all right. We’re good. Let’s move on and not dwell on it. Your next job should be a little more interesting. Have you ever experimented with subliminal messages?”
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
bEhID ThE SCEES Te next section is relatively modular. Te ollowing our locations are various places where akahashi has been spotted. Te runners should visit at least two or three o them beore being directed to akahashi’s new place o residence. Aer investigating, asking around, et cetera, the characters should be directed to another o the locations (o your choice). When you eel they’ve been run around enough, draw them into the concluding encounter. Conveniently, each one o these sub-locations oers some side work potential, so i you’d like, you can make this segment last longer, throwing a ew extra challenges at the players in the process. o nd the initial lead, just go with the runners’ plans. Tis isn’t a time to add obstructions, unless you eel it is absolutely necessary. In this scene, the goal is to add to the immersion and develop your interpretation o Neo-okyo. Tat’s what the our upcoming scenarios are all about. Pick an order you’d like to see them visited, and send the runners in the direction o the rst one. Scenari one: Takaasi’s Mter’s hse
It gets around that akahashi’s mother still keeps a house in the Ota ward o okyo and that akahashi tends to stay there when he’s down on his luck. It’s a small, traditional single-amily home in a very plain, lower-middle-class area. It’s not a highquality construction, it’s not been around or a long time, and it probably won’t be standing or much longer. he walls are paper-thin. Mei akahashi, Kiyoshi akahashi’s mother, still lives in the home. She’s quite amiable, but she doesn’t know where her son is. She invites runners in or tea i they approach politely, then she
23 Anarchy: Subsidized
spends the whole time ranting about her son and the problems he’s caused. It shouldn’t take much persuading to get her to spurt out the story in the TellIttoemStraight section. Even i she doesn’t get around to that story, she directs the runners to another location where they might be able to nd Kiyoshi when they leave.
Game Info.........
STRl TRCKIg
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Although the runners could nd stray hairs and other DNA samples belonging to Takahashi at his mother’s house, none of them are suitable for a material link (see Street Magic , p. 28). An initiated magician with Sympathetic Linking (see Street Magic, p. 29, 58) could use one of Takahashi’s old shirts as an Oft-Handled Object to establish a sympathetic ritual link. That astral link could then be traced back to Takahashi (see Astral Tracking, SR4A, p. 193).
Scenari Tw: Te okaerinasaimase Kae
Okaerinasaimase is a “meido kae” in the Akiba shopping district. Meido kae literally translates to “maid caé,” and in this particular cae, all the “waitresses” are eeminate men dressed as maids. Te mindset is one o service and mastery; everyone is greeted with a “Welcome home, Master” (or, in Japanese, “Okaerinasai mase”). Because the waitresses are actually male, the patrons, who are looking or a chance to relax, do not eel any societal obligation to irt. Tose who visit swear by the experience; to them, it’s the ultimate chance to let go. Sometimes, akahashi comes here to unwind. He has only been back once since getting out o prison. With a little questioning, his avorite waitress, named Miko, reveals himsel. He’s a diminutive elven man, easily one o the most popular in the cae. Read his section in TellIttoemStraight . For one hundred nuyen, he spills the beans on another hangout o akahashi’s. With a successul Negotiation, Intimidation, or similar check, he reduces his ee to y nuyen. He cannot go below that, since his proessional integrity is on the line. Scenari Tree: Pacink Street
(Handout 3 is a ier for Pachinko Street.) Pachinko Street is the unocial name o a three-kilometer stretch in the Bunkyo ward o Neo-okyo that’s open only to oot trac. It’s an odd setup, existing as its own mini-economy. Since most o the businesses on Pachinko Street are gambling-related, business owners made their own orm o currency called pikucredu. While dealing directly in nuyen in a gambling establishment is considered illegal by Japanese interests, pikucredu is a way around that. It doesn’t just work at the myriad o pachinko parlors, though. You can use it to buy a soda, to wash your clothes, to rent a room, or hire almost any service on the strip. Tere are even exchange shops where, or a modest ee, one can exchange pikucredu or nuyen. akahashi has a weak spot or gambling. He’s not very good at it, but he likes it nonetheless. So he spends hour aer rustrated hour at Pachinko Street. He strongly preers real-world pachinko to VR parlors. He particularly enjoys Pachinko Street because all
the pachinko tickets are o-record. He doesn’t have to pay taxes on them, and nothing can be tracked back to him. It acilitates his now-paranoid hatred o the authorities. He’s built something o a reputation on Pachinko Street, since he has a temper and has broken two pachinko cabinets in the short time since getting out o prison. Most Pachinko Street regulars at least know the name and wish he weren’t a regular xture o the place. Most don’t know much about his whereabouts, but i the team asks around, they’ll nd someone that does: Kyo Heisei, owner o Lucky Strike Club!, akahashi’s avorite parlor.
Heisei hates akahashi. akahashi is cheap; sure, he loses money, but he never has that much to lose, and any prot gained rom him is oset by the things he destroys when he’s angry, like the two pachinko machines he broke. As ar as Heisei is concerned, akahashi should be locked away or lie just or making him miserable. He’s hired some garutachi to keep an eye on him. While they haven’t learned much about the man, they have uncovered one o his other stomping grounds. He will give up that information so long as the team promises they’ll take at least 8,000 nuyen rom akahashi and bring it back to him. echnically, they could lie about where the money came rom and just hand over some nuyen to Heisei, but he’ll be much happier i he’s convinced that akahashi suered while turning over the cash to pay or the broken machines. I the runners agree to his condition, Heisei gives them inormation on the next location. Scenari fr: 27 osk Rad
“27 Osoku Road” is the going name of a small trash-hotelturned-brothel in Yokohama. It’s run by a retired Yakuza dwar named Tree-wo, who earned his name rom the act that he’s lost three ngers on one hand in his career, with two le to go. He oers rooms to runners or a modest ee, and doesn’t ask questions. Plenty o the darker side o business runs through these parts. akahashi was a long-time customer o this place—he’s spent a couple o nights here since getting out o the pen, but he can’t aord to make it a regular aair. O all the places listed, this is by ar the most mercenary. Inormation is never ree. It’s never even cheap. Since akahashi comes here with cash, the management is willing to cover or him and keep his whereabouts a secret. Te only mundane way they can be released is by guaranteeing that any compensation oered is worth more than whatever akahashi is paying. Tat’s dicult, since he’s been around or a long time, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change. O course, convincing a prostitute that he’s not going to be around much longer might do the trick (this requires a Negotiation + Charisma Opposed est; give the prostitute 6 dice or her roll). Tree-wo will not release inormation. He’s strictly sworn to secrecy in all the aairs o his client base. In act, i the runners push the issue too ar, they’ll end up staring down a group o Yakuza thugs late one night when they’re least expecting it. Te runners will have to get inormation rom a prostitute or rom some other source (a spirit spy, perhaps?). Kisi Takaasi’s Sakedwn
In the end, the last lead will send the runners to a no-tell motel called the Batarashii. He’s with a razorgirl called Jane.
24 Anarchy: Subsidized
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tey’re involved in drugs and sex, not necessarily in that order. Te rst complication comes rom nding the room he’s in. Tis can be done through social means (while the desk attendant doesn’t like to give out inormation, sometimes he doesn’t have a choice now, does he?), through utilizing any material link they may have come across, or through careul searches o the premises. Whatever method they choose, they should be able to eventually nd him in room 331—assuming they didn’t disturb the other tenants o the building too much. akahashi won’t open the door i it’s knocked on. I the runners threaten (use Intimidation + Charisma against akahashi’s Intimidation + Willpower), then he’ll open the door willingly. A similar Negotiation + Charisma Opposed est may also get him to talk peaceully. I the runners break in while he’s aware, he and Jane launch an ambush against the team. While neither are pushovers, their real strength comes rom the element o surprise and their willingness to use unexpected tactics to help them get away. For example, Jane may use her martial arts expertise to grab a member o the group, while akahashi levels a gun at that individual’s head. Tey’ll use that hostage as leverage or an exit. I akahashi escapes, nding him involves going to one o the locations rom the prior list that they have not visited yet (or going back to one and trying to shake out new inormation i they already hit them all). Eventually, the runners should be able to subdue akahashi—he doesn’t want to be caught, but he really doesn’t want to be dead, so i things are looking bad, he surrenders. In a ght, Jane tries to escape to the best o her ability, but she also won’t ght to the death. Once he’s subdued or willing to talk, the actual shakedown begins. A payment o 1,000 nuyen loosens akahashi’s lips, or they
can try to Intimidate or Con him into g oing along. akahashi’s biggest worry (besides being killed) is being sent back to prison, so using that ear as leverage would give the characters an advantage
(+2 dice to Negotiation or Con tests using this element). Alternately, the runners could work through magical control to get akahashi to do what they want. Pament
Te base rate or this mission is equal to a single month’s Liestyle cost or the wealthiest member on the team. Tis assumes
that akahashi made a conession that got some orm o public attention. I the news was international and brought remarkable attention due to a convincing and sordid story, the amount is doubled.
SubPloTS I you have the time, this scene allows or a number o side missions. Here’s a list o potential side missions. Te fami Swrd
I the team decides to take up the bounty or akahashi’s mother, they discover that akahashi sold the sword she is looking
or. When they conront him, he openly admits that he pawned it o, and he tells the runners where he dumped it. Further investigation reveals that the pawnshop had already sold the sword; the appropriate application o orce or nuyen can persuade the pawnbroker to say where it went. Te buyer was a collector o Japanese antiquities. he sword apparently is more than our hundred years old, and was worth many times its original
25 Anarchy: Subsidized
appraised value. Te collector reuses to sell or any reasonable price, so i the runners want to return it to akahashi’s mother and collect the bounty, the is their only recourse. le In te Stranest Paces
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When they are in the Okaerinasaimase Kae, a waiter beckons to the runners. “Hey! You guys looking or a little work?” He motions them to a private room. “I’m not rich or anything, but I know I’ve got an easy job,” he tells them. “Hideo Hitoshi is a man who comes in here about three times a week. I just want him to go home to his amily and stop firting with me. He does this with anyone he can. I want him to stop it—I think what he’s doing is hurting his kids. He talks about them every time he’s here, and they seem to be becoming more and more withdrawn, rom what he’s saying. I eel so sorry or them. He’ll destroy their lives i he keeps this up. I know it’s not much, but I’ll give you two grand i you can keep him out o here. He won’t go easily. We’ve tried talking to him. I even had someone rough him up once. It might take some sorcery, or something. I don’t know.” breakin te Cre
Aer speaking with Heisei, another owner approaches them on their way out. “I saw you speaking with Heisei. I’ve got a job to do, i you’re interested. Tere’s a group o college students that came in here, and they’re playing the numbers a little too well. I think there’s a conspiracy going on. I can point a couple o them out to you; they win a ew jackpots every day. Find out what’s going on. Any inormation helps. I’ll give you a twenty-ve percent commission on any money you catch them trying to scam me out o.” Serices Rendered
Not only is 27 Osoku Road useful in that it oers secondary lodgings or the runners and a lead towards akahashi, it’s a wellspring o other opportunities. Tree-wo is always looking or good runners to do his dirty work. Te prostitutes make or excellent contacts. Runners come through all the time, so the bar is a good place to hit up people or rumors and other job opportunities. Politicians and powerul gures use the business’ services requently, so it’s a great place to bump into some o them. 27 Osoku Road can be used as a hub for expanding the campaign, or it can be a tie-in or other sections. Cectin Rn
I the runners leave a good impression on Tree-wo, he propositions them or some work. “I know you guys are looking or akahashi. I can’t help you with that, chummers, but i you’re looking or some payola, I might have something up your alley. You see, in this business, you get some unsavory types. Who would’ve guessed, right? Well, those unsavory types sometimes don’t like to pay their bills. I’ve got a list, two guys and a razorgirl. Brown Danworth is in the hole to me or about twenty k. Oni Shimigami is a troll, so watch out. He’s in or about eighty k. Te razorgirl, ormer employee o mine, is called Jane. We don’t know much more about her, except she’s probably working or the zaibatsu now. She owes me about thirty-ve k. I don’t have a lot on these people, but maybe you want to ask around?”
I they comply, he’ll cut them a deal or ten percent o what he is owed by the three.
DEbuggIg I the runners are having trouble nding akahashi, drop an obvious clue to lead them to one o the other locations. For example, you could have them nd some not Kiyoshi le behind that has a reerence to his mother’s address. hey could ind a matchbook or Heisei’s shop at their spot. Tey could nd a napkin with a woman’s number, which leads them to a worker at 27 Osoku Road. ey could encounter AR spam enticing them to visit the Kae and proclaiming that it’s a great place to “relax and lie low or a time.” I the players exhibit reluctance or remorse over raming an innocent man, even a lowlie like akahashi, make them aware that some low-level enorcers are looking to break his kneecaps i he doesn’t make good on some o his gambling debts—the sort o thugs who might be put o or a while by a little media attention. Te runners might also be approached by a tabloid journalist looking or an exclusive interview with akahashi—the tabloid might oer enough nuyen to clear his debts (and maybe a little “nder’s ee” or the runners). Sometimes, even bad press can be good or you.
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS KIyoShI TKhShI (hman Mae)
Kiyoshi is a coward and a con man. His primary goal in lie is to survive and swindle wealth rom those more ortunate than he. He’s not very condent, and he blames all his mistakes and ailings on his ather’s death when he was a teen. While not condent, he has a certain inated sense o sel-importance, and he has a bad habit o overpromising i someone is oering something he wants. I the runners are aware o the situation with his amily sword, attempting to make him eel guilty is not very dicult (he takes a –2 penalty on any Charisma-related tests tied to this subject), and that can lead him to relent to almost any urther suggestions or demands. B
3
A 3
R 4
S
3
C 4
I 3
L 3
W 3
Edg Ess 3 6
Init 7
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 10 Armor(B/I): 4/0 Skills: Con 3, Dodge 3, Inltration 3, Intimidation 2, Palming 3, Perception 3, Pistols 2 Gear: Armor clothing Weapons: Hammerli 620S [Light Pistol, DV 4P, AP—, SA, RC 1, 6(c)] JE (hman femae)
Jane, or some reason, thinks there’s money in Kiyoshi. So she ollows him around or now. She’s a classic razorgirl, with the exception that she’s broken away rom her pimp, stealing a lot o money in the process. She hates Tree-wo with a passion and allies hersel with anyone who shares that sentiment. She’s
26 Anarchy: Subsidized
a ruthless ighter, but unless provoked she won’t so much as show her claws or a threat. In social situations, she tends to play innocent and vulnerable rst. I the runners are at least somewhat polite to her and don’t attempt to hit her up or Tree-wo’s money, she can become a nice contact. B
3
A R S 5 (7) 4 (6) 5 (7)
C 5
I 3
L 3
W 4
Edg Ess Init IP 5 1.04 7 (9) 1(3)
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 10 Armor(B/I): 8/6 Skills: Athletics skill group 4, Automatics 2, Blades (Cyber Implants) 6 (+2), Dodge 5, Infiltration 5, Intimidation 4, Perception 3, Unarmed Combat 4 Qualities: High Pain olerance Modifcations: (All alphaware) Dermal plating 2, hand razors, muscle replacement 2, wired refexes 2 Gear: Armor jacket Weapons: Hand Razors [Blades, Reach —, 5P DV, AP —]
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huMMIgbIRD WoulD’T KoW Urgent Message.........
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People walk the streets, both physically and virtually, day in and day out, without thinking about the millions of things their senses are bombarded with. This is a good thing and a bad thing for advertisers. If you try to give a consumer a thorough, engaging impression of your product, you might easily be ignored since what you put out will be lost in a ood of noisy, ashing messages. Lots of people use software to help them skip ads, but even if they can’t be skipped, they can be overlooked. The average consumer zones out halfway through most commercials for products they wouldn’t otherwise buy. The good news is, if your goal is to just put a thought in the back of a consumer’s head, it’s not that hard for a brief snapshot, if sufciently catchy, to nd a resting place somewhere in their subconscious. Rule number one of advertising: Never exceed the attention span of your audience. In 2073, your average prole has about the attention span of a kitten or a fruit y. If you want attention, think nuclear. Hit them hard, hit them fast, and don’t give them the chance to think too much about what hit them. Consumers who think are consumers who make educated choices. Consumers who make educated choices won’t buy your product. Because if they would, you probably wouldn’t need advertisements, would you? —Marketing for Morons, 2073 Edition
SC ThIS In this scene, the characters have to hack their way into the commlinks o a good portion o Neo-okyo. Te assignment is to pass along a series o subliminal messages to the passengers o the okyo Metro train system. he message must reach a signicant number o people. I successul, it could invade the consciousnesses o over een million unsuspecting individuals. Te intention is to plant suggestive and subversive messages about Ikemoto into their minds, subtly changing her public image. Te success o this part o the mission mostly depends on the time when the program is launched. I it occurs during an o-hour, the mission is successul. I it’sduring a prime time, the mission is really successul. Either way, it does what it’s supposed to do. Te scene wraps up when the runners contact Mr. Johnson.
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Mr. Johnson looks overly excited or the next phase o the plan, and you can’t help but eel a little nervous when you see that. “Have you ever experimented with subliminal messages?” he asks. “Our next job is a bit complex. We need you to get into the hardwired advertisement beacons on the okyo Metro subway system. Normally, this system broadcasts a series o paid advertisements that bombard everyone who steps onto a train. I
don’t know i you’ve been on the metro system, but you can’t take a train without being inundated with every new ad in electronics, ashion, and entertainment. We’re going to take advantage o this. “We have a series o images, little ashes on a program. You get it into the ad beacons, it’ll blast thousands o millisecond-long pictures into everyone’s PAN, fashing at speeds beyond what their conscious minds can register. While the job itsel is pretty direct and invasive, the results should be subtle. Now, I don’t know a whole lot about the way all the gear involved works, but that’s why I hired you, isn’t it? I’ll send you the program in question. You just need to get it into the system, and get it to run during rush hour. Can I expect results?” Wen te rnners cntact Mr. Jnsn r wrap-p, read te win:
“I got word o your accomplishment, runners. Excellent. We’re moving into the nal legs o the job. So why don’t you kick back, take a bit o a holiday and think about the next step? It’s a big one. I you haven’t already, I’d recommend establishing some nice DocWagon contracts, and quickly. Tis might involve some bullets, just so you know. Call me when you’re ready to get moving on the last major stage.”
bEhID ThE SCEES findin an In
Te train stations are all above ground, thanks to a massive earthquake in 2061. he entire system o train stations is currently hardwired or its advertising network; the network is a Mitsuhama development that’s brought in millions in ad revenue. Te trains themselves are government subsidized; while
they were originally contracted through a number o dierent companies, the Japanese government retains ownership o the actual means o transportation. In act, there’s an added layer o complexity, since the metro systems are an independent corporation owned collaboratively by the Japanese government and okyo’s local government. Because o the hardwired nature o the technology, external hacking is nigh impossible. Tat’s why it was set up the way it was—
Mitsuhama can’t tolerate a loss in revenue or reputation. Tis means that the hack will have to be initiated in the old-ashioned way, either through direct access to the physical nexus or through a physically spliced line. he paranoid Mitsuhama engineers anticipated the possibilities or cyber-terrorism, so the nexus is completely incapable o accessing the outside Matrix. Spicin te lines
he hardwires are heavily protected under galvanized titanium casings all over the network. Fortunately or the runners, though, there are plenty o spots where there’s no security, since the wires run all throughout the okyo metropolitan area. Despite
the lack o surveillance, the cable housings are wired or damage alerts, so that system must be hacked i a team wishes to install the soware or a later application, as network administrators will almost immediately receive the notice o the damage and will subsequently shut down the system to prevent intrusion. Ten, the system would be scanned or pirate code, likely revealing the shadowrunners’ work prematurely.
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Splicing the line requires a relevant technical skill to breach saely (Industrial Mechanic would be the deault, any other skill takes a –2 modier to the test) along with a Hacking est to disable the damage alert (the system has a Device Rating o 3, Firewall 4, System 3). e characters can then attempt to hack into the beacon hub (the hub has a Device Rating 5, Firewall 5, and System 5). gin unnticed
Depending on the shadowrunners’ methodology, moving under the radar may be a high priority, or it may not. I the runners are remotely hacking rom a spliced line, and they intend to install the soware or immediate execution, stealth might all by the wayside. I the soware must be executed aer the initial installation, or i the characters intend on hacking the nexus directly, the team needs to be mindul o subtlety. Te stations are heavily staed. Tat may come o as intimidating to a would-be intruder. But on the other hand, over six million people step in and out o the Shinjuku Station every day. Even in an ideal situation, where Shinjuku is ully staed with about one hundred security ocers, the station could have as many as two million people wandering through its halls. Tat’s one security ocer to every twenty thousand bystanders. Tat makes the odds or the runners signicantly less daunting. Sneaking through a station receives a +2 modiier at night or +4 modier during the day due to the crowd size and accompanying levels o bedlam. Around the security oces, this modier disappears. Security orces receive a perpetual –2 modiier to notice moves near the security sector, however, since it’s rarely a point o disturbance. Te complexity o getting into the security oce osets that check, though. It requires an Inltration + Agility Opposed est to get there unnoticed (beating the security ocer team), a Hacking + Exploit est to disarm the alarm system (Device Rating 2, Firewall 4, System 3,) a Locksmith + Agility (2) Test to break into the office, another Hacking + Exploit est to break into the nexus (Dev ice Rating 4, Firewall 4, System 4), and another Iniltration + Agility Opposed est (beating the security ocer team) to get out unnoticed. Any ailed check except the nexus hack alerts a Heikin ocer to investigate in person. Failure on the nexus hack causes the Heikin ocer to immediately alert the on-duty Saino unit. hackin te beacn h
Once at the target location, the runners then must hack into the beacon hub, upload the soware, and escape. Tis is a airly complex procedure that requires a number o skills. You may wish to make this clear beore the runners go in so that the team can send in the people with the right skills. Because o the diculty o making it in, it’d be a huge and rustrating waste o time i a character made it all the way, only to realize she was incapable o doing the necessary work. Te beacon hub can be accessed directly through the nexus, or through a spliced line. Either way, the roll is the same. A direct nexus connection can support a ull Device Rating o 6, as opposed to through the spliced lines that limit Device Ratings to 4 due to the latency in the old-ashioned wiring. Te system has a Device Rating of 6, Firewall 5, and System 5.
Tecnmanc A solid technomancer could render many o these tasks quite
a bit easier, but the hardwired nature o the system still requires the character to nd a hard entry point. Te one major advantage a technomancer has in this situation is the ability to generate a sprite to send o into the network. So long as it’s done properly, that will give the technomancer a connection into the nexus, allowing or later installation and less chance o detection. A clever technomancer might use that tactic to set up an ambush or incoming security ocers. While the Saino orces are competent hackers in their own right, they don’t really expect shadowrunners
o high caliber to breach what is otherwise a rather banal and isolated system. Tk Metr Secrit
okyo Metro doesn’t mess around when it comes to security. Teir job description includes dealing with Yakuza, garutachi, shadowrunners, extremist groups, and cult members, in addition to run-o-the-mill disgruntled oice workers. his requires okyo to hire two levels o security orces: “Heikin” and “Saino” (eectively “normal” and “elite,” respectively). Heikin ocers are not unlike traditional rent-a-cops, with a slightly above-average level o martial arts training. Tey’re put through an academy with biannual reresher courses, and they receive competitive raises to keep their skills honed. Tey’re very good at working in units o our to six members, with a squad leader trained in small group tactics. On the Saino level, the security agents are barely discernible rom competent shadowrunners. hey operate in small groups that have at least basic coverage in rontal combat, technical security, magical security, and surveillance. Oen, the groups overlap in some areas. One Saino group is stationed at every major metro hub, along with between one and ten Heikin units. his number depends largely on the size o the station and the time o the day. Shinjuku Station tends toward the upper numbers, only having ewer than our Heikin units present during slow times and during particularly bad stang crises. During rush hours, they employ about twenty Heikin units and two dedicated Saino units.
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pament
he base pay or successul broadcast is that each team member receives an amount equal to one month’s Liestyle o the wealthiest member o the team. I the whole thing goes o without a hitch, this is increased to two months’ worth.
SubPloTS Sinjk: Reisited
Shinjuku Station is oten described as being “large,” but this is a gross understatement. During an average day, over six million people enter and leave the station—that’s more than the population o most cities. Shinjuku has its own economy, its own society, and its own crimes. Tanks to the Saino ocers, there’s a decided lack o shadowrunners taking advantage o those six million people. During actions in or near Saino, the team receives an oer. For a quick smash-and-grab on a dry cleaner in the station’s shopping district, a mysterious gure oers 5,000 nuyen. More
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importantly, he oers a small oce/apartment combination in the same shopping district. Tis could lead to a secondary base o operations or the main mission, or it could lead to an entire campaign’s worth o missions originating rom the metro stations. I the runners do the deed, they’ll be approached by a Saino agent who oers to turn a blind eye to what they are doing in exchange or a ve percent cut on any earnings made in the station grounds. Eects te Simina Messaes
Aer the program is executed, it aects all those in the train station immediately and subtly. he subjects are bombarded with images o Ikemoto in various lewd acts. All those viewers become more enamored with her. Tose who aren’t ans become ans immediately. Tose who are ans become obsessed. On a more general level, because o the subtle damage it causes to the psyche, ten percent o the viewers aected by the ad receive a –2 modier to all Willpower ests or at least the next year, as their impulse control is weakened by the impressions. When a subject sees Ikemoto, they revert to a baser level o thinking, lusting aer her more than the person would like to admit. Tese people tend to be nervous and g uilt-ridden or quite some time aer seeing her (since the runners are aware o the general content o the ad, they are not part o the ten percent aected to this extent). Craty shadowrunners might take advantage o this opportunity. Tose suering rom the eects are much more open to suggestion, which could aord the shadowrunners an almost innite number o minor benets.
PlCES of ITEREST Sinjk Statin
Te original Shinjuku Station was destroyed in 2061. Tis was somewhat ortuitous, as it was long overdue or a renovation and expansion. So when the Emperor commissioned the reconstruction o each station in an aboveground location, he pulled no stops with Shinjuku. It’s located high above the Shinjuku
and Shibuya wards o okyo, about two thousand eet above the site o the original station. Whereas some stations are mainly used or their primary unction, Neo-Shinjuku, as it’s aectionately called by locals, is something o a completely independent ward o the okyo preecture. It wouldn’t be dicult to live one’s entire lie in the station, rom birth until death. Te station literally contains everything a person could ever need and then some. It includes a ully unctioning shopping mall, along with smaller shopping districts throughout. Tere are a plethora o hotels and restaurants. Te most popular lodging acility or shadowrunners is the Shinibatsu Hotel, a large capsule hotel that only uses hard currency. A hotel capsule is literally what it sounds like; it’s a series o two-meter pods that accommodate one sleeper each. Any possessions can be kept in tightly secured lockers. e end result is a cheap night’s stay (about 15–20 nuyen on average,) where a runner can be saely anonymous and quite dicult to nd. On top o the more wholesome businesses, there’s a miniature sex trade involving brothels, exotic dance clubs, and erotic massage clinics. Drugs are acknowledged as a staple o
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the halls; most even vaguely shiy types receive elaborate oers or all manner o illegal chems. Most importantly, thanks to the eorts o the Japanese government’s security orces, the place is all but devoid o career runners. Te exs
he nexus itsel is a large, rather unassuming server box, locked in a small room in the security sector at the Shinjuku train station. e security room is staed 24/7, sometimes a little less than that during rush hours, but it’s never what even the most ridiculous runner would call light on surveillance. During most hours, a unit o Heikin ocers is in the security room (see map), and Saino ocers spend any time not patrolling in that same security room. Conveniently, it’s also not requently checked. So even i the characters make slight mistakes, leaving evidence behind, they’re not likely to be ound out until it’s ar too late.
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS
B
ToKyo METRo hEIKE SECuRITy offICERS (Pressina Ratin 3)
7
Te lie o the Heikin ocer is not a glamorous one. Te job is very straightorward, requiring an ocer to show up on time, watch monitors, patrol the station, and when problems arise, detain oenders and deter widespread threats. Conveniently or the Heikin ocer, any particularly egregious threat alls under the purview o their Saino superiors. At the rst sig n o cybercrime, magic, or heavy weapons, the Saino orces are immediately dispatched to the scene. With relatively low-stress jobs, high pay, and job security (there’s always crime on the trains), Heikin ocers tend to be very pleased to do their jobs. Tis leads to high perormance and very high morale when compared to other security agents under private employ. B
4
A 4
R 4
S 4
C 3
I 3
L 3
W 3
Ess 6
Most o the teams o Saino ocers were hired together. Tis means that oen, the teams have longstanding relationships and are very versed in tactics betting their strengths and weaknesses. When playing a Saino team, don’t hesitate to use erce, tactical decisions in the way a traditional team o shadowrunners might. Te only substantial dierence is that they’re discouraged rom using large, ashy, and destructive methods. Tis doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, it just means it’s a last resort. Te typical job o the Saino ocers is to patrol undercover, watching or high-prole crimes being committed. Tey’re also on-call to provide backup or Heikin orces whenever a situation escalates into magic, cybercrime, mass hysteria, or any munitionsbased combat. While Saino ocers are mostly quite pleased with their lucrative paychecks, a smart group o criminals can oer bribes or the Saino to look the other way. Detailed below is the average Saino enorcer. Feel ree to modiy these statistics to ll whatever specialty niche you need or a scenario.
Init 7
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 10 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Athletics skill group 4, Dodge 3, Intimidation 3, Perception 3, Pistols 4, Unarmed Combat 3 Gear: Armor vest, commlink (Device Rating 3) Weapons: Yamaha Sakura Fubuki [Light Pistol, DV 4P, AP —, SA/BF, RC (1), 10 (ml) x 4] ToKyo METRo SIo SECuRITy offICERS (Pressina Ratin 4)
Saino ocers were a twoold solution to Japan’s problems. Hiring elite security agents gave the metro system a rapid, thorough, and prestigious security orce. Crime dropped dramatically in the metro stations immediately ollowing the decision. Also, most o these security ocers were hired o the mean streets. Giving these
agents a steady paycheck keeps them rom committing crimes while also shrinking the pool o available shadowrunners. Tis was exactly the eect the Japanese government intended.
A 5(7)
R 4
S
6(8)
C 3
I 3
L 3
W 3
Ess 1.5
Init 7
IP 2
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 12 Armor(B/I): 12/10 Skills: Athletics skill group 4, Automatics 3, Dodge 4, Heavy Weapons 5, Perception 3, Pistols 4, Unarmed Combat 4 Augmentations: Cybereyes [Rating 4 w/ fare compensation, lowlight vision, smartlink, thermographic vision, vision enhancement 3, vision magnication), muscle replacement 2, wired reexes 1 Gear: Full body armor w/ helmet and chemical seal Weapons:
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Savalette Guardian [Heavy Pistol, DV 6P, AP –1, SA/BF**, RC 1, 12 (c), w/ explosive rounds, smartgun system] Survival Knife [Blade, Reach —, DV 5P, AP –1] ** Burst Fire on this weapon requires a Complex Action.
MovIg ouT of ThE bSEMET SC ThIS Hisato-urner Broadcasting’s headquarters is amongst the ten tallest buildings in Neo-okyo. It’s a testament to their success that they rival Mitsuhama’s building on Mitsuhama’s home tur. O particular interest is its location. On the south end o downtown, it stands in such a way that its tower-length media screen aces the vast majority o okyo residents at any given time. Tis screen is over two thousand eet o pure commercial gold. It airs commercials, previews or Horizon programming, and a handul o exclusive shorts. Locals call it the Edo Panel. here is a subculture o sprawl-dwellers that have made watching the Edo Panel their primary hobby. Tey know what’s playing at any given time. Tey’ve established various locations ideal or screen view, which they call subete points. When HBNE (Hisato-urner Broadcasting News Edo) ilms live, panel cultists rapidly communicate broadcast points to heighten their chances o showing up on the screen. Fans have arranged at least ten pirated simulcasts throughout Neo-okyo in strategic
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locations to consistently and persistently broadcast the display. While Horizon takes action against these copyright violators, they can’t move quickly enough to break the entire network. Teir eorts have made the screen’s eed accessible anywhere in the world. Deep down, Horizon likes it that way. Tis scene has the team breaking into a media giant’s okyo headquarters. What’s ironic about this mission is that they’re breaking into the property o their employer, Horizon. Local management has no idea this is going to happen and will treat it the way they treat any other invasion: with orce and eciency. Teir goal is to break in and take over the controls o the Horizon Edo Panel. Once conquered, they’ll air aked ootage o Ikemoto perorming all manner o disgusting acts, striking a erce blow against her reputation beore the endgame. Te mission begins as soon as the team calls Mr. Johnson or the assignment. Tis mission allows or a lot o variety. It should be the highest
action mission in the entire campaign. It’s the climax, so play it up as such. Tis is the chance or your action-movie shootout; descriptions should be as loud, ast, and deadly as the weapons. Conveniently, this mission not only allows or obvious activity, it even encourages it. I the runners make obvious violent actions, they’ll make the news, which is what Horizon wants—and the act that they are breaking into Horizon property will defect attention away rom Horizon as the power behind this run.
Tis section provides maps, statistics or the security orces, and thoughts on the processes o getting in, getting out, and taking charge o the media control room. Te scene should be designed as a series o modular encounters, with engagements and conicts you can throw at the team in order to challenge their particular skills. Use as many or as ew encounters as you’d like; they’re modular to give you as long or short a mission as you need. As usual, wrap-up occurs when the runners call up Mr. Johnson with their results (or i he calls them once it’s clear that their work is done).
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Wen te rnners cntact Mr. Jnsn r teir missin, read te win:
“So, you’re ready to get moving on the last ull assignment? Excellent. You should enjoy yourselves. I you’ve spent any time on Neo-okyo’s streets, you’ve probably seen the Horizon Edo building. It’s along the south end—it’s the big building with the giant display monitor acing the city. We need you to break in and take over the control room or the screen. Beore you ask, yes, it’s a Horizon property. We could probably do this as an internal job. However, i responsibility is pinned on Horizon, they’ll see that we’ve ocially moved against Mitsuhama. By doing it this way, Horizon gets to apologize or its lack o security, and we get to make nice with Mitsuhama’s board o directors or the acquisition eorts later. “Tat being said, there will be security. Te building is not aware o your intrusion, and it’s important that they remain unaware until the time. I they see you, they will attack. While I’m condent o your intrusion and inltration abilities, I would strongly advise you go in with the expectation that you will be noticed, and you will be conronted by heavy security orces. You
will likely cause some substantial damage to the building and the employee base. We understand this. Ikemoto is worth billions, and we’re prepared to make sacrices or the acquisition. We can absorb some high-prole violence. It might even help—it’ll make or good news, which will make or a more successul message during the next step. “Once you’re in, you need to take charge o the monitor. You’ll display video o Ikemoto doing things that might ruin her credibility as a wholesome little pop idol. We’ll leave the details in your hands or just what you display. You’ll have to develop the video yoursel, or commission its development. Do we have understanding?” Wen te rnners ca wit rests, read te win:
“I saw your work, runners. I couldn’t have asked or better. We’ve caught word o riots over the video, and people worldwide have now seen it. Many are calling or Mitsuhama to drop Ikemoto’s contract. We’re one step away rom the nal brick in that oundation. Now, we wait or the child you paid or, and we’ll introduce it to the market. Find a solid buyer in Neo-okyo proper, and contact us. We’ll make arrangements to have it purchased, and we’ll handle the media side rom there. Tis will be our nal strike. Once it’s executed, we’ll oer Ikemoto a new contract as a kind o mercy act. Mitsuhama will hopeully be quite willing to wash their hands o her. “So contact us next when you have sold the child. Understood?”
bEhID ThE SCEES Te vide
he characters will have to create the damning Ikemoto video prior to their invasion. It’s not something that can be done eectively on the spur o the moment. Given a little time and the right soware, however, the runners can produce a believable video o Ikemoto doing just about anything they can imagine. o create a six-minute video, have the runners’ programmer/engineer make a Computer + Edit (12, 1 day) Extended est. o evaluate the quality and overall impact o the video, make a separate Computer + Edit (4) est. I they succeed on this second test, the general public accepts the video as genuine; i they achieve any net hits, the video is that much more dramatic and “buzzworthy.” gettin In
Tere are a number o ways a team o runners could get in. Anything not involving an elaborate, clever plan will be met with orce. Tat’s ne; Mr. Johnson explicitly stated that. A strong combat-oriented team would probably appreciate an action packed nale to the overall plot arc. I they have a good plan, and they want to go in undetected, you should give them the chance. Don’t shoehorn the runners into a single entry route. I they make it all the way without detection, you should make checks on the way out much harder. A conrontation should happen on the way out (probably with Security Chie anaka), unless they make a downright miraculous eort. I they make it in and out without diculty, the players might be disappointed by the lack o a good, heated climax (unless they’re the type o runners who value getting the job done without ring a shot; in which case, i they earn their stealthy escape, you can let them keep it!).
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Rnnin te Massie Cmat
Running ghts against a number o security orces can be dicult to keep well paced. Te most important thing you can do is to keep things changing, making them dynamic. No roll should be without purpose, no turn should go without situational modiers. Filing cabinets all in their way. Bystanders slam into gunners. Security guards don’t always gun it out to the death— they lose their nerve and lee, or they retreat to ind a better position, or they look or reinorcements. People are continually coming into and out o the moving conict. Stray bullets strike both sides o the battle. Make glitches worse, make critical glitches
disastrous (especially or NPCs). I a character does more than enough harm to kill an enemy, allow it to blow through to another. Te whole goal is to play up the unexpected, to make the dramatic that much more dramatic. Tis is the action-movie grand nale. gettin ot
Getting out should be harder than getting in. It should be a struggle. Waves o security throw themselves at the runners; i Security Chie anaka hasn’t already conronted them, he demands a duel. Te runners should be under the impression that the security is endless. Tey shouldn’t be looking to take everybody
out or leave the building a smoking pile o rubble; instead, they should be strategically retreating and making their getaway. Use the techniques described in GettingInto add tension and drama, but emphasize the rapidity o motion, the constant presence o stray bullets, and the intensity o a strong escape. I the runners were unnoticed through the irst stage o the mission, they should be noticed as soon as they nish with the video. Reward them with a un escape. I they did that well through the initial process, ocus less on danger, more on action or the exit.
lives. Tey could draw attention to him, distracting security away rom themselves. Tey could extort and blackmail him. Either way, he can’t tell anyone about the runners, since that’d draw attention to what he was doing when he encountered them. Te oter Intratrs (n-Cmat)
Te runners aren’t the only ones sneaking around. Tey run into another team o runners who are inltrating the building or Mitsuhama. Ironically, they’re looking into whether Horizon was behind certain activities—namely, the activities the runners engaged in during the previous missions. How they handle competition is up to them. But overt action draws immediate and earth-shattering orce rom the security teams. Te bsiness Meetin (n-Cmat)
In a slight stumble, the runners accidentally nd themselves in the middle o a business meeting. Tey may have allen through a heating vent or burst into the wrong door because they’re panicked or in a hurry. Either way, they’re stuck in a room with ten middle-management types. While the occupants are loyal company men, they’re also in ear or their lives as soon as they see a group o armed runners burst in on them. Tey barter and make oers to spare their lives. One “hero” tries to make a break or it and escape, though it’s nothing more than a clumsy, weaving run toward the room’s main door. Missin gir (n-Cmat, Side Wrk)
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In a break room, they see a poster plastered all over the walls or a missing young girl. Tis could serve as a worthwhile side mission later, i they’re interested in investigating and researching the situation. Handout 5 is the poster. Randmness (Cmat)
Encnters
Here is a smattering o encounters you can use during the mission. Encounters marked (Combat) are those involving security orces, ater the runners are discovered. Encounters marked (Non-Combat) are those other things that can occur, slowing or drawing attention to the runners beore the security orces have ound them. Many o these encounters risk bringing attention to the runners.
A conused security oicer making his way through the building’s corridors literally bumps into one o the runners. He very quickly realizes that this individual doesn’t belong. Unortunately or him, he’s outnumbered. While he can’t aord to ail, he also doesn’t want to put his lie on the line. It’ll be a tense
situation. I the runners don’t take action quickly, the guard tries to rush away so he can call or backup. I he puts his hand to his communicator, security quickly swarms the area.
Te Water Cer (n-Cmat)
ms (Cmat)
A group o our employees the runners pass by are speaking about the company. hey’re talking about how the company doesn’t care about them, how they’d love to see the company
As the characters pass through a door, they realize at the last moment that security was ready and waiting or them. Not just a small orce, either. It’s one ull security ocer or each runner present, and two stock security ocers each. Tey let loose a hail o gunre, taking advantage o the bottlenecked runners.
screwed over. With a successul Negotiation + Charisma Opposed est (use a dice pool o 6 or the employee group), the runners can chat them up and use them as a diversion or as minor assistance. With ailure, they’ll alert security. Te Mai g (n-Cmat)
During the inltration, the runners come across a mailroom worker who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only that, he’s setting a bomb. Not one large enough to take down the whole building, but one that certainly would do a signicant amount o damage and likely would claim some lives. Te runners have a ew choices. Tey could ignore him. Tey could conront him and save
Escape Tr te Cice farm (Cmat)
Security orces take up much o the oce space once they realize where the runners are. Using Gymnastics, Climbing, and similar skills, the team must charge over the cubicle arm to avoid the massing army o security ocers. firet, litera (Cmat)
During the ongoing scufe, something catches re. Oce environments aren’t very good at containing re. Fighting in the
33 Anarchy: Subsidized
re becomes dicult, giving all participants a –2 penalty on any actions requiring vision. Glitches related to movement can end up in PCs or NPCs alling into a burning area and receiving damage. Secrit Cie Tanaka (Cmat)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
Security Chie anaka has a air or dramatics. Rather than let the runners escape, or delegating the task o stopping them to one o his subordinates, he wants to nish the job himsel. He conronts the runners directly, insisting on a duel. He doesn’t make that challenge alone, o course—he’s backed by a veritable ring squad when he appears, and they’re ready to let loose at the runners i they reuse anaka’s oer. I they accept his conditions, he suggests they choose a champion. Te rule is, i he loses, they walk ree. I they lose, one dies, the rest are imprisoned. gin Psta (Cmat)
During the ray, an employee goes bonkers. o make things worse, he’s been preparing or this day. Over the years, he’s snuck in a gun, piece by piece, assembling a carbine automatic rife in his desk. He leaps on a desk, screaming and demanding “SILENCE!” He lets a ew rounds go into the ceiling. I everyone doesn’t quiet down, he levels his gun and sprays the room with a remarkably high dice pool (16 altogether, which includes his Edge, so any 6s he rolls count as hits and are then re-rolled or possible additional hits). I they quiet, he explains that he’s working (then res a shot), that this spreadsheet isn’t going to ll itsel (res another shot), and the next motherucker that so much as speaks is going to see a chest ull o bullets. Te security ocers are too intimidated to make the rst move, but the employee’s xation on them could give the runners a head start i they decide to fee. Pament Te base pay or this mission is two times the wealthiest team
member’s monthly Liestyle—that amount is paid to each player. I they cause massive harm, the amount is increased by a month’s pay. I they manage to make a particularly interesting video, the amount is increased by still another month.
PlCES of ITEREST hisat-Trner bradcastin headqarters Hisato-urner Broadcasting’s headquarters is part skyscraper,
part castle. It was constructed about a decade ago, during a very tumultuous time or Horizon Corp. During the early days o Horizon’s ascent to power, they worried about not only political and economic attacks, but actual physical attacks against the corporation’s inrastructure. For this reason, Horizon built their okyo subsidiary as a security ortress. Conveniently or runners, most o the security measures are geared more toward largescale attacks. Bombing Horizon Edo would be nigh impossible. Sneaking in and taking over their media hub is a little less dicult but still not a walk in the park. Te building rises to 140 stories, broken up into ourteen ten-story sectors. Each sector has two dedicated security agents. Additionally, about orty security agents patrol on a given day. During times o heightened security (or example, i the runners were ound out during one o their previous attacks), it’s not out o the question to have one patrol agent on every foor, two to our
on particularly sensitive foors. During security breaches, they can mobilize and converge, putting a small army against threats. Te chie o security, a man named anaka, runs a rigid ship. Not only does he maintain a strong orce o security ocers, he’s also been known to conront threats directly. Most o the building requires badge entry via SIN. Visitor SINs are tracked, even i they sneak in when the door opens behind an employee. High-security areas (not including the media foor, which is relatively low-security) require retinal scanning or every person who walks through a door, along with complex metal and explosive detectors. Very ew locations aren’t under constant camera surveillance. Hisato-urner Broadcasting’s headquarters is considered extraterritorial land by Japanese law, so there is a prison and extradition foor. Security ocers will not hesitate to kill excessive oenders. Horizon security doesn’t ool around; they rarely carry non-lethal weapons. Te prevailing philosophy is that i someone is breaking in and requires direct action, they should be met by a ast and lethal response to preserve the saety o Horizon employees. Te Media Cntr Rm
Te media control room isn’t quite the bastion o security some other locations are, but there’s a lot o attention paid to it. Te entire media oor is exploding with activity during all hours. During the day, it’s shoulder-to-shoulder in many parts o the foor. At night, they rent out studio space to all manner o entertainment
proessionals. In act, i your players are enterprising, you can oer this as a potential option during their research. Te biggest confict the players will run into is that the control room isn’t easily
accessible; in act, it’s almost impossible to make it in without drawing attention. Even using hostages, it’ll be hard to make it in long enough to use the acilities without being interrupted. Te devices aren’t protected. In act, they’re openly welcome to intrusion. A simple upload is all it takes. Depending on the length o the video, though, engineers may be able to interrupt i given access. Tis means that characters need to maintain a hold on the control room during the playing o the video. Tis requires a strategic and orceul occupation. I they choose to delay the broadcast, it’ll take a Hacking est against the control room’s node (Device Rating 6, Firewall 6, System 6) in order to hide the program rom engineers. Otherwise, company computer techs will nd and eliminate it beore the video has a chance o appearing beore the crowds.
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS hoRIzo SECuRITy foRCES (Pressina Ratin 2)
In small numbers, these basic security ocers won’t pose much o a threat; their job is to lead larger orces, including numerous stock security agents (see below). Tey’re not elite orces, but most have chips on their shoulders, and they are well aware o the act that Horizon promotes by merit. Many are bored and are
simply looking or excuses to pull weapons. Tey won’t hesitate to use excessive orce to stop criminals. Tey’re dressed in black slacks and a white shirt. Tey’re rarely recognizable as security in the corporate atmosphere unless a viewer takes a particularly close
34 Anarchy: Subsidized
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
look. Tey take advantage o this act, attempting to blend in and ambush oenders when they notice security breaches. B
3
A 4
R 4
S
3
C 3
I 3
L 3
W 3
Ess 6
Init 7
stock security shouldn’t get dialogue unless absolutely necessary. I a stock security agent is captured and orced to speak, he ceases to be a stock agent, and becomes traditional security orce in statistics.
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 10 Armor(B/I): 8/1 Skills: Athletics skill group 2, Dodge 2, Perception 1, Pistols 2, Trowing Weapons 2, Unarmed Combat 2 Gear: Armor clothing, FFBA (hal-body suit) Weapons: Yamaha Sakura Fubuki [Light Pistol, DV 4P, AP —, SA/BF, RC (1), 10 (ml) x 4]
2 x Neuro-Stun gas grenades [Grenades, DV 10S, AP —, Blast 10 m radius] SToCK SECuRITy gETS
Tese security orces are your traditional action movie are. hey’re made to all quickly while causing nothing more than negligible wounds. While they have a condition monitor like any other NPC, gamemasters should consider them incredibly dispensable—or the most part, they should either all to the ground or ee aer receiving a single wound (which will enhance the cinematic quality o the scene). Te type o attack determines the dramatic eect. A gun might put a hole in a orehead or cripple a leg. A club knocks them out or shatters their collarbone. Tis way, you can throw swarms at the characters, while not bogging down the combat or causing exceptional harm to the team. Also note that
Game Info..................
oPTIol RulES foR SToCK SECuRITy For these stock security agents, a few special rules apply to heighten the drama of scenes i nvolving them. one hit, ne kill: A single wound fells a stock security ofcer. resistances: Normal resistance rules don’t apply. All rolls are made against stock security unopposed. This means that most spells go off unhindered. They also do not roll to dodge ranged attacks. utomatic Surprise: If a character makes any hits on a Stealth Test, stock agents are automatically surprised. utmatic Perceptin: Stock agents may attempt to ambush shadowrunners if they see them coming, but they automatically fail. B
2
A R 3 (2) 3 (2)
S
2
C 2
I 2
L 2
W 2
Ess 6
Init 5
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 9 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Athletics skill group 2, Dodge 2, Perception 1, Pistols 1, Unarmed Combat 1
35 Anarchy: Subsidized
Gear: Armor vest Weapons: Yamaha Sakura Fubuki [Light Pistol, DV 4P, AP —, SA/BF, RC (1), 10 (ml) x 4] SECuRITy ChIEf TK
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
Security Chie anaka is a noble scion in a long line o security ocers. He can trace his ancestry back to the Muromachi period, where one o his relatives was a powerul Bushi. While his current role is hardly as romantic as that o a samurai, he serves a similar unction. He’s a high-ranking soldier, deending the political and economic interests o a eudal power vying or dominance in Japan. anaka rules over his security orces with an iron st. His team is competitive and cutthroat, as he’s notorious or ring people or little to no reason. Failure is not an option. More than a couple o his security agents have disappeared ater making particularly annoying slip-ups. o make things worse (at least rom the players’ point o view), he hates shadowrunners with a passion. Tey remind him o the many outlaws his ancestors battled, and he sees them as his natural nemeses. Tey’re handled with the utmost attention, and he has a clear protocol or his troops to ollow when combating runners. Tis means that once a matter escalates beyond individual security agents, he is alerted, and he then declares a crisis-level event, calling the entire available orce down on the invaders. While he is skilled and well disciplined, he is also a creature o immense pride, which leads to him directly engaging oenders. I a team o runners takes down a chunk o his security orce, he calls out their leader, demanding a duel. Conveniently, i he loses the duel, he leaves the runners alone, since he will be too occupied killing himsel to do anything more about them. I he wins, however, he does not hesitate to take a head as a trophy. B
5
S A R 5 (7) 6 (7) 5 (7)
C 4
I 4
L 4
W 6
Ess Init IP 2.0 10 (11) 1 (2)
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 11 Armor(B/I): 12/10 Skills: Athletics skill group 4, Blades (Swords) 6 (+2), Dodge 4, Perception 3, Pistols 4, rowing Weapons 5, Unarmed Combat 4 Augmentations: Muscle replacement 2, wired refexes 1 Gear: Light Military Armor Weapons: Katana [Blade, Reach 1, DV 6P (7P), AP –1] Ruger Super Warhawk [Heavy Pistol, DV 6P, AP –2, SS, RC —, 6 (cy)]
2 x Neuro-Stun gas grenades [Grenades, DV 10S, AP —, Blast 10 m radius]
fIl MISSIo SC ThIS Te streets are awash with rumors about Ikemoto. She’s on all news outlets. She’s the talk o every water cooler. Her current career
is tenuous at best. Conservative media is demanding Mitsuhama let her go, since she’s clearly no role model or young girls. Jokes about her illicit behavior play into even political speech. Te party has done a lot right to get to this point, and there’s only one thing
le to do. Te nal leg o the mission involves the baby that was cloned rom Ikemoto’s DNA. It’s a girl! (Unless the baby was cloned rom Kane Kobayashi’s DNA without altering gender, in which case: It’s a boy!) It’s time or a coming-out party. Te baby needs to be ound, and she has to turn up somewhere that is not connected to Horizon (which could possibly cause complications or whomever the runners hand the baby to). Ten the announcement o her existence will sweep the world—and this little girl, who was born solely as a point o leverage in a business struggle, will be le to discover what kind o lie she has in ront o her. While she was created without her mother’s knowledge, she may turn out to be Ikemoto’s savior, as she could be the nal straw that causes Mitsuhama to reassess the singer’s value and allow Horizon to buy out her contract.
TEll IT To ThEM STRIghT Wen te rnners ca Mr. Jnsn wit rests, read te win:
“So, the baby is in other hands? Good. Where is she?” He pauses or the response.“Great. I’ll dispatch a team to retrieve her. Keep an eye out on the news. Tis one is going to be big. Give me seventy-two hours, and I’ll give you a meeting spot where we can go over your bonus and we can wrap this up or good. Until then, relax. Enjoy the ruits o your labor. You’ve done well.”
hooKS One might think it would be simple enough to sell a child, but human traicking is actually quite a complicated market. One has to nd a buyer, they have to make sure the buyer ts the product’s niche, and they have to guarantee sae transerence. Te child is (probably) a Japanese emale—not the hardest type o child to sell, but ar rom what’d be considered a “hot commodity.” Te team can nd buyers through all the normal channels. You should present them with a ew options. Most are generic; some are specic to the characters’ past perormance. 27 osk Rad
I the characters made a strong impression on Tree-wo, he may be able to hook the runners up. His sta is always looking or recruitment odder. While they preer older girls, they don’t object to the idea o a baby they can shape into a strong member o the crew. ey can aord to pay 25,000 nuyen (with an additional 1,000 nuyen thrown in or each net hit on a Negotiation est). Te downside is, i the runners take this route, they’ll lose Tree-wo as a contact, as authorities will crack down on him aer the baby is ound.
36 Anarchy: Subsidized
ginjir gt
Ginjiro Goto, an executive in MC’s music division and, according to some media outlets, eiko’s boyriend (see I’m KeepingMyBaby , p. 18, for a mention of him in gossip), could
be a viable buyer, but he’d need proo o the child’s maternity. His relationship with eiko is, in act, ar rom riendly, and he’d love to extort her or the millions it could generate. With a verication of maternity, he offers 50,000 nuyen for the child (with an additional 2,500 nuyen for each net hit on a Negotation Test). Te back Market
Black market interests can be dredged up through characters’ use o their networks, or through their application o relevant street-knowledge skills. Te black market specializes in turning deals quickly or resale to other, more protable, clients. I the runners go this route, they can make 10,000 nuyen. Making much more is not possible within the runners’ time rames. Te yaka
Te Yakuza are sometimes interested in child labor or the mizu shobai. While they’re reluctant to buy rom a new seller, a runner with a little reputation can make the deal with little diculty. e going rate is 25,000 nuyen. e problem comes once Mr. Johnson nds the baby and the Yakuza’s connection to the case is made public. Te Yakuza are not a good enemy to make. I one o their members is punished or child tracking, they won’t rest until they have recompense. back Market Medicine
Characters with a DocWagon contract might catch wind that black market docs are oen looking or specimens. Not only that, they won’t ask questions. Tey don’t care who the baby is or where she came rom, so long as she doesn’t have a tracking RFID chip. ey’ll oer 5,000 nuyen (plus 500 nuyen for each hit on a Negotiation est). Exprtin
Bangladeshi black market interests are always on the lookout or emale children—their small rames allow them to be used as jockeys in camel races. e payment they oer is terrible (2,500 nuyen). he Bangladeshi are without a doubt exploiters. he children they buy will see a lie o physical and sexual abuse, and it’s arguable that the runners are doing the world a service by getting the black market shut down. Also, because o their oreign oundations, the buyers are not likely to investigate their loss once Mr. Johnson recovers the child. okia
Okiya, the guild houses that train and hire geisha, take in the occasional stray emale child. While the runners won’t make any money, and the okiya will come under some scrutiny, this is a very sae route or the child. Geisha are not generally considered an exploited class o people, since they work as high-class entertainers. So their care o the child would be top-notch or as long as they have her. Iicit dptin
Adoption regulations are tight in some nations. I a amily wishes to adopt, they oen have no choice but to adopt rom
outside their home country. So throughout the world, oces have been erected to solve that problem and make children accessible. Due to the nature o the ree market, these businesses sometimes have to cut corners. I a child is given to their oce or a modest fee, they feign being none the wiser. ey hand over 8,000 nuyen or the child.
bEhID ThE SCEES Babies aren’t quiet. Tey’re also not very easy to drug saely. Tey’re disgusting. Tey’re ragile. Tey get cold very easily. Tey need ood every hour or two. Babies, in short, are a pain in the ass. Every hour the runners have that baby, remind them that babies are not conducive to lie in the shadows. Not only that, but i the runners didn’t stop the Mitsuhama team during the last mission (see eOtherInltrators, p. 33), Mitsuhama is aware of the baby and will intervene while she’s being transported. Tis means the child’s lie is at stake. Mitsuhama sends a small gang o heavies to abduct, or possibly kill, Ikemoto’s alse progeny. Te attack is a direct ambush. I the characters travel by vehicle, the heavies ram a vehicle into theirs. I they travel by oot, the gang jumps out o an alley. Tey’re not a large threat to the runners, but they’re certainly a threat to the baby.
Once the gangers are handled, the rest o the trip should go smoothly. Pament
If all goes smoothly, each runner receives 5,000 nuyen, in addition to whatever they earned rom selling the child.
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
gRuTS D MovIg TRgETS ggERS (Pressina Ratin 1) B
4
A 4
R 4
S
4
C 2
I 3
L 3
W 3
Ess 6
Init 7
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes: 10 Armor(B/I): 6/4 Skills: Athletics skill group 3, Automatics 3, Dodge 4, Perception 4, Pistols 4, Stealth 6, rowing Weapons 3, Unarmed Combat (Subdual Combat) 4 (+2) Gear: Armor vest Weapons: Ruger Super Warhawk [Heavy Pistol, DV 6P, AP –2, SS, RC —, 6 (cy)]
fTERMTh I te paers are sccess, read te win text ad:
Te baby hits international news. Te public explodes in outrage on all sides. Some curse Ikemoto or being irresponsible. Some curse the media or hurting Ikemoto. Some curse the news or not leaving the issue alone. Human rights groups are appalled at the whole ordeal, chiding the treatment o this child. he entertainment industry is in distress. Bloggers are outraged, in part
37 Anarchy: Subsidized
because o the treatment o Ikemoto, but also because Ikemoto’s prots subsidize other artists, and i her career fags, there will be ewer opportunities or other artists. Ikemoto responds quickly by addressing the public and accepting responsibility or the child. She says it was an indiscretion, but one she’s not ashamed o. I her ather is still alive at this stage, she mentions that she’s going to move back in with him to take care o the baby. Mitsuhama, urious, cuts short her next tour.
bEhID ThE SCEES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
I the shadowrunners ailed, nothing changes—or a time. Ikemoto goes back to her lie o bubblegum pop. She breaks records, she breaks hearts, and within a year, she kills hersel. Handout 6 covers this. Assuming that the characters were suiciently successul to have Ikemoto’s contract dropped, she signs with Horizon immediately. Because o her damaged reputation, she becomes much more o an adult star. She takes on more risqué themes and seizes creative control o her work. Because o the nature o her music, this means that live shows are exponentially more intense, as she eeds o the audiences’ experiences. Give the players Handout 7 to let them know what happens to Teiko.
“You also caught quite a bit o attention. Very good. Tat’ll be 5,000 nuyen.” Iftheirvandalismwaseithernonexistentordidn’tdraw attention [0 points]: “While I must applaud your eort, you really didn’t draw attention to the scene. So there won’t be a bonus or the act itsel.” “Now, on to the next step: Getting the clone.” IfthecharactersgotthecloneDNAfromIkemotoora relative,hecontinues[7points]: “You got the clone. Tat was the goal, so you earned a reward o 10,000 nuyen.” Iftheyhadtouseasecondarysource,hesays[2points]: “While you got a clone, it wasn’t Ikemoto’s. We had to expend numerous resources to proe a alse identity. No reward on that font.” Iftheydidn’tgetacloneatall,headmonishesthem[0 points]: “You didn’t actually procure a clone. Tat was the most important aspect o the whole mission. For that reason, we’re going to remove 10,000 nuyen om your total bonus amount.” “Now, next, we’ll talk about akahashi’s conession.”
Meetin wit Mr. Jnsn
In seventy-two hours, Mr. Johnson messages the team, telling them to meet in a private room o a speciic downtown okyo nightclub. When they arrive, they’re surrounded by his security orces.
Te original two agents are present, assuming they survived the rst encounter. Te rest can use the statistics or the Horizon security ocers rom the MovingOutoftheBasementscene i need be. Te structure o this conversation depends wholly on the runners’ perormance. Each topic has multiple possible directions in the conversation, and individual rewards will be tabulated at that point. Bold text is or navigating to lines o discussion; italic text is the dialogue. Also, track the points mentioned in brackets— they’ll be important later. “Have a seat. Make yourselves at home, runners.” He looks to each o them, nodding in acknowledgement. “I’m glad you could make it. I’ve conducted an in-depth evaluation o your work. So, i you wouldn’t mind, let’s go over the line items or your bonus structure. We’ll start o with your trial mission.” enextsectiondealswiththetrialrun.Ifthecharacters madeitthroughwithoutascue,readthefollowingtext[3 points]: “You completed the whole thing without a ght. Tat’s rather impressive, since we sent a orce specically to conont you. Tat’ll be 5,000 nuyen.” Iftheyfoughtthegroup,readthefollowingtext[1point]” “You ought the gang we sent. We were trying not to draw attention. But, we’ll give a token gif o appreciation. 1,000 nuyen.”
Ifthecharactersfailedtogetaconfessionatall[0points]: “Now, not only did akahashi not coness, but you didn’t get anyone or the job. For that reason, we’re going to remove 10,000 nuyen om your total bonus. It was quite detrimental to the plan on the whole.” Iftheygotaconfessionfromsomeonewhoisn’tTakahashi [2points]: “While we would have preerred akahashi, that wasn’t a requirement. We applaud your eorts. We’ll compensate you with 5,000 nuyen or it.”
IftheygotitthroughTakahashi[6points]: “And akahashi conessed. We couldn’t have asked or more. Great job. We’ll add 10,000 nuyen to your bonus.” “Next is the subliminal message situation.” Ifthecharactersfailedtogetthemessagethrough,orif thesecurityforcesinterceptedit[0points]: “We didn’t get a subliminal message through. hat greatly inluenced the impact o the entire rest o the mission. We’ll be docking your bonus amount 10,000 nuyen or the inconvenience.” Iftheygotthemessagethrough[5points]: “You programmed the message and it ed into the civilians. It worked like a charm. Tat’s a 15,000 nuyen bonus because o the sensitive nature o the mission.” “Lastly, the nal assault, our capstone. Te Horizon Edo Panel attack.” Ifthecharactersbroadcastedanormal,shortmessage[4
Ifthegroupusedaparticularlyashybitofvandalism[5 points]:
points]: “You broadcasted a message. It’s what we expected, but nothing
38 Anarchy: Subsidized
too fashy. It did what it needed, and I understand the diculties. We’ll give you 20,000 nuyen or that.” Ifthecharactersusedaflashyandimpressivevideo, broadcastingitall[8points]: “Your ideo changed public opinion dramatically. Tat’s what we wanted to hear. Because o your dedication to the cause, we’re oering a 40,000 nuyen bonus. I hope that expresses our sincere approval.” Ifthecharactersfailedtogetabroadcastonthepanel[–2 points]: “You didn’t even get a hint o a message to the panel. hat undermined the integrity o the mission, and altogether made us look bad. We’ll be removing 20,000 nuyen om your nal bonus.” IfthecharactersmadenewswiththeirassaultonHorizon Edo(theyhadanimpressiveght)[2points]: “Because o your loud little campaign, Mitsuhama doesn’t even remotely suspect Horizon. Tat’s wonderul. We’re oering a 20,000 nuyen bonus or the eort.” “Now, lastly, we move into the sale o the child.” Iftheyfailedinthateort[–2points]: “However, you didn’t sell a child now, did you? Tat was the pinnacle o the plot. We’re removing 20,000 nuyen om your bonus.” Iftheysoldthechildsuccessfully[5points]: “And you did exactly that. We’ve got the child, everything looks good on that ont. 25,000 nuyen or that.” Now, there are two major actors: Did the characters make or lose money, and did they achieve certain benchmarks in points? Te bns
Tere’s a chance that the team actually lost money in this segment. I so, Mr. Johnson gives a brie explanation o their options: “Alright, team. No hard eelings, but your bonus structure came up short. You owe us some nuyen. We understand the diculties. Now, i you hae the money aailable, you can simply transer it back to the account we’ve wired unds om beore. I you don’t, we’ll give you a grace period. You have two weeks in the apartment we’ve set you up with. At the end o that time, we need to see the money in the account. Otherwise, we’ll make eorts toward collection. Understood?”
Collection, to Horizon, means hiring another team o runners to beat them and take the money, or possibly assassinating a member or two to show that Horizon means business. On the other hand, chances are that the characters did well. “I hope the bonus helps favor your opinion o working with Horizon. We treat our strong employees well. Tank you—you’ll see the unds in your account within an hour.” Pint Sstem
Te point system accompanying the conversation indicates what actually happened in the end—whether Ikemoto got out o her contract, or example. Add up the total number o points earned, and compare it to the table below. 41 points is the absolute maximum.
Lessthan10points: Not only did Horizon not gain
Ikemoto’s contract, but Mitsuhama implicated them in the scandal. Te runners will bear the brunt o Mitsuhama’s hate and will not have Horizon’s support. In act, Horizon may very well send a crew to eliminate them or their terrible perormance. 10–20points: Ikemoto’s contract remains with Mitsuhama. Horizon is likely to never hire the runners again. 21–30points: Ikemoto’s contract transers. Horizon is impressed, and they will likely hire the runners again. 31–41points: Not only does Ikemoto’s contract transer, it transers cheap. Horizon is overwhelmingly pleased. Tey should become a source o regular jobs or the runners.
WRDIg KRM At the end o any shadowrun, Karma is awarded to each player character or their part in the adventure. Just surviving deserves some Karma, and accomplishing specic goals earns more. Most player characters won’t earn every point o Karma available, which is normal. Game Info.........
TEM KRM Sitatin ward Defeating the Bomb Gang 1 Successfully vandalizing Lost Wages 1 Getting Ikemoto’s DNA successfully 2 Getting the confession on the news 1 Broadcasting the subliminal messages 1 Broadcasting the video on the skyscraper 2 Successfully selling the baby 1 Scoring 30 or more points in the nal sit-down 1
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Game Info.........
IDIvIDul KRM Sitatin Surviving Good roleplaying Risk Humor
ward 3 1–2 1–2 1–2
WRDIg CoTCTS Many o the contacts in Anarchy: Subsidized are central to the
Neo-okyo region. While they might be useul i you intend on running a campaign in Neo-okyo, using these contacts in other parts o the world might be more challenging. Some lean toward external use, such as Daitaro Donny (he spends most o his time in the Matrix anyway). Be mindul o the scope o your campaign beore awarding contacts, as they might just seem like empty rewards i not useul. Any o the characters in CastofShadows are eligible to become contacts under the right circumstances.
39 Anarchy: Subsidized
lEgWoRK
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
When a PC gets in touch with a contact, make a Connection + Connection test or the contact. Te results o this test will determine how many ranks o inormation the contact knows about the question. (Apply dice modiers to this test based upon relevance o the contact to the subject matter.) A PC then makes a test o Charisma + Etiquette + Loyalty rating. he contact will reveal that many levels o inormation about that topic or ree. (Up to the number o hits scored by the contact or that topic.) I the contact knows more, additional inormation will require a payment to the contact, either in nuyen, avors owed, or inormation to trade. I the PCs have worked all o their contacts and are still missing important inormation, they may request that a contact ask around. I they do so, have the Contact make an extended (Connection + Connection (20 minutes)) test. Additional inormation may be available, and prices are up to the gamemaster’s discretion. A Data Search may also be utilized to gather inormation rom the ollowing charts. Players may make an Extended Log ic + Data Search est, and gamemasters are encouraged to utilize the optional rule that limits dice pools or Extended ests by a –1 dice pool modier (cumulative) or each roll aer the rst (p. 64, SR4A).
Contacts: Music industry insiders, pop culture experts/enthusiasts Cntact Searc Rest
0
1
2
2
4
3
8
4
16
5+
32+
4
3+
8+
What do you want me to take? Where? I’ve got lollipop dreams! Sugary and sweet! I’ve got lollipop dreams about you! Come on, you’ve heard her music. It’s everywhere. She’s huge—she’s making plenty o money or Mitsuhama. And hersel. She’s a master of Maibumu and Yubumu, giving her audiences exactly what they want to hear. here’s gotta be some story in how Mitsuhama landed her. Horizon, naturally, wanted her as their own, but somehow MC signed her. You want to find the intere sting stu about eiko, look at her “ather,” Kane Kobayashi. He’s a ather to her the same way Frankenstein was a ather to his creature. eiko’s a whole lot cuter than the creature, though.
biography—some blips, some missing time. Something’s going on with him.
DITRo Doy Contacts: Pop culture enthusiasts, eiko Ikemoto ans Cntact
Searc
0 1
0 2
2
4
3+
8+
Searc
0 1
0 2
Rest
He’s probably some guy. Somewhere. Sounds like a name o a guy I’ve seen on the Matrix somewhere. Don’t know i he has any lie outside o the Matrix. Oh, wait, I know this guy! otal eiko Ikemoto anboy. You know, the kind you has two pet gerbils, one named eiko, the other one named Ikemoto. I hear he might even cross the line rom anboy to stalker. He knows a lot about where eiko is at any given moment.
ThREE-TWo Cntact
Searc
0 1
0 2
2
4
3
8
4+
16+
Rest
I’ve got nothing. Isn’t he eiko Ikemoto’s dad? You know, the singer?
Rest
Um, one? He’s a guy that used to be someone and isn’t anymore. Really, he’s kind o depressing to be around. He manages a bar now, but he used to be a Yak. Pretty ruthless one, too. His handle comes from the fingers on one o his hand. He lost three o them to his Yakuza lie, so he’s got two remaining. He’s not what he used to be, but he’s still got contacts rom his old lie. Plus, he’s pretty good at meeting the kind o people you meet when you’re running a bar.
WoRlD Mll Contacts: Neo-okyo experts, business experts, Neo-okyo teenagers Cntact
Searc
0
0
1
2
2
4
KE KobyShI Contacts: Mitsuhama contacts, experts in cyberware/bioware Cntact
He was a scientist. Robots rst, then cyberware, bioware, and the like. Worked or MC, I think. There are some weird gaps in his
Contacts: Yakuza contacts, Neo-okyo street lie experts
TEIKo IKEMoTo 0
2
Rest
It’s a mall. With stores. Tat’s just a guess, but I’ll bet I’m right. hat place is lat-out huge. It’s the biggest in the city. Not much o the kind o gear you need, o course, but still plenty o stu. And lots o people. It’s got several oors, and each oor has a theme. here’s a Hong Kong loor, an Amerind loor, a Mumbai oor, and so on. It’s not bad too look at, as malls go.
40 Anarchy: Subsidized
3+
8+
Great place to do business—lots of crowds, and not enough eyes to watch everything that’s going on there.
Contacts: Neo-okyo experts, transportation workers, business commuters Cntact
Searc
0
0
rain station. Big one. What more could you want to know?
1
2
Absolutely huge transit node. Millions
3
4
8
Rest
o people pass through everyday, so it’s got all the chaos, all the commerce, and all the problems any big city would have, all in one big building. hey take security seriously there and have some pretty good people, but still, there are millions o people passing through. No way they can keep track o everything. There’s a cash-only capsule hotel there. Cash-only—what a throwback! Anyway, it’s a great place to lie low.
4+
16+
he security there keeps an eye on the people, but they also have some gear to watch. Mitsuhama sends ads across the whole system rom some nexus buried in the station, right next to plenty o security g uards.
hISTo-TuRER bRoDCSTIg hEDuRTERS Contacts: Neo-okyo experts, Horizon experts, media experts Cntact
Searc
0 1
0 2
2
4
3+
8+
DITRo Doy Human male
ShIJuKu STTIo
2
CST of ShDoWS
Rest
It’s a place. Big skyscraper, about 140 stories. I it’s something the media does, it’s happening in that building. hat building’s very tight, security wise, though some areas are tighter than others. hey’ve got their own prison and a foor or extradition proceedings, so they’re pretty serious up there. e chief of security there is nuts. Guy named anaka. He’s anatical, and he considers it a matter o personal honor to keep his building sae.
Daitaro Donny doesn’t have a lie o his own. Ask him his lie story, he’ll tell you. He’ll tell you about what media icon did what on his rst day in school. He’ll talk about his pets and how they share birthdays with trid stars. He’d love to tell you about the time he bumped into Mirusawa at the mall, and how he’s so much shorter than he is on lm. Donny is proud o his nonexistence. He openly admits that he has no personality, that he is but a conglomeration of the media that feeds through his veins 24/7. Donny is an elitist. Nobody knows more about his topic than he does. I they do, he’ll pretend they don’t, and he’ll launch into personal attacks and fame wars at a challenger. I listeners act like he’s a special snowfake, he’ll eat out o their hands. He’s mostly good or trivia. However, he knows more than a little bit about celebrities’ schedules and private lives. B
A 2
2
R 2
S
2
C 3
I 4
L 5
W 4
Edg Ess 2 5.5
Init 6
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes(P/S): 9/10 Armor(B/I): 0/0 Skills: Chemistry 1, Con 2, Cracking skill group 4, Electronics skill group 5, Negotiation 2, Perception 2 Augmentations: Cybereyes [Rating 1, w/ vision enhancement
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2, vision magnication], datajack, implanted commlink [Device Rating 4] Gear: Directional jammer (Rating 3) Weapons: Fichetti iani Sel-Deender [Hold-Outs, DV 4P, AP —, SS, RC —, 4(c)]
KE KobyShI Human male
Kane has been destroyed by Mitsuhama. He’s an otherwise peaceul man, but he absolutely hates Mitsuhama. Until Ikemoto is released rom her contract, he’ll ollow any idea that results in harm to Mitsuhama. While he’s a bit o a shut-in, he knows a lot about biotech and cyberware because o his past work. While his daughter remains under contract with Mitsuhama, Kobayashi is depressed and desperate. Getting her released would make him as happy an old man as there ever was. He’s always willing to help good people, but he is no longer condent o his abilities. Sake has become a orm o sel-medication; he tends to always carry a ask. He’s great or nding cheap mods, or repairs or broken ones, and he can oer advice on cloning and other scientic pursuits. B
2
A 2
R S 2 3
C I L 4 6 6 (9)
W 5
Edg Ess Init 3 4.15 10 (12)
IP 1 (3)
ConditionMonitorBoxes(P/S): 9/11 Armor(B/I): 0/0 Skills: Computer (Commlink) 5 (+2), Con 3, Cybercombat
2, Cybertechnology (Bioware) 6 (+2), Data Search 4, Etiquette (Corporate) 4 (+2), First Aid (Chemical Burns) 2 (+2), Hardware
41 Anarchy: Subsidized
(Commlinks) 6 (+2), Industrial Mechanic 2, Perception 4, Pistols (asers) 1 (+2), Soware (Operational Utilities) 4 (+2) Augmentations: Attention coprocessor 2, cerebral booster 3, cybereyes [Rating 2, w/ flare compensation, vision enhancement 3, vision magnication], datajack, im planted commlink [Device Rating 5], math SPU, mnemonic enhancer 2 Gear: Area jammer (Rating 5) Weapons: Yamaha Pulsar [aser, DV 6S(e), AP –hal, SA, RC —, 4 (m)] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D E Z I D I S B U S : Y H C R A N A
TEIKo IKEMoTo Human emale
eiko is a warm, loving person caught up in something ar bigger than she is. Te thing is, she understands this. She doesn’t blame Mitsuhama. She knows how revolutionary and proitable she is. She knows how powerul her music is. hat doesn’t mean she wants that responsibility. She just wants to live a quiet amily lie, like Kane Kobayashi taught her growing up. She likes perorming, but she’d give it up in a day or love and amily. She wants a better existence, and it shows. She can’t stand the greed and hate that surrounds her, and she can’t athom the killing and devastation that she’s caused. Ironically, given her nature, she’s probably more human than any one person in this mission. I she’s liberated rom her contract, she’ll act as a powerul liaison to Horizon and can connect runners with other celebrities. B
4
A 4
R 4
S
3
C 6 (9)
I 5
L 4
W 3
Edg Ess Init 3 3.475 9
IP 1
ConditionMonitorBoxes(P/S): 10/10 Armor(B/I): 4/3 Skills: Artisan (Singing) 4 (+2), Con (Seduction) 3 (+2),
Gymnastics (Dance) 4 (+2), Negotiation 4, Etiquette 4, Perception (Hearing) 4 (+2), Unarmed Combat 2 Augmentations: (all deltaware) Attention coprocessor 3, cy berears [Rating 1, w/ balance augmenter], cybereyes [Rating 1, w/ low-light vision, vision enhancement 2], encephalon 2, enhanced articulation, enhanced pheromone receptors 3, implanted commlink [Device Rating 4], reception enhancer 2, silky skin, sleep regulator, synthacardium 2, tailored pheromones 3, toxin extrac tor 3, vocal range enhancer Gear: iany Dress
42 Anarchy: Subsidized
ThREE-TWo Dwar Male
Tree-wo likes his reputation. He’s the source o a million little urban myths, and he plays up to every one he hears. Te best part is, his real lie was probably more dramatic than any story. He used to be a sworn killer or the Yakuza, a job that le a great legacy o powerul stories. Now, he spends his days and nights in ront o a desk, managing his bar. Because o the nature o his business and the nature o his past career, he has access to some powerul people. hree-wo likes business. hree-wo likes loyalty. hree-wo likes eiciency. hose willing to meet those three terms are his best riends. Everyone else is either a client or a waste o his time; neither should deserve more than a sentence and the boot. o those he likes, however, he can be a powerul asset. He’s very good at making contact with Yakuza, streetwalkers, crooked police, gamblers, and any number o other illicit businesspeople. B
4
A 4 (5)
R 3
S 5 (6)
C 3
I 4
L 3
W 6
Edg Ess 3 3.7
Init 7
IP 1
A N A R C H Y : S U B S I D I Z E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ConditionMonitorBoxes(P/S): 10/11 Armor(B/I): 8/7 Skills: Blades 3, Etiquette (Yakuza) 3 (+2), Firearms skill group 4, First Aid 1, Intimidation 3, Perception (Visual) 3 (+2), Unarmed Combat 3 Augmentations: Bone lacing (aluminum), cybereyes [Rating 2,
w/ are compensation, smartlink, thermographic vision, vision enhancement 2], muscle replacement 1 Gear: Armor jacket Weapons: Eichiro Hamamoto II [Heavy Pistol, DV 7P, AP –1, SS, RC —, 1(m) w/ smartlink] Knie [Blade, Reach —, DV 4P, AP —] Savalette Guardian [Heavy Pistol, DV 5P, AP –1, SA/BF**, RC 1, 12(c), w/ smartlink] Unarmed [Unarmed, Reach —, DV 5P, AP —] **Burst Fire on this weapon requires a Complex Action.
43 Anarchy: Subsidized
New Message............... Good day. I’ve been referred to speak with you on behalf of my employer. You come with glowing recommendation. I believe that we could come to a business arrangement. As a token of our gratitude for your valuable time, we’ve enclosed tickets for you and your associates. I’ll be expecting you tomorrow evening at the Horizon center. You’ll be sharing box C13 with me.
Regards, Mr. Johnson
[FILE ATTACHMENT:HORIZONCENTER_IKEMOTO_SEATTLE.TIX]
ONE NIGHT ONLY! Teiko Ikemoto is taking the world by storm in her “Too Cool for New School” tour, and she’ll be taking Seattle with it! At the Seattle Coliseum, tickets are sold out, but Horizon is expanding seating options to accommodate this amazing event!
HANDOUT 1
HANDOUT 2
O K N I H C P A ! T E E R T S
E H T G N I H C T ! A R C E V E F O K N I H T A C A N O P I T I T E ! P B M U
O L C C E K I R T S Y K C U L ! T U O ! Y Y A A L P P H C R O U F M N E P ’ T W O N O O N D Y S I
S S A I H T A T H W S W N O K O H W
O K N I H C P A ! T E E R T S HANDOUT 3
HANDOUT 4
