Shadowrun 4E - Missions - Spin Control.pdf - Shadowrun 5th ed Core Rulebook - annet.farren

SRM03-10 Spin Control Credits

Character and Interior Art

Brent Evans, AAS

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Writer

Mike Wich

Cover Design and Missions Logo

Andy Coen

Shadowrun Line Developer

Jason Hardy

Layout

Matt Heerdt

Shadowrun Missions Development

Steven “Bull” Ratkovich, Stephen

Mc uillan, Aaron Pavao

Maps

Mike Wich, Adam Large

Prooﬁ ng

Jean-Marc Comeau

SRM3-10: Spin Control

INTRODUCTION

RUNNING THE ADVENTURE

Gamemastering is more of an art than a science, and every

gamemaster does things a bit di erently. Use your own style when

it comes to preparing and running the adventure and do whatever

you feel is best to provide the best Shadowrun game you can for

your players. Shadowrun Missions adventures are designed to run

in a standard four-hour convention time slot.

Please keep this in mind when running the adventure. You

should leave at least 15–20 minutes at the end of the time slot

to complete any necessary paperwork and pass out the players’

Debrie ng Logs. (Make sure that you have enough copies of the

Debrie ng Log for this adventure to give one copy to each player

a er running the adventure.) is section o ers some guidelines

you may nd useful in preparing to run SRM03-10 Spin Control

(or any Shadowrun Missions adventure).

SRM03-10 Spin Control is a Shadowrun Missions campaign

adventure. All maps, player handouts, and other playing aids are

found at the end of this document.

PREPARING THE ADVENTURE

SRM03-10 Spin Control is intended for use with Shadowrun,

Fourth Edition, and all character and rules information refers to

the fourth edition of the Shadowrun rules.

Adventure Structure

SRM03-10 Spin Control consists of several scenes. ese

scenes form the basis of the adventure, which should be completed

in approximately four hours. If you are running short on time, you

should streamline each and be a little more generous with clues,

target numbers, and other requirements to aid in guiding the

players through the adventure.

Each scene outlines the most likely sequence of events, as

well as how to handle unexpected twists and turns that inevitably

crop up. Each one contains the following subsections, providing

gamemasters with all the information necessary to run it.

Scan is provides a quick synopsis of the scene’s action,

allowing you to get a feel for the encounter at a glance.

Tell It to em Straight is written to be read aloud to the

players, describing what their characters experience upon entering

the scene. You should feel free to modify the narrative as much as

desired to suit the group and the situation, since the characters

may arrive at the scene by different means or under different

circumstances than the text assumes.

Behind the Scenes covers the bulk of the scene, describing

what’s happening, what the non-player characters are doing, how

they will react to the player characters’ actions and so forth. It

also covers the setting of the encounter, going over environmental

conditions and other properties of the location as well as providing

any descriptions of important items.

Pushing the Envelope looks at ways to make the encounter

more challenging for experienced or powerful characters and other

ways you can add some “extra spice” to the scene.

Debugging o ers solutions to potential problems that may

crop up during the encounter. While it’s impossible to foresee

everything that a group of player characters might do, this section

tries to anticipate common problems and other suggestions for

dealing with them.

Step 1: Read The Adventure

Carefully read the adventure from beginning to end. Get a

feel for the overall plot and what happens in each scene. at way,

if something di erent happens, you won’t be caught o guard and

you can adapt things smoothly.

Step 2: Take Notes

Take notes for yourself while reading through the adventure

that you can refer to later on. Possible things to note include:

major plot points (so you can see them all at a glance), the names

of various non-player characters, possible problems you notice,

situations where you think a particular character can shine and

other things you’ll want to keep in mind while running the

adventure.

Step 3: Know The Characters

Prior to the start of the adventure, examine the PCs’ record

sheets and Debriefing Logs for your reference and have basic

information about their important abilities handy so you can

refer to it during play. Also go over the characters and keep their

previous events listed on the Debriefing Logs in mind when

determining non-player character actions in various scenes if such

a dynamic has been included.

Step 4: Don’t Panic!

Gamemastering involves juggling a lot of di erent things.

Sometimes you drop the ball and forget something or you just

make a mistake. It happens, don’t worry about it. Nobody is

perfect all of the time and everybody makes mistakes. Just pick up

from there and move on. Your players will understand and forget

about it once you get back into the action.

Spin Control

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND

State of the art innovations such as the toxin KE-IV and

manatech such as the Wyrd Mantis Essence have contributed to

a signi cant decline in the insect spirit population in the UCAS

by 2072. Once formidable hunters and the larger-than-life night-

mares of Chicago, these predatory spirits have slowly become

prey to corporations, governments and the private mercenaries

who possess this advanced technology. ese entities are eager to

enslave them, destroy them or pro t o of the signi cant bounties

on their heads. For insect spirits, they have come to realize that

they have reached a critical moment in their existence: they either

have to adapt to the rapidly changing Sixth World or become

extinct. For the insect spirits, they will do anything to win that

war, including nding new methods to adapt to their environment

and new ways to manipulate their enemy for their survival.

This new campaign began nine months ago when a man

named Roger Willis, an assignment editor at NBCNN headquar-

ters in New York City, took a two-week vacation to the Bahamas.

He was speci cally targeted for extraction due to his key position

in the media. During the time he went missing, he was quietly

merged with a wasp spirit and became a esh form. With all the

experiences of the original host, the spirit assumed Roger Willis’

identity and returned to Manhattan. Using his in uential posi-

tion, the wasp spirit sabotaged the assignments of several reporters,

whose investigations were leading them to the locations of insect

hives, including his own. His position also allowed him the

opportunity to gather invaluable tips and information from the

law enforcement community. He learned of upcoming operations

targeting insect spirits and was able to warn his kind in advance

of those attacks. Willis also used his company’s media access to

do in-depth feature stories on law enforcement agencies such as

the NYPD Inc. which featured their latest tactical procedures

for dealing with various magical threats. In doing so, Willis was

able to quietly study his enemy from the background and assist

his hive with developing countermeasures. Finally, Willis directed

his reporters to expose and undermine the operations of those he

considered to be competition for his kind in regards to resources

and metahuman hosts, namely shedim, vampires, ghouls and toxic

shamans. rough his subtle manipulation of the media over the

course of those nine months, he allowed his hive to grow stronger

and bolder as their rivals grew weaker and were driven from New

York by those that Willis so easily manipulated.

Two months ago, rumors pointed Roger Willis toward

a mysterious shadow project being conducted in Manhattan.

Originally, the whispers were vague, coming from unreliable

sources. Eventually, a er gathering additional information from

more credible sources that collaborated this story, Willis came to

believe that not only did this phantom project exist, but that it

also involved insect spirits. At that point, it became urgent for him

to thoroughly investigate this shadow project, determine what

its objectives were and to identify what kind of threat it posed.

Roger Willis spent a month hunting down this project’s location

by squeezing information from his best contacts and developing

new leads. A er another few weeks of phone calls, emails, clan-

destine meetings and a signi cant amount of nuyen, he narrowed

his search to the Terminal Z-Zone and to a street gang called the

Switchblades.

GENERAL ADVENTURE RULES

Shadowrun Missions adventures use the rules presented in

Shadowrun, Fourth Edition 20th Anniversary Edition ( SR4A ).

Standard rules such as success tests, the Rules of One and Six,

and other common mechanics are described in SR4A and are not

repeated in this adventure.

Please keep in mind when preparing for the adventure,

that the PCs will not necessarily comprise a “balanced” party.

It’s entirely possible that the party will be made up entirely of

technomancers or back-to-nature shamans. If the characters run

into a brick wall because of such complications, show exibility

and use your best judgment in how you lead them back to the plot.

Non-Player Characters

Non-player characters (NPCs) are essential to any adventure.

ey are the allies, antagonists and background characters in the

adventure that interact with the player characters. NPCs in this

adventure have already been created and can be found in the Cast

of Shadows section.

e NPCs in this adventure should generally stand up to the

average player character, but may need some adjustment to suit a

particular group of characters, especially a more experienced and

powerful group. e scenes and NPC descriptions o er tips on

adjusting the NPCs to suit the abilities of the characters in your

group. To adjust the power level of an NPC, refer to the Prime

Runner Creation and Advancement Table (p. 285, SR4A ). Take

the player characters’ abilities into consideration when assessing

the NPCs in this adventure and modify them accordingly.

A Note on Commlinks

By 2070, commlinks have become a universal appliance.

Because just about every NPC is going to have one, they won’t

always be statted out in the adventure text. For NPCs who do not

have a statted commlink, assume it has all necessary ratings at 3.

ese commlinks will not contain any valuable paydata.

Paperwork

A er running a Shadowrun Missions adventure, there are

several important pieces of paperwork that need to be lled out.

The first is to make certain to distribute a copy of the

adventure’s Debrie ng Log to each player. As the GM, please make

certain to ll this out and sign o on it for each character. In the

interests of time, you may have each player ll out the sections,

with appropriate values that you give them. Please consider the

PCs actions in the scenario when providing Reputation modi ers,

per those rules (p. 265, SR4A ).

e second is to make sure that all players have updated their

character’s calendar. PCs are allowed to go on one run per week.

e calendar is used to track the character’s monthly lifestyle

expenses, adventures, and their downtime exploits.

Finally, certain modules will request that you use the web

reporting form available at http://www.shadowrun4.com/

missions/ to report the outcome of the Mission. Future adventures

will re ect the outcome of this one. Without GM feedback, the

PCs’ exploits will be unable to a ect the campaign.

Spin Control

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Mr. Johnson hires the runners to locate a shadow project

being conducted in Manhattan. rough his diligent research

he has discovered that this project has been well-funded and

protected from public scrutiny by someone with vast resources

and connections. He has been unable to nd any solid information

on the project as far as what its objectives are or who is involved.

Several rumors have suggested that the project involves insect

spirits and he feels it is urgent to find out more. All of his

other resources are exhausted and he now needs to turn to

shadowrunners to get the job done. He’s able to point the runners

to the Terminal Z-Zone District where it is believed the project

may be located. He does not have anything more speci c than the

general area but he does mention that there could be a connection

with a street gang called the Switchblades.

Once the runners hit the streets and conduct their legwork,

they discover that the area in question has three other street

gangs claiming it as their territory: the Slaughterhouse, the Kings

and the Tridents. e Switchblades claim a small area that is set

strategically in the middle of the other gangs’ territory. When

the runners make contact with the local gangs, they will be

able to locate the Switchblades’ base of operations. e Kings

will o er to assist them in getting through their territory safely.

Unbeknownst to the runners, the Switchblades are serving as

a cover identity for UCAS Army Rangers. eir mission is to

provide clandestine security for the project being housed within

the Jordan Aerodynamics building ; one conducted by the CIA.

As the runners explore the interior of the building for

their investigation, they discover the two-fold purpose of this

black-ops project. e CIA is attempting to strategically weaken

the stranglehold the Manhattan Development Consortium

has over Manhattan, with the end result of allowing the UCAS

government to regain control over the island. e runners will also

learn that Ares is secretly assisting the CIA with its operations,

in exchange for an expanded role in controlling Manhattan. e

second part of the project is much more scandalous. e UCAS

government is conducting experiments on insect spirits; testing

the next generation of weapons against the bugs. e experiments

themselves are cruel and in ict unimaginable torture on the spirits.

e predators have indeed become the prey. In addition, two

mantid spirits are involved in the program; one that is present in

the building while the other one is operating out of the Pentagon.

The CIA has done what most thought would be impossible:

formed an unholy alliance with two mantids, the natural predator

for other insect spirits.

If the runners give this information to Mr. Johnson, he slants

the information in such a way that it becomes inflammatory,

and damning to the CIA and to the UCAS government. e

Agency will have no choice but to end the program, and eliminate

the mantid spirits. Roger Willis will also release information

pertaining to the Ares’ collaboration with the UCAS CIA,

potentially damaging its relations with the other members of the

MDC, and setting up a major distraction to keep people away

from discovering his hive.

CORPORATE INTERESTS

The following are the secondary objectives for

afﬁ liates of each organization. Unless otherwise

noted, a PC’s secondary objective(s) will be delivered

after the team has agreed to take the job offered

in Dangerous Alliance. Secondary objectives are

always delivered discretely (e.g. by encrypted

text message, by an agent of the corporation, via

Mindlink spell, etc.), but never mention the reward

to be given upon completion.

Ares: You are given two duffle bags full of

untraceable weapons and ammo (SMGs). Rendezvous

(discreetly) with a Slaughterhouse ganger named

Chromedome, where he will give you a credstick with

an amount of nuyen worth ﬁ ve times as much as the

weapons and the ammo (60,000¥) that are included

in the dufﬂ e bag. If Chromedome tries to make the

exchange without the proper amount, convince him

to produce the agreed upon amount. Give the cred-

sticks to a contact that will meet you.

Aztechnology: If you ﬁ nd any medical experi-

ments, get a copy of the data to Aztechnology.

Horizon: Tell the Tridents gang member named

Vengeance that Neptune sent you. Deliver what he

gives you to Mr. Johnson.

NeoNet: Get an encrypted commlink from

a Kings member named Crypt and hide it in the

Switchblades’ headquarters.

NYPD, Inc.: If you ﬁ nd a wanted troll named

Rodrigo in the Terminal, tip off the NYPD, Inc to his

location, for an immediate pick-up.

Renraku: Give this ﬁ le (a shipping manifest for

a Shiawase cargo dated the following week) to a

Tridents member named Wrath. [Wrath is dead, but

the afﬁ liate can accomplish this mission by giving the

ﬁ le to Vengeance.]

Saeder-Krupp: Deliver GPS coordinates for a

drop off to a Kings’ member named Augustine.

Shiawase: Find a Slaughterhouse member

named Haven and get her commlink by any means

necessary.

Spinrad: Get an optical chip from a

Slaughterhouse member named Bladestrike and

deliver it to Spinrad.

Neo-Anarchists: Leave at least a dozen stealth

tags in different locations within the Switchblades’

headquarters and send the Neo-Anarchists the tags’

access IDs.

Spin Control

DANGEROUS ALLIANCE

help in tracking down a shadow project that is being conducted

in the general vicinity of the Terminal District in Manhattan. He

informs them that his sources in gathering information about the

project have all but dried up and, due to the dangerous nature

of the Terminal, he is reluctant to have his reporters go in to

investigate. He requests the runners to poke around in the area and

nd out speci cally where the project is located. He believes that

the project could be connected to a reclusive street gang calling

itself the Switchblades. Once they have discovered a potential

location for the project, he wants them to in ltrate and gather

whatever intelligence they can on the shadow project and report

back to his representative with whatever les or trid footage they

are able to recover on this project. He also informs them that there

is speculation that the project involves insect spirits. He provides

a randomized commcode number to contact the rep once the job

is done. is commcode number will only be active for a brief

window and he requests the job be completed within the 72 hours.

A er that time the commcode is useless.

Roger Willis is willing to pay (TR*1,500¥) to each

shadowrunner for a successful run. In addition, Willis is willing

to pay another 1,000¥ to each runner if they are successful in

infiltrating the facility without detection and bringing back

detailed information from inside the project’s facility. Finally,

Willis oﬀ ers to pay each runner a1,000¥ bonus for the exclusive

rights to all information gathered. If the shadowrunners negotiate

for an increase in their pay, Roger Willis will increase the base

amount by 200¥ per net success on a Negotiation + Charisma

Opposed Test, up to an additional 2,000¥ per runner.

SCAN THIS

e team arrives at the Horizon Hyatt Hotel in downtown

Manhattan for their rendezvous with their Mr. Johnson. Upon

entering the lobby, the runners are screened by hotel security for

concealed weapons. Once they have been searched by security

(which could become a time-consuming process for a few of

the more cybered-runners who have illegal cyberware), they are

escorted up to the conference room, where dinner is promptly

served at seven, and a er which, the meet starts shortly therea er

via trid-conferencing.

TELL IT TO THEM STRAIGHT

You head toward the Horizon Hyatt Hotel in the Time

Square District for a meet arranged by your xer and a new Mr.

Johnson. From what you have been told by your xer, this Mr.

Johnson is a media type; some sort of editor from NBCNN. As

such, the run itself was expected to be an information-gathering

run, for what will most likely become a national news story. As

your xer put it, you will be able to be there as the ‘news breaks.’

Which was ne, as you normally are involved in news-worthy jobs

any way. As long as the breaking headlines don’t show your face

and aren’t on the scale of the Renraku Arcology or Bug City, you

should be okay with the job.

As you walk Manhattan’s streets on this cool, rainy evening,

you nd the streets packed with a myriad of pedestrians, re ecting

the vast array of world cultures in one of the UCAS’ most diverse

cities. Human, elf, dwarf, shapeshi er, changeling. Aromas from

the nearby bakeries, delis, and pizzerias tantalize your senses. e

streets are clogged by the world famous yellow-cab taxis, armored

limousines and luxury cars. When you reach the Hyatt, the hotel

node instantly recognizes your commlink and grants you entry.

Security is at the entrance, waiting for you. eir demeanor reveals

a lot about how they view you: you are not a paying guest, and

therefore, you are to be treated as a potential threat.

DEBUGGING

If the runners initially refuse to take the job, an email is sent

out to each runner’s commlink, politely asking that they take

this job. e email should also hint that Roger Willis has done

his research on each person on the team, and has learned things

that they probably would not want exposed that could damage

their careers in the shadows, such as which corporations that they

are secretly working for as company men. Roger Willis is willing

to negotiate and raise the pay for the runner to take on this

assignment. However, if the runner continues to resist, o er that

runner or runners 1,000¥ for keeping their mouths shut about the

run, and have the hotel security manhandle them o the premises.

For those that refused to accept the run, the session is over.

BEHIND THE SCENES

e Horizon Hyatt Hotel has a Rating (TR/2) millimeter

wave detection system (p. 262, SR4A ) built into every entrance

(including the service entrances), ensuring the security of their

guests. Hackers in the group can try and crack the system to disarm

or spoof this security feature. h e rating of the node is (TR/2+2,

round up). If the runners bring in weapons, hotel security requires

them to check their weapons with the concierge. Any runner with

installed cyberguns will be asked to unload them. Any runner that

has any type of cyber blade is constantly escorted and monitored

by hotel security. e runners who are not dressed in fashionable

attire or who do not act as though they have a lot of nuyen to

spend will sense disdain from the hotel sta . A er being cleared

by hotel security, the runners are escorted to the conference room

on the 40 th o o r .

During the meal in the conference room, the trideo

conference camera activates and projects a three dimensional image

of Roger Willis into the room. Willis apologizes to the runners for

not being able to attend the meet in person and then goes into

details of the run. He informs the runners that he needs their

DEAL MAKING

SCAN THIS

e next part of the run is legwork. e runners have three

locations and three gangs to investigate. e locations of these

hangouts are on the outskirts of each the gangs’ territory in the

Terminal.

TELL IT TO THEM STRAIGHT

e Terminal stands in stark contrast to the lights and the

glitter of the rest of Manhattan. Much of the infrastructure in the

Terminal District remains in a state of disrepair from the quake

of 2005. Shattered glass and husks of destroyed vehicles still line

many of the cracked and potholed streets. Power lines and electric

Spin Control

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