Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

[ghost-angel]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

Point taken, so how about I try to generic-ize it enough?

 

"Play up to random PC's psych limitation/rivalry"

 

Ghosts From The Past

Someone in the characters history has resurfaced looking for help, or possibly to harm.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

I ddnt see this one exactly, but I could have missed it:

 

M.I.B.'s

The PCs are being followed. The trick is, they don't know by whom, and they haven't been up to anything lately! They're just being followed for no apparant reason at all. At least that they can figure out.

 

The Cleaners and Bug Hunt basically cover the idea of being surveilled / cased, but I suppose I could add this one.

 

My only hesitancy for adding to many items that are basically nuances of each other is for people randomizing multiple plot elements...it would kind of suck to get "The Cleaners" and "MIB" together for instance as they are very similar.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

Ghosts From The Past

Someone in the characters history has resurfaced looking for help, or possibly to harm.

 

This works...

[ghost-angel]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

The Cleaners and Bug Hunt basically cover the idea of being surveilled / cased, but I suppose I could add this one.

 

My only hesitancy for adding to many items that are basically nuances of each other is for people randomizing multiple plot elements...it would kind of suck to get "The Cleaners" and "MIB" together for instance as they are very similar.

 

This is true. Simply adding an element of mystery to any of the scenarios is merely a nuance on it. Reading fully through the list the MIB really isn't that unique in and of itself.

[Stone]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

Not sure how well this would fit in, but its story arc I just started w/my group:

 

1 of the PC's is a bio-engineered super soldier who escaped. Turns out there were a total of 16 soldiers (who look exactly alike). Half managed to escape, the government/corp is using the other half to help track them down and bring them back. The half working for the government/corp wants to be free and is trying to get the PC's to help them.

[arcady]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

Is this a general topic of Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure ideas, or solely aimed at things for 'short listing' for Killer Shrike's website?

 

I have a bunch of them myself, but they are all notably longer than what would work for 'quicky lists' being on average a paragraph rather than a sentence or two.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

You can post whatever you like of course, but if you would like it included in the resource it should be generic, reusable, pair well when combined with other plot elements, and be reasonably concise (the length of the extent items being a good benchmark for such).

[arcady]

Re: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Adventure Formulas

 

Here are some plothooks taken from the Mosquito PDF book.

 

The plothooks section is one of the sections I am presently re-writing, alongside converting the book to Hero stats.

 

These are longer than those in most of this thread - I'm putting them here as ideas for people rather than inclusion into a short-listing, though I suppose some of them could be edited down. They're split into 'Cops' and 'Crooks' - are the PCs working with or against the law / system? The Cops list is presently more developed in the book, so I had more examples to pull from.

 

A number of them are 'inspired' by detective shows or real life crime.

 

Cops:

• Investigation of a late night 'hit-and-run' has strange parallels to a new SIN-game. A copy cat thrillseeker? Could the maker of the SIN-game be behind the crime as a publicity stunt? Could an anti-game-violence activist group be behind it as a counter publicity protest?
   
  
• A SIN-Spam attacker is forcing victims to 'live through' snuff films, either as the perp or the victim. Clue might be in the choice of hacked victims, or the 'SIN-cast' itself. Crime might have been uncovered after a victim committed suicide believing the incident was a true memory or merely from the trauma or recognition of something in the 'SIN-cast'.
   
  
• PCs find clues to suspect one of their superiors is on the take with organized crime. Now they must either investigate the matter or cover it up without getting 'dragged in' to the web of scandal.
   
  
• PC's unit / squad / group is accused of plotting a coup by an MP up for re-election. PCs suddenly on the run trying to prove innocence. Perhaps uncover a real coup plot in process.
   
  
• Routine criminal investigation implicates a major political figure. After evidence is 'bagged and tagged' PCs are approached by agents of Secret Police who 'inform' them of the need for silence and discretion. Or alternatively, Secret Police informs them they must investigate, and will be 'assisted', after their own superiors have tried to silence the matter.
   
  
• Someone is 'tagging' 'wave-billboards' to broadcast their 'tag sign' rather than the intended advertising / public service messages. Who is behind this graffiti? What is now being said that is important enough for police to care? Something contrary to legally accepted memes?
   
  
• An office building implodes / collapses, killing all inside and destroying vast amounts of company data. What happened, why? Was it perhaps an inside job to cover up a crime or unmentionable embarrassment?
   
  
• A Corporate employee comes to the police to blow the whistle on some illegal activity, but the corp hires assassins to prevent this. Perhaps they just need to make a kill, or perhaps they desire to capture sensitive data the employee has before it can be decrypted. Police must prevent the assassination, and prove a connection to the Corps.
   
  
• A popular sport's figure or entertainer is cyber-brain hacked during a match / game / performance. Whatever cyberlimbs they posses are sent out of control, or perhaps a singer is revealed to be performing recordings (cyber lip-sync) when her vocal chords are hacked and a confession is read out. PCs must uncover the culprit as well as deal with the controversy over the figure and whether or not to bring that person in for 'fraud' or 'athletic cheating' or a similar crime.

 

Crooks:

• Bodies have been disappearing in the hood and the police don't care or haven't noticed. The group's favorite local restaurant owner is doing a brisk business with his new 'Gnu-Meat' pies, supposedly made from the best flavored soy products. But just why does he keep an antique meat grinder in the back office...? When a rival goes missing, and a PC sees something being dragged in the alley that nobody should ever see... do they help, or stop a madman?
   
  
• After an accident, a wealthy individual has been gravely injured, losing a limb or vital organ. Cyber-replacements are available, but oh so unfashionable. A new limb can be grown, but takes years, and they need to be ready for a party in three nights... PCs are hired to 'snatch an organ' from a suitable 'donor', and their employer happens to have a DNA profile highly compatible with a number of people previously ID'd by their medical staff for just such an emergency. Or as a variation, PCs must hack the JF DNA records and find matches. Sure, the new organ will only last long enough to grow a real replacement, or maybe only enough to keep yet another donor, but fashion is fashion...
   
  
• A local smuggler is short for his next order, three slaves died from an overzealous bodyguard. PCs have been hired to scout the streets and find three new victims to kidnap – all to be under-aged Anthros/exotics/[insert minority faction here]. It's a snatch and grab plot of the darkest sort, as these victims will be headed into a
   
  
• life of the worst form of slavery. But hey, it will pay the bills.
  PCs are hired to find and 'recruit' 'actors' for an illegal snuff SIN. They can use force or trickery, and maybe each role in the SIN requires a different tactic.