drunkonduty

Drhoz's Shadowrun stories have reminded me of an old Shadowrun campaign.
 
The runners are an ork/troll group. Completely against stereotype, they specialize in stealth, subtlety, bluff, illusion, deception and misdirection.
 
Dent: ork, rat shaman
No-Step: ork, snake shaman, healer
Byte Force: ork, decker, chemist
Eye Spy: ork, rigger, drones, paramedic
Audacity Jane: ork, combat, stealth, security systems
Happy Jack: troll, combat, disguise, negotiator
 
The runners all live in the Ork Underground.
 
GM: You could live in different neighborhoods.
Happy Jack: We live in a neighborhood where 80% of our enemies stick out like a sore thumb, and we look like everybody else.
 
I have no idea how many of the GM's adventure ideas we screwed up by living in that neighborhood.
 
But in this episode, the GM decided to run with the Ork Underground idea. Alamos 20,000 somehow managed to steal some cyberhounds and reprogram them. True to form, they released them at an entrance to the Ork Underground and sent them in to slaughter anyone they found. Coincidentally, the cyberhounds entered the Ork Underground near the PCs location. The dogs didn't last long.
 
Dent: "Hey, real meat is on the menu tonight!"
 
Audacity Jane: (to Happy Jack) "Why did you insist on subduing the last one?"
Happy Jack: "So Byte Force can reprogram it and have a guard dog."
Byte Force: "I can't afford to feed a dog. They eat meat."
Happy Jack: "Meat? What are you talking about? Dogs eat kibble, just like people do."
 
After stripping the cyberware out of the dead cyberhounds...
 
Happy Jack: "Let's make friends with our neighbors. I'm going to pay one of the restaurants to chop it up and cook it for us. Then we can we have a neighborhood party."
 
The neighbors turn out in droves for free meat. Enterprising restaurants and store owners start selling nutrisoy side orders to go along with meat. It turns into an impromptu street festival.
 
..And then the corporate security team walks into the Underground and up to the festival...
 
Security Captain: "We've tracked our stolen property to this area. We want it returned."
Byte Force: "Have some barbecue."
Security Captain: "We're not interested in food. We're interested in our missing property."
Byte Force: "Then have some barbecue."
Happy Jack: (interrupting) "Captain, would your property happen to be four dogs?"
Security Captain: "You have seen our property."
Happy Jack: "So your property ran in and killed three of our neighbors?"
Large crowd of orks and trolls: "..."
Security Captain: "Um..." (pause) "Our property was stolen. We had no control over that. What happened to the dogs after that?"
Happy Jack: (grins) "They ran into me."
 
While the Security Captain was distracted, No-Step walked up behind him and yanked some hair out of his head.
 
Security Captain: "Hey!" (aiming weapons at No-Step)
Audacity Jane: "Captain, if any of you touch that skinny shaman, every man, woman and child here will kill you."
(long pause, as everyone freezes)
Audacity Jane: "Of course ... if you attack the troll, we're just going to sit back and laugh."
Security Guard #1: (to Happy Jack) "The orks don't seem to like you much, troll."
Eye Spy: "We like the troll just fine. We won't miss you lot, though."
Security Guard #2: "He's not even armed, and we have..."
...SHHKKKKKKKKKKT...
(Happy Jack had pulled a blade out of his jacket and yanked open the telescoping handle, turning it into a polearm.)
Audacity Jane: "You have SMGs. He's bulletproof. His polearm has Dikote, so it's going to cut through your armor like butter."
Security Captain: (trying to regain control of the situation) "We're not here for a fight. We're just here to retrieve our property."
Happy Jack: "Have some barbecue. Take it back to your corporation. Run some DNA tests on it. That's as much of your property as you can salvage."
(pause as the security team realizes what happened to the cyberhounds)
Security Captain: "What about the cyberware? You didn't eat that. We'd like it back."
Happy Jack: "Go talk to your corporate medics and wage mages. If they can find a way to bring our neighbors back from the dead, we'll see about getting your cyberware back."
Security Captain: "The people who stole the dogs are responsible for the deaths."
Happy Jack: "If we learn anything about the thieves, we'll be happy to pass the information on to you. But your negligence contributed to the situation."
(the security team turns to leave)
Happy Jack: "Captain, your corporation managed to generate a fair amount of ill-will through today's events. Let your bosses know that we would consider it a gesture of goodwill if they set aside an appropriate amount of money for the bereaved families."
Security Captain: "I'll mention it, but I can't guarantee anything."
No-Step: (holding up the strands of the captain's hair) "Persuade them, Captain."
 
After the security team leaves...
 
Dent: "How did they track the dogs to this spot? Tracer chips in the dogs' cyberware?"
Happy Jack: "And that's why we always throw stuff into farraday cages."

Bulletproof Samaritan - Flying Brick 
Hombre Panthera - Were-Jaguar 
<UTF> (Universal Translation Fail - his name is never said the same way twice.) - 2 headed alien with Luck Manipulation and a ray gun.
 
We introduced a new character to the group last session: Ivy.
 
Ivy's a descendant of the druids living in a magically shielded location in Canada's far NW. She has druid magic powers over plants and animals etc. 
 
Scene: Ivy is out front of the UN Building giving a (boring) speech about the damage that pollution and over industrialisation are doing to the world.
The other heroes have come along to hear her speak. Hombre Panthera is an environmentalist and keen. The other two are curious as Ivy has been in the news of late as she has made her way across North America on a public awareness raising tour. 
 
Ivy is holding up a small branch from a rare species of tree as an example of what pollution is doing. <UTF> is bored and so he adjusts the dial on his luck manipulator "to make something interesting happen." 
Ivy feels her magic go off involuntarily and the branch grows into very large, fully grown pine tree. It starts falling toward the crowd but it's caught by Bulletproof Samaritan just in the nick of time.
 
Samaritan: (nods toward <UTF>) He fiddled with his knob and she got wood.
Ivy (wondering how her magic could have activated without her will): I will have to get to the root of this problem.
Hombre Panthera (pretending to be sick of the jokes): We should leaf it here.
<UTF> (supporting Hombre's suggestion): We should branch off at some point...
 
My girlfriend comes into the room wondering what all the laughing is about:
 
My GF (OOC): It took me a moment to twig, but I caught on.

Bulletproof Samaritan - Flying Brick 
Hombre Panthera - Were-Jaguar 
<UTF> (Universal Translation Fail - his name is never said the same way twice.) - 2 headed alien with Luck Manipulation and a ray gun.
 
We introduced a new character to the group last session: Ivy.
 
Ivy's a descendant of the druids living in a magically shielded location in Canada's far NW. She has druid magic powers over plants and animals etc. 
 
Scene: Ivy is out front of the UN Building giving a (boring) speech about the damage that pollution and over industrialisation are doing to the world.
The other heroes have come along to hear her speak. Hombre Panthera is an environmentalist and keen. The other two are curious as Ivy has been in the news of late as she has made her way across North America on a public awareness raising tour. 
 
Ivy is holding up a small branch from a rare species of tree as an example of what pollution is doing. <UTF> is bored and so he adjusts the dial on his luck manipulator "to make something interesting happen." 
Ivy feels her magic go off involuntarily and the branch grows into very large, fully grown pine tree. It starts falling toward the crowd but it's caught by Bulletproof Samaritan just in the nick of time.
 
Samaritan: (nods toward <UTF>) He fiddled with his knob and she got wood.
Ivy (wondering how her magic could have activated without her will): I will have to get to the root of this problem.
Hombre Panthera (pretending to be sick of the jokes): We should leaf it here.
<UTF> (supporting Hombre's suggestion): We should branch off at some point...
 
My girlfriend comes into the room wondering what all the laughing is about:
 
My GF (OOC): It took me a moment to twig, but I caught on.

Ian is now so notorious that people that have never played DayZ can use him as a point of reference. "Have you heard about that server with the forest no-one goes into?" "Yes."

He has invited one of our mutual friends to join him on the server. The plan is to dress identically, and have a common soundboard. So when one party of idiots flees from the Pigman, they'll run around the corner of a building and find him waiting for them. Using the same "Reeeeeeee, gonna get you, little fishies" soundbites.

As part of an ongoing attempt to help one of the team, a genetically engineered super soldier (TAO or Tactically Augmented Organism) learn there's more to life than combat missions, the female members of the team have an extended "Ladies' night" After hearing one of them refer to it as a slumber party, TAO does some online research that results in this statement:
 
"In preparation for the slumber party operation I have downloaded a list of appropriate activities: making humorously deceptive phone calls to former sexual partners, the consumption of frozen diary products and uncooked cookie mixture, the exchange of trivial unsupported facts about the social lives of others and, according to several of the training videos: mock combat with sleeping cushions while wearing diaphanous garments that leads to noncommittal lesbian sex play is a standard procedure."

Maybe, the tenancy of pretty much everyone to extremely overstate threats in an effort to 'shock' stimulate interest or more frequently funding has made me take most of these style of claims with a grain of salt.   
 
After we get a gander at what they are using as their data pool and some of their actual information, then we'll see. 
 
Could it be true?  Absolutely.  Will I believe them based on one article repeated on Yahoo?  Not Spence "the glass is half empty" Sanders

Campaign: Heroes for Hire
 
Dramatis Personae: 
 
Darkstar; Dark force energy projector and manipulator.
Hombre Panthera; shape changing were-jaguar.
<Universal Translator Fail> A two-headed Alternative Earth alien. His name is never said the same way twice. Luck powers and a ray gun. (Hereafter called <UTF>. )
 
<UTF> is being surveilled by anti-alien racists The Exterminators (from 4e). The Exterminators have also kidnapped an alien from off the streets (aliens DO walk among us in this campaign.) We have been hired by the missing alien's sister to find and rescue him. Lacking any good leads we decide to use <UTF> as bait for a trap. 
 
Darkstar: What we need is some sort of bait that they can take and then we can follow them to their base.
Darkstar and Hombre Panthera look at <UTF>.
<UTF>  Why is everyone looking at me?
 
Lacking a proper tracking device we give <UTF> a flying surveillance drone with the intent that he can let it out when he's at the bad guy base.
 
Darkstar: Here's the tracking device. All you have to do is hide it on yourself.
 
<UTF> takes device, reaches around behind himself, into his pants and, um, inserts it.
 
Darkstar: Um, you could just keep it in a pocket or something.
<UTF>: No, no. They might search my pockets. 
Hombre Panthera: So this is a flying drone? What happens if I operate the joystick like this?
<UTF> Nngyyahhh.
 
We know The Exterminators have kidnapped people from an itinerant day worker pick up spot. We decide we will send <UTF> there in the morning. Since it's late now we hit the sack to get a fresh start early in the morning.
 
Darkstar: You know, you can take the drone out for now. We're not going anywhere until morning.
 
awkward pause.
 
<UTF>  They might try to kidnap me in the night.
Darkstar: That's not very likely...
<UTF> You don't know that! 

Yesterday while playing we had a hero get the title "Doctor Thunder: Shocker of heroes, Killer of moms, thrower of couches."

Campaign: Heroes for Hire
 
Dramatis Personae: 
 
Darkstar; Dark force energy projector and manipulator.
Hombre Panthera; shape changing were-jaguar.
<Universal Translator Fail> A two-headed Alternative Earth alien. His name is never said the same way twice. Luck powers and a ray gun. (Hereafter called <UTF>. )
 
<UTF> is being surveilled by anti-alien racists The Exterminators (from 4e). The Exterminators have also kidnapped an alien from off the streets (aliens DO walk among us in this campaign.) We have been hired by the missing alien's sister to find and rescue him. Lacking any good leads we decide to use <UTF> as bait for a trap. 
 
Darkstar: What we need is some sort of bait that they can take and then we can follow them to their base.
Darkstar and Hombre Panthera look at <UTF>.
<UTF>  Why is everyone looking at me?
 
Lacking a proper tracking device we give <UTF> a flying surveillance drone with the intent that he can let it out when he's at the bad guy base.
 
Darkstar: Here's the tracking device. All you have to do is hide it on yourself.
 
<UTF> takes device, reaches around behind himself, into his pants and, um, inserts it.
 
Darkstar: Um, you could just keep it in a pocket or something.
<UTF>: No, no. They might search my pockets. 
Hombre Panthera: So this is a flying drone? What happens if I operate the joystick like this?
<UTF> Nngyyahhh.
 
We know The Exterminators have kidnapped people from an itinerant day worker pick up spot. We decide we will send <UTF> there in the morning. Since it's late now we hit the sack to get a fresh start early in the morning.
 
Darkstar: You know, you can take the drone out for now. We're not going anywhere until morning.
 
awkward pause.
 
<UTF>  They might try to kidnap me in the night.
Darkstar: That's not very likely...
<UTF> You don't know that! 

Moon Knight
 
Val Char Cost
20 STR 10
18 DEX 24
20 CON 20
12 BODY 4
18 INT 8
11 EGO 2
20 PRE 10
18 COM 4
8 PD 4
6 ED 2
4 SPD 12
8 REC 0
40 END 0
32 STUN 0
Total Characteristics Cost: 100 Points
 
Cost Skills
3 Acrobatics 13-
2 AK: New York City 11-
3 Breakfall 13-
6 Combat Luck +3 rPD +3 rED
4 Combat Piloting [Combat Aircraft & Helicopters] 13-
3 Criminology 13-
2 Deep Cover [steve Grant]
3 Disguise 13-
3 Fast Draw 13-
3 High Society 13-
3 Interrogation 13-
4 Martial Block
4 Martial Dodge
4 Martial Strike
3 Martial Throw
5 Money: Well Off
3 Navigation [Air & Ground] 13-
5 Offensive Strike
2 PS: Cab Driver 11-
1 Rep: Crime Fighter 8-
3 Shadowing 13-
3 Stealth 13-
3 Streetwise 13-
Total Skills Cost: 75 Points
 
Cost Powers
10 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED, OIF: Costume (-1/2)
5 Armor +5 rPD +5 rED, Only Under A Full Moon (-2)
30 Multipower (45 Points) OIF: Weapons Belt (-1/2)
1 u) EB 6d6, [16c] (-0), OAF: Crescent Darts (-1)
1 u) EB 3d6, NND [LS: Self Contained] (+1), No Range (-1/2), [16c] (-0), OAF: Chloroform (-1)
2 u) Entangle 3d6 DEF 3, Takes No Damage (+1/2), [8c/Recoverable] (-0), OAF: Crescent Darts (-1)
2 u) Flight 5", 16x NCM, Use Simultaneously (+1/2), Invisible [Hearing] (+1/4), OIF: Helicopter (-1)
1 u) Gliding 15", OIF: Cape (-1/2)
1 u) HA +2d6, HTH Attack (-1/2), No END (+1/2), OAF: Truncheon (-1)
1 u) Stretching 5", No END (+1/2), OAF: Truncheon (-1)
1 u) Swinging 15", OAF: Truncheon (-1)
3 ES: PER +4, Only Under A Full Moon (-2), OAF: Ankh (-1)
5 ES: RPT, OAF: Radio (-1)
8 Mental Defense 10 Points
2 Running +14
2 STR +10, NFC (-1/2), Can Not Use With Truncheon (-1/2), Only Under A Full Moon (-2)
Total Powers Cost: 75 Points
 
Total Cost: 250 Points
 
150+ Disadvantages
5 DNPC: Marlene Alraune (Useful Normal) 8-
5 DNPC: Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp (Useful Normal) 8-
10 Hunted: CIA (More Powerful/NCI/Watch) 8-
10 Hunted: The Committee (As Powerful) 8-
20 Normal Characteristics Maxima
20 PsyL: Devoted To Justice (Very Common/Strong)
20 PsyL: Protective Of Innocents (Very Common/Strong)
10 SocL: Secret Identity [Marc Spector/Steve Grant/Jake Lockley] (Occasionally/Major)
Total Disadvantages Cost: 250 Points