Mr. Black's Guide for New Shadowrun Game Masters - Part 2, Let Them Simmer

In Part 1, we talked about getting out of the gates fast. In Part 2, we will be cooking the Crew like carnitas, low and slow. You (hopefully) brought them to a rapid boil in the first Run. Time to let off the heat and let them simmer.

Your Party had a great time (hopefully) and was successful (again, hopefully) on their first Run. But you can't stay at that high level of activity. Ideally, the characters in the Crew all have Contacts, Dependents, and even Day Jobs to maintain. You should give them the chance to do so. Additionally, you have a Grand Plot (still, hopefully) to start building on. This is the time to start the groundwork.

First, let your players make any adjustments to their character and their gear. They probably found some skills they needed and some they didn’t, some gear that is bad/redundant, and so on. Let them swap things around. If they really need a do over, let them work it out while their character is doing surveillance. It is really easy to take too much of a good thing/not enough of a needed thing, Qualities that don’t quite work for the character, either mechanically or otherwise, or a lack of day to day skills. Let them fix it now. We want clean, scrubbed down characters and happy players as early as possible.

He’s back!! And he has another job for the Crew...

Ideally, set up the second run. Have your fixer gather them up for a job. This job should have about a week to complete. This will allow the Crew to do by Legwork and run their Contacts, Dependants, Day Jobs, etc. Let them take their time and get everything done. After all, surveillance is boring. No one wants to roleplay sitting in the Van for 48 hours, pissing in old take out cups and crapping in a bucket. So let the surveillance happen in the background while you do some actual roleplay.

“Hello? Can we get some more soycaf?
We need the cups to urinate in...”

Start with their Contacts. Let the characters call them and set up deals, inquire on prices/availability, and generally shoot the breeze. This is the time to play up those quirks each contact has, and do some good role-playing. Use your arsenal of accents and funny voices. Take notes on which NPC’s resonate with the players. These will get more “stage time” in the future. Note which ones need a little something more. You can bump their cred later. 

Have those Dependents call up. Give it the full drama/guilt package. Channel the whole “Jewish Mother” trope. Give it to them hard, “When are you going to call, when are you going to visit, I’m sick and need a ride to the doctor, are you getting enough to eat when are you going to meet a nice person and settle down, when am I getting grandkids, I’m not getting any younger you know, when are you getting a real job, etc.” Do this for any and all Dependents. Child Dependents want to know why the character didn’t make it to that school event. Lovers remind them about the number of times they’ve been stood up. Parents remind them of missed family dinners and siblings who are more conventionally successful (“Your brother, the doctor, just got a senior position with DocWagon…”) And all of them want know when the character is going to stop by and visit, and whether they are coming for that holiday family meal. Apply it thick and heavy. Anyone can kidnap or threaten a Dependent. You want to force moral choices on characters. Make mom happy and show up for dinner or make the run? Hard choices are what we want. 

“Are you coming over for the Awakening Day barbecue?
You can bring your friends...”

Do the same with a Day Job. Maybe someone called in sick. Maybe the run needs to happen a day early because one of the characters works the best night to do it (if they don’t, they do now!) Remember, this and Dependent are Negative Qualities. So give them negative consequences! We are not trying to kill or hurt the characters, just make them live with the choices they made.

Sick those Enemies on them. We don’t want a fight just yet, just some foreshadowing. Start ramping up some paranoia. Is someone following the Crew? Maybe an Enemy is also casing the Crew’s target. Is a character Wanted? Then they get a call from a Contact saying someone is asking about them. Just start the conversation. There is plenty of time in later session for resolution. Save the fighting for later, you know, like during the run...

Remember to let everyone shine as well. Joe the Fixer may have dozens of people to talk to, but Stella the rigger needs some time as well. Give each player some time to schmooze and network. Give them little scares during legwork. Keep everyone occupied.

“But then that’s how it always starts, small.” - Egg Shen

Now is also the time to start dropping hints for future events. They should be small. A mention from a Contact. A snippet on the scream sheets. Just a little here or there. You want to seduce the Crew into your Vast Conspiracy. Smother them and they’ll bolt. So go lightly. After all this is only the second session! 

To recap, first session, boom-boom pow-pow. Second session, talky-talky walky-walky. First session fight and roll dice, second session talk and roleplay. That should settle everyone down for all your future wicked plans. You want them all relaxed when you clobber them later...