The Vital Trideography of John Carpenter, part 3. Big Trouble in Little China

 John Carpenter may not be the first filmmaker that comes to mind as the creator of the dystopian future genre, but he came damned close. Films from his golden era set the tone for everything Shadowrun, including the addition of magic. Mr. Black will take you through 6 of his groundbreaking and iconic films, and illustrate what a GM can take from them and add to his or her game.

We are doing 6, in chronological order: We have covered Escape from New York, and The Thing. Now we cover one of Mr. Black’s all-time favorites, the true glory that is Big Trouble in Little China (BTiLC). Spoilers ahead, so grab your Six Demon Bag, and settle in. We have lots to cover…

(But before we do, Mr. Black needs to address an issue of cultural appropriation. There are some who have problems with BTiLC over its use of Asian culture. We will be looking at this movie and its applications through Mr. Black’s eyes, an angry Caucasian grognard. Mr. Black apologizes in advance for any anger and/or hurt he may cause, as that is not his intent. Dear Readers, you have been warned…)

“I’m a reasonable guy, but I’ve just experienced some very unreasonable things." — Jack Burton

1. BTiLC places magick, specifically,  “Chinese Black Magick”, into a mundane world. It is worth thinking about Jack Burton’s slack jaw as he is exposed to the magick. He and the other “Westerners” experience shock, fear, and true awe*. We as gamers are so used to magick in our games and entertainment, that it barely registers. But we need to remember it is rare. Channel Jack, Gracie and Margo’s fear and wonder, and apply it to the mundanes in your games.

   
   

   

   Scares the drek out of Mr. Black!

2. This is one of the few “Hollywood” movies that show us magickal martial arts. Embrace this! Adepts do not fight like a cybrawler or a street samurai. Channel Wang Chi at the wedding fight when describing the actions of enemy adepts when they start smacking your crew about. Describe their unnatural grace, their inhuman speed, the preternatural glow their limbs give off when Killing Hands or Elemental strikes are used. Facing a martial adept should be a frightening experience.

   
   

   

   He is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum...

3. BTiLC is often praised for the way it portrays Jack Burton and Wang Chi. It appears initially that Jack is our hero, but on rewatching it is Wang Chi who is actually our hero and our protagonist. Reflect on their changing roles, when you give time to let each character shine in your games.

4. There are 2 “warrior societies”, the Wing Chung and the Chang Sing in BTiLC. They are our stand-ins for the Triads in the trideo. Use them for interesting encounters. The Triads of Shadowrun should be full of low status gangbangers, cybered-up mid level members practicing various martial arts, and high flying masters of martial arts and physical adepts performing trust badassery. If they are just “Asian-looking guys” with guns, why make them Triad members? Use their uniqueness, create a special and memorable encounter for your players.

   
   

   

   The Yellow Lotus are here to say hello...

5. We get a good look at a “Chinatown”. We should remember it is more than just pagodas, guardian lions and out-of-place spirit gates. It is a living, breathing place, a home for immigrants. It is full of regular businesses, not just take out places and mahjong parlors. Tell your players about the smells coming from restaurants, the signage in various characters and syllabaries, the sounds of multiple languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, CitySpeak, and likely some sort of pigeon tongue), the bustle, people everywhere, most in Western or semi-Western wear, but some in traditional (more likely “reformed”) Hanfu or Tang style clothing. Use the differences (e.g., in the opening gang fight of BTiLC, one of the gangs wears white, the traditional mourning color of Chinese culture) as a reminder that it is a foreign place, but not alien. And depending on its size, walking tours (or ARo tours) would not be out of place, and great fun for GM’s (a running gun battle sidestepping tourists, people taking selfies with buskers in traditional outfits, gamers chasing special “Tomogatchi-Ko”** icons, hawkers peddling “real” “Peking Duck”, lion dancers, and wedding/funeral parties/parades? Sign Mr. Black up!)

6. The Three Storms. 

   
   

   

   What GM worth their salt doesn’t want to throw these 3 at their players? Even though good old Mr. Black’s trench coat is blacker than Vantablack, we still get chills whenever Lightning enters from the Heavens on his preternatural blue bolt. If you ever wanted to unleash the full magickal, mystical force of Shadowrun on your players, these three gentlemen are where to start. Don’t worry too much about stating them out. After all, if you haven’t drunk Egg Shen’s potion you can’t truly hurt them!

   
   

7. Never forget Lo Pan. 

   

   He’s never forgotten you!

   Not the truest face of evil. He is no Noah Cross. But he is a greater personnel threat. Need an ancient terror for your game? He is your man. Need a soulless murderous sociopath with money and local power? Lo Pan is your man. Need a smart dressing smack talking spellcaster capable of shredding your Crew? Lo Pan is your man! And do you need all of the above wrapped in a sympathetic goal, to regain his humanity? Lo Pan is still your man! Better yet, confound your players by blinding them with magick, sicing monsters on them, and condemning them to the Hell of the Upside-Down Corpses, all while doing your best kindly Mr. Ping impression!

   

   And you were not put on this Earth to “get it”!

8. Egg Shen. Kindly old wizard, or eternal philosopher-sorcerer in the shenguai xiaoshuo*** tradition? You decide. Of all the strange events and beings in BTiLC, he just might be the strangest.

   

   An American Legend

9. And lastly, Mr. Black just wants it on record that James Hong is a Goddess blessed American treasure. Born in Minneapolis, served in the Korean conflict, with 142 films (and counting) and countless TV appearances. He embraces his ethnicity and his country of birth, and always entertains while doing it. In his 90’s, he teaches a new generation of AAPI actors, and doesn’t even have a star on the Walk of Fame. If anyone in the film business deserves an American Medal of Freedom, it is James Hong.

*an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime.

**Tomogatchi-Ko is a AR trideo game similar to Pokémon Go. Special areas of a city (or those willing to pay the designers a fee) have unique “battle gatchi” to capture.

***Shenguai Xiaoshuo is a traditional Chinese literature that roughly translates to “Gods and Demons”. It concerns immortal beings fighting each other. Has Egg Shen been waging his war a lifetime, or since the demon Lo Pan was cursed with “no flesh” centuries before… Mr. Black has more to say about mixing Chinese classics and culture with Shadowrun, but that is for another post.

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...

10-in-Ten, Glow Deer Edition

 Jason A Wedel over the the Shadowrunners’ Union FB group posted about the use of reflective paint on deer, which is an actual real thing. Go figure, neh? But of course it triggered both Mr. Black’s mnemonic enhancer and cerebral booster (go EVO or go home, says mr. Black!) and so we get this, a fresh 10-in-Ten. For those new around here, a 10-in-Ten is 10 ideas for runs, just enough to get you going, no stats, totally (okay, just mostly) edition agnostic. This time, we have a livestock issue.

Yep, they glow!

And just before we get started, here are links to 

Glowing Reindeer

Not so glowing reindeer

Armed with all this, let’s dive in.

1. The town of Shelbyville recently found the local deer population has Awakened. Trids have popped up all over about the deer with glowing antlers. This naturally created problems, between thousands of folks showing up to see them, which snarled up traffic and parking, trampled all the local scenery, and ran the Likkle Splick diner out of chicken fried steak and Wanda’s World Famous Chuckleberry Cobbler. But events turned dire when the talisleggers showed up and started poaching deer. Bad enough they don’t have licenses or permits. But trespassing can get people killed around here. And the ‘leggers are scaring the tourists. The town council wants this controlled, quick. Can a crew of runners, media savvy enough to act in a way that will keep any bad news off the Matrix, but good enough to still run the ‘leggers off, before any locals or those money spending tourists get hurt?

2. And soon things are going to go bad. Small-time talisleggers are one thing. But when the Triads or Koshari come a-knockin’, you know the drek’s gone sideways. The Crew better bring their AAA game, because when the Three Storms show up, it’s all gone real retrograde.

   

   Can the Crew come out and play?

   
   Better hope a local alchemist can whip up some Chuckleberry Brew, so one can see things that can’t be seen, and do things that can’t be done. Sadly, chuckleberries are out of season, but there is a small Corp-run greenhouse over in Springfield that has them year ‘round…

3. And if this isn’t enough, with less hunting, (the kiddies want to pet the glow deer and post about it on Twanger and MeTube, not see them bloodily murdered) the deer have been quietly devouring the local crops. Someone is going to have to stop Old Man Clayton from doing it loud, from the back of his pickup, while blaring “Drinking Beer and Wasting Bullets'' Is the Crew up to culling 20-30 glow deer, quietly, off the record, on the Q.T., and very hush-hush?

4. And if news of a cull gets out, TerraFirst! is bound to come calling. That is if they can elbow their way in past Sierra Inc., those Gaia’s Orphans hippies, GenePeace investigators and ALF protesters. Does the Crew have enough political savvy, fixer contacts, surveillance drones, and good old fashion muscle to help Sheriff Ponder keep the peace? And how is your Michael Rooker impression?

   

   And how do you look in capezios?

   
   

5. Speaking of the Sheriff, the locals will have some problems with the influx of new faces. All these hunters and poachers are sure to uncover some hidden stills, pot farms and other less-than-ethical activities. Does the crew help out the law, or Mags Bennet, queenpin  of Shelbyville, and her Bennet boys? And how is your Margo Martinsdale impression?

   

   And how is your glass of Apple Pie?

   
   

6. All this new activity is bound to interrupt “the Shelby Slot”, a drek hot T-Bird run that used to pass nearby, through a valley outside town. But all these poachers, talisleggers, AnimalsFirst! types, tourists, and out-of-town criminals are getting in the way. Bad enough some poacher takes the occasional potshot at a T-Bird, but trideos going up everywhere? That drek has got to drop! Can the Crew intercede to keep the peace? And how is your Harrison Ford impression?

   

   Mr. Black chooses this smuggler, but voice from Anchorman 2...

   
   

7. And speaking even more of Sheriff Ponder, 2080 has put the “uncivil” in “civil forfeiture”. If the Crew can’t stay on his good side, it is bound to go badly. Say, just how much is that GMC Bulldog worth, you know with all those spitting-hot modifications?

8. And while all this is going on, Old Man Clayton found some local boys trespassing and poaching glow deer on his land. So now they are full of rock salt and buckshot. Doc Quinn says they need a hospital. Can the Crew, in their Van (assuming they can get it out of impound), take the Frey brothers up to the Crash Cart facility up the line, quiet like? Sally May Frey is sure to be thankful, and Mrs. Frey makes the best Chuckleberry pie in Shelbyville.

   

   Very thankful. But no kissing...

   
   

9. And now that things have quieted down, Shelbyville may fall apart. While the town council is busy setting up tourist arrangements new parking, new hotels, better photo opportunities, road widening, etc., and all the new taxes to pay for it), and 2 neighbors are feuding  over whose “Glow Deer Cookies” are the “original”, and half the town is angry about some outsider Springfield trash opening a new diner (truthfully, there is enough business for a third…) that dares to serve “Better Than Famous Cobbler”, factions have shown up. The “townsfolk” faction wants the glow deer protected. They see all those fat nuyen coming in with the deer. Tourist money, endorsements, licensing, etc. Hell, the Likkle Splick is doing booming business shipping its Chuckleberry Cobbler, and there is talk of setting up a facility for more goods (Glow Deer Beer, Glow Deer Berry Preserves, etc.) and a shipping hub. All of this might keep some of the young folks in town. The “upcountry”  faction wants hunting of the deer, but for locals only. They want to start selling glow deer jerky and flash frozen venison steaks. And glow deer antlers of course. While glow deer drop their antlers like any deer, they only glow while still attached. Talismongers are willing to pay for both. (Big time. Lisa Frey is rumored to have gotten 35,000 nuyen for a pair of 16-point antlers.) And finally Boss Hoggerty wants this whole thing turned into a farming operation. Big business means big profits of course. And Boss Hoggerty has the money to do it. Can the Crew resist Hoggerty’s cash? Or will this go all Yojimbo/Fist Full of Dollars/Last Man Standing? Lots of options, and so little time…

   

   The face of trouble, and lots of money

   
   

10. Because having run out the ‘leggers, calming down the town, faced down the Triads, having dealt with all the infighting (and the advances of Widow/Widower Jenkins, who has a little mileage on her/him, but still a MILF/FILF, and runs a nice little Matrix Chuckleberry preserves operation), the biggest foe of all is coming. Yep, one of the Mega’s is coming to town. And they want it all. The tourism, the talismonger biz, the non-Awakened glow deer biz, the Chuckleberry action, everything. They even have plans for prime time trideos, and sending “Santa and Grudolf, the Glow Horned Reindeer” on tour, all over the world. Whether they buy out everyone, or just buy the rights to everything, or run everyone off is up to the Crew. And how much they like nuyen, or Widower Jenkins…

11. And none of this accounts for the arrival and manifestation of a Great Spirit form of the glow deer, in the middle of town square, during the Christmas holiday season! Can you say “Riftmas”? Does one of the major magickal groups show up as well? Do we really need to throw the Dunkelzhan Institute, the Atlantean Foundation, the Painted Horse Lodge, even the Black Lodge/Ordo Maximus in the mix?

    

    You know Mr. Black had to go there sooner or later...

    
    

And none of this includes the fact that, if this is out of Seattle, or about half of North America, then this all goes down in or near NAN lands. Can this go all Banshee on us real quick? Does your Crew possess ID good enough for a border crossing? Do they need to be smuggled in? And if so, how is your Nathan Fillion impression?

Do you dare to pit your Crew against Tsimshian Dogmen, redneck hunters, Aztechnology Leopard Guards, Boss Hoggerty and his henchmen, eco-terrorists, the Widow Jenkins, the Triads, Koshari talisleggers, toxic spirits, lonely farmers daughters/sons, the Atlantean Foundation, the Bennett’s, and Crotchety Old Man Clayton, who may or may not be one of the deadliest street samurai ever, hiding out in the sticks? All while little Cindy Lou Who just wants a picture with the “glowy deers”? 

Your Crew is going ruin her Christmas
and make cry, aren’t they?

And remember, save room for pie when passing through Duckabush!

The Vital Trideography of John Carpenter, Part 2

 John Carpenter may not be the first filmmaker that comes to mind as the creator of the dystopian future genre, but he came damned close. Films from his golden era set the tone for everything Shadowrun, including the addition of magic. Mr. Black will take you through 6 of his groundbreaking and iconic films, and illustrate what a GM can take from them and add to his or her game.

Spoilers ahead, let’s dig in, in chronological order: Last time we did Escape from New York. This time we cover The Thing. So buckle in, check your flamethrower fuel, and let’s visit a classic.

1. Let’s start with the setting. A science base at the bottom of the world. In true horror style, it is isolated, and cut off from the world. It is a harsh, deadly environment, with no place to go, and there is no place to escape from what is about to happen. Let’s put it this way: DocWagon ain’t showing up to save anyone anytime soon.

   

   No one is showing up anytime soon..

   
   Sounds like a great place for a Big Ten Corp to set up a research station that they don’t want anyone to interfere with. And you can use this in your game. Pick a place close enough for the Crew to get there, but far enough away that help can’t show up. Choose a place isolated from civilization, and all its support*. No Matrix, no hospital, no police, no contacts coming to rescue them. The gear they have fits in the single carryon they could bring with them. The small Cessna C753 seaplane that brought them in has left.

   

   No one is showing up here either...

    The fuel cells on the YNT Delfins that transported them are dry. The sled dogs can’t be trusted. Cut them off. This is smarts over warez time.

2. The key horror of The Thing is body horror. This is the complete loss of control of our very physical being, and that control given to an uncaring alien force with the the ability to warp our human frame to its desires. Body horror is right up Shadowrun’s wheelhouse. Between uncaring corporations doing vile experiments, the inhumanity of cyberware, the attack on metahumanity by shape shifting AI’s and spirits, and the possession capabilities of some of them, body horror is at the base of Shadowrun’s burgeoning transhumanity. Use it!

   

   I am still a man! Please put the improved flamethrower away!

   
   

3. Use words that cause unease in your audience. Words like moist, crevice, orifice, secrete, and squirt. Remember, you cannot gross out the characters at your table, only your players. Use language that makes them cringe. If you are lucky, they will translate their emotional distress to their characters via roleplaying. 

   

   Moist, secreting orifices, coming right at you...

   
   

4. Invest in that unease. It is hard, but with a little work, and maybe some time with a thesaurus, it can be done. Channel those scenes where the creature possesses people, and warps itself. Describe all the inhuman details to your players. Never give them generalities. Don’t say, “The scientist’ head falls off, legs appear and it walks away.” Compare that with, “Paul’s head suddenly crooks to the side, at an unnatural angle. His mouth opens, and a high pitched sound comes from it. Then the head, Paul’s head, slides down his lab coat. You can hear bones crack, and cartilage pop. His neck stretches and parts, like a candy bar of caramel and nougat, stringy and moist, but red like blood. Long thin moist tendrils extend from Paul’s neck, whipping around with an inhuman intelligence. Paul’s lab coat is smeared with a bubbly pink mucus, as the last strands of his neck give way, and his head hits the floor with a wet plop. Thin crab-like legs extend from the orifices of Paul’s head, and it scurries off, towards the one way out of this room…”

   

   Hi! My name is Paul’s head...

   
   

5. Note how I kept mentioning “Paul’s” head. This is an example of using proper nouns to create immersion. By using his name, we are emphasizing his humanity, even as it is brutally taken from him. You need to make the NPC’s human to the players. No one cares when nameless mooks die. Kill 1, kill 100, they are just fodder and statistics. You need your players to empathize with the NPC’s before you kill them. Give them names. Give them traits. Give them hopes and dreams. After all, if Paul, the microbiologist with a girlfriend back in Seattle, who kindly shared his sesame krill treats with Blue Dawg the soy-allergic Troll decker can be possessed, by this thing, then no one is safe…

   

   One of us is going to betray you. Can you guess which one?

   
   

6. This use of proper nouns also aids creating paranoia. If you have 10 nameless faceless mooks and Paul, not only is it easy to guess who the thing is, but there is no tension when mooks betray you. Because only people you trust can betray you, and it awfully hard to trust “nameless person in a lab coat #2”. So spend some time with them. Think about Alien. We get to know them all quite well before the horror starts. Mr. Black is willing to bet that most of you can name the cat in Alien right now...

   

   SAY MY NAME YOU WORTHLESS GUTTER BUNNY!

   
   

7. And if we are giving names to the NPC’s, the thing does NOT get one. This Trideography is called The Thing for a reason. Because as soon as you name it, you give the players power over it. If you call it a Wendigo, or a Black Annis, your players will know they can kill it, and how. And then all the paranoia and fear you have worked so hard to create is gone, just like that. Even if the thing IS a shedem or an insect spirit, never confirm it to the players. When their characters suggest it, have the NPC’s deny it. “So you're saying a undead-like spirit creature from another dimension is possessing them? That’s crazy talk! How does that even work? I mean I am a professor of Advanced Thaumaturgy and Metamagicks, and it just doesn’t work that way!”

   

   I am a professor of Advanced Thaumaturgy,
   University of Washington State! I am perfectly fine!

   
   

8. The Thing, in Shadowrun terms, is a textbook example of insect spirit possession. An alien, non-human entity, takes over people, and warps their bodies and very souls to its non-mammalian will. Some may appear human on the outside, but on the inside, they want you to join them and create more inhuman spies. Just abdicate your intellect and you will be safe. And there is no harmonious space to share. You are either one of them, or just a future host. If you want to introduce insect spirits to your game in a controllable way, The Thing is a good template. Just the Crew and 10-15 scientist/researchers/fodder for nightmares…

9. While Mr. Black has much more to say about horror both in Shadowrun and at your table, The Thing is a good start. Follow the notes here until Mr. Black adds more.

*Around Seattle, sea floor research facilities abound in the turbulent waters of Puget Sound. And the NAN Salish Council lands can be isolated enough, especially during winter. Try the Cascade Ork lands, full of polluted mining projects, acid snow, and a repressed tribal people who dislike foreigners, non-NAN members, pink skins and breeders, in ascending order of hatred. Or try the top of a skyscraper, the top thirty floors cut off. Or a vast, deep basement of a research lab, with the elevator power out, and 300 meters of reinforced concrete between them and daylight. Or a facility in Glow City, for a The Thing-lite version. Toxic insect spirits anyone?

The Vital Trideography of John Carpenter, Part 1

 John Carpenter may not be the first filmmaker that comes to mind as the creator of the dystopian future genre, but he came damned close. Films from his golden era set the tone for everything Shadowrun, including the addition of magic. Mr. Black will take you through 6 of his groundbreaking and iconic films, and illustrate what a GM can take from them and add to his or her game.

Spoilers ahead, let’s dig in, in chronological order: first up, Escape from New York. 

1. At first blush, this classic actioner is about a prisoner forced to rescue someone in an apocalyptic hell zone. But it is so much more. Replace “futuristic government” with mega-corporation, and you can take a fresh new look at any of the mega’s black ops divisions. Too often we think of the mega’s as just modern-day companies with guns. But they really aren’t. They are the most powerful of Shadowrun’s nation states. They have more money, and more tech than any current nation state other than the US of A. And while the mega’s militaries may not be as big, they are the biggest of their time. And their operational commitment and decisiveness dwarfs that of any current country. Any modern state would take a highly trained, patriotic volunteer. But not the US of Escape from New York. They grab a criminal, give him a 24 hour window of success or death. Basically a Shadowrunner. They don’t really care about him, only the safe extraction of their “CEO”. Just like a Shadowrun. Really, Escape from New York is a Shadowrun, the extraction of a board member trapped in the Barrens, that no one can know about. Think about the ruthlessness of that government, and the vicious shadowy ops they execute to stay in power, and to gain even the smallest bit more.

   

   The Ready Room of your local Mega Corp

   
   

2. Speaking of the Barrens, the New York of the movie is a good replica of the Barrens of Seattle, or really the Barrens of any city. When the Crew has to enter the Barrens, picture the trash strewn streets, the fear and desperation of the inhabitants, the abandoned buildings, the dread and hopelessness of the inhabitants. It is a forgotten realm, with it’s own power structure, that of might (the Duke) and knowledge (the Brain) with street level projections of power by various feral gangs in between. Show your players that dread, that dirt, that damaged social structure. If they need more, remember the initial furious gang attack, and replay it with feral ghouls. If they need a glimmer of hope in the darkness, channel your best Borgnine and give them the Cabbie.

   

   You can’t meet the Duke! Are you crazy? Nobody gets

   to meet the Duke. You meet him once and then you’re dead!

   
   

3. Last thing, this would be a good first mission. A plane crashes in the Barrens. It is all over the news. Not reported is who was on board, a VIP of one of the Mega’s. The party fixer summons the Crew, and they have to go now, before any other Mega steps in, and before news gets out of the passenger list. The loss of the VIP would cause stock prices to drop, and so an extraction is needed. Now, immediately.

   

   When this is your Mr. Johnson, you know it is bad...

   
   The Crew gets what they need to do the job (perhaps a vehicle, or whatever else is needed.) they are also handed a tracking device locked to the VIP’s tracking bracelet (think DocWagon, but just for internal company use) and a sat phone, so they can call in when it is time for the hand off. The tracker makes this a very linear mission, perfect for a first Run. You can lead the Crew from encounter to encounter. If you need to add some flavor, add in an electronic file the VIP was carrying (aka the briefcase in the film), something extra to track down. Perhaps a character with ties to the mega sending them in is given a secondary tracker for it. (Better yet, a character with ties to a rival mega! They want the info, and want their “inside man” to get it. Without anyone else knowing, not even their Crew mates! Use the “inside man” to help create some minor paranoia, and force a moral dilemma onto your players.) Or throw in a rival extraction team. Not a HTR team, no one wants the scream sheets to see what is really going on. (This hiding of the truth/duplicity is a key theme, both of the mission, and of Shadowrun in general. Use this mission to pound that theme into their smarmy gutter bunny heads, that these are shadow ops, that keeping your mouth shut and the truth from everything and everyone is the part and parcel of their existence, and the reason for their paydays.) No it is a dark mirror version of the Crew, a Belloq to their Indiana Jones. Use this doppelgänger Crew to push the players, to put a ticking clock on their characters. You don’t want any lollygagging about here. Give them places to be, street gangs to fight, an enemy to outrun/outthink, and a good payday afterwards. Let them keep the Rover 2080, the sat phone, any toys they got. (Except the trackers, those get returned.) For future paranoia, put trackers in them all. Give them some rather generous money, or that piece of tech/ware someone really wanted but couldn’t afford/legally buy. If they carry it out (and this is a starting Run, they WILL succeed) and keep their mouths shut, they will have a Johnson for life,

   

   Guess who has another job?

   
   and the thanks of a Corp VIP (or not. Like in the Trid, show them how much the high up muckety-mucks really care!) They will also have a Mega watching them, another pissed at them, and a rival Crew to sparp with. That is a lot of rich future roleplaying out of a “starter mission”! Take it, run it fast, and introduce your players to a new, savage, and engaging future, all the way from 1981!

Pork 5 Ways-Hellish Kitchen!

In Frankfurt, Germany, Mr. Black enjoyed eating at The Singapore-a Chinese restaurant (the ONLY one in Frankfurt!) that served a dish called Pork Five Ways-3 types of pork and 2 types of ham in a mild sauce. This new column is similar-a single element or Run concept, served up multiple ways. So heads up chummer, Mr. Black promises you at least 5 ways to pork, but there may be more. This time we have a star chef, a single recipe, and an adventure worth 3 stars (Mr. Black prefers the Michelin grading system.) How many ways can you serve it up?

1. Mr. Johnson needs to stay on the cutting edge. The cutting edge of food and catering that is. He wants the Crew to get the recipe for Chef Solon Greene's Soya Puffs with Krill and Tomato. Solon Greene is the head chef of the Depository on 6th Street, one of the hottest restaurant's in Seattle. There is a tight deadline, as Mr. J's client hoped to have Greene cater a party. Greene is otherwised booked, and the client wants no harm to come to Greene; the client plans on eating at The Depository on 6th Street many times in the future. But the soya puffs are someone's favorite, promises have been made, money talks and so a recipe is needed. Can the Crew break into Solon Greene's test kitchen and pry the recipe free without hurting the chef?

   

   so he is that kind of chef...

2. Uh oh! After successfully getting the recipe, the reason for amazing taste of the dish comes to light. A rare ingredient makes Chef Greene's puff sing. Purple-ribbed fern may be that ingredient. Mr. Johnson is back, and he needs the Crew to go into Ork Sinesereach to get some-and traipsing through Orc held Tribal lands won't be easy, especially with a now even tighter time table. How quickly did the Crew finish the last job? Well, that's how much time is left, and plenty of NuYen rides on a successful outcome. 
3. Mr. Johnson is not taking no for an answer. Solon Greene will be catering the party, whether he wants to or not. The Crew will have to extract Greene, escort him to party location, and keep him there. Keeping a gun to a cook's head is not ideal for turning out 3-star food, but the Crew is going to do what they have to do to make sure Soya Puffs with Krill and Tomato happen for 200 people.
   
4. Mr. Johnson needs a softer touch. He wants the other booking disrupted. Chef Greene is catering at NuFoods Seattle 2075 at the Marriott that weekend. The Crew will need to completely disrupt one of Seattle's premier food events. A single bomb threat ain't going to do it. Disrupting ProteanArtes LLC might; they are the host corp for Nufoods. Vaping their Matrix capabilities, sabotaging their offices, etc. might suffice. Sadly their offices are in Atlanta. That leaves hitting the venue hard, and on target. Doing anything to the hotel too early will just result in a change of venue. Too late and the chef will still be unavailable, and risks excessive collateral damage. Mr. Johnson is definitely NOT paying if most of the better chefs in Seattle end up dead! Can the Crew disrupt/sabotage an entire hotel at around Saturday at 3am?
5. Mr. Johnson needs Chef Solon Greene available for a catering event. Chef Solon is otherwised booked. So Mr. Johnson wants the crew to intervene with the other event's coordinator-and make them an offer they can't refuse. While the CEO of ProteanArtes LLC, Adrienne Brodier, could be the target, there are others lower down the totem pole who actually do the bookings and run the NuFoods tours. Hit too low and the target won't be able to do anything. Hit too high up the totem pole and the Crew will invite superior security and retribution.  Can the Crew convince Adrienne (or one of her agents) that Solon Greene needs firing?
6. There is another way to free up Chef Greene. It is slightly dangerous to both his reputation, and potentially the dinner party Mr. Johnson wants the chef to attend. And that is to sabotage The Dispensary on 6th Street, resulting in a massive food poisoning outbreak, ideally the week of the event. When several hundred people are in the hospital (or dead) NuFoods Seattle is bound to cancel Chef Solon's appearance, freeing him up for Mr. Johnson's event. Can the Crew stomach the potential deaths needed to pull this off?
7. Of course any GM worth his salt (Fleur del Sel of course) can add some spice by creating small “requests”. Perhaps a key guest is allergic to an ingredient, and the Crew has to help find a replacement. Or the wine selection is subpar, and a last minute replacement is needed. Better, there is an agent provocateur at the party, and the Crew must go undercover as servers to find and stop the agent!
8. And some GM's will need to put the heat on. There are several additional adversaries that can show up. Perhaps the Client's arch-nemesis, Trudy Beekman, agent provocateur of the pushy, showy 1%,  decides to send a runner team to get Solon Greene first, and bring the chef to Beekman's rival party scheduled for the same night. Perhaps protesters show up at the NuFoods Seattle show, getting in the way. Or at either party, chanting and waving signs and getting in the way. Or providing a cover for Runner Team Beekman. And as restaurants are always bad investements, perhaps Solon got creative with his financing. So any of the big OCO's can show up-the Mafia, Vory, Triads, Yakuza and more are in play. Don't be afraid to have a contact in your chosen crime family call his Runner friend and remind him/her that hitting The Depository on 6th Street will not go down well with the Family. Or the families of those poisoned hire some muscle/Runners to get revenge. Really need to stick the knife in? Make the Client or their spouse a retired Runner. Think Bull and his many, many friends, with years of gear, experience, and more contacts than your players could ever dream of.