Month Of Chaos
By Blackjack [Blackjack's Shadowrun Page: www.BlackjackSR.com] [BlackjackSRx@gmail.com] [@BlackjackSRx]

Posted: 1996-06-17


>>>>>[Sable? Gunner? Hemlock? Anybody?????]<<<<<
-Magnum (22:18:32/02-01-21&89*#^@21k*(!#^.

-CONNECTION LOST-


Shadowland is down. The Johnsons are missing. Contacts are switching sides. Everywhere the runner goes somebody is taking a shot at him. And nobody knows who is responsible.

It is time for the runner to become the prey as opposed to the predator. A force is at work which seems determined to make the lives of all runners lives, not just the PC's, a living Hell. As the GM you have two options. You can use the following list of NPCs to create a scenario based on the above information in which the runners eventually find out who is behind this mysterious, illogical, and random wave of aggression. Or you can do what I plan on doing and let events run for exactly a month after which everything returns completely to normal. No explanations. No main bad guy to kill. Every lead is a dead end. Every NPC appears to be working on his or her own. Nothing makes sense.

The purpose of this whole thing is to shake up the PCs world. A perfect time to instigate the scenario would be after a long string of ordinary runs when the runners are comfortable with their characters, their apartments, their vehicles, and, basically, their lives. The world should change from its typical, semi-predictable self into a place of chaos. Even the weather should act in an insane manner. It should appear as if a spell has fallen over everyone but those who run the shadows. As if the whole universe has gone inexplicably mad. The hand of God on LSD.

Many of the following NPCs posses special abilities which violate Shadowrun norms and rules. This might also be a good time to throw in any wacked out NPCs of your own which were either too weird or too unrealistic to include in a normal run. When the chaos ends, they should simply vanish off the face of the earth. Many are also designed around the assumption that this run will take place is Seattle. If the runners attempt to leave the city the road will bring them nowhere.

Stonegate

Archetype: Troll Wanderer

Information: Stonegate's dermal plating has hardened to the consistency of rock and even for a troll he is enormous. He should appear in Seattle the day the chaos starts and reemerge periodically during the month, leaving the city the day the chaos ends. He is incredibly wise, although he rarely speaks and when he does it is with a cold, monotone, stony voice.

Vultaire

Archetype: Elven Sorcerer

Information: Appearing to have the powers of both a mage and shaman, Vultaire dresses like an old British aristocrat and carries a cane which he can change into any non-firearm weapon. His melee skills are virtually unbeatable, although he never kills or even harms an opponent. What he does do is drain one of their armed combat skill points away, adding it to his own.

Syed

Archetype: Human Street Cop

Information: Syed always appears as being very pale and sick. He has recently acquired the magical gift of telekinesis, but does not yet know how to control it. When the runners discover him he will be inside a bar where he has inadvertently killed everybody.

Proclom

Archetype: Human Decker

Information: The subject of a megacorporation experiment, Proclom has had all of his nerves replaced with wiring which has the ability to repair themselves and the flesh around them. The wires continually grow and regenerate and are slowly taking over his body. It is as if an artificially intelligent life form is slowly taking over Proclom's mind, a life form which wants to make all people like itself.

Cruger

Archetype: Human Cop

Information: Cruger is in charge of a highly skilled, military grade, response team which is armed with lots of weapons and warrants but no logic. They will be seen violently busting anybody for anything, from children to old ladies, and will eventually come after the runners. Cruger always uses the logic that he is doing the will of something he calls the Future God. The rest of Lone Star will deny their existence.

Mallacili

Archetype: Human Nightclub Owner

Information: The nightclub Hell's Gate will appear out of nowhere during the month of chaos. It is located in an old warehouse in a random Z district but attracts the best of Seattle's celebrities and socialites. Inside is nothing but open space. The music is a single, repeating, bass note which appears to be emanating out of nowhere. Light strobes with the beat, also appearing out of nowhere. Nobody inside will speak to the runners or even acknowledge their existence.

Bomb

Archetype: Ork Demolition Expert

Information: Using a fleet of heavily armored city masters, Bomb's unit will occasionally randomly destroy Seattle buildings, usually near where the runners are currently hiding out. Bomb, himself, never speaks except to give orders. Bullets don't appear to hurt him, although wounds are visible. The only way to kill Bomb is to blow him up.

Taliot

Archetype: Human Mage

Information: Taliot possesses the power of teleportation which she uses to ambush the runners, throwing a few spells before she vanishes again. If the runners repel her attacks with any style she will teleport them back to her small apartment and request that they watch trids of atrocities committed through the ages. Then, without explanation, she will teleport them back again and never be seen again.

Junk

Archetype: Ork Gang Member

Information: The gang known as the Junkers will also appear during this period of chaos. Armed with a fleet of pieced together vehicles they will continually pester the runners for spare junk.

Stormfront

Archetype: Human Shaman

Information: Storm is a master of weather manipulation and her job is to make sure that whatever mess the runners are currently in it is made messier by the summoning of adverse weather conditions. She will also attempt to enter discussions with the runners regarding any subject matter having to do with the weather.

Devon Price

Archetype: Dwarf Decker

Information: Price will be hiding out in what is left of Shadowland's Seattle node before every circuit in the place inexplicably blew out. He will explain that he was left to try to restart the node while the rest of the Shadowland deckers tried to establish a new one. He hasn't heard from them since and is nearly insane from the futility of his project.

Buzzfly

Archetype: Human Rigger

Information: For some reason Buzzfly's heavily armed Ares Dragon is not able to land and has been given an infinite supply of fuel and ammo. He is at the mercy of his vehicle which will occasionally dart over to a section of town and level a warehouse or two with rockets. The helicopter is not invincible, however, and will eventually target the runners.

The Klaus's

Archetypes: Human Gang Members

Information: A gang of fifty identical human males will be roaming the city, committing occasional acts of violence. They are all extremely well built, dress in identical leather clothing, and carrying identical UZI IIIs which never seem to run out of ammo.