Gang Warfare

[big teej]

Hoi Chummers,

I am running a Savage Shadowrun campaign for my group. I'm taking the approach of simply planning/defining as much as possible the parameters of the mission area, and letting the party simply have at it. to this end, I am trying to ask myself (and then answer) as many questions as possible - so that any legwork the party does can be meaningfully rewarded. so... in furtherance of the fact that ongoing sleep deprivation is hindering the process, I pose to you, my fellow playgrounders the following conundrum.

"Hypothetically.... if you were a street tough, and you were about to stage a raid/snatch and grab/whatever on another gang's turf.... what questions would you ask the game master? what sorts of things would you try to acquire/learn/find out/etc????"


also.... long time no see playgrounders.


PS: if any of my fellow wingateer players are present.... get out.

[Flashy]

I don't actually know anything about the Savage Shadowrun hack, so I'll just go with regular shadowrun questions and ideas and assume there's little difference.

Are the rival gangs into magic? What kind of magic? Should we expect hostile spirits?
I'd spend some time probing their matrix defenses.
Are our guns bigger than theirs? If no, is there a way we can change that?
Stake out relevant buildings for a few days.
Buy/steal police records on absolutely everyone metahumanly possible.
Come up with a way to pin everything on literally anyone else if things go belly up.

[big teej]

I don't actually know anything about the Savage Shadowrun hack, so I'll just go with regular shadowrun questions and ideas and assume there's little difference.

Are the rival gangs into magic? What kind of magic? Should we expect hostile spirits?
I'd spend some time probing their matrix defenses.
Are our guns bigger than theirs? If no, is there a way we can change that?
Stake out relevant buildings for a few days.
Buy/steal police records on absolutely everyone metahumanly possible.
Come up with a way to pin everything on literally anyone else if things go belly up.

nothing different enough to warrant affecting the discussion, I think.

these are good questions, I'm fairly new to shadowrun (read a buncha the novels and the 20th anniversary rulebook a few dozen times) but that's it. so I've never run a game in the setting before

*scurries off to answer questions*

[Lord Torath]

What are the other gang's patrol patterns?
How quickly will they respond to blatant incursions into their territory?
How do they react to fires/explosions/riots/insert-your-favorite-distraction-here?
Are there any gang members who are dissatisfied with their current leadership, and might be open to accepting a bribe?
Along the lines of the previous question, are there any factions in the gang that don't get along?

Edit:
Does anyone sponsor the other gang (provide weapons, ammo, vehicles, or cash)? What are the conditions of that sponsorship?
How does the general populace of the area feel about the gang? Will they instantly call the leadership if they see a rival? Or are they more likely to hope the two gangs kill each other off, and leave them alone?

[LibraryOgre]

How does the rival gang make their nuyen?
What does the rival gang provide that might keep the populace on their side?

If you can, track down Cybertechnology. It starts with a story from Hatchetman on how he became cybered... but also about the gang conflict that lead to his getting cybereyes.

[comicshorse]

What's the police response time to that area ( assuming they bother at all) ?
What enemies does the gang have that you can use as distraction/ blame for the raid ?

[big teej]

these are also excellent questions. keep them coming.


*scurries off to do last minute work before game time*

[sktarq]

What do the locals have in terms of likely defence? (as in not the other gang but my targets-would any be likely to have weapons?)
What do the locals have in terms of likely loot?
How crowded are possible escape routes (either for loosing myself or getting out of target area)
What would be necessary to make it look to the cops as though the local gang did it (then judge if these are possible/worth it for character)
What would be necessary to make it look to the cops as though a third party did it (then judge if these are possible/worth it for character)
What would be necessary to make it look to the gang as though a third party did it (then judge if these are possible/worth it for character)
What are my third party options and which would provide me with what advantages/disadvantages
Can identity fake outs be layered? Make it look like a corp wants a data unit carried in the purse and is covering it by looking like a gang rip for example.
How much are the locals used to street crime events like the one proposed (can it be hidden in the mass? locals too shocked to respond? both are helpful)
What reaction am I trying to get from the local gang? (no reaction at all being a very possible choice)
Are there any one groups that could be problematic in the area (corp security guards in an area nearby, a holdout anti gang militia defending a residential tower or two?, mercenary bar?)
What are my ingress and egress options - what are my backup options
How hard is it to lie low/be unobserved/be unidentified to wait for right moment or have backup do so while grab happens?
Who (if any) has cameras in the area that could be tracked back later?-including areas that may be used for ingress/egress