0801

Writing: O.C. Presley Shadowrun Developer: Jason M. Hardy

Art: Quintin Bleim Layout & Design: Matt Heerdt
Missions Logo: Jeff Laubenstein, Matt Heerdt Art Director: Brent Evans

© 2017-18 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.,
in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.
I HATE BEING WRONG
The Northside border between the Corridor and the
sub sprawl could have been the Barrens of any other
city, but in Chicago, it was almost bucolic. The winds
had died down and the cold rains had ended, leaving
the nighttime air crisp and surprisingly free of pollu-
tion. Red took a deep breath as his soul returned to
his body from an astral scouting and pushed off the
wall he had been leaning against to proceed into the
Thai restaurant down the block. Inside it was warm, the
smell of cooking Pad Thai turning his stomach as he
smiled and refused a menu, taking a seat across from
the restaurant’s only customer. The well-known fixer
tipped his trademark bowler hat in silent greeting. A
few seconds of silence passed before Old Crow began,
gritting his teeth and speaking in an uncharacteristical-
ly soft tone.
“I hate being wrong.”
Red smiled. “You and everyone else. Still, that’s quite
an admission, coming from you.”
Old Crow narrowed his eyes. “Every instinct I had
told me that the corps pushing back into Chicago was
the worst we would have to deal with.” He seemed to
slump in the booth, his gaze far away. “Even then, we
could still make the most of it, maintain the spirit of free-
dom and hold fast.”
Red shrugged. “Not a lot of profit in neo-anarchy
these days. But you’ll find a way, sooner or later.”
Old Crow scowled. “Thanks, but I didn’t ask you here
to listen to me sulk. I know Chicago is a drekpit. We both
do. Everyone does. But it grows on you.”
“Ha. Like Strain III on a ghoul.”
Old Crow smiled sadly. “Yeah ... look, I’m worried for
its future. And I’m not talking about the corps.”
“Then what?”
“I assume you’re familiar with Long Pig Farms?”
Red’s smile faded. “Yes … Do you have a problem
with ghouls?”
I HATE BEING WRONG
COVER
Old Crow pulled a hardcopy folder from his jacket I HATE BEING
and slid it to the vampire. “No. But their problem has just WRONG
become ours...”
Red scanned the file, his expression darkening with
every line he read. “Have you verified this?” INTRODUCTION
Unconsciously, Old Crow twirled his mustache. “You
wound me. I always verify my intel.”
Red nodded, setting the open file down on the table, MISSION
nightmare images illustrated in high-definition clarity. “I SYNOPSIS
assume you have a plan?”
Old Crow ground his teeth. “I do. But I don’t like it,
and I don’t think you will, either.” He chuckled bitterly
SCENE 1
before continuing. “There’s been more than a few corp
Johnsons making regular hires since Project: Takeback SCENE 2
got the greenlight. They’re making use of shadow as-
sets, and that means they’re willing to work with us, af-
ter a fashion. I don’t have any credibility with them, but I SCENE 3
think Simon does. He can bring together the corps and
the shadow assets. If I pass him the intel, I think he can
show them the risks of not moving on this.” SCENE 4
“Not hard, consider the precedent in this town.”
Old Crow nodded and continued with gritted teeth.
Red knew the idea of allying with the megacorps went SCENE 5
against his very foundation. “Maybe, with their com-
bined resources, this problem can be fixed for good.”
Red exhaled and slumped in his chair. “Okay, what SCENE 6
do you need from me?”
“I’m gonna meet with Simon for a come-to-Ghost
SCENE 7
meeting. He and I know each other from way back,
but he licks Lofwyr’s boots, now. No telling what could
happen. But we need to get the players together.” He SCENE 8
smirked. “If things go south, I need you to pull my hoop
out of the fire.”
Red chuckled gently and closed the file. He just PICKING UP
couldn’t get away from this town. THE PIECES
“Just say when.”
LEGWORK
CAST OF
SHADOWS
DEBRIEFING
LOG
2
Introduction
SRM 08-01: Keep Your Friends Close is a Shadowrun Mis-
sions living campaign adventure. Full information on
the Shadowrun Missions living campaign is available
at facebook.com/SRMissions/ and includes a guide to
creating Missions characters and a regularly updated
FAQ. All maps, player handouts, and other playing aids
are found at the end of this document.
Preparing
the Adventure
SRM 08-01: Keep Your Friends Close is intended for use
with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition, and all character and
rules information refers to the fifth edition of the Shad-
owrun rules.
Adventure Structure
SRM 08-01: Keep Your Friends Close consists of sever-
al scenes. These scenes form the basis of the adven-
ture, which should be completed in approximately four
hours. If you are running short on time, you should
streamline each and be a little more generous with
clues, target numbers, and other requirements to aid in
guiding the players through the adventure.
Each scene outlines the most likely sequence of
events, as well as how to handle unexpected twists and
turns that inevitably crop up. Each one contains the fol-
lowing subsections, providing gamemasters with all the
information necessary to run it.
Scan This provides a quick synopsis of the scene’s
action, allowing you to get a feel for the encounter at
a glance.
Tell It to Them Straight is written to be read aloud to
the players, describing what their characters experience
upon entering the scene. You should feel free to mod-
ify the narrative as much as desired to suit the group
and the situation, since the characters may arrive at the
scene by different means or under different circum-
stances than the text assumes.
Behind the Scenes covers the bulk of the scene, de-
scribing what’s happening, what the non-player charac-
ters are doing, how they will react to the player char-
acters’ actions and so forth. It also covers the setting
of the encounter, going over environmental conditions
and other properties of the location as well as providing
any descriptions of important items.
Pushing the Envelope looks at ways to make the
encounter more challenging for experienced or power-
ful characters and other ways you can add some “extra
spice” to the scene. This subsection should usually only
be used for home games, or games where time is not a
factor. At most convention and Open Play events, gam-
INTRODUCTION
emasters should omit this information. It adds to the
scene, but does not contain important information.
COVER
Debugging offers solutions to potential problems
that may crop up during the encounter. While it’s im- I HATE BEING
possible to foresee everything that a group of player WRONG
characters might do, this section tries to anticipate
common problems and other suggestions for dealing
with them. INTRODUCTION
Running The Adventure MISSION
SYNOPSIS
Gamemastering is more of an art than a science, and
every gamemaster does things a bit differently. Use
your own style when it comes to preparing and run- SCENE 1
ning the adventure and do whatever you feel is best
to provide the best Shadowrun game you can for your
SCENE 2
players. Shadowrun Missions adventures are designed
to run in a standard four-hour convention time slot.
Please keep this in mind when running the adven-
ture. You should leave at least 15–20 minutes at the SCENE 3
end of the time slot to complete any necessary paper-
work and pass out the players’ Debriefing Logs. (Make
SCENE 4
sure that you have enough copies of the Debriefing
Log for this adventure to give one copy to each player
after running the adventure.) This section offers some SCENE 5
guidelines you may find useful in preparing to run SRM
08-01: Keep Your Friends Close (or any Shadowrun Mis-
sions adventure). SCENE 6
Step 1: Read The Adventure SCENE 7
Carefully read the adventure from beginning to end. Get
a feel for the overall plot and what happens in each scene.
That way, if something different happens, you won’t be SCENE 8
caught off guard and you can adapt things smoothly.
PICKING UP
Step 2: Take Notes THE PIECES
Take notes for yourself while reading through the ad-
venture that you can refer to later on. Possible things
to note include: major plot points (so you can see them LEGWORK
all at a glance), the names of various non-player char-
acters, possible problems you notice, situations where
CAST OF
you think a particular character can shine and other
SHADOWS
things you’ll want to keep in mind while running the
adventure.
DEBRIEFING
Step 3: Know The Characters LOG
Prior to the start of the adventure, examine the PCs’
record sheets and Debriefing Logs for your reference
and have basic information about their important abil-
ities handy so you can refer to it during play. Also go
over the characters and keep their previous events list-
ed on the Debriefing Logs in mind when determining
non-player character actions in various scenes if such a
dynamic has been included.
3
Step 4: Don’t Panic!
Gamemastering involves juggling a lot of different
things. Sometimes you drop the ball and forget some-
thing or you just make a mistake. It happens, don’t
worry about it. Nobody is perfect all the time and
everybody makes mistakes. Just pick up from there
and move on. Your players will understand and forget
about it once you get back into the action.
Step 5: Challenge the Players
Gamemasters should challenge the players, but
should not generally overwhelm them. This is not to
say that games cannot be deadly. If the characters die
through their own actions and repercussions of those
actions, then so be it. But the idea is to challenge the
players and their characters, not to overwhelm them.
If the enemies and challenges are too light for the
characters present, then increase them. On the other
hand, if the characters are badly outmatched by the
enemies, then tone them down. Make things difficult
but not impossible.
General
Adventure Rules
Shadowrun Missions adventures use the rules present-
ed in Shadowrun, Fifth Edition (SR5). Standard rules such
as success tests, glitches, critical successes, and other
common mechanics are described in SR5 and are not
repeated in this adventure.
Please keep in mind when preparing for the adven-
ture, that the PCs will not necessarily be comprised of a
balanced party. It’s entirely possible that the party will be
made up entirely of technomancers or back-to-nature
shamans. If the characters run into a brick wall because
of such complications, show flexibility and use your best
judgment in how you lead them back to the plot.
Non-Player Characters
Non-player characters (NPCs) are essential to any ad-
venture. They are the allies, antagonists, and back-
ground characters in the adventure that interact with
the player characters. NPCs in this adventure have al-
ready been created and can be found throughout the
adventure.
Minor NPCs are found in the individual scene that
they appear in, and generally have a brief write up, noting
only their important skills and the gear they are carrying.
Major NPCs can be found in the Cast of Shadows at
the end of the adventure, and have more detailed write
ups, and include most of the skills and the gear they have
access to.
The NPCs in this adventure should generally stand
INTRODUCTION
up to the average player character but may need COVER
some adjustment to suit a particular group of char-
acters, especially a more experienced and powerful
group. The scenes and NPC descriptions offer tips on I HATE BEING
adjusting the NPCs to suit the abilities of the char- WRONG
acters in your group. To adjust the power level of an
NPC, refer to Helps and Hindrances (p. 378, SR5).
Take the player characters’ abilities into consideration INTRODUCTION
when assessing the NPCs in this adventure and mod-
ify them accordingly.
MISSION
SYNOPSIS
Mission Difficulty
Gamemasters are encouraged to use their own judg-
ment, and to adjust the difficulty of the encounter to SCENE 1
take into account the abilities of the players. If the
players have no magical support, replace magical de-
SCENE 2
fenses with mundane ones. If the players are weak on
combat, reduce the number of enemies by one or two.
Conversely, if they’re steam-rolling the opposition, add SCENE 3
one or two enemies to the fight. Missions should be
difficult and something of a challenge, but should not
be insurmountable. SCENE 4
A simple method for adjusting difficulty is to simply
increase the dice pools and Professional Ratings of the
enemies. A simple +1 or +2 to all combat and defense SCENE 5
tests gives enemies a minor boost in power, while a +3
or 4 will make them truly formidable. Adding to their
Professional Rating will give them a larger group Edge SCENE 6
pool to draw from, and gamemasters are encourage to
use this Edge when logical.
SCENE 7
Often a combat scene will tell you if it’s supposed
to be challenging or is simply there to serve as filler
or a minor obstacle that the players should steamroll
SCENE 8
through. When possible, use this as a guide to know
when to tweak the enemies and encounters. If it doesn’t
say, assume the scene should present a challenge to the PICKING UP
power levels of the players. THE PIECES
A Note on Loot and Looting
LEGWORK
Gamemasters should be careful what they allow play-
ers access to, because they can and will try to steal
everything not nailed down (and even then, they CAST OF
often have pry bars and claw hammers to deal with SHADOWS
those nails). Shadowrun Missions operate under the
assumption that two players who have run the same
missions will have roughly the same amount of re- DEBRIEFING
sources available to them (give or take some nego- LOG
tiation and a little bit of minor loot fenced), so when
players are able to steal and fence a lot of gear or are
able to get their hands on high-priced vehicles, cyber-
decks, or foci, it can unbalance the game and make
it unfair to players who didn’t have the opportunity
to get those items. Gamemasters should avoid letting
the players get into a position to do high value looting
whenever possible.
4
Chicago, The CZ, Noise,
and Background Counts
While for many the Chicago and the Bug City Contain-
ment Zone are synonymous, the CZ comprises less than
1/3 of the total landmass of the city of Chicago proper,
not counting suburban areas and farmlands connected
to the city. But the CZ is still big, and it is the rotted, gut-
ted, feral heart of the Windy City. It starts at 115th Street
to the south and runs nearly 30 km North way to Bel-
mont Avenue to the north, and reaches from the Lake
Michigan an average of 15 km to Harlem Avenue to the
west. A mass of torn down buildings and hastily-erected
barricades were added to and reinforced over the three-
year period that the Containment Zone was in effect,
and even now nearly 20 years later this barrier stands as
an imposing divide between the Zone and the outside
world. Anyone can supposedly freely travel between
the zone and Chicago proper, but Lone Star watches
those coming out and the gangs and warlords watch
those going in very closely.
Over the last three years, the Astral Preservation
Society in partnership with The Ash Union and various
megacorp thaumaturgical divisions have made head-
way in cleaning up the background count within the CZ
and the surrounding area. Thanks to their work, unless
otherwise noted in the scene, assume a background
count of zero anytime characters are within the Con-
tainment Zone. The count will fluctuate wildly at times,
so players should expect to encounter everything from
high background counts and mana voids to various as-
pected backgrounds and mana warps. (See p. 30, Street
Grimoire, for full rules). Areas of Chicago outside the CZ
may also suffer background count bleed from the Zone.
With the megacorps construction efforts moving
forward in the CZ and surrounding areas, matrix con-
nectivity has improved dramatically. Noise levels will
vary from area to area, but unless otherwise specified in
the scene, assume a default Noise level of zero anytime
the characters are within the Containment Zone.
Paperwork
After running a Shadowrun Missions adventure, there
are several important pieces of paperwork that need
to be filled out.
The first is to make certain to distribute a copy of the
adventure’s Debriefing Log to each player. As the gam-
emaster, please make certain to fill this out and sign off
on it for each character. In the interests of time, you may
have each player fill out the sections, with appropriate
values that you give them. Please consider the PCs ac-
tions in the scenario when providing Reputation modifi-
ers, per those rules (p. 372, SR5).
The second is to make sure that all players have up-
dated their character’s Mission Calendar. PCs are al-
MISSION SYNOPSIS
COVER
BACKGROUND COUNTS
Background counts impose a negative dice pool penalty I HATE BEING
equal to their rating for all tests that are linked to or utilize WRONG
magic in any way (i.e., spellcasting, summoning, assensing,
any test made while astrally projecting, and any active skill
INTRODUCTION
that benefits from active adept powers such as killing hands,
critical strike, great leap, or improved skills, etc.). Dual-
natured creatures and spirits suffer this penalty to all actions. MISSION
Aspected background counts grant a boost to any SYNOPSIS
limit that utilizes magic in any way (see above) to any
metahuman, spirit, or dual-natured creature that matches the
SCENE 1
aspected domain. This includes spellcasting Force limits, so
spellcasters need to be careful, as it can be hard to control
the additional surge of mana. Any magically active being that SCENE 2
does not match the aspected domain should treat this as a
normal background count and suffers penalties.
Background counts above 12 are called either a flux (for SCENE 3
aspected domains) or a void (for magically dead zones), and
are very dangerous. Any being who is magically or astrally SCENE 4
active in any way (dual natured, astrally perceiving, casting
a spell, has an active adept power, has an active focus, etc.)
SCENE 5
takes (background count – 12) unresisted Stun Damage each
turn that they are active and exposed to the Flux or Void.
SCENE 6
lowed to go on one run per week. The calendar is used
to track the character’s monthly lifestyle expenses, ad- SCENE 7
ventures, and their downtime exploits.
SCENE 8
Mission Synopsis
PICKING UP
Simon Andrews, a Saeder-Krupp fixer, caught wind of
THE PIECES
the renewed bug threat from an old contact of his. This
led him to attempt to facilitate a meet where the var-
ious corporate representatives and a few other shad- LEGWORK
owy assets could put differences aside and work to
benefit everyone’s self-interests. Unfortunately, the
meet didn’t go as planned, and before talks could even CAST OF
begin, the building was ambushed. Simon escaped, SHADOWS
but those who arrived to the meeting earlier than the
others were not so lucky.
Simon hires the runners (Scene 2: That Bloody Lizard) DEBRIEFING
to track down and rescue Quantum Princess, Lothan the LOG
Wise, Maggie Goldberg, Sarah Silverleaf, and Nick Ryder.
Simon gives them a list of who was invited and mentions
that perhaps contacting them might be a good place to
start (Scene 3: We Missed You At The Party).
Depending on whom the runners contact (and
whom they believe), they head either to the Big Hearts
Night Shelter (Scene 5: Little Hands, Big Hearts) or to a
trap (Scene 4: It’s A Trap!).
5
 If the runners fall for the trap, they must escape; a Scene 1: COVER
traitor has wasted their valuable time. As a result, Quan-
tum Princess is dead when they find her.
At the Big Hearts Night Shelter (Scene 5: Little Hands,
Best Laid Plans I HATE BEING
Big Hearts), unbeknownst to them, old dwarf women WRONG
take care of homeless folks, whom they invest with bug Scan This
spirits. As they learn the truth, the runners face a choice
In this scene, Simon Andrews contacts the runners. He INTRODUCTION
between rescuing Sarah Silverleaf and Quantum Princess
tells them to meet him inside the Noose at Samson’s
who remain at the Big Hearts, or heading across town to
Noodles at 11 a.m.
stop a ritual involving the other three contacts. MISSION
At the Truman Tower in Chicago’s Core, the runners SYNOPSIS
find a way to the top of the three hundred fifty-two-sto- Tell it to Them Straight
ry building (Scene 6: Going Up?). Once there, they find
You didn’t sleep well last night. Maybe it was the
Maggie, Nick, and Lothan trapped in cocoons (Scene 7: SCENE 1
pounding rain combined with the heat. Sweat and
We Are Not Ready For This). Stopping the ritual is first,
sleep don’t mix well—but there is something else, too.
but then they must choose whom to save and get back Everyone in the city seems on edge. You’ve been up
out before the ant spirits collapse the building on them! SCENE 2
for a few hours already, and thankfully, the weather has
cooled down a bit. You’re getting ready to do nothing
Given the if/then nature of this mission and the high in particular when your commlink beeps, alerting you SCENE 3
stakes it holds, use the following chart to keep track of that you have a message. You were about to ignore it
the kidnapped contacts’ status. when it beeps at you again. You see it’s from Simon
Andrews and take a look. SCENE 4
CONTACT STATUS “Hey mate! I gots a job for you, yeah? An’ beside
bein’ a decent night’s nuyen, it concerns some contacts
of yours that you’ll likely want to know about. Meet me SCENE 5
QUANTUM PRINCESS
at Samson’s Noodles, inside the Noose. Get ’ere as soon
If the runners shop at the Maker Collective, fall into Dr. as possible, and I’ll pick up the tab.”—Simon
Tate’s trap, or investigate further into the Shattergraves
SCENE 6
before going into the Big Hearts Night Shelter, Quantum
Princess dies.
THE NOOSE SCENE 7

SARAH SILVERLEAF
If the runners investigate further into the Shattergraves
before going into the Big Hearts Night Shelter or head to
Truman Tower before rescuing her, Sarah dies.
MAGGIE GOLDBERG
Unless the runners go directly to Truman Tower* (without
stopping to rescue Sarah and Quantum Princess), a ritual has
already started to invest Maggie with an Ant spirit queen.
The runners must stop the ritual, but Maggie dies when it is
interrupted. If the ritual has not begun, Maggie lives, but has
already been prepared as an ant spirit nymph.
NICK RYDER
If the runners choose to save Lothan at Truman Tower,
Nick dies*.
LOTHAN THE WISE
If the runners choose to save Nick Ryder at Truman
Tower, Lothan dies*.
Before Bug City, there was the Noose: Chicago’s oldest disaster
zone. In 2039, three days after the Night of Rage, Alamos 20,000 blew SCENE 8
up the Sears Tower and the fallout created Chicago’s Shattergraves.
The surrounding areas saw an exodus of corporations and well-to-do
citizens, leaving the area from the lake to Western Avenue and from PICKING UP
North Avenue down to Cermak Road to become a no-man’s land. The THE PIECES
Noose has had forty years to become a nexus for black markets, red-
light districts, rumormongers, diehard survivalists, winner-take-all
LEGWORK
gangs, black-hat hackers, and people too poor or too tough to leave.
The Noose is home to Noosenet, Chicago’s own data haven for
shadowrunners. It’s pretty low-tech, but robust. CAST OF
SHADOWS
> Hey! I heard there is a synthetic intelligence that lives in
Noosenet.
> DeForest DEBRIEFING
LOG
> No way. The SI is Noosenet!
> Chubba
> Ugh. Log off, kiddies, before I boot you off.
> Bull

*If the players split the party or get otherwise very creative, at the
gamemaster’s discretion, these fates may be altered.
Scene 1: Best Laid Plans 6
Behind the Scenes
This is a straightforward call for a meet. Samson’s Noo-
dles is a greasy-spoon Thai restaurant just inside the
Noose. Unlike every area surrounding it, this partic-
ular neighborhood doesn’t seem like a warzone. It’s
not gorgeous, but signs of normal life and communi-
ty are readily visible. If the runners don’t have Simon
as a contact, they can do legwork beforehand on him
and easily discover who they’re dealing with. If they
decide to get in touch with any of the missing contacts
(Quantum Princess, Lothan the Wise, Maggie Gold-
berg, Sarah Silverleaf, or Nick Ryder), or the contacts
who escaped the meet (Becky 99, Juan Xihuitl), they
receive no answer. Martin Tate, however, answers, but
only after Scene 2: That Bloody Lizard. Five contacts
are missing, Becky 99 and Juan Xihuitl have gone to
ground temporarily, and Martin Tate is party to the ab-
ductions, and therefore laying low.
Pushing the Envelope
There is no need to push the envelope in this scene.
Debugging
If the runners don’t trust the message or don’t want
to go to the meet, have Simon be more specific about
which contacts are in question, and he can even drop
the hint they need help. It could be the runners have
never encountered these contacts before; if so, you
can leave off the part about “contacts” and have Simon
offer 2,000 nuyen (plus dinner) just for showing up and
listening to the job.
Scene 2:
That Bloody
Lizard
Scan This
The team meets with Mr. Johnson at Samson’s Noo-
dles. They are told about a secret meeting between
corporate Johnsons and shadow assets to address Chi-
cago’s renewed bug problem. Unfortunately, before
the meeting began, bug spirits attacked the gathering.
While some escaped, five of the invitees (who also
happen to be the runners’ contacts) were abducted. Si-
mon hires the runners to find and rescue the Johnsons
so that his plan to bring corporate and shadow assets
together can still succeed in stopping the bugs. In ad-
dition, there is some development about Chicago’s re-
newed bug infestation.
SCENE 2: THAT BLOODY LIZARD
SAMSON'S NOODLES COVER
At 11 E. Illinois St, Samson’s Noodles is the bottom floor of a
red-brick building with a few apartments above it. Run by the Sang I HATE BEING
family, the restaurant has been one of the rare staples of stability in WRONG
the Noose. They serve anyone who comes in on a sliding scale of
payment, but no one is turned away. As if that wasn’t enough, they
also make donuts until lunchtime. Aside from the Silver Spoons, the INTRODUCTION
other gangs and criminals leave this place alone, making it a decent
place for uninterrupted meet-ups. Most important, the food is wiz.
MISSION
SYNOPSIS
> You know why the other gangs don’t mess with the
Sangs right?
> DeForest
SCENE 1
> Shush, child.
> Mr. Pink SCENE 2
SCENE 3
WEATHER
During this mission, the weather continues to get worse.
Beginning in this scene, anyone piloting a vehicle should make a SCENE 4
Vehicle Skill + Reaction [Handling] (1) Test to avoid crashing; apply
the light glare visibility modifier (–1). The runners can ignore the
–1 penalty for glare with flare compensation, thermographic, or
SCENE 5
ultrasound.
If any players have the Survival skill, 4 net hits allow them to see SCENE 6
a severe storm is coming.
SCENE 7
Tell it to Them Straight
As you approach Samson’s Noodles, you can’t help SCENE 8
but notice the smell. Particularly, the putrid stench of
metahuman misery no longer assaults your nose. Un-
like the patchwork destruction you drove through to PICKING UP
get here, these last few neighborhoods seem like they
are from some other city, not inside the Noose, one
THE PIECES
of Chicago’s worst areas. The temperature continues
to creep downward, but even with the glare from the
clouds, it’s still sunny enough.
LEGWORK
On the west and south sides of the street, various
mom-and-pop stores are open and doing business—
CAST OF
SHADOWS
particularly a convenience store and a donut shop—but
toward the north and east only rubble remains of what
was once a mall before the Sears Tower came down. DEBRIEFING
Everywhere else there are apartments filled with survi- LOG
vors; both the apartments and the survivors have seen
better days.
When the runners go inside the
building, read the following:
When you open the door to Samson’s Noo-
dles, the smell of Thai curry welcomes you
7
 warmly. Immediately, you see a middle-aged
gentleman who looks as if he was about to offer
you menus, but after a second look calls for his
teenage daughter and whispers to her in Thai.
The girl nods, and while waving for you to fol-
low she says, “Right this way, folks. We have a
special table for you in the back.”
The girl leads you to a back room, holds the
door open while you enter, and closes it behind
you.
At a large circular table in the center of the
room sits a man-lizard, dressed in classic British
punk clothing. He’s colored the webbed frill on
top of his head to look like a rainbow Mohawk.
He looks a bit worse for wear and the bandages
on his face and arms give the impression he’s
been in a brawl. Puffing away on a cigarette, he
hands you menus. “The green curry is right bril-
liant, chums. Order what ya want. I hope you
blokes don’t mind, but I’ve already started. I
don’t tend to stand on ceremony.”
The lizard’s words sound carefree, but there
is a waver in his voice. “Thanks for coming, all.
Name’s Simon if ya don’t already know. Your
reps in Chicago seem to be growin’, mates. I
can’t think of anyone better to help me with this
job, see? Some mutual associates of ours have
recently gone missing. I’d like you to hit the
streets and find ’em, hopefully before anything
violent happens. The chummers I’m going on
about are Quantum Princess, Lothan the Wise,
Maggie Goldberg, Sarah Silverleaf, and Nick
Ryder. Sound like a job you’re willing to take?”
If the runners accept,
read the following:
“Solid, chummers. Let me give you some
background. As you may or may not know,
Chicago had a bug-spirit problem in the past.
It seemed like things had settled down, but re-
cently it has come to my attention that the bugs
haven’t gone away, but have been laying low
and making big plans. I probably don’t have to
tell you this means big, evil tidings for all of Chi-
cago and beyond.
“So, I had this brilliant plan to bring corpo-
rate representatives here in Chicago together
SCENE 2: THAT BLOODY LIZARD
with some shadow assets. I thought maybe we COVER
could address the problem together before the
bugs make their move. I invited Maggie Gold-
I HATE BEING
berg, who represents Mitsuhama, Horizon’s WRONG
Martin Tate, Renraku’s Sarah Silverleaf, Aztech-
nology’s Juan Xihuitl, and of course, I rep for
Saeder-Krupp. I also invited a few street-level
INTRODUCTION
folks with connections: Quantum Princess, Lo-
than the Wise, Nick Ryder, and Becky 99, who MISSION
have all shown a willingness to bend rules to SYNOPSIS
get things done.
“Last night, as the meet was scheduled to SCENE 1
begin, the warehouse we were in erupted with
bugs. Wasp spirits flew in from broken skylights,
roach spirits broke down the door, and ant spir-
SCENE 2
its burrowed up from the floor. Juan, Becky,
and me held our own and I saw them escape. SCENE 3
However, Quantum Princess, Lothan, Maggie,
Sarah, and Detective Ryder didn’t make it out.
SCENE 4
The bugs grabbed them and scattered. That’s
all I saw before I got clear myself. I went back
to the warehouse to check things out, but those SCENE 5
bug gits burned it down. I tried to follow the
ant tunnels as well, but they just popped up a SCENE 6
few blocks away. Thing is, I want all five of them
back safe and sound and not with those bugs a
SCENE 7
second longer.
“I’ll give ya 6,000 nuyen for taking the job and
1,000 nuyen each for each individual you res- SCENE 8
cue. Whatcha say?”
PICKING UP
Behind the Scenes THE PIECES
If the runners wish to negotiate, have them make an
opposed Negotiation + Charisma [Social] versus Ne- LEGWORK
gotiation (8) + Charisma (6) [8] Test. Simon has his ear
to the chatter in the shadows, so make sure to subtract
the team’s Notoriety from the Social limit of whoever CAST OF
is doing the negotiation. For every net hit (max 5), in- SHADOWS
crease the offer by 250 nuyen per runner per individu-
al rescue. If the runners rescue all five kidnapped con-
tacts, the max possible payout would be 17,250 nuyen. DEBRIEFING
After agreeing on payment, Simon gives the runners LOG
two leads. First, he tells them the only person who was
invited but didn’t show up was Dr. Martin Tate. If any
of the runners have Dr. Tate as a contact, Simon sug-
gests they could follow up with him. If they don’t, Si-
mon can give them his comm number. Second, Simon
tells the runners that on the night of the attack, a trail of
ant spirits was seen carrying various metahumans south
through the Shattergraves.
8
 If the runners attempt to call the abducted contacts, go see Goober. He can get you some supplies. But you COVER
they do not get an answer. better hurry.” If the runners head out to see Goober
right away, it won’t affect the mission at all. Goober can
If they attempt to track the kidnapped get them cold-resistant gear and APDS ammo, along I HATE BEING
with the normal services he provides. If the runners de- WRONG
contacts’ commlinks, they make the
cide to follow up with Tate, go to Scene 3: We Missed
following tests at a –5 dice pool You At The Party. If they hit the streets and head south
penalty (–3 for distance, –2 for noise INTRODUCTION
through the Shattergraves, see Scene 5: Little Hands,
in the Shattergraves): Big Hearts.
• 1. Find their Matrix icons with a (Computer + In- MISSION
tuition [Data Processing] versus Logic+ Sleaze). SYNOPSIS
Logic+ Sleaze = 5 for Lothan/4 for Nick/5 for SAMSON'S NOODLES HOST
Sarah/4 for Maggie/6 for Quantum Princess.
Rating Attack Sleaze Data Proc. Firewall SCENE 1
• 2a. Get two marks on one of the commlinks 6 6 7 8 9
using a Brute Force action (Cybercombat + Logic SCENE 2
[Attack] versus Willpower + Firewall Test). Willpow- Installed IC: Crash, Jammer, Marker, Probe, Scramble,
er + Firewall = 13 for Lothan/11 for Nick/12 for Track
Sarah/12 for Maggie/12 for Quantum Princess. Slaved Devices: Security cameras, door locks SCENE 3
Spiders: None
or Sculpting: The Matrix sculpting resembles a replica of
the meat-space restaurant, but the floor resembles a SCENE 4
• 2b. Get two marks on one of the commlinks black and white chess board. The IC appear to be black
using a Hack on the Fly action (Hacking + Logic chess pieces (Probe = pawns, Scramble = bishops,
[Sleaze] versus Intuition + Firewall Test). Intuition + Track = rooks, Jammer = knights, Marker = King, and SCENE 5
Firewall = 12 for Lothan/10 for Nick/12 for Sar- Crash = Queen).
ah/11 for Maggie/13 for Quantum Princess. Security Procedures: Patrol IC runs at all times. Once
alarmed, the host launches IC in this order: Probe, SCENE 6
• 3. Use the Trace Icon Matrix action (Computer Scramble, Track, Jammer, Marker, and Crash. The
+ Intuition [Data Processing] versus Willpower system always reboots Probe and Scramble if they are
SCENE 7
+ Sleaze Test). Willpower + Sleaze = 6 for Lo- bricked before continuing down the line. Host uses
than/6 for Nick/5 for Sarah/5 for Maggie/5 for only “white” IC, focusing mostly on severing intruders’
Quantum Princess. connections via Scramble. SCENE 8
Pay Data: There are data files on the host which have 100
Any net hits using Trace Icon allows the runners to nuyen value per player on NooseNet.
locate the physical location of the commlinks at 1025 S PICKING UP
State Street: the location of the Big Hearts Night Shelter THE PIECES
(see Scene 5: Little Hands, Big Hearts).
If magicians wish to search with spirits, they can
look for the missing contacts using the spirit’s Search Pushing the Envelope LEGWORK
power (Magic + Intuition (X, 10 minutes) Extended
Test). X = 9 for Sarah Silverleaf and Quantum Princess Although this part of town is better than the sur-
OR 19 for Nick Ryder, Lothan the Wise, and Maggie rounding areas, there are still troublemakers who stir CAST OF
Goldberg. things up. One of the constant thorns in the side of SHADOWS
If asked for more help, Simon might reply with some- the good folk at Samson’s Noodles is this ridiculous
thing like, “Try hitting the streets near there and find out gang known as the Silver Spoons. They are a group of
rich, preppy out-of-towners who love to cause prob- DEBRIEFING
what you can from any locals. I’d go myself, but trust
lems for poor Chicago locals. They mostly hang on LOG
me, I got another important matter to attend to.”
Before they go, Simon reminds them that if bug spir- Chicago’s Westside. Since they found out about this
its are involved, they need be well prepared, as bug spir- “less dangerous” part of the Noose, they’ve started
its have been the death of many an unprepared shad- messing with the locals. If they see the runners, they
owrunner. If they ask further, Simon tells them “Right, might hassle them too.

SCENE 2: THAT BLOODY LIZARD 9

 Tell it to Them Straight COVER
SILVER SPOONS GANGERS A cold front has moved in over Chicago and the tem-
(6, PROFESSIONAL RATING 1) perature has been dropping fast. Earlier today it was I HATE BEING
sunny, if frigid. Now, it is downright cold. Figuring per- WRONG
B A R S W L I C ESS haps Dr. Martin Tate has some info that may be helpful
4 3 3 3 3 4 2 3 6 in tracking down the others, you pull up his number on
your commlink and wait for him to pick up. The comm INTRODUCTION
Initiative: 5 + 1D6 rings and rings, so you figure Dr. Tate is busy with a
Condition Monitor: 10 client and make up your mind to try again later. Just
as you are about to hang up, though, Martin answers. MISSION
Limits: Physical 5, Mental 5, Social 5 SYNOPSIS
Armor: 9 “Hello? This is Tate.”
Skills: Athletics skill group 2, Close Combat skill group
2, Etiquette 4 (Corporate +2), Firearms skill group 2,
Intimidation 3, Perception 1, Pilot Ground Craft 3,
Behind the Scenes SCENE 1
Sneaking 2, Throwing Weapons 2 Martin Tate did not attend the meet with the other cor-
Qualities: Toughness porate representatives and shadow contacts because SCENE 2
Gear: Armor vest, Cram (1 dose), Meta Link commlink (DR 1) he does not want to stop the bugs from taking over
Weapons: Chicago. In fact, he has been secretly on the side of the
Uzi IV [Submachine Gun, Acc 4, DV 7P, AP –, BF, RC 1, 24(c)] insect spirits for some time. As a result, his invitation to SCENE 3
Knife [Blade, Reach —, Acc 5, DV 5P, AP –1] the meeting caused the meeting to be compromised
Frag Grenade [Acc 5, DV 18(f), AP +5, Blast –1/m]* and the five to be abducted. Martin does not provide
the runners any information and doesn’t do anything SCENE 4
*Only half the Silver Spoons carry grenades. to alert them to this fact.
While he is on the phone with the runners, have any
of the runners on the call make a Judge Intentions Test SCENE 5
[Intuition + Charisma versus Willpower (4) + Charisma
Debugging (5)] and use the chart below for results.
SCENE 6
This is a straightforward meet. Worst that can happen
is the runners don’t want to take the run as it involves
bug spirits. Encourage them by reminding them that JUDGE INTENTIONS TEST SCENE 7
this could have life-or-death consequences for their
contacts, and possibly Chicago itself. Simon might NET HITS RESULTS
even say to the runners, “It would be a shame if word VS. TATE SCENE 8
got out on the streets that you left multiple loyal con- Less than 0 (Tate Tate seems on the level. In fact, you get
tacts hangin’ out t’ dry…” If they still resist, remind has more hits) a pretty good feeling about this guy.
them that these are contacts they might have been PICKING UP
Tie or 1 net hit Something seems off about Tate’s THE PIECES
dealing with for years. If they are still showing a cal- manner, almost as if he was afraid of
lous disregard for contacts that are loyal to them, in- something.
form them they will gain one Notoriety for each con-
tact they abandon. 2 or 3 net hits Something is off about Tate. You can LEGWORK
tell he’s holding back information
from you, and there is an edge of
Scene 3: emotion in his voice that makes you CAST OF
SHADOWS
We Missed You
uncomfortable.
4 or more net hits Something is seriously off about Dr. Tate.
He’s holding back information and his
at the Party voice is betraying an ulterior motive. You’ve
been around long enough to know he is
DEBRIEFING
LOG
purposefully trying to dodge your questions
Scan This and mislead you.

The runners reach out to Martin Tate. He acts very pe-

culiar—paranoid, even. Tate tells the runners that he
can’t talk about this over comms and invites them to
his clinic.

SCENE 3: WE MISSED YOU AT THE PARTY 10

 Regardless of what the runners ask him, or what
information they reveal about their mission, Martin in-
sists this information is too sensitive for comms. Tate
insists the runners meet him face to face at his clinic in
the Maker Collective. Behind the scenes, Tate debated
even taking the call from the runners. However, once he
sees his actions are coming under suspicion, he wants
to lead the runners into a trap to dispose of them.
If the runners head to Tate’s clinic at the Maker Col-
lective, go to Scene 4: It’s A Trap! Make a gamemas-
ter note that if the players go to the trap, they wasted
valuable time, and Maggie Goldberg is in the process of
being invested with a queen Ant spirit when the runners
finally show up at Truman Tower.
If the players don’t fall for Tate’s trap, they can fol-
low up with the trail of Ant spirits seen carrying various
metahumans south through the heart of the Shatter-
graves. If they try hitting the streets near there to chat
up the locals, go to Scene 5: Little Hands, Big Hearts.
Pushing the Envelope
This is a quick transition scene, and an opportunity for
the face to judge intentions, so pushing the envelope
isn’t appropriate here.
Debugging
There is very little, if anything, that can go wrong here.
Either they go meet Tate or they don’t.
Scene 4:
It’s a Trap!
Scan This
In this scene, the runners head to the Maker Collec-
tive to meet Dr. Martin Tate at his clinic. Tate organized
this as a trap, and if the runners investigate further, he
springs it.
Tell it to Them Straight
The Maker Collective, once an open-air marketplace of
self-reliance and ingenuity, has been transformed into
little more than an exercise in corporate branding and
recycling. The temperature has dropped to freezing,
the wind is picking up, and snow is beginning to fall
all around Chicago. Even so, all around you products
are being returned, refurbished, and resold, almost
exclusively bearing the Truman Tech logo. Each shop
carries a separate product line, and in between, there
are restaurants, day-care centers, and social services.
Dr. Tate’s clinic is easy to spot, given its prominent lo-
SCENE 4: IT'S A TRAP!
cation and labeling on any AR feed maps, making nav- COVER
igation even easier.
The AR advertisements continue to dominate your
vision, but even with their constant distraction you no- I HATE BEING
tice the numerous security guards on patrol and camer- WRONG
as posted on nearly every building.
The clinic stands apart from the rest of the Collective
with its stark white décor. The clinic’s door is locked, but INTRODUCTION
there is an intercom panel on the wall just right of the
double doors.
MISSION
SYNOPSIS
Once the runners are inside
the clinic, read the following:
SCENE 1
The clinic’s reception area is stark white and
gives off that sanitary hospital smell. The room is
SCENE 2
four meters square with numerous benches and
a reception desk. After the door closes behind
you, the secretary’s voice echoes from down the SCENE 3
hall. “Please escort yourself to Dr. Tate’s office
and have a seat. He is finishing up with a client.” SCENE 4
Heading down the hall, you see Tate’s office,
a plaque reading “Dr. Martin Tate, M.D.” on the
SCENE 5
wall beside the door. Tate’s office seems just
as sanitary as the rest of the clinic. The office
is three meters by four meters and contains no SCENE 6
pictures, no personal effects—just chairs, files,
and a large desk.
SCENE 7
The secretary’s honeyed voiced chirps in
again on a speaker in Tate’s office: “Please have
a seat. Dr. Tate will be with you shortly.” SCENE 8
If the runners all end up in PICKING UP
Tate’s office, read the following: THE PIECES
A few moments after the secretary’s mes-
sage, you all hear a loud click. The doors click LEGWORK
locked and titan#steel walls slide down in front
of them. You immediately hear a “tick-tock” as CAST OF
some sort of countdown begins. Dread fills your
stomach.
SHADOWS
DEBRIEFING
WEATHER LOG
In this scene, the weather continues to get worse. Anyone piloting
a vehicle should make a Vehicle Skill + Reaction [Handling] (1) Test to
avoid crashing; apply the light glare visibility modifier (–1) along with
–1 modifier for increasing snowfall and –1 for strengthening wind, for
a total of a –3 penalty. The runners can ignore the –1 penalty for glare
with flare compensation, thermographic, or ultrasound.
If any players have the Survival skill, 4 net hits allow them to see
that if they aren’t dressed for the upcoming weather, they will suffer
physical hardship.
11
Behind the Scenes
If the runners don’t have a sense of urgency and want
to stick around the Collective and purchase items, they
are welcome to do so. If the runners shop or fall into
Tate’s trap, make a note that Quantum Princess is dead
when they find her in Scene 5: Little Hands, Big Hearts.
• Runners can purchase drones, electronics, vehi-
cles, weapons, and armor up to Availability 12.
• Runners cannot find Forbidden (Rating F) gear
or any foci.
• All Restricted gear (Rating R) acquired here re-
quires appropriate licensing prior to purchase.
If the runners choose to buzz the intercom, a friend-
ly, feminine voice answers, “Thank you for choosing Dr.
Tate’s Truman Tech Clinic. We are not open for business
at the moment. Is this an emergency?” The voice says
this no matter what time the runners go.
No matter what the runners tell the secretary, the
doors buzz open. Alternatively, if the runners try to hack
into the Clinic’s host and gain access, it is easy to do so.
They simply need to get one mark on the host using ei-
ther a Hack on the Fly action [Hacking + Logic [Sleaze]
versus Intuition (4) + Firewall (7)] Test or a Brute Force
action [Cybercombat + Logic [Attack] versus Willpower
(4) + Firewall (7)] Test, then conduct a Control Device
action [Electronic Warfare + Intuition [Sleaze] versus In-
tuition (4) + Firewall (7)] Test to open the door. It is easy
on purpose. Tate is laying a trap.
If the hacker makes a Matrix Perception Test [Com-
puter + Intuition [Data Processing] versus Logic (4) +
Sleaze (5)], 2 hits allow them to notice immediately that
the panel is operated remotely. 4 hits (or a secondary
Matrix Perception Test with 3 hits) means they find that
this panel also locks the clinic doors from the outside. A
bomb is slaved to the panel as well, with a timer set to
begin once the doors are locked.
If the hacker does not see this evidence and the run-
ners enter the clinic, they are in for a surprise. The steel
panels (made from an alloy stronger than titanium) are
four centimeters thick. (Structure 14, Armor 24, 14 box-
es on condition monitor). When the countdown begins,
the runners do not know how long it will last until they
find the bomb. If they do, it will have started at twelve
seconds. In game terms, at the beginning of the fourth
Combat Turn from when the countdown began, a bomb
explodes in the clinic. However, if a hacker can stop the
timer, the bomb does not go off.
The runners can escape the bomb in
the following ways:
• Hack the bomb. Using a Matrix Perception Test
[Computer + Intuition [Data Processing] versus
SCENE 4: IT'S A TRAP!
Logic (4) + Sleaze (5)], the hacker must locate the
bomb’s icon. Three marks must be gained on the
COVER
host using either a Hack on the Fly action [Hack-
ing + Logic [Sleaze] versus Intuition (4) + Firewall I HATE BEING
(7)] Test or a Brute Force action [Cybercombat + WRONG
Logic [Attack] versus Willpower (4) + Firewall (7)].
Then the hacker must conduct a Control Device
action (Complex Action) [Electronic Warfare + In- INTRODUCTION
tuition [Sleaze] versus Intuition (4) + Firewall (7)]
Test to disarm the bomb.
MISSION
• Disarm the Bomb. To find the bomb (under Tate’s
SYNOPSIS
desk), the runners must make a successful Percep-
tion + Intuition [Mental] (4) (1 Combat Turn) Ex-
tended Test. Then a runner with the Demolitions SCENE 1
skill can try to disarm the bomb. A Demolitions +
Logic [Mental] (5) (1 Combat Turn) Extended Test
disarms the bomb. A glitch on this test decreases SCENE 2
the time before the bomb explodes by one Com-
bat Turn. A critical glitch detonates the bomb.
• Making an exit. If the runners try to blast/break/ SCENE 3
slice/punch/magic a hole through the reinforced
steel around the room, the walls resist damage
with Structure (14) + Armor (24). Note that unless SCENE 4
the DV of a penetration weapon (sword, bullet)
exceeds the Armor of the barrier, the attacks do
SCENE 5
no damage.
• A strong runner can attempt to lift the blast doors
with a Strength + Body (12, 1 Combat Turn) Test. SCENE 6
• If the players are not able to disarm the bomb, or
if they blast a hole and escape, the bomb explodes
at the beginning of the fourth Combat Turn after SCENE 7
the timer started. The bomb is nine kilograms of
Rating 10 plastic explosives with a DV of 30P. If the
runners make a hole in the wall and escape, the SCENE 8
bomb goes off, and blasts through the hole with a
DV of –1/meter. If the runners do not make a hole
and the bomb explodes, it destroys the barrier and PICKING UP
sends a deadly cloud of shrapnel across the Maker THE PIECES
Collective with a DV16, –1/meter.
LEGWORK
HOST: DR. TATE'S
TRUMAN TECH CLINIC CAST OF
SHADOWS
Rating Attack Sleaze Data Proc. Firewall
4 6 5 8 7 DEBRIEFING
LOG
Installed IC: Binder, Crash, Probe, Marker
Slaved Devices: Blast doors, cameras, bomb with timer,
door controls, intercom, wireless receiver
Sculpting: This host looks like a very modern doctor’s
office, with hyper-white walls and sterile equipment
everywhere.
Security Procedures: Patrol IC runs at all times. Once
alarmed, the host launches IC in this order: Probe,
Marker, Binder, and Crash. If one of its IC gets bricked,
the host uses the next Combat Turn to reboot that IC
rather than moving on to the next one. There are no
spiders on call in case of intrusion. 12
Paydata: There are data files on the host which have 500
nuyen value per player on NooseNet.
Pushing the Envelope
In order to really make this difficult, only let hackers
find anything wrong if they make a Matrix Perception
Test [Computer + Intuition [Data Processing] versus
Logic (4) + Sleaze (5)] and find the wireless receiver
running silent. Further, you could have Tate assume the
runners would try to shut down his device and have IC
waiting for them the moment they get onto the host.
Debugging
If the team isn’t able to disarm the bomb, it might be
game over here unless they burn Edge to stay alive. If
that happens and if they burn Edge, some firefighters
happen to be shopping in the Maker Collective and are
able to respond quickly enough to save the runners.
That would be a pity, because then they would defi-
nitely be too late to save any of the contacts.
If the team does not have a decker, technomancer,
strong person, mage, or demolitions expert available,
feel free to give the players whatever lifeline you wish,
as long as it makes some sort of sense.
If the team decides to trace the signal remotely con-
trolling the panel and providing the voice of the secre-
tary, they will have no luck. It was a burner commlink
that has now been destroyed. If they somehow manage
to track it, they will find it on the outskirts of the CZ in a
garbage can.
Scene 5:
Little Hands,
Big Hearts
Scan This
In this scene, the runners follow up on the trail of
ant spirits that carried the abducted contacts south
through the Shattergraves. They may also have been
alerted to the Big Hearts by tracing the contacts’ com-
mlinks or employing magic to search for them. The
runners should use some legwork or detective work to
find out what they can. Their investigation leads them
to the Big Hearts Night Shelter, where old dwarf wom-
en take care of homeless and elderly folks. One way or
another, the runners learn the ladies of the Big Hearts
Night Shelter are actually bug spirits. As they learn the
truth, the runners face a choice between rescuing the
two contacts remaining at the Big Hearts, or heading
across town to stop a ritual involving the others.
SCENE 5: LITTLE HANDS, BIG HEARTS
COVER
WEATHER
The weather continues to get even worse in this scene. I HATE BEING
Anyone piloting a vehicle should make a Vehicle Skill + Reaction WRONG
[Handling] (1) Test to avoid crashing; apply the light glare visibility
modifier (–1) along with –2 modifier for increasing snowfall and
–2 for strengthening wind, for a total of a –5 penalty. The runners INTRODUCTION
can ignore the –1 penalty for glare with flare compensation,
thermographic, or ultrasound.
If any players have the Survival skill, 4 net hits allow them to see MISSION
that if they aren’t dressed against the storm, they will not be able to SYNOPSIS
go outside for long without taking damage.
SCENE 1
Tell it to Them Straight SCENE 2
The cold front over Chicago has dropped the tem-
perature in the Noose below the freezing point. The
streets are slick with fresh ice and folks have started SCENE 3
to wear extra layers of clothing against the growing
winds. Unfortunately, you are headed directly through
SCENE 4
the Shattergraves, the area most affected by the col-
lapse of the Sears Tower after it was bombed. That was
before the ghouls moved in. Now, almost forty years
SCENE 5
later, the corps have finally started to take an interest
in cleaning it up. The rubble from the destruction is still
visible, but much of the larger bits have been collected SCENE 6
into distinct piles. Roads, while pocked and chipped,
are now visible, and some are even drivable. Opera-
tion: Takeback has even come to the heart of Chicago’s SCENE 7
darkness.
You haven’t ventured far inside the Shattergraves
when you see a crowd gathered around an unseen ob-
ject, pointing and shouting. Some of the metahumans
SCENE 8
there are falling into hysterics, while a somber and aus-
tere group of female dwarfs are trying to calm down
PICKING UP
THE PIECES
the crowd and help the wounded among them. The five
dwarfs are dressed in uniforms resembling old-world
milkmaid dresses, and orange bands on their arms read LEGWORK
“Big Hearts.”
Drawing closer to the crowd, you can see the object
that caused the commotion. An enormous ant spirit lies CAST OF
belly up on the ground, bullet wounds and spell scars SHADOWS
riddling its hide. Strewn around it are its victims’ bodies.
The dwarf ladies seem to be taking those injured back
to their Night Shelter. DEBRIEFING
LOG
If the players enter the Big Hearts
Night Shelter, read the following:
The Big Hearts Night Shelter is filled to the brim
with makeshift beds. All the clients seem to be
resting peacefully on their cots, stretchers, and
chairs. The room is actually quite peaceful, de-
13
 COVER

I HATE BEING
WRONG

INTRODUCTION

MISSION
SYNOPSIS

SCENE 1

SCENE 2

SCENE 3

SCENE 4

SCENE 5

SCENE 6

spite the number of people here. The dwarf ladies Asking a local or a Union ganger about the contacts
SCENE 7
of the Big Hearts shelter scurry back and forth, requires an Etiquette + Charisma [Social] versus Percep-
tending to clients and handing out medicines. It tion (4) + Charisma (3) [Social (5)] Test which yields the
appears that the night shelter is also what passes following answers: SCENE 8
for an emergency clinic this deep in the Noose.
ANSWERS PICKING UP
Behind the Scenes NET HITS ANSWER
THE PIECES

At some point last night, the community in this neigh-
borhood noticed ant spirits marching through. Seeing
the ants carrying victims, members of the Union gang
came out to stop them. Unfortunately, they only suc-
ceeded in scattering the ants, managing to kill only
one, while the local Union gangers were decimated.
The dwarf women from the Big Hearts Night Shel-
ter are giving first aid to victims and taking them inside
their building for care. If the runners ask about the kid-
napped contacts, the ladies from Big Hearts simply say
something like, “I’m afraid we haven’t seen anyone like
that. I think I saw the rest of the ants head further into
the Shattergraves. Be careful, sweeties.” If a face or oth-
er runner makes a successful Judge Intentions Test [In-
tuition + Charisma [Social] versus Willpower (6) + Cha-
risma (6)], they know the ladies are lying and are trying
to get the runners to leave.
SCENE 5: LITTLE HANDS, BIG
0 “Beat it. We don’t want no more trouble.”
LEGWORK
1 “I didn’t see anyone in particular. Ask the
Big Hearts ladies.”
3 “If you’re looking for someone in particular, CAST OF
I’d check out the Big Hearts Night Shelter. SHADOWS
That’s where most of the sick, elderly, and
helpless people in this neighborhood are
taken for help.”
DEBRIEFING
LOG
5 “I’m pretty sure I saw that Asian lady and
the hot elf chick being taken to the Big
Hearts Night Shelter. They were screaming
the whole way.”
7 “Yeah, I saw them. When the ant spirit died, the
Big Hearts ladies came and took the Asian lady
and the hot elf chick back to the shelter. They
were tied up and screaming the whole way.
There were a bunch of other ants that seemed
to take orders from the Big Hearts ladies, and I
think I heard them tell the ants to head to Truman
Tower with the cop, the troll in the fancy clothes,
HEARTS
and the ork chick.” 14
 A successful Perception + Intuition [Mental] (4) Test
reveals that a street kid is recording the scene around
the dead ant spirit from a window across the street. He
refuses to give up the video from his commlink, unless
the runners throw 500 nuyen at him (he thinks this foot-
age can get him paid), but a hacker can hack the com-
mlink and snatch the video by getting one mark on the
commlink using a Brute Force action [Cybercombat +
Logic [Attack] versus Willpower (4) + Firewall (1) Test]
OR a Hack on the Fly action [Hacking + Logic [Sleaze]
versus Intuition (4) + Firewall (1) Test]. Then the hacker
must Edit File [Computer + Logic [Data Processing] ver-
sus Intuition (4) + Firewall (1) Test] to copy the video.
If they get any net hits, they see the video starts when
the dwarf ladies from the Big Hearts Night Shelter come
out in the middle of the night. They head toward the
scene of the battle between the ants and the gangers.
The ladies say something to the ants, who head south,
and take Sarah Silverleaf and Quantum Princess, both
screaming, back to the Night Shelter.
If the runners assense the dwarf ladies from the Big
Hearts Night Shelter, have them make an Assensing
+ Intuition [Mental] versus Magic (6) + Edge (3) Test.
Any net hits on this test allow the runners to see the Big
Hearts ladies are indeed flesh-form ant spirits.
If the runners did not go to Tate’s Clinic, they could
save both Quantum Princess and Sarah Silverleaf. If they
went to Tate’s clinic and spent time shopping at the
Maker Collective or fell into Tate’s trap, the runners only
find Sarah alive. Going further into the Shattergraves is
a huge mistake, as the ladies from Big Hearts are trying
to shoo the runners away. If they don’t head into the
Big Hearts Night Shelter to look around, both Quantum
Princess and Sarah Silverleaf are dead when the runners
find them.
The truth is, the ladies from the Big Hearts Night
Shelter have been working with the bug spirits. They
spent the last several years slowly collecting the city’s
elderly, infirm, and disturbed, and preparing them to be
infested with bug spirits. Once they are prepared, they
are sent to Truman Tower, where the infestation rituals
are performed. Now a large ritual is being planned and
the ladies from Big Hearts are preparing the final two
hosts, Quantum Princess and Sarah Silverleaf, to be-
come infested. Lothan the Wise, Nick Ryder, and Mag-
gie Goldberg were already prepared and are now at Tru-
man Tower, ready to be merged at any time.
Inside the Big Hearts Night Shelter, the runners find
many ill and infirm clients. Many are unable to speak,
thanks to a steady stream of “medicine” the Big Hearts
ladies administer. This drug lowers their Willpower and
pacifies them. This seems to be a blessing to the neigh-
borhood community who only see their suffering loved
ones more at peace. A First Aid + Logic [Mental] (3) Test
lets the runners determine the medicine is not actually
helping. If the runners are persistent or administer mag-
SCENE 5: LITTLE HANDS, BIG HEARTS
ical healing or first aid to a victim, the victim informs COVER
them everyone is eventually taken to a downstairs room
and pronounced dead soon after. No one ever gets bet-
ter. Further, they might tell the runners about overhear- I HATE BEING
ing the ladies talk about a ritual happening soon at the WRONG
top of Truman Tower.
Alternatively, the runners can interrogate one of the
dwarf ladies [Intimidation + Charisma [Social] versus INTRODUCTION
Charisma (6) + Willpower (6) Test]. Give runners a –3
dice pool penalty because of the ladies’ hostility. If the
MISSION
intimidation is successful, the ladies admit their plan,
SYNOPSIS
confident it is unstoppable. They tell the runners that
Maggie is about to be merged with an ant queen at the
top floor of Truman Tower. Nick and Lothan are going to SCENE 1
be part of the ritual as well. If the runners haven’t already
discovered Quantum Princess and Sarah Silverleaf, the
captives tell the runners they are in the basement. SCENE 2
Heading downstairs, the runners find a horrifying
scene. Dozens of metahumans, laid out on cots ar-
ranged in a circle, are unconscious and hooked to IVs SCENE 3
originating in the center of the room. There, arcane cir-
cles and symbols emanate with otherworldly power.
The background count here is 4, aspected towards in- SCENE 4
sects. Quantum Princess and Sarah Silverleaf are there.
Unless they went to great lengths to hide their activities,
SCENE 5
the nice dwarf ladies now turn evil and angry, empow-
ered as good-merge insect spirits.
If the runners rescue Quantum Princess or Sarah Siv- SCENE 6
erleaf, those two will tell the runners they overheard the
ladies talk about a ritual happening soon at the top of
Truman Tower. SCENE 7
• If the runners spent time at the Maker Collective
to purchase things or were caught in the trap, SCENE 8
Quantum Princess is dead because she was unfit
for a merge and killed.
• If the runners go further into the Shattergraves
PICKING UP
instead of investigating Big Hearts first, Quan-
THE PIECES
tum Princess and Sarah Silverleaf are both dead.
The other “clients” in the basement are all dead LEGWORK
as well, because the dwarf ladies took steps to
prevent their operation from discovery.
• Sometime during this scene, someone tells the CAST OF
runners where to head next. Truman Tower is SHADOWS
where the large ritual is about to take place, so
the runners must make haste. If they head to
Truman Tower before encountering Quantum DEBRIEFING
Princess and Sarah Silverleaf, Maggie, Nick, and LOG
Lothan might all still be alive. If they find out
about Truman Tower from Quantum Princess,
Sarah, or someone else in the basement, then
Maggie is in the process of being invested with
a queen ant spirit when the runners arrive at Tru-
man Tower.
• There are five Big Hearts dwarf ladies in the
shelter.
15

BIG HEARTS FEMALE
DWARF, FLESH FORM ANT
CARETAKER SPIRIT
(5, FORCE 6)
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG
6 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 3
Initiative: 13 + 2D6
Condition Monitor: 11
Limits: Physical 9, Mental 8, Social 8
Armor: 12H (against non-magical attacks)
Skills: Assensing 6, Astral Combat 6, Leadership 6,
Perception 6, Spellcasting 6, Unarmed Combat 6
Critter Powers: Animal Control (30 small / 6 large): Ants,
Astral Form, Binding (12 dice pool vs. Strength + Body),
Aura Masking, Enhanced Senses: Thermographic
Vision, Guard (6 characters), Hive Mind, Inhabitation
(Living Vessels) (12 dice pool vs. Willpower + Intuition),
Sapience, Immunity to Normal Weapons
Weaknesses: Allergy, Severe: Insecticides, Evanescence
Innate Spells: Physical Barrier
Gear: Disposable syringe, restraints (plastic, 10), scalpel,
Sony Emperor commlink (DR 2)
Weapons:
Unarmed Strike [Unarmed Combat, Acc 9, DV 6S]
Pushing the Envelope
If you feel the runners need a bit of extra challenge,
increase the number of ant spirits present at the shelter
from five to ten.
Debugging
The worst thing that could happen here is if the team
does not investigate the Big Hearts Night Shelter.
Without going in, they won’t find the two contacts in-
side, nor do they find any hints about where to find the
other three. Should this happen, you can use a neigh-
borhood kid to intercept the runners and hint he saw
the people they are looking for being taken into the
shelter.
Next, the runners could kill everyone in the shelter,
leaving no one alive to give them the next location. If
this happens, there isn’t anything you can do. If you get
creative in order to steer them back on track, all but one
contact they have not already rescued are dead.
SCENE 5: GOING UP?
Scene 6: COVER
Going Up? I HATE BEING
WRONG
Scan This
The runners rush to the Truman Tower in order to stop INTRODUCTION
the sinister ritual and rescue their contacts from harm.
Ascending three hundred fifty-two floors, they must
find a way to get to the top, resisting exhaustion, while MISSION
pushing through the impending feeling of dread grow- SYNOPSIS
ing alongside their altitude.
SCENE 1
WEATHER SCENE 2
The weather reaches harsh levels. Before you read the Tell It
to them Straight section, anyone piloting a vehicle should make a
Vehicle Skill + Reaction [Handling] (1) Test to avoid crashing; apply SCENE 3
the light glare visibility modifier (–1) along with –3 modifier for
increasing snowfall and –3 for strengthening wind, for a total of a
–7 penalty. The runners can ignore the –1 penalty for glare with flare SCENE 4
compensation, thermographic, or ultrasound.
If any players have the Survival skill, 4 net hits allow them to see
that if they aren’t dressed against the storm, they will not be able to SCENE 5
go outside for any length of time without taking damage.
Since the weather is now considered harsh, exposure/frostbite
SCENE 6
rules apply if characters aren’t wearing clothing specifically designed
to mitigate this damage. For the full rules for cold damage, see p.
149, Run and Gun. For the purposes of this scene, if the runners are SCENE 7
outside too long before going up the tower, applying 2 Stun damage
for every ten minutes outside is sufficient. Unless the runners have
weather-resistant gear, this cannot be resisted. SCENE 8
At whatever point they begin to climb to the top of Truman Tower,
whether on the ground or after the 300th floor, the runners take 1S
damage for every fifteen floors they scurry up, unless they rest in PICKING UP
between. Because of their exposure to the weather, they also take THE PIECES
1S damage every ten floors from the 300th floor to the 352nd floor.
This damage cannot be resisted unless they have insulated armor.
LEGWORK
Tell It to Them Straight CAST OF
SHADOWS
The wind is picking up and snow is starting to fall
when you arrive at Truman Tower. Looking up at the
DEBRIEFING
enormous building, you find the rest of Chicago’s core
seems impossibly small in comparison. Truman Tower LOG
stretches three hundred fifty-two stories into the Chi-
cago sky. On a cloudy day like today, the highest floors
can’t be seen past the clouds obscuring them. The old
Chicago Skytrack public transit system intersects the
building, but by the looks of it, it hasn’t run in decades.
All around, the trappings of human misery and oppres-
sion taunt you. Your soul resonates with a feeling of
dread that grows with intensity every step you take.
16
 From what you remember, the ritual is taking place
on the highest floors. Switching your focus back to the
task at hand, you begin to wonder how you are going to
make it up there in time to stop the ritual.
TRUMAN TOWER
Located on the north side of the fifteen-square-block area called
the Chicago Core is Truman Tower. Although briefly headquartering
at the Spire, Truman Technologies has always called Truman Tower
home. Truman Tower is the most recognizable building in Chicago
and is also its tallest. Often mistakenly referred to as the Spire,
Truman Tower dwarfs Chicago’s actual “Spires” (Yamatetsu’s Spire
on the eastern edge of the Core, and the original Spire by the docks
in the Noose) by at least 150 stories, and the Truman Tower lacks the
“corkscrew” design of the others.
Truman Tower’s three hundred fifty-two stories reach over 1,400
meters up, above the cloud line, and the first seven floors are taken up
by the Skytrack Monorail station (currently non-operational). Below
the street, at least seventeen subfloors stretch deep underground.
> In 2058, a KE Firewatch team went to war with a Wasp
spirit hive on the top floors of Truman Tower. Trashed
the building pretty bad, but they kicked the bugs out.
After, when Ares dropped the nuke, everyone assumed
the bug problem was behind us. Still, my sources kept
telling me the gangers living in the bottom floors of
Truman Tower refused to go higher than the 150th floor.
Action) [Electronic Warfare + Intuition [Sleaze] versus COVER
Intuition (1) + Firewall (2) Test] to route power to the
elevators. Alternatively, the runners could complete-
ly rewire the elevators using an extended Hardware + I HATE BEING
Logic (5, 15 minutes) Test. If the test takes longer than WRONG
forty-five minutes, the Ant shaman begins the ritual to
transform Maggie into an Ant spirit queen.
No matter how they get up there, give off the feel-
INTRODUCTION
ing that gangers (the Truman Terrors) or bugs (or gangers
AND bugs) are lurking just around the corner. A Force 12 MISSION
mana barrier surrounds the top fifty-two floors, prevent- SYNOPSIS
ing spirits from flying in. The wind and snow are pound-
ing the building above the three hundredth floor, and the
elevators past the three hundredth floor do not function, SCENE 1
due to elevator shafts being used as nests for Wasp spir-
its. As a result, no matter how the runners ascend the first
three hundred floors (elevators, spirits, drones, etc.), they SCENE 2
must ascend the next fifty floors using stairs.
The ritual area is on the highest two floors of Tru-
SCENE 3
man Tower, which used to be an elaborate penthouse,
but is now exposed on three sides to the elements. The
runners, along with their gear, must slog up fifty floors, SCENE 4
arriving exhausted.
SCENE 5
TRUMAN TOWERS
BYPASS HOST
SCENE 6

(PRIMARY HOST OFFLINE)

They couldn’t say what was up there, but they did say
no one who went up ever came back down. SCENE 7
Oh, one more thing, I read Turbo Bunny’s lowdown
Rating Attack Sleaze Data Proc. Firewall
on Truman Tower, and she doesn’t know what she is
talking about. Truman Tower has never been home to 1 1 4 3 2 SCENE 8
Spire Enterprises.That is Spire #1, the one in the Noose.
> Old Crow Installed IC: None
Slaved Devices: Elevators, lights, outlets PICKING UP
Spiders: None THE PIECES
Sculpting: The Matrix sculpting resembles a geometric,
Behind the Scenes low-resolution version of the Truman Tower. There
LEGWORK
is virtually no thought given to sculpting, just the
There are a few options for the runners to get to the top necessary icons to run the lights, outlets, and
of Truman Tower. They can take the stairs (which would elevators.
take a very, very long time), they could hack into the Security Procedures: None CAST OF
makeshift host and try to get the elevators working, or Pay Data: None SHADOWS
they could be more creative.
The residents have installed a rudimentary wireless
access point for Truman Tower, which was originally DEBRIEFING
only wired. In order to hack the elevator, one mark must LOG
be gained on the host using either a Hack on the Fly
action [Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] versus Intuition (1) +
Pushing the Envelope
Firewall (2) Test] or a Brute Force action [Cybercombat + If the Rating 1 host seems much too easy for the run-
Logic [Attack] versus Willpower (1) + Firewall (2) Test]. ners, explain that this tech is ancient and not com-
Next, a Matrix Perception Test [Computer + Intuition pletely compatible with tech created after the 2060s.
[Data Processing] versus Logic (1) + Sleaze (4)], allows To reflect this, have the runners subtract 6-10 dice from
the hacker to locate the elevator controls. Lastly, the their dice pools, unless they have a knowledge skill re-
hacker must execute a Control Device action (Complex lated to older tech.

SCENE 5: GOING UP? 17

 ANT SOLDIER
Debugging COVER
TRUE FORM SPIRITS The biggest thing that can go wrong is if the runners
(1 PER RUNNER, FORCE 5) try to just take the stairs all the way up from the ground I HATE BEING
floor. Not only does it strain credulity that they would WRONG
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG M be able to make it up without encountering huge gang
8 6 6 8 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 and bug opposition, but they would never make it to
the top in time to stop the ritual. Even if they did, they INTRODUCTION
Initiative: 11+2D6 would all be too exhausted to fight. If they can’t figure
Condition Monitor: 12 any other way to the top, allow a street urchin who is MISSION
Limits: Physical 7, Mental 7, Social 7 squatting at the tower to show them a secret freight el- SYNOPSIS
Armor: 10H (against non-magical attacks) evator that is still operational … for 1,000 nuyen each.
Skills: Assensing 5, Astral Combat 5, Counterspelling 5,
Exotic Ranged Weapon, Gymnastics 5, Perception 5, Scene 7: SCENE 1
Unarmed Combat 5
Powers: Animal Control (Ant), Astral Form, Fear, Hive Mind,
Inhabitation, Materialization, Magical Guard, Natural We Are Not SCENE 2

Ready For This

Weapon (DV 7 Physical damage, AP –1), Sapience,
Immunity to Normal Weapons (through Materialization)
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence
Weapons:
Bite [Unarmed, Acc 7, Reach —, DV 7P(acid*), AP –1]
*All physical damage done by Ant spirits is also considered
Acid damage (see Acid Damage, p. 170, SR5).
TRUMAN TERRORS GANGER
(PROFESSIONAL RATING 2)
B A R S W L I C
4 4 3 4 3 2 3 3
Initiative: 6 + 1D6
Condition Monitor: 10
Limits: Physical 5, Mental 4, Social 5
Armor: 9
Skills: Blades 4, Clubs 3, Etiquette 3 (Street +2),
Intimidation 4, Pistols 4, Unarmed Combat 3
Qualities: Toughness
Gear: Armor vest, cram (1 dose), Sony Emperor commlink (DR 2)
Weapons:
Browning Ultra-Power [Heavy Pistol, Acc 6, DV 8P, AP –1,
SA, 10(c) w/ laser sight]
Knife [Blade, Acc 5, Reach —, DV 5P, AP –1]
Pushing the envelope on the way up the Tower, if
you have the time for it, would be great fun. Use your
gamemaster imagination and have some combination
of bug spirits and gangers accost them as they ascend
the stairs to the ritual. Whether it is a huge attack or a
steady stream of low level gangers or bugs, this buildup
can make reaching the top feel like an accomplishment,
or pushing the runners to their limits before pushing
them even further.
SCENE 3
Scan This SCENE 4
The runners reach the top floors of Truman Tower just
in time to see a horror show above the cloud line. The
runners’ three contacts are encased in pods and are SCENE 5
about to become hosts for bug spirits. An ant shaman
may or may not have begun the ritual to turn Maggie
into an ant spirit queen, while Nick and Lothan watch SCENE 6
helplessly. When it looks as if the shaman is losing,
ant spirit true forms begin chewing the supports fifty
ESS
SCENE 7
floors below, forcing the runners to choose between
6 saving Nick and Lothan and trying to escape.
SCENE 8
Tell it to Them Straight
Turning a corner, the final floor of stairs opens onto a PICKING UP
penthouse that has been shattered on all sides. Around THE PIECES
you, wind roars as it batters Truman Tower with snow.
Without walls to protect you, the thick snow prevents
intense vertigo from taking hold. Looking ahead, your LEGWORK
senses reel as an ant mound, three stories tall, stands
before you. Rather than dirt, the mound consists of
CAST OF
bits of plastic, ferrocrete, and metal. To the far east and SHADOWS
west of the mound, dozens of cocoon-pods hold un-
willing victims, their heads exposed, but their bodies
trapped with organic bonds. Seeing the mutated heads DEBRIEFING
writhing in the pods, you notice only two victims hav- LOG
en’t been invested as insect hosts. True-form ant spirits
scurry back and forth, preparing the last two victims:
Nick Ryder on the east, and Lothan the Wise on the
west. Just in front of the mound, in the center of a me-
ticulously drawn arcane circle, is an ant shaman, along
with the unmoving body of Maggie Goldberg trapped
in a cocoon of her own.

SCENE 7: WE ARE NOT READY FOR THIS 18

 COVER

I HATE BEING
WRONG

INTRODUCTION

MISSION
SYNOPSIS

SCENE 1

SCENE 2

SCENE 3

SCENE 4

SCENE 5

SCENE 6
in breeding pods, awaiting bug spirit infestation. Their
WEATHER heads are sticking out of the pods and they are aware of
what is happening. Maggie occupies a place of prom-
SCENE 7
The storm has reached Biblical proportions. Wind and snow inence, right next to an Ant shaman, who is about to
batter the runners severely. Every ten Combat Turns, runners take (or already has begun to) invest her with an Ant spirit SCENE 8
1S damage that cannot be resisted unless they have insulated queen. For Maggie’s fate, see the chart below:
armor. Additionally, for any action requiring sight, apply the light
glare visibility modifier (–1) along with –4 modifier for snowfall and PICKING UP
–4 for strengthening wind, for a total of a –9 penalty. The runners EVENT MAGGIE'S STATUS THE PIECES
can ignore the –1 penalty for glare with flare compensation, Runners went to Maker Collective
thermographic, or ultrasound. Note that this does not affect the
spirits or the shaman, all of which are astrally perceiving.
OR LEGWORK
Since the weather is now considered extreme (insanely cold, Runners didn’t learn about Truman Tower until they
even for Chicago), exposure/frostbite rules apply if characters rescued Quantum Princess/Sarah Silverleaf
aren’t wearing clothing specifically mitigating this damage. For CAST OF
OR
the full rules for cold damage, see p. 149, Run and Gun. For the SHADOWS
Runners took too long Maggie has already been
purposes of this scene, if the runners are outside too long before
to climb the Tower prepared as a good merge
going up the tower, applying 1 physical damage for every 1 minute
(gamemaster discretion) nymph insect spirit, and the DEBRIEFING
outside is sufficient. Unless the runners have weather-resistant
ant shaman has begun the LOG
gear, this cannot be resisted.
ritual to turn Maggie into
an ant spirit queen.
Behind the Scenes The runners DID NOT go to the Maker Collective,
Note: The background count for this scene is 4, aspect- AND
ed towards insects. found out about Truman Tower before they rescued
At the top, the runners find Maggie Goldberg, Quantum Princess/Sarah Silverleaf,
Nick Ryder, and Lothan the Wise, visible but encased AND
made good time climbing Maggie has already been
up the tower. prepared as a good merge
SCENE 7: WE ARE NOT READY FOR THIS
nymph insect spirit, but the
ritual to invest her with a
19
queen spirit has not begun.
 There is no negotiation with the ant hive. The runners COVER
must fight the ant shaman and at least one ant spirit per
runner. The other ants go about their tasks until they per-
ANT SHAMAN
ceive the runners as a threat to the ritual. If it appears B A R S W L I C ESS EDG M I HATE BEING
the ritual will not be completed, true-form ant spirits WRONG
4 3 6 5 5 4 6 3 6 3 6
swarm and begin chewing on the floor supports below
the runners (at the three-hundredth floor). This leads to Initiative: 13+2D6
the collapse of the upper fifty floors, and the sure death INTRODUCTION
Astral Initiative: 12+3D6
of everyone above (besides the ants). Breaking open the Condition Monitor (P/S): 10/11
cocoons binding their contacts is like breaking a physical Limits: Physical 7, Mental 7, Social 6 MISSION
barrier with Structure and Armor Rating 10. Armor: 15 SYNOPSIS
The runners must stop the ritual, but if it has already Skills: Animal Handling 3, Arcana 7, Artificing 5, Assensing
begun, Maggie dies when it is interrupted. If the ritual 4, Athletics skill group 4, Blades 6, Conjuring skill
has not begun yet, Maggie lives, but has already be- group 6, Counterspelling 6 (Combat Spells +2), First SCENE 1
come an Ant spirit nymph. This means she is no longer Aid 6, Outdoors skill group 6, Perception 5, Sneaking 7,
“Maggie,” but as a good merge, she has all of Mag- Spellcasting 9 (Manipulation Spells +2)
gie’s memories, and Simon still pays the runners if they Qualities: Ant Magician, Lightning Reflexes (+1 Initiative, SCENE 2
bring her to him. +1D6 initiative dice, +1D6 to Defense Tests)
Regardless of Maggie’s fate, once the ritual is Initiate Grade: 5
stopped, play up that the runners only have time to Metamagics: Greater Ritual, Shielding, Reflection,
SCENE 3
save either Nick or Lothan before the building’s col- Absorption, Efficient Ritual
lapse. Lothan bellows at the runners that he is the only Spells: Acid Stream, Armor, Control Pack, Mana Barrier,
logical choice. He tells them he (Lothan) is more pow- SCENE 4
Heal, Influence, Manaball, Physical Barrier, Swarm,
erful, knows more about spirits, is better connected, Toxic Wave
and can help them escape in one piece. Nick tells the Gear: Full body armor (insulation 3, nonconductivity 4), SCENE 5
runners he (Nick) is nobody and to get everyone else Meta Link commlink (DR1), reagents (50 drams),
out safely. If the runners choose to try to save both of spellcasting focus (Rating 4, Manipulation spells),
them, they should be able to, if they split the party and summoning focus (Rating 4, insect spirit queens) SCENE 6
fight two Ant spirits per runner, but don’t make it easy Weapons:
and continue to remind them the building is about to Sapphire Knife [Blade, Acc 5, Reach —, DV 7P, AP –3]
collapse. SCENE 7
Keeping all five contacts alive should challenge the
runners. If they have not already had at least one die, ANT SOLDIER SCENE 8
make it very difficult (not impossible) for them to rescue
both Nick and Lothan. Feel free to increase the number TRUE FORM SPIRITS
and difficulty of the bugs if the threat doesn’t seem se-
rious enough. (1 PER RUNNER, FORCE 5) PICKING UP
Finally, if the runners have not begun to descend THE PIECES
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG M
the stairs by the fifth Combat Turn after the ants begin
chewing on the supports, they aren’t able to get down 8 6 6 8 5 5 5 5 5 3 5
LEGWORK
the stairs quickly enough to avoid the building collaps-
ing on them. If they are creative and figure another way Initiative: 11+2D6
out, cool, but if not, the top fifty-two floors of the build- Condition Monitor: 12
CAST OF
ing collapse all around them, dealing 156P damage with Limits: Physical 7, Mental 7, Social 7
SHADOWS
AP –4 (52 floors at approximately 3 meters each is 52 Armor: 10H (against non-magical attacks)
x 3 = 156, or 1 damage for each meter fallen, whether Skills: Assensing 5, Astral Combat 5, Counterspelling 5,
they fall or the debris falls on them). Maggie, Lothan, Exotic Ranged Weapon, Gymnastics 5, Perception 5, DEBRIEFING
and Nick all die. Unarmed Combat 5 LOG
Powers: Animal Control (Ant), Astral Form, Fear, Hive Mind,
Inhabitation, Materialization, Magical Guard, Natural
Pushing the Envelope Weapon (DV 7 Physical damage, AP –1), Sapience,
If necessary, add in as many ant soldier true form spir- Immunity to Normal Weapons (through Materialization)
its as necessary. This fight should feel epic, so adding Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence
Weapons:
in more ants is the best way to add difficulty. If the run-
Bite [Unarmed, Acc 7, Reach —, DV 7P(acid*), AP –1]
ners attempt to save both Lothan and Nick, the number
of ant spirits should increase to two bugs per runner.
*All physical damage done by Ant spirits is also considered
Acid damage (see Acid Damage, p. 170, SR5).

SCENE 8: THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE 20

Debugging If the players managed to COVER
rescue some, but not all,
This could be a tough fight. Some runners may try
to rescue both Nick and Lothan; that’s fine, just see contacts, read the following: I HATE BEING
Pushing the Envelope above. Don’t tell them no, but The snow and wind have died down a bit, WRONG
increase the difficulty appropriately. Also, it could be
but a gloom remains over the city. Getting in
the players simply stick around too long and end up
having the building collapse on them. If that happens, touch with Simon, you meet him back at Sam- INTRODUCTION
it happens. They were warned. They can always burn son’s Noodles, where he again treats you to a
Edge to survive. meal. “I’m sorry things didn’t turn out well for
In addition, the weather effects could really pose a MISSION
everyone, but I’m glad you were able to rescue SYNOPSIS
problem for the runners. If they are getting too over- who you did. In the long run, every ally we can
whelmed, apply the weather effects to the shaman
get is going to be crucial. Whether or not the
as well, or even begin to lighten the penalties for the
corporations or the government want to admit SCENE 1
runners.
it, Chicago has a big bug problem, and it’s only
Scene 8: going to get worse from here, I’m afraid. Here’s SCENE 2
what I owe ya.”
That Could In addition, if Maggie was
SCENE 3

Have Been not killed, but was brought back

SCENE 4
somehow, read this as well:
Much Worse “As for Maggie, leave her with me, mates.
If you set her loose, she’ll only cause trouble. SCENE 5
Scan This Maybe she’ll end up being a boon somehow
The runners report back to Simon, who already knows in the fight against the bugs, right? I’ve never SCENE 6
the results (with the exception of Maggie). Simon pays heard of anyone being un-infected, but if it’s
them their due and warns them of what’s coming. possible, I’ll give it a try. If it isn’t, maybe she’ll
SCENE 7
be useful in some other way. Thanks, mates.”
Tell it to Them Straight
If the players managed to get
Behind the Scenes SCENE 8

all five contacts away from Simon pays the team for their work. Unless they attack
Simon, there’s not much action here. PICKING UP
the bugs, read the following:
THE PIECES
The snow and wind have all but stopped and
Pushing the Envelope
the reemerging sun is already warming the
No need to push the envelope here. LEGWORK
city’s core. Getting in touch with Simon, you
meet him back at Samson’s Noodles, where he
again treats you to a meal. “I have to say, chum- Debugging CAST OF
mers, I am glad my faith in you has paid off. There is not much that can go wrong in this scene. SHADOWS
That was fine work you did, and you have done
Chicago a great service. Whether or not the cor- DEBRIEFING
porations or the government want to admit it, LOG
Chicago has a big bug problem, and it’s only
going to get worse from here, I’m afraid. Here’s
what I owe ya.”

SCENE 8: THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE 21

Picking Up
the Pieces
Money
• 6,000¥ (+1,000¥ + 250¥/ net hit (max 5), for
each contact rescued)
Karma
• 1 Karma – Rescued Sarah Silverleaf
• 1 Karma – Rescued Quantum Princess
• 1 Karma – Rescued Nick Ryder
• 1 Karma – Rescued Lothan the Wise
• 1 Karma – Rescued Maggie Goldberg
• 2 Karma – Survived the adventure
• 1 Karma – Every Contact who survived (see
*note after Mission Synopsis)
• 3 Karma – Overall adventure challenge
Gamemaster Reward
When running this adventure, you may choose to
count the Missions as “played” for your personal Shad-
owrun Missions character. You must choose to do this
the first time your run this Mission only, and take the
optional results to match those the team you game-
mastered for earned. You may not choose to wait for a
“better” attempt to choose your rewards. You’re on the
honor system here, so please don’t skew the adventure
to help the players gain extra rewards just so that you
can get better results.
You will earn a flat amount of Karma and nuyen, re-
gardless of how well (or poorly) the players do, listed
below. For other missions’ results and rewards that you
track on the Debriefing Log (Objectives completed, rep-
utation and contacts earned, etc.), take the average re-
sults of the group you’re gamemastering for. So if four
out of six players earned a point of Notoriety, you will
earn one as well. If only two players out of five earn a +1
Loyalty with Simon, you would not get that +1 Loyalty.
Karma Earned: 8
Nuyen Earned: 12,000
Reputation
During the adventure, runners may perform actions
that will add to their Street Cred, Notoriety, or Public
Awareness (p. 372, SR5). Besides the scenario-specific
gains listed below, gamemasters should consider the
characters’ actions throughout the game and award
additional points as appropriate. If a player earns Pub-
lic Awareness or Notoriety, don’t be afraid to give them
extra points.
PICKING UP THE PIECES
• +1 Street Cred for rescuing Nick Ryder
COVER
• +1 Street Cred for rescuing Lothan the Wise
•
•
+1 Street Cred for rescuing Quantum Princess
+1 Notoriety if Maggie survives, but the runners
I HATE BEING
WRONG
don’t bring her back to Simon.
• +1 Public Awareness if the bomb went off in
INTRODUCTION
Tate’s Clinic.
• –1 Loyalty with each contact represented (Nick,
Lothan, Quantum Princess, Sarah, Maggie, and
MISSION
Simon) if they refuse the mission.
SYNOPSIS
• +1 Notoriety per contact if the runners do not
take the job.
SCENE 1
Contacts
Successfully completing objectives or performing the SCENE 2
actions listed below will earn characters specific Mis-
sions contacts at a Loyalty of 1, and should be given
SCENE 3
the Contact Sheet included with this Mission. If they
already have that contact, they gain a +1 Loyalty to
that contact (up to a maximum of 4).
SCENE 4
Characters might interact with NPCs not specified by
the Mission, and may earn these NPCs as a contact at Loy-
alty 1. They may also work with non-Mission specific con-
SCENE 5
tacts that they have already earned or that they bought
at character creation, and gain a +1 Loyalty to these con-
tacts, with a maximum Loyalty of 4. Gamemasters should SCENE 6
not grant these lightly, and players should have to work
to earn these contacts by going the extra mile to impress
the NPC, offering up favors, or paying them well above the SCENE 7
standard rates for information or services.
• +1 loyalty with Nick Ryder (Connection 3) if he is SCENE 8
rescued. Remove Nick as a contact if he was not
rescued.
• +1 loyalty with Lothan the Wise (Connection 4) if
PICKING UP
he is rescued. Remove Lothan as a contact if he
THE PIECES
was not rescued.
• +1 loyalty with Quantum Princess (Connection 4)
LEGWORK
if she is rescued. Remove Quantum Princess as a
contact if she was not rescued.
• +1 loyalty with Sarah Silverleaf (Connection 5) if CAST OF
she is rescued. Remove Sarah as a contact if she SHADOWS
was not rescued.
• Remove Dr. Martin Tate (Connection 5) as a con-
DEBRIEFING
•
tact if he was contacted at all during this mission.
Remove Maggie Goldberg (Connection 4) as a LOG
contact if she died. If she survives, her fate is un-
decided. No gain or loss in Loyalty for this mis-
sion. Maggie will not be particularly pleased at
the runners, but they will not lose her as a contact.
• For rescuing any of the contacts, the players gain
+1 Loyalty with Simon Andrews (Connection 5),
or if they don’t already have Simon as a contact,
they gain him as a contact at Loyalty 1.
22
Legwork weird stuff. Hmm. I haven’t seen
Storko since then …
COVER

When a PC gets in touch with a contact, make an unop- I HATE BEING

posed Connection + Connection Test for the contact. Bug Spirits WRONG
The results of this test determine how many ranks of Contacts to Ask: Shadowrunners, Shamans, Talismon-
information the contact knows about the question. If gers, Knight Errant, Military
the relevance of the subject is a specialty of the con- INTRODUCTION
tact, they get +3 to this test. The player then makes Contacts Matrix Search Information
an unopposed Charisma + Etiquette + Loyalty Test, the 0 0 Oh yeah, the little ones that make MISSION
results of which determine how many ranks of infor- you itch at night? SYNOPSIS
mation the contact is willing to divulge for free, up to
the max ranks of information they know. If the con- 1 1 Bad juju, omae. Don’t go looking
tact knows more, they will require a payment of 500¥ for that trouble.
SCENE 1
– (Loyalty x 100¥, minimum 100¥) per rank of informa- 2 3 I heard the ant spirits drip acid
tion they still know. from their legs.
If the PCs have worked all of their contacts, and are 3 — Some of the older folks who SCENE 2
still missing important information, they may request remember the infestation say
that a contact ask around. If they do so, have the Con- that they are severely allergic to
tact make an extended (Connection + Connection (1 insecticides. SCENE 3
hour)) Test. Additional information will be available at a
4 6 When it comes to dealing with
cost of 1,000¥ – (Loyalty x 100¥, minimum 200¥).
bugs, doing damage is the hard SCENE 4
A Matrix Search action (p. 241, SR5) may also be
part. Normal weapons don’t affect
utilized to gather information from the following charts,
them very much. Go for spells
using the appropriate thresholds and search times.
that do direct damage or use lots SCENE 5
of armor piercing weapons if you
Big Hearts can.
SCENE 6
Night Shelter 5 — I can’t say for sure, but I’ve heard
rumors of bug spirits who break
Contacts to Ask: Shattergraves, Any Homeless away from the hive mentality and SCENE 7
develop their own personalities.
Contacts Matrix Search Information The one I heard of was some
0 0 Some place for stray pets, I think. homeless roach spirit. But I’m SCENE 8
1 1 It’s a shelter for the homeless in sure there’s others.
the Shattergraves.
PICKING UP
2 3 They don’t just accept homeless.
Elderly and other infirm are taken
Detective Nick Ryder THE PIECES
in as well. Everyone who works Contacts to Ask: Fixers, Gang Members, Law Enforce-
there is an older, female dwarf. ment, Shadowrunners LEGWORK
3 — They hardly ever turn anyone
away. It makes the Shattergraves Contacts Matrix Search Information
residents feel better that their 0 0 Isn’t he that XXX simsense star? CAST OF
elderly, ill, or infirm relations are 1 1 A twenty-five-year veteran of SHADOWS
being taken care of. But geez, they Lone Star here in Chicago, he
dress like extras in a movie about joined the force right out of high
DEBRIEFING
making cheese in Holland in the school. He was a cop before he
LOG
1700s. could legally drink.
4 6 My buddy Storko said he can’t 2 — Ryder took it hard when the bugs
recall anyone ever getting better hit—all those people he could not
once they go in. help. He used to care, but after
5 — Just the other day, Storko said a while, he found solace in the
he thought he heard some weird bottle. He hasn’t been sober since.
noises coming from there. Said 3 3 Ryder is good police, now that the
those ladies must be into some city “cares” about the zone again,

LEGWORK 23
 Ryder cares. He has been fighting
the brass to let him clean things up.
When they won’t let him “waste”
Lone Star resources on the zone,
Ryder hires runners to do it.
4 4 Ryder’s been making news lately.
He is really making Lone Star
seem not worthless.
5 — Nick is as honest a cop as they
come. It would be a shame if
anything ever happened to him.
6 6 Yesterday, Ryder told me that he
was headed to a meeting that just
might save Chicago. What could
that mean, I wonder?
Dr. Martin Tate
Contacts to Ask: Chicago Runner, CZ Resident, Street
Doc, Corporate
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 He sells those herbal supplements
on 4th Street, right?
1 1 Tate is a street doc in the CZ.
2 3 Tate seems to be in real good with
shadowrunners and he fixes ’em
up, discreet-like.
3 — Tate has been Truman
Technologies’ Mr. Johnson since
Project: Takeback started.
4 6 He’s been working extra hard
the last few years to get in good
with citizens, corps, and even
shadowrunners. He’s the most
networking-est son-of-a-slitch I
know. He gives runners discounts
on cyberware, too.
5 — Hasn’t been seen very much over
the last year or so. He hasn’t even
been at his clinic in the Maker
Collective in at least three months.
In fact, it seems mostly automated
now.
Lothan The Wise
Contacts to Ask: Talismonger, Fixer, Any Troll, Any
Magic
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 Wasn’t that the name of an action
figure?
LEGWORK
1 1 Some old trog. Runs a talismonger COVER
shop from some bar near the CZ.
2 3 He’s a talismonger and a shaman.
Runs The Wisest Troll out of
I HATE BEING
WRONG
Miller’s Pub.
3 — He used to run the shadows out in
Seattle. Said he was retired, but INTRODUCTION
he’s not 100 percent out of the biz.
4 6 Lothan is hard to handle. He hires
MISSION
a lot, but not many runners care
SYNOPSIS
for his attitude. Arrogant S.O.B.
5 — Lothan’s a big deal in the
Shadows. He trained Kellan Colt! SCENE 1
He’s forgot more than you’ll ever
know.
SCENE 2
Maker Collective
SCENE 3
Contacts to Ask: Any Chicago
Contacts Matrix Search Information SCENE 4
0 0 Isn’t that a Matrix site where
people share arts and crafts?
SCENE 5
1 1 Went through a big change
last year. Used to have lots of
homeless, but they’re gone and SCENE 6
some corp took over and gave it a
makeover.
SCENE 7
2 3 The government was about to
seize the Collective under Project:
Takeback. The people in charge SCENE 8
of the place met with a lot of
different corps to find a mutually
beneficial solution. PICKING UP
THE PIECES
3 — Truman Tech won the day by
promising to keep locals employed
in their technical fields and
LEGWORK
gave free healthcare for any
technicians staying on.
4 6 Locals from the Maker Collective CAST OF
helped to produce evidence SHADOWS
Truman Tech was the rightful
owner of the property. The
takeover happened quickly and DEBRIEFING
efficiently.
LOG
5 — Dr. Martin Tate maneuvered the
government to put pressure on the
Maker Collective. He also has his
clinic there.
24
Margaret “Maggie”
Goldberg
Contacts to Ask: Corporate Personnel, Mitsuhama ex-
ecutives, Shadowrunners
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 Wasn’t that some flatvid show a
half-century ago?
1 2 She’s not a looker, but she is
charming in her own way.
2 4 She works for Mitsuhama, which
is a bit surprising. They don’t
usually hire orks.
3 6 She’s an assistant to the local
director of operations, some suit
name Takahara.
4 8 She grew up in the Ork
Underground and was around
runners as a kid, so she treats ’em
well. A lot of her job is Disposable
Asset Acquisition, though she
isn’t as big on the disposable part
as most Johnsons are. I haven’t
heard any runners say she’s ever
been less than honest.
Quantum Princess
Contacts to Ask: Decker, Fixer, Mr. Johnson
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 Is that the new kids’ trid that
comes with the collectible AR
card line?
1 1 She’s a well-known decker in the
CZ. Used to be a runner.
2 3 Quantum grew up in the CZ and is
well liked by almost all factions.
3 — She maintains a series of Matrix
relays and has back doors into
most systems in and around the
CZ. She’s not as retired as she lets
on.
4 6 She helped set up NooseNet,
Chicago’s version of Jackpoint.
If it’s in the Matrix, Quantum can
find it.
LEGWORK
Sarah Silverleaf COVER
Contacts to Ask: Any corporate contact
I HATE BEING
Contacts Matrix Search Information WRONG
0 0 Oh! That old lady that does the
gardening trid, right?
INTRODUCTION
1 1 She’s that trid star from the ’50s,
right?
2 3 She’s a Ms. Johnson that started MISSION
working in town just before SYNOPSIS
Operation: Takeback.
3 — She’s a knockout Ms. Johnson
SCENE 1
who’s good at manipulating runners.
4 6 She has no morals at all. She’ll do
anything, and I mean anything, to SCENE 2
swing negotiations her way. She’s
dangerous, chummer. The most
beautiful thing you ever saw, but far SCENE 3
more deadly.
5 — She’s one of Renraku’s best field
SCENE 4
agents.
SCENE 5
Shattergraves
Contacts to Ask: Conspiracy Theorist, Journalist, Blog-
ger, Squatter, Historian, Any Chicago Native SCENE 6
Contacts Matrix Search
0 0
Information
Some place for stray pets, I think.
SCENE 7
1 1 It’s the nickname for the area
where the Sears Tower collapsed SCENE 8
after it was bombed by Alamos
20k. Named for all the people
PICKING UP
that died and the huge amount of
THE PIECES
broken glass.
2 3 Every February 10th, you can see
a ghostly image of the old tower LEGWORK
as it used to be before the attack.
3 — The place is haunted. Ghosts and
spirits of all kinds can be seen CAST OF
there at night, not to mention all SHADOWS
the strange noises. Astral space is
pretty dirty there, too.
DEBRIEFING
4 6 Not all those ghosts are friendly LOG
or ignorant of metahumans. Some
are downright mean. Others will
attack people. Packs of feral
ghouls down there, too, and some
worse things.
5 — Have you been through there,
lately? I can’t believe it, but
things are starting to get cleaned
25
 up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still
probably the worst place in North
America to live, but the rubble and
debris are being collected and it
looks like someone’s cleaning the
place up.
Silver Spoons
Contacts to Ask: Any Chicago
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 Wasn’t that a trid about some rich
kid?
1 1 They are the meanest gang on the
Westside of Chicago.
2 3 No. They aren’t the meanest gang.
They are barely even a gang.
More like a bunch of spoiled
corp kids who pretend to live
dangerously by coming to the
safest parts of the Zone.
3 — They have an ongoing rivalry
with that other poser gang, the
Hanging Brads. Ugh. I hope they
eliminate each other.
4 6 Rumor has it that they have
been moving into the Noose
lately. Apparently, there is a
neighborhood there that’s cleaner
than the rest. Gangs don’t seem to
gather there. So the Spoons have
started harassing the locals.
5 — They should be more careful.
There’s probably a good reason
that the local gangs lay off. I heard
some Black Star operatives live in
the neighborhood.
Simon Andrews
Contacts to Ask: Any club-related, any changeling,
high-level Saeder-Krupp, simsense star
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 — Fresh from Milan: Andrew Simon’s
line of Dwarf Winter-wear! Faux-
fur is back in style, as Andrew
Simon once again makes an
unforgettable mark on long pants
for short people.
1 1 Simon Andrews? Isn’t that a fixer
or company man for Saeder-
Krupp?
LEGWORK
2 3 Simon is a full-body changeling COVER
who took the change well, though
some girls will tell you he was
already a snake. He’s covered I HATE BEING
in green, scaly skin like a lizard, WRONG
has a British accent, and is an
all-around freak, especially when
anything female with two legs INTRODUCTION
catches his reptilian eyes.
3 4 Used to be a legit Neo-Anarchist. MISSION
I wonder if his one-eighty was his SYNOPSIS
choice or his master’s?
4 6 Agent for Saeder-Krupp? Yes, in
fact he’s Lofwyr’s eyes and ears SCENE 1
around here, or so I heard.
5 8 Who the hell knows what he’s up SCENE 2
to? He works for a dragon. What
else can you say but never deal
with a dragon? Well, that and SCENE 3
don’t pick his pocket. <Contact
shudders.>
SCENE 4
Truman Tower
SCENE 5
Contacts to Ask: Corporate Executive, Any Chicago
Contacts Matrix Search Information SCENE 6
0 0 Is that the Spire? The one by the
bay or the one in the Core?
1 1 Truman Technologies had its SCENE 7
headquarters there before Bug
City. It was the tallest building in
Chicago. 352 floors! SCENE 8
2 3 Folks get the tall Chicago buildings
mixed up all the time. The original PICKING UP
Spire is by the bay. Yamatetsu built THE PIECES
a replica Spire in the Core. But
for some reason, people still call
Truman Tower the Spire too, even LEGWORK
though it dwarfs them both.
3 — Truman Tech was bought out by
Horizon, so I guess they own it CAST OF
now. But no sane person goes SHADOWS
there now, what with the Truman
Terrors gang.
DEBRIEFING
4 6 The Truman Terrors aren’t the only LOG
thing scary at the Tower. Rumors
persist of far worse things on the
upper floors.
26
Union
Contacts to Ask: Any Chicago, ganger
Contacts Matrix Search Information
0 0 Isn’t that a Matrix site where
people share arts and crafts?
1 1 They’re a loose coalition of
independent gangs loyal to Marvin
Chekov.
2 3 They’re huge. About five hundred
active members, but closer to
10,000 people in the hoods they
manage. They’re the Zone’s third
largest faction, after the Human
Brigade and the Horde.
3 — Unlike the other factions, Union
worked hard to establish order
in Chicago before Operation:
Takeback. Their affiliate gangs
patrolled the Zone in groups of
one hundred-strong.
4 6 Their main source of income
is from the Navy Pier water
treatment plant. They have fought
tooth and nail to keep it, too. You
wouldn’t think so, but the cleanest
water in Chicago comes from the
Union gangers.
5 — Chekov has a problem. The Pier
is old and he doesn’t have the
resources to repair it anymore.
The water quality is slipping, and
it’s only a matter of time before
he loses his grip on the one thing
that keeps him from just being a
warlord.
CAST OF SHADOWS
Cast of Shadows COVER
I HATE BEING
Simon Andrews WRONG
Simon is an odd individual. A full-body changeling, he
appears to be a bipedal lizard-man with thick scaly skin.
He’s also a traditional British punk, wearing a battered INTRODUCTION
leather vest covered in graffiti, anarchy symbols, and
punk band buttons. He has a lizardish frill running front MISSION
to back on his head that he paints up like a multi-col- SYNOPSIS
ored Mohawk. He revels in being a freak, will hit on
almost anything that moves, and likes to snack on live
white mice. He’s direct and in-your-face, but is utter- SCENE 1
ly loyal to “Master Lofwyr.” He serves as the dragon’s
eyes and ears in Chicago, working as an independent
agent and fixer for Saeder-Krupp. SCENE 2
Quote: “Look, mate, I’m just here trying to have a
good time. But if you want, we can step outside. I can
beat the piss out of you, then come back here and shag SCENE 3
your girl. Sound good?”
SCENE 4
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG M
4 4 5 3 5 5 5 6 6 5 8
SCENE 5
Initiative: 10 + 1D6
Condition Monitor (P/S): 10/11
SCENE 6
Limits: Physical 5, Mental 7, Social 8
Armor: 9
Active Skills: Athletics skill group 4, Arcana 5, Assensing 8, SCENE 7
Banishing 5, Binding 8, Con 5, Counterspelling 8, Negotiation
8, Pistols 4, Ritual Spellcasting 7, Spellcasting 9 (Combat
Spells +2), Summoning 8 SCENE 8
Knowledge Skills: Chicago Area 3, Kaiju Monster Movies 7,
London Area 5, Magical Theory 7, Neo-Anarchist Movement
5, Saeder-Krupp Politics 5, Seattle Area 4 PICKING UP
Qualities: Magician, SURGE (Lizard features, tail, lizard head- THE PIECES
frill, non-retractable claws, snout, green scales)
Initiate Grade: 5
LEGWORK
Metamagics: Anchoring, Masking, Extended Masking,
Reflecting, Shielding
Gear: Armor vest, contacts (image link), power focus (Force CAST OF
4, silver skull ring), spell focus (Force 4, sustaining, health, SHADOWS
Ramones button), spell focus (Force 4, spellcasting, combat
spells, golden eyebrow ring), Transys Avalon commlink (DR
6) DEBRIEFING
Spells: Armor, Chaos, Chaotic World, Clairaudience, LOG
Clairvoyance, Fireball, Gecko Crawl, Heal, Ice Sheet,
Improved Invisibility, Increase Reflexes, Mana Barrier,
Manabolt, Physical Barrier, Physical Mask, Stunball,
Stunbolt, Trid Phantasm, Wreck
Bound Spirits: Spirit of Air (Force 5, 5 services), spirit of Fire
(Force 6, 6 services), spirit of Man (Force 5, 4 services)
27
Quantum Princess Lothan The Wise COVER

Vanessa Rodriguez, a.k.a. Quantum Princess, is an el- Lothan the Wise ran the shadows of Seattle for many
der stateswoman among shadowrunners. She was years, his prime being during the mid-Sixties when he I HATE BEING
in the heart of downtown when Bug City hit and the mentored and teamed with Street Legend Kellan Colt. WRONG
Containment Zone went up, and she was one of those He considers himself a mystical genius which he backs
early few who tried to figure out what was happening up with towering confidence and arrogance, and also
and helped cobble together a rude BBS to help those considers himself an expert in all areas of magic and INTRODUCTION
trapped survive and communicate. Many suspect she’s magic theory. His attitude may be a little unwarranted,
the primary SysAdmin for NooseNet, Chicago’s Shad- but you cannot deny he knows a lot about magic. He
ow Host, though she won’t admit to it and they run the moved to Chicago a couple years ago and opened a MISSION
host anonymously. Most often she can be found work- talismonger shop called “The Wisest Troll.” SYNOPSIS
ing as a fixer. She’s also liked and trusted by almost Lothan is an aging Troll, though he is still massive
every faction in the shattered sprawl, and frequently and powerful. What he has lost in physical prowess, he
acts as a mediator and go-between for them. SCENE 1
makes up for in magical ability. His hair is bone white,
Quantum Princess is a human female in her mid-fif- and he dresses very flashy, favoring purple and gold
ties, her mixed Hispanic descent evident in her deep robes over his armor, and he wears expensive jewelry
brown skin and dark hair. Age and stress have taken SCENE 2
that doubles as powerful magical foci.
their toll, and she’s a little heavyset and not as nimble
as she once was. However, her mind is sharp, and her
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG M SCENE 3
deep-violet cybereyes with their golden atom symbol
pupils catch everything. 8 4 4 8 6 5 5 5 6 6 11
SCENE 4
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG Initiative: 9+1D6
Condition Monitor (P/S): 12/11
3 2 4 2 5 6 6 5 4.3 7
Limits: Physical 10, Mental 7, Social 7 SCENE 5
Armor: 12
Initiative: 10 +1D6
Active Skills: Alchemy skill group 10, Assensing 8, Astral
Condition Monitor (P/S): 9/11
Combat 5, Athletics skill group 5, Blades 4, Computer 4, Con SCENE 6
Limits: Physical 4, Mental 8, Social 7
6, Conjuring skill group 8, Counterspelling 8, Etiquette 7, First
Armor: 12
Aid 5, Instruction 6, Intimidation 7, Leadership 7, Negotiation
Active Skills: Automatics 3, Clubs 5, Computer 8, Con 7, SCENE 7
9, Perception 6, Performance 4, Ritual Spellcasting 9,
Cybercombat 9, Electronic Warfare 8, Etiquette 6 (Street +2),
Spellcasting 10, Stealth skill group 4, Unarmed Combat 5
First Aid 5, Hacking 10 (Hosts +2), Hardware 9, Lockpicking 3,
Knowledge Skills: Classic Art 5, Classic Music 4, Elven Wines
Negotiation 8, Perception 5, Pistols 4, Software 6, Survival 6
5, History 6, Magical Theory 10, Magical Artifacts 8, Spirit SCENE 8
(Urban +2), Unarmed Combat 4
Theory 8, Vintage Cars 4
Knowledge Skills: Black Market Pipeline 5, Chicago Area
Languages: English N, Spanish 4, Latin 5, Mandarin 3, Sperethial
5 (Containment Zone +2), English, Insect Spirits 5, Local PICKING UP
3, Or’zet 1, German 4, French 2, Italian 3
Runners 5, Matrix Host Design 4, Matrix Hot Spots 7 THE PIECES
Qualities: Allergy (Silver, Moderate), Analytical Mind, Bad Rep,
(Chicago Grid +2), Matrix Host Networking 4, Organized
Exceptional Attribute (Charisma), Focused Concentration 3,
Crime 4 (Chicago +2), Safehouses 5, Smugglers 5, Street
Magician LEGWORK
Gangs 5 (Chicago +2),
Initiate Grade: 6
Languages: English N, Chinese-Mandarin 3, City Speak 4,
Metamagics: Centering (Latin), Fixation, Masking, Quickening,
Spanish 5
Spell Shaping, Shielding CAST OF
Qualities: Combat Paralysis, Home Ground – Digital Turf
Gear: Armor jacket, Fairlight Caliban commlink (DR 7), power SHADOWS
(NooseNet Grid), Juryrigger, Photographic Memory
focus (Rating 5, staff), spell focus (Rating 5, sustaining,
Augmentations: Beta cybereyes 4 (flare comp, image link,
health, emerald ring), spell focus (Rating 5, sustaining,
smartlink, thermo, vision enhancement 3, vision mag), beta DEBRIEFING
illusion, sapphire ring), spell focus (Rating 5, sustaining,
datajack x2, beta skilljack 5 LOG
manipulation, ruby ring), spell focus (Rating 4, spellcasting,
Gear: Armor jacket, Docwagon Platinum, Fairlight Caliban
combat, golden chain), spirit focus (Rating 5, fire, ruby
commlink (DR7, hot sim module), programs (as needed),
pendant)
Shiawase Cyber-5 Cyberdeck (DR 5, Array 8765, Programs 5),
Spells: As needed, both regular and preparations.
skillsofts (assorted, Rating 4 each)
Weapons:
Remington Roomsweeper [Heavy Pistol, Acc 4, DV 9P(f), AP
–4, SA, RC —, 8(m), w/flechette ammo, smartlink]
Club [Club, Acc 4, Reach 1, DV 5P, AP —]

CAST OF SHADOWS 28
Nick Ryder Margaret “Maggie” COVER

Nick is a washed-up Lone Star detective who took to Goldberg

the bottle when the bugs first hit Chicago and there I HATE BEING
wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He stayed Maggie is a female ork and assistant to Mitsuhama’s WRONG
there for nearly two decades. Now, he’s fighting to Director of Operations in Chicago, Ito Takahara. She
climb his way out and thinks he sees a chance to do acts as a liaison between MCT and the runners. She
some good for the city once again. Those who know grew up in the Ork Underground and was around run- INTRODUCTION
him on the streets say he’s trustworthy, but his boss- ners when she was younger, so she’s sympathetic to
es can’t stand him and the press is in their pocket. He them. She’s loyal to MCT to a point, but she knows as
always tries to do what he feels is right, and it usually a female ork her options for rising in the company are MISSION
lands him in hot water with someone. limited. She’s attached herself to Takahara and won’t SYNOPSIS
Nick is in his early forties, and always looks like he jeopardize that position, but will help the runners as
just got out of bed with a bad hangover. He wears rum- much as she can otherwise.
Maggie is slightly plump ork woman in her ear- SCENE 1
pled tan suits, a battered tan overcoat, has short dark
hair and always looks like it’s been a couple days since ly thirties. She’s cute, at best, though her ork heritage
his last shave. works against her here. She has pale skin, short blond
curly hair, a nose that’s just a little too large, and very SCENE 2
pale blue eyes. She is friendly and pleasant almost all
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG the time.
SCENE 3
5 4 5 3 6 4 5 4 5.7 7
B A R S W L I C ESS EDG
Initiative: 10 + 1D6 SCENE 4
5 3 3 5 5 4 4 4 5.7 5
Condition Monitor (P/S): 11/11
Limits: Physical 6, Mental 7, Social 7
Armor: 9 Initiative: 7 + 1D6
SCENE 5
Active Skills: Automatics 4, Clubs 5, Computer 4, Etiquette Condition Monitor (P/S): 11/11
6 (Street +2), Gymnastics 3, Intimidation 5, Leadership 4, Limits: Physical 6, Mental 6, Social 7
Longarms 3, Negotiation 6 (Interrogation+2), Perception 6, Armor: 9 SCENE 6
Pilot Ground Craft 3, Pistols 6, Running 4, Stealth skill group Active Skills: Blades 4, Computer 6, Con 4, Etiquette 7
5, Tracking 3, Unarmed Combat 5 (Corporate +2), Negotiation 8, Perception 5, Pistols 5, Stealth
Knowledge Skills: Chicago Area 6, Crime Syndicates 7, Illegal skill group 3 SCENE 7
Goods 6, Law Enforcement 4, Local Gangs 6, Local Politics 4, Knowledge Skills: Chicago Area 3, Corporate Finances 5,
Police Procedures 8, Street Rumors 6 Corporate Rumors 8 (MCT +2), Corporate Security 4 (MCT
Languages: English N, German 2, Russian 2, Spanish 2 +2), Psychology 5, Seattle Area 4 (Ork Underground +2), SCENE 8
Augmentations: Datajack, smartlink SOTA Technology 6
Gear: Armored vest, biometric reader, glasses 3 (image link, Augmentations: Commlink (DR 7), datajack, image link, soundlink
Gear: Armor clothing PICKING UP
thermo, lowlight), handcuffs (metal), Hermes Ikon commlink
Weapons: THE PIECES
(DR 5), stealth RFID tags x10
Weapons: Fichetti Security 600 [Light pistol, Acc 6(7), DV 7P, AP —, SA,
Colt Government 2066 [Heavy pistol, Acc 6(8), DV 7P, AP –1, RC 1, laser sight, retractable stock]
LEGWORK
SA, RC —
­ , 14(c), w/ 2 clips regular ammo, 2 clips gel
rounds, internal smartlink]
Stun Baton [Clubs, Acc 4, Reach 1, DV 9S(e), AP –5] CAST OF
SHADOWS

DEBRIEFING
LOG

CAST OF SHADOWS 29
Sarah Silverleaf COVER

Sarah Silverleaf is a gorgeous and intelligent elven

representative for Renraku in Chicago. She recently I HATE BEING
transferred here from Tir Tairngire, taking over the op- WRONG
erations Renraku had largely abandoned following Bug
City. With the Governor’s call to reclaim downtown
Chicago, Sarah is looking to not only reclaim lost Renr- INTRODUCTION
aku property, but to also grab as much land as possible.
She may be a curvy knockout, but anyone who under-
estimates her lives to regret it. MISSION
Sarah looks like a buxom, blonde “naughty secre- SYNOPSIS
tary,” a look she plays up for all it’s worth. Short skirts,
low-cut blouses, and a flirty smile backed up by big
SCENE 1
credstick get this lady anything she wants.

B A R S W L I C ESS EDG SCENE 2

4 6 5(8) 3 5 5(8) 5 9 3.85 6

SCENE 3
Initiative: 13 + 4D6
Condition Monitor (P/S): 10/11
Limits: Physical 5(6), Mental 10(12), Social 12 SCENE 4
Armor: 6
Active Skills: Athletics skill group 5, Computer 6, Con 7
(Seduction +2), Disguise 5, Etiquette 8 (Corporate +2), SCENE 5
Impersonation 5, Leadership 7, Negotiation 8 (Bargaining
+2), Palming 5, Perception 6, Performance 7, Pistols 6 (Light
Pistols +2), Sneaking 7, Unarmed Combat 4 SCENE 6
Knowledge Skills: Chicago Area 2, Corporate Finances 6,
Corporate Politics 6 (Renraku +2), Corporate Rumors
8, Corporate Security 5 (Renraku +2), Psychology 8 SCENE 7
(Manipulation +2)
Qualities: Analytical Mind, Catlike, Exceptional Attribute
(Charisma), First Impression SCENE 8
Augmentations: (All deltaware) Cerebral booster 2, commlink
(DR 7), mnemonic enhancer 3, muscle toner 4, sleep
PICKING UP
regulator, synaptic booster 3, tailored pheromones 3, voice
THE PIECES
modulator 6
Gear: Armor clothing, clutch purse, Fairlight Caliban commlink
(DR 7, nothing vital on it), perfume LEGWORK
Weapons:
Colt America L36 [Light pistol, Acc 7, DV 7P, AP —, SA, RC
—, 11(c)] CAST OF
SHADOWS

DEBRIEFING
LOG

CAST OF SHADOWS 30
DEBRIEFING LOG

PLAYER DATE / /

CHARACTER LOCATION
PERSONAL INFO

SRM 08-01: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE Stopped Maggie Goldberg from becoming a Queen.
Delivered Maggie Goldberg to Simon.
A local fixer held a meet with various corporate representatives
Rescued Quantum Princess.
to address a renewed threat to Chicago. Unfortunately, the
Rescued Sarah Silverleaf.
meeting was infiltrated and some of the corporate reps were
Rescued Nick Ryder.
kidnapped. You’ve been hired to track down and rescue them.
Rescued Lothan the Wise.
Every run has consequences, but this one may prove more Bomb went off in Tate’s Clinic.
deadly than you realized … for everyone involved.

SYNOPSIS MISSION RESULTS

Names Character Improvement Karma Cost

TEAM MEMBERS ADVANCEMENT

Previous Available Street Cred Simon Andrews (Connection Rating 5)

Earned Quantum Princess (Connection 4)

Spent Notoriety Lothan (Connection Rating 4)

Remaining Available Sarah Silverleaf (Connection 5)

New Career Total Public Awareness Nick Ryder (Connection 3)

Lothan the Wise (Connection 4)
KARMA REPUTATION
Lose Martin Tate (Connection 5)
if contacted during this mission.
Previous Available ¥ GM’s Name
Lose Maggie Goldberg (Connection 4)
Earned ¥ if she is killed.

Spent ¥ GM’s Signature

Remaining ¥

NUYEN VALIDATION CONTACTS/SPECIAL ITEMS GAINED OR LOST/NOTES

DEBRIEFING LOG . . . . .
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