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I'm looking to run a play by post game of Cyperpunk 2020. It's a game I've played on tabletop for a number of years but am now living over seas. So far a couple of my old gaming group in Canada are interested and I'm willing to run anywhere between 2-6 people. Experience is not a must as new gamers often bring alot of life into a game. Having a copy of the main rulebook is a must for anyone interested in playing and we'll be using the standard friday night firefight combat rules. I'm open to many character ideas and am willing to work with you to get things to fit, but if you want anything powerful beware that I'm used to dealing with power gamers.

All characters should be built using a 60 point stat buy in. One change to the rules is that you get to choose which two stats you use for pickup skills but half of the points you get must be spent in skills related to those stats. IE: No cranking points into body and relexes and buying all tech skills. Unlike some GM's I don't have a cap on starting skills, but be sane with them, don't be a solo with 10 combat sense and have no skills to back it up.

Starting kit is as follows: Compressable matress, sleeping bag, laptop, cellphone, kevlar vest, personal toiletries. You get 3 months of income to start with, but you're unemployed. If you need anything else then let me know, I've already got one player joining who I've given a well used 1990 Harley that needs work.

Prices in the book are for off the shelf models. So if you want a gun you'll need a license to carry or will have to buy it illegally. If you want to buy an illegal weapon, or perhaps as a Nomad your weapon is a never registered hand-me-down shoot me a PM and we'll talk. Weapon costs go up on a per case basis depending on how illegal you want to go with it and how rare the weapon is. If you don't want your name attached to that serial number on that new prototype AR that 'fell off the back of a truck' be ready to pay for it.

If all this has you low on cash then PM me and we'll see who you can sell out to, or what ripperdock might just have a "lightly used" version on the cheap...

On a final note expect to be harrassed for carrying anything larger than a medium autopistol in the open, unless in the core of the combat zone. So either pack light, or hide what you're bringing.

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The setting will be Night City from the main book and we'll work on how to get people together once we know what we have. The same goes for things like detailing gangs and setting exact details for the job I'll be giving you. I like to cater to my characters backgrounds and personas so they don't seem like they're being forced into someone else's game. For example, if we end up with a Nomad, 2 medtechs and a corp we'll probably end up with a small ambulance service becoming a thorn in Trauma Team Internationals backside. More solos will make for a more combat heavy game and so on.

That said the first scene will likely involve the PC's being deniable assets in a dispute between Petrochem and Biotechnica.

I tend to run my games with an "Anything is possible, but not always easy," slogan, if you want to try something crazy go ahead, that's why we're playing a game and rule bending for the sake of memorable role playing is cool.

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PM me character concepts, you're free to roll up your own lifepaths so long as it doesn't look like your obviously trying to cheat a system. For everything else I'll roll the dice during play to keep everything even, unless someone knows how to get a reliable dice roller running for this forum.

Though Kheitain already knows this I'm in. I'll post my character here very shortly so interested parties can see what has been allowed so far and will have a a party member to build around team needs wise.

Handle: Zack Hall-Chapman
Role: Nomad
CP: 60 points
Int: 5 Ref: 6/6 Tech: 7 Cool: 6 Attr: 7 Luck: 4 MA: 8 Body: 10 EMP: 5
Run: 24 Leap: 6 Lift: 400 Humanity: 50 Rep: ??
Save: 10 BTM: -4 Wounds: None

Head: 6 Torso: 20 R. Arm: 16 L. Arm: 16 R. Leg: 12 L. Leg: 12
Hands armoured to AP 6, feet armoured to AP 16
Head Raises to 12 when riding his bike, or when wearing his ski mask

Core Skills:
-Family: 6 + Int = 11
-Awareness Notice: 4 + Int = 9
-Endurance: 2 + Body = 12
-Melee: 4 + Ref = 10
-Rifle: 6 + Ref = 12
-Drive: 6 + Ref = 12
-Basic Tech: 4 + Tech = 11
-Wilderness Survival: 2 + Int = 7
-Brawling: 4 + Ref = 10
-Athletics: 2 + Ref = 8

Pickup Skills: Int + Tech
-Teaching: 3 + 1 (Lifepath) + Int = 10
-Leadership: 4 + Emp = 9
-Weaponsmith: 2 + Tech = 9
-Basic Tech: 3 + Tech = 9
-Education and Knowledge: 1 + Int = 6
-First Aid: 1 + Tech = 8

Cyberwear:
-None

Equipment:
Basic Gear: Compressible mattress, sleeping bag, cellphone (2 months prepaid service), toiletries
Weapons: Electrothermally Enhanced Nomad 7.62mm Rifle (Rif +2 N C 9d6+3 [7.62mm] 6 1 VR 600m), FedArms Light Assault 15 (Rif 0* N C 5d6+3 [7mm] 30 3/25 VR 400m *+1 accuracy with 3 round bursts), Combat Knife, Brass Knuckles
Ammo: 1 Box of 7.62 Ammo, 1 Battery for ET enhanced rifle, 3 Boxes of 7mm Ammo, 1 box of 7mm API, 10 Frag Grenades (7d6 to 5m, 3d6 6-10m), 10 AT Grenades (5d10AP HEAT on hit, 3d6 out to 5m)
Armor/Clothing: Custom fitted bike helmet with built in mp3 player, SP 10 Kevlar vest, SP16 Leather Trenchcoat, SP 6 Fingerless Gloves, SP 12 Jeans (x3), SP 10 Kevlar T-Shirt (x3), Sp 16 Leather Boots, SP 12 Ski Mask, SP 6 Bandana, Leather Belt
Vehicle: 1990 Harley Davidson Tourer (A 1 followed by a 1-4 means the bike needs a repair role of 15+ to get going again. For 2,500eb of parts and a repair skill of 25+ it can be rebuilt.)
Tools: Tech Toolkit, Rope (100 ft)
Medical: Spray Skin, Medkit
Food: Kibble (2 weeks), Generic Prepack (1 week), Good Prepack (1 week)
Other: Binoglasses with built in lowlight and IR modes, stripwire binders, 2 Holsters, 2 rifle straps

Income:
-Nothing steady

Eurobucks:
-5eb

Handle: Zack Hall-Chapman
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Height: 6'2”
Weight: 220lb.
Build: Muscular, but with a little fat over things from not being so heavily involved in active combat as he udes to be
Skin Tone: Caucasian
Hair Color and Style: Black, hangs down his back in a long pony tail
Eyes: Green
Other: Right arm has a full sleeve tattoo featuring mostly pretty girls and demons, his left arm has a full sleeve as well but it has more symbolic elements and things like barbed wire encircling it. His back has a large dragon on it with the head reaching up and biting the top of his left arm. His chest is bare except for the name Iva over his heart, he was planning to get more ink done but he'd never want to lose the name in a sea of ink so he hasn't added to his chest in years.

Piercing wise he has each ear done with a stud, and has scars where he used to have a nose ring, eyebrow rings, a lip piercing all of which were lost when he was caught by a guy he owed money to.

Biography:

Zack's parents were corporate techs that were killed in a raid by a corporate hit team whcih attacked attacked the arcology they were living in when he was around 10 years old. His parents had some forewarning of the attack but were too important to let leave and not important enough to be well protected. This gave them enough warning to get him on a bus to stay with relatives but the bus was taken by a Nomad pack that was expanding and needed new wheels. The rest the buses passengers were forced out, but he hid from them in an overhead storage bin.

By the time they found him they had the vehicle back at camp and they weren't the type to waste what seemed to be a resourceful kid by sending him away. He took a while to fit in, but eventually he found himself spending time with a family that had one child who was two years older than himself and another who was a year younger. The eldest brother, David, grew up to be an outrider for the family and respects his skill, but otherwise has little contact with his adopted brother. His younger brother, Anthony, owes him a lot for saving his ass in a raid gone bad and, when Zack lets him, he'll do nearly anything to help his adopted brother out.

The events that shaped his life made Zack into a person who's more friendly and outgoing that might be expected. He attributes this to his life being made better the family that took him in and the help he's managed along the way. Naturally this means he values people and tries to avoid as much killing as he can. That doesn't mean he won't kick your ass for lying to him or otherwise making him mad though.

If you ask him what living thing he values most he'd say that it's his dog Snapper, so named because he's been known to snap at strangers quicker than most, or his girlfriend Dawn. Snapper used to ride with Zack, but doesn't often ride anymore because he stays home to protect and give companionship to Dawn while he's out on the road. Aside from his dog and his lover, he values the book he was given for the trip away from home by his birth parents, it's beat up, and he never did get around to reading it, but he carries the banged up hardcover with him everywhere.
What follows are general notes about events of importance since his first ride with the pack on a raid at age 16:

16: That first ride didn't go too well, Jewel, a long time rival got caught trying to run when the lead started flying and Zack called him out on it. Ever since then Zack hasn't liked the guy, because nothing could be worse than a guy at your back who might not hold the line. Mostly that just means Zack avoids working with him when he can, when he can't he stays cool aside from tossing out the occasional verbal barb. If things ever get too bad it'd likely end in a fist fight between the two men.

17: With a year of riding under his belt Zack started to make friends with his usual companions and one standout from among them is Grace one of the few females that rode with his group. She was a skilled rider and a trusted friend, but they'd never hookup and risk losing it.

18: Into the city alone for the first time Zack was just looking for some fun when a bad dose fucked him up something fierce. Ever since he's had the shakes and had a bit more trouble staying cool under fire. Even so he's a better shot than most and he'd still likely be one of the last to break under stress.

19: After the drug incident it took him a while to get back to normal so this was a forgettable year of getting back to normal.

20: During the time off Zack did some teaching and managed to be not too bad at it. This lead him into a less active roll doing raids and attacking corporate convoys and had him look more at leadership and training youngblood.

21: While teaching he met a Iva, a female sharpshooter who's pack had recently joined his own. They hit it off and the first few months were spent all too quickly in young lust. Then it all ended when an Arasaka counter sniper put a chunk of lead between her eyes. Tough luck, Zack had no choice but to bury her and move on.

22: After Iva's untimely death he spent even more time teaching and otherwise spending time away from actively raiding. This lead to a less than eventful twenty-second year.

23: While teaching the young kids with a mixture of stories from his time spent riding and shooting and some hands on runs on lighter targets Zack made friends with one of the youths who had a story not unlike his own. Now he treats Mark like a younger brother and they tend to have drinks together whenever they happen to see each other.

24: Finally getting over Iva enough to think of love again Zack met Kimberly at a meeting of two packs and they hit it off. However due to his possessiveness and jealousy things quickly fell apart. She left and Zack never forgave her for being the second woman to break his heart, she never felt the same and wonders what could have been if they'd worked things out.

25: Zack and Jewel finally made things right when a booster gang raided the packs supplies and Jewel had to save his old enemy at risk to himself. This all came about when Zack flipped and lost his cool and tried to take on all of the enemies by himself because he didn't trust anybody to watch his back.

26: In Night City finalizing a deal with a local fixer Zack managed to score big and pocketed 400eb.

27: Dawn met Zack when they both took time to teach a group of up and coming outriders. They liked each others teaching styles and have enjoyed a good professional relationship ever since.

28: A year after meeting Dawn and Zack have moved past being just friends and the relationship is going well. She understands his losses and he's worked hard to not be too overbearing. There's even talk of maybe having a kid going around between the couple.

On a note about the books, I can help people with the basics, just drop me a PM.

Well, I'll bite. Count me in.

I'll write up a character tomorrow, when I had the chance to refresh my memories of the rules a bit.

That's cool, I've got a framework of a story going, the specifics of which two corporations and NPC's I'm waiting to see what I can steal out of lifepaths. We've got a prospective Solo rolling up a char as well, an ex SWAT officer is the background I've got for him so far.

Just a side note for anyone considering playing a Netrunner, definitely cool with me I'll just have to refresh my knowledge of the net rules.

Alrighty, basic framework that we'll be working in.

An assiciate of yours, to be determined once I find out if anyone wants the part, has discovered a new strain of that when fermented produces an alchohol similar to CHOOH2. This corn will mature as fast as the wheat strains developed by Biotechnica and used by Petrochem but produces nearly three times the finished product. The alchohol after refinement is similar enough to CHOOH2 to be used in current automobiles with only minor tuning.

Why is this your problem?
Should you manage to successfuly develop and subsequently market this product you will all become billionairs, potentially at the head of a corporation capable of buying out nearly any other corporation on or off the planet. The problem should be obvious, Biotechnica will lose its single most profitable product to date and Petrochem will no longer have a land contract potentially making both of them extinct.

I'm still waiting to see whether I have a PC or NPC who engineers this product. Whether you want to play through corporate negotiations or if you just want to have the forbidden package and run with it idea is up to the players.

Since it has been approved, here's my character:

Name: Thomas "Bosco" Boscorelli

Style & Dress: Blue jeans, bald, tatooed

STATS

INT 5 COOL 9 ATTR 1 (horribly disfigured)
REF 5 BODY 8 EMP 7 (5 because of implants)
TECH 5 LUCK 10 MA 6

HUM: 54,5

CORE SKILLS

Authority 7
Awareness 5
Handgun 4
Human Perception 4
Athletics 2
Education 5
Brawling 2
Melee 2
Interrogation 5
Streetwise 4


PICKUP SKILLS (COOL+INT):
Code:
Intimidate: 6
Know language (Spanish): 4
Driving: 4

EQUIPMENT

Money left: 450eb (detective, 3000/month)

Basic kit

Armor
Flack vest (police issue) 20 +1 EV
Flack pants (Police issue) 20 +1 EV
Nylon helmet (police issue) 20 +0 EV
Total armor cost: 500eb


Guns
Mustang Arms Mk II

P• +1 •J/L• C • 3D6(11 mm) • 12/20• 3 •VR• 50m •425eb

Kendachi MonoKnife

Melee• +1 •P• P • 2D6 •200eb

Microwave emitter

P• 0 •J• P • 1D6(special) • 10• 2 •VR• 50m •400eb

Total weapon cost: 1025 eb

Cyberware

Smartgoggles (Thermograph, Low-Lite, Targetting Scope, Digital Camera): 1190eb

Biomonitor 100 eb 1 H.L.
Contraceptive implant 100eb 0.5 H.L.
Subdermar armor 1200eb 8 H.L.
Digital recorder 200eb 2 H.L.
Subdermal pocket 200eb 4 H.L.

Total: 2990 eb, 15.5 H.L.

Equipment:
Apartment, one room, moderate zone (rent paid this month): 400eb
Cable TV: 40eb
Net access: 40eb
Utilities: 100eb
Goggles: 20eb
Rope (30 feet): 60eb
Cuffs: 100eb
Stripwire binders (10): 50eb
Food (two week's worth, good prepack): 400eb
Cell phone service (3 months paid in advance): 300eb
Binocs: 200eb
Trauma Team account: 500eb
Medkit: 50eb
10 boxes of 11mm pistol ammo (dual purpose, 4xprice): 800eb
Holster and shoulder sling: 25eb
Assorted clothes: 350eb



TOTAL SPENDING: 8550

Family history:

Parents were corporate technicians in Petrochem. They have been fired from the corporation when they questioned their safety standards and test procedures. The corporation decided to ruin them with a series of lawsuits: the entire family was forced to relocate to the nasty district of Night City, and lived in poverty for years while fighting a prolonged legal battle with the corp. this was a major reason why Thomas decided to become a cop.

Bosco has two younger sisters, Tatiana and Janet.

Tatiana is the family rebel, mired in illegal activity, gangs and similar shady pursuits. She hates Bosco, thinking he abandoned the family and left them to fend for themselves. Bosco, on the other hand, still loves her and has been attempting to help her go off her drug habit for a while now.

Janet, on the other hand, looks up to her brother as a hero, and wants to be like him, which got her into serious trouble with the gangs more than once.

Bosco's parents are also split in their opinion about him: hid mom loves him very much, but his dad is resentful because he thinks that as a police officer, he could do more to help his family.

Lifepath, important events:

At 17, Bosco got into a car accident. A drunk driver rammed the car he was driving with his dad: dad was unhurt, but Bosco wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and was thrown out of the vehicle. He hit the curb with his face and was permanently disfigured. Despite several rounds of plastic surgery, his face is still a mess of ugly scars.

Despite that, a year later, he met his first love. It was a high school sweetheart, and they both hit it off despite Bosco's horrible facial scars. To this day, he carries her picture in his wallet, despite the fact they haven't seen each other for ages.

The same year, he joined the Academy and began his training. During his training, he's made two friends: another fresh cadet, John Barnes, and an Academy instructor, sgt. Rebecca Simms. Barnes and himself quickly became best buddies, and made sure to be assigned to the same precinct together - he shared many of Bosco's naive ideals about society in general. Rebecca quit the academy and became a corporate security guard.

During his third year, right before graduation, he was accompanying a comissioned officer on patrol. When responding to a call, he and his partner saved a Biotechnica executive from a gang of thugs. The exec was, understandably, quite thankful, and promised he would pay Bosco back one day.

He was eventually comissioned, and began working as a beat cop, working with John on the street, where he quickly became known as one of the few good cops left in the city. Shortly after he gained his reputation, Simms - now working for Petrochem - called him up and offered him a job at corporate security. Boscoe declined: but not only that, he let her know just what he thought of Petrochem and corps in general, in no uncertain words.

Their relationship has steadily declined since then. He didn't think much about the issue - but last year, Barnes was promoted to detective sergeant and assigned to Internal Affairs. Two days later was murdered in his apartment by a professional hitman, and all notes from his first case disappeared. Two other detectives assigned to the same case died in a car accident a month later. The investigation was closed due to a lack of evidence.

Bosco knew what the case was, since his friend shared it with him: Barnes and his partners were trying to uncover the source of systemic corruption inside Night City's police force. They knew several high-ranking officers were in on the take, and managed to get reliable information tying some of the kickbacks to Petrochem.

Since then, he always suspected Simms arranged the murder, but has no proof. Either way, his hatred for corps in general and Petrochem in particular was only flared by these events.

I must say the lifepath system in CP2020 is totally rad: I forgot how much fun it is to roll up a character's story, and what great help it is for the GM.

Doing work on my Nomad pack now to save Kheitain some work. I'll PM him with it and post it here once I am done and approved. Expect to see some crazy outriders, including a mortar team!

Hey guys, sorry about falling off the board for a while there, lifes been a bit hectic. My girlfriend got her visa so we've been getting our trip back to my country sorted out. Her mom, my brother and her Dad have also all moved in the past 3 weeks so that's taken a chunk of my time as well.
So excuses aside (I forgot to also mention my just being lazy) maybe we can actually get this game off the ground.

Bosco, it's a Thursday afternoon, roughly 3pm and it's been a shit day. Steady acid drizzle, the smog seems to have just stuck to the ground and to top it off some dickhead who you caught dealing 'Lace decided to introduce you to his Big Knucks implants (You took one good shot to the head before breaking most of his face, start with 2 damage). Guess you'll have to do up the paperwork on that too. You're head hurts, you're eyes are burning, throats good and sore because the precinct has decided to do a little budgetting and your filter mask didn't make the cut. Luckily your shift ends at 3:30 and you can finish the paperwork tomorrow if you want to.

On your way back to Precinct #1 to drop off the patrol car and clock out for the day you get a quick call on your personal cell phone, "It's Tyrel, remember me? Doesn't matter, if you still want to stick Petrochem for that shit with Barnes and whatever your other personal shit was, meet us at the Slammer. You remember where that is? Corner of Sterling and Marina, don't look like a cop, we'll be placing bets on the fight hahaha!"

It takes you a minute, but the brash Russian used to work with you when you first started the beat. He was a little older, known for going a little overboard when detaining suspects and just generally an asshole. He eventually got transferred to C-SWAT where they thought his methods might acutally be usefull and that was the last you heard of him.


Zack, I assume you'll be at the bar with Tyrel and a few Outriders waiting to make your first meeting with this cop. Tyrel tells you wants Petrochem out of the way even more than the family does. Before you get on your bike the head of the pack hands your 200eb. "Buy our new friend a few Nomads, and get the boys going with a few too," he grates out, "and if you find any work, take it or send it our way. We're going to be greasing more than a few hands I'm sure."

Well, holy crap, I think putting the phone down, That came of out of the blue

I reflect on the proposal for a while, while mindlessly filling out the most pressing paperwork. It's like somebody finally listened to my prayers: except, shady dealings with mysterious Russians rarely delivered what they promised. I've been on the force far too long to be that naive.

It takes me a while, but eventually, I decide it can't hurt to see what this is all about. It's not like I will have to commit right away: if the scheme is insane, I can always back away.

I get up from my desk and pull the trusty Mk.II from the drawer, where it spent the last hour resting after a long night. Old friends may be old friends, but this is still Night City. After some more thought, I also get my microwaver from the locker and put it in my pocket, and pop some painkillers from the employee medkit.

I really need to get that bike I always wanted, I think idly as I leave the precinct and head for the subway. Not that I mind all that much, though: for whatever reason, I don't think of public transit as horrible, and it's cheap. Maybe I'm just too dazed to notice.

On the way, I buy a disposable filter mask from a vending machine. Ten eurobucks may be somewhat pricey, but I'd rather not get lung cancer just yet.

Before boarding my train, I get a thought. I pull out my cell phone and dial a number for the police archives.

"Jenn, hi! It's Bosco...Could you do me a quick favor? I need to check up on a former cop, may be related to one of my cases.", there's a brief pause, as Jenn asks me about the name. I find no good way to skip over it, so I fire away, "You remember Tyrel, right? Yeah, okay. Just call me back if you find we have something on him."

It was worth a try. Taking a deep breath and shaking off residual skull-splitting pain, I board the train. Let's see what the crazy bastard has to say.

Zack's working out on his weight bench in the old army tent that him and Dawn call home when Tyrel comes in looking all serious as usual. The C-SWAT member waits while his friend sets the weight on the rest and grabs a sip of water before he starts talking. There isn't much to say, the guy they'd been looking at as another potential in with the force looks like he might have bit on the offer.

While the older nomad changes into his going out clothes the two men talk about who to bring with them and how best to get them all into the bar without making too large of a scene. In the end they go for a good mix, opting to send a fixer, a close knit team with shotguns in the pack's nicest two door sedan, and one of the big new guys who enjoys dressing to kill and going in loaded for bear. Once it's all decided Zack calls them up from the battered old CB in the tent's far corner and lets them know that he wants the fixer to slip in first and deal with some real business while he's there, maybe place a bet on the fight for them, then the CQB team should head in and take a corner booth and sit a bit not order much to make people think they're the hot shit for the night, lastly comes the big guy who'll get there right before him and Tyrel do to really cause a scene.

With that settled he asks Tyrel to give him a second while he goes and says goodbye to Dawn. She's over helping take care of the youngest of the kids along with a few other men and women from the pack and when she sees him walking over with a rifle over his shoulder she gets up and walks quickly over to him. Scooping her up Zack gives her a big hug and she, in a hurried whisper asks what's going on. He explains it's no big deal and says it's just a meeting and reassures her that he intends to look too tough to kill so he doesn't need to shoot much. That helps to calm her down and with a quick kiss and an I love you he heads to get his bike a move out.

Just as he's about to leave the compound one of the tribe's elders passes him 200eb to help out at the bar, with a nod and a thanks he takes the money and heads out with Tyrel at his side. With that the two men exit the camp and turn onto the highway just minutes behind Ripper who's outdone even himself by going in with everything but grenades on him. The two vets exchange a quick laugh at that and make sure to stay behind him.

Arriving at the bar not too much worse for the smog and the air they enter the bar and as they step in they take a quick look around.

The Slammer opens at 10pm and it's obvious they're expecting a rough crowd tonight. The four doormen are decked out in flack pants, heavy armour jackets sporting "The Slammer" in big comic-book lettering across the backs. You can tell they're nervous, they're constantly mumbling into their collars and fingers are dangeriously close to the triggers of the Ingram MAC-14's heald ready across their belts. Cover charge is 10eb a piece, the bouncers give you a once over, checking all weapons in numbered, locked safes. Stun guns, mace or other defensive items, especially on female members will be ignored.

Zack, you and your boys get there first, shortly after the club opens. It's filling up quickly, predominantly with barechested men covered in scars and white paint and bruiser looking types covered in black and red leathers. The tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife. You do manage to find an out of the way corner table, with a view of the front door. There's no service in this bar you have to go up and get the drinks yourself.

Bosco, you arrive shortly after, immediately recognizing members of the Sacred Blades and The Slaughterhouse. Probably another one of those manhood challenges the Sacred Blades put their members through. You notice a few other gang colours when you enter and hell, even a few cops, but nothing significant. The amount of illegal cyberware you can see just on a cursory glance is rediculous, why they're bothering to confiscate guns is a mystery.

On a rules note, Bosco made his Awareness/Notice and had the background to recognize the colours. I just rolled Cool checks for Zack and company to avoid starting a fight over being bumped, pushed and prodded on their way to a table.
Anyone who thinks they can smuggle a weapon in is welcome to try, the doormen aren't looking very hard. A 50eb cover charge might get them to ignore something small like a knife or brass knuckles. Trying to hide your weapon will just a be their perception vs your stealth or pick pocketing skill and will get you marked for the night.

Norade, I also need what your identifying colours or marks are for your pack. Could be tattoos, scarification, motorcycle jackets with patches for rank, anything you like.

What a lousy way to start an afternoon, I think to myself, squeezing through crowds of cybergangers, hoping I don't meet anybody I've arrested. Fortunately, the crowds are tight enough to provide a certain degree of anonymity. It's a good thing I look like I look: it helps me blend in with this crowd. Even then, without my gun I feel somewhat naked. Or suicidcal.

I smile at my own dark joke, and start scanning the crowd for Tyrel. Hopefully, the bastard didn't change too much. If I won't notice him, I'll just buy a drink, place a small bet on the fight and wait for him to come to me.

Zack pays for Tyrel and himself to enter the club and he doesn't check his brass knuckles figuring that under his heavy gloves they will just look like swollen knuckles. If they're spotted he'll slip the bouncer twenty eb at first followed by the last twenty when that doesn't seem to be working. From there he takes a table with Tyrel. The table picked is near enough to the corner table for them to be covered, but far enough back that they're not clearly with them. The patch on the backs of the three in the corner, Edward, Jake and Ashton) are pointed away so Bosco might not get the connection right away, the fixer, Joe, doesn't colors on his clothing and his tattoo is hidden. Seeing as his partner knows the guy and might be able to spot him Zack grabs the three drinks and heads back.

Meanwhile Rock, the heavily armed pack member, has arrived and is making a bit of a scene over his weapons and for better or worse he opts to stay outside with his bike. He's got the shortest fuse of the team sent and he's likely a bit worked up over not being allowed to get his weapons in. A fight might break out if anybody outside pushes him.

(The names are just so I can try to start remembering them so I don't need to refer to my notes as much.)

(A bit more info on the pack:

Santa Cruz Family

Marks, the pack wear the seal of Santa Cruz as a tattoo that is usually on the upper right arm. It is also commonly seen on the back of the jackets worn by the pack. Getting a tattoo is a coming of age event of the pack.)

Zack, the bouncer closes a hand around your fist and feels the brass knuckles hidden under the gloves. Feeling the 20eb in your hand he lets it go and waves you in.

Bosco, they keep the gun but leave you with the microwaver.

The crowd inside is thick, but divided. The middle of the bar is almost empty, almost enough of a path to walk through. The gangs are obviously staking sides even in the bar and the arena had better start up soon or else. Tyrel spots Bosco as he walks through the doors and waves, it's been a few years but he's still recognizable. He's sitting with another man Bosco's never met that looks like a gridiron player, back when they were all meat.

Bosco, you notice four men sitting in a corner booth, three of which are trying to discretely keep on eye on Tyrel and whoever the man sitting with him is while knocking back a few shots.

Kheitain wrote:Zack, the bouncer closes a hand around your fist and feels the brass knuckles hidden under the gloves. Feeling the 20eb in your hand he lets it go and waves you in.

Bosco, they keep the gun but leave you with the microwaver.

The crowd inside is thick, but divided. The middle of the bar is almost empty, almost enough of a path to walk through. The gangs are obviously staking sides even in the bar and the arena had better start up soon or else. Tyrel spots Bosco as he walks through the doors and waves, it's been a few years but he's still recognizable. He's sitting with another man Bosco's never met that looks like a gridiron player, back when they were all meat.

Bosco, you notice four men sitting in a corner booth, three of which are trying to discretely keep on eye on Tyrel and whoever the man sitting with him is while knocking back a few shots.

My worries about not recognizing Tyrel turn out to be unfounded: or maybe it's me who's easy to spot. I guess people just don't forget a face like mine.

I walk up to the table and sit down.

"Friends of yours?", I ask Tyrel, nodding my heads towards the guys sitting inside the booth, "Am I that dangerous, or are you already in trouble and just didn't tell me yet?"

(OOC: I hope my first-person film-noir style isn't too irritating? )

(I rather like your style, it adds a lot to a game like this.)

Speaking and passing the newcomer, Bosco if he caught the name right a drink, Zack says, "It isn't usual too smart for Nomads to travel alone, besides, it never hurts to show off a little strength if it means not having to use it. Anyway, you seem to know Tyrel already if I've heard right so I might as well introduce myself," he offers a hand and a firm shake over the table, "I'm Zack, I lead the outriders for the Stana Cruz Family."

With that he draws his hands back and waves over Jake from the other table, hands over fifty Eurobucks and says, "Seeing as he saw right through you you may as well enjoy some drinks."

I crack a smile, seeing the nomad scolding his friends. It's good to know I've still got it.

Remembering how creepy I can look when smiling, I take myself back under control and snap back to the topic at hand.

"Santa Cruz family, huh? I heard mixed opinions of your...", I want to say 'gang', but stop myself short, "...group.", I finish after a brief pause. Didn't come off best, but what the hell. We'll see if they're offended soon enough.

"My name's Boscorelli.", I take the outsretched hand and shake it, "That's Bosco for friends.", I look at Tyler, "And some old acquaintances."

Zack doesn't much care about how a useful contact looks so he just sits there and finishes his drink as Boscorelli introduces himself. Zack takes away the fact that he's dealing with a pretty blunt person from it all and now it's his turn to smile. That and the fact that he's got nice firm handshake, something with some good strength behind it.

Talking fairly casually the nomad asks, "So, what's the worst thing you've heard about our group? I could use a laugh."

Norade wrote:Zack doesn't much care about how a useful contact looks so he just sits there and finishes his drink as Boscorelli introduces himself. Zack takes away the fact that he's dealing with a pretty blunt person from it all and now it's his turn to smile. That and the fact that he's got nice firm handshake, something with some good strength behind it.

Talking fairly casually the nomad asks, "So, what's the worst thing you've heard about our group? I could use a laugh."

"Depends on who you ask. You're either brigands, murderers and rapists, annoying rebels flouting the law or paragons of rugged American self-reliance.", I answer in a sligthly ironic tone, "You can guess who says what."

I think the first person narration is pretty slick. I've tried but can never seem to do it consistantly.

Didn't see the point in posting and cluttering up your guys' dialogue, nobody is bothering you for the moment. They're either glowering at each other or trying to to be in the middle of the two gangs known for excessive stabbing.

The music stops for a moment, "Place your bets now the fight is about to begin! Tonights show will be a three on three match between initiates of the Sacred Blades and Slaughterhouse. Combatants may be armed with knives or any melee cyber enhancement, no firearms, no explosives. Nothing's being resolved and I doubt anyone cares! Opening odds are 2:1 for Slaughterhouse. We would like to remind our customers that any fighting outside of the arena will not be tolerated."

There's a small surge of people making their way to the betting booths or trying to get a better view of the arena below. Betting booths are just an ATM style computer set into the wall, you can feed cash, chipcard or access your accounts directly and betting odds are adjusted every 60 seconds after the fight has started.

At this point it's largely up to you two which way you would like to go. As far as help is concerned just about anything Bosco comes up with from the legal or illegal has a loose framework already on paper. If you want to suggest which gangs would make good support or muscle feel free, also feel free to make up any organizations you think might fit. I'll roll them up before my next post. If you need any assistance in what your character should know that you don't send me a PM, I wanted this meeting to allow you guys to direct some of your own goals and means to the end in this story.

"Nothing unusual then," says Zack with a little smile as the music dies and the fights are announced.

As the crowd shifts the leader of the outriders and his right hand man don't move, but the rest of the team does. Taking up positions to watch the fights, it isn't often they get a night to just screw around these days so Zack can hardly blame them. It would almost be tempting to place a bet, but with no way to ensure the outcome he's not willing to throw his cash away.

Looking back to Bosco the older man asks, "What's your beef with Petrochem anyway?"

"Well, let's see...", my expression turns from ironic to angry, "They're the reason my family has to live in the combat zone, in mortal fear for their lives every day. My sister is turning tricks for drug money, and has no prospects for the future even if she didn't. Even then, the corporate fuckers won't give up until they simply have no more money."

I take a breath, "They corrupt the government and police, being the reason America is in the shape it is today, they have no problem with financing gangs to make war with other corps on the streets, they throw people out of their homes to make more space for their production facilities, destroy anyone who tries to oppose them and finally, I'm almost certain they murdered my friend."

"So...", I conclude, watching with concern as Zack's bodyguards throw their attention anywhere but the people they're supposed to protect, "...I really wouldn't bat an eye if they came crashing down, their execs got dragged into the street and hanged from lamp posts or thrown in supermax prisons for the rest of their lives, their shareholders went bankrupt and lost every single fucking penny, and their shitheaded CEO...I'd personally shoot him in the head if I ever got the chance."

The drink glass I'm holding cracks. I put it down and turn back towards Zack and Tyrel, "So, how about telling me why you brought me here in the first place?"

The tattooed nomad watches and listens as the man before him speaks about why he hates Petrochem and what they did to his family. He's heard similar many times before, some cases worse, and others mitigated by joining a pack much like his own. This is the sort of thing that always hits him like a fist to the gut, yet in this case it is, sadly what he was looking for.

When asked why they want him Zack says, "The family values your skills and having a man in the force is always helpful. That and we expect a big things to be happening soon, I can't tell you what, but I know enough that I can say we may have a shot at bringing down Petrochem and giving the people a chance at justice. The only thing now is to ask if you're in or not?"