Skip to main content

Hero Hunters: Getting Work

So, now that I've worked out how I want the players to behave and how that affects the kinds of jobs they can get, I want to spend a bit of time thinking about how they actually go about getting those jobs, and what those jobs entail.

If only it were that easy
First off, there are a few different ways word of various jobs end up making their way to the players.

Open Bounties--various governments, crime syndicates, and other groups will just publicly announce they want something done, and the reward for this. Generally these are to either kill or capture an individual or a group, and payment is provided upon completion. How “public” these actually are varies, naturally--it’s not like the Mafia is going to put out flyers or anything, but anyone with any degree of contacts or remotely “plugged in” will know about these. There will almost always be rivals for the job, and the target almost always is aware of the danger they are under.
Direct Contact--the players are approached directly by a group that needs something done, generally either friends or direct relation (for example, they have a cousin who is a Made Man in the mob, or who works for DoD), or using those same relations as middle men (the Russian Mob might approach a friend in the Italian Mob who contacts the players).  Can be almost any kind of job.
Dark Web--the game will take place in the mid-90’s, and the Internet is still a wondrous and imposing thing.  Hidden deep behind “firewalls” and “mainframes” lurks the “Dark Web” a practically unknown and unpoliced location, where Villains and criminals of all stripes can conduct business in anonymity.

Brokers--the most legitimate and often the best paying gigs out there. They are generally limited to those with Rep’s of C or higher.  These are actual companies who take contracts from governments and corporations (even if these are often fronts for criminal or intelligence groups), and farm them out to various “independent contractors.”  You will be expected to keep your nose relatively clean, and pay taxes, fees, and what not from money earned.  Amsterdam and Hong Kong are the homes of the Independent Contractor world, and as such they are considered “safe cities.”
Next, I want to work up some random tables for various jobs. I love randomness in games, it helps keep me on my toes, and can be a wonderful tool for inspiration when I have nothing else to go on.  
Job (1d12)
  1. Assassination
  2. Assault
  3. Kidnapping
  4. Extraction
  5. Robbery
  6. Diversion
  7. Retainer
  8. Courier/Smuggling
  9. Military--Raid
  10. Military--Campaign
  11. Body Guard
  12. Defense
Employer (1d10)
  1. Crime Syndicate
  2. Private (1-2 Upper Class, 3-4 Middle Class, 5-6 Lower Class)
  3. Criminal Gang
  4. Major Corporation
  5. Medium Corporation
  6. Government (home)
  7. Government (foreign)
  8. Supervillain
  9. Aliens
  10. Terrorists
Target/Opposition (1d8)
  1. Major Corporation
  2. Medium Corporation
  3. Government
  4. Supervillain
  5. Superhero
  6. Criminal
  7. Private (1-2 Upper Class, 3-4 Middle Class, 5-6 Lower Class)
  8. Terrorists
Complications (1d8)
  1. Weather
  2. Authorities
  3. Other Villains
  4. Heroes
  5. Innocents
  6. Personal Issues
  7. Screwjob
  8. Unusual or bizarre opposition
Location (1d20)

  1. War Zone
  2. Foreign Country
  3. Skyscraper
  4. Secure Government Facility
  5. Prison
  6. Boat
  7. Jungle
  8. Underground
  9. Underwater
  10. Suburbs
  11. Aerial
  12. Frozen Waste
  13. Alien
  14. Rural
  15. Urban
  16. Industrial Facility
  17. Bank
  18. Private home
  19. Religious
  20. Public location/event

Payment (1d4)
  1. Prior Payment
  2. Advance/Completion
  3. Intermediary
  4. Payment on Completion
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Complete Transylvania Chronicles Redux

Here is the list of all my posts for my series on the  Transylvania Chronicles . The experiment didn't really pan out the way I wanted, but it was still an enjoyable and enlightening read. Hopefully other Storytellers will find these posts to be of some interest If you're a player who might play these, please note that each of these posts is full of spoilers. They were written from the point of view of a potential storyteller, so please do not read these if you are planning to play. For everyone else, here they are. Get it here I started off with the read through of Transylvania by Night. This is still an excellent resource, if perhaps overly ambitious. I wish they had focused more on a smaller area, such as Transylvania itself. Instead, the book seeks to cover the entirety of Eastern Europe, with mixed results. I'd still recommend it for anyone interested in running a Dark Ages chronicle, no matter where you wish to set it. Introduction . Chapters...
1 comment
Read more

Transylvania Chronicles Redux -- Act I

Transylvania Chronicles I Dark Tides Rising Act I: The Making of Princes (Massive Spoilers) Summary The characters are summoned to Buda-Pest to meet their would be Patron (decided by Coterie Concept). En route, they come across a slave auction and witness a slave escaping; they can choose to intervene or not. They are confronted by a mad Malkavian prophet foretelling their involvement in great event to come. Their patron assigns them the task of building a fortress, and they are given money and men to accomplish this. As they travel to the build site, they are ambushed on the road, destroying their men, supplies, and wealth. A Myca Vykos provides them aid, and they meet with a local Prince. When they get to the building site, they meet Lucita and Anatole, who help them acquire ancient tablets (a “subplot” from their patron). The players begin building, and need to recruit Zelios, a master architect and Kindred. Short on funds, Myca Vykos again appears and offers them fina...
1 comment
Read more

Transylvania Chronicles Redux -- Act III

Transylvania Chronicles I Dark Tides Falling Act III: The Death of Princes (Massive Spoilers) Summary : Players are Princes. They gather to discuss recent rumors of Gypsys, the Turks invading, and the growth of the Inquisition in the west. Anatole and Lucita arrive and fill them in on more recent events (Anarch uprising, death of Lasombra, peasant revolts, etc.). Their sires approach the PC’s and demand a Blood Oath. Players are tasked with a “simple” job--help Nova Arpad capture a thief and return various pieces of jewelry.  They track the thief to a gypsy camp. Receive the fortune. Inquisitors interrupt, and they fight. They retrieve the thief (?) from the Inquisitors. No matter what, they fail in some way. Enraged, sires strip them of their domains. More prophecy. Dragomir approaches them about diablerizing the Tzimisce Antediluvian. Players either assist or seek to hinder the anarchs. Key Factors : Players fail their sires, but can not strike back against the...
Post a Comment
Read more