Cyberpunk RED Hooks

A collection of Cyberpunk RED plot hooks originally shared in the /tg/ Cyberpunk RED general thread.

Idol Warfare

From https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76146987/#q76165979

PCs are a Trauma Team (Preferably Meditech, Nomad, Solo, Exec, but any 3 to 5 combo of roles is fine). Everyone gets 2 points in First Aid in addition to other starting skills. Being in a Trauma Team gives them access to cool stuff but they don’t own it exactly (like AV4s).

PCs get a call out - Executive Coverage. It’s an Idol (name and stuff up to GM) whose vitals flagged before going out. Biomonitor has them moving at high speeds from the Playground to Rancho Coronado. PCs are set to intercept and retrieve.

PCs arrive at Coronado. It’s a sprawling tent city with some prefab housing (try to emulate a Mogadishu vibe as the place is full of refugees and homeless), but as the PCs arrive in the sky the biomonitor goes dark. Last location has it at a prefab and tent compound covered in religious iconography - Inquisitors.

PCs can go in shock and awe from the sky, or clean and quiet from the ground. Either way they’ll fight through some Inquisitors (if you haven’t read RED yet, they’re a staunchly anti-cybernetics gang), finding in the end that the Idol’s not there (gasp), just a hacked out biomonitor.

So the chase starts up again. Interrogating some survivors, the PCs can find out that the Idol has been moved to South Night City, and the Inquisitors plan to excise them of their cybernetics live on stream to the Idol’s thousands of followers.

So it’s back in the AV4 they go, flying into one of the worst combat zones in Night City. Hitting the pavement can lead the PCs to the scene of a violent street fight between the Inquisitors and Maelstrom, and going by the body count Maelstrom came out on top, but the Idol is no where to be found. Asking around can lead the PCs to wherever the local Maelstrom gang is holed up.

Now they have a choice - guns blazing or negotiate. Maelstrom have the Idol but they’re also a pretty strong group, so outright attacking them could go badly. However, the gang took some bad wounds, and will trade the Idol for some medical care.

However this ends is really up to the PCs, but assuming they get the Idol and patch them up, job well done.

The Usual Suspects

From https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76146987/#q76167990

PCs are part of a Nomad Clan (take your pick) and take the role of a quick response and/or scouting group. Ideally the party is mostly Nomads, Solos and Tech, but so long as at least one is a Nomad and has a car all is good.

At one of the many Nomad stops on <insert your favourite Interstate highway here>, the PCs are expecting a cargo to arrive, but it’s late. The camp boss tells the PCs to go out and find out what’s going on. So the PCs pile into their trusty wagon and head out into the Open Road.

Smoke on the horizon eventually reveals an escort vehicle for the cargo truck has been crashed and burned. Inspecting the site shows the escort was rammed from the rear before flipping and being hosed with gunfire, and it seems the cargo truck tracks head off the main road and into the scrub. Of course the smoke has alerted the local Go-Gangers who show up for a good, old-fashioned Mad Max shooty bang-bang.

After fending off the Go-Gangers, the PCs follow the trail left by the cargo truck, eventually arriving at an old town left over from the decades of war and destitution. It’s a ghost town, but at an old depot they can find the cargo truck -- yet what’s this? It’s being watched by Corpos. Obviously those dastardly pricks snatched the cargo truck.

The PCs may want to sneak around a bit or just go in guns blazing - your mileage may vary. But the crux is this: the Corpos didn’t steal the cargo truck (which we will learn has some gene-bred calves to help kick start the beef industry). Instead, the Nomads in charge of moving the goods simply came to a better deal with the Corps, selling out the family and the clan as it was.

Now the Traitor Nomads are in a pickle. They’ll need to think fast if the PCs show up to mount a “rescue”. Do the Traitors help the Corpos kill the PCs? Or do they quickly turn on the Corpos in a classic double cross and profess their innocence? It’s really up to the GM.

So after resolving the missing cargo truck, the PCs are gonna have to get it to to where it’s going, which is a long overland journey through the Open Road.

Along the way they risk ambushes from hungry Go-Gangers, and revenge from the Corpos they’ve screwed out of a deal (could be a neat attack from the sky, AV4 vs moving cargo truck).

Regardless they gotta complete the job, so it’s to Night City they go. After successfully delivering the goods (assuming all goes well), job well done and rewards are in order.

It's a Long Way to the Top

From https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76146987/#q76187458 and https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76198116/#q76200501

The PCs are an entourage for a Rockerboy (preferably PC Rockerboy, but a GMPC Rockerboy is fine). Preferably the party is made up of Rockerboys (either whole party as band, or a solo act, but a duo is fine too), Solos (at least one as a bodyguard), Techies (to fix the gear, man), Exec (manager, not necessary but works fine), and Fixers (to get the drugs and organise the gigs).

They've got a gig (yay) and in a Green Zone (double yay!), the University District in fact. But first they need to get there from Santo Domingo. If they have a Nomad PC they can probably pile into the trusty Rock-Van. If not, they'll need to either take the NCTC or hire a Nomad. The Nomad is the more expensive but safer option, but maybe the Fixer can haggle it down some. If the PCs are cheap-arses, they can take the bus. Unfortunately for them, the bus is gonna get hit by a pack of Bozos. The PCs can run or fight them off.

The PCs arrive at the gig, a small bar catering to university students mostly. But what's this? It's been double booked. The other act is a Pain-Boyz show (think Jackass or Dudesons but you know, in 2045 with cybernetics), and the manager of the bar doesn't really care who performs. "Sort it out between yourselves", they say.

So the PCs have some choices to make; do they beat up the other act? Try to sabotage their gear, or their show? Negotiate with the manager? Let the PCs run wild with this one. Regardless of if they do the show or not, those dang Bozos are gonna show up (again, if the PCs took the bus) and wreck the joint in their usual fashion (strange trapeze acrobatics, strong-man clowns, driving through the bar in a tiny car, spraying acidic "Seltzer" into people's faces, you know, fun stuff). Once again, the PCs can fight or run, up to them. However, in the kerfuffle, the PCs' gear gets stolen (guitars, the Nomad's car, or just their gear in the green room, or their NPC manager etc).

Some investigating reveals that it was the other act who stole the PC's gear, the Pain-Boyz. They can also learn that the Pain-Boyz are loosely affiliate with the Red Chrome Legion (Neo-Facists). But the danger aside, the PCs need their gear back or else how could they make a living? So it's off chasing the Pain-Boyz into South Night City. How they do it is not important, but eventually the PCs will find where the Pain-Boyz hang out (some kind of burned out club or deli or what have you), and now it's time for a heist. Obviously they can go in guns blazing, set up a distraction (maybe lure those pesky Bozos back?), challenge them to a contest of pain-endurance, really whatever the PCs can come up with works.

And that's that. They either get their gear back, or they don't. Depending on the result, job's done and everyone can get their EXP.

Privacy Policy

From https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76198116/#76241001

PCs are just some scummy Edgerunners, doing jobs to get by in Santo Domingo. Party composition isn't too important, but the usual combo of a Solo, a Tech, a Nomad and a Netrunner would go down well.

Just their luck; the local Fixer has a job for them. It's an easy one too; break into a storehouse in the Heywood Industrial Zone and burn the place down. Expect 2-4 private security to be on the storehouse. The client is offering a bonus for no casualties, but the most important order is "nothing inside can be salvagable, and it has to be done tomorrow".

So the PCs may wanna scout the place out first. It's a pretty non-descript storehouse sandwiched between hundreds more just like it, maybe 20x40 yards in size (the exact layout is really the GM's purview, just be sure to have a main floor, a gantry, a set of offices attached etc). Security seems to be two men inside and two men making rounds outside at all hours (just bog-standard security, nothing too fancy). There's a shift change around sun-down and again at sun-up.

The PCs can go about this however their skills best apply; kidnap and impersonate one of the security teams, go in guns blazing (hey, no casualties was optional), sneak in all sneaky like, make a big distraction to draw the security away etc. Really up to them. The security could have pass keys to get through any security (which could be lifted), or the Netrunner will need to hack the local network (with the Tech doing any physical lock-picking). As the GM just make sure you've adapted this to suit your PCs' skillsets. If there is any Hacking, make sure the Difficulty Rating of the NET Architecture is one step higher than what is rated for the PC. This should be the first clue something is off.

(Depending on HOW they get in, the PCs might trigger a Daemon-controlled Spider Drone or Turret, another hint that the job is going sideways).

Regardless of how, the PCs will get into the storehouse and deal with the Security. Inside are banks of servers, way too much for just a few rent-a-cops to be protecting in some storehouse on the docks. PCs who are into that sort of thing can break into the adjoining offices and a little digging. Again, the NET Architecture is way too advanced for what the job entailed, but provided they can crack it, they can learn that the storehouse and its contents are owned by an up-and-coming local Corp out of Taiwan called Chia-Ling which provides cyberoptics at a fairly bargain price. Also, the servers seem to be housing visual user-data recorded from their optics... In any case, the PCs can either wipe the servers clean, or literally burn the place to the ground.

No matter how careful they were, this is when the Corporate Solos show up. It's a god-damn set-up. Have a tough team of Solos ambush the PCs (or maybe not too tough if the PCs are a little wrecked) and they're playing for keeps. The PCs will either run or fight (running might be more appropriate, also gives you a chance to run a nice little chase sequence through the industrial zone with all manner of heavy machinery and drones).

Hopefully the PCs can smell a rat and will direct their frustrations towards the Fixer who gave them the job. The Fixer has gone to ground, but a little digging and a few busted knees will reveal their location. The Fixer didn't get a name, but was on their way to collect the other half of the fee. Obviously the PCs will want to get in on this. The meet is taking place on the border of Heywood and New Westbrook at a disused community centre. The Client is a typical Corpo-type, well-dressed, nice car, a bodyguard. The PCs will do whatever they do, but in the end the following can be revealed; the Client works for Chia-Ling, and they've been fighting from the inside to stop the Corp from recording and storing the visual data of users (violation of privacy rights - I know, shocking social commentary). Unfortunately for them, another Junior in the company has been making moves against their efforts (the rival is the one who sent the Solo team), but in the end the servers were destroyed, but they're just one bank of many many server rooms.

Looks like the PCs might have a chance of ongoing employment with this Junior Corpo, provided they are civic-minded of course... They may just snatch this person and give them up to Chia-Ling for a reward. Who knows?

Alternatively

Might like it better if the other exec is just trying to wipe out the evidence because he knows it’s illegal and INSERT ORGANIZATION is investigating and he put out an insurance claim on the data stacks anyway.

Preferred Vendor

From https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76198116/#q76293265 and https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/76294439/#q76294489

PCs are a corporate fix-it team, basically their job is to shore up relations with other Corps, perform drop-offs, opening negotiations etc. Preferably the party consists of at least one Executive (could be GMPC but PC is always preferred), a Solo (muscle), a Fixer (accountant-like), and a Nomad (driver), but as usual any combination should be fine. The exact corporation the PCs work for isn’t terribly important, but probably should be low-level or start-up (even a subsidiary of a larger corp is fine, let’s call them Ararat Technical for now).

Marching orders come in from up high – the PCs are to head into Watson (Kabuki) and meet a corporate fixer (insert name here) to hand-off some information to (let’s call them Bartholomew Incorporated for now). And what a coincidence, the fixer is a past friend one of the PCs hasn’t seen for some time. Looks like smooth sailing ahead. So into the business-provided fleet vehicle (appropriate for the size of the corp) the PCs go and it’s off to Watson, crossing over the north-bridge and into what is rapidly becoming New Asia-town. The meeting is due to take place at an Izakaya (informal bar) which looks to have been pre-fabbed and only recently built (much of Watson is undergoing rapid expansion as the population blew up after the 4th Corp-War, so these pre-fab 3D-printed bars, restaurants, cafes and the like are commonplace). Heading on in the joint is mostly empty – just a lonely patron at the bar and a bartender, and in a booth over in the back corner stands (a number of NPCs equal to Party-2, preferably a couple of Solos and a Tech or a Nomad). The booth has one of those privacy curtains which ends at about table-height (so just covering the upper bodies of those sitting). The Solos will only allow one person to enter the booth (should probably be the PC Executive).

Sitting in the booth is the Fixer the PCs are due to meet, but there’s a problem. Remember how one of the PCs knew this guy in a past life? Well they look nothing like they did, and not just from augements. The build is all wrong, so are the mannerisms and features. The PC who knew this Fixer should get a glimpse of them as the curtain is drawn back, or should be able to hear their voice and know something is off (to keep it simple the Executive could be the one who knew them). The Solos look nervous too, inching towards their holstered guns and getting flustered or angry at any questions. Sooner or later it’s gonna pop-off; either the PCs get a bad feeling and jump in first, or the Fixer and his Solos feel the jig is up and draw on the PCs. Either way, it’s time for a good old-fashioned bar-room shootout.

But what’s this? The barkeep and the lonely patron are in on it too and draw their guns. What a shambles. So after the shooty-bang-bang is all done the PCs have either won or ran away (or died, in which case, sorry?). Assuming they win, it’s time to interrogate (or forensic, depending on if any of the bad-guys survived or not). The PCs can learn that these imposters jumped the actual Fixer and their team (who’re being held captive nearby), taking their place and hoping to get this apparently juicy information. Who hired them, you ask? Well that’s the mystery, isn’t it? The imposters don’t know, just that they got a job through the usual channels.

Encourage your PCs to go after the actual Fixer, which through either interrogation or hacking of the imposter’s Agents, can be found just a short journey to port-side at an old warehouse partially destroyed by the rising seas. There’s no security (save for some NET Architecture which needs hacking to access the building, or you know, explosives will work too…). Inside is the real Fixer, which despite the years past is obviously the old-acquaintance to one of the PCs. They can tell the PCs that the imposters work for (insert middle-executive of Capricorn Holdings, a rival Corp to Bartholomew Incorporated) and they they’re seeking that information out to knock Bart. Inc. out of the game. Well no problem now as the PCs can make the hand-off to the Fixer and be done for the day, or so they think.

Back to the office it is, but there’s some bad news waiting for them. New orders from up high. Capricorn Holdings have made a better offer for the information, and the boss is going with them. It’s now the PCs job to get back to the Fixer before he can return to Bart. Inc. with the information. Exactly HOW they do this is up to your Players. Maybe they race back across town and intercept the Fixer. Maybe they plead their case with him at Bart. Inc. offices. Maybe they stage a covert break-in and steal back the information before wiping the servers clean. This is the time to let the PCs off the rail-road and really run wild with a wicked-nasty plan of their own devices.

Assuming they actually pull this off, the boss is very happy with them and they get their bonuses for the month. Job’s done.

Alternatively

There was also a suggestion from another anon about dumping the Corp angle and just having the PCs working for a powerful fixer instead, which is a grimier angle to take.