Writing Proofing

CREDITS

Raymond Croteau Patrick Goodman

Development Layout & Design
Peter M. Andrews Jr. Matt Heerdt © 2012 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shadowrun
Art Art Director and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The
Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.
Robert Ruffolo, Chris Lewis, Brent Evans Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are
Kjell Eriksson Shadowrun Line Developer trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.
Jason M. Hardy

CYA TIPS FOR SHADOWRUNNERS

 Connecting JackPoint VPN …
… Matrix Access ID Spoofed.
… Encryption Keys Generated.
… Connected to Onion Routers.
> Login
****************************
> Enter Passcode
****************************
… Biometric Scan Confirmed.
Connected to <ERROR: NODE UNKNOWN>

“Home is where you hang your lined coat.” —Rikki Ratboy (RIP)

JackPoint Stats___ Welcome back to JackPoint, chummer

8 users currently active YOU BASTARD; your last connection
in the network
was severed: 2 hours, 8 minutes, 57
Latest News
I had eggs for breakfast, but all of
seconds ago.
them were broken. —FastJack

Personal Alerts
Today’s Heads Up
* Audio Sensor 4772 registers * /dev/grrl was a good student and
a disturbance in parameters did all of her homework, which is
CONSISTANT WITH a shaped
charge now posted to the rest of the class
* Low fuel and power warning for and up for peer review. Given what
vehicle, please refuel/recharge at
the nearest station soonest she accomplished in her recent exploits
* Commlink very low power warning, with Kane, this is something you should pay
please recharge immediately
* You have 0 new private message. attention to. She worked hard on it. She gets a cookie.
* You have 0 new responses to your
JackPoint posts.
* Twenty-seven people have Incoming
removed you from their list of * Just when you thought it might be safe to climb out of the bunker somebody buys a new toy. [Tag:
contacts
Gun Haven 2]
First Degree
Zero members are online and in * People gather together for warmth, camaraderie and sometimes just for power. [Tag: Magic
your area. Societies]
Your Current Rep Score: 3
(.15% positive) Top News Items
* UCAS Marine Recon special forces unit discovers multiple insect-spirit affiliated terrorist cells in
Current Time: 28 Feb 2074, 1348 hrs Toronto. Price of insecticide skyrockets as supplies in the city plummet. Link
* Seattle Mariners in a major lurch after Jimmy Mackelroy’s nearly successful assassination leaves
them without a manager. Link
* MCT Safe-trix security firewall proven to be the most effective system against technomancer
assaults in exhaustive independent testing at MIT&T. Product is steadily gaining popularity with
the consumer market. Link

Safehouses
Posts/Files tagged with
“Safehouses”

When in Rome
Light in the Shadows
House Party
[More]
 Urgent Message.........

... WHEN IN ROME ...

“I can’t see a thing in this helmet,” Kane complained again. His magazines held 34-rounds of death in the pouches of his belt, and he
voice was only audible through an encrypted connection; his helmet had six of those ready and waiting.
carried a full cornucopia of integrated systems to make it effective in Kat chuckled and tickled Kane’s helmeted chin, “You know,
nearly any combat situation. The only problem with the thing was there’s a way to live that does not involve always having people chase
a complete lack of peripheral vision. The most wanted man in over you or shoot at you,” she said. Then she kissed his faceplate
seventeen countries was trying to scan the crowd for trouble while Kane sighed. He hated Aztlan, detested bringing Kat back here
trying to blend in at the same time, and that’s the kind of job for which after all that had happened to her when they had both been cut off
it’s nice to have a full range of vision. It helped that he was not the and abandoned by the officers that ordered them into the country. The
only person wearing this type of armor, as a dozen people or more in thought of leaving a job with a full load of ammo and no kills made
varying degrees of physical condition walked around in similar outfits. his face twitch into a scowl. It helped, a little, that many of the people
Of course, theirs were plastic; his was armor-grade ceramics that could who had been responsible for that betrayal were going to be publicly
stop a rifle round. embarrassed by this job, possibly so much so that one might even eat
“It was designed for a science-fiction flatscreen vid a century her own pistol. There was some satisfaction in that, but Kane would
ago, dear, not for real-life combat situations,” Kat said, “And with have rather have fed it to her without bullets, and let her choke on the
your face, even a good nanopaste disguise wouldn’t work.” Kat, by barrel. But Kat’s plan had a larger chance of success. And Kane had
contrast, could get away with the nanopaste. The disguise she was shed rivers of Aztlan blood in the past, and he had confidence that he
wearing had given her skin a greenish tint and ceremonial scars while would do so again some other time.
adjusting her facial biometrics to get by the rotodrones that were Now they just had to survive long enough to get out of the
scanning random faces in the crowd and comparing them to criminal country again. They entered the hotel, walking like just another couple.
databases. Her face had already been surgically changed since she had Kat talked to the desk clerk in Spanish and a little bit of hushed Latin
arrived in country, so the nanopaste served as icing on the cake. Her as Kane scanned the crowd. He hated that she only had that funny
face’s current appearance worked with what she was wearing. She sword to protect herself. He had seven shots in the gun, which would
had simple brown robes that were accented by a synthleather black mean seven dead men, but then he’d have to reload, and reloading
belt holding a sword hilt with a memory blade. Kat had modified the while other people were shooting back was never a fun thing.
blade to have a green tint when it was extended—Kane figured she Finally, Kat got the keycard, and they went to a freight elevator
did it just to give it a futuristic look. She carried a few other pseudo- marked “Out Of Order” in hovering words of Spanish, English, and
futuristic items that had no function whatsoever, and her commlink Japanese. After making sure they were safe and not being observed,
was mixed in with them. They were simply two individuals in a crowd she swiped the card, and they moved to the floor labeled “Under
of people wearing armor and robes or other odd clothes, walking Renovation.” The walls were unfinished and unpainted. The lamps
around in the heat of the midday sun. were bare, long LED bulbs, and the carpet had been ripped up. The
San Diego had gone to hell after Aztlan had taken over the city, rooms were barely serviceable, but they were rooms, and in this city, at
but the nerdfest convention allowed for lots of opportunities to move this time, that was worth something. Kat and Kane had paid almost
around in public without drawing undue attention as people dressed as much as the people in the penthouse were paying, and despite the
as science-fiction and fantasy characters from centuries of media in quality of the room, they were happy to do so. They didn’t have many
celebration of their “unique lifestyle.” They got to feel special, the con amenities, but they were where they wanted to be. And they had access
got to make money, and the Aztechnology PR machine got tons of to room service.
images of tourists happily visiting one of their cities. Once they were in the room, Kane passed a few sensors to Kat
“Can I just take this off and be noticed? Maybe kill a few of them from his utility belt as he slowly peeled off the bulky suit piece by
once they notice me? I’m pretty sure that would clear up some of the piece. She took the equipment and scanned the room for bugs or
crowds for us,” Kane said. He fingered the century-old SMG on his hip. transmitters.
The gun was a clever piece of gear. It had a few add-on pieces that didn’t “Clean,” she said after a few moments.
do anything at all, but they made it look like everybody else’s fake gun. He sat on the double bed, naked from the waist up. “So, what
It also had an exceptionally well-concealed guncam linked to the optics does your, um, ‘order’? Is that the right word? Yeah, what does your
in the helmet. It wasn’t a smartlink, but it would do. The stubby little order wear under those robes?” Kane asked. He’d heard the same lame
magazine in the SMG only held a half-dozen rounds of old-style cased pick-up line as they walked down the street. But in his case, the line
ammunition, with one round in the chamber. But the larger, curved worked.
 Light in the Shadows
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Posted by: /dev/grrl

> So, you’re on the job. You’re doing well. You’ve made it into some-
place you’re not supposed to be, and so far no one has noticed.
But then, the job goes bad. We all know that can happen in a
million ways, but for whatever reason, the dark corners you were
trying to work in are now bathed in light. People are looking for
you. Cops kicked your door in, and one of them’s giving the third
degree to your kaff machine while another’s grilling the toaster
in the bathroom. No-necked hired goons are asking pointed
questions at your favorite bar and roughing up the drunks there
just for kicks. No one wants to touch you with a three-meter stun
baton—except for the folks trying to collect the price on your head.
It’s time to lay low, but even the third storm drain on the right
seems like it’s too obvious a hiding place.
You need a safehouse. /dev/grrl has graciously researched
and written this report for us. Some of you know this stuff, some
of you don’t, but it’s always good to have a refresher, especially
for our less-experienced newcomers.
> FastJack

> “Graciously” my skinny ass! You came down on me harder for

this than all my teachers, parents, and “Edu-Tainment and
Employment Future Advisers” combined! I had to write this as,
ugh, hard copy. With some torture instrument called a “number
two pencil.” My wrist still hurts.
> /dev/grrl

> ‘Jack, what’s this about “less-experienced newcomers?” We got

some new blood coming in?
> Stone

> Not at the moment. Sorry, I misspoke. Anyway, /dev/grrl, here’s

your final grade: Pass on the research, fail on penmanship. I want
100,000 lines saying, “I will make my handwriting legible” by the
end of next week.
> FastJack

> Harsh. Can’t she tag some stuff instead?

> Slamm-0!

> I must be getting soft, or remembering my roots. Fine, 100,000

lines or 100 transit vehicles spray painted. No stencils, no ARO
gadgets. Traditional, old-fashioned spray paint.
> FastJack

> Ew. Rough choice.

> /dev/grrl
Around two months ago, my parents had to go on an unpaid
mandatory chaperoned networking and training vacation in Las
Vegas at the Daniel Howling Coyote Memorial Convention
Center.

4
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> If I ever needed another reason to never become a suit, this place
is it. It’s the only place in Vegas without a slot machine. That’s like
watching a BTL with a standard sim module input, for God’s sake.
If you’re going to go there, go all the way!
> Turbo Bunny

As is usual for convention seasons the hotels were over

booked, and because they don’t understand the power of bribing
the staff, my parents ended up being sent off to a sleazy motel well
off the strip rather than the ritzy place they saved up for. They
didn’t get their deposit back, either.
Well, they found themselves and their “security expert” (who
was just as lost outside of corpville as they were) surrounded by
gamblers, low-lifes, prostitutes, and other trying to hustle their way
through the city, including some people that they were sure were,
gasp, blood-soaked shadowrunners (but were probably just some
kids looking to catch a show at Cranial Blow). They had never
been so scared in their lives, and much of their expense account
that the company had “graciously” given them was dedicated to
taxis helping keep them as far away from the fleabag as possible
at most times.
Needless to say, I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from
bursting out laughing when they told me about “how close they
came to death” and “that they could see the massive amount of
guns under the armor-plated trenchcoats” that the “terrorist shad-
owrunners” were wearing. I decided instead to share the joke with
FastJack, who just nodded.
Instead of laughing, he asked a few questions about safe-
houses and bolt holes and other things that I have to admit I didn’t
know nearly enough about. So, instead of sharing a joke with the
old man, I got homework instead. One I can’t fob off on a custom
agent program to do because he wasn’t looking for things you can
pick out of standard textbooks.
So I did it. It wasn’t as fun as tracking down Kane, but I did
it. And now you get to read it.

Bolt Holes, Safehouses,

and Going Off The Grid
When it comes to finding a place to stay out of sight while
the streets are too hot, you better know what to ask for. There are
a lot of jargon terms, and if you don’t know the lingo you won’t
get what you need. In North America, there are three major ways
of defining laying low: bolt holes, safehouses, and off the grid. In
other areas—well, I don’t know. North America is where I live, so
that’s what I’m covering now. Sorry.

> Well, at least you admit that there’s more to the world than North
America. I’ve had to deal with the opposite opinion far too often.
> 2XL
Bolt Holes
Bolt holes are prearranged places that have been set up by an
individual or a team for the strict purpose of disappearing off the
face of the earth. They are usually set up in advance for that specific
purpose; someone uses a SIN to arrange for the place, pays for it
in cash, stocks it with non-perishable supplies, then never visits it
again until it’s needed. If someone is shadowing you for months in
anticipation of hitting you, they still won’t know anything about

5
Safehouses
 Wedge’s Bolt hole Supply List an automatic), five speed-loaders with a variety of

Urgent Message........
> My old chummer Wedge had some time to recover from an specialty rounds (keep in bed holster or on body), 60
incident with a modular infantry weapon system, and he spent rounds of loose ammo (hidden around bolt hole or kept
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

it teaching himself to shoot left handed, play the harmonica, on your person)
and extensively test out equipment for bolt holes. I kept the list • Combat blade or machete, stainless steel or protected
he posted years ago, and either stripped the name-brand items by a high-quality oil-treated sheath (large Cougar
he’s suggested for the generic stuff you can get anywhere, or Fineblade)
updated it with stuff that’s on the market today that wasn’t
• Firearm cleaning kit (Weapons World “Care-4”® series;
even thought of in the ‘50s. So read this, and raise a glass to
replace gun oil with dry lubricant)
Wedge if this helps you out.
• Industrial kitchen whetstone or steel (S-K Dragon’s
> FastJack
Choice Kitchen Products highly suggested)
• One month’s worth of non-perishable food (military • Signal Jammer or WiFi defeating paint on the walls (MCT
surplus combat rations preferable) Radiodamp paint)
• Two month’s worth of potable water (contained in vapor- • Various types of grenades and mono-filament for booby-
resistant cans or bottles, such as Ares HuntMaster™ traps or distractions
camping bottles) • Entertainment of personal choice in large amounts
• One army- or marine-surplus cot with synthetic fabric • Sensor systems around entrances and exits set up to
bed holster silent alarm (Horizon “HomeSafe”® Sensors)
• One dozen disposable sterilized sheets (Fibra-Wear™
Medico® brand) > With hacked custom software (my personal suggestion).
• One dozen disposable sheets (Fibra-Wear™ Bedmates® > FastJack)
brand)
• Two dozen sets of disposable clothing (Vending Machine • Snivel Grub in small amounts with camping stove (elec-
“Flats,” any brand, with extra white socks) tric or gas fuel)
• Two sets of street wear (Vacuum sealed in plastic or foil. • Paper, laminated hardcopy maps of the city, erasable
Horizon 6 Tees) markers, and a hard on for revenge
• One suit (vacuum sealed in plastic or foil), with hanging
steam press to get the wrinkles out > Dear Ghost, yes! Entertainment! I was stuck in a Mormon-run
• One armored jacket, slightly larger than your current size safehouse in—well, nevermind where. No booze, no kaff, no cigars,
(CAS army surplus preferable) no women (Kat was still in Aztlan at the time), nothing but a King
• Low-grade medkit (DocWagon HomeSafe™ or Crash Cart James Version, the Book of Mormon, and a copy of Catcher in the
HomeCare®, Horizon Natural Health® for Awakened); Rye. I read that last book cover-to-cover three times.
dispose of perishable items within and replace with > Kane
nonperishable medicines if possible; stock extra
bandages in foil wrapping (military surplus again) > How was it?
• Dynamo-powered camping light (low-light or infrared
> Aufheben
if your sight provides for that); secondary light sources
to be kept within reach at all times (chemical lights
> The trid it was based on was better.
suggested)
> Kane
• Loaded stainless steel revolver treated with dry lubri- > Spirits grant me strength from the ignorant.
cant (as they are better for long-term storage than > Traveler Jones

the existence of your bolt hole, because you don’t go there. That’s Everyone that has been willing to talk to me has had their
the way you want it. own idea of what makes a good bolt hole. The only common
Bolt holes are almost always in low-traffic areas that can be theme is that the equipment inside has to be protected from the
hard to get to. They often have extensive booby-traps or alarms set normal, everyday process of decay, and any security it has should
up to alert someone to the fact that they have been discovered. The be extensive and disguised as something far different. Obscurity
good news is they are often places that no one knows about or can and normalcy are the main defenses of these set-ups.
even guess you have gone to. The bad news is that if something
happens to you or you are found, bad things happen. People don’t > Maintenance lockers and closets in subways and steam tunnels
know you have this place, and they won’t know to look for you are very popular bolt holes. They’re rarely visited, and a quick
there. You’re on your own. The best defense, then, is to make sure time-destroyed memo will make the person in charge of it think
your place never gets found. it’s been transferred to another person or outright shut down

6
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
due to lack of funds. Just make sure you change the locks, and
> With the outright mercenary methods and tendencies some use,
put a security system in place disguised as an electrical panel or I’m not surprised that not all the work is outsourced. That’s the
something similar. There’s probably something nearby that you dictionary term of mercenary, Picador, no offense meant to you
can tap into or adapt. Just don’t get caught sneaking around in and your crew.
those areas, since usually no one belongs there except employees
> Netcat

and they’re fairly quick to notice a stranger.
> Kay St. Irregular > None taken.
> Picador
Safehouses
One of the surprises that came from my parents’ trip to Vegas Sometimes a Johnson will have a shadowrunner team use an
is that they knew the basics of what a safehouse was. They used old or “slightly discovered” safehouse for their own planning or
the term in describing the motel they were in, and they knew that recovery, but these are to be used cautiously. All too often, Mr.
basically a safehouse was a place for criminals. Turns out they Johnson is the person you need to hide from when you go to a
had learned about something in school called the “Underground safehouse, so having a safehouse whose location he knows well can
Railroad,” which was scrubbed from my history classes. It was work against you.
apparently a system for getting escaped slaves a couple centuries Masters and madams of the house (housemasters/house-
ago from the USA to Canada, where they didn’t have any slavery madams for short, though the ones I talked to tended to prefer the
laws. They couldn’t remember anything more about it, and of full term unless you were on good terms with them) are specialized
course they didn’t have their old textchips from school anymore. fixers; people who develop, build, maintain, and run safehouses
designed for non-affiliated criminals and other people on the run.
> Ah, the joys of a corporate education. Good thing you got us, huh? Knowledge about safehouses run by these fixers spreads by word of
> Clockwork mouth, and usually only to people in good standing with whoever
they are being referred by. These places cannot advertise, and they
Safehouses are purpose-built places that are arranged by often change doorways, pass-phrases, and even locations, as well
various officials for a variety of reasons; sometimes they’re taken as constantly updating security. They are often fitted with various
over by criminal types after they are deactivated, while other times types of passive security that prevent electronic communication
they’re scratch-built by organized crime, disorganized crime, or in or out of the rooms, if not entire buildings, except through a
fixers that specialize in letting you disappear for a while. Often controlled and hardwired jackpoint.
these people are called “Masters of the House” or “Madams of the
House.” They range from entire buildings specifically designed to > Let me clarify a little about the “non-affiliated” part. A lot of
be as obscure and hard to find as possible while allowing a good these places are actually set up by an organization that isn’t a
view of the entire neighborhood to hidden rooms that can only be government or criminal enterprise. The Salvation Army Fortresses
accessed from doors that can only be opened from the inside of a that cater to abused spouses are technically “safehouses,” for
building to secret basements or entire hidden floors. The infamous example. Many policlubs also have safehouses for political refu-
“non-existent” thirteenth floor is one example of a missing space gees. And, to touch back on the Underground Railroad of old, a
that has been around forever. lot of ostracized minorities are kept safe in such places, including
technomancers today on a broad basis, and Anglos when the
> Sorry kid, but that last one has gone away. Anyone with a simple NAN came into power or metahumans in San Francisco during
math SPU can figure out the timing on the elevator is wrong the Japanese occupation on a narrower basis.
while going past a floor that’s not supposed to exist. Not to
> Netcat
mention OCD folks that will count windows and find there’s an
“extra floor” on the building. One guy I work with suffers from
> I have a special name for those technomancer safehouses: “piggy
low-level AIPS that presents as a compulsion to count every- banks.” They’re just waiting to be broken open and have every-
thing. He figured this one out for us quickly on one run. I gave thing inside them fall out.
him a candy bar and he was happy.
> Clockwork

> Haze

> Despite the in-roads made in accepting the Infected, a lot of
> Elevators can be rigged to speed up past the floor to get past the safehouses are still in place for ghouls, vampires, and other
time lag a math SPU can detect, but some people can naturally people who have special needs. And, no, not all of them are run
notice that acceleration or deceleration, or they have cybernetics by Tamanous, either.
that do. A balance augmenter (if you’re paying attention) and
> Hannibelle
accelerometers in various types of drones can sense the accelera-
tion and deceleration even if a normal person can’t.
> Nothing personal, Hannibelle, but it doesn’t help that some of the
> Clockwork
progress being made for the Infected is being pushed by groups
who just want to lull humans into a false sense of security. They
Organized and disorganized crime safehouses are almost don’t really want equality; they want tamer livestock
always used by the people that built them to protect or hide > Haze
persons of interest, or as staging areas for their own black
operations.
7
Safehouses
 > Putting “nothing personal” in front of a comment like this doesn’t
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

really help.
> Hannibelle
The buildings themselves include derelict old tenements,
warehouse offices that have been closed off from the rest of the
building, very nice hotels that have been marked as “under main-
tenance,” and simple dive motels like my parents were stuck in.

> I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share this or not, but I figured why not.
The Catholic Church has a series of safehouses run in countries
that have heavy anti-Christian attitudes by an unconfirmed and
completely denied group called “The Knights of Saint Nicholas,”
which will also provide safety for persecuted Jews and Muslims,
and occasionally to shadowrunners that have proven that they
are “of good moral fiber and friends of the Church.” Nicholas is,
apparently, the patron saint of shadowrunners.
> Plan 9

> You’ve asked us to swallow a lot of big stuff over the years, Plan
9, but are you telling me, with a straight face no less, that Santa
Claus is the saint of shadowrunners? I ain’t buying.
> Slamm-0!

> Makes sense in a way. I mean, most if not all of us have gone
down a chimney at least once in our careers, haven’t we? Well,
HVAC systems—close enough.
> Mika
Off the Grid
When it comes down to it, what you are trying to do with
a safehouse is to be as unnoticeable as possible. Sometimes you
cannot do that with places you set up yourself or any professionally
run operations. You are too hot. The only way to go is living in
a method that prevents any trace of you to be found whatsoever
in the system, both legitimate and criminal. “Living off the grid”
has been a term used for living without government knowledge
for a long time, employed more by paranoids who figure that the
government is out to get them than by actual criminals.

> The government is out to get us, /dev/grrl. For tax evasion, if
nothing else.
> Mr. Bonds
The hacker option for living off the grid is to simply spoof a
lifestyle. They become somebody else entirely, which is especially
easy when all your interactions are online. You can even put your-
self down as a different metatype. The problem with trying to live
like this while being actively hunted is that hackers tend to have a
series of unique habits, techniques, and styles that they use in their
work. That’s the sort of thing that can be traced back to them. Even
if they erase their backtrail to prevent any evidence of the system
being hacked in the first place, a diligent-enough Matrix search
party can still search for their “fingerprints.” A hacker can try to
change their own habits, but that means they have to constantly
double-check their work and make sure they are doing things in

8
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
new ways. It can be a learning experience, but it can also be rather some kind of local fake SIN in case the officials at your destina-
challenging and can make a hacker a step slower than they usually tion ask for ID, you are almost always golden, as extradition
are, which is often not a desirable thing. treaties are complicated and wrapped in gobs of red tape at the
best of times. Some of this, of course, depends on the crime for
> It’s worse for technomancers. A hacker can try and stop his “tells” which you are being sought. I should note, though, that this only
(to use the gambling term I prefer), but a technomancer works protects you from the people going after you through official
from their very personality on all hacks. Their tells are always in channels. Unofficial types just do not care. A shot in the back of
effect, even when sprites are being used. One trick I learned in the head, either in the spot where you did the deed or halfway
LA gets around that, though. Method acting, if done in-depth around the world, works just fine for them.
enough, can change the way you access the Matrix enough to One final option I’ve heard about is “roaming the earth,” just
throw off any trails. Personafix software can also be very helpful. constantly traveling from place to place, no direction, no destina-
Me? I pick someone disgusting, someone as opposite of myself tion, always on the move. Makes for a hard target to track. It’s also
as I can be, then I try to act as that person. a popular option for Awakened people on the run, as it allows time
> Netcat to do meditation and other magical stuff (one shaman told me he
loved it as it allowed him to “take Dog for a walk,” and I had to
> Clockwork? think about that for a while until I understood where the capital
> Aufheben “D” was supposed to be in that sentence). It can also provide an
important break for runners who are worried about becoming too
> That would be my guess, too. well known (you know, the ones who don’t care about having a high
> Clockwork P2.0 rating). The travel can come in a number of ways, ranging from
walking and hitchhiking, to driving in a motorcycle or car. This
> Slamm-0! actually. tends to be just as expensive as a regular lifestyle, but less comfort-
> Netcat able. Take, for example, the bathroom issue—they tend to only be
available in places like truck stops, roadside restaurants, or a motel
> Hey! rooms if you decide to take that chance.
> Slamm-0!
> Las Vegas-to-San Francisco on horseback was a great time for
Mobile living is another option. The availability and even contemplation. Lots of secrets learned in the thoughts of nothing
commonality of recreational vehicles, houseboats, or even some and the sounds of silence.
zeppelins for those with big pockets, which are designed to be > Man-Of-Many-Names
domiciles while traveling, gives people the chance to disappear in
relative comfort, or even splendor. > Aren’t those old rock lyrics?
> Kat o’ Nine Tales
> Zeppelins? Aren’t they a little large and, you know, noticeable?
Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? > Oh, come on, that sounds nice. What did you call the horse?
> Netcat > /dev/grrl

> Go big or go legit! > I do not believe he had a name.

> Kane > Man-Of-Many-Names
While these vehicles are occasionally used in criminal > Seriously?
enterprises, they are not often affiliated with shadowrunners by > Kat o’ Nine Tales
the average Joe or Jane. Runners, as we all know, are supposed
to live in squalid barrens squats (although in the trids, some of To Sum Up
those places have been fixed up pretty nicely). That, though, can The heat will eventually be on you. How well you handle it
only work to your advantage, since it’s good to hide where people will be based on how well, and how far ahead, you prepare. Have
aren’t looking. A popular trick I’ve heard is having a smuggler or a bolt hole or two ready. Know a couple of safehouses, or at least
courier you trust spoof the registration of a particular vehicle know a master/mistress of the house. And, if none of those are
to themselves and then drive it out of the jurisdiction in which available to you, be ready to hit the road running and not look
you are being hunted while you are hidden away in a concealed back. Preferably in a vehicle that you can live in with a shower and
compartment, effectively smuggling yourself. As long as you have a toilet. Life can be disgusting otherwise.

9
Safehouses
Urgent Message.........

... HOUSE PARTY ...

Kat o’ Nine Tales stumbled under the weight of Nigel Heathwick, friend,” and old rules of hospitality started to obviously fill her mind.
Baron Cartford, as he blundered through the butler-operated front “Kat, my dear girl. So good to see you here, away from the colo-
door. Despite being, literally, drunk as a lord, he had perfect pitch as nies at last!” the Lady said, with only a slight upper-class British accent,
he sang some sort of bawdy tune called “The Hedgehog Song.” She “It’s been simply ages! I’m so, so sorry you’ve had to meet and deal with
thanked her luck that the typical London rain had washed away most Nigel when he is in such a state.”
of the smell of smoke that otherwise would have clung to her. She “... with looking-glass ties,” Nigel sang out, having changed from
hoped the clothing she had been wearing would prevent the incessant drunken pub songs to classic rock, before giving out a monstrous snore
and omnipresent surveillance systems in the city from identifying her. that was probably the envy of the House of Lords.
An alibi from a peer of the realm, however, would go a lot farther than “Actually, it’s my fault that he’s like this, m’Lady,” Kat said, her
some circumstantial evidence. She was already pretty sure that she had voice full of sincerity and charm, “As I remembered him saying that he
convinced him that they had been talking for hours longer than they was part of the oversight board for the ministry of tourism, I sought
really had. When he was drunk, his memory was clearer than you’d him out due to some customs issues that were tying up my instruments
expect (though still somewhat fuzzy around the edges). People knew and recording equipment. And the hotel I was booked at lost my reser-
this about him, and few would dare contradict him without hard vation, and …”
evidence, or else they would face his political ire. His powers might Lady Cartford began to laugh musically, interrupting the younger
be quite limited, but he had a gift for being a pain in the arse when he woman, “My dear, consider all of your issues resolved. We shall put
wanted to. forth the finest resources of the British government to working as effi-
The bad news, however, was that Lady Cartford was still awake, ciently as possible to solving most of those. But I am insulted that you
and she seemed to be working madly to tear strips from her wayward thought of a hotel when you had perfectly good friends here! Come,
husband’s hide. Luckily, the couple had met Kat years ago, and they I’ll put you in the Dunkirk Room. You see, my family organized the
had worked out the typical problems of a beautiful woman dealing boats there that...”
with a couple whose existence was based on political expediency. The Kat smiled, exhausted. But thanks to one lucky encounter, she
plump, red-faced woman’s anger bled away at the sight of their “old had an alibi, a safe place to stay, and friendly company all at once.
 . . . GAME INFORMATION . . .

This section offers additional optional rules to the advanced Game Info.....................
lifestyle rules presented in Runner’s Companion (p. 150). These
rules add different lifestyles that can increase a character’s security.
Safehouse Point/Cost Table
Bolt Holes
These are either additional lifestyles purchased under the SR4A lifestyle
same rules as found in p. 267, SR4A, or they fall under the same Points Cost per week equivalent
rules found in the Advanced Lifestyle Rules on p. 150, Runner’s 0 0¥ Street
Companion, including the lifestyle points/cost table. The differ- 1 75¥
ence is that the description of the categories has changed, and 2 150¥
certain qualities cannot be applied to them. Some of the qualities 3 200¥
documented here can be applied to them, and those that are not 4 350¥
will be explicitly stated as being incompatible with character- 5 400¥ Squatter
created safehouses. The safehouse described on p. 165, Runner’s 6 700¥
Companion, is a prime example of the creation of a bolt hole 7 1,000¥
using those rules. 8 1,300¥
9 1,600¥
Safehouses 10 1,900¥ Low
Safehouses are temporary lifestyles set up by NPCs for the 11 2,600¥
purpose of securing items or people of importance away from 12 3,200¥
public view. A number of these are also designed for business 13 3,800¥
use by individuals who will exchange money or favors for the 14 4,400¥
ability to disappear for a time. Gamemasters are encouraged to 15 5,000¥ Middle
have a few pre-generated safehouses that will suit their campaign, 16 7,500¥
creating one for any criminal, fixer, or masters of the house 17 9,000¥
contacts the players have. They should also have a few on hand 18 10,500¥
for any Street Knowledge: Safehouse tests that might be made. 19 12,000¥
They have the same quality restrictions that bolt holes do and 20 13,500¥ High
may make use of the new qualities below. Players should not 21 20,000¥
build professional safehouses for themselves, but they have the 22 25,000¥
option of building one for their own business if the gamemaster 23 35,000¥
permits such an act, or as an option for retiring a character. The 24 45,000¥
costs listed in the sidebar can serve as a guideline for purchasing 25 55,000¥
time at a safehouse. 26 65,000¥
27 75,000¥
Off The Grid 28 85,000¥
Living off the grid can be done by dropping a character’s 29 95,000¥
lifestyle down to squatter or street level using the rules laid out 30 110,000¥ Luxury
on p. 267, SR4A, and specifically avoiding contact with anyone 31 or more Add 35,000¥
whenever possible. The public awareness portion of reputation per additional level

11
Safehouses
 can drop at the gamemaster’s discretion while living off the grid Walking The Earth
for long periods of time to simulate the fleeting fame of the Sixth This style of living off the grid stems from the wish to be as
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

World. Alternatively, the following optional rules can be used to unnoticed as possible. In this lifestyle, the character refuses to stay
simulate a character dropping off the grid. in the same place for more than a few days at a time. They may have
a vehicle of some sort for travel, but they might also get around
Spoofing an Off-the-Grid Lifestyle using some animal mount or by walking. Security systems on most
A hacker/technomancer can spoof a lifestyle using the rules trains have destroyed the chance at riding the rails like transients of
found on p. 99, Unwired. Hackers must double the threshold old, but some individuals still attempt to stow away on sea-going
for spoofing the lifestyle in order to ensure that their “electronic freighters or cargo trailers. The character’s lifestyle is Street or
handwriting” does not show up, which makes them traceable. Squatter (p. 268, SR4A), with the added requirements of Survival
They are also unable to use any programs that they themselves have tests in order to find shelter, food, and potable water while on the
programmed, as their handwriting is embedded in those items. road. An Awakened character may perform the asceticism initia-
Technomancers are able to use the threshold numbers listed in tory ordeal (p. 51, Street Magic) while they are walking the earth.
the table in Unwired, but they must make an equal number of tests
using the Artisan skill (the Acting specialization can be applied Lifestyle Categories
to these tests). Alternatively, they can utilize a personafix chip to
adjust their personality sufficiently, but this requires doubling Comforts
the spoofing life threshold, since the technomancer is constantly This changes little from the descriptions found on p. 154,
resisting the alien personality. Runner’s Companion except to add that all staffing positions are
performed by drones that do not have a wireless link in order to
Living on The Road prevent hacking.
Some vehicles are designed to be lived in (such as recre-
ational vehicles and houseboats), and some larger vehicles can be Entertainment
converted into use as a living space (such as the Ares Roadmaster)
with the amenities modification performed on them (see p. 131, Street (0 LP)
Arsenal). Living on the road requires using Lifestyle Points to You are in a static zone and only have what you brought with
maintain any amenities purchased for the vehicle to represent the you for entertainment. You miss the graffiti on the walls. Sock
cost of maintenance of the vehicle, fuel used, food eaten, utilities puppets anyone?
used in various areas, and the occasional motel room. These costs
should be based on the level of amenities; for example, Amenities: Squatter (1 LP)
Middle costs 6 Lifestyle Points. Entertainment is purchased as You’ve got a few old chips with nothing more than text—
normal, but going out on regular dates with anyone is unlikely text!—on them. There’s a novel or two, and apparently the Gideons
(though there may be one-night hook-ups as you drift from town came by sometime to drop off a King James Bible chip. Or perhaps,
to town). Other than that, you catch whatever entertainment you in an ironic move, someone stole the Bible from a motel.
can afford as you move along.
If the vehicle is not designed for use as a home, it can still Low (2 LP)
be used as a small living space as you travel. The inhabitant has to There is a trid, which is something, even though the color’s
use washing facilities found in truck stops or motels and public a little off and won’t fix. There’s also a collection of classic flat and
Laundromats, causing some extra expenses. There are also negative trid shows that everyone has already seen a million times, even
modifiers imposed to social and healing tests, and possibly even though once was enough. For a change of pace, you could peruse
physical restrictions (such as temporary Agility penalties) stem- the drive with a bunch of scandal blogs from the 2050s if you want
ming from the uncomfortable lifestyle that comes from sleeping to read about all the rumors of Maria Mercurial at her height.
in a car or at camps for weeks at a time.
While living on the road, Security and Neighborhood are Middle (3 LP)
considered to be Street level. No qualities may be taken for living A new (if cheap) off-brand trid graces the room along
on the road except the Poor Condition quality (p. 164, Runner’s with a decent sound system and a fine collection of classic and
Companion). Gamemasters may also apply the Unsound/Unsafe much-loved media. A good collection of books-on-chips is also
quality (p. 164, Runner’s Companion) to the lifestyle if the vehicle here—it’s mostly training and self-help materials that seem to
is damaged, with no benefit or discount in lifestyle cost. be aimed specifically at people like you. The one on dealing with
If the vehicle in question is parked in a semi-permanent paranoia makes you think someone is trying to tell you something.
location (such as a trailer park or marina), then Neighborhood And that you are being watched.
and Security lifestyles categories can be purchased as normal (no
higher than Medium), and the following qualities may be taken: High (4 LP)
Concerned Neighbors, Easy-going Landlord, Friendly Neighbors, You’ve got a name-brand trid that was the top of yesterday’s
No Neighbors, Nosy Neighbors, Trigger-Happy Landlord, Worse line and a hacked broadcast feed that gives you all your favorite
Neighbors (see p. 161, Runner’s Companion). shows as they come on (though no premium content—sorry).
Old but serviced sim-arcade machines line a wall, along with an
ancient pinball machine. A spoofed online library card allows you
to download any books you would want to read.
12
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Luxury (5 LP) faucets have a purifier attached, but bottles of emergency water
Well, it is not a room in the Dancer’s Chant casino in Las wait as well. The clothing is not fashionable, but includes a light
Vegas, but then, what else is? A forged executive’s account gives armor weave, just in case you feel like getting into a fight in your
you any show or special event you would want to watch on the boxers, housecoat, and slippers.
high-definition trid/simsense combination unit. A personal
trainer drone is available to help you stay in shape or even work on Neighborhood
some new skills, and a bath with a bottle of your favorite beverage There are hideouts everywhere. Each rank of neighborhood
is waiting for you after your workout session. The only thing you increases the threshold to find the person by two. No one expects
lack for is company. a bunch of shadowy criminal types to be hiding in corpville, after
all. Z-zones and barrens decrease the threshold by two, as the folks
Necessities there will sell out anyone at even the cheapest price.

Street (0 LP) Security

The stock of food here would make a starving barrens rat turn
up their nose. No clothing of any type has been laid away; you only Street (0 LP)
have what is on your back. And you don’t have a washing machine. “Um, chummer, where’s the door?” Anonymity is your only
The water ration is so low that it is barely enough to last a troll a security.
day, and its source is questionable at best. You wish you could go
back to your nice, full dumpster full of thrown-out food and drink Squatter (1 LP)
the acid rain as it falls from the sky. A door that could be picked with a hairpin, or kicked in by
an anorexic elf (Armor 2, Structure 3) is your primary protection.
Squatter (1 LP) There is a chair you can wedge against the knob; too bad the door
You’re stocked with third-rate military rations whose “best opens out.
before” date was worn away long ago and a few small cases of
bottled water, which is preferable to the brown water that comes Low (2 LP)
from the sink. A number of one-size-fits-none flats await your use. This place sports high-end physical locks whose tumblers are
changed annually and a silent alarm that goes to your PAN and
Low (2 LP) whatever passes for the front desk. The door is a fireproof synthetic
Recently expired high-end military rations and municipal pressure-formed model (Armor 4, Structure 5) that an ork might
water with a shut-off timer await you, though no hot water flows. have to kick twice.
Generic, knock-off clothing near your size promises to (hopefully)
not give you a rash when worn. Electricity is haphazard at best, Middle (3 LP)
and there’s rarely a warning when it’ll go off, or when it will emit A decent but outdated maglock covers the solid vat-grown
a device-destroying surge. hardwood door (Armor 6, Structure 7). If this is a safehouse, a
bouncer (Professional Rating 1) armed with whatever the game-
Middle (3 LP) master feels is appropriate is always on duty. He even does the
A variety of food-like substances accent the nutrasoy that occasional patrol.
comes with all the flavoring you could want, except for the ones
that actually taste decent. The water ration allows for two quick High (4 LP)
showers a week in lukewarm water that might even be clean. A steel door (Armor 6, Structure 7, fireproof ) with a series
High-quality knock-off generic streetwear keeps you from being of decent physical and electronic locks, as well as bullet- and
naked, and a housecoat stolen from a major hotel chain can work shrapnel-resistant glass for any windows, protects the room. The
as a smoking jacket to provide a small simulacrum of culture and location also has spall-defeating wallpaper. If it is a safehouse,
refinement. a team of thugs (Professional Rating 2, with a Professional
Rating 3 lieutenant) watches the place, equipped with whatever
High (4 LP) the gamemaster feels is appropriate, and they patrol the area at
You’ve got military rations that just fell off the back of a truck, irregular intervals, with biomonitors (either cybernetic or built
along with a lot of hot sauce to make them almost palatable. The into their clothing/armor) to indicate unconsciousness or death
hot water is rationed, but you can have as much cold water as you as an alarm to be raised.
want, along with a good supply of bottled water for emergencies
(and having a system that has not adjusted to the local water may Luxury (5 LP)
count as an emergency). Low-end name-brand clothing fits you as A reinforced steel storm door with every lock you could ever
well as off-the-rack provides, along with an ill-fitting suit in case want covers the doorway. The Kevlar wallpaper is not fashionable,
you have an emergency business meeting. but it is bullet-resistant and completely covers the room (making
it Armor 8, Structure 9). If this is a safehouse, the guards on duty
Luxury (5 LP) all have military training (Professional Rating 4) and know how
Prepared food packed full of preservatives and flavor are a to blend into their surroundings. They are equipped with assault
nuke ‘n’ serve away, along with all the hot water you want. The rifles that have stun batons bayonet-mounted on them.

13
Safehouses
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Finding A Safehouse Roommates

Every fixer and most underworld contacts know of a safe- Multiple people sharing the same living conditions increase
house or two; the main questions have to do with price and trust. the lifestyle cost by 10 percent per person. Bolt holes and safe-
These are safe places, which are rare and valuable commodities, houses tend to be pretty snug living, so hopefully everyone gets
even for people who are not a bunch of anti-social borderline- along well.
sociopathic neo-anarchistic mercenaries.
Getting someone to provide the location of a safehouse Pay Up, Period
requires an Etiquette + Charisma (12, 1 minute) Extended Test Bolt holes are treated as a secondary lifestyle but require a little
with the contact’s loyalty and character’s Street Cred (p. 265, more finesse in upkeep in order to ensure that they remain unknown.
SR4A) added to the dice pool, and the character’s notoriety and Physical rent payments by way of local currency, corporate scrip,
public awareness added to the threshold. If searching for a safe- or certified credstick mailed into the payment office are typical; a
house for a group, the highest Notoriety and Public Awareness spoofed payment (usually at a threshold of 6) through electronic
levels among the group are taken into consideration, while the transfer can also be done. Going in person while disguised, or having
lowest Street Cred is used. Additional modifiers can be applied as a trusted contact do the payments and upkeep of stored items are
the gamemaster sees fit to the situation. If the contact is a house- also options, but that brings with it the possibility of a runner being
master/mistress, the loyalty bonus is doubled, and the connection recognized near the bolt hole or being tracked to it, which would
level can also be applied as a bonus. All the typical rules for getting remove its secrecy (and thus much of its value). Purchasing the
information or services from a contact apply as normal (see p. 287, lifestyle with a clean fake SIN is the most reliable way of ensuring
SR4A), though future services may be suggested as alternative the bolt hole remains safe and secure.
payment. If that’s the case, that debt should come due soon. Safehouses require cash upfront, with rarely any provision
Alternatively, the character may make use of the Street for extending the stay at a later time. Negotiating a longer stay
Knowledge skill Safehouse Locations + Logic (18, 1 hour) usually denotes desperation, giving a –2 dice modifier to a player’s
Extended Test to find a professional location that they have Negotiation + Charisma Opposed Test.
noticed and possibly been a reliable customer for in the past. This Off-the-Grid living requires runners to abandon other life-
test has a negative modifier based on a combination of the charac- styles and live with what they can grab on their way out the door,
ter’s notoriety and public awareness. Again, if a group is looking or window. The fertilizer has hit the ventilator, and this is a last-
for a safehouse, the highest Notoriety and Public Awareness levels ditch attempt to keep from getting caught by whatever is hunting
are added together, even if from separate characters. the runner. On the bright side, it is cheap and quick.

14
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Other End Of The Equation Candyman (4 LP) can get any item of any legality with an availability
Finding people that have dug a hole and pulled it in under of up to 10 (or any availability drug) or less using his Etiquette dice
them is an arduous task at best, and nearly impossible at worst. pool of 8, with a 25 percent delivery charge. That includes food, too.
That does not mean it will stop those looking for you just because No Masters 5: The area is a neo-anarchist enclave that fights
you got yourself hidden away. Any known homes or properties that against any form of control or dominion by others. By their natures,
the characters rent are going to be searched and probably trashed the residents are against those that would attempt to rule them by any
as people look for hidden compartments or secrets that could be means. You are required to help out the community, but they will not
used against the individuals in hiding in the future, as well as clues sell you out either.
as to where they might have run. Their known contacts are likely Parabellum 1: Safehouse only. Everyone here is armed, including
to be questioned quite extensively, and loyalty ratings may take a the kids. Especially the troll grandmother that bakes everyone cookies.
hit unless reparations are made quickly after the heat is gone. Some The security guards at this site are two levels higher than they would
contacts may disappear altogether; if these lost contacts are not be otherwise. There is also a pistol range in the basement.
avenged, a level of Notoriety may be applied by the gamemaster. High Traffic 1: The Purloined Letter approach. The site has an
Runners may be tasked with finding someone who is using a entrance and exit that is in a public and busy place that is not easily
safehouse or something similar to stay out of sight. Attempting to monitored by drones or cameras. It allows someone to enter or
find someone that has gone to ground requires a complex combi- leave the place without being noticed, provided they take adequate
nation of skills that include, but are not limited to: Perception, precautions.
Shadowing , Survival, Tracking , Etiquette, Intimidation, Stocked Up 1: Either you prepared your bolt hole well, or you
Negotiation, Chemistry, and Data Search. This last can be used knew who to bribe at the safehouse to get the good stuff. Your food
as the quickest way to abstract the arduous search. Perform a Data and water portion of the Necessities category is increased by two levels.
Search Extended Test with a threshold of 18 and an interval of 1 Alternate Energy 1: This can be a bunch of car batteries, a
day; the threshold may be modified by the neighborhood category stationary bicycle, and an alternator from a 2047 Ford AmeriCar. This
(z-zone/barrens subtract 2 from the threshold, street provides no ensures electricity is available during brownout/blackout conditions,
modifier, and every level above street adds 2 to the threshold per and it also provides exercise during the long, boring hours ahead. An
level). The connection rating of the contact you used (if any) to old music player is attached and loaded with songs to encourage you
find the safehouse is also added to the threshold. The searcher’s to keep going.
Street Cred and Notoriety are added to the dice pool. Magician On Staff 3/5: The bolt hole or safehouse is
Attempting to locate a spoofed lifestyle using a hacker/tech- protected by a ward that is maintained during your stay, as well as
nomancer’s habitual techniques requires a Data Search (12, 1 day a few watcher spirits to keep an eye on the astral plane and observe
in AR, 1 hour in VR) Extended Test if they have not used tricks to anyone attempting espionage. For bolt holes this requires a magician
try to eliminate their digital fingerprints. If they have done so, the as a contact, which may be a weak link in any investigations into the
Data Search test is more difficult, with a threshold of 24. whereabouts of certain known associates. The cost for a bolt hole is 3
Additionally, using ritual magic (p. 184, SR4A, and p. 28, LP, and the cost for a safehouse is 5.
Street Magic) to track someone mystically is always an option. Dug a Hole 2: However you did it, you disappeared with barely
Some bolt holes and safehouses are secured against those types of any traces. Even the devil rats are having a hard time finding you. This
intrusion, but many are not. quality increases the search time of every extended task time by one
level (p. 64, SR4A).
Legitimate 2: Safehouse only. Something about this place makes
Safehouse Qualities it appear unlike a den of thieves. Be it the home of government official
or a suburban home that distinctly lacks a “dead trog storage” sign in
Incompatible Qualities the front yard. Any legal searches have the threshold for the search
Bolt holes and safehouses cannot have the following quali- increased by 4.
ties that are described in Runner’s Companion (p. 161-164) unless Shoemaker 5: Safehouse only. A SIN forger is affiliated with the
otherwise mentioned above: any of the neighbor qualities except safehouse, and during your stay a new identity can be created or your
No Neighbors, Homegrown Farming, Rad Pad, Corporate old SIN “stripped” (p. 96, Unwired; same cost as a new fake SIN) at
Owned (use Affiliated quality below), Crash Pad, Living by only 200 percent of book price (p. 331, SR4A).
Committee, Living with Parents, No Forwarding Address, No Nurse/Doctor/Healer Is In 3/4/5: Safehouse only. The site is
Privacy, This Isn’t Big Bob’s Autos. set up like a long-term hospital room with a health professional that
comes in to check on injured or sick individuals and provide treat-
New Qualities ment when necessary. A nurse (3 LP) has a Medicine (Extended Care
Specialization) dice pool of 8. A doctor (4 LP) has a Medicine dice
Positive Qualities pool of 10 and a Cybernetics dice pool of 8. A healer (5 LP) has a
Deliveryman/Candyman 2/4: Safehouse only. There is a guy Medicine (Magical Health Specialization) dice pool of 8 and takes no
that can constantly come and go discretely from the site to get take- penalties for healing an Awakened person.
out, and other things. A deliveryman (2 LP) can get any legal item of Fully Stocked Bar 1: When your days are full of doing a whole
availability 4 or less using an Etiquette dice pool of 6 (p. 312, SR4A), lot of nothing, a little libation can lighten the day. Part of your daily
with only a 20 percent delivery charge. Cash upfront is required. rations is a small dose of your drug of choice to stave off boredom. Or
He can also obtain regular, ordinary take-out with 15 percent tip. A at least salve frayed nerves.

15
Safehouses
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Middle of Hicksville 2: “This place is so remote you can watch Mr. Johnson’s Neighborhood 2: Mr. Johnson helped arrange
your dog run away from home for three days straight.” With the for a location for you where he can help keep an eye on you and
balkanization of North America and the depopulation of formerly misdirect those who are looking for you. The threshold to find
heavily populated areas of the world by the VITAS plagues, there are you is increased by 2—unless Mr. Johnson or someone connected
plenty of ghost towns to choose to hide out in. There is not much to him is the one looking for you, in which case the threshold is
company or municipal resources, but if someone new shows up in reduced by 4.
town, you can be pretty sure what they are there for.
Ultramodern 1: The best and brightest technology can be found Negative Qualities
in your place; the cutting edge wishes it was as sharp as what you have Hotel California 1: Safehouse only. Once you check in, you
here! Increase the Device Rating of all the electronics by 1. are locked in for the stay. You cannot leave no matter how much
Armory 3: Safehouse only. Part of the fee for the site includes you want to, as the owners do not want a lot of traffic in or out.
two firearms, with ammunition and clips for same. Please, use them Your exit only occurs at a pre-arranged time.
responsibly! Book Thumpers 1: Safehouse only. Hope you like
Stunt Doubles 5: Safehouse only. You do not know how, but the speeches—you get one every day on whatever the owner believes
safehouse managers found people that roughly fit your gross biomet- in, be it religion, politics, conspiracies, or their fifty snot-nosed
rics and moved them around town a few times until they stopped at a grandkids.
different site. The threshold to find you has been doubled, since you Affiliated 3: The area that you have set up is affiliated with
appear to be in two different places at once. a corporation, political movement, or government agency and is
Made It to Mexico 5: Your bolt hole or safehouse is not just constantly monitored by them. Your room might not be, but the
hidden away from where your troubles were, it’s in a different country remainder of the site is. As long as the group is opposed to the
altogether. The threshold to find you is increased by 4, and there are people targeting you, they assist in concealing your presence, but
politics to take into consideration when dealing with trying to get at you might end up a pawn in “The Great Game.”
you, as even criminal types are territorial. On the downside, you have Racist Hellhole 1-3: Safehouse only. The people that run
to jump the border yourself in order to get there first. this place ensure only the “right” kind of people are kept safe; the
Inaccessible 3: Those monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains wrong kind—well, that’s the deal they had to cut to keep everyone
are as convenient as Stuffer Shacks compared to your hideaway. It is else safe. It’s all about watching your own, after all. If you’re the
hard to get into, with lots of places to plant discreet sensors and traps. wrong kind of people, the threshold for finding the safehouse is
This also means that it is hard to get out unless Hasty Exit (p. 162, decreased by 4. The cost for this quality depends on just how close
Runner’s Companion) is also chosen. you are to the “wrong” kind of people.

16
Safehouses
 SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tree-Hugging Hippies 2: Safehouse only. The master/ The Building that Time Forgot 1: The place never seemed
mistress of this house may dwell on the side of the shadows but to have gotten out of the twentieth century. The tech in the
not the violent side. Open weapons are discouraged and might building is outright ancient, with copper cable still being used
even get you kicked out, without a refund, if you flaunt them too for the telephone system. What is a telephone? Well, time to hit
much. The security level for any guards on site is two levels lower the history bookchips. If only there was a computer in the place
than it would otherwise be. Worst of all, you can never get the that could read them. The device rating of every electronic item is
smell of patchouli out of the clothing you’re wearing. reduced by one, to the point where you actually have to manually
Loud Neighborhood 1: Either the walls are really thin, the activate them! The remote control for the two-dimensional viewer
troll couple next door is throwing the furniture around, or the bar is also missing.
downstairs considers “11” to be “quiet”. Earplugs or Sim-Dreams Fresh Meat 3: “Can’t sleep, the ghouls will eat me!” There’s
V2.7 might be the only ways to get some sleep. a feral ghoul den near where you’re staying, and, to them, you’re a
Not a Home 2: The place was not exactly designed for meta- walking three-course meal with all the trimmings.
human inhabitation. There is no shower, the toilet is a chemical Maid’s on Vacation 1: Safehouse only. The previous tenants
camping model, and it is one single room with no dividers. The left a mess that smells worse than the dumpster behind The Big
area is considered to be a Street lifestyle for healing tests, and after Rhino. The smell is horrible, the trash makes the place as sanitary
you leave you receive negative social modifiers until you have had as a sewer, and you cannot get rid of the black mold because it pays
a proper shower, shave, and you have burned the clothing you rent to the owners.
were wearing.
Hell’s Waiting Room 2: Imagine the worst wait for an Sample Bolt holes
appointment ever. You wish you were back there. Pacing back and
forth appears to be all you can do as the atmosphere seems to bleed Self-Storage/Shipping Container
any pleasure from anything except thoughts of vengeance. The most basic design and a starter bolt hole for a shad-
Cellmate 1-5: Your bolt hole has been compromised by owrunner, as well as a popular last resort for experienced
another person seeking a place to hide, or it is the busy season shadowrunners. Might also be used for storing large items!
in the safehouse you are in and they need to double up on the Categories: Comfort (1 LP); Entertainment (0 LP); Necessities
occupancy. Either way, you are crowded in with another person(s), (1 LP); Neighborhood (2 LP); Security (2 LP): 6 LP
and neither trusts each other as far as an elf can throw a troll. The Qualities: Inconspicuous Housing (2 LP); Ambushers Delight
LP cost of this quality depends on how well everyone is able to (–3 LP); Not A Home (–2 LP); Trigger-Happy Landlord
play with each other. (–1 LP); total -4 LP
Donut Shop 2/4: For whatever reason, cops hang around Total Lifestyle Cost: 200¥
near your hiding spot. At 2 LP, they are corrupt and can have
“vision and hearing issues” that might let them look the other way Maintenance Closet
if they are given sufficient cash as an incentive. At 4 LP, you found Smaller and more cramped than a shipping container, it
one of the few untarnished badges in the Sixth World, and you makes up for it in absolutely no traffic! The smell of chemicals
have to sneak past them to be safe. Nothing will help you if they leaves something to be desired however.
catch you after you killed a “Brother In Blue.” Categories: Comfort (0 LP); Entertainment (0 LP); Necessities
Witless Protection 3: Similar to Affiliated, but the security (1 LP); Neighborhood (3 LP); Security (5 LP); total 8 LP
that knows you are around has a hole in its system that you could Qualities: Inconspicuous Housing (2 LP); No Neighbors (1 LP);
drive a supertanker through. This decreases the threshold of Dug a Hole (2 LP); Not a Home (–2 LP); Hell’s Waiting
searches to find you by 4. Room (–2 LP); Under A Rock (–3 LP); total –1 LP
Under A Rock 3: “Is Dunkelzahn still president?” You are in Total Lifestyle Cost: 1,100¥
a complete media blackout. No Matrix connection is just the start.
No rumors, no gossip, no social networking updates, nothing! As Concealed Apartment
far as you know, you will crawl out and into a nuclear wasteland With some judicious work, a squatter apartment can be
with only your Ares Predator, a knife, and some road flares. broken off from the rest of the building and given access to a side
Leaky Faucet 2: There is something about sleeping in a new, entrance that you concealed using such hard-to-find items as
strange place that unnerves most people. This place has something burned-out cars and overfull dumpsters.
that gets on your nerves for the short time you are there. It could be Categories: Comfort (1 LP); Entertainment (1 LP); Necessities (2
an incessant dripping that just grates on your nerves or some barely LP); Neighborhood (1 LP); Security (3 LP); total 8 LP
heard sound that keeps you on edge and checking your firearm Qualities: Escape Tunnel (3 LP); Stocked Up (1 LP); Alternate
to make sure it is loaded and the safety off. The gamemaster can Energy (1 LP); Loud Neighborhood (–1 LP); The Building
choose to apply negative modifiers to skill checks due to lack of that Time Forgot (–1 LP); total 3 LP
proper sleep. Total Lifestyle Cost: 3,200¥

17
Safehouses
SAFEHOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sample Safehouses Double-Front Establishment

That teahouse that is really a bunraku parlor is actually a
Criminal Enterprises Coffin Motel safehouse?
Just like a regular coffin motel, only with even less checking Categories: Comfort (3 LP); Entertainment (4 LP); Necessities
of IDs before you are let in! They tend to shoot the people that try (3 LP); Neighborhood (2 LP); Security (4 LP): 16 LP
to steal the towels, though. Qualities: Free Access (1 LP); Well Made (1 LP); Candyman
Categories: Comfort (1 LP); Entertainment (2 LP); Necessities (4 LP); Affiliated: Organized Crime (–3 LP); Loud
(1 LP); Neighborhood (1 LP); Security (3 LP); total 8 LP Neighborhood (–1 LP); Rough Neighborhood (–1 LP);
Qualities: Inconspicuous Housing (2 LP); Candyman (4 LP); total 1 LP
Affiliated: Organized Crime (–3 LP); Loud Neighborhood Total Safehouse Cost: 9,000¥/week
(–1 LP); total 2 LP
Total Safehouse Cost: 1,900¥/week Hell’s Suburb
Granny Greerson is an old ork grandmother with twenty-
No-Tell Motel seven children and countless grandchildren, all of whom visit and
For the price of the place, you would think it was a high- bring their friends. Well, that’s what the neighbors think. The
class hotel. But no, the place is a dump. On the bright side, the truth is, Social Security won’t even pay the property taxes on the
security cameras are fake, just like the names in the check-in log. house, and, well …
Categories: Comfort (2 LP); Entertainment (2 LP); Necessities Categories: Comfort (3 LP); Entertainment (3 LP); Necessities
(2 LP); Neighborhood (0 LP); Security (1 LP); total 7 LP (3 LP); Neighborhood (4 LP); Security (2 LP); total 15 LP
Qualities: Inconspicuous Housing (2 LP); Deliveryman (2 LP); Qualities: Quiet Neighborhood (1 LP); Well Made (1 LP);
Security Conscious (2 LP); Poor Condition (–1 LP); Maid’s Legitimate (2 LP); Book Thumpers: Kids and Grandkids
On Vacation (–1 LP); total 4 LP (–1 LP); Leaky Faucet (–2 LP); total 1 LP
Total Safehouse Cost: 2,600¥/week Total Safehouse Cost: 9,000¥/week

18
Safehouses