Barbara Silverstone - Muckraker

[Zaathun]

Legal Name: Barbara Silverstone

Handle: Barb, Silver Barb, BS ('Happy to give you all the BS rundown')

Age: 39

Metatype: Human

Archetype: Decker/Legwork/Face

Height: 5'6" (167cm)

Weight: 130lbs (60kg)

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Hazel

Build: Lots of walking, moments of running, late night soykafs, and the 40s knocking on the door.

Picture source

---

To be continued in the coming days:

Backstory blurbs, to be defined further:

- investigative reporter/independent columnist for (possibly IIN or even Schockwellenreiter), has done a tour in Chicago in her early years, little fame due to style of investigation. Not entirely defenceless.

- continues to cover areas of the UCAS/CAS in turmoil, has a decent rep in the biz of reporters.

- digging on big job™, gets cover blown, corporate/national entity to be decided on begins litigation/termination, has to cut away from contacts/allies/business to avoid heavier repercussions.

GM questions to be answered later, apologies for barebones app for the moment.

Edited January 3 by Zaathun (see edit history)

[Zaathun]

Player compatibility

1. How would you respond to an in-character (IC) insult or challenge to your character by another player?
   
   (I strongly believe in non-escalation between characters IC without explicit OOC consent and agreement. If we agree that we'll be arguing/doing a challenge, I'm all for some IC drama as the stressful Sixth World can stretch nerves, with the caveat that it shouldn't impact others too much, and we agree where to stop it.)
    
2. How would you respond to another character doing something very stupid that would provoke a response that would endanger the group? (IE: While doing some lowkey recon of a location, a teammate uses a flamethrower on a Stuffer Shack drive-thru or overcooked fries.)
   
   (With the yes-and approach, brief the player OOC on my player and my character opinion, but if there's table consent on the thing happening, take it in stride and respond verbally IC. OOC, I will propose to work it out between players and GM re: consequences. I once had an exceptional session where the game got derailed due to a character choosing to rob a Stuffer Shack, and the run premise changed significantly, and everyone had fun.)
    
3. How would you handle it when, not if The GM is in error regarding a ruling or procedure according to RAW?
   
   (I am a part of an LC where the rule usually is: brief the GM of the RAW in case they don't know all the nebulous rules. Generally, I am on the opinion that the best way to handle it is to take the momentary ruling, and trust the GM to communicate how that may be different in the future.)
    
4. How would handle the GM making a judgment call that you disagree with and are impacted by?
   
   (I trust GMs to not be hostile, and thus, as per the previous, inform them of my opinion, accept the ruling and carry on - the worst use of our forum time is arguing over rules. If it's something that happens multiple times, check with the GM whether there's anything more than just judgement disagreements, and potentially leave the table at an opportune moment.)
    
5. Would you consider your play style more of a loner or team player?
   
   (My best experiences with Shadowrun have been on tables with 2-3 players total, that said PbP tables are bigger for obvious reasons. I tend to lean more into the making of plans that include the entire team, or, if there's a person happier to make plans, for IC or OOC reasons, stick to them or try and yes-and. Tl;DR, I'd like to think I'm the latter.)
    
6. Can you play while respecting the other players? "That's what my character would do." shouldn't be an asshole pass.
   
   (Jabs and jives be what they may, I think figuring out how to respect the players and the characters is paramount. One of the things I've unfortunately seen more often than I'd like is people rushing to roll dice in a scene where a different character should be leading the show. Being the cool support by cracking a door quietly, swiping a key card or asking a spirit to make it rain so the scene lead can move/sneak/invite the guard in from the rain is also a great player feeling, imo.)
    
7. Shadowruns generally require the group to figure out a plan to accomplish their objectives. Can you work with a group to come to a consensus? Even if your plan is better?
   
   (in the spirit of honesty, analysis paralysis is a real bane in SR, even when not in the PbP format, and the point about plans and contact stays true. If anyone is the first to come up with an idea, I find it best to suggest how parts of that plan are done (e.g. plan is we hit the warehouse loud, sub-plan could be to cut power to floodlights first for example.) The story moving is, imo, the most important thing, and there's never a perfect plan unless the plan is the key narrative thing, such as in an event where the team wants to do some Ocean's Eleven style gig.)

 

Edited January 3 by Zaathun (see edit history)

[Zaathun]

Title

The beeping of horns and the shouts of the neighbours across the alleyway echoed dimly through the cracked window. A wispy trail of blue tinged smoked raised from the thin Medicine Woman cigarette that lay forgotten in Barb's left hand. The right hand sat on a worn plywood table, half-busy holding a plastic glass of synth-bourbon, a sniff of petroleum still noticeable despite the heavy artificial flavouring. Two thin fingers, coated with chipped and worn polish, the dull beige colour half a decade out of fashion, swiped in the air at AR controls set to private.

General Angela Colloton considered frontrunner for UCAS President. Open Y/N

The fingers swiped the news away. UCAS loved a war hero, especially one that fixes the corpos' drek. She'd seen her once, in Boston, a chance chance at camera work at a public announcement, while Barb was there following something insignificant. Memories flushed into the scoop snoop's head.The Muldoon illegal toxic dumping grounds. Screamsheet front for a couple days, quarterly bonus, grease-faced District mayor sweating on camera. Still probably not welcome there, Barb thought, taking a drag from the cigarette and wincing after a sip from the bottom shelf swill.

Manadyne expands its first Learning Center in Boston. Open Y/N

Frowning a little, Barb flicked the AR window away. The new Matrix was fast, involved, and incredibly intuitive - too intuitive, at times, she thought, especially after the DNI link undoubtedly picked up her subconscious thoughts about Boston and updated the scroll. On second thought, Boston wasn't nearly that bad in her memories. Punks wearing their colours up and proud, corpos still figuring out how tight to squeeze. Magical shops opening on every corner, peddling all sorts of fake drek. Digging up frauds, corruption, and sticking it to the bullies had always been her calling, and she wouldn't change it for the world.

The kitchen unit chose the time of reminiscence to cough, click and stop in silence. Barb's eyes turned to see a small puddle of murky, rancid water, scented of stale soy and acrid fake lemon, start forming on the ragged linoleum floor of the dilapidated studio. One in an unfamiliar town, rented under a fake SIN after being legally deceased. Okay, might have definitely slotted up a couple times, she acquiesced, taking another drag and moving to the couch to toss an old IIN sweatshirt on the puddle.

Sitting back at the table, she noted that the screaming match seemed to be entering the third inning. The fingers darted in annoyance, reflexively reaching for her ears' volume key, before choosing to just focus somewhere else instead. Savouring the synthehol in her mouth for a misguided minute, her eyes glazed at the incoming feed.

---

The lull got interrupted by a flashing red screen, accompanied with a sub-aural hum in her ears.

-CAUTION: Temperature Exceeding Safe Limits.

-Cosmetic Damage Sustained

-Alert Medical Care Provider Y/N ( Function Unavailable, No Contract Found )

The sharp pain in her left hand's fingers and the smell of burning plastic hit her nostrils. "Drek-drek-drek-drek." With a panicked gesture, the cigarette dropped in the synth-bourbon, and the fingers flew right into her mouth as she leapt from the chair. The feeling dissipating a moment later, and the taste in her mouth fouler than even the drink, she took them out with another swear and inspected the damage. A crack was visible on her index fingernail, and the RealSkinn, chipped and matte on the best of days, had an accompaniment of two dark brown crescents.

Rolling up the sleeve, past a badly-concealed entry-and-exit bullet wound showing the pistons and electronics inside, Barb plugged the datajack from her right wrist into the cyberarm. The NuYou Manuella firmware spun up, informing of no new damage to the long-list of outdated packets and cosmetic damage, but Barb's attention was already in Chicago.

Bug City. The Containment Zone. Thinking only a drek-for-brains would believe the half-witted, half-baked Ares propaganda about a VITAS outbreak revealed that, in fact, the drek-for-brains were those who didn't. Burned out husks of buildings and cars with skeletons inside. Corpses on the streets, some charred husks piled haphazardly on the sidewalks. Some dragged on piles of entrails, half eaten by the bugs.

'55 was a hell of a year. She'd smuggled herself in town, playing the heartstrings of a broad-shouldered Ares logistics boy about truth, justice, and all that other drek that still didn't matter, 67 or 2067 years later. Poking around one of the QZs, she'd found what she was looking for - and something she wasn't. The rummaging noises around the fetid garbage bins, a figure with one eye in brilliant multiple facets, the other a too-human green, above the mouth with leaking lips under the split mandibule. One razor sharp talon had impaled her left arm, with the nibbling and tearing of an internal mouth at the bone as she screamed and screamed into the alleyway. Only pure luck, the logistics boy's balls of steel, and an 12mm Super Warhawk Slug in the insect's forehead made sure she left Chicago.

---

She shuddered at the memory, meat fingers running across the arm. You're chipping, he'd said. I got Pulitzer-grade footage, I replied. I think. He got the sack, of course, and she couldn't let him like that. Brought him back to New York, helped him on his feet. Well, on and off his feet. Put a ring on it too. Bobby'd hated the late nights, the over-UCAS assignments, the bruises, the sim hangovers and IC-brainbleeds and week-long drooling with the lights turned off. He'd bounced back, got a new job, and was patient for almost a decade.

She'd never stopped, of course, and he never stopped helping, even a week ago. Turning up on his new doorstep, tracking mud and leaking blood on the carpet. Hadn't bothered to call, but it wasn't that the security, however fancy their new digs were, would stop her. She had principles, still, of course, and two apologies and an abdomen bandage later, she'd left, bag of baggy clothes, a credstick with five g's on it, and that same revolver on her hip. She'd always needed it more, Bobby said. She'd made an effort not to look at his fiance.

The screaming out of the window had went into extra innings, alternating with outings, Barb noted grimly, as she reached to slam the window shut. She hesitated when she picked up the sound of a car door slamming right outside the place. Pushing the AR feed out of 'leisure' mode back into 'operations', she opened her fingers. Lists of the active icons in the area filled a bar on the left of her HUD. Antennaed trid-screens and audio systems, padlocked keypads and doors, and the personas running the PANs. The various blades, guns, and axes indicated seemed the ones she'd seen on the first glance, except for one flickering - a hidden icon. With a quick dash of the hand, she hacked the feed from the front door - only to see the trails of a figure clad in a long, black trenchcoat and heavy boots, fold in half to enter the building.

As she rushed to the coathanger - one festooned with a once-truly gorgeous silver coat, her persona threw an antiquated press-pass at the pistol. The pass bounced up to the persona - a hulking troll with absurd anime eyes - tucking itself as if on a hatband. A magnifying glass darted into her arm, and the figure's commlink began transmitting their exact location.

Which, of course, seemed to be heading up the stairs to the studio. The smartlink in Barb's eyes kicked in, providing a targeting solution. A moment of consideration later, a mental command spun the revolver's cylinder around, loading the sole tungsten shell. Judging by the footsteps' heft, the door would prove no problem for the person behind it - but even less so for the revolver. Aiming at the location as it shuffled towards the door, Barb took cover behind the table.

---

There was a knock on the door, a surprisingly gentle one. "Uhm... Hel- Hoi? I'm looking for a... Silvie?" the voice on the other hand announced, the low rumbling filled with notes more of anxiety than gutterral threat. "I can see the light is on?", it added warily, yet unhelpfully. With a panicked realisation, Barb saw that the device she was looking had just placed three asterisks on the door's padlock, and aimed at the top of the door. The door slowly started creaking open "I hope you are decent! I got those MARKers from Ms. We- uh, the own- landlord, so I'll go inside and leave the scop?", the voice announced, as a plastic bag with the signature logo of Stuffer Shack began hovering roughly six feet off the ground, hanging off of a finger the size of a gourd, followed by a fingerless glove.

As she started lowering the gun, the figure entered with his back towards the room, revealing a rather gaunt looking troll that muttered, "Oh, slick coa-", as he turned around and screamed, raising his hands at the sight of the revolver. The bag of supplies flew across the room, spilling soymilk everywhere, and the troll's head cracked in the ceiling, sending white dust all across the room. "Friendly! Ow- oh, noo.", the rapid words coming out of the troll's acne-covered face darted out as blood flushed away from his cheeks.

The landlor- oh. Danika. The troll, now significantly less ominous in his bright blue t-shirt, emblazoned with five masked individuals in multicoloured spandex, kept his arms up. The sight of a wrist-holster for a KSAF marked commlink opened as the trenchcoat's sleeves rolled down. The look on his too-young face was on the verge of tears, as he asked meekly, "Please don't sh-shoot? I won't move. There's a g-"

---

"Hands down, pal.", Barb eventually said, judging the newcomer to be harmless to everything but the building's integrity. "Dani sent you?"

The troll nodded, dragging more plaster onto his now snow-covered black bowl cut as he scraped the ceiling. "Uhm, yeah. Said to stop for supplies as well in case you ran out. Oh dre-", he said, before rushing to the ground to begin fishing out the supplies from the bag. An Ares Light Fire 70 with its trigger guard removed, clattered onto the ground from the depths of the synthleather coat. He reached to grab it, stopping half-way as he raised his hands again.

"Breathe, chummer, one thing at a time. Leave the iron.", Barb replied, leaving her own revolver on the table, and moving past the newcomer to get a mop and a bucket. "That all?", she quizzed as the figure huddled next to the leaking kitchen unit. "Don't spread the muck there." The troll moved around, before settling on the couch meekly as Barb cleaned the mess.

"Uh, that. Oh! And a datachip! Actually it was mostly the datachip, then she told me to pass for supplies. Told me you were busy with something and not to ask about it. And to be careful on the door.", he added dutifully, reaching into the coat's inner pockets with two black-painted talons and placing a small chip on the table. "Wonder what's on it- drek.", he stopped himself as the mop got deposited back into the small toilet. "Nil persp. I ask questions too, chummer, that's why I'm here. You just need to cool it. As for the chip, if I knew what was on it, I wouldn't need you to bring it, right?"

Seeing the visitor grow ever more anxious and the stress of the day carry on, Barb sighed, pulling out a credstick. "Thanks. That's for you, oughta cover the damage, and hey - if you keep it quiet on me, I'll keep it quiet on the impromptu renovations. Deal?" Extending a hand towards the troll, she shook it. Even if she was sure that the troll's clammy hand could crush hers, she barely felt any resistance as she moved the newcomer out of the small studio.

Interns. The one sole renewable resource in the universe. Glancing down at the floor, she let out one last sigh of exasperation at the world, and opened the door to shout after the creaking hallway,

"Hey, pal! You forgot your iron!"

 

Edited January 13 by Zaathun (see edit history)

[Zaathun]

Character Creation

Built with 600 Karma (Street life)

Attributes: 255 Karma

PosQual/NegQual (25/25)

Nuyen: 125 Karma

Skill Groups: 60 Karma

Skills: 159 Karma

1 Karma Remaining

Character Sheet (Google Link)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YnqprGyC4Gy_rDN49EUHC3y2Qpxr3I0R?usp=drive_link

PS: I can't seem to fit the Ammo Skip System on the revolver as chummer makes it require an underbarrel, even if it specifically mentioned to apply to Revolvers in Hard Targets. I'm used to using a house rules chummer fix for that, but I haven't used that on this chummer, so I'm hoping that Herolab allows Revolvers to use it!

Contacts

Danika Westbrooke, KSAF Editor (and fixer)

Danika Westbrooke is an old university colleague of Barb's that has moved from finding out secrets to their renumerable distribution. Still operating as an editor in Denver's KSAF office, her position allows for a lot of rumours to be picked up, and a good perspective of the city to be obtained. 

While she lacks the sheer budget of more established shadowy individuals, and the time to devote fully to the fixer work, she makes up in access and low level contacts from all around the city, and a commlink contacts list that rivals some municipalities in population.

Short, even for a dwarf, with a conservative haircut that ages her more than the usual dwarf, it's not hard to see why she runs the KSAF editing room as a tight ship where no rumour goes unheard (or uncommodified).

Connection 3, Loyalty 4

Theo Darkthorn, Intern, Gopher

Theo Darkthorn (real SIN Name) is a young troll currently working as a Junior Content Production Member at KSAF, mainly working with localisations and running matrix polls. Raised more or less by himself in a ruined Denver library, he'd gone through a lot of old world media and flatvids growing up, earning nuyen by fixing lostmedia and lending and selling it out.

After the Second Crash, he'd been pushed into SINdom by a well-meaning friend, and found himself hired at KSAF by Danika Westbrooke. While his dress style is eccentric, his social skills could use a fair bit of work, and his sprawl survival skills are only held together by the fact that he is 9 feet tall, Theo is passionate, has a knack for technology, and a surprising amount of friends in Denver and a connection in all sectors from the unlikely users of his previous business.

Also, a car, which is great for getting places.

Connection 1, Loyalty 4

 

 

Edited January 4 by Zaathun (see edit history)

[Zaathun]

@Shadowstarr I think that's me being finished with the application, I hope that it fits the themes and is functional enough - I'd be happy to make modifications to your liking.

I'd add a personality blurb, but the general vibe I had while thinking of the character was 'someone cynical and used to the streets as an independent bystander has to take a side', and I'd probably prefer to wing it from there and see how the character plays. Likewise, there's no runner handle since she's not a runner - and the best handles are ones given by others!

[Shadowstarr]

Got some minor issues:

Qualities are a bit off. Got too many negative qualities at -28

Overclocker quality needs a matrix attribute selected. (attack, etc.)

for the drone, trying to find the sensor array? is that a vehicle mod? gear? I tired to build with the gear: handheld sensor at rating 3 but could not fit everything in. might be a hero lab/chummer thing.

Didn't have an option to add ammo skip to the revolver, I don't have a problem with you haveing it.

mostly done with remaking it.

all the programs? can you specify by category? ie: all the common,

 

Edited January 13 by Shadowstarr (see edit history)

[Zaathun]

No problem!

I was picking NegQuals that fit, and not getting karma for those above the -25 (Chummer has that option), but I can just remove Did You Just Call Me Dumb? which is worth 3. I think it makes it so I have -24 in those (At least on my chummer), but I have an extra Karma point lying around.

Overclocker does specify that the Attribute can be changed any time the deck is rearranged - that said if Herolab asks for an attribute, more often than not it'd be Sleaze, so I think that can safely be selected? (as per Run Faster p.148)

Drones and vehicles got sensor arrays based on their Sensor stat (as per CRB p.445, Housings). In effect, it just shows what the drone can perceive (a drone without a camera won't be able to see, etc). I'm happy to defer the drone for the HeroLab version and clarify things later! Just wanted a teensy tridcam to get some footage on the sly.

Noted on the Revolver, I've set the money aside for that, much obliged! High Tech Revolvers are a cyberpunk staple, imo!

Apologies on the programs, should've definitely elaborated:

Total List of Programs

+ Armor
   + Baby Monitor
   + Biofeedback
   + Biofeedback Filter
   + Blackout
   + Bootstrap
   + Browse
   + Cat's Paw
   + Cloudless
   + Configurator
   + Crash (Program)
   + Decryption
   + Defuse
   + Demolition
   + Detonator
   + Edit
   + Encryption
   + Evaluate
   + Exploit
   + Fly on a Wall
   + Fork
   + Guard
   + Hammer
   + Hitchhiker
   + Mugger
   + Nuke-from-Orbit
   + Paintjob
   + Search
   + Shell
   + Shredder
   + Signal Scrub
   + Smoke and Mirrors
   + Sneak
   + Stealth
   + Swerve
   + Tantrum
   + Toolbox
   + Virtual Machine

The costing of all the Common Programs is 800 (Bootstrap, Browse, Configurator, Edit, Encryption, Search, Shredder, Signal Scrub and Virtual Machine), 80 each.
The Hacking Programs cost 250 each, and there's 29 of them (at least in my Chummer), which makes it cost 7,250, but three programs are included for free with the Datajack+ at R3, which brings it down to 6,500, which means my maths was off, as I had that costed at 7500 on the sheet. I'm also notably NOT taking Cry Wolf as I don't really like the mechanics (or the thematics, at least for this character!) of it.
 

More than happy to make changes if they're required, and open to feedback.

Edited January 13 by Zaathun (see edit history)

[Shadowstarr]

20 minutes ago, Zaathun said:

No problem!

I was picking NegQuals that fit, and not getting karma for those above the -25 (Chummer has that option), but I can just remove Did You Just Call Me Dumb? which is worth 3. I think it makes it so I have -24 in those (At least on my chummer), but I have an extra Karma point lying around.

Overclocker does specify that the Attribute can be changed any time the deck is rearranged - that said if Herolab asks for an attribute, more often than not it'd be Sleaze, so I think that can safely be selected? (as per Run Faster p.148)

Drones and vehicles got sensor arrays based on their Sensor stat (as per CRB p.445, Housings). In effect, it just shows what the drone can perceive (a drone without a camera won't be able to see, etc). I'm happy to defer the drone for the HeroLab version and clarify things later! Just wanted a teensy tridcam to get some footage on the sly.

Noted on the Revolver, I've set the money aside for that, much obliged! High Tech Revolvers are a cyberpunk staple, imo!

Apologies on the programs, should've definitely elaborated:

Total List of Programs

+ Armor
   + Baby Monitor
   + Biofeedback
   + Biofeedback Filter
   + Blackout
   + Bootstrap
   + Browse
   + Cat's Paw
   + Cloudless
   + Configurator
   + Crash (Program)
   + Decryption
   + Defuse
   + Demolition
   + Detonator
   + Edit
   + Encryption
   + Evaluate
   + Exploit
   + Fly on a Wall
   + Fork
   + Guard
   + Hammer
   + Hitchhiker
   + Mugger
   + Nuke-from-Orbit
   + Paintjob
   + Search
   + Shell
   + Shredder
   + Signal Scrub
   + Smoke and Mirrors
   + Sneak
   + Stealth
   + Swerve
   + Tantrum
   + Toolbox
   + Virtual Machine

The costing of all the Common Programs is 800 (Bootstrap, Browse, Configurator, Edit, Encryption, Search, Shredder, Signal Scrub and Virtual Machine), 80 each.
The Hacking Programs cost 250 each, and there's 29 of them (at least in my Chummer), which makes it cost 7,250, but three programs are included for free with the Datajack+ at R3, which brings it down to 6,500, which means my maths was off, as I had that costed at 7500 on the sheet. I'm also notably NOT taking Cry Wolf as I don't really like the mechanics (or the thematics, at least for this character!) of it.
 

More than happy to make changes if they're required, and open to feedback.

II can add the quality back after creation to make hero lab happy.

 

I'll mess around more not use I can add modifications to the sensor arrays. Probly just shove it all in cargo and call it a day.

You may have to bump up lifestyle a bit not so much for capacity but I thin low its too low to cover the cost of the options per the not enough points rule in hard target I'll have to research more. Just have to finish adding the gear.

[Zaathun]

I think narratively I'd just rather drop them (for now) - most of them are paid for subscriptions, which I think only cost nuyen and not modifiers, but I'll check as well. After all, coming out of the muck is a shadowrunner's dream!

[Shadowstarr]

This is at 600bp i think we are good, if you are.

SHeet

[Zaathun]

Looks good to me at first and second glances - I'll check is there's any discrepancies tomorrow, and fix them on my end! The hype has begun!

[Shadowstarr]

done and done