Death of a Crimelord

A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure

GM Intro
(This adventure should be played in
a later setting, such as 2050 or 2075.)
Ark City stirs. The news spreads like
a virus from the Net. Kallen Croag is dead.
The crime lord that had been untouchable by
man and law has been murdered, his halfcybered body dumped unceremoniously in
an alleyway on the wrong side of the Battle
Zone. No one knows how he was murdered.
And no one really cares.
Now, eyes are on the three Princes,
Croags Lieutenants. Each one a bloodthirsty
crime lord by their own right, they will do
anything to take Kallens place and become
Lord of the Red Men.
The Red Men are the unofficial
rulers of Ark. Cops dont touch them. Laws
dont mean chunda to them. When they
want a place, they take it. Quiet or loud, they
dont care. In the end, its always theirs.
The Princes are as slick as serpents.
Theyll smile in your face while stabbing
you in the back. They specialize in their
areas. They destroy any competition. And
they are all suspected of killing Kallen
Croag.
The most suspicious is Darden
Zeane. If anyone dies in Ark, 99% chance he
ordered it or knew about it beforehand. Hes
the Lord of Shadows. You want someone
dead? He contacts you.
Next is Fluxx Prime. He runs every
shipment of Cybernetics and weapons
through Ark. Sometimes orders go missing.
Sometimes they order too much. Sometimes
they never get the order. If they go missing,
Fluxx knows where it is.
Lastly is Rag Dog. He handles the
drugs throughout Ark. The newest drug on
the street, he developed it. People say he
started as a typical MetaJunkie. Now the say
he looks nothing like his Academy pictures.

They say he had to be cybered so many

times, hes nothing but a brain floating in a
jar.
Either way, Ark City is in a bad
place. Gangs run wild. Cybers go psycho
without warning. Metas are clipped on the
street. And without someone to lead the Red
Men, theyre going ballistic. Red territory is
expanding. Soon, all of Ark will be a combat
zone.
Why you ask? Because of the Gold
Beaters. A gang that normally makes it place
in the Upper Section of Ark City. A bunch of
spoiled rich brats vying for control of Red
territory.
With them descending on the lower
sections, the body count is on the rise. Red
and Gold pile on street corners. Citizens
caught in crossfire have little chance of
living. Soon, theyll be nothing left to
control.
The only place that seems untouched
is the Under City. You cant go much lower
than this. A shanty-town built from scraps
tossed from Ark, its the place Ark citizens
perceive as out of sight, out of mind.
The Under City has problems of its
own. Youre more likely to drop dead of
hunger than a bullet. Even then, its still as
dangerous as Ark, if not more.

The PCs
A sleek, black, hover limo sits in the
parking lot of an abandoned ExoCorp
building. Mercs travel in an unorganized
circuit in and around the building. Someone
doesnt want to be disturbed. That someone
is the one who paid you 1K Cred up front
just to meet them here.
Dirty brown rain falls through the
rusted gridiron above, sizzling as it hits the
ground (1d4/round contact), signifying acid
rain. The PCs stand underneath a shelter
across the parking lot, waiting for a signal. It

Death of a Crimelord
A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure
comes quickly. An old neon OPEN sign
flickers on in the reception area of ExoCorp.
As the PCs enter, the door
automatically locks behind them and the
neon sign shuts off. The reception area is
dimly lit by a single, dangling light bulb
over a small round table. A sign requests that
they deposit their weapons here. (Difficult
Sneak Roll to Beat)
After doing so, a corridor lights up,
twisting and turning so as to confuse the
PCs. It leads to a reinforced titanium door
that creaks open to reveal a dark room with
a figure sitting behind a desk. A few
monitors are on behind them, showing video
feeds. The figure is flanked by two mercs on
each side.
Glad you could make it. The figure
says nonchalantly. His voice is raspy and
strained, as if even talking takes its toll.
After PC responses (if any), he
chuckles. If you could call it that. Well, Im
sure youre wondering just why you are
here. So, Ill cut right to it. I dont like the
Red Men. I dont like the Gold Beaters.
Theyre interfering with my plans. Kill
them. You will receive a handsome payment
for doing so. If you refuse, the mercs ready
their weapons menacingly, you wont
leave.
Having no other choice to take this
contract, whitish-green gas spills from the
vents overhead. All PCs pass out.

The Five Tasks

The first thing the PCs must do is
obtain transport out of the Under City and
into Ark. To do this, the need two things:
Passports and a Lift.
To obtain a passport is relatively
easy: you either go through the government
process (which could take months) or you
pay some Cred to get it forged. The more

Cred youre willing to dish out, the better

the passport forgery.
A local Fixer should be able to get
you in contact with a Smith. Prices range
from 50 Cred to 10K Cred. Youll barely
pass through the checkpoints with a chunpiece, but, if youre willing to pay, youll get
through without a problem.
After the PCs obtain the passports,
youll have to go through the Transit or find
a Lift. Transit is the official way to move out
of the under City. A Lift can normally get
you in and out without much of a problem.
There are currently two Lifts willing
to take groups up. The first is Cecil the
Sleaze. He works for cheap, but nearly every
time he takes a group up, only half survive.
If the PCs choose to go with Cecil, theyll
need hell need a 5K Cred deposit and a few
weeks to prepare. Or a few weeks to
disappear. They dont call him a sleaze for
nothing.
The second is a person known only
as Droauge (dra-oh-que). All that is really
known about Droauge is the fact that he is
the best Lift around. He can move anything
in and out of Ark without a sound. And he
can deliver anytime.
Of course, theres a catch. Droauge
doesnt want to be paid in money. He claims
he doesnt need it. He wants his customers
to do a couple tasks for him, to prove theyre
willing to do anything to get into Ark. This
is the only form of payment hell take.
If the PCs choose to use Droauge
(which they should) theyll have to complete
Five Tasks. Each of these tasks will take the
PCs all throughout the Under City.

Task One
Task One is relatively easy, or so it
sounds. Droauge wants a case of
Chamberlains Fireball Whiskey. 12 bottles
minimum.
One problem: Chamberlains went
out of business in 2035. The only factory

Death of a Crimelord
A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure
left is in the south side of the Under City.
People stay away from it because of the
small gang that takes residence there. The
Pure Ones.
The Pure Ones believe all metas and
cybers are abominations and should be
killed on sight. They practice this belief
often as well as anywhere and anytime they
choose.
The following are the stats of Pure
One gang members.
Intelligence~ 6
Cool~4
Reflexes~ 7
Tech Ability~4
Attractiveness~ 6
Luck~ 1
Movement Allowance~3 [RUN
6/18yrds, CLIMB 3yrds, LEAP .75yrds]
Empathy~1
Body Type~ 8
If the PCs choose nonviolence, the
Pure Ones will be willing to sell the
minimum amount of whiskey [12 bottles] to
the PCs for 500K creds. The PCs can pay
this, but it will deplete their monetary
resources significantly.
The Pure Ones will initiate combat if
the see any obvious cybernetics or
mutations. They are okay with dyed hair,
simple surgical changes, etc. but they will
discriminate.
If combat is initiated, 15 to 25 Pure
Ones will fight but will be defeated
relatively easily. The bottles will be located
in a vault in the gang leaders office, Val
Prin. The only remaining 250 bottles of
Chamberlains Fireball Whiskey will be
found here.

Task Two
When Droauge get his first
payment, he will be pleased (and possibly

surprised) and tell you about the next task:

Money Transfer.
A few years back, a group of people
promised him payment, which he never
received. He would like you to clean out
their bank accounts transfer them to him so
he may spread the cred to the people,
staying with his claim of never requiring
money.
If there is no NetRunner PC, the
PCs must hire one to do it for them.
Droauge will be fine if the PCs use a
portion of the stolen money to pay the
Runner.
While the Runner is in the Net,
their physical body must be defended due to
the fact that their consciousness will be in
the Net. It must be defended from the
mercenaries hired to provide a smooth
transfer of the physical cred.
These mercenaries are WildFire
Mercenaries, the best private security money
can buy. It is a discreet number of
mercenaries, 5-7 in number.
These are the stats of an average
WildFire mercenary.
Intelligence~ 5
Cool~5
Reflexes~ 8
Tech Ability~5
Attractiveness~ 3
Luck~ 2
Movement Allowance~9 [RUN
27/81yrds, CLIMB 9yrds, LEAP 4.5yrds]
Empathy~1
Body Type~ 8
There will be combat and the PCs
must kill each mercenary. By the time
combat is finished the NPC NetRunner will
be finished.
If it is a PC NetRunner, there will be
very little conflict within the Net. One or
two security programs that are low-level and
easily defeated. Unless the PCs become

Death of a Crimelord
A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure
suspicious of the easiness of the task, do not
mention it.
When Droauge receives the money,
he will immediately dispense it through
multiple, untraceable wire transfers. Upon
contacting him, he will immediately assign
the next task.

Task Three
Task Three is odd in itself. Droauge
gives the PCs a name; Carlton Schmactter.
He is, essentially, a pimp. Itll be up to the
PCs to decide which path to take, but it will
have the same result: the task will be
completed.
Carlton Schmactter, or Big C, as he
likes to be called, needs fresh women to
prostitute. The PCs can go about dealing
with Big C one of two ways: help him round
up fresh women or kill him. Either way, it
shouldnt take long. Droauge just wants him
off his back. He never said how.

Task Four
After returning to Droauge with
completion of task three, he will
immediately assign the PCs the next task.
Package transport.
He stresses how important it is to
keep the package safe and under no
circumstances whatsoever should the PCs
open it for any reason.
Within one campaign day, the PCs
will meet a man name Travis Alistair. A bit
paranoid and fidgety, Mr Alistair will give
the PCs a small, brown, package. He will
then inform them that they must bring the
package to Row 17 on the South Side of the
Under City.
After divulging this information, he
will immediately vanish as soon as the PCs
take their eyes off him. No rolls are allowed.
Mr Alistair is a strange man indeed.
The PCs should immediately begin
to take the package to the South Side. It will
take two game days to reach Row 17. Within

those two days, the PCs will be attacked by

Savage Children.
The following stats are that of the
average Savage Child.
Intelligence~ 3
Cool~5
Reflexes~ 8
Tech Ability~2
Attractiveness~ 3
Luck~ 2
Movement Allowance~12 [RUN
54/108yrds, CLIMB 12yrds, LEAP 3yrds]
Empathy~1
Body Type~ 3
It shouldnt be hard to dispatch these
enemies, nor should the PCs run into too
much more trouble. It is at the GMs
discretion to make more enemies besides the
Savage Children.
(Note: if using a campaign
containing meta-powers, an optional
attribute to apply to the Children is
Environmental Adaptation. This can also be
applied to other Savages.)
Upon arrival to Row 17, the PCs
will be confronted by a strange man dressed
in black clothing covering his entire body.
He will ask for Mr Alistairs package.
If the PCs so wish, they may ask the
man what they were transporting. The
answer will be simple: a 100% Pure
Chocolate Bar.
Cocoa beans were extinct in 2045.

Task Five
This is what the PCs have been
waiting for. The Final Task. The PCs are
contacted by Droauge, only one sentence.
Dredge Street. 359. Steel Door. The PCs
go to the address. Finding the door requires
a Search check (average difficulty). When
they find the door and knock, a hidden
security pops out of top right corner of the
door frame, looks them over, and pops back

Death of a Crimelord
A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure
inside. The door opens, and the PCs walk
in. The room is rather minimalist, a wooden
table in the middle, a single chair. Droauge
is sitting there, staring at them, one hand by
his side, the other on the table. Took you
long enough. PCs respond, or dont and
wait for him to continue. He plops a manila
folder onto the table, the PCs exam it. This
is Cecil. Hes the competing lifter. I dont
like competition. Deal with him, and Ill
fulfill my part of our arrangement.
As the PCs leave, they examine the
material in the folder. Information on Cecil.
{{Cecil (last name unknown)
Age: 37
Height: 510
Stones: 12 (168 pounds)
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Left is green, Right is gray
Ethnicity: Caucasian, Spaniard
Unique Features: Spider web tattoo
on left hand, light scar on right leg (MAY
BE IN CONCEALING OUTFIT)
Hangouts: Can be found at these
places every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Saturday: Pinos Natural Pizzeria
between 11 am and 1 pm, Sallys Snatch n
Booze between 6 pm and 11 pm(GM note:
generic strip club and bar), Liberty Park
3pm and 5pm, hideout or home location is
unknown.
Possible Weapons: Desert Eagle}}
(GM note: Cecil will have a razor blade in
his shoe, will attempt to deceptively attack
PCs if they do not kill him outright)

The following are Cecils stats.

Intelligence~ 9
Cool~4
Reflexes~ 8
Tech Ability~9
Attractiveness~ 2
Luck~ 5
Movement Allowance~10 [RUN
30/90yrds, CLIMB 10yrds, LEAP 5yrds]
Empathy~1
Body Type~ 9
Meta-Power (if applicable): Power
Theft
From here, depending on time and
day, it is up to the PCs to determine what to
do and how to take care of Cecil.
When they confront Cecil,
depending on where he is and how they
confront him, he may or may not have some
dialogue (up to GM what is said).
If the PCs kill Cecil: They must
bring proof of some kind (physical or
picture) to Droauge back at his hide out.
If the PCs somehow convince
Cecil to quit Lifting: They have to bring
Cecil back to Droauge, where he will swear
to never start Lifting again. Droauge will
proceed to cut off Cecils left hand, and kick
him out of his hideout.
If the PCs pussy out and attempt
to lie to Droauge concerning Cecils
death: They have to bring back a physical
part of Cecil (PCs will have to convince
Cecil to part with this, willingly or not).
Fast-talking Droauge WITHOUT physical
proof will NOT work. (GM note: if Droauge
finds out that Cecil is still alive before the
lift, he will attempt to kill the PCs. They
must then go to Cecil to Lift them.
Sometime in the future Droauge will send
highly trained assassins after the PCs, but
only once.)

Death of a Crimelord
A CyberPunk 2020 Adventure
Whenever the final task is complete,
Droauge will tell them when and where to
meet him in the Undercity.
Once the PCs meet with Droauge,
he looks them over one more time. I had
my doubts. You surprised me. Droauge has
a reputation for never being surprised.
He lifts them up. Hours pass. Suddenly, the
lift begins to slow down. If the PCs look up,
they will notice two slabs slowly open, and
they arrive inside a decrepit warehouse.
They step out.
Droauge gives them a knowing nod,
and begins to retreat back into the Undercity.
Good luck, he says, Youll need it. The
slabs, concrete, fall back into place
seamlessly. The inside of the warehouse is
non-descript, no one is around.
A door nearby creaks, indicating the
exit. The PCs step outside, and the sun
(possibly the first time some of them have
ever seen Earths sun) washes their face with
its light. Sound penetrates their ears, cars,
people, and dogs barking. Smog swirls
around the expansive citys sky, one of many
jaded diamonds of the crown jewel.
Welcome to Ark City.

Ark City, Act I

First order of business, the PCs need
a place to stay. Hideout, apartment, hotel,
doesnt matter.
As their eyes adjust to the sunlight,
they can roll a notice check (minor
difficulty) to figure out a very important
factor of the surroundings: its the ghetto.

Gang territory. Finding a safe-haven is

crucial.
They have two options: Walk, or call
a hover taxi.
From the taxi driver (stereotypically
Indian of course), they can get basic
information of where they are in Ark City.
(Gm note: the only information the taxi
driver can give is the country-zone they are
in [Germany], the nearest munitions shop,
and the usual restaurants, entertainment
districts, etc.)
If the PCs choose to walk, though
god knows why, there is a high chance they
will be accosted by some punk-ass gang
members.
The following are the stats of the
punk-ass gang members.
Intelligence~ 4
Cool~ 6
Reflexes~ 5
Tech Ability~6
Attractiveness~ 1
Luck~ 4
Movement Allowance~5 [RUN
15/45yrds, CLIMB 5yrds, LEAP 2.5yrds]
Empathy~3
Body Type~ 5
Gang members should be easily
dispatched, they wont have any backup.
Continuing walking, the PCs will
eventually find a shady motel. Its better
than nothing. The motel operator is of Asian
descent, and speaks surprisingly bad
English.