Great Places to Live in 2065

"Wait, does Batman live in Bruce Wayne's basement?"

"No, Bruce Wayne lives in Batman's attic. "

Every once in a while, I decide to be helpful. As a companion piece to the last post, I decided to do just that and work up some housing situations for Shadowrun 3e that the average player might not have thought of. Unlike the previous post, these are going to be complete lifestyles that are reasonably within the rules. I want players to be able to take them without having to convert or decide anything. 

Ranch Home. While a lot of cities in Shadowrun are megaplexes with sprawls so big that the wilderness has been all but swallowed up, there are plenty of places that still have housing like this. This is especially common in places like the NAN or PCC. A true ranch home is often on the outskirts of a city and owns a lot of flat, sprawling land. The cops often don't bother showing up this far out, but that's perfect for a shadowrunner trying to lay low. 

Area: Low-Equivalent(2). While not run-down, places like this often aren't even zoned for residential living, and police are only going to show up if they're called. If that.

Comforts: Middle(3). Self-sufficiency is required when you live fifteen minutes out of town. 

Entertainment: Low(2). While they ship the Matrix out by pack mule, at least you've still got it. Anyway, people live on ranches to work, not to sit around watching the trideo. 

Furnishings: Low(2). You should be happy the furniture even matches. People who live so far from the city only care that they're comfortable after a hard day, not that their furniture is expensive. 

Security: High(4). You're on your own in terms of security, and that's how you like it. Your grid doesn't rely on public services to keep people out. 

Space: High(4). Land out here is cheap and unspoiled. You may as well enjoy it. 

Subtotal: 4,350¥

Edges: Defensive Setup, No More Neighbors, Quiet Neighborhood

Flaws:  Middle of Nowhere, Underpaid Security

Total: 5,220¥

Crime Hotel. When tourism fades or when an area gets bought out and leaves dozens of hotels empty, they aren't always torn down. Demolition takes money, and when the land they're built on is suddenly useless to begin with, it's virtually impossible to sell. Sometimes these mammoth, decaying buildings are taken over by criminals, street gangs, shadowrunners...or even just the SINless looking for a place to live. 

Area: Squatter-equivalent(1). This used to be a bustling business district, but now it's a ghost town full of closed shops and abandoned tourist attractions. 

Comforts: Low(2). Your room is a converted hotel room, and facilities represent that. Washing is communal, but at least someone's decided to run the cafeteria. 

Entertainment: Low(2). At least the trideo and matrix access node left in the room still work. 

Furnishings: Middle(3). Hotels live and breathe on how nice their rooms look, and this one was no exception. 

Security: Low(2). Hey, at least the lock on your flimsy door still works. 

Space: Low(2). Hotel rooms aren't built very big, unless you have the luck to be living in a suite or penthouse. 

Subtotal: 1,000¥

Edges: Inconspicuous Housing, Helpful Neighbors, Privacy Screen 2

Flaws: Bad Reputation, Annoying Neighbors, Rough Neighborhood

Total: 1,100¥

Planned Community. The suburbs were all but destroyed to make way for city sprawl and cheap apartments in most cities. However, some big-time executives and rich 1%ers aren't satisfied with penthouses. They pine for the anachronistic, family-centric living of the fifties. A former corporate wageslave turned runner may be living here in the midst of insufferable retirees and "upwardly mobile" middle managers.

Area: High-Equivalent(4). This is a planned community, after all: a sea of similar houses with similar yards that have similar barbecue grills so they can have similar cookouts.

Comforts: High(4). Each of these prefabricated homes are designed for high-paid corporate personnel who have families, and are filled with the latest tech as a result: all branded by whichever of the Big Eight built this community. 

Entertainment: Middle(3). Your family is supposed to be your entertainment...but things like premium matrix access, corporate-sponsored trideo, and simsense decks help. The community even has a pool and several tennis courts.

Furnishings: Middle(3). Every one of these prefab homes has the same art on the same walls, and the same furniture in the same rooms...unless you've taken it upon yourself to rearrange it, anyway.

Security: Luxury(5). Guard patrols, security camera nets, rigger support and discrete security checkpoints? The Big Eight like to protect their investments.

Space: Luxury(5). A big house is seen as a reward for "making it" and these are no exception. They are performatively huge, and almost more space than a family of four can use.

Subtotal: 10,000¥

Edges: Bribed Security, Concerned Neighbors, Motivated Service, Quiet Neighborhood, Terrific View

Flaws: Intolerant Neighbors x2, No Privacy 2, Trigger-Happy Landlord

Total:  12,500¥

Broke-Down Kingdom. Whether it's a tent city, reclaimed building or ruined mall, you live in a collective of homeless and transients. Food and resources are shared, and problematic people are kicked out. No one person is in charge, which sometimes leads to bickering. You share resources with a large, constantly shifting collection of people. 

Area: Street-Equivalent(0). The only place you and your homeless brothers could find space to permanently settle down is in cast-off, ruined or abandoned buildings. 

Comforts: Squatter(1). Rain barrels, propane burners, electric lanterns and scavenged food are the most common comfort for you. Every once in a while, someone will score something really nice like a portable generator or a van full of snacks intended for a stuffer shack.

Entertainment: Squatter(1). Live music and card games are popular. Mostly because they're cheap. Sometimes hot-shot filmmakers show up trying to get you and your friends to fight each other for food or nuyen. Beating the hell out of those guys and stealing their cameras usually makes your night.

Furnishings: Squatter(1). All you've got is what you or someone else could steal or find discarded in the trash. 

Security: Low(2). There are people in the collective who take it upon themselves to protect the rest. Sometimes, there's even a guard rotation.

Space: Squatter(1). You don't have much. It could be a room shared by several others, it could be a tiny hut of your own. You have what you were able to find and build with your own two hands.

Subtotal:  100¥

Edges:  Concerned Neighbors 2, Helpful Neighbors 2, Escape Tunnel, Hasty Access, Roommate From Heaven 2 

Flaws: Bad Reputation, Annoying Neighbors 2, Bad Insulation, Living By Committee, No Hazard Alarm, Crashpad

Total: 120¥

I hope you don't mind that two of these are a little similar, and one(the Broke-down Kingdom) takes a few liberties with what a space of "squatter", a "roommate" and a "neighbor" are. I think it works out nicely for those of us who are buying karma with literally every scrap of nuyen they come across. Living situation being a mechanic in Shadowrun is one I find fascinating, because it forces you to make a decision that can impact your mechanics(your nuyen) and the situations you're placed in, but it's motivated solely by roleplay. There's not much of that out there, so expect me to talk more about it and other cultural aspects of the Shadowrun world.