Shadowrun: Goncharov
I’ve recently read about a fun Tumblr meme. It’s about Goncharov, a 1973 Martin Scorcese movie that never existed.
It began when someone posted a picture of these bootleg boots they bought somewhere. The brand label had one of those word salads copied from somewhere and edited by someone not too familiar with the target language. In this case, it was copied from a poster for Gomorrah, a real movie. And it read “Martin Scorcese presents Goncharov”.
Tumblr kinda ran with it, so now you have a lot of people making things up about the movie and fabricating screenshots, posters, bits of soundtrack, talking about all of this as if it was a real cinematic masterpiece.
Someone in a Discord server I frequent suggested Goncharov should become a standard name for someone who doesn’t exist, the opposite of John Doe. And this got me thinking about Shadowrun again. Here are two uses for the name Goncharov in a Shadowrun-like setting.
The Mundane
In Shadowrun, “Mr. Johnson” is shadowrunner slang for a person who hires shadowrunners. The stereotypical Mr. Johnson is a shady fuck in a suit who talks in vague businesslike terms1, but it can be anyone who is willing to be the “client” for a runner group. That’s an established part of the game already.
So how about we say Goncharov is the “reverse” term? Goncharov is Johnson code for shadowrunners! Sure “shadowrunners” is canon and also works well, but you can’t really write “shadowrunner payoff” in your official corporate ledger, can you? So instead you write “payment to Goncharov for services rendered”.
And just like no self-respecting mysterious client calls themselves Mr. Johnson, no self-respecting runner calls themselves Goncharov. Someone who takes that as their handle or even as an alias is telling the whole world they’re a clueless poser.
This little bit of culture works well in the Shadowrun setting itself, and on any other setting that has stylish urban mercenaries as characters, including a lot of GURPS Action or GURPS Cyberpunk campaigns.
The Numinous
Let’s go a bit further, shall we? Here’s a mystical explanation that’s a bit more mystical than even Shadowrun’s default setting allows for2, and is a bit closer to Exalted’s take on spirits and magic.
Goncharov is the Small God of Shadowrunners. He started out as an abstraction, as above, but at some point became a real part of shadowrunning culture. Either an existing spirit took on the mantle, or folk belief made him real.
Real runners, those who are more than amoral assholes doing horrible things for money, they have an understanding with Goncharov. They never forget the corps and the big syndicates are the enemy even when circumstances force them to work for these groups. They never sell out. They know who their community and friends are, and they look out for them. And after every successful job, they give Goncharov his cut.
Goncharov looks like a fit but somewhat scuffed up man in a nice but somewhat scuffed up suit. The details vary, but he never looks overly fancy or arrogant. In other words, he might look like John Wick after a fight or three, but never like the Continental Hotel guy - that’s the god of Mr. Johnsons.
Magicians can take Goncharov as a mentor spirit. He provides bonuses to combat spells and Spirits of Man, whatever form those bonuses take in your edition of choice. Non-magicians can also have “an understanding” with him for a slightly cheaper price. This gives them access to the Goncharov’s Cut rule.
Goncharov’s Cut
Those who have an understanding with the god of Shadowrunners, and keep to his code, can gain extra Karma for giving him his cut. This includes magicians who take him as a mentor spirit, or any character who spends points to buy a slightly cheaper Edge representing the covenant.
If you’re using the Karma for Cash rule in your game, such characters gain an extra point of Karma when using the rule, if they would already gain at least one point normally.
If that’s not a general campaign rule, such characters still gain access to it, becoming able to exchange money for a single point of Karma after every run.
In both cases the money goes to support and improve the runner’s community, or to help out fellow shadowrunners in need.
In GURPS
In a GURPS Action or Cyberpunk campaign with supernatural elements, The Understanding is a -10-point Code of Honor, since it’s informal but applies to interactions with people who are not your peers. Give Goncharov his cut and use it to support your community and fellow runners; hunt down and punish any who betray them3; never sell out; even if you need to do a job for a corp or a crime syndicate, never forget they’re the enemy.
This code can work as a “pact” limitation for supernatural or cinematic traits related to being stealthy, discreet, or good at combat (yes, even Gunslinger or a talent like Smooth Operator). It would provide a 10% discount on their price, as normal, and would make these abilities unavailable until atonement if the PC breaks the attached code.
The monetary value of Goncharov’s cut is 10% of any earnings from “shadowrun”-like missions. GMs and players who don’t want to bother with accounting can just remove it from the PC when it’s given, and assume it gets spent properly. In games where more detailed tracking is important, the PC doesn’t need to spend the money immediately, just set it aside for use when necessary. Using it for personal benefit after it’s been set aside is a violation of the Code, though. If the protected community has its own organization stats, the player might want to consider transferring this money from the PC to the organization.
Following the code might also lead to acquiring traits such as positive reputation among your community or fellow runners, or Enemies in the form of traitorous villains and amoral mercenaries who think you’re weak for having a conscience.
Atonement from breaking the code usually takes the form of a dangerous mission to aid an oppressed community or fellow runner in trouble.