How to make players carry a bomb and not know anything about it

Question

So for my first run with Shadowrun 5th edition I want to start with what seems like a simple courier mission to a Yakuza gang. Mr. Johnson has a package to be transported to the rendezvous point with a Yakuza lieutenant. I want the package to look ordinary and almost impossible to identify because it's actually a bomb. I don't want the hacker or mage or anyone in the party to be aware of it because the Johnson plans to make it explode at the rendezvous. A slight malfunction in the device will delay the explosion to when the group is leaving (hurting the unlucky but nothing serious).

So my question is how can I prevent the players to clearly identify the package as a bomb before the delivery? I don't want to simply explain that for some reason the thing is impossible to identify, I want mechanical ways to explain how to hide this from my players.

Is it even possible to hide completely something?

PS: Even though I'm going to play with the 5th edition I don't expect edition-specific answers. An explanation from any Shadowrun official book can work (please identify the book and the page if possible).

Answer 1

The package is a Faraday cage with some magic to make it invisible. The former point is there to stop scans. The latter to stop magical examinations. When opened, the little transmitted inside it goes beep and tells Mrs Drone to release Mr Missile to come to the rescue. If the PCs open it before hand, then the missile goes to where they are. This gives the PCs some change to flee before the missile arrives. Thus you have no need to have a super stealth bomb that is shoddy and does not work. In addition, it should scare the PCs that the opposition has access to military drones.

Answer 2

Very much in the Shadowrun ethos would be to make the bomb the package itself, not the contents. A 'padded box' (actually made out of plastic explosive) could have a detonator built in, and if it is left open 'to show there is no trickery' or (if Mr Johnson is feeling sneaky) sealed in a way one of the characters will have no difficulty bypassing, the party can take out the (costume jewellery?) and examine it as much as they like.

Answer 3

You could flat out tell the players they are transporting a block of high yield plastic explosives to a buyer. Now they know it's a bomb... you don't have to worry about them investigating it.

When telling them the mission, just leave out the part where the bomb is set to go off when the person they plan to meet shows up. It could be triggered off of the presense of the target's mobile device, or some RFID tag in the target's cybernetic implants. Or possibly coated with a chemical catalyst designed to react to the DNA of the target once they touch it. Since your intent is to delay the explosion, you really don't have to say what the mechanism for detonation is since the PCs won't be there.

Answer 4

There are a couple different kinds of astral barriers in Shadowrun that would prevent snooping by a mage.

In your case specifically, I'd use Biofiber - a dual-natured plant that is grown in a sheet. It's alive, so you can't astrally project/perceive through it, essentially making your bomb a black-box astrally. (see page 264, SR 4a)

EDIT: It should be noted that this is an expensive solution - and it might indicate that this is fairly important package. You might be able to play that up for good effect - depending on how you wanted to handle it.

Answer 5

Instead of a package, you could have the PCs escort a NPC instead. Then, it turns out the NPC has a cortex bomb which is set off and blows the smithereens out of the NPC AND any PCs that are too close. That's a pretty classic Shadowrun trope to start the runner's careers off with a bang!

EDIT: I don't have any newer editions, but here are some older rules on it: -Per First Edition SR, the cortex bomb explodes in a one-meter radius for 5D1 damage. (Strong damage, but relatively easy to stage down.)

-Per Third Edition, Cranial bombs have varying levels of power and damage. They can also be expanded to be included in other cyberware, like cyberarms, etc.

Answer 6

Bombs come in many different shapes and sizes.
Most bombs with timers are actually two chemicals that react extremely when mixed, and the mix is delayed by some means (often just a thin sheet of paper).
A good example of how this can be done to a player without them knowing was done in a recent D&D game.
A player in our group met with an alchemist, requesting information to learn his trade (i.e. multi-class).

Unfortunately the player mentioned one of the most well known members of the party by name, and the alchemist decided to take matters into his own hands. The alchemist explained that the player didn't have enough money for the training, but could provide him with a potion of protection. It was two drinks, the first chemical to be taken immediately, and the second when he got back to the party. The second drink mixed the chemicals and the exploding body of the player was the bomb itself.
Voila, a time bomb.

Answer 7

Let the package be an ordinary package. Money, gold, whatever. Leave some protection on it, of course, as a diversion (of easy to moderate difficulty.)

Have the Johnson have the PCs' vehicle(s) rigged in secret (if they have one, or lend / get them one or more, if they don't.) Let the vehicle be the carrier.

This way the trap (It's a trap!) will work even when the gangsters tell the PCs at gunpoint and at a safe distance to open the package before they'd accept it.