World SR 4 OOC Thread.

This is the SR 4 OOC thread for the Living in the Shadows Campaign. Only characters that have been approved for SR 4 should post here. All SR 3 characters should continue posting in the SR 3 OOC thread (current OOC thread). This first post will consistently be edited to include all current OOC threads for the sub-games. Think of it as a table of contents. All remaining posts after the first should be considered to be World OOC posts.

Additionally, here are the links for the IC thread, both in World IC and Shadowland IC, as well as the Guidelines thread, which has the character creation requirements, as well as various GM rulings on numerous topics.

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Useful LITS-related Links

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LITS Run Index

Living in the Shadows: The Warehouse Job OOC 1 (closed)
Living in the Shadows: The Warehouse Job IC 1 (closed)
Living in the Shadows: Running Over the Edge OOC 2 (closed)
Living in the Shadows: Running Over the Edge IC 2 (closed)
Living in the Shadows: Salvation OOC 3
Living in the Shadows: Salvation IC 3
Living in the Shadows: A Short Victorious War OOC 4
Living in the Shadows: A Short Victorious War IC 4

Re-posting layout of Domain:

Have to try describing it -- if anyone more artistically adept than I can render it into a quick sketch, I'll be grateful. (Blame grendel, he gave me the idea of differing heights.) Entryway is even with the outside but elevated relative to the main floor. It curves slightly, though I've drawn it straight:

Stage #1 is seven feet above the main ground level, stage #2 three feet above it, stage #3 four feet above that. The stairs connect from #1 to #3, and from #1 to #2. (Figure all stairs -- open iron mesh, catching and reverberating the deep bass sound -- are at 30 degree angles, for simplicity's sake.

Similar and opposite arrangement with the other three stages, with #4 eight feet above #1 and partly overlapping it, and then #5 and #6 branching out. #4 cannot be reached directly from #1, only via #2. The stairs here connect from #2 to the central #4, and then from #4 to #5 and from #4 to #6, roughly the same ratio of height.

Finally, the floor below is something of a combination mosh pit and open bar area: the only stairway descending to it from the elevated stages goes down from #4 on the right of this diagram.

Pattern of stairs:

except that the stairs from #2 to #4 go right over stage #1.

Into the standard combat round (after what surprise there was has already been rolled and resolved):

Initiative for Vedic (Initiative roll of 9: 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 2, 1, 1 [5 hits]): 14 (Oct 21)

Per that rough map earlier, you've got maybe 20' of slightly curving ~ 5'-wide corridor to get to before you reach the door. I wrote it as suggestion because he's able to extrapolate what happened, but he too isn't in a position to see it directly.

All surprise has been dealt with, from now on we're into normal initiative. No sound of bullets yet. Richochets will be an issue.

For a Force 6 spirit:

SR4, p. 287: (Oct 27)

Confusion
Type: M. Action: Complex. Range: LOS. Duration: Sustained

The confusion power allows a critter to befuddle a victim, so that the target is unable to make decisions, loses his sense of direction, remember what he was doing, and so on. The critter makes a Magic + Willpower Opposed Test versus the target's Willpower. The net hits scored by the critter serve as a dice pool modifier to any action the character takes.

Remember that spirits have to be on the same plane of the target in order to use their powers. [yes, it is -S]

Vedic's willpower (4): 5, 4, 3, 3 (1 hit)

Spirit's MG + WL roll: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 (3 hits, 2 net against Vedic)

For the two guys Vedic is about to intercept on their way charging into the club, SMGs at the ready:

Initiative #1: RE 4 + IN 3 (= 7): 6, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1, 1 (1 hit, initiative = 8 )
Initiative #2 (this guy has WR1): RE 4 (5) + IN 4 = 9: 6, 6, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 (2 hits, initiative = 11, 2 passes ... and just missed botching)

WL rolls (to resist Confusion)
#1 (WL 4): 6, 3, 3, 2 (1 hit, 2 net successes by the spirit)
#2 (WL 5): 6, 5, 5, 4, 2 (3 hits, no net successes by the spirit)

For this pass:
Vedic: 14 (at -2 dice pool modifier)
#2: 11 (at no dice pool modifier)
#1: 8 (at -2 dice pool modifier)

(Correct me if I'm doing anything wrong, grendel)

Sorry, grendel: were you waiting for me to post IC? There isn't a lot I can add to what's above ...?

Melee attack to knockdown:

Unarmed + Agility: 12

Attacker Receiving a Charge: +2
Confusion: -2

6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 [6 hits]

Gah -- hunting, can't find it in a hurry -- how does armour work for their rolls?

Impact armor is rolled with Body to soak, after they've rolled to block, dodge, or Full Defense (either one). Assuming the attacker gets more net hits, that is.

Okay ... does it have to be specified which of these two is being knocked down? (They've got slightly different armour and different stats.) I had thought otherwise the dice had to be divided ...?

Vedic was after whoever was first. If they're moving side by side, he'll take the one on his left first.

All right -- not quite side-by-side, #2 was a couple of steps ahead of #1, with SMGs held so as to cover opposite ends of the room (they do have a slight non-vertical bias: natural aim not covering the "up" too well), and not angled for any warning shots. So Vedic will be engaging #2 first.

One more question (sigh): would there not be another penalty on Vedic for attempting to manoeuvre an unarmed person through as well, given its complete nature? If yes, don't worry about it for this round: we'll kick it in next round (if applicable).

Impact armor is rolled with Body to soak, after they've rolled to block, dodge, or Full Defense (either one). Assuming the attacker gets more net hits, that is.

#2:

Friend in the melee: +1
Defender receiving a charge: +1

Block: RE 4 (5) + Unarmed 5 (- 0 for Confusion. +2 above) = 12 to roll: 6, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 [3 hits, adds to DV, damage against Physical Condition Monitor]

Standard unarmed attack inflicts (ST/2) S [+3 for net hits = 4 total], soaked by Impact Armour + BD.

BD 5(6) + armour jacket B8/I6 +3 (orthoskin) = 15: 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1

(Note to self: keep track of AP-modified, because Physical Damage both ways.)

Then #2 takes his own action, which is to lower the SMG to point straight at Vedic and press the trigger: burst, APDS ammunition.

#2 doesn't get a friends in melee bonus because his friend hasn't acted in melee yet. He's 1v1 until his friend's action on 8. Also, the defender receiving charge only applies to a character who has a delayed action that s/he can take and intervene in the moment's before a charging character attacks. See SR4 p.148. Also, Vedic was attacking to knockdown, p.152 in SR4. With 3 net hits and a 3 strength, he'll knock down #2 if the target has a body of 5 or less.

Also, remember that a skill of 5 is a rating of Expert: SWAT team, elite paramilitary (rangers, special forces). In the SR4 section on NPCs, only Tir Ghosts, with a professional rating of 6, have an Unarmed Combat of 5.

Okay, I was working off the wrong section (melee). (This will flow more smoothly in time.) Hunting through p.152 now.

You'll also note that #2's the one with the wired reflexes and a few other built-in "options" -- #1 doesn't have them. I understood the ranking when I assigned it: it's correct as stands.

Noted about friend in melee. I'd reasoned that Vedic's awareness of a second at-hand enemy would have given that bonus regardless, but I stand book-corrected.

Take those two away, and he's at 2 less dice for countering: but I'd have added Edge in to keep him from being knocked down.

So I'll be spending an Edge point after the fact then to keep him from being knocked down, with two less dice total -- just as soon as I finish reading that section!

(Next several hours mostly dedicated to on-the-job learning.)

Okay, so using a point of Edge to reroll failures is feasible here, since I just need to take it down to one less net hit for Vedic's ST + net hits =< BD (5), and the odds are realistic.

If you're okay with it, grendel, I'll take away one success and one failure from the original result to account for the two-dice over-roll, leaving me with 2 hits rather than 3, and 8 dice to re-roll (spending that point of Edge): 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2 [gah!]

Which only gives me the three original hits -- and thus Vedic succeeds in the Knockdown. Does the SMG burst take an additional Prone modifier as well then?

There's no prone modifier listed on the Ranged Combat Modifiers Table. Apparently it only affects the situation for melee combat (superior position) or for Defense Modifiers (-2).

Well, he certainly doesn't have Superior Position at the moment. He is, however, spending a second point of Edge before making this roll (add Edge, Rule of 6 to all dice).

Narrow burst (+2 DV, 2 points gas vent, the second simple action will be at -3.)

No modifiers due to Prone or Confusion. Other modifiers:
Smartlink: +2

Burst #1: Automatics 4 + Agility 4 (6) + Edge 4 + 2 = 16: 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1 [6 hits, + 2 rerolls = 6, 2 ... gives another reroll: 4]

Total 7 hits from the first burst.

Not silenced btw -- but against the heavy background music and with the confusion, it's not even that noticeable.

Your Toy, however, does scream and try to wiggle away -- Vedic's got a strong grip around her waist though: if he wants to hold on, he will.

He's in melee combat, that's -3 as well. Also, he should be -1 die to all agility linked rolls because his ballistic armor is two points greater than his body. This would affect unarmed as well. Sorry I didn't catch that before. Vedic isn't holding onto Lilith anymore, he's past her on the catwalk, standing between her and the two attackers.

That's 4 less dice: two off the top, two off the bottom okay with you, grendel? (giving 5 hits)?

(I went with jacket because it's supposed to be common. Future self-reference that armour bulkiness is much more relevant in SR4 than it ever was outside layering in SR3. Live and learn.)

Reaction [6] (-2 for confusion): 6, 5, 5, 4 (3 hits)

DV for an SMG is 5P plus 2 for the net hits is 7P. APDS is -4 ballistic. Vedic is wearing Actioneer line which is 5 ballistic (+1), leaving 2 plus body for resistance (5).

6, 5, 4, 3, 1 (2 hits)

Vedic takes 5 boxes of physical.

I'll write this up as IC in about eight or so hours ... right now, I'm just trying to get through the mechanics of this round.

No initial Edge to this roll: I invoke it only if #2 ends up with no hits. Besides, I'm running out of Edge. (I added it to the first burst because by dumping him on the floor, you invoked "face", big-time.) Incidentally, because Vedic took that much damage, is it automatic knockback to him?

Narrow burst (+2 DV, same ammo)

No modifiers due to Prone or Confusion. Other modifiers:
Smartlink: +2
Melee combat: -3
Jacket: -1
Net recoil: -3

Burst #2: Automatics 4 + Agility 4 (6) + net modifiers (-5) = 5: 6, 6, 3, 2, 1

Total 2 hits from the second burst, no Edge used.

Lilith, being unexpectedly free, freezes for a moment -- and Vedic's staring right into #1's eyes as he's choosing his target. If there was knockback, he got slammed back into her, and thus both of you into the stage railing.

Yes, Vedic suffers knockback.

Reaction [-4]: 5, 4 (1 hit)

Damage is 5P+1 (APDS).

Resistance (5): 5, 5, 3, 1, 1 (2 hits)

Vedic takes another 4 boxes (9 total)

Sorry to butt in, I've been watching and learning from this combat example myself. I apologize for correcting this late, but I don't have my rules-fu up to speed yet either. Per pg. 149 (emphasis mine):

I believe #2's body is 6. Hence, neither ballistic nor impact armor is greater than his Body X 2, therefore the -1 modifier to Agility and Reaction related tests for every 2 points greater than Body does not kick in.

Ah. Found the p.49 post where you'd specified about Lilith. Writing the IC catch-up now ... if probably not in as much detail as you could :)

You're right, WinterRat1, good catch. Perhaps I should trust myself when I read things through the first time.

Ready a melee weapon is a simple action.

So the sword technically isn't drawn yet -- would happen on his initiative next round, if Vedic doesn't do something to stop him.

#1 still has his actions this round though, going last: he shoots the two bursts straight at Lilith. I understand her AG to be ~4, but with penalties from the current outfit? with maybe one rank in Dodge? Because of your position, she'd get partial benefit from the coat -- but its AV is also reduced, yes?

Narrow burst The First (+2 DV, same ammo):

#1 is not in melee combat, so no modifier there.
Confusion: -2
Smartlink: +2

Burst #1: Automatics 4 + Agility 3 (4) = 8: 6, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1

Did you want to roll for Lilith?