The Idiot's Guide To The Matrix Thread, Support for the Matrix-challenged Options

[mfb]

SR3 pg 223: "when IC is triggered in the middle of the combat turn, reduce its init by 10 for each init pass that has completely passed that turn. the IC will act on its next init pass."

[hobgoblin]

thanks for that one mfb :)

[Synner]

My thanks too, mfb. That reference is more than appropriate for the current situation and with Dashifen's agreement will go with that - meaning I now roll Initiative for the Killer IC and subtract twenty (since this was Cheng's second action phase this turn) and we continue the current turn with whoever goes next (assuming the IC has actions left, since we already known Cheng does).

[mfb]

i accept both checks and money orders!

[hobgoblin]

sorry, im a broke student...

[Dashifen]

I like that method a lot. Active reading is a good thing :)

[RedeemerofOgar]

So by my mark, we're waiting for Synner to roll initiative for the new IC, right?

+--Redeemer of Ogar--

[Synner]

You are. I apologize but I'm currently in the middle of a major writing assignment (again) and haven't had the free "brainspace" to give this thread its due attention. I promise I will get back to it later this week.

[Synner]

Again my apologies, I've been too wrapped up to get to this sooner.

We'll be going with mfb's quote from page 223 of SR3 for the IC's initiative and see what happens next.

Recap - the remaining Trace IC in the Party Cluster was destroyed by Cheng's double wammy attack on Action Phase 20 of the second Initiative Pass. This triggers the Trap Killer IC which then rolls an Initiative of 3D6 + IC rating and gets... a good 19.

However, per the rules on page 223 SR3 since one initiative pass has been completed that is reduced to 9. So, we end the current Initiative pass (the second) since no one has any Actions left (the IC only gets to act on the next Initiative Pass according to the rules), and we start the next Initiative Pass (the third). Fortunately for Cheng, her Initiative this Pass is still 10 which allows her to go first (barely).

Over to you Dashifen...

[Dashifen]

Cheng squints for a moment and shakes her head as the Killer IC instantiates itself from the code fragments of the Trace program. Cocking her head to the side and eying up the code as it assembles itself, Cheng moves around to the side pulling the cowl of her cloak up around her head and moves in with an overhand chop of her katana.

The Position Attack maneuver pits my Evasion rating against the Security Value of the host in a success test. My target number is the Security Value of the host minus the rating of my cloak utility (5). The Sec. Value of the host is 10 minus 5 makes for a final TN of 5:

08 05 05 02 01 01 #D:6 TN:5 H#:8 S:3

Not too shabby. If my three successes are more than the successes that the host gets, then I can either raise the power of my next attack by the net successes or lower the target number. Since the target number to hit Party IC is artificially raised by the Party IC option, I'll choose to lower my TN.

Then, the next thing that I've done is declared a simple attack option. Whether I get the TN modification from the position attack maneuver or not, Cheng is going to try and bust this thing before it can return the favor.
I'm out of hacking pool for this turn, having used 5 now to supress IC and my 3 Task Pool dice at another time. Therefore, I just have my Decking dice:

11 07 02 02 02 02 01

Gah! That didn't go to well. But, in a metagaming sense, I know my TN to hit is 7 so even if I don't get anything off the position attack maneuver, I should still have 2 successes.

[silvermain]

bump

[Synner]

Apologies to one and all who have been following this thread. I will get back to this as soon as I wrap up my current FanPro assignments and my schedule clears a bit.

[hobgoblin]

fully understandable synner. im just surprised that anyone took the time to bump this old thread into existance again...

[Da9iel]

I'm really glad silvermain did! :love: I just joined not too long ago and I would've missed it! Great job all!

[Dashifen]

I've had it saved on my subscribed topics, so whenever Synner's ready, I'm ready to go as well :)

[Thanos007]

bump!

[RedeemerofOgar]

*grin* I check back once a month or so... Good thing the Johnson isn't paying for a rush job here. 8)

+--Redeemer of Ogar--

[Synner]

I have now wrapped up my chores and will be reactivating this thread as of next weekend. I'll pick things up where we left off. Apologies to all who are watching and to Dashifen for the delays.

[Gorath]

Nice to see this thread reanimated...

[Dashifen]

I'm patient. Now I just have to take a while sometime this week to go through and remember what we were getting ourselves into!

[Kurukami]

Wow. My computer's hard drive eats itself and I'm forced to drop off-line for months on end, and when I finally return to Dumpshock I still see this thread on the list of the most recent discussions. Good to see that my absence didn't handicap the thread too much. :ork

[Synner]

Nope, haven't forgotten. Possibly in retaliation for my participation in this thread my PC's motherboard burned out last Friday and I'm only back online today. Tomorrow new post.

[Dashifen]

Crap! I'd better re-read what we were doing then :)

[Synner]

Brief recap: After navigating the Yamatetsu grid's chokepoint host, our decker Lady Cheng is running hot through her target host when she's jumped by a cluster of Party IC. Having lost her most powerful Attack program to a previous encounter with IC and having already suppressed several IC, Cheng is doing exceptionally well and is facing the last of the cluster - a Trapped IC which was sprung when our decker extraordinaire de-rezzed one of the cluster IC. Fortunately for her Cheng has the initiative (10) this pass...

Cheng first attempts a Position Attack maneuver, which the IC counters (SR3 p.224), all Cybercombat Maneuvers are opposed) with (unsuprisingly) the host's Security Value. The system rolls only one success against Cheng's evasion, knocking her net successes down to 2. Checking the rules (SR3 p.225) Cheng choses to lower her Attack Target Number by 2 - from 7 to 5. This means she gets 2 successes in her subsequent attack (the 11 and 7 above).

Cheng feints and slides under the spinning spikes and closer to the exposed skin of the black Killer. The rune sword's blade ripples with pixel sparks as it slices vigorously up into the IC's soft-code.

An Icon Damage Resistance Test is called for to resolve Cheng's attack. As usual the IC rolls the system Security Value (10) and gets 2 successes on the first roll against the Attack Program's Rating/Power (6) which cancel out Cheng's two extra successes and mean Cheng's slash deals the IC a base Serious wound.

Cheng curses through gritted teeth as she backflips up and round to meet the IC. The Black Killer is a nasty piece of work and she hopes she can fend it off. The singleminded construct bears down on her, glinting green and orange in the emergency lighting as its spikes spin into a blur.

We enter Action Phase 9 and it's the wounded IC's turn to attack. Damaged as it is it goes for an all-out assault in the hopes of neutralizing the intruder before it is de-rezzed. The system opts to place two attacks against Cheng.

The Killer IC's Rating is 5 and it is on an Orange system which means it has a base damage code of 5S (see SR3 page 228/229). The host rolls Security Value to attack and the target number is 7 (its base target number against an Intruding Icon on an Orange Host is 4 per SR3 page 223 modified by +3 from the Serious Wound Cheng just dealt).

On its first Attack roll the IC gets 11, 9, 5, 4, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 (ie. two successes) and on it's second Attack roll the IC gets 10, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1 (ie. one success).

Cheng grimaces and tries not to think of the world of pain she's in for.

[Dashifen]

Cheng's in a world of hurt for more reasons than Synner illuded to. Because she's been supressing so much IC, she's got no more hacking pool for this phase. Which means that she can't improvise a defense -- the so called "matrix dodge." Therefore, we're down to soaking those attacks with Bod. For those of you who -- like me -- haven't seen Lady Cheng's stats for a while, this link should work.

So, wither her bod of five, she's got to try and soak a 5D and a 5S attack.

Luck be a lady ....

Roll One: 17 11 05 05 03 (4 successes -- staged down to moderate)
Roll Two: 15 05 05 05 02 (4 successes -- staged down to light)

So, Cheng comes away from that with some moderate icon damage but she's not out yet folks!

Cheng reels from two strikes slightly too fast for her to pull herself out of the way or block with her sword. With a gasp, real and virtual, she can almost feel the matrix shimmer around her as the IC's viral code seeps into the programming of her icon. Rising to the challenge, however, she grits her teeth and moves in for the kill.

Synner, I've lost track, are we up to a new combat turn or just a new phase?