Down in the Gutter: OOC, The Nuts and Bolts of Staying Alive Options

[WinterRat1]

Overall Updates

Meriss - Would you please post your advancement info again except this time include your rolls for reducing Training Time? I am having a hard time seeing how you ended up where you did. For example, Artisan cost you 6 karma, which is base 30 training hours. How do you roll a number of hits where 30/X = 18?

Edit the Edit: Winter, I'm not sure if you were ready to have us squaring up with the Plague or not. But I figured that as soon as they figured out that none of the LoCoS would be trying to stop them they'd be on the move south. Integrate or not as you see fit.

No worries on this, good creativity. May or may not be a real Black Plague tag, and it may or may not be a 'serious' one (as in, one they expect to be able to protect, but you left it ambiguous so it works just fine. Good job.

[ Spoiler ]

I was thinking that the LoCoS dealt primarily with low level robberies and standard extortion/protection scams. But their primary source of income was dealing Novacoke. One of the cousins had connections to a major cartel. So for a fee, the LoCoS received and dealt Nova. Mostly through a selection of resonably reliable dealers and the gang members themselves.

So with your permission, Ink will remember bits and pieces of the operation. Like where and when the drugs were delivered but not how they were delivered or how much it cost. Not everything but maybe enough to get into contact with the cousins connections and at least get some drugs.

My response in bold:

I don't know if I'd go so far to say a third tier street gang had connections to a major cartel. That seems far fetched to me.

I am ok with saying one of the LoCoS's main things was dealing Nova. I'm also ok with saying Ink knows bits and pieces of the operation. Where and when the drugs were delivered was fine, he probably ran security at least a couple times for the gang. How they were delivered and the cost is info he wouldn't need to know.

I'm ok with you trying to track down the 'connection', but the exact nature of that connection is for me to determine and Ink wouldn't currently know the truth behind that info. Note I don't guarantee you'll find the connection, just that you know enough to plausibly try. Fair enough?

@Winter: The general idea is for Ink and Child to wander around in Corsairs turf to find whatever they can salvage. If they see any old Corsairs Ink will offer them membership in the Ravens. Also he wants the whores to keep an eye for any potential buisness.

Understood. Go ahead and fast forward this, you will not see any old Corsairs, but the whores will pick up a few customers. You're free to head back to the Gang HQ too if you wish.

Pragma, Voorhees, and Rob - You're cleared to IC up to the present, being defined as roughly the time Legion is at. If you guys want to head back to the HQ, you're free to do so.

Adamu - Grack is free to do whatever he's up to. See above for what is roughly being defined as the 'present'.

Abbandon -

Can I keep the hospital clothes ?? lol.

I know I couldnt make the first aid test for the clinic but was I suppose to have made my own healing roll? The only reason im asking is because If I was and you were waiting on it I didnt mean to make you wait.

Yes, you can keep the hospital gown.

You weren't supposed to make the healing roll, I do that for you guys, because it's faster. You've been waiting because I've just been swamped the last few days. No worries.

You'll probably have to wait while the others catch up time wise, so go ahead and flashback a post or something.

All- If anyone needs anything else from me, let me know. Pragma, I still owe you an PM reply, and an IC post will be up for Grendel and Co. shortly.

[Slipshade]

WR1

[ Spoiler ]

Does Baby get any BP for the stuff I wrote up for her background or Shades journal? This can be very low priority on your to do list, and that's fine with me, but I don't think you told me if she was going to get anything or not.

[Meriss]

@Winter: Ooops my bad I was just using the figures on the wiki pertaining to skill groups to figure training time. LOL!

Redone now including training rolls. Links are from Invisible Castle.

[ Spoiler ]

Category A
Spending 5 BP to upgrade HPT from 1 to 2
Spending 5 BP to buy Martial Artist (Arnis de Mano) With the +1 DV on Club attacks as my "free/special" thing

Category B
Spending 4 BP to buy Sweep and Disarm
Converting the last BP to Karma and holding on to it for a rainy day

Category C
Spending 6 Karma to boost Artisan from 2 to 3. Base training time 30 hours, training test, spending 1 Edge: [3,3,4,1,1,5,1,1,1,[6, 5]] = (3) 3 hits. 30/3 = 10 hours training time.
Spending 4 Karma to boost Dodge from 1 to 2. Base training time is 20 hours, training test spending 1 Edge: [2,5,3,5,1,5,[6, 6, 3]] = (5) 5 hits. 20/5 = 4 hours training time.
Spending 4 Karma to boost Locksmith from 1 to 2. Base training time is 20 hours, training test spending 1 Edge: [3,5,4,[6, 3],2,3,4,[6, 1],1] = (3) 3 hits. 20/3 = 6 (Rounded off, was I supposed to round up?) hours training time.

On Money:

I don't know if I'd go so far to say a third tier street gang had connections to a major cartel. That seems far fetched to me.

I am ok with saying one of the LoCoS's main things was dealing Nova. I'm also ok with saying Ink knows bits and pieces of the operation. Where and when the drugs were delivered was fine, he probably ran security at least a couple times for the gang. How they were delivered and the cost is info he wouldn't need to know.

I'm ok with you trying to track down the 'connection', but the exact nature of that connection is for me to determine and Ink wouldn't currently know the truth behind that info. Note I don't guarantee you'll find the connection, just that you know enough to plausibly try. Fair enough?

Useing your format to respond.
I understand your point on "third tier" street gangs. Not in the mind of the LoCoS though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) But your explanation sounds fair and reasonable to me. So let's get cracking on finding "the Connection". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

@All: Woot Invisable Castle now has a hit counter! yay!

For counting hits:
hits(hitmin) – roll the dice and count the hits
5d6.hits(5) – (count the hits 5 or greater) – [5,5,6,2,6] = (4)

For Edge Tests:
hitsopen(hitmin, reroll) – roll the dice and count the hits, adding an extra die for any value equal or greater than “reroll”
7d6.hitsopen(5,6) – (count the hits 5 or greater, extra roll on 6) – [[6, 6, 3],4,1,4,4,3,5] = (3)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[WinterRat1]

Meriss - Um, just so you know, if you spend that Edge for the training time tests you won't have it available to you until I determine Edge refreshes.

Are you SURE you want to blow all your Edge on training time tests? If you do, I certainly won't stop you, but low training time does you no good if you're dead.

As we've just seen, death can potentially be just around the corner for anyone at any time...

[Meriss]

Meriss - Um, just so you know, if you spend that Edge for the training time tests you won't have it available to you until I determine Edge refreshes.

Are you SURE you want to blow all your Edge on training time tests? If you do, I certainly won't stop you, but low training time does you no good if you're dead.

As we've just seen, death can potentially be just around the corner for anyone at any time...

Ummmm (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) Well in that case I'll just roll normally. *sweatdrop* *wipe* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif)
Redone training rolls.

[ Spoiler ]

Spending 6 Karma to boost Artisan from 2 to 3. Base training time 30 hours, training test: [color=red][1,5,6,6,6,2] = (4) 4 hits. 30/4 = 7 hours training time.
Spending 4 Karma to boost Dodge from 1 to 2. Base training time is 20 hours, training test: [5,1,4] = (1) 1 hit. 20/1 = 20 hours training time.
Spending 4 Karma to boost Locksmith from 1 to 2. Base training time is 20 hours, training test: [4,6,5,2,4] = (2) 2 hits. 20/2 =10 hours training time.

Still, how do we round in case of decimals?
Also when will Edge refresh out of random curiousity? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Vegas]

@All

Second Phase of our Recruiting thread is up to get a little more blood boiling within the October Ravens and make us a force to be reckoned with.

(yes, this was cleared with WR) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[WinterRat1]

Still, how do we round in case of decimals?
Also when will Edge refresh out of random curiousity?

Shadowrun always rounds to screw you. So in the case of training time, round UP.

Edge refreshes when the fates (me) decide it does. And as we all know, fate is fickle...

(translation: you have no idea. I'll just decide when I think enough time has passed to warrant refreshing edge. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif) )

Slip - Do I have the most recent version of your writeup for Shade's Journal? I'm not sure if I do, so would you please resend it to me? I'll reread it and let you know the answer to your question.

All - As far as I know, everyone is currently free to post.

[adamu]

Winter - not to press the point (especially since I agree with capricious Edge refreshment) - but waaaay back when, you said Edge would refresh with each new major scene.
So, just out of sheer self-interest, is it a new major scene yet since Grack used his Edge in the fight in front of the Sushi Shack?

[Slipshade]

WR1 -I will re-send it to you.

[adamu]

Okay - put Grack to bed. He will sleep until:

1. A PC wakes him up with a commcall.
2. GM inflicts some stimulus on his poor unsuspecting self.
3. Legion-time progresses to a point where I want him to do something. That post won't come until such time as that.

[WinterRat1]

Adamu - Not a new major scene yet. We're still doing the whole 'regrouping, getting used to one another, scouting around' sort of scene

[Abbandon]

@WR/everyone. This is a small example of Fool's upcoming IC post when he synchs back into time with everyone. Let me know if anything is out of line WR. I decided this was going to be the first thing i wrote today before i did anything on the internet lol cuz the other day I waited and then didnt have the energy.

[ Spoiler ]

Fool

I gotta keep flapping my arms... just a little more.. Fool was outside the house he had grown up most of his life running in circles in the street flapping his arms. Atleast thats how Fool saw it which let him know he was dreaming because how else could he be watching himself do anything? Then he was airborne. Ahhhh the feeling of flying, it was like being weightless but gravity was slowly pulling you down so you occasionally had to flaps your arms. While he was in the air he kept up the same circles he had been making on the ground. This was only one of the ways he had flown in a dream, another form involved making arcing motions as if you were on a swing set. Those dreams were fun as you went through the arc you would swing close to the things below and you manage to cover alot of distance. Then there was a less reliable version using your own mind to let you fly. This method took an extreme amount of concentration and mostly was uncontrollable, you just focus until your whole body rises into the air but then you get pulled softly and gently back towards the ground and no matter how hard you concentrate you cant stay airborne and he never got to move around while in the air.

The next thing he knew Fool was at Steven Lebron's house a famous action tridstar, he wasnt even that big of a fan, but there he was sitting in the guys living room and watching the trid with him. They were talking about something but he couldnt make out what. Then this beautiful woman comes into the room wearing a very skimpy one piece bikini, as tall as he was and short burnette hair and a banging body. Her face was beautiful but it wasnt anybody he had ever seen before but she walked over to him and mounted him pinning him into the sofachair. Steven Lebron was mad but then he disappeared. Fool's brain was flooded with sensations as he ran his hands all over this chicks butt and back and shoulders and face, her skin was softer than anything he had ever felt and then she leaned forward and began kissing him. It was so warm and her body was so soft everything was going right...

Fool woke up though, laying in bed with his eyes closed he could feel the real world sensations from his body. He tried desperately to hold on to the sensations of the last bit of his dream but they were fading away, that girl had felt so right in his arms and he had felt so much love flow out of her and into him and now it was gone. He missed it, then he wondered if he was destined to find this girl or if she really existed. Opening his eyelids his cybereyes turned on and began going trhough their short start up routine, autofocus. Cycle through the different modes. A green dot appeared in his periphery and then disappeared and he was good to go. The first thing he saw was that he was in a dimly lit grey/white room, he switched to low light and the room lit up. As he tried to sit up a slight pain tugged at his stomach and he sank back to a prone position and then he remembered he had been assaulted by those three hellhounds and in the end had been shot in the gut and stabbed in the back.

He reached out with one hand to his belly and felt along the wound, there was a small bandage covering up the wounds and he didnt think it was a good idea to pick it off. He tried to roll onto his side so he could feel the wound on his back but the tug at his stomach made him stop. His activity must have alerted someone because a man in a doctors outfit walked into the room. It was Dr. Lossky. A lightbulb literally went off over his head, causing him to switch back to normal vision, as the doctor flipped on the lights and as Fool half remembered his excruciating Journey to the clinic but he didnt remember actually make it here.

"I am Dr. Lossky and you my young friend are very lucky. A good sumaritan saw you collapse in the street near our clinic and alerted us and we made it to you just in time. If you had been on your own for a little while longer you would have most definately have bled to death. We have removed the bullet from you gut and repaired your intestines, thankfully your dermal plating....helped reduce the velocity of the bullet or it probably would have struck your spine and left you paralyzed from the waste down. We also patched up your dermal plating. You also took a stab wound to your lower back..this would have been what killed you as several medium size veins were cut although the kidney was missed the attack came very close which would have been a horrable way to go. We tied off the arteries and repaired the damage and infused you with 4 pints of universal blood. The damage to your dermal plating was far easy to repair on that side and you probably wont even have a scar. One of our nurses Helena has cleaned your body off and placed you in bed, we cant allow blood and urine to be spread around our clinic..you should atleast say thank you to her before you leave..which will be soon now that you are all patched up.. and judging by your wounds and the amount of cyber you have your fee is being waived in exchange for an expectation that you and your friends will never cause trouble here..now do you have any questions?"

The first thing that went through Fool's mind was the thought that maybe Helena was the chick from his dreams, but then his mind started registering everything else Lossky had told him about his wounds. "Im good to go? Do I have to worry about infections or anything like that? Can I get some painkillers?" Lossky held up his hand to stim the flow of questions for a second, "You should spend a day or two just resting but yes you are free to go. No you do not have to worry about infections, we use Secondskin glue over the wounds to keep infections out and give the wound time to close on its own. I can give you a couple of painkillers but you dont really need them for the wounds you have...." The doctor takes out some epaper and begins writing a prescription and then hands it to Fool, "Show this to Helena on your way out and she will give you some pills and a pair of flats, now is there anything else?" Fool grabs the epaper, "Thanks Dr. Lossky. I feel like the dude in that one tridshow who gets totally fucked up by the bad guys and then the doctors patch him back together and make him more bad ass than before and then he goes and wastes all the bad guys.....I owe you one doc, give me a few more minutes here and then I will take off with no problems."

The doctor rolls his eyes and then pats Fool on the shoulder, "Yeah well you are not that guy from the tridshow so dont go picking any more fights. You got 30 minutes to clear out and then we need the bed back, the last couple of days have been very busy for us with ...you people...fighting so much." Lossky turned and walked out of the small room shutting the lights back off as he went leaving only the glow light to illuminate the room. Fool didnt switch back to low light and instead bathed in the darkness. Now that the Doc was gone he wanted to smash the room to shit over the thought of what those Hellhounds had done. But he held it in not wanting to tear up the clinic after they just saved his life. No he would hold onto the rage and choose when to unload it. Fool layed the epaper to the side and then slowly and painfully sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. Looking down at the palms of his hands he curled them into fists, Im gonna find those mother fuckers one day and they are going to pay for what they have done.

Fool noticed that the grime and dirt that usually covered his body was gone which brought him back to the present. Standing up wasnt as bad as he thought it would be, the pains from before just must have been from him laying in bed for long...hmmm I still dont know what fraggin time it is. Fool moved around and tested his range of motion and what would cause him pain and what wouldnt and then he was ready to set out. Grabbing the sheet of epaper he walked towards the door with his bare ass exposed for all the world to see under his gown but atleast it covered up his front. He hoped this Helena chick was the girl from his dreams. Maybe this was all meant to happen so that he could meet her. He looked around for this pharmacy desk and found it to the side of the lobby, it was empty but the safety glass kept people from jumping over the counter to raid the drugs and the door had a biometric reader on it so it would only open for employees which was probably smart. Fool stood there and waited and watched the people in the lobby, some sick, some bleeding, some twitching from drug use. Then a big ass female troll comes out of one of the rooms and proceeds to walk over to the pharmacy door and makes sure its shut before walking over to the counter. "What can I do for you sexy? I'll give you a spongebath anytime.". She was wearing a name tag which read Helena and Fool sighed. Who had been the girl in his dreams! "Uhh Dr. Lossky gave me this and said I could also get a pair of flats?" Fool handed her the epaper. Helena took the epaper and read it over "Aww sweety I can make your pain go away." She stood there waiting for Fool to say something back but when he didnt she just laughed and then went and got a small sample pack of pain killers from a shelf and a pair of hospital green flats from another shelf and layed them on the counter and pushed them through the small window to Fool.

Fool had seen a few female trolls and orcs and even found some of them sexually appealing but they had to have very specific body types and faces and Helena didnt have either but he still felt greatful to her. "Thank you for cleaning me up Helena, it takes an amazing person to take care of others the way you do." Helena smiled a big toothy grin, "Aww your sweet, it was all my pleasure im sure." Fool nodded and grabbed the flats and pills and headed for the restroom with his ass exposed to the world again bringing another smile to Helena's face. Taking the stupid gown off he slipped on the cheap crappy flat shirt and pants and then stuffed the pills into the pants pocket gingerly so as not to rip the pants. He wondered if anyone at the October Raven's had even noticed he was gone, when he was in the lobby he finally saw that it was 8pm. He had been out of it for a long ass time. It was going to be cold and it was going to be dark which meant more predators roaming about. Who the hell would jump a guy with no shoes and only wearing flats? Walking out of the bathroom and out the clinic doors he was about to find out. He could probably defend himself if he had to but he prayed that he could just make it back to base and to his duffle bag to his clothes and then maybe he could get the rest the Dr. Lossky has suggested. After that he had to make time to start working on his conditioning, if he had learned anything during his fight with the Hellhounds is that he was way out of shape. Moving around and fighting in that armored jacket during a gang rumble was totally different than wearing it and trying to fight on your own.

[WinterRat1]

Abbandon - Nothing is out of line. If you have the time and inclination you might want to double check your spelling (e.g. It's Lossky, not Lessky), but it's not required, especially if you did it on purpose to achieve a certain feel/tone/rhythm for Fool's internal monologues. You can pretty much post it whenever, but you might want to wait until you can actually sync up with the others to some degree first.

[Abbandon]

Think I got them all, I was just going from memory. And I will wait, I just wanted to crank it out and not procrastinate.

[adamu]

Adamu - Not a new major scene yet. We're still doing the whole 'regrouping, getting used to one another, scouting around' sort of scene

No problem - good to know.

Next Edge-related question - is the training time the same as for other attributes? Any thoughts on how one might train for that?

[WinterRat1]

Walk around Kingsgate on Edge!

*Stands and bows*

Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week!

*Starts running as the ridiculously tough Kingsgate crowd rushes the stage to lynch him*

Ahem...ok, for that one, for role-playing purposes it's seriously fine to just represent your character as being hyper-alert, on edge, aware of their surroundings, etc.

I won't be as harsh on role-playing posts for things that are harder to RP training for various reasons (e.g. Edge for lack of clarity, Gun skills for lack of ammo, etc.) as on things that are easier, like raising Body or Strength, which are obvious.

The key thing is to make me aware in the OOC thread that your intention is for your corresponding IC post to represent training time. Even if your IC thread isn't a perfect match for what you're trying to raise, what I care about is you're making the effort to be conscientious in having your character try to improve. Effort is a large chunk of the improvement process after all, so as long as your character is consistently trying to get better in a way that makes some kind of sense, that's generally good enough for me.

Good enough answer for everyone?

[WinterRat1]

Double Post.

[adamu]

@Winter - dark comes fairly early in Seattle in November. Could you give us allergy/geas types an exact time on sundown? Much obliged!

[Meriss]

@Winter: How many customers roughly? Or is that up to me?

@All: Anyone have any ideas on the average price of tail in Kingsgate?

[Abbandon]

A sidebar in the book said 20$ for a pro, 200$ for an escort. So somehwere in between depending.

[WinterRat1]

@Winter - dark comes fairly early in Seattle in November. Could you give us allergy/geas types an exact time on sundown? Much obliged!

The sun will completely set as of 16:23:00.

@Winter: How many customers roughly? Or is that up to me?

@All: Anyone have any ideas on the average price of tail in Kingsgate?

Number of customers is up to you. Price is irrelevant at the moment. For now, since the whores are your only source of income, I'm just assuming whatever money they make is going towards supplies (i.e. food and water). Once you're a bit more established, we can worry about the specifics.

Thanks Abbandon for that price reference!

[adamu]

"Now it's dark..."


@pragma & Voorhees (and rob if you have access) - hey guys, looking for a new HQ in a group of several PCs with different ideas of what we want, and of course needing interaction with the GM as to what we can even find, thought I'd just lay out some basic parameters for what Grack will do/prefer, and then let one of you guys do primary posting as the "caller." I think pragma makes more sense in this particular case, since he has the home ground thing going on here as a former Hammerpack member, but anyone is fine with me. Or two active leaders. Whatever.

Grack will basically have his music up when everyone arrives. He assumes Thumper got the same directive he did, so no need to talk. He'll follow the group of the other four gangers, but mostly by running around in parallel alleys in a sort of outrider position. He will never walk out in the open street, always lurking in alleys nearby. During all this, his music is off.

Thumper will know that Grack will be against any location without ready sewer access. That will be the Grack's only preference about anything, and I expect that with Home Ground, and a 2 rating in the very specific street knowledge skill of Sewer Layout Under/Around Hammerpack Turf, he will probably know which places do and don't have access. He'll signal a thumbs up to places he likes, and thumbs down for places he doesn't, but in any debate he will defer to Thumper.

Winter - for all that stuff, here is an infil test to be sneaky and hidden, a perception test for threats, and also spellcasting and drain for Detect Enemies Extended Range.

Spell at force 1
Spellcasting + Magic + Mentor bonus = 4 dice
4 6 6 1 = 2 successes (relevant against resisting detection)
Range 10 meters

Drain
Charisma + Willpower = 6 dice
6 4 5 6 6 6 = no drain

Perception
Skill + Intuition - spell sustaining + home turf = 4 dice
3 2 6 4 = 1 success. Better than none - but good thing the spell is working!

Infiltration
Agility + skill + urban specialization - spell sustaining + home ground = 8 dice
5 2 3 5 2 5 3 2 = 3 successes

[Abbandon]

Haha I feel bad bringing this up now that im running a game and know whats it like for such random questions and thoughts but...

I was thinking it would be cool if Lossky and Destry or whatever were both magicians with some half decent medical skills. This would help explain why they are so willing to treat gangers for free because they dont really need alot of expensive machines and upkeep with magic. They stabilize and do what they can medically but then use their magic to heal people.

This would also help explain how people can go in there so fubared and then walk back out a few hours later almost as good as new? I was just thinking about that since Fool went there. Oh It would also help explain why nobody messes with anyone else there, besides having your gang cut off from medical attention you would also have to worry about the two doctors sending spirits after your ass.

[Lindt]

Greetings all. Im back in the states. I think everyone should visit Singapore, but dont stay as long as I did. Makes me apreshate how rude people in Boston are.

[Vegas]

Welcome back Lindt! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I miss Boston like woah.. all the crazy drivers n' stuff... *sniffles* Ahhh the memories of college (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)