Seeking Seattle runners…, Recruitment thread for a PbP game in Seattle, 2072 Options

[JoelHalpern]

milk ducks: I don't know if it fits the concept or not, but for the regular software I got, I bought it all as rating 6, optimize 3, which means it will run on any system that is rating 3 or above, and I get a rating 6 program. ( I got Analyze, Browse, Encrypt, and Command, plus a few things that are suited to the character.)
I included encrypt, because most of the board discussion says that having your node slow-encrypted leaves it still usable by you, but much harder for a hacker to crack.

Yours,
Joel

[milk ducks]

Thanks for that Joel. I'm pretty new to Shadowrun in general, and I haven't made a hacker character yet, so any information like that is really appreciated. I'll sit down with the gear section a bit later and see what I can work out. I've certainly got enough spare Karma to swing some additional purchases.

-milk.

[Ol' Scratch]

For the record, I did manage to snag Ritual Spellcasting 3 since I bought the Sorcery skill group. I'll try to hang on to 5 Karma in case any of you guys wanna get a small initiatory group together so we can use it (assuming Karoline is correct). If not, that's cool, too. I can certainly understand why a bunch of professional criminals wouldn't want to bind themselves together so soon. But the idea is certainly out there and I'll have the Ritual Spellcasting skill either way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Karoline]

assuming Karoline is correct

I'm always correct (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

The magical bond formed between members of the same
magical group allows them to transcend some of the usual
barriers between magical traditions. Members can learn to
perform ritual magic together and tap the common pool of
power, regardless of their traditions. Articulating the workings
and styles of different traditions, however, doubles the normal
ritual time.

[Ol' Scratch]

I was just trying to cover my ass. I didn't mean it as an insult. XD I've seriously forgotten at least 75% of the rules during my hiatus, so I'm a noob again.

[Marwynn]

Well I'll leave the cracking to you milk ducks. Save me a bit of nuyen too hehe.

Oh and I did grab Ritual Spellcasting 3 as well.

Also, by Kerenshara's ruling I'll be needing two Shops to handle cars and drones, am I getting that right?

[BlueMax]

Well I'll leave the cracking to you milk ducks. Save me a bit of nuyen too hehe.

Oh and I did grab Ritual Spellcasting 3 as well.

Also, by Kerenshara's ruling I'll be needing two Shops to handle cars and drones, am I getting that right?

What am I chop liver?
Orb actually wouldn't mind being dead weight. But he and his team would also be happy to help.


BlueMax

[Marwynn]

My bad. Looks like milk's character and mine are both novice hackers at best.

Also milk, didn't catch the Bulldog Step-Van you bought. My character can modify that for you too, so we can have two since mine is buying one as well. If Kerenshara approves it that is. Get you a bit of a discount and maybe some extra features.

[DigitalOYABUN]

Yeah I'd like a breakdown on the B/R type and does each individual type need its own shop?
i.e.
Armorer: Blade shop, Ammo shop, Armor etc
Ground vehicles: Bikes, cars, trucks etc

Just an idea so I know what I have to buy.

[Embers]

Yeah I'd like a breakdown on the B/R type and does each individual type need its own shop?
i.e.
Armorer: Blade shop, Ammo shop, Armor etc
Ground vehicles: Bikes, cars, trucks etc

Just an idea so I know what I have to buy.

The GM already made a ruling on that.

Ravensoracle

This goes for everybody, but here's how I am ruling this, and why re: kits/shops/facilities.

You may purchase a single general-purpose kit at 150% of normal base cost. This will cover all Mechanic Group repairs.

For Shops and Facilities, you MUST purchase separate equipment, and here is why:
Yes, when you're dealing with internal combustion engines and so forth, you will have very high commonality of tools. But by 2070, you have hybrid-electric alongside turbines and pure electric and so forth. The tools needed to overhaul a turbine engine don't have that much in common with those to overhaul a V-8, and there are a LOT of very specialized tools needed. Yes, you're going to have some overlap, but not enoguh to be worth discounting (and certainly not from the selling corp's perspective!). Keep in mind also, that these kits also have to handle drones of the apropriate types, so you might have to deal with tracks, rotary wings, hydraulics, propellers, fans, skirts and legs.

Can everybody live with that

[DigitalOYABUN]

Yes I saw that as well. I was asking on the breakdown of the different types from the GM, as written and pasted again for what I can assume is my convenience, it still isn't that clear and I'd like to have as complete a work area as I envisioned for my character.

[Embers]

The ruling seems to be that each skill needed its own shop, but nothing changed the fact that a shop handles all aspect of the skill that it is purchased for. You would need a seperate Nautical Mechanic and Automotive Mechanic shops (different skills), but not seperate shops for each specialization of the given skill (Amorer: Blades vs Armorer: Bullets). Though a general toolkit was availible:

General Tool Kit - 750

Armorer Shop
Chemistry Shop
Demolition Shop?
Enchanting Shop
Hardware Shop

Aeronautic Mechanic Shop
Automotive Mechanic Shop
Industrial Mechanic Shop
Nautical Mechanic Shop

[Karoline]

I think Embers basically has it. The only thing that GM has changed at all is that you can get a 'mechanic' kit for 150% normal kit cost that works for all mechanic group skills.

The reason she mentioned drones was pointing out that your aeronautics shop has to handle planes, choppers, VTOL, and various drones, which is why it can't -also- handle a car.

[Marwynn]

Well, I'm buying a shop for Armorer, Auto mechanic, and Hardware then. I'll settle for difficult repairs on my LEBD-1.

Darn, there goes my Sleep Regulator! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Kerenshara]

Yes, Embers got it right on the shops. Armorer is pretty broad, since most weapons are at heart solid chunks of alloy/polymer. Remember: desktop forges improved the effective rating of a "kit". Another point: many modern weapons require at least an electronics kit to do major work on (see Arsenal: Weapon Modifications for ideas).

And for extended tests, each INDIVIDUAL test is capped, not the thing as a whole. That means combined with degrading dice pools, novices really DO have lots of trouble with complex tasks.

I'm trying to get caught up, but it's a Monday at work AND (I looked outside) it's a completely full moon.

Wish me luck.

[JoelHalpern]

Good luck, Kerenshara.
Thanks for clarifying that you are using the degrading dice pool rule for extended tests. (It is 4a canon, so although I don't like it, I can;t really argue. There are tests where it really makes sense, and tests where it simply does not match reality. But I suppose it is cleaner than the old limited trials optional rule. And yes, some sort of limit is necessary.)

Yours,
Joel / Mach

[Kerenshara]

Yes, there are circumstances in which the loss of dice doesn't really make sense, but those are the vanishing minority. But combined with the caps, it strongly reinforces the concept that truly skilled masters can accomplish amazing things whereas people working with the manuals in their laps really can't be expected to accomplish as much or achieve trully expansive goals at all.

[Ol' Scratch]

Yes, there are circumstances in which the loss of dice doesn't really make sense, but those are the vanishing minority. But combined with the caps, it strongly reinforces the concept that truly skilled masters can accomplish amazing things whereas people working with the manuals in their laps really can't be expected to accomplish as much or achieve trully expansive goals at all.

Not trying to start an argument or anything, but there seems to be some fault in this logic. At least compared to your preference for sticking to the book's listing of what a "professional" is, skill wise. Mechanically, a Skill of 3 really isn't that great. Especially when combined with concepts like diminishing returns, or having the hits (not net hits) limited by the skill's rating. Yet a professional should, by description, be able to do practically any kind of customization or repairs available in the game. Which is what most extended tests revolve around. Say you have a mechanic who just wants to add a sidecar to his bike. That has a staggering Threshold of 24. The same goes for other things a professional mechanic shouldn't have much trouble with, such as hooking up an alarm system (Threshold 20) or souping up an engine (24). How likely is someone with a skill and attribute rating of 3 -- a typical professional -- going to be successful at performing those rather unremarkble tasks with these rules? I mean, that's a total of only 21 dice (6+5+4, etc) and they need 20-24 total successes. Assuming I remember how the rules work anyway.

[JoelHalpern]

Kerenshara: Please take the following as a theoretical discussion, amplifying Dr. Funkenstein's comments. I like analyzing the details of rules and their impact. I will work with the way you want to play this. (Heck, Mach probably will have very few extended tests compared with other characters.)

If we assume tools, and we don't assume decreasing pools, then this typical person might have a pool of 9 dice. With the old pool caps attempts optional rule, that would give 81 dice, which averages 27 hits and is likely to manage 23 hits 5/6ths of the time. However, with the decreasing pool, we only have 45 dice total. He fails installing the alarm system 5/6ths of the time.

There are some positive effects of the diminishing pool. It means that for folks trying to do a task close to the limit of their ability you are going to get some glitches, and maybe some critical glitches. If that limit matched what we expected, that would be a good result.

I think the idea they were after with the change was nice, but that they did not work out the interaction between the change and the many already defined existing tests.

Yours,
Joel

[Ol' Scratch]

Well, for anyone who may be interested, here's my character concept so far. I've been hemming and hawing over some of the details for the past couple of days and, while I only have a sketch done for my "Crunchy Bits™," I do have the overall concept done. Feel free to take a look at it if you're curious. Now that I have that over and done with, I'm going to sit down and really work the numbers over properly and try to get them posted soon, too, so I can get some freedback.

Magnus "Mack" MacManus
Dwarven Occult Investigator

[JoelHalpern]

Fortunately, when typing, "Mach" and "Mack" are two reasonably easily distinguished.
Since folks are posting numbers, I'll get some sort of readable presentation of Mach's stats up soon.

Yours,
Joel

[Karoline]

That's an awesome little page. Keren and I were talking about stealing it for the campaign (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[DigitalOYABUN]

I'd like access to it as well. I'm floored by the quality to be honest.

[Ol' Scratch]

Thanks for the compliments. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) It's pretty much just a bunch of tables, though. Not hard to do at all. I make each one my hand, so there's really not a template or anything.

Fortunately, when typing, "Mach" and "Mack" are two reasonably easily distinguished.

Yeah, I caught that a little earlier, too. Then I figured it could very likely be a real scenario in the shadows. One you don't run into very often in character groups since people tend to choose names that don't clash too bad, but still one that's likely to come up from time to time. My character really doesn't like using a nickname at all, so reverting to his given name of Magnus wouldn't be a problem for him if the situation did come up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) But if you're really bothered by it, I can try to come up with something else.

[JoelHalpern]

Sorry I was unclear. I am not bothered by the name clash at all. As the written names are seperable, we will know which of us the GM is talking to. With a little work, we ought to be able to produce some amusing confusion.

So, not a problem at all,
Joel / Mach