OOC- Shadow's Dawn: Diving into the past Options

[Seth]

@ sephiroth
von Trescow can be anywhere you want him at 9:00am. I'm sorry if I said you were with Hitler "now", my intentions were that you would be already at the meeting with Hitler sitting down with pen and paper etc, when the Occult Recovery Team were paraded in front of you. As a Major General you can go just about anywhere in the Wolfs Lair: almost everyone will salute and say "Jawohl" when you ask them something.

@Pbandgarth
Its 20th July 1944 with a meeting with Hitler. von Trescow was believed to be "the evil spirit behind Operation Valkyrie". Karl Meyer was responsible for recruiting many of the people that conspired to kill Hitler that day (with a briefcase full of explosives) in Operation Valkyrie. Most people involved felt that it would fail, but it had to be tried anyway.

Summarising "yes its Operation Valkyrie". Personally you suspect that you might have been successful, and some of the immortals created a simulacrum, or a double stepped in, as Hitler (who wasn't very stable before) went absolutely crazy afterwards, and was hardly seen again except by very trusted people. But who knows?

@everyone
The other good news of course is that you get given a very prestigious medal for your sterling work supporting the Third Reich, Huzzah! Marduk will almost certainly be the only Jew to get this medal.

[Aria]

The node you are in has a map of the pyramid in it with red splotches on it that represent the guards. Its basically a tacnet, and you can "click" on a guard and see through the eyes. The previous room has all the cameras in it (in the form of obsidian mirrors). Click here for a view of the tacnet

The doors on the map, are all on free flow at the moment, but you think you could touch them and change their settings. (i.e. this is where you open and close doors)

Around round 10 the two guards that were sent down the stairs to the basement turn to a red flashing light.

You may not be aware of "subscriptions". You can be present in multiple nodes at once: I forget how many and am "away from books" but I think its your system or something similar. That means you can look through the cameras, and watch the tacnet all at the same time. You can only act in one node at once though.

The cameras are showing lots of movement: loads of guards hustling through the corridors. The cameras also show Bjeorn, Alyena and Marduk heading upstairs, and you can see yourself, and Fearghas downstairs. At the end of the corridors on the first floor (you can see big red blobs on the tactical map) you see three guards (in each place) setting up a semi-portable machine gun that will cover the corridor.

Ok, plan as I see it is to dump all the spiders out of this system and set the IC to defend me when they come looking, then close all the doors (except the ones I want to open), warn everyone about the machine guns (only a threat if we go for room 12 I guess), screw the tacnet and possibly sound a reactor core breach alarm for added mayhem

You mentioned defending, aren't Bjeorn et al between us and the nearest set of guards?!?

Anyone see any glaring omissions or something I REALLY shouldn't do then please yell now before I get to my IC post (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Seth]

@aria
"Attack Attack Attack! Tora Tora Tora!" Thats what I like to see.. Runners who don't just sneak around. Give them hell.

Joking aside, blitzkrieg isn't a bad strategy especially given that you have lots of people and huge astral forms outside. If you can take the , and if you can take the wards down exciting things might happen.

I'll assume it takes you rounds 9 and 10 to do that, and will start off rounds 11&12 thursday. The nice thing about being good at your job is that I don't have to get you to roll die.

Yes Bjeorn is between you and any guards (at the moment), although in round 11 that group will have arrived at the Warder's door.

You can see from the map that the council's plan wasn't bad, there have been hardly any opponents, and you basically penetrated a place that their current deployment plan isn't very effective against. It looks like their fast response is designed to stop unauthorised people from changing levels.

[Aria]

Well, if you can't be a bit gung ho when you are an immortal dragon (er drake) then when can you?!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

[sabs]

Aria you put your post into the wrong ic post didn't you?
\

[Big Fella]

@WWII
Bjeorn, isn't going to be very good at the whole "subtlety swapping the briefcases", or even "subtlety doing anything". I considered sneaking or sleight of handing for a few seconds, then thought no. I might even suggest I do it IC and just get looking at....

I can maybe be a diversion?

@The Pyramid
Penetrating the ward: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948470/ woohoo...no need to spend a point of edge...9 successes.
I smash the door down..no need to roll...
Surprise roll: 7 hits http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948468/

[Seth]

@Halinn
Aren got spotted going up the stairs
Shooting Aren: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948519/ 5 hits from an MMG
Arens dodge: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948526/ well thats 5 successes

Aren dodges the bullets, and I guess dives back down the stairs. One more shot at him as he flees

Shooting 4 success: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948528/
Arens dodge: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948527/ 3 successes

Ouch thats gotta hurt 6+5 (long narrow burst)P Ap -2
Soak roll: Body 2 Armour 4 AP -2 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2948537/ 0 successes, but not a glitch

So thats 11P for a body 2 windling.... and Arren's unconscious and nearly dead form is at the base of the stairs. If you can get there in a couple of rounds and do some serious first aid or magic, he'll probably live.

I'll do a summary of the start of 11 & 12 tomorrow morning...

Edit: See post http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...t&p=1053788

[sabs]

we were shortly behind Aren .. so we will be doing some first aid magic. Well, we need Mandala to come do that.
Mandala can you post IC starting with a Mind link from me, asking you to come save Arren? Unless people want to wait till I can post again tomorrow evening.

Doesn't Aren have Edge? Seems like edging that dodge roll.. especially given how much damage those do.

Also: You can only do 1 long narrow burst per AP. Aren didn't use an IP dodging and given how fast he moves (50M/turn run speed) he could easily have ducked back down to the stairs in 1 turn.

[pbangarth]

@WWII
Bjeorn, isn't going to be very good at the whole "subtlety swapping the briefcases", or even "subtlety doing anything". I considered sneaking or sleight of handing for a few seconds, then thought no. I might even suggest I do it IC and just get looking at....

I can maybe be a diversion?

Is this one of those situations where we can switch skills in a different time frame?

[Seth]

Is this one of those situations where we can switch skills in a different time frame?

Yes. Although I would like you to be recognizably the same character.

[Seth]

Doesn't Aren have Edge? Seems like edging that dodge roll.. especially given how much damage those do.

Good point.

I forgot about it: I was NPCing him, and mostly NPCs don't use edge (unless they are hugely powerful evil named villains, when they have loads of edge).

Also: You can only do 1 long narrow burst per AP. Aren didn't use an IP dodging and given how fast he moves (50M/turn run speed) he could easily have ducked back down to the stairs in 1 turn

Once again thanks for correcting me. I did run it a bit badly (I was in a bit of a "Post or Die" mood).

I'll rerun it.
The bad guys open fire. Arren knew they were there, but wasn't expecting them to open fire, so I think thats a surprise roll:
Arren: 21 die - 9 successes http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2949149/
Guards: 14 die-5 successes http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2949151/
So I think that this means that Arren's combat sense warned him that something was coming, and I will let him dodge the two attacks. I just cannot see though how he can move out of the way, as he only knew he was underattack, when they attacked (he knew they were there...he just thought he would stealth past them). His action was to move, but it takes time to move, so the guards are going to get their one IP.

The first attack was the long narrow burst: he dodged as before
The second attack was a short narrow burst (my mistake earlier): he takes 6 + 3 (short burst) + 1 (nett success: which I forgot about last time) = 10P AP-2.

I think the results are the roughly the same except that he has 1 less damage, and will live for a bit longer. He'll also have been moving away from the gun, so will fall down the stairs. Not being mean, I will ignore the falling the damage, and just leave him a crumpled bleeding bullet ridden mess at the bottom.

[Seth]

Current situation:

• It is the start of rounds 11&12
• The time is 00:00:42
• The background count is zero in the reactor corridor, up the stairs and on the first floor it is aztech 4
• Aren is being NPCed, and has zipped ahead, and is currently lying in a bleeding crumpled pile at the bottom of the stairs to the level above the ground floor.
• The background count is Aztech 4 on the ground floor, and inside Warder's room (pyramids are famous for focusing magical energies...)
• Bjeorn, Alyena are inside room 5, facing 2 guards and Warder. Room 5 has another hideous ward on the door. Warder inside yet another magical barrier, and is monologuing
• Marduk is just outside the door
• Ol'Scratch is being NPCed, and is performing the ritual to open door 27a. The ritual will be concluded when the flashback discovers the secret.
• Mandala, Fearghas and Ryl are in the basement corridor, and free to do what they want.
• Ryl has initiated a conversation with Zero, and has admin privileges in the security area.
• Zero has said Jonathan is coming: please don't hurt him.
• Ryl has removed the accounts for everyone except himself, and is "setting the IC on everyone else".
• Hopefully this has seriously disrupted the bad guys tacnet.

External

• General Quarters is still sounding
• Ryl's assessment is that the guards that were off duty will still be getting their armour on / equipped for another 10..20 seconds.
• The fast response groups and the on duty guards are now equipped and ready to rock 'n' roll, although they currently have no target.
• You have no update on the hypersonic aircraft, or large astral forms that were announced.
• Plan 'Blood Alpha One' has been activated and the hideous blood ward is now fully in place.

WWII

• You have a timeline
• You need to decide how to swap the briefcase.
• You need to IC move on to the meeting time

Ryl's sending you a copy of this tactical map - link here The red is where the people connected to the tac net are. There is no data available for the top two layers

[pbangarth]

For those of us at the door to 27A, should we wait till the time-jump scene is over, in order to know if we can open the door in the appropriate way, or are other actions supposed to happen? I'm a little confused, sorry.

[Seth]

For those of us at the door to 27A, should we wait till the time-jump scene is over, in order to know if we can open the door in the appropriate way, or are other actions supposed to happen? I'm a little confused, sorry.

I seem to have some problems communicating. I guess its my unfamiliarity with pbp and I should try and make the summaries a little clearer.

I tried to state what was going to happen in this post

Basically I messed up and should have had the WWII flashback happen sooner. So now what I'm doing is having Ambrose start a little ritual. His ritual that will open the door will take as long it takes you to do it in the WWII flashback. In other words when the flashback has enacted the ritual, it will happen in "the present".

The rest of you by door 27a are "doing whatever you want". As the balloon is just going up: Ryl is stomping all over their security systems and Warder is currently being attacked. The post I referenced above, also covered some options that you might want to fulfil.

At the moment there are no troops stomping their way down to the basement, so you still have time to arrange a welcome!

As well as preparing a welcome, there is a serious option for Mandala, who can move seriously fast, to go and collect Aren who is currently bleeding to death

[pbangarth]

OK, I think I have it figured out now.

I'm in a state of confusion in part because of RL. Just moved back into our house... construction is just finishing... tomorrow is the party for family for my step-son's wedding on Saturday and the house has to be ready to host several relatives including a grandmother of disapproving disposition... I just started a new job, but am also applying for other work... my daughter is here from Liverpool for only a few days...

... so I'm not paying the attention to Shadowrun that I usually do.

I'll do something about Aren.

[Seth]

Aren got shot some time around round 10.

If you go off in round 11, as you go up the stairs (I guess you will be astral) can you:

1: Roll surprise
2: Roll assense

A squad of 6 is stomping their way down the stairs. 5 of them are in heavy armour, Assault rifles etc. 1 of them is clearly Zero's heartthrob Captain Zeia. She's wearing a tasty spray on leather outfit, with twin sword (both foci) across her back. She is astrally present, and in your opinion is a were tiger (you get that for free...anything else is dependant on the assense result).

[pbangarth]

Surprise test: REA 4 + INT 8 + alerted by the tacnet imagery 3 = 15 dice ==> 4 HITS (Had to get below average sooner or later!)

Assensing Zeia test: INT 8 + Assensing 4 = 12 dice ==> 5 HITS (!)

[Sephiroth]

I suppose my inability to post sooner makes Fearghas unable to have done this in earlier rounds, so taking this round to cast Increase Reflexes. I will post IC once I can do more in a turn than that.

15d6 = 6 hits

And drain: 22d6 = 7 hits

I think it's at force 5 or 6, but can someone clarify for me what the background count is in the basement right now? I thought Alyena Cleansed it, but it's back up rather quickly and it keeps changing from post to post. =/ Knowing BGC will help me figure out how to edit my spellcasting hits number and how much drain Fearghas takes.

[Seth]

@Sephiroth
The latest summary has the background count: http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...t&p=1053822. Its zero in the basement. Its Aztech 4 on the ground floor. I've corrected my post, and Big Fella has corrected his.

You can have been casting spells in earlier rounds, just summarize them in the next post.

At the start of round 11, you can hear automatic fire from above. If you wanted to you could join the fight at the start of round 12.



@Pbangarth
could you correct the background count on this post please: you will be happy to know there is no background count in the basement

I'll clarify the physical situation: Look at this map here Captain Zeia and her troops are moving pretty much as fast as they can without running, coming from the barracks, and are heading towards Warder's room. To get to Arren you have to go past them. If you survive contact with them, you can choose whether to keep on running (you are almost certainly faster than them), retreat into room 5 (through Warder's ward) where Alyena and Bjeorn are, or back down the stairs.

Into the "surviving the combat" bit:
Captain Zeia's surprise test 6 hits. You might want to spend an edge on your surprise: without it you will be partially surprised. That means that you do not get to dodge or defend. Having a Were Tiger sword witch with quick draw have an interception, unopposed double strike, and a finishing move at you is not my idea of a good time!

If you do decide to spend that point of edge, and she is surprised, she doesn't get to hit you.
If she isn't surprised, her attacks are:

Interception (free attack): 8 successes
Twin attack number 1: 5 successes
Twin attack number 2:2 successes
If any of those land
Finishing move (well named) 11 successes
Base damage for her Katana: 7P AP-2
Unopposed that would be 15P, 12P, 9P and 18P. Lets rename her Moulinex the incredible mincing machine. She is of course using twin magical foci.

On a side note, I just read your comments about the weekend: so best of luck with the wedding!




@Sabs
You probably want to have look at the map I gave Pbangarth. You are currently positioned just outside room 5 (in her and her guards direct line of sight). The two guards at the front of the pack have seen you, and will lay down supressing fire as they run. I would appreciate a surprise roll from you. If you surprise them, you can move through the ward into room 5, or retreat downstairs, or anything else you want. If you fail to get surprise, you can still roll your edge on resisting the suppressing fire (its normally reaction + edge)

My guards are sadly not as impressive as Captain Zeia

Guards surprise roll: 2 hits
Guards supressing fire roll: 1 hit and 1 hit
Should the guards hit (highly unlikely I suspect...I need to invest in some better guards) the damage of the bullet is 6P AP-1 (you would only take base damage as they are using suppressing fire)

'll wait to see what Marduk's doing, or Monday if no post, before I run the combat in room 5.



@Aria
There is good news and bad news.
The good news is that the tacnet collapses (Marduk is glad that those guards didn't have another 4 die)
The bad news is that you have a visitor

Current position as I understand it at the start of round 11
General: The system is on alert status
Camera room: You are subscribed to the camera room, so that you can keep an eye on the cameras. The dogs in there are snarling, the guard is looking seriously worried, and he has whipped out a mean looking spear embedded with shards of volcanic glass. The dogs will start attacking the guard this round
Tacnet room: The initial entrance guard has come in, with his black IC. His IC will start attacking him this round too. He's actively looking for you as well, although he may be distracted real soon.

Can I get the following rolls from you:

• Matrix Initiative
• Matrix Perception (Computer + Analysis)
• Stealth (Hacking + Stealth)

A smooth looking gentleman in a bizness suit teleports into the node. Red Shirt. Black suit. Black shades. Power dressing. No apparent weapons. He's Jonathan.
Another leaf flys into your hand PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM. HE'S NICE
Jonathans matrix perception (he's using his 2 free actions from multitasking to observe in detail) 5 and 7 successes.
Jonathans initiative, he goes on 17

The fight between the guards and the black IC was short and brutal. This IC is pretty mean. The IC seems to be ignoring Jonathan and yourself (a result of your stealth, and his coolness you think)

The guards go on the same initiative as does the IC
Guards initiative 16 and 14
Black IC initiative 14 and 17 I think I should have rolled 2 more die (rating 6 black IC)
on 17: Black IC attacks on guard 1, using Blackout 4 and 5 successes Guard 1 defense 4 and 3
Guard 1 is hit for 7 and 7 damage. His soak is 3 and 4
Black IC guard 2, using Blackout 2 and 2 Guard 2 defence also 2 and 2
Guard 2 is missed
Summary: Guard 1 is savaged, Guard 2 is sweating but undamaged
on 16: The guards try and pull out 4 and 4 the black IC trys and stops them 4 and 2
Guard 2 vanishes from view, so Guard 1 is going to have a bad day
on 14: Black IC all strikes at guard 1, and the guard would try and pull out...but well...
Black IC 6,5,6 and 4
Guard's defence (-1 per defence after first) 2, 5, 1 and 3
Summary: Guard 1 goes down and the dogs start savaging his body...you suspect some unpleasant psychotropic effects are going off...

@general
Can I get each of you to write up the IC posts?

[Alyena]

@pbangarth

Hope the wedding goes well!

Alyena is assensing Warder and his nasty looking personal force wall, with 3 successes:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2950932/

The ward is about a force 12 wall of elemental water. This will knock back anyone who touches it and do some serious damage.
It also shows that Warder is not present on the astral plane, so I can zap his spells atm but not him.

I've put up a counterspell to reduce Warder's magic, so anyone in this room is covered.

Alyena enters astral combat with the ward, 3 attacks with 5 successes each:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2950934/

However after first attack I realise this isn't going to work so switch to Mana Bolt.
Will zap the ward with a force 11 bolt, result of 8 succusses:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2950939/

That did some good, so lets do it again, with 5 successes:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2950943/

Lets see how that does (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Seth]

@Alyena
The first astral combat only did 3 damage...it will take a lot of that.
Your first manabolt does a base 11 damage + 8 for the successes. The wall rolls 9 successes. knocking the damage down to 10 damage. With the 3 you have already done thats pretty serious stuff. You have smashed a 1mx1m hole in the ward. It will be possible for spells/bullets and claws to get through, but there is fair chance that if Bjeorn attacks through the gap, he will get zapped.

Your second manabolt smashes into the wall , but while it makes a dent, it sadly does not smash through it again...

[sabs]

I can see Warder right? So I could manabolt him, while Bjeorn takes care of the two idiots infront of him?
Casting a Force 9 Manabolt at Warder (I have LOS on him now because of the hole)
Magic(6)+Spellcasting(4)+SpellcastingFoci(3)-Background count(4)-2 sustaining combat sense=7d6 4 2 5 1 4 5 6 (3 hits)

Drain Resist: 13d6 1 2 3 2 6 6 5 3 6 4 6 1 5 (6 hits)

Resisted no problem, although I suspect Warder will laugh at my 3 spell hits.

And oh I'm back from my mini vacation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Seth]

@sabs
Welcome back

To blast Warder you have to get through the ward to his room. You can turn off all your spells and foci, and just walk through, or you can mask your way through.

You are right. He laughed at your 3 spell hits. You suspect he has around 14 die of countermagic vs combat spells based on what you just saw: he really churned up the astral around him as your spell went blasting in. The background count isn't helping (you) of course.

I'm just checking that you read the stuff about what is happening in the corridor, and have looked at the latest map showing where Aren and Captain Zeia are. There is a full fast response squad complete with Were Tiger Dual Blade wielding sword adept nicknamed "moulinex" about 1 combat rounds move away from you.

I'd suggest you close the door and bolt it behind you...but...no door any more.

@alyena
We both forgot about background count for astral combat and spellcasting, so I have retro fitted the figures: no significant changes to the fluff. There is still a hole in the elemental wall (which he isn't happy about).

[sabs]

You know, I thought those guys were going for Room 27a, and not for us. Only spell I'd have to lose is Combat Senses to step inside, and turn off my foci for a brief second. Marduk is most definitely a low noticeability magic guy.

I'm going to read back up, and figure out what I'm doing. Instead of doing the Manabolt, I might instead drop combat sense, walk through the ward, and then cast combat sense instead.
Would you be okay with that? I can use the same spellcasting test, and just change the target, and I believe the drain is similar.

[pbangarth]

I corrected the background count error.

Looks like having Warder's astral signature for my astral self didn't fool the bitch. I will have to work with you, Seth, on how to fully disguise Mandala on the astral.

Use Edge to reroll misses: 11 remaining dice ==> 4 HITS

This brings Mandala's surprise roll to 8 hits. I believe this gives him surprise over Captain Zeia.

Given that Mandala has 3 IPs in astral, he will stay for one or two and deal with the dear Captain who must also be astrally aware to intercept him. Can't have her come in behind while helping Aren.

I assume actions so far used up the two passes he had in round 11, so for round 12:

Initiative 16 dice ==> 6 HITS

... for an Initiative Score of 22.

If Mandala [i]has [/i]a chance in round 11 with surprise, or else in round 12, the first IP he will blast Zeia with a stunbolt. She is a major problem and has to be dealt with right away. I will wait to see what the initiative situation is.

And Aren is still alive for a couple of rounds anyway, I believe.