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

[sabs]

That's a good question
1) Is there a Ward at the door's edge?
2) If so, what does it look like
3) Is Psychokinesis blocked by wards?

[Seth]

Oh hey.. Mandala can use psychokinesis and open the door

Cool idea

1) Is there a Ward at the door's edge?
2) If so, what does it look like
3) Is Psychokinesis blocked by wards?

Vaguely on the other side of the quartz window you can see an astral ward glowing with the same green colours as the nuclear fires of the reactor. The quartz makes it hard to assense through (-6 total minus's for casting though it). You would guess its a charged ward (p125 street magic) and a seriously high force one at that ( force 16). Probably lethal to attempt to touch it (16 damage soaked with body/will + mystic armour).

You options as I see it for the ward are:
1: Try warding and sleeze past it (intuition + magic + initiate grade) you think you need 4 successes (I am taking the 4:1 rule for the wards opposed roll), fluff it and get fried
2: Blast it with spells.
3: Do something clever I haven't thought of

Psychokinesis will be reduced by 6 strength/agility (reading p194 of sr4a ) You only need 1 strength/agility though.

@Pbangarth, you have a spell specifically designed for this "shatter shield". If you want you can change the spell for the "ranged LOS" version which has 2 more drain, but doesn't end up with you getting fried by the charged ward. This is probably one of the most unpleasant wards you have ever seen.

Your radiation barrier also appears to be warding the nuclear fire spirits: they don't seem to want to play any more. It increased the intensity of the commlinks whining: "Gamma pulse imminent. Gamma pulse imminent. Run. Run. Run." it's saying now. None of this "walk carefully and calmly to the nearest exit" stuff.

Edit: Alyena said to remind you that if you smash the ward, you will alert who ever created it: she was too lazy to post herself

[pbangarth]

I'm happy to change the Shattershield spell to a ranged version, thanks, Seth. Given that, I can blast the ward with this spell. Sleazing through a Force 16 ward would not be easy. (Force 16??!! Are you for real??!) Hmmm... actually sleazing is Mandala's best ability, but it would still be 24 dice for him versus 32 for the ward, unless he uses Edge, which would give him somewhat better than 50% chance. Also, I don't believe I can take other people through with me when I sleaze the ward. They also have to do it, so in this instance we will have to remove the ward rather than sneak through, because some of us are likely to fail.

As we understand it, the door will give an alarm if it is opened. Since it can't be hacked, we will set off an alarm as soon as we open it anyway. So unless someone vehemently objects, or something else happens, Mandala's next action will be to destroy the ward. (Positive thinking.)

[Aria]

@everyone:
As you know this is my first pbp game that I am GMing, and I am struggling with how to manage time. At the moment we are all posting in an ad hoc way and that seems to be working OK. As I post Alyena is raining down unpleasantness on the spirits, and cleansing the air. Ryl has left her to deal with the threat, and is moving across to the door to investigate it. Ambrose / Ol'Scratch has sent me a PM and will be not posting for a few days at least. I'll wait until Wednesday pm for the rest of you to post, then respond IC. At the moment I don't think we need initiative as all the actions seem to be separate.

Going well so far (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sabs]

Sounds like we need to blow the Ward no matter what, taking 16 damage sounds Icky. This of course means that we're going to suffer some serious opposition, and Warder will be awake and aware of what we're doing. WHose bright idea was it to sneak in via the Nuclear Death RItual Chamber.

[Seth]

The "plan" was dumped on you by people that weren't going to take part in it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicken_and_the_Pig lets you understand this more. They were interested in the plan, but you were committed to it.

You can just try astrally sneaking through the ward: that's why you were shown the astral signatures during the briefing.

[Seth]

@Pbangarth
Warder is pretty good at his job, and he gets all the nice blood magic benefits. The aztechs really don't want visitors.

For the ward I will just be using the 4:1 rule, so you "only" need 9 successes. The ward doesn't blast you if you fail in this attempt (see p124 street magic: "the ward doesn't alert the creator unless you try another approach"). The retry rule of "roll again but you have 1 fewer die each time is applicable, but I suspect you can all get through. The die you need is magic (9 for most people) + initiation (4 for most people) + intuition (say 3) so thats 17 die. I suspect this is the time to use a point of edge.

Most people can just walk though the ward (deactivate foci / cancel spells). People who cannot:
Mandala: spirit
Bjeorn: dual natured
Fearghas: has quickened spells

Now Mandala can be summoned on the far side by someone who can just step through it, (your group thread is a good enough link to allow any group member to summon you) so that just leaves Bjeorn and Fearghas.

[pbangarth]

If we can figure a way through for Bjeorn and Fearghas, then I'm happy sneaking through, otherwise I will shatter the ward. Any thoughts, gang? Presumably the moment we take here in RL to think this through represents our long-term association... "Oh yeah, remember when Mandala did that thing with his dooey ...we could do that now, too."

[Sephiroth]

Most people can just walk though the ward (deactivate foci / cancel spells). People who cannot:
Mandala: spirit
Bjeorn: dual natured
Fearghas: has quickened spells

Now Mandala can be summoned on the far side by someone who can just step through it, (your group thread is a good enough link to allow any group member to summon you) so that just leaves Bjeorn and Fearghas.

Fearghas can, just not right away. He would need to have a spirit follow the astral link back to Warder and assense him, and then Fearghas would be able to attune his aura to match Warder's so as to fool the ward.

[Seth]

Fearghas you probably missed it, but during the briefing you were shown warders aura.

[Sephiroth]

Fearghas you probably missed it, but during the briefing you were shown warders aura.

Ah yes, that's right. That certainly simplifies things. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I will have a post up tonight.

[Aria]

It would certainly be better to sneak than set an alarm off five minutes into the mission (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Just out of interest, what's the background count now? Has it been cleansed fully?

[Big Fella]

One rounds worth of bashing the door: 3, 3, 2 and 4 successes
Base damage str 4, Claws 2, critical strike 7, Martial arts DV+3 = 16. Times 2 using focus = 32.

So damage 35, 35, 34 and 36. That should do the job!

Masking my way through the ward: 19die. Made it on the first try(needed 9 successes, got 10) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2925229/

[pbangarth]

Is the door bashing coming after or before dealing with the ward? I thought after.

[Seth]

The concrete wall is armour 24, so rolls 48 die to absorb damage:

18, 17, 18, 15 damage absorbed

The first punch has 35 - 18 = 17 damage. Thats a one square meter hole.

After the four punches we have a 1m *2m hole thats smashed through the 2m thick concrete wall.

The rubble errupting on the far side is (I think) impressive, so the people on the far side need to make composure rolls or just gibber. In any case they are stunned for a round (at -2 on all actions).

One of them is just gibbering, the other is reaching for the communicator.

[Seth]

At the end of every cycle of me posting, your replying, when a couple of combat rounds have gone by, I will try and do one of these situation summaries.

Situation summary: 00:00:18 21st Jun 2010 (end of round 2 in the reactor room)

At the end of couple of combat rounds inside the reactor:

• Alyena has cowed the spirits (they seemed to be just playing) and cleansed the area up to the ward (background count down to zero).
• Mandala's radiation ward is keeping them at bay, and preventing the rest of you from taking radiation damage.
• The sound is still a problem, even with damper ears you are at -2.
• The ward is a force 16 charged ward, created you are fairly sure with blood magic.
• The door has been examined is between 1m and 2m thick, and has a quartz window that you can just see the controls (which are on the other side of the ward).
• Psychokinesis would probably work, but would have to overcome the ward.
• You have discovered that the reactor is actually a Nuclear Death Ritual Chamber.
• Bjorn has smashed a hole through the concrete wall (ignoring any subtleties such as TKing buttons), masked his way through the ward and is facing the reactor technicians
• Visibility modifiers in the reactor room and observation room are equivalent to smoke because of the dust from the wall being smashed.

Fearghas and Arren still have to post

Things for you lot to do:

• I would appreciate it if people could roll initiative now for rounds 3 and 4, as the deadly reactor technicians with their lab coats and clipboards will be acting next round. So far you have been unopposed clearly the bad guys are not prepared for you!
• When you get into the observation room, you discover that there is a wifi network around. (it is not hidden)
• What are you doing with your commlinks(are you slaving them to Ryls?)
• Do you have a tacnet?

As a side note: Ambrose / Ol'scratch is sadly not going to be posting for a few days, perhaps longer (medical reasons), I will play him as staying at back recovering from the drain of using the tunneling device.

[Seth]

@Aria, you can roleplay Aria's involvement freely. I don't mind what assistance she gives, as long as it is in character for her.

[pbangarth]

Well, OK, then. If Fearghas is going to try to sleaze through the ward, and Bjeorn is already through, then Mandala might as well try it, too. I'm not sure there is much surprise anymore, Aria, what with the earthquake through the wall. There must be radiation warnings going off throughout the building, or there will be as soon as the Radiation Barrier is dropped.

Mandala's Initiative rolls for rounds 3 and 4 (I'm assuming the -2 for the noise does not affect this?):

12 dice (on physical plane) -2 for sustained Radiation Barrier = 10 dice ==> 2 HITS, 2 HITS ... hmmpph.

round 3 ==> 14
round 4 ==> 14

[Big Fella]

That was my Stealth attack

That was me stealthy

[Seth]

There must be radiation warnings going off throughout the building

Gamma radiation (the only serious threat) travels in a straight line, so you would be surprised if much of the building is impacted. The tunnel through is oblique to the reactor itself, so only a very narrow strip is affected.

what with the earthquake going off

I've not had to worry about seismic sensors to detect players before now...

[Seth]

(I'm assuming the -2 for the noise does not affect this?):

I've no idea what RAW says, but I am happy for it not to affect initiative

[pbangarth]

That was my Stealth attack

That was me stealthy

Heaven help us! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)

[Aria]

@Aria, you can roleplay Aria's involvement freely. I don't mind what assistance she gives, as long as it is in character for her.

I'll take on the challenge of playing my namesake, just need to get myself into the mindset of mischevious ten year old meets ancient wisdom (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Not sure about the hacking rules of all this but in principal Ryl will want to stop the techie making a comm call...electronic warfare jamming or hacking an account on the commlink? Any thoughts which would be best...I assume Ryl would know even if I haven't got a clue (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I'll be in AR as I don't want to drop my body on the floor in the middle of a reactor (or the control room)...oh, and Ryl's naked and running her optical camoflage...initiative (at -2 response - see character sheet) = 19 with 3IPs hot sim

[pbangarth]

Seth, now that you have had us roll Initiative, do you want us to wait to declare our actions in Initiative order, or just go ahead as before?

In any case, it looks as if Mandala's first action in round 3 will be to sneak through the ward, but he will leave the reactor room after everyone else has passed through the ward, as he wants to drop the Radiation Barrier to lose its distraction while attempting to pass through the ward.

Here's the roll for scamming the ward, whenever it takes place (I'm assuming the background count is no worse than 1):

Magic 9 + INT 8 + Edge 8 = 25 dice ==> 9 HITS

That should do it.

On the other side, his second action in round 3 will be to study the frightened technician in detail, both in the astral and in the physical. He wants to have the option to masquerade as this individual. You'd be surprised where an insignificant lackey blubbering in abject terror will be allowed to go.

I'm not sure whether a dual-natured being such as Mandala needs to make separate Assensing and Perception Tests in such a case. I'll roll the Assensing now:

INT 8 + Assensing (auras) 4 + Active looking 3 - distraction of noise 2 = 13 dice ==> 2 HITS

Hmm... enough to recognize him again, anyway, so that should do for pretending to be him.

[sabs]

Stealthy is as stealthy does.
I gotta figure out if I can even come close to 9 successes for sleazing that ward.

Sleazing: Magic((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) +Initiate (4)+Intuition(3)+edge(2)=5 5 1 3 1 1 3 6 5 3 6 3 2 6 5 2 6 2 ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) hits, 4 Rerolls: 3 5 3 6 (2) hits, 1 Reroll: 2 Total hits (10)

Woot, I made my sleaze roll.

Initiative: 6+6d6=1 6 4 5 1 6(3) = 9

Since I was standing right there, I'll match my aura, slide through the ward and then on my initiative cast Mana Bolt on the guy going for the comm system.

Spellcasting test:
Magic(6)+Spellcasting(4)+SpellFocus(3)=13d6 5 2 1 5 5 2 3 5 4 6 3 2 2 (5) hits
Force: 9 Spell going to use up to 3 hits for damage value increase. So it would do 9
Drain Value: (9/2)+3=5+3=8
Drain Test: 15d6 = 6 3 5 6 1 6 3 4 1 2 6 2 4 4 5 (6) hits 2 Drain

Stun Track: 2/12