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

[PoliteMan]

Well first off, howdy everybody. Looking forward to playing with you guys.

I'm looking for a little advice. I have a little spirit problem at the moment and I'm thinking a little F4 Mana Static might be perfect for keeping these spirits off my back while I get oriented.

Unfortunately, I haven't really played a magic user before, so I have two questions.
#1 How does Mana Static work in an aspected zone?
#2 How does the drain work with a background count? I'm presuming a F4 Mana Static would have (4(Spell Force)+4(background count))/2 +4 drain, which is bad but ok.

[sabs]

Mana Static over rides aspected zones. You're creating a pain in the ass aspect (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Background count is a double whammy.

So: F4 Mana static would be : ((4+bc)/2)+4... but remember the effect is going to be F4-BC.
If you want a Force 4 effect, you need to cat F4+BC, so your drain would look like ((4+2BC)/2)+4
And probably be physical.

[Seth]

What you really want of course is Filtering...mu ha ha. Not too late to change

I like using Mana static in areas where there is a background count: it puts it back to a level playing field. And spirits really really hate it (ask Madala)

[pbangarth]

I have very little knowledge of Earthdawn, so I have no idea what form my Free Spirit Mandala would take in that time period. Suggestions are most welcome.

Seth, later I will pmail you about an idea for rejigging Mandala in his modern form just a bit, before we run out of time for the stats being set.

[e-do]

Seth--some questions, before we dive into what I imagine will be initiative rolls.

(a) How many spirits, give or take, are in the room?

(b) Is there a door to this? if so, are the spirits standing in the way? Would it be plausible to try and get the hell out of there?

© What method are we using for dice rolls?

[Edana]

Seth: I'll send you a PM about some background stuff and a couple questions I had. For now though, Angel's going to do a damage assessment on the orderly drone, attempt to create herself an admin account, and disable the wireless and all other accounts on it. Let me know if there are any specific rolls you want me to make for that. (Most of those should be relatively trivial even with the dumpshock penalty, unless the drone has some special security on it.)

pbangarth: I have to fix up my posted char sheet, but I assumed Mandala is speaking a language Angel actually understands, though it looks like his Spanish is pretty bad, so maybe we'll both be suffering through using non-native languages to communicate (maybe English?).

[pbangarth]

Mandala speaks modern Nahuatl, which is the Aztlan language. I should have noted that correspondence in my character sheet.

EDIT: his English is better, though.

[pbangarth]

And, although I thought of it, I don't know that Mandala would be knowledgeable enough of the Matrix to ask if Angel can shut down the pumps via that route.

[PoliteMan]

Two things:
#1 I think I will take Filtering, swapping out Geomancy to take it. I love geomancy, it's superfluffy for this guy, but with a casting time of months I don't think it's ever going to get used.
#2 Just want to make sure I have this "Aspected domain" thing down. The Azzie 4 space I'm in now
-It reduces my magic attribute by 4.
-It increases the force of my spell for drain purposes by 4
-It wrecks wards, foci, etc but oddly it doesn't seem to affect permanent spells.

Edit for post:
Ok, updated my character sheet, first IC post. Quick rundown of what I'm doing.
This turn:
-Sent agent off to hack into local grid, see if anybody else is here.
-Filtering the local mana (also not sure what to use for roles)
-Tried to start a conversation.

Next turn:
-Mana static
-Hopefully make some new friends.

[Seth]

@E-do

Seth--some questions, before we dive into what I imagine will be initiative rolls.
(a) How many spirits, give or take, are in the room?
(b) Is there a door to this? if so, are the spirits standing in the way? Would it be plausible to try and get the hell out of there?
© What method are we using for dice rolls?

Spirits in room: 20
Doorway: trashed and destroyed, but plenty of stuff that could be slide into place. More spirits in the corridor
Dice are invisible castle.

@Polite man
Just to make sure that you are aware:

• The angry rage spirits are about to attack you
• However you are martial artist of some reknown and can carry on a conversation about the weather, or drink tea without spilling it while engaging multiple opponents (perhaps you use this as a training technique...)
• Background count reduces the force of foci and sustained spells (including quickened spells).
• I have a house rule that quickened spells are not disrupted, and will kick back in when the background count changes suitably.
• The background count adds to the force of spells or spirits for purposes of drain.
• When you are filtering, your foci, and "range self" spells are affected by your filtering.

@E-do and Politeman
We will have 1 round of combat from you before Angel appears and the spirits change from an Army of unstoppable killing things, to a Mischief of small but painful pests.
Initiative from you both please.

• In initiative 14, the spirits will go.
• There are 5 attacking E-do (something about your aura makes them hate you more), and only 3 attacking Politeman
• IP1 attacks from the spirits on Immortal Li: 3, 4 and 2
• IP2 attacks from the spirits on Immortal Li: 2, 3, and 6
• IP1 attacks from the spirits on Boris: 4, 4 and 7
• IP2 attacks from the spirits on Boris: 4, 4, and 3
• The spirits only have 2 IPs
• We'll adjudicate the results when you have rolled your attacks/defences, as there may be fewer of them / wound penalties.

@Edana
The orderly is tough, and currently undamaged. It looks as though it is a special model designed to restrain very strong un-cooperating 'guests'. You slice through the security as though it wasn't there (its a rating 4 device, no need for rolls, takes 1 combat turn max), although see the IC post...
MR CHIPS first aid's you 7 successes


@Mandala
You are a free spirit in 2070... yes you thought of it. Sadly it is clear that the blood pumps use old tech. No matrix stuff at all. Simple robust agricultural equipment has been used.

[PoliteMan]

Ok, I think I got this aspected thing down. Being stuck at 1 IP kinda hurts.

Fortunately somebody is walking by. Lets see how that works down.

[Seth]

Ok, I think I got this aspected thing down. Being stuck at 1 IP kinda hurts.

Yeah I hear you. As an evil GM I am going mu ha ha, but I have been there and its really painful: when do you cast Increased reflexes? Its a whole action...

Note that I edited my previous post: the details of the spirits attacking you has been added. They only do base 3S damage, but there are a lot of them...

[PoliteMan]

If only there was a large scary cyberzombie to protect me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

*I badly needs a puppy-dog eyes smilie*

[Seth]

lol

[e-do]

Alright!

Initiative Roll, 6 hits

Initiative Score (Initiative 11 + hits): 17

IP 1: Ready Weapon (Cyberblade), and Full Parry Defense (as an Interrupt Action, takes 1 IP off)

Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 7 hits
Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 6 hits
Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 6 hits

IP 2: Full Parry Defense

Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 7 hits
Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 6 hits
Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 25d6, 11 hits

IP 3: Attack 1 spirit with Cyberblade

Blades ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) + Agility (9) = 17d6, 7 hits

IP 4: Negated due to interrupt action during IP 1

[Seth]

Thanks for the post e-do. Two bits of minor bad news: You are being attacked by 5 not 3. ...curses I forgot about the friends bonus, but I will sort that out next time. Secondly every defense after the first is at -1
So just roll me two more defenses starting at 22.
You got hit once in IP 1 for 4S. I'm sure that won't trouble you much...curse forgetting that friends bonus.

[e-do]

Thanks for the post e-do. Two bits of minor bad news: You are being attacked by 5 not 3. ...curses I forgot about the friends bonus, but I will sort that out next time. Secondly every defense after the first is at -1
So just roll me two more defenses starting at 22.
You got hit once in IP 1 for 4S. I'm sure that won't trouble you much...curse forgetting that friends bonus.

Oh! Thanks for the heads up. Though, judging from that last post of yours, I was under the impression that the first two didn't land any hits. Maybe you forgot to roll those attacks? *wink*

Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 22d6 (ignore those last 3 rolls) 6 hits
Full Parry: Blades (8)x2 + Reaction (7) + Reakt (+2) = 21d6 (ignore those last 4 rolls)6 hits

Soaking the damage from that 1 hit-- Body (9) + Armor (2) = 11d6, 3 hits
Receives 1S damage, but this is negated by the Trauma Damper.

Base damage from his Cyberblade, by the way, is 6P.

Do we post IC per IP, or per round?

[Seth]

Maybe you forgot to roll those attacks?

Harumph...
Fortunately that means I get to include the friends modifier...woo hoo
IP 1: 4 and 4
IP 2: 6 and 5

Sadly the trauma damper doesn't soak the die: you take a minimum of 1 damage. so for example if you were hit for 5 damage, you would only take 4.

Post IC at suitable levels as you feel fit. I would do the round, as it was quite a simple one. They hit and scratched you, you hit back but were repelled by their immunity to normal weapons (5 dodges against you).

This fight is going to end only one way...
Oh but wait...here come people to help you. Lesser people perhaps. Not in the Queens good books maybe. But maybe they know whats going on, and once that beautiful aura kicks in the spirits fade away to a mere nuisance.

[e-do]

Harumph...
Fortunately that means I get to include the friends modifier...woo hoo
IP 1: 4 and 4
IP 2: 6 and 5

Sadly the trauma damper doesn't soak the die: you take a minimum of 1 damage. so for example if you were hit for 5 damage, you would only take 4.

Post IC at suitable levels as you feel fit. I would do the round, as it was quite a simple one. They hit and scratched you, you hit back but were repelled by their immunity to normal weapons (5 dodges against you).

This fight is going to end only one way...
Oh but wait...here come people to help you. Lesser people perhaps. Not in the Queens good books maybe. But maybe they know whats going on, and once that beautiful aura kicks in the spirits fade away to a mere nuisance.

Parrying those last IP 2 attacks: 8 hits, and 10 hits. Dang!

[PoliteMan]

Well, Full Defense seems to be the way to go here. I'll go ahead and interrupt my filtering to get it off.

Initiative: 2 hits (6+2)=8 Initiative Score


Full Parry: Unarmed (3x2) + Reaction (3) + Spec (2) + Tai Chi (1) =12 die
IP 1:
2 hits
3 hits
3 hits
Soaking: Body (4) + Armor (4)
1 hits
-1 die
3 hits
4S, ouch

IP 2: (-2 die)
2 hits
4 hits
1 hit Ouch, gonna Edge that so I don't get knocked out off the bat 2 more hits
Soaking: 7 die against 6S
4 hits There we go
4S+2S=6S total.

Hey, an orderly! You weren't planning on using that for anything, were you?
Edit: Yes, it's safe to say I'm running.

[Seth]

@PoliteMan

Pain agony ouch. The rage spirits are seriously unpleasant, and I overestimate their effects on you. Sorry. I wouldn't feel bad if I had signposted them and you had walked in anyway, but here I just started you in an awkward position.

Hey, an orderly! You weren't planning on using that for anything, were you?

I laughed...kind of a guilty laugh...but I still laughed

@General
I'm obviously trying to orchestrate people to meet up again (don't care where: but the basement is now free of Rage Spirits thanks to the screams from the ones munched by the door).
I think its clear (?) from the IC posts that the horror is trying to work out if you know his true name. The dream that Boris was having again and again was the one in which you stole the item the Therans were using to keep the mana levels high. The horror wanted to know whether or not you had studied his box long enough to work out his true name, but Harliquin has obviously undergone an Astral Quest to hide the details.
So I'd like you all to go back and redo that mission...

If everyone is happy with that rough plan, can you do some IC posts moving your characters, talking about it, asking Boris any questions you want to.

I will start work on the brief for the Astral Quest and kitting people out with equipment. If you have any particular desires, just post them in this thread.

[e-do]

@General
I'm obviously trying to orchestrate people to meet up again (don't care where: but the basement is now free of Rage Spirits thanks to the screams from the ones munched by the door).

If everyone is happy with that rough plan, can you do some IC posts moving your characters, talking about it, asking Boris any questions you want to.

Where is the regeneration room located on the map?

[PoliteMan]

Hey, I've got radar in my leg. Can I pick up any people, or any place that seems safer than here.

Also, my agent XiaoMei is hacking the drone. Someone say hi to the panda.

Edit: Whoops, didn't realize Angel and Mandala were with the drone. Rewriting accordingly.

[Seth]

@e-do
The regen room on the latest map http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/p...rtround17a.png/ is on the "First floor: all research labs". It is the room just to the south of the stairs down that is marked with a blue ward, and doesn't have any red in it. (Just south of where the Cadarvermen were when the map was made).

@Polite-man
Radar is stopped most thoroughly by the concrete and steel of the pyramid construction. You can penetrate about 12" of concrete if you turn the power level up to "dangerous". The internal walls are about 1 foot of concrete so you can just get through one wall, but the details of whats on the other side is hazy

However the area has become relatively safe with the introduction of Angel and Mandala.

[e-do]

@e-do
The regen room on the latest map http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/p...rtround17a.png/ is on the "First floor: all research labs". It is the room just to the south of the stairs down that is marked with a blue ward, and doesn't have any red in it. (Just south of where the Cadarvermen were when the map was made).

However the area has become relatively safe with the introduction of Angel and Mandala.

Gotcha. Judging by the IC posts of the other team members, I guess the spirits in our room are also neutralized?