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> How would you skin this cat?, Brainstorming assistance
Kyrel
post Jun 14 2014, 09:31 AM
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Guys, my group and I could use a bit of help for some brainstorming. Last session, our GM presented us with a run, which is kind of making us scratch our heads on how to go about completing.

Objective: Get some paydata off of a currier, without alerting them to this fact, nor making them suspect that they might have been compromised.

Challenges: Target will be traveling on a high speed public train between Seattle and SF. We do not know what the target looks like, what their name is, nor where they will be sitting in the train, and we will only get information about their appearance, and possibly their name, a few hours before they board the train, at the most. We have to expect that there will be other people about the target throughout the journey. There are no stops on the journey, and we are talking a high speed train going at an estimate 3-400km/hour, so we are not going to be walking on the outside of the train, nor just jumping off it. We have limited equipment, and limited funds. There is likely a limit on what we can realistically get onboard the train in terms of equipment.

The Group: We are not playing optimized characters by a longshot.
- Female 1: Heavy Weapons/Technomancer Rigger (Resonance 2, so basically not hacking or rigging anything at the moment). We do not have a flight capable vehicle.
- Female 2: Mechanic/B&E. Possibly Blandness.
- Male 1: Sniper/B&E. Blandness.
- Female 3 (me): Twisted Mystic Adept with a heavy focus on spellcasting, usually the negotiator of the group due to magically augmented Charisma 8. Black Magic tradition. Think Belatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter. Magic 5 (Mage 4/Adept 1), Spellcasting 6. Mild Sunlight Allergy. No foci. Horrible luck with summoning Spirits (7 dice). Resist Drain with 16 dice (Willpower and Charisma 8 due to Quickened magical augmentation). Day Job as stripper/prostitude. Pocket Hacker available on Comlink (Hermes Ikon w/ Iris Orb OS), which arguably is the best hacker in the group.
Spells:
- Flamethrower
- Ignite
- Control Actions
- Physical Barrier
- Levitate
- Agony
- Orgasm
- Dream
- Mind Probe
- Heal
- Cure Disease
- Aleviate Allergy
- Nutrition
- Decrease [Body]
- Increase [Willpower]
- Increase [Charisma]

So far we are kind of scratching our heads on this one. We have about 2 weeks to prep for the run. So far we've agreed that two of the characters should take a trip with the train to get an idea about the layout. The real challenge is that the target can't realise that he's been compromised. We can't pick-pocket the target, as we don't have the skills for it. Laes leaves the target wondering what happened to the last X hours, meaning that this is probably not an option either. Hacking is only an option if the Pocket Hacker can do the trick. Gassing the entire train with Neurostun can leave the target wondering about being compromised, so that's not a viable plan either. Abducting the guy isn't an option. Having him hand over the data isn't an option. Bribing him isn't an option. We've considdered trying to set the train on fire or similar, in order to create a panic during which we might be able to get at him and the data, but that's something of a gamble.

How would you skin this cat?
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tjn
post Jun 14 2014, 10:25 AM
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Tell the GM to tailor the game to the characters' capabilities or face the team walking away from the story? That's a prime runner level run, given to mostly street level runners without the required skills. Seriously, two b&e specialists with nothing to b&e, the combat characters prefer long distance engagements in a cqb situation, and a more pink mohawk bent to the characters but with a mirrorshades style run? Add with the lack of information or ability to prep, and this is a run you should have never agreed to in the first place unless you got paid a bunch upfront and the run has a serious payout after.

If you're serious about doing it, you need more information. What is the paydata? Who has it and who wants it? If you can, preemptively follow up the chain of where you are getting the identity instead of simply waiting for it. Where is the paydata going? Who should be getting the paydata?

Also, without the ability to pickpocket, you'll need an excuse to get your hands on it. Infiltrate the train system to pose as a version of an air Marshall and find an excuse to rifle through all of their belongings? Cause an emergency and copy the files while everyone is distracted?Alternatively, if you can find out who the courier is dropping it off to, you can set yourself up as said person and make the pick up yourself. If you have less moral qualms, disappear the courier but make it look like either the courier sold it him/herself or stole it or just kill the courier and take his/her place at the meeting to pass the paydata off? Either way, without a proper Decker, you'd better hope it's not encrypted or has other electronic protections.
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psychophipps
post Jun 14 2014, 02:13 PM
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Agree with tjn on this one. To be frank, this a job for an intelligence-type 'runner team. Your team simply doesn't have the skillset for this job.

The only option I can think of with your current team is to possibly set up a botched terrorist attack on the train and hope that the paydata can take a bit of lovin'. Center it right near the courier and snag his package in the resulting chaos. Return it to him via the conductor so they can run a background check on the returning party and find them clean. The main issue I see is that damn lack of a pickpocket skill because it's the only way you can do a search without being Capt. Obvious.
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Koekepan
post Jun 14 2014, 02:27 PM
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On such a train, you'll be on there (given presumed intermediate stops) at least five hours, probably more like six. Add customs delays for crossing multiple suspicious borders, and that can easily stretch to twenty. Find that out first - high speed doesn't mean human delays don't add up.

If the timing is such as to justify sleeper cars, odds are your courier will be in a sleeper car, for additional security. If so, you have a B&E job ahead of you. If not, your courier is almost certainly sleeping in a seat on the train. Either situation leaves you with excellent chances to exercise nefarious actions because of the cover offered by the noise and activity on board a fast train.

If your courier's data is on headware, or similarly built in, you need time and proximity to gently ooze your way past the defences and get in. If not, you need to abscond with it and spend a few hours cracking your way in. Given suitably equipment, chips and so on, either of these approaches is possible.

It will be tough, but I see openings.

In the ideal situation, your courier is cheap and stupid and has a public seat and you sit down next to him, or behind him. Pick his pocket to take it, rape it, replace it. Done, and walk out to a payday.
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Kyrel
post Jun 14 2014, 02:41 PM
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Thanks for the comments guys. Turns out that the Sniper/Infiltrator actually has 10 dice for Palming (I just found a copy of the character sheet for him from a couple of months back). I'd written off his ability to pick pocket because the one time he's so far used it, he mucked it up, which led me to remember him as being worse at it than he statistically ought to be. So depending upon how the data is stored, picking it out of a pocket, copying it and re-planting it might theoretically be an option. The dice be willing.

Anyway, I'm still open to suggestions on how this might be possible to pull off. If it makes it any easier, let's open up the challenge a bit, and ignore our team, and in stead look at how this could be done in general. If nothing else, it might spark an idea or two.
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kzt
post Jun 14 2014, 06:29 PM
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You need more info.

What form is the data?

Physical files in a briefcase, files on a storage module in the briefcase, locked in their skull mounted comlink?

What is their escort? How can you spot them?

Is the courier male or female? You need to get a photo of the courier, not just a description. Trains like that have hundreds of people on them, in possibly a dozen or more cars, so what car they get on or have a ticket for would be nice.

Assuming its a physical item you can gain access to, (not headware) my first choice for approach would be seduction, though not having anyone capable of summoning a spirit makes that more complex, as having a decent sized spirit use influence certainly helps that process.
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Shemhazai
post Jun 14 2014, 06:32 PM
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Mind Probe to find out: 1) where the paydata is and if it can be physically removed, 2) the sexual orientation of the courier, 3) where the courier will be on the train. Use your very high Charisma to distract or possibly engage the courier in conversation, or use Increase Charisma on your male teammate if the courier prefers male company. Use Levitate or Palming to remove and replace the paydata if possible. Any ideas for the Dream, Control Actions, or Orgasm spells? Somehow compelling the courier to drink a lot might make a toilet trip necessary.
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Kyrel
post Jun 14 2014, 07:09 PM
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QUOTE (kzt @ Jun 14 2014, 08:29 PM) *
You need more info.

What form is the data?

Physical files in a briefcase, files on a storage module in the briefcase, locked in their skull mounted comlink?

What is their escort? How can you spot them?

Is the courier male or female? You need to get a photo of the courier, not just a description. Trains like that have hundreds of people on them, in possibly a dozen or more cars, so what car they get on or have a ticket for would be nice.

Assuming its a physical item you can gain access to, (not headware) my first choice for approach would be seduction, though not having anyone capable of summoning a spirit makes that more complex, as having a decent sized spirit use influence certainly helps that process.


Agree completely that we need more info. Some of it the GM indicates will become available at some point either shortly prior to the arrival of the currier at the station in Seattle, or at least prior to arrival in SF. Not excately optimal conditions to work with, but that's the current situation.

We've considdered seduction as well, and though I agree that some spirit assistance always helps, my character rolls 11 dice for seduction (Cha 8, Con 1, Seduction spec. +2), so she ought to have resonable odds, as long as the target is into female humans (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
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Stahlseele
post Jun 14 2014, 07:31 PM
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blow up the train. if the information is that important then there is another way to get to it or if it is the only copy nobody gets to play.
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Glyph
post Jun 14 2014, 07:39 PM
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Have the seductive character make a pass at the courier. It doesn't even matter whether it works or not - the point is only to distract him while the Sniper/Infiltrator picks his pocket - since the run hinges on this, and on replacing the data later, use Edge on both rolls (getting the data, and replacing it).
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evilgijoe
post Jun 14 2014, 09:44 PM
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Does anyone on your team have laes/lael aerosol spray or a laes filled gas grenade? it can be a good way to cover up an oopsie.
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Method
post Jun 14 2014, 10:10 PM
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How long does the courier have to remain unaware? Forever, for the duration of the trip or just until your employer can capitalize on the data?

I haven't read the rules for simsense programming in a long while, but if the target is a Jonny Mneumonic-style data courier you could subdue him forcibly and use his headware to erase any memory of it.

If the data is in a case of some kind you could have part of your team board the train and surveil the target to get the make and model of the case. Then you could have a high-speed aerial drone deliver a matching decoy case en route (you'll just have to figure out how to land the drone on a moving train, which would be cool).
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Uli
post Jun 14 2014, 10:13 PM
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Pixie dust & laes cigarettes work, too.
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Stahlseele
post Jun 14 2014, 10:17 PM
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Hmm, other idea . .
Get onto the Train, throw a gas grenade to knock out everybody, behead a guy in line of sight of the actual curier and take the head with you(makes for a nice gift, if wrapped propperly) and take the data from his headmemory while he is knocked out. when he comes to and sees the missing head of the other guy he should assume that he was just collateral damage in the attack after somebody else.
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Uli
post Jun 14 2014, 10:21 PM
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Ooooh, collateral damage as diversion - nice. You could also pretend to be anarchic/eco/[whatever group you want to get in trouble] terrorists.
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Stahlseele
post Jun 14 2014, 10:53 PM
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violence IS always a viable answer.
don't let ANYBODY, especially a GM, tell you otherwise.
you just have to get creative about HOW to use violence.
and maybe change the mission parameters to suit your violent needs.
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CaptRory
post Jun 14 2014, 11:21 PM
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Something Like This?

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ShadowDragon8685
post Jun 15 2014, 12:21 AM
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This is not a job I would say your team is realistically capable of pulling off.

However, if you have to try, I would suggest not trying to compromise the courier at all - compromise the person or place the courier is going to deliver it to, swap one of your Blands in for the person the Courier is to drop the item to, use whatever means are necessary to make the courier not think too closely about who he gave the data to.

The job description says that the courier must not suspect that their data has been compromised. Mister Johnson didn't say jack shit about the people the courier's delivering it too suspecting their data's been compromised, so go ahead and kill them all/tie them up in a basement/whatever. If the courier's expecting to be paid, pay him - hopefully out of the money of the people he was supposed to drop it to, but out of your own money if need be. Try and soak the Johnson for this expense.
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Shemhazai
post Jun 15 2014, 01:09 AM
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Mind Probe to find out if the courier knows who will be at the meeting.
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psychophipps
post Jun 15 2014, 02:30 AM
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QUOTE (Shemhazai @ Jun 14 2014, 08:09 PM) *
Mind Probe to find out if the courier knows who will be at the meeting.


The issue with Mind Probe, IIRC, is that the target is intimately aware of the fact that they have been skullfucked.
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Shortstraw
post Jun 15 2014, 02:44 AM
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Blob drone (spy games p155 12R 4500)

"Because of its fluid nature, the blob can squeeze itself through openings as narrow as a millimeter. The outer surface of the blob is covered with tiny Velcro-like hairs allowing for vertical and inverted climbing movement.  The ball can fold
its membrane to grab a small object and roll with it back to its controlling rigger."

So have it ooze into the couriers briefcase grab the data chip and ooze back out and away.
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Stahlseele
post Jun 15 2014, 10:24 AM
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Err, that won't work . .
Exactly like how you can get your hand into the cookie jar, but as soon as you make a fist around the cookies it won't come out again, the slime may be able to go through the small little spaces, but the chip most certainly would not O.o
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Shortstraw
post Jun 15 2014, 11:44 AM
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I reckon something the size of a micro sd card could fit.
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Kyrel
post Jun 15 2014, 12:03 PM
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Some creative suggestions amongst the above. A part of me particularly like Stahlseele's suggestion about using collateral damage as a diversion. My character could find that to be a perfectly viable solution >evil chuckle<

The seduction/pickpocketing combo also sounds like a viable solution. Maybe in combination with the collateral diversion...

Shadowdragon's suggestion of replacing the recipient will also have to be investigated as a possible solution.

As specified, Mindprobing unfortunate leaves the target perfectly aware that they have been/are being mindraped, so that's not really an option.

The Johnson haven's specified any set duration for the how long the currier (and possibly also the receiver) must remain unaware of the theft, so until now we've operated under the assumption that the theft must remain permanently covert. But it's obviously something that need to be doublechecked with the GM.

Thank you so far guys (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) If you have any further suggestions, I'm all ears (or eyes, technically...)

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Stahlseele
post Jun 15 2014, 01:11 PM
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QUOTE (Shortstraw @ Jun 15 2014, 01:44 PM) *
I reckon something the size of a micro sd card could fit.

then that would mean that it could possibly also fall out of that bag.
which would make the whole point of that being used pretty much moot.

also, i think this whole discussion is going to be pointless, as it was stated that the data is in the headmemory(?)
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