The Found Arcana - Chapter 7 [OOC], The continuing story of our misfit detectives Options

[Beta]

I'd known that the kids would not match AM's negotiate roll (which is why I let the 100k stand as a baseline, although by standard rules it would instead have taken it to something like 30k. Possibly this is my personal "incompetent: negotiations quality showing through?). However I'd not actually rolled their side previously. With some various modifiers Seraphina rolls 9 dice:
S. Negotiate: 9d6t5 5 Pretty good, but nothing like the 9 that AM got. So in the end the teens don't wring any real concessions out of SIS.

There was a handy hand-out for the network on Brent's side of things, and I made a quick drawing in paint of what AM found on her side of things
- Brent side: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_KVOkBzU7k...iew?usp=sharing
- Team side: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZehfLk4EWi...iew?usp=sharing

[Gilga]

@beta what actions do I need to roll for a trace?

Hack on host and then trace action?

[Tecumseh]

Off-topic:

Has anyone here played through (or even just read through) Free Seattle?

[Jack_Spade]

Haven't even heard of it - what's it about?

[Tecumseh]

6E adventure (or series of runs) about Seattle breaking away from the UCAS.

[Gilga]

Oh wow, haven't read it but I planned for a similar thing to happen in one of my games.

[Beta]

Sorry for not responding yesterday: what AM did was fine. There should have been noise from going through the satellite uplink, but with her roll that wouldn't have changed anything!

basic IC up, sorry for the lack of ornament (late/tired). What is AM going to do now that she has a mark? Trace the location of the device?

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I've run through most of Free Seattle in my home game, and am running a modified version of one of the runs for Aria over on RPG Crossing (Aria really wanted a chance to play in 6e).

My opinion on it is that the runs are very thin, super short on complications unless the GM adds some. And their priority with words is odd, they seem to spend more time on the meets and background than on the actual runs. But the basic concept and selection of runs is reasonably solid. So basically solid bones, but needs more meat on the bones (especially the third one)

[Gilga]

Beta,
I was speeding things to keep the flow, but I am uncertain what set of actions are in the cards to find out where Bernt is kept.

My assumption was that the anonymizer somehow prevents the trace action, and that to properly trace Bernt AM would need to get to the other side of the anonymizer, and to do that she'll need a mark on the anonymizer.

Can you explain how you view this issue and what needs to be done to trace Bernt? I never encountered an anonymizer before.

[Tecumseh]

@Beta
Oh, I was aware of the Free Seattle game on RPG Crossing but I didn't know that you were involved.

I've heard similar things about Free Seattle, in that it could really benefit from some maps and more structure.

Do you have any advice that you would pass along to players running it? Contacts, knowledge skills, obvious things to avoid in terms of builds/backgrounds, etc.? Not spoilers, but hints you would drop?

[Beta]

Sorry for not getting to the computer yesterday.

Gilga: AM is on the right track. In broad strokes, with a mark she can look through the programming of the machine, find some sort of control file, and edit it. There are possible complications of a data bomb or the file being encrypted. (a data bomb may be improbable as it also destroys the attached file, which would presumably make the anonymizer useless, but AM may choose to be paranoid enough to check). Editing the file is what will do the magic.

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@Tecumseh not particularly? I think most pretty standard runners would do fine. Maybe the one note if playing 6e is to make sure to have some stealth (it is harder to get good skill coverage in 6e in some ways, so I've seen more 6e characters without the classic one point in stealth). Most of the included runs have some flexibility but there is a fight or two that are hard to avoid. I'd imagine a lot of GMs might add to some of the runs, so hard to know how it will really be.

[Gilga]

Matrix perception: 15d6t5 5 - look for a data bomb.

if there is a data bomb: 12d6t5 3 I assume there isn't for speed, but please allow me to spend edge if there is.
defuse data bomb edge: 9d6t5 3

Databombs resist if I recall correctly with a 2*bomb rating which is hits on the set databomb action so I am not sure how many dice to give the data bomb if there is one. I'll let you roll.



Alright first let's remove the protection on the file:
Decript file: 15d6t5 4
defense: 14d6t5 3
phew!

Next, let's try to edit the file:
Edit file: 15d6t5 6
defense: 14d6t5 5

[Beta]

I believe that Gilga was actually tracing Peshtigo, and I'd moved the sprite back to the cafe, so I had to add him returning to Brent.

Gilga may talk with Brent over the matrix. If she looks up the location or sends it back to the team and they look it up, it appears to be pretty much in the middle of nowhere in mountainous territory of the Salish-Sidhe nation, not too far from Seattle. Along a river, however, which would be consistent with Brent hearing water. A matrix search will bring up more information (how much depends on the search result, of course).

[Jack_Spade]

How far is that as the crow flies - or rather as the peregrine falcon?

[Beta]

It is roughly 160km ('about a hundred miles') straight line, add about 25% to go through the mountains in a pass at an elevation of only ~1700, instead of over the higher ridges. Call it 3 to 3.5 hours of steady falcon flight (they achieve much faster speeds when diving to strike, but their steady flying is not car-on-an-expressway fast). But note that it is thoroughly dark currently and Bobby would likely struggle to find his way over the wilderness as a diurnal bird. A great horny owl however would not mind the night, and is a fast traveler too, able to keep going at about 50 km/hr.

[Gilga]

Hi, I am not sure that communication is possible for AM with noise 8. She has 4 noise reduction and an R1 deck.
I think there is a matrix action to temporarily reduce noise with electric warfare?

Any suggestions for getting more noise reduction for the future?


Edit: Anyhow, once AM is back she'll do the computer search if we want to move things forward then:
Matrix search: 17d6t5 6

and three more searches: (5 hits, 5 hits, 6 hits).
Matrix search 2: 16d6t5+15d6t5+14d6t5 16

[Jack_Spade]

There's a dongle for more noise reduction - everything else is implants

[Tecumseh]

Wait, is Bobby transforming in the ice cream shop? Is he stripping in front of the kids?

I'm going to have Mato transition the scene outside so that Bobby doesn't become a registered sex offender. Mato also wants to have his say before Bobby flies off.

[Tecumseh]

Let's also come to an understanding of what's required for Mato and AM to get across the border.

My understanding is that to legally get across the border you need a visa. The SSC depends on a certain degree of tourism from Seattle (hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, etc.) so these are readily available to those with SINs. I think our R4 fake SINs are good enough to get visas, but ultimately that's Beta's call. A roll could be made if we want to leave it to the dice. Similarly, whether visas would be available at 5pm on a Friday afternoon is a separate question. Also Beta's call.

If visas aren't available, we could smuggle ourselves across the border. The Chulos and/or Cascade Orks could help with that out of Carbonado, as they have mining tunnels that cross the border. But that's a slow process to drive there (at least an hour) and then also slow to drive through snowy mountains to get to the site in question. Bobby would be there long before us.

I'll say some of this ICly.

[Jack_Spade]

Oh, yeah, I should have probably added that Bobby goes to the toilet to do that.

[Gilga]

Not sure how security is over these borders but can we just fly over the border in a mountainous location where border patrol is unlikely? We have Troubles with the movement power, and AM has levitation together they get reasonably fast.
F5 levitation is like 6 kilometers per hour, and times 5 for Trouble helping we're at 30 kilometers per hour. Not as fast as Bobby (or as super Bobby) but perhaps fast enough for a magic carpet ride? + some invisibility?

[Jack_Spade]

Flying a car has historically not been a successful move (unless we encounter giant spiders, than this plan might have merit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )
In theory, Bobby could turn you both into mice and carry you in flight, while Trouble carries the bag with our cloths after us. But for several reasons, Bobby would not suggest such a plan.
I rather think this the time where you call on a contact to get an emergency visa. Andrew might be reasonably well connected for that (though we'd likely pay through the nose for that)
Mato has Brad Burns, or - if everything else fails - he could ask Chan Wu for a favor in exchange for a rematch.

[Tecumseh]

Tightness of the security is open to interpretation.

There's a fence for portions of the Seattle-SSC border, but it's a LONG border (relatively speaking) and some of it passes through rough/wilderness terrain. There are almost certainly gaps in it at places.

The fence has camera/sensors, but again these must register a lot of false positives given the tough terrain plus animals (regular critters, not Bobby).

There are probably some spirit patrols, but - again - it's a long border. I'm going to guesstimate it as 200km long, and that's not including the water portion of it. Even if the SSC has a 100 spirits patrolling the border (presuming a bunch of bound spirits, maybe some watchers), that still leaves large gaps between them. Same thing for drones. There will be drones, but how many and how far apart?

There are two large farming concerns cross the official border and are fenced in on both sides: Carnation Farms in Redmond and French W. Ranch in Snohomish. There's an adventure (in Sprawl Wilds?) that talks about one of these having a healthy side-business in smuggling across the border.

Really, the car is the hard part. Getting people across is easy; getting the car across is much tougher.

Sedans weigh about 1,300 kg. Add Mato and we're up to 1,400. Add AM and some gear and contents (like gas) and we're probably at 1,500. AM would need 8 hits on a levitation test to get the car over.

This stings a bit because I almost always take a Council Island contact for my PCs. I didn't for this game because I figured it wouldn't fit as well for a game about the Barrens. Naturally it's the one contact I need.

I think Captain Razak could be a possibility. He could probably call in some SDF/SSC favors.

[Beta]

A quick note that it is a holiday here (Happy Canada Day -- the 8th last one in the Shadowrun timeline!) and I'm taking tomorrow as vacation, resulting in my schedule usual schedule messed up. I might squeeze in a response later today yet, but a good chance it will be some time Friday.

[Jack_Spade]

I just realized, there is a much easier solution: Bobby can drive the car across the border - legally.
He has a regular SIN from the Sioux Nation. So he should be able to cross the border to Salish territory without a visa. He is a registered private detective, so he can say that he is on a business trip.
AM he could hide in the glove compartment as a mouse.

After crossing he can go off as an owl, letting you drive.

But for obvious reasons one of you would have to suggest that to Bobby, as he hasn't crossed any kind of border in human form for a while.

[Tecumseh]

Mato has a Sioux SIN too.

Whether there's visa-free transportation within the NAN is up to the GM. I don't think the books say. The nations are individual entities but are governed by the Sovereign Tribal Council so it's possible there are some reciprocal relationships.

Found the relevant section from the Seattle Sourcebook (p.12):

The Visitor Center also has representatives of the Salish-Shidhe Council to answer questions and assist those who wish to visit their nation. To do so requires a current passport file on your credstick and a transit pass, called a "blue ticket." The Council representatives at the Visitor Center can supply application forms to obtain a blue ticket, but application must be made in person at the Passport Lodge on Council Island. The island is in the southern portion of Lake Washington and is the center of the Salish-Shidhe representation in Seattle. A cab will take you to Council Island and drop you off in front of the proper lodge.

Countil officials on the island will take your picture, run an identity check, and ask what you intend to do while in their nation. You will receive your transit pass one day later. Blue tickets are good for a limited time only. Tickets for tourists are valid for one to three days, depending on the visitor's itinerary. You must display your transit pass prominently while in the Salish-Shidhe lands. Failure to wear the pass or to leave the Council lands when required can result in severe fines and even imprisonment.

But that's all from 2050, so 30 years prior. The process may have changed.

Here's the relevant section from Native American Nations, Volume I (p. 89):

In fact, certain tribes - most notably the Salish and Sinsearach - depend on tourism as a major source of income for their economy. Tourists who want to travel into the nation must have a valid passport file on their credstick. In addition, they must apply for a tourist visa and a travel permit. The visa is loaded onto the credstick. The travel permit is a blue badge that must be worn prominently at all times. Failure to wear the permit is punishable by fines. Illegal entry into the nation - in other words, being within the borders without a valid passport, visa, or travel permit - is a serious felony, punishable by heavy fines or imprisonment.