Charm City [OOC] Options

[Thanee]

While the rest of the group gets to enjoy the relative comfort of Tubesnake's Pilot's driving, Fiona has to keep "running" in order to stay in the van in the astral. Fortunately there isn't much traffic in the astral and movement is fast.

Just for the record...

A magician may travel up to 100 meters each Combat Turn with no penalty to her actions; this is considered the “Walking rate” in astral space.
Magicians may choose to move faster than that in astral space, up to the “Running rate” of 5 kilometers per Combat Turn (roughly 100 km/minute, or 6,000 km/hour).

With 100 meters per Combat Turn (that is 120 km/h) "Walking rate", keeping up with the van should be no problem at all. Just strolling along. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Between being on overwatch and the moving frame of the van it'd be really hard to have been using a spotter. Fiona is pretty confident there isn't one.

Does that even work, then? Without direct line of sight or a spotter, targeting is not possible, AFAIK.
I don't think familiarity with the target plays any role here, but I don't know ritual magic very well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

On the plus side, it also takes really long, like several hours, until something happens.


Can you do anything against that? Counterspelling to protect Sophie would probably help a little bit, at least.

Would Dispelling do anything here?

Other than that... just go to Frank's place and mess with him, I guess.

Bye
Thanee

[sunnyside]

Just for the record...



With 100 meters per Combat Turn (that is 120 km/h) "Walking rate", keeping up with the van should be no problem at all. Just strolling along. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Well, yes, that was just flavor, I didn't assign the -2 penalty (and I think I'd assign much more than that for perception checks if you're flying through an area!)

Does that even work, then? Without direct line of sight or a spotter, targeting is not possible, AFAIK.
I don't think familiarity with the target plays any role here, but I don't know ritual magic very well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

On the plus side, it also takes really long, like several hours, until something happens.


Can you do anything against that? Counterspelling to protect Sophie would probably help a little bit, at least.

Would Dispelling do anything here?

Other than that... just go to Frank's place and mess with him, I guess.

Bye
Thanee

Oh. Wow. Well, good that you asked. With your initiate karmagen build and a few other things on your char sheet that came from expansion books I figured you'd have that background.

I'll consider your character to know though, because it's something that I'm pretty sure has been around since the second edition of Shadowrun when I started playing, and has been a plot point in some short stories and video games. I think occasionally non awakened characters knew about.

He would be using a material link.

Well, in this edition there are some other shenanigans initiates can get up to, but you suspect Frank isn't an initiate, and that wouldn't be such common knowledge.

Anyway using a material link, for living targets, requires a tissue sample instead of a spotter. Otherwise it works the same.

However there's a secondary reason to use a ritual magic with a material sample, which this editions rulebook elaborates on. Since a link is established between the ritual casting and the target, astral forms originating from the ritual can follow the thread to find the location of a target. That is an extended test with a duration of an hour. Mana barriers help with that. But that's mostly a delaying thing.

For all that the rules are a bit unclear on how countering it would work. It isn't exactly sustained, it's just taking a long time to cast. However dispelling still seems appropriate. Due to the odd nature of the ritual I'm not sure everyone would agree on other things that can disrupt a sustained spell, like driving through a mana barrier, but I'd allow it if I'm allowing dispelling. I'd consider it disrupted if someone entered an area with sufficiently high background count, and, while I don't think I've posted that bit yet, in this setting there are such areas nearby at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (void) and Columbia planned community (storm). Franks magic rating isn't so high, so there are probably many more areas sufficient for these purposes, but you'd need a contact to point the way.

In theory he could try again, but the sample is destroyed after any attempt. Unless he has one of her kidneys on ice or something he's going to have limited opportunities, and a somewhat limited timeframe in which to use them.

[Thanee]

Oh. Wow. Well, good that you asked. With your initiate karmagen build and a few other things on your char sheet that came from expansion books I figured you'd have that background.

I'll consider your character to know though, because it's something that I'm pretty sure has been around since the second edition of Shadowrun when I started playing, and has been a plot point in some short stories and video games. I think occasionally non awakened characters knew about.

He would be using a material link.

Oh, okay. I do know about material links in general. Just didn't see anything else than the line of sight or spotter in the ritual targeting part. Probably missed it, I only skimmed over the parts.

Ah, that explains it... it's in Street Magic. Didn't look into that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

However there's a secondary reason to use a ritual magic with a material sample, which this editions rulebook elaborates on. Since a link is established between the ritual casting and the target, astral forms originating from the ritual can follow the thread to find the location of a target.

Yeah, that makes sense. Gives you a way to find her. Since Frank has to do the ritual (assuming), he could still send a spirit, though.

Bye
Thanee

[sunnyside]

Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things I checked my 2nd edition core rulebook, and material links were right there, and written as if that were more common. I'm not sure why they moved it out, other than the 4a core book already being thick, dense, and crunchy.

Anyway force 4 control thoughts.

[Thanee]

Anyway force 4 control thoughts.

Good thing, Sophie is still unconscious. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I guess, in a few hours, she won't be anymore, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[sunnyside]

I guess, in a few hours, she won't be anymore, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Bye
Thanee

I suppose that's up to you. You could always give her another thwack.

[sunnyside]

Well, I'll post even though PB hasn't yet. The ball is a bit in others courts, though he's got some social rolls.

Also, to be clear, I'm allowing dispelling attempts.

[pbangarth]

Sorry. I got tied up with playing with my puppy and preparing for a party. Whose social rolls do you need, Bongo or Willie, and how many? I'm not sure what situations they are in that require that.

[sunnyside]

Sorry. I got tied up with playing with my puppy and preparing for a party. Whose social rolls do you need, Bongo or Willie, and how many? I'm not sure what situations they are in that require that.

null sweat chummer. No social rolls. Just that it's in Bongo's wheelhouse and he might have wanted to do something.

[sunnyside]

Bongo sends everything he has to Brewster. He adds notes from his own perceptions to flesh out the imagery.

Brewster requested telemetry. But I'm thinking this sounds like a lot more. Could you elaborate on what you want to send?

[pbangarth]

Bongo commits to memory as many of the faces of others in the secure room as he can. And the nature of their confinement, barred door etc. Information like that can be useful. He helps Nori into her box, and then helps Selina with Sophie. Tucking in bits of clothing etc. Once the charges are secured, he messages Tubesnake.

<< Items to be moved are tucked away. Coming to meet you. Be by the service entrance soonest. >>

They head to the service elevators.

Hmm. Unfortunately, I did not specifically use the term "Three Dimensional Memory" to describe Bongo's memorization, but he does have Eidetic Sense Memory as well, which includes "perfect photographic visual memory" along with any other sensory input he might have gleaned, so I believe he can relate the above. He might have seen things not visible from drone POVs or nuances his contact lenses failed to record.

If that last bit requires a Perception Test, here it is: 12 dice (Damn! I don't think Hawkeye works if he has his contact lenses in.) :4 hits

[sunnyside]

Might use that roll later.

Hope Thanee is OK, but I'll post.

[Thanee]

Sorry! I am just busy. Will head over to the IC in a bit.

Bye
Thanee

[sunnyside]

For social rolls something I sometimes do is use a little creativity and maybe create openings someone could work with. If it's in person sometimes I'll feed a player some info about something like a picture on the NPCs desk they can work with.

But, as an aside, when I was young I was a GM for some friends out in my rural house and yard for what I guess might be considered LARPing. However we didn't know any of those terms back then. We just wanted to play games but had been exposed to video games and so we wanted a little structure beyond just the whole cops and robbers "I shot you! No you missed!"

Anyway we didn't use dice, but instead you might have to hit a target with a BB gun or something like that instead.

The point being that in Shadowrun we don't make players actually shoot straight to have characters that shoot straight, so same deal a bit with social skills.

Also it's sometimes unfair when someone who personally has high social skills tries to use that to cover up their dump stat.

[Koekepan]

Heads up, I'm quite sick, so I'll be scarce for a few days.

[Thanee]

Get better then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[pbangarth]

Get better then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

Ditto.

[sunnyside]

Heads up, I'm quite sick, so I'll be scarce for a few days.

I hope you get better soon!

I actually tend to do stuff like RP more when I'm sick, since I have the time. It's scary to think you're "don't want to RP" sick! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Thanee]

Yeah, it really depends. If you are coughing all day or can't concentrate well, or something like that, even fun stuff is not very fun.

Bye
Thanee

[Koekepan]

I'm on my way back. Less fever, but still easily tired. Let's do this.

[sunnyside]

I'm on my way back. Less fever, but still easily tired. Let's do this.

Glad you're getting better!

So Bongo knows about the townhomes under the Tourmaline offering cheap (but violently not free) spots to stay. There's also the completely free chiphead flophouse next to the safe house (except as Ruby noted it's crowded and dangerous). Sounds like Bongo doesn't like those particular options.

But Tubesnake would know of places like those all over.


The aren't nearly enough unskilled jobs to go around in Baltimore. However Nari has a SIN, must have at least graduated high school, and Tubesnake has something of an in with contacts in the plumber's union and property maintenance.

[pbangarth]

Sorry, I dropped the ball as the 'face' with Sophie's parents. I'll pay closer attention.

[pbangarth]

Wow. I actually care about what happens to Nari. I've been thinking about her since I wrote Bongo's request.

I'm getting mushy in my old age.

[sunnyside]

I'm going to hide behind the fact that there should really be a roll with Bongo's pitch to excuse my lack of time for a proper reply tonight. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotate.gif)

[pbangarth]

Bongo's pitch roll:

CHA 6 + (con, etiquette, leadership, negotiation all ) 4 = 10 dice

Fuck it, Bongo cares about Nari, so add edge: 10 + 6 = 16 dice, exploding (leaving 3 edge points unused): 4 hits

Wow. Actually needed the edge.