wotc - the messenger (spoilers) Options

[prionic6]

Hi,

I hope it is okay if I use "Spoilers" in the Topic and don't use it again in my post.

I am GMing the first adventure of wotc at the moment ("the messenger" I think... In german it's "Der Bote") and I am wondering about the winternight drone. How are the players supposed to overcome it? The drones armor rating is 8... If I'm correct that means that no weapon with a power less than 18 will be able to harm ist, and such weapons are not at hand there... Nothing with aval. > 4. They don't have any anti-vehicle ammo and even if they could get their hands on some they don't expect they will be needing it. They plan to get Hausmann when he comes out of Hoff's house after the dinnerparty... But what can they do about the drone? Flee? Their car is a bit faster than the drone... But is there anything I didn't see in the rules? What about melee weapons, are there any special rules? called shots to the drones smgs? I am not exacly sure what spells the mage has at hands but is it correct that their force needs to be higher than the drones armor rating to be successful? The chars, incl. the mage are fresh and its their first adventure. And elem. manip. spells suffer the same "cut power by half" penalty as normal bullets?

Any ideas / experience? I dont want them to suffer too much wounds in this scene as I expect more drek to come :)

[Abstruse]

You know, it took me a minute to realize WOTC = Wake of the Comet and not Wizards of the Coast ^_^;;

IIRC, even vehical armor doesn't work that way, you're thinking of the immunity to normal weapons power. Armor just subtracts from the power of the weapon. If it's hardened armor (which I believe all vehical armor is) and the armor is greater than the power, then no damage is done. Therefore, a shotgun slug or three will still take the thing down.

Please correct me if I'm wrong before a similar situation comes up in my games :P

The Abstruse One

[prionic6]

As the books say, when you shoot a normal (non-AV ammo) weapon at a vehicle, it's power (don't know what its in english, the "9" of "9M") is cut in half, rounded down. The letter-code (don't know that either *g*) will be reduced by 1. So, a 17D weapon would be reduced to 8S. If the reduced power is less than or equal the armor rating, it will have no effect. All this is AFAIK.

[prionic6]

Btw, the Ares Guardian drone has an armor rating of 12! :eek:

[WolfJack]

That because Ares is evil and out to take over all of the known world.

[Kagetenshi]

The Sentinel P has so much armor because it doesn't have to move off of its track. Very convenient, that.

As for how the players are supposed to defeat it: what sort of Sensors does it have? If they're low and coupled with a low Pilot rating, they might be able to slip out with an Improved Invisibility spell or use a Trid Phantasm as a distraction.

~J

[Jason Farlander]

The nature spirit "Accident" power is your friend. Another personal favorite is having an earth elemental use its engulf power on the drone and then its movement power to deposit the drone a few meters underground.

[BitBasher]

Question: Unless I missed something all movement does to a vehicle is accelerate/decelerate it, that's all. And an earth elemental doesnt actually have any power that allows it to move through earth in any way. How does the "move the drone a few meters into the ground" thing work? :?

[Moonstone Spider]

Ways to handle this drone:

Tazer: Ignores armor, not only damages the drone but damages the rigger attached. The Defiance Super Shock should be equipped by every discriminating Samurai. Granted you have to get close enough to fire it (15m or less) but nobody said life was easy.

I think IPE Grenades can also have enough power to work against an armor 8 vehicle, and there's always the runner's friend, 15 kilos of commerical grade explosive.

[Kagetenshi]

IPEs, at 15 Power, come in just under the 17 required.

~J

[Connor]

When we played the adventure, we didn't really get a chance to take out the drone. We snuck in and got the guy without alerting the drone somehow and then woke it up on our way out. We were barely able to avoid the blast. Of course, getting out after the explosion was pretty hard.

If you think lowering the armor a point or two will balance it with your players though, I'd just suggest doing that.

[Nath]

[prionic6]

Thanks all for your comments!

The drone's stats:

Handling 4 Speed 60 Accel 6 Body 2 Armor 8 Sig 12 Pilot 3 Sensor 4 INIT 6 + 3D6
Adaption Pool 3 Autosoft (Clearsight 3, Sharpshooter 2), mini-turret armed with twin smgs [SA/BF, 7M, 28©, APDS ammo, sound suppressor, half recoil due to turret]

The only awakended in the group is a troll combat mage so nature spirits are not at hand. The mage has no elementals at hand - I know he should but it's a new player unfamiliar to the system and I thought it would be okay if he first takes his time to get familiar with the basics. Also part of the run is going from seattle to french guyana by a normal, scheduled flight (so no equipment) and buying some new equipment from a smuggler. She has nothing with avail > 4 and they bought a bow (for the martial arts char), an uzi, an ak97 and 2 ares predator. Only normal + flechette ammo. I don't think they will try to get any other equipment if I don't give them a really obvious hint to do so - and why would I *grin*.

About the mages spells - I hope I translate them correctly. He has: manabolt (5), fireball (4), acid stream (3), enhance reflexes + 2 (3), invisiblity (5), heal (4), chaos (4), control mind (5). Just in case you wonder, the last 4 are exclusive. I think the only spell that has a good chance of affecting the battle will be chaos, at a force of 4 it will give the drone a +4 modifier on everything.

Thinking about it, just driving away pretty fast will be a valid, but their only option... The van has speed 100, accel 7. The best car skill in the group is 3. They could do it.

[Kagetenshi]

Chaos+run away.

~J

[Phaeton]

Chaos + Thermal Smoke grenade + run away. :D

Now you too can be a ninja!

[Nikoli]

There's always Physical illuion, make it look as though you and the team ran into a cave/tunnel/etc.
then bamn, the drone flies into the wall/cliff/etc

Call it the Coyote Gambit

[Kagetenshi]

Sadly, with Sensors 4 and Pilot 3, that won't work without a few botches in your favor.

~J

[prionic6]

It's a nice idea, though! :)

[CoalHeart]

[Nikoli]

Sensors are automatically fooled by physical illusion, if piloted byt he drone brain.

[prionic6]

It has a friend-or-foe-device so it won't shoot at their extraction victim. I am not sure how that affects the drones decision on shooting at the car, but it could be a chance for them... The drone is autonomous btw., no rigger included.

[Kagetenshi]

[Jason Farlander]

BitBasher: To be honest, reading the rules now, I dont know where I came up with that interpretation of Movement. OTOH, Engulf actually accomplishes what I was attributing to movement, and, since vehicles (those that lack arms anyway) can not counterattack in melee and, further, lack a Strength attribute, they are incapable of either resisting or escaping from the Engulf power. Rather handy.

[Shockwave_IIc]

Not that the players will know this but staying within 2meters (i think) will stop the drone from firing on them.

[Kanada Ten]

This came up on the old forum as well.

There is a rocket launcher on the arms dealer's boat, if they search it.