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Cedric Rolfsson
WinterRat:

Neuro-Stun grenades work on both skin contact and inhilation, so respirators (better than gas masks) aren't going to be a lot of help. We'd need chem sealed armor. Or we'll have to wait then 10 seconds to 1 minute for the gas to become inert. I still think we should get respirators on the chance they try and use an inhilation toxin on us.

I've got some deomolitions skills, minimal but better than nothing I guess.

I think we're agreed a strike inside the hanger or inside the airplane is preferable. I don't know how we'd be able to send up the airplane if we've taken out the pilots since there has to be some kind of communication from the airplane to the ground. If we make our strike before the plane gets their then the pilots will notify the authorities.

I think we're at the point where we'll need to post a IC move-along. I'll post calling Elan my fixer about getting us some respirators or maybe some light security armor with helmets. Although I doubt I could afford two sets of those. We can then find a coffin motel and get Sybersnake digging for flight plans and airport access while we gather the gear we need together.

How about MedKit and slap patches? Do we need some of those? How about restraints, like the zip-cuff plastic ties to cuff the, hopefully, unconscious security personnel? Radio-wave/communications jammers to prevent people inside the hanger from calling out? Micro-sensor cameras we can mount on the outside of the hanger to give us a external video feed, which is usefull for all sorts of things. A few FlashPaks and maybe some flash bang grenades?

I can't think of any other gear off the top of my head, let me know if you've got anything else on your wish list and then I'll post away.
bclements
QUOTE ('Cedric Rolfsson')
...our server was down all day yesterday...

I think I can scrounge up a few of the leftover goats from our recent AS400 project, if your server gods demand blood like the ones here do grinbig.gif
grendel
Damn. I always get happy when my players forget that neurostun is a contact and inhalation vectored toxin. Oh well. Back to my other filthy evil.
Sedna
Generic rules question:

If (for a hypothetical example!) Scrapheap were to give Alleycat a weapon, would it be one simple action apiece? or would it take more?
bclements
How is he giving her this weapon? Tossing it, or handing it?
grendel
Simple action to throw or present a weapon, simple action to catch or take the weapon.
Sedna
I stress again hypothetical: Scrapheap needs every weapon he has, and I'm not seeing it come up unless Scrapheap brings it up (not expected, and not likely!). I'm just using it because it makes a clear illustrative example.

With "throw", that would imply a catching action which would make it a melee action: complex automatically. (Oops -- in previewing I caught grendel's comment, so melee only when used as a weapon against, not when tossed between allies.)

With "give", I'm understanding some kind of handing over. Solely for style purposes I suppose it could be a light toss, but that's not the intent. (And again, this was written before grendel's comment.)

I'm also understanding "give" to include taking a gun from unresisting hands. As a counter-example (again hypothetical!), if Alleycat tried to just take a gun from Scrapheap's hands, he'd have every reason to hang onto it: and that becomes opposed melee. But if he weren't expecting her to take it (surprise) or otherwise unresisting, then that would become a simple action by Alleycat?

The secondary question is whether the weapon could be used in the same IP: ie. firing a weapon = simple action.

The same question goes for something palmed or otherwise taken from someone currently in possession of it, and with no reason to actively resist.

... urk. It's awkward, trying to write about a PC situation while at the same time it's the player's username. spin.gif
grendel
The sequence would have to look something like this:

Scrapheap on his IP would hold out the weapon, requiring a simple action, the same as if drawing from a holster to present for firing.

Alleycat on her IP would take the weapon, again requiring a simple action, leaving her with one left over to fire the weapon.

The basis, here, is the 'ready weapon' action, which covers preparing a weapon for use. That kind of broad statement applies both to a pistol drawn from a holster and an arrow nocked in a bow. Given that, it's easy to see how one partner could pass over a slung or holstered weapon to another partner.

Also, depending on the type of holster, and given that Alleycat correctly communicates her plan to Scrapheap, she could draw the weapon from the holster and thus not require an action from Scrapheap. A slung weapon would be even easier, assuming that the sling was not clipped or anchored to Scrapheap's gear in any way.
Cedric Rolfsson
Grendel:

WinterRat talked me out of involving the truck full of jet fuel, and I caught the neurostun vector issues. We're ready for your worst! Bring forth your filthy evil!!

I'll wait patiently for WinterRat to drive to Washington State in order to throttle me for that statement. smile.gif
grendel
Actually, I was kind of looking forward to describing the effects of a 5000 liter fuel-air explosion.

smile.gif
Sedna
Thanks, grendel.

Now can we look at exactly the same kind of situation, but with someone not an ally: in the palming and/or non-resisting scenarios?

WinterRat: B6 and B7 are shotgun and SMG respectively? Any other vislble weapons on them?
[ Spoiler ]

(Can you tell I'd really prefer to have some kind of weapon that doesn't depend on melee/ST in this battle?)
QUOTE
Actually, I was kind of looking forward to describing the effects of a 5000 liter fuel-air explosion.

Knights of the Dinner Table: in an Old West-type game, one player had outfitted himself with weaponry based solely on the damage code. So in a barfight: "I throw the nitroglycerine at them."
...
[after much ranting about what nitroglycerine actually is] "Uh, how much?"
"A small barrel."
bclements
QUOTE (grendel)
Actually, I was kind of looking forward to describing the effects of a 5000 liter fuel-air explosion.

smile.gif

There's good video from Dallas the other day that might help.
grendel
Non-ally but non-resisting and/or unaware would probably be a pick-pocket test (agility+palming). Assuming that you wanted to relieve someone of their pistol, I'd say that depending on the type and location of the holster, you'd have a threshold of between 2 and 4 on the test. Net hits above that would serve as the threshold for a perception test by the victim to detect what you were doing.

For example, let's say that you've got a bouncer carrying an Ares Predator IV on his hip in a simple thumb-break holster, strong side, forward cant. That'd be a threshold of 2. Alleycat rolls agility+palming (8 dice for argument's sake) and gets 2 hits: 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2. She successfully comes up with the Predator, but the bouncer knows exactly what she did. Roll for initiative!
Mister Juan
QUOTE (bclements)
QUOTE (grendel @ Jul 26 2007, 07:59 PM)
Actually, I was kind of looking forward to describing the effects of a 5000 liter fuel-air explosion.

smile.gif

There's good video from Dallas the other day that might help.

You boys are getting all the fun. I'm stuck with bugging a Southern Cuisine steak joint....
grendel
Don't worry. The excitement starts when you're done with that. I've got more than just an LMG toting rotodrone in store for Ludi.
bclements
Heh. This is the video. Not aviation spirits, but just LNG and oxy-acetlyne.

BTW, nothing wrong with some chicken-fried steak and gravy grinbig.gif

Just keep all that pure evil pointed toward Ludi and those wackos thinking about blowing up avgas and tossing Neurostun like it's some Mardi Gras beads. Not the quiet guy sleeping off a half hangover in a (much lower rent that he's accumstomed to) doss.
grendel
And here I was already planning Tony's next date with Reign.

smile.gif
bclements
Uh oh.

Also, for our more...cyber inclined players, Augmentation is out on the usual .PDF sites.
Sedna
Saw that on yesterday's news. Relieved that only one person was injured -- chain explosions such as that one are rarely so kind.

So that's how palming works. I'd been trying to work it out from the book rules. I'm assuming the linked perception test would have modifiers per p.117, which is the only direct reference I was able to find.

Oops -- palming: simple action or complex?

How about non active-resisting, and where the target is fully aware of that their weapon is being taken? Simple action or complex?

And in both cases: can the weapon be used immediately?

Augmentation is anticipated, but can wait until after I get rid of this fever.
Scrapheap
QUOTE (Sedna)
If (for a hypothetical example!) Scrapheap were to give Alleycat a weapon, would it be one simple action apiece? or would it take more?

I was actually thinking about having Scrapheap hand Alleycat a pistol before she ran off. If told of the plan, (either handing one over or letting AC draw it herslef) he'd probably go along with it.
Sedna
I figured:
(a) Scrapheap PC needed everything he had (or he wouldn't have had it with him), and
(b) he probably was able to use it much better than her anyway.

Not to mention that he really doesn't know her from a can of paint -- I wouldn't give me a gun, under those circumstances!

Besides, he's doing such a good job as decoy. grinbig.gif And hopefully he'll keep Lady Dove on track with that spirit, and she'll remember to conceal all five of us -- itself and the four of us -- which means it has to be at least Force 5. Wouldn't it be nice if it had a second or third service? Too bad Confusion is a single-target power, but there's always Knight's variant. (A bit more difficult to take down a spirit when you're taking away Force=dice from your Perception pool each and every time.)

If Alleycat does manage to liberate a weapon from our opposition, it will be one less that is firing at us!
WinterRat1
Oh my goodness, I’m offline for one freaking day, and there’s a laundry list of stuff to reply to!

I have to make this quick because the boards or my internet connection at work have been very temperamental today, and I want to get this up before it craps out on me again.

First, I will be flying out to California for Ronin’s wedding immediately after work, and will not return until Sunday, so I probably won’t be able to reply/catch up/weigh in/drive to Washington State to kill Cedric for tempting Grendel (unless I take a detour there after the wedding Saturday night…) until Monday or Tuesday. Sorry if I can’t get to replies today (although I certainly would like to, if possible!), I have to make sure everything is in order at work before I take off, and I’m leaving early today, so time is at a bit of a premium. I’ll reply to everyone as soon as I can when I get back.

So yes, gone all weekend, updates upon my return. I know I said that like three times, but man, I’m so bummed I missed all the fun discussion yesterday… frown.gif

But rest assured, I will weigh in on it upon my return. Especially the part about BC trying to deflect attention from himself to Cedric and me. mad.gif
bclements
Congratulations 'Ronin! Have a good flight WR1.

QUOTE
Especially the part about BC trying to deflect attention from himself to Cedric and me.


Say what you want about Tony (one ex-girlfriend in jail, dating another probably not good for him woman, at least one disappearing cyberwoman, headless people), he's never contemplated blowing up a tanker full of avgas*.

*well, at least in the LitS timeframe.
grendel
QUOTE
Oops -- palming: simple action or complex?


I'd call it complex.

QUOTE
How about non active-resisting, and where the target is fully aware of that their weapon is being taken? Simple action or complex?


Same. It's only going to fall into a simple action when the target is complicit someway in helping to gain access to the weapon.

QUOTE
And in both cases: can the weapon be used immediately?


Immediately on the next available action. Assuming of course that the target carried the weapon with a round in the chamber or that it's a revolver or some kind of melee weapon. Otherwise it will take a simple action to cycle the weapon into battery.
Cedric Rolfsson
Okay, so you guys are saying the use of a tanker full of jet fuel was a little over the top?

Hey, I joined up with the guys being hunted by the Blimp of Doom. I figured a tanker full of avgas exploding was about the right speed for this group.
grendel
No, it would have been perfect. Take a welding cylinder of oxygen and wrap it with det cord and put that inside the tank to serve as your dispersal charge, and use a bunch of roadflares as your ignition source. Blowing the det cord will explosively rupture the oxygen canister. The rapid expansion will tear the fuel tanker apart and spread the fuel in an aerosol cloud. A second later ignite the flares and you've got a thermobaric explosion on your hands.
bclements
QUOTE ('Cedric Rolfsson)
Okay, so you guys are saying the use of a tanker full of jet fuel was a little over the top?


I can see this going very right or very wrong. Mostly, I'm cheering you on from a very far distance, though grinbig.gif
Sedna
Have fun stormin' da castle! Best wishes to Ronin and bride! Lady Dove and Max get bonus hits for every day we're waiting on you! wink.gif
Mister Juan
QUOTE (grendel)
No, it would have been perfect. Take a welding cylinder of oxygen and wrap it with det cord and put that inside the tank to serve as your dispersal charge, and use a bunch of roadflares as your ignition source. Blowing the det cord will explosively rupture the oxygen canister. The rapid expansion will tear the fuel tanker apart and spread the fuel in an aerosol cloud. A second later ignite the flares and you've got a thermobaric explosion on your hands.

The fact you know all this gives me a shivering mix of fear and pleasure.
Sedna
WinterRat: please answer these after you have resolved up through Lady Dove. I'm holding her action and your answers here as my cue to post immediately: but I need both resolution and what answers I can get to decide between four possible courses of action and their possible order.

Based on the previous turn's Observe in Detail perception roll, can I make any guesses about what 'ware any of them have? Two bases for hoped-for detail: either the astral itself suggests patterns (or at least likely Essence), or maybe Alleycat noticed and analysed the speed of their movement during the past two combat turns and can make an educated guess as to their number of initiative passes (which would answer about at least one piece of significant 'ware, and consequently eliminate a few other possibilities).

At 10-odd feet below the walkways, the two who jumped to the top of the shelving unit can't simply jump back to the walkways without having an agility of ~9 (vertical metres = AG/3), not even counting the horizontal distance. This makes regaining the walkway an extreme effort at best unless they have a technological aid: and even then it's a complex action. (After all, Scrapheap had to burn an Edge point to manage it earlier.) Correct? (With luck, they'll still have reason to go on after the mage -- but I don't count on luck.)

To descend to where Max is, using the NE shelving unit and any convenient rope, how long would it take to controlled-slide/climb down? It's not rappelling and it's not unassisted climbing either. If it's feasible, I'd even consider one of those Cirque de Soleil twin silk ribbons descents at near-rappel speeds, only with two of the ropes instead.

Alleycat would have marked A11 and A12 long since. Is there anything whatsoever that stood out about either of them, ie. by way of pointing them out to someone else?

Specifying *if* in the next paragraph: not looking for guaranteed success, only for how rules would apply here.

If Alleycat comes at B6 and B7 and it turns into melee, superior position is certain if she stays on the level, since she'll now be behind them (coming from the catwalk intersection). However, should she succeed in an opposed test infiltration v. perception, would she have achieved the degree of surprise necessary for them not to be able to defend (p.148 - "superior position", last sentence)? Would such infiltration count as her movement? And I'll ask the dumb question (just in case it might score me an extra die or two): can that infiltration end in a charge? or are the two completely exclusive?

Apologies if I already asked this -- I don't remember -- but how wide are the catwalks?

Just a couple more questions:
[ Spoiler ]
WinterRat1
Warehouse Group -Lady Dove's Action is up, I edited the original post, but for ease of reading, here's the updated sheet for Combat Turn 4.

Note: Here is another area where a wiki is incredibly handy, tracking combat actions. Vegas, Mister Juan, Grendel, Sedna, if you've got too much free time on your hands, feel free to start bringing our LITS wiki up to specs with the DITG one, because that thing is seriously a lifesaver for me when I GM that game.

[ Spoiler ]


Everyone -

QUOTE
This is a really stupid aside but, today, while riding the subway, I found myself daydreaming about LitS (yes, I know, I need to get a life ). Since I've started compiling posts and following all the storylines, I've been thinking about how cool it would be to format the whole thing into a printable "book". And so, I was just wondering what you all thought. How should it be formated? Like a screenplay? Like a long novel? Per day? Per characters? Etc...?

I'm just curious as to what you would all think

And since I'm mentionning screenplays; I was watching the Usual Suspects a few days ago, and for some reason, I cannot stop seeing Zeyda as being Gabriel Byrne. And Dragon would have to be Chow-Yun Fat.... and Vedic Christian Bale.... and.... ok... I'll stop...


Mechanically, I probably have more important things to do than weigh in on this, but I had to chime in my .02:nuyen: here. smile.gif

Sedna and I have discussed doing an LITS compiliation for some time now, and if she's willing to lead the charge (since she's got actual, you know, publishing experience), I'm totally up for helping out with getting this rolling.

Personally, I would do it by character, since it's easier to read overall, but I really like the idea of doing it chronologically as well. Depending on how easy or hard it is to do it, I'd ideally like to do both ways, since it would be almost like reading a different book each way.

If I absolutely had to choose one and only one though, I'd go with doing it chronologically, since if you did it by character, the posts where multiple PCs interact would be really choppy. Can you imagine reading part of the Warehouse Fight from Alleycat's POV, then going all the way back through Scrapheap's story until you get the fight from his POV, then Max's, etc? That would get old really fast. Besides, most 'scenes' tend to flow chronologically with fairly little interrupt from other PCs, so it wouldn't be as choppy chronologically, it'd just be like switching scenes in a TV show.

Anyway, if Sedna's willing to lead us on this, I'm game. I think we have more than enough material for the first 'volume' of LITS, which in my opinion, would end really well with Grendel's Apocalypse. The second 'volume' could start at the point where the world ends as we play through it. I will add though, last time I checked several months (maybe a year ago) we were at several hundred pages worth of stuff. So just to warn you, this would be a HUGE book. Just a few thoughts from me. Anyone else?

Oh, and I picture Keira Knightley as Alleycat as (she's got a great waifish look) and I could see Russell Crowe doing a good Scrapheap... Chow Yun-Fat may be a little old for Dragon these days, but in his younger years, definitely! A more masculine Famke Jansen (think Xenia Onotopp from Goldeneye) kinda strikes me as Ludi? Or maybe not. This is way too much fun, and I"m going to stop now before I get sidetracked from catching up any more than I already am. nyahnyah.gif

Any other thoughts on which actors would be good as our characters?
WinterRat1
Cedric -

QUOTE
Neuro-Stun grenades work on both skin contact and inhilation, so respirators (better than gas masks) aren't going to be a lot of help. We'd need chem sealed armor. Or we'll have to wait then 10 seconds to 1 minute for the gas to become inert. I still think we should get respirators on the chance they try and use an inhilation toxin on us.


If the gas works, we'll have the time we need to let the gas disperse. I agree with getting respirators anyway. Considering the other stuff on our shopping list, that shouldn't be too hard to obtain.

QUOTE
I've got some deomolitions skills, minimal but better than nothing I guess.


I might have 1 or 2 points as well, I'd have to check. Like you said though, better than nothing. Just be ready to use Edge if you glitch. smile.gif

Grendel - Assuming we got in and had time, how hard (i.e. about what kind of tests are we looking at) would it be to set up the gas canisters to detonate through the airplane's ventilation system?

QUOTE
I think we're agreed a strike inside the hanger or inside the airplane is preferable. I don't know how we'd be able to send up the airplane if we've taken out the pilots since there has to be some kind of communication from the airplane to the ground. If we make our strike before the plane gets their then the pilots will notify the authorities.


Don't quite understand this. My idea was to escape in the plane, so it looks like nothing suspicious is happening. That's why I suggested bringing our own rigger along.

I agree that if we do not want to escape via plane, we don't want to alert the authorities by sending up the plane anyway, we should just escape via ground transport.

So we'll have to wait until the plane lands before we strike, but how do we know if it's already there or not? That changes our timing somewhat.

QUOTE
I think we're at the point where we'll need to post a IC move-along. I'll post calling Elan my fixer about getting us some respirators or maybe some light security armor with helmets. Although I doubt I could afford two sets of those. We can then find a coffin motel and get Sybersnake digging for flight plans and airport access while we gather the gear we need together.

How about MedKit and slap patches? Do we need some of those? How about restraints, like the zip-cuff plastic ties to cuff the, hopefully, unconscious security personnel? Radio-wave/communications jammers to prevent people inside the hanger from calling out? Micro-sensor cameras we can mount on the outside of the hanger to give us a external video feed, which is usefull for all sorts of things. A few FlashPaks and maybe some flash bang grenades?


1. Respirators - sounds good

2. Security Armor w/helmets - excellent if possible, any chance we can get these chem sealed?

3. Medkits and slap patches are good, trauma especially.

4. Restraints are good. Grab a bunch of those. While you're that, what about the cyber-blockers that prevent people from accessing their cyberware? (Can't remember the exact name right now)

5. Communications jammers are excellent.

6. Cameras are also good.

7. Grenades, especially flash-pack/bang are VERY good.

8. Don't forget the Neuro-Stun. Any chance we can get a detonator or timer to go along with them? If we combine these with cameras inside the plane, we should be able to ensure we take out the security inside the plane at an ideal time.

9. People - Should we add people to the shopping list? From an OOC perspective, I don't know if we can count on Daedalus and Virgil. From an IC perspective, if Daedalus and Virgil didn't get back to Dragon after about an hour or so, he'd know he might need to start looking elsewhere, because they would have talked to him by now if it was feasible.

At the minimum, I really want magical backup. Right now, if a spirit gets tossed at us, we are in deep kimshee. A magician (and this being the Big A, I'm sure they'll have at least one, if not more) could really ruin our day.

And if this thing turns into a running gunfight during our escape, we need someone good at the wheel, because you and I will need to be fighting, and my vehicle skills aren't exactly what we want to bank our lives on. So I'd like a rigger too.

Ideally, Ronin and Bandit would be available to play Daedalus and Virgil, but I don't want to count on it. So while we're going shopping, people might not be a bad thing to shop for. What do you think?

Other than the people issue, I think we're settled on most of the other stuff, and I can't think of anything else right now.

Why don't you post the IC move-along post, and let's draw up a general written plan so we can go over it more thoroughly after Sybersnake gets more details for us. I think it'd be helpful to have more information before finalizing our plans, and once we do that, we can try to fulfill any last minute shopping needs. I think we've got the bases covered, but you never know what else might come up with more info as our plan is finalized.
WinterRat1
QUOTE
WinterRat: B6 and B7 are shotgun and SMG respectively? Any other vislble weapons on them?


Nice perception roll! They each have a handgun as a sidearm and several grenades strapped to their back at their waist.

Re random various comments about avgas explosions, neuro-stun grenades, Mardi Gras beads, absolutely moronic challenges to our GM's evilness, Russian gangsters bugging Southern Cuisine joints, quiet guys sleeping off hangovers, etc.

1. I'm not putting any convenient excuses for Grendel to blow us to the other side of the Apocalypse anywhere NEAR Dragon.

<In Darth Vader tone of voice> NO avgas.

2. Ludi is a Russian gangster. They're bad, scary people. Direct evilness towards her, she has it coming.

3. Tony's girlfriend (Reign) is WAY too good for him. Every movie, TV show, and book ever tells us the 'ridiculously smoking hot chick dating average undeserving joe' scenario cannot end well. All the more so when our average underserving joe is also a secret agent whose ex-girlfriend is still alive in a concentration camp in a foreign country. I just felt this needed to be pointed out.

4. Obviously Erebus's life has been too easy lately, and that whole Amanda thing needs to come into play. If Erebus needs more excitement is his life, perhaps he should give her a call, just to talk for old times' sake. I also feel it's important to note that Amanda wants Erebus, and not Dragon. Dragon just met the guy. At this point, their relationship is strictly business.

5. Dragon is a wonderful human being who's just trying to live a quiet, peaceful life with his family, and he's willing to take on the evilest mega of them all just to get a woman's innocent son back. In the grand karmic scheme of things, this should definitely be worth big points.

6.
QUOTE
Not to mention that he really doesn't know her from a can of paint -- I wouldn't give me a gun, under those circumstances!


I wouldn't give Alleycat a gun under almost any circumstances. In some ways, she may be the worst of them all. Someone please make sure she gets what she has coming to her! Oh wait, that's my job...vegm.gif

Re Palming - Grendel went over multiple scenarios with you Sedna, and I agree with pretty much all of his answers. Did you get the information you needed?

QUOTE
Say what you want about Tony (one ex-girlfriend in jail, dating another probably not good for him woman, at least one disappearing cyberwoman, headless people), he's never contemplated blowing up a tanker full of avgas*.

*well, at least in the LitS timeframe.


I just had to add, didn't Tony kick some poor homeless people off their farms? That's major bad karma!

Oh, and you also got in the middle of a domestic dispute. That NEVER ends well.

QUOTE
Okay, so you guys are saying the use of a tanker full of jet fuel was a little over the top?

Hey, I joined up with the guys being hunted by the Blimp of Doom. I figured a tanker full of avgas exploding was about the right speed for this group.


QUOTE
I can see this going very right or very wrong. Mostly, I'm cheering you on from a very far distance, though


QUOTE
You boys are getting all the fun. I'm stuck with bugging a Southern Cuisine steak joint....


Speaking of joining up, for all ya'll complaining life's a little slow for you, as I just posted, Erebus and Dragon are looking for a few good men or women. Anyone interested in signing up? We can't pay much, and you will face near certain death in unfathomably creative and ridiculously deadly ways, but on the plus side, we guarantee your lives will be anything but boring. biggrin.gif
WinterRat1
Sedna -

QUOTE
Based on the previous turn's Observe in Detail perception roll, can I make any guesses about what 'ware any of them have? Two bases for hoped-for detail: either the astral itself suggests patterns (or at least likely Essence), or maybe Alleycat noticed and analysed the speed of their movement during the past two combat turns and can make an educated guess as to their number of initiative passes (which would answer about at least one piece of significant 'ware, and consequently eliminate a few other possibilities).


They have some headware and a fair amount of bodyware. Bodyware runs through the entire body, evenly distributed. Possibly some extra bodyware in the muscular parts of the body. And they definitely move faster than a 'normal' person should be able to move.

QUOTE
At 10-odd feet below the walkways, the two who jumped to the top of the shelving unit can't simply jump back to the walkways without having an agility of ~9 (vertical metres = AG/3), not even counting the horizontal distance. This makes regaining the walkway an extreme effort at best unless they have a technological aid: and even then it's a complex action. (After all, Scrapheap had to burn an Edge point to manage it earlier.) Correct? (With luck, they'll still have reason to go on after the mage -- but I don't count on luck.)


Your analysis of their ability to get back to the catwalk is correct. See additional data below for your calculations.

QUOTE
To descend to where Max is, using the NE shelving unit and any convenient rope, how long would it take to controlled-slide/climb down? It's not rappelling and it's not unassisted climbing either. If it's feasible, I'd even consider one of those Cirque de Soleil twin silk ribbons descents at near-rappel speeds, only with two of the ropes instead.


If you are not rappelling, then it would be considered 'Unassisted Climbing Down' per pg. 115, SR 4 and would have a Threshold of 'distance in meters'.

If you check the Map Notes, you'll notice the shelves are about 6 meters high and the distance between the first and second floor is 10 meters.

Therefore, Alleycat would have to get to the shelves which is a 4 meter drop, then descend 6 meters. Thus, once she got to the shelves (which she could do just by jumping down, a complex action), however long it took her to get 6 successes on a Climbing Test would be how long it took her to descend to the floor.

If you were using a rope as a pseudo-rappelling line, I would consider giving you a dice pool bonus, although you wouldn't get the rappelling threshold since you're not actually rappelling.

QUOTE
Alleycat would have marked A11 and A12 long since. Is there anything whatsoever that stood out about either of them, ie. by way of pointing them out to someone else?


Nothing noteworthy, other than the fact that they're obviously affiliated with the 'A group'. Are you looking for something specific here?

QUOTE
If Alleycat comes at B6 and B7 and it turns into melee, superior position is certain if she stays on the level, since she'll now be behind them (coming from the catwalk intersection). However, should she succeed in an opposed test infiltration v. perception, would she have achieved the degree of surprise necessary for them not to be able to defend (p.148 - "superior position", last sentence)? Would such infiltration count as her movement? And I'll ask the dumb question (just in case it might score me an extra die or two): can that infiltration end in a charge? or are the two completely exclusive?


Superior position is only guaranteed for the first attack, and assuming they don't notice her.

Since characters are assumed to be paying attention to their surroundings in combat, for you to cover the distance and gain the superior position bonus, you would need to succeed in an opposed Infiltration vs. Perception roll.

If they got a Critical Glitch or you got a Critical Success, I would consider granting you surprise to the point where they would be unable to defend.

Infiltration would be a Complex Action (Use Skill) and would not be part of her movement, which you get to set for free. However note that to use Athletics to increase your running rate would also be a Complex Action, so you couldn't do both in the same Pass.

Given the circumstances (rain, terrible lighting, gunfire, and general chaos) I'd rule that you could theoretically end your infiltration in a charge, but it will result in either dice penalty to you on the Infiltration vs. Perception roll. If you want to scream a battlecry in the process as well, the penalty gets bigger. nyahnyah.gif

QUOTE
Apologies if I already asked this -- I don't remember -- but how wide are the catwalks?


Urgh. I don't think anyone's brought this up yet, and I can't find it in my notes, so if it contradicts something I said earlier, please don't hold it against me. That said, I'd say about 2.5-3 meters (or about 7.5-9 feet) sounds about right.

This is off the top of my head, so if that number sounds ridiculously stupid, would someone please correct me? Thanks!

Re Spoiler

[ Spoiler ]
WinterRat1
Everyone - Whew! Being gone can be a real pain sometimes!

All right then, I think I caught up with all the OOC thread stuff. I haven't checked the IC thread yet, so I'm not sure what I need and for who yet, but I think I got replies to everything/everyone I needed to.

I'm sorry in advance if I missed something, there was a ton to sort through and I was in a bit of a rush to catch up with this stuff. If I missed replying to your question/comment, please let me know right away and I'll respond to you ASAP.
Sedna
Yikes. Mega-catchup there -- and when I started writing this you hadn't yet reached the last page!

The palming scenarios answered what needed answering there. (Thank you, grendel.) And now you've gotten to what I needed answering here -- thank you, WinterRat.

I'll focus the rest of this post on publishing aspects, web and print:
QUOTE
Vegas, Mister Juan, Grendel, Sedna, if you've got too much free time on your hands

... getting better for time, and also slowly getting over the past week's nasty fever. That's why I'm so late posting today: was so tired, "napped" (counting on the dog to get me up in about an hour, around his walk time), and for the first time ever he decided to give me a break. I finally woke up, and saw the time, and then really saw it.

I've actually scheduled the GenCon weekend -- one before the wedding, thankfully, August is going to be insane -- for some serious LitS-related web-work: take my mind off wishing I were there.
QUOTE
Sedna and I have discussed doing an LITS compiliation for some time now, and if she's willing to lead the charge (since she's got actual, you know, publishing experience), I'm totally up for helping out with getting this rolling.

Lightly discussing. I think this is the first time the talk has turned really serious at all.

Almost certainly you are going to want more volumes than you suggest. Another possibility other than the strictly chronological or character-based is to have one volume dedicated to (for example) Erebus and D&DV3 up to the completion of your airport scenario. Or, to take the Alleycat example, compile the PCs Cao Jaan, Blaze, Knight, Scrapheap, Slipshade, and Alleycat into a single volume culminating with the Warehouse fight. While each player certainly has best insight into their own PC, Mr Juan is probably in the best overview position to suggest similar groupings and logical cutoffs.

Offhand, I'm guessing that up to this point we'd be looking at about four or five volumes, in this format.

You're looking at about 2-3 dedicated weeks minimum per 200-page volume, more if you want a glued or sewn binding. (A bit less time for that one in particular, since I've already got much of it in Word format, and what I've got, I'd already lightly edited for typos and grammar.) I've heard about publishing options that allow for printing only one or two books at a time, but it's still the most expensive route to go. The nastiest thing about that option is that you really do have to have all the text to begin formatting the text properly.

There's several other possible paths to take. Easiest, perhaps, and definitely cheapest is to format for roughly the same size as our SR books but with comb, velo, or spiral binding, preferably with stiffened covers. This sidesteps the normally high-volume commercial printer/binder and moves it fully to desktop/local neighbourhood printer. I don't need completed text to start putting this one together. This also makes it much simpler and cheaper to insert a page or three of colour graphics or pictures: since you're not having to pay colour cost for the full signature (group of pages sewn together).

Anyone here an artist? If you want an image for a front cover, one possibility might be a standard LitS logo and template, with a montage of the PCs featured in that particular volume, either drawn or adapted from photographs. For print purposes, the minimum resolution has to be 300 px, and preferably higher.

For this project, I don't suggest a chapbook format!

So that's where that stands for now: until I know more of true interest.
Sedna
Oh frag. I'd been hoping that my questions were clear enough. At least there's only a couple of things that need clarifying -- although the superior position/surprise/infiltration one is crucial. Catwalk width sounds fine to me.
QUOTE (WinterRat1)
QUOTE (Sedna)
Alleycat would have marked A11 and A12 long since. Is there anything whatsoever that stood out about either of them, ie. by way of pointing them out to someone else?

Nothing noteworthy, other than the fact that they're obviously affiliated with the 'A group'. Are you looking for something specific here?

Of the same nature as if I were to point you out on a crowded street to someone else and say, "That one. The one with the [x]." In other words, just something she can quickly identify to someone else. It's possible there might not be anything to which she can easily point.
QUOTE
No, the catwalk will not buck, neither will the shelves, although they might rock a little. I wouldn't expect them to fall over though.

Oh frag. I'll hope at least for unstable footing for those two on top. smile.gif
QUOTE (WinterRat1)
QUOTE (Sedna)
If Alleycat comes at B6 and B7 and it turns into melee etc.

Superior position is only guaranteed for the first attack, and assuming they don't notice her.

Since characters are assumed to be paying attention to their surroundings in combat, for you to cover the distance and gain the superior position bonus, you would need to succeed in an opposed Infiltration vs. Perception roll.

First attack is a given -- and if that doesn't succeed, the rest won't matter. wink.gif Sorry for the extended detail here: but this part is important.

"Assuming they don't notice her" is not in the book in describing superior position -- in fact, it's very specifically differentiated from the full "not aware" that allows no defence whatsoever. This use of Infiltration is explicitly mentioned in this context: ie as the only way that defenders wouldn't get the situational awareness default. It's not necessary to have an opponent unaware of you to have superior position. She just needs to come up behind them for that: and for the first attack at least, your map suggests she can accomplish that -- since B6 at least doesn't have an action left, this IP. (p.148: Superior Position) I didn't say it earlier, but I also have to wait for B7 to commit to an action this IP before acting at all. She doesn't intend to lose her action though. Odds are that he'll move this IP to take advantage of Scrapheap next IP before Alleycat has to commit -- and that's the moment I intend to seize.
QUOTE
If they got a Critical Glitch or you got a Critical Success, I would consider granting you surprise to the point where they would be unable to defend.

Infiltration would be a Complex Action (Use Skill) and would not be part of her movement, which you get to set for free. However note that to use Athletics to increase your running rate would also be a Complex Action, so you couldn't do both in the same Pass.

Given the circumstances (rain, terrible lighting, gunfire, and general chaos) I'd rule that you could theoretically end your infiltration in a charge, but it will result in either dice penalty to you on the Infiltration vs. Perception roll. If you want to scream a battlecry in the process as well, the penalty gets bigger.

Again, for all of this, please read the two paragraphs I referenced and let me know your thoughts. It's possible that you may choose to overrule the book on this; but I really want to be sure we're seeing the same thing in the book first.

(Battlecries without purpose are right out. grinbig.gif )

I'm also assuming generally that Alleycat has to stay on top of the catwalks to obtain her standard movement: ie. under the catwalk is also right out. Anything else would require a simple or complex action.

[ Spoiler ]

QUOTE (WinterRat1)
QUOTE (Sedna)
If it's feasible, I'd even consider one of those Cirque de Soleil twin silk ribbons descents at near-rappel speeds, only with two of the ropes instead.

If you are not rappelling, then it would be considered 'Unassisted Climbing Down' per pg. 115, SR 4 and would have a Threshold of 'distance in meters'.

... If you were using a rope as a pseudo-rappelling line, I would consider giving you a dice pool bonus, although you wouldn't get the rappelling threshold since you're not actually rappelling.

Jumping test guidelines and your interpretation are clear, thank you. smile.gif It's not going to be relevant for at least this initiative, but it might come up in the next. I wish I could pull up video of the Cirque de Soleil thing to show you, but at least here's the wiki. The basic premise of the dynamic drop is to loop the gathered fabric (de facto rope) under the torso. Performance fabrics have to be longer because they are pulled horizontally as well as twisted and untwisted and also puddle on the ground. Ropes already come pre-twisted. wink.gif Some of the wiki external links may have better pictures or video.
[ Spoiler ]
Sedna
Gah -- can't access that part of the other post to edit it!

Performance fabrics also have to be twice as long because they are top-attached at the centre, along with any additional dynamic rigging. The wiki doesn't make that clear. It's not relevant to this scenario, but I like to be thorough.

What is relevant to this scenario is that drop speeds can be easily as fast as rappelling -- but yes, more difficult, rappelling being designed to be at least somewhat idiot-proof.
grendel
QUOTE
Grendel - Assuming we got in and had time, how hard (i.e. about what kind of tests are we looking at) would it be to set up the gas canisters to detonate through the airplane's ventilation system?


Not easy. You'll have to actually open panels on the aircraft to get to the oxygen system, because it pulls air from outside the aircraft, mixes it with air rammed through the aircraft's engines to warm it, then runs it through a compressor to increase the pressure. Assuming you take the time necessary to expose the piping, the actual installation and setup of the gas grenades won't be overly difficult.
Mister Juan
QUOTE (WinterRat1 @ Jul 30 2007, 11:46 PM)
Speaking of joining up, for all ya'll complaining life's a little slow for you, as I just posted, Erebus and Dragon are looking for a few good men or women. Anyone interested in signing up? We can't pay much, and you will face near certain death in unfathomably creative and ridiculously deadly ways, but on the plus side, we guarantee your lives will be anything but boring. biggrin.gif

I'm sure Ludi would love to help you guys out (if you bring out that maternal instinct in her) except that in doing so, she would have to bend the space time continuum to her own accord. Yes, I trying to say that I'm like 6 days ahead of you nyahnyah.gif

And Grendel, was there anything else you wanted from me?
bclements
QUOTE (Mister Juan @ Jul 31 2007, 11:51 AM)
QUOTE (WinterRat1 @ Jul 30 2007, 11:46 PM)
Speaking of joining up, for all ya'll complaining life's a little slow for you, as I just posted, Erebus and Dragon are looking for a few good men or women. Anyone interested in signing up? We can't pay much, and you will face near certain death in unfathomably creative and ridiculously deadly ways, but on the plus side, we guarantee your lives will be anything but boring. biggrin.gif

I'm sure Ludi would love to help you guys out (if you bring out that maternal instinct in her) except that in doing so, she would have to bend the space time continuum to her own accord. Yes, I trying to say that I'm like 6 days ahead of you nyahnyah.gif

And Grendel, was there anything else you wanted from me?

++ for Tony, though you'd need to physically move him from a shootout at an old Exxon station on Monday. Or adjust the time-warping to a week from you smile.gif
grendel
@Mister Juan:

Not just yet, I'll have a post up for Ludi this afternoon.
Mister Juan
WR1-
I've ported over the combat template over to our own wiki.
Not sure if there was anything else you wanted to have done concerning that.
Mister Juan
@anyone who might know
Did Daedalus' story begin on the 6th?
WinterRat1
General Announcement

For the sake of full disclosure, so everyone knows where I stand, I just started a new job about three weeks ago, am currently in the process of buying a condo with my fiance (hopefully to be concluded by the end of August), planning my wedding which is happening in September, teaching Sunday School at my church every week, and am mentoring six high school guys, also every week.

Oh yeah, and on top of all that and various other not so regular/major RL activities, running LITS at a speed that's pretty much full speed ahead again (as a player and GM) as well as trying to pick up the pieces from the recent GM departures at DITG and singlehandedly keep the game alive until I can get things settled down and running smoothly, hopefully with some extra GMs on staff to facilitate said smoothness.

In short, I'm pretty freaking swamped right now.

Don't worry, this isn't a prelude to me going anywhere. smile.gif

Nor is this a 'I'm so much busier than all of you, no one understands!' rant. I just want you all to know that if I say I will get to you and it takes me a little longer than I initially projected, or if updates are a bit slow in coming over the next two months, one or more of the above reasons is probably why.

LITS will keep rolling along like we've been doing the last 3 years, and I will hold DITG together, because it's just too promising to let die (at least, assuming everyone doesn't quit on me first nyahnyah.gif). I simply wanted to let you all know that I'm not ignoring anyone or slacking around, and that I will keep things moving along to the best of my ability.

DSF is now more or less the only thing I do with my leisure time, so when other stuff cuts into said leisure time, DSF is the first thing to suffer because, well...there isn't anything else I can cut. wink.gif

Anyway, there's nothing in particular that prompted this, except that I don't want anyone feeling like I'm neglecting them or the game(s). Things will eventually settle down and allow for a bit more predictability from me, but for now I'm emphasizing continuity and just flat getting things done and keeping the games moving as best I can.

I think so far I've managed to keep things rolling along pretty well, but the recent need to run DITG by myself and reorganize things has thrown me a bit of a curve that'll probably take me a week or so to fully work through and drag everything back on track. So if it seems like I'm ignoring DITG, I'm not, I'm simply balancing my time between DITG and LITS, and since LITS is running smoother right now, it's easier to see actual progress, whereas in DITG, there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff I need to do first.

As always, if anyone has any comments, questions, thoughts, or concerns, feel free to let me know. Otherwise, this has been a general public service announcement for the respective populaces of LITS and DITG to keep you informed of your friendly neighborhood GM's various nefarious undertakings. biggrin.gif

(Note: Another major catch-up day tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 1.

My DITG goal is to at least start the wheels moving for DITG again via a policy update/explanation for how I plan to get Konsaki's players back in the game and keep my players moving along.

My LITS goal is to respond to everything that's come up since my last mega-update last night.

If I don't get to one or the other of those....well, I just gave you a nice explanation why above. smile.gif)
Sedna
Yikes. I saw a couple of the departures, but didn't realise you were on your own there. But I trust you'll understand if I don't step in to help, this time!

(Much of the pressure will ease with the finalising of condo and after the wedding, though I suspect you already know that.)

Mr Juan: yes, the first post was on the 6th. I think that's the only PC I might actually have completely compiled.
Mister Juan
QUOTE (Sedna)
Mr Juan: yes, the first post was on the 6th. I think that's the only PC I might actually have completely compiled.

All good. I've started to port everything over and I was wondering if I had missed something. I should be able to finish up Daedalus tonight or tomorrow. I'll move to Dragon after.
grendel
You know, I like the frontpage that's on the blackfly LitS page. Anyway we could add that as the wiki frontpage?
Sedna
This has nothing whatsoever to do with active and immediate LitS needs. It's just an observation on how different GM and player perspectives have evolved an interesting diversity and richness in that key Shadowrun NPC, the fixer.

(This post is initiated by a depiction of a fixer and his tightrope legal dance in the series Intelligence. The series examines a federal undercover agency trying to infiltrate the local drug scene, while at the same time running its own balancing act between other federal agencies, cross-border agencies, government pressure both to produce results and to build and maintain its contacts in the business, and even the local police. One phrase jumped out at me: "I don't deal in guns. I just introduce people to other people.")

grendel's Zeyda would seem to be the most professional and neutral, in many ways the epitome of what we image when we think of "fixer". Yet in some ways he seems to be extremely hands-on in his dealings -- especially in dealing with equipment -- to the point where any compromise in the chain would definitely pull him in as well.

Almost the polar opposite might be my interpretation of Sentinel's Jack Solomon: who seems very personable and easy-going but who nevertheless runs his business so that not one compromising thing ever passes through his identity, utterly hands-off in his dealings ... with one significant exception which is slowly coming to an explanation.

In between and along other axes we have ideologists and various "placed" members of organised crime, utter paranoids and even a small restaurant owner.

I probably couldn't have thought up all these variants on my own. I do know that LitS is richer for them.
Sedna
I don't know if I can port it over to the freebie wikispaces, since it involves a few linked files (it's not a single background) and it still has a bug in it I need to dig out first. I have picked up the base wiki software that is used by Wikipedia, and seeing what I can do about its look where all relevant files are in a common domain.

Like I said, I'd planned on the GenCon weekend for dedicated plunging.

Ah -- and not completely compiled after all: I don't have most of the ASVW Daedalus posts. Sorry.
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