Okay - I think my computer is sorted, and I very much hope I can find the time to get back to my twice-weekly coverage on an ongoing basis.

MK - your various bug searches turn up nothing.

As for Kenichi's comm, my reading of the BBB and searching about through Unwired (neither perfect - Matrix-proficient folk correct me if I'm wrong) leave me very uncertain about whether you can initiate this just from having a commcode.
To start the track, you first have to succeed in a matrix perception test, and that is in AR/VR for the target icon. So can you prank call his number to get a line on the icon? MK - I remember you yourself being unsure whether this was possible...if you have found a more clear rules reference, do let me know.

Anyway, I have left you guys hanging long enough, and with the commcode I am sure you can work something out (caveat - things went really smoothly when you tried it this time - this is not a permament gimmie ruling).
So you analyse the comm. No alert - dang it, what did you ask for? - Firewall? A 5. Stealth? Yes, another 5.

Your track is successful, and he never seems to sever his matrix connection. Overlaying his "within 50 meters" proximity onto a map, you see that he spends a lot of time (no apparent pattern) at a location in Magnolia Bluff, and also a lot of time in the downtown core. Except for crossing the intervening Queen Anne Hill area (always different routes), he hasn't gone anywhere else.

I THINK that is all the actual GM queries that have come up. But I could well have missed something, and if so do give a shout.

Queen Anne Heights

I didn't like that place back in the 2050s, I'm sure it can't be any better 2 decades later. Fast Lone Star response, etc. Heck I don't even like that place now.

Good to hear that!

Concerning the Tracking, I have come across this problem as well, but didn´t want to load the OOC with rules-questions in your absence.

To keep tracking a node, either a direct connection between tracker and tracked has to be kept open, or both have to be logged in on the same node. So the SOP in our situation should be, to get into the matrix-provider´s node, that offered the comcode and to which Kenichi would keep a connection, to receive/send his calls and messages and then track him from there. A prank-call wouldn´t suffice to get a movement pattern, since the connection is severed after the call.

There are basically three ways to do so, I guess. First, I could simply hack the node. Second I could gain a legit account by stricing a customer-contract with the service. Third I could spoof a contract (as per spoofing life rules Unwired p. 99). Obviously, I wouldn´t go for a full fledged lifestyle (Interval 1 day) or even a whole Category (Entertainment in this case, I guess, for which the Interval would be 6 hours, RC p. 153), but just that MSP-contract – 1 hour Intervals maybe. My Agent 6 with Spoof 6 could manage Low (TH 4) lifestyle in 2 and Middle (TH 12) in 4 intervals, buying hits, which should suffice, unless this MSP only dishes out High-End contracts (or runs them on another node then the mid and low ones).

I would prefer either the hack or the spoof option, while they are not as fast as the buy in, they don´t cost and there are no strings to the fake ID used.

Anyway, It would take some time to get a movement pattern for Kenichi - In the mean-time could start scouting for good locations to snatch him. While Adamu didn´t mention it, he would have a hard time to reach downtown from MB & QAH (AAA to AA) without touching the Elven District (A) or always using the bottleneck or lower QAH/Downtown that may exist between Elliot Bay and the ED. So ED and this bottleneck should be the focus of that scouting – of course we won´t know these details at the start
The twins can probably use the time for binding, as well, though which spirits would be best, I don´t know.

I would want to know the System, Firewall and Alert Status for the MSP node, as well (buying 3 hits with Computer+Analyze), In case I have to use the Hacking option or want to hack some, once inside (quiet likely).

EDIT: Just one other thing I was asking IC -I don´t know if you hashed that out with BlueRondo allready- Did Carla get any reusable spare-parts out of Naguel´s remains?

Depending on how much prep time we decide to allow ourselves, the twins can start to build up a magical lodge (since Conall just go the stuff for). Only issue is, they don't have a space for it, at least not yet. I've talked with Vegas over a few PMs, and we had already figured out that the next course of action for the twins would be to move out of the flat Carla was leasing, and into a place of their own. Once they have a place to call "home", Conall will be able to set his lodge, and learn a handful of new spells. It will also give them a space to hold binding rituals and such.

I don't know about Vegas, but I believe Conall is all out of binding materials. But in all honesty, if we need more than two spirits (one of each twins) to get Kenichi, then we're in a lot more trouble than we should be. Speaking for Conall, he'll only deal with Beast Spirits, which tend to be almost strictly "offensive" type spirits. . Anything else, he's not too good at a conjuring... That would already give us, firepower wise, an extra body (Jack+Conall+Beast Spirit) which isn't too shaby I think.

SO, I believe we need to come up with a sort of game plan. The twins can probably do astral surveillance on the target. Even though Conall can be one stealthy SOB, he isn't much of an Intelligence Gathering sort of guy. The best combo I could think of, for shadowing/watching/gathering info Kenichi would be to have either Krait or Etain on him. With Etain being an illusion godess they should be able to swap appearances often enough not to be spoted. Depending on how long we plan of watching Kenichi, Conall could even pick up the "night shift".

@Vegas
PM incoming!

@Mister Juan
Didn't get a PM yet, hope it didn't go missing I'll keep an eye out

Don´t forget to have your body guardede/warded/inasafeplace when planing to go astral! If I where you, I´d be hard pressed to leave my body at all - then again, we don´t know what Carla knows

Beast Spirits also have Animal Controll, which can come in handy to put up a distraction/delay for Kenichi (Operation Road-Kill ).

Finding a new flat may prove to be rather time consuming, though, unless you take the first place you stumble upon. Jack does have enough space - if he wouldnt be that paranoid, that would make for a funny bunch of flat-mates

Sorry for the absence, folks; last week was Hell - but now I'm on break!

Anyway, regarding Naguel's spare parts, I recall MJ "dismantled" his body and packaged it up, but I don't think I actually had Carla dispose of the body like she was supposed to. I can have her work on that (and try to retrieve some bodyware) while the other teammates do their business.

MK - your knowledge of the game world is truly encyclopedic. Your geography assessment is spot-on.

On the other hand, my knowledge of the Matrix rules is not encyclopedic. I can tell you quite easily, though, that the MSP in question provides all sorts of contracts, so since you can spoof the contract you want simply by buying successes, that will be no problem. On the other hand, it does take 24 hours, so you may want to do the hack. If so, a quick analyze of the MSP's non-public access parts you can see shows ratings of 5 for System and Firewall, and no alert status.

On hacking, from a purely OOC GM point of view: I am not averse to doing an actual hack, with three caveats - (1) as usual, I need page number references for all the actions you take, (2) I need you to understand that I will need a few days to find the time to work out the system, since I don't do a lot of this, and I obviously don't have a lot of random MSP sites made up in advance, and (3) I am happy to GM hacking but prefer to limit it to serious, hard hacks - don't want to waste a lot of post time on a hack that your awesome mookishness is simply going to dominate anyway.

So let me know how you want to proceed. The spoof is fine - I am still in "been away too long and now I want to be nice and speed things up" mode.

As for Naguel's remains/implant salvage, well, what can I say? He was already chopped into small pieces by Conall, who wouldn't have known how to salvage bioware if Karl Wu had been whispering instruction in his ear.
But if Carla is interested in going through the remains, do an IC post of where/how you might do that, then a cybertechnology/logic extended test with a one interval (to max hours you want to spend or your max allowable, i.e. number of dice in pool). Do that and I will look at Naguel's sheet and see what might be possible.

Think that covers everything put in my court since my last bump. Let me know if I missed anything.

First off, my turn to apologize for not being around the past few days. I have been very busy at work, on my latest art project, and with our new puppy. I am now at a point where I should be able to be a lot more attentive.



Well Jack is in fact that paranoid. Sounds like Krait has a lot of space, why not at his place.
Not only is Jack leery of sharing his space with people he has known less than a week, in terms of his character this is the most living space/privacy he has ever had. He kind of wants to enjoy it for as long as he can.

Another option might be renting out a storage unit that is large enough to accomodate the lodge. The astral security will be comparable to what they might get at a flat and maybe better, depending on the unit.

As for guarding the twins meat bodies, former corp security guard Jack Robustus reporting for duty.

Sorry, I meant to say the above about John, not Jack - hastyness mix-up

As for guarding - maybe I should have said warding, as I was worrying about the shedim problem

Ah yes, the shedim problem.

Which begs the question, is it really safe to send the twins into astral space?

A question best answered by minds more magical than mine.

Well, just checking in so you guys know that I really am back twice a week.
Don't see a lot for me to do though.

Love to toss in a shocking IC post, but just having a crew of ninjas attack with no warning would be sort of cheating.

Great thing about OOC planning is that it is potentially a lot faster and more efficient. Bad thing is that it is easy and can go on forever.

Stage is set guys...

Use Dropbears

I am aiming for an IC this weekend, but wont have time till sunday probably..

As an Idea for OOC planing - I´ll probably take the hacking rout, which will take about 8 hours or so. Any ideas, what to do for the others in that timespan, besides finding a lodge squat, anyone?

I think the reality is that since we know very little to nothing about the guy we're going to have to go after, we'll be waiting on any info Krait can provide via a hack before we can get real close, it's not like the Twins have people on the ground they can go to for information (i.e. contacts outside of say Mr. Chu)... Don't know if Jack or Carla have anyone they can lean on for intel or leads? Seattle's a bit to big to just start knocking on doors so to speak without a general location to start in. The Twins finding a new place to call their own and set up "shop" so to speak will eventually benefit the team if things get hairy.. but that too will take time...

Let's try to get this all down so we can get back to posting IC

SO!

A plan would be good. But we can't plan with no intel at all.
The intel we currently have on our target is as follow (if I am wrong, or forgot anything, do tell):
-Name: Kenichi
-Ethnicity: called "Japanese" by Vanity. He's surely enough "Asian"
-Commlink number
-General Location: Magnolia Bluff, and also a lot of time in the downtown core. Except for crossing the intervening Queen Anne Hill area (always different routes), he hasn't gone anywhere else

Here is the BASIC intel we need, and which I believe can be obtained "easily"
-What the hell does he actually look like?

How can we get said intel? I can only see two ways:
-Live eyeball; we track him within 50 meters, and then try to pick him out of whatever crowd he's in.
-Virtual eyeball; we (and by we I mean Krait ) get a hold of some security camera footage from the spot he is at... and we try to pick him out of the crowd

Intel we will/should/could be nice to have before make a move on him:
-Does he travel with an escort of any sort?
-When he is "stationary", does he have security with him?
-Where does he live?
-Does he have any implants?
-Is he affiliated with anyone?
-Does he have any sort of medical condition? (I had a tabletop game where we extracted a suit... and had poor intel because of our timetable... the guy turned out to have a hearth condition, almost croaked )
-Is he awakened?

Now, this last part contains information that I feel would be crucial, and other stuff which would be awesome, but not necessary.

What we'll need to decide:
-Where do we grab him
-When do we grab him
-If he has any sort of security around him, how lethal are we prepared to be?
-What is "our" policy on collateral damage, and what sort of "conditions" do we abort the grab?
-How are we going to move him?
-How are we going to restrain him?
-Where are we going to keep him?
-How are we going to make him talk? Do we bargain/negotiate with him? Do we torture him? How far are we willing to go to get the information we need?
-Are we going to release him? If so, where, when, how and under what conditions?

Of course, the answers to some of these questions might vary from one character to the other, but they are all points we need to consider in case they do arise.

I think our the downtime over the past couple of weeks threw our rhythm off (it certainly did for me.) Hopefully we just need to kick this thing back into gear to get things moving along like normal.

Scavenger Hunt Test:

We have a picture of Kenichi – though he was probably disguised, it might tell us his hight and stuff (unless he was magically masked, to change these as well).

Adamu:
Ok, first I´ll freshly spoof my access ID (no imitation, just generating a new one, using the spoof chip), as I will repeatedly do during the probing, as well as before I enter.

Next, I´ll probe for a User Account (p. 221, Hacking+Exploit (Firewall+System, 1 h) scored 4, 5 and 2 hits)
After probing, I´ll analyze the node again (p. 217, buying 3 hits looking for Alert Status and Databombs)
If there´s Encryption, I´ll Decrypt (p. 225, Response+Decrypt (Firewall*2, 1 CT), buying 2 hits per CT for a max of 16 CT)
If there´s a Databomb, I´ll Disarm (p. 223, Hacking+Defuse vs. Databomb*2, scored 4 hits)
If there´s no Alert, I´ll access the node (p. 223, Node rolls Analyze+Firewall (Stealth=3) to trigger Alert)
Once In, I´ll analyze the node again (p. 217, buying 3 hits looking for Alert Status and look for other users)

MJ is quite right, we need to know all of the things mentioned in his list before proceeding to acquire Kenichi. I feel we ought to do live and virtual intel, the more eyes and angles the better.

Now I'll address Jack's feelings regarding the ethics questions raised by MJ.

-If he has any sort of security around him, how lethal are we prepared to be?
This is a world of grey areas. Jack's answer would be it depends on who the security is about the guy. If we are certain they are Aztechnology goons then Jack is for total lethality, if it gets our job done. If he is using Lone Star or other renta cop types, then we keep the death toll as low as possible, preferably zero.

-What is "our" policy on collateral damage, and what sort of "conditions" do we abort the grab?
Jack prefers no collateral damage. We should do our dead level best to nab the guy where we are dealing with a minimum of innocent bystanders.

-How are we going to make him talk? Do we bargain/negotiate with him? Do we torture him? How far are we willing to go to get the information we need?
Again, a world of grey areas. I've already made my opinion known regarding gamma scopalomine. Other reliable truth serums would work for me as well. Telepathic information extraction is also a good method as far as Jack is concerned. Jack doesn't normally trust information extracted by brute force when dealing with individuals like Johnsons or Fixers or Mr. Blacks or really gung ho corp. types. They usually have no incentive to tell the truth under torture, but lots of incentive to tell lies to make the pain go away.

-Are we going to release him? If so, where, when, how and under what conditions?
I would say yes, we'll release him. Where, unknown. When, after we have Sister Esmeralda. How and what conditions, again unknown. If we have a way to wipe his memory that would be ideal.

Let's figure the best place to try live observation would be the downtown core, since there is undoubtedly a greater diversity of people in that area and strangers are far less likely to attract attention. Best place for virtual observation is Magnolia Bluff for the opposite reasons given above.

Well guys - unlike my other game, where a quick "I am here" post suffices for a bump - you folks are really putting my slaggardly ass to shame by staying busy.

Lest you give up hope, I do plan to keep my twice-weekly commitment this week, though I fear it will be compressed at end-week.

Look for full bumps either Thurs or Fri night (London time, natch), and another sometime on Saturday. I'll be sure to keep at least 24 hours between the two.

I have three main things to do in the next bump -
Scavenger hunt.
Start hack - that's the MSP node, right MK?
Housing for twins (per PM).

That´s correct

Hacking a User Account for an MSP reminds me of that old saying from Cyberpunk 2020 "You can´t hack a free phone-call, after all, even the corps pay their phone-bills!"

Carla - you can get the following in two hours.

Datajack

Cybereyes Basic System (Rating 3) - Only one; other damaged by getting shot in face.
+Protective Covers
+ Low-Light Vision
+ Protective Covers
+ Smartlink
+ Thermographic Vision
+ Vision Enhancement (Rating 3)
+ Vision Magnification

Cyberears (Rating 3) - Only one; other damaged by getting shot in face.
+ Audio Enhancement (Rating 3)
+ Damper
+ Select Sound Filter (Rating 6)
+ Spatial Recognizer

Attention Coprocessor
Orientation System

All standard grade.
You can see that there were skillwired, bone lacing, and lots of bioware, but none salvageable.
You can fence this stuff per normal rules.

Long or short, need some IC account of digging this stuff out of the body.

Hack coming soon - hopefully tonight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOps. Wasn't thinking about resale value when Jack was trying to save his ass and protect Krait

Jack - wouldn't be too hard on myself - no one in the party thought of cyber salvage when Conall was chopping the body into tiny pieces...

Hack resolution -

Was very tempted to IC this - but that would be too much running your character. But did want to get some flavor of the node in.
So I'll try to provide some detail below for you to work into your IC as you see fit.
The following assumes that you are hacking in personally, but with your Agent on board your commlink and handling most tasks??? If the agent is solo, you can adjust the IC accordingly.

After your three hours of probing, you have found an Exploit for Security Access.

Externally, the node is sleek and beautiful. Unlike some commercial nodes, it is not festooned with aggressive advertising agents and icons.

Once inside, however (to get into the MSP node that hosts actual service users, you have to already be in the public access sales node), it is like you are in a really upscale, high-tech mall, where every shop is a unique service plan. Although a lot of traffic is going in and out of the main doors, once people enter a particular shop, they sort of fade out - individual customers are transferred to customer service sub-nodes, so that customers are never put off by the appearance of a crowded "shop."

There is an employees only door at the far end of the mall. That is what you will have to probe - but it is easy for your agent to spend the three hours hanging around, because of the heavy traffic in the main mall.

Once the Probe is finished, a final Analyze finds no Alert and no Databombs, but does reveal that the node has Node Encryption. It takes you 12 seconds to Decrypt in order to allow Access.

You access the node - just go through the Employees Only door into a service hallway.
Your analyze reveals a Alert, and you are met by two other Users - both are anime-like fox-people, one a very sexy female - she's in front, the other a slick male fox-dude. Their demeanor is polite but firm as they block your path. The female is scrutinizing you carefully - almost as though she is checking out how hot you are (???what does your persona look like?). The boy fox says from behind her, "I'm sorry sir, but we seem to have a glitch in the portal. You know the procedure."

Just a joke dude, just a joke.

Holy Smokes I've been posting for a year now.

Well, I thought about it, but no one stopped Conall... and he sure as hell didn't care

Well, I'm here and ready to rock. Seems not much has happened over the 60 hours or so since my last post. I will TRY to get two MORE bumps for this week, but can only guarantee one.

Hey, very sorry, that I didn´t have time to post, this WE. Will try to put a post up an intelligable, before I fall asleep...

No worries - I certainly didn't mean to sound critical (that would be the pot calling the kettle black!). Just checking in!

Ok, before spending all my time tonight on an IC, that I won´t finish anyway, I thought, I´d rather outline my next steps OOC and leave the Icing for later, so you can move on.

Since I rushed this a bit and didn´t research the proper Icon Metaphor, I´ll most likely ware an inappropriate Icon – A fairly bland human person in modern, but unobstrusive, cowboy-style clothing (hat, duster, boots, moustache, etc) - not at all an style John has ever worn on the Matrix or in RL.

First, I want to Analyze Foxdude (Simple Action, p. 217, 4 hits looking for Access ID, Icon type (Agent/IC or User – Standard, Security or Admin), System/Pilot Rating and current Action)

Second –or rather simultaneously- I´m going to answer to Foxdude (Free Action, Etiquette to put user at ease and improve disposition, p. 121, Charisma+Etiquette vs Charisma+Perception, 7 hits (please apply negative modifires, as you see fit), Disposition +1 step per net hit) Sayning something like “Of course, we are all just doing your job!�

Third, I want to Analyze Foxy Girl (Simple Action, p. 217, 6 hits looking for current Action, Icon type (Agent/IC or User – Standard, Security or Admin), Access ID, System/Pilot Rating and Loaded Programs/Ratings)

Well there's nothing like being a bored ork.

Jack decides to pass the time by pulling up his mapsoft program and putting some thought into the task ahead. We know that Kenichi takes a different route each day. What Jack wants to figure out is, that being the case, is there a location that provides a good sniper overview of all the various routes that Kenichi could take through the bottleneck area.



Jack's thought is twofold: if we find this kind of location we might be able to short circuit any overwatch Kenichi has for the routes, and it may enable us to find a good location for spying on him from a distance.

MK - I don't think access ID is something you can pull off an Icon just with an analyze - if you can find something that says I am wrong, please so show me. Access ID is something used to log on, and I don't see an indication that it would have to be visible at all times. In any case, your query on Icon type shows you that this is a user with security clearance - and as a human he definitely would not be so careless with his ID. His current action is Analyzing you.

You can do your Free Action, but I can only give you Charisma and half your First Impression dice - not sure if that applies at all to an icon, especially an intentionally disquised one, but I will be generous. You are certainly welcome to use your Etiquette skill, but Use Skill is a complex action - you have be at least giving it enough thought to not also be running to Analyze operations in three seconds.
So you are left with 2 successes after the negative mods.

The second Analyze shows an IC which is Analyzing you also. It is rating 3 and has Analyze loaded. Same thing on the Access ID - I just don't read it as something you could get with an Analyze - but I remain ready to be proven wrong with a RAW reference.

The male fox says: "Thank you for understanding sir. We'll see you and that big old agent of yours after you exit and repeat the log-on procedure...Per our SOP, of course."

Jack - The dice pool your worked out looks reasonable. I am not sure there will be one single place that overlooks all possible routes, but you can find a tall apartment building that, provided you move around the roof quite a bit, can provide sightlines on most of the streets through the bottleneck area.

Silly double-post.

@Vegas
Since we've been given Adamu's OK on the house hunting thing, how do you want to go about it?

Good. Now Jack will do a search to find out any public knowledge regarding the building. I'll figure out what I need to roll and make that roll when I get home tonight.

@Access ID
I can´t blame you, the writing of the Matrix chapter really sucks!

For the IC, also see

We could discuss more about access IDs and how essential and ubiquitous they are in any Matrix interaction, but I think this solves our temporarily diverging interpretations and should bring us on the same page. Also note, that after logged on to an account, a user can not spoof his ID (spoofing the data trail, as opposed to spoofing commands), without severing the connection to that account (sory, no page reference, but I will look it up, if you want to).

@Social Skill Roll
I am sorry about overlooking, that the Social Roll would of course need a Complex action. If that´s ok, I´d like to use the following Complex action to do that, otherwise, I´d use the next complex action to make a new Etiquette roll for the same purpose (your call if there would be -2 dicepool mod, or using the skill that time would make it an entirely fresh start).

We could go through everything IP by IP, but I´m not intending to start a fight or solve this scene through superior Hacking, so that may not be necessary. My intention is to talk my way through this (details in coming IC post – tomorrow or the or so). The following comments in “� are just to illustrate which rout I´ll take, the actual wording will come in the IC, but I want to take it short here, so please don´t put too much weight on them. The big theme is, that I´m going to pose as a UCAS Marshal Matrix operative hunting a dangerous Technomancer (I want to ride the paranoia here, IIRC this is already high as of our time), that´s disguised as one of the MSP´s customers to infiltrate the node and harm it´s customers. None of the rolls below account for any modifiers (positive or negative), except for First Impression (which you may want to divide by 2). Please subtract rolled dice or roll additional ones, as needed.

To this end, I made the Etiquette Check (to improve the sec hackers disposition (probably suspicious or even prejudiced) by one step per net hit (up to neutral or friendly) p. 121 & 122, vs Perception+Charisma, as stated before, got 4 hits on a second roll, if needed – not accounting for modifiers).

Next comes the Con, which is essential for my plan (7 hits vs Con or Negotiation+Charisma, p. 120). If I get less then 6 hits after modiers, I´ll use edge to re-roll non-hits. “Me UCAS Marshal hunting dangerous Technomancer-Terrorist that has infiltrated the MSP�

Then I´ll use Negotiation (4 hits vs Negotiation+Charisma, p. 120), to make the desired result of my following Leadership Test more desirable (or at least less undesirable) to the Hacker (turning it from annoying (I´m only going to track one fake customer after all), to advantageous or at least of no value). “You will be a hero if you help me – you will get trouble if you don´t�.

Finally, Leadership should allow me, to command the Security Hacker, to let me Track the ‘Technomancer’, -“All the appropriate paperwork is on the way and will be handed out afterwards, but the guy will harm people and escape if we wait till it´s done� (Law skill should help here)- without talking to anyone else, -“The TM could monitor all the connections�. (5 hits +1 with Law / 2 vs Leadership+Willpower, p. 120). If I get less than 6 hits after modifiers, I want to spend 1 Edge to re-roll non-hits.

If Leadership fails or the Hacker want´s to throw me out, before I have told my story, I will try Intimidation as a last resort (“I could have sliced my way through the IC and your brain, but I´m the nice guy and you better let me have my way, or you will get heat from the Marshal Service for hindering an important investigation� *this of cause implies, that I still could do so, if I don´t meet my ends the smooth way*), remember to include ‘character is wielding a weapon’, as I´d make sure, the hacker sees my nice Black Hammer Utility, if I have to get that far. My 6/6/6/6 comlink might also count as physically imposing. (3 hits +1 w Law / 2 vs Intimidation+Willpower, p. 120). If I haven´t used Edge more than once, in this encounter, I´ll use Edge, to re-roll non-hits. I will try to apply my Law Skill to support this roll.

…and by tonight I really mean a day and a half later. But since adamu is only posting twice a week I figure no big whoop.

Golly, MK certainly puts a gm through a lot of complex matrix decisions, not so with me.

Having read over the search rules I’ve decided that Jack will get a bit more ambitious and try to find building plans and who does security for the building.

Jack - longest Data Search interval is 1 minute for full matrix. Just going longer simply puts you up against the upper limit at which your efforts are effective, represented by the limit on Extended Tests. You mentioned house rules, and relatively new to the campaign you would not yet know that we have formally adopted the suggestion near the bottom of first column on p. 58 - limit on tests is same as dice in the pool.

(Again, if I have overlooked a rule on spending extra time per interval, so let me know!)

So for each search, since you have very correctly calculated your pool at two dice, you get to roll twice. So your initial two questions take four minutes. You can RP that Jack spends longer, but in game terms that is as far as he can go.

So for the two tests you got two successes and one success (the good news is that you didn't get into any of your Glitch or Critical Glitch rolls - always a serious danger in low-pool tests). Both are easy threshholds, but I fear the that is still a 4 (and I hear those threshholds have been doubled in the new rules...??).

So Jack does not yet get any info on either question.

EDIT: But you know, even one success is good enough for the security company, as they would prominently advertise it - effective deterrent plus self-promotion, so one success is really all you need - Bloch Security.

MK - thanks for the rules clarficiation. So you got the Access IDs - I have read about those things, but I need to study about them more (and it would help if I understood real computers - it's pretty easy to tell by the relative complexity of the matrix rules which area of the game corresponding to real life the devs are most familiar with!!!).

I won't impose the -2 penalty for your Etiquette test on the next combat turn.

Strong plan, but cursed with many a negative modifier. And I am not sure the Negotiation step added anything, though it didn't hurt you.
You cleared six net successes on the Con, with is as you know 50% above a critical success. Sets you up nicely for the Leadership test, and I agree that your Law knowledge is a valid complementary skill (there's another house rule for you Jack - we are using complementary skills pretty much straight out of SR3). The law dice were just enough for you to squeak into the 6-net-success range for the Leadership test withoug using any Edge in this encounter. The Intimidation test was never needed.

So for your IC, the guy does not actually assist you or give you any additional passcodes - you already have sec clearance, and he couldn't give you admin if he wanted to - but he believes you from the start, and he gets out of your way, as does the IC. He cleverly lets you know that it is against protocol to devote all resources to one particular threat while leaving other areas unmonitored, so he is going back to his control center to keep an overall eye out from there. Before he leaves, he asks if you would like an alert sounded, and if you need the assistance of the she-fox - Watanabe Electric Kitsune.

From this point, you can do mostly whatever basic stuff you would like in here. But I will need to know the things you do, as I will decide if you do anything to revive his suspicion.

Rest of the hack will come with the next IC.

So how are we going to procede? Jack will need some time to put together the movement-pattern..

Jack will need some time on the movement pattern and will likely ask Conall for help, since he has a more military background than Jack.

@adamu--Regarding complementary skills, I must confess that I do not own a copy of SR3. Further information would be appreciated.

I'll now dash off a quick IC.

@Vegas
Vegas?

Sorry - Internet crashed AGAIN. This is getting very frustrating, but it is a good object lesson in socialism.

Have staked out a big block of time 24 from now in which to get caught up.

working on the 2nd IC. I don´t want to cause sec guy any trouble. All I want to do is take a look at Kenichi´s customer information, plant a tap (intercept all his traffic going through the MSP) and of course track him - maybe clean the logs in the end, but I´m not too sure about that, yet, since the sec hacker probably has his own logs anyway. Working on the rolls and refferences ...

I should have announced that I am on vacation all of this week. Check ins will be sporadic at best. Sorry guys.

I´ll reassure the fox-dude, that I will restraign my actions to the account in question and don´t want to stress his resources, so don´t take along the foxy babe.

Datasearch for Kenichi´s customer profile:
-(p. 219, Datasearch+Brows, buying 2 hits/IP for max. 22 hits in 6 CT)
-buying decryption hits if necessary (p. 225, Response+Decryption, 2 hits per interval, max. 18 hits)

Intercept Traffic (p. 224) recording everything
-locate traffic flow (Computer+Brows, 5 hits)
-eavesdrop (Hacking+Sniffer, 5 hits)
- buying decryption hits if necessary (p. 225, Response+Decryption, 2 hits per interval, max. 18 hits)
-I may want to block or manipulate stuff later, but I can´t possibly fathom, when this would be, have to decide that case by case…

Track (p. 219, Computer+Track-Target Stealth, 10, 1 IP –if kenichi isn´t running stealth, I´ll buy 10 hits in 3 CT otherwise, w/o subtracting stealth, I got 1, 6, 3, 2 & 1 hits (if his stealth is 3 or less, I´ll have him in 3 CT, otherwise, I´d have to retry)



P.S.: I´ll be offline from sat to mon, as well!

Well, here I am five days past the promised bump, and no more time than before.

People, I don't have to tell you all what a half-assed job I've been doing as GM for basically the last year.
Some issues with the boards here, but none with you all - you are all aces, and I have appreciated both your enthusiasm and your patience.

The main thing is that the Time Taking Trinity of Work/Family/Church have got me just crazy crazy busy. I am doing too many things, and the result is that I am doing none of them well. Either something has to give, or I have to reorganize things to be more efficient.

It has gotten to a point where I still love SR, but don't love playing because I am always under time pressure.

But there is so much that seems like it is ABOUT to happen in both the games I GM (not to mention my long-term schemes), that I am not yet beaten - I do not want to quit GMing these games.

So, if you will be patient, my current plan is as follows.
Through the end of May, my posting will happen when it happens, which may be some but certainly not much.
My target is to try to get the Trinity into some sort of a controllable system and catch up on some big projects, and hopefully be able to resume reliably posting twice a week from the beginning of June.

This might cost us some momentum, but then my scant posting has already pretty much done that anyway. This is the only plan I can think of to avoid just scrapping the campaign, which I really don't want to do.

Sorry to hear that you are so bussy!

Happy to hear, that you are going to keep fighting the good fight

If I am abled to help in any way -patients, game support, babysitting- I´d be happy to do so! (well, the third example probably won´t happen any time soon, unless you got an rc controlled nanny-bot)

EDIT: I meant 'patience', of course

@adamu--I too have been feeling the time crunch. Work, art and the new puppy have really been dragging me down. I also gave some thought to scrapping my participation in the campaign but decided that like you I just need to get more organized. I don't doubt that my level of posting will be slower than previously (actually my level of checking in will be slower) posting will probably be unaffected.