Spirit's going to engulf and hold on for dear life. Using edge on the first melee attack in order to increase chances of dear life holding.

Spirit melee + edge: # dice: 15 :: 1 4 1 6 5 4 2 6 5 4 4 3 6 2 2 -- 5 successes
Exploding the 6's # dice: 3 :: 1 4 1 -- 0 successes

Some spell resistance (knock off the last three dice if, for some reason, he's not getting spell defense.
# dice: 8 :: 3 4 2 3 1 2 2 1 -- 0 successes
-- Let's hope the mage doesn't get his stunbolt off

Astral combat resistance: # dice: 10 :: 3 6 5 2 5 6 6 4 3 1 -- 5 successes
-- or that he starts to throw punches.

Regarding my use of edge -- I'm willing to use one point on this exchange with the spirit because I'd like to save one to dodge death at a later date. My priorities for this use of edge are
1. Prevent the spirit from engulfing the van
2. Escape the three points of drain

So, if adam sucessfully jumps the van out of the spirit's way or I, through some miracle, knock it out of the sky before it causes us trouble, I'll use the edge to reroll drain failures. That roll is included here.
# dice: 12 :: 2 2 5 6 2 6 3 5 3 5 2 3 -- 5 successes

Let's hope Adam can drive.

Well, the fact is that Smith got the initiative and was around the spirit before you could get your spell off. By the time your turn came up, the spirit was somewhere behind the van where you just can't get an LOS on it.

Then, however, on the second pass (assume you were holding for it to try the same trick), it comes back around in the astral to set up for another try. Since you are in Astral perception, it's all the same to you, so off goes the spell.

The spirit is still there. You use the Edge and beat the drain.

Your spirit has a firm grip on the mage - I had it use one more Edge to keep the grip when the mage tried to get away. You sense its confidence of eventual victory.

Like everyone else, feel free to IC.

Do I know an estimated range of those other two vehicles? My suspicion is that if I slow to "ramming speed" to nudge the wreckage aside, or carefully drive around it that they'll have plenty of time to come smash me. If I keep my current speed it will be a dangerous maneuver, and certainly some tests will be involved, especially where the elemental is concearned, but that the other two cars probably won't smash me as I pass by (unless they too are already close, and slamming on their brakes). Otherwise, the speed it would take to reach me would spell instant-death for everyone involved.

Maybe they are that crazy and devoted, but maybe not. I'm going to let myself believe that if I rush the intersection, they'll have to follow in my wake onto the highway, but that I will risk crashing into the wreck or the elemental. Of course, if I make it past, I'll already be up to speed on the highway and I am hoping the elemental will have trouble pulling this crap on a busy highway (unless he doesn't mind causing a ton of accidents, and I see no reason why it really would mind. Maybe its master does though.). Are those reasonable interpretations? and do I have the general layout correct?

Now that you have failed to hurt the spirit with your spell while it was flying around astrally, it occurred to me that you may well try again. Just wanted to let you know that by now it is on the other side of the burning wreck from you guys (until Smith goes around/through the wreck). Naturally once he clears it you'll have a clear LOS, but until then you face a -6 mod since you can barely see it. Not trying to assume or tell you what to do - just trying to speed things up by anticipating questions.

1 point of edge to go first (leaving 6 of 8). The plan is to hit the intersection before the two SUVs. If they speed up to sandwich me, they might crash if/when they miss *shrug*. Then I'm gonna hit the shoulder and try to weave around the wreckage, while simultaniously avoiding the rapidly materliazing elemental. Since I am not really planning to slow down (or if I do it'll be the sudden fatal sort) I am hoping that once again if I make it past the elemental I'll have make it far enough away that on its turn it won't have a lot of options besides going astral again.

Obviously, if I chose to slow down and go carefully, it could move up and get me, and the SUVs could either ram me, or move up and open fire... so I think the risk of speed is well worth it.

I'm going to effectivly be using the edge that I had planned to use for the ramming tests to try to avoid some collisions right here.

Now, for some rolls.

Evading the smashing Cars:
Reaction(4)+GroundV(1)+Handling(0)+VR(2)=7 dice. Since failure here = death for the whole team, it is totally worth it to use Edge (leaving 5 of 8). Total dice = 15
#D=15 : 363352222442152 n1=1 n6=1 nHit=3
#6=1 : 6 n1=1 n6=1 nHit=4
#6=1 : 4 n1=1 n6=0 nHit=4
So 4 hits.

Hitting the shoulder (going around wreck) at speed:(threshhold of 4)
Reaction(4)+GroundV(1)+Handling(0)+VR(2)=7 dice. High threshhold. Too high for 7 dice. Again, crashing at this speed = TPK, so I will use another point of Edge here (leaving 4 of 8) for a total of 15 dice.
#D=15 : 563641243516145 n1=3 n6=3 nHit=6
#6=3 : 656 n1=3 n6=2 nHit=9
#6=2 : 43 n1=3 n6=0 nHit=9
Total of 9 hits. Great, why could I have rolled this one first.

Lastly, a check to avoid an attack from the elemental: Same dice. Even though I think the consequences of failure are probably less severe for this roll, it still blew up a drone in one hit, and I'd rather not take any more penalties on the highway. So Edge again (Leaving 3 of 8).
#D=15 : 151122643621553 n1=4 n6=2 nHit=5
#6=2 : 66 n1=4 n6=2 nHit=7
#6=2 : 35 n1=4 n6=0 nHit=8
Nice. 8 Hits.

The team better be able to handle Louie without much help from me. ;-)
Also, let me know if my going first means I don't need to make either of those two rolls (or need to make some other roll instead, like a crash test instead of avoiding the initial collision or something). Basically, if I have any edge refunded due to the order of events, let me know, otherwise I'll keep in mind that I only have 3 left.

Sledge is just following along for now. Pilot checks needed?

One shot up SUV, two others ahead, plus two others joining the chase, that's 5, are there a couple other SUV to account for?

One option is to take a different direction then the van as the SUVs chase it, there are other ways out of this area, and the motorcycle is a little more maneuvarable then the SUV, and certainly the van. Is it reasonable to think that if the SUV aren't acting as road blocks, that it's possible to escape them without trying to outrun them on the highway?

Another possibility will be the dreaded melee against vehicles, Sledge may try to break windshields or otherwise impair the chasing SUV if it comes down to it,. Thought through some rules for that?

Could I use a watcher spirit to run interference for the van? I think that they're substantial on the astral, so that if one were running between the van and the fire elemental, the elemental would have to knock out the watcher (or move around it) in order to reach us. This is particularly appealing because the watcher could move at astral speeds while the elemental is bound to the speed of its physical form (though fast, not astral fast).

Precisely how the timing of this will work out is also something to consider. Let me know what's going on.

Its a useful delaying tactic until the edge enhanced air spirit can knock out the mage and hopefully make this guy uncontrolled. If not, it will be nice to have spirit backup.

If the delaying tactic could work, summoning a watcher with orders to run interference.
Summoning # dice: 8 :: 1 1 6 6 6 3 5 5 -- 5 successes
Drain # dice: 12 :: 4 2 6 3 6 1 5 1 3 2 1 5 -- 4 successes
-- can I willingly limit the watcher successes (to one) to be OK on drain? I'm not going to need him for more than an hour anyway (hell, he'll be lucky if he lasts three seconds.)

If interference won't work, slinging a spell (stunbolt, force 6 -- don't want physical drain even if it's going to take two shots to bring this guy down. Maybe it will distract him.)
# dice: 7 :: 5 6 3 5 2 6 1 -- 4 successes
# dice: 12 :: 3 2 2 1 5 4 1 1 6 6 2 2 -- 3 successes

Dude, there are two RAW ways a puny watcher can help you in the way you are asking about.
1) If it puts itself between the elemental and your vehicle, then the elemental has to move past it to engulf. Trying to pass within one meter of a hostile entitles the hostile to a melee attack with only a free action. And if the elemental takes damage from the watcher, that stops the elemental.
2) In order to successfully engulf, the elemental needs to succeed with a melee attack. If the watcher was "escorting" the van, then in would give BlackHat the "friend in melee bonus".
You cast a spell on the "dodge the elemental" combat turn. The next combat turn is going to be "dodge the wreck, the other SUVs, and the elemental, all in one turn" combat turn. With things moving so fast, Fort will have one complex action (barring buying another action with Edge, which you have indicated is being saved for a "don't die" moment). So it's your call whether you cast, conjure, or do something else. Word of caution on rules, though - summoning is a complex, commanding your summoned spirit takes a simple....

One more half-baked idea. Could Fort try to talk Adam past the fire elemental? I was wondering if using a simple as free to keep him posted on precisely where the elemental is would give him a dodge bonus. It would also let me command the air spirit if/when it shakes loose.

If not, I'll sling the spell. Upon review of the situation, it seems more intelligent to cast it at force 9 (if I don't knock the thing out of the sky then the spell is not going to be of any use).

If you want another roll, its included below:
# dice: 7 :: 3 5 1 1 2 2 6 -- 2 successes
# dice: 12 :: 5 4 4 1 2 1 2 2 6 5 2 5 -- 4 successes

I'm also curious how many IPs the air spirit had to chew on the mage -- by my calculations the mage should be disrupted if it had more than one However, my calculations have been known to be off in the past.

First, your idea about astrally spotting the materializing elemental for Smith is a cool one - I would totally give him a bonus on dodging around it. BUT - he is full-on VR right now (and getting huge bonuses for it), which makes him essentially deaf since the van's only audio pick-ups are on the door locks). On the other hand, while you might connect with him vs. the team network, you are in astral perception, which makes using AR real hard. The difference between Astral and VR is just too great for bonus-dice-level communication.

So you cast the spell - used the new roll since you changed the force (in this case I don't see the new roll as weaseling out of the first roll, since both were solid rolls). No drain, as you know. Whether the elemental would have survived it I did not even roll for actually, since right when you cast, your elemental kills/disrupts/whatever the other mage, and the elemental is outta dodge. So either way fireboy is gone, and you can fluff it any way you care to in the IC.

As for your Air spirit - he took four IPs (for him, two combat turns) to nuke the mage. 1 IP to engulf, which doesn't do damage on the same IP. The mage could have done a number of things, but he failed his composure check and so idiotically opted to just try and break free on all of his passes, which was doomed. But he does get a damage resistance check against the automatic 5P and 5S. So the few successes he got meant that by the 2nd IP of the second turn, he was pretty much done for, and then on that 2nd IP he is out. And the 2nd IP is when you were going to tangle with the fire elemental. So in the end, result is the same in game terms whether it was your spell or the thing just leaves - IC how you want.

Yes, there are alleys you could head down to avoid the target intersection. No test required. But if you want onto the freeway, the next onramps are three klicks in either direction....

And yes, there are at least seven other mob vehicles that were originally spotted by you guys that at this moment are unaccounted for.

If you just want to blow through the intersection after the van...the sandwiching SUVs were not actually targeting you, but they squeal to a stop in the intersection after missing the van. So that's two skidding SUVs, plus a burning SUV smack across the onramp entrance to get around. Your total piloting test threshhold for that is 4, fail and you crash.

If you want to melee an SUV with your hammer...melee resolution is per ramming rules - assume you start within your "walking distance". Success means you get to inflict your desired damage on the vehicle (-2 dice for called shot if you are going for the windshield) per RAW, but you do not have to take (half) crash damage yourself.
However, you do have to make a basic crash test in the aftermath of this maneuver - whether you succeed or fail.
Let me know what you want to do - along with an initiative roll.

Since I am not sure if it will come up this turn, or the next (depending on how far up the ramp my full-speed takes me this round), I may or may not need some sort of driving test to merge into highway traffic.
Reaction 4 + Ground Vehicles 1 + Handling (0) + VR(2) = 7 dice.
Considering I'm going at pretty normal highway speeds, I'm hoping the threshold won't be too bad, and wil lbe reduced by 1 for VRness, so I won't use edge here. Also, because I expect to use a bit more soon if we go into a chase.
#D=7 : 4535612 n1=1 n6=1 nHit=3

Assuming that even if Sledge did stay behind and lurk in an attempt to capture a mafia goon or find more information, it appears that that there will be enough SUVs and mafia folks to stay and guard and investigate(Or prevent Sledge's own investigation of) the burning wreck. It also seems likely that the burning wreck, and current maneuvers gives the Love Machine a lead, and the possibility that not all the vehicles will be able to chase the Love Machine onto the freeway. It's likely some vehicles will be able to follow the Love Machine, but not all, so that seems better overall. (Given Sledge's team orientation, if she was a lone wolf individual then it might be different.)

So Sledge will follow the Love Machine, and save the hammer for possibly delaying anyone that follows us onto the freeway.

Besides this way I can do a cool driving through flames on a motorcycle scene!

Pilot Ground 1 + Reaction 6 + Handling 2 + Edge 5= 14
5 hits =5 4 3 6 4 2 6 4 4 6 3 4 1 5 /(Reroll 6's) 2 4 3
EDGE 3/5 left

Requesting that the spirit use movement and concealment on the van and sledge's bike. The specific instructions I'm giving to the spirit are "get us out of here safely."

I was hoping someone on the team (or the Shadowrunner we saved) would direct me to somewhere they'd like to go to rest up or something (doubted any of the newbie Shadowrunenr's had a safe house, but I hired two pros). Without know where our new Shadowrunner friend lives, I can't go drop him off, and since OOC I know none of us have anywhere safe to lick our wounds (not that Louie has let us rest much since this whole thing started) we have the choice of either searching aroudn for a new safehouse, or striking at Louie quickly before he really has a chance to set up defenses (or notice what our new objective is).

Without any other directions, if forced to make a choice as to which way to go, Johnson would probably make a B-line for the target. I figure, he has no idea how to get a safehouse - and it has already been demonstrated that no matter how low profile you try to be, Louie has ways of finding you within hours. And, up until recently, he has seen the girl run, the trolls run, but has no real reason to think they might try to take him out.

Soon, he's going to get word that they've teamed up - and that they maybe just blew up his right hand man. That might give him reason to worry, and definatly gives him reason to make sure this gets taken care off sooner rather than later. So, I say we take what advantage we have and run with it. We know where he is, and he's probably not expecting us to drive through his restaurant walls at 300km/h with guns blazing.



So, if its to the north, we'll be going northbound. If its to the south, we'll be going southbound. If anyone else speaks up with a better idea for someplace to go, we can always turn around at the next not-mob-infested off-ramp.

I'd like to ease the drivers into the new speed by kicking it up to 1.5x, verifying it works for them, 2x, verifying etc. This assumes I can tell the spirit to alter the speed factor after it starts using the power. If that's not the case, just set speed to 2x and hope the concealment and sudden change in speed throw off pursuers.

the level of fine control you are talking about getting out of your spirit requires two things - a spirit that is cooperative (doesn't have big personal issues with you) and intelligent. You have both those things, so your plan is no problem. The gradual transition will aid the handling tests considerably.