My overall sentiments.

I'd rather DV be introduced in the way that both you and he like best, and not as Angel outsourcing some of her work and pulling a "Cerberus" () on us as we're about to go into danger - putting us in the hands of a rookie that we knew less-well than we know her.

I liked the idea of Smith shopping for a new hacker once Angel bailed (or took up the FBI offer for protection), but have made my peace with it not happening. If you have other ideas, they will probably be more interesting, and potentially contribute to the general plot of everything that is going on around us (like the FBI hinting to Angel that she was in danger). One way or another, signing on a new member mid-mission sounds risky, and Smith (and I am sure the rest of the team) would like to meet and talk to him before he signs his contract to make sure he's "cool". Some of us are exceptionally paranoid (looking at you, Fort), and others just like feeling like they're in charge (Smith).

That said, if something out of our control were to happen to Angel overnight, we would suddenly be a lot more accepting of help from any hacker we thought we could trust enough to come bail us out of trouble.

More thoughts on Smith's half of the job (which I am happy to start, soon), but I have to run (for the night) I'll post in the morning.

I'm good either way.

JD

Okay, three out of four weighing in, with one abstention and two in favor of keeping things a bit more organic/less forced with DV's entry. Resolved.

With pragma saying Fort can handle some of those Angel functions, pragma, why don't you copy BH's admirable bullet-point effort into a new post with Fort taking some of the load, and I can take it from there.

BH, in the meantime, can send me a bullet-point outline of what he will be doing in the meantime.

In the real world, I will be working on DV's character and we will decide on the best way for him to enter the game sometime between completion of this busy prep-night and the night of the actual run. I agree it may be smoother if, during the intervening day, there is time for some introduction/role-playing, as opposed to having him thrust on you right in the middle of your triple-heist.

Updated a few things to ease the burden on Angel. She's exclusively in charge of hacking the cameras at the first site. She's still kind of critical to get the drone to drive itself away plan at the second.

Also, assume that whenever Fort uses a power he tries as hard as he can to scrub the signature.

-- Site 1 --
* Fort ditches the earth elemental (though it pains him to do so) and replaces it with a spirit of man who knows control emotions
* Team arrives at the radar site
* Truck keeps distance, Love machine gets close enough for step 3
* Sledge catches a security team on her eyes and feeds the images to Fortunato
* Angel hacks their telepresent security system, and feeds the data to the team, while (hopefully subtly) setting up blind spots (or sprites prepared to do some on-the-fly editing) for the team to move the Love Machine as close as possible to the radar (since its too big to transport in anything smaller than the van, I assume it won't be easy to carry out by hand).
* Fortunato makes disguises for Sledge and Rocky, so they appear to be security
* Rocky and Sledge move onto the site, and make their way towards the radar
* Fortunato creates distraction on camera, at far side of site using the spirit's control emotions power and influence power, drawing physical security that way.
* Sledge pulls the Love Machine up to the radar (under spirit concealment if possible), while Rocky takes care of (via karate chops) any physical security in the area
* Rocky loads the van (with help, if needed)
* Everyone takes the van to get out of there, and meets up at the truck

-- Site 2 --
* Everyone moves on to the next site
* Site two, security is low, and Sledge knows the location of the hut where everything should be kept
* Truck drives nearby, but not on site
* Angel hacks the cutter, which should be self-propelled and hopefully drone-outfitted (sensors and everything).
* Angel uses the sensors to look around, and see if the cutter can leave the site on its own (cutting through the fence if necessary?)
* Angel drives the cutter off-site and meets up with the truck, where it attaches to the trialer hitch (or Rocky loads it on). She does this under the concealment of the spirit.
* Team drives away.

-- Notes --
* If the drone-cutter is restrained, or offline, Fortunato creates more disguises, and either Sledge or Rocky moves on site to turn on or unrestrain the cutter.
* Another option would be to send a spirit, who could go there invisibly, then physically manifest to either flip the switch, or break the chain or whatever. Only problem here is that the spirit will have a hard time understanding the technology, and knowing what it needs to do.
* Spirit concealment could be used to expedite the retreat from any of the sites.

Bullet points for Smith are about the same as the paragraph description - since if things work or fail miserably at any point, he'll have to adapt. But...

* Step one, call mechanic contact, and ask if he has a large warehouse that I could rent to store a borrowed truck overnight.
* If he does, perfect. I'll negotiate a good price, but this is probably the overall best bet.
* Assuming that fails, call around to shady sounding warehouses in the area to see if I could get a passcode for the night with few questions asked and no SIN
* If this works, the price will probably be higher, but will probably involve more overnight risk. We could show up tomorrow and find the truck gone, and would pretty much be counting on the place's street cred to keep them honest.
* Assuming that fails, try calling Francesca DelGato, for the same favor.
* Assuming that fails, consider calling Franco Balducci for the same favor.

An absolute last resort would be to try to set up an agent or a sprite, or the truck's on board pilot to make an all-night drive. It'll burn up a lot of gas, but the spoof chip should keep it from being tracked, and the gas-tank should hold out. We'll need to refuel in the morning, before the job.

THe problems here is that if anyone spots the vehicle, and suspects anything is up, and they pull over the unmanned vehicle, we won't find out about it for a while - although according to unwired, TMs can be online while sleeping so that they can receive alerts from people online... so maybe a sprite or the pilot itself could warn them if something like that comes up so one of us could log in and deal with it manually.

Smith would still be okay with trying his hand at hacking either of these sites (prefering Site 2) if there was any good IC reason to not have Angel do it (Like, if she gets all faded, dumpshocked, or brain-fried from the first, more dangerous hack). I'm not suggesting that it is a good idea to have Smith hack the second site, but if we're looking to further reduce our dependency on an NPC, that is one way to go about it.

Sledge doesn't explicitly have a camera. No cybereyes, and her commlink is implanted. we can pretty much use any other device w/sensors if it's just for observation. On the other hand, a camera is cheap, but we don't necessarily have time right now.

Sledge has the skill to pilot construction equipment, she'll be better then Angel at remote piloting it.

Thanks pragma and BlackHat for the detailed plans. Sounds like there is still some debate/possible revision in the works though, so I will hold off just a bit.

Okay - I need some clarifications.

*Assuming a place for the truck can possibly be arranged with the first phone call, where is Smith during all this. And is he or is he not replacing Angel on the Site 2 hack?

*Once the cutter is hacked, is Sledge or Angel going to remote pilot it?

*What will you do about the guard spotting for Fort, since Sledge has no camera? And why does Fort need the spotter? I don't have your sheet with me, pragma, but if you can see the team members to cast the spell, wouldn't you be close enough to where they are to see the guards yourself?

* Note that I am basing everyone's location on the IC transportation-order post, that we agreed was acted upon (although no IC up yet for it actually happening).
That has Fort and Rocky in the truck, which your plan has keeping its distance (how far?) from the GPR site. Sledge and Angel are in the Love Machine. But Sledge and Rocky are the ones going in....

*As noted earlier:
- The GPR isn't insanely large - troll- or two-man-portable.
- The cutter is not in a hut, it is outdoors.

Give me official (and someone make an executive decision for us) clarifications on those unclear points above, and I will have what I need to make rulings.

EDIT - wow, reading the above I sound all pissy. Not my intention, just trying to get home. All these plans are great, and even though we are still moving at forum-game pace, it will come out a lot faster than the conventional approach to these mini-runs.

I'm fine with doing the Site 2 hack *IF* there is an IC reason provided why it would make sense to do so. Angel can hack circles around Smith, so unless she's busy doing something else, or gets all Black ICd at site 1, it doesn't make a lot of sense to suggest that Smith do it, while she plays on MySpace from the truck.

Smith can probably also do it from offsite if he's still off arranging a warehouse or something, and hasn't had time to meet up with the team.

Edit: Forgot to address the question of where Smith would be if the first call worked. He would probably drop his bike off at his dorm, catch a bus off campus, and a taxi the rest of the way to the general area of the team. Then I suppose he would walk to someplace near the site to wait until they were ready to leave Site 1 and have them pick him up on the way to Site 2.


Up to them, and what skill it would use (Ground Vehicle? or Exotic Vehicle?) and who has that skill. From what I can tell, neither of them have any vehicle skills (looking at the wiki) but Sledge has the better reaction for defaulting. If its a drone, it can probably pilot itself, but probably only at 1-3 dice. Sledge seems like the best choice.


My original idea had Angel using the security cameras just so the team didn't have to get close to the guards until they were already disguised. If Sledge has to get close enough to take a picture (which isn't even possible at the moment), Fort could pretty easily eyeball the guard himself, I think - though if Angel is in the system anyway, cleaning the images, she might as well forward an image of the security guards, anyway.


Good catch. There was no rhyme or reason to the seating order I offered. I was just making decisions for the sake of having them made. Makes sense, given our more fleshed out plan, to have Rocky and Angel drive the LM, and Angel and Fort ride in the truck.


Hope that helped.

Sledge has Pilot Exotic Vehicle - Construction Equipment (Reaction) 3

Ah, must have missed that. That sounds perfect, you should definitely do the driving.

Just forewarning. I've got a couple critical weeks on a RL project, followed by GenCon, soooo I can keep up the reading, but not as much time to write.

First the easy part -

Mechanic dude has a space for the truck - starts at Y300 a night, but you can get him down to Y150. It's just a small empty brick building in Georgetown behind an abandoned (but probably not empty) brewery. No utilities, but he guarantees no one will bother you as long as you are paid up. Metal roll up door sticks, but Rocky can handle it (no, not automated).
Note that he had to put you on hold for five minutes before offering you the place.

Per your plan, BlackHat, Smith should be back around the time everyone else (maybe) gets the GPR.

GPR SITE.

A few things were never stated only suggested, but I will assume what seems to have been the intention, including how you arrive.
Following based on comparison of plan with posted and unposted site descriptions. I am handwaving anything that would be so easy based on your dice pools that rolling is a bore. For the actions in your plan, that is pretty much everything, which I imagine was intentional.

You approach site, where Angel's sprite remains in control of onsite security (cameras, manifests, gate control). She walks into that system and adjusts things so the cameras will show what she wants them to, and she prepares to alter the manifest so that it doesn't list the GPR.

That set up with a new sprite, she gets into the telepresent drone, confirms it is currently on remote, and makes sure it sees what she tells the onsite cameras to see. She says she is prepared to block access if anyone offsite tries to get into the drone.

Love Machine moves in fairly close with Angel and Sledge. Rocky drives truck to somewhere a block away, out of site, but first passes by the site so that Fort, riding shotgun, can see the guards' uniforms.

Fort releases earth spirit, calls new spirit as declared - I need you to roll that pragma so I can know force and services.

Rocky and Fort move to Love Machine on foot.

Inside, Fort casts spells on the ork and troll. Then sends spirit to distract guards on other side of place (one service). Once he knows the guards are investigating something compellingly vague and mysterious (control emotions stuff - pragma I don't have your sheet here, but I assume you know that spell, or else the spirit can't know it - but Influence will work, which it can have), Angel opens the gate and the van rolls in, concealed if the spirit has a second service, undetected by cameras on or off site.

Rocky and Sledge, disquised as rent-a-cops, go to door. There is a keypad and an intercom. Angel says neither is online.

Okay, from there we proceed in real time until I decide we can get back to your plan.

But no going forward until I get IC posts getting us up to that point!!!

JD - sounds like Sledge is right beside you - need you to steer her where necessary until we hear from Dire that he is back with us.

I'll get an IC up coverign Smith's activities up until that point in a couple of hours. Any idea what the time-stamp advance should be? (Or did I miss that, above?)

Edit: Also, did Smith ever catch the name of htis mechanic? or is his still the Anonymous Mechanic?

BH - per my last post, your back-to-the-dorm run I guesstimate as putting you back with the team at the conclusion of the GPR heist. Since that may not be finished for a bit, and I certainly done want to discourage your IC post, why don't you just leave your time-stamp blank for now and we'll edit it in later.

Eddie introduced himself to you as Eddie during your first tete-a-tete.

Also, what is in the area of the graveyard. Assuming everything goes off as planned, Smith will be taking a taxi near that area, then walking a ways (just so the taxi isn't taken directly to the crime scene) and will be keeping his eyes open for places he can loiter until the team is ready to pick him up.

For now, I'm posting up until I should be arriving there, so I can fill it in with the timestamp, and details of the location when it is time to do so. I just wasn't sure if the area was residential, or a barren construction site, or what.

As noted earlier, upscale residential hill overlooking the Sound.

Two layers of cemetery on a green hillside with a view of the water for Grandma.

Up for redevelopment, but in the 6th World - where Poltergeist scenarios are reality - you gotta be real careful about getting all the remains properly exhumed. Hence the GPR onsite.

So all around are upscale residences. No demand for busses with these people, so you'll probably need a taxi.

As for hanging out, there may be one intersection nearby with an open-late gourmet food store and an antique shop or boutique, all in converted houses so as not to look like a commercial area.

Sounds good. When the GPR team is close to heading out, I'll post up something about the place, and fix the timestamps.

Ok, belive it or not I'm still alive and kicking. Sorry about disappearing for a little while.

So as I understand some direction in detail is needed from me on how Rocky & Sledge are going to continue with the heist of the GPR, correct?

So the keypad and intercom are hardwired, correct?

Also are we looking for an IC post up to this point or waiting for one big one at the end of the GPR heist, kinda like the truck?

I'm on the way out to a meeting this afternoon but hope to be able to review the progress of the plan so far and submit R & S's continued actions later tonight.

Anyone have suggestions on what skills Sledge may have to help with this issue? IF not I'll look at the Wiki later.

JD

Sledge has a hammer?

Summoning a force 5 spirit of man:
Summoning # dice 11:: 5 6 1 6 4 6 4 1 2 4 3 -- 4 hits
Resist # dice 5:: 1 6 6 4 2 -- 2 hits
Drain # dice 12:: 2 3 3 2 4 4 4 6 1 2 4 1 -- 1 hit

For a net of 2 services and 2 boxes of drain. I really could have used a third service just in case, but I guess this will have to do.

@adamu - Fort does have control emotions as a spell.
RE: keypad - Sledge has a little hardware skill and a lot of edge. That said, if the alarms not onlined the worst it can be hooked to is something in the Quonset hut (an alarm?) smashing it might not be too bad.

Sledge has an Edge attribute that is high... but it's been almost entirely used up.

Right, forgot you were stabbed extensively. If Sledge whined about it more maybe people wouldn't ask her so many annoying questions about how to open doors.

Am I correct in holding off on IC until we resolve the keypad business?

Some ideas:
* Abort for now, wait for Smith, use his jammer on the keypad then smash door
* Smash something that's not the keypad, a window or a sidewall of the quonset hut (between Sledge, Rocky and a construction site full of tools, I imagine a lot of destruction could be leveled at the side of the hut)
* Drop concealment and summon an earth elemental for the smashing
* Find guard (astrally or by asking the spirit where he sent them) and interrogate for the quonset hut code. Then knock unconscious and hide. This requires Angel to make 100% sure no commlink or radio messages go out from him.
* Drop concealment and resummon spirit in order to use the influence power on a guard so he'll open the hut.

Answer is a few posts up:




Everything up to the keypad is now resolved, so there is no reason not to catch up on the IC before it gets so long ago no one can remember what's happened.

You can tag-team it, or overlap from own POVs or serialize it in bite-sized chunks, or whatever else makes it easy & fun instead of a chore, but I count on you guys to keep some artistry in this game until my life sorts itself out a little!!!

Angel tells you she has not found a node for them anywhere, and is getting no signal from them.

IC, she apologizes for not having noticed this earlier.

From behind the screen, a careful read of the IC posts from when you cased the joint might have helped as a tip-off, and I asked myself how many times Angel has broken into anywhere before, decided she could handle the computer stuff, but analysis of site security had best be left to the active players.

Yikes - ask for a little IC and all goes silent!

C'mon guys - IC is THE reason to play forum.

It is why even if I get into a table-top group I will still be here enduring the painful slowness of DS - because as fun and immediate as table-top is, it is about 90% OOC chatter and a bit of RP here and there.

Here in the forum, you can get those lines just right, you can show us your thoughts, you can make sure everyone appreciates all the cool shadowrunner stuff you are doing, you can bring some of the ambiance and grit to it that just doesn't survive intact into your friend's basement or the dorm lounge.

IC stands for Its so Cool!

Thus endeth the PSA.

Clue... I am at work today.

If Smith doesn't get a message back from the team by the time he makes it to the antique shop, he might have to start shopping around for some backup shadowrunners just to find out what happened to his previous team.

ok, that catches things up to current, at least from Rocky's perspective.

I think I got the times right, but if not let me know. I thought I remembered something about it taking around a hour to sweep the whole truck with the eraser.

Adamu - I owe you a addiction test for "today" but since it early I figured I would give it a little longer if thats cool.

JD

Way to go JD.

Times look fine.

My only accuracy comment is that I was under the impression Fort was checking out the guards' uniforms in order to make you and Sledge look like guards from the same company, not just make you look different with your real selves.
But either way okay - if I am wrong or you just want to leave it, that's fine. Alternatively, edit in the change.

The drug thing is fine - just so it gets taken care of sometime in the 24 before the actual Saturday night run starts.

At this point, everyone and anyone should feel free to write their own POV of any or all of JD's events. But that is optional - we are now free to move forward with actual play - so IC or OOC post forward anyone.

Dang guys - one little keypad has all your elaborate plans stymied???

All players green lit for action!

I am wearing out my GM player-prod.

But I know a lot of us are slowing down in preparation for Gen Con.

I myself will be out of touch from Monday night or maybe even Saturday.

Question about maglocks.

In order to bypass them, you generally have to make a check to remove the casing, and another check to rewire it, using an electronics kit - then, click, the door opens.

Given that, I don't suppose there are any outside access ports through which electronic devices could interface with it? I think generally, its a keyboard, or a card swiper, and not a standard dataport. Assuming we still removed the case, would wring the device to anotehr device that DOES have a wireless link - be any easier than bypassing the security?

It seems like, at least, that action wouldn't have as much to do with the maglock rating... and once done, would allow our hacker to reach it. I suspect that in this case, the rating of the maglock is not so high as to make that workaround pay off - but for future reference, would the idea make sense?

Sorry, was wanting to see if anyone else had any other ideas.

Rocky will do a quick circuit of the building to see what other entrances may be available and try to get an idea of what the walls are made of. As he's making the circuit he will let the rest of the group know what the hold up is and what he's seeing looking for suggestions.

What kinda rolls do you want for that?


Ideas... (not acting on currently)
Rocky can just kick the door down, grab the GPR and run for it. We should know where it is from its Wirless Signal that Angel picked up earlier I believe. Which should make finding it a little faster.


JD

Assuming you get the case off - which is one possible way to start defeating a maglock,

And assuming its hardware has the potential for wireless capability,

Activating the wireless capability would have a different difficulty level than the different task of electronically lying to the lock with a tool kit.

Whether easier or harder would mean a Hardware roll to know (but obviously and very unfortunately, you are the only PC not on scene...).

That's the hardass GM answer.
But personally I think it's good lateral problem solving.
How it stacks up against the prepared scenario, or whether the on-site PCs take your OOC advice, only the Shadow knows.

Again, I suspect that in this case, the maglock would be easier to defeat than the combination of the hardwiring and the subsequent hacking (except that our hacker is in NPC land).

Actually, I know Divine Virus suggested this same thing, but if you'd like someone to play Angel - I'm basically out of this scene, anyway. There might not be a whole lot she can do to move help things along, but I would be happy to use her to post some IC suggestions, ideas, whathaveyou.

JD - only roll you need for the action you described is Perception test. Infil if you are concerned about being seen. Or just mosey around in your (guard? alternate appearance that is just not you?) disguise. Up to you on that one. Sledge going with, or staying at door?

Angel says you are still invisible to all cameras (she knows about), that the two guards are still on the other side of the site dealing with the spirit, and that she is still controlling signals to and from off-site security.

Well the problem is even if we wanted to take the suggestions, I know for sure Rocky does not have the skills to do it and get the impression Sledge does not either. So to do that the person with the skills will need to show up.

Fort has mentioned using the jammer, but if its hardwired I don't think that would help any, unless I'm missing something.

JD

That is a sporting offer indeed.

If I wasn't scrambling between work and getting ready for the con, and more importantly, if I was posting from the comfort of my home with snacks and beverages and all my books and the music on - instead of this schlocky, jerry-rigged Internet cafe throwing together hurried Band-Aid posts to try to keep the thread going - I would definitely take you up on it.

But for now, I think the NPC thing is just easier for everyone.

I think Sledge has hardware skills. No idea if she has hardware tools or not.

ok, let me get that Perception test done.

Perception -
INTUITION (3) + Perception (3) = 6 dice
6, 6, 3, 5, 1, 5 = 4 hits

Sledge will stay near the door keeping an eye out for anyone unexpected.

And yes I believe the plan was to make us look like guards, I just did not IC that well. I'll try to get it fixed as soon as I can.

JD

Don't have her sheet here with me, but she is all into that former construction worker thing. But I think Dire is swamped with RL job stuff right now, and I know he also is gearing up for the Con, so that is why he has not been real active of late.

Basically, I am glad we are getting some posts in, and I am so ready to GM for the next two or three days, but the sad fact is that this current thing probably won't be resolved until after the Con.

But don't let that stop anyone posting, chatting, thinking, or even taking action.

I have JD's action - just waiting on those rolls...

I am not sure how up to date it is, but her initial sheet is here: http://hittingbottomdsf.wikispaces.com/Sledge

Per the Wiki she has 1 in Hardware / Logic 3 - so a DP of 4

Has a hardware toolkit listed in gear.

The question is going to be is that recent and is the tool kit on her or in the van, if not does us no good.

JD

Whoops - cross-post foot-in-mouth!

Okay - so knowing you plan to fix the IC, I will assume you both look like guards.

Your perception check tells you the hut is made of lightweight metal siding - thin, portable stuff.

As required by fire regs, there is a rear door, but it is flush with the doorjamb and no handle or lock or anything, just three cracks in the wall - obviously a fire door designed to only be opened from within.

You also hear music seeping out from the cracks.

Assume she brought it for a job like this.

The wiki - I could be checking that every time I am frustrated cuz I didn't bring the sheets...I just never think to.

Slowly, I will learn the ways of the digital.

Verrrrry slowly.

Understand the timing issues.

just seems like this is the way things go, but I'm sure as the summer winds down things will pick back up.

* * *

Ok, Rocky will move back around front and wave Sledge 10m or so off from the building and let herand the team know about back door / thin walls and most importantly music from inside. Still using the sub-vocal mic to speak.

Will comm the team to see if Angel can check for new wireless signals inside and see if maybe Fort can do the "ghost" thing to see if someone is hiding or a radio just got left on when the workers left.

JD

Can't speak for pragma and astral scouting.

Angel tartly replies that she will be happy to scan for hidden nodes in the quonset hut...just as soon as you tell her which of her other activities you'd like her to discontinue...

Well crap, ok I guess we wait and see if Fort can help us out before we start pulling her off her assigned tasks.

It looks like Sledge has a few skills as well as the needed programs on her comm. Can she do a quick scan for us? (understand you don't have full sheet to do it with right now, just want the idea out there before I forget it)

JD