@Circles of Power:

I've time jumped you to the Opera House so that you can meet up with JxJxA... you are arriving in time for the second half with plenty of opportunity to talk inside the box. Most of your entourage will lounge outside but one each inside sounds about right...


@Game Facers:
Ok, back to our list of assumptions / knowns here then:

• Our PCs are running on the Local Grid (I haven’t checked your sheets to confirm so shout if this isn’t true, or if you are running wireless OFF???)
• Our (n)PC decker is running on the host and Silk’s backup is also there
• Natasha won’t see the security devices on the host so will only detect hidden/silent icons of the runners, perhaps some security RFIDs and cars of semi paranoid owners. She finds xxxx (more on that in a bit!)
• The NPC foe decker is also on the host and for ease of my brain pan isn’t protecting his colleague’s devices. He may or may not be scanning for hidden icons coming down the stairs
• The other team are on the Local Grid too...who runs on the Public Grid??? Presumably you would need to scan the other grids separatly if there were hidden icons on them rather than the local...hmmm, worth splashing out for access to the corp grid in that case, makes you much harder to find! (Right???)
• Natasha needs to roll matrix perception (-2) vs Logic + Sleaze...now correct me if I'm wrong but only decks have sleaze don't they so it's against the logic of a random silent icon???

@Gameface

Okey dokey - got some clarification on the Matrix stuff (and a further question)

First off, want to issue an apology, because apparently I was wrong about the security devices slaved to a host.

The only icons that can be inside a host are IC icons, persona icons, Mark icons, living persona icons, sprite icons, agent icons - devices are not inside the host, they are outside. However, anyone in the host can still see them, since they are considered directly connected to the devices.

Here is a summary from Xenon on the Shadowrun forums:

"So, it look like a device icon will never be inside a host. It will always be out on the grid (but if slaved to a host - part of a WAN - it will use the host ratings when defending). You also have a direct connection to the device from within the host (don't have to fight the host ratings... but you first have to hack your way inside the host anyway).

That mean if you see a physical device you can also see it's matrix icon with augmented reality (unless running silent mode) and you can always interact with it even if it is slaved to a host (belong to a WAN). But if it is it might use host ratings when defending itself.


So the advantage of attacking a device directly from the grid is:
- That there will be no IC.

The disadvantages are
- The device will use host ratings while defending
- Security decker might still come after you even though you are out on the grid
- Devices defending themselves out on the grid will generate overwatch score for you.
- demiGODs can converge on you since you are out on the grid.
- Suffer noise penalties
- Suffer working across grids penalty

The advantages of attacking by the direct connection from within a host are:
- Device will not use the host ratings while defending.
- demiGODS can not converge on you (but host instantly get 3 marks on you)
- Don't suffer noise penalties while inside a host
- Don't suffer working across grid penalties while inside a host

The disadvantage being that:
- A host can, and will, run IC
- You first have to hack the host"



The upshot is that Slacker was correct (mea culpa again) the devices that are slaved to the host are still visible outside the host in AR or VR, and if they are running silently are a viable target that Natasha could pick up with her scan.

To answer your questions:

1) I am running on the local grid - which is Emerald City since we are in Seattle - and Emerald City is run by NeoNet. Can't speak for the others on the team.

2) Silk's backup and the NPC decker being in the host mean that although they can interact with the devices slaved to the Host, they cant interact with the icons outside the host (so for instance, the NPC can't Data Spike my commlink, because he is inside the host, and I'm not). He could, however, lock doors or move the elevator or Data Spike cameras that are devices slaved to the host. The fact that they are outside the host is trumped by the fact that they are slaved to it.

3) I am not sure (am asking for clarification) that the -2 for being on a different grid applies. If it did, you would have to specify which grid you were searching, and since there are at least 12 grids the person could be on (public, local, and the big 10 global grids) that would mean a lot of guesswork. Alternatively, if it applied and you could just say "Looking for silent icons within 100 meters", then you would have to roll twice, once with the -2 penalty for all icons NOT on the same grid as you, and once without the penalty for those on the same grid as you. Now, once you do find the icon, if you want to DO anything to it, (like Hack on the Fly, Data Spike, whatever), if you are on a different grid then you do take the -2 penalty. Will post what the answer is when I find it.

Now that that is all out of the way (which was helpful to me, and hopefully others), I have bad news (for me anyway). Apparently I somehow had a brain fart and was looking at Matrix Perception as a regular Perception check - ie Perception + Intuition - as opposed to what it actually is, which is Computer+Intuition. Since I don't have a Computer skill (although it is one I am allowed to default), I roll my Intuition -1. Since I take a further -2 penalty for running silent, that means I roll a whopping 1 die. I said I was taking the action, so here it is, and of course I critically glitch - serves me right, actually, for being wrong on the whole devices and host thing (not to mention screwing up the skill )

4) You are correct, that if you don't have a device slaved to a deck or a host, they only have a Logic rating, and so they are much easier to spot.

So let me know how you want the glitch to affect Natasha, and I'll be happy to write the IC post (or you can do it - however you feel more comfortable).

The whole different grid thing is so messy. Personally, I think it would be too big a pain in the ass to have players/gms trying to do Matrix Perceptions against each individual grid for that initial test to get the idea that there are silent icons out there. As such, I allow the initial Matrix Perception test to be across all grids and without the -2 penalty for being on a different grid. But RAW, Aria could certainly interpret it to otherwise.

For the opposed test though to identify/locate a specific silent running icon I make runners suffer the -2 grid penalty. You're going head to head with their system on that.

Oh and on commlink attributes, Lobo is right. They do not have Sleaze or Attack (though they do have Data Processing and Firewall).

For the critical glitch, I would totally have you convinced that you just spotted silent running icons for a full dozen cyber-zombies. That or you are utterly convinced that it's clear of any enemies and you assure everybody that you've beaten the opposition to the car park.
But I'm sure Aria can come up with something interesting for you to deal with.

These are good ideas - the one thing is I don't want it to really negatively impact my companions. I have no problem taking the critical glitch if it hurts me (I'm the one who screwed up the stat/skill combo after all) - but if it would hurt the others - i.e. my character says "Hey, the coast is clear" and then they go through the door and get shot, I would feel really bad - so I will happily spend an Edge point to reduce it to a glitch rather than a critical one.

Just let me know

I think that the chances are, paranoia being what it is, that you are convinced that your commlink is under attack by a hostile decker! Of course this may be a cunning GM double bluff and it may actually be under attack

Regarding the views from inside the host: the enemy decker can't see any icons that are on the grid when he's in the host? So he has no idea if someone is about to waltz up and trash his deck???

When he is connected through the matrix using his deck, his deck icon is subsumed into his persona icon. If his persona icon is inside the host, then no one can attack his persona/deck unless they are also inside the host with him.

Ah yes, I'd forgotten that part...really need to re-read the matrix rules again!

@Fast Food Fight: On training for work, don't have the PDF on me. On my turn, if still alive, I throw either a lightining ball or stun bolt at Vick, depending on which has better odds of hitting/hurting him. I think I can handle about Force 4 or 5 relatively safely? Well, it doesn't really matter, the dice hit me either way

@Game Facers: Anyone want to chime in? Little reluctant to forge ahead without a PC plan!

@Circles of Power: I'll start a new scene unless someone wants to jump on Gemeaux?

@FFF: Shall I post something about the stim patch?

I guess my question would be what do you want us to chime in on?

My understanding is that we are standing on one side of a door, and both Dog and I have made actual Perception tests, and I have made one glitchy Matrix Perception test, but you haven't actually told us what we see/fail to see.

It is hard to make a plan until we get a little more information as to what our characters are aware/unaware of.

Doh! Sorry, thought I'd responded to this already

Matrix perception: you're convinced your comm is under attack!
Physical perception: without opening the door there's not much you can see (yes, I am assuming you aren't pressing your face to the glass!)...it's damn dark in there, vague outlines of cars etc, no particular heat sigs (although the perceptive amongst you will have noticed the two you shot in the stairwell were in thermo/visual camo suits...

So, anyone got an endoscope? smartgun and cam to look round corners? A another good plan?!?

Okey Dokey,

Hard to know what to plan without knowing what people are carrying Apparently Dog didn't particularly care that we were meeting in an upscale hotel and brought along an SMG and a stun grenade (from his character sheet I'm guessing that was his flash-bang? which would mean he still has a pepper punch and thermal smoke available, although I'm not sure if he is carrying them). His Ingram smartgun certainly has a smartgun system. I have a smartgun link - you said there were an "array of vicious pistols" - I'm assuming there was a Pred V there, so I can look around corners as well.

Since both our magical guys are Mystic Adepts without Astral Projection, we can't have them go in and look

Natasha is ready to activate the flash pack and throw it through the door - if Mr. Smith could open the door with Magic Fingers, I can throw the flash pack through while Dog throws a thermal smoke grenade at the same time.

Should cover us enough that we can get into the parking lot where Violet and Mr. Smith could then spot the bad guys with their Astral Perception, and then mark the targets with AROs.

I had hoped Dog's perception test, based on smell instead of vision, would help with the "seeing" problem.

Since various characters said they couldn't do astral "things" to help Dog out, he didn't plant the flash-bang on the bodies like he had suggested. I'm not sure if a flash-pak will go off like a grenade, or has to be "aimed" ? Anywho, sounds like a solid plan whatever type of small, dangerous items get tossed in there

To use the Flash Pak you could do it with a Use Device simple action - either manually or wirelessly. It wouldn't detonate on impact.

Well, Stunbolt is more likely to hit because it is only resisted by Willpower, whereas Lightning Bolt gives Vic a chance to dive out of the way of it. However, stunbolt has a lot less potential for damage than the lightning bolt since stunbolt damage is based solely off the number of net hits you got and lightning bolt is Force + net hits.

Invisible Castle seems to be down again for me, so I'm using a different site to roll for you. on 11d6 you got only 2 hits [6, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3, 1]. For drain, you rolled 3 hits [1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6, 6, 2, 1] and take no damage.

For Vic, I'm being generous and rolled his defense for either if you cast stunbolt or lightning bolt and giving him the worst of the two rolls. So, it looks like you used lightning bolt against him. He got 0 hits to avoid it, leaving him to resist 7S (e) damage. He gets 5 hits on his damage resistance roll. So he only takes 2 stun damage, but now he needs to resist the secondary effect of electricity damage. So, he's not at a -1 to all actions for 1 combat turn and his init score is also immediately reduced by 5.

And now it's time for the second initiative pass which consists of the Spirit charging to attack Vic. It gets 3 hits to Vic's 1 hit in defense. So it bites down hard into his shoulder. Ouch, Vic only gets 5 hits on his defense and so takes another 5 boxes of damage.

Dipsy, the guy with the mop, sees Gentry light show of an attack against his boss and charges in to attack her with his mop. Unfortunately, Swift does not have enough init left or I would let her take and interrupt action to stop him. I'm going to say the advantage of the mop's reach is negated by the cover Gentry has. So no penalty or bonus to either of you.
Dipsy rolls 3 hits. Gentry needs to roll Reaction + Intuition to try avoiding the attack.

Next up is the businessman, who just shot at Vic. He fires again....and oh SNAP! Out of 4 dice he rolled 4 hits....and Vic didn't roll even a single success. You know what? I'm going to give the guy +2 damage for that critical success. So he just hit Vic for 10P damage with a dam hold-out pistol. Vic rolls only 4 hits to resist the damage which means he just took another 6 boxes of damage and goes down hard!

The businessman stands there utterly shocked, but a smile is slowing widening on his face.

For his trouble though, the office manager will cast a force 6 Agony on him, getting 3 hits. The business man fails to get any hits on his Willpower + Logic test. So he feels the illusion of 3 boxes of Physical pain and 3 boxes of Stun pain.

And now it is Swift's turn.

See, I need a kick now and again! The foe haven't passed through here so there's no trail as such to follow...you can smell your sweaty compatriots and their gear (they all smell fairly calm though!), engine oil and exhaust...there might be more info once you open the door...?

IC away folks and I'll run from there

Shouldn't we sort of resolve the whole combat before we post IC? I mean, my last post IC is basically exactly where we are right now - I'm standing by the door with the flash pak in my hand, waiting for someone to open the door?

I'm new to the whole PbP thing, so maybe I'm missing something, but it feels hard to write anything IC.

For instance, assume that Mr. Smith is going to follow the plan and use Magic Fingers to open the door. I can't really do anything until he posts that, and then I have to post that I throw the flash pak through the door, then wait for Dog to post that he throws the grenade, etc.

Again, I will fully admit I may be missing something - not trying to make trouble, just trying to be efficient

The problem with pbp is that you aren't all in the same room and presumably aren't waiting with bated breath for every last post

I try and run things in as fluid a way as possible so that if you want to post you aren't waiting for others too much...in this case people have had a chance to chime in so we'll carry on with the plan as discussed OoC...provided it's nothing suicidal I don't think anyone would mind us borrowing their character to open a door or lob a grenade...it's not even something I really need dice rolls for (and part of the reason for pre-genned rolls was to allow stuff to continue).

So, I'm happy for anyone to post out of the combat turn sequence, especially if talked through OoC first...freedom and fun are more important than strict turn sequence in my mind.

If you'd rather I IC for the other PCs then I'll try to get to it tomorrow, otherwise if you have some free time to do so, or any of the others do, then don't feel you need to wait for me either!

Sorry guys, without much net access ATM. Currently between providers and there are 'issues' with the change over.

I have to say sorry to my threads for not posting any more IC this week...work happened! Back to it fresh on Monday!

Aria,

Ok - so Dog and I have gone - now what?

Whilst we could wait for anyone else to pitch in I'm not hopeful so I'll assume you are going through the door one way or another. If you want to suggest an order (Dog first?!? , Natasha, Silk, Violet, Mr Smith???) then feel free to discuss/decide OoC. Any more cunning plans (other than obscuring the enemy's vision) now is the time to say! As we are down a hacker I will let you request OoC for Gossamer or Gentry to try a trick or two...? Shame you've got no astral recon

Okey Dokey.

So for my money, it should be people who can see going first. With the Flash Pak and Thermal Smoke, my guess is Violet and Mr. Smith first, as they can use Astral to find the bad guys and attack them with spells. Dog and I next (Violet and Mr. Smith should be able to point out the targets to us in AR at the very least), and Silk last.

@Gameface:

Send the mages first? I like it! If nobody else objects we'll go with that then! At least they can tag their general location with AROs if nothing else!

@Slacker / FFF:

We seem to be stumbling along, anything we can do to smooth the way a bit? Swyft's first attack roll on the pregenned list was:
Ranged Attack: Pistols 6 + Agility 6 + Qi 1 + Wifi Laser 1 [Gear] = 14 13D
14d6.hits(5) → [5,6,4,4,2,4,3,5,1,6,4,2,5,6] = (6) = 5! Still, that's gonna hurt someone or other!

Did you ever say who you were shooting at? I don't remember.

If you look at my previous posts, that was EXACTLY my idea.

Mop boy!

@FastFoodFight

Ah. Ok then.... Looks like you just killed yourself a mop boy. He rolled 2 hits on defense, and 6 on damage resistance. So he takes 10P
damage which is his entire condition monitor. He collapses to the floor.


--------------------

Next up is the business man that just killed Vic and subsequently got hit with magic from the office manager. His elation at having killed Vic was immediated shocked away with the pain blossoming in his head. Holding his head with both hands, including the one holding his still hot gun, Stuart stumbles his way to the emergency exit and slams it open with his shoulder.

Seeing his boss' killer getting away, the office manager casts manabolt only gettng 2 hits, but then Stuart critically glitches his resistance test. So, I'm going to say he collapses to the ground wracked with pain that prevents him from going anywhere. The Emergency Exit is being held open with his body.

----------------------

That's the last of the people with 2 passes. So we are starting up a new combat turn, starting with Gentry's Spirit and then Swift moving again.

To recap, the security guard, mop boy, Vic, and businessman are all down. The office manager and burger flipper are the only bad guys still up.

@FFF:
I'll take on the mage then (oh great!), Gentry, come back please!

@CoP/GF:
Working on an IC for you both, will do my best but I can't promise great prose today

I don't suppose you've got room for one more in any of these games? Just from lurking around, this looks really interesting.

Always room for more! Game Face has had half drop out if you want to play a runner. I'll be opening up a street level game sometime soon or if you fancy the giddy heights of power then check out CoP!

Slacker may be up for another in FFF too as there are only a couple of us there...but I'll let him answer if you are interested in that one...

Wow, lots of options. I'd love to start working on something for a street-level campaign! Any guidelines yet, or shall I just sit tight for now?

@FastFoodFight
At this point the two remaining members of the Fratelli family have realized they are sorely out classed and will be trying to escape the scene, especially as Swift just shot the manager/mage for 3 boxes of damage (He got 2 hits on defense and 6 on damage resistance against your 3 hits with base 8P - 1AP from the Browning pistol you were using).

Are you guys going to try to stop them? Frank the manager starts running first and reaches the front door this pass, and Patsy the burger flipper doesn't want to be left behind and starts running shortly thereafter, though he's a couple meters shy of reaching the exit. You two could certainly make short work of them if you were so inclined to do so at this point.

Or we can break out of turn by turn combat to do more roleplaying.

Finally I have a more or less reliable internet connection again (unless the storm takes down the lines). Am trying to catch up on where things have gotten to.

I'm using the Colt - I left the Browning outside with the others thinking this was going to be a subtle surveillance job rather than a blood bath, ah well

I think we need to clean up the situation, make it look like a rival mob hit and then get the frag out before the cops decide to jaunt by...

Thoughts?

The street level game will be a continuation of the 2072 Tribes game...we are reaching the conclusion back in 2072 but the pace of pbp means it could be a while yet. What I might do is post the recruitment thread and then allow anyone that wants to to accumulate karma by posting with their character in the grand finale of 2072. Rather than making characters backwards compatable we'll just use the SR5 stats and ignore limits. I know it's not quite that cut and dried but it's close as dammit, just don't attack any PCs as things would then have competing rulesets !

Currently, there are only 2 people that are likely dead, Vic and mop-boy. The guard had enough armor on that, he is unconscious with some physical overflow damage, but not dead. The business man that got hit with some spells is unconscious/collapsed on the ground in the middle of the emergency exit.

If you were to let the mage and burger flipper go rather than catching and killing them, I imagine it would be fairly easy to set things up to look like a hit directed at Vic himself. You could even frame the business man NPC that took Vic down if you were so inclined. Simply calling out loudly something like "shit the boss is down" as you run out the back and grab the business man might work as then the cowering witnesses will report that you guys must have been working for that guy.

Oh, okay. If you don't think it'll be too hard to work new characters into an existing storyline, that sounds like fun. I'll keep an eye out for that thread, then. Thanks!

@Aria,

With Gameface - are you waiting for us, or are you still resolving what happened?

Sorry, sh*t has hit the flying thing at work and I've been struggling to keep track of everything...I seem to have been the last to post so I was probably waiting for either some OoC queries or just jumping in head first IC

There is suppressive fire on the doorway but the two mages are clear of it (for now), Natasha and Dog can either brave the fire, perhaps crawl under it (RAW is a bit tenuous on that point) or do something else...the foe are concealed and trying to stay out of LOS to avoid spells...so of course they are having a harder time hitting things too...

Dog and Natasha would be waiting until the two mages mark the targets in AR.

Not sure how the 4 bad guys are staying out of LOS of the mages astral sight, but shouldn't the mages be able to pinpoint the position of at least the one (if not more) guy firing a fully automatic weapon at the doorway?

I'm not sure it matters much, because of Violet, Tide, Dog, Mr. Smith, Natasha and some other guy who it has been so long since he posted I forgot his name, we are down to Dog and I.

Should we just stick a fork in the game? While I can appreciate that everyone gets busy at times, and life gets in the way, the glacial pace of the game and the dropping out of most of the players is very frustrating.

I was considering that myself, just the nature of pbp I guess, some games catch on and get a dedicated following, some don't work so well for whatever reason and fold.

I'm going to start up the SR5 street level game soon but for the characters that are still active maybe something at runner level would also be appropriate. Let me have a mull and I'll come back to you asap!

@Game Facers & Fast Food Fighters

It seems both threads have nose dived somewhat. It seems sensible to wrap them up, gather in any players that are still about (roll call?!?) and start a new game. I’ll write a concluding piece to GF just for completeness…

To assist things I think I’ll try and come up with something that pits the PCs direct into the action rather than burning time on intros etc. An extraction perhaps where all the legwork info can be provided OoC with a quick chance for coming up with a plan (or pitch in where the plan has already been blown to shreds and you need to improvise )

Any ideas for smoothing combat would also be welcome as waiting for others to post grinds things down to a snail’s pace! Pregenned rolls are ok but perhaps I’ll get people to generally declare their intentions for the entire combat and fudge along from there.

Let me know if that is of interest and I will throw up another recruitment thread to see if there are a couple more committed players out there who want to join an SR5 game.

Yeah, It does seem that Fast Food Fight is just done. With only two players (not even sure when the last time horvagab was able to post something for Gentry) and me only posting sporatically, there's not much hope for it. At least it was at a good stopping point. The bad guy was down and you guys were just deciding how to bug out of there.

I'll go ahead and tell you that as you start leaving, you hear some banging from the walk-in freezer. You stop to figure out what it is and find that it is the missing girl. She apparently knocked out a guy that was in there with her when the commotion started, but there the freezer was locked from the outside.

For starting up a new game, I'd probably be interested in playing in it. Work is just getting to that point of the year that I don't have enough time to run a full game right now.

Well, when I saw the topic titles about "recruitment always open" I thought it was too good to be true.

But have spent last couple weeks lurking on some of the associated threads and it seems not to be a mirage! (Plus, the games look fun!).

So with my shiny new SR5 tome in hand, been dusting off and re-RAWing an old friend, thinking of putting up a post here.

And from the looks of things, this seems like the perfect time.

My character would fit into a lot of different games (though not Circles of Power, I am afraid). Currently in Seattle, but anywhere would be fine. He's kind of a globetrotter.
More pink mo than shiny shades, I guess.

He is a standard build - although the prime build would be more fun for me - wouldn't really make him stronger, but would help to round out the concept.

Let me know if there is room here, and we can talk more.
If you are looking for more people (and, to toot own horn, reliable posters), Aria, would it be okay if I PMed you some ideas/questions?

Thanks,
adamu

Go for it

I might be interested in joining another game if I have time. Too early to say yet.

Onto CoP; I don't mind whether the Baron responds or whether you just wanna do that bit as storyteller but what I'm after is an idea of who's here. I know there's general high-ups but my character will know a lot more than I actually do. I need to find the people it'd be good for Tuesday and Freija to meet and talk to, and people I'd like to take the chance to talk to. A simple list of Name - occupation - position would be great.

Ok, added a generic thread for anyone to post anything IC in...rewards will be cumulative with anything you post in the specific sub-threads.

I'm working on something for general runners and also working on Tribes for street level play...bear with me!

Just to let you know I've updated posts 1-3 at the beginning of the thread. I'm working on the Tribes recruitment to get that going and considering another IC sub-thread to pick up normal runners that want to play (at the risk of drowning in IC )

That said, anyone wants to try their hand at GMing they'd be very VERY welcome!

It's a bit gutting to see CoP posting dropping off so quickly. I know it's a casual game, but I think we risk plummeting into the depths of the board if we're not careful.

I'm gonna try and increase my posts but I think to help move it a long we need a few things to happen.

CoP is a very different game, there isn't a mission or a focus and I think this is what we need to work on. At the moment we're in a scene but I don't really know what I'm doing there other than babysitting. I don't know who the other NCPs are or what I can get out of the event.

I think the solution is to give us a large over-arching goal to work towards and let us go at it. We can even set our own scenes up. All the characters have considerable resources and massive roleplaying potential. If, for example, I'd been asked by Ryl to 'take these new members to the Ordo meet, make sure they meet person x, keep them away from person y, also person z is rumoured to be there but you'll have to find him behind his mask - he'll be an interesting target for influence in our larger goal of GOAL' then there's a very definite focus and purpose to the scene instead of just trying to find things to do which with a low posting frequency is hard. Taken further, a great challenge would be influence person X and get him to do Y. Then this involves all the legwork, posturing and planning of regular running, but with different goals and, importantly, methods. Making sure you 'run into each other', indulging their pleasures etc.

I hope you understand what I'm getting at. It's not a criticizm of what we're doing, but I don;t see it lasting this way.