What I'd really like to do is stop Huiqing. Or at least slow him down.

As a first step, confusing him will be useful.

Mass Confusion F3 on Huiqing's position. Spend 5 reagents to increase the limit. 14 dice to cast (-1 for wounds), 13 dice to soak 2S drain.

Sure - no problem: 13 dice yield 5 hits

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773047/

He resists with Logic+Willpower - 3 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773049/

ETA - double checked, and his wounds and electrical damage apply to that, so he is at -3 dice, bringing him down to 1 hit.

So now he is taking another 3 die penalty to all actions.

Snap resists 2DV - 5 hits no drain
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773050/

Snap 31 -1 for wounds is 30
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773057/
Sisco 15
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773059/
Jack 18
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773060/
Mel 14
Bound Spirit of Man 20
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773065/
Spirit of Earth 16
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773066/
Microskimmer - 14
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773069/

CT3, IP 1
Snap 30
Bound Spirit of Man 20- Await Instructions from Snap
Jack 18
Spirit of Earth 16 - Await Instructions from Snap
Sisco 15
Mel 14 - Enter Local Grid - Free action still available
Microskimmer 14 - Follow Jack's instruction

Ok so Snap is up first

ETA - edited the last IC post to include Snap's Mass Confusion Spell.

Snap got 5 hits, he got 1, that's 4 net hits, shouldn't he take -4 to all tests rather than -3?

Dang, missed the 4 IPs because of that wound modifier AGAIN!

Snap will cast an illusion (Phantasm) in front of Huiqing, about 20-30 feet in front of him. Two muscular UCAS military men (an ork and a human) in full camo stand up from a prone position, as if they had been hiding there all along. Pointing a heavy weapon towards the Chinese man, the ork orders him to stop and move towards us.

So Phantasm F3, Drain 2S.

She will use her free action to send a message to the team <<@Team [Snap] I got us some reinforcements. >>

Are you using Focused Concentration for one of those? I think they're both Sustained spells, right?

Yes - its the new math, it drives me nuts It is -4 dice for him.





Ok so:
14 dice normally (since it is an Illusion spell) -1 for wounds= 3 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773871/

He gets to roll 8 dice normally, -4 from the Mass Confusion, -3 from Wounds and Electrical = 1 die - 0 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773873/

As Jack says, I'm assuming that you are using Focused Concentration on the Mass Confusion, otherwise you would be taking a -2 die penalty to the Phantasm spell.

Resist Drain 2DV - 3 hits - so no drain.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4773874/

IC post up in a minute, and then it is Jack's turn

So as not to hold anything up:

Jack is first and foremost going to look for cover. If there is any available, he is going to take it, preferably to provide protection from the direction the drones seem to be coming. I think that's a simple action. For his second simple action, he is going to turn the Wireless on his Flash-Pak on. Can one attach a Flash-Pak to things? Like, can I clip it to the front of my jacket? I don't think there's any information about it in the book. If not, no big deal, I'll have to retrofit it later with some Gecko Grip.

Jack is also going to send a message to the team. <<@Team [JustJack] Alright, good job everyone. We've got drones inbound, so this might get nasty in a sec. Mel, can you see about taking down the rigger controlling them? If we can despejar el tablero, we might be able to take them for ourselves.>>

No worries about the Flashpak - I've put up the IC post to include you doing just that. It makes sense to me that if you can adjust it so that it doesn't shine in your eyes, why not have a simply clip to attach it to your jacket?

Sisco? Your action.

<<@Team [Melpomene] Copy that.>>

Lobo, not really up on how to find a rigger through the Matrix...is his control rig present just like a regular device? If so, can it be affected like any other device?

So, he will either be accessing the Matrix through his commlink or his RCC - the same as you would access the Matrix through your 'link or 'deck.

He is more than 100 meters away more than likely, so you will need to attempt to spot the icon using Matrix Perception. Just bear in mind, you still are on the Public Grid, so you will be suffering a -2 penalty (at least) for noise. (It was -3 at least, but you turned your Datajack on).

Once you've spotted the icon, you can brick it like any other device. Also bear in mind that he drones themselves will be vulnerable to you bricking them. (You could try and put Marks on them and control them, but the rigger could "jump" into the drone and override your control if he wanted.

I was going to suggest MARKing up one of the drones. They may be within 100m by now, not sure. Once they are, spotting them may be a bit easier. If you can MARK up one of the drones, each MARK gives you a MARK on the rigger's commlink or RCC, whichever is acting as the drones' Master. At that point, you've automatically spotted the Master since you always spot icons that you have MARKed. Then brick the RCC and you still have MARKs on the drone, at which point you could start giving it orders or remote controlling it.

There is that as well

Okay, assuming at least one of the drones is within 100m, I'll tryo to get a mark on it.

CT3, IP 1
Snap 30 Send Message, Cast Phantasm
Bound Spirit of Man 20- Await Instructions from Snap
Jack 18 Equip Flash Pak, Take Cover, Send Message
Spirit of Earth 16 - Await Instructions from Snap
Sisco 15 ????
Mel 14 - Matrix Perception test for drone - Free action still available
Microskimmer 14 - Follow Jack's instruction

do i have a visual on enemy drone(s), if so how far are they?

You don't yet - do you want to just delay your action until they come into view?

Yes

Updated IC post - your action sir.

I'll aim at the closest one as a simple action.
FA as a simple action.
13 dice + 2 for smartgun -1 delay -3 range -1 recoil: 10 dice

10 dice - 4 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774113/

Drone dodges
Pilot+Handling -5 dice=3, yielding 1 hit
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774117/

So you do 6 base damage +3 for net hits, -5 armor.

Drone rolls Body+Armor -5, is 4 dice
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774120/

So you do 8 boxes of damage, which is enough to short-circuit the drone.

Yes, I didn't think I had to say it, but Snap is using Focused Concentration on Mass Confusion. She might drop the illusion if it stops being useful, or she needs extra dice for something else. The -2 for concentrating, does that include initiative, dodging, etc., or just for skill tests?

It says:

"If you sustain the spell (that is, if you want the effect
of a Sustained spell to continue), you take a –2 dice
pool penalty to all tests while it is sustained."

My understanding is that it affects all tests. Not your initiative, but you anytime you roll dice other than to resist damage, you take that -2 modifier.

The drones make a Sensor Test to spot you. Here is my thought. Sisco has now called attention to himself by firing at the drones. The other team members of the team have not, and so the Concealment power will modify the Perception tests of the drones.

Drone Perception tests:
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774289/

So, drone#1 Glitches (both before AND after subtracting the 4 dice, and does not get the requisite number of hits to spot anyone (threshold of 2 to spot you).
Drone#2 does spot Sisco, but fails to spot the rest of the team.

If Drone#1 had simply failed, it would have spend its 2nd simple action to make another Perception check. Due to the glitch, it will spend its second simple action to fire at a bush that it has identified as an enemy combatant.

Drone#2 will fire at Sisco:
Pilot 3, Targeting 5, 6 Round burst, No recoil, Medium Range -1, Smartlink +2=9 dice = 3 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774292/

Sisco attempts to dodge
Int 5+ Reaction 6, -5 for full auto burst=6 dice = 3 hits phew!
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774295/

Mel makes a Matrix Perception test to spot the drone (which is running silent)
Computer 6 + Int 5 + 2 for Codeslinger, Noise=-2 (1 for distance, 2 for wrong grid, 2 for public grid, -1 for datajack, -2 for Signal Scrub)=11 dice
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774296/=4 hits

Drone resists with Logic + Sleaze (in this case just Logic, since it is not slaved to a deck or host), or 5 dice - 0 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774298/

Mel is able to spot it easily.

IC post up shortly, and then it will be:

CT3, IP 2
Snap 20
Bound Spirit of Man 10 - Await Instructions from Snap
Jack 8
Spirit of Earth 6 - Await Instructions from Snap
Sisco 5
Mel 4 -
Microskimmer 4 - Follow Jack's instruction

Doesn't the drone's LOG = Pilot Rating. I can't remember, I haven't messed around with drones for a while. Or is it considered a device and gets to use the owner's LOG? These rules are so awful...

Send message. Delay initiative pass.

She might choose to send a spell against a drone or the guy coming from the house if they prove to be threats.

pg269:Pilots have a Rating indicated by the Device Rating
of the vehicle, drone, or other piece of gear they’re
in. This rating is used in place of any Mental attribute
needed for a test, but it hardly makes up for a metahuman
brain.

This is one where it is actually clear - you just have to know where to find it

PANS & WANS (RIGGER STYLE) Page 267
If you want extra protection for your drones and the ability
to command them all at once, you can slave them to
your RCC. Your RCC can handle up to (Device Rating x 3)
slaved drones, becoming the master device on that network.
The group of your slaved drones plus your master
RCC is called a personal area network, or PAN.
Whenever a slaved device is called on to make a defense
test, it uses either its own or its master’s Rating
for each Rating in the test. For example, if your slaved
rotodrone is the target of a hacker’s Brute Force action,
it could use your Willpower in place of its Device Rating,
and your RCC’s Firewall in place of its own Rating, assuming
that either or both of these Ratings improve on
what it already has.
The same rules for marks on slaved devices apply in
the RCC-drone relationship as in other Matrix couplings.
Most important to you are that if you get a mark on a
slave, you also get a mark on the master, and that if an
attacker has a direct connection, your drone can’t use you
for help. For more details, see PANs and WANs, p. 233.


So the advantage that the drones have is that they will use the rigger's attributes or the RCC's attributes during a defense test. The downside is that if Mel MARKs one, she will MARK the rigger's RCC.

CT3, IP 2
Snap 20 - Send Message, Delay
Bound Spirit of Man 10 - Await Instructions from Snap
Jack 8
Spirit of Earth 6 - Await Instructions from Snap
Sisco 5
Mel 4 - Hack on the Fly the drone, Free Action??
Microskimmer 4 - Follow Jack's instruction
[/quote]

I'm going to reply to Snap's message.

<<@Team [JustJack] Job's not done. We need to try to retrieve the objects. The chaos may help us get in and out... or it may make it worse. Let's see if we can get to the north side of the house first before aborting.>>

Damn, no way to know which drone icon Mel spotted... also, I don't think we're all aware of the probably flying drone.

I'll take aim and fire a 3-round burst at the apparently competent drone for my action.
AGI (5) + Automatics (4) + Smartgun (2) + Take Aim (1) - Range (3) = 9 Dice, Limit [8], -2 Defense

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774636/ = 1 hit.

Edge or no?

Can't

That's right - Damn skillwires

Ok, it attempts to Dodge
8 dice normally, -2 for burst
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774642/

It also gets 1 hit, so suffers a glancing blow, no effect.

The drone that was shooting in the wrong direction now opens fire, aiming at Sisco again (so far he has shown to be the greatest threat)
Gunnery 5 + Agility 5 + SM 2 -1 for Medium Range=11 dice = 4 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774657/

Sisco Attempts to dodge,
Int 5+ Reaction 6, -5 for full auto burst, -1 for 2nd attack since his Action Phase = 2 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774659/

Edge? I'm assuming not, but I want to make sure.

No edge...
btw, what weapon is the drone firing at me.
I don't mean exact weapon but class of weapon: submachine gun, assault rifle, rifle?

They are armed with FN HARs (I said that in Post 289 in the IC thread, although it isn't easy to spot probably) "Sisco barely had time to register it as one of Fabrique Nationale's latest models "

10P +2 for net successes, -2 AP (normal Ammo)

You resist with:

Body 4 + Bone Density 3 + Armor 13 (12 + 3 for Orthoskin, -2 for AP)=20 dice
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4774814/ = 7 hits

So Sisco takes 5 points of Stun damage - Reducing his initiative to 4.

Snap? Taking an action? If not, it is Sisco and Mel's turn to go.

Mel - still going to put a Mark on the drone - any free action? Sisco?

Just spent over 2 hours at the doctors because they called and said I had to come in for them to do a minor operation on my arm for the doctor to look at my arm about 2 seconds and say, "Would you be mad if we didn't do anything today?' argggh. So I'll take it out on a drone by aiming and shooting FA at it. 13 dice + 2 smartlink -3 range-1 recoil-1wound= 10dice [6].

An interesting question is whether she considers Sisco as part of "her" crew. There's no question about Mel, but the affiliation of Sisco is less clear, as he's more (for now) a hired mercenary than a full blown member of our team per se.

I lean more towards not seeing him just yet as someone she feels a shamanic duty to defend and protect, but if you (Lobo) believe that she would, then she needs to take a composure test or go berserk...

If she doesn't, she'll fire a F4 Ball Lightning centered on the drone that hit Sisco, in retaliation, or right between both drones if they fit in the area she can cover with the spell.

To Amy's Astral vision, Huiquing's demeanor changed from scared to terrified. Following the instructions of the two soldiers, his mind too shrouded by spell and pain to wonder why they wore UCAS uniforms, he began to run toward the team, heedless of anyone else, just trying to get out of the crossfire.

I guess Huiquing passed his BOD+WIL(2) Test to stand up.

You are correct sir - believe it or not I remembered that! Although he had to use Edge to pass it.

Sisco attacks one of the drones
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775291/ = 4 hits

Drone attempts to Dodge
8 dice, -5 for burst= 3dice = 1 hit
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775292/

6 base damage +3 for net hits, Drone rolls Body 4 + Armor 4 (-5 for S&S)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775293/ = 1 hit, so it takes 8 boxes of damage and shuts down

(That's the second drone where you did exactly enough damage to knock it out )




Given the situation I agree, no test for going berserk is needed.

As there is only one drone left, you can center the Ball Lightning on the remaining drone
12 dice normally, -1 for wounds, -1 for delayed action, -2 for sustained spell (Phantasm)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775294/= 3 hits

So the drone has to resist 4DV, -4 AP
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775295/=0 hits

So it takes 4 boxes of damage, and 4 boxes of Matrix Damage.

Since nothing was specified, we'll roll a die to see which drone Sisco killed. Odds is the one that just hit him, Evens the one that didn't
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775296/

So he killed the one that just went - meaning that Snap damaged the other one.

Since neither party had any means of identifying which was the one that Mel had spotted, and Mel didn't specify, let's roll to see which one was the one that she spotted. Odds is the one that is dead now, Evens is the one Snap damaged
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775297/

So - good fortune all around - the one that Mel Spotted is the one that is still alive.

Mel - still Hack on the Fly? or some other action?

Just an administrative note: I'm going to be away from Friday through Sunday. It's Mardi Gras down here and I have a parade to ride in on Saturday.

Enjoy! At some point in my life I will have to book a trip to Louisiana to experience Mardi Gras as it should be

As long as that drone is still in one piece, Mel will try to Hack on the Fly. I don't think there are any free actions that she wants to do at this time...

Hack on the Fly
Hacking 6 + Logic 6 -2 for Noise = 10 dice = 3 hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775536/

It resists with Logic + Firewall (in this case the Logic + Firewall of the Rigger)= 10 dice = 3hits
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775537/

This means the attempt is unsuccessful, and the drone would put a MARK on your Persona.

Edge? If not, then I will continue on with the NPC actions for the rest of this IP

Actually, it occurs to me that the rest of the actions do no affect your decision.

Normally the drone that Amy hit with the Ball Lightning would attack Sisco, but the drop in Initiative makes it unable to act.

IC Post up soon, in the meantime:

CT3, IP 3
Snap 10

I believe I will use Edge...confirm that I currently have 3 Edge left? If so, definitely use Edge.

You do have 3 Edge, so, using Edge to reroll the 7 misses:
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775561/

Wow - I'm glad you only needed 1 more hit!

So you MARK that drone, and also gain a MARK on the RCC.

Okay, next pass, I'm going to start laying into the RCC (Data Spike).

Are you handling updating the tracker for Edge? I just want to make sure I don't double up on it, since it doesn't feature any additional details to verify the expenditures.

Yes - I've been maintaining Edge and Reagents.

I have not been doing Money and Ammo.

Currently:

Sisco 30 S&S
Jack 6 Regular

That's fine, just as long as we've got it set who's tracking what. I was current on ammo up to a few IPs ago. I should be able to update it tonight to current for ammo.

So, double checking, I realize that I was wrong about this.

The -5 to Initiative and -1 die penalty is a secondary effect to living beings only.

Drones suffer 1/2 Matrix Damage instead.

That means that the drone would continue its programming on Initiative score of 3.
Pilot 3 + Targeting 5 -1 for Medium Range, +2 for Smartlink = 9 dice, getting 4 hits.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775596/

Sisco Dodges
Int 5+ Reaction 6, -5 for full auto burst = 6 dice = 1 hit.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4775597/

Edge?

Before you adjudicate that, does a drone take wound penalties for physical damage? It seems like it should? I know Matrix Damage doesn't cause any loss of capability, but the drone has taken 4 boxes of physical damage.

Also, did we ever come to a determination about whether weapons fired by a drone are considered Gunnery? They get the recoil compensation bonus related to Gunnery, so it kind of makes sense. If so, they require a Complex Action to fire no matter the firing mode, so I would think it might suffer a progressive recoil penalty at this point? I have no idea how much RC it gets, but this is at least 10 rounds fired now. Granted, this makes the decision making with drones effectively: Fire 10-Round Full Auto Burst every other IP, which will probably result in lots of dead PCs.