There are bounties on shape shifters too

That's what Professor was saying.

Ferret's commlink:
Response 4(2), Signal 3, Firewall 6, System 4
Programs running: Stealth, Analyze, Exploit, Armor, Biofeedback filter, Command, Spoof

Juggle programs to above setting.

Ferret 1 hops back to Annex node and runs Analyze (might take a few rounds to get there depending on number of commlink nodes need to hop through to get there):
Computer 4 + Analyze 3 + hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=3

Ferret 2 scans for active, passive and an extended test (15+ successes) for hidden nodes (although I suspect this one might be on a wired link):
9d6.hits(5)=4, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=0, 9d6.hits(5)=1, 9d6.hits(5)=1
Man some crap rolls!

9d6.hits(5)=6, 9d6.hits(5)=1, 9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=4, 9d6.hits(5)=2
That's a bit better! 15 success reached on 7th action or about 4 rounds assuming only 2 actions per round used for scanning for hidden nodes and the other one for getting back to the Annex

I'm glad you said hang back Ferret! Machine guns (even light ones) hurt.

@ Ferret: I don't think you've actually gained access to the Annex node yet have you? you've seen the outgoing alerts in the main node, but this is a private node with different authorizations.

and yes, the rail drone has no signals.

Correct. I checked the Mall and the Tower but not the Annex. Analyze is on the Annex node: Is it on alert, firewall rating, any active IC?

Just for clarity, I went back and checked the other 11:54-55 posts and Jade is in fact not present at the Tower at that point. She's out having fun with Viper 5 (which is both a hindrance and a very coincidental blessing for paranoid Jovan). So for now, no one can see him. He doesn't have much time before she will be there, though.

Is a Sewer Navigation knowledge skill roll appropriate for this, Red-ROM?

I headed from the Viper 5 to the others, and have had a few posts there. I did actually have clarification with Red-ROM.
The IC in which I headed to join the others is http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...t&p=1082947 and another one at http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...t&p=1083200

I'm not too fussed about it, but it would be quite a discontinuity if I wasn't there, and I would have to edit half a dozen posts and make them say "still moving", "still moving"

Mind you my clock is 11:56...I can stop posting until you all catch up if you want

Hell, Oswald and Professor are at 11:57! Maybe we should align our timeframes.

Right, that's what I'm saying. At 11:56/57 PM, Jade is right by the Tower. But that is a minute or two ahead of when Jovan currently is. Jovan is currently a minute or two in the past relative to the rest of the team (that's not your fault Seth, it's more the fact that everything is faster in the astral). It's a bit more work for both Red-ROM and myself, but it seems like I'm the only one who's slightly behind (unless Zo et. al are supposed to be at 12:06 like Red-ROM posted a little while ago, then everyone's behind ). And I will try not to keep this going longer than necessary. Basically, with regards to everyone else's clocks, Jovan's watcher is in sync with everyone, while Jovan and the air spirit are slightly before that first IC post you linked to, Seth.

It's all rather complicated.


Indeed.

Let's do the time warp again!


Jovan needs to pick up the pace or something (really he's the one that has fallen behind due to a bit of combat). I can easily see us at 11:57, since there are quite a few posts and we're not in combat.

Ouch. Fair enough, I guess.

Navigation (Sewer Routes) 3 + Intuition 6 = 9d6 = 4 hits
Looking for such entrances in the astral to pass through: Intuition 6 + Assensing 2 + Actively looking 3 (does that modifier apply here?) + Barren background illumination 1 + Devoid aura noise 2 - Tower's background count 1(?) - Shadow Clutter 1(?) = 12d6 = 5 hits (3 if Actively Looking does not apply for these kinds of assensing rolls).

EDIT: Just to check whether Jovan is indeed willing to face the dogs again: Willpower 3 + Charisma 4 = 7d6 (threshold 1) = 2 hits yay
If/when Jovan is able to find the ghouls and dogs again, Influence on one of those dogs to plant the suggestion that the other dog was exhibiting gestures of aggressiveness and challenge towards it: Magic 7 (I think you said the background count faded out underground) + Charisma 4 + Power Focus 4 = 15d6 = 3 hits
If/when he is able to get another shot off (hopefully there will be a side tunnel nearby to use as partial cover this time or something like that), he will do another Influence on the other dog, this time planting the suggestion that that sentient ghoul from before is another intruder of the kind that it has been trained to scare away. This one is much riskier, but I hope you can tell what I'm attempting to do, Red-ROM.
Influence #2: Magic 7 + Charisma 4 + Power Focus 4 = 15d6 = 5 hits

I need to update my plotting notes for this game. *sigh*

@ Sephiroth: what you're saying you're doing OOC and IC seem to be conflicting , and I'm confused. Are you going back to mess with the ghouls and dogs? or are you going up to the surface to find another way back down?

Also, those suggestions seem a little complex to lay on a dog, that doesn't speak english(or any other language really)

and lastly, these tunnels are underground streets, not actual sewers, so they only go to specific places. There hasn't been another turn off since the first split.

@ Ferret: Firewall 4, system 4, and at least one active agent.

Force 3 increase reactions




Status

Ferret's commlink:
Response 4(2), Signal 3, Firewall 6, System 4
Programs running: Stealth, Analyze, Exploit, Armor, Biofeedback filter, Attack, Browse

Juggle programs to above setting.

Hacking on the fly to get a security account: (10 successes, 14 if system goes on alert)
Computer 4 + Exploit 3 + Hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=5, 9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=6, 9d6.hits(5)=1
- 11 hits on third action with 5 hits on second roll, 17 hits on fourth action with 6 hits on that roll. System gets 3-4 rolls to spot him up to no good.

If he gets in, try to locate drone / other security systems.
Computer 4 + Browse / Analyze 3 + Hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=2

Also Notso and Seth you might want to update your location. I'm calling it near the Annex. You still list the mall and tower.

A security account is only +3 to the threshold. Unless this annex has a military-grade firewall, you should be in with two rolls.

I apologize, Red-ROM. What I was attempting to do is head quickly to the surface and look for possible entrances back underground, so as to come back at the ghouls and dogs from behind and possibly get the jump on them this time (although I suspect I lost that opportunity the first time). I didn't realize that we were talking about actual street tunnels instead of sewers, though. That won't work as well as I first thought. So nevermind, I guess.

As far as the suggestions go, IIRC there aren't any implications in the Influence power description that language barriers would need to be considered, which sort of says to me at least that Influencing is more of a mental/telepathic kind of thing than a "I insert X suggestive sentence into his head" kind of thing. In dog-intelligence level terms, I guess what I wrote above would be [image of the other dog + feelings of being threatened associated with that image] and [image of that particular ghoul's aura (since Jovan can't physically see) + territorial aggressiveness or whatever particular emotion Jovan saw in the dogs' auras as they were hitting him with Fear], or something a little like that. Does that work? Do you think I'm mechanically allowed to take that approach?

I've updated the old posts to reflect Annex

Lol, glad she can't see Ferret's character sheet. She might have a different opinion of him then.

As opposed to Zo's excellent hacking skills.....

Well more competent than she is anyway

@ all: sorry for the delay. This heat wave is really getting old.

@ Sephiroth: ok, I'm going with a quick look around, turning up no easy solution, and a return to the battle. I think its a stretch with the dogs, but I'll go with it.

ghouls attacks:
6d6.hits(5) → [3,2,1,3,5,6] = (2)
6d6.hits(5) → [3,6,2,5,4,4] = (2)
6d6.hits(5) → [5,2,6,1,2,6] = (3)
6d6.hits(5) → [4,2,1,5,2,6] = (2)

Ferret's commlink:
Response 4(2), Signal 3, Firewall 6, System 4
Programs running: Stealth, Analyze, Exploit, Armor, Biofeedback filter, Attack, Browse

Assuming Ferret has a security account, initial actions would be to command the agent/IC to stand down and then deactivate the alert or vice-versa. Then breath a big sigh of relief before going looking for the drone.

From Unwired p.53: Most of the time a user with security access is able to create or delete standard user accounts, edit other users’ data, initiate (and deactivate) an active alert, and read the access log (see Access Log, p. 65). Security privileges also grant the ability to control and command all the agents or IC deployed by the node and run hacking programs.

If he needs a command roll then needs to:
Load Command (complex) - Response drops to 1
Issue command (complex) - Computer 4 + Command 3 + Hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=5 - this is not the hacker you are looking for!
Unload Attack (simple) - response back up to 2, breath sigh of relief.

Of course if the agent is actually another hacker then he's screwed.

Eep. At least there's only 4, at first I thought there were going to be 6 or so. I think he can handle 4 ghouls if they aren't augmented or Awakened. Assuming the dice don't kill Jovan...

Intuition 6 -1 defaulting on Dodge = 5d6 = 3 hits
4d6 = [3,1,5,3] = (1)
Soak: Willpower 3 = 3d6 = [2,3,3]=(0)

3d6 = [3,3,4]=(0)
2d6 = [3,6] = (1)
Soaks: 3d6.hits(5) → [1,4,3] = (0)
3d6.hits(5) → [3,2,4] = (0)
And again the 3 willpower comes back to bite me.

@Red-ROM: In reading through the rules trying to get this all straight, I think I've found that Jovan and the ghouls have placed themselves into an awkward, anticlimactic situation. Pg. 193, Astral Combat, SR4A: "Astrally perceiving and dual-natured characters use their Physical attributes and skills to fight opponents with a physical body, and their Astral Combat + Willpower to fight wholly astral entities." The problem with that is that, at least with the NPC ghoul stats, ghouls don't have Astral Combat and are unable to default on it because of the nature of the skill. Jovan doesn't have it either, which I'm mostly ok with for now, but this does create a situation where Jovan can Influence and Compel them and whatnot but neither party can actually attack one another.

Also, I didn't expect you to have my Influence use place me directly in range of the ghouls, but I'll roll with it. Are you using the 4P damage for the ghouls' attacks, or are you using the 1DV from their Charisma? If you're using the 1DV (which is not ignorable when there's 4 of them), that'd put Jovan at about 6P or S. If you're going with 4P... well, at least I still have an edge to use for my regeneration roll.

You never default on dodge.

@ sephiroth: Many things about paracritters in this game are going to diverge from the book. this helps keep things interesting. For instance, many ghouls develop a skill for Astral combat over time. four of these ghouls have said skill at one. Others may lack the skill, or be quite adept. there re four that managed to swipe at you, but many more that want to. Some are going for the spirit, others are stuck out of reach. sorry to throw you into combat if you were trying to be more cautious. the game is getting a few rails put in to try to get through this.

@ Notso: I have a bit of a problem with this "I rolled 3 more successes, I can just shut everything off". Is that what the Matrix has come to? Wheres the drama? wheres the excitement?

I have read some in unwired... that was not helpful. Take "Security in Action" p.79 for instance. It seems the Hacker has gotten himself an Admin account, and shuts down a Kitsune IC program with no trouble. A spider notices, and initiates an active alert (whatever that is) the node launches another IC program. The hacker tries to shut this one down, but now he is required to roll a hacking check....? also the Spider attacks him without even trying to beat his stealth program.. which was good enough to get him in without alarm. How'd she even find him?

I guess I'm going at it like this. you have a restricted alert on your Access ID. so you can do all this good stuff, like turning off alerts and cancelling IC, but I want a hacking plus exploit vs. firewall(+4) plus system. I realize this could be difficult, but would it be fun if it was easy?

Ferret's commlink:
Response 4(2), Signal 3, Firewall 6, System 4
Programs running: Stealth, Analyze, Exploit, Armor, Biofeedback filter, Attack, Browse

Totally agree, hence the command roll to try and deactivate the IC:

If he needs a command roll then needs to:
Load Command (complex) - Response drops to 1
Issue command (complex) - Computer 4 + Command 3 + Hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=5 - this is not the hacker you are looking for!
Unload Attack (simple) - response back up to 2, breath sigh of relief.


This also works for me! And as a bonus Exploit is already loaded so he doesn't need to load Command and drop Attack.

Hacking 4 + Exploit 3 + Hotsim 2 = 9d6.hits(5)=2 - typical: 5 successes on previous roll, only 2 on the one that counts!

Yeah, I've run into that too. I let it happen though, however it usually lets the OPFOR know some thing is up. Hey yeah the IC and alerts have been deactivated, it would let all users of the same level of acces or higher connected to the system know what is happening (if this was corp facility, you would not want to be facing 5 hackers with their agents in the node---cause they'd come to investigate whats going on).

Also nothing is really in stone in regards to what you can and cannot due with the various account levels and nothing stops the node from resetting its access logs every minute or so.

No, you can. It's listed as a defaultable skill in the description on SR4A pg 122 and in the skills table at the start of that chapter. It would be a very bad situation if Jovan couldn't default on dodge!


It's alright. That works for me. Just how many Infected are we talking about here?

So including his 1 box of stun going into this, and assuming you're using the ghouls' 1DV astral damage based on their Charisma, Jovan has 6S at this point, or 1S and 5P or some combination like that, depending on whether the ghouls are doing stun or physical damage.
As for his other two initiative passes, let's go with a Fear on one ghoul and an Influence on another to suggest that the other ghouls are edible.
Fear: Magic 7 + Willpower 3 + power focus 4 - wound modifier 2 = 12d6 = 4 hits
Influence: Magic 7 + Charisma 4 + power focus 4 - wound modifier 2 = 13d6 = 5 hits

Regenerating at the end of the Combat Turn: Magic 7 + Body 3 + power focus 4 = 14d6 = 2 hits. I honestly have no idea whether wound modifiers apply to regeneration, since it's in about the same vein as a damage resistance roll. It's only 1 hit if wound mods do count (wow).
Edging that to reroll all failures: 12d6 (11 if wounds were counted above) = 4 hits so 5 or 6 hits total, so all damage is healed for now.

What he means is that in every situation in which Dodge is used, it is used with REA, and if you have no Dodge Skill you just use REA, with no penalty for defaulting.

Ohh, ok. My bad then. Then I guess I'll roll an extra die for the last 3 dodges then (first isn't needed), but none of them hit, so whatever.

Its a matrix dungeon holdover.

Restricted alert is a node-specific alert where the IC is loaded, running and gunning for the intruder at +4 with that intruder's access privileges completely shut off.

Passive alert is a system-wide alert where IC is loaded, running, and looking for probable intruders.

Active alert is a system wide restricted alert.

SR4 hacking sort of tried to do away with matrix dungeons by making a node a conceptual thing without size or form. Nodes can be the collective computer network of a whole building, or someone's shitty smartphone. Still, for matrix heavy stuff, they recommend multiple interconnected nodes in the old school matrix dungeon sense.

I'm not sure if astral combat damage would regenerate. It's magical damage afterall.

I raised a question on the main forum. Personally I think regen works: Astral combat is just smacking things, and isn't a critter power, spell or foci. But I suspect people will argue for hours over this: unless there is already an accepted answer.

AFB-But isn't the astral inherently magical and therefore all damage on the astral magical?

Zo and Jade Tiger seem to be waiting for something.

Well I guess I could polish my nails Neither Jade or I are impatient...it takes OOC time for hackers to do their thing, but very little IC time and I am only posting because of the title of the story.

Yeah..for Zo and Jade it has been three seconds, for Seth and me it has been two-weeks. There hasn't even been enough time for Zo to take out a six-pack of soy-beer.

Waiting to hear back from RED-ROM whether 2 successes was enough to disable / fool the agent / IC. If not Ferret will be bravely jacking out of the node.

"Brave Sir Robin He Ran Away"

You're rolling vs System + Firewall and the firewall is beefed +4 by the alert.

Do you have any edge left, because the likelihood that ROM will roll less than 2 hits on 12 dice is not high...

Nope. I could just go direct to bravely running away to move the action on?

hey, I checked the death clock, and I'm on track as long as I post this evening ;P

@ Notso: I think you have an action or two before the hammer falls. you're running stealth, so the IC will have to find you. right? Should take an analyze action yea? This action doesn't involve the firewall directly, so no +4. you could take a crack at it and still run away
Do you want to roll any edge? It refreshes at midnight in game time

Am I right in thinking that it's time to go smash the drone?

Before I commit to something stupid...A few questions

• Is the drone still moving?
• If it's still moving, can we wait until it is out of sight and cross into the building?
• What height above the ground is it? I have this image of it being around 8 foot up, but if I'm wrong I would like to know.

@ seth: glad you asked. The rail is over the garage doors, about 18 feet (6 meters) up. it is moving slowly. given time, it will pass.

here's a question, can you hear in Astral? I think I've been assuming you can, but it's really a differnt sense all together right? Not sight or sound. Like, you can't read for instance, but you can get the feel of the emotion in some writings. is it the same with other senses?

@ Sephiroth: ok, I remembered the watcher looking for Zayne, but I forgot what it was asking him, and I can't find the post it was in, I guess I let it go too long

It's a little hazy, but communication is possible on the astral. How it occurs is not defined.