Swimming roll: Str+Swim+Webbing 4 hits so Key will get 9m per turn (assuming I don't need to roll each turn) so I won't be entering combat for a while at a guess!

I probably won't be able to post at weekends anyway...sorry

See you all soon

A

Awfully awfully sorry if I'm butting in here...

I found these pics and thought they might be a fit for your campaign...

Underwater Pics 1

Underwater Pics 2

</me going back to minding my own business>

Aww man, now we're going to go diving into awesome looking underwater caves and discover alien lifeforms

Edit: Shame B Bandit lacks any water related skills.

Thank you for these links. The material is fascinating.

Alright. Throw me a [INT+Perception] Test if you would be so kind.

A measly 1 hit: 8D6 = 1

Let's hope it's something reasonably obvious

You won't see the leviathan till it's too late.

Human Pirate #3 shoots a long burst and a short burst at Gil.

Long burst has 2 hits, but is wide, so gives a -5 dice pool modifier to dodge. Base damage is 7S, but gives a +2 to impact armor.

Second burst has 1 hit, is wide, so gives -2 dice pool modifier, and an additional -1 for it being a second defense roll. Base damage is 7S, but gives a +2 to impact armor.

B Bandit can see that Human Pirate #3 has 3 more bullets in his clip.

Next up is Gil, Human Pirates #1 (1 bullet in breech, doesn't know that his Smartlink is off yet), and Human Pirate #2 (32 rounds in clip, Smartlink is fine). The TacNet is only supplying a +2 to the pirates, as B Bandit knocked one system off-line and now the pirates don't have enough information channels to supply a +3 TacNet bonus.

0 hits against the first one, 2 hits against the second. Damage Resistance got three hits, so I take six stun. Since I'm up next, Gil is going to scramble off the side of the dock and get into the water. Assuming this is a wooden platform like every other dock I've ever seen, he's then going to swim underneath it and come back to the surface for a breath.

Sweet.

Alright, so, looks like a few more pirates, the remaining IC, Fins, and then back around to me so I can continue my pathetic attempt at decrypting their outgoing communications.

Yea, I'll post for the pirates today.

So apparently Gel Ammo is supposed to be -1 DV in the newest version of the SR4 Basic book as opposed to +2 DV? Head hurting...

Yeah, gel was a bit too strong so they changed it. But I think they went overboard, now it's too weak (especially compared to Stick-N-Shock). They shoud probably have it put at +/- 0.

But swimming is soooo slow I'll wave as I go under you

HUMAN PIRATE #2
Pirate #2 Aims, Calls a shot for more damage (-4 dice), and shoots the puppy.
2 hits, 13S.

PUPPY
Puppy rolls Body. (2d6.hits(5)=0) Puppy takes full damage and is at 4P.

HUMAN PIRATE #1 (Communications Pirate)
Continues communications through encrypted channel.

BLACK IC #2,3,4,5
Black IC Analyze checks. (6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2) None of the IC have noticed B Bandit yet.

TROLL PIRATE
Die roll for Troll Pirate First Wide Burst Medium Choke Flichette
Rolled on: 2010-08-12 14:06:56.109557
12d6.hitsopen(5,6) → [4,2,4,3,1,5,5,2,3,5,4,5] = (4)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2648084/

KENSEI
Incoming 9P+4 hits, +3 AP, -4 dice pool modifier to dodge.

ORK PIRATE
Uploads a program onto the ship's embedded computer system.

B BANDIT
When do you get a Matrix Perception check to identify a program? Or do you get a shot automatically?

DOLPHINS
Dolphins check out the local waters. (6d6.hits(5)=4, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=0, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2)

Oh no he kicked the dog!

Ahem...moving on:

Dodging: Reaction 9 - Wide Choke 4 = 5
5d6.hits(5) → [3,5,3,4,3] = (1)

Using Edge to reroll failures (1/3 remaining):
4d6.hits(5) → [3,4,1,5] = (1)

Soaking: Body 8 (No Armor so the +3 AP doesn't help me):
8d6.hits(5) → [1,5,6,5,1,2,1,3] = (3)

Using Edge to reroll failures (0/3 remaining):
5d6.hits(5) → [1,2,5,3,1] = (1)

Kensei takes 7P. He is now at 10 boxes physical damage and has a -2 wound modifier.

TROLL
2nd Simple Action

TROLL MODIFIERS Running (-2) :: Troll ran on 1st Pass. Recoil (-6) :: Uncompensated Recoil doubled. Called Shot (-4) :: Caps net DV to 7P. Subtotal: (-12) AGI[3] Longarms[4] Shotgun[2] :: Franchi SPAS-22 Tacnet[2] :: at 2/3 from B Bandit hack Smartlink [2] Point Blank Shot [2] Target Prone [3] Edge[3] :: Exploding 6's Subtotal: [21] TOTAL[9] vs. KENSEI MODIFIERS Dodged Previously this Action Phase (-1) Defender Prone(-2) Attacker Using Wide Burst (-2) Attacker Using Medium Choke (-2), AP[+4] Wounds (-2) Subtotal: (-9) dice pool modifier. DAMAGE RESISTANCE Franchi SPAS-22 Damage: 7P + Flichette Ammunition: +2P, AP[+2], vs Impact. DV(9+net hits)P AP[+6 to Impact Armor]. (9d6.hitsopen(5,6)=1)

I believe KENSEI takes the full 7P? Sorry for the weird dice roll posts, I'm exploring Invisible Castle's options.

Busted.

If you don't mind I'd prefer to do my own dodge/soak rolls. Also Kensei's not prone because I used edge on doge and soak rolls to reduce the first shot's damage to 7P.

This format is really confusing and I'm not entirely sure what exactly happens except that Kensei was shot gain. The post before that one was much simpler to read

Sorry about that, I didn't know the text field under the roller lost formatting when it rolls. I had very nice tables of dice pool modifiers, they just got flattened. Here is what is was supposed to look like:

TROLL MODIFIERS
Running (-2) :: Troll ran on 1st Pass.
Recoil (-6) :: Uncompensated Recoil doubled.
Called Shot (-4) :: Caps net DV to 7P.
Subtotal: (-12)

AGI[3]
Longarms[4]
Shotgun[2] :: Franchi SPAS-22
Tacnet[2] :: at 2/3 from B Bandit hack
Smartlink [2]
Point Blank Shot [2]
Target Prone [3]
Edge[3] :: Exploding 6's
Subtotal: [21]
TOTAL[9]

vs.

KENSEI MODIFIERS
Dodged Previously this Action Phase (-1)
Defender Prone(-2)
Attacker Using Wide Burst (-2)
Attacker Using Medium Choke (-2), AP[+4]
Wounds (-2)
Subtotal: (-9) dice pool modifier.

DAMAGE RESISTANCE
Franchi SPAS-22 Damage: 7P +
Flichette Ammunition: +2P, AP[+2], vs Impact.
DV(9+net hits)P
AP[+6 to Impact Armor].

But I forgot that KENSEI had a Body of 8 (sorry about that), so he's still standing. That changes the modifier tables to:

TROLL
ATTACK DICE POOL MODIFIERS
Running (-2)
Burst Recoil (-3)
Heavy Recoil (-3)
Attacker in melee combat (-3)
Subtotal: (-11)

ATTACK DICE POOL
AGI[3]
Longarms[4]
Shotgun[2]
Tacnet[2]
Smartlink [2]
Point Blank Shot [2]
Edge[3]
Subtotal: [18]

NET DICE POOL[7]
7d6.hitsopen(5,6)

KENSEI
DEFENSE DICE POOL MODIFIERS
Dodged Previously this Action Phase (-1)
Attacker Using Wide Burst (-2)
Attacker Using Medium Choke (-2), AP[+4]
Wounds (-2)
Subtotal: (-7) dice pool modifier.
TOTAL[-7]

DAMAGE RESISTANCE TEST INFORMATION
Weapon :: Franchi SPAS-22
Weapon Damage :: 7P +
Ammunition :: Flichette
Ammunition Damage :: +2P, AP[+2], vs Impact.

DAMAGE VALUE
Base DV :: (9+net hits)P, AP[+6 to Impact Armor].

Does this format work, or is it too confusing? I"m not sure how much detail we want to use in a combat, these tables are using the Ranged Modifiers (SR4 p140), Defense Modifiers (SR4 p151, and Additional Ranged Combat Modifiers (Arsenal 161).

Corrected Roll (7d6.hitsopen(5,6)=3)

Ok now it's clear.

Dodge:
2d6.hits(5) → [4,6] = (1)

Soak:
8d6.hits(5) → [3,1,5,5,2,4,4,5] = (3)

Kensei takes another 8P and has now 18 boxes of physical damage. He drops to the ground uncouncious and will take a box of bleed damage every 8 Combat turns. If he reaches 21 boxes of damage he will die.

Wide choke shotguns with flechette ammunition are perfect for taking down unarmored targets as seen here.^^

Yup.


Combat Turn ends

KENSEI
[MAG+BOD] Regeneration Test

14d6.hits(5) → [1,3,1,1,4,5,6,1,4,5,1,5,5,5] = (6)

Brings Kensei to 12 boxes which just isn't enough to get him back on his feet.

Since I was going down anyway I should have saved the edge and used it on the regeneration roll. But I totally forgot that the troll could shoot a second time. Ah well hindsight and everything. Remind to never again walk anywhere without armor (even if it's just to the stuffer shack next door).

As I said, this is something of a practice combat. I grabbed the UCAS Fireteam build from the forums to make these guys. I swapped out some weapons to have SMGs and not Assault Rifles, and used Gel Ammo. This outcome works for plot, but I'm not planning to make punching bags out of you for the most part.

B Bandit and Key are up.

No worries that's just what happens if you charge people with automatic weapons with a sword while wearing nothing but a kimono. Next combat I'll be armored and probably remain standing a bit longer.

How far from the boat am I now...slightly lost track of time, sorry?!?

A

It's about 35 meters from your position to the boat, and the dock is about 30 meters long. Currently underwater that you know of are Key, Gil, and 5 dolphins.

Well I guess I'll keep swimming for a couple more rounds at least (tasers not having the best range...)

...and be thinking to myself...Dolphins?!? This close to a dock with lots of gunfire?!? What gives?!? Now I wish Key had paid more attention in marine biology! A knowsoft needed I think!

A

Ok, Gil can go while we wait for B Bandit and/or Fins.

INITIATIVE ORDER
FIRST PASS
21 Water Spirit
20 B Bandit
19 Kensei
18
17
16 Key
15
14 Human Pirate #3, Dolphins
13 Gil, Human Pirate #1, Human Pirate #2, Black IC #1 (troll)
12 Ork Pirate, Black IC #3 (human #1)
11 Troll Pirate, Black IC #4 (human #2), Black IC#5 (human #3)
10 Black IC #2 (ork)
9 Fins

I think it's my turn? The CAS frogman (Human Pirate #3) will use a simple action to put on his rebreather, and hops down to his dolphin. The other pirates move to do the same. The Troll drops a loaded shotgun shell by Kensei and sets him on fire.

Did I mention that medical costs were covered in your contracts?

I do have to apologize, as this fight was far more dangerous than I meant it to be. The team you just fought is being promoted from Mook status to Quirky Miniboss Squad.

In an effort to keep this fight from looking like metagamed brutality, this CAS frogmen squad had full data on the team. I've been trying to drop hints that Simon is not an experienced Johnson, which includes him not having taken many precautions during the hiring phase of this mission. He, like the party, just found out that there are powerful interests involved, and they have been tracking him (and therefor you) hoping that you will lead them right to 'Loc. So, while the fight was metagame-ish, that reflects Simon's currently terrible information security practices, and not my usual method of combat. I should probably have saved it for some time after we had had some fights under our belt.

On the plus side, Librarian (the Tutor Sprite B Bandit got from the Collective) brought you a copy of the Tacsoft program at Rating 4 (the maximum). I was intending to use this fight to supply you with a Tacnet, as they are fun, powerful, and reflect the way that gamers play together. You were supposed to get it off the "pirates", but I sort of badly miscalculated the fight.

Now that I've screwed up a combat and come off as a bully, I'll throw a roll-call out to see how many of you are still interested. I am still interested in running this game if you are still interested in playing, but if you aren't, my ego won't be smashed.

I got no problem with the fight. The reason it's turning out pretty hard for our team lies more in the circumstances than in wrong balance calculations, I think.
The characters are split up and unprepared/underequipped (For example Kensei has neither armor nor any guns with him because he was originally just setting out for a short walk and I think some of the others are also missing their combat gear). But stuff like that happens in real life too so I'm totally cool with it.

In a stand-up fight with all characters present and ready I think it would have been a challenging but doable fight.

In short, don't sweat it, I'm still in.

Having just read your post above I think that the attackers are out of range of Key's puny taser (even if they aren't )...It was quite refreshing to have to consider going in to a combat situation in a dress with a very short range weapon! Sometimes there are just fights that can't be won. Will be interesting to discover why they bugged out as they could have walked all over us... but perhaps they didn't want to tangle with whatever passes for poilce around here...DAMN THEM FOR SHOOTING A PUPPY!!!

Quite happy to replay this encounter at a later stage when we're fully equipped with SMGs, 'invisble' armour and high explosives

I'm still in, boss. I agree it was more of a circumstances thing; most of us went in without armor, without guns, and without a plan. Next time, we'll be better prepared.

Well, I did what I could. Hacker combat options are fairly limited in general. I'll have to figure out how many rolls I get, and how much time exactly I have, but I shouldn't have any problem decrypting the feed and finding out what they were busy telling other people. Should also have at least a few turns to put in some back doors and look through files, might be able to find out a good deal about who these people are.

They shouldn't have a ton of info on B Bandit, as she hasn't revealed much, and has lied about some of the stuff she has revealed

I have to agree, I think we got creamed mostly because we got caught by surprise, and the rule of SR is that whoever is surprised loses. We didn't have our full armor/weapons, and we didn't coordinate what we were doing very well since we all met about 5 minutes ago.

First Combat Turn after Combat:

Resist Fire:
8d6.hits(5) → [4,1,2,1,6,5,3,4] = (2)

Kensei takes 4P and is at 16 boxes physical damage.

Regeneration:
14d6.hits(5) → [6,4,4,1,6,5,5,4,1,5,5,1,5,6] = (8)

Kensei regenerates 8 boxes and is now at 8 boxes physical damage and conscious again.

Second Combat Turn after Combat:

Resist Fire:
8d6.hits(5) → [2,6,4,6,5,5,4,5] = (5)

Kensei takes 1 box and is now at 9 boxes physical damage.

He proceeds to stand up and jump into the water.

Regeneration:
14d6.hits(5) → [1,5,2,1,6,3,2,1,3,6,1,4,1,5] = (4)

Kensei regenerates 4 boxes and is now at 5 boxes physical damage and in the water.

I guess the fire is put out when I'm in the water? Or is it some kind of napalm thing that burns in water too?

I don't think we'll need a medical helicopter, Kensei can regenerate and otherwise I think only Gil has some stun damage that he can sleep off in an hour.

You may have noticed they didn't have any defenses tailored to you. Which may be party because I didn't know much about the Matrix when this fight started, but I'll call it Plot Prescience.

I think it's diesel fuel, so the water will put it out for sure.

The medical helicopter might not be needed, but Simon wouldn't know that. He didn't know Kensei was a shapeshifter (I think. I'd have to check the recruitment thread).

That's true. Kensei doesn't go around toting the fact, although it's probably not that difficult to figure out for people with the right knowledge about paranormal creatures.

Ok, since it seems we are all still interested in playing, post to the IC thread what you are up to.

B Bandit has until the pirates get down past 20 meters, which will take them about 2 Combat Turns. In the mean time, their 5 commlinks have become a single node with Response 3, System 3, Firewall 6, Signal 3, persona limit of 5, and processor limit of 30. It takes an Analyze program 3 Combat Turns to fully cover the cluster (processor limit/10). The IC are currently Analyzing, but with 6 dice, it won't matter against you at all.

You have 2 Combat Turns, plus however many actions you had left on the Combat Turn where they started to leave. Any rolls you make are against a Device Rating 3 with a Firewall of 6 (Firewall is useless once you are inside, right?).

Simon doesn't believe in magic. He was born and raised in orbit and considers magic to be a superstition for planet-side people. How he squares this with 'Loc being a magician gets into some tortuous logic and willful misunderstanding.

Right, underwater signal thing. I wonder if I could touch the water and make it skinlinked Like not.

Okay, let me go back through stuff and figure out what all I need to do. As for firewall, yeah, it is mostly not all that important once someone is in. Actually, once someone is in a system, it is generally fairly hard to notice or stop them without a spider (or something similar) in the system and actively looking.

Will post my actions in a bit.

P.S. Dolphins Why do I feel like we're in C&C: Red Alert?

Okay, since the encrypted communication was broken off, I won't continue decrypting it, and will instead work on decrypting what I saved later. In the mean time I have a playground

3 Combat turns to play:

CT:1 IP:1
Non-Action: Drop Sniffer
Non-Action: Drop Decrypt
Non-Action: Thread Exploit
Threading Exploit (15d6.hits(5)=5) Using all 5
Resist Fading (17d6.hits(5)= No fading
Extended Test to create a reusable exploit, Threshold 9:
Creating Exploit (18d6.hits(5)=5)

CT:1 IP:2
Continuing Extended Test:
Creating Exploit (18d6.hits(5)=5) Threshold passed, reusable exploit created for future use.
Non-Action: Drop Exploit

CT:1 IP:3
Non-Action: Thread Browse
Threading Browse (15d6.hits(5)=5) Using all five
Resisting Fading (17d6.hits(5)=7) No Fading
Extended Test to locate the Access Log (Easy?) Threshold 2:
Looking for Logs (12d6.hits(5)=4) Found.

CT:1 IP4 - CT:3 IP:1
Data Search each commlink for personal info (Contact lists, address books, notes, whatever I can find).
Data Search, Order Human 1, 2, 3, Troll, Ork, continue on whichever I did the worse on. (12d6.hits(5)=4, 12d6.hits(5)=5, 12d6.hits(5)=4, 12d6.hits(5)=8, 12d6.hits(5)=5, 12d6.hits(5)=5) So, 8 hits on human 1, 5 hits on human 2, 4 hits on human 3, 8 hits on troll, 5 hits on ork.
End of CT:3 IP:1 - Drop Browse

CT:3 IP:2
Non-Action: Thread Edit
Threading Edit (15d6.hits(5)= Using.... 5
Threading Edit (17d6.hits(5)=11) Guess I didn't need to worry, no fading.
??? Action: Using edit to make a small self deleting script that will remove the 'log off' entry from the access log after I leave and then delete itself.
Program? Software + Edit? (12d6.hits(5)=3) No idea what to roll here, but I would think it is something fairly easy to do, and would likely be something that B Bandit would already have ready.

CT:3 IP:3
Complex Action: Editing log to remove traces of activity of B Bandit and the Librarian
Editing Log (13d6.hits(5)=4) Not sure this actually requires a test, but here it is.
Non-Action: Drop Edit

CT:3 IP:4
Simple Action: Copy Access Log
Simple Action: Log out

Whew, think I did well with what time I had. Time to work on the message again.
Threading Decrypt (15d6.hits(5)=9, 15d6.hits(5)=5, 15d6.hits(5)=7, 15d6.hits(5)=6, 15d6.hits(5)=4, 15d6.hits(5)=6) Oops, just using the first one, and using 8 hits.
Resist Fading (17d6.hits(5)=7) 1S fading reduced to 0 thanks to trauma Damper

Decrypting recorded message. (14d6.hits(5)=3, 13d6.hits(5)=5, 12d6.hits(5)=6)
Added to my 3 hits from earlier, that means I crack rating 3 after one IP, Rating 5 after two IP, and Rating 8 after three IP, so about 3 seconds after they get out of range she should have it decrypted, likely sooner but it isn't a big deal either way.

Aaand going to check that Librarian is doing alright. Oh, and if you want things to be a bit more that we won it, back when she is uploading the program (Should be simple action) could also download a copy of the Tacnet that she found during her browse.

Now that the crunch is out of the way, I can work on an IC post.

If I have this correctly B Bandit has

1) Added a backdoor to the pirates system
2) Pilfered data on each member of the Quirky mini-Boss Squad
3) Deleted records of accessing anything
4) Decrypted the pirate's recorded communication stream
5) Successfully made off with a Tacsoft(3) and the Librarian sprite.

The backdoor sticks, and is a good job. It comes in the form of a Wake-On-Signal hack in the slaved smartlink of the pirate's ork, which gives you standard access and passes your commands and queries back up to the main system as a legitimate user. Records of your access are scrubbed, the tacsoft is yours, Librarian is available to you, the decryption throws an exception, and you have every personal file the Quirky Boss Squad kept on their combat systems.

The files kept on the commlinks were these profiles:

• Ben Swims-with-Sharks Campbell :: May not be present, dolphin squad as primary lookout for this runner.
• Spencer "Fins" Reese :: Retired UCAS combat swimmer, if present, knock out first.
• Robert Paulsen :: Smuggler, second take down target
• B Bandit :: No information, run cluster Analysis on exit
• Kensei :: Bob is to use flichette rounds, aim for head if needed. Do not load silver rounds.
• Mia "Key" Young :: Infiltration expert, water creature. Possible loyalty threat to dolphin squad. Keep at distance from dolphin squad, use sonic deterrence if needed.
• Simon Kerimov :: Non-target. Do not engage. Abort mission if contact eminent.
• Shibata Construction :: First degree backing for Simon Kerimov
• Find any information on these subjects:
  
  • Aztechnology
  • Amazonia
  • Blood Magic
  • Blood Spirit
  • Aztlan preperations for invading Amazonia

The "Pirates" are running under the names of:

• Alice: Communications, Human pirate #1
• Bob: Support weapons, Troll pirate
• Eve: Rigger, Ork pirate
• Odin: Rifeman, Human pirate #3
• Osirus: Team Lead, Human pirate #2 (puppy kicker)

Your decryption program is having problems decoding the message. It knows there is regularity in the message, so it isn't random noise, and it knows there is evidence of structure, so it isn't random words. Some of the signal structures are repeated back to the sender, and are clearly names, so it isn't a random set of sentences. Unfortunately, it isn't using any normal protocols or encryption, and is too short to manage a full linguistic analysis of. Keep it, and if you run across it again, you will be able to add to your Rosetta stone.

There is no direct information on who they are, but as a group you are in possession of their TacNet program, the encryption recording, a loaded clip for one of the Ingram Smartgun-X's, and a loaded shotgun shell from where Kensei was set on fire.

After B Bandit posts here in character actions, I will start a third chapter.

And the hacker earns her keep

Didn't really expect to find anything on them, but it is good to know that they're so well informed about everyone except B Bandit.

Working on an IC post now, just wanted to make sure things went as hoped in their system.

They also have pretty much squat on Key.

They know she's half fish, that's fairly impressive to me

Oh, and backdoor is cool, but the reusable exploit isn't quite as good as a back door. It basically means I put a bit of code in their firewall that I can use to break in easier next time (Hehe, easier...), but I still have to break in. Backdoors take longer to set up, which is why I went with the exploit. I'd be happy to take the backdoor, but just letting you know.

An exploit reduces the Firewall dice pool on break-in, and a backdoor gives you a free account? Ok, we can reword it to be that the slaved peripheral node hides the log-on activity from the master node rather than being an auto-log.

Actually there are three things if I remember right. Exploit is the quickest, and simply gives you a bonus on hacking in, backdoor lets you on for free without a roll (but still a chance to be detected) and then a hidden account is just a normal old account that no one knows about, so you won't be noticed logging in, will have normal access to stuff, and hidden so admins can't find it easily, and so is generally the most desirable.