Don't worry. I have a pretty good Hardware pool. Incidentally, I have an idea. I know there's no reason to mistrust these hippies, yet, but just in case, we could use this place as a bargaining chip once we break in.

It's probably just paranoia on my part, but I remember reading about this group that wanted to create this paragon of supernatural powers who could use the Resonance and magic (and don't care who they have to sacrifice to accomplish their goals). A transhumanist group living on a Ley line wanting to shelter technomancers just rings some alarm bells with me.

One other thing. Mordred's path to wherever I am was just one straight path, right? No side hallways from which someone could spring out?

Paranoid is good! Not sure I understand what you mean about a bargaining chip though, what place are you refering to? There were probably some side rooms that you checked en route but nobody's home!

EDIT: Having just read your IC I think I understand now...the water is just drips from the place being very old...the pumps have long since seized up so nobody is getting water from here. The power for the maglocks (and the sat dishes) is coming from inside the door...

Of course you seem to have control of the entrance...

Did you want to call in the others???

That sounds a good idea, I'm trying to keep up with the other posts but its easy to get lost.

@Aria,
You might want to tweak the heading north to Bellevue post. It is Spring on the third bike (actually scooter) not Alpha. Tweak, Alpha and Scrapheap are in the Van.

I did not see a response to Alpha stomping over to Prospero's Avatar, where he might have gotten a bit of detail about what is happening matrix wise, either from Prospero, or from the message to Phobos.

Will GM allow a passenger in the van to have enough extra/different information from the driver to contribute to the tacnet? We can get 2 extra dice for maneuver tests, if 4 people are contributing. Instead of just one die with 3 people.

In that case, I'll start working on that lock.

Logic (5) + Hardware (5) = 10d6

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3824182/

2 hits.

@Aria

I read the first chapters of Jet Set this morning, so I have a little more idea what you're talking about and where you're going

Doh, that's what comes of letting PCs rule the action seriously...love the initiative you are all showing in running this, it's what I've often aimed for in pbp and never quite seen so thanks for that

Will make sure I respond to Alpha's message early next week.

And yes, you can look in different directions so count towards the tacnet. Can I have an intimidation roll for you on your wheel please? +1D for the pimping seems appropriate unless you can persuade me it's worth more?!?

Can I have a few more rolls... maglock hacking's an extended test?

I'll lift some ideas from there and some from the ongoing Emerging plots, don't think there are going to be any spoilers from reading it so that's ok

Oh, right, I forgot.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3824572/

Total of 15 hits. About average for my dice pool, I think.

+1D is right for level 1 pimping. Unless get extra for the visible armor. I have not actually spent points/karma on intimidation yet, so defaulting which is 3D, +1 for pimping. Just buy 1 hit and go from there. Enough to maybe gain a bit of headway through the traffic, so we do not end up being too late getting to Bellevue. Unless 4 street cred comes into play? Probably not here, since disguised to start, and not too identifiable in the cycle anyway.

With tacnet, Sprogget gets 9 dice for maneuver tests with the monocycle, so buy 2 hits from that, and since rigging, thresholds are reduced by 1.

Think you need to change your handle, notsoevildm. Hitting a TM with psychotropic effects at the start of a game? Brutal.

It's not psychotropic, he really can see that stuff (at least when he looks in the matrix). As a TM, he can see the matrix just like a mage views the astral - it's just a shift in perception. The voices and images, that's something else:

@Mister_J/Cipher: If he didn't already have it, at least while the >1rtu@l5cr3am is in his head, Cipher has the equivalent of AIPS 1 (-1 to real world perception checks) due to phantom images/sounds. In addition, the 'possesed' sprite is stuck in the autocab's OS and counts towards Cipher's limit on summoned sprites. On the up side, he has his own autocab for as long as the spite stays possessed.

Huh. I really need to get the expansion books, it seems. And it was a dumb joke, anyways. I'm glad it's Friday, I can drink tonight.

Not sure if there's anything I can do to contribute. Also, do either of the TMs want to answer my question?

Well, you could come down and point a weapon at the stairs while I try and get this door open. It's more of a roleplaying thing that Mordred wants help than an actual concern about security, but it couldn't hurt.

The Radio Signal Scanner is Rating 6, right?

Electronic Warfare (1) + Sniffer (6) = 7d6

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3827088/

4 hits to find tags on LeFey's person and the positions she is taking along.

Yes rating 6. Package contents in spoiler at end of this post

Note that the package includes a customized handheld sensor that contains 3 non-linear junction detectors each at rating 6, each with its own roll of rating x 2, threshold probably 2 (ignoring any hardening). see AR pg 59. That should give a good chance at detecting any stealth tags, since they will not be sending an active signal for the radio single scanner to detect. Even though no signal output, they are not 'off', since they need to listen for the command to transmit. I figure the process is to scan, record, locate, clean, repeat. Anything that refused to clean is a security tag to be recorded to the decoy set of stealth tags. Anything detected by the NLJD but not the radio signal scanner is likely a stealth tag where extra care is needed on the cleaning (since can not check that signal went away).

Saving the security tags to the decoy set is a simple edit to copy the recorded security tag information. Maybe more work if the security tag is encrypted. Some 'side thoughts' on that in the same post with the package inventory.

@Aria, RdMarquis (LeFey)

We have a bit of a timeline issue. Glyph did not get the package to Angelo in Renton until after 20:20, but LeFey is cleaning tags at 20:10 with package delivery between.

Ooh, I forgot about those. Let me make some more rolls.

NLJD (6) x2 = 12d6

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3827759/

6 hits on the first scanner, and 4 on the other two. By the way, I can't remember. Is there a roll to copy tags?

As long as you have access, I think it should be a simple edit(1) roll. Simple as copying a file between 2 devices you 'own'. These stealth tags do not have any protections to prevent editing. Unless you count needing to connect one of the cables from the 'board' to a commlink. which should be computer+logic(1), if anything needed. Both should be automatic unless computer illiterate. Even Sprogget's negative for the Paragon only removes 2 dice from the pool, for others using built/modified hardware.

There are a couple of sensor tags included in the package, which should be enough to let LeFey join the tacnet when in range, and wireless adapter to extend that range

@Virtual Scream


My apologies for the delay, last week was a damn rough week for me.

Data Search + Analyze: 14d6e5= 4 hits/ 3 ones
Logic + Matrix Knowledge: 14d6e5= 4 hits

Some Hacking + Exploit rolls:


I think that is more than enough time for this Dubstep to have spent on this for now. So, once he gets done copying over what fragments he can find to the Nexus and deleting traces of his work from the nodes he hacked, he's planning to go out on the town for some fun. He'll first send a message to Matsuko telling her everything he's discovered thus far and linking her to the location on the Nexus where he put the Virtual Scream fragments for her people to take a look if she wants them too.

Then he's going to take another shower to wash of the panicked sweat from earlier before putting on his accoustic clothing and heading to the club.

As I mentioned, I'm a little rusty on Matrix mechanics. Can I analyze my own sprite? The possessed one? What about having another sprite study the first? I'm just looking for any available info at the moment though. I haven't been reading the other players' posts because really I shouldn't know what's happening to them so Cipher currently is still a bit in the dark.

@Virtual Scream/All

September 1, 2072, 12:15
Gossamer - just jumped out of her 'body' into her commlink's node. Currently casting around for a suitable node to hack. 6 boxes of icon damage. Safe node found. Aria to post.

September 1, 2072, 12:19
Uller - talking with Harvey Dennis about his 'broken' trid player. Big Peat to post.

September 1, 2072, 13:52
Cipher - in a remote spot in a car park recovering from >1rtu@l5cr3@m attack. Currently on 8S, 3 boxes of which are suppressed by aspirin (effectively 5S). Cipher can analyze the skeleton sprite himself, but will need to summon another sprite if he wants to analyze himself. Mister J to post.

September 1, 2072, 14:45
Dubstep - has transferred his two pieces of >1rtu@l5cr3@m onto his account on Mitsuhama's Nexus server. Has identified 9999 infected nodes and is currently deciding which one to to hack. At 22:00, Cindy will break in on his thoughts to remind him that Reed Caspa is DJing at his favorite club tonight. With that he will decide he needs a break to reaffirm that he survived the massive attack to his commlinks. GM to post - DONE.

September 1, 2072, 14:58
Alex Bianchi - on the phone to Harvey Dennis to see if he can fix his link. ChromeZephyr to post.

September 1, 2072, 19:23
Dante - buying Jing Cha noodles and beer while talking about >1rtu@l5cr3@m. Received a cryptic message from Silent Bo to 'talk to waitress'. phlapjack to post.

September 1, 2072, 23:52
Cat - has just completed her first run in the Looking Glass and is considering going on to Anathma. Either to post.

@Virtual Scream/Mister_J

To find out what's going on, I need a Data Search + Browse roll. Either an extended test with reducing dice pool or a single test with success level = number of hits.

You can also make Computer + Analyze rolls to check out the skeleton sprite and Cipher's bio-node. For the latter, he will first need to summon another sprite.

Going to need some new contact lenses with an image link, so I'll have Alex run by a store that does that kind of thing. They're ¥75 normally, but I'll have him pay 250% for rush fees (adding 10 dice to the roll, plus increased risk of glitches to bring the time frame down to 6 hours rather than 12.

Charisma 4 + Negotiation 3 + Kinesics 3 + Cost increase 10 = 9 hits, needed 6, only 4 1s and 2s so no glitch.

With the time frame, I was going to have Alex go by the place on the way to drop off the 'link, then pick them up later after the 6 hours pass. Notsoevildm, if this isn't a problem, I'll edit my last post to show that.

For small stuff like this and anything that isn't either R(estriced) or F(orbidden), you normally won't need to roll (although feel free to do so if it helps for RP purposes). However, for that rocket launcher or alphaware you wanted, I most definitely want to see some dice in action.

Groovy, I'll edit my post appropriately, then.

Unless it is advised that Tsubaki doesn't go out there and assist Mordred, here is Tsubaki's Stealth roll. 8d6.hits(5)=2

By all means, ladies first. I'll stay in the RV with the creature comforts of civilization

And a nice view of Tsubaki's derriere down the scope of your sniper rifle...

Ok, let's say that LeFey is cleaning around 20:50, sounds about right for Renton to Bellevue given the chaos... thank NSEDM for that

Yay, I have managed to mess with PCs in two story arcs!

@Virtual scream/Gossamer

Aria, I have taken a few liberties with Gossamer based on your intended actions. She is now logged onto the hidden postbox node with a hacked admin account. Her 'brain' is still in the commlink, but can be shifted if she chooses to with just a complex action.

She can create other admin accounts on any other nodes (either on the fly or slow and steady), but I will need rolls for those as they might not be quite as empty as this one.

Naturally, that goes without saying...

As long as she has access to the matrix she's not going to panic just yet...hopefully Aria will come through for her!!!???

Medic 9D [Computer(???)+Medic+VR-Damage] = 9d6.hits(5) → [2,3,4,5,2,6,6,5,4] = (4)

I'll let you roll her analyze on the icon or use one of the rolls I've done already???

Right, and sorry about that. I quoted my previous post without remembering to account for the stuff that happened in between.

@Aria,
The IC post looked way to big in preview, so I split it in 2 at a convenient point.

In RAW UW121, TMs are virtually immune to malware, except maybe something created by a dissonant TM or entropic sprite.  Sprogget thinks he is fairly safe from the virus himself, but that the commlink is an open target.
Other RAW references used for the thoughts in the [post=]IC post[/post]:

• Technomancers and Malware UW121
• Subscriptions SR4A224 UW55
• Accessing Nodes SR4A224
• Actions needing subscriptions UW55
• Clusters UW55
• Slaving UW55
• Centralized Tacnets UW125
• Processor Limit SR4A222
• Complex Forms SR4A239 running CF's do not affect response

Vehicle Test / Maneuver: Pilot Ground Craft(1) + Rea(3) + VR(2) + Tacsoft(2) + Handling(3) = 11d6, buying 2 hits

Thread complex form: Software(2) + Resonance(4) + Analytical Mind(2) = 8d6, buy 2 hits
Resist fading: Resonance(4) + INT(4) = 8d6, buy 2 hits

Vehicle Test / Maneuver: Pilot Ground Craft(1) + Rea(3) + VR(2) + Tacsoft(2) + Handling(3) - Sustain CF(2) = 9d6, buying 2 hits

Data Search(2) + Browse(2) + Analytical Mind(2) + VR(2) = 8d6, buy 2 hits for initial 'public' news about the matrix attack
IC just assumes got the 'high level' information from the various other posts.  It's been a few hours, so most of that should be all over the public news, with more in the tech news areas: >1rtu@l5cr3@m, wide spread, no pattern, resource hogging, commlinks and other nodes, standard cleanup failing, direct attacks to icons, damaged hardware, body part icons, grid guide issues, traffic problems, KE overworked.  A piece seen in one of the posts, that might not be public, is that running >1rtu@l5cr3@m instances seems to be communicating with each other.  I excluded that from the IC thought ramblings.  If Sprogget does discover that, he will have some more thoughts on this that *could* come close to what it is, or at least close to the way it currently operates.

Snuff bonus length 10 x 1d6 minutes = 10 * 6 = 60 minutes. bonus.  Full hour of increased reaction.  Lets see how far that takes us through the traffic.
The RAW information for Snuff AR76 is a unclear on usage.  'Old' tobacco based snuff is 'sniffed', but the alternate name of Aztec Chew implies using as chewing tobacco instead.

Vehicle Test / Maneuver is Pilot Ground Craft(1) + Rea(3) + Snuff(1) + VR(2) + Tacsoft(2) + Handling(3) = 12d6, buying 3 hits
With the minus one threshold for rigging, that means he can handle 'for free' Vehicle Tests up to 'hard' on the threshold table SR4A168.  Getting more aggressive trying to get other drivers to make way for the van.  Should work up a bit of a virtual sweat

Sprogget also gets a couple of dice bonus for logic based tests for pattern recognition and solving puzzles, if that can be applied to picking a route through the traffic.  Not sure what the 'skill' side of the roll would be though.  Maybe attribute only, INT + LOG?

@Aria,
From my perspective, the next thing needed is information about how fast we are making progress through the traffic.  Although I'm sure Spring, and probably Tweak can make comments on Sprogget's driving style.

Perception test to check the pump station so far. In particular, Mordred is looking for security cameras and stuff like that.

Perception (1) + Intuition (4) + Vision Enhancement (3) = 7d6

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3831959/

0 hits. At least it's not a glitch.

Just wondering guys, what kind of posting schedule are people keeping over christmas? Honestly, I'll be rather inactive for 2 weeks after tomorrow.

Post when you can but don't worry, there will inevitably be a lull. I probably won't do too much before the New Year now. I'll try to leave it on a cliffhanger to bring people back for more

I will continue to post when possible but grandkids are coming over after Christmas so I will be kept busy over the new year period. And yes, I am that old!

'That old' or just live in 'one of those areas...'. We've got some grandparents round here in their early 30s

I've got a two year old and three month old some I'm fairly certain I feel older

I'm already swamped at work and using all my free time to buy presents and play in 'live' RPs, so my posts have already dropped away.

I'll be back visiting my parents in the UK for Christmas, so I may actually have MORE time to post, as I have a week off work!

Ah, a player that goes the extra mile to make my life as a GM easier heaven! Given how complicated matrix rules can get any page references much appreciated!

I think my IC should cover you…timeline is 21:12 and you are in spitting distance of wherever you want to be in Bellevue (I think Alpha was headed for a nearby café while the rest of you lurk unobtrusively around the Senlis residence…?) and you’ve still got a few minutes before you need to snort/chew/whatever some more Snuff to keep you sharp…

If someone would like to confirm where you all think you are / intending to be around the Bellevue area then we can take it from there

The less people see of me, the better I would think. Whether that means he just stays in the van, or try and infiltrate up to where we need to be to get our newest tribal out is up for debate. Scrapheap's way out of his comfort zone, so unless things go south and the only option is gunfire he's not got a lot of ideas.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3833294/

2 hits to compile a paladin sprite.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3833296/

But, he got 2 hits as well. So, that's a bust.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3833297/

3 hits to resist Fading. Leaving Morgan taking 1S damage. And it's late. Too much so to finish this post. I'll leave it as is (compiling attempt omitted) and try again tomorrow.

Maybe Glyph can make suggestions about hiding or observation points. She got here first, and has had a bit of time to scout.

Aria,

Would an IC post about the Mechanicals tribe matrix infrastructure be useful?  Any preference on a 'style' for it?  I started a 'matrix maintenance history' log offline, that would show what I think are reasonable past and current capabilities.  I have some 'team salvaging' gear and procedure notes as well, that overlaps, due to maintaining wireless connectivity to 'work sites' throughout the barens and beyond: 100km range from the complex, with off the shelf components (Directional Antenna(6) at complex and at work site UW199)


Your welcome.  I had to go through that anyway, to verify what the limits were.  Noting down the pages was automatic, to be able to backtrace what I found.  Complicated?  The number of things I had to check and cross reference for something that 'seemed' simple was crazy.  Started from 'what limits was Sprogget going to hit running that centralized team tacnet?  One subscription per person ==> subscription limit for TM ==> things that use a subscription ==> security configurations for PAN, verify PAN clustering and slaving, side trip to going over the 'free' subscription limit ==> TM complex forms not 'using' response.  And that does not include any dead ends.

When I got to the end, it looks like by RAW Sprogget should be able to handle 11 subscriptions without problems: system x 2 'normal' + system -1 using program slots that do not get used by complex forms.  More would reduce response.  The 'normal' public configuration would use one to connect from bionode to commlink, with the commlink using one to connect to the PAN cluster.  With the custom setup due to the virus, 3 are being used up: commlink, PAN cluster, wireless adapter.  Soon as get back to the shop, a more powerful adapter will be added directly to the PAN cluster, reducing the subscription count, and extending his personal wireless range significantly.  From home, he'll be able to reach the 'cell towers' directly, without needing to go through the tribal infrastructure.  On a previous post, I said there were 2 in range.  A recheck of the 411 map shows 4 in range, with a 5th missing by about a km.

One of those things that people (characters) do not think about until they have a reason to solve a specific problem.  Then the solution jumps out, providing additional capabilities that would be useful for regular day to day stuff.  Face Palm, now why did *I* (or character) not think of that before?   One more reference that got missed in the previous list: Programs SR4A232, commlink processor limit = system rating, and I assume that TM bionode is the same.

IC looks to have covered it.  Did not intend another dose of snuff yet.  That was only to get the extra boost to buy hits to get to difficulty 4 (hard) vehicle tests while fighting the traffic.  It's on 'reserve' when the extra seems important.

As far as exactly where, I figured to let Glyph direct since she has had some time to scout, then use the tacnet bonus to help implement any infiltration.

Assuming that trace goes through, Sprogget is going to need some details about where the parents are, and how they are progressing, with enough lead time to adjust plans if needed.  Like maybe hacking their car / taxi to simulate a mechanical failure to leave them stranded for a while longer.

Free Action: Thread Track Complex Form = Software(2) + Resonance(4) + VR(2) = 8d6, buy 2 hits = Track(2)
Resist Fading: Resonance(4) + INT(4) = 8d6, buy 2 hits
Trace User SR4A232 Computer(2) + Track(2) + VR(2) (10, Complex Action) = 6d6, buy 1 hit, 3 IP = 1 complex action/second

Compiling (5) + Resonance (4) = 9d6

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3834274/

3 hits to compile Paladin sprite.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3834275/

Morgan just can't catch a break. 3 hits from the sprite.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3834275/

2 hits to resist drain. Which means she's down to 5 boxes. Okay, her course is clear. She should stop doing anything more complicated than talking until everyone is home free.

Lmfao. The paladin sprite refuses you!