Just a really simple idea that I had for building security, and I was wondering what you thought about it. And ways to circumvent it.
Basically, taking the long plastic drapes that you see in food services and stuff. Clear plastic, about 1/16 inch thick, goes from cieling to floor. Today they're used for keeping flys out of a room, or temperature, breeze, etc. The pieces are about a foot wide, and overlap by a few inches. They are made so that anybody can just walk through them and they part away.
Now, take those, and drape them accross a halway, with a camera or some kind of motion sensor on them. Along comes mr. invisible shadowrunner. Any attempt to walk through it is easy enough, but sets off some alarm, from the plasitc sheets moving. For being really secure, add a ward to it to stop astral's.
So, any ideas on how a runner can get by them?
Full Version: New security measure
It's certainly more stylish than the ultrasound, millimeter wave radar, heat, magnetic field and vibration sensors. 
To get around them, if they're only watched with a camera or a similar easily fooled sensor, you can use an illusion that makes it look like they aren't being moved, or you can mess with the camera itself. Of course no one would protect their facility like that -- they'd be connected to vibration sensors and electronic currents that would always let you know if someone passes through them unless they've taken hold of the facility's CCSS.
To get around them, if they're only watched with a camera or a similar easily fooled sensor, you can use an illusion that makes it look like they aren't being moved, or you can mess with the camera itself. Of course no one would protect their facility like that -- they'd be connected to vibration sensors and electronic currents that would always let you know if someone passes through them unless they've taken hold of the facility's CCSS.
If you're going with something like that, add a bit of style. Get those beaded curtains (not sure the proper name, it's a bunch of strings with beads hanging down over an entryway). It looks decorative, will be close enough together that even the smallest gnome or fox-shifter will disrupt it and is less obvious as a security measure.
It is still at risk of imaginative avoidance, but probably costs less than many other ways to stop invisible intruders.
It is still at risk of imaginative avoidance, but probably costs less than many other ways to stop invisible intruders.
you can also hack the camera slave, same as you'd handle any other camera. but if you taped conductive material in a connecting line across the plastic strips, and ran a current through it that kept the alarm circuits from activating...
| QUOTE (mfb) |
| you can also hack the camera slave, same as you'd handle any other camera. but if you taped conductive material in a connecting line across the plastic strips, and ran a current through it that kept the alarm circuits from activating... |
Make sure the curtain-camera has a good look at a wall clock too then.
Hell YES. Consider that idea stolen. With a motion sensor instead of cameras and other equally "easily fooled" ( 
) security measures, i think you have a winner there.
) security measures, i think you have a winner there.
It's a solid and cheap measure, but not a good one for use everywhere. Remember that setting one of those up is fine for low traffic areas, but for anything that sustains decent volumes of people, it's not really practical, and if equipment of any sort has to pass through, it's really not usable at all. Or course, you could concievably conceal it in a wall, but that creates architectural problems.
But PRIMO for use when you have a mage in your campaign who trid phantasms everyone into invisibility. Sweeeeeeeeeet! 
| QUOTE (Smiley @ Apr 27 2004, 10:40 PM) |
| But PRIMO for use when you have a mage in your campaign who trid phantasms everyone into invisibility. Sweeeeeeeeeet! |
You tipped your hand too soon, my apprentice. Now it is I who have the advantage. Bwa ha ha!
Edit - Oh, and great idea, Thistledown! That goes in the Tome of Ideas.
GOD I hate those things...I work at a Remote Encoding Center for the US Post Office and for some unknown reason, we have those damn things leading into the workroom floor. It's not even like we handle any mail or anything, it's a REMOTE Encoding Center...it's just a bunch of computer terminals with digital pictures of the mail on them! And we have those damn plastic strip things! Annoys the hell out of us because when you walk through them, they swing backwards and if you're walking behind someone who's not watching who's behind them or are just a prick, you get slapped in the face by the things...
Something like that might work as a security measure though if you ran a very light current through them (assuming they have conductive materials inside them) or coupled with a motion sensor rather than just a camera, but only if it's used for security after business hours. Ours aren't for security, though, as we have a maglock (I don't know what else to call it, it's a powerful electromagnetic lock set to unlock for 10 seconds when the correct coded card is slid through the reader) and a "security guard" at the door at all hours, plus a few cameras. I try not to talk about the security up there much as I get enough weird looks from people as it is...good idea though for after-hours when there's not any traffic...
PS. Our stupid plastic curtains are sure in a high traffic area. It's the main door leading to the workroom floor, and we have over 1500 employees at the center working round the clock, so people are going through them all the time. Everyone hates them, but no one's bothered getting them replaced or even asked why they're there in the first place.
The Abstruse One
Something like that might work as a security measure though if you ran a very light current through them (assuming they have conductive materials inside them) or coupled with a motion sensor rather than just a camera, but only if it's used for security after business hours. Ours aren't for security, though, as we have a maglock (I don't know what else to call it, it's a powerful electromagnetic lock set to unlock for 10 seconds when the correct coded card is slid through the reader) and a "security guard" at the door at all hours, plus a few cameras. I try not to talk about the security up there much as I get enough weird looks from people as it is...good idea though for after-hours when there's not any traffic...
PS. Our stupid plastic curtains are sure in a high traffic area. It's the main door leading to the workroom floor, and we have over 1500 employees at the center working round the clock, so people are going through them all the time. Everyone hates them, but no one's bothered getting them replaced or even asked why they're there in the first place.
The Abstruse One
[weighing in late] ... Like. Like very much 
Heh. One facility I created had Zen sand gardens surrounding the place. It gave the invisible shadowrunneers a nasty shock when they walked across it, and the miniguns opened up on them.
That's the fun thing about people who trust their Improved Invisibility too much: not only is it incredibly easy to get around, you can get around it in very stylish ways.
The VEGM, of course, adds these strips, sand gardens and other oddities purely as a distraction for the players, while the ultrasound, millimeter wave radar, heat, magnetic field and vibration sensors spot them and keep absolute track of all their actions anyway.
The VEGM, of course, adds these strips, sand gardens and other oddities purely as a distraction for the players, while the ultrasound, millimeter wave radar, heat, magnetic field and vibration sensors spot them and keep absolute track of all their actions anyway.
| QUOTE (Abstruse) |
| [W]e have a maglock (I don't know what else to call it, it's a powerful electromagnetic lock set to unlock for 10 seconds when the correct coded card is slid through the reader) ... |
I think that is exactly the definition of a maglock, yes.
I don't get it. I can picture the plastic curtain things, but what can they do that a door can't? Why not just put a door there? Your sensor, whatever it might be, can tell you when the door opens, right? Plus, you can lock a door.
| QUOTE (Dog) |
| Your sensor, whatever it might be, can tell you when the door opens, right? |
On a hunch, I'd say it's easier to fool whatever sensors are guarding the door. A rigid object, so most of the attention will be to the edges. An electric current system could be overridden easier on a door, for example.
However, spotting invisible foes with any door or other opening device is far less effective and more costly than spotting them with any of the methods I've already mentioned above (twice). The only reason I can think of to use either strips or doors for this purpose is if those objects are already in place, and there are only cameras to work with.
Or you don't have the money to buy a full-security suite.
Are they really called maglocks in the present day though? I mean I always thought it was a name SR used before they were in common use, and now most offices use them and probably call them something else...
The Abstruse One
Are they really called maglocks in the present day though? I mean I always thought it was a name SR used before they were in common use, and now most offices use them and probably call them something else...
The Abstruse One
Yeah, maglocks are called maglocks, even today 
They're not very good, though. You generally want to go with an electromechanical lock which stays closed in the event of a power outage. Maglocks pop right open if you've got no power to them.
They're not very good, though. You generally want to go with an electromechanical lock which stays closed in the event of a power outage. Maglocks pop right open if you've got no power to them.
If you can illusion a door to make it look closed, can't you illusion sand to make it look undisturbed? I do like it for the sublty though. Most guys don't think about if they're leaving tracks. How about a smoke machine? Hell, get enough incense burning and you'll see the air currents left by someone invisible walking through the room. I guess the trick to overcoming illusion spells is to look for secondary effects of a person's presence that the infiltrator hasn't thought of to cover. And guess what, that means more GM detail work. Cool.
Oh, yeah. Speaking of maglocks. There are some that are designed with no card reader/ keypad, or anything on the outside, just a button on the inside, manned 24/7. That could be challenging for a runner. Of course, any decent runner can find a way through that, but it's good for variety for surprise.
Oh, yeah. Speaking of maglocks. There are some that are designed with no card reader/ keypad, or anything on the outside, just a button on the inside, manned 24/7. That could be challenging for a runner. Of course, any decent runner can find a way through that, but it's good for variety for surprise.
| QUOTE (TinkerGnome) |
| Yeah, maglocks are called maglocks, even today They're not very good, though. You generally want to go with an electromechanical lock which stays closed in the event of a power outage. Maglocks pop right open if you've got no power to them. |
Unless of course you're trying to escape from the building... Be quite "funny" during a fire alarm.
Generally you'd have to have some situations that would trigger all doors to be unlocked which is always going to be exploitable by a decent runner team.
Electromechanical locks are generally faced on the reverse side with panic bar style openers which are strictly mechanical. You still have to go through whatever access control methods you normally have to in order to exit, it's just that you can do so without power if need be (they should set off alarms if you pull a fire exit while the power's on).
The ones we had at the looney bin I worked at had mechanical locks that would trip if the power went off, so the doors would stay locked, The exit doors (iirc) had the push bar type things that you could use to get out, but they would set off the fire alarm. Thankfully, I wasn't there the power went out (thus the motion detectors in the halls stopped working) all sorts of silliness went on that night... 
That's an good point and ruins my stupid, flippant comment
. However I've worked in places where you have to swipe in and out through multiple security zones (which then serves as an occupancy register and prevents access to unauthorised areas). If a door is secured from both sides in any emergency it has be freely open - there's not a lot you can do to stop that.
I've been looking a lot at security design recently IRL and when you start applying real world requirements to SR it gets kinda interesting. If I wanted to secure a facility with SR tech and magic (and matrix, since that equates most to my real interest) I'd have a hellishly fun time.
Always remember that you're securing something for a reason - you have to balance the cost of the security (including lost productivity) against the value of the protected and the risk of an "incident". Primarily the aim is to mitigate risk (rather than eliminate) - which means that anyone determined enough will ALWAYS be able to bypass any security system you have in place (of course the level of skill and determination required will vary). Which of course makes the game more interesting...
. However I've worked in places where you have to swipe in and out through multiple security zones (which then serves as an occupancy register and prevents access to unauthorised areas). If a door is secured from both sides in any emergency it has be freely open - there's not a lot you can do to stop that.
I've been looking a lot at security design recently IRL and when you start applying real world requirements to SR it gets kinda interesting. If I wanted to secure a facility with SR tech and magic (and matrix, since that equates most to my real interest) I'd have a hellishly fun time.
Always remember that you're securing something for a reason - you have to balance the cost of the security (including lost productivity) against the value of the protected and the risk of an "incident". Primarily the aim is to mitigate risk (rather than eliminate) - which means that anyone determined enough will ALWAYS be able to bypass any security system you have in place (of course the level of skill and determination required will vary). Which of course makes the game more interesting...
While it's possible for the system to look fairly innoculous, how's about making the system almost invisible?
With nanotech, produce absolutely thin, atom thick, threads. They'd barely be seen, if at all, will have about the consistency of air, and can still be used the same way....although this modification makes the system TOO sensitive, cans camera use and makes the motion sensor a requirement....
With nanotech, produce absolutely thin, atom thick, threads. They'd barely be seen, if at all, will have about the consistency of air, and can still be used the same way....although this modification makes the system TOO sensitive, cans camera use and makes the motion sensor a requirement....
The problem there is that random air flows will tend to set the thing off. The whole point fo the system is a cheap alternative to pressure plates, radar, and robotic dogs with bees in their mouths.
Hmm, to defeat illusion spells covering the thing, have ye computer display 'random' color patterns on the curtain, then check them with the camera. Since an illusion can't match the random patterns (they would cycle too fast), you can probably stop worrying about trid phantasm too.
Hmm, to defeat illusion spells covering the thing, have ye computer display 'random' color patterns on the curtain, then check them with the camera. Since an illusion can't match the random patterns (they would cycle too fast), you can probably stop worrying about trid phantasm too.
Yes, that would probably stop trid phantasm as it can only mimick something that the caster has seen before.
Seriously, if you've got money for random colors and a program to check the camera feeds against them, you've got the money for a lot of other, more effective methods, such as:
Tiny ultra-sound emitter in the hallway, and a receiver 20 meters into the hallway behind a small, opaque and well hidden panel which is invisible to ultrasound. Anything disturbs the flow from the emitter to the receiver, they've got a picture of the intruder and can turn on the alarms. Use 2 emitters, one on either side of the hallway, the cover the whole hallway -- this also gives you the distance to whoever is disturbing the sound waves and a better view of him/her/it. Silence will trigger the alarm, as will turning the emitters off.
And that's cheap, low-tech stuff. Weak emitters and detectors are even cheaper than actual ultrasound. A supported metal floor with some air beneath it paired to a few vibration or tension detectors (cheap by the 2060s) will tell you whenever any significant weight is put on any part of the floor at any point, how much and where -- paired with a plastic covering on the metal floor, this method is undetectable by just about any means.
Etc etc.
Tiny ultra-sound emitter in the hallway, and a receiver 20 meters into the hallway behind a small, opaque and well hidden panel which is invisible to ultrasound. Anything disturbs the flow from the emitter to the receiver, they've got a picture of the intruder and can turn on the alarms. Use 2 emitters, one on either side of the hallway, the cover the whole hallway -- this also gives you the distance to whoever is disturbing the sound waves and a better view of him/her/it. Silence will trigger the alarm, as will turning the emitters off.
And that's cheap, low-tech stuff. Weak emitters and detectors are even cheaper than actual ultrasound. A supported metal floor with some air beneath it paired to a few vibration or tension detectors (cheap by the 2060s) will tell you whenever any significant weight is put on any part of the floor at any point, how much and where -- paired with a plastic covering on the metal floor, this method is undetectable by just about any means.
Etc etc.
im not sure invisibility would get you past a motion detector and im damn sure that trid fantasm cant hide people or objects (thats what you have invisibility for).
personlay i would make the ends of the system sensive to movement on its own, with the camera as a backup. that way they worry about the camera and set off the motion sensitive threads.
i wonder if the good old ir beam still works against invisible people tho. like what some shops use as a door bell?
personlay i would make the ends of the system sensive to movement on its own, with the camera as a backup. that way they worry about the camera and set off the motion sensitive threads.
i wonder if the good old ir beam still works against invisible people tho. like what some shops use as a door bell?
| QUOTE (hobgoblin) |
| im not sure invisibility would get you past a motion detector and im damn sure that trid fantasm cant hide people or objects (thats what you have invisibility for). |
DOes anyone have any documentation on this? I've seen a character make a trid phantasm of their surroundings without them in it, effectively making themselves (and anyone in the radius) invisible. Was that legal?
Invisibility = M drain
Phantasm = D drain
I have no trouble letting the D drain spell do the job of the M drain spell.
Phantasm = D drain
I have no trouble letting the D drain spell do the job of the M drain spell.
But can't security cameras and things like that see through invisibility? I really don't know, i'm not a magic expert.
depends on the type. if its mana based it only affects living observers. if its physical it can affect cameras, drone sensors (the part of them, that works by visual systems) and so on...
| QUOTE (Smiley) |
| DOes anyone have any documentation on this? I've seen a character make a trid phantasm of their surroundings without them in it, effectively making themselves (and anyone in the radius) invisible. Was that legal? |
that trick kinda reminds me of a macgyver episode. someone makes a scale model of his room with a barrier lock. when you observ the model then it looks like the door is locked, but as you think your unlocking it then your realy locking it...
i think createing a replical like that is pushing it but if it was only to cover the cameras then i may allow it. its a bit like photographing a room from the right angle and then covering the lense with the photo...
| QUOTE (Austere Emancipator @ Apr 29 2004, 12:08 PM) |
| Seriously, if you've got money for random colors and a program to check the camera feeds against them, you've got the money for a lot of other, more effective methods, such as: Tiny ultra-sound emitter in the hallway, and a receiver 20 meters into the hallway behind a small, opaque and well hidden panel which is invisible to ultrasound. Anything disturbs the flow from the emitter to the receiver, they've got a picture of the intruder and can turn on the alarms. Use 2 emitters, one on either side of the hallway, the cover the whole hallway -- this also gives you the distance to whoever is disturbing the sound waves and a better view of him/her/it. Silence will trigger the alarm, as will turning the emitters off. |
That's the province of the ultrasound emitter/detector, though. Only rating x 400 bucks.
I think the bead curtain thing is cool. The color-change thing is a little hokey, yeah, but maybe just the thing to secure a potheads "green room". It'd look pretty cool, after all.
| QUOTE (Austere Emancipator) |
| Seriously, if you've got money for random colors and a program to check the camera feeds against them, you've got the money for a lot of other, more effective methods, such as: Tiny ultra-sound emitter in the hallway, and a receiver 20 meters into the hallway behind a small, opaque and well hidden panel which is invisible to ultrasound. Anything disturbs the flow from the emitter to the receiver, they've got a picture of the intruder and can turn on the alarms. Use 2 emitters, one on either side of the hallway, the cover the whole hallway -- this also gives you the distance to whoever is disturbing the sound waves and a better view of him/her/it. Silence will trigger the alarm, as will turning the emitters off. |
The Stealth spell would work just fine, however. It effectively makes the subject invisible to sound; it affects sound just like invisibility affects light.
| QUOTE (Zazen) |
| That's the province of the ultrasound emitter/detector, though. Only rating x 400 bucks. |
True enough. I've never even considered that. That's really whacky, probably on of those items that they added to the game simply to make B&E easier, even if there's no way it could work IRL.
And if we're sticking to the canon mechanics, there is no millimeter wave radar or tensions sensors either. Vibration sensors are really nerfed too.
On the other hand, what would take to be capable of changing the color patterns on the plastic strips in a very quick, computer controlled random pattern? Photovoltaic paint, which I suppose is pretty much what would be required here, costs 5,000
for a vehicle, and it takes a Complex Action to change the color pattern on it. With a dedicated computer to change the pattern randomly, and feed that data to the CCSS, it could be kept changing too fast for a mages spell to keep up. The cost might be prohibitive, even if you consider a single set of plastic strips to be the equivalent of 1/5th a vehicle.Looking at Ultrasound Detector systems more closely now... I guess the only possible equivalent for the setup I mentioned above would be to get a simple Ultrasound Emitter/Detector, break it up into two parts in place them like I mentioned above -- which is pointless, because the device automatically sees everything in LoS.
Hmm. Ultrasound goggles + camera + ultrasound emitter/detector like above. Since there's apparently no stand-alone device that is like a security camera except works on ultrasound, make the camera "wear" the goggles. A Silence spell would cause invisibility to the ultrasound goggles, but would automatically trigger the alarm if the Silence area passes through the ultrasound emitter. An ultrasound emitter/detector cannot work within Silence, and doesn't fool the ultrasound goggles on it's own.
The above setup is insanely expensive according to SR3, though. 1,100 for USG, 400 for USE/D and 2,700 for a Cybercam. What book(s), if any, have better prices for security gear?
[Edit]Darnit, Stealth does foil it completely regardless. I'm too tired to think of how to get past that.
Levitate gets rid of any tension or vibration sensors. If radars existed, there'd be versions of Stealth or Improved Invisibility that would fool them. Single target illusions seemingly get you past any sensors.[/Edit]
| QUOTE (Austere Emancipator) |
| On the other hand, what would take to be capable of changing the color patterns on the plastic strips in a very quick, computer controlled random pattern? Photovoltaic paint, which I suppose is pretty much what would be required here, costs 5,000 for a vehicle, and it takes a Complex Action to change the color pattern on it. With a dedicated computer to change the pattern randomly, and feed that data to the CCSS, it could be kept changing too fast for a mages spell to keep up. The cost might be prohibitive, even if you consider a single set of plastic strips to be the equivalent of 1/5th a vehicle. |
Or you could rig up some cheap electronics to regulate the pulsing of.. 30 strands of 99 cent christmas lights. They could be, say, 10 strands each of red, green and blue, so the image-recognition software need only match a majority of blue input, red input, green input, etc. instead of having to match up complicated patterns. That's the kind of thing I see someone jury-rigging at home with a rusty old soldering iron, second hand parts, and schematics and code from a cheap amateur electronics mag.
Even more likely to be guarding the potheads smoke-room.
Vibration sensors are rather useless, even for the strips, sez canon. No mention of cost in SRComp, but the description suggests that that stuff is really expensive, and simple to bluff with a simple Stealth skill test. Logically, it should be very, very easy to notice the kind of movement the strips get when someone moves through them, so you could give the sensors a bonus to their rating when used like that. A Silence spell would stop any vibration sensors, since they work with microphones.
So the current is still the easiest, at least if the intruders aren't expecting it. Running the current through a wire in the center of the strips with a particular resistance would make it even harder to fool by bypassing the current.
A door is better on most counts. You could run the current through the middle of the door sideways, with any change in the current triggering the alarm. Superconducting strips might help, but those should be really expensive. A separate spell could be designed to analyze and fine manipulate weak electric currents. Any other ways to get past this?
How about an emitter (laser pointer or ultrasound emitter) on the inside of a closed, swinging door, pointed at a detector (light sensitive patch or ultrasound detector) some distance away. An ultrasound emitter would have to be set to a very tight beam for this. Anything stopping the emitted beam (light or ultrasound) from getting to the detector would trigger the alarm. If the mage doesn't know of the setup before he opens the door, a trid phantasm won't duplicate the effects. Anyone think of a way to get past this?
So the current is still the easiest, at least if the intruders aren't expecting it. Running the current through a wire in the center of the strips with a particular resistance would make it even harder to fool by bypassing the current.
A door is better on most counts. You could run the current through the middle of the door sideways, with any change in the current triggering the alarm. Superconducting strips might help, but those should be really expensive. A separate spell could be designed to analyze and fine manipulate weak electric currents. Any other ways to get past this?
How about an emitter (laser pointer or ultrasound emitter) on the inside of a closed, swinging door, pointed at a detector (light sensitive patch or ultrasound detector) some distance away. An ultrasound emitter would have to be set to a very tight beam for this. Anything stopping the emitted beam (light or ultrasound) from getting to the detector would trigger the alarm. If the mage doesn't know of the setup before he opens the door, a trid phantasm won't duplicate the effects. Anyone think of a way to get past this?
| QUOTE (Zazen) |
| Even more likely to be guarding the potheads smoke-room. |
And it might attract too much attention. Everybody would be wondering just what the hell is the purpose of it. No problem for the pothead, maybe a problem for a corp who wants to guard a facility. And corpers might be against it on principle, if nothing else. A really nice low-tech solution, though, if you aren't a stickler for canon.
Motion detectors and pheromone detectors are almost annoyingly effective in Shadowrun canon. At least the ones listed in State of the Art: 2063. Might wanna check that entire chapter out a bit for some better ideas.
Ain't got that book. Funny how they made motion detectors more effective in that book, when they're pretty darn sucky in SR3.
I guess I should really consider buying that one.
I guess I should really consider buying that one.
It's worth it for the flavor text and ideas it inspires alone. Has some interesting rules and gear, too.
| QUOTE (Austere Emancipator) | ||
And it might attract too much attention. Everybody would be wondering just what the hell is the purpose of it. No problem for the pothead, maybe a problem for a corp who wants to guard a facility. And corpers might be against it on principle, if nothing else. A really nice low-tech solution, though, if you aren't a stickler for canon. |
Yeah, I don't think corps are going to trust a security system made of cheap christmas lights. I was thinking more about a private residence or gang hideout.
You guys are forgetting about pressure pads. They're not affected by invisibility in the slightest, and they can detect movement as well as any of the complicates systems you're describing.
There are already a bunch of ways to beat that. I can't think of any easy way past the mighty christmas lights, though.
A simple physical visual illusion (maybe even limited so that only technological devices pick it up to lower the Drain; I've created a variant of Trid Phantasm like that before) could take care of it. Just throw down the exact layout and waltz your way through.
A better solution would be to just create a grid of (mono)wire connected to motion sensors that are sensitive enough to pick up someone breathing on one (and maybe even carrying a current). So much as get a pair of wire cutters close to one and it goes off. No way to get through it without setting it off, and the security controls to open or close the gate can just be on the other side.
The only real way to get past that would be to use Magic Fingers or Use (Electronics) and Use (Electronics B/R) spells (or have an ally spirit who knows those skills) to hack the device on the other end. Or otherwise influencing/bribing a guard on the other end to open the portal for you.
A better solution would be to just create a grid of (mono)wire connected to motion sensors that are sensitive enough to pick up someone breathing on one (and maybe even carrying a current). So much as get a pair of wire cutters close to one and it goes off. No way to get through it without setting it off, and the security controls to open or close the gate can just be on the other side.
The only real way to get past that would be to use Magic Fingers or Use (Electronics) and Use (Electronics B/R) spells (or have an ally spirit who knows those skills) to hack the device on the other end. Or otherwise influencing/bribing a guard on the other end to open the portal for you.
| QUOTE (A Clockwork Lime) |
| A simple physical visual illusion (maybe even limited so that only technological devices pick it up to lower the Drain; I've created a variant of Trid Phantasm like that before) could take care of it. Just throw down the exact layout and waltz your way through. |
As said in the thread, the purpose of the lights is to flicker a random pattern for the camera to pick up. In the case of christmas lights, it'll light the blue ones, then the green ones, then the red ones, then the green ones, then the red ones, then the blue ones, etc.
The mage has to know what random color ought to be there every fraction of a second. When the camera sees blue and it's supposed to be red, the alarm is tripped.
Nothing about the Phantasm spell says the character has to maintain a constant focus on every single little nuance of the illusion. Like other illusion spells, the spell has a limited amount of autonomy on its own. The spell should easily be able to mimick the existing lights without a problem, mimicking their flickering patterns and everything as they flicker in real life.
Or do you honestly think the magician has to sit there and focus on every aspect of the illusion while sustaining it? Something they can do without even being able to see the illusion?
Or do you honestly think the magician has to sit there and focus on every aspect of the illusion while sustaining it? Something they can do without even being able to see the illusion?
Ok, how's this sound:
You trid phantasm on your side of the lights to cover up the stuff you are doing, then you splice the lights so you get a copy of the random noise pattern. Then you have your freindly nieghthood decker/mage plug the pattern into his head and he tries to keep up with the pattern while covering the real lights with the spell. (roll will, int, reaction, something like that...)
This can probably be beaten by having two 'layers' of lights several meters apart and have the camera watch them both. So you can beat the first layer of light, but beating the second layer at the same time would be a real bitch.
It's still seems cheaper and harder to beat than a lot of the high tech gizmos.
You trid phantasm on your side of the lights to cover up the stuff you are doing, then you splice the lights so you get a copy of the random noise pattern. Then you have your freindly nieghthood decker/mage plug the pattern into his head and he tries to keep up with the pattern while covering the real lights with the spell. (roll will, int, reaction, something like that...)
This can probably be beaten by having two 'layers' of lights several meters apart and have the camera watch them both. So you can beat the first layer of light, but beating the second layer at the same time would be a real bitch.
It's still seems cheaper and harder to beat than a lot of the high tech gizmos.
Only if you insist on taking it on directly.
As with any security measure, it only takes a Negotiation skill and a little cash to get past anything.
As with any security measure, it only takes a Negotiation skill and a little cash to get past anything.
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