Oh.. good luck with those dice then. If you are to spend edge, better use it after rolling, not before, to maximize odds on this test (9 dice, aiming for 6 successes, edge of 1). The logic is that if you roll really lucky on 10 dice, you can get 3 6's, for a total of a little over 4 extra dice in total (1 initially, 3 from the 6's and some more from extra 6's). If you roll really lucky on 9 dice, you can get 4 successes, giving you still 5 more dice using edge. On average, you roll less than 2 sixes on 10 dice, for a total of 3 more dice; and on average you roll 3 success on 9 dice, for a total of 6 more dice. So edge will result in more extra dice in most cases if you use it to reroll failures, given that you have only 1 in the attribute.

Also, if you roll very poorly on the 9 dice, you can save the edge knowing it won't suffice anyway.

Just my 2

My apologies - I missed that

Yeah, with an Edge pool of 1, re-rolling failures is usually a superior idea (assuming he doesn't need the Edge to break his limits, I wouldn't think so with a decent cyberdeck).

On 9d6:

Push the Limit (Pre-Edge): On average, rolling a total of 10-12 dice with 3-4 successes.
Push the Limit (Post-Edge): On average, rolling 10 dice, for 3 successes.
Second Chance: On average, rolling 15 dice, for 5 successes.

Basically, your only chance is Second Chance, like Chrome said. Roll-crafting is fun.

Agreed on your assessment. With only an Edge of 1, it is better to save it until after the roll. Assuming Overkill agrees with that as well, here it is:

9d6.hits(5)=3

So, he got 3 hits, so it is possible for him to succeed, if he wants to spend Edge, he just needs to get 3 hits on 6 dice.

Overkill, do you want to spend the Edge?

Frag, I will try using Edge, this is a roll that would be worth it...

Frag, I will try using Edge, this is a roll that would be worth it...

Ok.

Unfortunately the dice gods were not with you.

6d6.hits(5)=1

So you and Amy will both be busy for the next 6 hours or so.

Jack and Grease, we can finish your scene and then fast forward.

Can't agree more. I checked your odds (of 3 successes on 6 dice) just for fun: 32%

ETA: Damn

Yeah, I think we're ready to continue.

ETA: Haha, I forgot that you were waiting on us...

To clarify,

You are showing here a picture of the guy who shot Officer Jackson at the Stuffer Shack, this guy:

"A well-built human male in his 30's. He had a round face with heavy eyebrows, and his brown hair was cut short. His UCAS fatigues showed signs of age, with faded spots, and the identification removed."

In an attempt to see if she recognizes him as the driver of the van.

I will craft her response with that assumption.

That was what I was going for...

"A well-built human male in his 30's. He had a round face with heavy eyebrows, and his brown hair was cut short. His UCAS fatigues showed signs of age, with faded spots, and the identification removed."

"The driver was described as male,short, broad face, big cheek bones and bushy eyebrows. Short brown hair, shaved around the sides."

Other than the height issue, sounded fairly close.

Jack and Grease playing footsie aside, this is an interesting development. Let's see if she'll spill more about the "2nd" investigation. Say, if we can find them, maybe we can beat answers out of THEM! While Grease may not favor this methodology, as a player I think it could be very effective

I've got to do something with this handblade...

Hmm... Jack's not very good at this, but I'm going to roll a Matrix Perception test to see if I can pick up any silent running icons within 5 feet or so. I think my Signal Scrub program should eliminate public grid noise penalties. If it helps, I am trying to determine if the "business card" has an RFID tag hidden in it.

Matrix Perception Test: Computer (2) + Intuition (3) (5d6.hits(5)=2)

The plot thickens.. Lobo you cooked up a pretty deep and complicated story. I'm looking forward to see how everything will link up, if we ever find out at all.

It's optimistic you think we'll survive that long, given how many pieces don't seem to fit together!

ETA: That grimace on Jack's part seemed warranted. I have been B.S.ing Grease at the speed of thought and they don't all hit; however I'm hoping the charisma 6 elf makes it sounds better than me

Just spit-balling, the Troll sounds like Truck, who may have been the shooter in the Newton case. The mage is probably Falcon. Man, I wish we could get a picture of them!

I think we should head over to the Apartments next.

Poor Jill!

I only hope that it isn't so complicated as to be not fun...

Definitely not. I think it helps we're moving at such a quick pace (at least for a PbP). This adventure wouldn't work if we were waiting a week for everyone to get their posts in.

-DrZ

Yeah, I definitely think the pace helps, because it is a lot of information to process and keep straight.

Back to the spit-balling... OK, if the driver isn't the Stuffer Shack shooter, that may mean that the driver is Gutter (the team's rigger, which makes sense) and the shooter at the Stuffer Shack may have been Stinger. Other than this shooting, we don't really have anything conclusive relative to Gutter or Truck, so hopefully we can turn up something (or someone) else to get answers.

I'm starting to agree with you, DrZ. Find one of them and go to the Dark Side...

@Lobo

I'm having TONS of fun. My statement was meant as a compliment.

Excellent

And I'll second what Grease and Jack said - if you guys weren't keeping the pace you are setting, this would not as be a fun game, so I thank you

Jack,

Your Matrix Perception test does not reveal any icons.

You probably don't want to start with the troll though

But there's more to cut...

ETA: Thanks Lobo, noted (RE: Matrix Perception)

I could hit him with my Taxi. It probably has a higher body than he does... Probably.

-DrZ


ETA: Jack; do we have names / descriptions / roles for all the hitters in Lynx's crew? I hate to ask you to consolidate more info, but that may be handy (just so we know if we have any gaps in our thinking).

The only verified information we've received about Lynx & Co came from Argent. He said:

- We have two cases that are clearly Lynx: Tasty Burger Massacre & Ambush at the QXT
- We have one murder that is probably Stinger: Stuffer Shack Headshot
- We have one murder that appears to involve several of the team: Schafer's Diner Drive-By
- We have one murder that is probably Falcon: Magical Assault on Apartment 16F
- We have one murder that definitely involves the shooter in the Schafer's Diner Drive-by (probably Truck): Traffic Stop Takedown in BFE

We really have no clue who killed Manuel and the Wright case appears unrelated.

Lobo earlier posted the video description of the Stuffer Shack shooter and I posted Jill's description of the driver of the van (which, notably, did not match the video). That's pretty much all of the physical descriptions we have so far.

As an aside, I'm trying to think of the order that Amy and Overkill conducted their investigation. It seems really unlikely that the tails would have just happened to show up later in the day unless they were tipped somehow. Probably something to hash out IC...

Maybe they weren't looking for us specifically and just came about this piece of information when talking to Jill. Maybe these two are not part of Lynx's crew, although I consider that the top hypothesis right now. I'm starting to think that if we're both looking for each other, we better be faster than them and grab the initiative.

Now in the words of Amy. "Who knows, this could just be chance or good intuition. Better jump them first though, and ask questions later."

I don't but a very high chance on it, but maybe Honeypot will get back to us with some actionable intelligence.

You're going to ram a Truck with your car? (Sorry, had to do it...)

Ba dump! (Cymbol clash)



What's next for our dynamic duo?

OOC, I am heading out for drinks with a friend and have a bit of work to do when I get home, so I may be out most of the night. I think we tail the tails and head over to the apartments across the street to figure out if there is anything to see.

I am also out for the night. I've got a long drive tomorrow but will try to check in at the end of the day.

DrZ

OK, I'm back. If DrZ is okay for Lobo piloting Grease, I would suggest we go across the street and check out the apartments. Sounds like the tails thought it might be interesting.

Sorry for not getting back in sooner, had a crazy past few days.

What is the team's next move? I know I am tied down for 6 hours with my failed search for Lynx, (Damn you, Invisible Castle!!!); would that put him on the shelf until roughly around the time we are headed to the rally?

Oh dear God, I just realized Grease is going to be putting Drave and Amy in disguises for the night. I shudder to think what crazy costumes he is going to put us in!

EDIT: Will try and get an idea for my next IC, can't think of doing one covering another of his blunders right this moment.

I know its mostly the rolls, but I am having a difficult time not feeling that this team really had bad luck in getting Drave as their hacker. He was built as a pure Combat Decker, not the investigative hacker who could track down Jimmy Hoffa's body through the Matrix. Unfortunately for this game and crew, you probably needed one of the Latter, as opposed to the Former. Even the prank he tried to pull has led to a kidnapping fiasco that could endanger our WHOLE mission. He has had one rough start, and signs of improvement have yet to materialize.

I have no problem piloting Grease - you want me to put up a post exiting you from the diner and walking across to the apartments? If so, what's your plan?

I'm not entirely sure on that count and we have to be careful given that the other team has clearly already been there. I have to head to work, so I'll try and think of something.

I wouldn't be so hard on Overkill - it really has been die rolls - and you can't be maxed at everything.

Not to mention, remember that each adventure is different. So, in this particular case, yes, having a 6 Computer and 6 Intuition might have been more advantageous, but then who knows about next adventure?

As for the prank, well, think of it less as a chance to endanger your mission and more of a potential to pick up a couple extra down the line

Ugh...

I feel like we should be extra careful here. I'm not even sure we should walk across the street to the apartments but rather get in the car and drive a circuitous route to the apartments (assuming the complex has multiple entrances).

I'm also blanking on coming up with an appropriate cover story that isn't the same-old thing. I guess the main thing would be to determine which of the apartments would have had a good view of the crime and start knocking.

This is probably over-comical, but I think we should try to fast-talk ourselves as Good Samaritan outreach grief counselors.

There are two entrances to the apartment complex, one on the north side (on MLK) and one on the other side on E. 29th.

Is there a reason that the old cover story doesn't work?

Which one? The "wise guy" team from QXT, the gay couple from Manuel's, or the investigative team that we just used?

It seems like in this case we need to identify anyone who may have witnessed the crime and get them to talk about it. The "wise guy" approach seems like it would get the cops called on us. Trying to beat around the bush didn't work very well with widow Manuel; we were lucky that those files were there, so the gay couple looking for an apartment seems out. I guess the latter could work, but if the guys in front of us were smart, they'd realize that we hadn't visited the apartments yet and probably warned anyone there about "fake" investigators that might come calling, particularly considering they seem to have us sighted in pretty well if they were (likely) tipped off about Amy and Overkill's inquiries.

At least that's how I am thinking about it right now.

ETA: I could be overthinking it and Grease is obviously more skilled at con jobs, but I'd be pretty wary if I realized I was now in something of a game of Cat & Mouse.

What about gay Mafia investigators?

Seriously though - you bring up excellent points - my only hesitation in being more forthcoming on ideas is that while I don't mind piloting Grease, I don't want to take the lead in the investigation, seeing as how I'm privy to information that you guys don't have.

Basically, I'll back you up, and have Grease execute your plan to the best of his abilities (with some flair thrown in), but I don't want to actually plan it, if you know what I mean.

No, I understand that... I am just at a loss for how to approach this discreetly with no credentials and possible forewarning about our inquiries from people who are not friendly to us. The best that I could come up with was attempting elicitation through subterfuge. Of course, the method I suggested would be totally dependent on the person we want to speak to being willing to open their door to total strangers and also being open to grief counseling, neither of them guaranteed.

Screw it, I guess we just go with the investigator angle as it is the most clear-cut and we just used it. I would say we drive away and then enter the complex from the E. 29th entrance, working our way to the apartments that would front the street. Then start knocking...

Hmmm... okay, just to at least try to throw a wrinkle into the deal, I think we should represent ourselves to the apartment dwellers as insurance adjusters looking into the wreck that occurred between the getaway van and Mary Jane Kelly. It might throw someone off just enough to not get us reported necessarily.

Ok - cool. Give me a little bit, and I'll throw up an IC post.

OK

Did we notice if the windows were clear or reflective? If not reflective, we could try to have the Fly-Spy pop over and take a look in the windows.

Jack will take a second to use his audio enhancements to try and listen for anything. (I realized I haven't posted my current gear load-out, I'll edit my first IC post with that info).

They are not reflective, but the curtains are closed.

Based on your auditory Perception check, you can hear what appears to be a cat meowing, but apart from that nothing over the steady white noise of an apartment (hum of the refrigerator compressor, air conditioning, etc).

Grease's Fly-Spys have an olfactory sensor. Would they pick up blood or decomposition if they were near/at the door?

Definitely possible - do you want to have him call it back in?

ETA:

1) I forgot he has two of them, he could deploy the other one.
2) There is currently no one in the hallway but you.