Ooh - good call

As long as the Ear Buds are slaved to the Commlink, I would say that the Signal Scrub applies.

Good to know, Yeah, I generally slave anything with a Wireless Bonus to the commlink. That's why I got a high rating commlink, so I could slave as much stuff to it as I could fit.

Yeah, Jack's going to toss the girl over a shoulder, I figure she probably isn't too heavy. He maybe able to hold the duffel bag in his off hand too. He just wouldn't be able to shoot at anything then.

Amy is pretty weak, I don't know who's strong in the team, but she wouldn't do a good job at lifting a full grown man without being very slow at it.

I'm the only strong person on the team. The rest of you have Strength (2). We do a great job of being highly stereotypical, LOL. I think Overkill's character concept had a cyberarm at one point in time, but I don't see it anymore. I don't think it would really help dragging someone either, seems like a full body task.

The car is not rigged, right? I am unable to give it commands?

-DrZ

The car should still have a Pilot Program. It just isn't rigger modified for you to jump into it. Now that I think about it, Overkill might have to issue the command through a Control Device action since you don't have any kind of control over the car other than manual override.

All my fancy sweet-talking skills are at the expense of my rigging skills.

On an unrelated note, Grease will help Overkill with Blondie, carrying his feet; I'd also like to have my Ingram out (I think I have it on a sling?) so if something scary comes out, I can drop the guy's legs and start firing at the threat.

-DrZ

Ok, so there are 4 methods of controlling a vehicle:

Rigger - this requires a Control Rig and a vehicle that is rigger adapted - you can't use this method, since the vehicle is not rigger adapted.

Remote - this is done through a Control Device Matrix Action, which requires a Mark, which you don't have

Auto Pilot - which requires you to send a message to the vehicle through a Send Message Matrix Action, which requires a Mark, which you don't have

Manual - physically using the controls - which is what you've been doing.

Basically this is not a shortcoming of you as a Rigger, it is the idea that only Deckers can take over other vehicles, Riggers are only good for controlling vehicles they own.

P.S. - in older editions, you could actually remove the steering wheel and gear shift from your car, so that if you were a rigger no one could steal your vehicle using the manual override

I would say, let's clear out to the other side of the barricade. If the car is still functional at that point, Overkill can try his l33t haxor skillz to send the car back down the road.

I don't have a problem with you having the gun on a sling. Overkill is starting to suffer from too many weapon syndrome - carrying a pistol and machine pistol and smg and assault rifle.

The pistol and machine pistol are in holsters, and we'll say the SMG is slung, but the AK is from a drone and has no sling attached, so someone is going to have to grab that as Overkill grabs Blondie's shoulders (with Grease at the feet).

Jack has the girl over one shoulder with the duffel bag in one hand (that's got the Krime Spree and the ammo) while his pistol is holstered and his SMG is slung. Amy grabbed the Colt - she can also grab Overkill's AK if she is willing - I'm going to assume she is for my next IC post. Jack can also take a couple of seconds to throw the commlinks into the duffel bag should he desire.

IC post up in a little bit.

Yes, I'll do that, although I kind of figure they were secured by someone in their pockets rather than just sitting out loose somewhere in the car.

For professionalism's sake, in your IC post you could put how Grease tries to rub his fingerprints off the wheel and door of the car with his sleeve.

-DrZ

Do you want to put up a post for Grease? My IC post was going to be for Overkill - but I can add in Grease's stuff if you would like.

I'm good without posting; I'll respond to the action but don't feel like I have enough to contribute to a full post just yet today. I've had a number of briefer posts, I'd like to add something meatier with more quality (if that makes sense).

-drZ

No problem - for some reason I had this image of Grease as Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon. I actually almost typed him thinking, "I'm getting too old for this shit!" before I deleted it as too trite

Sorry, I had to edit my post. I initially was trying to parley, but then realized they were 100 meters away and I don't think you can effectively negotiate across the distance of a football field.

The spirits are in the astral and coming at us at astral speed? So next round they're on us? Am I getting this right?

Correct - they are in the astral and will be on you next round. However, they will still need to spend their first action to either materialize to attack (if their orders are to attack) or if you remain Astrally Perceiving, then they could attack you right away, again, assuming their orders are to attack you.

Do you want us to roll initiative, or should I just post actions IC?

For the moment, go ahead and post your action IC

Since the non-Awakened don't know about the inbound spirits, I know my initial thought is to run for it. If the spirits materialize, that course of action would obviously change... probably for the worse.

Is there a way to communicate in the astral without a link with a spirit?

Excellent question - away from my book right now - I do not think so - happy to be proven otherwise.

I read quickly through the astral section (again) and found no reference either way, so we can assume it's not possible.

Honestly, in the current situation Amy assumes that we are dealing with hostiles. If they come close, Amy won't hesitate to attack them (spirits included).

I'll discuss what I want her to do here so that we get the timing right before posting IC, and I can have an idea of how much time elapses, what everyone is doing when, and so on. Here's what I believe would be one pass worth of actions.

1) Tell the team "They have two spirits incoming." (free action)
2) Take cover. (simple action?)
3) Request that the air spirit protect the team and engage anyone attacking us or coming within 20 meters of us. (simple action?)

I'd be curious to see what happens now, before taking further actions.

Note: Amy is still holding two rifles.

I think you can communicate in the astral, but the book doesn't say anything explicitly. Seems weird that, for instance, two mages wouldn't be able to communicate if they were both astrally projecting without one or the other sustaining a mindlink spell.

ETA: Other than the spirits hurtling towards us, do they seem to be taking any hostile action?

It really is weird, I agree, but I get the feeling that it's always been like that, no?

I was under the impression, possibly due to some of the fiction, that astrally projecting mages could communicate with one another. I would assume communication would be possible between any astral forms. I think the mental link for mages/spirits is intended to allow a summoner to communicate with their spirit without requiring astral projection/perception.

Caveat: I'm saying all of this without really digging into the book.

This is correct, with regards to the amount of actions you have.

With regards to astral communication, I posted a thread over on the official rules forum, but here is my take, I think.

We know there is no sound on the Astral, so you can't speak to someone. The act of summoning a spirit gives you a mind link to that spirit, which is what allows you to communicate with it.

Simply Astral Projecting or Perceiving does not give you telepathy, or a mind link, so I imagine that the only way you can communicate with the spirit would either to be its summoner, or to have it physically manifest, at which point you could speak out loud, and it could respond if it chose.

In answer to Jack's question, nothing overtly hostile, in that they aren't shooting at you, no, but they are definitely running toward you - although you have a 100 meter gap between your two groups.

Ok - just to make things more complicated

Here is a response I got from the official forums. It is from SR4:

Street Magic p. 114 Other Senses
It is important to remember that assensing is a psychic sense. Though it is often referred to and experienced in visual terms, it is not entirely the same as physical sight (which is why blind magicians and ghouls can assense without penalty). Assensing also picks up other sensory input that is sometimes experienced in a way commonly associated with taste, smell, hearing, and touch, but in other ways is quite different. The emotional content of what is perceived, as well as the living and magical energies, are much more relevant than the physical sensation. For example, a room may “taste” happy if numerous people have been rejoicing there, while a long-deserted building may “smell” like desolation and lifelessness, and the aura of a spell with “tingle” with energy and purpose. Though astral forms and constructs may be “touched,” this is perceived as a flood of emotions and energies rather than a physical contact.
Characters may converse and be heard in astral space, and language is still a communication barrier there, but an assensing character will be struck more by the emotive content rather than by the words themselves. It is also possible to eavesdrop on the noises, communications, and even smells of the physical world from the astral plane, but just like reading a physical book, the assensing character will perceive the emotional tone and impressions rather than the physical sensation.

So, that would mean that I am wrong, somehow you can actually speak in astral space somehow, although emotional content is more important than the words.

How that happens, well, its magic, so we just have to suspend disbelief

From now on, you're the Magic Man and I'm El Diablo.

I didn't really picture you as a fighting chicken... but I digress

@Chrome,

Does the fact that you can actually speak to the spirits (or at least, you can speak and they can hear you) affect your actions?

What is everyone else doing?

Since we don't know about the spirit and they are pretty far away, I would think we would either take cover behind the barricade to avoid bullets and wait for the car or start heading down the road in the direction the car should be coming. I don't think Jack or Overkill really have any idea of the situation vis a vis the inbound spirits or how far away Grease's car is until we have an IC post from either Grease or Amy.

Yeah I'd change the order to the spirit to just protect us and engage if we're attacked, forget the if they come close blow them away part.

I'll try to communicate with the spirits if they touch me in astral. I'd try to project peace and concern for our safety as both words and emotions.

ETA: Given my command to the spirit, for sure it's also standing close to me in the astral, and is seen if anyone is perceiving (or is a spirit).

ETA2: Does any knowledge skill apply to know something about this tribal group?

LOL

@Lobo: Do we still hear that noise?

No, the noise has stopped.

Will be AFK for a couple hours - keep discussing, will have an IC post up later.

I'm not sure how much you want us to discuss OOC, I'm just going to put up a few thoughts here.

- My gut instinct is that we need to try to talk our way out of this one. On the plus side, the crew we just took down didn't apparently use this gate, so they probably weren't in cahoots with this crew. On the downside, just because evil cultists weren't in league with a crazy urban tribe doesn't make the tribe any less of a threat. Might actually be worse, to be honest.
- We're outnumbered, although we seem to have weapon superiority. With that said, they could have a sniper set up in the guard tower for all we know.
- We may be at a magic disadvantage. They have one or two spellcasters who, at best, are aspected summoners.
- Given their gear and lack of technical stuff, Overkill may not have much to do Matrix wise.
- With the car being a minute away, that's 20 or so Combat Turns we would need to survive. If we do decide to fight, we might want to delay that as long as possible by trying to parley first.
- We could offer them the car. Maybe they'd let us go.
- If they happen to somehow be "good" (I know, unlikely in Shadowrun), they might let us go if we tell them what went down tonight and how evil cultists were doing bad drek in their woods.

I agree except for the last point.. no time to convince them we did something good for them. Being on their turf is likely all they have against us, other than maybe wanting to steal our stuff, or you know, torture us.

If we can avoid this fight, we absolutely must, there's nothing to gain here. Parley may not be so great, because they will likely come close to us and surround us and I'm not sure I'd want to risk it. Trying to trade the car for us leaving on our own seems like the best option. If negotiating fails, intimidation might be a good fall back plan, I'd say, before we actually try to fight them. It may be hard to convince them we can take all of them easily (though I wouldn't bet against us in a straight confrontation), but it shouldn't be hard to convince them that a lot of them would die. Finally, as part of the intimidation if they start an attack, kill the guy who speaks for them first, and try to intimidate again. If we have to fight, it would involve keeping them at bay until we're in the car.

Sorry for the delay - went to my local gaming store after work for what I thought was going to be a couple of hours, but then turned out to be an all-nighter

Okay - I was going to post something until Jack asked Overkill that question.

This is a situation where I don't know what Overkill's character would do.

Clearly fighting is not an option (as Chrome and Jack have pointed out), so it is either run or try and intimidate them - and this one I don't have a feel on his response.

I'm going to give Overkill some time this morning to read the thread and make a response, and after that, I'll figure out what he is going to say.

Also, if the decision is to run, whether or not to just drop Blondie, since you aren't going to outrun these guys if you are carrying him.

Why? Technically, we could keep blondie, and drop the hostage.

I sincerely doubt I could convince anyone of that plan even with Grease's silver tongue, but it is an option

-DrZ

Sorry for adding to the delay. I figured it was pretty much in-character for Jack to follow the established chain of command, as he saw it.

...and yeah, considering the choice of which unconscious form we're taking rests largely on the ork's beefy shoulders, I doubt we're taking the blonde dude.

Sure, until I activate the 4th directive.

I'm not rigged for your pleasure.

Maybe Overkill can though...

Well, Overkill has made his decision.

I took a long time to think about what he would have done, going back over his background and how Overkill has played Overkill over the course of the last couple months - and took my cues from that.

Sorry it took so long, but I didn't want to arbitrarily have Overkill do something in what could be a character ending moment. Taking his cues from how he handled Truck and the summoner, he could have left Blondie to the tender mercies of the tribe chasing you, but I don't see Overkill as a sadist, and there is less left to chance by ending it permanently rather than hoping the tribe takes care of them.

Clearly he has decided that discretion is the better part of valor, and with a 100 meter lead, that you can out run the tribesmen.

For what it's worth, I'd say your response was completely believable in a way that Grease would find extremely frustrating

Given that there's no use over crying over spilled milk, Grease will hightail it out with the rest of the team. The Rotodrone will cover, and engage if needed to cover the team's retreat.

If they are catching up Amy will try to cast a Phantasm spell to produce what will look (and sound, smell, whatever) like a large explosion between the two groups. It might unsettle them a little and buy us some extra time, even if some will see the illusion for what it is.

Jack feels somewhat similar to Grease, but mostly because he's worried they have some other kidnapping victim holed up somewhere that needs rescuing, With that said it was probably the right decision for the group, given the timing. It also makes a sort of sense for Overkill, given his Soldier's Code NQ.

Actually... what is Overkill's Soldier's Code? It isn't the Warrior's Code from the BBB is it? I hope not...

ETA: I found where Overkill described his code. I'm honestly not sure how it would apply.

I guess everyone that was killed in the initial engagement was magically active, save Blondie, so I guess they would be considered armed. Not sure about capping Blondie. I don't know how the Code would apply to a mercy killing. It is a 15 point karma bonus.

I read that as well, and my thought process was that he was part of a human sacrifice ceremony, and would not be considered "innocent" or "collateral damage", but rather evil (that's why I didn't give him a hard time about capping the first two).. If the guy was just a security guard, or even another shadowrunner doing his job, then I think there would have been more of an issue.

Just bear in mind, if you capture any of the others - even Lynx, who as far as you know is just guilty of doing his job (even though that job happens to be wetwork) - Overkill will not be so quick to let you kill him - or kill them himself.

Edit: Do you need us to provide anymore input to the last IC post you posted. I think we're all beating feet. Although a flavor post from Grease would be fun after Overkill capped Blondie.

The purple yelling from the projecting mage is the astral communication we were discussing, right? Like he touched me in the astral and through astral perception I understood his message from the emotions felt or some such? If so, I would answer right back.

ETA: Since I'm just running away, I can take another action at the same time right? Can I assense the spirits and the projections or is that unrealistic?

That is exactly what is happening - you can go ahead and post your answer IC.




Mmm I think the idea is all of you are sprinting toward the car, which would take up you action, but I don't have a problem with you assensing one of the spirits or one of the projections - you can't assense all of them at once.

@Jack,

I don't really need an IC response (although I agree, I'm curious as to what Grease is thinking - he may wait until you are all in the car though). This is sort of up to you guys - if none of you have any actions but running to meet the taxi, that's fine - I'm curious as to what Amy's response is, as that may change matters.

Either way, let me know. Overkill will, once he has allowed you a little bit of a lead, start running and catch up.