I think you should post what exactly you are doing, and then I can adjudicate how long that takes, and whether or not the guards arrive.

I know what Jack is doing, and I know what Overkill is doing - what about Amy and Grease?

Are you searching the apartment? Who is pushing the cart? are you all heading immediately for the elevator?

I don't have my book right now, but how exactly does Resist Pain work again? Each hit relieves me of one point of wound modifier?

If so she will drop Invis and cast Resist Pain at F3 on herself.

ETA: Wait, what would DV-4 drain be for Amy right now? Is it physical -4 (2), highest -4 (3), or sum -4 (9). If the latter, she is not casting, obviously...

Resist Pain is an interesting spell. It's not quite that good, but it's also not bad. For one, it's a Permanent spell, so you only have to sustain it for (F) CTs before you can stop sustaining it. The effects last until you take damage again or are healed. Each hit basically removes one box of damage from both your Stun and Physical condition monitors solely for the purpose of calculating wound modifiers. The damage is still there, so if you take more damage and fill up your monitor, you'll drop unconscious, but otherwise you can walk around like you're not as injured (basically, Super Damage Compensater). You can even cheese it and cast it once, have it take effect, then cast it again hoping for more hits since you have fewer wound penalties. The one with the highest number of hits sticks.

That's an old reference. It's F-4 now with errata.

1. Grab the spare SMG

2. Help Jack with the bodies

3. Quickly go through the room Lynx & Falcon were in looking for anything of value (either financial or investigative). After that the room that Gutter was in, followed by the Living room. I am not opening any drawers, just looking at what's immediately visible.

Ok, Amy is dropping invisibility and casting Resist Pain force 3 on herself.

Normally casting the spell would be 12 dice, -4 for wounds, -2 for disorientation
6d6.hits(5)=3

Now to resist drain
13d6.hits(5)=3

So Amy is now effectively at 4 boxes of physical and 3 stun for the purposes of wound modifiers, so that removes 2 dice pool modifiers from her wounds, and it will be permanent 9 seconds from now.

To confirm, that is going to take you 30 seconds at least to search the apartment (7 or 8 seconds per room, plus moving from room to room). I'm just checking you are taking that much time to do that.

Or are you planning on even less time per room than that - just a cursory glance - meaning about 15 seconds elapsed?

That's a lot of potential stun damage, even going about it the quick way. I think we have to write off everything in the apartment, unless there's a bag or something that's obvious.

Ah ok, now I understand that spell much better. I think it's actually quite good. After it's permanent, she will summon a F3 spirit of man (not sure what optional powers it has, but movement or guard would be nice if it's not one of the basic powers for man). Amy'd ask it to go in the apartment and fetch any commlink and/or credstick it can find for her.

ETA: In the casting roll, you forgot 2 extra dice for the Protection Mentor on Health spells, but it doesn't change anything since the limit was already reached.

ETA2: If the spirit is susceptible to stun gas (which I hightly doubt) then optional power: Spell (Increase Body) would be in order.

Optional Powers for Spirit of Man:
Fear, Innate Spell, Movement, Psychokinesis.

It has Guard as a basic power.

So Summon test

12 dice normally, -4 for wounds and disorientation
8d6.hits(5)=0

Spirit Resists
3d6.hits(5)=2

Amy Resists 4DV stun
13d6.hits(5)=5

Whew - I got nervous there for a second - a bad drain roll and it could have almost knocked her unconscious.

Did you want to try again?

Grease, are you going to actually search or wait for Amy to tell you to wait while she summons a spirit?

Sorry about missing the +2 dice there

I honestly have NO idea how the heck that works (gas vs spirits I mean) For right now, assume it doesn't affect them, as I did not have the Spirit of Air affected, nor the Spirit of Earth. That being the case, I suppose the fact that there is no "Immunity to Poisons" listed as a power, I SUPPOSE you could argue that CS Gas has a power of 8, and the way we are playing it the spirit would halve that immediately, as they do not breathe, and then normally armor doesn't affect gas, but you could easily argue that the Immunity to normal weapons counts against it - meaning that any spirit of force 2 or higher would be effectively immune to CS gas.

No idea if that is actually how it works though.

Huh, weird. I figured all spirits would be immune to toxins, but I can't find a reference for it (Hilariously, Devil Rats are immune to toxins, so our cover story might have been a little suspect, although we could always say we were trying out some new stuff). I thought I remember a reference to spirits not needing to breathe, but wasn't sure about the contact portion. I kind of think that their foreign biology (if they even have one) would make them immune to toxins (and that's coming from me, who thinks spirits are a little OP, LOL).

->Getting a little nervous about how much time we're taking.

ETA: I have a much greater appreciation for the Detox spell now.

EATA: I'm a little sad that I'm on Death's Door and no longer invisible.

If Amy tells me to wait IC, I will do so.
-DrZ

Here is the timetable as I see it.

Lynx falls down, ending combat.

Jack and Grease each grab Lynx and Falcon and drag them out of the room. Grease takes the SMG out of the cart. Grease and Jack put Falcon and Lynx IN the cart.

Jack and Grease occupied doing that for probably about 5-10 seconds.

Meanwhile, Overkill is extremely busy. He is locking down the doors in this hallway, overriding the controls on the elevator, and getting ready to shut off the lights

Amy has to cast Resist Pain, and then attempt to summon the spirit.

That is the first 10 seconds after Lynx falls unconscious.

Next up, you have maybe Grease going in and looking around, maybe Amy summons another spirit of Man, Jack going in and grabbing Gutter. Overkill still busy in the Host - and security guards vectoring to your position. Realistically the Panic Button has been hit - just an FYI.

My #1 priority is to get the bad guys into the hallway/cart. If I don't have time available while that's happening to look around, so be it. Once they're all outside I'm hightailing it towards the elevator. Who pushes it I imagine would be decided at that moment; my thinking would be Jack because he's strongest, but if he has a compelling reason to have Grease & Overkill do it (for example, being the best shot) I'd agree to that as well.

Alright, so as far as I can tell, this is the point we're up to in game time. I am definitely going back in to get Gutter as fast as possible (If allowed, I would have grabbed my helmet and popped it on my head). I shouldn't need any assistance with that... if Grease wants to take a quick look around one of the rooms (and be exposed to the gas again), I figure he could?

As far as leaving, Jack will push the cart, since he's big and beefy. Overkill is just as good a shot as me, so I don't think that's a concern.

In these first 10 seconds, Amy probably has time to make a second attempt at summoning a F3 Man spirit with the Movement optional power.

ETA: Amy just goes along with the others, moving fast and keeping an eye out for any threat. Summoning the spirit is going to be useful as back up. It doesn't seem like we have time to search the apartment as it is, but there are other options: we could shoot the window from outside and have the spirit fly in there and search and bring back what it finds. Just a thought. When we're together she'll cast F3 Resist Pain on Jack and Overkill btw, as time permits.

You indicated that you were waiting until after the spell became permanent and then summoning the spirit. Making it permanent takes 3 Combat Turns - regardless of the number of IPs you get during those Combat Turns - so 9 seconds pass before you can even attempt to summon the spirit - since I only had 10 seconds pass altogether, I don't think that you are going to summon multiple spirits in 1 second

Did you want to make another attempt? I'm happy to roll it now.

In other words, there was no reason to drop the Invisibility spell?

THat's true.. I thought resist pain was sustain for some reason, but there was no reason to drop Invis, and also little reason to cast at Force 3. Sorry Jack.

And yeah, she'll try to summon again, you know, on the next second

Well, it's a Permanent duration spell, so you have to sustain it for (F) CTs. That may be the source of the confusion. The F3 deal was due to the fact that you have to sustain it for (F) CTs and we have only so much time to get all this stuff done. At F3, if you cap your hits, you're guaranteed to reduce wound penalties by 1 or 2 (if you have enough damage on each track) and it only takes 9 seconds or so. Casting at F6 would require you to sustain it for 18 seconds.

Right or use reagents.

Anyway, even though it's not optimal, I'm comfortable with what went on. While she has really good intuition for this stuff, now was a time where she clearly was disoriented and somewhat stunned by what had gone down, so I think it's reasonable that she wasn't acting optimally.

Ok - second summoning attempt:

8d6.hits(5)=3

That is better

Spirit resists.
3d6.hits(5)=1

Amy resists Drain (2DV)
13d6.hits(5)=5

No problems there - so 2 services for a Spirit of Man Force 3 with the Optional power of Movement.

I assume we're moving out now? I would guess Amy would have her spirit sustain Movement on us as her first request.

ETA: Hmm... unlike the Concealment power, Movement doesn't say the critter can affect multiple targets at once...

EATA: Ah, found it under Sustained Powers. The only problem being that the Spirit can only sustain the Movement on (Magic) Targets at once. So one of us is screwed (or, one of the elves jumps in the cart and Jack pushes them too, but the cart is getting pretty damn heavy, I would think).

You guys have time for actions in the elevator (casting spells, swapping mags, etc) - feel free to take them (and if they don't require a roll, post IC).

When you say Movement, you mean once you guys are out of the elevator, correct? And yes, as it stands Jack is pushing a cart that probably weights 450-475 lbs (that is without one of the elves jumping in as well.)

Yeah, I meant like Amy asking the spirit to sustain the Movement Optional Power on all of us. The spirit can only sustain it on 3 of us max. I wasn't sure if that was the intended use or not. I also think it would take 3 complex actions to do that, in case its relevant.

Jack doesn't really have anything to do other than answer any questions Overkill might send. I'm going to elaborate a little more on my IC message.

ETA: I'm going to have to double check our ammo chart tonight. There's a lot of ammo I am showing expended that I don't remember expending during certain scenes. It's probably correct, I just don't remember it. I think I got it all figured out. The only one that I'm not sure of right now is 40 rounds of EX AR Ammo at the Ambush, but with me, Overkill, and the drone all using ARs for that fight, it's probably accurate.

Amy casts F3 Resist Pain on Jack.

Amy will use a service only when needed, and it might become obvious who will need the movement boost the least by then. She's basically doing what she does best, react instinctively in the face of danger. Well not sure it's for the best, really, but that's how she operates

Thinking about it, she probably has time to also cast the same spell on Overkill and suffer a sustain penalty only during the elevator ride.

Since she ix-nayed the Invisibility spell, she can do it without penalty! Let FC sustain one spell while she sustains the other. Unless a test is needed in those 12 seconds, she shouldn't suffer any penalties.

Ok then, so Resist Pain is a Health Spell, which means that it has penalties when being cast on someone with a lower than 6 Essence.

Amy cast the spell
Skill 6, Attribute 6, +2 from mentor, -5 due to Jack's Essence, -4 due to her wounds and disorientation.

So - 5 dice total:
5d6.hits(5)=1

Resist Drain of 2 DV
13d6.hits(5)=9

So she casts the spell with ease.

Letting her Focused concentration take the sustaining, she casts the same spell on Overkill, with the same number of dice.
5d6.hits(5)=1

And resists drain
13d6.hits(5)=5

So Jack and Overkill will now operate as having one less box of both physical and stun, which unfortunately doesn't do anything (Jack is still at -3 dice, and Overkill still at -1)

Resist Pain isn't an Essence Keyword Spell... I think only the Health spells marked (Essence) are impacted by the Essence rule.

Ah - good. It used to be only Heal and Treat would carry that penalty (back in 3e) but I wasn't sure with 5e. That makes total sense though.

Amy's 5 dice for Jack
5d6.hits(5)=2

Amy's 5 dice for Overkill
5d6.hits(5)=1

So, 3 hits for Jack, brings him down to 7 boxes physical for the purposes of wounds, reducing his modifier to -2

2 hits for Overkill, however, still has him at 3 boxes physical, and so still has that pesky -1 (in addition to the -2 for Disorientation).

I'll amend the IC post.

Thanks!

May I ask another question? The original plan was to take the cart, put it in the truck you stole, drive it to where the cab was, and then switch over.

What is the plan now? (or did it not change?)

No problem: Core, the only (I say "only" but they're probably the most often used) spells effected by low Essence are Cure Disease, Decrease [Attribute], Heal, Increase [Attribute], and Increase Reflexes. I don't even know how to address the spells in Street Grimoire since they add a (Negative) keyword but don't explain WTF it means in game terms.

RE: The Truck. That was my initial plan since I thought it was a bad idea to leave the truck here. I don't know if DrZ wants to change his post to reflect that or not or if Grease is coming up with something on the fly. One problem with the truck is that I don't think any of us but Overkill can actually do anything with the truck (at least remotely) since we aren't owners or have MARKs on it. Maybe Grease is just calling up his cab in case of disaster (i.e. Overkill getting knocked out)?

I had honestly forgotten that the plan was to take the truck. That's still fine by me; I think the cab works as a good backup plan. Additionally, once we're all safely in the truck I can have the cab meet us someplace nearby for a quick transfer.

-DrZ

Jack - I think you and I were crossposting

I modified it to jive with yours, I think. Let me know if anything needs changing. Just to be clear, the guard burst through the rear stairwell doors that lead tot he parking lot, correct?

Do we need to roll for surprise?

I don't think surprise is necessary - I don't think either of you are surprised, really. We do have to roll for initiative - so let me do that.

Spirit of Man
3d6+6=18
Amy (-2 for wounds)
4d6+9=22
Grease (-1 for wounds)
1d6+9=14
Jack (-2 for wounds)
2d6+5=12
Overkill (-1 for wounds)
2d6+8=18
Guard
1d6+8=11

Actions?

If the guy is still standing by the time my turn rolls around... how far away is he?

This is going to be totally up to you to adjudicate, but I was thinking about using some version of the Shove rules from R&G to knock him down/out of the way with the cart (or simply a Charging Attack from Core and attempting a Knockdown Called Shot if needed). I think I have Unarmed Combat (4) already loaded (although I don't know how this would work using the cart instead of arms).

Assuming it gets to me and is necessary, Grease will Aim and Fire a Long Burst on FA (using 6 bullets). I wonder if this gun has recoil compensation, and what type of rounds are inside?

-DrZ

It's a stock HK-227. It comes with a retractable stock for 1 point of RC and a sound suppressor. I'm an ork with big beefy arms, I don't really need much more than that.

It also has a smartgun system, but I'm not sure if you can take advantage of that... I would have let you MARK it as much as you wanted, but I think you need to be the owner.

Fully Loaded with Gel Rounds.

He is about 60 feet away from the elevator.

If he is still standing, we can do some sort of test - I'll figure out how to do it assuming he is still upright

OK, I think 60 meters is the limit of my running rate. So, I would be making a charge attack, maybe with the cart providing 2 Reach? Does that sound reasonable? Maybe no damage, but just compare STR + Net Hits to his physical limit as per the Knockdown rules?

Sounds good to me - so:

Agi 5, Unarmed 4, Charge 2 Reach 2, Called Shot -4, Wounds -2

Sounds about right?

I was thinking a combo called shot/charge/shove attack, so it would knock him back and over, probably through the doorway.

AGI (5) + Unarmed (4) + Charge (2) - Wounds (2) - Called Shot (4) (Reach doesn't give a bonus to attack, just a penalty to his defense).

But yeah, basically that...

(Granted, rules-wise, the game doesn't apparently let you make a football tackle given action economy (not enough actions to charge, called shot, and attack), but whatever...)

I don't fully understand the tactical situation. The guards are 60 feet away, the door we want to take is behind them? Amy and Grease are supposed to cover their backs while Jack and Overkill charge ahead and we follow?

Basically, we're charging toward a doorway 60 feet to the north with one guard in the way. The main lobby is 60' south down the hallway we are currently in and then a little west, probably another 15-30 feet. The guards who are covering the elevator in the lobby don't really know where we are right now as we're out of their line of sight. If we can get past the one guard in front of us, we will hopefully have a clear path to the truck and escape.

As designated by Jack (obviously, follow along if you so desire), Overkill's primary task is to take out opponents in front of us while Jack is pushing the cart. Amy and Grease's primary task is to cover the retreat. Neither is mutually exclusive of the other, however, so if there's only one current threat, you'd probably try to take it out, although that's entirely up to you if Amy would do that or just keep an eye on the team's rear.

Hope that helps!

Jack has it correct. You are currently in a hallway that runs north/south approximately 120 feet long. You are pretty much dead in the middle of that hallway. At the north end is the door you need to leave to reach the truck. There is currently one guard who just came down the stairwell next to that exit.

At the south end of the hallway, there is another exit, and it junctions with an east/west hallway. about 30-40 feet to the west is the lobby, where there are two more guards, currently waiting for that elevator to open (of course, if this guard gets to make a call, he can alert them that you are here).

Sorry - my description was probably a little confusing. If you have access to the dropbox, Jack put up a rough map of the apartment complex that might give you a better visual.

Ok I think I get it. Amy will tell the spirit to make Jack, Grease, and Overkill run faster, and she will try to also run along as fast as she can. Seeing the spirit appear may in itself be a useful distraction, she figures. With her other simple action, can she attempt to intimidate the guard in front of them verbally, tell him to get out of their way?

Otherwise, she is also turning her head regularly to spot if someone is getting behind them.

Ok, so Amy commands the spirit to make Jack, Grease, and Overkill run faster. Using a skill is a Complex Action, so you cannot use Intimidate to try and get the guard to run away. You can yell something at him, but that is about it.

Amy (-2 for wounds)
4d6+9=22 - commands spirit, 2nd action?
Spirit of Man
3d6+6=18 - Manifests
Overkill (-1 for wounds) - shoots at guard, Aim and short burst
2d6+8=18
Grease (-1 for wounds)
1d6+9=14
Jack (-2 for wounds)
2d6+5=12
Guard
1d6+8=11

Overkill Shoots
Ag+Auto 9, SM 2, Aim 1, Wounds -1, Running -2 (Lowlight takes care Vision Penalties)
9d6.hits(5)=2

ETA - should have had 2 fewer dice due to disorientation, so only 1 hit - not that it matteres.

Guard Dodges
Reaction + Int 8, -2 for short burst
6d6.hits(5)=3

Next up is Grease - before I roll for Grease, I'm wondering if Dr. Z realizes how few dice he is going to be rolling.

His Ag + Auto is 7. He can get +1 for Aiming.

Smartlink. I realize (somewhat belatedly, that I have been giving Grease +2 dice for the smartlink, when he should only have +1 as it is not cyberware. I'm not going back to change it, just something I have to remember going forward.)

Even if we assume the Smartlink works (I think it definitively raises the Accuracy by 2, but I'm not sure if you get the extra dice as you are not the owner.) that gives you another +1, for a total of 9 dice. He loses 2 dice for running, and 2 more for the disorientation, and 1 more for his wounds, bringing it down from 9 to 4. Then, he gets one point of RC naturally, and then another 1 (Strength divided by 3 round up) and one for the HK itself, meaning another 3 dice penalty. Does he really want to roll 1 die and risk Jack's SMG having a critical glitch 1/6th of the time?

Well, I guess it doesn't matter if the guard calls for help, Overkill just alerted the floor to our presence, LOL. We have got to have a chat with our GMPC about bringing non-silenced weapons to a party like this! I probably should have given him my Colt.

I'm not really sure any of the smartlink features work if you're not the owner of the smartgun, unless having legitimate MARKs would allow you to basically subscribe it to your PAN, using 4E terminology. In that case, I would think all of the features would work. Either way, a three round burst might be a better idea.