Koekepan, could you please refresh my memory as to the physical layout that presents itself to us? Particularly, is the lovenest a detached home, or an apartment in a larger building?

It's not an apartment, but a unit in a semi-detached, rowhouse style of structure. It has a very short, almost nominal path past a sickly strip of grass that they probably call a lawn, and windows ..... you can assume that at least the windows on either side of the front door are probably in the same unit, but there is some doubt on further windows to either side.

Shopping list:

Flex cuffs
Duct tape
Maglock passkey

Yeah, I looked through your gear list hoping for a pass key. Only so much you can buy at the start.

Oh, for a Levitate spell.

So, for argument's sake, if a shaman had summoned a hearth spirit in the house into which we just snuck, for Jeremy's protection, could Blue summon another hearth spirit in the same domicile?

This question of course could be generalized to any building.

Yes. The same way that three shamans can all summon spirits of nature on the same mountain, or city spirits in the same city, without having some kind of call waiting system.

Yeah, ya didn't think such a big payoff would come from a cakewalk, didja?

There's a little voice in the back of my head telling me to get ready for a magical/spirit shitstorm.

So, here's another technical issue. The one-shot astral armor spell-on-a-stick is here on the physical plane. If Blue activates it, he can't project astrally, as that is an exclusive action, without dropping the astral armor spell.

Do I have that right?

No, those items are dual-natured, remember?

Yes but it is the sustaining of the spell I am thinking of.

Oh. Wait. If he has time, then, he could activate it after projecting. Got it.

F$&%@*! elementals. They can go anywhere. F$&%@*! elementals.

Astral Initiative: INT 4 +20 +1D6
1D6: 6 !!! Owl is with Blue!

==> 30

Congrats, your move!

It took me a while to figure out what Blue would do. The longer I play him, the faster that process will take. I might even get it right more often!

Oh, yeah. Blue knew this would be noticed.

Poor Blue. He is coming to have a healthy respect, almost a liking for creatures of the spirit worlds. This thing is not attacking, and so he has a niggling desire to talk with the flaming horror.

But ... he invoked his Mentor, a hunter extraordinaire. And he said he was on the hunt. And Owl blessed him with the opportunity to strike first. To hesitate now is to disrespect his Mentor.

Blue says, ::: I respect you, and I'm sorry. ::: and blows the fire elemental's brains out.



Awesome!

Yeah, I don't think there is time for Blue to summon a spirit. It looks like Jeremy is getting a warning.

Hot, damn! I sure hope this really is Jeremy.

Rolls!

Surprise / Quickness (6) - 3 Successes (Or 5 if I get a bonus for darkness) [6, 6, 4, 3, 3, 1]

Intelligence / Perception (5) - 5 Successes [6, 6, 5, 5, 4] (Used Combat Pool)

Burst Fire / Savalette Guardian (6) - 2 Successes [6, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1] TN 4 - Damage 12D

Burst Fire 1 / Ingram Smartgun Model 20t (4) - 0 Successes [2, 2, 2, 1] TN 4 - Damage 0

Burst Fire 2 / Ingram Smartgun Model 20t (4) - 2 Successes [6, 6, 4. 4] TN 7 - Damage 8D

Initiative 22


How much combat pool does it cost to re-roll failures?

Negative on combat pool to re-roll failures; that's a function of spending karma. But yes, I'll give you the darkness bonus on surprise.

We are now entering Karmakaze's bailey wick, so Blue will be happy to take a back seat (literally?) to Karmakaze's directions. I'll just have him summon a spirit to help us on the way.

Karma: up to 20 of each, you can get restraints of your choice from Jaxx at street standard price.

Both of you can snork up 5 karma for your neutralisation of Jeremy.

Woohoo! We're 'sperienced runners now!

Hey, Koekepan, I just noticed I did something wrong in character creation. I gave Blue an F4 sustaining focus to sustain the F4 Increase Attribute(WIL) spell. However, I made the spell exclusive to save a couple of spell points. On page 191 of the main book it tells us exclusive spells cannot be cast into a sustaining focus, because casting a spell into a focus is an exclusive action in itself.

So, I spent 2 spell points too many. It could be easily fixed if I were to make the Increase attribute spell non-exclusive, and take 2 points away elsewhere, for example the F2 Physical Barrier spell which Blue has not yet used in play.

What do you think?

Yup, I'll allow that fix. Update your sheet accordingly.

Thanks. Done.

Koekepan, Blue has a number of spell formulae for fabricating one-off spell items. Are those formulae suitable for use to learn a spell for regular use? Karma and time requirements would apply, of course.

As well, you say formulae for summoning are not useful because they would be spirit specific. What if Blue wanted to create an item to summon Sweez, who is a hearth spirit in his domicile, at Force 6? Being able to summon without risking Drain in a critical situation, such as for example defending ones home against intruders, could be useful.

The formulae are useful for learning the spell; as long as the spell is adequately understood by the magician in question, it can be learned given the commitment of karma.

I'm not extending formulae to summoning because it's a qualitatively different procedure - aside from anything else, time and place movements make each summoning unique. The one summoning that you can almost always pull off with minimal drama is a watcher - but of course that has its own limitations. Think of it as the difference between "shoot this gun aimed at that target" and "negotiate a contract". Every pull of a trigger is effectively the same once you've loaded the gun. The same contractual terms might be acceptable one day, unacceptable the next, and conditionally acceptable yet the following.

No summoning formulae. Want to summon? Run the risk.

Got it. Thanks.

I will try to catch up on the IC tomorrow. Been a busy week or two.

Just keeping this thread off the bottom of the list.

Yup, just waiting for Bastard to remanifest.

Sorry, I have been away. Nothing but working and sleeping the last few.

Just for a second or so I had forgotten that Blue was once Connor, and wondered about that billboard. Heh. How soon, sometimes, we forget the unpleasant past.

Looking back through the IC posts, I don't see any reference to another talismonger besides Mary Margaret. Is she the one Karmakaze is talking about, Bastard? I don't think she will want to get anywhere near these things. She thinks there is a dragon behind them.

Jaxx had sent me info on one.


EDIT: So not a Talismonger, but a Metabiologist.

Got it. Thanks.

We've entered the wee hours of day 6 of the contract by Mitsuhama on Connor, correct?

I think that your count is right.

Sorry for the long delays. I haven't been feeling well, and haven't been sleeping, on top of putting in a lot of time at work the last 3-4 weeks. It has been hard for me to focus while trying to read and catch up on the IC.

I knew she was going to ask. I should have asked this right away. Koekepan, what was the amount quoted for emergency service?

A thousand nuyen up front for the emergency call - there's no mention of any other price boost but maybe there are overtime rates.

Apparently the value of interrupted sleep is NY1K.

5000 each, or even 2500 each is better.

I agree. Problem is, the buyer already knows we are in a hurry from the timing of the call. They are going to go cheap no matter what, so Blue just acknowledged that. " Hey, we're all pros here, so lets just get this done" kind of thing. Maybe we could negotiate hard for a bit more cash, but we actually are in a hurry to get out from under a hanging sword.

I think Blue is talking too much. Next negotiation, unless it's about magic, how about Karmakaze take over?

This IS about paranormal animals. That is magic to me!

Eventually we will get into situations that don't involve magic. Though, I do see that the current situation is tending us in that direction.

It's weird, this is the first post on the whole board in about two or three days. Everybody seems to be on hiatus.

Hey, it's worth a shot to try to develop a new contact.

So, can I add this fellow as a contact for Blue? If so, Level 1 I presume?

Yup, you get him as a contact. Level 1, of course - just biz.