Oh, sorry. I really had nothing to contribute at this point so I was just waiting for the next step. Ready when you all are!

this reminds me of those old cartoons with the two chipmunks each of whom insists the other should go first. Politeness to the point of paralysis.

I thought:
1) We would do some matrix research first

2) We all go in one vehicle as there is little parking available. Presumably we need our own transport to bring our 'specialty tools'. Heh, too bad we don't have our own helicopter to land on the roof!

3) We announce ourselves through an avenue Brewster has given us.

4) We meet Monifa et al and find out what she really wants and negotiate terms.

Bongo being the ostensible 'face' is willing to be the front man for negotiations. He will be expert in perceiving, remembering, communicating details. There will probably be clues regarding Brewster's primary objective that will need those skills.

Willie has in the past deferred to Bongo but is coming into his own as a tactician. Nevertheless, currently he is primarily muscle and shit-hits-the-fan firepower. He really wants to know more about that helicopter.

What we don't have is a team leader, which is partly why we are all waiting for somebody else to organize us. Should we take turns doing that?

What rolls do you want? Paul has both Pilot Rotorcraft, and Aeronautical Mechanic.

I'm away from my book at the moment. It would be aeronautical. But I'm not remembering off the top of my head how defaulting from b/r skills for knowledge rolls works in this edition.

Bongo has no skill remotely useful for learning about the chopper, and Willie has nothing that can default. The book says aeronautical mechanic can't default, but I think it should be usable directly.

I can't find anything about using other skills as knowledge skills, but it seems generally right. Obviously you could learn to be quite the scrapper in the streets without ever learning about the Rumble in the Jungle. Still, especially for Build/Repair skills it would seem you'd have to know something about a wide range of whatever it is to just step up and fix the thing the way the game lets you.

Maybe, barring anybody knowing any special rule, technical skills act like their own knowledge skills straight up, and active/language skills can too but would fare worse when the GM has to decide if some bit of knowledge is "intricate" or "detailed."

My take on it: an aeronautical mechanic, especially with access to substantial libraries of information, should be able to do a great job of identifying a chopper from video footage, as well as any feature or optional modifications that help pin it down. This lies, in my opinion, squarely within the mechanical skillset. However, from the perspective of piloting, his pilot skill should enable him to interpret the actions of the pilot in the context of what the pilot was doing and why. The heading for the closest jurisdictional change would be an example of that.

I figured type of chopper was a autopsy, as was the jurisdiction based on his utilities knowledge.

But go ahead and roll the aero mechanic skill for chopper details. .

This should do it:

Mechanic's view of chopper: 9d6t5 3

Since it was brought up, you could discuss adding some freebie contacts.

Freebies through interests essentially gives you a writing prompt. Your character could easily have met somebody at some relevant event, venue, or local chatgroup that turns out to be useful in some way through whatever the interest was. Alternatively, you character might have been searching around for a certain type of contact and immediately gravitated towards one that turned out to have a shared interested.

For the charisma linked freebies it might feel like a waste to convert a contact you've developed to a point of knowing their name (and potentially their current effective connection/loyalty ratings might be more than your charisma could get for free).

But Willie might have a friend or two with the Boyz (or associated girls) after his edge fueled antics in the garage. Maybe the Baltimore Ramblers combat biker team (ever sticklers to maintaining names over some random new thing).

Selina rubs elbows with a spectrum of folks from the gangers from both wings of the butterfly at Gatsby's to those coming and going from her tower by the river. Or just a local talismonger she's developed a rapport with.

Bongo has been introduced to a number of unnamed musicians through Rose. And besides can be charismatic in seeking out contacts if he can avoid causing a scene for a while.

Paul might develop something with some of the union folks at the seafarers, his own union, or elsewhere. The local cops are the Baltimore Police Union, but in order of priority more like Union Baltimore Police. He might be able to scratch some archaeology itches with some of the folks in the old (and expanding newer) tunnels starting from Federal Hill.

Granted freebie contacts aren't heavy 6/6 friends in high places. But they add flavor, sometimes utility, or at least supplies without the extra markup or shenanigans.

Ignoring something while others change the topic can be pretty effective. So that might be what Willie is up to regarding the message from Lenny about Angels age, or apparent lack thereof. But I just thought I'd point it out in case it just slipped PB's notice.

FYI Angel is an Adult. Their player just got the disadvantage Neoteny from the Hero Lab SR4 character generator they used. It makes the characters look like they're a child or adolescent despite age, and as a gnome they're small besides.

Though the disadvantage comes with a hit to the physical condition monitor, so it has some real bite.

I don't know that she's really discussed that with anyone, is entirely aware of it herself properly, and nobody has asked.

We're back!

Wow. I really thought the forum was done this time! Hopefully the crew comes back.

FYI I don't know that any of the books are really detailed on permits and drone rules.

Let's just assume there are still drone pilot permits, but simple enough you get them with a standard fake SIN much like a drivers license.

As loath as Baltimore is to change laws, it seems reasonable to figure drones medium and smaller just need to stay under 400 feet and in appropriate corridors, which the pilot handles like a grid guide in the sky until you do something manually with VR or AR assists. With all the buildings, 400 feet would have to be interpreted judiciously and in effect you can often be much higher.

And of course you have to get caught deviating.

I don't think the forum is going away that easily, but still scary.

Also, still here, of course.

Bye
Thanee

Hopefully you're back too!

Besides conversations I think the set up if your characters are driving to scout the building and area before meeting.

Working on our election here to make some money for my sheep herding sport. Learning again after years of retirement what working for a living is like. Will post soon.

Well, if the forum sticks together that might be alright. While maybe not the fastest, I'm impressed with how much this group is persistent, and seem to have a good memory for what's happened. An advantage over the younger players I'd had previously.

For poor Lenny's sake, what info does Paul have available on his Comlink? Though if he wants Lenny to use the "Tubesnake" alias he might want to have that loaded or say something.

As for Angel's drone. Paul could absolutely get a better deal given some time, and there are also very well-founded concerns about tracking tags/software that could be present in the sorts of drones you can get in short order through legal channels (besides a small risk to one's fake ID, or something coming back on a real ID). That's balanced against Angel having a drone to use on this job.

Also if you're board irl and have a moment, I still like the idea of dealing with little vignettes in the other IC thread.

Bongo is still weighing the pros and cons of affiliating with a group. He's tending towards yes, but not sure.

Paul's commlink is deliberately about as pedestrian as it gets, with the exception of the communications link to all these other shadowy types. Why? Because it has to be a working device that lets him deal with everything from contracting agencies to union red tape. However, that also means that he tends to keep things off it unless they really need to be there, and also makes it easier to set a new one up if he ever loses his current on. That said, he has no reason for Lenny to work under "Tubesnake".

I am on board for other vignettes, just make sure to tap my shoulder and point me there as appropriate.

This is it! This is what Bongo is searching for!

The Heartbeat of Gaia

By the way if anybody knows better ways of managing scene changes in RPGs I'm open to suggestions. Though you all seem pretty comfortable with things taking a moment.

It's less of a problem IRL where you can talk through things quicker, but still a problem. Often manifesting as whatever player/character is closest to a barbarian in whatever game it is charging ahead because they're starting to get board and can say it's in character.



So not even a name for poor Lenny?

Also Angel still doesn't quite have a handle on things taking time, and hasn't exactly thought through Paul not being there when the drone arrives, if Brewster can get one quickly.



Well that's a cool thing to learn about. I looked it up. Apparently nobody has gotten funded to figure out what it is. You'd think one of them would go on vacation with some gear to try and figure it out.

That does seem like the sort of thin Shadowrun writers would just run with.

Orrrr... a GM?

That actually might be interesting to play with in the future. Africa is pretty messed up. The heartbeat is thought to be coming from somewhere in or near the ocean south of the Ghoul nation.

Only Koekepan. Only Koekepan.

I have no idea how to reply to it. But that was quite the post.

This is available now! Willie wants one, please.

Armoured vehicle for INSIDE buildings.

It's an ATV with an armored passenger compartment. Paul might be able to make one for well below the 75k that one goes for.

Thinking out loud: he'd want a junkyard drivetrain and chassis, then some items to beef them up (armour is heavy and shock absorbers are cheap), probably new tyres, and then a few slabs of appropriately tough stuff for at least small arms defence. He might rejigger the gearbox because of the additional weight, or the appropriate equivalent for electric drive, so as not to blow out the drivetrain with too much torque fighting the weight.

Yeah, there's a lot to be done, but depending on the sources and methods, it should be pretty feasible.

Back again!

Whew.

Toys for Willie just keep coming!

Underwater Bullets

If there is a background count of 2, Bongo has to drop a couple of points from his adept powers.

For the time being, till the meet and greet is over, he will assume matters won't come to violence. (Huh? What Shadowrun are you playing?) So, until further notice, he drops Missile Mastery [1.0] and Power throw (3) [0.75]. As well, most people here will be speaking English and there won't be time in the beginning to learn something new, so he will also drop Linguistics [0.25] for a total of 2.0 points.

The plan, I believe, was for Willie to be on his bike and the rest in Bongo's Rover, with both vehicles having autopilot to send them home. Willie will cut an imposing Orc figure, armoured and biked and armed.

Intimidation 2 + CHA 4 = 6 dice: 2 hits

The Background Count reduces Fiona's Force and therefore also her skill ratings. And it also, additionally, counts as visibility modifier, right?

So her Astral Perception is affected thrice?

Will try to get a closer look at that spirit in astral space, but need to know what dice to roll.

Bye
Thanee

It's been a couple campaigns since I had to dig into the underwater equipment rules. Maybe they're already there.



Hmmmm. Maybe I've been playing it wrong and too lax, but I think the rules don't mean to lock in an adept on what powers are blocked when they enter a zone. Nor does it indicate that any sort of action is involved selecting powers to not have active.

Therefore I'll often have an adept play "pick" every now and then just to remind them, or to give them a chance to shut off always on abilities like perception bonuses or defenses. But, generally, I just let them act freely until they want to use too many powers at once, at which point they don't have the mojo left to use the last thing they want to pick. That happens all the time with highly specialized adepts.

But since he isn't highly specialized Bongo can mostly ignore a background count of 2, because it's relatively unlikely he'll want to put on an enthralling performance and engage in combat at the same time.

But if he really wanted to enthrall people with the percussive noises of impacts as he tries to take out a wall with thrown objects, well, maybe problems. Also losing a few dice for some things.




Spirits do get a triple hit on perception within a background count. But I'm pretty sure the spirit itself has to be within that background count to lose force as opposed to what it's looking at, as opposed to certain spells.

So while driving around, and I'm assuming the characters at least circle the building, it'd be pretty easy to find a "clear" zone for everyone to get a little time without any background count.

If she isn't using the van to "hide" Fiona could fly anywhere clear and stare. The other spirit is obviously on patrol, focusing more on the top half of the building and the entrances while spending a little of its time inside. But it doesn't assiduously keep moving nor within the background count (maybe I'm a bit influenced by the old domains, but I don't have background count leak a great distance generally, especially into the sky. )

So if she takes her time Fiona could get a roll without penalties. Though, depending on its orders, the spirit could be explicitly looking for anyone paying too much attention to it or the tower.

Oh, okay. I thought the BC was in the whole area. So, getting a look at the spirit outside the BC, but with -2 penalty for looking into the BC, should be doable. That works.

Bye
Thanee

I feel like there's some discussion of all the helmets regarding the contrast of Shadowrun and CP202s "form over function" aesthetic.

I think I'll presume interest in Mike's project is rising among the marketing guys.

Sorry for being slow there. I'm heading off to a funeral. So until Monday you might be getting replies by phone. Though in a airport maybe I'll have a lot of time for that?

Also will be away from rulebooks and notes, but I'll probably manage.

Sounds like you lost someone close. Take care.

Oh, OK, I'll wait till Tubesnake's recce is done before posting further.

Probably shouldn't stay in the drop off zone to the south, but just a right turn and there's streetside parking on the west side of the building, which has a fair number of open spots amid the few junkers parked there.

It occurs to me I don't know that Bongo and Willie have describe the color of their outfits. Despite their affinity for yellow, I suppose I was imagining black during a run, but I'll let you flesh that out.


And just something to think about, do you plan on announcing Paul and Angel?

Had a crazy thunderstorm roll through and knock out power today, internet took a lot longer to come back. At least my desktop survived so I can get a post up finally.

Thunderstorms here too.

I would have gone for more with Bongo's bid, but Monifa is the side job here, which we need in order to have access to the building.

Looks like you got all those missing hits from my roll added to yours!

Bye
Thanee

Teamwork at its best!

As a tangent: I have the BBB for SR6 but have only skimmed it. The one thing that jumped out in my perusal was the ability to share Edge. I immediately thought that a fun PC would be "Lucky Eddie", maximized for Edge. Not particularly good at shadowrunning skills, but everybody wanted him along because they got better.

FYI, I added a link at the top of the IC thread to my last post, since it includes names and numbers. Just to make it easy toreference.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...t&p=1370238

I just assumed we were all on the same link. Is that not so?