Shadow: Still room?

Since communications will be vital when battling a dragon, I went ahead and scored a rating 10 Personal Comm Unit (with BattleTac Receiver) for 50,000 nuyen. Everyone else might wanna do the same (the PCU 10 is only 40,000 on its own), and maybe including a Master Tactical Comm Unit for our rigger though I doubt the extra range will matter much since we'll be broadcasting out to 15 kilometers between individual units (thus allowing us to stretch out even further if we need to)...

Also, is anyone going to take a high score in Small Unit Tactics?

*looks over the build rules again* man...I don't even know how to munchkin a normal build, let alone create a normal char with that much in resources/karma.

We'll all a bit overwhelmed.

Speak for yourself, I don't need that much cash, so I just traded in most of it for a bunch of extra karma. Makes creation so much easier.

Adepts are simplistic creatures. They don't count.

hmm...perhaps I'll create an archmage...or perhaps take the chance to follow the Path of Kings...

Yeah, that'll happen.

Fortune your in.


Sab, since you will have absolutly no use for your deck in this game (accept maybe as a fireshield) you can do whatever the rules allow.


Also on a note about vehicles.

I hate anime. Really, really hate it (well except maybe Ninja Scrolls) so any walkers or anime robots will be rejeted out of hand. Vehicles have wheels, tracks or fly.

Oh great, there goes my enchanted Anchoring/Weapon Focus Exoskeleton of Doom. It was even going to have a friggin' laser beam strapped to its head! Thanks a lot, Shadow! <storms off pouting>

Shadow, any room for a troll street sami or all full up?

Yay!

*Does the happy dance, flab knocking the half-full cup of cold coffee over perilously close to the lap-top.*

I sent you a PM ... that ok?

I think we are full for now Mr H. But if anyone drops you are my #1 guy.

Any vehicle can be a drone. It's just not every drone can be a vehicle you can ride in.

True...

Hmm...

Oh, and Flight of the Valkyries is making me want to build lots and lots of vehicles. Mainly helicopters.

How about some of those rolling ball things from SOTA:2064? It's in the Lone Star chapter if memory serves. They sounded kind of interesting.

I don't have SOTA64, sadly.

Though, a thought. Room could be an issue, so I might only have two helis and a bunch of smaller rotos. I think two Medium/Heavy Railguns is enough (if we're in the open), tied in with that many Light Railguns. If we're in a cave of some sort with limited room, then a bunch of Light Railguns should do pretty decent.

Eh, my character could probably arrange transportation on his own. So there's at least 6 CF and 150kg you could free up for some extra cargo.

Not room on the vehicles, room of where we're fighting the dragon.

In a cave, even one full-size heli is going to be difficult for actual fighting. In the open, two should be plenty to really mess with his attention.

Edit: Alright, I'm gonna need a list of how many Dedicated Ports we'll need to take full advantage of everybody. Remember, money is not an issue at this point.

Whatcha need to know? I only bothered with a rating 10 Personal Comm Unit, but I can upgrade it if everyone wants to get a higher rated one. I might even be able to slip a BattleTac Cyberlink instead of using the non-cybernetic one for our BattleTac network, but that would only affect me eitherway.

Any other gear we should talk about while we're budgeting?

I mainly need to know what senses you have so I can allocate enough ports for each unique sense.

If you can, get the cyber version, as it (IIRC) functions as its own radio.

Signal amps if you want 'em. I'll assume we should be fine, but assuming is usually a bad thing.

Bel has his five natural senses and eight enhanced senses, plus astral perception and sense link with his leprechaun (neither of which will work for those purposes). And nah, I have the whole "headware radio" thing covered via the PCU. God bless Direct Neural Interfaces and Transducers.

I'm curious, though... doesn't the Tactical Computer only use your own senses? It's been forever since I really read up on it. It's a convulted mess, as is the whole SUT ruleset.

Senses from other people can be added as long as they have a Cybered BattleTac Link.

I am nearly finished crafting the character. At least, if you ignore the monster that is to be his history. For that much money, this guy must have a past.

Bah, leave me to my bitterness and karma whoring. <mutters about high-grade magicians under his breath as he returns to his character sheet>

Call me crazy, I like my characters, even my munckin ones, to have... well, character... it doesn't hurt that my 16 million nuyen background piece has some benefits to it.

Your good Tank, you can add other senses as long as they have B-tac.

What is the benefit of getting the Cyber version (for me) over the non-cybered BattleTac thingie?

Oh, and I'll be playing with a Shamanic Combat Doctor type. I don't think we'll be stepping on each other's toes Doc.

Shadow: I'm lazy ... who's all playing, and what?

The biggest benefit is that it's basically like a cybernetic smartlink vs. a non-cybernetic one; you get a -2 bonus isntead of a -1 bonus.

DH: Uhm, I was just bitching about how much karma an adept magician sucks up. Wasn't saying anything about your background or anything. Those damn ally spirits suck the life right out of you... <shakes his fist again>

Thanks. I was reading up on the BT link, but either I'm having a gray moment or it's a bit vague. It really doesn't seem worth it not to have the Link implanted, as it's usefulness is quite limited otherwise.

So, is it (or could it be) basically an attachment to a PCU, implanted or otherwise?

See CC pp. 104-105. The BattleTac Cyberlink is a cyberware implant that provides a -2 bonus on the commander's roll. A normal BattleTac Receiver module (which is what you would put on your PCU) only provides a -1 bonus and is purely technological; no implantation required. Those without either have to rely on hand signals and verbal communication, and receive no modifier to the roll. The base TN is a situational one; 4 if we're in LOS of each other, 6 if we're out of LOS but on radio, 8 if in LOS but without communications of any sort.

The way it works is the weird part. The commander makes a single roll and then we each get our own seperate target numbers to determine how many successes we get from that one roll. Kinda like a fragged-up version of area-effect elemental manipulation spells (which, apparently, means that if anyone has a TN of 8, the commander can't default for everyone else even if they may have a TN of 2).

Note: Everyone except Fortune can ignore the snide hold-over from a past argument found in the faded out text above.

Oh, and Shadow, can we create custom totems and the like by making minor changes to existing ones? For example, say I wanted to create a Butterfly totem. Is it cool if I take the Dove totem (the closest match) and changes it from...

DOVE
Environment: Forests and savannah.
Advantages: +2 dice for healths pells, +1 die for detection spells, +1 for spirits of the sky.
Disadvantages: Dove shamans cannot cast combat spells. They must make a Willpower(6) Test to hurt another being.

...to...

BUTTERFLY
Environment: <unchanged>
Advantages: +2 dice for detection spells, +2 dice for spirits of the sky.
Disadvantages: <unchanged>

...or other minor changes along those lines? I was just using this as an example as I haven't been able to make my mind up what I want to do quite yet, but I figured I'd go ahead and ask now.

There was mention of a Butterfly (and a Firefly) Totem somewhere in canon in reference to 'good' Insect Spirits. Not that this means there isn't another non-insect version, since Totems can be solely related to mindset.

[edit] I'd give +1 dice to Illusion spells as well. (reasoning being they can be very distracting at times ) [/edit]

More on BattleTac and You: So to get any real bonus for moi, I'd have to take a TacComp with BTLink, with enough ports to cover my senses? Add in a radio (PCU?) connection and my bonus (if better than the leader's) could apply to everyone, assuming a good SUT skill on my part?

Shadow: How do you handle Cyberlimbs? I'v never really bothered to get in to them before. The book way sucks when it comes to trying to match up a limb's Quickness with that of the rest of my character's body.

Fortune: You just need the reciever. I'm taking care of the TacComp and all the senses you guys will be throwing my way.

With that said... I need everybody's lists of extra senses over their regular five (or six if they have Astral Perception/Projection).

From the way it sounds when I read it, just having the receiver is not as good as having the TacComp. The BattleTac addition would only be for every one else's benefit.

I worked it out ... but it isn't finalized.

3 - 5 natural senses - but you probably won't need touch and taste.
1 Low Light Vision
1 High Frequency Hearing
1 Spatial Recognizer
1 Orientation System (counts as 2 senses - 1 port)

In my opinion, Vision Magnification and Hearing Amplification shouldn't count in regards to ports, because the output of these augmentations is already being registered by the computer via the normal senses.

I have a question in this regard though. If Daniel (my character) has a TacComp, wouldn't the output from that be considered to contain all the appropriate information from all sources, and therefore only take up one port on tanka's character's BattleTac?

I do really need to know what (house) rules can be used for Cyberlimbs. I don't mind the extra money, but it shouldn't cost Essence for increases below your current Strength or Quickness.

The TacComp basically just gives you the Combat Sense adept power. The BattleTac Receiver gives you the advantagef of a seriously cranked-up Small Unit Tactics skill. If two or more people have a TacComp, at least one function of that TacComp becomes redundant and useless to you (namely the SUT bonus). All you gain are the Combat Sense abilities it grants -- if that's worth the cost and Essence for you, then it's worth it. Otherwise, it's a waste.

Vision Magnification and Hearing Amplification most definitely should fit. While your sense of sight and hearing is being registered, it's not being registered to the extended range those two senses can grant. In effect, the bonus is coming from the potential to spot and analyze dangerous situations that you couldn't normally spot on your own... thus they should qualify.

Oh, as for my senses, at the current state of development (and it may change), they include the basic five plus...

1. Astral Perception (can't be recorded by technology, so doesn't count)
2. Sense Link to Red Tom (magical sense that requires focused concentration to use, shouldn't count)
3. Dampener (protective sense, doesn't count)
4. Flare Compensation (protective sense, doesn't count)
5. Low Light Vision
6. Eye Light System
7. Thermosense Organ
8. Ultrasound Vision
9. Hearing Amplification
10. Spatial Recognizer
11. Select Sound Filter 5
12. Vision Magnification (Optical) 3

So as mentioned, eight of 'em. You might want to snag Generic Ports and just buy a program for each possible type of sense. With everyone contributing, it actually works out cheaper since you'll only need to copy the same program over a couple of times. Makes it more versatile as well!

I'm also considering Olfactory Boosters and Thermographic Vision, but I haven't decided on thsoe two yet.

Doc, isn't Butterfly an insect? But yes, that's fine if you want to do that.... (Belfast?)

Fortune, whatever the book says, I belive you get a attribute of 4 to start with (depending on your race).


As far as I know here is who is playing

Doc
Ecce
Whiz
Tanka
Digital Herion
Fortune
Raiko
Sabosect
????? still open for someone I invited.

Like I said, I wasn't going to do a Butterfly shaman, I was just pointing them out as an example of what I meant. And yes, Butterflies are technically insects, but their not Insect Spirits as far as I know... no more than Spider is (yes, it's an arachnid -- bite me).

Also, I think Fortune was looking for a rundown of characters at this stage, not players.

If you're still weighing out whether or not to get the Cyberlink...

Cyberlink out, and not just because my character's an Adept... nope...

Now I need to decide if two katanas, or one no-dachi would be better... from a munckin perspective the Katana is the superior weapon, along with the whole two weapon deal... but a no-dachi is just cool, and one foci is cheaper than two...

Make it 10 for me ...

3 - sight, sound, smell
1 - lowlight
1- eye lights*
1- vision magnification*
1 - hearing augmentation*
1 - select sound filter 5*
1 - spatial recognizer
1 - orientation system

I count 13 for the Doc.

I still think that of I already have a TacComp processing all this info, it should only take 1 port to relay everything to tanka.

* things I don't think should count towards ports.

Shadow: Those rules suck big dripping sacks of iguana dung! Especially since there is not even a half-price Essence cost for partial limbs.

Basic senses don't jump in, nor do any astral-type senses, nor protective senses.

So Doc has 8, you have 7.

Everybody else, I need counts before I can move on. Need to know how much I'll need for all the generic ports.

Because only the latest roll applies to anything.

So if I roll SUT first, then you roll, we take your successes, and not mine.

Being that I have SUT 6, plus everybody's ratings, I'll most likely get the better roll. If you just have the ratings, there's a higher probability of you making a worse roll than me and giving people fewer benefits.

Basically, if two people give orders, whose do you follow?