How many people do you normally put in a buildings security detail? Do you base it on importance? Number of employees/amount of traffic? Combination of all?


Thanks

Thanos

some sites will have no after-hours staff. in that case its all alarms (which call lonestar or knight errant), gaurd animals, and matrix security (cameras viewed from gaurds at another site). they may use drones. they may have a mage check the site astrally every so often.

other sites will just have a couple guys prone to falling asleep. say a couple guys in armor vests with pistols. one patrols while the other watches the tvs. a couple watcher spirits may provide the astral security, reporting to a mage offsite if anything happens.

sites with decent security should have enough people for the size of the instalation. Id say 1-2 guys at the gate, another pair in the security office with the cameras, and a few pairs walking the grounds/hallways. If the power is cut, they will have both a backup generator. there may be a security rigger controlling the CCSS (which isnt on the matrix). there will probably be a mage on duty, with several spirits/elementals under his control.

high-security sites will also have a couple squads of troops, either onsite or nearby, equiped with military gear.

why they have security on a site will vary a lot. First, look at how much security costs in terms of gear and salleries, then look at whats being gaurded. they may be trying to cut costs, or hide something by putting it in a less secure facility (possibly while the main site is being upgraded/repaired).

now, you do need to have X gaurds for Y employees, and you need Z for a facility of a certain size, so just use the higher of the two numbers.

the first line of security is physical barriers, like walls and fences. the second line of security is cameras, motion sensors, floodlights, and the like. security gaurds are the third line of defense, and the first thing they should do will be radio for backup. its safe to assume that every site has some kind of backup, even if its just knight-errant.

those gaurds will notice if something is funny, like a van sitting there for way too long, and are there to check to make sure everyone is authorized. they make sure weapons and explosives arent brought inside the building.

I would say enough to actually challenge the PCs.

I'm with Ronin.

Enough or as little to be believable. I'd not want to see 4 AK-toting guards walking around in a low level facility.

I usually think of it from the manager's point of view. How much money could they reasonably spend on security?

JaronK

Hmm. Afterhours I could see 3-4 per 'typical office building' maybe even 2. One guy manning the desk, the other guy trades off on the physical patrolling. Or as some mentioned, no physical presence but reliance on a security system.

During the day, double that amount? Its not cost effective to have onsite SWAT teams just waiting in case something happens unless its a really secure site.

I don't see Buildings with riggers as being very cost effective either. During the day there'd probably be so much movement that its probably better to just have your 'typical' command center type with mobile cards.