New chat room entered at 11/3/2005 8:42:57 PM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw110305.”
MilesMk1 has entered the chat room.

DM Lucifer has entered the chat room.

Thematrian1 has entered the chat room.

CirclMastr has entered the chat room.

Umbrafer (8:43:12 PM): j0.
DM Lucifer (8:43:22 PM): Aloha.
Thematrian1 (8:43:27 PM): good evening
MilesMk1 (8:43:35 PM): Hello.
DM Lucifer (8:43:53 PM): I actually know CirclMastr. You played in one of Kim(AWuvern)'s games, right?
MilesMk1 (8:44:23 PM): Ah. Would you be Leviathan?
DM Lucifer (8:44:30 PM): Absolutely not.
Thematrian1 (8:44:44 PM): this is a different Great Beast, it would seem
Umbrafer (8:44:49 PM): Indeed.
DM Lucifer (8:44:54 PM): I'm just a spectator, and not a monster at all. Honest.
CirclMastr (8:45:43 PM): Sorry, was AFK a moment
CirclMastr (8:46:07 PM): Yeah, actually I was in one of your games. You were going to run all the SR published adventures.
MilesMk1 (8:46:12 PM): Ah. Someone on DS was asking about online games, figure you might have been him.
DM Lucifer (8:46:31 PM): That didn't work out so well when I realized a lot of them weren't really playable.
CirclMastr (8:46:47 PM): Yeah.
DM Lucifer (8:47:01 PM): But hey, the first one was... okay, except for the finale. Mostly.
MilesMk1 (8:47:36 PM): ...well, partially. Well, there was one session... ;P
DM Lucifer (8:47:45 PM): There was also the rent-a-cops statted with 750,000 nuyen of cyberware, but that's a minor nitpick, right? I'm sure the adventure's author had a good reason.
Umbrafer (8:47:54 PM): Which adventure?
DM Lucifer (8:48:01 PM): Corporate Punishment.
CirclMastr (8:48:12 PM): What was the one adventure where the writer wanted 8-10 Tir Ghosts to ambush the PCs?
Umbrafer (8:48:21 PM): Not sure I have that one. Though I do have a giant stack of SR novels now.
DM Lucifer (8:48:26 PM): 750,000 nuyen of cyberware, and a 500 nuyen gun, if memory serves.
DM Lucifer (8:48:42 PM): They had high-level wired reflexes, but SMGs with no recoil compensation.
Thematrian1 (8:48:44 PM): yeah, the way to go in SR is to buy the setting books
MilesMk1 (8:49:29 PM): I though Corporate Punishment was the one with the Tir Ghosts.
DM Lucifer (8:49:35 PM): I had a lot of trouble convincing the group that they were in serious danger Because If You Don't Leave in the Next Twenty Rounds You Could Get Hurt (tm).
DM Lucifer (8:49:51 PM): It had Ghosts, too. They also had really bad guns.
Thematrian1 (8:50:21 PM): in fairness, not every DM has a munchkin on tap who can supply the smart loadouts. Some of us are just lucky.
CirclMastr (8:50:30 PM): As I recall you exercised some discretion and reduced the Ghost count to 2 or 4, because the number listed would have killed us in one round.
MilesMk1 (8:50:37 PM): Remember someone saying that they had abilities high enough they'd have needed to have several hundred karma if they followed the same rules as the PCs...
DM Lucifer (8:51:06 PM): Yeah, I cut down on the Ghosts, and had their sniper wreck your wheels instead of just popping a mage in the head for a free kill.
MilesMk1 (8:51:38 PM): Munchkin? Now, that's no way to talk about Jon...
DM Lucifer (8:51:46 PM): I'm not sure if that counts as being merciful since most of you were in the van, moving, when he wrecked it... but, I like to think so!
Thematrian1 (8:51:48 PM): I meant me, actually.
Umbrafer (8:51:56 PM): :)
Thematrian1 (8:51:57 PM): Though Jon has certainly shaped the way I build riggers.
Thematrian1 (8:52:15 PM): Benton would get a chance to win be back, but he won't be here tonight.
Thematrian1 (8:52:26 PM): So if there's a giant clash-of-ideologies battle, he gets left out.
MilesMk1 (8:52:28 PM): You're just saying that because he's GMing this game... :p
MilesMk1 (8:52:48 PM): win be back?
Thematrian1 (8:53:01 PM): next week, I'd assume.
DM Lucifer (8:53:23 PM): I'm afraid of Riggers. I had one player who made absolutely game-wrecking riggers, and the others all made completely useless ones.
CirclMastr (8:53:26 PM): I can only assume that becaue Luc is here we'll finally be doing something aside legwork.
DM Lucifer (8:53:43 PM): I think I had a strict no-rigger mandate for a few of my games.
MilesMk1 (8:53:58 PM): Yeah, but why win, and why a chance? Is this more programmer slang?
Thematrian1 (8:54:11 PM): oh
Thematrian1 (8:54:15 PM): win me back
Thematrian1 (8:54:15 PM): sorry
MilesMk1 (8:54:34 PM): Oh.
Thematrian1 (8:54:37 PM): Jon runs a rigger in my game. She's quite awesome. Suffering eight boxes of physical right now, though, so she's balanced for the moment.
DM Lucifer (8:54:51 PM): Don't be silly, Circ. When another GM watches your game you always try and highlight deep and meaningful role-playing. With orphans. Diseased orphans.
Thematrian1 (8:55:10 PM): Don't think we've ever had any of those
MilesMk1 (8:55:11 PM): BTW, has that jaundice been fading, or do I still think she needs a liver transplant?
CirclMastr (8:55:13 PM): As long as the livers are healthy. ::brandishes scalpel::
Thematrian1 (8:55:13 PM): but I hear they're easy to make
MilesMk1 (8:55:24 PM): I saved a street urchin.
MilesMk1 (8:55:32 PM): Sort of.
Thematrian1 (8:55:34 PM): not in this game, you didn't
DM Lucifer (8:55:34 PM): The rigger who broke my game did it with a drone that was impossible to wound. It'd either be completely undamaged, or completely destroyed, by any attack.
Umbrafer (8:55:51 PM): Back when I had +5 boxes you were actually getting my modifiers above 2
Umbrafer (8:55:54 PM): Well, almost
DM Lucifer (8:56:00 PM): Which means I had the choice of basically ruining the rigger's toy or letting him run roughshod over the adventure.
Thematrian1 (8:56:05 PM): Yeah, drones are like that. Let 'em die; if they're expensive, the rigger will hopefully learn his lesson.
Thematrian1 (8:56:12 PM): argh
Umbrafer (8:56:22 PM): Jaundice still there.
Thematrian1 (8:56:28 PM): debate of Rigger GMing Theory can wait until after the game
Umbrafer (8:56:30 PM): *Weeps over the spider*
Umbrafer (8:56:32 PM): Sooth.
DM Lucifer (8:56:34 PM): He also used ramming rules. I hate ramming rules.
Umbrafer (8:56:58 PM): Excuse me, I have a compulsion to dance every time the ramming rules are mentioned.
Thematrian1 (8:57:07 PM): yeah, because they're your best weapon
Umbrafer (8:57:11 PM): Yes.
DM Lucifer (8:57:14 PM): That's alright. I'll hush up so you can play without dancing.
Thematrian1 (8:57:18 PM): you've killed more people with your front bumper than with the MMG
Thematrian1 (8:57:19 PM): argh
Umbrafer (8:57:33 PM): (I don't think that's true anymore, but close.)
Thematrian1 (8:57:34 PM): (Keeping in mind that undead sorcerers are not people)
Umbrafer (8:57:34 PM): Anyway.
MilesMk1 (8:57:46 PM): We actually ran over one of those?
Umbrafer (8:57:53 PM): Don't think so.
Thematrian1 (8:57:54 PM): Nope. Shot 'em.
Umbrafer (8:58:02 PM): Though that didn't kill them
MilesMk1 (8:58:04 PM): Oh. Yes, there was some of that.
Thematrian1 (8:58:20 PM): So. Scavs didn't get too much.
Thematrian1 (8:58:28 PM): But at least we know the layout of all four hideouts?
MilesMk1 (8:58:44 PM): Well, she made it out alive after antagonizing six trolls. Tha'
MilesMk1 (8:58:48 PM): t's something.
Umbrafer (8:59:02 PM): When we last left our antiheroes, they were plotting their plan of attack.
Umbrafer (8:59:11 PM): Actually, signs suggest that she only antagonized five of them.
Thematrian1 (8:59:14 PM): sure were. We have locations, we just need the guy.
Thematrian1 (8:59:25 PM): Did Scavs see him at any point?
Umbrafer (8:59:26 PM): The sixth was the one that, for unstated reasons, she wanted antagonized.
Umbrafer (8:59:31 PM): No.
Umbrafer (8:59:34 PM): Nor the henchmen.
Thematrian1 (9:00:14 PM): bugger. Ok. We grab Pusher, we pile into the van, we...ask around? We can stake out four locations at once, thanks to Scavengers, but I'm not sure that's fast enough.
MilesMk1 (9:00:20 PM): Can someone really quickly tell me what the locations were (besides the bar), since I missed that session?
Umbrafer (9:00:51 PM): (Seiler, remember them well enough or shall I take this?)
Thematrian1 (9:00:55 PM): (You take it)
MilesMk1 (9:00:57 PM): Or, if you want to save time, just tell me if you need me to break in somewhere and look around?
Thematrian1 (9:01:27 PM): (There was the one with the huge pile of assault rifles. I remember that one quite clearly)
Umbrafer (9:02:06 PM): Four places:
Umbrafer (9:02:13 PM): One of them is an abandoned apartment building.
Umbrafer (9:02:22 PM): It's large and doesn't appear inhabited.
Umbrafer (9:02:42 PM): The second is an abandoned office building with the floors over the fourth missing.
Umbrafer (9:02:53 PM): It has assault rifles in it.
Umbrafer (9:03:34 PM): The third is an abandoned shop.
Umbrafer (9:03:44 PM): Nothing in particular distinguished it, other than being much smaller.
Umbrafer (9:03:52 PM): And the fourth is an active bar towards the outskirts.
MilesMk1 (9:04:32 PM): And there were no signs of life at the other three, besides the bar? Not even someone watching the piles of assault rifles?
MilesMk1 (9:06:02 PM): Also, does the bar have upper story windows? I could laser-mike them, see if we hear any activity of interest.
Umbrafer (9:06:16 PM): You saw no actual life. There was a cot with some disheveled blankets in the office building.
Umbrafer (9:06:26 PM): The bar does have upper-story windows.
Umbrafer (9:06:35 PM): Some even have glass instead of boards.
MilesMk1 (9:08:06 PM): And the others were searched (via drone, I assume) to our satisfaction?
Umbrafer (9:08:29 PM): Depends on what your satisfaction is. The storefront was not searched
Umbrafer (9:08:48 PM): The apartment building was searched minimally
Umbrafer (9:09:01 PM): Three rooms and a hallway
Thematrian1 (9:09:23 PM): Yeah, we didn't hit everything we might have wanted to. Feel like visiting the store?
Thematrian1 (9:09:47 PM): Our cover is, we want to talk to this guy about a job. Under the organlegger identity.
MilesMk1 (9:10:04 PM): Sure. Let me laser-mike the windows at the bar, later.
Thematrian1 (9:10:35 PM): naturally
Thematrian1 (9:11:37 PM): and let's bring Pusher
MilesMk1 (9:11:38 PM): By "visiting", I assume you mean sneak into?
Thematrian1 (9:11:53 PM): yeah, start there
Thematrian1 (9:12:09 PM): but I'm sure we're going to wind up in a fight sooner or later
MilesMk1 (9:12:20 PM): Ok. Ruthenium, standard B&E tools, silenced gun, shock gloves.
Thematrian1 (9:12:34 PM): ::dials up Pusher::
CirclMastr (9:12:49 PM): (What time is it?)
MilesMk1 (9:12:50 PM): And our "cover" is that we want him to provide us with body parts? Or that we have parts we'd like to sell him?
Umbrafer (9:12:56 PM): (Just to check, does someone have a copy of Cannon Companion on-hand? I'm still looking for mine.)
Umbrafer (9:13:01 PM): It is whatever time you choose to do this at.
Thematrian1 (9:13:09 PM): I think we need organs. It explains our urgency.
MilesMk1 (9:13:21 PM): (I do. What do you need?)
Thematrian1 (9:13:24 PM): If we wanted to sell organs, we could go to the Yakuza.
Umbrafer (9:13:48 PM): (Nothing yet.)
Umbrafer (9:14:07 PM): INT check from Gem right quick
Thematrian1 (9:14:17 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 6 3 2 6 1
Thematrian1 (9:14:20 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 5 4
Thematrian1 (9:14:57 PM): "Wait, guys, I just thought of something."
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Umbrafer (9:15:07 PM): Quite the timing.
CirclMastr (9:15:14 PM): It was so brilliant, it KILLED HIM.
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Umbrafer (9:17:18 PM): Actions?
Thematrian1 (9:17:32 PM): "He's not likely to be open for business, but I've got no better excuse."
Thematrian1 (9:19:41 PM): ::dials Pusher::
Umbrafer (9:20:00 PM): *Ring ring*
CirclMastr (9:20:27 PM): (Again I ask, what time is it?)
MilesMk1 (9:20:31 PM): Once we have all the people assembled, I drive us to the vicinity of the shop, and park somewhere discreet - or maybe somewhere Gem can use camouflage on the car.
Thematrian1 (9:20:43 PM): Mmm. I'd rather save it for you.
Umbrafer (9:21:02 PM): (Again I say, whatever time you start this at. At earliest, 8:00 AM)
CirclMastr (9:21:27 PM): (I'm not the one deciding, ask Seiler)
Thematrian1 (9:21:37 PM): oh. Hm. Let's say 10 AM, then.
CirclMastr (9:21:53 PM): (What day?)
MilesMk1 (9:22:07 PM): (One ending in "y")
Thematrian1 (9:22:13 PM): (The next one. Jon?)
CirclMastr (9:22:42 PM): (Never mind, I just checked and it doesn't matter.) ::answers:: "Hello?"
Umbrafer (9:23:02 PM): (Thursday, IIRC)
Umbrafer (9:23:02 PM): (Ping)
Umbrafer (9:23:08 PM): (There we go)
Thematrian1 (9:23:43 PM): "Hi Pusher, this is Gem."
Thematrian1 (9:23:49 PM): ::pause for recognition, or not::
CirclMastr (9:24:20 PM): "Hi..."
Thematrian1 (9:24:33 PM): "Remember the job we were going to do together?"
CirclMastr (9:24:49 PM): "...I hit someone?"
Thematrian1 (9:24:59 PM): "Or maybe throw things, yes."
CirclMastr (9:25:11 PM): "I can throw things..."
Thematrian1 (9:25:27 PM): "We're getting ready to do it now. Can you come?"
CirclMastr (9:25:36 PM): "Come... where?"
Thematrian1 (9:26:19 PM): "Glitch can pick you up, and then we'll drive to the place."
CirclMastr (9:27:02 PM): "Okay..."
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Umbrafer (9:27:32 PM): (We really need to get him a new router. Or laptop. Or just hook him permanently up to the internet by his brain.)
Thematrian1 has entered the chat room.

Thematrian1 (9:27:50 PM): "You're ready now?"
CirclMastr (9:27:50 PM): (I think a laptop is excessive.)
Umbrafer (9:28:03 PM): (Hence the third option.)
DM Lucifer (9:28:04 PM): [ I think it's a sniper. Get him a counter-sniping team. ]
Thematrian1 (9:28:31 PM): (New router wouldn't help. This is a new router)
Thematrian1 (9:28:58 PM): (And I can't shake the feeling that I'm leading a giant eight-year-old into battle...)
MilesMk1 (9:29:18 PM): (That's because you are.)
CirclMastr (9:29:24 PM): (Oh come on. He's not as advanced as an eight-year-old.
CirclMastr (9:29:26 PM): )
Thematrian1 (9:29:40 PM): (Thanks guys)
Umbrafer (9:29:46 PM): (Ah, there goes that theory)
MilesMk1 (9:30:20 PM): *makes sure there's room in the back, then drives over to pick up Pusher*
Umbrafer (9:30:22 PM): (You should enroll him in Little League.)
Umbrafer (9:30:30 PM): (You'll be the envy of the region.)
Umbrafer (9:30:37 PM): Hm.
Thematrian1 (9:30:49 PM): (Until he throws a pitch and kills the catcher)
Umbrafer (9:30:54 PM): If you fold down the back seats you can probably make room, otherwise Scavs will have to drive.
Thematrian1 (9:31:13 PM): We want Scavs for fire support anyhow, let's use her
Umbrafer (9:32:33 PM): Done.
CirclMastr (9:33:17 PM): (I'm being dragged off to eat food with the family. Damn them.
CirclMastr (9:33:19 PM): )
CirclMastr has left the chat room.

Umbrafer (9:33:32 PM): Hm.
Umbrafer (9:34:55 PM): Well, there's probably still some planning and positioning that can be done without the overgrown toddler of doom.
Thematrian1 (9:35:45 PM): my very hope
MilesMk1 (9:36:08 PM): I'd really rather do the break-in part without him, in fact.
Thematrian1 (9:36:16 PM): when we reach the storefront, Glitch goes in first, I think. I'll camo him...yeah
MilesMk1 (9:36:37 PM): I assume we park somewhere out of the way?
Umbrafer (9:36:45 PM): To review: how close are you parking, and who is staying/going where?
Thematrian1 (9:36:48 PM): If possible, I'd like to send my miniblimp to fly over the abandoned apartment building and look for entries and exits there
Thematrian1 (9:37:02 PM): but if it's too far (I've only got a few miles of flux) then never mind.
Thematrian1 (9:37:12 PM): Glitch is going in, Scavs/Pusher/Gem stay in the van
Thematrian1 (9:37:35 PM): Let me rephrase: look for people entering and leaving the building
MilesMk1 (9:37:39 PM): Though I'd suggest Scavs deploy a drone or two to provide overwatch.
MilesMk1 (9:38:15 PM): I think we should park at least a block away - ideally, in a way that best allows me to approach the store from behind. (assuming it has a rear door)
Umbrafer (9:38:43 PM): Perception.
Thematrian1 (9:38:51 PM): all?
Umbrafer (9:39:01 PM): For now, just the blimp flyover
Thematrian1 (9:39:10 PM): but perception, not sensors?
Thematrian1 (9:39:10 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 3 5
Thematrian1 (9:39:14 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 6 1 4 2 2
Umbrafer (9:39:16 PM): Eep, sensors.
Umbrafer (9:39:19 PM): One of those.
Thematrian1 (9:39:20 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Thematrian1 (9:39:23 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Thematrian1 (9:39:26 PM): aw yeah
Umbrafer (9:39:26 PM): I think like a Rigger. Translate as necessary.
Thematrian1 (9:40:02 PM): Yeah, I need the blimp delux
Umbrafer (9:40:18 PM): The Schattenauge? ;)
Thematrian1 (9:40:26 PM): pretty much
Umbrafer (9:40:29 PM): The first roll was Sensors, I assume?
Thematrian1 (9:40:34 PM): nope, the third one
Umbrafer (9:40:38 PM): Ah
Thematrian1 (9:40:38 PM): I get one pitiful die
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Umbrafer (9:40:40 PM): Good times.
Umbrafer (9:40:43 PM): Sorta.
Umbrafer (9:40:54 PM): You locate no one entering or leaving.
Thematrian1 (9:41:31 PM): simple enough. I'll keep half an eye on that, but first conjure up a city spirit for Glitch. Force 5
Thematrian1 (9:41:33 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 3 3 2 4 1
Thematrian1 (9:41:36 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 10 6-sided dice: 3 1 6 3 4 6 1 1 5 3
Thematrian1 (9:41:43 PM): or maybe I won't, what do I know?
Thematrian1 (9:41:52 PM): again, but force 4
Thematrian1 (9:41:55 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 5 1 2 1 1
Thematrian1 (9:41:59 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 10 6-sided dice: 3 6 3 6 1 6 3 6 2 4
Thematrian1 (9:42:09 PM): there we are. L drain in all, 1 spirit, 2 services
Thematrian1 (9:42:18 PM): ::whispers to the road::
CirclMastr (9:42:32 PM): (Am I in the car yet?)
MilesMk1 (9:42:37 PM): (Yeah.)
MilesMk1 (9:42:57 PM): (We're by the store, and I'm getting ready to break in, while the others wait in the car.)
Umbrafer (9:43:05 PM): The road whispers back. A strange creature, almost of living tire, ventures forth.
CirclMastr (9:43:22 PM): ::sits in the car (probably cramped):: "Who will I hit?"
Thematrian1 (9:43:36 PM): (A tire elemental. Sweet)
MilesMk1 (9:43:46 PM): (You're in Scavengers' van, so probably not too cramped.)
Thematrian1 (9:43:58 PM): "Conceal him" ::pointing to Glitch:::
Thematrian1 (9:44:34 PM): ::back to Pusher:: "First, we need to find the guy. If Glitch's thing doesn't pan out, we'll be taking a little walk."
Umbrafer (9:44:36 PM): Glitch is now a medium-sized garbage heap.
MilesMk1 (9:44:44 PM): *waits to be concealed, then turns the ruthenium on*
Thematrian1 (9:44:49 PM): (Think Pusher might have more cred in that troll bar than Scavs did?)
MilesMk1 (9:45:07 PM): (Not if he talks.)
MilesMk1 (9:45:26 PM): (Of course, then he might have to break someone in half, and he might end up with cred after all.)
Thematrian1 (9:45:42 PM): (Ouch. But yeah. Maybe Gem should talk. Not that I'm sure what to say...)
CirclMastr (9:46:00 PM): ("I brought a troll along, can I come in?")
Thematrian1 (9:46:09 PM): (Bingo)
MilesMk1 (9:46:22 PM): (Hey - he seems like a nice enough kid, but I don't think he's the best person for sending in to talk with some tough trolls gangsters...)
Thematrian1 (9:46:47 PM): (So I'll talk, and he'll loom. But again, this is assuming we can think of something useful to say to those guys)
CirclMastr (9:47:06 PM): ("I bet my troll could beat your troll at arm wrestling.")
Thematrian1 (9:47:28 PM): ("And then we can have a discus throw. Sure."
MilesMk1 (9:48:20 PM): (I was thinking... One thing we could do, is hire some sap to go into that bar and ask some heavy-handed questions about our target - and be ready to track the reaction. But that's sort of a last resort, I think.)
MilesMk1 (9:48:44 PM): (For one, there's the issue to finding someone we could use that couldn't be forced to talk and be traced back to us.)
Thematrian1 (9:48:47 PM): (Yeah. I'd hate to alert the guy)
Thematrian1 (9:48:50 PM): (And that, yes)
Thematrian1 (9:49:04 PM): (If I could summon up a really smart, really anthropomorphic spirit...)
Thematrian1 (9:49:13 PM): (Well, time's a-wasting, go break and enter)
Umbrafer (9:49:21 PM): (If only you had a spellslinger, you could use Control Thoughts)
MilesMk1 (9:49:26 PM): (I was about to say... I think if we just wanted to shake things up, you could use *a* spirit.)
CirclMastr (9:50:17 PM): (Pusher could throw a phone booth through the building. That would shake things up.)
MilesMk1 (9:50:25 PM): *heads around the back to enter*
MilesMk1 (9:50:50 PM): Looking for any dangers / security measures / items of interest.
MilesMk1 (9:50:56 PM): Stealth and perception?
Umbrafer (9:51:12 PM): Yep.
Umbrafer (9:51:15 PM): In the opposite order.
MilesMk1 (9:51:19 PM): Ok.
MilesMk1 (9:51:22 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 5 6 2 2 2 4
MilesMk1 (9:51:26 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
Umbrafer (9:51:27 PM): As in this case being aware of stuff helps hide from it.
MilesMk1 (9:51:50 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 1 6 6 6 5 4
MilesMk1 (9:51:55 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 3 6-sided dice: 1 3 4
Umbrafer (9:52:13 PM): You see no person. You have all the toys for vision mods and most for hearing, right?
Umbrafer (9:52:18 PM): Someday I'll remember.
MilesMk1 (9:52:29 PM): Ok, so that's a 7,5,4 on perception, and a 26 on stealth.
MilesMk1 (9:52:55 PM): Yeah, I have all the vision stuff aside from ultrasound, also a hearing amp and spatial recognizer.
Umbrafer (9:53:14 PM): You hear a faint whirring, like a small servo.
MilesMk1 (9:53:44 PM): #Scavengers, do you have any drones deployed?#
MilesMk1 (9:53:55 PM): (Or is it coming from the direction of the store?)
Umbrafer (9:54:12 PM): Direction of store.
Umbrafer (9:54:19 PM): She gives a neg for your area.
MilesMk1 (9:54:38 PM): #Something automated running inside the store, it seems like.#
MilesMk1 (9:55:20 PM): *moves in carefully, trying to locate the source of the sound, and looking for a way to glance into the store*
Umbrafer (9:56:10 PM): The windows are mostly boarded up. You can localize it to coming from within the store, probably towards the ceiling in there.
Umbrafer (9:56:13 PM): Probably a corner.
MilesMk1 (9:56:41 PM): A good place for a security camera or drone covering the rear door, say?
Umbrafer (9:56:49 PM): Probably.
Thematrian1 (9:56:55 PM): I'll check my miniblimp's memory every few minutes. It can store at least that much video, so I'll just keep it on fast forward.
MilesMk1 (9:57:01 PM): How tall is the place?
MilesMk1 (9:57:48 PM): #Not so abandoned after all... Looks like there's working surveillance equipment in there.#
MilesMk1 (9:58:06 PM): Or rather, can I get on the roof, and look for a different way in?
Umbrafer (9:58:34 PM): One-story, with perhaps enough room for a crawlspace.
MilesMk1 (9:59:15 PM): Ok. I scale the wall, peek over the edge of the roof, and if I see no security measures, climb over and look around.
Umbrafer (10:01:10 PM): Roll it for the sake of formality.
Umbrafer (10:01:24 PM): Athletics then Perception.
MilesMk1 (10:01:35 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 7 6-sided dice: 5 5 5 5 1 1 6
MilesMk1 (10:01:38 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 5
MilesMk1 (10:01:43 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 1 1 4 1 1 2
MilesMk1 (10:01:56 PM): Damn. I wish I could reverse those...
Umbrafer (10:02:53 PM): You scramble up the building with no problem, and see no security whatsoever up here.
MilesMk1 (10:03:02 PM): Monowire.
MilesMk1 (10:03:21 PM): I squat on the roof, and look for ways to look into, or get into the building.
Umbrafer (10:04:26 PM): There are some mostly-destroyed AC units, and an old trap door set into the roof.
Umbrafer (10:04:40 PM): It looks like the rust may be more formidable than the old-style mechanical lock.
MilesMk1 (10:05:39 PM): *quick-draws his tool laser*
Umbrafer (10:06:33 PM): Done and done.
MilesMk1 (10:06:36 PM): I'm just going to use it to clear the rust, without cutting through the door, then pick the lock.
MilesMk1 (10:06:57 PM): Lockpick:
MilesMk1 (10:07:01 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 6 1 4 2 1 1 2 6
MilesMk1 (10:07:04 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 4 3
MilesMk1 (10:07:10 PM): 10,9
Umbrafer (10:08:08 PM): The lock is mostly jammed, but a few choice zaps with the tool laser plus your picks free it. It clicks open.
Umbrafer (10:08:19 PM): Roll Intelligence.
MilesMk1 (10:08:28 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 1 4 2 6 3 6 6 3
MilesMk1 (10:08:31 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 3 6-sided dice: 6 4 4
MilesMk1 (10:08:35 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
MilesMk1 (10:08:38 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Umbrafer (10:08:41 PM): The rust holding the door closed is gone, but the hinges have likely not seen oil in a very, very long time.
MilesMk1 (10:08:52 PM): *oils the hinges*
Thematrian1 (10:09:13 PM): (Glitch. The burglar's burglar)
Thematrian1 (10:09:17 PM): (Burgler. Whatever)
Umbrafer (10:09:24 PM): (The first, actually)
DM Lucifer (10:09:52 PM): [ The easy way to remember the spelling is The Hamburglar. Wait, that actually doesn't help at all, does it? ]
Umbrafer (10:10:07 PM): Glitch burgles like no one has burgled before, or at least not in the last decade.
Umbrafer (10:10:17 PM): Stealth roll for that. Any actions from the crew back in the car?
Thematrian1 (10:10:36 PM): Check the blimp. Distract Pusher if he seems fractious. Check the blimp.
MilesMk1 (10:11:29 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 6 5 3 3
MilesMk1 (10:11:33 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
MilesMk1 (10:12:05 PM): We need to get Pusher a heads-up display running that show of his.
Umbrafer (10:12:41 PM): The hinge isn't silent, sadly
Umbrafer (10:12:54 PM): Whether or not anyone without Glitch's 'ware can hear it is unclear.
MilesMk1 (10:13:11 PM): Ah. Had me worried for a moment. So not that lound, then?
MilesMk1 (10:13:35 PM): What do I see inside the hatch?
Umbrafer (10:13:35 PM): Not loud at all, just uncomfortably not-silent.
Umbrafer (10:13:49 PM): Darkness. A ladder going downwards.
Umbrafer (10:13:52 PM): Far down, rubble.
Umbrafer (10:14:04 PM): Where by "far" I mean "one story plus crawlspace"
Umbrafer (10:15:28 PM): Waitaminute, it's 10:00 AM you say?
Thematrian1 (10:15:42 PM): sure is
Umbrafer (10:15:44 PM): Well, plus the time you've been working
Umbrafer (10:16:07 PM): In which case, Glitch isn't burgling. Technically the legal definition of burgling includes "at night".
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Umbrafer (10:16:55 PM): In any event. The gloom resolves quickly under the light into what appears to have been a storeroom at one time.
Umbrafer (10:17:19 PM): There's an impressive-looking lock on the door, and a hole in the wall.
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MilesMk1 (10:19:13 PM): Dangling from the ladder upside down - because I can - I take a look at the lock, and through the hole. (I only want a part of my head visible to anyone who might be on the other side)
Umbrafer (10:19:14 PM): No one is there, though there's a variety of canned goods.
Thematrian1 (10:19:27 PM): (Abandoned? Yeah)
MilesMk1 (10:19:51 PM): #Found a storeroom. Cans of food...#
MilesMk1 (10:21:33 PM): Ok - so, looking through the hole?
MilesMk1 (10:21:37 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 4 6 4 1 5
MilesMk1 (10:21:41 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Umbrafer (10:21:42 PM): The hole leads out into a bunch of rubble that appears to be the main store.
Umbrafer (10:21:55 PM): Hard to tell what was originally sold here.
MilesMk1 (10:22:02 PM): Is it covered by the camera? (the hole)
MilesMk1 (10:22:12 PM): And where do I think the locked door leads?
Umbrafer (10:22:36 PM): You have not thus far seen the camera. You could, if you desire, descend further.
Umbrafer (10:22:46 PM): Your guess is into the main body of the store.
MilesMk1 (10:24:39 PM): Well, I guess I'll come down, and look through the hole - I want a good idea of what's on the other side. But if the camera is there, I won't linger long in its field of view.
MilesMk1 (10:25:00 PM): But before I do, I'll check for motion detectors with the ultrasound detector.
MilesMk1 (10:25:07 PM): motion sensors
Umbrafer (10:25:55 PM): (It's been a while, but I remember a roll for that?)
MilesMk1 (10:26:38 PM): Yeah...
MilesMk1 (10:26:42 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 5 3 2 5 5
MilesMk1 (10:26:46 PM): Bah.
Umbrafer (10:27:33 PM): Nothing.
MilesMk1 (10:28:04 PM): Ok, climb down, look around.
MilesMk1 (10:28:07 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 5 4 6 1 2
MilesMk1 (10:28:11 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
MilesMk1 (10:28:25 PM): (trying to balance my dislike for getting killed with keeping everyone waiting)
MilesMk1 (10:28:50 PM): (I guess this is what having someone deck in the pen and paper game is like...)
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Umbrafer (10:29:20 PM): Inside the storeroom, all is as you originally found it. Ducking down, you catch a glimpse of something in the corner of the shop.
CirclMastr (10:29:28 PM): (I vote for keeping the game moving. If you die, you can make a new character.)
Umbrafer (10:29:53 PM): (We don't all have your practice)
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Thematrian1 (10:31:12 PM): (ping)
Umbrafer (10:31:14 PM): Scavengers: "Car coming,."
Umbrafer (10:31:19 PM): (Pong)
MilesMk1 (10:32:09 PM): #Ok. Keep me updated.#
MilesMk1 (10:33:03 PM): I try to see what it was I caught a glimpse of.
Umbrafer (10:34:24 PM): Umbrafer rolled 15 6-sided dice: 1 1 2 1 3 6 4 6 4 6 6 1 3 5 5
Umbrafer (10:34:29 PM): Umbrafer rolled 4 6-sided dice: 3 4 6 1
Umbrafer (10:34:32 PM): Umbrafer rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Umbrafer (10:34:44 PM): Further inspection reveals it to be a camera.
MilesMk1 (10:35:01 PM): ...pointed at me?
MilesMk1 (10:35:14 PM): I also listen for signs of someone coming in.'
Umbrafer (10:35:52 PM): Pointed in your general direction.
Umbrafer (10:35:57 PM): You hear no man.
MilesMk1 (10:36:14 PM): Hmm. I close the trapdoor, and take a look at the lock.
MilesMk1 (10:36:39 PM): What side is it meant to keep people out on?
Umbrafer (10:36:54 PM): The other side, mostly
MilesMk1 (10:37:02 PM): Ok.
MilesMk1 (10:37:43 PM): I examine the floor for signs of other trapdoors, then move out into the shop, trying to get out of the camera's field of view as quickly as I can.
MilesMk1 (10:38:12 PM): I suppose I'll also look around for recently discarded food containers.
Umbrafer (10:38:41 PM): Nothing right where you are. Going through the hole or cracking ("cracking") the lock?
MilesMk1 (10:39:40 PM): Going through the hole, but carefully.
Umbrafer (10:40:37 PM): Done.
CirclMastr (10:41:03 PM): (Why'd Pusher get picked up again?)
Umbrafer (10:41:09 PM): You come out in the dilapidated remains of a store. Shelves lie mostly pushed to the sides of the room.There's a counter flush along your wall.
Umbrafer (10:41:30 PM): Umbrafer rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 4 4 6 5 1
Umbrafer (10:41:33 PM): Umbrafer rolled 2 6-sided dice: 1 6
Umbrafer (10:41:36 PM): Umbrafer rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
Umbrafer (10:41:45 PM): There's another camera in the other corner.
MilesMk1 (10:42:50 PM): (Because we're trying to find the guy, and if we do, we don't want to have to call Pusher to drive over and punch a hole through his chest.)
Thematrian1 (10:43:03 PM): (Essentially)
Umbrafer (10:43:53 PM): Actions?
MilesMk1 (10:43:57 PM): (I mean, come on... You made *really* sure Pusher can't do anything beside kill stuff, as far as we can tell - so what are we supposed to do, start taking jobs breaking legs for a loan shark?)
Thematrian1 (10:44:58 PM): check the blimp, check the troll, check the blimp
MilesMk1 (10:45:06 PM): I look around the place. Look for other doors, food containers and other signs of recent habitation, machinery of any kind... Anything, really, to explain the need for cameras in an empty store.
MilesMk1 (10:45:32 PM): Also, listen for any new noises.
MilesMk1 (10:45:37 PM): Perception?
CirclMastr (10:45:50 PM): (I made him lovable too... :( )
Umbrafer (10:46:42 PM): Go for it.
MilesMk1 (10:46:49 PM): (Well, yeah... But until we find a good way of working Pusher into our plans...)
MilesMk1 (10:46:54 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 5 4 1 6 1
MilesMk1 (10:46:58 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
MilesMk1 (10:47:01 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
MilesMk1 (10:47:07 PM): 16,5,4
CirclMastr (10:47:08 PM): (He has Stealth 6)
MilesMk1 (10:47:31 PM): (Well... Yeah, but still, 10 feet tall...)
Thematrian1 (10:47:38 PM): (He's sneakier than Gem)
Umbrafer (10:48:03 PM): You notice that the front door's path is clear of rubble, and that there's very little small dust
CirclMastr (10:48:08 PM): (He can do that 'tiptoe behind the skinny tree' trick like Bugs Bunny or Daffy...)
Umbrafer (10:48:09 PM): Of the kind that might show footprints,say.
Umbrafer (10:48:22 PM): No particular sounds.
MilesMk1 (10:48:32 PM): I look for other places that are suspiciously clear of rubble,
Umbrafer (10:49:25 PM): The counter, the hole, the back door but to a lesser extent than the front, and one of the shelves by the far wall.
MilesMk1 (10:49:46 PM): I go over and check out the shelf.
MilesMk1 (10:50:20 PM): What's behind the wall it's next to? Is there anything under it? Are there signs it's been moved?
Umbrafer (10:51:36 PM): The wall behind it is ostensibly the firewall between it and the next building. You can't see under it, and it appears to have been moved at some point.
MilesMk1 (10:53:01 PM): Can I try for a thermal reading, or something? Temperature difference indicating an open space behind, perhaps? Can I feel anything like a draft around it?
Umbrafer (10:53:09 PM): Scavs: "Car's getting close, still headed for us."
MilesMk1 (10:53:33 PM): #Let me know if it stops outside.#
Umbrafer (10:53:34 PM): You can try, roll for it.
MilesMk1 (10:53:40 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 4 6 6 2 4
MilesMk1 (10:53:44 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 5 6
MilesMk1 (10:53:48 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
MilesMk1 (10:53:51 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
MilesMk1 (10:53:59 PM): 22,11
Thematrian1 (10:54:35 PM): "Pusher, we may need you to hit people momentarily"
Umbrafer (10:55:07 PM): Hm.
Umbrafer (10:55:21 PM): From the very echoes of the ambient sounds, you surmise there to be a hollow space behind.
MilesMk1 (10:56:04 PM): #I think I found - of all things - a hidden passage behind a shelf on <compass direction> wall.#
MilesMk1 (10:56:34 PM): #If this car pissess off, we might want to think about looking inside.#
Umbrafer (10:57:25 PM): The car does not, in point of fact, piss off.
Thematrian1 (10:57:34 PM): #We've got it#
Thematrian1 (10:57:40 PM): I look out the window
Umbrafer (10:57:44 PM): Scavs: "Another car just joined up with them."
MilesMk1 (10:58:37 PM): #Hmm. If they're coming here, how about we let them go in, and hit them from both directions? If the idea is to hit them...#
Thematrian1 (10:59:27 PM): #I like that.#
MilesMk1 (10:59:48 PM): Can I move back to the hole and use it for cover, while still having a LOS to the front door? If not, what's the next best piece of cover that I'd quickly be able to get to the roof hatch from.
MilesMk1 (11:00:09 PM): #I never bring the grenades when they'd be really handy.#
MilesMk1 (11:00:29 PM): #Too used to stealth jobs.#
Umbrafer (11:00:54 PM): If you popped the door from the storeroom, your best bet would be the counter.
Umbrafer (11:01:03 PM): Other than that, the hole's the best you have, though the angle isn't greatr.
Umbrafer (11:01:05 PM): *great
MilesMk1 (11:02:13 PM): I position myself in such a way that I'll be able to fire one someone entering through the door, then dive through the hole and get out if necessary.
Umbrafer (11:02:22 PM): Done.
Umbrafer (11:02:40 PM): You wait.
MilesMk1 (11:02:48 PM): #Ok, I'm set up and covering the door. Let me know what's happening and what you guys are doing.#
Umbrafer (11:02:56 PM): Scavs: "Cars just took a turn."
MilesMk1 (11:03:18 PM): #Towards or away from me?#
Umbrafer (11:03:35 PM): "Towards, but not as much… they may pass by"
MilesMk1 (11:03:47 PM): #Hmm. Well, we'll see.#
Umbrafer (11:03:49 PM): "They're headed for us now. Move?"
MilesMk1 (11:04:35 PM): #Move, but wait long enough not to spook them. I can get away from them if you're slow easier than we can chase them down if they get scared off.#
Umbrafer (11:05:58 PM): Scavs waits a bit, then drives off a few blocks.
Thematrian1 (11:06:06 PM): ::gets driven off with::
Umbrafer (11:07:01 PM): "The cars…"
Umbrafer (11:07:13 PM): "They're pretty beat up."
Umbrafer (11:07:24 PM): "Turned again."
Thematrian1 (11:07:28 PM): Can I see them out the windows?
Umbrafer (11:07:41 PM): As of right now, they're still out of LOS.
Umbrafer (11:07:48 PM): This is dronework on her part.
Thematrian1 (11:07:55 PM): ah
Umbrafer (11:08:55 PM): A few seconds pass.
Umbrafer (11:09:04 PM): Two cars drive past several blocks down, in vlew.
Umbrafer (11:09:08 PM): *i
Umbrafer (11:10:11 PM): "Wait…"
Thematrian1 (11:10:13 PM): Ok. No reaction yet.
Umbrafer (11:10:15 PM): "One stopped."
Umbrafer (11:10:25 PM): This is past LOS.
Umbrafer (11:11:19 PM): "They're turning… no, one is."
Umbrafer (11:11:22 PM): "The other kept going."
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Umbrafer (11:12:31 PM): Glitch waits?
MilesMk1 (11:12:35 PM): Yeah.
Umbrafer (11:12:41 PM): Fair enow.
MilesMk1 (11:13:34 PM): I'm not necessarily going to fire on anyone... If this is them, I fully expect the first car to be here to check the place out and make sure it's clear. Which means I'm praying they have no mage...
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Thematrian1 (11:14:02 PM): (did we die?)
Umbrafer (11:14:07 PM): (Yes.)
Umbrafer (11:14:40 PM): The car pulls out further down the street, ahead of you. It turns to face you, then comes to a stop.
Umbrafer (11:15:40 PM): It recards you with the malevolent gaze of its black windshield.
Thematrian1 (11:15:42 PM): faces us? Whee.
Thematrian1 (11:15:56 PM): No visible weapons?
Umbrafer (11:15:59 PM): The car is indeed relatively beaten up.
Umbrafer (11:16:04 PM): None immediately obvious.
Umbrafer (11:16:10 PM): Perception.
Thematrian1 (11:16:21 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 2 4 3 4 4
Thematrian1 (11:16:23 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
Thematrian1 (11:16:26 PM): how about armor?
Thematrian1 (11:16:29 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 5 1 5 4 1 1
Umbrafer (11:16:50 PM): You see no weapons. It appears to be armored, though how heavily is difficult to tell.
Umbrafer (11:17:55 PM): It sits.
Umbrafer (11:18:14 PM): Unless there are actions, a few seconds later it starts rolling towards you slowly.
Umbrafer (11:18:27 PM): Meanwhile, Glitch hears a car pull up outside.
MilesMk1 (11:18:37 PM): *waits*
MilesMk1 (11:18:43 PM): #I hear a car... What's up?#
Thematrian1 (11:18:46 PM): #Decision time. Hit them now, or send me to negotiate?#
MilesMk1 (11:19:02 PM): #They spotted you?#
Thematrian1 (11:19:10 PM): #Yep#
MilesMk1 (11:19:31 PM): #What about the second car?#
Thematrian1 (11:19:40 PM): What about it?
Umbrafer (11:19:58 PM): According to Scavs' report, it's outside the storefront.
MilesMk1 (11:20:00 PM): Do I think if I open the hatch on to the roof, someone in a car on the street could possible hear/see it?
Umbrafer (11:20:12 PM): Possibly. Depends on how far out they are.
MilesMk1 (11:20:27 PM): But probably not if they're outside the store? See it, I mean.
Umbrafer (11:20:33 PM): Hearing is unlikely without mods, unless the hinges decide to make a lot more noise.
Umbrafer (11:20:40 PM): Not if they're right outside.
Umbrafer (11:20:49 PM): If they're across the street they probably would.
MilesMk1 (11:20:57 PM): And I can always open it just enought to climb out...
MilesMk1 (11:21:20 PM): #So one car is rolling towards you, the second is sitting outside my store?#
Umbrafer (11:21:45 PM): S: #Yep.#
MilesMk1 (11:21:46 PM): *heads for the hatch* (and climbs out in the way I described)
Umbrafer (11:21:53 PM): Done.
Umbrafer (11:21:57 PM): Roll Stealth for the hell of it.
MilesMk1 (11:22:02 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 5 3 6 6 6
MilesMk1 (11:22:07 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 4 6-sided dice: 4 6 6 2
MilesMk1 (11:22:11 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 3 6
MilesMk1 (11:22:14 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
MilesMk1 (11:22:31 PM): Uh... So, that's 38, visually.
MilesMk1 (11:22:45 PM): 32 if they have thermal vision. ;)
Umbrafer (11:23:12 PM): That works :)
MilesMk1 (11:23:16 PM): #Moving to the roof.#
MilesMk1 (11:23:52 PM): #Try whatever you can to make them relax enough to let the passengers in the second car unload.#
MilesMk1 (11:24:11 PM): (I want to be in a position to shoot the target if they do bring him out.)
Thematrian1 (11:24:20 PM): #I'm heading out.#
Thematrian1 (11:24:31 PM): "Pusher, please get out of the car with me. Scavs, cover us."
Umbrafer (11:24:45 PM): S: "Got it."
MilesMk1 (11:25:57 PM): #Scavs, if things get violent, do whatever you can to disable the second car, please. Ram it through the wall, perhaps?#
Umbrafer (11:26:41 PM): S: #I have ways.#
Thematrian1 (11:26:45 PM): What's the car approaching us doing?
Umbrafer (11:27:11 PM): When you two get out, it stops.
Umbrafer (11:27:23 PM): The passenger door opens briefly, and a man gets out.
Umbrafer (11:27:39 PM): His suit is slightly shabby, but he seems to have an air of respectability that the car lacks.
Umbrafer (11:27:49 PM): He is none of the people you have pictures of.
Umbrafer (11:28:55 PM): "You seem to be lost."
Thematrian1 (11:29:42 PM): anyone else inside?
Umbrafer (11:30:07 PM): Not visible. The whole thing is completely tinted, and there's question as to whether or not the windows are legitimate.
Umbrafer (11:30:13 PM): What is Glitch doing on the roof?
MilesMk1 (11:31:53 PM): Trying not to be seen while taking a position to fire at either car.
Umbrafer (11:32:10 PM): Only one car is visible, the other is some distance away.
Umbrafer (11:32:13 PM): They separated.
Thematrian1 (11:32:38 PM): "Well, I could use some help."
Thematrian1 (11:32:41 PM): ::big smile::
MilesMk1 (11:32:44 PM): Ah. Well, in that case, I'm positioning myself in a way that gives me a shot at anyone leaving the car and entering the building.
Umbrafer (11:33:05 PM): "Can I help you get somewhere?"
Umbrafer (11:33:33 PM): Gem's translation from tone: "Leave now, but I'll be polite because you have a giant Troll."
Umbrafer (11:33:50 PM): As you may have noted, he doesn't belong in the Barrens.
Thematrian1 (11:34:07 PM): #Definitely involved with our target. Pull out, or try to sucker them?#
Thematrian1 (11:34:23 PM): "Well, it's my van..."
Umbrafer (11:34:51 PM): He cocks his head.
MilesMk1 (11:35:11 PM): #Pull out and let the drones do the work... Ideally, you pull out, they go back to their original plan, I cap the principal, you guys roar back in to save my ass and clean up.#
Thematrian1 (11:35:31 PM): #Check and check#
MilesMk1 (11:35:35 PM): #Or, if they get spooked anyway, use the drones to tail them and try again.#
Umbrafer (11:36:27 PM): Perception from Gem.
Thematrian1 (11:36:33 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 6 1 6 6 3
Thematrian1 (11:36:35 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 4 6-sided dice: 3 5 6 2
Thematrian1 (11:36:38 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Umbrafer (11:36:40 PM): Oh yeah.
Thematrian1 (11:36:41 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
Thematrian1 (11:36:54 PM): what 'cha got for me?
Umbrafer (11:37:18 PM): You notice, ever so vaguely, his lips moving. Either he's using a subvocal mic or similar, or he recently picked up a transducer. Or he's repeating something to himself, but what are the odds of that?
Thematrian1 (11:37:50 PM): #Scavs, check for radio traffic other than ours#
Thematrian1 (11:38:03 PM): Gem serves it up: "We were driving, and we stopped here to figure out where we were, and it wouldn't start, and I wasn't sure what to do. But you're not like the others, I can tell."
Umbrafer (11:38:44 PM): #There's all sorts of traffic, most of it garbage. Unless they're plaining, sifting them won't be easy.#
Thematrian1 (11:39:27 PM): #I know, I know. But they're generating EM?#
Umbrafer (11:39:50 PM): #Probably. Checking.#
Thematrian1 (11:39:51 PM): (Being a bimbo out loud and herself in her brain is tricky stuff, but Gem's had practice)
Umbrafer (11:40:37 PM): "Where'd you come from in a van like that?"
MilesMk1 (11:41:08 PM): (Duh! TV studio.)
Thematrian1 (11:41:25 PM): (Heh, seems unwise. Although...)
MilesMk1 (11:41:31 PM): (She's a sim starlet with her troll bodyguard.)
MilesMk1 (11:41:42 PM): (Doing research for a character.)
Thematrian1 (11:41:47 PM): (I like it)
Thematrian1 (11:42:00 PM): ::simper:: "I asked Bruno here to drive me. I wanted to see...well, can you keep a secret?"
Thematrian1 (11:42:10 PM): ::drift a little closer to the window::
Umbrafer (11:42:25 PM): He gives a poorly-repressed sour look.
Umbrafer (11:43:09 PM): After some internal debate, he nods.
Thematrian1 (11:45:08 PM): "I'm Isabel Scarletti, I'm doing this movie, Ganger's Paradise, maybe you've heard of it? And I just had to see it, you know?"
Umbrafer (11:45:43 PM): Looking at the man gives you a faint taste of lemons in your mouth.
Thematrian1 (11:46:09 PM): "It's all just so...real, you know?"
Umbrafer (11:46:18 PM): "Yes."
Umbrafer (11:46:24 PM): Perception.
Thematrian1 (11:46:31 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 5 2 4 1
Thematrian1 (11:46:33 PM): aw
MilesMk1 (11:46:48 PM): Karma?
Thematrian1 (11:46:57 PM): no
Umbrafer (11:47:00 PM): Actually, with your knowing-what-to-look-for bonuses you pass that.
Umbrafer (11:47:11 PM): His lips keep moving slightly after he says "yes".
CirclMastr (11:47:21 PM): (I'm torn. Part of me wants you to tell Pusher to hit the guy, so I can do something. But part wants free karma for just sitting in the chat.)
Thematrian1 (11:47:29 PM): (Maybe he's just calling me lots of nasty names under his breath)
Umbrafer (11:48:00 PM): The back doors and passenger's-side door of the car in front of the shop open.
Thematrian1 (11:48:22 PM): That's not the one I'm talking to. Right?
Umbrafer (11:48:26 PM): Correct.
Umbrafer (11:48:36 PM): Three people pile out, two wearing the classic ill-fitting suits of muscle.
Thematrian1 (11:48:37 PM): I assume Scavengers passes that on
Thematrian1 (11:48:41 PM): and #3?
MilesMk1 (11:48:46 PM): *Glitch is the definition of alertness*
Umbrafer (11:48:56 PM): Tracksuit, looks like.
MilesMk1 (11:49:19 PM): And he looks like...? Anyone we've seen a picture of?
Thematrian1 (11:49:21 PM): But he's no one we recognize?
Umbrafer (11:50:09 PM): None of the four you have pictures of.
Thematrian1 (11:50:27 PM): nuts
Umbrafer (11:50:51 PM): The guy in the tracksuit goes and opens the door.
Umbrafer (11:51:03 PM): Perception.
MilesMk1 (11:51:07 PM): All of us?
MilesMk1 (11:51:15 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 1 4 5 4 1 5
Umbrafer (11:51:30 PM): Folk what are watching the shop door, if any.
Umbrafer (11:52:08 PM): You just barely see the key in his hand as he unlocks the door.
Umbrafer (11:52:37 PM): He holds the door open, the muscle goes in.
MilesMk1 (11:53:16 PM): #They're going in, and have the key... These are his people.#
MilesMk1 (11:53:34 PM): Did they leave the car doors open?
MilesMk1 (11:53:58 PM): Also, even though this guys doesn't look like the target - does that extend to his body type, build, hair color, etc?
Umbrafer (11:54:44 PM): They closed. None of these are his body type. He's pudgy, the muscle is… muscly, while tracksuit-guy looks wirey.
Umbrafer (11:55:14 PM): A few seconds later tracksuit guy goes and opens the rear door.
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Umbrafer (11:55:20 PM): Someone else steps out.
MilesMk1 (11:55:25 PM): ...?
Umbrafer (11:55:39 PM): It's one of the associates. The businessman-type.
MilesMk1 (11:56:18 PM): #Got another guys coming up - one of the ones we have data on, the businessman.#
Umbrafer (11:56:22 PM): Chuck.
MilesMk1 (11:56:22 PM): another guy
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Thematrian1 (11:56:53 PM): (What about the guy I'm chatting with?)
MilesMk1 (11:56:59 PM): #Could he already be here, and they're coming to see him, or move him?#
Thematrian1 (11:57:28 PM): #That would be spiffing#
MilesMk1 (11:57:41 PM): (BTW, I just radioed that another guy - the "businessman" or "Chuck" just came out fo the car, in case you missed it.)
Umbrafer (11:57:47 PM): (Guy you're chatting with is unidentified)
Thematrian1 (11:58:06 PM): (Thanks)
Thematrian1 (11:58:18 PM): (Yeah, but is he reacting to any of this? Or to Gem's act?)
Umbrafer (11:59:19 PM): Other than turning incredibly sour and occasionally mouthing some words, no.
Thematrian1 (12:00:43 AM): (Oh well. Turning up the voltage probably wouldn't help matters)
Umbrafer (12:01:01 AM): He turns and heads back to the car.
Umbrafer (12:02:37 AM): Gets in, the car beings to back up.
Umbrafer (12:03:03 AM): Final actions before next week we go to… well, whatever these actions lead into. I'm fading fast.
MilesMk1 (12:03:23 AM): #I'm going to try to keep an eye on the ones who went inside. Find out whether our friend is here, or what.#
MilesMk1 (12:03:35 AM): I'm just considering my options for getting back inside.
Thematrian1 (12:03:45 AM): #Fine. Do I stall the other car, or let them go?#
MilesMk1 (12:03:59 AM): #Let them go, but stay close by. Please.#
Thematrian1 (12:04:12 AM): #One way or another#
MilesMk1 (12:04:39 AM): *wistful* #Don't suppose you could tape a couple of greandes to one of Scav's drones and send it over to me?#
Thematrian1 (12:04:58 AM): #Scavengers?#
Umbrafer (12:05:16 AM): #No. I did that once.#
MilesMk1 (12:05:23 AM): #Ah.#
MilesMk1 (12:06:32 AM): Ok... My current plan is this: Go back to the trap door, and try to time opening it just enought to slip in against any lound noises the muscle-heads might make... Like moving a shelf, for example.
MilesMk1 (12:07:50 AM): And that's it for the night?
Umbrafer (12:08:28 AM): Apparently.
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Umbrafer (12:08:38 AM): Tuesday for some, Thursday for others?
MilesMk1 (12:08:46 AM): Yup. See you guys. *waves*
Umbrafer (12:08:57 AM): *Waves*
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CirclMastr (12:09:05 AM): I need to make a new character already.
Umbrafer (12:09:15 AM): Not really.
DM Lucifer (12:09:20 AM): You made a giant troll simpleton?
CirclMastr (12:09:42 AM): Priority A skills. 1 skill point in every skill known to man. He demands he try everything first. At gunpoint if necessary.
Umbrafer (12:10:05 AM): Basically. He made a character that's relatively versatile, but has decided to play it in a non-versatile way.
Umbrafer (12:10:06 AM): Well
Umbrafer (12:10:14 AM): Basically to your question, not to his answer.
DM Lucifer (12:10:19 AM): That's sort of an... interesting design philosophy, but it's horribly inefficient.
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Umbrafer (12:10:35 AM): It works in SR4
CirclMastr (12:10:36 AM): The above isn't what I made, it's what I'd have t make to get on-scene.
CirclMastr (12:11:07 AM): I made a character who can do melee and ranged combat and stealth. And the group has him sit in the truck and do nothing.
DM Lucifer (12:11:34 AM): You have to take the initiative. You'll never end up in the CLUE Files sitting in the truck.
Umbrafer (12:11:38 AM): Dude. I know your INT is 1, but that doesn't mean you nee…
Umbrafer (12:11:39 AM): Exactly.
DM Lucifer (12:11:54 AM): Make your own plan, involving high explosives, and don't tell anyone else - they might try to stop you!
Umbrafer (12:12:13 AM): Ok, Lucifer is henceforth banned from giving advice ;)
CirclMastr (12:12:18 AM): See, that only works once.
CirclMastr (12:12:33 AM): After that, I'm making new characters every week, but it's because the group kills me on sight.
Umbrafer (12:12:34 AM): It worked pretty well for Yves
Umbrafer (12:12:35 AM): He's famous now.
CirclMastr (12:12:42 AM): Yves worked once.
DM Lucifer (12:12:46 AM): I mostly give sound advice, just not toward the end people are traditionally pursuing.
DM Lucifer (12:12:58 AM): For example, "Hey, eat that apple" is perfectly reasonable.
CirclMastr (12:13:27 AM): What was that one character Voce had that used anti-tank mines and shit all the time?
Thematrian1 (12:13:46 AM): Seriously though. If you have an idea for Pusher, say it, out of character or in. Glitch and Gem are both bright and tactically oriented; if Pusher can't come up with Pusher-oriented plans on his own, it's not crazy that they migh
DM Lucifer (12:13:59 AM): Did he use anti-tank mines? I don't remember anyone ever really using mines much.
Umbrafer (12:14:10 AM): That's actually a pretty good idea.
CirclMastr (12:14:10 AM): It became the running joke for a while.
CirclMastr (12:14:28 AM): Maybe it wasn't Voce, pretty sure though.
DM Lucifer (12:14:39 AM): Hmm...
CirclMastr (12:14:50 AM): Or hell, maybe it was a different game.
DM Lucifer (12:15:10 AM): He had a full-cyber troll who was supposed to be a tank.
DM Lucifer (12:15:17 AM): Only, you know, four cyberlimbs + cybertorso + cyberhead actually makes you really bad at taking damage compared to just getting a Dermal Sheath Lv4.
CirclMastr (12:15:19 AM): Yeah, I remember that. It was hilarious trying to disguise him as gardening crew.
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DM Lucifer (12:15:32 AM): Fortunately he was a troll, so it sort of worked.
CirclMastr (12:15:56 AM): So I guess my next character will be Int 6 and Demolitions 6
CirclMastr (12:16:07 AM): "You see the target building up ahead." "I blow it up."
Umbrafer (12:16:14 AM): Erm…
DM Lucifer (12:16:16 AM): He played.. Bishop, his slightly deranged mage-turned-burnout rigger. I guess he might have used mines.
CirclMastr (12:16:17 AM): Er, Int 1 and Demo 6
Umbrafer (12:16:20 AM): That's different from your current character how?
DM Lucifer (12:16:28 AM): Or you might be thinking of Darin's love of grenades and lack of Throwing Skill.
CirclMastr (12:16:34 AM): My current character doesn't destroy until he's told.
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CirclMastr (12:16:50 AM): The new one would destroy at will, without consultation.
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DM Lucifer (12:17:05 AM): Which was worst when he was playing a combat shaman with Strength 2.
DM Lucifer (12:17:20 AM): Because when you're defaulting to 2 dice to throw a grenade, things go wrong. A lot.
CirclMastr (12:17:36 AM): Seriously though, it's hard for me to come up OOC with things for Pusher to do when it's so easy to just leave the chat up and do other shit.
Umbrafer (12:17:57 AM): At that point, it ceases to be my problem.
Umbrafer (12:18:02 AM): If you want to play, play. If not, not.
DM Lucifer (12:18:38 AM): What year is the game set in?
Umbrafer (12:18:44 AM): 2055.
CirclMastr (12:18:45 AM): But I don't know WHAT to play so that I GET to play.
Umbrafer (12:18:51 AM): Late June.
DM Lucifer (12:18:53 AM): Alright, here's what you do.
CirclMastr (12:19:13 AM): Scavs gets entire dedicated sessions just for legwork. Gem does all things magical and social. Glitch does everything else.
DM Lucifer (12:19:18 AM): Pusher takes an extreme interest in a policlub, and spends his time IC trying to convert his fellow runners to his new ideology.
DM Lucifer (12:19:26 AM): I'm thinking Universal Brotherhood. They love trolls.
Umbrafer (12:20:14 AM): MacLeod was a little narrow. Durandal, Yves, and I think one other in there actually did things—they did most of the runs. Pusher and Shojo are both versatile characters, but you only do one thing with them.
Umbrafer (12:20:25 AM): Well, I'm assuming with regard to Pusher—we haven't hit combat yet.
Umbrafer (12:21:19 AM): I mean, maybe the Snoog factor isn't working out for you
DM Lucifer (12:21:29 AM): Does Pusher have contacts? There's always the stereotypical ork/troll party slot of having lots of gang and Ork Underground contacts.
Umbrafer (12:21:32 AM): For example, IC the party has absolutely no idea how sneaky Pusher is.
CirclMastr (12:21:35 AM): I don't remember Durandal anymore. Yves did things because he was the only magician at the time and also I was the only reliable player.
Umbrafer (12:22:02 AM): They have no reason to try to sneak him anywhere because they look at him and they see huge mass. They don't get to peer within at the character sheet and see "Stealth 6".
Umbrafer (12:22:25 AM): Somehow, Pusher needs to be elevated to the level of intelligence or at least animal cunning where he can effectively get across "me sneak good".
CirclMastr (12:22:50 AM): He'd be able to tell them if anybody bothered to ask if he can do anything besides combat.
Umbrafer (12:23:05 AM): I don't see that being reasonable in-character.
DM Lucifer (12:23:09 AM): Well, Intelligence 2 is only 4 karma.
Umbrafer (12:23:32 AM): They hired a giant Troll who speaks in short phrases with childlike mannerisms and has demonstrated the ability to throw cars substantial distances.
Umbrafer (12:24:06 AM): The character begs "stereotype me", and even a relatively progressive individual may have trouble connecting that with "stealthy".
Umbrafer (12:24:17 AM): The character on the outside, I should say.
CirclMastr (12:25:09 AM): *reaches for obese rigger sheet*
CirclMastr (12:25:17 AM): HE'D be vocal in the group.
Umbrafer (12:25:31 AM): I suspect he'd be shot. Or just not hired in the first place.
Thematrian1 (12:25:41 AM): I dunno. We do like riggers
Umbrafer (12:25:51 AM): You haven't seen this character concept, have you?
CirclMastr (12:26:03 AM): See, this is the problem. To get scene time, I need to be pushy. People hate me when I'm pushy.
Umbrafer (12:26:06 AM): I think Pusher is a character with a lot of potential.
Thematrian1 (12:26:07 AM): Obese rigger? What's to know?
CirclMastr (12:26:19 AM): People like me when I'm passive. I do shit when I'm passive.
DM Lucifer (12:26:32 AM): An obese rigger who owns a large zeppelin and never leaves it, perhaps? A little Jabba the Hutt?
CirclMastr (12:27:21 AM): An obese rigger with defective cyberlegs and an axe to grind with anyone who gives him shit, which he calls discrimination and threatens legal action.
Thematrian1 (12:27:41 AM): legal action? In this universe?
CirclMastr (12:27:47 AM): (Discrimination because he's handicapped, y'see.)
Umbrafer (12:27:53 AM): The lawyers in Shadowrun are scary.
Umbrafer (12:28:02 AM): They all multiclassed into Lawyers.
DM Lucifer (12:28:04 AM): I'd offer to loan you one of my unused characters, but the only one I have on hand is post-Bug City. So, you should probably stick with the troll and just work on upping his Intelligence or something.
Umbrafer (12:28:07 AM): Ninja, rather.
DM Lucifer (12:28:22 AM): The SINless have no legal right to representation, though.
Umbrafer (12:28:39 AM): No rule states that PCs must lack SINs.
Umbrafer (12:28:56 AM): Hell, if you want we could probably pull in some sort of Flowers for Algernon subplot to do it—if it would help
DM Lucifer (12:29:07 AM): True, but PCs that have them tend to die horribly, or not die even more horribly.
Umbrafer (12:29:24 AM): Or just never use them.
DM Lucifer (12:29:31 AM): Unless they're fake. I guess you could buy a Rating 6 fake SIN just for legal action.
DM Lucifer (12:29:45 AM): Then you could make yourself a wounded war vet to really sell it.
DM Lucifer (12:29:54 AM): A wounded minority war vet.
Umbrafer (12:29:55 AM): As long as you never sued anyone with real power you'd probably be safe.
CirclMastr (12:30:06 AM): DISABLED minority war vet
Umbrafer (12:30:15 AM): Wounded disabled /orphan/ minority war vet.
Thematrian1 (12:30:25 AM): lesbian
DM Lucifer (12:30:26 AM): That's an instant settlement right there.
CirclMastr (12:30:28 AM): "I lost my hair in Vietnam."
Thematrian1 (12:30:29 AM): you left out lesbian
DM Lucifer (12:30:44 AM): Lesbian, but only if he's also a transexual.
DM Lucifer (12:30:59 AM): Also, an ally spirit.
Umbrafer (12:31:10 AM): Nah
Umbrafer (12:31:15 AM): Ally spirit looks good on paper
CirclMastr (12:31:19 AM): I wouldn't mind playing Gem's ally spirit if she ever got one.
Umbrafer (12:31:22 AM): But it really just nukes the rest of the qualifiers.
DM Lucifer (12:31:39 AM): True.
Thematrian1 (12:31:42 AM): I'm working on it, but it costs about a zillion karma to get all the perks I want
Umbrafer (12:32:04 AM): Speaking of which, I need a refresher on the specifics of what you were looking for.
Umbrafer (12:32:08 AM): Some stuff should have panned out by now.
CirclMastr (12:32:25 AM): I'd be a bad ally spirit though. Manifesting while Gem was in the shower or something.
Thematrian1 (12:32:32 AM): I wanted a magical group that I can join. Details negotiable. I only put in the offer a few weeks ago.
Umbrafer (12:32:56 AM): That part I got, Nothing more?
Thematrian1 (12:33:13 AM): No way to specify, by the book. And honestly, Gem doesn't care very much.
Umbrafer (12:33:54 AM): Umbrafer rolled 15 6-sided dice: 6 4 2 6 6 1 5 2 6 5 3 3 2 1 3
Umbrafer (12:33:58 AM): Umbrafer rolled 4 6-sided dice: 3 4 3 3
Umbrafer (12:34:01 AM): Umbrafer rolled 15 6-sided dice: 3 2 4 4 2 1 6 4 5 2 2 2 2 5 4
Umbrafer (12:34:03 AM): Umbrafer rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
Umbrafer (12:34:05 AM): Umbrafer rolled 15 6-sided dice: 5 5 6 6 4 5 2 1 6 3 3 3 6 6 6
Umbrafer (12:34:08 AM): Umbrafer rolled 5 6-sided dice: 3 1 4 6 2
Umbrafer (12:34:10 AM): Umbrafer rolled 2 6-sided dice: 5 6
Umbrafer (12:34:14 AM): Umbrafer rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
DM Lucifer (12:34:22 AM): You should start your own magical group. Try to attract lots of runaway teens with magical ability whose parents don't approve of it. You can make them believe all kinds of crazy crap.
Thematrian1 (12:35:02 AM): I'm starting to think you might be a dangerous influence.
Thematrian1 (12:35:07 AM): But yeah, come to think of it.
DM Lucifer (12:35:07 AM): Then you free your Ally Spirit, and convince all your cult followers to form a Spirit Pact with it. Really pump it full of karma.
CirclMastr (12:35:11 AM): They could worship Pusher as a car-throwing god, and chronicle his mentally disabled wisdom.
Thematrian1 (12:35:39 AM): For someone with Gem's people skills, starting a group might actually make more sense than trying to join one. Problem: where do you find runaway teens?
DM Lucifer (12:35:47 AM): You really shouldn't take anything I say seriously, that's very dangerous.
Thematrian1 (12:35:49 AM): Answer: her drug pusher contact! Brilliance!
CirclMastr (12:35:58 AM): You could pick them up from the bus stops like the pimps do.
DM Lucifer (12:36:31 AM): Drugged up mages will probably have less magical talent, but if you're just using them for their karma I guess it doesn't matter.
CirclMastr (12:36:50 AM): Maybe my next character will be a pimp. With a heart of gold!
Thematrian1 (12:36:54 AM): Well, I'd want an actual group. Then I'd conquer all our foes with ritual sorcery
Umbrafer (12:36:55 AM): How much information about yourself did you give?
DM Lucifer (12:37:33 AM): Hair and eye color, three measurements, dress size, turn-ons.
Thematrian1 (12:37:35 AM): aspected conjurer, shaman of Ocean. Nice lady, likes long walks along the beach. Anything relevant, really, since I have to bond with these people.
DM Lucifer (12:38:19 AM): I'm not sure pimps ever have a heart of gold. Teeth, yes. Hearts? Not so much.
Umbrafer (12:38:35 AM): You know Zaphod Beeblebrox was a pimp.
Thematrian1 (12:38:38 AM): So long as you're a magical pimp
DM Lucifer (12:38:59 AM): Does your group have an adept? You always need a stereotypical martial arts guy.
CirclMastr (12:39:02 AM): I can dig it.
Thematrian1 (12:39:17 AM): At a guess, we do have an adept
Thematrian1 (12:39:18 AM): Pusher
CirclMastr (12:39:23 AM): Yes.
DM Lucifer (12:39:27 AM): You could make a battoujutsu-specialized assassin. You know, Improved Katana, Quickdraw, Improved Reflexes.
Umbrafer (12:39:37 AM): Did you mention or leave quiet any of the odd magical goings-on about you? Those can make you more interesting, though in a good or bad way.
Umbrafer (12:39:43 AM): He did that already.
Umbrafer (12:39:46 AM): Roughly.
Thematrian1 (12:39:50 AM): They hadn't started happening when I put out the call
Thematrian1 (12:39:58 AM): anyone who meets with me gets a surprise. Whee
Umbrafer (12:40:14 AM): This is true, but I'm assuming that you've been following up on this over the time since it went out
DM Lucifer (12:40:19 AM): You had a katana guy and you weren't happy? Everyone loves katana guy.
Thematrian1 (12:40:29 AM): This was all before my time
Umbrafer (12:40:36 AM): Not so much, really.
Thematrian1 (12:40:39 AM): Ah. Well, in that case, I keep it to myself
Umbrafer (12:41:08 AM): And, I will admit, giving melee combat a place without the player really working for it isn't something I'm good at.
Umbrafer (12:41:14 AM): To be fair, that's how it works in real life too.
DM Lucifer (12:41:25 AM): Let me guess, he wasn't mysterious enough? Katana guy has to be pretty mysterious.
DM Lucifer (12:41:41 AM): Quiet-talking, praying over fallen enemies for their soul, that sort of thing.
DM Lucifer (12:42:16 AM): Of course, his Dark Secret is always that he used to be in the Yakuza. You can pretend like you don't know, though.
Umbrafer (12:42:34 AM): Not so much with this one.
Umbrafer (12:42:53 AM): In the Saturday game, the katana guy's not-so-dark secret was that he was currently with the Yakuza.
DM Lucifer (12:43:15 AM): That could be a problem.
DM Lucifer (12:44:04 AM): I mean, a Hunted-2 Flaw is mostly color. You dice up a few rival assassins sent to reign you in now and then, it adds to your mystique. Honestly, it should be an Edge half the time.
DM Lucifer (12:44:18 AM): Pissing the Yakuza off and getting the whole-hog Hunted-6? That's bad for business.
Thematrian1 (12:44:28 AM): but only very briefly
Umbrafer (12:45:02 AM): He actually worked with them still. Towards the end he quit, though.
Thematrian1 (12:45:03 AM): We almost had a guy in the Tuesday game with Hunted 6. I read it over and told him to just take Borrowed Time; he wound up not having time to play.
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Umbrafer (12:45:08 AM): The rest of the team was thrilled by that.
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Thematrian1 (12:45:33 AM): He'd have been katana guy, amusingly enough
DM Lucifer (12:45:38 AM): I think I'd be a bit nervous around a guy who's a member in good standing of the Yakuza.
DM Lucifer (12:46:14 AM): I considered using Borrowed Time before, but I've created characters with the same basic concept for D&D games only to have the DM not want to kill them.
DM Lucifer (12:46:22 AM): Which, really, just screwed up the whole character.
Thematrian1 (12:46:35 AM): Yeah. It takes a certain degree of GM ruthlessness
DM Lucifer (12:46:56 AM): Well, I mean, one of these characters had a perfect death scene.
Umbrafer (12:47:17 AM): We're willing to do it, but it takes multiple years real-time to get to the end of even the shortest Borrowed Time span.
DM Lucifer (12:47:28 AM): He was a Frenzied Berserker, which means he could keep on fighting even after he was very much dead. And he died on his feet fighting the enemy he'd had a personal vendetta with the whole campaign, killing him in the process.
DM Lucifer (12:47:40 AM): And then the DM says, "Oh, your character isn't dead! It's okay."
Umbrafer (12:48:21 AM): …
Thematrian1 (12:48:29 AM): And then you were unhappy, and the GM was baffled
DM Lucifer (12:48:35 AM): I ended up playing the character a few months longer, despite the fact he had absolutely no motivation anymore, because the DM wanted me to. Like I said, it didn't work out well.
DM Lucifer (12:50:16 AM): That's about the size of it, Them. It was a good campaign, overall, though.
DM Lucifer (12:51:46 AM): Anyway, Circ. What does the group have? A rigger, who probably doubles as an Electronics and Electronics Warfare expert. A mage or shaman, who doubles as a face. A sammy/spy type.
Thematrian1 (12:52:04 AM): We actually are pretty bad at straight-up combat.
DM Lucifer (12:52:06 AM): There's no decker? Or you just prefer to keep decking obscured as an NPC thing?
Thematrian1 (12:52:14 AM): I'm a decker
Thematrian1 (12:52:29 AM): and Glitch is a decker
Umbrafer (12:52:32 AM): We are unafraid of decking.
Thematrian1 (12:52:33 AM): and I think Scavengers has the skills
Thematrian1 (12:52:35 AM): we're ok there
DM Lucifer (12:52:40 AM): I see. I'm afraid of decking.
DM Lucifer (12:53:11 AM): You could be a gun guy.
Umbrafer (12:53:14 AM): We are also unafraid of Rigging, though we don't use maneuver score and, I must admit, some despair creeps in here and there.
CirclMastr (12:53:16 AM): We're bad at straight-up combat. But the group analyzes everything to death and never actually encounters straight-up combat.
Thematrian1 (12:53:19 AM): We have a better set of rules for it. But we lack straight combat, and Gem isn't a full mage - she's an aspected conjurer. I know, leave me alone.
DM Lucifer (12:53:36 AM): Pistols, Assault Rifles, maybe a longarm too though the drones probably cover that.
DM Lucifer (12:54:01 AM): Hey, if you can play an aspected conjurer and make it work, more power to you.
DM Lucifer (12:54:22 AM): I'm big on aspected sorcerers myself. It's an easy way to avoid the Astral Projection problem.
Thematrian1 (12:54:31 AM): So far, so good, but there've been lots of places where I miss the versatility of a real mage
Thematrian1 (12:54:35 AM): Astral Projection problem?
DM Lucifer (12:55:14 AM): The problem where the mage Astral Projects and the other players whisper threats of violence to him if he doesn't hurry up so they can get on with the rest of the game.
Thematrian1 (12:55:28 AM): oh
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New chat room entered at 11/4/2005 12:56:25 AM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw110305.”
Umbrafer (12:56:29 AM): There we go.
DM Lucifer (12:57:00 AM): I think your best options are either to make your current character into an Envoy to Goblinization - pick up the Ork Underground and ganger contacts, make him the go-to-guy for slumming - or make a gunbunny.
DM Lucifer (12:57:11 AM): There's also the Designated Freak slot, but that never ends well.
Thematrian1 (1:00:00 AM): heh
DM Lucifer (1:00:13 AM): I think Circl's watching TV.
DM Lucifer (1:02:20 AM): Anyway, it was nice sitting in for a game. My players don't want to play Shadowrun anymore. They want to play All Flesh Must be Eaten or Dogs in the Vineyard or whatever obscure quasi internet-elitist RPG was released
DM Lucifer (1:02:36 AM): in the last month. I have to trick them just to get them playing D&D.
CirclMastr (1:03:02 AM): I'm mostly tired as hell.
Umbrafer (1:03:06 AM): I'm serious. Get them to play Fringeworthy, and you'll never have to worry about them trying anything new ever again.
Thematrian1 (1:03:07 AM): AFMBE is supposed to be a good game, but I confess I've never played it
DM Lucifer (1:03:31 AM): What's a Fringeworthy?
DM Lucifer (1:03:46 AM): I was thinking about subjecting them to FATAL, but I couldn't even stomach the reviews.
Thematrian1 (1:03:47 AM): hahaha
Thematrian1 (1:03:58 AM): no, Fringeworthy is better for this purpose
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Umbrafer (1:04:29 AM): Wow, even the FATAL website sucks.
DM Lucifer (1:04:33 AM): There's something better for inspiring xenophobic fear in players than a game with critical hits to the ovaries?
Umbrafer (1:05:16 AM): Yes.
DM Lucifer (1:05:34 AM): That's pretty frightening. What is it about?
Umbrafer (1:05:36 AM): A game where your stats are 4d6-4, but the rules covering them only address values of 1 or greater.
Thematrian1 (1:05:45 AM): and the stat names are
Umbrafer (1:06:29 AM): I don't remember them all. I remember Quickness, Dexterity, Accuracy, and one other that falls under the single attribute that Shadowrun calls Quickness.
Umbrafer (1:06:39 AM): They also have Ability to Deal with Aliens and Crystal Use.
Umbrafer (1:06:50 AM): All in all I think they have seventeen of the buggers.
DM Lucifer (1:06:54 AM): I see... this is tongue-in-cheek?
DM Lucifer (1:07:03 AM): Or, at least one of those furry-games?
Umbrafer (1:07:10 AM): No.
Umbrafer (1:07:12 AM): No.
Umbrafer (1:07:13 AM): No.
Umbrafer (1:07:17 AM): This game is dead serious.
Umbrafer (1:07:27 AM): There's also a sizable chapter with gear.
Umbrafer (1:07:35 AM): It's all detailed and priced out.
Umbrafer (1:07:44 AM): In chargen, characters are assumed to have anything they want.
DM Lucifer (1:07:53 AM): Oh, what horrors hath the Interwebs wrought...
Umbrafer (1:07:56 AM): And the entire game is based around planar travel, so it makes no sense for the prices to apply anywhere else.
DM Lucifer (1:08:52 AM): Oh, well. You weren't told that making a game with interdimensional travel excuses all mistakes?
Thematrian1 (1:09:18 AM): it has the advantage relative to FATAL that your players probably haven't heard of it
DM Lucifer (1:09:26 AM): That's the whole premise of GURPS. "Hey, you can do everything! Who cares if you can't do anything well?"
Thematrian1 (1:09:26 AM): so you can spring it on them unawares
DM Lucifer (1:09:50 AM): That's true, I've certainly never heard of it.
Thematrian1 (1:09:55 AM): before this chain of reasoning goes any further
Thematrian1 (1:10:05 AM): I should mention that I picked up my first GURPS book at the age of five
DM Lucifer (1:10:35 AM): I've already tricked them into playing a one-shot D&D adventure by falsely claiming it's set in Eberron (like anyone could tell if it isn't?) and pulling some home-brewed classes out of my arse to make it scream 'new!'
Umbrafer (1:10:45 AM): Hehehe
Umbrafer (1:11:03 AM): Oh, and one more thing about Fringeworthy:
DM Lucifer (1:11:05 AM): I like GURPS, but it's impossible not to tease.
Umbrafer (1:11:15 AM): It has horns and a tail (GURPS, that is).
Umbrafer (1:11:24 AM): That's not bad, per se
Umbrafer (1:11:26 AM): But it does.
Thematrian1 (1:11:29 AM): bloody hell, I'm outnumbered
DM Lucifer (1:11:50 AM): It's the anime of RPGs. No matter how much you love it, there's too much there that would make you embarrassed to be seen with it by your parents.
Umbrafer (1:12:01 AM): An interesting turn of phrase.
Thematrian1 (1:12:08 AM): now I'm just perplexed
Umbrafer (1:12:11 AM): Fringeworthy has rules for wind shear on individual shotgun pellets, by the way.
DM Lucifer (1:12:34 AM): Using percentile dice, I hope?
Umbrafer (1:12:36 AM): It would be admirable if the designers could do math.
Umbrafer (1:12:43 AM): I can get into a simulationist game that hard-core.
DM Lucifer (1:13:06 AM): And there'd better be rules for pellets hitting solid objects and ricochetting off to hit targets.
Umbrafer (1:13:13 AM): Probably not
DM Lucifer (1:13:17 AM): For shame.
DM Lucifer (1:14:14 AM): I love it when a game goes all hardcore realistic for one very minor detail, then half-asses it for every other thing. Like when there's rules for a bullet grazing off armor and hitting the person behind you, but the rules for
DM Lucifer (1:14:22 AM): wounding can only be described as 'dead' or 'not dead'.
Umbrafer (1:14:33 AM): Yeah, that's Fringeworthy.
DM Lucifer (1:15:01 AM): I'll try and convince them to play it after they die horribly in the D&D adventure.
DM Lucifer (1:15:43 AM): The way I've got it written up, I figure it'll take less than a session. I've got a fight on islands of rock crossing a lava floe set up, and I've never seen the grunts use any tactics but "Charge!"
DM Lucifer (1:15:55 AM): So, if they don't die horribly in fire, I'll have to eat my hat.
Umbrafer (1:16:04 AM): A venerable tactic.
DM Lucifer (1:16:50 AM): At first I tried to subtlely hint that there might be cause to use other methods. Like, I'd have a mage cast Wall of Stone in front of them at the start of a battle.
DM Lucifer (1:17:19 AM): I quickly discovered that, if properly motivated, D&D 3.5 players can find a remarkable number of ways to circumvent obstacles to charging.
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DM Lucifer (1:18:29 AM): Nevermind that they'll never put more thought into a logic puzzle than "smash" or "not smash," they'll come up with ridiculously circuitous means of defeating anything that should force them to abandon their
DM Lucifer (1:18:31 AM): normal tactics.
Umbrafer (1:19:18 AM): Normal tactics become normal tactcs because they work.
Thematrian1 is not online, and therefore cannot chat.

DM Lucifer (1:19:36 AM): Right now I'm thinking... Body Equilibrium to walk on lava, Resist Fire to cut down the damage somewhat, and a few dozen potions to heal up between suicidal charges.
Umbrafer (1:20:02 AM): Where is the opposition?
DM Lucifer (1:20:39 AM): They're on the opposite side of the floe, but will be leaping onto the rocks in the 'stream' to try and get at the PCs.
Umbrafer (1:21:07 AM): What do the PCs have access to?
DM Lucifer (1:21:10 AM): The rocks in the floe drift at the end of each turn, potentially bringing individual 'islands' bumping together or seperating wide apart.
DM Lucifer (1:21:42 AM): Anything a 6th level character with appropriate starting gold can have. I haven't seen most of their characters yet. They like to wait for the 11th Hour.
DM Lucifer (1:22:43 AM): And since I claimed the setting is Eberron, they can use almost any class or prestige class. The things I do for love...
Umbrafer (1:23:06 AM): Anyone capable of using Disintegrate?
Umbrafer (1:23:37 AM): If so, just use whatever the equivalent to a held action is and nuke the rocks as the opposition tries to land.
Umbrafer (1:24:19 AM): I know I'm probably missing half a million reasons why D&D doesn't let that work
DM Lucifer (1:24:32 AM): God, I hope not. That's a Lv6 or so spell, if they find a PrC that grants access to it at CL6 I'm going to throttle them.
Umbrafer (1:24:55 AM): IIRC a Psionicist can get access to it that quickly if they pick really luckily
Umbrafer (1:25:01 AM): Then again, that's second ed
DM Lucifer (1:25:19 AM): Actually, I'd be ecstatic if they tried to trick the opposition into falling into the lava, or even just outright pushed them off the rocks into it. Anything other than, "I move into melee range and attack."
Umbrafer (1:25:26 AM): Ah.
Umbrafer (1:25:27 AM): Joy.
Umbrafer (1:25:33 AM): You play with these people why again?
DM Lucifer (1:26:01 AM): That's why I'm using such an odd environment, I'm trying (after many failures) to trick them into viewing combat from the perspective of their character, rather than... a wargamer, I guess.
Umbrafer (1:26:30 AM): No, man.
Umbrafer (1:26:36 AM): I'm a wargamer. I know wargamers.
Umbrafer (1:26:39 AM): Wargamers use strategy.
Umbrafer (1:26:58 AM): Do they at least flank? Ambush? Use formations?
DM Lucifer (1:27:07 AM): You're right. They're more like Final Fantasy players.
DM Lucifer (1:27:19 AM): And even that is something of an insult to Final Fantasy players...
DM Lucifer (1:28:03 AM): They have never successfully ambushed an enemy. They see formations as absolute anathema; when I (as a player in one game) try to explain to them that the spell-casters can't use their Area Effect spells if they charge into
DM Lucifer (1:28:17 AM): battle before we can ready them, they agree whole-heartedly... then charge anyway.
DM Lucifer (1:28:32 AM): Only the Rogues ever try to flank, because Rogues have to.
Umbrafer (1:28:59 AM): Heh.
DM Lucifer (1:29:13 AM): As for why I play with them? A couple of them make halfway decent DMs/GMs, and as you've probably noticed yourself sometimes when playing online it's more important to just get players
DM Lucifer (1:29:24 AM): who show up every week, than it is to get players who are good but irreliable.
Umbrafer (1:29:30 AM): Yeah
Umbrafer (1:29:32 AM): Well
Umbrafer (1:29:41 AM): I'm not certain I agree, but I see where you're coming from.
Umbrafer (1:29:45 AM): Rather
DM Lucifer (1:29:54 AM): They're all pretty dependable, and outside of combat they'll at least pretend to consider their options.
Umbrafer (1:30:08 AM): I'm not sure what I'm saying. I guess I've become spoiled by not needing to make that choice in a while.
DM Lucifer (1:30:32 AM): They can, for example, be convinced to talk to NPCs that aren't "obviously evil". They'll harrass them, insult them, and bait them constantly, but they'll do it.
DM Lucifer (1:31:20 AM): To be honest, I think a (large) part of the problem is just a single player who's more vocal than the others. The ones with more submissive personalities just follow his lead.
Umbrafer (1:31:30 AM): Yeah, I've seen that happen.
DM Lucifer (1:32:33 AM): He's a diehard "original" D&D hack'n'slasher. He believes monsters are there to be killed, treasure is there to be taken, and the dice are the first, last, and only arbiters of gameplay.
Umbrafer (1:32:40 AM): Heh.
Umbrafer (1:32:41 AM): Well
Umbrafer (1:32:50 AM): The last position is one I've come to…
Umbrafer (1:32:54 AM): No, not the way he means it.
Umbrafer (1:32:59 AM): I'm guessing.
DM Lucifer (1:33:15 AM): Probably not. I know it sounds reasonable at first. "Don't fudge rolls" is what you think, right?
Umbrafer (1:33:22 AM): Yeah.
DM Lucifer (1:33:33 AM): He's more of a "random encounter tables" and "random loot tables" and "arbitrary save or die traps" kind of guy.
Umbrafer (1:33:35 AM): But then I roll back the interpretation I did
Umbrafer (1:33:39 AM): And then roll it back some more
Umbrafer (1:33:51 AM): And then roll it back to the point where it may have started from
Umbrafer (1:33:56 AM): And then look around and run away.
DM Lucifer (1:34:31 AM): I fudge rolls sometimes. Though more often, I just make sure I don't have to.
DM Lucifer (1:34:59 AM): For example, I'll have a group of enemies all shoot at different characters, instead of focusing their fire on one. Why? I know if they all shoot the same one, they'll kill him.
DM Lucifer (1:35:52 AM): Though, if all the other characters have taken cover and the other is standing in the open lugging a rocket launcher around, he's asking for it.
Umbrafer (1:36:19 AM): Well
Umbrafer (1:36:35 AM): Yeah, sometimes, but there's only so often you can…
Umbrafer (1:36:41 AM): Never mind. Remembered your players.
Umbrafer (1:37:09 AM): I'm sure they're wonderful people, but I'm glad I don't GM for them.
DM Lucifer (1:37:14 AM): Yeah. And I try to adjust it a bit, in relation to the nature of the opposition.
DM Lucifer (1:37:30 AM): If I'm using a group of Seraphim I try harder not to pull punches.
DM Lucifer (1:37:53 AM): If I'm using a group of gangers, I don't feel so bad having them act without any grasp of tactics.
Umbrafer (1:38:04 AM): Oh hell yeah.
Umbrafer (1:38:07 AM): They should act that way.
Umbrafer (1:38:10 AM): I mean
Umbrafer (1:38:21 AM): Tactics when it comes to a straight-up fistfight I could see
Umbrafer (1:38:39 AM): But in general, gangers don't know what they're doing. Did you ever see City of God?
DM Lucifer (1:38:43 AM): Yeah, but in a gunfight.. they'll each just draw their piece and shoot at whoever they feel like.
DM Lucifer (1:38:54 AM): City of God?
Umbrafer (1:39:14 AM): Film about a Brazilian city the name of which I forget, but whose nickname is the title of the movie.
DM Lucifer (1:39:33 AM): Never seen it.
Umbrafer (1:39:35 AM): Mostly focuses on the massive gang activity.
Umbrafer (1:39:45 AM): Anyway, there's one point where two large gangs get into a war.
Umbrafer (1:39:57 AM): And a guy, a bus driver, gets pulled in because his family gets killed by one side.
Umbrafer (1:40:09 AM): Only, he used to be in the army. He actually knows how to fight.
Umbrafer (1:40:20 AM): More importantly (in this case), how to shoot.
DM Lucifer (1:40:57 AM): I'm trying not to laugh at the American Dad-esque mental image of a bus driver jumping out into the middle of a gang war and mowing down the thugs.
Umbrafer (1:40:59 AM): Things mostly started going downhill for the other side after that. Having someone who wasn't just spraying and praying (even with pistols) turned the tide pretty solidly for a few weeks.
Umbrafer (1:41:03 AM): Hehehe
DM Lucifer (1:41:30 AM): And then ejecting his empty clip standing over their bodies and declaring, "... and that was for my mamasita!"
Umbrafer (1:42:30 AM): :)
DM Lucifer (1:42:45 AM): Anyway. I might keep up the blind recruiting for Shadowrun and try to find a new group, but I haven't had any luck the last few times I tried. I think I'd rather play, anyway.
Umbrafer (1:42:45 AM): Anyway, I need some sleep. What's the thinking—you interested at all in signing on, or continuing to spectate, or suchlike?
DM Lucifer (1:43:17 AM): I might be. I'd have to come up with a character from scratch since the only one I've got on deck is a Bug City Survivor.
Umbrafer (1:43:53 AM): *Nods*
Umbrafer (1:44:10 AM): Which would be incongruous, given that Bug City just started in the Tuesday group and is a month and a half away in this group.
Umbrafer (1:44:25 AM): You could always slap "time-travelling" on there and call it a day ;)
DM Lucifer (1:44:30 AM): Haha.
DM Lucifer (1:44:48 AM): If I was going to play a time-travelling, it would be a Mongolian Raider!
DM Lucifer (1:44:59 AM): I could go around smashing the walls of Chinese establishments.
DM Lucifer (1:45:24 AM): Anyway, get some sleep. I'll talk to you later.
Umbrafer (1:45:41 AM): There is no joy but to see your enemy's huts burn, his men and sons slaughtered, and his field trampled as you clutch his women to your breast.
Umbrafer (1:45:51 AM): I probably butchered the quote, but it is one of the greats.
DM Lucifer (1:45:57 AM): I guess, but I really just want to bitch up their Great Walls.
DM Lucifer (1:46:01 AM): And even the Mediocre Walls.
Umbrafer (1:46:05 AM): Fair enow.
Umbrafer (1:46:10 AM): Everyone needs to start somewhere.
Umbrafer (1:46:32 AM): Anyway. Take care, and let me know if you reach a decision. *Waves*
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Chat room exited at 11/4/2005 1:46:57 AM.