Ides of Mars

Game Master Nimon

Please report in and let me know when finished tweaking characters.

Checking in! I was toying with the idea of adding rigger adaptation to my GMC Bulldog incase the rigger ever needed to control it but it's probably not super necessary...

Other than that I'm ready to go.

Anyone need advice / suggestions for character generation choices?

Very basic tenets:

See, Sneak, Shoot - make sure you have some skills in these.

Etiquette is essentially Social Stealth, don't forget that.

Fake SINs are key. A SIN checker rolls Device Rating ×2 and needs to beat the value of sin in hits to determine it's legal status. A R4 will get you through most places short of international airports or military checkpoints.

Body count is a BAD idea. Corpses mean evidence means corps have a higher motivation to track you down. Stick & Shock, stun spells, AND tasers are extremely valuable in this regard.

Beta-Axe - it's probably not worth it unless you really want to. Always useful to have a getaway car that can't be quite as easily stolen.

I'm toying with a couple of small changes to mine (all gear choices), I'll create an alias and fiddle on there, then let you know when I'm satisfied!

Hello!

I've been having some rather odd thoughts regarding the backstory: Would you be OK with me picking up the 'Friends in High Places' Quality? If you don't know what it is, it's basically having some really, really high up bonus contacts, but with the disadvantage that you can't really call them up every session, or, what I imagine, fairly rarely in PbP.

I've also picked up the SINner(Corp Limited), but I'm trying to figure out which corporation

I'll plop the crunch in here, so everyone can comment on it (please do, if you want).

The backstory will involve heavy corporate involvement, and I've gotten inspiration from one of the books, of the burned Johnson going into running.

Secretary was, well, a secretary, or Personal Assistant of one Mark Boone, the unofficial head of shadowrunning operation for Ares in Boston. Well experienced in corporate and social events, Secretary was tasked with getting the information Boone couldn't, simply because of his high ranking, such as THEIR secretaries, assistants, the occasional scientist, etc.

Proven exception in blending in, charisma, and gathering of information, Secretary did start getting given assignments, too... gentle to be risked given to shadowrunners, such as low-profile wetwork, facility infiltration, and honeypotting of valuable assets for defection, with similar success. As such, after years on the job, Secretary had risen, slowly, through the ranks, and was starting to be groomed to be a full Johnson in Chicago.

Corporate politics are a fickle affair, though. Not being able to strike against his immediate superior, another Johnson, vying for his position decided to strike his hands instead. Sending a team to sabotage a mission for Secretary, the fallout after the fact was getting the Head Johnson too hot, and Boone and Secretary decided it's best for all that she'd get burned, and proceed with working on the other side of shadowrunning.

That's the gist of it, and I'll write a more thorough one later, but that the general background of the character.

Thank you, psionichammer, right now I'm sticking to a basic build because getting to read the whole manual during exam session will likely be pretty hard.
To this regard, I please ask for some leniency for my inevitable shortcomings.

Hey, I get it entirely.

By basic build, are you referring to one of the pregen characters in the Alphaware Box Set?

PbP is particularly lenient about rules/decisions, since you have more time.to read/think about your actions.

I'm happy to help, however I can.

Btw, if you're looking for a quick break in between studies, look at Complex Action GM screen episodes.

Quick, nicely narrated and simply animated rules discussion videos.

Yep, if you need a hand with anything, I can help too.

The pre-gen characters are excellent for a starter, since they're, well, premade, and they're pretty good at what they do, with enough flexibility for backstory. They're also quite a lot more 'jack-of-all-trades'-style, when compared to the average PC, so that'll help you figure out what you're good at!

Thank you, the videos are amazing! Yes, I've started out from those pregens, then changed things around a bit playing with Chummer.

I think it came out decent.

I'm not sure whether I could pile all those modifications into cybereyes, anyway, and I'll likely have made some mistake, so thanks again for your help :)

Beta-Axe - it's probably not worth it unless you really want to. Always useful to have a getaway car that can't be quite as easily stolen.

I'm toying with a couple of small changes to mine (all gear choices), I'll create an alias and fiddle on there, then let you know when I'm satisfied!

I'll leave it as is then.

It has 6 seats so we could always travel in a couple of cars if you want to keep your Bentley.

I'll probably upgrade to the Rover. I wanted him to have something a bit flashy, and that's almost as flash as the Bentley, yet considerably more practical.

Probably worth the rigger having at least one vehicle that can take the whole crew for times when a quick getaway is needed.

Hello, The Lion Cleric here, with my finished submission. I'll double check with Chummer soon, when I get the time, to make sure everything is alright.

I'd also like to point out, that despite the corporate interests, and the general feel of the character, me, the player, isn't going to backstab the team. I'm a strong believer that abrasions between characters often makes for good RP, but abrasion between players is just a no-no. So, I'm just making that known now. (even if I'm still waiting on GM approval for some of the qualities.)

I've just re-read that there's the SR5 book, and the Street Grimoire that the GM owns, and I'm ready to provide the splash for the qualities/gear Secretary has, or change it. Shouldn't change too much in Gameplay.

Other than that, I feel like I need to express a sorrowful sigh to the lack of non-fantasy portraits on the Paizo forums, but, hey, what can you do.

Alias sort of ready.

Just dotted the gameplay, I'll post properly in an hour or so.

Game is up

Yay!

Secretary's just ticking the boxes from the 'Standard Shadowrunning Protocol'. I'm quite curious to find out what's going on, even though the job isn't the 'negotiate with Johnson, engage in illegal activities, collect rest of pay' sort of a job.

Umbungo's rigger checking in and finalized. I'll post in gameplay when I get the chance (at work atm).

Are we going on the assumption that we're just meeting for the first time? Probably should've considered that before the game started, but I can't complain about expedience! I'm working with that assumption.

Are we going on the assumption that we're just meeting for the first time? Probably should've considered that before the game started, but I can't complain about expedience! I'm working with that assumption.

You can go with that assumption, or that you are meeting for the first time. You would all know of Shirow at least as a competent fixer albeit an self described "Composure of Reality" with his own brand of BTLs (they are really just tweaks of common BTLs he puts his name on)

Gotta use that 1 Charisma and Prejudice, sorry Anika ^_^

You do you, chummer. I'll do mine. ^^

Sorry for the delay getting my alias up, but here it is now....

Quick thinking there, Deacon!

I was thinking of plopping a couple of lines earlier about each of my contacts, but I got carried away. Basically, I envision Captain Neill Kavanagh as a proud police chief. Not too proud to dismiss the occasional 'gift' befitting a man of his stature.

The taxi driver is that. A taxi driver. Reliable Randy's Rapid Rikshaw Ride! Comes in 15 minutes or it's free!

And the fence is someone I'd imagine being, well, a fence. Everyone with more pockets than common sense needs one.

Sorry, Sweeper! I think we might've gotten carried away at the chance to jump in the shadows, and I might've been a bit too pushy to leave the nice place, before he got the chance to eat something warm!

My schedule allows me for more than one post per day, but I understand that not everyone is as (un)lucky as I am. I'll try to reign it in.

I, too, can post multiple times per day, typically.

I will try to avoid moving the scenes forward much, but I will be happy to go back & forth with other PCs if able.

I can usually post several times per day, but I live in Europe so my schedule si shifted 6 to 9 hours with respect to the US.

not a problem...just was away for a few days and wanted to catch up...no worries for me...but poor Sweeper needs to eat..lol

Wow! Ok cool ill be waking up soon and responding to all this

:D

Busy day at work I'll post asap

I just read up on cyberlimbs and tweaked mine to have my same scores in Agility and Strength. To do so I downgraded it to Used and sold my car.

Rightyo, Blacksap.

Customized to match natural stats, then augmented to max of natural +4?

Right now only customized, cyberlimbs are a real money sink and I wanted to squeeze the Wired Reflexes in too.

Very true. Makes a good point to upgrade once you get some ¥ though.

Hm. So I suppose (for ease on my brain, and the GM's planning), that the plan right now is:

Matrix/Astral recon -> moving to Beta's crib -> going back -> physical recon -> storming the castle?

Secretary is geared up for a run, and sitting in the back of the van.

Can Astral recon be done remotely?
Also, I'd move physical recon to before going to the crib, so that we may have some more time to plan and gear up.
But of course, novice speaking here.

Yes, Astral recon can be done from any stationary location where Deacons body will be safe.

Good thinking, we could move physical earlier. Maybe Sparky can leave a fly-drone to track security movements? Don't know if wireless can detect that, though, my Matrix knowledge is fairly bad. I'm also putting the assumption that Secretary left her bike at her safehouse, since secretaries don't drive racing bikes.

Sweeper is in the van. He could stay behind and keep a watch on the place...after all he looks just like any other street person...

A couple more questions on the rules:
1) Is having a datajack and cybereyes enough to use a smartgun or do I also need to have a smartlink in the eyes?
2) For gear wireless functionality must I use my PAN or can our Decker give us a safer connection?

You do need the smartlink mod in the eyes, or a pair of glasses/googles/contacts or a helmet (though the bonuses aren't as good if you don't pay essennce. )

It's common for Deckers to cover other people's networks to take care of matrix defense. Though I need to work out just how many things I can cover...

SR5, p. 444; Smartlink: This accessory works with a smartgun system to give you the full benefit of the system. The smartgun will tell you the range to various targets, as well as ammunition level (and type), heat buildup, mechanical stress and so on. Without a smartlink, a smartgun system just sends out data that isn't received by anyone and has no effect. A smartlink installed in a natural eye or in a pair of cybereyes is more effective than a smartlink installed in an external device; see p. 433.

SR5, p. 433; Smartgun System increases gun's Accuracy by 2. Access is either by cable to an imaging device (glasses, goggles, or datajack into cybereyes), or by a wireless connection working in concert with a DNI. Wireless Bonus: Wireless smartlink provides dice pool bonus of +1 with gear or +2 with augmentation (costing Essence). Ejecting clip & changing fire modes become Free Actions.

RE: PANs & WANs...

SR5, p. 233: A commlink or deck can handle up to (Device Rating x3) slaved devices, becoming the master device in that particular relationship. The group consisting of your slaved devices plus your master commlink or deck is called your Personal Area Network, or PAN.

The slaved device uses the better of its own or master's rating for any rating in a defense test.

i.e. - if you slave that Metalink Sweeper just picked up to Secretary's Transys Avalon, any attacks against the Metalink would use the Avalon's firewall rating (6) rather than its own (1) + Willpower of the owner.

The risk comes from the slave being marked - if that happens, the marker gains a mark on the master device as well, even if the slave is direct-connected.

Alright, thank you, I'll add a smartlink to my toaster eyes.

So my deck can cover 12 devices, what happens if someone makes a pan with their guns, cyber eyes etc under their command then I cover their comlink is everything covered or just their comlink? Seems like just their comlink would be covered...

If that's the case it would be better for me to take care of important individual items like cyber eyes... sucks to be blind all of a sudden.

The minor devices count as part of the PAN.

So, the cyberdeck would slave the commlinks, which would control the individual devices (like eyes & guns).

In gameplay, it just means we all use the decker's firewall when hacking attempts are made.

Thanks for addressing their questions. I will add also that your deck attributes are not constant and can be rearranged. Unless otherwise stated I will go with the standard array, but there will be times you may want to boost the firewall at the expense of other attributes. Pg 227 and 228 talk about deck configuration.

Thanks GM,

My firewall is set as the max attribute at the moment. My Sleaze is boosted by the Stealth program it's running. That's why they are both 7, For some reason I didn't pick up the encryption program that boosts firewall by +1... must have missed that.

I've got matrix actions and some other stuff bookmarked.

I think I'll make up a little spoiler tag with my current deck settings, attributes and programs running and notes on what gear is slaved.
I'll work on that tonight.

I've made what I believe will be the last adjustments to my character:
- Added a smartlink to my cybereyes and a smartgun system to my best rifle.
- Changed my cyberlimb from Lower to Full Arm.
- Added Italian as a Language Skill.
- Added a mild allergy to cats in exchange for the Ambidextrous quality.
- Tweaked my items.
If I shouldn't have, please tell me.

That is fine Harry. I am more lenient with this game as I understand the character creation can be extensive and it is easy to miss something vital. I for one am still constantly learning something new about this system.

Hi, GM! For your convenience, since you mentioned you only had the two books:

Run and Gun table gives Vehicle Called shots. Shooting out the window lock is a -8, so I assumed that's difficult enough on Secretary to fire on, based on Sparky's guidance on where to put the bullet.

And, since some things are better said earlier, if you think we're moving too fast, let us know! (There's no underlying tone that you're moving too slow. Internet makes it hard to express things like that.) Shadowrun is fairly rules heavy, so I'll try to break things down as much as possible. And also, thanks for running this, if I hadn't said that recently!

I've moved my rolls to a spoiler tag, since massive green lines in the middle of my posts is a bit TOO Matrix for me. I'll also break down the penalties I've assumed.