Welcome to Star City, the city of the future. (Inactive)

Game Master PoorWanderingOne

"Sounds good to me, let's do it!"

"I think that's a good plan. Not overly reliant on events out of our control, and depth enough to handle the most predictable failure modes. We should park ahead of their route. If the crew or van isn't disabled by the time that they get in my range, I can assist with that." he burbles with anticipation.

Karma nods agreement.

How well Karma is able to ghost into a moving vehicle needs to be address by the GM (see my Discussion question and Imagine's suggested answer). If she is standing invisible and intangible in the road as the transport approaches, can she shift from standing to moving with the van once inside even though as an intangible body, the vehicle cannot apply a force to her? Is it just a matter of whether she wills herself to be moving with the van or not?

Karma nods agreement.

Did you see the response to the intangible while moving issue in discussion?

Everyone

So the plan looks to be that you will be ambushing the van after it enters Southpoint. Correct?

Please double check you gear and note what you are carrying vs. leaving in the Lair.

Any other prep you want to do? You can do it now or spend a benny later and do it retroactively.

Questions before you hit the road.
I Are you taking an Omega-link? Upside: realtime updates on the target vehicles location and route as well as up to the minute location of any stray V'sori/police patrols. You can also see the location of any cell members with Omegalinks. Downside: None that you are aware of.

II Where are you setting the ambush? Rather than go into map coordinates I am breaking the vehicle's route into chunks. Near the border with Downtown, Southpoint north, Southpoint south, near destination. The lair is about at the border between Southpoint north and south. Let me know which chunk you are choosing.

III As far as specifics I am leaving that entirely up to you. If you want to hit it as it turns a corner between 2 damaged buildings with a mag-rail overhead then that exact spot is on the route in the desired chunk. As far as decor and excetra think of South point as a slum. Some high-rises some ruined buildings, even the occasional park. The stage for this bit is up to you.

IV Oh and someone roll me a d6 please. I'll take the first one posted. No reason.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note for Karma You quickly discover that your Omega-link does not work while you are insubstantial. No communication and no location info. You also are NOT displayed on other cell member links or the base station unless you are solid.

No reason: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I have no opinion/preference for where we hit them.

I'm taking everything under Equipment in my character sheet (except the $300).

I'm using an Omega-link.

Do we have advance information about the route the transport will take and how many vehicles to expect? If so, then we can plan the place to hit them in advance. Otherwise, it seems to me we will have to be mobile using the SUV and intercept at whatever place we can. If there is a main artery that they are likely to take, we can start with an overpass to such a street, but have the SUV available if the route changes.

What are our options for stopping the transport? If Karma can be in position along the route, she can be invisible and intangible and try to disable a tire with a phase attack. If the vehicle is moving slowly enough, using my suggested rules for flight while intangible (see discussion post) means she could be flying in the same direction as the transport overtakes her, she could attempt to injure the driver with a phase attack or use the same ability to activate a grenade and drop it in the interior.

Sorry for not doing this in proper RP format, but I'm not yet sure of whether the new recruit is going to be present. It's also late and I've been posting off an on all day to get caught up after not being able to post on Thursday.

Do we have advance information about the route the transport will take and how many vehicles to expect? If so, then we can plan the place to hit them in advance. Otherwise, it seems to me we will have to be mobile using the SUV and intercept at whatever place we can. If there is a main artery that they are likely to take, we can start with an overpass to such a street, but have the SUV available if the route changes.

What are our options for stopping the transport? If Karma can be in position along the route, she can be invisible and intangible and try to disable a tire with a phase attack. If the vehicle is moving slowly enough, using my suggested rules for flight while intangible (see discussion post) means she could be flying in the same direction as the transport overtakes her, she could attempt to injure the driver with a phase attack or use the same ability to activate a grenade and drop it in the interior.

Sorry for not doing this in proper RP format, but I'm not yet sure of whether the new recruit is going to be present. It's also late and I've been posting off an on all day to get caught up after not being able to post on Thursday.

From the V-map listing for Milk Run on the campaign page you have the exact route of the transport and the data that there is an escort until it reaches Slasher turf. How reliable you consider this info is up to you.

Kara pushes her chair back from the table and stretches, her large breasts pressing out in front of her lithe torso.

"Oh man. Thanks mom! That dinner was the best. I feel like I've been eating for a whole month!"

Tummy full and warm, she makes the dirty plates float over to the sink where her mom dumps the leftovers and loads the washer.

"Alright, this looks like a good plan."

What plan? What are you doing, where and when? Go ahead and set the stage and tell me when the curtain goes up! You guys have the power here. Tell me what you want.

"Okay, let's try this: As the van enters SouthPoint, Ghost, you, um, ghost in and see how many people are inside.

Then you and Psiclops will orbit around and keep a lookout.

If there are two or less, then, as the van approaches, I'll meander into the middle of the road and take over the driver(s). The van will pull over, we'll calmly search it and talk to them, then they'll leave, completely forgetting the whole thing.

If any of that fails to happen, both Ghost and I will try to disable it...and Psiclops will blow the thing up. Then DocTox will sluuuurp out of our car that is parked close by, and we sift through the wreckage."

This plan.

As the van enters SouthPoint, Ghost will be Intang and Invis. She flies through the van and Telepaths back to me how many people are in the van, along with any other interesting details. Psiclops is invis and flying high up. I will be Camouflaged as old woman #3, and when the van enters my line of sight I will control the driver and the passenger. Then the van will stop and DocTox droooops down. We search it, calmly question the crew for further details, and let it on its way. If things somehow get hostile we'll take it from there, but it probably involves Psiclops lasering things to death and DocTox dissolving the evidence.

"I can do more than just report on what's in the van. I can create illusions now. How about after I do the pass through and report, I give an illusion of a large truck coming right at the transport, get them to turn to avoid, perhaps crash, but at the very least stop? I can make the illusion of the truck seem to jackknife and block the road."

I'll have to double check the area limitations on the illusion, but we should be able to do something to get the transport to stop. Once it's stopped, Karma could disable it by phasing damage to a couple of tires.

"So, does anyone object to this plan? If not, let's do it!"

"I'm ready to go." says the Doc, already sliding into the Van.

Looking good. I have a couple of questions and a new player.

Question 1. From the plan "As the van enters SouthPoint" seems to imply you are setting up the ambush near/at the handover point? Is this correct? And if so then Near or at the point where the escort leaves?

Question 2. "Ghost will be Intang and Invis" Where? Please locate yourself in the scene. Middle of the road? Phased into the toad? Beside the road having beignets and hot black chicory coffee?

Question 3. "Psiclops is invis and flying high up." How high? And over the road I assume?

Question 4. "I will be Camouflaged as old woman #3". Description please and where? Beside the road? Same cafe as Karma?

Question 5. Where is doc? Overpass? Carried by Psiclops? Perched on a street light? Thinking really happy thoughts?

While you are all discussing the plan you each get an alert message over your Omega com-links (those of you wearing them at least).

"Message. Expect delivery in 3 minutes. Message ends."

The timer reading 3 minutes is rapidly counting down.

Two minutes and 30 seconds later the Vmap display on the lap top changes from the map you were using to plan with to a live camera feed of a black van arriving in front of the Lair.

Note: You had no idea the cameras worked and have no idea how to access them.

Phillipe breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled up in front of the address he had been given. Now, all there was to do was wait on the others to join him. He glanced at the backpack on the floor beside him, mentally making sure that everything was there.

*Let's see... Second set of black t-shirt and jeans. extra pair of sneakers, stun baton... Frack. I better have that on me, just in case.* He reached into the pack and removed the baton with its breakaway leather sheath, strapping it to his thigh.

*Ok, now the tough part... the waiting.... * He kept his head on a swivel, looking around and making sure nothing unexpected was coming.

I suggest that we plan the intersection as the van comes up on an overpass. We can have our van hidden near the overpass in case we need to chase them down. I'll be above the overpass so I can drop down if needed.

Psiclops will be 10" up, high enough to see the big picture, but still within short range of his mental bolts.

Imagine's pretty eyes silently roll over to take in the story the cameras are telling. She stares in quiet contemplation before sending to the group. 'It looks like the van we ordered arrived. In case it's a trap I'll send out the welcoming committee."

Elemental, after you park the van, an older woman with grey hair and a figure that is obviously in retreat from what once was an enviable position comes out. In one hand is an unopened can of Mountain Dew. In the other is a steaming hot bowl of fish and pork mixed into ramen noodles. A standard plastic spoon sticks out of it.

"Hello, dearie?" she hails to the van, squinting to see inside. "Come out, come out, whoever you are," she calls in a sing-song voice that is universal to experienced mothers everywhere.

Just to be clear, the van that just arrived is not the transport we are planning to ambush but something sent by Doctor D, correct? So this is before we are in position for the ambush.

The following is what Karma plans, unless the new arrivals cause the overall plan to change.

Karma takes her weapons, cape, and mask. At the site of the ambush, she goes invisible and intangible, and then flies level with the traffic to the center of the lane where the transport is expected. She communicates by telepathy with the others to let them know she is in position.

Her position is about 50 feet shy of where the transport will be stopped, so she can fly in the same direction as the transport, let it overtake her, and when she is inside the transport, she will try to shift her frame of reference to that of the moving van. She'll report via telepathy to whoever is within range (24" or 48 yds or 144 feet). It sounds like Psiclops may be flying just above the van by this point, so he can act as a relay using the comms to anyone outside this range.

Karma will leave instructions with anyone with telepathy and a view of the map how fast the transport is moving. That will help her plan where she will wait to try and jump into the van while intangible. She wants to be close enough to the ambush site that she can still be in range to make an illusion happen even if she fails to jump into the van.

Just to be clear, the van that just arrived is not the transport we are planning to ambush but something sent by Doctor D, correct? So this is before we are in position for the ambush.

You are correct. The new players are delivering the Van that you all chose for the Lair.

Elemental, after you park the van, an older woman with grey hair and a figure that is obviously in retreat from what once was an enviable position comes out. In one hand is an unopened can of Mountain Dew. In the other is a steaming hot bowl of fish and pork mixed into ramen noodles. A standard plastic spoon sticks out of it.

"Hello, dearie?" she hails to the van, squinting to see inside. "Come out, come out, whoever you are," she calls in a sing-song voice that is universal to experienced mothers everywhere.

Phillipe thought for a moment before rolling down the window. "Hello! I'm actually just waiting for a few folks. I got given this address as where they would be. Don't know his name, although the one he gave me makes me think i really don't know " He paused just a moment to emphasize his next words. "jack. or maybe my own mind for that matter."

He kept his metaphorical fingers crossed that if the woman had anything to do with the group she would put together mind and jack, but if not and he had just messed up, his hand was resting on his baton, ready to take action.

The greenish puddle burbles "Well, we're a few folks. A few folks who do know Jack." He'll check his new Omega commlink to see if these guys have been set to the same encryption network. Dr. D would have likely thought of that.

If it connects, he'll add more, "I'm Doc Toxic. I'm the local medic and chemical superfreak."

Karma slips her mask down from her cape's hood and looks the newby over. "Call me Ghost. Street fighter and spying are my specialties. Most enemies don't see me coming until it's too late. Pick an empty room in the basement when you want to get settled."

"Hey there, call me Psiclops. What's your handle? I'm a telekinetic, wnat can you do?"

The greenish puddle burbles "Well, we're a few folks. A few folks who do know Jack." He'll check his new Omega commlink to see if these guys have been set to the same encryption network. Dr. D would have likely thought of that.

If it connects, he'll add more, "I'm Doc Toxic. I'm the local medic and chemical superfreak."

As you look at the comlink you see 2 new listings for your cell. "Elemental" and "Savant"

Dr. D thought of it. I didn't. Thanks for this Doc. ;7)

Phillipe relaxed a bit but still couldn’t let himself completely relax.

”I’m Elemental, this is Savant.” He gestured to the fellow in the back of the van. ”According to Mindjack, this van is for all of us. And, I understand you all may need a hand with something fairly imminent?”

The bearded stick figure sitting in the rear nods. "There are those who call me...Savant. I can't really do much. But sometimes I can do anything anyone else can do. Not sure if that makes sense. I hear people, and sometimes they tell me how to do things that need to get done. And sometimes I just know how to do things. Right this minute I have a headache that I'm pretty sure is someone else's headache, but I took some of the old plop-plop-fizz-fizz and I'm sure I'll be good to go soon."

"Well bless your hearts," Red says in mom fashion as the two new guys make themselves known. "I'm just Red, and you need anything, anything at all, just do let me know. I'll do all the cookin' an' cleanin' so you all can get to the...you know, big things."

Still still holds out both bowl and beverage in assumption that the two new boys will be hungry. Someone once told her that boys were always hungry and she never did find cause enough to not believe it.

"Of course I Imagine my little girl will want to say hi," she finishes, wearing an inside smile as thought she said something funny.

As if in cue, a beautiful woman floats into the room, an impish smile curling across her ivory face.

'Hey there, Elemental and Savant!" she mind-says without breaking her softly curling lips. "Mom likes her jokes, and I, am Imagine." She curtseys slightly in the air.

"I do mind stuff. And I like to think that nothing is ever quite the way it seems." She lets the Camouflage fade and her blue-skinned self is reveled before she puts the glamor back up. "Heh. That's actually a toy from Daddy.

Also from him is a little fixer-upper. So, Savant, if you ever need that headache to go away, I'm yur hook-up."

Karma uses her thought words for the next few sentences.

When I'm a ghost, I cannot use the comm links nor an I make sounds with my voice. So this is what I sound like when I send you my thoughts instead. When I'm a ghost, I can hear things normally, but comms won't work, so someone will have to send me similar messages, like Imagine just did.

Savant looks up and to the side distractedly and begins to sing in a small voice, "Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try..."

"So, now that we've all been introduced, shall we get on with the mission?"

Imagine stares nonplused at the singing Savant.

"The Beetles are overrated. Change my mind," she says in guttural mouth-words.

Turing to Psiclops she replies, "That is a fine idea.

Savant, Elemental, we've been given a task by our fine benefactor to learn the contents of a particular van. I have a wonderful plan to do this with a minimum of fuss. Or even knowledge that it ever happened. Alas I don't have rolls for you two, so just and hang out with DocTox and, y'know, try not to make things harder for us."

"Beetles? What do you mean? Was I singing? Sorry. I'll try to keep that to myself."

Imagine is a song just by John Lennon, and, if things aren't too weird, Yoko is probably still alive, so maybe I'm channeling her. Or just anyone who likes the song."

In other news, I am finally free of the terrible burden of a long work week. I should be able to finish my build on Sunday.

...

Imagine is a song just by John Lennon, and, if things aren't too weird, Yoko is probably still alive, so maybe I'm channeling her. Or just anyone who likes the song."

In other news, I am finally free of the terrible burden of a long work week. I should be able to finish my build on Sunday.

[ooc]Yoko likely died when New York went silent. As an aside in case any Players are familiar with Breakout your characters have no info on the big apple.

So
Elemental is inside/driving the van which is parked less than a block away.
Imagine is disguised on the side of the road.
Karma is insubstantial and invisible in the road.
Doc Toxic is clinging to the underside of the overpass 3" above the roadway?
Psiclops Is invisible 10" above where they think Karma is.
Savant is not here.
If this is wrong then shout out.

Milk Run, Turn 0
Conditions. Lighting is Dim on the road and either Dim or normal on the sides as you desire. It is easy to avoid or not avoid the streetlights. We are not yet in combat time so actions will take place "right about now-ish" unless you give me a time frame.

Southpoint sleeps around you. Not silently but fitfully with barking dogs, yelling, even a distant gunshot. It is Southpoint after all.

Time passes, as does a lone motorcycle and a delivery van.

...

Headlights. Karma sees them first. Two sets. Large vehicles. Approaching fast. Loud music overpowering the whine of the speeding electric engines.

...

They pass under a street light and you can see the Transport is in the right lane. Racing it in the left lane is a small pickup truck. The truck is covered in graffiti and is missing its windscreen. Nearly a dozen or so garishly dressed people are crowded in and on the small vehicle. It would be a comedic sight except for all the guns they are waving about. {Notice Imagine? Distracted, Group roll: 1d6 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 3 for a total of 3 aka no.}

The vehicles are hurtling towards you at 10+d6x10mph: 1d6 ⇒ 6 70mph. What do you wish to do?

Over comms : "Karma, can you match the transport's speed? If not, we're going to have to come up with a new plan pretty quick. I could blast the road in front of them, forcing them to a halt, but then we'd have to engage with all the rowdies in the truck."

Over comms : "Karma, can you match the transport's speed? If not, we're going to have to come up with a new plan pretty quick. I could blast the road in front of them, forcing them to a halt, but then we'd have to engage with all the rowdies in the truck."

'Well...shit,' Imagine thinks in her middle-manager-nobody body. 'I thought their escort would be gone by now. I guess not!'

"Okay, new plan. We all knew going hot would be have to be an option.

Elemental, Doctor, please observe the wreckage of the pickup truck and neutralize any survivors."

Is that a good plan? Meh. When in doubt take some of their pawns off the board.

Karma picks up Imagine's telepathic message and replies to all with telepathy, It's coming mighty fast. I'll try to jump in. Wish me luck.

All would know that Karma can't move 70 mph, more like 8 mph. I hope she can still attempt to 'jump' into the Frame of Reference of the transport. Let me know what kind of roll this will be. If it's going to be a near impossible roll, Karma can instead try to project an illusion into the transport that might cause it to stop or crash.

If Cyclops knows that Karma can only fly at 8 mph, he won't understand that she's trying to jump into the truck and assume its reference frame, so he's still thinking of blowing up the road in front of the transport, but Imagine makes a good point about blowing up the entire truck of rowdies first....

Focus & Wild: 1d12 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 91d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 What's the TN for a 12'x6' object traveling at 70 mph? I'll leave that up to PWGM...

Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 5, 4, 1, 3) = 22 Drat - not one single Ace...

Targeting the rear of the vehicle, where the gas tank probably is.

Doc sprays down his adhesive goo. He's not expecting to stop the truck, but at least to slow it down.

MBT entangle
focus: 1d8 ⇒ 71d6 ⇒ 4 Oooh, so close

Botting Karma :

Athletics & Wild,-1 speed: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 51d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Spending a Bennie, going for that Raise...

Athletics & Wild,-1 speed: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 71d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
Athletics ACE!: 1d8 ⇒ 7 = 14

PWGM said : get a raise and you are riding inside with no problems.
If this is enough for now (1 action = 1 round), I'm going to hope that Karma's player returns before Karma takes any actions in the vehicle. If not, I'll look back thru previous posts to determine what those actions are.

Milk Run, Turn 0 results.
Conditions. Lighting is Dim on the road and either Dim or normal on the sides as you desire. It is easy to avoid or not avoid the streetlights.

Characters.
Doc Toxic is clinging to the underside of the overpass 3" above the roadway?
Elemental is inside/driving the van which is parked less than a block away.
Imagine is disguised on the side of the road.
Karma is insubstantial and invisible in the road.
Psiclops Is invisible 10" above where they think Karma is.
Savant is not here.
If this is wrong then shout out.

Psiclops Tn is 4 but you have a +2 to hit due to the size difference and a -1 to hit due to relative speed. 22 damage is 2 wounds past the trucks Armor. Maneuver roll +1 handling: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4. The driver maintains control, barely. Critical hit: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10 crew.

Doctor Toxic Drive to avoid goo, +1 Handling: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Nope. This is not something the rules cover so lets call this a control roll, +1 handling: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Nope. Out of Control: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8 distracted.

What actually happens.
There is a ripple in the air as the tailgate is ripped from the truck sending one of the Slashers flying into the street and out of the narrative. The truck begins to fishtail as expensive noises and black smoke pour from the rear. As the driver reacts to this insult the wheels loose all traction as they are coated in rapidly hardening slime. The vehicle spins and comes to a hard stop facing the way it came, smoke billows from the engine, all four wheels and the rear. Car at 2 of 3 wounds and handling -1.

The transport: 1d3 ⇒ 2 accelerates.

Milk Run, Turn 1 Benny counts reset to normal.

Setting: Roadway, small hours, clear night in the city.
~Lighting is Dim on the road and either Dim or normal on the sides as you desire. It is easy to avoid or not avoid the streetlights.
~A black police SUV transport is racing into the night as very unsafe speed.
~A badly damaged once white pickup truck is stopped across the middle of the road. about 14 inches from the overpass. A dozen garishly dressed figures are in or on the vehicle.

Characters.
Doc Toxic is clinging to the underside of the overpass 3" above the roadway.
Elemental is inside/driving the van which is parked less than a block away.
Imagine is disguised on the side of the road.
Karma is insubstantial and invisible in the back seat of the rapidly departing transport
Psiclops Is invisible 10" above where they think Karma was.
Savant is not here.
If this is wrong then shout out.

Action!

Doc Toxic: King of Clubs! (you buried the King of Spades)
Elemental: Queen of Diamonds.
Transport. jack of clubs
Truck. 9 of clubs.
Karma: 7 of Hearts.
Psiclops: 3 of diamonds.
Imagine: 2 of clubs. Your book must have got interesting.

Take it away Doc!

[comms to all]"Let's take care of the yahoos so that we can get moving and back up Karma."

He'll toss out a smoke grenade between him and the stopped truck. From the angle it shouldn't interfere with his allies, but if they aren't disciplined, it should draw their fire. He'll quietly glide toward them under cover of the smoke.

athletics (throwing): 1d8 ⇒ 32d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

stealth: 1d8 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 4

Elemental goes on hold. [over comms to all] "Let me know when you want the van."