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Awakening Apocalypse - Shadowrun 5E setup discussion (Recruiting)

Shayuri

First Post
Okay, to get us on the same page then.

We'll converge on the security office and take control of it, pacifying resistance. If possible this should be done quietly.

From there we'll see what options we have on the drones. If we can shut them down, giving Heartbreak safe access to them in a way that doesn't expose him to the host's scrutiny, we'll do that. Otherwise we MAY have to scratch the drone idea.

Either way, we can then turn our attention to the Pow! storage. This is probably a bad time to ask if anyone remembered to bring the chemical we want to spike it with. :)

Mosier, can we assume that we spent a few nuyen on that on the way over?
 

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Mosier

First Post
As long as the chemical is something common (roach spray, bleach, vinegar, weed killer, etc), I don't have a problem with that. Also keep in mind, the drink is downright nasty all on its own unless it's prepared just right...
 

Shayuri

First Post
I was thinking some kind of laxative, since that will leave 'physical evidence' of a far more memorable nature than just bad digestion. :)
 

Mosier

First Post
Sure, something you can purchase over the counter is perfectly reasonable for you to bring along for this run.

Someone please make an IC post directing everyone to meet up at the CTI Security office, and we'll proceed with the game. See you all in-character!
 

GlassEye

Adventurer
I switched from VR to AR way back before HB ever left the car. He's been running in AR since then because, by my understanding, your body is insensate while in VR. Saint and HB have been walking halls so HB couldn't be in VR.

As I mentioned in my IC post, rebooting erases all marks placed by/on HB. So those door and camera marks HB placed to get us all in would be gone and unable to provide security any information in the timeline that you outlined. Unless, of course, you mean those marks HB has placed since reboot (which isn't entirely clear to me) but, see below...

Per the Hack on the Fly action hopping to a grid which one doesn't have access to doesn't mark the host. The host has a defense and if HB beats it he gains access. This action shouldn't alert the grid even if unsuccessful. If unsuccessful then HB wouldn't be able to do anything on that grid at all, as far as I can tell.
 

Mosier

First Post
I switched from VR to AR way back before HB ever left the car. He's been running in AR since then because, by my understanding, your body is insensate while in VR. Saint and HB have been walking halls so HB couldn't be in VR.

As I mentioned in my IC post, rebooting erases all marks placed by/on HB. So those door and camera marks HB placed to get us all in would be gone and unable to provide security any information in the timeline that you outlined. Unless, of course, you mean those marks HB has placed since reboot (which isn't entirely clear to me) but, see below...

Per the Hack on the Fly action hopping to a grid which one doesn't have access to doesn't mark the host. The host has a defense and if HB beats it he gains access. This action shouldn't alert the grid even if unsuccessful. If unsuccessful then HB wouldn't be able to do anything on that grid at all, as far as I can tell.

Good point with the marks being cleared. The only mark I cleared when you rebooted was the one on the host itself, when ALL marks would have been erased. I'll update the post to reflect that. It doesn't change much, however, as the Spider has found the cameras offline, which would have led him to conclude those areas were likely to be infiltrated.

It does seem like you're getting "grid" confused with "host" though. There hasn't been any mention of a grid yet (unless I used the term incorrectly by accident) because so far we've been treating the Matrix as only existing on a single grid. Grids are like your service provider. Any grid can access the matrix. The rules mention penalties for being on a lower-quality grid, or a different grid from someone else, but so far this has just been ignored for simplicity's sake.

A host, on the other hand, is a specific closed network within the matrix (like the home network created by your router). You can't access a host without permission. You can obtain that permission by marking the host. Most marks are obtained by presenting credentials to the host as a legitimate user, but hackers obtain marks by using hack on the fly or brute force, depending on their style. The CTI host is where all the various CTI devices and IC and network security people are. You can't get to those things without going through the host, and illegally marking the host absolutely does start your overwatch score. Simply entering the host once it's marked is free, and does not increase your overwatch score.

I apologize if I have inadvertently used the term "grid" incorrectly to mean "host" before now. I've been trying really hard not to do so, but I may have slipped up.

To clarify, here is exactly how the previous post rolls worked:
Heartbreak successfully marked the host
Heartbreak entered the CTI host (no roll required)
The Spider found Heartbreak's mark on the host, and erased it (reducing Heartbreak's visibility within the host)
The Spider began to run silently
Heartbreak succeeded in spotting the Spider, alerting him to its presence (but not its location or any other info). He has not yet attempted a Matrix perception test to hunt the Spider down.
Heartbreak succeeded in spotting the icon for the hallway video camera in front of the security office
Heartbreak succeeded in marking the hallway video camera
The Spider noticed the video cameras and door alarms that were offline where the runners had entered the restricted access area (I mistakenly had him notice the marks on these devices as well. That will be edited now - thanks for catching it!)
Heartbreak spotted the icon for the comlink radio device in the security office
Heartbreak marked the comlink, and overheard the radio traffic between the security teams
The team exited through the door on basement level, and are currently in another restricted hallway, and are now on their way to the security office

Heartbreak will be able to monitor the video camera in front of the security office, and the radio traffic between the security teams, as long as he maintains his marks. The Spider has a chance to spot these marks, though.
 
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GlassEye

Adventurer
Ah, yes, I did confuse grid with host. That's my fault from jumping around in my reading in the book, misunderstanding the grid/host relationship and not from anything you said. I apologize for that.

Everything else seems cool, except maybe the offline status of the door alarms/cameras being detected. I haven't double-checked my posts yet but I thought I only shut them down for the time we needed to get past them. EDIT: Specifically mentioned a short shut down for the camera and alarms where Skinny and Casper entered but apparently neglected to do so at Saint and HB's location. Oh well.
 
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TillForPie

First Post
Even if we'd managed to get peaceably past Kevin I would have given us ten minutes before it all hit the fan anyway. Might as well start it on our terms.
 

Shayuri

First Post
Agreed.

Casper's tasing him, because Kevin may have the equipment necessary to raise an alarm silently and without any visible motion. Kind of like any of us could. :)

Hopefully that expensive outfit isn't nonconductive armor.
 

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