Shadowrun: For Us It Was a Tuesday [OOC]

[Shayuri]

Okay, right. So the host would typically be running a Patrol IC program all the time, which can make Matrix Perception checks to try to spot me. If it does spot me, the host immediately does as well, and can start running other, nastier IC programs.

But me making Matrix Perception checks doesn't have a risk of alerting the system, outside unusual circumstances, except that it takes time and thus could expose me to more opportunities for the Patrol IC to get lucky and spot me.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] , I think we are on the same page. I played both recent Shadowrun video games, and the old Sega Genesis version, so I anticipated that the tabletop rules would emulate those experiences. But that's not what I am seeing in the rules. I have a bigger post for your character, mainly on what icons she sees closest to her entry into the host (9 spaced out from others, 2 farther off but clustered, and another three larger cluster of icons nearby, and three icons that seem to be jumping somehow from location to location), but it will be a longer post and I wanted to get it right. Unfortunately, I have a large workload right now and will be busy through the weekend, so the post will have to wait until Monday. Feel free to work from what I just posted here or just wait. All icons will need two Perception successes to identify.

 

[galenbd]

Prometheus notices that the nearest life sign readings are in another room other than the one where the loud hair-dryer like sounds can be heard.

I don't understand. We're in a huge room, 80 meters. Is there another room within 12 meters. Do you have a map? Maybe that would clear things up.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Is there a freeware mapping program you can advise using 10ft squares, which I can convert to an image readable in this forum? Besides Ditzie? Prometheus detects the nearest lifeforms north of the party, but passed a wall. Inside the room, the party can hear something moving around to the west, behind office equipment, but it is not radiating with life signs for Prometheus to pick up; ergo it is not alive.

 

[Queenie]

Shay, are those contacts or the eye pierce something I should be using right now? Also, Is the Praetor my normal gun(s)?

 

[Shayuri]

Yes, you'll want to use your Praetor SMGs most of the time. It's your best die pool. You can decide to shoot just one at 18 dice, or both at 9 dice, any given action.

You'll want to use Short Bursts pretty much all the time. They penalize enemy defense against your shots, and use 3 rounds per burst. You can switch it up to long bursts against foes you want dead faster.

As I recall your eyewear can be active pretty much anytime. It's passive, by and large. If it's dark, your low-light kicks in. And so on. If you have other stuff, like thermographic, you can declare you're using it or not. Thermographic works like the Predator...you can scan for heat in the environment.

 

[galenbd]

Is there a freeware mapping program you can advise using 10ft squares, which I can convert to an image readable in this forum? Besides Ditzie?

http://rpgvirtualtabletop.wikidot.com/mapping-software

Here's a list of a few. I haven't used these. I used Microsoft paint. There are also sites which would allow you generate pdfs of graph paper. You can take a screenshot and paint on top of that if you want.

 

[Shayuri]

GM, I want to clear something up real quick. Do I need to make separate Matrix Perception checks for every icon in the host? Or do we just use my Matrix Perception already rolled as a general one to compare against them all?

Also, Echo has spotted the drones, but I want to just verify the presence or absence of network security before I start hacking the host itself. Is there Patrol IC on duty? Or security spiders or anything else that could spot her?

Similarly, because I am still pretty newb to this in 5e, I want to verify that marking the host will effectively mark the devices slaved to the host. I know that's how it worked in 4e, but suddenly I'm not sure about this edition and I haven't got my book handy at the moment.

Thanks!

 

[Deuce Traveler]

[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION], I'm actually going to allow you to make one perception check for a cluster of associated icons. Right now, you just made a Perception check for a few icons related to one another in the room the team has just run into. Echo has spotted icons used for the drones in the Matrix and related security. She has not seen Patrol IC yet and has not been noticed by any, but believes the host to be advanced enough to have them and is likely using them.

I really believe that this 5th edition has been poorly set-up in regards to the Matrix. The Astral is done a little better, and the physical world is self-explanatory so far.

 

[Shayuri]

This seems helpful.

http://adragon202.deviantart.com/gallery/47605907/Shadowrun

Not just for hacking, but other things too.