Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => Gear => Topic started by: BlackJaw on <04-12-14/1220:24>
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All the armors/clothing with Ruthenium Polymer Coating listed in Run & Gun have it as a feature at a rating, and then all say Wireless bonus: As Ruthenium Polymer Coating p 85. Page 85 describes how Ruthenium Polymer Coating "in character" but doesn't mention a wireless bonus. Page 86 has the game mechanics, and it still doesn't mention a wireless bonus, not does it seem to match the Chameleon Suit mechanics:
"The effectiveness is based on the Rating of the sensor suite and the extent of the suit’s coverage. The base modifier to a Perception Test to spot the wearer is –(Rating), adjusted by the extent of the suit; full +2, almost full +1, half +0."
So a full body & head armor set with this at rating 4 provides a -6 penalty to people spotting you. A rating 1 coat would provide only -1. Unlike a Chameleon Suit, no wireless bonus is mentioned, nor does it seem to alter the limit on sneak or provide bonus dice to sneak.
Of course it's availability 16f to apply to gear, but you can get it at rating 3 in a Sleeping Tiger suit at character generation. The mod is pricey, at $5000 per rating, which actually makes the Sleeping Tiger suit surprisingly cost effective, and very useful at armor 13 with social bonuses. A Chameleon Suit is just $1,700, but is clearly much less effective or subtle.
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Second Skin also features RPC at rating 4, and for less than a Sleeping Tiger.
A Chameleon Suit is still useful for a low physical limit, high sneaking type.
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Second Skin is availability 14, so you can't get one at character creation but you're right, that at rating 4 for $12,000 it's a bargain.
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Now here's the real question.
...can you customize a chameleon suit with more ruthenium polymers?
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Given how the two have different effects, technically perhaps, but I doubt your GM would allow it.
As for Second Skin and Sleeping Tiger, they're indeed quite excellent, especially since Sleeping Tiger has no Forbidden-ness attached to it unlike the upgrade itself... Makes you wonder why there aren't some restrictions on the stuff in effectivity, a -3 to perceive you in that suit is... Rather much, though expensive. Downside would be that when not active, it's going to be noticed and leave a trail due to being recognizable.
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a -3 to perceive you in that suit
It's a suit, right? That would mean it's -[Rating +1] for mostly covering the character with RPC. It would be -3 for half covered RPC, or -5 for complete RPC.
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a -3 to perceive you in that suit
It's a suit, right? That would mean it's -[Rating +1] for mostly covering the character with RPC. It would be -3 for half covered RPC, or -5 for complete RPC.
Sound right to me.
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I figure the "almost full" rule covers Sleeping Tiger, since it doesn't include a hood or shoes, so you'd be looking at -4 dice to see someone wearing it (rating 3 +1).
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So, what does the Sleeping Tiger look like? Is it just a suit?
Another question, on page 86, "The ruthenium polymers are controlled by a sensor suite incorporated into the armor... ... The effectiveness is based on the Rating of the sensor suite..." So does that mean you have to go back to the SR5 book on page 446 to get the Sensor array device to make it work? If so, then the sensor array takes up 6 capacity and the ruthenium polymer takes up 4 which would mean that clothing/armor would have to have a 10 capacity to house all this?
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So, what does the Sleeping Tiger look like? Is it just a suit?
Use your imagination. I've told my team that it can go from ninja pajamas to a fancy suit in a matter of minutes. It doesn't really matter what it looks like to everyone else - just so long as you know that you look pimpin with your +1 to Social Limit.
Another question, on page 86, "The ruthenium polymers are controlled by a sensor suite incorporated into the armor... ... The effectiveness is based on the Rating of the sensor suite..." So does that mean you have to go back to the SR5 book on page 446 to get the Sensor array device to make it work? If so, then the sensor array takes up 6 capacity and the ruthenium polymer takes up 4 which would mean that clothing/armor would have to have a 10 capacity to house all this?
No no no. The sensor suite described there is not related to other sensor suites. The way that the Ruthenium Polymer bonus works is outlined on page 86:
This modification can be added to any armor or clothing, but it only gains its full benefits when applied to pieces that cover the wearer’s whole body, like full body armors or cloaks. The ruthenium polymers are controlled by a sensor suite incorporated into the armor or clothing that scans the surroundings and replicates images of the area at the proper perspectives, helping the wearer blend in. The effectiveness is based on the Rating of the sensor suite and the extent of the suit’s coverage. The base modifier to a Perception Test to spot the wearer is –(Rating), adjusted by the extent of the suit; full +2, almost full +1, half +0.
So basically what this means is that if you're wearing something that covers up half of your body, your Ruthenium Polymer Coating rating acts as a penalty to the Perception Test to spot you. If you are wearing something that's almost full (like a Sleeping Tiger Suit) then treat your Ruthenium Polymer Coating as if it was one rating higher. And if you're fully covered, treat your coating as if it was two ratings higher.
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So, what does the Sleeping Tiger look like? Is it just a suit?
There's a topic about it here: http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=16035.0
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Ruthenium goes back all the way to third edition, yes I played back then, and it was originally a type of gimmicky party thing. The Sleeping Tiger and Second Skin have this stuff is so that you can change color, swimsuit, stuff and patterns by using preset programs, in this day and age just a wireless load setting. It was those inventive runner who took one look at it and thought the same thing everyone else did, stealth ops. The sleeping tiger line is also mentioned in the third edition canon companion as a mix between corporate and punk style clothing for those rebellious corp looking to brig the gap between street and high end and thanks to the ruthenium polymers in it you don't need multiple suits you can just put in a preset color or image into your commlink and viola white to black or hot pink if you are feeling cheeky. Ruthenium is great for blending in too as you can made your cloths look ratty and worn out as well to high end chic with just another flip of the pattern too so it is limited by your imagination really.
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Then the ruthenium polymer can also double as a electrochromatic modification, correct?
If I program in a tuxedo on a chameleon suit with a electrochromic modification would I have some thing that looked like a tuxedo, or more like a well painted tuxedo T-shirt and matching pants.
(Just to keep from having any kind of it doesn't work that way discussion with the GM.)
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Then the ruthenium polymer can also double as a electrochromatic modification, correct?
If I program in a tuxedo on a chameleon suit with a electrochromic modification would I have some thing that looked like a tuxedo, or more like a well painted tuxedo T-shirt and matching pants.
(Just to keep from having any kind of it doesn't work that way discussion with the GM.)
My initial inclination is to say no. The idea behind ruthies is that micro-cameras scan the surrounding area and then the smart material mimics the captured images in the camera--there's no sense that there's storage of part images. Electrochromic modification is a self-contained system and probably has a variety of presets. EM doesn't take any capacity and is relatively cheap, so you might as well add it to the armor.
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The effectiveness [of RPC] is based on the Rating of the sensor suite and the extent of the suit’s coverage.
Unless I'm mistaken, the polymer coating itself has no variation in quality, only in coverage. The rating of RPC mods relates to the quality of the sensor suite used to gather information. As these are two distinct parts of the whole that mimics your surroundings, I have no qualms over allowing input other than the sensor suite to the ruthenium polymers.
I'd consider the tux image to appear well-painted, unless the creator is exceptionally skilled. Note the R&G anecdote from Kane (p63) - Second Skin armour, at least, is capable of being almost invisible while RPC mimics the appearance of clothing.
Just don't leave the wireless on.
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After looking at Electrochromic Modification I want to add that to my stealth suit and preset it to look like normal clothing. Jean and T-shirts and such, that way at a distance it looks just like a set of average clothing, combine that with a duster or the Greatcoat Coat that might be a very effective disguise.
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Electrochromic was sadly not mentioned in Run & Gun. As of right now, Rules as Written, it's only allowed as an add-on for clothing and armored clothing, but not any of the fashion-armors in the Core Book or Run & Gun, nor as a sub-function of RPC, although it would make sense if it it was.
It's a shame too. I like Electrochromic as a concept between "my shirt is red" and "I'm a Predator like in that movie Predator." Electrochromic armored clothing (define them as Worker's Coveralls) is a go-to item for social infiltration. With a simple matrix search you can get them to match the pattern of what ever kind of worker you need to pretend to be to walk into a building. Matrix-Service-Provider, HVAC, EMT, Pest Control, Janitorial, Locksmith, etc. Add in a clipboard and the appropriate set of tools and no one is likely to question why you need access to the fiber-optics lines, basement, roof, elevator shaft, etc. "Why yes that is a set of lockpicks and maglock sequencers in my toolkit. Hey, your boss's boss, Mr. Vendorn? Well his secretary called me. Apparently she lost the combination to the wall safe and needs me to get that sucker open before Mr. Vendorn fires her. What, did you think I'm world's stupidest thief or that I'm wearing a jumpsuit with 'E-Z-Key' on it because it makes my butt look good?" or the personal favorite: "We're paramedics, there's a CPO on floor 15 having a hear attack! Either get out of our way or accept the backlash when he's dies because you wanted to scan our kits and run our IDs!"
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My team did something similar when we had to break into a movie studio that had a lab on top of it, the team face and rigger posed as a moving crew and were getting ready to film a commerical and we wanted our equipment there for the shoot tomorrow.. After our decker, who has high ranks in forgery, forged a fake business website and IDs to go with it we come in and drop very large boxes of equipment in the storage room. Of course inside those boxes of equipment was a gun adept, a steel lynx, the team decker and our specialist. After having fitted the cases out with little jammers to fool the scans and placing a 2 hour air supply in them.