[virgil]

I can't be missing this. Is there any kind of compilation of what the standard response team is sent when an alarm is registered, especially response times? I know it would be heavier and faster in more secure locations, but that's a rather broad and ultimately unhelpful guideline.

[Mantis]

If you can get a hold of some of the 3rd edition books like Lone Star, it shows what a typical response team may be like. You could also look at Ghost Cartels, which features some FBI HRT teams and an Aztechnology team. Corporate Intrigue and Jet Set also has security personnel from a variety of corps and their stats.
Otherwise, just make it up, using things like the Corp Security Unit or Lone Star Police Squad from pgs 281-284 in SR4A. You can use those as a template and modify from there with different gear and what not.

[JoeNapalm]

Be careful.

A standardized response team makes sense, but only when tailored to your game.

Do you have three PCs? Six? Are they ickle weefle Runners, or the big Bad Wolf?

I'm not saying to gimp HRT. Just that you best think about what you are doing before dropping a Osprey full of elite troops on your table.

As an aside, it is terribly common for GMs to wildly underestimate response times. If the calvary shows up in round 5, that's 15 seconds. That means they were already on scene and ready to rock when the shooting started.

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

[Mantis]

I'll second that. A response team is very unlikely to show up during a firefight. Fights generally just don't last long enough unless the HTR team was already running to the fight before it started. I tend to use a response team as a reason not linger on the site rather than something the PCs will actually deal with. In previous editions they had standard response times for the cops for given neighbourhoods and I believe the fastest (AAA neighbourhoods) was 5 minutes. That give the PCs 5 minutes at the minimum to get gone.

Secure facilities could be faster but I don't see it. 5 minutes seems a reasonable amount of time for them to respond unless the threat (PCs) are right next door or it is a really small place. They aren't likely to be standing around with all their kit on ready to go. They may be armoured up but not with helmets on and guns are likely either slung or stored. All this adds to the response time.
Things to consider anyway.

[Redwulfe]

As for standard response teams there are several listed in prior books remember to upgrade them for modern times. Also I would not make them with your group in mind, make them with the setting in mind. the reason I say that is that realistically encounters should not always be balanced and learning to circumvent them or to not even engage them is a good skill in shadowrun.

As far as response times go in 1st or 2nd there was a small chart that was used based on the security level of the area in question. I will see if I can look through come of my old books and get you a page reference for you to track it down.

Red

[GiraffeShaman]

As far as response times go in 1st or 2nd there was a small chart that was used based on the security level of the area in question. I will see if I can look through come of my old books and get you a page reference for you to track it down.

I'm drawing a blank where that chart was right now, but the actual codes for neighborhoods are in the 2nd edition Seattle guide. Pg. 22 for Seattle proper.

Depending on the site and the target, sometimes response times are faster because the corps purposely have at the ready response teams nearby, either in the neighborhood, or even the campus site. For example, they might build a group of R&D sites in an area and a security center in the very center, with an at the ready response team servicing all the R&D sites on the overall campus or groups of campuses.

[Redwulfe]

Found it! sorry wasn't in 1st or 2nd edition though the ratingings started there.

for Lonestar response times, which you could still use for KE in the current campaign or as a guide the chart is in New Seattle page 111.

if you are interested on page 110 of Neo-Anarchist guide to real life you can also get docwagon's response times.

Man I hope they reprint some of this old material in 5th, it is really usefull even in the modern game. but then again if they did there would be no need to have all my old books.

Red

[Sentinemodo]

A side note: if the response team consist of magic/matrix elements, they can be on spot virtually instanteus with mundane firepower on designated time.
Combat summoner can give a pretty heck to the player team and keep them occupied just like building spider turning on all turrets and jamming all of the doors.

given that appearance of combat mage (in astral) under 10 seconds from the initial contact is highly possible. that is of course high security, but in my games I tend to use high magic approach (lowering the costs af magci security) otherwise players get too much of an advantage from the shadowrunning shaman, that gets no challenge at all

[Ernie55]

A side note: if the response team consist of magic/matrix elements, they can be on spot virtually instanteus with mundane firepower on designated time.
Combat summoner can give a pretty heck to the player team and keep them occupied just like building spider turning on all turrets and jamming all of the doors.

given that appearance of combat mage (in astral) under 10 seconds from the initial contact is highly possible. that is of course high security, but in my games I tend to use high magic approach (lowering the costs af magci security) otherwise players get too much of an advantage from the shadowrunning shaman, that gets no challenge at all

I'm not sure I agree totally. I can see the spirit or mage in astral in that short a space of time, or the spiders setting off the security, but the actual feet on the ground people need to to react to first alarms/contact before getting there.

There certainly is a need to tailor the bad guys to your party though, make it a challenge but not impossible. You throw high end magic at some groups and they'll just fold

[Sentinemodo]

I might have not been clear. 10 seconds to contact with a mage or matrix security.
mundane assets still need the time as stated above.
that's a 3 second after first rond of contact (assuming, somebody spent free action on communicate)
3 seconds to drop into astral
3 seconds to run in astral to place
starting from next ct, combat summoning is a part of the battle.
(might be one CT more to come with summoned spirits already)

for the matrix secuirty guy, this is even faster - CT2, free action to flip into VR, single action to logon if he wasn't already, simple action to jump into nearest turret/security drone.

[Redwulfe]

New Seattle discusses this and the chart breaks down when the cops become aware of the issue and when the first response arrives, which is an astral mage, spirit or security rigger on hidden camera. For example in AAA areas which is the best you can get in security; they are aware instantly and first response arrives 1 to 2 IP latter. Yep the chart is in IP. So if the problem start on the first IP then the mage would show up no latter than the 4 IP or next turn. I guess they have people just waiting around in astral to jump on offenders in AAA areas. So watch your hoops.

Red

[Ernie55]

I might have not been clear. 10 seconds to contact with a mage or matrix security.
mundane assets still need the time as stated above.
that's a 3 second after first rond of contact (assuming, somebody spent free action on communicate)
3 seconds to drop into astral
3 seconds to run in astral to place
starting from next ct, combat summoning is a part of the battle.
(might be one CT more to come with summoned spirits already)

for the matrix secuirty guy, this is even faster - CT2, free action to flip into VR, single action to logon if he wasn't already, simple action to jump into nearest turret/security drone.

Ahh I see, I misunderstood. In which case I'm in full agreement

[JoeNapalm]

New Seattle discusses this and the chart breaks down when the cops become aware of the issue and when the first response arrives, which is an astral mage, spirit or security rigger on hidden camera. For example in AAA areas which is the best you can get in security; they are aware instantly and first response arrives 1 to 2 IP latter. Yep the chart is in IP. So if the problem start on the first IP then the mage would show up no latter than the 4 IP or next turn. I guess they have people just waiting around in astral to jump on offenders in AAA areas. So watch your hoops.

Red

If you're in a AAA area and weren't already watching your hoop, chances are you're not alive to read this.

-Jn-
City of Brass Expatriate

[raggedhalo]

My impression of the New Seattle chart was that it left a significant chance that, in an AAA area, the 'Star have probably got the cuffs on you before you fire your first round    I reworked it for my home campaign and it's actually been very useful.