[mtfeeney = Baron]

This is a PbP for use by my online group to handle between-session transactions, encounters, etc.  This thread will be used for both IC and OOC.  Anything within quotation marks will be considered IC.  Anything not within is considered OOC discussion.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Members of this game/Character names:

Reiper / Trioxin & GM
Henzington / Clover & GM
mtfeeney / Walker & GM
vinnmun / Dataminer & Mr. Lucky
Bookworm / Quark
Madwand / Raven

[mtfeeney = Baron]

The Bunker  - Permanent Ownership of 3 apartments in Building C.  2 on the 1st floor, 1 on the 5th floor.
   Comforts:      Low - Cheap, used furniture came with the apartments.  No included drones, no wallspace access.
   Entertainment: Squatter - The only thing to do around here is go to Sam's Bar & Grill.  You know, seafood, bingo... old people.
   Necessities:   Middle - The apartments themselves are a decent size, and the utilities(other than Matrix access) are surprisingly stable.  There is an adjacent warehouse that has space for parking and storage.
   Neighborhood:  Middle - While smaller and slightly out of place, the buildings themselves are pleasant enough to look at.  The neighbors all greet you, and the surrounding area will most likely continue to be vacant due to the rumors that ghosts wiped out a gang that tried to take this area as turf.  You are the protection for the area.  Don't count on backup from anyone, police or gang.
   Security:      Low - It would be even lower, but you bring it up to low.  Lock your doors if you want.  You can trust your neighbors.  Seriously.
   Qualities:     Concerned Neighbors [2LP] They adore you.
                  Easy-Going Landlord [1LP] He'll never ask you for money, the place is yours as far as he is concerned.
                  Escape Tunnel [3LP] Heads down to the bunker, a completely unknown location behind a (mostly) hidden panel.
                  Friendly Neighbors [1LP] Seriously, they love you.
                  Inconspicuous Housing, Matrix [2LP] It's hard to find out anything about this place, and that includes you now.
                  Quiet Neighborhood [1LP] It doesn't get quieter.
                  Workplace [1LP] The Bunker is large enough for anything you could want to do, assuming what you want to do is possible 150+ feet below ground.
                  Crash Pad [-1LP] You have no control over who comes and goes.  There are many people that live here, and they might even feel free to let someone use your place if you haven't been around for a while.
                  Haunted [-4LP] That's what the rumors say, at least.
                  Network Bottleneck [-1LP] Seriously... there's almost no Matrix availability here.  If you want to use it, you'll need to set up some sort of repeater or what have you.
                  Poor Condition [-1LP] While the heating is adequate, the cooling in the summer is almost non-existant.  It's sweltering inside with no a/c.

[Bookworm]

"Quark is going to take residence in one of the apartments in building C, probably the one of the 5th floor, unless Reiper wants that one for a sniper position. As soon as he moves in he is going to ask around and see if any of the residents are, are related to, or know anyone who can do basic repairs, renovation, painting, and fixing and whatnot and is going to start seeing if he can work on making this place an even nicer place to live. Maybe add in some better security and whatnot."

[mtfeeney = Baron]

I should've said it more clearly.  Just use quotation marks if you're trying to speak in-character.  Anywho, let's see, so far:

Well I don't know about anyone else but I am going to be dropping some nuyen into making this entire complex a nice place to live, see if I can't hire some of the resident's kids or grandkids or something to help paint, repair, replace, rewire, and whatnot. Maybe pick up some cheap electronic and make a lounge area for activities.

I'll try to draw up some floorplans for the complex in the next day or two.  You're more than welcome to build up the area.  I'm pretty sure Walter would be especially appreciative.

Quark is going to take residence in one of the apartments in building C, probably the one of the 5th floor, unless Reiper wants that one for a sniper position. As soon as he moves in he is going to ask around and see if any of the residents are, are related to, or know anyone who can do basic repairs, renovation, painting, and fixing and whatnot and is going to start seeing if he can work on making this place an even nicer place to live. Maybe add in some better security and whatnot.

I'll mark you down for the 5th, unless Trioxin chimes in.  After checking with the other residents in the neighborhood, you find that one of them is actually the local 'handyman'.  An elderly man, he has trouble keeping up with the minimum repairs, so he has no time or effort to spare for upgrading and beautification.  He suggests that if you're serious, you could hire an outsider to come do that sort of work.  If you have a specific upgrade or renovation in mind, a contractor could come out and give you an estimate.

[Bookworm]

I should've said it more clearly.  Just use quotation marks if you're trying to speak in-character.  Anywho, let's see, so far:

Well I don't know about anyone else but I am going to be dropping some nuyen into making this entire complex a nice place to live, see if I can't hire some of the resident's kids or grandkids or something to help paint, repair, replace, rewire, and whatnot. Maybe pick up some cheap electronic and make a lounge area for activities.

I'll try to draw up some floorplans for the complex in the next day or two.  You're more than welcome to build up the area.  I'm pretty sure Walter would be especially appreciative.

Quark is going to take residence in one of the apartments in building C, probably the one of the 5th floor, unless Reiper wants that one for a sniper position. As soon as he moves in he is going to ask around and see if any of the residents are, are related to, or know anyone who can do basic repairs, renovation, painting, and fixing and whatnot and is going to start seeing if he can work on making this place an even nicer place to live. Maybe add in some better security and whatnot.

I'll mark you down for the 5th, unless Trioxin chimes in.  After checking with the other residents in the neighborhood, you find that one of them is actually the local 'handyman'.  An elderly man, he has trouble keeping up with the minimum repairs, so he has no time or effort to spare for upgrading and beautification.  He suggests that if you're serious, you could hire an outsider to come do that sort of work.  If you have a specific upgrade or renovation in mind, a contractor could come out and give you an estimate.

What I figured was, since the complex is full of old people like Walter, that means that there should be some rather large extended families out there, I was hoping to see if I could ask around and find out if any of those extended family members did any stuff like construction or renovation, at least before going outside for a contractor, this way the people like us even more for getting their kids or grandkids employed. And if not I would start looking around for some trustworthy contractors (and would gladly accept some help in the search from my more social/matrix oriented teammates.)

As for specifics I want to get that central courtyard beautified, clean it up, bring in some flowers, maybe some benches around the well, an old person porch swing or two. I also want to set up like a general recreation area inside one of the buildings that is not building C, put in some cheap electronics, maybe some couches, the works, make it big enough to hold a good amount of people, might need to knock out some walls or whatnot to get it big enough.

I also want to do some security, but for that I think I will need some rigger and/or hacker help, maybe get some Dobermen set up or something.

Finally I was wondering if someone could look into who, if anyone, owns the surrounding area, like the buildings and whatnot, see if I can't start doing some stuff with those buildings as well for future use.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Thanks for the game! A few post-game notes:

The MMGs we could consider leaving attached to the roof, as possible discouragement to marauders. We can optionally see if there are any volunteers among the residents that want to actually learn how to use them. If not, we could leave them unloaded.

Setting up a PbP thread is a good idea. It could actually take the place of all these messages we send to each other, a thread would add features like editing, the ability to see our own posts, and an archive for future players.

Raven will be binding two new F6 air spirits. I'll use the edge from this game, but make the actual rolls next game. He will also move in to one of the apartments and begin studying the Bunker, and invite Walker to join him. With three initiated mages, it shouldn't be too long before we figure something out about it. If even more help is needed, Raven's magical group is based at the University, and has a lot of research mages who would probably be very interested in studying the Bunker themselves.

If Walker is interested in the place, Raven suggests he place a high-force masking ward around Building C. Optionally, he might like to assign a high-force spirit to guard the place. If not, Raven will put up an F6 masking ward himself.

If Dataminer is interested in tracking down the person behind the commcode we have, Raven is happy to assist him in doing so. I think it should be possible, but I suppose that's up to the GM. Otherwise, Raven has already given it his best effort so will drop it until a new lead turns up.

The guns aren't attached to the roof, they're just mounted to the tripods that automatically come with them.  You can leave them up there if you want, but it'll probably draw the wrong sorts of attention.  They're a beacon that scream out 'Hey, there's something here with killing for'.

Go ahead and bind the spirits.  I actually regret dis..dis...what's the word?  Killing your spirits.  I thought they just came back after 24 hours.  Here's the rolls for the spirits resisting summoning and binding.

2x Force 6 Air Spirits resisting summoning (6d6.hits(5)=4, 6d6.hits(5)=2)
Spirit 1: 4 hits to resist summoning.  You need to resist 8 drain, physical damage.
Spirit 2: 2 hits to resist summoning.  You need to resist 4 drain, physical damage.

2x Force 6 Air Spirits resisting binding (12d6.hits(5)=4, 12d6.hits(5)=1)
Spirit 1: 4 hits to resist binding.  You need to resist 8 drain, physical damage.
Spirit 2: 1 hit to resist binding.  You need to resist 2 drain, physical damage.

Wow, lucky binding rolls.

Ok, so Raven moves into one of the 1st floor apartments.  Walker won't be moving in at the moment.  He's pretty fond of his awesome current home, although that might change if this neighborhood is improved or necessity dictates it.

As for the Bunker, how do you intend to study it?  What specifically are you going to do?  I think this part would be best done IC.

Where specifically do you want a ward placed?  The Bunker and the stairwell leading to it?  The neighborhood up top?

Tracking a commcode is generally simple.  You just check the MSPs for the current device linked to the commcode.  Unfortunately, the commcode you got from Pakka isn't registered with any MSP.  As the secondary Matrix specialist in the group, Raven suspects this means there is a system in place that watches for this commcode.  When spotted, the system will intercept the communications attempt and route it to wherever it is supposed to go.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Spread throughout the 4 buildings, there are approximately 120-150 old people living here.  The families of most of them moved on without looking back, abandoning their parents/grandparents to the fates.  A few have maintained communication with their relatives, though.  You finally find one elder couple, the Jenners, that have a grandson whom works in construction.  Well, worked.  Times are tough, and he is currently unemployed.  That is fortunate for you, perhaps, because he is available to come out and look at the place immediately. 

Building/Renovating:  When Renly gets there, he first goes to visit his grandparents.  He seems to be a normal, mostly good kid(if you can call a 28-year-old a kid) that loves his family.  After that, he follows Quark around the complex.  As Quark tells his ideas to Renly, Renly nods and offers suggestions here and there.  He mentions that it'd be possible to put connecting bridge between the quad's buildings.  This would give extra room for improvements and provide a roof for the area beneath.  It might also offer some security benefits or drawbacks, depending on how it's used.

Planting/Beautifying:  The Carmichael family owns a greenhouse.  They would be more than happy to provide both plants and gardening/planting assistance.

Recreation Area:  There are many empty apartments spread throughout the 4 buildings.  Walter tells you that you're more than welcome to use one on the first floor of building A for a communal rec. area.  The one he suggested has an adjacent vacant apartment, so you can knock out a wall if you want.  He then goes on to tell you how much of a godsend you and your fellows are, and how good you boys are, ad infinitum.  He likes to ramble.

You realize, even without the aid of a Matrix expert, that setting up any sort of electronic security will probably be hindered by the complex's belief-defying lack of wireless signals.
Whatever is down in the Bunker, it creates a field of jamming.  It gives ECM 4 and is immune to ECCM.  Only signal 5+ devices can use any wireless functionality.  You'll have to get some high Signal hotspots or something setup outside of the ECM field before you can use anything like this.

The surrounding buildings are all officially property of the government.  The area was marked as condemned decades ago.  Meanwhile, tenants have come and gone.  Most recently, a gang war drove away all of the people brave enough to live in them.  Even more recently, rumors of a major haunting event that slaughtered the invading gang has put an even stronger stigma on the area.  People don't want to even come near it, let alone live there.

[Bookworm]

Spread throughout the 4 buildings, there are approximately 120-150 old people living here.  The families of most of them moved on without looking back, abandoning their parents/grandparents to the fates.  A few have maintained communication with their relatives, though.  You finally find one elder couple, the Jenners, that have a grandson whom works in construction.  Well, worked.  Times are tough, and he is currently unemployed.  That is fortunate for you, perhaps, because he is available to come out and look at the place immediately. 

Building/Renovating:  When Renly gets there, he first goes to visit his grandparents.  He seems to be a normal, mostly good kid(if you can call a 28-year-old a kid) that loves his family.  After that, he follows Quark around the complex.  As Quark tells his ideas to Renly, Renly nods and offers suggestions here and there.  He mentions that it'd be possible to put connecting bridge between the quad's buildings.  This would give extra room for improvements and provide a roof for the area beneath.  It might also offer some security benefits or drawbacks, depending on how it's used.

Planting/Beautifying:  The Carmichael family owns a greenhouse.  They would be more than happy to provide both plants and gardening/planting assistance.

Recreation Area:  There are many empty apartments spread throughout the 4 buildings.  Walter tells you that you're more than welcome to use one on the first floor of building A for a communal rec. area.  The one he suggested has an adjacent vacant apartment, so you can knock out a wall if you want.  He then goes on to tell you how much of a godsend you and your fellows are, and how good you boys are, ad infinitum.  He likes to ramble.

You realize, even without the aid of a Matrix expert, that setting up any sort of electronic security will probably be hindered by the complex's belief-defying lack of wireless signals.
Whatever is down in the Bunker, it creates a field of jamming.  It gives ECM 4 and is immune to ECCM.  Only signal 5+ devices can use any wireless functionality.  You'll have to get some high Signal hotspots or something setup outside of the ECM field before you can use anything like this.

First Quark will tell Renly that he wants to get started on the basic cleanup and renovations as soon as possible, and if he has some friends, or co-workers from his old job they would be perfect to help. Also Quark is going to start setting up the rec room (buy tools to knock the wall out, make sure that knocking the wall out will not bring the place down, Quark has 11 dice for commercial architecture, 9 for just architecture, so he should be able to do that, and buying some cheap rec room things once that is done, he'll ask around for what people want and whatnot.)

Next Quark will get in touch with the Carmichael's to get this place setup, and see if we can't start a communal garden somewhere around here, get some actual fruits and vegetables.

Since wireless is out of the question, would it be possible to like get this place wired? like with actual wires?

As for the bridges to connect the buildings Quark is going to use his architecture knowledge to draw up some plans for it and pass them around to the rest of the group and see what they think in terms of security.

Finally Quark is going to start securitizing his own room, without any help from Renly or his friends, more secure that way. He is going to buy a reinforced door, probably a nice wood paneled metal door, with a wood paneled metal frame set nice and securely into the walls. by the way what are the walls made out of? He is going to replace the window with a security window, one which is as difficult to break as is financially feasible.

((I realize this is going to take a while but I wanted to get started as early as possible and get an idea of how much all of this is going to cost.))

[vinnmun]

((Should I build my own tachimon for combat situations? Dataminer never that useful in combat...except maybe wheelman. I only ask because I can easily make a badass mesh network with 170k in my pocket as well as put smartgun platforms and additional clip to the MGs. Dual belt fed guns that fire remotely.))

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Renly knows a few guys, and they know even more people.  He could get a crew here within 2 days.  If you'd like, they can also help with taking down the wall in building A.  They own their own tools, so you won't need to purchase them separately.  Quark's knowledge of architecture is more than sufficient to give him confidence that the wall being removed is not a load-bearing wall.

Consulting the residents, Quark makes a short list of items they would enjoy.  They would love to have a trid set that could actually show something, but that will require fixing the wireless problem.    A few of them also mentioned enjoying games,  so an assortment of tables and chairs would be the biggest help for that, along with decks of cards and dominoes.  A shuffleboard setup in the outside area might be good, too.

Renly says, after a quick call to his contacts, that the cleanup and basic maintenance of the grounds would probably start around 10,000 Nuyen.  Doing the rec. room isn't included in this, nor is any actual construction or modification.  It would mostly involve cleaning and repairing problems with the property, including basic doors and old-fashioned non-electronic locks.

The Carmichaels offer up a few suggestions for designing a garden, the best idea involving a walking garden surrounding the fountain.  They're concerned that the fountain will ruin any ascetic appeal, so they hope you hire someone to fix the fountain while you're doing everything else.  They are even willing to cover the costs of an initial planting, but future replacements/upgrades/additions will need to be purchased accordingly.

Wireless isn't an impossibility here, it's just a bit costly to do the initial setup.  Among the many possible solutions, the easiest might be to place high-Signal devices in some of the surrounding buildings and use them as connection spots for a few high-Signal devices within the complex.  You could then run wired connections from those devices.  For any device that needs to stay wireless, it just needs to have the 5+ Signal rating.

For his part, Walker doesn't have much to say about the bridges.  The others haven't weighed in on the subject yet.

The walls are made of ferroconcrete.
I honestly have no idea how to price most of this day-to-day stuff...  Any idea which book would help with this?

[mtfeeney = Baron]

((Should I build my own tachimon for combat situations? Dataminer never that useful in combat...except maybe wheelman. I only ask because I can easily make a badass mesh network with 170k in my pocket as well as put smartgun platforms and additional clip to the MGs. Dual belt fed guns that fire remotely.))

What's a tachimon and a mesh network?  As for should you build something for combat...sure, if you want to do that.

[vinnmun]

((I can make a wireless grid system hooked up to a cluster hooked up to a satcomm and give give everyone slaved to my cluster matrix access that is completely secure from outsiders

And the tachimon was that walker drone raven was piloting))

[Bookworm]

Quark will gladly shell out the 10k to start the maintenance and the repair.

Quark will buy some tables/chairs/games/whatnot from some bulk store, nothing expensive, but cheap and comfortable, the guys can do the rec room, Quark will spend his time personally repairing the fountain while the Carmichaels do the planting and whatnot, he trusts their judgement for the garden.

As for the shuffleboard, if they can explain what the heck it is and what kind of area it needs Quark is sure he can set something up.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Oooh, good call.  A satellite link has signal 8.  The problem is that you have to continuously aim it, and it can only connect to the same satellite for a half hour, then you have to aim at the next one.  That's if you use the low-earth orbit sats.  If you use the geostationary sats, the response of anything using the connection is halved.  Would you just set up a geostationary satellite link and then have a wired connection going out to the rest of the devices?  Or everything has 5+ signal to connect to it?