[Ryo]

Yeah, I'm a little lost on this one as well. Some direction would be good, especially since we all seem to go a few days in-between coming back to this post.

At this point I'm tempted to just have Cyrus be the Chewbacca to the Marcos' Han Solo, as it's an easy background to go with. Big badass troll assigned to be the bodyguard to a Mafioso's beloved son, maybe. So they go way back, and Marcos would be inclined to trust him, even after infection.

[Poindexter]

As far as yalls background together, I imagine you all meeting on a job and working well enough together that you all kept in contact afterwards. Eventually, you merged into a formal team that worked together successfully for several years before gradually splitting apart for amiable reasons. (Retirement, better work, etc). The team dynamic, at least back in the day when everyone first started working together was much like the one in Dragonfall. Everyone lived together and took jobs together and even though some members may have been more private about things than others, everyone got to know and care for eachother very deeply.

As far as vehicles go, there are places in chicago where your rich kid vehicle will fit in just fine. It aint ALL like the containment zone. I won't take anything away from you that you bought in char gen.

As far as lifestyles go, don't worry TOO much about it. Go head and get one for stage one, just to keep money straight, but dont worry bout maintaining it for 8-10 years worth of rent or anything like that. If you'd like to maintain a lifestyle in another city besides chi-town, feel free. The game will do a LITTLE bit of city hopping here and there, so having a ready to crash in safehouse might not be a waste of money. And even though most of you aren't going to be residents, by the time you leave for chicago, you'll already know you're in for a long stay. This is more than just a visit, so picking up semi-permanent lodging will totally be a good idea. Feel free to consider the group lodging rules. I don't imagine it's the first time you have all shared the same roof.

[Tecumseh]

Next draft of the Syndicate Kid is up, including an extensive shopping list. He's a bioware brat, because mommy and daddy want him to have the best.

I bought a Roadmaster because I've never had one and I don't know when or if I'll have another opportunity. Note, I have very little clue about how things like vehicles and weapon mounts work. Is a weapon mount externally visible? Is this the type of thing that causes raised eyebrows in polite sections of town? Do I need a mount on each side of the vehicle or is one on the top sufficient? I have no clue. I bought one and put an AK-98 on it.

The Syndicate Kid is Italian in the current version but I'm thinking of changing it to Irish, both because there's an Irish guy I know who is a good model for his personality but also because I might be having him come from Seattle, where he would have been with Rowena O'Malley's crew in the Finnigan family. Ryo, if you had any thoughts on the city, let me know.

Background and contacts are coming along.

[Ryo]

Now that I know I'm the failed parent, I'm trying to work out who the kid is and how Cyrus found them.

I'm thinking pretty early in his career, possibly while he's still working with the Syndicate Kid, Cyrus performs a hit only to discover that his target had a kid, a young daughter who's only 10 years old. Realizing he just orphaned this girl, and knowing she's kind of screwed on her own, Cyrus ends up taking her in, similar to Leon in The Professional.

He raises her as his own, trying to give her a decent life while living in the shadows, and then he gets Infected. Despite being a monster, she still accepts him and cares about him, and he starts to see her as the last shred of his humanity left.

So 8 years pass, or however many we're doing, and Cyrus has a rough few weeks, and starts to starve, running low on Essence. While he's working through the withdrawals, the girl unexpectedly shows up, and he can't control himself, sucking her dry to save himself.

He completely breaks down when he realizes what he's done, killing the last person that tied him to normality. He doesn't know how to react when she gets back up and tells him she's hungry.

[Poindexter]

I dig it. What meta is the kid? I kinda like elf or dwarf. Had you thought about it at all?

May I also add something? How bout you were a crappy parent for whatever reason; too much of something, not enough of something else, whatever. Due to this, you two had a huge fight one night where you both said some horrible horrible things to the other. This was around 2 years ago. That'd make her 16, just old enough to know everything and fast enough to ditch you if she wanted to. Which is exactly what she did. She stole something expensive from you and dipped, never to be seen again.

Until the night she showed up to return the thing and apologize to (or seek an apology from) you, at which point, you ate her.

eh?

[Ryo]

I dig it. What meta is the kid? I kinda like elf or dwarf. Had you thought about it at all?

May I also add something? How bout you were a crappy parent for whatever reason; too much of something, not enough of something else, whatever. Due to this, you two had a huge fight one night where you both said some horrible horrible things to the other. This was around 2 years ago. That'd make her 16, just old enough to know everything and fast enough to ditch you if she wanted to. Which is exactly what she did. She stole something expensive from you and dipped, never to be seen again.

Until the night she showed up to return the thing and apologize to (or seek an apology from) you, at which point, you ate her.

eh?

I was actually thinking Elf, making her a Banshee once she gets infected.

That seems like a pretty likely series of events. Sure, I can work with that.

[Poindexter]

Note, I have very little clue about how things like vehicles and weapon mounts work. Is a weapon mount externally visible?

I think we're all winging it a little bit on the subject, but the way I'm doing it is Yes. The weapon mount IS externally visible UNLESS you spend the extra money to make it concealable. I couldn't tell you what page or even what book thats in, but there's a cost for it in the chummer program. Wish I could do better for ya.

Is this the type of thing that causes raised eyebrows in polite sections of town?

Yes, depending. External weapon mounts on a military/police/security vehicle won't even draw a second glance. On an obviously civilian vehicle, yeah, totally will draw raised eyebrows as well as possible calls to the authorities. Now, all that being said, Chicago is a little more hardcore, so ya never know.

Do I need a mount on each side of the vehicle or is one on the top sufficient?

Traditionally, weapon mounts are either front facing or rear facing. I suppose you COULD pay extra to have it on a swivel mount, but as for the cost, I haven't a freakin clue.

[8-bit]

Draft up of my character, still working on background and contacts. I apologize for my delay, but I've just been ridiculously busy lately.

[Poindexter]

NEW RULE- no one ever has to apologize for the delay in this game.
This game is gonna go slow.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Note, I have very little clue about how things like vehicles and weapon mounts work. Is a weapon mount externally visible?

I think we're all winging it a little bit on the subject, but the way I'm doing it is Yes. The weapon mount IS externally visible UNLESS you spend the extra money to make it concealable. I couldn't tell you what page or even what book thats in, but there's a cost for it in the chummer program. Wish I could do better for ya.

Is this the type of thing that causes raised eyebrows in polite sections of town?

Yes, depending. External weapon mounts on a military/police/security vehicle won't even draw a second glance. On an obviously civilian vehicle, yeah, totally will draw raised eyebrows as well as possible calls to the authorities. Now, all that being said, Chicago is a little more hardcore, so ya never know.

Do I need a mount on each side of the vehicle or is one on the top sufficient?

Traditionally, weapon mounts are either front facing or rear facing. I suppose you COULD pay extra to have it on a swivel mount, but as for the cost, I haven't a freakin clue.

If you wanted a reference document for prices, folks, SR4's Arsenal book has stuff for all of this, really.  A bit of transposition for the prices may be in order.  As a personal note, on vans and such, I've been known to put manual mounts on the side doors..passenger gunning spots, in essence

I know I haven't been talking much on here, I apologize.  lifestyle has made me need to be choosy on how to spend my time available online (stuff I'm already in with priority, naturally).  That being said, I'm working out some stuff for Lyall.  Background isn't fully fleshed, but have a gist:

-Daughter of a corp exec (thinking Ares), raised with a silver spoon and all that.  not the firstborn, so known that won't take parent's place in the company.
-Decides to enlist service in local military, gets the royal treatment due to family influence.  Gets passed assensing filters by payoff ("my kid isn't Awakened, she doesn't need tested, heres' 20K, blah blah blah)
-Is actually a very exceptional soldier, gets put on a special team right out of boot.
-Team gets wasted on one mission because enemy assensing blew their cover.  Truth comes out, huge scandal.
-Cheapest and easiest route is to dishonorably discharge, and get disowned by family.  Lyall gets put on streets.  Disheartened, turns to drinking and slumming.
-Finds food and shelter at various church establishments.  Priests there see her Awakened power, decide to help her hone it and develop it (hence the tradition)
-Turns to shadows for lucrative income and tries to scrape by..

Welcome to critiques or suggestions on that.  As for connections to the party, she is very much a merc, of the professional and daring kind, and is even prone to a few witty wisecracks in a good mood.  Connecting her from a professional standpoint is pretty easy, even location based.  Kind of like Rambo, the wandering ex-military vibe going down.

My intent for after the 8-10 year gap in to phase two is that while keeping her soldier skills sharp, she hones and develops her mage-ing stuff, maybe acquiring a lodge, reagents, initiation (MAYBE), and at least one focus.  Considering taking a few skill ranks to gain some summoning skill, but I'd imagine that would be minor.  During this whole deal, I could see a divergence in personalities, where one side of her is the witty and light-hearted dwarf who enjoys the job, and the other is triggered into this cold, almost crazy killing machine exercising her hatred to the unfair world on anyone unlucky enough to cross her.  Thoughts?

[Poindexter]

-Daughter of a corp exec (thinking Ares), raised with a silver spoon and all that.  not the firstborn, so known that won't take parent's place in the company.
-Decides to enlist service in local military, gets the royal treatment due to family influence.  Gets passed assensing filters by payoff ("my kid isn't Awakened, she doesn't need tested, heres' 20K, blah blah blah)
-Is actually a very exceptional soldier, gets put on a special team right out of boot.
-Team gets wasted on one mission because enemy assensing blew their cover.  Truth comes out, huge scandal.
-Cheapest and easiest route is to dishonorably discharge, and get disowned by family.  Lyall gets put on streets.  Disheartened, turns to drinking and slumming.
-Finds food and shelter at various church establishments.  Priests there see her Awakened power, decide to help her hone it and develop it (hence the tradition)
-Turns to shadows for lucrative income and tries to scrape by..

Welcome to critiques or suggestions on that. 

Just one question, "Why did your dad try to sneak you past the awakened test? I can think of only positive ramifications for your military career had they discovered the truth.

[SgtBoomCloud]

I was thinking about that.  Best thing I can come up with is personal feelings on the matter of the parent.  Reference X-Men 3, where Angel's dad was firmly ex-mutant, and was ashamed when he discovered his son was one of them.  Other than that, I'm open to other ideas for justification on keeping that hidden (I'm basing off the idea that Lyall was unaware of her gifts before the incident)

[Poindexter]

What if she was simply a very, VERY late bloomer and no one knew about it?

Maybe she awakened ON that very mission.
Maybe someone was paid/ordered to lie and say that your dad had known all along and used his influence to sneak you past the test (which he didn't do) because of his hatred for the awakened (which he did not have.)
Maybe it was all part of a plan by one of your dad's business rivals (you never found out who) to unseat him and fill his vacancy. Your dad was framed, convicted, and executed for involvement in some sort of anti-awakened terrorist organization and it looked like your family might lose everything in the ensuing scandal. However, your older sibling (Brother or sister?) took charge and, through his/her great intellect, and willingness to bend the rules here and there, took control of the family once again, although at great cost. First, they had to pay MASSIVE settlements from lawsuits brought against them by the offended awakened groups harmed in the terrorist attacks, which was bad enough. But also, you were assumed complicit in the deception and despite your insistence of no wrongdoing, you were stripped of your citizenship and forced out from under the corporate wing.

Eh?


Wow, I just went back and read all that and realized how wordy it got. Feel free to use some, all, or none of that in your final dealwave.

EDIT: Also, (And this is just a thought) what if the team DIDN'T get killed? What if your newfound adept abilities actually allowed you (at great risk to yourself) to save most of the team from an unsurvivable ambush or natural disaster of some sort? This makes it even MORE tragic that your whole family has to eat shit over it, AND opens up the possibility of having an old army buddy or two who knows you're good people. Again, just a thought...

[SgtBoomCloud]

Poin, I think it's just a thing that we bring out the wordiness in each other with our ideas.  Lol.  Your idea is definitely a solid one and helps justify the how's and whys to her fall from grace.  The other half to fit the theme will be up to me on how the streets and the shadows transform her ideals and her behaviors.  I can't determine how much yet, but I will definitely be using a good portion of that.  Thank you

Also, a minor spell question.  Is there any difference in utility between the Punch and Knockout spell lines? I'm simply curious.

[8-bit]

There is a difference. The Punch/Clout/Blast line is Indirect, while the Knockout/Stunbolt/Stunball line is Direct.

There are a few differences. The first, is that Indirect spells basically act like bullets would. You roll Spellcasting + Magic [Force] vs. target's Reaction + Intuition. If you succeed, you deal (Force)S DV with a -(Force) AP. Net hits stage the damage up by 1 DV per net hit. The target then gets a soak roll to resist, using Body + Armor - AP. This means that squishier targets are much easier to damage. For example, casting a Force 6 Clout spell at a target with Body 3 and Armor 9 would result in a soak pool of only 6 dice against a minimum DV of 6S.

Direct spells, on the other hand, are a simple opposed roll. You roll Spellcasting + Magic [Force] vs. target's Willpower (in the case of the Knockout line). The DV of the spell is equal to your net hits. There is no further soak roll, after that, the damage is done. This means that weak-willed targets are much easier to damage. Well, at least, theoretically. Assuming the average Willpower is 3, then that means you are rolling Spellcasting + Magic (likely 12 dice) vs. 3 dice. Assuming everyone rolls average, that would be 4 hits vs. 1 hit; ending up with 3 net hits. That's only 3S DV. In theory, Direct spells are harder to resist, but you really need to boost your dice pool to use it effectively (unless you are using the Witness My Hate quality from Run Faster, but that's only available to Magicians).

Second, Indirect spells do not require Line of Sight, while Direct spells do. Basically, Indirect spells are conjuring up the energy of the spell, and then flinging it at your target. Therefore, you can shoot blind, if you wish. Direct spells, on the other hand, require the caster to have Line of Sight, and it must be natural Line of Sight (this means no glasses, contacts, or vision enhancements that digitize the image; basically everything).

Finally, Indirect spells cannot be used on the Astral Plane, while Direct spells can. This means that Direct spells can be used to damage non-materialized spirits, non-manifested projecting magicians, and can be used while projecting. This is very handy to use, as Astral Combat is usually a fairly poor choice for combat on the Astral Plane, which is Ironic if you think about it.


Usually, Indirect spells are considered better than Direct spells, but the choice is up to you. I would personally choose the Punch/Clout/Blast line over the Knockout/Stunbolt/Stunball line.

Also, if you are looking at the Knockout spell, there are some special rules you should know about before choosing it. Since it is a touch spell, it requires you to make a touch attack (Agility + Unarmed Combat [Physical Limit] vs. Intuition + Reaction) to land the touch, as well as the normal Spellcasting + Magic [Force] vs. Willpower roll.