[WhackedMaki]

I've got nothing. Hopefully someone does though. Dunno how long 2k nuyen will last.

[Ethan]

Nope, got nothing. 2850 nuyen is almost enough to pay the rent for Saint's two lifestyles.

Saint has a fixer he can ask for work, should we break and decide to meet again (even via matrix)?

[DiscoDwarf]

Trading comcodes so we can stay in touch is an idea, and for those who live in the Underground too, it might be an idea to share a bit of where we live. Having not actually roleplayed the run, it's hard to gauge on what level of camaraderie has been created. I know HB would certainly have been impressed by Benny's unarmed fighting style, while Jack's love for heavy assault rifles is also a thing he has in common. Likewise, he certainly appreciated Jenever's transportations (merc's rule: don't piss off the driver if you want to be sure he'll be on time for the extraction) and would certainly have enjoyed some of his "cock-and-bull stories" (Best Alcohol specialization ever).


He'd have been a bit uncomfortable about Saint's mojo, partly because no non-Awakened should ever feel comfortable but also because he silently wants to believe he was not accepted in the MOSSAD because he wasn't an adept, rather than because he was a hobgoblin. At the other extreme, Exile makes him uncomfortable because of his lack of attachment to his metahuman flesh and his over all freakishness (especially the eyeband). His current attitude at the club isn't really helping (without rolling, your Composure sucks, even my asocial HB has a high enough Judge Intentions stat to fairly consistently guess what you're thinking). Also, Exile is one of the few person HB reasonably doubts he'd be able to take down, and that's not sitting very well with his ego.

Finally, Mr. Smith is a wild card to him. While he certainly must have done a limited contribution during the run (social engineering aside), HB knows he's an awful negotiator. Having been shunned for his looks since birth, he never really developed his social skills. Even after the failed MOSSAD training and enrolling in the mercs, he mostly listened to what was asked of him and asked little questions in return. Thus, all in all, he knows they need a face, someone who can cut a good deal for the whole squad, but that will be a grudging respect at best.

[DireRadiant]

The GM suggests....

One part of using the TimeStamps is to allow you to post retrospectively. You can have fun retelling the run as your character saw it. Of course nothing prevents you from having current scenes with flashbacks either.

To Everyone. Characters will have a week of downtime before some of you will definitely get your next job offers or opportunity. For those of you that ask your contacts immediately for your next job action, you may assume they respond that they will get back to you in a few days.

On a more general note, it is not required for the forum game that all the PCs become a team that are together all the time. It is very likely you may end up with offers that only part of the group may do. Think of the forum game set of PCs who are beginning to learn about each other in the shadows.

[WhackedMaki]

You know, here I thought Exile wouldn't do much aside from be a guard, but with his six agility he's one of the better infiltrators in the group, even with having to default. Saint does it as well, Killer-B and HB do it better. Getting away clean suggested we did the mission silently, so Exile's ability to subdue and then deal 11 stun damage a turn would be helpful. I'll have to think of what he'd see the others doing then.

[DireRadiant]

Getting away clean could also mean you knocked everyone out and got away before the response team could get there.

How it went is up to you all.

[Ethan]

For DireRadiant's final approval.


Name: Calvin Francesco   
Alias: Saint
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Nationality: UCAS
Lifestyle: Low
Karma Spent: 0

Physical Description:
Calvin Francesco stands an unintimidating 5' 10". He is not unfit, his muscles are less cords of power than wiry speed. Brown hair, slightly reddish, with grey eyes. If one looks closely, there is evidence of scarring on his face and neck, emanating from the right shoulder--as if his right arm exploded. Considering he now sports a matte black obvious right cyberarm, it is clear to the observant that it was not wholly voluntary. He has an easy enough smile and sincerity hangs in his somewhat haunted eyes.

Personality/background
Calvin was quite happy to be a wagemage for Horizon. He grew up SINless, and it was Horizon who gave him a job and rescued him and his family  from the drudgery of the slums. Eventually, even his parents got jobs with Horizon--low level positions, but enough to grant them SINs of their own after a few years. They even managed to run a home church in their spare hours.

For a time, he was grateful to God and to Horizon and he was genuinely an ever-smiling employee. Until the Technomancer scare broke. At first, he cooperated fully with the new directives for their mandatory community outreach programs: noting down disadvantaged children who showed a particular aptitude for technology (or magic). And then he was promoted to a research position, despite having never received any formal education, and was tasked to heal technomancers as they were probed, prodded, and torn apart.

He fell into the shadows months afterwards, quitting his job, and leaving his family behind. His SIN is no longer registered, though Horizon certainly has his biometrics on file still. Recently, on an apparent run against Horizon, Calvin (known as the "Saint" already) was gravely injured and his team hadn't been seen since. Sporting a customized cyberarm, Saint has returned to the shadows a more nervous and less settled man.

Attributes

Body	Agility	Reaction	Strength
3 (4)	3 (4)	5	2
Charisma	Intuition	Logic	Willpower
2	5	2	5
Edge	Magic	Essence	Initiative
2	4	5.0	10

Positive Qualities
Magician (Protestant - Progressive)
Mentor Spirit (Adversary - "Be in the world but not of the world.")
Negative Qualities
Allergy (Common, Mild - Cigarette Smoke)
Bad Rep
Big Regret
Records on File (Horizon)
Weak Immune System

Active Skills

Assensing	2
Automatics	4
Counterspelling	4
Etiquette	2
Infiltration	4
Perception	4
Spellcasting	6
Summoning	3
Unarmed Combat	1

Knowledge Skills

Magical Theory	3
Magical Threats	3
Christianity	4
Area Knowledge: Seattle	4
Horizon	4
Gaming	1

Language Skills

English	N
Spanish	2

Cyber/Bioware

Cyberware	Essence	Cost	Notes
Right - Obvious Full Arm	1.0	32,450¥	Matte black
Customized Agility, Body 6, Enhanced Agility, Body 3, Armour 2, Cyberarm Gyromount, Datajack

Spells

Combat		Notes
Powerbolt		(Limited)
Stunball
Health		Notes
Cure Disease
Heal
Increase Reflexes
Stabilize
Illusion		Notes
Improved Invisibility
Trid Phantasm		(Limited)
Manipulation		Notes
Clean Element (Water)		(Limited)
Levitate
Mana Static		(Limited)
Physical Barrier		Limited

Gear

Magical
Sustaining Focus (Force 3 - Health, Bonded)	30,000¥
Combat Fetish	200¥
Illusion Fetish	100¥
Manipulation Fetish	300¥
Magical Lodge (Force 4)	2000¥
Fake Sin (Rating 4)	Rupert Griffin
3 Fake Licenses (Rating 4)	Magical Consultant, FN 5-7C, Focus and Fetishes
Novatech Airware (Iris Orb OS - 3/3/3/3)	3380¥
-AR Gloves, 2 Nanopaste Trodes, Sim Module (Cold),
Subvocal Microphone, Trodes
Earbuds (R2)	520¥
-Audio Enhancement (R3), Select Sound Filter 1
Contact Lenses (R3)	775¥
-Image Link, Smartlink, Vision Magnification (Optical)
Medkit (R6)	700¥
-2 Medkit Supplies
Gecko Tape Gloves	250¥
Form-Fitting Half-Body Suit (4/3)	1850¥
-Nonconductivity (R3)
SecureTech Forearm and Shin Guards
Armour Jacket	900¥
Lined Coat	700¥
Ingram SuperMach 100 (60 Rounds)	1700¥
-Underbarrel Weight (Auto-Adjusting), Skinlink, Personalized Grip	6 Slots
-Smartgun System (External)	Top
Ammo	2180¥
120 Stick-n-Shock Rounds	2 Clips
120 EX-Explosive Rounds	2 Clips
Ingram Smartgun X	950¥
-Underbarrel Weight (Auto-Adjusting), Skinlink, Personalized Grip	6 Slots
Ammo	1132¥
64 Stick-n-Shock Rounds	2 Clips
64 EX-Explosive Rounds	2 Clips
FN 5-7C	875¥
-Laser Sight	Barrel
Quick-Draw, Concealable Holsters
Ammo	740¥
40 Stick-n-Shock Rounds	2 Clips
40 EX-Explosive Rounds	2 Clips

Contacts

Contact		C/L
Mr. Wizard (Fixer)	3/2	Owner and Proprietor of Elixir, an Awakened bar
"Amy Trinkets" (Talismonger)	1/1	Low level magical item dealer

Lifestyle:
Converted Warehouse Apartment (Renton)  (Low) 1700 / month (1 month paid)
Hasty Exit, Workplace, Defective CHN, Loud Neighbourhood, Network Bottleneck, This Isn't Big Bob's Autos, Trigger-Happy Landlord

"Laylow" (Near Barrens) (Low) 1300 /month (1 month paid)
Escape Tunnel, Defective CHN, Green Plan, Loud Neighbourhood, Leaky Faucet

Nuyen:
Starter Money: 650Y
+2850 (Cut, first run)
Expenses:
-285 (tithed to an online church)
Total: 3215 nuyen

[DireRadiant]

GM Note on Social Skills and PCs, and Buying Hits.

You are PCs, so some of the normal effects of Social interaction with skills are trumped by the players ultimately making the choice for their characters. I trust all of you to work through all of that. Given that, I still think you may want to be guided by considering the default effects of Buying Hits.

e.g. Mr Smith gets a base 16+ dice while negotiating, which translates to 4 hits if you buy hits. Exile, in contrast, is Uncouth, which means he is "Unaware" of social skills, which means he cannot default. Which means any Negotiation attempt conducted by Mr Smith against Exile is uncontested, and is in fact a Critical Success!

This is a forum game, waiting around to figure out the results of dice rolls is something that slows things down. For simple stuff, things that I have not specifically asked for rolls, go ahead and use the Buying Hits rule to determine about the results and go along accordingly.

[bmoham]

Incidentally, at some point Jack try would pull access IDs off of everyone's comms.
For those that don't know the matrix rules well - I think the main things someone can do with you access id is impersonate you electronically (via Spoof) and to have a general idea of where you are physically (with the Track program).  Copying access IDs is something Jack does to lots of people. It's suggested in Unwired for hackers who want to avoid paying for lifestyle.

Pulling an access ID is a simple action (Analyze icon), which means it takes Jack about half a second to do. I'm pretty sure that, unless you're running a stealth program, it's an uncontested Computer+Analyze roll (10 dice for Jack in AR). It you're running a Stealth program it would be stealth+firewall vs my computer vs analyze. I need one net hit to succeed. Otherwise your comm link "melds into the background of data traffic"
If your character is running in hidden mode (which seems unlikely to me, since people are exchanging comm codes and interacting with the local AR), then Jack's scan program would probably have to Detect your comm first. More likely way around Jack having your access ID is, anyone tech savy enough to make a hacking+software (2) or hardware+logic (2) test would switch their access ID regularly - so next time we meet up you would have a different one anyway.

[DiscoDwarf]

Actually, most people can use the credstick port on their commlinks to transfer the funds: the old credstick transferring machines are no longer relevant, as all commlinks are equipped with credstick readers (SR4A, p.326, and there's a reference in some fluff text that they have an actual port to slot the stick in). Since the transfer can be done in a physical manner or through Near Field Communication, Matrix connectivity isn't even required. And physical transfer can be done while in hidden mode (much like most actual WiFi routers will allow net connection if a wire is actually plugged in, regardless wireless capabilities of the computer).

Scanning for the hidden nodes of everyone present requires a Complex Action, using Electronic Warfare + Scan (4). That is presuming you are scanning for a specific node at a time time. It's possible to make an extended test, with a treshold of 15+ (GM discretion) and an interval of 1 Combat Turn.

Beyond doing the two tests mentioned by bmoham, it's also possible (and more practical for the less tech-savvy) to install a Spoof Chip (Arsenal, p.106) on a device, which will then "generate a new access ID for a vehicle node (or any device) on a regular basis, or as instructed".

Of course, there is actually little you can do with a commlink's access ID beyond spoofing its data trail or slaved devices. Anything major (bank accounts for example) will require both the access ID (and its associated account privileges), which can be spoofed, and an additional form of authentication, such as passcodes and and passkeys (SR4A p.225, Authorization and authentication). While any purchases might be done with someone else's Access ID loaded on your commlink so that you can had them to some slot's data trail, the actual money would have to come from the hacker.

I myself rarely allow my players to use the Spoof Life action from the Unwired book. Assuming you have an optimized hacker (Hacking skill 6, Spoof 6, operating in VR), a single day's work would net on average a Low Lifestyle, and three days a Middle. Worse, there is absolutely no game mechanic to counteract this action, no chance of getting spotted per se according to the book. Most Shadowrunners aren't active enough that they don't have three days to rest in a month (it can even be done while healing wounds), and I find it a very cheap thing to do, while everyone else has to shell out 5.000/month to have an equal lifestyle. I'm usually willing to let my hackers spoof a night or two at a hotel when a team needs a place to crash ASAP, but eventually, someone's going to notice that some bills are really getting paid or that there's something about the reservation.

[WhackedMaki]

Yeah, Exile is a bit weak in the realm of social interaction. Guy couldn't intimidate a bunny rabbit (in fact the bunny rabbit could probably intimidate him), but can punch an average man to death in one shot. Go figure. If you truly want him to act some way, he'll most likely do it.

As for the access ID, you'd be able to get at mine rather easily. Don't have much in the way of programs (none to be exact), so you'd be uncontested at finding my ID.

Seeing as I don't have a datajack to go with my implanted commlink (guess I know what some of the reward money is going to), I don't believe I can plug in to my commlink.

Seems I did overlook a thing or two in character creation, I'll be needing at least a stealth program and the data jack. Having a hacker get free reign of all my implants would be a good way to screw things up (don't have any cyberlimbs for them to mess with at least...)

Also, as to Jack: He may have a fancy little rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty, but Exile packs one of his own, and is almost as good at shooting it as Jack is. Exile's also a bit better at soaking than Jack is, so he may want to think that through before starting any gun fights  .

[DiscoDwarf]

Messing with your eyeband will be just as bad, and so is using your gun's smartlink to have it refuse to fire  (or eject its clip!) and shutting down your wired reflexes.

Usually, heavily cybered characters ought to invest in a Skinlink mod for their commlink, then have all their shiny bits slaved to the 'link. When on mission, you just set the 'link to Skinlink mode, cutting off Matrix access, and use a plain transceiver or a secondary commlink  to communicate with your teammate. Boosting your 'link's Firewall, installing and perma-running Stealth and Encrypt and using hidden mode are also other alternatives that will leave you with a Matrix connection while rooting out hacker wannabes.

I personally overlooked the Stealth program when I built HB, a rather glaring oversight considering his only "hacking" skills concern Electronics Warfare with a specialty in Communications. But then, these are new commlinks, so he still needs to have them tweaked a bit. Just need to find a hacker he can trust enough with this.

[WhackedMaki]

Then the question for DireRadiant is what would Exile have to pay in order to get an adaptation to his implants for skinlink. I imagine it's probably a bit more complicated then your average installation, seeing as most of them are implanted, not external

[DireRadiant]

I sense a desire for complicated surgery rules for implant upgrades. Which I'm not going to bother with. Even with implants buried deep in your body I bet their are cool ways to add mods and upgrades. Perhaps your implants have the mods be default and they simply aren't enabled until you pay for the license keys for your "Skin Link" mod. Or someone shoves a needle into you and shoots a bunch of nanobot builders into you. Either way, just pay the cost of the new upgrade.

One of the items you can sort out is if you all trusted each other with access ids and such during the run. bmohan, use the buying hits rules to figure out if you could have gotten the accessids. Pretty much anyone not running hidden mode anyone could have gotten during the time of the run. (Eventually, with enough tries).

Note that Hidden Mode is one of the basic Matrix defenses, since someone must specifically Scan you. which is a Electronic Warfare + Scan (4) Test. Or they can generally Scan for hidden nodes, which is a Electronic Warfare + Scan (15+, 1 Combat Turn) Extended Test.

[WhackedMaki]

Okay. I was just making sure that it would only cost me 50 to get. Just to confirm, if I skinlink the implanted commlink, I can then slave the other things to it? Or would it require me to get skinlink on them as well. Haven't used it in any of my other campaigns before, so not sure exactly how it works.