Heist in The Heights [OOC]

Out of character chatter about the Heist in The Heights [RP] can go here to avoid cluttering up the Roleplay thread.This is for longer questions and answers related to that Roleplay, general rules questions not answered in the Help thread can go in General Chat, or here, as you deem appropriate.

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We each need to declare our individual Load at the start. This defines how obvious we are being during the /run, so chat about how the group is approaching The Heights before you decide.

If anyone is going Heavy, there might not be much point in anyone going with a less conspicuous loadout. But that is up to each of you.

If we are going in hard, then there might be little point going with less than Heavy --unless we plan to blitz things very fast?

Light Load will limit your options later. Though, there may be opportunities to tool-up further, during play. Adding to your Load later will give you less control over what you have access too --unless you convince us you planed ahead and smuggled what you need in.

If you do any pre-mission legwork, and it is significant enough to treat as its own short /run, you can tell us what your Load was during that. Unless it bleeds straight into the current mission, these decisions need not affect each other.

Just to clarify--we're gonna OOC chat about what we think is a good plan in this thread before we start in RP thread?

You don't have to.

If you know what you want to do, you can start, but there is a lot of stuff that we don't know yet. I can add more details about the staring situation that were making the briefing too long, or you can have found out stuff on your own that would dictate how you approach this, and how you get in.

Miles is going to start with a light load, I think it's appropriate for a stealthy character.

Do remember that this is not technically a 'starting' load, it is meant to be your load for the whole /run.

I can't promise that there will be chances to change this partway through (against the rules), I just indicated that I would allow it if the fiction provided the opportunity.

Fair enough. Makes sense.

Remember that your Cyberdeck is 1 Load, so that only leaves you 2 more for everything else.

I wonder if a character could discard equipment during the game if he needs to reduce his load. Like, dropping an extra weapon or a device he is carrying. Would that make sense?

Yes. If it makes sense in the fiction I would allow it. Just like picking up new Gear above the initial Load. But it all depends on the fiction, so don't bargain on it... unless you arrange it in fiction.

In a oneshot there is little consequence to losing expensive Gear, in Blades in the Dark we would take that financial impact into account when working out payout. Here you would need to account for in your denouement.

Your Load does define how people react to you from the start.

Given that the lower levels of the Heights are kind of rough, would a Normal (4-5) Load stand out? I don't want to go Heavy, trying to decide between Light and Normal.

Also, for prep work, was there any floor plans or anything available to us? If we could have narrowed down if there is a part of the building in the Upper levels that could house the biomedical stuff, it could save us a bit of running around.

& was the former Team able to get any information back to the Handler before... Whatever happened to them? Lol

So, it is 'conspicuous', but not like it 'draws a lot of attention' like Heavy does.

Unless you can overcome the obstacle of not knowing anything about the Lowlifes, and that the Operator could not provide you with anything because they "don't know these Lowlifes living at the bottom", you won't know for sure what will draw attention.

If we decide that Normal is good, then it definitely won't be a problem to go in like that, so long as you are not trying to 'blend in' or 'go unnoticed' by an insular community.

Here is what I know about them:
• Lowlifes [unpredictable, violent, greedy, desperate, protective/insular]

Maybe your (ex-)gangs or contacts can tell you that, or will know a bit more? You tell me what rumours you think you have discovered, some of them may turn out to be true.
Just that you would be able to recognise the place if you found it.
Yes, knowing exactly where it is would save you some running around.
How would you go about finding this out?
That is all you were told... before they changed the subject.
Do you follow up?
No idea.

The current obstacles that I know about:
- Antiaircraft guns (roof)
- Occupied landing-pad (roof)
- Lowlifes (ground level)
- Separation Barrier (ground level)
- ??? (mid levels)

Depending on how you are getting in, you will need to overcome some of these as a first step. ('First step' after free flashback research, of course.)
If you let me know your infiltration route, we can work on learning more details about the relevant obstacle.

Blank is going in Normal load out with Handgun, Med Kit, Special Bullets, and Disguise. He's maybe thinking what Bananabread is thinking--get in, get up, get down, lose em in a crowd of lowlifes (lowlives?😄). That's the game plan he'd propose too--getting in via lowlife turf, maybe even setting something up with them, an arrangement perhaps.

Mission discussion

My immediate thought was to play tough and try to get into the robot battles. Befriend the gang and gain some street /building rep. we have a drone user so we can probably participate no?
befriending some thugs would also help with disappearing in a crowd of lowlifes (as opposed as fighting through them or disappearing in a crowd of dead bodies)

Putting this here so they are all in the same place.

Don't decide what you are carrying yet. Wait till you see what you need and declare it at the time you need it.

Don't decide what you are carrying yet. Wait till you see what you need and declare it at the time you need it. Even if you are sure you will want something, wait; things might turn out differently to how you thought, and this represents your character's better understanding of the situation/world.

When you do declare them, you will need to tell us what your special Bullets do.
Makes sense.
I started with that, but spellcheck insists it is wrong. The fingers still want to type the 'v'. :)
Are they are literate enough to care? :)
Could do. What sort of arrangement? And how do you guys arrange it? Does anyone have any contact with this insular group?

The Lowlifes have been unable to get into the higher levels. I am not sure you want to let them in, but --if you don't care about the consequences to others-- they could serve as a distraction and chaos factor.

A promise to leave the barrier down afterwards so they can have access would be welcomed. Unless this is subtle, the High-levelers will put effort into restoring it.

Definitely a way into the lower levels. Could also serve as a distraction while the rest work on the barrier?

This drone probably would not even count towards the Load since it is brought in as part of the legwork and probably left in the arena.
Sure. How would (or did) you do that?
Quite true, only the dead can easily blend in with the dead. :)

@vagueGM, if you don't mind can we get a "this is what the area looks like" in the RP channel? Like, as we walk toward to ground level what are we seeing; what's the vibe?

@vagueGM, if you don't mind can we get a "this is what the area looks like" in the RP channel? Like, as we walk toward to ground level what are we seeing; what's the vibe?

Absolutely. I will add that (or ask for such details from the players) as soon as we know what we are doing, or looking at, or who all is there.

I had assumed there was little or no foot traffic since they are tagged as 'unknown' and 'insular', but that might change if we say we have established a connection with them. So I did not add such descriptions yet.

I will mark Solovei as having a Normal loadout (I'll also try to get an IC post up later this evening)

I marked a Normal loadout, too.

So, do we have any plan ideas? That would help us focus our preparation. I think some ideas so far are disguising as guards, or hiding inside a package. I guess two other "traditional" ideas would be sneaking upon the guards to either get past them unnoticed, or take them out silently. Maybe we could also try to spot a somewhat lightly barricaded opening that is either less visible from the main entrance or the guards do not patrol there often, and try to sneak and remove the barricade or laser-cut a hole to enter. Or maybe climbing to a window somewhere on the first floors, either from the road or from a nearby building.

I like your thought on laser cut entry!

Just posted on my hacking stuff to get more information on the building, the medical company, and any security they may have we aren't aware of yet. Laser cutting definitely sounds cool lol

If we can decide how the characters got in, we can jump to the action. This game is not designed for extensive pre-mission legwork. I have had to lift the Gather Information rules from Blades since this does not include any, so this decision can not really be made in RP.

We know you got in, so we can assume whatever strategy we come up with worked (there is no Engagement Roll). We can deal with details of how --or how well-- in Flashbacks if needed.

If we all actually want to play out the legwork phase, we can do that, but we have to decide to deviate from the rules, not just stumble along.

By the rules you need to tell me how your team would want to approach this, and then we Come in Hot. I don't want to create a starting situation your characters would not have ended up in.

---

We have had a suggestion that we have our Drone Pilot get us into the lower levels as a robot fighting crew. This could also serve as a distraction while the others tackle the barrier.

Both Blank and .D might have a 'medical' way into the lower levels. Thought this would embroil you in trade negotiations.

There has been talk about scaling the outside walls. This could bypass the whole Lowlife area. This could also backfire and get your into a loud firefight with security as we start.

'Laser cutting' through an unwatched Lowlife barrier is also an option. We would need to work out (play out?) how you got such a powerful laser, but that could also be your intended way past the barrier to the high levels?

You could even try laser cutting into a window above that separation barrier and then ziplining in from a neighbouring building.

There are many options.

We might need a fallback option in case we decide on something risky and it fails.

There is not much time pressure, but you also probably can't take weeks. The client wants to reverse-engineer the device before it goes to market.

Sorry I didn't get we have found a way into the building. I thought "You are now at The Heights, and in the thick of it." meant we are in the Heights area (maybe at the entrance, parking lot, underground station etc.) trying to gain access inside. So yeah, no need to play the legwork in detail, we can jump to the action, that's fine by me.

No, no. My fault.

We can start anywhere we want, so outside the building still works, it is a little soft though, not quite fitting with the 'coming in hot' aspect of CBR+PNK.

PbP messes with the timing, and I wanted to get some setting/mission background stuff started so we could have something to anchor our discussions on. In a live game a few questions about how the team would get in would take a minute or two, in PbP it can take a long time, which is not what we want in a oneshot.

FitD's system of relying on Flashbacks takes some getting used to as well. And this one removed the Engagement Roll that Blades uses to delineate the 'you are now in a mission' moment (since, by design, it is all one mission).

My attempt to speed things along just may have slowed them down. But that happens in PbP. :)

Yeah, it's a very different system and I feel we are trapped in the prep and explanation phase rather than the action. Maybe give us a narrative post about where we are, how we got there, and what our current problem/goal is so we can react from there. Something like "You've all disguised yourselves as an illegal robot-fighting team. You're in the underground level and just made it through the first level of security, the gangers-cum-guards. You stand in front of the elevators. What do you do?" Something like that maybe.

Which is, ironically, precisely what Blades was trying to avoid. The number of times people have ended up trapped in prep has only gone up with new Blades players. :)

I think the whole paradigm shift of launching into descriptions without knowing how we got there trips us up at first. Some groups also just enjoy prep, in which case, Blades can do it fine with a little massaging.
I don't get to decide 'how you got there'. Once you guys decide that, I can set the scene, hopefully in enough detail for you to be able to run with it, but if not, ask for more details.
If that is our chosen way in. It does sound like it from Kamisori's RP.

• Do we want to go with that approach? Everyone should answer.

That approach works for me and has lots of room to accommodate all the contact suggestions--i.e., we're in, let's start finding our contacts

Good point. Some extra 'finding' can also be done in Flashbacks (most of them zero-cost) but this also means we don't have to bother with finding any contacts we don't end up using.

Yeah that approach actually sounds good! We can just go with it.

I quite like the robot fighting idea as well :)

Yes, fighting robots is an awesome way to get in so it gets my vote.

From the RP I will take it CESN is happy with the robot fight entry strategy. We can try to work the smuggling angle into things by the end, but won't focus on that if we are not using it as our approach (oneshot timeframes).

@the_cava, I will give this a few more hours before assuming you are good with it, then split the party up a bit to help with pacing.

I am open to any 'clever' cyberpunk appropriate ideas about how to get the Winston access to the port on the other side of the barrier.

This probably requires a few steps so there will be a clock or two. The difficulty of the clocks will depend on what you are trying to do. As examples:

• Bring down the Barrier.
• Bring down the Barrier while not letting the Lowlifes in.
• Keep the lowlifes off you back.
• Keep the lowlifes off you back and away from or ignorant of the barrier work.

Your drone operator is busy, so you will have to rely on your own abilities. But someone is going to have to help our not-very-Mobile hacker. :)

Noted.
Probably two more ticks on the clock. :)
That answer is not very helpful at this early stage of learning. It is definitely doable, you will need to take some precautions to avoid being seen, but the distraction of the bot fight makes that possible.
We can assume you made it to the barrier without being noticed, so most people are elsewhere.
You can describe what you have needed to do to try maintain that secrecy, and if you ran into (and fear running into, again) anyone who was not at the fight, or any precautions you have taken to prevent someone walking by from noticing you, your work, or the aftermath of your work during the mission.

These steps, and the need to work more discretely probably account for the extra needed ticks on the clock.

As this is a location where the Lowlifes have worked --from time to time-- to try get through the barrier, we can assume there are no people living here (if they live in the corridors at all), and there might be machinery from their previous attempts around here (this might be useful to you --even if only obliquely-- but is not anything you 'planned' on, since you are unlikely to have had a way to know what was up here (or, you will have to tell us how you did learn this)).

Ok sounds good, I'm not sure yet how the clock system works in game, but let's find out. Do we need a way for Kamisori to join us? How is she going to leave unnoticed? Maybe if she comes with us, and lets the bot lose on purpose, people will think that the whole group just left because they were losing, or ran away to avoid paying possible bets?

We can chat about it if you want, but it will become clear enough once the dice come out. It is hard to explain without examples so we may as well use real ones.
When the_cava is back we can deal with that. If you are still working on the barrier, we can have them play out some of the bot-battle which will affect what happens with your part of the job. No matter when it happens, we can assume that Kamisori finds a way to join you on the other side.

We don't need to see that happen, but we can if we want and if there is time. Flashbacks are also an option for this sort of thing, or we just handwave it and say it happened offscreen.
That might work. Not a bad cover story.

Can we hire One Punch Man to punch a hole through the wall? Lol. So just to make sure I'm understanding, there's a physical barrier into the building, and the panel to access the locking mechanism is on the inside of the barrier? How does anyone pass the barrier normally?

Punching through the wall could be viable. Or there may be some other way through that the Lowlifes had not been able to achieve. You are all uniquely suited to this job (that is why you were hired, after all) so implausible solutions that rely on something special about your characters are acceptable.
The wealthy higher-ups installed a barrier between the section where they live and the rest of the world. They don't want to deal with the rest of the world.
No one passes the barrier. The Lowlifes have been trying to get through, but (officially) no one has had any success in all the years since the disconnect.
If there is one, that is your speculation. The high-Levelers don't want anyone from this side getting past.

There may be some overlooked point where wires to the control panel can be accessed from this side, or there may be some way to get access to the other side (vents or ducts or something?). Maybe Miles, your stealth/mobility/infiltrator partner, can help with getting physical access?

My apologies, I've had a few hectic days, I'm getting up to date now.

No worries. You warned us you would be a bit no the slow side. I separated you from the group, and those two scenes can each run at their own pace.

Let me know if I should put them in their own threads.

Everyone other than Kami is already at/near the barrier, unless you decide you would be part of the distracting fight rather than the barrier work.
That can be useful. It will allow the others to focus their full attention on the job without having to also worry about being discovered.

We will find you something to do if you do that, it can run that at your pace as well, and look to wrapping up that scene whenever the others are ready.
While not impossible, that would be a hard thing to do, as it is 'a secret'. Unless we want to focus on that angle as our way in, we can leave it for now.
Could be. Though if the Lowlifes knew about something wrong they may have found a way in, which they 'officially' haven't.

Blank could've come up with a chemical concoction--a spray that eats away at the barrier making it ripe for physical force to finish it off!

Could be. The Lowlifes have spent years trying to get though, so it would need to be some special chemical concoction to do anything in a reasonable time. :)

Maybe you guys are able to use the plans to find a place where you can burn a small hole to get access to the wires, or something less implausible than eating away a hole big enough to force your bodies through.

This could need teamwork between Blank's concoction, Miles' infiltration, and Winson's hacking to pull off.

Transposed from RP
Maybe? Anything you leave behind could still count as part of the calculation about how 'obvious' you are, it is evidence. Leaving it in a place where they would expect (as spoils of a lost fight?) would reduce the obviousness of the evidence, of course.
And you think Otter is involved? How on earth did he get himself into the The Heights with the Lowlifes? They are famous for not having dealings with outsiders (though your being here means this is not always true).
Wow! Really? Generous. If so, there is more going on here than Kamisori suspects. I have some ideas for what, but she won't like them. :)
The Lowlifes have no way of getting higher up the building. If this on offer it would have to come from the High-Levelers and changes the dynamic. If they know that higher access is on offer they will, literally, kill for that, so it ups the stakes of winning the fight.
And might mean we have to wait for you and your fight before we can go in. I think we should say 'no'. A distraction is enough, till they get past the barrier.

True, unless they don’t have access to the original blueprints. Then I guess any "obvious" modification would be easier to spot (like new walls or missing rooms). But we can explore that if the others need it 😁

They do not. You guys are special.

Viable options. You have the blueprints, possible chemicals, and the other players' help, this should not be all that hard.
There may be a weak point on level lower.

Possibly all you need is access to some wires that run too close to a duct or ceiling? I had thought that navigating and hacking the control system might be a challenge, I had not expected us to get stuck at the question of how do you get access.

---

Let's assume that you are all good at your jobs and had a plan for this based on pre-mission legwork.

What sounds interesting for how your characters would overcome the first problem?

It seems I have accidentally created an impenetrable barrier with that impenetrable barrier. Whoops.

I am not a fan of telling the players what their characters do. But maybe --and purely as an example-- I should start this off by forcing some actions on them?

BitD gives players a lot of freedom but does not work well when we fixate on the small things (which is a matter of perspective, and I messed up that part).

It does sound like we actually have a plan:

Kamisori has distracted the general populace enough to get you here. She is in the arena and trying to decide if she wants to play for as much time as she can or is going to try for the win. There are bragging rights; and a nice bump to her rep (good for retirements); and the prize 'money' which is small compared to the mission, but does not need to be split (or mentioned), and could well be a guaranteed thing given how the competition has been so far (But what's up with Otter?). Going for the win might endanger the mission, but who can tell... and who would know.

D. is on guard duty, keeping everyone away. But there may be unexpected travellers in the area.

Solovei is on overwatch, also helping keep people away and warning about unexpected wanderers.

Miles has crawled though miles of vents to get the location and has melted (drilling would set off vibration sensors?) a hole through the ceiling of the vent and the floor above to get to signal wires.

Winston is connecting via remote-wired-terminal to the system. There is limit to how long these wires can be, and wireless signals are blocked/scrambled, so he needs to be close, but crawling though vents is hard on an old body, so maybe he is not as close --or as hidden-- as he wants to be for the best signal time?

Blank is tailoring the chemicals to melt through the ducting but not the wiring... but age has made the wires a bit more reactive than the plans suggested so he is having to improvise, at a distance?

• Should I just go ahead and define the above as facts in the RP?

Sure, that's fine by me.

Same! Sounds good to me.

I'm good with it.

Does our crew have any way of communication? Either some kind of short range comms, or can we just text each other?

I thought about asking the same thing, but figured there was no reason to disallow it, so I established that Blank could see the overly-melting wires on a video feed from Miles. This was mainly so that Blank's player could start reacting without waiting to be told by Miles' player.

This is a high-tech world, so instant comms and connectedness seems par for the course. If we want to add challenges later we can easily introduce communications scramblers in some areas..

That said, Miles is in the thick of it. So having him take the lead and tell the others about the problem is apropos.

Winston:

There is risk of detection, so looking around requires a roll. Presumably with Smartness and Hacking?

Though maybe you want to use Caution instead of Smart? Doing so will be 'safer' but not yield as good discovery results (in addition to giving you one less dice).

What are you trying to do?
• Gain higher privileges in this system? That might make future actions easier, but does not directly advance your progress.
• Looking for passwords/credentials? That might be useful later, either later on this job, or afterwards for resale value. This will not directly advance your progress.
• Looking for door controls? This will directly advance your progress (tick the Clock for Opening the Door).

The Clocks for this would vary based on your approach (which is more than just the Approach, but also based on how you choose to do things). Maybe a 4-segment clock to go 'right for it', along with a competing 4-segment clock for them to notice you; or, both of those could be 6-segment clocks if you are being cautious (it takes you longer, but you are less likely to trip any alarms)?

As per the rules, any of those actions would probably start at 2 Threat and 2 Effect (but we can discuss that once we know which/what you are trying). I don't see them having any Edge, but you might. If you do, then that could be used to adjust the Threat or Effect in your favor.

You can also choose to shift both Threat and Effect level up or down by one before you roll (what you do to one you do to the other).

Good results on the dice ticks the Open the Door Clock by the Effect amount, bad results tick the Alert Clock by the Treat amount. Middling results tick both (there may be other consequence, so some of the Threat amount might do something other than tick the clock (and you might be able to split you Effect as well, in some situations)).

If you can apply an Edge, and then also shift things up a gear, you can reach 4 Effect and possibly complete the 4-Clock on one roll, but you also increase the cost or consequences you will receive if you roll less than a 6.

Rolling a Critical (two 6s) could also complete a 4-Clock in one go from Effect level 3 (from Edge or shift) at lower risk/cost.

If you can arrange for there to be 0 Threat (maybe Edge to reduce it to 1 and then shift both down) you don't need to roll (there is no threat, after all). But that probably means low Effect as well, and time is a danger/resource.


Did you arrange to install any specific/specialised programs on your cyberdeck for this part of the job? They could give you an Edge if you use them.

Each time you use a particular program the system has a chance of recognising it. As part of the consequences we may tick a clock (bigger safety clocks for more bespoke programs), and when it is full: using that program will immediately be recognised and raise an alert.

You might be able to reset these tracking clocks by hacking the Track and Trace systems (or by moving to unrelated systems that don't share threat information), or by using other software. But all those will possibly require more software and/or risky actions.

If the software seems obvious to have brought we can assume you have it. If its need is based on specific situations you encounter, you will need to show us --in a flashback-- how/why you arranged to get it. The more specialised, unexpected, or powerful the software the more Stress the Flashback will cost. Flashbacks may involve dice rolls.

Please ask questions. This is a lot of sudden mechanics. :)

Indeed. Get the experimenting done before things get hairy. :)
Possibly?

A few points that I should have picked up on earlier (though I don't recall where it was talked about):
• Cyberware does not have 1d6 (unless it is Glitchy and adds a Glitch die). I included the 0d6 on the sheet else it does not allow us to add it to the dice roller's Reason.
• It is meant to be Cyberware, not Cyberwear. It it not meant to be stuff you wear, as much as stuff you have 'implanted' (prosthetics and interfaces). But we can talk about other options. An invisibility cloak could count at Special Armor against being seen, but will cost stress to use every time after the Special Armor box is ticked.
• If it is a suit you are wearing, it probably counts as Load (at least 1), just like other armor.
• (we can assume it makes sense for magnets to bend light, or that could just be what they call it because the real terms are too technical for us:)
Definitely an accurate assessment of their abilities. :)
Debatable, since there are very few (you had thought 'no') outsiders inside The Heights, so that will make you stand out. We can throw dice to see how it goes, but that seems like Empathy and Influence, so zero dice and low chances. (roll 2 keep the lowest)

But I don't get to say which dice you thrown, that is up to the player. I just get to say --before they are thrown-- how effective it could be, and that could be 'no effect' if some insane combination is proposed.
How do you go about working out their intentions?
Winston is fairly close since you are guarding him. You can decide how far afield you have wondered.
Blank might be close to Winston or by you. You guys can decide.
I implied that Solovei was slightly removed so that sniping could be an option, but they can decide to be as close as you guys want.

damn, I need to rethink that one the. I thought cyber arms and such worked as well :(
maybe... well, since I have chemicals already, maybe some hormone/poison to pacify trouble makers? seems very useful when you're a bouncer at a gang's hangout place :D
that sounds like the worse possible :D though, maybe they are easy to notice, but nothing like, "I got lost on the way to the toilet" to get the conversation going. Nothing strange about that... except I'll miss the roll.
A simple look at them. Are they fully armed with the fingers on the trigger? Or are they just wondering about? Do they look agressive or are them all smiles to each other like teenager about to pull a stupid prank?
Winston has to finish his job, though he can get a message to be on alert. Solovei sniping could be an option, if he noticed things going very wrong. Blank could move closer and be on wait even if he is next to Winston I guess. It's just that this looks like the sort of trouble that will need some fists meeting some faces, so being on my own is not optimal :D

Damn, suddenly this sounds like a college level course on logic lol. Looking for door controls sounds nice, and Winston is too old to be cautious. I think a straight smartness and hacking roll sounds good. I'll add it to my post.

For my part, I picture Blank near Winston--watching him hack while also watching the duct feed from Miles.

Cyberarms are a classic example. They are definitely 'implanted' and 'prosthetics'. They definitely work.
That could also be considered an 'extra feature' on the existing 'chemicals' Cyberware. It adds up to much the same mechanically.
That does sound like it could be useful.
And except that the established fiction already makes that a weak approach. So the Effect will be low and the Threat will be high to start off with. D. will know this, he is a professional.
You can definitely notice them before they notice you. Solovei too has the drop on them.
You won't be able to actually see them till they are right on top of you. If you want to act before that happens, you have the opportunity.
That is a possibility. People do live here. Going guns-ablazing before you know for sure has that risk... if you care.
We can assume, if he is still in an overwatch position, that he can notice and react.
Yep. You would have to call him over though, he does not know about these goings-on.
It never is. That is why we have a team to back us up. :)

Remember to discuss any of the adjustments (Edge, Threat and Effect, software, ...) mentioned above before you roll.

Whoops lol. Um, straight roll then? normal effect, no edge.

It won't always be that easy, but, given the descriptions both of you gave, I don't see a roll as being needed. It sounds like you have it under control.

If Blank gets called away and the dice turn against them, then we may revisit this as a complication and you may have to roll to deal with that on your own.
It does not feel like it should be, right? It is not on the list, but also does not quite fit with assumed items like mirrorshades or clothing. This is definitely part of the chemicals provided, and we did not mark that as an item (it would have been Blank's anyway), so I think we can skip it.

Do we all agree?

No worries. Defaulting to defaults is fine sometimes. :)

Tranqs sound like a feasible interpretation of Special Ammo. They can definitely help with the less lethal part, if you choose to go that route. Don't mark them yet.

ok. so the pacifying chemicals are already included in the mix I have then... maybe I can develop on that cyber arm ...
My first though would be to have it spawn a force shield or something, but can also work as a stun weapon, probably with limited ranged used (the glitch being that it probably kills the target... Should be useful for bodyguards as well :D

I'm trying to avoid the unavoidable super-strength xD

That would probably count as an Extra Feature to the internal chemicals. Extra Features cost same as Extra Cyberware.

This 'probably' is based on the described function of regulation of your blood chemistry, but you could also change that description (and possibly the name?) to be focused on releasing chemicals (possibly supplied by, or despised by Blank?) internally and externally. That might broaden what it applies to at the cost of being less potent at regulation your internals. That might be better, since I expressed concern about how the purely internal regulation would come into play in exciting ways. But it is up to you, it is your cyberware.
If you want to go with super-strength, that is fine. Remember that to do anything out of the ordinary requires you to Push yourself which costs 2 Stress each time. So cyberarms mainly operate as the arms they replace, cyberware can also add --non-mechanically-- to the fictional options you have in a scene.

Spawning a shield or stun weapon, or boosting to super strength would be a Push.

You could also have a stun weapon as part of your Gear, that would cost Load and possibly Ammo rather than Stress. That might give you more utility?
Not all of your cyberware needs to have a Glitch, only the extra ones after the 'first'. And it does not have to be a Glitch on the cyberware, the cost could also be Hunted status or a Glitchy Approach.

Yeah, I think that one ends up covering most things... I was thinking faster reflexes or something but then again, inject something and that's sorted. It does work for everything.
Ok, let's go with that and then see what happens. It's a test game so let's see what happens :D
I need to read the rules again 😅 But if a cyberarm is that flexible at the price of a push, then I can have the chemoregulator as the second piece and have that one Glitched. Just curious about the glitching mechanics. Again, test run :D It also compensates for the flexibility, like having too many chemicals stores in such a small space is dangerous.

No, you need to choose what the arm does, it might be superstrength or spawn an energy field that could be used as a shield or a weapon (or anything that an energy field could feasibly do). While both of those could be in an arm, they are not the same thing.

If you want the one prosthetic to do both functions you would need to buy them both as functions, and only one is free.
The nature of the Glitch would depend a lot on the nature of the thing that is Glitchy as well as the use it is being put to.

As with all things in FitD, we discuss it before it happens and all have to agree. I don't think we will discuss all the details about a possible Glitch before every roll, but for the first few would should probably go through the mental exercise of working out what could happen.
They could run out, but that takes away a major part of the character. We would need to have some way of refreshing them if we go that route. Maybe they take some time to recharge, or maybe Blank has to manufacture and inject new stock, this way we add to the story instead of taking away features.
The more general purpose it is the less effective it is. And injecting chemicals could easily lead to addiction and or withdrawal, other interesting character developments --though in a oneshot, addiction is less interesting.

How?

What do you do?

energy it is then.
I have no reason to shoot first and, since I can't have a good look at them before then see me, hiding is far too suspicious. I'll just walk up to them like I'm lost. Ready to crash some skulls if need be of course :D

Do it. (The walking while lost bit, not the skull crushing bit.:)

That sounds like a reasonable sort of thing you would have done in preparation, so it is a 1 Stress Flashback ("A standard activity, likely to have occurred.").

Mark the stress and show us how you arranged to have the needed passwords (maybe the manufacturer's defaults, after you got the manufacturer from the blueprints?).

Maybe preface the post with "earlier that day..." or some thing to show it is a flashback.

@nezzeraj: Please Don't Edit. Till Dunko posted and I happened to glance up and see it, the front page, game page and, everything were still showing the latest post as 5 hours ago, so there was no indication that you made significant changes and needed a response. Instead, just add a new post with the new stuff, that way the notification and update systems all work.

That tricky bit necessitates a roll. Social Engineering should probably be Empathy and Influence for best Effect, right?

But you get to decide what you roll with. The less 'appropriate' the Approach and Skill are the less Effect they have, which, in this case, affects the Quality of the Asset (both of those are Blades terms, but make sense here). The Quality of the passcodes will influence the amount of progress you can make with them.

Rolling a 6 means you get an Asset of the Quality 2 (the default), or less if either the Approach or Skill are not-ideally-appropriate. A Crit bumps up the Quality.

Rolling a 4-5 reduces the Quality of the Asset you get, or costs you something. You can choose to Resist the negative outcome.

Rolling a 1-3 gets you nothing, or lower Quality Asset at a significant cost (Resistable (x2)).

Getting a zero Quality Asset will mean you have to try another approach.

Huh for some reason I thought unchecking "minor edit" would show the edited post as an update. That would be some good functionality for it to have. For the roll, I have exactly 0 dice in both of those so how does that work?

It does not seem to, though. We can look into it, but creating a new post always works.
When you roll with zero dice you roll 2 and take the lowest. Meaning you can still do the thing, and have a chance, but that it is a very low chance, and you can't Crit (since even two sixes is still just the one that is 'lowest').

If you can make the argument for some other Approach and Skill, we can talk about it.

You do always have the ability to get more dice:
• You can Push yourself. Pushing costs 2 Stress. You tell us what you do to make the extra effort.
• A party member could Assist you. Assisting costs them 1 Stress, and they are caught up in the situation and the complications/costs of the outcome. I don't think you have any party members with you (they would need to be part of the flashback and pay the Stress cost), would Winston have brought along help for this?
Either of these would bring you up to rolling with 1 Die. (Both would be 2.)

You might still have an Edge in a situation where you have no dice, and that can help in the usual ways.
While the act of convincing them you are entitled to the secret codes for the backdoor admin (they don't admit such a thing exists, but the fact that you know about it means you must be legit, right?) is unlikely, I don't think that means that they have an Edge on you.

This is not a clock, so one roll decides it.

From a GP Dice Roller perspective:
If you go with Empathy and Influence:
You would click (below the Add button) to add Empathy then Influence, then either the zero dice, push, or assist options.
Your Reason would look something like `Empathy + Influence + zero dice`; and the Roll field would be `0d6 + 0d6 + 2d6l1` which knows how to deal with that (I think... let me try it here and make sure, this roll does not count).

OK sounds good. Winston would do any recon alone so no assistance. I will push though since getting the password is a crucial part of the plan. We can say that impersonating a new member of the security firm required a lot of research, redirecting the contact phone number to my phone, making copying the target's speech pattern to pull off the lie and was very stressful lol. I edited just to add the roll. Result was a 4.

That was the impression I got, but did not want to assume.
Possibly wise, since any other route would come with its own set of risks, so seizing some control here can be valid.
Excellent.
As discussed, a 4 is a partial success. The consequence is that these passcodes are only good enough to get you through one layer of the security (ticking the clock to .

You are now at 3 Stress, but you can choose to Resist the 'reduced effect' consequence, which would bring the Quality to 2, which would complete the clock and allow the doors to open. There is a small chance that these codes will be useful again later, in which case having them be a Quality-2 Asset will benefit you again, but there is no promise they will come up again.

Resisting a consequence could cost you up to another 3 Stress (but also could clear 2 of the Stress you already have if you Crit). If you choose to Resist, I would suggest the --completely appropriate in this situation-- Smartness Approach.

Sorry guys, I have to opt out of the game. I'm preparing to showcase my game at a local fair, and the management's disorganisation drained my attention lately, making me fell behind with preparations, meaning I won't probably be able to focus on the game until end of May.

Thanks for the game thus far, and I hope I won't mess things too much by leaving.

We were forewarned. We already separated your character from the rest. Absenting them will not cause difficulties.

Good luck with your showcase. Maybe you will be able to jump back in end of May.

@nezzeraj: Reminder that we are awaiting a decision from you about whether you want to accept the diminished Quality passcodes, get 1 Tick on the Clock, and be forced to do more work on these locks; or want to Resist that consequence, guarantee yourself Quality 2 codes and complete the job here, unlocking the barrier.

If you have questions (about costs, or how Resist rolls work, or anything) ask.

I think I will change the consequence so we don't have to wait for an answer before proceeding.

Instead of reducing the Effect, it will instead tick a clock towards your intrusion being noticed. The player can later choose to resist this, or to let it stand.

Oh, sorry, super busy week with Children's Day and Parent's Day over here. I'll resist! Do I just roll an attribute?

Yes, you pick the Approach you use (I suggest Smartness here), tell us, in the fiction, how you resist (presumably they tried to fob off some lower grade admin code and you knew enough to insist on the real deal?).
I am not seeing any Special Armor that would help in this situation --and that would be single use-- but I am open to discussion.

@CESN: Streetwise can help with understanding their lingo. Unfortunately this is not directly 'underground', but I am willing to be convinced about how that applies (I can see some interpretations where it does:).

What you want to do will affect the rest of this conversation (including conversations about what to do).

yeah, underground depends a bit on their vibe I guess. I'm guessing even insular communities will share basic body language, and it would be fair to assume most teenager punks would have similar goals (one of which is not being caught in no go zones). I guess his "underground experience" did involve a lot of teenagers and clubs so he would have a good feeling for this age range?
i'm assuming that was a very clear and recognizable noise even to the teenagers xD

Works for me. Let's say it applies.

You get to choose whether you want to take a 3rd die or an Edge from it.
None of them have ever heard it before, so they may guess as to what it means in this place, but there is ample space for you to try pass it off as something else.

Blank is nearby, Miles may be arriving soon to help if you need --and can stall-- and Solovei has eyes on the situation.

so the roll would be something like D.: Caution + D.: Streetwise? I think I can try taking the edge just to see how that works in practice.
true. probably need the roll result to have a better feeling for how to go.

I'm thinking about inviting them to join us. teenagers looking for trouble may be keen on being the first ones to pass the barrier. But maybe I can try to convince them there is noting to see here (though once we're gone, they may suspect where...)

Sounds like it.

It could also have been Aggression + Streetwise if you were leaning more into the intimidation angle and trying to scare them off, but that is less Cautious and more likely to result in them telling someone.
Can do. It will depend on what you are trying to achieve, once we know we can hash out the details and decide.
Yes, it is a constant cycle of fiction, then rolls to clarify, then fiction, then rolls ....
Definitely an option. And a clear solution to your immediate problem. That approach would boost your Effect since they would be keen.

It might (I say 'might' but we all know what 'might' means:) cause you complications later, but that is a problem for future you. :)
Also a solution. Not as easy and will definitely come back to bite you later... but that is a problem for later. :)

yeah, the unlocking changed everything, so cautions looks the best now :D
This roll is the initial "reading them" right? Trying to figure how their attitude and what the girl said? so that will be my aim. It's kind of an D&D insight check I guess :D I'll edit the post to add the roll in the mean time, so it's there

We can decide how broad the roll is, that will affect its Effect and Threat levels.

It could range from, 'do you understand what they are saying', through, 'can you communicate', to 'can you communicate and convince them'. If you roll for the easiest one, you can end up failing and blocking yourself off from the harder ones, success would mean you still need to roll the harder ones (though they are easier) and there are more chances for failure.

One harder roll moves things along faster and you can Resist the negative outcomes. Resisting large (hard) outcomes is not as effective as Resisting smaller ones, but you only have to Resist once (maybe, the consequences may be split up and you can Resist each separately).

Thinking too much about consequences and Resists gets complicated, it is usually best to think about what you want to do, and then rolling to do that.

One roll to convince them to join, or flee, or flee and keep quite (we need to know which before the roll) could account for all the variables, a hard miss could mean you can't understand them well enough, thus subsuming the need to roll for that.

yeah, I'm curious why they are there. Probably just teenagers, but maybe they are also trying something with the barrier? Or there's some gang stuff going about? So one roll to communicate and figure out their goal? Need a bit more info to decide how to handle them. Scaring them or getting them to join depends on that information I guess (and how they react to the noise)

Ah, I see you added a roll already. Don't do that till we have worked out the details, we can't now adjust the Effect or Threat or reassess the intent and task or approach. This also probably just slows things down since we now have to work out how to deal with the rules violation and broken mechanics.

---

Since it looks like we are merely trying to establish communicate --that is all that was indicated in the OOC and nothing else is substantiated in the fiction-- we will assume the defaults of 2 Threat (there is real risk of them sounding the alarm) and 2 Effect which is 'basic communication' (You can not adjust these numbers now, since the dice are rolled).

I think the obvious consequence for the 5 is either Reduced Effect (hard to communicate with them (have you tried speaking to a teen?)) and/or Complication (they reach for comms to sound the alarm). Threat level 2 means two consequences (which can be Resisted independently).

---

Since you did not roll the third dice and said you were interested in an Edge, we can assume you have Edge on them, which makes sense.

We should have worked out what your Edge would do before the roll, since the outcome can lean us towards favouring one over the other (no point reducing Threat if you rolled a 6, and no point increasing Effect if you rolled a 1-3, after all).

Knowing that it is a 5 --meaning both Threat and Effect apply-- you can choose if you want your underground Edge to increase your Effect (making you better at communicating) or reduce their Threat (making them more receptive to you).

Both strategies have merit:
Reducing the Threat to 1 means only one of the above consequence happen, and you only need to think about Resisting one.
Increasing the Effect to 3 seems like it would merely 'counteract the Reduced Effect', but remember that you Resist that consequence meaning your end result would be something more like 'adequate communication'.

This choice might flavour the ongoing relationship/attitudes... if there is one.

What do you want to do?

Well, we can always re-roll :D

---

I'd got for the Reducing the Threat normally, but want to see that Increasing the Effect working. So maybe his edge does come into play by him having a more cool/rebel vibe? teenagers probably like that, making them more open to communication?

Often a wise choice.
Often a fun choice.
Probably.

@CESN: [ref]Do you Resist? One of both (separately)?

If you don't Resist, you can deal with the consequence in the next posts.

I think Resisting the alarm might be better than dealing with it, but that is up to you.

Resisting a consequence means it does not come to pass (so it is very powerful) but can cost you valuable Stress.

If you Resist, show us how. For instance: Resisting the Reduced Effect could be something as simple as you acting cool and impressing them.

Yeah resisting the alarm is critical!! I'll try resisting both, again, test run :D

What Approach do you think you will use for each?

Narrate how you do it and add the rolls.

ah! the rolls! forgot those!!!

could these be Smartness (just trying to look cool not actually show any emotion connection) + Influence?

If I push I get 1 stress with potential for extra from resisting right? How easy is it to heal stress?

---

by the way, do we need to split this player discussion for each player? Feel a bit like spamming the others discussing things they probably "don't care too much"

That works.
Both seem a bit like Smartness, sure. But that is just because I don't want to say they should be Empathy. :(
Resistance only rolls with the Approach, no adds.
Pushing is 2 Stress.
I don't think you can Push on Resist rolls. Would need to check Blades.

Not that you would want to. Adding guaranteed Stress for the chance of reducing Stress is not a winning strategy.
Yes, Resisting costs Stress:
You get one chance during the mission to Take a Breather
So, if the dice don't favour you, you might only ever get to clear 1 Stress on the whole run. Clearing Stress also means you don't get to ignore the Harm penalties.

This is your last run ever, and things are desperate.
They should care. Everyone should be involved in all of this. Not only is it a learning experience, it is also part of the rules that we all make these decisions. The GM does not make all the decisions, FitD is very player-lead.

That guy at the back is pretty irritable.... erm...

That is a whopping 5 Stress! Yikes! Two away from overload. Do you want to show us how and why these guys got to you so badly? Maybe something from your past?

Mainly to give D. a chance to deal with the interlopers. That done, we should be able to unstick things with the application of a little friction-easing fiction.

Guys! I'm not making out of this place :D

Stress can't kill you, it only feels like it will (or makes you wish it would). Overloading also has it benefits.

The GM also does not impose Stress upon you (*), it is always your own choice when to take on Stress, so you are in control.

If there kids are coming with us, we need to give them names. For some reason I am tempted to go with (or start with) Helena, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius... but the H&H can get confusing.

I also did not define whether the smaller one who was brave enough to volunteer was the apparent leader or the other shy one. We can decide that or roll dice/flip a coin.

You can make Helena into Elena.

Indeed, that would clean up the collision.

We if we want to start there we can mix them up more, and shorten them to ease typing. Demi and Lysa sound good.

I assumed she was the shy one immediately. Because that triggers D. ;) Probably trying to prove she is useful or some teenage crap :D
She can also be Elena then (mostly because that's the first name I saw)
oh cool. Like El or just E sounds great (we don't know their names in character yet)

Me too. :)
Exactly my thought process.

But we can mix up those assumptions if the others want to.
To match (or just extra-trigger) her overly-protective big brother D.? I think we have to. :)

Though I did not mean us to shorten them that much, just did not want to end up tying Demetrius over and over again. :)
No, but it was asked, and we will need them in a minute.

Gonna wait for after the weekend to see if the Blank or Solovei can come up with a way to open things up.

The kids would have no clue about car jacks, never having seen either.
In general, assume they are not here to be helpful, you will have to solve things yourselves. :)

Ah! Been recovering from Covid, and just a little out of the loop/trying to catch up here! When last I posted, Blank was over Winston's shoulder. I don't have any further idea to add to what is happening right now with the kids, so I'll jump in and follow with that!

/urgh

At least 'recovering' is a good word. Hope it goes well for you and you get over it completely.
Do you need anything from us by way of summary, or anything?
Cool, 'meeting' the kids and going through the door is the next thing. Let us know if you need something to react to.

Hey, had some RL stuff pop up and fell behind on the game. I'm going to be tied up til at least Friday evening, just wanted to check in and let you guys know I'm still around. Will catch up when I have computer access on Friday

Thanks for letting us know. Hope everything is OK.

Quite probably.

What does D. think it is? Fair chance it will be that. :)

trouble? 🤣 security bot maybe? not sure anyone would actually bother coming down here.

Make it so.

"Make it so" as in: Put all that into the fiction. Just to be clear. :)

Winston: No need to push or anything (it is just listening), but once D. has established 'it' in the fiction, how do your enhanced ears give you the edge... or at least mean whatever is coming does not have the edge on you as a result of surprise?

Do your 'Acoustic Amplifiers' even work that way and apply here? You tell us.

O.K., just getting a sit rep here--the barrier started to open, we heard a grinding and it's now stalled--there is about a foot opening?

Additionally on the other side of the barrier is a bot that we are concerned will report our presence if it becomes aware of us?

@Dunko:
Pretty succinct summary. Though you forgot D.'s groupies.

So far as you know the bot does not pose any physical thread to you, a clean take-down would be good to prevent it sending 'EMP shock diagnosis' and upping the alert levels.

Unfortunately Blank has both Aggression and Ranged Combat at 0d6. It would be a hard case to argue other stats for shooting an enemy, but you are free to do so. Or you can change your course of action and do something else (if you do, you can undeclare the Special Ammo, and save that choice for later).

If you do proceed with this, remember that you can Spend 2 Stress to Push Yourself for an extra dice (1 extra dice is very strong when you have zero dice), or someone else can Spend 1 Stress to Assist you for an extra dice. I am not sure what a viable Assist would be for something as simple as this, but am always open to bribes.

I don't see anyone having a particular Edge in this situation, so both Threat and Effect would start at 2 unless someone convinces me otherwise. You can adjust both up of down one step if you want. You don't know how tough this bot is, so you can't judge if that will be enough to take it out cleanly.

I guess my description makes it look like I'm helping Blank, so that could ... well, help. We could turn around if D. is quick enough so that Blank's shot is actually the helping action. D. is definitely made to shoot things.

Yeah. And he is the one who has been socialising.

Crazy, this group. :)

ahah right? probably why he is so stressed. all that social anxiety 😅

Funny how that happens. :)

Oh Blank was to give the ammo to a shootist! The way I was thinking of his special ammo when rolling him up was that he makes it, and doesn't necessarily consume it!

Ah.
'Bullet'? As in just one round? We would not want to use up Load for that, but do you want to Flashback to your making this bullet and roll (Smarts and Science?) to see what you get? Maybe you can turn that bullet into two on a 4-5, three on a 6, and five on a Crit? This adds the chance that it does not work as intended if you roll a 1-3, but unloading multiple Special Bullets into the bot can finish it outright on anything but a 1-3 on the attack.

Or you can create one single Bullet for free this time.

@Bananabread: How are you doing? Any chance we can hand this bullet over to Solovei and give him a chance to shine?

Eee! That was more for flavor! I'd like to say special ammo is def marked off on sheet. I'd imagine there is a whole clips worth!

Someone needs to mark it then. :)

If this is just flavour, then it does not need be Blank who marks it, it could be the person who is actually carrying it.

If Blank is the one to mark the stuff he provides to others on his own sheet then we can adjust what else is there, so you can double up on these sorts of things that you supply.
If is is marked on a sheet, then it is in the fiction and we don't need to worry about how much there is. Running out of ammo happens when that seems appropriate due to bad dice rolls and, like all consequences, that 'running out' can be Resisted.

I'll mark it on my sheet! Special ammo it is.

Rightyo.

Let's not wait for Bananabread, they can catch up when they are able.

D. has much better shooting, and his magnetic camouflage could come into play as well (but not in a game changing way since that needs a Push and that would overload him).

What is the objective? There is the bot, the security and alarm systems, and the impressionable kids to consider.

What are you doing?

Ah sorry, I missed this post. it's my turn to go right? I guess the aim is to fry the bot and see what happens. D. is more of a focus on the immediate threat guy. the security and alarm systems can always be fried later 🤣 Now that making sure the kids don't get too hurt. Scaring them may be ok though (except for E., that is).

So grab the special ammo, load it and shoot down the bot. preferentially, without messing up even more.

Preferably, yes. :)

I am not treating 'using the appropriate ammo for a situation' as being an Edge (instead I am adjusting the numbers internally). Y'all let me know if you would prefer to do this differently, but the rules heavily imply that Edge is singular, so getting it from the ammo would make it pointless to work to get it from something else (like clever strategy, planning, and setups). We could allow multiple Edges at once, but then we run the risk of Aspect-Stuffing. We can change our minds later if we want.

Currently we are at the default 2 Threat and 2 Effect. Would you like to do anything about those numbers before you roll?

Any questions?

No i think with a 4d6 the default is probably ok. Definitively want it to be Effect-ive. So just roll that and pray then?

At Effect level 2 your would need a Crit to finish this with one shot.

You can choose to up both Effect and Threat to 3, which will let you finish this on a 6. (Purely as an example, you could delay the shot till it is point-blank. This will increase your Effectiveness but also the Threat level if it gets a signal out with more details due to proximity, but also gives yourselves less time to react after the event.)

Or you could Push for extra Effect and assure a clean kill on a 4-5, but that is unwise in your current state.

Or you could try to set something up quickly to give yourself and Edge, but time may not allow that, or, at any rate, there would be risks (and dice).

ahah no push thank you. almost dead already and we haven't even left the first location 😅 Though I would like to one shot it, and D. would probably be the sort of guy to patiently wait for the opportunity for a clean shot.

You mentioned the camouflage, being magnetic... would that be an edge, or I still have to push it?

By the rules you need to Push to 'use' your Cyberware for anything other just routine stuff. The Cyberware (or any gear) provides the fictional justification for being able to Push, but does not 'power' it.

If you want it to have direct mechanical effects, that requires a Push; general fictional use and flavour can do a lot too, though, so make your case.

Note that: When you Push to activate your Cyberware you also get the benefit of a normal Push on top of whatever the Cyberware does. Judging from Blades, there may be times when the normal Push benefits don't apply in the scene, but normally it is a twofer.

yeah, let's see what I can do. Not entirely sure how to get edges yet, so I can't really think of any way at the moment. Probably ask for help if that... well, helps

In the fiction.

Easiest way might be to do a setup action, but that will be its own action and would take time and probably need a roll.

Having a clever plan would often count as well. As can finding a weakness (by asking an expert).

Are you taking the sort of action to stay hidden that necessitates a roll, before the shot? Using your camouflage as part of a roll does not need a Push, but is also just fictional positioning, the roll will carry the weight.

A miss could make things worse, but a good success could definitely provide an Edge. This is sorta like a Fortune Roll from Blades, so no real direct risk to this action, but it might put you in a worse position by giving the enemy an Edge.

yeah so... this was a while ago, but the way I'm seeing the situation is that I look through the opening and then got back behind the door/barrier. So presumably I'm fully hidden at the moment. I'll take the bullet and the advice and they try to tell where the bot is from the sound.

Then I'll expose myself, but with the camouflage on. D. would think this can buy him a few seconds to actually aim properly instead of shooting "in the dark". I guess this is where the hide roll will came into, basically to check if I can stay undetected long enough to aim? And then yes, just shot the thing regularly.

I like the fortune roll idea for the effect of the camouflage. so that would be a Caution + 🤔 not really anything there... survival? observation? and then the Aggression + Ranged Combat roll right?

Sure. Let's say it knows there is something happening with the door, but has not seen you guys yet.
Bullets. It is now thing you have in your inventory till the fiction says it runs out.
That sounds a bit like more than just 'fiction'. If you want it to keep you invisible for long enough to do things it really should require a Push. But that seems mean here.

While not setting a precedent for the future, let's say it buys you just enough time to act. How much will depend on the roll.
• So a Crit would make you more Effective and lower its Threat.
• A 6 would increase your Effect.
• 4-5 would increase your Effect but also increase the Threat (sorta the same as if you choose to shift both up).
• 1-3 is bad and it sees you before you can act, increasing the Threat.

All of these can be on top of --and separate from-- your choice to shift the Effect and Threat in either direction.

You can describe and roll that, then describe and roll the shot based on the outcome.
Mobility, I would assume?

Possibly you want to add your Glitchy Chemoregulator (if I understand its function) to help keep your heartrate and temperature under control? That will double your dice, but is a risk.

Someone may be able to Assist you in this action?

For this advice to have any mechanical effect it will need to be backed up by mechanics.

Does Winston know much about drones?

Maybe a roll of Smartness and Science? There will be risk since he will need to look out there to study the thing and may be spotted.

So I'll wait for Winston's roll first then do Caution + Mobility. I like the dice effects, D. thinks he will get some extra time, but he may be totally wrong and they may make him overconfident putting him at risk.
That's a nice idea... but risk you mean... increased threat and so more likely Stress?

No matter the outcome, and without affecting the outcome: If the specific Glitch Die comes up 1-3 (50% chance) then there will be a related consequence. As with all consequence, you can choose to Resist it, but you are not in a condition to be Resisting too much.

So you can succeed and still have to pay a price. This would also add an extra consequence to those you get on 4-5 or a miss.

Before we risk it, we should discuss the possible consequences. Given the internal nature of this Cyberware, it would be something internal.

@nezzeraj: Your sheet looks a little out of date. You only have 1 Stress marked but you did a few things that cost Stress: Flashback, Push, and Resist.

Since our main active characters are high on Stress, I am tempted to engineer a reprieve, some way for them to reset and start again so we can keep playing. This is a test.

Maybe we wait till Blank has had a chance to do some stressful stuff as well and reset everyone, or maybe we allow a free reset (forced Crit on a free Breather) after the first Overload?

I guess so. Doesn't have to be physical as contaminants could trigger some psychosis or things like that. I guess for slowing heart beat, strictly speaking, you'd most likely overdose and faint though

Indeed not. The consequences can even be metaphysical or to loved ones, but that latter type requires more knowledge about --and investment in-- the characters and their history, families, or surrounds than this oneshot really offers.
If we think we can find an interesting way for something like that to manifest without breaking the game, the trust, or taking the character out of it.

Addiction is a common side-effect for such things in long-term games.
Or become fuzzy-headed and miss something important.

Sometimes I offer players the opportunity to roleplay their character making bad decisions as a potential consequence. But that depends a lot on the player and the game.

Did Blank introduce himself? We can assume it happened offscreen, but if you choose not to have done so, that will affect the power dynamic. :)

You don't have time for much of an interrogation, and need to keep your voices down in case the bot has audio pickups, so you will not get much from them in this situation or by just asking.

We can treat this like a superficial Gather Information, which can also lay the groundwork for later chats.

As you say, Blank is an Empathetic guy, so rolling with that Approach makes sense.

Depending on how you are doing it, you might also be including: Streetwise (to help you parse their slang, as well as evaluate their streetworthyness); or Observation if you are focusing on picking up on more than what they are saying; or Influence if you are tying to impress them with your own street-cred; or something else or some other interpretation of those, as you see fit.

None of those are really backed up by the fiction so far, but you can add another post that shows us your Skill use, and roll there.

You can, of course, Push yourself for the usual effects.
I don't think there is likely to be an Assistance on this one, but could be wrong.
You might have some Gear that helps.

@CESN: Do you want to narrate the bot getting an inkling that there is danger and upping its alert level (Threat 3, Effect 2) just before you (realise and) fire?

You still have the potential to turn this around, if you score well enough that the Threat does not factor (6 or more) it does not matter what level it was.

You still have all the options available to you that you did before, this Fortune roll does not take them away, just makes them more risky.

Yeah I think I'll raise Threat and Effective. Let' s get one of the kids killed :D

You gonna up the Threat to 4? That will fully set off an alarm (not an audible one), someone will be alerted... and might respond eventually.

Effect 3 means you will end the bot straight out with any success. A 6 will be an end to it with no alert getting out, and a Crit will give you something extra that we can discuss if it happens.

All in all, that seems like a good idea.

Narrate and roll it.

Yeah if a 6 "cancels" the threat alarm, then it's a good bet, rolling 4d6. can still go really bad :D

A 6 means only the Effect comes into play (Full Success), only on a 4-5 (Partial Success) does the Threat also activate. 1-3 means only the Threat and no Effect.
Would it surprise you to learn there is like a 48% chance of bad happening? :)

that's a bit higher than expected but to be fair, not surprising

To Assist requires them to spend 1 Stress, and gives you an extra +1 dice.

What we had in the description was more of a setup action to give you an Edge, but that time has passed and the die is cast. We can treat is a pure fiction with no mechanical effects --since that is all it was-- so your description of using the advice to your success is enough.

With your 6 (and twice close to a Crit): you managed to take it out before it could call home. Go ahead and narrate that, then I might add a bit about why the kid reacted as she did.

yeah I though so, just checking :)

Agreed, his plan is to quickly find something to offer them to keep them as lookouts on this entrance--perhaps with a promise of giving them "control" of it once the team quits the job.
Let's say he hasn't introduced himself yet, lol.
Exactly this!

Would C.A.K.E. have a shared highscore where they would have seen your name (or the blank space that represents it in speculation-fueling manner)? Or would you have to find a machine and prove it?
It was not 'stakes' that needed building, rather it was fiction that we needed.

If by 'stakes' you mean Threat and Effect: they don't apply to a Gather Information roll. We might need to chat about what you hope to learn from a Gather Information, but...
I can tell you this for free:

They have already been promised that they can come with. Breaking that promise and leaving them behind (unsupervised) will not lead to them keeping any promises to you. They will seek their own angle to secure some fame from this discovery.
Ah. I have not made picked up on that. Thanks for clarifying. That may or may not help, as the dice dictate in other moves going forward.
Well, yes. But isn't everyone? Winston is an outlier, a fossil of a previous age. :)

It sure would have a shared board showing score, and if this universe has some sort of personal jack system he could prove his virtual identity on the fly!
OK then yes the goal is to have some if their people keep watch.

But if there is nothing to mine here, or it conflicts with what we established, it's understandable and we can roll with not worrying about guarding the entry, necessarily.

Cool. They will have seen it and been both impressed and envious. Having, now, met you they will still be envious but it is up to you how impressed they are. :)

• What does the board say?
Does it list the name 'Blank' or is there a '       ' there which no one else can work out how to replicate (they all have to enter at least three letters), or did you use some other name?
Depending on how much you want to play with this fame, they could either just believe you ("how ever did you get past the ...?" or something); or dismiss your claim and make you need to work to back it up; or it could be trivial to prove. Were is me, I would be inclined to avoid proof and have most believe and some doubt/deny.
Guard against what, though?
If their parents or friends come along they are not going to side with you strangers.
If something from the other side comes along, what are they going to do? Die? Their best chance of survival (baring 'going home') is for you to keep them safe.
You can work on your relationship with them. A little chatting will quickly reveal the above facts to Blank (no roll needed), and some ongoing work can even turn them into trustworthy companions... and you may even learn their 'strengths', enough to make the useful.

Indeed. Very true. :)

Unless Dunko dissents, it looks like the plan is to move quickly, but not actively do anything about the cameras. That makes sense (no judgement, either way).

That sounds a lot like a Group Action.
Which makes mechanical sense for Blank to lead (and can also make in-fiction sense, with him --the social one-- needing to manage the hangers-on (who do not roll)). Blank has the most Stress to burn, and moving past the cameras seems like Caution and Mobility --giving him the best stats as well.

If we are interested in trying this, them we can work out the details.

sounds good to me ! anything to keep the stress away from D.

Hehe, yeah. A Group Action here could bring up to 3 Stress, would be too much for him to handle. :)

D. leads the group into the higher levels but those kids just get on his nerves and he freaks out into a murdering spree... leaving only E. untouched. Ah! Nothing like the slaughter of nuisances to relieve some stress...

This sounds like a good plan to me!

Do we understand how Group Actions work? (I don't see them listed in the SRD). Feel free to ask for more details if you need.

---

Dunko would narrate what they are doing to get everyone through, maybe first, maybe last, maybe first and last. Everyone else would narrate what their character is doing.

Everyone would roll the same Approach and Skill (Caution and Mobility, I assume, but we need to agree first).

We take the highest result from all the rolls.

If anyone rolls 1-3, the Leader take Stress. (1 Stress per 1-3 roll, including themself, the leader's roll is not special).

The stakes are: 'getting out of this level' versus 'being noticed'. on a 4-5 both happen, in a Crit we will work out what your bonus is.

Two players getting 6s is still just a 6, since we take the single highest result, which, in that case, is a 6. For a Crit we need the player to get a Crit of their own, and, I think, only Blank can do that, since everyone else might only have 1d?

We can not Assist, since we are all already involved in the action and the consequence, but anyone can Push to get themself extra dice.

Consequences can be resisted by anyone, as usual.

I think that all makes sense.

So again, other than the cameras, there doesn't appear to he anyone about, right?

I was thinking the approach at this point is just walking through like we own the place--projecting a "nothing to see here, we've got our business so mond yours"--a bit of Empathy and mobility perhaps.

And to clarify, success would roll in any potential encounters we did have, like we'd give them the don't mess with us vibe and both groups go on their way.

Correct. No one ever comes down here. They appear to have forgotten about this place.
If you choose to go that route rather than avoiding the cameras then the type of risk will adjust accordingly. It should not affect the Level of the Threat, just their nature.
That could make sense for what you describe, but remember that everyone has to roll the same set, so, while Empathy gives you an extra die, it takes one away from the rest, leaving them rolling 0d. (If we do the group action).

---

The benefit of the Group Action is that you only have one 'roll' so only one set of consequences. If you want to each do your own thing, you can each roll whatever stats work for you, but it will be three sets of rolls and potentially three sets of consequences. But you save the direct Stress risk of a Group Action.

Your individual actions still have to make sense in the fiction. It might be hard to have one person strolling along as though they own the place while another creeps around trying to stay hidden.

Yeah that makes sense, so let's stick with Caution and Mobility then if we are doing group roll! Do we all agree on those two then? We can just say Blank is out front, scoping round corners and such and narrate from there.

If that is what you are doing, sure. But the 'leader' does not need to 'leading', it is mainly about who takes up the slack and deals with (and pays the price for) the almost-whoopsies anyone makes.

sound slike something D. would do :D
So we could say Blank may just be behind and left to deal with those kids? all the stress he gets from that would make him the leader right? :D

Indeed. The term 'manager' might be a better one than 'leader'.

Let's let Blank tell use where they are what they are doing, and then, after, what they are doing to take up the slack and how it Stresses them.

just quickly checking, as I may have gotten lost, but we're rolling for the group now right?

That's right.

We need a roll from each of you, which you can place in a description of what you are trying to do. Feel free to post a followup after the roll or wait for everyone to post and roll for a conclusion.

@Dunko, you can add your roll to your post, or wait and see how/what the others do and then post again. While you have to deal with the fallout, your roll does not help you do so. The "leader's" roll counts exactly the same as the others' do.

I'll add it now and make a follow up based on what we read from the dice!

Unimportant rules clarification:

@CESN: In your post you were actually rolling with 1d6+0d6 which is 1d6, so you were not rolling with zero dice, no need to use the special `2d6L1` dice code, that is for when you have no dice, you had 1. :)

I makes no difference here, it is still a 6 (so we know we unequivocally succeed on this group action).

@nezzeraj: We are waiting on Winston's part of the Group Action.

Do you need anything from us to help?

1+0=1 🤔 You're always learning 🤣 I completely forgot it was pooling than when I pressed the automatic roll 🤣

That is my dream. :)
Yep. Figured as much.

That is a 6 on the outcome, so you all make it through the gauntlet and to the 'next level', though actually it is three levels up, before you make it to the smog layer and have to do something different.

Blank, you take two Stress --one from your own 1-3 and one from Winston. What happened and what did you have to do to make it go smooth (don't embarrass other players or make their characters seems incompetent, but feel free to ask them what they did wrong and they are welcome to embarrass themselves:).

Blame the kids if you must, but that will engender resentment. :)

---

• What did you each spot along the way that might be interesting or useful later?

D. was flawless 🤣

Though, not Critically so. :)

The kids will have noticed. Your Rep grows.

What did you find that you think will prove useful (for anything) during your ongoing mission?

@nezzeraj: What is Winston trying to do? What do you hope to achieve with this roll?

In future, before you roll, we have to work out the details. Don't roll till we have gotten to that step, or you cut of all your adjustment options.

@CESN: Are you trying to achieve anything specific here? Do you think it needs a roll. If not I can just react in character.

Well, it was mostly RPing that I can "say it worse" but I never pass a change of making things worse by rolling :D
Would Aggression (2d6) + Influence (0d6) work ? it's kind of an aggressive intent... but maybe Smartness (1d6) + Influence (0d6)... anything but Empathy (0d6)+ Influence (0d6). He is not good with people... unless its to smash them xD

Probably, it does not sound like an Empathetic action. I wouldn't call it particularity 'Smart' either, but it depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Rolling with Aggression means it is an aggressive act and will be interpreted as such (maybe with tears, since they are not likely to fight you). What end-result do you want if all goes well, what do you think the downsides would be?

Trying to get into the security and surveillance system to hopefully get a video feed and pinpoint where our objective is.

If you fail, you get a nice zoom on the kid's crying face instead :D a meme waiting to be

Sounds like a win-win lol.

ahah yes, I wasn't thinking about anything before you asked... I don't want to be overly agressive, but it's not like I'm trying to sway them as well. The idea was to just reply in the same currency, thus ... outsmarting the kids that is being funny... that's kind of where the smart idea came from... But I'm just rolling for the trouble really :D

OK, so roll it for the trouble.

How are you doing that? More fiction gives us more to work with and defines the consequences.

We already established in the fiction that the SSS is particularly risky (it has an Edge when it comes to 'security' related stuff) so it is Threat level 3. I don't think it is particularly better than other systems at defending itself, so we won't also reduce the Effect, leaving it at Effect 2.

Since you have rolled and know the outcome it is too late for you to adjust the Threat and Effect.

Since you went in hard (not using Cautious) Effect 2 will be enough to gain you superficial access. You can take a look around but still need to search for your objective.

Look, I'm not a hacker in real life so I have no idea how Winston would do that. I think I'm going to bow out, actually. I wanted to give the BitD system another chance and figured a different genre would work better, but I think I have experienced enough now to know that this system is just not for me. And it's doubly worse on PbP than in person imo. Thanks for the opportunity and I hope the mission is a success.

OK. We will miss you thanks for what you brought to the game.
I like the system, but it really struggles in PbP. I hoped the slightly simpler rules of this game would be enough to help, but they don't really change the troublesome mechanics.
Meh. I don't care about the success of the mission. The fun is all that matters.