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TigerGuard

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Posts posted by TigerGuard

  1. 7 hours ago, Allen1 said:

    This would seem to be the desired fate for the Voodoo Boyz.  Cossack, what did you think the reaction would be for wearing the late gang leader's "Flamboyant Feather" so openly one block from that gang's main public hangout.  You had one opportunity to return it and keep the peace, but no, there had to be blood!  Well, of course!  I would expect no less of a true cyberpunk!  The books themselves just cry out for any group to take them down:  Night CIty Sourcebook; page 141; Encounter #9 - "Run across another victim of the Voodoo Boyz.  You know, something should really be done about them."

    Some kind of war with the Voodoo Boyz now appears inevitable.  It will probably take a while for them to get all fired up and actually do something about you all.  Of course, that will depend on how much you 'get in their face' from now on.  You really don't know that much about them in regards strength, numbers and such.  As of the moment, they are not much of a threat.               

    I expected that someone would see us go in and that there would be a scout party when we left to verify the situation.  The possibility that there would be a small ambush crossed my mind, but I did not expect a war party of the size that confronted us.  I offered Voodoo Boy #12 the opportunity to reclaim the feather in an honorable fashion, but that pansy didn't even manage to actually make it into the fray.  I do not believe that the Voodoo Boyz have sufficient honor to accept the return of the feather and then part ways peacefully (perhaps I miscalculated, but I have no regrets).  Furthermore, I have been stewing for a year over their cowardly shooting of Mia so at this moment in time I'm actually of a mind to get kitted out and see how deep I make it into their hangout.  As I see it, I've made positive impacts on the lives of Mary, Kathleen, and Elixio - what more is there really left for me in this life?  I can look forward to a soul crushing 9-5 job that will barely make it possible to pay my bills?  A possibility that Celestine might forgo her fight and come join me here?  And if she does, she'll be a constant target for those who want to hurt me - just like Mary and Kathleen are now.  So going out in a blaze of glory has a lot of positives at the moment. [OOC - there is a certain pride in talking about a character who survives a campaign beginning to end, and there can be an equal pride to a character going out in a memorable fashion that fits the toon and the world setting.]

    As for secondary toons, I will gladly pass the techie to Senior Officer Mikael Van Atta if he has a good feeling about creating one.  I'll play around with making a Prowler and a Marine Force Recon this weekend.  Once I have something, I'll post it up and see what kind of feedback is sent my way. 

  2. My current reservations are -

    1) I've created an issue for the party with my antagonizing of the Voodoo Boyz.  If I duck out now, that's rather cowardly.  And I can't say how frustrating it would be if a new character got all sorts of kills simply because I opt for a switch one session. (Ok, this is mostly sarcastic, but I really enjoyed how pitiful they came across last session and I want to add a few more fetishes to my ensemble.)

    2) Things seem very shaky on the financial side of things right now.  I know we have the September and October paydays coming, but that doesn't give us a lot of time to find a high end money stream and I worry that if I put too much focus on a new toon then I will get a rude surprise in Cossack's near future.  Now, if we can maintain a certain level of connection outside of game days - emailed to do lists, answered by resolution statements for instance - to make sure our originals do not get left behind or blindsided by empty bank accounts, etc. then I'm more than game.

    18 hours ago, senior officer Mikael van Atta said:

    The idea is interesting.

    However, actually inventing such a secondary character - that'll be somewhat challenging. 

    1. Where can we source those characters from, apart from the Chrome Berets ranks?
    2. What roles do we need those characters to fulfill? With our primary characters, we have quite some stuff covered, and mostly to a degree a novice character can't compete with.

     1) I would say that Mitzi's numerous contacts can be a source of introduction for new characters.  Or our reputations can attract people from our old neighborhood who want to get out of Wu Dang's fiefdom, or even students from the university who think we might be the escape from the regimented life they're looking for.

    2) I agree that maybe a Medtech or Techie could be of use, as could a Netrunner who specializes in drones.  Also, we might look at getting a new Prowler since our previous one has graduated and may not be too keen to risk her new position on a simple B&E.  I would say that an Ex-cybersoldier could be of use so that our solo needs are met by someone other than an NPC, and he might be referred by the folks at the Forlorn Hope. Traveling further afield, with some consultation with @Allen1, we might find a Nomad to be a useful bridge to a Pack, or a low-level Corp may be looking to gentrify one of the adjacent neighborhoods and need a capable team.  Perhaps a Private Investigator needs a new stomping ground, and support to back him up.  I also think your statement about a Face could be beneficial depending on the specialization (and I think it would have to be specialized so that it does not overlap with Mitzi).

  3. Cossack would like to take a moment to curse whatever person designed such an atrocious apartment layout - the kitchen should be where the bathroom is, the bathroom moved to the bedroom's location and the bedroom should slide over to the kitchen.  Seriously, the bedroom next to the hallway wall where you can hear everyone coming and going, or if you're entertaining, they might hear the same??? And who wants to sleep in a cave? The living room and bedroom should both be placed next to the floor to ceiling windows so the occupant can have some sense of day/night. 

    Having vented that I have a few questions -

    A ) I know tv services are not provided in the rent, but are there tv's installed in the units?  If so, where?

    B ) Is the bed secured to the wall in the bedroom? 

    C ) The bedroom furniture appears to consist of a bed, a dresser at the foot of the bed(?), and a workstation with chair.  Is that accurate?

    D ) Are the windows covered by blinds / drapes, or are they capable of darkening via remote?

     Now, as for a to do list -

    1) Get the money for Mouse and deliver it.

    2) Reach out to Suzy to see if she can use a hand at her garage in exchange for future trades.  

    3) Go purchase a GevHog.  With the outlays for housing and food I can't do the smartlinked expense, but I'm not going to put off the purchase like I did last time we were here.  If the second action works out favorably, then it shouldn't be long before I can add the option.

    4) Go visit Bob Waite's to get my grey suit repaired.

    5) Go to Nancy's Book Nook and look for a book on the Dacians.

    6) Help out at the Chrome Beret club house getting some of their projects done.

  4. 41 minutes ago, senior officer Mikael van Atta said:

    As for the heart of the matter - honestly, there's only one reason why the A-20 is there at all. That being Voivod's desire to ride it in the ambush. Rule of cool, if you will.

    Otherwise I'd much more prefer to have an extra rifleman (or three, as that's how many crew an A-20 requires) in the field.

    Considering the link we put in, Voivod should be able to fill all 3 crew slots correct?  We've mounted the auto firing system allowing me to direct link into the vehicle to control the weapons while piloting it, the only thing lacking is someone to load the missle launcher - which I may or may not actually be able to make use of in this encounter.  

    @Allen1 thank you for pointing me at Shockwave.  It's a bit ridiculous that they state a hover is sometimes treated as a ground and sometimes an air vehicle, lay out the maneuvers a ground vehicle can do and then denote all of said maneuvers as unable to perform in a hover.  Why not just do 3 charts - ground, hover and air?!?!?!? Looking at the Combat Maneuvers on pg. 72 of Shockwave, it lists Rapid Direction Changes (all of which it says a hover may not perform in the Chase/Race Maneuvers section) and says Moving Pivots are a specialty of vehicles that can hover, allowing them to turn any direction they want. When done while moving, these are Difficulty 15.  So, given this maneuver, if I'm moving north at the beginning of my movement and perform this action to face the A-20 west during my move, do I continue to travel north for the remainder of this round due to my momentum?  What direction am I traveling at the beginning of the next turn? This all seems a bit shaky since I can't perform a bootlegger, but I can perform a Moving Pivot (which states any direction) which means I can be heading north, make a difficulty 15 pilot roll and switch my heading to south - thus performing a bootlegger at Diff15 instead of Diff25. Huh?

  5. On 08/04/2021 at 13:05, Allen1 said:

    By calculating the deceleration rate of the A-20, Voivod could enter the battle board on the third or fourth turn depending on the speed he wishes to enter with.  (By the way, you CAN'T do a 'bootlegger reverse' in a hovercraft, I checked.)  These beasts don't turn well, so if you come in too fast, you can easily crack it up in the woods. 

    Where can I find the rules on maneuvers and modifications? Based on Maximum Metal and Shockwave the Panzer has Acc/Dec of 20 / 10 so I could be as high as 80mph on the turn I enter the map (but I'm guessing I will be going slower and actively decelerating at least on the turn when I enter the map, if not also the turn before). But I kind of need to review the rules and maneuver options as I try to actually prep for this.  I do know the turn radius rules - 1/3 actual distance traveled on mild turn (up to 30 degrees), 1/6 for tight turns (above 30 degrees), and 1/12 for extremely tight (I don't see specifics on how tight is extremely...) all of which are doubled for being a hover type.  So as I comprehend this equation, if I'm doing 40mph on entering the map my distance per combat turn is 40mph * 1.33 = 53.2 meters, then my mild turn is 1/3 of 53.2 =  17.73 meters * 2 (hover) = 35.46 meters. Rounding both up (assumption, not sure if that's correct) means I can do a turn of up to 30 degrees that takes 35 meters, and requires a total of 19 meters moved before / after the turn.  A tight turn requires 18 meters and 36 meters moved before and / or after.  If all of this is mathematically sound then I can plot a chart for all of the speeds, if it's incorrect then please enlighten me where I went of the rails.  The other piece to enter into the equation is when does the Acc / Dec factor in?  Does the speed change happen at the beginning or end of the turn?

  6. Cossack will recommend a flying wedge with the panzer at the point, supported by heavy mg's on the helicopter and multiple drones loaded out with rockets to prevent escape.  He'll also ask for permission to mount external speakers so he can blast Fortunate Son as we charge in.  Once these ideas are shot down (for the obvious reasons), he'll adjourn to the vehicle bay to help prep the tank and duster's and grumble about how no one appreciates the Cav anymore.

     

    In terms of field craft, spider holes shouldn't be too obvious since they're only large enough for one man - but I'm a tanker not a foot slogger so maybe they're more obvious then I think.  @senior officer Mikael van Atta just make sure the L is situated in a way that allows me entry on to the map with a field of fire that doesn't jeopardize our own people, because I really intend to make the most of this moment.  After all, I don't know if I'll get another chance at making a full fledged tank run again.

  7. Looking at the Mk.19 Wiki page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_19_grenade_launcher - the ROF is as follows - 

    360 - 390 rpm (cyclicThis is the mechanical rate of fire, or how fast the weapon "cycles" (loads, locks, fires, unlocks, ejects).

    40 rpm (sustainedThis is the rate at which the weapon could reasonably be fired indefinitely without failing. In contrast to the cyclic rate, the sustained rate is the actual rate at which the weapon would typically be fired in combat.

    60 rpm (rapidRapid rate is a rate of fire between cyclic and sustained . It is usually much faster, although less accurate, than the sustained rate and is only used in emergency/final defensive line situations. The rapid rate is not sustainable for long periods because it eats up a great amount of ammunition (more than the troops are likely to carry on a patrol), the heat generated requires barrel change times to be reduced, and with the one spare barrel usually issued, prolonged rapid fire will result in shortened weapon/barrel life.

    Thus 40 rpm, or approximately 2 rounds per 3.3 seconds, seems the more reasonable assessment. Further, the ammo box for the Mk. 19 is 32 or 48 rounds (the v5 Reference Book states 50)  which indicates the 360+ rpm is not the least bit feasible with a man portable weapon.  I hate to cut myself off at the ankles since the higher rate of fire is likely to benefit me (us) more, but I work with too many ex-military who often complain about the unreliable nature of the AGL's to argue for 20 rounds ROF. 

     

  8. Marty has already gone to great lengths to secure one barrio's loyalty, and she is making important inroads into a second.  This assignment is an expansion of those early moves and we need to be very open that Father Aguinaldo is receiving this assistance at Donna Vargas's behest.  I believe that it's important that people begin to realize that Donna Vargas can get things accomplished through the people she trusts, not just her own direct intervention.

    There comes a point where we 4 (or 5 if we count Reggie) need to be identifiable as something other than Marty's shadows. Maybe it's my love of the dramatic, or the allure of the silver screen hero, but I think we as a party need to use this moment to solidify ourselves as a group slightly separate from Donna Vargas, while obviously part of her realm (if that makes sense).  I suggest we utilize a few small details about her character as a foundation - her Dacian Tribal Tattoo and her Romanian surname Lupescu.  Those two combined make a short step to the Dacian Wolf.  Between Cossacks love of films and 8-Balls gang/military history background, we should both understand the benefit of a symbol or caricature for influencing people and groups.  Further, just as Donna Vargas did not wish to be seen as being party to a barroom brawl when Hiroko was insulted, I believe she would enjoy a buffer between her "legitimate" endeavors and her "civic improvements." There really can be a intimidation factor when someone is told that the War Wolves are coming if you keep doing what you're doing, as opposed to Donna Vargas is going to get you.  That's not to suggest that the result is different in any way, but it provides a layer of plausible deniability to a public figure.

    Eh, maybe that's all just incoherent ramblings but it makes senses in my head.

  9. As I see it, it's the details that make the story a good story.  When I was perusing the weapons list to outfit Voivod, I chose a weapon described as compact and light weight, intended for use by paratroopers, because it made sense that a driver would want something easily stowed inside a vehicle.  You on the other hand chose an FN-RAL.  The weapons are very similar in stats, and appearance, but different in caliber.  In the new story we can swap magazines back and forth as needed, and loot bodies to no end in order to maintain our ammunition supply.  In a good story, we have to be aware of our limitations, work around our shortages, and plan for the unexpected around the next encounter.  I do appreciate that they've streamlined SMG / Rifle / Shotgun into Shoulder Fire, but I detest that Drive / Motorcyle / Pilot: Hover / Operate Heavy Machinery are now Drive Land Vehicle.  Over specialization via simplification destroys story and setting, in my opinion.

     

  10. I've read it cover to cover, flipped back through to reassess, and come to the conclusion that the whole thing needs to become kindling to get me through the cold winter.  Throughout the entire book, the only thing that really excited me was the Role specific portion of the random background - and only because that will reign in players who think that every starting character is somehow world famous and more capable than any NPC ever discussed in the lore.  I despise the direction of current RPG's to "streamline" skills and equipment.  I've been invited to join groups for Pathfinder 2.0, and 5th ed. D&D, and had to decline because of the game mechanics that allow more playability.  If I want that kind of playability I'll stick to Skyrim and 2077.  

    The setting was a jumble of missed opportunities - and as an aside, what is it that causes these game creators to think that the greater north west US is some idyllic spot?  

    You can say I'm a grognard, old school, Neanderthal, whatever... I play pen and paper games for immersion and the challenge, this version provides neither. 

  11. On 09/02/2021 at 10:12, Allen1 said:

    So, I am suggesting a new 'House Rule' for PCs and named (important) NPCs:  A head shot only instantly kills when it does 2x the damage needed to destroy the Head (i.e. 18 points).  A hit that does 9 to 17 points puts the character in a coma.  The result of which leaves the character unconscious for a number of days equal to the number of damage points over 8 (i.e. 1-9 days) plus 1d6+1 days.  At some point during this time the PC (or important NPC) must make a straight Death Save to survive.  Also, the character's normal healing rate is reduced by 50%.  This rule wouldn't apply to a coupe de grâce or formal execution.       

    Would this new House Rule replace the Mulligan you allow, or augment it because you can't sway the scales of fate?  If this is in addition to the Mulligan, I think it becomes too much of a good thing.  Maybe I'd even go so far as to say you're putting 2 mushrooms in the borscht (to quote a very intelligent man I know 😁 ).  I looked at the damage in Red as Senior Officer Mikael van Atta mentioned, and I might be more supportive of blending your advanced damage with a random effect from a table because of the ways it could enhance our stories.  While someone may survive the damage, once they awake from the coma and learn of the random result they may still feel it best to "retire" the pc.  Such people can become important NPC's or powerful patrons/contacts for the remaining team members.  Things like this drive the story in unforeseen directions, but it is still in the pc's hands to decide the ultimate fate of the character in that moment.  In general, for PC's and important NPC's, I would be fully in favor of a roll on a random damage chart anytime a limb blown off or instant death result occurs. 

    Given what happened during the last session when I took that hit, instead of shifting the shot to Reggie I could have taken your extra damage and if the math had fallen in my favor (which I don't think it would have),  been in a coma for a long while and awoken to (random roll of 2) a lost eye which would reduce my ranged attacks and Awarness Checks by 4 until I either replaced the eye or got a cyber implant.  If the result had been a 6 - broken jaw - I would suffer a -4 to all speech related activity.  Ok, so do I stay the strong, silent type or do I get an implant to repair the damage?  Do I even have the funds to get an implant?  Do I retire Voivod and start a new story with a new toon?  

    Regardless, insta-death or extended coma still leaves the player in the uncomfortable position of missing extended game time or having to introduce a new character into the group.  Given your willingness to influence the scales of fate, you might consider a modifier to the coma duration (or proposed random chart, or both) based on the length of time between the injury and medical attention being applied.  Hell, the bonus could be further swayed depending on whether the injured receives generic first aid or full treatment by a medtech - thus making Cecia even more important to the group.

  12. 8 hours ago, Allen1 said:

    Furthermore, originally all limb destruction (9 pts. going through in one hit) ended with a cyberlimb or a replacement meat limb from a Body Bank.  Then with there was the introduction of 'Bone Glue' that gave skilled medical personnel the chance to save the original limb.  Using that on a head wound is a bit like 'Humpty Dumpty', so that isn't very workable.      

    The movie Kingsman: The Golden Circle had a plastic wrap that injected a nanite foam into head wounds.  Is it a bit hokey? Yeah sure. Any more hokey than a "glue" that mends a fractured limb in 5 minutes? Not really. Too be honest, some sort of advanced wrap that combined bone glue, skin foam and nanites sits far better with me in terms of saving blown off limbs then just a dose of bone glue.  Saying that applying such a wrap to an extremity - arm, leg, or head - that has sustained "destruction" level damage in X number of rounds after the injury will allow a saving roll later to save the extremity makes a better story to me.  It also should inspire PC's to have a sense of urgency in providing first aid to one another, rather than just relegating that activity to after the encounter.  Overall, I guess I'm arguing that better roleplay and character optimization should be encouraged over limiting the effects from the dangerous world.

    Your house ruled Mulligan is more than fair.  I benefited from it during the last session, even if I did suffer survivors remorse by the time we hit the underground complex.  As players we make choices that have an impact on our survivability - for instance I keep defaulting to lower SP armors because it "fits" my perceived background as a driver who favors mobility over coverage.  Had I sought the full kit that 8-Ball secured, then the helmet and my skinweave might have prevented me from reaching the Mulligan choice.  Now that I've survived, do I adapt to our increased combat orientation and up armor? Or do I continue to avoid EV penalties and run the risk of quick death?  The choice is mine at this point, and the results are unbiased and out in the open thanks to the ASTRAL roll.  I can't argue that I'm being treated unfairly because all of the rolls for all the players are out there to be seen.  As it stands, I believe 3 out of the 4 current PC's have used their Mulligan, and we're 20 sessions in!  With everything we've been through, and not having a single official player death, I'd say your system is well suited to the setting.  

    In the end, it's your game to run and I'm along for the enjoyable ride.  

  13. 38 minutes ago, Rockwolf66 said:

    If i could find any i would be stocking up on more ammunition. I currently have about a ton of it but it's not all in common calibers. Thankfully i have firearms that can shoot it.

    Once upon a time we bought ammo for the guns we had, now we buy guns for the ammo we can find....  oh how my grandson will enjoy me telling that story over and over.  Not quite as dramatic as the trek my grandfather had to make just to get to and from school every day, but I'm sure it will be just as eye-roll inducing.

     

  14. If I might make a suggestion to help 8-Ball grab some IP to free up a Teacher Slot - grab some electronic stuff and set-up a kid friendly room for Crusher's sister.  Some special lighting, maybe a stereo system, whatever, cause like @Allen1pointed out, there's no planned work to do at the house - I myself purchased an underbody lighting kit to install on Marty's car.  She doesn't know about it yet, and she may not let me leave it in place, but installing it will get me some IP to increase my own Electronics skill.  I'm also casting around for other DIY projects that really don't need to be done, but can be accomplished quick and without much investment on my part for the same reason, so if you don't feel inclined to help her out just holler and I'll put it on my to-do list.  

  15. I’m not suggesting big enough explosives to bring down the bunker, just enough explosives to launch a whole lot of ball bearings and thus make anything flesh into chunky salsa. Also, if she can program the flights then the first 5 will be on their way - 3 at the bunker and 2 at the non-doored building - before she launches the 5 for loiter. 
    Another option would be to hit it with the Milan before switching to drone control and then she can exploit any enlarged opening the missile creates should it fail to bring down the structure. 

  16. So I have a query - I figure Marty is planning on the big bang followed by sniping since she’s good at it. But wouldn’t we get bigger bang for the buck with some flying claymore style drones? Yes we’d have to make them up on the quick before we deploy, but if she can fly the drones through the firing ports, then the ball bearings trapped within the strong walls of the bunker will do excessive damage to everything inside. If she can pre-program the flights then one or two can also be set to fly into the building with no doors. Considering each claymore weighs ~10% of the Milan, then we can carry 10 or so drones spread across multiple team members instead of one large, heavy unit. Further, all drones not on the first wave she can loiter and drop on any concentration of fighters - a tad more effective then one shot one kill sniper method. Plus, she’ll have the Chrome Beret sniper with her as a personal protector. 

  17. Cossack does have a small Wilderness Survival ability after all his years running the Carpathians.  I’d love to get a vehicle to make the trip faster/smoother/more efficient, but the description of the ground cover and overall terrain makes it sound like that would be difficult to say the least. 
    For the record, I too have several reservations about parts of this plan. 

  18. Cyberpunk is supposed to be about style over substance, so carrying a walking stick as an affectation announces you aren't a run of the mill street denizen, even if said walking stick is shaped like a baseball bat.  But I can see where 8-Ball would say it doesn't fit his style. So from my personal time being around bikers I can suggest a lock on a bandana.  Too conspicuous or obvious? Switch it out for a large tubular metal lighter and carry a pack of cigarettes. Then there's the mag lite flashlight.  Too large? Grab a couple of pocket flash lights with a pop out end spike.  If questioned, they're emergency glass breakers in case your client is trapped inside a vehicle. Of course you could also choose to go with the metal chain epaulets. Steel toe boots are always popular. This last one will be very strange, but it was used by a personal friend who worked as a bouncer and sometimes lived the nomad life out of his truck - he carried a 10" silicone dildo in his jacket inner pocket.  It's like beating someone with a rubber hose and there's no way security or police could justifiably consider it a weapon unless they actually witness the assault (which in this case would have been Cam taking pics of you beating someone with a large marital aid... not sure how that would affect your rep).

    Next are suggestions from a friend of mine who is highly proficient in multiple martial arts - 

    Lead lined gloves and matching elbow pads sewn into your jacket.

    Carbon fiber / kevlar collapsible baton - perhaps camouflaged by carbon fiber panels on your jacket or pants?

    Metal business cards - these can have a decently sharpened edge and if you have a bunch of random ones made up you tell security it is your job to carry the cards Martina is given while doing business. Or they can be made to resemble a deck of playing cards.

    Hair picks with those nice pointed handles - they make terrific poniards.  Standard plastic would probably see you through one or 2 fights, but a high density plastic / carbon fiber option should be good to go for a long time.  Throw a compact and lipstick or eyeliner tube in the pocket with them and you can claim they are Martina's emergency touch up supplies. 

    Necklace made of 550 cord and a bunch of washers.

    In situations like yesterday where we are in a restaurant, specify that you are ordering a steak so there will be a knife on the table and make sure you keep it if the service is cleared.

    He too liked the tactical pen idea, but if it's been ruled a specialized skill then that's that.

    Hope something in there inspires a flicker of an idea.

     

     

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