[Teknodragon]

Suppose a character has the ever-popular form-fitting full-body armor, and has it customized with ruthenium. If the ruthenium is turned off, or simply set to a color pattern to look like armor that is supposed to be inconspicuous under the clothes worn over it, would a scanner and such be able to detect it? I am assuming any wireless is turned off.

[Kot]

A chemical scanner could detect ruthenium polymers.

[Teknodragon]

A chemical scanner could detect ruthenium polymers.

Wait, what? I thought ruthenium was a video-screen coating?

[Kot]

ruthenium polymer is as the name suggests, a polymer compound. That means it can be detected by chemical scanners.

[FastJack]

ruthenium polymer is as the name suggests, a polymer compound. That means it can be detected by chemical scanners.

Actually, I don't think they can. Chemsniffers are meant to find explosive compounds, not specific polymers.

Although you could modify one to detect them, it doesn't come "out of the box" like that.

Olfactory scanners, also known as chemical detection systems or chemsniffers, analyze molecules in the air for nitrogen-rich particles like those given off in explosives or firearm ammunition. To detect explosives or ammunition, roll a dice pool equal to the chemsniffer’s rating against a threshold 2 (3 if the explosives/ammo are hermetically sealed). Apply modifiers as noted on the Chemical Detection Modifiers table.

[Lansdren]

Or you could always have something on you coated in the polymers legitimatly.

"What about my jacket officer? Its polymered you say, well how else am I going to sell advertising space on it"

[KarmaInferno]

And how many chemsniffers will be able to tell it's ruthenium polymer, and not one of the billion other types of polymer out there?



-k

[Kot]

Those that will pass a Rating(1-6) test?

[Kerebrus]

I'm having a problem with that in my own game - the stock chameleon suit's -4 DP on perception tests puts most NPC's at zero pool.  Since the system does rely on microsized cameras to know what to project on the opposite side of the suit, I'm pretty sonfident with giving it an electronic signature.

otherwise, hit it with ultrasound.

[Teknodragon]

I'm having a problem with that in my own game - the stock chameleon suit's -4 DP on perception tests puts most NPC's at zero pool.  Since the system does rely on microsized cameras to know what to project on the opposite side of the suit, I'm pretty sonfident with giving it an electronic signature.

otherwise, hit it with ultrasound.

-4 on vision, but it doesn't help with thermographic, ultrasound, radar, Astral... or if the character makes any noise. I don't see it as the Perfect Solution to infiltration, just an extremely useful tool, just as sequencers and a hardware toolkit are. A properly set up chameleon/ruthenium suit should let a character pull off the 'not here' Predator-style near-invisibility, but especially with the tech available in 2072, that isn't an auto-success.

[The_Gun_Nut]

Just another tool in the box for an infiltrator to use, not the be-all-end-all of stealth.

[joe15552]

Ruthenium detection really isn't a big deal in my mind. If you have a Ruthenium scanner, you first have to detect the item to scan. It's not like you run a ruthenium scanner and all ruthenium in the area is located with 1 meter accuracy..... right? That would just be silly. And if someone finds out you are wearing ruthenium, it's not illegal. It's only restricted. Just get a fake license. Sounds every bit as dangerous as carrying a fake licensed and concealed firearm.

[esprism]

Do you think that regular clothes with good display device are so different from ruthenium that the scanner can make the difference ?

[Morg]

I love War! I have just added thermographic paint to chem mines great for increasing target luminosity in an unexpected way

[The_Gun_Nut]

You could make the charge that launches the paint pnematic, removing the chance that conventional chem sniffers could detect the mine.  I.E. With no explosive charge, the chem sniffer won't react to the mine (normally that is, since someone could get a sniffer with more advanced software that could pick up the paint inside the mine).