[Tecumseh]

Slimworm is canon, from Chrome Flesh. Here's the entry, if you're interested:

[spoiler]SLIMWORM
One of the most popular endosymbionts, the slimworm also comes in the widest variety, each ranging by design into 5-kilogram categories, such as 40–45, 45–50, and so on. As long as the host avoids starvation, the slimworm
can undertake one of several approaches for keeping the host’s weight within the designed band. The core function is to activate an appetite suppressant, but speeding the hosts’s metabolism or selectively deactivating digestive
functions to allow greater material to pass through is also within its abilities. Attached to the stomach, the slimworm operates as a sort of smart stomach, keeping the host’s processes inside the desired level. Interestingly, the slimworm is quite adept at nutritional analysis and can further pass along a desire for certain foods to the host which are perceived as sudden cravings as the brain adapts the more primitive suggestion into an understandable form. It should be noted that if the host undernourishes themselves, they will need to go on one or more eating binges until the damage is repaired. In addition to maintaining the desired weight, the host receives +1 Body for resisting any ingested toxin.[/spoiler]

Essense 0.2, Availability 4, ¥1,000

The cost isn't bad, especially given the added die for ingested toxins. Fourth edition had "Dietware" in Augmentation, which was simple bioware.

As for Strive for Perfection, here's that. Your reading of it looks correct.

STRIVE FOR PERFECTION (12 KARMA)
Excellence in his craft is what this assassin aims for. It is not enough to take out the target; the job must be done efficiently, quickly, and without the slightest misstep. This is what separates the good assassins from the great ones in his mind, and he aims to be one of the greats.
Advantages: The assassin has honed his skills with firearms to the point where shots that would be tough for most people are second nature to him. Halve the cost of all Called Shots, meaning they impose only a –2 dice pool penalty instead of –4. The Called Shot still costs a Free Action.
Disadvantages: The standard “aiming for center mass” shots that most people take are beneath this sort of assassin. He seeks to make every shot count, regardless of how many bullets are in his magazine. The assassin must make Called Shots unless he is providing covering fire or acting in a similar capacity where Called Shots would not be practical.

However, you should compare it to Sharpshooter from Run & Gun, which has the same advantage with a less restrictive disadvantage for significantly less karma. It might be the better fit, both mechanically and thematically (since I take James to be more of a sharpshooter than an assassin).

SHARPSHOOTER (4 KARMA)
Through focus and vigilance it’s possible to hone a shooting skill to the point of an excess of precision. This honing means that specific techniques are trained to the point of perfection, but in that training, other, more basic maneuvers are skipped over. Characters with this quality are more skilled at making Called Shots, but at the cost of their basic shooting skills. Penalties for Called Shots are decreased by 2, while all other Ranged Attack actions suffer a –1 dice pool penalty.

[Tecumseh]

IC is up, kicking off Chapter IV. You have a chance to ask for questions and to request supplies. Anything Availability 12 or under is likely. Over that is a "maybe".

In other news, here's the post soliciting interest in a potential Anarchy game: http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=25704.0

You're under no obligation to sign up. I'll be fine if it doesn't happen now.

[rednblack]

Let's see if James knows anything about this Dr. Faustus group.  With Magical Theory, I have 6 dice.
Magic Theory (Dr. Faustus): 6d6t5 3

I am interested in the Anarchy game, or at least I think I am before reading the rules.  I'll get the book later this week, and see how it looks.  I do see that it's on sale right now, so that seems promising.

Also on books, I've settled on Missoula for my low-powered three-chapter advancement game that I've been working on.  You thought rather highly of the Butte book, correct?  Otherwise, I'm looking at Shadows of North America: Vol. 1 as my primary text.  I wish I knew more about how to work Google maps.  I haven't found a good tutorial that I like.

As for Qualities, I looked into Sharpshooter as well, but the -2 reduction on Called Shots isn't quite the same as cutting a 10 dice penalty in half.  Of course, looking at the text, it would appear that the writers were intending Strive for Perfection to be used with the Called Shots in the CRB so I'm unsure if the Quality would cut the higher penalty shots in half from Run and Gun. 

[Tecumseh]

No, I was disappointed in Butte. It's not actively bad; it just missed a lot of opportunities. I don't think it's a good value at $8. I paid $4 for it when it was on sale a year ago, which is much closer to its fair value.

The wording for Strive for Perfection is especially poor, as you can interpret it both ways (either "half" or -2). Now, given its karma price and the price for Sharpshooter, "half" would certainly seem to be the fairer interpretation. It would also make a lot of Run & Gun's called shots more feasible, as they are generally too expensive (in terms of dice) and too niche (in their effects) to be more than curiosities.

Dr. Faustus Society
Everything Edsger says matches James' understanding. In fact, James was unaware that the Society admitted any women, so any exceptions to that rule would be news to him.

He knows that the society is open (not secretive) and that basically every University between the UK and the Czech Republic will have a least one Faustian in the magic department. Same goes for any corporation of any significant size.

Faustians are elitist and look down on mundanes, non-hermetics, and anyone who has to work with their hands for a living.

The name comes from the last scene of the play, where Faustus is damned and laments his fate and lost potential. The Society takes that as a cautionary tale, suggesting that their mission statement (if they have one) is to prevent such a loss from happening.

[rednblack]

IC up.  I'm about to head out, but I'll post a full gear list, which will depend on the exact nature of the job.  More spy game will mean a heavier focus on pistols and armored clothing, while a pure extraction will mean ARs and combat armor.

Do you have any thoughts on Strive for Perfection?  It's a fairly large Karma investment, and I think that making more use of the Called Shots from R&G could be fun, but if it seems abusive I'll take a pass.  I may take a pass temporarily anyway, as James may need Perfect Time to avoid hamstringing himself with all the Called Shots.

Do James and Illeana have any connection with Stevens?  Is our gear still safe and sound stateside, or was it lost in the shuffle?

[Tecumseh]

Stevens is fine. Illeana is in semi-regular contact with him. He's hiding. That said, your Redline (which was in your smuggling compartment, not Stevens) is now in the hands of Ares.

You don't know the nature of the job. You won't know until you get there and investigate.

As for Strive for Perfection, it depends what's more important to you: exploring the rules and dabbling with the mechanics, or developing James. Both approaches are perfectly valid. Obviously the quality would do a bit of both, but it's the opportunity cost of doing so and what your other lines of advancement might be. I would not call it abusive (well, not until we play with it at least).

SINs will be R4. Pick your name and nationality. Illeana will ask for licenses too, and a car.

Redline
Edsger: Shopping for a Redline: ?d6t5 4 hits
Redline: Avoiding being shopped: 14d6t5 5 hits

No Redline this time. Light Fire 75 it is then.

[rednblack]

James' Shopping List

Custom Ballistic Mask -- Final Availability: 11; Cost: 2,275¥
+ Audio Enhancement: Rating 1
+ Select Sound Filter: Rating 1
+ Gas Mask
+ Low-light Flashlight
+ Single Sensor: Rating 5: Motion Sensor
+ Single Sensor: Rating 5: Ultrasound
Ares Globetrotter Jacket -- Final Availability: 10; Cost: 4,800¥
+ Liner: Fire Protection (4)
+ Non-conductivity (4)
+ Chemical Protection (4)
+ Auto-injector
Medkit (6)
Medkit (3)
Lockpick Set
Mini-welder
Stealth Tags
Mage Hood: a mystic mask would be more efficient, but I'm not sure that Schwartzkopf would be willing to attune such an item to Miss Senio.
Mage Cuffs: Ditto above.
Subvocal Mic
Micro-transceiver
2 Hidden Arm-slides
Defiance Ex-Shocker
1 Spare Mags: Light Fire 75
2 Spare Mags: Alpha
5 HE minigrenades
5 Flash-bang minigrenades

I think James still has a Rating 4 commlink from leaving Ares, but I don't know if he has a Rating 1 burner with him.  If not, he'll want one of those.  Similarly, I don't know if James has much of his walking around ¥ with him, but I imagine that the bulk of it is with Stevens.  If he doesn't have much cash, he'll ask for some, and a pair of credsticks for Illeana and himself. 

Let's see what James knows about the laws in Frankfurt.  I'm hoping to supplement that knowledge with a Computer search afterward.  Actually, I'm going to do the Search first, and then Teamwork the Knowledge roll.  Let me know if you want this done differently.
For the computer Search, James has: LOG (4) + Computer (4) = 8 dice.
Computer Search: Laws in Frankfurt: 8d6t5 3

For Laws, James has: LOG (4) + Law (2) + Teamwork Roll (3) = 9 dice
Law knowledge: 9d6t5 4
That should get me the basics.  I'm curious as to whether or not gun laws and cyberware/bioware laws are mostly similar in Frankfurt as the UCAS.  If the tables are relatively the same, James would want a legal firearm, say the Predator V with SnS, and licenses to match.  If guns are largely illegal, he'll carry the Taser in polite company.

In preparation for the job, James is going to use some of his Knowledge Karma to buy Area Knowledge: Frankfurt (2).  Does he have the time for that purchase?  I don't have any questions on Frankfurt right now, so I'll forgo any rolls.

What is the nationality for Illeana's Lara SIN? 

I think James will opt for: Arthur VanBrandt, an Aztechnology Corporate citizen employed with Hawker-Siddeley, an Aztech subsidiary located in England. 

From examining the file on Senio, does James have any solid leads to start off with?  Housing, associates, the like?

[Tecumseh]

What is/are mage hood/cuffs? I see the "mystic constraints" from Street Grimoire but you seem to referring to something different.

The only thing that might give Edsger trouble are the customizations on the ballistic mask and Globetrotter jacket.  Edsger will note that the Globetrotter jacket will not be socially acceptable in Frankfurt, but will provide it in the off-chance that your travels take you into the wilderness.

Edsger: Availability checks: 2#?d6t5 1 hit 4 hits
vs.
Globetrotter Availability: 11d6t5 7 hits (wow) rolled one too many dice but that doesn't matter
Ballistic Mask Availability: 11d6t5 5 hits

Man, hard luck. The Globetrotter jacket will be limited to the off-the-shelf Custom Protection (4), so pick which one you want. As for the ballistic mask, he can only get four of the six requested modifications. Pick which two you want to drop.

He can get 50 rounds of each ammo type requested.

The Lara Senio SIN is for the Czech Republic.

I'll need to review Shadows of Europe to see if it discusses laws in Frankfurt, but my off-the-cuff guess is that it's such a corporate town (between AGC and FBV, both of which enjoy extraterritoriality) that it's corp law that dominates. Depending on the nature of Mr. VanBrandt's work for Hawker-Siddeley, the corporate security forces may allow him to carry reasonable "personal protection devices" (pistol or smaller) as a professional courtesy, but APDS ammo would be a big no-no.

FYI, a medkit (6) is the size of an "oversized duffel bag" per Bullets & Bandages. A medkit (3) is the size of a "large pouch or fanny pack".

Per the Training Rate Table on p. 107 of SR5, it takes [Rating * 1 day] to learn new skills of Rating 1-4. So, given 24 hours, James has enough time to pick up Area Knowledge: Frankfurt (1). If you end up spending a couple days there, you can pick up Rating 2.

Senio lives in Prague. The understanding is that she was going to spend the final weekend of September (28th/29th) in Bavaria to participate in the Oktoberfest celebrations there. Financial transactions and CCTV footage that Edsger has pieced together suggest that she spent the weekend in Munich. Then, instead of returning to Prague on Monday the 30th, she traveled to Nuremberg. After spending some time there, she went to Stuttgart, then to Frankfurt, where she has been for a few days. Given the frequency of her movements, it seems likely that she will move again with a couple days.

If James doesn't notice, Illeana will point out that Heidelberg (the town/university where the Doctor Faustus Society was founded) is between Stuttgart and Frankfurt.

[Tecumseh]

I'm going to spend 9 of Illeana's 12 remaining karma to bind the parrying dagger, which is an R3 focus. I debated for a long time about what rating to make it but decided on R3 based on what we know of Illeana's timeline. She made her mask in the early 2060s, immediately after parting with Aden. Given that the mask is an Enchanting focus (R2) and would make her better at enchanting future objects, plus the additional four years of study with Schwartzkopf, I figured she would be able to enchant an R3 object her next try.

Here's what it looks like, if you're curious:



I had some ideas about how to spend her Knowledge Karma but of course I didn't write them down and now I don't remember.

[rednblack]

Magecuffs and Magehoods are listed on page 217 of Street Grimoire.  The magehoods make it more difficult for a mage to astrally project, while the magecuffs deal a 15S(e) attack if it detects the subject casting spells or astrally projecting.

I think you're probably on the ball with the gun question.  James will want a Predator V, loaded with SnS.  That will be his legal firearm. 

James will want a Rating 6 medkit to keep in the car, but he'll forgo the Rating 3.  I thought they could fit in a pocket.

My thinking on the SIN is that James will not likely be able to pose as a European national, especially as either a Czech or German.  He doesn't have the language skills to back it up.  Posing as an Azzie, though, especially one employed by a subsidiary that would likely pull talent from around the globe feels a bit more workable. 

As a cover story, James is thinking that Arthur and Lara met while Arthur was on holiday during Oktoberfest of last year, and they've been seeing each other ever since.  This year, they recreated their first date, by going back to Prague for Oktoberfest and were supposed to meet up with Marie a day or two later.  When she never showed, Lara got worried, and they've decided to go looking for her in Frankfurt, where she was during their last commcall.  Illeana have anything to add or amend?

For Karma, let's start by looking at Knowledge Karma.  15 to start.
Area Knowledge: Frankfurt: 1 (1 Karma)
Area Knowledge: Prague: 1 (1 Karma)
Fencing (Olympic Sport Fencing): 2 (5 Karma)
Alcohol Spec: Beer (2 Karma)
Magic Traditions: 3 (3 Karma)
Datahavens: 2 (3 Karma)
= 15 Karma

All purpose Karma.  31 to start + 3 banked = 34
Tracking (Urban): (7 Karma)
Blades (Swords): (7 Karma)
Negotiation: 5 (10 Karma)
Perfect Time PQ: (10 Karma)
= 34 Karma

I'm going to hold off on Strive for Perfection.  Hacking also looks like too much investment for too little return.

I'll update my char sheet once I get the ok.

[Tecumseh]

Karma spending all looks good. Note that the Swords spec will break your Close Combat skill group.

Cover story looks good.

Illeana knows enough German to do the talking at the border.

Edsger will provide the magecuffs and magemask but will strongly caution against using them unless absolutely necessary, both because it would send the wrong message but also because he seems skeptical that they would be effective on Miss Senio.

[rednblack]

My. Lose Combat group is already broken because of the Cyber Weapons spec for Unarmed. That said, I don't think I Am going to do a Sword spec. I thought it would make sense with the fencing, but I just don't see the utility there. I may opt for a Negotiation or Intimidation spec instead. I'll decide when I get back to my computer.

Another thought on our cover is when/if we end up in a room with the Dr. Faustus society James will ask about carrying the Kukri. Since a mundane would have no use for a magical weapon they may assume that James is Masking his Aura, which I think would only be beneficial with their willingness to talk with him.

[Tecumseh]

It wasn't clear from the IC but the knives were basically a "pick one to borrow and maybe keep" situation, not "take all three". The kukri is back in Prague, in a display case or wherever Schwartzkopf keeps it.

As for walking-around money, we still have our Permanent Lifestyle covering our routine costs, like travel and food. The fact that we haven't been spending much the last six weeks or so - due to the hospitality of Ares and Schwartzkopf - means that there have been some savings there.

I figure that James has wireless access to his cash too, rather than being stuck in credsticks in Stevens (unless you specifically don't want to have access to it).

You can presume the Joseph Shimko SIN is burnt after your interaction with Knight-Errant in Baltimore.

[Tecumseh]

Looks like we're back up on the official forums. I'm going to save copies of the threads now.

[rednblack]

Looks like we're back up on the official forums. I'm going to save copies of the threads now.

Good call.  IC coming up tomorrow.  The nanite angle is an interesting one.  James also brought along his fencing gear, with the idea that these hoity-toity Dr. Faustus chummers probably go in for the aristocratic traditions, maybe even Mensur. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing