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6E: Runner Team Whereabouts

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Greysword

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« on: <07-24-22/1840:21> »
Hi everyone,

I have a clarification question for a typical runner team (Face, Sam, Mage, Decker, Rigger) in sixth edition.  In the following scenarios, where is everyone's body and mind going to be?  Meaning, where is each of the archetypes in the physical world and where are they in the virtual/astral world (if applicable)?

Scenario 1: The team is entering a factory or warehouse to sabotage/destroy a machine or palate of crates.  Which characters are physically entering the factory and which are staying in the vehicle?  What are the characters outside of the building likely to be doing?

Scenario 2: The team is tasked with infiltrating an archology complex to find and capture someone.  What is the likely dispersion of the team once they enter the archology grounds and where are they/what are they doing when they locate the building with the target?

Scenario 3: The team is required to enter the regional headquarters of a corporation to obtain pay data from a secured computer deep inside the building.  Where is everyone and what are they likely to be doing (like #1)?

Lastly, for those archetypes that always stay outside the building/area/danger, how are they being guarded?  For those who are dual engaged (a mage following the team but needed to astrally project, a decker tagging along needing to go into VR, or a rigger going in that needs to rig into a drone/vehicle/building system), what does the rest of the team do with their bodies?

Thank you for your help and patience in this thought exercise!  It helps me understand how things are in sixth edition.

Xenon

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« Reply #1 on: <07-25-22/0604:19> »
In my experience it is typically easier and more fun (for all parties involved) to keep the team together as much as possible, moving as a team. Magicians can provide magical support without using astral projection and they can also view the astral plane while still having control of their meat body by using astral perception. Technology specialists (such as Riggers, Drone Operators and Hackers, etc) can provide matrix firewall defense by slaving team member PANs to theirs and they can wireless control their vehicles, drones or hack networks around them while still having control of their meat body (by using augmented reality rather than virtual reality). The components and the rules are all there to support this. But what if the teams more squishy members must to go rag-doll-mode (or take a bullet to the knee and can't walk anymore)? Well.. that is perhaps why the team's tusker should not skip out on his strength attribute ;-)

But with a skilled GM to facilitate the experience it is also possible to split the team up. You need to quite frequently switch scenes though (similar to how they would film an action movie with multiple heroes working towards the same goal but are at different locations). Of the archetypes you mentioned the Face is often skilled at social infiltration (fast talk, seduction, impersonating, performance, directing, commanding, intimidating, etc) while the Sam is typically skilled at physical infiltration (sneaking, hiding, climbing, crawling, jumping, hand to hand combat, silenced take-downs, etc) which open up a few options for the players how they want to infiltrate. The others can take on a more remote supporting role. You could for example have a magician in astral space scouting the place out, instructing their spirits and manifesting to communicate to their teammates on the physical plane even though their meat body is actually miles away. The rigger's meat body could be located in a rigger's cocoon in a van that is driving around in the neighborhood on auto pilot a few km away while his mind is jumped into a combat helicopter or surveillance drone to provide support or a possible extraction in the meat world for the rest of the team. Maybe the hacker is laying unconscious in the back of the same van while hacking the facilities network via hot-sim to control cameras, sensors, elevators, alarms etc to make the infiltration go smooth. The team's sniper  (which seem to be a popular fantasy that is also often "remote") is perhaps located on the roof across the road providing overwatch with his .50 cal sniper rifle in case the shit hits the fan. etc.

Banshee

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« Reply #2 on: <07-25-22/1026:17> »
Um ..  there is no right or wrong answer to any of those scenarios other than whatever the party decides to do.
Robert "Banshee" Volbrecht
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Greysword

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« Reply #3 on: <07-25-22/1718:52> »
Thanks Xenon and Banshee.  If I can ask a clarifying question, it seems like in 4th edition, the party was generally split up during a run.  5th edition tried to entice the group to stay together.  Which angle does 6th edition attempt to take?  It almost seems like we are back to a split party again.

Thanks again for your help!

Lewis Greywolf

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« Reply #4 on: <07-25-22/1822:34> »
My players tend to do astral and matrix recon first, then everyone goes in for the actual run. 
Louis "Graywolf" Ray
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Banshee

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« Reply #5 on: <07-25-22/2135:19> »
Thanks Xenon and Banshee.  If I can ask a clarifying question, it seems like in 4th edition, the party was generally split up during a run.  5th edition tried to entice the group to stay together.  Which angle does 6th edition attempt to take?  It almost seems like we are back to a split party again.

Thanks again for your help!

There is no mechanical difference or reason to go one way or the other... it is merely a choice of style. Matrix can be just as effective from remote or inside. Magic is the same as it has always been ... adepts and spellslingers go in while astal specialist and summoner can work from a distance.
Robert "Banshee" Volbrecht
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Former RPG Lead Agent
Catalyst Demo Team

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #6 on: <07-26-22/0458:15> »
Nested Hosts provide a great incentive for a hacker to join the rest and infiltrate, as they can skip some layers of security that way. Wards and other astral protection are a good way to force the summoner to go in as well, because the spirits cannot properly covertly enter astrally then, so you have to summon them inside. A Faraday cage setup means the Rigger has to enter to control their drones as well, fitting for high-security labs. So there's plenty of ways to encourage everyone to go along inside.
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Greysword

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« Reply #7 on: <07-28-22/1918:21> »
Great!  So now that everyone is in the building, what does the party do with the Decker and Rigger's lifeless bodies (and astrally projected mages)?

Xenon

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« Reply #8 on: <07-29-22/0341:17> »
Great!  So now that everyone is in the building, what does the party do with the Decker and Rigger's lifeless bodies (and astrally projected mages)?
What lifeless bodies though...?

Decker make a direct connection to the maglock to create a line of sight directly to its device icon that was hiding inside the host which enable him to spoof a command to it without having access to the network and without first entering the host itself. Once the door is open the entire team moves on, as a team.

Shotgun-wielding rigger is walking together with the team while issuing instructions via augmented reality to the on-board auto pilots of his drones to cover their exit, to provide long range air support and to scout ahead.

The magician walking in the back of the team, providing boosted pre-emptive counterspelling defense to the entire team.

Virtual Reality and Astral Projection is more important if you are remote and still want to participate at the same location. Augmented Reality and Astral Perception works great if your physical body is already there.