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The Masked Ferret

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« Reply #105 on: <07-31-15/0050:14> »
Agents are their own personas
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antaskidayo

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« Reply #106 on: <07-31-15/0346:56> »
Yes they are, but i don't see any reason for a program not to use the same recognition keys as the owner and where in the core book does it say that an agent persona has to have a unique recognition key?If I Iaunch 2( or 1 if it follows the common/hacking  program rule) agents on my cyberdeck, what difference will it make using the same agent software from a remote accessed cyberdeck? it is autonomous,it has its own computer use, cybercombat and hacking skills( you can buy up to rating 4 on chargen ) - im pretty sure the agent following my persona hopping into a host from a grid would be a piece of cake. 
« Last Edit: <07-31-15/0350:05> by antaskidayo »

Kincaid

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« Reply #107 on: <07-31-15/0850:16> »
One decker can't shield another decker in the sense that you can "take a data spike" in the same way you could "take a bullet" for another guy.  The only thing in the game that I can think of that functions that way is Protecting the Principle (R&G), which is meat world only.

Hopping a grid?  Sure.  Getting a mark on a host so your agent can follow you in?  That's much trickier.

Marks can't be shared (see page 236).  The same page makes it clear that every persona (which an agent is) has its own, unique recognition keys.  Since a mark lasts until the persona that places it reboots, having shared marks would create a tangle of rules of deckers swapping marks and rebooting to clear their OS.

Quote
Your marks are specific and connected to your persona and whatever you’ve marked, so you can’t just give them out for others to place or transfer them to other people.
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antaskidayo

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« Reply #108 on: <07-31-15/1730:36> »
i got it figured out:

1. Use control device on the external cyberdeck and run the agent program
2. Use the Send Message (Simple Action) to send commands to the agent ( its a basic drone )
3. It can then hop grids for free( If my lifestyle has the subscription ) or the agent would have to use Brute Force to enter the host.
4. If initiative breaks out, it will have its own initiative, but I have to send commands to it for it to do anything.
5. Since its an external cyberdeck, it will have a different OS score than mine. It will also have its own condition monitor ( the external cyberdeck ).

- Im just disappointed that you can't take a hit for your mates inside the matrix, so that means you can't specialize your persona into a tank to get attention , while your other decker buddies grab the stuff you need. The only thing you can change is the attribute on your deck. And you can't combine processing power of multiple computers like in real life load balancing on data centers. thanks again for the help guys, much appreciated =)

oh btw, if a decker also buys a control rig, can he also use drones if he has the piloting skills for it?
« Last Edit: <07-31-15/1734:55> by antaskidayo »

Kincaid

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« Reply #109 on: <07-31-15/2003:01> »
Being a tanky decker means knowing how to use your Attribute swap effectively and running the right programs (and doing things that draw attention to yourself).  It's certainly a valid approach, it's just different than playing a bodyguard in the meat world.
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antaskidayo

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« Reply #110 on: <08-04-15/1549:49> »
- Can you stilluse the DODGE action even with negative initiative score?

- Does teamwork hits also add to limits?

Kincaid

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« Reply #111 on: <08-04-15/1640:10> »
- Can you stilluse the DODGE action even with negative initiative score?

- Does teamwork hits also add to limits?

1. That's a oft-discussed issue.  I'm not sure if Missions has an official stance on it.

2. "For each assistant that scores at least one hit, the relevant limit for the leader’s test increases by one." (p. 49).
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Jayde Moon

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« Reply #112 on: <08-05-15/1156:03> »
No, you may not use an interrupt action if that will bring you to negative initiative.  Page 167 of the Core Rulebook clearly states:

"When a character uses an Inter- rupt Action, such as Full Defense, he takes an action out of turn, but only if he has enough Initiative Score left in the Combat Turn to pay the price for the action."
That's just like... your opinion, man.

Kincaid

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« Reply #113 on: <08-05-15/1203:41> »
The problem is that the core book also states, "Interrupt Actions occur outside the normal course of the Combat Turn and do not cost the character their Action Phase (unless they reduce their Initiative Score below 0 with their actions)," implying the negative values are possible.
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All4BigGuns

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« Reply #114 on: <08-05-15/1207:27> »
Best way to handle that is if you are already in the negatives, you can't do it, but an interrupt taking you a few points below zero aren't such a big deal (such as being down to a 9 Initiative and taking a -10 Initiative interrupt).
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jim1701

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« Reply #115 on: <08-05-15/1224:45> »
The problem is that the core book also states, "Interrupt Actions occur outside the normal course of the Combat Turn and do not cost the character their Action Phase (unless they reduce their Initiative Score below 0 with their actions)," implying the negative values are possible.

So basically you are saying the rules allow infinite interrupt actions.  Good to know.

Kincaid

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« Reply #116 on: <08-05-15/1322:39> »
I'm merely pointing out the passages in the text that cause the debate.  Personally, I'm with A4BG on this one.  I like wageslaves being able to declare Full Defense.  What else would they do?
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Jayde Moon

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« Reply #117 on: <08-05-15/1334:44> »
Get shot.  They are wageslaves.

And while I can see how the statement you posted can be a bit confusing, when taken with the one I posted, it seems fairly clear to me, both as RAW and RAI.

Sometimes, you are just to slow to take any action, even dropping behind a desk.
That's just like... your opinion, man.

antaskidayo

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« Reply #118 on: <08-07-15/1357:39> »
can you do a double enhanced suppression with 2 machine pistols that are ready to fire?

and while you are at it, here's a scenario:

goon 1: fire's a suppression(complex action) with an assault rifle.
**players that hit the dirt falls prone and gets -5 to initiative to avoid the rain of bullets,...however....
player A:  " Ah f*ck it, lets duke it out!!!" , my character takes it ( fails his reaction + edge test, rolls for damage resistance and ticks off the damage boxes ) and goes rambo since its my turn next - " Eat this you piece of drek face!!!! " and declares that he's  also firing a suppression at the goon.
** i went with the flow, and let him have his revenge, rolled some dice for effects. I made him roll another reaction+edge and he fails again, lucky for him that he still has 4 boxes on his condition monitor left. After that I let him kill the goon and end the suppression on his party, asking him "How do you kill him?"

- Okay here's the question: If for some reason that scenario gets repeated with a BBEG, would both gunners take damage on each char/npc's initiative pass? And how would I handle it if other players follow his lead and they line up and focus fire their suppression on 1 target, would that count as a teamwork test against something tough to damage? If it is possible then how do you compute damage?


Jayde Moon

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« Reply #119 on: <08-07-15/1512:50> »
Theoretically, you could.  If your machine pistol has at least 20 rounds, that is.

Now you split your dice pool.  Take a free action for 'multiple attacks' and then a complex action to perform suppressive fire with both machine pistols.

Now, the results are as outlined in the last paragraph in the suppressive fire description (the description starts on page 179, the paragraph I'm talking about is on page 180).

There is no teamwork test.  You simply take the highest negative dice pool from all of the various suppressive fires.  Then for every zone someone is caught in, they make a Reaction + Edge test, with a -1 for each successive zone they are defending against.  Damage for each zone that they do not successfully defend is the base damage of the weapon.

A sufficiently tank dude would be able to wade through an infinite amount of machine pistol suppression zones.

[EDIT: There is a sidebar on page 180 that notes what happens if your Machine Pistol (or any weapon) doesn't quite have 20 bullets in it when you do suppressive fire]

[EDIT2: In a home game, I might allow two machine pistols to combine for a single suppressive fire zone, shooting 10 rounds from each pistol in a single roll, but not for Missions]
« Last Edit: <08-07-15/1521:25> by Jayde Moon »
That's just like... your opinion, man.