Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: E221b on <11-03-10/1740:21>
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If a player has the 'Radar Sensor' aug Rating 4 from Augmentation, is there any way to beat it short of having either 20 points of Structure rating between him and his target or sticking min. Rating 4 Jammers everywhere? Would a character with this augmentation be able to see layouts of buildings and people as far away 100m line of sight (using signal rating of 2 for range purposes) no matter what?
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Something to keep in mind about those radars. Scanners should be able to pick him up EASILY, so it becomes relatively easy to find him and put a bullet in his noggin, and they're usually tied into a commlink so it becomes child's play to sniff it out.
You can also try to macGuyver you own MM band radar to jam it as well if you have a generous GM.
The ideal solution? Your hacker find him and start 'adjusting' it's parameters.
"He's over there!" -blam blam blam-
"You have just fired on friendly troops, SUCKER!"
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I'm no rules expert (at least not in SRun), but wouldn't a jammer of any rating reduce the effectiveness of the Radar making it no longer able to penetrate? Jammers don't just magically kick in, they'll provide interference even when a transmission does go through.
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But that's no fun!
Yea, jammers will do it. A jammer rating 4 is enough if your looking for the easy way out.
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Since the Jammer effects a spherical area, I'd say that a single jammer could confuse the MBR. Sure, you could *guess* where the middle of the jamming sphere is, but you'd be firing blind, just as if you had your eyes closed without the radar.
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If a MWR starts broadcasting it's radio pulse in a secure area, the runner that turned it on deserves all the trouble that it brings.
The opposition has sensors, after all.
-k
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Anti-radar weapons merely look for the source of the transmission, so jamming, in this case, does not help (well, it helps the missile fly into the jammer).
Haven't seen a lot of that in Shadowrun, though. Not likely to have heavy military gear on a run.
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Hmmm.. could macguyver something with a radar detector and some creative engineering. It's not spec 6 hardware, but it would do the job. Slap that onto a drone with a self destruct and you got yourself the poor man's AMRAAM.
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If your players abuse this system, have the security of the site have a static version integrated in their security design.
With that not only can they detect shadowrunners through walls and doors, even the occasionnal obnoxious Traceless Walking adept or levitating mage under Improved Invisibility and Silence, but they can have a good idea of their gear and heavier cyberware...
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1) UWB works on the same frequencies as SR commlinks according to fluff. There is no hard rule for finding someone using radar, therefore, applying reason, it would be just as hard to find someone using a radar sensor as it would be to find someone with a hidden-mode commlink. How many GMs out there punish players for keeping their comms on during a run? If not, maybe that's an oversight too.
2) Wifi-inhibiting wallpaper and paint. Radar - nullified. If a secure facility doesn't have this, then it's got bigger security problems than wallhack.
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1) UWB works on the same frequencies as SR commlinks according to fluff. There is no hard rule for finding someone using radar, therefore, applying reason, it would be just as hard to find someone using a radar sensor as it would be to find someone with a hidden-mode commlink.
I think it would be a little easier than a hidden commlink:
To detect a person, critter, or vehicle with sensors, the character / vehicle must make a successful Sensor + Perception Test (Sensor + Clearsight autosoft in the case of drones). If the target is trying to evade detection, make this an opposed Test versus the target's Infiltration + Agility (metahumans, critters) or Infiltration (Vehicle) + Reaction +/- Handling in the case of vehicles.
This sensor system functions exactly like radar sensor cyberware (p. 36, Augmentation), using ultrawideband and terahertz radar to see through walls and obstacles and create a three-dimensional map of the area.
Ultrawideband radar sensors use the same Visibility modifiers as ultrasound, can penetrate rating x 5 points of cumulative barrier structure ratings (see p. 157, SR4), and can be used to detect cyberware and weapons in the same manner as millimeterwave radar (see p. 255, SR4). Ultrawideband radar sensors have a Signal rating of 2 and are vulnerable to jamming.
SR4 pg. 157 == SR4A pg. 166. General information on Barriers
SR4, pg. 255 == SR4A, pg. 262, rules for millimeter wave detection systems.
... It is unaffected by visual tricks like camouflage and Invsiibility spells. It is unable to ascertain colors, lighting, or other visual features.
Information left out of the above quote is either a repeat from Arsenal, or fluff.
Seems pretty cut-and-dry to me. If you want to detect cyberware / weapons, treat as a milimeter wave detection system with Signal 2. Device rating + modifiers (pg. 262, SR4A), with a threshold taken from the "Cyberware Scanner Table".
Want to "map" people's location? You use the sensor rules (Sensor Rating + Perception/Clearsight) with the applicable modifiers from Arsenal. Success Test (threshold 1) if they're not trying to hide, opposed test as described on page 171, SR4A.
EDIT:
How many GMs out there punish players for keeping their comms on during a run? If not, maybe that's an oversight too.
It's not "punishing" players if corp sec responds to an unauthorized matrix user in the building, after hours, in the secure zone. Leaving your commlink in passive or active mode on a run is sheer lunacy. That's why they have a hidden mode. For that matter, no one is even suggesting turn off the 'link in this thread. The thread is about the utility of UWB, the Radar Sensor augmentation, or MWR on a run & corp sec counters to same.
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I was talking about the assertion that it's easy to pick up radar cyberware with scanners, and thereby find a person using it. :) It is essentially a hidden node.
The cyberware itself functions with basic perception tests. The UWB radar sensor, well, it says that it functions the same as the cyberware which says that it functions the same as ultrasound, which, still, runs off a characters perception without getting all those horrible vehicle sensor rules involved.
Seriously, those rules? They are bad. Check out the section on sensor tests from p171 of SR4a. Pay close attention to the Signature Table. Suddenly every car on the road is running into every other car because they all come with a sensor rating of 1, a pilot of 1, which limits their after market Clearsight software to rating 1 and receive a -3 penalty to spot electrically-powered vehicles (ie most of them) and pedestrians. That's -1 dice for the average car to spot the average car. HURP.
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I was talking about the assertion that it's easy to pick up radar cyberware with scanners, and thereby find a person using it. :) It is essentially a hidden node.
Hrm. . . fair enough, my apologies for mis-interpreting your meaning.
Of course, the Cyberware detection system, which is incorporated into UWB. Doesn't really detect the radar the cyberware is putting out, but it's close enough.
And, if they want to search for the radar waves themselves, you're right, I'd treat it as finding a hidden node. . . and figure on there being some Radio Signal Scanners (pg 334-335, SR4A) in the building.
Your solution:
2) Wifi-inhibiting wallpaper and paint. Radar - nullified. If a secure facility doesn't have this, then it's got bigger security problems than wallhack.
Is also quite logical for corp sec to employ.