In reply to K. Takanori (msg # 389):

Two weeks between gigs.  You  can make income rolls as long as that is all you want to do in the intervening time.  Cruz is working guns, so he's out.  If you want to do some counseling or what not, that would take up time too.  Otherwise side hustle away.

While I’m thinking about it, please make a summary of your weapon mods on your combat posts.  I don’t need the full boat, but I’d appreciate a “+2 from Excellent/Smartgun” or something similar.  The cyber ware is a lot to track.

In reply to Data Source (msg # 391):

Cool, no problem.  Always keep it easy on the Ref!

You guys have been busy today.

Martin's work as a bodyguard and velvet-gloved steel fist informs his weapon choices and skill investments.  My original build did not invest in Autofire because full auto under the printed rules was wasteful, antithetical to his low-profile/grey-man ethos due to stray rounds, and marginally concealable.  I am torn.  My mental image of him is a pistol guy first and foremost, with the occasional shotgun for heavy work, but I'm afraid that will put him at a combat effectiveness deficit compared to those who run SMGs.  I'm open to suggestions.  Our house rules (can we get a dedicated, sticky house rule thread?) and the reintroduction of the three-round burst do make a concealable heavy SMG more attractive, but a concealable VHP with AP ammo has the capacity to crack armor more effectively.

For my downtime action, as I have no skills to contribute to the group, I am leaning toward installation of low-light/IR/UV optic modes (mall complexity), a week of therapy to offset the HL that comes with the altered perceptions, and one week of hustle to pad the wallet.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:09, Fri 09 Apr 2021.

Thread up, will populate tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

This message was deleted by the player at 02:08, Fri 09 Apr 2021.

Okay, I think I'm done re-tooling Whisper.  Tweaked stats just a bit - less Luck and Tech, more Int and Dex.

Dropped Pick Lock - it was a utility pip skill but not ultimately all that relevant to his concept.  Also dropped Bureaucracy, Business, and Criminology, but will eventually pick them up again once an appropriate story juncture emerges (i.e., appropriate gig, or roll a 2 on weekly hustle for a high-end client).  Finally, ditched Interrogation, as it also isn't really his style - he'll rely more on Human Perception to detect lies and odd behavior (and hope to not erode his Empathy so far that the skill is no longer effective).

This frees up a total of 9 skill points, which get reinvested into Handgun, Evasion, Perception, and his socials.

Now for downtime and spending cash and IPs:

@Lube - I may be sacrificing combat effectiveness on the altar of concept and style, but that is the correct cyberpunk answer, so I'm going to stick with pistols as Martin's primary armament.  I'll take a quality upgrade of his existing heavy pistol, please.  After that's done, I'll make it smart at market price.

An in-and-out visit to the local Raven Microcyb franchise will add low-light/IR/UV to Martin's existing Zeiss cybereyes:

21:20, Today: M. Lowell rolled 4 using 1d6+1d6.  HL for installation of low-light/IR/UV cyberoptic mod x2.

It's a surprisingly easy adaptation, not nearly so rough as the reviews made it out to be, so after a social check-in with ChrisAlice, he'll forego therapy and spend a couple of weeks working his usual hustle:

21:26, Today: M. Lowell rolled 3 using 1d6.  Solo hustle, week 1.
21:26, Today: M. Lowell rolled 2 using 1d6.  Solo hustle, week 2.

That turns out to be an extended job.  Iris calls him up to get his assistance in protecting an Orbital Air engineer from a suspected aggressive recruitment at the airport and then babysitting the guy while he presents at a tech conference.  It turns into ten days of technobabble and corporate quarterly reports, but it's a few hundred euro plus expenses paid, which means ten days of hotel and conference center food that's a few notches higher than Martin usually buys on his own.

The immersive corporate environment finally cements a few things that Martin had been picking up from previous clients but not really understanding, so the aforementioned IP gets spent to re-buy Bureaucracy and Business.  After subscribing to a couple of basic-level corporate newsfeeds for further professional development, he also picks up a box of tungsten penetrators for the Adjudicator and some less-lethal munitions for those special occasions.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Fri 09 Apr 2021.

Kenji's activities over the next two weeks:

• Do a little shopping (acquiring helmet, Smartgun link for heavy SMG, and a couple of other TBD items for work)
• Swing by Lube's garage to drop off his iron and shoot the shit
• Attend a veterans' PTSD support group at Combat Jacks'
• Call Teagan
• Pick
  up a couple of shifts of overflow work for REO Meatwagon* (MedTech hustle 3, payout: 200eb)

*TTI won't touch him with a ten-foot pole; REO Meatwagon is a little less selective when trying to fill shifts.

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This message was last edited by the player at 04:58, Fri 09 Apr 2021.

Ok, I've got Martin down for a Maker upgrade of a Heavy Pistol, costs 100 eb. and 1 day.

I've posted about Cruz's first week and I'll put all these in the second week, which I'll post day by day in a bit, after we get back from the Friday morning grocery run.

I will keep 1 day available for Dave, in case he wants Monica's pistol upgraded.

Alex will likely upgrade his stun gun with any left over time, since that got used to good effect last chapter.

Friends

Tracy Jacks is Kenji's old army buddy, currently co-owner and operator of Combat Jacks' Tactical Training Center ^TM, a small business that caters to the average citizen of Night City (rather than to corporats or gangers). Bald and dark-skinned (African-American), the left side of Tracy's body is almost entirely chrome, result of a directional mine he absorbed during a combat tour in Honduras. His right side is impressively muscled and toned, the result of hard work in the gym rather than bodysculpting. Anyway, Tracy likes to say that his better half is actually Jay Hendricks, his partner in life and business. Kenji teaches trauma aid classes at Combat Jacks' as a side hustle (whenever enough interested parties sign up for it). He also attends NA and PTSD support group meetings there.

Jay Hendricks is co-owner of Combat Jacks' and Tracy Jacks' husband. Jay is almost the mirror opposite of Tracy. He is mostly meat, a bit softer around the middle, lily-white (with blond hair and blue eyes), and a former NCPD desk-jockey. Kenji also counts Jay as a close friend.

Tragic Love Affair

Maria Ivanova, Kenji's on-again, off-again girlfriend (back on, just, when she met her untimely demise) was a Venezuelan-Russian beauty and AV pilot at TTI. Her life ended on the call that ultimately terminated Kenji's career with the company. Losing her the way that he did almost drove Kenji to suicide by substances. He would have followed through too, had he not literally stumbled upon Combat Jacks'.

Enemies

Rajiv Benton was Maria's ex, still at TTI. He blames Kenji for ending that relationship (unfairly- she'd left him well before getting serious with Kenji), and for her sudden, violent death (fair). Rajiv would jump at the opportunity to ruin his one-time rival's life. However, he's not the type to look his opponent in the eye when he sticks in the blade.

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This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Fri 09 Apr 2021.

I just posted a link to the errata in the house rules thread to keep things organized.  There is an adjustment to the Autofire range table that changes the DVs for various ranges.  And makes it much more difficult to score a decent MoS.

Let me know your thoughts.

In reply to M. Lowell (msg # 396):

Sounds good to me.

I can gin up a post or two regarding that stuff, you can, or we can just post that summary in the intermission chapter and call it a day.  Whatever is easier for you.

Right now, I don't really have the capacity to string prose together intelligently.  :/

In reply to M. Lowell (msg # 402):

Totally fine Teg.  I’ll take care of it.

So I rolled to see how many Friends A. Cruz had...
17:49, Yesterday: A. Cruz rolled -4 using 1d10-7.  Fr.

Then I rolled for enemies:
17:50, Yesterday: A. Cruz rolled -3 using 1d10-7.  En.

Tragic Love Affairs... was the same:
17:50, Yesterday: A. Cruz rolled -1 using 1d10-7.  TLA.

So I rolled anyway, but none of what came up is very compelling.  So I might go with Cruz is fresh off the boat (Navy boat that is - lol), and doesn't have too many of those 'contacts'.  So he's looking to make some, which explains why getting back in with the Aldecaldo is such a big deal for him.

Reminds me of bidding on jobs a few years back.  One of the Division Directors I was lobbying for a job asked me, "who knows you?  I've asked around and no one I trust has met you."  I explained that I had served at two 1-person shops (IT person that is) - Mumbai and Dhahran, for three year each.  Normally you work with 3-5 other IRM folks in an Embassy (which means you might meet and work with 10 other IRMers because of 2-3 year rotations), but at the Consulates, you might be the only person there (just you, meeting yourself, for 3 years).  I explained that the jobs were great since I the senior IT officer responsible for everything, but obviously, being at a 1 person shop meant that I didn't have the same professional network at someone who had been at a 14 IRMer RIMC shop or a big operation like Cairo, Beijing, etc.

That explanation worked because I got the job. And ever since though, if I go to IT training with a group of IRMers, I make sure to take everyone out for drinks at least once.  That way someone in the class at least associates me with free beer if nothing else.  ;)

So that's where I picture Cruz at.  Been on a submarine for six years (not the same one of course - just that he's been in a very small community that doesn't have any presence in Night City).  He's back in town now and trying to build his networks.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:46, Sat 10 Apr 2021.

Yeah, moving to another country ever couple/few years can be rough on one's social life. I went to 3 high schools in 2 countries pre FB, so I'm still in touch with like 4 people from that time in my life. Without FB, that number would prolly be closer to 1.

Kenji had a few friends at TTI, until his addiction got them killed...

Hopefully, our PCs will become friends.

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This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Sat 10 Apr 2021.

Monica's intermission post has been updated with the first scene.  Hopefully I'll get cracking on her prologue tomorrow.

Spartan, can Kenji leave his Tanto with Cruz for a +1 glow-up?

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In reply to K. Takanori (msg # 407):

I think I'm going to run out of time in this tranche, but let me see.  Should only need six hours, but one of my rolls failed, so will take an extra 50% time.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:25, Sun 11 Apr 2021.

Sorry, a little behind and playing a bit of catch up

That would be good - do you want me to post in Cruz's intermission thread or do it off camera? (not sure if the window is still open for the former)

Off camera is fine.

For clarity:

"New Inquisition" in the last Cipher post is not a typo.

Whisper's intermission thread is updated.  Teg, don't worry about posting, I'm just doing some stage setting there.  If you want to, fine, but we have time and I'm not worried.

Dave,

Monica's prologue is updated.  This is much more a riff session that anything concrete so whatever you think Monica, or employer CloudKill Marketing, wants from the guy, feel free.  We'll assume that at this point, Jasper owes Monica a favor for a past action that will have been paid out by the time our story starts.

I've added a section for lifestyle expenses to Kentucky's char-sheet. Normally, I don't care for RP bookkeeping, but I'm digging it here.

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