Aberrant: Nova Reality - The Rat Hunt

[Madison 'Vali' West]

Alright.

In Chicago recently, someone blew up a Mite lab with about a dozen people inside then a bank was robbed and a non-affiliated nova there was disabled (fell to the ground flopping for five hours). What is the WCK going to do about this?

Time for the Field team to get cracking and for the Support team to analyze the clues and prepare for taking this villian down.

Vali is going with any Field Team members. What about Sandcaster and BlackStar?

[kestrel404]

I 'discussed' this with White Rat, to a limited extent. You're quite right, it's well past time for the Knights to become involved. However, I've been assuming they haven't thought of these incidents as connected as of yet.

The bank robery was obviously a nova stealing cash, but the bombing of the Mite houses would most likely be gang-related violence.

Thus, the bank robery would garner more attention from us, while the police would get the media lashing from 'explosions in the city'. We might be mobilized against that, if it becomes a major public issue (nobody likes explosions, especially if there's more than one), but it would be a beauracratic rather than automatic reaction.

As for clues, Bandwidth or Digi would be the ones analyzing the bank tapes, and the Chicago PD would be checking the explosion scenes, possibly calling Alchemist, Jager, or Digi to the scene to do detailed analysis, but most likely not. Whoever looks at the bank tape should make whatever they discover from that known. Otherwise, it's probably a job for the field team.

Anyone here monitoring the homeless people of the city? They'd offer the biggest real clue that something's up.

[Alex Craft]

I'm leaving town tomorrow morning, so don't look at me.

However, he is now leaving a trail. He attacked a police officer with the same power as what he used at the bank (or at least something very similar). It is virtually impossible that those two events would not be connected.

That adds to the number of possible leads.

• The car was stolen. Do the police have anything on that?

• The officer knew what direction the perp was heading and on what street he was doing it. Did he drive past a camera (security, ATM, traffic light, etc) in the next couple of blocks?

• Hm. According to the thread, this occurred just a mile away from the meeting site. If we (or, possibly, the cops) talk to people in neighborhood, did anyone happen to notice a group of homeless people transferring goods between an SUV and a white pickup truck?

• If so, do we have anything on the pickup truck? Descriptions from someone who noticed this no-doubt blatantly odd exchange?

• Considering that the Rat blew up the SUV when he was done, any and all of the above would probably be clearly remembered by anyone who saw the exchange.

• Likewise, are we going to assume that a random SUV detonation is unrelated to our mystery nova showing up in transit just a mile away? I'd think not, and if someone with Bloodhound visited both the explosion and the bank, they'd be able to confirm that connection. (We have at least one or two.)

• This gives us two sites (bank/exchange of goods between cars) from which we can lift forensic evidence. An albino rat-man might leave behind distinctive evidence, I think (that is, white hairs, at least). He wasn't dormed at either instance, and his attempts to avoid leaving evidence were minimal.

• Who exactly does have Bloodhound? Are they going to the karaoke party in November? The Rat is, assuming things haven't gotten hotter for him by then. Bloodhound is always on, incidentally. (That would be kind of cheesy, though.)

[BlackStar]

BlackStar will go with the field team if needed. He has a lot of MegaPerception but no Bloodhound. He could use Mental Prodigy:Investigation thought.

[kestrel404]

Now's as good a time as any to try to spring a trap. If he's importing really heavy arms into the city, one of us could easily find out about it.

Also, the Knights would be a veritable bee-hive of activity after a 'third strike' by the same nova.

Also, there is now enough background data for Alchemist to connect the new nova threat with the 'White Rat' persona currently posting on the board. The clues:

An albino hair found at one of the crime scenes (he wipes up his fingerprints, but that just means he's walking around more, and eventually one of those hairs was going to come out, and when it did, Jager, Digi, or I would find it).

White Rat's views on humanity, morality, and the place of law and government in society (as expressed quite plainly on the boards).

This post:

http://www.nprime.net/forum/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/8/t/000690/p/1.html#000025

From which we can also track his base of operations, backtracking from Grant Park.

It's somewhat tenuous, but Alchemist is very careful in tracking everyone on the boards that he speaks with, and the dead-end he runs into on the 'Rat' has made him suspicious, and willing to work based on such tenuous evidence.

[Amped]

I'm going to have to hand over Bandwidth to somebody for this one. I'm evacuated because of Katrina and it looks to be atleast two weeks before I can be reliable. Just use him as a data gatherer, communications type person and everything should be cool.

[kestrel404]

OK, I chatted with White Rat again. He's left us a few 'clues' behind that will lead us to the meeting place.

I'll start a thread going for anyone who wants to be in on the capture. I figure a few of the field team will check this lead (since we're going up against a definite nova, we'd be sending several members, if not everyone).

Alchemist won't be going along, but he will be sending some equipment.

If you're going along on the 'hunt', PM me or White Rat for a few details.

[Alex Craft]

I'm there, now that I'm here. So to speak. I'll switch to April and PM.

[kestrel404]

Someone else should come up with the meeting place where we're going to find the Rat. Vali, perhaps? Or Sandcaster?

[The White Rat]

I'm going to keep moving my pieces in the game. Now that I know I'm under scrutiny, I will behave very cautiously. As a skilled tactician, I will use any and all options at my disposal. When you guys make your move, PM me so we can work out the details of the encounter(s).

[kestrel404]

Sorry, I've been rather under the weather, so I haven't been devoting much attention to the boards.

[April Rice]

Ok, with Alchemist less than well, I suppose we can't really depend on him being point man for this. /c:

Let's assume the pickup on Roman didn't go off - he got retrieved before we arrived. We did, perhaps, pull some minor evidence out of the apartment, but I can only assume that he didn't have anything terribly important.

We do, however, know that Rat's been using the sewers for transport. Frankly, the simplest solution here is to go and search them. I suggest April, since she's probably the only person on the team who could search large stretches of sewers quickly without getting bored out of her skull.

Probably Vail would be working that as well - he seems to be our tracker. So he can be working from our known entry point for Roman, taking the slow but sure route of tracking signs of passage back to the source and updating the rest of the team as he goes.

Bandwidth could have some maps pieced together out of city records, using Vail's updates to guide April to more probable search areas. Presumably either Vail or April eventually stumbles across (or maybe through, in April's case) the hideout. If luck is with us, we can stage a raid. If not, we might end up with an altercation right then and there.

(If luck's really with us, there's nobody but a few easily subdued homeless people and we have a surprise waiting for Rat when he gets home.)

Yeah or nay?

[Sandcaster]

Sounds workable.

[April Rice]

Then I'll start it up today/tonight, probably.

[kestrel404]

Er, sorry April. I mis-remembered your plan for the situation, and in my post I made the assumption that we got our hands on Roman, and that we didn't get anything useful out of him in time.

Hopefully that won't mess with anything you've already started. Oh, and I'm feeling better (antibiotics are very good things), so if you want to involve me, feel free.

[April Rice]

I can't see how it makes any difference.

[April Rice]

We can probably bring Alchemist in, though.

[April Rice]

"... at the very least I should be able to wall off large chunks of his little army behind some sandstone."

And seal off escape routes, I'd think. ( :

Maybe we should take this out of PMs - we're getting too many people to sensibly coordinate that way.

Ah, basic points:

• Obviously, April and Vali are in the vicinity of Rat's base. He can move around easily via Mr. Nobody, though she is somewhat more limited if she doesn't want to attract attention. April can move people in and out quietly and quickly, as can Blackstar.

• We can stay stealthy and just wait up. Alchemist can install nova-targeted paralytic gas in the walls without ever showing himself, so we could move him in (via April) and just rig up the area. Rat walks in, we trigger the trap, all the baselines go down, and we pile on him while he's under the effects of the gas (which we're immune to, thanks to Alchemist's standard-issue antitoxins).

• We can sweep in and clear the area. It'd be pretty easy - Vali suggests dropping some knockout gas and having April use TK to sweep the gas through the tunnels. This would make our presence pretty obvious, so we'd need to set up surveillance and ambushes at choke points approaching the area. This would also involve paralytic gas and such - we'd just have to install at more points.

[kestrel404]

Alchemist would not agree to spreading nerve gas through large sections of the city sewers. A few rooms, fine, that's containable. But he hasn't made a quick neutralizing agent for any of this stuff yet because he hasn't seen a need for it (he can do it himself, but only in limited volumes at a time).

Other non-lethals used that way are probably a better idea.

[April Rice]

The nerve gas itself would just go either at the hideout, or at choke points. If we wanted to clear the area, that would happen with some relatively simple knockout gas - everybody wakes up several hours later with a hangover.

[April Rice]

April's partially affected Rat with an Immobilize (Intangible).

Rat got 8 succ on his Q. Vampire, which had a 45 meter radius.

[Sandcaster]

Sandcaster ran up, and wound up within 20 meters of the White Rat (given the twists and turns in this place, I couldn't justify much more range than that).

She got 5 successes on a Q-bolt. No way is he succeeding at a dodge with the Immobilization still up.

15 auto Bashing minus whatever he has for Bashing Soak. No dice damage (she's a Public Defender, she's not here to kill him).

I figure that he's going to get a near-simultaneous action on her (they both have a 9 Initiative).

[The White Rat]

Rat's dex is already higher because of the dex increase. His base of nine is before any Q-vamp attack. After the immobilize attack, his dex is at 5, M-Dex at 1. His base inititative is at 16 (6 for dex + 4 for wits + 3 for Tactical Prodigy + 3 from tactics roll), his initiative roll is 3 for this turn. So 19.

On his next attack, Rat uses a multiple action.

He uses his Q-vamp again, to knock out whomever hit him with that Q-bolt. 6 sucesses on that Q-Vamp attack, so Sandcaster should be affected by it. (would have been more but I am taking Alchem's gas into account). 3 sucesses on a Node + Quantum roll to resist the Disrupt effect of Alchemists gas if that is how if workes.

He then is going to attempt to dodge the next incoming attack from Sandcaster. Two sucesses on the MA roll to dodge.

He has 15 Quantum points left.

[The White Rat]

Oh and I almost forgot, my opposing Dex roll if April does immobilize again is 6.

[Sandcaster]

Only three successes on Sandcaster's Willpower role; you've got three net successes. That's her dot of Mega-Dex and two of her four standard Dex, right?

[The White Rat]

Yes, that is correct. If Sandcaster hits w/the Q-Bolt, he's soaking 12 bashing.

[April Rice]

April isn't trying to do Immobilize again - she didn't roll poorly, and the effect lasts until the end of the scene (or until destroyed), so there wouldn't be much point.

[Madison 'Vali' West]

Vali came up at the end of last round and did Analyze Weakness on the Rat (base 5 successes). Using Multitasking, Vali is taking five actions. Two hand strikes ([10]+7dice+successes bashing with the Precision enhancement - so as not to kill the Rat) and three dodges/blocks as needed.

Initiative is 22.

(strike #1 - 10 dice, Defensive -10,-10,-9 dice respectively, and Strike #2 - 9 dice)

[Smurf Daddy]

Don't worry, I play the WR too.

Hold on Vali, first of all, how far away were you at the start of the round in which Rat last used his Q-Vamp? Since Analyze Weakness takes a full action, you couldn't run up to Rat and then use it. That would be two full actions. You would have to use Analyze Weakness at the end of the round, then starting the next round, close on Rat.

You need to move at least 45 meters to close the distance, unless you were closer, in which case you would have been affected by the Q-Vamp(6 succ. this last round).

Depending on your speed, that may mean that you are moving at a full sprint. If you move only half your normal distance running (not sprint) you get to perform a dice action, in non-combat situations. In combat, you would have to make a roll to see if it succedes. If you have to move your full distance, that is all you get. If you sprint, you can do a Hyperspeed Slam/Strike (Enhanced Movement/Hyperspeed required).

Your initiative for the next round is 22? Or was that for the last round?

[Madison 'Vali' West]

Whoops. Drop the Analyze Weakness then. Our old TT game was rather fast and loose with that and I needed to re-read it. Best to just attack.

Vali closed the distance at a half-move last round sprinting, thus allowing him a dodge if attacked ... but I didn't have time to post, so ... eh.

Inititive is for the upcoming round, but I didn't know if Rat has Intuition/Premonition of some kind, and could thus react to Vali's move.

Since this is your character being affected (and my posting can be a bit spotty), I am giving you the option of posting a reaction, or what happens if Vali hits.

[The White Rat]

If you were hit by Sandcaster's Sandblast, then the second Q-Vamp caught Vali. Rat used his Q-Vampire attack a second time after he was hit by Sandcaster's attack. Roll your Willpower, the successes you get will subtract from the 6 successes that WR got. Your initiative will also go down with your dex decrease.

WR rolls a nine for his initiative, so added to his base for this scene: 25. Q.Points remaining: 12.

[Madison 'Vali' West]

Yeeehhhaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww .... spent one willpower and rolled five successes out of eight dice ... no drain this time.

[Sandcaster]

Sandcaster activated Quickness. The following round, she used Matter Creation (Sand), with five successes, which translates into 10,000 kg of the stuff. With her extra action from the Quickness, she yanked the sewer line loose to soak the sand.

She's currently at 2 Dex and 24 Quantum Points.

[Sandcaster]

There's a bit of a problem with the implementation of Quantum Vampire - Dexterity (Area) as it has been handled.

This is normally a Touch power. That is, it requires the user to touch the target, an "attack" that can be Dodged.

Area does give the thing range and scope; however, it does not remove the need for the equivalent of a Touch attack. It does grant two extra dice for accuracy, and a successful Dodge requires that the target have and use enough movement to clear the affected area, but the attack roll must be made.

The other thing is, there is something of a debate as to how much the user of this power may actually drain in a given use. Normally, Quantum Vampire grants a transfer up to the rating in the Trait. A strong argument can be made that all the Area extra does is spread around whom can be affected, but with the cap still applying. For example, if White Rat had 5 dots in Q-Vamp-Dex(Area) and there were, say, seven targets, he could drain a single dot of Dex from 5 of the 7 targets in a single use, not 5 dots from each of the 7 targets. I'm not at all certain if there is a consensus on exactly how this would work....

[The White Rat]

Most area attacks are done at a range. For example: a normal ranged attack with the area/explosion effect is like a fireball, it flies out to the appropriate range, and then affects everything in that area. If the range aspect is taken from an area attack it is centered on the character. That is like a fireball centered on the spellcaster.

Yes, you do get a chance to dodge the attack, provided you can move out of the range which is 45 meters. But you have to be able to move 45 meters for the dodge, in the case of WR.

A touch attack that is made into a ranged attack, no longer requires a touch, but the target must still be hit. The attack is made with the power's normal die pool instead, if the power has no die pool, dex + power is used.(p.232) For an area attack at range, the +2 signifies the accuracy due to the area effect, and to determine if the center of the area attack is hit. For Q-Vampire at range, the die pool is Stamina + power rating. The attack is centered on WR, so targeting a location is not necessary. Therefore, because the attack is no longer touch, but the area extra instead, the power's normal die pool would be used for the attack. (obviously you can't touch someone at range, the same with area).

I should have rolled his Stam + power rating w/+2 accuracy to see if the attack hit. Would I need to roll the attack for each person separately, or just one roll for all target within range? If you are on the outer edge of the range, you could dodge, but if you are close and not highly mobile you will, for all intensive purposes, be hit by it. WR rolls 12 normal (+2 die for accuracy) and 3 mega die for his attack roll.

I hope this clears up any questions. I'll roll for his Q-Vamp attacks on each round if you would like.

[Sandcaster]

Actually, one would only need to move 45 meters to dodge if they were at the center of the effect (that is, right next to White Rat).

I believe you would make one attack roll for all targets in range, and then it would be up to each target to attempt (or not) to dodge.

[The White Rat]

I didn't answer you second point. Think of an Q-Bolt. It will effect everyone within it's range depending on their distance from the center of detonation. An area effect Q-Bolt does the same thing, except that its area is smaller. The drawback is that friends and foe alike are affected. Think of the fireball spell. I just applied the same rules for Q-Vampire.

If you want to be careful about not hurting baselines and allies, you can get Mirv , AP or Homing extras. Power has its drawbacks.

I could roll 'damage' for each person caught in it's area of effect, like you would for fireball.

[The White Rat]

It is supposed to be "Think of an explosive Q-Bolt"

[Sandcaster]

Color me uncertain.

That said, any idea who is up next?

[April Rice]

I don't have the book around, but I think area attacks can only be dodged with extraordinary means - Hypermovement, Teleportation, and Quantum Leap being examples. At least, I seem to recall that some of those types of powers specifically point out that they may be used to dodge areas.

This makes sense to me, since your movement shows how far you can move in a turn. To dodge area, you have to move out of the effect almost instantly - you notice the enemy releasing the effect and you need to immediately be out of range.

Actually, I've been kind of wondering about Rat's specific area attack - it's basically invisible. Unless he makes a particular constipated grimace (or something) every time he triggers the power, the only way to see the attack coming would be if you have Quantum Attunement active or if you saw someone between you and him succumb.

I don't know about that, though - it's similar to the argument that a 'kinetic blast' quantum bolt should be invisible, and thus difficult to dodge. However, that isn't true - the rules simply don't support it.

There's a major point on the 'spreading around' the dex drain, though - I think that follows.