Worse Than the Disease OOC

[GnomesofZurich2]

I think someone (read: Tariq) should come up with an estimate of how many rooms there are on each floor, which window(s) correspond to which room, etc. We might eventually have to target those with tear gas or something, so might as well have an educated guess about which windows to target.

Tariq scopes out the building to provide his estimate of number of rooms and points of entry. He has 6 tear gas rounds handy, so using that to flush out the animals would make sense - perhaps less effective on the plants, no idea whether the tear gas would incapacitate them or not.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Someone could roll Naturalist to see what weapon would harm the mutated plants.

[GnomesofZurich2]

Someone could roll Naturalist to see what weapon would harm the mutated plants.

Does any of us have Naturalist? Tariq does not, so he would be rolling at default against a target of 7.

[u-b]

Does any of us have Naturalist? Tariq does not, so he would be rolling at default against a target of 7.

Sean has it, but he has failed the roll.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Waiting and letting the situation develop is an option, but it will let any enemy forces in the area roll to find you in the meantime.
Remind what your rolls for Camouflage and Stealth were?

Your characters may also want to eat and drink while waiting.

[u-b]

Bart the Hunter bags one of his own with a shotgun blast, putting it down and out. Then Bart takes aim at another rat-dog...

Bart shoots the animal he previously hit...

Not quite sure I get it. Why would he shoot an unconscious dog, especially if he started to aim at another?

[Shoot Da Moon]

Oh right.
Guess that means all the animals are knocked out or dead then.

[u-b]

If anyone is interested, there is a GURPS recruitment going on. I see Volthawk is already in there.

[GnomesofZurich2]

If anyone is interested, there is a GURPS recruitment going on. I see Volthawk is already in there.

Thanks, but I think I'll pass - between this game and one I'm on the SJGames forum I'm at my limit.

Assuming there's no objections to Tariq's proposal, I'm going get the backpack set up and attached to one of the pillars of the wharf.

[u-b]

(OC: Do you have the Architecture skill, Sean? Does anyone else? I'm certain Tariq does. Please note the riverboat travels approximately 90 yards towards your position every minute.)

Tariq does and Sean can state what he sees (like the presence of any posts as opposed to a solid concrete wall, for example). As for the timing: suppose we have communicated for a minute. Then 15 seconds to get to the car's trunk and get it open. Then 5(?) seconds emptying the bakcpack. Then 25(?) seconds putting 25 pounds of TNT in there. Then 5(?) seconds attaching the detonator. Then 30(?) seconds to the wharf. About 140 seconds total, for ~300 yards to the ship when Tariq gets on the wharf. He will be seen, that's for sure. The reaction of those seeing him is much less clear. Of am I ways off with the timing?

[Shoot Da Moon]

Tariq does and Sean can state what he sees (like the presence of any posts as opposed to a solid concrete wall, for example). As for the timing: suppose we have communicated for a minute. Then 15 seconds to get to the car's trunk and get it open. Then 5(?) seconds emptying the bakcpack. Then 25(?) seconds putting 25 pounds of TNT in there. Then 5(?) seconds attaching the detonator. Then 30(?) seconds to the wharf. About 140 seconds total, for ~300 yards to the ship when Tariq gets on the wharf. He will be seen, that's for sure. The reaction of those seeing him is much less clear. Of am I ways off with the timing?

Yeah, your times are accurate.
As for the wharf, it looks ramshackle but high enough off the river that Tariq can plant the bomb.
Moving on, Tariq makes his rolls.

[u-b]

Moving on, Tariq makes his rolls.

He already did. Or something else, like Architecture is needed?

[Shoot Da Moon]

Neither, just having Architecture skill is enough and Tariq's previous rolls are what I'm invoking with no new ones needed.

[u-b]

I think we just wait for a delegate of theirs, assuming they don't try to leave the wharf or handle the backpack. If Richard is interested, Sean thinks our position should be of the sort "We intend to take over this place. Your comments on that?"

[Volthawk]

I think we just wait for a delegate of theirs, assuming they don't try to leave the wharf or handle the backpack. If Richard is interested, Sean thinks our position should be of the sort "We intend to take over this place. Your comments on that?"

Yeah, that's more or less Richard's plan - wait for someone who can talk to turn up, see why they're here and what they want, what their interest (if any) in the plant is, any ties to the mutants here, etc. and then figure out if reconciling what we want and what they want can work, and then make it happen.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Alright, then.

Richard should roll the following skills, if he has them (if not, just ignore it);
Observation
Body Language
Armoury (whatever specialization)
Shiphandling or Seamanship or Freight Handling or Crewman
Expert Skill (Mutants)
Psychology

[u-b]

In case it is relevant, I'm going to let this guy talk and will spend 1 point on Expert Skill (Mutants).

[Shoot Da Moon]

Okay, good, update your character sheet.

[u-b]

BTW, do you need prices for the gear or have you found it all in the book already? Either way, I need Sean to roll Observation and Naturalist skills.

I have the transaction outlined in the doc. Haven't found the chem, so used Amazon variety.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Okay, those numbers look good. Stamp of approval.

[u-b]

OC: Mark off meals eaten. Anyone got any business before we fast-forward to tomorrow?

Done. Also marked the fuel while we are at it. No other plans for today.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Every player character earns 2 bonus Character Points for securing the power plant.

[GnomesofZurich2]

Every player character earns 2 bonus Character Points for securing the power plant.

Can Tariq use Engineer (Small Arms) to make a Watervliet M1, or would he need Engineer (Artillery) for that? I guess that will determine where he allocates his 3 unspent points.

If a Watervliet MI has the same base cost as a Stokes ML Mk I, $5,000, he would need $2,000 worth of parts after the TL modifier. A cheap one would only need $800 worth of parts. Even with a low base skill of 12 or 13, he can get it up to respectable levels from the TL modifier and taking extra time (plus extra parts, if we have them).

[u-b]

If a Watervliet MI has the same base cost as a Stokes ML Mk I, $5,000, he would need $2,000 worth of parts after the TL modifier. A cheap one would only need $800 worth of parts. Even with a low base skill of 12 or 13, he can get it up to respectable levels from the TL modifier and taking extra time (plus extra parts, if we have them).

We are in no hurry to obtain this mortar, we first have to deal with the mutants of the north and with Blackwire (by the way, should we expect him to radio us sometime today?). Sean still wants it improved at least to fine (reliable) as we'll be making quite a number of shots and don't want to fix it after each 20th shot. I guess Richard should still talk to Gunmetal people in person, to see if they could be persuaded, maybe on some condition (and we'll be satisfied with a broken one too). If they cannot be, we'll try to substitute the materials to build one or, failing that, some other piece of gear.

...the reflex sights are a question mark...

We are not hurry to make this purchase and can substitute a modern 32x variable-power scope for one or both. Also, what they would say us about a cheap RPG-7?

[GnomesofZurich2]

Also, what they would say us about a cheap RPG-7?

This is definitely within Tariq's abilities to put together. An RPG-7 has a base price of $2,300, after the TL modifier it's $18,400, so a cheap version is $7,360. If Tariq can get ~$1,500 worth of parts and spends a day on this he should be able to build one.

[u-b]

This is definitely within Tariq's abilities to put together. An RPG-7 has a base price of $2,300, after the TL modifier it's $18,400, so a cheap version is $7,360. If Tariq can get ~$1,500 worth of parts and spends a day on this he should be able to build one.

I'm actually thinking of using these cheap/broken thingies as parts for Tariq to make fine-grade stuff. It would be the "same thing" and a "modification" for quite a lot of plusses to make those expensive items practical. If that would be unavailable, we'll need either a huge pile of junk to sort through or buy stuff that's "barely related", at least to the mortar. Still could be done, I guess, but we'll have to spend double for those parts and will end up with something unreliable.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Can Tariq use Engineer (Small Arms) to make a Watervliet M1, or would he need Engineer (Artillery) for that? I guess that will determine where he allocates his 3 unspent points.

Engineer (Artillery). Period.
The Watervliet M1 is too big to carry by yourself, so I have no idea why it would ever count as a Small Arm.
Remember to account for the TL cost multiplier.

[u-b]

...draw a line on the map through all the settlements attacked, in the order they were attacked, to estimate if the attacks are shifting, expanding, centered on a noticiable feature, or something...

(so, requesting some intelligence analysis from Richard)

[Volthawk]

Would it be possible to change their mind on the mortar issue with Diplomacy and/or Merchant, or are they too set on that matter to be convinced by Richard talking to them (particularly if it's orders from on high rather than personal judgement)?

[Shoot Da Moon]

Would it be possible to change their mind on the mortar issue with Diplomacy and/or Merchant, or are they too set on that matter to be convinced by Richard talking to them (particularly if it's orders from on high rather than personal judgement)?

It's worth a shot, but the roll will be opposed by effective Will 15.