A Splinter in Your Mind - Matrix Quest

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◉ CODA ◉​

Alice Lovelace
​
Resolve
3/3​
Detachment
2​
Skill
6​
Gear
6/10​

Paths​
Path of Resistance
Level 1
When you Fight.exe.
When you gratuitously blow something up as an act of resistance.
The first time in a session you tell an authority to go fuck itself.
XP: ◉◉◉◉◎
You may spend Resistance XP to add or subtract Harm you give or take, 1-1.​
Path of Truth
Level 1
When you Prompt.exe.
When you follow your curiosity in a way that doesn't advance the mission.
The first time in a session you discover something new about the Matrix.
XP: ◉◉◉◎◎
You may spend Truth XP to reroll dice when you Charge or Refresh, 1-1d6.​
Path of Enlightenment
Level 1
When you Disconnect.exe.
When you refuse to back down or run away from impossible odds.
The first time you run out of Resolve in a session.
XP: ◉◉◎◎◎
You may spend Enlightenment XP as if they were Detachment, 1-1.​
Moves
Beginning to Believe: You gain +1 Detachment the first time you Charge.
Stop Trying to Hit Me: You take -1 Harm when on the Defensive in Fights.
Mine Now: Spend a Full Hit in Fight to disarm an enemy of their weapon. If you then shoot them with it, take +1.
Try Again: When you attempt a Disconnect you failed before and have not yet succeeded at, you may input one 6 as a True Hit.
Bit of Help: When you spend Detachment on any move other than Disconnect, you get two +1s. They can be applied to the same die or different ones.

Stunts
Jump Impossible Distances Lvl 2*
Hit with Implausible Force Lvl 1
Dodge Implausible Ways Lvl 1
Act with Implausible Slight of Hand Lvl 1

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CW: Very 90s.

Also, this is going to be a seriously fucked up quest. I'm going to be doing my damndest to channel an appropriately edgy, teen-rage vibe. Expect violence, drugs, sex, etc.

There's also going to be some Pretty Uncomfortable Dysphoria-ing, trans readers be warned.​
 
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[X] Shout to Enigma that they're upstairs. He can hear his own damnself, but we're a newbie.
-[X] Use our six to jump out the window, do a sick physics-defying spin, then run up the wall and go in through the top window, just behind the enemy who presumably entered that way.
 
[X] Shout to Enigma that they're upstairs. He can hear his own damnself, but we're a newbie.
-[X] Use our six to jump out the window, do a sick physics-defying spin, then run up the wall and go in through the top window, just behind the enemy who presumably entered that way.
 
To be fair, I figured throwing the guy out the window isn't just, like, to be cool (though it is) it also gets us down to one person we're fighting and just running up the stairs just means the bad guys we're fighting down here are now fighting us upstairs...with our ward.

Like, I'm not a bodyguard IRL, but it seems like a bad idea to fight around your ward.
 
DragonCobolt said:
To be fair, I figured throwing the guy out the window isn't just, like, to be cool (though it is) it also gets us down to one person we're fighting and just running up the stairs just means the bad guys we're fighting down here are now fighting us upstairs...with our ward.

Like, I'm not a bodyguard IRL, but it seems like a bad idea to fight around your ward.
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I never thought that the defenestration plan was actively useless, I'm just not sure how worried to be about things upstairs. I didn't consider that if we do retreat too hard to the upstairs that might actually make things worse though. It seems we lack the intel to make a better decision
 
Tetra said:
I appreciate your aggressive style, though I would've figured "run up a wall to get to the next floor" would be in Disconnect territory
Well that and we do have the option of trying to do a partial recharge to hit pair 6s
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Wall jumping feels more like rules-bending than just straight up rules-breaking to me?

Like the sort of stuff we see Trinity and Morpheus do a couple of times.

Up to @open_sketch to adjudicate, of course!
 
As much as I like rule-of-cool and all, the fastest way upstairs is to use the stairs. IIRC it's only one level above us.

[X]Book it to the top floor, using the 4 to try to keep the wolfboy from pursuing (at least immediately)
-[X] Refresh while running up the stairs.

Maybe Alice finds running up stairs to be meditatively comforting or something, idk.
 
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Back with a thought. Basically, the way this game system works is you want to either: Use up all your dice without a Refresh to get an Advancement, or save your 6s for when you really need them, in the hope you get enough 6s to Disconnect and gain/level up a Signature Ability. Either way lets you gain a permanent long-term advantage. Using a natural 6 when it's not necessary, like with the "run-up-the-wall" vote, isn't playing to the system's rules.

And on another track entirely: In the original movie, (which I remember much better than the 2nd and 3rd, so...) some physics-bending stunts are ones any of the crew can do and that Neo is learning. "Jump Impossible Distances" or "Wall Running" is just stuff they learne with experience. But there's some undefined limit to their abilities that Neo is able to go beyond, while the crew... can't. And the moment Neo gets his epiphany, he's basically, to use this quest's terminology, disconnecting at-will.

In this quest, even "Jump Impossible Distances" requires leveling up that can't happen off-screen. But at the same time, there's also nothing stopping us from using three natural 6s to suddenly learn how to fly. (For a short time, at least.)
 
[X] Bait the wolfboy into leaping at you while your back is to a window, duck, and fling him out head first with the 4+1 for 5! Then turn to the woman and grin at her, then give her the old Morpheus 'come on' (refresh.)

Because I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't spend the 3 + 1 to make 4 (remember, 4s and 5s are partials, not just 5s), I'll spend the 3 for you instead. So you have a 6 and a 4 left, so roll me 3d6 to fill out the rest of the charge and we'll get rolling!

 
Before we press on, I'm going to sit down and revise fighting a bit. Flexible is currently kind of story-negate-y and while I think that works pretty in small doses it does kind of lead to a lot of stalemate type stuff at low risk. I'm going to revise it slightly so it does the same general thing, but won't totally shut down the story.
 
open_sketch said:
Before we press on, I'm going to sit down and revise fighting a bit. Flexible is currently kind of story-negate-y and while I think that works pretty in small doses it does kind of lead to a lot of stalemate type stuff at low risk. I'm going to revise it slightly so it does the same general thing, but won't totally shut down the story.
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Maybe you're just not having us shot at enough? Clearly, our strategy's weakness is bullets.
 
open_sketch said:
Before we press on, I'm going to sit down and revise fighting a bit. Flexible is currently kind of story-negate-y and while I think that works pretty in small doses it does kind of lead to a lot of stalemate type stuff at low risk. I'm going to revise it slightly so it does the same general thing, but won't totally shut down the story.
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Tbh, I feel this flows from just...not quite knowing what we were getting into with the stats, combined with the fact that there's no good way of getting rid of dice outside of shooting. So we spend our partials on things that won't harm us more, and just keep on hoping to roll 5s and 6s so we can do whatever we want with unmitigated success.
 
2.3 - That's Nasty
  • Threadmarks
    • You considered darting to the door, but wolf-boy was already closing. Sprite would have to hold on. You wove around his punches, giving ground, stepping back out of the entryway and hoping the smoke would obscure the sniper's shot, if he was still there. You caught his boot as he kicked out and stepped back with it in your grip, hoping to pull him off balance, and instead, he leapt after you with a fist drawn back.

    Shit, you'd learned a lot of martial arts but they were designed for fighting people constrained by the fucking laws of physics. You tumbled back to duck his followup, which tore apart a bookshelf end without stopping. As splinters rained into your hair and clattered off your sunglasses, you threw yourself out toward the windows again to get some space.

    There, you stumbled and leaned against the window, doing your best to look unsteady, uncertain. A bit of drunken boxing, holding out a hand like you weren't ready. This guy was a predator, all you needed was some blood in the water.

    Still grinning cocky, ducking back and forth like a boxer, he lept for you, and you ducked under his wild attack. Your hands found and gripped his collar as you rolled onto your back, kicking your legs out, and you heaved him headfirst into and out of the heavy plate glass window, taking the heavy venetian blinds with him.

    As glass pattered off your jacket, you kipped up and looked for Engima in the smoke. Lexi was huddled in the corner next to the desk on the edge of tears. Then, the Exile woman staggered into view around a briefcase, bleeding from the nose but clearly not deterred.

    "That all you got, old man!" she screamed, and you cast around for something to distract her with. There was a heavy paperweight on the desk, an image of a moth pressed in the glass, and you hefted it for her head as hard as you could. It shattered against the boards as she ducked, and she swept her long tangle of hair out of the way as she approached.

    "Engima, the Librarian!" you called, and you could hear his boots against the stairs, already two steps ahead of you, as she approached. She ran her hand across her mouth to clear the blood, then, with a stupid grin, licked it. Ewww.

    You saw her eyes fall on Lexi, and you very deliberately stepped in the way and squared up as she approached.

    ---
    ​
    Your new dice. Recall we are using the new fight rules. As an Exile, Wulf's extremely gross digital sister here has 2 Threat.​
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    Your Charge.​
    ⚅⚃⚂⚂⚀​
    ​
    What do you do?​
     
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    • [X]Spend a 3 to block a hit, take 1 Harm, spend a 4, 3, and 1 attacking, Recharge to heal off the damage
     
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    [X]Spend a 3 to block a hit, take 1 Harm, spend a 4, 3, and 1 attacking, Recharge to heal off the damage
    is that how this works? and does the rework to combat mean we'd have to spend an effective 6 "on defense" but not actually blocking to get the counter move? that's... not very good
    Also are stances still a thing?
     
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    Tetra said:
    [X]Spend a 3 to block a hit, take 1 Harm, spend a 4, 3, and 1 attacking, Recharge to heal off the damage
    is that how this works? and does the rework to combat mean we'd have to spend an effective 6 "on defense" but not actually blocking to get the counter move? that's... not very good
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    No. You do have to spend a 6 somewhere in the defence, but 6s give you two 'blocks' to work with. So if you throw in a 6 and a 4 against a 2 Threat opponent, you effectively have 3 blocks. Two are consumed stopping damage, then the excess can be used to yoink his weapon and hit him with it.

    Also, you *must* put as much dice forward for blocking as the Threat. Stick that 1 in the Defense and the effect will be the same.
     
    open_sketch said:
    No. You do have to spend a 6 somewhere in the defence, but 6s give you two 'blocks' to work with. So if you throw in a 6 and a 4 against a 2 Threat opponent, you effectively have 3 blocks. Two are consumed stopping damage, then the excess can be used to yoink his weapon and hit him with it.

    Also, you *must* put as much dice forward for blocking as the Threat. Stick that 1 in the Defense and the effect will be the same.
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    [X]Spend a 3 and a 1 on Defense, take 1 Harm, spend a 4 and 3 attacking, Recharge to heal off the damage
    Thanks for the clarification
     
    open_sketch said:
    I have revised the rules for fighting and updated the old fight document over it. This has also led to a revision of your selected move.

    This system will take some getting used to, it's a bit more in-depth, but it should provide more room for interesting battles and fun character customization.
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    Iiiinteresting. Okay so three questions:
    1. Can we deliberately fail to put up enough defensive dice to meet an opponent's Threat, in order to save our dice? Or are we literally forced by the Threat to spend a certain amount in defence?
    2. Can we deliberately put up failed dice in defence in order to save our good dice for offence?
    3. Three dice is the maximum number of dice we can put into offence, right?
    EDIT: Ah, you've answered one of these I think!
     
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    antigravitas said:
    Iiiinteresting. Okay so three questions:
    1. Can we deliberately fail to put up enough defensive dice to meet an opponent's Threat, in order to save our dice? Or are we literally forced by the Threat to spend a certain amount in defence?
    2. Can we deliberately put up failed dice in defence in order to save our good dice for offence?
    3. Three dice is the maximum number of dice we can put into offence, right?
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    1. No. if you fail to put up any defense, even a weak one, you opponent punches your torso off.
    2. Yep! In fact it's a very good idea. Healing comes quick and easy.
    3. Yes. there might be abilities that let you put in more you can unlock.
     
    [X] Snap a kick to her head that she barely manages to duck, but sets her up for a leg sweep as you flip out with your other leg (4+1 for 5 partial success - doing 1 harm). Then, as she stumbles back against the wall, step in, and just unload a series of rabid punches into her ribs (3+1, 3+1 for 2 more harm) until she grabs your hand (1+1 for a miss) before you finally leap back and away from her wild counterattack with the 6 (blocking 2 threat.)
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    [X] Snap a kick to her head that she barely manages to duck, but sets her up for a leg sweep as you flip out with your other leg (4+1 for 5 partial success - doing 1 harm). Then, as she stumbles back against the wall, step in, and just unload a series of rabid punches into her ribs (3+1, 3+1 for 2 more harm) until she grabs your hand (1+1 for a miss) before you finally leap back and away from her wild counterattack with the 6 (blocking 2 threat.)
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    (Psst. Offence dice are +Cool...which means we're rolling at -1)
     
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