Rules:Infiltration

Run infiltrations using a modified version of the combat system.

This is Daniel's pet project. I'm not in love with it, I don't know if I'll ever actually propose it. But I was playing around with it and wanted to record it.

Loud Rule: These rules only apply while the infiltration is "quiet", once it's gone "loud" it's time for a different structure.

Condition Monitors

• Infiltrators: Highest Agility+Stealth pool,
  • -1 for each participant with a pool under 10. Only applies for participants who actually enter the Target, whether physically, astrally or matrix.
• Target: Highest perception/sensor pool (on any plane),
  • +1 per 5 units (patrols, guards, matrix watchers)
  • +2 per plane covered

Initiative

• Team based init.
  • Each round, all Infiltrators roll their usual init, use only the highest score.
  • Target chooses a leader for the conflict, use their init.
• Proceed per usual combat rules, with two combatants, the Infiltrators and the Target.
  • On the Infiltrators turn, all participants may take one action
  • On the Target's turn, they take one action
  • Any infiltrator may use an interrupt action, but the init cost affects the entire team
  • Targets have interrupt actions as well

Actions

(This section needs the most work)

Target Actions

The Target will make one Perception on attack on their turn. They pick a sensor and a unit using that sensor. E.g. A guard might roll audiovisual perception, a Spider might roll matrix perception, a security mage might roll their perception on the Astral. The roll is contested by an Infiltrator acting within that sensor's purview (e.g. a Hacker would oppose the Spider's Matrix Perception), using the appropriate form of stealth (e.g. Agility+Sneaking, Charisma+Impersonation, Logic+Sleaze).

If the Target gets net hits, those hits are marked on the Impersonators' Condition Monitor.

Interrupt Actions

If the GM wants to implement wards, traps, alarms or even unexpected locked doors or guards, they may have the Target take an Interrupt Action spending 10 initiative. Depending on the situation, either set a threshold or roll a pool from the Target, contested by an appropriate Infiltrator. Hits missing from the threshold or net hits on the opposed pool should be marked against the Infiltrator's Condition Monitor.

Infiltrator Actions

On the Infiltrator's turn in the Initiative Pass, all Infiltrators may take one action. However, only one of these actions may be an 'attack' on the Target's Condition Monitor - the rest must be support actions. Choose a leader for the Pass and an objective. For example, descending several floors in an elevator shaft, talking your way past a receptionist, unlocking a door, or silently taking out a Security Guard. Any infiltrator may attempt an opposed roll against the Target that supports this objective; if net hits are achieved, the leader receives those hits as a die pool bonus to their test, along with +1 limit. Once all infiltrators have helped, the leader makes their opposed roll. If they achieve any net hits, they are marked against the Target's Condition Monitor.

Example:

Red Courage's team is on a datasteal against Setpoint Social. Red Courage has gone up to the security guards up front while Jimmy Metal attempts to sneak up on the guard a the back door and snap his neck. Abs1nthe is looping the camera feeds and Eis-Berg's contribution is an Increased Agility on Jimmy. Jimmy is the leader for this action. Red Courage makes an opposed Con test against the guards and gets 3 net hits. Despite a direct connection to the camera, Abs1nthe is having a bad day and only gets 1 net hit on his Edit File action. Eis-Berg's spell is resolved as usual and increases Jimmy's Agility by 2 to his augmented maximum. Jimmy now makes his unarmed test against the security guard, receiving a +4 die pool bonus and +2 Agility bonus (for a total of +6 to his roll) along with +2 to his Physical limit. The guard contests with his Reaction + Intuition. Jimmy rolls well - he gets 5 net hits on the guard and marks those against the Target's Condition Monitor. The guard is considered neutralized and the team can attempt to move through the complex on their next Initiative Pass.

Results

• The Infiltrators may choose to abandon the conflict and retreat at any time. Remember though that the Loud Rule applies - once you're Loud, you can no longer back out for free.
• If either condition monitor empties, the conflict is over:
  • If the Infiltrators' empties, the conflict goes Loud.
    • Use the remaining boxes on the Target's monitor as a measure of how close to the goal the Infiltrators are.
  • If the Targets' empties, the Infiltrators reach the goal.
    • Use the remaining boxes on the Infiltrators' monitor as a measure of what's left to contend with at the goal
    • Alternatively, if the Infiltrators still need to sneak out, don't refresh the Infiltrators' monitor when you begin a new Infiltration conflict.
  • If somehow both monitors fill as a result of the same action, the conflict goes Loud just as the Infiltrators reach the goal.

Hacking actions and the Loud Rule

Normally, a failed Sleaze action or successful Attack action would immediately notify the Target and trigger going Loud. To mitigate this, consider using the following alternative.

• On a failed Sleaze action, the Target's total hits (not net hits) on the defense test are marked against the Infiltrators' Condition Monitor (no marks are placed on the Infiltrator).
• On a successful Attack action, the Infiltrator's total hits (not net hits) on the test are marked against the Infiltrator's Condition Monitor unless the attacked Icon is completely destroyed.
• If the contested roll is a Data Processing or Firewall action, the Infiltrator and GM must agree whether to use Sleaze or Attack rules before the test is made.

Time

Rounds in Infiltration will almost always be longer than Combat Rounds, but will vary widely in duration from round to round, depending on the narrative. If specific times are needed, consult the durations for the actions being taken.