[SR] Safes

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 7:08 am

Out of curiosity, what kind of measures do you think will be built into safes in the SR world?

After watching a series of movies about expert safecrackers, I'm just wondering how well a professional safe cracking physical adept would do in the SR world.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 10:33 am

I think there would definitely be some high denisty low weight materials being used at all levels. I could see sculpted host systems built into safes with data storage, as well as a variety of security features. Vanishing SANs, the whole works.

I could see biometric features being pretty big-maybe retinal scanners, thumb/digit prints, as well as maybe a voice code of some sort. Alphanumeric key pads, and slash card technology could certainly be intergrated. So could cybernetic interfaces-datajacks, induction jacks, maybe coded eye laser bursts to open it (Based of some sort of light recognition pattern), even ultrasound activated locking devices.

Lettering and numbering ont he safe could be printed a wider variety of spectrums, preventing normal vision from perceiving it.

Security features can range pretty widely, from stun pads and gas grenades to self destructing glass fragmentation plates, and conductive hinges/pieces that are tamper proof.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:35 am

Fuck, you probably forgot to mention spell anchors, but damn. A mundane would have to be one hell of an individual to be a professional safe cracker (legal or no), a physad might be able to pull it off, but dog, what kind of adept abilities would we be going for here?

Also, I'm gonna make the assumption that shit like microscopic vision and stuff like overlay vision would be available as goggle wear in addition to cyber. I haven't been able to find any references to non-cyber microscopic vision, but how much do you think a monocle like that would run?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:27 pm

Not much. Figure what? Thermo Goggles cost 2200 nuyen? Add another 500 for lowlight on the same googles. Microscopic might run another 2k if that. And thats being exspensive.

I left magic out because thats a whole 'nother world. The stuff you can do with anchored and triggered spellls... Well I'd be scared shitless to crack a really good Magicers safe.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 6:11 pm

For serious vaults I'd expect them to utilise the whole spectrum of biometric features- thumbprint, voiceprint, retinal scan- all the way up the DNA scans. IIRC, SotA 2063 says they only take about a minute or two to do a scan so it wouldn't be a problem.

So if you wanted to be completely paranoid you get a safe with a combination lock- a manually keyed in number sequence, a swipe card type thing- probably an electonic key string stored on your credstick, a retinal scanner, voiceprint scanner, thumbprint scanner and DNA scanner. And that's ignoring the magical defences or the security systems you have on the room that the safe/vault is in.

MooCow · Post by **MooCow** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:13 pm

high denisty low weight materials

Make it easier to pick up and cart off.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:24 pm

Yeah. Besides, there's just something reassuring about a safe that has some heft to it.

But back to the topic at hand, what sort of nasty magical surprises can people think of to incorporate into a safe or vault?

sinsual · Post by **sinsual** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:28 pm

More like so you don't have to reinforce the shit out of the floor to keep the focker from falling thru.

Now the real question isn't whether there would be all that, the more realistic question is...how much does a fragger want to spend? Just do a look online for safes, look at the costs involved in whats available today and then figure in all the goodies you want. Now for say that penthouse owned by a mid/high level manager to keep his wifes precious jewels and some collector simsense, how much of all that other stuff do you think he would really have?

Flak: anything out of D&D for spell traps could be adapted if you think about it...

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:56 pm

In order to cart it off you'd have to remove it from its spot on the wall/floor/where ever and thereby disconnect the pressure sensors that keep the security system its there, plus you have to get to it. Add in GPS tracking and maybe a built in phone with some programming that allowed a user to remotely track it, listen to audio from its surrondings, maybe even live video, or worse remotely detonate it.

Magic wise I could easily see bound spirits for important enough stuff, maybe watchers. Any sort of combined detection spells to trigger all sorts of nasty surprises-Stun stuff I'd suspect in order to keep from damaging valueables. Wards possibly? Maybe even illusionary distractions and the like.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:03 am

Wards or barriers most likely so you can't have someone on the astral whiz through and take a look inside-but then you've got to consider lighting. The main thing would be having something like a fire elemental or the like materialise inside the safe to destroy anything inside it.[/quote]

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:12 am

I'd go for a high force single shot mana ball myself.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 10:33 am

Another thing to consider is who has a safe? People who have money, and more importantly a secure place to live. Corporate enclaves, AA neighborhoods, Gang bosses with lots of soldatoes. People with the security to consider leaving somethng valueable in one place.

When considering magic the contents of the safe become all important. Are they replaceable? If not then any sort of really damaging spell or any elemental manipulation is out of the question.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:38 pm

Which is why I'd suggest a manaball: IIRC, it targets willpower.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:59 pm

I'd probably suggest stunball since it's always nice to have a little... 'chat' with whomever was trying to rob you. Questions like what were they after, are they freelance or being paid by someone to do it etc. Also means it's all nice and legal. If however you don't really care what's legal or not, that's when you hook up the gas system spraying Seven-7 linked to the silent alarm on the thing.

That's a thought. Have a dummy decoy safe and the real one. Drop a gas grenade with Neurostun in the decoy safe with the pin out and close the door before it goes off. You now have a safe filled with pressurised Neuroastun gas and whoever opens the door next gets a face full of it.

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 12:17 am

Doesn't Neurostun degrade after a minute?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 12:29 am

I can't recall, but even so thats 20 combat turns. Long enough to work!

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 12:30 am

Hhmm, you could have a point. Okay, we'll just have to find something that doesn't degrade then.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 5:29 am

Starving crotch weasel?

Anguirel · Post by **Anguirel** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 6:51 am

Cash wrote:Doesn't Neurostun degrade after a minute?

Most of them disperse or degrade, but they have to be contained initially somehow. Make the safe into the gas grenade.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 8:04 am

Y'know, I'm trying to remember this one movie - maybe it was The Jackal, but I'm only thinking that because I'm in a Bruce Willis mood. The guy doct taped a grenade into tthe inner wall of a safe and if you opened it too fast, the pin would be pulled out. What ya had to do was open it slowly, then cut the cable on the pin before opening it all the way.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 10:42 am

As long as you could stand losing the contents of the safe, a great idea. Hell thermite could be used in an oxygen deprived environment...

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 9:55 pm

Thermite is what you hook up to the alarm system to kick in if someone tries to break into the safe and sets the alarm off- pretty much the ultimate safety precaution. But if gas wont work, how about a claymore mine attachec to the back inside wall of the thing with a trigger wire connected to the door?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 2:09 am

Legality becomes a question too. How many people can afford to explain the results of a Claymore?Only a few.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 2:11 am

Uh, who'd have to explain anything? Not like there'd be anyone around to lodge a complaint or anything?

Although I suppose the noise from one of those things must be a bit loud.