Prosperity Tower: Thaum Lab stealth advice?

[Bean Sídhe]

I'm trying to not raise any alarms (simply because they are annoying) and still get No Stone Unturned. I have Academic and Spellcasting to pass the ork engineer checks.

If I release the beast into the VP office (which seems to have important info in the matrix), I don't have a keycard to open the security for the node. Then I have no ways to handle the situation other than talk to the ork engineer again, let him call security, and go loud.

On the other hand, the VP office lady calls security if I try to access the matrix without killing the beast there.

[frdnwsm]

I have never managed to get through that floor without raising the alarm, even with a charisma of 7.

That's probably because I insist on pilfering the Security arms locker to get the Steyr assault rifle; this seems to draw them back even if they have gone off to deal with the Beastie. I suspect I could do the whole thing quietly if I were willing to forgo getting the Steyr, but I'm not. It's the best ranged weapon in the basic game.

You can get a keycard by helping out the gal in the room to the SW. You can get info on and access to the core system from the shady VP to the east; just don't try to stiff him.

The matrix access point in the research HQ has the 4 code words to bypass the blockers on the ASIST machine, if I recall, so yeah, you definitely want to get those.[spoiler/]

[Valikdu]

If you screw up 3/3 of the security stations, then there'll be no unending reinforcements.

You can send the monster to the lab and get the opened security station, then leave the floor and do the remaining ones, then come back and rob the reseach head's office with no consequence apart from having to shoot the guards that are present at the moment.

[frdnwsm]

"If you screw up 3/3 of the security stations, then there'll be no unending reinforcements."

I'm not sure what you mean by that; I've never run into "unending" reinforcements. The number of guards in the Tower appears to be finite.

[frdnwsm]

Actually, I'm doing Prosperity Tower now. This guy only has a charisma of 5, which will get you through the basement quietly, but ensures a fight on the other floors. I can pump him up to 7 with the cheat console and give him academic etiquette, which should get me past all the checks. I'll leave the Security arms locker alone until the very end, and see what happens.

[frdnwsm]

OK, I can see absolutely NO way of getting everything you need from the research floor without combat.

You can only get the security guards to come out of their room by sending the beastie to the room with the researcher. Sending it to the elevator does nothing, and the gal in the research HQ must have nerves of steel since she doesn't bat an eye if you send it into her room. You can also get the keycard to the security office by killing the guards on the floor, but ... well, at that point you are already "going loud".

Likewise, after hacking the node in the security room without a fight, even if you leave the weapon locker alone, there is no way to get that bimbo to budge. If you do anything in her room, she calls for security back up. And her matrix terminal has the code words to bypass the blocker IC on the ASIST machine, which you sort of need.

If anybody has managed to do everything on this floor without triggering an all out fight with Security, I'd love to hear about it.[spoiler/]

[Bean Sídhe]

The trick with the VP of research is: that thing goes there, dies, and then you have to claim that you're janitors planning to do cleanup.

[Valikdu]

But the security station stays closed, then. And you'll only be able to sabotage it after starting a fight, which will then be on a timer.

[Lumino]

You cannot do both.

That's the short version. If you want everything on that floor, you HAVE to go loud. My advice, get the achievment, reload the save file, then stealth it.

[di eshor ribly]

I tend to leave this floor for last, so going loud here doesn't bother me much. There is a workaround to going loud and not having the timer hit.

Send the beast to the Head Researcher's room, claim you're janitors and there might be.. substantial leakage. Loot the room (and matrix point) after she leaves. Go out to the elevator and toggle combat mode. Send Is0bel (or your character if you're the decker) and another teammate over by the security door. Once they're in position, geek the security guards as fast and dirty as possible. Your goal is to drop all 3 on turn 1 of combat with two of your crew. Pick up the keycard.

Open the security room with your other two stationed characters (preferably still on Combat turn 1) and try to kill those guards (there should be two-three) as fast as possible. If need be, rush your decker over to start decking immediately while your other teammate holds them off for the elevator murder crew. If you're fast enough, you should finish decking on turn 2 of combat, shutting off the alarm. Finish killing the guards if you haven't, loot the locker room, and go on your merry way.

[Konstantin]

Good idea.

[Trip Onaka]

Hey, I just play this recently, and this thread did help me understand this confusing level. Might as well add some notes about Thaum Lab Floor.

(My character was a high charisma elf shaman, with some rifle specialization, for reference.)

I saved the room for last, because that was going to be the "loud" room. I sent the monster to the Research Lab to get the security room cleared. After I used Is0bel to shut off the alarm in the Matrix, I then went into the research lab (I didn't have the locker code for the rifle, skipped it then and got it after the battle). The "Unholster" mechanic was really useful, as I was able to position my crew around the security personnel from the security room that went to help the researcher.

A general tip would be bring Goblet if you aren't a shaman, as that room has 2 spirit summon points, her fog cloud is useful for bunched enemies, and her haste spell can be really flexible. For Example, giving haste to Is0bel so she can fire off another grenade. (I'm assuming that you would have Is0bel, unless you're playing a decker too.)

The lab was basically a 2-3 turn wipe for the guards, because of all the AOE damage I was doing. After I cleared that room, the other guards (from the elevator room) were easy to pick off. Also, since this happened after all the security hacks happened, no reinforcements are called, and no timer.

One more note: If you do follow these steps... you're going to kill the guy who let you see the monster. He's in the middle and, while you can't target him, the AOE will still kill him, so just don't care about him.