Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: SDTroll on <11-18-19/0650:30>
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Shocking, I know, but the matrix section has produced a few more questions
How big is an RCC? Can a rigger carry it with them on a run? Does it fit into a pocket? Is it the size of a car?
Since Technomancers are always difficult to find in the matrix, are they considered to always be running silent? Can they run silent as well, and would there be a reason to? Can they be obvious if they want? Or would they always be that weird voice from nowhere unless you get the 5 hits?
What is the advantage of DNI? It’s mentioned frequently, but I cannot find any effects of it.
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An RCC is usually presented as about the size of a laptop or console game unit .. so yes it's portable but not small enough to be easily concealed by putting it in a pocket.
TM's have the choice of running silent or not, but even if not running silent it is difficult to tell they are a techno instead of a decker. That's what the 4 threshold on the matrix perception check is for... not just seeing a TM persona but knowing that it is a TM
For now the only benefit of a DNI is allowing you to connect to a device that is not wireless.. there will more rules as soon as I get a chance to work on a matrix splatbook for more
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How big is an RCC?
In previous edition a standard commlink was compared to a smartphone, a cyberdeck with a tablet and a RCC with a laptop.
Having said that, since most users have access to DNI commlinks may come in a wide array of size and shapes (jewelry was mentioned) and the shape of the cyberdeck have changed to a gauntlet in this edition - but we think RCC is still the shape similar of a small briefcase, console or laptop.
Since Technomancers are always difficult to find in the matrix, are they considered to always be running silent?
I read that as their matrix persona are always difficult to distinguish from a regular device based persona (and that this is what the fixed threshold is for).
That to find a technomancer (or living network) that is trying to hide is just resolved as a regular opposed matrix perception test.
What is the advantage of DNI? It’s mentioned frequently, but I cannot find any effects of it.
It let you control electronic devices directly with your mind - without physically touching them and without touching them virtually by using gadgets such as AR gloves.
Game mechanic wise this mean the Use Simple Device action become a Minor Action rather than a Major Action (for example setting the timer on a detonator cap will go from a Major Action to a Minor Action if you have DNI).
The Send Message matrix action let you send longer messages (about a paragraph worth of text) if you have DNI (compared to a single sentence).
If you eject a clip or change firing mode (which both are normally Minor Actions) would gain a free Minor Action if you have DNI.
You need DNI to get the positive dice pool modifier of one dice when using a smartlink system (the internal or external smartgun weapon accessory plus the internal or external smartlink visual enhancement).
It is required (together with a sim module for cold-sim) VR and (together with a sim-module modded for hot-sim) hot-sim VR and in turn VR is required in order to jump in (but to jump in you also need admin access and an implanted control rig).
Note that technomancers get to use both cold-sim and hot-sim VR by default (and they can jump in if they have a mind over machine echo, and they may establish a direct connection. or a linked direct neural interface connection, by physically touching a device with their skin link echo).
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Minor point but cyberdecks are bracer size not bracelets... from wrist to elbow basically... literally like a wearable tablet computer
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Yeah, I just found the entry in the book. 'Gauntlet' was the word used. Updated my original post.
Edit: Also just realized that there is a huge difference between a bracelet [jewelry] and a bracer [wrist guard].
(English is not my native language).
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TM's have the choice of running silent or not, but even if not running silent it is difficult to tell they are a techno instead of a decker. That's what the 4 threshold on the matrix perception check is for... not just seeing a TM persona but knowing that it is a TM
So the paragraph on pg 189 should say identify rather than spot for the Matrix Perception test? The icon of a Technomancer is as obvious as any other, but in order to identify them as a techno you need 5 hits on a matrix perception test. Would the techno be able to resist the test like a normal matrix perception? So it would be a threshold of 5 on the opposed test, or you would need 5 net hits.
For now the only benefit of a DNI is allowing you to connect to a device that is not wireless.. there will more rules as soon as I get a chance to work on a matrix splatbook for more
So the Skinlink echo allows wireless bonuses with a touch rather than a wireless connection? Would this give any protection to the device from hacking? I assume the technomancer can't build a PAN without the Living Network echo, so any devices she has aren't protected except by any innate protection they have. Would this mean a techno without the Living Network echo can't join a daisy chain, either as the master or a slave, if you are using that house rule?
On a similar note, what is an enemy hacker allowed to hack, if he gets access? I've seen posts about data spiking cybereyes. Are all cybereyes vulnerable to that? What if they aren't wireless at all. I don't see any cybereye mods with a wireless bonus, does that leave any vulnerabilities? If I have a cybersystem with a component with a wireless bonus, say cyberears with a spatial recognizer, can the hacker hit all of my ears or just the spatial recognizer? Can a hacker affect a DNI through a cable? If my smartgun is cabled to my goggles is it vulnerable to hacking.
Finally, at least for now, can I activate the wireless bonus for an item but leave it outside my network. Basically refuse to have it connect to my commlink. For example, a tag eraser that doesn't communicate with my systems, just recharges by induction. I assume no, just to avoid adding the complication of trying to decide if a certain device needs access to work wireless. Can a techno then not use the wireless bonus because they can't form a PAN, assuming they don't carry a separate commlink for that purpose.
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Cybereyes usually are wireless to use the Smartlink system with Smartguns.
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TM's have the choice of running silent or not, but even if not running silent it is difficult to tell they are a techno instead of a decker. That's what the 4 threshold on the matrix perception check is for... not just seeing a TM persona but knowing that it is a TM
So the paragraph on pg 189 should say identify rather than spot for the Matrix Perception test? The icon of a Technomancer is as obvious as any other, but in order to identify them as a techno you need 5 hits on a matrix perception test. Would the techno be able to resist the test like a normal matrix perception? So it would be a threshold of 5 on the opposed test, or you would need 5 net hits.
For now the only benefit of a DNI is allowing you to connect to a device that is not wireless.. there will more rules as soon as I get a chance to work on a matrix splatbook for more
So the Skinlink echo allows wireless bonuses with a touch rather than a wireless connection? Would this give any protection to the device from hacking? I assume the technomancer can't build a PAN without the Living Network echo, so any devices she has aren't protected except by any innate protection they have. Would this mean a techno without the Living Network echo can't join a daisy chain, either as the master or a slave, if you are using that house rule?
On a similar note, what is an enemy hacker allowed to hack, if he gets access? I've seen posts about data spiking cybereyes. Are all cybereyes vulnerable to that? What if they aren't wireless at all. I don't see any cybereye mods with a wireless bonus, does that leave any vulnerabilities? If I have a cybersystem with a component with a wireless bonus, say cyberears with a spatial recognizer, can the hacker hit all of my ears or just the spatial recognizer? Can a hacker affect a DNI through a cable? If my smartgun is cabled to my goggles is it vulnerable to hacking.
Finally, at least for now, can I activate the wireless bonus for an item but leave it outside my network. Basically refuse to have it connect to my commlink. For example, a tag eraser that doesn't communicate with my systems, just recharges by induction. I assume no, just to avoid adding the complication of trying to decide if a certain device needs access to work wireless. Can a techno then not use the wireless bonus because they can't form a PAN, assuming they don't carry a separate commlink for that purpose.
Yes, and the matrix perception is already being addressed in errata/FAQ
Don't confuse wireless bonuses with wireless functionality... almost everything in the 6th World is wireless and open to hacking.
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Don't confuse wireless bonuses with wireless functionality... almost everything in the 6th World is wireless and open to hacking.
If there is no advantage, why would a runner leave anything wireless? I know things are usually wireless, but the rules say it's easy to turn it off, so why not?
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Don't confuse wireless bonuses with wireless functionality... almost everything in the 6th World is wireless and open to hacking.
If there is no advantage, why would a runner leave anything wireless? I know things are usually wireless, but the rules say it's easy to turn it off, so why not?
There many devices that need wireless functionality to operate but don't provide wireless bonuses. Cybereyes for example by themselves do not provide a bonus but if you want full integration between them and your smart gun you need them to wireless or DNI
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Don't confuse wireless bonuses with wireless functionality... almost everything in the 6th World is wireless and open to hacking.
If there is no advantage, why would a runner leave anything wireless? I know things are usually wireless, but the rules say it's easy to turn it off, so why not?
There many devices that need wireless functionality to operate but don't provide wireless bonuses. Cybereyes for example by themselves do not provide a bonus but if you want full integration between them and your smart gun you need them to wireless or DNI
So back to the question, assuming I have cybereyes and I'm running a smartgun link wirelessly, because that cable is just so old school, can the hacker who penetrates my PAN take out my entire cybereye, or just the smartgun link?
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The smartlink is just an add-on in the cybereye, akin to Thermographic Vision enhancement. You could potentially target just the smartlink (or the thermographic vision) for shenanigans, but if you're doing destructive hacking I'm not sure you even CAN brick just one add-on without harming the rest of the cybereye. It's certainly more advantageous to just take out the entire cybereye.
Note that if your target doesn't have cybereyes, where the smartlink is its own discrete piece of cyberware implanted in a biological eye, then yes it's discrete from other pieces of cyberware in that same eye.
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Don't confuse wireless bonuses with wireless functionality... almost everything in the 6th World is wireless and open to hacking.
If there is no advantage, why would a runner leave anything wireless? I know things are usually wireless, but the rules say it's easy to turn it off, so why not?
There many devices that need wireless functionality to operate but don't provide wireless bonuses. Cybereyes for example by themselves do not provide a bonus but if you want full integration between them and your smart gun you need them to wireless or DNI
So back to the question, assuming I have cybereyes and I'm running a smartgun link wirelessly, because that cable is just so old school, can the hacker who penetrates my PAN take out my entire cybereye, or just the smartgun link?
Yes. Anything connected to the network can be a target
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So, go old school and use the cable. :)
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Cybereyes usually are wireless to use the Smartlink system with Smartguns.
This is the answer I think OP is looking for.
Not sure why it seem as if he choose to ignore it....
So, go old school and use the cable. :)
A good reason why you want your smartgun system (which consist of an internal or an external smartgun accessory as well as an internal or an external smartlink visual enhancement) to be wireless connected and working in concert with DNI is because you will gain a positive dice pool modifier of one dice. The drawback is that your smartgun system can be hacked.
A good reason to connect your smartgun system with a wire (or a skin link echo for that matter) is to be immune to hacking. The drawback is that you don't get a positive dice pool modifier.
Everything have a price.
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So back to the question, assuming I have cybereyes and I'm running a smartgun link wirelessly, because that cable is just so old school, can the hacker who penetrates my PAN take out my entire cybereye, or just the smartgun link?
Yes. Anything connected to the network can be a target
Just to follow up on some questions I have asked in other threads, and absolutely understand this, this is how I would see the mechanics around the scenario in which poor SDTroll's cybereye gets bricked...
Assume the following: SDTroll has a Decker protecting him, that has linked SDTroll's PAN to the Decker's PAN.
1) Hacker locates the Decker's PAN, via the Matrix Perception action (pg 182). This is resisted by the Decker's Willpower + Decker's Sleaze.
2) Hacker breaks into the Decker's PAN, via Brute Force action, to gain Admin Access. This is resisted by Decker's Willpower + Decker's Firewall.
3) Now that the Hacker has Admin Access to the Decker's PAN, he also has Admin Access to all the stuff on SDTroll's PAN as well, including SDTroll's cybereye. This gives him a few options to mess with SDTroll...
a) Could use Data Spike action on the Cybereye to do Matrix damage and potentially brick it. This would be resisted with the Decker's Data Processing + Firewall.
b) Could use the Format Device action, resisted by the Decker's Willpower+Firewall, and then the Reboot Action, resisted by the Decker's Willpower+Firewall, to brick the Cybereye in two actions without worrying about Matrix damage.
c) Could use the Snoop action, resisted by the Decker's Data Process+Firewall, to see whatever it is SDTroll is seeing.
d) (Maybe, this is speculative) could use the Spoof Command action, resisted by the Decker's Data Processing+Firewall, to screw with with SDTroll is seeing, for example turn the gain on the thermo imaging all the way up so that all SDTroll sees are meaningless heat patters, or switch the Cybereye's feed to a Taiwanese game show,
Does that all sound right? If SDTroll were NOT behind the Decker's PAN, then all of the above would be resisted using SDTroll's commlink Data Processing and Firewall, and SDTroll's Willpower.
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Yes .. but remember not all of those actions require admin access so depending on what you wanted to do admin is overkill ... for example you can data spike poor old SDTroll's cyberyes with outsider access .. still gets the deckers stats for defense
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Yes .. but remember not all of those actions require admin access so depending on what you wanted to do admin is overkill ... for example you can data spike poor old SDTroll's cyberyes with outsider access .. still gets the deckers stats for defense
Yikes, just when I think I have a handle on this!
I had assumed that in the Matrix that SDTroll's cybereyes would be "behind" the decker's PAN, and therefore not visible until the Hacker had gained access to that. But clearly I was wrong, from what you have just said. You could do a Matrix Perception test to find SDTroll's cybereyes directly and attack them without doing anything with the PAN itself.
In fact, I think almost all my confusion has been based on this (turns out faulty) assumption that once in a PAN devices were no longer "visible" to the outside world until one had access to the PAN. This literally changes everything...
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Follow-up, how does what you said, Banshee, work with this sentence from page 173...
Generally speaking, in order to get to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain access to that PAN.
I had interpreted that as described above.
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Yes .. but remember not all of those actions require admin access so depending on what you wanted to do admin is overkill ... for example you can data spike poor old SDTroll's cyberyes with outsider access .. still gets the deckers stats for defense
Yikes, just when I think I have a handle on this!
I had assumed that in the Matrix that SDTroll's cybereyes would be "behind" the decker's PAN, and therefore not visible until the Hacker had gained access to that. But clearly I was wrong, from what you have just said. You could do a Matrix Perception test to find SDTroll's cybereyes directly and attack them without doing anything with the PAN itself.
In fact, I think almost all my confusion has been based on this (turns out faulty) assumption that once in a PAN devices were no longer "visible" to the outside world until one had access to the PAN. This literally changes everything...
Yeah, they may be hiding an require a perception check to locate if running silent but not undetectable... if inside a deckers PAN you still get the deckers defense pool
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Follow-up, how does what you said, Banshee, work with this sentence from page 173...
Generally speaking, in order to get to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain access to that PAN.
I had interpreted that as described above.
That's is about gaining access ... want user access to a device then you need user access on the PAN it's in. That's has nothing to do with "seeing" it
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Follow-up, how does what you said, Banshee, work with this sentence from page 173...
Generally speaking, in order to get to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain access to that PAN.
I had interpreted that as described above.
That's is about gaining access ... want user access to a device then you need user access on the PAN it's in. That's has nothing to do with "seeing" it
Wow, ok, that really does change everything for me. I really do think nearly all my questions have involved a misunderstanding of this concept.
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Follow-up, how does what you said, Banshee, work with this sentence from page 173...
Generally speaking, in order to get to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain access to that PAN.
I had interpreted that as described above.
That's is about gaining access ... want user access to a device then you need user access on the PAN it's in. That's has nothing to do with "seeing" it
Wow, ok, that really does change everything for me. I really do think nearly all my questions have involved a misunderstanding of this concept.
Yeah, that is really the foundation of what I did to simplify things in 6E. It no longer has any focus on individual devices, but rather the networks instead. You are hacking the network and not the device 99% of the time.
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You could do a Matrix Perception test to find SDTroll's cybereyes directly and attack them without doing anything with the PAN itself.
Icons in the matrix are basically immediately obvious and does not require a matrix perception test to be spotted, unless perhaps the network that the icon is slaved to is running silent - in which case you might need to take an opposed matrix perception test to first spot the network (and with it all the icons connected to the network).
Think 'network' rather than master device or slaved device.
In fact, I think almost all my confusion has been based on this (turns out faulty) assumption that once in a PAN devices were no longer "visible" to the outside world until one had access to the PAN. This literally changes everything...
All 'outside' actions can be taken direct on devices no matter if they are part of a network or not and no matter if the hacker have access on the network or not.
Follow-up, how does what you said, Banshee, work with this sentence from page 173...
Generally speaking, in order to get to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain access to that PAN.
I had interpreted that as described above.
That generally speaking you need access on the network before you can get to the devices attached to the network.
Specifically speaking you need user access on the network before you can take user access actions to the devices attached to the network and you need admin access on the network before you can take admin access action to the device.
You don't need any access on the network if all you wish to do is to take an outside access action to the device.
But it also mean that if the network is running silent then you first need to spot the network.
And no matter what type of access action you are using and no matter if you already have access on the network or not devices will use matrix attributes provided to them via the network.
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That generally speaking you need access on the network before you can get to the devices attached to the network.
Specifically speaking you need user access on the network before you can take user access actions to the devices attached to the network and you need admin access on the network before you can take admin access action to the device.
You don't need any access on the network if all you wish to do is to take an outside access action to the device.
But it also mean that if the network is running silent then you first need to spot the network.
And no matter what type of access action you are using and no matter if you already have access on the network or not devices will use matrix attributes provided to them via the network.
Thanks Xenon, this is a good summary of what I now understand to be true. It's that third sentence above that I was mistaken on most clearly; I had interpreted "get to" in that sentence I quoted above from page 173, as "gain any access to, including outsider access". But its clear now that sentence should maybe actually read...
Generally speaking, in order to get to gain User or Admin Access to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain User or Admin access to that PAN.
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Generally speaking, in order to get to gain User or Admin Access to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain User or Admin access to that PAN.
Or rather:
Generally speaking, in order to get totake User or Admin required actions to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain User or Admin access to that PAN.
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Or it works just fine as is since outside access is defined as not really being the default level access and does not require any hacking to have
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Or rather:
Generally speaking, in order to get totake User or Admin required actions to a device attached to a PAN, one must first gain User or Admin access to that PAN.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Follow-up question, now, man, you are very patient with me...how many Matrix Perception tests are needed in all of this? Here is the text:
A successful test gives you information about the target. With a tie, you can perceive the item’s icon. A single net hit will give you basic information, such as device rating, or whatever name the device or icon calls itself. Two net hits will give you more specific information, including individual attribute ratings, and what programs it is currently running. Additional hits will give you more information based on what the gamemaster wishes to reveal. This test can also be used to attempt to find a persona that is running silent.
In that section, what exactly does "target" mean? Does "target" mean "PAN"? Do you need a specific name, like "Bob Carlson" or is something like "Decker who is currently screwing with us" good enough?
taking this section on 173...
Programs and devices attached to the PAN appear as smaller representations of their normal icons, carried by the persona.
(which now makes a lot more sense to me), here is my hypothesis...
* Hacker wants to screw with us. They do a Matrix Perception test to locate "Runner Decker that is currently screwing with my employers".
* If the Hacker succeeds he finds the Icon for our Decker's PAN. This Icon also provides information about all the stuff attached to it, which is all the Deckers stuff plus probably (using the house rules that have been discussed) all the Runner's PANs and all the stuff attached to them as well.
* This Icon representation conveys some basic information, like "This is a Smartgun enabled M-23 Assault Rifle", "This is a personal commlink", "This is a cybereye", etc. More net hits on the Perception test will lead to more info, such as "This is Bob Carlson's cybereye" or "This is a smartgun enabled M-23 Assault Rifle currently firing from the corner of 12th and Main".
* The Hacker can affect any part of this "web" of Icons with an action that requires Outsider Access.
* The Hacker can Brute Force or Probe+Backdoor the PAN itself, to gain User or Admin Access to all of those Icons they can see.
Does that have it?
Or it works just fine as is since outside access is defined as not really being the default level access and does not require any hacking to have
Banshee, all I can say is that my reading of that sentence was to interpret the word "access" to mean "any access including Outsider Access". I recognize I was incorrect, but I think my interpretation was reasonable.
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A target can be a specific device or network... for example you physically see a camera on a building, you can then make a matrix perception check to see what network it is connected to and all related information as successes allow. Or you can make a check looking for PANs or personas just like someone looking for ninjas sneaking up on you, or you can target a specific persona or network to get specific information.
The most checks you should have to make is two if the are running silent.. one to find them and one to gain specific information.. but there is no reason if you want to combine it that you can't do it all in one roll where any extra successes over what you need to spot them then gives you the information. For example if the sleaze roll get 4 hits you need 4 to see them but you get 6, now you have 2 successes of information.
How specific the names are is up to the GM but in general it should be enough to identify the target enough to separate it from the masses.
Your hypothesis is correct
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A target can be a specific device or network... for example you physically see a camera on a building, you can then make a matrix perception check to see what network it is connected to and all related information as successes allow. Or you can make a check looking for PANs or personas just like someone looking for ninjas sneaking up on you, or you can target a specific persona or network to get specific information.
The most checks you should have to make is two if the are running silent.. one to find them and one to gain specific information.. but there is no reason if you want to combine it that you can't do it all in one roll where any extra successes over what you need to spot them then gives you the information. For example if the sleaze roll get 4 hits you need 4 to see them but you get 6, now you have 2 successes of information.
How specific the names are is up to the GM but in general it should be enough to identify the target enough to separate it from the masses.
Your hypothesis is correct
I believe with this reply I have finally achieved enlightenment, for some definition of enlightenment.
Thanks to everyone for all the patience and helpful replies. I can't speak for SDTroll (the op), but I hope they have also achieved some enlightenment.
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I believe with this reply I have finally achieved enlightenment, for some definition of enlightenment.
Thanks to everyone for all the patience and helpful replies. I can't speak for SDTroll (the op), but I hope they have also achieved some enlightenment.
I'm not sure I can claim enlightenment, but I understand a little better. Mostly you are screwed if you have things wireless. :)
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I believe with this reply I have finally achieved enlightenment, for some definition of enlightenment.
Thanks to everyone for all the patience and helpful replies. I can't speak for SDTroll (the op), but I hope they have also achieved some enlightenment.
I'm not sure I can claim enlightenment, but I understand a little better. Mostly you are screwed if you have things wireless. :)
Well sort of ... your screwed IF you are running wireless, you have no matrix support, AND your gm is being a ahole.
Running wireless isn't that bad if it's defended
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Ah, Matrix Perception... I too have some questions about this one.
Matrix Perception seem to be a legal action that is resolved with Electronics + Intuition. It seem as if this test is sometimes opposed and sometimes just resolved as an unopposed test against a threshold(?)
Depending on your reading there seem to be four different usages (I find the the rule text to be a bit fuzzy and I might have got all this wrong);
- Matrix Search - For now at least (until we have errata with thresholds designed for an extended Matrix Search test) the easiest way seem to be to just resolve it as an unopposed simple test where hits are used directly on the Legwork Table found on SR6 p. 50
- Find a silent running 'network' - Or to spot a hacker's PAN after he used Hide against you specifically. Note that errata removed the 'with a Sleaze attribute' requirement. Both cases the test is opposed by Willpower (if the network have one) + Sleaze (if the network have one). The action is also used to spot a stealth tag (which will resist with 10 dice as a pool of its own).
- Observe in Detail - It seem plausible that this action could be taken when you for example scan a file to detect if it have a data bomb. On tie you detect it. With 1 net hit (basic info) you perhaps get the bomb rating. Perhaps 2 hits (advanced info) will tell you if the file will be deleted or not if the bomb were to go off. Depending on your reading 2 net hits when used against a persona could be used to find out if the target is using a cyberdeck (have attack and sleaze ratings) and also which programs that are running (which you can use crash program on if you gain admin access), but you could perhaps also tell which programs that are run by just seeing them in action... and 5 net hits to find out that the target is actually a technomancer. This action also seem to be used when spotting a specific persona or device hidden by Phantom or a specific File hidden by Camouflage.
- Resist matrix 'illusions' - An unopposed matrix perception test against a set threshold set by the complex form is used to resist/see through both Mirrored Persona and Resonance Veil.
When it comes to running silent it seem as if this is set on a 'network' level rather than a 'device' level in this edition;
Sometimes, a user will cut off all publicly available information and only respond to specific queries, rendering them largely invisible to the Matrix. Their wireless signal and PAN still exist—they just have to be found. A user can run silent by simply switching modes on their commlink or deck. They can be detected by an Opposed Matrix Perception test as described above.
(I read this is as if it is generally the entire personal area network that will run silent, not single devices...?)
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I'm not sure I can claim enlightenment, but I understand a little better. Mostly you are screwed if you have things wireless. :)
Well sort of ... your screwed IF you are running wireless, you have no matrix support, AND your gm is being a ahole.
Running wireless isn't that bad if it's defended
The RAW don't seem to leave much of a way to defend it. I know there have been discussions of house rules to allow deckers to defend other PANs, but I can't imagine they will have many slots to do so even if the GM allows it. I will admit I haven't tried to make a decker yet, but at best it seems like she's going to have a data processing of 6-7. With her own devices, even if she just has to attach the commlinks of the others and they take care of their devices, which seems unlikely, it's not going to leave much room.
And technomancers can't help at all until they have submerged.
I'm not sure how having the opponent fight intelligently is being and ahole. If I was a decker and I saw a running group attacking my facility taking out the eyes of the big guy shooting everyone would pretty much top my list. At the least, even if I don't brick it completely, it will screw up his ability to shoot the security forces and give them a better chance to take the runners down. If I can brick it he's out of the fight and a burden to his team.
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Ah, Matrix Perception... I too have some questions about this one.
Matrix Perception seem to be a legal action that is resolved with Electronics + Intuition. It seem as if this test is sometimes opposed and sometimes just resolved as an unopposed test against a threshold(?)
Depending on your reading there seem to be four different usages (I find the the rule text to be a bit fuzzy and I might have got all this wrong);
- Matrix Search - For now at least (until we have errata with thresholds designed for an extended Matrix Search test) the easiest way seem to be to just resolve it as an unopposed simple test where hits are used directly on the Legwork Table found on SR6 p. 50
- Find a silent running 'network' - Or to spot a hacker's PAN after he used Hide against you specifically. Note that errata removed the 'with a Sleaze attribute' requirement. Both cases the test is opposed by Willpower (if the network have one) + Sleaze (if the network have one). The action is also used to spot a stealth tag (which will resist with 10 dice as a pool of its own).
- Observe in Detail - It seem plausible that this action could be taken when you for example scan a file to detect if it have a data bomb. On tie you detect it. With 1 net hit (basic info) you perhaps get the bomb rating. Perhaps 2 hits (advanced info) will tell you if the file will be deleted or not if the bomb were to go off. Depending on your reading 2 net hits when used against a persona could be used to find out if the target is using a cyberdeck (have attack and sleaze ratings) and also which programs that are running (which you can use crash program on if you gain admin access), but you could perhaps also tell which programs that are run by just seeing them in action... and 5 net hits to find out that the target is actually a technomancer. This action also seem to be used when spotting a specific persona or device hidden by Phantom or a specific File hidden by Camouflage.
- Resist matrix 'illusions' - An unopposed matrix perception test against a set threshold set by the complex form is used to resist/see through both Mirrored Persona and Resonance Veil.
When it comes to running silent it seem as if this is set on a 'network' level rather than a 'device' level in this edition;
Sometimes, a user will cut off all publicly available information and only respond to specific queries, rendering them largely invisible to the Matrix. Their wireless signal and PAN still exist—they just have to be found. A user can run silent by simply switching modes on their commlink or deck. They can be detected by an Opposed Matrix Perception test as described above.
(I read this is as if it is generally the entire personal area network that will run silent, not single devices...?)
Yep. It's just the matrix version of good old fashion perception so it's use varies on the situation.
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I'm not sure I can claim enlightenment, but I understand a little better. Mostly you are screwed if you have things wireless. :)
Well sort of ... your screwed IF you are running wireless, you have no matrix support, AND your gm is being a ahole.
Running wireless isn't that bad if it's defended
The RAW don't seem to leave much of a way to defend it. I know there have been discussions of house rules to allow deckers to defend other PANs, but I can't imagine they will have many slots to do so even if the GM allows it. I will admit I haven't tried to make a decker yet, but at best it seems like she's going to have a data processing of 6-7. With her own devices, even if she just has to attach the commlinks of the others and they take care of their devices, which seems unlikely, it's not going to leave much room.
And technomancers can't help at all until they have submerged.
I'm not sure how having the opponent fight intelligently is being and ahole. If I was a decker and I saw a running group attacking my facility taking out the eyes of the big guy shooting everyone would pretty much top my list. At the least, even if I don't brick it completely, it will screw up his ability to shoot the security forces and give them a better chance to take the runners down. If I can brick it he's out of the fight and a burden to his team.
Well until the powers that be drop the hammer and over rule me the allowing deckers to defend other PANs is not a house rule. I specifically don't limit it as such for a reason... now I will probably have a chance to elaborate as further rules get developed to have it be a thing that only cyberdecks can do because we don't want people daisy chaining multiple commlinks on one character but we do want to allow a decker to defend the entire team.
I just mean if the team has no matrix defense and leave themselves open to it then it's kind of dick move to exploit that too much and kind of takes the fun out of it. For me ad s GM in those cases I do just enough to mess with them but not frag them over totally... it's all about the fun factor in the end afterall.
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Is it a dick move to have traps in a D&D dungeon when the party has no Thief? Ok, making it extra heavy on deadly traps might be. But traps are part of the game, and if noone in the party wants to handle them, then everyone suffers them.
Same concept with Matrix in Shadowrun. Noone wants to take on the responsibility of being the Matrix specialist? Fine. Everyone's vulnerable, then.
Besides: It's (somewhat rightly) often derided as MagicRun, but the Matrix dimension is one of the few things tugging Shadowrun away from MagicRun.
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It's not as if you run into Deckers all the time on a run, so most of the time you'll be fine. Unless you're running into a corporate facility and the Spider spots you and tries to run interference, it will be rare to be targeted since Decks and Jacks are expensive, so a skilled decker is rare, even on opposition of runs. So yes, wireless comes at a risk, but it's a calculated risk, not a 'whenever the GM wants, you're effed' risk.