[Mmurphy]

I am thinking about implementing a house rule but since I don't have the Matrix book I don't know if it will conflict with established rules.  Basically I am tried of the Hacker using his/her body to protect the deck from getting scratched or everyone in the party gunning to kill an enemy hacker so they can 'steal' the deck.

•   Base Cost is (Book price * 10%)
•   Convergence starts at 80 GOD score, not 40.  GOD score does not increase with time.
•   Rebooting does not erase GOD score, a Hardware extended test (6, 6 hours) and costs 1% of the base deck—cost replaces the necessary hardware so a source for the components is necessary.
         o   Components are specific to each named deck.

To me, this makes the decks a little less expensive to start, but costs move over time and hopefully not worth as much.  Will this interfere with established rules?

[Hobbes]

The only way a PC's deck should be taking damage is if you the GM are deliberately taking called shots at the Deck.  Don't be dick?  Also, implanted decks and Armored cases are a thing. 

Lewting NPC Deckers is a time honored Shadowrun tradition.  Again you're the GM, simply give the NPC deckers crappy hardware and good skills/stats qualities and a few points of edge to push the limit and carry on.  Or go with the implanted deck, biomonitor and a cortex bomb on your NPC Deckers.  Add a time delay for even more lulz.

The other thing to do is have Rating 6 Agents be the hacker support for the NPCs or Technomancer or an AI or an off site Spider in VR using the immobile un-lootable host hardware in the building.  Whatever.  Lots of ways to manage it. 

You give the team an enemy Hacker with a half million nuyen deck to shoot at they will treat him like a loot pinata. 

[Timberbeast]

I know you said you didn't have the Matrix source book, but there is a cyberdeck module in there called Self-Destruct. When it detects a pre-determined  condition (chosen by the decker) in explodes like a frag grenade. The deck is of course unrecoverable after that. Link the module to a biomonitor, and set the deck to go KABOOM when the decker's life-signs read zero...or, just unconscious if you really want to make sure the team doesn't get the deck. Of course, if every enemy decker the team runs across has a self-destruct module, that may seem a bit cheese

[Hobbes]

Given there are numerous ways to foil the PCs attempts at looting a deck it is best to mix it up.

[fseperent]

I feel the need to comment on your house rules.

1.Only 10% of base cost?
The price points of decks are reasonable given what they can do.
But, if you feel the need to reduce the cost, make it 10% off at most and call it buying it on a sale.

2.The rules for Convergence are fine as is, at least for me.
It forces deckers to be fast and careful, the way a matrix run should be.

3.The rule about Rebooting and the components, that has possibilities.
I would also add that Rebooting does not remove marks from the persona.

Conclusion: I can understand where you are coming from, but imho, you went too far.

[Gingivitis]

If you look at your house rules in a different order, you will get the logical conclusion.

2) Convergence at 80 and no time limits in the Matrix doing illegal actions.
3) Resetting your Overwatch Score costs money.
1) Deckers can purchase 10 cyber decks for the price of one.

Basically you have a formula for burner decks that get used until they are at 70-79 OS and get thrown away.

[fseperent]

The major thing that worries me about such a huge reduction in cost for decks is the domino effect.
Changing the cost of 1 type of item from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands is going to cause huge ripples.
Commlinks and especially RCCs are going be seen as overpriced pieces of garbage, so they have to have their prices changed.
Are drones and cyberware going to have their costs changed?
What else is going to require a reexamination of cost, and possibly a change in availability?
It's a logistical nightmare.

I'm sorry if that sounds like a rant, but I have a fear of the creep/domino effect.
I am more than likely going overboard, but I feel it must be talked about.

Honestly not a fan of setting Convergence that high, but okay.
Already stated my view on changing the rules for erasing OS and rebooting.