[Jack_Spade]

So, there's finally Data Trails on my screen and I'm quite happy to see that there are a lot more hardware options for the hobby-hacker.
Especially the Stealth dongle  seems like a nice option to use your comlink as a door opener.

But I'm a bit confused about the costs: (Rating)2 x 3,000¥ seems to be an editing error. Either it's Rating x 6000 or - what I think is more reasonable - should just be Rating x 3000 and the 2 is just a copy-paste artifact.

Also, with new cheap deck options I'll have to recalculate my agent-cluster idea...

[Kincaid]

Digging through some notes, it looks like the price is squared.

[Jack_Spade]

Oh, nice and nasty. Thanks for the clarification, but there goes the cheap hacking 

Oh well, there are still mods to play with

[Fedifensor]

Oh, nice and nasty. Thanks for the clarification, but there goes the cheap hacking 

Check out the Evotech Himitsu comlink - it comes with Sleaze 5.

Evotech Himitsu - Data Processing 1, Firewall 2, Sleaze 5 (11000)
Device Modification - Add Module (500)
Cyberdeck Module: Program Carrier - Virtual Machine (900)
Total Cost:  12400

You can run two programs with Virtual Machine (I recommend Stealth and an Agent 6, though the latter will set you back another 18k nuyen and require an Availability 18 check).  You can also add an Attack dongle, which will range from 3k to 108k depending on level.  If you don't need attack, the Receiver dongle is cheap and the equivalent of having an extra program slot for Signal Scrub.

[Jack_Spade]

I'm still number crunching, but for now harvesting enemy devices looks like it could be a real great way to advance your gear cheaply.
Especially teamwork checks and a special workplace will allow you to get a lot of packs out of cheap devices.

Personally, I won't stoop as low as dissembling 5¥ security tags in a special work area for potentially 1,25 packs worth 312,5¥, but larger loot is fair game 

Edit:
So, how does modding fare with a new character?

Surprisingly well:
We start with a Transsys Avalon for 5000¥

Adding Sleaze and Attack at 1 for 24 parts or 4800¥
Persona Firmware and a Program Carrier with a Virtual Machine costs 2 parts and 980¥ for a total of 1380¥
Now we increase Sleaze and Attack by one each with 8 parts or 1600¥ (also reducing the damage monitor from 11 to 7)
Now we lower F and D to increase S for another 8 parts or 1600¥
And just for fun we add a data tap for 300¥ (what's the use of that Cable Tab Dongle for 500¥)

42 parts used= 8500¥

You now have a Modded Avalon with:
Rating 6, A2 S4 D5 F5, two slots and a capacity for 7 matrix damage (try to avoid that with your virtual machine)

Total cost: 5000+8500+980+300= 14.780¥
 
Woohoo. Hacking possible even for ressources E characters

[ScytheKnight]

Well, don't forget to add 100 for a Sim module so you can access VR... unfortunately a Hot Sim module raises the Availability by +2F so that puts it out of reach of a starting player.

Still, if you don't see yourself wanting to crack files or sling Data-Spikes, my Black Trenchcoat Sleaze special is under 120K... sure it's 20F but that can be taken care of with Restricted Gear quality.

[Rooks]

can you slave and network devices like take the Transsys Avalon for 5000¥ Data processing fire wall 5 slave the Evotech Himitsu - Data Processing 1, Firewall 2, Sleaze 5 (11000) to it so if you need sleaze you can use the  Evotech Himitsu and if you need protection and searching you use the Transsys Avalon it seems like it should be a thing

[Kincaid]

I'm still number crunching, but for now harvesting enemy devices looks like it could be a real great way to advance your gear cheaply.
Especially teamwork checks and a special workplace will allow you to get a lot of packs out of cheap devices.

Personally, I won't stoop as low as dissembling 5¥ security tags in a special work area for potentially 1,25 packs worth 312,5¥, but larger loot is fair game 

Edit:
So, how does modding fare with a new character?

Surprisingly well:
We start with a Transsys Avalon for 5000¥

Adding Sleaze and Attack at 1 for 24 parts or 4800¥
Persona Firmware and a Program Carrier with a Virtual Machine costs 2 parts and 980¥ for a total of 1380¥
Now we increase Sleaze and Attack by one each with 8 parts or 1600¥ (also reducing the damage monitor from 11 to 7)
Now we lower F and D to increase S for another 8 parts or 1600¥
And just for fun we add a data tap for 300¥ (what's the use of that Cable Tab Dongle for 500¥)

42 parts used= 8500¥

You now have a Modded Avalon with:
Rating 6, A2 S4 D5 F5, two slots and a capacity for 7 matrix damage (try to avoid that with your virtual machine)

Total cost: 5000+8500+980+300= 14.780¥
 
Woohoo. Hacking possible even for ressources E characters

Street level campaigns rejoice!

[JackVII]

I thought you could only add one Matrix Attribute through modification...

[Jack_Spade]

On closer reading: Damn, you are right.

Well, here goes nothing

[Hibiki54]

B&E is going to be interesting. Get a R7 Commlink and a R6 Sleaze Dongle. Pocket deck.

[Jack_Spade]

I just noticed something funny: Have you ever hacked your way into something using a stealth tag?

For just 10¥ + Persona Firmware for 500¥ you get a A0 S3 D3 F3 disposable hacking device.

[Fedifensor]

I just noticed something funny: Have you ever hacked your way into something using a stealth tag?

For just 10¥ + Persona Firmware for 500¥ you get a A0 S3 D3 F3 disposable hacking device.

Okay, you win the thread. 

[JmOz01]

Umm...WOW...um...WOW....um...Would anyone actually ALLOW that?

[Jack_Spade]

Umm...WOW...um...WOW....um...Would anyone actually ALLOW that?

I probably should not tell you, that  you don't actually have to pay 500 for the parts. Just take 3 other stealth tags apart. With high enough skill you can get 2 packs worth of parts. So you can get that thing for 40 NY if you want to.