[belaran]

Hi,

First of all, be aware I've jumped from 3rd to 5th edition, so my view might be tainted by some 4th edition that I overlooked.

So here is my questions:

1) If an IC is activated (for instance Probe), does it have an initiative ? Does it "probe" once by round or more ? I could not find anything about initiative and IC in the core rulebook.

2) Most Matrix action implies somekind of opposition test where one does something like (Intuition  + Sleaze), but how do you do this with an Host ? Host has only a Sleaze score so (0 + Sleaze) or something like (Host Rating + Sleaze Rating)*

*(Host Rating + (Host Rating +1)) <=> Host Rating * 2 +1 ?

[Kincaid]

I'm assuming you mean Patrol IC when you say Probe IC.  Data Trails goes into greater detail about how often Patrol IC scans a PC's persona (tldr: less often in high-traffic hosts), but you could develop your own approach. Pre-Data Trails I had Patrol IC scan PCs when they accumulated OS, didn't match the host's sculpting metaphor (which sometimes changed), or whenever I felt it was dramatically appropriate.

Host's roll (Host Rating + Attribute), so they often roll a lot of dice.  Deckers generally use direct connection to get around the mammoth Firewall some hosts have.

[Darzil]

1)
Pg 247 of Core Rulebook : Each IC program has a persona with its own Condition
Monitor and Initiative Score. It should be treated as
if it is in hot-sim, so it gets a total of 4D6 Initiative Dice in
Matrix combat. IC uses the Matrix attributes of its host.

So Host Rating + Data Processing of Host + 4D6 for initiative

Data Trails has some guidance on how often a host should check each persona with Patrol IC. I guess Probe would act based on how many targets it was hunting.

2) Yes, substitute host rating for attribute (though I can't see where it says that, it is the same elsewhere in the rules for Pilots, Agents, etc.)

[belaran]

Ok, thanks for those replied and point me out the part i missed on IC monitor and init. Regarding the addition of Rating, I do agree it may be not there, but it is consistent with other rules.

A couple more questions:

1) Reconfiguring a cyberdeck is a free action, which I find a bit strange, because it mean you can reconfigure your deck before almost for each action you are doing to always got the highest limit. In this context, the configuration of deck would only matter when a decker is surprised... Did I miss something here also ?

2) Those are more universe questions than a rules one, but they have a significant impact on rules:

a) let's assume a decker hacks into a corpo Host. (put marks on it, goes in) in order to steal some paydata. How does he locate the file ? (matrix perception ?) Does he need to "explore" the all RA of the host to "find out where the file lives" (ie see its icon) ?  [I'm probably tainted by 3th edition here, where you just needed (ircc) to do a search action against the node's index rating].

b) In the same order of id, as a GM, do you throw a IC (Probe, Patrol, whatever) as you want or should those be tied to the OS rating ? For instance, can I (as GM) prepare a scenario where the decker needs to pass a couple of IC before getting to a protected file ? Or should I just say (like for 3th), when the decker's OS reaches X, then this IC will appear and do its thing then ?

[Kincaid]

1. You only get one Free Action in your Action Phase, so a decker typically needs to decide between "Do I reconfigure to attack mode and leave myself vulnerable to a counterattack or do I turtle?"  Reconfiguring is probably one of the more skill-intensive (from the player's perspective) aspects of getting the most out of a decker.  You do it a lot, but there are always hard choices to make.

2. You use Matrix Search (p. 241, second paragraph).  Hosts don't have "rooms" in the same way that previous editions split the Matrix into chunks.  They have distinct parts (covered in Data Trails), but for the vast majority of runs, you don't need to worry about that.

3. IC isn't horribly bright, that's why it's restricted to hosts and you don't find it on a grid.  If a corp had a super-secret file it wanted to protect, it would probably assign a security spider (a NPC decker) to monitor it.  If he noticed something was up, he could call in IC.

[Xenon]

1) Reconfiguring a cyberdeck is a free action ... Did I miss something here also ?

You didn't really miss anything.

A few things though:
1) This is a free action you can only use on your own action phase (unlike other free actions that you can take out of order). You cannot switch in Firewall or Sleaze when you are attacked. You can only do it on your action phase.
2) You can only switch two matrix attributes. Sometimes you might want to lower your data processing and your attack attribute while increasing your sleaze and your firewall. This take two free actions during two of your action phases.
3) You cannot load/unload cyberprograms and change matrix attributes at the same time. Each take a free action that you can only take during your own action phase.
4) If you lower your data processing then your matrix initiative score (cold- and hot-sim VR initiative) will also be reduced.

SR5 p. 228 Reconfiguring your deck
You can reconfigure your deck whenever you like, rebalancing your software loadout, changing the allocation of Matrix attributes or re-arranging the programs currently available to you. Doing this is a Free Action that you may only perform on your own Action Phase. This is not a Matrix action. When you reconfigure your deck, you can either switch two of your deck’s Matrix attributes, or swap a running program with a program you have stored on your deck that is not running. Additionally, you can load a program you own into a currently unused slot, or unload a program and leave an open slot.

a) How does he locate the file ?

With matrix search and a base time of 1 minute.

SR5 p. 241 Matrix Search
Some information is protected and kept secret, stored in a host that is not publicly accessible. Finding this information usually requires you to find and enter the hosts in which the data is hidden. You can then make a Matrix Search within the host, using a base time of 1 minute (regardless of the kind of information you’re looking for).

b) do you throw a IC ... as you want ...

Once the host become aware of the hacker it will launch IC as often as it is allowed. The GM can for example make a secret list in advance of which IC the host have and in what order it will launch it once it become aware of the hacker.

Cracking a File Protection is always an Attack action. The host will always be aware once you successfully crack the protection of a file in the host. If it have not been aware earlier this is when it will start to launch IC. Using Edit File (to copy, delete or edit the content) on a File Icon will be defend with host ratings(!). You cannot establish a direct connection to the file to ignore host ratings. This might take more than one attempt (while the host is actively searching or attacking the intruder... and constantly launching more and more IC).

slipped by kincaid