[KrokrRhogar]

Hi Omae
I'm GM from Thailand running 5th edition. I had a few question.
 
I'd run quiet a time but The Matrix is still something hard to imagine and understand, so I'm pretty fall back about this.
 
but My Decker runner is hard-working on Matrix I couldn't catch up with him.
 
I'd to run him in 3 hours I want to put some pressure on him.
May I ask some quick suggestion? to agitate him.
 
Thank you

[Medicineman]

Damage his Deck
(the worst case would be that his Deck gets stolen or destroyed. He would be ...."out of the Game" .A Decker without a Deck is ....useles)

Hough!
Medicineman

[Sendaz]

could you clarify what you define as pressure?

Are you wanting to force him to take a job he might not want to or jump ramp up the tension or something else?

[Artemis Entreri]

Hi!

My girlfriend at the table plays the decker, so putting pressure is even more fun than usual

Jokes aside, here are some hints you may find useful:
- mess up with "non-mechanical" stuff. Weird visions and nightmares, bizarre matrix-spirits/entities appearing before his eyes. Use them carefully, though. If you'll do, he'll become paranoid and, even if curious, he won't abuse matrix tricks. Long term- consequences can involve mental instability or something.

- master the matrix basic modifiers. Noise, Overwatch Score... Like in every other part of the game, bonuses and penalties play a significant role in a system in which you roll tons of dices for the key tests.
Remember that Overwatch Score increases pretty fast if you over-use matrix actions and even the reboot action can take out a full turn, which can be a pain in specific parts of the action.

Remember that unless he doesn't tell you otherwise (mostly using a specific software) he will not know the Overwatch Score Level: this is another portion of "pressure", because he's gonna free up an "action-relevant software slot" to put in the baby monitor... Another simple action which is lost in key moments.

Then (this is not strictly "in the system", but I feel like it is in the "ratio" of the game) I often use lots of distractions and dangers coming from everywhere... Don't overdo with this, or it'll frustrate your decker. But, at the right moment, you can bring in some "matrix incident" or weird happenings, remembering everyone that the Matrix is chaos.



As a general analysis, managing a decker is pretty hard, because even the most common counter-measure (like "damaging the deck", which is perfectly acceptable) can end up being "just another roll" with no actual psychological consequences).
The Decker for Shadowrun is what the wizard is for D&D: a potential game-breaker, which in the long run will solve most of the things with a couple of actions... And that's pretty unavoidable, it's part of the game's lore and (I'd add) it's ok.

What you can do, as I said above, is to bring in some storytelling consequences and, now and then, force him to make tough choices that can possibly put him against risks or endanger its deck.


Feel free to ask more.
My 2 nuyens.

[KrokrRhogar]

Thank you Artemis,
from our level of English we always got a very hard time figure out what Matrix should looks like. 
 
All I can do is roll and oppose dice to slow him down till ground units approach them. 
 
Not sure what security level or type I should put there to face him(the PC Decker).
 
[In this situation]
A closed small Jewelry store with a treasury vault.
An owners had put in the hospital due to previous run, so I surround the shop with a bunch of Lone stars(that they handle pretty stealthy).
and the problem is who will guard them matrix? 

[Artemis Entreri]

Hi!
See it like this (extremely dumb example, sorry ): the Matrix is exactly like the real world, but it is the virtual representation of it.
Everything (almost) is connected online (your smartphone, my personal computer and even uncommmon devices, like TVs and freezers ). Everything that's connected has  virtual representation in the matrix: it has an Icon representing its use and (probably) a bunch of application connected, which make it function.

The Jeweler can disconnect the shop from the matrix so that no decker can interact with it... Or he can choose to use some "online countermeasures" and utilities (like controlling the vault from a distance, in example.

If the Jewelry is online, then the decker can try to avoid its systems: it's a roll. You roll something (Intuition + Firewall, most of the time. If you have doubts, roll 8-10).

The decker, in order, has to:
- put 1 or more MARKS on the jewelry's vault: no mark, no hacker actions. He can do it by Brute Force or Hack on the Fly (depending on his setup). If the actions he wants to do are complex, he needs 3 marks.
- once the marks are put (with the actions required) he now has to make the "hack".

Remember that every hit he gets on the rolls increase the Overwatch Score (when it reaches 40, you're done, that's it, you're f..ked up, cause the matrix countermeasures activate and you're intercepted in real world too).

The first time he make an illegal action (read: every matrix action with the deck ), he gets 2d6 Overwatch Score, which then increases as mentioned above.

You can be a great decker, but you have to do a lot of resource management, prepare for counter-attacks (the Jewelry software can react to a failed hack in example, "attacking" the DECK and possibly damaging it). Then you have to remember that you have to frequently switch your matrix attributes on the deck: if you just push with high sleaze and data processing, you'll have low firewall and that's not a good thing while defending.

In addition, you know that your overwatch score increases, that someone can spot you, that other deckers may be better than you and that yor precious deck can be fatally damaged...


It's a matter of how difficult you put it: with the decker you don't have to be unfair, but you have to press on a bit.

[Raven2049]

The first time he make an illegal action (read: every matrix action with the deck ), he gets 2d6 Overwatch Score, which then increases as mentioned above.

not every action with a deck is an illegal action, only those that utilize the Attack or Sleaze attributes in some way (either as a die pool modifier or listed as a limit)

also, i did not know the part about the 2d6 overwatch score... so once a hacker uses an attack or sleaze action he gets both his net hits as a OS and the GM rolls 2d6 and adds it to that? interesting.....

[Darzil]

Overwatch is 2d6 per 15 minutes after the first illegal action, plus 1 per defense hit rolled against illegal actions.

[SmilinIrish]

This is to limit a decker putting marks on something ahead of time and then sitting and waiting hours for team to be in place to use the marks. 

[Kirito99]

This is to limit a decker putting marks on something ahead of time and then sitting and waiting hours for team to be in place to use the marks. 

That was before data trails. Now smart decker can exploit garbage in/out action ahead of time and reboot to avoid OS. ( Eg. switch fire/eject clip mode in smartlinked guns ).
How to counter decker ?  With all this hacker attacks people in shadows will be prepared for little pranks. PR 4+ grunts should  have techno/decker commander with matrix overwatch, gangers should  have throwbacked weapons cause ownership rules, facilities as security measure should  have offlined internal server or wired matrix security, so hacking from distance should be impossible. 

Many players nad GMs have trouble to understand matrix. Try to "theorycraft"- take few old adventures with matrix sections and try to "play" sequence and possibilites in your head. It's easier when you will have perspective from other side.

[cantrip]

Wish I could take complete credit for this, but the dice gods were kind...to the GM! 
My player's techno was contentedly working his magic from the open air club across the street - he'd racked up some stun damage from getting marks on the host while his team was handling the meat side of things and beating up...err....making new friends with the security goons. One thing led to another and one of the security fired off a flash-bang grenade (their not animals after all!) and I rolled scatter...about 7m from the relaxing technomancer. Since a flash bang is full damage over 10m, and since it is stun damage - nighty, night.

Nutshell, it was suggested above, but don't let them think they are invincible just because they are not on site. You don't want to over do the physical side - that is no fun for someone playing a decker/techno either, but reminding them to not become complacent is just fine.

* Don't forget to take into account static/spam zones
* Overwatch is huge, running up against hosts especially cranks it up quick - that is why some deckers go onsite with their team
* Hardwired nodes - granted, use it where it makes sense not everyone is going to hardwire - it is way easier to run wireless
* Other deckers and security spiders - they don't have overwatch as long as they are legitimate
* If you are in a host and convergence occurs, the host gets three marks on you and it's play-time!

I'm always trying to find ways *not* to geek my hackers, but we're still fairly new to the matrix too.