[SDTroll]

Instead of attacking the decker directly, could you data spike his cyberjack? Or his cyberdeck? Seems like a much more effective approach than just taking out his matrix persona.

[Leith]

Cyberjack maybe... but the defence roll would be the same either way. Also if you "want to get to" a device on a PAN you need access to the PAN. Would this mean you need user access to spike a cyberjack... iunno, maybe. The wording is exactly as I've quoted it, "get to."
Cyberdeck on the other hand... that's what you're attacking when you attack their persona, it's running on their cyberdeck.

[SDTroll]

Data Spike can be done with outsider access, so you shouldn't need a back door or brute force to do it.  It's been said that you can see any devices in the network if you can see the network, so you can presumably choose your target.  Bricking a decker's cyberjack would be much nastier than just knocking them out, since they would have to buy an all new one and presumably go through surgery and recovery again.

Even better would be to link lock them, knock them out, then brick everything.

[Banshee]

Yes you sure can ... the defense pool is still the same but you can choose to damage the device directly instead of the persona... not always a better choice though as the condition monitors can sometimes be pretty beefy for devices.

Leith ... just a quick note. I addressed this a few time but remember data spike only requires Outsider which is the default access level for everything prior to hacking a network. So no need to gain access to data spike a device as long as you can detect it.

[SDTroll]

Just an amusing note on literal rule reading.  The paragraph on bricked devices says "users of a bricked device are abruptly ejected from the Matrix"
Brick someone's stun baton and dump them. 

[SDTroll]

I missed this the first time.  If you are beaten in cybercombat, your deck is bricked?  Meaning you have to buy a new deck any time you get taken out in cybercombat?  Ouch.

[Banshee]

Um, yeah ... written as we were talking devices that connect you to the matrix and not just any old device ... so yeah needs a slight rewrite.

Bricked devices are not destroyed and can be repaired ... which I had rules for but can't remember if they made it into the CRB now that I think about it .... hmmmm

[Noble Drake]

I missed this the first time.  If you are beaten in cybercombat, your deck is bricked?  Meaning you have to buy a new deck any time you get taken out in cybercombat?  Ouch.

You don't have to replace a bricked device in this edition, you can repair it instead.

[SDTroll]

I missed this the first time.  If you are beaten in cybercombat, your deck is bricked?  Meaning you have to buy a new deck any time you get taken out in cybercombat?  Ouch.

You don't have to replace a bricked device in this edition, you can repair it instead.

That’s better, at least. Would you use biotech to repair cyberware rather than engineering?

[Banshee]

I missed this the first time.  If you are beaten in cybercombat, your deck is bricked?  Meaning you have to buy a new deck any time you get taken out in cybercombat?  Ouch.

You don't have to replace a bricked device in this edition, you can repair it instead.

That’s better, at least. Would you use biotech to repair cyberware rather than engineering?

Yes

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

The relevant skill for repairing cyberware in 5e would have been Cybertechnology, so that's the appropriate Biotech specialization in 6we.

[Xenon]

Instead of attacking the decker directly, could you data spike his cyberjack? Or his cyberdeck? Seems like a much more effective approach than just taking out his matrix persona.

A matrix persona based on a device does not have a condition monitor of its own, it is using the condition monitor of a device (normally a commlink but in the case of a hacker it is probably a cyberjack and in the case of a rigger it is probably a RCC). This device is also what you are normally targeting when you use Data Spike on a device based persona.

And if you brick the persona (or rather the commlink, cyberjack or RCC) then the user will be dumped from the matrix and take matrix damage.

But of course you can also choose to not attack the persona and instead aim your Data Spike towards a smartgun or a maglock or a cyberdeck or some other device..... If the targeted device is part of the PAN then they will still use benefit from the Data Processing and Firewall of the commlink / cyberjack / RCC but I don't think the intention is that you get dumped from the matrix if your smartgun (or any other device except the device you use to connect to the matrix) get bricked.

[SDTroll]

but I don't think the intention is that you get dumped from the matrix if your smartgun (or any other device except the device you use to connect to the matrix) get bricked


I know, it’s just funny that RAW technically works that way.

[DigitalZombie]

@Xenon.
I think its the cyberdeck that creates the persona, not the cyberjack.
So most attacks would hit the deck.

IThe deck is described as a link, just with attack options. Page 174 last sentence under "Devices" section.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

"What physical device suffers the damage when your persona takes matrix damage" is a point of clarification that remains to be made.