[slingshot]

Hi Chummers,

a magician is casting  the Overclock spell  on her Jammer (Rating 6),
rolling Magic 6 + Sorcery 6 vs Object Resistance 9 (Electronic Device) with 2 net hits.

What would be the result?

Is it now a Rating 8 Jammer, which creates 8 noise within a 10m radius, as long as the spell is sustained?

Cheers,
Slingshot

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

No. But yes.  But no.

There's a couple factors behind the answer.  It's a deceptively complicated question


1. The Overclock spell does not increase the Rating of a device, only the Device Rating.   It's kind of messed up, but those are two seperate things

2. On the other hand, the Jammer rules (pg. 270) do make a mention that their Device Rating equals their Rating, so on THIS device, yes, it works!

3. But later on, the rules also say that the max rating is 6.  So, no, you can't go to 8.  If you had a Rating 4 Jammer however, yes 2 net hits on Overclock would turn it into a Rating 6 Jammer as long as the spell was sustained.

[slingshot]

No. But yes.  But no.

There's a couple factors behind the answer.  It's a deceptively complicated question


1. The Overclock spell does not increase the Rating of a device, only the Device Rating.   It's kind of messed up, but those are two seperate things

2. On the other hand, the Jammer rules (pg. 270) do make a mention that their Device Rating equals their Rating, so on THIS device, yes, it works!

3. But later on, the rules also say that the max rating is 6.  So, no, you can't go to 8.  If you had a Rating 4 Jammer however, yes 2 net hits on Overclock would turn it into a Rating 6 Jammer as long as the spell was sustained.

Thanks for the clarification. The max rating 6 you get from the quote "Jammers are available with ratings from 1 to 6.", right?
My understanding of the Overclock spell was that the Matrix damage comes from pushing it with magic beyond the normal physical limits. aka DR6 + 2.
Since there are DR higher than 6 mentioned in the CRB e.g. Datalock.

Cheers,
Slingshot

[Hobbes]

I would think the Overclock spell would let you exceed the normal Device Ratings.  Similar abilities/complex forms/sprite powers in other editions did.

The name of the spell "Overclock" is also somewhat telling as to the RAI   : )

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

While I sympathize with that, I don't agree with it. By my reckoning, maximums are maximums, and the only time maximums are exceeded is when something explicitly says so.

[Banshee]

I would rule that it can push it above its limits ... that is afterall the whole point of overclocking.

However I would also say the rule of max augmentation of +4 is also applicable