Matrix

Repairing Matrix Damage

Self-repairing Matrix damage costs no nuyen, merely time, and otherwise follows the rules on CRB228. The relevant portion is copied below:

"If you have a device with Matrix damage, you can repair it with a toolkit, an hour of work, and a Hardware + Logic [Mental] test. Every hit you get can be used to either remove one box of Matrix damage or cut the time required in half; the first die spent toward time reduces the time to half an hour, the second to 15 minutes, and so on, to a minimum of one Combat Turn (3 seconds). Bricked or not, the device is off-line and unusable during the repair process."

Additionally, you can consult the Repair Thresholds, Costs, and Intervals Table for an all-inclusive overview of repair-related statistics.

Matrix Actions

Teamworked Actions

Matrix Actions can be teamworked as normal. The quality Team Player allows you to gain marks when the person you're teamworking does.

Full Matrix Defense

This action works to defend against any attack actions, including actions by IC which are limited by their Attack rating. It does not apply to other Matrix actions, nor to Resonance actions.

Denial Of Service

Uses Cybercombat + Logic [Attack]

Reckless Hacking

Can only be used for actions that require a dice roll.

A device that performs a reckless hacking action will accumulate OS as if they had performed an illegal action, even if the action itself is not normally an illegal action. This does not alert the target unless the action would already do so.

Spoof Command

For the purposes of using this action, devices slaved to a Host are owned by that Host.

Squelch

Although Squelch uses Attack as a limit, and thus the user is technically alerted something has happened to their device, they still cannot call or send messages with it if Squelch is successful

Invite Marks

Marks obtained through the Invite Marks action do not travel upwards like marks obtained through illegal actions per the provisional errata

Cyberdecks

Crystal Leviathan Shatterstar

This deck is legal for use on RunnerHub.

MCT Trainee

The built-in biofeedback filter doesn’t take up the deck’s one program slot, but is installed in addition to it.

Shark Hunter

The Shark Hunter Deck's program list should read: Track, Shell, Hammer, Decryption, Mugger, Fork.

Tiger Hunter

The Tiger Hunter Deck's program list should read: Track, Shell, Hammer, Decryption, Mugger.

Upgrading Cyberdecks

It is possible to upgrade a cyberdeck, RCC, or TacNet to the equivalent of a better (more expensive) model. To do so, characters must succeed on a standard Availability roll for the device they are upgrading to, then pay the price difference between the new and old device. It’s also possible to downgrade a device, though characters who do so won’t get anything back and still need to succeed at a standard Availability roll for the new device.

Delivery times are the same as buying a brand-new version of the new device.

Cyberdeck Modules

Program Carrier

The Program Carrier cyberdeck module may not contain the Virtual Machine program.

Custom Decks

Custom Decks cannot be upgraded to, and cannot be upgraded from.

Custom Decks (KC 60-61), RAW, cannot be upgraded once created. The new houserule change allows for upgrading your custom cyberdeck by allowing you to replace the individual stat module at 100% cost (not the difference between them), so you only pay the difference in the overall cost (and availability) for the new cyberdeck.

Dodger just ripped off Renraku and wants to upgrade his custom Fuchi-EX. An attack module is priced at Rating^3x500, so a r6 module would be 6^3x500 (108,000). If he wanted to upgrade to a 7, he'd still have to pay 7^3x500 (171,500) but does not have to pay for an entirely new ludicrously expensive cyberdeck on top of that.

EX Series

These decks have a static attribute array.

Cyberprograms

Agents

Agents have their own persona in the matrix, but share their condition monitor with the device they are running on, as well as Overwatch Score and marks with the persona tied to the device. Actions by an agent that generate Overwatch Score add to the owner’s OS, and marks placed by an agent can also be used by the owner, as well as the reverse. Additionally, any marks placed on the agent are also marks upon the device the agent is running on, and vice versa.

Standalone Agent programs may be upgraded. Characters must succeed at an availability test for the new rating of Agent, and pay the difference in cost. The Nixdorf Sekretär's built in Agent cannot be upgraded.

Nuke-from-Orbit

When using this program to delete a file, the Edit File action counts as an Attack action and thus generates Overwatch Score (which is doubled, as noted in the program’s description).

Smoke-and-Mirrors

This program's dice pool penalty is not Noise penalty and thus cannot be cancelled by Noise reduction, but does not apply to defense tests. This program generates Noise while running to mask the user’s presence, thus the Noise must be in place to gain the benefit. Using this program is a defensive tactical option and not a default choice.

Keep in mind that the Noise from this program only affects actions performed with the deck it’s running on. Actions performed by other sources that are targeting the deck don’t suffer from this Noise, except for the Trace Icon action.

If used in a Foundation, this program applies a negative modifier to the dice pools of all actions within the Foundation. This modifier is equal to the Sleaze attribute bonus granted to the character running the program.

Cry Wolf

Is considered to have an availability of 12F, the same as Nuke-From-Orbit.

Commlink Dongles

General

Adding a dongle to a commlink is a complex action, as is removing it. Commlink dongles may be used with devices featuring full commlink functionality, including RCCs, but not Cyberdecks.

Attack and Stealth Dongles

Please note that the price for Attack and Stealth dongles is ((Rating * 2) * 3000¥).

They are limited by the rating of the commlink they are attached to. For example, a rating 6 attack dongle attached to a MetaLink (rating 1) could only work with a rating of 1, since the MetaLink just doesn’t have enough power to utilize all of the dongle’s capabilities.

Any marks acquired using an attack or stealth dongle are lost when that dongle is removed from the commlink.

Matrix Perception, Spotting, & Device Interaction on Host WANs

Remote Spotting

Any non-silent icons within 100 meters of your physical location (per Spotting, KC 33) can be automatically spotted without a Matrix Perception test, unless they're inside a host. Any icon that is running silent, or outside 100m can be spotted with a Matrix Perception test with sufficient hits. Any icon that is inside a host, running silent or otherwise, must be Matrix Perceived from inside that host.

LOS Spotting

Any icon or persona to which you have physical line of sight to the corresponding physical object may be spotted automatically, or with a Matrix Perception test if running silent, regardless of whether or not it is inside a host.

WANs

Devices slaved to a host are not automatically inside a host. Device Icons can be either inside or outside of a host, depending on what makes sense for usability and security. This allows for important icons to be inside the host, while allowing trivial remote access (which retain host defense pools) for less critical icons. Personas are not generally slaved to a WAN. Company-owned devices such as commlinks and security weapons may be slaved to the company's WAN instead of the user's PAN, but this is a security risk so it will normally only be the case for on-duty guards/spiders and on-site personnel.

PANs

Commlinks and other devices (i.e. forming a Persona) actively in use CAN be slaved to another device (such as a Commlink or Deck) and still be used. While the icon of a persona and a device merge when being used, the device running the persona is still capable of being a slave and benefiting from the relationship. A persona slaved to another device still cannot act as the master of another PAN. No daisy chaining.

Clarifications

The Matrix is a straight overlay on the real world (KC 25 'Getting Around the Matrix'). Anything outside of 100m/eyeshot can be traversed to if the person knows the approximate physical locations and gets a hit on a Matrix Perception test, where everything in a new physical area is automatically spotted if not running silent. A Unique Identifier (such as a commcode) for an icon cuts out any searching for the device, but still requires a Matrix Perception to spot if running silent. Spotting an icon does not give you a device or persona's physical location, just a vague direction. A successful Trace Icon test is required for an exact location.

Any Persona can make a general Matrix Perception test to see if there are any running silent icons within 100m or within the host they are in. This is not an opposed test; they simply get a yes or no answer. Spotting is a separate Matrix Perception test, as follows.

Any Persona can make an opposed matrix perception test to find a random running silent icon or, if they know a feature of the icon they are trying to spot, they can try to find that one specifically. Features include anything on the Matrix Perception table on p. 235. e.g. "I am looking for anything with an attack rating of at least 1." "I am looking for the Persona that just performed an Attack action." "I am looking for anything that is a Persona." etc. They can ask questions about the target equal to their net hits.

A device can run silent even if it doesn't have a Sleaze rating. It rolls a single-stat roll equal to the user's Logic or its Device rating (or its master's device rating), whichever is the highest.

Slaving

Personas cannot be slaved, except technomancers with the 2 or 10 karma version of One With The Matrix.

Foundations

FAQ

Does the +2 bonus from Hot Sim get added to Foundation rolls?

No.

Do you use Hot Sim 4d6 or 1d6 for Foundation initiative?

Characters use their base initiative dice (i.e. usually 1d6) in the Foundation.

Does Multidimensional Processor (Overclock Echo) give the extra 1d6?

Yes, and if a character using either of those options carries hitchhikers with them, the bonuses apply to them too.

How do you calculate dice pools in a Foundation?

Dice pools for actions that would be physical in the real world are formed by the same attributes and skills in the foundation - only that physical attributes are replaced with their corresponding foundation attribute, and the rating (see p.111, DT) of any active skills is replaced with the rating of the corresponding foundation skill.

For example, shooting a pistol would usually be an Agility+Pistol roll. In the Foundation, Agility is replaced with Sleaze, and Pistols, as a combat skill, is replaced in rating with Cybercombat.

What do Hitchhikers default to?

For tests that normally involve a mental attribute (e.g. perception, tracking, survival, navigation, first aid, etc.) the character would default on that attribute, if the Foundation skill involved is defaultable (cybercombat, hacking, computer).

For tests that would normally involve a physical attribute (shooting, melee, climbing, sneaking, etc.) the character would default on the equivalent Foundation attribute, if the Foundation skill involved is defaultable (cybercombat, hacking, computer).

Can you use Active Skills as Knowledge Skills making them Active Skills?

No. Active Skills can be used in place of a Knowledge Skill, but do not become Knowledge Skills.

What Drug Effects carry over into the Foundation?

All drug effects that are of a mental nature apply within a foundation (e.g. increases to mental attributes, dice pool bonuses to skills linked to mental attributes, mental qualities such as High Pain Tolerance, etc.) If the nature of a drug effect is not clear, the GM has final say which effects apply.

Skimming & The Dox

The Dox is not currently in use. Skimming the Node is a GM Tool and is available for use by GMs in Foundation runs.