The Matrix

= The Matrix =

Matrix 101

 * 1) The Matrix refers to a virtual plane parallel to our own, like the astral. Where the astral is populated by spirits and the auras of living beings, however, the Matrix is populated by the icons of wireless devices and user icons called personas. When you access the Matrix in Augmented Reality (advanced), it allows you to see the iconography associated with all people (personas), places (hosts), and devices (device icons) in your physical line of sight, and even uses overlays to place them onto the correct positions in your field of view if you're using vision devices or have a Direct Neural Interface to your commlink. A special feature of the Matrix is that if you look up, you can see a night sky full of the icons of all hosts that are publicly accessible, no matter where in the world you are, and accessing these is as easy as reaching for one. The less special feature of the Matrix is that there are so many icons that want attention that they can create areas we call Spam Zones where getting anything done in the Matrix can be as difficult as connecting where the Matrix is grainy and poorly connected to our plane; we call this Noise.
 * 2) Device: This term refers to an icon that represents a device. Device icons do not perform Matrix Actions, but instead exist to provide information and access to the physical device they represent. The Matrix requires all device icons to take a form suggestive of the functionality of that device.
 * 3) Host: This term refers to an icon that represents a virtual world, almost like a metaplane (though significantly smaller scale and usually bound by the normal Matrix rules). These exist for different functions, but most are intended as workspaces for employees or markets for services and goods. A Host has no physical location, but stores and offices will frequently have an icon of their host present over their building for marketing purposes.
 * 4) Persona: This term refers to a user icon in the Matrix. When accessing the Matrix, a persona allows you to take Matrix Actions and defines the Matrix Attributes and Matrix Condition Monitor that will be used for anything that happens while wireless. Next, you determine your Interface Mode. In any Interface Mode, you are able to relocate your persona to any other location in the world at the beginning of your Action Phase (you may select a destination with coordinates, a prior location, or a direction and distance to travel). Keep in mind that this does not make you harder to spot (you can still be spotted at your persona device location, and anybody who has already spotted you can still see your icon), and anybody with line of sight to your new persona location might see it. While your persona is not on your physical form, you can hide by using Sneaking + Intuition and/or Running Silent.
 * 5) Interface Modes: Each of these modes has different tech requirements, benefits, and drawbacks associated with their use.
 * 6) Augmented Reality (Basic): The most 'distant' form of access, this refers to users who must hold their commlink, watch the screen, and manipulate it manually. Viewing information and using commands in this way is too cumbersome for professionals, but some stubborn holdouts remain. While not holding and using your commlink, you are unable to access the Matrix. You roll your physical initiative, but interacting with anybody not in your contacts list is unintuitive and may necessitate Matrix Searches or Perceptions.
 * 7) Augmented Reality (Advanced): Modern users are equipped with a method of receiving audio and visual feedback, as well as response-aids to improve your interaction convenience. If you have a Direct Neural Interface (trodes, trode patch, datajack, or biolink) to your commlink, you can use mentally use Matrix Actions, no taps required, and you receive audio/visual sensory overlays in the style you prefer without needing other devices. If you have some kind of vision device (helmet / mask / glasses / contacts), your persona can display visual information using it; the same applies to audio devices like earbuds or helmets. You can use AR gloves or nails to interact with virtual haptic interfaces your persona device generates, instead of needing to pull your commlink out to issue commands (requires 1 hand free!).
 * 8) Virtual Reality: Power users can sit themselves down and dive fully into the Matrix, like a projecting magician dives into the Astral. While in Virtual Reality, you experience the full range of sensations you would normally experience in your body, and have fluid control over your persona, as if it was really you. You roll your Matrix Initiative while in VR, but are vulnerable to biofeedback damage, which is resisted with Willpower + Firewall. If you are disconnected from the Matrix while in VR, you suffer dumpshock, which is 6 Biofeedback and the disorientation condition for 10 - Willpower minutes. You are able to spot any icons within line of sight from your persona location, but remember that you can be spotted as well! Physical objects block your line of sight, and if they are not wireless active, they appear like low res gray shapes instead of their visual appearance. Virtual Reality comes in two flavors, described below.
 * 9) Cold Simulation (Cold-Sim): The 'safe' and legal Virtual Reality access mode, this requires any standard sim module to use. Your Matrix Initiative in Cold-Sim is 3d6 + Intuition + Data Processing, and all biofeedback damage you take goes to your Stun condition monitor.
 * 10) Hot Simulation (Hot-Sim): The hacker's choice, this mode requires an illegal hot-sim module. Your Matrix Initiative is 4d6 + Intuition + Data Processing, and all biofeedback damage you take goes to your Physical condition monitor. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to all Matrix Actions.
 * 11) Personal Area Networks: A major component of using the Matrix for most consumers is to access extra functionality on gear. That makes this gear vulnerable to hackers, which is why it belongs in a Personal Area Network (PAN). A PAN is a cluster of devices slaved to a single master persona device (up to Persona Device Rating x 3 slaved devices). This has the twofold benefit of first folding all of the device icons into a single PAN icon, making the devices less readily visible (note that weapon icons never fold in, though they can be part of a PAN, and devices that are physically distant from the master also do not fold in), then allowing the devices to use the ratings of the master when making Matrix Defense Tests in the place of any lesser rating they have. Slaved devices also receive any Noise Reduction the master is currently running. The sole drawback to the PAN is that if a mark is hacked onto a slaved device, the hacker also gets a mark on the master.
 * 12) Marks: These are discreet 'sub-icons' that can be placed on any device, host, or persona icon by an owner, a hacker, or a persona granted permission. They indicate a level of authorized access with which certain actions can be taken on the icon. You may have up to three marks on an icon; they are only visible to a persona specifically checking for marks on that icon. Marks can be 'followed' back to you by a persona with the Trackback extended action, or identified as yours by a persona that has seen your persona. Marks are removed when you or the icon reboot.
 * 13) Noise: Noise is a composite effect consisting of two components. The first component, Area Noise, refers to Noise a device must get through to connect to the Matrix at all. The second component, Noise due to Distance, refers to Noise generated by acting across long distances in the Matrix.
 * 14) Area Noise: Any device in an area with a Noise Rating greater than the Device Rating after Noise Reduction effects is disconnected from the Matrix immediately, and cannot connect again until it overcomes this. Area Noise is additive with Noise due to Distance when determining the Noise penalty to a Matrix Action (use the higher Area Noise of the persona using the action or the target of the action, but not both). Area Noise is always determined based on device location, not persona location.
 * 15) Noise due to Distance: This takes the distance between you and the target and applies a penalty to Matrix Actions based on which category that distance falls under. Each distance of the set "your physical body to your interface device", "your interface device to your persona device", "your persona device to your persona location", and "your persona location to the target location" are added together to find your total distance. Note that this means if your persona is in Shanghai and your body is in Seattle, somebody in Shanghai can hack you with very little Noise even though you are taking a significant penalty to hack them.
 * 16) Directly connected 0 (a Direct Connection is one between your persona device and the target device. This can be done either with a datacable or most Hosts, and applies regardless of distance)
 * 17) Up to 100 meters: 0
 * 18) 101-1,000 meters (1 km): 1
 * 1,001-10,000 meters (10 km): 3
 * 1) 10,001-100,000 meters (100 km): 5
 * 2) Greater than 100 km: 8
 * 3) Matrix Perception: This action refers to three different ways of 'seeing' in the Matrix, with different functions.
 * 4) Matrix Perception (automatic): This non-action is your default view of the Matrix when you access it. It includes an icon for each persona, PAN, and device in your line of sight (devices under clothing or armor count as within line of sight, but vehicles and larger objects block your view), as well as the host icons lining the sky. It does not show the contents of PANs, files, or icons Running Silent. This works the same way in a Host.
 * 5) Matrix Perception (Spot): This Complex Action (Computer + Intuition [Data Processing]) 'spots' every icon in your line of sight, serving as the equivalent to physical Perception, but only for icons. It opens PAN icons so you can see every slaved device, checks personas for file icons, and attempts to unveil icons that are Running Silent. The test is resisted individually by every icon hiding from you, whether the icon is physically Sneaking, Running Silent, or both (if both, the test must be resisted by either the Sneaking pool or the Silent pool, their hits are not cumulative), adding one hit automatically for each 100 meters (round down) from your persona location they are, in order to avoid being spotted. If you use this action in a Host, all icons Directly Connected to you are considered to be within your line of sight, even if the Host's world is filled with walls. For each hit you get on this test, you may identify one icon of those spotted that you want.
 * 6) Matrix Perception (Analyze): This Complex Action assesses an icon you have spotted for any details you want. For each hit you get on this Computer + Intuition [Data Processing] Simple test, you can find out one detail. Details available are listed below.
 * 7) Any rating of the icon (Attack, Sleaze, Data Processing, Firewall, Device, Databomb, Protection)
 * 8) The icon commcode
 * 9) The icon type (Persona / Device / File / Host) if the icon is running Wrapper. If the icon is a Device Icon running Wrapper, this reveals the function of the device as well.
 * 10) The icon's Matrix Condition Monitor status
 * 11) The marks on the icon (if you have seen the persona a mark belongs to, this also identifies that persona) and, if applicable, the icon's master. If this points at an icon that is Running Silent, you will need to take a Matrix Perception (Spot) action to spot that icon.
 * 12) The icon's last Matrix Action (or edit date, if a file)
 * 13) If the icon is a master, the icon's slaved devices. If this points at icon(s) Running Silent, you will need to take a Matrix Perception (Spot) action to spot the icon(s).
 * 14) Running Silent: This is a mode that allows an icon to remain unspotted, even in plain sight. As a Simple Action, the icon can switch to or from Running Silent (any device, persona, or host can do this). While Running Silent, an icon resists attempts to spot it with Logic + Sleaze, but takes a -2 penalty to all Matrix Actions.
 * 15) Matrix Search: This special action has a duration assigned based on the type of information you are trying to locate. If the information searched is within a host or protected, the search points to the icon holding the information. If that icon is running silent, a Matrix Perception (spot) test must be succeeded on, or your search is over. You may divide the duration necessary by your net hits if the duration is measured in a real time increment, to a minimum of 1 Combat Turn.
 * 16) An Icon for which you have a commcode: Threshold 1, 1 Complex Action
 * 17) General Knowledge or Public: Threshold 1, 1 minute
 * 18) Limited Interest or Not Publicized: Threshold 3, 30 minutes
 * 19) Hidden or Actively Hunted and Erased: Threshold 6, 12 hours
 * 20) Searching a Host for Information: Threshold Host Rating / 2, 1 minute

Matrix 2: Hacking

 * Hacking is the field of interacting with Matrix icons in ways that you are not supposed to. In order to hack, you'll want the full suite of Matrix Attributes (Attack, Sleaze, Data Processing, Firewall) and skill in the Cracking and Electronics skill groups.

Safety First

 * Know your defenses. Whenever you resist a Matrix Action, you roll a Matrix Defense Test based on what action that is. These tests use your Intuition, Logic, or Willpower attributes and any one of your Matrix Attributes. Defender wins ties, as usual. If you fail the test, you might get marked, give information to the attacker, take Matrix Damage, or have your device sabotaged in some way. If you take Matrix Damage, it is either resisted with Device Rating + Firewall or unresisted entirely; all damage you fail to resist is marked against your Matrix Condition Monitor, which is 8 + (Device Rating)/2.
 * Know the risks of hacking. Some actions are generally safe, like Data Processing and Firewall actions, but there are three types of actions you need to be aware of.
 * The first type of action are the specific actions that interact with Data Bombs, which are Disarm, Set, and Edit File. Use Set Data Bomb or Edit File on a file with a Data Bomb already and you'll trigger the bomb. Fail a Disarm test and you'll trigger the bomb. Data Bombs deal Matrix Damage resisted normally to the amount of 1d6 for each point of Rating of the bomb.
 * The second type of action is a Sleaze action; these actions are sneaky and generally don't cause an alert if you succeed, but a failure on a Sleaze test means that the target gets to put a mark on you, which means you're spotted and can't un-spot yourself until you get rid of that mark somehow. Target icons that get a mark on you report you to their owner immediately.
 * The third type of action is an Attack action. These are flashy moves that throw up an alert whenever they successfully hit a target, but they don't point to you, so you aren't in serious trouble right off the bat. If you fail, no alert is thrown at all, but you take unresisted Matrix Damage equal to the net hits the target got on the resistance test.
 * All Sleaze and Attack actions are also Illegal, which on the Matrix means they draw attention from the Grid Overwatch Division. Whether you succeed or fail on these actions, the target's hits (not net hits) are added to the secret Overwatch Score that every persona has. If your total hits 40, you get converged on by GOD, or the authorities of the host you're in. This starts with 12 Matrix Damage (resisted normally), then an unresisted combination reboot and trace icon effect that dumps you out of the Matrix and sends your location to the physical authorities nearest to you. If you were in a host, instead the host gets 3 marks on you, and you get converged on normally if you leave the host without jacking straight out of the Matrix. You can monitor your Overwatch Score by running the Baby Monitor program or using the Check Overwatch Score Matrix Action (careful, this is also a Sleaze action). Finally, know that your Overwatch Score, once started, will continue ticking up at a rate of 2d6 every fifteen minutes until convergence or you leave the Matrix.

Marking

 * There are five ways to get marks on icons in the Matrix, two of which are legal.
 * Invited: All devices, personas, and hosts can invite marks for any reason and with any measurable conditions attached (this included cash payments, inviting marks onto yourself, performing a given action every interval, etc). This is usually only seen with Destination Hosts (which invite a single mark unconditionally from everybody), a team that trusts their decker (allowing your decker to have marks on your gear allows for some extra defensive measures they might be skilled at), and the nightmare that is a technomancer playing puppetmaster with other devices.
 * Caught: Marks obtained because an icon failed a Sleaze test against you are 100% legal, with no repercussions to you. Exploit them well!
 * Hack on the Fly: Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] vs Intuition + Firewall. This action gets you 1 mark on the target icon, and every second net hit counts as one hit on a Matrix Perception (Analyze) test against that icon. You can take a penalty to get extra marks on a success (-4 for 2, -10 for 3).
 * Brute Force: Cybercombat + Logic [Attack] vs Willpower + Firewall. This action gets you 1 mark on the target icon, and every second net hit can tally 1 Matrix Damage to the target, resisted normally. You can take a penalty to get extra marks on a success (-4 for 2, -10 for 3).
 * Watchdog: Electronic Warfare + Logic [Sleaze] vs Logic + Firewall. This special action can only target device or persona icons. This action gets you 1 mark on the target icon, and as long as you maintain a mark on that icon, sufficient warning about any Matrix Action that icon is about to take in order to Interrupt it. In addition, you may use the Squelch (-5), Popup (-10), and Haywire (-10) actions as Interrupts against this icon.
 * There are a few perks to having marks on an icon in the Matrix.
 * Any icon you have a mark on is always spotted. If it is not in your physical line of sight, it remains present in a tab or other preferred display, available for you to check.
 * Some Matrix Actions require that you have a certain number of marks on an icon to perform them, like Enter/Exit Host or Snoop.
 * Some Matrix Actions gain an extra benefit from having more marks on an icon, like Data Spike.
 * The possession of marks can be imitated for many Matrix Actions by using Reckless Hacking. This rule allows you to take a -5 penalty per mark missing in order to use a Matrix Action that requires marks to use. If you critically glitch this test, your persona reboots and any dumpshock associated is Physical. This rule does apply to Data Spike, but cannot be used if the action does not have a Matrix Defense Test associated with it.

Problem Solving

 * Most Matrix Actions are about solving a problem, once you meet the prerequisites. Whether your problem is a lack of information, a hostile device or persona, a damning recording, or the wrong identity, there's a way to fix it.
 * Information Gathering: this set of Matrix Actions is about acquiring information that you need to get your job done or to protect yourself. Incidentally removing problematic data is just a perk.
 * Edit File: This action is technically legal, but it's a hacker staple. You need 1 mark on the owner of the file in order to do this, but as a Data Processing Action you don't have to worry about Overwatch from failed attempts. If successful, remember that any actual changes to the file necessitate a Forgery test; you can copy / delete without a problem. If you own the file, you don't need to succeed on a Computer test to perform this action, though you may still need to make a Forgery test.
 * Crack File: Some files are tough nuts, this attack action breaks them open at the cost of alerting the owner he's being hacked.
 * Disarm Data Bomb: This action is completely legal, but also important to staying alive!
 * Snoop: Use this action to listen in on any kind of transmission as well as get pointed at the icon on the other side of the transmission.
 * Trace Icon: This also legal action allows you to get the physical location of an icon that you only see on the Matrix. It also lets you track the physical location of that icon as long as it is marked, in case you saw it but lost it. Very important for hunting deckers.
 * Trackback: In case you don't know who marked you, but you're comfortable leaving the mark there, this action allows you to take an extended test to slowly follow the mark back to its owner. You'll probably need a Matrix Perception (Spot) to finish the job, but it's here if you need it!
 * Breaking Things: Sometimes you just need to brick a device or dump somebody off the Matrix.
 * Reboot Device: This legal action can only target device icons or your own persona, but it's good for stopping drones, smartguns, and other problematic tools in their tracks for a Combat Turn (or longer, if it's unattended). It also clears all marks the rebooted icon had on it or on other icons, and your Overwatch Score if it was your persona.
 * Format Device: This Sleaze action ruins the boot ability of the device, so that when it next reboots, any wireless functionality it had is removed until repaired.
 * Data Spike: This Attack action hits the target icon extremely hard, trying to brick it.
 * Denial of Service: Apply a penalty to actions taken with the target device.
 * Haywire: Remove wireless functionality from the target device.
 * Squelch: Remove the target's ability to Send Message.
 * Trickery: this set of Matrix Actions subverts the world to your side.
 * Subvert Infrastructure: The pinnacle of this set, this action makes a Host's slaved devices do something you want. One device for each net hit!
 * Masquerade: Complicated and finnicky, but this is the best identity theft method on the Matrix.
 * Spoof Command: Much easier than Masquerade, this is just for making one device do a thing. Do not confuse with Control Device, spoof is specifically a command.
 * Garbage In / Garbage Out: Switch a binary or single input/output part of the controls of target device. Profit.
 * Protection and Support: These Matrix Actions keep you and your allies safe, secure, and effective.
 * I Am the Firewall: traditional van decker's combat resource. Defense bonus to your whole team (including you).
 * Intervene: If you see the attacking device icon, you can super boost an ally's defense test with this. Applies to final hits on defense test, not the dice pool!
 * Tag: Add a free Take Aim for allies and negate some dice pool penalties to shoot the targets.
 * Erase Mark: remove a mark from yourself.
 * Hide: remove yourself from somebody's Matrix Perception if you aren't marked.
 * Jack Out: remove yourself from the Matrix!
 * Erase Matrix Signature: Technomancer specific, removes traces of their actions.

The Control Rig

 * Counts as a Datajack! This allows the rigger to Directly Connect to anything with a data port by physically jacking in. The rigger can also maintain a Direct Neural Interface with any of their devices for improved functionality.
 * Hot-Sim Module included! This allows the rigger to access Virtual Reality (both hot and cold) without needing a sim module installed on their persona device.
 * "Jump In": The Control Rig grants access to a new variant of Virtual Reality (accessible in both hot and cold versions) where the rigger's sensory experiences are replaced with a version fed by the sensor suite of a vehicle. There are a couple ways to do this, but both require that the vehicle have a rigger interface (or be a drone). This is a Complex Action unless the rigger is already in VR and the vehicle is slaved to the rigger's Rigger Command Console.
 * Vehicular Persona: The rigger can interface with the vehicle itself, turning the device icon of the vehicle into a persona icon. The rigger does not need to be jacked into the vehicle to do this, but if not, both the control rig and the vehicle must be wirelessly active. The new persona uses the device attributes of the vehicle for its Matrix Attributes and Matrix Condition Monitor.
 * Persona Device: The rigger can jump in with a preexisting persona, preserving their own characteristics, with the vehicle icon simply subsumed into it.
 * While Jumped In to a vehicle, a rigger applies the effects of the control rig to all tests in the Combat, Physical, Technical, and Vehicle skill groups that are performed by the rigged vehicle on the physical plane, but not tests performed on the Matrix or any other plane.
 * The Control Rig lowers the threshold of tests by its Rating. (Never below 1)
 * The Control Rig grants a dice pool bonus equal to its Rating. (This bonus is restricted by the Dice Pool Bonus House Rule)
 * The Control Rig raises the vehicle's limits by its Rating. (This does not apply to the rigger's Inherent Limits, only the limits of the vehicle)
 * The Control Rig makes actions into Matrix Actions, including actions that occur over an extended interval. (This applies both Hot Sim Bonus and Noise Penalties to these actions)
 * The rigger is subject to biofeedback damage equal to half of any unresisted Physical damage the vehicle takes while they are jumped in.
 * If the vehicle is destroyed or bricked, the rigger suffers dumpshock and is either returned to regular VR (if the vehicle was not the persona device) or removed from the Matrix (if the vehicle was the persona device).
 * The base location of the rigger's persona is the vehicle location. The rigger is able to move their persona independently, but can be spotted at the vehicle.

Rigger Command Console

 * This is a suitcase sized persona device with all the features of a commlink, but two additional features. The console has configurable Sharing and Noise Reduction Ratings. When the console is booted, or as a Complex Action, the rigger can reconfigure the ratings. The rigger has points equal to the Device Rating of the RCC to distribute between the two.
 * The Sharing Rating allows the RCC to run that many programs. Any Autosofts run in that set of programs are shared to any slaved drones, ignoring their limits for rating and quantity of autosofts (note that a drone cannot run its own autosofts and shared autosofts simultaneously).
 * The Noise Reduction Rating lowers the amount of Noise the RCC experiences, making it less likely to be disconnected from the Matrix and subject to lower penalties on Matrix Actions.
 * The RCC's slaved drones can all receive an order from the same Simple Action, and Jumping In to another drone on the PAN from another on the PAN is a Simple Action.

Control Device

 * This is a special Matrix Action that covers the use of devices to perform theoretically anything. It uses the following rules.
 * This action cannot be Recklessly Hacked.
 * Devices cannot be Controlled to perform a Matrix Action.
 * The Action type for this action is the action type for the action the device is being used to perform. If you have a Direct Neural Interface to your persona device, you may apply the wireless bonus action type reduction of the selected action if there is one.
 * The Skill used for this action is the appropriate skill for the action the device is being used to perform. If that action does not have a test associated with it, there is no test for this action.
 * The Attribute used for this action depends on the Skill used. Use Intuition for any Physical or non-Gunnery Vehicle skill. Use Logic for any Combat, Technical, or Gunnery skill. Use Charisma for any Social skill.
 * The Limit used for this action is the traditional limit for the Skill used (or its drone-equivalent, if the limit is an inherent one) or Data Processing, whichever is lower.
 * Drone Physical Limit: Handling (a Sprint Action uses Speed)
 * Drone Mental Limit: Sensor (Controllers may use their own Mental Limit if performing an Observe in Detail action)
 * Drone Social Limit: Pilot (Controllers may use their own Social Limit, absent any direct modifiers from magic, clothing, or gear on their person)
 * You may use this action to control multiple devices at once to perform the same action; if the action has a test, you will need to split your dice pool.
 * Riggers who are Jumped In use the rules of this action to resolve any test they make, but do not use Data Processing as a limit for any of these tests.

Matrix 4: Technomancy

 * To be completed! Bug Xath or something