But you aren't safe from mages. You are traceable. Easily traceable. Either you are constantly broadcasting an incredibly strong signal which can be traced back to your location either through Sniffer(area) or a straight line(directional antenna), and looking for strange signals is the first thing any rigger/spyder does once something is afoul. The Technomancer in my game is pretty much always doing that. Your ECCM will help, but once they get through that 3(or 6) it will degrade the drone's signal down so that you are no longer within mutual signal range.

Or you are going through the Matrix, in which case a pretty simple Three Musketeer IC or Spyder with a half a decent Trace program is going to get your location in about a combat turn. And you can't just turn on a dime and change your Access ID like a normal hacker because your drone is slaved to one particular Access ID.
This runs further afoul when you consider that a lot of places Shadowrunners break into aren't connected to the Matrix. Further, no one will have to jam your drone's signal, just the signal of whichever device you are piggy backing off of.

In either case, you run the risk of everything you do being noticeable by someone who has Decrypted your signal, which is much easier than you think when you consider you won't be Encrypting every other round, you will be commanding or, while jumped in, moving. And you can't databomb important files because that file is being broadcast at the same time you are receiving it.
It doesn't matter how secure you think it is, you will never know how secure it actually is. That info is just flying through the air and you can only hope no one Decrypted it. You have no idea whether they did or not until it's too late.
You also put your teammates in the situation that everything they said to you was being picked up by someone.
Not someone I'd want to work with.

Most importantly, mages already have something that is a symbolic link to you... your drone!

I'm telling you, broadcasting from a remote location is far more dangerous than being on site, where the team's mage can Counterspell.
You are banking on the fact that no NPCs in the game will ever jam you, trace you, decrypt you, spoof your drone or run a detect wireless signal. If any of those things happen, you are out of the game.
You are doing this because you are afraid your GM is going to have some random mage with a rare metamagic cast an incredibly potent Ritual Spell on you, which can be avoided by everything from Arcane Arrester to buying a Nimue Salamander?

Honestly, which do you think is more likely?

I used to think that too, but once you got me to searching, all I can find are implied binary relationships between jamming and signal: either full signal or zero. Can you point me to the page where the rules for signal degradation are outlined?


That was the original idea. Have like 10 effective signal on my commlink, but stay wired until someone jams my connection. In that case I immediately switch on my commlink and do what i have to in the shortest time possible. No one is going to get to my house, or take any physical or magical action against me in 3-6 seconds. If combat takes over 10 IPs, I've got to wonder what I'm fighting.
As for tracing, they have -5 (soon to be -6) to their dice pool from my stealth program, and hopefully +4 to threshold from proxying, unless I'm rigging with the 10 signal monster.


I definitely can't encrypt every other round in combat, but out of combat I could probably just say "I'm re-encrypting my signal every few seconds" and roll a test. The result would be used for each subsequent attempt so I don't need to interrupt play for something the sammies will consider irrelevant. As for the "important file" I put it in quotes for a reason. That was just a bait file to kill the guy trying to steal my secrets. It wasn't in transit, I just left it on a node in our party that may naturally attract a hacker.


Yeah, I know that you can't detect... No, apparently I misremembered. Matrix perception is allowed to detect traffic sniffing.


Damn them. Now I have to go back and remove any and all of my mechanic or modding skills. I'm never going to touch my drones again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)
That would work since magic doesn't work with technology, and something I've never physically touched or even seen couldn't possibly be a symbolic link. Then again, I really don't want to do that... That's a problem for tomorrow. I still need to figure out what to prioritize after I buy some unregistered programs, and figure out what else I can shove into this character for cheap.


TBH, I don't think ggodo is ever going to send a mage after me with initiations under his belt. Especially not with the metamagics required for symbolic foci. Even if he did, he wouldn't do a complex ritual (I think). He's much more likely to test my strengths and weaknesses equally. I'm still not going to give it a chance to happen though. Think of it as roleplaying, since I'm aware this choice is sub-optimal, that's actually all it could be.

*edit: he has sent mages with initiations, but he didn't ever expect us to fight them. Technically, we didn't, but the stronger the mage, the more my blood boils. I just had to try to kill Lofwyr.
In my defense, I waited until everyone was wrapping up their dice at the end of our last campaign, asked for confirmation that we weren't going to use these characters again, and rolled with what remained of my edge from that session.

If your commlink can handle it, you can also have an agent running which has one task only : encrypt/decrypt you communications. That should take care of the problem without straining your own initiative passes. That sort of repetitive background tasks are precisely what gaents were developed for.

Genius.
*costs a bit though.

Rating 1, of course. Honestly, the commlink should do that on its own, just like it does Analyze on its own.

For the record, any ritual links are likely to be used as plot macguffin, if that eases your pain a bit. Ritual murder is no fun. Much better to have that blaze of glory shining off your pink mohawk when you go.

Bah, you're already building your Nexus, right? And your bot net? You need to get a replicating agent pretty quick, otherwise you can't botnet.

Okay, one way to go with the physical stats in cyberlimbs. The two things you probably want to look into is increasing the agility on your cyberarm (+armor, obviously) so you can use pistols well and a cybertorso. Yes, the cybertorso is less than optimal but you want to customize it and boost it's body. Most GMs will let you use the cybertorso's body in place of your own for damage tests (#1, most shots are torso/body shots #2 it's the only way the torso makes any sense.) Those two won't make you great but they'll give you enough armor and shooting ability that physical activities won't be impossible. Plus, tons of capacity is always good.

If you're really worried about traces, look through Runner's Companion, there's a couple thing you can get there that make you harder to track (and it's free anyway). Also, remember that you can use multiple proxies. Finally, consider hacking random things, like vending machines, and manually setting them up as proxy servers. That means the opposition can't just track you, they have to hack that proxy and retrieve the information themselves. If you can set up a couple of linked proxy servers you've built yourself, you're basically untraceable. If you want to be untracable, really untracable, manually set up one of these proxy nodes somewhere far away using an Admin account, then move the log to your commlink. Now there is basically nothing to track.

Right now, play to your strengths. You're a brutal hacker, use that, and can pull rigging duty most of the time. If not, set up a fall back where if the drones lose contact with you, they automatically establish a connection with Teammate A.

If you are operating the robo-drone via Matrix by default, then you have a number of worries, namely what the opposing rigger/spyder is doing to your robo-drone after you were dumped out of it. He may not bust down your door in 10 IPs, but he could very well take control of that drone. If you don't think that's possible, ask yourself "How would I do it?" That's how he did it.
When tracing, it's an extended test. You are going to be using the same Access ID the whole time(the one your drone is slaved to) so as long as you are on the Matrix, you are vulnerable to being traced. That means the whole time the team is trying to get out of the building you broke into, you are traceable. Moreover, you could have no idea who is tracing you. Sure, you saw the IC that deployed when you triggered an alarm, but while fighting that IC you may not have seen that Spyder who is running his trace program on you. You can run Matrix Perception every round, but that's no guarantee. Even if you find him, that's no gaurentee either because, unlike a regular hacker, you can't just log off. So in order for people to not know where you live, the point of being remote in the first place, you have to hope you spot a tracer, hope you can beat him in Cybercombat, hope he doesn't reach your Trace threshold before you do and hope the party isn't moving while you do.


If using your high signal broadcast, you are also running into a myriad of problems, namely that while you are re-encrypting every few seconds, someone Decrypting is doing it all the time. It's all they are doing. And you don't know who they are or why they are doing it. Imagine old ladies with police scanner or CB enthusiasts. Some people just take information out of the air. He doesn't have to hack your node or even be aware of it because you are sending everything in your node across half the planet.
Most importantly, you don't know if someone is doing this. You have no idea whether or not someone is getting your signals out of the air because they aren't in any node, save their own. You can make Matrix Perception tests on nodes you are in, but for all you know, this cat isn't even connected to the Matrix.
Same goes for someone running a Sniffer program on your Signal. You can detect them if they are in your node, but not if he's just looking for broadcast signals from his own.
Either through Trace or through Sniff, your meat body is getting found. One Watcher spirit as a spotter and that mage won't need a link to cast his Ritual Magic on you.

This is how NPCs are born. Some schmuck got a hold of some awesome paydata while trying to snoop on the neighbors and now he's selling it to the highest bidder. Mr. Johnson ain't pleased.
This is what GMs do. We look for cool stories. In trying to make an invincible hacker, you have made one far more vulnerable than you realize.

You aren't the first person to think of the remote hacker idea. You aren't the hundred thousandth. These are problems that have been faced and shall be faced again. What you are doing is splitting up the party. That is never, ever a good idea.

Anything you have, the bad guys have 3. While an Agent constantly running Encrypt is another common tactic, it is safe to assume that the bad guys have agents doing the same.

I thought signal range had to be mutual (PG 222 SR4A).

I also though prejudiced was against a type of people, not a single individual (PG 108 RC). Using Prejudiced in the way you describe certainly makes it a lot more appealing than enemy. I need to add "Predudiced, Outspoken, ex-Wife" to my next character. Easiest 10 BP ever.

So, just something I came up with real quick to try and fill the role of hacker/rigger/face. Tried to keep in line with the original concept while adding a bit of extra omph into the social and physical aspects.



The Pheromones won't work when working through a robot, but you have chatty for that. They are there to make physical social a possibility.

No Gunnery skill, just use the command program whenever you need to take a shot.

Synth is there to balance out low stats. Gymnastics gives you some ranged defense if need be, just don't get caught in melee.

If you need a few extra BP for contacts or whatever, consider dropping the specializations and picking them up for karma in game.

Won't be huge in any area, but generally 10ish dice for most stuff. 15ish for social, either through a bot or in meat.

-Taikei no Yuurei

P.S. Woo, my first post, finally noticed the part about e-mailing the admin after waiting forever (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

P.P.S. Mutual signal range is obtained when two devices are within signal range either directly, or by bouncing through other available devices (ie. the matrix) They don't need to actually be within signal range of one another.

P.P.P.S. Jamming is an all or nothing ordeal, so if you have a maxed signal and ECCM no jammer from the book can hinder you. Weird, I know, but that's how it works.

P.P.P.P.S. For encrypt/decrypt, you don't need to spend an action every turn or anything. You just need a simple action to start encrypting a signal, and another to decrypt the signal you are recieving. After that it will continue to remain in that state without further interference. Just like an encrypted file remains encrypted without further actions.

I'm referring to Jamming on the Fly. It's harder to get more net successes than folk with ECCM, but not impossible.
The reason you want to Encrypt as much as you can is for those within your signal range who are running a Decrypt program. Once they reach your Encryption threshold, they have access to everything you broadcast.
So if you spend a simple action to Encrypt, get say 4 hits, all I need to do to listen in on your Matrix traffic is get 4 hits on an extended test to listen in on what you broadcast, which in the case of a remote hacker is everything he does and everything the team says to him.

Shadowrun tries to avoid some of the massive complications that come from the field of cryptanalysis, and ops for the idea that in the future things are just easier to decrypt. If you actually know a lot about cryptanalysis, don't over think it. You will hurt your brain.

So, you are saying that the chronically physically unfit become technomancers? I did not get that from the Fluff at all... You must be reading different fluff than I am. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Yeah, but keep in mind that unless the jammer is standing right on top of you, they're going to be suffering some penalties to signal (-1/5m) which is going to make it even harder. It is possible, but highly unlikely.

And yes, it does avoid complications because it is a game, not a world simulator. That said, I don't know how I'd deal with the R1 agent idea. Personally it sounds silly because that is basically what the encrypt program should be doing anyway, changing the key dynamically, and the agent isn't going to be any better at it than the program itself. And as someone else said, anything you have, the enemies have three of, so all it is going to do is change you encrypting and then the enemy decrypting to your agent constantly encrypting and your enemy's agent constantly decrypting. Basically leaves you right where you started and adds needless complication and expense.

You need Command *and* Gunnery. Check SR4A p247.

It still helps to have Encryption on automatic, because you *do* have to Encrypt each new communications link; if you make new links, that's new actions.

Hmm, guess that is new, I still don't have a 4A book, so I'll trust that it is there. You could consider getting an optimized pilot for your drone along with an autosoft and relying on it being able to hit on its own because, lets be honest, when firing with a burst weapon, you really don't need that many dice to hit stuff.

I think I'll just keep some clockwork drones on me at all times. That's a much better idea for personal combat when I have no big drones around. As for BOD, I'm building up a bit of natural body, since I don't want to use essence on cyberlimbs (I'll need every bit I can get for all the second-hand ware in my future).

I'll look through RC again with that specifically on my agenda. As for proxies, I want to minimize my penalty to matrix actions if at all possible. Each proxy s a -1 to matrix actions. Are you talking about moving a real log, or the game's abstraction of a log? I think Shadowrun's version also takes the place of an arp table or dns, so the device knows where to send data.

I thought of that, but I imagine the enemy hacker is going to shut me out and rig it in the same pass, so basically I'm going to need a physical means of shutting him out. I wonder if I can somehow turn my drone into a UV node so the hacker takes 8P when he drops out.

Well, that would apply to any situation. I'm not denying it's easier to maintain after its done if I'm remote, but I can always defend against most cases to make it pretty hard to take me down in the first place. We've been arguing these specific cases for a while now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


We'll see how it plays out in game.


I imagine the threshold is higher than your average mook's dicepool (avg 3-4 hits + 4 threshold = 7-8 threshold). I also move around in meatspace, which is why I have Disguise, and a less expensive/noticable lifestyle for my character.


Not trying to make an invincible hacker. Just one that won't leave photos or images of himself lying around. One that nobody has ever seen the face of, so GM fiat can't say "the mage found someone who knows your face".


Indeed, but I won't stop until someone gets past the directed plastic explosives in my hallway, and my slaved steampunk dragons. Maybe I can even find some biodrones and feed them shade, or put biofiber in my walls. Either way, someone can find me much more easily if they don't need to find me, because I'm with the party, which gets into combat and runs under cameras.

You mean they would be running Decrypt? Can agents take teamwork tests on decrypt? Anyway, yes. And I imagine those agents would be on a node inside the compound, so they would get our signals anyway.

Also, Know that there is little tech in the barrens, but that there is lots of tech for most other bad guys.

I'll do what I can to be ready. I have some armor now just in case, but I'm going to push that range for all its worth.

No . . . they're saying a lot of technomancers (at least a lot of technomancers created by players) were online during crash 2.0 and became physically unfit after some time in a coma getting their only nourishment through an IV drip. Others were subjected to horrific experiments that may have impacted their health lowering some or all of their physical stats.

Mostly he reminds me of the Emu Samurai. I haven't seen him for a while... maybe this is his new login?
For such a minmax character and the low low price of an emotitoy and the (supposed) role of this character as a (robotic) Face I am surprised you don't have an emotitoy from chargen which you intend to upgrade later in play to a full suite of empathy software. In fact, looking at the "I already gave up on *. I'm waiting until I have infinite karma and nuyen to afford it." sounds kind of like your aim is to (eventually) grow a Jack Of All Trades from an initial Specialist (because BP chargen doesn't penalise specialist builds). A more common / reasonable approach would be to start with a generalist who can turn his hand to any task (to make sure you can always contribute to each part of a run, always justifiably get a share of the karma and nuyen) and then chooses a field or two to develop further.

Very Poor rationalization for having 1's in all Physical Stats... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)