Matrix Help!, See above! Options

[Thanos007]

Your right! My bad. Now as you had no other commments I'm assuming that everything so far is correct and I can now try to log onto the Host. Now I'm trying to do this with out looking at the book so here goes. To log onto the host I'll be trying to gain access. So my TN is 12. I have deception-5 running so that decreases my TN to 7. I roll my computer plus 2 hacking dice and get 7,5,4,3,3,2,2,1. The host however gets 6,6,6,4,3,3. I fail to log on and the security tally is now 3. Which activates Probe-3 ice.

OH BOY!


Thanos

[Mal-2]

[Thanos007]

[gknoy]

[Kurukami]

Oh, it will be waiting, you can count on that. Just look at this example in the IGTTM ( and do a search for "lumbering troll" )... :vegm:

[Mal-2]

Certainly the Probe IC should activate. I'm not sure if the decker should get his normal Sensors[IC Rating] test to notice that it activated, though. If anything, I'd be tempted to give it to him at a TN equal to (IC Rating + Access subsystem of the Host), to represent the difficulty of determining what's going on in a system you haven't fully been able to access yet.

Are there any existing rules allowing you to scout a host before loging on to it?

[Synner]

This is an important element of the SAN aspect of the Access subsystem. When you are accessing a host, be it from an LTG or another host (as in a tiered system), you are actually try to get through the Access subsystem on the 'next' host. Any Tally you wrack up will only come into effect after you manage to Log On (step through the door) to that host.

Regarding the Probe IC it will continue to monitor the "illegal account's" attempts to Log On if it is active (contributing to the Security Tally) but will remain out of your reach until you do Log On (and even then the GM has to make a secret Sensor Test for you to notice it - SR3 page 209 - if you fail it continues to do its business and helping to increase the Security Tally without the decker even knowing it is there).

The important thing to note here (and the reason I made the comment on whether this is being approached from a GMs or players point of view) is that the decker does not know his Security Tally (finding this out requires an Analyze Security operation inside the host). He doesn't know its gone up to step three. He doesn't know Probe may have been triggered. If he fails the above secret roll (when he gets in) he has no way of knowing the IC is active and acting against him except to make a System Operation which in turn might increase his Tally again.

Thanos - your Detection Factor is extremely low, even for this grade of system and weak IC. You really need to work on maxing it out or else you'll be running into trouble.

[Thanos007]

OK. What would a good DF be for a begining decker? What is the best way to boost it. Keep in mind that all suggestions and info must come from the BBB


Thanks


Thanos

[Kurukami]

Well, typically the best you'll be able to start off with (reasonably) would be somewhere around a 6 or 7. The Kraftwerk-8 in the SR3 rulebook is available to starting players, I believe ( availability 8 ), but programs over rating 6 usually aren't. Thus, you'll be able to start with your Masking at 8, but your Sleaze will likely only be 6.

Keep in mind, though, that one of the rules in (I think) the Matrix rulebook allows one to run in a particular MPCP "mode" which increases the value of that Matrix attribute by 50% at the cost of decreasing another one by the same percentage. Therefore, by running in Masking mode you can boost that Masking persona chip's rating from 8 up to 12, which (combined with a Sleaze of 5 or 6) will put your DF at 9.

[Mal-2]

Well, Detection Factor = (Masking + Sleaze)/2, so raising both of those is paramount. Your maximum Masking Rating is limited by your MPCP. Depending on how your GM interprets the starting equipment limits, that means either a Novatech Hyperdeck-6 (if maximum ratings apply to MPCP, this is MPCP 6 and the best you can get) or a CMT Avatar (if you're going by availability, this is availablity 6, and the best deck you can get under availability 8).

So, assuming you can get a CMT Avatar, with MPCP 7. You could split that up as MPCP-7/4/5/7/5, and run sleaze 6, which would give you a DF of 7. As far as I can tell, that's the best you can do for a starting character using just SR3. Statistically, that's the same thing as a DF of 6.

If you were using the Matrix sourcebook, there's a few other things you can do. For instance, you could engage Masking Mode, which would boost your Masking by 50%, dropping one of your other attributes by 50%. You can also get the Sneak Option on some of your Utilities, which raises your DF while using those Utilities.

[gknoy]

Thanos, I highly suggest reading the now-14-page (as I write this ;)) "Idiot's guide to the Matrix". There was a smaller-scale intro run done, but this thread (Where Kurukami's decker is running Matrix Overwatch on Synner's system) more accurately represents the depths of drek your decker can more reliably expect to find themself in. Deep, deep, DEEP drek.

It's a very informative and entertaining read, as both participants are giving lots of behind the scenes details on how things work, and on strategies/tactics. I suspect that were I the decker instead of Kurukami, I'd probably have been a sizzling pile of meatbod LONG ago. ;)

[edited to reflect the proper spelling of Thanos' name ;) Sorry, chummer, for messing that up.]

[Thanos007]

Yes I've read the IGTTM and it is vastly entertaining. Also some what educational but I find that the easyest way for me to learn something is by doing it. So that is the reason for this thread. Think of it as a complement to the IGTTM especialy for the slower among us (me too). When I get to work I'll post my next moves (thats where my books are)


Thanks

Thanos

[Thanos007]

OK. If I'm correct I don't have to defeat the scramble ice again and can attempt another log on. I do so rolling 8 dice. I get 11,5,4,3,3,2,1,1. The host get's 5,5,4,3,2,2,1. My one success gets me into the host. The hosts 0 keeps the tally at 3.

Now that I'm inside the host I do have to deal with the probe ice. As GM I make the secret roll and get 6,5,4,2,1,1. The probe ice gets 4,3,2. I (as decker) have 3 successes and notice the ice. The probe get 0 successes. I get a free ride and the tally stays the same. If this is all correct then I can try many things from here. After this post I most likely just jump into cyber combat as I think I understand everything but that pretty well now. This has helped a lot.

How do you determine initiative in the matrix? Can't seem to find it.

Thanks

Thanos

P.S. If this thread has bored you just wait until I start my rigging thread!!! WOO-HOO!!!

[hobgoblin]

just one small "offtopic" post:

never ever try to mix real life computer knowhow with the matrix rules, NEVER! that is unless your doing it in the very broadest sense...

one thing you have to remeber is that neuromancer was written on a typewriter by a person that never had used a computer in his life...

but still i prefer the matrix style over real life, matrix is a mutch more wild world :) so stuff that in you packet and sniff it :silly:

[Mal-2]

I think you missed a few things there, Thanos007. I agree that the Scrable IC remains decrypted, so you need to Log On to Host operation again. That's a Computer [7] test, which you made, and got one success. That's opposed by a Security Rating test, TN 7 (your Detection Factor). The Host also rolls three extra dice from the active Probe 3 IC. Any successes on those bonus dice will add to your Security Tally, but will not counter your successes trying to Log On to the Host.

Once you're inside, the GM makes a Sensors[3] roll for the decker, which is not opposed by anything. Since you scored three successes, the decker will know that there is active IC, that it is Probe IC, and that it is Rating 3.

Matrix Initiative is Reaction + 1d6, plus bonuses from response increase on the deck. In this case the CMT Avatar comes with level 1 response increase, so your decker's Matrix initiative is 6+2d6. Initiative for IC is determined by the table on SR3 223. Since this is an Orange Host, the IC has initiative of 3+3d6.

[Thanos007]

[Kurukami]

[Mal-2]

[Thanos007]

Just bumping this untill I get time to go over matrix combat.


Thanos