Sprites, How to play them. Options

[CodeBreaker]

Diagnostics
The Diagnostics power allows the sprite to evaluate the inner workings
of an electronic device. The sprite must be present in the node of the
device in question. The sprite can then assist someone using or repairing
the device with a Teamwork Test. Make a sprite rating x 2 test;
each hit adds 1 die to the character’s test to use or repair the item. The
maximum dice bonus the character can recieve from the teamwork test
is equal to that character’s skill.

It is a wonderful power that you will learn to love. It works on all kinds of things. Medkits. Smartguns. Commlinks.

[laereth]

Diagnostics
The Diagnostics power allows the sprite to evaluate the inner workings
of an electronic device. The sprite must be present in the node of the
device in question. The sprite can then assist someone using or repairing
the device with a Teamwork Test. Make a sprite rating x 2 test;
each hit adds 1 die to the character’s test to use or repair the item. The
maximum dice bonus the character can recieve from the teamwork test
is equal to that character’s skill.

It is a wonderful power that you will learn to love. It works on all kinds of things. Medkits. Smartguns. Commlinks.

Holy crap...

[Vantive]

I told my GM that I was going to do some linking and he told me it was broken.

Having to spend 1 karma to get high rating CF sustained VIA a link was too over powered he said.

I think he wants to inforce that the karma cost be the same as the sprites rating


So rather than having my rating 1 sprite sustain my level 5 complex form for 1 karma, he will charge me 5..

Anybody else have any feedback about linking? Is it over powered?

[toolbox]

Anybody else have any feedback about linking? Is it over powered?

Linking in general is fine, but linking a sustain CF task is a hell of a good deal when you look at the cost and effects - compile and register a rank 1 sprite for essentially no cost, thread your Stealth to 9 for a few bruises, get your rating 9 sprite to Assist Operation on your Stealth for one task and pay 1 Karma to have Stealth 18 for the next eight and a half months. I can see why he's upset, but it's one of the technomancer's strengths to be able to bust out obscene dice pools more or less on demand in the Matrix. It's everywhere else that they're supposed to suffer.

[Jaid]

Linking in general is fine, but linking a sustain CF task is a hell of a good deal when you look at the cost and effects - compile and register a rank 1 sprite for essentially no cost, thread your Stealth to 9 for a few bruises, get your rating 9 sprite to Assist Operation on your Stealth for one task and pay 1 Karma to have Stealth 18 for the next eight and a half months. I can see why he's upset, but it's one of the technomancer's strengths to be able to bust out obscene dice pools more or less on demand in the Matrix. It's everywhere else that they're supposed to suffer.

actually, the rating 1 sprite can't sustain the assist operation, only the threading.

but yes, it is a ridiculously good deal. is it worth as much as quickening? in my opinion no, but your GM may feel otherwise. we can't really do much about how your GM feels, so you're probably stuck with it.

[Vantive]

What is quickening?

[toolbox]

actually, the rating 1 sprite can't sustain the assist operation, only the threading.

but yes, it is a ridiculously good deal.

Whoops, you're right; mea culpa. But yeah, the point remains - linking a rating 1 sprite to sustain threading is great. Heck, you can thread a CF up from nothing and pay 1 karma to keep it around for 8 months rather than having to actually learn the thing.

[BlueMax]

Whoops, you're right; mea culpa. But yeah, the point remains - linking a rating 1 sprite to sustain threading is great. Heck, you can thread a CF up from nothing and pay 1 karma to keep it around for 8 months rather than having to actually learn the thing.

<sarcasm tag>

Great ... just Great. As if I didn't have enough problems with the three TMs at my table

</sarcasm>

This is pretty fragging cool.

BlueMax

[Jaid]

What is quickening?

metamagic technique. making a spell permanent by spending karma on it.

[Vantive]

With that magic spell thing, quickening, does that go away if somebody dispells it? Or if you go thru a ward? or your ordered to drop the spell to gain entry.

can it be recast to be permanent?

[Jaid]

With that magic spell thing, quickening, does that go away if somebody dispells it? Or if you go thru a ward? or your ordered to drop the spell to gain entry.

can it be recast to be permanent?

depends on the strength of the ward, the spell, and whether or not you invest extra karma. in general, when passing through a ward, you will either lose the spell or the ward will be burst, which will generally trigger an alarm (unless you successfully mask the spell through the ward, that is)

incidentally, magicians also have access to something similar to linking, it's called long term binding iirc. you can use a force 1 spirit to sustain your spells, and it can last even longer than linking.

of course, in both linking and long term binding, if someone manages to track down the sprite/spirit, you can pretty much kiss the poor guy goodbye... it isn't gonna last long in cybercombat with pretty much anything, after all...