Possessing metamagic, Clarification please. Options

[Jrayjoker]

In the MiTS description of possessing metamagic:

"Riggers and Deckers: Characters who are rigging and decking may be possessed if they are also astrally active and defeated in astral combat; once possessed, they are immediately dumped from their icon or vehicle. The possessing initiate may attempt to rig or deck, if so inclined."

My question is this: If the rigger/decker is dumped, how does the possessor have access to the matrix or the vehicle/drone deck?

How do you interpret this?

[Herald of Verjig...]

They get dumped, and then the possessor can go right back into the system. It just means you don't get to inherit the current Matrix login and retains a level of consistency between that and the rigging.

[Ancient History]

...The magician is possessing the decker/rigger's body. They plug the jack back in, hit power on the deck, and go for a little Matrix run.

"Hey kids, I'm not really this body's proper owner! So I don't give a frag if the black IC kills it...just keep me away from that psychotropic stuff. Don't know what it could do to me, but I don't want to take the chance."

[Jrayjoker]

Ah, thanks, for some reason I was under the mistaken impression that the matrix/rigging connection wasn't severed and the dump would affect the possessed after the possesor dismounted, as per the astral combat damage taken during the possessing combat test.

[Jrayjoker]

Does anyone else see what I am saying? Could it be argued that way do you think?

[Ancient History]

If the decker/rigger has taken enough damage to render them unconscious, yeah that would put a sore spot on decking and/or rigging.

[mfb]

yeah, in ASIST-based rigging or decking, it'd be insane to not have a safety override system that ends your connection if it detects unconsciousness.

though, note: the rigger/decker should be taking dumpshock, along with the damage from astral combat. that means they'll probably be physically injured to some degree.

[Ol' Scratch]

Note, also, the great unlikelihood of finding an astrally-active decker unless they happen to be a ghoul, an Awakened deepweed addict, or a changeling with the Dual-Natured trait. Anyone capable of decking and astrally perceiving voluntarily would be insanely foolish to do both at the same time, and most every other intelligent dual-natured creature like Shapeshifters and Vampires can't have a datajack so they'd be going in on tortoise mode (thus no need to worry about dumpshock).

But yeah, blah blah blah, this isn't a scenario you're likely to encounter unless a GM goes out of their way to introduce the situation into a game. Possession alone is rare enough as it is.

[Ancient History]

They could be in a spontaneously-appearing astral rift, or be targeted unwillingly by a free spirit's astral gateway power.

[Ol' Scratch]

That would pretty much fall into the whole "...goes out of their way to introduce the situation into a game..." bit.

[Ancient History]

True.

[Eyeless Blond]

Well it could always be an unintended consequence.

1) Player binds/makes friends with free spirit.
2) Mage wants to deck, so asks/forces free spirit to use astral gateway on random person with datajack.
3) Mage then posesses random person, then decks using his body instead of his own.

[hyzmarca]

Deepweed + DMSO in any viable delivery method. Splash grenade, capsule round, super squirt, even a Deepweed smoke grenade should work.

It is the classic answer to the question "how can two magicians and a guy with an ELD-AR take out an entire swat team?"

Pumping massive ammounts of deepweed smoke through a ventalization system and then having the magician possess the building's Security Rigger would be a great way to gain control of a secure facility. Of course, you would need enough Deepweed to potentially turn the run into a Cheech and Chong movie.

Edit: Darn, I missed the Magically Active part in the description of deepweed. This makes the tactic less effective.