Regarding the skinlink, what exactly can you do with this? Does the skinlink allow you to use all of the functions of your commlink without requiring any other physical manipulation of the commlink? If someone speaks to you via your commlink, do you hear their voice? Can you read text messages?

Regarding communicating while in the Matrix (in VR), are you able to speak with people not in the Matrix by 'calling' their commlinks? It seems that you can send text messages to people's commlinks.

Regarding technomancers, the rulebook states, "The speed bonus for hot sim is already calculated into their Response and Initiative, but keep in mind that they also receive +2 to all full-VR Matrix tests as well" (SR4, 233). Are there any situations in which this +2 bonus does not apply? Does it apply to fading resistance tests? Does it apply to resisting dumpshock?

Skinlink, as I understand it, removes the wireless-to-brain step of the equation, and makes it so the item in question (be it smartlink, comlink or whatever) talks through wires direct to your brain. Basically removes the hackable portion of that equation. A good thing to be sure.

I don't see why not. You're in the matrix already. A call goes through the same medium, so it'd be even quicker to place the call or send the message.

No idea. I'll let someone more versed in the TM's answer that.

Thanks for your reply (again), Jhaiisiin.

So, I can infer from your reply to my first question that the direct answer is yes, you can hear voices and read text from your commlink. Okay; good to know. I couldn't quite tell from reading the description in the book. It seems to me that you would then be able to reply without physically manipulating your commlink. However, if this is true, what's the big deal about subvocal microphones? They cost the same and have the same availability. Why would you get a subvocal mic over a skinlink?

For my second question, if you are hacked into a node somewhere, is there any way for the node to stop you from communicating with your team?

It's "Reply to Ranger" day for me I guess. LOL


Subvocals rely on you at least moving your vocal cords and getting whispers out to transmit stuff. In the Matrix, you're basically working off of thoughts, so you're using the equivallent of a Transducer in my opinion. You can communicate digitally without an issue, especially as all communication *is* digital by this point. Your Matrix persona might actually have a different voice than your meat bod, but you could still have a conversation without issue, I'd rule.


I don't see why not. If you're the team hacker, you're setting permissions and communication paths, so dictating who hears what should be easy.

Heh. If it helps you get through your slow work day, keep it.



My question regarding communicating with the skinlink was more in regard to if you wanted to have a phone call to a buddy, and neither of you are in the Matrix. Just a regular phone call. Unless I misread what you wrote, I think you are thinking in terms of communication within the Matrix. So, outside the Matrix, would you be able to hold a phone conversation using a skinlink attached to your commlink?



So, to do the reverse (stop the hackker from communicating to people outside the Matrix), it seems that there would have to be another hacker, an agent, or IC trying to stop the communications.

Yeah, you're right, I was thinking within the confines of the Matrix. Outside of the matrix, a skin-link would let you talk directly to your comlink to make it dial up someone or whatever. I'm not certain it'd allow thought communications though, because you're linking to the interface and it's controls, rather than the actual vocal sections. That's my take on it. Internal phones/comlinks wouldn't have that restriction, as they're designed to be completely beyond external influence for the purpose of the conversation. Again, that's just my take on it. You could theoretically mod the comlink or introduce a transducer for a person who wants a simple skinlink to allow for thought-talk communications... This is one of those things that's kinda hard to wrap my head around, and thusly articulate.


The way I envision it is this: On a network right now IRL, I can assign permissions to each client on the network. I can keep them from seeing certain things, or give them access to specific stuff or whatever. I figure a hacker/TM in charge of a network could do the same for his team. If he wants X dudar muted or to have no incoming audio, he just disables that portion of the feed to that link, and whammo, he's done. If you wanted to prevent someone else from talking, at that point you're looking at a contested hack of some sort. Bad_guy01 trying to stop Hacker from communicating, and Hacker trying to keep the connection open long enough to get his info out. Kinda like the attack on Shadowland in the Renraku Arcology book. So yeah, another hacker or agent or IC could try to sever/isolate/lock down that connection if it wanted to. (That was a bit rambly, let me know if I wasn't clear)

Okay, I can go with that. So, ideally you'd have both a skinlink and a subvocal mic. The skinlink to use the commlink's functions, and the subvocal mic to communicate.



That makes sense; I understand what your'e saying. The ways of the Matrix are slowly becoming clear to me.

a skinlink is just a replacement for wired or wireless connection. its as if your whole body was turned into a present day ethernet hub, where if something was in contact with , or very close to, your skin, it would be able to pick up the data traffic transmitted by any other device with a similar contact.

you would still need a trode or datajack to enable those controls. the skinlink is just a alternate connector from wireless or cable.



yep, sure can.



neither, as both are damage resistance tests, not matrix tests. matrix test are when one use matrix related skills to perform matrix actions.

Forgive my newbiness, but why would you want to do that? I assume that for this data traffic to get out to the Matrix, it still will ultimately need to go through your commlink. So, why would you want to turn your body into a hub?



Cool; thanks.



Ahh, thanks for clearing that up for me.

read up on device rating on page 213 of the main book.

even if the comlink is the main interface towards the net, any electronic device use the same "protocol", or way of talking to each other. so if someone get close enough (signal rating 0 has a range of 3 meters) they can bypass the comlink and go straight for whatever they want to hack.

wires on the other had have a bad habbit of tangling or getting caught on something.

i like to assume that while its called skinlink it does not need direct skin contact to function. being in a pocket or similar will be close enough most of the time (big flapping jackets and similar excluded). therefor you get best of both worlds.

btw, all my replies are strictly personal interpretations of the rules.

I think I understand. So, if you had a pistol with a smartgun link, and glasses with a smartlink, you can get a skinlink for both of them and have them communicate with one another without anyone intercepting or editing the transmissions.

I originally thought the skinlink was so that you could use your electronic equipment by sheer thought. I see it is not.



No problem; your opinions still helped me to clarify how these things work. What you said all makes sense and is an interpretation with which I can agree.

Thank you for helping.

Agreed skinlink, turns your body into wire. So any use of skinlinks require two of them one for the device on either end. In my group I've skinlinked a hoverboard (custom job for a player), and likewise skinlinked his commlink. Its now set up whenever he steps on his board, his commlink sends the codes to turn off all wireless communications (prevents his board from being hacked). Though if he's not on it, our rigger (that's me), can pilot the board for him to get it out of or into somewhere for him.

Though not stated, I like to houserule that Technomancers do in fact have an effective skinlink to their internal commlink. Because having to skinlink a trodenet in order to communicate via skinlink just seems like backwards evolution for technomancers. Otaku originally needed to jack in to talk, technomancers seem to have lost their direct communication and went completely wireless. (Granted Otaku still needed hardware of a datajack)