I have a number of questions about sprites I can't find the answers to in any of the books. Assume the sprite is registered.

Is it possible for a sprite to carry copies of your programs to employ on it's own?

Can sprites learn/be taught complex forms? (I know free sprites can thread, but that's not the issue here)

When in a node, can a sprite (and by association, agents) use the command program/complex form to control programs that are higher than it's own pilot rating?

Is it possible to upgrade a registered sprite?

No a Sprite like a Technomancer uses Complex Forms and cannot load or run normal software.

No a Sprite is stuck with the Complex Forms it has when Compiled. It has a number of optional Forms depending on it's Type and Rating but that's it.

No, Command is used to command devices not programs.

No, you cannot increase it's Rating but you can Re-Register it and add additional services.

Sprites are handled best if you have a working knowledge of Spirits (for mages), as mechanically, they are the same.

EDIT: As in, you're stuck with the abilities and skills that they have when you summon/compile them, have the same complex forms/powers when you summon/compile them, and have the same force/rating as when you summon/compile them.

Welcome to DumpShock!

Complex Forms are not programs.

Sprites run Complex Forms or use Powers. They can be Compiled with one of the Optional Powers listed.

To Upgrade a Sprite, Compile and Register a higher Force Sprite.

I know this; that wasn't the insinuation.
If you can command a node to perform an action that requires a certain program, how is that any different?

Thanks for the quick responses.

Command is used almost exclusively by Riggers remote-controlling Drones.

Command is used to control devices. For devices such as a camera or toaster, it just does what you tell it. No additional programming is needed.

The other case is Command used to instruct an Agent or Drone Pilot to act independently. In this case the Command program sets the limit on how well the instruction is given. It's the Pilot or Agent rating and it's software that determines the dice pool used for it's actions when it is acting independently.

So Command, you use it's rating whenever you use it directly to control a Device, otherwise you use the Pilot or Agent rating when it acts on it's own.

Complex Forms aren't normally shared. So either the TM is using their own CF rating to Command, or the Sprite is using it's own Command CF.

So nodes don't fall under the terminology of devices? Why is this? Don't all nodes have some sort of rough scripting that allows them to do mundane things like run analyze to make a decision on whether or not to launch an IC?

While Devices have Nodes, Nodes can be without Devices. You can have a Node that has no Devices. Devices interact with the physical world, while the Node is purely a Matrix artifact. So you have a fridge which is a Device, and it represented by a Node when you look at it through the Matrix. You can also have a pure Node which only performs Matrix operations and services. Most program perform Matrix only operations, and Command is used to operate Devices. There are also Pilot and Autosoft programs.

Nodes do in fact have basic scripts to operate and run programs such as Analyze and launch IC or Agents. This is what happens when a system alert is triggered. When a Hacking + Exploit attempt alerts the system, then depending on what you wnat as the GM, either IC is launched, or various other countermeasures are triggered.

The main thing is that Command Program isn't used to make other programs run, it is only used to command Devices.

When an alert occurs the System has a basic scripted response, and that response may be to launch an Agent, and the agent then acts by using programs and it's own rating to perform other matrix actions.

It may be useful for you to look at the list of Matrix actions p. 219 in SR4, these are the things you can do.

Is it at all possible for the technomancer to use a nexus as a commlink and be able to manipulate both written programs (that are loaded onto and run from the nexus) and use their own complex forms, or is an agent required? I'm wondering about rewriting or manipulating the scripts of the node to allow them to be controlled by a persona with the proper access permissions.

Yes they can, but they have to relearn the Computer and Hacking skillgroups to do so.


Emphasis added.

What exactly does this mean for the assist operation ability? Does this only apply to the stuff labeled as a "power", or does it apply to sustain complex form, and other stuff?

Emphasis added. What that tells me is you ask a sprite to add its rating to a complex form you already have, similar to spirits being able to add their force to the dicepool to cast a spell with Aid Spellcasting.

Yes, but in terms of task count, how does it count down? If you use assist operation twice, does that count as two tasks?

Here's an example:

My TM (Sky) asks her Sprite (Echo, Rating 7 Sleuth Sprite, Registered w/3 tasks owed) to help her with her Stealth CF. Echo adds its rating (7) to Sky's Stealth CF (rating 5), for a total rating of 12. This assistance lasts 7 combat turns, and uses one task. At the end of those 7 combat turns, Sky can ask Echo to continue to boost her Stealth CF, which would use another task. But let's say Sky is in the system, and oops, on combat turn 3 (of the first 7) is caught by another TM and attacked. She asks Echo to boost her Blackout CF instead, dropping the boosted Stealth. Even though only 3 (of 7) combat turns had passed, Echo's assistance with the Blackout CF counts as another Task (and will last 7 combat turns).

Echo could not use Assist Operation twice at the same time (ie, adding 14 to the Stealth CF). Nor could Echo add its rating to multiple complex forms simultaneously (ie, Stealth and Blackout at the same time). It can do it for one CF, at a time. Switching to a new CF uses up a new task.

So, by "specific power", they mean things like diagnostics and electron storm...

When technomancers and sprites use their complex forms, do they roll the associated skill as well as their resonance/pilot, or just res/pilot + complex form?

When using a complex form, you roll your Skill + CF +/- modifiers. So, a hacker performing a Hacking on the Fly Test would roll Hacking + Exploit. A TM rolls Hacking + Exploit Complex Form. A Sprite would roll Hacking + Exploit Complex Form. Note that for Sprites, their Skills and Complex Forms are equal to their Rating.

Extra Note: For Sprites, Skill and CF are not capped at 6.

Should you have the Chutzpa to Compile forth a rating 9 sprite like the Technomancers in my Saturday group, you can accomplish amazing feats.

Sometimes they end up dead though, so you may want to be careful and stick to Rating 7, which is completely doable.

Just saying.

Wait..you never roll resonance or pilot?

You roll resonance to compile and register sprites, thread CFs, and resist Fading. There might be a couple of smaller things I'm overlooking, but those are the key.

Pilot, as in the pilot rating of a drone, is rolled when you give it a command to do something and it is then acting independently. That is it's core ability to interpret your command and try to do it.

By "not capped", what do you mean? Are you referring to CF options and recompiling as a means to do this?

I already have one at 8...

BlueMax meant that they don't cap their skills at 6 like a PC does. A force 10 sprite (good luck on that roll though) has rating 10 skills; far in excess of what you could have as a pc.

Not only Rating 10 Skills, which are drekhot. They have rating 10 CFs, which are essentially programs.

Hackers are *For all intents and purposes* limited to 6 on each. So a drek hot Hacker gets 6 Exploit, 6 Hacking, and maybe 4-6 dice from Qualities, possible specializations and toys. A rating 7 Sprite has 14 from the getgo and he has powers, really really fragging cool powers.

Which can makes sprites better, for all INTENSIVE purposes.

BlueMax
/not at all sorry for the bad joke
// happy with it acutally.

Same thing with Spirits, actually... but, yes. Although I've never been able to compile a rating 10 sprite. Someday. Someday...

Agreed. And why my Saturday group is now

TM - Human
TM - Elf
TM - Troll
Mage
Mage
Latent Awakening
Fomori Sammy (someone wanted to play the meat)


The Troll TM is the crazy one who tries to go for the bigger sprites. He has plenty of overflow and the team has plenty of healing. Someday, I will roll some awesome exploders...

What an awesome group! You should think about introducing Data Bombs to them. They're the bane of my TM's existance. (And they kill sprites!!!)

Is it possible to order a Paladin sprite to use it's hardening power, then castle and still take advantage of the hardened armor complex form? If so, does it require you to use two tasks? Does castling have to be a delayed action in order to work?

IMO, yes, they can use both. As to the # of tasks. I'm of the opinion that asking a sprite to "Protect me" and then letting the sprite decide how to do so is the best option. Micromanaging something with an intelligence equal to or greater than my own seems futile. In my game, "Protect me" generally means the sprite goes all out to do so, using hardening, then castling, and getting all the nice bonuses. (and having spoken to the original author of the sprites chapter, he told me he meant the abilities to be used together)

That's the explanation I was hoping for, since my GM seems to not like the matrix very much.