I am looking for some thoughts on what psychological effect is reasonable for things like the Fear SR4A295 critter power on someone that is either in VR, or jumped in as a rigger. That is when the power is directed at the meat body of the character. What / where will the target perceive as the source of the fear, and where would/could they run to 'apparent safety'?

If the target is a jumped in rigger, the Fear could apply to their drone self/body, and cause them to run away while still jumped in, but what if the rigger is in a vehicle, and the source of the fear is in the same vehicle?

Options I see:

• Fear the matrix itself: log out, jack out is safety
• Fear the current location / node in the matrix: run somewhere else in the matrix
• Fear the user commlink node in the matrix (physically closed to the Fear source)
• Fear the physical source of the Fear: jackout then physically run away

SR4 context currently, but similar could apply to other rule sets.

If in a rigged vehicle then the source would be effectively invisible as spirits wont show up on sensors. That said I'd have them bolt, vehicle and all in an "anywhere but here" fashion until the player can perceive the source of the threat via organic means (ie, with the meat bod).

As for deckers same concept but I might phrase it in metrix lingo. There’s something in the node but you can't see it and must run or take dumpshock. If the player doesn't even know the source of the threat all the better. But basically make it flee the node at first and then flee the matrix in following actions as they can't get away.

All of this may be side tracked with the jacked/jumped in perception tests but I can't remember the rules at the moment.

They could also fear that their meat bod is in danger.

Just becasue their perceptions are currently reading the matrix doesn't mean all their worries are there. I'd probably take a cue off the character's usual personality. What do they fear most?