- Assuming neither a passive nor asshole GM, how big of a threat is matrix damage / bricking to your average shadowrunner, especially someone like a street samurai, weapons specialist, or rigger?
- It is my understanding that deckers either need to be physically close to you (100 meters), or on the same host you are to actively attack your devices if you have them running silent. Is that correct or are there ways to attack equipment at greater distances, like a room full of malicious deckers in Detroit burning up every kitchen appliance of some dude in Seattle?
- I know two methods of defending against this are to slave your gear to your commlink, improving its defense, and having the gear run silent. Can I do both of those things together?
- If a piece of equipment offers a wireless bonus, can I still obtain that bonus if the equipment is slaved to another device? If it's running silently? If it's doing both?
- Are there any other downsides for your average gun-bunny running silent, or do the penalties largely affect only deckers?
- Is there any indication to your average, non-decker Shadowrunner that their gear is being hacked and damaged before it becomes bricked?
My final thought - am I just blowing the threat of bricked gear out of proportion, or is it a legitimate concern in your games? I know that the GM could, if he wanted to, just drop a pile of rocks on my runner from space and that would be it, game over, but there's also a huge portion of the text that talks about security deckers, Grid Overwatch Division, etc., and it just seems like matrix threats are a very legitimate risk for your average runner. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!