[Steelsteve]

I have a question about matrix actions. I'm going to be a Decker in a one shot that is coming up and one idea that came to me was a 'what if' question, what if a decker can jam guns that are smart linked? This would make him invaluable in combat since his fellow runners won't have to worry about being shot at by the highly accurate guns. What i would like to know is:
a. can it be done with rules as written?
b. how many marks, if not in the rules as written, would it take for a hacker to do this?
c. what would be the ultimate action?

also, this is also for GMs, this is a particularly nasty way to bring down a team without a hacker. They almost cannot fight back if they all have guns jammed and cyberlimbs bricked

[JackVII]

a) Absolutely, it doesn't even take a mark. Read the example on Pg. 228.
b) 0 marks if bricking through matrix damage. Otherwise, it gets a little murky on how to do it. The best option would probably be Spoof Command, but that runs into the weird issue of device ownership (depending on what you're fighting). Probably easier to melt it with your mind.
c) Data Spike for bricking. I think Spoof Command could be used to some good effect otherwise (ejecting ammo magazines, putting the weapon on safety, etc).

Edit: As for SR team safety. If they don't have a decker, they've hopefully purchased a robust commlink to handle matrix security. If not, the first time someone's stuff goes down, they'll be yelling: "Geek the Decker!"

[Xenon]

Deckers can jam all wireless signals within 100(!)m of their cyberdeck.
It is a matrix action that take a complex action.
Resolve it with an unopposed Electronic Warfare + Logic [Attack] test.
Count number of hits.
All devices that have less device rating (+ noise reduction) than the number of hits lose their wireless connection.
The jamming is active as long as you don't use your cyberdeck for any other matrix actions.

[JackVII]

Of course, that may affect your team too. But it is an awesome, Oh Drek! maneuver.

[Xenon]

Deckers can also destroy weapons that have wireless ON.
This is called bricking and is a matrix action that take a complex action per data spike you send.
Resolve it with an opposed Cybercombat + Logic [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall test.
If decker failed then he take unresisted matrix damage equal to the defense roll number of hits.
If not then owner of the device will be alerted that his device is under attack
...and the modified damage value is equal to the decker's current attack rating +1 per net hit (+2 per mark if any)
The matrix damage is resisted with Device Rating + Firewall.
All devices have 8 + (Device Rating / 2) Matrix Condition Monitor Boxes.
The device will function 100% until all Matrix Condition Monitor Boxes are gone, then it stop working.

Going wireless OFF is a free action so if you don't brick it in one complex action odds are target will turn off wireless (and lose his bonus dice)

[Xenon]

Of course, that may affect your team too. But it is an awesome, Oh Drek! maneuver.

Yes. It will affect everything. In 100(!)m.
100m is some serious big jammer range tbh

If you want to just jam specific targets use either an area jammer or a directional jammer (with wireless ON you can designate devices that should not be jammed) .

Jammers come at max device rating 6 (noise rating 6) and lose 1 noise rating for each 5m (or 20m for the directional).


Buy a familiy pack of Gaffa tape and attach a directional jammer on the assault rifle of your favorite street samurai

[Steelsteve]

Well, the senario is where i kind of wanted to stop someone from firing at my guys while i'm hidden and decking out. So, rather than do something obvious or simply fixed, jamming a gun would be the best option for me. This would mean that it simply would not feed bullets ect. .

If i attack one thing, it's obvious that i'm attacking it and the rest of the group would have a problem if they are out numbered. The problem with bricking is the sparks flying and flashes of light which are obvious, and the other problem is with a Spoof command, is that ejecting an ammo clip is obvious as well, however i would think that it would be considered under spoof.

Basically, the scenario i'm thinking of is to mark all the smart guns in my 100m radius X times. and all at once jam them so they can't fire at all. The guns still work when i'm done, but that one round where they can't work their guns, even in single shot mode would be such a help. My guess is that it would take a complex action to do this, as well as using some agents after reconfiguring my deck's programs, so all this would be considered about a minute's worth of work before the setup is complete.

So i guess for my preference on how it goes, i would need some agents (i'm not too sure on how agents work btw, too little in the book about them) running after i mark all who have a smart gun, and roll each time for jamming/drop ammo clip Spoofing

So now the question is "How do agents work while hacking?"

Thanks! Hope this helps other people as well, and if anyone can figure out a good way for it to work some other way, just say so.

[NightRain]

Basically, the scenario i'm thinking of is to mark all the smart guns in my 100m radius X times. and all at once jam them so they can't fire at all.

It doesn't work like that. 

A decker can jam wireless signals within 100m, including guns, but that just means that the guns lose their wireless bonsuses, not that they stop functioning.  So they lose their +1/+2 bonus. (Jam Signals, p 240)

You could data spike it and permanently (well sort of) wreck a gun, but that's one gun at a time, and you have to fill a condition monitor for the device, so it might take several goes. (Data Spike, p 239)

You could reboot the device, which can be done in one hit, but requires 3 marks to attempt, and is done one gun at a time (Reboot Device, p 242)

Otherwise, if you've got a mark on the owner of the gun (or anyone with sufficient access) you could spoof a command from them and tell the gun to eject its clip, enter maintenance mode, remove the user from the list of authenticated users etc, but again, it's one gun at a time.  (Spoof Command, p 242)

[Xenon]

Well, the senario is where i kind of wanted to stop someone from firing at my guys while i'm hidden and decking out.

The only way you can do that is by crashing their wireless firearm.
If their firearm does not have wireless ON or they turn wireless OFF before you brick it then they can still keep shooting and there is nothing you can do about it from inside the matrix. They can also pull out a secondary weapon after you spend time to brick the first.

...and all devices fight back automatically. on their own. well protected devices might actually beat you in cybercombat without the owner having to pay any attention at all....

note that you can also hack things from augmented reality (without reaction increase and without +2 dice to matrix operations that you would get from hacking in hot-sim). This let you keep up with your team and alternate between hacking and shooting a real gun. One meat body action that is pretty powerful if you don't have a lot of initiative score is to use suppressive fire with a full automatic weapon. that will shape the battle field and hit anyone that get into the line of fire for an entire combat turn - even if you only have one action phase and your opponents have three. Another very powerful meat body action is to toss a hand grenade....


You can also spot and mark opponents and reinforcements on your team's heads-up display. Great for recon and intel. Other ways of doing this would be with micro drones from a rigger or astral perception / projection from an awakened.


over all i think it is a good idea to pick up at least one meat world combat skill no matter if you play a face, decker, rigger or magician....

[farothel]

I have another question about matrix stuff, namely link-locking.

Let's say I have a decker who's doing some legwork in a host and said host doesn't like what I'm doing and attacks.  One of the attacks link-locks me.  But I can still send messages to my team members (who are playing cards or something untill I'm done).  They, having been instructed up front, carry my unconscious body (I was in VR) into a faraday cage.  The rule for link-locked say you can't get out except by using the jack-out action.  But faraday cage states that you can't get a signal through.  What happens?  Do you stay on or are you thrown out?  And do you suffer dumshock?

[Xenon]

yes, someone else can turn off your cyberdeck for you (but you will be stuck for a few combat phases i guess. sending the message. they reacting to the message on their next action. probably due for a surprise test if they need to wait for their next action or if they can pull the plug directly)
it will cause dump shock.

[Elektrycerze3]

I have another question about matrix stuff, namely link-locking.

Let's say I have a decker who's doing some legwork in a host and said host doesn't like what I'm doing and attacks.  One of the attacks link-locks me.  But I can still send messages to my team members (who are playing cards or something untill I'm done).  They, having been instructed up front, carry my unconscious body (I was in VR) into a faraday cage.  The rule for link-locked say you can't get out except by using the jack-out action.  But faraday cage states that you can't get a signal through.  What happens?  Do you stay on or are you thrown out?  And do you suffer dumshock?

The connection would be severed. As you didn't Log Out, you'd suffer Dumpshock. The only way to avoid the Dumpshock is to Log Out.

[Xenon]

The only way to avoid the Dumpshock is to Log Out.

(or switch to AR and then pull the plug)

[Elektrycerze3]

(or switch to AR and then pull the plug)

Oh, you got me) Missed that one. But link-lock prevents you from doing so, IIRC.

[Xenon]

yeah....
as long as you are link locked then you can't go AR and you cant use a graceful log out. or exit host. or reboot your cyberdeck. only option is to pull the plug (by you or someone else - if you want to do it yourself you need to do a jack out action)