[WNxTyr4el]

Hello everyone. A lot of you may know me from my 30+ page long thread on this forum. I'm a newcomer to Shadowrun and instantly was hooked after just reading a little but about the game. I've since created my first character which I will be playing soon with clan members (WN shoutout) online. I know we're going to have a lot of fun an a lot of laughs.

However this is not what this thread is about and most of you probably don't care about any of that. So let's get to it shall we?  My character is going to be a Human Decker. I have the typical decking skills with a little bit of sneakiness added in to hide my physical weapons. I have my trusty deck but I also have two full obvious cyberarms with heavy cyber pistols implanted. I know the Decker on paper seems to be the Matrix support for the group but what do you all feel about the Decker?  Do you think he can play a combat role just as well?  Maybe balance between Matrix support and offense?  How do you run your Deckers?  How do you like your teammates to play theirs?  How do you roleplay them?  Discuss the pros and cons to a Decker and maybe (if it won't get heated) compare them to Technomancers. They both seem to have their ups and downs but let's discuss.  Maybe yours likes to constantly hack random shit even though they could get found out. What do you like to specialize in (if anything)?  These are all things that can be discussed but feel free to include anything so long as it's about the good old Matrix users .

And if I wanted to see the best representation possible of the Matrix, what would I watch?  I've been told Serial Experiments Lain, Ghost in the Shell, Max Headroom and a few others so far.  But what do you all think is the best representation of the Shadowrun Matrix?  Also, what do you all think The Matrix looks like (TV Shows and rulebook aside)?  I want to hear your opinions.  This is also a place where people can ask questions.  I know I'll probably have a few here and there.

Enjoy and please be civil in your discussions.

[No_ID_Onfile]

These are probably a bit old but I told my GF the Matrix was a bit like the old cartoon Reboot and Tron all mixed together. Malicious programs being represented in a 3D world that you interact with.

Not sure if that helps though.

[Hellion]

My first question before anything else are you talking about 4th edition or 5th edition ?

As for ideas for what a good representation of the matrix might be like, alot of the shows or movies you mentioned are good examples, but for me the one that really captures it, is TRON Legacy.... But it is really a thing that is personal to the GM IMHO... I think what ever way you choose to describe it, is the way your victims players will see it or imagine it....

With regards to the rest i will wait till you mention what editin our playing coz i can't really help with 5th, I'm waiting till all the arsenal, street magic, unwired and the runners companion come out for 5th ed before i even contemplate running a 5th ed campaign.

Regards
Hellion

[Mmurphy]

To me, who always plays the mage, the decker (hacker) is the information specialist.  Whether it is getting the information or hiding it, the hacker is the most important physical property there is on the sneak in.  You hide us from the camera, you detect wireless nodes (guards coming around a corner, drones on overwatch, or pressure switches in the floor).  You do all this while walking in a straight line.  Like the mage who takes care of Astral threats, the hacker takes care of the physical guards (meteorically speaking).  Your ability to redirect data can save the entire group.  Make the guard response team think the shadowrunners on the 'other' side of the building so the response is at the wrong place at the right time, or just making sure we are not seen by the ten-thousand cameras leading up to the front door.

When it comes to a gun fight, let the street sam's and the physical adept shoot and/or wield the sword, you wield the data stream.  Don't get me wrong, you will need to shoot on occation, but let others who are better at it be the front line fighters, you will be support, the unsung hero.  If you can redirect the response, turn off the silent alarm, you have more than paid for your services.


In the old editions (4th and below) the first rule of combat was 'GEEK THE MAGE', I think in 5th edition this will change to (in the voice of the wicked witch of the west) "GEEK THE HACKER AND HIS LITTLE DECK TOO'.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Information gathering can be a decker's specialty, but they're not the only ones who can do it.

Faces and their plethora of contacts can dig up info faster a lot of the time, thanks to the way SR5 breaks out hits needed for knowledge vs matrix searches.
Riggers and drones can get a look inside the building.
So can mages and their spirits.
etc.

The primary role isn't even to hack the host of the corp facility to silence alarms, although it's a great thing they can ALSO do in addition to their primary job.

The primary job (in the event of a fight, at any rate) is to hack the opposition's guns, cyberware, and radio communications.   Ideally, while keeping the opposition from doing the same to the players.

[Hellion]

In the old editions (4th and below) the first rule of combat was 'GEEK THE MAGE', I think in 5th edition this will change to (in the voice of the wicked witch of the west) "GEEK THE HACKER AND HIS LITTLE DECK TOO'.

LOL have a great mental image of that happening

[Mmurphy]

Information gathering can be a decker's specialty, but they're not the only ones who can do it.

Faces and their plethora of contacts can dig up info faster a lot of the time, thanks to the way SR5 breaks out hits needed for knowledge vs matrix searches.
Riggers and drones can get a look inside the building.
So can mages and their spirits.
etc.

The primary role isn't even to hack the host of the corp facility to silence alarms, although it's a great thing they can ALSO do in addition to their primary job.

The primary job (in the event of a fight, at any rate) is to hack the opposition's guns, cyberware, and radio communications.   Ideally, while keeping the opposition from doing the same to the players.

Our hacker has tried this.  Usually the street sam drops the opposition before the hacker can brick something (due to AR vs VR speeds).  We have discovered that the hacker, looking for wireless signals, is better at keeping us away from the fight.  Once the fighting starts, Bricking a device is allot harder than just shooting the guard, besides, you brick their sub machine gun and they just pull a pistol.  Our hacker redirects the response team (sometimes).

[Basic]

For me it depends on the node you go into. So sometimes a node could look just like the normal world but still have a digital feel to it, Other times They can look like old 3D. It all depends on the metaphor for the system.

Example decker hacks into some one system. The owner really likes Neil the ork barbarian so his system looks like the world of Conan.
The matrix lets you run the world differently.   You could have the Decker end up in a system that is like a space station inside there i no one but roaming death bots that's the systems security. The Decker will have to interface with wall computers in the system and each wall computer does something different.


It all depends on the GM. I love the matrix so I spend time giving it detail.

[Basic]

Information gathering can be a decker's specialty, but they're not the only ones who can do it.

Faces and their plethora of contacts can dig up info faster a lot of the time, thanks to the way SR5 breaks out hits needed for knowledge vs matrix searches.
Riggers and drones can get a look inside the building.
So can mages and their spirits.
etc.

The primary role isn't even to hack the host of the corp facility to silence alarms, although it's a great thing they can ALSO do in addition to their primary job.

The primary job (in the event of a fight, at any rate) is to hack the opposition's guns, cyberware, and radio communications.   Ideally, while keeping the opposition from doing the same to the players.

Our hacker has tried this.  Usually the street sam drops the opposition before the hacker can brick something (due to AR vs VR speeds).  We have discovered that the hacker, looking for wireless signals, is better at keeping us away from the fight.  Once the fighting starts, Bricking a device is allot harder than just shooting the guard, besides, you brick their sub machine gun and they just pull a pistol.  Our hacker redirects the response team (sometimes).

The decker when I run them not only do information control but directs the enemy and trys to control the battle field digitally. By messing with enemy information. Making there systems do things they should not like making a elevator go up rather then own, making doors not open because of some odd error and so on, Hiding the team from there digital means of gathering information. My guy also covers the teams tracks digitally by planting things or erasing things what ever is needed for the job. The decker can also not only get information on the matrix but has some social skills to talk to people to get information. They can also get gear and things they also find jobs and can learn about new tech on the streets.

[Basic]

I enjoy playing Hacker/Sniper/rigger. This lets me hack systems for the team, Then if need me make a kinetic strike on things causing problems. Then the drones allow me to gather information and attack if need be.

The team decker is as useful as you make them. Being they are smart they can also be a team planner. Remember deckers break into systems all the time so they should be able find holes in physical security by thinking outside the box how most deckers think. I must say in sr4 I did like hackers had more options but I do like the sr5 matrix also.

Like in sr4 you could hack a system create a hole in the security and job before a mission to cause a little chaos upload the hole to the matrix for wannabe hackers to use and they would come fast and hard giving security to much to deal with. Sr5 I think you can still do the same I believe.

I wish more GM's would give matrix heavy missions. I mean remember this is cyberpunk computers are everywhere and control many things. So you could have a mission were the team has to steal an algorithm from a Decker. Problem is your don't know were he is. So now you have to start tracking him the matrix. After you start picking up the trail you guy's have to go deeper into the world of deckers, Maybe he is is a Matrix Security Conference Were tons of deckers get together like (Defcon or HOPE). Now you have to find him and get this algorithm from him before he goes live. The team face can talk to people, Street sam shows off his augmentations, Rigger shows off his gear and Decker meets other deckers and try to get them to give up that Decker. Deckers amazing if you play them well just like any character.

A single piece of digital information could be the difference between life or death in the shadows.

[WNxTyr4el]

Information gathering can be a decker's specialty, but they're not the only ones who can do it.

Faces and their plethora of contacts can dig up info faster a lot of the time, thanks to the way SR5 breaks out hits needed for knowledge vs matrix searches.
Riggers and drones can get a look inside the building.
So can mages and their spirits.
etc.

The primary role isn't even to hack the host of the corp facility to silence alarms, although it's a great thing they can ALSO do in addition to their primary job.

The primary job (in the event of a fight, at any rate) is to hack the opposition's guns, cyberware, and radio communications.   Ideally, while keeping the opposition from doing the same to the players.

Our hacker has tried this.  Usually the street sam drops the opposition before the hacker can brick something (due to AR vs VR speeds).  We have discovered that the hacker, looking for wireless signals, is better at keeping us away from the fight.  Once the fighting starts, Bricking a device is allot harder than just shooting the guard, besides, you brick their sub machine gun and they just pull a pistol.  Our hacker redirects the response team (sometimes).

When you say "brick" what do you mean?  I was told that bricking a weapon means that only its wireless capability is down, not the entire weapon.  Is there a way for the Decker to make a weapon completely useless?

And these are great responses!  I enjoyed reading them all at once and seeing the different opinions.  I think for me, my Decker is going to be more of that all-rounder Decker.  I have my deck and other standard Decker gear (datajack and such) but I have my arms with cyberguns in them.  I want to play a decent part in combat.  I think that would be enjoyable.  Later on I may take the Longarms skill and invest in a good sniper rifle and be the sniper who hangs on the roof of an adjacent building while being in the Matrix but all the while taking out guards through windows and walls (because of course I can see their icons through walls if they're wireless...which, honestly, why wouldnt they be? [you can see icons through walls, in AR, right?])

And yes, I'm talking about SR5.  Though I think there's plenty of material currently for a Decker.  Though I know the supplemental book for them coming out will definitely help.

[Michael Chandra]

Not just its wireless capability, the system itself is down. If you brick a commlink, you can't use its offline features either. If you brick a smartgun, the gun itself will still work but the smartgun won't provide ANY of its bonuses anymore, since it's bricked. If the cyberdeck gets bricked, it can't just plug in through a wire and hack away, it's busted entirely. If you brick someone's cybereyes, they're now legally blind.

[WNxTyr4el]

Not just its wireless capability, the system itself is down. If you brick a commlink, you can't use its offline features either. If you brick a smartgun, the gun itself will still work but the smartgun won't provide ANY of its bonuses anymore, since it's bricked. If the cyberdeck gets bricked, it can't just plug in through a wire and hack away, it's busted entirely. If you brick someone's cybereyes, they're now legally blind.

LOL that last one gave me some fun ideas on how to mess with other Deckers.  So the gun will still work but the cybereyes and cyberdeck will be completely useless?  Why is a gun still able to work but the eyes cant function anymore?

[Michael Chandra]

Because the gun isn't the smartgun, the smartgun is a mere accessory to the gun. If you brick a lasersight, the gun still works. Brick a satellite link and the deck it's attached to still works. Brick a camera and the rest of the security system would still work. Brick the cybereyes and the Street Samurai still works, albeit blind.

[WNxTyr4el]

Because the gun isn't the smartgun, the smartgun is a mere accessory to the gun. If you brick a lasersight, the gun still works. Brick a satellite link and the deck it's attached to still works. Brick a camera and the rest of the security system would still work. Brick the cybereyes and the Street Samurai still works, albeit blind.

Makes sense.  I'm going to make my Decker try to be strategic and definitely "go for the eyes" of other Deckers or enemies with cybereyes or something of the sort. 

Do any of you play your Decker with some combat in mind like I did?  If so, what did you do with yours?  I'd also think it'd be cool to hear some Decker stories.  Tell us a funny, badass, or sad moment that you had with your Decker.  What was the background and what happened that was so (insert adjective here)?