[Mirikon]

Peace
Base Program: Blackout 4
Program Options: Psychotropic 4
Cost: 8000 nuyen. Availability: 24R

Horizon's Singularity division is pleased to announce their newest offering for the concerned Matrix Security Specialist. Peace is the latest in nonlethal deterrence programming. Peace uses psychotropic biofeedback to knock an intruding hacker unconscious, while at the same time introducing psychotropic conditioning to prevent them from being a further threat to your system.

Game Information: Those damaged by Peace must make a Willpower+Biofeedback Filter test, opposed by Peace's Rating 4 + Psychotropic 4. If Peace scores more hits, the damaged character receives the Incompetent (Hacking) negative quality.

[JustADude]

Evil.

I like it!

[CanRay]

Ooooooooooooo, Daddy likes!

[rasmusnicolaj]

Nasty 
Thumbs up

Rasmus

[beowulf_of_wa]

hehehe

[Chrona]

Surely it's too overpowered? maybe the net hits should offer a time limit? or it's node specific?

[Mirikon]

It's a program, designed to be used by corpsec spiders, and follows all the rules in Unwired, AFAIK. Psychotropic attacks are nasty. This is just nastier than others because it is an evil little piece of work designed specifically to combat hackers. It is useless against AIs, Agents, and Sprites.

Now if I was truly evil, I'd give someone the idea to put it in a bit of prepackaged IC along with a Psychotropic Blackout that gave the Scorched quality. Oh wait, I just did.

But the qualities can be removed, either by paying karma or submitting to PAB deprogramming.

There's a reason I have it coming out of Horizon. They may be all touchy-feely, but that shouldn't be mistaken for weakness. They'll beat you upside the head if you try and hack them, they just aren't as lethal about it as MCT is.

[Chrona]

This is like giving a spellslinger incompetance: spellcasting. I can't see a player reacting well

[Mirikon]

Indeed. And it isn't something that would be handed out to every spider, or authorized for use throughout a system. This kind of program/IC is best used in the deepest, darkest, most glacial parts of the system, where in any other corp you'd find spiders and IC loaded with Rating 6 Black Hammers with Area and Armor Piercing.

[All4BigGuns]

Kind of interesting, but this is the sort of thing that a player would have every right to flip the bird (or throw a punch) and walk out of the game--or the group.

[Mirikon]

Why? Should players be under the impression that mere death by brain-frying is the worst that can happen to you in the matrix? Fastjack himself thinks that psychotropic IC is worse than killer black ice, enough to be concerned by it. This is someone who has hacked the Heart of Darkness, and gone head to head with Jormungand, and lived to tell the tale.

Would you say the player had the same right to flip the bird and leave if insect spirits took him over? Or if a shedim got him? Or if a vampire turned him? Or if he was turned into a cyberzombie?

There are worse things than death, Guns. Unlike all those other 'worse things' I mentioned, this at least isn't permanent.

[CanRay]

Kind of interesting, but this is the sort of thing that a player would have every right to flip the bird (or throw a punch) and walk out of the game--or the group.

Bah.  What's the problem?  Can't take a little bit of a problem!

I hit one of my group with Psychotropic IC and the player loved the challenge it gave him!  The ol' "Infinite doors" trick.  Poor guy had to make sure there wasn't another white room behind every door.  (Including the one to his van!).

There are worse things than death, Guns. Unlike all those other 'worse things' I mentioned, this at least isn't permanent.

Exactly so.  Just a whole lot of therapy!

Maybe Shadowrunners should Unionize and force the Johnsons to provide medical insurance...  And dental, of course.  "How's the drug plan?"  "$10 co-pay."  "Yeah, but only for the generic, right?"  "No, name brand is good too."  "Really?  Wow.  Where do I sign up?"

[All4BigGuns]

Why? Should players be under the impression that mere death by brain-frying is the worst that can happen to you in the matrix? Fastjack himself thinks that psychotropic IC is worse than killer black ice, enough to be concerned by it. This is someone who has hacked the Heart of Darkness, and gone head to head with Jormungand, and lived to tell the tale.

Would you say the player had the same right to flip the bird and leave if insect spirits took him over? Or if a shedim got him? Or if a vampire turned him? Or if he was turned into a cyberzombie?

There are worse things than death, Guns. Unlike all those other 'worse things' I mentioned, this at least isn't permanent.

The problem is that the quality this forces on the character pretty much means the most likely character to encounter it pretty much becomes useless because it's the primary skill for the character. It's not fun to end up with your character becoming completely pointless because of a single encounter without having to pay karma not only to get rid of the quality forced upon you. Fun in the game is vastly more important than making something that could theoretically "fit", but frags the player(s) over.

[CanRay]

Why? Should players be under the impression that mere death by brain-frying is the worst that can happen to you in the matrix? Fastjack himself thinks that psychotropic IC is worse than killer black ice, enough to be concerned by it. This is someone who has hacked the Heart of Darkness, and gone head to head with Jormungand, and lived to tell the tale.

Would you say the player had the same right to flip the bird and leave if insect spirits took him over? Or if a shedim got him? Or if a vampire turned him? Or if he was turned into a cyberzombie?

There are worse things than death, Guns. Unlike all those other 'worse things' I mentioned, this at least isn't permanent.

The problem is that the quality this forces on the character pretty much means the most likely character to encounter it pretty much becomes useless because it's the primary skill for the character. It's not fun to end up with your character becoming completely pointless because of a single encounter without having to pay karma not only to get rid of the quality forced upon you. Fun in the game is vastly more important than making something that could theoretically "fit", but frags the player(s) over.

Depends on the Player, I guess.  I'd see this as a good chance to develop the character more, actually.

But I well know I'm in a minority for that kind of mindset.

[Mirikon]

Guns, you can pay karma, or you can find someone with a PAB setup, and get them to deprogram you. Which means you'll owe them a favor, of course. But a mature player will see this as an opportunity for roleplay, and may look for some means to get even, once he's got his head straight again.

This is Shadowrun, not EverythingWorksOutForTheBestWhereverYouGo-run. Sometimes, it just plain sucks to be you. Like if you owe Harlequin a favor, or if you happen to stumble into an Ant hive. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you lose. It is how you react to that loss, both in character and out of character, that defines a character, and a player.