[Leevizer]

According to the rules, it does nothing. How about a houserule that it gives you a modifier to your social skill rolls? Because being able to 1337 sp33k with deckers might give you more results than speaking in normal english, don't you people agree?

Or would that make it too over-powered for a Face-character to max out their dicepools even further?

[KommissarK]

The inability to take a specialization in the native language is because its assumed you already know it. Generally, you don't roll language skills in an opposed test like this (that's more negotiation or etiquette).

Pretty much if you know it, you know it and no test is needed. So if your GM rules that Leet speak is a subset of your native language, you're good. If you're gunning for a bonus, then the very fact you're bothering with leet speak should be enough of one.

Although honestly, I wouldn't call Leet speak a specialization dialect of any normal language (e.g. I wouldn't allow English[Leet speak]), really, it should be its own separate language, with specializations related to hacker groups/data havens/matrix subcultures. Still, it'd be pretty obscure, and really, as a GM, I would only put it into a campaign if a player chose to actually bother using the skill.

[Crash_00]

You could always take the dialect as a specialization of the skill you want it to affect.