[AceFace]

Hello,

So, I'm probably being stupid, but I can't see any details of the sorts of tasks that an unregistered sprite might perform in the BBB. There's a nice list of the extra stuff that registered sprites can do, but no real suggestions as to what standard unregistered sprites might be used for in the first place - can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance.

[lurkeroutthere]

Hack stuff, use sprite abilities, pretty much anything that a sprites skills and complex forms would allow it to do.

[TheNarrator]

SR4A, pg. 240-241, talks about sprite tasks. There isn't quite a specific list like with spirits, but basically anything you ask them to do is a task, unless it's a remote task.

[AceFace]

Thanks chaps, that's what I assumed, just wondered if there was a more specific list.

So, a more specific question - whilst an unregistered sprite cannot assist you with a task in the same way that a registered sprite can, can it try and give you a teamwork bonus on a test (i.e. it rolls its skill too and you gain a number of extra dice equal to the successes)?

[UmaroVI]

Yes, but only if another hacker could teamwork you. Hacking nodes has special teamwork rules (which boil down to "don't").

[AceFace]

Thanks UmaroIV.

The specific case in question is searching a node for an icon. The hacker is using Browse + Datasearch to locate an icon - could an unregistered sprite help?

Also, where are the teamwork rules re: hacking - is that an Unwired ruling?

[Irian]

For hacking (probing) there's a special rule in Unwired under "Mass Attacks" (Agents and Sprites cannot help with teamwork, they just give +1 to the main hacker's pool, max. +5).

And personally, I wouldn't expect a teamwork bonus for the data search (and I would use data search + analyze for an icon, as per Data Search Rules), but of course the sprite can start a search of it's own.

[UmaroVI]

Yes, you should be able to Teamwork that per the normal teamwork rules. Note that your maximum teamwork bonus is equal to the skill (not pool, skill) of the teamwork-ee.

Unwired 101 has rules for a "Mass Attack" which is Probing the Target (only), allows teamwork, and sprites/agents cannot teamwork but add +1 each to a maximum of +5.

OK, I am about 95% sure that when you use Hacking on the Fly with teamwork, the system gets a chance to spot both of you, not just the main hacker. I can't seem to dig this rule up again, though, so it's possible I'm misremembering. Does anyone know where this is?

[AceFace]

Thanks for the input everyone. My feeling, if there's no specific ruling, is that a sprite should be able to give a teamwork bonus to a data search roll (it could be checking other areas of the Matrix/node for you whilst you search) but each time the sprite rolls to give you bonus dice would count as a task. Just my feeling anyway. What do people think of that?

[lurkeroutthere]

Seems entirely valid to me.

[Irian]

Seems balanced to me. Personally, I wouldn't ask for a teamwork test in such a situation with my TM, but of course there's nothing in the rules really forbidding them in this situation and making them count as one task makes them pretty balanced compared to the assist operation task with registered sprites.