Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => Gear => Topic started by: Senko on <02-11-15/0528:11>
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I've been looking at the street level runner rules and I really think there should be a "beginner" level cyberdeck that doesn't cost a years medium life style wages to buy otherwise its so hard to justify anyone but the obscenely wealthy or connected learning them. Its the equivilent of handing your kid a million dollar car for their learner training. Anyway I've tried making one and I'd appreciate some feedback.
Monster
Many a promising young decker has gotten their start with these part second hand, part replacement, part shoddy repairs from multiple components these decks have their flaws but are considered the best way to see if somone has what it takes to be granted access to a proper brand name model.
Device Rating: 1
Attribute Array: 2, 2, 1, 1
Cost: 9,215 nuyen
Due to the makeshift nature of these decks any glitch or critical glitch results in a minor component frying impossing a -1 penalty until its repaired at a cost of 1d6 * 50 nuyen and taking 30 minutes per hundred nuyen or part thereof. If three components are fried it can't be used till at least one is repaired. These penalties are cumulative and in addition to the normal penalties from a glitched/critical glitched check.
My theory here is a minimum of 1 and using the alternating -1, -1, -0, -1 and -0, -0, -1, -0 pattern of lower level deck attributes. As for the price that's a lot more random with a kindof wave pattern. In the end I just picked something that seemed right. Its still expensive (2 months medium lifestyle) but its believable for a street level decker to get ahold of. On the other hand the low price compared to other decks is offset by the tendency for it to fry components during use.
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i likey!
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Due to the makeshift nature of these decks any glitch or critical glitch results in a minor component frying impossing a -1 penalty until its repaired at a cost of 1d6 * 50 nuyen and taking 30 minutes per hundred nuyen or part thereof. If three components are fried it can't be used till at least one is repaired. These penalties are cumulative and in addition to the normal penalties from a glitched/critical glitched check.
I am not sure about this part. This is not as streamlined as most official parts of 4E and 5E. I'd prefer prolly something like a few boxes of matrix damage when a glitch occurs. Maybe also because it's so crappy you could impose a penalty on all attempts to repair matrix damage from it. Other than that I really love this idea :) :) :)
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Due to the makeshift nature of these decks any glitch or critical glitch results in a minor component frying impossing a -1 penalty until its repaired at a cost of 1d6 * 50 nuyen and taking 30 minutes per hundred nuyen or part thereof. If three components are fried it can't be used till at least one is repaired. These penalties are cumulative and in addition to the normal penalties from a glitched/critical glitched check.
I am not sure about this part. This is not as streamlined as most official parts of 4E and 5E. I'd prefer prolly something like a few boxes of matrix damage when a glitch occurs. Maybe also because it's so crappy you could impose a penalty on all attempts to repair matrix damage from it. Other than that I really love this idea :) :) :)
Could go with the disadvantage for Virtual Machine, representing it being unstable, instead : "Whenever your persona takes Matrix damage, it takes an additional box of Matrix damage that cannot be resisted."
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That is a nice penalty.
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Not a big fan of the whole Virtual Machine disadvantage. Especially on a junker deck like this, you are probably going to get bricked with one Data Spike as it is.
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Not a big fan of the whole Virtual Machine disadvantage. Especially on a junker deck like this, you are probably going to get bricked with one Data Spike as it is.
True, unless the intention was to play at a level where opponents would also have junk decks.
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From my understanding, this cheap deck is for street level/street scum. It is not intended for normal runners.
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Not a big fan of the whole Virtual Machine disadvantage. Especially on a junker deck like this, you are probably going to get bricked with one Data Spike as it is.
True, unless the intention was to play at a level where opponents would also have junk decks.
Nothing like hacking Windows Server Datacenter Edition using only a TI-82 8)
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Not a big fan of the whole Virtual Machine disadvantage. Especially on a junker deck like this, you are probably going to get bricked with one Data Spike as it is.
True, unless the intention was to play at a level where opponents would also have junk decks.
Attack 2 + Hammer 2 + Mugger (3 DV per Mark) = 4 DV, possibly more. Add in that disadvantage, and it's a base of 5 DV, possibly more. Considering that the deck's Matrix CM is a measly 9 boxes, that means 2 hits would take it out, without any Marks. Since the maximum Firewall it can have is 2 (maybe 3 if you add in a Program), then you would resist damage with 3-4 dice.
Assuming that the standard format for Cybercombat is to land 1-2 Marks and then Data Spike, that means that you are probably being one shot anyway. The 1 extra DV doesn't mean a whole lot anyway. Now, landing the Data Spike is a different story, as Attack is used as the limit. However, if a Data Spike is landed, it's probably going to one shot this deck, and if it needs two Data Spikes, it can probably get that without the extra 1 DV from the disadvantage.
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I'd get rid of the disadvantage and call it a win. That deck has low enough stats and the price for it is very reasonable. I've got a decker NPC in my game (a homeless kid) who would definitely be using this deck to get by. He uses his hacking skills to attack vending machines for clothes and food. I like this idea a lot, Senko. :)
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More I think about this, the more I am for not having any disadvantages. These low of stats, it is not like this is meant for any heavy decking anyways.
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I like this a lot! The idea of a bunch of aspiring deckers running around with some cobbled-together Radioshack deck fills my heart with joy. Plus it would make it a lot more feasible for characters to dabble a little in hacking as a sideline, without having to invest so heavily. I don't think it really needs additional disadvantages, it's expensive enough that it should be functional (at its limited level).
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Good stuff I like this a lot good work. I think its good as a starter without the penalties.
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To represent this device's low reliability you could alternatively decrease the threshold of ones for (critical) glitches. But generally I like the idea of having low-end devices.
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Ok I'll remove the drawback.
Yes this is for beginners/street scum not for an established runner who'd have the standard decks. This is what you give your kid brother so he can hack a license on a minor program or for those living on the streets to break into a vending machine for food or an unimportant warehouse to be out of the rain. It's designed to give an inexperienced person a hands on deck of their own or smart street level people to cobble together with the expectation when your good enough/lucky enough this will go on the shelf for sentimental value and you'll start using a proper deck.
It was inspired by the fact in a game designed for low level thug on the street I can't see them having even the basic deck which costs enough for a year off medium living. Your scum, the lowest of the low but your running around with something that represents a year's living expenses at 2-3 categories above what you can afford. This on the other hand is something you could be using but will b eaten alive if you try to hack a proper security site.
It's nice to see I'm not the only person who thinks there should be something out there for the low end to cobble along with.
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Is there any reasoning why the deck can't even run a single program?
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Is there any reasoning why the deck can't even run a single program?
Device Rating of 1 equals one program slot, no?
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I'd hope so since the two low end decks both have a device rating of 1.
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Well I was thinking of the table on p. 227 and there was a separate program column but now that I look closely that number is equal to rating anyway.
That being said I could see these low end decks (juryrigged the lot of them) not having enough juice to keep even a single program running while hacking.
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I could see it not allowing programs (the rating = program thing is true for all existing decks, but is not explicitly the case in the rules, as it is for RCC's). They can be quite a force multiplier. Allowing 1 program allows your Sleaze limit for Hack on the Fly to become 5 rather than 2, which makes this far more effective for a Rigger getting marks on an opposing Drone/Vehicle for cheap. (Virtual Machine + Exploit + Decrypt)