[antaskidayo]

thats weird, you have ubber fast augmented reflexes with your gymnastic skills.... and you can only count upto 3 hits on a dodge test? thats very funny, its like you dodged right into the path of the bullet with precise accuracy lol and thats not even a glitch lmao

[Jayde Moon]

You haven't developed your 'core' strength to be able to match the skill.  Do more crunches!

And if you have augmented your reflexes (reaction), it is likely your physical limit will be higher than 3, because Reaction adds to your limit.

It makes sense to me, though.  With a limit of 3, you should be able to perform most actual gymnastics maneuvers.  Look at the thresholds of vehicle maneuvers.  The highest listed threshold is 4.

But getting out of the way of someone slashing you with a sword, who's really really good at slashing you with a sword, that requires more than just agility, but a combination of your agility, reaction, and strength.  And that's core strength to get your whole body moving and twisting properly.

Of course, this is all just a possible fluff justification.  Bottom line for the mechanics is it's about balance.  Dropping your attributes to priority E but getting Priority C or B level attributes because you took Priority A Resources but not having any drawback is not in keeping with the balance and mechanics of Shadowrun.

'Everything has a price'

[antaskidayo]

you paid with your humanity right? essence? you were willing to become more like a machine just to get an edge. Besides the only flesh left is your head and spine with a full cyberbody - ala robocop(the latest one), I think thats a very tough core.

[Jayde Moon]

No.  Read what a Cybertorso and Cyberskull are.

From Core Rulebook, page 455:

"Cyberskulls and –torsos are included in the “cyber- limbs” category, though they are in fact shells rather than full replacements (or actual limbs)."

So if you have a cybertorso, you still have all of your internal organs, bones, connective tissue.  Even if we assume that the 'outer' musculature is replaced, they might still rely on the strength of the connective tissues to keep from wrenching your spine out of place, or snapping tendons along your rib cage or whatever.  Thus, even though you have really strong and agile parts, they are limited by these aspects of your natural body.

And yes, you paid essence, but in return you get additional strength, agility, armor, smuggling compartments, and all the other stuff yu put in.  What you DON'T get is a higher physical limit.  Unless you actually build those up.

[antaskidayo]

can you slave 1 cyberdeck to another cyberdeck? and if so, can you use the master cyberdeck for defenses?

[Jayde Moon]

This is a funky question.  I don't know that you can't, but someone more knowledgeable on Matrix stuff will have to answer this one... because more importantly, I think what the actual benefits are would have to be laid out.

[antaskidayo]

well I just tried to apply real IT stuff, since a cyberdeck is a computer then 1 or more can pool resources together =)

[Kincaid]

can you slave 1 cyberdeck to another cyberdeck? and if so, can you use the master cyberdeck for defenses?

Practically speaking, no.  When you use a device to form your persona, the device's icon disappears and your persona icon is formed using the attributes of the device you're using (not any device slaved to it).  Your persona is derived from the device you use to form it; it's not the device itself.  Note that your cyberdeck is still "online" for practical purposes--devices slaved to it still benefit from its Firewall and so forth, it just can't be seen or interacted with in any way that's separate from interacting with your persona.

If you had a cyberdeck that wasn't being used to form a persona with its wireless on, you could slave that to a high Firewall commlink.  It's essentially a really really expensive iPad at this point.  But the idea of leaving wireless on, unattended cyberdecks on your desk seems...questionable.

[antaskidayo]

what if you have 2 datajacks and both connected to cyberdecks - and those 2 cyberdecks are connected as well, what happens when you form your persona then? what can you do with both devices while in AR, cold and hot sim mode?

[Kincaid]

what if you have 2 datajacks and both connected to cyberdecks - and those 2 cyberdecks are connected as well, what happens when you form your persona then? what can you do with both devices while in AR, cold and hot sim mode?

I assume when you say the decks are connected, you mean that one is slaved to the other.

If you use the master to form your persona, the slave is still slaved to the master deck (just like a friend's gun would still be slaved to your cyberdeck).  It is not slaved to your persona.  The master's icon is essentially gone, although its processing power remains.

If you use the slaved deck to form your persona, the slaved deck is still (technically) slaved, but its icon is gone, so this is much more in the realm of theory than practical application.  Your persona's stats are derived from whatever device you actually use to form it, so you're not protected in any fashion by the master device's stats.

[antaskidayo]

would I be able to use both cyberdecks for running programs?

[Kincaid]

would I be able to use both cyberdecks for running programs?

No.  You get the attributes (ASDF, program slots, etc.) of the deck you use to form your persona and only that deck.  Again, your persona is derived from a single source.  You can tinker with that source by adding modules and so forth, but you can't daisy chain devices to create a ultra-persona.  I think there's an example of that happening at some point in fiction, but I'll chalk that up to artistic license.

[antaskidayo]

hmmm,.. so I dive in VR,..see my other cyberdeck icon and use a matrix action to access it and run the programs via control device matrix action. If I ran an armor and agent program on that cyberdeck, the agent persona would materialize and use the other cyberdeck's condition monitor and would get benefit from the armor program right?( and use the 2nd cyberdeck's attributes as well ).     

[Kincaid]

First off, congratulations for being rich enough to own two cyberdecks!

Armor gives "you" +2 dice to resist Matrix damage, so exactly how that would interact with an unattended agent is up to the GM.  I'd say no since the agent's persona is actually distinct from any persona derived from the cyberdeck, but there's some grey there.  If you were running Armor and an agent out of one deck, I wouldn't give the agent the +2 dice then either, so I don't see a need to do so when you're not there.  There are a few risks inherent with this plan.  First, it's going to be hard to get your agent to follow you anywhere.  He needs to generate his own marks to enter a host and he's going to be racking up his own OS.  Presumably you and both your decks are in the same room (unless your unattended, wireless on deck is REALLY unattended), so the Trace Icon that's much easier to perform on the agent will lead folks to you.

TLDR: This is a very expensive way of making yourself more vulnerable.

[antaskidayo]

hmmm, how come the agent cant use my own marks? Btw can the agent block attacks directed at my persona on VR mode? If there are 2 deckers diving, then one can shield the other if things get hot, right?