...the rules summarize that "you can automatically spot an icon that is NOT running silent and is within 100 meters".
It sound as if you are asking about 5th edition.
The question I have is in regards to the "100 meters range". Is that range set for the persona's physical body in the meat world, or is it set from its relative position in the matrix?
It is the physical distance from the physical cyberdeck that the physical body in the physical meat world have to other physical devices in the physical meat world. Distance is always measured from your cyberdeck.
Device icons further away from you (your physical cyberdeck) will start to flicker and become dim. If you "fly around" in the matrix and look back towards your body (the location of your physical cyberdeck) you will notice that icons of devices that are not running silent close to your body are still clear and shining bright and can be automatically spotted without taking a test, no matter where the perception of your matrix persona is "traveling".
2: Is it possible to spot an icon that is running silent and is beyond 100 meters from the persona? If so, how? Will you please give an example of the rule / procedure in gameplay?
You can spot any icon in the world. The trick is that you need to know what you are looking for. You need to be aware of the icon.
If you see a car down the street you take a matrix perception test to spot its icon.
If the car is running silent then it get to oppose the test.
If not and within 100 meters then spotting its icon is automatic.
If your team end up in front of a locked maglock you take a matrix perception test to spot its icon.
If the maglock is running silent then it get to oppose the test.
If not and within 100 meters then spotting its icon is automatic.
If you have no idea at all of what you are looking for then it gets a little bit more tricky (its like using Google without having any idea of what you want to type in the search field).
...but if you for example are "searching for all silent running icons in your vicinity without knowing anything about then other than that they are running silent", then you can do that as well.
First you take a simple (not opposed) matrix perception test. This will get you aware of the existence of all silent running icons in the vicinity (silent running icons are not very hard to get aware of, getting aware of every single silent running icon in the vicinity is as easy as spotting a neon sign or a running crowd for physical perception). I would imagine this is akin to setting your cyberdeck to filter out all non-silent running icons.
But just because you are now aware of all icons does not mean you automatically spot them. Now that you are aware of them you can try to spot them one by one at random (or two at a time if you are running Fork). Since they are running silent they will try to oppose your test (even though they are in your vicinity).
3: Do technomancers always have a persona within the matrix, even when in AR mode? If not how are they perceived by others through the matrix?
They normally always have a matrix persona, yes. Even while not in VR.
But they can decide to reboot their living matrix persona if they like and they can decide to not boot up their living matrix persona (useful for when going to sleep). They can also decide to access the matrix via a mundane device (like a commlink, cyberdeck or RCC) instead of their living matrix persona (useful if you wish to pretend to not be a TM -- but they typically don't have access to their living matrix persona, sprites, complex forms or other resonance features while doing this).
While in the matrix is there a limit to how far or close I have to be to interact with an icon?
In this edition there is no "handshake range". You can interact with icons on the other side of the world as long as they are wireless enabled. Also doesn't matter if it is running on another grid. Note that interacting with devices far away from you might cause a lot of noise (think of it as a few 100ms of latency) which might have a negative impact on your matrix tests.
If you use a satellite link to bounce the signal to a low orbit satellite you can limit noise due to distance to 5.
Can I be located next to the stuffer shack host (not in it) and interact with a different host ...
Yes.
Hosts in this edition are virtual constructs that exists everywhere in the matrix at the same time.
Distance to a host is for all intents and purposes always 0 meters. No matter if you are physically in Seattle or Berlin.
or icon, maybe say perform matrix perception actions to get Firewall ratings or dataspike a commlink in a location on the grid?
To spot the matrix icon of the camera overlooking the bank on 4th is done via a matrix perception test.
If the camera is running silent then it get to oppose the test.
If not and within 100 meters then spotting its icon is automatic.
It is resolved the same way no matter if the camera is on another grid or on the same grid. If the icon is running silent or not. If you are currently in Seattle or in Berlin.
Note that if you are entering a Host then you are typically cut off from the rest of the matrix. The only matrix action you can take to icons on the outside is Send Message. In this case you can only spot (and interact with) device icons of devices that you are considered directly connected to
- Devices (no matter if wireless enabled or not) that your cyberdeck is physically connected to with its cable wired
- Devices (no matter if wireless enabled or not) that you are physically touching as a TM using your living matrix persona that have a skinlink echo
- All wireless enabled devices out on the grid that are slaved a host that you are currently inside (being part of the same WAN).
