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corrupting it into a temporary dissonance pool—the dissonant
version of resonance wells (p. 172). Dissonants particularly love
to corrupt resonance wells in this manner.
To contaminate a node, the dissonant technomancer must
enter it and make a Resonance + Software + submersion grade (1
Initiative Pass) Extended Test. Each hit increases the rating of the
temporary dissonance pool by 1, up to a maximum rating equal to
the dissonant technomancer’s Resonance.
If the node was previously a resonance well, the Resonance
must first be diminished before the node can be tainted. Use the
same test as above, but apply a dice pool modifier equal to the
resonance well’s rating. Each hit diminishes the well’s rating, down
to zero. Additional hits past that point increase the rating of the
dissonance pool, as above.
Contaminated nodes will restore themselves after (submersion
grade) hours, though it is possible that dissonants may have
found ways to permanently turn nodes into dissonant wastelands.
This decision is left to the gamemaster.
Malfunction
Malfunction allows a dissonant technomancer to pervert a
sprite into a dissonant version of itself. To cause a sprite to malfunction,
the dissonant must first reduce the sprite’s tasks to 0
with Decompiling (see p. 236, SR4). The technomancer adds
his submersion grade to the Decompiling Test. Once all tasks
are eliminated, but before the sprite fragments into Resonance
code, the dissonant technomancer makes a Compiling Test
(p. 236, SR4) to bring the sprite under his control, adding his
submersion grade to his dice pool. If the sprite is successfully
recompiled under the technomancer’s control, it immediately
recodes into the entropic sprite version of itself (see Entropic
Sprites, p. 179). Entropic sprites created this way may also be
registered into service.
pryon
Nicknamed for prions, protein-based infectants that cause a
number of diseases (such as “Mad Cow” disease), these programmable
infectious subroutines can cause code-induced diseases
(CIDs) that affect the neuroelectrics of the brain or other neural
tissue, often with a fatal outcome. Only submerged dissonant
technomancers can create CIDs. In contrast to digital viruses,
these neuropathological viruses can be spread via physical contact
with the submersed dissonant through his bioelectrical aura.
So far, two dissonant related diseases, known as The Black Shakes
and Dysphoria, have been identified (see sidebar).
Siphon
The Siphon power enables a submerged dissonant to
directly attack a target’s simsense connection. In order to use
Siphon, the dissonant makes a regular Matrix Attack Test using
Cybercombat + Attack. The defending icon rolls Response
+ System instead of the normal defense roll. If the dissonant
technomancer achieves 3 or more net hits, the icon is immediately
dumped, suffering Dumpshock (p. 231, SR4). If the
dissonant scores more net hits than the target, but less than
3, the defender is instead disoriented and confused, suffering
Unwired
a –2 dice pool modifier for all tests for the next (submersion
grade) initiative passes.
Siphon only affects personas using VR; it has no effect on AR
users, agents, sprites, AIs, or e-ghosts.
entropic SpriteS
Entropic sprites are dissonant sprites that dissonant technomancers
create by twisting the code of normal sprites using the
Malfunction echo (p. 179). Other technomancers can decompile
these sprites, but cannot re-compile them before they fragment to
bring them under their control.
The compiling and registering of entropic sprites are handled
as described in the SR4 core rules. Although they have not yet
been encountered, free and wild entropic sprites are speculated to
exist. In addition to possessing unique powers of their own (left
to the gamemaster’s discretion), free entropic sprites can engage
in dissonant versions of resonance bonds with dissonant technomancers
per normal rules (p. 160).
The following five entropic sprites are those that have been
encountered so far in the Matrix, though it is speculated that a
myriad of other types exist. In this spirit, gamemasters are encouraged
to create new entropic sprites as they deem fit.
Blight Sprite
Blight sprites are Code or Data sprites that have been turned
inside out by dissonant code. As a result, they are drawn to programmed
code, corrupting and feeding on it.
Pilot Response Firewall Matrix INIT IP EDGE RES
R R R + 2 R x 2 3 R R
Skills: Computer, Cybercombat, Data Search, Hacking,
Software
Complex Forms: Attack (Shredder), Corrupt, Edit, Exploit
Powers: Datavore, Resonance Drain
Optional CFs: Analyze, Armor, Browse, Stealth
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9
179
Matrix phenoMena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .