comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

the Matrix user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
Moderate (10 BP): The character has an obvious Matrix
habit. If she does not spend at least four hours a day surfing the
Matrix, she obsesses about her Matrix friends and the trivia she is
missing, suffering a –1 dice pool penalty to tests involving Mental
attributes, Resonance, or Magic. She takes a –4 dice pool penalty
to Addiction Tests and to resist subscribing to her favorite nodes.
Severe (20 BP): At this level, the character clearly has a problem.
She needs to spend at least eight hours a day browsing the Matrix,
and she is fixated on the fan fiction, viral videos, email threads, and
other trivia in which she is involved. Without her fix, she suffers a –2
dice pool penalty on tests involving Mental attributes, Resonance, or
Magic. She also suffers a –6 dice pool modifier to Addiction Tests
and to keep from logging on to her “My Favorites.”
Burnout (30 BP): The character lives in a daze of Matrix
sites and AR windows. She spends almost all of her time cycling
through sites, constantly refreshing them to see if anything new has
been posted. She sleeps very little and misses meals. Her Essence is
reduced by one. If she fails to kick the habit, her Essence or one of
her Mental attributes (gamemaster’s option) will be reduced at a
rate determined by the gamemaster.
reality impaired
Bonus: 5 Bp
The character is so accustomed to the Matrix and AR that he has
lost any sense of what is real and what is virtual. The character tends to
mistake real objects for AROs, and vice-versa, resulting in quirky mannerisms
such as touching people in an attempt to call up information
windows, ducking to avoid AR banners, or trying to delete physical
objects. This bizarre behavior results in a –1 to all Social Skill Tests
when in the physical world (as opposed to VR or astral space).
virtual personality
Bonus: 5 Bp/level
The character is only comfortable when wrapped in the anonymity
of the virtual world. When not interacting with others as
an icon, the character suffers a –1 dice pool modifier to all Social
Skill Tests for each level of this quality taken (max. 3). May not be
taken with the Chatty quality (p.36).
wild technomancer
Bonus: 10 BP
The character is technically a technomancer. Unlike most
technomancers, this character is still confused or afraid of his abilities,
and has not yet been able to find a stream (p. 136). Lacking
a framework for his talent, he has some difficulty developing and
controlling it.
This quality may only be taken by a character who has purchased
the Technomancer quality. This quality may not be taken
with any other quality that confers a Resonance or Magic attribute.
The character with this quality is a wild technomancer (p.
140). He starts with a Resonance attribute of 1 and may increase
it like any other attribute, to a maximum of 6. He has a living persona,
but does not choose a stream. He may not take the Paragon
quality (p. 37). The wild technomancer also may not learn skills
from the Tasking skill group, nor may he compile, decompile, or
register sprites. He uses his Resonance x 2 to resist Fading.
The wild technomancer can lose control of his abilities in
times of stress. Anytime he experiences great emotion—for ex-
ample, when in fear for his life, having an orgasm, flying into a
rage, or holding his baby child—the gamemaster may call for a
Willpower (3) Test. If this test is successful, the character keeps
his abilities and emotions in check. If not, his abilities flare in a
burst of uncontrolled Resonance that has unpredictable and dangerous
effects. These effects are determined by the gamemaster, but
may include attacks on nearby nodes, destructive commands sent
to subscribed devices, the creation of a wild sprite (p. 160), the
temporary manifestation and use of an echo, or any other effect
appropriate for a technomancer. These effects are never beneficial
to the wild technomancer, but are almost always harmful or even
life-threatening to him and any bystanders. Each outburst causes
Fading equal to the wild technomancer’s Resonance.
Gamemaster’s should be careful that this quality is not abused
as a way of becoming a technomancer “for free” and getting extra
BP to boot. It should only be allowed for players who are serious
about playing a technomancer and who are ready for the roleplaying
challenge of a technomancer that is not in control of—and
endangered by—his own abilities.
new LifeStYLe optionS
Presented below is a new lifestyle option. For more information
on lifestyles, see p. 261, SR4.
fULL iMMerSion
This lifestyle is for those who wish to live in a virtual environment
all their waking lives. These people have literally left the meat
behind and exist only as their digital personae. They trust the care
of their bodies to medical professionals, who keep them on elective
life support. Hydration, oxygenation, nutrition, excretion, muscle
toning, and every other aspect of long-term care are handled by
drones or trained personnel, all while the client interacts with the
rest of the world via VR or by jumping into drones. A character
with this lifestyle also enjoys the benefits of the Hospitalized lifestyle,
but must still cover extra costs for treatment or surgery.
Cost: 30,000¥ a month
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9