Matrix topoloGy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Hardware The basic building blocks of the Matrix in Shadowrun are devices of varying processing power (see Nodes, p. 57) and their interactions through fiberoptic cables, radio waves, satellites, and sometimes laser or microwave links (see Data Exchange, p. 53). In 2070, almost everything carries some kind of node with it. Whether it’s RFIDs in clothes, small processors in refrigerators, commlinks in jewelry, or full-blown servers in huge racks, nodes are all over the place. The air is constantly filled with a buzz of radio waves, coherent signals directed at satellites, and fiberoptic cables pulsing with the light of data transfer between continents. In short, the Matrix relies on the hardware that forms its parts—a fact that was known before the Crash 2.0 but often overlooked. nodeS Nodes are the most important building blocks of the Matrix. Every computerized device able to execute programs and instructions is a node. They provide the raw processing power of the global network and are the places of the Matrix (see Sculpting, p. 55). Everything governed by standard Matrix protocols happens in nodes. They run programs, store data, accept connections, and run personas and agents. Each node is governed by an operating system, from which it derives its <strong>Firewall</strong> and System attributes (see Operating Systems, p. 51). Its physical hardware components determine its Response and Signal attributes. There are three general categories of nodes: peripheral nodes, standard nodes, and nexi. Apart from the four Matrix attributes, a node is characterized by its access ID, persona limit, and processor limit. Access ID: Every node has a hardwired access ID, which serves as its address in the Matrix. If someone wants to find a node, they look up its access ID. Persona Limit: This is the maximum number of persona that may simultaneously run/originate on the device. Note that this only counts users who are using this node to get online, it does not count persona running on another node that access this node. Processor Limit: This is the number of programs the node can run before it starts to experience Response degradation (see Matrix Attributes, p. 212, SR4). For standard nodes, the processor limit is equal to System rating. SaMpLe peripHeraL nodeS Device Response Signal System <strong>Firewall</strong> AR Glove 2 2 1 1 Credstick 2 2 6 6 Fridge 1 3 2 1 RFID tag 1 1 1 1 Security Camera 2 3 2 4 Smartgun 2 1 3 4 peripheral nodes Peripheral nodes, or peripherals, and the devices they run on can be found in almost every single item in 2070. Peripheral nodes are common in objects that don’t require the computing, processing, and networking capabilities of standard nodes, but that benefit from being networked or accessed in some way. RFIDs carry peripheral nodes; toasters, fridges, and guns contain them; and even clothes facilitate peripheral nodes to process information. Peripherals use the same rules as standard nodes (see Devices and Software Ratings, p. 206, SR4), with some restrictions. They are only able to run a single persona and can only run programs they are designed to use. Matrix attributes of peripheral nodes range from 1 to 6 just like standard nodes, though most peripherals have low Response ratings. For simplicity, most peripheral nodes are given a single Device rating to represent all of their Matrix attributes (see Device Rating, p. 213, SR4), but gamemasters should feel free to adjust ratings as they feel appropriate. Since the operating systems of peripheral nodes are far more limited and focused, their System rating is not restricted by the Response rating, as is the case with standard nodes. In other words, the System rating of peripheral nodes may exceed Response rating without penalty. Peripheral nodes can only run one persona at a time, they are not designed for multiple users. For this reason, they only have admin accounts, but these accounts do not receive the +6 threshold modifier for hacking (treat them as standard accounts). They can, however, be clustered with other minor nodes, acting in concert as a single super-node (see Clusters, p. 55). To guard against their weak security, peripheral nodes are often slaved to more secure nodes (see Slaving, p. 59). Other functions, like data storage, communication with other nodes, or the representation of peripheral nodes in VR, work exactly like standard nodes. Standard nodes Standard nodes are run by commlinks, terminals, home telecoms, and almost any object that is portable and capable of running a single persona and a number of programs or agents. Standard nodes use the rules given for nodes (see Device and Software Ratings, p. 206, SR4). They have standard processor limits. Standard nodes may only run a single persona at a time, but the interface allows individual users to tailor the persona to their particular settings and preferences. Unwired Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9
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Spoofing commands from a user with
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to Mook or not to Mook? For some ch
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Issuing commands to a smartgun thro
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igger trickS Like hackers, riggers
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Server-Side prograMS Server-side pr
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worms). To match the opposition, ho
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Mute Program Types: Common, Hacking
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temporary degradation can be restor
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advanced prograMMing taBLe Software
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prone to degradation. This is in pa
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dataworms Dataworms are a stealth t
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military and police units, professi
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them and plot them on a three-dimen
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. . . technoMancers . . . The secur
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attuning to a particular part of th
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advanced tecHnoMancer rULeS The rec
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Streams are still evolving and are
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experience, induced by unfiltered e
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don’t have to be strictly technom
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new ecHoeS The following section ex
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Sift Technomancers who possess this
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Neuroleptic: This widget creates a
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make are geared towards someone wit
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Pilot Response Firewall Matrix INIT
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traceroUte taBLe Subject Interacts
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gaMe inforMation This section provi
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(plus an additional box if the AI h
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known aiS These are but a few examp
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Uv nodeS—at tHe edge of reaLitY I
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is something larger beyond the curt
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the realm where the source code was
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infektors The Infektors’ ultimate
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corrupting it into a temporary diss
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Pilot Response Firewall Matrix INIT
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former prematurely and leave them o
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playback gear On the most basic lev
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y default can be used repeatedly an
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to explain the missing time. Also,
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compartmentalized pieces of informa
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. . . Matrix Gear . . . Glitch was
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eLectronicS Electronics follow all
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Hacker ServiceS See Buying a Better
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Software Suites Availability Cost H
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SaMpLe nodeS (cont.) . . . . . . .
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SaMpLe SpiderS (cont.) Security tec