Matrix Actions

All kinds of things deckers can do

Offensive & defensive actions

Cybercombat Hack

Requires: Fighting utility
Rolls: Hacking vs target Firewall
Use on: network controllers, unattended devices, ICE

See Cybercombat.

Sleaze Hack

Requires: Persuasion utility
Rolls: Hacking vs target Hardening
Use on: networks, unattended devices, , hosts, ICE

Gain access to something, hopefully without anyone noticing. See Hacking.

DoS Hack

Requires: Fighting utility
Rolls: Hacking vs target’s Smarts attribute
Use on: people with cyberware and wireless gear

Flood a target’s Matrix devices with bad traffic to impede their functionality. See DoS attacks.

Hide (on local mesh)

Requires: Stealth utility
Rolls: Hacking, maybe vs Notice
Use on: your own network

Can be used on the local mesh to disguise and hide your cybderdeck’s network from observers; see Matrix Stealth for more. If nobody is actively looking, the target number for this test is 4. If you are being actively hunted (eg by a persona running the Notice utility) it is opposed by the hunter’s Hacking skill.

Can be used within a host to hide your persona from ICE and security spiders, see “Deceive ICE” on Sprawlrunners pg 39 for more.

Hide (in host)

Requires: Stealth utility
Rolls: Hacking, maybe vs Notice
Use on: your persona

Used within a host to hide your persona from ICE and security spiders, see “Deceive ICE” on Sprawlrunners pg 39 for more.

Configuration commands

Improvise utility

Rolls: Hacking

See Sprawlrunners pg 43.

Change utility loadout

See Sprawlrunners pg 39. Takes a couple of seconds to do outside of combat.

Jack out

See Sprawlrunners pg 38. Can be a Free action, but then comes with risk of dumpshock.

File and device actions

Manipulate files

Rolls: N/A or as required
Use on: any file(s)

Can be used to copy, edit, erase, or search for files or other data in any kind of store - a host, a node, a commlink, a data chip, etc. Obviously the decker has to have access to the store first, either legitimately or via a hacking action.

The actual file manipulations do not usually require a test. However, if the purpose of the edits requires skill - eg. they are intended to forge credentials, hide suspicious entries in an access log - then a test may be required to see how that goes. The skill required to do that will vary depending on what the content is; eg, to forge some personnel reports, the Corp skill would be used.

Copying or erasing a very large number of files under time pressure might be a dramatic task.

Decrypt file

Requires: Decryption utility
Rolls: Hacking vs file encryption rating die type
Use on: any encrypted file

Decrypting a number of files under time pressure is usually a dramatic task.

Manipulate device

Rolls: Hacking or varies, usually vs target’s Hardening
Use on: any device

Can be used to give commands to a device, or manipulate it in other ways. Maglocks can be told to lock or unlock, cameras can be shut down or told to loop a fragment of footage. Commlink calls in progress can be snooped on. The other end of a commlink call can be traced to a physical location.

If the device is part of a network, the network must be hacked first.

Rigger & drone actions

Jump in

Used by a rigger to assume jumped-in control of a drone or vehicle.

  • If the rigger does not own the vehicle or drone, they’ll need to make a Sleaze Hacking roll to Jump In to it.
  • Jump In can be done wirelessly or over a wired connection, but to do it wirelessly, the rigger must be using a dronedeck.
  • This is a free action if the rigger is already connected to the target via a cable or their dronedeck. Otherwise, it’s a normal action.

Command Autopilot

Free action. Give a one-sentence command to a drone or vehicle autopilot. This can be combined with a Sleaze Hack to target drones or vehicles the actor does not own or control.

If a rigger is using a dronedeck that has multiple drones/vehicles in its network, they can issue the same command to any number of the drones/vehicles for a single free action.

Misc

Enter host/node

Rolls: None or as Sleaze Hacking, above
Use on: host/node

Enter a host (from the local mesh) or a node (within a host that has multiple nodes.) When entering a node from the local mesh, this also switches the decker’s interface from AR to VR.

Some hosts/nodes have security checks for access; if so, they must be successfully hacked with a Sleaze Hacking roll to enter.

To exit a host/node again, see Jack Out, above.

Analyse

Requires: Notice utility
Rolls: Hacking
Use on: any target

Get more information about a persona, ICE, icon, or device.