Expanded Matrix Actions

Homebrew matrix actions by /u/LeVentNoir

-- Message posted by alias 'Granny', 31/08/2077

Chummer, welcome to remedial programming for crackers, netfreaks and criminals. Some of you are old school, and have managed to open systems in the last three major architectures, but damn, we had a crash, time to relearn. Some of you are script kiddies, here to learn how to phreak past pushing the autohacker.

Here's the datadump. You're going to need some skills in writing actual software, you're going to need a deck, and you're going to need some time. This is nowhere near as fast as making a dodgy connection to get a MARK, but it's so much more effective.

I've got three tools for you. Rider lets you sit on someones shoulder and watch them access files, but it's strictly hands off. Tunnelworm is a host infiltration tool for getting into places without using front doors. Spear Phisher is for stealing someones credentials.

Now all of these are strictly custom work, so you're going to have to code them all yourself, and you're going to need to sight your target before starting work. Sure, you can save it to a file, but if the target parameters change in any way, you're going to need to redo it from scratch. Finally kiddo, and this is important, each of these need an active matrix connection to work. Since these rely on someone else doing something, you might miss it, or not get another shot.

Rider The Rider looks like just another file, usually camouflaged as something innocuous and boring. It simply phones home everything someone does or sees. To build a Rider, make a Software + Logic [Data Processing] (Firewall + Logic, 30 minutes) Extended Test. Once you have built the Rider, you must Edit File to place it on the target device. Once in place, you know all actions taken by the device, or persona using the device. Additionally, if the device accesses any hosts, files, or files on hosts, you can view the hosts and read the contents of the files. However, this is purely a passive watcher, you have no control over what happens. The Rider targets your decks current datastream, so losing the matrix connection, causes the Rider to lose connection and halt operation, before deleting itself. A user can detect a Rider with a Computer + Logic [Mental] (4) check if they suspect anything. An active Rider is automatically detected with the Snoop action.

Tunnelworm. Tunnelworm is construct that routes data specifically through a target device. The most important application of this is to enter hosts without all that fuss of hacking your way in. It also helps protect against being traced. To build a Tunnelworm make a Software + Logic [Data Processing] (Firewall + Logic, 1 Hour) Extended Test. Once you have built the rider, you can deploy it against the target device with a Hacking + Intuition [Sleaze] (Firewall) Test. Once this is active, you do not need a MARK to enter a Host that a Persona using the device has entered. Additionally, if you are MARKed and Trace Icon is used against you, it reveals the location of the target device. Your Tunnelworm can be detected with a Computer + Logic [Mental] (4) check if someone suspects anything. An active Tunnelworm is automatically detected with the Snoop action against the target device. Finally, if someone Matrix Percieves you in the host, they will be able to see you don't have a MARK on the host, and probably take measures to kick you out.

Spear Phisher Spear Phisher is a complex, custom matrix portal designed to falsely extract MARKs from a persona. Build the Spear Phisher, find something you would like MARKs on, then send the Spear Phisher to an authorised user to steal their MARKs. To build a Spear Phisher make a Software + Logic [Data Processing] (Firewall + Logic, 2 Hour) Extended Test. Once you have built the Spear Phisher, you use it to extract the MARKs as you need them. When you wish to MARK a target, you must send a message or file to the target authorised persona, via the device they are using. Make a Computer + Charisma [Sleaze] (Con + Charisma or Intuition) test. If you gain any net hits, you have successfully extracted one MARK and applied it to the item you wished MARKed. You may now interact with the MARKed object as if you had one MARK on it. If you need more MARKs, or wish to MARK more items, you must repeat the test to extract the mark, but the target persona gets a +3 dice pool modifier for each MARK extracted past the first. If either you or the target persona leave the matrix, all marks gained in this manner cease to exist. A Spear Phisher is automatically detected as such if you fail the Computer + Charisma [Sleaze] (Con + Charisma or Intuition) test to extract a MARK, or if your persona is Matrix Perceived and spotted to have a different mark to the ones you have been extracting. If the Spear Phisher is detected in any way, it's useless, and you'll need to build a new one, even for the same target.