Netrunning
"You patch in the last connection, making sure your wristplugs are tight. You slam down the "GO!" switch with your mind. Instantly, your consciousness is filled with the grey white static of the drop to "online." Then with a sickening, falling sensation, you hurtle forward into a maze of shifting neon shapes and spinning grid lines..."Well, it used to work that way. Now you slip on your Virtuality Goggles, mentally punch in the code, and shift seamlessly into NET space. And it looks just like it did in Meatspace. Except that now there's a strange meta-universe superimposed over that everyday vision, filled with shapes, patterns, and unearthly digital creatures. Welcome to the NET in the Time of the Red.
Why has the net changed?
Core NET infrastructure got wrecked during the War. That included both land lines and sea cables, which were the main forms of communication links. The remaining NET was infested with all kinds of Black ICE from the War. The worst were the R.A.B.I.D.S., deadly AI constructs that hunted and killed anyone they encountered in the NET. Finally, Netwatch gave up and shut down the NET infrastructure. Computers remained linked only through dedicated land lines and laser lines. ▶ META ◀ About 2035, a new programming language was developed. This was designed to unify all the different operating systems that were still in existence. This new language is called META and could be used in place of everything from C++ to simple Phone apps. META is what the current NET works on. Because it is a patch language much like LINUX, META is not very good at supporting graphics, so the huge graphical interfaces of the old NET couldn't be supported. So, now things look a little different. No, scratch that. Things look a lot different. But enough about that; we'll talk more on that topic later in this book. Meanwhile, let's get started with what you'll need to run the NET.What do I need to netrun?
▶ Neural Link and Interface Plugs ◀ All Netrunners have at least a little cyberware. To even use a Cyberdeck, you need to plug Interface Plugs into it, which also requires you have a Neural Link. See the Cyberware Section here. ▶ Cyberdeck ◀ Cyberdecks are the modular platforms that Programs and Hardware are installed on for the purpose of Netrunning. Both Programs and Hardware take up the same limited slots in your Cyberdeck. What distinguishes a powerful Cyberdeck from a cheaper one is the number of slots it has for Programs and Hardware.
My better half says I'm an addict. She says I would spend my entire life in the NET, face down, slurping down the data flow like one off those extinct whale things. And I say thank God I have her, because if she wasn't here to ground me, she'd be right. — pnuemoIf you forget your Virtuality Goggles, you'll have to do it the old school way, which renders you effectively Unconscious until you Jack Out, as far as the meat world is concerned. ▶ Programs and Hardware ◀ These are the weapons and gear of Cyberspace. Programs are the tools a Netrunner uses to fight, protect, and explore the electronic realm. Miscellaneous Upgrades You'll probably want a few extra tools besides Virtuality Goggles and a ▶ Cyberdeck ◀ loaded with Programs and Hardware...but you don't really need anything else, so we'll talk about the extras later.
Doing Things in the Net
Being a Netrunner isn't easy. To survive you'll need to have mastery over your toolkit. So, read closely. ▶ Meat Actions vs. NET Actions ◀ Netrunners have access to two kinds of Actions: Meat Actions (Non-Move Actions which take place in reality, or Meatspace) and NET Actions (which take place purely in the NET Architecture).
List of Net Actions
▶ Jack In/OutEnter or safely leave a NET Architecture when within 6 m/yds of an access point. Typically, a wall between you and the access point will block this Action. If you leave a NET Architecture without Jacking Out first, you'll be in a world of pain. ▶ Use Interface Ability
All but one Interface Ability requires the use of at least one NET Action. See full rules on pg. 199. ▶ Activate/Deactivate Program
Activate or Deactivate one of your Programs. ▶ Miscellaneous
Very rarely, something you want to do in the NET won't fall into these categories. This is rare because the Virus Interface Ability lets you do almost anything you can dream to a NET Architecture provided you are at the Architecture's lowest floor. If your GM allows you to do it, it will probably take a NET Action.
NET Actions Example Alloy Knight is a Netrunner. On his Turn he must decide if he wants to use his 3 NET Actions to continue progressing in the NET Architecture or if he wants to use a Meat Action to shoot the booster down the hall who has discovered him. Alloy decides to let his teammates handle the booster and chooses to use his 3 NET Actions instead. But first, he uses his Move Action to get behind cover, staying within the 6m/yd range of the access point.▶ What Isn't a NET Action? ◀ Doing anything in a NET Architecture requires the use of a NET Action, except for moving and saving copies of Files. ▶ Moving in a NET Architecture
You can move as much as you want in a NET Architecture on your Turn. You can't move past a NET obstruction blocking you, like a Password. Pushing your luck will get you killed if you aren't careful. ▶ Saving a Copy of a File
When you find a File in an Architecture, saving a copy into your Cyberdeck isn't a NET Action. ▶ Jacking In or Out ◀ Using a NET Action, you can Jack In to a NET Architecture while within range (within 6 m/yds, blocked by walls) of one of its access points. Being jacked in is a prerequisite for doing anything in an Architecture. Moving out of the access point's range while jacked in to the Architecture jacks you out of the NET Architecture automatically, but leaves you vulnerable: You suffer the effect of all remaining enemy Black ICE you've encountered, but not Derezzed, in the NET Architecture before you get "out." Black ICE will be explained later (on pg. 204), but you don't want this to happen to you. It is much safer to use a NET Action to Jack Out from within the access point's range. Jacking Out "resets" the defenses of a NET Architecture, meaning you'll have to start your run over from the very beginning, which can only be done by jacking back in to the same location you originally entered and giving it another shot. All your Programs leave the Architecture with you when you Jack Out. If you want to have a permanent effect on the Architecture, you'll have to reach the bottom to leave a Virus.
Interface Abilities A Netrunner needs to know more than just how to activate Programs. Mastery of Interface Abilities is what separates weefle runners from the professionals they pretend to be. ▶ How to Use Your Interface Abilities ◀ Your Netrunner can use these Interface Abilities with their NET Actions (save for Scanner).
Use a Meat Action to find out the Meatspace location of access points to any NET Architectures in an area. The higher the Check, the more you spot from further away. It is up to the GM's discretion to determine how much you find. Example: The Netrunner uses their Scanner Ability to search the building for NET Architectures and their access points to hack using a Meat Action. Rolling a 1d10 and adding their Interface (7), they get a 14. With this roll, the GM determines that the Netrunner learns the Meatspace location of two of the nearby access points for the building's NET Architecture. ▶ Backdoor
Allows a Netrunner to attempt to break through Passwords in a NET Architecture using a NET Action. Of course, if you knew the password already, you automatically pass through the obstruction. Example: The Netrunner encounters a particularly difficult Password of DV10 blocking their progress while in an Architecture. Using a NET Action, they attempt to Backdoor it. They roll a d10 and add their Interface (7), getting a 16. The Password blocks the Netrunner no more. ▶ Cloak
Allows you to hide traces of your presence and any Virus you left in the Architecture using a NET Action. The Pathfinder DV for another Netrunner to overcome your Cloak and discover your Actions is equal to the Cloak Check you made to create the Cloak. If you do not use the Cloak Ability before Jacking Out, another Netrunner can automatically discover what actions you took in the Architecture upon using the Pathfinder Ability. Example: After leaving their Virus on the Corporation's network, the Netrunner wants to hide any traces of their presence on the Architecture along with their Virus, so they use a NET Action to use their Cloak Ability. They roll Interface (7) + 1d10, getting a 16! An enemy Netrunner will have to beat this number with Interface + 1d10 before they can discover any traces of the Netrunner or be able to roll against any Virus that they left. If the Netrunner didn't leave such a flashy Virus, maybe the Corp wouldn't have even known that their NET Architecture was compromised! ▶ Control
Allows you to control things attached to the NET Architectures like cameras, drones, turrets, laser grids, elevators, sprinklers, etc., using a Control Node. Each Node has a DV required to take control of it as a NET Action. Operating each individual thing attached to the node requires a separate NET Action once you have taken hold of the Control Node, and can be done from anywhere in the Architecture as long as you are still in control of the Control Node. Each Control Node can only be activated once per Turn. The DV to wrest a Control Node currently held by another Netrunner or a Demon is equal to the Control Check they made to take control of it. You lose control of any Control Nodes you hold in an Architecture when you Jack Out. Example: In an Architecture, a Netrunner encounters a DV10 Control Node that manages the cameras on this floor. By using a NET Action to use their Control Ability they roll Interface (7) + 1d10 and beat the Control Node's DV by 2. Now that they've taken control of the Control Node, they use an additional NET Action to reposition the cameras so that they will not capture the Netrunner's friends while they sneak out of the fire escape. ▶ Eye-Dee
Allows you to know what a found piece of data (like a File) is and its value using a NET Action. Some Files have a DV that must be beaten to learn anything from them. Example: After discovering an interestingly titled File, the Netrunner uses their Eye-Dee Ability with a NET Action. It's a DV9 File, so the Netrunner rolls Interface (7) + 1d10 and easily rolls higher than 9. Unfortunately, the File was a dummy left in the Architecture just to waste a Netrunner's time! ▶ Pathfinder
Uses a NET Action to partially reveal the "map" of the NET Architecture. The higher your roll, the more you learn. This tells you generally what is in the NET Architecture you have just broken into, but not the DV of anything. You can see into the Architecture a number of floors equal to your Check or up to the first obstruction (usually a Password) with a DV higher than your Pathfinder Check, whichever happens first. Example: After jacking into a new NET Architecture, the Netrunner has no idea what they might be up against, so they use their Pathfinder Ability with a NET Action to find out. Rolling their Interface + 1d10, they only get a 10. The GM determines they learn only the first 3 floors of the elevator, because the third has a DV11 Password on it that blocks their view. ▶ Slide
Attempt to flee combat with a single Non-Demon Black ICE Program as a NET Action. If you are able to roll a successful Slide Check against the Program's Perception + 1d10 you can escape the Black ICE to an adjacent floor of the elevator, but not past a Password or other NET obstruction. A Black ICE Program that has been successfully slid away from stops following the Netrunner and becomes a Black ICE laying in wait right where it was slid away from. You can only attempt to Slide once per Turn. You can't Slide preemptively. Example: In the middle of a painful conflict with a Hellhound Black ICE a Netrunner decides that they really don't have the time to get killed right now. Using a NET Action they attempt to Slide away from the Black ICE, rolling Interface (7) + 1d10 vs. the Hellhound's Perception (6) + 1d10. The Netrunner gets 14 to the Hellhound's 13. Success! The Netrunner escapes to the next floor of the elevator... Unfortunately, there is another Hellhound waiting there. This Netrunner really should have used Pathfinder! They can't Slide again until their next Turn! ▶ Virus
Once you have reached the lowest level of the NET Architecture you can leave your own Virus in the Architecture to perform up to 2 actions or changes, within reason. Using this ability is the only way a Netrunner can make a change to a NET Architecture that persists after they Jack Out. Describe to the GM what you want the virus to do, and they will assign a DV. A more powerful Virus will require a higher DV to leave in the Architecture, as determined by the GM. Depending what you want to do, this can require as many NET Actions as the GM determines. Roll a Virus Check. The DV to destroy a Virus is equal to the Virus Check made to create it. Example: After reaching the lowest level of an Architecture, the Netrunner wants to leave it worse than they found it. They explain to the GM that they want to leave a Virus in the Architecture that changes all the passwords in the Architecture every 5 minutes. The GM determines that placing such a Virus would take 9 NET Actions to leave in the Architecture and assigns a DV12. Over their next 3 Turns, the Netrunner spends all 3 of their NET Actions to complete the Virus, then rolls Interface (7) + 1d10... rolling only a 12. Their code just doesn't work so they decide to try again, spending another 9 NET Actions over another 3 Turns to try again, succeeding this time with a 15. When the Corporation later discovers the Netrunner's Virus, their Netrunner gets a headache while trying to clean up the DV15 Virus.
Virus Examples Here's some inspiration for Viruses and the time and DVs they might require to achieve. Virus which forcibly alters the icon of all Asp Black ICE installed into the Architecture from fierce serpents into cute little sneks wearing tiny party hats. DV6; 1 NET Action. Virus which completely deactivates a particular Black ICE installed in the Architecture until the Virus is destroyed. DV10; 2 NET Actions. Virus which causes a Control Node to malfunction until the Virus is destroyed. DV10; 2 NET Actions. Virus which deletes all Black ICE installed in the Architecture permanently. DV 12; 10 NET Actions. Virus that causes catastrophic and lasting damage to the Net Architecture itself, halving the number of available floors permanently. DV 12; 10 NET Actions.▶ Zap Allows you to make an attack as a NET Action against a Program or enemy Netrunner. If you are able to roll a successful Zap Check against the Program's Defense Value + 1d10 or the Netrunner's Interface + 1d10, you deal 1d6 damage to the Program's REZ or directly to the Netrunner's brain. Example: A Netrunner, who already used all their Attacker Programs this Turn, still hasn't managed to finish off a Hellhound. Luckily, they have one NET Action left, so they Zap it. Rolling Interface (7) + 1d10 vs. the Hellhound's Defense (2) + 1d10 they beat the Hellhound, and deal 1d6 damage to the Hellhound's REZ, finishing it off.
Net Combat
When it comes to violence in the NET, here's how it goes down:
PROGRAMS
Programs are the tools a Netrunner uses to fight, protect, and explore the electronic realm. Activating or Deactivating a Program is a NET Action. Each Program loaded on your Cyberdeck can only be Activated once per Meatspace Round. A Program that is currently Activated (Rezzed) cannot be Activated again until it is Deactivated. You can run multiple copies of the same Program on your Cyberdeck if you wish to get around this limitation, and their effects will stack if they are run simultaneously, unless mentioned otherwise. Installing or Uninstalling a Program takes an hour.
BLACK ICE
Black ICE are deadly Programs that, once triggered, hunt down other Programs or Netrunners across an Architecture. You can choose to load your deck with your own Non-Demon Black ICE, but these Programs are much larger and will use 2 slots in your deck. Activating or Deactivating a Program is a NET Action. Installing or Uninstalling a Black ICE Program takes an hour.
Miscellaneous UPGRADES
After a few jobs, you'll be looking for how to juice up your Netrunning with all that extra eb you'll be swimming in. You've come to the right place.
Doing a Netrun
It's Easier if you Think of Netrunning Like an Elevator. Each floor of a NET Architecture is a level where, as the "door" opens, you find something waiting for you. It could be a Program, Black ICE, another Netrunner, File, Control Node, etc. Every Turn you can go down through the Architecture as many floors as you want, assuming you aren't blocked by a Password or other NET obstruction. You don't get to skip any floors. You still have only a limited number of NET Actions every Turn. How you use them says a lot about your risk tolerance and style of Netrunning. You have to open every door in order... and behind plenty of them, there's a Black ICE that will attempt to punish you immediately for opening its door unless you are fast enough, and will enter at the top of the Initiative Queue even if you were faster. How far can you press your luck? Do you take things slowly, defeating each Black ICE as you encounter them, or will you Slide recklessly, even into danger, riskily opening door after door, dodging the initial attacks of all Black ICE lying in wait for you, and safely Jacking Out with your final NET Action before the Black ICE you've left active in the NET Architecture even get a chance to take a Turn?
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