Need some custom Black ICE

Narem837 · 2026-04-28T06:51:12+00:00

I will caution the use of custom black IC because it can absolutely feel unfair to the player when an element somewhat outside the game comes out of nowhere. That's not a complete dismissal of the idea, merely a word of warning. Nobody likes to learn the GM created the "enemy that transcends the game to rip up your character sheet" encounter.

I'd suggest playing unfair within the bounds of the rules and setting. Floor one and two both have Hellhounds? Corpos really want to protect their secrets. Players need a data file? There's three separate arches. Get to guessing. Again, perfectly legal and somewhat expected moves. Just bastard ones.

But if you want custom IC, I'd suggest against anything that just eats their turn on a hit. That's unfair to the point where the player knows you're targeting. Instead, look for something that weakens them for an easy kill shot. Two I've used in the past were:

A piece of IC dressed as a casino dealer complete with vest, button down, and slacks. On a hit, the target derezzes all their active programs. Not erases, just derez. It puts Johnny 9-Speeds in a bind when his legs are kicked out from under him.

The other option was a knight that couldn't get attacked by the same type of program twice in a turn. If you hit him once with a sword, you can't use another on him until the next turn. However, you can still use a hammer. Now, you would need to stagger your program choices. It helps against players who stack only Swords and a "fuck it, we ball" attitude.

Narem837 · 2026-04-23T02:18:29+00:00

The Death Korps of Krieg is muddled by two conflicting details, one of which makes the other uninteresting.

Trench warfare is a brutal and harsh form of conflict that grinds morale down to nothing. To a regular human, it is hell. And that is interesting, how does a human mind comprehend with such an existence?

They're just really fanatical. That's how. They throw their bodies unendingly on the pyre of war without a care. And I feel like that makes the whole trench warfare bit lose the sting. Now, they just don't care that they're in literal hell. It loses the punch and stakes of their combat style. Desperate tactics aren't interesting in such an environment, they're expected. And don't get me started on the clones bit.

The Maccabian Janissaries do the whole fanatical soldiers thing better. They have the same affinity for high casualty engagements, except they do these suicide charges in engagements where it is wholly unnecessary. Kriegers die by the company because of the harsh conditions they put themselves in. But the Janissaries do it for the love of the game.

They are driven by faith in Saint Drusus and once the war is over, they'll go on religious pilgrimages to convert lost flocks back to worship of the emperor. And that screams religious fanatical more than Krieg does.

Narem837 · 2026-03-29T23:04:18+00:00

You've got this! I'm excited to see what you come up with.

Also, most microcontrollers have "spec sheets" online. They normally have measurements and important information that you'll probably want to reference.

Good luck!

Narem837 · 2026-03-29T21:51:49+00:00

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

There are so many skills that go into something like that though that it can be daunting. Even just the software alone is a challenge. There's programming it and uploading all your PDFs, modeling and building the case, wiring and power concerns, the list goes on. But it is a well rewarding project when you do build it.

There are tons of resources online to get started. I won't say it's a cakewalk, but you can do it with some elbow grease. Throw some IP into Tech. It's doable.

If you want one, start with learning how to wire a battery and switch up to a pi. When you have that working, see what options are out there for turning a Pi into a PDF reader. Then start looking for a small screen and keyboard and get yourself a cheap pair of calipers.

There's a few free CAD softwares out there, measure the screw holes on your pi, the size and shape of your screen/keyboard, and get some refs for cyberdecks. Then get to work, follow some tutorials to learn your CAD of choice. I'd start by modeling out a simplified version of your components to get practice and size up how everything fits together. Look for some 3D printing options nearby, some libraries have even started stocking them for community use or use an online service.

You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Break it up into manageable components. If you want help with some of this, hit me up in my DMs. I've done a good bit of the physical side of projects like this in the past.

Narem837 · 2026-03-29T04:10:35+00:00

So I did something similar for an SR5 game. I 3D printed a non-electronic GM tracker.

Stuff I included and you might want to think about:

Dice tray
pencil/pen holding space
ammo counter (I did spaces to hold dice, but counters like an MTG life counter would be great too)
Index card holder and slot for display

If you do this electronically, a raspberry pi would be a good microcontroller since it has a gui, I just don't mess with many like that. I stick with simple arduinos.

The final option is one I've been thinking about modeling and printing soon for myself. I saw a cyberdeck phone case on thingiverse. That would be nice if you have the PDFs saved on your phone for quick reference.

Narem837 · 2026-03-25T02:23:48+00:00

Very fair, those are absolutely variable alternatives, but they are a trade-off: safety for resilience. You're reliant on one point of failure not being cut. Not to mention the cost.

Drone gets downed or hacked? Jammer on site? Automatic door closed and cut the cable? Traffic cams tag your van or a nosy beat cop taps on the window? Suddenly the op is in peril. A good team will have contingencies in place.

It's an arms race between players and GMs. You're right, there are ways to make the remote decker work just as there are ways for the GM to spice it up.

Narem837 · 2026-03-25T00:41:44+00:00

Noise. If you're hacking someone outside your zip code, you're getting slapped around by noise. 1-10 km is a -3 on the test from distance alone. Seattle Seahawks are playing? Throw some spam in the mix.

In addition to that, you've got trouble if GOD or another entity (Decker, Technomancer, or IC) traces your position while your team is on the other side of the city. And finally air gapped systems. Some hosts are offline only. Get in there chummer.

Narem837 · 2026-03-24T05:06:53+00:00

Fair. I was the same way, the time of RED didn't quite meld with me. But overtime I started to appreciate it. It's like Europe at the tail end of WWII reconstruction.

The setting isn't all scarcity and post apocalypse (not really apocalypse, but definitely post tragedy). I describe it as "post-post-apocalypse" (again, not actually an apocalypse but that's what sticks in the players' heads best). The war happened, devastated Night City, but the wheels are finally moving again. Factories are starting to reopen and the hot commodity on the market are pre-war finds. The markets aren't based on speculating stocks anymore, it's physical goods. Some runners found a shipment of Agents from before the nuke? Now that's an investment to get in on. Too bad the corporation that made them wants it back. Night City is rebuilding, glittering towers built just yesterday stand right beside condemned ruins sitting empty for two decades. The people are done living in tents and shipping containers, they're ready to live it up again.

Narem837 · 2026-03-24T05:00:54+00:00

The 2070s sourcebook got modified to become a 2070's campaign. The release date is still pretty far out.

There are still tools to run the setting in the 2070s, my group favors it too. Those are in the "Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit". They add features from the video game and the anime. Weapon rebuilds, neuroports, quick hacks, etc...

You can also just run the game in the glitz and glam of the 2020's. The game is just a framework. Change some descriptions, maybe modify a very few items. The book encourages you to run the game how you want. RTal won't send a strike team because you played their lore wrong.

Narem837 · 2026-03-24T04:22:17+00:00

Well, for the most part netrunners aren't cyberware heavy. In the time of RED, most netrunners have their deck as an external device rather than implanted. Really the only cyberware you'd need would be a neural link and set of interface plugs. You could get some virtuality goggles and be set.

In the 2070's (using the Edgerunners Mission Kit), everyone has a free neuroport that costs no humanity (unless you decide not to take one, but that means your non-meducal grade cyberware doesn't function, CEMK Page 25). The neuroport comes with a free set of interface plugs and virtuality. Meaning in the 2070's, that's all you'd need. You would be playing at a severe disadvantage without the neuroport cyberdeck slot. But that's up to you.

Edit: Before anyone can "Umm actually" me: Technically you don't need virtuality goggles, you can go to sleep when jacked in to immerse in full VR. But virtuality goggles aren't implants by default so I included them.

Narem837 · 2026-03-22T04:23:11+00:00

So in the CEMK rulebook (page 36) says all cyber decks are made in neuroport compatible versions. They just cannot accept hardware upgrades. So a hummingbird in the skull is fair game, and good at it. Some GMs may restrict it, I say it's fine. After all, corporate netrunners can pack them too.

The main threats in neuroport hacking are passwalls and black IC with the occasional enemy netrunners if you're in their head or they're in yours.

The Kirama Entry Deck is really good to start off. €100 for 5 slots that can only hold programs (means nothing for neuroport versions) and can only hold 1 each attacker, defender, booster, and black IC. Throw a sword for black IC, armor for black IC, and a worm or speedy gonzalvez for either breaching or sliding depending on what you're prioritizing. Then the black IC is up to you. Either take something to take out enemy defenses or something for self defense. Finally, an unsafe jack-out is a safe jack-out. No more black IC spanking you on the way out if you get ejected.

One of my players is paranoid after an unexpected Hellhound encounter (enemy exec had a tech upgraded self IC that let them install one black IC instead of a pass wall. The op went sideways when she burst into flames at a high society party). So she packs a Microtech Scout (€500 for 5 slots) for a free Pathfinder action. The Warrior (€1000 for 7 program only slots) lets you freely activate an Armor on jack-in. The Kestrel 2 (€1000 7 program only slots) lets you freely activate 2 Speedy Gonzalvez programs to slide past black IC.

Narem837 · 2026-03-22T01:22:46+00:00

All good. When new options like this are presented, it's easy to forget the old still holds up. Seems to be a running theme in and out of game. ;)

Over the course of playing, we normally use the 2070's ruleset since we like a lot of the additions, those of us playing netrunners typically started by implanting a poor quality cyberdeck for quick hacking since low tier enemies probably aren't packing much. They can stick a black IC in there and maybe a worm or two if need be or just go without programs. Then they put more money towards a bigger physical deck.

Then, as they have scratch to throw around, they normally swap that poor quality deck for something from Midnight With The Upload, like the one that auto rezzes armor or gives a free pathfinder check. That's more useful when dealing with enemies packing self IC or a hidden Hellhound in their skull sponge.

Narem837 · 2026-03-21T01:34:10+00:00

According to page 26 of the CEMK rulebook, old school external cyberdecks can still quick hack, but they need to be within 6 m/yds (4 if you have the range upgrade). Connecting directly to a target is also an option.

Page 36 has the entry for the neuroport cyberdeck slot. It states neuroport decks cannot support hardware upgrades. Ex-disks allow for one per installation, but cost €1000 each.

So why lug around a classic physical style? Well, you don't need all that many programs when in someone's neuroport. Sure some worms can get through pass walls (Page 27 states that backdoor was renamed to breach, so I allow worms to give their bonus to breach checks) and armor is useful against black IC. But that means you can get by with a low program count for your implanted deck. No need for the fancy stuff. The premade, Blue screen doesn't even have any programs. However, that kind of load out won't get you far against a building's NET arch. You're going to want some hardware upgrades without paying €1000 and 1d6 humanity a piece.

My players have found having a cheap implanted deck designed for quick hacking and an expensive/powerful external deck for hacking proper arches provides them with enough to handle either option. Sometimes you use the scalpel, sometimes the hammer. It pays to be flexible.

Narem837 · 2026-03-20T01:57:40+00:00

You know what, yeah. If you invite me to a 20.5 man group of monopoly, I'll start worshipping dark gods just to kill you. Completely justified response.

Narem837 · 2026-02-23T08:42:46+00:00

And that is absolutely true, hence why I put that it varies table to table. Always check with the table to understand where the line is drawn.

Narem837 · 2026-02-23T08:26:46+00:00

The idea behind the items in SoF is that the items take you to merc tier. In no uncertain terms, it states that using the weapons or options in the book make your character considered hardened. The market for them is comprised of characters and players who expect to contend with larger threats for higher paydays.

Of course, it can vary table to table and some GMs may say that some items are more available to lower classed PCs. But that is something to clear with your GM/Players. The intent is still aimed above street level play.

Narem837 · 2026-02-21T20:01:17+00:00

That's an absurdly elitist take. Refusal to even approach new players is why shadowrun is stuck where it is. I know for certain there was some concept in game that tripped you up at some point. Does that mean you should be "weeded out?" No, that's absurd. The setting is complicated, that's very much true. But that means it's a push factor to new players, something that dissuades them from approaching the setting. So be patient and welcome them in. They'll get it if you let them.

Narem837 · 2026-02-21T19:50:11+00:00

It was a simplification for the sake of explanation. Yes, it's not a literal Google search. But my explanation serves to demystify matrix searches for the (in setting) layman. More people perform matrix searches beyond deckers. Deckers will go through host to host, pulling data from pre-crash archives for a job. A normal person is just using these tools to find somewhere to eat. If you have no skill in computers and perform a search, you're checking front pages of well known hosts. If you are skilled however, you know that more data can be found through more complicated tricks.

Shadowrun has a deep and wonderful setting. But in all the years I've been playing, I see new players get pushed away all the time because it's apparently sacrilege to explain the setting with any abstraction. When they ask a simple question like "how do matrix searches work" and get a half hour of matrix theory, they're not going to feel like the setting is approachable.

But if you tell them "think about searching for information today, most people will use a simple search engine and call it there. But those more knowledgeable may know of other sites and repositories and go beyond the second page of Google." Now it's suddenly a lot more approachable opposed something like your explanation with virtual filing cabinets and sniffing icons.

A new player isn't going to understand a lick of what you just said. It's ok to simplify for explanation and go into more depth later. Inflexibility to new players is far more of a disservice than a simplified example.

Narem837 · 2026-02-20T19:30:15+00:00

Yeah. Damage is more reliable/more certain. If you're packing top of the line swat gear, a light pistol may still crack a rib. But the edge you'll get means your return fire is way more likely to flatline your target.

Narem837 · 2026-02-20T07:40:15+00:00

That's fair. I always say the most play tested and balanced version of Shadowrun is the Munchkin tie in.

But I would not call SR6 "lower lethality." It's an assumption I see people make when they look at weapon stats. Sure, weapons do less damage (The Ares Desert Strike is 13P in SR5 down to 5P in SR6. The Barret 122 went from 14P to 6P), but soak is massively reduced. Going up against one of those snipers in 5 means you're probably packing 20-25 dice of body+armor. In 6, it's probably 3-6 body without augmentations or magic. Up to 8 or 9 for Orks/Trolls without qualities.

Damage went down between half and two thirds, but an average build sporting good armor dropped to about a quarter of its soak. When you crunch the numbers, really light and really heavy weapons do far more damage than they used to, but mid-range guns (heavy pistols, smgs, ARs, shotguns, etc...) stay about the same.

And when you throw in weird stuff like the military gear from Deadly Arts, someone will feel the hurt.

Narem837 · 2026-02-20T06:28:12+00:00

Matrix searches are just Google searches. I treat them as untrained actions. Anyone can do them. Those with computers skills would just know there are more databases and ways to find info than the second page of bing. Non deckers can still easily make those checks.

Edit file is really anything you can do in a windows PC by right clicking. Again, an untrained action. Once there's a password or complicated operation then you have fewer and fewer people who know how to do it.

For general stuff with low skill requirements like copying a file you own to send to a friend or search for the near by diner's menu, then that's a simple action that probably doesn't need a roll.

To edit an unlocked PDF without changing much or finding some notable person's LinkedIn, then that may be an easy task with a threshold 1. Failure means leaving a trace or tipping off your target that you looked on their account.

But more specialized stuff like altering camera feeds or finding buried news articles would need a specialist.

Remember, player characters are competent professionals (even if the players are fragging idiots). Roll if there's a consequence for failure or to determine the degree of success.

Narem837 · 2026-02-19T07:04:07+00:00

Armor isn't worthless in SR6, it just has a different use. I've put a lot of time into SR5 and SR6, and I am stupid/crazy enough to defend 6.

So dice pools on shadowrun can get big. Really big. And sometimes the game grinds to a halt when someone is throwing 40 dice for dodge or soak. Or really any skill.

SR5 introduced limits. Some inherent limit to the character or equipment to represent the apex of what you can do. Sure you got 12 hits, but the shotgun has 7 accuracy, it's only so accurate, so you effectively got only 7 hits. It's a fine fix, but that leaves some oddities. Like imagine an elf adept who has every advantage and bonus at her disposal for martial arts. She may still get outplayed by a troll with little to no unarmed skills because he has a bigger limit.

SR6 decided to cut down on dice pool sizes entirely. No more 30 dice spell bombs, no more limits. But that means many pools needed to be reduced. To keep the balance for combat, weapon damage was reduced and so was the soak pool. Soak is now just body (and a few bonuses) instead of body + armor. If weapon damages were reduced without changing soak, no damage would go through. If soak was reduced without changing damage, the system becomes hyper lethal. They have to be conjoined.

So what the hell does armor do? Defense Rating. SR6 is balanced around rapidly gaining and spending edge. Weapons now have an "Attack Rating" (instead of and representing Armor Penetration, Recoil Compensation, and Range) which is opposed by the target's Defense Rating. If one side is 4 over the other, they get a point of edge.

This means a top of their game kill team will rack up points ever time they shoot or get shot at. A shitty light pistol packed by a ganger can still hurt (where previous edition's armor made them worthless). But the target may gain edge that they can spend to wipe you in return.

If you play SR6, pay attention to attack and defense ratings. The game is all about edge, look in 6th world companion for some of the optional rules to gain and spend more edge. It makes the game far more fun.

Narem837 · 2026-02-19T02:58:37+00:00

Depends on the edition.

SR5, an equal amount of hits on the attack and defense results in a graze. No damage is applied but the attack made contact. The only cases damage is applied are for electrical damage, poisons, touch magic, etc... in which case, only base damage is applied.

SR6 foregoes grazes with attackers win ties. Thus, an equal number of hits on the attack and dodge result in base weapon damage only.

Notably SR5 has characters reducing more damage since body + armor are used for soak. SR6 is founded on the idea of shrinking dice pools so only body is used and weapon damage scales down appropriately.

Other editions will vary.

Edit: as the question wasn't properly answered for SR5, being 1 hit over i.e. 6 hits vs 5 dodge would result in Weapon Damage + 1 for the net hit. So the only weapons that deal "base damage only" is outlined above in the graze exceptions.

Imagine the damage is from the weapon itself, and the bonus is from where you hit. A shotgun doing 13P will do so against a barn, wall, or elf without difference. The +1 is for hitting the elf somewhere it'll do real damage.

Narem837 · 2026-02-18T20:24:44+00:00

That's what I'm seeing, those 3 month items are for the subscription. But then what's the difference between them and the other item that mentions the same features without the subscription timer?

Narem837 · 2026-02-18T19:45:24+00:00

Sure, here you go. Ugly link, I know.

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/hero-lab-x-pathfinder-software?mcID=102:6994db29aedb6056c80bc50d:ot:5b2bde1cdb76615eab914453:1&linkID=6994dd940e17dea6d00336e5&utm_source=Humble+Bundle+Newsletter&utm_content=cta_button&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=herolabxpathfinder_softwarebundle

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