The Persona is the character’s presence in the Matrix. Obviously, only Freeminds have Personas; Freeborns lack the hardware to generate one, and ordinary Humans don’t know any better.
When in the Matrix, Freeminds gain 2 points to each of their Would level tallies, as they are aware that the damage that they are suffering is not real. While using their Persona, characters may also make use of their Hacking abilities (see Hacking Abilities, below).
Because of all of these alterations to the character’s bare bones, a Freemind’s Matrix Persona Attributes and such are recorded on a separate sheet. Note also that the Matrix Persona sheet has new spaces for age, sex, and appearance. This is because a person’s Residual Self-Image – what the character looked like when they were in the Matrix – does not necessarily match the character’s appearance in the Real World.
There Is No Spoon: Hacking Abilities
Hacking Abilities are broken up into circles; the higher the circle, the better the Freemind, and the greater the ability. Freeminds have points equal to their Willpower score with which to purchase Hacking Abilities for their character. Starting characters cannot spend more than 2 points on any one Ability.
FREEMIND ABILITIES (cost) |
Circle One (.5 per level) |
|
Aiming |
|
Attribute Boost |
|
Enhanced Senses |
|
Freefall |
|
Increased Flash Memory |
|
Increased Reaction |
|
Increased Stamina |
|
Leap |
|
Quick Draw |
|
Quick Strike |
|
Rapid Fire/Strike |
|
Resist Pain |
|
Steady Hand |
Circle Two (1 per level) |
|
Ambidexterity |
|
Armour |
|
Bullseye |
|
Blind Fighting |
|
Increased Attribute |
|
Missile Parry |
|
Nerve Strike |
Circle Three (2 per level) |
|
Increased Damage |
|
Limited Levitation |
|
Dodge |
|
Regeneration |
|
Tracelessness |
Circle Four (4 per level) |
|
Fight |
|
Telepathy |
|
Telekinesis |
|
Phasing |
|
Mask |
Aiming
Level Maximum: 4
Aiming augments the
character’s prowess in ranged combat. Each level reduces the Target for
ranged attacks by 1, to a minimum of 2. It can also be used to cancel out
penalties for vision and aiming factors, although it cannot be used to cancel
out the penalty for Total Darkness or Blindness, as the character cannot see at
all.
Maximum Level: See Below
In the most dire of
situations, people have been known to do amazing things, perform astounding
feats of strength or agility, only to be Joe Average the next day. Attribute Boost gives Freeminds this
ability.
This ability functions in
a similar manner to Increased Attribute; to balance its lesser cost, it is not
‘on’ all the time, and must be activated.
It requires a Simple Action to do so; while active, the Freemind’s
nominated Attribute is boosted by the appropriate level. The exertion takes its toll on the user,
though: this boost lasts for a maximum of 30 minutes. If it is used beyond 15 minutes, the character suffers 1 point of
Green damage for every minute beyond the fifteen.
Enhanced Senses
A character with Enhanced
Senses has honed one of their senses to superhuman levels, or has developed a
sense that ordinary humans do not have. Examples include:
·
Distance
Vision: the character has developed vision comparable with
eagles. Any distance modifiers are reduced by 2, and all Targets for
ranged combat are reduced by one.
·
Microscopic
Vision: the character has developed the ability to see
very small objects. All Repair draws are made as if the Wear was one
point less than indicated; if the Repair is being made on Electronics or
similarly miniaturised equipment, the Wear is reduced by two for the purposes
of the draw.
·
Enhanced
Hearing/Smell/Touch/Taste/Sight: the character’s ears
have developed to an almost animalistic level. All tests based on these
senses are made at –3 to the Target. However, any attacks directed at the
sense (Rotten Egg/ Tear Gas vs Smell, Concussion Grenades vs Hearing, Flash
Grenades vs Sight) act at double efficiency.
·
Direction
Sense: the character can gauge which way they are facing,
as well as their position relative to sea/ground level.
·
Timing:
the character can tell the time, to the minute, without any outside aid.
This sense may be affected by changes in time zones, or long periods of travel,
isolation, or unconsciousness.
·
Sense
Dampening: the companion ability to Enhanced Sense, it
removes the penalty for attacks against the enhanced sense. If the
character does not have the enhanced sense, reduce the power of any attacks by
half instead. This ability must be purchased separately for each sense.
·
Starlight
Vision: the character can see in the dark. As long
as there is some light source, the character ignores darkness vision
modifiers. There is a drawback to this ability: unless the character has
Sense Dampening for their sight, they suffer twice the listed modifiers for
bright lights.
·
Thermographic
Vision: the character has developed the ability to see
into the infra-red spectrum, allowing them to see heat signatures. This
ability functions as a pair of infra-red goggles with regards to vision
modifiers.
Each Level in this ability
gives the character one type of enhanced sense.
Free Fall
A character with this ability can fall up to two metres per level without fear of injury. If a character falls further than the maximum distance they are protected against, then they take damage based solely on the remaining distance. Note that this ability gives no protection against what might be on the ground where the character will land (like glass, flames, or a cartload of Agents).
Increased Flash Memory
Maximum Level: See Below
Each level of this ability
adds 1 level to the character’s Flash Memory, up to a maximum of twice the
character’s initial Flash Memory. Every two levels also increase the
number of skills a character can have by 1.
Increased Reaction
Maximum Level: 10
This ability increases the
character’s Reaction and Speed. Consult the table below for bonuses:
|
Level |
Speed Bonus |
Reaction Bonus |
|
1 |
+1 |
- |
|
2 |
+2 |
+1
Card |
|
3 |
+3 |
+1
Card |
|
4 |
+3 |
+2
Cards |
|
5 |
+4 |
+2
Cards |
|
6 |
+5 |
+2
Cards |
|
7 |
+5 |
+3
Cards |
|
8 |
+6 |
+3
Cards |
|
9 |
+7 |
+3
Cards |
|
10 |
+8 |
+3
Cards |
Increased Stamina
Maximum Level: 10
Increased Stamina
increases the amount of damage the character can take while in the
Matrix. Consult the table below for the increase to each damage Level:
|
Level |
Green |
Yellow |
Red |
Black |
|
1 |
+1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
2 |
+2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
3 |
+2 |
+1 |
- |
- |
|
4 |
+2 |
+2 |
+1 |
- |
|
5 |
+3 |
+2 |
+1 |
- |
|
6 |
+3 |
+2 |
+1 |
- |
|
7 |
+3 |
+3 |
+2 |
- |
|
8 |
+4 |
+3 |
+2 |
+1 |
|
9 |
+4 |
+3 |
+2 |
+1 |
|
10 |
+4 |
+4 |
+3 |
+1 |
Leap
Leap allows the character to jump extraordinary distances. For each level of this ability, the
character may lower the Target of any jumps by two; as always, this bonus
cannot lower the Target below 2.
|
Jump Height (Centimetres) or Distance
(Metres) |
Target
|
|
Less than 10%/less than
the character’s height |
2 |
|
11-20%/up to the
character’s height |
4 |
|
21-30%/up to 2 times the
character’s height |
6 |
|
31-40%/up to 3 times the
character’s height |
8 |
|
41-50%/up to 4 times the
character’s height |
10 |
|
51-60%/up to 5 times the
character’s height |
12 |
|
61-70%/up to 6 times the
character’s height |
14 |
|
71-80%/up to 7 times the
character’s height |
16 |
|
81-90%/up to 8 times the
character’s height |
18 |
|
91%/up to 9 times the
character’s height (Maximum unaided jump) |
20 |
Note that this table shows
the limits for running jumps; for standing-start jumps, the target is one
category higher.
Trinity wants to clear a seven metre wide gap between two buildings. She has Leap: 3 and is 170cm tall, so the gap is just over 4 times her height – ordinarily, that’s a draw against her Athletics skill with a Target of 12, but with Leap, Trinity only needs to beat a Target of 6.
This ability also allows
the character to jump inhuman distances, provided that they have enough of a
run up and a high enough Leap ability. Every 10% or 1 times the
character’s height over and above the maximum unaided jump adds two points to
the jump Target, which can then be cancelled by the character’s Leap ability.
Engel (Leap Level 7, height 190cm) needs to clear a twenty-five metre gap. This distance is outside the regular human jump range – but Engel isn’t a normal human. Legs pumping, she throws herself out across the void…
Twenty-five metres is just over thirteen times Engel’s height, which makes it a jump against a Target of 28! However, as she has such a high Leap score, Engel’s player only has draw against a target of (28-14=)14. Also, with her enhanced jumping ability, Engel’s maximum jump is 16 times her height, or about 30 metres.
The
Vertical Leap distances shown above are a measure of how high a character can
jump and land on their feet; a character’s height must be factored in if the
character is attempting to leap and grab onto something, rather than land on
it.
Trinity (175 cm)
wants to leap and grab a fire escape three metres above the alley floor. Factoring in her height, she only has to
leap up (300-175=) 125cm. 125cm is about 76% of 175cm, which makes it
draw against a Target of 16. However, as she has Leap at Level 3, Trinity
only has to beat a Target of 10.
Quick Draw
This ability allows the
character to draw and attack in the same motion, removing the need for the
character to use an action to ready their weapon.
Quick Strike
This ability allows the
character to attack first in the Combat Turn, regardless of their Reaction
score. This only counts for the first pass; after this, the character
resumes their place in order. If more than one character uses this
ability, resolve who goes first in the same manner as ties in Reaction (highest
Speed goes first, then highest draw).
Rapid Fire/Rapid Strike
A Freemind with Rapid Fire or Rapid Strike may make
two Missile Attacks (Fire) or two Melee Attacks (Strike) against an opponent
each turn. For Rapid Fire, these attacks
are limited to SA or SS attacks only (no double-bursts – that would just be
rude).
Resist Pain
Resist Pain allows the
character to ignore Target modifiers that come with injury. Every Level
cancels out the effects of one damage level.
Engel has Resist Pain Level 2. She takes three boxes of Green damage from a police officer with a stun baton, and another three boxes of Yellow from falling from a fourth-storey window. However, she is still free of penalties, as her Wound penalty is still only +2. However, if an Agent shot Engel for Red damage, she would be saddled with a +1 Target modifier, because she now has wounds in three damage levels, one more than she can handle with no penalty.
Note that this in no way
increases the amount of damage the character can sustain; Engel would still die
if she then received enough Black damage to fill her boxes.
Aside from always being
the Freemind who handles the video camera, each level of Steady Hand reduces
the movement penalty when firing by 1.
So, a Freemind with 3 levels in this ability has no modifiers to their
TN, even if they are running flat-out.
In the case of the target and shooter moving at different speeds,
include the reductions after the total has been reached; so, if the abovementioned
Freemind was shooting at someone who was also running, the actual TN modifier
would be (3+3-3=)+3.
Ambidexterity
Level Maximum: 4
Ambidexterity allows the
character to use either or both hands with a degree of competency. Ordinarily, a character using an off-hand is
automatically at +2 to the Target for both hands. When using this ability, the character reduces the penalty by 1
point per Level; the character may decide which tests gain advantage from this
ability. Note that the character may
not gain a bonus to the draw using this ability; it may only counter the
off-hand penalty.
Mary, with Ambidexterity Level 2, wants to hose down a group of SWAT team officers with her twin Uzis. She draws them both and holds down the triggers. Ordinarily both attacks would be at +2 to the Target, but with her Ambidexterity ability, Mary can remove up to 2 points of penalty from the attacks. In the interest of keeping things equal, Mary decides to reduce both Targets by one, giving her only a +1 penalty to each burst (but see below).
There
is a down side to this ability: any uncompensated recoil from the weapons is
doubled. So, in the above case, if
Mary’s Uzi’s didn’t have any recoil compensation, she would still suffer a +3
penalty to both draws (+1 for two weapons, plus 2×(+1) for the recoil).
Armour
Maximum Level: 10
Armour toughens a
character’s Matrix persona, making it less susceptible to damage. Consult
the table below for the bonuses to armour.
|
Level |
Blade |
Ballistic |
Impact |
Heat |
|
1 |
+1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
2 |
+1 |
+1 |
- |
- |
|
3 |
+2 |
+1 |
- |
- |
|
4 |
+2 |
+2 |
- |
- |
|
5 |