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Intrusion Countermeasures

Intrusion countermeasures, or IC (pronounced “ice”), is a type of program that runs in hosts. The purpose of an IC program is to defend its host from attack, and it tends to be cold-heartedly ruthless about it.

Each IC program has a persona with its own Condition Monitor and Initiative Score. It should be treated as if it is in hot-sim, so it gets a total of 4D6 Initiative Dice in Matrix combat. IC uses the Matrix attributes of its host. The IC in a host and the host itself share marks, so if one IC program is slapped with a mark, they all get one, as does the host itself. Similarly, the IC and host instantly share spotting information, so if the host spots you, so does all its IC. Which usually turns out not well for you.

Individual IC programs alone can be a threat, but multiple IC programs working together can be deadly. Once the host starts to launch IC, it’s time to finish up and buzz out of there.

Security Response

When a host spots you doing something unauthorized, illegal, or just something it doesn’t like, it informs its owner (or its owner’s designee, like an employed security spider) and launches whatever IC programs it has to fight off the intruder. A host can launch one IC program per Combat Turn, at the beginning of each Combat Turn. The host can have up to its rating in IC programs running at once, and it can’t launch more than one of each type of IC program at once. When an IC program takes enough damage to brick it, it crashes and vanishes from the host. The host can then run another copy of the IC at the start of the next Combat Turn if it wants to.

Most hosts don’t have intrusion countermeasures running all the time. While IC is mercilessly efficient, it’s not very bright. The added safety of omnipresent IC is outweighed by the cost of paying (or covering up) wrongful injury and death lawsuits, especially since IC can be deployed in seconds at the first sign of trouble. Typically, the only IC that remains active 24/7 is Patrol IC, which is mostly harmless to the innocent.

Types of IC

IC exists to find, disable, destroy, and/or repel intruders. IC rolls the Host rating x 2 for any attacks, limited by the Host’s Attack rating. The attack is a Complex Action, and the Dice Pool to resist the attack is listed with each type of IC. As with all Attack actions, a failed attack causes damage to the IC. IC is always considered to be legal, so its attacks never give it an Overwatch Score.

Acid

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Firewall

Acid IC targets and overwrites your protective software. When it gets 1 or more net hits on its attack, it reduces your Firewall by 1. If your Firewall has been reduced to 0 already, it causes 1 DV Matrix damage per net hit on the attack. The reduction is cumulative and lasts until you reboot the targeted device.

Binder

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Data Processing

Binder IC corrupts your base operating system. When it gets 1 or more net hits on its attack, it reduces your Data Processing by 1. If your Data Processing has been reduced to 0 already, it causes 1 DV Matrix damage per net hit on the attack. The reduction is cumulative and lasts until you reboot the targeted device.

Black IC

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall

Black IC is the most feared intrusion countermeasures program on the market. The hosts that run it don’t want you repelled—they want you dead. When it hits, Black IC link-locks you. It also causes (Attack) DV Matrix damage (+1 DV per net hit and +2 DV per mark on the target) along with an equal amount of biofeedback damage.

Blaster

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Logic + Firewall

Also known as Grey IC, a Blaster IC program’s attack causes (Attack) DV Matrix damage, +1 DV per net hit and +2 DV per mark on the target, with biofeedback damage. The biofeedback from a Blaster program can only cause Stun damage. A single successful attack also link-locks the target.

Crash

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall

If Crash IC has a mark on you (through its host) and hits, one of your programs crashes, selected at random. Programs crashed this way can’t be run again until after a reboot.

Jammer

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Attack

Jammer IC turns your firewall against your own attacks. When it gets 1 or more net hits on its attack, it reduces your Attack by 1. If your Attack has been reduced to 0 already, it causes 1 DV Matrix damage per net hit on the attack. The reduction is cumulative and lasts until you reboot the targeted device.

Killer

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall

This IC is a simple but effective cybercombat program that causes (Attack) DV Matrix damage (+1 DV per net hit and +2 DV per mark) on the target with each successful attack.

Marker

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Sleaze

Marker IC installs tiny worm programs that mess with your datastreams. When it gets 1 or more net hits on its attack, it reduces your Sleaze by 1. If your Sleaze has been reduced to 0 already, it causes 1 DV Matrix damage per net hit on the attack. The reduction is cumulative and lasts until you reboot the targeted device.

Patrol

Attack: n/a

Patrol IC acts more like an agent than other intrusion countermeasures. Its job is to patrol a host, scanning people’s marks and looking for illegal activity using the Matrix Perception action on all targets in the host. While the act of placing a mark is an illegal activity, the act of simply having a mark is not. Once you have the mark, you are considered a legitimate user. Patrol IC has no attack, but it shares its information with its parent host. Since the Patrol IC doesn’t use Attack actions, it doesn’t take Matrix damage when it fails. Most hosts have Patrol IC and keep it running all the time.

Probe

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall

The task of Probe IC is to mark intruders for other IC. Every successful “attack” means another mark for the host and its IC on the target, up to the maximum of three marks.

Scramble

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Firewall

Scramble IC nukes your connection to the Matrix and forces you to reboot. If the host has three marks on you when this IC hits you, you reboot immediately, taking dumpshock if you were in VR.

Sparky

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Intuition + Firewall

Sparky IC is also known as “Psycho Killer,” an upgraded version of the popular Killer IC. It causes (Attack) DV Matrix damage (+1 DV per net hit and +2 DV per mark on the target) with biofeedback damage.

Tar Baby

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Logic + Firewall

The Tar Baby IC link-locks you when it hits. If you’re already link-locked, it puts a mark on you, up to a maximum of three marks.

Track

Attack: Host Rating x 2 [Attack] v. Willpower + Sleaze

Track IC follows the datastreams between your icon and your deck. If this IC hits and the host has two marks or more on you, the host (and its owners) discover your physical location, which is usually reported to real-world authorities immediately.