Rules:Host Creation
When inside hosts, the Hacker is held inside a special and safe part of the Foundation. One held inside a Paradigm, and safely contained. Below the Grids, there is a deeper Foundation, sometimes known as the Wild Foundation, and only a small number of deckers can even enter it. Firstly, and most importantly, before 2080, a special cyberterminal was needed, most decks couldn't do it, and Technomancers were required to Transcend Grid into the Wild Foundation. Since 2080, several deckers have managed to find ways in without the approved decks, and technmancers have followed. Typically, the best way to learn this to to join with a guide, and go into the Wild Foundation with them. Otherwise, a Sprite, an AI, or a Technocritter with Level/Depth at least 6 can act as a reluctant guide.
The Wild Foundation has several different depths, typically listed as 1 - 10. Each depth is more dangerous than the last. In any of the Wild Foundation the decker is running in Hot Sim. Anywhere past Depth 5, all damage is Biofeedback. This makes the Wild Foundation incredibly dangerous to explore. Adding in the Wild Resonance (typically known as Technocritters), the defenses from the Megacorps who don't want others on this turf, ancient virii from over the last century, some of which are still potent, and last the fragments of those who died in the Matrix makes this even worse as there are several things out to destroy the hacker while they are working. This makes Wild Explorers a fairly uncommon profession, even amongst the strongest of hackers. However, Host Builder teams are often hired by Megacorporations.
The act of Host Creation is about taking Candidate Nodes, sculpting them into Host Nodes, and then performing a Host Linking. Once the nodes are all linked into a Host, you have a Rating 1 Host, which can be grown and sculpted.
Wild Critters
Defenses
Most of the defenses in depths 1-3 are essentially Black IC. These use the Depth of the Wild Foundation+1 as the rating of the IC.
Virii
These are basically the same as Black IC, except with some different actions:
Berzerk Button: This is the same as the Psychotropic IC, using Depth*2 vs Will+Firewall, typically this makes anyone affected gain the Berzerker Quality
Locker: This rolls Depth*2 vs Int+Firewall, if the Locker successfully wins a roll, it will encrypt a single file on the deck. 100¥ sent to the IC will unlock a single file.
NoJack: This rolls Depth*2 vs Int+Sleaze, if the NoJack succeeds, the target is Link Locked until they successfully jackout.
Wild Resonance
Use the Technocritters from Howling Shadows, typically critters will only be in a Depth that is the same as their Depth (so a Grue would appear at Depth 8 and Sintax would appear at Depth 3).
Fragments
Fragments are one of the worst thing a Hacker can encounter, as they are tiny fragments of potential eGhosts. All Fragments have the Depth the Hacker is in as their stats, with a few changes, using an AI as a base.
Poltergeist: These just want to cause some chaos and be noticed. Will-2, Attack+1, Skills: Cybercombat, Computers, Perception, Intimidation. Programs: Tantrum.
Crying Ghost: These ghosts weep in the corner for their lost humanity. They lash out if someone ever interacts with them. Will+1, Sleaze-2, Int+1, Skills: Computers, Cybercombat, Hacking. Programs: Hammer.
Hungry Ghost: These ghosts wish to consume. Attack+1, Critter Powers: Mung.
Paradigms in the Wild Foundation
Most importantly, Hackers bring a paradigm with them. Whenever you enter a new depth (including the first depth), you must roll your Resonance, Depth, or Deck's Device Rating (depending on what you got) with a difficulty of the Depth you're entering. Success on this roll means that the paradigm is the one you brought. Otherwise, the GM should select a different paradigm, in a method similar to Host Foundation runs.
Finding Candidates
So the first thing a Hacker needs to do in order to make a Host, is to find a Node Candidate. Candidates are small pieces of code. Some technomancers have noticed that they have one of one hundred Resonance Signatures, however, they are definitely not Resonant. A candidate, depending on the paradigms, typically can fit into the Hacker's virtual pocket. It cannot be brought out of the Wild Foundation, however so it must be linked after being sculpted, or else it will be stolen or float away if the Hacker leaves it alone for even a minute. This is one of the reasons that Corporate hacker teams go Host Hunting in very large groups, another being safety.
Node Candidates can be found by using a search pattern. There are several kinds, each of the kinds has different needs. The most obvious is the minimum number of people, but the others are: Risk, Skill Used, and Bonuses.
| Pattern Name | Risk | Skill | Bonus | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sector Search | 7 | Computers | 1 | 1 |
| Track Line | 12 | EWarfare | 2 | 2 |
| Parallel Search | 9 | Computer | 3 | 3 |
| Expanding Square | 4 | Software | 0 | 1 |
Risk: The risk in a pattern, is roll Risk+Depth vs Logic+Sleaze after every search roll, if the searcher fails, that searcher is caught by something in the Wild Foundation.
Skill Used: The search uses the skill and Logic of the searchers, it is a teamwork roll for multiple searchers.
Bonus: The extra dice from this pattern, it's added to the skill of the leader of a teamwork test. You also add ⅓ depth (round up) to this bonus.
People: Minimum number of people to run this Pattern. These can be bulked out with Sprites, but not Agents.
Sector Search: This is the most obvious search of declaring a series of sectors and clearing them. Makes you obvious and easy to track, but effective, on the move, and easy to do on your own.
Track Line: This involves a single member of the team managing a line where Candidates are expected based on some intelligence. Using some amount of additional intelligence really makes this pay off, as every day preparing in the Wild Resonance, the team lead can get +1 to their effective skill, up to 5 days. But you're really easy to track.
Parallel Search: This is like Track Line, but needs two people on parallel tracks, with someone managing the middle. Use the prep rules from Track Line.
Expanding Square: This is the obvious work of setting a square to search, clearing it, and then expanding that square and expanding that. Similar to a slower sector search, but keeps you more on the move.
Finding a Candidate is an Extended Action, and depends on the type of node candidate.
Finding a Control Candidate (which can become Scaffolding Control, Security Control, or Slave Control), the team must be searching at least depth 3, and requires 20 successes, minus the depth being searched.
Finding a Portal or Archive candidate (each Candidate type is unique) requires 10 successes, and has a minimum depth of 5.
Finding a Pure Candidate (which can become a Null Node or Master Control Node) requires depth 5 and 30 successes minus depth.
Once at least one candidates have been found, typically taking at least a day of searching, a skilled programmer must perform Node Refactoring. Usually this step begins once all seven have been found for logistical reasons, and consists of a Logic + Software roll with a difficulty of 6 for a Control Candidate, 3 for a Archive or Potal Candidate, and 10 for a Pure Candidate. This is not an extended action, and failing it requires going to find a replacement Candidate. Once you have all 7 Nodes, they can be trivially linked, and they become a brand new host, owned by whoever Refactored the Master Control Node.
Until the Refactored Nodes are linked into a Host they can't be left alone or will be quickly lost (usually stolen), though a Refactored Node can be brought out of the Foundation and onto a Grid, but not into a Host. This act of stealing a Node has lead to some Refactoring a Master Control, having it stolen, and then suddenly owning a Host elsewhere (which its maker is actively reowning).
