Brawls erupt on the streets of Seattle, blood spills into the gutters and bullets are almost as common as rain.
This is the world of Sprawl Gangers.
When designing the game, I wanted to add more depth to the battlefield than just relying on different weapons and terrain. To give players more interesting options during the game, Sprawl Gangers gives each gang a number of specialists, each one with their own unique contribution.
Today I’d like to cover possibly my favorite of the specialists; the Decker.
Deckers are console cowboys, master hackers that can access the wireless world of the matrix using their cyberdecks and control any connected electronic device.
Some of these electronic devices are part of the terrain for Sprawl Gangers – certain markers are designated as “nodes,” and these are access points for a decker to hack into the matrix. A decker that successfully hacks a node gains an advantage – and this is often represented by additional objectives for a Mission’s victory conditions. In addition, a decker that controls a node can scan it for paydata—important information that the gang can then sell after the battle for significant financial gains.
In the cyberpunk future of Shadowrun, electronic devices are everywhere; this includes cameras, sensors, and a multitude of other means of tracking a gang’s movement. A decker can access and use this information to provide “Matrix Overwatch,” helping his gang defend against sneaking opponents, providing early warning of attacks to protect his friends, and even assist with planning the gang’s next moves in the ebb and flow of the battle.
Deckers can also use the matrix to inflict penalties on enemy gangers! A decker can fill an enemy’s field of vision with augmented reality spam, making it difficult to connect with any target. Advanced weapons are not immune to a decker’s charms, either—a smartgun link can be switched off through the Matrix by a skilled decker, rendering a weapon temporarily useless.
Some pieces of terrain are also hackable; they can be controlled by a decker. Doors can be closed and locked, bridges can be retracted, and elevators lowered to street level or frozen in place to strand an enemy ganger on top of a precarious position.
Deckers can enter cybercombat with other deckers, engaging their opposite number in a duel of hacking skills through the matrix. The Black Hammer program is a form of Black IC (intrusion countermeasures), a dangerous set of code that can inflict harmful neurofeedback into an enemy decker’s brain, possibly injuring or even killing him.
Ultimately, deckers won’t turn the tide of battle all by themselves, but they are nigh-essential to the gang’s overall ability to improve and grow over the length of the campaign. Deckers provide access to additional funds, help control the battlefield, and give the gang more flexibility to react to the changing tides of combat.
Ross Watson
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