Push the Limits in Matrix

[u/Safe_Set4395]

Push the limit says no limits apply, my question is does this include matrix actions? Could I use a commlink and push the limit to use an attack or sleaze action?

[u/Distracted_Unicorn]

Depends on how your GM interprets it.

RAI would be you can't push a limit for an action you can't take because you don't have the attribute for (Can't brute force if your link doesn't have the hardware to brute force).

Technically you can attach one of these measly dongles for rating 1 attack and/or sleaze and then push the limit, but then you better be very lucky or a human with 7 Edge.

And with how the action economy is you're gonna burn a sessions worth of Edge just by hacking a stuffer shack for a free drink with that.

[u/FST_Gemstar]

It's like someone trying to push the limit to shoot someone with their sword. It shouldn't work.

But working out the concept, I don't think it is terribly game breaking concept to build a character that can do limited edge based hacking with their basic commlink. Even with 7 or 8 edge, you have to basically use all of that to maybe do one more typical hacking session of rolls, not even counting using edge to reroll. Along with that you still need high investment in decking skills to be able to succeed at a meaningful hack. Even a data spike is just going to do net hits in damage with an Attack of 0 (even before resisting it). Nothing to rely on.

So basically this design still requires almost all the skill investment of a decker to just be a very limited decker, with the perk of just saving some money on a deck. I guess that character creation allocation savings could go into other things, but some of it is already ear marked for higher than typical edge.

So in all, it's not supposed to be ok to do. If someone wanted to make an inefficient character do this, I don't think it is cheating/cheap though. It does make a world where basic commlinks are hacking machines and prepare for enemies who don't have deckers to attempt basic matrix hijinks in return.

[u/Safe_Set4395 → u/FST_Gemstar]

It's more a case of a Rigger being able to use some electronic warfare skills once in a while sparingly rather than a character designed to specifically do this, sort of like a when things are down type move.

[u/ReditXenon]

If you modify your comlink (odd mod or dongle) to add an attack or sleaze attribute, sure why not.

But no, you can't push the limit to ignore the fact you don't have a magic / resonance / attack / sleaze attribute.

[u/dethstrobe]

I'm pretty sure by RAW, you need the stat to push the limit. But, I have personally ruled under rule of cool that you can. Because, that's dope as hell and to be fair, edge is not an infinite resource.

[u/Safe_Set4395 → u/dethstrobe]

I was thinking that too, it's not really clear from RAW to me it seems more like this is what it is for to let someone use an action that isn't their archetype. How edge works isn't quite clear but it's a very finite resource and rule of cool too

[u/Sweaty-Emergency-295]

Edge deckers are absolutely a thing! Also, commlinks have dongles you can buy to give them all the deck stats so you can save your edge for important rolls. And since comlinks have data processing and firewall to begin with, you can just get a stealth dongle to give them a sleeze rating and ignore the other stat entirely.