WARNING: These guidelines are considered Proprietary Information of this corporation. Unauthorized access of this document in either electronic or archaic hard copy format is grounds for physical or virtual electronic countermeasures. Proceed at your own risk.
This limited document is released as a teaching guideline for associated corporations in training of Ice developers. While the only benefits and restrictions covered are from the basic set and Proteus expansions of Netrunner, this shouldn't limit creativity. Use the costs below as a guideline for new benefits and restrictions.
We would appreciate feedback and (constructive) criticism of these guidelines. Our mailing address is flack-rg@salem.ge.coma or ArgiFlack@aol.com.
Operations are composed of several basic parts. All operations have a name, cost to play, keywords, effects, and a comment (or flavor text). This guideline will walk you through the creation of a new operation that will have each of these parts.
When we design Ice, it is important to remember that we are creating protection for information. This protection need not be destructive, but must prohibit - or aid in prohibiting - the runners from accessing information in our data forts.
If we present new Ice to the board that doesn't affect the runner, they will reject our idea as a waste of effort. Repeated presentations of flawed designs can get us reasigned to a beta test site.
A protection keyword imposes a base cost and limits the effects and subroutines available to a designed piece of Ice. Other keywords are based on our effects and subroutines.
| Protection Keywords | Description |
|---|---|
| Code Gate | Requires a code to pass. |
| Wall | Ends the run by not letting anything pass. |
| Sentry | Affects the runner or his equipment/ programs. |
| Other Keywords | Description |
| AP | Affects intruders, usually by damaging them. |
| Black Ice | Does permanent damage to an intruder or the intruder's hardware. |
| Bloodhound | Tags intruder; name usually "dog" related. |
| Brainwipe | Does simple brain damage to an intruder. |
| DecKrash | Dumps an intruder from the system. |
| Firestarter | Trashes a piece of the intruder's hardware, including cyberware. |
| Flatline | Locks an intruder from cyberspace until resources are spent to remove the lock. |
| Hellbolt | Sends net feedback to an intruder meant to terminate; scrambles intruder's deck, disabling codebreakers. |
| Hellhound | "Hounds" an intruder by doing net/brain damage the next time they enter cyberspace; name usually "dog" related. |
| Killer | Trashes a program installed in an intruders deck. |
| Knockout | Disorients an intruder and dumps them from the system. |
| PitBull | Holds a lock on an intruder, keeping them from entering cyberspace, until resources are spent to break the lock; name usually "dog" related. |
| Random | Results are not determinate. |
| Stun | Disorients an intruder and draws them into the next layer of Ice. |
| Sword | Sends net feedback to an intruder; scrambles intruder's deck, disabling codebreakers; name usually related to archaic edged weapons. |
| Watchdog | Warns interior Ice of intruder; name usually "dog" related. |
| Zombie | Does brain damage to an intruder meant to terminate; name usually "death" related. |
We select a keyword indicating the basic function of a piece if Ice at creation time. It can be modified by effects. Of course, we must invest additional funds for this change.
Subroutines are the core of any piece of Ice. As more subroutines are added, the complexity of operation of the Ice increases. This increases the cost. Also, the effect of each subroutine may also alter the cost. Each subroutine must have an effect associated with it. Some subroutine effects can be combined with others resulting in one complex subroutine. These are indicated by a *.
Each general effect designed into a piece of Ice will modify it's rez cost. While not necessary, special effects can be worth the design effort if they aid in the protection of our data, even in an indirect manner. They function whenever the Runner encounters the Ice, regardless of whether the runner breaks any subroutines.
As we determine each component of a design, we keep a running total of the cost of our new Ice. Our final cost will be the cost in bits to rez our Ice. Note that we must end up with a final cost that is less than or equal to zero. That is because the final cost represents what we "owe" in bits to activate the protection in the Net.
[] represents bits. [3] means 3 bits.
* effect may be combined with others within a single subroutine
| Cost | Protection Type |
|---|---|
| -2 | Code Gate |
| -1 | Wall |
| +0 | Sentry |
| +1 | Each Subroutine |
| +1 | Each point of strength above zero |
| Cost | Code Gate Subroutine Effects |
|---|---|
| +1 | End the Run |
| -2 | For the remainder of the run, Runner must pay [2] when encountering a piece of Ice, in addition to any other costs, or end the run |
| +1 | Runner can't run during his next 6 actions |
| +1 | Do 2 Net damage |
| +0 | For the remainder of the run, all Ice encountered has an additional subroutine, "*End the run," after all other subroutines |
| -2 | End the run unless Runner pays [1] |
| Cost | Code Gate General Effects |
|---|---|
| +1 | has one "End the run" subroutine for every [2] you pay, above the rez cost, when you rez it |
| +2 | Gain [3] when you rez |
| +0 | [2]: has one "End the run" subroutine for the present encounter. Use this ability only when Runner encounters. |
| +2 | When Runner encounters, roll a die. On a 6, derez, and Runner automatically passes it; otherwise, add the result to strength for that encounter. |
| +1 | When you rez, you may pay [4] above rez cost to make it a sentry instead of a code gate. |
| +1 | If Runner passes, you may choose to uninstall it, store it in HQ, and gain [1] |
| -1 | If Runner passes, pay [1], or uninstall it and store it in HQ |
| +0 | [2]: has one "End the run" subroutine for the present encounter. Use this ability only when Runner encounters. |
| Cost | Wall Subroutine Effects |
|---|---|
| +1 | End the Run |
| +0 | Do 1 Net damage |
| +1 | Do 2 Net damage |
| -2 | End the run unless Runner pays [1] |
| Cost | Wall General Effects |
|---|---|
| +2 | Gain [3] when you rez |
| +1 | When you rez, you may pay [1] above rez cost to make it a code gate instead of a wall |
| -1 | If Runner passes, pay [1], or uninstall it and store it in HQ |
| +0 | [2]: has one "End the run" subroutine for the present encounter. Use this ability only when Runner encounters. |
| +1 | [1]: Move and insert it in a different position on this data fort. Use this ability only at the start of a run on this data fort. You may use this ability even if is unrezzed, in which case, you reveal it. |
| +1 | has one "End the run" subroutine for every [2] you pay, above the rez cost, when you rez it |
| +1 | If Runner passes, you may choose to uninstall it, store it in HQ, and gain [1] |
| Cost | Sentry Subroutine Effects |
|---|---|
| +1 | *End the Run |
| +1 | Do 1 Brain damage |
| +0 | Do 1 Net damage |
| +1 | Do 2 Net damage |
| +2 | Do 3 Net damage |
| +3 | Do 4 Net damage |
| +1 | Trash a program |
| +1 | *Do 2 Meat damage. This damage may not be prevented. |
| -5 | All further Ice encountered is at +2 strength for the remainder of the run |
| -6 | All further Ice encountered is at +1 strength for the remainder of the run |
| -7 | All further Ice encountered is at +1 strength for the remainder of the run unless Runner pays [2] while passing |
| -2 | Cannot break any subroutines on next Ice |
| -3 | Cannot break any subroutines of next Ice and can't jack out until after encounter |
| -3 | Secretly spend [0], [1], or [2]; Runner does the same. Then you and Runner reveal how much each of you spent. End the run unless you spent as many bits as Runner spent. |
| +1 | *Runner forgos his next action |
| -3 | Roll a die. If you roll a 1, 2, or 3, Runner resumes the run from that many pieces of rezzed Ice back, or jacks out. If there are not that many pieces of Ice, Runner returns to the first piece of Ice |
| -3 | For the remainder of the run, Runner must pay an additional [1] to break each subroutine |
| +1 | Do 2 Net damage for each rezzed piece of Ice installed outside |
| -2 | Trash a program unless Runner pays [1] |
| -4 | The next time Runner encounters a piece of Ice during the run, do 3 Net damage unless Runner breaks all subroutines of that piece of Ice. |
| -7 | *Trace-1 to... |
| -6 | *Trace-2 to... |
| -5 | *Trace-3 to... |
| -4 | *Trace-4 to... |
| -3 | *Trace-5 to... |
| -2 | *Trace-6 to... |
| -1 | *Trace-7 to... |
| +0 | *Trace-8 to... |
| +3 | Give runner a counter that does 2 net damage at the start of each run. Each counter can be removed by taking an action to spend [4]. |
| +9 | Give runner a counter that does 1 brain damage at the start of each run. Each counter can be removed by taking an action to spend [4]. |
| +1 | *Give runner a counter that gives him or her a tag at the start of each of his or her turns. Each counter can be removed by taking an action to pay [1]. |
| +1 | *Damage can not be prevented |
| +1 | *Trash a piece of hardware |
| +1 | *Give the Runner a tag |
| +0 | Can't jack out for the rest of the run |
| +1 | *Cannot run again until an action is taken to pay [1] |
| +3 | Cannot run again until an action is taken to pay [2] |
| -2 | For the remainder of the run, Runner must pay [1] to jack out, in addition to any other costs |
| +2 | For the remainder of the run, Runner trashes an installed program after passing each piece of rezzed Ice, including this one, unless Runner jacks out |
| +0 | Do 1 Net damage for each rezzed piece of Ice installed outside |
| +2 | Do 1 brain damage for each rezzed piece of Ice installed outside |
| Cost | Sentry General Effects |
|---|---|
| +1 | When you rez, you may pay [1] above rez cost to make it a wall instead of a sentry |
| +1 | If Runner passes, you may choose to uninstall it, store it in HQ, and gain [1] |
| +2 | Pay [X], above the rez cost, when you rez. X is strength, and X cannot be greater than 6. |
| +1 | has one "*End the run" subroutine for every [2] you pay, above the rez cost, when you rez it |
| -3 | For each rezzed piece of Ice installed outside, has one subroutine as follows: "*Trace 5-If trace is successful, give Runner a tag." |
| -1 | If Runner passes, pay [1], or uninstall it and store it in HQ |
| +2 | For each rezzed code gate or wall installed outside, has one "*End the run" subroutine |
| +2 | Gain [3] when you rez |
| +3 | Gain [4]. Use these bits only to pay for the above traces. When the encounter ends, return to the bank any of the [4] you did not spend. |
| +2 | has +1 strength for each rezzed piece of Ice installed outside |
| +0 | Pay x, above the rez cost, when you rez. X is strength and trace limit, and X cannot be greater than 8 |
| +1 | Gain [2] when you rez |
| Name: | Neural Axe |
|---|---|
| Rezzingcost: | 7 |
| Type: | Ice - Sentry - Sword |
| Game Text: | *Do 1 Net damage *Cannot break any subroutines on next Ice *Cannot run again until an action is taken to pay [1] *End the Run |
| Flavour Text: | "The frackin' thing tries to scramble you three different ways!" - Spider Murphy |
| Strength: | 3 |
This Ice was developed to stall intruders using the breaker Skeleton Passkeys.
| Name: | Deadbolt |
|---|---|
| Rezzingcost: | 7 |
| Type: | Ice - Code Gate - Random |
| Game Text: | *End the Run When Runner encounters, roll a die. On a 6, derez, and Runner automatically passes it; otherwise, add the result to strength for that encounter. |
| Flavour Text: | "The Deadbolt's alloy is the world's toughest substance - until you realize it's virtual" - Argi Flack |
| Strength: | 5 |