Utilities

Theoretically, a sufficiently godlike Decker could command the Matrix with nothing but his bare persona and skill alone. Less divine netheads, however, must supplement their puny skills with utility programs. Utilities come in four varieties: operational, special, offensive, and defensive. Operational utilities apply to a decker’s System Tests. These prove especially useful when performing system operations‚ hence the name operational utilities. Special utilities perform specific tasks in the Matrix. Offensive utilities are used to damage opposing deckers, IC programs, and so on. Defensive utilities are designed to prevent or reduce damage taken in cybercombat. Utility programs come in two formats, the original source code and copies. A decker must have the source code of a program to upgrade or modify the program. See Source and Unless otherwise noted, utility programs must be preloaded into active memory to work.

Operational Utilities
Operational utilities help Deckers execute system operations, in the same way that a samurai’s smartlink makes his gun a more effective tool and his dermal armor backs up his armored jacket. Operational utilities reduce the target numbers of a decker’s System Tests by the utility rating. Deckers may perform system operations without-not having the right program does not make the operation impossible, just more difficult.

Offensive Utlities
Offensive utilities inflict damage on the icons of deckers, IC programs, running programs, datafiles-pretty much anything. Some offensive utilities, such as the attack utility, are general, brute force destructive viral logics. Others are subtler and more limited. The following descriptions specify the targets each utility program can attack.

Defensive Utilities
Defensive utilities are designed to prevent, reduce, or repair damage taken in cybercombat. As with offensive utilities, add or subtract the utility rating as indicated in the individual descriptions.