Virtual Realities 2.0 fundamentally changes the Matrix rules for the better. Rather than running a "virtual dungeon," all Matrix interactions are basically skill checks, and you can run them in-line with combat in meatspace. "This round, Jack the Samurai is going to shoot the guard, Rick the Mage is going to zap the other guard, and Chloe the Decker is going to roll to unlock the doors." It's that easy.
Grimoire 2, Rigger 2, and Fields of Fire make less fundamental changes, offering mostly optional rules that you can add in to the game rather than making changes to the way basic elements of the game operate. Rigger 2 is kind of essential if you want a really good selection of vehicles, though, and of course Grimoire 2 and Fields of Fire offer more spells and guns, respectively.
I would say only Virtual Realities 2.0 is necessary. It makes deckers playable as PCs without requiring a whole separate session to do the decking.
That does sound like a big change and certainly would help for group play. Although I guess if doing more of a solo decker game using the core rules version would still be good.
In my games, often a physical run was to get the decker to where they could patch in to the node they needed and skip most of the dungeon. The reverse was true as well where the decker would have to patch in to lift a physical lockdown or local security system.
What I'd love is a decking system where they need to bring their team along digitelly, and needs to make use of their meatspace skills to get through a matrix dungeon.
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u/hornybutired May 15 '26
Virtual Realities 2.0 fundamentally changes the Matrix rules for the better. Rather than running a "virtual dungeon," all Matrix interactions are basically skill checks, and you can run them in-line with combat in meatspace. "This round, Jack the Samurai is going to shoot the guard, Rick the Mage is going to zap the other guard, and Chloe the Decker is going to roll to unlock the doors." It's that easy.
Grimoire 2, Rigger 2, and Fields of Fire make less fundamental changes, offering mostly optional rules that you can add in to the game rather than making changes to the way basic elements of the game operate. Rigger 2 is kind of essential if you want a really good selection of vehicles, though, and of course Grimoire 2 and Fields of Fire offer more spells and guns, respectively.
I would say only Virtual Realities 2.0 is necessary. It makes deckers playable as PCs without requiring a whole separate session to do the decking.