The Talent description says that the character’s current zone gains 2 [CD] Interference Soak.
- Is this applicable only to Quantronic zones or to “real” zones as well?
- Which characters are affected? All allies in the zone or enemies as well?
From the other things that generate Interference Soak, I play this as being in the Zone, physical or otherwise, of the Character (or tthe repeater it is triggered from). If the use of this talent is deployed during a Network Intrusion then its the Zone in which the Hacker is digitally-located. Dont forget as a good rule of thumb, if there is a Physical Zone there is more or less a Quantronic Zone alongside it.
While that is my interpretation, question 2 is much easier to definitively answer. Quantronic Flak is indiscriminate, the description makes it out as a burst of junk noise disrupting everything.
Other sources of Interference Soak are the type of Security Interference which needs to be suborned for a unauthorised user to benefit from, or it its specifically sighted as being defence for the user such as with Defensive Programs. Any time an effect like this talent is capable of targeting specific allies and such without just hitting everyone nearby it gets called out.
2 Likes
But what is the difference to White Noise then, if Quantronic Flak were indiscriminate?
White Noise is indiscriminate. But I see Quantronic Flak (as “real” flak) quite discriminate against foes (having to have an IFF ability or such to decide who is a trusted entity and who isn’t).
A good way to employ Quantronic Flak as per the Talent is having your Geist activating it as a minor action all the time you expect being targetted by hacking attacks. That leaves your actual character free to act.
White Noise is something completely different.
While yes it is indiscriminate it applies a Zero Visibility Zone effect against Multispectral Visors and other electronic vision enhancing effects. ITs not something that can be deployed inside a completely digital network, it requiers a physical starting point.
In terms of what White Noise does it “blocks all sight, granting characters the appropriate stealth state (see p.104).”
Quantornic Flak is the equivalent of cover, its Electronic terrain a person can use to mitigate incoming Hacking attacks, it doesn’t prevent the attacks, just makes them less likely to achieve Breaches.
As for having your Geist activate the talent… only if the Geist had that talent could they activate it. Talents arent devices others can trigger (even if they are in your head) the description of the Talent makes it sound like there is an item that is set up, but I imagine its more impromptu than something you prepared earlier. Getting them to activate a device with White Noise though is possible.
p.s.
If you were to combo the use of a White Noise generator with Quantronic Flak then your character would be hard to target and difficult to effect in retaliation, though the sudden Intereference appearing in a particular Zone might be concidered a Noisy action and reduce your stealth level.
1 Like
Yes, I was assuming the Geist does have the necessary Talents. Talent upgrades for Geists are quite affordable.