In the hacking chapter it mentions a runner can’t activate an icebreaker when encountering ice unless it’s done with an incidental gained from a talent or ability. I can’t find any talent or ability that allows a runner to do that. Any help?

For context, the issue is that a starting runner can only have one icebreaker installed and active at a time. If memory serves, this is pretty crappy as if they run into an Ice Wall and fail, they’re screwed. Is there any way for a starting runner to have an at least semi-reliable way to find out what ice might be ahead? Or some way to handle it if they don’t have an active icebreaker? Any running advice is appreciated.

13 hours ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

In the hacking chapter it mentions a runner can’t activate an icebreaker when encountering ice unless it’s done with an incidental gained from a talent or ability. I can’t find any talent or ability that allows a runner to do that. Any help?

I'm assuming that's for future-proofing. Either that or there was a talent or ability in a prior draft that got scrapped for one reason or another.

13 hours ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

For context, the issue is that a starting runner can only have one icebreaker installed and active at a time.

There is a tier 2 talent, Codeslinger, that lets you have 2 icebreakers active at once.

13 hours ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

If memory serves, this is pretty crappy as if they run into an Ice Wall and fail, they’re screwed.

There is no other penalty for failing to breach a barrier ice except for not getting past it. And if you find a barrier ice, the use your next manoeuvre to activate the appropriate icebreaker!

13 hours ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

Is there any way for a starting runner to have an at least semi-reliable way to find out what ice might be ahead?

Per SotB130, you can spend to "scout ahead" and learn of one unknown ice. The Athena ice (a bit out of the price range of a starting character, but still) lets you spend to learn about an unidentified ice.

13 hours ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

Any running advice is appreciated.

I would re-read SotB122. The bullet list on the left-side of the page suggests several steps you can take before the main run, one of which is doing a few "trial runs" to not only get a backdoor (by spending ) but also for scouting purposes to make sure you know what you're up against.

In addition, starting characters shouldn't be sent against a super-secure server and the GM should make sure the ice can be broken by the groups runner—unless it's a plot point for the runner to get a new icebreaker, of course!

It’s irritating they mention something that doesn’t exist, but we’ll live. The issue with simply waiting to activate an icebreaker on a subsequent turn is that some ice kicks you from a subsystem. It’s just a bad way to handle things.

As far as sending them against too-hard a system, that’s somewhat moot because of the above, but you’re advice is nonetheless good and I will dig back into that part about trial runs (getting a back door happened in our game and it awesome).

I appreciate it!

24 minutes ago, Alderaan Crumbs said:

The issue with simply waiting to activate an icebreaker on a subsequent turn is that some ice kicks you from a subsystem. It’s just a bad way to handle things.

If you're worried about a code-gate kicking you out of the system, make sure you activate a code-gate-targeting icebreak when you don't know what it is. If you're wrong, it's either a barrier (that does nothing) or is a sentry, which will get out of your way.

It's all about choices. Which is a worse option if you fail to break the ice? Being kicked out (code-gate) or continuing but alerting the SysOps (sentry)? Only your runner can determine that.

True!

Doesn't a runner need to pass the Ice Barrier before a Code-gate or Sentry could be encountered ? It's been a while since I've read the rules.

6 hours ago, WolfRider said:

Doesn't a runner need to pass the Ice Barrier before a Code-gate or Sentry could be encountered ? It's been a while since I've read the rules.

There is no "hierarchy" of ice, no. Once you're in the system, any ice can be protecting any subsystem.

The Burn Through talent (p51) allows a character to make a Break Ice action as an incidental (and 3 strain) providing they succesfully performed a successful Break Ice action in the current round. Its a Tier 4 talent though...

Although the text is wrong.

It should say:

"After making a successful break ice action, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent. If they do, they may perform a second break ice action on the same system as an incidental."

I've forwarded that question onto the relevant authorities