These were written before the Cyber Hero supplement was written, and, in my opinion, work better than the rules presented there. Enjoy!
The Net is effectively a universe in its own right. When a person enters it their body, in most cases, goes comatose (in the same way as Desolidification with the 'Leaves Body Behind' Limitation) and is oblivious to its surroundings, although the User within the Net feels injuries to their real body. If the Users link to the Net is severed unexpectedly (by whatever means) then they immediately return to their real body, are at 0 DCV and cannot act for one Phase while they regain their senses.
Within the Net, Users, unless they are 'piggybacking' on another User as a passive observer, have the ability to move along lines of communication (counted as a minimum of 5" of Flight, only along the lines) and create offensive and defensive programs for various purposes. This is represented by giving each User a Variable Power Pool, which contains a number of Points equal to three times the Users Intelligence. This Pool is manipulated by the Users Computer Programming skill in the same way as other Power Pool control skills, and is free.
Non-psionic Users need a cyberdeck to enter the Net. While this is effectively a Focus and can be traced from within the Net (although Stealth skill helps to conceal these traces), it does have the advantage that it can be loaded with offensive and defensive programs of various types (represented by another Power Pool with the Focus (variable), only usable in the Net (-1) and Powers only changed outside the Net (-1/2) Limitations on it - characters do have to pay points for this type of Pool), and can also enhance the Users Computer Programming skill (pluses to skill, bought with the same Focus Limitation as other cyberdeck powers).
Within the Net, Users and certain types of programs have stats equivalent to those in the real world. Strength is always zero, and programs cannot affect each other 'physically', only with attack programs. A Users Dexterity and Ego both become equal to their Intelligence, Con becomes twenty and Speed becomes four (although time rates between the Net and the Real world do not have any real correspondence). All of these stats can be raised further using the Users Net Power Pool. A Users Net stats do not have the 'Normal Characteristic Maxima' Limitation. All users programs in the Net have a Body value equal to the users computer programming skill, and an amount of Stun which is determined normally (i.e. Body + Strength / 2 + Constition / 2).
Like other programs, cyberdeck Users are constrained to travel along the lines of communication, only changing lines at exchanges. However, a psionic User can jump from one line to another which they can see without first having to pass through an exchange by putting their Net Power Pool into Teleportation.
Attack programs (which normally have icons at least vaguely indicative of their function) do damage to other programs within the Net, either scrambling them until they self-repair (Stun damage, with Body damage counting as semi-permanent scrambling of parts of the program), actually erasing parts of the program (Body damage), interfering with the running of parts of the program (Drains) or trapping the program in a section of the Net for later attack or analysis (Entangles - these can often only be escaped by logging out of the Net leaving the program behind for analysis by its captors, and very sophisticated programs exist which make even this impossible). All attack programs (generally defined as EB's or RKA's) do Stun and Body but cannot do Knockback.
Programs normally only affect other things within the Net, but it is possible to write programs which affect real things linked into the Net (both Users and machinery) - these are primarily either attack or surveillance (brought as Clairsentience) programs. In this case the program must be bought with the +2 Advantage 'Affects Real World'.
Most programs which are not Users count as Automatons with mind links to their controlling computer.
All programs, whether Automatons or Users, are erased if they reach zero Body. If a User (whether accessing via a cyberdeck or psionics) reaches zero Body in this way then they lose all contact with the Net, and immediately return to their real body where they are at 0 DCV and cannot act for one Phase while they regain their senses (as are any 'piggybacked' Users they have with them). They also have an unpleasant headache.
A program brought to zero Stun is so scrambled that it cannot function until it has repaired the damage to itself.
If this happens to a cyberdeck User then they lose contact with the Net until their program recovers, although their link to the program is still open and makes tracing the User back to their location in the real world much easier (using 'Mind Scan' or Tracking powers). For this reason many people who illegally enter the Net set their cyberdecks to automatically cut them off if their programs are brought to zero Stun.
For a psionic, however, as their minds are actually within the Net, any Stun taken in the Net is also applied to their real bodies. If they are brought to zero Stun within the Net their minds, and any other they have 'piggybacked' with them automatically leave the Net and return to their (unconscious) bodies. If for some reason the psionics Net persona has more Stun than the Stun of their real body then it will stay active even if their real body is unconscious, until their Net persona becomes unconscious.
All users theoretically have to pay for their access to the Net. However, psionics avoid this simply by avoiding use of normal access terminals - they only have to be careful when using the LDL's. Cyberdeck Users can also avoid paying in various ways. These include illegally splicing into a communication line (difficult, with a relatively high chance of detection and harsh penalties [Security Systems, Computer Programming and Electronics skills needed as a minimum]), illegally using someone else's terminal (usually involves breaking and entering, with its associated risks [Security Systems and Lockpicking]) or changing the records of the Net utility company involved (difficult, with very harsh penalties [just very high levels of Computer Programming]).
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