Electronics And Computers

Networking/Hacking/Cracking

Connecting

If your character has legitimate access to a computer they can connect with a DC 15 Roll (or just take a 10). The Computers will only allow certain actions for a user to take. if the computer has multiple users it can have a access control program that assigns a different access to different users.

Some Systems may require local physical access to use at all, such as a computer not connected to a network.

Elevating Privileges

In general, there are three levels of access to a system:

The Networks security is represented in a tree of DCs that must be beaten in order to obtain certain access levels. If you have physical access to the machine the first level of security can count as immediately bypassed. if you are allowed to open the machine your character can take 20s on Checks. AS the cracker progress thru the security levels. failures are totaled. If the cracker fails too many times (Equal to the detection number) they are detected and the system will take the indicated counter action. The system may notify the admin, or just lock out all connection attempts for a period of time.

Examples

Standard PC - with different Passwords for User and Admin accounts
Crunchy Outside Gooey Inside Network
Local Police Network
Computer Controlled Door lock

Code Breaking

Data pulled off a computer may still be encrypted, this would require additional checks to decrypt as well as a large amount of time. A person can make one try per hour. A computer may try (KNO x 10) times faster. This isn't realistic, but a little room for super human ability and maybe a little insight helps.

Cheap Commercial Encryption
Good Encryption

Social Engineering

Never underestimate the value of people skills to obtain information. An Enchanter will beat an Expert to the data on a system 9 times out of 10. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And a system's resist persuasion is only as high as its lowest user or admin. Actually more computer literate users are more resistant to these kind of schemes. A user may use WIL+Network Hacking to resist attempts to aquire their access statistics.

Computers

Base Models KNO Memory UI Price
Desktop 10 100 +1 $500
Laptop 8 50 0 $500
Pocket-Size 6 25 -2 $500
Computer Upgrade Price
+1 KNO $50
+2 KNO $65
+3 KNO $100
+4 KNO $125
+5 KNO $200
+6 KNO $250
+7 KNO $400
+8 KNO $500
+9 KNO $800
+10 KNO $1000
+5 Memory, upto double base $2
Computers Hardware add-ons Price
Keyboard & Monitor (+1 UI ) $200
VR Interface (+3 UI) $1000
B&W Printer $300
Color Printer $500
Document & Image Scanner $200
Speakers, Microphone & Audio Interface $100
Pointing device, game pad, tablet, etc. $40 each
Network Interface/Modem $50
Wireless Interface $150
Barcode reader $40
TV/Video interface $200
3D output mill $3000
Digital picture camera $100
Removable media drive $40
Disk (10 Units) $1
Disk (100 Units) $15
Disk (300 Units) $50

Moore's Law

Moore's Law, which strictly speaking predicts the rate of improvement of transistor performance, has been generally applied to computer technology as every 18 months, computer power doubles. In game terms, this is reflected by every 18 months a computer gets -2 to it's KNO. So expect to buy a new computer every 18 months if you want to stay on top of the game. The GM may extend this penalty to any other high tech item, such as anything having to do with data transfer speeds.

Software

Power Stability

Program Cost Memory
OS
Embedded OS (Forth, DOS)
Server OS (Unix)
User OS (Mac OS)
Productivity
Document Editing $3 1
Each page of Document - 1
Audio Editing $3 1
Each 15s of Audio - 1
Video Editing $3 1
Each 15s of Video - 4
Data Storage
Tools
Control Logic
Multitasking
Games
Simulation
Tracing
Network Security
Intrusion $3 1
Decryption $3 1
Compression $3 1
Encryption $3 1
Mathematics $3 1
Game: specific $1 2
Simulation: specific $3 2
Design: specific $5 2
Knowledge Base: specific $3 2
Financing $3 1
Trace $3 1
Restore $3 1
Security $3 1
Intrusion Detection $3 1
Computer Skills/Programs(1-64)
Cryptography
Virus
Worm
Action
Robot
Data search
Security
Simulation
AI

Programming

Modifying Software

Open Source

AI

Computers can be used as mental characters that can be programmed to act on there own, but they cannot initiate there own actions, use there extensive knowledge to deduce things, or refuse properly formatted requests. To get around this a computer may fake these by being programmed with an artificial intelligence.

Attribute Mem Cost
KNO
CUN
PRE
WIL
Skill

AI characters

Micro Circuit Fabrication

A character with the Craft: Digital Electronics skill can assemble the chips below to try to build a full device. Choose circuit modules and connect data streams and signals to get the effect desired. Total the cost of the components and use the table to determine the DC based on module count. Power supplied by the supply must exceed what is used by the modules.

Size is the same as the largest module, with the following important addendum. Any two modules with the same size count as one module one size larger. If we had 1 module size 1, 2 modules size 2, 1 module size 3 and 1 module size 4, that would be the same as 1 module size 1 and 1 module size 5 so the whole project would be size 5. if you dropped the size 2, 3, or 4 module then the project size would be 4. If you had 15 modules size 2 that is the same as 1 module size 2, 1 module size 3, 1 module size 4 and 1 module size 5, so the whole project is size 5.

Devices with advanced control logic will require software to run. The Base DC is 25 if written by the same person who built the hardware. The DC goes upto 30 for a third party SW developer. the HW developer can make an aid another check, using Assisting, Craft: Programs or Craft: Digital Electronics.

Examples

Modules DC
2 25
4 27
8 29
16 31
32 33
64 35

Chips And Circuit Modules

Module DC Size Power Cost
Logic
Delay chip $1 generates a signal a fixed time after starting
Clock $1 generates a signal every fixed period of time
Clock/calender $5 reports current time and date
Counter 1 $1 reports count of signals
Control Toggle $1 generates a signal when reported data stream crosses a preset threshold
Amplifier chip $5 reports an amplified version of another reported data stream
Simple math chip $10 performs simple mathmatical calulations
Advanced Logic
Programmable logic device $40 programmable collection of logic devices, can be programmed with Craft: Digital Electronics
Embedded CPU $150 KNO 6
Portable CPU $200 KNO 8
Full CPU $250 KNO 10
Storage
Memory per unit $2
Read only memory per unit $1
Inputs
Button or switch $1 generates a signal on user action
Keypad $5 array of 20 buttons
Keyboard $20 array of 100 buttons
External port $5 external connection for data or signals
- cable per yard $1
Displays
Indicator light $1 signal causes display for the user
Bar graph display $3 array of 8 indicators for displaying a multi-level signal
Numerical display $10 display of 10 digit numbers
Alphanumerical display $30 display of 80 letters, digits or punctuation
Low Resolution screen $50 -2 to Notice Sight
High Resolution screen $200
External display controller $40 external connection to display device TV, monitor, etc
Sensors
Flow speed detector $15 reports fluid (gas or liquid) flow rate
Specific fluid detector chip $10 reports concentration of fluid
Temperature detector $5 reports temperature
pressure detector $10 reports pressure guage
Geiger detector chip $20 reports radiation (alpha, beta or gamma) levels
Position Time Sensors
GPS reciever $20 reports time and position based on satellite broadcasts
Altitude detector $10 reports altitude based on air pressure
Depth detector $10 reports depth based on water pressure
Gyro-compass $45 reports heading relative to north and an artificial horizon
Accelerometer $10 reports ???
Ultrasonic distance detector $5 reports distance to first target to echo ultrasonic signal
Laser distance detector $25 reports distance to first target to reflect laser
Radar distance detector $100 reports distance to first target to reflect radar signal
hard wired maps per region $10
Controls
Simple motor controller $5 signal starts or stops motor
Fine motor controller $20 adjusts angle of rotor in electric motor, reports angle of rotor
Heavy motor controller $100 Adjusts speed of heavy motor
Heater chip $2 signal causes chip to become hot
Peltier chip $5 signal causes chip to shift heat from cool side to hot side
Detonator chip $15 signal causes to to detonate destroying circuit or detonating addditonal explosive
Audio
Microphone $5 reports audio data stream
Sound synthesizer chip $20 reports generated hearing range audio data stream
Ultrasonic chip $30 reports generated ultrasonic range audio data stream
Speaker driver $20 outputs audio data stream
External audio jack $2 outputs audio to external device
Hard wired sound data $3 reports pregenerated audio data stream
Word recognizer $10 generates up to 5 different signals based on configured words
Optics
Mini-laser $20 outputs a tight beam EM signal
Bright light $5 outputs a spread beam Optical signal
Light intensity detector 1 $5 reports light intensity data stream
Digital Camera, Low Resolution 5 $10 -2 to Notice Sight
Digital Camera, High Resolution 10 $300
Communications
Radio broadcasting chip $40 outputs a RF signal at configured frequency
Radio receiving chip $40 reports RF signal at configured frequency
Modem or telecommunication chip $50 converts a between internal data stream and long distance signal
Short Range Wireless $20 allows wireless communication between to devices within 5 yards
Scrambler chip $30 encodes data stream so that it can only be decoder by an identically configured scrambler chip
Power
Disposible Battery Pack
Rechargable Battery Pack
Power Brick
Level Cost
-------- -----
1 x1
2 x2
3 x4
4 x8
5 x16
6 x32
7 x64
8 x128
9 x256
10 x512

EM Bands

Power

Energy Charges

?? Conversion Rate between E-Charges and Chip Hours?

Batteries E-Clips Solar Wall Socket Generator Laptop Battery(good 3 hours) $200 PDA Battery(10 hours) $50 Power
battery(100 chip hours) $1 lantern battery(1000 chip hours) $5 rechargeable(50 chip hours) $10 plug $10 solar cell(power 30 chips) $40 E-Mag Charges Reload Regen Charge Time Cost Short 1500 Move 0 20 min $100 Long 3000 Move 0 1 hour $300 Heavy 25000 Full 0 1 day $1000 Generators hip pack 2500 1 min 1/2 1 hour $1000 backpack 20000 1 min 1 1 day $4000