Wireless Directional Hacking Tool

[betomuraro]

Hello!

I`m GMing a Cyberpunk 4E campaign using a lot of material from other systems. Now to put some action to my netrunner player, I came up with a device that he can use as a laser pistol to hack in real time a target computer (it was lent to him from a fixer NPC that asked back after the mission).

I heavly improvised using the netrunning rules in cyberpunk pyramid magazine. And asked for a Pistols (laser) skill teste so he could hack the target known computer.

Now, in between sessions, I want to "create" the said gadget so I could have better control of it, because it was really overpowered as he could jam and spoof almost everything he could see. Not cool!

So I told him that the gadget was of military use and a more "civilian" one could be bought if he could find the right person.

Anyways, what a need now is some guidance to create a device that he could be used to hack wirelessly by aiming it to the target computer (including people with computer implants). The target must be visible and in reach of the directional signal of the device.

I thought something using an affliction ignoring some amount of DR that causes the target to change information with the netrunner cyberdeck as a point to point connection. So the netrunner would have his actions in cyberspace using the penalties for consecutive actions during hacking. After that, he would have to test his gun skill again to "hit" his target again if he want so.

Could you guys give me some help? Is there any similar device I could use right away?

[Varyon]

First off, don't be afraid to admit to the player that you made the first version too powerful and are now rebalancing it. If you tell him "Oh, you had a special version," he's probably going to be constantly trying to get one that functions like it, meaning either you'll have a disappointed player or you'll end up having the too-powerful version back in the campaign; neither is ideal. Alternatively, if your player is the unreasonable sort that won't accept that GM's can make mistakes without them destroying the game world, tell him the original was so powerful because it was reliant on a large number of 0-day exploits that have since been patched (possibly as an indirect result of the PCs' excursions).

Now, from your post it sounds like you basically made it so that he had to roll against a weapon skill, and if successful he was treated as though he'd plugged directly into the target. First and foremost, make certain you are having Range penalties and the like come into play - he needs to be able to successfully hit the target in order to hack it. Lasers typically have fairly high Acc, but thats with a full weapon assembly; if the device is meant to be used surreptitiously, it probably doesn't look like a weapon, and thus doesn't have all the weapon housing that makes aiming effective. Treating it similarly to a holdout laser or laser crystal (both UT113) seems about right, for only Acc 3. Additionally, it may need to hit a relatively small area on the target, which can impose penalties for hit location (it could avoid this problem if it used a wider beam, but then it's going to have markedly reduced range). Once it's on the target, it needs to stay there. For a stationary target, this isn't too much of an issue (although you may waver in your aim from time to time), but against a moving target it's rather more difficult. After a hit, against a target that's moving relatively slowly, you probably need to make another attack roll every few seconds (or minutes, depending on how long hacking takes in your setting) at half the initial range/speed/size penalties; success means you get to keep working normally (optionally, have MoS influence how long you get to wait until the next check), failure means you basically pause your hacking attempt while trying to reestablish contact (if MoS influences how long between rolls, have MoF simply determine how many seconds you are "paused" before you get to resume), and critical failure outright breaks contact, requiring you to start all over again (and, optionally, giving a chance your hacking attempt is noticed). Faster targets call for more frequent rolling. Due to the need to keep things steady, the character is probably going to be distracted, for a -2 to any skill rolls needed for the hacking itself (this may be avoidable by having an ally - probably your best shooter - be the one in control of the emitter). Additionally, the connection itself probably isn't as good as a more typical one, which may call for penalties or things simply taking extra time (just like WiFi connections being slower than direct cable connections). All that together will still have the device be incredibly useful, but there's still benefit to connecting more directly.

As a final note, do keep in mind that, realistically, many devices are going to be impossible to connect to wirelessly (they need to be designed to allow for wireless connections), and you'd be justified in having those that can be connected to actually having better security against wireless intrusion than against more direct access.

[betomuraro]

Thank you, Varyon.

The player is an experienced and also a GM in his own medieval campaign and a fairly good roleplayer so it's not very much of concern the explanation about the device in this sense.

The problem is, probably any other player will want to buy the device, so I need to keep thins fair all around.

Your thoughts nail most part of the problem. I think I will use the Houldout Electrolaser as my base model. I'm using most of the simplified combat rules from Action so it's going to be a little more complex than a standard weapon but thats ok.

Now about the design stats, is affliction a good call? Could you help me with that? I mean, is it actually needed? Or I just tell the players the rules and we're set?

[Celjabba]

If it is something that can be bought, a point cost / a full build is not necessary.
Just describe what it does and assign a price/LC/weight ...