Use this skill to access computer systems, write or modify computer programs, and override or bypass computer-controlled devices.
Check: Most normal computer operations, such as using a typical consumer application or doing research on the Internet, don’t require a Computer Use check (though you might have to make a Research check; see the Research skill description). However, searching an unfamiliar network for a particular file, writing computer programs, altering existing programs to perform differently (better or worse), and breaking through computer security are all relatively difficult and require skill checks.
Find File: Finding a specific flight manifest on an airline’s vast computer net, or the case file for an old murder on a police detective’s laptop, are examples of finding files or data on an unfamiliar system. The DC for the check and the time required are determined by the size of the site on which you’re searching.
Finding public information on the Internet does not fall under this category: usually, such a task requires a Research check. This application of the Computer Use skill only pertains to finding files on private systems with which you are not familiar.
| Size of Site | DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Personal computer | 10 | 1 round |
| Small office network | 15 | 2 rounds |
| Large office network | 20 | 1 minute |
| Massive corporate network | 25 | 10 minutes |
Defeat Computer Security: This application of Computer Use can’t be used untrained. The DC is determined by the quality of the security program installed to defend the system. If the check is failed by 5 or more, the security system immediately alerts its administrator that there has been an unauthorized entry. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify you or cut off your access to the system.
Sometimes, when accessing a difficult site, you have to defeat security at more than one stage of the operation (once to access the site, for example, and then later to alter some data). If you beat the DC by 10 or more when attempting to defeat computer security, you automatically succeed at all subsequent security checks at that site until the end of your session (see Computer Hacking below).
| Level of Security | DC |
|---|---|
| Minimum | 20 |
| Average | 25 |
| Exceptional | 35 |
| Maximum | 40 |
Defend Security: If you are the system administrator for a site (which may be as simple as being the owner of a laptop), you can defend the site against intruders. If your site alerts you to an intruder, you can attempt to cut off the intruder’s access (end his session), or even to identify the intruder.
To cut off access, make an opposed Computer Use check against the intruder. If you succeed, the intruder’s session is ended. She might be able to defeat your security and access your site again. but at least she’ll have to start all over. Attempting to cut off access takes a full round.
One surefire way to prevent further access is to simply shut the site down. With a single computer, that’s often no big deal-but on a large site with many computers (or computers controlling functions that can’t be interrupted), it may be time-consuming or even impossible.
To identify the intruder, make an opposed Computer Use check against the intruder. If you succeed, you learn the site from which the intruder is operating (if it’s a single computer, you learn the name of the computer’s owner). Identifying the intruder requires 1 minute and is a separate check from cutting off access. This check can only be made if the intruder is accessing your site for the entire length of the check – if the intruder’s session ends before you finish the check, you automatically fail.
This application of the skill can be used to intercept a cell phone conversation if you have a cellular interceptor (see cellular interceptor). The DC is 35, or 25 if you know the number of the phone that initiated the call.
Degrade Programming: You can destroy or alter applications on a computer to make use of that computer harder or impossible. The DC for the attempt depends on what you try to do. Crashing a computer simply shuts it down. Its user can restart it without making a skill check (however, restarting takes 1 minute). Destroying programming makes the computer unusable until the programming is repaired. Damaging programming imposes a -4 penalty on all Computer Use checks made with the computer (sometimes this is preferable to destroying the programming, since the user might not know that anything is wrong, and won’t simply decide to use a different computer).
You can degrade the programming of multiple computers at a single site; doing so adds +2 to the DC for each additional computer.
| Scope of Alteration | DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Crash computer | 10 | 1 minute |
| Destroy programming | 15 | 10 minutes |
| Damage programming | 20 | 10 minutes |
Fixing the degraded programming requires l hour and a Computer Use check against a DC equal to the DC for degrading it + 5.
Write Program: You can create a program to help you with a specific task. Doing so grants you a +2 circumstance bonus to the task.
A specific task, in this case, is one type of operation with one target. For instance, you could write a program to help you find files on a particular corporate network. It wouldn’t help you defeat computer security on that corporate network, or find files on a different network.
The DC to write a program is 20; the time required Is 1 hour.
Operate Remote Device: Many devices – security cameras, communications arrays, door locks, alarms, satellites, and so forth – are computer-operated via remote links. If you have access to the computer that controls such systems, you can either shut them off or change their operating parameters. The DC depends on the nature of the operation. If you fail the check by 5 or more, the system immediately alerts its administrator that there has been an unauthorized use of the equipment. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify you or cut off your access to the system.
Special: You can take 10 when using the Computer Use skill. You can take 20 in some cases. but not in those that involve a penalty for failure. (You cannot take 20 to defeat computer security or defend security.)
A character with the Gearhead feat gets a +2 bonus on all Computer Use checks.
Time: Computer Use requires at least a full-round action. The GM may determine that some tasks require several rounds, a few minutes, or longer, as described below.
| Type of Operation | DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Shut down passive remote (including cameras and door locks) | 20 | 1 round per remote |
| Shut down active remote (including motion-detectors and alarms) | 25 | 1 round per remote |
| Reset parameters | 30 | 1 minute per remote |
| Change passcodes | 25 | 1 minute |
| Hide evidence of alteration | +10 | 1 minute |
| Minimum security | -5 | – |
| Exceptional security | +10 | – |
| Maximum security | +15 | – |
Computer Hacking
Sometimes it’s useful to get into an enemy’s computers, to thwart his nefarious plans or simply find evidence of what he’s up to. Breaking into a secure computer or network is often called hacking.
When you hack, you attempt to invade a site. A site is a virtual location containing files, data, or applications. A site can be as small as a single computer, or as large as a corporate network connecting computers and data archives all over the world-the important thing is that access to the site connects the user to everything within it. Some sites can be accessed via the Internet; others are not connected to any outside network and can only be tapped into by a user who physically accesses a computer connected to the site.
Every site is overseen by a system administrator – the person in charge of the site, and who maintains its security. Often, the system administrator is the only person with access to all of a site’s functions and data. A site can have more than one system administrator; large sites have a system administrator on duty at all times. You are the system administrator of your personal computer.
When you hack Into a site, your visit is called a session. Once you stop accessing the site, the session is over. You can go back to the site in the future; when you do, it’s a new session.
Several steps are required to hack into a site:
Cover Your Tracks: This step is optional, but careful hackers – especially those with plenty of time – often take it. By making a Computer Use check (DC 20), you can alter your own identifying information. This imposes a -5 penalty on any attempt made to identify you if your activity is detected.
Access the Site: There are two ways to do this: physically or over the Internet.
Physical Access: You gain physical access to the computer, or a computer connected to the site. You might sneak into a person’s office, or break into a network junction and tap into a communications line. If the site you’re hacking is not connected to the Internet, this is probably the only way you can access it. A variety of skill checks may be required, depending on the method you use to gain access.
Internet Access: Reaching a site over the net requires two Computer Use checks. The first check (DC 10) is needed to find the site on the net. The second is a check to defeat computer security (see the Computer Use skill
description). Once you’ve succeeded in both checks, you’ve accessed the site.
Locate What You’re Looking For: To find the data (or application. or remote device) you want, make a Computer Use check. See Find File under the skill description.
Defeat File Security: Many networks have additional file security. A database, for example, may need a password to authorize access. If that’s the case, you need to make another check to defeat computer security.
Do Your Stuff: Finally, you can actually do what you came to do. If you just want to look at records, no additional check is needed. (You can also download data, although that often takes several rounds – or even several
minutes, for especially large amounts of information – to complete.) Altering or deleting records sometimes requires yet another check to defeat computer security. Other operations, such as degrading programming or shutting off a remote camera, can be carried out according to the Computer Use skill description.