Author Topic: [PoC] Skills  (Read 1038 times)

Garryl

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[PoC] Skills
« on: June 29, 2017, 02:35:40 PM »
Expanded Skills
The following skills are expanded to include rules specific to cybernetic campaigns.



Craft (Int)
Power of Cybernetics introduces several new items that can be created with the Craft skill.

Alchemy: Activators can craft alchemical items just like spellcasters can. The use of a chemical lab also allows non-spellcasters to craft alchemical items.

Creating Items With Gadgets: You can build a variety of non-magical tools and devices into other devices, which grant various abilities through their exceptional technological components, not through being magical. Gadgets must normally be added to an item at the time of creation, just like making a masterwork item. There is no limit to the number of gadgets any given item can have, although each gadget is crafted separately. Both standard and masterwork items can have gadgets.

To create an item with a gadget, you create the gadget component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item, just like making a masterwork item. The gadget component has its own price and Craft DC, as indicated by the gadget's description. The item is not finished until all components are completed (that is, the standard component, each gadget component, and the masterwork component, if applicable). Note: The cost you pay for the gadget component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.



Disguise (Cha)

Conceal Armor: Just like making a disguise, you can make armor seem like normal clothing upon simple inspection. Viewers must succeed on a Spot check to notice it and recognize it as armor, just like seeing through any other disguise.

Table: Conceal Armor
ArmorDisguise Check Modifier
Concealable+101
Unrestrictive2+0
Light-10
Medium-20
Heavy-40
1. The modifier for concealable armor replaces the normal penalties for disguising armor of its weight. Some types of concealable armor may still impose lesser penalties on the Disguise check.
2. Light armor with no armor check penalty imposes no penalty on the Disguise check.

Concealable armor is less obtrusive, and is itself designed to look like normal clothing. A viewer's Spot check must be sufficient to beat your Disguise check and to match the concealable armor's Spot DC (usually DC 30) to recognize it as armor.

Light armor with no armor check penalty (that is, a penalty of -0), such as padded and leather armor, imposes no penalty on the Disguise check. Light armor made to have no armor check penalty as a result of its make, materials, or enhancements, such as masterwork studded leather armor or a mithral chain shirt, also gains this benefit. Medium and heavier armor is too large and bulky to easily conceal, no matter how well made it is.



Gather Information (Cha)

Check: Using a computer with internet access, you can find common information relatively quickly. For basic, freely available information (DC 10 or less), you can find the relevant information in only 1d4+1 minutes. Less common or more specific information (DC 11-20) takes 1d4+1x10 minutes to find. Obscure or hyper-specific information (DC 21 or higher) can take just as long or longer as culling rumors or finding people in the know (1d4+1 hours). This otherwise functions as a normal Gather Information check.

Try Again: Yes, but it takes time for each check. Furthermore, you may draw attention to yourself if you repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on computer-assisted Gather Information checks.



Heal (Wis)

Table: Heal
TaskHeal DC
Cryogenic preparation15 + 1 per round
Cryorevival125 + 1 per round
Long-Term Care (irradiation)15
Treat Disease (radiation sickness)Disease's save DC
1. Trained only

Cryogenic Preparation: You can prepare a recently slain creature for cryogenic preservation and later cryorevival. Advances in cryogenics for military use have sped the process up rapidly, to the point where it only requires 2 uninterrupted rounds of work. Rapid preservation is key, as the DC of this check is equal to 15 + 1 per round that the creature has been dead when the cryoprep process begins. Failure by 5 or more permanently damages the body to the point where cryorevival is impossible. Failure by 4 or less means that the body is not significantly damaged, and thus you can try again. Cryogenic preparation is impossible without the appropriate tools and materials.

Cryorevival: The other side of cryogenic preservation is cryorevival. A skilled and trained doctor can revive a cryogenically preserved corpse and bring it back to life. This process takes 8 hours of work. The DC of this check is equal to 25 + 1 per round that the creature has been dead when the cryorevival process begins, excluding time spent cryogenically preserved. On a success, the creature is returned to life. Except for being nonmagical and having no limit on the time the creature may have been dead (aside from the skill check DC), this functions identically to the raise dead spell. Cryorevival requires a fully stocked cryorevival lab and consumes materials worth 5000 gp in the process. This use of the Heal skill cannot be used untrained.

The same principles of cryorevival can also be used to revive dead creatures that were not cryogenically preserved first, but this is usually impractical unless they die within the cryorevival lab itself, with all of the medical personnel ready and waiting; the cryopreservation process allows time for the body to be moved and the personnel to be gathered and prepared.

Long-term Care: You can use the long-term care function of the Heal skill to improve the rate at which a creature loses radiation. If your Heal check is successful, the patient loses radiation at twice the normal rate (1/5th the patient's radiation score, minimum 2).

Treat Disease: As it functions as a disease, you can use the treat disease function of the Heal skill to aid a patient suffering from radiation sickness.



Knowledge (Arcana) (Int; Trained Only)
In some ways, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. While it primarily falls into the realm of engineering, there is a degree of cross-pollination of ideas and knowledge.

Check: You can use the Knowledge (arcana) skill to answer basic questions about various activators and cybernetic technologies, as with the Knowledge (architecture and engineering) skill. However, you do so with a -5 penalty on your check (it is not your primary field of study, even if it does frequently interact with it), and cannot answer any such questions with DCs greater than 20.



Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int; Trained Only)
Cybernetic technologies fall into the realm of engineering.

Check: You can use the Knowledge (architecture and engineering) skill to answer questions about various activators and cybernetic technologies. For example, you can attempt a Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check to identify a particular developer known to construct or research a particular type of technology, to recall basic facts about the philosophy or practices of a cybernetic organization, or to recall the adventures or exploits of famous activators.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (architecture and engineering), you get a +2 bonus on technical knowledge checks.



Listen (Wis)

Table: Listen
Listen DCSound
-20Firearm firing or grenade exploding
-10Firearm firing with a sound suppressor

Pinpoint Sound: If you succeed on a Listen check by 20 or more, you can pinpoint the source of the sound. You can tell the exact 5-foot square in which the sound originated. If you cannot see the sound's source, it still has total concealment, however.



Search (Int)

Frisk: You can use the Search skill to look and feel for objects hidden on a person's body or clothing. This check is opposed by the Sleight of Hand check used to hide the object (or the Disguise check, in the case of concealed armor). You gain a +4 bonus on your Search check, since it’s generally easier to find such an object than to hide it. Frisking a willing character of your size or smaller is a full-round action, although frisking a character of one size category larger than you takes 2 rounds, and this doubles for each category larger than that (4 rounds for 2 size categories larger than you, 8 rounds for 3 larger, 16 rounds for 4 larger, etc.).



Spellcraft (Int; Trained Only)

Check: In some ways, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. You can use Spellcraft to identify modules much like you would with spells. The options to identify modules with Spellcraft are the same as the ones with Computer Use, but at a higher DC. Not all options from Computer Use are available with Spellcraft, however.

Table: Spellcraft
Spellcraft DCTask
25Identify a module being used. (You must see or hear some obvious sign of the module's effect.) No action required. No retry.
20When casting detect magic, identify a module detected. No action required.

Action: Varies, as noted above.

Try Again: See above.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify modules.



Spot (Wis)

Notice Concealed Armor: While most types of armor are big, bulky, and obvious, some types are designed to appear as normal, everyday clothing. Noticing concealable armor and recognizing it as actual armor usually has a DC of 30, when not built into a more significant disguise. You only make a single check each time to notice disguised concealable armor, which you compare against both the Spot DC of the concealable armor and against the wearer's Disguise check.



Use Magic Device (Cha; Trained Only)

Decode Device: This usage works just like decoding a device with the Computer Use skill, except that the DC is 5 points higher. Decoding a device requires 1 minute of concentration.

Use a Device: If you are activating module from a device, you have to decode it first. Normally, to activate a module from a device, you must have the device's module on your class module list and have access to the socket to which the device is keyed. Use Magic Device allows you to activate a device despite that. The DC is equal to 20 + the activator level of the module you are trying to activate from the device.

Use Cybernetic Item: You can use the Use Magic Device skill to blindly activate or to emulate the requirements of a cybernetic item just like with magic items. If an item has both cybernetic and magical properties, use the higher of its activator level and its caster level in place of either of them, where relevant.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks related to cybernetic devices.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2017, 02:53:44 PM by Garryl »
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Garryl

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Re: [PoC] Skills
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2017, 02:47:19 PM »
New Skills
Power of Cybernetics introduces a new skill, Computer Use, specific to cybernetic campaigns.

The following printed base classes treat Computer Use as a class skill when used as part of cybernetic campaigns. DMs should use their judgement based on the precedent these classes set when determining whether a prestige class or a base class from a sourcebook not mentioned should treat Computer Use as a class skill.
  • Artificer (ECS)
  • Bard
  • Beguiler (PHB2)
  • Rogue



Computer Use (Int; Trained Only)

Table: Computer Use
TaskComputer Use DC
Identify moduleVaries (see below)
Decode device20
Find file on an unfamiliar systemVaries (see below)
Defeat computer securityVaries (see below)
Computer hacking(WIP)
Defend computer securityAttacker's Computer Use check
Degrade programming(WIP)
Repair degraded programmingDegrade DC + 5
Repair unrestricted accessAttacker's Computer Use check
Write script1Task's DC + 10
Operate remote deviceVaries (see below)
1. Usable untrained for simple tasks

Check
Most normal computer operations don’t require a Computer Use check (though a character might have to make a Gather Information check; see the Gather Information skill description). These simple operations do not require training. However, identifying modules, 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. The more complex of these simply cannot be done untrained.

Identify Module
You can identify modules and cybernetic effects. The DCs for Computer Use checks relating to various tasks are summarized on the table below.

Table: Identify Module DCs
Computer Use DCTask
20Identify a module being used. (You must see or hear some obvious sign of the module's effect.) No action required. No retry.
15When casting detect magic, identify a module detected. No action required.
15When casting detect cybernetics, identify a module detected. If you succeed by 5 or more, you also determine which sockets it is attached to (if any). No action required.
30After rolling a saving throw against a module's effect targeted on you, determine what that module was. No action required. No retry.
30 or higherUnderstand a strange or unique cybernetic effect. Time required varies. No retry.

Decode Device
You can decipher the encoding of a cybernetic device, identifying what module it activates and what socket it is keyed to, with a DC 20 Computer Use check. You can attempt to decide a given device only once per day; on a failure, you must wait until the next day to try again. Decoding a device requires a full-round action.

Find File
This skill can be used for 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 are searching. Example site sizes, DCs, and search times are given on the table below. Finding public information on the Internet does not fall under this category; usually, such a task requires a Gather Information check. This application of the Computer Use skill only pertains to finding files on private systems with which you are not familiar. This application of Computer Use can be used untrained.

Table: Find File DCs
Size of SiteDCTime
Personal computer101 round
Small office network151d4+1 rounds
Large office network201 minute
Massive corporate network2510 minutes

Defeat Computer Security
Some computer systems have security programs to prevent unauthorized use. When attempting to use such a system in an unauthorized manner, you must first defeat the security. This is normally part of the action to perform the unauthorized action. 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 may have to defeat security at more than one stage of the operation. You must make a new check at each stage. However, you can attempt to attain unrestricted access to the site by disabling or semi-permanently bypassing the security. See below for more details.

Table: Computer Security DCs
Level of SecurityDC
Minimum20
Average25
Strong30
Exceptional35
Maximum40

When fighting against computer security while hacking a site, you can attempt to achieve unrestricted access to the site. This may take the form of disabling the computer security, exploiting a backdoor, implanting false credentials that mark you as a valid user, or other methods. Regardless of the method, this temporarily grants you unrestricted access to the site. Disabling computer security takes 1d4+1 rounds. The Computer Use DC is 10 points higher than normal for defeating the computer security. On a success, you need not make subsequent security checks at that site against that source of computer security until the end of your session (see Computer Hacking below). If you make the check against a DC 20 points higher than normal instead of 10, your unrestricted access remains indefinitely, until such time as the administrator manually repairs your breach (see Repair Programming below). Regardless, different sources of computer security (such as accessing a higher security section of the site) still require additional checks and must be bypassed separately.

If the computer security is controlled by an artificial intelligence or other sentient computer entity, defeating security is instead an opposed Computer Use check. Any increases to the check DC instead apply as a bonus to the security's check result.

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 the site alerts you to an intruder, you can attempt to cut off the intruder’s access (end the intruder’s 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. The intruder might be able to defeat your security and access your site again, but the intruder will have to start the hacking process all over. Attempting to cut off access takes 1 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.

Some sites can be administered by artificial intelligences or other sentient computer entities. Such entities make their own Computer Use checks on their own as soon as they identify an intruder. Depending on the nature of the entity and the intrusion, the entity may attempt to identify the intruder first or simply cut off the intruder's access.

Repair Programming
Fixing degraded programming requires 1 hour and a Computer Use check against a DC equal to the DC for degrading it + 5.

Removing unrestricted access past computer security requires requires 1 hour and a Computer Use check against a DC equal to the check result that enabled the unrestricted access.

Write Script
A character can create a script or a simple program to perform a specific task. A specific task, in this case, is one type of computer operation with one target. This task can be any use of the Computer Use skill, including an aid another attempt to assist another script or a user.

The DC to write a script is equal to the DC of the task + 10 (minimum DC 15), or DC 20 for tasks that require opposed checks or otherwise have no specific DC; the time required is 1 hour. When the script is run, it has a check modifier equal to the result of its author's Computer Use check - 20, and it is always treated as having rolled a 10 (this is not the same as taking 10).

Tasks that do not normally require a skill check can be performed with simpler scripts. Writing such a script requires a DC 15 check and takes only 10 minutes to complete.

By accepting a -5 penalty on the Computer Use check, a character can decrease the programming time required by half. Each additional -5 penalty added further halves the time required, to a minimum of one round.

This application of Computer Use can be used untrained, but only to write scripts that have DCs less than 20 and perform tasks that can themselves be performed untrained.

Operate Remote Device
Many devices 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.

Table: Operate Remote Device DCs
Type of OperationDCTime
Shut down passive remote (including cameras and door locks)101 round per remote
Shut down active remote (including motion detectors and alarms)151 round per remote
Reset parameters201 minute per remote
Change passcodes151 minute
Hide evidence of alteration+101 minute
Minimum security+5
Average security+10
Strong security+15
Exceptional security+20
Maximum security+25

Often, it may be desirable to feed falsified information through a remote decide, rather than just disabling it. By increasing the DC of the check by 5, you can have a remote feed false status information to its monitors instead of or in addition to shutting it down. For example, a door lock may incorrectly report that the door is locked, or a camera might play looped video of an empty hallway.

Action
Varies, as noted above. If not otherwise stated, a Computer Use check takes 1 round.

Try Again
See above. Most uses of this skill allow you to try again, but may have penalties for failure.

Special
A cybot has a +2 racial bonus on Computer Use checks.

An engi has a +2 racial bonus on Computer Use checks.

Synergy
  • If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on computer-assisted Gather Information checks.
  • If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify modules.
  • If you have 5 or more ranks in Computer Use, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks related to cybernetic devices.
  • If you have 5 or more ranks in Decipher Script, you get a +2 bonus on Computer Use checks to decipher the encoding of a cybernetic device.
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