CYBER FUNDAMENTALS

UNDERSTANDING NETWORKS

All networks are constructed from Nodes; ports into the network which are linked physically by wires. To access a node and hack into the network Splicers must physically find one in the world. Any device wired into the network like a destroyed enemy turret, a databank or a camera will have a corresponding node. Direct connection through wires that run through walls is possible, however, it hinges on the technical knowledge needed to fashion a node and the ability to find them. The entities which occupy nodes are sorted into two classifications; Objects and Actors. 

Objects refer to inert devices which receive information via the network but do not execute protocol commands or make choices that affect the broader network. Objects include but are not limited to doors, turrets, cameras and worker drones. 

Actors refer to entities within a network which execute protocol commands and can utilise the objects on the network. A hacking Splicer is considered an actor in addition to any other hackers on the network and AI consciousness’.

When a Splicer is the only Actor on a network they may act with impunity knowing that the Objects they manipulate don't have any way of striking back against them or even being aware of their presence. However, Actors will become aware of their contemporaries as soon as they execute a protocol and may use the network to fight back against each other.

WILLING / UNWILLING NETWORKS

Using an integration tether to connect one's mind through a node to a network consists of a free action. However, networks unwilling to obey a Splicer’s influence will automatically deploy a “firewall” to keep out potential hackers. When connecting to such a network a Splicer will be required to use an action and make a Cyber check in order to breach the firewall and execute their protocols. The difficulty of this Cyber check is left to the GM’s discretion however in most cases it is assumed to be a standard check.

This process is only required when a Splicer first “hacks” a network and is not required on subsequent turns should they remain connected. If they disconnect and attempt to reconnect later, they will have to breach the firewall again. As such Splicer’s are incentivized to remain in a network in order to maximise their action economy, however, this does place them at risk of retaliation from other actors within the network. 

This hypothetical turn demonstrates the difference between connecting to willing and unwilling networks and how it impacts a player’s action economy:

During a round of combat a Splicer decides she wants to power up her ally so they can effectively destroy an attacking turret. She expends her movement approaching her ally, “jacks in '' as a free action and uses one of her actions to execute the “overclock” protocol, buffing her friend. For her final action she uses her pistol to attack the turret herself. In this case she need not make a Cyber Check because the target network (her fellow Splicer) is willing to obey her influence. 

Alternatively she may decide she wants to attack the turret systems directly. She expends her movement, pushing forward to a previously destroyed camera and “jacks in” through its node. This network (which connects the turrets) is unwilling to obey her and deploys a firewall requiring her to use an action and make a Cyber Check in order to gain control. She succeeds and “breaches” the firewall leaving her with one remaining action. She uses this action to execute the “Shutdown” protocol in an attempt to destroy the turret directly. 

KNOWLEDGE OF NETWORKS

When a Splicer successfully connects to a network (be it willing or unwilling) they do not immediately know everything that resides within. A Splicer may ask to target a camera in the room with one of their Protocols only to be told by the GM that they cannot find that object's name in the registry; meaning that it is connected to a different network. Cases like this do not expend a Splicer’s action or their power. Similarly, unknown dangerous Actors may lurk in seemingly benign networks which attack a Splicer as soon as they join a network. 

However, cybernetically inclined Splicer’s can choose to be equipped with tools which remove this ambiguity. The low frequency protocol “Scan” uses radio signals to divine which network(s) an object in their physical environment is connected to without having to “jack in” themselves. Similarly, the Protocol “Architecture” reveals everything connected through a node to their network at the cost of 5 power and an action. Allowing a Splicer to target Actors hiding in the network and gain forewarning of hitherto hidden mechanical traps that their less cybernetically inclined crewmembers may stumble into. 

CYBER DEFENCE

Splicers with a high Cyber Statistic are more resistant to digital invasion than others. When Splicers are connected to a network their Cyber Defence absorbs a small amount of all the damage they receive through the system. A Splicer’s Cyber defence is equal to their Cyber EC; so for instance a Splicer with a Cyber attribute of twelve will have a Cyber Defence of three.

Whenever a Splicer takes damage through the network they will reduce it by their Cyber EC, in this case the Splicer will subtract three from each instance of damage they receive.

Splicers with a high Cyber Statistic are more resistant to digital invasion than others. When Splicers are connected to a network their Cyber Defence absorbs a small amount of all the damage they receive through the system and make them more resistant to hacking attempts. A Splicer’s Cyber Defence is equal to their Cyber EC; for instance a Splicer with a Cyber Statistic of twelve, will have a Cyber Defence of three.

Whenever a Splicer takes damage through the network they will reduce it by their Cyber EC, in this case the Splicer will subtract three from each instance of damage they receive. Additionally, when another Actor attempts to Shutdown or Reprogram a Splicer they will need to make a Cyber check with a difficulty class determined by the Splicer’s Cyber Defence according to the following table. 

Cyber Defence: Check Difficulty:

1 Regular

2 Regular

3 Challenging

4 Demanding

5 Extreme

PROTOCOL COMMANDS

Protocols act as the tools through which a connected Splicer can influence and control a network. They consume power and require an action to cast, but can have very powerful effects within cyberspace. They are also the only type of augments with purchasable upgrades. These upgrades require the basic Protocol and when purchased modify its functioning, improving its effectiveness. Protocol commands come in two varieties which impact their functionality, Low Frequency and Wired. 

Low Frequency Protocols use radio signals to affect Objects connected to networks and do not require a Splicer to be wired into the network. They give hackers a way to interact with the cyber world without committing to finding a node or breaching a firewall to place themselves in a network. As such they have less potent attacks than their wired contemporaries but comparatively cost less power. For example, the Low Frequency Protocol Blindspot allows a Splicer to cloak themselves wirelessly from a specific device's camera feed at the cost of an action to activate and five power every ten seconds. This Protocol allows a Splicer to minimise the danger they place themselves in when approaching a hard to reach node. 

Wired Protocols require the user to be physically connected to a network but have much more potent effects than wireless alternatives. As such Wired Protocols can only target Objects or Actors which are connected to the same network as the Splicer. They often have devastating effects and require a moderate amount of power and an action to execute. For example, the Reprogram Protocol allows a Splicer to take control of objects on their network, inheriting their turns and abilities at the cost of 20 power and an action.