Lyrcyon
2010-05-30, 02:00 PM
Hi there, everyone; this is my first post on the forums here, and I had a couple questions about Shadowrun 4e.
I managed to get my hands on the core book and Unwired a while back, and while the entire setting is fascinating, the hacking/technomancy is the most interesting part to me offhand. The section on Matrix actions, attacks, programs, etc., is incredibly cool, but oddly enough simultaneously in-depth and vague; a gameplay example of a hacking procedure would have been nice, but c'est la vie.
So I thought what I'd do is, chart out what would be involved in a simple hacking procedure as I understand/imagine it, and ask any nice experienced players to tell me what's wrong with it :smallsmile: Also, if you have links to any hacking gameplay examples, they'd be more than welcome!!
I'm going to spoilertag this to avoid wall o'text.
The job: A technomancer, Mr. Black, is contacted by Johnson from Corporation A. It should be a simple job; Johnson just wants a personnel file from a low-security node at Corporation B. Johnson specifies that this branch office of Corporation B is fairly new, and has not yet set up active IC (no spiders, roving IC programs, or the like) but may have set up data bombs. The node is currently only protected by a low-strength Firewall. Black accepts the job.
Step 1, I think, would be to subscribe to the node. The methodology on this is a little more unclear; the text says that you can subscribe to a node by either being in mutual Signal range or by "establishing a route through the Matrix." The first is quite clear, the second could use some more explanation; is it possible for Black to subscribe to Corporation B's node from the comfort of his condo? Or does he need to physically be near the node's broadcast source? Does it make a difference if the node is Hidden? Would a small branch of a corporation employ a hidden node, practically speaking? If a hidden node does require you to be nearby to find it, could this be bypassed by having Johnson provide Black with the node's Matrix location?
Now, the basic subscription is made with a public account, but Black needs at least a User account in order to gain access to the requested file. He has plenty of time, so he probes the target (an extended test, Hacking + Exploit vs. the node's System + Firewall) to create a user account through a backdoor. He then logs onto the node using that account.
Step 2, finding the file. To find the personnel file in the database, Black would need to use an action for Data Search (Data Search + his Browse Complex Form rating, threshold of 12 or so, probably?)
Step 3, checking the file; Black is worried about the possible data bombs that Johnson mentioned. Does he need to make a Matrix Perception test to detect it, or are data bombs plainly visible?
He finds one, and needs to defuse it; however, he does not have the Defuse complex form, nor does he have a sprite with that skill. He opts to thread the form, with Software + Resonance, and gains a temporary Defuse rating high enough to easily disarm the bomb. (He then makes a Willpower + Resonance test to resist fading damage equal to his new Defuse rating) Wanting to leave no tracks, however, Black would ideally like to merely bypass the bomb, so that it will remain in place and no security will question its sudden removal. Can he do this with a Hacking vs. Disarm test? If so, is the threshold higher? If not, can he set his own data bomb afterwords without any major differences between the original bomb and his copy that would hold up to at least casual inspection?
Step 4, copying the file. Having gotten around the data bomb, either by bypassing or disarming it, he uses a transfer data simple action to transfer the file to an external drive he has with him.
Step 5, finishing touches. Black wants to eliminate all traces of his presence. As a technomancer, does his living persona leave a datatrail? I can tell from the text that threading the Defuse complex form would leave a resonance signature; Black could engage in a test to eliminate these, but gauges the likelihood that Corporation B will have a technomancer sniffing around this node to be extremely low, and doesn't bother. If his living persona doesn't leave a trail, can he just jack out and have committed a perfect undetectable hack? If it does, how would the trail be eliminated? Not with stealth; that's a passive form for eluding active monitoring, I think, right? Would he use spoofing to cover up the access ID signatures and access logs?
Regardless, he logs out of the node. (The account that he created with his probe will remain available for him to subscribe to until the node is restarted or security finds and eliminates it, correct?)
Step 6, decryption. The file on the drive is encrypted, so he uses an initiate cryptanalysis complex action to make an electronic warfare + decrypt extended test. He succeeds, and the file is decrypted. He delivers the drive to Johnson and accepts his pay.
Further question: How would this sequence be different for a traditional hacker, as opposed to a technomancer?
If anyone has the time and inclination to answer this, I'd be very grateful! It seems like such a fun setting, and I'd like to get a firmer grasp on some of these concepts. If someone is interested, there are a few more scenarios I have in mind (including cybercombat) that I'd like to put forth, as well. Thanks in advance!
I managed to get my hands on the core book and Unwired a while back, and while the entire setting is fascinating, the hacking/technomancy is the most interesting part to me offhand. The section on Matrix actions, attacks, programs, etc., is incredibly cool, but oddly enough simultaneously in-depth and vague; a gameplay example of a hacking procedure would have been nice, but c'est la vie.
So I thought what I'd do is, chart out what would be involved in a simple hacking procedure as I understand/imagine it, and ask any nice experienced players to tell me what's wrong with it :smallsmile: Also, if you have links to any hacking gameplay examples, they'd be more than welcome!!
I'm going to spoilertag this to avoid wall o'text.
The job: A technomancer, Mr. Black, is contacted by Johnson from Corporation A. It should be a simple job; Johnson just wants a personnel file from a low-security node at Corporation B. Johnson specifies that this branch office of Corporation B is fairly new, and has not yet set up active IC (no spiders, roving IC programs, or the like) but may have set up data bombs. The node is currently only protected by a low-strength Firewall. Black accepts the job.
Step 1, I think, would be to subscribe to the node. The methodology on this is a little more unclear; the text says that you can subscribe to a node by either being in mutual Signal range or by "establishing a route through the Matrix." The first is quite clear, the second could use some more explanation; is it possible for Black to subscribe to Corporation B's node from the comfort of his condo? Or does he need to physically be near the node's broadcast source? Does it make a difference if the node is Hidden? Would a small branch of a corporation employ a hidden node, practically speaking? If a hidden node does require you to be nearby to find it, could this be bypassed by having Johnson provide Black with the node's Matrix location?
Now, the basic subscription is made with a public account, but Black needs at least a User account in order to gain access to the requested file. He has plenty of time, so he probes the target (an extended test, Hacking + Exploit vs. the node's System + Firewall) to create a user account through a backdoor. He then logs onto the node using that account.
Step 2, finding the file. To find the personnel file in the database, Black would need to use an action for Data Search (Data Search + his Browse Complex Form rating, threshold of 12 or so, probably?)
Step 3, checking the file; Black is worried about the possible data bombs that Johnson mentioned. Does he need to make a Matrix Perception test to detect it, or are data bombs plainly visible?
He finds one, and needs to defuse it; however, he does not have the Defuse complex form, nor does he have a sprite with that skill. He opts to thread the form, with Software + Resonance, and gains a temporary Defuse rating high enough to easily disarm the bomb. (He then makes a Willpower + Resonance test to resist fading damage equal to his new Defuse rating) Wanting to leave no tracks, however, Black would ideally like to merely bypass the bomb, so that it will remain in place and no security will question its sudden removal. Can he do this with a Hacking vs. Disarm test? If so, is the threshold higher? If not, can he set his own data bomb afterwords without any major differences between the original bomb and his copy that would hold up to at least casual inspection?
Step 4, copying the file. Having gotten around the data bomb, either by bypassing or disarming it, he uses a transfer data simple action to transfer the file to an external drive he has with him.
Step 5, finishing touches. Black wants to eliminate all traces of his presence. As a technomancer, does his living persona leave a datatrail? I can tell from the text that threading the Defuse complex form would leave a resonance signature; Black could engage in a test to eliminate these, but gauges the likelihood that Corporation B will have a technomancer sniffing around this node to be extremely low, and doesn't bother. If his living persona doesn't leave a trail, can he just jack out and have committed a perfect undetectable hack? If it does, how would the trail be eliminated? Not with stealth; that's a passive form for eluding active monitoring, I think, right? Would he use spoofing to cover up the access ID signatures and access logs?
Regardless, he logs out of the node. (The account that he created with his probe will remain available for him to subscribe to until the node is restarted or security finds and eliminates it, correct?)
Step 6, decryption. The file on the drive is encrypted, so he uses an initiate cryptanalysis complex action to make an electronic warfare + decrypt extended test. He succeeds, and the file is decrypted. He delivers the drive to Johnson and accepts his pay.
Further question: How would this sequence be different for a traditional hacker, as opposed to a technomancer?
If anyone has the time and inclination to answer this, I'd be very grateful! It seems like such a fun setting, and I'd like to get a firmer grasp on some of these concepts. If someone is interested, there are a few more scenarios I have in mind (including cybercombat) that I'd like to put forth, as well. Thanks in advance!