Hacktivist
In an age where computer systems permeate every aspect of life, the Hacktivist reigns supreme as a digital chameleon. Part of a clandestine network of hackers, they excel at penetrating systems and subverting code, often blurring the lines between legitimate activism, criminal enterprise, and pure mischief.
High-tech enclaves and sprawling urban centres alike depend on their skill to crack impenetrable systems, harvest data, and manipulate networked devices to achieve a dizzying range of goals.
Yet a Hacktivist is far more than a hired gun for the underworld. They are the conscience of the post invasion age, armed with the tools to challenge oppressive corporations and city-states from the shadows. Whether it’s dismantling invasive surveillance protocols or siphoning funds to expose corruption, they wield their talents in a perpetual tug-of-war against the status quo.
In this murky battleground of bytes and bandwidth, the Hacktivist stands as both hero and villain, guided only by their own evolving code of ethics and sometimes, the thrill of watching the system burn...
Why should I play one?
- If information is power, then you are omnipotent.
- The cities are your kingdom and you are immune from the normal laws and regulations that govern the masses.
- If it’s hacking that is needed, your team will get no one better than you. Using your hacking, you will help give your group an edge against even Aegis.
Bonus Trait: +1d Acumen
Starting skill package (choose one)
Nihilist Uses technology to achieve chaos.
- Computer (d6)
- Demolitions (d6)
- Surveillance (d6)
- Intrusion (d4)
- Perception (d4)
- Stealth (d4)
Sleeper Blends into society in order to sow destruction.
- Computer (d6)
- Demolitions (d6)
- Persuade (d6)
- Perception (d4)
- Surveillance (d4)
- Unarmed Combat (Martial Art of choice) (d4)
Bootstrap A Hacktivist with a range of skills.
- Armed (d6)
- Computer (d6)
- Demolitions (d6)
- Munitions (d4)
- Stealth (d4)
- Surveillance (d4)
Choose a Punter
Choose one from the list below, or see the extended Example Punters list and pick one of those with GM approval.
- Activist
- Grey Marketeer
- Hacker
- Union Technician
Tradecraft
| Tradecraft | Description |
|---|---|
| Underground | Part of the criminal community |
| Sabotage | Can use Computer skill to temporarily disable something without using hacking or engineering skills (Mechanical or Electrical devices) |
| Fast Code | Reroll Computer skill (Must take reroll) |
| Cash flow | Always make a bit of money using the Underground community |
| Old School Tech | Know how to use and maintain old analog radio systems (this includes morse code), general electrical and computer systems |
| Advanced Persistent Threat | Free Hack Critical when rolling Computer (with at least one success) |
Tradecraft Descriptions
Underground
Actions: Passive
Immersed in the shadowy realms of the Grey Market and other elements of the underground world, your life as a hacker places you on the fringes of legality. When they don’t need your invaluable services, the unions, corporations and law enforcement see you as a criminal. Your extensive interactions with various underground factions have granted you an intimate understanding of their cultures and operations. This experience provides easier access to these clandestine circles, where your fluency in their unspoken rules and codes is invaluable.
The Grey Market is a pivotal underground network spanning The Settlement, Deep Harbour and the larger Outlander communities. Your involvement in this semi-covert marketplace and the broader underground community opens doors that remain closed to most, offering opportunities and resources that are otherwise inaccessible.
This Tradecraft doesn't guarantee friendship, it does open doors to negotiation, trade, and perhaps even a safe haven for the night. It's a bridge of reputation and trust, albeit a fragile one, between you and the very guarded underground. The goods purchasable from the Grey Market include legal, semi-legal and illegal items.
Trade Secrets:
Insider Access: You’ve quickly discerned the lay of the land, identifying key players and valuable items, which enables you to access merchandise and services that elude the average consumer. This ability reflects your knack for navigating the intricate web of underground commerce, ensuring you're always ahead in acquiring what's rare and coveted.
Modifier: Provides access to unique and elusive goods and services unavailable in standard markets.
Shadow Broker: Your notoriety within the underground circles lends you an advantage in dealings with its denizens. Recognised for your 'favourable' standing within the Grey Market, you find that negotiations and trades proceed more smoothly in your favour. This reputation as a trustworthy and competent individual enhances your interactions, making you a preferred partner in the eyes of many.
Modifier: Grants a bonus of +1 to Mercantile (Trade) and Persuade (Negotiation) skills when dealing with members of the Grey Market.
Sabotage
Actions: Full
Your expertise extends beyond the digital realm of hacking, encompassing the practical skill of physically sabotaging machines and devices. This ability lets you temporarily disable or shut down a target mechanism easily and efficiently. While this technique draws upon your computer skills, it does not necessitate full-scale hacking. It's a swift and typically effective method designed to cause short-term disruption.
This act of Sabotage is usually straightforward enough not to require a skill roll. However, the Gamemaster may occasionally call for a low-difficulty roll, particularly in more challenging or high-stakes scenarios. The primary purpose of this craft is to create a momentary diversion or minor inconvenience, which can prove advantageous for your team in various situations, whether to gain the upper hand in combat or to escape a tight spot.
Modifier: Duration is 1 minute.
Trade Secrets:
Gremlin's Touch: Share your disruptive touch with your allies. Spending 2 Actions, designate another character within your line of sight (Yes, video counts) you are also communicating with as your "Conduit." Until the end of your next turn, they gain the benefits of your Sabotage tradecraft.
System Override: Gain the ability to not only shut down but also take temporary control of a device or machine, allowing for more strategic manipulation of the environment.
Roll your Computer skill check against a target number of 4.
- On a successful check, you gain control of the device for 4 Turns.
- Each Critical Success you achieve grants an additional 1 Turn of temporary control.
Fast Code
Actions: Full
Your proficiency with computers extends back as far as your memory reaches. Hacking, for you, is second nature – a skill you've honed from the moment you first interacted with a computer.
In scenarios where your Computer skill falls short, you can re-roll one of the skill dice. This re-roll, must be accepted irrespective of its outcome. It's crucial to note that this ability applies exclusively to computer hacking skills, independent of any associated traits.
Even if your Trait roll is successful but your Skill roll is not, this Tradecraft enables you to attempt to get a better roll.
Trade Secrets:
Data Ghost: Leave no trace of your digital footsteps. As an Action, spend a Luck Point and declare a networked device you've recently accessed. Until the end of the Conflict/Scene, any attempts to track your presence on that device automatically fail. Ghosts may leave echoes, but your code vanishes like smoke in the wind
If the player doesn’t have enough Luck Points or doesn’t want to spend a Luck Point, then a standard Computer Hacking skill check is required to cover their tracks.
Encryption Cracker: Master the art of breaking complex encryptions, allowing you to tackle higher levels of cybersecurity with increased efficiency.
Modifier: +1 skill dice with Computer Science when breaking encryptions.
Cash flow
Actions: Passive
Your expertise in the digital realm has made you an invaluable asset to the underground community. Your services, frequently sought after, ensure a steady flow of income; crime really does pay!
Each gaming session, roll your Computer skill without a Trait roll and add the dice values together. Multiply the highest result by 100, and your pockets jingle with that newly minted fortune. This reflects the shadowy contracts you fulfil, the whispers you monetise, the data you broker – a steady stream of script flowing from the unseen corners of the Dark Market.
Your financial acumen extends to the creation and management of falsified accounts, designed to store the proceeds from your digital endeavours. These accounts are crafted with such finesse that they can be shared with allies, facilitating secure access to funds during downtime. The flexibility of this system allows you to distribute your Cash Flow among your allies as needed. However, it's imperative to withdraw these funds before gameplay commences, as the accounts are rendered obsolete thereafter.
This financial gain is supplementary to any other activities you engage in during downtime. Importantly, it does not consume one of your downtime activities, allowing you to maintain your regular pursuits while still benefiting from this additional source of income.
Trade Secrets:
Digital Launderer: You have refined the art of obscuring the origins of digital funds to an expert level, enabling you to amass and secure significant sums without alerting authorities or rival entities. Your sophisticated methods ensure that your financial activities remain under the radar, safeguarding your assets and reputation in the process.
Modifier: Include your Acumen trait dice with your Computer Skill when determining the funds you generate.
Data Broker: You are not only a master of trading in digital secrets but also an expert in gathering actionable intelligence on individuals, locations, and organisations. Your extensive network and savvy negotiation skills enable you to acquire leads that can be instrumental in missions, making you an invaluable asset in both financial and operational realms. This depth of knowledge not only augments your earnings but also provides crucial insights that can turn the tide of any mission.
Modifier: In addition to providing an extra amount to your Cash Flow, add your Morale trait to your Cash Flow roll. Additionally this skill allows you to gain valuable information once per session that could lead to mission advantages, such as enemy weaknesses, hidden resources, or strategic locations.
The type and details of the information obtained through this ability will be determined by the Game Master (GM). However, it will be of substantial value, offering significant advantages to both the player and their team.
Old School Tech
Actions: Passive
In a world dominated by quantum technology, your interest and expertise lie in the realm of analog systems, particularly in the use of traditional radio and computer systems. While these technologies may have faded from use, they remain a vital tool in the hacker's arsenal. Your proficiency extends beyond mere usage; you are adept at maintaining and operating these systems, ensuring their reliability when modern digital channels are compromised or heavily monitored.
Your skill set also includes mastering Morse code and other vintage technological languages, allowing you to communicate and operate in ways often overlooked or underestimated. This knowledge grants you a unique edge, especially in scenarios where contemporary tech might fail or be susceptible to interference.
Trade Secrets:
Retro Engineer: You excel in the innovative conversion and enhancement of outdated technologies, breathing new life into what many consider relics. Your ingenuity allows you to assemble bespoke gadgets with unique capabilities, marrying the charm of the past with the demands of the present.
Modifier: Allows for the creation and modification of old-school technological devices, granting them new purposes or improved functionalities, such as creating a Frame from salvaged modern tech parts.
Vintage Recon: You leverage old-fashioned espionage tools and techniques for surveillance and information gathering, proving that classic methods can still outperform modern tech in certain scenarios.
Modifier: Improves the effectiveness of traditional surveillance and reconnaissance methods, providing reliable intelligence with zero digital footprint.
Digital Nemesis
Actions: Passive
Recognised as one of the Nexus elite hackers, your cyber infiltration skills are unparalleled. Your proficiency with Computer is such that a successful roll automatically generates a Critical Success. Any critical success you naturally roll is additional to this automatic critical.
Trade Secrets:
Plague Crafter: Craft self-replicating chaos. Spending a Full Action, spend a Luck Point and target a system you already have access to. Plant a dormant virus, a digital parasite that waits for your command. Trigger it at will to unleash a cascade of controlled mayhem - disable defences, sow misinformation, or even turn the system against itself. Remember, an unleashed virus can become a double-edged sword, so wield it with the cunning of a digital puppeteer.
Feedback Loop: Create a technique that makes the sabotage affect linked systems, potentially causing a chain reaction of minor malfunctions.
Roll your Computer skill check against a target number of 4.
- On a successful check, your feedback loop affects 1 additional linked device.
- Each Critical Success you achieve impacts 1 additional device.
Your “Sig” aka Signature
Your Sig is the unique identifier or nickname that a Hacktivist uses within the Nexus. It's an expression of your character's identity, hinting at their backstory or personality. Choosing a Sig is a process that requires creativity and reflection. It's akin to branding oneself within the digital landscape, a unique moniker that will follow your character throughout their virtual exploits.
Here are some things players may want to consider when creating their Sig:
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Personality What does the Sig say about your character's personality? Is it serious, humorous, mysterious, or straightforward?
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Backstory Can the Sig offer a hint or nod towards the character's backstory or history? This can intrigue others and provide depth to your character.
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Skillset Does the Sig reflect your character's skills or role within the game? A stealthy hacker might have a different type of handle than a brute force intrusion expert.
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Meaning Sometimes, the best Sig’s have personal meaning to the player or character. This could be an inside joke, a personal mantra, a favourite quote, or anything else that resonates.
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Uniqueness You want your Sig to be memorable, and for that, it needs to stand out. A unique handle helps establish a strong identity and ensure others will remember your character.
Sig: "EchoParadox"
For EchoParadox, the moniker reflects their perspective on the world, and specifically the digital world they inhabit. "Echo" symbolises the recursive nature of digital communication - messages, data, and ideas that reverberate within the interconnected labyrinth of the Nexus. It underscores their belief that every action in the Nexus, every byte of data transferred, sends ripples throughout the digital ecosystem, akin to an echo in a vast, boundless chamber.
"Paradox", on the other hand, embodies the inherent contradictions of their existence. As a hacktivist, they operate in the shadows yet strive for transparency; they're faceless yet want to make a profound impact. It also represents the paradox of the Nexus - a tool for freedom and exchange of ideas, yet also a conduit for control and surveillance. It is a reminder of the strange contradictions that define their path and a testament to the complex intricacies of the digital realm they navigate.
The Frame
The "Frame" is a sleek, highly versatile and customisable computing device specifically built by the Hacktivist. With an array of customizable, modular components it serves as an essential tool for navigating the digital realm, executing complex hacks, and pursuing their personal or political agendas. In the hands of a skilled hacker, the Frame is a formidable weapon, capable of breaching even the most well-guarded systems and uncovering their deepest secrets. The Frame serves not only as a powerful tool but also as an extension of the Hacktivists identity and expertise.
For detailed information on Frames, Hacking has a Hacking section. Why isn’t it here? Because we thought a single chapter dedicated to the equipment, the art of hacking and systems you encounter deserved its own chapter for quick and easy reference over and over again.