The Console Cowboy's Cookbook |
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The Console Cowboy's Cookbook |
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"Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, ... A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding ... "
- Neuromancer, by William Gibson.
Although the Earth / Cybertech Sourcebook goes into considerable detail on the state of the world in 2300 AD, it does not cover Cyberspace in as much depth. This article hopes to augment the rules and provide some much needed atmosphere and background for Directors using Cyberpunk scenarios.
The Matrix
The matrix is a black void, in which lies a fluorescent green plane termed the Orientation Grid. This forms the basis of the coordinate system within the Matrix - grid references or "Intersects" are used to pinpoint systems or places.
Above, upon and beneath the Orientation Grid there stand structures known as DOS Towers. These tend to be smooth polyhedral blocks with little definition other than a company logo or name. DOS Towers huddle together in groups that roughly correspond to major cities and conurbations. As a result, the distribution of systems in the Matrix is uneven, with bright clusters of DOS Towers amongst the featureless plains of the Orientation Grid.
Famous landmarks in the matrix are the Beanstalk Tower, which appears to be a distortion of the Orientation Grid soaring to the distant star of the Gateway Matrix ; The L5 Orbital ; and the far away spirals of the military systems.
Inside A DOS Tower
The DOS Tower is the physical presence of a mainframe or group of mainframes in the Matrix. Also called Constructs, DOS Towers may take on any form. Usually they consist of a large but hollow structure containing many chambers or "Nodes" connected by corridors or "Channels". ( I actually hate the term DOS Tower, since I am sure that by the 24th Century mankind will have long since moved on from such antiquated concepts as the "disk operating system". I prefer the term "construct". )
Nodes
Nodes are effectively computers in their own right and should be given Cyberdeck Statistics to reflect this. They may be assigned to particular real world devices, for example the stutterwarp drive of a starship or the security system of a corporate building. Nodes should be considered to be vast, immobile cyberdecks.
Note : Any attempt to use a device associated with a given node will of course be modified by the appropriate skill. A stutterwarp drive requires Ships' Drive Engineering, for example. In addition, the decker must wait for the time that the device takes to respond - while this may be mere moments in the real world, it could feel like hours in the Matrix.
Channels
Channels are merely the access routes between nodes. They do not possess any special features, but they may be concealed and / or closed.
Concealed channels are used to hide access paths to sensitive areas of a DOS Tower and to safeguard escape routes. Such "back doors" have are given a detection "difficulty" rating which is set when hidden.
To conceal a channel - ( Difficulty ) , Computer and Accuracy , Instant.
To detect a channel - ( Difficulty ) , Computer and Accuracy , 1 turn.
Director - In both cases, the difficulty is that selected when hidden.
Closed channels will normally open on request. However, it is possible to set a password on them, restricting access to a particular region of the DOS Tower. To defend against illegal attempts to break through they may be given a Defence rating. When this is gone, the channel is opened forcefully.
To close an open channel - Simple , Computer and Accuracy , Instant.
To set a password on a channel - Routine , Computer and Accuracy , Instant.
Director - Setting a password requires that the decker knows the previous password, if any.
Ports
The DOS Tower is connected to the outside world using special nodes called "Ports". These ports are dedicated to the task of dealing with external communications and are normally the front line of defence against intrusion. As such, they can be very difficult to pass through.
Eavesdrop
Eavesdrop is a reusable program with a volume of 8. Once activated, it allows a decker to listen in on communications between other deckers and programs in the Matrix. The ability to listen, however, may not be enough - if the communication is scrambled then the decker must still decode it. Eavesdrop is typically used to extract access codes from programs as they enter a DOS Tower or pass through a channel. Eavesdrop costs Lv 200.
To overhear data using Eavesdrop - Difficult. Computer and Accuracy. Instant.
Director - This is a Hazardous Task. Mishaps include corrupt data and discovery.
Cloak
An advanced stealth program, Cloak hides the user from the rest of the matrix. Cloak makes detection attempts one task level more difficult. It has a volume of 8 and costs Lv250. It runs until the cloaked decker disables it, attacks, is damaged, or jacks out.
Sledgehammer
This program doubles the decker's offence score for a single attack. It is a one-shot program with a volume of 10 and a price of Lv1000.
Slow Virus
A Slow Virus is the latest thing to reach the street. It is a special attack program which slowly merges with the defence score of a target without their knowledge. Every turn, the victim loses one point of defence. Eventually they are completely vulnerable and wide open to attack. The victim is allowed one attempt to detect the virus when it is installed. Further attempts must be specified and take an action. Once the virus is detected the victim can attempt to remove it. Damage done to defence is treated as per normal combat damage.
To detect a Slow Virus - Difficult. Computer and Accuracy. 1 turn.
To remove a Slow Virus - Formidable. Computer and Accuracy. 1 turn.
A Slow Virus is a one-shot program with a volume of 20 and costs Lv20000 or more when available.
Trace
Trace reports the real world location of a construct in the matrix, be it a decker, DOS Tower or even an AI. This program has a volume of 6, is reusable and costs Lv250. Targets of a trace attempt may try to hide their location in the usual way.
Decoy
Decoy generates a dummy image of the decker to confuse attackers. The decoy is destroyed on taking any damage. Decoy is a reusable program with a voulme of 8, costing Lv500.
To distinguish a decoy image from the decker - Difficult. Computer and Accuracy. Instant.
"Wintermute was a simple cube of white light, that very simplicity suggesting extreme complexity... Its blank face, towering above him now, began to seethe with faint internal shadows, as though a thousand dancers whirled behind a vast sheet of frosted glass."
- Neuromancer,by William Gibson.
A self aware mathematical construct, an Artificial Intelligence ( or AI ) is a truly intelligent computer program with its own thoughts and ideals. It may even possess emotional simulation but this is usually reserved for those AI's who have to integrate with humanity.
AI's possess Cyberdeck Statistics, a Coolness Under Fire rating, and the attributes of Determination, Intelligence , Education and Eloquence. They may also learn any 2300 AD skill and usually have a level of 3+ in Computer. An AI occupies 80 points of Volume in addition to its own storage. The AI takes damage to this Volume when all other Volume is gone. It may not duplicate or reproduce itself.
AI's also possess a Lapse score, between one and ten. The Lapse score is a saving throw used in strenuous situations ( such as a Cyberdeck statistic being reduced to zero in combat ). The AI must roll above this number to remain functional. A result of less than the required number means that the program lapses and ceases to active. A roll of exactly the required number means that the AI falls into an endless loop. AI's may add their Computer Skill to this roll, however; This represents knowledge of the situations must likely to cause failure. A result of one is always a crash.
An AI is a heuristic program. It can learn from its experiences and thus may improve its skill levels or even learn new skills. It can access chip skills to enhance its abilities. Such chips must be accessible on the Matrix for this to happen. However, an AI's skills other than Computer occupy volume at the rate of 3 points of Volume per point of skill. This means that an AI can forget skills as a result of taking damage to its program volume.
AI's are regulated by the Turing Registry, also known as the "Turing Heat" by the decker community. This is an international concern with its headquarters on Gateway Station. It monitors AI's and ensures that they do not break the law. The Registry employs expert deckers to enforce the law within Cyberspace. They have access to the very latest hardware and software and normally act fast against wayward AI's and their human companions. Also, a good number of agents are employed for those tasks that cannot be performed in the Matrix.
A sample AI might look something like this :-
SPEED 4 ACCURACY 16 OFFENCE 10 DEFENCE 20 VOLUME 80 AI + 100 Storage = 180 Attributes : Determination 14(+3) Intelligence 20(+5) Education 13(+3) Eloquence 8(+2) Coolness Under Fire 8 ( Initiative 12, so acts on 10, 5, 2 and 1 ) Skills : Computer-5 Electronics-4 Security Systems-2 Bureaucracy-2 Tactics-2 Information Gathering-3 Psychology-1 ( Skills Volume : 14 x 3 = 42 pts ) Programs : Fast Forward x 2 , Leaper , Grapple x 2 ( Spare Volume : 22 ) Lapse Score : 6
Note : The Aristotle program which runs on the Bayern vessel is the ancestor of modern AI software. However, Aristotle was written in the early 2290's and is now somewhat surpassed by the latest developments. The next logical step was the Cold Storage program featured in the adventure Deathwatch Program. Cold Storage heralded a new family of heuristic self-aware programs; its discovery resulted in the beginnings of the Turing Registry in 2301. By the end of 2302, Turing knew of at least twenty corporate or academic AI's, and suspected that a number of unlicensed programs were running on military systems and elsewhere.
It is recommended that Artificial Intelligences should not be played as Player Characters but used as NPCs for the adventurers to encounter or even as patrons for a scenario.
"He sat at one of the tables and pretended he was Count Zero, top console artist in the Sprawl, waiting for some dudes to show and talk about a deal, some run they needed done and nobody but the Count was even remotely up for it. 'Sure,' he said, to the empty nightclub, his eyes hooded, 'I'll cut it for you ... If you got the money ...'. They paled when he named his price."
- Count Zero, by William Gibson.
There are many names for the Console Cowboy ; Hacker , Cracker , Hardware Junkie , Netrunner , and countless more. Whatever name they go by , Cowboys are the electronic espionage experts of the 24th Century , silently stealing data from remote computers in the global computer network. Theirs is a hazardous profession , where time is measured in nanoseconds and even simple mistakes can cost the very mind.
Initial Training : Computer : 1 , Streetwise : 1 , Information Gathering : 1 , Electronics : 1
Primary : All Intellectual Skills , All General Skills
Related : All Underworld Skills
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| 2300AD |
This page was last updated on the 30th June 1997.
This page is © 1997 Andy Brick except where components are already copyright / trademarked by others in which case their use is not intended as a challenge to such ownership.