Friendship is Dragons
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Page 631 - Hacking Skills, Part 1
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Yeah, but it's the same logic as saying you'd need to roll Nature if it were solar-powered.
A friend of mine (he doesn't follow the Fallout is Dragons podcast) came up with a pretty decent explanation of Arcana to work computers in the Maw:
Computers, running on mana energy, are also 'Arcane Locked' by magic for protection. Thus, hacking them requires unbinding the magical protection without breaking the magic that powers the machine.
It's like using the spell 'Knock' in D&D, but for a magic lock. I found his theory to be decent for an explanation, so I headcanon'd it.
Computers, running on mana energy, are also 'Arcane Locked' by magic for protection. Thus, hacking them requires unbinding the magical protection without breaking the magic that powers the machine.
It's like using the spell 'Knock' in D&D, but for a magic lock. I found his theory to be decent for an explanation, so I headcanon'd it.
I've always preferred the explanation in an episode of Gargoyles, way back when. "Energy is energy, whether created magically or technologically."
My theory: the hardware may be electronics and stuff, but the software is in fact a standing magic spell.
Alternatively: This is the first hint in the universe that magic is essentially hacking reality!
Hacking a computer is easier, except that reality uses a different language to computers and most mages won't be fluent in programming, thus incurring a heft circumstance penalty. The basic skills, though, are the same.
Hacking a computer is easier, except that reality uses a different language to computers and most mages won't be fluent in programming, thus incurring a heft circumstance penalty. The basic skills, though, are the same.
You might check out the Well World series by Jack Chalker. The theory is that an ancient race of beings built a supercomputer capable of running a super-sophisticated program which can drive a universe.
In that story line, our universe is a lot smaller, and has a lot less in it when the aliens existed. But their machine allowed it to add tons more galaxies and mass to it. But only while the computer runs. So it has to run forever. And when it breaks down, a caretaker has to go in and press the reset button. Entire wars are fought on the Well World to prevent the caretaker, Nathan Brazil, from doing so, because when the reset is pressed, and the universe is rebooted, the only source of available biomatter to replenish everything again are the races living on the Well World. And they don't want that.
There's two series in this, the first dealing with the standard reboot crisis, and the second dealing with Brazil and his friends from the first series having to face the inevitable truth of the Well World computer: Eventually, the program gets so complex that it crashes. If they don't find a solution, they'll be restarting the program forever. Something's gotta change. And that series explores this as the war to get to the Well World's access lock intensifies all over again.
In that story line, our universe is a lot smaller, and has a lot less in it when the aliens existed. But their machine allowed it to add tons more galaxies and mass to it. But only while the computer runs. So it has to run forever. And when it breaks down, a caretaker has to go in and press the reset button. Entire wars are fought on the Well World to prevent the caretaker, Nathan Brazil, from doing so, because when the reset is pressed, and the universe is rebooted, the only source of available biomatter to replenish everything again are the races living on the Well World. And they don't want that.
There's two series in this, the first dealing with the standard reboot crisis, and the second dealing with Brazil and his friends from the first series having to face the inevitable truth of the Well World computer: Eventually, the program gets so complex that it crashes. If they don't find a solution, they'll be restarting the program forever. Something's gotta change. And that series explores this as the war to get to the Well World's access lock intensifies all over again.
Story Time
Has that ever happened to you?
You know you roll one stat, but it turns out to be a different stat altogether.
Has that ever happened to you?
You know you roll one stat, but it turns out to be a different stat altogether.
The danger and joy of playing an Armstrong (FMA, not Metal Gear) expy: using Strength instead of Charisma for all purposes, after not using Charisma as a dump stat (though if I had, the GM likely would not have allowed it).
Also, nice artwork Digo. I wish I could draw that well. :P
Both techies are unicorns? Well that works out. :D
What system are you using in your game?
And thanks on the compliment for the art. I get nervous drawing comics completely in pencils, not sure if what I have is "legible" to other viewers.
What system are you using in your game?
And thanks on the compliment for the art. I get nervous drawing comics completely in pencils, not sure if what I have is "legible" to other viewers.
Very legible, though I admit the urge to reach for coloured pencils. That's not criticism, by the way. I used to do the same with my D&D books back in high school, and this made me nostalgic for the 1E DMG.
As for game system, it's a heavily modified version of this system (I'd link the actual rulebook we use, but I'm not sure if my GM would like that, so *shrug*). It's been entertaining so far to play a session and then get informed as to what will be on the chopping block for changes before the next session comes around. Magic already got reworked for the most part and I think movement is next on his list.
As for the art, it's legible so your good there. I'd probably draw out my comics as well if I wasn't so nervous about my artwork (to the point where my avatar is really the only place I feel comfortable showing anything off). You have motivated me to try to shake that off and give it a try next time around, though, so I guess I better get to work on that.
I've been working on using d20 Modern as the base for a Fallout Equestria campaign and it does skills a little better. Downside is having to balance the different races. Upside, easy to just cherry pick stuff off existing official d20 races that I can make it at least pretend they're balanced. ;)
In the tabletop roleplaying system that I was involved in creating, Science was described as covering "both mundane and arcane sciences".
I did a Kermit spaz dance seeing this one popup today. I didn't expect to lead the guest comic pack. I feel honored. ^^;
Loot-wise, I had an experience where the GM of a D&D game had a town attacked by literal flying monkeys. We had a big map of the town laid out on a foam-board and the GM used push pins to indicate where everyone was.
The awesome part was that the flying monkeys were wearing the loot! Some had pieces or armor, some had weapons, and a few others were using magic wands and such. So to get the loot we wanted, we had to fight the monkeys that were using them against the town (and us!). Having to fight in the streets, using the buildings for cover or to climb up in order to reach a monkey, and saving the townsfolk made for a very interesting encounter.
Loot-wise, I had an experience where the GM of a D&D game had a town attacked by literal flying monkeys. We had a big map of the town laid out on a foam-board and the GM used push pins to indicate where everyone was.
The awesome part was that the flying monkeys were wearing the loot! Some had pieces or armor, some had weapons, and a few others were using magic wands and such. So to get the loot we wanted, we had to fight the monkeys that were using them against the town (and us!). Having to fight in the streets, using the buildings for cover or to climb up in order to reach a monkey, and saving the townsfolk made for a very interesting encounter.
Fine, fine work, mate.
I'd figure the technomage that used the thing would rig it so its operating system worked like spell formulae instead of conventional binary (because MAGIC!!!!!).
It would also be effective as a security system, since only another magicker would understand it, thus no mundane tech could crack it.
And if that wasn't the explanation, i would pelt my gm with cheetos for damnable foolishness, raise my arcane skill to truly abusive heights, and find or create a spell to magically power anything......
"Make your attack roll. You have a unfamiliarity penalty"
"Ah, but I'm powering my newfound fusion obliterator with my Arcane Battery spell. That makes it magically powered, therefore i should roll my arcane skill!"
"But....but......"
"Remember that MAGICALLY POWERED computer?"
*Sulk*
"Aaaaaaaaand 42 to hit, with 104 points of fire, radiation, and energy damage"
I'd figure the technomage that used the thing would rig it so its operating system worked like spell formulae instead of conventional binary (because MAGIC!!!!!).
It would also be effective as a security system, since only another magicker would understand it, thus no mundane tech could crack it.
And if that wasn't the explanation, i would pelt my gm with cheetos for damnable foolishness, raise my arcane skill to truly abusive heights, and find or create a spell to magically power anything......
"Make your attack roll. You have a unfamiliarity penalty"
"Ah, but I'm powering my newfound fusion obliterator with my Arcane Battery spell. That makes it magically powered, therefore i should roll my arcane skill!"
"But....but......"
"Remember that MAGICALLY POWERED computer?"
*Sulk*
"Aaaaaaaaand 42 to hit, with 104 points of fire, radiation, and energy damage"
I'm now thinking of ideas on how to make an automatic Cheetos pelter.
Regarding the flying monkeys (I don't think I've ever typed that exact combination of letters): It always bugged me when you had things like guards using standard iron-tipped spears and leather armor to defend +2 swords and masterwork half-plate from theft.
Never played many games in the "kill stuff and take their treasure" mold, as I couldn't take them seriously.
Never played many games in the "kill stuff and take their treasure" mold, as I couldn't take them seriously.
It was really hard to take flying monkeys seriously, but hey, loot is loot, right? I played along for the fun of it and it was pretty enjoyable. :D
The exception being stuff that's useless to monsters without the right alignment or class features, like a Chaos Diamond in a Lawful vampire wizard's lair.
Haha, that is so how I play Skyrim (right down to the khajiit sneak)
Our party always carried a 'warrior's lockpick' if we could find one. Basically, anything made out of admantium. It ignored hardness, so you could eventually chip through anything.
It's even stealthy if you have someone who can cast Silence.
It's even stealthy if you have someone who can cast Silence.
Until some GM comes up with the idea of hitting you with a magically reinforced adamantium barrier. Adamantium only ignores so much hardness...
My party *hates* doors. They are our bane.
We were in a castle that had flooded and so every door in the place had swollen with water (and this is why you don't build castles on floodplains). We had to wrestle with every single door in the place, and it was all strength checks. Eventually our barbarian got fed up and tried to hack a door down. Crit fail and his axe bounced off the door and hit him.
We hate doors. Hate them
We were in a castle that had flooded and so every door in the place had swollen with water (and this is why you don't build castles on floodplains). We had to wrestle with every single door in the place, and it was all strength checks. Eventually our barbarian got fed up and tried to hack a door down. Crit fail and his axe bounced off the door and hit him.
We hate doors. Hate them
I recall a party that used doors as ranged weapons: bash them in hard enough to inflict damage on any hostiles inside (and in those dungeons there were never any friendlies except for replacement PCs). Managed to disrupt a summoning once, resulting in death of summoner and demon before initiative could be rolled.
We almost never even consider that the door might be unlocked. We just tear it out of the wall and chuck it at the nearest daemon.
Space Marines can do that, but back when I was playing a human (same GM, different group) we nearly wasted some rather expensive high explosives blasting open a beautifully crafted door before the grizzled old man of the team tried the handle.
If it's AD&D 2nd edition, you'll be in trouble, because the wall might be a disguised monster.
Of course, so might the door. And the ceiling. And the floor. And the treasure.
Of course, so might the door. And the ceiling. And the floor. And the treasure.
There is a reason why one player long ago in my old group loved to use Disintegrate and Fireball to check doors for traps. ^^;
I both hated and loved that she was as genre savvy as she was. Would make AJ's player proud.
I both hated and loved that she was as genre savvy as she was. Would make AJ's player proud.
My group has a simmilar thing about staying at inns. It is a long running joke in our group that we are safer resting in the middle of the enemy strong hold, than we are resting at an inn.
seriously, 9 times out of 10 something bad will happen when we stay at an inn.
its to the point we don't even go to bars looking for info anymore.
seriously, 9 times out of 10 something bad will happen when we stay at an inn.
its to the point we don't even go to bars looking for info anymore.
In one D&D campaign the party raised the money to buy a run down building in one town to set up their own tavern. They put up various loot and trophies from defeated enemies as a rogue's gallery to decorate the place.
Was really nice and they actually took pride in it. We dedicated an entire episode to hiring staff for the tavern and the players had fun RPing interviews.
Was really nice and they actually took pride in it. We dedicated an entire episode to hiring staff for the tavern and the players had fun RPing interviews.
For the rest of the game I am carrying so much money it functions as light armour. I am leaving a trail of bills behind me wherever I go. I feel like I have won the rogue Olympics. Naturally I stick to the plot of the game even though it has the party seeking a hidden pirate treasure - I'd find a way to carry more cash somehow God-dammit!
Digo, I had no idea you were so good at drawing! I love it, especially the character designs. Talk about setting a high bar for this guest comic run!
Aww, thanks. ^^; Yeah I have a pretty long history of drawing. I put a lot of pony art up on DA (account: digoraccoon), including some colored work of the above characters.
Though the guest comic is exclusively here, so no spoilers. ;)
Though the guest comic is exclusively here, so no spoilers. ;)
Wow you do some great work, I also noticed we share an appreciation of The Great and Powerful Trixie. I started following your tumblr Outlaw mares and submitted a question ^_^
@ Digo:
I gotta say it's finding a druid and dragon-borne books because let's face it, we never **ever** get more than one 20+ check at a time, and 3 in a row was magnificent.
Campaign, small hallway with 3 rooms. I break into them and we search through. 2nd room actually had searchables in it, like a drawer and shelves. Fellow Wizard and myself as a Rogue are searching the room.
Rogue: Ai'ght, roll to search room. <rolls>
DM: That's a... [20+], sweet, wizard?
Wizard: Oh, yeah! ... <rolls>
DM: Cool, [20+], now, Rogue, do another roll.
Rogue: Uh... Okie-dokie! <rolls>
DM: SWEET BABY JAIZUS, [20+]!
You guys looks through the room, and Rogue finds a small latch mechanism on the drawer bottom of the drawer. With a nimble flick a hidden drawer comes out revealing a large green/tan tome. With a brief look-over by the Rogue, he can identify it as as an ancient tome of Druids.
As the wizard rummages through the piles of dirt and dust, he too notices something in the ground. Upon brushing it off, it is a heavy, darkly bound leather book. The Rogue's bibliological knowledge comes in handy yet again and he identifies it as a Dragon-borne tome.
Rogue n Wizard: O_O;
High-fives went around.
I gotta say it's finding a druid and dragon-borne books because let's face it, we never **ever** get more than one 20+ check at a time, and 3 in a row was magnificent.
Campaign, small hallway with 3 rooms. I break into them and we search through. 2nd room actually had searchables in it, like a drawer and shelves. Fellow Wizard and myself as a Rogue are searching the room.
Rogue: Ai'ght, roll to search room. <rolls>
DM: That's a... [20+], sweet, wizard?
Wizard: Oh, yeah! ... <rolls>
DM: Cool, [20+], now, Rogue, do another roll.
Rogue: Uh... Okie-dokie! <rolls>
DM: SWEET BABY JAIZUS, [20+]!
You guys looks through the room, and Rogue finds a small latch mechanism on the drawer bottom of the drawer. With a nimble flick a hidden drawer comes out revealing a large green/tan tome. With a brief look-over by the Rogue, he can identify it as as an ancient tome of Druids.
As the wizard rummages through the piles of dirt and dust, he too notices something in the ground. Upon brushing it off, it is a heavy, darkly bound leather book. The Rogue's bibliological knowledge comes in handy yet again and he identifies it as a Dragon-borne tome.
Rogue n Wizard: O_O;
High-fives went around.
As said, we're pretty sure all of the moons in all of the planes lined up to pull that off. =D
Similarly, I can use my pickpocket skill for anything. What are passwords, if not a form of currency hidden in the mind or hard drive? What is a bank vault, but a pocket where the bank holds its money?
Animal husbandry is fun, too. Trying to explain why you are breeding a flumph with a stegosaurus as a vital part of your plan to repel the tarrasque is always a good time.
Passwords aren't currency though. A password is much more like a very small identity document (ID) so you should get a bonus to your Pickpocketing roll.
Yeah, but I can't think of a system that has flumphs, tarrasques and dinosaurs all at once.
I think arcana check could be more appropriate in "hardware" hacking.
If you want to reroute magical energy current you should know how to (safely) operate it.
If you want to reroute magical energy current you should know how to (safely) operate it.
I am thinking of using something from a KODT comic -- a large and attractive jewel in a recess. When the players reach for it, a trap cuts their arm off. I have to find some clues to its real nature though, because they're too new to have absorbed that thieves can look for and disarm traps.
What I would like to do is make a treasure obvious and unguarded, but (apparently) inaccessible, with either a maze, obstacle course or puzzle necessary to reach it. A couple of Christopher Anvil stories might provide inspiration too -- he wrote a "space patrol" series where the characters found themselves in a sort of psionic field that basically made the task harder if they tried to do it in a conventional way. Perhaps an anti-magic shield?
What I would like to do is make a treasure obvious and unguarded, but (apparently) inaccessible, with either a maze, obstacle course or puzzle necessary to reach it. A couple of Christopher Anvil stories might provide inspiration too -- he wrote a "space patrol" series where the characters found themselves in a sort of psionic field that basically made the task harder if they tried to do it in a conventional way. Perhaps an anti-magic shield?
A real good clue as to its real nature would be to have the bones of a human arm in the recess, reaching out for the gem. If that doesn't tip them off that something is wrong, they deserve to lose an arm.
Sufficiently advanced magic works very well at hacking a scientific device. Being able to flip bits on the fly is wonderful.
Sufficiently advanced technology works well at hacking magical devices as well.
Once you reach a point where you have magic based computers, either approach is equally valid with regard to hacking it. It is over the blur-line where magic and technology become less distinguishable.
Sufficiently advanced technology works well at hacking magical devices as well.
Once you reach a point where you have magic based computers, either approach is equally valid with regard to hacking it. It is over the blur-line where magic and technology become less distinguishable.
I hope not, otherwise I'm going to feel really dated. :3
So, wait, if Arcana is for computer hacking, just what does Science do anymore?
Are the three Hacking Skills party members from anything in particular... or am I free to use them as inspiration for one of my own sets of characters? :3
Guest Author's Note: I love post-apocalyptic settings. You have to conserve resources, think on your feet, and every abandoned building becomes a potential multi-story dungeon full of wonderful loot. Who doesn't love loot? I think the best part of gaining those riches is the effort you had to invest for it, whether it involved an intricate puzzle or a real nail-biting boss encounter. What's the most interesting effort you've had to put forth to get a hold of the treasure?
Newbiespud's Note: I'll cop to this one being a completely true story. I hope this will sate some of you who are missing the wasteland because we're still doing Mawlers Take Manehattan.
Session 7 - Cute-ceañera Conclusion: Libsyn YouTube