Author’s Diary for April 2, 2020: Bids Appendix (Computer Security)

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We finished the Chasing bid yesterday, so it’s time to move on to the Computers bid! Find out how to defeat computer security and cryptography below the fold.

So a funny thing happened when I was going back through the list of traits in Covenant: it was missing a Computers trait. Since this is a futuristic science fiction game that isn’t Dune, we should probably include one, right?

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Computers: Using computers and their peripherals, programming, defeating computer security

• Suggested Uses:
  • Advising others on how to use computers
  • Assisting other in using computers
  • Knowing how to use computers
  • Recognizing the capabilities of a computer and the equipment and networks to which it’s connected
  • Defeating a computer’s security or a message’s cryptography
  • Reprogramming a computer or robot
• Negative Uses: None

Now that we have a Computers trait, we can use it for working on computers – like, say, defeating a computer’s security or decrypting a message.

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Defeat Security: Go into parts of a computer or a computer network where the user is unauthorized, cover your tracks in a computer or network, pick an electronic lock, decrypt a message without the proper key

• To Accomplish: Fixed Computers bid, set by the FM or by the character who created the security or encrypted the message
• Successful Bid:
  • The character gains access to a computer or network as if xi had proper authorization.
  • The character covers xir tracks in a computer or network or goes undetected. Other characters will need to make a Computers bid with xir bid as the target in order to uncover xir.
  • The character picks the lock.
  • The character decrypts the message.
• Unsuccessful Bid:
  • The character does not gain access to a computer or network as if xi had proper authorization. Xi may also trigger an alarm unless xi succeeds at an additional Computers bid with the same target.
  • The character fails to cover xir tracks. Xi may also trigger an alarm unless xi succeeds at an additional Computers bid with the same target.
  • The character does not pick the lock. Xi may also trigger an alarm unless xi succeeds at an additional Computers bid with the same target.
  • The character does not decrypt the message.
• Suggested Traits: Computers, Knowledge, Perception, Sabotage, Stealth, Trickery
• Suggested Advantages:
  • The character is trying to defeat a computer, network, lock, or encrypted message on which xi has worked before.
• Suggested Disadvantages:
  • The character is trying to defeat a computer, network, lock, or encrypted message in another language.
  • The character is trying to defeat a computer, network, lock, or encrypted message designed by an alien species.
  • The character is trying to defeat a computer, network, lock, or encrypted message designed by an unknown on uncontacted alien species.

NOTE: There are usually low-tech ways to defeat computer security and cryptography. EXAMPLE: A character could steal security credentials from an authorized user or convince an authorized user to give up their credentials.

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That’s it for now. Talk to you tomorrow.