Cypher Field - Programming

[Traskus]

This cypher field requires at least one dot in academic lore to enter.

Programming 1

SPOILER: Click to show

Focus (Computer): Use computers with cyphers that don't specify a focus. Computers are an electronic device the user is capable of writing code and programming with like a dataslate or a cyberdeck.

Sovereign Firewall: Devices you operate with a wireless connection cannot be accessed without your permission. Hackers can bypass this by, well, hacking. Their TN to hack is equal to your mental defense, and they must succeed a number of times equal to your intelligence before they can access your device.

If the hacker fails before accessing your device, they may not try again for a day and the device provides notification of the attempt. You may perform an academic lore + intelligence roll to set a new TN for your firewall, but only one device can be subject to that custom firewall at a time.

Programming 2

SPOILER: Click to show

ICE Sentry
Programming 2
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 20
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Fieldcraft, Somatic, Subtle
Duration: Indefinite

Possibly the most basic and essential forms of programming: protecting information from others. Over the course of an hour you may encrypt information on a computer. You may read the encrypted data as normal but anyone else will need to hack it (similar to Sovereign Firewall) or get your password.


Software Imp
Programming 2
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 20
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Fieldcraft, Focus, Somatic
Duration: Indefinite
Focus: A stick of incense

The engineer doesn't summon a daemon (sadly) but they write a background process to do a task for them. This cypher takes half an hour to activate. This cypher allows a computer the engineer operates to perform academic lore work (research, math, translation, pattern recognition, etc.) for the engineer so the engineer can focus on other things. Use the cypher activation roll as the roll the computer uses to do this work. It takes as long as the engineer would take to perform this work and the cypher ends when it is finished. If the research involves searching the internet, this cypher has the Web keyword.

Every two raises on the activation roll improve the quality of the work by appreciable amounts. More reputable sources, better translations, etc.


Tracer Software
Programming 2
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 20
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Subtle, Web
Duration: Indefinite

The engineer fiddles with some electronics so they can keep track of them. The engineer plants a tracker in target electronic device and knows exactly where it is so long as they both have an internet connection. If the connection is severed, the engineer still knows the last place the connection was maintained.

Programming 3

SPOILER: Click to show

Virtual Intelligence: You have created a "dumb" artificial intelligence capable of pre-programmed processing tasks and basic communication in trade and one other language you know. It isn't sapient, it cannot change, and is bound by the three laws of robotics. It has 2 dots in intelligence and 3 dots in academic lore, arcana, common lore, and politics.

It is housed in a data chip and can only interface with electronics through it.

Data Bomb
Programming 3
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 25
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Indefinite

The engineer programs a data bomb into a device over the course of an hour. The engineer selects an executable program or a file and picks a number. After the program/file has been accessed that many times on target device, the device is bricked. Someone suspicious of this may perform a tech use + intelligence roll to discover this cypher (TN 25) and may neutralize this cypher (TN equal to your roll to activate this cypher).

Force Reboot
Programming 3
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 25
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Instant

Have you tried turning it off an on again? The engineer forces target device to reboot. This interrupts any and all processes the device is running and safely restarts the operating system. They may instead put in a trigger to activate this cypher (access x file, run x program, etc.) or use it against hackers. If someone tries and fails to hack the affected computer then their hacking device malfunctions.

Programming 4

SPOILER: Click to show

Combat Precognition
Programming 4
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 30
Action: Half Action
Keywords:
Duration: One scene

The engineer does some quick calculus to predict hot zones and acts on that info to avoid getting hit. The engineer may spend any number of resource points. The engineer's static defense and initiative are increased by the number of resource points spent.


ICE Sentry - Tracer
Programming 4
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Indefinite

The engineer programs their device with a tracer. This cypher takes fifteen minutes to activate. If the device is remotely hacked (successfully or unsuccessfully), it will provide notification of the source of said hacking (unless it can't) and disconnect from all connection points. If the engineer has at least 4 dots in larceny, the hacker will not know about the tracer. This cypher ends after it is triggered.


Restructured Datapool
Programming 4
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Indefinite

The engineer fills target computer with sloppily-encrypted junk data. If the computer is unsuccessfully hacked, the hacker believes they have succeeded and gains junk data that is believable enough unless they knew a fact that was contradicted in the junk.

Programming 5

SPOILER: Click to show

Artificial Intelligence: You created a "smart" artificial intelligence capable of pre-programmed processing tasks and basic communication in trade and up to two other languages you know. It is no more sapient than a VI, it can just learn and adapt. It has 3 dots in intelligence and 3 dots in academic lore, arcana, common lore, politics, and tech use. It has two ranks in this cypher field that it uses its own statistics with.

It is housed in a data chip and can only interface with electronics through it.




Algorithmic Efficiency
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft, Touch
Duration: Indefinite
The engineer runs a program through a computer (or similarly complex electronic device) that improves the computing power of the device by eliminating a lot of superfluous and redundant background functions. This greatly improves the efficacy of the device though it does make the interface more difficult to navigate due to many quality of life functions being turned off. The device gains a +2k0 bonus in its use but the time it takes to use said device increases by a Half Action, Free/Reaction actions become Half Actions, Half become Full actions, and Full actions become Full action + Half action, etc. If the use of the device is measured in narrative time add one extra unit of time (i.e. if it takes 5 minutes to use than it becomes 6 minutes, 2 hours becomes 3 hours, etc.).

The program can be ended when someone performs a Tech Use roll (TN 25) on the improved device which can also be done remotely if the device is capable of an internet connection. The engineer can willingly end it himself by restarting the device as a Full Action.


Derez
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Instant
The engineer connects their device either to a data storage unit or another device and runs a data destroying program. Data (files, apps, operating systems, etc.) that is deleted through this cypher is completely wiped making it impossible to recover in every conceivable way short of magical or divine intervention. If the data is only accessible through an internet connection, add the Web keyword to the cypher. The amount of time it takes for the cypher to activate depends on the extent of the deletion. Individual files, applications, and programs take 1 minute while a devices entire OS takes 1 hour. If the process is interrupted or cancelled, the engineer will need to restart the process from the beginning. Lastly, the engineer can have the AI from Artificial Intelligence oversee the deletion so that the engineer can focus on other things but the engineer is still the one who needs to initiate the cypher.


Recovery
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Instant
The engineer connects their device either to a data storage unit or another device and runs a data restoring program. This cypher can restore data (files, apps, operating systems, etc.) that is fragmented, corrupt, or even outright missing. If the data is only accessible through an internet connection, add the Web keyword to the cypher. The amount of time it takes for the cypher to activate depends on the extent of the restoration. Individual files, applications, and programs take 1 minute while a devices entire OS takes 1 hour. If the process is interrupted or cancelled, the engineer will need to restart the process from the beginning. Once done the information is restored to the exact point before it became unreadable which includes any encryption, cyphers, or other protections in place except those that were directly responsible for the data becoming damaged in the first place. Lastly, the engineer can have the AI from Artificial Intelligence oversee the restoration so that the engineer can focus on other things but the engineer is still the one who needs to initiate the cypher.

[Traskus]

Having pilfered the capstone cypher for apokalypsi I'll need a replacement. Back to cthulhutech, I guess.

[Traskus]

AI no longer grows. Which is the difference between vi and ai but hey balance.
Still haven't found anything for level 5 yet, sorry.

[insertnamehere]

Made some rank 5 Programming cyphers for the hell of it since there aren't any. Maybe they can provide some inspiration if none take your fancy or would be more appropriate in a different cypher field.

Algorithmic Efficiency
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft, Touch
Duration: Indefinite
The engineer runs a program through a computer (or similarly complex electronic device) that improves the computing power of the device by eliminating a lot of superfluous and redundant background functions. This greatly improves the efficacy of the device though it does make the interface more difficult to navigate due to many quality of life functions being turned off. The device gains a +2k0 bonus in its use but the time it takes to use said device increases by a Half Action, Free/Reaction actions become Half Actions, Half become Full actions, and Full actions become Full action + Half action, etc. If the use of the device is measured in narrative time add one extra unit of time (i.e. if it takes 5 minutes to use than it becomes 6 minutes, 2 hours becomes 3 hours, etc.).
The program can be ended when someone performs a Tech Use roll (TN 25) on the improved device which can also be done remotely if the device is capable of an internet connection. The engineer can willingly end it himself by restarting the device as a Full Action.

Derez
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Instant
The engineer connects their device either to a data storage unit or another device and runs a data destroying program. Data (files, apps, operating systems, etc.) that is deleted through this cypher is completely wiped making it impossible to recover in every conceivable way short of magical or divine intervention. If the data is only accessible through an internet connection, add the Web keyword to the cypher. The amount of time it takes for the cypher to activate depends on the extent of the deletion. Individual files, applications, and programs take 1 minute while a devices entire OS takes 1 hour. If the process is interrupted or cancelled, the engineer will need to restart the process from the beginning. Lastly, the engineer can have the AI from Artificial Intelligence oversee the deletion so that the engineer can focus on other things but the engineer is still the one who needs to initiate the cypher.

Recovery
Programming 5
Test: Academic Lore + Intelligence
TN: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Fieldcraft
Duration: Instant
The engineer connects their device either to a data storage unit or another device and runs a data restoring program. This cypher can restore data (files, apps, operating systems, etc.) that is fragmented, corrupt, or even outright missing. If the data is only accessible through an internet connection, add the Web keyword to the cypher. The amount of time it takes for the cypher to activate depends on the extent of the restoration. Individual files, applications, and programs take 1 minute while a devices entire OS takes 1 hour. If the process is interrupted or cancelled, the engineer will need to restart the process from the beginning. Once done the information is restored to the exact point before it became unreadable which includes any encryption, cyphers, or other protections in place except those that were directly responsible for the data becoming damaged in the first place. Lastly, the engineer can have the AI from Artificial Intelligence oversee the restoration so that the engineer can focus on other things but the engineer is still the one who needs to initiate the cypher.

[Traskus]

Pretty cool. Added.

Tbh I forgot that after I moved psychohistory to apokalypsi level 5 was blank on cyphers. Thanks for completing the field.