DeckingDecking is linking your mind to a virtual reality representation of a computer system or network known as cyberspace. Decking is more visceral and intuitive than blandly typing away at a computer terminal, yet is no less potent as a method of breaking computer security. It does carry greater dangers, however. The neural link works both ways, so viruses (and some questionably-legal security programs) can fight back against the decker himself, rather than just the computer a hacker uses. Some such programs can hijack the link to knock out or paralyze the decker until real-world authorities can arrive, or even induce psychosomatic feedback that can wound or kill.
Jacking In... (WIP)
Usually need a port on the system to be hacked, as any significant latency (~1/4 second or higher) makes the fine control needed for hacking difficult if not impossible.
A jacked in decker is helpless. The decker does not use his or her senses and can take no actions. If attacked, treat as unconscious (denied Dex to AC, Dex = 0, etc.). Still allowed saving throws, but, again, unconscious (Dex = 0, no Evasion/Mettle, etc.). You are still aware of your body's status, so you can tell if you are being harmed.
Jacking in takes 1 round, provokes an AoO, and requires a Concentration check if damaged. When you jack in, your avatar appears at the cyberspace location of an open port (usually the one you connected to). Your avatar always appears at full health and with no conditions, magical auras, other other effects affecting it regardless of its status the last time you jacked in, as it is an entirely new creature. It might even have a different truename.
Jacking Out... (WIP)
Jacking out (leaving cyberspace and returning senses to reality) takes 1 round, provokes an AoO, and requires a Concentration check if damaged. Once jacked out, the decker's avatar ceases to exist and the decker's senses and motor control return to his or her body. Normally, jacking out can be done anywhere at any time. If the system or the decker's avatar is locked down, it may also require returning the avatar to the cyberspace representation of an open port in order to jack out.
When you jack out, anything you brought with you when you jacked in (such as equipment your avatar had that was dropped or left behind, or severed body parts form your avatar, etc.) also disappear, even if they aren't with your avatar.
Note: Your avatar takes the actions to jack out, so if your avatar can't act, you can't jack out.
Some special attacks and abilities in cyberspace may lock an avatar down. A locked down avatar can function normally in cyberspace, but the avatar's decker cannot simply jack out. Any attempt to jack out when not at an open port automatically fails. Some abilities that lock down an avatar also cause intense feedback to the decker if the avatar is destroyed. Locked down avatars are not ejected by planar travel; deckers are not jacked out, and programs remain where they are.
Sometimes an entire system can be locked down. Everything in the cyberspace of a locked down system or a virtual machine within it is considered locked down.
AvatarsIn cyberspace, everything is represented as an avatar. A decker's avatar allow him to visualize a computer system and interact with it intuitively, with the decking software he uses translating the decker's natural thoughts and bodily actions into meaningful computer actions. The avatar of a security program or virus represents its presence and influence in the computer system.
Each avatar has its own statistics and abilities, just like a normal creature. A decker's avatar has the same statistics and equipment as the decker has in reality, although most magical abilities do not function (see below), while any of the decker's cyberspace abilities are only usable by his avatar. Limited uses of any of your abilities all come from you; your avatar does not have a separate set of abilities. Magical charged and consumable items, should they be usable, are likewise consumed in reality when employed in cyberspace.
(In other words, this is a really complicated way of saying that you can use D&D combat rules to do fancy computer hacking instead of just rolling a ton of Computer Use checks over and over.)
CombatCombat in cyberspace functions just like normal combat. One round in cyberspace corresponds to one round in the physical world, although particularly fast or slow systems can sometimes run at a different rate, similar to a plane with a different flowing time trait.
Damage to an avatar does not normally cause any negative effects to the decker it represents. However, some special attacks can cause feedback.
A decker whose avatar has been destroyed is immediately jacked out and takes 1d4 points of nonlethal damage and is dazed for 1 round.
MagicCyberspace is not reality, so magic does not have any real effect there. Supernatural abilities and magic items simply do not function, as though within an
anti-magic field or dead magic zone. Most other magical abilities are similarly nonfunctional. Any sort of magical item or ability that can function under such circumstances (such as grafts and the magic of deities) are either powerful enough to impose themselves into the virtual reality of cyberspace, or inherent enough that standard decking software can translate the magical impulses into practical cyberspace effects.
Attempting to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability normally has no effect; the spell slot or usage of the ability is consumed, but it has no effect in reality and no translation of its effects occur into cyberspace. Characters who employ magical decking software (such as Spellforce v1.2) or feats (such as Cyberspace Magic) can produce effects comparable to the normal magical effects of spells within cyberspace.
Note: While these types of special effects most commonly come from spells, they can come from other sources (even extraordinary abilities, which function normally in cyberspace). Regardless of the source, be it spells or maneuvers or anything else, they all function as described here.
Calling: Spells that call creatures from other planes do not function. They can, however, be used to call avatars that are elsewhere in the cyberspace of the computer system or of a connected computer system's cyberspace, subject to the normal limitations of the spell.
Creation: When spells create creatures and objects in cyberspace, they are linked to the avatar that created them. When the avatar leaves cyberspace, its creations cease to exist as they are garbage collected. One round after an avatar leaves, anything created by its most recently cast creation spell from which anything still remains ceases to exist. Each round thereafter, the effects of the next such spell ceases to exist, continuing until nothing created remains.
Mind-Affecting Effects: Mind-affecting magic that affects a decker's avatar also feeds back and affects the decker him or herself. Mind-affecting magic that affects a decker does not, however, translate onto his or her avatar (the link is unidirectional).
Planar Travel: Planar travel doesn't work normally in cyberspace. An avatar that undergoes any sort of plane shifting effect, with a few exceptions, is ejected from cyberspace. Deckers are jacked out, and programs disappear, returning to their initialization locations 1 round later.
Ethereal travel in cyberspace works almost exactly like etherealness in the physical world, wherein avatars and cyberspace objects are shifted to a different, coexistent computing layer that interacts with normal cyberspace just like the Ethereal plane interacts with the material world.
Spells that create demiplanes and pocket dimensions function almost normally. They create a virtual machine on the computer that the area of cyberspace represents. Time within the virtual machine flows at half the rate as outside it, regardless of the time traits that the demiplane would normally have.
Summoning: Summoning spells summon avatars representing the creatures they would normally summon. These avatars have the same statistics as the creatures they represent. For practical purposes, summoning spells function normally in cyberspace.
Teleportation: Teleportation involving momentary planar travel (usually through the Astral Plane) just moves an avatar directly to another location, without going to another plane.
CyberneticsWhen you jack in, your avatar has the same active modules, socket attachments, and energy allocations as you do.
As modules and cybernetic items are computers, you can use their processing power to aid your efforts in cyberspace. Modules, energy, and other cybernetic abilities and items, even supernatural abilities that affect your activating abilities, function normally in cyberspace.
(WIP) Since modules and cybernetic items are computers, they can be decked and hacked, too (although it's usually rather impractical). There might be rules for this. The security for a given module is probably something like an encounter with EL equal to the module's effective activator level to resist dispelling minus 4. Defeating the security allows a decker to deactivate the module.
Pact BindingYour avatar is bound to the same vestiges that you are and is subject to the same penalties for acting contrary to a vestige's influence as you are, and any penalties it accrues apply to you as well.
Pacts cannot be made in cyberspace.
Most vestige abilities are supernatural or spell-like, and thus cannot be employed in cyberspace without the appropriate feat or magical decking software.
Truename MagicUtterances are spell-like abilities, and act like them. Consequently, they have no effect when used in cyberspace without the appropriate feat or magical decking software. Avatars and cyberspace locations have truenames just like real creatures do.
If you know your own truename, you know the truename of your avatar, but the truename of an avatar is not the same as that of the decker it represents, with the exception of cyberspace entities and other creatures that are their avatars within cyberspace.
You can use the Computer Use skill to research the truename of cyberspace entities, avatars, and cyberspace locations.
Researching the truename of an avatar or cyberspace location requires no expensive materials and takes only 1 minute per check. However, as the truenames of avatars are assigned by the system on which they come into existence, you must have access to that computer system to perform your research. This special form of truename research and assignment does not apply to creatures that are their own avatars, as they exist independently of the computers and thus have truenames defined by the universe itself like any other creature.
Other Magical AbilitiesIncarnum: When you jack in, your avatar has the same shaped soulmelds, chakra binds, and essentia allocations as you do. They're still suppressed like any other supernatural ability unless you have the appropriate feat or magical decking software.
Invocations: Invocations are spell-like abilities, and act like them. Consequently, they have no effect when used in cyberspace without the appropriate feat or magical decking software.
Maneuvers: Most maneuvers are extraordinary abilities, and thus function normally in cyberspace. Those that are supernatural abilities are unusable in cyberspace without the appropriate feat or magical decking software.
Psionics: See magic. Powers and psi-like abilities interact with cyberspace just like spells and spell-like abilities.
Shadowcasting: With respect to being usable in cyberspace, mysteries (including fundamentals) always count as arcane spells, regardless of whether they are arcane spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities.
Cyberspace Abilities (Cy)Some creatures have special abilities that only function in cyberspace. Within cyberspace, these abilities function normally, but they have no effect at all outside of cyberspace. Within cyberspace, cyberspace abilities function just like extraordinary abilities.
System TraitsMuch like planes, computer systems can have traits that influence how the avatars within their cyberspace can function.
Overclocked/Underclocked: Particularly fast or slow systems may function faster or slower than in the real world. Time passes faster in an overclocked system, resulting in more than 1 round passing in cyberspace for every round in reality. Similarly, time passes slower in an underclocked system, resulting in more than 1 round passing in reality for every round in cyberspace. This is comparable to the flowing time trait of planes.
Firewalled: A firewalled system makes it difficult for outside programs to access the system. Any attempt to jack into the system requires a DC 20 Will save or else fail, although a decker can try again on his or her next turn. Even once jacked in, a decker's avatar suffers a -2 circumstance penalty on all ability checks and skill checks while in the system's cyberspace. Some systems have whitelists of authorized individuals. Such users are not impeded by the system's firewall.
Degraded: Damaged systems may have trouble functioning optimally. Avatars native to the system suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Teardown: Systems that are in the process of shutting down or rebooting are difficult to jack in to. Some deckers do so in order to access the system at a time when security measures are disabled and connection logs may not be recorded, allowing them to potentially get in and out completely undetected. Avatars in teardown cyberspace take 3d10 points of damage each round. Once the system finishes shutting down, all avatars are destroyed. A decker whose avatar is destroyed in teardown cyberspace must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or gain 1d4 negative levels from the mental backlash. Demiplane, pocket dimension, summoning, and calling abilities do not work in a system in teardown, even with the appropriate abilities or magical software to allow spells in cyberspace.
EquipmentDecking requires some specialized equipment. A basic VR helmet is the minimum to get into cyberspace, but better technology gives a better experience and greater control over your avatar.
Datajack: A graft that provides the ability to jack in to cyberspace and deck. Direct neural link provides the best experience. Cannot be forcibly removed. No feedback if connection is interrupted.
Datajack, Remote: Functions as a normal Datajack, but uses a remote uplink to go through wireless networks instead of a physical wire. Includes a remote jack that can be plugged in to physical ports if no wireless network is available.
VR Helmet: An item that allows basic decking. Indirect neural link makes control more difficult in cyberspace (-4 on attack rolls, saves, and skill and ability checks). Causes neural damage if forcibly removed.
VR Suit: A full-body suit that allows improved decking. Indirect neural link, but full-body feedback provides better control than just a VR helmet and nearly as good as a datajack (-1 on attack rolls, saves, and skill and ability checks). Causes neural damage if forcibly removed, but as a full-body suit, that process is a lot slower, giving the decker more time to escape cyberspace.
SoftwareAlso purchased as equipment. Software influences how your abilities interact with cyberspace. Some software can allow you to split your attention between your body and your avatar, or cushion the backlash that decking can cause. Magical software can allow you to translate your magical abilities into cyberspace, imposing magical effects upon the representation of the computer system.
Armory.db: Allows the use of magic and psionic items in cyberspace.
Basic Decking Software: Standard, needed to deck. Nothing special.
Battle.net: Allows the use of supernatural maneuvers and stances in cyberspace.
Deck Launcher Pro: If your decking avatar is destroyed, you are not dazed and you can jack back in as an immediate action.
Drift Manager Basic: Allows decker to retain physical world senses.
Drift Manager Advanced: Allows decker to retain physical world senses. You can also act in physical world as well as cyberspace; can choose for each round whether you'll act in the physical world or have your avatar act in cyberspace, and the choice remains for the full time of that round.
Gatekeeper: Reduces the feedback that magic and advanced programs can cause to the decker. Also grants a second saving throw for you in reality against mind-affecting effects if your avatar fails its save.
Null.dll v0.1: Allows the use of abilities from 1st-level and lower vestiges in cyberspace.
Null.dll v0.2: Allows the use of abilities from 2nd-level and lower vestiges in cyberspace.
Null.dll v0.3: Allows the use of abilities from 3rd-level and lower vestiges in cyberspace.
Null.dll v0.4: Allows the use of abilities from 4th-level and lower vestiges in cyberspace.
Null.dll v0.5: Allows the use of abilities from 5th-level and lower vestiges in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.0: Allows the use of psionic feats in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.1: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 1st-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.2: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 2nd-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.3: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 3rd-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.4: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 4th-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.5: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 5th-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Psychonaut Engine v1.6: Allows the use of psionic feats and the manifesting of 6th-level and lower powers in cyberspace.
Soulspace: Allows the use of soulmelds, essentia, and related abilities in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.0: Allows the casting of 0th-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.1: Allows the casting of 1st-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.2: Allows the casting of 2nd-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.3: Allows the casting of 3rd-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.4: Allows the casting of 4th-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.5: Allows the casting of 5th-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Spellforce v1.6: Allows the casting of 6th-level and lower spells in cyberspace.
Virtual Cyberspace: Prevents all feedback that magic and advanced programs can cause to the decker. No damage or dazing if your avatar is destroyed. However, your avatar is always staggered.
FeatsCyberspace Magic: Your magical abilities and items function in cyberspace. Within cyberspace, your avatar can make use of all of your supernatural abilities, and your spells and spell-like abilities function when cast into cyberspace. Your magical equipment is not suppressed in cyberspace.
Special AbilitiesThe following special abilities are common to several creatures.
Cyberspace Entry (Cy): This creature does not create a distinct avatar when it jacks in. Instead, it bodily enters cyberspace, ceasing to exist in reality and becoming its own avatar with the same status that it had in the physical world. Anything that happens to a cyberspace entity within cyberspace continues into reality once it jacks out, even death or destruction. However, a cyberspace entity can use all of its abilities normally within cyberspace, even supernatural abilities and spells, just like in reality. Cyberspace entities need no special equipment to jack in, merely a physical connection to an appropriate port, or a wireless connection if the creature has the Wireless Communication ability. A cyberspace entity is always considered locked down within cyberspace (it can only jack out at an open port), but when it jacks out, it can do so at any connected location in the real world, its body simply appearing there (or in the nearest passable location) in the same state as it was in cyberspace.
SubtypesCyberspace Entity: Cyberspace entities can exist entirely within cyberspace. Creatures with this subtype have the Cyberspace Entry ability, as described above.
Creatures and MonstersRezbits: As described in PoC, except that they also have the cyberspace entity subtype.
New SpellsChase the RABIT: Confuses an avatar and stuns its decker.
Expeditious Outjacking: Jack out as a swift action.
Netwalking: Become a cyberspace entity as you jack in, and remain so until you leave cyberspace.
Open Source: Gain a +20 bonus on Knowledge checks about avatars you observe.
Spelldecking: Jack in and be able to use lower-level spells for your first 1 round/level in cyberspace.