Human Systems Technician

From Star Frontiers Network

Revision as of 02:08, 3 March 2010 by Terl obar (Talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Current revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
Human Systems Technician
STR/STA 45/55 PS +3
DEX/RS 50/50 IM +5
INT/LOG 50/55 Ranged 25
PER/LDR 50/50 Melee 35
Special Abilities:

None

Skills: (Technological PSA)

Computers 1, Robotics 1

Equipment:

Robcomkit, Standard Equipment Pack, Auto Pistol, 4 Credits

If it runs programming, you can make it dance. Computers and robots share many of the same systems, and you know them all. Out on the Frontier, your skills are worth a lot of money to a lot of people, and can lead you down a path to adventure!

Contents

Character Concepts

Robot Queen

You’ve always liked being the center of attention, even from your youth. Your parents considered you the cream of the crop, and your siblings were always jealous. When you went to the university to study computers and robotics, everyone had the highest hopes for you, and you didn’t let them down.

After graduation, you began building yourself a little empire. You utilize your skill with computers and robots to create flexible and powerful networks with you at the center, guiding every move. You write many of your own programs instead of purchasing canned ones, to keep others from being able to easily do your job.

Unfortunately, several megacorp headhunters have recognized your skill, and are looking to recruit you for spying, security and military work. You’re not sure who to trust, so you hide behind the technology you know so well. Your universe is getting dangerous, but just like when you were little -- you’re still at its center.

Mr. Fix-It

You love walking into an industrial site, spewing buzzwords and techie jargon, waving your state-ofthe- art tools around and typing away at the keyboard. Nothing beats that amazing feeling of walking away from the site feeling like you’re wearing a big red cape, having just fixed the machine that nobody else could figure out.

If something electronic breaks down, you can repair it with little difficulty. Computer and robot systems are all the same to you, making you a whiz at keeping everything running no matter what happens.

You like to keep a list of the programs you’ve worked on, edited, or created. You keep a toolkit of code snippets that rivals the most experienced programmers. When you come across a new problem that needs an innovative solution, you’re all over it whether you’re bringing an old solution out and dusting it off or coming up with a new one onthe- fly. You’re that guy that everyone goes to when their computer isn’t working, and you love every minute of it.

Some people do it for the money, you do it for the knowledge that you’ve fixed the unfixable, done the impossible, and saved the day.

Hacker

You went to the university, studied with the best of them, and dropped out right before graduation. Getting a piece of paper isn’t important to you – you just wanted to learn the basics. From there, you taught yourself what you really enjoyed.

Rather than repairing or modifying systems, you specialize in infiltrating them. Your ability to get past security, set up watch-guards, establish links between unrelated systems, write protocol translators and network monitor scramblers all make you valuable to any corporation that would have you.

But you don’t like the idea of working for a corp. They won’t let you do what you want – and will take credit for what you do. You want to remain in the shadows of society, hiding from the masses at large, while at the same time letting all other hackers know your work on sight.

You have a secret hacker name, a buzzword, a handle. Hacker friends – whom you’ve never met in person – all have one of these. It’s how you keep in touch, exchange tricks, form alliances. In the middle of the night, you might get a call from “Sleeper” asking you to slam the mining servers at Streel with information requests – no questions asked. You’ll do it because you’ll need help from her some day. Teams of people like you are most corporation’s worst nightmares.

When you hacked the Data Repository at Circe, corporate security came down on you like a nightmare, led by the noted Yazirian agent, Detective Wivol. You had suits with guns all over your apartment, as you fled the scene. They took everything, and you were mad as hell.

You’ll show them, though. You’ll get online today at the local library, hack into their personnel directory, and change Detective Wivol’s status to “on suspension.” We’ll see who gets the last laugh.

Development

The most obvious development technique is to work on your technical skills... but there are other less obvious ways for you to develop your character.

Developing Abilities

Begin working on your Intuition and Logic scores as you have the points to afford it. While your skills are more paramount to your career, these basic ability scores will help you with those subtle ability checks the referee throws at you to figure out what a rival hacker is up to, understand alien programming and engineering, or sense that security system before it’s too late.

Working on your Personality score would be nice, to help formulate relationships with NPCs in your field of study. You never know when it will be helpful to call in a favor from some contact.

Developing Skills

You should work on your robotics and computer skills right away, but don’t underestimate the usefulness of the Technician skill. It will help you use your technical expertise on vehicles and other machines.

Technology is technology, and you’re good with it. In the modern day, there are correlations between all forms of tech – they all can be programmed in one way or another. Lines blur between science and technology, and you like to live in that blur.

Equipment

You need to get a computer, whether it’s from a corporate sponsorship or purchased with credits. The more money you can dump into it, the better it will be. But remember you can always start off small and work your way up through upgrades.

You have a gun but you don’t really rely on that much. It’s probably a better idea to invest in a security bot as finances permit. Nothing beats a security robot programmed by you as a bodyguard. You can teach it secret command word recognition (your voice only, of course) to do special maneuvers or actions. With the right programming, you might even have yourself a handy assistant. Have your security robot restrain an enemy bot while you remove its security plate!

You’re a techie in the purest sense, and love to accumulate gadgets. You probably like to collect various toolkits, even for skills you have no direct ability in yet. With your referee’s permission, you might even invest extra money on a toolkit that might provide bonuses to your skill use.

Edges and Flaws

If using this optional system found at the back of the Alpha Dawn Remastered book, you might want to consider some of these ideas.

Edge: Works Well Under Pressure

Whenever you’re in the hot seat, and people are waiting for you to get the job done quickly, your concentration and innovation soars to new levels. You can call on this edge once per session to get a bonus to some task when timing is crucial.

Edge: Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Job

You’ve mastered the art of not needing a job in order to support yourself. When you need something that doesn’t cost too much, and have access to a computer with a subspace link to a planet that contains a large enough network, you can get what you need and have it shipped. Of course, if you do it too often or for something that costs too much, corporate security will catch on!

Edge: Robotics Whiz

This is an example of using the Edge and Flaw system to hone one aspect of your abilities. Use this edge to get a bonus to a roll when making any one of your Robotics skill checks. Like all Edges this may only be used once per session, but having it to use at the right moment might save the day!

Flaw: Mistaken Identity

Some skilled hacker has somehow caused all of his crimes to be put in your name. You have a record and didn’t do anything to deserve it! The referee can invoke this Flaw to be a general pain in the butt to your mission or adventure.