How would you define a firewall?

[Steve]

I thought I'd throw this out to Herodom.

 

How would you define a computer firewall in game terms? Mental Defense against those mental powers that affect computers? A Change Environment that provides a minus to hacking into a computer hooked up to the firewall and maybe to any mental attacks that affect computers? A straight minus to skill rolls? Some combination of the above?

 

Also, how would Star Hero tech levels affect things? Would there be further modifiers or increased protection as an inherent effect to a difference in tech levels?

[Guest Champsguy]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Answer: However you want.

 

There's no way "right" way to define it. Personally? I'd just give the computer Security Systems (skill roll dependant on how good the firewall is), and have the hacker make an opposed skill roll. But this is Hero--there are lots of ways to do the same thing.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

I thought I'd throw this out to Herodom.

 

How would you define a computer firewall in game terms? Mental Defense against those mental powers that affect computers? A Change Environment that provides a minus to hacking into a computer hooked up to the firewall and maybe to any mental attacks that affect computers? A straight minus to skill rolls? Some combination of the above?

 

Also, how would Star Hero tech levels affect things? Would there be further modifiers or increased protection as an inherent effect to a difference in tech levels?

Seems like a computer specific application of Security Systems to me. Probably a few complimentary skills and such. I am sure others will chime in with more detailed answers.

 

HM

[Doc Democracy]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Trying to think of this in purely game terms.

 

If someone is trying to access a computer system then they would use the Security Systems skill to hack in. If there was a firewall then that task would be proportionately more difficult to do. Thus the firewall makes the task more difficult - like negative levels against security systems.

 

As you can buy +1 in security systems for 2 points, I'd make firewall a defence at 1pt per point that makes the difficulty of security systems that much more difficult.

 

 

Doc

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Personally? I'd just give the computer Security Systems (skill roll dependant on how good the firewall is)' date=' and have the hacker make an opposed skill roll.[/quote']Yep, this is exactly what I would do as well.

 

[Constantine]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

If it is a REALLY good firewall, I'd also go with the mental defense you suggested, to help block mental powers bought only vs. machines....

[Doppler]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Tunnelling, Megascale, only through paint.

[Sean Waters]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Depends on how you attack the computer system. For most games I'd have the skill vs skill rolls suggested above (with bonuses for extra time spent on creating the programme and counter-measure factored in, bonuses for equipment, complimentary skill rolls or assists for having a team on it and so on: firewalls should not be easy to crack unless you can get some source code or other information.)

 

If, OTOH, you hack using extra dimensional movement and roleplay the whole cyberspace thing, I'd build it like a dragon or a fire elemental, or maybe like a wall. Of fire.

[Dust Raven]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

I like Doc's idea using Negative Skill Levels, though I probably wouldn't reduce the cost any. Just buy them straight at 2 points per. The overall effect is that the computer as made it's roll in a Skill versus Skill contest by the amount of it's Firewall Levels, so they act as a penalty versus the infiltrator's Security Systems roll.

 

The official way is to simply by the Computer the Secruty Systems Skill and make a roll every time someone tries to break in.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

I like Doc's idea using Negative Skill Levels' date=' though I probably wouldn't reduce the cost any. Just buy them straight at 2 points per. [/quote']

 

I costed it at 1 point per point to make the defence cheaper than the attack!

 

But I think considering that I'd allow the points to be used as defence against telepathy usable against mechanical minds that 2 points per level is probably fine.

 

 

Doc

[Killer Shrike]

Re: How would you define a firewall?

 

Invisible to Computer Programming, Security Systems, and Mental Awareness, Not vs Specific Ports (-1/4), 0 END, Persistent

 

For a Hardware firewall add limited Shapeshift vs Detect IP, 0 END Persistent

 

For an encrypted system add Detect Authorized User, and a program to Authenticate Users.

 

For a firewall with IP blocking add Detect Address On Block List, and a program to Block Listed Addresses.