How to steal a comm link

[BoneDaddy]

I have an AI character that I would like to bless with the ability to surrepetitiously usurp an active mind link (if it has electrical special effects, of course). In reality this is done all the time, believe it or not. It's an important facet of military communications - enabling your own and either disabling or overtaking your opponents comms, to gain all their intel and possibly send them bad intel. I want Zulfiqar to do the same.

 

I first tried Aid to Mind Link, Usable as an attack, but compatriots said no, for a lot of pretty good reasons.

 

My current attempt is a mind link simultaneous with shapchange for the hearing and radio groups (Zulfiqar can broadcast), contingent on successfully dispelling the mind link to be duplicated. It also requires a Mimicry roll. Looks like this:

 

Mind Link, any 64 minds (45AP) + Shapeshift (Hearing, radio,

Imitation, Cellular, only to imitate electronic

Mind Links, 38AP) Requires a Mimicry Roll (-½), Requires a

successful Dispel Electronics on Mind Link imitated (-½).

 

What do you folks think? What I'd like that to like is this: I dispel the Mind Link, I Mimic the mind link (I took the "Cellular" adder to reflect that I would mimic the encryption and recognition standards), and I establish the doppelganger as though it was the one dispelled.

 

Would that work?

[OddHat]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

I don't think you can do it with Mind Link; the target needs to allow you in. ALso, that build has no way of detecting a specific Mind link to be bypassed.

 

 

 

From a Powers approach, I think you could do it with:

A Detect, Discrim, Analyze, Targetting to find and tap into the mind link.

Images to trick the person I was trying to feed false info to.

Suppress, Dispell or Darkness vs Radio Group to turn off the mind link at the other end.

Lots of No Range Modifier, Indirect and similar advantages to get the ranges right.

 

However, that's complicated.

 

Alternatively, Mind Scan, Telepathy, Mind Control and Mental Illusions, all vs the Machine class of minds and limited appropriately would work fine.

 

That's expensive, and probably overkill.

 

 

I'd use a mixed powers and skills approach:

HRRH and Transmit

System Ops (Radio)

Security Systems

Bugging or Electronics as Complimentary Skills

 

The HRRH and Transmit lets you in, the skills take care of the rest, and no messing around with targetting and range issues.

[LordGhee]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

a player in my star wars game playing a protcol droid used mimicry to confuse the pirates with false orders from the captain.

[JmOz]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

My instict says that if you build the comms with mind link (I do BTW), you would use a combo of Mind Scan and Telepathy. Possiblywith Shape Change Mental or Disguise skill roll added in to

[CBikle]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Wasn't the notion of using Mind Link to represent super-encoded radio transmissions created just to avoid this type of thing ?

 

Personally, I never thought Mind Link was the right power for this sort of thing anyway.

[Robyn]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

I don't think you can do it with Mind Link; the target needs to allow you in. ALso' date=' that build has no way of detecting a specific Mind link to be bypassed.[/quote']

 

Once the Detect was included, I'd probably cheat by using Transform to make the Mind Link into a power with a custom Limitation

[shadowcat1313]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

mindlink works fine for things like tight beam laser/maser etc comm links, since there not radio based, and require other methods of jamming/interference/interception

[Edsel]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Wasn't the notion of using Mind Link to represent super-encoded radio transmissions created just to avoid this type of thing?

If all you want to do is listen in on radio communications that are bought as mind link... I'd say a detect with the proper adders and advantages (discriminatory, analyze, and some range) should do the trick.

[BoneDaddy]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

I'd use a mixed powers and skills approach:

HRRH and Transmit

System Ops (Radio)

Security Systems

Bugging or Electronics as Complimentary Skills

 

The HRRH and Transmit lets you in, the skills take care of the rest, and no messing around with targetting and range issues.

+

Wasn't the notion of using Mind Link to represent super-encoded radio transmissions created just to avoid this type of thing ?

 

I think the skills approach would also require a cryptography roll of about 3 or so, although TUS may have different suggestions.

 

Once the Detect was included' date=' I'd probably cheat by using Transform to make the Mind Link into a power with a custom Limitation [/quote']

 

Any answer that starts includes transform rankles me tremendously, as I've found it to be a power that can be used to do any darn thing. Sadly, ( )your answer makes pretty good sense, although I have a hard time coming up with a limitation that I would allow if I was the GM.

 

Another problem is that this power has very limited application and utility, and yet is coming in around 50 AP or so all told. Oddhat's is cheapest and requires a hail Mary, I think. The expense/ utility ratio is not currently satisfactory.

[Robyn]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Any answer that starts includes transform rankles me tremendously' date=' as I've found it to be a power that can be used to do any darn thing.[/quote']

 

Not my first answer, but given the complexity and handwaving of other solutions, I'd probably (as stated) cheat in the end.

[Victim]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

You could ask the GM to write up enemy comms using Radio Senses with Transmit or something, since Mind Link comms are supposed to be secure (on the mechanical level, not the setting one).

[Kristopher]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

I'd use a mixed powers and skills approach:

HRRH and Transmit

System Ops (Radio)

Security Systems

Bugging or Electronics as Complimentary Skills

 

The HRRH and Transmit lets you in, the skills take care of the rest, and no messing around with targetting and range issues.

 

That's what I was going to suggest, although I was going to include the Cryptography skill as well.

[Kristopher]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

You could ask the GM to write up enemy comms using Radio Senses with Transmit or something' date=' since Mind Link comms are supposed to be secure (on the mechanical level, not the setting one).[/quote']

 

IMO, if the comm system has a radio SFX, then HRRH and sufficient Skills should be enough to be able to "listen in".

[BoneDaddy]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

OK, the Powers version, one last time:

 

 

Mind Link, any 64 minds (45AP) + Shapeshift (Hearing, radio, mental,

Imitation, Cellular, only to imitate electronic

Mind Links, 46AP) Requires a Mimicry Roll (-½), Requires a

successful Dispel Electronics on Mind Link imitated (-½).

 

Mental Awareness, targeting, analyze, discriminatory. 20 AP

 

So this pwoer requires about 111 AP, and provides VERY limited utility. For that cost it should do all that and make me dinner. I can build a spoon for cheaper than that.

 

OddHat's skills suggestion makes darn good sense, but I need to figure a way past the encryption.

[OddHat]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

I need to figure a way past the encryption.

 

Cryptograpohy skill will get you past the encryption. Rules on computer cryptography can be found in TUS on p.163, and are complex (powerful computers have huge bonuses if you don't have the key), but for a more cinematic feel it can be simplified down to a contest of skill, your Cryptography skill against theirs. If the GM doesn't feel like statting it out, Cryptography-4 to -10 should do it.

[BoneDaddy]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Thanks!

 

I think I may buy up some three point skill levels for Cryptography, Systems Operation, and Compture Programming. It's consistant with the character and does what I want it to.

 

If a character has Mind Control over the machine class of minds, do you think that extends to even the most remotely intelligent machine? Clock radios? Cheap toasters have reostats and thermostats instead of transistors, but what about toasters? The important question, of course, is "What about foci?" And if you can mind control a super suit, isn't Iron Man is deep kemchi? Mind Controlling a focus sounds like a dangerous proposition - a jetpack could be highjacked rather than dispelled, and fairly easily, since the jetpack itself has a rather low INT, and there isn't much it would be violently opposed to doing, aside from intentionally overheating or flying below stall velocity.

 

This isn't too much of a topic shift, since it would work just as well with a comm link.

[logomancer]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Thanks!

 

I think I may buy up some three point skill levels for Cryptography, Systems Operation, and Compture Programming. It's consistant with the character and does what I want it to.

 

If a character has Mind Control over the machine class of minds, do you think that extends to even the most remotely intelligent machine? Clock radios? Cheap toasters have reostats and thermostats instead of transistors, but what about toasters? The important question, of course, is "What about foci?" And if you can mind control a super suit, isn't Iron Man is deep kemchi? Mind Controlling a focus sounds like a dangerous proposition - a jetpack could be highjacked rather than dispelled, and fairly easily, since the jetpack itself has a rather low INT, and there isn't much it would be violently opposed to doing, aside from intentionally overheating or flying below stall velocity.

 

This isn't too much of a topic shift, since it would work just as well with a comm link.

 

 

Can a Mind Control with Class of Mind: Machines control clock radios? Think of it this way: Can a Mind Control with Class of Mind: Animals control insects? control starfish or clams? Sure, why not? The rolls are just that much easier as they don't have minds to affect.

 

You mention that a Mechanopath who can control Iron's Armor is very dangerous. Sure, no less so than a telepath who Mind Controls Iron Man himself! I'd allow it...

 

There's a lot of good use for Mechanopaths controlling the Foci of heroes. Afterall, that's why they have the Foci limitation, right, because every once in a while, someone comes along and uses that limit against them.

[OddHat]

Re: How to steal a comm link

 

Thanks!

 

I think I may buy up some three point skill levels for Cryptography, Systems Operation, and Compture Programming. It's consistant with the character and does what I want it to.

 

If a character has Mind Control over the machine class of minds, do you think that extends to even the most remotely intelligent machine? Clock radios? Cheap toasters have reostats and thermostats instead of transistors, but what about toasters? The important question, of course, is "What about foci?" And if you can mind control a super suit, isn't Iron Man is deep kemchi? Mind Controlling a focus sounds like a dangerous proposition - a jetpack could be highjacked rather than dispelled, and fairly easily, since the jetpack itself has a rather low INT, and there isn't much it would be violently opposed to doing, aside from intentionally overheating or flying below stall velocity.

 

This isn't too much of a topic shift, since it would work just as well with a comm link.

 

Well, going by the USPD 1&2 and the official Cyberpaths written up in 5th, looks like it. You'd have control over pretty much any machine the GM permitted; I'd say that, if it's a computer, it's yours, and you could make it do anything the computer could normally make it do. The toaster can heat, turn off, and that's about it. The watch can show the wrong time. Iron Man's armor can wipe out half a city, and there's not much he can do about it, but then that's why he got the big points.