Computer Hacking

Secondary Abilities

Description: The player must have at least two dots in Computer before purchasing this Knowledge. Hacking allows the computer user to break the rules. It is not a programming skill - that requires the Computer Knowledge. Hacking represents an imaginative faculty above and beyond the use of the programming codes. In the binary computer world of yes/no, hacking represents the little bit of genius that says, "Well, maybe." When is Hacking used rather than the Computer Knowledge? When the user is breaking into other computer systems or trying to manipulate data in "real time." The Computer Ability is used for programming or other miscellaneous tasks. Hacking is used most often as a complementary Ability to Computer, but it can aid programming by allowing the character to work faster or to crack military codes that a normal programmer would not even be able to figure out.

• Novice: You are a computer geek who knows a few tricks, such as changing your grades in the university computer network.

• • Practiced: You have great "luck" in guessing computer passwords.

• • • Competent: You thought your electric bill was too high last month, but you can fix that with a few keystrokes.

• • • • Expert: Now that you have cracked the bank codes, which is it: Rio or Bermuda?

• • • • • Master: The European Community was pretty annoyed about that thermonuclear incident, but you know they can never trace it back to you.

Possessed by: Computer Geeks, CIA Operatives

Specialties: Viruses, Data Retrieval, Networking, Telecommunications