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I've always found hacking mechanics in TTRPGs a bit boring. A straight skill check? Without the satisfaction of cracking a password by being clever? We can do better than that.
So here's a tabletop game supplement that you can use/remix for any of your games that involve artefacts that players can hack into (tech or magic). I'd love to get feedback on it!
*hacker voice* I'm in.
a system agnostic hacking supplement
This supplement's goals are to:
- Present a hacking mechanic that is more than a straight skill check
- Make players feel smart/satisfied when cracking a code
- Provide a few interesting choices in how players approach their hacking
- Stay simple, system agnostic
The player's goal is to hack into a protected system to use it, disable it or get information stored in it.
A system could be, for example
- A complex magical or technological artefact
- A ciphered journal or an encrypted database
- A locked door, protected by a password
To crack a protected system, the player has to match its Lock value by combining the values of the Keys they gathered.
1. Roll the Lock value
The DM rolls the Lock value, based on the system's protection level.
| Protection level | Lock's value |
|---|---|
| Minimal protections | 1D20 + 10 |
| Standard protections | 1D20 + 25 |
| Advanced protections | 1D20 + 40 |
| Heavily protected | 1D20 + 50 |
Elliot wants to hack into the subway's video surveillance system.
The subway's video surveillance system has a pretty standard security measures.
Rolling 1D20+25, the DM sets its Lock value to 39.
2. Give the player their Keys
The player is granted a number of Keys, based on their proficiency in their relevant hacking skill.
| Player's proficiency | Number of Keys |
|---|---|
| Novice | 2 |
| Competent | 3 |
| Expert | 4 |
| Master | 5 |
The player is granted +1 Key if...
- they acquired passwords, blueprints, or private correspondence linked to the system's security
- they are receiving helpful assistance from another skilled character
- they have the help of a tool specifically made for hacking
Elliot managed to steal a controller's smartphone, which contains several passwords that might prove useful.
Elliot is a competent hacker, so they start with 3 Keys. The passwords they stole grant them +1 additional Key, for a total of 4 Keys.
3. Crack the Lock
For each Key, the player rolls 1D10 to get a digit between 0 and 9.
The player can use the digits and operation symbols (＋, −, ⨯, and ÷) to make a calculation whose result is as close as possible to the Lock value. Each digit must be used at most once. The player can also use as many priority brackets "( )" as they want.
Eg. (1 ＋ 2) ⨯ 3 is a calculation, 9 is its result.
The difference between the calculation's result and the Lock value determines if the player succeeded or not.
| Difference to Lock | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 | Critical Success |
| 5 or lower | Success |
| 10 or lower | Partial Success |
| more than 10 | Failure |
The subway system's Lock value is set to 39. Using their 4 Keys, Elliot rolled the digits 1, 7, 5, 6.
The closest that Elliot could get to 39 is (6⨯5)＋7＋1 = 38 with a difference of 1.
With their Success, Elliot managed to hack into the subway's surveillance system.
In the case of a Partial or Critical Success, the DM chooses one relevant side-effect in the list below:
Partial Successes
The player managed to hack into the system but...
- An alarm will be triggered soon.
- Some of the system's features are locked.
- The systems efficiency is reduced by half.
- Only half of the information is available.
Critical Successes
The player managed to get into the system and...
- They leave no trace of their tempering.
- They will be granted +1 Key when hacking another system connected to this one.
- The system's efficiency is doubled.
- They get additional information relevant to their interests.
Optional rules
Glitch
Instead of matching the Lock's value, the player can instead choose to make a calculation that involves a division by 0.
In that case, the system becomes glitched and:
- Any sort of alarm system is immediately triggered.
- The system is immediately activated and is way more efficient than it should be, to a dangerous degree. It often involves an explosion of some sort.
- The system is destroyed, and not usable anymore.
Eg. Elliot tries to break into a Tesla car's navigation system. Their Keys gave them the digits 1, 7, 5, 6 which can be combined to make the calculation 5÷(7-6-1) involving a division by 0.
The Tesla car's navigation system is now glitched. The car immediately lets out an alarm, but it's too late: the Tesla is already going way over the speed limit and its battery is overheating. In a few seconds, the Tesla will collide with the car in front of it and catch fire.
Hidden Lock
If the player is repeatedly trying to hack into a system and is pressured to do it quickly (Eg. hacking a missile before it explodes, hacking a door while the party is fighting guards), the DM might choose to keep the Lock value secret.
Each turn, the player will roll their Keys and make a calculation trying to guess the hidden Lock value.
If the calculation's result is exactly equal to the Lock value: the player gets a Critical Success.
If the result is different from the Lock value: The DM tells the player if their result is higher or lower than the Lock value. The DM also informs the player if the value would grant a Success or a Partial Success. The player can choose to settle for their current success, or wait another turn and try to get an even better one. Their current success is discarded if they do so.
