Computers in Starfinder: Hacking the Planet
One of the most underutilized bits of tech in Starfinder Society play in my opinion are computers. There a few reasons, it's a bit complicated to suss out how to play them and some of their uses are a bit involved and convoluted.
Features that computer offers are things like computing complex equations, running programs and the sort of background issues that might be handwaved in play. There there are options that can be useful but most of them come from the mods.
So here is a breakdown.
First and foremost, the Level of the device sets a lot of points in the final cost. Not only does the base cost come directly from level but a goodly portion of the mods also are based on it. It also effects the biggest problem for a high powered computer is bulk. It's level squared, so the higher the level the higher the bulk.
Modifications
Mods are the delicious creamy filling of computers and their utlity in the game. Computer mods are very useful and can have a variety of effects and abilities.
- Miniaturization: Drops the effective level of the computer by one for each level of miniaturization
of the computer. So buy enough levels, @10% of base unit cost each time, you can get your bulky huge level 5 computer (weighing in at in an impressive 25 bulk) down to a negligible bulk.
- Range: Want a computer to help with those 'info sphere' abilities you have in your class. Boosting the range the computer can react to Range III (planetwide) would allow you connect to your ship (or for those adventures on planet) and get access to the infosphere, with relative ease. Additionally, that is the range your computer can control devices at. So even Range I & II are useful.
- Artificial Personality: You can have a program that works the computer for you, operating by voice command or normal typed in commands. One particular point is that a sufficiently complex computer gives the computer the ability to use Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive. (Rank x2 Computer Tier). The ease of access makes it useful
- Spell Chips: If you're a caster, or someone who can use spell gems (like an Envoy with Spell Gem Understanding) can add them to the computer. Spell Chips are a bit different in the chip isn't destroyed in casting. Spell chips have an initial cost of 110% but can be refilled after casting for 90% of the normal spell gem.
- Maps: Survey and Navigational maps are useful. They can add a +1/2 to survival and piloting checks for the area covered. The computer could display/track you. The big issue here is scale. The more covered the more they cost. Sometimes you don't need the whole planet and restrict yourself. down to a specific range.
- Control Module: Remote control (with the comm range of the computer) of a device. The computer can control any connected device. Some examples: Camera and other sensors, the odd explosive device placed earlier, an automaker and a variety of other things.
So it's a handy tool and I'm pretty sure I'm just tapping the surface of it. There a lot of options I see that I didn't cover solely due to the fact that those elements take a bit more than you'd see in Society play.
For example: doing countermeasures, alarms, and so on to protect against hacking. Hacking a computer doesn't happen too often. Other ideas is hooking a computer to a heavy weapon so you got an assistant to swap loads thru an autoloader or such.
Features that computer offers are things like computing complex equations, running programs and the sort of background issues that might be handwaved in play. There there are options that can be useful but most of them come from the mods.
So here is a breakdown.
First and foremost, the Level of the device sets a lot of points in the final cost. Not only does the base cost come directly from level but a goodly portion of the mods also are based on it. It also effects the biggest problem for a high powered computer is bulk. It's level squared, so the higher the level the higher the bulk.
Modifications
Mods are the delicious creamy filling of computers and their utlity in the game. Computer mods are very useful and can have a variety of effects and abilities.
- Miniaturization: Drops the effective level of the computer by one for each level of miniaturization
of the computer. So buy enough levels, @10% of base unit cost each time, you can get your bulky huge level 5 computer (weighing in at in an impressive 25 bulk) down to a negligible bulk.
- Range: Want a computer to help with those 'info sphere' abilities you have in your class. Boosting the range the computer can react to Range III (planetwide) would allow you connect to your ship (or for those adventures on planet) and get access to the infosphere, with relative ease. Additionally, that is the range your computer can control devices at. So even Range I & II are useful.
- Artificial Personality: You can have a program that works the computer for you, operating by voice command or normal typed in commands. One particular point is that a sufficiently complex computer gives the computer the ability to use Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive. (Rank x2 Computer Tier). The ease of access makes it useful
- Spell Chips: If you're a caster, or someone who can use spell gems (like an Envoy with Spell Gem Understanding) can add them to the computer. Spell Chips are a bit different in the chip isn't destroyed in casting. Spell chips have an initial cost of 110% but can be refilled after casting for 90% of the normal spell gem.
- Maps: Survey and Navigational maps are useful. They can add a +1/2 to survival and piloting checks for the area covered. The computer could display/track you. The big issue here is scale. The more covered the more they cost. Sometimes you don't need the whole planet and restrict yourself. down to a specific range.
- Control Module: Remote control (with the comm range of the computer) of a device. The computer can control any connected device. Some examples: Camera and other sensors, the odd explosive device placed earlier, an automaker and a variety of other things.
So it's a handy tool and I'm pretty sure I'm just tapping the surface of it. There a lot of options I see that I didn't cover solely due to the fact that those elements take a bit more than you'd see in Society play.
For example: doing countermeasures, alarms, and so on to protect against hacking. Hacking a computer doesn't happen too often. Other ideas is hooking a computer to a heavy weapon so you got an assistant to swap loads thru an autoloader or such.
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