What would a near future ruleset be without a hacker character? Atypical, we say!
So, here are the rules for the “Hacker,” which is an archetype of Rogue:
Archetype: Hacker
The dwarf swore using the name of an ancient god of his people. He’d been detected, and he had a feeling they’d found his location before he busted their trace. He levered his enormous frame out of the reinforced chair in his comfy cave; if we was going to have a chance clear his drives, salvage what he could, and find a new lair, he had to move fast. He hated moving fast.
You have an affinity for the digital world and cyberspace seems as natural and as real an environment as your own neighborhood. Whether it’s liberating software, stealing sensitive data, or just bringing sites down to crash and burn, you’re always busy. You’ve focused on digital infiltration and theft, and have honed your skills to an art of heroic levels.
You gain the following features and benefits:
Computer Literate At level 3 when you choose the Hacker archetype, you gain proficiency with the Computers tool. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency in a tool of your choice.
Additionally, you may use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to navigate a computer network, launch scripts, or perform Perception/Investigation checks when using a computer or Rig.
Finally, you gain proficiency in a computer language of your choice. You gain a new computer language proficiency at 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
Cursing in frustration, the hacker drew her pistol and checked to make sure it was loaded. The intrusion had gone well, but she only had half the data they need, and one of her monitoring scripts showed corporate security in route. “Company coming!” she shouted to her team as she prepared to join them in fending off the soon-to-arrive security squad. “Tacticals!”
Hacker’s Rig At level 3, when you choose the Hacker archetype, you gain proficiency in the Hacker’s Rig tool and construct your first Hacker’s Rig. This portable device is a cobbled-together system of tweaked and modified computer parts specialized for running subversive computer scripts and breaking into secure systems.
When gaining this feature, you may elect to switch one of your Expertise skills to the Hacker’s Rig. Alternatively, you may choose Hacker’s Rig when gaining a new Expertise skill.
You may use your Hacker’s Rig proficiency instead of your Computers proficiency whenever your Rig is attached to the target device and is activated. For the purposes of latency, the Rig does not constitute an additional hop.
If your Rig is ever destroyed or lost, you must spend 24 hours constructing a new one at a cost of 150 gp per Rogue level.
The hacker wiped off his dripping blade and replaced it in the sheath hiding within his elegantly-cut suit. Stepping over the body of the half-orc guard, he sat at the desk and plugged his rig into the terminal jack. In a few seconds, he was in the network and ferreting its secrets. He looked at the guard and sighed. They never learned. Just because he preferred to fight in cyberspace didn’t mean he couldn’t fight in meatspace.
Research At level 9, if you have Net access, you may spend 10 minutes researching to grant up to 6 willing humanoids advantage on the next check of a skill of your choice. You may only choose one skill to affect for all of the targets, and a target may only have this advantage for one skill at a time. This advantage goes away after the target completes a short or long rest.
Jack In At level 13, working in a non-sensory world has become second-nature to your meatbrain. If you have a neural jack, it does not count toward your maximum cybernetic implants.
Multitasking At level 17, you have spent so much time doing two things at once that you’ve perfected it. On your turn for your Action, you may perform two actions as long as they are different. These actions must be completely different, and not simply the same action with a different target.
The hacker slammed back against the jersey barrier, butt dropping to the asphalt, panting hard. She yanked her rig out and thumbed the quickboot. “I’m not cut out for field work,” she mumbled, as a report from the machine pistol told her he was getting closer. She found the wireless connection she wanted and her fingers flew across her rig. More gunfire, and she winced; but her work focused her, calmed her nerves. Then she was through to her target and her script was launched. She waited, but not for long, only daring to peep around her cover after hearing the sound of the thug’s own car plowing into him doing 60. She smiled, satisfied. That was a handy script; she should sell copies…
