Who can Slice ? Slicer ? :-)

By dambust, in Game Masters

Hey GentleMen.

I firstly introduce myself to the community. I m a new GM, never did this before. And I come here to have infos. And I would like to say thank you to all of you for your posts, comments, advices all along the numerous pages of this forum.

As you may notice it, english is not my native language, worst, I m french, so sorry for the syntax and so.

So, I will GM my first session soon. We already create the caracters with my friends but I have a question about slicing. My players do not have a slicer, just an outlaw tech.

As i feel it, you obviously need a Slicer kit ( don't know about the translation) but do you need to be a slicer to use it ? My guess is no, you can use it with a bunch of black dice ( or maybe improving difficulty with red dice) but in the other way slicing is a very specific type of task.

What is your feelings about it ? It seems hard to start without a slicer, no ?

I am away from book at the moment so....

First of all, look at your PC group.. if there's no Slicer, design the first few adventures/encounters to play to their strengths/builds/careers etc and give each player a chance to shine.... THEN, bring in the hint about a Slicing Job...

If the PCs have a slicing kit doesn't it give them a boost? Also if they aren't a slicer throw in setback dice?? Dunno, like I said, I'm away from book at the moment

Hope this helps though

You don't need a specialized slicer to use the kit. Everyone can use it. Though, a character specialized on slicing can do some tricks to make it easier for them.

Slicing is a Computers skill check, so any character with a decent Intellect stat should be ok against easy, moderate, or even difficult Slice tests(with a flip of a Fate point).

Edited by Stethemessiah
Typo

First of all, bienvenue! Le forum de FFG est bon pour le maitre du jeu. Mais j'ai appris le francais au lycee, et c'etait il y a longtemps. Je vais arreter de ruiner votre langue maintenant.

Second, I think everyone has it mostly right. You do not need someone with the Slicer specialization to use the slicer's kit, but you do need the kit in order to try slicing. A regular datapad won't work, as a slicer's kit is special equipment.

On its own, the slicer's kit does not add a Boost die to your Computers check, but if your Outlaw Tech decides to build his own kit (outlined in Special Modifications ) that is one possible benefit.

Thank you for your kind words.

I will do it that way. They did not take a Slice kit during the set up. Too bad for them. :D

20 hours ago, CaptainRaspberry said:

First of all, bienvenue! Le forum de FFG est bon pour le maitre du jeu. Mais j'ai appris le francais au lycee, et c'etait il y a longtemps. Je vais arreter de ruiner votre langue maintenant.

Second, I think everyone has it mostly right. You do not need someone with the Slicer specialization to use the slicer's kit, but you do need the kit in order to try slicing. A regular datapad won't work, as a slicer's kit is special equipment.

On its own, the slicer's kit does not add a Boost die to your Computers check, but if your Outlaw Tech decides to build his own kit (outlined in Special Modifications ) that is one possible benefit.

18 hours ago, dambust said:

Thank you for your kind words.

I will do it that way. They did not take a Slice kit during the set up. Too bad for them. :D


Actually you don't need a Slicer's kit to slice you just don't get The Right Tools for the Job Boost die.

Edited by FuriousGreg

I believe not having an tools also adds a setback die.

As a GM,

Anyone can make a slicer check if they have at least one point of computer skill, and a datapad.

1 hour ago, Mark Caliber said:

As a GM,

Anyone can make a slicer check if they have at least one point of computer skill, and a datapad.

You don't need a datapad just access to a terminal connected to the thing you want to hack. A datapad can be useful for copying data and maybe as a substitute interface but it's not a slicing tool. Slicing tools are purpose built even they need to be directly connected to a terminal that is connected to the system you want to hack.

Remember, in the SW universe almost nothing is interconnected, at least nothing worth hacking into, ie. you have to be on site to hack into a system. This is why characters in the films and TV shows always have to break into the base/ship/vehicle etc. before they can hack into anything important. I know there are some few examples out there that don't follow this but they are the exception not the rule.

Edited by FuriousGreg
2 hours ago, Yaccarus said:

I believe not having an tools also adds a setback die.

I checked and I didn't find that, though I may have missed it, only that you don't get a Boost die. However it is totally reasonable, especially for security and military systems, to add a Setback if you don't have the proper tools.

Edited by FuriousGreg

Let me clarify,

If you are a player sitting at MY table later tonight, anyone with at least one skill level in computers can attempt a slice check.

The Datapad allows the PC's the needed interface to access and interact with the terminal.

However, if they have slicing gear, they get two boost dice.

That's how we roll the dice at my table. :P

22 hours ago, FuriousGreg said:

Remember, in the SW universe almost nothing is interconnected, at least nothing worth hacking into, ie. you have to be on site to hack into a system. This is why characters in the films and TV shows always have to break into the base/ship/vehicle etc. before they can hack into anything important. I know there are some few examples out there that don't follow this but they are the exception not the rule.

Depends on what you call interconnected. No, you can't hack the deathstar's plans off the holonet. But yes, once you're on the deathstar, you can apparently shut off the trash compactor from several levels away. In the same way, the intranet access of an AT-DP can yield an imperial prisoner list. In short: It entirely depends on the situation.

As for the original question: No, you don't need to possess the slicer specialization to not receive setback dice. Your proficiency is simply shown by your dice pool - if it contains lots of green and yellow, then apparently, you're a computer expert. The slicing gear is an odd one since it indeed doesn't specify whether it is needed or just helpful. I'd be inclined to hand out setback dice if it's not present. Slicing into a computer with just the tools that are on that computer sounds not too likely.

14 minutes ago, Cifer said:

Depends on what you call interconnected. No, you can't hack the deathstar's plans off the holonet. But yes, once you're on the deathstar, you can apparently shut off the trash compactor from several levels away. In the same way, the intranet access of an AT-DP can yield an imperial prisoner list. In short: It entirely depends on the situation.

I disagree with you. On the deathstar, the computer terminals are all interconnected, because it is a single vehicle. The AT-DP does not have a connection to the base, unless it is in the hangar, connected with the umbilicals to the base computer. And even then, it probably wouldn't count as connected to the base computer. Otherwise in the shows you would have characters hacking a base from a TIE flying around outside it.

That's alright - Rebels 1x14 disagrees with you.

(Personally, I'd weave in a setting of permissions and restricted networks. In my death star, you could easily access the trash compactors, because it's not like anything important could ever be done with those , while tractor beam or other weapon controls would likely be disconnected from the "basic" network and run on their own circuit and prisoner records might be accessible, but probably require some slicing to fake higher credentials if you don't have a helpful imperial officer on hand lending you their code cylinder.)