Bypass (Cybernetics, Genetics, Machinery, Materials, Munitions, Neuronetics, Robotics)
Base(s): Cybernetics|Genetics|Machinery|Materials|Munitions|Neuronetics|Robotics
Usage: know(free-act) -> chk= +M
◊ bypass(min) -> chk= +M -> set(PC)= 8 +M(Stealth+S)
Description: The skill in breaking into a technology, by bypassing its usual protocols, controls, ports or interface.
This technique allows you to use your base engineering skill to perform the bypass action. If you placed ranks in this as a Materials technique, then you would enable the bypass action on the Materials facet of an artefact.
Bypass is a check against the artefact's security complexity challenge (CC-S). Overcoming this challenge, means that you have bypassed its interface (whatever that is), and you can then perform subsequent actions on the artefact that would be otherwise unavailable to you. For example, a subsequent action might be disabling the primary function of the artefact,
bypass(main-act) -> chk(CC-S)= +M(Bypass) -> set(PC)= 8 +M(Stealth+S)
In the second part of the above expression (beginning with the arrow "->"), you set a Perception Challenge (PC) with your Stealth with the S autoaspect. The PC you set becomes the challenge any other engineer, currently looking at the artefact, must overcome in order to notice your bypass.
Therefore you make your Bypass attempt with:
bypass(main-act) -> chk(CC-S)= d20 +M(Bypass)
At the same time, you are setting a Perception Challenge (PC) for any other engineer with:
set(PC) = 8 +M(Stealth+S)
This PC remains even after you have made your modifications and left, because its the challenge set for any other engineer to notice that work has been done. Note that you can spend either additional time or additional fp on the Stealth+S component to represent more care or concentration on being stealthy.
Bypass must ordinarily be done while you are in connection with the artefact, but if you are attempting a bypass with comms only, you have access to Scan-Tools and you are in range for those tools, you can attempt the bypass remotely.
Follow-Up Actions
Once you have bypassed the system, you are now free to explore the artefact's functions, and you can make other modifications as an engineer normally would. You should understand that:
- "bypassing the security system in order to feed the security personnel the false impression that the base is surrounded" involves a very detailed second action, which may take an hour to produce (possibly outside the available timeframe)
- "bypassing the striker's comms port in order to activate the self-destruct" involves activating a (likely) very secure system within the artefact, which would normally require a second bypass (and given that function) at a much higher CC-S.
In other words, make your follow-up action(s) sensible.
Searching Around
Sometimes you're not sure what you're looking for. In this case, your first follow up action may be to perform a search with:
search(min) -> chk= +M(Investigate) +R(Eng)
This is the normal search action with your engineering skill. If 1 minute is too long you can spend 1fp to reduce the time to 1 round (meaning that you restrict yourself to accepting whatever you find in a frantic search lasting until your next turn).