Hacking Robots and Nanite repair


Rules Questions


So one of my PC's narrowly avoided an encounter against a Patrol-class robot, and it left me with a few questions if an engagement had come up:

Does nanite repair work if the robot is at 0 hitpoints? The hp/hour wouldn't ever kick in during combat, and would only be useful if the party fleed. This also adds an extra layer of needing to thoroughly dismantle the robot to prevent it's repair, which is mentioned in the Alien Archive, with Abadarcorp using contractors as a strike and disassembly team.

Secondly is it possible to hack one? I don't see anything rules for it, but again the creature entry states that some legal models have been stolen and cracked open by hacker gangs.


For hacking robots I figure the general assumption is that robots are basically closed systems, at least in combat mode if absolutely nothing else. That would mean remote hacking is right out since it would require you to directly interface with the bot via datajack/similar (not super feasible in combat unless you can render it helpless) or just crack it open and manually rewire it

Can't say about the nanites due to lack of source material in front of me, but my gut says no unless it explicitly says it can restore destroyed stuff.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Page 250 of the Core book says:

"A monster or NPC reduced to 0 HP is dead, unless the last bit of damage it took was nonlethal damage (see page 252), in which case it is knocked unconscious. If it is ever important to know exactly when a monster dies, such as if you want to capture the creature alive, the GM can decide that a monster reduced to 0 or fewer Hit Points with lethal damage dies in 3 rounds unless it takes any additional damage or receives healing."

So its really up to the GM if you decide to let the patrol class robot be dead (or destroyed) when it reaches 0 hp. The flavor text DOES suggest the nanites still continue unless you specifically disassemble it, but really that makes it all the more compelling to refer to the Core book quoted above.

For hacking into it...the flavor text clearly says it can happen but there isn't anything to show how. So we look into the Engineering skill in the Core and find that Disable Device can be used to disable a technological device (which should include a creature of the technological subtype) with an example table. Unfortunately it doesn't include something for a creature so the best comparison would likely be the Complex device which is a base DC of 25 with 2d4 rounds to complete. This shouldn't be able to happen, then, unless the technological subtype creatures is already reduced to 0 hp. It seems to me that the only way to do this is to reduce the technological subtype to 0 hp, make Engineering checks (I'd say you could also do a Computers check to Hack but without any sort of guide to provide tier of the creature's computer its almost arbitrary. A good starting point is probably 20 + CR or 10 + 2xCR) to disable it/hack it, and then repair the technological subtype creature back to above 0 hp.


So here's what I think I'm going to rule when it comes down to it. For reference I'll use the CR-4 patrol class robot:

For nano-repair, the robot brought to 0 hitpoints still repairs. The party can choose to spend time to fully dismantle the machine. 2 minutes if they just pummel it. A successful 20+cr engineering check reduces the time by 2d4 rounds. Since the machine repairs 1hp*cr per hour the decision to take time will be based on outside factors

For hacking: since the robot has an int mod, I'm going to say that hacking a security robot can be done at the robot. It'll need to be disabled, and a difficult 20+cr check needed to access its internal computer. This will count as root access due to not being a computer with a typical interface. I'm going to treat the robot as a computer with a tier equal to half CR with a mk IV security, for a dc of 13+2*cr+4, 25 total. All of its control modules will be firewall locked for a DC of 27. There will be a non-lethal shock-grid countermeasure for a failed checks.

How does that sound?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Sounds reasonable to me


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Don't certain classes have ranged hacking attacks that work regardless of whether or not their target is on a closed system?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

I believe you're referring to the Remote Hack mechanic ability and the Wireless Hack mechanic trick...which make no mention about a closed system. The wording on those abilities specifies things that are not creatures...so the implication may be that creatures with the technological subtype are not hackable?

Of course...it really could be just an instance of they had so much to get in the Core book that this will be addressed in a future release.

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