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Has anyone ever used Signal Jammers to mess up PC or NPC communications?
This handheld device, originally designed by the Stewards for military uses, is used by corporations and criminals alike. Signal jammers are available at any item level from 1 to 20 and can be purchased for a price equal to 100 credits × the square of the item level of the jammer. When activated, a signal jammer interrupts broadcast signals within 4 miles. If attached to a larger broadcasting station (such as those found aboard a starship), the range increases to 12 miles. A signal jammer blocks all communication devices from sending and receiving broadcasts. Each signal jammer is designed to affect one specific broadcasting medium (such as radio or wireless). You can attempt a Computers or Engineering check to bypass a signal jammer’s effects or to determine the location of the jammer. The DC to bypass a signal jammer is 15 + the signal jammer’s level, and attempting this check takes 1 minute.
This is kind of nuts. A level 1, L bulk item that doesn't require hands after activation automatically shuts down every comm unit within 4 miles, and you don't care about the DC of the check to overcome it because every single comm unit user has to perform it and it takes them 1 minute. It's an auto shutdown of all tech communications during combat, limiting you to voice range coordination if you're in atmosphere, and limiting you to handsigns or telepathy in vacuum. It also makes wireless detonators an often pointless thing to use or threaten people with.
It also is a great way to draw a lot of law enforcement attention by turning one on in a city. They'll know where you are after 1 minute, and they'll have to send some forces to find you and shut it (and you) down as the whole damn metro area loses comm unit capability. I have to imagine cities all have hardwired ports for you to plug in your com unit every time some teenage vandal with 1 rank in engineering and 100 UPBs decides to crank anti-call the whole damn neighborhood.
It's also one of those dumb sub 20 charge capacity items that can't be recharged by a battery. Probably could have used a bit more thought in development.
It doesn't work on all communication devices, only a narrow band. You might be able to take out comm units OR law enforcement radios OR the access to the local infosphere, but not all three (not unless you have multiple jammers, or those things happen to operate the same way).
Pretty sure I started a thread discussing the limitations of signal jammers a while ago. I'll see if I can track it down for ya.
They cost 100 credits and are L bulk. It's a non-issue, a party of four can shut everything down in one round at minimal cost. The examples of "radio or wireless" (in those narrow realms and times where these aren't synonyms!) doesn't indicate narrow bands, it indicates confusion on the part of the author, since they certainly aren't different broadcasting media even if one is drawing a (broad) frequency difference.
Actually the cost of the Jammers is 100 CR for a Tech Level 1 Jammer to 40,000 CR for a Tech Level 20 Jammer.
You only need a level 1. They all take 1 minute to find or overcome, the DC hardly matters.
You only need a level 1. They all take 1 minute to find or overcome, the DC hardly matters.
Fair point.
Could you have signal jammers that jam the signal of a signal jammer?
Make sense to me that major communications systems would have defenses against this.
So... if you have ten of them on you, can you shut down communications entirely for 9-10 minutes, or is it that once someone bypasses tier 1 jamming, they don't need to worry about it for a while?
An excellent question! And what happens if I turn it off after 9 rounds and then turn it back on? Can you never defeat the jamming?
I'm reminded of the Borg from Star Trek.
*Breaks through the interference only to get jammed again.*
"Captain! They've adapted!" lol.
So... if you have ten of them on you, can you shut down communications entirely for 9-10 minutes, or is it that once someone bypasses tier 1 jamming, they don't need to worry about it for a while?
Better yet have the 10 each with small anti-tampering device. You touch the first one and it sends a signal out to the second one to activate in 59 seconds. LOL!!
