Computers Skill

[mattdusty]

Am I running Computers correctly in Starfinder? If I'm not making the below rulings correctly, then is the Computers skill just WAY too OP?

My players are all 6th level and one of them, (a technomancer) has decided to max out her computers skill as high as she can at that level. That's fine, though there is literally no check she can fail at this point, she is rolling over 30 consistently. But my question/concern is along the lines of this: She is wanting to use Computers for EVERYTHING. For example, a few sessions ago she had her own radio comm and wanted to roll Computers to use that to hack into a datapad of an NPC across the room and download its contents to her datapad. I ruled no, that is not the purpose of a radio comm and you can't remotely hack things like that without somekind of remote hacking module. She argued that computers in Starfinder are all connected wirelessly thanks to the Infosphere and that it made no sense that she shouldn't be allowed to hack any computer she sees from her radio comm. I ruled that not every computer is on the Infosphere.
Another time, she hacked into a secure system on a moon prison and learned that the system controlled only the lights and heating systems. She said that is impossible, that she has root access and that she should have access to everything that is controlled by any computer in this facility, including oxygen. She wanted to suck the oxygen out of the facility except the room they were in so they would kill all of the guards. I ruled no the computer only controlled lights and heating. Another time, she has tried to use her radio comm to hack a drone robot and command it to attack another enemy, and I ruled against that as well. Overall, that player is extremely dissatisfied with the campaign due to me constantly saying that's not what Computers are or how to do it. She has also argued that door locks are connected to computers and therefore should also be connected to remote cameras and she should be able to disconnect cameras from a door lock terminal.

Is the technomancer player correct that once you hack into any computer, you get access to EVERYTHING not listed as a module? And you can control anything that a computer can control, including life support, lighting, flight controls, AI, anything? I've read some modules that said such and such a computer terminal controls lighting, but remains silent on if they control anything else.

[Squiggit]

If you hack a computer that controls lights that's all you get. Your technomancer is trying to take you for a ride to get free stuff.

[BigNorseWolf]

The existence of the mechanics trick remote hack heavily implies that people in a starfinder universe are aware of basic computer security and do NOT hook the giant robot with a machine gun up to the internet.

[Raxmei]

Gaining even root access to any given appliance or terminal doesn't grant access to everything that talks to it, and anything meant to be secure generally won't be on a network. The reason why the module doesn't tell you the DC to take over unrelated systems is because you can't do it from there. Door locks have no business talking to the security cameras. The office coffee maker can't set the main reactor to overload. If you want to tamper with life support you will need physical access to the life support computer so you can use its user interface or affix a hacker kit. Successfully venting the atmosphere would incidentally only kill anyone not wearing armor, so the guards would be fine but you could manage to kill all the prisoners and office workers that way.

[BigNorseWolf]

Raxmei wrote:

Door locks have no business talking to the security cameras.

They're snobs anyway. Always looking down on everybody.....

[Dragonchess Player]

To hack a computer using the Computers skill, the character must use an interface or a hacking kit; this is explicitly stated in the skill description ("You can operate, manipulate, and hack into computer systems. If you don’t have physical access to a computer system’s user interface, you must use a hacking kit to access and manipulate the system."). Unless stated otherwise, computers in Starfinder do not have a remote/"wireless" interface by default.

See also the user interface description for computers in equipment:

Quote:

A computer’s control module is the input device and display designed to allow you to enter commands into and receive data from the computer. In the Pact Worlds, most user interfaces include a keyboard, view screen, microphone, and speakers, to allow typed, spoken, or gesture-based commands to be given to the computer and to deliver graphic or audio data from the computer. These kinds of user interfaces come free with any system, and a computer can have as many as ten user interfaces per point of bulk the computer has (though normally only public systems or computers used by large companies do this).

It is also possible for a user interface to exist only as a broadcast device (such as a comm unit), or even to have another smaller computer act as a user interface (using a control module). You can set a computer to use this kind of user interface for free when you buy it, though you must pay for the additional device separately, or you can install (or remove) user interfaces using the disable or manipulate module task of the Computers skill to alter a user interface. Such additional user interfaces do not count against the total modules a computer can have.

Other than the Remote Hack mechanic class feature, there are only a few limited options for a character to hack a computer without needing a physical interface or hacking kit: Divine Blessing (Triune), for instance.

[Lord_Ball]

mattdusty wrote:

She is wanting to use Computers for EVERYTHING. For example, a few sessions ago she had her own radio comm and wanted to roll Computers to use that to hack into a datapad of an NPC across the room and download its contents to her datapad.

Hacking a network would allow you to see who's connected to it at best, not grant access to all the computers though. If simply having network access also allowed access to devices connected to said network, NO ONE would ever store anything important on them anyway.

and if you want to make it even harder:
"Try as you might, but you do not see an ID for the datapad on the network, perhaps it is powered off at the moment, or has security measures that renders it undetectable on the network."

mattdusty wrote:

Another time, she hacked into a secure system on a moon prison and learned that the system controlled only the lights and heating systems. She said that is impossible, that she has root access and that she should have access to everything that is controlled by any computer in this facility, including oxygen. She wanted to suck the oxygen out of the facility except the room they were in so they would kill all of the guards. I ruled no the computer only controlled lights and heating.

A compromise here (as above) would be allowing her to determine what other computers are connected to the Prison's network - so she could narrow down which one controls the Oxygen, and you COULD even allow her to attempt to hack it from that computer, but since her character would be smart enough to know that any computer controlling such a vital system is likely to have advanced security protocols (including alerting their precise location to any guards), as well as being a higher tier computer (figure a DC probably at least in the 50s for such remote access) that an attempt remotely might not be in the party's best interest. This still allows her to make solid use of these computers checks while still having logical reasons why such actions may not be the best choice.

Also is the person good aligned? Perhaps a reminder that the potential for bystander casualties for turning off the oxygen doesn't have to be 0 would help them look for alternative ways of dealing with the problem as well.

Encourage out of the box thinking without just letting them steam roll the adventure.