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gridrunner_advanced_class

Gridrunner (Advanced Class)

Accessing information on the Grid can he a dangerous and tricky job. Corporate security teams and rival hackers routinely send out their own shadows to attack those who try to access proprietary intoformation. In some instances, a sloppy attempt at information gathering can allow a trace to the gridpilot‘s physical location-a mistake that often proves fatal. Despite the risks, gridpilots rarely hesitate to take on the most dangerous missions; they are often caught up in the exhilaration of the Grid and the challenge of proving oneself.

Gridpilots are known by their shadows, electronic creations that allow them to seek out information in a system's Grid. For example, other hackers don't know Maya Tsulevic of Landfall city; they know Nightblade, a ruthless Grid assassin and Maya’s alter ego in the Grid's electronic world. Most gridpilots are strongly independent; they vigorously defend their right to work for whomever they please or to tackle any job that intrigues them. In fact, some pilots are so fanatically independent that they've become electronic anarchists, lashing out against any kind of authority or government simply because it exists. Grid sabotage is considered the greatest security challenge facing any big company or government agency in this day and age.

In The Verge: Gridpilots in the Verge have formed several loose organizations for mutual defense and company, Prospective members must earn their place through shadow combat or some epic feat of Gridwork.

A Gridrunner might not amount to much in the real world, but in the virtual world, he rules supreme. He spends an enormous chunk of his time meandering the ever-expanding universe of virtual reality nodes known as the Grid, searching for secrets, thrills, bragging rights, and dirty laundry. The Gridrunner belongs to an elite community of hackers and self-styled digital emperors—rulers in invisible fortresses who bend the rules of the Grid to suit their whims. A Gridrunner might spend more time in the virtual world than in the real world, emerging mainly to eat or sleep. He devotes more attention to his daring, intrepid avatar than real friends or family—and why not? His avatar is everything he wants to be, anything he wants to be—a criminal, a movie star, a commando, a goth dominatrix, a teddy bear, a ninja, a cartoon character, or all of the above. Through this avatar, the Gridrunner can reach the unreachable, attain the unattainable, dominate the indomitable, and leave his digital mark the world over. The Gridrunner advanced class is useful in campaigns where the Grid is used not only as a tool for gathering information but also as a means of interacting with the world.

Select this class if you want to visit strange new realms in the blink of an eye, defeat the digital machinations of countless unseen rivals, and carry a really big gun.

The fastest path into this advanced class is from the Smart hero basic class, though other paths are possible.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Gridrunner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills: Computer Use 6 ranks, Knowledge (Technology) 6 ranks.

Reputation Bonus: +2.

Special: A character must spend one month using the Grid prior to taking levels in this class.

=== THE Gridrunner === Base Attack Fort Ref Will Defense Reputation Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Bonus Bonus 1st +0 +0 +1 +0 Master noderunner, node star +1 +0 2nd +1 +0 +2 +0 Mighty avatar +1d6 +1 +0 3rd +1 +1 +2 +1 8th-grade avatar +2 +1 4th +2 +1 +2 +1 Master noderunner +2 +1 5th +2 +1 +3 +1 Mighty avatar +2d6 +3 +1 6th +3 +2 +3 +2 10th-grade avatar +3 +2 7th +3 +2 +4 +2 Master noderunner +4 +2 8th +4 +2 +4 +2 Mighty avatar +3d6 +4 +2 9th +4 +3 +4 +3 12th-grade avatar +5 +3 10th +5 +3 +5 +3 Master noderunner +5 +3

Class Information

The following information pertains to the Gridrunner advanced class.

Hit Die

A Gridrunner gains 1d6 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.

Action Points

A Gridrunner gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half his character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class.

Class Skills

The Gridrunner’s class skills are as follows.

Computer Use (Int), Concentration (Con), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Repair (Int), Research (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The following features pertain to the Gridrunner advanced class.

Master Noderunner

A Gridrunner can perform amazing feats of programming legerdemain or accomplish tasks in the virtual world that other Grid users cannot.

At 1st level, and again at 4th, 7th, and 10th level, a Gridrunner gains a special ability, chosen from the list below.

Backdoor: A Gridrunner with this ability knows how to slip into restricted areas that his avatars have visited before. He gains a +10 competence bonus on Computer Use checks made to enter a private node (or a private room within a node) he has previously entered or unlock a portal he has previously opened.

Codecrack: A Gridrunner with this ability gains a +5 competence bonus on Computer Use checks made to decrypt and read encrypted data.

Compression: A Gridrunner with this ability knows how to program more efficiently, allowing his avatars to carry more programs in their available memory. By increasing the write DC of a program by 5, the Gridrunner can reduce the memory cost of that program by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

Memory Management: This special ability allows a Gridrunner to delete any number of programs from his avatars’ available memory as a free action (instead of a move action).

Node Management: A Gridrunner knows how to monitor his own nodes (including his point-of-origin node) more closely than most users. Any node that the Gridrunner creates has its detection range reduced by 2.

Wallhack: A Gridrunner can break the rules to move more easily through a node. With a successful DC 30 Computer Use check, he can dissipate a section of wall (or similarly impassable barrier) within a node. The wall section or barrier can be up to 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 5 feet thick.

Node Star

A Gridrunner’s reputation quickly begins to spread throughout the Grid. Once per day, he can add his Reputation bonus on any single Computer Use check, even after the roll is made.

Mighty Avatar

At 2nd level, a Gridrunner learns to maximize the damage potential of his avatars, ensuring that their melee and ranged attacks are more forceful and destructive than those of lesser Grid avatars. Any melee or ranged weapon program installed into a Gridrunner’s avatar deals an extra 1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level and 3d6 at 8th level.

8th-Grade Avatar

At 3rd level, a Gridrunner learns how to make his avatars tougher than normal Grid avatars. The Gridrunner’s avatars use a d8 instead of a d6 for Hit Dice. In addition, the massive damage threshold of his avatars increases by 3.

10th-Grade Avatar

At 6th level, a Gridrunner’s avatars become even tougher. The Gridrunner’s avatars use a d10 instead of a d8 for Hit Dice. In addition, the massive damage threshold of his avatars increases by 3.

12th-Grade Avatar

At 9th level, a Gridrunner’s avatars become as tough as possible. His avatars use a d12 instead of a d10 for Hit Dice. In addition, the massive damage threshold of his avatars increases by 3.

gridrunner_advanced_class.txt · Last modified: 2021/12/04 00:39 (external edit)