Cover by .Jeffrey K.

Sblrllng
CONTENT§ Hacker Logo by .John Di!imuke!i
Card 6raphic!i by HeaUJer Oliver
The Chips 2 COlISfnlctil'e Criticism: Loyd Bfcmkenship
Introduction . 1 /Iwidious del'elopmnrm/ srtggesfions: /)(II'jtf Sellrle (lnd Kerf)' Hams
Components . 1 Pluyte.fters: Doug Bames. Ore'" Bil/ner. Jim Bot.>duker. Chn:ftopher BI/rke. Jumes Cokelet, Jill
The Cards............ . 2 Cumring/ram, Kerf)' Hums, JI/lime Henel, Mike Hurst, Jeff Koke, John KOIro. Dol'id Mil): Chris McCubbin.
Special Cards 2 Lynette McCubbin, Tim McGaughy, The"' Moore, Pm Pesek. A. H. Peterson. /..aim Popkin. Marshall Rodrigue:.
ArlhurSamuels, Rylllllli B. SlIIlIlers, f)(wid Searle. Jolm SimfJ,~OIr, Spike, MOIrica StepirelU. Re)' Titus. Frwlf:hesca
TheChips ..2 Vecchio. C/rris Ventreers. Clrris,;wr "hg/ler. Todd l\bods, Ouslin WrighT, S,ew" Zit"ger.
Player Markers ........ . .3 Additi(JIrl/1 lin b)' J(1$O/r Culon,
Consoles and System Upgrades . .3 nlOnks 10 l!l'ef)'OIle II'ho SJlggestel! n'i/ al/dlor hill/n'(ms idells lifter the origilw/ game Clime mit, Concepfs in
The Expansion Chassis 3 lite supplemelrla/)' rules cameJrom BughU/lIl'r. 8mrsai (lOIS!). 1IIumi,ralDr (lUIS!). !kalr Barrel/, Spike. Tomb, ,hi'
Military Upgrades. . . . . 3 Tml'pllpr in Rlark. F/m", O'Rriml. mId Slefan Jones.
Starting The Game . 3 S/lt'cil/I flllmks 10 fi,e Joll Company for lel/ing us depici their excefJellt rmx/uci on our cuw"r. JoIl is a
regisrered lrodemark oJThe Joll COlIJpuny, ItIC.
Tum Phases 4
Ve/)' $pel.:iallhmrks /Q William Gibsonfor $hol'o'illg liS how to look allhe Nel.
I. Roll for Crashed Systems 4
Copyrighl C 1992. /993, 2001 by Sln'e JaooOfr Games 1"cotpOrotell. All rig/rl$ rt!$en·ed. Some an copyrighl
2. Housecleaning 4 K'"'.~ant(J(lay.,"Om.
Triggering Housecleaning 4 lIacker is a regiSlered lrodemllrk of S'fi'e Jodwm GUT/res ItlcotpOrtlfed for;u CQII/(Hl/er crime card gOlIIt!'.
Results of Housecleaning .5 Thi$ gmllt' is intemled (l$ a work oj .rotire IJIrd wdlll commem. An)' rt!$emblal/ce to aetUliI persons or
3. Draw A Card 5 orgUT/iWliO/u i$ IlflimentiQtUII or. if imentiQtUlI. is dO/le with swiric ifUt'nt. FlIQrd,
Free SYillcm Upgrade 5
4. Hacking .5
How To Hack . 5
INTRODUCTION
Avoiding The ICE 5 In 1990, Steve Jackson Games was raided by the U.S. Secret Service during a "hacker
Hacking Non-Indials 6 hunt" that went disastrously out of control. We lost several computers. mooems and other
Bonuses To Hack 6 equipment. Worse. we lost the manuscripts to several uncompleted games. most notably
Promotion: Improving GURPS Cyberpunk. which a Secret Service agent the next day called "a handbcxlk for com-
Your Access. . . 7 puter crime." The company had to layoff half its staff, and narrowly avoided bankruptcy.
Hacking To Houseclean .. " 7 And starting the day after the raid, garners asked us "When are )'011 going to make a
5. Phreaking .. . ,, 7 game about it?"
6, Narking . . . . . , , ..7 So we did. And it won an Origins Award, and the supplement (included in this set) won
Trading Favors ,,, , .7 another. Not too shabby.
Crashing. , , , ,, ,8 Eventually. we got most of our property back. though some of it was damaged or
Raids ,,,. . .. , , •.......8 destroyed. The Secret Service admitted Ihat we'd never even been a targel of their
Busted! " " , 9 investigation. With Ihe help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.etT.org), we sued
Winning The Game ", , 9 them in Federal court and won, Even though the government attorneys complained that
Strategy ", ,." ..9 we had profited from the raid by releasing Hacker! (For the whole Story. visit
www.sjgames.com/SS/.)
Hacker We: The Shon Game .,." ..9
Optional Rules ." , ",.10
Black ICE , , , .. 10
OUtdials .. " .. , ...•.. , .. ", .10
COMPONENT§
Viruses , .....•••....... 11 The Hacker box contains this rulebcxlk, a ziplock bag, and:
TIle \VOIlTl , •.•..... , .12 51 Regular System Cards, Light blue, with cable icons at edges. Six of these are hubs.
Multiple AccounlS ., ,12 with a dark blue spiral-star pattern overlaid on the card.
Vinual Bridges ...••........ 13 10 Indial System Cards, Dark blue, with cable icons at edges and a round white phone
Improved Security , .. , 14 symbol in the center,
A Hacker Glossary , .. "." . .14 4 Outdial System Cards. Light blue. with cable icons al edges and a square black phone
Chans and Tables . , , , .. , .16 symbol in the center.
Frequently Asked Questions . , ... , .. 16 95 Special Cards. White. with black and blue text.
5 Blanks, of various types.

STEVE .JACKSON GAMES

 Hack apart the COl/sole Sheello yield: S. Security - The higher this number, the more secure the sys-
6 Console Units -large rectangles 10 be folded and set up. tem is and the harder il is to hack. See p. 5.
2 Expansion Chassis units, which allow players to add an extra 6. ICE - Not every system has ICE (Intrusion Countermeasure
slot to their system. for a total of four slots. Electronics). It represents improved. dangerous security which can
27 System Upgrades (large keystone-shaped markers). There reach out and zap someone. See p. 5.
are also three blank upgrades so you can replace lost ones or invent 7. Net, if any. There are three subnets to which cenain systems
your own. belong: MilNet. BizNel and ComNel. If a syslem belongs to a net,
13 Bust markers (handcuffs) it will be shown at the lower left.
I Net Ninja marker (throwing slar) 8. Hub - This shows that the syslem is a hub of one of the three
12 Virus Rags - 6 each for the Mona Lisa and Beelzebub virus. sub-nets. It counts as directly connecled to all members of its net.
See p. 11. no matter where they are. Hubs have a large spiral design on the
15 Virtual Bridge markers (see p. 13). card (not shown on this example). See p. 6.
9. System type, if any. Many computer systems belong to one
PUI/ch oul tile COlll/ter sheets 10 yield Ihe/ollowing chips: of a few standard types. Lf you know something about one, you
Account chips: 21 (hex-shaped) for each of the 6 colors: outline know about all of them. There are five standard types: HAL,
(normal account) on front. solid (root) on back. Moon. Vennin, Bacchus and Yenlendo. If a system is a standard
The Wonn: 21 (hex). These are the ones with the wiggly type. this wilt be shown at the lower right.
purple "w." 10. Indial or outdial- If the system can be contacted by a reg-
Security +1: 12 (hex) ular phone. it will have a white phone icon in the middle. If it can
Security +2: 6 (hex) phone other systems, il will have a black phone icon in the middle.
Security +3: 6 (hex)
Regular ICE: 21 (hex) §PECIAL CARDS
Black ICE (skull on back): 12 (hex). 3 of these are + I, 3 are +2.
Never Cleans House: 3 (square) The special cards are white with black and blue text. A special
Secret Indial chips: 6 (square) for each of the 6 colors. card never huns the player who draws it. Cards like Raid are to be
Back Door chips: 3 (square) for each of the 6 colors. used against rivals. and will have instructions at the bottom
Known Indial chips: 9 (square) explaining their use.
Crash"'<! chips: 18 (square) Some special cards may be used only at certain times. as
specified on the cards themselves. If a card doesn't specify
otherwise. it may be used at any time. A player never has to use
a special card.
When you get a special card, you may use il immediately or
keep it face-down for later use. Cards which give you a continuing
benefit (like Allies, for instance) are kept face-up in front of you
when used. (Unless such a card states otherwise, it is lost only if
you are actualJy arrested, or busted.) Cards which give a one-time
benefit go to the discard pile after use.
You don't have to show anyone your face-down specials. but
you can choose to do so. Face-down specials have no effect until
they are turned face-up.
!iecurttg 10 Special cards may be traded at any time, or given away as part
of a deal.
~et:HUB You cannot playa special card 10 help someone else, but you
can give them a special card when they need il and they can play
Figure J: Completely bogus e.xlUllple ofa system card. it if they choose.

THE CARD5 THE CHIP5

The basic card in Hacker is the system carel. This represents a Account Chip. These are the hex-shaped chips with colored
single computer system somewhere in the Matrix (any resem- symbols. Each player gets a different color. When you successful-
blance to real organizations is purely satirical in nature). ly hack a system. place a chip there to show you have an account
Each system card has the following features: (don't cover the text on the card). If you have regular access, put
I, System name. the account chip with the hollow symbol up. For root access. tum
2. Links - These are the cables at the edges of the cards, repre- Ihe chip so the solid symbol is up.
senting possible connections to other systems. Secret Indial Chip. This square chip in one of Ihe six player
3, Special notes or abilities - Some cards give special abilities colors has a picture of a phone. Placed on a system, it shows that
to anyone who has root access there. You cannot use a system's the player knows a secret phone number (see Reaching a System.
special abilities unless you can trace a path of accounts to let you p. 5) and can use this system as an india!.
reach thai syStem - JUSt having an account there is nOI enough. Known Indial Chip. This square white chip has a picture of a
4, Blank space - Place account chips in this area when you get phone, Placed on a system. it shows that all players have access to
access to a system - don't cover up the Security. ICE. etc. an indial there. The system is now the same as a regular indial,
 Back Door Chip. This square chip has a key symbol. It shows your expansion slot. behind the upgrade that is already there. and
thai a player has back·door access to the system - e.g.• pennanent adds room for a new red upgrade. Note that ooly two expansion
roo< ac=s. chassis are available!
ICE Chip. One of these goes on e\·ery system with an ICE If you are raided or busted. and lose your upgrades. you also
mling. Some of them ha\e skulls on the back ... black ICE. lose the expansion chassis.
"Nenr Cleans House" Chip. Indicates a really lazy sysadmin.
Crash Chip. This chip with a nuclear bl3.\t symbol is placed on
a system to show that it is crashed.

PLAYER MARKER!i
Net Ninja Marker. This large square marker with a throwing
slar symbol goes in from of the player who has the most systems
DDD1Di
Modefll

I I
!iy!lf;efll

~-=-t@±fit w w ii!L.S®! I
ExpBn.lon ! 1

at any given time. See p. 6.

Bust Marker. Each lime a player is bUSied. place one of these
. _ _.--'

handcuff markers in front of him. Too many busts, and yoo·re out Figure 2: £rpansio'l chas~is locatio".
of the game.
MILITARY UPGRADE!i
CDI\I5DLE5 A.I\ID There are three black-bordered ··Military Upgrades:' You can-
not get a military upgrade with a regular upgrade card - you need
!iY5TEM UPIiRA.DE5 a special card that specifies a Military Upgrade. T1lcy are:
BANSHEE modem (yellow) - +3 to all hacks.
Each player gets one of the consoles - the folded card repre· TEMPEST computer (blue) - 5 hacks per tum.
seming a computer system. Each console has three slots which can MILITARY ICEBREAKER (red) - you ignore all ICE totally.
hold ~)'Slem I/pgrades (the small keystone-shaped markers):
Modem - the yellow slot. Each player starts with a regular These represent government equipment. purchased on the black
modem. printed on his console, which gives no s~ial abilities. market. If you're raided while you have a military upgrade in your
Upgrades can give the player better modems, which give bonuses console. you will be busted unless you play a Dummy
to every attempt to hack. Equipment. Self-Destruct or Whoops card.
System unit - the blue siaL Each player stans with a Plain No mule-in i5 required for a military upgrade. If you already
Clone. primed 00 his console. which allows two hacks per tum. have an upgrade in the appropriate slot. you must discard it to
Upgrades can give the player belter system units. which allow make room: if you have any modem al all. you must discard it to
more hacks per tum. install the Banshee. But if you have no modem at all. you can stiU
Expansion slot - the red sIoL This slot Starts out empty. T1lcre get a Banshee! T1lc same is true for the 0lheT two upgrades.
are several different kinds of expansion. Some give more hacks,
some give hacking bonuses. and some give other abiLilies.

Each slot may hold only one upgrade al a time. Each slot may
For New Players: If you've never played before, we suggest
hold only an upgrade of its own color. Some upgrades require the
you start with the SllOn Game rules (p. 9).
player to tum in a previous. lesser upgrade - for instance, you can-
not get an Amoeba 3000 system unit unless you already have a You'll need a large lable to play Hacker. Separate the Indilll
Hackintosh, and you must return the Hackintosh to the pile of cllrds (dark blue face) and the regular system cards and Outdials
available upgrades when you take the Amoeba (Light blue face) from the rest of the deck. Now take some of these.
A player may not keep or save any system upgrades except in randomly. ae; follows:
his console. and must always let other players see whaCs in his 2-player game: 5 regular systems, 3 indials
console. Upgrades may not be tmek."'rl between players. 3-player game: 6 regular systems. 3 indials
1bere are a limited number of upgrades. If the one you want 4-player game: 9 regular syslems. 3 indials
isn'l available. you·1I have to wait unlil one becomes available- 5-player game: II regular systems, 4 indials
either when someone trades it in. or when someone gets raided and 6-player game: 14 regular systems. 4 indials
loses his equipment.
If you are using the Owdial rules (p. 10), replace one regular
system with an outdial. or two if you have 4 or more players.
THE EXPAN!iIDN I:HA!i!iI!i Deal these system cards evenly among the players.
A nonnal system has only three slole;: modem. system. and
expansion. An "expansion chassis," which COSIS one upgrade, adds Now. starting with the player to the dealer's left. each player in
a second expansion slot, which will lei you have two red upgrades tum places a card in the center of the [able. until all have been
at the same time. Actually buying something to fill this slot would placed. This fonns the "net:' Each card must link to another card
cost another upgrade. But then you could have - for instance - already placed, forming a single nel. unless this is absolutely
both a RAM card and a Sequencer. impossible. In that case. set the new card to the side. where it forms
You may not buy an expansion chassis unlil all three of your the core of a second net! If a second net is started. players can
original slotS are full. The tab on the expansion chassis fits into place new cards into either net. as they wish.
 TIle cables on the edges of the cards are the "links." For two
systems to link. they must be adjacent (see diagram) and links on
each cam must tOl/ch. If a card has no link on a side or end. no sys-
TURN PHA!iE!i
tem may be adjacent to it on that side or end! System cards may Each player's tum has the following phases:
1101 touch unless they are actually linked. See the diagram below.
I and 2. RoD ror crashed systems and houseclearting. (Early
II doesn't mailer whether cards are right-side-up, upside-down, in the game. no systems have been crashed. and no syStems will be
or sideways, as long as adjacent cards always link. so infested with hackers that they trigger housecleaning.)
It is illegal to place a card improperly. If this happens during the 3, Draw a card. After drawing a card (and playing it into the
initial phase of building the net. just move the offending card. If it et, if it's a system card), you may take a free system upgrade and
happens later, during play, the player who misplaced the card must skip the rest of your tum (no hacking, phreaking or narking). Or
move it to a legal position. and lose the rest of his tum. 1lle card you may continue ...
isn't placed until the playertakes his hand ofT it. When he takes his 4, Hack - try to get access to systems,
hand ofT, it stays there, s. Phreak - give your friends a chance to get access to systems
When the initial cards have been placed, shuffle all remaining where you've already got an account. You can skip this if you don't
cards back into the deck. Now regular play can begin - again, wilh want to help anybody.
the player to the dealer's left. 6, Nark - try to get your rivals thrown off of systems! You can
skip this if you don't want to antagonize anybody.
It is now the next player's tum,
• The following sections will describe each tum phase in more

f-O~
detail.

• • 1.ROLL FOR
, +o~ fo : • fo 0 . :..0. CRA!iHEO §Y!iTEM!i
• ,
1

•
, A player's first action each tum is to roll one die for each s)'s-
tern thai is currently crashed. On a I. it becomes un<rashed
1
fo4;l. fo : • 1 ,
(remove the crash marker). When it comes up. it automatically
undergoes housecleaning. See Crashing, p. 8, to find out how the
, I • • •
: . <-
•
1 I,
fo
, ,
•
•
system got crashed in the first place. .

. ~O • Housecleaning is what happens when a system administrator

1

,
~
, o· realizes that he has hackers 011 his system. He'll try to shut them
out. He mayor may not succeed.
A player's second action each tum is to see whether any system
administrators try to "clean house." Hou5e(:leaning can also be
triggered by other events.
Figure 3: A card laJolIf willi insrructi,'e errors.

All connections shown are legal except for the following:. TRIGGERING HOUSECLEANING
Card 1 is illegally placed because it has no link touching the Housecleaning can happen automatically whenever there are
card below it. Tum it around and it will be legal. too many hackers on a system at the beginning of a tum. Roll one
Card 2 is illegal because the card below it has no link touching die for each such system:
it. No card can be placed where Card 2 is - put it somewhere else, If there are 4 hackers on the system (or 3, in a 3-player ga.me)
(Note that Card 2 is 1101 connected to Card 8. even though the sysadmin cleans house on a roll of I.
they're close. TIley're not touching,) If there are 5 hackers on a system, it cleans house on a I or 2.
Cards 3 and 4 have no links touching .. , somebody was asleep If there are 6 hackers on a system. it cleans house on a 1,2 or 3!
when Card 4 was placed. No card can be placed where Card 4 is.
Move it! Housecleaning happens automatically if someone hits ICE on a
Card 5 has two problems. In the first place, it has no link to system. 1be hacker who hits the ICE is off automatically. If some-
connect it to the card directly above it. In the second place. it is one phreaked him 01110 the system, they're ofT. too. Other playCTS
touching Card 6 - just barely, but it's touching. A plaamellllike must survive a normal housecleaning effort,
Ihis is nn'er legal, because cards do not have links on their comers.
(Okay ... a Vinual Bridge. p. 13, could make it all right.) Card 5 Nark, Nark - Who's There?
would be legal if turned at right angles, so the link which is now A hacker can deliberately cause a housecleaning by nar\:ing on
on its right side touches the card above it. TIle card below it would a system during the Nark phase of his tum. But it doesn't always
have to move down. too. work, and it has risks. See Nllrkillg. p. 7.
Card 7 is overlapping another card. Not legal, ever, Move it.
Housecleaning by a Hacker You are not required to use all your hacks, or to hack at all. but
you'll almost always want to. You may not give your hacks to
A hacker can spend one of his hacks to "clean house" himself on another player.
a system where he has root access, to throw his rivals off. See p. 7. If something happens during your tum to increase the number
of hacks you gel. you get the new. higher number on that tum. If
RE!iULT!i OF HOU!iECLEANING something happens during your tum to decrease the number of
When a system administrator cleans house. each hacker on the hacks you get. you get the new. lower number - but if you had
system must roll one die ifhe had regular access, two dice ifhe had already hacked more times than that. you just stop hacking imme·
root. On a result of 4 or less. !.hat hacker loses access. dimely with no fUJ1her penalty.
Thus, regular access is very vulnemble. rool access much less
vulnerable. But even rool access can be lost to bad luck. Reaching a System
To hack a system, you must be able to trace a path to it from
your home computer and modem. If your target is an india!. you
can reach it automatically. Otherwise, you must be able to trace a
Take one card from the pile. If it is a system card, you must play path of accounts from an indial to your target.
it into the Net immediately. following the placement rules above. A dark blue system card is a "indial:' Anyone can call in and lI)'
(If you lry to hack into that system on this same tum. you'll gel a to hack it. No other system may be hacked until you have an
+1 bonus.) It's legal to consult with the other players before plac- account on an india!.
ing lhe new system. and even to make deals about it. However, all systems have secret indial numbers. If you learn
If you draw a special card. follow the directions on the card. one of these numbers. place one of your Indial Chips on the system.
Some can be played immediately, and some can'l. You never IWI'e You can then treat thm system as an india!. You can also lell the
to use a special card. If you can't play it now (or don', wanl to), number to others. Ir e'I'el)'0n€ learns the number. place a Known
keep it upside down in front of you. Indial chip on the system. It's now the same as any other indial
1f you draw a special card that applies only to an optional rule
that's not in play, you may discard it and draw a replacement, or Repeated Hacks
trade it for a ViJ1ual Bridge (p. 13). If a hack attempt fails. you may lIy the same system again on the
If you draw the last carel. reshuffie the discard deck. same tum at no penalty - provided that you have hacks remaining.

FREE §YSTEM UPGRADE - How To HACK

§KIPPING A TURN Important Notice To Secret Service! This Is Only A Game!
These Are Not Real Hacking Instructionsl
Any player can choose to skip a tum whenever he likes. He's You Cannot Hack Into Real Computers By Rolling Little Dice!
laking a few weeks away from hacking. to earn a few bucks for
hardware. Indicate Ihe system you are attacking and roll 2 dice. You are
After you roll for un-erashing and housecleaning, and draw trying to roll the system's "Securily" number or higller. If you suc-
your card. you can choose to skip the rest of your tum and take an ceed. you have gained access to the system. (Note that you can
3U10matic system upgrade. Pick any System Upgrade marker from earn bonuses to this roll - see below).
those currently available (but remember. some require trade-ins). If you make your roll, you have regular access to the system
Your tum is now over. (you have learned a password). Put an Account Chip on the system
A player who doesn't take a free system upgrade can now pro- with the "hollow" symbol showing.
ceed to the rest of his tum: hacking, phreaking and narking. Success by 4 or more gets you roor access (you have the system
administrator's password!). Put an Account Chip on the system
with the solid symbol up. With root access. you can do almost any-
4. HACKII\IG thing you want with the system. as long as you're not noticed.
Any time you roll a natural 12 on a hack attempt. it means that
A "hack" is an altemptto break into a computer and give your-
you cracked the target on the first try. It was so quick that it doesn't
self an illicit account. Each hack represents many hours of persist-
count against your total numbcrof hack attempts for the tum! (You
ent work.lIying to defeat your target's security.
don't get root unless you ALSO succeeded by 4 or more.)
The basic hack is for access - to get an account on the system.
If you have regular access. you can hack for improved (root)
access.
Avoiding the ICE
If you have root access on a system. you can hack to throw other Some high-security systems have ICE (Intrusion Counter-
hackers out. measures Electronics). When you try to hack into a system with
ICE, your adjusted die~roll mUSl beat thal system's ICE number.
Number m Hacks Otherwise, not only did your hacking attempt fail. but you've been
delecled and you're in trouble.
At the beginning of the game. each player has a very basic PC,
Furthermore. when you attack a system with ICE, a natural 2
or Plain Clone. This allows two hacks per tum. As the game pro-
always fails regardless of any bonuses you have. The only thing
gresses, hackers may get better equipment (see System Upgrades,
that can prevent this is the ··Icebreaker'· system upgrade. This
below) or special cards which allow them extra hacks. or make
reduces all ICE numbers by 3 and protects you from the dread
their hacks belter.
"automatic failure on 2:'
 Hitting ICE blows you off the system that you're attacking alld
reveals where you're calling from. If you are reaching your target BONU!iE!i TO HACK
through another system, you immediatcly lose your account on Certain things will make it easier for you to hack a new system,
II/llt systcm, too, Remove your account chip. This does not end Some of these are special cards. Others depend on what systems
your tum: if you have more hacks left. you can use them. you already have access to. In general. the more systems you're in,
Lfyou are hacking directly into an indial and you hit ICE, you're the easier it will be to crack the next one,
in trouble. You are automatically dctected and raided - see Raids, Some of these bonuses can be shared with other players - see
below. You lose all your system upgrades. You must roll a 7 or Trading Fal'ors. p. 7.
better, or playa special card, to avoid a bust when you're caught
hacking an india!. Discovery Bonus
Whenever anyone hits ICE on a system, there will be an auto- If you just drew and played the system on your current tum - if
matic housecleaning there - see HOl/seclealling, p. 4, you're the one who added it to the Net - you get a +1 bonus. In
finding the system. you learned something about it that will be use·
Example: Mentor Microcode has Security of 10 and ICE of 4. ful if you strike immediately, This bonus is lost after the tum you
If your adjusted roll is 4 or less, you hit the ICE. And if your roll play it, and can't be shared.
is a natural 2, regmrlless of bonllse.~, the ICE got you - unless you
have an Icebreaker.
If your adjusted roll is 10 or better, you have access,
Net Ninja
If your adjusted roll is 14 or beuer (10+4), you have root! If one player has
Yes, it's hard to roll 14 on two dice. You need bonuses ... active accounts on lllore
systems than anybody
else, he's the Net Ninja,
HACKING l\IoN-INDlAL!i the Master Hacker, the
Light blue systcm cards are not indials - they have no publicly Serious Dude. Put the
accessiblc incoming phone lines. The only way to reach thcse Net Ninja counter in
cards is through an indial which you hal'e already penelmted. This front of him. The Nct
connection may be direct (the target systcm is next to your pene- Ninja gets a +1 to every
trated india!), Or it may be indirect, through a whole chain of sys- hacking attempt he
tems. But each system must be penetrated (that is, must have your makes, but only as long
account chip on il), and the path must lead back to an india!. as he has more systems
If you can trace a path of penetrated systems starting with than any other player. (If
an indial. you can hack your chosen target just as though it was you can't trace a path to a
an india!. system, it does,,'t COWIt.)
Why the bonus? When you're the Net Ninja, everyone else calls
Dirert Connertions you to hang out, and they tell yOll rhings ...
Most systems will be connected to indials through a chain of The Net Ninja bonus becomes active the instant you are the
links (dedicated land' lines), shown by the cables on the cards, All hacker with the most systems - even in the middle of your tum.
these links are two-way, If Grecdcomm is next to Able Cable. you You lose it again the instant that someone ties or beats your total.
can hack from eithcr system to the other one. This bonus can't be shared with other players.
If players are tied for the most systems, nobody is the Ninja.
Hub Connertions
!lame !lystem Type
Each of the three lIet opes (see below)
in the game has two "hub systems:' shown
by the large spiral-star symbol. No matter
J Some types of computer are so common that if you know how
to deal with one, you know something about them all. There are five
where it is in the net. a hub connects to all types of computer in this game: HAL, Moon, Vennin, Yentendo,
other systems of its /leI type, and Bacchus. System type is shown at the lower right of the system
This is a one·way connection. For instance, the MilNct hubs are card. If there is no system type there, the system is of some weird
NORAD and the Pentagon. If you have access to NORAD, you and obscure make and you can't get a type bonus to allack it.
can hack from there to any other MilNet system - no matter where If you have current rool access on any system of the same type,
it is - but not vice·versa. Naturally, hubs aren't easy to get into in add I to your hacking roll. Multiple systems don't give any extra
the first place ... bonus: the most you can get for System Type is + I.

What? No Path? !lame Net Type

What ifyol/ have lUI aCCOllll( 011 a system, bw am'r rrace a pmh There are three sub-networks of connected systems in this
from it to all indial? This can happen because of system crashes or game: MilNet (military). ComNet (communications) and BizNet
changes in the net .. , or because you lost access to an intennedi· (business). Net membership is shown at the lower left of the sys-
ate computer. If you can't reach the system, your account there tem card. If there is no net membership shown, the system does not
remains intact but you cannot use it (or any bonuses or special belong to any special network.
abilities it gives you) until you can once again trace a chain of If you have current root access on any system on the same net~
systems you have penetrated. all the way back to an india!. work. add I to your hacking roll. Multiple systems don't give any
extra bonus: the most you can gel for Net Type is + I.
Alljal:ent Root Al:l:e!i!i
If you have current root access on an adjacent system (either
directly linked. or a net hub), you get a +1 10 any hacking atlempt.
s. PHREAKII\lIi
When a player is through hacking, he may "phreak" - that is,
because you can read messages going 10 your target system. This make phone calls. Of course, hackers don't pay for their calls,
lets you learn protocols, grab passwords. and so on. Root access (0 which is why the phone company loves them so much! You usc
two adjacent systems would give a +2, and so on. This bonus can these calls to share infonnation with your fellow hackers,
be shared. (Bul if two players both have access on the same adja- E..1ch phreak gives one of your fellow hackers a chance to hack
cenl system. they can"' both give you a bonus!) . Onto a system where )'011 already hm'e access, He must be able to
A net hub is adjacent to all systems in its net - so, for instance. reach that system normally - that is, it must be an india!. or he
root on NORAD, a MilNel hub. gives +1 to hack !.he Coast Guard. must be in an adjacent system.
But the reverse is not true. A hacker cannot trace a path from the Roll his phrcak (= free hack) nomlally. If hc doesn't have an
Coast Guard back to NORAD (unless they happen to be physical- account there, he can try to get one, If you have root but he
ly adjacent). So rOOI on the Coast Guard would give no adjacency doesn't. you can give him a chance to promote himself.
bonus to hack NORAD. You may give each of your fellow hackers one free hack (but no
more) during this phase. You dOll't have to phreak allYbody if you
!iame Root Al:l:e!i!i don't want to.
If aI/other player has current root access on the same system All bonuses that thc Olher hacker has - or that others give him
you're trying to hack. he can give you a +2 bonus if he chooses to - count nonnally,
help you - see below. When you phreak someone in, you may limit his access. He
This bonus includes bonuses for net type and system type - you cannot get root (no matter how good his roll) unless )'011 have root.
can't get it alld get bonuses for net or system. Essentially, if your And if you have root, you can still choose to say, ''I'm only telling
buddy already has root, he can hand you all the bonuses on a sil- you enough for you to get regular access:' Of course. if someone
ver planer. gets regular access, he can try to promOle himself later.
£mmple: You are trying to hack a MilNet system. You have root If the hacker you are helping triggers ICE. yolt will also be shut
on another Mil Net system. for a + I bonus. But DoomBunny. who out of the system, losing your access - though you don't suffer any
already has root on your target, offers to help you. This gives you a of the other bad effects of the ICE. (You dropped your connections
+2. but it replaces your own + I for MiiNet. rather than adding to it. and covered your tracks rather than risk anything worse,) The
system administrator then cleans house automatically. and other
hackers in the system must roll nonnally to keep their accounts,
PROMOTION:
IMPROVING YOUR AI:I:E!i!i
When you already have regular access to a system, you can
6. I\IARKII\lIi
This is optional; you don't have to nark. When you nark, you
hack to improl'e your access. If you succeed, you 'I] get root access. contact the adminislrator of a computer system and offer evidence
Roll nonnally. with any hacking bonuses you are entitled to (or can that he has (gasp!) hackers on his system. Ifhe believes you. he'll
get as favors). You can do this on your own tum. as a hack. Or you initiate a housecleaning (see HOllsecleaning, p. 4).
can do it on someone else's tum. if they are in the system and let You must be have current access to the system, or to an adjaccllI
you phreak. one. in order to get enough infomlation to nark believably.
If your roll beats the system's Security number by 3 or more. When you nark, roll 2 dice. You must roll the system's Security
you get root. In effect you get a + I bonus because you're already number or less in order to be believed. If you fail this roll. nothing
in the system. You don't get this bonus if someone else already has at all happens, If Security is 12 or more, you'lI always be believed.
root on the system and is giving you that +2 bonus. But narking has its risks. If you roll a 2. then the administrator
However, there's always the chance that this "promotion" will decided yOIl were a threat, and hc tracked you down! You are auto-
backfire. On a natural 2. regardless of bonuses, you are noticed and matically raided - see p. 8. He still cleans house, of course.
you lose all access to the system, (If the system has ICE, of course. You may only nark on a given system once per tum, but you can
worse things will happen than that. See Avoiding the ICE. p. 5) nark on as many different systems as you want to. But it gets
riskier each time. On your second nark in file same IIInJ, you'll be
HAI:KING TO HOU!iEI:LEAN raided on a roll of 4 or less, On your third nark. you're raided on a
A hacker who has root access may "clean house" himself. elim- 6 or less, and so on.
inating his rivals' accounts. This takes time, and counts as a hack When you finish narking, your turn is over.
for Ihe hacker who does it but he runs no risk of detection or of
losing his own account! He can also choose to leave some • • I
accounts untouched, if he wishes to, • I •
When a hacker cleans house, he may specify which of his Trading favors is very important in hackerdom.
fellow hackers he wants to eliminate. Those with root access roll If someone else has root access that would give you a bonus. he
2 dice, as usual, while those with normal access roll just one. But can give you that bonus (for that attempt only) if hc wants to,
they lose access on a roll of 5 or less, ralher than 4. (The hacker Example: You're trying to hack a HAL system. You don't have
is not necessarily more skilled than the system administrator, root on any HALs right now, bUI one of the other players, The
but he knows what he's looking for, and is not distracted by the Professor, does, If you can talk The Professor into saying he'll help
real world,) you, you can have the + I bonus for System Type.
 Maybe he'll help you out of the goodness of his heart. Maybe At the beginning of every player's tum. roll I die for each
you can promise to do him a favor later. Maybe you'll have to offer crashed system. On a I. the system comes back up, suffering an
him a special carel. automatic hOllsecleaning (see p. 4).
You can use favors from several people in the same hack. In
lhe example above, maybe your target is on MilNet. and Godzilla
has root access on a MilNet machine. There's another + I. And RAID5
maybe Mr. Slippery has root on an adjacent system. There's A careless or unlucky hacker can suffer a raid by police or fed-
another +1. But only if they'll cooperate! It costs lhem nothing eral agents. Cenain special cards can make a raid worse - or pro-
to help you. but you have 10 talk them infO it. Social engineering teet against its consequences.
at its finest ...
You can /lot share the bonuses from system upgrades or special
cards - lhose work only for the owner. All you can share is the
Re!iult: of a Raid
ill/onl/ariol/ which you gain by having root on thc right systems. When a hacker is raided, representatives of Law a.nd Order will
Note: Accepting a favor can give you a virus, if you are using ask him politely to find a new hobby. and confiscate all his equip-
the Vims rules. See p. II. ment just to drive the message home. He loses all his System
Upgrades. (Tomorrow he can go to the comer store and buy anolh-
EnfiJrcement: of Promi!ie!i er Plain Clone.) If he had just hacked a system. he loses his
account there. Lf it was his tum. he loses lhe rest of his tum.
If you promise to do something for someone on your currellt And finally. he must roll to see if he's busted.
tum. you must keep the promise. Realistically, they probably
wouldn't give you the information unless you had staned to keep
your end of the deal. For instance, suppose Godzilla agrees to
Raid Card!i and Defen!ie!i
give you a bonus to hack if you let her phreak into the same Most raids will be triggered by Raid cards. played by olher
system at the end of your tum. You have to do exactly what you hackers. A Raid card can be played only after someone makes a
pronli:.ed. successful hack. It can be played on anyone - not just the person
But if you say, "Help me now and I'll do such-and-so for you who made lhe hack! However, if the target is the person who made
later:' you don't have to keep your promise. But remember: mem- the hack, he immediately loses his account on lhe system he was
ories are long. and payback can be murder. hacking. (If he had just crashed it, it's still crashed.)
Cenain special cards may be played at lhis point. by any play-
Forced Favor!i er. to make the raid worse. The victim of the raid should call for
such cards. When his opponents have played all that they are going
E.'lch "Raid" card has an alternate use: a forced favor. If you to play. the victim may now play any raid defenses he has in his
don't want to use it to get a fellow hacker raided, you can use it to hand. Some defenses "U11mp" any possible raid. Others are worth-
demand a favor from any other player. The definition of this type less against certain raids and the victim will know not to bother
of favor is vel)' precise. If it doesn't fit this definition, you can't playing them. Offensive cards canflot be added after the defender
demand it as a forced favor! plays whatever defenses he can. nor can a second raid be played
To use a forced favor, you must have a Raid card. Discard it, until after anolher successful hack.
point at one of your rivals. and say, "You're doing me a favor." After all offensive and defensive cards have been played. lhe
(I) If it is your turn. your victim must give you every bonus he raid may be an automatic success (the victim is busted) or an
can in your next attempt to hack, whatever it is ~ even if success automatic failure. If it's not automatic, roll two dice to see if lhe
will let you win. raid turns into a bust. The number required to escape a bust
(2) If it is his tum. he must let you phreak on the system of your depends on the type of raid, as shown on the card - from 6 for
choice, and give you every bonus that he can. Local Police to 9 for the FBI. If you roll the required number or
(3) In eilher case. if your victim knows a secret indial on your more, you lost your equipment, and your tum ;s over. but nolhing
target system, he must share it with you. else happens - you get off with a warning. Otherwise. you're
busted - see below.
CRA5HINii Nark Bal:kfire
If you have root access to a system, you may crash it on the A hacker who triggered a housecleaning, by warning a system
"phreak" phase of your tum. Just say you're crashing it and put a administrator lhat he had hacker problems, will sometimes be raid-
nuke marker on it. Nolhing can be done on a crashed system, and ed himself - see p. 7. When this happens, a roll of 7 or more is
none of its special abilities can be used. Also, no paths can be required to avoid a bust, unless defensive cards are played.
traced through it. And it doesn't count for victory or Net Ninja.
However. administrators will work hard to catch a crasher. If ICE Raid
you crash a system, roll 2 dice. wilh no bonuses except those given
by an Icebreaker. Ifyoll rolllhe ICE number or less. you're tracked A hacker who triggers a system's ICE will always be raided if
and raided (unless you have a special card that saves you). If he was dialing it directly. rather lhan through anolher system.
there's no ICE, though, there's no risk. A hacker who triggers ICE when he crashes lhe system will be
When a system is crashed. nobody (including lhe crasher) loses tracked down and raided even if he came lhrough anolher system.
their account- yet- but they can't lise it. A system does not count Whenever lhe raid is ICE-related. a roll of7 or more is required
for system type or network bonuses while it's crashed, nor can its to avoid a bust, unless defensive cards are played.
special abilities be used.
 Territory: Just because you can share a system with other
BU§TEO! hackers doesn't mean you always should! The more hackers are on
a system, the likelier il is to get housecleaned. and the likelier
If you fail your roll when you're raided (or if a special card
somebody is to crash it just when you start to depend on it. If you
keeps you from rolling). you arc bUSIed. Did you really think you
could keep this slUff up forever? . can establish a private territory somewhere on the net - someplace
thaI nobody else can reach - you're much better off. Hidden indi-
Result:s m a Bust: als are especially good for this.
When you draw a system card - especially a good one - con-
Regular Game: You've already losl your equipment. Now you sider placing it where you can easily get to it. If you can't use it
lose all yOUf special cards, whether face-up or face-down. You do,,', yourself, you can play it when nobody can get it at all. or you can
lose any of your accounts (though if you were raided after a hack. make a deal to place it where it will help someone else.
you've already been thrown off the system you were hacking). Keep a Low Profile: If you look too dangerous, your rivals are
Short Game: You 10SI no equipmcnllo the original raid. When less likely to help you, and more likely to send raids your way. It's
\ you're really busted, they just take away your modem. dangerous to spend too much time as Net Ninja. orto have the best
console in lhe country, until you're ready to go for lhe win.
! !it:at:es' Evidence Don'l Be a Loner: If you cooperate too much, of course, you
If you have a Raid card of your own when you're busted, you can give the game away. But if you never help anybody, nobody
may tum like a crazed weasel on your betrayer. immediately will help you. and you'll fall behind. Ifsome players cooperate and
playing it on the hacker who played the Raid card on YOU. He some don't, the ones who cooperate have a better chance.
has a -2 penalty to his roll to avoid being busied. Your own bust
still CQunl... For More Vicious Play •••
If Hacker isn't cutthroat enough for you, here are a few hints
Three !it:rikes for making the game even more dog-eat-dog ...
Fewel' lndials, Start witt! fewer indials in the basic setup. and
And You're Out: remove a couple of them from the deck. This will force the play-
Each lime a hacker is busted. place a handcufT marker in front ers to compete despemtely for accounts on the remaining indials.
of him. When someone is busted for the third time. he is out of the No Third Chance, A player is eliminated after his second bust.
game. not his third. (This can be a good idea if you're only playing to 8
Sorry. dude - )'0111' hacking days are over. Where you're going, systems, anyway.)
'here are" 'I allY compmers. lIud Ihey dial 'he plume for )'011. Less Phreaking. Each hacker may grant only one phreak
If someone is eliminated or drops out of the game, all his spe- attempt per turn - not one per player per turn.
cial cards go into the discard pile. All his system upgrades go back Easier Housecleaning. Change the "hacker housecleaning"
to the pool. All of his account chips are removed from the net. rule to say that a hacker can spend a hack to automatically elimi-
nate rivals who have regular access. while those with root must roll
7 or better to survive.

You win by gaining active access to 12 systems. declaring your-

self a Master Hacker. and retiring while you still can. For a differ-
HACKER LITE:
ent game length. vary this total. 8 systems gives a shan game, 16
gives a long game, 20 gives an all-night marathon. THE §HORT GAME
Victories can be shared. When any player reaches 12 systems, For a much shaner game
play out his current tum: everyone who has 12 at the end of that (usually an hour or less). don't use
player's tum shams the victory, with honors going to those with the any of the optional rules below.
most systems an<Vor fewest bUSLS. (If something happens so that Remove the following cards from the
1I0body has 12 at the end of the tum. continue play nonnally.)
Access does not count for victory unless you can still reach lhe
account. If you have an account on a system you can'l reach
deck - Whoops, Self·Destruct, The
Worm, and Disinfectant - and the
Beelzebub and Mona Lisa viruses.
__ ~=_
=--:~F7_':.
1-'='-
because the path is broken, it doesn't count for victory. This can
also lead to shared viclories: when a crashed system comes up, it
Also. make the following rule
changes: ....
-
.....--- _--
;:""..::-.:::=~_"::::~

---
::.':".=.~_._-

I, may reestablish palhs to systems so that two or more hackers Raids: In the Shan Game. a hack-
match 12 at once. er does not lose his System Upgrades when he's raided. If it was
The fewer times you have been busted, lhe better the win is. his tum, he loses the rest of his tum. If he had just hacked 3 sys·
Winning with no busts qualifies you for a Silicon Valley startup. tem, he loses his account on that system. He must roll to see if he's
busted. That's aiL
Busts: In the Short Ganle. you lose onl)' your m()(lem when
§TRATEIiY you're busted. (Not realistic ... ). If you have any special cards,
Building the Nd: The initial net layout can have a big effect on you lose one - your choice - either face up or face down.
the game. In general, don't put the indials too close together. When The winner is the first player to get 8 accounts.
possible. begin by placing a few low-security systems next to In the Shon Game, it's best to concentrate on building up your
indials. Otherwise, you' II have a hard time getting started. Own position quickly. because there's not nearly as much you can
do to tear your rivals down.
 Exllmple: Suppose a system has Black ICE and security of9. Its
first trace is automatic, but its second one requires a roll of 9 or
These optional mles add complexity and realism (well, pseudo-- less. If this succeeds. the hacker loses his account on that system.
realism. anyway). They definitely make the game longer. Use any and the system automatically housecleans after the trace is over
or all of them. (see below). From there, the Black ICE tries again - this time
Black Ice makes hacking more dangerous, and requires rolling at a -I, so it needs an 8 or less.
players to work through twisted paths. like fictional hackers (and And so on. at a further -I each time, until the ICE misses a roll
some real ones). (and the hacker escapes) or tracks him to the indial he used (and he
Viruses can infect your system and make it harder to hack. gets raided). If he gets raided. the effects are exactly the same as if
They also allow for more diplomacy and backstabbing, since you he had hit ICE while hacking directly into an indial - see p. 6.
can trick your rivals into getting infected. The best way to protect against Black ICE is to route your call
The Worm provides players with an artificially intelligent through mallY other systems - and. if possible, 10 use an outdial. as
competitor on the Net! described below.
Virtual Bridges give you more control over the configum-
tion of the Net. Black ICE Housecleaning
Improving Security lets hackers make things harder (and After a Black ICE incident is resolved. every system through
therefore slower) for their rivals. which the Black ICE pursued its target will automatically house-
Multiple Accounts is a I'ery optional mle. It is realistic - in clean. The housecleanings occur in the same order that the systems
the real world you can have lots of accoums on the same system - wcre entered. However, if the ICE trail crosses any system more
and adds more possibilities for strategy, but it lengthens the game. than once. that system will only houseclean once.

BLACK ICE DUTDIAL5

An outdial is a system thal can call other systems. Specifically.
ICE is covered on p. 5. Regular ICE can cost you your account on it can call an india!! In Hacker, an outdial has one important use:
the system you're hacking from, but it can't actually catch you unless covering your trail to make it harder for ICE to get you.
you call an india!. Black ICE is worse. Black ICE can lIulI1 you doll'''. Outdials are shown by a black square in the middle oftlle card,
with a phone icon and the word OUT.
The ICE Chips When you start a game, add one outdial to the initial cards that
This set has 33 chips which say ICE on one side. Most are just make up the net - or two if there are four or more players. These
the same on the back, and represent regular ICE. The others have cards replace regular systems in the initial sctup. (If you are not
a skull, representing Black ICE! And a few of the Black ICE chips using this mle, an outdiaI counts as a regular systcm.)
have +1 and +2 on them - meaning that not only is the ICE black, A hacker with an account on an outdial can use it to hack into
but it's worse than anyl:xxly thought! any india!. This is much safer than calling an indial directly. espe-
At the beginning of the game. tum all the ICE chips so the cially ifit has ICE! If you hit ICE while hacking the indial, the ICE
skulls are hidden. mix them up, and place one on each card with kicks you off the outdial, but doesn't cause a raid - unless. of
ICE. As the game progresses, whenever a new system with ICE is course. it is Black ICE and follows you home.
added to the net, put a randomly chosen ICE chip on it. And you can trace a hacking path through an india!. to an out-
dial. to allother indial where you already have an account. as
Learning About ICE shown below:
You don't know what kind of ICE a system has until you look at
the chip. If you get root on the system. you can look, but you cannot
show anyone else - just look at the chip and put it back. Of course. A
~~
B
~ ~ ~ f...
I 0

[jl
you can telI your fellow hackers what you saw. You can lie. too. 0 ~

The other way to learn about the ICE is to hit it. If someone hits --11 9
ICE on a system with an unrevealed chip, tum it over immediate· Y Y
Iy. If it's regular ICE. remove it. But if it's Black ICE, leave the
chip. Everyone now knows that it's black ... and the hacker who
hit it must suffer the consequences.
•c
(J)
~
61
Hitting Black ICE
When a hacker hits Black ICE, his hacking allempt automati-
cally fails. He loses his account on that system (if he had one). And Figllre 4; Tracing a patll through WI owdial.
he loses his account on the attacking system. So far. this is like reg-
ular ICE. But it gets worse. When Black ICE tries to trace a call. it rolls at a -3 to trace a
The player to the hacker's right takes the part of the Black ICE. path to an outdial.
rolling the dice for its trace attempts. From the system which In the illustration above. suppose our hacker hits Black ICE in
launched the failed hack. it now tries to trace the next system back. system A. It automatically tracks the hacker 10 B. With security of
This requires a die roll equal to the Black ICE system's Security, 9. it needs a 9 or less to get to C, and makes it. Now, C is an
or less. If the chip has a + I or +2. that number is added to the sys- india!, but it's not thefirSl indial the hacker used. He called it from
tem's Security, for all purposes, for the rest of the game.
an outdial. D. So instead of an 8 to trace the call to system D. the
Black Ice needs a 5.
Using t:he Virus Flags
But suppose it makes that roll. It still has a -I to trace every fur- There are six flags for each of the two kinds of virus. To use the
ther link. To get from System D to System E. where the hacker first flags, cut them out and fold them in half on the dotted line.
entered the Net. the Black ICE needs a 4 or less! Our hacker may When a system is infected. slide the virus flag through one of
lose a lot of accounts. but he probably won't get a knock on his the slots on top of your console, so the indicator can be seen from
door ... this time. both sides. That warns everyone thaI you are virus-infected.
This makes it necessary for a hacker to describe the exact path
that he is using to reach his chosen target. If a hacker forgets to !ipreading A Virus
define his path. and hits ICE, he is assumed to have called by the Once a virus is in play, it can be spread to other players in two
shoneSI possible patll between the target and some indial where he ways. The infected player has no choice whether to spread the
has an account. So watch it! virus or not. The creator. unless he happens to have a Disinfeclant
Generally, when calling Black ICE. you want 10 card. is as vulnerable as anybody else. though if he catches it he
define the longesl possible path you can manage will have an easier timc curing himself ... see below.
from your target to an india!. A path can go First, at the end of the infected player's !Urn. roll once for each
through each system only once IInless you hOl'e player who shares any system with them. The virus spreads to the
mulliple aCCOll1/lS Ihere (see p. 12). If you have new victim on a roll of I or 2. (Some viruses rolled up from the
two accounts on Ed's Budget Outdial, for instance, random table are especially bad. and spread on a I. 2 or 3.) Roll
you could route an attack path through there twice. only once for each player. no matter how many systems they may
share with the infected hacker. Yes, it is {egalto gi\'e /lP (III accounl
rather Ihall risk tile \·;,."s roll!
VIRUSES Second. the virus can spread to anyone who accepts a favor (see
A virus is a program which ""infects" olher programs. When you p. 7) from an infected player. Each time someone accepts his help.
have a virus in your system. your efficiency will go down until you no mailer how much or how little. roll a die as above.
gel rid of it. There are two different viruses in this game: Everyone who is infected must put the appropriate flag on his
Beelzebub and Mona Lisa. console.
When a virus enters play. determine its effects by rolling on the
Virus Results Table. You will have to make a nOle of these effects.
When the virus is finally wiped OUI. put the Virus card in Ihc dis-
card pile. If it comes back up, it will have mutated. and you can
detennine new effects for it.

Virus Results Table

roll i! dice
2: -3 to all hacks! 6etting Rid of' a Virus
3.4: -210 all hacks.
Disinfectant: If you have the Disinfectant card, you can clean
5,6: -I to all hacks a"d roll agai" for a fUllhcr effect. Ignore
one virus off your system and keep it off. Put the Disinfectant card
this result if it comes up again.
in front of your console (make a note which virus it's for). It gives
7: -I to all hacks.
immunity only against one virus. If you play the card and declare
8: Nasty virus: +1 to chance to spread. Roll again for
that you' re immune to Mona Lisa. then Mona Lisa can never hann
symptoms. Ignore this result if it comes up again.
9. 10: -I hack per tum. you while you have the card (even if the virus mutates and comes
II: -I hack per tum and aJl hacks at -I. back from the discard pile). But unless you get another
12: -2 hacks per tum. Disinfectant card. Beelzebub can still get you.
Check Every Disk: Spending a hack gives you a I in 6 chance
of wiping out the virus. You can try as many times as you like,
No virus can ever reduce you to :ero hacks per tum.
rolling a die each time. On a 6. you have totally eliminated it from
!it:arting A Virus your system. YOII can careh it again. though. (Note that if you were
the creator of that particular virus. you can get rid of it on a roll of
The person who draws a Virus card does not get the virus. 4. 5 or 6.)
Instead. he keeps the card until another player accepts a favor from The Nuclear Option: If you get rid of your whole system-e.g.•
him. At that time. the player with the Virus card can hand over an discard all your upgrndes - you automatically get rid of the virus.
infection along with the favor. No promise 110110 illfeci someone is (Few virus programs can survive the ceremonial defenestration of
e\'er binding! the hard disk where they reside.) If you do this at the beginning of
The person who receives the Virus card is automatically infect- your tum, you may still lake a nonnal tum.
ed unless he has a Disinfeclant carc!. In that case, he can keep the A Present For The Feds: If the Feds take your system. Ihey
Virus for later use lind place the Disinfeclanl in front of him. thus have the virus. and YOIl don't. If a virus-infected system is confis-
gaining immunity to that virus. The best of both worlds ... cated. all brands of Law Enforcement get a pennanent -Ion all
To indicate that the victim is infected, put the appropriate Virus their rolls to bust someone. starting immediately. If they get both
Aag on his console. Remove the flag if he gets rid of the virus. Mona Lisa and Beelzebub. this becomes a -2.
 instance. if the wonn has a bonus of +4, then a roll of 6 or better
THE WORM would infect a target with a Security of 10.
On a successful roll, the wonn immediately duplicates itself in
A wonn is a program which copies ilSClf from system to sys- the target system, .. place a worm chip on that system. It does not
tem. Unlike a virus. which hides on disks and infects home com-
spread again from thai system until the next tum.
puters. a wonn propagates among the mainframes which make up The Wonn does not "double up" in a system. Either the system
the Net. ThaI means that a wornl will never come to live on your is infected. or it's not. but it cannot be multiply infected. However,
home system ... but it may make it harder for you to hack. by
a system which gets rid of the Worm can be reinfected at any time.
clogging up the networks where you want to play. and drawing And a system which is nex:t to two wonny systems has twO
unwanted allention to the systems. chances, every tum, to be infected!
Creating the Worm Killing the Worm
A player can release the wonn onto lhe There are four ways to get the Wonn out of any individual
Net by playing the Worm card during his system:
tum; this counts as a hack. This may be done (I) As described above, there is a I in 6 chance each (urn that
offensively (because of the hacking bonus it the system's own effolls will remove the Wonn.
gives): defensively (to block another player); or (2) Any hacker can spend a hack to attack the Wonn in any sys-
hackerly (to see what happens). tem where he has an account. This also gives a t ill 6 chance to
The Wonn may be staned on any system where the hacker has remove it.
current access. or any adjacent system. That system is automati- (3) By spending all his hacks for the (urn, a hacker can WIIO'
cally infected: place a Wonn chip there. mOlically remove the Worm from any system where he has an
The first thing to do is to detennine how effective this incarna- account.
tion of the Wonn is. The Wonn gets a "hack bonus" equal to all the (4) By playing the Disinfectant card. a hacker can eliminate the
bonuses that the creating player has aI that moment fmm system Wonn from the whole net. The card cannm already be "in use'" as
upgmdes and special cartls. For instance, if a hacker had an Allies virus protection. and must be given up.
card (+ I), a RAM upgrade (+ I) and a Screamer modem (+2), then
his Wonn would have a pennanent +4 bonus to all its hacks. It
keeps this same bonus as long as it exists, regardless of what hap-
pens to its creator.
Once the bonus is detemlined. the Worm then immediately rolls A hacker may have more than one account on the same system.
to infect each adjacent system, as described below, Each account is represented by a separate account chip.
If your best existing account on the system is a regular account.
Eff'ert!i of' the Worm gClting another account takes a regular hack. at a +2 bonus for the
infonnation you already know by being on the system.
To show that the Wonn is on a system, place a Worm chip there.
If your best existing account is root. you can automatically give
Any system containing a Wonn chip suffers the following effects:
yourself a regular account. Make a hack roll anyway. and on a
(I) It does a special housecleaning every lum - even if it is a
good enough roll you get root. Otherwise, you still get regular
system that nonnally never housecleans. This is aimed at the
access in the new account - unlcss you rolled a natural 2 on a sys-
Worm, bOl there's a chance that it will catch hackers, too. Roll I
tem with ICE, in which case you hit the ICE.
die for each wormy system. On a I, the wonn is removed from that
If you have both root and regular access on the same system.
system. On a 6. the sysadmin notices that hc has hackers and does
spending one hack will automatically promote. any o?e. regular
a regular housecleaning immediately (this is in addition to any
account to root. with no die roll required and no nsk ofhiltmg ICE.
other regular housecleaning that he might perform). Other results
The main purpose of extra accounts is simply to make it ~asi.er
have no effect.
to survive housecleaning. or course, extra accounts also IIlVlte
(2) Except for the player who creatcd the Wonn. no one can use
housecleaning. When you check for houseCleaning at the begin-
an account on a wormy systcm to give bonuses for other allacks.
ning of a lum, look at how many aCCOllllts are on the system, not
(3) NCI paths can be traced to a wonny system, but nol Ihrollgh
how many players.
it. Thus. a hacker can try an operation on a wormy system where he
Multiple accounts can also be useful. especially on indials and
has an account- or try to hack into it ifhe does IIOt have an account
outdials, because they leI you trace a call path more than once
- but he cannot go "past" it. The worm blocks further access.
through the same system. See Black ICE and Outdials on p. 10. An
(4) It may spread the Worm to neighboring systems - see below.
extra account may also be given away as panofa deal (see below).
Extra accounts on the same system do not count for victory con-
How the Worm Propagates ditions or give any other kind of bonus to hack or to help others
Right after the housecleaning phase, each wonny systcm will hack. Extra accounts on a system with special abilities (like NCIC)
attempt to infect each of its neighbors. The Wonn can spread over do not leI the hacker use those abilities twice.
any connection: a regular connection or a virtual bridge. It can
spread from a net hub to all members of that net. but not from a net Giving Away Accounts
member to the hub.
If a hacker has more than one account on a system, he can give
The wonn infects its neighbors by making a regular hacking
onc away to another hacker. He must do this on his own turn, but
roll against each one in tum. The player whose tum it is rolls for it does not counl as a hack; it's a free action. Replace the account
the wonn. Roll 2 dice and add the worm's bonus (see above). try.
chip with one of the new color.
ing to roll the target system's Security number or higher. For
 A Virtual Bridge is a counter 1/2" by 1" which can be used to
connect two systems in the Net. It shows a double-ended cable. To
use it. place it between two cards which are already in the Net, or
B
between an existing system and a new one. It must touch or over-
lap both cards. These two systems are now considered connected.
Once played, a bridge cannot be removed, Exceptioll: A bridge
must have two ends, If one of the systems it connects is removed
from play, or moved away from the other system. the bridge
vanishes.
While it is physiealJy possible to place a Virtual Bridge so that
it touches three or more systems, this is nOt legal. A bridge so
c
placed does not count at all, and should be removed,
If a bridge won't physically cross the gap between two correct-
ly-placed systems, it cannot link them. Make sure thai cards are
properly positioned, with their links touching, in order to Figure 6: U.~illg a bridge 10 make tollching cards legal.
dctennine this. You may not line up two bridges to connect distant
systems. or connect a bridge to an existing bridge.
Bridges Between Existing
lietl:ing a Virtual Bridge !iystems
You may get a Virtual Bridge counler. aI any time during your You may also spend a hack to add a bridge between two exist-
tum, by discarding any special card from your hand. You may keep ing systems.
it until you need it. or l.rnde it or give it away as part of a deal. If Figure 7 (below) is an example of this kind of bridge. The
allihe Villual Bridge counters are in play or owned by players, you bridge connects Systems Band C. Both of them are legally placed
can't gel one. without the bridge. but the bridge connects them directly.

B
A • ~

,
~ t"I;~
C

Figure 5: Adding a lIew s)'srem wilh 1I bridge.

Bridges To New !iystems

If you place a new system in the Net. you may add one or more
Villual Bridges aI the same time. One end of each Bridge must Figure 7: AddiTlg a bridge between two legal s),stems.
touch the new system, and the other must touch a system already
in place. This is automatically successful and requires no die rolls. To add a bridge between two existing systems. you must spend
You may use this technique to place a card next to another sys- a hack. A die-roll is required for success. If the roll fails, you can
tem even though one or both has no link cable there. If you do this, use another hack. then or Ialer, and try again (there or elsewhere).
line up the new card next to the old one. just as though it had a reg- Roll as follows:
ular link there. See Figure 5 (above). If you have root on born systems: II or less.
You may also use this to make an "illegal" card placement If you have root on one system: 10 or less.
legal. as in Figure 6 (below). Without a bridge. card C could not If you have regular accounts on born systems: 9 or less.
be played there ifcardA were already in place (or vice versa) because If you have a regular account on one system: 8 or less.
they touch at the comers. A bridge makes it legal. If you have no accounts on either system: 6 or less.
 • • A HAl:KER
A hacker can, if he chooses, improv~ the security of a system.
The basic rules allow a hacker to dean house if he wants to. But IiLO§§ARY
if a hacker works at iL he can do other things the sysadmin Access: If you have an account on a system. you ha\.'C "access,"
should do ... like patch security holes. monitor usage panerns. There are two kinds of access: regular and root. If you have
or C\ien replace bad password-ehecking programs with better current access. you have an aceounl and you can trace a path to it.
versions. Account: The privilege of using a certain computer - repre-
To improve a system's security. a hacker must have TOOl access sented in the game by a colored "account chip:'
there. Crack: To crack a system is to gain access to it.
1lle better a system's security is, the harder il is to improve it Hacker: (I) A skilled and dedicated programmer. (2) A com-
further. Each attempt to improve security requires one hack. puter intruder or other lechno-<::rook. Sense (I) is lhe original
roUing against the system's current security level without (lily meaning; sense (2) is the onc popularized by the media. Of course.
bon/lses. A successful roll means security is improved by I: put a some people are hackers in both senses.
Security +1 chip on the system. A failure has no effect. except for Indial: A system which is connected to the outside world by
a natural roll of 2, which hils ICE if any is present! telephone. India!s are most vulnerable to hacking allempts. In !.he
A hacker can improve security on a system by a maximum of 3. game. an india! is represented by a dark blue card with a phone
and each improvement requires a separate attempt. However. if :1 symbol. or by any system when a player has placed an Indial
Black ICE chip adds + 1 or +2 to a system's security, hackers may Chip.
improve this new total by 3. It would be possible for a system to ICE: Intrusion Countenneasure Electronics. System software
end the game with security 5 higher than thai primed on the card that lr.lps and identifies hackers. (In the real world. ICE doesn't
... 2 from Black ICE and 3 from helpful hackers. exist yet ... at least, not the way Tom Maddox invented it an~
A hacker who has an Original Manuals card may spend one William Gibson made it famous in Neuromancer. But someday It
hack 011 a system where he has root, and auromar;caJJy improve
will. In the meantime. an alert and vengeful system administr.lIor
security to the maximum +3. can sen'e the.same function ... see Cliff Stoll's Th~ Cuckoo's Egg.
Net: (I) A specific network of connected systems, like MilNet
_a....uaiS in this game. (2) AU the interconnected computer systems in the

it
, lW.-· a !i
world. This is 1lte Net, as opposed to "a net:'
P-,Ith: A chain of systems from an indial when yoo ha\'e an
3Ccoontto the target system. Unless a system is an india!. )'00 must
ri a .,~I., explain manY be able to trace a path to a system in order to hack it. Even if you
mcial slstem ~~ ood Some system have an account on a system. you must still be able to trace a path
~e
posstb\e secu
°'
rity holes. ThiS \S g, is' bad, They
ignore them,
I

ThiS osl nI>Ople don l

to that system in order to use it.
Poser: Someone who pretends to be a hacker. and isn ·t. This is
lOrs
dministra . 't beCause ro r- set a good thing to call somebody who just blew an easy roll.
a ally get away With.'. good But you have a Promote: To promote yourself is to improve your access on a
usu the roanuaJs. ThiS 15 rest.i~g . system. To promote a friend is to help him improve his access.
have. This is very inte u ~rtempt. You may Root: The root account on the system is the most privileged
of coptes. l +1 to every hack yo here you have account. Root is the Holy Grail of hacking. With roOl access. you
SPC~~uo~~ hack o~ a~~~~:yn~oWlhe maximum +3, can sec everything and do anything.
root and increase Its _... Social Engineering: The process of talking your way onto sys·

___~~:::::-~~~~=====' =:'=I~lo~s~e~)~'o~tI:r:e~q~tI~iP~,~I~e:":'~~1<~ell
t tems. "Pardon me. sir. I'm from Vennin. checking out your server.
.
TIlls Cll
rd'
IS
loSf atlY lime )01 hackers to help
me your yoo.
password. please." Also. the process of getting other

Inc. Dy!it:opics ~y.

Root on this system gilles all extra +2
Dusty Ii Eddie's BB§
to hack any other system beginning l"'>"llI jjIIllIII(Zl

•
with the letter D. Ifanybody protests
that this makes 110 sense, shake your
head pityingly and call him a poser.
ICE 4 !iecuri1:y 11 ICE 5 !iecuri1:yB
1tI!ndo Mill\Il!1: Moon
 J
--_...
]1\ .. ""
_~-

... "

The Best ID

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 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• •
: Our thanks to the :
• •
HOU!!iECLEAI\III\IG •• Elertronil: Frontier ••
When does a system clean house? Roll I die: : Foundation fur their :
3 hackers present (3-player game only) - on a roll of I. • •
4 hackers present - on a roll of I. • help in the !iecret
5 hackers present - on a roll of I or 2.
6 hackers present - on a roll of I. 2 or 3.
!iervice case. If' not
When a system cleans house. each hacker with an account there fur the EFF, the
mUSl roll to see if he loses his account Roll I die if you have
regular access. 2 dice if you have root. The account is lost on a roll Feds would have
of 4 or less for a regular housecleaning, 5 or less if a hacker is
cleaning house.
gotten away with
everything they did.
HACKII\IG RE!!iULT!!i • Instead, they were
All these results are based on the hacker's modified die roll,
except where noted. reprimanded and had
ICE number or less: Hit ICE! See p. 5. (A oalural 2 always
hits ICE. regardless of the hacker's bonuses, unless he has an to pay damages • • •
Icebreaker.)
Security number or greater: Achieved regular access. we got our
Security nwnber +4 or greater: Achieved root access!
Natural (not modified) 12: It was easy, dude! The hacker got
equipment back • • •
in on his first try. It doesn't count against his total number of hack and a precedent was
attempts for the rum!
•
•
set that still •
BOI\IU!!iE!!i TO HACK •• proterts others.
All bonuses are cumulative. System upgrades and special cards
can also add bonuses.
If you just added the system to the net: +1
Nel Ninja: +I "PROTEcnNfi R'filfT§ AND
Same System Type (root access only): + I, once per hack PROMOTlNfi FREEDOM ON
Same Net Type (root access only): +1, once per hack
THE ELECTRON,C FRDNT'ER."
Adjacent Root Access: +1 for each adjacent root
Promoting Regular Access 10 Root: +1
Same Root Access: +2, once per hack (this cannot be added to www.eff.arg
bonuses for system type, net type or promotion). •• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

FREQUENTLY A!iKED IJUE!iTION!i ABoUT HACKER

Does all accollnt on a 1mb count as "adjacell1" wile" trying to hack into, or Ilark on.
a system of a similar network fype? Yes, it does.
Can you deUberarely trigger ICE? Yes, just by hacking a system and saying ''I'm
triggering the ICE." And sometimes it's a good strategy.
When playing Hacker lite, do you lose all of your equipmell1 when a raid card is
played on ),011, or just your modem? You only lose your modem.
Can ),ou lise more thall olle set of allies at a time? Yes.
Can YO/l nark 011 all)' [ndial? Yes. Since you call from your home system, you are
already adjacent Lo it.
Do crashed systems roll for housecleaning? No.
Can the NCIC's special ability retlln! someone to the game if they've already gotten
three bl/sts? No. Good ny, but no.
lf I playa COllgre!l'siotlal Investigation card to cancel a raid. do I get to keep the
accollm 00 the system I \lias hacki"g into whe" I was raided? No.
 -III IIIEi .:II~
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 OmnIUnk
If you hlne mQr on this
system. ~-ou 8ft one extra
hack per tum.

!ieaB1ty 11..... ICE i!

- ID

I
i• ~
•
 Caught: Online
Back Door
You were caught in the act ... you
There's a legend that programmers always
were hacking when they carne in the leave themselves a secret ""ay into the systems Will ..... ne &&6
door. You're busted automatically, they write. Sometimes it's true.
with no hope of escape. This card may be used on one hack. It gets
you automatic, pennalUmt rool on one system.
Play this card on a rival who has jusl UnJess the sysl:em is totalJy removed from the
been raided. if you dOll 'I \Valli 10 bust net, you cannot lose your account. no matter
anybody, yOll can turn in this card and whal happens. Pul your Back Ooor chip on !iBcurtty 10 lIE 5
demand aJavor instead. the system along with your root access chip.
MU~

Back Door
Caffeine and Pizza There's a legend that prognlmmers always Allies
leave themselves a secret way into the systems There are no laws against hacking
Perfect for that manic burst of they ",rite. Sometimes it's true.
energy. This card may be used on one hack. It gets
in Holland, and you've contacted a
you aulomatic,penna"ellt root on one systCRL perfectly legal group of Dutch
You gel one exIra hack (olle lum ani)'). t:nless the system is totally remo\'ed from the hobbyists who share your interests ...
Sove this c{lId untilileeded. net, you cannot lose your account, no matter
what happens. Put your Back Ooor chip on 1 exIra /tack per 111m.
the system along with your root access chip.

The raiders didn't find evidence at Allies

Caffeine and Pizza your home, so they raided your job, Rumors of your exploits have
Perfect for that manic burst of your school, your friends ... impressed the TeleWizards Intrusion
energy. Lose your next turn. Team, who hang out on an
You get one extra hack (one (urn 011/)'). underground BBS. Now you have a
Play this card 011 a rivallVho \Vas just
tribe of TWITs to help you hack.
Save lhis card untilileeded. raided bill //ot busIed. if )'011 dOll 'I wam
to harass anybody, you call turn ill this I extra htlck per turn.
card and demand afavor instead.
 Combinl!!d Operat:ion
Dummy Equipml!!n~
Bad news. Several law enforcement Early Warning
agencies were cooperating on this raid. The investigators took your TV and
Subtract 2 from your roll to avoid a your old Banana n, but they You got word that you were being
overlooked the real stuff. No evidence, investigated. Did you have time to
bust.
no bust - and you keep your system. clean up your act?
Play on an opponent who has just (If you were caught online, this card
won't help you.) Play this carrl wl,en you're raided. It
been raided. If you don " walll to bust
lets )'011 add 2 to your roll to avoid a bllst.
Qnybolly, you can lum in this card and
demand a favor instead. Play this card when you're raided.

CongrE!ssional Inquiry FBI Raid

It turns out that the raiders didn't Disk Crash Lose all your equipment. Roll 9 or
have a valid search warrant. You get
Your hard disk crashed. Of course, beller to avoid a bust.
all your equipment back, and you
there was no backup. Bad news, dude!
won't be busted. Play on a rival after allY successfill
Play on a rival at any time. He loses hack by allY playeJ: If you dOll't walll 'A
Use this card when you're raided. This
all his face-down special cards. bust anybody, you can turn in Ihis card
card nullifies any "raid" ceml and any
and demand a favor inSTead.
card that makes a raid worse,

CongrE!ssional Inquiry Def'ensl!! In~l!!lIigencl!! Funding Cut

Mightier than a hundred hackers is the
ltturns out that the raiders didn't Raid stroke or the accountant's pen. In an instant, a
have a valid search warrant. You get Lose all your equipment. Roll 8 or thriving system goes to digital doom.
all your equipment back, and you better to avoid a bust.
won't be busted. Random economic problems bankrupt a
Play on a rival after any success]iil company or diXIe dow1I a military base, Pla,\'ing
Use this card when yon're raided. This '!lis card CRASHES all)' MilNet system, or all)'
hack by any playe!: If you don', wallt to net hub, II REMOVES am other S)'Slem
card nullifies any "raid" card Qlld any bust anybody, you call turn in this card permoneJl/ly. Allother sy:..'1em call 'be played laler
card that makes a raid worse. and demand a favor instead. 10 fill rhe gllp. a,~ lOllS a\' ir filS legaffy,
 Hadler Hy!i1:eria Hidden Indial Hidden Indial
You find a system's secrel incoming You find a system's secret incoming
A sensationalistic TV show has
phone line. Place your India! Chip on phone line. Place your Indial Chip on
increased the paranoia level among
the system of your choice. You may the system of your choice. You may
system administrators. Roll a die for
now treat thaI system as an india!. now treat that system as an indial.
every system. On a 1, 2 or 3, that
(This does not count as a hack.) (This does not count as a hack.)
system cleans house immediately, and
You may tell others the number if You may tell others the number if
each player must roll (as per
you like. If you do, they place their you like. If you do, they place their
Housecleaning) to keep his account
India! Chip(s) there too. Indial Chip(s) there too.

Hidden Indial Hidden IndiaI

A new computer game ate your You fmd a system's secret incoming You find a system's secret incoming
brain. 100 hours later, you beat it, and phone line. Place your lndial Chip on phone line. Place your Indial Chip on
you're ready to get back to hacking. the system of your choice. You may the system of your choice. You may
But you get only one hack this turn. now treat that system as an indial. now treat that system as an india!.
You may not skip your turn for a (This does not count as a hack.) (This does not count as a hack.)
system upgrade. You may tell others the number if You may tell others the number if
Play 011 a rival alllie beginning oj his
you like. If you do, they place their you like. If you do, they place their
tum. Indial Chip(s) Ihere too. Indial Chip(s) there too.

Hidden Indial Hired By Tell:D

You met an interesting member of You find a system's secret incoming You get a job at the phone compan)'! You
the opposite sex, and briefly phone line. Place your Indial Chip on get +2 to all hacks, but if you're raided, you
entertained the delusion that there was the system of your choice. You may lose this card aud subtract "I from )'our roU to
more 10 life than hacking. You get only now treat that system as an india!. a"oid the blJ5t, And if you are busted while
one hack this turn. You may not skip (This does nol count as a hack.) you're a telco employee, the bust counts double.
your turn for a system upgrade. You may tell others the number if S(l\'e this card IImil yOIt welll/ /0 reveal il. Ytm
you like. If you do, they place their may discard it at {{flY lime before )'0/1 're raided.
Play on a rival at llie beginning oj his el'en if it's face-lip.
Indial Chip(s) there too.
turn.
 ICE Skating Original Manuals
The official system manuals explain many
You knew this hack would be possible security holes. This is good. SomE' system
dangerous, so you took a few extra administrdtors ignore them. This is bad. The)' Password File
usually gel away with it because most people don'r You have acquired a decrypted
precautions. That's all that saved you hl\'c the manuals. Thi... is good. But you ha"c a set
from a trap. of copies. This is ,'cry illtert'Sling ... password liJe. Using this card is a hack
You get +1 to every hack yOLi attempi. You may and gives you automatic regular access
Play Ihis card when you trigger ICE. spend one hack on any system where you have on anyone system.
You escape automatically. Usable once root and increase its security to the maximwn +3.
o/lly.
77lls card is fo:)'! allY rime ),ou lose your equipllltnt.

ICE Skating Original Manuals

The official system manuals explain many
You knew this hack would be possil>le securil)' Iloles. This is good. Somt' syslem
dangerous, so you took a few extra administralors ignore Ihem. This is !>ad. They Password File
usually gel away wilh il because mosl people don'l You have acquired a decrypted
precautions. That's all that saved you ha,'c the manuals. This is good. Bul you have a sel
from a lrap. of copies. This is ,'ery inleresting ... password me. Using this card is a hack
You gel +1 to every hack you allempt. You may and gives you automatic regular access
Play this card whell you Irigger ICE. spend one hack on any s)'slem where you have on anyone system.
You escape auroillatica//y. Usable once rool and increase its security 10 Ihe maximum +3.
ani),
TIIi.\' Cl/rd is fosl any lime you lose y01l1' elJuipmem.

Lol:al Polil:l! Raid Lol:ill Polil:e Raid Peek

Lose all your equipment. Roll 6 or Lose all your equipment. Roll 6 or
better to avoid a bust. better to avoid a bust. You hacked your rival's BBS and
looked at his meso Seems fair ...
PIa)' on a rival after allY successful Play all a rival after allY successful
hack by any player. /fyou don't want to Youl1lay look - once ol1ly - al alllhe
hack by allY player. If you dOli 'I wanl to
busl al1ybod)~ you can ILtm in this card
face-down special cards held by all
bust anybody, yOlt can tllm in this card
0ppollent ofYOllr choice.
lmd demand a/al'Ot instead. alld demand afavo,. instead.
 Peek !!ietf-Dest:rurt !!iodal Engineering
Somehow your whole system "Pardon me. I'm with the phone company
You hacked your rival's BBS and and we're checking out a problem with your
looked at his files. Seems fair ... accidentally melted down. No
modem line. What's the root password on your
evidence, no bust. (No good if you system, please?"
You may look - alice 0/111' - {// all rhe were caught online, though.) You get +4 on one attempt to hack. If thaI
jace-dolVll ,pecial cards held by on attempt fails, the +4 can be re-used, Ihal hm,
opponenl ojyour choice. Play this card when ),OU are raided. ollly, on other hack attempts on the same
You srill lose your syslem. target

Reply Hazy, Hack

!!iecret: !!ientice Raid
Again Later !!iodal Engineering
Lose all your equipment. Roll 7 or
Too bad! Line noise knocked you off better to avoid a bust. "This is Joe Jon... My password didn't
just as you were getting somewhere. work. Can you reset it to JOE for me?"
Your attempted intrusion was a failure. Play 011 a rival after allY successj,,1 You get +4 on one attempt to hack. If that
altempt fails, the +4 can be re-used, 'lraJ tllm
hack by any playel: If yo" dOIl't \Valli to ollly, on other back attempts on the same
Play this card 011 allY rival after a bust allybody, )'011 call1um illlhis card larget.
succesjf!tI intrusion. " cannot be used if and demand afavor instead.
a special card lVas used jor Ihe hack.

Rom !!iet: 1:0 Default: !!iecret: !!ientice Raid

You fouud a system where the Lose all your equipment. Roll 7 or !!iyst:em Upgrade
administrator had never changed the better 10 avoid a bust. This card may De exchanged at any
rool password - it's still got the factory Play on a rival after all)' s"ccessj,,1 time for an upgrade - your choice -
setting. Playing this card with an hack b)' any playa If you dOIl't lVallllO from those still available. Some
access attempt gives you automatic rool bus! anybody, you can tum in this card upgrades require trade-ins.
access on anyone system. and demand a favor instead.
 !ig!it:em Upgrade !ig!it:em Upgrade !ig!it:em Upgrade
This card may be exchanged at any This card may be exchanged at any This card may be exchanged at any
time for an upgrade - your choice - time for an upgrade - your choice - time for an upgrade - your choice -
from those still availahle. Some from those still available. Some from those still available. Some
upgrades require trade·ins. upgrades require trade-ins. upgrades require trade·ins.

!iurge Protector
!ig!it:em Upgrade !ig!it:em Upgrade Fail!i!
This card may be exchanged at any This card may be exchanged at any A lightning strike came down the
time for an upgrade - your choice- time for an upgrade - your choice - wires and fried your system. Lose any
from those still available. Some from those still available. Some one system upgrade - your choice -
upgrades require trade·ins. upgrades require trade-ins. from your console.
Play this card 011 a rival ar any time.

!iurge Protector
!ig!it:E!m Upgrade !iy!it:em Upgrade Fail!i!
This card may be exchanged at any This card may be exchanged at any A lightning strike came down the
time for an upgrade - your choice - time for an upgrade - your choice - wires and fried your system. Lose any
from those still available. Some from those still available. Some one system upgrade - your choice-
upgrades require trade·ins. upgrades require trade-ins. from your console.
Play (his card on a rival at Glly lime.
 Beelzebub Virus Congressional Inquiry
Traffic Analysis File You have created a virus, which you C'dO It turns out tbat the raiders didn't
You can clean bouse, with automatic pass to someone elsc. From then on. anybody have a valid search warrant. You get
success, on anyone system where you can catch it, including you, if they accept a all your equipment back, and you
have root. This must be done on your favor from someone who is infected. To find out won't be busted.
turn but does not count as a hack. You "hat Beelzebub does to irs unlucky victims, see
the ~lrus Table in the rulebnok.
can remove anyone or everyone from Use this card IVhen you're raided. Tltis
the system. Usable only once. Play (his carrl 011 a rival whe" )'01/ do them a canl nullifies any "raid" card and any
ftlv01;forced Qrorhemise. The) get Ihe virus. card Ihat makes a raid worse.

Trashing Back Door Dad"s A Lawyer

Somebody threw away an old 'l1lere's a legend that programmers always You do not lose yonr equipment
backup disk. Bad idea. You can leave lean themselves a secret way into the S)'Slems when you're raided - only on a
them e-mail about it ... from their they write. Sometimes it's tOle. genuine bust.
own account. This card may be used on one hack. It gets
you automatic. permallellt root on one system.
You get a +3 on one attempt to Unless the system is totaH,)' removed from the
Play this canl at any time and keep it
hack. If that attempt fails, the +3 can net, you cannot lose your account, no matter in from oj you Jor Ihe rest ofthe game,
be re-used, lilallurn ollly, on other what happens. Put your Back Door chip on Nothing can take il alVay/rom )'ou, and
hack attempts on tbe same target. the system along with )our root access chip. il cannot be traded.

Anarcho-Tech Disinfectant
Allies Marauder You know all those guys who say they
eXPfriment with viruses ''for study purposes only"?
You meet a rew new friends on the You cracked the local ATM codc.<;. Nobody, not One of them was telling the lruth,
net. They're otakll. - Japanese even you, is l'razy enough to do this mort than oncc.
Place (!lis ClIrd ill firmt of)'01/ al UIIY lime 10 be
But once is good for three system upgrades.
information rreaks. It's amazing what Qlle \.'irus (declared lthellihe cord is
1IIl111UlU' 10
these guys can find out, in exchange !fYOIl hOlle mot 011 two Bi:JVel .\yslems, yOIl ma)' pltlced). Altemmely, place lhis card ilf from of yoII
e.xdul/1gt' thi" card lit any lime for any three upgradel, whe1l /llIlIded lhe \';111.\' carr/. YOII keep tile Virus mrd
for what you can find out •.. {rom those stm (II'lIilable, or for Olll! miliwry upgrade, al/d "'fly I/~e if Iliter. (lfld you bet'ome illl/mllle 10 Ilral
YOIl mayjlll/1p directly 10 an upgrade wi/flollt the I'irus. Allemu/ely, play Ihis carrl (J/ (my time, liS long as
Gives one exira htlCk per tum. req/lired I/"{JiJ~-in, emlll/illS Ihal (u tll'O or Ihree il hosll't ytl beell lJ..'itd agaimt t,jru,'i€,'i, 10 totully
llPWCldcs as appropriate, tlimitwlt' lilt W()nlljwm Ihe network.
 IilXley Int:erl'ill[:e Hidden Indial
DMne Meditation
You dropped the pizza on your You fmd a system's secret incoming
Your computer rails you. It becomes phone line. Place your Indial Chip on
keyboard. The pepperoni wasn't so
one with the universe. You become one the system or your choice. You may
bad, but the cheese seems to have
with tbe repair manual. Your turn now treat tbat system as an india!.
ends immediately. slowed down your typing speed. You
get only one hack this turn. (This does not count as a hack.)
Play this cOlrl Of! a rivaL 01 Gil)' lime
You may tell others the number if
during his fLl/l1. Play 011 a rival allhe beginlling of his you like. Ir you do, they place their
tll I'll. Indial Chip(s) tbere too.

Disint'E!rtant:
You know uU those guys who say they
Hack t:he Hacker
c.xpe.riment with ,'iruses "for stud) purpoSt.'S only"?
liet: A Clue The easiest target on that new system was
One of thrm Will> Iclling the truth. You dialed a local BBS by accident, ... your rival's clandestine account. So you
Place this card in front ojJOlt ilf allY lime to he and spent hours trying to hack it. Lose hacked Ihal, and found out all kinds of lhings
i/llmune /0 one virlls (dedared when the carrl is he probably wouldn'l have Ioid ynu.
all but one hack tbis turn.
p/(l('{'d). Alu'/7U1/t'Iy, II/ace this ClIrd illl/Vllt nfyoll
,·..hen hOluJed Ilk Virus cam. rou keep the Wrus Clift.! Play at allY time during your tum to demand
(Iud may use iI lain: and )'011 become immUl/e 10 fhal Play on a rival ollhe beginning ofhis a )avo,: However, because yOll actually deduced
rims. Alternately. play this card at (/1/Y time, (IS IOllg as turn. t!li~' illformation rather rhall being sell! if 011
;tlJas,,', yel bee/il/ud agaillSll'iruses, 10 IOli/lly [JllrpOlie, yo/( ca,,'1 caleh a \,ims from Illis/avor.
elimi1ll1/t! Ihe Wonlljrom lire lIe!wurk.

Disint'E!rtant:
You kno1" all those guy!! who say the)' Fuschia Box Hack t:he Hacker
eXper1rncnt with "irlL~ "'for study purposes only"? The easiest target on tha1 new system was
One or them was telling thf lrulh. You built an unofficial pbone-system . .. your rival's clandestine account. So you
peripheral from a set or instructions hacked tlrat, and round out all kinds or things
Place lhi,f card in from of yOI/ {It (lily time to be
immllllf' 10 one virus (decfar('(J IV/Jell Ihe clIIr! is you found in the back of PIJiend he probably wouldo't have told you.
placed). :\Iremalely, place Ihis card i" [IV'" of rOil Magazine. You have no idea what it
Idle/! handed the Virus carrJ. YOII kup Ilif Virus mrd Play at any rime dl/rillg your iUrn 10 demand
does, but it seems to do it very well. a favO!: Howel'er. because yO/l aCflfally deduced
lUll] lIIay lise iI/mer. and yOlI become iII/millie to Ihat
rims. Allernarel), play Ihis cllnl aI any rime. as 10llg CM I"is informaliOlI rather t!lall being selll if on
it ham'r ret been used agaimf I'irtlse\', ((} tota/l)' Gil'es + J 10 all hacks. purpose, you call 'I catch a virusfrom fhis fal'm:
elilllillOte Ihe lVonnjrolllllJe " ..Mork
 Idiot: Sysadmin
The administrator of this system
Mona Lisa Virus
doesn't believe in hackers. He never MaU\le Box You have created a virus, which yOIl can
pass 10 someone else. From then on, anybod)'
cleans house. Never. Multiplexes your outgoing calls to can catch it, including you, if they accept a
give you an extra (free) virtual phone favor from someone who is infected. To find out
Place the "Never CleallS HOllse" chip line. Reach out and hack someone ... what Mona Lisa does to its unlucky victims, see
all this system. It is ollly losl if the system the Virus Table in !he ndebaok.
crashes. (If Ihat happells, the idiOf is alit Gives 1 exIra hack per /Urn. Play this card OIl a rh'll! when )'Oll do him a
of work alld will be replaced by someOlle favor. forced or otlll:tlvise. They gel the rims.
lI'ilh a clue.)

ICE Skating Military Upgrade

local Police Raid This card may be exchanged at any time for
You knew this hack would be any military upgrade from those silll available.
dangerous, so you took a few extra Lose all your equipment. Roll 6 or
You must trdde in whatever upgrade is
precautions. That's aU that saved you better to avoid a bust.
currentl)' in the equivalent slot.
from a trap. Play all a rivalufter allY successflll AJternativel)', this card may be used for two
regular upgrades. or to jump directly to an
Play this card when yOll trigger ICE. hack by allY player. If you dOll 'I want to upgrade without !he required t..<ide-in. For
bu.sl anybody, yOli call lum inllzis cllrd instance, if you have no modem at all, you
You escape aU/olllatically. Usable aliCe
only. and denumd a favor instead. could go directly to a Screamer. This wouJd
count as two upgrades.

Hidden Indial Military Upgrade

You find a system's secret incoming IndiaI Busy This card rna)' be exchanged at any time for
phone line. Place your rndial Chip on The number you are dialing is busy. any military upgrade from those still naiJable.
the system of your choice. You may You must trade in whatever upgrdde is
All the time. You may not use this currently in the equivalent slot
now treat that system as an indial. indial any time this turn. AJlematil'e1}, thl~ card may be used for two
(This does not count as a hack.) regular upgrades, or to jump din.·ctly to an
You may teU others the number if Play 011 a rival at any time during hi.'t upgrade "ithout the reqUired trade~in. For
you like. rf you do, they place their furn, instance, if you have no modem at aU, you
Indial Chip(s) there too. could go directJy to a Screamer. This would
count as two upgrades.
 Wardialer Slightly Off-WhitE Box Rel:onfiguration
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Allows you to insert undocumented The net.gods have decreed a change
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. dialing codes in your outgoing calls. in topology. Move any system from
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. where it is to wherever you want it ...
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Gives +2 to all hocks. as long as only one connection
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Federal (tgems beliel'e thor the VelY
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. changes. Thus, everything on the
existence of the Off- White Box is a threor "other side" of the changed connection
You I1Ul)' 110111 gain accej'S /0 el'e,:)' Hidden to national security. IfYOli have this box must move, too.
II/dial a/retld)' ill play. Place olle ofyour II/dial ;11 YOilr possession when raided, subtract
Chips UII each system 111m alre{f(~}' has one. I from your chance to avoid a bust. Play at the begillltillg ofany 111m.

Taiwanese Modem Sysadmin On Vacation Secret Service Raid

You thought you got a good deal ... Sure, the system needs to clean house. But Lose all your equipment. Roll 7 or
the administrator is out of lown, and
but last night it made a really everybody else is afrnid to touch the keyboard. better to avoid a bust.
diagnostic sort of noise, and all the So the housecleaning does not ocmr.
magic smoke got out. Play OIt a rival after allY successful
Lose your modem. Play wl/cHever a system is about to dean hack by allY playet: If )'OU don '( lVa/llto
hOllse. Raft a die: 011 a J, 2, or 3, this ctlrd is flot
bUS1 anybody, you call lui'll in this card
lost, bUJl1Ill)' be played again. Sysadmins take
Play 011 a rival at any time. long vacations. and demand a favor inSleCl(I.

Self'-De!it:rurt
System Upgrade System Upgrade Somehow your whole system
This card may be exchanged at any This card may be exchanged at any accidentally melted down. No
time for an upgrade - your choice - time for an upgrade - your choice- evidence, no bust. (No good if you
from those still available. Some from those still available. Some were caught online, though.)
upgrades require trade-ins. upgrades require trade-ins. Play this card lVhell you ore raided.
You still lose yaur system.
 The Wonn
You have loosed tile Worm 011 the Net
Automatically infects target system, which
in~1antly tries to infect each adja(:enl system. As
the creator of the Worm. )'OU gel a + I to hack any
wormy system, for as long as tbe Wonn lasts and
you keep this card in front of you. But until ,.00
gel rid of this card, you are at -110 avoid any bust.
pray rhi.\' cam during your Ilml, on any system
where .1'011 have current {lcee",'s or allY adjacell1
sy.vem. COUlltS M a hack.
 Federal Bureau of
illumination
If )OU have rool on ,h;s ~'Slfm at
the beginning ofyour 11Im. )'014
may look al all the special cards
held hy an)' one oj)our rim/....
!ieaRtty 13
MIINeI: