D&D 5E (2024) Building A Contemporary Fantasy Setting For 5.5E

[Reynard]

i mean 'significant thematic interaction' in the sense that if contemporary tech is going to be around then players are going to end up wanting to hack something or other sooner or later, it's basically the lockpicking of the electronic age, and i don't think it would've been a good decision if they'd made it so only thief-subclass rogues ever had the capacity to pick locks.

Sure. The way to make it align with 5E is just to make it a tool proficiency.

That doesn't preclude a hacker subclass of rogue, tho.

 

[AlViking]

i mean 'significant thematic interaction' in the sense that if contemporary tech is going to be around then players are going to end up wanting to hack something or other sooner or later, it's basically the lockpicking of the electronic age, and i don't think it would've been a good decision if they'd made it so only thief-subclass rogues ever had the capacity to pick locks.

Even if I wanted to hack something now and then but I don't because I don't have the skills. Relatively few action hero movies ( which I think is close to what a modern day D&D would model for me) rely on a hacker as a main character. It's always some side-kick that they hire or that stays home while the protagonist does all the dangerous stuff.

So I just don't see the need for it - or if it is make it a skill that anyone can take. D&D is a team game, do you really need a lot of details, subclass or mini-game? I'd just make it a skill check, perhaps with complications that the rest of the group can help with like any other skill challenge. Last thing you want is to have all but one player sitting there twiddling there thumbs for half an hour on a regular basis while you go through some complex hackathon.

 

[Corinnguard]

So I just don't see the need for it - or if it is make it a skill that anyone can take. D&D is a team game, do you really need a lot of details, subclass or mini-game? I'd just make it a skill check, perhaps with complications that the rest of the group can help with like any other skill challenge. Last thing you want is to have all but one player sitting there twiddling there thumbs for half an hour on a regular basis while you go through some complex hackathon.

Hacking could be a sub skill for anyone proficient in computers.