AIs, Eidetic memory, and Knowledge Skills

[cbullard]

How can you reasonably reflect the amount of knowledge held by an AI with Eidetic Memory (or a PC, for that matter)? 

 

Trying to account for all the different areas of knowledge they've been exposed to, or could have researched during non-adventuring time, rapidly becomes a huge hole to pour points into.  Yet to say that they only have access to those knowledge areas they've paid points for is to reduce the Eidetic Memory talent to "they can remember those things that happen during active gaming sessions."

 

5th Ed rulebook pg. 461 describes the ECSP-7000 Shipboard Computer.  Among its attributes are three Entertainment Skills: Popular Movies 8-, Popular Music 8-, and Video Games 8-.  The text describes these as "entertainment programs represent[ing] a dreary, small selection of movies, music, and games (it has only an 8- chance of having any particular item)."  Meaning it has a database of movies, music, and games that is only somewhat loosely defined.

 

Maybe we could do an AI's information-based KS's in this same way.

 

Let's say we give our AI a KS and just call it "Knowledge Database" at 11-.  Any purely-informational question might be applied against that.

 

 

Captain: I don't recognize that ship on our screen.  Computer, can you identify it?

 

[AI rolls a 7]

 

AI: That appears to be a Targathian scouting vessel.  However, the engine nacelles look to've been replaced with larger Demosian models, so the vessels is probably faster than the typical Targathian scout.

 

Captain: Every Targathian ship I ever saw back during the war was decorated with bird motifs.  This one has what appears to be a large feline.  Computer, what can you tell me about groups using that particular feline motif?

 

[AI rolls a 12]

 

AI: I'm sorry, I have no information on that.

 

The same AI could be queried about recipes for the world's greatest chocolate mousse.  However, even if it had the recipe, this does not mean it can make the mousse itself.  It would have a huge amount of information, but not necessarily the skills to effectively put that information to use.  If you wish, you could list specific knowledge areas once they have been determined to be in the database (i.e. successful roll) or that have been explicitly added.

 

What do you think of this approach?  How have you handled Eidetic Memory in your games?

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah a skill or INT roll for data is a simple, logical way of doing it.   Just give them KS: (appropriate data) and then bonuses for stuff you figure they ought to know.

[Duke Bushido]

You have already stated my suggestion: Activation roll.  Call it Knowledge: 14-  or whatever, but for anything outside of whatever KS or sciences you may have bought specifically, roll to see if it knows about it.  If it does, make a note of that.   

 

 

[C-Note]

Hero System Skills 6E, page 50 discusses the Talent "Universal Scholar":

 

"Universal Scholar costs 20 Character Points.
For that cost, the character has an INT Roll with
any Knowledge Skill of the “Average” category (see
the Knowledge Skill Category Table on page 210).
For every step up or down the table, he suffers a -2
penalty to his INT Roll to know a fact associated
with a KS of that category (for example, for a KS
pertaining to an Incredibly Broad category, he’d
make his INT Roll at -8; for a KS of an Unimagin-

ably Precise category, he’d make an INT Roll at
-12)..."

 

The character/AI can improve their roll with Skill Levels and other modifiers (e.g., taking extra time, etc.).