Transcendence character build?

[Darkhope]

So I have a player that wants to download his consciousness into a computer so he can be formless. I originally thought desolidification but it doesn’t quite fit since he’s still apart of the physical world when he jumps into a body. Any other ways to build this?

[Doc Democracy]

It is probably equivalent to net-running.  A different dimension where rules are different.  You would need some kind of power to give you an awareness of the real world.

 

Doc

[unclevlad]

Multiform.  The two are *entirely* different, with massively different characteristics, abilities and complications.

[unclevlad]

Oh...inside the computer, in that form?  It probably still isn't Desolid.  The consciousness doesn't move;  certainly, I assume, the computer doesn't move.  How is the character, when inside the computer, going to be interacting?  Controlling android bodies?  That might be Summon.  Remote sensing of some sort seems necessary...so Clairsentience.  

 

 

[Doc Democracy]

Actually, I had not focused on the other element.  You want a character with possession abilities, that has been a long-standing issue that has been "solved" multiple ways.

 

The official one, in one of the APGs I think, uses desolid as core of the build.  I would suggest following that possession build and including computers as part of that.

 

Doc

Edited August 13, 2023 by Doc Democracy

[LoneWolf]

What can the character do when his consciousness is downloaded into a computer?   Is he able to access or control the computer?   What happens to his body when he is in the computer?  

 

One way to do this could be by taking the concentrate 0 DCV, character is totally unaware, must Concentrate throughout use of a constant power on an appropriate power.  
 

[Gauntlet]

I have seen a lot of games, especially cyberpunk ones, where in the computer is its own world. I think this works best, so the best way to be able to go into a computer would be extradimensional movement where you leave your body behind. He would be able to control the computer by reacting to items in the computer. They could be done as automations rather than computers if they are just simple programs or even as characters themselves if they perhaps have sentience. Also, if the computer they are getting into is part of a network, perhaps they would be able to travel to different computers.

 

Hell, you could even base an entire campaign on this, perhaps someone needs to write a campaign book for it.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Gauntlet
Adding some things.

[dougmacd]

On 8/12/2023 at 4:05 PM, unclevlad said:

Multiform.  The two are *entirely* different, with massively different characteristics, abilities and complications.

 

Weird build idea: multiform to an Artificial Intelligence (6E2 184)! Telepathy to access computer info, clairsentience to access computer cameras/microphones, etc.

 

 

Doug

[unclevlad]

Note, I was thinking he had 2 forms of his own...a regular one, and one inside the computer.  Note that the other body could, at this point, even be an android body.  

 

If it's Ghost in the Machine, and he's possessing someone else's body to return?  I'm not a fan.  I'd need convincing...what's the player trying to achieve?  But that'd be true even from the jump here...I kinda get that the concept's cool and all, but it's got serious playability issues. 

[Darkhope]

No he wants to permanently get rid of his body. He wants his consciousness to be in a computer, like the movie, Transcendence. He can control and manipulate pretty much any tech hooked up to "the computer." He is building a robot body that he will download into so he can go with the party and do stuff. So i get using EDM to "download/upload" himself to and from the robot and the computer. And the robot would be a multiform of the computer. If he wants to one day control both at the same time it would be duplication, but thats for later. As for now I'm just running into problem building the AI computer part. So there is no physical stats, Str, Con, Body, Com, PD, ED, END, and STUN. He will have to purchase life support total since computers are immune to all that stuff. His "self" will be downloaded into a ship from time to time when the party travels, in the base computer, and the robot. He wants to be able to "be the computer" of the ship so he can fly, fire the weapons etc just like the other crew members. They have spent points on the ship, will this change though? Any thoughts on what else I am missing?

[Doc Democracy]

Now that is a simpler concept. 🙂

 

It all comes down to how things happen in-game.  If the character spent most of its time in robot form, then I would be content for him to jump into the ship and "be" the ship. I would consider the ship to be his body and destruction of the ship would kill the character.

 

Special abilities that he could use, while the ship, could be bought "only while in ship form", possibly 1/2 limitation.  Obviously those abilities would not be available to other players flying the ship when he was in robot form.

 

If it was 50/50 robot and ship, then I might consider also allowing those characteristics only used while in robot form to be bought down to zero, then repurchased as powers with a 1/2 limitation "only while in robot form".

 

That avoids all the messiness of multiform.  he is always the same personality, so this, to me, works better.

 

Doc

[LoneWolf]

 From the sound of it I would do this as a multiform.  Create one form for the robot and another for the ship.  Do not use the AI rules for the character just write him up as a normal character.  Most robots in champions do not use the computer rules, Mechanon is written up as a standard character.   Use complication to give him any computer related weakness the character has.  

 

The ability to download into other computers is going to be a bit more complex.   I would not use multiform for this for one important reason.   When he is in the computer, he is going to be limited by the computer he is downloaded to.   Does the computer he is downloaded even have the capability to support the entire character?  In real life computers have limited resources like memory and storage.  Can just any computer support the characters full consciousness, or does it require a powerful computer.   Think of trying to load a modern operating system onto an older system.   Trying to download the characters full consciousness could be like trying to download the latest version of windows onto an early 286 computer.  More than likely all he can do is to download something like a virus that takes over the computer.  That can probably be handled by a few mental powers targeting computer minds. 
 

[Darkhope]

Oh most definitely system matters. Has to be big enough and powerful enough to hold him as "information." I just wasn't sure how to build it. He has a machine mind link, so currently we are using that for his ability to upload/download himself. And I went with the multiform like you thought of. One for the ship and one for the robot. He wasn't happy about having to pay for the ship, thought he could just be his computer self and control the entire ship. However I am running into another problem. Each player has 10-15 points invested in the ship, however when he is in the ship multiform, he has paid for the entire ship. So, can he effectively "lock out" the other players? Are their points worthless now? Nothing has happened yet but trying to plan for future events.

[LoneWolf]

Can the ship be flown while he is not downloaded to it?   If it can and the other players are contributing to the ship, I would allow him to buy his second form as a computer.   He is still going to have to pay for all skills and mental characteristics, so it is not like he is getting anything for nothing.   This would allow the other players to assist in ship-to-ship combat.  He is basically acting as the pilot for the ship, and it is really not all that different than a normal character doing so.  

Edited August 21, 2023 by LoneWolf

[Darkhope]

Yeah it has its own computer and can operate independently of him