Intelligent/Sentient Weapons

[Glupii]

Has anyone done one of these? I looked at the Computer / AI section of 5ER and it seems to indicate that it would be a useful way to do this but I am missing the details. Has anyone tried to do this that might be able to supply me with some examples?

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Intelligent/Sentient Weapons

 

Yes, Ive used the AI rules to make intelligent weapons. It works ok.

 

Another method is to just make an actual character with appropriate Physical Limitations to represent the lack of arms, legs, etc, and take it as a Follower. This also works ok.

 

If the sentience of the weapon primarily represents a hardship for the character that owns it then yet another way to do it is to just make an item with the abilities you want it to have and then take Side Effects representing the ways that the weapon acts up, or just a custom "Sentient" Limitation.

 

 

As with all other things, reason from effect. If you want your sentient weapon to be completely independent build it as an AI, if you want it to be able to execute simple commands then build it as a Computer, if you want it to be semi-independent but loyal and helpful to its weilder build it as a follower, and if you want it to be a hindrance build it with Limitations.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Intelligent/Sentient Weapons

 

AI Characteristics are the basis for the official guidelines for creating sentient weapons and the like; but they're elaborated further in the Fifth Edition Fantasy HERO genre book, under "Sentient Artifacts," p. 279.

 

However, you can view several such weapons written up by the estimable Michael "Susano" Surbrook via this webpage: specifically, the swords Grospolina, Stormbringer, and the Sword of Kas.