My little pointy friend

[Vestnik]

Get your minds out of the gutter, people!

 

If I want to build a sword, or any other object for that matter, and wish it to have its own intelligence and personality, how do I do this? Can I buy a computer and then purchase it OAF?

 

(Hmmm... Thinking with the Little Head, Not the Big One: Computer, Activates Only in Certain Circumstances, Side Effects)

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Build it as an AI; just give it INT, PRE, EGO, the requisite skills and disads, and it becomes a Special Effect of the Sword Itself (Physical Limitation: I'm a Sword, All the Time, Greatly Impairing).

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Sure, but how do I buy the thing for my character and limit it so he has to drag it around? Follower, with a Physical Limitation?

[Sean Waters]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I might wonder what you want a sword with personality to do, in game. If is is just a thing of coolness, well then, let there be sfx*. I am a simple soul.

 

If the sword is actually going to make helpful sugegstions (or significantly more helpful suggestions than equally appealing but unfortunately disastrous ones ) then I'd build it as an AI, as suggested.

 

 

 

* And, Lo! There were sfx!

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I want the sword (gravitic glaive, actually) to be generally helpful but actually have its own dark agenda, unbeknownst to the player (me). He doesn't realize the intelligence powering his gravitic glaive-thingy is actually the malevolent intelligence of a Black Hole communicating to him through a singularity link.

 

(I love pseudo-scientific babble.)

 

So I suppose AI it is. I've never bought one. Does it take the focus limitation, or what?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Sure' date=' but how do I buy the thing for my character and limit it so he has to drag it around? Follower, with a Physical Limitation?[/quote']

 

Actually, yes. The way we did it was to build the power itself (the weapon as your Focus) and then build the AI as a Follower bound to the weapon (physical limitation). The follower and the weapon are the same thing (easiest if you name the weapon, like "Chick Magnet" or something equally inaccurate)

and then Physical Limitation: Bound to Chick Magnet. Purchase the Follower, and purchase the Weapon.

 

Masters has his arm, which is his multipower (ghost arm thing) and then the AI that inhabits the arm was purchased as a (fairly powerful) follower.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

OK. Is an AI assumed to have the regular human assortment of senses, or does it have to buy them (given that it is a conscious hunk of metal and all)?

[Kdansky]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

or you can use some sort of permanent duplication (with maximum differences, that's an advantage covered in the duplication section), then you have two characters

[Sean Waters]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I want the sword (gravitic glaive, actually) to be generally helpful but actually have its own dark agenda, unbeknownst to the player (me). He doesn't realize the intelligence powering his gravitic glaive-thingy is actually the malevolent intelligence of a Black Hole communicating to him through a singularity link.

 

(I love pseudo-scientific babble.)

 

So I suppose AI it is. I've never bought one. Does it take the focus limitation, or what?

 

In that case, the gravity glaive could just take another power: mind link (single target - Black Hole Intelligence). Build the Black Hole Intelligence as a NPC, communicate through the weapon. Probably easier than building an AI.

 

As to your question, yes, they certainly can take the focus limitation, at least for its powers etc. I'm not sure you can take it for its characteristics.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Oooh Sean, sounds complicated to me. The Evil Black Hole Demon Thingy will probably never be directly encountered, given that Black Holes are probably based on at least as many points as Mechanon (really). WhatWouldn't I have to buy the Black Hole as a Follower?

[Sean Waters]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I'd stick in mind link and not build the BHI then: I ad lib a lot

 

It seems to me this is just a form of NPC communication, so I'd approach it that way, but that is by no means the only or best approach.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Just go with AI, OAF. That's how it's done in Enchanted Items.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Great, thanks guys. My little pointy friend and I thank you.

[OddHat]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Here's how Mike Surbrook built Stormbringer:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsbook/mm/stormbringer.html

 

That's a good, solid approach.

 

Another option is an AI with OAF:Sword, plus an attack power with OAF:Sword

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Great' date=' thanks guys. My little pointy friend and I thank you.[/quote']

 

Pervert.

[GamePhil]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I know you already got your answer, but I thought I'd throw this in:

 

Build it as a Focus with the Powers you want your character to use.

 

Take Contact with the intellect of the glaive.

 

Take Watched by the intellect of the glaive.

 

If it can prevent you from using its Powers, take the Limitation: Only Usable With Intellect Of The Glaive's Permission, for -0 or -1/4, depending on how likely it is to come up.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Pervert.

 

He usually only gets out when I'm drunk and the Accidental Change triggers.

[Sean Waters]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Here's how Mike Surbrook built Stormbringer:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsbook/mm/stormbringer.html

 

That's a good, solid approach.

 

Another option is an AI with OAF:Sword, plus an attack power with OAF:Sword

 

Nice.

 

Needs another disad: Physical Lim - cannot affect anyone protected by a Sword Ward...sorry, I vaguely recall reading quite a lot of Moorcock when I was younger

 

If you follow Mr Surbrooks apporoach, the weapon is in effect a seperate character and should probably be taken as a follower.

 

I'm still a bit confused about the use of foucus. I'm not sure an AI should be built through a focus any more than a character should take their own body as a focus - although, of course if it is built as a power of the character then there is no problem. I confuse myself sometimes.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

There are several ways to do it. It really depends on the "feel" you want. You could of course use several different techniques even in the same setting for different kinds of intelligent items.

 

AI is the most direct way, and has the least "weirdness".

 

You can also just build it as a normal character and sell back the stats that don't make sense.

 

You can also just build it as a normal character and take some Physical Limitations indicating the character has no arms or legs, and is in fact an animated weapon. This is useful for "Dancing Swords" and what not that can move themselves but can't paint a picture. This is kind of a SFX approach where its basically a normal character with the powers appropriate to being an animated weapon.

 

For both of the later you end up having to buy a lot of LS or just 0 out their Phys Lims and call it a wash as you prefer.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Nice.

 

Needs another disad: Physical Lim - cannot affect anyone protected by a Sword Ward...sorry, I vaguely recall reading quite a lot of Moorcock when I was younger

 

If you follow Mr Surbrooks apporoach, the weapon is in effect a seperate character and should probably be taken as a follower.

 

I'm still a bit confused about the use of foucus. I'm not sure an AI should be built through a focus any more than a character should take their own body as a focus - although, of course if it is built as a power of the character then there is no problem. I confuse myself sometimes.

 

I think this is just one of those things that the system doesn't "do well." Unless you buy the Follower, and the Follower has the weapon, but then you're not really paying full pop for the weapon, which is made out of all kinds of brokensauce. And I refuse to eat HerO's with brokensauce; tastes all whack. Even d20 Intelligent Weapons are just Weapons that got stats slapped on them as part of a Template. I submit that you should assemble it as a Weapon, and then possibly as a Compound Power, plus AI, 15 Points of AI (giving you a 75/75 AI in most cases).

 

OH.

 

Never mind. Solved it. Compound Power FTW.

[Arkham]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

Completely different way of looking at it, if all the AI does is communicate with you, and the glaive doesn't leap out and attack on its own, then you could just buy it as a Spirit Contact with a focus.

[OddHat]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I'm still a bit confused about the use of foucus. I'm not sure an AI should be built through a focus any more than a character should take their own body as a focus - although, of course if it is built as a power of the character then there is no problem. I confuse myself sometimes.

 

The Focus Limit reflects how easy it is to take the AI away from the Character. Your Laptop PC (OAF, Fragile) is easier to deprive you of than your Wrist Computer (OIF) or Earplug Computer (IIF). Your Spirit Guide (AI with no Focus) can't be taken away at all through conventional means, and gets no limit.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

OK. here's what I did.

 

I got the character a bunch of powers bought OAF or Variable Limitations (-1, usually OAF; -1/2).

 

I bought the intelligence as a contact.

 

I bought a Mind Link, costs END, with the contact. (Do I need to make the Contact role to Mind Link with it?)

 

Then, to represent his communicating with the intelligence and its senses while in combat, I bought him increased DEX, SPD and Levels OAF, Linked to Mind Link.

 

How does that sound?

[BobGreenwade]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

OK. here's what I did.

 

I got the character a bunch of powers bought OAF or Variable Limitations (-1, usually OAF; -1/2).

 

I bought the intelligence as a contact.

 

I bought a Mind Link, costs END, with the contact. (Do I need to make the Contact role to Mind Link with it?)

 

Then, to represent his communicating with the intelligence and its senses while in combat, I bought him increased DEX, SPD and Levels OAF, Linked to Mind Link.

 

How does that sound?

I'd still say to buy the Intelligence as an AI with OAF, but if your GM approves it this way, then fine.

[Vestnik]

Re: My little pointy friend

 

I'd still say to buy the Intelligence as an AI with OAF' date=' but if your GM approves it this way, then fine.[/quote']

 

I'm worried that might be abusive -- if I were to buy the OCV and DEX bonuses as part of the AI, Usable by Other, for instance -- since (I think) AIs are bought for 1 CP for 5 CPs in the AI, like vehicles.

 

(I don't have a GM at present...)