One of my players wishes to play a militarised AI in my current campaign. The campaign is somewhat more automated then the OTU so this isn't a problem.
What I am stuck with is the creation of a meaningful AI PC. There are some guidelines in the design section, (1st Ed THB 226/227) but no clear rules.
Here is how I currently intend to handle it, and the problems I forsee.
The PC exists inside a collection of vehicles designed to work as a single battlefeild unit. The vehicle that hosts the (low) AI, as well as several subordinate units normally using both low and high autonomous logics.
Intelligence and Dex mod are calculated as per normal, as are charisma and soc. There is no meaningful way to calculate strength or con, as these are dependant on external structure. The dex mod adds to that of dextrous appendages implying a more accurate machine control then is normally possible using meat.
Education is a sticking point, mainly because of how I am handling skills. Since the computer the AI inhabits can change its current skill load-out, this would imply a moving education dependant on what other programs were loaded. This is in some ways a nice way to handle this, but I am loathe to have something so core to the character to be a moving target. That and under the design rules the AI could choose to have an EDU in the order of 200. I am currently leaning to nominating a starting EDU skill, rather then work out anything that feels right ruleswise.
I am handling skills in a split fashion. There are the skills of the machine external to the AI, and there are the skills that the AI has innately. I am using two additional skills, smallarms and melee, to take the place of BAB, both are based on dex. The skills internal to the AI are those gained from class levels. These are restricted to the normal class maximums. The skills external to the AI exist on concurrent hardware and have a maximum rating dependant on the hardware.
The AI is automatically proficient with any hardware built into itself. Additional proficiences will allow control of other devices. For example an AI in a grav tank could pilot that tank without penalty, however it could not proficiently pilot another type of grav vehicle without having gained the feat from levels. The AI only has "T/Comp" as a world skill, no others, and does not have any starting character feats.
The AI has no saving throws as such, and BAB is relatively pointless.
The size of the AI was going to be 15PP plus 5 per level plus the size of programs I consider inbuilt (ie. not subject to being swapped in and out).
While the network has an enormous ammount of PP available (the central machine is running Master and Server programs most likely) a large ammount will be restricted to quite low levels, as a large ammount of the processing power is in M2 computerised battledress. This should stop the easy application of 15-20 Rank skills, especially when trying to control a large section of itself.
Everyone must have had a player or two pipe up and ask to be an AI, how did you handle it?
What I am stuck with is the creation of a meaningful AI PC. There are some guidelines in the design section, (1st Ed THB 226/227) but no clear rules.
Here is how I currently intend to handle it, and the problems I forsee.
The PC exists inside a collection of vehicles designed to work as a single battlefeild unit. The vehicle that hosts the (low) AI, as well as several subordinate units normally using both low and high autonomous logics.
Intelligence and Dex mod are calculated as per normal, as are charisma and soc. There is no meaningful way to calculate strength or con, as these are dependant on external structure. The dex mod adds to that of dextrous appendages implying a more accurate machine control then is normally possible using meat.
Education is a sticking point, mainly because of how I am handling skills. Since the computer the AI inhabits can change its current skill load-out, this would imply a moving education dependant on what other programs were loaded. This is in some ways a nice way to handle this, but I am loathe to have something so core to the character to be a moving target. That and under the design rules the AI could choose to have an EDU in the order of 200. I am currently leaning to nominating a starting EDU skill, rather then work out anything that feels right ruleswise.
I am handling skills in a split fashion. There are the skills of the machine external to the AI, and there are the skills that the AI has innately. I am using two additional skills, smallarms and melee, to take the place of BAB, both are based on dex. The skills internal to the AI are those gained from class levels. These are restricted to the normal class maximums. The skills external to the AI exist on concurrent hardware and have a maximum rating dependant on the hardware.
The AI is automatically proficient with any hardware built into itself. Additional proficiences will allow control of other devices. For example an AI in a grav tank could pilot that tank without penalty, however it could not proficiently pilot another type of grav vehicle without having gained the feat from levels. The AI only has "T/Comp" as a world skill, no others, and does not have any starting character feats.
The AI has no saving throws as such, and BAB is relatively pointless.
The size of the AI was going to be 15PP plus 5 per level plus the size of programs I consider inbuilt (ie. not subject to being swapped in and out).
While the network has an enormous ammount of PP available (the central machine is running Master and Server programs most likely) a large ammount will be restricted to quite low levels, as a large ammount of the processing power is in M2 computerised battledress. This should stop the easy application of 15-20 Rank skills, especially when trying to control a large section of itself.
Everyone must have had a player or two pipe up and ask to be an AI, how did you handle it?