503-B OOC

[ArcaneStomper]

@Stengleronymous@taurelin@Lonewalker@Xepteregicide@Jon Walton@DM-Tareth You are all free to post in the IC. Maybe do a character intro since we've got some new people.

 

@Savayan You can post as well though as I noted I'd like to see a little more information on your character.

 

For everyone else who has already expressed interest I am willing to give your characters a look if you make an application.

[Savayan]

I'll add a some more. I meant to on the weekend, but I've been getting over the flu that's been going around the office.

[Savayan]

Sorry for not posting sooner. Turns out I wasn't over the flu yet, spent most of the past four days in bed.

[ArcaneStomper]

2 hours ago, Savayan said:

Sorry for not posting sooner. Turns out I wasn't over the flu yet, spent most of the past four days in bed.

Oof, well I hope you're feeling better. No need to worry about posting if you don't feel up to it.

[Savayan]

Thanks man, but I'm at least on the mend. Still got a bad bark, but at least I'm sleeping most of the night again.

[Jon Walton]

People (including Children) in for Christmas - I do plan to respond, but it will probably be this weekend...

[Savayan]

@Xepteregicide@DM-Tareth, how do you want your various technowizardy (more or less figurative depending on character) on Epicurus to play out? I should technically roll on Trickster, unless you don't mind him messing around with your characters a bit. But I don't want to immediately derail the thread with the potential for conflict over what ultimately is just some flavour interactions. I imagine that Epicurus would be more or less fine with Tamzin at the moment since she showed him proper respect, while if you're up for a bit of being picked on by the ancient alien AI Xepter I was thinking of having Gerald's technopathy result in him appearing in a mental recreation of the Labyrinth for a bit before he explains himself to Epicurus. Though that might result in some opposed rolls, I'm not entirely familiar with your character's mechanics.

Edited January 3 by Savayan (see edit history)

[DM-Tareth]

@Savayan Aside from just trying to follow her orders and complete a given assignment, Tamzin is simply curious and intrigued by Epicurus. Since true AI was not developed in her timeline she'd probably be more interested in just chatting with him to learn more and to try and understand the nature of the technology. She'd be especially curious of the religious connections, as that kind of development would have been very foreign to her more scientific upbringing but also appeal to her beliefs and sense of duty to the lost nature of her own world.

[Xepteregicide]

@Savayan That's a good question! I'm all for (relatively) harmless shenanigans, especially if they foster inter-character development.
Though I guess the first thing to figure out is if Epicurus would be a recipient of the transmission- is he a separate intelligence or is he "within" Eukleides' mind?

The Multiplicity technique of Telespeak allows me to send to selected targets, with a penalty for each additional target. (I still need to make the roll, which I thought I had added... I'll do that now. >_<)

As for the technopathy view of the labyrinth thing, I agree there would have to be some sort of contested roll. Telespeak doesn't allow the user access to the recipient's mind aside from a response directed at the telepath.

However- Epicurus could certainly respond with an image of the labyrinth to "hint" at the vast ability it has- the subject of a telespeak link can send mental images, at about the same speed and accuracy as if they were drawing it themselves- not a problem for an advanced AI.

 

Edited January 4 by Xepteregicide (see edit history)

[taurelin]

@Savayan

Wrt Eukleides, Jack's concern is with the Berserk disad. Euklides may think that there is nothing to worry about, but his psych profile says different. Jack listens to the profile more.

Jack sees a power-armor-wearing, force-sword-wielding member who does not have full control of himself in combat situations as a very, very, dangerous addition to the team. If he goes Berserk (on a 12 or less), he can kill one team member a turn. This is not acceptable.

Hence the kill-switch. Something that shuts down the capacity to hurt others completely.

Now, I don't want to totally yuk on your yum. I get that your character concept it built around the suit and it's little voice. Got no problem with that.

Is there a way to have both? A god-like killing machine, but one that can't kill the PCs?

Figured I'd get this out here in OOC before we try to tackle it IC.

Edited January 5 by taurelin
misspelled his name (see edit history)

[Savayan]

@taurelin

So partially I'm just writing from Euklides' perspective when I'm being dismissive about it, but partially I'm not entirely sure you can killswitch him on an OOC level. Even turning off the power source of his suit and weapons he's only at Encumbrance 1: he can still brawl and staff fight at that level. I also didn't read Berserk as requiring him to *kill* in a fight, he doesn't have Bloodlust, though I'm willing to concede that I've played that disadvantage wrong for yonks. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

If you're super concerned about it, I can either tweak the self control number up or shop for a different disadvantage (dropping to 15 or less for Self Control would only require me to account for 5 points, I could tweak Berserk to be less likely to trigger and just make him more Overconfident and/or Selfless). Berserk is thematic and has some useful advantages built into the disadvantage, but not a character defining disadvantage. That seems to be the easier fix than shopping for a disadvantage to balance it (though Pacifism Can't Harm Innocents might be a simple solution here now that I stop and think about it).

Edited January 8 by Savayan (see edit history)

[ArcaneStomper]

Berserk people will attack foes first. And can try to snap out of it every time they down a foe. However if they are still berserk when no foes remain they will start going after friends. They do not have to kill the people they regard as foes only down them. However I would say that's just as bad from the perspective of a team going into potentially hostile environments.

 

Still you'd either have to roll really badly or being actually trying to go berserk on your friends given the number of self control rolls given.

[taurelin]

I think you understand Jack's concern.

A kill-switch might not merely depower the armor, but could instead lock it up. None of your joints bend at your will any more, that sort of thing. That is one possible form of solution.

If you want the suit and sword are too alien to have the engineers jury-rig a tech solution, we could go literal, and have a small microgrenade rigged to blow your head off. From a roleplaying perspective, it could make for some tense discussions between Eukleides, Jordan, and Jack.

I totally can see Berserk as in keeping with the concept for your character. And I get his downplaying it - makes sense, too.

From an IC perspective, Eukleides might take the position "Do whatever you need to rest easy, Major. I am sure it will not ever be a problem." Very overconfident, very IC. And then we go with one of the above two options.

If you choose another disad, this is of course all moot. I can work with it either way. Just wanted to get things out in the open OOC before we try to deal with it IC, let you know where my PC was going in response.

[Savayan]

The first one sounds like a GM call. I'm not trying to weasel out of being able to go berserk and start employing pankration on other PC's, I just don't actually know if you can 'turn off' or 'freeze' a nanosuit in the way you're suggesting. It doesn't read like that in it's entry for Ultratech, but if it's something that can be done to nanosuits in Arc's take on the rules then I'm fine with that. GURPS is all about tweaking the rules. Maybe something like reversing the ST bonuses would make sense? Something like it can't completely immobilize him on the spot, but dropping him down to an effective ST 4? Partially I'm concerned from the perspective that anything Peirce and Tamzin can do to the suit is something that an enemy could potentially do.

 

I'm less fine with the grenade solution, that feels like an outsized reaction to the potential threat and one that opens up major problems (similar to disabling the suit: if Jack can set off the grenade remotely, so can a hostile hacker). I'm not adverse to it being discussed in character, but even from a purely mechanical perspective I'd rather just remove the disadvantage if that's the only other option.

Edited January 8 by Savayan (see edit history)

[ArcaneStomper]

To clarify he should have a cybersuit not a nanosuit. And in either case just disabling the power source should work. It would simply take him down to his base stats. Which I mean he'd still be a trained warrior, but he wouldn't be super strong anymore.

 

The major concern is probably his weapons. Which looking at his sheet again I don't actually see beyond the generic signature gear. What does he have there?