Setting:Inn0cence: Lost Future/Machine: The Abandoned
What is Life? Is it rushing blood, muscle and bone and straining tendon? But at the most basic cellular level, molecules snap and twist, clicking like clockwork. The search for an animating vitae, a “life force,” was called off long ago.
What is Mind? Is it sparking axon and firing synapse, flavored by a bath of hormones as it passes that infinitesimal gap? Once the Mind was thought to be a separate entity, commanding the body but of different essence. But consciousness is now know to dwell only in masses of binary tissue; the nerve either fires or it does not, One or Zero.
What is Soul? If the body is a machine and the brain a computer, then what special status can the born and grown claim over the designed and constructed? If life can be reduced to mechanistic principles, then what of the machines themselves?
Perhaps the only trait that sets the organic apart from the synthetic is Purpose. The spawn of DNA, the self-replicating things that slither and swim and crawl and walk and run and fly upon this planet have no purpose apart from survival and continuation. No maker, no design, no destiny. The device's purpose, however petty and short-sighted, is clear; the product of another being's cleverness. And though the device may spin and chirp and resemble a living thing, when its usefulness is at an end, it is cast into the trash-heap without a second thought, and it moves no more.
Because no machine, bereft of Life, of Mind, of Soul, would still strive to function after its purpose was at an end.
No machine would seek to Live.
Summary
This supplement uses the nWoD Storyteller system, but the content is not linked to the urban horror/fantasy setting. While by necessity it conforms to the laws of narrative causality and game logic, Inn0cence follows the conventions of sci-fi, not fantasy.
But these rules are also a toolkit, not necessarily tied to the verdant post-apocalypse of the Lost Future. The Storyteller system is broad enough to run classic Cyberpunk or Space Opera if the fancy takes you, and this writer isn't going to veto a near-future WoD game of Vampires vs Robots.
Machine characters fall somewhere between vanilla humans and WoD supernaturals in power-level, roughly equivalent to Hunters. They are resilient and highly adept in a few specific fields, but dependent on a technological infrastructure. They cannot heal damage to their shells without direct intervention, and some jobs need a 2nd person to do properly. A part can only be repaired so many times before it must be replaced with a spare, and the default assumption is that Machines will have to pick through dumps and ruins to keep themselves running.
The applications are also slightly toned down compared to, say, Vampire disciplines. And as emergent sentients, machines can initially reach only so much expertise in a broad field, however much they specialize in a single subject.
Robots also suffer a hefty social penalty when dealing with many humans. Their own lack of emotional maturity or understanding of human behavior means that they often put their feet in their mouth, metaphorically speaking. And that's before one factors in the unease, resentment, fear, or outright hatred that humans may harbor themselves.
The Machine Template
Add +1 dot to a single attribute. This attribute must be favored by your Shell. This dot is added after starting attributes are purchased.
Begin with 3 dots for Applications. At least 2 of these dots must be spent on an Application favored by your shell.
Gain the following traits:
12% titanium: A machine's shell is hardly an inert slab of metal and plastic; tubes and wires fill even the simplest of components, and more complex shells contain tensile cables filled with fluid and other, more intricate tissues. Machines are simply less subject to the various complications of injury, and their outer casing is much more resilient than human epidermis. Machines convert half of all incoming lethal damage into bashing, rounded down. A Machine always counts as wearing 1/1 armor. This armor does not stack with subsequent worn armors. Machines do not heal naturally, and must be manually repaired with the Crafts skill.
Robots are not to be Trusted: machines have little traction against humans ill-disposed towards them. Persuade, Socialize, and Empathy tests made by machines regarding humans suffer the “1s eat successes” curse of OldWoD. Humans accustomed to the company of machines are not subject to this effect.
Hard Drive: Machines begin play with the Eidetic Memory merit for free.
Focused Specialist: Machines may purchase successive Specialties, which stack up to 3.
Limited Willpower: With limited experience to draw upon, Machines are initially constrained by the capabilities of their hardware. While they possess Willpower, they may not spend it to increase dice pools or defenses until they increase in Spark.
Shells
A machine is a combination of software and hardware; while their consciousness exists as data stored in a quantum drive, AI's settle in to the body they inhabit. Their original function and early experiences leave a mark that can never be fully erased. The following shell types represent broad archetypes, and are futher differentiated by Manufacture.
Scout
From the Locust Recon Mech to home-assist helper droids, the unifying feature is Scout shells is size. They're cute little buggers, standing between 3 and 4 feet. Their small stature makes it easy to remain unseen, and a low mass allows their long, loping legs to carry them with speed and efficiency. Scouts were often cheap and intended for high-risk tasks, and their programming prioritized getting the job done over self-preservation. In a mature sentience, this manifests as surprising courage and determination
- Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Resolve,
- Favored Applications: Overclock, Cloaking
- Small: Scouts are size 4. However, they gain a +2 bonus to speed to offset the size penalty.
- Stabilized: for the strength requirements of weapons, a Scout's strength counts as 1 higher.
- Ranger: gain a free Specialty in Stealth or Athletics.
Persona
Humans have always passed off unpleasant or tedious tasks to machines, including interacting with other humans. Persona shells come with advanced emulation software that tracks human social cues like posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions. End-users demanded customization, and Persona machines thus operate on Open-Source software and have an endless plethora of adjustable settings and add-on features. Their hardware and software favor precision over brute strength, and roughly half have vaguely feminine proportions. This shell class also covers many medical robots, especially those associated with patient care.
- Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Presence
- Favored Applications: Overclock, Technopath
- Become a Real Boy: Once per scene, a Persona robot may elect to gain the 9-again rule on a single Social skill test.
- Fluent in 6 Million forms of Communication: Persona robots know all major pre-loss languages, and any likely local dialects. The Machine must pick two languages to be Fluent in; all others are only passable.
Commando
The whole point of machines is to send something with human capabilities into situations that would be dangerous or unpleasant for actual humans. From combat zones to harsh climates, Commando robots can absorb massive abuse and still remain functional. Intended as an attatchment to human squads, they tend to be team players who deeply respect the chain of command; unless they're loose cannons who are way out of line. Give me your gun and your badge.
- Favored Attributes: Stamina, Composure
- Favored Applications: Hardening, Cloaking
- Armored: Your 1/1 automatic armor stacks with/enhances any subsequent worn armor. The Integrated Armor merit costs 1 less XP/new dot.
Toolbox
Not all shells are easy to classify. Some are so grotesquely specialized, or equipped with oddball hardware, that they fail to fit into any of the other categories. Janitor/Mechanics, Snipers, chimney sweeps, Any machine intended for a specific task or with an unusual combination of capabilities could be represented by the Toolbox shell
- Favored Attributes: Wits, Strength, Composure
- Favored Application: Pick 1 at character creation.
- Purpose: gain two identical bonus specialties in a single skill. This skill must be related to the machine's Purpose or otherwise linked to character background, subject to GM fiat.
Datastore
Even more of a computer on legs than other machines, Datastore robots are packed to bursting with parallel hardware and sensory apparati. Many were research assistants capable of analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and even going a ways towards writing the subsequent paper for peer-review. Others were command-and-control, running the equivalent of a switchboard, directing data flow in the Series of Tubes.
- Favored Attributes: Intelligence, Composure
- Favored Applications: Technopath, Analysis
- All The Terabytes: You may purchase the Encyclopedic Knowledge merit at any time for ½ the normal price.
- I was programmed to be an Expert in this subject: gain one free specialty in Science, Academics, Craft, Medicine, or Computers.
Brute
Like the Scout, Brutes are defined by their size. Unlike the Scout, Brutes are Hueg Liek Xbawks. Even when hunched over into an ape-like stance, they push 7 feet. Brutes have massive power requirements, and thus come with full-size microfusion reactors just to keep them moving about. For all their bulk, they are surprisingly nimble, keenly aware of their mass and inertia. Most have a deeply-ingrained "gentle giant" personality.
- Favored Attributes: Strength, Wits
- Favored Applications: Hardening, Overcharge
- Big McLargehuge: Brutes are Size 6. However, they suffer a -1 penalty to Speed.
- Loader: you gain the Strong Back merit for free.
Manufacture
Shell classification is further split by the manufacture of the machine; the grade of its components, and the sector it was intended to function within. Each Manufacture grants a bonus Favored Application. Favored Applications that “double” decrease the cost to purchase dots by 1 step (new dots x4 instead of x5)
Civilian
- Bonus Application: Overclock
- Familiarity: Civilian-grade shells do not suffer from the OldWoD curse regarding Social rolls involving humans. Humans can still hate them, though.
- Three-Laws Compliant: Civilian shells are heavily conditioned to respect humans. Allowing a human to come to harm counts as one step more serious of a “sin” on any morality tracking system. Simply disobeying the direct orders of a human counts as a level-7 infraction. Civilian robots are still free to disregard these laws; they just feel bad about doing so.
Military
- Bonus Application: Hardening
- Impeded Mental: lose 10-again on mental skill tests.
- Grit: reduce all Wound penalties by 1
Industrial
- Bonus Application: Overcharge
- Easy Repair: repairers gain 9-again on Crafts tests to repair shell.
- Impeded Interaction: lose 10-again on social skill tests.