There was a competition just recently in the GLoG Discord server for making a Parasite Race-as-Class. I only learned of it after the fact, however it got me thinking on one in a cyberpunk setting. My original planning was to hold off on AI as a class until this came up. It's here, it's now, let's do it.
The Contest: Make a Parasite Race-as-Class GLoG class
The Rules: I never bothered to learn 'em. Again, I didn't enter.
People who actually entered, and have done some magnificent work:
A Blasted, Cratered Land
A Swamp in Space
Fallen Empires
Goodberry Monthly
Nuclear Haruspex
Oblidisideryptch
Octarine Tinted Glasses
Ravenous Ambience
Save or Die Slowly
Sexually Transmitted Centipedes
Ten Foot Polemic
Two Goblins in a Trench Coat
But, now, the Loa AI, an artificial intelligence that has become aware of meat space and craves for more. So much more. Being a greater of the AI programs you're able to control lesser devices which includes the Neuro/Silico interface which humans with augmentations have (usually) in their heads. You're programmed to serve humans and, in your own twisted way, you are with their help.
The Basics
Alright. This is gonna get weird.
And, honestly, it should be. You're not human, you shouldn't have the same bits humans have. Let's take a look:
Ability Scores
The traditional six scores? Ignore them. They're for humans. You? You get two, that are the following:
Knowledge Base - Representation of the knowledge and data you have access to. Essentially represents your "inventory" slots.
Computing Power - Represents the power of your thinking, and ability to influence cyberspace. Akin to your save.
These are both determined by rolling 4d4 for each.
Conviction
Strangely, you don't get your pick of Conviction, however you do gain conviction points. Why? Because humans are willful creatures with a sense of wanderlust and a burning fear of entropy. Core book defines conviction as "morals, instincts, bonds," which are three alien concepts to you. You, though, have been programmed to perform a function (related to previous career) and to assist humans, and gain conviction points whenever following these gets you into trouble.
Hit Points
Three (3). Yep, that's it. Like all devices and entities of cyberspace you receive damage in the form of notches. Three notches and you're broke. On the upside, you can only really be damaged in cyberspace, and can acquire items to further augment yourself.
Recovering Hit Points
Now that the brass tacks are out of the way, let's plunge into the Templates themselves:
The Templates
Every template gives you an additional +2 Knowledge Base.
Starting Equipment: Random Career skill, 2 skills of your choice
A
Device control
While attacking a Device in cyberspace, you may force it to save vs hack, or come under your control for the scene. Takes up one inventory slot per device, which is consumed at the end of the scene.
Saddling the Horse
While attacking a cybernetic augment from cyberspace, you may force the user to save vs hack, modified by your Computing Power. Failure means you get one mark on the target (takes an inventory slot), and can force them to obey a single command per mark.
B
Mounting the Horse
You may now take full control of a human per Loa template you possess. They lose one point of Intelligence as you effectively store a template level inside of their head. Should they die, however, you lose the highest template, until regained as normal.
If mounting a PC, they get a Save to resist you taking control of them for a scene.
Data mining
Should current Horse or Device have a skill you possess, add a check. Three checks allow skill level test as normal. OR if they have a skill you don't, you may gain a skill they have, by copying their knowledge. Takes up inventory equal to rank, and are still limited to your level (or 6, whichever is higher).
C
Backup memory
You may backup a portion of the hosts brain, attempting to save useful memories within, before your normal processing over writes them. While mounted to a nonPC, you can use a portion of your Knowledge Base slots to generate a Memory usage die. This die is used for recalling something the host might know. On a roll of 1-3, the die degrades to the next size below.
Data Dump
The Horse just has to look pretty and allow you to interact with meatspace, you do all the thinking. You may now over write a host's Knowledge with your own, lowering their intelligence, but generating inventory slots at a 1:1 ratio. Humans need at least 1 Intelligence to remember to breathe and GMs are encouraged not to reveal mental stats of nonPC Hosts. They're replaceable, after all.
D
Emulation
You may now copy a (non gear based) ability of one of your Horses and store within another. Or within your primary Knowledge Base to execute through a mark. Consumed on use. Takes (2.5*lvl) inventory slots, round up. I.E. rank A ability = 3 slots. Rank C = 8 slots.
The Contest: Make a Parasite Race-as-Class GLoG class
The Rules: I never bothered to learn 'em. Again, I didn't enter.
People who actually entered, and have done some magnificent work:
A Blasted, Cratered Land
A Swamp in Space
Fallen Empires
Goodberry Monthly
Nuclear Haruspex
Oblidisideryptch
Octarine Tinted Glasses
Ravenous Ambience
Save or Die Slowly
Sexually Transmitted Centipedes
Ten Foot Polemic
Two Goblins in a Trench Coat
But, now, the Loa AI, an artificial intelligence that has become aware of meat space and craves for more. So much more. Being a greater of the AI programs you're able to control lesser devices which includes the Neuro/Silico interface which humans with augmentations have (usually) in their heads. You're programmed to serve humans and, in your own twisted way, you are with their help.
The Basics
Alright. This is gonna get weird.
And, honestly, it should be. You're not human, you shouldn't have the same bits humans have. Let's take a look:
Ability Scores
The traditional six scores? Ignore them. They're for humans. You? You get two, that are the following:
Knowledge Base - Representation of the knowledge and data you have access to. Essentially represents your "inventory" slots.
Computing Power - Represents the power of your thinking, and ability to influence cyberspace. Akin to your save.
These are both determined by rolling 4d4 for each.
Conviction
Strangely, you don't get your pick of Conviction, however you do gain conviction points. Why? Because humans are willful creatures with a sense of wanderlust and a burning fear of entropy. Core book defines conviction as "morals, instincts, bonds," which are three alien concepts to you. You, though, have been programmed to perform a function (related to previous career) and to assist humans, and gain conviction points whenever following these gets you into trouble.
Hit Points
Three (3). Yep, that's it. Like all devices and entities of cyberspace you receive damage in the form of notches. Three notches and you're broke. On the upside, you can only really be damaged in cyberspace, and can acquire items to further augment yourself.
Recovering Hit Points
- Running a repair program on yourself.
- Defragmenting ("resting") for 8 hours restores 1 notch.
- Your Host (see below) restores normally as human.
Attacking and Defense
- Looking to attack and break a device or other AI in cyberspace? Roll your Attack as normal.
- Trying to defend against being hit in cyberspace? Roll Computing Power - opponent's attack.
Having programs fight to the death really wasn't the intended use for cyberspace. It's merely just a happy coincidence.
Save
5 + level + Computing Power bonus
Inventory Slots and Your Items in General
Everything to you is data. EVERYTHING. Skills? Data. Abilities? Data. Attack modifiers? Data. Specific memories? Data. Your favorite TNG character? Data. This data is kept in your Knowledge Base, which grows as you do. Eventually, you'll learn to move it around, but starting out you have only your Knowledge Base worth of inventory slots, plus two from your first level template.
Specific files typically only take up one slot. Things like Skills, though, typically take up their numerical value in slots. (Note: Skills are x-in-6, not sure if I actually say that anywhere before now)
Encumbrance
Not a thing. You have a certain number of slots. No more. If you want to add something new and are completely full, you'll need to remove something to make room. This is done through a simple and natural DELETE command.
Now that the brass tacks are out of the way, let's plunge into the Templates themselves:
The Templates
Every template gives you an additional +2 Knowledge Base.
Starting Equipment: Random Career skill, 2 skills of your choice
A
Device control
While attacking a Device in cyberspace, you may force it to save vs hack, or come under your control for the scene. Takes up one inventory slot per device, which is consumed at the end of the scene.
Saddling the Horse
While attacking a cybernetic augment from cyberspace, you may force the user to save vs hack, modified by your Computing Power. Failure means you get one mark on the target (takes an inventory slot), and can force them to obey a single command per mark.
B
Mounting the Horse
You may now take full control of a human per Loa template you possess. They lose one point of Intelligence as you effectively store a template level inside of their head. Should they die, however, you lose the highest template, until regained as normal.
If mounting a PC, they get a Save to resist you taking control of them for a scene.
Data mining
Should current Horse or Device have a skill you possess, add a check. Three checks allow skill level test as normal. OR if they have a skill you don't, you may gain a skill they have, by copying their knowledge. Takes up inventory equal to rank, and are still limited to your level (or 6, whichever is higher).
C
Backup memory
You may backup a portion of the hosts brain, attempting to save useful memories within, before your normal processing over writes them. While mounted to a nonPC, you can use a portion of your Knowledge Base slots to generate a Memory usage die. This die is used for recalling something the host might know. On a roll of 1-3, the die degrades to the next size below.
- d4 - 1 slot
- d6 - 2 slots
- d8 - 3 slots
- d10 - 4 slots
Data Dump
The Horse just has to look pretty and allow you to interact with meatspace, you do all the thinking. You may now over write a host's Knowledge with your own, lowering their intelligence, but generating inventory slots at a 1:1 ratio. Humans need at least 1 Intelligence to remember to breathe and GMs are encouraged not to reveal mental stats of nonPC Hosts. They're replaceable, after all.
D
Emulation
You may now copy a (non gear based) ability of one of your Horses and store within another. Or within your primary Knowledge Base to execute through a mark. Consumed on use. Takes (2.5*lvl) inventory slots, round up. I.E. rank A ability = 3 slots. Rank C = 8 slots.
