Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[SilasWrathStrike]

From reading through the Cyborgs book I'm not sure it explicitly says you NEED to have an AI just to have a spirit fetter to stop the manitou from trying to take you over, provided you're not a pre-war cyborg. I'm just a regular-old harrowed, from mysterious past on character creation, and we met a junker recently who said he might be able to Fetter me. If I don't want to actually have any other cyber-systems, I don't NEED an AI do I?

[Templar]

If you're just being fettered you do not need an AI. Heck if you were being made full conversion post apocalypse you actually don't need an AI either if you have someone convert you in game.

[SilasWrathStrike]

Really Templar? That's awesome! How sure are you about this?

[ValhallaGH]

The downside to having a Fetter is that you lose all, all, Harrowed powers. Because the Fetter jams the demon into a metaphysical box and drains just enough power to keep you going, you're reduced to a base dead-guy.

I hope you didn't invest too much bounty in those powers.

Even with cyber systems, the AI is just to make sure that your human personality doesn't do things the organization that build you wouldn't approve of. That's why it has ROE and tries to take over when the deader starts acting up. Unless you're being hooked up by some jerk that wants to control you, there shouldn't be any AI installed.


Have fun.
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"Got a problem? I've got the solution: Rocket Launcher."
"Not against a Servitor."
"... We're all gonna die."

[SilasWrathStrike]

Fortunately I've only spent like 10 bounty points on Harrowed Powers, but it would suck to lose what I have. Hopefully my Marshall will be kind enough to allow me a Spirit Focus, even if at Level 1, but we shall see.

[ScooterinAB]

I've been pondering this (Power Foci and Junker built Cyborgs) for quite some time. In looking through Junkman Cometh again, I think I've come up with a solution for building a Power Focus.

My hang up was on building power creation. While I'm all for "inventing" new powers to cover things not in the book, I'm hesitant to introduce a number of new power. Taking a note from the book, powers should be able to build a number of different devices, and should not overlap. Ironically, some of the powers in the book are one dimensional, and could use some expanding. So as such, I'm turning to existing powers for a solution.

The Brain Drain power concerns itself with drawing and re-channeling power. This is what the Power Focus needs to do. The other thing of note is that the physical size of a Brain Drain device is close to the size of a Power Focus (scaling it up about 50% or so, because Junker devices are big). Hopefully, everyone has followed me so far. Without further adieu, here is my amendment to the Brain Drain power.

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Brain Drain

Powers of Evil
If the Junker knows the Spirit Trap power, a Brain Drain device can be built to re-channel power from another supernatural source - a manitou. This can augment a Cyborg's Spirit Fetter, thus allowing the can access to Manitou powers.

Obviously to do this, the Junker needs a captive audience. Once the Junker has a Spirit Fetter handy (that gizmo that makes Cyborgs go), he's ready to start building.

To do this, simply pick the level of Manitou power you want to have access to. This power takes up a number of slots equal to twice the Manitou power's level. This power doesn't have a Drain cost itself, but when turned on, it does reduce the amount of power the manitou can put out by 1 drain per 2 slots in the device. Sorry, but it's an all or nothing deal.

For example, a Junker builds a device to help his cyborg friend use some new powers. He builds the device to accommodate level 3 manitou powers (6 slots in size). The can's highest power is only level 2, but his fetter's output is reduced by 3 drain if the device is turned on.

Should the device become unstable, the can suffers Brainburn in addition to Instability, just as it would for a Syker. Replace any references to strain on the Brainburn table with drain (from the fetter). Luckily though, the can doesn't have to worry about the Taint if using a damaging power.

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As you can see, the addition is very rules light, and follows the basic mechanics of Brain Drain while giving the power something else that it can construct. I included the all or nothing part with drain, as well as the larger slot size, as Junker devices are large and crappy. I figure that a device like this would constantly draw from the fetter when in use, regardless of the amount of power the cyborg intends to use. It's still a better idea to get a pre-war Power Focus, but this will do in a pinch.

How do you guys like that?
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28/12/09 Scooter just bought a Deadlands book... In a Japanese Gaming store... And the clerk knew what it was. Awesome.

[deadlander]

this is how we do it re focus building

Making a power focus

A power focus is size 2 with 16 slots, using 5 structural components.

1st power is spirit trap, tn-10; 1.6 each electronic and mechanical, and 1 pound of ghost rock per level of the focus; this is to prepare the focus to receive the energy from the Manitou and the hunting grounds.

2nd power is flash Gordon, tn-8 +1 per level of focus over the first; 3.2 electronic and 1.6 mechanical, this power uses spiritual energy to open a path to the Manitou and hunting grounds.

All that’s left is a tn-11 occult engineering roll to install the focus. The focus uses 2 slots in the torso, and causes a spirit loss of 1. It uses drain equal to its level, which is supplied by the Manitou up to its spirit die type.

Total components used by focus = 5 structural, 5 electronic and 4 mechanical.

[ScooterinAB]

That's an interesting way to do it. Personally, though, I prefer a bit more of a by-the-books design, as opposed to conceptual designs. I prefer to see a design mechanic, where the junker can design and build the device (possibly as a part of another device).

Conceptual designs are great for things that are a little too tricky to work with (like the rules for building fetters, based off of existing powers), but I feel like it leaves me with a pre-canned device with no input or uniqueness.

But I'm glad that we were both thinking along the same lines with Spirit Trap. I think I even considered Flash Gordon as an accessory power, but I liked the mechanical feel of Spirit Weapon and Brain Drain more.
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28/12/09 Scooter just bought a Deadlands book... In a Japanese Gaming store... And the clerk knew what it was. Awesome.