Daemons, Critique Wanted Options

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For the last few weeks me and my GM have been throwing together some custom rules for my Technomancer. Ever since I read the rules for Ally Spirits in Street Magic I wanted my Technomancer to have a Matrix equivalent. When I heard Technomancers got a good bit of page property in Unwired I was excited, hoping I would get my Ally Sprite. Nope, but of well, it brought lots of other fun things. So instead I decided to write up my own rules for creating such an Ally Sprite. I decided to call them Daemons purely based on knowing that Otaku used to have things called Daemons, plus it sounds cool (I know that it is originally a computer term, but my knowledge of UNIX systems is sparse, and I believe that is what it refers too.) Someone was asking about the rule earlier so I thought I might as well post it.

However I am not really that experienced at writing up custom rules (Some things here and there, but not that much) so I was wondering if some people could go over them and have a look-see. I am not sure about balance so far, I haven't really had a chance to exhaustively go through them bit by bit, however they follow a lot of precedent set out in the initial Ally Spirit rule section so I don't think they should be too bad. The only thing that might be off are Karma costs.

A note, these rules are not finished. I still have to write up stuff about Bastions (You will see) and these will basically act like an AI's Home Node with much less benefit. I also have to write up some other rules, but I left these sections at the end so it shouldn't break your reading. This is fairly long, and grammar mistakes are almost a certainty (I am crap at grammar) so please excuse any glaring mistakes (and point them out!). Also some of the names *cough Act of Compilation cough* are temporary and a bit cheesy. Any better suggestions would be useful. Just noticed I also didnt finish the Rundown bit, there is more to go in there as well, but it is late and I have been at this for a few hours now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif) You might also recognise that some of the text is pulled from the Ally Spirit rules with some changes. I am aware of this (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[ Spoiler ]

Concepts:

Daemon – A Technomancers unique, and often powerful, companion.
Bastion – A Daemons home node. The connection a Daemon shares with the Deep Resonance changes its Bastion much like that of an AI's home node, optimizing and improving different aspects such a Firmware and Drivers. The result is a node that has the capacity to perform more efficiently than it was originally designed. A Daemons Bastion is defined in its source-code, and as such it may not be changed without re-editing the Daemons source-code in the same way as when it was initially compiled.

Rundown of the Process:

1.Technomancer learns the Daemon Compilation Echo.
2.Technomancer compiles a normal Sprite of his choosing that his Stream allows. Note that the Rating of this Sprite has no affect on the final power of the Daemon.
3.Technomancer must use the Resonance Realms to acquire the Sprites source-code. This should be a difficult task, as many Sprites take measures to secure their own source-codes.
4.Technomancer must then edit the Sprites source-code. Editing the source-code is an extended test, Resonance + Edit (desired Rating * 10, 1 Hour), and prepares the Sprite for its transformation into a Daemon. The process of editing a Sprites source-code this way is highly personal and the end result is a unique, Resonance imbued file that is intrinsically linked to the Technomancer. Any Sprite or Technomancer that gains access to this source-code can instinctively trace the current Matrix location of both the Daemon and the Technomancer that wrote it.
5.Technomancer must prepare a Node for the Daemon. This Node must have a Device Rating at least equal to that of the Daemons Rating. It is this Node that will contain the initial copy of the Daemons source-code and be used as the Daemons Bastion

Creating a Daemon:

Step 1: Choose Rating - A Daemons base base cost equals 8 Karma times its desired rating.

Step 2: Choose Type – A Daemons Matrix Attributes are determined by its type. For example, a Paladin Daemon that is based on a Paladin Sprite would have the following attributes:
Pilot – Rating, Response – R + 2, Firewall – R + 2, Initiative – R * 1, IP – 3, Edge – R.
The Daemon can gain the ability to change its base type at the cost of 2 Karma per additional type. The Daemon may then change its type by reconfiguring itself with a Complex Action. The Daemons initial Type is based on the Sprite used during the Compilation of the Daemon.

Step 3: Choose Powers – The Daemon automatically begins with a number of powers equal to its Rating/3 (rounded up). The Daemon can gain access to additional powers at the cost of 5 Karma per power. A Daemon can learn any power listed on pages 242-243 SR4A and 156-157 Unwired.

Step 4: Choose Complex Forms – The Daemon automatically begins with three Complex Forms equal to its Rating. The Daemon can then gain access to additional Complex Forms by spending Karma. The Karma cost of purchasing new Complex Forms differs for Common Programs and Hacking Programs. The cost of a new Common Program, at a rating equal to that of the Daemon, is 2 Karma per Complex Form. The cost of a new Hacking Program, at a rating equal to that of the Daemon, is 5 Karma per Complex Form.


Act of Compilation

The Compilation of a Daemon must be performed at a Resonance Well of any Rating. The Technomancer first calls the Sprite that he intends to use as a base to the Node containing the Resonance Well. Immediately after calling the Sprite the Technomancer must recompile the Sprite using the source-code, forcing it upon the base Sprite and reconfiguring its Resonance. This act follows the normal rules for compiling a Sprite, and Fading is calculated as if compiling a Sprite equal to the intended Rating of the Daemon.
If the compiling is unsuccessful the base Sprite, and the source-code, is corrupted beyond use. If the compiling is successful then the Technomancer must immediately pay the Karma cost of the Daemon (see Creating a Daemon). The Technomancer must expend the predefined amount of Karma or the compilation immediately fails.

Enhancing a Daemon

At a later time, a Technomancer may choose to modify a Daemons source-code to grant it additional Types, Powers and Complex Forms. The Technomancer may also increase a Daemons Rating this way. Modifying the Daemons source-code requires a new Resonance + Edit (desired Rating * 5) extended test.
After re-editing the Daemons source-code the Daemon must be recompiled using the Act of Compilation. The Karma costs for doing so are the same as when the source-code was initially edited, and raising the Daemons Rating costs 8 Karma per point.
Unlike when the Daemon was originally compiled, failure during the Act of Compilation simply means that the Technomancer failed to upgrade the source-code. The Daemon continues to exist at its current Rating, and no Karma is lost.

Losing a Daemon

The act of editing a Daemons source-code is a highly personal act, and by doing so the Technomancer imbues the Daemon with an intelligence greater than that of a normal Sprite. Technomancers who are especially cruel or callous can easily lose the respect and friendship of their Daemon, just as they can anger any other contact or acquaintance. If the Technomancer becomes overly dependent on his Daemon, or he regularly endangers it, the Daemon may become resentful and attempt to seek its own freedom. A Daemon can only attempt to break away during an Act of Compilation, and even then only if its master is incapacitated by Physical Damage or Fading and it feels that it has been wronged.
If a Daemon attempts to break free of its Technomancer, it must first make an Opposed Test pitting its Rating*2 against the Technomancers Resonance*2. If the Daemon breaks free during an Act of Compilation the compiling fails and Karma is not spent. The Daemons source-code is pulled back into the Resonance Realms, and the Technomancer must also suffer unresistible Fading equal to three times the number of hits the Daemon achieved during the Opposed Test. If the Technomancer is incapacitated by the Fading, the Daemon immediately goes free.
The enmity of a Daemon is nothing to laugh about. While incapable of disobeying an order, and it may not directly harm its master, it is every bit as intelligent as its compiler and will go to great lengths to break its bonds. For this reason, despite the gross difference in power between the Technomancer and the Daemon, most Technomancers treat their Daemons very well.



The Daemons Bastion



New Rules

Things Left to Do
Finish the Rundown, Bastion and New Rules sections
Work out other things that my tired head cannot remember right now.

So, any glaring mistakes, and critique, and any outright objections?