Trent Castanaveras, Hacker or Technomancer? |
Trent Castanaveras, Hacker or Technomancer? |
Oct 19 2005, 05:23 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 11 Joined: 17-October 05 From: Calgary, Alberta Member No.: 7,852 |
Being a huge fan of the Daniel Keys Moran novel, "The Long Run", I've been trying to pattern an SR4 character after Trent Castanaveras.
My problem is..... he's from Keys' universe and I'm struggling to decide if he's a better fit as a Hacker or a Technomancer. The novel describes him as a "Player, datanet prodigy, webdancer, thief" and he isn't cyber'd at all, aside from the "Inskin" he has implanted in his temple which allows him to go "Inside" and merge with his "Image" (his Matrix persona he calls Johnny Johnny). My knowlege of the character has me leaning towards a Technomancer/Face rather than a Hacker, at this point. Now here's the snag... Trent's Image (Johnny Johnny) appears to act as an independent entity within the Matrix, but only rouses to full wakefulness when Trent closes his eyes and "merges" with him. AND Johnny Johnny can never remember the between times, when Trent is not with him, how it is to be truly alive in the Infonet (Matrix). The relationship in the novel is described as a "partnership and symbiosis" with Trent's touch bringing Johnny Johnny to life. Trent reliquishes all touch with Realtime, falls away into the glowing "Crystal Wind", merges with his Image, becoming more than the sum of the two parts. Does this seem to fit the Technomancer character type? My assumption is that a Living Persona doesn't exist until the Technomancer enters the Matrix which kind of trashes the "symbiosis of 2 independent entities" idea which is the core of Moran's character concept. Any advice/info on translating this character into SR would be much appreciated. I realize I'm being uber-geeky here but I'm counting on someone here being a fan of both Moran and SR. Thanks in advance, Clark :) |
|
|
Oct 19 2005, 06:02 AM
Post
#2
|
|||||
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 268 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Brisbane, Australia Member No.: 78 |
Well at this point he could work either way, because neither of them require cyberware to access the matrix. However, even without cyberware a hacker will still need a commlink and a trode rig, which would mean that without him, he can't access the matrix at all. If that doesn't fit your character idea, then he needs to be a technomancer who can access the matrix without any equipment at all
Well this is interesting. Hacker or technomancer, generally the persona will be active all the time and "with" the character, because the character will be accessing the Matrix via AR nearly every waking moment of their lives. The character only "becomes" the persona when he undergoes full VR access to the matrix, but even without VR access, the persona is still in the matrix in an anaologous position to the character, because the character is still accessing via VR. If I was going to do this character, I'd do it with some house rules as a technomancer. If you can talk the GM in to it, have the technomancers living persona act as a sort of "free sprite" when he is not in full VR mode. The problem comes from how the character would then interact with the matrix in AR mode, because technically even though he isn't "in" it, it's still actually the persona that does the interactions with the matrix. |
||||
|
|||||
Oct 19 2005, 08:00 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 399 Joined: 27-May 04 Member No.: 6,361 |
You could take a special kind of amnesia flaw that keeps him from remembering when he goes full VR. Now a technomancer is technically always "on" when it comes to that theses things, so a living persona is as well (unless a technomancer wishes it be offline... a condition they likely feel very uncomfortable about.) So in a sense it could still be a symbiosis.
|
|
|
Oct 19 2005, 04:03 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
technomancers can't use AR, so how the persona acts in AR is not relevant.
well, i should qualify that: technomancers cannot use AR as technomancers. they can, of course, buy the necessary gear and access AR in the same manner as everyone else. in any event, perhaps if it's a normal hacker you could have the persona be an agent when you're not jacked in? |
|
|
Oct 19 2005, 04:10 PM
Post
#5
|
|||||
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
I took this to mean they can use AR natively as well. *shrug* |
||||
|
|||||
Oct 19 2005, 04:25 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
pretty sure it says technomancers can only access the matrix via full VR. maybe i misread something though. i'll have to see what i can find later. still, i coulda swore i saw that somewhere...
|
|
|
Oct 19 2005, 04:31 PM
Post
#7
|
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
If you can find it please do post it.
|
|
|
Oct 19 2005, 06:10 PM
Post
#8
|
|||||||
Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
hmmm... well, i am either not finding it, or i misread... the closest relevant information i can find is as follows:
i think this may be the thing that i misread. it does not say that they can't access AR however (mind you, it also doesn't say that they can either... not sure the rules are ever really explicit about that).
this suggests, to me (but again, is not explicit either way) that AR is just a background hum. that phrase is mentioned once elsewhere too, i believe, in more or less the same manner. however, it could be argued that that's just when they turn AR of, i suppose, and when they turn it on they would perceive it as more than a hum. so, over all, i can't really find anything to disprove it... so i guess from now on, technomancers in games i run will be able to perceive AR without the aid of a commlink and glasses (i'm not sure anyone will care that much though... it's not like the gear is expensive or rare =P ) oh, and if i were going to try to prove that technomancers can perceive AR, i would probably use this quote:
it is, i think, the strongest case for it i suppose. a normal commlink can do it, therefore a technomancer can do it. that's about the strongest in favor, and i would have to admit, stronger than the strongest argument in oppossition of technomancers having access to AR. i concede the point (unless i find some hidden reference that's not in the index somewhere, that is :D)
|
||||||
|
|||||||
Oct 20 2005, 01:37 AM
Post
#9
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 11 Joined: 17-October 05 From: Calgary, Alberta Member No.: 7,852 |
Thanks for the feedback guys!
I can't believe how long it's been since I've read the novel, but it's always been a favorite of mine. In the begginning of the book, Trent uses sunglasses containing traceset contacts and a handheld "InfoNet link" which contains the traceset itself. Translation: a Hacker with a commlink and trodes. Later in the book, when it appears that someone is starting to make the connection between Trent and his Matrix "Image", he sees a biosculptor and has his fingerprints, palmprints, and retinal print changed. Rather than upgrading his handheld InfoNet link and traceset to an "Inskin", however, he opts for having the Tytan NN-II surgically installed, which is described as a nerve net designed to sit in high memory and model what's happening in your brain. This AI nerve net is inserted into the fluid layer between your skull and the outer surface of your brain and basically bonds with the host's brain via billions of chemical connections. Full VR with no socket, no handheld, and no traceset. Regardless of the in-universe sci-fi explanation of what exactly this is, it sure as hell sounds like a Technomancer's built-in biological commlink doesn't it? :) As for Trents "Image" Johnny Johnny, he definitely floats around the Matrix doing menial tasks unless asked by Trent to shut down or hide for a while. Trent can call on him without "merging" in Full VR and, in return, Johnny Johnny can contact Trent if something is going on in his assigned routines that Trent needs to be aware of. Only when they merge in Full VR, do they become one entity. So.............. Can a Technomancer's Living Persona act independently? If not, should I could consider Johnny Johnny to be the Living Persona when they are "merged" but have him transform into a registered sprite when Trent is in RealTime? Is a sprite the same as your Living Persona, only that it's acting as a separate entity? Thoughts, comments, and advice most welcome. I really want to stat this character out. :) Clark |
|
|
Oct 20 2005, 01:52 AM
Post
#10
|
|
Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
just give yourself a minor flaw that keeps you from using sprites when in VR.
|
|
|
Oct 20 2005, 02:19 AM
Post
#11
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 11 Joined: 17-October 05 From: Calgary, Alberta Member No.: 7,852 |
Great idea. Thanks!
I like the duality concept so I might see if my GM is willing to allow me to have Johnny Johnny as a Sprite when they are separate entities and Trent is in Realtime, in exchange for the inability to compile Sprites when Trent/Johnny Johnny are in Full VR . Sounds like a more than fair trade off in the interests of getting my SR character closer to this concept. Then again I may be severely limiting my Technomancer character with this exchange. I'm going to hit the rulebook some more before I try and make a deal. :lol Thanks for the input everyone. Clark :) |
|
|
Oct 20 2005, 05:35 AM
Post
#12
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 11 Joined: 17-October 05 From: Calgary, Alberta Member No.: 7,852 |
ack..
I really can't see this conversion working. Short of being an AI (and isn't there only a few in the whole Matrix?) it's hard to justify Johnny Johnny as an independent entity within the Matrix during Trent's Realtime. The idea of Trent (while in Realtime) being able to converse back and forth with his Image was a cool aspect of their relationship, but there's not enough negative qualities in the game to justify this and what would be protecting his Image when they're not merged in VR. That's the hard part about trying to import your favorite book or movie character into the context of a game's mechanics. The concept seems great until stat them out and realize that they'd be dead meat in short order. In keeping with the character, Trent would also lack sprites and have a very strong adversion to guns and killing. Now how long would THIS guy last? Back to the drawing board. :lol Clark |
|
|
Oct 26 2005, 06:04 AM
Post
#13
|
|
Jacked In, Up & Out Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 232 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Oceanside, CA Member No.: 95 |
So, uh, is "walking through walls" a quality? ;)
Seriously, besides his hacking skills, Trent had a LOT of other skills/powers/capabilities. Be pretty hard to do just to him with a starting character. But, enjoy none-the-less. Too bad DKM will (probably) never publish another novel. Emerald Eyes and The Long Run were my two favorites. Dave |
|
|
Oct 26 2005, 11:05 PM
Post
#14
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 11 Joined: 17-October 05 From: Calgary, Alberta Member No.: 7,852 |
Dave - great to hear from another DKM fan. Don't forget The Last Dancer (the 3rd book in the series). Not as good as The Long Run, imo, since it focuses more on Denise than Trent. Apparently DKM's 4th book in The Tales of the Continuing Time is titled The AI Wars, but I've only read a brief 2 page teaser and doubt it was ever written, let alone published.
Did this guy pass away or something? |
|
|
Oct 27 2005, 04:28 AM
Post
#15
|
|
Jacked In, Up & Out Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 232 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Oceanside, CA Member No.: 95 |
No, he's still around, just not into sci-fi writing anymore, apparently. There is a mailing list which I am a part of and which gets sporadic traffic, and updates. Not from him, but from others. he is definitely still alive, though. Continuing-Time mailing list is the title, I think. Do a google, and you can find the website for it.
Yep, read the Last Dancer as well, just as good, just a different focus (in my opinion, at least) Dave |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th April 2024 - 11:43 AM |
Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.