 What are technomancers?, We just don't know. |
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  Jul 3 2007, 06:46 PM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 23 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,806  |
I'm writing up a plotline that deals heavily with an NPC Technomancer, and as part of this plotline, it would help if I knew exactly what a technomancer was in game terms. I assume it's obvious to everyone that they seem to work in a way similar to magic, but that obviously doesn't mean they are any particular kind of magic.
The SR4 book doesn't give any real information about what technomancers really are. Are there any other resources I'm not aware of that might give some hints? Have they mentioned any plans for releasing a Technomancer sourcebook? I may have to invent things, and if I'm doing so I'd kind of rather not conflict with the near-future universe, but that may be inevitable. One of my players has made a "magic researcher" character, who's very interested in technology and magic for the sake of improving humanity's position in life. He mentioned "three zones", the physical world, the magical world, and the Matrix - I think, barring any official stance on the matter, I'm going to go with "technomancers are the first people that seriously exist in all three zones in some way", even though they're clearly weighted towards Matrix. Any commentary? Even if you just tell me how your GM is treating this unexplored area of Shadowrun it might be helpful. :) |
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Jul 3 2007, 07:00 PM
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#2
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,434 Joined: 31-December 06 Member No.: 10,502 |
Well you'll want to pick up "emergence" which you can buy right now as a pdf.
Still doesn't really clear things up. They're deliberatly playing coy with us. But what it means is that your researcher isn't going to be able to figure it out either, the big book explicitly mentions mages haven't figured out how TMs work. He is welcome to his theories however. |
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Jul 3 2007, 07:29 PM
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#3
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,180 Joined: 22-January 07 From: Rochester, NY Member No.: 10,737 |
essentially, what a technomancer is is a metahuman whose nervous system has been modified by parties unknown into essentially a living commlink; the bioelectric field around their bodies has been modified into being able to receive and send wi-fi signals, while the brain has been modified to be able to process raw digital input. The reason that they're so sensitive to cyber and bioware is because they upset the finely-tuned bioelectric field. They are not magical in nature; someone or something has fiddled with their physiology to make them into living commlinks, as opposed to magicians, who can tap into the mana field.
More rules for TMs will be coming out in the Unwired book which will be released sometime next year, and as for why their mechanic is so similar to that of magicians, it's quite simple--so the GM can stay sane. |
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Jul 3 2007, 09:28 PM
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#4
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 11-September 04 From: GA Member No.: 6,651 |
I agree with the previous two posters. True enough.
Add to that: TM's are summoners of matrix entities drawn from the Deep Resonance. What they summon are called 'sprites' and are the basis for their influence on the matrix and their methods of affecting the matrix. The third realm shouldn't be Matrix any more than it should be Shopping Malls... the third realm should be Resonance. :-) |
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Jul 3 2007, 11:56 PM
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#5
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,148 Joined: 27-February 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,314 |
But if you don't call it Resonance, you can say that the three realms are Meat, Magic, and Matrix. And alliteration goes a long way. =i) |
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Jul 4 2007, 12:25 AM
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#6
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
don't you mean "and a little alliteration goes a long way"? =D |
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Jul 4 2007, 12:48 AM
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#7
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
I like the theory that technomancers are metahumans evolved from electric fish.
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Jul 4 2007, 12:49 AM
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#8
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
the High Evolutionary's always pulling crazy pranks like that.
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Jul 4 2007, 01:49 AM
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#9
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
Technomancers are the result of a Mass Illusion Ritual spell engineered by the awakened to get revenge on all those hackers.
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Jul 4 2007, 01:50 AM
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#10
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 11-September 04 From: GA Member No.: 6,651 |
This gave me a reall funny mental picture of a really 'high' TM who uses novocoke and runs around going "Zzzzt! Zzzzzt! I'm an electric eel of a TM, Zzzzzt!" I suppose I've always heretofor pictured TMs are composed and calculating but hey, why not a crackhead TM? |
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Jul 4 2007, 04:34 AM
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#11
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,598 Joined: 24-May 03 Member No.: 4,629 |
My fave Technomancer is an Orc who wants to "Bring teh walls down, man!" and is all NeoAnarchist. Rocker turned Technomancer, I guess.
The best I have in a cultural sense is in Philly, where there's a small group called "The Null Set" who live in a massive junkyard and have a community that hides from corporations and the public. The "Nulls" keep to themselves and don't hurt anybody, so get a pass, since they blend with squatters and homeless, save a "Holy symbol" that they wear. (A round "Nuts and bolts" bolt on a cord, representing a zero.) |
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Jul 4 2007, 04:58 AM
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#12
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,180 Joined: 22-January 07 From: Rochester, NY Member No.: 10,737 |
*sigh* I always knew that nothing is sacred. *rimshot* :D |
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Jul 4 2007, 05:37 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 295 Joined: 10-July 05 Member No.: 7,492 |
I would understand using the nut to represent zero, since it looks like one, but the bolt? That's kinda wierd. (Plus the nut would be alot easier to string on a cord, since it's got a big hole in it and all). ========= In case their some wierd cultural disconnect with naming schemes, here are pictures of what I'm talking about: This is a bolt. This is a nut. |
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Jul 4 2007, 05:39 AM
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#14
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,180 Joined: 22-January 07 From: Rochester, NY Member No.: 10,737 |
It's a zero with a diagonal slash through it, so as not to be confused with an O.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashed_zero |
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Jul 4 2007, 10:54 AM
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#15
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,598 Joined: 24-May 03 Member No.: 4,629 |
No bolt, just the nut, actually. But if I said "They walk around wearing a nut on a string", many people would assume I meant, like, a walnut or something and be extra puzzled. :) So, "A nut, as in 'nuts and bolts'". Not, you know, Peanuts. |
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Jul 5 2007, 07:28 AM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 556 Joined: 28-May 04 From: Moorhead, MN, USA Member No.: 6,367 |
Perhaps you meant "(A round 'Nuts and bolts' nut on a cord, representing a zero.)" I understand your desire for clarification. "Nut" could be interpreted even worse than peanut. Unfortunately, you accidentally obfuscated. |
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Jul 5 2007, 08:26 AM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 410 Joined: 5-April 07 From: Vancouver, BC Member No.: 11,383 |
Wasn't it decided that they were magic. :P
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Jul 6 2007, 02:29 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 23-December 02 Member No.: 3,782 |
Not magical.
Magically active <---> Mundane <---> Technomancers You must pick only one! |
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