Ally Sprites, Were they deliberately omitted? Options

[JoelHalpern]

Periodically, in doodling with Technomancers, I wonder about allowing ally sprites as a submersion ability. (Not that there is any shortage of interesting submersion powers already... There are many.)

My suspicion is that they were omitted deliberately because unless you came up with a reason to block "aid operations", they are a very bug help. (An always on bonus to Stealth, plus anything else you need.)

So I thought I would ask if anyone else has thought about whether these work, or are unbalanced?

Along the same line, given that AIs and Free Spirits are allowed by RC as players, was there a reason that Free Sprites weren't?

Thanks,
Joel

[Jaid]

you're pretty much dead on with the ally sprite. support operation is basically a +rating bonus to every single CF in the book if you have unlimited services. not to mention sustaining all your threading for you, which is like adding another bonus to each CF. so in short... yes, it is horribly, horribly overpowered. you'd have to modify it a little bit... if it could do everything that registered sprites can and have unlimited services, it would make the TM too powerful, and would basically be the only real option (and to think it could also count as an ordeal, if we follow the pattern between TMs and mages...)

as far as free sprites being characters, the main problem is that free sprites don't advance by gaining karma... they advance by absorbing registered sprites, which are substantially easier to aquire than karma, and in short order your free sprite will be extremely high rating (all you have to do is trade services for bound sprites with a few TMs, and you'll be danged-near all-powerful before long...)

[Tiger Eyes]

There is the Resonance Bond (p. 160, Unwired).

[JoelHalpern]

There is the Resonance Bond (p. 160, Unwired).

Part of what I was wondering about was if one had enough of a resonance bond, and enough of a positive relationship with the Free Sprite, how much could one do. Getting that high enough to singificantly shift thread draining is one possibility.
Conceptually, if one has a resonance bond, roles plays talking with and working with the free sprite, and feeds the free sprite regularly, one could end up with something quite powerful, although lacking some of the strengths, and some of the limitations, of allies.

Joel

[InfinityzeN]

Insanely over powered and game breaking concept. IE, even if it was cannon it would get banned from my game due to making non-TM hackers completely worthless.