 Ally Spirits and Drones, Can they be combined? |
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 Jan 11 2004, 11:02 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 665 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,834  |
I was looking at the description of the homonculus Foci and ally spirits, then I looked at the odd drones thread, and a bizarre thought occured to me.
What if you combined a drone and a homonculus foci? Could you make an ally spirit which could also be jacked into with a VCD? Would the Spirit give the drone added power and abilities? Could the spirit fire turreted weapons? What if the drone had a robotic brain? If the Drone was also a car would the Rigger call it KIT? I'll admit this is an odd notion but my current character is a rigger/shaman type so bizarre magic/tech combos are often on my mind. |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:06 PM
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#2
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
Interesting thought -- does orac...the magical metal...conduct electricity?
-Siege |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:10 PM
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#3
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,013 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Orichalcum. I have absolutely no idea, but this thread is a thought I've had previously, and if it were workable it would rock.
~J |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:12 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 665 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,834 |
Hmm, well Gold, Silver, and Copper are practically the best conductors in the entire metals world.
Mercury sucks compared to other metals. Anyway since you can make Homonculi out of clay and wood (as well as stone and steel) I don't think they actually require being a conductor, much less pure orichalcum. |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:16 PM
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#5
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
I was thinking more along the lines of the drone moreso than the foci.
That's just an icky thought...can you combine a homonuculus with cyberware or implant it in a magical person? Hmm... -Siege |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:18 PM
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#6
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,685 Joined: 17-August 02 Member No.: 3,123 |
On the most basic level you could just have your spirit manifest as a tiny person and put some controls in there. It could use the controls with vehicle skills, gunnery skills, SUT skills, electronic warfare skills, etc. It could even use sorcery through ballistic glass or a fiber-optic system.
Since that's possible I don't think it'd be a big deal to give it further levels of integration. If you hash something like that out with your GM, be sure to tell us about it :) |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:19 PM
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#7
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,965 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 2,032 |
I believe Orichalcum would conduct electricity, assuming it does follow at-least some of the laws of physics and all of its components conduct electricity. You would need to enchant the drone as a homonculous, and teach it skills like car, walker, gunnery, ETC but I think it would be possible.
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Jan 11 2004, 11:26 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 665 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,834 |
Would it need skills like car and walker? It seems like the drone would be the body of the spirit, that would be like requiring the shadowrunner to have a "Walk" skill.
Gunnery, yeah I could see that though. Hmm, leads to some odd events when the spirit starts to become independent. "Spark! Use Stunball!" Spark fires a concussion grenade at the enemies. "Er, good job." Would the spirit then like you for buying it new toys for it's body as well as using Karma to upgrade it? "Hey Spark, we're a little tight this month but it's still your birthday so you get your choice of presents. You can have a pair of mechanical arms with hand razors or I'll teach you the Electronics skill." |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:31 PM
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#9
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
That's the thing. Orichalcum doesn't follow the laws of physics. It cannot possibly exist without the aid of magic. As for conductivity... I'm not sure... Not all compounds copy their parent elements. In fact, most don't. Salt, for example, contains one very poisonous gas and one very explosive metal (when exposed to water). This post has been edited by tanka: Jan 11 2004, 11:31 PM |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:31 PM
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#10
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
"statement: your meatbag understanding of fiber-optic/electronic systems is too primitively febrile to be of any use to this unit. gimme the goddamn sooshi-fingers."
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Jan 11 2004, 11:34 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 228 Joined: 7-December 03 Member No.: 5,883 |
I now have the perfect villain for my next run. a free spirit (ex-ally) in a drone body. the spirit went free and got the power of Wealth, and has since been upgrading himself and hiring minions, buying karma... oh, this is gonna be nasty.
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Jan 11 2004, 11:36 PM
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#12
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Remember, SR-tech does not use electrical wiring for any computing aspect. The only wires would be between the power cells and the engine (if battery or EFC). The circuitry is optical. Either way, you can use your orichalcum to make neat arcane symbols on the interior and it will help just as much as if you tried to make an orichalcum circuitboard (with less chance of technological failure).
Having a homonoculus drone would be an interesting novelty for the rigger/mage or an odd backup for when the drone's firepower is wanted and the rigger is busy or incapacitated. |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:37 PM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 228 Joined: 7-December 03 Member No.: 5,883 |
nope. you're talking about the difference between a metal and an ion there (Na vs. Na+) that little electron makes a huge difference. an alloy is just a mix of 2 metals kinda like mixing alcohol and water. it still has alot of the properties of the individual pieces, but it also has some unique properties (freezing point depression, etc). off hand, I would say the conductivity would be about that of the lowest conductor (Hg in this case). |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:37 PM
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#14
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
Insane adept who hears his implanted spurs talking to him...and the blades are weapon focuses...
-Siege |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:38 PM
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#15
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
donuts, you should call your villain red robot.
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Jan 11 2004, 11:39 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 228 Joined: 7-December 03 Member No.: 5,883 |
well not just the engine, anything that requires power, like the turrets, the headlights, the radio, the sensor array, the coffee maker, etc. |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:41 PM
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#17
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
My mistake, I forgot the coffee maker.
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Jan 11 2004, 11:47 PM
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#18
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
Damn straight you did. Fragging Horror... |
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Jan 11 2004, 11:53 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 665 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,834 |
I've always wondered about that. Why can't orichalcum exist without magic? There's nothing inherently absurd about it's chemical composition, I could probably whip some up in a few minutes if I had any mercury around, which I don't but still, it's a pretty simple alloy compared to some I've seen. I don't think real orichalcum would actually turn orange, probably look more like electrum unless you were putting a truckload of copper in it though. |
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Jan 12 2004, 03:26 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 316 Joined: 18-July 03 Member No.: 4,963 |
You're forgetting the golden rule of SR-tech and optical stuff. They are only optical when the writers want it to be. Examples: Zapper Static Discharge Rocket from Cannon Companion. It's an electric rocket that sends a strong electrical surge into the vehicle. Because of this, it's antivehicular. It also somehow deals Riggers who might be using the drone remotely physical damage, but that's a problem with electricity in general. Magnetic System from M&M is unable to interfere with computers and such on account of the fact that they're optical. |
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Jan 12 2004, 04:29 AM
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#21
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,013 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Right; it only I believe states that computers are optical, no other piece of electronics (not that it's accurate to call an optical computer electronics, but still).
~J |
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Jan 12 2004, 05:28 AM
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#22
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
To get back onto the original topic-- there's absolutely no reason why a drone or car can't be used as a homoniculi focus. The Enchanting TNs will be high, but it's entirely possible, and oricalcum isn't even required. The spirit could control it's own body, so it could fire turreted weapons; but it's ability to interact with the electronics and sensors would be limited at best. It wouldn't gain any special powers, but it would be significantly more capable than even the best robotic brain.
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Jan 12 2004, 08:17 AM
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#23
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,362 Joined: 3-October 03 From: Poway, San Diego County, CA, USA Member No.: 5,676 |
Yeah, I don't see why a homunculus foci couldn't be a fully functional drone. The drone has to have orichalcum somewhere, but it isn't entirely constructed of orichalcum, so it really doesn't matter how well that alloy conducts electricity. The drone/focus would have to use ammo like any normal drone; no magic ammo conjuration. I would allow it to have radio communication, but jacking into the matrix is a big no-no. Also, riggers wouldn't be able to control it directly, unless that rigger is also the mage who controls it, which is insane.
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Jan 12 2004, 05:26 PM
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#24
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
Oricalcum isn't required. It'll help, certainly, but it's not required to make a homoniculi focus, or any focus (other than maybe a weapon focus).
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Jan 12 2004, 05:33 PM
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#25
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
[Ancient-SR2-Rule!]Weapon Foci require Orichalcum.[/Ancient-SR2-Rule!]
Not sure about SR3, though. Never read it anywhere. |
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