ProfGrizzlyJon
Cosmic Mongoose
The idea would be that the biobrain replaces those non-Advanced brains (Primitive, Basic and Hunter/Killer) with instinct. It is an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on your biological template.
Robot Handbook - Biological Robots
- Thread starter Garnfellow
- Start date
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
If you have a Biobot Vargr, can they have Charisma as long as the Brain is advanced enough to avoid the Uncanny Valley Effect? If so, how do I deal with that?
Very good question. If the intent is to fool other members of the species as well as aliens it would need to be a lot more sophisticated than a bot just designed to hang out with humans unfamiliar with them.
I would think it would probably need to be designed by Vargr, for a start. Or at least have very heavy involvement from actual Vargr. That's outside of the design sequence rules, but makes sense.
Clearly just sounding and looking like a Vargr won't be enough. The bot would have to smell right, and be able to smell other Vargr properly in order not to miss scent cues. But being a biobot makes that a whole lot easier than an android. A working and authentic digestive system goes a long way in this instance.
Making the bot have some obvious bionics might help explain any odd mechanical smells and explain other not-right cues. Or their cover might admit to them being a clone. But you'd also need to be wary of any Charisma loss those things might bring in the group infiltrated.
Assuming all those issues are covered (and any I might not have thought of) I can't see why not. Secret biobots (and for that matter undercover agents) can have fake Social Standing, so why not fake Charisma? But as with real Charisma it would involve the other Vargr agreeing. The operation would likely involve the bot joining the target group as a low Charisma new arrival and by its actions develop a higher status.
This rule for secret robots and SOC could be adapted to apply to Charisma instead of SOC (Robot Handbook, p117):
"When using skills that normally require SOC, a robot may use its INT modifier instead, subject to the Referee’ s
interpretation of the society’s or individual’s reaction.
For example, if commanding troops who will follow orders from a robot or who do not know that the battle dress-equipped ‘colonel’ is actually a robot, the robot may use INT to modify a Leadership check but if the troops consider robots to be equipment, they are likely to react poorly and the robot reverts to SOC 0. In societies where a robot of sufficient intelligence is considered a citizen, SOC is determined on 2D."
I think that example is good enough to cover the situation. Just generate the Charisma normally, but if they ever find out the truth straight to zero.
Unless it's ALSO a situation where the Vargr in question (or at least some of them) accept the bot as kosher. You never can tell with the Doggies. Maybe use reaction rolls to see where it goes, but generic space trash Vargr are more likely to react badly than ones from a high tech utopia that are used to seeing AI beings as people.
Further thought:
Wasn't there a use of an AI personality that attracted a following back in the day? Maybe the DGP Vilani & Vargr book? I think it's established that Vargr CAN follow the public image of a leader, even though it's prone to being hijacked by a charismatic individual in person.
I would think it would probably need to be designed by Vargr, for a start. Or at least have very heavy involvement from actual Vargr. That's outside of the design sequence rules, but makes sense.
Clearly just sounding and looking like a Vargr won't be enough. The bot would have to smell right, and be able to smell other Vargr properly in order not to miss scent cues. But being a biobot makes that a whole lot easier than an android. A working and authentic digestive system goes a long way in this instance.
Making the bot have some obvious bionics might help explain any odd mechanical smells and explain other not-right cues. Or their cover might admit to them being a clone. But you'd also need to be wary of any Charisma loss those things might bring in the group infiltrated.
Assuming all those issues are covered (and any I might not have thought of) I can't see why not. Secret biobots (and for that matter undercover agents) can have fake Social Standing, so why not fake Charisma? But as with real Charisma it would involve the other Vargr agreeing. The operation would likely involve the bot joining the target group as a low Charisma new arrival and by its actions develop a higher status.
This rule for secret robots and SOC could be adapted to apply to Charisma instead of SOC (Robot Handbook, p117):
"When using skills that normally require SOC, a robot may use its INT modifier instead, subject to the Referee’ s
interpretation of the society’s or individual’s reaction.
For example, if commanding troops who will follow orders from a robot or who do not know that the battle dress-equipped ‘colonel’ is actually a robot, the robot may use INT to modify a Leadership check but if the troops consider robots to be equipment, they are likely to react poorly and the robot reverts to SOC 0. In societies where a robot of sufficient intelligence is considered a citizen, SOC is determined on 2D."
I think that example is good enough to cover the situation. Just generate the Charisma normally, but if they ever find out the truth straight to zero.
Unless it's ALSO a situation where the Vargr in question (or at least some of them) accept the bot as kosher. You never can tell with the Doggies. Maybe use reaction rolls to see where it goes, but generic space trash Vargr are more likely to react badly than ones from a high tech utopia that are used to seeing AI beings as people.
Further thought:
Wasn't there a use of an AI personality that attracted a following back in the day? Maybe the DGP Vilani & Vargr book? I think it's established that Vargr CAN follow the public image of a leader, even though it's prone to being hijacked by a charismatic individual in person.
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MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Wasn't that the K'kree?
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I must have missed that somehow. I will go try and find it now. Thank you.
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
Rebellion Sourcebook for MT, the Vargr section.
Here is the wiki entry:
wiki.travellerrpg.com
Here is the wiki entry:
Oekhsos - Traveller
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Maybe a robot avoiding detection as nonbiological is part of Camouflage: Olfactory Concealment. Not avoiding detection in this case, but mimicking a living being.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Yeah. Android to fool a Vargr's nose would require that, but a Biobot wouldn't. They are a living Vargr. Both would need proper Software as well, like; Science (Psychology - Vargr), Art (performance), Melee (natural), Language (Vargr), etc...
Those are basically clones. The brains appear to be more biological than mechanical, so it's probably more in the genetic engineering/bionic sphere. But you could do them as Biobots with very sophisticated (high tech) bot brains.
It's fair to assign a very high cybernetics/robotics/computers tech level to the Cylons.
Generally the Biobot body is cheaper, too. At TL15 they're both Cr10,000 per slot, but the Android needs the upgrades to mimic things properly and can still be detected on a scan. But both use the same brain and software.
On the other hand, the Android can be switched off and stored in a crate and can use regular Robot tricks like storing stuff in a body cavity.
So it's swings and roundabouts.
Ooooh!
I just noticed this one in the Robot Handbook:
"The Entourage Biobot is for people who want to have a large entourage but who may not have the charisma or prestige to maintain one."
Now I'm thinking about a rich loser Vargr who puffs up their sad lack of actual Charisma with biobot or android lackeys...
I just noticed this one in the Robot Handbook:
"The Entourage Biobot is for people who want to have a large entourage but who may not have the charisma or prestige to maintain one."
Now I'm thinking about a rich loser Vargr who puffs up their sad lack of actual Charisma with biobot or android lackeys...
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Brown noser biobot.
