04-10-2019, 06:11 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Niagara, Canada
|
Non-supernatural Corruption?
Campaign setting: fairly hard SF, STL interstellar, TL10ish.
I'm thinking of offering options for a form of Corruption (Horror, p146-8; and the "Corrupting" modifier from p22). Instead of involving supernatural auras, the model I'm considering is "sacrificing some part of the complexity of human value in exchange for a short-term gain". (Based on "Meditations on Moloch, at https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/3...ons-on-moloch/ , with a bit of Stross's "Laundry Files" mixed in.) For example, a character might buy "Unfazeable (15), Corrupting 4 levels (-80%) [3]", by letting their mind become slightly more cold and inhuman every time they rely on it, gaining 12 Corruption Points per Fright Check negated thusly. Or, from the thread at http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=162946 , an AI-mediated form of Serendipity could involve a similar savings in points in exchange for one's mind being shaped by neural networks whose strategies are as incomprehensible as AlphaGo Zero's moves in a board-game. If a relevant AI-derived teacher or advisor can be found, maybe use Powers' "Trading Fatigue for Skill" in combination with Horror's Corruption, allowing a bonus of +1 to +4 per skill roll in exchange for 1 to 4 Corruption Points, though I still need to come up with some good technobabble for that one. Outside of Advantages or Disadvantages built with the modifier, I'm thinking Corruption points could be gained via Derangement, Learning Hidden Lore (Inhuman AIs)... perhaps swap out 'Cursed Items' for 'weird inhuman-AI-designed gadgetry'. I want to throw in something about being subjected to superstimuli, such as AI-formulated chocolate which is literally more delicious than any food the human has ever tasted; maybe I'll treat that as 'Bad Places', or maybe as allowing the otherwise-cinematic Enthrallment skills (swapping out the FP costs for Corruption Points). "Simplifying one's values" offers some guidance for what Disadvantages those Corruption Points can turn into (eg, Addiction, Callous, Fanaticism, Killjoy, Low Empathy, No Sense of Humor, Oblivious, Obsession; depending on the direction of simplification, maybe one of Compulsive Behaviour, Greed, Lecherousness, Paranoia, or Workaholic), but I'm sure I'm missing ideas. 'Cleansing', in this case, likely involves working hard at reconnecting with ordinary human society - 'Meritorious Act's seem good, though I think I'll switch 'Penance' to being something more warm-and-fuzzy than Meditation (maybe 4 Corruption points per day dedicated to nothing but close family, and maybe rolling against Housekeeping-2 instead of Meditation), though I can't think of a way to make 'If Thy Hand Offend Thee' seem quite appropriate. (The closest I can come up with the latter is to ignore the physical aspect, and pick some more humanity-reinforcing Disadvantages to voluntarily assume instead: Charitable, Dependents, Pacifism, and Sense of Duty seem like options.) Can you suggest any details that this approach suggests to you?
__________________
Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat "Then again, maybe I'm wrong." |
04-10-2019, 09:19 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Niagara, Canada
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
As an example of where my mind is going with this; I'm thinking about modelling "rapidly instruct somebody else in ahuman values" as a Sense-Based Affliction that imposes the Disadvantage of additional Corruption Points (as described in Madness Dossier p52, 10 CP is worth -1 Character Point). Something along the lines of:
- Affliction, 1 level (10), Cumulative (+400%), Disadvantage (+10 Corruption Points, worth 1 point, +1%), Based on IQ (+20%), Extended Duration: Permanent (can be cured as normal for Corruption, +150%), Sense-Based: Hearing (or possibly Vision, depending on particular method used) (+150%), Nuisance Effect (user is obvious, expressing their ideas to the target: -5%), Requires Skill Roll: Teaching (-10%), Takes Extra Time 6 levels (32 seconds, -60%) (total +616%) [72] ... though there's likely a number of ways to improve that. Eg, I should probably put some sort of range Limitation in there; and instead of all +400% of Cumulative, maybe figure out a smaller Enhancement that lets any given source provide Corruption Points up to a particular limit. Once I get the basic approach down, I'll be able to work out useful variations, such as inventors embedding less-obvious versions in mass media. Feel free to suggest your own improvements. :)
__________________
Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat "Then again, maybe I'm wrong." |
04-11-2019, 07:05 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
That's a really cool idea. I've used Corruption to model a Lovecraft-style descent into madness. It definitely doesnt need to be supernatural to use the Corruption mechanic. Just lay out how Corruption accrues, how it changes people, and how to get rid of it (if you even can!). You'll be good.
__________________
Buy My Stuff! Free Stuff: Dungeon Action! Totem Spirits My Blog: Above the Flatline. |
04-11-2019, 11:48 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Niagara, Canada
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Quote:
Right now, on my to-read list are 4e's rules on memetics and social manipulation (probably Changing Times and Social Engineering), Powers: The Weird for possibilities for not-quite-physics-breaking tricks the AIs may have figured out... and seeing if I can find any GURPS stats on AIs attempting to self-upgrade (especially to increase their IQ and personal TL).
__________________
Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat "Then again, maybe I'm wrong." |
|
04-11-2019, 08:58 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Quote:
"Purchase Corruption During Character Creation" is a carryover from H147's "If bought at character creation, every 10" which kept the same ratio. Starting off with 5 extra character points in exchange for starting with 50 corruption is a sweet deal, since corruption converts to negative character points at a meager "-1 point per full 25 points" so you'd only gain a -2 point disadvantage from it. |
|
04-11-2019, 09:41 PM | #6 | |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Niagara, Canada
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Quote:
Go ahead. Pick the one thing that you want most in the universe, and pursue it utterly, forsaking all other values that might hinder you. It's the most valuable thing there is, so any price to achieve it is, by definition, worth the cost. What could possibly go wrong? :)
__________________
Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat "Then again, maybe I'm wrong." |
|
04-12-2019, 04:23 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Jul 2006
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Might this also work for the much discussed "cyberpsychosis" phenomenon, with corruption building up as the subject abandons more of their humanity in favour of dead metal?
|
04-12-2019, 07:39 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Niagara, Canada
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Horror p148 specifically calls out such alternate Corruption as potentially being "grist for a horror campaign driven more by alienation and isolation than by corruption per se", which seems to match the justifications of the cyberpunk RPGs I know for cyberpsycho. So, sure. :)
__________________
Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat "Then again, maybe I'm wrong." |
04-12-2019, 08:06 AM | #9 | ||
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: Non-supernatural Corruption?
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
||
|
|