Non-supernatural Corruption?

[DataPacRat]

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?

[DataPacRat]

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. :)

[Humabout]

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.

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by Humabout

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.

I'm currently thinking of letting characters make an Area Knowledge (Dark Web) roll to find some contact info for an ahuman AI (defaulting to AK (Dark Web)-1 or CompOp-3), at which point they can spend a point on the perk "Secret Knowledge (Hidden Lore: ahuman AIs)" or "Unusual Training (Persuade skill)" or "Unusual Training (can add +1 to +4 to (skill) in exchange for Corruption Points)", and building up from there. Maybe throw in that drawback from Madness Dossier, 10 Corruption Points [-1] to balance things out; maybe a mandatory Secret (given how human-value-based society would view such entities - eg, that they'd be willing to dig up a historic Town Hall just to sell the copper for a few cents).


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).

[Plane]

Originally Posted by DataPacRat

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)

I wonder if there's a way to tweak one of those terms so that they would have different initialisms... or would "ChaPs and "CorPs" work?

"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.

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by Plane

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.

There's certainly a temptation there, if you're willing to accept the -2 reaction penalty from anti-Corrupt beings, the GM choosing which Disadvantages those points get converted to, and having a smaller leeway before the 125-point breakpoint.

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? :)

[The Colonel]

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?

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

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?

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. :)

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

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?

Funny you should ask, as I was just about to post what I'd done a while ago for a Corruption version of cyberpsychosis, to whit:

Originally Posted by Daigoro

The framework would probably borrow from GURPS Horror's Corruption mechanics. The only problem is that they're mainly based on equating FP expenditure with Corruption gain. So, as I've been PMing with Huscurian, we'd just need a list of things which accumulate Corruption, or in this case, Psychosis points.

Things that gain points would probably be-

• Installing new cyberware
• Installing combat cyberware or software- I have a feeling that combat and killing technology should be more dehumanising than mundane or benign stuff
• Therefore, entering combat, and then extra points for each kill, maim or dismember
• Killing or injuring non-targets and innocents gains even more
• Cyberpsychosis could have elements of internet/gaming addiction, or this could be a separate metric. But if so, there'd be a tax for time spent in VR and netrunning
• Doing things that real people don't do, like having your oil changed or swapping out your fusion batteries
• Doing something that demonstrates your superhuman abilities, like jumping up 4 storeys or taking a sub-machine gun burst with no damage
  
  ... and after looking at the list on Horror p147 again
• Living in an overly technologised environment
• Scoring a big hit through a nethack or a combat mission
• Being injured in combat ("the flesh was damaged, if I had less flesh I'd be less vulnerable")
• Maybe for raising skill level with CP in Guns (for a cyberlinked weapon), Computer Hacking, or similar tech skills
• Using powerful cyberlinked equipment, like a mecha, tank or heavy truck rig
• Hanging out with other obviously cybered individuals, the same way seeing ripped weightlifters at the gym makes you want to bulk up

...
Ways of recovering from Cyberpsychosis stress, rehumanising, are things which remind you that you are human. Reading fiction, socialising, playing with puppies, walking in a forest, having a nice dinner, should have a modest effect. More serious treatment would involve time in rehab, courses of prozac, therapy, neurosurgery, trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, or simply removing the cyberware.

Effects of cyberpsychosis would be the slow gain of appropriate perks and disads or loss of ads, as per H148, but also I think a "psychotic episode" result would also be good on the list, leading to news of sudden killing sprees in shopping malls.

Disads would be the usual Callous, Bloodlust, Berserk, etc, but also things like Compulsive Surgery (similar to addiction to cosmetic surgery) and internet addiction-like Compulsive Behaviour.