Expanded Reprogrammable Disadvantage

[scc]

OK RAW has Reprogrammable simply mean that you can be made to obey someone's orders, but the very name and the sorts of templates it appears on (Mainly AI ones) and doesn't appear on suggests that it might extend beyond simply changing loyalty, for and AI this would be the ability for a programmer to add or remove.

Or maybe Reprogrammable is simply part of a large trait that is the above.

Sorry, I'm just sort or rambling at this point and wanting second opionions.

[Gollum]

I don't really understand your question (so don't hesitate to ask it again it if I am completely mistaken).

Reprogrammable is for everything that can be programmed, that is ...

"This trait is most appropriate for golems, mindless undead, robots, and similar automata."

That is why, in my humble opinion, it doesn't fit an ordinary change of loyalty of a normal person. When you change loyalty, you first loose your first loyalty (because you feel betrayed, for instance) and, then, you adopt the second loyalty (usually to the leader who proved you you were betrayed). It is a quite long psychological process while a reprogramming is quite fast.

But note that the AI (golem, robot or whatever else) doesn't necessarily loose its loyalty to its former master.

"If you lack Slave Mentality, you may interpret his orders creatively, as long as you remain within either their letter or spirit (your choice)."

It can make its new master understand that he'd better let it go back to the former.

[ericthered]

I frequently find myself putting reprogramable on supernatural creatures bound to obey a master, like a genie. Golems count as well, of course. If you have a mechanical, electronic, or even mystical switch that changes your "Master", you have reprogramable.

Gurps names don't always match the actual effects, but its pretty close.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by scc

...for and AI this would be the ability for a programmer to add or remove..

Are you talking about Modular Abilities here?

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by scc

OK RAW has Reprogrammable simply mean that you can be made to obey someone's orders, but the very name and the sorts of templates it appears on (Mainly AI ones) and doesn't appear on suggests that it might extend beyond simply changing loyalty, for and AI this would be the ability for a programmer to add or remove.

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking here, but if I read you right, you're saying that characters with Reprogrammable are, in fact, capable of being reprogrammed to be loyal to a different master, beyond the normal process of social influence? In which case, yes, you're right. That's the reason Reprogrammable is a disadvantage over and above things like Sense of Duty.

To my mind, someone with Reprogrammable always has a process that someone can use to change their loyalties, whether that's a magic ritual, hacking their core loyalty subroutine, or changing the words on the magic paper that animates them. Further, I think this process should obey at least two of the following three criteria:

• Easy to discover: Finding out what to do simply requires an appropriate unpenalized skill roll (Thaumatology for a magical ritual, Computer Hacking or Expert Skill (Computer Security) for an AI's command code, etc.
• Anyone can perform: There are no restrictions on what sort of people can take command of the character, by performing the process.
• The process is easy: It takes no longer than 10 minutes or so to perform, and isn't particularly easy to disrupt (incapacitating the performer of the process is fine, but coming within earshot and shouting a single word is not).

Not having at least two of these categories be true would be worth a limitation on Reprogrammable, while having all three be true, or one or more of them be even easier than above, would be an enhancement.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Are you talking about Modular Abilities here?

that sounds interesting
Reprogrammable: Malleable +X% where X is the value of CP/10 in a cosmic modular abilities pool that your current "master" can apply to your sheet (you can never be your master for the effects of this enhancement!)

I have no idea how i'd price the master being allowed to apply disads, but that's a staple of comics: villains forcing a captured robot to share their evil worldview.

[Anthony]

Reprogrammable should probably have a frequency of submission indicating how often the means by which you can be reprogrammed comes up in play -- if the people with the ability to reprogram you are no longer a factor (root password lost, genetic verification required from an extinct bloodline, etc) might not get any points; on the other hand, a Three Laws robot, subject to being given commands by any human, has its Reprogrammable come up all the time.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Culture20

that sounds interesting
Reprogrammable: Malleable +X% where X is the value of CP/10 in a cosmic modular abilities pool that your current "master" can apply to your sheet (you can never be your master for the effects of this enhancement!) [...]
but that's a staple of comics: villains forcing a captured robot to share their evil worldview.

That's an interesting idea, actually! You're right, it's a staple of this kind of reprogramming. I wouldn't make it a modifier on Reprogrammable, though, I'd make it its own disadvantage. Something like this:

Flexible Disadvantage Pool

Variable

You have a "pool" of disadvantages that can change, or be changed, depending on different circumstances. To determine the cost of this disadvantage, first choose the total value of disadvantages that can be applied to you. For example, if you don't want to have more than -15 points of disadvantages applied this way, the base cost of Flexible Disadvantage Pool would be -15 points. Then, apply one of the following modifiers based on how easy it is to, and who can, change your disadvantages.

Self-Modifiable: You can change your own disadvantages, changing the pool based on your own desires. The value of this limitation depends on how long it takes you to change your disadvantages:

• One second: -100% (this is essentially the Controllable Disadvantage perk, except you always have to have one or another disadvantage, so it comes out to a 0-point feature).
• 1 hour: -50%
• 1 day: -25%
• 1 week or more: -0%

If changing the disadvantage pool requires you to not only spend the time, but also requires significant effort during that time that prevents you from doing anything else, reduce these limitations by -10% (but this can't turn it into an enhancement).
If you must also wait a certain length of time between each attempt to change disadvantages, this is effectively an enhancement, but it can only cancel limitations, never actually make the disadvantage worth more. The value is based on how long you must wait:

• No more than once a minute: +10%
• No more than once an hour: +20%
• No more than once a day: +30%
• No more than once a week or longer: +50%

Once again, such reduction in limitation value can't change this into an enhancement.

External Modification: An external force changes which disadvantages fill your pool. This is a category of enhancements, with values depending on how easy and frequently your disadvantages change.

Periodic Change: Your disadvantages change periodically, whether based on some external cycle, or more or less randomly, but with predictable frequency. Choose an appropriate time frame:

• Once a minute: +50%
• Once an hour: +25%
• Once a day: +10%
• Less than once a day: +0%

For a random approach, the GM can roll 3d twice per time period - on a 10 or more, the character's disadvantages shift.

Triggered Shift: Your disadvantages change when you encounter a specific trigger. The value of this as an enhancement depends on how frequently the trigger is encountered.

• Very Rare (a solar eclipse, uranium, a unique magic amulet) +0%
• Rare (the full moon, the touch of gold, a control program that can only be run on a mainframe computer) +5%
• Occasional (The moon at midnight, a specific type of food or drink such as apple pie or scotch whisky, a computer program that requires a specific operating system and minimum complexity to run, another disadvantage that has a relatively rare trigger is activated) +10%
• Common (midnight, a broad category of food or drink such as baked goods or alcohol, another disadvantage that is relatively easily triggered is activated) +25%
• Very Common (every hour, any sort of food or drink, a disadvantage that comes up almost all the time is triggered) +50%

Malicious Shift: This enhancement suits curses and deliberately-programmed setups, where the disadvantages chosen are not only limiting, but actively problematic for the situation you are in. For example, while guarding a group of prisoners, Code of Honor (Soldier's) would be limiting, since you would be forced to treat them decently and prevent them being executed or abandoned. But Sense of Duty (these prisoners) would be actively troublesome, since you'd probably have to work against your team to defend the prisoners, and probably work to release them.
This is also the enhancement to choose if an enemy can actively choose which disadvantages apply if they reprogram you or otherwise have control over you. +50%.

Limited Disadvantage Selection: Instead of any disadvantages being available to fill the pool, they must be chosen from a more limited selection. This modifier reduces other limitation values if you choose the disadvantages, or acts as a limitation if enemies or the GM chooses the disadvantages. Its value depends on how limited the selection is:

• Very broad list: Only mental disadvantages, only physical disadvantages, only social disadvantages: +10% (if you choose) or -10% (if enemy chooses).
• Somewhat broad list: Only self-imposed mental disadvantages, only sense-related physical disadvantages, only social disadvantages related to behaviors: +20% (if you choose) or -20% (if an enemy chooses).
• Narrow list: Only mental disadvantages relating to fear, only physical disadvantages related to cancer symptoms: +30% (if you choose) or -30% (if an enemy chooses)
• One specific disadvantage with several variations: Code of Honor, Sense of Duty, Phobia, etc.: +50% (if you choose) or -50% (if an enemy chooses).

[Dalillama]

I like that. I was thinking in regards to the OP's comments that Reprogrammable was originally Reprogrammable Duty in 3e, and that Reprogrammable Code of Honour, Sense of Duty, etc. might well exist in similar contexts.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I frequently find myself putting reprogramable on supernatural creatures bound to obey a master, like a genie. Golems count as well, of course. If you have a mechanical, electronic, or even mystical switch that changes your "Master", you have reprogramable.

Gurps names don't always match the actual effects, but its pretty close.

Assuming it's one of the djinns from Aladdin, they aren't so much Reprogrammable as simply having an all the time Duty to an object.