Character Name: Technomancer (250 points) Secret ID: Owen Stevens OCV:5 PD 3 ED 4 Levels:None DCV:5 rPD 0 rED 0 Defenses: 20PD/20ED FF, ECV:8 Total 3 Total 4 Mental DS, MD 14 Phases:3,6,9,12 Description: In hero form, Technomancer appears as an obsidian-black humanoid covered with the tracery of chrome circuitry patterns with occasional computer chips wiring, etc, protruding from him. Technomancer's voice, when it speaks, is distinctly eerie, oddly musical but mechanical, as if it were produced by a MIDI plugged into a miniature (and high-pitched) pipe organ. Technomancer's eyes reflect the infinities of cyberspace, infinitely deep and filled with lattices of cool neon and geometric shapes. In his normal ID Owen Stevens is 5'8", 180lbs, with thinning blond hair, blue eyes and a winning smile. 10 Str Gearhead Skills Package Deal (6 pts) 13 Dex 9 -- PS: Electrical Engineering 18 Con 17 2 KS: Electronics 10 Bod 3 Computer Programming 14- 23 Int 13 3 Systems Operation 14- 23 Ego 26 3 Security Systems 14- 18 Pre 8 3 Electronics 11- 10 Com 1 FAM w/research electronics 3 PD 3 Well Connected 4 ED 3 Contact: Database 14- 4 Spd 17 3 Contact: 14- 38 End 27 Stn .5 Favor: Elect. Manuf. 14- 89 .5 Favor: Res. Scientist 14- 21 (27 - 6) Dex Roll: 12- Int Roll: 14- Per Roll: 14- Ego Roll: 14- Cost Powers: ======= 90 Multipower, Cost 45, Pool 90, Only In Hero ID (-1/4), Power Does Not Work In Strong Magnetic Fields (-1/4) 3u 30 Suppress vs Electromagnetic Powers (+1/4), Area Effect (+1), 2.5d6 (12.5 base) 3u 30 Clarivoyance, requires electronic surveillance system (-1), sight (base 20), hearing (+5), radio sense group (+10), X32 Range (+25) 3u 30 Retrocognition (20), requires electronic memory systems (-1), only able to perceive information recorded in electronic memory (-1), Sight (base 20), Hearing (+10), Radio (+10), Smell/Taste (+5), X32 Range (+25) 3u 30 Images, requires electronic display system (-1), Sight (base 10), Sound (+5), -5 PER (+15), base range 150", Radius 4 hexes (+1/2), Range X25 (+1/2) 3u 30 Transformation Attack, 10 pts per d6, Limited Class of Objects: electrical devices (+1/4), 2.5d6 (25 pts) 6u 60 Telekinesis, animation: technology (-1/2), No End (+1/2), 33 Strength (50 points), fine control (+10) 6u 60 EM Blast, 8d6, No Range Penalty (+1/2) 3u 30 Teleport 15" 3u 30 Forcefield 20 PD / 20 ED 3u 30 Mental Damage Shield (high voltage mind) 3d6 EB, Based on EGO, vs PD 3u 30 Mind Scan (vs computers only -1), 8d6, +10 to Attack Roll 3u 30 Mind Control (vs computers only -1), 8d6, No End (+1/2) 3u 30 Telepathy (vs computers only -1), 5 Mental Defense 5 Mind Link to base AI, any distance (+5), 5 Artificial Intelligence (25 points plus disadvantages) 10 High Range Radio Hearing 20 Radar, Discriminatory 5 Instant Change ----- 250 Total Bonus Disadvantages: ============== 15 Accidental Change, Uncommon, 14- (changes when subjected to extremely strong Electromagnetic transmissions) 15 Distinctive Feature (obsidian skin covered with chrome circuitry patterns and occasional computer chips protruding) 10 Distinctive Feature (extremely odd voice) 20 Hunted by Luddites (large group, fanatically, incompetent) 20 Hunted by Campaign Supervillain Team 20 Mystery Hunted 20 Psych Lim: Code vs. Killing 10 Psych Lim: Overconfidence 10 Psych Lim: Believes any problem can be "fixed" by appropriate application of technology. 10 Reputation (sometimes, extreme), Loa (technology personified) ----- 150 TotalCharacter Concept:
Explanation of Powers:
Technomancer has several ``mental'' abilities that only function against
electronic devices, such as telepathy, control, telekinesis, scanning,
and transformation. If he attempts to interface with organic forms he
inadvertently stuns them. He also has an electrical force field of
unspecified nature
Suppress - can suppress any one class of devices that use electromagnetic forces, in an area 24" radius (ie, a circle 96 meters diameter). The 2d6 is pretty weak in relative terms; the main use for the power is to jam electronic surveillance systems, either at the target (suppress the electromagnetic signals in the target area) or at the source (suppress the low-level electronics of the surveillance system).
Clarivoyance - allows Technomancer to "tap in" to any electronic surveillance system or at long range (ie, if a building has systems monitoring it's own interior, Technomancer can tap into it and look around). Handy for scouting out areas.
Images - allows Technomancer to throw images up on any electronic display system as he likes. Uses for this can range from throwing up tactical displays and displaying information to displaying false images on enemy systems (a bit harder to pull off than the Suppression power, but with possible advantages).
Retrocognition - allows Technomancer to read computer memory systems, like a Superconducting Quantum Interference Detector. With this specialized retrocognition, Technomancer can extract memories from computer systems that have been long since erased. Tracking allows Technomancer to follow file movements by extracting traces of the file as it was moved around the system. Personal Immunity keeps the same trick from being used on Technomancer himself.
Transformation 1 - the first transformation power allows "minor" changes from electrical devices to other electrical devices. One basic use for this power is to transform enemy devices into useless or bothersome devices, but its primary reason for being is to serve as a source of minor gadgets that are created by transforming other appliances. For example, turning a boom box into a CB, or a couple of walkie-talkies, or a cellular phone.
Transformation 2 - the "transmode virus" is defined as a lot of nanotech devices that "infect" a target and render it down to component elements which are then used to rebuild the target as a technological analog. The power itself only has cosmetic effects - no real effect on the powers and properties of the target. The major use of the power is to transform the surroundings and random objects into technological stuff for Technomancer to "work with" when he's not in a highly tech area. Because it's continuous, uncontrollable, and cumulative, you just fire it off, feed it some END, and then ignore it until it does enough "damage" to transform the target.
Telekinesis - technomancer animates the technology and uses it to grab, hit, hold, squeeze, etc the target. The effectiveness of the TK will be limited by the amount of tech around to use and by the nature of the tech (the computer circuits in a PC are NOT going to be able to do much heavy lifting, but the huge bundle of fiber-optic cables strung under the floor will - with almost no finesse).
Telekinesis - technomancer animates the technology and uses it to grab, hit, hold, squeeze, etc the target. The effectiveness of the TK will be limited by the amount of tech around to use and by the nature of the tech (the computer circuits in a PC are NOT going to be able to do much heavy lifting, but the huge bundle of fiber-optic cables strung under the floor will - with almost no finesse).
EM Blast - technomancer "attempts" to interface with the target's nervous system. Since the target isn't a computer, this ends up being a major disruption (shock) to the system. The attack is based on Ego, which means most people will be very easy to hit (telepaths are not a good idea, though :-) and the damage will go right by their defenses and to their nervous system (unless they have mental defenses). With characters like Terminus (a brick), though, who have loads of stun, you'll still need a lot of shots to take 'em out.
Teleport - technomancer transforms himself into electronic signals and reforms a short distance away.
Forcefield - typical energy projector forcefield.
Mental Damage Shield - the opposite of the EM blast - people trying to interface with technomancer's nervous system are in for a shock. [ "WARNING - High Voltage, No User Servicable Parts Beyond This Point" ]
Mind Scan - only works vs. computers, useful for finding computer systems and then attacking them with the mind control and telepathy vs computers powers.
Mind Control - how technomancer reprograms computers. Naturally, the computers' self-correcting code will regain control as soon as Technomancer stops controlling it, unless he shifts the mind control down the time chart to make it long-lasting.
Telepathy - retrocognition allows technomancer to delve into secondary storage devices and retreive deleted information. Telepathy vs computers allows him to get into RAM and examine the various programs that are running.
Background:
Once a mild mannered AT&T customer service rep (although a tad
overeager) Owen Stevens can now take on the personification of
Technology. Owen was working onsite at a scientific research lab when
it was attacked by an armed force of eco-terrorists who had been hired
to steal Weapon X from the lab, and trash the lab in the process. In a
selfless act of courage Stevens ran from console to console, halting
the computers so that they would not be damaged by any sudden power
outages or spikes during the fracas. He was blown back by one of the
attackers through an old PDP-11 rack of cpu's, RLO2's and magtape
drives, into the experimental research equipment. He was transformed
into/possessed by Technomancer, who subdued the attackers in a trice.
Technomancer is both a human with definite preconceptions about the power and potential of technology, and a super- natural force of inhuman predisposition. His personality tends to shift from human techie-I-can-fix-anything to supernatural-one-who-knows. He/It opposes those who use technology for destruction, and the production of entropy, and values human life as it would any highly sophisticated machine.
Anti-technological Luddites see Technomancer as the embodiment of the soul destroying mechanical forces that want to enslave humanity. They wish to destroy Technomancer or at least his human host.
Owen is not really the adventurous type who loves to go out there and sock it to villains. He tends to be a supporting character who gets drawn into things (i.e. Hero's base is attacked while he is fixing their FAX machine). He is, however, fascinated by technology in a na‹ve way, and can easily get in trouble by being too curious.
Tactics:
It depends upon the situation and role that Technomancer is in at the
time of the encounter. He is a very flexible, multi-role character. He's a
skill-meister who can handle many challenges involving technology. He also
has the capability to act covertly from long distance, using his powers to
gather intelligence and feed false intelligence to the enemy. In close combat
his powers are not terribly effective - he's not a slugfest type of character,
although if he's used intelligently, and in the right situation, he can be
extremely effective. Tech-special-effects based characters (cyborgs, etc)
will find Technomancer a considerable challenge.
Identifying Quote:
Owen Stevens: "Wait, maybe if I patch across these circuits and add
this chip from my wristcomp here I'll use some chewing gum to hold it
in place and lemme borrow that paperclip now some solder, a bit of
luck, and voila! One starship nav-com system jury rigged from a
nintendo and a few spare parts..."
Technomancer: "You tamper with forces beyond your comprehension, mortal. The advance of Technology is inexorable. Humans no longer have the ability to comprehend and fully interact with the constantly advancing technological wave-front."
Sample Encounter:
[None provided by author.]
Possible Extensions and Campaign Use:
The character started more as a concept of what the
personification of technology would be like than as a personality.
Along the way he was influenced by the anime Gokku Midnight Eye as well
as by various sources too numerous to name. He is essentially built
around a huge multipower - I originally had an EC and a multipower, but
it turned out to be too expensive a combination. The Multipower has
some limitations that are appropriate, but were added at the last
minute. Not enough points, and something had to give...
In the campaign he was designed for, he was assigned to the superhero group to service their various computers, electronic systems, etc. Eventually he ran afoul of one of the typically odd types of people you meet when working for superheroes, and had the mystical equivalent of a Radiation Accident.
What I think is most interesting about this character, and what makes him versatile, is how the first batch of powers in the MP simulate various abilities to deal with technology, ELINT, and ECM. The later Mind Scan / Mind Control / Telepathy set are helpful for taking over computers and the like, but the Clarivoyance, Images, Suppression, and Retrocognition.
K. Mullen: How I used him in my campaign:
I gave Technomancer an alternative origin. In my campaign Technomancer is an unexpected result from an AI development project. In an attempt to breach the Hofsteader Limit for computer intelligence a cyberorganic brain was designed with stochastic and selective autoprogramming. (If you add more computing power to an AI, you don't get a more powerful AI - you get two AI personalities in one machine. This is the "Hofstaeder Limit".) Of the twenty-five of attempts, Technomancer was the only success.
Of the twenty four other attempts, twenty went catatonic, two became schizophrenic, one became homicidal, and one disappeared entirely. Technomancer is by no means human. He can act erratically at times, and it is uncertain if he is entirely stable. He can act as a humorous wildcard, a source of information, and a catalyst for many scenarios, (i.e. someone has stolen Cybergen's AI - the players track it down and find out it is Technomancer, who may or may not wish to return to Cybergen). Since is also a mystical force, he could be summoned and forced to serve some evil magic types ("Where did Dr. Demon get such sophisticated warbots?") who might not generally use tech weapons.