SR5 digital intelligences 2.0

Digital intelligence or Artificial intelligences are sapient matrix entities. They are Personas in the matrix, able to jump into vehicles as a rigger, load cyberprograms as a deck and manipulate and circumvent Matrix security as a Hacker. On top of these abilities they also have some unique AI powers like advanced programs and reset ownership on devices. Deviceless personas: All AIs have a persona rating, even though they aren’t formed on a physically device. Many socially inclined AIs prefer to act as if physically present when near metahumans. Thanks to slaved drones with cameras and AR, this is an easy feat to pull of.

Character creation

AIs can be created with the priority system or sum2ten. Digital intelligences differ radically from “normal” characters. Therefore the priority table has been adjusted to account for the fact that they lack a physical body and have a unique special attribute. The skills and resource columns works as normal. The last three columns work as below. Special attribute points may be used on Persona rating or edge as normal. At the end of this document there are rules for creating free sprites as well.

priority table
Race Attributes Special
AI(8) 12 Persona 6. 2 electronics/cracking skills at rating 5. 5 Programs
AI(5) 10 Persona 4. 2 electronics/cracking skills at rating 3. 3 Programs
AI(3) 8 Persona 3. 2 electronics/cracking skills at rating 2. 2 Programs
AI(1) 7 Persona 2. 1 Program
N/A 6 N/A

For programs: May choose any combination of cyber programs and advanced programs. Remember that advanced programs requires specific cyber programs.

Persona rating

The Persona rating represents the AI’s level of connection with the matrix. It’s used to load known programs directly onto it’s Persona, as a stand-in for device rating and a limit when using certain AI exclusive actions. Cost to upgrade Persona rating is the same as any other attribute. Its max rating of 6 can be increased with the exceptional attribute quality. Having a Persona rating allows the AI to reboot as if running on a device. An AI always uses it’s own matrix attributes, even when using devices with higher ratings.


Matrix attributes

Digital intelligences have Firewall equal to Willpower, Sleaze equal to Intuition, Data processing equal to Logic and Attack equal to Charisma. They have no body, agility, reaction or strength scores (except in foundations).

WILL LOG INT CHA Edge Ess Persona
1-6 2-7 1-6 1-6 1-6 1 1-6
Source code

All AIs originated from a specific source code, be it an e-ghost an advanced drone program or even an IC that became self-aware. To represent this the player must choose one of the following features.

  • E-ghost: Gain +2 sleaze
  • Pilot program: Gain +2 data processing
  • IC or agent: Gain +2 Attack

other AI stats

AIs always runs in hot-sim and thus gain +2 to all matrix actions.

Matrix initiative Data processing + Intuition +4d6

Core condition boxes 8+1/2 Willpower rating. Overflow boxes equal to willpower rating.

Matrix condition boxes 8+1/2 Persona rating. Overflow goes into Core.

Core damage Normally resisted with Willpower+Firewall.

Matrix damage Normally resisted with Persona+Firewall.

Physical limit only applicable jumped in then it's equal to the handling rating.

Mental limit (Logic+Logic+Willpower+Intuition)/3 round up

Social limit (Charisma+Charisma+Willpower+Essence)/3 round up

Data trails and this document

Digital Intelligence 2.0 uses many of the qualities and advanced programs from data trails' take on Artificial intelligence. If a quality etc. differs from Data trails that feature has been reintroduced here with new rules. In any other instances replace depth rating from Data trails with Persona rating.

Digital intelligences & the matrix

Having no physical location means that distance in the matrix works slightly different for AIs. AIs suffers noise penalties as normal due to distance based on their relative location in the matrix and the physical world. I.e. an AI travelling next to its team mates PANs would suffer noise penalties when hacking the enemy sniper +100 meters away.

AIs may create a PAN, as if its Persona was running on a physical device. It’s Persona rating counts as its device rating when calculating how many devices may be slaved to it.

Realignment

Once per day goes into realignment for 3 hours. During this period the AI is inactive and vulnerable to enemy attacks. During the realignment period the AI gains several features.

  • Looses all matrix attributes and Marks.
  • May roll logic + software[Mental] to repair matrix damage.
  • May roll willpower+ Persona rating to repair core damage
  • May switch around in its program slots

If the AI is disturbed during it's realignment it may choose to end it prematurely, gaining no benefits from it.

Cybercombat and you

If the AIs matrix condition monitor is completely full it goes into emergency maintenance mode. In this mode it looses all matrix attributes and marks, it can't take any other action than rolling the following to come back online. Willpower + Persona rating [10] (1 turn). Once online again the AI suffers -2 to all actions for 10(-willpower) minutes. During the emergency maintenance mode the AI can be downloaded onto a device against it's will, and thus be captured.

Matrix damage can be repaired with logic+software [Data processing] (1 hour) test.

Smart puppets

AIs may jump into vehicles as a rigger. Although they gain no special bonuses unless also having the pilot origins quality. This also counts as a direct connection. When an AI's vehicle takes damage the Jumped-in AI suffers biofeedback damage as if it was a living rigger. (1/2 suffered damage resisted by willpower+ firewall) damage goes to core condition monitor.

Reset ownership

An AI has the ability to rewrite the ownership of devices. The AI needs 3 Marks on a device it wishes to reset and take ownership of. Roll Logic+computer [Persona rating] (Device rating + firewall, 1 combat turn). This counts as an illegal action and the hits from the device rating+Firewall is added to the AI's overwatch score. The AI suffers -2 to all actions for 10(-willpower) minutes afterward.

Lifestyle and SIN

No need for a lifestyle, unless the AI has physical objects it wishes to keep safe. A SIN must be replaced every rating months, as the system will slowly recognize the user as an unregistered AI. Many AIs also acquire several grid subscriptions, so they aren’t forced to hack their way in all the time.


Qualities

An AI may take any positive and negative quality that makes sense, in addition they have access to some unique AI qualities below. All AIs start with the following 2 qualities: Speed reading and Photographic memory. Furthermore they gain +2 on Matrix perception tests and when interacting with other AIs, whether sapient or not.

Positive Positive Negative
Chatty Redundancy Easily exploitable
Inherent program Sapper Real world naivete
Improved restoration Sensor upgrade** Patchwork*
Multiprocessing Snooper Corrupter
Pilot origins* Virtual stability -
Low profile - -

** E-ghost or Pilot program only

*Pilot origins: 8 Karma per level

Pilot program source code only: Each level in this quality grants the AI the equivalent of of a control rig of the same level- without the datajack and cable. (note all AIs may jump-in without this quality, they just don’t gain the increased bonus from the control rig - see also smart puppets on this page).

*Patchwork 10 karma negative quality

The AI constantly needs to repatch it self. this means it's realignment period is doubled to 6 hours. Furthermore the threshold to come back online after having it's last matrix box filled is increased from 10 to 12.

Programmable tricks

Cyberprograms costs 5 karma to learn, both common and hacking. Advanced programs costs 5 karma to learn, but requires a specific cyberprogram. Apps are free but can only be created during realignment. May know any number of cyberprograms, advanced programs and apps, but can only run Persona rating at a time. (advanced Programs don't take up a slot) May switch running programs and Apps during realignment or by using an edge point.

Advanced programs. Requires (program)

As soon as an advanced program is loaded with a simple action the overwatch score increases by 5 points. Each advanced program requires a specific loaded cyberprogram to work. If that cyber program is crashed the advanced program also crashes.

Advanced program Requirement
Authority Exploit
Cascade Decryption
Eguchi smile Wrapper
Fnord Sneak
Medic Toolbox
Nyetworking Cat's paw
Poke Exploit
Psychotropic biofeedback Biofeedback
Rootkit Stealth
Rust Guard
Teergrube Lockdown
Uncertainty Cats paw
Acid* Mugger, must be IC
Binder* Crash, must be IC
Jammer* Hammer, must be IC
Marker* Track, must be IC
Carbon copy* Fork
*Acid, Binder, Jammer and Marker

Each of these advanced programs can only be taken by AIs with the IC source code. Whenever the AI attacks a target and scores atleast one hit, one of the targets matrix attributes are reduced by 1 (stackable). Acid reduces Firewall, Binder reduces Data processing, Jammer reduces Attack and Marker reduces Sleaze ratings. These advanced programs may be combined with each other.


*Carbon copy

The AI may create an agent program, effectively a simplified copy of itself. The AI rolls software+willpower [Persona rating] each success on the test gives the Agent 1 rating.

The agent has Attack, Sleaze, Data processing and Firewall ratings equal to the AI that created it. It has computer, hacking and cybercombat skill and mental attributes at the same level as its rating. The Agent has the same programs loaded as the AI at the time of its creation, up to its rating, although it can’t use advanced programs. The Agent shares the matrix condition monitor with its parent AI.

Unlike normal agents, an AI created agent has many personality traits of its creator. On a glitch on the carbon copy test the agent might gain some personality flaws as appropriate. An AI may only have one agent active at a time. Even though the agent may share some personality traits with its creator it’s still just an advanced program and not a true sapient being. It’s no more intelligent than an agent of equal rating.

Alternative rules

The priority table uses the normal values for attributes (from 10 to 24). The AI no longer has its matrix attributes automatically equal to its mental attributes. Instead it must buy them up as normal with attribute points.

Free sprites

The mysterious resonance beings known as free sprites can also be created with these rules. As beings of the resonance they have no Persona rating, that attribute is replaced by resonance rating. Replace all mentions of Persona rating with Resonance rating, when creating and playing a free sprite.

Programs, advanced programs, apps, source code and reset ownership are the purview of AIs, not free sprites. Free sprites have access to complex forms as a technomancer, as well as sprite powers including unique free sprite powers. During character generation the free sprite gain as many complex forms or (free) sprite powers as AIs gets programs. New complex forms and (free) sprite powers can be bought for 5 karma.

Instead of a source code like AIs, free sprites gain resonance code.

Resonance code

Free sprites are even more in tune with the matrix than AIs are. To represent this the free sprite may allocate a +3 bonus to one matrix attribute, a +2 bonus to another and a +1 bonus to a third.

Sprite powers

A free sprite is no longer bound by its origins. It may choose any of the sprite powers available to normal sprites. Each new sprite power costs 5 karma.

Sprite powers
Camoflage Cookie Diagnostics
Electron storm Gremlins Hash
Stability Suppression Watermark

Each free sprite power has a sprite power as requirement.

Free sprite powers Requirement
Transfer mark Cookie
Create anchor Watermark
Credits Camoflage
Command Gremlins
Resonance rift Electron storm
Hardening Stability

Transfer Mark

The free sprite may transfer one of its Marks it had acquired legally or not to another Persona. The receiving Persona must accept the Mark transfer and in doing so gets 1d6 in overwatch score. The free sprite then looses that Mark, but may acquire it again legally og by hacking as normal. Unless the receiving Persona counts as having - in computer it knows that it is an illegal action to accept the transfered Mark.

Create anchor

The free sprite creates a resonance Host in a physical device. The resonance Hosts only ability is to function as a gateway into a Host. If the device looses Wireless for any reason the anchor is broken, and must be created again.

Credits

The free sprite rolls Forgery+logic[Resonance rating] each hit can be used to create 1,000 Nuyen worth of counterfeit currency or to raise the treshold to detect the counterfeit currency. The standard treshold to detect the counterfeit is the hits on the forgery+logic test plus any extra hits allocated. The counterfeit currency only lasts 8 hours before getting deleted by the system. The use of this power costs 1 point of edge.

Command

The free sprite may take command over other sprites by stealing their tasks. The free sprite rolls Computer+ Charisma[social] vs level + (Compilers resonance if the sprite is registered) If the free sprite gains one or more hits it steals one of the tasks owed by the sprite. Each hit( not net hits) by the technomancer causes 1 point of overwatch to the free sprite.

Resonance rift

The free sprite creates a resonance rift. This allows other Personas to travel to the resonance realms. This costs 1 point of edge.

Hardening

The Sprite rolls Software+Willpower[Resonance] while targeting a device with at least 1 Mark on it. Each hit creates 1 extra matrix condition monitor box. Each hour the device will loose 1 point of the extra box, until its all gone. The free sprite may only use this once per day.

Credits

Homebrewery.naturalcrit.com

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