Transferred Intelligence -- Psi-Tech

[Kaleb]

I was wondering...

If the Rifts Sourcebook 1 it talks about transferred intelligences and how it might happen. It also talks about the possibility of still having PPE and even Psionics still. What if a Psi-Tech, for example, had been to Phase World and learned about Psylite and tried to incorporate this to make a housing for a transferred intelligence and then accidentally transferred himself. He already has a close, almost symbiotic relationship, with technology such that I wonder if he would lose any of his psionic powers?

[MadGreenSon]

I was wondering...

If the Rifts Sourcebook 1 it talks about transferred intelligences and how it might happen. It also talks about the possibility of still having PPE and even Psionics still. What if a Psi-Tech, for example, had been to Phase World and learned about Psylite and tried to incorporate this to make a housing for a transferred intelligence and then accidentally transferred himself. He already has a close, almost symbiotic relationship, with technology such that I wonder if he would lose any of his psionic powers?

That does sound like a plausible origin for a transferred intelligence to me.

As far as keeping their psionic abilities? That's a GM call all the way. If I were running a game that would permit a relatively strong character like that, I'd say it could be doable, but the psylite would have to be a major component of the entire robot, a "psionic nervous system" for the entire machine, if you will. Which would mean that any major repairs would be a serious expense since you would need rare materials, ie custom psylite components, to make those repairs.

Which means you'd need at least a semi reliable way to get back to the Three Galaxies since I don't think there's any psylite on Earth.

It would be less onerous to play a character like that in a Phase World centered game more than a Rifts Earth centered game, but if the group was set up right it would be possible.

One thing I would do is say that power #4 of the Psi Tech, the extra bonuses to piloting robots, power armor, and vehicles would be permanently unavailable due to using that aspect of the powers to interface with the new body and maintain their psionic powers.

[ShadowLogan]

If the Rifts Sourcebook 1 it talks about transferred intelligences and how it might happen. It also talks about the possibility of still having PPE and even Psionics still. What if a Psi-Tech, for example, had been to Phase World and learned about Psylite and tried to incorporate this to make a housing for a transferred intelligence and then accidentally transferred himself. He already has a close, almost symbiotic relationship, with technology such that I wonder if he would lose any of his psionic powers?

It would be plausible on a technical level, though IMHO out of the realm of what a single person (small organization) could do. The only powers known to have Transferred Intelligence on Rifts Earth (IINM) are MiO's Moon Colony and the NGR. So as a deliberant attempt to create a TI I think it fails, without the support of a big organization with the technology already (NGR) or one who might be interested in it, what would work is an accidental creation of a TI.

In general concerning psychic powers is that some of them likely are not "lost" per say, but rather they are unusable in the new body. For example Bio-Regeneration versions, Nightvision, Impervious to X, Resist X, Summon Inner Strength all work on the organic body, but would not necessarily work or be applicable to a mechanical body.

[TechnoGothic]

Transferred Intelligence Robots are great.
Experiment in creating Remote Controlled Robots using Real Time responses and a Headset. Telepresence Operation.
Something Happens. You're stuck in the Robot Body.
Maybe it was a CS Experiment.
Maybe it was a Free Quebec Experiment.
Maybe it was a Lazlo Experiment.
Etc...

Heck. Maybe it was a Pre-Rifts Experiment ?
You survived the years in this Robot Body. Replacing your power source as needed. Maybe the Robot has a "perpetual power source" that turns out to be open/isp energy it draws from outside and your essence regenerates really fast. Say 5-15 isp/ppe a Turn. Like the chana2 Monk of Internal Energy does.

Go for it.

[MadGreenSon]

In general concerning psychic powers is that some of them likely are not "lost" per say, but rather they are unusable in the new body. For example Bio-Regeneration versions, Nightvision, Impervious to X, Resist X, Summon Inner Strength all work on the organic body, but would not necessarily work or be applicable to a mechanical body.

[/quote]
Psionics are normally crippled pretty well by the transfer. Normally a psychic loses half of their powers, ISP is reduced by 1d4x10%, and none of the abilities or anything increase with experience afterwards. (page 18 Rifts Sourcebook One Revised)
I just figured that if you made a heavy investment in psylite (pg 127 Phase World) for the robot and the intelligence housing, since that stuff is what the Noro use to make high end psionic tech, that you could mostly offset any penalties and remain fully psionic.

It would be expensive to build and expensive to maintain, hilariously so if not in the Three Galaxies, but it all looks plausible to me.

<shrug>

I've allowed more OP player characters in the past, but it's definitely not something for non epic scale play IMO.

[Shark_Force]

there are MDC naturally-regenerating powerful psychics in the setting.

I find it hard to believe that an MDC psychic who does not regenerate MDC naturally but instead has to be repaired in an expensive and time-consuming procedure requiring special facilities, has robotic instead of supernatural strength, has no extra supernatural abilities of any kind and has no ability to learn magic is going to be particularly worse for the game than a hatchling dragon, for example (or at least, the more powerful varieties of hatchling dragon).

I would say that psylite is far from the only method of pulling off something like this too. last I checked, ARCHIE 3 has something similar to psionic powers, and I would almost be surprised if mindwerks hadn't done something like this by now.

this is probably more powerful than a standard mind melter, but so are lots of other things in rifts.

[MadGreenSon]

there are MDC naturally-regenerating powerful psychics in the setting.

I find it hard to believe that an MDC psychic who does not regenerate MDC naturally but instead has to be repaired in an expensive and time-consuming procedure requiring special facilities, has robotic instead of supernatural strength, has no extra supernatural abilities of any kind and has no ability to learn magic is going to be particularly worse for the game than a hatchling dragon, for example (or at least, the more powerful varieties of hatchling dragon).

I would say that psylite is far from the only method of pulling off something like this too. last I checked, ARCHIE 3 has something similar to psionic powers, and I would almost be surprised if mindwerks hadn't done something like this by now.

this is probably more powerful than a standard mind melter, but so are lots of other things in rifts.

There's a lot of truth in what you say. I'm just used to keeping a firm control of the power levels of any game I run and generally keeping things towards the more mortal side.

[Greg Diaczyk]

There is an article in Rifter #84, starting on page 44 Golems in the Myst you might find interesting, it has expanded rules for TW Golems and Robots. One of the "benefits" of a TW Robot is that accidental Transferred Intelligence creation absorbs the entirety of a TW, so he has full access to his Psionics and Spells all because of his Telemechanics ability. I'd see a strong case to it also applying to a Mind Melter or Psi-Tech. The only downside is that you don't have an organic body to keeping growing and developing more I.S.P./P.P.E. and picking up new Psionics. Also their is no mechanic for converting the TW P.P.E. Power Supply into I.S.P. so you'd have to take the Psi-Power or beg your GM to allow it.

Hope that helps.

[Blue_Lion]

There is an article in Rifter #84, starting on page 44 Golems in the Myst you might find interesting, it has expanded rules for TW Golems and Robots. One of the "benefits" of a TW Robot is that accidental Transferred Intelligence creation absorbs the entirety of a TW, so he has full access to his Psionics and Spells all because of his Telemechanics ability. I'd see a strong case to it also applying to a Mind Melter or Psi-Tech. The only downside is that you don't have an organic body to keeping growing and developing more I.S.P./P.P.E. and picking up new Psionics. Also their is no mechanic for converting the TW P.P.E. Power Supply into I.S.P. so you'd have to take the Psi-Power or beg your GM to allow it.

Hope that helps.

That would seam to be the TW equivalent of a mage transferring into a golem. TW does not follow normal rules for tech.

[ShadowLogan]

There is an article in Rifter #84, starting on page 44 Golems in the Myst you might find interesting, it has expanded rules for TW Golems and Robots. One of the "benefits" of a TW Robot is that accidental Transferred Intelligence creation absorbs the entirety of a TW, so he has full access to his Psionics and Spells all because of his Telemechanics ability. I'd see a strong case to it also applying to a Mind Melter or Psi-Tech. The only downside is that you don't have an organic body to keeping growing and developing more I.S.P./P.P.E. and picking up new Psionics. Also their is no mechanic for converting the TW P.P.E. Power Supply into I.S.P. so you'd have to take the Psi-Power or beg your GM to allow it.

Hope that helps.

Well old school TW would allow them to use ISP in place of PPE by default, it is retained in RUE by default (pg132) though it can be blocked with a "Trigger Lock".

[Curbludgeon]

A scroll of Create Magic Scroll could be used to create a scroll of Transference of Essence & Intellect, itself usable by a Psi-Tech. Many of the OCC's abilities might not jive with the robot body, but the character would have access to a number of technological near-equivalents to compensate.

[MadGreenSon]

That would seam to be the TW equivalent of a mage transferring into a golem. TW does not follow normal rules for tech.

Honestly, involving psylite like the OP says is pretty much avoiding "normal" tech anyway.

To get full effect, get some psylite and a Gizmoteer working on it with you and you'll really have something.

[Blue_Lion]

There is an article in Rifter #84, starting on page 44 Golems in the Myst you might find interesting, it has expanded rules for TW Golems and Robots. One of the "benefits" of a TW Robot is that accidental Transferred Intelligence creation absorbs the entirety of a TW, so he has full access to his Psionics and Spells all because of his Telemechanics ability. I'd see a strong case to it also applying to a Mind Melter or Psi-Tech. The only downside is that you don't have an organic body to keeping growing and developing more I.S.P./P.P.E. and picking up new Psionics. Also their is no mechanic for converting the TW P.P.E. Power Supply into I.S.P. so you'd have to take the Psi-Power or beg your GM to allow it.

Hope that helps.

Well old school TW would allow them to use ISP in place of PPE by default, it is retained in RUE by default (pg132) though it can be blocked with a "Trigger Lock".

OLD school TW required you to charge things with a spell, the PPE ISP for most things as I understand it was edited in later.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Since transferred Itel's are not really detailed in the Why's & How's. This discussion is in the realm of what GMs will think up for an explanations of the Why's &How's.

[Kaleb]

I always figured that this would be at the GM's discretion as this character could be very OP. Especially with Psylite and such.

Seeing as how they have the powers of Telemechanics (at no ISP cost I might add), Machine & Electrical Diagnosis, Soup-Up Machines, Mental Link to Robots, Power Armor & Vehicles, Telemechanic Mental Operation, Telemechanic Paralysis, Telemechanic Possession, Machine Ghost and others at 1st level I figured the Psi-Tech might one of the only psionic classes where they "might" not lose all of their powers because of the link they already have with technology.

Additionally, I always figured that if allowed it would be an accidental/non-reversible once in a lifetime process.

If you incorporated Psylite as I mentioned and then an Augmenting Helmet (pg 128 Phase World 1) this would double the ISP because that is what it does. It essentially doubles the ISP of the wearer. Even if the user loses half of his ISP this would make up for it.

[MadGreenSon]

I always figured that this would be at the GM's discretion as this character could be very OP. Especially with Psylite and such.

Seeing as how they have the powers of Telemechanics (at no ISP cost I might add), Machine & Electrical Diagnosis, Soup-Up Machines, Mental Link to Robots, Power Armor & Vehicles, Telemechanic Mental Operation, Telemechanic Paralysis, Telemechanic Possession, Machine Ghost and others at 1st level I figured the Psi-Tech might one of the only psionic classes where they "might" not lose all of their powers because of the link they already have with technology.

Additionally, I always figured that if allowed it would be an accidental/non-reversible once in a lifetime process.

If you incorporated Psylite as I mentioned and then an Augmenting Helmet (pg 128 Phase World 1) this would double the ISP because that is what it does. It essentially doubles the ISP of the wearer. Even if the user loses half of his ISP this would make up for it.

Yeah, it's very much a GM's call because power levels are relative to the group of player characters involved. In some groups a transferred intelligence robot with psi powers is gonna be OP, in other groups it won't be.