How would android renewal affect an exocortex?

[Pax Rafkin]

Brief background: Android with exocortex commits a crime, is caught, chooses to let the Machine Court hears his case, found guilty, android chooses renewal instead of his sentence. Player's character begins when this android wakes after however long.

What do you think the status of the exocortex would be? Functional? Memories intact?

Not really a rules question, I'm just looking for quasi-logical explanations for whatever the status of the exocortex is.

[Rosc]

It seems to be left open, at least until future books elaborate.

My in-development Android Mechanic, named Double, is the second soul to inhabit their body. (So clever, I know.) The Exocortex contains a remnant of the previous soul's personality. When Double's time is up, the personalities will coalesce, adding their collective wisdom to the Exocortex, which will be used by the third personality. And so on.

It's a very One For All thing, if you get that reference.

[David knott 242]

I am actually surprised that the Court doesn't remove the exocortex when the original android "dies" just to prevent this scenario.

[Pax Rafkin]

David knott 242 wrote:

I am actually surprised that the Court doesn't remove the exocortex when the original android "dies" just to prevent this scenario.

I don't like the idea that a mechanic with 1 rank in computers can create a limited AI exocortex so this was a more plausible solution.

But you're probably right. The Machine Court would not "punish" the AI by leaving it in a dormant host. Maybe the new soul came to the host almost immediately after renewal, before the exocortex could be removed.

[David knott 242]

I was thinking that, if the Court understands the renewal process, they would want to minimize the chance that any memories from the pre-renewal (criminal) android's soul would contaminate the new (innocent) soul.

And non-android mechanics would have to come up with a different explanation for their exocortexes anyway.

[Herald]

I was toying around with the idea of making a character who comes from a line of mechanics. When one is ready to move on, it uploads part of its personality to the exocortex and it becomes a parental AI that guides the new android through life. The exocortex doesn't really have it's own true intelligence, but it is a comforting echo of what has come before.

[Ravingdork]

There's a machine court? Where can I find more I for action about it?

[Xenocrat]

Ravingdork wrote:

There's a machine court? Where can I find more I for action about it?

It's in the Aballon section of the Pact Worlds setting chapter of the core book.

[David knott 242]

David knott 242 wrote:

I was thinking that, if the Court understands the renewal process, they would want to minimize the chance that any memories from the pre-renewal (criminal) android's soul would contaminate the new (innocent) soul.

For the reason cited above, an android mechanic who wants to pass on his exocortex to the next soul to occupy his body probably has the best chance of success if he can undergo renewal while he is not in custody. Even being a fugitive on the run would work for this purpose, and it would provide the additional complication of the new android having to prove that he is not the fugitive who previously occupied his body.

[Asier-23-7]

Wow, this is certainly similar to my first SFS character. I was thinking of the exocortex as being similar to a phone's 'personal assistant.' Has good knowledge and advice, but doesn't handle situations that it hasn't been programmed to.

[Voss]

David knott 242 wrote:

I am actually surprised that the Court doesn't remove the exocortex when the original android "dies" just to prevent this scenario.

It doesn't really address the bigger question though. In general, the Court won't be involved in most renewals, some of which will involve an exocortex or other attached AI. What happens then?

My answer would be that it would depend on the exocortex. Most would be annoyed that its partner mind-wiped itself, and would either fill in the old memories with whatever copies it has on hand or (for more patient ones), re-train it as the exocortex sees fit.

[Metaphysician]

Slight problem with this whole idea: it would result in a Level 1 character having a not-Level 1 exocortex AI. If you wished to go this way, there'd need to be some way to explain why the exocortex ended up reduced to level 1 status.

I could see it generally being part of Android culture, that if one is going to undergo renewal, one removes all extraneous cybernetic additions first. If your leaving a clean slate for a new android, you leave it *clean*.

[Randalfin]

I'd have to disagree. One of the mechanics main abilities later on is being able to split up his ai between an exocortex and a drone. He literally assigns levels to which he wants.

Because of that, I'd say the ai is as much a part of the mechanic as he is a part of it. So if the android decides to renew, he takes most of the ai with him. When the process is complete, yes the new personality is level one. So is the exocortex because it renewed with him and left behind its own kid.

[Metaphysician]

Yes, and what if the new Android doesn't *want* to be a Mechanic? Seems like an awkward situation to leave something that is semi-sentient.

I think this is a "solution" in search of a problem, because the problem it "solves" ( how a level 1 character got their exocortex ) isn't a problem in the first place. They got it by building one, and having it installed, simple as that. An exocortex isn't any more a rare and precious relic than a drone is.

[Randalfin]

I agree with you there, but that's what the forum thread is about. Technically this question should only be relevant in two real cases.

One, the player wants to start out with a class ability that he doesn't have levels in and two, as a valid question as to what happens when you wake up with a piece of hardware implanted in your brain that you have no idea what it is.

Technically this brings up a major question about androids in general. They can renew and basically die then swap souls. The new guy gets up and starts his new life.

What about his augments? If the previous 'soul' happened to be level 15ish and was decked out in a third arm, prosthetic eyes, a mechanical implant that increases intelligence by 6, and a hidden storage compartment with a million credit credstick?

The exocortex question is only the beginning to issues with Android renewal.

[The Sideromancer]

I now want to make an Android character who's way around the eldritch abominations slowly driving them insane is to renew frequently. I'd probably need the rest of the party to remind them what they were doing.

[Metaphysician]

Randalfin wrote:

I agree with you there, but that's what the forum thread is about. Technically this question should only be relevant in two real cases.

One, the player wants to start out with a class ability that he doesn't have levels in and two, as a valid question as to what happens when you wake up with a piece of hardware implanted in your brain that you have no idea what it is.

Technically this brings up a major question about androids in general. They can renew and basically die then swap souls. The new guy gets up and starts his new life.

What about his augments? If the previous 'soul' happened to be level 15ish and was decked out in a third arm, prosthetic eyes, a mechanical implant that increases intelligence by 6, and a hidden storage compartment with a million credit credstick?

The exocortex question is only the beginning to issues with Android renewal.

Obviously, this should only ever happen as part of a specific, GM-approved, subplot. . .

But my inclination would be to go with "you now have a backstory-based excuse to 'buy' upgrades without needing to go to a store". Essentially, they can, *when level appropriate*, get various enhancements to turn on and function. This either costs the same as buying and installing them ( to fix them ), or else is just treated as "here is part of your wealth reward this adventure, instead of cash".

I'd probably still disallow the exocortex, or only "allow" it in the sense that it is a fully independent NPC with its own agenda.