AI computer upgrade... does it have its own action?

[SITZKRIEG!]

If you have an AI computer on your character (like a mechanic with that custom rig option/upgrade at 7th level), does it gets its own action? From my reading of the rules (copy pasted below), you could order the AI to perform an action with a free action involving the limited set of skills listed (like feint with bluff or demoralize with intimidate). Opinions? It's not particularly powerful and the bonus is paltry compared to what a character could get but it seems like a flavorful option. I'm not playing a mechanic at the moment but was coming up with a build for fun. I figured the mechanic would have a holographic sashimono as well as the commlink for the AI to communicate with others for the purposes of the skills. Ideas?

CRB pg. 216 "The primary advantage of an artificial personality is that an authorized user can operate the computer by giving simple spoken or typed commands in plain language and receive information from the computer the same way. *flavor text removed* Artificial personalities are sophisticated enough that the computer can attempt Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks with a total bonus equal to 2 × its tier. "

[LotsOfLore]

SITZKRIEG! wrote:

If you have an AI computer on your character (like a mechanic with that custom rig option/upgrade at 7th level), does it gets its own action? From my reading of the rules (copy pasted below), you could order the AI to perform an action with a free action involving the limited set of skills listed (like feint with bluff or demoralize with intimidate). Opinions? It's not particularly powerful and the bonus is paltry compared to what a character could get but it seems like a flavorful option. I'm not playing a mechanic at the moment but was coming up with a build for fun. I figured the mechanic would have a holographic sashimono as well as the commlink for the AI to communicate with others for the purposes of the skills. Ideas?

CRB pg. 216 "The primary advantage of an artificial personality is that an authorized user can operate the computer by giving simple spoken or typed commands in plain language and receive information from the computer the same way. *flavor text removed* Artificial personalities are sophisticated enough that the computer can attempt Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks with a total bonus equal to 2 × its tier. "

I don't think it should be a free action if you use it to feint or demoralize in combat. I think ordering the AI to do the check should be a free action, but the check itself should be treated exactly as it is in the rules. So for feint it would be a standard action, normally. You just use your AI's bonus instead of yours.

Its good for characters who have low char based abilities, of course.

Also, the voice of the AI could be projected from a different point, maybe after having hacked a nearby computer, that would be a cool use of a bluff check to create a distraction. That's all up to the GM of course.

[Sober Caydenite]

This is an important question to get an answer from, as a computer can also fire weapons using a bonus equal to double its tier. Not great for a direct fire weapon, but a grenade launcher or other explosion weapon only needs an attack roll of +4 to only miss on a 1, so a Tier 2 computer would do it.

Control modules are relatively cheap, so a computer could also activate things like force fields or haste circuits if it had an action.

[Wingblaze]

It's not an artificial intelligence - it's an artificial personality. It's not sentient and it does not have free will.

I don't recall seeing rules addressing the subject. That said, using something like this to bypass the action economy is probably something I would say "no" to.

[johnlocke90]

I would allow it. Nothing in the rules stops the ship AI from taking actions.

It only matters for fights happening on your ship, and a minor home field advantage feels appropriate. If anything, this will get used against PCs more than for them.

[Telok]

Tier 1 comp, mini to L bulk, add artifical personallity, 60cr.
Teir 1 cyro pistol with control module, L bulk, 132cr.
Two gear clamps (depending on DM, maybe only 1) 200cr. Both L bulk.

About 400cr for a 'clip it to your shoulder' throw away sentry gun.

Or there are the rakmodoi computers which are magical, self powered, and can have legs for a 30 climb/walk speed. A similar version with that runs almost 200 (300 if your DM requires you to clamp the gun to the computer).

Might as well throw in some secure data storage at 1cr each. Keep your voice print and 'allowed commands' in them. Cheap extra security is always nice.

Thus 4000 to 8000 for 20 of them. About what a level 6 to 8 pistol costs. Yes they have low attack bonuses and are individually easy to hack. But you can throw piles of them at people, mount them on a shopping cart, have them provide covering and harrying fire. Or upgrade them to blast weapons.

[SITZKRIEG!]

Reductio ad absurdum at its finest. I understand what you're going for but no need; there will always be ways to abuse rules to the extreme but that's not what I'm asking about. How do you carry all that even with L bulk? Will you spend 10 rounds each combat setting up the turrets? Why not just instead run a party of mystic that charm local thugs before each combat with all their spells to do their dirty work instead. It doesn't even cost any credits! Sure some will make the save due to the life saving bonus but you just move onto the next one to cast it on instead! The absurd rabbit hole runs deep and the kind of stuff that you're referring to is exactly why you have a GM there to curb it if he or she has any sense.

Do you think a single AI computer on a player character that can use a small selection of social skills at a bonus typically less than half that of a dedicated PC who frequently uses that skill is broken?

["Dr." Cupi]

Mechanically, sure. Though, if the computer successfully feints, the creature is flat-footed against the computer.

Also, if you wanted the computer to activate various armor upgrade systems I'd say probably not because there is a specific armor upgrade that can do that.

There are definitely ways you could abuse the action economy of combat with computers. The limiting factor is the sheer cost of it all (as well as the garbage bonuses the computer gets).

Cost factors include:
Tier of computer (higher tier for higher bonus) $$$
minimizing higher tiers to make them mobile $$
the weapons $$
the ammunition $ or $$
control module for each $

I would also remind you that DCs in Starfinder tend to scale. At low levels this may be feasible. As the levels raise however, it becomes significantly less so.