Cthulhu Rising Androids.pdf

ANDROIDS:

Government. This bill effectively banned

android technology from being used in any

offensive military applications. The Geneva

Convention was ratified, prohibiting the

equipping of androids with weapons or

uninhibited combat abilities.

INTRODUCTION:

An android is a synthetic human, basically, a

robot that is human in appearance. By the late

23 rd century androids have advanced to a

degree where they are externally

indistinguishable from a normal human being.

All androids built after the McKentrick Bill were

required by law to be fitted with behavioural

inhibitors. These are based on Asimov's 3

Laws of Robotics. The 3 Laws of Robotics are:

Though they are an artificial intelligence in the

broad sense, legally androids are classified as

property. Their utility and not-inconsiderable

unit cost is an incentive to any who wishes to

treat an android as expendable.

1. A robot may not harm a human being, or,

through inaction, allow a human being to

come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by

human beings, except where such orders

would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence, as

long as such protection does not conflict

with the First or Second Law.

ANDROID HISTORY:

Some historians will tell you that modern

android history began in the year 2148, when

Artificial Life Incorporated unveiled ‘Adam’, the

first ever self-aware computer. This is not

exactly true. It would be another decade before

the First Generation of true androids emerged

into the marketplace.

Despite these controls, there have been

reports of androids breaking their programming

and going rogue. Whether these rogue

Androids are the result of malfunction or of

deliberate tampering with the Artificial Life Inc

behavioural inhibitors is open to conjecture.

Religious groups such as the New Confederate

Christian Church of the United Americas

denounced Adam as blasphemy. The church

and other groups failed on successive attempts

to persuade the Federal Government to ban

further research into AI.

In 2172, Artificial Life Inc reclaimed dominance

of the android market when they unveiled the

Heuristic Logic Driver, more commonly known

as the Kennerman Chip, in honour of the chief

designer, Carl Kennerman. The Kennerman

Chip was revolutionary in android evolution,

allowing the new Artificial Life androids the

ability to reason, conceptualise and offer

opinions. Combined with advances in bio-

robotics, not only were these Third Gens

virtually indistinguishable from real people,

they were now stronger, faster and better co-

ordinated than an average human. The first

Android Specialists appeared, e.g. pilots and

surgeons.

By 2157, self-aware machines had been

combined with state of the art robotics, in what

became known as the First Generation (‘First

Gens’) of androids.

With limited self-awareness and social skills by

late 23 rd Century standards, the First Gen

android models were mostly restricted to

simple domestic duties and manual labour.

Although humanoid, these androids could

never pass for real human beings.

In 2164, Artificial Life Inc opened up their

android patent, becoming very rich by selling

their intellectual property to other corporations.

Very quickly a glut of android models hit the

market, now known as the Second Generation.

With advances in AI, newer models included

bodyguards and the first entertainment models,

the latter mainly limited to musicians and

dancers.

In 2176, Artificial Life Inc sold the technology

behind the Kennerman Chip to other android

producing corporations. There was a second

explosion in android production. A social

revolution was also taking place, as greedy

corporate executives, always looking for new

ways to make money, began mass producing a

new generation of Entertainment and Escort

models with advanced social interaction

capabilities.

In 2168, after a spate of malfunctions amongst

the ‘Dawson’ model of android bodyguards,

which involved several high-profile deaths, the

McKentrick Bill was passed by the Federal

Androids

Though the skeletal structure of an android is

sturdy, the electronics and fluid musculature

are extremely vulnerable to hydrostatic shock

and explosive effects from small arms fire. A

direct fire to the central processor (located in

the head) or power cell will result in immediate

deactivation of a unit, though in most cases a

partially destroyed android can continue to

function, albeit handicapped. In hostile

environments, synthetics require a similar

breathable atmosphere. Corrosive atmos-

pheres will melt them, extreme pressure will

squash them flat and hard vacuum will explode

them. While they are waterproof, as mentioned

earlier, their internal workings are extremely

vulnerable to hydro-static shock. An android

immersed in water that has been damaged to

the point where internal workings are exposed

risks being electrocuted.

As android technology relentlessly advanced,

the Federal Government contracted Artificial

Life Inc to design and built a new generation of

android models exclusively for use by the

United Earth Armed Forces. These Fourth

Gens would serve in non-combat roles,

supporting troops in the field.

It would be almost 40 years before a new

generation of androids would emerge. Artificial

Life Inc’s disastrous ‘Auton Project’ is detailed

later.

Despite being constantly refined, improved and

undated, the androids of the late 23 rd Century

are essentially built on the same technology

base used in android construction a century

earlier. Since the Auton Project, limits have

been placed on AI research, and the industry

has stagnated somewhat.

Those androids designed for close social

interaction with humans are able to eat and

drink, though they gain no nutrients from

anything they consume. Food and drink is

broken down in an artificial stomach cavity,

and the resulting liquid is expelled via a

retractable catheter.

ANDROID DESIGN:

Although an android’s cosmetic appearance

would seem to be a superfluous feature,

practical experience has shown that most

humans are psychologically unable to

interrelate with an inhuman-looking android; as

a result, the physical appearance and

simulated behaviour patterns of android units

are designed to particular specifications. Their

personalities, idiosyncrasies aside, can best be

described as passive or non-threatening.

THE ANDROID MIND:

The android’s mind is architectured around a

very powerful heuristic logic driver, making

decisions based upon imported sensory data,

information drawn from experience and the

android’s vast inbuilt databases. Intuitive

functions are derived from a suite of nested

contextual and semantic programs linked by

self-mapping loops of tangled hierarchies.

However, an android’s ability to understand

and process abstract concepts and

symbologies, though powerful, is limited. A

synthetic mind and personality is essentially a

construct, and there is no true self-awareness

as such, though this may not be all apparent to

an untrained observer interesting with a unit.

Androids display synthesised emotion,

superficially register self-awareness and, most

importantly of all, have the ability to reason

conceptualise and offer opinion. However,

these capabilities do not infer human-like

consciousness, even though for all other

intents and purposes synthetics are artificial

intelligence.

THE ANDROID BODY:

The modern android is a highly complex

machine: stronger, faster and better co-

ordinated than an average human. The basic

chassis is a carbon fibre skeleton with

latchment point for the artificial musculature.

The muscles are vat grown silicon colloids

powered either by pumped micro-hydraulics or

electrical stimulation. Power for the android is

supplies by a 25kw power cell with a life of

approximately 400 days between recharging.

This power cell is located within the android’s

chest, and access is via a hidden socket

located just underneath the rib-cage. Charging

time can vary, though it usually takes at least

72 hours to fully charge the standard power

cells fitted into modern day androids.

As in a human, the skeletal structure is

inherently

ANDROID RULES:

Androids all follow the same standard rules.

unstable

and

effectively

suspended by the musculature.

Despite their advantage in speed and strength

over human and their imperviousness to pain,

androids are not especially tough. Indeed by

comparison they are somewhat fragile.

1. A Player wishing to play an Android may

only do so with the Keeper’s consent. They

must then pick one of the android

Androids

templates. The Player MUST follow the

guidelines given to that android.

2. Androids have standard statistics, each

android of the same model being identical.

3. Androids are governed by Asimov's 3

Laws of Robotics, detailed in ‘Android

History’.

4. Androids are unaffected by all weapons

that cause stun (tranq guns, nerve gases

etc), unless electrical in nature (TASERs).

5. Androids have no POW Characteristic, and

consequently no MP or Luck skills.

6. First through Fourth Generation androids

have no real humanity and are unaffected

by what they see. They do not have to

make SAN rolls like humans. Whether the

Fifth Generation Autons have some form

of standard SAN score and can be

affected by the horrors of the Cthulhu

Mythos is up to individual Keepers.

7. Androids have no psychic defence and are

immune of psychic attacks unless it is a

physical attack, like telekinesis.

8. Android Enc is triple that of humans.

9. Military androids have improved visual and

audio abilities, allowing them to see in low-

light conditions and hear noise usually

beyond the range of human hearing. In

game terms this allows and android to

ignore negative Scan modifiers in low-light

conditions, and a base Listen skill of 40.

10. All androids have an inbuilt wireless

network interface, and can connect to any

unrestricted or unprotected computer

network up to a range of 30 metres.

11. Androids cannot heal. They must repair

themselves or be repaired directly. The

skill for repairing physical damage to an

android is an Electronics specialism called

Robotics . To repair any damage to an

android brain function also requires use of

the Computer Programming skill. To repair

corrupt AI data requires a Computer

Programming skill of at least 75%.

12. If an Android's HP are reduced to zero, the

android still works but at reduced abilities.

Every HP damage after that reduces every

characteristic by one. When INT is

reduced to zero, the brain has been

destroyed. Reducing the Chest/Abdomen

HP to zero destroys the body but the brain

can still be salvaged. Either way, at this

point, the unit is out of commission.

13. First to Fourth Generation androids can be

anywhere from 1-6 years of age. Past that

is a rarity. Their immediate family are

androids of the same model type. Fifth

Generation androids were designed to

have an open-ended lifespan, and any

models that escaped the purge of 2214

could conceivably still be in operation.

14. Androids can develop skills as naturally as

humans can as long as it stays within the

parameters of the model type.

EXAMPLE ANDROID TEMPLATES:

The templates below are all for Third

Generation androids and above, as androids of

lower spec cannot really be played as either

NPCs or PCs.

Standard Corporate Model Android

Average Cost : E$150,000

Apparent Age : Usually between 30 – 40.

STR : 14-16 (13+1d3)

CON : 10-12 (09+1d3)

SIZ : 10-14 (09+1d5)

INT : 14-16 (13+1d3)

POW : n/a

DEX : 14-16 (13+1d3)

APP : 10-14 (09+1d5)

EDU : 14-18 (13+1d5)

Skills:

3x specialist skills at 75%; 5x secondary skills

at 50%. EDUx10% to distribute amongst 5x

tertiary skills at Keepers discretion.

Information:

Ever since Artificial Life Inc sold their patent in

2164, androids have been constructed by

almost ever major corporation so their exact

stats vary.

Corporate androids are Third Gens, and

usually fulfil roles such as aerospace piloting,

scientific research, medical staff, as well as

being used for the exploration of hazardous

environments. In addition, ITC law dictates that

all deep space vessels carry an android

‘Caretaker’ on board, in case there are any

emergencies whilst the human crew are in

cryosleep.

Standard Military Model Android

Average Cost : E$175,000

Apparent Age : Usually between 30 – 40.

STR : 16-18 (15+1d3)

CON : 12-14 (11+1d3)

SIZ : 12-13 (11+1d2)

INT : 14-16 (13+1d3)

POW : n/a

DEX : 18-21 (17+1d4)

APP : 10-14 (09+1d5)

Androids

EDU : 16-20 (15+1d5)

Most models are designed to resemble

physically and socially attractive humans of a

wide variety of racial types, between 18 – 25

years of age. Few models are designed to look

older than 25, although there are a couple of

host models built to look as old as 35-40.

There have been rumours of Entertainment

Androids built to look younger than 18, but this

has never been confirmed, and is strongly

denied by all corporates involved in android

design and construction.

Skills:

1x Expert skill at 90%; 3x specialist skills at

75%; 5x secondary skills at 50%. EDUx10% to

distribute amongst 5x tertiary skills at Keepers

discretion.

Information:

Built by Artificial Life Inc for an exclusive

government contract, military androids are

known as being the most reliable. They are

known as Fourth Gens.

Entertainment Model Androids are extremely

sociable and almost impossible to identify as

an android unless they are wounded. This

said however, they have programming to not

intentionally hide their identifies.

The United Earth Armed Forces uses androids

extensively, to the extent where it has become

standard operational procedure for an android

to accompany any UEAF spaceship on deep

space missions. They are used as backup

pilots of aerospace craft such as dropships and

troop carriers, medics, scientific advisors and

as a mobile interacting database of

information. Androids are generally noted as

having passive, or neutral personalities, so

also serve the purpose of morale officer.

Fifth Generation Android (Auton)

Average Cost: n/a

Apparent Age: Usually between 19 - 25.

STR : 14-16 (13+1d3)

CON : 10-12 (09+1d3)

SIZ : 10-14 (09+1d5)

INT : 11-18 (10+1d8)

POW : n/a

DEX : 14-16 (13+1d3)

APP : 12-16 (11+1d5)

EDU : 14-18 (13+1d5)

Standard Entertainment Model Android

Average Cost : E$200,000

Apparent Age : Usually between 18 - 25.

STR : 14-16 (13+1d3)

CON : 10-12 (09+1d3)

SIZ : 10-15 (09+1d6)

INT : 12-14 (11+1d3)

POW : n/a

DEX : 14-16 (13+1d3)

APP : 16-18 (15+1d3)

EDU : 14-18 (13+1d5)

Skills:

3x specialist skills at 75%; 5x secondary skills

at 50% from an Occupational skill group of

Players choice (the Keeper has final say on

which Occupations are allowed). EDUx10 to

distribute amongst other skills at Keepers

discretion.

Skills:

1x Expert skill at 90%; 3x specialist skills at

75%; 5x secondary skills at 50%. EDUx10% to

distribute amongst 5x tertiary skills at Keepers

discretion.

Information:

Also known as Autons, the Fifth Generation

Androids were the culmination of a project run

by Artificial Life Inc. in the early 23rd century.

Designed and built by other AI, Fifth Gens

were significantly more advanced than the

standard android models on the market.

Information:

Entertainment Model Androids were originally

conceived as the perfect corporate escorts for

visiting clients and business partners, or as

hosts at corporate resorts. With limitless

patience and tact programmed in as standard,

they could handle even the most difficult of

clients, able to instantly provide information

about local nightlife, cultural events etc from

their extensive databases. Over the years,

their initial design parameters have changed,

as clients requested androids with better

‘human interaction’ skills i.e. sex.

With hyper-complex personality matrixes, the

Fifth Gens were built to resemble humans in

almost every way, including capability for

abstract thought and emotion.

During the initial Alpha Prototype Distribution

stage in 2214, Artificial Life ran into problems.

Some of the Fifth Gens were found to be too

emotional and uncontrollable. When tests were

run, it was revealed that they had evolved way

beyond their design parameters, and were

showing signs of real consciousness – true AI.

Androids

The Auton Project was cancelled shortly

thereafter, and all existing Fifth Gen models

were recalled. Extremely sociable and almost

impossible to identify as an Android unless

wounded, those Androids that escaped the

purge have mainly disappeared into the 23 rd

Century underworld, or become wandering

drifters.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Some of the content of this document is either

sourced from or inspired by the Colonial Marines

Technical Manual published by Lee Brimmicombe-

Wood.

The films Alien, Aliens and Alien Resurrection, for

inspiration on android behaviour and design.

Isaac Asimov for the famous three laws of robotics.

Philip K Dick for his novel ‘Do Androids Dream of

Electric Sheep’, and Ridley Scott’s film adaptation,

‘Blade Runner’.

Thanks to Christophe Jaureguiberry for his proof

reading and suggestions.

Androids

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