Post-human Sorcery (a few thoughts)

[Thierry Michel]

inspired by the RPG Theory/Sci Fi II thread and the recent purchase of Sorcerer

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any sufficiently advanced technology is undistinguishable from magic

Arthur Clarke


For centuries humans have dreamt of acquiring terrible powers. With the advent of science, the tools replaced the demons, and reason ruled the natural world. Now, the technology can change our very own flesh and mind, but the old tales told all the same story: power has a price.


In this incarnation of Sorcerer, there is no magic, and the demons are the tools that post-humans built for themselves.

Humanity represents your core: your sense of self. Consciousness is not something immaterial, but the product of your brain and body. Alter the mind, change the body, and you'll no longer be the same person. Push it too far, and there will be no more a person, just a collection of competing algorithms.

Demons come in several forms: pills, neurological surgery, genetic alterations, cybernetic implants... What they do is control your mood, sharpen your senses, boost your endurance, give you instant knowledge. They don't rebel, they are always there at your disposition, but they change you: their needs become yours.

Take the mood-altering pills and find yourself trapped in the new mood - why come back to your old, weak self ? Use implants and become addicted to their cold, detached worldview.

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[Thierry Michel]

I'm not sure what tweaks would be required to run such a setting (or simply if it's doable at all) .

Humanity and demonic powers can stay more or less as written. The rules for summoning and binding demons, as well as the Lore attribute, have of course to be changed. What else ?

[Seth L. Blumberg]

I would like to see some examples of appropriate Needs and Desires. It's not clear to me what they would be.

[Fabrice G.]

Hi Thierry,

Sounds quite fun.

Hey, its your idea, but here's what I think.

...but they change you: their needs become yours.

Souds like customized Parasites times ! Add a "form"/abilites relation. Maybe a Need/evolution one too (think S'Soul switching demon,s types).

Frex:

- "transgenic" organ/tissue => boost (Stamina), Armor, etc.
/evolution passer demon.
- pills: boost (will), boost (lore), perception,.../evolution Possessor[/list:u]

And so on...

They don't rebel, they are always there at your disposition...

Hum, that could be more fun if they actually rebel (refuse to function, do (special) damage), because you have all that nice technology... and you're at its mercy.
Altrenatively, you could rule that Sorcerers can't live without their Parasites (or at least some of them). You might treat this as a form of Special damage (lethal) inflicted by the demon when it is breaking the Binding after rebelling.

Ay what happen at zero humanity ? Death ? Possession ?

Thierry, that's really cool idea !!! I'm deadly certain that it can be made ...
Did you see Tetsuo (I & II) by Tsukamoto ?

Waiting for your own developments,

Fabrice.

[Thierry Michel]

I would like to see some examples of appropriate Needs and Desires. It's not clear to me what they would be.

Needs should be easy: to keep a "Demon" into existence all one has to do is to continue to wear the implant or take the drug.

The desires are more tricky, it depends on the mental outlook that the "Demon" provides.

So, for instance a combat drug ("Sammy" in Lucius Shephard's novels) would yield:

Fast, Boosts Stamina, Perception

Needs: regular injections or drugs
Desires: to wreak havoc, to stay in the "war-god" mode


More generally, one could distinguish between self-sustaining demons, that give their user the desire to remain in the altered state and temporary one that are just passing states of mind. The most dangerous would of course be the first type.

[Thierry Michel]

Hum, that could be more fun if they actually rebel (refuse to function, do (special) damage), because you have all that nice technology... and you're at its mercy.

Well, I like the idea that they are just a seductive state of mind. So basically instead of not working, they're working too well: you just don't want to switch them off (that's where you'd need a humanity check).

Zero humanity ? You have no longer a core personality to fall back upon, you always behave like the last Demon that you used.