Magitech of Thorn's World That Was: The S.H.A.D.E. and the i.V.E.E.

The equivalent to an AI in Thorn’s Blackmoor is a S.H.A.D.E. (A Sentient Heuristic Aetheric Data Entity) Most of the time, they are invisible, intangible to those without access to the Aetherweb. 

Those with active Aethercasters can perceive SHADEs as indistinct, hazy images of their Aetherform with a successful Awareness-perception check at +2 steps. If a SHADE does not possess the Artificial Shadow schema, it may make itself visible to others, but it is extremely taxing, requiring a WIL feat check. A SHADE may manifest for a number of minutes equal to one-half its Will score. Beginning the next minute the SHADE has passed this limit, it must make a WIL feat check. Each minute, the SHADE continues to make checks, at a cumulative +1 step penalty. The result of the check determines how much damage is suffered, depending on the quality of the AI program (see Dataware Table D5: Software Damage). A SHADE manifesting in the Prime cannot be destroyed, only banished back across the Aetheric boundary, for a minimum of 24 hours.

SHADEs cannot abide direct sunlight, as the photon density disrupts the quantum state they need to exist on the Prime. Thus, they need shadowed conditions in order to manifest.

A SHADE can use a black dragonstone to enhance its Prime shadowform, the physical properties depending on lighting conditions and the stone’s quality.

The SHADE Loras encountered in the Apocryphal Vault at the University was a prototype, an incomplete copy of the personality transfer of Andahar’s eldest daughter. Rather than scrap the work that went into making her, she was relegated to serve as a “librarian” or “archivist” (an “i.V.E.E.” program. (interactive Virtual Education Emulant). When the project was shut down, the iVEE was decommissioned but was not cleared, and would awaken every now and again as the University ran routine maintenance on the data cores. She had been asleep for nearly 200 years by the time Loras (re)discovered her, and thus, she was a bit behind on current events.

iVEE is an Ordinary PL7 AI program on a modified Ordinary grade processor (INT 14 WIL 11 PER 11) 2 actions per round, Action Check 15+/14/7/3

iVEE has immediate access to the following skills: AI Functions-multitask[16] -prediction[15] -remote[16]; Computer Science-hacking[16] -programming[16]; Knowledge-deduce[15] -Kingsman[15]; Language-Thonian[18]-draconic[17]-elven[17]-dwarvish[16]-Skandaharian[16]-Traveller[15]; Physical Science-astronomy[16]; Administration-management[12]; Awareness-perception[15]; Creativity-art[13]; Investigate; Teach-history -Kingsman; Culture-diplomacy[12] -ettiquette(The North)[13]; Interaction

Accidentally fused with a physical body by a necromancer’s well-intentioned healing, iVEE is perhaps the first SHADE to possess physical stats:

STR 6   −1   INT 14  +2

DEX 7          WIL 11   +1

CON 7        PER 11   

Dur: 7/7/4/4                      Action Check: 12+/11/5/2

Move: 12 sprint, 8 run, 2 walk, 1 easy swim, 2 swim           # Actions: 2

Reaction Score: Ord/2

Perks: Ambidextrous (only +2 off-hand), FX Resistance (+2 resistance vs. Arcane), 

Flaws: Alien Artifact (Self), Fragile (+1 penalty to Stamina-endurance checks)

Mindwalker Skills: Telepathy-(-contact[11]), -datalink[12], (-illusion[11]),  -mind shield[12] (-suggest[11]), (-tire[11])



A special shout out to Chimpman, from the Comeback Inn and Piazza forums, for generating the seed idea of using an entire plane to become the sci-fantasy version of the real world internet.