Created by wielders of advanced technology, magic, or a combination of the two, each Intelligent Construct is a unique synthetic being with an origin story tied to the Golden Age of Man or high-tech factions like Northern Gun, Triax, the Coalition States, A.R.C.H.I.E. Three, the Kittani, Splugorth, Techno-Wizards, and other advanced societies inhabiting the infinite Megaverse® connected to Rifts Earth.
HERO’S JOURNEY (NO ROLLS)
Intelligent Constructs do not roll on the Hero’s Journey tables. They are new to the world and must rely on the raw ability of their powerful artificial bodies to get by.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Unlike most characters, Intelligent Constructs are built from the ground up similar to custom races, using a construction points system with positive and negative values. You have 24 points to create your construct, using the values presented on the following pages.
The following racial attributes are common to all Intelligent Constructs and do not count against their construction point totals:
- Construct: Intelligent Constructs are beings made of inorganic material. They add +2 to recover from being Shaken, ignore 1 point of Wound penalties, don’t breathe, and are immune to Disease and Poison, and Wounds are fixed with Repair instead of Healing with no “Golden Hour”.
- Inorganic: Normal cyberware does not work on Constructs. They may not take cybernetics or roll on the Cybernetics Hero's Journey Table.
- Outsider (Major): People of Rifts Earth view Intelligent Constructs as property rather than sentient beings. They have no protections under the law and suffer a −2 to Persuasion when dealing with those who know
of their advanced construction. - Core Directive (Major): All Constructs are engineered with a primary function, which instills them with purpose. This often functions as the Vow (Major) or Pacifist (Major) Hindrance but may take on other forms (a Major psychology-based Hindrance) per GM's approval.
- Wanted (Major): Once its true nature is discovered, many powerful factions will hunt down the Construct for disassembly and study, slated for immediate destruction, or sold to the highest bidder.
- Malfunctions: Constructs are subject to breakdowns when put under extreme stress (i.e. Technical Difficulties).
Core Directive: Archie occasionally creates experimental Shemarrians outfitted with neural intelligences, then releases them into the world to gather information and observe their actions. Their systems have back doors allowing recon data to be collected from them without their knowledge via undetectable burst transmissions to a secret satellite. Additionally, they are hardwired with protocols making it difficult for them to directly attack Archie or Hagan (requires a Spirit check at −4). All Shemarrians are programmed with complex emotional simulations and a fictional alien warrior culture, clan history, and home world which they believe completely and underpins their conception of reality
Artificial Intelligence: Shemarrian Renegades feature neural intelli- gences as close to human intellects as a machine can get.
Technological System: All Cyberworks creations, though highly advanced, are based on standard technology.
Bulky Frame: Shemarrians are 8 feet tall and weigh 900 pounds, granting them +1 Size and +1 Toughness.
Base Locomotion: Robot legs.
Advanced Senses: Shemarrian Renegades carry the most advanced sensor suite possible.
Lifelike Android: It was Hagan’s idea for each Shemarrian be a synthetic human sculpture, with warm skin (capable of bleeding), flowing hair, bright eyes, etc. Unless examined in a high-tech laboratory they cannot be differentiated from flesh-and-blood creatures.
Standard Vocal Unit: Shemarrian experiments are outfitted with an original, melodious voice and speech patterns. As a ruse, they speak Dragonese/Elven fluently and American with an Elven accent.
Obscure Construction: Archie and Hagan intentionally employ peculiar nonstandard technology in their creations to hinder anyone attempting to tweak, modify or examine them incurs a −4 skill roll penalty.
Feature Locked Physiology: The physical capabilities of their hyper-advanced Cyberworks construction cannot be improved upon, though the Shemarrian’s neural intelligence system may still learn and grow cognitively and emotionally the android may not purchase upgrades to Agility, Strength, or Vigor as it ranks up (though “she” may increase Smarts and Spirit as normal).
The following features are common to Shemarrian Renegades:
- Armor: Taken once, +4 natural Armor that stacks with worn armor.
- Attribute: Taken twelve times increase Agility by three dice, Strength by six dice, and Vigor by three dice.
- Edges: Attractive and Very Attractive, representing the Shemarrian’s unnatural beauty.
- Edge: Danger Sense, provided by the Shemarrian’s antennae sensors.
- Edge: Fleet-Footed.
- Edges: Ambidextrous as well as Two-Fisted.
- Edge: Woodsman.
- Hardwired Skills: Taken seven times Shemarrian Renegades begin with a d6 in Athletics, Fighting, Intimidation, Riding, Shooting, Survival, and Taunt.
- Pace: Taken once granting +2 Pace and increasing running die by one type, stacks with Fleet-Footed granting a total Pace of 10 and a d10 running die.
- Power Plant: Nuclear fusion will not Fatigue and does not need to access a power source.
- Reinforced Chassis: Taken once giving +2 Toughness.
- Weapon System, Integral: Retractable hand claws dealing Str+d6 Mega Damage, AP 2 add +2 to Athletics (climbing) rolls.