Chargen: Neuroform

Neuroforms describe your character’s mind and how it is organized. They appear in contrasting pairs. Characters pick one of the two from each set.

  • Dynamic or Static: The Dynamic neuroform represents characters who wear a Neural Mesh. They can download Professions, alter their Core Values intentionally, and run Lenses. Such characters can also be the target of brain-hacking. In comparison, Static minds have limited ability to change themselves quickly. Characters capable of using Meshes are not Static.
  • Physical or Dataform: Physical characters, in short, have bodies that they cannot leave. Dataform characters are primarily minds. They exist with minimal physical form, and interact best with the infosphere. Characters who are digital intelligences or uploaded humans would have this neuroform. If they are “embodied” (that is, currently implanted in a biological or mechanical body), they do not necessarily die if the body dies.
  • Single or Multiple: Characters who are Single have only one mind. Characters who are Multiple run the gamut from small group-minds up to continent-spanning compositions made up of millions of people. Single minds have a single massive point of failure; multiple minds have many points of failure but can be in lots of places at once.
  • Autonomous or Parasitic: Autonomous minds run on their own hardware. Parasitic minds run on the processing power of others’ brains. Those others must be taken care of, or they will become worn out and need to be replaced.
  • Sovereign or Slaved: Sovereign minds run their own software. Slaved minds run other peoples’ software. Their minds are the playthings of another; they can be controlled at any time by a particular individual or group. The exact nature and extent of this control should be worked out before the game begins.

The most typical neuroform has the left-hand set of descriptors from the list above: Dynamic, Physical, Single, Autonomous, and Sovereign. A character with this neuroform has one physical body, and a technology-enhanced mind without any external controls or the need to feed on other people’s mental processes. This is often referred to as a “Baseline Dynamic” Neuroform.

Game Effects

  • The owners of Parasitic or Slaved minds receive Twists when their nature gets them in trouble.

Select your Core Values next.

Links

  1. Civilization
  2. Society
  3. Neuroform
  4. Core Values
  5. Themes
  6. Capabilities
  7. Expertise
  8. Import and Tech
  9. Finishing Touches
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