Post by platimus on Jan 5, 2021 13:46:02 GMT -5
Are there any rules for familiars? Any semi-official or homebrew rules? Note, that I have something different than "Summon Wolf" in mind.
In the past, I haven't really been captivated by the thought of familiars. However, I came across this article today and it really set my imagination on fire.
www.cnet.com/news/here-are-the-robots-taking-the-virtual-stage-at-ces-2021/
After viewing that article, I began to imagine a future where people walk around with robotic, AI dogs that are "Alexa voice enabled" so to speak. Instead of carrying a smartphone around, you walk around with one of these dogs (or some other animal or robotic form).
"Call Mom". Your robotic "familiar" calls your mother and you speak to her like you might with an Alexa-enabled device. The eyes function as a "webcam" for the call if you wish. Speakers and microphones can be discretely placed wherever on the "familiar".
"Navigate to the store". Your familiar either physically leads you or directs you via voice with GPS directions.
"I'm being attacked. Get help!". Your familiar trots off to find authorities or others that might aid you. The proverbial Lassie getting help for Timmy who fell in a well. But this Lassie can use human words or play audio or video to explain exactly what kind of trouble or help you need.
"Defend". Your robotic Lassie will attack anyone it believes is attacking you.
"Attack". 'Nuf said.
"Find my keys". You have potentially cut your search time in half as you now have 2 intelligences (your own and Lassie's) trying to find your keys.
And the list goes on. If a cave-man encountered someone from the future with one of these robotic companions, he'd think it was a Wizard and a familiar.
So, I'm now interested in developing some "familiar" rules for DCG that would be general-purpose and simple enough to work well in all three of the genres, not just LAW but LTS and LUW also!
In the LTS case, your "familiar" would be a droid.
I'm thinking it would work kind of like the Wizard Staff. You have to invest XP in your familiar to improve it or give it skills. A wizard might even use it to cast spells but apply the Fatigue to the familiar. But if your familiar is killed, you just lost a bunch of XP.
In the past, I haven't really been captivated by the thought of familiars. However, I came across this article today and it really set my imagination on fire.
www.cnet.com/news/here-are-the-robots-taking-the-virtual-stage-at-ces-2021/
After viewing that article, I began to imagine a future where people walk around with robotic, AI dogs that are "Alexa voice enabled" so to speak. Instead of carrying a smartphone around, you walk around with one of these dogs (or some other animal or robotic form).
"Call Mom". Your robotic "familiar" calls your mother and you speak to her like you might with an Alexa-enabled device. The eyes function as a "webcam" for the call if you wish. Speakers and microphones can be discretely placed wherever on the "familiar".
"Navigate to the store". Your familiar either physically leads you or directs you via voice with GPS directions.
"I'm being attacked. Get help!". Your familiar trots off to find authorities or others that might aid you. The proverbial Lassie getting help for Timmy who fell in a well. But this Lassie can use human words or play audio or video to explain exactly what kind of trouble or help you need.
"Defend". Your robotic Lassie will attack anyone it believes is attacking you.
"Attack". 'Nuf said.
"Find my keys". You have potentially cut your search time in half as you now have 2 intelligences (your own and Lassie's) trying to find your keys.
And the list goes on. If a cave-man encountered someone from the future with one of these robotic companions, he'd think it was a Wizard and a familiar.
So, I'm now interested in developing some "familiar" rules for DCG that would be general-purpose and simple enough to work well in all three of the genres, not just LAW but LTS and LUW also!
In the LTS case, your "familiar" would be a droid.
I'm thinking it would work kind of like the Wizard Staff. You have to invest XP in your familiar to improve it or give it skills. A wizard might even use it to cast spells but apply the Fatigue to the familiar. But if your familiar is killed, you just lost a bunch of XP.
