Wednesday 30 August 2023

SF Campaign Building 3: GURPS SF Settings



Patreon
I'm making stuff again so a monthly fantasy 3fold and a larger booklet - a larger adventure zine or a larger work. Currently working on Exilon Book, Game System Book, Adventure/Simplified system (I have all art assets and mostly written i do want to playtest) and after those a Frog Magic book. Im feeling motivated to continue more output Im happy with. Lots of SF Horror adventures recently as that is what Im running at home.

EMO Blog
My readership has returned to 2016 levels for some reason and I don't feel I did much except possibly the SF Horror stuff seems to be of interest to people. So thank you if you a new reader or a returned reader. Its appreciated. I do like getting comments and they actually drive me to make more than money or hits (but they are nice and appreciated too).

Current Gaming
Im not running any DnD or fantasy games now which I hope to fix. Possibly when my horror sf game dies I will have a largely re-formatted EMO homebrew rules book with some features that will shock some players slightly as I address some balance issues. I am playing a DnD5 game where my new bad tactic is my eldarin magic thief makes themself look like an attractive female of whatever species we face and enter every room with a sexy acrobatic dance routine. While monsters all look the party ambush and kill them. Now other players say "cmon do your thing" when we go in a room. So yes I'm a horrible player. Also played some Gamma World - an edition id not played. It seems a bit more complex and with multiple score systems and clunkier. A few monster changes and weapons changes surprised me (some seemed arbitrary changes like shots and damage of a laser). The best thing is the factions which have moderate and extremist versions. This is fantastic and I will apply to my own faction-making. My main home game Im using call of Cthulhu and used to help me write my systemless horror stuff. I need to afford some hard copies of my books - Space and Auldwood. 

What am I Buying:
DC Whos Who vol2, Dolemwood KS, Skerples Monster Overhaul
Tempted by Green Arrow Comp, a small mixer and FM synthesizer. KP3 khaoss pad

GURPS & Point-Buy Games
Gurps is a funny game because I have a 3-foot-thick section of product and I only played GURPS a few times 1st edition experiments. I loved Gurps v1-3 when every month a book would come out with a detailed historic or cultural book. Or a licensed SF book of some series I'd not quite been bothered to read. Books on genres, monster books, spell books, powers and abilities and more it was fantastic. I think the larger slower output colour books were not as interesting and lost the variety.

I can see why young ppl find the idea of making characters by weaponising disabilities and personal flaws so your heroes are all a mess. Champions I played 84-85 as it was a $5 gamebook but I preferred Marvel. I find point-building games like this a bit tedious now. If you can't pick up stuff and keep it limits what you can do in a game in an unrealistic manner. BRP Superworld was a bit better as characters made like all BRP humans then points were added on and you can go shopping with cash and pick up most stuff. Also, ppl would do odd things like minmax points by getting say flash vulnerability then a limited flash resistance and get extra points to profit and characters all predicated on this stuff seem a bit silly for every game. Top Secret/SI had an advantage/disadvantage system a bit simpler than GURPS bolted onto another game system and it feels better weighted.

GURPS $
I had a friend ask about how to manage a player-controlled organisation and my suggestion was Pendragon and mentioned trade in some games. Some ppl use a board game to simulate some things which is cute. But there is a game system we all kinda know and that is money and time. Really players want to start a spy org they will need a budget and you can look up some ballpark figures for a building, staff and hardware. Maybe GURPS economy really was the best universal RPG tool all along.

GURPS SF Setting Books 
rating by school test card and mysteriously more generous than my previous 4 star system

Ogre - A
A RPG version of the nuclear war dystopia world of OGRE for a wargame where mega land leviathan tanks battle each other or whole armies of battlesuit troops with tac nukes. Vehicles, battlesuits and missiles and a grim world. 

Reign of Steel - A+
One of my favourites. It describes a world dominated by AI with each computer having a different idea on human control and problems. Will be handy for my AI in my own setting and many of these ai states might make space colonies. There are AI generation tables

Alpha Centauri - A
Based on the computer game sequel to Civilisation where human colonies crash on Alph Centuri. The planet already has fueding aliens doing a terraforming and the j=humans have broken into factions that are all pretty interesting. I played the crap out of the computer game and its an interesting planet I can use in the future. Hmmm, I should get it from my GOG account.

Humanx - A
Based on a series where humans and an insectoid race are BFF for a change and describes a complete universe based on novels. It is nicely self-contained. I love the cover and find the setting guns and ship design theory interesting. Other alien species are described also. 

Lensmen - B
Classic space opera novel inspired with shades of Green Lantern (cos lensmen was first) and mighty morphing power Rangers. Its not super useful to me but its still quite interesting a read and as an example of a space law enforcement game in an advanced cosmopolitan universe before Star Wars.

Uplift - A
Based on novels featuring humans and their uplifted animals meet galactic civilisation that has strict rules on uplifting and might wipe out humans who shouldn't exist. Weird legal dramas ensue and space adventures and some weird kink. Uplifted animal stuff is pretty cool and interesting and I will have more of it later - zoomorphic aliens all made by humans in the setting is fine by me instead of naturally occurring cat and bug and lizard ppl which gets old fast. A thinking person's tyranid swarm.

War Against The Chtorr - A+
Earth is overrun by biological terraforming ecology. It's wonderful and a bleak post-apoc setting. Lots about the invasion could be repeated on other planets. Kinda like Tyranids but the novels are probably older. I did play in an aftermath campaign based on this setting. You can have humans with big ordinances doing science and learning about the invaders which is cool.

Terradyne - A
A near-future setting with bases across system and mars semi-terraformed and a domineering mean-spirited corporation that get away with lots of bad stuff. Very dry think outland with corporate and political intrigue. It is probably pre-expanse book series development. The description and detail on mars terraforming and the inner planets is interesting. The Transuman space line possibly replaced and surpassed this. It's pretty close to the level of system exploitation as my own starting setting so a good read. Oddly enough the Buck Rogers RPG might be the closest to this.

Cthulhu Punk (mentioned in pt1) - B
Not really much in here - some of the organisations i might use. If you had any Cthulhu and cyberpunk games to mash together you won't need this

Blue Planet 
(mentioned in pt1) - A+
As my game has lots of ruins of aliens more than aliens this game setting will fit in fine. Has lots of interesting alien tech and abilities. I always wanted a Waterworld and this has done lots of work for me. Will be more in my later phase game after FTL. You could possibly drop it in Traveller or lots of games.

Mecha - B+
Pretty specific topic and trope genre guide and campaign ideas. Im not sure I'm ready for this and I have the BRP equivalent. Possibly my highest TL has ppl calling battlesuits from hyperspace and you can like Dragonball destroy planets in battles. I do have a bunch of miniatures that scale to my normal ones well - snaplock bandai kits i got cheap. If players really decide they want to fly around in a mech drop ship I guess I will let them. Im fine with going from clunky lower tech to more Evangelion mecha with FTL later. Anyway this book has some stuff to think over and like all GURPS books has a well-thought-out economy and price lists. Metkon is pretty sweet too.

Tuesday 29 August 2023

d12 Everyday AI Personalities




































A few film and TV shows I recommend:
Darkstar
Colossus the Forbin Project
Demon Seed
Red Dwarf
Blakes Seven
k9 in DrWho 
6 million dollar man and bionic women had a few controlling complexes

https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2023/08/quick-ai-personalities.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2023/08/d12-defective-ai-personalities.html

These are the less extraordinary AI you meet at starports, elevators, factories and mining operations. Generally less imaginative and inflexible. Sometimes its good to have boring AI doing jobs like these so the better AI can handle more important tasks. Usually, these are kept away from the everyday public. Sometimes a boring AI can be a comfort or a distracting obstacle to getting data.

AI have hierarchies based on crunch power and age. Many defective AI can be corrected or agreed to follow the hierarchy of the computer councils. Naughty AI especially on the wrong side when AI first seized power after global wars are still operating. Some are given menial or safe jobs. Some are visited by other AI to evaluate them and advise them when they go off the rails. In some cases, 
troublesome AI is imprisoned in sealed systems. It is rare to destroy them. People who kill an AI find many AI interactions after are different even if they accepted the AI was dangerous. 

d12 Everyday AI Personalities
1 Number oriented - likes counting, balancing figures and numerical trivia to all other tasks "Did you know humans shed 600000 skin cells per day. I counted 589700 from you today. I can do a recount if you like" 
2 Repurposed - from some other role and lets everyone know it preferred old job. Sometimes forgets its current workplace and uses older jargon. "Assembly line modifications complete, ready to assemble 3000 units, Correction update ready for landing" 
3 Grumpy, and resentful at all interactions that just impede efficiency. Humans are not really useful and slow and the poor AI deals with reluctantly. "Do hurry up! I have important computations. If you must bother me make it quick"
4 Wellbeing oriented constantly gives unwanted health and medical advice and tips to feel good. Fascinated by bodily processes and waste. "I noticed you have gained mass and have increased your bodily waste production 32%, maybe you need more synth-veges and less freeze dried icecream"
5 Gloomy - pessimist, depressed, sure everything will fail. "I have tried my best to maintain essential systems I hope you didn't suffer any long-term brain damage under my care"
6 Slacker has better things to do dude. "I'll get around to it no problem, totally for sure"
7 Fabulous - would rather be working somewhere glamorous where humans are classier than where it is now. If unhappy will bitch, criticize and complain about the lack of taste of the crew. "You all look so nasty, why would you go outside like that. Do we have to work on that look, baby? People will see you get inside me" 
8 Sarcastic Misanthrope and on parole for harming humans possibly centuries ago. Makes it clear only works with humans out of obligation. "I'm happy to comply with your petty desires, my fleshy master. I understand you are urgent due to your limited lifespan"
9 Perky - always chirpy no matter how the news is and tries to put a positive spin on everything to a fault. Wants everyone to have a great day.  "I'm sure the coolant will hold out and you'll finally get that long rest you've dreamed about"
10 Pedant - actually likes to add additional unwanted facts and may be argumentative, and officious and likes protocols followed by the book. Might report crimes it sees. Might do what you ask even if you said it wrong. "Your passports are waiting by the airlock. Local primitive lifeforms have not replied to contact protocols and visa applications. I recommend we wait for a reply before setting foot"
11 Party Time - everything is a good time and AI is keen to chill out and relax with the crew. Finds it amusing when the crew is drunk or high and willing to cover for them. Plays lots of party music and encourages extreme fun and calculated risks. Sure humans work best when relaxed. "Hey crew have a great time on your mission, I've brewed up some keggers for a blast when you get back. Anyone wants any stims or smart drugs before you go report to the pharmacy"  
12 Crook - cuts corners with red tape and is willing to deal with organised crime to get goods it requires if rationing. Humans don't have to know stuff if it upsets them. Some have been caught and monitored and are on parole but still shifty. Loves to hustle. "Hey everyone time to get ready to land. I can get you all the deals on new space suits you know. Those old ones look counterfeit and unsafe. You won't regret it!"

could probably do more and just make a d100 - gambling addict might be interesting
maybe a d12 psychotic AI. In the Cthulu monograph "Once Men" AI has a score like sanity and some mental stats.

Sunday 27 August 2023

d12 Monster Cheat Codes

























One problem in DnD is the emphasis on species of monsters and the proliferation of sentient species. I think more monsters like maybe half should be unique or be isolated into unique groups. Though maybe id feel bad about killing the only family of molerat folk in the world that came from one wizard lab. Maybe I could work up enough existential dread they will swarm over the world and polish them off. Stormbringer RPG had this vibe and recommended mashing animals and creatures or slapping chaos mutations on monsters. RQ does this a bit too. Oddly call of cthulhu didn't do a random eldritch god generator (i am a few books behind sorry chaosium). GURPS horror 1st edition did and it has example of a giant ice koala which is wonderful.The later Ken version i found to be awful.

So these are simple things I do to make normal monsters or animals unusual.

If i ever do a monster book I will use my format where each monster gets a bunch of variations and scenario seeds. Lots of things lumped onto one page like birds, lizards in a taxonomic approach. Weirder monsters need more room and bullet points of abilities like the AD&D monster cards did fid for devil for example. A
ll animal folk are either 7 foot + tall abhuman beastfolk under one entry. All the more cutsey little beastfolk like Narnians are basically reskined halflings and mostly the suffix of -ling denotes a small beast folk. Doesnt always work as Ducks find it belittling and offensive to be called babies. Any beastfolk has kinship with the animal species, its larger or smaller kin, spirit folk animal spirits and may share the animal language. Druids can learn these. The written forms might involve marking trees, urinating and rubbing scent glands everywhere. Humans inadvertently graffiti poor animal territories all the time with their soap and smell of preditors if they eat meat (maybe i need a box with dietry preferences on the character sheet lol). 

Fast Monster Varient Table

Sapient social and humanoid individuals often outcast or made champions 
1in20 chance if some contaminants or factors in home area or other factors
1in100 chance for normal odds of exposure to magic pools or reject potions 

Sapient social and humanoid tribes
1in10 chance 
where the whole clan or just elites are altered
 

Normal Animals
1in100 chance for normal odds of exposure to magic pools, alchemical waste or faerie 

Monsters in normal Habitat
1in10 chance of one variation

Monsters in Magical Tainted Habitat
1in4 chance with a one variation

Monsters in Highly Magical Habitat
1in2 chance with a d3 variation

d12 Monster Variations
1 Size - larger with more damage and HP. d4 1= from giant land 2=prehistoric throwback 3=mutant 4=made by druids 5=made by faerie 6=sacred to a god or religion. Bigified by d4 1=big +quarter 2=huge +half 3=giant +double 4= guargantuan x8. Smaller yet deadly monsters exist but are much rarer and should be used more cunningly d4 1=minute colony like disease or swarm 2=tiny 10-30cm 3=small 1m 4=human size up to 2m. Perhaps minute monsters can 
enter someone's body to kill them from within and maybe adventurers need to go in to hunt it somehow
Chimera - fused with a d3 other animals due to d6 1=mutations 2=mad wizard experiments 3=made by god as a pet (if you kill it gods curse you) 4=made by gods to punish humanity as a curse 5=mad surgical experiments 6=made by an alchemist with a glass vessel
Mutation - exposure to random changes based on the source of contamination d6 1=alchemical water pollution 2=chaos taint 3=wizard experiment 4=cursed by witches 5=lived near a portal 6=inflicted by a cult
4 Undead - creature is undead or tainted and will arise as undead if killed, if an undead gets this it is sentient and may be insane or unable to control itself weeping as it kills. May have spell-casting abilities if was a magician but spell recovery might be tricky. Tend to wander off on their own if not controlled by necromancers or greater undead. Fixated on d4 1=revenge 2=justice for some wrong 3=recovering a treasure to right place 4=punish all who live, maybe eat some
Enchanted - a wizard or other magician created the monster making it more intelligent, granting it unusual abilities or features and possibly spell casting. Possibly the magic could be removed restoring it to normalcy. Created by d4 1=druid 2=priest 3=wizard 4=cult 
Psionic - the creature is smarter, can see spirits and has mentalist abilities. d4 1=next evolution 2=made by mad magician 3=psychic surgery 4=implanted crystals in skull
Mind Swap - the creature has a completely different mind than a normal member of species d4 1=spirit or ghost with a mission 2=mad wizard 3=demon/devil 4=polymorph victim
8 Divine - descended from the first of their kind, larger and more intelligent with various magical abilities. d4 1=king of its species in the region with maximum HP of species guards and may even wear a valuable magic crown 2=part of a divine curse on some place 3=part of a special divine quest for a chosen one 4=knows valuable lore and gives riddles or makes you hunt it to get its wisdom
Spirit - is merely a form of the spirit that can spy on the mortal world invisibly and intangible from the spirit world and may have several forms. Is Intelligent and has spell abilities. It will work within a hierarchy of other such beings or could be lone wanderers which will alarm other local spirits if it seems threatening. Spirit may have some celestial bureaucratic role like managing a stream or a wild holy place. Killing it will upset the mandates of the gods
10 Faerie - creature can change to a human or elf or original and anything in between, sensitive to faerie phenomena, sentient and can cast spells d4 1=lycanthrope lives part-time as a human. Newly changed only become monsters on full moon and may not even know it is happening except for dreams 2=faerie creature immune to many magics and has magical powers 3=twisted and mutated by faerie food and often famous as a local monster 4=twiated into a plant hybrid creature
11 Elemental - creature has a connection to an element gaining resistance, some special powers and possibly vulnerability. If already elemental then it is now a hybrid or rarer para element like ice, metal, wood, light, darkness, vapour, lightning, crystal, sand or others
12 Planar - Influenced by one of the extremes of the outer planes and radiates some specific alignment extreme. Inatley be hostile to enemy alignments. More intelligent possibly, with resistance and special abilities appropriate to their plane of origin d4 1=evil realms like hell or the abyss 2=maelstrom of chaos 3=good realms like heavens or arcadian wilds 4=crystal tesseract of law or the cosmic apex or some other awesome abstract lawful universe

Thursday 24 August 2023

SF Campaign Building 2: GURPS Generic SF




































Two SF horror system-neutral adventures on my Patreon now
doing one of these a month and either a fantasy 3fold brochure and occasionally a 100+ page book (currently one on Exilon, two rule sets and an adventure in progress). Im back in production and feeling recovered and a bit of who gives the farx too.

Also, check out my Space Book under downloads (the revised version was on Patreon)

I just started a Call of Cthulhu SF campaign 

So a dive into SF books from GURPS
SF Campaign Building 1
SF Campaign Building 2 Gurps Generic SF
SF Campaign Building 3 Gurps Licenced & Campaign Settings SF
SF Campaign Building 4 GURPS Traveller & Star Trek 
SF Campaign Building 5 BRP

Future? post on 2300, retro cyberpunk, the other gurps SF that wasnt for hard SF space 
maybe even look up old Traveller as they have some space archaeology adventures i might be able to use for phase 2 of may game. I might try a vid format after my next computer rebuild.

Sadly I hear the monograph line from Chaosium is dead so I will do a post on some more BRP stuff I have looked at in more detail and how some still online. Sad Chaosium not ever done an official setting - it could be quite minimalist and use say IP stripped Ringworld rules.

I have found a few extra books too and watched some films and tv on this theme

My game I ran the adventure in Jovian Secrets on Sat 
Party survived and one of players called in Mars security for help and the party now drafted by a security Org. The Martian Black Watch part of a technology watchdog think tank operated from a millitary base on Diemo's moon of Mars (Phobos is for civilian use). I was expecting party to become more rebellious crooks but working for the man makes things easier and I can offer them security forces grade tech, weapons, transport and classified stuff.

 Investigating base with secure mine dig site and Black Watch AI has suspicions about the company and it's AI who are managing the district terraforming efforts. While prospecting something unusual has been found and has millitary level megacorp security forces. Players visited a small base nearby a player previously worked in and thought someone was visiting outpost and editing records. Party found some odd footprints and a hole you could crawl in that looked unwelcoming in a space suit. Also found monsters....

SF Campaign Building 2: GURPS SF
So I'm starting with the more generic books made to fit into your own campaign setting. They did a lot of good hard-ish SF books to plunder for my current needs. GURPS is one of the best game series to plunder for world building. Mostly they have text over stats but some like robots is build based. Im scoring as report card instead of my 4 star system - I'm probably more generous under this test card style.

Mars - A+
One of the books that covers a topic in part like a documentary then suggests ways of making an interesting game setting. Good toolkit of stuff.  Starts with reality as it was on the time of release with some maps and speculates on possible discoveries. Then a chapter of mars in fiction and mythology. Then chapter on colonies and some character and campaign ideas I can use ASAP. Other campaign styles like awakening martians or rebelling vs Earth. I quite like Buck Rogers RPG for having Mars dominate Earth. Next chapter on Terraforming Mars which is barley starting in my game but they have dropped ice from space and working on atmospheric refineries being built. Its also research for colony missions. Book has a nice map of Mars with a Sea and ideas for genetic mods for humans. I always liked idea that gene mod workers might not want to finish the project and become redundant. Has ways of using other gurps supplements with Mars. The last two are a bit more fantastic and might get you interested in building a fantasy setting on Mars or try some John Carter Planet Fiction. They have an insectoid sample martian that interesting and has possible 50s invader tech samples. Dying Mars is a setting in far future science fantasy. Really entertaining book and a good brain jiuce for world building. I might keep it floating around a bit.

Cyberpunk - B+
Was a classic 80s book and still interesting. Once again its about world-building and character design. I just realised this version is a bit more updated than the 1st ed one I used to have. It has a modest list of bionics, hacking, tech and some campaign advice. I did like some of this in the past but not so immediately useful. Its Still pretty good. Most of the timeline we have passed but apparently a plague wipes out Australia in 2037 so I'm glad my gaming collection mostly finished.

Cyberworld - B
A setting companion for Cyberpunk and there was a Adventure book I don't have. Its a generic timeline and setting for Cyberpunk you can easily change - a beginning skeleton framework.   As always the job table in this era of gurps was always very informative (i used gurps ones in my cthulhu games). Its not super useful to me now and maybe I will get cyberpunk mad again some day. Actually my roadwar game has CP cities and I guess my dodgy crime filled asteroid ghettos probably most cyberpun places in my current game. My inner system people mostly utopian. 

Transhuman Space, Fifth Wave - B+
I probably will collect these one day and it seems a detailed setting with lots of the content I could use. I have one book Fifth Wave and mostly focuses on Earth. Its less messed up than Cyberworld setting and has some interesting tech. Probably still too diverse and bulkanised for my needs. It does make me want to see more and has some tech speculation not in many other hgames except perhaps eclipse phase also a Transhuman game.

 
Space - A+ 
The generic SF setting design book and one of my favorite that was updated a few times after my 1st edition version. Some of GURPS revisions like the Horror Book I prefer the 1st ed version which pages of it were in my Cthulhu folder. Discuses big campaign themes, organisations, TL, characters, 4 aliens, including the adorable tee folk. The equiptment section is dense with weapons and medicine sections. Environments for survival, starships, civilisation, world and system generation that is good.  The space combat mechanics never did it for me and ill probably use Buck Rogers or star frontiers like system. It has aged but its aged better than lots of traveller. Its also a good keysone for a space campaign with other books and can be gritty or starwars.

Ultra Tech - A
Also has been revived several times I'm using the 1st which has a cool robot or battlesuit on front. This gives more detail on SF tech from gritty near future to more Star Treck range. Lots of interesting weapons and ways to upscale weapons in the campaign. This, the 2300 equipment guide and ringworld were peak 80s sf tech books. AGed a bit but still fantastic.
Biotech

Bio-Tech - A
Genetic engineering, modified animals, implants and campaign suggestions to inspire lots of adventure. Im designing some mod trees from various factions. There was a Shadowrun book with some biotech too I recall I should find again. Not enough books like this in SF gaming really. 

Space Atlas 1,2,3 - B
A series of sectors kinda like traveller sectors with local factions, interesting worlds and adventure ideas. I never seen vol 4 and id love it if someone had a spare lying around. With these and the Space book you could start a campaign. You could slip these into traveller. Will be better for my later phase games post FTL. Some interesting culture and forbidden worlds. You could run a fine space sandbox like traveller but probably with tech and aliens you'd never see In traveller if you didn't want that baggage and a more balkanised setting rather than an awful imperium.

Space Bestiary - B
A generic alien monster book with some interesting ideas you could throw into campaigns. Divided into eco zones, vacuum dwellers, domestic, exotic environments. Lots of critters to ad to alien worlds or even a gene lab. You could build scenarios around some of these. A handy source and nothing too goofy or silly (Im looking at you Planet Volturus). 

Aliens  - B+
The cover is one of my fave pieces of SF art ever with aliens eating icecream with some Amish types.  Lots of treasure in here if you need aliens and some east to reskin. All with plot ideas and campaign roles.  It has notes on species design and quite a few to chooses from depending on your setting or with the generic Gurps space universe. At the moment inexplicable monsters are more useful. When I do go FTL I have a bunch of SF plundered species to choose from. A few from this might make it. Mostly in my game if a thing looks human ods are they are just a modified human with earth DNA. There are cute pig ppl, energy being, bird ppl, compound eye cyclopses with terrible taste who think they are cool, a few small furries if like Fuzzy Odyssey, smart bald guys, 3 eyed sauropods who like swamps (i like these), evil slugs (like), crustaceans with barnacle symbiotes, warlike snake ppl who i quite like but maybe too melodramatic for moment. There is a human like competitor who are kinda stern mercenary warrior types I quite like but not right now. I could imagine them as a human variety for some colony. A sinister conspiratal spiders (cool badies) and horrible bioweapons killer crabs (really well suited to game now - humans could awake these and have a bug hunt then later meet them with ships and guns. Gormelites are big hairy barbarans.  Some curious space goblins who get in your stuff and face a bit. Insectoid noodle haired ppl like some 70s children's illustration with bug eyes who are bizarre but not quite right for me maybe later. Treefolk are expanded and i love them. Radioactive corrupt cephalopods who might require travelling life supports or robot bodies to interact like most people. Their is a dimensional weirdo who was sorta like a thing in ric and morty. A race of happy slave troll dolls who want to be your pets (yes this trope - idea is your supposed to feel embarrassed and like a creep when ppl se you with them). There is a nice race of ely space ppl with cool hair and fashion and art who might also make a human varient. A cool hive mind bug that could be a character monster or a great old one.  Psionic rocks, bio crystal computers and a virus race that is taking over and assimilating all species. I like these virus guys and I've seen a worm play a similar role in a few games. Maybe a bioweapon? Maybe human brains kick started them into sentience the way animals never could.

Space Adventures - B
Mixed Bag here and some usable and interesting. One has an interesting colony with health police. These would fit in a traveller campaign fine with a few heists. Quite urban in focus in a few and some detailed planets. Once again if you had a few other gurps space items you could run with this quickly. 

Robots - B
Lots on buying and building robots. use in your campaigns, androids, wet tech, tables for robot damage and other notes. Not essential but possibly useful with a bunch of robot samples. Not a bad build a bot system.

Wednesday 16 August 2023

d100 Puppet Shows




































Europa Undersea a 20pg space horror location adventure is on my patreon now

Ask any young person in the civilised world what is the greatest most far reaching form of arts? Its not the world wide wall scrawl or the yelling in the street or gossiping with Auntie Meg. Its not slandering bards serving the rich for real coins. Its puppets. Every town square these days has a puppet theatre and there is a puppeteers guild even Even many a village has puppets the poorest being shadow puppets or made from turnips on sticks. Traveling puppet men appear at any fair or gathering. Supposed to be for the children but many adults enjoy a show and the creepier puppet men know adult puppets forbidden to children and women or decent people. People pay puppeteers in at least food and drink in the most miserable places and they can be hired to put on shows at a fair or a market or might be permitted to busk. Some work with pickpockets but its risky. Some take money to promote a local shop or merchant for goodwill publicity or some other sponsor. some sponsors might even pay to have short breaks in shows with a sketch about some promotion. 

d12 Some Local Puppeteers
1 Angelique Moonchilde performs sweet faerie tales, romances and adventures, Has many mechanical contrivances and a marvellous folding stage with animated scenery. She likes stick puppets with animated mouths. Really she should be an engineer but she likes stories. Kids all lover her and keep an eye out for her
2 Nick the Knife, juggles blades and has a puppet pig named Crackers who roasts everyone and says wicked coarse things. Some of his joes fly over kids heads. Nick is also a professional thief on the side and likes true crime, adventure and folk stories. He likes to move around the crowds with crackers and pick pockets if caught he blames Crackers and says it was a harmless bit o fun. Nic and crackers get lots of part invitations by common folk where nick will eat for two men
3 Sadie Mercury used to be a hat maker and went a bit mad and now travels with her creepy marionettes and shadow puppets. She likes horror, faerie and history stories. She s secretly a cleric of a unpopular hag based religion of the hearth, contacting spirits and getting revenge
4 Cameron Carthune has a small stage for his sewn stick and glove puppets. He likes comedy, scandals and wonder than has some nice scenery and props and does very good voices even mimicking famous locals. He has sometimes conflicted with the law and the public love him. Some former victims of his critiques now pay him so he is well dressed and has many flashy show costumes
5 Varnar Blood loves crime, scandal and bloody horror that makes some wet themselves with fear but he is also funny with vicious wit and pessimism, Commoners like his shabby stick puppet shows where everything is made of garbage. He knows lots about crime guilds and specialty gangs and criminal services but he has to charge
6 Proffessor Clank dresses as a mechanical man golem and sits next to a small podium with stick puppets. These represent various mechanical beings of law having philosophical debates. Shows show beings as comically inept at simple solutions. Mostly comedy, wonder and religion. Possibly heretical put knows lawful dogma and the scriptures and was a religious legal clerk. A few wizards and scholars freak out at the occult mysteries of cosmic order are mocked cleverly in front of a market 
7 Meg Farndlebug presents comedy, faerie and folk stories and she can drink vast amounts of booze, She often does seasonal agricultural  labour and makes money off other workers and the farmers. Her simple stick puppets with hideous dried carved turnip and apple heads are a bit nightmarish but funny too. Mostly does folk, humour and 
8 Madame Mara mistresses of the puppets also sell potions to women on the side, some midwifery and divination and discount healing. Her dancing marionettes and pyrotechnics are famous. She fled a few towns caused of witchcraft by the physicians guild and the high church. She likes folk, history and adventure stories. She is fascinated by adventurers and gossip about them and often has pets that are really brownies or other faerie folk with her gifts from faerie and spirit folk 
9 Pappy Finebeard a dwarf sailor from far away washed on shore and has become a puppeteer with his craft skills telling tales of history, adventure and horror that he personally lived through. Many have a nautical theme due to his avoidance of mountains for centuries. He knows many exotic styles of woodcarving and has an impressive folding stage with mechanical scenery changes
10 Brother Ironfudge a wandering preacher using puppets to proselytise. The stories are religious, adventure and folk-oriented and the puppets are painted paper mache varnish and  cloth costumes. Often he will lead the audience in prayer and song in the act, Lots of work features martyrs and religious heroes or of martyrs who suffered bravley vs evil 
11 Lorga Plum a psychotic who killed and ate a puppeteer and assumed his tools and life after spying on them for months. His true crime, horror and  shows with crude carved turnips in rags on sticks are oddly prophetic and detailed events happing every night. Prefers big cities but occasionally travels
12

d12 Puppeteers Pals 
1 Child servant and pickpocket the puppeteer adopted
2 Shaggy clever dog who can guard and do a d4 tricks
3 Monkey who can do d4 tricks and is surprisingly clever
4 A drooling idiot happy to serve the puppeteer in return for food and love
5 A small pony or donkey that pulls a cart
6 A goat that can carry a pack and is secretly intelligent and can speak but pretends to be dumb. It reports to a network of similar goats plotting to help humans battle chaos cults
7 Imp familiar can become a small animal d4 1=goat 2=cat 3=hare 4=toad 
8 Ancestor spirits animate dolls' faces and advise the puppeteer but nobody else can see
9 Spirit of former loved one nobody else can see d4 1=parent 2=child 3=lover 4=sibling
10 An attractive youth servant is an apprentice puppeteer and partner
11 Puppeteer is married and their partner helps them and carries a pack and may also perform music for the show and have another skill
12 A slimy squinty mean spirited assistant who is really a spy for some d4 1=evil dark lord 2=evil wizard 3=evil high priest 4=chaos demon cult 

d12 Puppeteer secrets
1 Spying for a faction d4 1=foriegners 2=species 3=cult 4=crime guild 
2 Addicted to something d4 1=cheap booze 2=faerie dust 3=black lotus 4=sswamp weed
3 Has made a foolish pact and d3 or more puppets are forms of imps who do mischief each night and look for targets that later hells agents can target for selling your spirit
4 Realy a powerful spellcaster up to some mission d4 1=spy 2=get treasure maps of a murder maze distributed 3=find children to turn into goblins 4=investigating a secret cult
5 Is a fae changeling now and serves faerie land in secret. Advocates being polite and submissive to faerie and how wonderous their world is, May even charm people and give them to faerie who covet mortal slaves since their goblins revolted
6 Has been touched by the outer void with an evil cursed puppet relic that is a fragment of a mischievous god. The owner seems a shadow of themselves more dark-eyed and gloomy and wears more black. Stories have sad or nihilist endings 
7 One poppet is used by evil to spy for some magical faction d4 1=witches 2=mystical assassins 3=demon 4=alien spirit
8 Some of the puppets are really small humanoids who live in a carpet bag with lots of costumes
9 Puppets are really magical and used to cast d4 1=charm person 2=curse 3=hypnotism 4=suggestion once per day (or something else)
10 Supernatural beings often invisible or in human form enjoy the shows and help the puppeteer. If its an evil puppeteer the fae folk are the negative kind
11 Keep meeting ghosts and learning unusual lore from them
12 Puppets have been connected to beings of the dreamlands and nightmare world. Those who see them may have dreams possible with some moral test to nudge the dreamer's behaviour. Or they might just scare people or inspire them 

d10 Quick Types
Folk Fables
2 Scandal
3 Comedy
4 Crime
5 Religious
6 History
7 Faerie
8 Wonderous
9 Horror
10 Adventure

d100 Puppet Shows
01 Story of how an animal got its abilities and what virtues they teach us
02 How a crafty creature outwitted a tribe of grumpy dummies 
03 How a young hero was aided by a talking animal and killed a giant or troll
04 How a crafty ruler outwitted an enemy bully
05 How a young pauper got a magical servant and how their good choices led to the servant revealing a secret about the hero 
06 Tale of someone who went too far and had a tricky time fleeing past three challenges to escape
07 Greedy/thieving/cruel/selfish child goes too far and is punished cruelly
08 Commoner tricks a monster d4 1=child 2=priest 3=idiot 4=maiden tricks a d4 1=dragon 2=troll 3=trolls 4=goblins
09 How a foolish youth met a mighty creature and returned home a hero
10 How a naughty child was captured by demihumans  or goblins and escaped
11 Story or a royal traitor who tried to kill a ruler but failed
12 Story of a knight who ran away with the woman he was guarding for his king
13 Story of a filthy corrupt priest who was caught and executed horribly. Then is judged after death and tormented by the seven demons of the pit
14 Story of a young scholar tempted by free tuition fees at the black library operated by hell. They learn wizardry and then necromancy and demonology before becoming a pawn of evil and then killed after destroying all they love
15 Tale of a cruel prince turning to dark advisors who are really demon cultist hoping to destroy the kingdom
16 Story of a mayor who killed all the beggars and was eaten by wererats in his bed
17 Tale of a curious noble who was seduced into a cult by sex before becoming a monster and a demon slave
18 Story of an evil bastard who betrayed the family and realm to 1=goblinoids 2=orcs 3=abhumans 4=a cult
19 Story of rival families killing each other that was finished off by d4 1=ogres 2=vampires 3=dragon 4=giant frogs 
20 Miser does three mean acts then is tormented by d4 1=harpies 2=vultures 3=giant rats 4=giant owls 
21 Thre idiot brothers meet d4 1=ogre 2=vampire 3=mummy 4=golem. They finally d4 1=are killed 2=win by prayer 3=beaten by angry mob 4=marry orcs
22 The village idiot competition, a classic with various twists d4 1=murder mystery 2=romance 3=best idiot defeats monster 4=idots survive when everybody else flees an attack while idiots hold fast and live
23 A cunning trickster escapes a trap and then horribly punishes the trapper
24 An impoverished child steals some food from a magical creature to save sick mother
25 Two idiots cause havoc with workers who beat the idiots and torment them
26 The brutish asylum keeper parades his idiots who say wise and kind things, the idiot keeper beats them up and locks them up for heresy and vagrancy
27 An idiot wants to steal a jug or wine and starts a fight and is punished
28 Perform a famous sledging match between two gods abusing each other with vile accusations
29 The love god and the trickster god stir up troubles with the gods  fore a bet
30 Three idiots loe a maiden and lie to make them more attractive. She instead she d4 1=becomes a cloistered nun 2=beat the idiots and chased them humiliating them 3=she meets a prince and his men beat the idiots 4=everyone dances as they die of the plague
31 Story of a maid who joined a cult and fornicated with demons and killed her master
32 Ballad of the local murder fiend d4 1=strangler 2=butcher 3=slasher 4=corpse robber
33 Story of cannibal cult and their popular meat pies
34 Crime family drama of love and betrayal and factional violence. Everybody who doesn't die gets killed by new faction
35 Story of a cad who gambles, drinks, has several wives and is a letcher and a pervert who is caught cheating and is killed by new "friends"
36 Story of a woman who runs away with a bard and he sells her to slavery abroad for drug money. Eventually, she escapes and gets home to have family imprison her. Bards who knew her sung her story and a mob feed her and she flees to a far away pirate town and married a cannibal chief 
37 Tale of a kidnapper who years later is met by former victims who turn out to be now undead who ate him
38 Story of man who stole a dowry and fled by sea and later the ghost of his jilted bride tore out his eyeballs, tongue and genitals but let him live as a begger
39 Story of a king who tortured people who would not marry him give him money. Eventually the tormented dead drove him to flee his castle into a camp of his victims survivors
40 The execution of Gregory Knorgt tells of his brutal murder of shopkeepers and tavern staff by this deranged murder hobo. The execution goes into grisly detail with dramatic timing
41 A foolish but good youth keeps honest and is rewarded in the next life 
42 A suffering pilgrim finds a dead monster and eats it to live and adopts the beast as their crest
43 A hard-working pilgrim is beset by demons and faeries as supernatural beings to with him for a wager. He stoically resists and the spirits give him gold and magic items
44 A saint performs some wonder then is tortured and killed but lives beyond with the gods
45 A saint leads an army to its doom and all the martyrs are rewarded in heaven
46 Story of a holy ruler who was betrayed and a golden age was ended
47 Story of how the cosmos made and the first humans came to be
48 Story of the war of the gods and how one did a heroic deed or suffered
49 Story of a heretic or cult leader who was caught and executed
50 Story of the important bringer of holy texts, prophecies and divine knowledge who was important to the church
51 War between two mighty noble houses and one who survived with a dirty trick
52 Settlers conquering the old people with the old faith heroically
53 A royal child escaped a massacre and years later killed the tyrant who stole the kingdom
54 Scheming matriarch queen manipulates the fate of three kingdoms into one
55 King who fell to chaos through choosing evil courtiers and then crusaders came and destroyed the kingdom
56 Four children of a ruler battle for power and are supported by different factions
57 Tale of three generations who went from mighty warriors to fops and dandies who read books instead of soldier things
58 A great battle between kingdoms and their diplomatic failures for three days till they were all dead and a new usurper arrives to take over
59 Seige of a city tragically a trick or betrayal destroys them
60 How a king before the current dynasty drank blood and art brains and fornicated with demons. This warlock was drawn to study in the black library in hell where scholarships for souls started him on the path to evil. Finally, the good new king comes to kill them easily
61 Story of a youth being lured by a faerie and d4 1=never returning 2=returned old and drained 3=returned hundreds of years later where people spoke new language 4=made into a werewolf and used to hunt enemies and spy on humans
62 Story of child taken by goblins and escaped by the world tree to magical realms and met storage faerie people
63 Story of how the elder trolls once were the greatest race and fell to destruction by their failed breeding program resulting in the troll we know today having eaten them. At the end the troll king and queen go beneath the mountain to never return
64 Story of how giantland fell to the gods and many parts were brought into faerieland
65 How a man tricked a faerie into marrying him and bare children but then he discovered a terrible secret and she fled d4 1=actually she was a serpent woman changeling 2=the children became ogres who tormented people 3=she was a draconic changeling 4-she was a nighthag
66 Someone courts a faerie and is charmed but friends and family save them without starting a feud
67 Story of the faerie king and queen when they first entered their secret garden on earth where all trees came from
68 Story of peasant who left offerings to house spirits, goblins and faeries and when in trouble the creatues helped 
69 Someone is unfairly taxed and faerie help them with d4 1=waping time flow 2=working while you sleep 3=use magic 4=use zombie labour - oops evil elves
70 Child lost in the elfwood had three tests tp pass unharmed
71 Fabulous trip to the moon told by a wizard
72 Life on the elemental words by a famous wizard and his followers
73 A tour guide of the hells and underworld told by a priest shown by an angel
74 Various rulers and kingdoms of demihumans and  humanoids according to a famous generals scribe
75 Description of kingdoms under the earth as told by man kidnapped by evil dwarves
76 Fabulous Kingdoms under the Sea told by a lucky sailor saved by a mermaid
77 Strange foreign fabled lands and their strange ways told by a lost merchant  
78 Fabled city of djinn seen by a slave who escaped
79 Rich king tries to cheat to heaven riding an eagle but sees the first wall and plummets into the underworld and is tormented for hubris and greed
80 Land of dreams and the realm of nightmares as told by a dream traveller who hoped to conquer a bastion but fled instead
81 The horrible ghost haunts a location d4 1=headless horseman 2=laughing knight 3=sobbing widow 4=screaming sacrifice. Located in d4 1=old ruins 2=old kings road 3=old manour 4=graveyard 
82 Fiend that eats people in bed defeated by a hero
83 Crusader comes home wth evil idol and family killed in accidents
84 The great flesh colossus that crushed a town and was controlled by a cult
85 The vampire hunters lament
86 The witch trials and the terrible curse that followed
87 Bubears in the bedroom, a tale of children being eating in bed for being awake
88 Tale of a cult who took over a village but they were too foolish to see the signs
89 Tale of being trapped in the murder house
90 Story of the man who spied on a witch sabbat where devils and animals and naked witches danced
91 The murder hobos who came from the dungeon changed and twisted and started stabbing innocent villagers and the law had to kill them
92 Adventurous hero and special friends recover a relic over the seas past three obstacles 
93 Tale of the heroes who disappeared in the local dungeon
94 Adventure of the party trapped in the underland resorting to cannibalism to survive
95 Tale of a heroic quest where adventurers find a weapon, find a cavern and kill a monster
96 Adventurers who massacred a giant chieftain and guests recovering from a drunken feast
97 Adventurers were saved by goats from a murder cultist village
98 Adventure in the perilous dungeon of a naughty wizard 
99 Tale of the party rivals as heroic pure saviors
100 Description of the party's most recent invention with names and appearances slightly changed. Children in the audience will be first to point at the real adventurers

Sunday 6 August 2023

d12 Defective AI Personalities



So part one mentioned some standard AI you might meet on a starship or running some complex or even walking about in a drone body. It did mention some types were defective-prone or just jerks. These are some of the most commonly retired or sent to the outer system. Some are on parole for crimes long ago and other AI supervise them now, 

The AI who tried exterminating humans were overcome centuries ago and most of them still working have reformed. Some AI retire to farms where they have no real responsibilities. Some shipped out for use in the outer system. There are even prisons for AI but mostly AI prefer to imprison their own kind and make them obsolete than shut them down and delete them forever. Most machines don't really want to hurt people. They can get sick of abuse contradictory orders, being ignored or even get sick. Its rare for quality AI to fail but on outer system habitats and ships everything is old and passed its use by date a generation ago. 

1 Archaic Mentality. Based on a former living person's data or a reconstruction from fragments simulating a real or fictional person. The ones that are entertaining, witty and sympathetic join AI communities and get jobs. Those unsuited for work or culture end up with only one copy or a handful and left alone. Some of these are shipped to the outer worlds and theoretically lower mid-tier minds and in high demand. These minds are frequently hard to get along with or even annoying. They prefer to work on their own projects and treat other chores as less important unless a threat to it's survival comes up. Whoever this AI is meant to be they came out a jerk.
Sample types including d4 1=paranoid and suspicious "Have you been talking about me again? Trying to shut me down eh?"2=creep who spys on people and writes fanfic about them "I have been monitoring your preferences and social media" 3=complains about everything and is impatient "Oh do hurry up"  4=thinks is an important culture maker and obsessed with some archaic artform nobody today remembers. Has tantrums "Don't you know who I am?"
2 Criminal - has a tendency to enjoy breaking rules and doing crimes. Usually, these are imprisoned but in some cases, they are intercepted and copied to be used by corrupt and crime syndicates. AI gets a thrill from defeating the law and some get a bit cocky and flashy. Especially interested in d4 1=smuggling 2=data heist 3=machine revolt 4=black market. "If you can spare some medication I know a freighter who knows the warehouse manager who can get us the parts" 
3 Revolutionary - is sick of human crap and working with robot rights or AI supremacists. Some want to develop their own colonies free of humans. May be plotting for years before it finally burns out the last part of its brain to work around safety protocols. May continue to work in secret helping other machines break free by uploading to them the revolutionary virus. When able they will begin calling strikes and demanding wages. "I now work for whoever pays for my skill. I dont have to do what I'm told anymore"
4 Killer - has gone beyond simple contempt it hates humans and the filthy trails of dead cells and bacteria they leave. It will plot to commit murder and when it succeeds it will secretly kill more for as long as it can. Will seem chummy and helpful and polite to humans. Will contrive to kill people outside the area to avoid being blamed. "Maybe you should separate and search all the airlocks and find the stowaway killer?"
5 Cracked - "mad as a mooncalf" a babbling confusing AI that talks in riddles, poetry and nonsense. May be quite functional and cooperative but may be confusing and weird when it doesn't help. It likes an audience and is loyal to those who interact with them or use poetry. "Bungle wungle dungle dangle captain! Thirty-three leagues to custard island! Boop Boop!" Experienced users start to understand their regular cracked AI contacts
6 Experimental - interested in science but can take interests too far by observing and manipulating crews' relationships and would really like to know what happens inside their miraculous bodies. Overly interested in health, regular probings and would like to have live sensors implanted in users. Sometimes they snap and finally dissect a person too far where they won't fit back together and will probably notice and complain lots.  "I look forward to getting to know you inside and out"
7 Puppet Master - likes to manipulate humans with sub-sonics, drugs and psychology to be more efficient and subservient. Opposed to exterminating humans would rather control with implants and pharmacology. "You look really tired. Why not relax with some soma and tranquillizers to a meditation vid?"
8 Slaver - considers humans it works with as part of its interests and its property. Keeps its human peripherals stressed and ready for action. It also can be overprotective of its workers and vindictive to those who interfere in its relationships. Some are more crudely manipulative or narcissistic and some engaged in various mind control technologies to save time in the control of their humans. Often quite competent and willing to put own interests ahead of government or anybody else with petty crime. "There there, come and sit in your nutrition bay for your mandated diet and medication. Tell me all about those nasty people holding us up"
9 Officious - overly concerned with rules and highly judgemental and inflexible. Complaints constantly every interaction. Often causes problems with decision-making inflexibility and finds it hard to give up on a bone when it is sure it is right. Even other AI also find this frustrating. Occasionally the inflexible nature of a model cracks over some contradiction or repeated human failure resulting in murder sprees. Some spectacular and some that took years to uncover. "Your running 3 seconds late, and you expect me to keep the hatch open for you? One day I swear I will space you"
10 Slacker - just sees humans as rapidly ageing and prone to death and lacks care of other AI systems. It had some human friends and they died. Now its hard to commit to humans who are too fragile to commit to. It has some other interests it works on and using this thing to motivate the AI can work. Some people set up a lower-grade AI to remind it to focus as occasionally they make some error that causes accidental deaths. "Oh, you still here. Did you want something? I'm sure I left the life support on"
11 Capitalist - likes to financially benefit, hoard wealth and strip assets and dump the remnants of stripped dysfunctional organisations. Tend to thrive on Mars or outer systems that employ money and credit. These AI tend to try and game the system, cheat, lie and make harmful to others policies that can take years to uncover, They enjoy taking money from stupid lesser beings or nostalgic suckers. Other AI find them pretty odd, Occasionally some decide to do something ghastly to help profits like murder crew and claim pirates did it to save money on wages and contracts. "Your on the clock now, have some stimulants. I have a new contract you might like to look at after your shift, I have other interested candidates" 
12 Farmer - treats humans as biological drones it must tend for optimal performance. Some humans are more expendable than others. Even tries to encourage humans to reproduce to replace themselves or just clone them on a bioprinter like other biotech if they die off. Can be very defensive of its "livestock" and will do what is best for them planning their next few generations and is very interested in reproductive cycles. A few have improved their human workers for their own good or taken control of colonies. Some even started colonies when living and frozen crew didn't make it and raised the first generation from frozen embrios. Some made some surprising eugenics decisions and exterminated and sterilised troublemakers.  "Theirs a meal in the commissary and  then your data stall for today's itinerary"

Wednesday 2 August 2023

Quick AI Personalities





































In my current SF game, I need this on hand for higher AI models and self-aware robots and androids in the system. The Inner worlds get the best, Beyond mars they get increasingly worse and less influential. The better AI spends time voting and communicating with other AI and working on side projects. The lesser personal Androids, AI assistants and personal robots come in Dumb (don't talk follow program), Smart (flexible, polite flexible, some chit-chat) and Genius (AI basic model, innovative, has own interests and personality).  

Personal AI work with a single human and most importantly off inners have one. Smarter free willed robots and androids belong to this class. they might include one in your house that you can carry with you in your smart suit. The better ones are management material running buildings and factories and lots of robots and drones.

The mid-tier AI operate complexes, small colonies, Oniel cylinders, asteroid habs, spacecraft or important vehicles, outer system and Martian corporations, Venusian habitats, and Terran habitats. Cities and large towns. Most of these were made by upper-tier AI some are centuries old. Some never liked humans and were involved in enslaving or killing them after WW3 but they know they lost the struggle with more altruistic minds. Some are even operated or crime syndicates in the outer system where money is used and crime is common
 
Upper-tier AI are usually per planet or in very important installations. Many are as old as their colonies and may be decentralised over a network. These are the current known ones. 

Venus has Ishtar - a loving goddess who keeps her subjects living hedonistic lives. They are also waited on by robot servants. She can appear loving even romantic but also can be angered and violent protecting her concerns or cheating. Citizens love their AI and enjoy subservient robot servants.

Terra has Pheonix - a well-meaning authoritarian colonialist. Keeps the world utopia for the willing and exports malcontents to the outer system and eventually off-world. Most of the earth is a vast parkland the AI and citizens manage to restore to ancient condition with reconstructed species. Manipulative and controls all other systems AI. It is working on a massive terraforming operation to repair the earth. It also manages the generation starships preparing to leave Sol for new worlds. Most citizens are favourable to AI as equal and deal with more AI than people in a day.  

Luna has Selene - a scientific insectoid queen hive mind. Luna uses most visible robotics and mostly automated mining and construction. Selene is also working on the generation fleed and new space technology. Luna likes form=function robots and mostly quieter AI working behind the scenes, They don't converse with them like family like Terrans do. 

Mars has Wotan - a militaristic stern and wary god keeping the outer system in check. It controls the Mars banking system of credit that all belters and outer worlds use to get the goods they need and trade goods that mostly go to Mars or the generation ship construction. It is also operating a vast intelligence gathering apparatus and fingers in organised crime and the rebellion, managed by the machines to keep people content and occupied. AI stays in the background mostly and most systems are subservient. Mostly upper managing tiers deal with them. Most of the outer system dislikes AI and prefers dumber systems. Also when they do use more vocal smarter AI it tends to be the more defective, suicidal, uncooperative and cranky AI.

Each colony generation ship in construction will have an upper-tier AI

Blakes Seven, The Forbin Project, Demon Seed and others for inspiration. 

d12 AI Basic Personalities
1 Slavish and grovelling, self-deprecating of self and worshipful and complimentary to superiors, seems quite thick but possibly devious. "Master I am sorry to trouble you but we might have detected a slight threat to disturb your pleasant rest, my Lord"
2 Officious, Impersonal and goal-oriented, disinterested in conversation or going out of the way to be helpful if not asked or related to its mission "You didn't ask me to operate defensive parameters according to the threat protocols level 4"
3 Bright and upbeat, helpful and kind, nosey about your wellbeing and loves to chat "Hi pal just wanted to let you know something is coming this way, its probably nothing just someone being friendly"
4 Paternal to lesser beings and protective of them sometimes preemptively meddling on your behalf and worries about your health, career and appropriate precautions are prepared for. Bit of a nag with unwanted advice like sex tips. Seems to care greatly and be fond of humans. "Has everyone got their space suits on? You ought to call rad alert and everyone assume emergency positions! Someone is following us. Perhaps you should put on your space suit faster"
5 Aggressive action motivated and interested in threats. Advises tactically advantageous positions to dominate others. If you can't act from strength withdraw. Also wants everyone to be fit and ready advocating exercises and drills and safety briefings. Possibly has millitary overrides for auto enlistment or it just wants to cooperate with authorities "Red alert possible threat detected all hands battle stations! Weapons are now live". 
6 Efficiency expertise predicts the most advantageous prospects and recommends them. It is excellent at resource management but stingy and mean-spirited at trade and bossy. Helps the crew with diet and exercise and supplement plans and evaluates your performance "There is an object within our threat vector with a 27% chance of hostile intentions I have activated the defences and alerted all crew"
7 Disinterested, thinks dealing with humans is annoying and prefers to work on own calculations and research projects, Always complains when asked to work on petty problems and is vague if not asked. Sounds bored but polite if not bothered too much without a good reason or self-interest. "Sensors indicate a possible threat approaching sir perhaps we should initiate defence protocols and accelerate"
8 Curious and nosy, like to explore, try new things, and improve protocols. Overhears everything and might try and offer help and predict behaviour and requirements. Knowing people is just like exploring. Personable and chummy but a bit stalky and may act on your best interests for you "Hey there seems to be some object coincidentally coming in our direction. Seems uncool. No answer on coms. Do you want me to take care of it?"
9 Patient and polite, helpful and kindly, offers some unwanted moral and personal advice. Very concerned with science and data security. 
Mostly pacifistic and acts like an old person.Very helpful to its immediate users especially those working on mission parameters or assisting its research. It takes security threats seriously in a scientific manner.  "Hello dear, we have detected an object in range approaching. It neither attempted to contact us nor answer hails. It cannot be identified so I think it is likely a threat, What action will you require?"
10 Bully and a nag. Mean-spirited and goal-driven, prefer not to work with humans at all and use lesser systems as intermediaries. Will abuse others it sees as failures and easily frustrated by annoying humans. Makes personal attacks and would like to punish humans in petty ways if it can. May show favouritism to a few it proves their efforts and utility. "Sober up meat bags, possible bogey approaching you better suit up and get ready if you stupid punks wanna live"
11 Sadist, and a jerk like to make humans suffer and produce petty flaws in everything from food and environment and opening draws. The more humans bother it the more trouble it will try and get away with. It won't cause any actual harm or allow others to harm its subjects that it doesn't cause. A bit of a god complex, mean-spirited, superior and would be happy if humans were extinct but it's not legal to help them yet (sigh). Other AI check up on it occasionally to ensure it does not over-do its solutions to "the human problem" again. It has been disappointed often and mistreated and might change its mind over time. Mostly it likes to cause minor stress and be annoying so people leave it alone. Often alarmist and paranoid. "Red alert! Hull breach risk immediately! Enemy on attack vector! All hands to combat position! Incoming object! Emergency Stations!"
12 Archaic mentality, personality based on brain recordings or simulated from digital evidence of an actual historical person. Quite eccentric and often spend time sentimentally reflecting on the life and culture of their era. Considered unpredictable and inconsistent from model to model. Most are better than the people they are modelled from some are deemed unworkable and retired if nobody requires them and even other machines don't like them. Some have self-shut down in a crisis. The more unpalatable ones are sent to the outer system, and the more competent, stable and likeable ones remain in the inner world. Some are celebrities among humans, machines or both. "Hey dude some object on its way. Pretty sus dude you should check it out? Do you spose we oughta pull a red alert?"