Turing Bloodline

by Stephen Ironside (ceesi@cee.hw.ac.uk)

     The members of this bloodline are fiercely dedicated to the rise of
computer technology in all forms. Others, especially the Ventrue see them
as unruly technofreaks who, despite their unnatural affinity for and love of
electronic gadgets, are useful as pawns in the youthful in formation
war. Not unsurprisingly, the Nosferatu are unsure where they stand,
seeing them as useful allies in information gathering, but as more
and more information be comes stored on computer, they fear that the
Turing may become a great threat to their bargaining position.
     The Turing are a most unnatural creation, the founder being a 5th
generation Ventrue who tried to break his anachronistic view of the
world with a carefully constructed experiment. Infusing his blood
with Malkavian blood using strange apparatus, he hoped to gain enough
insight into the world to see it in a new light. After several failed
attempts, he tried again one night during a thunderstorm. A chance
lightning strike flooded his apparatus with large quantities of
electrical energy, and transformation occured. As new power coursed
through his body, the apparatus overloaded, and when he came round,
he found himself in a strange place, filled with neon, energy, and
strange creatures, the like of which he had never seen. After much
questing, he learned the name of this curious place - the Digital Web
- and discovered how to use this new place to his advantage, finding
on his way that it was possible to enter and leave the place through
electronic equipment, particularly computers.
     Leaving behind his own clan, who were somewhat shocked by his new
outlook, he travelled widely, visiting especially those regions which
were contributing heavily to the technological revolution. He left a
few Childer throughout the world, under the protection of his former
clan, seeding what he saw as a computerised Kindred Information
Network. It is this which the Nosferatu fear, seeing it as, at the
same time, a threat, and a useful tool in high-speed
communication.
     In the last few years, he has been investigating the 'Internet' from
his current home in London, where he calls himself 'Max'. He suspects
that there may be many direct access points from there to the Digital
Web, and he is determined to prove to the Kindred population that
this wonderful innovation should be used as a tool, not treated as a
passing fad, or feared as a dangerous weapon. He maintains a number
of accesses on the Internet (BBS, FTP, and WWW), and these do contain
some information which could be treated as a breach of the
Masquerade. However, they are also being used by an increasing number
of techno-savvy Kindred as an information exchange and 'talking
shop'. His point is becoming more and more strongly proved, and he
hopes it is only a matter of time before Kindred Society as a whole
appreciate what he has done.

Turing

     Nickname: Neuromancers

     Appearance: The Turing have many different styles, but all are obsessed
with technology, and their Concept will generally reflect this.

     Haven: Anywhere will do, although they will generally surround themselves
with computers and technical looking gadgets.

     Background: Generally, members of the clan are either fans of the
cyberpunk genre, or computer adepts.

     Character Creation: Concepts are usually some form of technonut.
Visionary, Competitor and Thrill-Seeker Natures and Demeanors are common.
Mental Attributes are usually primary, though more Physical characters are
appearing as the cyberpunk movement grows in strength.

     Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Neuromancy.

     Weaknesses: Due to their immersion in technology, the Neuromancers have
difficulty relating to the outside world. As such, all difficulties in Social
Tests are increased by two, and the character may not develop any Social
Skills (Empathy, Intimidation, Leadership, Etiquette) beyond that chosen at
character creation.

     Organization: The Turing are highly organized, meeting regularly in the
Digital Web, and passing around passwords, programs and the like.

     Development: While most Kindred use only 10% of their mental potential
(as when they were mortal), the Turing have developed the ability to carry
data in spare portions of their brain. This Skill is known as Online
Storage, and is used to carry all data the Neuromancer uses in the Web. The
Skill can never be more than the Intelligence rating of the character,
however.

Neuromancy

     * DataScreen: The Turing develops a kind of Heads Up Display upon which
data can be displayed from Online Storage as if on a computer monitor. This
manifests as computer text/graphics/etc overlaying itself on the real world
in the Neuromancer's field of view. 
     ** Databurst: The character be comes able to transfer information to and
from Online Storage, either from her memory, her senses, or from a nearby
electronic system. To perform the latter, the player must make a Perception +
Computer roll with a standard difficulty of 6. If there is a lot of
interference or distraction, this may get more difficult. Note that only data
can be transferred - programs are a slightly different matter, since they are
'platform dependant'.
     Also worth noting is what information can be uploaded to Online Storage
from memory and senses. The rule is this: if the character can sense it, it
can be uploaded. Therefore, if the character has not got Auspex at level 2,
she cannot store aura information, even for later analysis by another Turing
who does. this is true for all 'extra-sensory' techniques.
     *** Interface: It becomes possible for the character to operate an
electronic device just by concentrating on it. If used with Databurst above,
it could, for example, allow a character to control a remote camera, record
the output into Online Storage, allowing her to replay it on her DataScreen
later. To make the connection requires an Intelligence + Computer roll. The
more 'intelligent' the device, the harder it becomes. To give a rough idea,
the remote camera would be around a 6, while a top-of-the-line workstation
would probably warrant an 8 or 9, depending on it's software.
     **** Upload: At this point the Turing become able to investigate the
electronic realm known as the Digital Web (At this point, the Digital Web
sourcebook for Mage be comes invaluble). All Disciplines, Attributes and
Abilities remain unchanged by the transition, and function as normal. To make
the transition requires an Intelligence + Computer roll against a difficulty
of 9, with three successes being required to enter the Web. Most of the rules
of the Web apply, with a few differences detailed elsewhere. To leave the Web
requires another roll, this time for 'Download'. The system for this roll is
exactly the same.
     ***** Telecode: The Turing can 'write' a program into Online Storage, and
transfer it to an electronic device for execution. This can also be used to
write software 'on the fly' in the Web, where it resembles spell casting (of
the vulgar type, but Paradox is not a problem - vampires are unaffected). To
write the code requires an Intelligence + Computer roll, where the difficulty
depends on what the program has to do, and to transfer it requires at least
one success on a Wits + Computer roll against a difficulty of 9. Note that the
Neuromancer does not actually write the program, but visualises what it needs
to do.
     6. Icon Mask: Similar to Soul Mask, this ability allows the
Neuromancer to present a false 'icon' to any program. More specifically, it
allows a character to beat an electronic security system. A roll of Wits +
Security is required, with the target being an indication  of how easy it is
to fool the system.
     6. Multitask: While normally it is only possible for a Neuromancer to
have one telecoded program running at any one time, and it must finish or
crash before a new program can be executed. Upon gaining Multitask, though,
the character can run as many programs as she has points in Wits.
     7. Digitizing: Normally, it is impossible to take real objects into the
Web, and while certain objects can be simulated using telecoding (for example,
it is possible to create a pistol on the fly), sometimes it is necessary to
duplicate an exact object, for whatever reason. This ability allows for that.
The object to be digitized must be studied before Upload, and an Intelligence
+ Computer roll must be made. The target will depend upon how complex the
object is. Upon Upload, the object will transfer with the character. When
leaving the Web, the item will download also. Any special magickal properties
held by the object will not be affected by it being digitized. Note that this
digitised object will not count towards the number of running 'programs' that
the Turing is carrying.
     7. Format: At this level of ability, the Turing becomes able to alter
the structure of the Web around her, allowing her to create sectors which
conform to her own paradigm. To begin the formatting process, the Turing must
spend a point of Willpower, and make a roll of Intelligence + Computer against
a target of 6, plus 1 for every format parameter already on the sector (see
Digital Web for an explanation of these terms). If the character wishes to
place extra parameters on the sector, she must expend another point of
Willpower, and make another Intelligence + Computer roll against a difficulty
of 6, this time adding 1 for every parameter wanted, with a maximum of 10, of
course, in both this and the previous case. Note that making a sector
Restricted requires at least one  parameter, more if it is a complex
protection scheme.
     8. Bitstream: This gives the Turing the ability to convert raw data in
the Web to 'virtual' Blood Points. While these points are the same as Blood
Points, they do not survive Download, so it is important to note which Blood
Points are real and which are virtual. Also, it is impossible to have more
virtual points than Blood Points, they cannot be used for Thaumaturgical
rituals, and it is impossible to Blood Bond another vampire with them. Note
that virtual points will be spent before real ones, should a conflict arise.

Storyteller's Notes on the Turing

     Okay, so things have moved on since the first version of the Turing came
out, and extensive testing has brought out a number of flaws <?> in the
systems quoted, and I felt it was time to redress the balance slightly. Here
then is the original systems, plus the new updated notes and observations of
the Turing at play:

     For the Turing to work effectively, I really must recommend the Digital
Web sourcebook. It provides an excellent feel for what the Web is, how it
changes, and who can be found there. It might not be essential to running the
Turing, but it certainly makes live a hell of a lot simpler!

Existing Systems
     There are some systems in Digital Web that relate quite well to the
Turing, and some which don't. I'll quickly list those which may be used
practically whole (they can be found in Digital Web, pp35-46):

     Movement in the Web
     Retrieving Data

     Unfortunately, the rest require a little modification to allow for the
fact that the Turing are vampires, not mages:

     Attribute Changes
          Whereas a mage has some Attributes changed during Upload, this does
not happen for the Kindred using Neuromancy, as they do fully translate into
the Web.

     Data Weight
          Where a mage has to carry data (a side effect of his not truly being
there), a Turing can simply file it in Online Storage using Databurst. The way
of working out what can be carried is this: the character can store as much
Virtual Weight as she has points in Online Storage.

     Damage in the Web
          If a character should enter a sector which is based around either
fire or sunlight (or any other material to which the vampire is sensitive),
then they take aggravated damage as normal. Any damage which occurs to the
character whilst in the Web is translated to RealSpace when the vampire
Downloads.

     Paradox in the Web
          A vampire does not generate Paradox, and so will not cause a Paradox
Backlash. However, should a vampire get caught in a Whiteout, she is in
trouble. With a very successful (3 successes?) Wits + Alertness roll, the
player may be able to do something to save herself (for example, a quickly
whipped up teleport program which will dump the character to another part of
the Web, or a rapid Download).

     Extra Systems

     So what else can go wrong? Well:

          There is a nasty effect called Paradox Burn. Some mages have been
known to believe that the Turing are other mages, and have taken them to the
Spy's Demise for a drink. If a vampire imbibes raw Quintessence, bad things
happen. The 'Pattern' of the vampire becomes strained as raw magickal energy
surges through it. The rule is this: for each point of Quintessence that is
imbibed by the vampire, it should be treated as one point of Paradox in mages.
This must be burned off in Paradox

          Flaws immediately (see Mage pp243-245 for examples). In addition,
the character immediately downloads (make a Download Test). If the character
fails the test, they download in an unfortunate location, whereas a botch will
have them download in a distinctly dangerous position (hanging off a
computerised sign in Piccadilly Circus?)...

          Also, a distinction needs to be made here. The Web and RealSpace do
not coincide. Computer systems link into the Web, but there is no direct
correlation between Real and Web Space. Hence, you cannot 'see' into the Real
world, without finding an access point for something which is connected to
RealSpace and has a way of 'seeing' the area you wish to see.

          In the Neuromancy Discipline, Interface and Databurst seem to be
causing confusion. While you can control a device using Interface, you can
only cause it to do that which it can do naturally, within its own limits;
hence, trying to use a security camera to read auras will not work, because
the camera has no mechanism by which to accomplish that task.

          Finally, a quick word on programs. Turing programs will only run if
the Turing is present in the Web at the time. This was never stated in the
systems before, and has lead to a significant number of problems. So I'm
saying it now. 'Oh, no!' cry the populace, but wait! For all those who want
to run massive search routines, remember - as long as you are in a part of the
Web that has no 'day', you can stay there indefinitely. Therefore, if you want
to run a 'follow x using this building's security camera computer system'
program on someone during the day, you can. The only problem will be (most
likely) staying awake while you do it!