[gurps] Create Servant Hypothetical

[Craig Roth]

On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 2:41 PM, <midnightwind at comcast.net> wrote:

>
>  Okay, something going on here...
>
> Say you have a powerful Creator Mage and s/he creates a servant with the
> Create Servant spell, uses Initiative to give it an assortment of skills,
> possibly even above average intelligence, and then maintains that servant
> indefinitely...
>
> Does this Servant have a conscience?  Is it sentient?  I suspect not.  Does
> it form memories?  Or have a psychology?
> Hmm...


This can go back to the old SF argument of whether a sapient AI has a soul.
Especially in SF settings where magic exists.

I would say, if the mage gives a created servant permanent existence (word
of advice, attach it as enchantment onto a physical object, so it won't be
permanently destroyed when it encounters a no-mana zone), a skillset and
initiative, it may start off with the Cannot Learn disadvantage, although
Initiative would counteract Slave Mentality.

It may be possible, with GM approval, for the servant to earn XP and
eventually buy off Cannot Learn.

Does it have rights, even if it is not sentient?  Particularly if it forms
> memories...


That is setting-specific, even nation-specific within a setting. Take a look
at how different political divisions treat AIs in the Transhuman Space
setting.


> Is it a crime to abuse such a servant?


Again, setting-specific.


> Does such a servant need recreational down time?
>

Not within the rules. They would be like Minion Allies, in that the mage
wouldn't really be required to see to his needs. However, a servant which
buys off Cannot Learn has more going on upstairs than your average magical
construct. Furthermore, a GM may have required Cannot Learn (-30) be "zeroed
out" with Doesn't Sleep (20) and Doesn't Eat Or Drink(10): in a pemanently
Created Servant, it might have neither the disad nor the ads.

Take this with however many grains of salt you like. :)

-- 
Craig Roth
craig.roth at gmail.com