3.P/d20 Modern - Quantum Supercomputer Goggles?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Looking at making an extremely high level magitech/psionitech item. I'm not sure exactly what the specifics are to be, but I have some general guidelines:

Quantum Supercomputer Goggles (Oculus): The oculus goggles are an incredibly advanced quantum supercomputer with an interface that responds to verbal and telepathic commands, as well as a virtual holographic interface. It has infinite information storage and infinitely fast processing capability, capable of accessing any Earth's internet or other computer networks at any point in time, in the past, present, or future, as specified by the user, using myriad divination and clairsentience effects it can perform, combining and extrapolating information from them as free actions. It also contains a vast number of sensor effects and acts as a HUD; it adapts to stated desires for information, granting significant intel about one's surroundings. The oculus also contains an advanced semi-sapient virtual intelligence which can craft its own programs and automatically adapts to interface with various types of technology. This function of the oculus goggles gains energy to power it from the environment around it, as well as from absorbing biological energy produced by any living or animated creature that wears it. It is capable of running in low-power mode while not worn, and only its magic functions are available in that case.

Now, if you were to stat something like this up as an actual item (specifically in 3.P, although d20 Modern is available), how would you do so? Or should I just leave it as an artifact and be done with it?

[icefractal]

While you could stat this as large bonuses to all knowledge checks, an AI with a very high action speed performing specific divinations, and so forth, I think that's likely unnecessary.

In practice, what it does is tell you any information you want, unless very specific measures have been taken to hide it (was never on any accessible network, has been shielded from divinations for its entire duration). So if you (the GM) knows it, the player with this item can know it.

However, that leads to the fact that you have two problems with actually using this in a game -

The lesser one is that it requires the GM to generate large amounts of detail on the fly (or else prepare insanely huge amounts of detail). If the GM is capable of this, and/or the players are willing to accept abstractions and "I'll figure that out between sessions", then it's not an issue.

The larger one is that, as written, it require the GM to predict the future. The players are about to take on a megacorp - "let's check out wikipedia ten years in the future and see how it went". Ok, that's an entirely reasonable purpose to use this for, but if I was the GM I'd have no way to answer because I can't actually predict the future. This is a problem with any future-divination (Augury in D&D is a huge nest of problems if you use it for more than a plot-coupon, for example), but this item does it especially comprehensively.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

While you could stat this as large bonuses to all knowledge checks, an AI with a very high action speed performing specific divinations, and so forth, I think that's likely unnecessary.

In practice, what it does is tell you any information you want, unless very specific measures have been taken to hide it (was never on any accessible network, has been shielded from divinations for its entire duration). So if you (the GM) knows it, the player with this item can know it.

However, that leads to the fact that you have two problems with actually using this in a game -

The lesser one is that it requires the GM to generate large amounts of detail on the fly (or else prepare insanely huge amounts of detail). If the GM is capable of this, and/or the players are willing to accept abstractions and "I'll figure that out between sessions", then it's not an issue.

The larger one is that, as written, it require the GM to predict the future. The players are about to take on a megacorp - "let's check out wikipedia ten years in the future and see how it went". Ok, that's an entirely reasonable purpose to use this for, but if I was the GM I'd have no way to answer because I can't actually predict the future. This is a problem with any future-divination (Augury in D&D is a huge nest of problems if you use it for more than a plot-coupon, for example), but this item does it especially comprehensively.That certainly would be a problem for a game that takes place on Earth or a world that has Earth-like (or even more advanced) technology, but assume for the moment that the character this item belongs to is an Earthling isekai'd to a (relatively) low-tech D&D world, so the item would simply allow the character (and thus the player) to actually go online for information on various things, such as for looking up how-to videos for chemistry stuff, or whatever.

You do have a point, but in this case, that point is largely moot until and unless the character can find a way back to a high tech civilization that uses data in the same ways we do. It'd definitely be something to keep in mind for varying possible futures, however, so thanks for the heads-up.

[shaikujin]

Just wanted to share some ideas on what I theorycrafted for similar technology based items -

Pathfinder has rules for Technological devices here:
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/technological-equipment/

In short, magical items can be reskinned as technogical items. This means similar item creation time/costs etc can be used for creating/statting tech items. Including adding multiple magic properties on 1 single item.

Your goggles can have foresight, true seeing, moment of prescience, mindblank and whatever effects you would like.


To cheese/lower the costs -
Since you are fine with mixing in D20 Modern, the D20 Modern Apocalyse book has rules for crafting items using parts. Crafting the most complex items requires a minimum store of parts, but will only use a fraction of those parts to craft the item.
So craft the goggles using mechanical and electronic parts.

As for the parts themselves, unless there are technological ruins where the scavenge can be used in, just use Fabricate to make the parts. This also makes it simpler to judge how many parts it will take to make the goggles, since Fabricate can only make items from 1 material. Which is good for making mechanical parts.

For electronic parts, craft mechnical parts like copper/gold cabling for wires, blank circuit boards from non conductive materials, glass for displays, protective casing from metals. You can even fabricate it from a Wall of Force (StrongHold Builder allows walls to be made from Wall of Force. Treating these walls like a normal material would also mean sacrificing a few extra walls can be done to make these parts).

Using metals does have advatages to, multiple different components such as dials/buttons/casing/screws etc can be crafted using a single fabricate to make something like those Airfix model kits, where 1 can twist the individual components off from a single item.



As for the goggles, it will need mechanical parts for the frame plus 1 or 2 lenses depending on whether it looks like a 1 piece visor or a pair of glasses. At least 1 electronic part for the internal circuitry. So it will require both types of parts.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Honestly, something that powerful seems better not statted. Just wing it as the DM (especially the future stuff. It may be better to remove it altogether for the sake of your and your campaign health, but you do you).
If you were to, I'd make something like :
"Quantum Supercomputer Goggles

With an almost instantaneous research, the bearer of the goggles can take 10 on any Knowledge check, with a cumulative bonus of +5 per full round on concentrating on researching the particular subject before the check, to a maximum of +50 for a full minute of research. If the Knowledge check concerns a specific creature and at least 3 rounds are spent concentrating on the search, you additionally gain the benefit of the Know Opponent and Know Vulnerabilities spells, targetted on that creature. Longer searches can give answers to specific questions, with the results being equivalent to that of various divination spells:
- Clairaudience/Clairvoyance for a 1-minute search,
- Legend Lore for 1d4 minutes (results as if the focus of the search is at hand)
- Commune or Contact Other Plane (one question per 1-minute search, the questions are considered to be asked to a greater deity for the purpose of determining if you find false or no information in the Contact Other Plane mode),
- Divination (one advice/conclusion per 5-minute search in future databases),
- Hindsight (5 minutes for the regular effect of the spells, each 5 additional minutes gives you additional informations dating further back as if the caster level of this artifact was 20 higher. Thus, a 20-minute search would give detailed knowledge of up to 80 days in the past, or a general idea of up to 80 years in the past)
- Discern Location (after 10 minutes of high-level calculations by the goggles)

If the device is not in energy saving mode, you can additionally gain the benefits of clairsentience powers and gain information on observed items and creatures. Going from energy saving mode to full performance inflicts one point of Constitution burn per use, after which it can be used for an hour without further need of energy. During this time, the bearer of the quantum goggles gains a permanent Detect Magic, Detect Psionics and Detect Remote Viewing effect (CL 20) and can activate the following effects by making searches with the goggles:
- Read Thoughts (as the power, Will DC 25, this mode is affected by Mind Blank and other protections of similar power)
- Object Reading (same results as the power, search time equal to the concentration time, not limited to 10 min/level)
- Psychometry (same results as the power, search time equal to the concentration time, not limited to 1 min/level)
- Psionic Identify (1 minute)
- Hypercognition (1 minute to fully link your mind to the device)
- Metafaculty (10 minutes)

Since these effects are based on written records across time, they bypass most magical means of protection, up to and including Mind Blank, but may fail against particularly obscure characters who took specific measures to not leave any trace in general memory.

Overwhelming Clairsentience and Divination, CL 20 and ML 20."

What do you think?