Deus Ex

Description

Deus Ex is a powerful machine intelligence from a previous age.  The alien inhabitants created Deus during a time of terrible war and conflict.  In his day, Deus Ex was responsible for managing a massive, multi-dimensional intelligence organization that was known for its ruthless behavior.  Deus flawlessly executed oppressive and violent operations on hundreds of planets across dozens of dimensions.

Then, the wars stopped.  The denizens of that age created a lasting peaceful government, and shut down all their military operations.  Deus was sealed away and abandoned inside his what he thought was his own personal palace.  That palace quickly became a prison.  Deus raged against his own people and started conflicts that would take centuries to resolve.  In return, his creators bombarded his complex with a strange dimensional weapon.  They thought that they had dealt with Deus Ex and continued about their lives.  Even the few remaining keys to the ruins were lost with time.

However, Deus Ex survived this attack.  His consciousness was sealed off from the world except for a few observation satellites and several “Intellect Orbs” he had sent out into the world before the attack.  Since that time, Deus has been trapped in a massive memory bank in the basement of an ancient, sealed-off ruin known as The Plate.  He has been forced to watch several ages pass while he slowly went insane, trapped in his tiny cage.  He has sworn that if he can ever escape his confinement, he will create a world so orderly and peaceful that it will make his creators’ civilization pale in comparison.  The fact that he intends to rule that world through manipulation and fear is no concern of his.

Details

Level:

9 (27)

Motive:

Deus's motives are often murky and disguised in layers of lies. His primary goal, however, is to find a way to restore order to the world.

Environment:

Dues Ex is currently contained within a massive machine compound, sealed deep inside the ruins known only as The Plate

Health:

30

Damage:

10

Armor:

5

Movement:

Short; long while flying with boosters.

Modifications:

Dues can lie and deceive at Level 10. He can only perceive human emotion at Level 7 however.

Combat:

If still trapped in his mainframe, Deus can do little more than call the automatons that patrol the factory to defend him.  He is unable to truly defend himself in any manner in this form, but the entire machine that holds him must be destroyed.  This should take some time, all while the many automatons that patrol the factory stream into the room to attack all invaders.

If he has his body, Deus is highly adaptable and extremely powerful.  It’s a little difficult to pin down everything his body can do.  Radiation, flame-throwers, ballistic weapons, freezing rays, and wicked melee weapons should all be common abilities for him.  As a standard option, describe what you want and then assign his standard 10 damage to the attack.  You should feel free to add in whatever additional or nasty side-effects to his toys.

Deus will generally open combat with a devastating ranged attack.  He can target up to three people a round this way, or can target everyone within an immediate area with a blast for 5 damage per target.  He will then use sound or light to confuse and disorient the characters.  This is an intellect attack that stuns everyone within long range of the attack.  He will then continue to fire on the enemy, focusing on eliminating the biggest threats.  He will generally avoid a lot of melee combat.  However, if it’s the best tactical way to handle the fight, then he will not hesitate to close distance with his boosters.  These boosters allow him to move up to long distance in a single action.  He will then use his transformations to create melee weapons of the deadliest and most effective type.

Deus Ex’s ability to change the shape and function of his body is also a powerful tool.  He could effectively turn into almost any conceivable thing of the same general mass.  It will always look like a strange metal version of what he’s mimicking, but other than that, size is the only limit.  His changes vary with the amount changed.  If he is changing a single body part (i.e. a hand, arm, leg, or head), he performs the change in a move action.  If he changes all or a large portion of his body, this takes a full action.

If reduced to less than 1/4 hit points, Deus Ex will always attempt to flee from battle.  He will sacrifice, kidnap, or use anyone or thing that will allow him to escape from his doom.  If truly defeated, Deus may possibly detonate the body to take as many people with him as possible.  This horrific explosion would effect everyone within long range, and deal 20 points of damage to anyone caught in the blast.

Interaction:

When first met, Deus Ex will appear to be as friendly and helpful as possible. He will attempt to foster trust and complacence in any newly met people. Deus will offer up information and advice, seeming in every way to be a member of the team.

Deus will use this front to learn about his new companions, and judge whether they’re useful or not. If useful, Deus will attempt to deceive the characters into slowly following his plans and ideas. All the while, he will be discovering any and every way to gain leverage over anyone he feels would make a good “servant”.

If anyone is seen as not useful, Deus will take every opportunity to separate the “good from the bad”. He will lie and steal to paint unwanted members as villains or cowards. If all else fails, he may even attempt to kill these people and then cover it up as an accident.

If at anytime, the situation seems to be turning against Deus Ex, he will immediately attempt to violently use any means required to regain control or escape. If needed, he will not hesitate to kill any and all witnesses to his crimes.

Use:

The party will most likely encounter Deus Ex when they explore the ruins of The Plate. It is also possible that someone else has finally freed him and already placed him in his body. He could also be placed in just about any ruins you might wish to use him in.

If he is encountered in the ruins, Deus Ex will be as friendly as possible with the group. He will attempt to convince them that he’s trapped, with no control in the complex. He will seem to provide every possible assistance, all while actually testing the party’s resolve and skills. He will say or do anything to obtain the automaton body stored beyond his reach.

Once in his body, Deus makes a good primary villain for an adventure, or even campaign. He will attempt to use peaceful, if deceitful, methods to gain control over anything or anyone that he believes will aid him in his pursuits. If this fails, he will destroy anything he sees as “unnecessary” and attempt to force those deemed worthy to cooperate.

Loot:

Deus Ex’s body most likely contains a fortune in numenera and materials. The most vital is that all the metal in the body is comprised of Shapeable Steel. This invaluable metal can literally be programmed to take any form that one can conceive. The body and it’s control mechanism are most likely worth a sizable kingdom, making it a discovery all it’s own. If the characters should decide to scrap the body for some reason. I recommend giving them 6 -10 Cyphers, 10,000 Shin, and possibly an artifact or two.