Expanded Cerebral Matrices
The basic nature of a non-cyriss cerebral matrix is perfectly understandable given that cortex’s have to be so large to achieve any great deal of sentience. But considering the increase in intelligence displayed by servitor swarms in the Liber Mechanika, there should be some way of enhancing how smart you can make a servitor or matrix run device.
The first idea for a ruling was that you could conduit together up to four cerebral matrices in series, each having an int of 2 combining to a max int of 8. Which is an improvement, but still puts it below the power of a cyriss swarm or the most powerful cortex’s. Balancing this with the advance in cortex technology is that the ‘thinking’ of such a device is effectively by committee. So its reactions are far slower than a steamjack of similar intelligence, making it more ponderous and robotic overall. (minus to initiative equal to number of matrices conduited, cannot perform swift or immediate actions.)
Conduiting two Cerebral Matrices: 2000gp
Conduiting three Cerebral Matrices: 3000gp
Conduiting four Cerebral Matrices: 4000gp
The second plan was to expand on the Task Plate idea that privateer press sort of left hanging, aka introducing devices you added on to a cerebral matrix to give it additional capabilities at additional weight and cost. The Dragonmech books provided a large resource of ideas for these sorts of devices, (as well as some interesting ones for mechanika, but that’s another story). So these act as small additional mechanika that you can conduit onto a matrix, the actual info for each can be found in the Dragonmech book ‘Steam Warriors‘.
Bloodhound: 350gp [detects scents]
Discriminator: 350gp [can automatically designate friend or foe]
Identifier: 200gp+ [can identify substances]
Metal Ear: 35gp [can identify a full range of sounds]
Navigator: 50gp [can remember traveled paths]
Noisemaker: 300gp [records and plays sounds]
Optical Orb: 275gp [can see in full colour]
Randomizer: 50gp [can automatically randomize a decision or choice]
Ranger: 240gp [bonus to ranged attacks]
Scanner: 800gp [detects specific material within 100ft]
Skill Box: 200gp+ [allows use of a specific skill]
Skill Recorder: 500gp [gives +5 bonus to recorded skill]
Targeter: 320gp [can automatically pick targets for weapons]
Timer: 30gp [allows it to function at specific times or intervals]
Trembler: 500gp [tremorsense]
Trigger: 50gp [activates under specified circumstances]
Vocalizer: 200gp [allows limited speech]
<note: prices would vary up/down when translating across campaigns, creation of these would be craft mechanika, with craft wondrous item for certain bits and pieces, a matrix can not have more additions than it has int points>