Designing Robots
A robot is a computer-controlled machine capable of interacting with its environment. Some robots are teleoperated, but many are autonomous or semi-autonomous – able to act without human oversight, controlled by an artificial intelligence.
Robots in 2050 are near-ubiquitous; from teleoperated gun systems and autonomous tanks and robot butlers, robots pervade all of society – or, at least, the upper crust. While the glitterati can count upon their Dinamika Automated Maid to clean up their dirty laundry after a hard night out, the doles and zoners are more familiar with robots from the sight of corporate security bots keeping them out of the parks and off the street, or accompanying a police patrol.
Robots are created using a Design Point system based on the “Modular Mecha” article in Pyramid 3-51 Tech and Toys III. Follow the following steps to design your own robot:
- Pick the robot’s base size from SM-8 to SM+5. Record the stats and apply the Robot template.
- Select the quality of the robot (from a ‘super’ model to a piece of junk) and modify the cost shown in the stat block. Note the Design Point total.
- Pick and record design features whose total DP value exactly equals the robot’s Design Point Total. Modify stat block based on chosen features.
- Select what add-ons are included; these can be anything from weapons to a more powerful onboard computer.
- Name your robot.
Standard Robots
Start by selecting a base size from the Robot Size Table below and recording its statistics.
|
Robot Size Table |
| SM-8 |
$100 |
0.03 lbs |
1 |
| SM-7 |
$200 |
0.1 lbs |
1 |
| SM-6 |
$300 |
0.3 lbs |
2 |
| SM-5 |
$500 |
1 lbs |
3 |
| SM-4 |
$700 |
3 lbs |
5 |
| SM-3 |
$1,000 |
10 lbs |
7 |
| SM-2 |
$2,000 |
30 lbs |
10 |
| SM-1 |
$5,000 |
100 lbs |
15 |
| SM+0 |
$10,000 |
300 lbs |
20 |
| SM+1 |
$20,000 |
1,000 lbs |
30 |
| SM+2 |
$50,000 |
3,000 lbs |
50 |
| SM+3 |
$100,000 |
5 tons |
70 |
| SM+4 |
$200,000 |
15 tons |
100 |
| SM+5 |
$500,000 |
50 tons |
150 |
Robots have the following template, though certain Design Features may alter its contents:
A basic robot is a two-armed, two-legged facsimile of a human, but cannot wear armor or clothing intended for humans. Robots are powered by electricity or power cells, negating the requirement to breath, and modern robots utilize electromuscular systems, removing any worry about ‘blood’. All robots come equipped with a minimal C3 computer and facilities to support an upgraded computer massing 5% or less of its total weight; this upgraded computer must be purchased separately. The robots controlling CPU is typically installed in a secure location – likely the ‘chest’ where a human heart would be located, if bipedal – and is shock-hardened, removing the vulnerabilities of a normal human brain. Robots typically come equipped with audio and video sensors, but lack the senses of touch, taste, and smell – but they have no sensors for pain, and as such do not feel it like humans, though general shock trauma can still cause pain-like effects. A robot’s arms and any mounted weapons on hardpoints are automatically considered to be stabilized, allowing firing while on the move.
|
| Advantages: |
Absolute Direction (Requires Signal, -20%) ; Doesn’t Breath ; Injury Tolerance (No Brain, No Blood) ; High Pain Threshold ; Machine ; Telecommunication (Cable Jack, Infrared, Radio; Burst, x10, +30%; Digital, +50%; Secure, +20%) . |
| Perk: |
Accessory (Computer) . |
| Disadvantages: |
Cannot Wear Armor [-20]; Electrical [-20]; Maintenance (One Person, Weekly) [-5]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Numb [-20]; Restricted Diet (Electricity and Power Cells, Very Common) [-10]. |
| Quirk: |
Cannot Float [-1]. |
A basic robot utilizes a battery power supply; see the following table for the number and type of batteries used.
|
Battery Table |
| SM-8 |
2AA/8 Hours |
SM-1 |
5C/8 Hours |
| SM-7 |
5AA/8 Hours |
SM+0 |
2D/8 Hours |
| SM-6 |
2A/8 Hours |
SM+1 |
5D/8 Hours |
| SM-5 |
5A/8 Hours |
SM+2 |
2E/8 Hours |
| SM-4 |
2B/8 Hours |
SM+3 |
5E/8 Hours |
| SM-3 |
5B/8 Hours |
SM+4 |
2F/8 Hours |
| SM-2 |
2C/8 Hours |
SM+5 |
5F/8 Hours |
The range of a robot’s Telecommunication advantage depends upon its size. Base range is 10 miles for the Radio tranceiver and 500 yards for the Infrared tranceiver; modify range using the following table:
|
Telecommunication Range Table |
| -8 to -5 |
x1/10 and Cellular |
-8 |
| -4 to -3 |
x1/10 |
-4 |
| -2 to +1 |
x1 |
+0 |
| +2 to +3 |
x10 |
+4 |
| +4 to +5 |
x100 |
+8 |
Robot Quality
After desiding on the basic size, select the robot’s Total Design Point budget. The table below shows the modification to cost that each Total DP provides.
|
Robot Quality Table |
| 15 |
x5,000 |
6 |
x5 |
| 14 |
x2,000 |
5 |
x3 |
| 13 |
x1,000 |
4 |
x2 |
| 12 |
x500 |
3 |
x1.5 |
| 11 |
x200 |
2 |
x1 |
| 10 |
x100 |
1 |
x0.7 |
| 9 |
x50 |
0 |
x0.5 |
| 8 |
x20 |
-1 |
x0.3 |
| 7 |
x10 |
-2 or less |
x0.2 |
Design Features
Most robots differ in some way from the baseline standard design. A variety of robot design features are available. Each has a cost in Design Points (DP). Much as with advantages and disadvantages, these can be positive or negative. The GM may allow PCs to customize their own robot (especially if they are paying for it), or he may decide on the features if the robots are provided by a Patron or job.
Select design features from the Robot Design Feature Table shown below. The total DP cost of all features must equal the robot’s Total DP, as shown on the Robot Quality Table. A given design feature can only be taken once unless marked with an asterisk; if so marked, see the individual design feature description for how many times it may be taken. Modifications that are exact opposites (e.g., Low Maintenance and High Maintenance) are incompatible. After choosing the desired features, adjust the robot’s stat block accordingly and go on to select add-ons.
Many design features increase based upon the following progression, based upon the Speed/Range table. If a design feature says to increase a robot’s ST by ‘2 Design Levels’ and the robot currently has ST 10, you look up the trait level of 10 in the Progression Table; this is a Design Level of 8. The robot has a new ST at Design Level 10, or ST 20. All robots start with a Basic Move at Design Level 6 (Move 5); this may be modified by relevant features.
|
Design Feature Progression Table |
| Design Level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
| Trait Level |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
50 |
| Design Level |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
| Trait Level |
70 |
100 |
150 |
200 |
300 |
500 |
700 |
1,000 |
1,500 |
2,000 |
3,000 |
5,000 |
|
Design Features – Power PLant |
| Solar Charger |
1 |
Combustion Engine |
-1 |
| Nuclear Reactor |
2 |
Organovore |
1 |
| Air Breathing |
-1 |
Extended Duration |
1* |
| Reduced Duration |
-1* |
|
|
The robot can recharge or power itself light energy. When in full sunlight, the robot can operate indefinitely. When out of full sunlight, the robot has the listed duration. It takes the listed duration in full sunlight to completely recharge the battery.
|
| Traits: |
Remove Restricted Diet [+10]. |
The robot utilizes an engine burning a liquid fuel in order to power its systems. This engine is relatively noisy (+2 to detect via Hearing), and if the vehicle is damaged the fuel might burst into flames. The Air Breathing design feature is almost always taken as well.
|
| Traits: |
Fragile (Flammmable) [-10]; Noisy 1 [-2]. Change Restricted Diet to Hydrocarbon Fuels. |
The robot utilizes a nuclear-powered generator to provide electricity. A radscanner can pick up your radiation emmissions; detection rolls are at +3 compared to an equivalent power cell.
|
| Traits: |
Doesn’t Eat or Drink . Remove Restricted Diet [+10]. |
The robot can run on almost any caloric food source, gaining power through eating almost any vegetable or animal matter.
|
| Traits: |
Reduced Consumption 3 (Cast Iron Stomach, -50%) . Remove Restricted Diet [+10]. |
The robot’s power plant requires an atmosphere to operate – for most power plants (combustion, battery, or organovore), that means it burns oxygen, but it may also represent an open-cycle nuclear reactor – a cheaper, lighter design that constantly emits large amounts of radiation and heat into the atmosphere.
|
| Traits: |
Either Lifebane [-10] or replace Doesn’t Breath with Doesn’t Breath (Oxygen Combustion, -50%) [-10]. |
The robot can run for a longer duration than the norm. This may be taken up to four times. Each time Extended Duration is taken, increase duration by the following progression: 12 Hours, 1 Day, 1 Week, 1 Month.
|
| Traits: |
Reduced Consumption [2/level]. |
The robot can run for a shorter duration than the norm. This may be taken up to four times. Each time Reduced Duration is taken, decrease duration by the following progression: 4 Hours, 2 Hours, 1 Hour, 30 Minutes.
|
| Traits: |
Increased Consumption [-10/level]. |
|
Design Features – Locomotion |
| Extra Legs |
1* |
Flexibody |
0 |
| Wheeled |
-1 |
Tracked |
-1 |
| Jump Jets |
1 |
Jump Legs |
1* |
| Flyer |
6 |
Winged |
-2 |
| Jet |
4 |
Cannot Hover |
-1 |
| Watercraft |
-2 |
Amphibious |
1 |
| Portable |
-2 |
Stationary |
-4 |
| Increased Move |
2* |
Decreased Move |
-1* |
| Increased Speed |
1* |
Afterburner |
1 |
| Extra Fuel |
1* |
Whispercraft |
1 |
| Gecko Grip |
1 |
|
|
The robot has more than two legs. If this is taken once, the robot has three or four legs; twice, it has five or six legs; three times, it has seven or more legs.
|
| Traits: |
Extra Legs [5/level]. |
The robot slithers along on the ground like a snake.
|
| Traits: |
No Legs (Slithers) . |
The robot has wheels, like a car. It is primarily road-bound; it has difficulty negotiating rough terrain. On the bright side, it can move fast – you have a top speed six times your acceleration. This moves your Move two steps down on the Design Level Progression Table to a base of 2 yards/second.
|
| Traits: |
Basic Move -3 [-15]; Enhanced Move 2.5 (Road-Bound, -50%) ; No Legs (Wheels) [-20]. |
The robot has tracks, like a tank or APC. It is able to negotiate rough terrain better than a wheeled robot, but like its cousin it can’t jump or otherwise traverse stairs or other troubelsome spots. This increases your top speed to three times your acceleration. This moves your Move two steps down on the Design Level Progression Table to a base of 2 yards/second.
|
| Traits: |
Basic Move -3 [-15]; Enhanced Move 1.5 ; No Legs (Tracks) [-20]. |
The robot includes a small rocket engine – not enough to allow it to truly fly, but enough for it to make large leaps. The engine has a limited amount of fuel, only allowing four jumps per tank by default. The engine is noisy and creates a backblast of flame, making it light up on infrared sensors, giving a +3 to detect and making visual and infrared stealth useless.
|
| Traits: |
Super Jump 2 (Limited Use, 4 Uses, Slow Recharge, -15%; Nuisance Effect, Noise, Wind, and Flame), -15%) . |
The robot includes extra-powerful legs, allowing it to jump significantly farther than normal. You can take this feature up to two times, stacking the Super Jump increase.
|
| Traits: |
Super Jump [10/level]. |
The robot is designed to fly. By default, this flight is like that of a vertol – it flies through raw force from ducted fans, and underbelly jet, or a small rotor. It requires no control surfaces, and can fly for its listed duration. Robots built as flyers typically lack functional legs – add them back in by taking the Extra Legs feature. The force required to keep it in the air is loud, giving a +4 to detect via hearing rolls and making sound-based stealth useless and imposing a -1 reaction modifier from anyone you get too close to. Basic air move is 10, Design Level 8.
|
| Traits: |
No Legs (Aerial) ; Flight (Nuisance Effect, Noise and Wind, -10%) . |
Can only be taken if the robot also has the Flyer design feature. The robot requires either wings or a large rotor, like a helicopter, to fly.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Small Wings, -10% [-4] or Large Wings, -25% [-10] limitations to Flight. |
Can only be taken if the robot also has the Flyer and Winged design features. The robot utilizes extremely powerful jet engines to sustain very fast flight.
|
| Traits: |
Enhanced Move (Air) 4 . |
Can only be taken if the robot also has the Flyer and Jet design features. The robot must continuously move while flying and has a minimal ‘stall speed’, like a conventional (non-VTOL) jet.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Cannot Hover, -15% limitation to Flight [-6]. |
The robot is intended for use in the water. If you have the Sealed feature, you can operate underwater like a submersible; if you don’t, then you mustn’t go underwater lest the water seep into your circuitry. An air-breathing engine won’t work underwater, either. You can not operate on the ground; if you can operate equally well in water or on the ground, take the Amphibious feature (below). Basic water move is 5, Design Level 6.
|
| Traits: |
No Legs (Aquatic) ; remove Cannot Float . |
The robot can operate equally well in the water and on land, moving at its full basic move in either environment and encurring no skill penalties. The robot’s engine must not be air-breathing and it must have the Sealed feature if it is to operate underwater. Basic Water Move is 5, Design Level 6.
|
The robot cannot move on its own, but it can be picked up and carried.
|
| Traits: |
No Legs (Portable) [-30]. |
The robot not only cannot move on its own, it is rooted in place, like a defense turret or a tree. It can be moved, but only through great effort requiring a non-insignificant amount of construction work.
|
| Traits: |
No Legs (Sessile) [-50]. |
The robot can accelerate faster than the norm. You must specialize by movement type. This may be taken up to three times.
|
| Traits: |
Increase the movement type by one on the Design Level Progression Table. |
The robot accelerate slower than the norm. You must specialize by movement type. This may be taken up to three times, but can not reduce it below Design Level 3.
|
| Traits: |
Decrease your movement type by one on the Design Level Progression Table. |
The robot has a top speed in excess of the base. You must specialize by movement type. Every two levels doubles your top speed; one level multiplies your top-speed by 1.5. Up to five levels are available.
|
| Traits: |
Enhanced Move (Movement Type) +0.5 [10/level]. |
The robot can significantly increase its acceleration for a limited amount of time through burning a limited resovoir of fuel. It has up to four minutes of fuel available for the afterburner prior to needing to be replaced. While the afterburner is active, the craft is significantly louder and less stealthy than normal – it is at +3 to detect via Hearing and hearing-based stealth is impossible.
|
| Traits: |
Increase the movement type by two on the Design Level Progression Table, but add the following limitations to the increase Move: Limited Use, 4 Uses, Slow Reload, -15%; Nuisance Effect, Noise, -5%. |
The robot has extra fuel for its afterburner or jump jets – choose one of the two each time this feature is taken and double its number of uses or duration. If this is taken twice for the same feature, the fuel becomes self-regenerating – perhaps the fuel is just extra electrical energy, and the regeneration is a capacitor bank being filled by the main generator.
|
| Traits: |
For the first level, change Limited Use to Limited Use, 8 Uses, Slow Reload, -5%. For the second level, remove Limited Use, +0%. |
The robot’s manipulators are covered in Gecko Pads, allowing it to easily cling to any surface. This is unavailable on SM+1 or larger robots, or those with the Wheeled, Tracked, or Stationary features.
|
Can only be taken if the robot also has the Flyer, Jump Jet, or Afterburner design features. The robot’s flight or jump systems are designed in such a way as to allow stealth, negating the thermal bloom, backwash, and sound issues of those features.
|
| Traits: |
Remove the Nuisance Effect from Flight , Afterburner-providing Move [Varies], and/or Super Jump . |
|
Design Features – Manipulators and Hardpoints |
| One Arm |
-2 |
No Arms |
-4 |
| Extra Arm |
1* |
Arm-Legs |
1* |
| Grabber Hands |
-1 |
No Hand |
-1* |
| Strong Arms |
1* |
Weak Arms |
-1* |
| Flexible Arms |
1 |
High Fidelity Manipulators |
1* |
| Long Arms |
1* |
Extending Arms |
1* |
| Hardpoint |
1* |
Arm Walker |
-2 |
The robot has only one arm, rather than the default of two.
|
The robot has no arms or arm-like manipulators.
|
| Traits: |
No Manipulators [-50]. |
The robot has at least one more arm than normal. Each time this feature is taken, add one more arm to the robot.
|
| Traits: |
Extra Arms [10/level]. |
The robot’s legs can act as arms when they aren’t being used for walking. These arm-legs are otherwise identical to the normal arms.
|
| Traits: |
Extra Arms 2 (Foot Manipulators, -30%) |
The robot’s hands are crude and incapable of fine motor control.
|
| Traits: |
Ham-Fisted 2 [-10]. |
The robot has an arm that ends with a mounting hardpoint, rather than a hand. If this is taken twice, then the effects pervade to all of the robot’s arms.
|
| Traits: |
For the first level, One Handed [-10] plus Extra Arm (Weapon Mount, -80%) . For the second level, No Fine Manipulators [-30] plus Extra Arm 2 (Weapon Mount, -80%). |
The robot has significantly stronger arms than normal. This may be taken up to two times.
|
| Traits: |
Increase Arm ST (Both Arms) according to the Design Level Progression Table. |
The robot has significantly weaker arms than normal. This may be taken up to two times.
|
| Traits: |
Reduce the robot’s Arm ST by two steps on the Design Level Progression Table; each arm gains the Weak (-25%) and Very Weak (-50%) limitation. This reduces point value by 2.5*Arm Number for the first level or 5*Arm Number for the second level. |
The robot has very flexible arms, like tentacles.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Extra-Flexible enhancement to all arms. This increases point value by 5*Arm Number. |
The robot has very fine control over its hands. This feature may be taken up to five times.
|
| Traits: |
High Manual Dexterity +2 [10/level]. |
The robot has very long arms for its size. This may be taken multiple times, increasing the effective SM of the robot’s arms by one each time. This also increases Swinging damage by 1 per die per level.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Long enhancement to all arms. This increases point value by 10*Arm Number. |
The robot’s arms can telescope in or out, altering their length. This may be taken multiple times, increasing the maximum effective SM of the robot’s arms by two each time.
|
| Traits: |
Stretching 2 (Arms Only, -20%) [10/level]. |
The robot has a hardpoint for a weapon or piece of equipment, as well as enough internal space and weight-bearing capacity to support an item weighing up to BL/2 pounds. This may be taken multiple times to represent extra hardpoints. Purchase items fit into hardpoints separately!
|
| Traits: |
Extra Arm (Weapon Mount, -80%) and Payload 5 . |
The robot’s arms are used when walking, giving it a semi-upright gait like a bear or a great ape.
|
| Traits: |
Semi-Upright [-5]. |
|
Design Features – Sensors and Transmitters |
| Advanced Sensors |
1* |
Poor Sensors |
-1* |
| No Sensors |
-3 |
No Communicator |
-2 |
| ECM Module |
2 |
Cellular Comms |
-1 |
The robot can utilize more advanced sensors than normal for its size.
|
| Traits: |
+2 to the robot’s Sensor Slots alotment. |
The robot has shoddy sensors for its size.
|
| Traits: |
-4 to the robot’s Sensor Slots alotment. |
The robot has no sensors at all.
|
| Traits: |
Blind [-50]; Deaf [-20]. |
The robot utilizes a cellular communications protocol and can only connect to specific base-stations; it has no capability to do point-to-point transmission with random radio receivers, but it can connect to any communications devices specifically designed to interface with the robot’s systems. Robots at SM-5 and below automatically have this feature.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Cellular limitation to the Telecommunication advantage . |
The robot lacks any long-ranged communications capabilities at all. The robot only retains a Cable Jack interface.
|
| Traits: |
Replace the Telecommunications advantage with Telecommunication (Cable Jack; Digital, 50%; Burst, +30%; Secure, +20%) ; this lowers an SM0 robot’s point total by 16 points. |
The robot has an integrated radio-frequency jamming device. The number of levels of Obscure is SM+5, making the minimum size SM-4. The ECM Module counts as equipment for the Electronics Operation (EW) skill, giving it the ability to perform electronic countermeasures tasks. Use half of the Obscure penalty as a bonus to the operator’s Electronics Operation (EW) skill, and see that skill for details on what it can do. The jamming device has a base range of 16 yards at SM-4, doubling each SM greater – 32 yards at SM-3, 64 at SM-2, 128 at SM-1, 256 at SM+0, 512 at SM+1, 1024 yards at SM+2, 1 mile at SM+3, 2 miles at SM+4, and 4 miles at SM+5. The jammer can still impact devices at greater range, but it loses effectiveness – it has two-thirds the effective Obscure level out to twice the listed range, or one-third the Obscure level out to four times the listed range.
|
| Traits: |
Obscure (Radar; Cosmic, Adds to EW, +50%; Area Effect 3, +150%; Declining Area 2, +50%) [5/level]. Add one level of Area Effect per SM over -4. |
|
Design Features – Armor and Surface |
| Armored |
2* |
Light Armor |
1 |
| Directional Armor |
1* |
Sealed |
1 |
| Laminate |
2 |
Electromagnetic |
1 |
| Stealth Surface |
1 |
Active Camouflage |
1 |
| Shock Resistant |
1 |
Battle Hardened |
2* |
| Hazard Resistance |
1* |
Crash Resistant |
1 |
The robot’s skin is armored. The robot gains DR based on its size; the first level gives DR equal to the robot’s base ST, while further levels increase the amount of armor by one level on the Design Level Progression Table. Up to four levels may be taken.
|
| Traits: |
Damage Resistance with the Doesn’t Stack, -40% limitation. |
The robot is armored, but lightly. The robot has DR based on its size. The robot has DR equal to the base ST of a robot four SM’s lower than itself. This can not be taken for SM-5 or smaller robots.
|
| Traits: |
Damage Resistance with the Doesn’t Stack, -40% limitation. |
For one facing or discrete location, the robot has more DR. Each level of this design feature is equivalent to two levels of the Armored feature, but only for the specific location chosen (or spread between two locations). Up to three levels may be taken.
|
| Traits: |
Damage Resistance with the Doesn’t Stack, -40% and Limited limitations. |
The robot is sealed, making it water- and air-tight. If it is waterborne, it can dive underwater without issue. Further, its interior components are protected against corrosive gases, dust particles, or other agents that must touch exposed machinery to work.
|
The robot’s armor is made from an exotic laminate alloy or otherwise hardened, giving it significantly increased capability against armor-piercing weapons.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Hardened 1, +10% modifier to Damage Resistance. |
The robot’s armor includes a system of superconductors and sensors that allow it to send out a charge that can disrupt a plasma jet, helping to neutralize shaped charge, plasma, and particle-beam weaponry. This increases the armor’s armor divisor by one for those weapons. This is only applicable to robots with DR 100+ due to the minimum thickness of armor required to support the system.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Hardened 1 (Limited, Particle Jet), +5% enhancement to Damage Resistance. |
The robot’s surface is coated in a radar-absorbant material and includes a infrared baffling system, making it much more difficult to discover via radar or infrared sensors. The robot is at -4 to detect or target via radar or infrared sensors.
|
| Traits: |
Chameleon 2 (Radar; Extended, Infrared, +20%; Dynamic, +40%) |
The robot’s surface is equipped with a sensor-controlled active camouflage system, allowing it to change color and pattern to match the local environment. The robot is at -4 to be seen with any vision type or to target through visual senses; halve the penalty if the robot is moving unless the robot also took the Stealth Surface feature.
|
| Traits: |
Chameleon 2 (Vision; Extended, Infrared, +20%; Extended, Hyperspectral, +20%; Extended, Ultraviolet, +20%; Controllable, +20%) . If Stealth Surface is also taken, then replace both Chameleons with Chameleon 2 (Vision; Extended, Radar, +20%; Extended, Infrared, +20%; Extended, Hyperspectral, +20%; Extended, Ultraviolet, +20%, Dynamic, +40%; Controllable, +20%) . |
The robot is designed to withstand significant blows and ignore anything resembling pain or shock.
|
| Traits: |
Replace High Pain Threshold with Immunity to Pain . |
The robot is designed to be exceptionally tough, with redundancies built into every major system. This makes the robot extremely difficult to injur. This may be taken up to three times.
|
| Traits: |
Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2) . Further levels increase Damage Reduction by 1 and cost an extra 25 points each. |
The robot is designed to be able to survive in a wide range of dangerous conditions. The first level grants radiation tolerance (PF 2), pressure support up to 10 atm, and temperature tolerance from -100 degrees to 150 degrees. The second level goes even further, making the robot capable of surviving everything from near-absolute zero temperatures to the vacuum and radiation of the Van Allen belts or the crippling pressures of the deepest depths of the ocean.
|
| Traits: |
The first level is Pressure Support 1 (10 atm) ; Radiation Tolerance (PF 2) ; Temperature Tolerance 25 (-100 degrees to 150 degrees) . The second level is Pressure Support 2 (100 atm) ; Vacuum Support ; Radiation Tolerance (PF 10) ; Temperature Tolerance 70 (-459 degrees to 300 degrees) . |
The robot is designed to easily recover from crashes, falls, and other large-area crushing attacks, possibly due to a rubberized body, a metal crash-cage, or a reinforced skeleton. This provides DR equivalent to a level of the Armored trait as well as general injury tolerance versus large-area crushing damage.
|
| Traits: |
Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Limited, Large-Area Crushing Damage, -40%) . Damage Resistance with the Limited, Large-Area Crushing Damage, -40% limitation. |
|
Design Features – Biomorphic and Appearance |
| Bioform |
2 |
Realistic Flesh |
1* |
| Attractive |
1* |
Ugly |
-1* |
The robot is designed in the shape of a human or animal, close enough that it can wear appropriate armor or clothing designed for that animal. The robot has a rigid, sculpted appearance, and may be flesh-toned like a mannequin, but it cannot be mistaken for the creature it is based upon. This is a necessary prerequisite feature for any of the Realistic Flesh feature.
|
| Traits: |
Remove Cannot Wear Armor ; remove the Doesn’t Stack limitation on DR. |
The robot has a realistic skin-like covering and hair, with complex pseudo-muscles allowing it to adopt facial expressions and otherwise mimic humans in appearance. At the first level of this trait, subtle imperfections give it away – it doesn’t sweat and lacks a pulse, and it smells just faintly of machinery. The robot’s true nature can be discovered on a Vision-4, Smell-2, or Touch sense roll. The robot doesn’t bleed or bruise; any injury that inflicts damage or any use of diagnostic sensors will determine its mechanical nature. At the second level, robot’s skin is more real – it can sweat, bleed, and even heal slightly: it’s covered in a synthetic, but living, skin. It can be discovered as a robot on a Smell-4 roll, through a cut dealing 1 HP of injury or more, or via use of diagnostic (not security!) sensors. At the third level, the robot has synthetic organs and is partially biological, similar to a bioroid. It’s impossible to tell the difference between the robot and a cyborg without an autopsy.
|
| Traits: |
Add the Tough Skin limitation to DR. The first level also adds Unnatural Features 1 [-1]; further levels do not have this disadvantage. |
The robot’s form is attractive to look upon, giving a +1 reaction modifier. This may be taken up to three times, increasing the reaction modifier to +3 or +4.
|
| Traits: |
Attractive (Impressive, +25%) . Further levels increase this to Handsome or Very Handsome . |
The robot is particularly ugly and looks an awful lot like a piece of trash, giving a -2 reaction modifier. This may be taken twice, doubling the reaction penalty.
|
| Traits: |
Ugly [-8]. Another level can add Hideous [-16]. |
|
Design Features – Other |
| Strong |
2* |
Weak |
-1* |
| Dexterous |
1* |
Clumsy |
-1* |
| Rugged |
1* |
Cheap |
-1 |
| Low Maintenance |
1 |
High Maintenance |
-1 |
| Heavy |
-1 |
Light |
1 |
| Oversized |
-2 |
Compact |
2 |
| Hardened |
1* |
Volatile |
-2 |
| Cockpit |
2 |
Cargo |
1* |
The robot is significantly stronger than normal. This may be taken up to two times.
|
| Traits: |
Increase ST according to the Design Level Progression Table. |
The robot is significantly weaker than normal. This may be taken up to two times.
|
| Traits: |
Reduce ST according to the Design Level Progression Table. |
The robot has better manual dexterity than the norm. This gives the robot frame a bonus to DX. This may be taken up to four times.
|
The robot is significantly clumsier than the norm. This gives the robot a penalty to DX and will commonly knock things over and otherwise get in the way. This may be taken up to two times;
|
| Traits: |
Klutz [-5]; DX -2 [-20]. Further levels increase the DX penalty by 2. |
The robot is designed with durability and ease-of-maintenance in mind, giving it a bonus to HT. This may be taken up to four times.
|
The robot isn’t particularly capable of long-term survival and is particularly difficult to repair, giving a penalty to HT.
|
The robot doesn’t require weekly maintenance. Bi-monthly or longer maintenance may be required, but nothing more common than that.
|
| Traits: |
Remove the Maintenance disadvantage [+5]. |
The robot is nearly constantly in the shop, getting repaired, fixed up, or otherwise checked out. The robot requires daily maintenance to stay in shape; every day that it misses its maintenance, its HT drops by one.
|
| Traits: |
Increase the maintenance interval for the maintenance disadvantage to Daily [-5]. |
The robot is particularly heavy for its abilities; the robot’s weight is double the norm for its size.
|
The robot is particularly light for its abilities; the robot’s weight is half the norm for its size. This allows the robot to float.
|
| Traits: |
Remove Cannot Float . |
The robot is particularly large for its abilities; increase the robot’s SM by one, but leave all other stats the same.
|
| Traits: |
Increase SM by one. |
The robot is particularly small for its abilities; decrease the robot’s SM by one, but leave all other stats the same.
|
| Traits: |
Decrease SM by one. |
The robot is hardened against EMP attacks and electrical surges. This feature may be taken twice; the first level gives +3 to resist EMP attacks, the second level gives +8.
|
| Traits: |
Resistant to EMP and Electrical Surges +3 . The second level replaces this with Resistant to EMP and Electrical Surges +8 . |
The robot has a volatile, explosive chemical in it that may be detonated if the robot is sufficiently injured. If the robot fails a HT roll to avoid death by 3+, or critically fails on a HT check for a Major Wound, then it explodes for 6dx(HP/10) cr ex damage.
|
| Traits: |
Fragile (Explosive) [-20]. |
The robot has integrated controls and enough room for a creature the same SM or smaller than the robot and weighing less than 2xBL to sit; a person requires 200 lbs of space, or 150 pounds if it is a form-fitting battlesuit. A robot that has two arms, two legs, and a head may be considered a Battlesuit that adds Robot ST-10 to the wearer’s ST. More room may be added to the robot by taking the Cargo feature, below.
|
| Traits: |
Compartmentalized Mind (Controls) ; Payload 20 . Some robots may have Payload 20 (External, -50%) instead. |
The robot has a space inside it that can hold 1xBL of gear, equipment, or other cargo inside of it – and if the robot is large enough, this might even include people (each person requires 200 lbs of cargo space).
|
Sensor Systems
The sensors that a robot has available depends upon the robots size. Build a robot’s sensor suite similar to taking Design Features, except you are using Sensor Slots instead of Design Features. A robot starts with 4+SM/2 Sensor Slots, which can be used to purchase enhanced sensor equipment. Most sensor systems have a minimum SM; they can not be installed in robots of a smaller SM. Detailed explanations of most traits are left out, as they are self-descriptive. Other traits are described in full.
Active sensors may be added as well, but they must be purchased separately and installed in Hardpoints. See UT63 for details on active sensors. All active sensors installed on robots SM+2 or larger are considered vehicular arrays.
|
Robot Visual Sensor Table |
| Blind |
-4 |
– |
-50 |
| Bad Sight |
-2 |
– |
-25 |
| Colorblind |
-1 |
– |
-10 |
| No Depth Perception |
-1 |
– |
-15 |
| No Peripheral Vision |
-1 |
– |
-15 |
| Tunnel Vision |
-2 |
– |
-30 |
| Night Vision 5 |
1 |
-6 |
5 |
| Night Vision 9 |
1 |
-4 |
9 |
| Only Infrared Vision |
0 |
-5 |
0 |
| Infrared Vision |
1 |
-2 |
10 |
| Hyperspectral Vision |
2 |
0 |
25 |
| Peripheral Vision |
1 |
– |
15 |
| 360 Degree Vision |
1 |
– |
25 |
| Protected Vision |
1 |
– |
5 |
| Acute Vision +2 |
1* |
+1 |
4 |
| Telescopic Vision +1 |
1* |
+1 |
5 |
Each level of Telescopic or Acute Vision adds to the minimum SM of the sensor system.
|
Robot Audio Sensor Table |
| Deaf |
-2 |
– |
-20 |
| Hard of Hearing |
-1 |
– |
-10 |
| Extended Hearing |
1 |
– |
10 |
| Discriminatory Hearing |
1 |
-5 |
15 |
| Vibration Sense |
1 |
-5 |
10 |
| Protected Hearing |
1 |
– |
5 |
| Acute Hearing +2 |
1* |
+1 |
4 |
Each level of Acute Hearing adds to the minimum SM of the sensor system.
The robot can hear in a significantly expanded range, gaining the ability to hear in both the subsonic and ultrasonic regimes.
|
| Traits: |
Subsonic Hearing and Ultrasonic Hearing . |
|
Robot Other Sensor Table |
| Smart Skin |
2 |
– |
20 |
| Sensitive Touch |
1 |
– |
10 |
| Chemical Sensor |
2 |
– |
5 |
| Discriminatory Smell |
1 |
-4 |
15 |
| Electromagnetic Sensor |
2 |
-4 |
20 |
| Acute Rad Detection 2 |
1* |
+1 |
4 |
Each level of Acute Rad Detection adds to the minimum SM of the sensor system.
The robot utilizes a ‘smart-metal’ skin, giving it the ability to sense touch. Required for the Sensitive Touch sensor option.
|
The robot has a chemical sensing system similar to a nose, giving it the ability to ‘smell’.
|
| Traits: |
Remove No Sense of Smell/Taste . |
The robot can detect and classify electromagnetic emissions. If within twice an emission source’s range, make a Sense roll; if you succeed, you detect its presence and its direction. You may then attempt to analyze the emission – use Electronics Operation (Sensors) skill. This may also be used to locate passive sources of radiation, such as nuclear fallout; use range penalties for those detection attempts.
|
| Traits: |
Detect (Electromagnetic Radiation; Signal Detection, +0%) . |
by:
Langy