Sunday, January 31, 2021

Bots and Junkers

 I really like the rules for junkers from the first edition - they are one of my favorite things from that game. So, I'm keeping those largely intact, although I'm streamlining some of the mechanics around them. I'm also changing the basic idea of how a junker is found; in the first edition, you had to have a character who got a junker to get one. Now, every team will start with a junker (or make their first adventure about getting one- the default game assumption). However, the junker is ultimately 'owned' by the whole team; the same is going to be true of a bot. The team will have one bot that follows them around on their adventures; it might be connected to the junker, or find some way to happen along with the crew. The purpose of the bot is to be a GM-played character in the group who doesn't do much except provide comic relief, act as a sounding board, and give strategic clues at key moments. It's a non-living but still somewhat self-aware plot mover!

Your bot has the following stats:

AC 1d4+12; HD 2d6+6; Feat +8; MV 1d4+1; no attacks

Bots have impervious 1d4 from their metal shells

Bots have 1d4 talents


Roll 1d6 to see how much the bot resembles a terran;

1 = nearly a synthezoid; 6 = completely mechanical.

On this scale, C-3PO is at 2, R2-D2 is at maybe 4 (still has ‘legs’),

and BB8 is 5 (I man, he kinda has a head and a body I guess).

Roll 1d6 for Communicates: 1-3 = mechanical sounds/code; 4-6 = via speech

The bot’s original purpose

  1. Butler. Open doors, fetch slippers. 

  2. Culinary. Make delicious meals.

  3. Librarian. Maintain records, organize, 

  4. Logistics. Shipping and receiving, processing.

  5. Medicine. Medical procedures and technologies.

  6. Pilot. Operate vehicles (generally in non-combat situations).

  7. Science. Assist with research and data processing.

  8. Technology. Interfacing with other technological systems.

I’m rolling up a bot. This is a science bot, which is designed to assist with research and data processing. Makes sense. It is somewhat human. I’m thinking of Twiki from Buck Rogers. He is bashful; this is a very shy bot who is a total nerd and gets nervous around living creatures (especially female ones). His name is K1RB, or Kirby.  I roll randomly for stats, and end up with:


K-1RB (Kirby), K-Series Research Companion Data Bot

AC 16; HD 2d6+6 (hp 15); Feat +8; MV 2 

Communicates via Speech

Impervious 3; Science Talent 

Kirby is 1 meter tall.



6 comments:

  1. I can't help but picture the good robots from The Black Hole, or maybe Twiki from Buck Rogers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael! Welcome back! I haven't checked in since your ballpoint dungeon post. I'm excited by these last few posts and look forward to the final product (and glimpses of the process it takes to get there).

    BTW, I finally had a chance to help some friends create Sentinels of Echo City characters. I plan to GM a session for them sometime soon (although our schedules have gotten a bit busy of late).

    Anyway, I'll be checking back more regularly now that you've returned!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for checking in! I'm having fun working on the game, and plan to get back to it soon.

      Delete
    2. Awesome! BTW, I finally ran my home group through a session of Sentinels of Echo City! We'd made characters a few weeks back, but hadn't had the opportunity to play. That changed this weekend, however, when one of our number couldn't make it to the game. I had to think fast, so I came up with a very basic introductory encounter involving an evil organization (KRAKEN), a randomly generated mutant villain (Big Ben), and a bulette (the D&D monster). T'was kind of crazy, but they had a great time and loved how the system played!

      Delete