Transrobotism
So, the last post was on transhumanism, and it generated some decent conversation.
Then I saw this awesome post by Joshua Macy.
It provides robots as a character option for Space Crawl (which seems to be a sci-fi version of Dungeon Crawl Classics).
I could pretty easily convert some of these ideas to the SNAFU system, which is my working name for the game system underlying The Law.
Characters in this system start with d4 in each of the four attributes, then generally 4 dice upgrades, 4 abilities, 4 defences, and then a range of 3 upgrades that could improve elements in any of these three categories.
In The Law, two of the attribute upgrades (and two of the abilities), are defined by the character's caste. There are six castes, each increasing a different pair of attributes (and providing abilities associated with those skill increases). A series of automatic abilities are added to characters based on their training in the agency academy. Defences are added to each of the four attribute categories.
It really wouldn't take much to modify this system to accommodate for robots.
The first option would be to generate four basic robot chassis (what is the plural for chassis?), each focused on a single attribute type. This means that instead of two attributes upgraded by a single degree, a single attribute is increased by two degrees.
Heavy Duty: Physical d8, Social d4, Mental d4, Paranormal d4
Protocol: Physical d4, Social d8, Mental d4, Paranormal d4
Strategy: Physical d4, Social d4, Mental d8, Paranormal d4
Sensor Drone: Physical d4, Social d4, Mental d4, Paranormal d8
Next, would be to generate a series of core upgrade suites, which would be simple collections of an attribute upgrade and a pair of abilities. Each robot would begin with two core upgrade suites.
Examples...
Close Combat: Physical (+d2), Brawl, Assault
Construction: Physical (+d2), Endurance, Strength
Diplomacy: Social (+d2), Etiquette, Subterfuge
Infiltration: Physical (+d2), Movement, Stealth
Navigation: Mental (+d2), Navigation, Piloting,
Nega-Psychic: Paranormal (+d2), Nega-Psychic, Occult
Paramedic: Mental (+d2), Awareness, Medicine,
Ranged Combat: Mental (+d2), Shoot, Awareness
I really like the idea of robots being unable to be healed by medical abilities, but instead being repaired by crafting skills. I really doesn't take anything special to translate that concept across.
The idea of robot malfunctions works too. Instead of the typical negative conditions that human characters get when their attributes are damaged (such as the physical conditions of tiredness, disease, injury), a series of new conditions more appropriate to mechanical characters can be substituted.
Malfunctions can easily take the place of permanent battle scars, able to be repaired when the first few occur, but the more times a robot takes the type of damage that instils a long term malfunction, the harder it will be continue repairing it. Eventually, the software will need to be installed in a new chassis, and this could have permanent long term effects on the robot's digital psyche.
There's a lot more to think about here, and it could easily be a new spin-off game for the current setting... or at the very least, a new type of NPC for agents of the law to encounter.
Then I saw this awesome post by Joshua Macy.
It provides robots as a character option for Space Crawl (which seems to be a sci-fi version of Dungeon Crawl Classics).
I could pretty easily convert some of these ideas to the SNAFU system, which is my working name for the game system underlying The Law.
Characters in this system start with d4 in each of the four attributes, then generally 4 dice upgrades, 4 abilities, 4 defences, and then a range of 3 upgrades that could improve elements in any of these three categories.
In The Law, two of the attribute upgrades (and two of the abilities), are defined by the character's caste. There are six castes, each increasing a different pair of attributes (and providing abilities associated with those skill increases). A series of automatic abilities are added to characters based on their training in the agency academy. Defences are added to each of the four attribute categories.
It really wouldn't take much to modify this system to accommodate for robots.
The first option would be to generate four basic robot chassis (what is the plural for chassis?), each focused on a single attribute type. This means that instead of two attributes upgraded by a single degree, a single attribute is increased by two degrees.
Heavy Duty: Physical d8, Social d4, Mental d4, Paranormal d4
Protocol: Physical d4, Social d8, Mental d4, Paranormal d4
Strategy: Physical d4, Social d4, Mental d8, Paranormal d4
Sensor Drone: Physical d4, Social d4, Mental d4, Paranormal d8
Next, would be to generate a series of core upgrade suites, which would be simple collections of an attribute upgrade and a pair of abilities. Each robot would begin with two core upgrade suites.
Examples...
Close Combat: Physical (+d2), Brawl, Assault
Construction: Physical (+d2), Endurance, Strength
Diplomacy: Social (+d2), Etiquette, Subterfuge
Infiltration: Physical (+d2), Movement, Stealth
Navigation: Mental (+d2), Navigation, Piloting,
Nega-Psychic: Paranormal (+d2), Nega-Psychic, Occult
Paramedic: Mental (+d2), Awareness, Medicine,
Ranged Combat: Mental (+d2), Shoot, Awareness
I really like the idea of robots being unable to be healed by medical abilities, but instead being repaired by crafting skills. I really doesn't take anything special to translate that concept across.
The idea of robot malfunctions works too. Instead of the typical negative conditions that human characters get when their attributes are damaged (such as the physical conditions of tiredness, disease, injury), a series of new conditions more appropriate to mechanical characters can be substituted.
Malfunctions can easily take the place of permanent battle scars, able to be repaired when the first few occur, but the more times a robot takes the type of damage that instils a long term malfunction, the harder it will be continue repairing it. Eventually, the software will need to be installed in a new chassis, and this could have permanent long term effects on the robot's digital psyche.
There's a lot more to think about here, and it could easily be a new spin-off game for the current setting... or at the very least, a new type of NPC for agents of the law to encounter.
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