Repo-Bots...

Braden Campbell · Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:27 pm

The Naruni Repo-Bot gets a slew of cybernetic systems, including the ultra ear (which gives a +6 to initiative). They also have a section where their bonuses are listed, including PP.... and the bonus to initiative is only +2.

SO... when a GM rolls up a Repo-bot, must they add the bonuses for the cybernetic systems as found in another book, PLUS the RCC bonuses, PLUS the bonuses form whatever hand-to-hand form they are "programmed" with?

This is how I am leaning, but wondered what you all thought.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:32 pm

Looks that way.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:36 pm

The repo-bot has an organic brain (like was in a human or other living being at one point, not a fake). has more in common with a cyborg than a AI robot.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:40 pm

OH well yeah, you can't raise it's PP above what the body is designed for.
So Braden, maybe even though it gets a +6 from ultra ear for initiative, the robot's body limits it to a measley +2?
Good point Darkmax.

Braden Campbell · Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:13 pm

Kryzbyn wrote:So Braden, maybe even though it gets a +6 from ultra ear for initiative, the robot's body limits it to a measley +2?

No, that makes even less sense in terms of game mechanics.

I can draft a Scholar with a PP of 8, but if I give him Amplified Hearing, he gets +6 to int. his physical prowess still blows, but he gets the bonus: its even across the board.

So high PP characters (Repo-Bots have a PP of 26) or Borgs would also get it in addition to their PP bonus.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:49 am

Braden, GMPhD wrote:
Kryzbyn wrote:So Braden, maybe even though it gets a +6 from ultra ear for initiative, the robot's body limits it to a measley +2?

No, that makes even less sense in terms of game mechanics.

I can draft a Scholar with a PP of 8, but if I give him Amplified Hearing, he gets +6 to int. his physical prowess still blows, but he gets the bonus: its even across the board.

So high PP characters (Repo-Bots have a PP of 26) or Borgs would also get it in addition to their PP bonus.

That is true. If said Scholar had no arms no legs and no psionics...a PP of 0 and +6 to initiative. Is his name Matt?

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:56 am

No LOL it was a bad joke.
"What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs layin on the front porch?"
"Matt"

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:13 am

umm its a play on words.
Matt is short for Matthew, but in this case its used as in " a Welcome mat", meaning with no arms and legs all he could do is lay there...like a mat.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:20 pm

I think so, but thats ok. its the nicest insult i've gotten so far

Braden Campbell · Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:23 pm

Sure.

Cosmo-Knights can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including visual light, ultraviolet, infrared, and even radio waves.

Why not?

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:57 pm

Braden, GMPhD wrote:Sure.

Cosmo-Knights can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including visual light, ultraviolet, infrared, and even radio waves.

Why not?

Can they really? i don't have my PW book in front o me.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:16 am

Maybe that falls under the heading of cosmic awareness.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:01 pm

Well, the reason I used the cosmic awareness was becasue if the Ck is aware of all heavenly bodies in the cosmos relative to himself, he'd have know about starships in the way too...

"Tonight at 1650 GST, a Cosmoknight impacted a ship full of refugees fleeing the TGE at an estimated speed of 15 ly/hour. All hands were lost, as well as 40,000 innocent refugees, as the ship was literaly turned inside out from the impact. The cosmo knight claimed that, quote, "I couldn't see em! I couldn't see 'em! OMG! All those people...<inaudible weeping and gnashing of teeth>" The Cosmic Forge has declined to respond to our requests for an interview"...

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:19 pm

Yes...but harmessly? Thats the question...

Greyaxe · Unread post by **Greyaxe** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:00 am

Braden, GMPhD wrote:Sure.

Cosmo-Knights can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including visual light, ultraviolet, infrared, and even radio waves.

Why not?

I like it. Thanks. In addition Braden has granted Cosmo knights (in armor) Cosmic radios, so they can communicate with ships and other raido devices.

Greyaxe · Unread post by **Greyaxe** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:02 am

To get back on topic. Repo bots would definatly stack all their init bonuses, making them some of the fastest threats in the three galaxies, which they should be.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:59 pm

What -I'm- wondering is Hartigal produces its own lamer version of the RepoBot, but no price is listed for it!

Though such a basis would be a great platform for later modification...

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:04 pm

Its the lesser well known Creditor-Bot that leaves pissy messages on your answering machine, but doesnt actually do anything

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:13 am

But since they are from the same place the odds of that happening is probably remote at best. Compatibility issues that is.

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:53 am

As long as it is NE to NE it'll probably work fine.

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:14 am

And then the incompatibility issue rears it's ulgy head.

Braden Campbell · Sat Dec 02, 2006 3:47 pm

Just for posterity, a Repo-Bot mentally programmed with 15th level Hand-to-Hand: Martial Arts (go big or go home... why should they even have experience levels?) would have the following bonuses:

#attacks - 8
strike - +10
parry - +14
dodge - +15
roll - +6
criticals - 18+
initiative - +4 (+10 if you include the amplified hearing)

Myself, I allow the +6 only on the first round of combat, just like 6th Sense... which basically means they can hear you trying to sneak up on them. After the first round, its down to their cyborg quickness.

They would also have +8 to strike on an aimed shot with their modern WPs, plus another +1 for their targeting eye.

Braden Campbell · Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:12 pm

gadrin wrote:
I see the "brain transplant" as using the original owner's level and then growing with the bot's subsequent experience
or something close to that.

I see them as taking someone's brain, darkmax's for example, and overwriting his personality with a stored template. Its not unreasonable to assume that Naruni had a 15th level operative from back in the day... thus all Repo-Bots would be of the same level and skill set.

gadrin wrote:Note: I don't see anything in Rifts RPG or Bionics Sourcebook that gives the Ultra Ear +6 it just uses Amplified Hearing
which is below. Has it changed ?

No. Amplified Hearing gives you the bonus, but in combonation with Ultraear, you can now get +6 to initiative even if the people sneaking up on you would be normally unaudible to human hearing.

Braden Campbell · Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:18 pm

Expert?

Dude... dump a language skill to upgrade to Martial Arts, then get a built-in language translator as one of your additional D4 cybernetic systems. Oh... and a combat computer.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:53 pm

Ouch.....That's one mean Repo-Man...

Now, using Rifter #35 as a guide, he needs a wrecker/repo-ship to tow away the repossessed goods....

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:19 pm

Braden, GMPhD wrote:
gadrin wrote:
I see the "brain transplant" as using the original owner's level and then growing with the bot's subsequent experience
or something close to that.

I see them as taking someone's brain, darkmax's for example, and overwriting his personality with a stored template. Its not unreasonable to assume that Naruni had a 15th level operative from back in the day... thus all Repo-Bots would be of the same level and skill set.

I always thought they got the brains from those that could not pay. It said that NE doesn't like to just kill those that owe them money, becasue that guarantees they get nothing out of them. Take thier brains though, and they get labor for life.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:32 pm

Yeah, I completely agree with that. I've always played them that no matter how hard NE tries, no template completely covers all the origional's idiosynchrocies. I've had an NPC repo-bot become a played PC before because of those individual tendancies, and have had 2 repo bots argue on how to best proceed.

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:48 am

What do you mean? Like 85 - 97% are all the same OCC? or that percentage of a particular OCC are the same?

Kryzbyn · Unread post by **Kryzbyn** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:15 am

Oh I see.

Braden Campbell · Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:22 pm

I think what we have here are differing views of how a repo-Bot is constructed... since there is nothing to tell us one way or the other.

On the one hand, people like myself think that they are more like robots than cyborgs, and that their organic brain is simply wetworks with an overlaid program. There is no shred of whomever that brain belonged to before. if Naruni could then implant a Repo-personality into that brain, why wouldn't they all be 15th level.

in the other camp are those who would like to play them as an RCC available to PC's... with a set of bonuses as found in the book, but designed so that they can take varying skills and cybernetic features.

Either is acceptable. It just depends on who's game you happen to be sitting in.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:32 pm

I thought the Memory Transfer ability was only short term, and applied to memories, rather than skills? Like "I REMEMBER playing the piano...I just don't remember HOW I played the piano..."

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:20 pm

Ah, HLS fodder!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:31 pm

darkmax wrote:lity? Hmm... must be part of an entire planet dedicated to research and developments of new weapons and systems.

Or a single small, very unobstrusive, and ambigiously-named facility that people would assume was a warehouse, or something utterly unconnected with Naruni....Let ignorance or others' complacency be an effective defense....

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:47 pm

gadrin wrote:isn't that in every other book/RPG already ? <cough>Stargate***</cough>

anyway, I'm hoping Taalisman will give us a little peek at what he brews up.

I was thinking something like the "Pyschic Telemarketer's Academy Publications Annex" or "School of Accountant Humor"...some business NOBODY would want to go near and in fact most minds would fail to register...

Of course, inside the rather bland-looking walls is the ultra-tech screen shielding and tactical-nuclear security to eliminate anybody who just HAS to know what's really going on inside the "Friends of POison Oak Cultivators' Seminars"

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:28 pm

LOL Good one guys! I wonder if they are associated with the "Dead letter office."

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:35 pm

Ow! that was painful Gadrin!

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:21 pm

Forgot the dog's name, G..."cigerette", "joint", 'jay', 'stogey', etc...
But that only makes it cruder....

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:23 pm

darkmax wrote:The Registrar Office for Societies of the Dead.

Is this cold enough?

Internal Revenue Service---Audit Division

NOBODY"S going to voluntarily go in there!

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:07 pm

You could always put and undead in charge of that office! Wait maybe there is one already in charge....................What am I saying?

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:12 pm

Ouch! That became such a drag! Ouch!

And I think your right about the IRS Darkmax! :eek:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:49 pm

Oh yeah...
Now what we need to do is design what an IRS Auditor Bot would be like(I actually had an Infernal Revenue Auditor Demon RCC, but that was long ago and it's badly in need of revising/refurbishing...so we'll have to do with Auditor 'Borgs in the meantime).

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:59 pm

Demons it is then....I'll have to start sacrificing large piles of paperwork to summon up some appropriately powerful ones then.... :demon:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:16 pm

I think IRS agents are perfectly human, but having been harassed, insulted, threatened, and otherwise treated like **** for doing their necessary duty, more than a few of them probably start thinking to themselves, "If I'm going to be treated like an emissary of evil, I may as well ENJOY the role....I mean, can they hate me any MORE if I do?"

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:34 pm

Yep...I am SO doomed....

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:46 pm

LOL Good man Taalismn! Thanks for taking one for the team! :ok:

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:21 pm

Team = all of us!

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:42 pm

I knew you'd agree!

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:34 am

Now we just have to worry about them getting Taalismn!

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:55 pm

Maybe a clone would work in his case. That way the clone can suffer their wrath and he would be scotch free from their wrath.

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:15 pm

But if it comes to him or the clone......He is the original!