Mechanoid Missing Skills?
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:59 pm
I'm sure this has been addressed, but looking at Rifts Mechanoids again, I have to wonder...
The Runner is described as being a 'master of genetic engineering' and often put in charge of torturing prisoners(imlying that they know enough to keep the unfortunates alive long enough to get information/entertainment)...compared to the Brain, the Runner is a junior scientist, more given to technical matters and engineering, but still with considerable skill/clout in related fields..
Yet the skill selection does not reflect this! Neither the AbM nor the New Generation Mechanoid Runner have any science or medical skills, even at a reduced level of profficiency compared to the Brains! Either the Runners are simply good at running preprogrammed cloning hardware that's been already created/programmed by a Brain, or they're faking their expertise(or, more likely, they didn't think to introduce a Genetic Engineering skill for the book)..
Besides altering/modifying the casings for AbM and other new-generation/new batch Mechanoids, has anyone come up with anything to address skill discrpenacies in the Mechanoids...especially possible new skill acquisition/advancement for PC Mechanoids? Arguable, they wouldn't have as much capacity to learn new skills as other species(they're already heavily indoctrinated/brainloaded), but they still should be able to acquire a handful of new skills and secondary skills/interests(though I doubt we'll see anything but a truly insane Brain or Runner take up Waterskiing).
The Runner is described as being a 'master of genetic engineering' and often put in charge of torturing prisoners(imlying that they know enough to keep the unfortunates alive long enough to get information/entertainment)...compared to the Brain, the Runner is a junior scientist, more given to technical matters and engineering, but still with considerable skill/clout in related fields..
Yet the skill selection does not reflect this! Neither the AbM nor the New Generation Mechanoid Runner have any science or medical skills, even at a reduced level of profficiency compared to the Brains! Either the Runners are simply good at running preprogrammed cloning hardware that's been already created/programmed by a Brain, or they're faking their expertise(or, more likely, they didn't think to introduce a Genetic Engineering skill for the book)..
Besides altering/modifying the casings for AbM and other new-generation/new batch Mechanoids, has anyone come up with anything to address skill discrpenacies in the Mechanoids...especially possible new skill acquisition/advancement for PC Mechanoids? Arguable, they wouldn't have as much capacity to learn new skills as other species(they're already heavily indoctrinated/brainloaded), but they still should be able to acquire a handful of new skills and secondary skills/interests(though I doubt we'll see anything but a truly insane Brain or Runner take up Waterskiing).