PBeM, need players

[Flynn]

I think Ron took the words right out of my mouth.

All I was offering were my thoughts, based on how I think the THB reads. The ultimate decision doesn't lie with me or anyone else on the COTI boards, but only in the eyes of your Referee.

Agility vs Dexterity, skills, etc., all of those issues are up to him to resolve. He may say, "Go for it," "Change it this way," or he may end up creating a whole new Synthetic Humanoid race for his campaign, and thus define this character concept as a creature instead of a vehicle. Who knows?

I wish you the best of luck, though, and I hope you find a game that you can play your concept and enjoy it. Ultimately, that's what it's all about, neh?

Keep On Travellin',
Flynn

 

[coldwar]

This Is Captain Sevlis of the MN Deathwisher,
those whom would like to play a Chase game after a run away Ship join now.

All Medium Races a all allowed that are described in Traveller T20. No Psionics,

Also you get some Equipment from me. and you choose a weapon and ammo for free(issued by your Employer).

Also needed will be a second Dm as it is a bit of a crew and left over characters can become the other side.

go to Home page for the Group to find out more

 

[themink]

Hi there

What style of game is this likely to be? Is it intended to be RP intensive, Combat intensive? What postage rates? What backgrounds? What level? What equipment limits? What TL limits? etc etc

I had a look at the homepage, but it doesn't seem to answer the above

 

[stofsk]

Why no psionics?

 

[TKalbfus]

I'd like to play a Robot, the following is a pre-classed Robot template that I constructed using the T20 vehicle Rules. It is a TL 16 artifact from a long gone TL 16 human civilization, if the TL of the campaign is less than 16. The stats will change once I give this Robot character a character class. The SI (Structural Integrity) is treated as Lifeblood once this character is classed, and he'll receive a Stamina score as well. The Skills he has now came with the Robot, once he gets a class, he'll get Class skills as well. What Level would you like him to start at, he can accumulate as much as 1,000,000 with his current data banks in his positronic brain. He has no built in weapons as the designer didn't design him for combat, but to look human.

Man-form Robot: Medium-size Humaniform Robot; TL 16; Init +6; AC 16 (+6 Dex); AR 0; Spd 9m (6 sq); SI 12; Atk +6 melee (unarmed Attack 1d2+2); SV Fort +0, Ref +6, Will -5; SV M; Str 14, Dex 22, Con _, pInt 15, Wis 0, pCha 14, Edu 6, Soc 0.
Skills: Valet +3, Driving +7, P/Janitorial +1.
Feats: None
Equipment: Itself
Notes: This Robot adheres to the three laws of Robotics
Price: Cr 6,880,243.50

TL 16 Design Specifications Man-Form Robot
Installed Components Size Cost EP CPU/SP Range
100vl Chassis 100 100
Drive Train, Legged (2) -2.814 301.5 -0.067
High Tech Fusion -4.5 2,970 9
Fuel -21.6 72 mths
Holovideo Visual -1.5 2,000 -0.1
Auditory Sensors -0.2 200 -0.04 50 m
Olfactory Sensors -0.5 1,500 -0.05 1 km
Sensors, Normal Touch -4 12,000 -0.6
Voder -0.5 1,200 -0.03
Appendage Str 14, Dex 14 -7 19,600 -1.4
Appendage Str 14, Dex 14 -7 19,600 -1.4
Model/M4 Robot Brain (Int 15) -48.735 705,000 -3.6
Subtotal 1.651 764,471.5 1.713
Humaniform Chassis 6,115,772
Total 1.651 Cr6,880,243.50 1.713

Software Installed PP Cost Notes
Personality Interface (Cha 10) 5 50,000 Cha 10
Library Data Interface 1 3,000 Edu +4
Valet 1 1,000
Driving 1 1,000 Driving-1 (Ground Car)
Cleaning 1 1,000 P/Janitorial-1

Model/M4 Robot Brain Base INT 5
Computer Core
Units: Positronic x90 (10% reduction due to miniturization)
Size: 48.6 vl
Cost: Cr 400,000
Total PP 49
Max PP 13
EP 3.6
CPU Output 10,000 (Model/4 Master Computer)

Data Storage
Units Holographic x 100
Storage Capacity 1,000,000 XP

 

[Flynn]

Here are a few things that I recommend the Referee consider before accepting a robot character. According to the THB, the following points should be considered:
</font>

• Robots, even AIs, do not receive Stamina. They have SI, and that's pretty good, considering the overall picture.</font>
• The fact that robots are vehicles automatically removes five damage dice from any personal weapon attacks that land.</font>
• Because it is a vehicle, the initiative of the robot is based entirely on Agility, not Dexterity. Same goes for AC calculations. I'd recommend that the Dexterity of the appendages modify skill rolls, however.</font>
• As High AI is TL17, this robot is probably built using Low AI as the logic program. That means that the robot earns XP at half the normal rate.</font>
• As an AI robot, the THB says that the computer core isn't programmed, but instead learns skills and feats just like any other character pursuing a class. (Bear in mind the half-XP point above.) Therefore, if I were the Ref, I wouldn't allow the aforementioned skills as being present before, without making the robot a first level Professional to start with.</font>
• When a robot character advances in level such that it gains an ability score increase, there are a limited number of options available. The robot body cannot just suddenly become more efficient just because the robot has been experiencing life for some time, so physical stats should not be changed. Also, the Intelligence of the robot is hardwired, based on the computer core, so Int increases are out. That pretty much leaves Wisdom, Education and Charisma (and perhaps Social Standing, depending on the SOC level of the character) that can be affected by the level increase.</font>

This, of course, depends on how closely you want to stick with the T20 rules as they are written. This is, also, only my opinion based on my interpretation of the THB and accompanying errata. YMMV.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[Straybow]

I don't think valet, driving, and cleaning are skills that should require a profession or class&#133;

 

[Flynn]

As I said, YMMV, but I personally think that skills come from skill ranks for sentient beings, and skill ranks come from either one's homeworld or one's character class, per the character creation guidelines. As an AI, the robot learns skills through gaining classes, as specifically stated in the THB.

I don't have a problem with the robot having the skills as his homeworld skills, though, so from that perspective, I agree with you. Those skills do not necessarily require a profession or class.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[TKalbfus]

As High AI is TL17, this robot is probably built using Low AI as the logic program. That means that the robot earns XP at half the normal rate.

I didn't see that, how about we just bump up the Robots TL to 17, otherwise he'll fall behind the other characters. We'll have to rationalize its existance. Basically, it would be an artifact from a lost human civilization. Basically this civilization no longer exists, but there are artifacts left over and this robot is one of them. This robot would be quite unique in the OTU, so you might want to throw in some extra spare parts to effect repairs, such as additional positronic computer components. I'm thinking of making the character a scout from the civilization he came from, its scout ship was wrecked and as a consequence, was forced to drift for thousands of years until it entered an inhabited system. Lets just say the scout ship had a number of robots on it and had a bad encounter long ago.

Because it is a vehicle, the initiative of the robot is based entirely on Agility, not Dexterity. Same goes for AC calculations. I'd recommend that the Dexterity of the appendages modify skill rolls, however.

I'm willing to forego agility and use dexterity instead. Most vehicles don't have dexterity scores, robots do however so I think their dexterity score should take precidence over agility, but where vehicles don't have dexterity scores use agility instead.

Robots, even AIs, do not receive Stamina. They have SI, and that's pretty good, considering the overall picture.

How about we treat it as a synthetic creature instead of a vehicle? It is a man-sized vehicle and most vehicles are larger than man-sized so they would use vehicle scale damage. In exchange the Robot receives stamina points as it advances levels.

As an AI robot, the THB says that the computer core isn't programmed, but instead learns skills and feats just like any other character pursuing a class. (Bear in mind the half-XP point above.) Therefore, if I were the Ref, I wouldn't allow the aforementioned skills as being present before, without making the robot a first level Professional to start with.

Fine, although the aforemention skills might be factory installed much like the AI programming was, this allows the robot to be able to do something useful when it comes right out of the box. If the robot has been in operation for a while, it has time to gain class levels and to learn new skills.

I think I'd like this character to be a scout who specializes in first contact with alien species. The robot should be able to operate in a variety of environments ranging from a vacuum world to just before corrosive atmospheres. Underwater operation is also a possibility to a depth of 100 meters. We could assume the robot is watertight unless it has taken some structural damage.

How does this sound?

 

[vutpakdi]

Originally posted by Tom Kalbfus:

How does this sound?

The fellow you need to be appealing to about running the robot is the Referee, who doesn't seem to have returned.

Just a brief reality check, it looks like the game is dead. If you look at the Yahoo Group indicated in the link, there were 3 posts in December and 3 in January. So, unless the game is completely running off email (and not on the group), there isn't much activity.

Ron

 

[TKalbfus]

Ron Said,

The fellow you need to be appealing to about running the robot is the Referee, who doesn't seem to have returned.

That is precisely who I was appealing to. I've attempted to start a number of PBEMs myself. One of the major problems is that players tend to drop in and drop out unpredictably. Action is slow, especially in round for round combat.

 

[coldwar]

Wait there Brain overload.
Sorry about this. Reasons for it not been going on is after a while a got tired of waiting. so i kind of gave up waiting for a while
plus i,ve not been able to get onto yahoo groups for a while.
I,ll go back to my original allowances. Which are stated in the files called "How to join" Then if you would please post them up into the character files by 14th of May and i,ll get to those people as they come as soon as possible Robots. this is just surely me i do not understand the robot rules at all after readying it all 5 times. so for this reason i,ll disallow robots for the while unless some one will be willing to help create them. The game itself is a mix of action scenes, and role playing scenes.

I know this is my first go at doing one, i can seem slow but i,m also making games, rules for races, writing a novel, playing rpg's, wargaming, doing work(Chef its strange hours), boxing everything up to decorate my room so i will not be albe to get to any books for a month.
thats alot for me to do. when friends a also getting me out. sorry for the bable.
tooooooooooommuchhhhhhhh.
nathan

 

[TKalbfus]

I've created a template for Humaniform AI robots. You can find this in My Traveller Universe Message Board under subject heading Robots/ Robotics Institute. Full AI robots are TL 17 devices. I have created 2 templates, one for a male humaniform robot and the other female humaniform robot. Robots are vehicles with brains, they use the vehicle rules for combat and ignore the first 5 dice of damage from a given weapon system, this translates to character level by converting the SI (Strutural integrity) to something equivalent to LB (Life Blood) and giving the robot a built in AR (Armor Rating) of 5. With these templates you get the ability scores and then you can roll up a character class on top of this template and give it a Stamina score so you can list this as St/SI (Stamina)/(Structural Integrity) The robot takes Structural integrity damage whenever his opponent scores a critical hit, otherwise the damage comes out of stamina. The Robot heals "naturally" its stamina points over time, a roboticist can accelerate this stamina healing through repair. Structural Integrity damage requires repair in order to be healed, this represents actual physical damage to the robot. The version of the robots I've created has Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics hardwired into its brain, this can be left out if you want a killer robot. The Three Laws Programming also leaves it immune to the Virus, which means that the Virus can only damage the Robots memory circuits rather than take it over. The memory circuits hold 1 million potential experience points, that means the robot can accumulate a total of 1 million XP in the course of its adventuring and advance to the class level that 1 million XP implies but no more until a roboticist installs more memory. Other than the above, the robot templates I've created can be treated as any other character. Of course their are other things such as the robot doesn't need to breath so it can survive a vacuum and any nonbreathable atmosphere that doesn't cause corrosive damage to its body. It can survive temperatures between 150 degrees C and -150 c. That is about the range of its survivability.

 

[TKalbfus]

Actually the Robot templates are under "T20 - traveler for the T20 system" under the heading
Robot "Characters/Robotics Institute"

 

[Flynn]

Deathwisher,

Let me know if you want any help with some T20 robot designs, and I'll see what I can do.

Also, QLI will be releasing TA9: Robots of Charted Space sometime soon (I hope), which has thirty-one different T20 robots for your game.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[coldwar]

Tom
robots with brains sounds like a cyborg to me.
Any way I've been thinking that it would seem incorrect to have Robots as it can change the way the game is played.
In any type of adventure, the Robotic Character in question will need to be heavily formed only for that use in mind. If that would be the case then those that do not follow those lines may find themselfs outcasted by the rest.

for this reason i will allow Robots under a set off rules i make. SI=half original Stamina. if acritical is scored it does 5 SI damage plus 1 for every ten caused. survival -40C to 150C. Virus can afect them. can be hacked into by a base DC of 45. only needs what a robot would need.
for there other stats use normal means

And Finailly I will only allow certain amount of robotic Characters.


A Further note is that characters must have level in the Navy or Marines (or be able to operate a part of the ship eg WP Ships weapons, or at least 8 skill points in desiarable Skills) to play.
certain exceptions will be made to add varity.

 

[TKalbfus]

Tom
robots with brains sounds like a cyborg to me.

The brain I mention is a positronic brain, its not organic.

Any way I've been thinking that it would seem incorrect to have Robots as it can change the way the game is played.

Could you elaborate on that a little.

In any type of adventure, the Robotic Character in question will need to be heavily formed only for that use in mind. If that would be the case then those that do not follow those lines may find themselfs outcasted by the rest.

You mean an R2D2 type of robot that warbles and tweets, can't climb stairs or navigate rough terrain? Basically it sounds like your talking about non-AI robots. It could be that at the current tech level, such a brain would not fit inside a human sized robot.

What do you say about a Player playing an AI Ship's computer? Inside the ship's computer an AI program is running, it can pilot the ship and fire one weapon per round. Other players would be required to fire the other weapons, do damage control and so forth. Additionally when the AI is not engaged in piloting the ship or firing a weapon, it can operate a remote controlled robot. The robot has two arms and two legs and can appear human, but if something else engages the AI's attention, such as someone attacking the ship, the remote falls down limp, while the AI controls the ship and one weapon. Is this acceptable. Also what would the range be between the remote and the ship? I suppose beyond a certain distance, the remote robot falls down limp. Also if the remote goes underground by a number of feet of rock which blocks the signal. The AI can have more than one remote, but can only operate one at a time. The remote gains stamina as the AI gains a level, but suffers stamina loss as it moves beyond certain range bands from the ship. Just another idea I'd like to throw your way.

 

[coldwar]

Sounds familiar to Farscape except the ship is not living. I think i like the idea. Another idea likly based on that which would be that the main part of the ships computer is in a robot and that robot can hack(the correct word)into the rest of the ships computer by linking into percific ports in the Bridge or computer room.


I've made the design for the Deathwisher and had an idea of what my intro may be.

 

[TKalbfus]

What kind of ship is it? Do you have the Stats for it? What Weapons systems does it have. What is the setting?

 

[Aramond]

Tom, Farscape is a Sci-Fi channel TV show. I don't know if anyone has done a T20 conversion for that yet?