T20 Security Robot?

[marvo]

Has anyone done a T20 conversion for the CT security robot, the kind found in Research Station Gamma?

 

[Flynn]

Security robots are among the designs found in TA9: Robots of Charted Space.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[marvo]

Thanks. As understand it TA9 will not be available for a while yet. I need it for Thursday evening. Found a reference in an old post to the security robot being on P262 of the TNE rulebook.

I don't have my books with me at the moment, so I will have to wait until tonight. If that doesn't work, then I will make a 'quick and dirty' until TA9 comes out.

 

[Flynn]

Hopefully, it'll be soon, but not "by Thursday" kinda of soon. I'm figuring the end of May, we should hear something specific about a release date.

Of course, I'm hopeful that TA8 will be out by then, too.

More later,
Flynn

 

[marvo]

Okay, with help of the Vehicle Designer Spreadsheet I came up with the following design:

Commercial Security Robot

Medium Size Upright cylindrical body
TL: 12
Vl: 150
Crew 0
Max Speed: 15Kmph
Acceleration: 5kmph
Drive Train: Tracked (2 tracks)
Power Plant: Advanced Fuel Cells (10ep per hour)
Fuel: 36
Operational Duration: 72 hrs
Backup Battery: 100 stored EP, 4 hrs to discharge.
Appendages: 2 (12 str 12 dex)
Spotlight: 1
Sensors: Infrared (short), Light Intensification (short), Radar (Medium),
Auditory (close), Tactile (touch)
Comm: Voder, 2 way radio
Weapon: Laser carbine
Robot Brain: Standard Model/M1 Int +4 Dex +2
Additional Software: Spot +4
Agility: 3
Initiative: 3
Armour: 4 +reflec
AC 17
SI 18
Str 12 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con -, Int 8 (-1), Edu 1 (-5),
Wis, Chr and Soc all 0 (-5)
Cost: 339,876.50 Cr Inc 20% discount.

This is a rough design based on the Maximum Security Robot found in the CT Adventure 'Research Station Gamma'. That one is 200Kg, so I reduced this one to 150 to resemble a smaller, non military, version. I made it tracked because the original has no description of locomotion, only that it could not right itself if knocked down. I envision some kind of tracks similar to the robot in 'Lost in Space'. In CT these were bad-ass. In T20 I think this is even worse. Using the vehicle 'v' character scale rules the +5 dice to attack and -5 dice to defence makes this really formidable. Well, my party may have to face one tonight, so will see how it goes.

Only a rough design as it's the first one I have done and there are still a few things in the sequence that I am not sure of. One thing I cannot figure out is the BAB.

Any comments are much appreciated.

 

[far-trader]

<edit>

Well, one thing right off, if you are using the Laser Carbine its a personal scale weapon so no +5 dice on the attack imo. I guess you still might get the -5 for defense vs the PC's personal weapons though so its tough to take out. Still with the reflec armor it suggests personal scale there too.

As for the BAB I guess you'd have to add a program (something like Ranged Combat, and make it maybe one program slot and cr1,000 per +1 BAB, or maybe just Combat so it can use the arms too for grabs or whatever). And apply Dex of course.

 

[marvo]

Dan,
thanks for the input. Yes I think it should be either all vehicle weapons or all personal weapons. At the moment I think personal weapons fit my concept much better as it's not supposed to be an uber robot. However, the military maximum security version would be a vehicle with all the scale modifiers.
The BAB skill is a great idea, thanks.

 

[Flynn]

If it's vehicle weapons, use the Gunnery skill. Otherwise, Dan's suggestion (inspired by Book 8 Robots) for a Ranged Combat skill for robots is a good alternative. (In fact, you'll see something very similar in TA9, when it comes out.)

Nice work,
Flynn

 

[clementk]

I'd suggest something like spliting BAB into 3 skills (programs) ala Mutants & Masterminds (Ranged, Melee, and Unarmed) or 2 skills ala the Endeavor game (Ranged, Melee). In both cases maximum would be equal to the class level (if there is one, not sure what to do about one without). Weapon Proficiency feats as per T20 perhaps? Times like this I wish T20 had been made as an OGL game without such things as class or BAB.

At first I thought you could just use the Auto/Evade and Weapons Systems (p.229/230) programs. However the first just provides +2 to AC and the latter would allow weapons systems to be used (would it still be needed by a robot to fire weapons though?)

Casey

 

[Flynn]

Weapons Systems is required if you want the robot (or any vehicle) to be able to use weapon systems beyond visual range. At least, that's how it seemed to read to me.

Hope this helps,
Flynn