GURPS Robots Is Copyright © 1995, 1997, 2000 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GURPS® BBOLDOLD EEXPERIMENTSXPERIMENTS.. FFAITHFULAITHFUL SSERVANTSERVANTS.. SSOULLESSOULLESS KKILLERSILLERS.. BY DAVID L. PULVER STEVE JACKSON GAMES YOU ARE NOW OBSOLETE . PRAY THEY DON’T FIND OUT! A cold-eyed stare from the shadows of the alley . the spine-tingling scrape, scrape as metallic feet GURPS Basic Set, Third drag along the concrete . the squeak and whirr of Edition Revised is required hinges and hydraulics as the machine approaches. to use this supplement in a The robot is an intriguing yet sinister being – GURPS campaign; GURPS created to serve, but in many ways superior to its Compendium I and GURPS weak and fallible human masters. We need the Ultra-Tech, Second Edition Revised would be useful, but robots. Do they need us? are not required. Much of the material in this book is This book contains detailed rules for designing, generic, and will be of use building and playing robots – from the tiniest in any science-fiction roleplaying campaign nanobots to the mightiest megabots. You can create featuring robots. cyborgs, androids, and even biomorphs – deadly fluid-metal machines that can take any shape. THE WORK MACHINES: Written by Use the advanced design rules (completely DAVID L. PULVER compatible with GURPS Vehicles, 2nd Edition) to Edited by choose everything from frames to power plants to SUSAN PINSONNEAULT weapons to the tiniest accessories! Cover by JOHN ZELEZNIK Also included are rules for robots as Illustrated by player characters; artificial intelligences DAN SMITH and battlesuits; and over 30 AND DENIS LOUBET completely-worked-out sample robots. FIRST EDITION, THIRD PRINTING PUBLISHED JUNE 2000 ISBN 1-55634-233-0 ® 9!BMF@JA:RSQRRQoYjZ\ZlZdZ` STEVE JACKSON GAMES Printed in the www.sjgames.com SJG01995 6511 U.S.A. ROBOTS Bold Experiments. Faithful Servants. Soulless Killers. By David Pulver Edited by Susan Pinsonneault Cover by John Zeleznik Illustrated by Dan Smith and Denis Loubet GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson Alain H. Dawson, Managing Editor Page Layout and Typography by Susan Pinsonneault and Rick Martin Graphic Design and Cover Production by Jeff Koke Print Buying by Russell Godwin Art Direction by Lillian Butler Ross Jepson, Sales Manager Michael Bowman, Errata Coordinator Playtesters: Sean Barrett, Richard Blum, Edward Z. Bornstein, Quetzalcoatl Bradley, Chris J. Burke, Mitch Burton, Tim Carroll, John T. Chapman, James H. Cloos, Jr., Gordon L. Davis, Mike J. DeSanto, Peter Donald, David Dotson, James R. Duncan, Jeff Gaines, Robert Gilson, Lee Graham, Joel Halpern, Steven Hammond, David G. Haren, Kevin Hayward, Dennis F. Hefferman, Ben Hudson, J. Hunter Johnson, Jonas Karlsson, Troy Leaman, Scott Maykrantz, Kathy McClure, Scott McClure, Elizabeth McCoy, Walter Milliken, Virginia Nelson, John Nowak, Steffan O’Sullivan, Peggy Pulver, Tim Pulver, Scott Raun, Stephen Slader, Larry Smith, David J. Snyder, Roland Steedlam, David L. Stroup Special thanks to Tim Carroll, Walter Milliken, and John Nowak for extensive playtesting and valuable design contributions. GURPS and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Robots is copyright © 1995, 1997, 2000 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. ISBN 1-55634-233-0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STEVE JACKSON GAMES INTRODUCTION. 4 2. BRAINS & PROGRAMS . 54 About the Author . 4 Computer Brains. 55 About GURPS . 4 Memory Backups. 55 Running Programs . 56 1. ROBOT DESIGN . 5 Memory . 56 Command Codes and Robot Obedience. 57 Robots. 7 Awakening Sentient Computers. 57 Design Concept and Tech Levels . 7 Descriptions of Programs . 59 The Design Process . 8 The Turing Test . 59 The Design Sequence . 9 Data and Memory Requirements. 60 Components . 9 Hardwired Programs. 61 Robot Brain. 9 Data Recovery. 62 Sensors . 11 Copying and Writing Commercial Programs . 63 Communicators. 14 Remote Control: Robots as Drones. 63 Arm Motors . 16 Bugs and Upgrades. 64 Propulsion. 17 Control Consoles. 64 Contact Weapons and Jaws. 20 Ghost Programs . 65 Ranged Weapons . 22 Point Cost of Weaponry . 28 3. MICROBOTS & NANOMORPHS. 66 Accessories . 28 Microbots and Cyberswarms . 67 Modular Sockets. 33 Cyberswarm Design . 67 Contragrav Generator (TL12). 33 Cyberswarms in Combat . 67 Payload . 33 Cyberswarm Hive . 68 Power System Design. 34 Anti-Cyberswarm Weapons . 68 Fuel . 36 Controlling Swarms . 69 Body and Subassemblies . 38 Sense Rolls . 69 Body and Subassembly Design . 39 Multiple Swarms. 69 Robot Structure. 40 Cannibal Nanokits (TL11). 69 Surface Features . 41 Nanotechnology . 70 Armor Design . 41 Nanotech Weapons . 70 Biomorphics . 43 Nanomorphs . 71 Other Surface Features . 45 Building a Nanomorph . 71 Statistics . 45 Symbiotic Nanomachines . 72 Attributes . 46 Nanomorphs in Action . 72 SY-101-N Nemesis (“Synthia”) (TL10) . 51 Transforming Systems . 72 Appendix 1: Cyborgs . 52 Special Nanomorph Powers . 73 Appendix 2: Battlesuits . 52 Parasite Seeds . 73 Contents 2 Fire and Explosion . 96 4. BIOLOGICAL ANDROIDS. 74 Damage to Robots – Basic Combat System . 97 Designing Biological Androids . 75 Hit Location – Advanced Combat System . 97 New Advantages and Disadvantages . 78 Other Hazards . 97 New Advantages. 78 Radiation and Robots . 97 New Disadvantages . 80 Damaged and Destroyed Brains . 98 Price . 81 Robot Critical Hits . 99 Repairs to Robot Brains . 99 Repairing Robots. 99 5. CHARACTERS . 82 Breakdowns and Maintenance . 100 Attributes . 83 Robot Spellcasters. 100 Advantages . 83 Suggested Character Points . 83 Character Checklist. 84 7. CAMPAIGNS. 101 New Advantage . 85 Robots and Society . 102 Allowable Disadvantages . 85 Robot Timeline. 102 Cyborging Characters. 85 Purchasing Robots . 103 Means of Control. 87 Prejudice and Hostility . 103 New Disadvantages . 88 Robot-Centered Campaigns . 104 Robots, Cyborgs, and Skills. 88 The Robot Revolt . 104 Quirks . 90 Robot Invasions . 104 Skills . 90 Man’s Best Friend. 105 Skills that Work Differently . 90 Cheap and Black Market Robots. 105 Robot and Cyborg Character Development . 91 Robot Hunters. 106 Magic Aptitude and Robots . 91 Artificial Life . 106 Magical Aptitude . ..