Relive 80s neon-punk with Metaman

METAMAN from Boombros on Vimeo.

Another cyberpunk-themed goodie. Between this and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon--AND JB's World War Borg project--I'm this close to starting a cheesy cyborg project. Even have a Pintrest board of appropriate visuals set to go.

So--Gamma World? Mutant Future? Or new X-plorers setting?

GAAAAH!

MUST FOCUS ON RAD ASTRA.....CANNOT LOOK WAY FROM SHINY CHROME NOSTALGIA.

Galactic Outiftters Sale: Blank Dr0ids!

Well howdy partner! I see you've got some heapin' heavy cargo to carry there--why not give yourself a hand--or hydraulic claw--with these here off-market BLANK DROIDS! Customize your robot to suit your needs. Paint them any color you like--they don't care, they're made to serve you.

STEP RIGHT OVER HERE MY FRIEND...



Vintage collectible, not for sale.

A blank dr0id is a fully functional, robotic compadre who arrives to you in unformatted, as-is condition and with absolutely NO persona! That's right, you get to build 'em from the ground up. We have three different chassis to choose from complete with all the parts you need to get started.*

Yessiree, right here we have the top-of-the-line model with ALL the fixins...

iPal  by GRAN-E Zmith Industries (high-end model)

 

Looking for soulless minions to decimate your enemies or cuddly caretakers for your little ones? Take a gander at these bells and whistles...

STATS:
AC: 14
HP: 30
Move: 5, but servo upgrades at 100 cr can increase this to 8
Programs: 6 to start, see below for expansion capability.

Can take up to 20 programmable skills for 100 cr each. iPals learn on their own at the regular PC rate (see XP advancement in X-plorers manual). Translating alien languages is INCLUDED (doesn't require a program slot).

Self-powered through a patented Kinet-O-Drive that recharges internal batteries with every step. These babies never run down! The outer shell casing is devoid of any buttons because that would look ridiculous! Attentive, personally rewarding personalities develop from the moment of imprint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
iPals are highly regarded among technophiles and high-falutin' members of society. They give their owners a Presence (PRE) or Charisma bonus of 1d6 when encountering these individuals and the droid is present.

Programming can be downloaded instantly, via wireless connection.

SUGGESTED MANUFACTURER PRICE: 3,500 cr / YOUR PRICE TODAY: 3,500 cr (Unfortantely, they're never on sale, but if you ask nicely we'll give you a knit body sock to keep bot cozy when not in use).

Lookin' to tinker some, but not lookin' for nuthin' fancy?

GATES Series 95 (mid-grade model)

 

If your looking for something a little more affordable, you'd be dumber than a Martian cactus to pass up this model. Probably the most widely used blank on the market. A good fit for anyone looking for making the most of their hard-earned space credits.

STATS:
AC: 12
HP: 20
Move: 5 (4 if stowage is full to capacity)
Programs: 4 to start, see below for expansion capability.

Can take up to 10 programmable skills for 100 cr each. 95s learn at the regular PC rate (see XP advancement in X-plorers manual). Translating alien languages requires using a program slot. Rarely acts up, but on occasion, you'll need to reboot (1 round) to get it going again. Needs to be recharged between missions. Personalities develop over multiple encounters and tend to be cantankerous.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Speaking of "tanks", all 95s come with an internal storage compartment of 45 kilograms allowing for stowage of nearly any substance (solid, liquid, or gas). Radiation shielded for your protection, air holes not provided.

Programming can be downloaded via high-broadband connection instantly or for an extra 50 cr you can invest in a head-mounted, wireless connection that takes 1d4 rounds to process new updates.

SUGGESTED MANUFACTURER PRICE: 3,000 cr / YOUR PRICE TODAY: 2,700 cr with free 4GB flash drive!

What's that? You're really looking to economize? Well then, I have just what you need...

COMMODR0NE 6-D4 (low-end model)

 

The 6-D4s are really an incredible value! They're not the most sophisticated models, but....did we mention they're cheap? Sure, some folks call 'em "Bland" Dr0ids" and such* but they're reliable work horse-type system.

STATS: 
AC: 10
HP: 15
Move: 4
Programs: 0 to start, see below for expansion capability.

6-D4s braindrives are decidedly bare bones. Personalities tend to grow slowly, but given time it's sure to develop those quirks you've grown to love in members of your own awkward, immediate family. Requires an extra battery pack (50 cr) that lasts for 2d20 -5 rounds.

Voice chip not included, responds with electronic whorls and whoops. Also includes a "reasoning alarm signal" (red light on top) so you know when orders are being understood received.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Skill programs are swapable care of these snazzy pre-programmed cartridges you just plug in the back of its skull bucket. Skills improve only with better program carts.

Emergency Medicine

 

Xenolinguistics

Not recommended.



You can only use at total of five at a time and sometimes you hafta blow on 'em to get 'em to seat properly (1d20 chance of Cart Mishap whenever a command is given; see below) but you can swap out skills in a snap! (No waiting for skills to upload, though you do need to do it manually).

Another great feature of the 6-D4s is that many of their limbs and other parts are standardized with regular household and shipboard items. So if you're missing something important, you can easily "upgrade" with whatever's in sight (e.g., Phillips head screwdrivers, coffee mugs, staple guns, office chair casters, etc.). No space duct tape needed!

SUGGESTED MANUFACTURER PRICE: 1,200 cr / YOUR PRICE TODAY: 600 cr OR TWO FOR 975 cr!!!

Cart Mishap Table (1d20)

• 1-5: No mishap
• 6-11: PC LOAD LETTER - Program shorts brain circuitry, Blank Dr0id shuts down completely for 1d4 rounds, reboot takes another 1d4 rounds
• 12-16: OVERLOAD! Skill performed at twice efficiency (double "to hit") but bot then inoperable for following round
• 17-18: Please wait....loading....loading.................loading..... (1d6 rounds)
• 19: Cartridge becomes dislodged, glitch ensues and robot behaves erratically until problem is discovered
• 20: Cartridge sparking causes it to permanently fuse into socket! This skill becomes basis for 'bots personality over time

*This is a lie. You have a 1d10 chance of missing something important for high-end and mid-grade kits. Low-end kits ALWAYS have something missing, roll on the first 1d6 below.

• 1 - Ocular or auditory sensors (GM's choice)
• 2 - Left or right forelimb (GM's choice)
• 3 - Left or right locomotive limb (GM's choice)
• 4 - Torso cowling
• 5 - Head casing
• 6 - Restraining bolt to keep bot from running off in 1d6 rounds, if bot is not recovered by end of game session, GM has the option to reclaim it as a homicidal assassin droid for future game, that now hunts former owner for poorly devised revenge scheme
• 7-10 - No missing pieces (whew!) 

These items are provided in accordance with SSA.2436 guidelines regulating spacefaring settlement and defense. Programming unformatted robots with untested software may result in robot revolt, death, or void in warranty. Some robotic components may be refurbished, including positronic neural systems purchased from outer-rim prison worlds. Not all memory drives may have been 100% reformatted. Amalgamated Consumer Mercantile Exchange Company is indemnified in such cases at purchase signing. Attorneys for Amalgamated Consumer Mercantile Exchange Company highly recommens buyers purchase Lifetime Automaton Insurance Coverage to protect from robotic failure liability.

NOTE: This post assumes familiarity with X-plorers ruleset, but can be converted easily to other games.

Inspiration: This article and this episode of Futurama, iRobot, Venture Bros. and any home computer system from the 1980s or 90s.

Why I won't be "pruning" inactive blogs

Over the last week, I've seen several posts by bloggers (OSR and others) talking about Google's plans to shut down Google Reader. (Note: I'd blogged about this earlier too.) I'm at a loss though to understand why some blogs are scrubbing "dormant" or deleted blogs from their feeds. What counts as dormant exactly? No new posts for a few weeks? A month? A year? I have some that I only post to every few months--but they're still online.

First, let's not get off on the wrong foot--I get that there's the need for housekeeping. I have a few blogs that were reclaimed by spammers, and I've deleted those. I've also let go of some that I just didn't find my cup of tea.

Many blogs have only intermittent activity (a few times a year) but they still might have great ideas and inspiration. I'll never fully understand why people delete their blogs either. I'm sure there might be issues they contend with (e.g., if they find themselves in trouble for posting something). But deleting is even worse than jumping ship from a rarely-active blog. I recall one fantastic blogger that did a great job with converting between systems and incorporating pop culture material. He was great with stats! (Something I envy, since I suck at it.) One day it was just gone--the entire blog, erased.

Secondly: Grognardia.

James Maliszewski may no longer be blogging (his site's been silent since December of last year) but certainly there is a rich cache of posts on the history of the hobby, creative output, and other worthwhile information about RPGs. Seriously though, deleting Grognardia from your rolls? Seems a bit drastic.

Yes, I realize that Grognardia probably ranks among the few blogs that people won't forget about, but there may be other authors that return some time in the future. It's still worth preserving links to important sites that propelled or inspired the rest of us. Maybe making a page for dormant blogs--off the main list?  

I'm not saying my own blogs are anything special. While it's tough to maintain a steady output, I still have plans for them. I'm certain time to write and read will be even harder to come by once the kiddo arrives (hell, I hardly have time now as it is!). But I don't plan on abandoning them. Some may take different forms, but I prefer to at least keep them "on". 

I suppose it doesn't matter really, to each her or his own when it comes to publishing blogs and organizing their reading. But I'll be transferring everything--and that's hundreds of blogs--and (thankfully) they don't all post every day or even every week.

I've gotten good and skimming for posts that pique my interests...and finding the gems.

Exonauts on Pintrest!

I've been pinning for a while now, but I keep forgetting to mention it. Pintrest is probablly my favorite image/video blogging service at the moment. I'm still bloggin on Tumblr for Exonauts and Gamma World War, but finding a cool image and adding it to one (or more than one) of several curated boards is SUPER fast and easy. Even more so on my Droid.

It's really cool for creating boards for different campaigns or just visual styles. I started with a "Scifi Stream" board that's catch-all but have slowly been spinning off other boards with different categories or aesthetics. This all goes back to my earlier post on visual sourcebooks--hopefully that catches on!

 

Check out Exonauts on Pintrest!

New X-Plorers Class: Starship Gunner

That punk just beat my high score!

This article about space junk from (more than) a while back reminded me about a promise to post Gunner Class for X-plorers. This would be a multi-class option, with an AGL (agility) of 10 or higher required.  I'm not totally happy with the chart below, but the result should give gunners a distinct advantage in combat and in reeling in debris with a tractor beam. So here's a feeble first attempt at a write-up for up to 10 levels:

LEVEL | XP | RANK | TRACTOR BEAM | ARTILLERY
Level 1 | 2,500 | Carbon Kisser | 0 | +1
Level 2 | 5,000 | Photurd | 0 | +2
Level 3 | 10,000 | Laserbait | +1 |  +1d4
Level 4 | 20,000 | Phaserphile | +1 | +2d4
Level 5 | 40, 000 | Trigger Monkey | +2 | +1d6
Level 6 | XP | Blast Jockey | +3 | +1d6+1
Level 7 | XP | Hot Shot | +1d4+2 | +1d6+2
Level 8 | XP | Beamer | +1d6 | +2d6
Level 9 | XP | Marksman | +1d6+1 | +2d6+1
Level 10 | XP | Disintegrator | + 2d6 | +1d8+1

Advancement uses the Character Advancement Table in the X-plorers manual. Modifiers are "to hit" bonuses. Gunners can go by the above chart for any ol' spaceship-mounted energy weapon or as well as sub-specialize in a particular weapon. Gunners automatically earn an "Optimize/Repair Weapon" skill which gains an extra damage die on all attacks with that particular type of weapon (ion cannons, rail guns, phaser emitter) as long as it's in good working order.

Don't hate the PC, hate the game, yo!

Are you naturally talented?
(Natural Agility of 15 or higher.) You advance at half the listed XP rate. The rest of you, don't hate. Some people are just gifted, amirite?

"CONTINUE? INSERT COIN...4..3..2.."

These ain't wamp rats
There's hope though for gunners who want to practice their skills in a simulator. They can buy XP needed for twice what's listed, (e.g., It costs you 10,000 credits to go from Level 1 to 2). Referee reserves the right to invoke a restriction though that PCs must wait until the next game session to play at that new level.

So if you're bullseying wamp rats in your T-16 or just plopping quarters into your local arcade cabinet, you'll still build your skill--but it won't be like Beggar's Canyon back home--it's going to take time and money you wouldn't have to spend in actual combat.

Klaa definitely needs to pony-up some credits to improve his accuracy!

Tractor Beam as it's own skill?


Like this, but colored the Marvel Way!

Admittedly, this gunner thing is crude and I'd like to develop something that would do more justice to the difficulty of steering an object with what's essentially a gravity gun. In my mind, it's damn difficult. I'd previously thought I'd end up with something that would resemble an old TSR-inspired FASERIP chart, pitting difficulty (distance or movement of target, gravity well strength, etc. vs. the skill of the gunner). 

Some people might hate that, and while my preference is to keep it simple, in my mind it would be totally rad. So there.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: I made the "Optimize/Repair Weapon" skill automatic to the class.