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Old 02-28-2021, 12:30 AM   #1
DAT
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Default Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

The concept I’m building is a multi-limbed combat robot for a PC.

The robot is to have:
4 dedicated legs,
3 arms that are weapon mounts,
and
2 limbs that can be legs (for extra move) or arms with manipulators (for loading/servicing weapons, opening doors, etc.)

The question is how to build this concept the most efficiently.

The first part is easy.
Have 2 default legs for “free”, so purchase 2 extra legs for 5 points apiece (Basic p.54-55), total 10 points.
Purchase 3 “Weapon Mount” extra arms for 2 points apiece (Basic p.53), total 6 points.

But now, what is the best way to build the last two limbs.
They meet the description of “Foot Manipulators”, for -30%, under extra arms (Basic, P.53).
However, still have two default arms for “free”, that haven’t been allocated in the build.

So should I treat the default arms as having the -30% limitation, for -3 points apiece, total -6 points?

Or should I start from Horizontal (Basic, p. 139) and or No Fine Manipulators (Basic, p. 145) and ‘reduce’ the disadvantages with some “enhancements”?

The other part of the build question, is how to tie gaining say +2 Basic Move when using the limbs as Feet rather than arms & hands?

The +2 Basic Move is 10 points (Basic, p.17). Do I just add the “temporary disadvantage” (Basic, p.115) of No Fine Manipulators [-30 points] (Basic, p. 145) for -30%, for a total of 7 points?

Last edited by DAT; 03-05-2021 at 08:28 PM.
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Old 03-05-2021, 08:56 PM   #2
DAT
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

Another question is how do folks do random hit locations for multi-limbed creatures such as this robot?

In this case the robot has a squat barrel/egg shaped torso, 2' tall / wide (SM -3).

The head is integral to the torso, so no neck.

The 4/6 legs will be big targets.

I'm not sure how significant the weapon mount arms should be. I sort of see only the gun barrels sticking out of the torso, and portions of the torso rotating to bring the guns to bear on targets.

First Cut:
Roll Location
3 - 4 Head (1-2 Sensor Array, 3-6 other) [-8]
5 - 6 Weapon Mount ( 1-2 Right, 3-4 Center, 5-6 Left) [-4]
7 - 8 Leg, Right side (1-3 Front, 4-6 Back) [-3]
9 - 12 Torso [-1]
13 - 14 Leg, Left Side (1-3 Front, 4-6 Back) [-3]
15 - 16 Arm/Foot Manipulator (1-3 Right, 4-6 Left) [-3]
17 - 18 Head (1-2 Communications Array, 3-6 other) [-6]

Thoughts?
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Old 03-05-2021, 09:07 PM   #3
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

(1) His manipulative arms CAN function as legs, so I would buy Extra Legs (6 legs). That's 10 points.

(2) When he's in that configuration, he has no manipulative arms, so I'd sell back his two base arms for -20 points. I don't take NFM because he's going to buy them back again!

(3) He buys them back as Foot Manipulators. That's two instances of Extra Arm with the temporary disad being that he only has four legs, which is -5%; so he pays 19 points.

(4) Each weapon mount is Extra Arm at -80%, or 2 points each.

So 10 -1 +6 is a net 15 points.

If he gets extra move when on six legs rather than four you buy that with an Accessibility, I think.
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Old 03-05-2021, 09:50 PM   #4
DAT
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
(1) His manipulative arms CAN function as legs, so I would buy Extra Legs (6 legs). That's 10 points.

(2) When he's in that configuration, he has no manipulative arms, so I'd sell back his two base arms for -20 points. I don't take NFM because he's going to buy them back again!

(3) He buys them back as Foot Manipulators. That's two instances of Extra Arm with the temporary disad being that he only has four legs, which is -5%; so he pays 19 points.

(4) Each weapon mount is Extra Arm at -80%, or 2 points each.

So 10 -1 +6 is a net 15 points.

If he gets extra move when on six legs rather than four you buy that with an Accessibility, I think.
I follow steps 1, 2, and 4.

I may need a little more to understand step 3.

a. extra arms = 10 points each, x2
b. Foot manipulators = -30%,
c. temporary disadvantage (4 legs) = -5 points? ...

I'm not seeing where the -5% comes from?
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Old 03-06-2021, 05:39 AM   #5
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAT View Post
I follow steps 1, 2, and 4.

I may need a little more to understand step 3.

a. extra arms = 10 points each, x2
b. Foot manipulators = -30%,
c. temporary disadvantage (4 legs) = -5 points? ...

I'm not seeing where the -5% comes from?
That would apply if the character were a biped and were buying both of their two legs as arms. When they used them as arms they would have Temporary Disadvantage: Legless. That's a -30 point disad, so as a modifier it's -30%.

But this character is a hexapod, so using two legs as arms doesn't make them Legless. Instead it takes them from Five or Six Legs to Three or Four Legs. The first costs 10 points; the second costs 5 points. So the difference is 5 points, amounting to a -5 point disad. Corresponding to that is a -5% modifier, which takes the place of the usual -30% modifier.
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Old 03-06-2021, 05:16 PM   #6
DAT
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

Thanks Bill.

I had the "-30% for Foot Manipulators" Limitation stuck/hardwired in my mind, rather than thinking about the parts.

So it is better to think of it as:
2 Extra Arms with Temporary Disadvantage Limitation (2 Less Legs)

So for a being with:
2 legs, it equals "Legless": -30%
3 legs, it equals "Lame-One Leg/Missing Legs": -20%
4 legs, it equals "Difference between 4 legs and 2 legs": -5%
etc.
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Old 03-06-2021, 07:40 PM   #7
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Help with a Multi-Limb Robot Build

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAT View Post
I had the "-30% for Foot Manipulators" Limitation stuck/hardwired in my mind, rather than thinking about the parts.

So it is better to think of it as:
2 Extra Arms with Temporary Disadvantage Limitation (2 Less Legs)

So for a being with:
2 legs, it equals "Legless": -30%
3 legs, it equals "Lame-One Leg/Missing Legs": -20%
4 legs, it equals "Difference between 4 legs and 2 legs": -5%
etc.
That's almost how I would do it, yes. Though the steps should be "3 or 4 legs" and "5 or 6 legs," I think.

Of course that does mean that if you have ten legs, and can repurpose two of them as foot manipulators, the limitation is -0%! But I think that's more or less fair.

Though alternatively, because taking legs out of use does reduce your movement speed, you could say that anywhere from 5 legs up, you can treat it as a -5% Nuisance Effect.
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