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Before the Holocaust
In Gamma World 2nd Edition, millions of robots existed and were used in pre-holocaust society. Though a large number were vaporized in the holocaust, a significant number survived. Most are nonfunctional, having worn out or depleted their power supply. But some (especially in Installations) are still operating, only needing someone to command them to become active again. These robots may assist or threaten PCs just like any other NPCs controlled by the GM.
Though treated as NPCs, robots are in reality a type of Artifact which can be turned in for Status Points. If you are unfamiliar with Status Points, go ahead and look at the post Gamma World: Status, Community, and Rank in this series.
All robots have a Complexity of G.
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Robot Modes
A robot Mode in Gamma World 2nd Edition is the same as robot Categories in 1st Edition. Like 1st Edition, they can be in three modes — programmed, wild, or controlled. It’s suggested that you look at the 1st Edition video on robots to familiarize yourself with the terms.
The GM will be the only one who knows what mode a robot is in and the details that go along with that. As a general rule of thumb, the following is what you can expect in terms of functionality and mode depending on where a robot is encountered.
Installations
Robots found in Installations will be functional 40% of the time and have a 10% chance of being in Wild Mode.
They have a 30% chance of being in Controlled Mode if found not to be in Wild Mode.
If a strong controlling intelligence, like a Think Tank, is present, robots in Wild Mode will be controlled by it until they are released from their control.
Outside Installations
Robots found outside Installations, which basically means everywhere else, will be functional 10% of the time and will have a 30% chance of being in Wild Mode. They have a 10% chance of being in Control Mode if they are not in Wild Mode.
Identification
Any I.D. shown to a robot in Gamma World 2nd Edition affects its reaction to the characters. Most Programmed or Controlled Robots will respond when shown and I.D. by waiting for the verbal orders of whomever shows it. Once shown, the I.D. doesn’t need not be shown again. The Robot will have imprinted the user’s voice pattern and timbre as that of someone authorized to give it orders. If two or more authorized persons try to give it orders, the Robot will follow the last orders given.
I.D. Stage
The I.D. must be the proper Stage before a robot will follow instructions from the owner of the I.D. They will respond to the proper Stage or higher I.D. and will never respond to lower Stage I.D. Some robots may respond only to special Stage I.D. not listed here.
Who is holding the I.D. also matters in terms of how a robot will respond in Gamma World 2nd Edition. If from a Pure Strain Human, they always respond appropriately. If from a Humanoid-type character, the must be human looking in order for it to work properly. If the I.D. Stage is IV or higher, robots will not accept it from a Mutated Animal, Plant, or non-human looking humanoid. This can change if the Robot is somehow reprogrammed. There is a 30% chance a robot will accept a Level III or lower Stage I.D. from any one of these PC Types.
These I.D. Stages are numbered I through V.
Stage I
This I.D., colored yellow or brown, was used by ordinary citizens, making it the most commonly found in almost all ruins.
Stage II
Usually colored blue (sometimes red and white), this I.D. was used by low-level Military Personnel, Civil Servants and employees in some high
security industries.
Stage III
Colored gray, green or white, this I.D. was used by scientific, technical and medical personnel. They are very rare.
Stage IV
Colored red or purple, this I.D. was used by Law Enforcement Agents (civilian and military). These will never be available for sale (except in the RAREST of circumstances) and can be found only in Ruins or Installations.
Stage V
Colored red and blue, this I.D. was used by Civil Authorities and Military Command Personnel. Possessed only by top officials and high grade officers, these are extremely rare and is like striking oil when found.
Programming Robots
To program or reprogram a robot in Gamma World 2nd Edition requires that the PCs have access to a CI or Think Tank.
Cybernetic Installations
CIs (Cybernetic Installations) are building-sized bio-chemical computers which control an entire installation in Gamma World 2nd Edition. If a controlled robot is encountered in an installation, the PCs are likely in a cybernetic installation. Only PCs with Stage IV I.D. can communicate with a CI. Their programming will give them a certain type of “personality”. It will normally be eager to help any Pure Strain Human who has the proper I.D. It reacts negatively to grotesque Humanoids and Mutated Animals. They pretty much ignore all Plants.
Think Tanks
Think Tanks are room-sized biochemical brains which CI’s protect. They are normally found in space ports and secret military bases. Their main purpose is informational. Only PCs with Stage V I.D.s can communicate with them.
They usually react favorably to and try to help Pure Strain Humans, but react negatively to other types (modify Reaction Checks by +5 for Pure Strain Humans and by -5 for others trying to interact with a Think Tank).
It should go without saying that if a PC does not have the proper ID, they can’t communicate with the CI or Think Tank and it will be impossible to reprogram the robot. However, if the proper I.D. is shown, they will can program the robot to accept commands from certain PCs regardless of what kind they are as well as to ignore or accept certain I.D.s.
If a robot is being reprogrammed to perform activity radically different from that for which it was designed (converting an Ecology Bot to security functions, for example), partial rebuilding may be necessary. It takes 1 to 3 days to rebuild a robot into something functionally different (but similar in size and shape). All CIs are equipped for this task, but Think Tanks are not.
A rebuilt robot converted to a task for which it was not originally designed will perform differently from robots designed for that task. The details are left up to the GM and players to hash out.
Gamma World 2nd Edition is far more advanced when it comes to how robots are handled. If you missed the first part of this miniseries within a series, head over to the Gamma World First Edition Tabletop RPG Series – Robots to get caught up on how robots work there.
[…] is just cool), and place a mid-tier security protocol, requiring someone with a Stage III I.D. (see Gamma World 2nd Edition – Robots) to have authorized […]