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[PTU] [Class] Guys! Androids!; Because I like PokeBots too much
Topic Started: Nov 18 2014, 09:11 PM (936 Views)
DNA
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King of Thought
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So lately I've been really enthralled with PokeBots lately, despite not being in any campaign setting that permits them - though, even if it did, they are pricy as heck. But I, being crazy, decided to take the idea one step further, and ask...

"What if a human behaved mechanically (pun intended) like a PokeBot?"

And so, ladies and gentledudes of PTX, after about an hour of brainstorming, I present to you the Android class.

Please note I haven't proofed this all that well, and this first posting is essentially a rough draft. I'm having the class go as close to the notion of Poke-Bots as possible, though a few things were changed because of redundancy, such as Metal Coat armor. But, if you have suggestions and such, please, by all means tell me. This is far from perfect and I would absolutely love input.

Posted Image

Android
(yes I'm lazy with the picture, sue me)


Some people aren't satisfied with just creating PokeBots. They want to analyze them deeply, feel what they feel, think what they think, do what they do. While Upgraders do offer cybernetic adjustments to their comrades, this isn't enough for some people - whether they want to cast away their humanity entirely, or explore this realm solely for the sake of curiosity, they have become robots in their entirety. They have utterly blurred the lines between human and robot, experiencing life in a whole new way, but...at what cost?

~~~

Android
[Class] [+2 Any]
Prerequisites: Novice Technology Education, Can't have Elemental Connection or any supernatural class, Must take at LV1
Static
(You must take this class at Character Creation, unless specifically given GM permission. This is not recommended, however, as this class represents a physiological change. While you have this class, you cannot gain the Elemental Connection edge, nor take any supernatural classes - even if you otherwise meet prerequisites.)
Effect: You become an android, i.e. a machine. You are no longer an organic creature, and your appearance will change to reflect this. You cannot consume food or drink, and you cannot heal HP outside of resting or via your own moves or abilities. When you faint, you shut down and are unable to move, and are forced to take an Extended Rest starting immediately (or rather, when the scene ends).

Choose 1 of the 5 body types below. That becomes the material which your body has been constructed from. This choice is permanent, and cannot be changed.

Chromic Jelly: You have weakness to Steel, Ice, and Poison, and you have resistance to Fire, Electric, and Fighting. All Push effects against you push you 2 metres less, and if you fall, ignore 2 metres of falling damage.
Conductive Crystal: You have weakness to Steel, Fighting, and Rock, and you have resistance to Electric and Ice. When resting, you heal HP twice as quickly.
Psionic Alloy: Your have weakness to Dark (only), and you have resistance to Psychic and Fighting. You may interact (and be interacted with) via telepathic communication.
Reinforced Steel: You yourself become a Steel-type, and your weaknesses, resistances, and immunities become that of the Steel-type to match. However, you cannot gain STAB, and when resting, you heal HP only half as quickly.
Synthetic Coating: Your have weakness to Psychic and Bug, and you have resistance to Rock and Fighting. You die upon reaching -250% HP, instead of -200%, and if you would be KO'd by a critical hit while your HP is above 50%, your HP is set to 1 instead.

You also gain other effects, based on how many Android features you possess. (Remember, the base feature also counts, and each separate rank of a Ranked feature counts separately.)

~1 feature: You gain the Mindlock, Hazard Immunity, and Vacuum Immunity capabilities. If your body is constructed from Psionic Alloy, you gain the Telepath capability in place of Mindlock. You can be controlled by things with the Wired capability, and can be affected by things that have the Magnet Pull ability.
~2 features: You become immune to all 'other afflictions', except for Trapped, Slowed, and Flinch.
~4 features: You become immune to all volatile status conditions, except for Disabled and Suppressed.
~6 features: You can't be injured. You also are no longer affected by Magnet Pull, even if you have Reinforced Steel. (If you had injuries at the time of gaining the 6th feature, they remain, but can be healed off as normal. You just can't receive any new injuries after that.)
~8 features: You become immune to all persistent status conditions, except for Burned, Frozen, and Paralysis.

(As you've probably noticed, taking the Android class essentially turns you into a Pokebot. There are some minor tweaks to allow for trainers, such as being allowed to recover HP via resting, but for the most part you're basically a Pokebot - this is why you have to take this class at Character Creation. Becoming an Android is not a decision to be taken lightly, and may not be appropriate for certain campaign settings. Make sure you talk with your GM not only to get approval to use this class, but also what you will have to expect in the campaign setting!)


Recharge
[+2 Any]
Prerequisites: Android
Static
Effect: When you take this feature, choose either Volt Absorb OR Motor Drive, and gain that ability permanently.
If you have a Pokemon with the Zapper capability, OR if you are at a source of electrical power (such as a generator or even a wall socket), when resting there you recover HP twice as quickly.
(If your body is constructed from Conductive Crystal, you will recover HP thrice as quickly, instead. If your body is constructed from Reinforced Steel, you will recover HP at the normal rate, instead.)


Weapon System
[Ranked 2] [+2 Any]
Prerequisites: Android, Adept Technology Education
Prerequisites: Weapon System Rank 1, Expert Technology Education
Daily - Extended Action
Effect: You can mechanically equip a weapon into your own body. To add, remove, or replace a weapon in this way is an Extended Action, doable once per day, and you can only equip 1 weapon to yourself in this way. While the weapon is equipped, it cannot be Disarmed, and if you use a move granted to you by a Weapon Edge corresponding to the weapon, add 5 to the damage roll.
In addition, as a Static effect, each Rank of this feature, choose 1 of the 5 options below. You gain 2 of the 3 moves granted to you by that option. You must choose the 2 moves upon taking this feature; you can't change your mind about it later.

Magma System: Fire Punch, Flame Burst, Incinerate
Volt System: Thunder Punch, Discharge, Magnet Rise
Metal System: Magnet Bomb, Flash Cannon, Iron Defense
Cool System: Tri Attack, Conversion, Thunder Wave
Strange System: Metronome, Acupressure, Disable

(Unlike with actual PokeBots, you don't need the corresponding items to give yourself these moves, but you are somewhat more limited in scope.)


Armor System
[Ranked 2] [+2 Any]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Weapon System Rank 1
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Weapon System Rank 2
Daily - Extended Action
Effect: You can mechanically equip armor into your own body. To add, remove, or replace armor in this way is an Extended Action, doable once per day, and you can only equip 1 piece of armor to yourself in this way. While the armor is equipped, you do not suffer any penalties you would have from the armor (such as movement from Heavy Armor, or readying a shield).
In addition, each Rank of this feature, choose 1 of the 5 options below, and apply its effects to you. You can only choose an option that you took with Weapon System.

Magma System: You gain the Heatproof ability, and while Burned, your Defense only goes down by 1 stage instead of 2.
Volt System: You gain the Static ability, and +2 to Save Checks against Paralysis.
Metal System: You gain the Clear Body ability, and +2 to Save Checks against Frozen.
Cool System: You gain the Download ability, and immunity to the Disabled condition.
Strange System: You gain the Moody ability, and may restore HP in all ways that a trainer would normally be able to restore HP (medicines, other players' abilities/moves, etc.) You still cannot consume food or drink, though.


Mobility System
[+2 Any]
Prerequisites: Android, Weapon System Rank 1
Static
Effect: Choose 1 of the 4 options below, and apply its effects to you.

Agility System: Increase your Overland by 2, OR your High and Long Jump by 1 each. Rank up your Acrobatics 1 level.
Nautical System: Increase your Swim speed by 2. Rank up your Athletics 1 level.
Propulsion System: Gain a Levitate speed equal to half your Overland. Rank up your Focus 1 level.
Stealth System: Gain either the Dead Silent OR the Stealth capability. Rank up your Stealth 1 level.

If ranking up a skill in this way would put that skill at a level which is higher than allowed for your level, e.g. having a skill at Expert while under level 6, you do not gain the effect of that rank-up until you reach that level.


Finalized Body
[+2 Any]
Prerequisites: Android, Master Technology Education, Mobility System
Static
Effect: When you take this feature, choose either Regenerator OR Absorb Force, and gain that ability permanently.
For the purposes of Augmentation, your maximum Augmentation capacity increases by 2, and if a Datajack is installed into you, its capacity is 0. You can no longer be controlled by things with Wired, unless you give consent.
You also gain other effects, based on what options you chose for Mobility System:

Agility System: You get a +2 bonus to all Acrobatics and Athletics checks, and in Agility System, change the "OR" to "AND".
Nautical System: You gain the Gilled capability.
Propulsion System: In Propulsion System, change "Levitate speed" to "Sky speed".
Stealth System: You do not take penalties when targeting through rough terrain, and ignore Stealth on opponents (for purposes of targeting them with attacks).






Older Draft of Android




Comments, critiques, and constructive criticisms are always appreciated. When this class is proofed to a level that I'm pleased with, I will attach a Notepad .txt file available for download.
Edited by DNA, Dec 30 2014, 11:00 AM.
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Captain_Six
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Fightsmith
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Recharge should just come with one of those two listed abilities when you take it. Requiring you to use the feature to get the ability is just a strange requirement and feels like busywork. Either grant the ability with the feature, or have the ability be a temporary bonus triggered by the feature use.

Reinforced Steel looks like a superior option to the other Finalized Body choices. The others have very situational bonuses, but steel resistances, poison immunity and STAB strike me as the best of the bunch.

I feel like Finalized Body might need a rework in general. The other features are vague in flavortext and they are defined by how they affect the player. Finalized Body feels backward, like the materials decided the effects rather than starting with a well rounded group of effects and then deciding what materials best fit them. It feels haphazard compared to the rest of the class that way.
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carnackiArdent
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Pokémon Trainer
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I have to admit that Weapon System makes me uneasy. Granting two moves is generally a Feature's worth of power on its own, and the first rank of Weapon System gives you that on top of immunity to disarming and more powerful Weapon Edge moves. Both ranks also effectively make your next Tech Edu skill edge (which you'd probably be taking anyway, as the key skill for the class) give you two edges for the price of one, in giving you another move on top of increasing your skill.
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DNA
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King of Thought
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Your input is wonderful, both of you. I've been thinking about it a bit myself, too, as I know I still have a lot of work to do on this.

For now, I've made the following changes:

~Recharge now grants the extra ability automatically. Lightning Rod was changed to Motor Drive, so as not to be biased to special attackers. (Volt Armor System's ability granted has been changed to Static, to compensate.)
~For Weapon System, I added that you can only swap weapons like this once per day. (It's still an Extended Action.) Also, instead of granting 2 moves now and the 3rd move later, I made it so that you must pick 2 of the 3 moves upon taking the feature (missing out on one of them), similar to Elementalist class move trees. I might also reword it so it looks a little cleaner too.
~I noticed on Propulsion Mobility System I forgot to finish it - I wrote down that I wasn't sure whether it should grant a Sky speed, OR grant Levitate ability with a Levitate speed (either way, it's half the Overland). I have chosen that it grants Sky speed for that option, and no ability (since none of the others do).
~For Finalized Body I changed Reinforced Steel to no longer grant STAB, and halved the HP recovery rate when resting (its other effects are the same). I also added a 5th type, Synthetic Coating.

The following are things I didn't edit in (YET), but am still considering what to do with them:
Quote:
 
I feel like Finalized Body might need a rework in general. The other features are vague in flavortext and they are defined by how they affect the player. Finalized Body feels backward, like the materials decided the effects rather than starting with a well rounded group of effects and then deciding what materials best fit them. It feels haphazard compared to the rest of the class that way.

I'll concede that point that Finalized Body doesn't quite fit very well with the class thematically, since you're picking your body type at the END of the class, rather than at the start of it.

I'm not quite sure how I should handle that, flavor-wise, but so far I've thought of one way: swapping the capstone with the base feature itself - or at least parts of it. In this way, you're still vulnerable to various things while building yourself up, and the capstone would represent a 'perfection' or 'finalization' of the trainer becoming a full-on Android. ...This is still just an idea, though, floating around. Something else may come to mind that works even better.

Quote:
 
and the first rank of Weapon System gives you that on top of immunity to disarming and more powerful Weapon Edge moves.

I left the +5 damage on Weapon System for now, since it only applies to moves you learn from Weapon Edges, and the move only gets the bonus if the weapon is grafted into you - e.g. you can only get the +5 for Psycho Cut if you have currently grafted in Psionic Blades, or for Drill Arm if you have currently grafted in a spear, etc.
Key word 'for now'. I am willing to remove it later if it's deemed to be a bit overbearing. The immunity to Disarm will stay, though, since of how you're equipping the weapon into yourself. (Come to think of it, I'll also put in that said weapon can't be removed except by grafting - there's a tiny little loophole I accidentally created that I didn't notice. Going to fix now!)
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castfromhp
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Mawile Ace
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Quote:
 
I'm not quite sure how I should handle that, flavor-wise, but so far I've thought of one way: swapping the capstone with the base feature itself - or at least parts of it. In this way, you're still vulnerable to various things while building yourself up, and the capstone would represent a 'perfection' or 'finalization' of the trainer becoming a full-on Android. ...This is still just an idea, though, floating around. Something else may come to mind that works even better.
Mechanically speaking, to represent this, you could gateway off the effects by Technology Skill rank (like Birthright in Hatcher) or by # of Features in the class (like Survivalist).
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DNA
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King of Thought
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Oh, like saying "If you have X Android features, you now have X effect (like being immune to injuries, for example)"?
Huh, that's another good idea. Also definitely worth considering.
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DNA
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King of Thought
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After a bit of overhauling, tweaking, and moving features around, I've made the following changes:

~Armor System was changed to be like Weapon System - the armor graft is Daily: Extended Action. (For some reason I overlooked that.) The +5 DR it granted from grafting was removed, but the lack of penalties stayed. All systems except Strange were scaled down, and instead of providing immunities to those conditions, now resist them somewhat. The exception is Cool System, which still has an immunity, but it's to Disabled instead of Suppressed.

~Propulsion Mobility System was changed from Sky back to Levitate speed. Reason? Sky speed is really freaking good, and Levitate makes more sense thematically.

~The base feature now lets you pick your body type, not the capstone. You get to pick 1 of your 5, and that's your body type permanently. The "standard PokeBot immunities" remain in the base feature, but are broken up, based on how many Android features you have, capping at 8.

~Because of that, I created an entirely new capstone. Other than granting yet another new ability, it is not all that broad in scope (I did that on purpose), but it has a bit of Upgrader going on in it too - most of its effect was either inspired on or taken straight from Upgrader's Augmentations.

Still not complete (to me) yet, but here's some things coming to mind:

~Finding a way to let the base body feature (weak to Fire/Elec/Grd, resists nothing) into Android. Currently it's absent because it needs a buff to hold pace with the others. It's not as pressing as other things so it can go without, but it would be nice to have.
~The order in which Androids should gain their immunities. I still want the steps to be 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and all of the 'negative' things to be present right away, but I don't know if I got the order down very well.
~Ideas for the capstone. Is it good? Bad? Too good? Should tweaks be made? Should it even relate to Upgrader at all?
~I really hope I didn't forget anything in the base feature while migrating this over...

For a comparison, the 'old' Android (the one where the body type is the capstone and all the immunities you get right away) is still in the OP, just in a spoiler tag.
As always, your comments and such are appreciated!
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Captain_Six
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Fightsmith
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For the new Finalized Body, while I love Gilled I'm worried the Levitate ability overshadows a capability in this instance. The ability in this case has strong combat bonuses, while all the other bonuses deal with Capabilities. Balanced or not, it doesn't fit in with the other bonuses. In a private chat you had been debating between Levitate Speed and Sky Speed, perhaps Finalized Body's bonus to Mobility could be changing its Levitate to Sky Speed.

On the minor side of things you need to have Finalized Body require Mobility System if the feature's effects change based on Mobility System.
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DNA
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King of Thought
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Whoops! Fair point. Changed both of those things. I knew I screwed up on pre-reqs somewhere...
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