ROBOT WARRIORS™ to HERO System® FIFTH EDITION
See the end of this document for legal information.
Index:
- Introduction
- Minimums
- Size Class and Ground Scale
- Characters
- Robots
- Self Aware Robots, Monsters, Computers, and AIs
- Combat
- Errata
- Legal
Introduction
These are updates to the Robot Warriors rules to use when using Robot Warriors robot construction and combat rules with the 5th edition of the HERO System. This should go without saying, but a copy of Robot Warriors (available in PDF format at the Hero Games online store) is necessary in order to use these rules. A reasonable familiarity with both the HERO System and Robot Warriors is assumed.
When not otherwise specified here, standard Robot Warriors mecha construction rules should be used. Character creation is entirely standard HERO System. All distances or ranges given in Robot Warriors refer to Size Class 4 hexes (16 meters across). If combat is played on a different scale, distances should be multiplied or divided appropriately as per the Ground Scale Chart on Robot Warriors p. 36.
Please note that the Robot Warriors mecha construction rules don't work well when mixed and matched with current HERO System vehicle construction rules. Vehicle combat shouldn't have too many problems per se as long as Ground Scale differences are taken into account, but don't expect a Robot Warriors mecha to be balanced with respect to a vehicle constructed using HERO System rules -- You Have Been Warned. As suggested in Robot Warriors, the Robot Warriors mecha construction rules could serve as alternate vehicle rules for the HERO System. Point costs are as per the HERO System, with Construction Points substituting for Character Points. Everything else is as per Robot Warriors and this document.
If you want to, you can use the Robot Warriors mecha construction and combat rules without any modifications whatsoever. However, the HERO System has evolved a lot since Robot Warriors was originally published. A lot has been cleaned up, and a lot of what's in Robot Warriors (published 17 years ago as I write this!) is not consistent with current HERO System practices.
Any time halving or doubling mass is required, use standard HERO System doubling practice. (In other words, 64 "doubles" to 125; 6.4 "doubles" to 12.5; and so on.)
Minimums:
For the most part, if you want to you should be able to use almost all of the Robot Warriors robots rules as written. (Heck, if you want to use the entire book as written, without reference to fourth or fifth edition HERO System at all, don't let me stop you!) To use fifth edition HERO with the book, you will need to make an absolute few minimum changes:
OCV and Range Modifiers: Don't use Robot Warriors Range Modifiers. Instead, 2x Range Modifier becomes +2 to Range Modifier, and x1/2 Range Modifier becomes -2.
Autofire: Remove the OCV bonuses for Autofire attacks. Autofire attacks do not halve the Range Modifier. Autofire: 5 Shots is a -1 Advantage, 2x shots for an additional -1. There is no Burnout penalty by default; instead, if you want to have Autofire with Burnout, buy the Burnout Limitation separately.
Presence and Presence Attacks: Use the HERO System Presence Attack modifiers instead of Robot Warriors. Use the HERO System Presence Attack table instead of Robot Warriors. Use robot Presence as written. As an alternative, use the pilot's Presence against the target's, and add +2d6 for every Size Class the attacker is larger than the defender (or -2d6 for every Size Class smaller). Note that normal humans are effectively Size Class 1.
Martial Arts: You have two alternatives here (don't mix and match the two). The first is to simply use Robot Warriors Martial Arts as written for both characters and robots. The other is to translate: if a robot has the Martial Arts system, the pilot may use any of his standard HERO System Martial Arts maneuvers with the robot. Every +1d6 of Martial Arts damage is +1 to the robot's DC in hand-to-hand. NND Martial Arts Maneuvers have no effect. The pilot must take a 1-point Weapon Element: Robot if he wants to use his Martial Arts in this manner.
Senses: If you're not using any standard HERO System Sense-affecting Powers, then use Flash Defense and Sensors, as well as any attacks that affect them, as written in Robot Warriors. Don't worry about Sense Groups.
If you are using HERO System Powers, then alter the Robot Warriors versions thus: for Flash, convert DCs into Normal Dice, then treat them exactly as normal HERO System Flash, noting that the basic Flash flashes the entire Sight Group. To buy additional Senses or Sense Groups, take a -1 Advantage for a single Targeting Sense or Nontargeting Sense Group, or -2 for an additional Targeting Sense Group. Treat Robot Warriors Flash Defense as HERO System Flash Defense; assume that it protects a single Sense Group. The cost for Flash Defense is +1 Mass Unit per person protected to protect a nontargeting Sense Group, or +2 Mass Units per person to protect a targeting Sense Group. (I recommend using the following house rule: if any Flash at all gets through Flash Defense, the target is Flashed for a minimum of one full Phase.)
Radar in Robot Warriors grants a -1/10 hex Range Modifier; convert this to +4 to Range Modifier for Radar Perception.
Weapons: Note that all Robot Warriors weapons are effectively built as RKAs. I strongly recommend against allowing them to be built as HKAs, unless you really want to see robots striding around the landscape doing 8d6 Killing with Strength.
Characters: Build them using HERO System Fifth Edition rules. Robotech or Battletech style military robot pilots should be built as Competent Normals or Heroes. If you want to build "weird" characters on higher power levels, with Powers, etc., then you should use the full Robot Warriors to Fifth Edition HERO document below.
Size Class and Ground Scale:
One Size Class is effectively three levels of SIZ or Growth. You can treat this exactly as you would levels of SIZ or Growth if you like.If desired, GMs can use Size Class as a generic measure of character scale, and Size Classes and Ground Scales can go below 1 (every 1/8 mass is -1 to Size Class and Ground Scale).
Characters:
Use HERO System Fifth Edition for creating characters. Robot Warriors characters will be Heroic level (75 points base plus 75 points in Disadvantages) with Normal Characteristic Maxima for no points. It is recommended that, for a default Robot Warriors campaign, characters not be permitted Powers except for the basic "human default" ones (Running, Swimming, Luck). This is by no means a hard and fast rule; there are plenty of examples of characters in giant robot anime who do have Powers, and even who would be built on more points (150 base plus 100 in Disadvantages or more).Skills:
Mechanic skill covers hardware (built on mass units). Robotics (from Robot Warriors) is an Intelligence-based skill that covers repairing and building general systems (built on Construction Points).Characters can buy Penalty Skill Levels with the Gangfire maneuver, though the GM may wish to limit how many.
Robots:
The GM should choose base Construction Points to fit in with his desired type of campaign. Suggested starting points is 300 base plus 50-100 in Disadvantages. Characters can improve their robots by spending some of their own points on a one for one basis. Alternately, the GM can allow characters to buy robots using the Vehicle perk, treating them exactly as HERO System vehicles.Hardware:
As a general rule, robots do not pay Construction Points or Character Points for Hardware; any point costs for this are subsumed in the Construction Points the robot pays for its mass.Chassis and Power Plant:
No changes, except that they can be rated in STR; a STR 20 Chassis and Power Plant masses .25 Mass Units, 2x mass for every +5 STR.Escape Pod:
Escape Pod is now a System. See below under Systems.Lifters:
Lifters are simply Extra Limbs. Use standard Robot Warriors rules for Lifters, except that they can be rated in STR; Lifter mass is .25 Mass Units for STR 20, 2x mass for every +5 STR. Half mass for only one Lifter, 2x mass for every 2x Lifters. Don't pay Construction Points for Lifters; they are Hardware.Life Support:
Use exactly as written in Robot Warriors.
Sensors:
Note: Previous versions of this document had Sensors built as HERO System Powers. I'm changing this back to the original Robot Warriors way of doing Sensors, in the interests of keeping pregenerated robots as close to their versions in the book as possible.Use Sensors as written in Robot Warriors. For Sensors, a +1 Limitation halves the mass, and a -1 Advantage doubles the mass. For senses that don't exist in Robot Warriors, costs are as follows:
Detect Single Thing: 1 mass units
Detect Class: 2 mass units
Detect Large Class: 4 mass units
Each extra thing or class of things: 2x mass
Sense Modifiers: Below are listed the Modifiers for Senses. Each is listed with two values: the cost to buy it as a modifier to a Detect, followed by the Mass Units to buy it for a pre-existing Sense.
Concealed: 2x Mass for -3 to PER. Since mecha by default have no
Active Senses, there is no need to buy this other than as a modifier to
an Enhanced Sense.
Discriminatory: 2x for a single Sense (4 Mass Units); 4x for a Sense Group (8 Mass Units).
Analyze: 2x for a single Sense; 4x for a Sense Group. The Sense or Sense Group must already be Discriminatory.
Increased Arc Of Perception: 240-Degree Perception: 2x (4 Mass
Units) for a single Sense; 4x (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group;
8x (16 Mass Units) for all of the robot's Sense Groups. 360-Degree
Perception: 4x (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 8x (16 Mass Units)
for a single Sense Group; 16x (32 Mass Units) for all of the robot's
Senses.
Microscopic: 2x (4 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 4x (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group.
Range: 2x (4 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 4x (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group.
Rapid: 2x (4 Mass Units) per x10 speed for a single Sense; 4x (8 Mass Units) per x10 speed for a single Sense Group.
Sense: 2x mass. There's no reason to buy this standalone, so there's no cost for it.
Targeting Sense: 4x mass (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 16x mass (32 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group.
Telescopic: 2x mass (4 Mass Units) for +2 to Range Modifier for a single Sense; 4x (8 Mass Units) for an entire Sense Group.
Tracking: 2x mass (4 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 4x mass (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group.
Transmit: 2x mass (4 Mass Units) for a single Sense; 4x mass (8 Mass Units) for a single Sense Group.
Enhanced Perception costs 1 Mass Unit for +1 to Perception Rolls with a single Sense, 2 Mass Units for +1 to Perception Rolls with a single Sense Group, or 4 Mass Units for +1 to Perception Rolls with all Sense Groups. 2x mass per additional +1.
Some examples:
Mental Awareness: 2 mass units.
Spatial Awareness: 16 mass units.
Night Vision: 4 mass units (+4 Enhanced Vision, Only Vs. Night Penalties (+1 Limitation))
Note: If the GM wishes, he may rebuild all of the Robot Warriors Sensors using this method. This would require any already-created robot designs to change, though.
Radar in Robot Warriors grants a -1/10 hex Range Modifier; convert this to +4 to Range Modifier for Radar Perception.
Darkness:
For Darkness effects, if you're not using the full HERO System Powers, then use Darkness attacks exactly as written in Robot Warriors. If you are using HERO System Powers, then build your basic Darkness Power; do not buy up the area, only the Sense. Next, apply a +1/4 MegaScale (to the robot's Ground Scale) Advantage, but no others. Round the Active Points from this up to the nearest multiple of 5, then read that value in the Points column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum below. Apply Robot Warriors Advantages and Limitations from that point. Feel free to extrapolate the table upward as many lines as is necessary to find the appropriate number of points if it's fewer than 45.
Entangle:
Use this as written in Robot Warriors unless you are mixing RW robots with HERO System Powers, in which case use the Weapon Construction Table Addendum below. For intermediate levels of Entangle (i.e. 45, 55, 65, etc. Base Points) add either 1d6 or 1 DEF to the Entangle. If you wish to apply standard Entangle Advantages and Limitations, every +1/4 Advantage translates to -1, and every -1/4 Limitation translates to +1.Flash and Flash Defense:
If you're not using any standard HERO System Sense-affecting Powers, then use Flash Defense and Sensors, as well as any attacks that affect them, as written in Robot Warriors. Don't worry about Sense Groups.
If you are using HERO System Powers, then alter the Robot Warriors versions thus: for Flash, convert DCs into Normal Dice, then treat them exactly as normal HERO System Flash, noting that the basic Robot Warriors Flash flashes the entire Sight Group. To buy additional Senses or Sense Groups, take a -1 Advantage for a single Targeting Sense or Nontargeting Sense Group, or -2 for an additional Targeting Sense Group. Treat Robot Warriors Flash Defense as HERO System Flash Defense; assume that it protects a single Sense Group. The cost for Flash Defense is +1 Mass Unit per person protected to protect a nontargeting Sense Group, or +2 Mass Units per person to protect a targeting Sense Group. (I recommend using the following house rule: if any Flash at all gets through Flash Defense, the target is Flashed for a minimum of one full Phase.)
A robot's Flash Defense protects the robot and anyone inside it. If anyone inside has their own Flash Defense, they are protected by the greater of their own or the robot's.
Radar in Robot Warriors grants a -1/10 hex Range Modifier; convert this to +4 to Range Modifier for Radar Perception.
Endurance and Charges
Robot equipment that does not use Charges or have an END Reserve is considered to be powered off of the robot's power plant, and ceases functioning if the robot's power plant is disabled, if the robot reaches 0 BODY, or if it runs out of fuel.Robot equipment is considered to be 0 Endurance Cost while it is connected to a robot power plant. It may be bought to 0 Endurance Cost (for a -2 Advantage; Half END Cost is -1) or with an Endurance Reserve (treat as hardware). To calculate the Endurance Cost of a piece of Hardware, first divide the item's effective Base Points by 10. Every -1 Advantage (except Charges and Reduced Endurance Cost) adds +1. Robot Weapons may, if they draw from an END Reserve exclusively, be built with Increased Endurance Cost; every +1 Limitation is +1x the END Cost (thus, a weapon with 5x END Cost would have a +4 Limitation).
Weapons that can draw off of either an END Reserve or the
robot's main power take a -1 Advantage (this is the same as 0 END
Connected). See below for the Charges table:
Clips: Every 2x the number of clips is a -1 Advantage.
Continuing Charges: Every one level down the Time Chart is a -1 Advantage.
Fuel Charges: Add an additional -1.
Boostable Charges: -1
Recoverable Charges: -1
Switchable Power Source: For a -1 Advantage, a Hardware item can switch from one power source to another (vehicle power to END Reserve and/or Charges).
Autofire:
Autofire adds no automatic OCV bonus. The standard Robot Warriors autofire rules should be changed as follows:| 5 shots: | -1 Advantage | |
| Every 2x shots: | Additional -1 Advantage |
There is no automatic burnout with Autofire; if this is desired, it may be added as a separate Limitation.
Other Advantages:
| Increased Range Modifier: | -1 Advantage per +2 to RMod. | |
| Increased OCV: | -1 Advantage per +1 OCV. | |
| Increased Area: | -1 Advantage per 2x area. |
Other HERO System Powers:
Most offensive Powers (anything that uses or can use an Attack Roll) become weapons of some kind. To determine their mass, read the Base Points in the Power under the Points column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum, below. If the Power has an area by default, apply a +1/4 MegaScale (to turn one hex into whatever one hex is for the robot's Size Class) Advantage to the Base Points, then read that number of Active Points under the Maximum Range column. (If the Power takes any Advantages that are not part of Robot Warriors weapons, apply them similarly.) From there, add in any Robot Warriors Advantages that would apply.Below is a listing of HERO System Powers and how they interact with Robot Warriors. Powers that are not listed have already been covered or already have Robot Warriors equivalents.
Note: Systems built using Powers that cost END do not need to be bought 0 Endurance Cost. If not, however, they stop working if the robot's power plant is disabled (unless the robot has an Endurance Reserve or unless the Power is bought on Charges). All Advantages and Limitations applied to Systems use standard HERO System Modifiers.
Adjustment Powers: For the most part, these work normally, though some special effects (toxins or poisons, for instance) will have no effect on robots. The robot does not need to pay anything for this. It is possible that such an attack might affect the crew and passengers of a robot, unless the robot has the appropriate Life Support.
Aid: Build as a weapon, using the "10/d6" column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum below. When Aiding a robot's Systems, simply add the Aided points to the points in the System, if applicable. When Aiding a weapon, 5 points (+10 points for every -1 Advantage or fraction thereof) adds +1 DC. When Aiding Armor, 18 points (+20 points for every -1 Advantage or fraction thereof -- note that it is doubled because it is a Defensive Power) adds +1 DEF. A robot's base Mass Units cannot be Aided.
Armor: Use Robot Warriors DEF for robots. Characters get their own DEF against attacks that hit them while they are inside a robot (assuming they are hit by a roll on the Penetration Table, the robot's DEF has already reduced the attack).
Change Environment: Treat as a weapon. Buy it as if it were Darkness (see the description for Darkness above).
Characteristics: These do not apply to robots. Robots have their own equivalents for most of the Characteristics, and their own ways of buying the ones that are the same. Exception: Self Aware Robots and Monsters may buy CON; see below under Self Aware Monsters and Robots for more info.
Clairsentience: 
4 Mass Units for a single Sense, or 8 Mass Units for a single Sense
Group. 2x mass per additional Sense, 4x mass per additional Sense
Group. 4x mass for either the past or the future, or 16x mass for both.
2x mass to perceive into a single dimension, or 4z mass for a related
group of dimensions. 2x mass for 2x range.
Clinging: May be bought as a System using the standard HERO System cost.
Damage Reduction: By GM permission only. 25% Damage Reduction, Physical and Energy, Resistant, has mass equal to that of DEF equal to 14 plus the robot's Size Class; 50% is twice this; 75% is four times this.
Damage Resistance: Inappropriate for robots, as they have no normal PD or ED.
Density Increase: Probably not appropriate to be used on or by robots. (Exception: Density Increase, Usable As Attack, could be used as a sort of gravity increase Power. In this case, Does Not Add Strength would be considered a +1/2 Advantage on Density Increase. If you are doing this, build it as a weapon; to determine its mass, use the Base Points of the amount of Density Increase you wish to use. Apply the Usable As Attack Advantage (and any other Advantages you wish to use that are not present in Robot Warriors, including 0 END Cost and Persistent, if applicable), then look up the Active Points from this step on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum in the "Points" column to determine the weapon's mass.)
Desolidification: By GM permission. May be bought as a System using the standard HERO System cost. In this case, Affects Desolids is a -2 Advantage for all special effects, or -1 for a particular special effect. Affects Real World is a -8 (!) Advantage.
Dispel: Build as a weapon. Use the "5/d6" column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum below. Apply a +2 Limitation to the base weapon value. When attempting to Dispel a robot weapon, roll the Dispel dice, and subtract the target's Power Defense (if any). A weapon is Dispelled if the Dispel rolls equal to or greater than 5 points per DC of the weapon, +10 points per -1 Advantage. A Force Field is Dispelled if the Dispel rolls equal to or greater than 18 points +20 per -1 Advantage. Armor may not be Dispelled or Suppressed.
Drain: Build as a weapon. When Draining a weapon, 5 points (+10 points for every -1 Advantage) reduces it by 1 DC. When Draining Armor, 18 points (+20 points for every -1 Advantage -- note the doubling for a defensive Power) reduces it by 1 DEF. A robot's base Mass Units cannot be Drained. A robot's Chassis and Power Plant may be Drained; Draining it by 10 points reduces its maximum capacity by one level (reducing both the robot's effective STR and its BODY). Note that a robot whose current mass is above its Chassis and Power Plant's capacity cannot move or fight. Draining a robot's BODY to 0 has the same effect as reducing the robot's BODY to 0 through any other means.
Duplication: Use Combine.
Ego Attack: Build as a weapon, using the "10/d6" column on the table below. May be used to attack pilots, but only if the attacker has some way to locate the target to the extent required to use a Mental Power on him. May be used to attack Self Aware Robots and Monsters only if it is bought with the -2 Does Body Advantage (unless the SAR or Monster has CON and/or STUN).
Energy Blast: If desired, robot weapons may use their DC as normal attacks rather than killing attacks. Note this on the weapon listing.
Extradimensional Movement: If permitted by the GM, Extradimensional Movement may be bought as a System using the standard HERO System cost.
Force Field: Use Robot Warriors Force Field for robots. For characters with Force Fields, their Force Field works normally.
Force Wall: Build it as a weapon; see above under Other HERO System Powers for more information.
Gliding: Build it as Flight with a +4 Cannot Gain Altitude Limitation and a +1 Limited To 2x Noncombat Limitation.
Hand-to-hand Attack: Inappropriate for mecha. Build as a weapon with the No Range Limitation. Optionally, convert it to normal damage as listed under Energy Blast.
Healing: Allowed by GM permission. If so, build it as a weapon; read the "10/d6" column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum, below. Robots may not buy Regeneration; instead, use Damage Control.
Images: Allowed by GM permission. If so, build it as if it were Darkness, using both area and Sense modifiers.
Invisibility: If it is allowed, build it as a System using the standard HERO System cost.
Knockback Resistance: Has a cost identical to Flash Defense. Reduces the BODY of incoming attacks for purposes of determining Knockback against robots.
Luck: May be bought for robots as a System using the standard HERO System cost.
Mental Defense: Has a cost equal to that listed in Robot Warriors for Flash Defense. If the robot has an EGO score, it may add its EGO/5 to its Mental Defense. A robot's Mental Defense protects the pilot and any passengers, but they don't get to add their EGO/5; if they have their own Mental Defense, they are protected by the greater of their own or the robot's Mental Defense.
Mental Powers: Build as a weapon. May be used to attack pilots, but only if the attacker has some way to locate the target to the extent required to use a Mental Power on him. May be used to attack self aware robots or AIs. See the table below for mass and Base Points; use whichever column is appropriate to the Power.
Mind Link: Build it as a System using the standard HERO System cost. Characters may, if they wish, buy Mind Link with their robots.
Mind Scan: Build as a weapon, using the "5/d6" column on the table below. May be used to target the pilot; when attacking a robot, the penalty is based on the number of minds inside the robot (including the robot's own, if any).
Multiform: In a Robot Warriors-only game, use Robot Warriors Transform as written. In a game in which HERO System Powers are used, use Multiform as written in HERO System instead.
Power Defense: Has a cost identical to that listed in Robot Warriors for Flash Defense. Works the same way as it does in HERO System. A robot's Power Defense protects the robot and anyone inside; if they have their own Power Defense, they are protected by the greater of their own or the robot's Power Defense.
Shape Shift: If desired, it may be built as a System using the standard HERO System cost. It doesn't provide any abilities other than those listed under its description in HERO System Fifth Edition.
Skills: May be bought by robots. Self aware robots or monsters use Skills as characters do. Computers or AIs use them as normal. Robots without minds use Skills as Vehicles do.
Stretching: Build as a System costing 5 points times the robot's Size Class for 1" of Stretching.
Summon: If this is allowed, build it as a System using the standard HERO System cost.
Suppress: Build as a weapon. Use the "5/d6" column on the table below. When attempting to Suppress a robot weapon, roll the Suppress dice, and subtract the target's Power Defense (if any). Reduce the weapon's power by 1 DC per 5 points (+10 points per -1 Advantage) rolled. A Force Field is reduced by 1 DEF per 18 points (+20 per -1 Advantage). Armor may not be Dispelled or Suppressed.
Swinging: Has the same mass as Ground/Water Movement. If allowed. (Yeah, like a 200 ton robot is going to go swinging from buildings...)
Telekinesis: By GM permission. If allowed, build it as a weapon; the base STR of Telekinesis is enough to lift the same mass as the base mass of the Telekinesis Hardware. Limitations can, of course, reduce the Telekinesis Hardware's mass.
Teleportation: By GM permission. If allowed, it is Hardware with the same cost as Flight.
Transfer: Build as a weapon, using the "15/d6" column on the Weapon Construction Table Addendum, below. See above under Aid and Drain for how to adjudicate Transfer effects.
Transform: By GM permission. If allowed, build as a weapon. Use the appropriate column on the table below.
Weapon Construction Table Addendum
Below is a table showing Mass Units, Base Points worth of a Power, and three columns showing numbers of dice. For Powers above that say "Build as a weapon" without any other guidance, use this table.Legend:
Mass: Mass Units
Points: Base Points worth of a Power.
5/d6: Dice of Normal Damage, Cosmetic Transform, or other Power that costs 5 points per d6
10/d6: Dice of Entangle, Ego Attack, Minor Transform, Drain, Aid, or other Power that costs 10 points per d6
15/d6: Dice of Killing Attack, Major Transform, or other Power that costs 15 points per d6
| Mass: | Points: | 5/d6 | 10/d6 | 15/d6 |
| .25 | 45 | 9d6 | 4.5d6 | 3d6 |
| .5 | 50 | 10d6 | 5d6 | 3d6+1 |
| 1 | 55 | 11d6 | 5.5d6 | 3.5d6 |
| 2 | 60 | 12d6 | 6d6 | 4d6 |
| 4 | 65 | 13d6 | 6.5d6 | 4d6+1 |
| 8 | 70 | 14d6 | 7d6 | 4.5d6 |
| 16 | 75 | 15d6 | 7.5d6 | 5d6 |
| 32 | 80 | 16d6 | 8d6 | 5d6+1 |
| 64 | 85 | 17d6 | 8.5d6 | 5.5d6 |
| 125 | 90 | 18d6 | 9d6 | 6d6 |
| 250 | 95 | 19d6 | 9.5d6 | 6d6+1 |
| 500 | 100 | 20d6 | 10d6 | 6.5d6 |
| 1000 | 105 | 21d6 | 10.5d6 | 7d6 |
| 2000 | 110 | 22d6 | 11d6 | 7d6+1 |
| 4000 | 115 | 23d6 | 11.5d6 | 7.5d6 |
| 8000 | 120 | 24d6 | 12d6 | 8d6 |
| 16000 | 125 | 25d6 | 12.5d6 | 8d6+1 |
| 32000 | 130 | 26d6 | 13d6 | 8.5d6 |
| 64000 | 135 | 27d6 | 13.5d6 | 9d6 |
| 125000 | 140 | 28d6 | 14d6 | 9d6+1 |
Systems:
When applying Advantages and Limitations to general systems (as opposed to hardware), use the HERO System equivalent (if and only if there is no HERO System equivalent, then use the Robot Warriors modifiers; a -1 Advantage in Robot Warriors yields a +1/2 HERO System Advantage, and vice versa for Limitations), and figure the real cost of the system as per standard HERO rules. Activation rolls for general systems should be based off of the HERO System Power Limitation, as opposed to the one in Robot Warriors, but the Robot Warriors table still applies for hardware. Carried should be considered OAF.Escape Pod:
Escape Pod is a System that works a little differently than most (effectively, it is a System with mass, though its mass doesn't count against the main robot's Mass Units).
To buy an Escape Pod, spend a number of Construction Points equal to one fifth the base Construction Point cost of the Pod. The Escape Pod can have a maximum total mass equal to the Mass Units of the main robot's Chassis and Power Plant. (For Escape Pods smaller than 64 Mass Units, assume that for 0 Construction Points you get 0 Mass Units, +1 per 1 Construction Point. Effectively, a 16 Mass Unit robot costs 16 Construction Points for its total Mass. Consider this to be an extension of the table on RW page 19, official for purposes of this document.)
Don't spend any of the main robot's Mass Units on the Escape Pod. Instead, make sure that your main robot's Chassis and Power Plant has enough capacity for the robot's total Mass Units plus the mass of the Escape Pod. Write up a separate sheet for the Escape Pod. Also write down the mass of the Escape Pod on the robot's record sheet; it would look like this:
Const. System Points 15 Escape Pod (64 Mass Units).
Note: Don't use Escape Pod as a way to get a cheap Combining robot (use the Combine System for that).
Triggering an Escape Pod or Ejection System is a 0 Phase action that may be Aborted to. Aborting to eject requires a Combat Pilot or Combat Driving roll; if it is unsuccessful, the pilot does not successfully Abort or eject, though he may try again on the next Segment (if he is still alive). To replace an Escape Pod or Ejection System takes one Turn out of combat and a successful Mechanics or Damage Control roll (or one minute out of combat and no roll required); it may also be necessary to have another robot, mechanic's lift, or other mechanical assistance to put the Pod back in place.
Penetration Table result 36 (Escape Pod destroyed) is altered to read "Escape Pod hit". On this roll, apply the damage to the Escape Pod, and roll a separate Penetration Table result against it. (Note that an Ejection System is part of Life Support and is not damaged unless Life Support is damaged.)
Yes, an Escape Pod can have an Ejection System.
As far as I can tell, this change doesn't invalidate or change any prepublished robot designs. If it causes any robots you've already created to change, then use the standard HERO System method of updating them: if the new version costs more points, then you get those points for free; if it costs fewer points, you get those points back to spend elsewhere.
Martial Arts:
Martial Arts is a 20 point general system, which allows the character to use any Martial Arts maneuvers he may have while driving/piloting his robot. The character must take a 1 point Weapon Element: Robot with the martial art. Any maneuver which adds damage classes moves the robot's hand-to-hand damage down one level on the chart per +1 DC; Martial Arts maneuvers do grant their OCV and DCV bonuses. Every 5 points of STR added by a maneuver adds to the robot's STR for all Martial Arts purposes. Killing and NND damage provided by the maneuver have no additional effect on robots; robot Hand-to-Hand damage is already Killing. Self aware robots and monsters do not need to buy the Martial Arts general system in order to use any Martial Arts skills they may have (but note that robots with pilots and computers/AI must have this system; and also note that the computer/AI must have Martial Arts skill, a program to use it and Weapon Element: Robot if the computer/AI is to use the robot for Martial Arts.)Other General Systems:
Robots use point costs as listed in Robot Warriors for all general systems, unless otherwise specified by the GM or in this document.Robot Disadvantages:
Use all robot disadvantages as written in Robot Warriors.
Robots may take any Disadvantages from the HERO System that (a) are appropriate for vehicles and (b) don't already exist in Robot Warriors.
Note: Previous versions of this document had fuel requirements for robots by default. This is now changed back to the standard Robot Warriors way of handling fuel requirements.
Self Aware Robots, Monsters, Computers, and AIs:
Self Aware Robots and Monsters are built using these rules. Self Aware Robots and Monsters have base INT and EGO of 10 each, and base PRE equal to 10 times their Size Class, which may be bought up as normal. If a COM score is desired for Self Aware Robots and Monsters, it has a base of 10.For purposes of the penetration table, a computer or AI is considered a pilot. A Self Aware Robot, Monster, computer or AI that takes a pilot hit (locations 24 and 33 on the Penetration Table) is considered Stunned, and is treated exactly as a character that is Stunned (HERO System Fifth Edition pp. 273-274). In a robot that has both a computer/AI and a pilot, the computer/AI is treated as a sensor.
Combat:
All combat is per standard HERO System combat rules (more specifically, use HERO System for all combat maneuvers and modifiers, unless they are unique to Robot Warriors), with the following exceptions:Additional rules for damage from pp. 46-47 are used in robot combat.
Robot repairs are as per Robot Warriors p. 48.
Presence attacks are as per standard HERO System rules.
Note that all robot weapons (and hand-to-hand attacks using lifters) do killing damage.
The Penetration Table is used per standard Robot Warriors rules.
Knockback:
Use Knockback exactly as written in Robot Warriors.Feel free to give me feedback, especially to point out any omissions or outright mistakes I've made.
Errata:
Last Update: 16-Jul-2004. A bunch of edits. I've changed my design goal to be to attempt to use the Robot Warriors rules as much as possible, and to avoid where possible invalidating precreated robots.17-Jan-2003: Many, many changes have been made from this document since its previous forms. I'm restarting the errata page because of this.
Legal:
The original material presented here is my own creation, intended for use with the HERO System and/or other products of DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. This material is not official, and has not been approved or endorsed by DOJ, Inc.
Robot Warriors™ and HERO System® are trademarks of DOJ, Inc., used by permission. All rights reserved.
The HERO System™ ® is DOJ, Inc.'s trademark for its roleplaying system. See www.herogames.com for more information.
The HERO System and all associated games, game products, terms, and images are copyright © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. This webpage includes copyrighted material, which is used by permission of DOJ, Inc. All rights reserved.