Stripped Gears

Stripped Gears

Stripped Gears is a work-in-progress homebrew roleplaying game based on the One Roll Engine. It is set in a near-future where the players are participants in an illegal subculture built up around modifying domestic robots into pit fighters.

Background

The year is 20XX, and robots have become indispensable in society. Powerful positronic brains combined with several breakthroughs in rechargeable batteries and animatronics meant that it had finally become feasible to build humaniform robots that could fill a wide variety of rolls. At the low-end, these brains aren't good for much more than housekeeping. At the high end, these robots fill a wide variety of roles. Lawbots are dedicated public defenders, medibots are the perfect general practitioners, and law enforcement and the military have obedient "man"power that don't collect pensions.

Naturally, not everyone was perfectly happy about the rise of robots, and it wasn't long after the first models entered the consumer end of the market before anti-robot activists successfully campaigned to heavily regulate them. Civilian robots always had to be "Three Laws Compliant" - that is, compliant with Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics - but that wasn't enough. Thanks to a few easily-scared killjoys swayed by a couple horror movies about haywire robots going on killing sprees, robots had to be further inhibited. Under the principle that a robot cannot do anything it has not been programmed to do, combat skill packages were banned and access to all but the most "simple" of brains had been heavily restricted.

And, for a while, this regulation seemed to work. After all, what was the point in taking a Three Laws-compliant bot and loading it up with combat software?

The point, as it turned out, was entertainment. Nobody's sure exactly where it all started - clubs in London, New York, Chicago, and Tokyo all have strong claims of being the first ones to do it - but a culture of underground robot pit fighting sprouted up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. People had started taking their domestic robots, wiping their programming, and loading them up with combat subroutines so that they could watch their meidobots and butlerbots and nannybots and sexbots rip each other to pieces. Naturally, these clubs became dens of all manner of vice and shutting them down became a high priority for law enforcement. Cops quickly figured out that a combat meidobot makes a shitty maid when all her housekeeping skills had to be wiped to make room for the ability to beat another robot into an unidentifiable mass of metal, and the Junk Johns (the owners of these combat robots) learned to get their hands on high-end brains that could fight AND clean. The arms race was on.

Public opinion on the matter remains rather split. Some feel that as long as the robots are hardwired into Three Laws compliance then it doesn't matter if they know how to hack apart another robot with a chainsaw. Others feel that there's too much risk of a robot going rogue after a fight and killing people. The media, for its part, seems to make a point of preserving the outlaw status of these rings because the issue makes great ratings. Either way, the problem isn't going anywhere any time soon, and truth be told, most of the Johns couldn't care less.

Mechanics

One Roll Engine

Stripped Gears runs off of the One Roll Engine. It uses d10 die pools and looks for matched sets of dice. The Width of a set generally determines the speed of an action, and the Height of the set generally determines the quality of an action. A roll of 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 8 could be said to be three wide, five high, or 3x5.

Stats

Every human character has six stats that determine general aptitudes: Body, Charm, Command, Coordination, Mind, and Sense. A human cannot have a stat higher than 5.

• Body describes physical toughness and power. A character with low Body could be considered "scrawny", while a character with high Body could be referred to as "beefy".
• Charm describes a character's ability to manipulate social situations. A character with low Charm could be considered "boorish", while a character with high Charm could be referred to as "persuasive".
• Command describes a character's force of personality. A character with low Command could be considered "meek", while a character with high Command could be referred to as "forceful".
• Coordination describes physical agility and dexterity. A character with low Coordination could be considered "clumsy", while a character with high Coordination could be referred to as "graceful".
• Mind describes a character's intelligence. A character with low Mind could be considered "stupid", while a character with high Mind could be referred to as "brilliant".
• Sense describes a character's ability to perceive the world around them. A character with low Sense could be considered "oblivious", while a character with high Sense could be referred to as "vigilant".

Robots, unlike humans, only have Body, Coordination, and Sense, and these physical stats can exceed five in the case of superhumanly strong, agile, and perceptive chassis.

Skills

Skills represent learning and life experience above and beyond natural aptitude. When a character uses a skill, they add their Skill total to the appropriate Stat to find the size of their die pool. For example, a character with Robotics (Hardware) 3 and Mind 4 would roll seven dice in their pool. Humans can raise no skill higher than 6, but they can attempt to use any skill - even ones they aren't trained in - as long as they have at least a 2-die pool. For example, a person with Mind 1 can attempt an untrained Cooking check with the help of some situational bonuses, like a detailed cookbook (+1), a well-stocked kitchen (+1), and enough time to be careful and do things right (+1 or 2), bumping his overall die pool up to 3 or 4. A robot's skills are determined by the quality of their skill packages, which can be as simple as Rank 2 (bare-bones) up to a maximum of Rank 8 (superhuman). Unlike a human, a robot that lacks a skill package for a given skill ""cannot"" attempt any use of that skill.

Body Skills

• Athletics: You are able to run efficiently, use your body’s leverage to lift heavier things than otherwise, climb rapidly, and so on.
• Block: You can intercept and deflect incoming attacks.
• Endurance: If you’re a person, Endurance lets you push through pain and push your body to its limits. If you’re a robot, Endurance can help you overcome negative Condition penalties and shut down secondary systems to extend operating life between charges.
• Melee Combat [Type]: You are skilled in a type of melee combat or weapon focus. Example Types: Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, Swords, Clubs, Flails.

Coordination Skills

• Acrobatics: You are a skilled gymnast and can complete flips, rolls, and handsprings. You can also use this skill to fall properly and to retain your footing after being thrown or knocked back.
• Ranged Weapons [Type]: You know how to use ranged weapons. Example Types: Guns, Throwing Knives, Crossbow.
• Dodge: You are adept at getting out of the way of attacks and danger you can see coming.
• Vehicle [Type]: You have training in the use of a specific type of vehicle. Routine use does not require a roll. Example Types: Car, Motorcycle, Truck, Blimp, Hang-Glider, Jet Aircraft, Helicopter, Sailboat, Speedboat.
• Escape Artist: You are skilled at escaping ropes, handcuffs, and other restraint devices.
• Lockpick: You are familiar with how to force, pick or bypass locks.
• Pick Pocket: You are skilled at sleight of hand and are capable of stealing jewelry, wallets, and other personal effects from people without their knowledge. This typically means a dynamic contest of your Coordination+Pick Pocket vs. the victim's Sense+Perception.
• Stealth: You are light on your feet and know how to remain unheard and out of sight. This typically means a dynamic contest of your Coordination+Stealth against their Sense+Perception.

Sense Skills

• Awareness: The ability to rapidly track changes in an environment.
• Empathy: The ability to discern lies and the emotional state of a person.
• Perception: The ability to rapidly spot details at a glance (like spotting an access panel on an enemy robot).
• Scrutiny: The ability to sift through an area or document in an organized manner.

Mind Skills

• Computer Hardware: You can repair and build computers.
• Cooking: You can cook.
• Programming: You can program or reprogram computers.
• Electronics: You can build, repair, and disassemble electronics without electrocuting yourself.
• First Aid: With the proper equipment, you can treat minor wounds in the field and help a badly injured patient survive long enough for more intensive treatment.
• Forgery: You can forge documents and recognize forgeries.
• Housekeeping: You can clean, put beds in order, and handle simple, regular maintenance of the household (like changing light bulbs).
• Mechanic [Type]: You can repair or build machinery of a particular type. Example Types: Cars, Jet Aircraft, Industrial Machinery.
• -Ology [Type]: A catchall skill for any form of high-level field. Example Types: Criminology, Cardiology, Law, Psychiatry
• Robotics (Hardware): You have the ability to work on the mechanical and electronic hardware of a robot.
• Robotics (Software): You have the ability to write and refine software packages for robots.
• Tactics: You are well versed in the arts of war and know how to use terrain, manpower, and equipment to coordinate attacks, prepare and avoid ambushes, and gain the upper hand in battles.

Command Skills

• Intimidation: You can cause a person to fear you through physical or psychological threats. This usually means a dynamic contest between Command+Intimidation and Charm+Resist.
• Leadership: You can effectively guide and direct others, even under fire.
• Performance [Type]: You have an entertaining skill and the confidence to perform it in front of large groups. Example Types: Acting, Flute, Guitar, Public Speaking, Singing.
• Robotics (Command): You know what orders to give to get the most out of your robot in-combat.
• Seduction: You’re skilled at attracting and manipulating others, particularly in a romantic sense.

Charm Skills

• Counseling: You can talk down a traumatized individual.
• Deception: You can obfuscate the truth and create convincing lies.
• Persuasion: You can convince people to see your side of an argument.
• Resist: You are unusually resistant to psychological and physical coercion such as intimidation, torture, telepathic attack, and brainwashing.

Character Creation

For a standard campaign, a player is to make two characters — a robot and an owner. The owner is created using the six stats and any of the above skills, using a point buy system that is not in place yet. The robot is made from parts purchased or built by the owner character which determine the robot's three stats, and loaded with software bought or programmed by the owner that determines skills.

Equipment

Brains

• Action-Reaction Brain - 3 skill points - $7,000

These brains are only capable of responding in a pre-defined way to very specific stimuli.

• Domestic Worker Brain - 5 skill points - $16,000

This brain is the baseline model for robots designed to accomplish simple tasks without supervision.

• Navigator Brain - 7 skill points - $25,000

Dealing with a changing environment can be difficult. Navigator brains are flexible enough to accomplish their tasks, even if the problems they face are in constant flux.

• Meido Advanced Brain - 9 skill points - $40,000

While many domestic robots are simple, some require a brain designed to handle complex social interactions.

• Micro-Server Brain - 11 skill points - $60,000

Micro-Server brains are designed to control multiple robots over a network. However, with some modifications, the smaller versions can concentrate their considerable power into just one model.

• Surgeon - 14 skill points - $100,000

Robots have steadier hands than a human ever will, but robot surgeons need to memorize many techniques and adapt under pressure to do their jobs.

• Military Hardware - 20 skill points - $250,000

While military brains are illegal, some of them end up on the black market.

Chassis

First draft of the Stripped Gears chassis catalog, part 1/3.

• Meidobot 100 - $4,000
• QT-X9 "Cutie" - $6,000
• Johnny Mann - $9,000

First draft of the Stripped Gears chassis catalog, part 2/3.

• SPD-303 "Speedy" - $11,000
• NAR-HML "Norm" - $16,000
• Jungle Joe - $30,000

First draft of the Stripped Gears chassis catalog, part 3/3.

• Z-ED "Officer Zed" - $55,000
• NAR-LW - $90,000
• NED-108 - $150,000

Weapons

• Fist, width shock, can be used with grapples - free
• Brass knuckles, width+1 shock, can be used with grapples - $50
• Pipe, width+2 shock - $50
• Meat Cleaver, width shock, 1 killing - $50
• Sledgehammer - width+3 shock, two handed - $100
• Fire Axe, width+1 killing, width shock - $100

Cost to Armor a Location

• Head: 1 Plate
• Arm/Leg: 2 Plates
• Torso: 3 Plates

Materials

• Light - 1 AR, $800/Plate
• Medium - 2 AR, $1,200/Plate
• Heavy - 3 AR, $4,000/Plate

Mods

Modifications can adjust stats of your robot and anything attached to it. The guidelines given here refer only to how many hardpoints a given mod takes up and its effects in-game. The actual monetary value of these mods has not yet been determined, except for armor (listed above).

• +1 bonus to three skills is worth 1 hardpoint
• +1 to a stat is worth 2 hardpoints
• Heavy armor is worth a hardpoint per location covered
• Medium armor is worth a hardpoint per two locations covered
• Light armor is worth one hardpoint and covers every location
• The ability to ignore penalties is 1 hardpoint per penalty point negated
• An integrated weapon takes up 1 hardpoint, plus another hardpoint for each damage it does in excess of W
• Hardpoints can also be spent to upgrade the damage bonus of an integrated weapon at a rate of 1 hardpoint per 1S, to a maximum of +3S
• Adding the Piercing tag to an attack that did not previously have it takes 2 hardpoints
• Upgrading all Shock damage a single integrated weapon can deal to Killing takes two hardpoints.

Combat

Combat rounds begin by both gynoids declaring their actions for the round, starting with the gynoid with the lowest sense stat. Once all actions are declared, players roll their relevant dice pools simultaneously. Players resolve their actions in order of the widest set first, breaking ties with height, and resolving tied heights simultaneously.

Attacking

Attacks work much like any combat rolls. The amount of damage is reliant on the weapon being used, and the location of the damage on the target is controlled by the height of the roll as shown on the hit diagram.

Defending

Using skills for defense is the same as attacking. However, each dice in a successful set removes a die from the attacker's set — provided that the defensive success is not narrower or lower than the offensive roll. Defensive dice can be spread out to defend against multiple attacks.

Damage

Damage comes in two varieties — shock and killing. A limb filled with shock damage is disabled. A limb filled with killing damage is destroyed and cannot be repaired.

Damage is assigned to specific locations based on the height of the roll. A roll of 1 hits the left leg, and a roll of 2 hits the right leg. Rolls of 3 to 4 hit the left arm, and rolls of 5-6 hit the right arm. Rolls from 7-9 hit the torso, and rolls of 10 hit the head.

Depending on weapon, one or both types of damage may be applied. Apply killing damage first, subtracting the armor value of the location lowered by 1. Fill in empty circles with Xs first, then shock damaged circles. If the location is full of killing damage, apply the remainder of the killing damage to the torso in the same manner, as well as the shock damage in the following manner. Next, shock damage is applied to any empty circles by drawing a line through them, then then to shock damaged circles. If the shock damage causes the section to fill with killing damage, any damage that overflows is done to the torso.

All successful attacks do a minimum of one shock damage, regardless of armor. Skills that involve disabled limbs cannot be used.

Modifiers

Gynoids can incur standard dice bonuses or penalties for many reasons.

• Using multiple actions in one turn uses the dice pool for the lower skill, reduced by one die.
• Using an attack or defense skill on an enemy gynoid with one or more disabled limbs increases the dice pool by the number of disabled limbs.

To-Do List

• Drives: Stripped Gears' version of FATE System's Aspects, Drives will provide bonuses for situations where important parts of a character's reasons for being a Junk John are satisfied.
• Maneuvers: More combat options other than "I attack". These will likely be linked to Drives.
• Appearance: Thus far, the Robot Fight Club aspect is coming along nicely, but we're short on the Pimp My Robot aspect.
• Crowdpleasing: Mechanics for making money by showboating, having a flashy robot, and generally making fights interesting. This will probably be primary income for an active party.
• Character Generation Rules
• Character Advancement Rules
• More Detailed Mod Guidelines: It's one thing to know how many mods you can mount on a robot, but we're lacking on how much the mods cost and some examples for how to describe a custom mod's fluff.
• Brains: We need more of them.
• Special Abilities: Ways to differentiate chassis and brains from one another using more than just their numbers.