Pimp My Automaton

[Vurbal]

I'm building an automaton for a Champions character. The basic concept is a small sphere that can fly to a remote location (like wherever the rest of the team is engaged in combat) and transmit video (normal sight) back to my character so he can communicate what's going on to his teammates. Eventually it will also be able to transmit audio, and possibly other sense based data, and also physically interact with computers and tap into data lines. He'll communicate with it through a computer worn on his person somewhere. I have the basic design mostly finalized in my head, but I'd like input on some of the different options I'm considering.

 

1. Communication From Automaton To Computer

For basic communication I'm planning to use Mind Link: Machine Class of Minds; One Specific Mind (character's computer); No LOS Needed. I'm also giving the automaton and computer both High Range Radio Perception and defining the Mind Link as Only Through HRRP Signal.

 

2. Data Transmission

Since you can't see or hear computer data (direct from data transmission media - including the pins of a chip) with normal senses, how would you write this up? Would you define a sense (possibly either in or based off of the radio group) to interface (listen and transmit) to data transmission media? Would you require Clairsentience to transmit this to a remote location (which is how I'm planning to transmit vision/hearing/other sense based information)? My initial thought is that this would basically be like "talking" through the Mind Link so no Clairsentience should be necessary.

 

3. Automaton Disads

What Disadvantages would you consider appropriate for an automaton like this? My initial thoughts are to give it physical limitations for not having limbs for propulsion or carrying things and having a camera lens for vision (decreased arc of perception and limited depth perception). It will start out with no sense of hearing, smell, or touch, but since it won't (initially) be given instructions that require those senses the only way that's really limiting is that additional points would be required later when I want it to be able to transmit information gathered via those senses.

 

Thoughts about anything here or anything else I haven't covered are welcome.

[transmetahuman]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Sorry I don't have time to actually contribute, here, but I just had to say that this might be my favorite thread title, ever.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Is there some reason you're not just using Clairsentience?

[Vurbal]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

I am using Clairsentience for transmitting video/audio/other normal sensory data. The Mind Link is specifically to create a secure connection (a VPN of sorts).

 

Edit: If you mean why don't I use Clairsentience for the entire thing, it's mostly because I want a device that can be given instructions and operate independently. I also want it to be able to lose abilities per the automaton rules.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

I mean, is there a reason why you're not using Clairsentience for the whole Power? The whole description of Clairsentience is "Put a sensory point anywhere I want it." It automatically goes where you want it to, and with the appropriate (Adder or Advantage, I can't recall which) you can "float" it around anywhere you want. And there's nothing in the description of the Power that says anyone can listen in on it.

 

Instead of an automaton, the Power you want is Clairsentience, Normal Sight, whatever other senses you want, with the Physical Manifestation Limitation and the "floating" modifier.

 

Trying to build it as an Automaton with a Computer is massively overbuilding.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

He beat me to it. This is Clairsentience, everything else is flavor.

[Vurbal]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

I mean, is there a reason why you're not using Clairsentience for the whole Power? The whole description of Clairsentience is "Put a sensory point anywhere I want it." It automatically goes where you want it to, and with the appropriate (Adder or Advantage, I can't recall which) you can "float" it around anywhere you want. And there's nothing in the description of the Power that says anyone can listen in on it.

 

Instead of an automaton, the Power you want is Clairsentience, Normal Sight, whatever other senses you want, with the Physical Manifestation Limitation and the "floating" modifier.

 

Trying to build it as an Automaton with a Computer is massively overbuilding.

Thanks for trying to help, but I'm aware of the implications of the build. It's not overbuilding if it does what I want - which it does, in the way that makes the most sense to me - which it does, without seeming more complicated than it needs to be to me - which it doesn't.

 

To be more specific, during combat I anticipate my role to be primarily based around using one or more of these items to collect data that I can relay to the rest of the team. I also expect to use them for many other things outside of combat, such as shadowing, bugging, and intercepting various forms of electronic communications. As it's going to be my surrogate for a good portion of the time I'm gaming, I don't want its interaction with PCs, NPC's, and the environment in general to be handwaved any more than I would want my character's interaction with those things to be handled that way. Otherwise I wouldn't be playing Hero. Likewise I don't want to re-invent the wheel and come up with an entire set of advantages and limitations to make the powers manifested in these items work the way I want them to with regard to the rules when automatons are already close enough to what I'm looking for to do the job.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

As it's going to be my surrogate for a good portion of the time I'm gaming,

 

I'm curious as to why you would rather play your character's hardware than the character.

 

That aside, you haven't told us anything about the ability that makes it something other than garden variety Clairsentience.

[Badger]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Just curious, do you plan on giving it any kind of defenses? Maybe, for emergency situations only, but if discovered it would be helpful if it could shoot something (energy beam, etc) to buy time to run for it. Also, if it was me I would prefer to add hearing in with it, rather than just a visual (if I am reading how you are starting out with it, correctly). With just visual (and limited at that) it would be extremely handicapped.

[Utech]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Just like to voice my support for your idea of building this as an automaton. I recently ran a game in which a player wanted to do something similar and I asked him to please write it up as an automaton rather than Clairsentience. He did so and I really liked the way things worked.

 

He used a laptop to pilot a couple of robots into buildings. He walked and flew them around. Because they were built as automatons he had to worry about them being spotted, setting off alarms, figuring out ways to get them into and out of some rooms, and -- best of all -- he had to be worried about them being captured or destroyed.

 

With Clairsentience he would have lost a great deal of drama and excitement.

 

'Course that's just my opinion.

[Zed-F]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Automatons can push buttons; Clairsentience can't.

 

You don't necessarily need to stat it out to the Nth degree. So long as the GM and the player have an agreement on what the things can and can't do, and how they are influenced by the environment and can influence it, you can feel free to handwave from there. SFX can be used to justify either build, and conversely either build can be made to fit the SFX... though if you do want the things to be able to impact the environment, you might need to link an indirect TK to the Clairsentience, and make sure the Clairsentience is targeting.

 

For me, either way works. I'd post the writeup that Andy Utech is talking about, but I don't have it on my work computer.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

While an Automaton would be a great build, from what you are describing, but you can do this, even with most of your future enhancement, with Clairsentience. All you are basically doing is perceiving one remote location. The rest is just how you build it. The following accurately represents an accurate build for your initial setup:

 

Cost Powers END

30 SpyBot: Clairsentience (Sight Group), x16 Range (3,600"), Mobile Perception Point (can move up to 12" per Phase), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); OAF (-1), Sense Affected As Radio Group (-1/2) 0

5 SpyBot Control Conputer: Computer

 

SpyBot Control Computer

Player: Val Char Cost 11 DEX3 10 INT0

 

2 SPD0

 

Characteristics Cost: 3

Cost Skill 3 Concealment 11- 6 Navigation (Land) 13- 3 Shadowing 11- 3 Stealth 11- 2 KS: Friends & Foes 11- 2 CK: Campaign City 11- Skills Cost: 19

Cost Talent Programs 1 1) Program: Locate Specified Target 1 2) Program: Shadow/Monitor Specified Target 1 3) Program: Map Area Talents Cost: 3

 

 

P.S.: Could some please point me in the direction of an export template HD I can paste onto the Hero Boards that'll actually work?

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Cost Powers END

30 SpyBot: Clairsentience (Sight Group), x16 Range (3,600"), Mobile Perception Point (can move up to 12" per Phase), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); OAF (-1), Sense Affected As Radio Group (-1/2) 0

 

Probably add Physical Manifestation. Probably a Telekinesis Power to represent the drone's ability to do stuff. Add Eidetic Memory somewhere if you want to record.

[Zed-F]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Alternatively, here's the writeup I eventually came up with for an insect-bot for a heroic level character. These wound up costing about 5 points each as followers. (See HTML attachment).

[Vurbal]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

I'm curious as to why you would rather play your character's hardware than the character.

 

That aside, you haven't told us anything about the ability that makes it something other than garden variety Clairsentience.

Sorry I didn't respond to this earlier but I've been working way too many hours.

 

I don't see it as playing the hardware any more than I see using the focus mechanic for it would be. IMO the mechanics of an automaton work best for this manifestation of powers. If all I were planning to do with it was Clairsentience I'd be doing it the way you suggest. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[feralucce]

Re: Pimp My Automaton

 

Ummm... would clairsentience work for the computer interface?

 

and what if, just an idea, he wanted it to be able to open doors, or shoot a gun? I mean, I dunno if that's the plan, but if he wants to interact with the world... it seems to me something other than clairsentience would be in order