Android PCs

[Michael Hopcroft]

An Android PC is built the same way as any other PC -- same poitn base, etc. But what speicial abilities would an adroid have to buy to represent his android nature, and would they make him less effective a character than a human character of the same point base?

[DigitalGolem]

Short answer: It depends.

 

Long answer: androids will vary depending on how they're designed. They're often stronger, faster, tougher, etc, so their characteristics might be much higher than humans'. And they probably don't have any "characteristic maxima". They tend to have lots of talents, like Absolute Time Sense, Ambidexterity, Eidetic Memory, Lightning Calculator, Speed Reading and others. There also several powers common to androids; Armor, Endurance Reserves, Enhanced Senses, Life Support, and various movement and defense powers.

 

All this gets expensive in terms of points, which cuts into the android's points used on skills, perks, etc. So the character might be quite powerful, but short on know-how or training.

 

See Star Hero pp15-16, 23, 165-68.

 

DG

[Asperion]

DigitalGolem has a good point about androids requiring alot of points that should go into all the programs (skills) that make the droid work. Although you can eliminate many of these points (if not all) by working with the GM to create a droid package that all droids must take. By doing this several attributes, programs, limitations, and other abilities could be obtained at either a reduced or zero cost. However there is a price for this bonus. In game it would actually make it easier for opponents to determine ways to defeat you either in or out of combat. As far as character goes this does limit some of the concepts that might be created. One good package disad that I can think of is the Phys Lim: Does not heal. He can still have a REC that states how fast he recharges his power cells, not how fast he can heal damage. Remember that this package must be created with the assistance of the GM and he must approve it before it is used as (like all packages) there is great potential for abuse.

[Lupus]

There is, of course, no reason to build an android PC to be stronger/tougher/whatever than a human. you also don't have to go into the android powers (does not bleed, cannot be stunned, etc). It can just change special effects.

 

If the PC wants to be Data... then it's gonna cost a lot of points, probably too many for most heroic games. Unless you allow points breaks (say, 'restrainable, only by EMPs, -1/4' on everything, although something like that would be better-represented by a phys lim) the android is going to be, overall, no more effective than a normal human.

 

You may wish to allow an android PC to break the disads limit, but I'd be wary of that. Myself, as a GM, I'd never allow it. But that's mostly because I've seen too many Data-like androids (what is humanity? what is love?) and just can't stand them any more.

 

On the other hand, in a heroic game, I /would/ consider letting an android be built with a few more points for the purpose of buying things that are normally replicated by equipment. Say, certain levels of life support. That kinda thing could be interesting. But I'd have to look very carefully at what those points buy.

 

As for packages... I was under the impression that the disads in package deals count towards the character's disadvantage limit. Therefore, they don't provide 'free' points at all. Yes, this does mean that 'package cost: 0' is deceptive at worst and uninformative at best. It's just the way it's done.