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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Walker Mode Drones
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 23 2011, 09:03 PM
I don't see anything under Walker Mode that mentions the ability to add cyberlimb mods to it.
Is there anything in any other book that happens to mention it being allowed?
Seems like an oversight if you can add cyberlimb mods to mechanical arms but not to the legs used in Walker Mode.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 23 2011, 09:05 PM
They're walker legs, not cyberlegs. The walker mod doesn't even specify the number of legs, their size, anything.
What cyberlimb mods would even do anything? Nothing would affect your relevant vehicle stats.
Posted by: Squinky Oct 23 2011, 10:07 PM
There are a few mods that would be relevant to an anthroform Drone. Hydraulic Jacks, Foot spikes, and a bitching cyberholster to name a few.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 23 2011, 10:12 PM
But an anthroform wouldn't need Walker Mode, and adding Walker Mode doesn't make you an anthroform. AFAIK, adding Walker Mode doesn't let a vehicle jump, or climb, or kick, etc.
I do agree that the rules for anthroform drones are messy at best, trying to decide what tests you can make, what skill to use for them, etc. But this doesn't affect drone modding, unless they re-write the Walker Mode mod to be something like the Arm one (specific number of legs added, leg requirements for walking, specific stats, etc.).
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 23 2011, 11:00 PM
The Manservant has Walker Mode as a Standard option. As do all the other anthroforms. This is why the question.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 23 2011, 11:09 PM
Ah, I'm sorry. 
I thought you were talking about *adding* the Walker Mode mod to things. I've spent too much time on Dumpshock, so the first thing I think of is some BS motorcycle transformer mecha. 
In that case, yes: 'it's an oversight', is the polite way to say it. The anthroform rules in general are a mess, as I mentioned. In the case of the Manservant, they're some kind of lame (hyuk) non-cyberlegs, so you wouldn't expect to add cyber mods; but the fancy unattainable anthros like the Otomo do seem to be (fluff-wise) 'made of cyberlimbs'.
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 23 2011, 11:55 PM
should be possible to remove the gimped arms and legs of the manservant and install in ungimped ones?
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 24 2011, 12:00 AM
Fluff-wise, you mean? Makes sense. There are many assumed or reasonable aspects of the game world that the rules don't reflect. For example, someone pointed out that he wanted to buy wigs for his Face character. Or how you can't actually 'look away', because there are no facings.
The real problem is there are no anthroform options between the manservant and the unattainables. New legs would cost a lot more than the manservant costs altogether, but doing so would *still* be a cost-effective choice… because there are no choices.
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 24 2011, 12:12 AM
The real problem is there are no anthroform options between the manservant and the unattainables. New legs would cost a lot more than the manservant costs altogether, but doing so would *still* be a cost-effective choice… because there are no choices.
What I would have liked is if they had included the Manservant 1 and 2 in This Old Drone.
That and all of the others are not drones but body cases for cyborgs. They don't come with a Pilot program, so you would have to program one.
Posted by: Miri Oct 24 2011, 12:13 AM
Which makes me think of the Doberman I wanted to modify with Pimped Ride 2 and two cyberlimbs with extendable mods with a cyberspur on the end and Chameleon Coating. The Pimped Ride was to make it look like a classic DnD Displacer Beast and provide intimidation bonuses maybe. No rules on putting the cyberlimbs on a drone though :/
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 24 2011, 12:27 AM
There are rules for arms on the drones. And the cyborg bodies *are* drones, though maybe they shouldn't be.
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 24 2011, 12:36 AM
oh they are drones, but the Pilot rating is a dash because the pilot and it's comm is in the brain pan box they install in them. So if a standard rigger wanted to drive one they would have to write the Pilot program for them.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 24 2011, 12:41 AM
No, if a rigger *didn't* want to drive them. They're easily controlled by remote, or by jumping in.
Posted by: ShadowWalker Oct 24 2011, 12:58 AM
They're easily controlled by remote, or by jumping in.ah, true, they would still have a need for the rigging stuff already built in just waiting for the brain box to be slotted.
Posted by: Neraph Oct 24 2011, 04:16 AM
These are House Rules, but at my table you pay 2x the cost of the Manservant for a version that does not have Senior Citizen Syndrome ™. Pay the 1.1x cost for Walker Mode and the Arms and you get them as Modular limbs. Further, Walker Mode allows you to take cyberlimb upgrades. So far these rules haven't made any problems, although (as some of you could imagine) my tables tend to be much more... advanced than most.
Posted by: KarmaInferno Oct 24 2011, 05:44 AM
You could just buy a MCT Housekeeper or Saeder-Krupp Heimdrone, seeing as the same fluff that tells us the Renraku Manservant has crippled limbs also tells us it's Renraku specific.
-k
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 24 2011, 02:19 PM
That is just not true. Similar Models should be near-identical, with *maybe* one tiny numerical difference if the GM is generous.
Hehehe, 'advanced'.
Posted by: Squinky Oct 24 2011, 08:29 PM
Eh, the baseline manservant has a body of 3, thus strength of 3. I wouldn't be too worried about the fluff. Not much modding can be done to that thing.
Posted by: Udoshi Oct 24 2011, 08:36 PM
What cyberlimb mods would even do anything? Nothing would affect your relevant vehicle stats.
I dunno about you, but a techno-rigger in our game made a sword-bot out of a Mr. Fix-it, and wanted to mod Rollerskates onto its feet.
We couldn't figure out how to do it. I think we ended up deciding that using up its last modslot and Special Machinery covered it.
Another good proposal was to use a mechanical arm mod to represent space in the walker mod section.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 24 2011, 08:58 PM
At the time, I was talking about non-anthroform vehicles having Walker Mode added to them. In which case, adding rollerskates is basically insane.
Posted by: Neraph Oct 26 2011, 03:06 PM
Hehehe, 'advanced'.
Actually it is true, as "not being able to kick or punch" is not a numerical difference. In fact, looking at the strict statline for the Manservant you will not find that rule anywhere, nor anything about the panick button.
I'd say if you're going to use an alternate model then you can, but the drawback is no panick button built into it to shut it down either.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 26 2011, 03:18 PM
Ha! In case the machines rise up again.
My point is exactly that you can't go by the 'strict statline'. It inaccurately describes the vehicle, and Similar Models are supposed to be (as I noted) all but identical. Removing the MS-3 limits by this kind of cheating is exactly the same as *adding* random non-stat abilities to other vehicles via Similar Models… which the rules specifically say is BS.
Posted by: Miri Oct 26 2011, 03:25 PM
My problem with that is there are no affordable bipedal medium sized drones without making that removal available or somehow house ruling something to allow the Rigger to make modifications and changes to the drone to get around it.
Posted by: Yerameyahu Oct 26 2011, 03:43 PM
Yes. 
That is everyone's problem. And it does make sense to allow a black market mod to fix the problem. It just doesn't make sense to allow a white market cheat to circumvent it.
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