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basic robot design
Rules by David Pulver



drawn by Jeff Dee         The back of GURPS Robots mentions an "instant robots" section. But there isn't one. I think the book needs it, a short chapter at the beginning that allows you to quickly design a robot. After you've built a few simple models, you can go on to more complex ideas.
        So here it is. I condensed the GURPS Robots rules so you can make the most common type of robot: humanoid and human-sized.
        The Tech Level is limited to TL8, TL9, TL10, and TL11. There should be enough here to create C3PO, the Terminator, Blade Runner replicants, the Tin Man, Ash, Bishop, the Borg, and that bald woman in the first Star Trek movie.
        I left out most of the options from the book. I also removed the weapons, most of the accessories, and the dollar values. (Knowing a robot's cost is interesting, but it's hard to imagine when it would come up in a game. Will the player characters ever buy a robot? Maybe. But it doesn't seem important enough to include in this basic system.)




There are 25 steps . . .

BODY & BRAIN:     Tech Level     Proportions     Brain     Sensors     Communicators

LIMBS & JAW:     Arms     Legs     Jaw

POWER:     Energy Banks     Energy Bank Benefits

DURABILITY:     Surface Area     Structure     Hit Points     Armor     PD and Armor Value

APPEARANCE:     Biomorphics

STATISTICS:     Weight     Size     Strength     DX and IQ     Health     Does It Float?     Speed

PROGRAMS:     Complexity     Programs





1. Tech Level

        Choose a Tech Level, from 8 to 11.


EXAMPLE:     We'll build the robot pictured above, the TL10 sam-R.I. soldier.







2. Proportions
        Choose the cubic-foot size of your robot's torso, head, arms, and legs. The chart below shows the minimum, maximum, and average proportions for a human being. The closer you get to the extremes, the less likely the robot will be mistaken for a human.

  Minimum Average Maximum
Torso 0.5 1.5 2.5
Head 0.1 0.25 0.4
Arm 0.05 0.12 0.2
Leg 0.15 0.5 0.8

        Placement. As you add components to the robot, you'll place them inside the body, taking up space. At the end of each step, before the example, you'll find the placement rules.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has average proportions.







3. Brain
        Using the table below, choose a brain type. The robot's TL and the TL of its brain must be the same.
        The robot has Absolute Timing [5 points], Doesn't Sleep [20], Eidetic Memory version two [60], Lightning Calculator [5], Mathematical Ability [10], Cannot Learn [-30], Reprogrammable Duty [-25], No Sense of Humor [-10], and Slave Mentality [-40].

weight in pounds (volume in cubic feet)
Brain Type TL8 TL9 TL10+
Tiny 0.5 lbs (0.010 cf) 0.25 lbs (0.005 cf) 0.125 lbs (0.0025 cf)
Small 2.0 lbs (0.040 cf) 1.0 lb (0.020 cf) 0.5 lbs (0.010 cf)
Standard 40 lbs (0.80 cf) 20 lbs (0.40 cf) 10 lbs (0.20 cf)
Microframe 200 lbs (4.0 cf) 100 lbs (2.0 cf) 50 lbs (1.0 cf)
Mainframe 500 lbs (10.0 cf) 250 lbs (5.0 cf) 125 lbs (2.50 cf)

        Is the Robot Sentient? Any robot can have a neural-net brain, making it semi-sentient. This does not increase the weight or volume. (It increases the cost, but we're not bothering with that here.)
        To be a fully sentient, self-aware robot with true consciousness, the brain must be TL10+ and it must be a microframe or mainframe.
        If it has a neural-net, get rid of Cannot Learn and Slave Mentality. If it is sentient, get rid of Reprogrammable Duty and No Sense of Humor, as well.
        Placement. The brain can be placed anywhere. See page 39 of GURPS Robots if you don't believe me.


EXAMPLE:     Our TL10 robot has a standard, neural-net brain. It weighs 10 pounds and takes up 0.2 cubic feet. We'll put the brain in the head, leaving 0.05 cf.







4. Sensors
        The standard sensor package includes sight, hearing, smell, and taste. All are equivalent to a human.
        The sensors weigh 2 pounds at TL8. At TL9, they weigh 1 pound. At TL10, they weigh 0.5 pounds. At TL11+, they weigh 0.25 pounds.
        Missing senses reduce the weight of the sensor package. Use the table below. Don't choose more than one option per sense (the robot can't be Blind and have Bad Sight). Give the robot the listed disadvantages. These figures are the same at all TLs.

  Weight Disadvantage Points
No visual sensors -50% Blind -50
Low-res vision -20% Bad Sight -25
No depth perception -20% One Eye -15
No audio sensors -30% Deaf -20
Low-res hearing -20% Hard of Hearing -10
No smell/taste -20% Anosmia -5

        Sensor volume is weight/50 cf. Calculate the volume after you've made weight adjustments.
        Placement. Sensors are traditionally placed in the head, but that's not required. If you put them in the body, the GM might penalize a basic sense roll by -1 or -2 — they are less effective when they are below the head and, without a neck, unable to scan the area.


EXAMPLE:     Our robot has normal sensors, except it cannot smell or taste. This gives it a 5-point disadvantage and reduces the sensor package weight to (0.5 minus 20 percent) 0.4 pounds. The sensors take up (0.4 divided by 50) 0.008 cubic feet. We'll place them in the head, leaving 0.042 cf.







5. Communicators
        Normally, a robot can speak — it has a voice synthesizer. The standard communicator package also includes a radio and a cable jack (for interface with other robots and computers). The radio's range is 10 miles at TL8, 100 miles at TL9, and 500 miles at TL10+.
        The basic communicator package weighs 1 pound at TL8, 0.5 pounds at TL9, and 0.25 pounds at TL10+.
        Many robots will have only one or two of the three features. If the robot does not have a voice, reduce the weight by 80%. Without a radio, reduce the weight by 10%. Without a cable jack, reduce the weight by 10%.
        The volume is weight/50 cf. Calculate it after making weight adjustments for missing comm features.
        Placement. Communicators can be placed anywhere. Feel free to divide the three features (or two, if one of the features is dropped) into equal sizes and place them in different parts of the body.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has only a voice synthesizer — no radio or cable jack. This weighs (0.25 minus 20%) 0.2 pounds and takes up (0.2 divided by 50) 0.004 cf. We'll put it in the head, leaving 0.038 cf.







6. Arms
        The robot has two arms; each one requires an arm motor. Pick a single ST score for both motors.
        Each motor weighs 0.2 pounds per point of ST at TL8, 0.15 pounds per point of ST at TL9, 0.1 pounds per point of ST at TL10, and 0.075 pounds per point of ST at TL11. Each arm motor has a volume of weight/50 cf.
        The maximum arm size is 0.2 cubic feet, so the maximum ST at TL8 is 50. The maximum ST at TL9 is 66. The maximum ST at TL10 is 100. The maximum ST at TL11 is 133.
        Placement. Each motor must go inside an arm.


EXAMPLE:     Our robot's ST is 20. Each arm motor weighs (0.1 x 20) 2 pounds and takes up 0.04 cf







7. Legs
        The robot has two legs, each powered by a leg motor. The leg motors constitute the robot's drivetrain.
        Choose a motive power, expressed in kilowatts (KW). This is the maximum amount of power the leg drivetrain can handle.
        Since the legs can't be larger than 0.8 cf each, the maximum KW for each Tech Level is:
       TL8 = 1.32 KW
       TL9 = 2 KW
       TL10 = 2.65 KW
       TL11 = 4 KW
        The weight of each motor is 30 x KW at TL8, 20 x KW at TL9, 15 x KW at TL10, and 10 x KW at TL11.
        Each motor's volume is its weight/50 cf.
        Placement. One motor per leg.


EXAMPLE:     We'll give our robot a 1.6 KW leg drivetrain. Each of the leg motors weighs (15 x 1.6) 24 lbs. Each motor has a volume of (24 divided by 50) 0.48 cf. This leaves 0.02 cf in each leg.







8. Jaw
        Does the robot have a moving jaw? If so, it does crushing damage equal to its ST. Jaws automatically come with a mouth apparatus and teeth.
        Choose a ST score (3 is the human equivalent). The jaw weighs 0.1 pounds per point of ST, and takes up weight/20 cubic feet. (Impaling jaws weigh 0.15 pounds per point of ST and cost 10 character points.)
        Placement. If the robot is going to resemble a human, the jaw must be placed in the head.


EXAMPLE:    The TL10 robot has a ST 4 impaling jaw. It weighs 0.6 pounds and takes up 0.03 cf. We place it in the head, leaving just 0.008 cubic feet. It costs 10 points. Hey, this robot's head is full.







9. Energy Banks
        In the complete rules in GURPS Robots, robots can be powered by power plants, mechanical digestive systems that allow them to eat like people, and energy banks. In this condensed version, we'll stick to the last option and assume every robot has an energy bank of stored power inside, like batteries in a toy.
        An energy bank is made up of individual energy cells. You decide how many and what type of cells you want in the energy bank using the table below. These statistics are for rechargable power cells — in GURPS Robots, rechargable cells are listed with a small R before the cell type. To keep things simple here, we'll assume all power cells are rechargable and drop the R.
        The power is measured in kilowatt-seconds (KWS).
        How Much Power Does the Robot Need? Start with the KW value of the legs. Add power for the arms — they need a total of (ST divided by 200) KW. Add 0.1 if the brain is a microframe. Add 1.0 if the brain is a mainframe. (Communicators and sensors take up negligible power.)
        This is the amount of energy the robot uses each second when it is active. Divide the KWS of the energy bank by this figure to see how long the robot can last between recharges. To covert KWS to hours, divide by 3,600.

  Weight Volume KWS Stored
B cell 0.05 0.005 (TL-6) x 90
C cell 1.0 0.01 (TL-6) x 900
D cell 5.0 0.05 (TL-6) x 9,000
E cell 20 0.2 (TL-6) x 90,000

        Placement. The energy bank can go anywhere, but it will probably be placed in the body.


EXAMPLE:     First, the power requirement. The sam-R.I. needs 1.6 KW for the legs, 0.1 KW for each arm, and nothing for the brain, communicator, or sensors. Total: 1.8 KW.
        Our robot has one C cell and one D cell. The C cell weighs 1 pound, takes up 0.01 cubic feet, and holds (4 x 900) 3,600 KWS. The D cell weighs 5 pounds, takes up 0.05 cubic feet, and holds (4 x 9,000) 36,000 KWS. Both cells are placed in the body, leaving 1.44 cubic feet.
        The robot can operate for 22,000 seconds before it needs a recharge — 3,600 plus 36,000, divided by 1.8. That's (22,000 divided by 3,600) 6.1 hours.







10. Energy Bank Benefits
        Any robot with an energy bank can live without breathing. This is a 20-point advantage.
        In addition, the length of time required between recharges (the robot's "endurance") can be worth character points.
Under a minute -100 points
No more than 10 minutes -50 points
No more than 1 hour -25 points
No more than 6 hours -10 points
No more than 72 hours 0 points
No more than 168 hours 5 points
No more than 720 hours 8 points
Over 720 hours 10 points



EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has the 20-point Doesn't Breathe advantage. It can last slightly longer than six hours between recharges, so there is no character point value for its endurance.







11. Surface Area
        The surface area is an approximation, measured in square feet. It's used to calculate the weight of the robot's frame and its hit points. Calculate the head, arms, legs, and body separately and add the results together.
        Average human proportions will give you a total surface area of 21.5. The minimum human proportions have a surface area of 11.5, and the maximum has a surface area of 32.

Volume in cubic feet Area in square feet
under 0.03 0.5
0.03 to 0.06 1
0.07 to 0.12 1.5
0.13 to 0.19 2
0.2 to 0.26 2.5
0.27 to 0.3 3
0.4 to 0.5 4
0.6 to 0.75 5
0.8 to 1.0 6
1.1 to 1.25 7
1.3 to 1.5 8
1.6 to 1.8 9
1.9 to 2.2 10
2.3 to 2.5 11


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has average proportions, so we know the total surface area is 21.5. Suppose we gave it a barrel chest (maximum-size body) and wiry little legs (minimum size). That would result in a surface area of (head = 2.5, arms = 1.5 each, body = 11, legs = 2 each) 20.5.







12. Structure
        The structure of a robot is its internal skeleton and frame, on which skin and armor is placed. Thanks to the superiority of a metal and plastic frame over flesh and bone, robots automatically get the High Pain Threshold and Immunity to Disease advantages (10 points each). This is balanced by the No Natural Healing disadvantage (-20 points).
        The structure weighs 4 x the surface area at TL8. At TL9, it weighs 3 x the surface area. At TL10, it weighs 2 x the surface area. And at TL11, it weighs 1.5 times the surface area.
        The robot's structure can be unusually light or heavy. A light frame adjusts the weight to half it's normal level. A heavy frame increases the weight by 50%. Light-framed robots will be slightly faster, but lose a few hit points. With a heavy frame, these qualities are reversed.
        At TL9+, the robot can have a biomechanical structure. This is a mix of organic and mechanical parts. It increases the robot's cost, but has no effect on its weight. If the robot is biomechanical, it loses both advantages listed above, and it loses the No Natural Healing disadvantage.


EXAMPLE:     The structure weighs (21.5 x 2) 43 pounds. We'll give it a heavy frame, increasing the weight to 64.5 pounds. We'll also make the robot biomechanical, for no extra weight.







13. Hit Points
        Each body part has a number of hit points. Multiply the surface area of each part by the numbers below. If the robot has a light frame, cut each number in half; if the frame is heavy, double each number. Round to the nearest whole number, with a minimum of 1 hit per body part.
        Body: surface area x 1.5
        Each Arm: surface area x 3
        Each Leg: surface area x 1.5
        Head: surface area x 1.5


EXAMPLE:     The body has (surface area 8 x 1.5 x 2 for the heavy frame) 24 hits. Each arm has (1.5 x 3 x 2) 9 hits. Each leg has (4 x 1.5 x 2) 12 hits. The head has (2.5 x 1.5 x 2) 8 hits.







14. Armor
        Every robot can have armor, expressed as Damage Resistance. DR has a weight per point, calculated using the chart on the next page. The armor is spread evenly over the whole body, so the DR rating protects all parts against any physical attack.
        Metal armor is the most common type. It is composed of the highest-grade alloys for its TL. Ablative armor is plastic/composite; it chips away after repeated damage. Unlike metal, ablative armor loses 1 DR for every 10 points of damage from an attack — whether or not the damage got past the DR. (So, if the attack does 35 points and the robot has ablative DR 25 armor, 10 points get past the armor and the armor is reduced to DR 22 after the attack.)
        Multiply the number on the chart by the robot's surface area. That's the weight per point of DR, in pounds.
        No robot can have more than 50 times its body hits in armor pounds.

  TL8 TL9 TL10 TL11
Metal 0.15 0.1 0.06 0.04
Ablative 0.03 0.02 0.012 0.008


EXAMPLE:     We'll give our robot DR 100. The armor is ablative. It weighs (0.012 x surface area of 21.5 x 100) 25.8 pounds.







15. Passive Defense and Armor Value
        DR 1 armor has a Passive Defense of 1. DR 2 to DR 4 armor has a PD of 2. DR 5 to DR 15 armor has a PD of 3. And DR 16+ armor has a PD of 4. This is not cumulative with armor worn by the robot. (So, if your robot guard is wearing plate mail, disregard the Passive Defense of his built-in armor.)
        In addition to PD, the DR rating adds character point value. Use the chart below.

Ablative Metal Points
1-3 1 10
4-7 2-3 25
8-15 4-7 40
16-23 8-15 75
24-64 16-23 100
65-199 24-63 150
200+ 65-199 200



EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has PD 4. Its armor is worth 150 character points.







16. Biomorphics
        To what degree does the robot look human? Some robots have sculpted features — they have no skin, but their bodies are shaped to match human contours.
        Then there are robots with mannequin features. They don't have skin, either, but their bodies look very human. Their plastic or metal hides are colored to appear natural. In dim light or at a distance, the robot appears human. But its true nature is obvious when you touch it, smell it, or get close enough for conversation.
        After that, you start adding actual flesh. Realistic flesh is true skin placed on top of the robot's mechanical frame. The skin won't tan, bleed, bruise, or heal. A roll against IQ-4 or Diagnosis will expose the robot for what it is. So will any attack that does damage exceeding one third of the robot's hits.
        Living flesh is introduced at TL9. It is the same as realistic flesh, but much more sophisticated. A medscanner or skilled search is required to find out the robot is not human.
        Just because a robot has realistic or living flesh, it doesn't have to look human. It could look like an elf or a werewolf, for example. Give the robot an Appearance (p. B15) and record the character point value. This costs money but adds no weight or space.
        Some robots will have fur. This is placed on top of mannequin biomorphics, realistic flesh, or living flesh. (It does not work with sculpted features.) Fur adds DR 1 to the robot, for a character point cost of 4.
        If the robot has biomorphics, pick one of the first four options. Then decide if you want to add fur. Multiply the weight on the chart below by the robot's total surface area to get the actual weight. TL does not modify this.
Type Weight
Sculpted features 0.1
Mannequin 0.2     (0.45 with fur added)
Realistic flesh 0.5     (0.75 with fur added)
Living flesh 0.5     (0.75 with fur added)


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has mannequin features. This weighs (surface area 21.5 x 0.2) 4.3 pounds. If we wanted to add fur, it would increase the weight by (21.5 x 0.25) 5.4 pounds.







17. Weight
        You'll want to know the robot's overall weight, and it's weight in tons. Divide the robot's total weight by 2,000 to find its mass in tons. Record this number; you'll need it to find the robot's top speed.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. weighs 163.8 pounds. This is 0.0819 tons.







18. Oversized Robots
        Add up the volume for the body, head, arms, and legs. If the total is over 4 cubic feet, this "inconvenient size" is a disadvantage worth -10 points.
        The robot suffers the same reaction penalties as a character with Gigantism — +1 in combat situations, -2 otherwise.






19. Strength
        A robot's ST is split into two attributes: body strength and arm strength. We already know the arm ST. Body ST = (KW of the legs minus weight in tons) x 80. Round up.
        To find the character point value of the robot's ST, average the body and arm values. Then use the chart on page 13 of the Basic Set, or the advanced rules in the Compendium I.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has a body ST of 122 — 1.6 KW minus 0.0819, times 80. Its arm strength is 20. Averaging these two values gives us an overall ST of 71. Using the ST rules from the Compendium I, this is worth 195.5 points.







20. Dexterity and Intelligence
        These two attributes are calculated using the Complexity of your robot's brain. See the next page.
        Dexterity is (Complexity/2) +8. Round down.
        Intelligence is Complexity +3. Add +1 if the brain is a neural-net, +2 if it is sentient.


EXAMPLE:     The robot's Complexity is 6. This gives it DX 11 [10 points] and IQ 10 [0 points].







21. Health
        A robot's HT is different from its hits. Hits, which determine how much damage each body part can take, have already been calculated. HT is used when you need to roll against the robot's general reliability — the mechanical equivalent of rolling against a living character's HT to see if he heals, gets knocked out, or gets sick.
        Health is [(200 x body hits)/weight in pounds] + 5
        Round up, to a maximum of 12.
        Robots have a split HT score. According to the Compendium I, extra hits are worth 5 points each, and every hit lower than basic HT is worth -5.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. has a HT of 35 — 200 times 24, divided by 163.8, plus 5. We'll round it down to the maximum: HT 12. We write its HT score as 12/24. This is worth 20 character points for HT 12, plus 60 for the extra hits.







22. Does the Robot Float?
        To float, the robot must be sealed or waterproofed, and its weight cannot exceed its flotation rating. Its flotation rating is 60 pounds x its volume.
        Waterproofing and sealing cost money but add no weight or volume — add either if you want, but not both. Sealed robots add 20 points to the character point value because they are also protected against pressure changes, corrosion, and vacuum. Waterproofed robots are just like people: able to swim and dive to shallow depths without protection, but unable to handle vacuum, pressure, or corrosive atmospheres.


EXAMPLE:     We'll make the robot sealed, a 20-point advantage. It's flotation rating is 179.4 pounds. It weighs 163.8 pounds, so it can float.







23. Speed
        To calculate the ground speed of the robot, use this equation:
        1.) divide leg motor KW by weight in tons
        2.) find the square root of this number
        3.) multiply the result by 4

        This is the maximum number of yards the robot can travel per second. This is the same as a character's Speed score (see p. B14). Find the character point value on the chart below.

Speed Points   Speed Points
0 -35   10 20
1 -15   11-15 25
2 -10   16-20 30
3 -5   21-40 35
4-6 0   41-80 40
7 5   81-160 45
8 10   161-320 50
9 15   321-640 55




EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I. weighs 0.0819 tons. That means its Speed is 17.6 — 1.6 divided by 0.0819, square root, times 4. It can move 17.6 yards per second (the equivalent of 35 mph). This is worth 30 points.







24. Complexity
        The more complex the brain, the more complex programs it can run — no brain can run a program of a higher Complexity than its own. Brain Complexity also effects the number of programs it can run simultaneously.
        Complexity can be increased (or decreased) with a few brain options. Since these options only cost money — they take up no weight or space — they are effectively ``free'' using this basic robot system.

Brain Type Complexity
Tiny TL-7
Small TL-6
Standard TL-5
Microframe TL-4
Mainframe TL-3


        The biocomputer option gives the robot brain tissue and a nervous system that enhances its electronic mental structure. This makes the robot harder to repair (requiring rolls from two different Electronics Operation skills) but raises its Complexity by +1. A robot with a biocomputer must be sentient or have a neural-net.
        In addition, you can give the robot the genius option (+1 Complexity) or dumb option (Complexity -1).
        Every brain comes with two built-in features: its operating system and one language at IQ level (this includes literacy). These are combined with one or more programs, as explained below.


EXAMPLE:     The sam-R.I.'s brain is standard TL10, so its Complexity is 5. We'll add the biocomputer option, raising the Complexity to 6.







25. Programs
        The robot can run one program with a Complexity equal to its brain. Or, it can run ten Complexity-1 programs simultaneously. Or, it can run one hundred Complexity-2 programs simultaneously. Unless you want your robot shifting from one program to another during play (which makes for a very awkward robot), make sure all of its important programs are at least one Complexity level lower than the brain.
        The robot can only run programs with the same TL as its brain. A robot brain can store an unlimited number of programs.

There are four types of programs: advantage, personality, skill, and utility.
        Advantage programs provide the robot with one of the character advantages from the Basic Set or the Compendium I. Examples are listed below.

Program (value) Tech Level Complexity  
Ambidexterity (10) 7 + 2  
Charisma (5/level) 10 + 5 + 1/level sentient or neural net brains only
Combat Reflexes (15) 8 + 4  
Common Sense (10) 10 + 7 sentient or neural net brains only

        Personality programs can be voluntary (the robot can switch them on and off) or involuntary. Both kinds are available for all robot brains, including sentient and neural-net types. A robot can have more than one personality program; all but the first must be voluntary. Voluntary programs have no character point value.
        Personality programs are nothing more than sets of mental disadvantages and quirks with attached Complexity values. A "limited personality simulation" program, for example, is one to five quirks and a single mental disadvantage. Its Complexity is 4.
        A full personality simulation is represented by up to five quirks and any number of mental disadvantages. It is Complexity 5.
        Restrictive programs are personality programs that limit the robot's freedom of action by forcing it to do (or not do) something in certain situations. These restrictions come in the form of Combat Paralysis, Cowardice, Honesty, Pacifism, and Truthfulness. A single restrictive program can have any number of these disadvantages. Restrictive programs are Complexity 4.

        Skill programs are listed with a character point value — for example, Cooking [2]. Use the Basic Set skill chart to find the robot's effective skill. Sentient and neural-net robots can have skill programs, but they don't have to; their human-like brains allow them to have skills just like characters.
        The chart below shows the Complexity of skill programs, based on the character point value of the skill.

Character points Complexity
0.5 1
1 2
2 3
3 to 4 4
5 to 8 5
9 to 16 6
17 to 24 7

        Utility programs enable the robot to perform specific jobs. They are similar to professional skills, although they are treated as a separate type of program because they do not have character point values or levels. If a robot was designed to perform a particular task repeatedly, it is sure to have a utility program reflecting that job.

Utility Program Tech Level Complexity
Cargo handling 7 1
Domestic 8 2
Janitorial 7 1
Machine Operation 7 1
Repair 8 1




EXAMPLE:     We'll give our robot two advantage programs: Combat Reflexes and Ambidexterity. These add 25 character points. It has the following skill programs, each worth 8 character points: Katana, Buckler, Beam Weapons, Staff.







The Samurai       TL10
        The sam-R.I. is a soldier. It is encountered in 21st century Japanese corporate headquarters, in security positions. It is worth 622.5 character points.

Form
        Average proportions. ST 20 arms. Body ST is 122. The leg drivetrain is 1.6 KW. It has a ST 4 impaling jaw, placed in the head. The robot's surface area is 21.5. It has mannequin features and a sealed, biomechanical structure.
        Hit points: torso 24, each arm 9, each leg 12, head 8. Armor is DR 100. Passive defense 4.
        Total weight is 163.8 lbs, or 0.0819 tons.
        DX 11, IQ 10, HT 12/24, Speed 17.6

Brain and Programs
        It has a standard, neural-net brain, placed in the head. Complexity 6 biocomputer. Skills from programs: Katana-13 [8], Buckler-14 [8], Beam Weapons-14 [8], Staff-12 [8]. Total value of skills: 32 points. The robot does 3d+3 cutting damage with a swing of its katana.

Advantages
        Absolute Timing (5), Doesn't Sleep (20), Eidetic Memory 2 (60), Lightning Calculator (5), Mathematical Ability (10), Doesn't Breathe (20), armor (150), strength (195.5), dexterity (10), health (80), sealed (20), speed (30), Combat Reflexes (15), Ambidexterity (10). Total: 630.5 points.

Disadvantages
        Anosmia (-5), Reprogrammable Duty (-25), No Sense of Humor (-10). Total: -40 points.

Sensors and Communicators
        Normal sensors, minus smell and taste. Voice synthesizer, no radio or cable jack.

Power
        One C cell and one D cell, both placed in the body. The robot can operate at full power for 6.1 hours.





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