Robot Combat Skills

[dragonfett]

I have been rolling up random characters for HU for almost a week when I rolled a Robotics power category hero. As I was rounding the character out, I was unable to find any of the Robot Combat skills that appear in Rifts, but the Robot and Vehicle Combat section of the book talks like it's a skill that is available (specifically talking about the number of attacks a character trained in Robot Vehicles/Power Armors commonly can have). Am I just overlooking something here?

[Stone Gargoyle]

The main book has a skill package in the robotics section where you can take combat as your focus. There are no skills written specifically for robots to take, though.

[dragonfett]

Can you give me a page and paragraph reference? I have read over the entire section again, and the only reference to increased attacks per melee is on page 194 under Robots piloted by a human where the pilot can get 1 to 2 extra attacks per melee, at a cost of $650,000 per attack.

[Saitou Hajime]

I remeber them basicly getting Expert sans the Number of attack, I take a look at home for the page number.

[dragonfett]

They get H2H Expert automatically, but I was wondering if there were any Robot Combat skills that added bonuses on top of that like in Rifts.

[Stone Gargoyle]

I believe you can buy extra attacks and get additional ones with the combat computer option. Sorry, no book handy at the moment to be able to tell you page numbers.

[dragonfett]

The Combat Computer only adds +2 initiative, and +1 to strike, parry, and dodge.

[Razorwing]

HU main rules, Pg. 194, second column under the Heading "Note on Attacks per Melee: Robots Piloted by a human".

Basically, there is no Pilot: Robot skill to give robot pilots additional bonuses as in Rifts (this isn't Rifts after all)... however, robot Pilots do gain some initial bonuses (in addition to those provided by the robot's sensors). The Pilot Robot Vehicle skill mentioned on Pg. 196 is more like an actual pilot skill... like automotive or motorcycle. The pilot uses their own hand to hand combat skills, plus what the robot he pilots provides.

[dragonfett]

I understand that HU isn't Rifts and I'm fine with that, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking something as I have never actually played the game.

[RockJock]

Based on the page 194 reference, +1 attack, and another +2 additional attacks if you buy them.

It doesn't say it, but I always thought of buying the attacks, plus things like the telemental helmet, and combat computer were sort of the HU equivalent to Rifts Robot Combat Skills. Different mechanism, but similar end results.

[dragonfett]

What page could the Telepathic Helmet be found on?

[Stone Gargoyle]

HU main rules, Pg. 194, second column under the Heading "Note on Attacks per Melee: Robots Piloted by a human".

Basically, there is no Pilot: Robot skill to give robot pilots additional bonuses as in Rifts (this isn't Rifts after all)... however, robot Pilots do gain some initial bonuses (in addition to those provided by the robot's sensors). The Pilot Robot Vehicle skill mentioned on Pg. 196 is more like an actual pilot skill... like automotive or motorcycle. The pilot uses their own hand to hand combat skills, plus what the robot he pilots provides.

I believe the Pilot: Robot skill may be listed in the Aliens Unlimited Galaxy Guide. I always make it a skill available to players taking the Robotics skill in any case.

[RockJock]

The robot combat skill is on page 203 of AU: GG.

The helmet is on 210 of HU.

[say652]

While the robot pilots in hu aren't as technically skilled as Rifts pilots, the systems give far superior bonuses to compensate.

[glitterboy2098]

ok point of order..

the Pilot: robot skill is found under the Robotic catagory hero entry. it only covers the % rolled against for piloting.

there is no Robot: Combat skill that gives additional bonuses the way there is in rifts. bonuses have to be built into the robot/PA at creation using the various system options.

[dragonfett]

ok point of order..

the Pilot: robot skill is found under the Robotic catagory hero entry. it only covers the % rolled against for piloting.

there is no Robot: Combat skill that gives additional bonuses the way there is in rifts. bonuses have to be built into the robot/PA at creation using the various system options.

That is what I had thought, but I wanted to make sure I hadn't overlooked anything.

[RockJock]

Galaxy Guide has the Robot Combat skill on page 203. An extra attack, and bonuses for strike, dodge, and initiative.

The blurb says that Robot characters have the skill for free.

It isn't exactly the same as the Rifts Robot Combat Skills, but it is close. The class works with or without it.

[dragonfett]

Galaxy Guide has the Robot Combat skill on page 203. An extra attack, and bonuses for strike, dodge, and initiative.

The blurb says that Robot characters have the skill for free.

It isn't exactly the same as the Rifts Robot Combat Skills, but it is close. The class works with or without it.

It sounds like Robot Combat: Basic.

Thank you all for your replies, by the way.

[Razorwing]

If you read the paragraph under Galactic Skills by Category on Pg. 201, you will see that it states that the skills in the Galaxy Guide are intended for Galactic level games... involving spacefaring societies like those described in both Aliens Unlimited and the Galaxy Guide. It even states that the skills within (including Robot Combat) are probably not available to Earthlings as the skills are for more advanced cultures centuries more advanced technologically than what Earth (even in Heroes Unlimited) is. Many of the civilizations in the galaxy have been mastering the science and engineering of Robotics for centuries, while on Earth, robotic systems are in their infancy, and are too rare to warrant a unified combat skill that will be uniform to all robot pilots (since most of these systems are highly classified government or industrial secrets that are not shared... with anyone).

This said, the final arbiter of whether you can take these optional skills as an Earth Human hero is your GM.