about Psyscape Cover...

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Axelmania
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about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

1) what is that robot?

2) how heavy do you think it's head is?

3) RUE 286 gives a x10 formula for how much you can carry, both this and the doubling for lifting presumably presents doing so in the most efficient manner (using all joints) so how much should it be reduced by lifting things inefficiently, like lifting something to shoulder level with a nearly-straight elbow?

4) do we have rules anywhere for being able to hold things with the hand of an arm that is looped through a shield?

5) was Zeleznik doing a "holding a severed head by attached cords on a purple-spine world book" tribute to Brom's cover of WB6?

6) what should AR of her body armor be?

7) would levitation like this be necessary to get high enough to strike the neck of a tall robot?

8) should wearing gloves give you some benefits to gripping a psi-sword better?

9) what are the benefits of wearing scarves that only cover 1/3 of your throat when you are baring your shaved armpits to the cold air?

10) if you wanted to grab a severed robot head by its neck-wires immediately after slashing it, would that be an entangle?

11) if you have entangled a robot head by its neck-wires, would that allow you to use it as a flail?

12) are psi-shields better light sources than psi-swords?

13) if you have 2 long scarf-ends trailing about, would that confuse robots, or just give them something to grab?

14) can you have a super-slippery scarf which a robot will try to grab but which is so frictionless it just slips through its grip every time?
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torjones
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by torjones »

Axelmania wrote:1) what is that robot?

I don't think that we've ever seen the stats or a name for that particular bot, or at least I don't recognize it.
Axelmania wrote:2) how heavy do you think it's head is?

I'd say it could be what ever you want, but I'd guess somewhere in the 50-75lbs range, though depending on construction, what all is supposed to be in the head, it could be as light as 25 lbs or as heavy as 200.
Axelmania wrote:3) RUE 286 gives a x10 formula for how much you can carry, both this and the doubling for lifting presumably presents doing so in the most efficient manner (using all joints) so how much should it be reduced by lifting things inefficiently, like lifting something to shoulder level with a nearly-straight elbow?

I wouldn't bother with getting that far into it. There's enough complexity to slow the game down with as is, no need to add more complexity to the game making it even slower. I also wouldn't call it "the most efficient manner" I'd call it the average efficiency, unless something I've missed or forgotten over the many years.
Axelmania wrote:4) do we have rules anywhere for being able to hold things with the hand of an arm that is looped through a shield?

Not that I'm aware of. I know that depending on the shield it was a reasonably common practice to keep a backup weapon there. It was more common with larger shields than with smaller ones, and also farther back in time. It was very common with some of the Greeks to hold several throwing spears in that arm/hand, throw one, grab a spare, throw that one, and draw a sword, lock shields, and kick ass. With a shield smaller than a Heater, I'd be less liberal with what I'd allow a player to hide behind it, though if the player doesn't care if his opponents see it, so be it. Keep in mind also that some shields weren't meant to be strapped to the arm, but held in the hand, and for those shields, I wouldn't let a player hold the shield and something else in the hand, but I would allow them to attach things, like short spears and swords, to the back side of the shield.
Axelmania wrote:5) was Zeleznik doing a "holding a severed head by attached cords on a purple-spine world book" tribute to Brom's cover of WB6?

I don't know, but it's possible, though the WB6 cover was grabbing a critters antenna.
Axelmania wrote:6) what should AR of her body armor be?

Considering how little of her is covered, I'd call it Half Padded, and padded armor is AR8, so I'd be generous and give it AR6. If however, you went with the woman's outfit on p. 28, I'd give that the full AR10 for soft leather, assuming that it was actually the leather that the majority of it looks like.
Axelmania wrote:7) would levitation like this be necessary to get high enough to strike the neck of a tall robot?

I always figured it was TK Flight, but it was omitted from the book. But, yes, I think that you'd have to have some way of getting up to the bot's head before you could chop it off, so either knock the bot down or fly up to it.
Axelmania wrote:8) should wearing gloves give you some benefits to gripping a psi-sword better?

I don't think so, the psi-sword is, according to all the descriptions of it, not only a very personal weapon, but almost an extension of the user's will. As such, I don't see how gloves would provide any additional control.
Axelmania wrote:9) what are the benefits of wearing scarves that only cover 1/3 of your throat when you are baring your shaved armpits to the cold air?

Style only, I would imagine. Depending on the scarf, I'd say it provides some protection against vampires, but considering how thin it is, and how easily removed it should be, that protection is minimal.
Axelmania wrote:10) if you wanted to grab a severed robot head by its neck-wires immediately after slashing it, would that be an entangle?

If it has to come to a dice roll, I'd call it a roll to strike, with maybe a -2 penalty for small target.
Axelmania wrote:11) if you have entangled a robot head by its neck-wires, would that allow you to use it as a flail?

A head that big and heavy? I'd say it would depend on the character's strength score, but in theory, yes.
Axelmania wrote:12) are psi-shields better light sources than psi-swords?

They seem to be about the same, but YMMV of course.
Axelmania wrote:13) if you have 2 long scarf-ends trailing about, would that confuse robots, or just give them something to grab?

It reminds me of two words "NO CAPES!"
Axelmania wrote:14) can you have a super-slippery scarf which a robot will try to grab but which is so frictionless it just slips through its grip every time?

Theoretically, yes, but practically, I doubt it. It would require an active materials science R&D effort, and for the most part, they seem to be still recovering from collapse and constant ongoing wars. while long periods of war is good in some ways for technology development, as long as the war is being fought somewhere else, that's not always true for materials science. Materials science grew a lot more from the space program for example than it did from WWII.

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ShadowLogan
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

Axelmania wrote:"]1) what is that robot?

Don't know never looked into it. Given the nature of the Eye wouldn't it be a Triax Model or Arkon (SA). It might also just be a random thing not in the books.

Axelmania wrote:2) how heavy do you think it's head is?

If it retains the same mass distribution as the human body approx. 8%.

Axelmania wrote:3) RUE 286 gives a x10 formula for how much you can carry, both this and the doubling for lifting presumably presents doing so in the most efficient manner (using all joints) so how much should it be reduced by lifting things inefficiently, like lifting something to shoulder level with a nearly-straight elbow?

As this is clearly a psychic, how can you be sure psychic powers are not being used to lift the head. (Ex. TK lift increases it by 20%, straight TK/Levitation is also possible but more expensive). You are also assuming an "average" PS, they could qualify for a higher PS (I know it doesn't look like it, could be a D-Bee for ex).

Axelmania wrote:6) what should AR of her body armor be?

That depends on the material, and if other enchantments might be in effect to raise the AR.

Axelmania wrote:13) if you have 2 long scarf-ends trailing about, would that confuse robots, or just give them something to grab?

Depends on the Robot, not all Robots are equal. It might also depend on how the wearer uses them.
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VR Dragon
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by VR Dragon »

My question has always been, who is the lady on the cover in the white outfit and white hair? is she a human or what race?
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Nekira Sudacne
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Nekira Sudacne »

1. I dunno. Honestly it looks most like a Triax Hunter-Killer bot but with one eye instead of the visor. Maybe the Eye is under the Visor?
2. Probablly 50-ish pounds
3. I would generally say you can lift half your maximum carry with only one hand unless you explain how the weight is being distributed more evenly (Say carrying someone with a fireman's carry could leave a hand mostly free). I don't think there needs to be rules for trying to one-arm something that way, if you have SN PS, then physics already don't explain your strength. for non-SN, I'd say 1/3 max carry.
4. Sure, your max carry is deducted by the weight of your sheild, same as any other gear. If your hand is free, then it would be akward, but you could probablly do it. At least for the style of sheild shown. a tower sheild would be more akward.
5. Who knows?
6: What makes you say that's even armor? I figured she was using Psychic Body Feild for armor and had no armor on at all
7. Depends on how tall you are and how tall the robot is, and what the reach of your weapon is, obviously. If my guess is right, it'd be 13 feet tall, so most human-sized people weilding normal-sized weapons would probablly need to levitate.
8. It's energy coming out of your hand, there is no grip, a grip is not even possible, so no.
9. It's called style. not everything someone wears is practical.
10. I'd say just roll to strike, it's not going to be resisting.
11. It wouldn't qualify for a W.P as anything but W.P. Improvised Weapon, but sure, Swing it at people. I'd probablly say 3d6 damage but also -4 strike, it's very heavy and akward, so hits hard, but hard to hit.
12. Probablly. You'd want the psi-sheild bright so it's a more noticable target.
13. Just give them something to grab.
14. I don't know of anything in palladium that's frictionless, but sure, you can have a magical super-slippery scarf.

None of this would explain why the Robot would waste time with a grapple on a scarf when mechanically it's no better than trying to grab your head to squeeze like an overripe tomato into red paste, though.
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Axelmania
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

VR Dragon wrote:My question has always been, who is the lady on the cover in the white outfit and white hair? is she a human or what race?


My headcanon is that it's the "beautiful female warrior dressed in white" that Tarn describes a Grey Seer having dreamt of (page 14, an October 105 PA to Plato)

Tarn describes also having a dream about her where she is initially "made entirely of ley line energy" which resembles pg 30's "Transform into energy beings" ability.

If Tarn dreamt of someone who actually does have that ability, at a cost of 270 to actually use it, a Mind Melter with ME 10 who rolled a perfect 18 on his 3D6 (190 to start) would need to advance 8 levels (level 9) to get that much...

This is of course, a place where the BTS rules for ISP multiplication when facing supernatural threats would be super-awesome because if you're at x10 to ISP when facing an alien intelligence you'd only need 27 ISP to use that power, making it achievable even for some minor psychics.

Nekira Sudacne wrote:6: What makes you say that's even armor? I figured she was using Psychic Body Feild for armor and had no armor on at all

Pg 43 describes those as "dim, white, transparent" which is sort of confusing (something truly transparent would have no color at all: being visible in ANY way means it is translucent) but I figure it's some kind of white glow and I don't see that around her, just her weapons.

Nekira Sudacne wrote:None of this would explain why the Robot would waste time with a grapple on a scarf when mechanically it's no better than trying to grab your head to squeeze like an overripe tomato into red paste, though.

Well sometimes in a realistic battle it just might be more within reach, or maybe you're grabbing for the head and it moves and you grab the scarf by accident. Well below the resolution of any RPG rules I've come across I guess.
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Nekira Sudacne »

I dunno, the background is purple, and it does say Dim, and she is rather brightly lit compared to everything else, so she probablly is covered by it, but it's so dim you basically would have to have your eyes really close to be able to tell, it is transparent after all. you can probablly only see it if the light or angle is just right and it's not in that shot.
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Axelmania
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

I wonder if colloqually people think of "transparent" like 99% transparency while "translucent" would be like 50% transparent? Since "invisible" tends to be used for 100% transparency.

She might even be MDC and the clothes are an illusion so you don't have to worry about them getting vaporized.
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

1. I dunno. Honestly it looks most like a Triax Hunter-Killer bot but with one eye instead of the visor. Maybe the Eye is under the Visor?

The Triax DV-40 Hunter-Killer Bot in WB5 pg 87? Doesn't work:
-head (could be behind the visor)
-breast plate, shoulder areas don't work (granted they could have been ripped off)
-the protruding tubes from the "rib-cage" aren't visible (could have been ripped off)
-geometry of the legs is off (DV-40 is more tubular, the cover is more rectangular)
-height doesn't work either. the Lady in White standing erect in front of the bot, which has a bent leg. She is basically as tall as the upper leg section (from butt to knee) given that is 1/2 the leg (and human normal human proportions)... The bot is probably around 20-24ft tall depending on her height. The DV-40 is 13ft tall, a bit to short (assuming an average height for the LiW).
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

I could chock it up to some random SB1 bot... though it begs the question why psi-warriors would be battling robots at all when they're supposed to be going after Nxla. Maybe cover-girl is just one of those annoying cyber-knights who are too pretty to wear cyber-armor who just goes out hassling random robot-owners to show off her badass anti-tech skills.
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by dreicunan »

Axelmania wrote:I could chock it up to some random SB1 bot... though it begs the question why psi-warriors would be battling robots at all when they're supposed to be going after Nxla. Maybe cover-girl is just one of those annoying cyber-knights who are too pretty to wear cyber-armor who just goes out hassling random robot-owners to show off her badass anti-tech skills.

Only if John Zeleznik got wind of that update to cyber-knights several years in advance of it being published.
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Nekira Sudacne »

Axelmania wrote:I could chock it up to some random SB1 bot... though it begs the question why psi-warriors would be battling robots at all when they're supposed to be going after Nxla. Maybe cover-girl is just one of those annoying cyber-knights who are too pretty to wear cyber-armor who just goes out hassling random robot-owners to show off her badass anti-tech skills.


Yea, psyscape was written years before Cyber Knights got their anti-tech ability.

And maybe they're battling robots because the robot attacked them on the way to battle Nxla? Seriously, it's Rifts, random high-tech bandits with maybe some drone bots are a thing that happens.
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Axelmania
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

*envisions Siembieda bragging about his SoT plans to all his artists*

I dunno, why would a giant robot attack a hotty like that? Or maybe it was trying to grapple her. I could see that be a good slaving tactic, have a strong robot grapple your target then you jump out of the bot and tie them up with rope.
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by H.P. Hovercraft »

Axelmania wrote:*envisions Siembieda bragging about his SoT plans to all his artists*

I dunno, why would a giant robot attack a hotty like that? Or maybe it was trying to grapple her. I could see that be a good slaving tactic, have a strong robot grapple your target then you jump out of the bot and tie them up with rope.

:D Totally impossible situation!! Robot Combat Pilot's do NOT start off with rope as 1st level starting equipment...only Rogue Scholars start out with rope (everybody knows rope is essential to reading)!!!

Please..............leave rope to the professionals
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Axelmania
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Re: about Psyscape Cover...

Unread post by Axelmania »

H.P. Hovercraft wrote:only Rogue Scholars start out with rope

*checks RMB 80 and RUE 95* is anyone else seeing Rope? I looked over Standard Equipment of both versions and I'm not seeing any...

Ah! *checks RMB 79 and RUE 96* you're thinking of the Rogue Scientist who starts out with "100 feet of lightweight rope".

Wilderness Scouts (RMB 81 / RUE 99) also have this, so it's hardly exclusive to them...

But the thing is... the Operator (RMB 77 / RUE 93) starts out with 200 feet of SUPER lightweight rope. Only 1 pound per 20 feet.

Operators are the TRUE rope masters.
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