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Creating “pilots” (i.e., giant robot pilots) is a simple affair. Pilots, as they
stand, are defined largely by three different things -- their physique, their piloting
skill, and their ability to talk trash on other pilots. Write these three things down
on a blank sheet of paper, thus:
Physique
Piloting Skill
Talking Trash
Now, next to each of these three things, you’ll need to write a number.
What number? Well, that depends on you. You begin with 10 points to distribute
amongst these things. The more points that you allocate to a given trait, the
better your pilot will be for it.
The only restriction on allocating these points at the present time is that
each of these three traits must have at least 1 point allocated to them. All of
these traits are important, so while you may be tempted to skimp on some of
them, my advice is as follows - don’t.
Finally, after you have done the above two things, take a few moments to
give your pilot a name and define their personality, as well as what country’s
team they pilot robots for (robot combat is a bit like the Olympics).
Now that you’ve created a pilot, whose role you will assume during actual
play, you need to create the robot that they will pilot.
Creating Robots
Creating robots is simple. Robots are initially defined by two different
qualities - their range of motion and their structural integrity. Write these two
things down on your sheet of paper, as shown directly below:
Range of Motion
Structural Integrity
As was the case with your pilot’s traits, you’ll need to allocate some points
amongst your robot’s traits, as well. Here, you have 15 points that you may
allocate amongst these two things, with more points allocated to a trait indicating
more X (X being said trait).
Again, the only restriction on allocating these points at the present time is
that each of these two traits must have at least 1 point allocated to them. Both of
these traits are important, so while you may be tempted to skimp on some of
them, my advice is as follows - don’t.
Now, after you have allocated points to your robots’ basic traits, as
described above, you’ll need to bolt some optional attachments onto its chassis
in order to give your pilot a fighting chance in the arena. Here’s how customizing
your robot works....
Customizing Robots
All giant robots in the world of pilots are built in humanoid form. All such
units have a head, torso, two arms, and two legs by default. Each of these
chassis parts has a number of spaces to accommodate equipment and/or
weaponry - heads have 2 spaces, torsos have 4 spaces, arms have 3spaces
each, and legs have 2 spaces each.
Some players may want to customize the appearance of their robot by
doing away with one or more of these body parts. If this is the case, those
spaces normally attributed to the chassis parts that the player foregoes are,
instead, distributed amongst the remaining chassis parts evenly (or as close to
evenly as mathematics allow).
By default, every robot in the pilots setting comes front-loaded (i.e., pre-
equipped) with the following equipment, none of which takes up spaces:
Basic Sensor Array: A suite of simple radar and sensors with an effective range
of 15".
Past these stock features, you’ll need to choose what other armor,
weapons, and tech your robot will be equipped with. What follows is a list of
equipment, with specific space requirements noted. Choose equipment until you
have filled the spaces available to you.
Improved Servos
Spaces Required: 1 per Limb
Enhanced servomotors grant a robot a greater Range of Motion in the
arena, making them very dangerous opponents. Mechanically speaking....
Improved servomotors add two to a robot’s Range of Motion rating and
allow the pilot to make one additional attack every round spent in the arena. In
order to benefit from a servomotor upgrade, new servomotors must be placed in
all of a robot’s limbs.
Jump Jets
Spaces Required: 1 per Leg (or 2 torso)
A ‘jump jet’ is powerful thruster utilized in pairs (if mounted in a robot’s
legs) or as a single unit (if mounted in the back of a robot’s torso), that grants a
robot more mobility in the arena. Mechanically speaking...
Having jump jets installed in your robot grants pilots a +2 bonus to their
Piloting Skill when checking for Initiative on the battlefield during combat.
Kinetic Armor
Spaces Required: 1 (per Chassis Part)
A series of highly absorbent plasticine plates affixed to a robot’s chassis
which protect against all forms of kinetic damage (e.g. bullets, robot melee
attack, etc). Mechanically speaking....
The pilot of a robot fitted with kinetic armor, subtracts 4 from any kinetic
damage dealt to it. Note that, in order for kinetic armor to be effective, the entire
surface of the robot must be protected.
Laser Cannon
Spaces Required: 1 (Any)
Damage Rating: 3
Effective Range: 8"
A small energy cannon that fires a very narrow beam of focused light.
Missile Pack
Spaces Required: 2 (Any)
Damage Rating: 5/missile
Effective Range: 12"
Four guided missiles mounted in a pod capable of being jettisoned after it
has been emptied of it payload.
Plasma Cannon
Spaces Required: 2 (Any)
Damage Rating: 4
Effective Range: 10"
A large energy cannon that fires a focused stream of plasma energy.
Plasma Gatling Gun
Spaces Required: 3
Damage Rating: 8/volley
Effective Range: 10"
As above, but may fire a shot from each one of its 3 barrels per round.
Unfortunately, it must be allowed to cool for two rounds after each volley fired or
it will meltdown, becoming completely useless.
Reflective Armor
Spaces Required: 1 (per Chassis Part)
A series of highly reflective metal plates affixed to the exterior of a robot’s
chassis which protect against damage from all light-based energy weapons.
Mechanically speaking....
The pilot of a robot fitted with reflective armor, subtracts 3 from any light-
based energy damage dealt to it. Note that, in order for reflective armor to be
effective, the entire surface of the robot must be protected.
Sonic Dampening
Spaces Required: 1 (per Chassis Part)
An thin coat of experimental plasticine spray applied to a robot, sonic
dampening absorbs airborne vibration, reducing damage from all sonic-based
weapons. Mechanically speaking....
If your robot has been coated with sonic dampening, subtract 5 from any
sonic-based damage dealt to it. Note that, in order for sonic dampening to be
effective, the entire surface of the robot must be coated.
Stealth Plating
Spaces Required: 1 (per Chassis Part)
A series of thick, absorbent, plates that are applied to a robot’s chassis,
rendering it invisible to radar and forcing a pilot whose robot doesn’t have
improved sensors to target it manually. Mechanically speaking....
A pilot whose robot is not equipped with an improved senor array suffers a
-3 penalty to their Piloting Skill when attempting to target a robot equipped with
stealth plating. Note that a robot’s entire chassis must be covered in stealth
plating in order for it to function.
In the Arena
The smell of hydraulic oil, the sounds of clashing metal, the hundreds of
screaming fans in the spectator box - the crux of this game is, of course, arena
combat. In the far future, robot combat is the most popular form of televised
entertainment (and the only job opportunity for former wartime robot pilots).
Here’s how arena combat works in pilots....
Staging
Before an arena combat ever formally begins, staging takes place. During
staging, the support team of each pilot whose bot is involved in a combat moves
said bot to a starting position of their choice within the arena - provided that their
chosen starting position is agreeable to all other pilots who will be involved in the
combat being staged.
If any pilot thinks that a starting position gives an opponent an unfair
advantage, he may veto the use of said starting position. Pilots have a total of
three such veto votes that they may enact per arena combat - after a pilot has
invoked all three of their vetoes, they can no longer voice their opposition to bot
starting positions during a given combat staging.
After all participating bots have been assigned a starting position that is
satisfactory to all participating pilots (i.e., after any and all opposition has been
voiced and resolved).
Round Breakdown
The following is a detailed breakdown of an arena combat round between
robots.
1. Determine Initiative
Pilots determine who can act when.
2. Take Movement
Pilots take movement in initiative order.
Determine Initiative
Every pilot involved in an arena combat begins a round by rolling a
number of six-sided dice equal to the rating of their Piloting Skill, plus any
equipment bonuses (see also Jump Jets). After these dice are rolled, collect all
even results (e.g. 2, 4. 6) and push any odd results (e.g. 1, 3, 5) to the side.
pilots take action during a round in descending order of highest number of
even results rolled to lowest number of even results rolled. pilots who roll the
same number of even results take action simultaneously (i.e., their players act
one after another, but the action outcomes are applied simultaneously).
Take Movement
During a round, a robot may move a number of inches on the tabletop up
to its Range of Motion rating (e.g. a robot with a ROM rating of 8 may move up to
8 inches on the tabletop per round). All movement must be taken at this time or
be forfeited.
In order to strike an opponent with an attack, they must be within the effective range of
the weapon being used to make the attack. In case you’re wondering, the effective range of a
robot’s punch or kick is 1".
For the record, a robot’s punches and kicks have no Damage Rating.
Systems Damage
Any time that a robot sustains damage as the result of a successful attack,
the pilot who is piloting the damaged robot needs to roll one six-sided die - if the
result of this die roll is an odd number, then one of their robot’s optional systems
has been Taken Offline.
When a system is taken offline, it fails to function and, if it grants any
bonuses to the pilot, they lose those bonuses. The good news is that, when it is
determined a system goes offline, the pilot who is piloting the damaged robot
gets to decide just what system it is that gets shut down.
On the Street
Professional robot pilots have no real personal life outside of the arena,
but they do manage to fraternize with other pilots in local bars. That said, such
fraternization often leads to trash talking and fist fights, pilots being the egotistical
blowhards that they are....
Brawl Breakdown
The following is a detailed breakdown of a barroom brawl between pilots.
1. Picking a Fight
A pilot initiates verbal parley.
2. Talk Trash
Pilots spew some insults at one another.
Picking a Fight
Less complex than initiating combat in the arena, initiating a barroom
brawl is as easy as tapping a fellow pilot on the shoulder and saying “You, know
Vladimir - you really suck!” or some other such offensive remark. This pilot,
obviously, acts first in the brawl and the object of his ire acts second.
In order to determine when other pilots act during the brawl, their players
need to roll a number of six-sided dice equal to their Talking Trash rating, collect
the even results, and push the odd results to the side (much as they did when
determining initiative in the arena).
These bystanders take action during a brawl in descending order of
highest number of even results rolled to lowest number of even results rolled.
Pilots who roll the same number of even results take action simultaneously (i.e.,
their players act one after another, but action outcomes are applied
simultaneously).
If you like, you may want to think of picking a fight as being the social
equivalent of combat staging.
Talking Trash
Verbal sparring is part and parcel of the pilot lifestyle - those pilots who
can talk trash pull in the biggest crowds. As wrestling fans of our own time have
discovered, a good off-screen enmity adds a lot to an on-screen brawl. The same
holds true in this game's default setting.
When talking trash, pilots issue a scathing verbal attack aimed at a given
opponent, and then, to determine its impact on the intended target, roll a number
of six-sided dice equal to their Talking Trash rating, collect the even results and
discard the odd results.
The target of such an attack is granted the opportunity to deflect it with a
witty remark of their own, also by rolling a number of six-sided dice equal to their
Talking Trash rating, collecting the even results, and ignoring the odd results (as
per normal).
Whichever pilot rolled more even results gains the upper hand, knocking
their opponent down a notch, and reducing their cool....
Common hand weapons in the default setting of this game include knives (DR: 1), laser
pistols (DR: 4), and slug guns (DR: 3). The fists and feet of pilots lack a Damage Rating.
Stalemates
When two opponents have the same number of even die roll results
generated on their behalf, a stalemate occurs (i.e., for the time being, neither
side of the conflict being resolved gains the upper hand).
After Battles
After a brawl or an arena combat has been resolved, all reduced traits
(e.g., Trash Talking, Physique, Structural Integrity, etc) are fully replenished
(provided that a given pilot or robot hasn’t been killed or destroyed).
Additionally, the victor of a given arena battle (i.e., the pilot whose bot is
left standing when the dust clears) is awarded a point of Prestige. These points
may later be “cashed in” by a player in order to boost the traits of their pilot or
their robot, with an increase of one point in either costing an amount of Prestige
equal to the trait’s current rating.
Final Words
This game was originally designed in just a little under five hours to
provide some entertainment following the cancellation of a regularly scheduled
game session. Since that time, this game has undergone several revisions,
including the one that you are currently reading.
Here, this game has been further expanded and released, in part, under
the Open Game License (Version 1.0a) to promote said license as being viable
for games not based upon rolling a single d20 and as being the only explicitly
defined open license in circulation.
As a license, the OGL does not restrict or inhibit the circulation of games if
they fail to implement a d20-based mechanic, nor does it demand that games
released under it make use of such a mechanic (of course, if you’re looking to
maximize your profit margins, doing so is a good idea).
Further, the OGL very specifically spells out the terms of its use, rather
than defaulting to extremely vague legalize or the deliberate non-definition of
terms such as “according to terms to be determined by the licensor”. Once
content is released under the OGL, it stays open - period. This isn’t the case with
many other popular “open” licenses.
When you buy or download a product released under the OGL, you can
rest easy knowing that the open content therein won’t (and can’t) be yanked from
the market in the future. Additionally, the terms under which you can use such
content are very specific - which protects you from frivolous lawsuits.
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Jox (OGL Edition), Copyright 2006 by James D. Hargrove; author James D. Hargrove.