[HOE] some new edges and flaws for junker familiars

["earthbinder" <earthbinder@ntlworld.com>]

First let me apologise for multiple postings if it happens but I've been
having some difficulty sending posts to the list.

I was reading the list and saw that may of you listers out there in listland
had played or played with Junkers who had familiars and this got me to
thinkin' if familiars are constructed the same as characters why not give
them edges and hindrances, now looking over the list of edges and hindrances
there do not seem to be many that apply to mechanical devices that contain
sentient spirits. So here is my pitiful attempt to add some more appropriate
bits to the pool. Please discuss and talk back to me on anything you think
overpowered or overcosted. When all the hubbub has died down I'll try
submitting them to P.E.G. to put up on their website as the HOE side seems
to be a bit short of stuff.



Edges



Trans-dimensional slot space      1-5pts

All familiars have some ability to create extra space in their frames but
this one can really cram in the parts

For each point spent the familiar gains an additional 20 points worth of
slots



Durable             1-5pts

Mechanisms built by Junkers are not as stable as common items but this
familiar has the ability to just shrug off damage

For each point spent the maximum damage level is increased by one point



Redundant capacity       1-5pts

The familiar's body contains multiple parts for the same system allowing it
to take more damage before vital areas are useless

For each point spent the durability step is increased by an equal amount



Strange configuration      3/5pts

Although the body is recognizable the way the parts inside are placed not
only defies the laws of physics but positively shatters them

The familiar takes damage as if it were a vehicle (small arms/5 for 3 pts
and all damage dealt as if it were a vehicle for 5)



Sensory overlay             2pts

"Now I know that you are carrying a gun under that duster and that it was
just fired but if you think that you are going to use it on me you are going
to have to reload it as 2 bullets is just going to get me angry" Daniel j.
Jackson Junker to a road bandit who just held up the convoy he was working
with {edited for pg reading}.

The powers of communication shared by the familiar extend to allowing the
Junker to use its senses as if they were his own this may require a
cognition roll by the Junker to understand just what things mean, but over a
long period the Junker will become used to the new senses.



Name                1pt

Your familiar is well know and has a name amongst the other denizens of the
net, every time you attract a browser you get to draw one more card to see
if one appears

Also the spirits of the net will be more willing to help you find the
information you need (+1 on all rolls appertain to information searches)



Flaws

This way up       2pts

Your familiar was once an appliance that only worked in one orientation,
unfortunately it has carried this on into its current incarnation it looses
all of its powers and abilities when it is inverted.



Fragile              1-5pts

The overall body of the familiar is not as durable or damage resistant as
the blueprints would have made you think

For each point that is gained loose a point off the total damage the device
can take. If this reduces the damage rating to 0 the familiar will be
totally destroyed the first time it takes any damage, it cannot be taken
once the damage has reached the same number as the durability step (think of
any of the planes in catch the pidgeon if you want an example of things
working perfectly until they take a small amount of damage)



Handle with care            1-5pts

The familiar is constructed of fragile parts sudden damage could cause
serious harm for each point he familiar looses 1 point from its durability
step if this reduces it to 0 then it gains a reliability of 19 and every
additional point lowers the reliability by two

[May not be taken with the redundant capacity edge]



Trouble magnet              5pts

Your familiar has the uncanny ability to start fights, knock over valuable
items, scare normal folks and give away your position at the most
inopportune time however the Junker can exert some influence on the spirit
to prevent this a fair (5) spirit check will prevent this for a short time
however the more often this is done the more trouble the sprit will cause
the next time, and in addition the sprit does not enjoy being stopped so
there is a cumulative -2 to the roll until the sprit get to cause some
trouble up to a maximum of -10

0                     Young lad gets scared by the metal cat

-2         fragile vase gets knocked off the shopkeeper's shelf

-10        war breaks out at a pacifist's convention





Sensory override            3/5pts

This grants the Junker the ability to use the familiars senses but at a cost
of his own at the 3 point level he can use one of the familiars senses in
exchange for one of his but at the 5pt level all his senses are taken over
by just one of the familiars. Both types are mentally straining and cause a
wind loss of 1per round of use and the full concentration of the Junker, but
the second form causes a foolproof (3) vigour roll to recover your senses
after use a failure means one sense is lost for the rest of the day or 24hrs
(marshals choice), going bust means you pick up a sense based hindrance and
suffer a temporary loss as above.

[This hindrance may not be taken with the Sensory overlay edge]



 Limited range    1/3/5pts

Your familiar has a problem getting in touch with you for 1 pts you must be
in visible range of it, for three it has to be within talking range (about
20ft) and at the five point level you have to be touching it to use any of
its powers



Bad name         1pt

Your spirt was a collaborator with the nature sprits or did some other bad
things in its past,you draw one less card for attracting browser spirits and
gain a +1 difficulty to all rolls involing social contact with tech spirits.
This does not include building items just using browser powers or surfing
the net for info. any junker with the taint at level 3 or more who picks up
a familiar automatically gains this hindrance for it without getting the
points.



Tainted heart     3pt

The familiar has a pure evil streak and will go out of its way to cause harm
to any nature spirit, or old wayer. It is also jelous of any other items
with sentient spirits inside them and will refuse to help a junker build an
item to put a browser in or install a browser into an existing item. On the
plus side if it is your only spirit it adds +4 to occult engineering rolls
instead of +2  and grants you a drain of 3points a round.



Nuke spirit         5pts

"not all spirits are good and nice, gun spirits for example are spirits that
were created to kill man. But worst amongst the gun spirits were the spirits
of nuclear weapons those designed to kill hundreds or millions of humans,
avoid these if at all possible" Daniel j. Jackson to some new junkers
training at his labs.

The spirit which has chosen you is no ordinary run of the mill techie, its a
giant fearsome Nuke spirit, as long as this spirit is you familiar you gain
a +4 on any rolls to create weapons, it also increases the difficulty of the
taint rolls by 4 making them an onerous (9) plus any adds from your
hindrances, you cannot have any browsers whilst this spirit is with you, any
that are currently with you will leave.(diving downhill time, running just
ain't fast enough). On the plus side you get a +2 bonus to you overawe rolls
and get to call on the nuke spirit powers (see below)



NUKE SPIRIT POWERS



White chip: the spirit add +4 to any and all rolls to destroy or demolish

Red: the spirt uses part of its power to increase your personal powers of
destruction allowing you to do str+2d12 damage from any barehand attack for
the next 10 minutes during this time your hand glow red and emits a large
amount of alpha radiation (stoppable by a thin sheet of paper) so they are
easily spotted by Geiger vision

Blue: the spirt manifests itself in the external world as a detonation equal
to about a kilo of shaped c4 (will destroy small doors made of steel, blow
holes in walls or otherwise damage permanent structures) this power cannot
be used against people, but vechcles are good targets.

Legend: the spirit manifests itself as a small version of the nuclear
expolsion that it created (the rules for a nuclear explosion are found in
the adventure that accompanies the radiation screen). The downside to this
power is that it is centered on the junker. (pretty much instant death,
possibly faster)