Re: [HOE] Constructing Familiars (Now even longer!)

[Sam & Max <samnmax@swbell.net>]

"McKay, Ashley" wrote:
> 
> Hiya Listee's
> 
> I'm in the process of designing a familiar and I've come across a few
> questions.   Any advice or answers gratefully accepted...
> 
> Firstly, the form of this familiar is still somewhat amorphous.   I haven't
> yet decided on a single idea so please bear with me as these questions range
> all over the place.
> 
> Now, these are the current questions I have...
> 
> 1.  The Locomotion power states that for 'walkers' it provides 4 limbs, and
> requires 30% of the available slots for the frame.   What happens if I want
> to add additional limbs to my familiar?   If I decide I want my familiar to
> have four legs, two wings and a prehensile tail?   The wings could be argued
> away via VTOL, but how do I calculate the tail?

	Ignoring the wings is fine since they do not do anything except provide flight
capability and you are paying for that. If they had wing claws and could be used
to manipulate that's different. A prehensile tail is an additional limb so a
good guesstimate would be an additional 6 to 7% or so frame slots. This number
is from the idea that 30% is needed for 4 limbs and framework. So each limb
would be roughly 6 to 7% of the frame cost. The leftovers are struts, motors and such.
	I would assume that by default the familiar is one handed like humans. Using
the extra limbs should suffer the standard off hand penalties.  
> 
> What if I wanted my familiar to resemble a spider or octopus?

Just add more limbs. :) I think you would have to buy multiple Ambidexterity
edges for the familiar to be able to use the limbs. There's a can of worms. (My
Six armed Familiar pulls 5 guns/junker bombs/butter knives and attacks. :) 

> 
> 2.  I was toying with the idea of making my familiar 'invisible' via ECM but
> the way the section on ECM reads, I would have to actually purchase sensor
> ratings, purely for the ECM capability.   Is this correct, or does it run
> off the inherent capabilities of the familiar (cognition or nimbleness or
> sneak or whatever)?

In our game the familiar was Silent and Invisible most of the time. And a royal
pain for me the Marshal. (Can you say 200 MPH Spy Drone) A familiar can learn
Sneak but I ruled that VTOL is simply to loud to sneak with. To silence the Vtol
ability buy the familiar an ECM Sensor rating. The easier (Well for us anyway)
way to work ECMs was to roll the ECM rating versus a TN based on what was being
hidden, dampened or whatever. A VTOL familiar, for example, was a Hard (9) TN to
silence. If the roll is made then the Sensor or Cognition TN to hear flying
beasty is Onerous (7) at 5 Yards and increases by +2 per 5 Yards from the
VTOL'ing familiar.  It's a static TN but easier to use. Hopefully.   
> 
> If the primary locomotion for the familiar is VTOL, how noisy is it?   If I
> was aiming at a noiseless system, do I have to buy ECM vs Hearing?

I always imagined it pretty d#*@ loud. :) Like a whistling Remote Controlled
Helicopter. If not worse. Thus the TN 9 to silence it effectively.  

> 
> 3.  The Junkman Cometh states that familiars get the same range of aptitudes
> as player characters (cognition, mien, deftness, etc) and that the Marshal
> should play the familiar as an extra that is loyal to the Junker.   Does
> this mean the Familiar gets cognition+knowledge+smarts as skills points?
> If so, how do you determine the skills of a familiar?

I granted the Familiar exactly that many point as a starting character. Then the
Junker can pretty much Choose whatever the Familiar starts with. 
(Hmm! How about a Veteran of the Wired West table! More points for tough
Familiars who have seen more and fought the good fight against the evil
shrubbery spirits! ooo! heh.) 

> 
> 4.  When calculating the slot costs for one design, I came up .05 slots
> short.   Is it possible to miniaturise the powers placed into a familiar
> (like sensor), thus saving space?   The Junkman Cometh states that certain
> powers (ammo, locomotion, etc) cannot really be miniaturised, but what would
> people say to miniaturising VTOL, Sensor, and Flash Gordon?

I don't think VTOL could be made smaller but Sensor and Flash Gordon definitely.
(Better electronic components and such) 

> 
> 5.  I wanted to arm my familiar with a small laser.   The Junkman Cometh
> states that ALL powers placed in a familiar's shell during the bonding
> ritual do not have Drain (the familiar provides all necessary power).   Does
> this mean I can state that the familiar then has a weapon with near-infinity
> AP properties?   What about if I also add Spirit Weapon to the mix?   Spirit
> weapon states that for energy weapons, multiply the Drain by 10, but if the
> devices suffers no Drain...

You got me there. :) Just off the top of my head I would say set a limit to how
much power the familiar can produce but then all sorts of problems come up.
Saying they could shoot once per round or action also doesn't address the 25
drain megagun that is mounted to the <squished> little critter. 

(Hey Bob! Your Rifle has legs wiggling from it.. Nah! This is just my Familiar,
Plasma-spitter. Never empty!) 

Not sure but this may have already been addressed in the Archives. Heck knows
the Junker section is HUGE. 
As a place to start, I grant them drain based on Vigor + Spirit. Like an AB.
This may be to much or to little. I could see it getting out of hand quick. I
would limit the power to items installed ON the familiar only. It is part of the
bonding process so no Powerjacks for the excess to run the Air Conditioner. 
	 
In other words I haven't a clue officially. :) If there has been a ruling I am
sure someone will find it.    

> 
> Looking at it from another angle, I was originally looking at the laser as a
> cutting tool (you know, ask the familiar to cut out a door panel or
> somesuch) that could damn near cut through anything.   Is this a valid use?

The Tool trick Weld was the favorite of our posse so I know how handy that
little cutting torch would be. Very HANDY! :) Once the energy supply thing is
solved just assign damage ratings and AP to things you want to cut. Several AP's
are listed for various items in the main rulebook. Damage totals would be up to
you based on thickness and so on.

> 
> 6.  In combat, do familiars draw cards for their actions or is there some
> other method for determining when they act (like they act on the same phases
> as the Junker)?

The Familiar is treated as a normal NPC and should receive cards all there own. 

> 
> Thanks for your time...
> 
> Ashley McKay
> Hospital Services
> Tel:            (07) 3223 8386
> Fax:            (07) 3223 8367
> E-Mail: Ashley.McKay@DVA.Gov.Au
> 
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Hope this helps. 
-- 
David Heth 
"Sniper rifles have been known to cause Spontaneous Brain Rejection(SBR) at
several hundred yards. "