Homebrew Rules for Biodroids

[Ian Blagden]

Hi,

Inspired by an old CT article in White Dwarf #30 I've written up rules for playing biological robots or bioroids. For those not familiar with the concept Bioroids are cybernetic constructs made of primarly organic components with a few mechanical aspects, similar to Blade Runner's Replicants or the Cylons from the Battlestar Galactica remake. The rules presented below were created using the Aliens section of the Traveller corebook. They haven't been playtested yet, but I have wrote up a couple characters using them. Anyways I'd be interested in what other members of the forum think of them, my primary concerns are regarding game balance, but all feedback is welcome.

Bioroids: Notable Strength (+1), Notable Endurance (+2), Notable Intelligence (+1), Weak Education (-1), Weak Social Standing (-3), Slow Metabolism, Engineered, Bioroid characters may not have psionic abilities.

 

[dmccoy1693]

why can't they be psionic? this race almost screams to me that they could make a nice psionic weapon for someone.

 

[Cyphr]

I agree with the no Psionics. This can be played two ways depending on your setting or campaign. First technology to bio-engineer Psionics is not possible Scientist understand and measure Psi activities, but that does not mean they can create it.

The second reason is security. To prevent an uprising Psi ability or gene is removed. A similar example would be the Narns of Babylon 5, in which they lost the gene during the Shadow War thousand years ago.

Now that does not mean a mutations or error can let a bioroid develop a latent ability.

 

[Ian Blagden]

I agree with the no Psionics. This can be played two ways depending on your setting or campaign. First technology to bio-engineer Psionics is not possible Scientist understand and measure Psi activities, but that does not mean they can create it.

This was what I was thinking. While as intelligent as humans Bioroid brains are engineered, and as a result, are less nuanced and complex than their "natural" counterparts. This lack of nuance and complexity means that Bioroids are unable to develop psionic abilities.

Now obviously I have no real science to back this up. From a metagame perspective I prohibited Bioroid characters from taking psionic abilities to help delineate them from humans.

 

[Jame Rowe]

I would suggest that the above is for worker/laborer biodroids. You could also have pilots, technicians, pleasurers, entertainers and so forth too; the only common things I would require are (1.) keep the -3 SOC and (2.) make them all sterile, so that any Life Event roll requiring a Birth would be either surrogating a child or being assigned to raise one.