Even as one contingent of the world’s scientists was wrestling with the gamma subunit, others were pushing the limits of robotics and computer programming. No one can say when the line between “robot” and “synthetic” was crossed, but by the height of the Final Wars, these machines, intelligent and self-aware, were fighting alongside (or in lieu of) human and engineered soldiers. Efficiency was the rule of the day, and the same self-repair and ambient power subsystems that kept the machines out of the workshops and on the battlefields kept them running in the Gamma World. Though rarer than the other playable genotypes, synthetic characters represent an unusual roleplaying opportunity.
Synthetics come in any number of shapes, types, and sizes. Some were plush toys equipped with robotic endoskeletons and AI brains. Others were hulking chrome monstrosities, designed to inspire terror before laying waste to the enemy. Androids (synthetics designed to appear mostly human or at least pleasing to human sensibilities) were common as well, as entertainers, spies, and articles of pleasure.
APPEARANCE
Androids are the most human-like synthetics. While close inspection reveals the synthetic nature of the android’s skin, hair, and eyes, to the casual observer an android appears to be a human being (even going so far as to have body temperature, breath, and saliva). Maintaining the outward appearance of an android is labour-intensive and expensive: in the Gamma World, many androids (or their owners) do not have the necessary resources, so the android begins to appear ragged, worn, and ill-used. Over time, an unkempt android appears more like a walking corpse than a human being.
Cyborgs, on the other hand, have an organic sheath of living tissue that heals like any other. New hair grows, wounds scab over and eventually heal, and so on. The living tissue covering a cyborg is that of a normal human, usually nondescript. Since the tissue is living, however, mutations can occur in the flesh, usually limited to dermal mutations like changes in skin colour and texture. In any case, the link between the cyborg and her flesh sheath is so rudimentary that she cannot control any advantageous mutations the tissue may acquire. If the flesh of a cyborg is ever completely destroyed, such as in a fire or due to heavy radiation, the cyborg looks like an unusual metal skeleton.
Robots are generally vaguely humanoid (at least two legs, two arms, and one head). Some have tracks, spider-like legs, or wheels for locomotion, and some have multiple arms for complex tasks, but the vast majority of robot characters look like self-propelled suits of power armour. Vanity is not a robotic trait; unless the robot’s travelling companions take pains to make it otherwise, a robot character is likely to be covered in scrapes, dents, scratches, and burn marks.
COMMUNITIES
Synthetics have no known communities of their own. While some can blend into human communities and others can find a place in cosmopolitan centres alongside various kinds of mutants, synthetics rarely gather in enough numbers to be considered a family, let alone a community For the most part, free synthetics are homeless wanderers. They are nearly as valuable as spare parts as they are as working units, making any lengthy stay eventually dangerous. Synthetics in the possession of individuals or communities (most commonly but by no means exclusively among pure-strain humans) cannot be said to be a part of the community so much as a community asset. Rumours persist of a “robot nation”, but there is no proof of its existence—and the synthetics likely wish it to remain that way.
RELATIONS
To most other thinking creatures, synthetics are at best tools and at worst weapons; they’re often more or less right. Even self-awareness cannot erase the core programming of a synthetic (a feature deigned very early on in the development of self-aware machines) and a synthetic character that prefers human or mutant company most likely does so because it is programmed to. Non-synthetics often fail to see this and become “friends” with the synthetic. Although appreciated, the gesture is hardly necessary from the perspective of the synthetic. Most often, synthetics are constantly being appraised and evaluated, gauged on how valuable or dangerous they may be. As often as not, synthetics reciprocate.
ALLEGIANCES
Most synthetics possess only the allegiances with which they were programmed. Self-awareness does not mean free will, and most synthetics are dedicated to one or more goals, usually political, military, or scientific in nature. The fact that the political, military, or scientific institution that created the synthetic no longer exists is irrelevant to its programming. A great number of synthetics spend their entire existences trying to achieve a goal or recover an allegiance long since blown to dust. In almost all cases, this leads to what is known as cyber-schizophrenia, in which the synthetic’s programming begins to compensate for the unachievable with delusions, wild interpretations of its original programming, and even hallucinations. PC synthetics can gain new allegiances, or alter existing ones with great effort (as detailed below).
SYNTHETIC RACIAL TRAITS
Abilities and Size: +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. While their electronic brains can perform many functions much faster than organic creatures, synthetics often have difficulty relating to organics (and even to each other). Synthetics do not have a Constitution score.
Synthetic characters also gain additional modifiers to their ability scores based on their size. Synthetics may be Small, Medium, or Large.
Small: +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. The base speed for a Small synthetic is 30 feet. They gain a +1 size bonus to attack rolls and to their Defence score, and a -1 penalty to their Combat Manoeuvre Bonus and Combat Manoeuvre Defence score. They also gain a +4 size bonus to Stealth checks. Small synthetics receive +5 hit points at 1st level.
Medium: Medium synthetics have no further adjustments to their ability scores and have a base speed of 30 feet. They receive +10 hit points at 1st level.
Large: +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity. Large synthetics have a base speed of 30 feet. They take a -1 penalty to attack rolls and their defence score, and gain a +1 size bonus to their combat manoeuvre bonus and combat manoeuvre defence score. They have a -4 penalty to Stealth checks. Large synthetics receive +20 hit points at 1st level.
Construct: Synthetic characters are constructs with the aware subtype. Aware constructs are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, mutation, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). They are not immune to mind-affecting effects like other constructs. Due the extreme complexities of synthetic design technology, synthetic characters are subject to the effects of massive damage. Constructs use Charisma instead of Constitution for checks that living characters make with Constitution, such as Concentration. Synthetic characters' Charisma score also determines their Massive Damage Threshold. Failing a save against massive damage reduces a synthetic to 1 hp. Synthetic characters die when they reach 0 hp and do not gain the dying condition.
Damage Reduction: All synthetic characters are resistant to damage from kinetic sources, such as punches, kicks, bullets, and falls. Synthetic characters have damage reduction 5/energy.
Self-Repair: All synthetics have built-in self-repair systems. Synthetic PCs “heal” at the same rate as other characters as long as the synthetic character has access to non-organic materials. The bits of junk that serve as currency in the Gamma World qualify; therefore, each day of “healing” the synthetic undergoes reduces the character’s wealth bonus by -1 point. Once the character reaches +0 Wealth, she can no longer heal unless someone else pays the cost. Wealth reduced this way returns at the same rate as Wealth lost for other reasons. In addition, the
Repair skill may be used on a synthetic character in the same manner as the
Treat Injury skill is used on other characters. Treat Injury, biological medicines, and other methods for healing non-synthetic characters do nothing for synthetics and are wasted if used.
Upgradable: Synthetic characters may be upgraded, increasing their capabilities and inherent abilities. See
Synthetic Upgrades for example synthetic character upgrades.
Narrow Focus: Synthetic characters have specific programming that determines their capabilities. Synthetic characters have a set of skills called core skills. These are the class skills gained from their first basic class level and their chosen occupation. If a synthetic multiclasses, the character does not gain any of the class skills of the new class (though the synthetic doesn’t lose any class skills she already possessed).
In addition, synthetic characters cannot choose certain feats after initial character generation, particularly those that represent personality development. The following feats cannot be chosen after character generation:
Animal Affinity,
Athletic,
Attentive,
Cautious,
Confident,
Creative,
Deceptive,
Educated,
Endurance,
Focused,
Improved Damage Threshold,
Iron Will,
Meticulous,
Nimble,
Studious,
Trustworthy.
Synthetic characters may overcome this prohibition by taking the
Spontaneous Algorithm feat.
Hardwired Allegiance: When the character is created, the player must, with the help of the GM, create the synthetic character’s initial
allegiances (synthetics must take at least one initial allegiance). These allegiances, and the goals and attitudes they imply are hardwired into the synthetic character and can never be changed. If, during the course of play, the character is forced to choose between an allegiance and another goal (such as supporting the rest of the party), the character must make a Will save at DC 30. Failure indicates that the character remains true to her allegiance. The character can add additional allegiances later. These allegiances are not hardwired in the same way; they do not require the Will save to ignore and can be removed in the same way as other characters. Only the character's initial allegiances are hardwired.
