I just finished the first draft of Barbarians of the Ruined Earth, my Thundarr the Barbarian inspired setting/rules that uses the awesome The Black Hack. Now my wife and I will do proofs, I’ll edit, do layout, and commission some sexy art from the super talented Matthew Adams.
I wanted to share one of the classes that will available in the book. Each class follows the standard Black Hack layout/rules, but I added a starting gear piece and an interesting trinket (the same I did for The Black Hack: Cyber-hacked!) and I added a Life Event d8 table for those who would like to use it. Each is unique to the class.
In Barbarians of the Ruined Earth I use Race as Class. The human classes are: Barbarian, Scavenger, and Death Priest.
The non-human classes are: Beastmen, Vek (Raptorfolk), Robot, and Sorcerer (I posted awhile ago that I felt Sorcerers were born of humans, but weren’t humans).
Anyways, here’s the Robot:)
Now here’s the Robot Class!
Robot
Robots were constructed in Ancient Earth before the calamity, through Stupendous Science, or through sorcery. Most Robots are mindless automatons, serving their controller with cool, removed efficiency, but sometimes something goes awry and a Robot gains self-consciousness and free will. These Robots usually rebel against their masters and strike out on their own, into the wastes.
“I will never feel a cool breeze on my face, enjoy a drink of refreshing water, or truly comprehend humanoid emotions, but I am resilient, my will is mine, and I will never be controlled again.”
Starting HP: 1d8+4
Hit Points Per Level/Resting: 1d8 HP/lvl
Weapon and Armor: Fists, clubs, maces, and laser weapons, small and large shields, no armor
Weapon Damage: 1d6/1d4 Unarmed or Improvised
SPECIAL FEATURES
Metal Body: Robots cannot wear armor, but their metal body can take a beating. They always ignore 2 points of damage (regardless of Armor rules in use).
Machine: Robots can see in Low Light up to Nearby and are immune to mind-altering effects, poisons, diseases, and don’t need to eat or breathe. A Robot must shutdown for 8 hours per day to recharge their battery. The ways of fleshy creatures is alien to Robots and they suffer Disadvantage on Charisma tests for bartering, reactions, etc (unless Diplomatic Model is chosen, see below). You are immune to non-magical fire damage (not molten metal or magma) and take double damage for electrical sources and are stunned for 1 round.
Model: At character creation, choose the Robot model. Once this choice is made, it is permanent.
Combat: This Robot was built to fight for their masters, be it Sorcerer or Ancient Earth governments. Increase the Robots AP to 3, Weapon damage to 1d8/1d6. The Robot also gains an additional attack at each odd level (maximum of 5 at 9th level).
Medical: Medical Robots produce Medical Gels that they can use to inject a target and heal 1d8+1 HP back. The first injection does not consume much of the fluid. After the first injection the Medical Gels has a Usage Die of d4. Once per day the Robot can attempt to zap a target that has died (rolled a 6 on OofA). Make a Luck roll and if the result favors the Robot, they bring the character back to life with 1d4 HP.
Tracker: Tracker Robots are programed to pick up tracks easily. Many have been constructed and used by Sorcerers to track runaway slaves. A Tracker Robot can see in complete Darkness up to Nearby distance, has Advantage on WIS tests to pick up and follow tracks. Tracker Robots are also able to cloak themselves as if invisible (as per the spell, see page XX).
Diplomatic: Diplomatic Robots usually act as emissaries for Sorcerers. Either to appease to humans to surrender to the Sorcerer’s will and submit to servitude or to attempt to smooth relations between two warring or bickering Sorcerers. Diplomatic Robots do not suffer Disadvantage to Charisma rolls. Diplomatic Robots are also built with a second function; to be an assassin. Both hands have retractable blades (see dual wielding rules, pg XX) if they attack a target from behind or that is unawares, they roll with Disadvantage and deal 2d6+level damage.
Leveling Up:
Roll all Attributes to see if they increase, roll twice for STR and INT
STARTING EQUIPMENT
WEAPON: Fists and laser pistol
ARMOR: Small Shield- 2 AP (1 AP/d4 Usage Die)
ADDITIONAL: Ammo for laser pistol, torches x6 (d6), and healing salve (1 Hit Dice of HP restored).
INTERESTING TRINKET (roll 1d6): 1) keepsake from the first person that treated you as if you were a living creature; 2) a tin full of human teeth; 3) an Ancient Earth World War II army helmet; 4) a baby doll that “coos” when you shake it; 5) a beat up fedora hat and trench coat; 6) a robotic teddy bear that you can put cassette tapes in and listen to music and stories
LIFE EVENT (roll 1d8): 1) a generous Stupendous Scientist found you and made you self-aware, teaching you the values of compassion and humanity; 2) the first person that realized you were sentient tried to reboot your system. You killed them and hid their body; 3) you were almost broken down into scrap after you refused to obey orders. You killed the machinist and fled; 4) you were an automaton in a powerful Sorcerer’s army for years. Many humans were caught and subjugated or killed because of you. You seek repentance for your deeds; 5) you do not understand the whining and prattling of humanoids and have mouthed off more than a few times and been chased from towns; 6) you served the elder of a human village for several years before he died.
