Flying and Driving

Speed is based on power. The character rolls a power check (5d12 in robot form or 7d12 in alternate form) and the number of hits equals your current speed rating for the round. If attempting to out run or catch another character then the scores are compared, the winner and fastest one is the one with the higher score.

Alternate forms that are vehicles get speed bonuses or speed negatives based on the nature of the vehicle and the nature of terrain. These speed bonuses are automatic hits and increase the value of the speed roll.

There are three types of ground vehicles considered here, Tracked, Off Road suspension and Road Suspension. There are four types of terrain considered Uneven, Rough, Unfinished and Paved. Some parts of terrain may also be considered difficult and these difficult regions have static target (see below; static opponents) numbers and require opposed operation checks.

Flying also can be divided into groups with various speed bonuses.

* Overthrust vehicles cannot add any less than 10 to their speed rolls.

** In game terms all prop engine planes and helicopters are considered vertical lift vehicles. Some vehicles may have multiple flight modes.

Speed, Ground and Arial Maneuvering:

Maneuvering a flying vehicle becomes more difficult the faster the vehicle is going. Every time a pilot wishes to change course or stop he must make a maneuver check vs. their current speed score divided by five. The same is true for vehicles moving with a speed score of 10 or greater.

Skill Families and Skills:

All transformers have five basic skill families. These families are Operation, Interface, Computing, Manipulation and Function. Briefly, Operation (op) is the ability operate a vehicles, even yourself in vehicle form. Manipulation (man) is the ability to perform complex multi-step tasks such as computer programming and building construction. Interface (int) is the ability to communicate information, and absorb and process information from the outside world. Computing (com) is the ability to run simulations and scenarios based on data that has been inputted or data that has been guessed at. Functions (fu) are the simple actions taken in robot form, such as jumping, brawling, climbing, evasion, weapon usage and un-linked-up operation checks.

Characters do not have ranks in these five skill families (although some character may have bonuses to skills in one of these skill families). The skill families' function on a game mechanic level to describe how certain situations may affect certain skills in mass. For example high gravity field may affect function checks. Damage to the hands or loss of an arm may affect manipulation checks or damage to the central computer or a processor may hamper computing checks or interface checks.

Skills have already been discussed briefly in the sections regarding combat and vehicle movement. But as with power, skills will have five ranks and all basic skill checks will be made with five dice or seven dice depending on whether on not the character is in vehicle or robot form. Some skill checks will only be made in robot form and others in vehicle form. The success of skill checks will be determined by comparing player rolls to opposing rolls or target numbers set by the GM.

Example Bombshell and Thunderwing (two Decepticon military scientists) have captured the autobot Huffer and are trying to hack his central computer to generate behavioral instabilities. Let us say that in this case all the characters are PCs and thus each side will want to throw up all possible obstacles to the others success. First the Decepticons have to build a device, which can interface with Huffer's computer. Skill check System (computer) Fabrication: Thunderwing has a rank of 3. Thunderwing has to make the check in Robot form since his alternate form cannot before manipulation checks
Thunderwing system fabrication (rank 3) roll= (5,1,7,10,8)
This is one hit and thus the fabricated item has a power of 1.
The difficulty of linking to Huffer's mainframe is based on his power roll (Rank 2)= 1,8,2,5,9 (not hits).
Result Bombshell and Thunderwing have linked to Huffer's main computer.

Skill Tests:

In an opposed roll system it may not always be obvious which skills should be played against each other. The best choice is for the GM to select the best represents the theme of the game. For example

Bombshell wants to design program to make Huffer unstable and malcontented among his autobot counters parts. In game terms Bombshell wants to place a new Quirk in Huffer's programming. Bombshell decides he wants to Huffer to be unable to accept authority. In order to design strategy for altering Huffer's program, Bombshell makes a Silicon Psychology check. But what should Huffer use to resist? The best choice would be fidelity, followed by user interface or chutzpah. Let us say the Huffer doesn't have chutzpah or fidelity skill, but has a user interface rank of 1. Bombshell using the computer interface begins to interrogate Huffer's User Interface program using his Silicon Psychology application in order to analyze it and develop a strategy for changing it. (LETS ROLL OUT)

Bombshell's Silicon Psychology Roll (Skill Rank 4)=7,5,3,5,1 (1 hit)
Huffer's User Interface roll (Skill Rank 1)= 3,12,1,8,12 (2 hits)
Results: Bombshell failed to deduce a method for altering Huffer's programming to make him unable to accept authority .

Skill Check Failure and Player knowledge:

A player may not always know they have failed skill check. If the skill check is something obvious like jumping a ravine, the player will obviously recognize his failure. But in cases such as structural design and transformer design there may be a lag between implementation and recognition of failure. This will often be up to the GM, but lets consider the case of Bombshell and Huffer. Bombshell may believe that he has figured out a strategy for effecting Huffer's programming, because he had a single success. The GM should allow Bombshell and Huffer to know their own rolls but he will not allow them know each other rolls. Bombshell only knows that his success at developing a strategy for altering Huffer's programming was a marginal success. He doesn't know if it will work.

Repeated Skill Tests: Learning versus Static opponents

In the mechanics of this game everything has an opponent; there will always be an attacker and a defender; an effector and an effected. Walls have ranks and as do people. There may be times when a skill check can be made more than once against an opponent without the situation changing. In combat everything is considered to be dynamic so after an opponent misses or fails in one round a new round starts over and the previous skill checks have no effect on the current round.

In noncombat situations previous unsuccessful skills checks can have effects on subsequent skill checks. The nature of this effect depends on whether or not the opponent can learn or is static. If the defender can learn than the defender will receive a 1 die bonus when defending every subsequent ‘attack'. For example, let us return to Bombshell and Huffer. Bombshell decides that because his success was so marginal that he will try again. However, Huffer has been through this interrogation once and he has wisened up a bit. He will get a bonus die to resist Bombshells next attempt.

Static Opponents have a set target number, that is not rolled, but is based on the skill of the person or transformer that fabricated it. When the static opponent is defending players can continue to attack the static opponent until they win. When the static opponent is attacking the defending player must beat its target number. (LETS ROLL OUT)

Bombshell's Silicon Pyschology Roll (Skill Rank 4)= 3,8,1,12,4. (2 hits)
Huffer's User Interface Roll (Skill Rank 1)= 6,4,11,12,10,11 (1 hit)
Result :Bombshell's player is reluctant to make further attempts because Huffer will become more resistant. While Bombshells second attempt at developing a strategy for altering Huffer's personality is a success the GM does not let him know that. Bombshell does not know if one or both of the attempts were a success. Bombshell must know decide which result to use. The first attempt had only 1 hit and the second attempt had 2 hits but Huffer resisted with dice.

Synergistic Skill Checks:

Some skills can or must be used in co-operation and in sequence. If this is the case then net result of both skill checks is added together. Some skills such a Tactics work only in synergistic manner. Other skills such fabrication can be aided by design or science skill checks.

Example

Bombshell and Thunderwing are going to Fabricate Program to alter Huffer's personality. They decide to use a Bombshell's second attempt at a strategy because it had more successes and thus if Huffer missed every defensive roll the strategy could give +2 hits to the final power of the fabrication. For each net hit gained (in this case 1) a hit added to the Program Fabrication roll. The total number of hits will be the strength of the program. (LETS ROLL OUT)

Thunderwing rolls Program Fabrication (skill rank 3)= 10,11,12,5,4 (3 hits)
Results: The newly fabricated program has a strength of 4.

Damage and Skill Checks:

This is covered in combat, but for every damage unit taken the number of dice rolled is reduced.

Example: Thunderwing decides that it would be easier to place the new personality program in Huffer if they first beat Huffer within a inch of his life. Thus Bombshell and Thunderwing do 4 units of damage to the restrained Huffer. Huffer's User Interface skill checks will now only be rolled with 1 die.

Optional Rule: Catastrophic skill checks

If a skill check will result in a major change in Player Character's narrative or personality than it is considered a Catastrophic skill check. These are any skill checks in which a failure would result in the character's death or a loss of the character personality and narrative direction. When confronted with what the GM terms as catastrophic skill check, the player may make a power roll of 5 dice prior to the actual skill check and add those hits to the skills check. The forceful reprogramming of Huffer is considered a Catastrophic skill check.

Thunderwing and Bombshell up load the program into the injured Huffer and Huffer resists using a catastrophic skill check.
Huffer's Power Check (Power Rank 2): 7,10, 1, 8, 9 = 0 hits
Huffer's attempt to Resist the Program User Interface - 4 dice because damage (rank 1): 2=0 hits.
Result: Huffer is now reprogrammed with a new Quirk. Attempts to remove that Quirk will be resisted by Huffer and by the program's static strength of 4.

Interface Skills: These are processing skills used to deal with entities outside of the transformer.

Computing Skills: The other processor based skill beside Interface is computing. This is the skill used to construct absract models and simulations to determine of how real life situations may play out.

*Higher Mathematics in practice can best be explained as follows: A physicist, a chemist and mathematician are on a road trip and all stop at the same hotel. They all get separate rooms and they all accidentally leave their curling irons on atop a wooden dresser. During the night a fire breaks out in each of their rooms.
The physicist gets up sees the fire and starts making some calculations. She measures how much heat the fire is producing and determines how much water it would take to absorb that heat. She then goes into the bathroom measures exactly enough water, and throws it on the fire. Just as she predicted the fire goes out and she goes back to bed.
The chemist gets up and observes the fire in her room. She notes the smoke and determines that the fire is the result of a reaction between the oxygen in the air and the carbohydrates in the wood of the dresser. She reasons that if she can deprive the reaction of one of these components than the fire will go out. She takes her blanket off the bed and smothers the fire. Just as she predicted the fire goes out and she goes back to bed.
Finally the mathematician gets up. She sees the fire and starts making some estimates and calculations. In a few minutes she proves that a solution does exists and goes back to sleep.

Manipulation Skills: To make these skill checks a character must have fully articulated hands or a manipulation tool, which can be used in vehicle form. The most common opposed roll is the target's power rating (base means roll 5 dice). Thus the more powerful something is the harder it is repair it.

Operation Skills and Linked-In Skill Checks: There is no need for a table for these skills. This is the ability operate vehicles and fire weapons from vehicles. This includes the character alternate form. The five types of operation-maneuver skills are based of the five types of vehicle mediums: liquid surface, liquid submerged, air/space, terrestrial surface, terrestrial underground. (If you want to further split things up you may break these up into the different types of air ground vehicles. I do not.) One gunnery skill applies to all vehicles. The only other operation skills besides gunnery and maneuver are stealth and disguise. Stealth is moving your vehicle without detection an disguise is playing a mundance vehicle well enough to fool those around you.

Some vehicles can be modified so that a transformer can Link-In to the vehicle. This allows the transformer to use the craft like it is an alternate form, thus giving the character two extra dice for skill checks.

Function Skills: These are the physical skills used in your robot form.

Primary Functions and Skills: Autobot Primary Functions. Below is chart of 12 functions you could chose for your autobot. But this is not the limit of autobot specialists. There were not doubt autobot entertainers, architects, miners, explorers, cartographers, strategists, spies and saboteurs. Just chose four skills that fit with your desired function. I think that x2 skill bonuses should be limited. Autobots can have a x2 bonuses in maneuver (op) and any fabrication. Decepticon can have x2 bonuses in a weapon skill.

*Represents a partial specialization, take the two skills from this function and two skills from another.

Examples of Decepticon Primary Functions:

Starting Skills: Basic OS + Primary Skills

Basic Operating System: Every Transformer has a basic operating system.

Autobot: User Interface Rank 1, Energy Weapon Rank 1,Fidelity Rank 1, Maneuver (vehicle type) Rank 1, Intuition Rank 1, Brawl Rank 1

Decepticon: User Interface Rank 1, Energy Weapon Rank 1, Fidelity Rank 1, Evade Rank 1, Leadership Rank 1, Flight (Fu) Rank 1

Determining final skill ranks before purchasing skill:

Skills for the basic OS and the function skill set are cumulative. So an Autobot that is also a transportation specialist would have Maneuver skill of Rank 3 (+2 ranks for transportation primary function skills +1 rank for the OS skills) before spending any of his priority skill points.

Purchasing Skills:

Skills are bought with skill points. Skill have ranks 1 through 5 and cost that many skill points to buy. During character generation any skills may be bought for the cost of the rank and each increase only costs 1 point. In subsequent buys it will be required that all previous ranks be obtained before a skill be improved and the total cost of the skill rank be paid for. Starting skill points are equal to the priority given skills x2. Thus a character who gave skills the piority of D would have 4 skill points and A would have 10 skill points to spend. As with other priorities a rank A is greater increase over B than B is over C and so on. Thus, with rank A the character can boost one skill to 5 free of charge.

Example: Character Builder-Bob is making a Decepticon that alternates as a main assault tank. He has chosen to be a fire support specialist so he has a Gunnery rank 2. He has taken skills at priority D, which gives him four skill points. He decides he wants Maneuver (Ground Vehicle) Rank 1 (1pt), and Brawl Rank 2 (2pts), and then he spends his last spend his last point to raise his Gunnery to 3 (2pts from primary function+1pt).

Advantages

Here is a list advantage thus far:

Connector (cost 1): You and five other class C or lower or four other class C or higher robots may join to form a connector. The connector is a Mega robot that gets one skill form each member.

Cybertronian Ally (cost 1): This is a transformer on cybertron who will help you gain information and obtain energy.

Dual Primary Function (Autobot 4, Decepticon 2): Chose a second primary function and get the four to two skill ranks associated with it. This new function does alter autobot programming.

Flight (autobot only: cost 1): You can use Decepticon Robot form of flying.

Hotshot (cost 1 or 2): Choose a skill and add on extra die to all checks with that skill, and then drop one die from the final total. This gives you extra attempt at scoring a hit, but it does not give you a higher max. For interface, manipulation and computing skills the cost is one. For operation and function skills the cost is two.

Human ally (cost 1): This is a human that will help your transformer specifically gain information and obtain energy.

Junkion-Fu (cost 1): Can remove a arm, a leg or your head use it as melee weapon, throw it something or weigh paper down on your desk. Can also chose to loose a limb instead of talking damage dice reducing damage.

Master Tactician (Cost 2): Get plus two hits on all tactical rolls

Military Alternate form (Autobot only) (Cost 1-3): Costs 1 for rank D alternates, Costs 2 for rank C alternates, and Cost 3 for rank B alternates. Does not apply to rank A or E alternates.

Non-anthropomorphic Robot Form (1): Let say you want to play a jaguar that turns into a Jaguar. This will allow you to restructure you basic OS.

Noncybertronian Construction (Cost 1): For Autobots this mean you do not have the compassion primary program directive. For Decepticon it means that you are out of the Decepticon command structure and thus while you still have rank it only applies to your 'local' Decepticons if there are any. An in show example of this would have been the dinobots. This trait means that you were built somewhere other than cybertron using nonstandard programing.

Priority Boost (cost 1-2): Increase one Priority one rank, lets say you want to play a Mega transformer that turns into a scorpion both of those require class A priorities. This means instead of having a B priority the character now has two A priorities. Boost E or D, 1 point, Boost, C or B two points. You can not boost advantages.

Respected and Admired (Cost 2): Get plus 2 hits on all opposed interface checks with members of your own team.

The Tao of the Junkion (cost 1): Can make repair checks without tools or a laboratory as long as you are in an environment with post-industrial age technology.

Triple Changer (cost 1-5): You can take a second alternate, it cost the value of the new alternate form. Thus if Bob wants to play a tank (rank B) that also turns into a school bus (rank C) then he would spend 3 advantage points.

Skill Patch (1) You can take one skill from the computing, interface, or manipulation that is not part of your faction or function skills at rank 5.

Disadvantages

Limited Verbal (-1): Transformer has a limited vocabulary and it is extremely inarticulate (Grimlock)

Lower Priority (-2): Reduces one priority a single slot allowing you to have two priorities in the same slot and keeping one slot blank. Get two points for each reduction.

Autobot Alternate (-1): Deception only

No Energy Weapon (-2): The character cannot channel their own power into an energy weapon.

No Rank (-2): The Decepticon has no rank or effectively a rank of zero. This decepticon can only act on the commands of other Decepticons.

Extra Quirk (-1): Roll against type for a new quirk.

No hand/s (-1/-2): In robot form this transformer lacks manipulators on one or both hands and thus cannot make Manipulation checks independently.