Bulldogs! Robots is a 96-page supplement for the D20 sci-fi roleplaying game Bulldogs! Included in the supplement is background information on robots in the known galaxy as well as rules to create robots as player characters and NPCs in a D20 game.
The rules essentially use racial templates, the Bulldogs! core classes, feats, prestige classes, and in some cases money and XP to build a robot’s abilities. Because the rules used apply to most D20 games, the Robots supplement could easily be used in other D20 sci-fi games. However, the Bulldogs! base rulebook of is needed to use the supplement.
Robots is a great mix of roleplaying background, useful campaign building ideas, and solid rule mechanics. A PC robot will have the opportunity to develop and grow in ability like any other PC without being overpowered. Adventures and even a whole campaign could easily be set up using the information provided.
However, Robots is not a “Monster Manual” of robots and cyborgs. Not one example of a mechanical or an android is included, only suggestions and guidelines to building them. I think buyers might buy Robots looking for a catalogue of robots and end up with a player’s guide to making a robot character instead. I discuss this further after my suggestions at the end of the review.
The idea behind robots is that SIN, Self-Improvement Nanocircuitry, enables robots to learn. The science and history behind SIN technology is laid out as are rules to use the technology in a Bulldogs! game.
The supplement is laid out in eight chapters. Chapter One provides roleplaying information on robots including how they fit in the Bulldogs! universe, how laws and legal enforcement apply to them, and what organizations involve robots. The chapter includes several laws that govern robots such as: A robot must be programmed to obey the law at all times. These laws, set aside in boxes, provide wonderful insight into understanding robots in the Bulldogs! universe.
Seven factions that revolve around robots introduce a lot of roleplaying hooks for the GM’s use.
Chapter Two defines a robot’s physical components and provides details for the GM and players on how these components operate and develop. Androids, for instance, are made in the image of their creator, in this case some of the aliens from the core Bulldogs! rulebook.
Chapter Three delves into the mind and personality of robots. Programming defines how robots react and the chapter includes details on how that programming interacts with the classes in Bulldogs!
In Chapter Four, skills and feats are explained in regards to robots. In addition, advancing a robot in levels is covered. Around forty hardware feats, requiring engineering skill to gain, allow a robot to evolve and change its functions.
Cybernetics is covered in Chapter Five. Both roleplaying background and rules information is provided. The background and impact of cybernetics in the Bulldogs! universe provides many roleplaying hooks. Laws are included in this chapter as well, such as: personalities may not be transferred into artificial bodies.
The rules use the existing D20 base to install cybernetics, requiring skill checks, taking feats, buying the tech, and spending XP. Four new feats are included and most the feats from Chapter Four work as well for cyborgs.
Extra rules for running robots and cyborgs, including extra equipment, is included in Chapter Six. Over ten new items including tracking bugs, weapons, and ammo. Downtime, repairing robots, and combat are then covered. The chapter wraps up with viruses. Viruses are treated like poisons for robots and I liked that use of existing rules to cover them.
Chapter Seven covers prestige classes. The classes may be robot only or non-robot only or allow any race. Some prestige classes might be qualified for by a robot right away and could be played as new core classes. Guidelines are provided to guide the GM in deciding which prestige classes could be taken at 1st level as a core class.
Two general classes allow for building of robots and robot tech. A non-robot class is the robot hunter. Robot prestige classes include the awakened, database, incubot/succubot, loose cannon, and Trojan horse.
All of the prestige classes deal with robots and cyborgs and could not easily be duplicated using only the core rules of Bulldogs!
The final chapter discusses who makes robots, who controls them, and how they fit in the Bulldogs! universe. With robots ultimately remaining property, the topics covered here are important. They range from the biggest three corporations making robots and their secret wars to advice on how the GM can use robots in his or her campaign.
I have three suggestions for improving Robots. One would be to fix the links to other pages. A nice feature of the pdf is that when another page is referenced a link it takes you right there. That’s a handy feature. However, many references to pages have the dreaded xx and need cleaning up.
The other, minor, error I found was that the bio-engineer isn’t listed under prestige classes in the table of contents so no link connects to the class. It could be overlooked if the table of contents is used to find information as no index is included.
Finally, the back cover copy says the material uses updated material from the Player’s Handbook 3.5 from Wizards of the Coast. I didn’t see many places where the rules differed between 3.0 and 3.5 but in those places 3.0 rules were still used. For instance, some of the skills and feats in the Bulldogs! rulebook are based on 3.0 as are those in Robots. Non-lethal damage is still referred to as subdual damage in Robots. I couldn’t find any updates. I would pull the back cover copy about 3.5 updates.
The strangest thing about Robots is it doesn’t include any robots. I read 98 pages of well-thought out and well-written rules, but not one robot or cyborg was included in Robots. I checked three times because I didn’t want to miss the stats and come out sounding foolish. But I couldn’t find one robot in Robots. Basic guidelines on creating robots in the image of the alien races in the Bulldogs! rulebook were all I could find.
The title of Robots might mislead a buyer into assuming he or she is getting a catalogue of robots in a similar manner to monsters in a Monster Manual. The cover copy does not say the supplement includes completed robots, but as a reader I was really surprised to get to the end of the supplement and not see any completed robots to use.
I understand that robot building in this supplement is based on the character building rules, specifically the robot race included in Bulldogs!, and not tech building rules like ships use. However, I expected at least a small sampling of standard mechanicals and androids. Not including pre-made robots in this supplement will place a tremendous amount of work on the GM’s shoulders as he or she must build and determine costs for every robot or cyborg from scratch.
Robots will be useful for any GM using the D20 system that wants a complete ruleset for robots as player characters or NPCs as well as interesting background and roleplaying information. It is not a “Monster Manual” of robots, as no completed robots or cyborgs are included.
