BAE Robot PCs

Return to Savage Borderlands: BAE

There's no reason for CL4P-TP and FL4K to be the only robotic PCs; the world of Borderlands has plenty of intelligent 'bots. Join their ranks now, so that you're on the winning side when the Glorious Robot Revolution comes!

Robot

This is a basic, universal race for players who want their model to be fully customized. Note that this is not a standard Savage Worlds "construct," as intelligent 'bots are able to feel pain (seems to be a side effect of that pesky self-awareness). Also note that, as a setting rule, Immunity to Disease and Poison is treated as a single +1 racial ability due to both coming up so rarely.

Remember that starting with a free Edge is a special human ability, so robots don't get that.

• Mechanical: You must be revived using Repair instead of Healing. You lack the ability to heal naturally but Repair skill can be used to fix your Wounds; each attempt takes one hour per Wound level, suffers penalties equal to your Wounds, and ignores the "golden hour." You may still use healing vials (must be nanotechnology or something). You don't breathe and are immune to disease and poison.
• Metal Body: You have Armor +2. You suffer extra damage from Corrosion weapons instead of from Incendiary ones, as for all robots (see BAE Elemental Damage).
• Mobility Options: Choose one of these means of getting around. Be sure to specify the choice in your race; e.g., "Robot (Legs)."

  • Hover Jets: You hover about a foot off the ground. This lets you ignore difficult terrain, but your Run die becomes a d4. You may take the Walk on Water Edge.
  • Legs: Normal rules.
  • Wheel: Normal rules. You may take the Watch Me Fall! Hindrance.
• Personality Glitches: AI programming is an inexact science, to put it mildly. Choose one of the following Major Hindrances: Arrogant, Clueless, Delusional, Jealous, Overconfident, Thin-Skinned, or Yellow.

CL4P-TP Model

Wait, Do These Exist?

Anyone familiar with the pre-sequel knows that Pandora and Elpis used to be full of "helpful" CL4P-TP units, each designed for a different purpose . . . until Handsome Jack killed off all but one. That said, there are a few different ways to justify having CL4P-TP characters in the game besides "guess I'm playing the one remaining Claptrap":

1. The game takes place before the events of Claptastic Voyage. This means that Handsome Jack is still alive (and probably consolidating power within Hyperion) and the events of Borderlands 2 and 3 have not yet taken place.
2. Setting assumption that with Jack gone, Hyperion decided to reverse several of his decisions, including creating new CL4P-TP units for mass production.
3. Setting assumption that a different company picked up the CL4P-TP specs and began marketing knockoffs. Or maybe all of them did! How do you picture your Torgue CL4P-TP differing from a Maliwan one? (This is what our campaign assumes.)

Game Mechanics

CL4P-TP units use the Robot (Wheel) template above, plus the following additional racial features:

• Small but Scrappy: You have Size -1 and thus Toughness -1.
• Outgoing and Personable: You have the Big Mouth hindrance. Also, Hacking is a core skill for you instead of Persuasion.
• Underestimated: You have the Luck edge.

Return to Savage Borderlands: BAE