Anti-Robot Solutions

[Nightmartree]

I don't know if anyone has done this before but i'm curious what are some ideas people have for anti-robot or Powerarmor combat? I hope people can provide ideas for things that would hinder or cripple robots effectiveness. Any critques are welcome just be nice and logical about it.

Some ideas to get this started:
Electrokinesis- Allows a psychic to turn devices on or off and manipulate them, what if they arm the missiles inside a launch tube and detonate them or if they know how remove the safeties for a self destruct system in a robot, or simply turn off your robot/powerarmor at a bad time
Flaming gas- A gas that explodes into MD flame, doesn't seem much different from an explosion, but it has the potential to hit every part of the robot equally,that means all those low MDC parts may suddenly be broken or malfunctioning, also if there is enough damage to the vehicle and it has lost enviromental containment it could flash fry the crew
Grapplers and Plasma cutter- This is the reason that robots are deployed with support, a person with a magnetic grappler and the right equipment could potentially cut open a robot and throw some explosives inside while remaining outside of attack range. This is harder on humanoid robots assuming that they're willing and able to back into or roll around on the surrounding area but if your in powerarmor and they have nothing to smash you into thats hard enough to hurt...

[dragonfett]

Sticking fusion blocks to low MDC areas (feet, hands, etc.) by way of a fast moving person (such as a Juicer coming from hiding) is one possibility.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

Fusion Blocks and Teleport: Lesser.

[Mack]

Expand what weapons use the Armor Piercing rule (double damage on a strike of 18+, after bonuses). I like to include rail guns.

[Nightmartree]

Expand what weapons use the Armor Piercing rule (double damage on a strike of 18+, after bonuses). I like to include rail guns.

where is this rule from?

Also teleporting explosives is always nasty, may I recommend the psychic teleport object? and I think they actually have a placed directed explosive especially for eliminating key points on robots (or opening a new door) in the first NGR book. Though they use power armor instead of juicers for delivery.

[The Beast]

Expand what weapons use the Armor Piercing rule (double damage on a strike of 18+, after bonuses). I like to include rail guns.

where is this rule from?

Also teleporting explosives is always nasty, may I recommend the psychic teleport object? and I think they actually have a placed directed explosive especially for eliminating key points on robots (or opening a new door) in the first NGR book. Though they use power armor instead of juicers for delivery.

Armor piercing missiles in RUE, I believe.

[Mack]

Expand what weapons use the Armor Piercing rule (double damage on a strike of 18+, after bonuses). I like to include rail guns.

where is this rule from?

Don't have my book handy, but it's in the back of RUE (the missile section, I believe).

The nifty part is that since it's after bonuses, even a typical merc/grunt/soldier can increase his crit range to 15+ by just taking the right skills. That's a massive increase to the weapon's average damage.

[Nightmartree]

Expand what weapons use the Armor Piercing rule (double damage on a strike of 18+, after bonuses). I like to include rail guns.

where is this rule from?

Don't have my book handy, but it's in the back of RUE (the missile section, I believe).

The nifty part is that since it's after bonuses, even a typical merc/grunt/soldier can increase his crit range to 15+ by just taking the right skills. That's a massive increase to the weapon's average damage.

Cool, that seems more like an anti everybody rule though

not that that's bad, just feels more like a ruling shift than a anti-robot solution

[taalismn]

Elemental Magic---Create a hole that will stop a 'bot and trap it.
Fill it with lava. Continuous damage from soaking in magma.
Likewise, with a nod to the suggestion of low-MDC fire? The super-napalm Wellington Industries puts out. If you're not worried about a blazing 'bot lurching around, drenching it in long-burn thermite jelly pretty much knocks out thermal and optical sensors if you cover'em in flaming gunk. If it's got an internal combustion powerplant, all the better; get the stuff in an air vent or down a cooling system.

[Nightmartree]

Fill it with lava. Continuous damage from soaking in magma.

This makes me wonder, how much ice is too much ice for a robot to break out of? drop them in a pit of water, then freeze it, even if the vehicle is environmental can it do anything when its sealed to the seals in ice? you can make ice at a much lower level than magma.

also layering ice thick enough on the ground could do bad things to robot traction, blizzards also block sensors somewhat.

(Frost Pixie, confirmed robot killer)

[Mack]

Make a TW "gun" based on the Energy Disruption spell, but amp it up so that it affects power armor and robot vehicles.

[taalismn]

Corrosive substances. MD acids are hard to come by on Rifts Earth, and there's the problems of safely handling and deploying them, but a good spraying should be able to sludge and score sensitive sensors and damage vulnerable gaskets and seals.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

Make a TW "gun" based on the Energy Disruption spell, but amp it up so that it affects power armor and robot vehicles.

IIRC, Combat Magic has a spell that can neutralize bigger bots and stuff. You could base it around that.

[Nightmartree]

Corrosive substances. MD acids are hard to come by on Rifts Earth, and there's the problems of safely handling and deploying them, but a good spraying should be able to sludge and score sensitive sensors and damage vulnerable gaskets and seals.

Get one that only eats MD materials by attacking the bonds that make it MD (i do believe that its a specific material/energy bonding process that makes things MD, make a solution that decomposses those bonds) then store in it an sdc spray can... just so you can use an sdc spray paint can and wreck a mdc robot

[TeeAychEeMarchHare]

Depends on the GM, but I've had success using temporal magic to phase thru the armor and into the pilot's compartment, then shooting the pilot in the head.

This obviously won't work against power armor, since there's not enough room for another person. But against robots, APC's, etc, it works unless your GM is the type that doesn't allow creative solutions and wants you to take enemies apart piece by piece.

[ShadowLogan]

Something to keep in mind is that what might work for one suit of PA or 'bot might not be as effective as another

1. Review the Robot Slammer OCC in Rifts Canada (WB20) for suggestions
2. Terrain/Climate (WB20 mentions these IIRC for Canda's arctic conditions, the old Robotech REF Field Guide and Retrun of the Masters had some that would be useful to in the Factory Satellite random tables, but these would be artificial climates)
3. Psychic abilities in the Telemechanics family
4. Psychic Astral Projects on the physical plane and uses another power to attack the pilot/crew directly (ex Bio-Mainpulation) or various manipulate controls (TK)
5. Land Mines (they target the legs and cripple the bot's mobility)
6. Slammer/Concussion Missiles (WB5/8 Triax1/Japan) or other weapons with knockdown effect
7. Trap Skill description in WB11/14 (CWC/NW) IIRC has a few designed for 'bots
8. Deploy weapons with EMP-like effects (a few exist in books)
9. Get them tangled up (giant size bolas effectively) to cut into their mobility
10. Try to stay behind them, IIRC most can't target things behind them easily (which cuts into their attack options)
11. Reprogram nano-bots to attack robots/pa etc (essentially turn automated repair nano'bots for borgs into weapons like Japan's disolver missiles)
12. Be underhanded (sabotage the units before they are deployed or you know steal them)

[kaid]

NG1 has a very good anti robot OCC option you may want to look at. Basically they are like an operator but their specialty is wrecking/disabling robots and power armor. They combine good hacking skill, demolition knowledge, and using their mechanical engineering abilities to sabotage and disable robots and vehicles with some strong psychic power options that further enhance their ability to control/cripple robots.

[kaid]

For more general tips a lot of it is pretty basic stuff.

Remove or disable a leg on a humanoid robot makes them very vulnerable. Once they their mobility is limited you can work on their weaponry. Many vehicles/robots have one primary gun and some secondary guns. if you can take those out you can quickly limit what threat the robot can be.

The NG2 grease monkey armor in the hands of one of the robot control NG OCC has a built in diagnostic tool that if you can get onto an enemy vehicle that is crippled enough to not be able to stop you from getting physically onto them could allow you to do all sorts of shenanigans hacking wise to that unit.

Hell even without that their psychic abilities if they can get into close proximity could open your target up to be taken apart or at least so crippled it is no longer a threat. Also to do so in a way that could allow you to salvage the unit and put it back into service for you. For the NG their OCC helps work like a repo man to help reclaim lost/stolen/unpaid for units.

If you don't have that kind of skilled directed person then explosives aimed at the feet/legs are always a good option or their jet pack if they are a flying unit.


Also it helps if you are going against some opponent you know has access to some powerful robot vehicle to see if you can find where they sleep and sabotage it out of combat. Ideally the best way to defeat a robot vehicle is to not have to fight it in the first place.

[taalismn]

Also it helps if you are going against some opponent you know has access to some powerful robot vehicle to see if you can find where they sleep and sabotage it out of combat. Ideally the best way to defeat a robot vehicle is to not have to fight it in the first place.

"Yeah, beat that Skull Smasher squad with food poisoning."

[dragonfett]

Make a TW "gun" based on the Energy Disruption spell, but amp it up so that it affects power armor and robot vehicles.

There is the Electormagnetic Pulse Combat Magic Spell from Mercenary Adventures that can do that (no a sure shot since it's military hardware, but it does what I have always felt Energy Disruption originally should have).

[Nightmartree]

Here is a question, how good are pit traps vs giant robots?

cause you have a large heavy object falling, crew members, and then can it exit the hole? I mean a few tons of robot falling, even if we say its MD materials and won't deform under its own weight during a fall, and that the crew were all strapped in (logical conclusion considering how fast some of them can move) you still have several tons trying to climb its way out of a dirt hole. This is assuming you make a big enough hole to drop a robot into and not just one for them to trip over...which could be a good way to make mines destroy more than feet.

Can you imagine a military engineer knowing that the enemy will attack soon with the X model of robot ordering pits dug and trip wires set (MD rods set deep underground with a MD rope normally used to life robots for transport), and mines be placed at X locations so your robot storms in, trips and falls onto mines?

[kaid]

Here is a question, how good are pit traps vs giant robots?

cause you have a large heavy object falling, crew members, and then can it exit the hole? I mean a few tons of robot falling, even if we say its MD materials and won't deform under its own weight during a fall, and that the crew were all strapped in (logical conclusion considering how fast some of them can move) you still have several tons trying to climb its way out of a dirt hole. This is assuming you make a big enough hole to drop a robot into and not just one for them to trip over...which could be a good way to make mines destroy more than feet.

Can you imagine a military engineer knowing that the enemy will attack soon with the X model of robot ordering pits dug and trip wires set (MD rods set deep underground with a MD rope normally used to life robots for transport), and mines be placed at X locations so your robot storms in, trips and falls onto mines?

Pit traps really depends on what you are trapping. First it is going to have to be pretty damn big to be a hinderance for most robot vehicles. Given you can basically do martial arts in most robot vehicles most could just climb back out although some armless heavy mechs could get trapped like this. Some are just not able to jump and if they have no arms you could potentially pit trap them.

Still pit traps are of limited use against a lot of them simply because 20-40 feet tall ninja robots are pretty nimble and any pit big enough to trap one is probably too big to conceal easily.

[Nightmartree]

Pit traps really depends on what you are trapping. First it is going to have to be pretty damn big to be a hinderance for most robot vehicles. Given you can basically do martial arts in most robot vehicles most could just climb back out although some armless heavy mechs could get trapped like this. Some are just not able to jump and if they have no arms you could potentially pit trap them.

Still pit traps are of limited use against a lot of them simply because 20-40 feet tall ninja robots are pretty nimble and any pit big enough to trap one is probably too big to conceal easily.

I agree with the big and hard to conceal, but its not impossible on either account (magic has this easy, dig a pit and then a tarp and illusion, tarp so sensors detect things there and supports some earth for them to detect). And your forgetting weight, its a 20-40 foot tall robot, no matter how ninja you are your not climbing out of an earth pit, the pit couldn't support you. You'd have to basically dig out or fly/jump in one go and though a lot of robots/power armor have jump jets/flight not all of them do and most can't jump over their own height to get out of the pit (not once they hit the 20-40 foot range anyway). Basically i'm using the WEAKNESS of a material to trap them for a while, have you ever tried to climb up a dirt ridge and everything you touched just crumpled under your weight? same idea

[kaid]

The problem if the dirt is really weak any mech with arms is just going to clear a path out in very short order. No real need to climb a ridge when a couple swipes of their arms can turn the ridge into a ramp. It is very possible to mire down the mechs lacking arms with traps like this but any of the humanoid ones with arms would be really challenging to trap this way.

Earth warlocks would have the best shot at doing it if you could turn an area into basically quick sand. Don't give the mech anything it can dig at and the suction would make jumping difficult. In theory you could do it manually too just preparing an area and then pumping a crapload of water into it to make it a bog. Waist deep or deeper bog like conditions would be one of the few conditions that would cause most robot vehicles problems. They could get out eventually but it would slow them down for at least a while.

[Nightmartree]

The problem if the dirt is really weak any mech with arms is just going to clear a path out in very short order. No real need to climb a ridge when a couple swipes of their arms can turn the ridge into a ramp. It is very possible to mire down the mechs lacking arms with traps like this but any of the humanoid ones with arms would be really challenging to trap this way.

Earth warlocks would have the best shot at doing it if you could turn an area into basically quick sand. Don't give the mech anything it can dig at and the suction would make jumping difficult. In theory you could do it manually too just preparing an area and then pumping a crapload of water into it to make it a bog. Waist deep or deeper bog like conditions would be one of the few conditions that would cause most robot vehicles problems. They could get out eventually but it would slow them down for at least a while.

they can try to clear a path out, but I think it would be an event measured in minutes at the fastest. Once they hit a certain size the sheer weight makes climbing out difficult and it would also be difficult to compress the earth into a ramp (remember this is a 20-40 foot robot we are discussing, that's a lotta earth), i'm not saying they can't do it, but I do think it would be a major demerit during battle. Depending on weapon placement they might end up unable to return fire unless they blow the hole open with their weapons. If they have weapons capable of it they could potentially try to blow the hole around them up and form a traversable ramp, using MD to clear dirt basically, but even then that's time that they are not firing on the enemy and they risk blowback. As for making it a bog or quicksand at the bottom of the pit that would definitely help keep leapers and flyers in, maybe if you threw a MDC net over the top too?

Either way would you agree that a pit potentially slows or stops them long enough to leave them vulnerable to enemy attack? A round or two (about 30 seconds) of being stuck in one place and having to dig your way out would at least be a round or two of being unable to dodge and possibly unable to return fire. That's plenty of time to swing a battle around let alone the few minutes I think it would take.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

(remember this is a 20-40 foot robot we are discussing, that's a lotta earth),

If we're discussing realism, then they already can't walk about 90% of the continent. Anything with that much tonnage walking on feet that small would sink into even packed earth.

So, if they can walk around most of the time, there's no reason to believe they cant walk up a ramp of loose soil. Because if they cant do that... then they cant walk just about anywhere.

[Nightmartree]

(remember this is a 20-40 foot robot we are discussing, that's a lotta earth),

If we're discussing realism, then they already can't walk about 90% of the continent. Anything with that much tonnage walking on feet that small would sink into even packed earth.

So, if they can walk around most of the time, there's no reason to believe they cant walk up a ramp of loose soil. Because if they cant do that... then they cant walk just about anywhere.

Curses! Alternate Reality Logic strikes again! and actually I think I was saying that to make a ramp out they have to either beat the earth down into a ramp, or manage to move the earth out of the way to build a ramp to walk on. Neither of these are fast and easy ways out of a pit trap. We hadn't even mentioned that them walking on it could be an issue (though we did say that climbing out of a pit trap would be an issue due to weight, but then again that's true if you were a human too)

Also you just gave the best anti-robot solution ever "they can't walk on about 90% of the continent if we apply LOGIC!"

[taalismn]

[

Also you just gave the best anti-robot solution ever "they can't walk on about 90% of the continent if we apply LOGIC!"

As with tanks: "If we can't pass it on the road, we can still blow it OFF the road."

"What we now have here is a BUNKER."

[guardiandashi]

(remember this is a 20-40 foot robot we are discussing, that's a lotta earth),

If we're discussing realism, then they already can't walk about 90% of the continent. Anything with that much tonnage walking on feet that small would sink into even packed earth.

So, if they can walk around most of the time, there's no reason to believe they cant walk up a ramp of loose soil. Because if they cant do that... then they cant walk just about anywhere.

Actually proportionally most of the robot vehicles feet really aren't all that small. Plus ground compaction is really wierd.in that the math gets complicated fast.
Yes when you put a lot of weight / pressure in a spot it tends to sink in and such, however as you press down the spot underfoot gets firmer and denser, but it also starts pushing to the sides effectively increasing the area the pressure is applied to.

[Nightmartree]

Actually proportionally most of the robot vehicles feet really aren't all that small. Plus ground compaction is really wierd.in that the math gets complicated fast.
Yes when you put a lot of weight / pressure in a spot it tends to sink in and such, however as you press down the spot underfoot gets firmer and denser, but it also starts pushing to the sides effectively increasing the area the pressure is applied to.

I have learned something new ma!

so robots actually can walk on earth and the moon isn't just a mass of earth in the sky? (its really a giant robot factory set up by some of the earths governments during the golden age, though plans and groundwork had been laid on the dark side of the moon since shortly after the 5th lunar landing was broadcasted as the first)

[ShadowLogan]

Here is a question, how good are pit traps vs giant robots?

cause you have a large heavy object falling, crew members, and then can it exit the hole? I mean a few tons of robot falling, even if we say its MD materials and won't deform under its own weight during a fall, and that the crew were all strapped in (logical conclusion considering how fast some of them can move) you still have several tons trying to climb its way out of a dirt hole. This is assuming you make a big enough hole to drop a robot into and not just one for them to trip over...which could be a good way to make mines destroy more than feet.

Can you imagine a military engineer knowing that the enemy will attack soon with the X model of robot ordering pits dug and trip wires set (MD rods set deep underground with a MD rope normally used to life robots for transport), and mines be placed at X locations so your robot storms in, trips and falls onto mines?

Why does the pit trap have to "consume" the entire 'bot. What if it just targets one leg, you know like when your foot goes through the floor putting you off balance. The Pit might also be used to slow down the attackers advance.

The pit trap might also contain other surprises for a 'bot/tank.

Also by the RULES the 'bot is supposed to be able to climb out easily enough (sure terrain might make a difference), but the crew will take damage from being tossed about. At least if we go by the Skill Description with the giant size pit (WB11 CWC). Though I don't see anything preventing one from combining traps.

[dragonfett]

Here is a question, how good are pit traps vs giant robots?

cause you have a large heavy object falling, crew members, and then can it exit the hole? I mean a few tons of robot falling, even if we say its MD materials and won't deform under its own weight during a fall, and that the crew were all strapped in (logical conclusion considering how fast some of them can move) you still have several tons trying to climb its way out of a dirt hole. This is assuming you make a big enough hole to drop a robot into and not just one for them to trip over...which could be a good way to make mines destroy more than feet.

Can you imagine a military engineer knowing that the enemy will attack soon with the X model of robot ordering pits dug and trip wires set (MD rods set deep underground with a MD rope normally used to life robots for transport), and mines be placed at X locations so your robot storms in, trips and falls onto mines?

Why does the pit trap have to "consume" the entire 'bot. What if it just targets one leg, you know like when your foot goes through the floor putting you off balance. The Pit might also be used to slow down the attackers advance.

The pit trap might also contain other surprises for a 'bot/tank.

Also by the RULES the 'bot is supposed to be able to climb out easily enough (sure terrain might make a difference), but the crew will take damage from being tossed about. At least if we go by the Skill Description with the giant size pit (WB11 CWC). Though I don't see anything preventing one from combining traps.

Like lining a pit trap with a whole bunch of mines/explosives so that when a bot falls in or even gets one foot trapped, here comes the big badda boom!

[Axelmania]

Sticking fusion blocks to low MDC areas (feet, hands, etc.) by way of a fast moving person (such as a Juicer coming from hiding) is one possibility.

But how can you make a called shot with something that isn't a gun?

[ShadowLogan]

Like lining a pit trap with a whole bunch of mines/explosives so that when a bot falls in or even gets one foot trapped, here comes the big badda boom!

or vibroblades (maybe with some activation mechanisim), or hot fluid, etc

But how can you make a called shot with something that isn't a gun?

Why do you need a make a called shot to place an item? Might require a demolitions roll, but as described it would work. Not to mention mines (megaversally) are sometimes said to overrule the "strike main body" aspect of the rules and target the legs/feet, so i can see a PC/NPC placing an explosive package on a target and doing damage to something that isn't the main body.

[Blue_Lion]

Against giant robots you would use simular tactics to anti armor.
Mined tank traps(long deep ditches) would do quite a number. The issue with pit traps becomes how far apart a moving robot feet impact. Assuming they have a similar cadence to humans there could be quite some distance between running foot falls so success could be challenging.
(Hitting legs or arms with bombs/mines seams not to be in line with RaW even though it may be logical. Unless you are d oing a called shot to plant or detonate them they would by RaW strike the main body not the legs feet. The only source i know of stating mines strike the wheels is a remote detonated mine from a APC flavor text. Triggering a remote controlled mine when a moving target is in just the right positions seams to me something that would require a roll, and possibly allow a called shot.)

Tripping or knock down might be a good tactic, if the GM allows it. The humanoid robot has a high center of gravity so impacts high with large force could knock them down in theory no game rule i know of. High strength cables could be used to trip a fast moving bot, no rule this that I know of.

Intentional land slides could immobilize robot for several moments but that would be up to the GM.

Water ambush using blue green lasers is always an effective counter. weather or not you need thermal masking may be subject to gm call. It does allow your swarm of infantry to get in range of a vehicle with out taking losses and with EBA they could lie in wight several hours.

There where stone pylons in SoT6 that impeded all ground vehicles and robots other than spider skull walkers.

Giving the high weight of robots (and tanks) it is possible to make target wight trap, with constructionist equipment and some wood building supplies. Dig deep holes at least 30 feet deep, then place camouflaged wooden covers over them that can only support X weight total. Infantry and possibly PA could cross these some what safely but robots would fall in(more so given how speed would increase the impact value of a run.) and loose line of sight until they can get out some how. (if lined with MD smooth walls getting out may not be easy.) -This can get really nasty if you have hidden demo teams with the thermal masking gillie suits could drop several 10 pound charges of NG plastic down to destroy the trapped bot with minimal risk. Anther option is your indirect fire teams could have the location of said holes pre mapped out and rain howitzer shells down on the trapped bot. Possibly with some sort of sensor to detect when something falls in.-The biggest draw back would be needing to get the robot acually step on the trap, if they have a simular cadence to humans this could be tricky at high speeds.

High strength MD cable could be used to make bolas thrown by giant robots and other really strong creatures to trip up moving robots.

Camouflaged forward observers could target giant robots for Long range artillery strikes that the robot can not see.(This may require working with a GM as I do not know of any exact rules on how forward observing skill works for striking targets)

Build your base inside a small tunnel network that the giant robots can not enter so they can not be used in the fight.

Swarms If the robot lacks support troops it can be swarmed by a large group and burned down with losses.

Infiltration and theft, secure is relative term and if you have a stealth asset that can hack, lock pick and pilot it may be possible to steal your foes robot and use it as part of your attack force.

[Nightmartree]

Giving the high weight of robots (and tanks) it is possible to make target wight trap, with constructionist equipment and some wood building supplies. Dig deep holes at least 30 feet deep, then place camouflaged wooden covers over them that can only support X weight total. Infantry and possibly PA could cross these some what safely but robots would fall in(more so given how speed would increase the impact value of a run.) and loose line of sight until they can get out some how. (if lined with MD smooth walls getting out may not be easy.) -This can get really nasty if you have hidden demo teams with the thermal masking gillie suits could drop several 10 pound charges of NG plastic down to destroy the trapped bot with minimal risk. Anther option is your indirect fire teams could have the location of said holes pre mapped out and rain howitzer shells down on the trapped bot. Possibly with some sort of sensor to detect when something falls in.-The biggest draw back would be needing to get the robot acually step on the trap, if they have a simular cadence to humans this could be tricky at high speeds.

This seems like an amazing way to fortify a city, wooden beams won't support the robots/large vehicles but will support most else, if you make them big enough no need to worry about a robot stepping over them and stagger them so if they jump over one they land in another unless they know exactly where to go. Then simply wire explosives to the underground and set it to a pressure sensor (over X tons of weight makes it all go boom). Surrounding a city with this could be a simple (assuming you have heavy construction equipment, time and explosives) way to hinder or even stop small scale robotic assaults.

Somebody like the coalition wouldn't be more than just hindered because they have the resources to just bombard all the land and blow the holes open if they have to but it would be a nasty surprise and deterent for most armed bands forcing them to go in the front door, or if its a complete encirclement leave the robots outside.

[taalismn]

Like lining a pit trap with a whole bunch of mines/explosives so that when a bot falls in or even gets one foot trapped, here comes the big badda boom!

or vibroblades (maybe with some activation mechanisim), or hot fluid, etc.

Dimensional rift, etc....

[Nightmartree]

Like lining a pit trap with a whole bunch of mines/explosives so that when a bot falls in or even gets one foot trapped, here comes the big badda boom!

or vibroblades (maybe with some activation mechanisim), or hot fluid, etc.

Dimensional rift, etc....

can we combine all these? a pot trap that explodes, shooting vibro blades as shrapnel before the space liquefies into a dimensional rift?

Edit: I meant to say pit but a pot works too, more domestic

[taalismn]

[

can we combine all these? a pot trap that explodes, shooting vibro blades as shrapnel before the space liquefies into a dimensional rift?

Edit: I meant to say pit but a pot works too, more domestic

"This here isn't a 'pot', it's a -ladle-, a damned big one...or maybe you prefer 'Bessemer converter'? Anyways, it's big and it's full of molten metal. It's not your comfy hot tub at home."

[dragonfett]

(Hitting legs or arms with bombs/mines seams not to be in line with RaW even though it may be logical. Unless you are d oing a called shot to plant or detonate them they would by RaW strike the main body not the legs feet. The only source i know of stating mines strike the wheels is a remote detonated mine from a APC flavor text. Triggering a remote controlled mine when a moving target is in just the right positions seams to me something that would require a roll, and possibly allow a called shot.)

There is no roll to strike with a mine because a mine is not aimed. It is set in a geographical area and anything that triggers it gets hit by the explosion (not all mines are triggered by the same thing). I can see the GM requiring a roll to detonate a remote mine at the right time, but all other mines (with the exception of the NG Smart Mines from Mercenaries) would trigger as long something can trip it will go off. Anti-personnel mines just need to be stepped on or for a trip wire to be broken, anti-vehicle mines can be stepped on by infantry as they require more pressure to blow up, seismic mines require the ground to shake enough from a passing vehicle, etc. So anything that comes in contact with the mine (say a robot vehicle's foot) would take the damage.

[Nightmartree]

(Hitting legs or arms with bombs/mines seams not to be in line with RaW even though it may be logical.

There is no roll to strike with a mine because a mine is not aimed. So anything that comes in contact with the mine (say a robot vehicle's foot) would take the damage.

It has been noted in at least one of the books with mines (they aren't as common as you'd think...) that the GM may actually have a mine do no damage to the main body of the robot and instead direct it all to the legs of the robot because the main body isn't whats getting hit.

[dragonfett]

Can you cite the book so I can look it over myself? The way you phrase it sounds more like an optional rule to use against the player's so as to not instantly cripple them, and only applies to NPC's because it applies to PC's just for consistency.

[ShadowLogan]

Can you cite the book so I can look it over myself? The way you phrase it sounds more like an optional rule to use against the player's so as to not instantly cripple them, and only applies to NPC's because it applies to PC's just for consistency.

MEGAVERSALLY SPEAKING
the one place that comes to mind is the 1E Robotech RDF Manual. In Rifts I'm not to sure.

Like lining a pit trap with a whole bunch of mines/explosives so that when a bot falls in or even gets one foot trapped, here comes the big badda boom!

or vibroblades (maybe with some activation mechanisim), or hot fluid, etc.

Dimensional rift, etc....

Or dog poop (or worse than dog poop)? Maybe even flaming?

[Nightmartree]

Can you cite the book so I can look it over myself? The way you phrase it sounds more like an optional rule to use against the player's so as to not instantly cripple them, and only applies to NPC's because it applies to PC's just for consistency.

It wasn't in the book I thought it was but I did find the power armor on page 42-43 of WB 5 which definetly indicates that explosive location can play a major part in what goes boom, though notably these are precision and placed explosives specifically for crippling or breaching the hull of robots.

Edit: Its in neither of the places I thought it would be, i'm 90% sure I've read it, just can't find it. I could be wrong though, the problem is if i'm right it was one of those one lines, noted on a piece of equipment somewhere that said it does THIS because its this thing. But none of the similar items have that same line.

I will say it makes sense to me to damage the legs not the body, a mine hits whats on top of it (most of the time) and thats not your torso. of course this increases book keeping and is a game, so unless it comes up most people probably won't care or notice. Just treat it like a grenade they place.

[dragonfett]

If the goal was to reduce book keeping, then all power armors and robot vehicles would have one hit location.

[eliakon]

Aimed Called shots.
Make the GM use their discretion and decide how many MDC the knee joint on that Spider Skull has. Not the entire leg mind you, just the knee.

Or that view port, or camera lens, the cockpit door, or...

Teleport Object (or Teleport Lesser) and chem grenades was a favored trick of a somewhat selectively pacifist psi of mine (she didn't want to kill people if she could avoid it. But Tear Gas in your cockpit is going to really ruin your whole war you know what I mean?)

A particularly nasty group of PCs once snuck into an enemy base... and loaded the maintenance techs testing computers with a remote activated computer virus.
As they went through and did the maintenance on all the robots and PAs they spread the virus...
...then in the middle of the fight they issued an order over the radio and crashed all the computers affected.
It went from "CS forces massacring the outnumbered and outgunned D-Bees" to "The CS being massacred in their useless metal coffins"

[Mack]

Hmm...

How about a TW Rifle that shoots giant blobs of really sticky ectoplasm? Doesn't do any damage, but completely blocks sensors/windows. One shot is big enough to cover a 3'x3' area. Takes 1D4 melees to wipe away (the stuff just smears around), or the victim can wait for it to dissipate (1D4 minutes).

[Nightmartree]

Hmm...

How about a TW Rifle that shoots giant blobs of really sticky ectoplasm? Doesn't do any damage, but completely blocks sensors/windows. One shot is big enough to cover a 3'x3' area. Takes 1D4 melees to wipe away (the stuff just smears around), or the victim can wait for it to dissipate (1D4 minutes).

That sounds fun, you could probably do something similar with chemicals. Or maybe a TW Bazooka like thing that shoots a round that covers a much bigger area in the same gunk, and it lasts longer cause the round is providing power. (charge it up with PPE before firing to determine duration?). Can you imagine hitting an entire squad of CS soldier or an entire robot with one of those? OH! you just reminded me of a thread I was gonna start...I think it was in heroes unlimited? "Who ya gonna call?" for when things just go wrong in your campaign who do you call for help...i should go do that before i forget. Edit: Eh still considering it

If the goal was to reduce book keeping, then all power armors and robot vehicles would have one hit location.

That's why unless there is a specific reason (aka called shot or say you stick your robots hand in lava) you take damage to your robots main body and ignore the rest. That said I do believe there are to hit locations for robots in the CB1if that's more your style

[taalismn]

[
Or dog poop (or worse than dog poop)? Maybe even flaming?

Dried rhino-buffalo dung. Aged right(secret Simvan recipe), it burns like thermite.

[Nightmartree]

[
Or dog poop (or worse than dog poop)? Maybe even flaming?

Dried rhino-buffalo dung. Aged right(secret Simvan recipe), it burns like thermite.

That's just wrong...what happened to spraying a robot with pheromones, that attract an alien animal with acidic body fluids that loves to lick MDC man made structures like an ice cream