Synthetic Humans in Mongoose Traveller

If there is any downside to living through a Traveller resurgence, it’s the difficulty in keeping up with all of the great books that have been released over the last few years. I am only just now really starting to put the latest MgT Robots Handbook (2022) through its paces. Overall, this is probably the best book yet to tackle the subject. Geir Lanesskog, who also wrote the latest World Builder’s Handbook, has a real knack for creating design systems that are relatively easy to follow, produce consistent results, and contain enough options to satisfy all but the gear-iest of gear-heads.

Bodyguard 3185D31, “Sonny,” a Verisim-8 android manufactured by Kline Synthetic Technologies. Image courtesy of KST Marketing, 1102.

My ongoing Into the Interface campaign was heavily influenced by my reading of Traveller⁵, which introduced numerous cyberpunk and transhumanist ideas into the Charted Space setting. My version of Magyar sector is filled with clones, synthetics, androids, and geneered chimeras. One of the Travellers in the campaign is the advanced android Sonny, who was assigned to protect another character, the indolent Daren Rigby-Gardner. I had used Traveller⁵ to build Sonny and then converted the results to Mongoose Traveller, but I had been itching to use the Robot Handbook to build a “native” version of Sonny. Fortunately Geir built a handy Excel worksheet for robot design, which makes the process even easier to complete.

Note that in the parlance of MgT, an android is a mechanical construct designed to look like a human—think Ash or Bishop from the Aliens series. In my campaign, as in Traveller⁵, androids are synthetic humans: living, organic creatures with cybernetic components. Think Battlestar Galactica cylons, Blade Runner replicants, or Westworld hosts. MgT would define them all as biological robots.

Verisim-8 Androids

Kline Synthetic Technologies is a sector-wide corporation that services Imperial territory in Daibei, Magyar, and the Solomani Rim. KST is one of the larger Imperial manufacturers of androids, which are biological robots based on a human pattern. An android has a vat-grown living body but is implanted with an electronic brain. KST produces the mid-range Synthmat-11 models, which are hairless and have an identifying mark that can be found through a retinal scan. KST has also introduced the high-end Verisim-8 line of androids, built to closely resemble humans in all ways but possessing superior physical characteristics. A Verisim-8 android can only be identified through detection of the interface between its robot brain and its biological body.

The cloned bodies of Verisim-8 models are ‘quick-grown’ in an advanced metabolic chamber, developing at 50x normal growth rate, maturing to age 18 in approximately 18 weeks or four months. The quick-grow procedure is closer to fabrication than development. Like all KST models, Verisim-8 androids require regular amino enzyme supplements in order to process human foods.

A Verisim-8 android features a positronic brain, an iridium sponge containing a raw pattern of possible neural pathways developed through use by a flow of positrons. The sponge forms a holographic intelligence pattern within the brain that is adaptable to new circumstances. Once activated, a positronic brain gains consciousness and self-awareness, and is immediately connected to a flash-learning system that floods the brain with information and the techniques and abilities to use it. In a matter of weeks the brain is ready to be installed in its vat-grown body.

A Verisim-8 android is highly intelligent, capable of logical reasoning and can attempt functions outside its programmed parameters. It is not conscious but appears to be so and considers itself to be conscious without fully understanding the concept. Verisim-8 models can perform at capabilities similar to or superior to biological sentients in a broad variety of skills. Verisim-8 models can develop interests and hobbies outside its programmed functions.

Verisim-8 androids are highly customizable, but KST offers several standard packages. The Bodyguard package is one of the more popular, providing clients with a highly skilled and entirely loyal protector.

Robot	Hits	Locomotion	Speed	TL	Cost
Verisim-8 Bodyguard	22	Walker	9m	14	MCr2.8
Skills	Admin 1, Athletics (dexterity) 2, Athletics (endurance) 2, Athletics (strength) 1, Diplomat 1, Drive 1, Electronics (computers) 2, Flyer (grav) 2, Gun Combat (slug) 2, Language 1, Medic 2, Melee (unarmed) 2, Pilot (small craft) 2, Recon 2, Steward 1, Survival 1, Tactics (military) 2
Attacks	–
Manipulators	2x (STR 9 DEX 9)
Endurance	As biological being
Traits	Armor (+2), ATV, Hardened
Programming	Very Advanced (INT 11)
Options	Auditory Sensor, Biological Robot (improved), Transceiver 500 km (advanced), Visual Spectrum Sensor, Voder Speaker, Wireless Data Link

Improved Biological Robot: Standard robot endurance values do not apply to Verisim-8 androids; they must eat, drink, breathe, and rest just like a living human. They are vulnerable to harm and heal damage just like a human. The interface between a Verisim-8’s robot brain and its biological body is detectable. Treat detection of an artificial brain as DM-2 on any scanner check, including psionic life detection.

Quick Grown: The quick growth process places a great strain on the android’s cellular structure, impacting aging to a major extent; a Verisim-8 body ages at twice the standard rate. Eight years after the android’s emergence from the vat, the android is the equivalent of a 34-year-old and must make an aging roll with DM-4, two years after that, the android must make another aging roll with DM-5.

Very Advanced Robot Brain: A Verisim-8 robot brain provides the equivalent services of a Computer/5fib with Bandwith 11 available for skill packages. Base capabilities include Intellect Interface, Expert/2, and Security/2. The hardened brain case protects from ion and radiation weapons. The android’s effective SOC or EDU is considered equivalent to its INT but only in the very narrow sense of performing the specified task. A Verisim-8 android can attempt INT, EDU or SOC-based checks up to Very Difficult (12+).

Sonny

Sonny is a player character Verisim-8 android, and was originally created using the Traveller⁵ rules for synthetics. The following applies the rules from the Robot Handbook’s “Robots as Travellers” chapter to the preceding conversion. In addition to the standard Verisim-8 Bodyguard package, Sonny also shipped with two augments from the Central Supply Catalog: Metastatic Platelet Injection and Physical Augmentation (endurance) +2, raising his total purchase price to a staggering MCr3.86.

Bodyguard 3185D31, “Sonny”

Species			Gender			Age
Android			Male			11
Traits				Skills
STR	9	INT	11	Admin 0, Athletics (dexterity) 1, Athletics (endurance) 1, Diplomat 0, Drive 0, Electronics (computers) 1, Flyer (grav) 1, Gun Combat (slug) 1, Language (Trokh) 1, Medic 1, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot (small craft) 1, Recon 1, Steward 0, Survival 0, Tactics (military) 1
DEX	9	EDU	0 (11)
END	10	SOC	0 (11)
Weapons		gauss pistol (3D, Auto 2, AP 3)
Armor		armor +2, advanced polycarapace (+16)
Equipment		medikit (TL14)
Augments		Metastatic Platelet Injection, Physical Augmentation (endurance) +2

Faster Movement Sonny may move up to nine metres for each Minor Action.

Metastatic Platelet Injection These platelets double characteristic points gained through natural healing and are not affected by electromagnetic attacks or detectable by electronic means.

Very Advanced Robot Brain Sonny’s effective SOC or EDU is considered equivalent to his INT but only in the very narrow sense of performing the specified task. Sonny can attempt INT, EDU or SOC-based checks up to Very Difficult (12+).

Sir Cedric Radimir Garner, Baronet of Montlivan (Magyar 3222 C688456-A), ordered the Bodyguard as a present to his only son, Daren Rigby-Gardner, with the express purpose of keeping the young wastrel out of trouble. The synthetic has been nicknamed “Sonny” due to the Baronet’s supposed preference for the synthetic over his own flesh-and-blood, a claim that could actually be true. What is indisputable is that the Baronet emancipated Sonny after only eight years of service and has placed the Bodyguard on a Cr10,000 annual retainer to continue guarding his son.

Conclusions

In general, the revised Sonny is rather more capable than the original Traveller⁵ conversion, but within the same order of magnitude. His MgT price (Mcr3.86) is a little more than half the T5 price (MCr6.66). His original UPP of 7BA800 is relatively close to the revised UPP of 99AB00. The Robot Handbook’s guidelines for Robot Travellers look like they would work well except for biological robots and Endurance, so I used the rules for Physical Augments to goose Sonny’s END score. In MgT Sonny gets many more skils and generally with higher bonuses. Further, the guidelines for using his INT score in place of EDU or SOC for some skills gives him much more versatility.

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