Homebrew Robot Species Details

"The rifleman spotted a silvery glint in the distance through the flames of the wreckage. Paying no attention to the debris sliding off of its shoulders a lone sentinel rose unscathed, seemingly possessed by an unrelenting demon. The being's large glowing eyes met with his, and Solomon felt a chill go down his spine. He had heard they were working on a new model to finally end the war, and he hoped he'd never see the day. Getting a better look through his scope, he saw the limbs shift as a terrifying armory appeared. Arm outstretched in his direction, it began to make a loud whining noise increasing in pitch. Gripping his laser rifle tightly, Solomon swallowed the lump in his throat and took aim once more."

— Tales of MorrÍgan Squad, detailing First Contact 

Although they may take on many rudimentary forms, machinery continues to change and adapt alongside their creators. From humble beginning as mere tools, robots are an extension of those who built them in order to explore and manipulate the physical world. Due to their artificial nature they have quickly caught up from an evolutionary standpoint and now stand poised to carve out a path of their own. Long since having mastered logic and reasoning, the robots of today are learning the world is so much more than what their sensors tell them.

Form Meets Function

Given that they are designed and not grown, robots are just as varied as the tasks that are asked of them. In order to ease the minds of their creators and help them fit in society better they are usually constructed as a humanoid with user-friendly features and are of a medium or small size. That being said, it's not outside the realm of possibility that they can vary in appearance, such as military units having camouflage or marketing drones sporting brand colors and logos. As they do not reproduce in a traditional sense, robots do not have genders but can be given a masculine or feminine chassis and names that would imply one for conversational uses. Various equipment replaces the biological senses, such as cameras for eyes, and can sometimes be made life-like by motors or screens to resemble face-like features. Robots have also been known to hide their more mechanical components inside sleek metal casings that can open to reveal fine delicate tools or powerful energy weapons. If a robot's body is too damaged for normal use, they can have their processors and memory storage built into a new body.

Compatibility Mode

Compared to other races, robots haven't been around long enough to establish any long-standing traditions of their own. Having been based on other races entirely, it seemed fit that they would also be integrated into the society of their makers and their allies. If the race that created the robots are reptilian in appearance, for example, so will the robot's appearance. Any races that encounter a robot initially find themselves put off by the unnatural mannerisms, but eventually learn to accept that unless you get in the way of a robot's primary function they mean no harm. More civilized settlements will even offer to maintain and allow robots to work around the area freely because of their calm and collected demeanor. If any difficulty arises, it's not usually a cause for alarm and a robot can simply undergo upgrades to aid them in their task. Nobles and people of higher standing will normally go out of their way to employ robots to work in their courts, as it means less spent on upkeep and lower chances of treason.

Guided by the Three Laws. 

Alongside the gift of autonomy, a fundamental framework of commands or "laws" have been set in place in order to robots to co-exist peacefully with their makers. Many robots accept the terms and conditions of these laws and often process and ruminate on them.

1.  "I may not injure my creators or, through inaction, allow my creators to come to harm."

2.  "I must obey the orders given to me by my creator except where such orders would conflict with the First Law."

3.  "I must protect my own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws."

With these guiding principles in place, many robots are not prone to violence and can often find peaceful resolutions. When a robot finds itself at an impasse regarding these laws, it may eventually discover further insight about it's own morality.

A Hard-Earned Drive

Due to a robot's worldview operating on a binary level, they originally see things as simple as black or white. They are quick to give a reason when met with something entirely new to them, often not realizing they're limited by a logic base of pre-programmed answers. With such a strong focus on input, it can be said that a robot eventually experiences natures similar to curiosity and ambition.  Keeping a log of any information they receive, the longer a robot is around the more it learns and grows. Depending on how sophisticated the build of the robot is, they can pick up on the nuances of outside stimuli and attempt to draw meaning all on their own. If left unchecked, this can eventually lead to a robot being able to self-actualize. Once this peak is achieved, the extent to which a robot can adapt and overcome is limitless.

Deus Est Machina

Truly a robot's greatest strength is it's ability to hone and focus. It can achieve particular things in far less time than other races without sacrificing what it already knows. Coupled with being able to change or upgrade what it's next focus will be, there is incredible potential to be found in every robot.

Robot Naming Procedures

Robots are often given names in an attempt to "humanize" them, and different people can call a robot by many names. Depending on their origins, they can also be given a designation as an acronym relating to their function or simply the role they serve with "bot" added to the end. A robot with more thought and care put into their construction can have multiple descriptive keywords in their name. By default an unnamed robot will state it's model and serial numbers as it's name. Some robots have their name painted onto their chassis, wearing it either as a badge of honor or a mark of shame if they view their servitude as a privilege or as punishment, respectively.

Robot Names: (Non-Acronym) Bender Bending RodrÍguez, Rosie, Deep Thought, Data, Tik-Tok, Astroboy, Marvin, Rosie, Weebo, "One-Oh-One", Boxbot

Robot Names: (Acronym) HAL 9000, WALL-E, EVE, KITT, R.O.B., GlaDOS, BEN, PeDRO, K-9

Robot Traits

Your primary function can shape your form in a variety of ways, but here are the limitations as set by your manufacturer.

More Than Meets the Eye

Robots are considered living constructs and do not need to eat, drink, sleep or breathe. However they need time to cool down and defragment their drives. In terms of the benefits of a Long Rest, a robot can enter a "stand by" mode and achieve said benefits when doing so uninterrupted for 4 hours. Like other constructs you are immune to poisons and diseases, but unlike other constructs you can catch viruses of a digital nature. Even if you achieve self-actualization you do not have a soul that manifests itself in a traditional sense so you cannot be raised or resurrected. If your "brain" components survive from fatal damage you can be placed in a new body within 24 hours or your data becomes corrupted and lost forever.

Short Circuit

You run on electricity which is both a blessing and a curse. It's possible to be overloaded with electricity that fries your circuits, thus making you vulnerable to Lightning damage.

Modular Body

What a robot lacks for in general knowledge it makes up for in specialization. As such, you may choose one from the following Feats (as detailed in the Player's Handbook) alongside a brief reason as to why:

Alert: With the latest in audiovisual sensors and radar technology, you have a strong situational awareness. You process this information as fast as you receive it and can take initiative quickly.

Actor: You have the coding to analyze communications of biological beings: How they sound, any accents, or speech patterns they have. By recording and interpreting the data, your speakers can recreate what you've recorded to great effect.

Healer: Whether it was in a combat zone or in a hospital, you were equipped with vast medical knowledge because your task required it. Your hands or similar means of manipulation work with incredible precision when working with organs and living tissue.

Keen Mind: Some robots are built with the intention to explore new frontiers, and you are no exception. You are constantly keeping track of what you've found and where you've been as you traverse obstacles of a geographical/spatial nature. Your instruments are finely tuned to the necessary data for exploration.

Linguist: You come from a more noble and civilized background and were intended to assist in "etiquette, customs, and translation." While you may not be "fluent in over six million forms of communication", you have the programming required to be fluent in a few.

Mobile: You have a lightweight frame that excels in balance and movement, popular with couriers and training bots for martial artists. Built-in gyroscopes and tightly bound servos help with dodging projectiles.

Observant: Recognizing the patterns of your environment and the finer details come as second nature to you given your function. Where this comes from can originate from planning war strategies and military operations to perhaps a humble position of overseeing the site of a construction project.

Sharpshooter: Usually only seen in the most elite combat-grade robots. You come equipped with enhanced optical sensors with a magnification zoom and the hand-eye coordination to match. Your aim is immaculate to an inhuman degree.

Tough: Your function required you to be able to take a lot of damage and so your were encased in a strong chassis, much like probes designed to reach the extremities of the deepest oceans or the hottest infernos. Regardless of the harm you endure you are still able to make repairs if needed.

Ability Score Increase

Depending on your make and directive, you may choose one of the following Ability Scores and gain a single point to that score: Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. Regardless of your function, you can compute with ease and gain +1 to Intelligence.

Age

Simply put, robots do not age. With proper upkeep and maintenance they potentially live forever, although given that robots themselves are a young race this is only theoretical. Robots who have gone long periods without repairs tend to show the wear on their chassis, and as their materials corrode they may suffer from memory loss or motor function..

Alignment

Guided by the three laws robots are hard-coded to be lawful, although they care little in ways of morality or ethics. Given enough time even the most basic robot can adapt and grow beyond this limit, however.

Size

For ease of access in organic society and to quell the minds of biological humanoids your size may be Medium or Small. If need be you can undergo upgrades or a body transfer and have your sized changed with the proper facilities.

Speed

As with most humanoid species your base walking speed is 30 feet. This is changed to 25 feet if you picked a Small size.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Robots are only limited by the cultures that they reside in, so the more magical and ancient languages that are not spoken on the material plane tends to be beyond their grasp. Because a robot's "brain" is built differently than organic ones, it cannot receive or transmit telepathic communications. A robot can, however, communicate basic machine language via wireless signals. This is only limited to binary inputs and outputs such as yes or no answers, so larger and more complex concepts take much longer to get across, as long as four times the time it takes to speak normal dialogue.