So one of my players wants to play an Astromech. I've read multiple threads but need advice on two things.

1) How do astromechs get up stairs without jet packs? Honestly, I don't want a player stuck because there are stairs between him and the exit while a group of bounty hunters is closing in.

2) The player has a Brawn of 1, and so a total Encumbrance Threshold of 6. Unfortunately, he wants an assortment of tools, add-ons (including a holdout blaster and flame projector) that his Enc value is 19. My question is, should backpack modifiers stack? I'm not sure if that really makes much sense but he needs inbuilt tools.

1) How do astromechs get up stairs without jet packs? Honestly, I don't want a player stuck because there are stairs between him and the exit while a group of bounty hunters is closing in.

Most don’t, but R2-D2 had a pair of jets built in that gave him the equivalent of a Jet Pack. You could do the same for an Astromech PC.

Or, if you didn’t want to give them a full built-in Jet Pack, you could give them built-in micro-repulsorlifts, so that they would be able to act as a “Flyer”, in much the same way that Toydarians do. Sure, they can fly over certain types of hazards, but they move at normal walking speeds, instead of zipping around as a Sil 1 aircraft.

2) The player has a Brawn of 1, and so a total Encumbrance Threshold of 6. Unfortunately, he wants an assortment of tools, add-ons (including a holdout blaster and flame projector) that his Enc value is 19. My question is, should backpack modifiers stack? I'm not sure if that really makes much sense but he needs inbuilt tools.

Backpack modifiers wouldn’t stack, no.

Basically, it comes down to what you think makes sense. Most Astromechs that you can buy do have a built-in toolkit of some sort (sometimes including an arc welder and/or a plasma torch, either of which can be used as improvised weapons), so you can just rule by GM fiat that he also has one, which doesn’t cost any additional encumbrance. The blaster and flame projector should still cost the same encumbrance, even though they would be “built-in”.

If the item in question is something that an Astromech could reasonably have built-in stock from the factory, then I’d be inclined to allow it without costing additional encumbrance, although I might require that it cost money.

If it’s not something that would be a stock item, then I’d be inclined to make it cost the regular amount of money and encumbrance. In this vein, they could potentially buy armor that you could re-skin as droid armor plating. They’d pay the same price and the same encumbrance, but it would be armor of the same general type and value, just made specifically for droids.

I play an astromech in our games.

1) I've never seen stairs in any of the movies except for the award ceremony at the end of New Hope. Don't overthink it. Assume things have ramps, turbo lifts, or the astromech uses his third leg somehow.

2) You can get any piece of equipment and consider it to be internal. My character has the modular backpack with additional storage compartments, but he's not actually wearing it. It represents the internal space that astromechs have to carry those tools and distribute the load. There is also no reason why the utility belt and backpack cannot stack. I would not allow multiple backpacks since that is unfair to other PCs. Also, 19 ENC is a little high, and he may need to slim down on the gear. Yes, he needs internally built tools, but there is a limit to what can fit inside a 1m tall trash can. Prioritize and make the hard choices on what you're carrying.

Here is what I carry (and I've been playing for a while):

2) You can get any piece of equipment and consider it to be internal. My character has the modular backpack with additional storage compartments, but he's not actually wearing it. It represents the internal space that astromechs have to carry those tools and distribute the load. There is also no reason why the utility belt and backpack cannot stack. I would not allow multiple backpacks since that is unfair to other PCs.

I was referring to the concept of having multiple backpacks. I agree that both utility belt and backpack should stack, and a person could conceivably wear two or even three utility belts although I’d only allow them to wear one backpack. Why you’d want to wear multiple utility belts is a different matter, but it might make for good role-play situations.

Also, 19 ENC is a little high, and he may need to slim down on the gear. Yes, he needs internally built tools, but there is a limit to what can fit inside a 1m tall trash can. Prioritize and make the hard choices on what you're carrying.

Excellent point. Thanks!

There were a few scenes where R2 was actually traversing the stairs, one at a time, with his big blocky feet.

My question is - what's with the heavy firepower? Are you an astromech droid or an assassin droid in disguise?

Most astromechs might carry that little shocker prod or a buzzsaw. At most, they could carry a blaster pistol.

A flame thrower and a light repeater?

2. Are you sure you're counting encumbrance correctly? 19 sounds ridiculous. Most human PCs I've played have less than half that.

But if that is indeed the count of what he's carrying, there are many more items one can use to increase the encumbrance threshold besides backpacks (which shouldn't be stacked, IMO, because it would get ridiculous), as well as talents one can select to lighten the load. Jury-Rigged and Burly come to mind. I'm sure there's more.

1. Is the presence of stairs something that is outside of your control as the GM? This could actually lead to a very cinematic moment, where your players are met with a very simple but very challenging obstacle: get Arfive up the stairs NOW! Maybe the crew needs to manhandle him up the flight of stairs, or maybe the stairs can be made into a ramp with a nearby switch or computer terminal.

If stairs would somehow break your game, just don't put them there. But I would see it as a built-in challenge opportunity due to a PC limitation.

Thanks, you make really good points. I'm not really sure how the player got such a high encumbrance anyway...

There were a few scenes where R2 was actually traversing the stairs, one at a time, with his big blocky feet.

My question is - what's with the heavy firepower? Are you an astromech droid or an assassin droid in disguise?

Most astromechs might carry that little shocker prod or a buzzsaw. At most, they could carry a blaster pistol.

A flame thrower and a light repeater?

The flame projector was from the OP.

The light repeater is actually a pistol, albeit a bigger one.

1) How do astromechs get up stairs without jet packs? Honestly, I don't want a player stuck because there are stairs between him and the exit while a group of bounty hunters is closing in.

They can go up and down stairs using their feet.

Watch A New Hope. Luke, Obi and the droids arriving in Dock Bay 94 "What a piece of junk!". R2 can be seen (awkwardly) descending the stairs in the background.

Pretty sure he goes up stairs in one of the new movies or Clone Wars toon too... I want to say it's EPII when Anakin and Padme arrive on Naboo, they walk around while R2 carries the luggage and he negotiates some stairs in the process...

Our group allows one Backpack (or variant), a Utilty Belt, and Load Bearing Gear (which seems to be similar to combat webbing). We'd probably count the Tracker Utility Vest as using the same 'slot' as the Load Bearing Gear. I'd probably count the Spacer's Duffel or Surveyor's Bag as counting as a backpack unless you are holding it in your hand, in which case it is obviously using up a hand and thus prevents use of two handed weapons or causing difficulties while climbing or other physical activities.

19 Encumbrance! wow, he needs to slim down a bit on his gear, thats crazy, this isn't D&D, there are no bags of holding here

For my little R4 back up character, he has a utility belt described as small compartments built into his chassis, load bearing gear described as structural reinforcement to support the weight of inbuilt tools and a military pack described as a small grav-sled that R4 tows like a trailer.

That gives him 16 encumbrance threshold, not bad for a brawn 1 droid!

R2 can go down stairs.... it isn't pretty, but he can go down them. Also up them with just two legs

he isn't a Dalek

Claptrap the NPC can't climb stairs, but he has no problems with them when he's PC-controlled.

R2 can go down stairs.... it isn't pretty, but he can go down them. Also up them with just two legs

he isn't a Dalek

Going up.

Claptrap the NPC can't climb stairs, but he has no problems with them when he's PC-controlled.

That is just because in the majority of first pwrsin view games, if you look down you do not have feet. You are a disembodied gun, or at least a floating torso. p

My wife plays Claptrap, so I can see her character's feet (wheel) just fine when I'm playing multiplayer.

stairs! my natural enemy!

_ claptrap

he isn't a Dalek

Oh please, stairs haven't been a problem for Daleks since 1986!

(This message brought to you by the Dalek Anti-Defamation League)

In my RPG group, the way we advocated this issue was pretty simple. Droids have a cybernetic implant cap of 6 (CRB p.47) ; we decided that also served has internal storage. So if the droid character wants to have an internal Comlink (long range) for a total of 2 enc, then it takes 2 of his cybernetic cap. Also, internal storage was hidden, not visible and couldn't be found by security officials.

If the droid character wanted to carry more, then he could put on backpacks or item belts like any other character, but they would be visible to all like everybody else.