Just returned from a no reason absense... I have searched the forums to no avail, so I apologise in advance if I missed it.

I picked up RT and love it... taking a break from other games to play, I am GMing and have a few questions.

Servo Skulls:

a) As a player, how do you play them, are they controlled by voice commands, or 'the owners thoughts'?

As a GM, how do you convey the Servos images seen thru it's 'eye' for targeting, survalance?

b) I would like the Explorator to desgn his Servo skull based on his needs, of course with some limitations, i.e. gun, pict-recorder or medicae but not all in one. Problem is there are no guidelines or examples of specic models/versions. The CRB lists a few things that they have, vox, cogitator, combi-tool but then they add las-pistol.

How much stuff can you cram into a skull.

If so inclined, how would one go about building one from scratch?

I thought of using the different Mechandrites as a basis, they are just smaller and have Servo Skull stats.

Custom Weapon mod:

The CRB says that weapons can be 'Customised' to decrease reload times but I cant find where , how (skiils or talents) or how much.

Thanks

Otter

a) Servo-skulls are typically commanded by voice, but are sufficiently aware that they would follow orders to perform their tasks automatically: a luminant would activate its lights upon entering a darkened room, a lingua-vox would provide translations, et cetera. With appropriate augmetics you could control one via mental impulse, I guess.

As to what they see, roughly the same quality as on a pictcaster I guess. Play up the bobbing and weaving from the suspensors, the disorienting difference in height and scale. Other than that largely the same as I'd describe anything else. Servoskulls are typically quite well-designed, so are less likely to have shoddy sensors.

b) Rules for servo-skull varieties are in the Inquisitor's Handbook. Basically, take a skull and whack in a tool, with the appropriate skill at +20 if it's designed to do something remotely. The bulk of its space is taken up by the cogitator and suspensors, I wouldn't allow anything bigger than, say... 5 kilos to be added in to it.

c) Customised
The user has rebuilt and fined-tuned the weapon so he can operate it to his personal satisfaction. Reloading this weapon takes ½ the listed time, rounding up to the next full action (½ Action is still ½ Action).

Yea, the Dark Heresy book Inquisitors Handbook has a much more detailed section for servo skulls. I wish that had carried into Rogue Trader.

This is one of the weapons used on servo-skulls in the campaign I run.

Baal Pattern Twin Linked Auto Pistol[/i][/b] w/Fire Selector, Red Dot and Man Stopper Bullets
Pistol, 30m, S/-/6, 1d10+2 I, Pen 0(3), Clip 18(54), Rld Full, 2.5(5)kg, (Common), Twin Linked +20% Double Ammo Use, Red Dot Sight +10% +0.5kg (Scarce); Fire Selector 1kg, (Scarce), add 0.5kg for 2 extra clips (total weight: 7kg); Man Stopper Bullets makes bullets Pen 3 (Scarce)

As I don't generally allow Servo-Skulls to reload themselves the Fire Selector comes in handy.

Some other possible load outs:

• LongLas (BASIC 75m (range halved for Compact), single shot, 1d10+3 E, Pen 1, Clip 40 (20, halved for Compact), Accurate, Reliable, Compact)
• Stormbolter (BASIC 45m (range halved for Compact), S/2/4, 1d10+5 X, Pen 4, Clip 60 (30, halved for Compact), Storm , Tearing, Compact)
• Ceres Pattern Bolt Pistol (Pistol, 30m range, S/2/-, 1d10+5 Pen 4, Clip 8x3 (Fire Selector, 3 8 round clips), Tearing, Fire Selector)

And nothing sucks more than to be pinned down by a dozen skulls with LongLas rifles shooting at maximum range through telescopic sights.

You can use the psyber creature rules in DH to control them mentally or use a built-in vox bead so they don't have to be within shouting range to hear you.

A note about weapons: It can have a single ranged weapon, like an autocarbine or lascarbine, though any Pistol or compact BASIC weapon can be fitted. Thats not a guess its Rules as Written.