Droids and water

[Urban Spaceman]

Ok, it's obvious that driods have some waterproofing (else rain would cause chaos!), and we saw Artoo still going after his experience in the swamp (though how much of that was water is up for debate); so how waterproof are driods?

Near the start of a new game I'm running, the charcters will be in a ship which crashes in to water (I'm using the escape from the sinking ship to get the players used to how the D6 system works, and to bring the characters together).
I don't have any Droid players, but I am thinking about giving them a droid NPC at some point, and there might be some droids on the ship before the crash, hence the question.

Any thoughts?

[wmseith]

It would really depend. The only time water would come into play with disprupting a power source is if the power source can be conducted via the medium. If the droids were run off electric power and didn't have it contained or shielded I would say they would probably crash or at least have serious problems. But if the power source isn't conducive in water than they shouldn't be affected at all. Just like R2 when he came out of the swamp.

[atgxtg]

Some more factors that coyld affect droids:.

As you dive deeper the pressure incrreases and makes it more likely that water would defat the droids seals or other portection. That7s why watchs are "warer resistiant to X meters" and not "waterproff".

The longer a dorid is under water the longer water has to work on it, and exploit a defeat.

One problem the droid would have would be it7s weight/desinsity. If the droid is too light, it would float, and if too heavy it would sink to the bottom (or toleast to it's crush depth).

Drids would also have some problems with locomotion. Something like an R2 couldn7t swim but would have to walk along the bottom (Alright, R2-D2 would have an outboard motor pop out of a pannel, along with an self inflating skirt,but most other astromechs...).

Droids might also have problems with thier sensory apparatus underwater.


Of coruse I don7t doubt that there must be droid specifically built for use in water, and even some amphibious droids If you rerally want your group to have a droid on a water wrold, give them one desinged for undersea use. You could give it a good reason for it being with the PCs before the crash soit doesn't look contrived. For example, if the PCs are transporting some sort of sealife and the droid icould be some sort of tender or sea havester on hand to take care of the cargo.

[Tusk BloodFlail]

It seems you simply want to address the crew getting any droids they want to save off the ship. So there is only a few options: they get the droids off without issue, they get the droids off with complications, or they don't get the droids off. The first and last options are rather simple to deal with.

If they have a good plan and good rolls than no problem. If there is a problem with the plan or die rolls than we have issues and if the plan simply sucks or a pesky 1 on the wild die shows up it could be bad.

If you want a "what should happen" I suggest you say any droids that have problems getting off the ship get "Wounded" by getting too much water in their system. Then the characters can make the necessary "Droid Repair" rolls to fix them.
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[Urban Spaceman]

Thanks all. Some useful suggestions there.
The only real reason I hesitated on if Droids are water-proof or not, is that I can see some company specifically building droids for underwater tasks. Though this is neatly explained by the pressure factor, mentioned above.

Being as they are starting characters, in their first game, and are starting as captured slaves, I think I'll use this as their chance to aquire a driod for free.
If one droid is thrown clear of the lake the ship crashes in, then I could have them try to repair it using bits of other droids that are too damaged to repair (either through water or impact damage).

Being as at least three of the five PC's have either a good Technical attribute, or specifically have Droid Repair, I'm certain someone will think of it.
Besides, it'll be a really good way to introduce personality glitches and "programming errors" later in the campaign.

[garhkal]

While i agree some companies woud probabily have specific droids for underwater use, those more than likely are NOT in the hands of slavers.. let alone in common use. I COULD see some of the zero g rated ones (r2 units, R5 units and the like) being rated against water, but i agree with atgxtg, the pressure WILL get to them.
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[Urban Spaceman]

Oh, there's no chance this group of slavers will have any droids specifically for underwater work.
Hence why most droids the slavers had (which isn't going to be many) will be scattered around the crash site.

[Bren]

[garhkal]

Along with other things broke. BUT remember, when you roll for repair skills, you do need parts.
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[Bren]

[garhkal]

It's not the force that binds all things togther, it is ducktape and superglue! 8)
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[GMgreatness]

the latest episode of clone wars had some "aqua" droids, underwater droids are very possible in the SW Universe. I am sure some are more water friendly than others!
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and That is why you fail...

[hisham]

I think that most droids wouldn't have any trouble underwater. For a galaxy-spanning, 25,000-year-old civilization with advanced materials engineering, and forcefield and repulsor technology, it'd probably cost an extra five bucks or something to have waterproofing installed in any droid bodies during production.

Water-based droids, like the Separatists' Aqua Droids would have the advantage of water propulsion.

Other droids from any a surgeon droid, astromech droid, protocol droids, power droids - I would just allow them to do almost anything but with a -1D to all physical skills except Strength and Strength based skills, and half their Move. We've seen R2 and Spider Droids fully immersed and working underwater.
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[Bren]

[Urban Spaceman]

That pretty much was what I was thinking, Bren.

It will be the first game session for these people, and so I'm looking to get them familiar with rolling the dice, before sticking them in to combat.
Being that most of them have some capability with repairing droids, it makes sense for me to give them the chance at gaining information about where they are (and possibly gain an ally), by fixing one.

Also, I thought that having the bodies of wrecked droids strewn across the shore, is a little less graphic than the bodies of a variety of organic creatures.