State of the Commonwealth - The Synth Swarm!

Given that we have drones of varying sizes and complexity in our world today, it stands to reason that a setting like Knights-Marshal of the Commonwealth, in which you can play synth PCs, or command synth as 'equipment', ought to have synth swarms.

A synth swarm has a number of advantages over other forms of synth, and a number of drawbacks. Obviously, having 5, 10 or 50 tiny machines means that they can suffer damage without individually being compromised. Of course, each member of the swarm is less durable than a synth the size of a person, so there is that trade-off. But tiny synth are sneakier simply by dint of their small size, so that means they excel at surveillance and stealth. And they can be in many places at the same time. Essentially, a synth swarm is not inherently better or worse than any other synth, but are ideal in specific circumstances and for certain roles.

Synth have diffferent appearances depending in their place of manufacture and the tastes of the clientelle. Among Pembrokian humans  a swarm of synth is more likely to mimic living creatures. So a swarm of Macros might look like a murder of shiny metallic crows, or a flight of silvery falcons. Among the Sagati, a smooth, streamlined appearance is the norm.

Synth Swarm [Rarity: Uncommon]

Choose a swarm from the profiles below, decide what the individuals look like:

• Micros - 50 Individuals, 1 Hit each, No Soak, Stealth +3, Size – 1-3 Inches long.
• Minis - 10 Individuals, 5 Hits each, Soak 5, Stealth +2, Dark Vision, Size - 6 inches long.
• Macros - 5 Individuals, 10 Hits each, Soak 5, Stealth +1, Dark Vision, Armed with plasma cutters doing 20 damage, Range 5, Size - 12-18 Inches long.

You can control a swarm of semi-autonomous synth capable of acting singularly or together as you direct. Each member of the swarm can Move or Fly up to 10 squares per turn [50 feet]. They have no Brawn or Mind Stats, but have Agility 3 with the Stealth and Athletics Skills [No specialties]. Swarm members function as 'Minions’ unless they are actively controlled through a link device [requiring a Move action each turn, per ‘group’ of the swarm]. You may make perceptions checks through their sensors, even direct them through your Link Device by spending Actions, otherwise they record what they see, but do not act.

Although swarms function best as surveillance devices, they can attack if necessary. Any configuration of swarm can make a swarm attack when all surviving members attack the same target in a combination of melee and ranged fighting. They may make a single Attack [Attack Value 21, or the controller’s chance to hit if they are being actively directed through a Link Device]. If they hit, they do the swarms remaining hits in damage [begins at 50 for a full strength swarm]. Simultaneously, the swarm takes half of that damage. Deal this damage to a single swarm member until it is destroyed, then carry over damage to the next member.

Example: Your incomplete Mini-swarm attacks with its 21 to hit and succeeds. With eight undamaged swarmers left, the attack does 40 damage to the target. And the swarm suffers 20 hits [after applying the Soak of 5 for each Swarm member, this destroys two members of the swarm].

In addition to the above, Macro-swarmers, by far the most directly dangerous, may also attack singly, or together using the ‘Gang Rules’, with their plasma cutters.

Note: Heroes may treat hostile swarm synths as Minions in combat, meaning that they can use ‘the Domino Effect’ rule, destroying Minions in melee until they fail to destroy one or until they have destroyed their Agility+1 in Minions.

Cost: 5 Mc; a Single Skill Upgrade can be purchased for the Swarm for 300c. Common skills: Fly, Stealth [which increases the stealth check further], Security, Medic.

Instead of purchasing one, it is possible to take a Synth Swarm as an Advantage during Character Creation, in which case it is 'special'. During downtime, or when you have the opportunity, the swarm will effectively regenerate, even if fully destroyed. You must spend time rebuilding them, which may be abstracted as a Technology/ Repair [or Mind] roll, repairing a number of hits of the Swarm equal to your total.

The art at the top of this post by the extremely talented Anas Riasat.