What is a Talinz Unit?

A Talinz unit is any robot using a Talinz-spec artificial intelligence possessing the capability for interface with other Talinz parts. Ranges of basic frames are available, from wheeled automatons through to beast-like or humanoid chassis. Even some immobile types of ‘platform’ Talinz exist, and are generally used in heavy industry to help build cars or crush hard rock.

Whilst the Talinz is an independent AI unit, and is perfectly capable of behaving in what some might consider a sentient manner, options for piloting are standard. Such an action requires an ‘interface module’, a small helmet that must be placed on the pilot’s head, and then plugged into a larger remote transmitter. The range on these transmitters can be global, but most sports prefer the pilots to be in the same room, in order to give the audience a figure to identify with. When interfaced with a Talinz unit, the human’s senses, strength and reaction speed are replaced with those of the robot. Additional advice from the Talinz-spec AI is available (with an optional mute function in many operating systems) and often utilised effectively to supply information on ballistic calculations, pressure gauges, rad levels and similar. As such, many experienced Talinz pilots consider their frame to be a partner and friend, rather than a machine.

A Talinz unit is made up of a series of modular parts that are classified below. Many non-sport units will never change parts for the duration of their lifespan. Within Talinz fighting, it is generally legal to change parts before and after a match, but not during. Load outs of opponents are revealed simultaneously at the beginning of the fight, and a whole betting industry has developed around trying to predict what parts a particular pilot might choose to use each week. Certain leagues might choose to ban particular kinds of parts, or limit their usage.

Talinz Parts

Chassis: The chassis of a Talinz makes up the base of the unit. The AI core (The ‘brain’ of the unit) is contained here, often in the well-protected centre of the part. It also contains attachment points for additional parts, though the amount of points can vary massively. In most models, the chassis resembles a head and body without limbs, although headless units do exist.

Mobility: In layman’s terms, these are legs, but this part of the unit can actually contain repulsors, jets, propellers or wings. Whilst many of the most popular Talinz are bipedal, this is largely due to how little it taxes the neural interface of the pilot. It can be difficult to remember that you can fly, or have four legs, and those who are proficient at commanding these frames are often highly regarded.

Manipulation: In layman’s terms, these are arms, but this part refers to anything that could feasibly attach to the ‘shoulder’ point on the chassis, from in-built arm weaponry or working tools through to grasping claws or pincers, in addition to the more dextrous hands.

Sensor: A basic sensory module pack normally contains attachments for vision, hearing, and pressure, as well as a speaker set to allow the unit to communicate with the outside world. More advanced or specialised packs are available for olfaction or radiation level detection, along with similar ‘niche’ senses. Language packs for the speaker set are additional, cheap downloads. Without such modules, a pilot would be deprived of those senses on entering the neural uplink, with them, he can find his senses amplified above human norms.

Skin: The skin of a Talinz refers to any kind of covering. Some domicile models attempt to look as human as possible, with skin or clothing textured synthetic materials overlaying the rest of the unit whilst sports units range from similar light materials (Generally optimised for speed), through to hard heavy armour. 

Mechanics: Building a Talinz

Before you begin building a Talinz unit, discuss in the group the unit’s role in the story. If all players are in possession of Talinz units, then every player effectively has two PCs, one generated as humans under normal Fate core rules, and another generated under the slightly modified Talinz rules. Players then might want to consider whether they would prefer playing their Talinz units as their primary PC, or the human pilot.

If you want to have joint possession of a single unit, build a unit together as if it were an additional PC, and then hand that sheet to the pilot whenever they choose to pilot.

Creating a Talinz unit is a little different. The modular nature of a Talinz unit means that whilst its core remains the same, many of its physical attributes might change. When discussing Aspects, Skills and Stunts with the group, attach a part to all of them.Its OK if some things don't have anything attached to them. It just means they are mediocre parts.

---A single part may at maximum contribute: One aspect, as many skills as the players’ desire to a maximum bonus of +2 and any number of stunts provided they are attached to the skills provided by the part.---

The exception is the chassis, which has no limits on the number of aspects it may contain.

Some skills will have more than one part that contributes to them(For example, Fight might be due to a combination of arm weaponry parts(arm) and a library of fighting styles contained within the AI core(Chassis)). Social or perceptive skills might be a combination of Sensor and Chassis parts, representing a pleasing voice or the ability to notice and analyse others in the area, along with the analytical core to process such information. 

Example:
The party's Talinz unit, affectionately named 'Timp', has a fight value of +4. +2 is contributed from his AI core (Chassis part) that has trained him in many ancient martial arts styles, all of which become immediately accessible to himself or to anyone interfaced with him, and also gives him the aspect (Disciple of a Thousand Sword Styles). His finely crafted sword-arm (Arm part) also provides a +2 Fight, and they have decided that they really want this to be Timp's niche, so give the sword-arm a stunt (Swordmaster: You gain a +2 bonus when attempting to create an advantage by disarming a foe)

A Talinz unit is still limited by the same skill pyramid (and later columns) as a human character in Fate. In cases where parts might stack in such a way as to exceed the column or pyramid, the bonus defaults to the highest it could possibly be within the column or pyramid, allowing it to be ‘unlocked’ later.

It is expected that during the course of play, a Talinz unit might pick up a library of parts. A part created in a vacuum obeys all the same rules as one at character creation. These parts can be switched at any Milestone, with the exception of the chassis, which always remains the same.

New parts can act instead of advancement, but a GM wishing to have a game that focuses less on obtaining new equipment might choose to advance a Talinz as normal human PCs. In this case, advancements in skills are applied to the AI core, and thereby the chassis.

When a Talinz is being piloted, it loses its own High Concept and Trouble, and gains that of the pilot. Otherwise, all else remains the same.