Without some kind of manipulating append-age, robots cannot lift or move objects. Ma-nipulators can be as crude as a simple probe or as complex as a five-fingered hand.
A Medium-size or smaller robot may have up to two functioning manipulators. Larger robots may be equipped with a great-er number of functioning manipulators, as determined by their size: Medium-size or smaller, up to 2 manipulators, Large, up to 4; Huge or larger, up to 8.
To build a manipulator from scratch, a character must succeed at a Craft (mechanical) check (DC 25) after investing 24hours in its construction. A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a -4 penalty on the skill check. The character must also make a Wealth check against the manipulator's pur-chase DC.
Mastercraft robot manipulators can be fashioned using the Mastercrafter feat.
Damage: Robots can use their manipu-lators as melee weapons, dealing piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage based on the type of manipulator and the robot's size (see the Manipulator Damage table). Some types of manipulators deal nonlethal damage only.
Purchase DC: The cost of each manip-ulator. This cost is always a fraction of the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Claws resemble pincers, but the opposed sur-faces cover the length of the appendage. Claws suffer the same handicaps as pincers when attempting tasks involving manual dex-terity, but they deal greater damage.
Damage: Lethal slashing or nonlethal bludgeoning.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Feelers resemble the manipulative forelegs and mobile antennae of an insect. They allow a robot to lift objects and interact with them, but items made specifically for humanoid hands (like most firearms) are usually beyond their ability to operate. Robots with feelers suffer a -4 penalty on tasks involving manual dexterity.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-tenth the base purchase DC of the robot’s frame (rounded down).
Only robots modeled after creatures with bite attacks have jaws. Robotic jaws are essentially large clamps with teeth.
Damage: Lethal piercing.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Only robots modeled after creatures with bite attacks have mandibles. They work slightly different from jaws as they have no teeth and generally just assist with moving or carrying objects from one location to another.
Damage: Lethal piercing.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot’s frame.
A pincer is a two-fingered, claw like append-age that focuses all the grip strength on a pair of opposed surfaces, rather like a pair of tongs. Pincers allow the robot to manipulate and lift objects without much difficulty, but objects specifically made for humanoid hands (like firearms) are usually beyond the pincers' ability to operate. At the GM's discretion, tasks involving manual dexterity suffer a -4 penalty for a robot equipped with pincers.
Damage: Lethal piercing or nonlethal bludgeoning.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Similar to a special-use gripper, a probe is simply an instrument of some kind, meant to measure torque, temperature, or some other factor. If the robot attempts to manipulate or lift an object with a probe, it takes a -4 penal-ty on the check.
Damage: Lethal piercing or nonlethal bludgeoning.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-tenth the base purchase DC of the robot's frame (rounded down).
The robot has a manipulator designed for a specific task. When the robot uses a special-use gripper for a task other than its intended task, the robot suffers a -4 penalty on the check if the check involves manual strength or dexterity.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-tenth the base purchase DC of the robot's frame (rounded down).
A hand is a step up from a claw, in that it has more digits—usually three or four, total. Hands are a bit more adaptable as well, im-posing only a -2 penalty when attempting tasks involving manual dexterity.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Tentacles function as locomotion, but can al-so serve as arms. They are less dexterous than even rudimentary pincers, but much better at grappling, granting a +5 equipment bonus on grapple checks and Climb checks. Tenta-cles grant a base land speed of 20 feet.
Tentacles can be equipped with ma-nipulators, allowing them to wield items and deal regular damage. If a robot with tentacles has no other form of locomotion (such as legs or thrusters), the robot must use at least half of its tentacles to support itself, leaving it only half of its manipulators with which to fight.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of frame.
Advanced hands are essentially the same in structure as human hands, though some might have additional fingers for specialized work. Advanced hands suffer no penalties when attempting tasks involving manual dex-terity.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
With the advent of the Gravity Age come new unique methods of manipulating the environment. A gravitic projector exerts an unseen force on objects without physically touching them. It doesn’t grant fine control, however, and any task requiring manual dex-terity suffers a -2 penalty.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the robot’s frame.
Task hands function just like advanced hands, except that they are equipped with additional joints and often with additional or telescop-ing digits, enabling them to multitask, as well as to spread the robot's grip strength over a slightly wider area.
A robot with a task hand gains a +1 equipment bonus on Climb, Craft, Demolitions, Disable Device, Drive, Escape Artist, Forgery, Pilot, Repair, Search, Sleight of Hand, and Treat Injury checks. This bonus improves to +2 if the robot has two or more task hands. At the GM's discretion, the robot can gain this bonus when attempting certain Perform checks as well.
Damage: Nonlethal bludgeoning only.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the robot's frame.
Manipulator|Robot Size Type Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Advanced Hand* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Claw - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d8 Feelers* - - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 Gravitic Projector* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Hand* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Jaws - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d8 Mandibles - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d8 Pincer - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Probe - - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 Special-Use Gripper* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Task Hand* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 Tentacle* - - 1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 * This manipulator deals nonlethal damage only