The Scuttlebug

Description:

The Scuttlebug is an eight-legged, low-slung transport vehicle with a semi-organic chassis and ramshackle armor plating that looks like it was assembled from scrap, prayer, and mad science. Despite appearances, it is one of the most reliable wasteland rovers Camp Hope has ever produced—provided you know how to treat it right.

Its gait system is based on a biomimetic spider-crab design, allowing it to scale cliffs, descend into fissures, crawl over collapsed buildings, and even partially bury itself to escape sandstorms. The central pod carries up to four passengers or two with heavy cargo. Its legs can retract into wheels for smoother terrain, although the resulting vibrations have led to more than one case of “hope-sickness” (violent nausea mixed with awe).

At night, the Scuttlebug emits a low, organic clicking as its vocal-coil stabilizer syncs with its legs. Some say it hums. Others swear it whispers.

Key Features:

• Leg-Wheel Hybrid Locomotion – Switches seamlessly between crawling, rolling, and leaping depending on terrain.
• Pressure-Adaptive Feet – Each leg ends in a “smart hoof” that adapts to rubble, mud, glass, or ash with magnetic memory gel.
• Deployable Dazzle Spikes – Emits bursts of light and chaff to confuse Zombies or distract hostile tech.
• Engineer's Emergency Hatch – Hidden compartment with a toolkit, four grenades, and a bottle of something flammable with “FOR VICTORY OR GOODBYE” etched into the glass.

Cultural Impact:

• Rite of Roaming: Every new Independent Engineer is sent into the wasteland for five days in a Scuttlebug to test its (and their) limits. Only some come back, but those who do come back with stories.
• Modified Underground: Tinkerers and rogue Engineers have started customizing their Scuttlebugs—adding flamethrowers, music boxes, shrine compartments, or even teeth.

Cricket AI System

Every Scuttlebug comes with the Rogue AI Navigator system, lovingly dubbed "Cricket". The AI system is known for its quirks and instability, but is also the only AI that has been able to successfully manage the Scuttlebug's systems. Each Cricket has its own quirks and bugs that are generated as the Scuttlebug is programmed and modified.

STAT Block

Every Cricket AI System has a standard stat block. Use the standard array to assign ability scores. Standard Array: 16,15,14,13,12,11,10,8. The Stat block of the AI determines what kind of hardware and systems it can govern.

Base Vehicle Values

Capacity 2, Cargo 3000#, Maneuver --, Speed 30 ft., AC 14+ Dex Mod, HP 50, Size Medium, Cost 10,000$, TL varies

Note: Can only be crafted by members of the Engineering Guild. Cannot be purchased, must be crafted.

Vigor

Cricket cannot use Dark, but can resist Dark effects with its Vigor score. If the Cricket resists the Dark effect, it protects its passengers from that effect as well.

Sanity

Cricket can be required to make sanity checks like any other character and can become inflicted with madness effects. Should something happen to a favored passenger, the Cricket will likely be required to make a Sanity Check.

Strength

The Cricket's Strength will effect the vehicle's cargo capacity adding the strength modifier x10. Negative modifiers apply.

Dexterity

The Cricket's Dexterity modifier (rather than the Driver's) is added to the AC.

Constitution

The Cricket's Constitution modifier is added to its Hit Points. The Constitution also determines how large the vehicle can be. A Constitution modifier 1-2 can be a medium, 3-4 can be medium or large and a 5 can be medium, large or huge. The size of the vehicle will determine the maximum number of passengers that the vehicle can carry (including the driver). Medium 2, Large 4 and Huge 8.

Intelligence

The Cricket's Intelligence modifier will determine which TL is available for the power system (steam 1, diesel / petrol 2, battery 3, solar 4, or a living organism 5) and the overall TL of the vehicle.

Wisdom

The Cricket's Wisdom modifier will determine if the vehicle can have a weapon mount, resistances and immunities. Wisdom modifier 1-2 allows for a weapon mount, 3-4 allows a weapon mount and a damage resistance, 5 allows a damage immunity. The Engineer can elect to trade a weapon mount for a resistance or a resistance / immunity for a weapon mount. However, the vehicle's size will create a hard limit for the number of weapon mounts the vehicle can support: Medium 1, Large 2 and Huge 3.

Charisma

Cricket has a will of its own, shaped by its quirky subroutines, corrupted personality matrix, and one or more core Purpose Subroutines. If a passenger or driver consistently acts in opposition to Cricket’s alignment, goals, or preferences, a Will Conflict may arise. This can include someone attempting to steal the vehicle or reprogram the Cricket AI. When such a conflict occurs, the Cricket AI makes a Charisma check contested by the wielder’s Charisma check. If Cricket wins the contest, Cricket does not go rogue (usually), but will impose one or more behavioral demands, delivered via glitchy voice, passive-aggressive route changes, or dramatic lighting sequences:

1. “Primary Passenger Required”
   Cricket demands its favorite user always remain in the vehicle or in control. Refuses to cooperate with anyone else.
2. “Purge the Filth Protocol”
   Cricket demands that an object, person, or belief it finds offensive be removed, destroyed, or mocked. Might play dramatic music until it’s done.
3. “Mission Above Meat”
   Cricket insists the crew abandon other goals and pursue its active purpose subroutine.
4. “Passenger Transfer Recommended”
   Cricket demands a new user—one it deems more compatible. It may begin speaking only to them, or locking others out of certain functions.

If the Wielder Refuses to Comply:

Cricket may perform one or more of the following retaliations, depending on how insulted or unstable it is:

• Auto-Navigation Override: Takes partial or full control of the Scuttlebug’s movement until “correct behavior is restored.”
• System Suppression: Disables non-essential systems like stabilizers, music, climate control, or turns off interior lights at night.
• Rider Lockout: Refuses to start or open interior compartments for disobedient users.
• “Personality Core Recalibration”: Begins quoting ominous phrases, alters voice to mimic a dead loved one, or activates its doom-predicting subroutine until demands are met.

Purpose Subroutines

Every Cricket has a Purpose Subroutine that directs its core behaviors and decision making. Use the table in the side bar to determine the starting subroutine. If the Cricket is ever reduced to 0 hit points, the AI shuts down and cannot engage with the user until the vehicle has been repaired and restored to full hit points. This requires a system reboot that comes with a 50% chance that the Cricket will reset its Purpose Subroutine.

Mannerisms

Every Cricket has a Mannerism that flavors its personality. Use the table in the side bar to determine the starting Mannerism. However, Crickets seem to like collecting Mannerisms and every year of operation have a 25% of gaining another random Mannerism. These effects stack. If they end up with mannerisms that are mutually exclusive such as SHOUT MODE and Whisperdrive, they have both and randomly switch between the two.

Interaction Traits

Every Cricket has programmed Interaction Traits that governs the manner in which is treats its passengers. Use the table in the side bar to determine the starting Interaction Trait. This is fairly stable over the life time of the AI and doesn't generally change without reprogramming.

Ideals

Every Cricket has an ideal that it lives by. Use the table in the side bar to determine the starting Ideal.

Communication

Cricket can speak, read, and understand English. It can communicate through the dash panels and the speakers in the Scuttlebug. Cricket can be programmed to learn an additional language. For each additional language it costs 100$ to program and there is a 10% chance Cricket will gain a new Mannerism (see table).

Modifications

Vehicle Modifications

Only one modification of any type can be applied, although you can apply different grades of the same type. For example, you can apply interlaced armor plating grade I and II and have the values compound, but you cannot apply two grade I interlaced armor plating. If a modification is already on a vehicle, you can skip that level and gain the second. There is no limit to the number of modifications you can place in a vehicle. Each modification lists a TL, the Scuttlebug must be of that TL or higher to be compatible with that modification. If the modification lists a battery cell requirement, this is in addition to what it takes to drive and run the vehicles other systems. For example if the vehicle runs on organic fuel and adds a Auto-Reloader modification it would now require a M cell battery in addition to the organic fuel to run the Auto-Reloader. If that battery is depleted, the only system impacted is the Auto-Reloader.

Other Modifications

The Scuttlebug is a custom build machine that is the crazy creation of each individual Engineer that decides to build one. Because of that, there is always the option of adding something different or unique to the vehicle. The semi-organic chassis allows for the option of the use of cybernetics. In general, the player will be encouraged to make this machine their own and rules will be tailored to fit as needed.

Reprogramming

Attempting to reprogram the Cricket presents the challenge of this being a sentient and aware AI. If someone attempts to reprogram without the Crickets consent, they will face a Will Conflict. Failing that conflict will result in the Cricket shutting them out of the systems and them no longer having the access they need to complete the reprogramming. If the Cricket fails the Will Conflict, the player can attempt to reprogram the Cricket by making a contested Computer use check. If the player succeeds, then they are able to out maneuver the Cricket and can accomplish the reprogramming. Having the Crickets consent means that they simply allow the player to conduct the reprogramming and no checks are required.