R5 Series Astromech Droid
Industrial Automaton created the R5 series not because of any need, but simply because it could. Because the droid had no real market, the R5 turned out to be the company’s first true failure. The design cut even more corners than the R4, creating a droid susceptible to many technical problems that included chronic overheating, jammed servos, loose bearings, blown motivators, and personality glitches. Unfortunately for IA, large quantities of the droids had already been built by the time the miserable early sales results became known. Each sales season that followed was worse than the one before, until finally Industrial Automaton quietly retired the R5 line.
The R5 comes equipped with many of the standard featu res found in the R2, including a heavy grasper arm with a 25 kg lifting capacity and a fine manipulator arm with an accuracy rating of less than 1 micrometer. Regard less of these functions, the droid does not perform well in many situations, including starfighters, due to its ability to store only one set of hyperspace coordinates at a time. In an attempt to combat its deficiencies, many users modify the droid to be more useful.
Although the RS unit has a chassis similar to the R2, its bulky head makes the droid less attractive to pilots because it creates a larger target profile for enemy fire.
RS series astromech droids can be played as droid heroes.
R5 Astromech Droid Encounters
Even though the R5 is not viewed very highly by droid purchasers, it does come equipped with many of the same systems and equipment as the R2. Those who are looking for a really cheap droid take a chance on the R5.
Many R5s can be found in the Outer Rim in the hands of owners needing some sort of help. Some are working on various types of farms, and a number of repair shops bought an R5 with the idea that it was better to own an R5 than nothing at all to help with repair work.
Some of those who own R5 droids belong to less than honorable organizations, such as the Hutt clans. Mercenaries are known to use the droids as covert scouts or even as makeshift decoys in the battlefield, taking advantage of the droid’s holoprojector.
The Rebellion acquired a large number of R5 units and modified them to work with some of their pilots, adding an astrogation buffer to hold up to six, seven, or even ten sets of hyperspace coordinates in active memory.
When it comes to conflict, R5s tend to be outright cowards. Droid programmers are puzzled why so many of the same droid line developed this personality quirk, much to the chagrin of their pilot owners. One perfect example was R5-D2 under the ownership of Rogue Squadron’s Wedge Antilles. The droid’s horrified shrieks during a dogfight infuriated the squadron leader so much that he had the droid’s memory wiped and the droid renamed.
R5 Series Astromech Droid (CL 0[1])
Threats of the Galaxy, page 138.
Small droid (2nd-degree) nonheroic 2 playable
Initiative: +1; Senses: darkvision, low-light vision;Perception +3
Languages: Basic, Binary
Defenses: Ref 11 (flat-footed 11), Fort 9, Will 10
Hit Points: 5; Damage Threshold: 9
Immune: droid traits
Speed: 6 squares (wheeled), 4 squares (walking)
Melee: electroshock probe +0 (1d8 ion)
Base Attack: +1; Grapple: −4
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 10, Con —, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 7
Feats: Skill Focus (Mechanics, Use Computer), Skill Training (Mechanics)
Skills: Mechanics +13, Perception +3, Stealth +6, Use Computer +11
Systems: wheeled locomotion, walking locomotion, magnetic feet, heuristic processor, 6 tool appendages, 1 claw appendage, 1 telescopic appendage, diagnostics package, integrated comlink, internal storage (2 kg), improved sensor package, darkvision
Possessions: circular saw, electric arc welder, electroshock probe, fire extinguisher, holoprojector, holorecorder
Availability: Licensed, Cost: 1,500
Footnotes and References
Please see the following pages or sites for further information:
- ↑ Threats of the Galaxy has no official errata, but to remain consistent, 3 nonheroic levels equals 1 heroic level and any remainder is rounded down.