Mecha Stats for Review -- Almsot complete

[brazen_saint]

Hi there.  With my previous Spycraft campaign, I was hoping to have a whole mission involving mecha travel and combat.  To that end, I cobbled together some basic stats for a variety of mecha, along with a very few new rules.  The main thing I am missing is estimating some speeds.

Mecha are defined for these purposes as vehicles with legs, designed to walk unassisted, and external arm-like appendages, for manipulating external tools and wielding additional weapons.

Each Mecha type (Land and Air) count as a new Driving Focus/Forte.  The penalty for attempting to pilot a Mecha without the appropriate Focus is -8.

For the purposes of Vehicle Damage, Land Mecha count as Heavy Ground Vehicles, and Air Mecha count as Service Aircraft. 

For the purposes of calculating Vehicle Explosions, all Mecha are considered to be carrying Jet Fuel.

New Qualities:

• ARM (X): The vehicle has humanoid arms, with a Strength value equal to X.
• LEG: The vehicle has Legs instead of treads, wheels, etc. for land movement.

All Mecha start out at Large Size by default, and are all considered Caliber V Vehicles.  After the Mecha stats, will follow a table for modifying a mecha's size.  None of the mecha have built-in weapons, I'm assuming that the GC will use these rules to create a specific model of mecha (i.e. the Mars Servonics AE-6 "Titan" model, a Large All-Purpose Air Mecha), which will come with a specific weapons payload.

[brazen_saint]

Land and Air mecha are divided into 4 categories each: All-Purpose, Civilian, Fast, Heavily Armed, and Heavily Armored.

• All-Purpose Military Land Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: 03 / 06 / 08; MPH: 35 / 60; D/S:
  9 / +28; UPG: 3; Comp: 45 / +3; Cargo: 100 lbs.; R/F: 6 months / N; Qualities; APP, ARM
  (30), EJS, HDP (3), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 2, thermal 4), STB; Year: 2100s; SV: $100  million.

All-Purpose Military Land Mecha are reasonably fast, armored, and well-armed, and form the core of most organization's tactical mecha forces.  Command mecha are usually All-Purpose or Heavily Armored.

• Civilian Land Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: 02/04/08; MPH: 25 / 45; D/S: 9 / +24; UPG:
  ---; Comp: 43 / +2; Cargo: 75 lbs.; R/F: 2 months/N; Qualities: APP, ARM (35), LEG, ORD, STB;
  Year: 2100s; SV: $10 million.

Civilian Land Mecha are primarily used for moving cargo from ships, or carrying it across difficult terrain.  Civilian land mecha may be pressed into service fighting, but are slow, unarmed, and very shoddily armored.

• Fast Military Land Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: 05/07/08; MPH; 40 / 90; D/S; 10 / +26;
  UPG: 2; Comp: 45 / +3; Cargo; 50 lbs.; R/F; 4 months / N; Qualities; APP, ARM (25), EJS,
  HDP (2), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 3, thermal 6)"; Year; 2000s; SV; $90  million.

Fast Military Land Mecha are designed for urban warfare, or battle in heavily forested areas.  Rarely do military designers upgrade the Size of a Fast mecha by more than 1 or 2 categories, as the mecha loses the speed that makes it distinctively useful.

• Heavily Armed Military Land Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: 02 / 05 / 08; MPH: 30 / 50;
  D/S: 9 / +30; UPG: 2; Comp: 42 / +2; Cargo: 100 lbs.; R/F; 6 months / N; Qualities: APP,
  ARM (30), EJS, HDP (5), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 2, thermal 4), STB; Year: 2100s; SV: $80  million.

Heavily Armed Military Land Mecha sacrifice armor and motive power for sheer destructive weight.  They are often mass-produced by weaker industrial powers, hoping to frighten neighbors into surrender without a fight.

• Heavily Armored Military Land Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: 02 / 04 / 08; MPH: 25 /
  40; D/S: 8 / +32; UPG: 2; Comp: 48 / +3; Cargo: 120 lbs.; R/F: 6 months / N; Qualities: APP, ARM (35), EJS, HAR (2), HDP (4), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 2, thermal 4),
  STB; Year: 2100s; SV: $120  million.

Heavily Armored Military Land Mecha are designed to take and hold ground, fighting a defensive battle in difficult terrain.  Heavily Armored Military Land Mecha are almost always upgraded in size, as they are intended to sacrifice speed for toughness anyway.  Command mecha are usually All-Purpose or Heavily Armored.

[brazen_saint]

No real fluff text for air mecha.  Also, the air mecha are missing some speed stats.  I kind of ran into a wall guesstimating speeds, so this is one place where some help would be useful.

• All-Purpose Military  Air  Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: Land: X,  Air: X; MPH: Land: X, Air: X; D/S: 9 / +25; UPG: 3; Comp: 50 / +3; Cargo: 50 lbs.; R/F: 3 months / N; Qualities: APP, ARM (25), CHF, EJS, HDP (3), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 5, thermal 5), STB (on ground only), VTL; Year: 2100s; SV: $130  million.

• Civilian Air Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: Land: X,  Air: X; MPH: Land: X,  Air: X; D/S: 9 / +22; UPG: 2; Comp: 48 / +2; Cargo: 75 lbs.; R/F: 2, months / N; Qualities: APP, ARM (28), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 4), STB, VTL; Year: 2100s; SV: $115  million.

• Fast Military Air Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: Land: X, Air: X; MPH: Land: X, Air: X; D/S: 10 / +24; UPG: 2; Comp: 53 / +3; Cargo: 50 lbs.; R/F: 2 months/N; Qualities: APP,  ARM (22), CHF, EJS, HDP (2),LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 7, thermal 6), VTL; Year: 2100s; SV: $128  million.

• Heavily Armed Military Air Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: Land: X, Air: X; MPH: Land: X, Air: X; D/S: 9 / +26; UPG: 2; Comp: 48 / +2; Cargo: 75 lbs.; R/F: 3 months / N; Qualities: APP, ARM (28), EJS, HDP (5), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 5, thermal 5), STB (on ground only), VTL; Year: 2000s; SV: $135  million.

• Heavily Armored Military Air Mecha; Size: Large; Occ: 1; A/T: Land:  X, Air: X; MPH: Land: X, Air: X; D/S: 8 / +30; UPG: 3; Comp: 50 / +3; Cargo: 100 lbs.; R/F: 2 months / N; Qualities: APP, ARM (30), EJS, HAR (1), HDP (4), LEG, ORD, SEN (radar 6, thermal 5),
  VTL;Year: 2100s; SV: $140  million.

[brazen_saint]

Lastly, the size modifications.  Again, some trouble with eyeballing speeds, help appreciated.

Chassis Size Modifications:

• New Size: Large; Occ Mod.: N/A; A/T Mod.: N/A; MPH Mod.: N/A; D/S Mod.: N/A; UPG Mod.: N/A; Comp Mod.: N/A; R/F Mod.: N/A; Added Qualities: N/A; Year Mod.; N/A; Added SV: N/A.

• New Size: Huge; Occ Mod.: Additional 0+1; A/T Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; MPH Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; D/S Mod.: -2 / +2; UPG Mod: 1; Comp Mod.: +1 / +1; R/F Mod.: -1 day / N; Added Qualities: N/A; Year Mod: N/A; Added SV: Cost *1.5.

• New Size: Gargantuan; Occ Mod.: Additional 1+1; A/T Mod.: Land: +-X; Air: +-X; MPH
  Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; D/S Mod.: -4 / +4; UPG Mod.: Comp. Mod.: +2 / +1; R/F Mod.: -3
  days; Added Qualities: DUC, FSS; Year Mod: N/A; Added SV; Cost *3.

• New Size: Colossal; Occ Mod.: Additional 1+2; A/T Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; MPH
  Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; D/S Mod.-6 / +6; UPG Mod.: 2; Comp Mod.: +3 / +2; R/F Mod.: -1
  week / N; Added Qualities: DUC, FSS; Year Mod: N/A; Added SV: Cost *5.

• New Size: Enormous; Occ Mod.: Additional 2+1; A/T Mod.: Land: +-X, Air: +-X; MPH
  Mod.: Land: +-X; Air: +-X; D/S Mod.: -8 / +8; UPG Mod.: 2; Comp Mod.: +5 / +3; R/F
  Mod.: -2 weeks / N; Added Qualities: DUC, FSS ; Year: N/A; Added SV: Cost *10.

• New Size: Vast; Occ Mod.: Additional 2+4; A/T Mod.: Land: +-X; Air: +-X; MPH
  Mod.: Land: +-X; Air: +-X; D/S Mod.: -10 / +10; UPG Mod.: 3; Comp Mod.: +8 / +4; R/F
  Mod.: -1 month / N; Added Qualities: CRW (10), DUC, FSS; Year: +100 years; Added SV:  Cost *50.

[Sletchman]

Looks neat after a quick readthru, and while I'm sure others will have answers to your speed problem, I have a quick and probably stupid question: What is an Air Mecha?  A regular Mech that can fly?  Some kind of plane?  Starscream? Something else all together?

[brazen_saint]

Flying mecha are intended to be mecha with lift jets that enable them to fly.

Of course, land mecha could have a Proteus modification to allow them to change into jets, but these vehicles wouldn't be able to fly when they assume robot form.

[Sletchman]

Flying mecha are intended to be mecha with lift jets that enable them to fly.

Of course, land mecha could have a Proteus modification to allow them to change into jets, but these vehicles wouldn't be able to fly when they assume robot form.

Just thinking out loud, but would it be easier to add a vehicle upgrade to enable regular ole human shaped mecha to fly? [I mean easier in terms of applying new rules, not creating new ones as you've already done the bulk of that].

[brazen_saint]

There is that, but I also wanted to emphasize game-mechanically that:

• Air mecha have different speeds in the air (an Upgrade would probably give them all the same base air speed)
• Air mecha are not as tough and require more advanced technology than land mecha.

Any suggestions for the required speeds for the air mecha and for the size upgrades?

Just thinking out loud, but would it be easier to add a vehicle upgrade to enable regular ole human shaped mecha to fly? [I mean easier in terms of applying new rules, not creating new ones as you've already done the bulk of that].

[Sletchman]

There is that, but I also wanted to emphasize game-mechanically that:

• Air mecha have different speeds in the air (an Upgrade would probably give them all the same base air speed)
• Air mecha are not as tough and require more advanced technology than land mecha.

Any suggestions for the required speeds for the air mecha and for the size upgrades?

Fair cop, makes sense.  As to speeds, it depends if you want realism or anime representation?  Realistically, a man shaped object has minimal aerodynamics, and doesn't produce any appreciable lift at any velocity, so it will have to have multiple points of thrust [feet pointed downwards for obtaining / retaining height, and some kind of backwards facing vectorable thruster for movement].  As such its speeds will be limited by what sort of technological level you want these mechs to represent, and their A/T will be fairly low [even at higher tech levels].

If you want these things to be like ironman, but big, then think about what you want them to replace in a military application - Bombers? Jets? Gunships?  The place your speed at a similiar level and it'll all work out fine.

[brazen_saint]

If you want these things to be like ironman, but big, then think about what you want them to replace in a military application - Bombers? Jets? Gunships?  The place your speed at a similiar level and it'll all work out fine.

Good points all.

The problem with pointing to anime is that anime is all over the map.  Even in the various Gundam series, there's the craziness of G Gundam, and the fairly 'realistic' mecha of 08th MS Team. 

I'm trying to stick with the less-crazy end of the spectrum, though, more Classic Battletech than anything else.  Land mecha are essentially tanks on legs, and air mecha maybe have the flight capabilities of combat helicopters.

I'll see if I can come up with some speed and A/T stats and post them today or tomorrow.