Some Battletech stuff

[Thuren]

I have been doing a bit of thinking...

1. Should Mech Piloting be a drive focus?
2. What would be the way to do mech combat. I still love the simplicity of Classic Battletech for that portion, but if there is a viable alternative I would be willing and interested to try it.


my thoughs so far have gone like this -
2 new skills as follows:

1. Pilot-Mech: Dex Skill (Maps to 6-(Skill/5(round down)) for battletech. So a 12 skill in SC2 would be 4 - Average Pilot in BT). For higher Powered games this could be 5-(Skill/5) or 6-(Skill/4) either would also work.

1. Weapons Systems-Mech: Dex Skill (Maps to 6-(Skill/5(round down)) for battletech. So a 12 skill in SC2 would be 4 - Average Gunnery in BT). For higher Powered games this could be 5-(Skill/5) or 6-(Skill/4) either would also work.

Not the best work around, but it would work. The 6-(Skill/4) would probably be best for an average BT game actually. (Would allow for a 0 but that would be a cranked/crack 20th Level Mechwarrior.

[OverNinja]

Hi! Welcome!

There should be 3 new focuses for Drive:

• Battlesuit
• Mech
• Proto

ThunderMonkey is doing a conversion system for Mechs.
I believe he's trying to make it work with the rest of the SC system.

Pilot-Mech could be handled through Drive skill and it's focuses.

Could the Weapons Systems be handled through Attack Bonus and Weapon Proficiencies?

[Thuren]

I can see the Piloting being a Focus for Drive, but it would need to be a restricted to GM allowance Focus. And the penalty should be well in the -10 to -15 range for untrained.

As to the weapons, I was trying to keep the mech combat different so there is no easy map for I can shoot a gun and force vehicle scale weapons to function. And there is no easy way I can see to map it to the Battletech version of Gunnery.

[ThunderMonkey]

Vehicle Weapons proficiency would be the safest proficiency to use for Mech mounted weapons. Or simply... Mech Weapons, which will cover the use of the sophisicated targeting and firing systems of a Mech and leave Vehicle Weapons for like tanks and other armored vehicles.

Mechs are a serious hurdle to overcome. After all, how can you justify a player to sport a 25-ton 'Mech, much less a heavier one?

At a glance the easiest thing to do is break the 'Mechs down to match Calibers to weight class:

Caliber II = Light Mechs
Caliber III = Medium Mechs
Caliber IV = Large Mechs
Caliber V = Assault Mechs

Of course that just a nice nip-tuck way of handling it, but there are varieties within each weight class in regards to tonnage.

Light (20-35); Medium (40-55); Large (60-75), and Assault (80-100).

So, what I'm thinking is this a player gets the lowest weight of his/her Caliber pick. Through the utilization of feats and/or class abilities he/she may increase the weight to the next level (not Caliber).

Another possibility is to add a Campaign Quality that allows Mechs and other heavy armaments to help

New Gear Feat
Rolling Thunder (okay... I can't think of a cool name right now!)
Prereqisite: Drive (Mech focus), Weapon (Mech focus), Career level 6
You can upgrade your Mech (personal or one via mission gear pick, but not both) to the next avaliable weight. (For example, instead of a 20-ton 'Mech you can choose a 25-ton 'Mech.) You cannot move to a higher Caliber Mech with this feat. Special: This feat can be taken twice, once for a character's personal Mech or for his mission Mech.

Then there would be two more Rolling Thunder feats (Rolling Thunder II - Career level 12 - and Rolling Thunder III - Career level 18) that will increase the size of the Mech, but not the Caliber.

The way I look at it... If you really need a Mech to complete mission, the other guys (NPCs) are probably going to have one too, or at least the means to circumvent your own.

[OverNinja]

At a glance the easiest thing to do is break the 'Mechs down to match Calibers to weight class:

Caliber II = Light Mechs
Caliber III = Medium Mechs
Caliber IV = Large Mechs
Caliber V = Assault Mechs

Another possibility is to add a Campaign Quality that allows Mechs and other heavy armaments to help

Giving 'Mechs those Calibers will wreak havoc if there is any plan on adding Elementals.
I was planning on using the SFA conversions as a base for them.
Caliber III - Light
     Clan: Aerie, Sylph.
     IS: Achilleus, Gray Death Scout, Infiltrator, Kage, Kobold, Nighthawk, Purifier, Tornado.
Caliber IV - Medium
     Clan: Afreet, Clan Battle Armor, Standard Elemental, Salamander, Undine.
     IS: Cavalier, Fa Shih, Gray Death Standard, Longinus, Raiden, Rottweiler, Standard IS, Trinity, Void.
Caliber V - Heavy
     Clan: Corona, Gnome. Golem.
     IS: Fenrir, Grenadier, Hauberk, Kanazuchi, Phalanx, Sloth.

ProtoMechs could be added as a Caliber V or even Caliber IV vehicle, since their requirements are quite steep (Fighter Pilot Phenotype AND EI Implant, which has it's own drawbacks).

Adding a Campaign Quality would be good. One idea is to purhase 'Mechs with Wealth, similar to what has been floated around with Farthest Stars starships. I want to see how 'Mechs will be handled in C:S.

The way I look at it... If you really need a Mech to complete mission, the other guys (NPCs) are probably going to have one too, or at least the means to circumvent your own.

That's exactly how I see things.

[ThunderMonkey]

Re: Clan 'Mechs and Elementals....

You see... I haven't even gotten that far, but taking the SFA approach seems to be the best bet, until something better comes along.

It could even be a separate wealth statistic. I see that as being a more viable option. (I can't recall at this point what may be done for spacecraft ownership.)

As for Clan 'Mechs, etc. That's a whole separate deal. Since about 90 percent of the Clans have their 'Mechs assigned to them prior to the fight or mission, they won't necessarily have the need to "own" one. The same can be said for the Elementals.

[glimmerrat]

Look, in all honesty Mechs should have a cost of 'Net Worth' or 'Reputation only'. Even in the Battletech universe, obtaining a mech is a matter of SERIOUS investment or trust from your superiors.

Scott was talking about Starships for Farthest Star on the old boards and mentioned that even small vessels will have a Rep requirement. The larger ones will have an upkeep requirement too which will cost Net Worth, which means you MUST go on missions to aquire money for replacement parts or to maintain your superior's trust.

This applies nicely to Mechs. As for designing them, start with 3025 and 26. Don't even bother with the Clan stuff and Protomechs (ugh) until you have the old Succession Wars Mecha sorted. Then look at 3050 and the Clan invasion later on. One step at a time, walk before you run and all that.

[Thuren]

How does the following Look? (this of course requires Mech Gunnery to be a class skill as if you are using the option I presented before where it maps to the Original Battletech Game Rules)

Mechwarrior (Specialty)
(1) Bonus Feat: any Chase feat
(1) Drive is always a class skill for you & the result cap increases by 5.
(1) You gain the Drive (Mecha) skill focus
(1) Gunnery is always a class skill for you & the result cap increases by 5.
(1) You gain the Gunnery (Mecha) skill focus
(1.5) You increase the lower of your Dexterity or Wisdom scores by +2, applied after attribute bonuses due to your Talent.

You were born to Pilot Mechs, you know them like the back of your hand and can do things that others would find near impossible.
(removed the Interest and changed the Feat Granted)


Clan: Wolf (Talent)
(2.5) +2 Dex, +2 Str/-2 Cha
(0) Near Human
(3) Increase a Con by 1. This attribute increases by a further +1 at career levels 7 & 14.
(1) Your maximum ranks in Drive (Mecha) increases to your Career Level +5. This benefit is not cumulative with any other effect that increases your maximum rank in this skill.
(2) You gain a +1 bonus to Initiative. This bonus increases by a further +1 at career level 4, 8, 12, 16 & 20.
(-1.5) The disposition of any character that does not share your native culture and is aware of your talent is reduced by 2 grades.

[OverNinja]

Otherwise nice, but it goes beyond 7 points (I've been having same troubles with Diamond Shark Merchant-Warriors).
Could you change the Basic Skill feat to a Chase feat?

(1) You increase the lower of your Dexterity or Wisdom scores by +2, applied after attribute bonuses due to your Talent.

Costs 1.5 points.

[ThunderMonkey]

I have started the massive conversion of Battlemechs....

And I say "massive" because I'm going to try to organize all the Mechs I have stats for into a Excel spreadsheet to see how they balance against each other.

It's going to be pretty sweet. I'm even noting the Year the Mech was first commissioned or manufactured.

I haven't written anything definative yet, but there are going to be some new qualities for Mechs: HT (Heat - greater chance to cause critical damage), GYR (Gyroscope - Balance issues), ACT (Actuators - if can pick things up or get back up), HS (Heat Sinks - decrease chance of critical damage occuring)...

Each Mech will have a Reputation or Net Worth cost that depend upon its size, armaments, armor, extra modifications, jump capability.

added: WOOT! 100th post!

[OverNinja]

I've got three qualities that I've been kicking around:

CT (Clan Tech): Derived by the Clans from SLDF equipment in isolation from the Inner Sphere for 300 years. Requires training to understand, repair and use. Psysically represented by different interfaces (both physical and software and calibers (for ballistic and missile weapons).
EI (Enhanced Imaging): Implanted neurocircuitry that allows a pilot superior control of his vehicle. Though greatly enhances ones abilities, it also causes paranoia and madness. Availble since the 3040s  for Mechs, Elementals and in the late 3050s ProtoMechs. There is currently no comparable system in the Inner Sphere, although the DNI by NAIS comes close.
HSS (HarJel Sealing System): A sealing system used in all Clan Battlesuits, the HarJel Sealing System uses a substance available only to the Clans. Designed to seal any penetration of the Battlesuit to maintain an environmental seal.

[glimmerrat]

Clanners should really be a seperate race. You could factor the EI implant into that. It's very hard to use Clan tech without and EI because of the all the VR tech that should interface with your implants.

As for year of manufacture, that doesn't even factor into what i said. I'm talking about the Technical Readout books. The ones with stats in them?

3025: Succession Wars Mechs
3026: Succession Wars Vehicles
3050: Clan Invasion
3055: Clan Wars
3058: Post Tukkayid
3060: Reformation of the Star League

After this point i stopped caring... The mechs in each have very different flavours. For example, the Succession Wars era books are all Inner Sphere tech, with no Ferro-Fibrous armour, no Endo-Steel internal skeletons, no ER or Pulse weapons, no Streak SRMs, no Ultra-Autocannons, no Artemis IV Fire Control, no... oh, you get the idea.

What i mean is if you start off with the 3025 era mechs (i.e. the 'basic' versions of the Locust, Battlemaster, Archer, Marauder, Rifleman, Thunderbolt etc), it's much easier to do to begin with and you can work up to the later books as you get better with your basic ideas for stats.

There are FIFTY FIVE mechs in the none-revised edition alone!

[OverNinja]

I know the Technical Readouts, I have all you mentioned plus 3067 and Project Phoenix.

I was thinking about the EI as a feat, since it's not that widely used (10 to 15% according to some books).

How are you going to do lasers, since lasers have AP (damage)?
Ballistic weapons should be easy to match against existing weapons.

[Morgenstern]

I have a file around somewhere with the extra gear/weapons and rules options I've come up with for Battletech. I'll go look for that. It was certainl a formative experience for creating systems where you can design your own stuff. Both Farthest Star and C:S owe a debt of gratitude to the standard Battletech set for player customization.

[glimmerrat]

I know the Technical Readouts, I have all you mentioned plus 3067 and Project Phoenix.

I was thinking about the EI as a feat, since it's not that widely used (10 to 15% according to some books).

Sorry i was directing most of that at Thundermonkey... as for the implants, that sounds cool. All my knowledge comes from the rule books as i've never read any of the fiction.