Degrees of Success

For some situations, it is enough to know whether an action succeeds or fails—a ball is caught, a trap is disarmed, etc. In other situations, it can be useful to know how well the action succeeded, or poorly it failed. This is particularly relevant for combat [see section XX].

For these situations, the difference between the Test result and its difficulty is measured as the action's Degree of Success (DoS) or Degree of Failure (DoF).

After rolling an Unopposed Test, the action's DoS or DoF is the difference between the Test result and the difficulty. In the case of an Opposed Test, the DoS is the difference between results.

Character Creation

Players in [Untitled Mecha Game] are expected to take on the roles of mech pilots. Support staff—base commanders, repair crew, foot soldiers, etc.—are best left to non-player characters (NPCs) under the control of the Game Master (GM). All characters have statistics that represent how they interact with the world.

The first step to creating a player character (PC) is to ask the GM what kind of story they wish to tell. Making a pilot for a high school tournament setting tends to be very different from making one for a gritty alien invasion. It is recommended that the GM and all players talk about who they want to play, what they expect from the game, and so on.

Once the setting and tone have been established, players can follow these guidelines to create their desired characters. It is not necessary to follow these steps in strict order.

War-Torn

Your upbringing was surrounded by armed conflict. You may or may not have been dragged in yourself, but you did not remain untouched in either case.

Suggested Skills: Awareness, Athletics, Discipline, Fortitude, Might, Survival

Example Characters:

3. Formative Years

A child learns most rapidly at a young age. Therefore, how your character spent their earliest years tends to have a significant effect on their life as a teenager and beyond.

4. Motivations

What drives your character? Their goals determine the sorts of Skills they acquire. It is impractical to try and capture every possible motivation with pre-defined Skill packages, so choose four ranks of General Skills that you think are the most appropriate.

5. Role

What role do you intend your character to fill in the squad? The following are examples of common archetypes seen in media, but feel free to choose four ranks of Skills that best suit your concept.

Skills

This system uses a total of 20 skills, separated into 16 General Skills and 4 Mech Skills. Two skills are used to form the Pool for each action; see Core Mechanics for more details. Each skill is rated from 0 to 5, corresponding to the following benchmarks:

• Rank 0 — Untrained
• Rank 1 — Rookie
• Rank 2 — Trained
• Rank 3 — Expert
• Rank 4 — Veteran
• Rank 5 — Master

Fortitude

The skill of physical endurance. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Athletics to avoid exhaustion.
• +Might to brace against attacks.
• +Survival to resist environmental effects.

Influence

The skill of leadership and persuasion. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Deception to seduce someone.
• +Knowledge to make logical arguments.
• +Might to lead impressionable followers.

Knowledge

The skill of investigation and memory. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Discipline to remember past experiences.
• +Survival to plan a long journey.
• +Tech to identify unusual items.

Medicine

The skill of treating injuries and diseases. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Awareness to perform surgery.
• +Knowledge to diagnose.
• +Tech to develop and administer drugs.

Might

The skill of physical strength and close combat. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Athletics to grapple.
• +Fortitude to do manual labor.
• +Speed to attack up close.

Perform

The skill of entertainment and finesse. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Might to intimidate with a show of force.
• +Influence to sway a crowd.
• +Tech to play an instrument.

Speed

The skill of quickness and reflex. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Awareness to quickly examine an area.
• +Knowledge to react to sudden stimuli.
• +Stealth to quickly change hiding places.

Stealth

The skill of trickery and remaining hidden. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Awareness to find a hiding place.
• +Athletics to move quietly.
• +Influence to send hidden messages.

Survival

The skill of self-sufficiency. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Awareness to find and follow tracks.
• +Medicine to provide improvised treatment.
• +Stealth to set up traps.

Tech

The skill of craftsmanship and precision. Commonly forms Pools with:

• +Awareness to pick locks and disarm explosives.
• +Deception to create disguises.
• +Drive or Mech Support to repair vehicles.

Mech Skills

Derived Statistics

While most Skills are used to form and roll Pools on the fly, some Skills also inform basic character attributes and abilities that do not require rolls. Because of how often they come up, these calculated values should be listed on a character’s sheet.

Mettle

Player characters (PCs) and major non-player characters (NPCs) have a special statistic called Mettle. Mettle represents experience, willpower, and the ability to persevere through hardship. Mechanically, Mettle governs how many Mech Skill ranks are available, and provides a bonus to Mech Defense (see [section XX]).

Talents

Talents are tricks and abilities employed by the pilot to gain an edge over the opposition. Most Talents pertain to combat, but there are some that have non-combat applications.

Each Talent has a listed Experience Point (XP) cost. Talents can be acquired during or after character creation by spending the requisite amount of XP. Some Talents have other requirements, listed in their description.

Killing Spree [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: For each opponent you personally defeat during an encounter, you gain a cumulative +1 to attack rolls, up to a maximum bonus equal to your Mettle. The bonus resets to +0 at the end of the encounter.

Mobility [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: You add your Mettle to your Defense against attacks of opportunity. In addition, the first time each round that you are hit by an attack of opportunity, you may move one hex in any direction and change your facing by up to two hex-sides. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Nerves of Steel [X]

Prerequisites: Discipline 3

Description: You reduce all stress damage taken by half your Mettle (rounded up), to a minimum of 1 damage. In addition, you recover one additional box of Psyche per day.

Sharpshooter [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: When you make a Called Shot, you can make two hit location rolls and choose which result you prefer. The digits of the chosen result can still be reversed, if desire.

Shield Wall [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: If you are equipped with a Shield, you can use your Parry Defense to intercept attacks against characters in hexes adjacent to yours. If the attack's MoS exceeds the attacker's Mettle, they can choose to hit their original target. Otherwise, you are treated as the target of the attack.

In addition, when you take the Guard action while equipped with a Shield, you add three times your Mettle to your Parry Defense score, instead of two times your Mettle.

Toughness, Mental [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: You gain an additional number of Psyche boxes equal to your Mettle. In addition, you recover one additional box of Psyche per day.

Toughness, Physical [X]

Prerequisites: None

Description: You gain an additional number of Health boxes equal to your Mettle. In addition, you recover one additional box of Health per day.

Mech Construction

Mechs are the core of this game. In this context, mechs are armored, self-powered war machines that are often but not always piloted. It's difficult to make generalizations beyond that, because there are as easily as many mechs as there are designers, at least.

Core Module

The construction of all mechs begins with the Core Module—the torso of a humanoid, the fuselage of a jet, etc. All other Modules attach to the Core. Attached Modules can be of any class lower than the Core or up to one class higher. Legs and Pods have additional considerations; see their respective sections.

Head Module

A Head Module provides a rotating mount with a wide field of view, ideal for sensors and weapons. As a result, mechs with Heads traditionally have sensors installed there. The GM can optionally enforce this as a genre convention.

If a mech’s Cockpit isn’t installed in the Core, the Head is the next most likely location. Ejection rolls from a Head-mounted Cockpit receive a +2 bonus; see [section XX].

Arm Module

These Modules are primarily used to strike at targets in close combat. Arms need not be purchased with hands. However, arms without hands can only be used for the most basic manipulative tasks. Melee attacks made with weapons mounted in an Arm Module gain a damage bonus based on its weight class; see the table.

Any Arm-mounted melee weapon with the Handy property may function as a hand; a basic hand costs 0.75 CP with Acc +0 and 1D. Hands function as weapon mounts with the same number of Spaces as their parent Arm. See [section XX] for more on melee weapon design, and [section XX] for weapon mount rules.

An Arm with a hand may throw objects. The combat range for thrown attacks is given in the table below.

Leg Module

Leg Modules are assumed to come with feet at no extra cost or weight. This is because a Leg without a foot is just an Arm, in system terms. Like Arms, Legs can be used to make striking attacks, and a Leg tends to deal more damage than an Arm of the same class.

Mechs require at least two Legs to be able to walk. The sum of the Legs’ SP must be at least the Core’s SP - 2. For a bipedal mech, this means two Legs at most one level smaller than the Core. For rules on how leg loss affects walking speed, see [section XX].

Tail Modules

Tails are similar to Arms, but lighter and more flexible. This allows them to perform complex manipulation, including Grapple attacks (see [section XX]). Tail Modules have a damage bonus on melee attacks based on weight class, but this only applies to Grapple attacks performed with the Tail or with Entangling weapons (see [section XX]) mounted therein.

Pod Module

Pods are hollow Modules held together by the armor placed upon them. As they have no SP, the weight of a Pod only comes from the armor that covers it. Unlike other Modules, a Pod is not limited by the class of the Core. However, the mech suffers -1 MV for every 2 class levels the Pod has over the Core. This is cumulative for multiple oversized Pods.

While economical, Pods have one significant flaw: Any damage that penetrates a Pod’s armor carries over to the systems inside. A Pod is destroyed when all systems inside it are destroyed, or if its armor is ablated to 0 DR.

When a Pod is no longer desired, it can be ejected at any time during a pilot’s turn at no action cost; any number of Pods can be discarded this way at once. Any systems or items contained therein are lost, but their weight no longer burdens the mech.

Mechs traveling to the battlefield often use Pods for Fuel storage, and eject them when entering combat. See [section XX].

2.3 Armor

With the Modules selected, the next step is to armor them. Mech armor is ablative in nature, meaning that material is blown off with every hit and takes a significant amount of energy with it. Heavier armor has more or thicker layers to increase its capacity to absorb damage. This capacity is measured by the armor’s Damage Resistance (DR). Armor costs 0.5 CP per point of DR, and 1 point of DR absorbs 1 point of damage. Any damage not absorbed by armor is directly translated to the Module beneath it.

Unlike Modules, armor does not come in distinct classes. Instead, the level of armor a Module can mount is dependent on its Cost: The armor covering a Module other than a Pod or Wing may provide DR equal to twice the Module’s base Cost. A Wing or Pod may only mount armor with DR equal to its base Cost.

Monocoque Construction

By default, armor plates are assumed to be bolted onto the exterior of a Module. However, it is also possible for a Module’s structure to be built up from armor plates, which reduces weight for a given amount of armor. This is called monocoque construction, or mono for short. Pods are essentially already built this way; they cannot use this construction option.

A Module other than a Wing may mount mono armor with an amount of DR up to its base Cost; a Wing may only mount mono armor DR up to half its base Cost. Mono armor provides the listed level of protection at the usual price, but takes up an amount of Space inside a Module equal to its DR. Armor contained within a Module this way does not add weight to the mech, as its weight is considered part of the Module.

2.4 Wheels and Treads

Wheels and Treads may be bought instead of or in addition to Legs. All three types of movement use the mech's BMA (see [section XX]), but have distinct tradeoffs.

• Legs provide internal Spaces.
• Wheels are provide bonus MA on smooth ground.
• Treads are heavy, but ignore Difficult Terrain.

Wheels and Treads use the same classification levels as Modules. As with Legs, a mech is unable to move if the sum of Wheel and Tread SP is lower than the Core's SP - 2. Wheel and Tread SP can be combined with Leg SP for the purpose of determining a mech's mobility, but a mech can only claim the bonuses from Wheels or Treads if they have sufficient SP to propel the mech.

3. Weapons

Mechs are ultimately machines of war, and they generally need to carry weapons to do their job. Weapons come in almost every size and shape imaginable, but for the purpose of the game rules, they are defined by a number of statistics and modifiers, and their appearances are left as a matter of narrative description.

There are four categories of weapons, each with distinct advantages, disadvantages, and special options:

• Melee Weapons
• Projectile Weapons
• Beam Weapons
• Ordnance

Melee Weapons

Aside from single-use Ordnance, Melee Weapons tend to be the cheapest and most compact that a mech can mount. They run the gamut from old-school blades and bludgeons to high-tech energy blades and plasma whips. The primary drawback is, of course, that the mech must generally be adjacent to their target to bring their Melee Weapons to bear.

Melee Weapons need not be handheld; they can be mounted in any Module except Pods. Some Modules provide a damage bonus to attacks made with mounted Melee Weapons. Hands, claws, and similar graspers are themselves purchased as Melee Weapons with the Manipulator modifier. See the description of that modifier for further details.

Destroyer (x1.5)

A Destroyer weapon deals additional damage to objects (including mech weapons) equal to the Module bonus of its mounting location, minimum +1.

Attempts to Parry a Destroyer weapon can lead to Module or equipment damage. If an attack with a Destroyer Weapon is applied to the target's Parry Defense, and the attack fails by an amount less than the defender's Mettle, the target suffers the Destroyer bonus damage (see above) to the appropriate weapon or location, reduced by DR as normal.

Similarly, Parries with a Destroyer weapon apply the Destroyer bonus damage to the attacking weapon unless the attack roll has DoS in excess of the defender's Mettle.

Destroyer weapons are often, but not always, energy weapons. Physical Destroyer weapons may use vibrating blades, rapidly spinning chains of sharp teeth, etc.

Projected (x1.5)

A Projected Melee Weapon deals its damage with an emitted blade, field of force, etc. separate from the weapon itself. In effect, this means the weapon is unaffected by contact damage from Destroyer weapons, Surge Barriers, and so on.

The weapon is still susceptible to direct hits from attacks. However, because the functional core of the weapon is relatively small, the Spaces taken up by the weapon are reduced by half; the cost of the Projected modifier does not increase the Space required.

Beam Weapons

Firing concentrated energy directly from or catalyzed by the mech's Powerplant, typical Beam Weapons are characterized by long range, high accuracy, and unlimited field endurance.

Ordnance

Rockets, propelled grenades, mines, torpedoes, mines, missiles—any kind of self-destructing charge falls into the Ordnance category of weapons. Cheap and therefore compact, they are purchased one at a time and consumed on use, replenished when the mech is repaired.

Ordnance of the same profile can grouped together into a Pack (Rack, Launcher, Tube, etc.). All Ordnance in a single Pack is automatically considered Linked; it can be fired in the same action (see [section XX]). Multiple Packs can also be Linked.

It is assumed that the actual launching device for the Ordnance is of negligible cost, size, and weight. The Ordnance itself takes up Space equal to its Cost as normal, but its weight is considered Encumbrance; see [section XX].

Range (Varies)

This functions as for most weapons, with one special exception. A rating of "0" designates the Ordnance as a weapon that is placed or dropped, rather than fired. Colloquially, placed Ordnance are referred to as Mines, and dropped Ordnance as Bombs. Range "0" Ordnance should be specified as either Mines or Bombs on the mech's sheet. GMs may change these terms to suit their own campaigns.

Smart (Varies)

Standard Ordnance is relatively "dumb", or unguided. A degree of self-guidance capability can be modeled with high Accuracy, but for Ordnance that can actively seek and chase the target on its own, the Smart modifier is required.

A successful attack with Smart Ordnance resolves as normal. However, a failed attack does not consume the Ordnance; the weapon will turn around and make another pass at the target during the attacker's next turn. This is a Free Action and does not prevent the mech from making other attacks, but it does require a new attack roll.

Smart Ordnance can make a number of these additional attacks equal to their rating, i.e. Smart "1" allows one retried attack. It is assumed that Smart Ordnance has the speed and maneuverability to keep up with any targets; movement alone is generally not enough to evade Smart Ordnance (see below). If all Smart attacks are unsuccessful, the Ordnance is lost without detonating unless it is bought with Area-Effect and a Fuse; treat as a Scatter (see [section XX]).

Flare (x0.5)

Flare Ordnance must be purchased with Area-Effect. They do not deal damage upon detonation, instead releasing intense infrared illumination.

A Flare lasts a number of rounds equal to half the damage value of the Ordnance, minimum 1 round. In its final round, the Flare is extinguished at the end of turn of the mech that launched the Ordnance.

For flares used as countermeasures against other Ordnance, apply the Anti-Ordnance modifier instead.

Anti-Beam (x0.5)

Anti-Beam Ordnance must be purchased with Area-Effect. They do not deal damage upon detonation, instead releasing a cloud of particles that interferes with Beam travel.

The damage value of a Beam Weapon attack is reduced by 2 for each hex of Anti-Beam particles it passes through on its way to the target, to a maximum reduction of the Anti-Beam Ordnance's own damage value.

The Anti-Beam cloud lasts a number of rounds equal to half the damage value of the Ordnance, minimum 1 round. In its final round, the cloud dissipates at the end of turn of the mech that launched the Ordnance.

Anti-Beam Ordnance does not impede Sensors on its own, but it can be combined with the Obscuring modifier.

Projectile Weapons

Projectile Weapons deal damage by delivering a physical payload to a distant target. They are distinct from Ordnance in that these payloads are not self-propelled. Compared to Beam Weapons, they are somewhat less expensive, which in turn makes them less bulky. However, Ammunition must be purchased separately, and comes with its own Space and weight concerns.

The following general weapon modifiers are only available for Ammunition, and not for Projectile Weapons themselves:

• Armor-Piercing
• Disruptor

Ammunition

Ammunition is purchased per Shot, which is defined as enough projectiles to make a single attack with the weapon, i.e. at Rate 1. This is largely a matter of narrative description—a weapon's damage can result from a single large projectile, a shower of small projectiles, or something more exotic like the spray of a flamethrower. In game terms, all that matters is the effect the Ammunition has on its target, which is defined by its damage rating and modifiers.

Ammunition for a particular weapon is grouped into a Clip (Drum, Magazine, Belt, etc.). The Clip itself has no cost or weight, and does not take up Space. The Ammunition has a cost and weight equal to 1% of its parent weapon per Shot. The weight of Ammunition is treated as encumbrance (see [section XX]).

Like weapons, Ammunition can have cost modifiers. Each one multiplies the Ammunition's cost per Shot, but does not affect the Ammunition's Spaces or weight. Every Shot in a Clip must have the same modifiers; Clips may not have mixed Ammunition.

As usual, Ammunition takes up an a number of Spaces equal to its cost, with the exception of cost modifiers as mentioned above. When loaded into a weapon, this increases the weapon's Spaces by the appropriate amount. Spare Clips (i.e. reloads) may be stored internally or externally.

Internally stored Ammunition is treated like any other internal system, taking up a number of Spaces from the location. Externally stored Ammunition takes up no Spaces from the location, but is rendered useless if that location takes damage. In either case, Ammunition does not explode when struck unless that attack was a critical hit (see [section XX].

Kinetic (x2.0)

Kinetic Ammunition doubles the weapon's damage for the purpose of determining Knockback (see [section XX]). It deals normal damage otherwise.

Paintball (x0.5)

Paintball Ammunition does not reduce Module SP. Instead, a target struck by a Paintball grant a +1 bonus to any Test to detect them for each point of damage that would otherwise have been dealt.

Only the single largest damage value of all Paintball hits is used, but every subsequent Paintball hit increases the bonus by +1, to a maximum of double the original bonus.

Most DR has no effect on Paintball Ammunition, but a Surge Barrier does, burning away or otherwise neutralizing the markers. For similar reasons, Paintball attacks cannot be meaningfully Parried except by Destroyer weapons.

Scattershot (Varies)

Scattershot Ammunition uses a large number of projectiles or otherwise disperses the attack into a wide spray, increasing the both the hit chance and the number of struck locations.

Like Area-Effect, Scattershot is purchased with a rating. Multiply the weapon's Rate by this number for the purpose of determining the Rate Bonus on the attack roll. If the attack is successful, roll for hit location as normal, but use the following rules when applying damage to the target.

Reservoir

Compared to discrete weapons, a Reservoir is defined by one or more profiles that vary in performance based on the mech's available Power. This can greatly expand a mech's tactical options at a fraction of the cost of multiple separate systems.

Reservoirs are handled similarly to weapons in many respects. Like most systems, they take up a number of Spaces equal to their cost. They may be mounted internally or externally (see [section XX]), and they may be Linked. Linked Reservoirs may be used as part of the same Attack action, but they may not combine their Power.

At the start of the mech's turn, its pilot should decide which profiles are in use for each of its Reservoir Portfolios. This has no action cost.

Matter Converter (x1.15)

A Matter Converter allows the Reservoir may have one or more Projectile Weapon emulations, in accordance with its Base Power and Portfolio. Ammunition is converted from absorbed energy, at a rate of 1 CP's worth of Ammunition per point of absorbed energy. The exact mechanisms for this conversion are narrative and not substantive to the rules; the GM is free to describe them as fits their campaign.

The mech may purchase and store separate Ammunition for a Projectile Weapon in the Reservoir's Portfolio if desired, so that the mech can fire the weapon without first absorbing energy. However, converted Ammunition is too unstable to be extracted and meaningfully stored.

It is assumed that converted Ammunition does not take up Space and does not have weight. After all, it exists only as energy until the moment it is used. For similar reasons, it does not interfere with any physical Ammunition that may already be loaded inside the weapon; the weapon does not need to be unloaded in order to use converted Ammunition.

A Reservoir with a Matter Converter may also be used to emulate Battery-Powered Beam Weapons using the same rules as above, substituting Batteries for Ammunition. This is an exception to the rule that Reservoirs cannot emulate Beam Weapons with finite Shots.

Shields

While shields are not always seen as weapons, they are handled similarly in rules terms, so they are described here.

A Shield must either be handheld or mounted in an Arm Module; this requires only a single Space, regardless of the class and cost of the Shield. A Manipulator holding a Shield cannot hold anything else at the same time. However, see [section XX].

Mechs must take the Guard action to gain benefits from a Shield; without a Guard action, a Shield only provides its DR to the equipped Arm and nothing else.

Barriers

Barriers (Force Fields, Deflector Shields, etc.) protect the mech with an all-encompassing sheath of energy. This requires no additional input from the pilot, though repeated attacks within a short period can overwhelm a Barrier.

Barriers are installed internally, despite having external effects. They take up a number of Spaces equal to their cost, but have no weight.

Weakness (Varies)

Normally, a Barrier will protect against all types, but it can be made cheaper by limiting its effectiveness to specific types.

4. Additive Systems

Recon Systems

A mech's basic Sensors contain all the standard visual, targeting, and communication systems for use in front-line combat. Dedicated scout and surveillance mechs work best when equipped with additional detection capabilities.

As Recon systems are an expansion of a mech's basic Sensors, they cease functioning if a mech's Sensors are totally destroyed.

Electronic Warfare

Electronic Warfare (EW) goes beyond the basic processing handled by a mech's Sensors, and attempts to actively interfere with enemy mechs or prevent the same interference from affecting friendly mechs.

As usual, the exact technologies involved are a matter of the setting and narrative created by the GM. In general, EW involves manipulation of the electromagnetic spectrum for purposes other than direct attacks; the latter would be represented by Beam Weapons.

Radius

By default, an EW system applies its effects to a single target—the equipped mech in the case of Defensive EW, or a single opponent mech within Communication Range in the case of Offensive EW. With the Radius modifier, Defensive EW instead applies to all friendly mechs within a specified number of hexes, and Offensive EW applies to all opponent mechs within that range.

The Radius modifier need only be purchased once for the most expensive EW system installed in a mech. Any EW systems past the first gain an equivalent Radius rating at no additional cost.

Beam

By default, Defensive EW affects only the equipped mech. Radius EW (Offensive or Defensive) is centered on the equipped mech. The Beam modifier allows the equipped mech to share its non-Radius Defensive EW to another friendly mech within the specified number of hexes. Radius EW instead allows the equipped mech to center the EW effect on any hex within the specified range.

Note that this modifier is not required for Offensive EW. Non-Radius Offensive EW affects a single opponent mech with Communication Range. Radius Offensive EW may be purchased with the Beam modifier, which functions as described above.

Crew and Passengers

A mech’s basic Cockpit takes 1 Space and costs 0 CP. There is enough room for the pilot to comfortably operate the controls, but allowances for passengers and crew must be purchased separately. (See [section XX] for cargo space. It is also possible to use an entire mech as a Cockpit for a larger one; see Subunit Controls.)

If the pilot must, they can fit one more person into the Cockpit, e.g. by having them sit on the pilot's lap. This causes the pilot to take a -1 penalty on attack rolls and to their Defense. Avoiding these penalties or fitting more than one person into the Cockpit costs 1 Space and either 1 or 2 CP.

If they do not contribute to the mech’s functioning, they are simply passengers and cost 1 CP. They benefit from the protection of the mech’s Modules and armor while inside, but otherwise have no impact on the game.

Added crew members cost 2 CP each. On their own, they do not provide the mech with any additional actions per turn. However, the pilot can designate that a crew member’s Pool be used for an action instead of their own. This is useful for crew members with specialties that differ from the pilot’s.

Add-Ons

All mechs are assumed to come with certain amenities. Essentially, anything a civilian transport could be expected to have, a mech will also have at no additional cost—things like internal lighting, basic security, and enough cargo space for a backpack or small duffel bag.

If a desired feature is not covered by an existing system or by one of the add-ons below, the GM should consider whether it will have a significant in-game impact.

If significant impact is expected, find an add-on with a similar level of impact and price it accordingly. Otherwise, the feature can be had at no cost.

Some add-ons have a negative CP value. These reduce the cost of the mech instead of increasing it. A mech can only claim -5 CP from such add-ons; any negative CP in excess of this value are ignored.

Unlike most systems, add-ons do not take up Space unless otherwise specified.

5. Special Systems

Fighter

• Cost: x0.06
• Base Movement Allowance: Land (x0.5 with Wheels or Treads), Air
• Required Modules: Core
• Restrictions: Manipulators
• Special: -1 MV, x2 MA with flight Propulsion, minimum flight MA 8+

Fighter mechs are characterized by their airspeed. They effectively pay half price for Propulsion of a given MA value, which is added to their BMA. Jet fighters are the most common example of Fighter mechs, but helicopters and airplanes would also fall into this category.

Many Fighters have Wings, but this is not strictly required. However, all Fighters must have MA 8+, as that is the requirement for flight. If a Fighter sustains damage that would reduce its MA below 8, it begins to fall. See [section XX].

Fighters are assumed to have the ability to hover, and to take off and land vertically (aka VTOL). They are also assumed to have basic landing gear. Wheels and Treads can optionally be purchased to replace this landing gear, which allows them to move on the ground at half their BMA. Otherwise, Fighters can only move in the air.

Submarine

• Cost: x0.05
• Base Movement Allowance: Water
• Required Modules: Core
• Restrictions: Manipulators
• Special: -1 MV, x2 MA with water Propulsion

The aquatic counterpart of Fighters, Submarines are specialized for water environments. The cost of this Body Form includes Pressure Protection, Marine Adaptation, and Marine Locomotion; do not purchase these separately.

Transformations

A mech may be designed with two or more Body Forms. Changing between Body Forms requires a Half Action by default. Some Modules may become inoperable in certain Body Forms; most commonly, a Humanoid's limbs are tucked away when the mech is in a more vehicular shape, such as a Fighter or Tank. The GM decides when and how this occurs, based on the nature of the mech.

Each mech has one "native" Body Form; this form has no cost, i.e. a cost multiplier of x0.0. For mechs with two Body Forms, the less expensive form is considered the native form for rules purposes. Therefore, the designer need only pay for the more expensive form.

For mechs with three or more Body Forms, the least expensive form is considered the native form. However, the total cost of the Transformations is equal to the most expensive Body Form, plus half of the cost of each other non-native form.

Variable Wings (x0.01)

This option allows Arms and Legs to reconfigure themselves as Wings of the same SP value, thereby saving the weight of separate Wing Modules.

Variable WIngs applies to all of a mech's limbs; it only needs to be purchased once.

Propulsion

The cost of Propulsion—extra movement modes beyond those afforded by the mech’s base body form—is dependent on the final weight of a mech, so it should be one of the last systems purchased. The weight of Fuel is included in this calculation. Propulsion can be bought in addition to or instead of Legs.

There are four general types of Propulsion available, each with their own cost and properties. Designers should note that moving in water costs 3xMA for mechs not equipped with Underwater Environmental Protection (see [section XX]) and purchase the appropriate level of MA.

Ground Effect System (GES)

Ground Effect (GES) uses some kind of mechanism that allows maneuvering above but relatively close to a surface. While MA cannot exceed 20 and altitude cannot exceed one hex, the former can still be much faster than running, and the latter is enough ignore most terrain.

GES costs 2.5% of a mech's weight per 1 MA if they can only be used in air, or 3.75% of the mech's weight per 1 MA if the GES can also be used in water at half its normal MA.

Hydrojets

Hydrojets allow a mech to move on or through water. Despite the name, they need not be actual jets; they may also be propellers, turbines, etc.

Hydrojets cost 2.5% of a mech's weight per 1 MA if they function only in water, or 3.75% of the mech's weight per 1 MA if the Hydrojets can also be used out of the water as jumpjets (see below) with half their normal MA (to a maximum of 7)

Thrusters

Thrusters are a catch-all category for any kind of directed-force engine that allows a mech to fly. Low-powered systems are known as "jumpjets", distinguished as having MA 7 or less and not allowing sustained flight; see the Jump/Fly action.

Thrusters cost 3.75% of the mech's weight per 1 MA if they work only in air (and in space, if the mech is equipped with Space Environment Protection), or 5% of the mech's weight per 1 MA instead if the Thrusters can also be used in water as well.

Exotic

Other forms of flight that seem to defy physics fall into the Exotic category. Perhaps the mech manipulates the forces of gravity, buoys itself with magic, or is propelled by the power of pure mathematics. Unlike other Propulsion Systems, Exotic flight does not consume or require Fuel.

Furthermore, a mech flying with Exotic Propulsion Systems can do so without any kind of obvious display or disturbance to its surroundings. The pilot of a mech with at least 8 MA of functional Exotic Propulsion can choose to forgo this stealth benefit to gain a +33% bonus to their maximum MP. A pilot can gain this bonus when flying at any speed.

Exotic Propulsion costs 5% of the mecha's weight per 1 MA if it functions in any environment (water, air and space), or 3.75% of the mech's weight if it functions only underwater.

Fuel

Fuel is a measure of how far a mech can travel with its Propulsion Systems. Any mech equipped with a Propulsion System automatically receives a Base Fuel Load sufficient for 1,000 km of travel (20,000 hexes). This Fuel has no CP cost and takes no Space; it is assumed to be stored in the same Spaces as the Propulsion System itself.

That is, each location carries sufficient Fuel for the Spaces of Propulsion allocated there. In general, this Fuel is consumed only through use; damage does not cause Fuel loss except in the case of destruction of a Module, or a Propulsion critical hit (see [section XX]).

The Base Fuel Load weighs as much as 10% of the mech’s final weight. This is considered part of the mech's base weight, rather than encumbrance. The Base Fuel Load may be reduced by increments of 100 km for a 1% reduction in the weight increase. Thus, 500 km of Fuel would only add +5% weight. Again, this Fuel is stored with the Spaces of Propulsion, so a reduced Base Fuel Load does not result in less Space usage.

Additional Fuel may be purchased at a rate of +500 km of travel for 1 CP. This requires 2 Spaces and adds LP of encumbrance (see [section XX]) equal to 5% of the mech's final weight (rounded up) per +500 km. It is common practice for this additional Fuel to be consumed first, and to be allocated to Pods that are jettisoned before combat, ensuring the mech is not encumbered at a critical moment.

In all cases, the exact composition and nature of Fuel are narrative features to be determined by the GM. Fuel is assumed to be relatively inert; it will never explode in a manner that is significant to game rules, though it may still create impressive spectacles as appropriate.

6. Multiplier Systems

These systems do not have a fixed CP cost. As they have an effect on overall mech performance, they multiply the totaled cost of the mech and its Additive systems.

Cockpit

If the powerplant is the beating heart of a mech, the Cockpit is perhaps its brain. Once again, the specific details of the system will not be elaborated upon here. Instead, general classes of controls and their game effects will be given.

Locomotion

Distinct from Propulsion, Locomotion represents the systems that allow a mech to move under its own power—pistons, artificial muscles, and so on.

The standard rules assume Basic Locomotion systems. As such, Basic Locomotion is free. More specialized versions are available, each with their own tradeoffs.

Cloaking

Cloaking refers to a type of technology that renders a mech invisible to one or more modes of detection. As per usual, the specifics of how Cloaking operates is left as a matter for the GM and their particular campaigns.

7. Statistics

Once the mech’s frame has been assembled, the designer should note down the basic performance parameters in order to identify what areas they want to improve. These parameters include Tonnage, Ground Move, and Maneuver Value.

7.5 Hit Location Table

Because of the wide variety of mech configurations, no single table of probabilities can capture the likelihood of hitting any given location of all mechs. Therefore, the final step of mech construction is defining the hit location table for that specific model. This requires some calculation and is more art than science, so inexperienced designers are encouraged to defer to their GM.

Development of a hit location table begins with summing the Spaces of all Modules, and half the Spaces of any Exposed Systems. Exposed Systems are called out as such in their rules descriptions; the most common examples include handheld or other externally mounted weapons.

The chance that any given location is hit is approximately equal to the Spaces corresponding to that location divided by the total Spaces of the mech. This is expressed as a percentage, which corresponds to the hit location roll after a successful attack (see [section XX]).

It is recommended that the hit location results be determined for the Head first, using the low end of the percentile chart. Then, because the Legs tend to be symmetrical, the designer can proceed from the high end of the percentile chart and assign hit location results in accordance with the Leg percentages. If a mech does not have Legs, then proceed to the Arms, Wings, Tails, and Pods in any order, finishing with the Core.

The Core is generally the easiest location to which the designer can assign any leftover hit location results. The overall goal is to match the percentage distribution of the Spaces as closely as possible, within rounding errors.

Structured Time

The timing of actions in combat is important to the overall narrative. Therefore, combat is said to take place in “structured time”. Structured time is broken down into rounds and turns.

Charge

• Type: Full
• Subtype(s): Melee, Movement, Offense

The character moves to attack a distant target in one action. The attacker can move up to three times their Movement Allowance (see [section XX]) when Charging, but the target must be at least four hexes away, and the last four hexes of the charge must be in a straight line.

When the attacker reaches their target, they can make one attack with a single weapon or a set of up to three Linked weapons, with a penalty to the attack roll equal to their Pool. This penalty does not apply if the attack is a non-Entangling Grapple or Ram.

Delay

• Type: Varies
• Subtype(s): Miscellaneous

The character reserves an action for a later opportunity. The character’s player must specify a particular trigger, and what their character will do in response to that trigger. The character’s response may be a Half Action or Full Action, as appropriate to the type of action spent Delaying.

Delay does not include Attack-subtype actions; for those, see Overwatch.

Grapple

• Type: Varies
• Subtype(s): Melee, Offense

The character grabs an opponent. This begins with an attack roll as normal. However, some or all of the damage dealt by this attack does not reduce Health or SP. Instead, the target gains a number of Control Points (CP) equal to the amount of damage they would have otherwise taken. A character with one or more CP applied to them is considered Grappled (see [section XX]), and gains penalties based on the number of CP inflicted.

An attacker cannot inflict more total CP on other characters than their modified LP; see [section XX].

The effects of CP are similar to that of encumbrance, and are measured with the same thresholds. Use only the worst penalty based on the current CP amount; the penalties are not cumulative.

Guard

• Type: Half
• Subtype(s): Concentration, Melee (Parry), Ranged (Dodge)

The character focuses on defending themselves. This action must be the first on the character’s turn. They suffer a -1d Pool modifier on any attacks made this turn, but double their Mettle for the purpose of determining their Defense until the start of their next turn.

Jump/Fly

• Type: Varies
• Subtype(s): Movement

The character takes to the air. In combat, a character may jump a horizontal distance equal to 1/4 their running MA. Vertical jumps are limited to 1/20 their running MA, minimum 1 hex.

For greater vertical traversal, a propulsion system is required (see [section XX]). A character without a flight MA or with a flight MA of less than 8, jumping is a Full Action, and the character must end their turn on the ground or otherwise secured, e.g. clinging to a wall.

If the character has flight MA of 8+, the character can FLy rather than Jump, allowing them to end their turn in mid-air. In other words, the character is capable of true flight and total vertical mobility. This uses the same rules as the Move action, namely that the character can move a number of hexes equal to their flight MA as a Half Action, or twice this distance as a Full Action.

Knock Down

• Type: Half
• Subtype(s): Melee, Offense

The character attempts to knock the opponent off their feet. This is an attack that uses an Opposed Test of (Might or Mech Might + Athletics). The attacker receives +1d if they use this action as part of a Charge or immediately after a Half Move.

If the attacker wins, the target is knocked Prone (see [section XX]). If the attacker’s DoS was at least 10, the target also suffers 1 damage to a random location, ignoring armor. This attack cannot score a critical hit.

If the target wins, they keep their footing and the attack sequence ends. If the target’s DoS was at least 10, the attacker is knocked Prone instead.

Move

• Type: Varies
• Subtype(s): Movement

The character moves to a different position on the battlefield. By spending a Half Action, the character can move a number of hexes equal to their MA. A Full Move doubles this distance.

Overwatch

• Type: Full
• Subtype(s): Concentration, Offense, Ranged

The character guards a specific target or area. When a character takes this action, their player should specify a weapon or set of weapons, and conditions under which the character will attack. The first time the conditions are satisfied before the start of the character’s next turn, the character may interrupt the current turn order and make their attack. If the intended target was not already in view when this action was taken, the triggered attack will suffer -1d Pool.

Stand/Mount/Dismount

• Type: Half
• Subtype(s): Movement

The character adjusts their position or posture. This is a catch-all action for the character picking themselves off the ground, or getting onto or off of a vehicle or riding animal. This action can also be used to move within a vehicle or other conveyance as needed.

Suppressing Fire

• Type: Full
• Subtype(s): Offense, Ranged

The character uses firepower to force enemies into cover. This action requires a ranged weapon with Rate 4+. The character’s player declares an area to suppress encompassed by two hex-sides (with Rate 4-8) or three hex-sides (with Rate 9+) of the character’s front facing.

All targets within the weapon’s Combat Range gain the Suppressed condition, suffering a penalty to their attack rolls equal to their Pool until the start of the attacker’s next turn. In addition, Suppressed targets that take any action other than Guard or Tactical Advance trigger an attack from the character that Suppressed them.

This triggered attack suffers a penalty equal to the attack’s Pool. However, the attack can be triggered a number of times equal to the weapon’s Rate. Any unused attacks are lost at the start of the attacker’s next turn.

Tactical Advance

• Type: Full
• Subtype(s): Concentration, Movement

The character carefully moves from one place to another, minimizing their vulnerability. If the character is in cover when they take this action, they can move a number of hexes up to their MA without losing the benefits of that cover.

Use a Skill

• Type: Varies
• Subtype(s): Concentration, Miscellaneous

The character employs their skills. This is a catch-all action for anything that requires a Test; object interactions that don’t require Tests are better handled by the Ready/Reload action. Depending on the Test and circumstances, this could take a Half Action, Full Action, or longer.

Combat Overview

Each combat encounter proceeds in the following manner:

The Attack

An attack is considered successful if the result of the dice roll meets or exceeds the target’s Defense score. A target’s Defense is equal to three times the sum of their two most relevant skills, plus their Mettle; Defense is described in further detail in [section XX].

To make an attack, a character forms a Pool with their two most relevant skills, typically (Mech Melee + Might) for close combat and (Mech Gunnery + Awareness) for ranged combat. Combat circumstances can affect the result of the roll, or more rarely the Pool itself. The most common modifiers are summarized in the table below.

*: Does not apply to non-Entangling Grapples or Rams.

†: To a maximum of -(Pool).

‡: To a maximum of -(Pool x 2).

§: Only if the target was not already in view.

Several of these modifiers are the result of specific actions; refer to the relevant section for details. The other combat circumstances are described below.

Escalation

See [section XX].

Indirect Fire

Indirect Fire attacks can be made without line of sight, at the cost of some accuracy. Only weapons that are capable of traveling in an arc can be used to make Indirect Fire attacks; this includes Projectile Weapons, Ordnance, and Thrown Melee Weapons, but not Beam Weapons.

Indirect Fire imposes a penalty on the attack roll. The magnitude of the penalty depends on whether the attacker can see the target and by what method.

Indirect Fire attacks can ignore Cover modifiers where appropriate; the GM determines when this applies. If an Indirect Fire attack misses, it Scatters like an Area-Effect attack, even if it did not have an Area-Effect rating. See [section XX].

Prone

A character that has been knocked Prone takes a penalty equal to their Pool on all physical actions and Defenses until they take the Stand action.

Rate Bonus

Attacks with high Rate have a bonus to hit. This table is reproduced from [section XX].

Reduced Visibility

Environmental conditions can reduce the ability of a character to see their target. This makes it more difficult to direct their attacks.

• Minor visibility impairments include thin smoke, dim light, and glare. The attacker suffers a -1 penalty to their attack roll for each hex of minor visibility impairments between them and their target (including the target's hex), to a maximum penalty equal to their Pool.
• Major visibility impairments include thick smoke, darkness, and blinding light. The attacker suffers a -2 penalty to their attack roll for each hex of major visibility impairments between them and their target (including the target's hex), to a maximum penalty equal to twice their Pool.
• If there are both minor and major visibility impairments between the attacker and target, add the penalties together, to a maximum equal to twice the attacker's Pool.

A character that has successfully Pinpointed a target ignores these modifiers on their attacks against that specific target until that target leaves the character's line of sight. See [section XX] for details.

A mech equipped with an ASP or Spotting Radar ignores all visibility impairments. See [section XX] for more details on these systems.

Target Size

This game primarily assumes mech vs. mech combat. When one mech attacks another, there is no special modifier to the attack roll, even if the mechs are of different weight classes. When a mech attacks a significantly smaller target, however, the pilot takes a penalty on their attack roll based on the size difference; Anti-Personnel weapons do not take this penalty.

• Medium-sized targets such as cars, small trucks, and sections of structures impose a penalty equal to the attacker's Pool.
• Small-sized targets such as humans, motorcycles, and furniture impose a penalty equal to twice the attacker's Pool.

This assumes that that even the smallest mechs are large enough that targeting non-mechs is somewhat difficult. If this is not the case, or if they wish to feature mech vs. vehicle or mech vs. infantry combat more prominently, they may ignore this modifier.

Escalation

Pilots add the current Escalation total as a modifier to their attack rolls. Escalation starts at 0 when combat begins. At the end of each round, Escalation increases under the following conditions:

• All Trivial Combatants have been defeated*
• For each Player Character mech defeated.*
• No combatant has suffered penetrating damage.
• The current round number is 6 or higher.
• The current round number is 11 or higher.

*: Once per battle.

Trivial Combatants (Mooks, Grunts, Cannon Fodder, etc.) are the faceless masses whose function is fill the ranks and die in droves. Once all of them have been defeated, Escalation increases by 1 for the rest of that mission.

Their counterparts are Significant Combatants, who typically have names, or at least callsigns. They are meant to be a challenge for the Player Characters.

Each time a mech piloted by a Player Character is defeated, Escalation increases by +1 at the end of that round.

If no combatant has suffered penetrating damage in a given round, Escalation increases by +1 at the end of that round.

If the current round number is 6-10, the Escalation increases by +1 at the end of that round. If the current round number is 11+, it increases by +2 instead.

Dodge

Dodge can be used against any attack besides Area-Effect attacks. Dodge score is typically equal to (Mech Piloting + the higher of Athletics or Speed) x 3, plus any modifiers.

Parry

Parry can only be used against melee attacks, unless a shield is used. Shields can be used to parry any attack, but only large shields (DB +4) can be used to parry area-effect attacks. Parry score is typically equal to (Mech Melee or Mech Piloting + the higher of Athletics or Speed) x 3, plus any modifiers.

Mettle

All pilots add their Mettle rating to their Defense scores. The Guard action doubles a pilot’s Mettle for the purpose of calculating defense score.

Grappling

After a grapple has been established, the character in control of the grapple has a number of options on how to continue or end it. There are also special circumstances that merit discussion.

Special Attacks

Ejection

In the event of an emergency, a pilot may wish to exit the mech before it's destroyed. If the mech is not equipped with some manner of ejection system (see [section XX]), opening the Cockpit hatch requires a Half Action, and climbing to the exterior of the mech requires another Half Action.

However, this potentially leaves the pilot with the task of crossing 50-meter hexes exposed and on foot with an ongoing battle at their back. For this reason, many pilots prefer mechs equipped with ejection systems.

Critical Hits

If the hit location roll is a double—that is, the results of both d10s show the same number—then the attack is considered a critical hit. If the original attack would deal enough damage to penetrate the target’s armor, a critical hit causes additional effects. Otherwise, the hit location suffers 1 point of damage and the attack sequence ends.

A number of possible critical hit effects is listed below. The GM is encouraged to select the most appropriate result from the list, or the result that would make the encounter the most interesting, but they can also use dice to determine critical hit effects randomly if preferred. In the latter case, invalid results should be rerolled.

Environments and Hazards

The general attack modifiers cover some of the most common conditions that a mech can be expected to face on a typical battlefield—reasonably flat terrain that requires no particular adaptations. However, there are some environments that do call for specific protections. This chapter also covers hazards that pilots might encounter.

Mechs equipped with Environmental Protection systems can mitigate some of these hazards; see [section XX].

High/Extreme Pressure

Characters are assumed to be adapted for a particular range of pressures, e.g. around 1 atmosphere for an Earth-like environment. Higher pressures make it difficult to perform physical actions, and can cause further complications.

• High pressure is two to ten times greater than the character's native level. Physical actions in high-pressure environments suffer a penalty equal to the character's Pool. In addition, mechs suffer +2 penetrating damage as the pressure warps the exposed structure.
• Extreme pressure is more than ten times greater than the character's native level. Physical actions in high-pressure environments suffer a penalty equal to twice the character's Pool. In addition, mechs suffer +4 penetrating damage as the pressure warps the exposed structure.

For reference, on Earth, pressure increases by 1 atmosphere every 10 meters below the ocean's surface. Therefore, ocean depths of 20-100 meters would be classified as a high pressure environment, and anything deeper would be considered extreme pressure.

Low Pressure/Vacuum

In terrestrial environments, mechs do not typically suffer penalties for low pressures. Pilots suffer a penalty equal to half their Pool on physical actions in low pressure environments, and the GM may rule that they may also need breathing apparatus to avoid Suffocation (below).

At very low pressures approaching vacuum, pilots suffer a penalty equal to their Pool on physical actions, and will suffocate if they do not have breathing apparatus. Mechs that are firmly supported by a fixed surface do not take penalties in these conditions.

Falling

A mech that makes an uncontrolled fall and collides with the ground suffers damage as per a Ram attack, using the height of the fall as the distance traveled. Under Earth-like gravity (1 g), a mech loses 8 levels of altitude each round.

The damage from a fall is typically applied to the Core, but the GM may allow a (Mech Piloting + Mettle) Test against a difficulty of 25 to allow the mech to pivot and land on a Module of the pilot's choice.

If the pilot succeeds, that Module suffers the hit instead of the Core. Damage in excess of the amount needed to destroy the Module is then applied to the Core.

The GM may allow multiple Modules to be sacrificed this way before damage is applied to the Core, based on the configuration of the mech. For instance, it would be fair to allow a bipedal Humanoid mech to sacrifice both Legs during a feet-first landing.

Suffocation

A pilot can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to their (Fortitude + Mettle). After this time, they must roll (Mettle) against a difficulty of 15. On a failure, suffocation inflicts 1 Health damage that cannot be ignored or reduced.

The difficulty increases by 1 after each roll, success or failure. The Health damage cannot be healed until the pilot is able to breathe again.

A pilot cannot speak while holding their breath or suffocating, and they suffer a penalty on all rolls equal to the amount of Health damage taken from suffocation. Otherwise, the pilot may perform actions as normal.

Movement, Facing, and Distances

As mentioned in [section XX], scenarios where exact positioning is important (e.g. combat) are played out on a grid of hexes. For mech-scale activities, these hexes are 50 meters wide. Only one mech can occupy each 50 meter hex.

Each mech has three facings, corresponding to the hex-sides of their space.

• The front facing consists of the three hex-sides in the direction the mech is pointed.
• The rear facing consists of the hex-side opposite the central front hex.
• The side facings consist of the hex-sides between the front and rear.

Appendix

Cost Formulae

Sensors