Talk:MJMecha

Very tentative!

Chargen Paths and Possible Bonuses

Aptitudes

Aptitudes are numerical bonuses to certain actions. "Sniper", for example, might be an aptitude which grants a bonus when attempting to make aimed shots, while "Hard to Kill" may grant bonuses to turning into the blow. Tentatively, assume an aptitude is ~1/3rd the value of an attribute.

Hypertech

Characters generally don't get hypertech components which provide an overall larger number of bonuses than your standard gear do. Certain lifepaths may give them. However, hypertech components are likely going to be costed at "fair price" so this bonus should be considered (relatively) minor.

Mecha Build Points

Mecha will have a point cost (or else you'll have frankenmecha everywhere with as many connectors as can be possible). Giving more MBP means more shiny and high-tech things to put on your giant death robot.

Stats

The lifepath chargen should give a character the majority of their stats. Players might end up with as little as 6-10 stat points for final customization. Current sketch is that the average character has a 5 in an attribute (means they fail a "simple" task (fail only on critical failures) 4% of the time during stressful circumstances, while a PC should probably average 7-9?. The 1d10 + Stat + Mecha system does mean each point of stat is rather important as of now.

Going up to 2d10 may be an option but not one currently under consideration.

Unique Perks

Some lifepaths may give unique perks that have no numerical value, like say, rerolling certain failures or plot coupons or whatnot. Price them with a lot of hand waving.

Background Fluff

Well yes, this is entirely a given.

Mechanics Sketch

Basic Rolls

In general piloting is pilot attribute + machine attribute + 1d10 (only for IRC RP). Agility is capped by a pilot's Body score. If a 1 is rolled, the player rolls an another 1d10 and subtracts it from their total. If a 10 is rolled, the player rolls another 1d10 and adds it to their total. This continues (if more 1s or 10s are rolled) until the rerolled dice come up not 1 or 10. A negative total is a critical failure.

• Evasion is Reactions + Agility + ECM/Shield Bonuses

• Close Combat is Reactions + Agility + Weapon Accuracy

• Ranged Combat is Perception + Targeting + Weapon Accuracy

• AI Weapons (i.e. Drones) are Knowledge + Electronics + Weapon Accuracy

Special Maneuvers

An attacker may make a called shot, subtracting -X from his attack total to add +X to his roll to select components to damage. Similarly, a defender may attempt to parry, subtracting -X from his dodge total to add +X to his roll in the damage allocation step.

Aimed Shots can seek weakpoints, subtracting -2 to weapon accuracy for every +1 to penetration. A defender may similarly turn into the blow, subtracting -3 to his evasion to increase Durability by +1.

Hit Resolution

If an attack hits, damage is either allocated by the attacker or by the defender to a component. In this case, the opposed roll is Charisma + Agility for the defender versus Charisma + Agility/Targeting/Electronics for the attacker (for close/ranged/AI attacks respectively), representing a combination of narrative priority and the ability to maneuver to create glancing shots versus the other guy's narrative priority and ability to hit. Physical shields add a bonus to this roll.

Sometimes a defender may want to allocate damage to the heavily armored main body, while sometimes they may want to have the attack remove a less vital component like a hand or a thruster pack. Some weapons may inflict multiple hits. These can be allocated on the same object unless the weapon has the relevant special property.

Damage is rolled as (Weapon Penetration - Target Durability) + 1d10 per hit. The net result is resolved as below:

0-3: No Effect. The attack glances off harmlessly, leaving at best a cinematic scar.

4-6: Minor Damage: The structural integrity of the component is compromised. Reduce its durability by 1 due to cracked armor plating/fractured bones/torn muscles/etc. This result stacks with itself.

7-9: Major Damage: A subsystem is destroyed. Destroyed hardpoints or hands lose grip of whatever they were holding. In addition, the armor integrity is compromised (as 'Minor Damage', above). If the defender chooses location he also chooses the damaged subsystem, and if the attacker wins, the attacker chooses the damaged subsystem.

10-12: Severe Damage: Treat as major damage, but reroll damage (Penetration - Durability + 1d10) and compare it to the table.

13-19: Critical Damage: Two subsystems are destroyed. An additional system is destroyed for every 2 the result exceeds 10, rounded down, so 3 systems are destroyed at 12, 4 systems at 14, and so on.

20+: Destruction: The component is destroyed irreparably.

Components are considered disabled if every usable subsystem in them has been destroyed. Components are considered destroyed if every Internal Structure subsystem has been destroyed.

Some larger or more durable components may be able to take multiple critical hits. Components like these will be explicitly marked with a number behind their name (i.e. "Cockpit (3)" or "Nanogauge Tap (5)"). In general these components will lose functionality as they suffer damage.

Example Record Sheet

Example Core (numbers are totally arbitrary)
Durability 15

Cockpit (3)

Power Distribution (5)

Internal Structure (6)

Thrusters (3)

Defense Laser

Armor (3)

Weapon Properties

• Devastating (X): The weapon has incredible power. The weapon multiplies the number of times the damage effect is applied to the target by (X). For example, if a weapon with Devastating (3) rolls a net 6 on its attack roll, it reduces the component's durability by 3.

• Scatter (X): The weapon causes wide-spread damage. If the weapon hits the target, it inflicts multiple hits, which must all be allocated to different components.