d20 Mecha Mercenary Campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

d20 Mecha Mercenary Campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Kingside_Bishop
Nov 25, 2009 2:10:22 Hi all!

It's been awhile since I've been in the RPG loop, almost three years. But I've been craving it lately, so I thought I'd return, and have a go at something I've always wanted to have a go at: the mecha mercenary campaign. So I started this thread as a place for me to brainstorm, in a public domain, about the rules I'll need to come up with to make it work. Comments and criticism are welcome and encouraged, and if anyone has any ideas of their own they'd like to throw into the mix, please do!

And so, without further ado... my brainstorm...

The Idea:

It's an undisclosed time in the distant, but not too-distant, future. Mankind has developed cryo-stasis technology, allowing sub-light vessels to colonize distant star systems. But there's no real way to travel between, or even communicate with, these new colonies. So they're on their own, each colonial system developing it's own advanced infrastructure, but remaining isolated from Earth, and the other colonies.

The campaign will take place in such a colonial system. Quite advanced, this system has managed to terraform and colonize almost all of about 40-50 planets and moons. These worlds are in various stages of development. Some are industrial hive-worlds, blanketed in cities and factories. Some are agri-worlds, breadbaskets supplying surrounding worlds with food and water. Some are mine-worlds, where the population mines to supply the system with mineral resources. The list goes on.

These worlds are controlled by different factions, each of which has a different agenda. There'll be a faction dedicated to upholding the ideals of the UN charter that started the colonization mission (Alpha Centauri, anyone?). There'll be the stereotypical mining combine, who's ambition will be to acquire agri-worlds to strip mine. There'll be the necessary communist empire, fanatical about subjugating the desires of the few to the needs of the many. Again, the list goes on.

And then there's Planet 23, where the various factions can go to hire mercenary military forces to do their dirty work. Planet 23 is a barren, rocky world, completely devoid of any value, whose volcanic surface makes it nearly uninhabitable. But the hundreds of asteroids orbiting the death-world are a different story. The largest of these, Asteroid Alpha, is home to the Mercenary Review and Bonding Board, which not only endorses the financing, formation, and registration of every mercenary company in the system, but also leases and renovates other asteroids orbiting Planet 23 to these companies for their use as combination home-office and military storehouse.

The players will start the game as budding entrepreneurs in the ever-booming business of the mercenary mecha pilot. Having just secured a loan from one of the parent-companies of the MRBB, they will go about making their beginning purchases: first, an asteroid base of operations; second, their beginning stable of mechas; and third, their dropship.

As the campaign progresses, the PCs will split their time between completing missions and socializing with other mercenary companies at Asteroid Alpha. As missions are completed, the players' mercenary company will collect pay and battlefield salvage, and see its rating with various factions increase and decrease. The overall goal of the players will be to amass as much wealth and equipment as they can, and to become the most feared and respected mercenary company on Planet 23.

The System:

I don't really want to put a lot of effort into creating anything from the ground up, so I'd like to use something that's tried and true, yet adaptable. I've had experience with d20 Modern in the past, and always found it straightforward, and nicely modular. In addition, it's got a lot of supplements that are right up my alley, as far as this project goes. d20 Future and d20 Apocalypse come to mind.

The Details:

The first order of business is going to be to figure out exactly what rules, from what supplements, I want to use for this campaign. I feel like I've done a pretty good job hammering out my concept above, so the next step is going to be to go through d20 Future and d20 Apocalypse, to establish a tech level for the campaign, and to pick exactly what sections from each book I'm going to want to use. For kicks, I'll probably have a look at Urban Arcana, as well. I could see there being a place for psychic powers in this campaign.
#2
Kingside_Bishop
Nov 26, 2009 2:33:01 Alright, so, my project for tonight is to establish what parts of d20 Future, d20 Apocalypse, and Urban Arcana I'd like to use. So, I'm going to go through each rulebook, and cherry pick rule variations I'd like to include. The best way to get started, is to get started, so...

d20 Future: Most of the variant rules that I add will no doubt come from this book. I want the full range of futuristic technology to be available, so I think gameplay will be at PL 7, with PL 8 gear available at the standard +5 to the Purchase DC. I want to make use of all of the advanced classes, except the xenophile. I want to allow all cybernetics. I will make use of future environments to make for interesting battlefields. I want all future equipment to be in use. I want all mecha rules to be available for players and NPCs alike, obviously. The rules for robots will also be in full swing; I'd even be open to having a robot PC. From the scientific engineering section of the book, I intend to allow the rules for genetic manipulation under "More human than human" to achieve the effects from the mutation section of the book. I intend to allow all of the occupations, skills, and feats from the book, with the exception of the Salvage feat, which is too generic in its application for what I want. The vehicles listed in d20 Future will be allowed in their entirety. As for starships, all forms of interstellar travel will be disallowed. Players will then have two options as far as acquiring them goes: they can either purchase/rent from the limited selection available at the shipyard (all custom designed by myself), or they can design and build one of their own, based on an available hull type.

d20 Apocalypse: I want battlefield salvage to play a big role in how the players get equipment, so in addition to the Wealth DC system featured in d20 Modern, I'm also going to allow the Scavenging (pg 18), Parts (pg 25), and Making and Repairing Items (pg 30) rules to be used. I'll need to put some further thought into how I want to apply these rules to the campaign, since they obviously can't simply be enabled, but for now, it's enough to know that I want them. I'm also going to allow the rules for vehicle modifications, and allow future vehicles to be modified according to these rules.

Urban Arcana: I don't want magic to be a part of this campaign, but I would like for there to be the presence of psionic individuals as the next mutation in the human genome. So, the only thing from this book that will be permissible as either a PC or NPC choice will be the Psionic Agent advanced class, as well as the associated powers it comes with.

So tonight, I spent awhile looking at the various documents, and I know what parts of the rules will without any work (mecha, robots, etc.), and what parts will take some real work to adapt. Namely, these areas are:

1. Genetic Engineering: How will time spent in the gene-vat translate into mutations? Will PCs still have to select drawbacks to offset their new benefits? Or will, say, 10 successful fortitude saves per mutation point, with constitution damage as a penalty for failure, be enough of a price?

2. Salvage: What will the salvage system end up looking like? What if with a successful parts check the purchase DC to acquire parts for a scratch-built project was reduced by the number of parts the parts check indicates would have been expended? And just how much wood would a wood chuck chuck?

With this in mind, my next project is to figure out the salvage system, because that's more interesting and central, and I think more of the work is done for me.
#3
Kingside_Bishop
Nov 27, 2009 3:32:43 OK, so my project for tonight is... coming up with the rules for battlefield salvage! Sweet! Let's get started.

Step one, let's outline how I want the scavenging system to look. I want salvage to be central to the campaign. I want the PCs to be able to loot destroyed mechas of any working systems, and simply add those components to their storehouse (or sell them off). I want destroyed sections to be basically useless, but I want whole mechas to be salvageable and broken up into general components that can be used for almost any construction project. I also want the skeletons of mechas to be very durable, and easily salvaged, even if they're worth very little.

So, I guess the mecha, as an object for salvage, could be broken up into three categories, in ascending order of salvageability: components, systems, and structure. The components are the weapons, sensors, thrusters, etc., listed in d20 Future, and if they survive a battle (unlikely), I'd like for PCs to be able to loot them directly. The systems are the generic materials that hold a mecha together: wiring, hydrolics, and so on, and some could probably be salvaged from almost every technically "destroyed" mecha. The structure is the skeleton of the mecha, onto which systems and components are grafted, and is almost indestructable outside of a factory.

Components: The salvage of components will be fairly straightforward. If a component survives a battle, a PC may remove it from the salvaged mecha with a successful Repair check, and place the component in the company's storage locker. Let's say that the DC of this Repair check will be equal to the DC of the Craft check required to install it. Of course, under the current system, almost every component on a mecha will survive a fight. We'll have to work on that...

Structure: On second thought, I see that mecha superstructure is one of the things listed as a component on a mecha. We'll just keep it simple, then, and declare that the mecha's superstructure is a component that can't be destroyed, and is always salvaged whenever the mecha is salvaged.

Systems: The salvage of systems will be where the d20 Apocalypse rules come in. So, let's have a look at those rules, and see where they fit in... First, the PC has to acquire parts. This is done by searching structures, where the condition of the structure effects what kind and how many parts are scavenged. Easy enough to change: instead of searching structures, the PCs will search mechas, and instead of the condition of the building affecting the outcome, it will be the condition of the mecha. I'll need to come up with my own list of results, however. Let's say that the bigger the mecha, and the higher the Repair (instead of Search) result, which will be modified by the condition of the mecha, the bigger the haul, and the only things that can be salvaged are mechanical and electrical parts. We'll use the following table as a baseline, and adjust it if it doesn't seem to be working out:

Mecha                             Repair Check Result
Size                 DC 20          DC 25          DC 30       DC 35
Large            1d4-1 M        1d4 M          1d4+1 M   1d4+2 M/E
Huge             1d4 M           1d4+1 M 1d4+2 M/E 1d4+3 M/E
Gargantuan   1d4+1 M       1d4+2 M/E    1d4+3 M/E   1d4+4 M/E
Colossal      1d4+2 M/E   1d4+3 M/E    1d4+4 M/E   1d4+5 M/E

Mecha          Check
Damage     Modifier
None (0%)           +5
Minor (10%)           +0
Major (25%)         -5
Severe (50%) -10
Terminal (75%)    -15

Now, what can these parts be used for? Well, d20 Apocalypse describes "Parts checks" that PCs have to make in order to make or repair something using the Craft (mechanical) and Craft (electrical) skills, because they can't just go down to the store and buy the parts. Of course, in this campaign, they can just go down to the store. But, if the PCs want to make a parts check instead of purchasing the necessary parts, they'll be allowed to. So, instead of having to buy parts, or having to use salvaged parts, PCs will be able to do either, at their own discretion. If a PC wants to use some parts from his collection, and purchase the rest, he can spend parts to give himself a bonus on his Wealth check equal to the square root of the number of parts used, according to the table below.

Parts   Wealth
Used    Bonus
   1           +1
   4           +2
   9           +3
16          +4
25          +5

So there's three ways to acquire parts for a personal project: first, you can buy them with a traditional Wealth check; second, you can use parts you have on hand, with a Parts check; third, you can use some parts you have, and buy the rest, by making a Wealth check with a modifier according to how many of your own parts you want to use.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Of course, this whole discussion raises a few questions -- first, how exactly will salvage work? Here's my idea. The PCs drop into a combat zone via their dropship, which they'll purchase with a loan at the beginning of the game. These ships will be starships, from the starships section of d20 Future. After each mission, the players' dropship can pick up destroyed mechs, which will be brought back to base where salvage can actually take place. But, the ships in d20 Future all have cargo limitations, expressed in lbs, which when you subtract the weight of the players' mechas, might not leave a lot of room for extra baggage. So they won't be able to just bring the entire enemy army back with them.

Second, won't under the initial rules mechas come back with almost all of their components intact? Yes, yes they will. And that won't do. So, I'll need to figure out a way to damage these components during battle. There's a critical hit table that allows components to be damaged and destroyed, but it only works on critical hits, and the critical hit scoring player gets to choose what gets blown off in the rare instance that something actually does. Perhaps a modification of this table, and a requirement that every X number of damage points (dependent on mecha size) dealt to an enemy mech, it's rolled on randomly. In fact, I'll just come up with a different "Damage Table" for each size of mecha, which will list how many damage points per roll on the table, and then list the percentage chance for different slots to have the components contained within those slots destroyed.

May as well get started. It's getting late, and I feel like I'm in the home stretch here...

d%                            Mecha Size (Damage per Roll)
Roll           Large (25) Huge (50) Garg. (100)     Collosal (200)
01-05        Helmet        Helmet            Helmet            Helmet
06-10        Boots          Visor                Visor                  Visor
11-15        Boots          Boots               Cranium           Cranium
16-20        Right Arm   Boots               Right Hand      Right Hand
21-25        Right Arm   Right Hand     Left Hand         Left Hand
26-30        Left Arm      Left Hand       Boots                 Boots
31-35        Left Arm      Belt            Belt                    Belt
36-40        Shoulders Belt                  Shoulders        Shoulders
41-50        Shoulders Right Arm       Right Leg         Right Leg
51-60        Back            Left Arm         Left Leg             Left Leg
61-70        Back        Shoulders     Right Arm          Right Arm
71-80        Torso        Back               Left Arm             Left Arm
81-90        Torso      Torso             Back                   Back
91-00        Torso      Torso             Torso                 Torso

So, each time a mecha has received damage in the increment indicated for its size, this table is rolled on. If the result indicates a slot which is empty, the player rerolls until they hit a slot occupied by at least one system. This slot is then destroyed. Any components wholly within this slot are destroyed as well. Any components partially within this slot are damaged.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Well, tonight was productive. I worked out a system for salvage, and how salvaged parts and components can benefit players. I also worked out a system by which mechas will be considerably more damaged in combat, ensuring that salvage is that much more valuable.

Next on my list: determining how gene therapy works with mutations. I'm about pooped out, and don't even wanna start thinking about it just now. Must... sleep...
#4
Kingside_Bishop
Nov 30, 2009 4:23:26 My project for tonight is to come up with rules for gene therapy, drawing from d20 Future's chapters on mutations and scientific engineering. This should be pretty straightforward.

So, first thing, I like all of the beneficial mutations in the mutations chapter; or, even if I don't like them all, necessarily, I think the options should be open for players. I also like the idea of negative mutations, perhaps as a penalty of some kind. So, basicaly, I want to work in the entire mutations chapter, though I don't want players to be able to take mutations straight off the bat. At least, not as easily as it's described in d20 Future.

I also like the system in the scientific engineering section for gene therapy. In it, you pick a goal, and start making daily fortitude saving throws. Diffierent goals have different DCs, and require a different number of successes. Failed saves result in constitution damage.

I like the idea of combining these systems. How about this:

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Gene Therapy

Step 1: Pick a desired mutation, or choose to increase an ability score by one point.

Step 2: Each day of gene therapy, make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15, plus the number of mutation or ability points being gained).

Step 3: For each failed save, the player must increase the value of his drawbacks by one mutation point.

Step 4: For each successful save, the player may reduce the value of his drawbacks by one mutation point. In order to successfully complete gene therapy and gain the benefit(s) selected in Step 1, the character must pass ten saves per mutation point or ability point gained. At this point, the character's genes have stabilized, and any remaining drawbacks are removed.

Gene therapy has a base Purcase DC of 20, plus the number of mutation or ability points being gained, squared. The base cost can be reduced to 10 if the character, or someone close to him, has access to a gene-vat (Purchase DC 40), and can make an appropriate Knowledge check with a DC equal to the Purchase DC. Once gene-therapy is started, the regime must be followed religiously. If a character fails to make it to the gene-vats for his daily gene-therapy routine, he automatically fails that day's Fortitude save.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

That should work pretty well. That takes care of all the statistical rules... I think I'm ready to start building the setting, now. I'd like to start with the system by which players purchase and renovate their asteroid base.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Kingside_Bishop Nov 25, 2009 2:10:22	Hi all! It's been awhile since I've been in the RPG loop, almost three years. But I've been craving it lately, so I thought I'd return, and have a go at something I've always wanted to have a go at: the mecha mercenary campaign. So I started this thread as a place for me to brainstorm, in a public domain, about the rules I'll need to come up with to make it work. Comments and criticism are welcome and encouraged, and if anyone has any ideas of their own they'd like to throw into the mix, please do! And so, without further ado... my brainstorm... The Idea: It's an undisclosed time in the distant, but not too-distant, future. Mankind has developed cryo-stasis technology, allowing sub-light vessels to colonize distant star systems. But there's no real way to travel between, or even communicate with, these new colonies. So they're on their own, each colonial system developing it's own advanced infrastructure, but remaining isolated from Earth, and the other colonies. The campaign will take place in such a colonial system. Quite advanced, this system has managed to terraform and colonize almost all of about 40-50 planets and moons. These worlds are in various stages of development. Some are industrial hive-worlds, blanketed in cities and factories. Some are agri-worlds, breadbaskets supplying surrounding worlds with food and water. Some are mine-worlds, where the population mines to supply the system with mineral resources. The list goes on. These worlds are controlled by different factions, each of which has a different agenda. There'll be a faction dedicated to upholding the ideals of the UN charter that started the colonization mission (Alpha Centauri, anyone?). There'll be the stereotypical mining combine, who's ambition will be to acquire agri-worlds to strip mine. There'll be the necessary communist empire, fanatical about subjugating the desires of the few to the needs of the many. Again, the list goes on. And then there's Planet 23, where the various factions can go to hire mercenary military forces to do their dirty work. Planet 23 is a barren, rocky world, completely devoid of any value, whose volcanic surface makes it nearly uninhabitable. But the hundreds of asteroids orbiting the death-world are a different story. The largest of these, Asteroid Alpha, is home to the Mercenary Review and Bonding Board, which not only endorses the financing, formation, and registration of every mercenary company in the system, but also leases and renovates other asteroids orbiting Planet 23 to these companies for their use as combination home-office and military storehouse. The players will start the game as budding entrepreneurs in the ever-booming business of the mercenary mecha pilot. Having just secured a loan from one of the parent-companies of the MRBB, they will go about making their beginning purchases: first, an asteroid base of operations; second, their beginning stable of mechas; and third, their dropship. As the campaign progresses, the PCs will split their time between completing missions and socializing with other mercenary companies at Asteroid Alpha. As missions are completed, the players' mercenary company will collect pay and battlefield salvage, and see its rating with various factions increase and decrease. The overall goal of the players will be to amass as much wealth and equipment as they can, and to become the most feared and respected mercenary company on Planet 23. The System: I don't really want to put a lot of effort into creating anything from the ground up, so I'd like to use something that's tried and true, yet adaptable. I've had experience with d20 Modern in the past, and always found it straightforward, and nicely modular. In addition, it's got a lot of supplements that are right up my alley, as far as this project goes. d20 Future and d20 Apocalypse come to mind. The Details: The first order of business is going to be to figure out exactly what rules, from what supplements, I want to use for this campaign. I feel like I've done a pretty good job hammering out my concept above, so the next step is going to be to go through d20 Future and d20 Apocalypse, to establish a tech level for the campaign, and to pick exactly what sections from each book I'm going to want to use. For kicks, I'll probably have a look at Urban Arcana, as well. I could see there being a place for psychic powers in this campaign.
#2 Kingside_Bishop Nov 26, 2009 2:33:01	Alright, so, my project for tonight is to establish what parts of d20 Future, d20 Apocalypse, and Urban Arcana I'd like to use. So, I'm going to go through each rulebook, and cherry pick rule variations I'd like to include. The best way to get started, is to get started, so... d20 Future: Most of the variant rules that I add will no doubt come from this book. I want the full range of futuristic technology to be available, so I think gameplay will be at PL 7, with PL 8 gear available at the standard +5 to the Purchase DC. I want to make use of all of the advanced classes, except the xenophile. I want to allow all cybernetics. I will make use of future environments to make for interesting battlefields. I want all future equipment to be in use. I want all mecha rules to be available for players and NPCs alike, obviously. The rules for robots will also be in full swing; I'd even be open to having a robot PC. From the scientific engineering section of the book, I intend to allow the rules for genetic manipulation under "More human than human" to achieve the effects from the mutation section of the book. I intend to allow all of the occupations, skills, and feats from the book, with the exception of the Salvage feat, which is too generic in its application for what I want. The vehicles listed in d20 Future will be allowed in their entirety. As for starships, all forms of interstellar travel will be disallowed. Players will then have two options as far as acquiring them goes: they can either purchase/rent from the limited selection available at the shipyard (all custom designed by myself), or they can design and build one of their own, based on an available hull type. d20 Apocalypse: I want battlefield salvage to play a big role in how the players get equipment, so in addition to the Wealth DC system featured in d20 Modern, I'm also going to allow the Scavenging (pg 18), Parts (pg 25), and Making and Repairing Items (pg 30) rules to be used. I'll need to put some further thought into how I want to apply these rules to the campaign, since they obviously can't simply be enabled, but for now, it's enough to know that I want them. I'm also going to allow the rules for vehicle modifications, and allow future vehicles to be modified according to these rules. Urban Arcana: I don't want magic to be a part of this campaign, but I would like for there to be the presence of psionic individuals as the next mutation in the human genome. So, the only thing from this book that will be permissible as either a PC or NPC choice will be the Psionic Agent advanced class, as well as the associated powers it comes with. So tonight, I spent awhile looking at the various documents, and I know what parts of the rules will without any work (mecha, robots, etc.), and what parts will take some real work to adapt. Namely, these areas are: 1. Genetic Engineering: How will time spent in the gene-vat translate into mutations? Will PCs still have to select drawbacks to offset their new benefits? Or will, say, 10 successful fortitude saves per mutation point, with constitution damage as a penalty for failure, be enough of a price? 2. Salvage: What will the salvage system end up looking like? What if with a successful parts check the purchase DC to acquire parts for a scratch-built project was reduced by the number of parts the parts check indicates would have been expended? And just how much wood would a wood chuck chuck? With this in mind, my next project is to figure out the salvage system, because that's more interesting and central, and I think more of the work is done for me.
#3 Kingside_Bishop Nov 27, 2009 3:32:43	OK, so my project for tonight is... coming up with the rules for battlefield salvage! Sweet! Let's get started. Step one, let's outline how I want the scavenging system to look. I want salvage to be central to the campaign. I want the PCs to be able to loot destroyed mechas of any working systems, and simply add those components to their storehouse (or sell them off). I want destroyed sections to be basically useless, but I want whole mechas to be salvageable and broken up into general components that can be used for almost any construction project. I also want the skeletons of mechas to be very durable, and easily salvaged, even if they're worth very little. So, I guess the mecha, as an object for salvage, could be broken up into three categories, in ascending order of salvageability: components, systems, and structure. The components are the weapons, sensors, thrusters, etc., listed in d20 Future, and if they survive a battle (unlikely), I'd like for PCs to be able to loot them directly. The systems are the generic materials that hold a mecha together: wiring, hydrolics, and so on, and some could probably be salvaged from almost every technically "destroyed" mecha. The structure is the skeleton of the mecha, onto which systems and components are grafted, and is almost indestructable outside of a factory. Components: The salvage of components will be fairly straightforward. If a component survives a battle, a PC may remove it from the salvaged mecha with a successful Repair check, and place the component in the company's storage locker. Let's say that the DC of this Repair check will be equal to the DC of the Craft check required to install it. Of course, under the current system, almost every component on a mecha will survive a fight. We'll have to work on that... Structure: On second thought, I see that mecha superstructure is one of the things listed as a component on a mecha. We'll just keep it simple, then, and declare that the mecha's superstructure is a component that can't be destroyed, and is always salvaged whenever the mecha is salvaged. Systems: The salvage of systems will be where the d20 Apocalypse rules come in. So, let's have a look at those rules, and see where they fit in... First, the PC has to acquire parts. This is done by searching structures, where the condition of the structure effects what kind and how many parts are scavenged. Easy enough to change: instead of searching structures, the PCs will search mechas, and instead of the condition of the building affecting the outcome, it will be the condition of the mecha. I'll need to come up with my own list of results, however. Let's say that the bigger the mecha, and the higher the Repair (instead of Search) result, which will be modified by the condition of the mecha, the bigger the haul, and the only things that can be salvaged are mechanical and electrical parts. We'll use the following table as a baseline, and adjust it if it doesn't seem to be working out: Mecha Repair Check Result Size DC 20 DC 25 DC 30 DC 35 Large 1d4-1 M 1d4 M 1d4+1 M 1d4+2 M/E Huge 1d4 M 1d4+1 M 1d4+2 M/E 1d4+3 M/E Gargantuan 1d4+1 M 1d4+2 M/E 1d4+3 M/E 1d4+4 M/E Colossal 1d4+2 M/E 1d4+3 M/E 1d4+4 M/E 1d4+5 M/E Mecha Check Damage Modifier None (0%) +5 Minor (10%) +0 Major (25%) -5 Severe (50%) -10 Terminal (75%) -15 Now, what can these parts be used for? Well, d20 Apocalypse describes "Parts checks" that PCs have to make in order to make or repair something using the Craft (mechanical) and Craft (electrical) skills, because they can't just go down to the store and buy the parts. Of course, in this campaign, they can just go down to the store. But, if the PCs want to make a parts check instead of purchasing the necessary parts, they'll be allowed to. So, instead of having to buy parts, or having to use salvaged parts, PCs will be able to do either, at their own discretion. If a PC wants to use some parts from his collection, and purchase the rest, he can spend parts to give himself a bonus on his Wealth check equal to the square root of the number of parts used, according to the table below. Parts Wealth Used Bonus 1 +1 4 +2 9 +3 16 +4 25 +5 So there's three ways to acquire parts for a personal project: first, you can buy them with a traditional Wealth check; second, you can use parts you have on hand, with a Parts check; third, you can use some parts you have, and buy the rest, by making a Wealth check with a modifier according to how many of your own parts you want to use. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Of course, this whole discussion raises a few questions -- first, how exactly will salvage work? Here's my idea. The PCs drop into a combat zone via their dropship, which they'll purchase with a loan at the beginning of the game. These ships will be starships, from the starships section of d20 Future. After each mission, the players' dropship can pick up destroyed mechs, which will be brought back to base where salvage can actually take place. But, the ships in d20 Future all have cargo limitations, expressed in lbs, which when you subtract the weight of the players' mechas, might not leave a lot of room for extra baggage. So they won't be able to just bring the entire enemy army back with them. Second, won't under the initial rules mechas come back with almost all of their components intact? Yes, yes they will. And that won't do. So, I'll need to figure out a way to damage these components during battle. There's a critical hit table that allows components to be damaged and destroyed, but it only works on critical hits, and the critical hit scoring player gets to choose what gets blown off in the rare instance that something actually does. Perhaps a modification of this table, and a requirement that every X number of damage points (dependent on mecha size) dealt to an enemy mech, it's rolled on randomly. In fact, I'll just come up with a different "Damage Table" for each size of mecha, which will list how many damage points per roll on the table, and then list the percentage chance for different slots to have the components contained within those slots destroyed. May as well get started. It's getting late, and I feel like I'm in the home stretch here... d% Mecha Size (Damage per Roll) Roll Large (25) Huge (50) Garg. (100) Collosal (200) 01-05 Helmet Helmet Helmet Helmet 06-10 Boots Visor Visor Visor 11-15 Boots Boots Cranium Cranium 16-20 Right Arm Boots Right Hand Right Hand 21-25 Right Arm Right Hand Left Hand Left Hand 26-30 Left Arm Left Hand Boots Boots 31-35 Left Arm Belt Belt Belt 36-40 Shoulders Belt Shoulders Shoulders 41-50 Shoulders Right Arm Right Leg Right Leg 51-60 Back Left Arm Left Leg Left Leg 61-70 Back Shoulders Right Arm Right Arm 71-80 Torso Back Left Arm Left Arm 81-90 Torso Torso Back Back 91-00 Torso Torso Torso Torso So, each time a mecha has received damage in the increment indicated for its size, this table is rolled on. If the result indicates a slot which is empty, the player rerolls until they hit a slot occupied by at least one system. This slot is then destroyed. Any components wholly within this slot are destroyed as well. Any components partially within this slot are damaged. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Well, tonight was productive. I worked out a system for salvage, and how salvaged parts and components can benefit players. I also worked out a system by which mechas will be considerably more damaged in combat, ensuring that salvage is that much more valuable. Next on my list: determining how gene therapy works with mutations. I'm about pooped out, and don't even wanna start thinking about it just now. Must... sleep...
#4 Kingside_Bishop Nov 30, 2009 4:23:26	My project for tonight is to come up with rules for gene therapy, drawing from d20 Future's chapters on mutations and scientific engineering. This should be pretty straightforward. So, first thing, I like all of the beneficial mutations in the mutations chapter; or, even if I don't like them all, necessarily, I think the options should be open for players. I also like the idea of negative mutations, perhaps as a penalty of some kind. So, basicaly, I want to work in the entire mutations chapter, though I don't want players to be able to take mutations straight off the bat. At least, not as easily as it's described in d20 Future. I also like the system in the scientific engineering section for gene therapy. In it, you pick a goal, and start making daily fortitude saving throws. Diffierent goals have different DCs, and require a different number of successes. Failed saves result in constitution damage. I like the idea of combining these systems. How about this: ~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Gene Therapy Step 1: Pick a desired mutation, or choose to increase an ability score by one point. Step 2: Each day of gene therapy, make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15, plus the number of mutation or ability points being gained). Step 3: For each failed save, the player must increase the value of his drawbacks by one mutation point. Step 4: For each successful save, the player may reduce the value of his drawbacks by one mutation point. In order to successfully complete gene therapy and gain the benefit(s) selected in Step 1, the character must pass ten saves per mutation point or ability point gained. At this point, the character's genes have stabilized, and any remaining drawbacks are removed. Gene therapy has a base Purcase DC of 20, plus the number of mutation or ability points being gained, squared. The base cost can be reduced to 10 if the character, or someone close to him, has access to a gene-vat (Purchase DC 40), and can make an appropriate Knowledge check with a DC equal to the Purchase DC. Once gene-therapy is started, the regime must be followed religiously. If a character fails to make it to the gene-vats for his daily gene-therapy routine, he automatically fails that day's Fortitude save. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~ That should work pretty well. That takes care of all the statistical rules... I think I'm ready to start building the setting, now. I'd like to start with the system by which players purchase and renovate their asteroid base.