Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jiobivalen Nov 14, 2008 23:16:10	I've been having a huge urge lately to branch away from my normal fantasy style games and make a battletech inspired d20 campaign. Problem is, i've never done something like this before. I want to make the game rpg style not just tabletop wargame style where I can have some real roleplay and the ability to do non mech related things while seamlessly (hopefully) have them jump in a nice 60 ton mech for some huge skirmishes. If anyone has any ideas be it custom made or store bought please help I need me some giant robot fights! Sidenote: If anyone knows of a site I can go to for reading up on mechwarrior lore for some inspiration I would be very happy.
#2 narukagami Nov 14, 2008 23:40:11	Step 1) Do not under any circumstance use d20 Future's mecha rules. They're garbage and don't work at all. They scale horribly with larger mechs and don't coincide with the vehicle rules either. Step 2) Get d20 Mecha. Read the rules and construct your mechs and weapons using its point-based construction system. You can even use it to make custom vehicles, so its great. Just be careful to watch what your players may try to make because it is possible to create some very broken things if you're a completely inept pushover DM. Step 3) Enjoy playing an actually FUN mech game. Step 4) ??? Step 5) PROFIT!
#3 jiobivalen Nov 15, 2008 0:35:23	Step 1) Do not under any circumstance use d20 Future's mecha rules. They're garbage and don't work at all. They scale horribly with larger mechs and don't coincide with the vehicle rules either. Understood, I read that somewhere else on my futile search for mech info. Step 2) Get d20 Mecha. Read the rules and construct your mechs and weapons using its point-based construction system. You can even use it to make custom vehicles, so its great. Just be careful to watch what your players may try to make because it is possible to create some very broken things if you're a completely inept pushover DM. Ok, downloaded d20 mecha srd. Looked it over and... i'm absolutely lost. Maybe i'm looking at it the wrong way. I was going into it expecting to be able to make a "floor model" mech with no weapons payload, say a mad cat or catapult and it would have had a system for giving it the appropriate cr and weapons list but.... I come to list after list after list of tables with this point cost that somehow leads up to a balanced mechanic? So what I had in my mind for example was say mechwarrior group forms gets some missions that do not require mech's (recon, sniping) using the d20 modern/future rules. Then when the need arises (Insert dramatic urgent message of mech raider attack!) pc's get into their machines, which I wanted to be machines from the classic battletech universe (with my own customizations) and fight other battletech appropriate machines. Is this possible with the system? Can I get an example of a mech to give me an idea if its not asking too much? Step 3) Enjoy playing an actually FUN mech game. Well I sure hope to get to that point. Thanks for the info so far, hope I get as good at it as with my fantasy games!
#4 Cyber-Dave Nov 15, 2008 0:41:34	Alternatively (though narukagami's suggestion will work): Step 1) Buy Star Wars Saga Step 2) Throw out all Star Wars Saga fluff Step 3) Use the Star Wars Saga system (perhaps with a little modification here and there) to suit your needs. Use Star Wars walking type vehicle (such as the AT-AT or AT-ST) stats as stats for different types of "mecha." Of course, a game like this will run more like a battle mech or a "Chrome Hounds" style game then a Japanese anime style game. The mecha will largely be slow and lumbering. However, you could still run a Japenese anime style game using those rules. Simply say that "mecha" vehicles do not have their own dexterity scores. Instead, mecha use a character's dexterity score as their vehicular dexterity score. I seriously suggest this route. The Star Wars Saga game is the spiritual successor of the d20 Modern game. It captures all the good elements of the d20 Modern game system, and then pushes those elements to the next level (becoming an even more amazing game system). This is my personal suggestion.
#5 turalisj Nov 15, 2008 1:31:17	I seriously suggest this route. The Star Wars Saga game is the spiritual successor of the d20 Modern game. It capture all the good elements of the d20 Modern game system, and then pushes those elements to the next level (becoming an even more amazing game system). Not to mention SWS is the ONLY futuristic D20 game WotC seems to be making. I mean, I love star wars (maybe moreso than the next guy...) but too much is just.... Too much.
#6 jiobivalen Nov 15, 2008 2:52:52	Cyber-Dave, you made me dig in my closet through the old gaming clutter to find my unused saga rpg guide.. You know whenever a lgs goes out of business I cry but the 50% off for books you'll never use has saved the day! :D I actually really like your idea, strip the star wars fluff out of the system to use for the characters themselves, though looking at the vehicle list I only see those two walkers.. Not much base to work with. I'm surprised with how little material their is to work with though I thought giant mech's were just as popular as fantasy style games, you'd think someone would have made a full d20 system by now.
#7 Cyber-Dave Nov 15, 2008 4:13:33	I'm pretty sure some of the other splat books have more walkers in them. You can always create some stats for walkers of your own based on other vehicles that sort of fit the bill, but are not walkers. You just have to change their locomotion type to "walker." Honestly, I have bought every single Star Wars Saga book to date, and I love them all. I can also say that I NEVER plan to use a single one of those books to run a Star Wars game. I bought the books solely to work on my own personal home brew sci-fi setting (The Land of Nod).