Just as the topic says, is anyone reskinning this awesome RPG with Battletech/Mechwarrior campaign setting? If so, I'd love to see what you've done. I just played in a Battletech simulator tonight and it got my blood flowing for something like this because I just love this Star Wars RPG system.

Thanks!

Z

Given that the vehicle rules are a bit weird and how you'd need a bunch of actions to do something like the Mechwarrior/Battletech stuff usually pulls off... As much as I love this system, I'm not sure it's right for it. It would take a lot of work, to say the least.

9 hours ago, Kestin said:

Given that the vehicle rules are a bit weird and how you'd need a bunch of actions to do something like the Mechwarrior/Battletech stuff usually pulls off... As much as I love this system, I'm not sure it's right for it. It would take a lot of work, to say the least.

I agree- though I would love to see something work out like that. I think a lot of work would need to be done to keep the feel of Tech. A few years back I tried tweeking d20 to fit with MechWarrior and I thought I pulled it off pretty well. Only problem was my players just weren't into Tech like I am! I have always had a hard time trying to morph MechWarrior and Classic Tech.

The vehicle rules are not the best Mech Warrior and you'd have to stat the Mechs more like starships than vehicles or walkers to be comparable. It's an interesting idea, but would need a lot of work.

I've never played Battletech (the wargame) or Mechwarrior (the RPG), so I don't know a lot about it. I've skimmed the RPG book last night after playing in the simulator and had a couple thoughts.

1. CAREERS: I think using the EotE Careers/Specializations from the Core rulebook and splatbooks would be possible for roleplaying a Battletech/Mechwarrior campaign. Obviously getting rid of the Force Sensitive Exile specialization and any references to the Force. Adding a Mechwarrior specialization as a universal specialization could be sufficient, making it available to anyone. Is this a taboo? I don't know enough about the system to make that call or feel too passionate about it.
2. SKILLS: Add the Piloting (Mechs) skill and make it a career skill for the Mechwarrior specialization. Would you add Knowledge (Mech Warfare)? Would you make a special Mechanics skill for Mechs? I would lean towards no, just use Mechanics and increase the difficulty using Mechanics on Mechs for everything. I would use the Gunnary skill for any weapons used on a Mech. Thoughts?
3. MECH COMBAT: Ferretfur, you've got the right idea and I was thinking the same thing. Although, could you use the Battletech combat rules for Mech Combat and tweek them to take advantage of various Talents and Skills from the SWRPG? Kind of like using the X-Wing rules for space combat or something. Again, I don't know the Battletech wargaming system too well but I would want my players (or me as a player) to be able to use those skills and talents I've invested XP in and make it matter.
4. RPG/WARGAME CAMPAIGN: How would you do this? How do you take a wargame and make an rpg campaign out of it? I know the great ones did it in the 1970s with Chainmail and D&D. The switching between the rpg campaign and a mech battle would be awesomely challenging to figure out, right? =)

I think if you do it right with the right group of players, this could feel like Battletech/Mechwarrior.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback so far! Keep it coming!

Z

3 hours ago, Zszree said:

How do you take a wargame and make an rpg campaign out of it? The switching between the rpg campaign and a mech battle would be awesomely challenging to figure out, right? =)

I actually ran a Mechwarrior campaign for quite some time many years ago. Most of the time in between battles dealt with social interactions and logistics, which can be a lot of fun with the right group.

Here's a system I designed, warning it's in the middle of a fairly major revamp (that I haven't worked on for about a year) so their are a bunch of out of date stat blocks for gear, but it has a cybernetics, power armor, robotic vehicle section that should handle what you're looking for. I designed it from the ground up to handle "Rifts" (Kitchen sink ultimate crossover setting), the secondary design point was a traditional fantasy game. also handles modern heroic, and near future/super-heroic but there's a lot of x3's for modern/super-heroic and that its a little too complicated at the table math for my preference (it be preferable for no one to have to multiple by anything other than 10, 2, 5, 1/2 or 20 at the gaming table)

You may notice rules/concepts similar to cortex plus, FFG star wars, fate, Saga edition, RCR d20 star wars, WEG star wars, fusion and perhaps a few other sources of inspiration that I'm forgetting.. the chase/race rules are pretty inspired for a square based system if you ask me. It's designed to be a largely narrative game but to also handle tactical combat simulation in a fast/streamlined manner.(especially after the in progress rewrite which has greatly simplified area attacks).

rules (word doc)

Blank character sheet (power point, insert text boxes to write on the background image)

here are some character sheets for a game that I'm running for my nephews.

NPC "Frank" character sheet

PC "Rex" character sheet

PC "Phoenix" character sheet