Mecha. This is a huge kettle of fish. Most useful mech should be considered a Signature Weapon. When you look at the series what you see is mostly nameless people in hardshuits getting slaughtered by entities. I've broken this down into a schtick system similar to that for cybernetic systems. You allocate a number of your schtick picks to your powersuití' Chassis then to its Options. Like cyber schticks, these can be exchanged one for one with Gun schticks. Piloting your mecha requires using the Drive skill, and this assumes that anyone with a Mecha schtick has the required skills to make this work. Any other character trying to pilot mech can't his Drive skill and has to rely on his base Reflexes. When fighting in the mecha suit, the pilot uses his Drive in place of both Martial Arts and Guns even if his ratings in these individual skills is higher than his rating in Drive. When piloting mecha Drive is also used to dodge.
MECHA SCHTICKS
Chassis
This describes the power and size of your mech suit. Larger mecha tend to be slower and easier to hit though they can also take more damage before going inoperable. Your mecha can take Wounds and will absorb an amount based on its chassis until it begins to get through and harm you. It requires a Fix It check to repair your damage mecha with a difficulty equal to the current number of wounds it has. At 1 impairment the pilot takes half the damage the mecha takes and at 2 impairment all the damage the mecha takes also nails the pilot. Armor piercing attacks ignore half the mecha's Toughness when determining damage, and mecha doesn't protect at all from effects which directly assault the pilot's mind or body.
Your suit comes equipped with a basic set of sensors as good as normal human eyes and ears. It has a basic built-in computer, com-link and broadband transmitter.
A suit of mecha is large and distinctive, and even the smallest Hardsuit can't be worn for long periods without causing the pilot's muscles to cramp her skin to chafe. Mecha is also restricted military hardware, so anyone using it on a regular basis had better have proper authorization or be able to make a quick exit. Also, mecha is big. A hardsuit at least doubles the weight of a typical pilot and adds bulk. Anything larger than a Power Suit will have trouble maneuvering in tight quarters and will be at risk for falling through the floor of human structures made of anything but reinforced concrete.
Chassis 1-Hardsuit Body 12 1 impairment 20 wounds. 2 impairment 25 wounds Shut Down 30 wounds 100kg Chassis 2-Power Suit Body 14 1 impairment 25 Wounds 2 impairment 30 Wounds Shut Down 35 Wounds 300kg -1 to dodge Chassis 3-Assault Shell Body 16 1 impairment 30 Wounds 2 impairment 35 Wounds Shut Down 40 Wounds 600kg -3 to Dodge Chassis 4-Armored Trooper Body 18 1 impairment 35 Wounds 2 impairment 40 Wounds Shut Down 45 Wounds 1000kg -5 to Dodge
Hardpoint
Your mecha has an built-in hardpoint into which a mecha weapon can be fixed. This weapons is computer controlled and fire-linked so your AV to fire it has a +1 bonus. You may vary the weapon installed in your suit if you have the proper resources, a mecha machine shop and several hours. The Fix-it difficulty to mount a new weapons is 8. Mecha weapons are described below. Note that most heavy weaponry is subject to the collateral damage rules above, so care must be taken when using them in populated areas.
Sensors
Your mecha has advanced sensor systems which allow you to make specialized sweeps or your area. Each time you select Sensors, your scan distance is increased by 100 meters and you can detect finer detail (-1 difficulty per level). You can scan for energy emissions, vibrations, temperature and IR. signatures and can magnify your view. You can subtract the number of Sensor schticks you possess from all difficulty penalties from cover, weather conditions and range.
EW Suite
Your suit is able to jam communications, disrupt sensors and avoid detection. You can add 2 to the difficulties of anyone trying to detect you with electronics for each level of EW Suite you possess. In addition, you can jam all normal transmissions in a radius equal to the number of schticks of EW Suite you possess times 500 meters. With four schticks of EM suite you have a highly advanced optical cloak. The skin of your mecha is covered with electrically charged fiber optics which bend light around you granting a crude form of invisibility. This gives you 90% cover while active but it will fail if your suit takes more than 5 wounds from single attack. If your cloak goes down, it must be refitted in the shop at a difficulty of 8.
Sealed System
Your suit is sealed against the environment and you can survive on internal air for a number of hours equal to the suit's Body attribute. If you have two levels of Sealed System, the suit can operate in very hostile environments like the sea bed or in a vacuum. It shields you from radiation and all biological and environmental toxins for as long as its air holds out.
Armor
Each level of Armor grants an extra 3 points of protection but it subtracts 1 from the suit's Move and one from the pilot's Reflexes. Armor also adds 100kg of weight per schtick.
Flight System
Your mecha is equipped with jets and maneuver fins. You can fly at up to 100kph per level of Flight System you possess, but only for 20 minutes or so between refueling.
Jump Jets
The suit is equipped with powerful leg servos and electo turbine jump jets. The suit can leap a number o meters equal to its Body rating in meters multiplied by the number of times Jump Jets is takes. With a difficulty 10 Drive check, you can always land the mecha on its feet from a fall, and it will take no damage from falls of up to its jump range in meters.
Moto-slave
The suit incorporates some kind of ground vehicle into its construction. You can shift between legs and wheels when desired, though the exact degree of transformation involved will vary unit to unit. Hardsuits typically unfold a swift motorcycle style moto-slave, while heavy Armored Troopers often have tracks or armored wheels to deploy. The vehicle's best ground speed is determined by the following formula-- (X x 150kps) - (Y x 50kph). "X" is the number of Moto-slave schticks you possess and "Y" is the number of Chassis schticks you possess.
Self Destruct
You can set your suit to detonate. If will explode causing 20 points of damage for every level of its Chassis in a radius of 30 meters. If you are in the suit at the time your family will have just enough of you afterwards to fill a very very small urn.
Basic Mecha Weapons
Autocannon: (20/na/20)-- heavy automatic gun firing explosive shells in bursts. The ammo listed is the number of bursts it carries. Takes down mooks with a 2 or better but causes collateral damage.
AP Machine-gun: (15/na/500)—a conventional squad-level machine-gun used to mow down infantry. It doesn't cause much collateral damage and can fire full auto.
Missile Pod: (25/na/6)—causes big explosion (15 meter radius) and massive collateral damage. Has a range measured in Km.
Seeker Missile: (25/na/1)— a special missile which will follow a target for an entire sequence before exploding. Make three separate rolls to his with a seeker, if one succeeds the missile hits.
Grenade Launcher: (15/na/20)—fire grenades which explode in a 10 meter radius. +2 AV to hit. Causes collateral damage.
Heavy Cryo Laser: (30/na/3)—once fired, system must be overhauled. Ignores normal armor. Will slash right through target and cause collateral damage every time it is used.
Flamer: (14/na/10)— creates a 15 meter cones of napalm. Causes damage every sequence for a number of sequences equal to the Outcome of the attack but causes indiscriminate and massive collateral damage.
Hand Blades: (Str +2) +3 AV to climb.
Mecha Sword: (Str +4)
Electro Whip: (causes 10 damage and will cause 1 point of impairment to electronic devices per point of outcome until they are reset).
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