Battletech d20

ErichDragon · Nov 13, 2003

I am working on a semi-conversion of Battletech to d20. Basically I want to use the d20 Modern system for charcter development and have that translate to traditional piloting and gunnery scores for Battletech. The reason, is that the various editions of the Mechwarrior game have dreadful rules when it comes to out-of-mech action. So bad that in previous campaigns, we all but dropped out-of-mech adventures.

Here is what I am thinking.

I will add a new feat: Mech Trained. This feat will make Mech: Piloting and Mech: Gunnery class skills forever.

Of course I will add those two new skills and probably Repair: Mech as well (Class skill for anyone with normal Repair already.)

I'll need to Make Mech Pilot a new Occupation and just tweak the skills slightly from the Military occupation already in the book.

Then I can translate the skill levels of Pilot and Gunnery to Battletech target numbers, something like this:

Skill Modifier BT Target Number
------------- -----------------
1-3 6+
4-6 5+
7-10 4+
11-14 3+
15-18 2+
19-23 1+
24+ 0+

Anyway, that is the general idea. Does anyone have any suggestions, or have done any work on this already?

Leopold · Nov 13, 2003

honestly? just use Armageddon 2089 rules, they work really really well..

ErichDragon · Nov 13, 2003

I've read about Armaggeddon, and have considered it, but there are a few factors there:

1. It requires the purchase and learning of a whole new system. I, and my group, already know the rules of Battletech like the back of our hands.

2. I want to use the original mechs that I have all the miniatures for. If I go with Armaggeddon I would have to stat all of those out.

Ranger REG · Nov 13, 2003

Armageddon: 2089 is a good book to reference to, especially if you get stuck in your game design along the way.

Another good reference source is MECHA CRUSADE mini-game, which already have a couple of mecha pilot advanced classes and feats to use.

Of course, my favorite is d20 Mecha, with a creation rules for mecha AND vehicle of any mecha genre, whether it is Anime or BT style.

So there are several design toolkits for you to assist you in translating/adapting BT to d20.

Shallown · Nov 14, 2003

Honestly I started a system like this then sort of lost focus, but here is what I did.

I did all new classes that more or less where like.

commander, Mech pilot, Scout, Field commander etc.

What the did is as you gained levels you were allowed bigger better mechs. the scouts mechs never got over like 40 tons and the commandeers went up to the 100 tonners which I always thought of as the Command Vehicles.

The field commander got units of ground troups/protomechs elementals etc. so the higher their level the mor ground pounders they commanded. Mech pilots more or less could specialize in weapons (ppg's versus LRm's etc)

I was gonna redo the mechs and all in d20 and I think that is were a got lazy.

I was gonna keep it all Battle tech with those mech names history and weapons and just convert.

I wish I had typed up the notes and I wold have been able to send them to you but I rmember I had like 8 classes and such since I was gonna focus more on repairing and salvaging mechs.

Scouts had some nasty sneak attack ability and commandeers got bonuses to leading people. I had feats for mechs and such that could up your tonnage allowed etc. It was all half formed ideas as you can tell.

jezter6 · Nov 14, 2003

I have to agree with the d20 mecha. The SRD is FREE and has some of the classes you were asking for, complete with a progression for better mechs.

There are special abilities (and maybe a feat?) that are "Get a better mech" which gives you 400 mech points to add to your mech, or to get a new mech equal to the new total of mech points you have.

I like the d20 mechanic, and it works really well like this. Plus there are more and more stuff coming out of this.

Battletech (IIRC) was more just a minis wargame where you had a mech and you battle stuff. Plot line, not normally thick. With d20 modern and d20 mecha, you can create a much more plot thick environment outside of your mecha.

jezter6 · Nov 14, 2003

double post

jezter6 · Nov 14, 2003

darn triple

jonrog1 · Nov 15, 2003

Ranger REG said:
Armageddon: 2089 is a good book to reference to, especially if you get stuck in your game design along the way.

Another good reference source is MECHA CRUSADE mini-game, which already have a couple of mecha pilot advanced classes and feats to use.

Of course, my favorite is d20 Mecha, with a creation rules for mecha AND vehicle of any mecha genre, whether it is Anime or BT style.

So there are several design toolkits for you to assist you in translating/adapting BT to d20.

So for a Mechassault/Battletech style campaign, you'd go d20Mecha? Have you played under the rules? I;m really curious, love to throw my group a curveball.

Ranger REG · Nov 16, 2003

Well, you can try test-drive it yourself by downloading the Mecha d20 System Reference Document:

http://www.guardiansorder.com/d20/srd

Mind you, there are a lot of options, some of which are more suited to Anime than BattleTech. Your job as a GM is to limit those options to suit the flavor of your game, whether you want Robotech/Macross or BattleTech/MechWarrior.