D&D 4E Reskinning 4e as mecha combat

[PeteC]

I am mostly an OD&D/AD&D/Labyrinth Lord guy, but I do play 4e and think the combat is really fun in and of itself.

I had the idea a few days ago to try and reskin 4e as a mecha combat game, so that characters/classes would actually represent battlemechs.

A few random thoughts:

1: Hex grid. Has anyone tried to use a hex grid in 4e? Does it screw anything up? I would like this so I could use my old Battletech maps and minis.

2: At-wills would be lasers, battlefists, machine guns, and what have you. Encounters would be arm missiles and BFGs, etc. Dailies would be giant freudian nightmare shoulder missiles and wired-in orbital bombardments, summoned elite Paratrooperbots.
Utilities: chaff dispensers, jump jets, etc.

3: Defenders: main battle mechs. Strikers: assault, and artillery, and scout mechs. Leaders: Command HQ (Shaman Spirits = repair drones). Controllers: Spotters/Electronic Warfare mechs.

4: The party could be a mercenary squad, sent to a remote world to garrison a rebellious continent, which could make a fun opportunity for sandbox-style campaigning.

5: Feats can be reskinned too. You say arcane familiar feat? I say R2D2-type droid, actually.

Has anyone out there tried/thought about this? I think it could be fun and would appreciate any suggestions before I start infilicting my crazy ideas on my gaming buddies.

 

[kaomera]

I am mostly an OD&D/AD&D/Labyrinth Lord guy, but I do play 4e and think the combat is really fun in and of itself.

I had the idea a few days ago to try and reskin 4e as a mecha combat game, so that characters/classes would actually represent battlemechs.

A few random thoughts:

1: Hex grid. Has anyone tried to use a hex grid in 4e? Does it screw anything up? I would like this so I could use my old Battletech maps and minis.

I think this should actually work. There might be some odd problems, like what shape close blasts should be, but otherwise I don't see why not.

2: At-wills would be lasers, battlefists, machine guns, and what have you. Encounters would be arm missiles and BFGs, etc. Dailies would be giant freudian nightmare shoulder missiles and wired-in orbital bombardments, summoned elite Paratrooperbots.
Utilities: chaff dispensers, jump jets, etc.

One thing to consider is that a lot of 4e powers aren't just attacks. They include anything from extra movement to defensive bonuses to just about anything else...

 

[airwalkrr]

This idea MUST be developed further. If you won't, then I will.

 

[malcolm_n]

As far as reskinning; I'd say start with how classes and races interact within the idea of your mecha-centric world. Are the races themselves driving the mechas that are the classes? Or does each mecha have an individual feel to it that is realized in it's use of racial mechanics?

I can totally picture a fighter or paladin mecha as something like this, but bigger scale with the pilot inside.[sblock=large pics]

[/sblock]

 

[DMRob]

I have done some thinking on just this type of conversion. so far, I have come up with bits and pieces for my own 4th ed powered mech game, which ill list below in no particular order. this is in no way complete or ready to roll, just a way to share what I have come up with. Warning, this is gonna ramble, I will be typing up whatever I have ready as well as whatever comes to mind.

Power sources = the companies that make the models of mech, so Martial power source is now MatCo, makers of the Fighter, Warlord, Ranger, and many more fine battle machines! that way, the mechs being similar are easy to explain away. the various builds become different versions of the mech, with a sword and board fighter converting into a FTR-1a, and a 2 handed fighter being a FTR-1B.

Explaining away the abundence of melee was an isue I had problems with till I just decided to say that defences vs ranged attacks had grown so good, that an old fashioned melee attack was an increasingly efficient way to break though the defences.

in a bit of fan service to make one of my players happy, I decided that the primal source would be bio mechanical, EVA style mecha like in Neon Genesis. I mean, a barbarian class mech just screams for that kind of treatment.

I am envisioning races as being the source of skills, and some feats, and class being the mech. in my game, time out of the mech will be very limited, so I am not worrying about that part to much. they will have some basic weapon skills, but if its a mech game, combat will be in the mechs, and I will plan adventures accordingly.

to make the mechs the kings of the battlefield, ill be treating anything thats not a mech, (and I reserve the right to decide that on a case by case basis) will be a minion. people, non hardened buildings, most vehicles, tanks, etc. one hit from a mech weapon, and good night.

which brings me to the idea of infantry as traps and terrain hazards. a squad of partisans in a ruined building with disposable anti mech missiles would be a trap. one shot, if not detected, they make their shot then run like hell. if they are detected, they are Disarmed (ie, brutally hosed down with anti personal weapons)

converting things from the mm would be easy, just a matter of re skinning them as whatever you like. Goblins become older model previous generation war machines, alien cobat vehicles, etc. I want to throw some Warhammer 40k style tyranids in there for the freak out factor.

leveling up will be as easily explained as new software upgrades, firmware, modular components being acquired. gear also. a +2 flaming longbow can be a +2 plasma cannon, napalm missiles, or whatever. skys the limit on visuals, but in the end, its gonna have the stats of a longbow.

thats all for now. hope people find this interesting, helpfull, or it inspires.

 

[Cute-Hydra]

I did a similar reskin into a spacecraft game, two factors:

1. It will become a VERY combat focused game, when you are in a Mech you are going to do less talking and more Smash, smash etc. I am sure there can be a lot of rollplaying in a mech game, but it needs addressing if you want it to still be an RPG.

2. Defenses I used were Armour Value, against bullets, missiles etc.
Shields, against lasers
Lead lined anti radiation, against radiation attacks
Anti-hacking Software, against hacking attacks

in my version i had radiation attacks doing things like ongoing damage etc, hacking as the mental attacks, lasers doing the spike damage, and the missiles, machine guns doing AoE damage.

Cute-Hydra

 

[Solvarn]

Awesome

This is a pretty cool idea.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I'd do things tiered. PCs start as low heroic tier characters - and mecha as paragon or even epic. PC starting (before racial and level) Int and Wis may not vary by more than two between mecha and human (some variation is possible to account for either overconfidence with all that metal wrapped round them, or better information from better C3I with the screens in front of them). And outside mechs, PCs should be at least pseudo-martial (meaning that Barbarians, Bards, Artificers and other classes that can be made to look not especially magic can be used).

Reskin powers for mechs. And change scales so Medium Mech = Huge PC. (If the PCs have the misfortune to fight an enemy mech on foot, delevel them and make them solos).

Also works well for Super Sentai games. With the finishing move being a daily...

 

[PeteC]

Oh my! This isn't really a message board I check in very often, hence the lack of response. I am glad this idea spurred some interest!

1. It will become a VERY combat focused game, when you are in a Mech you are going to do less talking and more Smash, smash etc. I am sure there can be a lot of rollplaying in a mech game, but it needs addressing if you want it to still be an RPG.

I think that if you adapted a wiki/sandbox approach, like we have in the basic D&D campaign I currently play in: Red Box Vancouver: We're gonna party like it's 1981. , you could have a very active role-playing element to it, centered around your mercenary company's interactions with the locals and resources and whathaveyou.

Does anyone know if there is a good program to put together power cards for Mac? I'd love to put some of the more iconic abilities into power card form, but my lame mac limits my geek-fu

Another thing, does anyone know the copyright consequences if I were to put together a little free .pdf scenario? One with a brief explanation, a brief scenario, a small hex map and some sample 'mechs and pilots?

 

[malcolm_n]

nothing wrong with that, so long as you're not selling it or posting entire statistic/leveling information.