[DP9] D20 Mecha Compendium

[JoeGKushner]

Got to say I'm really looking forward to this book. I'm very interested in the magic settings. Any more details, a paragraph or so, about 'em?

 

[Marc A. Vezina]

It would be a hoot if your product hit the shelves before GOO's d20 Mecha product.

Actually, it will, by about a month or two. This was planned out in advance. Think of it as a preview of the latter.

There are enough rules and explanations in the d20 Mecha Compendium to let you use the stats and mecha in your game(s) right away. You just won't be able to modify their payload, or build your own.

(In addition to the construction rules, D20 Mecha will also include source material on the mecha genre, mecha-related classes like the Mecha Pilot, and additional optional rules for specific items and maneuvers.)

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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

 

[Marc A. Vezina]

Got to say I'm really looking forward to this book. I'm very interested in the magic settings. Any more details, a paragraph or so, about 'em?

Here are the four settings included in the book under the "Fantasy" header:

1) Guardians of Divinity

Towering magical knights are a staple of fantasy anime. Often, these mecha are not works of Man, but rather divine representatives of the Gods themselves -- or, if not that, then a legendary component of the very forces that originally shaped the world. In this setting, the giant mecha are direct manifestations of divine power.

2) Golemsuit Warriors

While the golem of legend was made of clay, its fantasy brethren are made of all manner of materials, including metal. If one were to strip away the independent elemental force controlling a golem while leaving it magically animate, what gets left behind would be the fantasy equivalent of a science-fiction battlesuit. In this setting, this process has already taken place, and the results -- Golemsuits -- rampage across the landscape, fighting battles both great and small.

3) Beast Lords

A rift between dimensions, or perhaps a different universe, opened up, allowing armies of foul creatures to spill forth into this world. The situation looked bleak until humanity's greatest minds created the Beast Lords, metallic guardians that combat the invaders. After many bitter battles, they were able to beat them back and close the dimensional rift, but only after the destruction of the civilization they were designed to protect. The total devastation of cities and farmland threw humanity into a medieval dark age. The Beast Lords themselves fell dormant, buried deep beneath the earth.

4) Cities and Empire

In a fantasy setting, non-magical robots can be the tools by which the lower classes take back their power from the magic-using elite. If a "mere" commoner can out-perform a mage using little more than his wits -- and the help of his fellows -- then the mage may find himself out of a job. But what happens when the classic foes of the Human races, goblins, orcs, and others, discover these tools as well?

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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

 

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

Actually, it will, by about a month or two. This was planned out in advance. Think of it as a preview of the latter.

There are enough rules and explanations in the d20 Mecha Compendium to let you use the stats and mecha in your game(s) right away. You just won't be able to modify their payload, or build your own.
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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

Why is this a good idea? I understand the ecomomics of it but i find the system lacking if i have to wait an additional month or so to get the rest of the rules. I think that if your running a mech based game customized payloads would be important as well as other customizations that players and dm's want.

 

[Cergorach]

Why is this a good idea? I understand the ecomomics of it but i find the system lacking if i have to wait an additional month or so to get the rest of the rules. I think that if your running a mech based game customized payloads would be important as well as other customizations that players and dm's want.

Good idera? Yes/No.
Economically it's very usefull, people will buy the eyecandy book before the big crunch book. Spread investment for the consumer, a month later there's a lot more cash to go around then in the same month that you buy the fluff book.
On the other hand, do you entrust your first level players with all the toys? You first let them play with the basic toys, defeat a couple of enemies, training missions with the basic stuff. After that you can reward them with more advanced stuff and options. By the time your players are ready for that, the book is available...

 

[Marc A. Vezina]

Economically it's very usefull, people will buy the eyecandy book before the big crunch book. Spread investment for the consumer, a month later there's a lot more cash to go around then in the same month that you buy the fluff book.

Exactly. Though what actually happened was, we had already started the design part of our project earlier, and using GoO's rules instead of crafting our own version shaved a lot of time off the development period.

(I'd dispute the "fluff" categorization, though -- there's a lot of useful stuff in the Mecha Compendium, for any type of d20 campaign.)

On the other hand, do you entrust your first level players with all the toys? You first let them play with the basic toys, defeat a couple of enemies, training missions with the basic stuff. After that you can reward them with more advanced stuff and options. By the time your players are ready for that, the book is available...

Indeed. Though do note that most of the mecha in the book have variants provided, and many have alternate payloads.

P.S. Take a look at the cover of the book on the product's page:

http://www.dp9.com/Products/d20mecha.htm

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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

 

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

Can we get a peek at a sample Mech? Also is there art for all the mechs? Are there going to be battleships like the one in the JC books?

 

[Marc A. Vezina]

Samples

Can we get a peek at a sample Mech?

You can go check out the product's page on our Web site. It has been updated with another sample design from the book:

http://www.dp9.com/Products/d20mecha.htm

Next week, you'll get actual stats in the form of a downloadable sample (a fantasy mecha).

Also is there art for all the mechs?

Yes (except for the variants).

Are there going to be battleships like the one in the JC books?

No, though the rules in d20 Mecha will let you make some.

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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

 

[Marc A. Vezina]

Re: Samples

You can go check out the product's page on our Web site. It has been updated with a sample downloadable page from the book (a Fantasy powered armor, called a Golemsuit):

http://www.dp9.com/Products/d20mecha.htm

(Scroll down to the bottom of the samples.)

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Marc A. Vezina
DP9

 

[Ranger REG]

Is this going to be a one-shot product, or will there more support for d20 Mecha in the near future (more mecha books, campaign setting, etc.)?