Amaril
2015-10-02, 05:06 PM
Alright, so, this is the first homebrew system I've ever made. While it's based quite closely on another existing Powered by the Apocalypse system that I've played and know to be excellent, I feel like I've changed and added enough of my own content that I should have it looked over. So, I'd appreciate any commentary and criticism people can provide.
Mecha World is an RPG based on the Powered by the Apocalypse engine in which the players take command of mecha—giant humanoid vehicles controlled by a human pilot. With the power of these amazing creations, the players can take the field against forces that threaten the safety of their homes, their loved ones, and their own lives.
Maybe Earth is under siege from an alien empire, and you and your mecha are the only thing standing between them and enslaving humanity. Maybe the galaxy is being torn apart by war, and you must take command of your own mecha to fight against those of your enemies for the future of billions. Maybe the world is being invaded by gigantic monsters from another dimension, and to stop them, you must climb into the cockpit of a biological war machine made from the creatures’ own flesh. Whatever the story, and whatever the reason, once you accept the controls, you accept a pivotal role in determining the future of countless lives.
Of course, it’s not all fun. Piloting a mecha is a difficult and dangerous job, and many don’t survive the attempt. But if you do—if you’re brave, skilled, and lucky enough to stick it out—then you have a chance to change the world like few ever get.
So what are you waiting for, pilot? Strap in.
Anyone familiar with the mecha genre will know that there’s a huge amount of variation in tone, style, and narrative convention across different stories. One of the biggest differences is between “super robot” and “real robot”. To put it simply, in super robot fiction, things tend to be a lot more cinematic and heroic, with the mecha generally a lot more powerful and a lot rarer; in real robot, it’s just the opposite, with everything gritty and dangerous and mecha tending to be more common and widely used (and, importantly, more replaceable). Think about it like this: in super robot, mecha are superheroes; in real robot, mecha are weapons.
By default, Mecha World leans much more toward the latter. The game is set up to be highly lethal—just surviving one mission with a starting character is a big accomplishment. Consequently, mecha are assumed to be common enough that when your character dies, you can just bring in another one without trouble. However, if you prefer, there are ways to make your game lean more towards the super robot side of things. The crusader playbook includes a move literally called super robot that gives such characters’ mecha abilities reminiscent of that style. And if you want to reduce the lethality of the game, the narrator’s section includes ways to make it more forgiving and survivable. Find what your group enjoys, and do it. It's your game.
Skill is how well you handle your mecha, in terms of maneuvering and combat technique. It's rolled to attack enemies at close range, and to avoid harm. Skill is the most important stat for the ace.
Intellect is quick thinking and reading a situation. It's rolled to damage enemies with ranged weapons, and to spot advantages and threats in battle. Intellect is the most important stat for the tactician.
Discipline is your ability to keep cool under pressure. It's rolled to avoid panicking when in danger, and to direct allies in tense situations. Discipline is the most important stat for the commander.
Awareness is how well you’re attuned to your surroundings, and to other people. It's rolled to help allies do stuff, and rescue them from danger. Awareness is the most important stat for the guardian.
Resolve is your determination and fighting spirit. It's rolled to escape from dangerous situations. Resolve is the most important stat for the crusader.
Mecha: A giant humanoid vehicle. Most mecha are used for combative purposes, and fitted with weapons—Mecha World assumes this to be the case. Beyond that, what a mecha is and what it can do is determined by the world your game takes place in. Each player’s character controls their own mecha.
Pilot: A person who drives a mecha. They might be called other things, depending on the setting, but the rules refer to them as pilots.
PC: Stands for “player character”, which is exactly what it sounds like—a character created and controlled by one of the players. Anyone else in the world is an NPC, or non-player character, controlled by the narrator.
Narrator: The person at the table who isn’t a player, who describes and controls the world the PCs interact with, adjudicates the rules, and helps drive the action.
Playbook: A collection of specialized, powerful moves that a PC gains after surviving their first mission and graduating from their rookie status. Your playbook helps define your role as part of the team, and gives you tools to fill that role better. It also suggests some of your character’s personality.
Roll +Stat: Roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and add the listed stat to your result. A 10 or higher is a complete success; a 7-9 is a partial success, meaning you succeed, but at a cost. A 6 or lower is a failure; you don't want that.
Move: A thing you do that requires dice rolls. Everyone has access to a set of basic moves from the beginning, and gains special moves specific to their character later on.
Forward: The next time you roll the type of roll you have forward on, add the listed number to the roll. So, “+1 forward on skill” means your next skill roll gains an extra +1 bonus.
Ongoing: An ongoing value to a type of roll means you add or subtract the indicated amount every time you make that type of roll until the ongoing condition ends. So, “-1 ongoing to resolve until you stop and rest” means all your resolve rolls are at a -1 penalty until you stop and rest.
Hold: A sort of currency gained by using certain moves, which can then be spent via the same move or a different one to do stuff. Each move that uses hold will explain how.
Damage: Refers to harm suffered from enemy attacks and other hazards. A player’s mecha can sustain damage once and survive; take damage again, and the player will either be forced to eject or, more likely, killed outright.
Kill: A serious, telling hit that can take out a mecha or enemy. When a PC or an enemy has suffered damage once, taking damage again means they’re killed (though a PC can sometimes escape this by ejecting). Some things can also kill an undamaged target. A killed PC is dead; some enemies require more than one kill to defeat. If you're killed as a rookie, as is likely, your death will be quick and unceremonious—if you're lucky, you might have time to curse fate or scream a loved one's name before the end. At higher levels, the narrator might give you a few breaths for last words; use the time to bid your comrades farewell and wonder where all these flower petals came from.
Evasive maneuvers
When you move to avoid damage or danger, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you evade successfully and suffer no harm.
On a 7-9, you manage to avoid harm, but the narrator will inflict a disadvantage on you or present a difficult choice.
On a 6-, you’re too slow, and suffer damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you’re killed instead.
Open fire
When you attack from a distance to weaken your enemy, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, you manage to open your enemy up to a finishing attack and gain “locked on” as an advantage against that enemy.
On a 7-9, you still break through your enemy’s defenses and gain “locked on”, but overextend yourself to do so. Choose one:
The enemy immediately makes you its next target.
You’ve left yourself exposed to attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you can regain control of your position.
You’ve burned through a lot of your ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Shoot to kill
When you attack from a distance to take your enemy out for good, roll +intellect. You must burn a “locked on” advantage against your target to use this move.
On a 10+, your shot finds its target, and your enemy takes damage. If they have already taken damage, they are killed instead.
On a 7-9, you still manage to shoot straight, but pick one:
You expose yourself to counterattack, putting yourself in danger.
The stress of combat is starting to wear on you. Take -1 ongoing to discipline until you have a moment of relative safety to collect yourself.
You’ve burned through a lot of your ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Close the gap
When you attempt to close to melee range with an enemy, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you manage to close successfully and gain “close range” as an advantage against the target enemy.
On a 7-9, you close the distance and gain a “close range” advantage, but pick one:
Your enemy returns fire as you approach. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
Your approach puts you in a dangerous situation.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your advance is halted, and you get hurt in the attempt, suffering damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you are killed instead.
CQC
When you attempt to deliver a fatal blow at close range, roll +skill. You must burn a “close range” advantage against the target enemy to use this move.
On a 10+, your attack connects, and your enemy is killed.
On a 7-9, your enemy is killed, but pick one:
They manage to get in an attack of their own before they go down. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
You’ve ended up straight in the path of another threat, putting yourself in danger.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your attack goes wide or is deflected, and your enemy has a chance to get past your guard. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
Assess the situation
When you attempt to read the conditions of battle, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, ask two questions from the list below.
On a 7-9, ask one:
What can I turn to our advantage in this situation?
How does the enemy’s strength compare to our own?
What enemy or hazard poses the greatest threat?
What’s the safest path of retreat?
Keep it together
When you see or experience something that shakes your composure, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, you keep a clear head and can get back to the mission.
On a 7-9, you’re starting to waver. Take “panicked” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, you break under the stress of the situation, and are paralyzed with fear. You can take no further action until placed in danger or given time to calm down.
Assist an ally
When you provide support for a comrade's action, roll +awareness. You can only do this before they roll. You can assist with any move except for escaping death--for that, you'll have to rush to the rescue.
On a 10+, they gain +2 on the move you help with.
On a 7-9, they gain +2, but your fate has been bound up with theirs. Any negative consequences they suffer from their move, you suffer too.
Rush to the rescue
When you rush into danger to save an ally, roll +awareness. You can do this after your ally has already failed to escape death.
On a 10+, you make it in time and guide your comrade to safety.
On a 7-9, you can only save them at the cost of your own life. Choose one:
You’re too slow to make it in time, and your ally is lost.
You heroically sacrifice yourself for their sake.
On a 6-, your rescue is a failure for both of you, and you perish together.
Escape death
When you find yourself in a dangerous situation, roll +resolve.
On a 10+, you awaken your will to survive and escape unharmed.
On a 7-9, you manage to get away, but just barely. Choose one:
You’re hit in the process, and suffer damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you must eject from your mecha before it’s destroyed (see below).
Escaping has left you drained and shell-shocked. Take -1 ongoing to resolve until you have a moment of relative safety to collect yourself.
Your mecha is disabled entirely, forcing you to eject from the cockpit. You’re out of the fight, and your mecha is gone, but most enemies will seek other targets.
On a 6-, you fail to escape, and meet your end at the hands of whatever danger you faced.
Luck
Any time you make a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 luck to change the result to a 12. Any time an ally makes a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 luck to increase the result up to a 7.
An advantage is any asset or circumstance that make things easier or safer for you during a mission. You gain advantages when you use moves that create them, and keep them either until they’re nullified by the situation, or until you exploit them (see below).
When you gain an advantage, write down a description of what it is. Some advantages can be of use to your allies, not just to you.
There are two ways to use advantages. The first is to exploit them to improve the outcome of a roll. You must say you’re doing this before you make a roll, working the advantage into your description of the action. If you do, treat the roll as one step higher than it really was (6- becomes 7-9, 7-9 becomes 10+, and 10+ becomes 12 if it wasn’t already).
The other use of advantages is to burn them for moves like shoot to kill and CQC that require them in order to be used at all. Burning an advantage this way means it’s used up and lost, and can’t be used to improve the roll (though you can exploit another useful advantage you have if you want).
A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, something that makes your mission more difficult or dangerous. Failing some moves can give you disadvantages, as can other situations you end up in. Disadvantages remain in play until you find a way to negate them or the narrator exploits them.
This can be done one of two ways. The first is to change a result of 10+ on one of your rolls into a 7-9, or a 7-9 into a 6-. This doesn’t work if you used luck on the roll.
The second way is to use it as a new complication that must be overcome during the mission. For example, if your mecha is “low on fuel”, the narrator might have it finally run dry at any time, which could be disastrous during combat…
“Locked on”: granted when you successfully open fire, and by many more specialized moves, this advantage represents having a clear shot at a vulnerable part of the enemy with a ranged weapon. It must be burned to shoot to kill, which is probably the only thing it’ll normally be used for. Note that when you have “locked on” against an enemy, it only applies to that enemy—you can’t burn it to shoot a different target.
“Close range”: The melee equivalent of “locked on”, gained when you successfully close the gap or perform another move that grants it. Gaining a “close range” advantage is more risky than fighting at range, but allows you to instantly take out some enemies, even if they haven’t been damaged yet. Just like “locked on”, it can only be burned to attack the enemy against which it was gained.
“Low on fuel”: A special disadvantage that comes up when you fail or partially succeed at certain moves, “low on fuel” means you’re in danger of running out of power for your mecha’s propulsion system—a dire prospect, as doing so basically leaves you a sitting duck for the enemy.
“Low on ammo”: Another special disadvantage that means you’re almost out of ammo for your ranged weaponry. Run out completely, and you’ll be forced to resort to highly dangerous melee combat if you want to do anything against the enemy.
“Panicked”: A disadvantage taken when you partially succeed on an attempt to keep it together, “panicked” means you haven’t completely frozen up in terror, but your composure is faltering and you’re acting erratically.
The kinds of names you’ll want to give your characters will vary depending on the setting of your game, but there are some rules you should follow regardless.
When you begin play as a rookie, choose only a first or last name for your pilot, depending on which your characters would be called by in their situation (for example, if your characters are soldiers, they’ll probably be called by their last names). Don't choose a name for your mecha. When you make it to level 1 or start play at level 1, give your pilot a full name, and choose a name for your mecha, a callsign, or both, as appropriate.
By default, every pilot in Mecha World begins as a rookie—an untested newbie, just taking their first steps into the dangerous profession of mecha piloting. As a rookie, odds are you won’t survive your first mission…but if you do, you’ll have taken your first step towards becoming a legend.
Basic Info
You begin at level 0, and have 0 luck. You only have one name, and your mecha doesn’t have one at all. Hold off on thinking up a detailed backstory—wouldn’t want your effort to go to waste.
Stats
Assign one of the following values to each of your stats: +2, +1, +1, 0, and -1.
Moves
You know all the basic moves, and nothing else. You’ll get your playbook and more moves once you survive your first mission and reach level 1.
Equipment
You get the following standard-issue equipment as part of your basic mecha.
Propulsion system. Whether mechanized joint servos, rocket thrusters, or biological limbs, this is how mecha move around. Propulsion systems require fuel, of which your supply is limited.
Sensors. The links between your cockpit and the outside world, every mecha comes equipped with systems that allow its pilot to see and keep them apprised of their machine’s status.
Ranged weapon. All mecha carry at least one form of weaponry that allows them to attack at a distance. Not as deadly as close-combat weaponry, but less risky. Ranged weapons require ammo to function.
Melee weapon. Mecha also have weapon systems that help them mix it up in hand-to-hand combat (or hand-to-claw, or hand-to-tentacle, or whatever). Melee weapons are more damaging than ranged ones, but getting close enough to use them is dangerous. On the plus side, they don’t have limited ammo.
You can load your mecha with one extra piece of equipment without impairing its propulsion system. Begin a mission with any more, and you’ll start with the disadvantage “encumbered”. If you don’t mind the extra weight, you can carry up to three extra pieces of equipment maximum.
Choose one extra piece of equipment to start with:
Extra fuel. No matter what your mecha runs on, a little more of it is always handy. If necessary, you can give this supply to someone else. Refueling takes a few minutes of downtime no matter who’s doing it.
Extra ammo. Being able to shoot for longer than the other guy is never a bad thing. You can pass this off to an ally who’s running low.
Heavy ordnance. Explosives, missiles, or just a bigger gun for extra ranged power. If you use heavy ordnance when shooting to kill, a success or partial success will kill the enemy even if it hasn't been damaged (you have to say you're using the heavy ordnance before you roll). Use it once and it’s gone.
Evasive system. Chaff, ECMs, force fields, or some other means of emergency defense. Using an evasive system gives you an automatic 10+ result on an evasive maneuvers move, unless that roll was because of a failure or partial success on a CQC move. This can be done after you roll. One use only.
Escape system. If you have to eject from your cockpit during a mission, this will ensure you get away safe, and keep you alive until someone comes to rescue you. When you partially succeed on an escape death move and choose or are forced to eject, even enemies who would normally keep pursuing you will be unable to. The system comes with enough provisions to sustain you for one week.
Mecha are complex inventions, and for most people, piloting one is hard. It’s a set of skills that normally takes intensive training and rigorous practice to be competent in.
Not so for you. You were born for this.
You pilot your mecha as naturally as moving your own body, pulling off incredible maneuvers with dazzling skill and grace.
Just don’t get cocky—as your superiors are quick to remind you, talent alone is rarely a substitute for experience.
Basic Info
When you first become an ace, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Amazing maneuver
When you perform a complex and difficult stunt with your mecha, roll +skill.
On a 10+, gain an advantage appropriate to the maneuver performed, including “locked on” or “close range”, and pick two:
You manage to reach a position of safety, out of the enemy’s range.
One enemy is disoriented and stops attacking for a moment.
The adrenaline rush gives you +1 forward to any roll exploiting or burning the advantage gained from this move.
On a 7-9, gain an advantage and choose one of the above, but you’ve also drawn the enemy’s attention, and they’ll make you their next target.
On a 6-, you gain no advantage and don’t choose from the above list, but you’ve still drawn the enemy’s attention. Nice going, hotshot.
Flow of battle
When you destroy an enemy at close range, you gain a “locked on” or “close range” advantage against another enemy.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Can't touch this
When you attempt to maneuver safely through a large group of enemies, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you reach the other side unharmed.
On a 7-9, pick one:
You don’t quite make it to safety, and are still just within attack range.
You’ve overtaxed your systems in the process. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you have a safe moment to let your machine recover.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, you’re too slow to make it through, and are now in danger.
Crack shot
When you shoot to kill, you can roll +skill instead of +intellect.
Charge in
When you charge ahead of your comrades to recklessly attack at close range by yourself, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you can kill an enemy without burning an advantage. However, now you're in the thick of it, and won't be able to charge forward like that again until the situation changes.
On a 7-9, your attack still succeeds as above, but choose one:
The enemy manages to surround you, putting you in danger.
You’ve overtaxed your systems with your attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you have a safe moment to let your machine recover.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your attack is repelled, and now you’re right in the middle of the enemy, very much in danger.
Too slow
When you roll a 12+ on evasive maneuvers, you can evade into a position to counterattack, gaining a “locked on” or “close range” advantage against the enemy you evaded.
Skilled soldiers may win battles, but information wins wars. You understand this better than most.
As a tactician, you hold “know thine enemy” as your golden rule.
With your knack for reading the battlefield, you can spot advantages and threats that would never occur to anyone else. You can predict your foe’s movements, cutting them off at every turn.
Just don’t go thinking you know everything. No matter how smart you are, the world doesn’t always work the way you expect—and, as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy…
Basic Info
When you first become a tactician, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
I have an idea
When you take time to plan out a strategy for your mission, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, you can figure out the most effective path to the objective, but the narrator will tell you:
What complications might arise during the mission.
What resources you’ll need to make it work.
On a 7-9, a plan presents itself, but it’s a long shot, near suicide, or both. If you manage to pull it off anyway, though, the mission can still be a success.
On my mark
When you attempt to spot an opening for an ally to strike, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, your ally gains “locked on” or “close range” as an advantage (their choice).
On a 7-9, your ally gains an advantage, but the opening is fleeting—they’ll have to strike right away to take advantage of it.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Boom, headshot
When you shoot to kill and roll a 12+, the target is killed even if it hasn’t suffered damage.
Suppressive fire
When you attempt to interfere with an enemy’s movements by firing at them, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, the enemy is pinned by your hail of fire, and is unable to attack for a moment.
On a 7-9, the enemy is suppressed, but pick one:
The enemy immediately redirects its attention towards you.
You’ve left yourself vulnerable to a flanking attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you can regain control of your position.
You’ve burned through a lot of ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Battlefield intuition
When you assess the situation, you can ask an additional question on a 7+.
I knew you'd do that
When you exploit an advantage to perform evasive maneuvers, the result is automatically a 12.
Every team needs a leader, and a good leader needs a lot of things.
A good leader has to be able to keep a clear head under pressure. To be the pillar of stability when everyone else around them starts to crack. To have the presence and confidence that inspire others to follow their orders.
To your comrades, you are that person. When the world goes to hell, you stand firm, ready to guide them home safe.
Just be prepared for the pressure. When everyone depends on you, it’s easy to start thinking everything that goes wrong is your fault—and that kind of self-doubt is death to a leader.
Basic Info
When you first become a commander, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Follow my lead
When you attack in concert with an ally, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, you and your ally both gain either “locked on” or “close range” as an advantage against the target (both of you get the same advantage, your choice), and your ally gains +1 forward to their next attack against it.
On a 7-9, your ally gains an advantage and +1 forward, but you get hit in the process of creating an opening, and take a disadvantage.
Snap out of it
When you talk down a panicked or paralyzed ally, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, your words are enough to soothe their nerves, and they are no longer panicked or paralyzed.
On a 7-9, they calm down, but your own composure is weakening. Take -1 ongoing to discipline until you have a chance to pull yourself together.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Stand united
When you give an inspiring speech to your comrades before a mission, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, each person who listens gains +1 forward to their first two rolls of the mission.
On a 7-9, each person who listens gains +1 forward to their first roll of the mission.
Reinforcements
When you coordinate with command or another team before a mission, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, gain 2 hold.
On a 7-9, gain 1 hold.
You may spend 1 hold to have reinforcements arrive at a critical moment in the mission.
Privilege of rank
When you successfully complete a mission, you gain the advantage “reputation”. You can burn this advantage to ask your superiors for any resources, information, or assistance you need, and unless it’s highly classified or really unreasonable, you’ll get it. If you burn three advantages, you can even get the classified or unreasonable stuff.
This is how we do it
When you kill an enemy, choose one:
One ally who can see you gains +1 forward to their next roll.
One ally who can see you is no longer panicked or paralyzed.
In war, soldiers die—it’s simple fact. Things go wrong, people get killed.
That’s why the team has you.
As a guardian, protecting your comrades is more important to you than anything else in the world. You’re the one who makes it your mission to throw yourself into the line of fire to ensure no one is left behind. You can take the punishment others can’t. You can protect them.
Just remember—in war, soldiers die. If you break under the weight of your failures, what good will you be to anyone?
Basic Info
When you first become a guardian, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Got your back
When you rush to the rescue, the normal results are replaced with the following:
On a 10+, you manage to reach your ally and both get out safe.
On a 7-9, you don’t quite manage to escape unscathed, but at least you’re both alive. Take an appropriate disadvantage.
On a 6-, you heroically sacrifice yourself to save your comrade.
Overwatch
When you have an advantage against an enemy that threatens an ally, you may exploit the advantage to immediately open fire on that enemy before they can act. If the advantage is “locked on”, you may burn it to shoot to kill instead.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Jury rig
When you take time to quickly fix up an ally’s mecha, roll +awareness.
On a 10+, your ally is no longer damaged.
On a 7-9, you can remove a disadvantage related to their mecha being banged up.
I'll handle this
When you attempt to rescue an ally in danger by attacking the enemy threatening them, roll +awareness. Do this before your ally tries to escape death. Whatever happens, you can still rush to their rescue.
On a 10+, you arrive in time to save your ally, and the enemy is killed.
On a 7-9, choose one:
You’re a little too slow in taking out the enemy. Your ally suffers damage, or is forced to eject if they’re damaged already.
Your ally is able to get away, but the enemy is only damaged.
Mess with them, mess with me
When you successfully rescue an ally from danger, you may roll +awareness.
On a 10+, the enemy that threatened them immediately makes you its target instead, and you gain an advantage that you can exploit against it.
On a 7-9, the enemy targets you, but you don’t get an advantage.
No one left behind
When you move to regroup with an ally who’s been cut off from support, roll +awareness.
On a 10+, you’re able to make it to them without incident.
On a 7-9, you can still reach them, but you take some hits doing it. Take an appropriate disadvantage.
You don’t have incredible talent as a pilot. You don’t have nerves of steel. You don’t have the brain of a genius, or a knack for leadership.
What you do have is sheer, bloody-minded determination.
You've dedicated your life to a mission, a purpose greater than yourself. Maybe it’s to protect someone you love, or to seek vengeance on those who took them from you. Whatever it is, it’s what drives you to fight, and when all hope is lost, it gives you the strength to go on, to defy the odds and win when no one else can.
Just take care that your purpose doesn’t consume you. People have driven themselves crazy fighting for noble causes…
Basic Info
When you first become a crusader, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Limit break
When you or the things you care about most are in great danger, roll +resolve.
On a 10+, you can tap into a buried reserve of strength and unleash amazing power, gaining 4 hold. Maybe your mecha has a last-resort superweapon, locked away except in an emergency. Maybe it has performance limiters that can be disabled to unleash a form of hyper-mode. Or maybe it’s all you, throwing caution to the wind and just giving it everything you’ve got.
On a 7-9, you gain 3 hold, but choose one:
You go berserk, leaping into the fray and attacking without concern for your own safety or the success of the mission. Calming you down will require either all enemies to be defeated, or an ally to snap you out of it.
Your lashing out draws the attention of every enemy, and they all immediately focus on you.While you are limit breaking, you may spend 1 hold to:
Ignore the damage from an attack.
Perform an incredibly difficult maneuver.
Immediately kill an enemy.
Force of will
When you successfully limit break, you are no longer panicked or paralyzed, nor do you become so again after returning to normal.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Super robot
Pick one of the following. You gain your choice as an advantage when you limit break. You can take this move multiple times, selecting a different advantage each time.
Your limit break activates nigh-impenetrable defense systems.
Your limit break confers powerful offensive capabilities.
Your limit break grants incredible speed and agility.
Your limit break includes self-repair functions that fix damage to your mecha.
I mustn't run away
When you attempt to keep it together, you can roll +resolve instead of +discipline.
Big damn hero
When you successfully limit break, all allies who see you do so gain +1 forward to their next roll. Each time you spend hold, they gain +1 forward to another subsequent roll.
The Narrator's Agenda
Facilitate cool giant robot action.
Balance the robot action with human drama.
Show humanity at its best and worst.
Play to find out what happens.
The Narrator's Principles
Begin and end with the fiction.
Never let them think success is guaranteed.
Never make them think success is impossible.
Balance high risk with high reward.
Threaten what they care about.
Make every mission memorable and unique.
The Players' Agenda
Read this to your players when you begin the game.
Fight for what you care about.
Risk everything for success.
Show your character’s greatest strengths.
Show your character’s greatest flaws.
Reveal a complication
Introduce something that shakes up the situation in a scary, unpleasant way. That enemy you just defeated called for reinforcements. An allied unit needs backup. Your intel was wrong and now you’re surrounded. You get the picture.
Inflict a disadvantage
When the PCs fail or partially succeed at something, they’re often in a position to incur disadvantages. Exercise your best judgment in what to inflict on them, then tell them to write it down and keep it in mind until further notice.
Exploit a disadvantage
Then, once they’ve started taking punishment, have it come back to bite them. As long as a player still has a disadvantage (as in, it still makes sense as something that would hinder them), you can exploit it to lower the result of one of their rolls by one step—so a success becomes a partial success, and a partial success becomes a failure. Remember, you can’t do this if someone spent luck on the roll. Also, once you exploit a disadvantage, it’s gone.
Damage their mecha
The whole point of Mecha World is that the players pilot mecha, and being stuck without one, or with a partially broken one, is a serious problem. The most extreme form of this is disabling a player’s mecha entirely, forcing them to abandon it and eject. Inflicting damage on a player puts them one step closer to being bumped off for good. And knocking out one or more of their essential systems can introduce all sorts of other complications.
Separate them from the group
In the chaos of battle, group cohesion is important, and taking it away can mess things up in a bunch of ways. If someone overextends themselves, don’t hesitate to follow it to its logical conclusion and cut them off from support. Now the group has to deal with it.
Put them in danger
This is when things get the direst for the PCs. The enemy has you surrounded, ready to open fire. An explosive device is primed to go off if you so much as twitch. If someone messes up at a crucial moment, don’t hesitate to put them on the spot and demand that they take immediate action to save their ass.
Super vs. Real
As explained at the very beginning, Mecha World is designed to be used for more real robot than super robot games. By default, the game is highly lethal, especially for new characters, and it’s expected that people will die, possibly frequently.
However, if that doesn’t suit your taste, there’s an easy way to ramp down the deadliness: give the PCs’ mecha more kills. If the PCs can take more punishment in combat, they won’t be as reliant on the luck of the dice to pull through, and will have a greater likelihood of surviving for long careers.
Another way to up the PCs’ power level is to skip the rookie phase when making characters, and just give everyone access to their playbooks right off the bat. Veteran characters have a lot more tools for escaping death than newbies do, and letting them start with those kinds of options will go a long way towards keeping them alive. If you want to do this, have the players assign their stats and choose equipment as if they were creating rookies, and then just increase their level, luck, and move selection as normal.
Finally, one other thing you could do is give the PCs more equipment. By default, they can only have one thing at a time without being at a disadvantage, and three at the absolute maximum, but some of the equipment they can carry is actually pretty powerful when used correctly, and giving them a less restrictive limit is potentially a big boost.
Enemies
No matter what the setting or story of your game, your players will need someone or something to fight, a threat to oppose. The enemy can be basically anything that works for you, but keep in mind a few guidelines for creating different kinds of enemies.
Standard enemies: These will be relatively run-of-the-mill opponents that are about equal in power to one of the players’ characters. Just like PCs, they can be damaged once before they are killed, and when killed once, they’re done. If you want things to actually be challenging, these enemies should probably show up in groups. If you’re running a less lethal game, you can adjust the enemies’ kill limits accordingly, or leave them weaker than the PCs to let the players really feel like heroes.
Strong enemies: To make bigger, badder bad guys who can threaten a whole group of PCs by themselves, just increase the number of times they have to be Killed before they actually die. For enemies like this, no amount of kills does anything to weaken them until they’re completely defeated.
Enemies with parts: Sometimes, you might want a type of enemy that doesn’t go down easily, but can be weakened by hitting particular parts it has. For this type of fight, just treat the single enemy as a group of standard or strong enemies, but describe it as all one thing. Defeating one or more parts of the enemy will take away more of its ability to act, granting the PCs greater and greater advantage.
Enemies with specific vulnerabilities: If you want your bad guys to only be really vulnerable to one type of weapon, to have just one specific weak spot, or something along those lines, you can make it so only ranged weapons or only melee weapons can kill them. Depending on the game, you might even have to specify further, by saying only a specific type of melee or ranged weapon is effective, and anyone without that exact thing is out of luck (in that case, you should make sure everyone has access). Even if you do this, you should allow other types of attacks to create advantages against the enemies, since lots of players will be able to grant those advantages to allies who might be better equipped to do the honors.
Mecha World owes inspiration to Apocalypse World and other games using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine, particularly Titan World. Obviously, it also borrows from various works in the mecha genre, particularly the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and Knights of Sidonia.
Mecha World is an RPG based on the Powered by the Apocalypse engine in which the players take command of mecha—giant humanoid vehicles controlled by a human pilot. With the power of these amazing creations, the players can take the field against forces that threaten the safety of their homes, their loved ones, and their own lives.
Maybe Earth is under siege from an alien empire, and you and your mecha are the only thing standing between them and enslaving humanity. Maybe the galaxy is being torn apart by war, and you must take command of your own mecha to fight against those of your enemies for the future of billions. Maybe the world is being invaded by gigantic monsters from another dimension, and to stop them, you must climb into the cockpit of a biological war machine made from the creatures’ own flesh. Whatever the story, and whatever the reason, once you accept the controls, you accept a pivotal role in determining the future of countless lives.
Of course, it’s not all fun. Piloting a mecha is a difficult and dangerous job, and many don’t survive the attempt. But if you do—if you’re brave, skilled, and lucky enough to stick it out—then you have a chance to change the world like few ever get.
So what are you waiting for, pilot? Strap in.
Anyone familiar with the mecha genre will know that there’s a huge amount of variation in tone, style, and narrative convention across different stories. One of the biggest differences is between “super robot” and “real robot”. To put it simply, in super robot fiction, things tend to be a lot more cinematic and heroic, with the mecha generally a lot more powerful and a lot rarer; in real robot, it’s just the opposite, with everything gritty and dangerous and mecha tending to be more common and widely used (and, importantly, more replaceable). Think about it like this: in super robot, mecha are superheroes; in real robot, mecha are weapons.
By default, Mecha World leans much more toward the latter. The game is set up to be highly lethal—just surviving one mission with a starting character is a big accomplishment. Consequently, mecha are assumed to be common enough that when your character dies, you can just bring in another one without trouble. However, if you prefer, there are ways to make your game lean more towards the super robot side of things. The crusader playbook includes a move literally called super robot that gives such characters’ mecha abilities reminiscent of that style. And if you want to reduce the lethality of the game, the narrator’s section includes ways to make it more forgiving and survivable. Find what your group enjoys, and do it. It's your game.
Skill is how well you handle your mecha, in terms of maneuvering and combat technique. It's rolled to attack enemies at close range, and to avoid harm. Skill is the most important stat for the ace.
Intellect is quick thinking and reading a situation. It's rolled to damage enemies with ranged weapons, and to spot advantages and threats in battle. Intellect is the most important stat for the tactician.
Discipline is your ability to keep cool under pressure. It's rolled to avoid panicking when in danger, and to direct allies in tense situations. Discipline is the most important stat for the commander.
Awareness is how well you’re attuned to your surroundings, and to other people. It's rolled to help allies do stuff, and rescue them from danger. Awareness is the most important stat for the guardian.
Resolve is your determination and fighting spirit. It's rolled to escape from dangerous situations. Resolve is the most important stat for the crusader.
Mecha: A giant humanoid vehicle. Most mecha are used for combative purposes, and fitted with weapons—Mecha World assumes this to be the case. Beyond that, what a mecha is and what it can do is determined by the world your game takes place in. Each player’s character controls their own mecha.
Pilot: A person who drives a mecha. They might be called other things, depending on the setting, but the rules refer to them as pilots.
PC: Stands for “player character”, which is exactly what it sounds like—a character created and controlled by one of the players. Anyone else in the world is an NPC, or non-player character, controlled by the narrator.
Narrator: The person at the table who isn’t a player, who describes and controls the world the PCs interact with, adjudicates the rules, and helps drive the action.
Playbook: A collection of specialized, powerful moves that a PC gains after surviving their first mission and graduating from their rookie status. Your playbook helps define your role as part of the team, and gives you tools to fill that role better. It also suggests some of your character’s personality.
Roll +Stat: Roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and add the listed stat to your result. A 10 or higher is a complete success; a 7-9 is a partial success, meaning you succeed, but at a cost. A 6 or lower is a failure; you don't want that.
Move: A thing you do that requires dice rolls. Everyone has access to a set of basic moves from the beginning, and gains special moves specific to their character later on.
Forward: The next time you roll the type of roll you have forward on, add the listed number to the roll. So, “+1 forward on skill” means your next skill roll gains an extra +1 bonus.
Ongoing: An ongoing value to a type of roll means you add or subtract the indicated amount every time you make that type of roll until the ongoing condition ends. So, “-1 ongoing to resolve until you stop and rest” means all your resolve rolls are at a -1 penalty until you stop and rest.
Hold: A sort of currency gained by using certain moves, which can then be spent via the same move or a different one to do stuff. Each move that uses hold will explain how.
Damage: Refers to harm suffered from enemy attacks and other hazards. A player’s mecha can sustain damage once and survive; take damage again, and the player will either be forced to eject or, more likely, killed outright.
Kill: A serious, telling hit that can take out a mecha or enemy. When a PC or an enemy has suffered damage once, taking damage again means they’re killed (though a PC can sometimes escape this by ejecting). Some things can also kill an undamaged target. A killed PC is dead; some enemies require more than one kill to defeat. If you're killed as a rookie, as is likely, your death will be quick and unceremonious—if you're lucky, you might have time to curse fate or scream a loved one's name before the end. At higher levels, the narrator might give you a few breaths for last words; use the time to bid your comrades farewell and wonder where all these flower petals came from.
Evasive maneuvers
When you move to avoid damage or danger, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you evade successfully and suffer no harm.
On a 7-9, you manage to avoid harm, but the narrator will inflict a disadvantage on you or present a difficult choice.
On a 6-, you’re too slow, and suffer damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you’re killed instead.
Open fire
When you attack from a distance to weaken your enemy, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, you manage to open your enemy up to a finishing attack and gain “locked on” as an advantage against that enemy.
On a 7-9, you still break through your enemy’s defenses and gain “locked on”, but overextend yourself to do so. Choose one:
The enemy immediately makes you its next target.
You’ve left yourself exposed to attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you can regain control of your position.
You’ve burned through a lot of your ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Shoot to kill
When you attack from a distance to take your enemy out for good, roll +intellect. You must burn a “locked on” advantage against your target to use this move.
On a 10+, your shot finds its target, and your enemy takes damage. If they have already taken damage, they are killed instead.
On a 7-9, you still manage to shoot straight, but pick one:
You expose yourself to counterattack, putting yourself in danger.
The stress of combat is starting to wear on you. Take -1 ongoing to discipline until you have a moment of relative safety to collect yourself.
You’ve burned through a lot of your ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Close the gap
When you attempt to close to melee range with an enemy, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you manage to close successfully and gain “close range” as an advantage against the target enemy.
On a 7-9, you close the distance and gain a “close range” advantage, but pick one:
Your enemy returns fire as you approach. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
Your approach puts you in a dangerous situation.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your advance is halted, and you get hurt in the attempt, suffering damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you are killed instead.
CQC
When you attempt to deliver a fatal blow at close range, roll +skill. You must burn a “close range” advantage against the target enemy to use this move.
On a 10+, your attack connects, and your enemy is killed.
On a 7-9, your enemy is killed, but pick one:
They manage to get in an attack of their own before they go down. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
You’ve ended up straight in the path of another threat, putting yourself in danger.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your attack goes wide or is deflected, and your enemy has a chance to get past your guard. Roll to perform evasive maneuvers.
Assess the situation
When you attempt to read the conditions of battle, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, ask two questions from the list below.
On a 7-9, ask one:
What can I turn to our advantage in this situation?
How does the enemy’s strength compare to our own?
What enemy or hazard poses the greatest threat?
What’s the safest path of retreat?
Keep it together
When you see or experience something that shakes your composure, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, you keep a clear head and can get back to the mission.
On a 7-9, you’re starting to waver. Take “panicked” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, you break under the stress of the situation, and are paralyzed with fear. You can take no further action until placed in danger or given time to calm down.
Assist an ally
When you provide support for a comrade's action, roll +awareness. You can only do this before they roll. You can assist with any move except for escaping death--for that, you'll have to rush to the rescue.
On a 10+, they gain +2 on the move you help with.
On a 7-9, they gain +2, but your fate has been bound up with theirs. Any negative consequences they suffer from their move, you suffer too.
Rush to the rescue
When you rush into danger to save an ally, roll +awareness. You can do this after your ally has already failed to escape death.
On a 10+, you make it in time and guide your comrade to safety.
On a 7-9, you can only save them at the cost of your own life. Choose one:
You’re too slow to make it in time, and your ally is lost.
You heroically sacrifice yourself for their sake.
On a 6-, your rescue is a failure for both of you, and you perish together.
Escape death
When you find yourself in a dangerous situation, roll +resolve.
On a 10+, you awaken your will to survive and escape unharmed.
On a 7-9, you manage to get away, but just barely. Choose one:
You’re hit in the process, and suffer damage. If you’ve already taken damage, you must eject from your mecha before it’s destroyed (see below).
Escaping has left you drained and shell-shocked. Take -1 ongoing to resolve until you have a moment of relative safety to collect yourself.
Your mecha is disabled entirely, forcing you to eject from the cockpit. You’re out of the fight, and your mecha is gone, but most enemies will seek other targets.
On a 6-, you fail to escape, and meet your end at the hands of whatever danger you faced.
Luck
Any time you make a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 luck to change the result to a 12. Any time an ally makes a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 luck to increase the result up to a 7.
An advantage is any asset or circumstance that make things easier or safer for you during a mission. You gain advantages when you use moves that create them, and keep them either until they’re nullified by the situation, or until you exploit them (see below).
When you gain an advantage, write down a description of what it is. Some advantages can be of use to your allies, not just to you.
There are two ways to use advantages. The first is to exploit them to improve the outcome of a roll. You must say you’re doing this before you make a roll, working the advantage into your description of the action. If you do, treat the roll as one step higher than it really was (6- becomes 7-9, 7-9 becomes 10+, and 10+ becomes 12 if it wasn’t already).
The other use of advantages is to burn them for moves like shoot to kill and CQC that require them in order to be used at all. Burning an advantage this way means it’s used up and lost, and can’t be used to improve the roll (though you can exploit another useful advantage you have if you want).
A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, something that makes your mission more difficult or dangerous. Failing some moves can give you disadvantages, as can other situations you end up in. Disadvantages remain in play until you find a way to negate them or the narrator exploits them.
This can be done one of two ways. The first is to change a result of 10+ on one of your rolls into a 7-9, or a 7-9 into a 6-. This doesn’t work if you used luck on the roll.
The second way is to use it as a new complication that must be overcome during the mission. For example, if your mecha is “low on fuel”, the narrator might have it finally run dry at any time, which could be disastrous during combat…
“Locked on”: granted when you successfully open fire, and by many more specialized moves, this advantage represents having a clear shot at a vulnerable part of the enemy with a ranged weapon. It must be burned to shoot to kill, which is probably the only thing it’ll normally be used for. Note that when you have “locked on” against an enemy, it only applies to that enemy—you can’t burn it to shoot a different target.
“Close range”: The melee equivalent of “locked on”, gained when you successfully close the gap or perform another move that grants it. Gaining a “close range” advantage is more risky than fighting at range, but allows you to instantly take out some enemies, even if they haven’t been damaged yet. Just like “locked on”, it can only be burned to attack the enemy against which it was gained.
“Low on fuel”: A special disadvantage that comes up when you fail or partially succeed at certain moves, “low on fuel” means you’re in danger of running out of power for your mecha’s propulsion system—a dire prospect, as doing so basically leaves you a sitting duck for the enemy.
“Low on ammo”: Another special disadvantage that means you’re almost out of ammo for your ranged weaponry. Run out completely, and you’ll be forced to resort to highly dangerous melee combat if you want to do anything against the enemy.
“Panicked”: A disadvantage taken when you partially succeed on an attempt to keep it together, “panicked” means you haven’t completely frozen up in terror, but your composure is faltering and you’re acting erratically.
The kinds of names you’ll want to give your characters will vary depending on the setting of your game, but there are some rules you should follow regardless.
When you begin play as a rookie, choose only a first or last name for your pilot, depending on which your characters would be called by in their situation (for example, if your characters are soldiers, they’ll probably be called by their last names). Don't choose a name for your mecha. When you make it to level 1 or start play at level 1, give your pilot a full name, and choose a name for your mecha, a callsign, or both, as appropriate.
By default, every pilot in Mecha World begins as a rookie—an untested newbie, just taking their first steps into the dangerous profession of mecha piloting. As a rookie, odds are you won’t survive your first mission…but if you do, you’ll have taken your first step towards becoming a legend.
Basic Info
You begin at level 0, and have 0 luck. You only have one name, and your mecha doesn’t have one at all. Hold off on thinking up a detailed backstory—wouldn’t want your effort to go to waste.
Stats
Assign one of the following values to each of your stats: +2, +1, +1, 0, and -1.
Moves
You know all the basic moves, and nothing else. You’ll get your playbook and more moves once you survive your first mission and reach level 1.
Equipment
You get the following standard-issue equipment as part of your basic mecha.
Propulsion system. Whether mechanized joint servos, rocket thrusters, or biological limbs, this is how mecha move around. Propulsion systems require fuel, of which your supply is limited.
Sensors. The links between your cockpit and the outside world, every mecha comes equipped with systems that allow its pilot to see and keep them apprised of their machine’s status.
Ranged weapon. All mecha carry at least one form of weaponry that allows them to attack at a distance. Not as deadly as close-combat weaponry, but less risky. Ranged weapons require ammo to function.
Melee weapon. Mecha also have weapon systems that help them mix it up in hand-to-hand combat (or hand-to-claw, or hand-to-tentacle, or whatever). Melee weapons are more damaging than ranged ones, but getting close enough to use them is dangerous. On the plus side, they don’t have limited ammo.
You can load your mecha with one extra piece of equipment without impairing its propulsion system. Begin a mission with any more, and you’ll start with the disadvantage “encumbered”. If you don’t mind the extra weight, you can carry up to three extra pieces of equipment maximum.
Choose one extra piece of equipment to start with:
Extra fuel. No matter what your mecha runs on, a little more of it is always handy. If necessary, you can give this supply to someone else. Refueling takes a few minutes of downtime no matter who’s doing it.
Extra ammo. Being able to shoot for longer than the other guy is never a bad thing. You can pass this off to an ally who’s running low.
Heavy ordnance. Explosives, missiles, or just a bigger gun for extra ranged power. If you use heavy ordnance when shooting to kill, a success or partial success will kill the enemy even if it hasn't been damaged (you have to say you're using the heavy ordnance before you roll). Use it once and it’s gone.
Evasive system. Chaff, ECMs, force fields, or some other means of emergency defense. Using an evasive system gives you an automatic 10+ result on an evasive maneuvers move, unless that roll was because of a failure or partial success on a CQC move. This can be done after you roll. One use only.
Escape system. If you have to eject from your cockpit during a mission, this will ensure you get away safe, and keep you alive until someone comes to rescue you. When you partially succeed on an escape death move and choose or are forced to eject, even enemies who would normally keep pursuing you will be unable to. The system comes with enough provisions to sustain you for one week.
Mecha are complex inventions, and for most people, piloting one is hard. It’s a set of skills that normally takes intensive training and rigorous practice to be competent in.
Not so for you. You were born for this.
You pilot your mecha as naturally as moving your own body, pulling off incredible maneuvers with dazzling skill and grace.
Just don’t get cocky—as your superiors are quick to remind you, talent alone is rarely a substitute for experience.
Basic Info
When you first become an ace, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Amazing maneuver
When you perform a complex and difficult stunt with your mecha, roll +skill.
On a 10+, gain an advantage appropriate to the maneuver performed, including “locked on” or “close range”, and pick two:
You manage to reach a position of safety, out of the enemy’s range.
One enemy is disoriented and stops attacking for a moment.
The adrenaline rush gives you +1 forward to any roll exploiting or burning the advantage gained from this move.
On a 7-9, gain an advantage and choose one of the above, but you’ve also drawn the enemy’s attention, and they’ll make you their next target.
On a 6-, you gain no advantage and don’t choose from the above list, but you’ve still drawn the enemy’s attention. Nice going, hotshot.
Flow of battle
When you destroy an enemy at close range, you gain a “locked on” or “close range” advantage against another enemy.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Can't touch this
When you attempt to maneuver safely through a large group of enemies, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you reach the other side unharmed.
On a 7-9, pick one:
You don’t quite make it to safety, and are still just within attack range.
You’ve overtaxed your systems in the process. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you have a safe moment to let your machine recover.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, you’re too slow to make it through, and are now in danger.
Crack shot
When you shoot to kill, you can roll +skill instead of +intellect.
Charge in
When you charge ahead of your comrades to recklessly attack at close range by yourself, roll +skill.
On a 10+, you can kill an enemy without burning an advantage. However, now you're in the thick of it, and won't be able to charge forward like that again until the situation changes.
On a 7-9, your attack still succeeds as above, but choose one:
The enemy manages to surround you, putting you in danger.
You’ve overtaxed your systems with your attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you have a safe moment to let your machine recover.
You’re running low on fuel. Take “low on fuel” as a disadvantage.
On a 6-, your attack is repelled, and now you’re right in the middle of the enemy, very much in danger.
Too slow
When you roll a 12+ on evasive maneuvers, you can evade into a position to counterattack, gaining a “locked on” or “close range” advantage against the enemy you evaded.
Skilled soldiers may win battles, but information wins wars. You understand this better than most.
As a tactician, you hold “know thine enemy” as your golden rule.
With your knack for reading the battlefield, you can spot advantages and threats that would never occur to anyone else. You can predict your foe’s movements, cutting them off at every turn.
Just don’t go thinking you know everything. No matter how smart you are, the world doesn’t always work the way you expect—and, as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy…
Basic Info
When you first become a tactician, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
I have an idea
When you take time to plan out a strategy for your mission, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, you can figure out the most effective path to the objective, but the narrator will tell you:
What complications might arise during the mission.
What resources you’ll need to make it work.
On a 7-9, a plan presents itself, but it’s a long shot, near suicide, or both. If you manage to pull it off anyway, though, the mission can still be a success.
On my mark
When you attempt to spot an opening for an ally to strike, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, your ally gains “locked on” or “close range” as an advantage (their choice).
On a 7-9, your ally gains an advantage, but the opening is fleeting—they’ll have to strike right away to take advantage of it.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Boom, headshot
When you shoot to kill and roll a 12+, the target is killed even if it hasn’t suffered damage.
Suppressive fire
When you attempt to interfere with an enemy’s movements by firing at them, roll +intellect.
On a 10+, the enemy is pinned by your hail of fire, and is unable to attack for a moment.
On a 7-9, the enemy is suppressed, but pick one:
The enemy immediately redirects its attention towards you.
You’ve left yourself vulnerable to a flanking attack. Take -1 ongoing to skill until you can regain control of your position.
You’ve burned through a lot of ammo. Take “low on ammo” as a disadvantage.
Battlefield intuition
When you assess the situation, you can ask an additional question on a 7+.
I knew you'd do that
When you exploit an advantage to perform evasive maneuvers, the result is automatically a 12.
Every team needs a leader, and a good leader needs a lot of things.
A good leader has to be able to keep a clear head under pressure. To be the pillar of stability when everyone else around them starts to crack. To have the presence and confidence that inspire others to follow their orders.
To your comrades, you are that person. When the world goes to hell, you stand firm, ready to guide them home safe.
Just be prepared for the pressure. When everyone depends on you, it’s easy to start thinking everything that goes wrong is your fault—and that kind of self-doubt is death to a leader.
Basic Info
When you first become a commander, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Follow my lead
When you attack in concert with an ally, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, you and your ally both gain either “locked on” or “close range” as an advantage against the target (both of you get the same advantage, your choice), and your ally gains +1 forward to their next attack against it.
On a 7-9, your ally gains an advantage and +1 forward, but you get hit in the process of creating an opening, and take a disadvantage.
Snap out of it
When you talk down a panicked or paralyzed ally, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, your words are enough to soothe their nerves, and they are no longer panicked or paralyzed.
On a 7-9, they calm down, but your own composure is weakening. Take -1 ongoing to discipline until you have a chance to pull yourself together.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Stand united
When you give an inspiring speech to your comrades before a mission, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, each person who listens gains +1 forward to their first two rolls of the mission.
On a 7-9, each person who listens gains +1 forward to their first roll of the mission.
Reinforcements
When you coordinate with command or another team before a mission, roll +discipline.
On a 10+, gain 2 hold.
On a 7-9, gain 1 hold.
You may spend 1 hold to have reinforcements arrive at a critical moment in the mission.
Privilege of rank
When you successfully complete a mission, you gain the advantage “reputation”. You can burn this advantage to ask your superiors for any resources, information, or assistance you need, and unless it’s highly classified or really unreasonable, you’ll get it. If you burn three advantages, you can even get the classified or unreasonable stuff.
This is how we do it
When you kill an enemy, choose one:
One ally who can see you gains +1 forward to their next roll.
One ally who can see you is no longer panicked or paralyzed.
In war, soldiers die—it’s simple fact. Things go wrong, people get killed.
That’s why the team has you.
As a guardian, protecting your comrades is more important to you than anything else in the world. You’re the one who makes it your mission to throw yourself into the line of fire to ensure no one is left behind. You can take the punishment others can’t. You can protect them.
Just remember—in war, soldiers die. If you break under the weight of your failures, what good will you be to anyone?
Basic Info
When you first become a guardian, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Got your back
When you rush to the rescue, the normal results are replaced with the following:
On a 10+, you manage to reach your ally and both get out safe.
On a 7-9, you don’t quite manage to escape unscathed, but at least you’re both alive. Take an appropriate disadvantage.
On a 6-, you heroically sacrifice yourself to save your comrade.
Overwatch
When you have an advantage against an enemy that threatens an ally, you may exploit the advantage to immediately open fire on that enemy before they can act. If the advantage is “locked on”, you may burn it to shoot to kill instead.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Jury rig
When you take time to quickly fix up an ally’s mecha, roll +awareness.
On a 10+, your ally is no longer damaged.
On a 7-9, you can remove a disadvantage related to their mecha being banged up.
I'll handle this
When you attempt to rescue an ally in danger by attacking the enemy threatening them, roll +awareness. Do this before your ally tries to escape death. Whatever happens, you can still rush to their rescue.
On a 10+, you arrive in time to save your ally, and the enemy is killed.
On a 7-9, choose one:
You’re a little too slow in taking out the enemy. Your ally suffers damage, or is forced to eject if they’re damaged already.
Your ally is able to get away, but the enemy is only damaged.
Mess with them, mess with me
When you successfully rescue an ally from danger, you may roll +awareness.
On a 10+, the enemy that threatened them immediately makes you its target instead, and you gain an advantage that you can exploit against it.
On a 7-9, the enemy targets you, but you don’t get an advantage.
No one left behind
When you move to regroup with an ally who’s been cut off from support, roll +awareness.
On a 10+, you’re able to make it to them without incident.
On a 7-9, you can still reach them, but you take some hits doing it. Take an appropriate disadvantage.
You don’t have incredible talent as a pilot. You don’t have nerves of steel. You don’t have the brain of a genius, or a knack for leadership.
What you do have is sheer, bloody-minded determination.
You've dedicated your life to a mission, a purpose greater than yourself. Maybe it’s to protect someone you love, or to seek vengeance on those who took them from you. Whatever it is, it’s what drives you to fight, and when all hope is lost, it gives you the strength to go on, to defy the odds and win when no one else can.
Just take care that your purpose doesn’t consume you. People have driven themselves crazy fighting for noble causes…
Basic Info
When you first become a crusader, you're level 1, with 2 luck. Choose your full name, and name your mecha or pick a callsign, or both, as appropriate. Describe your appearance, personality, and background, and what your mecha looks like.
Limit break
When you or the things you care about most are in great danger, roll +resolve.
On a 10+, you can tap into a buried reserve of strength and unleash amazing power, gaining 4 hold. Maybe your mecha has a last-resort superweapon, locked away except in an emergency. Maybe it has performance limiters that can be disabled to unleash a form of hyper-mode. Or maybe it’s all you, throwing caution to the wind and just giving it everything you’ve got.
On a 7-9, you gain 3 hold, but choose one:
You go berserk, leaping into the fray and attacking without concern for your own safety or the success of the mission. Calming you down will require either all enemies to be defeated, or an ally to snap you out of it.
Your lashing out draws the attention of every enemy, and they all immediately focus on you.While you are limit breaking, you may spend 1 hold to:
Ignore the damage from an attack.
Perform an incredibly difficult maneuver.
Immediately kill an enemy.
Force of will
When you successfully limit break, you are no longer panicked or paralyzed, nor do you become so again after returning to normal.
Improvement
Each time you survive a mission, your level increases by 1, your luck resets to 2, you can pick up new equipment, and you pick one of the following options. Each can only be taken once.
+1 skill.
+1 intellect.
+1 discipline.
+1 awareness.
+1 resolve.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
One advanced move from your playbook.
When you reach level 6, the following additional options become available.
+1 to any stat (no stat can be raised higher than +3).
Luck is set to 3 after each mission instead of 2.
One starting move from another playbook.
One advanced move from another playbook that you already have a starting move in.
Super robot
Pick one of the following. You gain your choice as an advantage when you limit break. You can take this move multiple times, selecting a different advantage each time.
Your limit break activates nigh-impenetrable defense systems.
Your limit break confers powerful offensive capabilities.
Your limit break grants incredible speed and agility.
Your limit break includes self-repair functions that fix damage to your mecha.
I mustn't run away
When you attempt to keep it together, you can roll +resolve instead of +discipline.
Big damn hero
When you successfully limit break, all allies who see you do so gain +1 forward to their next roll. Each time you spend hold, they gain +1 forward to another subsequent roll.
The Narrator's Agenda
Facilitate cool giant robot action.
Balance the robot action with human drama.
Show humanity at its best and worst.
Play to find out what happens.
The Narrator's Principles
Begin and end with the fiction.
Never let them think success is guaranteed.
Never make them think success is impossible.
Balance high risk with high reward.
Threaten what they care about.
Make every mission memorable and unique.
The Players' Agenda
Read this to your players when you begin the game.
Fight for what you care about.
Risk everything for success.
Show your character’s greatest strengths.
Show your character’s greatest flaws.
Reveal a complication
Introduce something that shakes up the situation in a scary, unpleasant way. That enemy you just defeated called for reinforcements. An allied unit needs backup. Your intel was wrong and now you’re surrounded. You get the picture.
Inflict a disadvantage
When the PCs fail or partially succeed at something, they’re often in a position to incur disadvantages. Exercise your best judgment in what to inflict on them, then tell them to write it down and keep it in mind until further notice.
Exploit a disadvantage
Then, once they’ve started taking punishment, have it come back to bite them. As long as a player still has a disadvantage (as in, it still makes sense as something that would hinder them), you can exploit it to lower the result of one of their rolls by one step—so a success becomes a partial success, and a partial success becomes a failure. Remember, you can’t do this if someone spent luck on the roll. Also, once you exploit a disadvantage, it’s gone.
Damage their mecha
The whole point of Mecha World is that the players pilot mecha, and being stuck without one, or with a partially broken one, is a serious problem. The most extreme form of this is disabling a player’s mecha entirely, forcing them to abandon it and eject. Inflicting damage on a player puts them one step closer to being bumped off for good. And knocking out one or more of their essential systems can introduce all sorts of other complications.
Separate them from the group
In the chaos of battle, group cohesion is important, and taking it away can mess things up in a bunch of ways. If someone overextends themselves, don’t hesitate to follow it to its logical conclusion and cut them off from support. Now the group has to deal with it.
Put them in danger
This is when things get the direst for the PCs. The enemy has you surrounded, ready to open fire. An explosive device is primed to go off if you so much as twitch. If someone messes up at a crucial moment, don’t hesitate to put them on the spot and demand that they take immediate action to save their ass.
Super vs. Real
As explained at the very beginning, Mecha World is designed to be used for more real robot than super robot games. By default, the game is highly lethal, especially for new characters, and it’s expected that people will die, possibly frequently.
However, if that doesn’t suit your taste, there’s an easy way to ramp down the deadliness: give the PCs’ mecha more kills. If the PCs can take more punishment in combat, they won’t be as reliant on the luck of the dice to pull through, and will have a greater likelihood of surviving for long careers.
Another way to up the PCs’ power level is to skip the rookie phase when making characters, and just give everyone access to their playbooks right off the bat. Veteran characters have a lot more tools for escaping death than newbies do, and letting them start with those kinds of options will go a long way towards keeping them alive. If you want to do this, have the players assign their stats and choose equipment as if they were creating rookies, and then just increase their level, luck, and move selection as normal.
Finally, one other thing you could do is give the PCs more equipment. By default, they can only have one thing at a time without being at a disadvantage, and three at the absolute maximum, but some of the equipment they can carry is actually pretty powerful when used correctly, and giving them a less restrictive limit is potentially a big boost.
Enemies
No matter what the setting or story of your game, your players will need someone or something to fight, a threat to oppose. The enemy can be basically anything that works for you, but keep in mind a few guidelines for creating different kinds of enemies.
Standard enemies: These will be relatively run-of-the-mill opponents that are about equal in power to one of the players’ characters. Just like PCs, they can be damaged once before they are killed, and when killed once, they’re done. If you want things to actually be challenging, these enemies should probably show up in groups. If you’re running a less lethal game, you can adjust the enemies’ kill limits accordingly, or leave them weaker than the PCs to let the players really feel like heroes.
Strong enemies: To make bigger, badder bad guys who can threaten a whole group of PCs by themselves, just increase the number of times they have to be Killed before they actually die. For enemies like this, no amount of kills does anything to weaken them until they’re completely defeated.
Enemies with parts: Sometimes, you might want a type of enemy that doesn’t go down easily, but can be weakened by hitting particular parts it has. For this type of fight, just treat the single enemy as a group of standard or strong enemies, but describe it as all one thing. Defeating one or more parts of the enemy will take away more of its ability to act, granting the PCs greater and greater advantage.
Enemies with specific vulnerabilities: If you want your bad guys to only be really vulnerable to one type of weapon, to have just one specific weak spot, or something along those lines, you can make it so only ranged weapons or only melee weapons can kill them. Depending on the game, you might even have to specify further, by saying only a specific type of melee or ranged weapon is effective, and anyone without that exact thing is out of luck (in that case, you should make sure everyone has access). Even if you do this, you should allow other types of attacks to create advantages against the enemies, since lots of players will be able to grant those advantages to allies who might be better equipped to do the honors.
Mecha World owes inspiration to Apocalypse World and other games using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine, particularly Titan World. Obviously, it also borrows from various works in the mecha genre, particularly the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and Knights of Sidonia.