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View Full Version : Futuristic Mobile Fortress Templates (WIP)



Schattenbach
2017-01-06, 04:18 PM
So I was rewatching the Heavy Object Anime ... and, as I'm currently planning also busy to make an PL6/limited PL 7 setting mixed with the elements DnD 3.5, and was thus still in need of actual really big tanks (i.e. ... walking fortresses ... if possible functional by only one person), I took a look at what D20 Future & D20 Future Tech had to provide when it comes to actually construct objects ... but the result was disappointing as far as Mechas (as tanks) go ... what with (Colossal Walking Fortress) Mechas ("tank") being seemingly generally pretty weak (and slow) for their incredibly high purchase price (what with, all in all, the price that for the base version already reaching the 100,000 million gold pieces), but also (unless I missed something) also quite lacking in terms of mass destruction (when compared to Starships that not only got tons of HP & HD at their disposal but also Orbital Bombardement rules that lay waste to whatever area they target, though I#m not sure how big that area actually is).

So is it necessary to (somehow) refluff some Spaceship (though what spaceship type to choose here, what with them usually requiring tons of crew members?) into some kind of (usually levitating) mobile fortress of the suiteable (more or less "Object" sized) size?

Or has someone some good idea about to make use of the existing tools provided by D20 Future and such to construct something workable? As far as I can tell, in addition to upgrading the number of slots on each body part (to up to seven for pretty low costs compared to the huge price tag of the mecha itself) it's actually possible to replace the hand and feet slots with some other stuff (one additional slot for hands, so once the have been upgraded to 7 slots, that will be 8 free slots each ... and four spider legs could, at the cost of the boot slot that could've been used for some minor levitation, been aquired so as to get 7 slots in each of them in that could, for example, be filled with some speed boosting stuff), but the weapon systems seem kind of lackluster (unless I misunderstood something about their area of effect rules, as their AoE seems to either be small scale or nonexistent, and while the weapons could do decent damage, they don't justify the price tag of the mecha itself) and their range isn't that great, either.

Maybe something with Meta-Bot (to create something decent by actually permanently combine two Mechas into something workable?) might work? I would actually like to see how far things could do withput Homebrewing stuff, so ... has someone some suggestion about how to improve on this issue?

Schattenbach
2017-01-14, 11:40 AM
Update 1:

I've come to the conclusion that one of the easiest ways to fix this issue would be by simply slapping templates on those Colossal Walking Fortress mechas that provide them, among other things, with access to fairly decent Starship weapons. They're still overpriced, though, but now they're at least - or so I hope - pulling their own weight to some degree.

Some basic ideas (still unfinished):

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???Mobile Fortress Mecha Template:
# Can be applied onto Colossal Walking Fortress Mechas
# The mecha's Head Slots are lost
# Cranium, Shoulders, Torso, Belt, Back, Right Leg, Left Leg and Boots obtain one additional slot each.
# The mecha's frame is increased in size; both its height and length is increased to at least 150 feet.
# Increases the Mecha's Hardness compared to the amount of provided by its Superstructure by 50% of its original value, while also increasing the
Hit Points of every part of the mecha's equipment that is installed on its body by 50% of its original value.
OR
((Increases the Bonus HP compared to the amount of Bonus Hit Points normaly provided by Colossal Walking Fortress Mechas by 50% of its original value, while also increasing the
Hit Points of every part of the mecha's equipment that is installed on its body by 50% of its original value.))
# The mecha's overall land speed and swim speed (if the mecha's swim speed scales based on the mecha's land movement speed, then the indirect swim speed increase through the mecha's
improved land movement speed obviously doesn't stack with each other) and is doubeled.
# Starship weapons (expect mine weapons) for "Objects" / "Mobile Fortresses";
When attacking something with mecha-mounted Starship weapons, the mecha can attempt to attack creatures or objects as normal, although in regard to the actual attack,
the following modifications take place ... At first it's necessary to confirm if the area itself (as per the Aerial/Orbital Bombardement rules) has been hit or not, then - if the area
itself has been hit - confirm if the target has been hit directly, then proceed to make sure about if the target has been critically hit or not, then calculate how much damage
everything in the affected squares takes (as per the Aerial/Orbital Bombardement rules, with the expection of that if the target has been hit directly, it isn't entiteled the Reflex
Saving Throw usually allowed for those subjected to Aerial/Orbital Bombardement and that if it has been critically hit, it is affected by it the same way it would usually be).

Just like it is also the case for regular starship weapons, if a starship weapon has an automatic rate of fire, it can be set on autofire. Autofire affects an area and everything in it,
not a specific target. The mecha using the autofire weapon targets a 1,000-foot-by-1,000-foot area and makes an attack roll; the targeted area has an effective Defense of 10. If the
attack succeeds, starships and such within the affected area must make a Pilot check (DC 15) - there applies a penalty on the check based on the size of the pilot's ship: Huge -2,
Gargantuan -4, Colossal -8 - or take the weapon's damage, while everything else gains no such option to avoid the weapon's damage.
Some starship weapons-such as the needle driver-only have autofire settings and can't normally fire single shots.

## Starship Point Defense System (integrated into Belt, Back or Shoulders) ... 4 Slots;
## Weapons for at least Huge Starships (integrated into Hand, Arm or Shoulder Slot) ... 2 Slots; Starship weapons of the next higher progress level require two additional Slots.
## Weapons for at least Gargantuan Starships (integrated into Hand, Arm or Shoulder Slot) ... 4 Slots; Starship weapons of the next higher progress level require two additional Slots.
## Weapons for at least Colossal Starships (integrated into Hand, Arm or Shoulder Slot) ... 7 Slots; Starship weapons of the next higher progress level require two additional Slots.
# The Mecha's Base Purchase DC is increased by +4.


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???(("Planetary" Mobil Fortress Template ... the mecha cannot be equiped with flight engines expect Deep Space Thrusters ... doubles overall land speed
Allows to increase the number of equipment Slots that can be added to each part of the mecha from one to two and the number of equipment Slots that can be added to the mecha's Cranium
and legs from one to four; the Mecha's Base Purchase DC is increased by +0 ... can only be applied if neither the "Aerial" Mobile Fortress Template nor the "Aquatic" Mobil Fortress Template have been applied to the mecha))


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???(("Aerial" Mobile Fortress Template ... base land speed is reduced to 5 feet and the mecha obtains an base swim speed of 100 feet ... quadruples overall fly speed
Provides additional Slots and such; i.e. the Mecha's Cranium, Back, Left Hand, Right Hand, Shoulders and Boots obtain one additional slot each; the Mecha's Base Purchase
DC is increased by +4 ... can only be applied if neither the "Aquatic" Mobile Fortress Template nor the "Planetary" Mobil Fortress Template have been applied to the mecha))


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???(("Aquatic" Moble Fortress Template ... the mecha loses its land speed and cannot be equiped with flight engines ... provides base swim speed equal to 150 feets ... doubles overall
swim speed.
Provides additional Slots and such; i.e. the Mecha's Cranium, Back, Left Hand, Right Hand, Shoulders two additional slot each and it loses all of its Leg Slots and Boots Slots;
the Mecha's Base Purchase DC is increased by +0 ... can only be applied if neither the "Aerial" Mobile Fortress Template nor the "Planetary" Mobil Fortress Template have been applied to the mecha))

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Some basic numbers: Colossal Mecha Base Purchase DC =60 (~$200.000.000,00 or ~10.000.000gp); Colossal Walking Fortress Mecha Base Purchase DC = 64 (~$650.000.000,00 or ~32.500.000gp); Mobile Fortress Base Purchase DC (~$2.000.000.000,00 or ~100.000.000gp); Aerial Mobile Fortress Base Purchase DC = 72 (~$6.500.000.000,00 or ~325.000.000gp) ... if they are deemed to be either cutting edge (which they likely are going to be, what with Colossal Walking Fortresses supposedly not existing on PL6 and being uncommon on PL7), their Base Purchase DC is obviously higher (or, if they're deemed to be prototypes, it gets even more expensive, I guess). At least they're entirely nonmagical pieces of equipment.

Feedback in regrard to the balance of these templates and about how to improve them (they're nothing more than basic outlines thus far) would be helpful.