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BRP Mecha


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Okay, we did it. Rome is available to fans, and it was a success. There are no words to express how good a job the team did. Those of you who own a copy of the book can understand why I am saying so :)

Now it is the time to go for new targets. We have a couple more fantasy books due out this year, one is Stupor Mundi 2 (The Baltic Crusades) and the other is possibly a Rome campaign, if Pete has enough motivation for it (start lobbying him, folks!)

Time for new targets now. Our all-new book, expected for next year, will be "BRP Mecha". I ran a playtest at Tentacles and it was satisfactory. Now it is the time to announce it officially, so that our Site Admin can add it to the "Future Releases" list.

The book will be a compendium of all the rules needed to play a Mecha campaign that fits the Anime genre. For copyright reasons, it will not include any stats for "official" mechas, but I plan to include rules that encompass at least the following well-known Anime universes: Code Geass, Macross/Robotech, Universal Century/Gundam, and the Go Nagai mechas for which i have already provided some stats here. Players will be able to make up their own versions of the "official" mechas, with all the weapons and gadgets seen in the TV series.

Given the amount of small, game-oriented models that Bandai Entertainment produces for each of these series, this could easily become the best supported Roleplaying game ever! :cool:

See you on Mecha Channel!

“Double-0 Gundam, Setsuna F.Seiei, HASHIN!!!!!”

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If I could ever fall in love with an abstract conceptualization - it'd be this topic. This news comes as one of the most beautiful things I could have hoped to hear. I eagerly await this gem!

But uh, I don't suppose there are any plans to dip into Gunbuster while your at it?

"Life itself is only a vision. A dream. Nothing exists, save empty space and you. And you... are but a thought."

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If I could ever fall in love with an abstract conceptualization - it'd be this topic. This news comes as one of the most beautiful things I could have hoped to hear. I eagerly await this gem!

But uh, I don't suppose there are any plans to dip into Gunbuster while your at it?

You will be able to easily make up the details for other Mecha series yourself. I intend to concentrate on series that I know personally, and could have a widespread audience. Putting in Gunbuster or Patlabor could be interesting but I cannot do everything.

Oh, and of course contributions are welcome. I have already adopted atgxtg's revised SIZ table, if anyone has good ideas submit them and we will include them in the supplement.

Edited by RosenMcStern

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You will be able to easily make up the details for other Mecha series yourself. I intend to concentrate on series that I know personally, and could have a widespread audience. Putting in Gunbuster or Patlabor could be interesting but I cannot do everything.

Oh, and of course contributions are welcome. I have already adopted atgxtg's revised SIZ table, if anyone has good ideas submit them and we will include them in the supplement.

Hey, I understand completely - I just figured I'd take a shot. I hope I wasn't being pushy or anything, I'm just a little too excited. In any event, I'm really looking forward to it!

"Life itself is only a vision. A dream. Nothing exists, save empty space and you. And you... are but a thought."

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Okay, we did it. Rome is available to fans, and it was a success. There are no words to express how good a job the team did. Those of you who own a copy of the book can understand why I am saying so :)

BIG success! :thumb:

Now it is the time to go for new targets. We have a couple more fantasy books due out this year, one is Stupor Mundi 2 (The Baltic Crusades) and the other is possibly a Rome campaign, if Pete has enough motivation for it (start lobbying him, folks!)

Rome campaign, Rome campaign! :happy: (tell me when it's moved into the future releases category!)

Time for new targets now. Our all-new book, expected for next year, will be "BRP Mecha". I ran a playtest at Tentacles and it was satisfactory. Now it is the time to announce it officially, so that our Site Admin can add it to the "Future Releases" list.

Very nice! I'll get to that shortly. I you have another image than the one I use that you would rather have on the frontpage, send it over! :)

The book will be a compendium of all the rules needed to play a Mecha campaign that fits the Anime genre. For copyright reasons, it will not include any stats for "official" mechas, but I plan to include rules that encompass at least the following well-known Anime universes: Code Geass, Macross/Robotech, Universal Century/Gundam, and the Go Nagai mechas for which i have already provided some stats here. Players will be able to make up their own versions of the "official" mechas, with all the weapons and gadgets seen in the TV series.

Can you tell us anything more about the contents? Got any estimation about pagecount yet? Or what part of 2010 we can be looking for it?

Cheers,

Sverre.

Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub!
b1.gif 116/420. High Priest.

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Me of course. Who is the animaniac on this forum?

That would be you. Blurb is up. Can you tell us anything more about the contents? Got any estimation about pagecount yet? Or what part of 2010 we can be looking for it?

SGL.

Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub!
b1.gif 116/420. High Priest.

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Me of course. Who is the animaniac on this forum?

Not really mecha, but I would love to see a supplement dealing with an old WWII battleship rebuilt into a space battleship. ;)

I'd go back to school all over again just to be able to run home after and watch (or read) it.

Rod

"Its a space battleship, the biggest I've ever seen"

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I'd go back to school all over again just to be able to run home after and watch (or read) it.

Oh, man, 3D, how I remember doing the same thing! :happy:

Cheers,

Sunwolfe

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Present home-port: home-brew BRP/OQ SRD variant; past ports-of-call: SB '81, RQIII '84, BGB '08, RQIV(Mythras) '12,  MW '15, and OQ '17

BGB BRP: 0 edition: 20/420; .pdf edition: 06/11/08; 1st edition: 06/13/08

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Not really mecha, but I would love to see a supplement dealing with an old WWII battleship rebuilt into a space battleship. ;)

A conversion to BRP of something similar to "Mekton Empire" would cover both Mecha and "Battle Ships in Space" (and Ninja Rocket ships).

Mekton Empire - R. Talsorian Games Inc. (RPGNow.com)

Given that Mekton stats and skills are values out of 10, a conversion to BRP is fairly simple. The core Mekton (II or Zeta) rule book could be used to create the ships/mecha, which are then adjusted to BRP values. Or just define a BRP HP value for a Mekton "KILL" (mecha hp and armour scale), and then use most of the stats as they are, the same way that Mekton differentiates between hp and 'kills'.

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  • 4 weeks later...

You will certainly be able to adapt the rules to robots by adding self-consciousness to the mechas. But keep in mind that the smallest mechas at which the supplement is targeted (Code Geass' Knightmare Frames) are 4,50 metres high and weigh 7,50 metric tons. So this supplement will not help you design Robocop or R. Daneel Olivaw.

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Now it is the time to go for new targets. We have a couple more fantasy books due out this year, one is Stupor Mundi 2 (The Baltic Crusades)”

The Baltic Crusades book sounds good - I was thinking about setting a campaign in the Order State centered around the Teutonic Knights, so that book would come in handy. Any idea when it may be out?

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Rosen, a copule of Mecha questions:

Way back, you were posting some rough stats for various "classic" anime Mecha. I figure getting the various licenses for the various anime series is out of the question, so are there going to be some "knockoff" versions in the Mecha book? Some designs similar enough to give the feel for mecha like Mazina, Gaiking, Raideen, or Getter Robo?

Speaking of Getter Robo, are the rules for designing tranforming and or combining mecha?

Lastly, what did you work up for handling things like STR vs STR rolls on the Mecha level? Does STR 210 automatically beat STR 200, or do you trteat it like 21 vs 20 or what?

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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I plan to include rules that encompass at least the following well-known Anime universes: Code Geass, Macross/Robotech, Universal Century/Gundam, and the Go Nagai mechas for which i have already provided some stats here.

Wow I was just talking to a friend about how well Code Geass would work as an RPG. Being a huge fan of Michael Moorcock as well, there are similarities between that and Hawkmoon, and I had thought about using MRQ Hawkmoon as a base. However this is much more interesting, though maybe I'll keep the flame lances and ornithopters in addition to using Knightmare Frames. Very cool news!

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I figure getting the various licenses for the various anime series is out of the question

I have asked people who usually have contacts with the big Japanese companies, and the answer is that they would not even bother to consider such a request.

, so are there going to be some "knockoff" versions in the Mecha book? Some designs similar enough to give the feel for mecha like Mazina, Gaiking, Raideen, or Getter Robo?

The game I ran at tentacles was based on the Universal Century, with stats for "official" mecha. But these cannot be included in a commercial product. I am certain that fans will make their own versions of the official mechas and distribute them via non commercial channels.

Speaking of Getter Robo, are the rules for designing tranforming and or combining mecha?

There will be rules fro this, but they are not done yet. And do not expect to find Autobots or Decepticons in BRP Mecha.

Lastly, what did you work up for handling things like STR vs STR rolls on the Mecha level? Does STR 210 automatically beat STR 200, or do you trteat it like 21 vs 20 or what?

Assume a 10:1 rate between variables at mecha level and human level. For hit points and weapon damage, all scores will be divided by 10 for Mechas, giving them a range numerically similar to the values for human. For STR and such, the scores will be unchanged. This could create the problems you suggest.

There are two solutions possible, and the game will most likely suggest both as options: a) divide by 10 and use the Resistance Table, and B) use an opposed roll of characteristic as a percentile. Of course STR and SIZ will be adjusted using your modified chart.

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I have asked people who usually have contacts with the big Japanese companies, and the answer is that they would not even bother to consider such a request.

I figured as much.

The game I ran at tentacles was based on the Universal Century, with stats for "official" mecha. But these cannot be included in a commercial product. I am certain that fans will make their own versions of the official mechas and distribute them via non commercial channels.

They might even end up on some official sites as well. Japanese companies are much more tolerant of third party use of their mecha and characters than elsewhere. Basically they release that doing so would mean going after their own fanbase.

There will be rules fro this, but they are not done yet. And do not expect to find Autobots or Decepticons in BRP Mecha.

:). I was thinking more along the likes of Getta Robo and VF-1S Valkyries.

Assume a 10:1 rate between variables at mecha level and human level. For hit points and weapon damage, all scores will be divided by 10 for Mechas, giving them a range numerically similar to the values for human. For STR and such, the scores will be unchanged. This could create the problems you suggest.

There are two solutions possible, and the game will most likely suggest both as options: a) divide by 10 and use the Resistance Table, and B) use an opposed roll of characteristic as a percentile.

Might I suggest a 1/8 or 1/16 rate instead of 1/10? Tat way it is much easier to scale with thing like damage bonus. Since every +16 STR or SIZ is worth +1D6, a 8 or 16 to 1 scale makes dbs a snap.

For example, at 1:16 scale damage bonus is equal to STR+SIZ-1.

Of course STR and SIZ will be adjusted using your modified chart.

:D

I'm gonna have to email Chaosium about the table now!

If you are interested, I can send you my stuff for correlating horsepower/kW to STR, armor thickness to AP and cannon.

It could help people in working up stats for mecha designs where things like weapon caliber or engine power are known. For instance, if someone wanted to write up a "triple barrel 55mm rotary cannon" my cannon stuff would suggest a damage rating of around 8D6 and a base range of around 2000m (about 650m if "handheld").

I7m not pushing anything, but it's available if you want any of it.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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Might I suggest a 1/8 or 1/16 rate instead of 1/10? Tat way it is much easier to scale with thing like damage bonus. Since every +16 STR or SIZ is worth +1D6, a 8 or 16 to 1 scale makes dbs a snap.

For example, at 1:16 scale damage bonus is equal to STR+SIZ-1.

I have already reworked the damage bonus table, so no need to worry about that. 10:1 is intuitive when making conversions (well, for non-British at least :lol:) so it is better.

If you are interested, I can send you my stuff for correlating horsepower/kW to STR, armor thickness to AP and cannon.

It could help people in working up stats for mecha designs where things like weapon caliber or engine power are known. For instance, if someone wanted to write up a "triple barrel 55mm rotary cannon" my cannon stuff would suggest a damage rating of around 8D6 and a base range of around 2000m (about 650m if "handheld").

Of course I am interested. Incidentally, the 60mm rotating vulcan cannon that is standard equipment for Earth Federation mechas is rated by me at 1d4 "mecha" damage (2.5 average vs. your average of 2.8 with 8d6) and has a 2000m max. range. Looks like our ideas converge.

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I have already reworked the damage bonus table, so no need to worry about that. 10:1 is intuitive when making conversions (well, for non-British at least :lol:)

You take that back! Not all of the British rural areas have extra (or missing) digits.

Anyway metric has been the official curriculum system in the UK for decades now (and quite right too). It's only the stubborn, softheaded, old and US citizens who insist on sticking to crazy arsed imperial systems.

Al

Rule Zero: Don't be on fire

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