Mike Taylor
10-16-2007, 12:19 AM
I know at least a couple of you are familiar with Palladium's RPG rules, so I thought I'd share one of the items I came up with for Robotech. Inspired by a campaign being run here (http://p209.ezboard.com/bswankytownwars), I created a simple mecha known as a "runabout". Runabouts are built from whatever salvage happens to be available, but they do have these things in common: a pair of robotic legs, a seat, and balance arms. Unlike the bigger, more complex machines of the so-called Robotech Wars, runabouts are designed to be relatively simple to operate. The powerplants will vary. Some use protoculture engines scavenged from destroyed Cyclones, others use motorcycle or automotive powerplants, still others use a two-stroke (lawnmower) engine to power banks of electrical motors.
Most are weaponless and used for non-combat purposes. A few farms and communities use them for towing heavy loads. Others use them as a relatively quick and safe means to travel over terrain too uneven for conventional vehicles and too dangerous to travel on foot or horseback. A few towns and militias have lightly armed runabouts for law enforcement and community defense, but the comparatively primitive little walkers are woefully outmatched by the large number of salvaged battloids and destroids used by mercenaries and landship pirates. Against these, they are little more than targets.
Typical Runabout
Vehicle Type: Muleshoe Sheriff's Department "Mule" Runabout
Crew: One
M.D.C. By Location
Main Body*-- 50
Legs (2)-- 25 each
M-89 Machine Gun (1 or 2)-- 20 each
Balance Arms (2)**-- 20 each
Power Plant*-- 20
*Destroying the main body or powerplant will shut the mecha down. Unless the pilot is wearing M.D.C. body armor, he or she is likely to be killed by any excess damage that breaches the main body. Also, because of the open top design of most runabouts, an attacker can make a called shot against the pilot without having to breach the main body (-3 to strike because of partial concealment).
** Destroying the balance arms incurs a -20% penalty to piloting skill rolls, plus a -2 to all combat rolls. If the mecha falls over, it can not stand upright again until the balance arms are fixed or replaced.
Speed: 50 mph at best. Typical landspeed is 35 mph.
Height: 15' tall with legs fully extended. 8' tall if crouched or kneeling.
Weight: 1 ton
Range: Varies from machine to machine. The average operation range of most is 20 miles (max is 40) on gasoline engines, though there are at least two that run off of protoculture powercells.
Weapon Systems
1. M-89 .50 cal Machine Gun Salvaged from destroyed RDF vehicles ages ago, this weapon is typically mounted on a boom extending from one or both balance arms and fed from a magazine in the body of the runabout. The guns can elevate 45 degrees, with a 30 degree traverse.
Mega-Damage: 1D4 for short bursts. 2D4 for long bursts. 4D4 for a full melee burst. Double this damage if the vehicle mounts two such guns.
Range: 2000 feet
Payload: 500 rounds. A short burst=5 rounds, a long burst= 10 rounds, a full melee burst= 20. Double this if firing two guns simultaneously.
NOTE: Unlike M-89s mounted on the old RDF Destroids, these salvaged weapons are fired "over iron sights" and lack targeting systems. As such, the Weapons System skill bonus does NOT apply. However, bonuses from the W.P. Heavy Weapons DO.
2.Optional hand-to-hand combat: Not really recommended, but sometimes it happens. Please note that most runabouts can not jump. leap kick, or climb.
Mega-Damage: Body Block/Ram: 1D4 M.D.
*Stomp: 1D4-1 M.D. (minimum damage is 1)
*Effective against targets 6 feet tall or smaller.
Most are weaponless and used for non-combat purposes. A few farms and communities use them for towing heavy loads. Others use them as a relatively quick and safe means to travel over terrain too uneven for conventional vehicles and too dangerous to travel on foot or horseback. A few towns and militias have lightly armed runabouts for law enforcement and community defense, but the comparatively primitive little walkers are woefully outmatched by the large number of salvaged battloids and destroids used by mercenaries and landship pirates. Against these, they are little more than targets.
Typical Runabout
Vehicle Type: Muleshoe Sheriff's Department "Mule" Runabout
Crew: One
M.D.C. By Location
Main Body*-- 50
Legs (2)-- 25 each
M-89 Machine Gun (1 or 2)-- 20 each
Balance Arms (2)**-- 20 each
Power Plant*-- 20
*Destroying the main body or powerplant will shut the mecha down. Unless the pilot is wearing M.D.C. body armor, he or she is likely to be killed by any excess damage that breaches the main body. Also, because of the open top design of most runabouts, an attacker can make a called shot against the pilot without having to breach the main body (-3 to strike because of partial concealment).
** Destroying the balance arms incurs a -20% penalty to piloting skill rolls, plus a -2 to all combat rolls. If the mecha falls over, it can not stand upright again until the balance arms are fixed or replaced.
Speed: 50 mph at best. Typical landspeed is 35 mph.
Height: 15' tall with legs fully extended. 8' tall if crouched or kneeling.
Weight: 1 ton
Range: Varies from machine to machine. The average operation range of most is 20 miles (max is 40) on gasoline engines, though there are at least two that run off of protoculture powercells.
Weapon Systems
1. M-89 .50 cal Machine Gun Salvaged from destroyed RDF vehicles ages ago, this weapon is typically mounted on a boom extending from one or both balance arms and fed from a magazine in the body of the runabout. The guns can elevate 45 degrees, with a 30 degree traverse.
Mega-Damage: 1D4 for short bursts. 2D4 for long bursts. 4D4 for a full melee burst. Double this damage if the vehicle mounts two such guns.
Range: 2000 feet
Payload: 500 rounds. A short burst=5 rounds, a long burst= 10 rounds, a full melee burst= 20. Double this if firing two guns simultaneously.
NOTE: Unlike M-89s mounted on the old RDF Destroids, these salvaged weapons are fired "over iron sights" and lack targeting systems. As such, the Weapons System skill bonus does NOT apply. However, bonuses from the W.P. Heavy Weapons DO.
2.Optional hand-to-hand combat: Not really recommended, but sometimes it happens. Please note that most runabouts can not jump. leap kick, or climb.
Mega-Damage: Body Block/Ram: 1D4 M.D.
*Stomp: 1D4-1 M.D. (minimum damage is 1)
*Effective against targets 6 feet tall or smaller.