Crazy motorcycles and psychics

[greasy_granny]

A psi-judge can get on a motorcycle (+2 armor +4 hits +1MD), wears standard issue armor (+4 armor), running foresight talent (+2 agility and armor) at level 1. Built with bonuses in agility and melee, he moves 20-40 inches, has +4 agility, +8 armor, +2 melee, 3 MD and 6 hits. In a 350 point game one of these juggernauts and two cadets can take the field. Amazing at this level. No other gang in the current ruleset can do anything like that. One can argue that in the higher levels of a campaign these bonuses will not make so much of a difference, but an early edge can allow the judge player to subjugate his enemies every game. I think the motorcycle is too good or too cheap. Not to mention at level 2 he can pick up ectoplasmic shield for another +2 armor.
and this is the psi-judge, so you can't hope to own his tankishness with a psychic like you would most other big beefy bastards.

 

[lastbesthope]

"Motorcycles being too good and cheap" A lesson we need to teach boy racers in real life.

LBH

 

[MongooseMatt]

I think the motorcycle is too good or too cheap.

I think you are probably right! Thanks for pointing out the issue thoroughly, we'll take a look at it in the next revision.

As it stands, I am thinking of keeping the Psi-Judges' standard issue equipment the same as Street Judges, but increasing the cost of a Psi-Judge by 25-50 points, due to their access to psi-talents. The other option is to limit the number of psi-judges to street judges, but if someone wants an all psi force, I don't think we should stop them.

As for the Lawmaster, that is really the only vehicle we have done thus far, so it is a bit of a 'tester'. We should probably say that bikes cannot traverse any difficult terrain (but have some rules on jumps and gaps), which will greatly limit their mobility, and maybe some rules about bikes not firing up at targets on top of a building. That will greatly limit their tactical usefulness if the opposing force can take the high ground.

Any other thoughts on Lawmasters? Anyone?

 

[greasy_granny]

I think being mounted on a motorcycle should impose a penalty on your agility. At the same time, maybe if one were to use both actions on a motorcycle for movement, they may be moving fast and hard to hit, removing the penalty to agility.

 

[Judge Xombe]

I think the motorcycle is too good or too cheap.

.

The other option is to limit the number of psi-judges to street judges, but if someone wants an all psi force, I don't think we should stop them.

I've always had the impression from the dredd stories that psi judges were in limited supply vs street judges, so I think limits to the relative numbers would be thematically the right thing.

The justice dept might pull out an army of psi judges for some great crisis like necropolis, but otherwise the field would not see more than a couple at a time - and even then, only in response to a special need

Ex a scenario where the squad needs to pick up a reported psi citizen being sheltered.

 

[DyN]

Lawmasters are supposed to be powerful so if the points were increased and other perp's vehicles were less powerful I think this would be balanced.

Psi does seem to be too cheap - without an increase in points you might as well take as many psi's as you can even if you don't give them psi-talents to start with it costs nothing to cover your bases! Comparing the Hero levels psis also get extra characteristic enhancements without extra cost...