Mercenary: Expectations?
- Thread starter ssheftall
- Start date
B_Steele
Mongoose
It is what I was shooting for. I hated the idea of any single book suddenly making the careers attached to it uber-cool.
I am all for adding stuff that anybody can use, even if it is a bit leaned towards certain types of characters. What I dislike is when a single book suddenly makes all other character types worthless to play.
So, I hope this book is 100% awesome for you all.
-Bry
I am all for adding stuff that anybody can use, even if it is a bit leaned towards certain types of characters. What I dislike is when a single book suddenly makes all other character types worthless to play.
So, I hope this book is 100% awesome for you all.
-Bry
Mongoose Steele said:
This is good.
Despite the flaws of the main book, y'all have managed to capture the flavor of all my little black books. This has made me happy, which is kinda weird in that I was a major fan of the much more complex systems that later editions of Traveller evolved into. Maybe it is the overall level of increased complexity that Role-Playing games have evolved into over the past decade or so. That something that goes back to the basics is now refreshing.
Any ways, keep up the good work.
kafka
Mongoose
Would I be right and have my dream come true that Imperial Forces would be covered in a separate book eg. what SJG did with Ground Forces...for if the original CT did an injustice it was to lump the Imperial Marines & Army into the CT Mercenary book without any pause.
Also, I suppose Star Mercs ([Space] Naval Mercenary units) will be covered also.
Also, I suppose Star Mercs ([Space] Naval Mercenary units) will be covered also.
Golan2072
Cosmic Mongoose
Apart from the expanded character generation system, the new skills and the "Ironmongery" (i.e. new weapons) section, the original book had a discussion of military equipment at various TLs, recruiting rules, rules for salaries to mercs according to ranks, a discussion of military units and their organization, a discussion of which rank commands what, a very sketchy mass combat system, artillery pieces and rules, a general discussion of mercs in the OTU (proto-OTU to be exact) and some additional combat rules.klingsor said:
The new book sounds very promising. I eagerly look forward to it.
I have to ask though, does the author play a Tau army for use with Warhammer 40K? It is just that the artillery battlesuits sound curiously familiar - though of course they could all be drawing from a common well I am unaware of.
A good idea though, organic support to keep up with the infantry.
The most recent novels with battlesuits that I can think of are John Ringo's Aldenta novels which are worth a read if only for the Shiva guns (anti-lander battleship calibre guns with antimatter warheads mounted in a warehouse sized SPG. To some extent a modernised E-1000 and alas about as practical).
I have to ask though, does the author play a Tau army for use with Warhammer 40K? It is just that the artillery battlesuits sound curiously familiar - though of course they could all be drawing from a common well I am unaware of.
A good idea though, organic support to keep up with the infantry.
The most recent novels with battlesuits that I can think of are John Ringo's Aldenta novels which are worth a read if only for the Shiva guns (anti-lander battleship calibre guns with antimatter warheads mounted in a warehouse sized SPG. To some extent a modernised E-1000 and alas about as practical).
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
As is true for most things 40k, GW borrowed the idea of Artillery Suits from other sources. Anime and Manga have had them in various forms for many many years. Votoms for example had their version back in the early 80's. But to be fair, the Tau suits do have nice lines except for the feet that look kind of small to me. :wink:klingsor said:
Daniel
You sound like one of our group. The Tau are the only GW army he would consider buying - except for the dainty, alien feet.
There is just so much Manga out there. Odd for it to be a Traveller source but things change and Akira for example has much to offer. The bikes don't do much for me but the orbital laser, that I did like. Is there still a Forward Observer skill? I must look in Traveller (M).
There is just so much Manga out there. Odd for it to be a Traveller source but things change and Akira for example has much to offer. The bikes don't do much for me but the orbital laser, that I did like. Is there still a Forward Observer skill? I must look in Traveller (M).
If I remember correctly in black book Traveller a level zero skill was enough familiarity to remove the penalties but not to confer any bonuses. This seems to be different, familiarity is not enough, you need the proper skill.
How can you get Battledress-0 anyway? I missed that bit.
How can you get Battledress-0 anyway? I missed that bit.
Golan2072
Cosmic Mongoose
As other types of armor (certain vacc suits) on the same table are specifically listed as requiring Vacc-0 and the Battledress is specifically listed as requiring Battledress-1, I'd say that, as per the RAW, anything below Battledress-1 imposes a -2 DM for the very least.Myrm said:
B_Steele
Mongoose
Actually I'm a Blood Angel and Necron player.
Seriously though, I had more in mind to create these big fellas to allow someone to be more along the lines of a Starship Trooper Exo-Suit or some such. Imagine a big heavy suit with one manipulator arm and one arm/shoulder section of the suit replaced with seriously big guns. For all you Rifts fans out there, kind of like a less-flashy Glitterboy suit with only one arm and a non-retractable heavy weapon.
-Bry
klingsor said:
For general skill use yes, and for a 'battledress check' its would proceed exactly that way - that'd cover operation test for the suit under extreme conditions eg a Battledress sheck to move in a particularly unpleaseant environment perhaps.
However the operational DM penalty for wearing battledress works very differently - it hits use of other skills and is a result of the mechanism for prerequisites for particular suits. So the early TL VaccSuits require Vacc Suit 2 skill to operate other skills correctly with a per level below penalty (presumably due to bulk, poorer engineering, old tech etc). As such they are situational modifiers from a piece of equipment rather than a 'Lack of VaccSuit/BattleDress skill' check penalty per se. In the same way that I would think that squeezing through a small gap could be penalised by wearing bulky battledress armour and that skill 0 doesnt negate that - skill 0 not being enough to make you walk completely freely with armour.
Yes, its more complex than the basic view of 'lvl 0 removes penalties'
IIRC its a service skill for marines so they can get it at level 0 when they sign up. They might then not get it again.
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
That is the only way I know for sure to get Battle Dress at zero level. The truth be told I have only seen it once in the many characters I have created trying out the system. The one time was a single term Marine.Myrm said:
And of course we also need to ask how often I would allow the Players to get their hands on Battle Dress? You can bet it would be near never. :wink:
Daniel
