source: RPGgeek.com |
There are two parts to creating a mech in M+M:E: the jockey and their rig. Jockeys don't bring a lot of mechanical weight to the game, but they do have a Trait and a Drive as well as a name and a backstory. The name "Skip Asano" popped into my head as I contemplated what I want to do, so I'm going to run with that and see where it takes me. The Japanese surname and Anglophone nickname suggests (if not with overwhelming force) a Japanese-American (or perhaps Japanese-Australian) background. If "Skip" is short for "Skipper," this character probably holds down some kind of leadership role in their organization. (Or is noted for boating in their spare time, but I'll stick to the leadership thing.) Something is starting to coalesce here. The nickname skews a bit masculine but not excessively so, so I'll go with Jun in a nod to Gatchaman and name our leader Jun "Skip" Asano.
There's a Pilot Trait called Leader which lets the pilot give an ally a reroll once per session by providing advice and/or encouragement. Works for me, now let's come up with a Drive. It's tempting to come up with something along the lines of "leave no pilot behind" or "mechs are expensive but pilots are priceless," but I'm not sure I want to play into the mother-hen trope that female characters often get slotted into. At the risk of playing into another feminine stereotype, however, I'm going to make her Drive "Teamwork makes the dream work," because its head cheerleader/corporate morale consultant vibe is making me giggle. Pilots also all start with 6 HP (note however that if an out-of-mech pilot gets hit by a mech or kaiju they're instantly killed).
The first step to creating your mech is to select a Chassis, which roughly defines its combat role: highly mobile Striker, versatile Scout, heavy Knight, or ultra-heavy Titan. Though any of these might suit a team leader depending on their style of leadership, it seems to me that the Scout's flexibility has the most to offer.
The Scout has a base Structure (or HP) rating of 8 and an Fuel (power points) rating of 8. A Scout has slots for seven mech Systems: 1 sensor, 2 weapon, 2 defense, 1 movement, and one wild-card slot that can be used for any type of system.
We haven't introduced Systems yet, so this is a good time to do so. There are five types of System for describing a mech's capabilities:
Basic Systems are common to all types of mech, so there's no need to select them when customizing. These include Basic Weapons such as limbs, improvised weapons (e.g., vehicles or chunks of buildings), and small guns (energy or projectile, doesn't matter for game-mechanical purposes), as well as the mech's Colossal size and heavy lifting capabilities.
Sensor Systems include not only scanners but also various options such as jammers, disguise hologram generators, predictive learning software, and direct hookups to the pilot's nervous system.
Weapons Systems include anything that can be used to directly damage opponents or other targets: particle beams, missiles, colossal melee weapons, etc. This is the longest of the System lists, unsurprisingly.
Defense Systems include armor, cloaking devices, repair drones, and anything else that the pilot can use to prevent or mitigate damage to their ride.
Movement Systems can enhance movement (e.g., flight engines) or Fuel-related functions (e.g., bigger tanks, reserve capacity, or even last-ditch reactor explosions)
Let's start Jun's mech off by filling prescribed slots first, then finish with the wild-card slot once its style has taken shape.
Sensors: i'm thinking either long-range scanners (it's useful for team leader to know when baddies are coming, though in a starship this would be someone else's job) Probablility AI (makes sense to give the head of the squad the big-computer toy) or Interior Scanners (weakening an opponent to set up an ally for the kill). Let's go with the Long-Range Scanners.
Weapons: I'm assuming another squad member will handle brute duties, so let's forgo the big-damage options in favor of setup opportunities and reliability. EMP mines disable Systems, so that's a good choice. Should the second one be a melee option or another reliable ranged attack? Big Glowy Sword has kind of a leader vibe, you can point with it or thrust it into the air for emphasis; let's take that.
Defense: lot of damage reduction options here. I haven't taken any fuel-consuming systems yet, so let's start with repair drones (3 fuel for 2 structure healed) and add multi-phase shield (DR1 vs ranged weapons)
Movement: Bodyguard Protocol is tempting, but better suited to a tougher mech. Emergency Power (cost 3 fuel to end at 3 structure instead of 0) complements the repair drones (though that's a lot of fuel when you put them together).
Bonus System: those extra fuel tanks are tempting, but let's see if we can find something that enhances teamwork. Jamming Array has a fuel cost, and we've already loaded up on that kind of system, so Interior Scanners are looking really good right now.
We're kitted up now, so we just need to come up with a codename or callsign for Skip's mech. I want to focus on its resilience, something like "Diehard" or "Comeback Kid." Oh, hold a moment. Big jock jam with the chorus "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down." Perfect! I dub thee Tubthumper.
Before we cut to statblock, however, I want to go back to our pilot and fill in her backstory a little. As long as she can remember, Jun Asano has been a leader. Organizing play in preschool. Picking teams at recess. Volleyball captain. Head cheerleader. Drum major. Organizing study groups. Managing group projects. And now commanding a squadron of battlemechs. Friends have called her "Skip" since high school. Always supportive, always positive, and always pushing to get a little bit more out of her team. Her Scout rig is customized to spot trouble, set up opponents for her team's finishing moves, and above all bounce back from adversity: she's named it Tubthumper, after an old song that she's always found inspirational.
Offense: EMP mines (light attack, damage + diasble 1 system for a round), Big Glowy Sword (heavy melee attack, +1 damage)
Defense: Repair Drones (3 Fuel/restore 2 Structure), Multi-phase Shield (DR 1 vs ranged attacks)
Movement: Emergency Power (when reduced to 0 structure reset to 3 structure)
*Go Nagai's Mazinger Z (1972) is credited as the first instance of a piloted mecha in popular media. If you want to include non-robots, Ultraman premiered in 1966 and featured a robot-like hero fighting kaiju-stykle monsters on the regular, and the remote-controlled Jet Jaguar appears in 1973's Godzilla vs. Megalon.
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