BattleTech 3025 - Recruitment - A Time of War and Total Warfare

[TFcommando]

Instead of pirates, could do mech privateers.  Periphery state A feels that they have a right to a world State B occupies.  State A gives us a letter of marque and some cash to go to the world in question and raid their shipping, disrupt their commerce and attack their military bases as we see fit to weaken said world and thus, the attached state.  We get to choose targets as we see fit and keep whatever we take.  Maybe operate out of an old asteroid mining station with a Leopard.  Lots of PC choices there, and infiltration, sabotage and other non-mech action if desired.  There can be space action and ground raids and air support and drop ship extraction would be important

For the mechanics, a Roll 20 setup could work even when we’re not all on at the same time.   Battletech isn’t a GMed game, all the mechs are well known designs, so no secrets there, and when you do internal damage or score a critical, you see it. 

So the PC and NPC mech sheets could be up in the room, a player takes his turn, rolls to hit and inflicts the damage on the enemy mech’s sheet.  This is helpful for posing about the results of combat up front, instead of having to pose a deadly, dramatic strike that turns out to have missed.

For sexy stuff, I’d like to have sexual aspects be more common, something you can’t do in a “normal” game.   The skimpy mech warrior outfits for a start, visiting some of the more decadent cities or planets, rescuing some sex slaves and having them want to become a part of the unit, having a base next to a nude beach, things that are part of the RP environment without having the actual sex front and center in the main RP scene, like oral sex during a briefing.

“Captain, do we have unlimited rules of engagement on this raid?”
“Oh, fuck yes!  Yes yes yes!”

One important question would be what mechs we have... probably better to have everyone in the same class, or at least close in tonnage.  That’d also determine the nature of the unit and the missions we do. 

Hmm, could combine the team mom and ronin ideas, a good samurai wife whose son and husband were maneuvered into seppuku by their lord, who did it to marry her.  Said lord later fell on his knife forty or fifty times in his wedding bed and the woman has left the combine to make a new life.  Might be a refined, proper and gentle woman like Belldandy or Akashi Tendo who is also a killing machine.

[JFD99]

I like the privateers idea as well. It gives a good amount of freedom as to the kind of missions or even who to align ourselves with while remaining "legit".

I don't know the lore but having a home base on a planet somewhere or something would work best for downtime RP, fixing our mechs, etc. Maybe even a ship in case we want to be more mobile and do more varied stuff. Though a ship big enough to house a handful of 30ft tall mechs would probably need a bigger crew than 5 (though the ship's crew can be NPCs).

Sexy-wise, I'd still like the main content to be relatively platonic (is that the word?) and keep lewd stuff on the outside but I honestly don't mind either way :)

So many possibilities xD I'm actually kind of hyped now.

[TFcommando]

Whoops, I did forget about "safe" downtime.  The patron state might have a jumpsphip pop in every few months so we could bring back loot, report in and so forth.  Or two planets in the same system, both habitable, each allied with a different state around them... for now.

[Stendarr]

I like a lot of those ideas TFcommando.

I think I'm gonna have everyone start in lights. And the players can decide among themselves how to distribute funds and new mechs.

I don't know the lore but having a home base on a planet somewhere or something would work best for downtime RP, fixing our mechs, etc. Maybe even a ship in case we want to be more mobile and do more varied stuff. Though a ship big enough to house a handful of 30ft tall mechs would probably need a bigger crew than 5 (though the ship's crew can be NPCs).

A fully crewed Leopard (pretty common dropship for a single lance, ie. 4 MechWarriors) is 21 personnel total. But I think it would be reasonable, for an understaffed group that doesn't have aerospace planes, to have 11 crewmen. Maybe 10 if the officer is also a MechWarrior. And maybe even a couple fewer, but probably not fewer than 8.

Fully Crewed Leopard - 21 Personnel

2 Officers
3 Gunners
4 MechWarriors
2 Aerospace Pilots
4 'Mech Techs
2 Aerospace Techs
4 Base Crew (books are not very descriptive about what base crew really do)

Understaffed Leopard - 11 Personnel

1 Officer
2 Gunners
4 MechWarriors
2 Mech Techs
2 Base Crew

Whoops, I did forget about "safe" downtime.  The patron state might have a jumpsphip pop in every few months so we could bring back loot, report in and so forth.  Or two planets in the same system, both habitable, each allied with a different state around them... for now.

A single jump for a single dropship usually runs about 30 thousand c-bills. That's not an unreasonable amount for someone who owns a dropship, considering a dropship costs hundreds of millions.

So many possibilities xD I'm actually kind of hyped now.

I'm very glad you're hyped. Me too.

I know I said I was gonna make a new thread, but I'm probably just gonna edit this one. I should have this thread transformed into a proper recruitment with details for character creation and story basics by tonight or tomorrow.

[TFcommando]

That was always an interesting detail to me. It feels almost out of place, but I like it. Serves us well anyway, I'd say.

Speaking of, what sort of lewd/smut amount is everyone looking for? I tend to like not too much, and within mostly reasonable circumstances, but definitely present.

Going back a bit... someone at FASA really liked the idea of scantily-clad Mechwarriors.  Tales of Black Widow Company had that art for its promo poster, a hot enough image that they had to draw a shirt on her for the actual release! :)

I like a lot of those ideas TFcommando.

I think I'm gonna have everyone start in lights. And the players can decide among themselves how to distribute funds and new mechs.

A fully crewed Leopard (pretty common dropship for a single lance, ie. 4 MechWarriors) is 21 personnel total. But I think it would be reasonable, for an understaffed group that doesn't have aerospace planes, to have 11 crewmen. Maybe 10 if the officer is also a MechWarrior. And maybe even a couple fewer, but probably not fewer than 8.

Fully Crewed Leopard - 21 Personnel

2 Officers
3 Gunners
4 MechWarriors
2 Aerospace Pilots
4 'Mech Techs
2 Aerospace Techs
4 Base Crew (books are not very descriptive about what base crew really do)

Understaffed Leopard - 11 Personnel

1 Officer
2 Gunners
4 MechWarriors
2 Mech Techs
2 Base Crew

A single jump for a single dropship usually runs about 30 thousand c-bills. That's not an unreasonable amount for someone who owns a dropship, considering a dropship costs hundreds of millions.

I'm very glad you're hyped. Me too.

I know I said I was gonna make a new thread, but I'm probably just gonna edit this one. I should have this thread transformed into a proper recruitment with details for character creation and story basics by tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for the compliment!  I'd imagine the Leopard base crew are the engineers and techs who keep things on the ship running, from the engines to the AC.

What tech base do you want to start with?  3025-era would keep things simple and keep out most of the head-chopping weapons like the Gauss Rifle (I rather like it myself, but don't want to face one. :))  Unique bits of Star League tech could be discovered as treasure, taking a page from the current computer game. The timeline could be just short of 3050.  If we're mercs on the Periphery, we won't have the latest stuff from the big House factories.  Setting it in the Clan War on the other side of the Sphere's Periphery could work, and explain why there's a new shakeup in the region, great houses are moving their forces to deal with the Clans. 

[Stendarr]

I've found a setting I'm pretty set on. Neuva Castile was an agrarian deep-periphery state. In 2830 they were set upon by mysterious invaders that easily beat them with superior-tech and occupied all but one of Neuva Castile's 9 systems. The invaders were dubbed the Umayyads. Neuva Castile managed to secure the first BattleMech they had ever had their hands on from their invaders. They reverse-engineered the Umayyads' technology and eventually reclaimed 7 of their 9 systems. In 3080 Clan Goliath Scorpion came and swept both parties away, conquering the systems for themselves.

Our adventure is going to be set in 3025, a point in time where you could say Neuva Castile and the Umayyad Caliphate are evenly matched. Little do they know that the Hanseatic League (a nearby, sizable merchant state) has been playing both sides of the war. The players will be part of a group hired by the Hanseatic League to act as privateers. You'll be given mostly free rein to play both sides of the war and keep both sides occupied and struggling as best you can.

EDIT:

What tech base do you want to start with?  3025-era would keep things simple and keep out most of the head-chopping weapons like the Gauss Rifle (I rather like it myself, but don't want to face one. :))  Unique bits of Star League tech could be discovered as treasure, taking a page from the current computer game. The timeline could be just short of 3050.  If we're mercs on the Periphery, we won't have the latest stuff from the big House factories.

That's what I was going to go for.

[Voidknight]

3025 is probably my own favourite area, would have requested Outworlds alliance but it's cool you have an idea of where you want to go. If aerospace pilot is out of the question could do light mechwarrior or Dropship pilot or something.

[Stendarr]

Aerospace pilot is definitely not out of the question. You're probably going to end up with a Leopard, so we could even have 2 if people want to. Hell we could do more than 2 if there's really a will. You know the saying.

I was mostly just rambling about the Leopard crew thing.

[Voidknight]

No no- I like working up from humble beginnings, a single leopard and a lance of lights sounds badass!

[TFcommando]

A lot of the early 3025 designs are pretty lackluster, but since they're all equally lackluster, we don't need to worry!  :)

[Voidknight]

It's part of the charm for me, in 3025 deciding to alpha strike is a serious consideration, all mechs are kind of naff in different ways and having a heavy or even an assault is like... A huge deal.

[Stendarr]

It's part of the charm for me, in 3025 deciding to alpha strike is a serious consideration, all mechs are kind of naff in different ways and having a heavy or even an assault is like... A huge deal.

I'm totally with you on that.

[TFcommando]

I like the set up. Should I presume that we are mercenaries in a unit from the inner sphere? One that was humble enough that it needed to take a deep periphery job?

Perhaps we’re a new unit that spun off from/ditched a larger, failing one.  The nature of the departure made a distant job like this look good?

Does anyone want to be a founder/leader character?  Or the drop ship captain?  If not, the two could be rolled together as an NPC, a hands-off commander of the mech lance.

[Stendarr]

I think we should wait to see what kind of characters people come up with before deciding how everyone knows each other.

The bare minimum your character should be involved is: at least looking at mercenary wanted postings.

There is likely going to be a cast of NPC with the players to fill roles, but a dropship pilot or captain is definitely something a player can be.

[JFD99]

I'll probably take a relatively "basic" role since I'm not too familiar with the lore. A fairly new mech pilot learning the ropes in this new outfit.

Now the question is, guy or gal? I can play both and I like genders to be evenly distributed somewhat :)

[TFcommando]

OK!  Did you have any rules changes in mind for the ATOW character creation, or should we dive in?

Whatever else I come up,with, she’ll be female.

[Stendarr]

I've updated my original post to reflect what the game is going to be like. Character creation rules are up for and submissions are open! You can post your characters here.

Example Character

Name: Sarah Gilligan
Age: 27
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 5"
Physical Description:
Personality Description: She's a little happy go lucky and she tends to cling to the childhood she had on her family farm, but she's one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. She's got a cute German accent when she speaks English.
Background: Born in the Lyran Commonwealth, Sarah lived most of her childhood on a modest family farm. She went to college to become a 'Mech technician after becoming interested in the IndustrialMechs on her family's farm. She worked as a 'Mech technician for about 6 years before she finally came to the realization that she wasn't enjoying life as much as she could be. She started working on applying her IndustrialMech skills to BattleMechs while she searched for an opportunity to do something exciting. She saw a relatively beginer-friendly job for up and coming 'Mech pilots on a mercenary board and she jumped at the opportunity.
Sexual Tendencies and Preferences: She's kinkier than she'd let on, but she won't admit it without some serious prying. She's straight... mostly.
Player Ons and Offs: I'm good with most anything except scat.

Attributes:
STR: 400 (+0)
DEX: 700 (+1)
BOD: 400 (+0)
RFL: 400 (+0)
INT: 400 (+0)
WIL: 200 (-1)
CHA: 400 (+0)
EDG: 300 (-1)

Traits:
Animal Empathy (1)
Equipped (3)
Toughness (3)
Unlucky (-2)
Wealth (2)

Skills:
Administration +120 (4)
Animal Handling +50 (2)
Appraisal +50 (2)
Career/Agriculture +50 (2)
Career/Technician +120 (4)
Computers +50 (2)
Driving/Ground Vehicle +50 (3)
Gunnery/'Mech +120 (4)
Interest/BattleMechs +80 (3)
Interest/Animals +80 (3)
Leadership +30 (1)
Technician/Electronic +80 (3)
Technician/Jet +80 (3)
Technician/Mechanical +120 (4)
Technician/Myomer +80 (3)
Technician/Nuclear +80 (3)
Sensor Operation +30 (2)
Small Arms +30 (2)
Language/English +50 (2)
Language/German +80 (3)
Langauge/Scots Gaelic +50 (2)
Negotiation +50 (2)
Piloting/'Mech +180 (5)
Protocol/Lyran +80 (3)

C-Bills:5000

[TFcommando]

I'll probably take a relatively "basic" role since I'm not too familiar with the lore. A fairly new mech pilot learning the ropes in this new outfit.

Now the question is, guy or gal? I can play both and I like genders to be evenly distributed somewhat :)

For ethnic/national background, the Lyran Commonwealth is the closest of the main states to the region where the campaign is set.

[Stendarr]

I'll probably take a relatively "basic" role since I'm not too familiar with the lore. A fairly new mech pilot learning the ropes in this new outfit.

Another easy one if you just want to play a MechWarrior is to pick "Military Enlistment" for module 3 and "Tour of Duty" for module 4. There are no prerequisites for those (other than Tour of Duty requiring military education, which you get with Military Enlistment).

For ethnic/national background, the Lyran Commonwealth is the closest of the main states to the region where the campaign is set.

Yup, that and Draconis Combine I believe.

[Voidknight]

Outworlds Alliance is alas, pretty eastish if I recall.

[JFD99]

I found PDF versions of the books so I'll do some reading and post a character in a day or two :)

[Stendarr]

Outworlds Alliance is alas, pretty eastish if I recall.

If you want your character to be from the Outworlds Alliance don't be concerned by the distance. It's not too difficult for someone to make their way that far across the galaxy.

[TFcommando]

Here's a 3025 Inner Sphere political map, and then one showing the Periphery states around it from a later date, and their relative distance.  The Hanseatic League is in the upper right, neatly bisected by the line.  But yes, while it's a big galaxy, it can be traversed, and mercenaries do a lot of traveling and can end up in and from anywhere! :)

Are Connections, Title and Reputation applicable in the League, the smaller target states or just back home?

Big Maps

[Tavarokk]

I've found a setting I'm pretty set on. Neuva Castile was an agrarian deep-periphery state. In 2830 they were set upon by mysterious invaders that easily beat them with superior-tech and occupied all but one of Neuva Castile's 9 systems. The invaders were dubbed the Umayyads. Neuva Castile managed to secure the first BattleMech they had ever had their hands on from their invaders. They reverse-engineered the Umayyads' technology and eventually reclaimed 7 of their 9 systems. In 3080 Clan Goliath Scorpion came and swept both parties away, conquering the systems for themselves.

Our adventure is going to be set in 3025, a point in time where you could say Neuva Castile and the Umayyad Caliphate are evenly matched. Little do they know that the Hanseatic League (a nearby, sizable merchant state) has been playing both sides of the war. The players will be part of a group hired by the Hanseatic League to act as privateers. You'll be given mostly free rein to play both sides of the war and keep both sides occupied and struggling as best you can.

Hrrm. This is troubling. I kind of don't want to do that. As in, if I were to play, the IC goal would be to ditch this assignment as fast as possible (without screwing oneself over, anyhow), and I don't think playing at cross purposes with the rest of the party would be productive.

[Stendarr]

Hrrm. This is troubling. I kind of don't want to do that. As in, if I were to play, the IC goal would be to ditch this assignment as fast as possible (without screwing oneself over, anyhow), and I don't think playing at cross purposes with the rest of the party would be productive.

How come?