4e Mechas

[Tough_Tonka]

After watching a bunch of Gurren Lagann I've been wondering about rules for mechas for a 4e DnD campaign. I wouidn't make the campaign futuristic maybe mage punk like Eberron. Has anyone else made any efforts in this direction?

So far what I've thought was that they could be armors that increase the characters size to large and dependending on the type of mech they could enchance certain types of powers. One mech might enhance energy attacks while another bumps up martail power or something.

[Xallace]

The simplest way to pull it off would probably be d20 Future style, wherein mecha are- as you said- basically just suits of armor that increase size, enhance strength, grant LOADS of Temp HP, and sometimes give a few special powers.

I always felt that Dragonmech was a cooler mech system, though, as mecha were separate pieces of equipment with their own statistics and everything, and you needed rather specialized training to be anything effective while piloting one.

[Yakk]

For a 4e mecha game, I'd say that characters level mainly in their ability to pilot mecha.

Your combat powers would reflect tricks and upgrades to your mecha.

Outside of a mecha, you'd be far more normal. Possibly some parallel, slower leveling, system for out of mecha combat.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Magnus Samma is running a 3.5 Eberron mecha game (and I'm running a spinoff) where mecha are pretty much suits of armor that increase size, HP, and stats and have some built-in weapons (it also makes ECL/CR calculations completely impossible).

Tengu is running a 4.0 mecha game that I honestly have no idea how it works, but here's its forum (http://plothook.net/RPG/forumdisplay.php?f=1729). Note that he went with an alternate history Earth rather than a standard D&D setting, though.

EDIT: Looking at his rules (http://plothook.net/RPG/showthread.php?t=16963), he just made mechs completely separate Paragon-tier characters controlled by the player character mentally.

[Tough_Tonka]

Thanks so far. I do realize that mechas would easily distrupt the games encounter challenge system and would be very unbalanced unless they were Epic level artifacts. Even so they'd have to be pretty minor in terms of mechs to still fit in that catagory.

Replacing Paragon Paths with mechas is a real interesting idea though.

[gnownek]

Actually, look at the mounted combat system. A mecha pilot can be a guy with a powerful steed, except that the steed has the ability to protect its wearer completely. att

[Tough_Tonka]

Actually, look at the mounted combat system. A mecha pilot can be a guy with a powerful steed, except that the steed has the ability to protect its wearer completely. att

That's wonderful idea and depending on the strength of the mecha the character can use its special powers at certain levels.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Replacing Paragon Paths with mechas is a real interesting idea though.That's not what I mean, but holy cow that is a good idea.

I should also re-read the mounted combat system...