Unnamed Mecha Game

[F.H. Zebedee]

Well, a close friend of mine requested that I design a mecha game system for her, and I complied, whipping this sucker up. It's a pretty long read, and I don't have the mecha piloting system/mechas up yet (though I finished the piloting system, it's kinda hard to comprehend until I finish a few mechas), or the ranged attack formula, or armor and weapons. (All of those will take days to do, so they'll be up later.) Right now, I've got the basics for hand to hand combat up, though there's a few tweaks on it that I want to do. (Collision Damage, Team Attacks, etc.)

It's designed to basically give the feel of a cross between Evangelion/Big O, more towards the latter. Mecha are not flying ships in humanoid form (Gundam, Megas), but moreso gigantic juggernauts that tank their way through combat, with some quicker ones that can rush the enemy at ludicrous speeds. Pilots can pilot their mecha by hand (Activation) or hook it into their nervous system (Synch) or a combination of the two.

The game is not meant to balance the mecha against eachother. If one side has a bunch of high end mechas, and the other one matches them with low-end, obsolete models, it will most likely be a slaughter. Pilots are important, but if they have nothing to work with, the odds get a lot worse. Pilots are not balanced against eachother, either. The goal of this system is to make pilots competent in the area of their expertise, and no more. A man trained in the martial arts, with his physical stats beefed up, should always totally own the mechanic, but will be less useful at repairing mechas or making weapons. The perfect fighter, will in turn, be nowhere near as good as a masterful pilot in mecha combat.

My goal is to give the player as many options as possible, give roles so that people can cover all sorts of situations in battle. With no further ado, here it is.



WHAT EACH STAT MEANS

Level: This is an indicator of a Pilot’s experience in combat and other areas. It determines how many Points they get for modifying their statistics.
Low 0
This character is green, and fairly inexperienced.
Medium 50
This character is seasoned and well versed in the ways of combat.
High 200
This character is a grizzled veteran and knows combat better than almost anybody else.

Head: This is the sturdiness of a character’s head.
Torso: This is the sturdiness of a character’s torso.
R.Arm: This is the sturdiness of a character’s right arm.
L.Arm: This is the sturdiness of a character’s left arm.
R. Leg: This is the sturdiness of a character’s right leg.
L. Leg: This is the sturdiness of a character’s left leg.

Speed: This is an indicator of how quickly a Pilot moves. It determines how often they may act without a Mech or a vehicle.
Low 4
This character is capable of moving well.
Medium 6
This character moves much faster than others.
High 12
This character moves so swiftly that it’s hard for the eye to follow.

Evade: This is an indicator of how hard it is to hit a character. It determines if attacks hit this character or not.
Low 25
This character is light on their feet.
Medium 50
This character is good at dodging attacks and getting out of the way.
High 148
This character can dodge virtually anything thrown at them.

Accuracy (Melee): This is an indicator of how well a character connects their attacks. It determines if this character’s Physical Attacks hit or not.
Low 0
This character is decently accurate.
Medium 50
This character is capable of hitting evasive opponents.
High 105
This character is capable of easily striking even the most dodgy of enemies.

Accuracy (Range): This is an indicator of how well a character connects their attacks. It determines if this character’s Ranged Attacks hit or not.
Low 0
This character is decently accurate.
Medium 50
This character is capable of hitting small targets at a distance.
High 105
This character is capable of easily striking moving targets at long range with little effort.

Will: This is an indicator of how determined a character is. It determines how much mental damage and pain they can withstand.
Low 50
This character can withstand moderate amounts of pain.
Medium 50
This character can take large amounts of pain.
High 250
This character can withstand incredible amounts of pain, even torture.

Activation: This is an indicator of how well this character can input commands and control machinery. This determines how accurately a character can control a Mech or vehicle.
Low 25
This character has some competence with controls.
Medium 50
This character is familiar with most control schemes.
High 90
This character can pilot virtually anything without making mistakes.

Synch: This is an indicator of how well a Pilot can control something hooked into their mind. This determines how accurately a character can control a Mech or vehicle.
Low 25
This character has some competence with mental controls.
Medium 50
This character can control things well with their mind.
High 120
This character can pilot virtually anything mentally without making mistakes.

Experience: This is the measure of how long until the character gains another level.

Mechanical Skill: This is an indicator of how talented a character is working on machinery. This determines their skill at making repairs and reconfiguring systems.
Low 0
This character is unfamiliar with mechanical workings.
Medium 75
This character has some knowledge of how to perform repairs.
High 200
This character can fix almost anything with little effort.

Hacker Skill: This is an indicator of a character’s skill with computers. It determines their talent when it comes to programming computers, creating viruses, or hacking into other computers.
Low 0
This character has only a basic familiarity with computers.
Medium 75
This character is well versed in computer technology.
High 200
This character is a wizard with computers, capable of doing virtually anything they want with a system with little effort.

General Skill: A measure of the miscellaneous knowledge a character has gained throughout their life. It determines how many Skills they can learn.

Traits: A measure of distinctive personality traits a character has. It determines how many Traits a character can have.

Martial Knowledge: A measure of how well versed in hand to hand and close quarters fighting a character is. It determines how many Physical Attacks they can learn.
Low 3
This character has average prowess in hand to hand combat.
Medium 5
This character is well versed in hand to hand combat.
High 11
This character is a master fighter. They know many different attacks and how best to utilize them.

Weapon Knowledge: A measure of how familiar this character is with weapons. It determines what manner of weapons this character can use.
Low 2
This character has only a basic idea on how to use weapons.
Medium 4
This character is well versed in many kinds of weaponry.
High 10
This character can use almost any kind of weapon as if it was an extension of their own body.

Rations: A measure of a character’s endurance and health. It determines how quickly they heal, and how well nourished they are.




PILOT CREATION

When creating a pilot, you take their base stats. You may choose either G-type Synch, or randomly select either S, M, C, or P. After this, you may pay points to increase stats. You start with 200 Points. When finished, you may pick Physical Attacks equal to your pilot’s Martial Knowledge, and they learn them. You may pick Skills up to equal to your pilot’s General Skill, and Traits up to your pilot’s Traits, and your pilot gains all Skills and Traits selected. All unused points may be used at a later date at any time. If a stat is changed by using points during a calculation, it takes place at the next occasion where there are no calculations being performed using that statistic.

Pilot Base Stats:
Level: 0
Health:
Body Part
Head 10
Torso 25
R. Arm 20
L. Arm 20
R. Leg 25
L. Leg 25


Statistic:
Speed 4
Evade 25
Accuracy (Melee) 5
Accuracy (Range) 5
Value
Will: 50
Activation: 25
Synch: S/M/C/P/G: 25

Mental
Experience: 0
Mechanical Skill: 0
Hacker Skill 0
General Skill: 4
Traits: 1
Martial Knowledge: 3
Weapon Knowledge: 2
Rations: 5

Stat Increased: Cost in Points
Head +1: 4
Torso +1: 4
R. Arm and L. Arm +1: 7
R. Leg and L. Leg +1: 7
Speed +1: 50
Evade +1 3
Accuracy (Melee) +5: 20
Accuracy (Range) +5: 20
Will +10: 20
Activation +1: 6
Synch +10: 40
Mechanical Skill +1: 1
Hacker Skill +1: 1
General Skill+1: 30
Traits +1: 60
Martial Knowledge +1: 50
Weapon Knowledge +1: 50
Rations +1: 40

Leveling Up: A pilot gains a level every time that they gain 100 experience. When they level up, they gain 1 Point. A pilot may not level up beyond level 200. Experience is gained at the DM’s discretion.

I'll post the rest that I have seperately, for organization's sake.

A lot of this looks kinda sloppy, since it was all tabled out in Word. I am presenting it as close to original form as possible.

[F.H. Zebedee]

GRIDS, ACTION, MOVEMENT, AND TURN ORDER
Speed: At the beginning of a turn of combat, all Pilots have their Speed set to the appropriate value. All Pilots that are not in a cockpit simply have their Speed set to the current value of their Speed Statistic. All Pilots that are in cockpits have their Speed set to a value equal to their ((Current Activation Speed Stat)/10)+(Current Speed Stat).

Turn Order: Units that have the highest Speed at the beginning of a turn may attempt actions first. They may act until they run out of Speed or otherwise have no way to act. Characters that have the same Speed at the beginning of the turn all roll a d6 and compare the results. They act in the order of highest roll to lowest roll.

Attempting Actions: A character may attempt an action by paying one Speed. Actions include Moving, Triggering, and Attacking, as well as other things listed as such.

Combat Field: Combat takes place on the Main Grid, an 8 by 8 grid unless stated otherwise. All squares of this Main Grid are treated as having an 8 by 8 Subgrid, which can be kept track of on either the main grid or on a separate 8 by 8 grid.

Each square on the main grid represents an 80 foot by 80 foot piece of terrain. Each square on the subgrid represents a 10 foot by 10 foot piece of terrain.

M-Sized Units
M-Sized Units are kept track of on the Main Grid. When an M-Sized unit is occupying a square, no other unit of any type may be present on that square. M-Sized units have a distinct facing, a direction that they are facing. These directions are North, South, East, and West. Some M-Sized units can face diagonally when stated in their abilities.

H-Sized Units
H-Sized Units are kept track of on the appropriate Subgrid square. That square on the Main Grid should somehow be marked to let players know what H-Sized Units are on that square. Up to ten H-sized units may occupy one Subgrid square. H-Sized units are nimble enough that it takes them virtually no time to turn or change the direction they are moving, so players do not need to keep track of an H-Sized Units direction faced.

Movement:
M-Sized Units: Movement for M-Sized Units varies greatly between units. See the unit’s statistics to determine how it moves. If an M-Sized Unit attempts to move onto a Main Grid square that has H-Sized Units on it, check the statistics of that M-Sized Unit to see how it resolves.

H-Sized Units: H-Sized Units may move one Subgrid square in any direction by paying 1 Speed. They may do this as long as they have Speed remaining during their turn.

Moving Across Subgrids: When an H-Sized Unit is at the edge of the Subgrid of a Main Grid square, if there is the edge of another Main Grid square touching, they may move across to the appropriate Subgrid Square of that Main Grid square. Likewise, attacks and such may occur as if Subgrid Squares were touching if they are on adjacent Main Grid Squares.

[F.H. Zebedee]

Attacking: When an attack hits, it deals damage to a part.

Physical Attacks: When a Pilot makes a Physical Attack, roll a d100 and add it to their Accuracy (Melee). Compare the result to the table below.
-Less than or Equal to Target’s Evade: The attack misses.
-1 to 24 higher than the Target’s Evade: The attack hits a randomly selected part of the target.
-25 to 49 higher than the Target’s Evade: Choose three parts of the target. This attack hits a randomly selected one of them.
-50 to 74 higher than the target’s Evade: Choose two parts of the target. This attack hits a randomly selected one of them.
-75 to 99 higher than the target’s Evade: Choose a part of the target. This attack hits that part.
-100 or more higher than the target’s Evade: Choose a part of the target. This attack hits that part. Double the damage dealt by this attack.

[F.H. Zebedee]

Physical Attacks: A character may automatically learn Physical Attacks up to equal to their Martial Knowledge. A physical attack is made on another unit on the same subgrid square, unless stated otherwise.

Standard Strike
A typical blow.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 7
Effect: None

Power Strike
A slower, more powerful attack.
Damage: (1/5 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/5 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/10 Current L. Leg Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -5
Average Damage: 14
Effect: To perform this attack costs two Speed instead of one.

Desperation Strike
A sacrificial attack that drains oneself.
Damage: (1/10 Max R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Max L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Max R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Max L. Leg Health)+ (1/5 Max Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 11
Effect: Randomly select a part of the user of this attack. That part takes 10 damage.

Defensive Strike
An attack that leaves one time to guard.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -5
Average Damage: 6
Effect: Until this character has taken three more actions, they have +5 Evade while being attacked by the target of this attack.

Stunning Strike
An attack designed to slow an opponent.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -20
Average Damage: 7
Effect: If this attack hits, reduce the Speed of the target by one during the beginning of the next turn.

Haymaker
An all out attack with one’s very heart behind it.
Damage: (1/5 Current Head Health)+(1/5 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/5 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/10 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/5 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -20
Average Damage: 21
Effect: To perform this attack costs two Speed instead of one. This character pays one Rations to perform this attack. Randomly select a part of the user of this attack. That part takes 5 damage.

Wind Strike
An insanely fast attack.
Damage: (1/4 Average Current Health of All Parts)
Accuracy Modifier: -5
Average Damage: 5
Effect: Flip a coin after paying Speed to use this attack. If heads, this character gains 1 Speed.

Single Strike
A quick tap with one limb.
Damage: (1/4 Current Health of the Selected Part)
Accuracy Modifier: -5
Average Damage: N/A
Effect: Select a part when making this attack. Ignore all equipment on this character while making this attack.

Exploiting Strike
Takes advantage of a foe’s inexperience.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)+2(Current Martial Knowledge)-2(Target’s Current Martial Knowledge)
Accuracy Modifier: +5(Current Martial Knowledge)-5(Target’s Current Martial Knowledge)Average Damage:
Effect: None

Scattering Attack
Attempts to shove all foes away.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -55
Average Damage: 7
Effect: This attack attempts to hit all units on the same subgrid square as this character. Any unit hit is moved one subgrid square in a direction chosen by this unit.

Hurling Attack
Throws the enemy.
Damage: (Current R. Arm Health)+(Current L. Arm Health)+(Current R. Leg Health)+ (Current L. Leg Health)/50
Accuracy Modifier: -5
Average Damage: 2
Effect: This attack damages all parts of the hit unit. If this attack hits, move the hit unit one subgrid square in a selected direction.

Charging Strike
Attempts to rush the foe.
Damage: (1/20 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/20 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -20
Average Damage: 4
Effect: If the most recent action this unit took before using this attack was Moving, than this attack deals tripled damage and has +35 Accuracy.

Dazing Strike
Attempts to dizzy a foe with their attack.
Damage: ((1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health))/2
Accuracy Modifier: +5
Average Damage: 4
Effect: When determining the parts of the target hit, instead of the normal Parts, this attack may hit the target’s Evade, Activation, Synch, Will, Accuracy (Melee), or Accuracy (Ranged).

Pain Strike
Uses subtle techniques to wear down the opponent.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 7
Effect: The damage this attack deals automatically damages the target’s Will instead of any of their parts.

Extending Strike
Stretches as far as possible.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 7
Effect: This attack has a range one subgrid square greater than it normally would. This character has –15 Evade until they take an action next turn.

Reserved Strike
An effortless attack.
Damage: 4
Accuracy Modifier: +10
Average Damage: 4
Effect: None

Focused Strike
An insanely accurate attack.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 7
Effect: To perform this attack costs two Speed instead of one. This character pays one Rations to perform this attack. If this attack hits, select the part that this attack hits automatically. If the result for determining if this attack hits is higher than 75, add the amount that this attack exceeded 75 by to this attack’: To perform this attack costs two Speed instead of one. This character pays one Rations to perform this attack.

Dancing Strike
An attack that gives its user time to get out of dodge.
Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)
Accuracy Modifier: -20
Average Damage: 7
Effect: If this attack misses, this character may move one subgrid square in any direction.

Snagging Strike
Grabs a foe in midair.
Damage: (Current R. Arm Health)+(Current L. Arm Health)+(Current R. Leg Health)+ (Current L. Leg Health)/30
Accuracy Modifier: +0
Average Damage: 3
Effect: You may only use this attack when using an attack that moves the target. Instead of moving the target, this attack deals its damage to all parts of the target times the number of subgrid squares the target would have been moved by the attacks.

Random Strike
Swings away wildly.
Damage: Roll two d6s. Add the results.
Accuracy Modifier: N/A
Average Damage: 7
Effect: Roll a d6.
If 1, this attack misses.
If 2, this attack misses.
If 3, treat this attack’s roll to see if it hits as being 5 higher than the target’s evade.
If 4, treat this attack’s roll to see if it hits as being 25 higher than the target’s evade.
If 5, treat this attack’s roll to see if it hits as being 50 higher than the target’s evade.
If 6, treat this attack’s roll to see if it hits as being 100 higher than the target’s evade. Then, roll a d6 and add the result to the damage dealt by this attack.

[F.H. Zebedee]

HEALTH AND HEALING
Part Status: By taking damage to a part, a pilot can be disabled. If a part has a health between –1(Max Health of that Part) and 0, that part is treated as “Wounded”. If its health is between –2(Max Health of that Part) and –1(Max Health of that Part), it is treated as “Broken”. If it its health is below –2(Max Health of that Part), it is treated as “Shattered”. Whenever a limb receives damage that treats the part as “Shattered”, roll a d6 and check the “Shattered” table. If a part is Broken, it is treated as having the effect of being Wounded as well. If a part is Shattered, it treated as having the effects of being Wounded and Broken as well.

HEAD:
Wounded: This character is automatically Unconscious and unable to take action.
Broken: Until their Head heals to Maximum Health, this character takes doubled damage from attacks to their Head.

TORSO:
Wounded: This character takes 1 damage to a randomly selected part every time they act.
Broken: This character takes 5 damage to a randomly selected part every time they act. This character expends Rations at a doubled rate.

R. ARM:
Wounded: This character’s Weapon Knowledge is –2, Activation is times ½, both Accuracies are –25, and Hacker and Mechanical Skills are –100.
Broken: Until their R. Arm heals to Maximum Health, this character takes doubled damage from attacks to their R. Arm.

L. ARM:
Same as R. Arm.

R. LEG:
Wounded: This character pays doubled speed to act.
Broken: This part takes 5 damage every time this character moves.

L. LEG:
Same as R. Leg.

SHATTERED TABLE
1,2: There is no additional effect on this part.
3: The limb is permanently damaged. It is always treated as being Wounded, regardless of health.
4: The limb is permanently crippled. It is always treated as being Wounded and Broken, regardless of health.
5: The limb is weakened. Roll another d6, and permanently subtract it from the maximum health of that part.
6: The limb is ruined beyond any hope of repair. If Head or Torso, this character instantly dies. If R.Arm, L.Arm, R.Leg, or L.Leg, that limb is lost. When missing a limb, that character permanently suffers effects of the limb being Wounded and the health for that limb is treated as a 0 at all times. Whenever that part would be hit, it’s treated as a miss instead.

Healing: Every 24 hours, all parts of a character recover Health equal to the current Rations of the character.
Whenever this character is at a rest for eight hours, remove all damage to non-Part stats.

[firepup]

How do you gain rations? you didn't mention that in this so far. Also it seems strange that pilots are basicly invincible unless you get lucky while shattering their head/torso.

[Yakk]

Note: You might want to reduce the magnitude of skills. Why divide skills by 10, and roll 1d10+skill instead of 1d100?

This makes the game more grainy, but massively reduces the math required. And who cares if a character has +55 or +57 to their evade skill, really?

Next, Evade simplification.

Instead of having the player make a decision after they hit, pospone decisions.

Under evade: miss.
Match evade: roll 1 location randomly.
Beat evade by 2: roll 2 locations, pick one.
Beat evade by 4: roll 3 locations, pick one.
Beat evade by 6: roll 4 locations, pick one.
Beat evade by 8: roll 5 locations, pick one.
Beat evade by 10: pick a location, auto-crit.

In addition, the attack CRITs if you roll a hit location twice or more, and you pick it.


Advantage: Figuring out if what level of hit is easier. After you hit, you roll again for hit locations without thinking, and only then think about where you hit.

Damage:

Damage: (1/10 Current R. Arm Health)+(1/10 Current L. Arm Health)+(1/25 Current R. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current L. Leg Health)+ (1/25 Current Torso Health)

This makes some sense when you have a computer doing the math, but having to do this amount of math on every attack doesn't help much.

Might I suggest:

"Attacks that hit the Core do double damage to the Core. Attacks that hit a Limb do normal damage to both the Limb and to the Core.

Critical core hits do 3x damage, critical limb hits do 2x damage to the limb and 1x damage to the core."

Now you have Core and Limb HP.

Your Core (or torso) measures your average HP quite nicely, so alot of your calculations can be based off of it instead of having to add up a bunch of limbs.