Leveling up in a Mecha-based campaign

[essenceofrandom]

So I'm in the process of making a future/mecha (giant robot) setting. I'm basing this in 3.5 and using the Mecha Compendium as a huge help (also Blood and Space for some other things). So character progression is the same and I'm not worried about that, but what I am unsure of is how to make sure the characters have an appropriately powered mecha or are fighting mecha of the appropriate level.

The Mecha Compendium treats mecha like a mount or armor that has its own stats. Each stat, ability, or weapon costs a certain number of mecha points (MP) and there are tables for converting MP into money (gold, credits, and dollars I think are the given ones) and into a character level.

The equation for character level is the square root of MP divided by 4, rounding fractions up. So a 400 point mecha would be level 5 (Square root of 400 = 20. 20 divided by 4 is 5).

So while I obviously understand how to get the overall level of a mecha, I think it would make most sense to allow characters to upgrade their mecha one part at a time. Yes, each part has an MP, but the level equivelence is based off of total MP, so how do I know when to make each item available to the characters?

This also leads to the issue of making sure I dish out enough money for the party to upgrade their mecha, so idea on that are welcome, but the main question is above, how do I make sure the right items are available to the characters for the appropriate level?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Easy. Each level, the character needs to gain a number of Mecha points equal to [Level*4]^2 (Note...this gives a few points extra...a 5th level mecha under this system has 440 points).

So, determine this number ahead of time, and then, when an encounter is over, calculate the percentage value for the experience earned vs. the experience needed to reach the next level (so, for example, a 1st level character with 400 XP gains 100 XP. Since the experience needed to reach level 2 from level 1 is 1,000XP, he has gained 10%). Award a number of Mecha points equal to this percentage of the necessary level amount.

[essenceofrandom]

Thanks! I didn't think of that at all. Just to make sure I understand, this means that I should only allow people to get new parts using MP, as opposed to being able to buy parts with money? This makes sense logistically, I'm just going to have to convince my party that their money isn't good everywhere =p

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Thanks! I didn't think of that at all. Just to make sure I understand, this means that I should only allow people to get new parts using MP, as opposed to being able to buy parts with money? This makes sense logistically, I'm just going to have to convince my party that their money isn't good everywhere =p

Exactly. Perhaps they are members of a special government force, or their mecha are especially cutting edge. Only by proving themselves to be a valuable investment will they convince their sponsers to give them this very expensive experimental technology.

[DracoDei]

Personally, I would just make sure the monetary rewards are enough for the upgrades in question. If they decide to use it to sponsor a "Free 10 pounds of pocki" day at the next professional soccer game, or (more realistically) to offer reqards for inside infomration to the enemy minions... hey, that is part of what roleplaying is about.

If you want a touch of realism, make sure to include costs for repairs for battle damage, and downtime for upgrades, especially of the more deeply buried components... of course, if something comes up unexpectedly, that means that one or more of them might end up in hanger "loaners"... which will be substandard, unreliable, and/or outfitted with useless or oddball options. (Speargun and a sonar on a cable for hunting great white sharks from a barge for sport... give them XPs if they figure out that the same re-inforcements that will break the sharks teeth if the shark tries to bite the cable make it a serviceable whip-like weapon for ranged tripping attacks, even if it does no damage). Grease guns (for lubricating super-sized mechs... but make good oil slicks), fire-fighting water cannons, air-blowers that expel doves or butterflies for adverting purposes (vistual cover). Don't do this more than once or twice, but it could make fror an interesting change of pace.