GURPS TO BATTLETECH CONVERSION PART 1
BY TOM NADRATOWSKI
From the first, I loved the Battletech universe. I haven't always been thrilled with the realism behind the Battlemechs, but the story behind it was amazing. The exhilirating race to the stars; the hope of the Star League; the Grandeur of the First Court; and the awful carnage of the civil war. Then the Succession Wars and the lobotomizing of a once-mighty culture. For the survivors, what was left was a gritty world with an uncertain and violent future. Once I saw all that, I was hooked.
Unfortunately, Mechwarrior didn't deliver the role-playing I was expecting. Its successor, Mechwarrior II, is better but limits role-playing more by offering few original Archtypes.
I have been playing and GM'ing Steve Jackson Games' GURPS role-playing system since 1989, and gaming since 1978. GURPS stands for the Generic Universal Role Playing System, and with it you can do just about anything. This article assumes a familiarity with GURPS; if you are unfamiliar GET A COPY! (plug,plug). With GURPS, it's very easy to make characters that don't all have to be Mechwarriors or related to fighting somehow. But if you want to .......
Here are some guidelines to use when starting a new GURPS Mechwarrior campaign:
100 points= New recruits
125 points= Rising stars
150 points= Fame and fortune
200 points= Living legends
I recommend having 40 points of disadvantages, 5 points of quirks; with no more than 125 points spent on attributes at the 100 and 125 point levels.
Many of the advantages in Mechwarrior II can be easily adapted to GURPS with a little thought. Edge translates as Luck; Lands and Titles become Wealth and Status; etc. Some of the other ones will be translated to GURPS (see below). Appropriate advantages and disadvantages would be military rank, for every non-noble, statrting at 2 or 3, and for nobles of not more than 4-5, status, reputation, danger sense, combat reflexes; wealth; contacts; ally groups;duties; sense of duty; enemies(especially for Clanners!); and addictions. Starting wealth should also be 1,000 C-Bills.
NEW ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
NATURAL APTITUDE 20 POINTS
This is allows a PC to double all points spent in ONE skill. This can't be bought after character construction.
UNIVERSITY SKILL PACKAGES 30 POINTS/40,000 C-bills
This doubles all points spent in up to 15 skills(minimum of 10), due to the intense and concentrated learning environment, and lasts for (1d6) years. If a PC wishes to aquire this after play starts, they must put that character aside for the required time in game-time and pay the cost. For extra difficulty, the GM may also assign an IQ-3 roll after every year, on a failure they are placed on academic probation; on a failure of six or more or a critical failure the PC washes out (hey, it happened to Phelan!). In addition, the GM may also add extra points of reputation if a PC attends a prestigious acadamy, such as Sun Zhang, Nagelring, NAIS, Etc.
HIGH-TECH BERSERK -15 POINTS
This disadvantage functions like the regular disadvantage, with the following addition.
If a PC with this disadvantage goes berserk, they may keep firing any weapon(s) already held without taking aimed shots, firing as many times as possible or firing on full auto until ammo is exhausted regardless of recoil or any other penalties. More weapons may be drawn if an IQ-4 roll is made. If successful repeat as before or behave as per the normal berserk disadvantage.If a PC is in a mech, they will fire ALL weapons available to fire every turn, regardless of heat or any other penalty and may not take aimed shots. They will also move towards the cause of the berserk rage or the nearest enemy, firing at them and engaging in physical attacks if possible. Damage from ammo or Gauss explosions and head strikes are the most common causes of involuntary berserk rages.
STATUS AND MILITARY RANK
STATUS
LEVEL AND MILITARY RANK
8 ilKhan or First Lord/General/Admiral
7 House Lord
6 SaKhan/Colonel/Division-Galaxy Commander/StarColonel/House Heir
5 Junior Khan/Star Colonel/Regimental Commander/Baron
4 Captain or Major/Battalion Commander/Planetary Governor
3 Company Commander
2 Star Captain/Senior NCO/Mayor
1 NCO/Lance Commander/Doctor/Councilman
0 Mechwarrior
-1 Periphery Soldier/2nd line Clansman/Ex-Convict
-2 Old Clansman/PGC Clansman/Sohlama warrior
-3 Freebirth
For a twist, don't let Clan PC's buy ranks; fight it out and see if they can win it!
NEW SKILLS
All of these skills should be self-explanatory and are specific to the universe. For a time-travel campaign, assign a Tech Level to the Universe (as 0f 3058). I think that it is TL9, with elements both higher and lower. This will also vary planet-to-planet(Hesperus II may be TL9, while New Saint Andrews is TL7 and New Avalon may be TL10! The GM may also asses a familiarity penalty to repair or use Innersphere or Clan equipment.
Armory/Mech m/a
Armory/Aerospacefighter m/a
Armory/vehicle m/a
Armory/Dropship
Battlesuit (for elementals & powered armor) m/a
Engineer/Mech m/h
Engineer/Aerospace craft m/h
Gunner/X (Aerospace, Battlesuit, Mech, Vehicle)
History/Clan m/h (this will also enable you to accurately quote the Rememberance)
Law/Clan m/h
Mechanic/Mech m/a
Mechanic/Aerospace m/a
Mechanic/Battlesuit m/a
Mechanic/Dropship m/a
Mechanic/Jumpship m/h
Piloting(as for the above skills); all are p/a
Philosophy/Clan m/h
Savoire-Faire/Clan m/e
COMBAT CONVERSIONS
As a referance, use these skill levels:
GURPS BATTLETECH RANGE/ SKILL PENALTIES
S/M/L
9: Green 5/7/9
12: Regular 4/6/8
15: Veteran/2nd line Clan 3/5/7
18: Elite InnerSphere/Regular Clan 2/4/6
20: Elite Clan 1/3/5
25: Natasha Kerensky 0/2/4
If a PC is trying to hit a target, use the chart above as a penalty to the GURPS skill. First find the closest category (green, regular, etc.) that fits the PC's skill-but don't round up.All bonuses and penalties for range, movement, terrain, targeting computers, pulse weapons, etc., remain the same. EXAMPLE 1: Angus is a veteran InnerSphere pilot with a skill of 15. He is trying to hit with a Gauss Rifle at medium range (-5), after running (-2). His target has moved 5 (-2). So his final to hit is 15-5-2-2=6. EXAMPLE 2: Mechwarrior Irene is a regular Clan Pilot with a skill of 18. She is attempting to hit with a Large Pulse Laser(+2) at medium range(-4). She has also run (-2), and her target moved 6(-2), into light woods(-1). She has a targeting computer (+1). Final to hit is 18+2-4-2-2-1+1=12. If her skill were 19, she would still be classified as Clan regular. If Angus' skill were 17, he would still be veteran.
Well, That's all for now. The next article will have Clan and InnerSphere templates for Elementals, Mechwarriors, and perhaps some GURPS conversions for Ranna, Phelan, Vlad, and company!
Well, here are the templates I promised in the last article. I've tried to keep the cost of each template to around 40 points or so. This makes them easy to use in any point level campaign. At the one hundred point level, this will make PC's who are attribute-heavy and skill-light to reflect the lack of real expeience beginning characters will have while the higher levels will absorb this easier. I also think that the point levels for beginnig characters should be revised somewhat from my last article: 100 points for InnerSphere and 125 for Clan. Keep the other ideas about point allocation and attributes (or not....... as long as everyone is having fun!). Clanners in the InnerSphere should add the Social Stigma, Ex-Clan (-10). Freebirths should also add the Social Stigma, Freebirth (-15) but this will only be appropriate in an all-Clan game (Obviously, the InnerSphere doesn't care if your a freebirth). Because of the rigorous training and weeding-out process, no InnerSphere soldier should have an atribute below 9 and no skill below 10, while Clans should have no attribute or skill below 12 . If any Clan PC does, the GM should consider assessing some sort of Unusual Background as these characters would certainly be challenged quite a bit.
CLAN ELEMENTAL TEMPLATE
ST: +4 (45 points)
DX +1: (10)
IQ: +1 (10)
HT: +4\+4 (65)
ADVANTAGES
Combat Reflexes (15)
Clanners also receive the skill Savoire-Faire,Clan at IQ +2 for no cost.
DISADVANTAGES
WARRIOR CASTE CODE OF CONDUCT: -95
Extremely Hazardous Duty (-20)
Sense of Duty, to current Clan, (-10)
Clan Code of Honor, (-20)
Obsession, must be Bloodnamed, (-10)
Intolerant of Freebirths, (-15)
Intolerant of old warriors, (-10)
Vow, never use contractions, (-10)
TOTAL : 40 POINTS
CLAN MECHWARRIOR TEMPLATE
ST: +0
DX: +4
IQ: +4
HT: +2
ADVANTAGES
Combat Reflexes (15)
Savoire-faire, Clan at IQ for no cost
DISADVANTAGES: As above
TOTAL COST: 30 points
As an alternate, consider this 130 point advantage package Clan Genegeneered warrior package. Assign these points to be distributed among the four attributes any way the PC's see fit, and then take the Warrior Caste Code of Conduct.
CLAN AEROSPACE PILOT TEMPLATE
ST: +0
DX: +6
IQ: +2
HT: +2
ADVANTAGES
Acceleration tolerance(10)
Combat Reflexes(15)
Savoire-faire Clan at IQ at no cost
DISADVANTAGES
Warrior Caste Code of Conduct(-95)
Skinny(-5)
Unnatural Feature; bulbous head(-5)
TOTAL COST: 35 points
Any of the advantages, disadvantages, and skills from GURPS Space or Compendium I would also be appropriate.
RIVALS
As promised, here are the first NPC's (Non-Player Characters) from the BTech universe converted to GURPS. Feel free to modify these if you disagree.
KHAN PHELEN WARD KELL WOLF
ST:10, DX:14, IQ:12, HT:14 ADVANTAGES: Luck(30) Intuition(15) DISADVANTAGES: Overconfidence(-10) Bad temper(-10) Freebirth(-15) Warrior Caste Code(-95 but doesn't count as it was aquired after creation) QUIRKS: (all are -1) Questions authority; loves parents; hates Khan Vlad; Warden SKILLS: Acrobatics p\h (2)13 Boxing p\a (4) 15 Gunnery\Mech p\a (32) 19 Swimming p\e (2) 15 Running (2) 13 Leadership (6) 14 Mechanic\Mech (2) 14 First Aid (1) 12 Pilot\Mech (16) 17 Guns (2) 17-bonus for IQ Strategy (4) 12 Tactics (6) 13 TOTAL COST: 205 points
KHAN VLAD WARD
ST:12, DX: 17, IQ: 14, HT:15 ADVANTAGES: Combat Reflexes; High pain threshold(10) Danger sense (15) Toughness/2 (25) Clan Mechwarrior Template (30) DISADVANTAGES: Warrior Caste Code of Conduct; Bully(-10);Bad Temper(-10) QUIRKS: (all are -1) Hates Phelan; Crusader; Dislikes Wardens SKILLS: Gunnery\Mech p\a (2) 17 Interrogation m\a (2) 14 Leadership m\a (2) 14 First Aid m\e (1) 14 Pilot\Mech p\a (2) 17 Guns p\e (1) 20-bonus for IQ Survival\Terran planet type m\a (2) 14 Tactics m\h (4) 14 Strategy m\h (4) 14 Mechanic\Mech m\a (1) 13 Boxing p\a (2) 17
TOTAL COST: 180 points
The differance in point cost illustrates the differance between a highly trained "normal" person and a genegeneered Clan warrior. One has superior physical abilities and one doesn't. It's a good thing Phelan is both intuitive and lucky!
MECHWARRIOR II CONVERSION GUIDE
Please use these gudelines for converting existing Mechwarrior II characters to GURPS (see pp.49+15 in Mechwarrior II).
GURPS ATTRIBUTE MECHWARRIOR II
8 POOR 1
9 FAIR 2
10 AVERAGE 3
12 GOOD 4
14 EXCELLANT 5
16 REMARKABLE 6
18+ INCREDIBLE 7+
I'm not too hip on the finer points of html, so please excuse the erratic tables!