New AToW Campaign!

[E. Icaza]

Well, our group's Shadowrun campaign is winding up after we started a rousing gang war and got exiled from Minneapolis.  The GM wanted to take a break for a while before possibly picking the game up again, so I was asked to run AToW for a while.  It seems that the previous one-shot that I ran was pretty successful in stirring up some interest, ast least in the short term...

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=53558.0

It was decided unanimously that everyone wanted to play Mechwarriors this time, since so much of the universe revolves around that theme.  Given chargen can be a bit daunting, I provided them with the archetypes and let them dump the Rank stat to give them a few points to customize with if they weren't interested in making characters.  With the game revolving around a single lance of mercs, we figured they could work out the rank structure themselves.  Only two took up the (modified) archetypes, with the other two developing characters via Point-Buy.  With no dedicated Tech, we decided that each character would have to purchase a different Tech skill at +3 and at least two other Tech skills at +1 or better.  I also encouraged them to pick actors or images to give their characters a visual reference.

We had our Session Zero this morning, and this is what my group came up with:

Luthien Buell

Once our friend Katie saw that there was a world named Numenor, she decided that her character HAD to be a native of that world.  Luthien has the Attractive Trait and bought ranks in Language/Sindarin.  She is one of the two who built her character from scratch and ended up with a fairly well-rounded character overall.  After about 15 minutes of debate, it was decided that she was the unit's leader, because she had the highest Tactics skill and was the only one with the Strategy skill.  She accepted the burden of leadership as only fitting for one of the Edain.  Her 'Mech is a CN9-D Centurion that she immediately dubbed "Asfaloth".  Visually, Luthien bears a striking resemblance to Liv Tyler (of course).

Devon Mahoney

Josh chose the basic Mechwarrior from AToW, with some minor modifications.  His character is Jewish and hails from Robinson.  He has a Compulsion/Hatred of Draconis Combine, but that's only natural for someone from the Draconis March.  While the other two were making characters, he was shopping for gear since he had bought a few levels of Wealth and Well-Equipped and is the best geared up character of the four.  He also purchased enough levels of Custom Vehicle to choose his 'Mech, a FS9-OF Firestarter after dithering between that 'Mech, a Blackjack Omni and several varieties of Griffin.  Appearance wise, he could pass for a young Aaron Eckhart.

Warren Li   

Rob went with the Hotshot Mechwarrior archetype from AToW Companion.  He hails from Victoria and brings a bundle of plot hooks with him.  After losing a few too many L-Bills to the Triads while betting on Solaris VII matches, he decided that it might be harder for some enforcer to take a meat cleaver to him if he wasn't there and stole his 'Mech.  This resulted in a Bloodmark and several Enemy traits.  He'd originally intended to make for Solaris VII where he knows that his combination of skill and raw charisma would make him Champion within a fortnight, but interstellar travel is expensive.  He's decided to work with these gweilo Mechwarriors for a while to build up enough cash to arrive on Solaris VII in style.  He's piloting a MS1-OC Men Shen that the CCAF would very much like to have back and which he's named "Champion".  In the movie that will inevitably be made about his meteoric rise, he'll be played by Chinese actor Chen Xiao.

Gunther "Guns" Gustafson

Tom is the only other player with a large degree of familiarity with the BT universe and he also chose to build his character from scratch.  Hailing from the Lyran Alliance, he's the "old man" of the group at 34.  He hails from the world of Loburg, because that's where Tom's finger ended up when he pointed randomly at the map.  He's the best shot of the unit out of his 'Mech and the worst pilot in his 'Mech.  But that's okay, because he has the build to qualify as a BA Trooper.  He also has the Dependent Trait which represents his 8 year old daughter Heidi (promptly christened "Hobbit" by Luthien).  He also sprung for the Design Quirk: Rumble Seat so that he can transport her in his 'Mech.  But not in combat of course, because "Take Your Daughter To Work Day" is definitely not applicable to Mechwarriors.  He pilots a SCP-12S Scorpion, but just ignore the box of "Immortal Warrior" and "The Steinharts" action figures under the seat.  When the light hits him at certain angles, he kinda, sorta looks like Ron Perlman.




Time wise, the campaign is set in 3085 and their first contract has taken them hunting pirates on Panjang, an independent world in the Free Worlds League.  Our first play session should be next weekend, and I'm excited to see how things go!

[Nav_Alpha]

Very excited to see how this goes!

[Alex Keller]

Sounds like a fun group

[Daryk]

*snip*
But not in combat of course, because "Take Your Daughter To Work Day" is definitely not applicable to Mechwarriors.
*snip*

If Stormtroopers can do it, why not MechWarriors? ;D

[E. Icaza]

"Pirates of Panjang" Session 1 Recap

We had our first actual play session today and here are the highlights that I remember:


The PC mercenary lance had been hired by the government of the planet Panjang, an independent world in the former Free Worlds League, to hunt down pirates that had been plaguing them for about 3 months.  Not finding any hard info on the planet, I based it on a few facts and ideas liberally cribbed from the Wikipedia article on Indonesia.  I established that it was a hot and seismically active world with a population of around 600 million or so and most settlements were in the large tropical zone.  The major industry is agriculture and rubber production, but there is a decently sized mining industry extracting bauxite and diamond.  The players eyes lit up when I told them that a portion of the industry revolved around diamond mining until I pointed out that most of the diamonds mined are only suitable for industrial purposes.

The PCs (minus Devon whose player was running late) arrived in the planetary capital of New Jakarta where they were ushered in to meet with the Minster of Defense, who explained that a small band of pirates had been attacking and plundering shipments from some of the outlying diamond and bauxite mines.  Minister Toraja was maddeningly vague about the composition of the pirate forces, but assured the PCs that they had, at most, one or possibly two 'Mechs and some vehicles and infantry.  The 'Mech that had been present for all of the attacks was identified as a Hatchetman, but...so sorry...no images of the attacking forces had been recovered for definite identification.  So, the PCs were immediately suspicious that something was being held from them.

Begging off further questions by pulling the old "affairs of state" excuse, the PCs were ushered out of the office and given directions to meet with their liaison to the planetary defense force.  On the way to the PDF base, and as a reminder of how the system and combat worked, the players decided to do some window shopping and investigating.  They learned that the current government had come to power in a military coup about 2 years before and was quite oppressive.  They were also attacked by some street thugs that they made short work of. 

Arriving at the PDF base, their liaison was also frustratingly evasive about the pirate forces and explained that the mercs would be ferried by cargo barge upriver to one of the storage sites and then it was a few hours walk to the main mining site that they were to guard.  Knowing that something was up, the players asked around and eventually were able to learn that the pirate 'Mech wasn't a Hatchetman, but a Buccaneer and that the pirates also had a small force of Purifier Battle Armor, which explained why the PDF forces (which consisted only of unarmored infantry and conventional vehicles) was having such a rough time finding them.  So, after the particulars of the recently completed Jihad were explained to those not as familiar with BT lore, the characters (and players) were rather upset that the possibility that they might be facing Blakist fanatics (or maybe even cyborg zombies) was kept from them.

They barged back into the Minister's office and he told them that there was no proof the pirates were WoB, and the idea that they might be was being kept secret from everyone since the Regulans were (interstellar-ly speaking) right next door and the planetary government didn't want the word (ha!) to get out for fear of Regulan involvement.  Especially since Regulan "involvement" often involves profligate usage of nuclear weapons where Blakists are concerned.  By threatening to tell the Regulans anyway, the PCs were able to extort convince the Panjang government to give them a bonus and full salvage rights to any 'Mechs, but this did not make them any new friends.

The trip upriver and to the mining site is uneventful and the PCs spend about a week and a half patrolling the area with no sign of pirate Blakists.  They also used the opportunity for a bit or RP to establish their characters and relationships with one another.  They were particularly enthralled by my description of Heidi/Hobbit's game she was playing with her action figures.  It seemed that the Immortal Warrior and Andery Steinhart had to team up to rescue Andery's wife Felicia Steinhart from the clutches of Khan Martha Pardoe of Clan Emerald Wolf-Raptor.  Khan Pardoe had apparently teamed up with horrible asian stereotype Snake Cooperative Warlord Jinhiro Korito.  Matters were complicated by the fact that the Immortal Warrior and Felicia had been in a relationship at some point before she'd married Andery and the heiress to the Steinhart fortune may still have feelings for the Immortal Warrior.  Tune in next time for the thrilling conclusion...

When the time comes for a shipment of ore to transported across country (there are roads, but they are pretty bad) to the river for transport, the PCs decide to split the party divide their forces.

Luthien will stay at the mining site with her Centurion in case the pirates decide to attack the means of production.  Warren and Gunther (Men Shen and Scorpion respectively) will escort the transport convoy (about a dozen trucks, some PDF "Technicals" and a pair of PDF Vedette tanks) across country.  Devon's Firestarter will shadow the convoy, hanging back a ways in the hopes that his JJ equipped 'Mech can respond to either an attack on the convoy or back at the mine site more quickly. 

About halfway through the trip to the river (about three hours), the convoy does indeed fall under attack from a Buccaneer and a Raijin.   We decided to resolve the combats via BT rules, so I pull out some mapsheets and minis.  At about the same moment, the mining site also falls under attack by a pair of Galleon tanks and 2 squads of Purifier armor.  Warren and Gunther manage to drive off the pirate 'Mechs but, after a few moments debate, decide not to pursue in case it's a diversion to draw them off the convoy.  Devon heads his Firestarter back to the mining site (amid grumbles from the other two about how Fedrats always stick together) and I allow him to spend some Edge for dramatic purposes to be there fast enough to be involved in the fight.  Luthien is holding her own in the Centurion and the arrival of the Firestarter convinces the surviving pirates (down a Galleon and a Purifier suit) to bug out.  Luthien and Devon elect not to pursue for the same reason as the other duo.

There are no pirate survivors, but an examination of the vehicle and armor reveals that the pirates are indeed WoB remnants and that they've grounded a DropShip somewhere in the wilderness near the humongous semi-active volcano (named Krakakoa) that they can see on the skyline.  After Warren and Gunther rejoin the group, the PCs decide that they plan is to scout out the area next session, as the desire to maybe score a DropShip of their very own is a pretty tempting lure.

[Lamont-Cranston]

A small group like that the players could handle 1-2 extra characters for outside mech stuff, even if its just npc-tier techs for maintenance. Or soldiers for backup and doing stuff while the mechs clash.

[E. Icaza]

Yeah, we discussed that.  I think the plan is that they're going to at least hire an NPC tech.  Preferably someone who can also double as a nanny for Gunther's daughter.  After finding out how sketchy the people who hired them are, they didn't feel that it was safe leaving her as a potential hostage.  So the best solution so far is to take her to a rough-and-tumble mining camp in the middle of the jungle and under the (distant) shadow of a volcano.  That kid is gonna have the best/worst upbringing ever.  The joke was that she'll probably end up like Rusty Venture from The Venture Brothers.  ;)

Interviewer:  "Can you balance a checkbook?"

Heidi:  "No, but I can pilot a Mad Cat and field strip and re-assemble a TK Assault Rifle in 45 seconds."

If they score a DropShip or some other 'Mechs or vehicles they'll need NPC crew for them as well.

[Daryk]

Mining camp?  I'm thinking that rumble seat might be the safest place after all...