Author Topic: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech  (Read 4775 times)

q264

  • Recruit
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Hey everyone, so after a lifelong appreciation from afar of all that is Battletech I recently decided to invest in some rule books, source books, and someone's old cardboard mechs. We've played the table top a few times now, and are ready to start introducing the more complex rule systems. This of course includes the roleplaying elements of ATOW. My group is similar to me in that we all have a fondness for Battletech, but don't have much (if any) gameplay experience.

My question to you is what Era is best to start with such a group? I have some cool books on 2750, and some 31st century too, but is it feasible to play through a familial line or a lance of mechwarriors starting in the 2500s all the way up to the "present day"? We'd like to make our own characters that fit organically inside the lore puzzle, eventually working our way into the elite circles of the Inner Sphere. Are there any tips, tricks, or ideas about the best way for me (the GM) to begin our first real dive into Battletech? Should I just start with 3025 like old school Battletech?

I'm also wondering if there are any key guides on how to best integrate ATOW RPG with the Classic Battletech tabletop? I figured out how to determine the gunnery and piloting skills, but what if the character has let's say Natural Aptitude: Mech Piloting? What does that add to the skill level subtracted from the base score of 8?

The last question is, if everyone is primarily roleplaying on the same side, then how do the mech battles work out on the tabletop? As GM, I might just have to bite the bullet and play as all of the opposition, maybe occasionally convincing a player character to field his mechs on my side of the table for balance. Does anyone do any workarounds for this when connecting the RPG to the tabletop, whereby the players are stilling facing each other on the field?

Thanks!
« Last Edit: 30 January 2016, 03:00:27 by q264 »

guardiandashi

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4826
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #1 on: 30 January 2016, 23:22:37 »

My question to you is what Era is best to start with such a group? I have some cool books on 2750, and some 31st century too, but is it feasible to play through a familial line or a lance of mechwarriors starting in the 2500s all the way up to the "present day"? We'd like to make our own characters that fit organically inside the lore puzzle, eventually working our way into the elite circles of the Inner Sphere. Are there any tips, tricks, or ideas about the best way for me (the GM) to begin our first real dive into Battletech? Should I just start with 3025 like old school Battletech?

I'm also wondering if there are any key guides on how to best integrate ATOW RPG with the Classic Battletech tabletop? I figured out how to determine the gunnery and piloting skills, but what if the character has let's say Natural Aptitude: Mech Piloting? What does that add to the skill level subtracted from the base score of 8?

The last question is, if everyone is primarily roleplaying on the same side, then how do the mech battles work out on the tabletop? As GM, I might just have to bite the bullet and play as all of the opposition, maybe occasionally convincing a player character to field his mechs on my side of the table for balance. Does anyone do any workarounds for this when connecting the RPG to the tabletop, whereby the players are stilling facing each other on the field?

Thanks!
I am old school enough that I prefer to start in or around 3000-3025ish.

as far as the "special abilities" like natural aptitude you use them on the battlefield exactly like in the RPG.  The NA pilot and gunner abilities don't have an actual skill target adjustment, instead you roll 3d6 (rather than 2) and take the best 2 which gives better odds / results indirectly rather than directly.

as to having other chars "help" run a battle. there are 2 ways to accomplish that if the events of the RPG have them fighting each other just go with it, the other thing would be to assign them a portion of the opfor as long as their units aren't involved in the actual battle.  the reason being that many people have "issues" fighting against themselves and will tend to be either too soft or too hard on their "real" force.
« Last Edit: 30 January 2016, 23:27:02 by guardiandashi »

Iracundus

  • Warrant Officer
  • *
  • Posts: 514
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #2 on: 31 January 2016, 05:01:15 »
Starting era I think depends on how you prefer to set the tone.  The Star League by 3025 is the mythological Golden Age.  Actually going through the Star League era might take off that rose tinted view.  They could be SLDF that refuse to leave the Inner Sphere and instead become mercenary or sign up as a House unit. 

"Elite circle" of the Inner Sphere becomes rapidly more about politics, even if the people involved might have Mech skills.  At Count level or above, they really shouldn't be running off piloting Mechs unless their home was under direct attack. 

Also there is the issue of how much plot armor you plan to give the characters.  The characters need to have descendants, else their familial line could end with a lucky headshot. 

Kilderkin

  • Corporal
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #3 on: 31 January 2016, 14:51:56 »
Hello OP

I too will be GMing for the first time with the Battletech RPG. For my campaign I am going to go for the year 3045, so everything is still 3025 tech but we're close enough that if we want to we can just skip five years and the clans show up. We're also going to have to play it over skypez so Mech combat will have to be basically abstracted using ATOW for everything except hit locations on the mech vs mech combat.

My players will be two dispossessed Mechwarriors who find themselves being hired by a group to help recover any lostech from a nearby store. I've decided to set it on a FWL planet bordering the Magistry of Canopus, so i can have some kind of minor civil war being fueled by the periphery state to get the planet to join the fold. The player characters will get mixed up in the middle of this somehow.

That's about as far as I have gotten.

guardiandashi

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4826
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #4 on: 01 February 2016, 02:48:31 »
Hello OP

I too will be GMing for the first time with the Battletech RPG. For my campaign I am going to go for the year 3045, so everything is still 3025 tech but we're close enough that if we want to we can just skip five years and the clans show up. We're also going to have to play it over skypez so Mech combat will have to be basically abstracted using ATOW for everything except hit locations on the mech vs mech combat.

My players will be two dispossessed Mechwarriors who find themselves being hired by a group to help recover any lostech from a nearby store. I've decided to set it on a FWL planet bordering the Magistry of Canopus, so i can have some kind of minor civil war being fueled by the periphery state to get the planet to join the fold. The player characters will get mixed up in the middle of this somehow.

That's about as far as I have gotten.
just a clarification FYI in 3045 a lot of the tro3050 IS upgrades are already appearing in the field.  the TRO3050 was actually "finalized" except for the clan stuff in 3048 from the blurbs at the front.

the fully functional "3050" tech started appearing around 3039 in rare cases and was starting to become wildly available (in limited cases) by ~45ish granted its mostly A and B  rated units that are gonna have any of the new tech but it is out there.

PurpleDragon

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 1667
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #5 on: 01 February 2016, 07:41:14 »
Hey everyone, so after a lifelong appreciation from afar of all that is Battletech I recently decided to invest in some rule books, source books, and someone's old cardboard mechs. We've played the table top a few times now, and are ready to start introducing the more complex rule systems. This of course includes the roleplaying elements of ATOW. My group is similar to me in that we all have a fondness for Battletech, but don't have much (if any) gameplay experience.

My question to you is what Era is best to start with such a group? I have some cool books on 2750, and some 31st century too, but is it feasible to play through a familial line or a lance of mechwarriors starting in the 2500s all the way up to the "present day"? We'd like to make our own characters that fit organically inside the lore puzzle, eventually working our way into the elite circles of the Inner Sphere. Are there any tips, tricks, or ideas about the best way for me (the GM) to begin our first real dive into Battletech? Should I just start with 3025 like old school Battletech?

I'm also wondering if there are any key guides on how to best integrate ATOW RPG with the Classic Battletech tabletop? I figured out how to determine the gunnery and piloting skills, but what if the character has let's say Natural Aptitude: Mech Piloting? What does that add to the skill level subtracted from the base score of 8?

The last question is, if everyone is primarily roleplaying on the same side, then how do the mech battles work out on the tabletop? As GM, I might just have to bite the bullet and play as all of the opposition, maybe occasionally convincing a player character to field his mechs on my side of the table for balance. Does anyone do any workarounds for this when connecting the RPG to the tabletop, whereby the players are stilling facing each other on the field?

Thanks!

One thing you might consider, regardless of era, is the Solaris type games.  While it is "only sport", there are several factions that use that as a tool for political standing (thereby giving them credence to their argument of how they should have their own be the new first lord).   What this means is plenty of intrigue, attempts at backstabbing, some sabotage, spying, fighting, oh, and maybe, a little bit of "leave em in the wilderness to die" type survivalism. 

Each success would then garner your PCs a little more prestige and possibly, eventually, some low level noble-esk recognition. 
give a man a fire, keep him warm for a night. 
Set him on fire, keep him warm for the rest of his life!

The secret to winning the land/air battle is that you must always remain rigidly flexible.

I like tabletop more anyway, computer games are for nerds!  -  Knallogfall

idea weenie

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4855
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #6 on: 02 February 2016, 20:06:18 »
as far as the "special abilities" like natural aptitude you use them on the battlefield exactly like in the RPG.  The NA pilot and gunner abilities don't have an actual skill target adjustment, instead you roll 3d6 (rather than 2) and take the best 2 which gives better odds / results indirectly rather than directly.

For math help, using 2D6 results in an average roll of 7.  Using 3D6 and keeping the top two means an average of 8.458.

q264

  • Recruit
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #7 on: 03 February 2016, 00:05:59 »
Thanks for the great responses. So far we've been role-playing a revolt in a FedSun covert ops training facility on Klathandu IV, so I'm going to stick to the year 3024 as suggested and have us play through all the major events of the 31st century. I might have them take on Natasha Kerensky and the Black Widow Company next, like the missions in one of the old scenario books. Are there any other source books that focus on this time and the border between Davion and Kurita? I'm going to use some of the scenarios in the Catalyst books as models for making my own campaigns, but it would be cool to lift more old FASA missions set in the same period like I plan to do with Tales of the Black Widow Company.

Hey Kilderkin, your story sounds like a great idea man! I too have foreign (Draconis) agents stirring up dissent and igniting a civil war. They have infiltrated the Department of Skunkworks at Meistmorn Academy on Doneval II, and managed to co-opt a top official at the secret training facility on Klathandu IV. No matter who wins the battles, all mech pilots will be put on trial for having suspected liaisons with the enemy. Their loyalty to House Davion will ultimately be tested after they are pressed into battle against the infamous Black Widow Company!

I'm definitely also considering a stop over on Solaris in the future, the Game World seems like an awesome place to tell stories. Maybe I'll have them stay there awhile during the period where they eventually transition from House Mechwarriors to a crew of mercenaries.

That's also really good to know about the 3d6. The more I play this game the more I'm into the math. Sounds like the NA trait could be immensely valuable and make your character badass a lot more consistently. Maybe even a little too overpowering. I'll have to test it out more for sure.
« Last Edit: 03 February 2016, 01:13:58 by q264 »

Lord greystroke

  • Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 193
Re: About to start my first RPG campaign w/ Classic Battletech
« Reply #8 on: 03 February 2016, 12:57:27 »
well you could look out for Historical Turning Points - Mallory's World in PDF and HTP Galtor as well both about to come up for yourself pretty soon in the time scales as I remember, if you can find the old Galtor book it is excellent