[non-serious] House Rule: Roller Skates!

[Cannonshop]

That's right, heelies for Battlemechs.  Why? to be silly, to just be silly...as if thirty foot tall walking bipedal tanks weren't unserious enough.

Tech Base: All

Absorbs 2 crit spaces in each leg.

Requires a PSR each round of movement.

Bonus only applies on flat ground.

Tonnage: equal to 5% of your 'mech's total tonnage (Round up).

Benefit: Movement functions as wheeled movement, with wheeled suspension factor when skates are engaged (note: this still requires a PSR each round of movement regardless while skates are engaged, walking or running.)

PSR is to be checked at each facing change in addition to beginning and ending movement.

Failed PSR results in 1 D6 check.

1. Fall, land on your back.
2. Fall, land on your side
3. Fall, Land on your side
4. skid left
5. Skid right
6. Fall forward.

Damage from fall taken per falling damage times the number of hexes traveled before you went down this round.

Skates in ramming attacks: adds 10% to all ramming/charging attacks (assuming they succeed).

now, is that silly enough, or should we get detailed??

[BirdofPrey]

Great, now I can make some Heavy Gear Units with BT stats.

[I am Belch II]

Why not?? SOme of the Industrial Mechs had tracks attached to them. Same thing.

[Iceweb]

Does MASC effect the legs or the skates?

[worktroll]

Both!

[Cryhavok101]

Both!

Myomer powered cranks turning the wheels like they are the wheels on a steam engine?

[Iceweb]

Because it had to be done

I present the Skater Boy

Code: [Select]

Skater Boy
SK8-BOY
IS experimental
20 tons
BV: 704 ???
Cost: 2,877,040 C-bills  ???
Movement: 8(9)/12(18)
Engine: 160 XL
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: Standard Gyro 
Internal: 33 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 56/69

                         Internal  /  Armor
Head                       3       /    9
Center Torso               6       /    8
Center Torso (rear)                     2
Right Torso                5       /    7
Right Torso (rear)                      2
Left Torso                 5       /    7
Left Torso (rear)                       2
Right Arm                  3       /    4
Left Arm                   3       /    4
Right Leg                  4       /    6
Left Leg                   4       /    5

Weapons             Loc       Heat
ER Medium Laser     LT          5
ER Medium Laser     RT          5
 
Equipment          Loc
MASC               HD
Skates             Legs
Spikes             LT
Spikes             RT
Spikes             RA
Spikes             LA
Guardian ECM Suite CT

Need BV and cost for skates...

Paint it red with flame decals to go faster

[worktroll]

Myomer powered cranks turning the wheels like they are the wheels on a steam engine?

What propels a running human? Leg muscles.

What propels a roller-skating human? Leg muscles.

So it just makes sense that TSM & MASC should increase 'Mech-rolling speed.  Yeah, I know, bringing logic to a BT game ... 

W.  O0

[Cryhavok101]

What propels a running human? Leg muscles.

What propels a roller-skating human? Leg muscles.

So it just makes sense that TSM & MASC should increase 'Mech-rolling speed.  Yeah, I know, bringing logic to a BT game ... 

W.  O0

I was going the opposite direction, for more ridiculousness lol.

[Iceweb]

I was going the opposite direction, for more ridiculousness lol.

I think once you have to put roller skates on a walking tank you have to go for the max level of ridiculousness.

Therefore it makes me smile to think that some deranged tech is adding gears and heat traps to the roller skate apparatus to get the most out of TSM or MASC.

[Cryhavok101]

I think once you have to put roller skates on a walking tank you have to go for the max level of ridiculousness.

Therefore it makes me smile to think that some deranged tech is adding gears and heat traps to the roller skate apparatus to get the most out of TSM or MASC.

It occurs to me that with a name like Tony Hawk, it is 100% appropriate for a battlemech. Maybe we should be looking at mech skateboards instead of roller skates?

[Pat Payne]

Heyyyyyy... here's a thought... how would Jump Jet-equipped Mechs work with these? Think of it -- a long stretch of pavement, jets that could angle out, wheels on the 'Mech's feet --

Get ready for the ultimate in 'Mech drag-racing action this Sunday-Sunday-Sunday at the Steiner Stadium-Stadium-Stadium! 

Only slightly more seriously... that sort of combo with a charge attack? I wonder if that would do any more damage...

[worktroll]

I'd be inclined to add jump-jet MP to the roller-skate MP, but require an additional piloting check, if you get past the initial one. So a roller-Griffin could in theory jet-skate 13 MP (8 run plus 5 for JJs).

(Plus road bonus, where applicable!)

Displace the end-point by the margin of failure in a random direction. Then draw a line between start and end point, and apply terrain interactions in any hex the path goes through. If the path goes through non-flat terrain (rough, woods, etc), then you stop there, and piloting roll to avoid fall.

(Yes, controlled rollering into buildings is a real thing! Don't forget the basement check!)

If the 'Mech collides with something, apply charge damage based on hexes actually moved, not total movement.

(Imagine the scenario. The Roller-Griffin, on a spaceport map, goes for full 14 MP charge - 8 run, 5 JJ, 1 pavement bonus. Makes the initial PSR, then fails the PSR for the jump-boost by a MoF of 3. The end point is displaced 3 hexes - randomly, ahead. The Griffin roller-boosts a total of 17 hexes, right into a LHyd storage farm. Hilarity ensues ...)

[Iceweb]

You guys just wanted me to me to post a jumping skater.
Well you got your wish...

Code: [Select]

Skater Jump
SK8-JMP
IS experimental
20 tons
BV: 501
Cost: 2,403,840 C-bills 
Movement: 6/9(14)/6
Engine: 120 Light
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: XL Gyro 

Internal: 33 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 64/69

                 Internal /  Armor
Head                3     /    9
Center Torso        6     /    9
Center Torso (rear)            2
Right Torso         5     /    8
Right Torso (rear)             2
Left Torso          5     /    8
Left Torso (rear)              2
Right Arm           3     /    5
Left Arm            3     /    5
Right Leg           4     /    7
Left Leg            4     /    7

Weapons         Loc   Heat
ER Medium Laser HD     5
 
Equipment   Loc
Skates      Legs
Spikes      LA
Spikes      LT
Spikes      RT
Spikes      RA
MASC        RT

With a pavement bonus go for 21 and knock down some bowling pins er mechs

Now I need to mock up a superheavy tripod Roller Derby Pit Boss.

Edit: Messed up math. Now realize I should have found a blackjack pun to use.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Needs more improved jump jets.

seriously, though, how do wheeled quadvees work?

[XaosGorilla]

What about Quad Mechs? 

I'm imagining a cat or dog with wax paper "booties" on a freshly waxed kitchen floor.....

Also, would a quad be able to only engage the skates in the front 2 legs?  Possibly to get a "running" start and then use the rear ones as well?

SOMEBODY had to ask...

[Iceweb]

Needs more improved jump jets.

You get a jump jet!  You get a jump jet!  Everyone gets a piloting check!

Code: [Select]

Mach 5
SK8-MCH
IS experimental
50 tons
BV: 898
Cost: 14,235,750 C-bills 
Movement: 5/8(13)/8
Engine: 250 Light
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: Standard Gyro 
Internal: 83
Armor: 140/169 (Impact-Resistant)
                  Internal /   Armor
Head                3      /     9
Center Torso        16     /     21
Center Torso (rear)              6
Right Torso         12     /     15
Right Torso (rear)               5
Left Torso          12     /     15
Left Torso (rear)                5
Right Arm           8      /     13
Left Arm            8      /     13
Right Leg           12     /     19
Left Leg            12     /     19

Equipment           Loc
MASC                LA
Skates              Legs
Supercharger        RT
Spikes              LA
Spikes              LT
Spikes              CT
Spikes              RT
Spikes              RA
Impact-Resistant    LA
Impact-Resistant    LT
Impact-Resistant    RA
Impact-Resistant    RA
Impact-Resistant    RA
Impact-Resistant    RA
Impact-Resistant    RA
Impact-Resistant    LA
Impact-Resistant    LA
Impact-Resistant    LA
Guardian ECM Suite  RA
C3 Slave            HD

Weapons we don't need no stinking weapons when we can skate.
A nice flat paved spaceport and we can skate 22!

Not sure on the rules on impact resistant armor but I think this guy will need it!

[Cryhavok101]

What about Quad Mechs? 

I'm imagining a cat or dog with wax paper "booties" on a freshly waxed kitchen floor.....

Also, would a quad be able to only engage the skates in the front 2 legs?  Possibly to get a "running" start and then use the rear ones as well?

SOMEBODY had to ask...

[Nightsong]

That's actually the first thing that came to mind. Quads+Skates=Hilarity Ensues.

[Sockmonkey]

This makes me think of something less crazy like some kind of extra traction device for mech feet. Like gripping spikes or something. Same crits and mass as the skate idea, and it reduces your movement by 1, but it eliminates terrain penalties while granting a bonus for PSRs.

[Adjudicator]

It is a very interesting concept.

This reminds me of the Secondary Movement Systems in Heavy Gear, and similar skate mechanisms in the mecha of the Front Mission series.

Hmm... It might be possible to have a derivative of the skating system that instead grants hover movement. Balancing out the system would be requiring even more piloting checks, and forcing the inclusion of Improved Jump Jets, along with forcing a Jumping modifier to the Mech using the hover skates.

[BirdofPrey]

This makes me think of something less crazy like some kind of extra traction device for mech feet. Like gripping spikes or something. Same crits and mass as the skate idea, and it reduces your movement by 1, but it eliminates terrain penalties while granting a bonus for PSRs.

Mech crampons?

[Caedis Animus]

I actually love the concept of something like that for artillery mechs or something. Like mechanical bracers that improve firing accuracy when locked down, but require a turn's worth of MP to activate/deactivate.

As for "Mech Skates", I agree with the hover movement idea. Visually similar to the "Skates" seen in Armored Core, though, not actual physical skates, seem more appropriate to me.