Author Topic: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?  (Read 2362 times)

Maelwys

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4872
ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« on: 29 March 2013, 02:45:48 »
The Invading Clans Affiliation (page 59) in ATOW has quite a few notes at the bottom of the section. The main one I'm curious about is the entire section on ProtoMech Warriors.

"The ProtoMechWarrior sub-caste is not available to any Clan character entering game play prior to 3062, or to any Invading Clan characters entering service after 3075."

Okay. No ProtoMech pilots before 3062. Kind of self explanatory. But what about after 3075? We all know that the Hell's Horses atleast continue to use ProtoMechs into the MWDA era, and the last TRO had the Horses showing off new ProtoMechs with new technology. FM3085 shows that the Nova Cats and the Snow Ravens are continuing to use ProtoMechs as well (and they're all considered Invading Clans).

So why the restriction?

Does this mean if I want to make a ProtoMech pilot I have to use the "Warrior (Other)" Caste instead?

If so, can I use any phenotype?

guardiandashi

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4826
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #1 on: 29 March 2013, 04:48:40 »
I read the intent of the restriction more as:  since the protomech unit did not exist prior to 3062, (ish) therefor any protomechwarriors would have to be retrained, and so couldn't take it as their "primary career"

the invading clans that maintained them shouldn't be restricted from dedicated sibcos (IMO) but didn't most of the "invading clans" abandon the tech overall, and so stop making more/training up large numbers of pilots for them?

as far as the phenotype, I thought the clan protos basically require aerospace pilot phenos as the cockpits lack the room for anyone else to really fit... (unless they are exceptionally small)

GreekFire

  • Aeternus Ignis
  • BattleTech Volunteer
  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3881
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #2 on: 29 March 2013, 09:26:44 »
TRO: Protoypes says that the Cats are using washed-out aerospace pilots for their protos.

I have no clue what the Ravens or Horses are doing, though. Weren't the Ravens supposed to have the protomech pilot phenotype? Hmm. Gonna look around a bit.
Tu habites au Québec? Tu veux jouer au BattleTech? Envoie-moi un message!

Maelwys

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4872
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #3 on: 29 March 2013, 10:26:05 »
I read the intent of the restriction more as:  since the protomech unit did not exist prior to 3062, (ish) therefor any protomechwarriors would have to be retrained, and so couldn't take it as their "primary career"

Right. That part I understand. It makes sense. And of course, it doesn't matter much since the aerospace caste and the ProtoMech Caste are exactly the same :) Its the Post 3075 stuff that I find odd.

Quote
the invading clans that maintained them shouldn't be restricted from dedicated sibcos (IMO) but didn't most of the "invading clans" abandon the tech overall, and so stop making more/training up large numbers of pilots for them?

Not every Invading Clan used them in the first place. The Jade Falcons and various Wolf factions seemed to have dropped them. The three that continue to use them (out of 8 Invading Clans) are the Horses, Ravens and Nova Cats. The Horses seem to have taken quite a shine to the technology and are actively pursuing some of the tech that came out of the Wars of Reaving (Ultraheavy, Quad, "Glider"). So it seems odd to me that this blanket exemption is there.

Quote
as far as the phenotype, I thought the clan protos basically require aerospace pilot phenos as the cockpits lack the room for anyone else to really fit... (unless they are exceptionally small)

They used to. Being an Aerospace Phenotype also was also partially what gave the ProtoMech pilot's their ability to withstand the EI issues (as part of the Aerospace Phenotype, you only test for negatives once every 3 years instead of once a year). However, the Ultraheavy cockpits allow for larger pilots (the Svartalfa is fluffed as having a cockpit that could accept an elemental). What exactly the implications for this are is  unknown so far.

Maelwys

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4872
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #4 on: 29 March 2013, 12:19:08 »
Even more interestingly, and I'm not sure if I'm just missing this or not, but there isn't anything in the RPG that says you have to be of of the Aerospace Phenotype (obviously you want to be since the accumulation of fatigue is once every 3 years, instead of once a year, and the aerospace phenotype gives bonuses to certain rolls to avoid damage) to become a ProtoMech Pilot.

You have to have the Aerospace Phenotype when taking the ProtoMech Pilot Training Stage 4 module, but I don't see anything about it when looking at the Stage 2 Trueborn Creche Module. It could be somewhere else I suppose :)

Tai Dai Cultist

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 7127
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #5 on: 29 March 2013, 12:29:24 »
The Invading Clans Affiliation (page 59) in ATOW has quite a few notes at the bottom of the section. The main one I'm curious about is the entire section on ProtoMech Warriors.

"The ProtoMechWarrior sub-caste is not available to any Clan character entering game play prior to 3062, or to any Invading Clan characters entering service after 3075."

Okay. No ProtoMech pilots before 3062. Kind of self explanatory. But what about after 3075? We all know that the Hell's Horses atleast continue to use ProtoMechs into the MWDA era, and the last TRO had the Horses showing off new ProtoMechs with new technology. FM3085 shows that the Nova Cats and the Snow Ravens are continuing to use ProtoMechs as well (and they're all considered Invading Clans).

So why the restriction?

Does this mean if I want to make a ProtoMech pilot I have to use the "Warrior (Other)" Caste instead?

If so, can I use any phenotype?

I agree with those who made the point that it's just the phenotype that ceases to be available, not the opportunity to pilot protomechs.  Most pilots after 3075 would be of the aerospace phenotype, but as a RPG is about playing the 1 in a 1000 individual.. And clans' genetic scientists are always brewing up something new in their creches.. so the rules appear to allow you to say your pilot is of an 'experimental' sibko of whatever phenotype you want (after 3075).

Maelwys

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4872
Re: ProtoMech Warrior SubCaste?
« Reply #6 on: 29 March 2013, 14:24:24 »
I agree with those who made the point that it's just the phenotype that ceases to be available, not the opportunity to pilot protomechs.  Most pilots after 3075 would be of the aerospace phenotype, but as a RPG is about playing the 1 in a 1000 individual.. And clans' genetic scientists are always brewing up something new in their creches.. so the rules appear to allow you to say your pilot is of an 'experimental' sibko of whatever phenotype you want (after 3075).

But we're not talking about Phenotypes. We're talking about Castes. Those bonuses apply whether you're Trueborn or you're Freeborn.

I suppose what they could be saying is that post 3075 the training for ProtoMech pilots has been modified so that ProtoMech pilots are trained more like `MechWarriors/Elementals, instead of being offshoots of Aerospace Pilot training (this would explain why pre-3075 the two Castes are exactly the same). And since the training has changed, the Caste has changed from the Aerospace/ProtoMech caste to the Warrior (other) Caste.

I guess that works. It just seemed like an odd way of phrasing it, almost like they were saying that you couldn't be a ProtoMech pilot past 3075 if you were part of the Invading Clans.