Master Rules vs. Medchwarrior Pilot/Gun Skills

[michaelnace]

Hi folks!

So, I've recently begun to delving into both MechWarrior and The Mercenaries Handbook as a way of further developing my BattleTech gaming outside of the simple board game. I've already discovered the Random Mechwarrior Skills Table that lets you roll 2D6 to randomly generate pilot and gun skills for your MechWarriors, but now I am encountering those same skill levels in MechWarrior, but with a different system. It appears that in MechWarrior, you start with the standard set of MechWarrior pilot and gun skills, and use the skill levels that you purchase with CP to lower them when making rolls.

Is this the system that you veteran players use, or do you ignore the MechWarrior skill levels and go with pilot and gunnery skill levels that you previously rolled for? Or, do you use both -- use your rolled-for skill levels, PLUS add in these skill levels as modifiers?

I'd love to know the best practice here. Many thanks!

[michaelnace]

Just following up here to see if this idea makes any sense:

For example, I created a MechWarrior who has, according to their MechWarrior character build, a 2 skill level for piloting and 3 skill level for gunnery. I also used the standard BattleTech rule book to roll random piloting/gunnery and got a 5 for piloting and 4 for gunnery. So, I have both of these on hand for this character.

On the battlefield, could I create rules where 5/4 are the base values for this MechWarrior, but the 2 and 3 skill levels act as roll modifiers, reducing piloting and gunnery skill rolls by -2 and -3, respectively? Obviously, this would lead to optimally low to-hit modifiers.

[Paul]

Most people would use whatever skill levels they get out of the RPG system they use. Some need a little conversion.
In your example, you wouldn't randomly roll for skills since you already have them.

[guardiandashi]

it depends, if I am just playing a 1 off battle of battletech then my pilots may have random skill levels, or adjusted levels taking bv into account to balance the scenario.

If playing more of a RPG campaign then my char is going to have the skills I have for the character and over the course of the campaign they may change as I advance the character.

[Robroy]

Don't use both on the same character. One or the other. I go with the RPG rules for long term characters, while using the random table for NPCs  and quick games.