I've been looking over "A time of War", and decided while I like the setting and much of the overall feel of mechwarrior, that I didn't like the game mechanics. Especially ones knocking people out every time they get a splinter or bump their big toe. Or that makes me modify damage levels by a percentage.
So I rebuilt Savage Worlds skills and traits to allow it to act as the rpg side of the game, while keeping most of battletech as it is.
Benefits to this system include a very simple and fast rpg, but allowing the players all the options of the full battletech system for vehicle combat.
You will need both the book "A Time of War" and the rules for "Savage Worlds Revised".
Rules follow:
Skills:Removed or changed in Savage Worlds (Revised):- Boating -> Piloting (Water) Specialty
- Climbing -> Athletics (Climbing) Specialty
- Driving -> Piloting (Ground) Specialty
- Gambling -> Profession (Gambler) Skill
- Healing -> Medicine Skill
- Intimidation -> Manipulation (Intimidation) Specialty
- Riding -> Animal Handling (Riding) Specialty
- Swimming -> Athletics (Swimming) Specialty
- Taunt -> Manipulation Specialty
- Persuasion -> Manipulation Specialty
- Intimidation -> Manipulation Specialty
Current: - Animal Handling [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Riding, Train, Herding, Husbandry)
- Artillery [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Direct fire, Indirect Fire)
- Athletics [Strength] (Choose specialty from: Climbing, Swimming, Running)
- Command [Spirit] (Choose specialty from: Leadership, Tactics, Strategy)
- Computers [Smarts]
- Fighting [Agility] (Choose specialty from: Edged, Blunt, Martial Arts)
- Gunnery [Agility] (Choose specialty from: Aerospace, Air, BattleSuit, Ground, Mech, ProtoMech, Water, Spacecraft, Turret)
- Investigation [Smarts]
- Knowledge [Smarts] (Each subject is a single Subskill.)
- Lockpicking [Agility]
- Manipulation [Spirit] (Choose specialty from: Seduction, Intimidation, Interrogation, Taunt, Persuasion, Negotiation)
- Medicine [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: First Aid, Care, Surgery)
- Notice [Smarts]
- Piloting [Agility] (Choose a single Subskill from the following: Aerospace, Air, BattleSuit, Ground, Mech, ProtoMech, Water, Spacecraft, Jump Navigation)
- Prestidigitation [Agility] (Choose specialty from: Pick pockets, Slight of hand, Escape artist)
- Profession [Smarts] (Each profession is a single skill.)
- Repair [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Aeronautics, Cybernetics, Electronics, Jets, Mechanical, Myomer, Nuclear, Weapons)
- Shooting [Agility] (Choose specialty from: Bows, Crossbows, Pistols, Rifles, Heavy)
- Stealth [Agility]
- Streetwise [Smarts] (Each social group is a single Subskill.)
- Survival [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Arctic, Desert, Forest, Ocean, Mountains, Jungle, etc...)
- System Operation [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Sensors, Security, Communication, Damage Control, Engine Operation, etc...)
- Throwing [Agility] (Choose specialty from: Blades, Blunt)
- Tracking [Smarts] (Choose specialty from: Shadowing, Wilderness Tracking)
Skill rules:* Skills with specialties must have one chosen by the player. All other uses of the skill other than the Specialization are used at a -2 penalty.
* Additional specialties can be purchased as raising a skill below its linked attribute.
* Skills with a single Subskill are each considered a single skill. And must be purchased as such.
BattleTech Conversions:* Battletech conversion of the gunnery and pilot skills are 8 - 1/2 the skill die. (a skill die of d10 would become a BT skill of 3).
* If the character is NOT a wild card, add one additional point to the final battletech skill as a penalty. (A skill of d4 would be 8-2+1, or 7).
* Mechwarrior wounds are translated to Savage Worlds as wounds and fatigue. The first point of damage done to a pilot or mechwarrior wounds, while the next causes fatigue. Damage continues to alternate between wounds and fatigue until they accumulate a total of 3 wounds and 2 fatigue levels. The last hit Incapacitates the character. The pattern is always Wound/Fatigue/Wound/Fatigue/Wound/Incapped. Rolls to stay conscious are made as normal in battletech, but the target is equal to 6 minus half the character's Toughness or Spirit, whichever is higher. Increase this number by two for every wound and fatigue level they have suffered. This means a mechwarrior with 2 wounds and 1 fatigue level who has a Toughness of D8, would have to roll 6(base)-4(toughness)+6(wounds/fatigue) for a target of 8 or higher on 2d6.
* Generally, when a character is in a vehicle, use battletech rules. When outside, all fatigue and wound penalties apply as normal. The possibility of falling unconscious when wounded replaces such penalties when in the vehicle.
Hindrances:- Poor Vehicle [Major]: Character only has access to a light mech or aerospace fighter. This may be due to money, rank, or a past failing, but the character is not allowed use of a heavier vehicle until this hindrance is paid off.
Edges:- Zero G Operations: Negates all penalties for operating in a Zero G environments.
- Trainer: Teach others characters skills the character knows.
- Heavy Metal: Character is allowed to start with a heavy vehicle or mech. If his mech is destroyed, the character should be allowed to repair/replace his vehicle with another with reasonable in-game effort.
- Death Metal: [req Heavy Metal] Similar to the Edge "Heavy Metal", this edge allows the character an assault vehicle.
