ChromeStrikev0.9.1

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A DukeFluffy Production

Made for /tg/

Developers:Duke

Playtesters:

Troubleshooters:

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Introduction

Welcome to yet another attempt to capture mech-based combat in PnP format. I've taken a look at quite a few different systems, and home-brews, and never quite been satisfied. The majority of the systems out there do not have a great balance of simple gameplay and customization- often leaning toward one or the other. I could not find a single mech RPG that was rules-light, allowed heavy customization, and leaned toward a more grounded and realistic approach. So I thought I may as well slap one together.

ChromeStrike is said attempt at creating such a system. Being a fan of games such as Armored Core and Chromehounds, I did my best to keep in such elements such as slapping together parts, and fast-paced combat. But most important of all I tried to make the mechs make sense. They're no 100-story tall plauding devices that would collapse the ground they walk on. Or plasticy looking mechs that look more like abstract art then a fighting vehicle.

No, the mechs in this system are dwarfed by tanks, more like a battlesuit then any sort of giant mecha. They are primarily used in urban fighting and first-strike situations, dodging in and around combat to get an edge on less mobile combatants. Slower then almost any vehicle but incredibly agile. Hopefully you, the reader, prefer this sort of look on mechs.

And, of course, no mech game is complete without widespread wars and fighting, plus half-dystopian corporations lauding it over the common folk. I mean, come on.

Hope you enjoy the read,

-Duke

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Table of Contents

Introduction – 2A Word of Mechs and Pilots – 5

Making a Character -7Mech Attributes – 9

Mech Parts – 10Companies – 11

Creating Your Mech-12Upgrades-16

Ranged Weaponry-18CQC Weapons – 19

Combat – 20When Outside of the Mechs... - 23

Example Characters and Enemies- 24Campaigns – 33

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A Word on Mechs and PilotsAppearance:

The mechs in ChromeStrike are not the usual giant, plauding mech from fiction. Rather, they are small, urban machines, only 6 meters tall at the max. They are agile and lithe, able to run or boost through alleyways, kicking up dust and garbage as they go. Nearly human in mobility and agility.

Controls:

Mechs are controlled by a complex series of joysticks and toggles. In some of the larger ones there can be ample room to simply rig the pilot's arms to a master-slave system for the mech's arms. Most frequently they use joysticks though. The inside of a cockpit is pretty cramped. A pilot can only barely rotate their head, use the controls with their arms. Within most mechs the pilot's legs are in an awkward sitting position and work pedals.

Power: As far as the food-chain goes tanks are still somewhat higher up then mechs. A fast and mobile mech in an urban environment has the edge, or an especially armored up and huge one. Otherwise tanks tend to be able to blow mechs away.

Helicopters might be considered an even challenge for a mech. Both are meant to be mobile and deliver large payloads. The mech's balancing strength in such situation would be the ability to make use of cover.

Nearly all mechs have the strength to flip over a truck or vehicle.

Systems: In addition to the armor and muscular system, mechs also normally sport communications equipment, radar, biomedical sensors, and a water feed. Larger ones may contain a waste-relief system. There's commonly enough space inside to store a brief-case worth of random equipment.

Power is supplied by a number of large, heavy-duty super capacitors. These are located in the back of the torso and provide mechs with an operation time of nearly 24 hours.

Pilots: Quite a few construction workers have used a mech at one point or another, not to mention anything of soldiers in the military. It is not rare for someone to have been inside of one at some point. Especially eccentric rich people could easily track one down in an illegal market.

For companies, the only source of pilots are either hired soldiers or rented mercenaries. Most of the time company-boys or girls will have a mech on lease or borrowed from the company they work for, while the later have their own particular mech that they personally own. Over a long career a mercenary can piece together a rather impressive mech, presuming they live long enough.

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While mercenaries are often looked down upon and distrusted, some soldiers-of-fortune can actually become rather famous. Beautiful or noble characters often draw attention to themselves, especially so when they make their mech stick out with paint or equipment. Because of these particular pilots it could be argued that heraldry and honor lives on in the world.

The inside of the cockpit is not conducive to wearing billowy or loose clothes. Tight or especially short garments are preferred. The most common wear for a pilot is a specially-made body suit made up of a strong, Kevlar-like plastic. It is wholly revealing but gives pilots the most protection and comfort to do their thing.

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Making a Character

In addition to the usual weight, height, gender, etc. characters are also measured by their attributes. In ChromeStrike, there are six primary attributes that each character has. They are broken up into two categories- Mental and Physical. Attributes start at 0 and range from 0 to 5. A blind character or handicapped one might have a zero in the relevant attribute. Note that you will always fail an attribute-check with an attribute if it is zero. Anyways. You have twenty points to distribute among these. Each dot costs 1 more point then the previous- so the first rank costs 1 point, the second dot costs 2, and the third an additional 3. The easiest, quickest way to configure attributes is the following- two of them have '●', two more have '●●', and the last two have '●●●'.

An attribute of '●' is considered on the low-average end, while '●●●' is spectacular.

Mental PhysicalIntelligence (INT) Power (POW)Perception (PER) Agility (AGL)Charisma (CHR) Beauty (BEU)

Intelligence: How brilliant and clever your character is. Someone with a high intelligence can solve puzzles and compute much faster.

Power: Strong and particularly tough characters have a high power rating. In addition to physical strength it is also a measure of general fitness. Your character's wounds start equivalent to your POW.

Perception: This attribute directly affects how acute your character's vision is. Perception also affects your chance to hit with most ranged weaponry. Weapons training is also a part of this attribute.

Agility: Fast and agile characters have a high agility. This reflects hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and general pace of movement.

Charisma: Characters with a silver tongue and dominating personality have high charisma. This affects your ability to convince and sway others.

Beauty: The more beauty you have, the more pleasant your character is to look at. This mostly determines how NPC's think of you before acquainted, also known as the reaction roll.

Note: For wounds and attributes you might wish to break apart large numbers of dots into 3, if only to make them more readable. Compare these following attributes-Strength [●●●●●]Agility [●●●-●●]

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Once done with determining characteristics and attributes, you then get to come up with two perks for your character. What are perks, you may be asking? Perks give bonuses to rolls or attributes under very specific circumstances, adding some extra uniqueness to your character. The larger the bonus the less frequent it can come into play. Players are encouraged to make their own up. To help with this the following page has some example perks.

Keep in mind the rules/exceptions when making your own.

+1 Bonus to a combat roll: Requires very specific condition.Go for the head: With sniper weapons enemies are hit in the head on 1 or 3Gun to a knife-fight: +1 to DR in melee combat when using no melee weaponsHow can I miss?: +1 to hit enemies when outnumbered 2:1 or moreIn the zone: +1 to DR until hit by a weaponI've had worse: +1 to hit when missing an arm

With this sort of perk you may not have a skill similar to the following:+ to hit with a type of weapon always (i.e. Using sniper Rifles, shotguns, etc.)+ to dodge rating without some rare circumstance+ to armor rolls

+1 To an attribute, when used for a sub-field: Requires a condition or specialtyFitness freak: +1 to power when lifting or pushing somethingHold on: +1 to agility when drivingMechanic and warrior: +1 to rolls when personally repairing a mechParticular set of skills: +1 to hit out of a mech, in melee, when non-lethally subduing someoneTechnical truths: +1 to charisma when deceiving others and including true statements

+2 To a roll under specific, infrequent situations: Requires a specific, uncommon situationCrowd pleaser: +2 to reaction rolls for the opposite sex when exiting a mechCut that out: +2 to non-lethally hit an ally when both of you are out of mechsDislocation time: +2 to rolls when escaping from binds or handcuffsGood as new: +2 to a bartering roll when selling a mech

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Mech Attributes

Mechs use different attributes and stats then player characters. They do have some similar attributes to players such as Power and Agility, but otherwise relevant damages and skill-checks are derived based off of the parts they have equipped. Instead of points mechs use credits, or cash. Here's their relevant parts and attributes-

-Attributes-

Strength: How much weight the mech can carry and fling around. Note that although they may have only a few dots in this, even one dot is considerably stronger then any character.

Speed: Speed is how fast the mech may move. Certain features such as jump-jets or wheels may allow it to move faster.

Control: Mechs with a low control value decrease all of your skills and dice-rolls when piloting them. Sometimes increasing Strength or Speed can in return decrease this attribute.

Weight: Does not affect anything. Instead gives an idea of how large your mech may be.

Dodge Rating: Derived from many attributes, effectively forms the mech's defense.

Attack Rating: Commonly written with two numbers (x//y), this determines what bonuses you have for when attacking with ranged and melee weapons. Melee is always the later.

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Mech Parts

A mech's attributes are based off of the parts that make them up. In essence, parts are a further list of attributes and stats that further differentiate them. Here are the different parts-

-Parts-

Head: The head of the mech. Most sensors and optical units go here.Main: Makes up the majority of the mech. Effectively it is the torso or chassis.Arms: The upper limbs and gripping parts of the mech.Legs: Naturally, the legs or tracks that the mech uses to get about.Back: There is an extra point on the mech (the back of the torso) where an extra part may be mounted. For the most part this is utilitarian in function.

Finally mechs have a number of hard-points where they may mount and use weapons. You do not have to fill each and every one of these points. Some weapons might also take up multiple slots.

Weapons that are mounted on the shoulders are slightly less accurate, in part to the difference of view between the cockpit and shoulders, and because they must be more armored then the usual hand-held variants.

-Weapon Slots-

Main: The primary hand and arm.Secondary: The off-hand and arm.Extra: Though not useable where is, an extra weapon can be stowed on the waist within reach. A UTILITY action may be spent to swap it with the main or secondary weapon.Missile: Missiles can be mounted along the mech. Only missiles can be placed in the Missile Point.Shoulder L & R: Depending on what was chosen for the back-part an extra weapon or two may be mounted and used from the shoulders. These are less accurate then the arm weapons.

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Primary Mech Companies:

Generic: The company-less parts (Beta/Dome) actually are a large variety of different ones all built by countless organizations. Most of these are wholly open source, their design and make-up frequently available on the internet. As a result one mech's Beta legs might be entirely different from another. Beta parts were the first ones specifically produced for war.

Monoc: More officially known as Mono-Optics & Engineering, is a somewhat small company based in Europe. Monoc is not actually a mech producer but instead have designed quite a few parts to be produced by other companies. They primarily focus on optics and sensor equipment.

NRB: NRB, initials based off of the co-founders, is a military company based in North-Eastern Europe. They have a history of producing/designing tanks and other vehicles. NRB is notorious for emphasizing ruggedness over other qualities.

CT: Crawford Tech is a company based in the US, who pride themselves on their high-quality and high-class mechs. They are more accepting and enthusiastic about recently-released tech, which more often then not drives up the cost of their state-of-the-art parts. CT is the youngest company of all the part designers.

CO: Simply known as CO, is a company headquartered in Japan. CO specializes in fast-moving scout mechs and combat drones.

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Creating Your Mech

For creating a mech you begin with a set amount of Mech Points, or Credits. These may be spent on parts, weapons, and increasing attributes. A mech requires 1 of each part (except back/shoulder) to function. A suggested starting SR might be 20 for newbie pilots, or 25 for semi-accomplished mercenaries. Or perhaps more.

Heads:

Beta 1cr 1 Wound Weight +1.0 tonsRun of the mill head unit. Was the first to be put into production for wartime efforts.

Dome 4cr +1 Wounds, Chest Weight +3.0 tonsSpecial: Treat head hits as torso hits instead. Purchasing this will take away one shoulder-slot.A special head unit that is sunken into the shoulders for extra protection.

Monoc 2cr 1 Wound SPD+1 Weight +1.2 tonsAn improvement over the Beta, the Monoc head unit has a single advanced optical unit.

Monoc-02 8cr 1 Wound SPD+1, CNTRL+1 Weight +1.0 tonsSpecial: When not moving your CNTRL increases by a further 1.Further advancing the classic head unit, the Monoc-02 has more advanced sensors and measuring units. The complicated bits increase aiming accuracy greatly. Quite expensive.

NRB-01 2cr 1 Wound STR+1 Weight +1.2 tonsA head unit that has increased hydraulics in the shoulder and neck area.

NRB-02 3cr 2 Wounds CNTRL-1 Weight +1.4 tonsThe child of the NRB, this head unit is quite literally an armored up box. Very hulk-like in appearance.

NRB-03 7cr 3 Wounds Weight +1.5 tonsAn improvement over the 02. This head has better armor, allowing half-decent sensory equipment.

CT-01 3cr 1 Wound CNTRL+1 Weight +1.2 tonsA head unit that has improved programming and machine response-time.

CT-02 10cr 2 Wounds CNTRL+1 Weight +1.4 tonsAn improved version of the CT-01. Has a more efficient and armored design.

CO-01 5cr 2 Wounds Weight +1.0 tonsA streamlined yet more armored version of the beta. Does not hamper control like the NRB-02.

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Main

Beta 3cr 4 Wounds STR+2, SPD+1 Weight +6.0 tonsThe first chassis unit that was produced for mechs. Has average capabilities.

Monoc 3cr 4 Wounds STR+1, SPD+2 Weight +5.0 tonsAs the Beta, but with much of the hydraulics removed. Speed is increased as a result.

NRB-01 6cr 5 Wounds STR+3, SPD+1 Weight +8.0 tonsSpecial: Increases armor save to 3+ from 4+.Being the NRB, they threw on as much armor and bulk onto the Beta as feasibly possible.

NRB-02 8cr 7 Wounds STR+3 Weight +12 tonsSacrifices armor for a vastly increased bulk and profile. Less armored but more tough.

NRB-03 15cr 6 Wounds STR+4, SPD-1 Weight +16 tonsSpecial: Increases armor save to 2+ from 4+. Requires NRB Treads to move.A goliath of a chassis. Easily the most armored and massive body produced by any company.

CT-01 5cr 4 Wounds STR+2, SPD+2 Weight +7.0 tonsLike the Beta, but much of the older hydraulics have been removed for faster-working muscle.

CT-02 10cr 5 Wounds STR+3, SPD+2 Weight:+7.5 tonsCompared to the NRB, the CT-02 is a work of art. Nearly all of it has been replaced with newer bits.

CO-01 5cr 4 Wounds STR+2, SPD+3, CNTRL-1 Weight +4.0 tonsAn extremely light scouting chassis meant to capitalize on speed.

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Arms

Beta 1cr 2 Wounds STR+1 Weight +3.0 tonsAverage arms with general power. Were the first combat-ready arm units made for war.

NRB-01 2cr 3 Wounds STR+1 Weight +5.0 tonsMore thick and armored versions of the Beta. Are the best defensive arms for the price.

CT-01 3cr 2 Wounds STR+1, CNTRL+1 Weight +3.5 tonsAdvanced gyro-stabilization and muscle have made these arms highly usable and accurate.

CT-02 8cr 3 Wounds STR+1, SPD+1, CNTRL+1 Weight +4 tonsThe CRD believe in making the best for the best, which is evident in these arms. Pricey but great.

CT-02b 10cr 3 Wounds STR+2, CNTRL-1 Weight +5.0 tonsSpecial: An extra 2 weapons of 3cr or less may be mounted on the fore-arms. These fire with the accuracy of the shoulder weapons. Cannot move and fire these in the same turn.By making the arms highly immobile, CT have devised a way to turn a mech into a walking turret.

CO-01 3cr 2 Wounds STR+2, SPD+1, CNTRL-1 Weight +3.0 tonsThese arms have extremely strong and fast muscles but performance is decreased as a result.

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Legs

Beta 2cr 2 Wounds SPD+2 Weight +4.0 tonsLab-testing created the first functional biped mech legs. These are the armored version.

Monoc-W 1cr 2 Wounds SPD+4, CNTRL-1 Weight +3.0 tonsForgoing complicated legs these instead utilize large and powerful wheels. Decreases accuracy.

NRB-01 3cr 4 Wounds SPD+1 Weight +5.0 tonsArmored and stronger version of the Beta. Toughest legs in production but very low speed.

NRB-01t 3cr 3 Wounds SPD+2 Weight +6.0 tonsSpecial: The NRB-01T does cause speed-loss for being wounded until entirely destroyed.Tank treads are both mobile and tough, so the NRB designed a tank-based leg system for mechs.

NRB-02t 8cr 4 Wounds SPD+3 Weight +8.0 tonsSpecial: The NRB-02T does cause speed-loss for being wounded until entirely destroyed.A more armored and powerful version of the previous Treads.

CO-01 3cr 2 Wounds SPD+3 Weight +3.0 tonsThese legs draw inspiration from fast-moving animals and are as a result rather lanky and quick.

CO-02 6cr 3 Wounds SPD+2, CNTRL+1 Weight +3.5 tonsBy throwing vast amounts of money at the CO-01, the 02 has vastly improved performance and armor.

CO-01h 8cr 2 Wounds SPD+6, CNTRL-1 Weight +3.0 tonsSpecial: Purchasing Boosters for these legs cost only 2cr. It may not receive the litheness upgrade.A leg-less hover chassis created by CO. Is incredibly fast but difficult to control.

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Shoulder PartsShoulder additions are entirely optional, not needed for the mech to operate.

R Shoulder Weapon x cr See weapons listL Shoulder Weapon x cr See weapons list

Storage Tank 5cr 1 Shoulder +2 tons One weapon has +100% ammo.A large hopper or munitions box that carries additional ammunition.

Decoy Launcher 3cr 1 Shoulder +0.5 tons +3 Dodge Rating against Missiles.A launcher that shoots off heated, fast-moving drones to draw oncoming missiles.

Jamming Device 7cr 1 Shoulder +1 tonSpecial: Allies and self have +3 Dodge Rating against missiles.A large dish-like device that actively bombards missiles with disrupting signals and lasers.

Targeting Array 2cr 1 Shoulder +0.25 tons PER+1Some mechs have additional optical units to more accurately fire.

External Power Pack 2cr 1 Shoulder +1 tonSpecial: Increases operation time by 24 hours.A large, extra pack of super capacitors. Increases operation time for especially long missions.

Jump-Pack 10cr 2 Shoulder +3.0 tons SPD+2Special: Allows the mech to jump through the air at blinding speed, forgoing the normal UTILITY action to move twice as far as it normally could that turn. Because the Jump-Pack is normally always on, albeit at low settings, the +2 speed bonus may never be lost.Two large, turbine looking devices that stick off the back. Lets the mech make large jumps.

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Part UpgradesYou may not purchase the same upgrade multiple times for the same part.You can purchase multiple types of upgrades for one particular part.

Armor (Any) 2cr +1 ton Increases a parts Wounds by 1.External, ablative plating can be added onto nearly any part. Helps toughen up a mech.

Software (Head or Arms) 4cr Increases Control by 1.By fine-tuning the muscles and software a mech can be much more controllable.

Hardened Cockpit (Body) 1cr +1 tonSpecial: Once destroyed the mech's armor rating increases by 1. The chair is somewhat snazzier.Additional internal plating meant to protect the pilot in case of catastrophic mech damage.

Litheness (Legs) 2cr Increases Speed by 1.Extra boosters or hydraulics can be placed into the legs to increase the mech's move rate.

Boosters (Legs) 3cr +1 tonSpecial: Your speed this turn is increased by 4, but all attack rolls are made at -1 in addition to other normal penalties.Boosters are a combination of rocket-like boosters and wheels that allow the mech to move very fast.

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Ranged Weaponry

Rifle 2cr (Normal) 25 RangePretty ordinary gun that fires medium-sized rounds at long ranges.

Burst Rifle 3cr (Normal) 30 Range Wound +1By firing a burst of rounds the Rifle is able to guarantee hits at further ranges.

Machine-Gun 3cr (Normal) 20 Range Hit +1, Wound +1Fires a large volume of normal sized rounds. The sheer amount of shots increases accuracy.

Rotary Cannon 5cr (Normal) 30 Range Wound+2A huge caliber machine-gun that rotates as it fires.

Minor Sniper 5cr (Normal) 40 Range Wound +1Small sniper rifle. Has a good range and deals decent damage.

Sniper Cannon 10cr (Normal) 40 Range Wound+2, Uses 2 slots.Special: Damage x2 (Deals 2 wounds instead of 1). Also increases weight by +2 tons.Special: You may not fire this weapon in the same turned you moved, without NRB treads.Larger and more deadly version of the common rifle. Requires 2 hands or 2 shoulders to aim with.

Incendiary Cannon 5cr (Normal) 20 Range Wound+2Special: Each time a mech is hit (saved or not) they have -1 to DR and attack rolls the following turn.A large box-like cannon that belches bolts of superheated plasma.

Chemical Laser 4cr (Normal) 40 Range Wound+2, Shots: 5A potent laser weapon that degrades with each shot. The limited uses makes it unreliable.

Shredder 5cr (Normal) 20 Range Hit +1, Wound+2, Shots: 5Much larger and strong version of the shotgun. Limited ammo but maximum destructive power.

Rocket Launcher 5cr (Normal) 30 Range Hit +1, Wound+2, Shots: 3A small pod that contains some unguided rockets. Accurate and powerful but very few shots.

Grenade Launcher 5cr (Normal) 20 Range Hit -2, Ignores Armor, Shots: 3Shoots off armor-piercing grenade rounds that can make short work of armored targets.

Light Missiles 4cr (Missile) Shots: 3Medium Missiles 6cr (Missile) Wound +2, Shots: 3AP Missiles 6cr (Missile) Ignores Armor, Shots: 3Heavy Missiles 10cr (Missile) 2x Attacks, Wound +2, Shots: 2 Uses 2 slots*

– Missiles can be bought for a Normal part but this increases the cost by 50%. Also keep in mind that Heavy Missiles would take up both Arms, Shoulders, or one of each if bought this way.

Missiles are a favored weapon with mechs. They are accurate and have an immensely long range.

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Close-Range Weapons

Handgun 1cr (Normal) 15 Range Wound-1A cheap but low-strength handgun. Meant to be used en-mass or as a backup weapon.

Shotgun 2cr (Normal) 15 Range Wound+1A tried-and-true gun design that launches forth a burst of rounds with great force.

Flamethrower 2cr (Normal) 10 Range Hit +2Special: Each time target is hit they have a -1 penalty to Attack rolls the following turn.A large canister that belches forth flames. Great at disrupting enemy mechs.

CQW 2cr (Arm) 1 Range Wound-1Special: For every 2 STR above 1 the Wound bonus increases by 1.Though not viable, some pilots occasionally arm up their mech with a large mace or blade.

Pile Driver 4cr (Arm) 1 Range 2x Attacks, Wound +2, Shots: 2Special: Pile Drivers may not be swapped out for the extra weapon. They are bolted to the mech.Explosively launches a large number of ultra-dense pikes into an enemy. Very short range.

Combat Shield 3cr (Arm)Special: Has 2 wounds. A torso or arms hit will be redirected to the shield. Once destroyed it may be discarded to free up the hand. Increases the Dodge Rating in melee combat by 1.A large, high-strength combat shield that can absorb oncoming fire.

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Combat

Combat is a fairly simple affair that mainly uses d6's. Once a battle begins, players go in order based off of their Agility + Perception. The highest attributed player goes first, followed by the second.

During a player's turn they have a MOVE action and UTILITY action. The move action is used to re-position themselves up to a number of grids equal to the mech's speed. And then the utility action is used to perform a maneuver or switch weapons out.

There are two primary methods of defense- absorbing damage or avoiding it altogether. A mech has a Dodge Rating, which is affected by how mobile the thing is. The higher the DR the less likely it is to be hit by an attack. If it is hit, the hit part will take an armor save, and if that fails have a wound dealt. This decreases that part's wounds, eventually removing that part's function if it takes enough damage. A mech can therefore be not particularly mobile, get hit quite frequently, but have enough wounds and armor to ignore the damage that it is dealt to it.

Dodge Rating: 2 + (AGL + CNTRL + SPD)Ranged Attack: 2d6 + (PER + CNTRL) AR: PER + CNTRLRanged Attack, Shoulders: 2d6 + CNTRL

Melee Attack: 2d6 + (AGL + CNTRL) MR: AGL + CNTRLMissile Attack: 3d6 + CNTRL

When a part is hit by an attack it takes an armor save to see if it is wounded. Most mechs have an Armor Rating of 4+. A roll on a D6 less then the AR means the armor failed. This decreases the wounds of that part by 1. As a part takes wounds it becomes less useful. Always round up penalties. Consult the chart bellow for damage effects-

Part 1d6 Wound #Head 1 Final The mech loses 2 points of hit accuracy.Arm 2 (Half) One of the arms and held weapon (Random) no longer work. Arm 2 Final The last arm is damaged and weakened, -2 to hit.Body 3-5 Final The mech is destroyed. Pilots that do not scamper out may be wounded.Leg 6 (Half) The SPD of the mech is halved.Leg 6 Final The mech's SPD is reduced to zero, all upgrades are lost. It may forgo the

normal UTILITY action to crawl 1 grid-space.Should a hit be taken to a part that is entirely destroyed (out of wounds) count it as a hit to the torso instead.

Example attack:Duke is being shot at by 2x enemy machine-guns. The enemy's ranged AR is equal to 2d6+3, and he rolls twice for two attacks. This has to beat Duke's DR of 9. The rolls are 7+3 and 9+3. Both hit, but do they wound? A roll of 4+ will ignore a hit. He rolls a 1 and 4. One of the hits make it through and wound his (d6=5) mech's torso. Lucky for Duke that part has 4 more wounds.

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Maneuvers – Attack/Utility

Attack: The player fires up to two weapons, plus optionally missiles. If you move this turn the two non-missile weapons will have a -1 to hit.

Called Shot: Fire up to two ranged weapons. You have a -4 to your attack roll, but should it succeed the targeted part on a mech is hit.

All-out-attack: The player smashes the button that fires everything. Attack with all weapons. If you move this turn your non-missile weapons have a -2 to hit.

Aim: Skip your Utility action this turn. On the following turn you have a +1 to hit with non-missile weapons. This can be done over multiple turns, stacking up to a +3 bonus.

Swap: You may spend your normal utility action to switch out a hand-held weapon with the extra one.

Boost/Jump: Requires the appropriate part or upgrade. In the case of boosters, they increase your move speed by 4 for the duration of this turn. Jump-packs allow you to move double the distance you normally could, also potentially moving over small obstacles.

Maneuvers – Move/Defensive

Move: Move a number of grid spaces up to your mech's SPD attribute.

Evasive action: This takes both of your maneuvers to perform. Move in any particular direction up to your maximum speed. While doing so the mech dips and swerves crazily, giving a +2 to DR.

Kneel: Has the mech crouch down into a stable, immobile position. While kneeling they have a +1 to ranged DR but cannot move. Getting out of a kneeling position requires another maneuver.Kneeling can be done with the Attack/Utility maneuver.

Take Cover: A mech can pull itself into an alleyway or behind rubble quite easily. Certain mechs, such as those with the Tank Treads, are unable to enter cover that other legged mechs might be able to.To take cover your mech must be able to move. If your mech has 0 speed (legs destroyed) you may still crawl into cover. Doing so will take up your entire turn.

Consult the list below for cover bonuses and penalties.

Large Vehicle Hits to the legs are ignored. Treaded mechs cannot benefit from this cover.Corner of Building +2 to ranged DR. Cannot fire missiles, only exposed side can fire weapons.Smash Into Building You just don't care. One hit to your mech. Enemies lose LoS, same for you.

If you have not performed an Attack/Utility maneuver this turn you may take cover after moving.

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Other Stuff

Total Destruction:In the not-too rare occasion that the body-part of a mech has its last wound taken the machine goes into critical condition. Systems shut-down and it begins looming off to the side. Around this point most people throw open the hatch and scamper out before it takes more damage or falls over. If said pilot does not then the mech still does not function, plus each additional torso wound deals 1d3 wounds to the actual character still inside of it.

Weapons with multiple attacks:Some weapons, such as Heavy Missiles, attack twice each time they are fired. Simply roll for an attack how you normally would, then once the first attack is done do so again. Repeat this until you have done attacks equal to the number listed on the weapon profile.

Weapons with a damage multiplier:Other weapons deal an increased amount of damage when they wound. Should this be 2x damage, an unsaved wound instead becomes two unsaved wounds. These wounds are taken to the same part. Should the part be destroyed and there are remaining wounds then any remaining damage goes to the torso.

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When Outside of the Mechs...

Characters are also able to fight out of their machines, though this is somewhat less romanticized. Simply use their attributes somewhat how you would for mechs- Power is used to strike, Agility to dodge, so on. When a character is hit they take a wound of damage.

Most personal-firearms deal 2 wounds of damage when they hit and use Perception.

Dice-rolls for character combat only add a single D6 and the relevant attribute.

Example attack:Frank attempts to pistol-whip some mook. He has two dots of power, and therefore rolls 1d6+2 for hitting. The opponent rolls 1d6+2 (His agility) to see if they dodge. Should Frank's score be higher he deals them a wound of damage, which starts equivalent to their own Power attribute.

Another example:Instead of pistol-whipping them let's assume Frank actually tries to cap them. He rolls 1d6+1 (Perception) against 1d6+2 (Enemy agility). If he succeeds then the enemy takes 2 wounds of damage, otherwise they manage to dive behind cover or roll off to the side.

Should a character be hit by any mech weapon treat them as dead. Simple as that. The ground exploding beneath them is not conductive to dodging, let alone the actual rounds splitting them apart.

Skill ChallengesThe game isn't wholly about combat. Characters might be required to exit their mech to begin searching through computers, attempt to convince people to perform a certain course of action, or drive a non-mech vehicle. Or simply to eat and lounge. Depending on how difficult a challenge is there will be a resulting penalty. The success or fail result is wholly up to the GM.

Moderate challenge: 1d3 against attribute.Example: Driving at an unsafe speed. Benching a few hundred pounds. Wheedling a small favor. Quickly sifting through an unsecured computer for data.

Hard challenge: 1d3+1 against attribute.Example: Driving at break-neck speeds through rush-hour traffic. Benching a motorcycle. Cracking a computer with a password.

Impossible challenge: 1d3+2 against attribute.Example: Flirting with an important political figure. Shooting a rocket out of a racing vehicle while driving it. Pushing a car off of someone. Hacking into a military network.

Reaction RollsA reaction roll is simply 1d6+Beauty when meeting an NPC or multiple new people. A roll of 4 is more-or-less neutral, 3 unfavorable, 2 dislike. A roll of 6 or more is considered warm or favorable. 10+ means they are now your best friend or are crushing hard. This can be a bad thing.

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Example Characters and Enemies

Name: Thorsten Gender: Male Height: 6'2” Weight: 180Age: 30Appearance: Tall, athletically built. Has a somewhat gaunt look and wild near-shoulder black hair.

Concept: German mech/tank enthusiast. Decently long career as a tank operative and mercenary.

ATTRIBUTES-Intelligence [●●] Power [●●]Perception [●o] Agility [●●]Charisma [●●●] Beauty [●●]

PERKS-Indomitable: At the start of his turn, in a mech, Thorsten may decrease his DR to 0 for a +1 to hit.Roguery Charm: +1 to rolls when convincing others to be friendly

Mech Name: PraetorianPoints: 25

Primary Color: Bronze Optical color: TanSecondary Color: Red Insignia: King's crown

STATS- Dodge Rating: 5/4/3 2 + (AGL + CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●-●] Armor roll: 3+Speed [●●] Initiative: 3Control [x]Weight: 19.4 tons

PARTS-Head: NRB-02

Torso: NRB-01

Arms: NRB-01

Legs: NRB-01

Wounds[oo]

[ooo-oo]

[ooo]

[ooo-o]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound+1Second Hand: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound+1(2d6 to hit)

Sh R: Rockets – 3 shots, 30 range, hit+1/wound +2(2d6-1 to hit)

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Name: Omar Gender: Male Height: 6'3” Weight: 240Age: 33Appearance: Huge bald black dude. Often wears brown-rimmed glasses.

Concept: Mechanic and soldier-of-fortune. Attended college for a while with honors both from weight lifting and wrestling. Had some brief military soldiering before becoming a mercenary for moolah.

ATTRIBUTES-Intelligence [●●●] Power [●●●]Perception [●] Agility [●]Charisma [●●] Beauty [●●]

PERKS-I've had worse: +1 to hit when missing an armMechanic and warrior: +1 to rolls when personally repairing a mech

Mech Name: CharliePoints: 25

Primary Color: Dull blue Optical color: BlueSecondary Color: Black Insignia: Fist interposed over a gear

STATS- Dodge Rating: 7/5/3 2 + (AGL + CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●-●] Initiative: 2Control []Weight: 15.0 tons

PARTS-Head: Beta

Torso: Beta

Arms: Beta

Legs: CO-01-Armor Upgrade

Wounds[o]

[ooo-o]

[oo]

[ooo]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: Burst Rifle – 30 range, wound+1Second Hand: Shotgun – 15 range, wound+1(2d6+1 to hit)

Sh R: Jamming DeviceAllies and self have +3 DR vs missiles

Missile: Light – 3 shots (3d6 to hit)

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Name: Arona Gender: Female Height: 5'8” Weight: 130Age: 25Appearance: Voluptuous, athletic. Somewhat Nordic in appearance. Blue eyes and long blonde hair.

Concept: Sniper-babe mercenary. Served in the US air force for some time for a pension and college. Ended up quitting to pursue fancies of being a mech mercenary.

ATTRIBUTES-Intelligence [●●] Power [●]Perception [●●] Agility [●]Charisma [●●●] Beauty [●●●]

PERKS-Crowd pleaser: +2 to reaction rolls for the opposite sex when exiting a mechGo for the head: With sniper weapons enemies are hit in the head on 1 or 3

Mech Name: LucyPoints: 25

Primary Color: Blue Optical color: YellowSecondary Color: Light Blue Insignia: Lips

STATS- Dodge Rating: 7/6/4 2 + (AGL + CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●] Initiative: 3Control [●]Weight: 18.2 tons

PARTS-Head: CT-01- Armor Upgrade

Torso: Beta

Arms: NRB-01

Legs: Beta

Wounds[oo]

[ooo-o]

[ooo]

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Hands: Sniper Cannon – 40 range, wound +2, dam x2Can not move and fire.(2d6+3 to hit)

Backup: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound+1(2d6+4 to hit)

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Mech Name: SoliderPoints: 20

Primary Color: Gray Optical color: BlueSecondary Color: Blue Insignia: Variable

STATS- Dodge Rating: 7/6/4 4 + (CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●] Initiative: 4Control []Weight: 12.0 tons

PARTS-Head: Beta-

Torso: Beta-

Arms: Beta-

Legs: Beta-

Wounds[o]

[ooo-o]

[oo]

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: Burst Rifle - 30 range, hit+1, wound+1(2d6+3 to hit)

Shoulder L: Shotgun – 15 range, wound +1Shoulder R: Shotgun – 15 range, wound +1(2d6 to hit)

Missile: Light – 3 shots(3d6 to hit)

Mech Name: MissilerPoints: 25

Coloring: As soldier, but black. Optics are green.

STATS- Dodge Rating: 9/7/4 4 + (CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●-●●] Initiative: 5Control []Weight: 15.2 tons

PARTS-Head: Monoc

Torso: Monoc

Arms: Beta

Legs: Beta

Wounds[o]

[ooo-o]

[oo]

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: Rifle – 25 range(2d6+2 to hit)

Shoulder L: Storage

Missile: Heavy – 2+2 shots – 2x Attacks, Wound +2(3d6 to hit)

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Mech Name: GoliathPoints: 80

Primary Color: Matte black Optical color: RedSecondary Color: Matte black Insignia: Hammer or skull

STATS- Dodge Rating: 5/5/3 4 + (CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●-●●●] Armor roll: 2+Speed [●●] Initiative: 4Control [x]Weight: 31.4 tons

PARTS-Head: NRB-03- Armor Upgrade

Torso: NRB-03- Armor Upgrade

Arms: CT-02b- Armor Upgrade

Legs: NRB-02t- Armor Upgrade

Wounds[oooo]

[ooo-ooo-o]

[ooo-o]

[ooo-oo]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: Rotary Cannon - 30 range, wound +2Second Hand: Rotary Cannon - 30 range, wound +2(2d6 to hit)

Primary Turret: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound +1Second Turret: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound +1(2d6 to hit)

Sh L: Rockets – 3 shots, 30 range, hit+1/wound +2Sh R: Rockets – 3 shots, 30 range, hit+1/wound +2(2d6 to hit)

Missile: Heavy – 2 shots – 2x Attacks, Wound +2(3d6-1 to hit)

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Mech Name: DevastatorPoints: 50

Primary Color: Crimson Optical color: OrangeSecondary Color: Red Insignia: Fireball

STATS- Dodge Rating: 8/6/4 4 + (CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●●●-●] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●-●] Initiative: 0Control []Weight: 26.0 tons

PARTS-Head: CO-01- Armor Upgrade

Torso: NRB-02-

Arms: NRB-01- Armor Upgrade

Legs: CO-01– Armor Upgrade– Boosters

Wounds[ooo]

[ooo-ooo-o]

[ooo-o]

[ooo]

WEAPONS-

Both Hands: Pile-Driver – 2 shots1 range, 2x attacks, +2 to wound (x2 for both)(2d6+2 to hit)

Both Shoulders: Incendiary Cannon – 20 rangeWound+2. Each Hit: -1DR and AR(2d6 to hit)

Missile: AP – 3 shots – Ignores armor(3d6-1 to hit)

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Vehicle Name: Attack Helicopter Points Worth: 20

STATS- Dodge Rating: 8/8/dead SPD - 2Strength [] Armor roll: 4+Speed [10] Initiative: 4Control []Weight: 8.0 tons

PARTS-

Body: Main (1-6)

Decoy Launcher -+3 dodge vs missiles

Wounds

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Body: Rockets – 3 shots, 20 range, hit+1/wound +2Body2: Rockets – 3 shots, 20 range, hit+1/wound +2(2d6 to hit)

Missile: AP – 3 shots – Ignores armor(3d6-2 to hit)

Turret: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound+1(2d6-1 to hit)

Vehicle Name: Tank Points Worth: 30

STATS- Dodge Rating: 7/7/2 2 + SPDStrength [] Armor roll: 3+Speed [●●●-●●] Initiative: 3Control []Weight: 60.0 tons

PARTS-

Body: Tank (1,2,3)

Turret: Tank (4,5)

Treads: (6)

Wounds

[oooo]

[ooo]

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Turret: Sniper Cannon – 40 range, wound+2, 2x damSecondary: MG – 20 range, hit+1, wound+1(2d6 to hit)

Tank: Decoy Launcher - +3 dodge vs missiles

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Mech Name: Combat Drone Points Worth: 12

Primary Color: White Optical color: BlueSecondary Color: White Insignia: CO logo

STATS- Dodge Rating: 7/5/3 4 + (CNTRL + SPD)Strength [●] Armor roll: 5+Speed [●●●-●] Initiative: 2Control [x]Weight: 10.0 tons

PARTS-Head: Beta

Torso: CO-01d

Arms: Beta

Legs: CO-01- Boosters

Wounds[o]

[ooo]

[oo]

[oo]

WEAPONS-

Primary Hand: MG – 20 range, hit +1, wound +1(2d6 to hit)

Secondary Hand: Shotgun – 15 range, wound +1(2d6-1 to hit)

Missile: Light – 3 shots(3d6-1 to hit)

Vehicle Name: Defensive Turret Points worth: 10

STATS- Dodge Rating: 3/3/3Strength [] Armor roll: 3+Speed [] Initiative: 1Control []Weight: 20.0 tons

PARTS-

Main

Wounds

[ooo]

WEAPONS- (Choose one)

MG x3 – 20 range, hit +1, wound +1 (2d6 to hit)

Incendiary Cannon x2 – 20 range Attacks x2, Wound+2. Each Hit: -1DR and AR (2d6-1 to hit)

Turret: Sniper Cannon – 40 range, wound+2, 2x dam(2d6-1 to hit)

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Vehicle Name: Mech Transport Points Worth: 12

Primary Color: VariableSecondary Color: Variable Insignia: Variable

STATS- Dodge Rating: 2/1/0Strength [] Armor roll: 4+Speed [●●●-●●] Initiative: 1Control []Weight: 75.0 tons Carrying Capacity: 40 tons

PARTS-Main:

Tracks:

Wounds[oooo]

[ooo]

WEAPONS-

Turret: MG – 20 range, hit +1(2d6 to hit)

Mech transports are heavily armored, slow-moving hauling trucks meant to carry mechs or drones around. Their cargo is fully enclosed, though the walls of the vehicle may collapse and open to let them free. This vehicle's immense size means that it takes up entirely two lanes worth of traffic. Turns are also somewhat difficult.

Vehicle Name: Mech Transport Helicopter Points Worth: 7

STATS- Dodge Rating: 6/6/dead SPD - 2Strength [] Armor roll: 4+Speed [8] Initiative: 2Control []Weight: 40.0 tons Carrying Capacity: 22 tons

PARTS-

Body: Main (1-6)

Decoy Launcher -+3 dodge vs missiles

Wounds

[ooo]

WEAPONS-

Mech's own weapons

Transport choppers are heavily armored airships meant to carry mechs or drones directly into the battlefield. Said mechs dangle beneath them twenty or thirty feet. As a mercenary one would easily prefer ground transport over dangling like a giant target. Still, the cargo in front is quite capable of returning fire at any threats. These, along with mechs, make a great shock and awe weapon.

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Campaigns

ChromeStrike is set in the sort-of-near-future. A long series of wars and break-downs of alliances has done away with the U.N and other organization, effectively letting countries do as they wish with each-other. Many of the smaller nations have been absorbed entirely by neighbors.

With the advent of mechs, combat has become somewhat revolutionized. Small, urban forces that utilize mechs are especially strong. Corporations and companies that hopped on the mech band-wagon found themselves rich. With the lawlessness and wartime tensions, these companies have been free to pursue what political and financial power they like. More often then not they remain separate from their patron nation, but are beholden and supported by them.

With all the wars, and bickering, and fighting, mercenaries are especially in demand. None more-so then mech pilots.

Campaign Types:

There are two generalized paths that a campaign may take, more or less. They are as follows-

Corporate Campaign: The PC's are a group of men and women beholden and working for a particular corporation. More often then not this entails raiding plants of other corporations. Should the nation be at war with another they will be used as a strike force, or be flown out to defensive fronts to help where possible. An ultimate goal might be the subjugation and dissolution of an enemy company.Rewards: For a Corporate campaign it may be appropriate to let the players design their mechs with no point limit, but only with the Beta and company-specific parts. As they finish more and more missions they get access to other companies parts as spoils of war, plus possibly get to purchase and own the machine.

Mercenary Campaign: The PC's are a ragtag group of mercenaries that fight where the money is best. Somehow they have managed to pull together enough funds to get a number of mechs, plus the vehicles required to move them to the fights. City skirmishes, spearheads, raids, all of this is usual for them. Their ultimate goal, almost certainly, is to swim in cash.Rewards: Death and maintenance. At the start the players might begin with 25 credits per player, plus enough transport vehicles to get them to the fights. After each mission they get paid a flat amount of credits, which is then decreased by repairing the vehicles and mechs. Should they profit it goes to upgrades and new parts.

Battles:Mechs are short-ranged, relatively slow vehicles. As a result they must be transported by a

larger cargo vehicle nearly to the fighting zone. The two primary vehicles are large helicopters or modified cargo-trucks. Both of them are statted in the Characters and Enemies section.

For the actual battle though it is suggested that you face the players against a force of nearly equal points. Their enemies should fight with all the smarts and capabilities they can bring to bear.

Battlefields should be strewn with cover and obstacles. Think of a busy street, and what it might contain.

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