Mecha-TWERPS
by Christian Conkle
conkle@mecha.com
http://www.mecha.com/~conkle
A Supplement for M.E.C.H.I.-TECH
a supplement for TWERPS
by Reindeer Games
1. INTRODUCTION
GRAND UNION OF TERRA
In 2195, the most powerful governmental power on Earth is the Grand Union of Terra. The G.U.T. provides public services to all it's member nations equally and without favoritism. It regulates the distribution of resources, provides for the transmission of information, and defends from external agressors and and internal threats to peace.
The G.U.T. was formed in the mid-21st Centry as a union of the most powerful nations on Earth. The purpose was to promote peace and understanding on the planet, to provide a unified governmental structure to provide services and disseminate resources from where it was available to where it was needed. It was humanity's first true world-wide government. It was also formed to stem the unchecked growth of the powerful global corporations whose only goal was profit at any cost. Although still a fundamentally capitalist system, the G.U.T. tried to control the unchecked growth of these mega-monopolies. To this end, the mega-corporations formed their own independent country on the artificial island of Hyperia.
Soon afterward, mankind discovered interstellar travel and began migrating to the off-world colonies. Intelligent races were encountered in space and on other planets, not all of which were friendly towards humans. Corporations continued to grow, and established their own colonies on other worlds. Although the G.U.T. promised world peace through unification, not every region joined and small but petty wars continued occasionally.
Technology had advanced as well. Artificial and anti-gravity had been perfected. Bionic replacement of limbs became practical and with the increased violence of crimes and the latest war with the alien Liss'Ardlipp Empire, cecame fairly commonplace. Lasers, Force Fields, and advanced anti-ballistic armor were all available to the nervous and paranoid. In computer science, cybernetic human-computer interfaces became available, linking man to the machine. Pre-programmed skill chips also gave instant knowledge and ability, making schools obsolete.
The G.U.T. maintains several space battlefleets capable of interstellar travel. One is always stationed at Earth for, in addition to the Earth Defense Network, defense of Earth. Other fleets travel between the several colony worlds, enforcing the laws of the G.U.T. and providing defense against alien invasion. In the event of an invasion, the fleets are capable of responding in a matter of days. Unfortunately, this often means the planet's self-defense forces, woefully underequipped to defend against full invasion, must hold out on their own until reinforcements arrive.
The G.U.T. Battlefleets are equipped with the latest technology and weapons from the smallest infantryman equipped with Cyberlinked Rifles and anti-ballistic armor to the largest battleship armed with Heavy Laser Cannons and Regenerating Defense Screens. Perhaps the most versatile weapon of all, however, are the giant robots of the Mecha Suit Forces.
XENOS
The Xenos brought interstellar war to Earth. Their goal of nothing short of total universal control brought their attack fleets to Earth. Though the G.U.T. attempted peaceful contact and made initial diplomatic overtures, the Xeno policy of xenophobia and racial and philosophical supremacy made any such attempts pointless.
The Xenos are a humanoid warm-blooded reptillian species who traverse the galaxy in large battlecarrier fleets. Each battlecarrier carries several squadrons of Fighters, Mecha Suit, Ground Vehicles, and Infantry, powered and non-powered.
Their society is highly stratified and militaristic, favoring fancy military uniforms to denote their rank and status. It is possible to change position within Xeno society by demonstrating military genius or prowess in battle. Promotions can only be given by a commander of two levels or more above the recipient. Promotion also brings great responsibility as the newly promoted is also given command of a group of warriors.
Xenos reproduce by hermaphroditic egg-laying. Each Warrior is capable of laying several eggs during their lifetime. Eggs are kept in a hatching area. Once hatched, the young hatchling is schooled in Xenos society and battle by veterans and elders no longer capable of effectively fighting. All Hatchlings start at the lowest rank and must work their way up to positions of leadership.
The Xenos are also accomplished scientists, always applying their knowledge to the conquest and elimination of other societies. One of their latest achievements is the Xeno spy, genetically identical to humans save for a lack of belly-button due to hatching in an egg. These spies are smuggled onto Earth of it's colonies to provide intelligence to their Battlecarrier fleets or perform covert actions. Often, these spies are promoted to leaderships ranks.
The location of the Xeno homeworld is currently unknown.
Xeno Raider
ST 5, Skin=Leather Armor, Equipped with Blaster and Environment Suit. Heavy Units are equipped with Powered Armors.
Xeno Spy
ST 5, can pass for a human.
Hyperia, the City of the Future. Or so the Holos would tell it. Hyperia began in 2050 as a haven for the Mega-Corporations who saw their future on Earth threatened by the formation of the Grand Union of Terra (the G.U.T.). The Company, etc., the largest of these Mega-Corps built an artificial island and a city named Hyperia and invited all of the major Mega-Corps to move their headquarters there, promising free trade, little or no restrictions, and immunity from the fledgeling unified government of Earth and it's independent rivals.
Now the city spans nearly the entire island. It is bisected by the Hawking River which transports its waste to the sea. Its government is based on a Corporate Meritocracy, awarding votes based on the number and value of shares of stock owned in a Mega-Corp. There are no taxes, only bills. There are no police, fire, or emergency ambulances, only the corporate Damage Control Agency and it' s rivals. Hyperia is a city where freedom borders on anarchy. Crime runs rampant. Pollution is encouraged as an earmark of conspicuous consump tion. Hyperia, the city of capitalism; the city of progress; the city of the future.
NON-ALIGNED NATIONS
Not all the nations of Earth joined the G.U.T. Many feared a lack of sovereignty, others maintained a foolish dream of future empire, but for whatever reasons, several countries declined membership into the G.U.T. These indepentent nations became havens for the unscrupulous Mega-Corporations, providing short-term profit at the expense of their precious resources.
The independent nations also must provide for their own defense, a thorn in the G.U.T.'s side, as they are the weakest link in Earth's Defense, and the G.U.T. defense fleets often find themselves defending what they see as ingrateful layabouts to defend the Earth as a whole.
Often, the opportunistic nations even secretly cooperate with the Xenos, providing aid for their spies and covert access to Earth. These nations are often harshly dealth with by the G.U.T. forces.
The Non-Aligned Nations are petty and are often fighting amongst themselves. Their borders, leadership, and capabilities are constantly shifting and changing, making effective dealings with them difficult.
2. CHARACTER CREATION
| DIE ROLL | CHARACTER'S STRENGTH |
| 1 | 3 |
| 2-3 | 4 |
| 4-7 | 5 |
| 8-9 | 6 |
| 10 | 7 |
PROFESSIONS
| 1. MECHA PILOT: | Pick One:
|
| 2. MECHA TECHNICIAN: | Can attempt to repair and modify Mecha Suit |
| 3. COMMANDO: | +1 with gun, +1 to Defense. |
| 4. CYBERUNNER: | able to integrate their mind into the world-wide V.R. (called CYBERSPACE) via use of a Cyberdeck; also, they receive +2 to their Cyber-Strength. |
| 5. CYBORG: | part human, part machine. Starts game with any 2 Bionic parts (listed under Equipment). |
| 6. PILOT: | able to fly aircraft, +1 to all vehicle defense rolls when using an aircraft. |
| 7. SCIENTIST: | +2 to all science-related Difficulty rolls. |
| 8. SPACE MERCENARY: | Starts out with Power Armor, but with a starting -1 Strength penalty (can be bought off with experience). |
| 9. SPY: | +2 to all deception and tailing rolls. |
| 10. TECHNICIAN: | can attempt to repair damage equipment. |
| 11. WHEELMAN: | +1 to all ground vehicle defense rolls (does not include aircraft). |
MECHA
| TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT | DEPLOYMENT |
| Full Engagement Ground War against other Armored Units, either enemy tanks or Xeno Mecha Suits | Squadrons of three or more Mecha Suits or Mixed Squadrons of one or more Mecha Suits and three or more Hovertanks. |
| Limited Ground Engagment against mixed enemy units | Mixed squadron of 1 Mecha Suit or 2 Hovertanks and 3 or more Powered Armor troops. |
| Limited Ground Engagement against low or unarmored enemy units | Mixed squadron of 1 Mecha Suit and 10 or more low or unarmored troops, possibly 1 Powered Armor troop. |
| Full Aerial Engagement | Mixed squadron of 3 or more Fighters and 3 or more Mecha Suits equipped with A-Grav Boosters. |
| Limited Aerial Engagement, Low Range Low Speed | Three or more Mecha Suits equipped with A-Grav Boosters. |
| 1 | Powered Armor |
| 2-3 | Scout |
| 4-7 | Ranger |
| 7-10 | Assault |
| GM Special | Magna |
| CLASS* | TYPE | STRENGTH | DEFENSE | MOVEMENT | SPACES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power Armor | 4** | +4 | User's ST** | 4 |
| 2 | Scout | 6 | +4 | User's ST+10 | 6 |
| 3 | Ranger | 8 | +4 | User's ST+8 | 8 |
| 4 | Assault | 10 | +4 | User's ST+6 | 10 |
| 5 | Magna | Special*** | +4 | Special*** | Special*** |
*A Mecha Suit can be up to 3 times it's Class rating in height in meters.
** Technically, a Powered Armor is not a Mecha Suit. However, in combat against Mecha Suit-scaled opponents, it is ST 4, in combat against man-scaled opponents, use the User's ST+4. In any event, it uses Mecha Suit-scale weapons.
***A Magna-Class Mecha Suit is actually assembled from up to 6 Scout class Mecha Suit, combining to transform into a larger machine. The Total STRENGTH of the Magna-Class Mecha Suit is the sum of the STRENGTH's of the component Mecha Suit, minus the number of component Mecha Suit. For example, A 4 piece Magna-Class Mecha Suit would have a STRENGTH of (4x6)-4=20. Each component Scout-Class Mecha Suit must dedicate 2 Weapon Spaces to be able to transform and combine, Therefore, each component Scout-Class Mecha Suit provides 4 Weapon Spaces. Weapons placed on the Scout-Class Mecha Suit may be used in Magna Mode. Large weapons can be built into the Magna-Class Mecha Suit by spreading it across multiple component Mecha Suit. However, these weapons can only be used in Magna Mode. Movement is based on the designated Pilot's ST+10, -1 for each component Mecha Suit. Hence, our previous example would provide a movement of ST+6. Rockets or Jets must be placed in Magna's "Torso" or both "Feet" component Mecha Suit.
Vehicles, though not as versatile as the bipedal Mecha Suits, nevertheless serve an important role in the defense of Earth. Anti-Gravity technology has made conventional aircraft obsolete. Modern Airfighters more closely resemble high-speed aerial tanks than their ancient winged cousins. Vehicles may mount the same weapons and options as Mecha Suits. Aircars, Airtransports, and Airfighters receive A-Grav Propulsion for free.
| VEHICLE | STRENGTH | DEFENSE | MOVEMENT | SPACES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOTORCYCLE | 5 | +2 | STRx3/GROUND | 1 |
| CAR | 6 | +2 | STRx2/GROUND | 2 |
| AIRCAR | 8 | +1 | STRx1.5/FLYING | 2 |
| AIRTRANSPORT | 8 | +2 | STRx3/FLYING | 4 |
| AIRFIGHTER | 10 | +1 | STRx4/FLYING | 6 |
All Mecha Suits and Vehicles may start with 1 heavy weapon or 2 light weapons, which must be placed in appropriate Weapons Spaces. Additional weapons and options may be added by placing them in appropriate Weapons Spaces.
| HEAVY WEAPONS | Require 2 Weapons Spaces per weapon | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| RAY CANNON | 2 pts. damage | 10-hex range | |
| PROJECTILE CANNON
10 shots only |
+1 to hit | 5 pts. damage | 20-hex range |
| BLAST CANNON | -1 to hit | 4 pts. damage | 6-hex range |
| ROCKET BATTERY
3 shots only |
-1 to hit | 10 pts. damage | 15-hex range |
| ZAP CANNON | +1 to hit | 1 damage | 8-hex range |
| LIGHT WEAPONS | Require 1 Weapons Space per weapon | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| HEAT RAY | 3 pts. damage | 4-hex range | |
| RIFLE
10 shots only |
+1 to hit | 3 pts. damage | 10-hex range |
| ROCKETS
5 shots only |
3 pts. damage | 7-hex range | |
| LASER
Cannot function through smoke |
4 pts. damage | 10-hex range | |
| LIGHTSWORD
½ damage in smoke |
+2 to hit | 2 pts. damage | Melee |
| MACHINE-GUN
10 shots only |
-1 to hit | 4 pts. damage | 8-hex range |
| MECHA-SWORD | +1 to hit | 2 pts. damage | Melee |
| MECHA-CLAWS
retractable |
2 pts. damage | Melee | |
| BOOSTER | 2 Weapons Spaces | +10 Movement for 1 round twice per combat. | ||||||||||
| EXTENDABLE ARMS | 1 Weapons Space | Extend Melee Range 1 Hex. | ||||||||||
| EXTENDABLE LEGS | 2 Weapons Spaces (1 per leg) | +3m to height, +2 to Movement | ||||||||||
| A-GRAV PROPULSION | 2 Weapons Spaces (1 per leg) | Flying Movement at Walking Move x2 | ||||||||||
| CYBER-LINK | 1 Weapons Space | Pilot must have Vehicle Remote Bionic Enhancement. Order of Movement based on Pilot's ST instead of Mecha Suit's. +1 to Difficulty Rolls. If the Mecha Suit takes damage, consult the following chart:
| ||||||||||
| TARGETING COMPUTER | 1 Weapons Space | +1 to attack, disabled on a roll of 1 or 2. | ||||||||||
| TARGETING COMPUTER MkII | 1 Weapons Space | +2 to attack with any ONE weapon, disabled on a roll of 1, 2, or3. | ||||||||||
| ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | 1 Weapons Space | Fails on a roll of 1 or 2 if the Mecha Suit takes damage. | ||||||||||
| FORCE FIELD | 2 Weapons Spaces | +1 Defense, fails on a roll if 1 or 2 if the Mecha Suit takes damage. | ||||||||||
| FORCE FIELD Mk II | 3 Weapons Spaces | +2 Defense, fails on a roll if 1 or 2 if the Mecha Suit takes damage. | ||||||||||
| JUMP JETS | 2 Weapons Spaces (1 per leg) | Jump 3 x Walking Movement twice per combat. All jumps must start and end on a solid surface. | ||||||||||
| TRANSFORMATION | 1 Weapons Space | Allows tranformation between Mecha-Suit and Airfighter Mode, with appropriate statistics for each mode. Weapons must be shared between modes. Transformation requires one full action. | ||||||||||
| OIL SLICK | 1 Weapons Space | 5 shots. Covers 1 hex area, requiring targets to make a Difficulty 7 roll to remain standing or walk. Failed rolls result in 1 pt. Falling Damage with a difficulty of 7 to stand again. All attacks while prone are at -4. | ||||||||||
| SHIELD | 1 Weapons Spaces | +2 Defense | ||||||||||
| SMOKE PROJECTOR | 1 Weapons Space | 5 shots. Covers 3 hex radius, all units within area receive +3 defense. -2 to all attacks made from inside the smoke area. Smoke also adversely affects Lasers |
| ITEM : | COST |
| AIRCAR : | 30C |
| ARROWS (12) : | 1C |
| BACKPACK : | 3C |
| BELTPACK : | 3C |
| BLASTER : | 8C |
| BOW : | 4C |
| CAR : | 20C+ |
| CHAINMAIL : | 8C |
| CLUB : | 1C |
| DAGGER : | 2C |
| FOOD (MEAL) : | 1C |
| FORCE FIELD : | 20C |
| HEAT RAY : | 8C |
| HELICOPTER : | 50C |
| HELMET : | 4C |
| JUMP SUIT : | 10C |
| LEATHER JACKET : | 2C |
| LIGHTSWORD : | 12C |
| MACHINE-GUN : | 8C |
| CYBERDECK : | 12C |
| MEDICINE, MAJOR : | 5C |
| MEDKIT : | 4C |
| MOTORCYCLE : | 15C |
| NUNCHAKU : | 15C |
| PISTOL : | 2C |
| PLATE ARMOR : | 16C |
| POCKET COMPASS : | 5C |
| POWER ARMOR : | 320C |
| RATIONS (1 WEEK) : | 3C |
| RAY GUN : | 6C |
| REMOTE CONTROL: | 6C |
| RIFLE : | 6C |
| ROCK : | 0C |
| ROPE, 50' : | 1C |
| SHIELD : | 4C |
| SHOTGUN : | 6C |
| SHURIKEN : | 1/2C |
| +1 SKILL CHIPS : | 8C+ |
| +2 SKILL CHIPS : | 15C+ |
| SKYCYCLE : | 24C |
| SPACE SUIT : | 80C |
| SWORD : | 6C |
| SWORD, 2-HAND : | 12C |
| TOOL KIT : | 6C |
| VEHICLE REMOTE : | 10C |
| ZAP GUN : | 6C |
WEAPONS
| MACHINE GUN: | 4 pts. damage, | 8-hex range. | |
| BIONIC CLAWS: | +1 to hit, | 2 pts. damage. | |
| BIONIC GUN: | +1 to hit, | 2 pts. damage, | 4-hex range. |
| BLASTER: | -1 to hit, | 4 pts. damage, | 6-hex range. |
| BOW: | +1 to hit, | 2 pts. damage, | 7-hex range. |
| CLUB: | +1 to hit, 1 | pt. damage. | |
| DAGGER: | 2 pts. damage, | 4-hex range. | |
| HEAT RAY: | 3 pts. damage, | 4-hex range. | |
| LASER: | 4 pts. damage, | 10-hex range, cannot
function
through smoke. |
|
| LIGHTSWORD: | +2 to hit, | 2 pts. damage, | 1-handed. |
| PISTOL: | 2 pts. damage, | 5-hex range. | |
| RAY GUN: | 2 pts. damage, | 10-hex range. | |
| RIFLE: | +1 to hit, | 3 pts. damage, | 10-hex range. |
| ROCK: | -1 to hit, | 1pt. damage, | 3-hex range. |
| SHOTGUN: | -1 to hit, | 6 pts. damage, | 4-hex range. |
| SWORD: | +1 to hit, | 2 pts. damage. | |
| SWORD, 2-HAND: | +2 to hit, | 2 pts. damage. | |
| ZAP GUN: | +1 to hit, | 1 pt. damage, | 8-hex range. |
ARMOR
| ASSAULT ARMOR: | +4 Defense |
| CHAIN MAIL: | +2 Defense. |
| ENVIRO-SUIT: | Protects against hostile environments, +2 Defense. |
| FORCE FIELD: | Protects up to 2 characters in the same hex, +1 Defense, cumulative with all other types of armor. |
| HELMET: | +1 Defense (head only); may not be combined with full-suit armors (which are assumed to include a helmet of their own). |
| JUMPSUIT: | +2 Defense; lightweight protective gear
for pilots. |
| KEVLAR VEST: | +2 Defense. |
| LEATHER JACKET: | +1 Defense. |
| PLATE MAIL: | +3 Defense |
| POWER ARMOR: | Same functions as an Enviro-suit or Space-Suit, but +4 Defense and +1 on all other rulls due to built-in Strength enhancements. |
Other on-line TWERPS supplements:
Cyber-TWERPS by Christian Conkle
How To Do Everything - TWERPS Fan Club
TWERPS Crimebusters by John P. Aslin
Necrotech's Universe of TWERPS
TWERPS Station