26 Oct 2015

Cortext+ BattleTech - A MechWarrior Detailed

Not long ago, I blogged about converting BattleMechs into Cortex+ as seen with the Firefly RPG.  I mentioned a sample character, a Magistracy of Canopus MechWarrior with an antique Hussar 'Mech.  I present now, that character.

First, as a reminder, the new distinction I needed for the setting.  Firefly has easy rules for creating new distinctions to fit a character concept.  I created the MechWarrior distinction last time, and recreate it below.
MechWarrior d8
*    Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
      Born in the Pilot's Seat:  Spend 1PP to step up or double your 'Mech's Engine attribute for your next roll.
      Alpha Strike:  Take a Heat Exhaustion d8 complication to step up or double your 'Mech's Systems attribute when firing a weapon.

Highlighted Skills: Drive, Operate Shoot
Because I'm now using the distinction for character creation, I added the highlighted skills.  These skills get stepped up during character creation as per the rules.  Drive is a broad skill in the game, covering any ground vehicle.  Operate is using equipment such as sensors.  Shoot covers all guns, no matter the size, from holdout pistols to BattleMech gauss rifles.

I'm not going through the full process this time, just presenting the full sheet here.  I've done the step-by-step character examples before, so if you need to see the process from the start, follow the link.
Name: Rahela Dalca
Background: Magistracy of Canopus MechWarrior

Attributes:
Mental: d8        Physical: d8        Social: d8

Skills:
 Craft        d4
 Drive       d8        Light 'Mechs
 Fight        d4
 Fix           d4
 Fly           d4
 Focus       d8
 Influence d10
 Know      d6        Canopian Pleasure Cruises
 Labour    d6
 Move      d4
 Notice     d4
 Operate   d8
 Perform   d4
 Shoot       d8
 Sneak       d4
 Survive    d6
 Throw      d4
 Treat        d4
 Trick        d6        Bluffing

Distinctions:
MechWarrior d8
*   Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
*   Born in the Pilot's Seat:  Spend 1PP to step up or double your 'Mech's Engine attribute for your next roll.
      Alpha Strike:  Take a Heat Exhaustion d8 complication to step up or double your 'Mech's Systems attribute when firing a weapon.

Backwater Matriarch d8
*   Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
*   I Didn't Expect to Be Hearing from You:  Step up Social die for a scene when you step up a complication involving someone you don't like.
      Go Get 'Em:  Spend 1PP to step up a complication inflicted by one of your thugs.

Princess of the Rim d8
*    Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
      Charity Ball Staple:  Spend 1PP to run into someone familiar with you and your charity work.
      Heal the Wounded Heart:  Spend 1PP to step back another character's emotional- or relationship-based complication.

Signature Assets:
Family Hussar d8
Well-worn Deck of Cards d8
I debated between Gentry and Backwater Matriarch, settling on the latter because she's from the Periphery.  If she had been from an Inner Sphere nation, such as the Lyran Alliance, I would've taken Gentry instead.  Again, it's what feels right instead of being hyper-accurate and creating a new distinction for every idea.  Note that she's taken the Hussar as a signature asset.  Sure, anytime she's in the pilot seat, she gets an extra d8, but the asset means that the 'Mech is important to her, like Serenity is to Malcolm Reynolds.

I included the Hussar in the previous post, too, but here it is again, with better context.
Rahela's Hussar:
Attributes:
Engine: d12        Hull: d4        Systems: d8

Hussar d8
*    Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
      Can't Catch Me!:  Spend 1PP to double Engines for the next roll.
      Hull Down:  Step down Engine to step up Hull for the rest of the scene.

Held Together with Duct Tape and Chewing Gum d8
*    Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
      Did Something Fall Off?:  Start every episode with a Busted Up Parts d6 complication.  Step it up to reroll a die on a failed action.  Once it exceeds d12, the 'Mech is Taken Out.
*    It Can Wait:  Step up a complication related to delaying a needed repair to gain 1PP.

Electronic Warfare d8
*    Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8.
      Blinded by the Light:  Step back Systems for the rest of the scene to create an Electronic Countermeasures d8 asset.
*    They're Locking on to Us:  Reroll a die when your 'Mech is being attacked.  On your next roll, both 1s and 2s count as complications.

Signature Assets:
ER Large Laser d8
Fancy Sensor Array d8
How does this all come together?  Again, like the ship rules in Firefly.  If Rahela wants to chase a car down with her Hussar, she'd roll Engines d12 (because she's in the 'Mech), Drive d8 (her skill), MechWarrior d8 (her distinction), Hussar d8 (the 'Mech's class distinction), and Family Hussar d8 (her signature asset).  Rahela could've used different distinctions, like Princess of the Rim or Held Together with Duct Tape and Chewing Gum.  With her distinction and the Hussar's, she could have rolled a d4 instead of the d8 to gain a plot point.

If Rahela decides to shoot the car instead, she'd roll Systems d8 (she's using the Hussar's weapons, not her personal firearm), Shoot d8 (the relevant skill), MechWarrior d8 (her choice of distinction) d8, Hussar d8 (the 'Mech's distinction), Family Hussar d8 (her signature asset), and ER Large Laser (the Hussar's distinction).  If this happened early in the episode, Rahela could swap out the distinctions for Princess of the Rim d4 (gaining a plot point) and Held Together with Duct Tape and Chewing Gum d4 (gaining a plot point here, too), letting her build up her stash of plot points for later in the session.

Again, as always, the goal was to create a character that felt like she fit into the setting.  With one as large as the BattleTech universe, it's not difficult.  With some changes, Rahela could become Anya of the Lyran Alliance, Akane of the Draconis Combine, or even Rebecca of Clan Jade Falcon.

Comments, as always, are welcome.

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