Hey Everyone!
Anyone ran a game in a modern setting? I’m planning on running my next E6 campaign in my homebrewed world but in a World War I era of technology.
I’m mostly looking for complete rules on modern firearms that aren’t too wonky, maybe even new spells that interact with technology.
I want regular melee to be mostly obsolete, as I think melee should be a bad idea in an era in which firearms are involved, so I really don’t mind if ranged options outshine nearly all melee options.
With that in mind, I thought that knights, paladin and nobles clinging to traditional era could have developed a way to keep their traditional form of peasant wacking in melee by developing magical power suits or mecha. (And not gonna lie, I just really want awesome medieval-style mecha.) Ideally, I’d like that option to be usable early on and while powerful enough to reach the melee, not so powerful that they can annihilate any opposition, I don’t want to turn my next campaign into a mecha campaign either. If nothing exists, i was thinking of maybe basing mechas on synthesist summoner or something like that.
I'm also looking for ways to incorporate tanks and other war-engine, but i'd like if tanks aren't just big CR Construct with big shooty cannon. I don't want tanks to be gunned down by rifles, but i don't want tanks to dominate the battlefield the way a dragon would. I'm thinking maybe having their main cannon actually be fairly imprecise might be a solution? It Might work, especially if tanks defense is more hardness based rather than AC based.
I’m willing to look into homebrew rules or 3rd party books if you have any suggestions.
I don't know how common this knowledge is, so I will approach this gently...
We humans of Earth, did not, in fact, have "mecha" in WW1.
Whoa, what? I know, crazy, huh?
Okay, all kidding aside... I have no idea how you would convert PF1 into a game focused on modern tank and rifle and apparently mecha combat.
A 1903 Springfield had a sight adjustable for something stupid, like 2500+ meters... roll Perception. Lol.
A 30-06 hits with, what, ~2500ft/lb of energy... a WW1 tanks' 57mm 6lb projectile going 2800fps hits with something closer to a million ft/lbs of energy... well, ~750000ft/lbs, but who is counting?
Can these numbers even be scaled to use dice that exist today?
To be fair, though, a ballista bolt or capapulted rock would probably penetrate/crush a WW1 tank's hull. They weren't THAT armored, just compared to no armor, they were gods.
Give them really high Damage Reduction up to a certain projectile size?
I wouldn't make the mecha any more complicated than it has to be.
Proficiency: someone proficient in Siege Engines is proficient with mecha... someone skilled at driving ships is proficient with mecha.
Movement: give the mecha a land speed.
Armor: give the mecha an AC rating.
Cannon: give the mecha a range and damage.
Driving a mecha: player walks up to mecha... removes player mini from board... uses mecha mini until destroyed or until the player exits the mecha... put player mini back on board adjacent to mecha.
All that Synth Summoner crap and Iron Man stuff just makes it stupid complicated. It's just a vehicle.
I don't know how common this knowledge is, so I will approach this gently...
We humans of Earth, did not, in fact, have "mecha" in WW1.
Whoa, what? I know, crazy, huh?
And that's why modern fantasy is awesome, you can have grenade chunking kobolds and machine gun wielding dwarves while also having ''mechas'' if you want to :D
Okay, all kidding aside... I have no idea how you would convert PF1 into a game focused on modern tank and rifle and apparently mecha combat.
A 1903 Springfield had a sight adjustable for something stupid, like 2500+ meters... roll Perception. Lol.
A 30-06 hits with, what, ~2500ft/lb of energy... a WW1 tanks' 57mm 6lb projectile going 2800fps hits with something closer to a million ft/lbs of energy... well, ~750000ft/lbs, but who is counting?
Can these numbers even be scaled to use dice that exist today?
My goal isn't so much to reach true realism, rather than a ''good enough'' feel. Just like Pathfinder isn't really medieval.
To be fair, though, a ballista bolt or capapulted rock would probably penetrate/crush a WW1 tank's hull. They weren't THAT armored, just compared to no armor, they were gods.
Give them really high Damage Reduction up to a certain projectile size?
Yeah for tanks i was planning on going the vehicule route, and give them hardness instead of AC, as it would mean tanks are easy to hit, but very hard to damage with conventionnal weapon. I just don't want them to end with 2000+ hp like the tank in Rasputin must die.
I wouldn't make the mecha any more complicated than it has to be.
Proficiency: someone proficient in Siege Engines is proficient with mecha... someone skilled at driving ships is proficient with mecha.
Movement: give the mecha a land speed.
Armor: give the mecha an AC rating.
Cannon: give the mecha a range and damage.
Driving a mecha: player walks up to mecha... removes player mini from board... uses mecha mini until destroyed or until the player exits the mecha... put player mini back on board adjacent to mecha.
All that Synth Summoner crap and Iron Man stuff just makes it stupid complicated. It's just a vehicle.
That sounds good, although i really don't plan on making my ''mechas'' bigger than large. I mind head i'm kind of thinking of a mix between a power armor and a mecha? Like actual suits the pilot would wear to enhanced their abilities and thoughness. Hence why i thought going the synthesis route while altering how they fuse and how hp works for the suite might be closer to want i intend. I don't really mind going the complicated route either, i have more than plenty of time to plan that campaign.
Thanks for the advices!
Check out the "Rasputin must die" book from the Reign of winter AP
Yeah, i did, through the SRD, most of the modern firearm rules are written. It looks like a good starting point, but it's incomplete.
Although thanks for the advice!
I have, indeed, always had fun playing mecha games... something about a walking tank with a rail gun makes my inner child all sorts of happy. In Fallout 4, I built a castle and lined the walls with all the power armor suits I found. There is absolutely something cool about mecha suits.
I hope you find a system that works well for you... I would stick with them as vehicles, rather than any sort of Eidolon mechanics, though.
|
With that in mind, I thought that knights, paladin and nobles clinging to traditional era could have developed a way to keep their traditional form of peasant wacking in melee by developing magical power suits or mecha.
Maybe allow Dreamscarred Press' Aegis class? They get an Astral Suit.
I hope you find a system that works well for you... I would stick with them as vehicles, rather than any sort of Eidolon mechanics, though.
Thanks, if not, i'll built it i'm used to invest way too many hours into homebrewing my stuff!
With that in mind, I thought that knights, paladin and nobles clinging to traditional era could have developed a way to keep their traditional form of peasant wacking in melee by developing magical power suits or mecha.Maybe allow Dreamscarred Press' Aegis class? They get an Astral Suit.
That's definitely a step in the right direction, i'll probably take some inspiration from it! Thanks!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
check out the D20 Modern rules. 3.5 compatible, should scale well with PF1
check out the D20 Modern rules. 3.5 compatible, should scale well with PF1
Brilliant idea, thanks!
If you're interested in mecha, you may want to check out Dragonmech.
Wait that's a d20 setting!? How i have missed that before?!
I'm definetely gonna check that out thanks!