Robomeck RPG: Robomeck Mecka-Space War III-EEF Typhoons, Other Craft, Troopers

Robomeck RPG Index

Typhoon (Motorcycle armor suit, ground combat)

Needing to make the most of their limited personnel, the EEF developed the Typhoon motorized armor system for its ground troops.  The cycle mode would give them great speed in deployment.  In battler mode, it could deal out impressive damage with tremendous maneuverability.  It was compact enough to be stored as an emergency vehicle in a Delta.  Several different types were developed with various weapons packages, which were interchangeable for different missions and personal tastes.  The Heavy was the main combat model, the Cutlass was a stealth unit, and the Light model for reserve personnel, though they were basically all the same, except for styling.

The Hive focused mostly on air superiority, which made beating them from the ground a tough proposition in straight-up combat.  Upgraded Battlemecks* and Legionnaire Tanks were in the EEF’s initial compliment, but fell out of favor against the fast-moving and numerous Hive troops.  Actually, the ground game against the Hive tended to be of a covert nature, where Typhoons and even non-mecka-using troops were valuable.  (The Hive seemed to have a complete blindspot in trying to deal with small partisan forces.  Where fleets failed, little rebel groups could take out entire Mounds.) 

 

“*” I’m not stating out those EEF Battlemecks.  They’re not worth the effort frankly.  I could be persuaded otherwise, but just use the older models in the meantime.

Mecka HP: 5

(In either cycle or battler mode, a DC 12 Pilot Check is required to survive the destruction of the mecka)

Mecka Armor Class: 10 + Dex Bonus + ½ level

Speed: Cycle F, Battler M run*, S hover

‘*’ For a normal combat encounter, not long-distance running. 

Sensors: S Range Radar

Special: Must be wearing EEF body armor to transform into Battler mode.  If riding in cycle mode, damage goes to the cycle first unless there’s a Called Shot on the rider.

Typical NPC Stats

Level: 1, +2 Int, Dex

MAC: 13 (Base 10, +2 Dex, +1 ½ level)

To Hit: +3 ranged (+1 level, +2 Dex), +2 HTH (+1 level, +1 Str from Typhoon armor)

Pilot Check: +2 (+1 ½ level, +1 (+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2) 

Heavy Type

Unarmed M1+1

Beam Gun M1d4, S, 10 shots, recharged in 1 turn attached to Typhoon

Beam Cannon M1d6, M, 5 shots, recharged in 1 turn attached to Typhoon

Rail Cannon M1d8, L, 4 shots, 2 extra clips of shells

4 Mini Missiles M1d6 per missile, M, can fire 2/rd, 8 extra missiles, 1 turn to reload

Cutlass Type

Vibro-Sword M1d2+1

12 Micro Missiles (chest battery) M1d4 per Micro Missile, can fire all 12/rd, S, 24 extra missiles, 1 turn to reload

Light Type

Unarmed M1+1

Rocket Cannon (6 Micro Missile clip) M1d4, 1/rd, M, 12 extra missiles, 1 rd to reload 

Ranges listed are for personal combat, not giant-sized mecka-level combat.  Missiles and guns may be used in cycle mode, but only when stationary.  Use of attached weapons requires the Typhoon armor’s mechanical strength boost.  Using them without the Typhoon will be without any attack bonuses.

Armored Transport

This was standard military-issue truck used on various battlefields.  Oddly, the EEF favored old-fashioned, conventionally fueled wheeled vehicles over the advanced hover vehicles used by the stingy ANS. 

MHP: 10

MAC: Base 11+ ½ level

Speed: M

Capacity: 1 driver, up to 10 passengers or cargo

Optional Armaments:

Impact Cannon M1d6, S, 10 shots (took the place of the shotgun seat)

20 Mini Missile Battery M1d6 per missile, M, can fire all in 1/rd, but can only target 10 opponents at a time, 1 turn to reload (took the place of cargo or passengers in the back)

Orbital Troop Transport “Swan” (Drop Ship)

Troops who survived trans-orbital combat deployment in these craft had a more colorful name for them, but we’ll go with “Swan,” as it described the long white wings and graceful neck leading to the bridge.  It might be charitable to say these vessels were not really designed for orbital combat landings.  “Graceful” is a word you might want to apply to a good-looking fighter aircraft, not to transports depositing troops into a “hot” LZ.

As you might guess from its lack of armaments, the Swan was in fact a militarized version of a civilian space transport.  It was actually in use before Space War I, helping to build the orbital platforms.  The design was dusted-off by the EEF and put into mass production.  Like many other EEF weapons systems, its use did not anticipate fighting swarms of the Hive and they were stuck with them.

Contrary to the apocryphal reports by pilots, the Swans were well-designed to enter planetary atmosphere from space.  They just weren’t designed to do it while being shot at or having a couple of Hive Drones snapping their necks.  Squadrons of Deltas were supposed to be ruling the airspace around drop zones allowing for easy insertion.  Even the addition of a heavy escort fighter to its standard deployment was considered unnecessary overkill.  (The Boomer attached to the craft could not be rearmed by it or reattached in combat; it was just for defense before landing.)            

Mecka HP: 100, Called Shots: Cockpit 10, Engines 40, Cargo Pods (2) 40

Mecka Armor Class: Base 10 + ½ level

Speed: M (VF at max burn.  Can breech orbit, but cannot maneuver)

Sensors: L Range Radar

Crew: 6 piloting crew, 2 service crewmen for the fighter and the pods

Defense: 1 assigned Delta/Omega “Boomer” fighter

Pod Payload: 50 Typhoon troops or 100 support personnel or cargo.  Pods can be detached immediately upon landing for quick “dust-offs.”

Typical NPC Stats

Level: Fourth level pilot/captain and co-pilot, +2 Int, Dex (the rest of the crew would be first or second level techs)

MAC: 12 (Base 10 +2 ½ level)

Pilot Check: +3 (+2 ½ level, +1 (+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)

Tactical Transport/Destroyer “Orca” (Troop/Mecka transport and Escort ship)

Much of the fleet funding for the EEF was lavished on the SDC-3, a refurbished Zee cruiser.  The other ships of the line had to fulfill multiple functions to be on budget.  Thus the large Shogun class battleship/carriers were conceived.  (These would later be retired in favor of the Kusanagi class ships, which featured quick launch silos for their Delta fighters).  Along those lines, the “Orca” destroyer class vessels also doubled as the main fleet transport.  These ships lacked the ability to fold themselves.  They were transported long distances by other capital ships’ fold bubbles. 

The combat profile of these ships may have been a bit doubtful in their initial configuration.  Essentially they were there to fire Proto-Warhead missiles (instead of loading them on fighters) and to sacrifice themselves to the save the carriers in close combat.  The ship’s turret and small carrier capacity were add-ons.  Against the Hive, these ships were severely underequipped to handle anti-fighter operations.  The turret was questionably modified to fire scattershot and loads of missiles replaced the Proto-Warheads in the magazine.  Any craft getting inside short range though was going to cause trouble.  Their own fighters had to stay close to protect the ship.  

The large numbers of Orcas produced and their utilitarian design led to their use in other functions, such as scientific, reconnaissance, and security pickets.  (Later versions would incorporate a large phase cannon in the nose, which is not detailed here.)  In their transport function, the Orcas were not designed to make combat landings from orbit.  They were simply too slow and bulky in an atmosphere to be anything other than a large target.  These ships would drop payloads only after a landing zone had been completely secured.     

Mecka HP: 1000, Called Shots: Bridge (center top) 30 (there is a secondary bridge near the engines), Engines 100, Hanger 200, Main Turret 40, AA Turret 20, Targeted patch of hull (mecka-sized) 20 

Mecka Armor Class: Base 10 + ½ level in space, Base 10 in atmosphere

Speed: M (VF at max burn.  Can breech orbit, but cannot maneuver or attack), S in atmosphere

Sensors: VL Range Radar (A Mega Wave com and other types of long-range sensors can be added in place of the Delta hanger for the reconnaissance or science models)

Crew: 55 crew

Fighter Capacity: 6 Delta fighters.  They could launch in combat, but could not recover fighters under fire.  They also had a limited re-arming capacity onboard, only one complete missile reload per fighter.

Transport Payload: 10 Battler mode mecka, 100 Typhoon troops, 200 support personnel, or cargo.

Triple Barrel Turret M3d6x10, VL, anti-ship, M3d10, L, anti-fighter scatter shot (can effect up to 3 targets grouped together, each will take full damage on a hit, but will take ½ damage with a DC 12 Pilot Check)

Forward Anti-Fighter Turret M2d10, M

6 Missile Launch Tubes (can be fired simultaneously)

  120 Short Missiles M1d8 (+1/missile volley), S

  72 Medium Missiles M1d10 (+1/missile volley), M

  36 Heavy Missiles M1d12 (+3/missile volley), L

  Or 12 Proto-Warhead Missiles (in place of Heavy and Medium Missiles) M1d4x100 (+100/missile volley), L, these were not typically loaded, except by special order  

Typical NPC Crew Stats

Level: Fifth level pilot and co-pilot, third level weapons officers for each system +2 Int, Dex (There would be at least four pilots on board with a separate captain and exec.  The rest of the crew would be first or second level techs and five security officers in Battler Typhoon armor with Beam Guns.)

MAC: 13 (Base 10 +3 ½ level)

To Hit: +5 (+3 level +2 Dex)

Pilot Check: +4 (+3 ½ level, +1 (+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)

EEF Troopers

The first stats are for a typical first level guard or grunt.  Special Forces types and junior level officers are listed second, consider them at fifth level.

The EEF, trying to improve the survivability of its limited number of troops, created and issued body armor that could absorb M-level damage.  The wearer can still be killed by regular fire, but can take quite a bit of damage. 

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1
6th	+6	+5	+2	+2

Stats:

+1 Str, Con, Dex

+1 Int, Wis, Cha, +2 Str, Con, Dex

Level: 1/5

HP:  11 (d10)/ 40 (d10)

EEF Body Armor MHP 2, this armor will absorb up to 10 hp of regular gunfire damage/rd, anything over that go to the wearer’s hp.  +2 to AC.  While scratched by regular damage, M-Level is permanent.  The armor is ruined if depleted of MHP. 

Armor Class:

14 (Base 10 +1 Dex +1 1/2 level +2 Armor)

17 (Base 10 +2 Dex +3 1/2 level +2 Armor)

Melee to hit:

+2 (+1 level, +1 Str)

+5 (+5 level, +2 Str)

Ranged to hit:

+2 (+1 level, +1 Dex)

+7 (+5 level, +2 Dex)

Saves:

Fort +3, Ref +1, Will 0

Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3

Melee:

HTH Trained 1d2+Str, possible KO on 18 and up attack roll

Shock Wand (for MP’s) DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, 10 charges

Knife 1d6+Str

Ranged:

G3 Personal Weapon System: This was the EEF standard-issue weapon.  It had three modes of fire

Normal Damage Mode, effectively unlimited ammo, S in pistol, M with rifle stock, can fire at L range with stock, but only single shots (sniper)

2d8 single shot

2d8 x 1d2 burst (DC 12 Ref Sv ½ damage)

2d8 x 1d2 spray (+0 to hit), up to 3 adjacent targets (DC 12 Ref Sv ½ damage)

M-Laser Pistol M1, 10 rds/clip

M-Laser Rifle (with rifle stock) M1d2, 15 rds/clip

Grenade 4d6, 10’ area (up to four targets grouped together, each target takes full damage, ½ damage with a DC 12 Ref Sv), S, Grenade Launcher M, 1 shell chamber

Cobalt Grenade M1, S, affects 10’ area, (up to four targets grouped together, each target takes full damage, but can survive with a DC 12 Ref Sv), thrower will need cover or will be in the blast

Note: This overpowered thrown weapon will likely kill any unarmored opponent in the blast radius.  Yes, this is essentially “save or die.”  Those making the saving throw are at 0 hp and knocked unconscious for 1 turn.  Armored opponents making the save will still be knocked out for 1 rd. 

Rocket Launcher M1d6, L, single use (cannot be used at S range without taking full damage)

Cobalt Mine M2d4, can use timer or remote detonator, user needs cover and to be well away from the detonation or will likely be killed in the explosion.

Note: These powerful mines are usually used against a single mecka, a vehicle, or a building.  Moving targets are allowed a DC 12 Pilot Check for ½ damage.  If a vehicle is destroyed by a mine, the occupants are usually killed with it (except for using FP or XP).  A flimsy building will likely be destroyed.  A large or fortified structure will have a large hole blown in it.