Sample file Sample file CONrENrs TABLE CF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 RUNNING THE GAME 53 53 Using the Book 5 The BattleTech Universe: Setting the Stage 53 An Uneasy Peace 5 Background and Setting 54 CHARACTERS 9 Creating Campaigns Unit-based Campaign Options 55 Character Design 9 Mission-Based Campaign Options 56 Clan Heritage 9 9 Fleshing Out the Campaign 57 Character Vehicles 57 10 Adversaries Skill Packages 57 11 Subplots Advantages 58 11 Variety Bloodname 58 12 Keeping It on Course Combat Sense 58 12 Character Creation Contact 59 12 Building A Unit DropShip Non-Player Characters 59 Enhanced Imaging (EI) Neural Implant 13 Coping with Change 60 Reputation 13 Environments 60 Well-Connected 13 General Environment 60 Skills 13 Gravity 60 Specializations 13 Atmosphere 62 Skill Descriptions 14 64 THE CLANS 27 64 ARCHETYPES Roleplaying Inner Sphere Archetypes Clan Perspectives 64 Armored Infantry Trooper 27 65 28 Bloodnames DropShip Captain Combat Style 65 Guerrilla Fighter 29 66 30 Trials Marine The Batchall 66 Special Forces Operative 31 66 32 Bidding Tanker Trial of Possession 67 67 Clan Archetypes Trial of Position Crusader Elemental 33 69 34 Trial of Grievance or Honor Duel Crusader MechWarrior Trial of Bloodright 70 35 71 DropShip/JumpShip Pilot Sample file Trial of Refusal 36 71 Merchant Trial of Annihilation 37 72 Scientist Dishonorable Coonduct 38 72 Technician Clan Adventures 39 73 COMBAT 39 CREATURES Personal Combat 73 39 Creating Creatures Additional Attacks 73 39 Creature Attributes Armor-Defeating Hits 74 39 Creature Abilities Burst-Fire Options 75 41 Creatures in Combat Damage Effects 75 41 Multiple Attacks Dive for Cover 75 41 Hit Location Falling Damage 75 41 Flight Tactical Initiative 76 42 Sample Creatures Integrating BattleTech 76 42 Common Beasts Skills 79 42 Crana Game Scale 80 43 Hodson's Flier Sequence of Play 81 44 Megasaur 82 Damage Neopithecanthropus 45 83 Infantry and Battle Armor Trachazoi BattleMech and Vehicle Fire against Characters 46 84 EQUIPMENT Anti-BattleMech Swarm and Leg Attacks 47 84 49 Legality 85 Dual Cockpit 49 The Black Market BattieTech Rules 85 51 Power Packs MechWarrior Rules 51 House Conversions 2 CONrlNrs Medical Equipment 86 Artificial Limbs 86 Myomer Implantation Device (MID) 88 Bionic Ear Replacement 88 Bionic Eye Replacement 88 MediPatch 88 Sedative Patch 88 Armor 89 Using Armor 89 Flak Armor 90 Ablative Armor 91 Ablative/Flak Armor 92 Ballistic Plate Armor 92 Special Armor 92 Neurohelmets 94 Battle Armor 95 Miscellaneous Equipment 101 Noteputer 101 Jump Pack 101 Enhanced Imaging 101 Espionage/Surveillance Gear 103 Security Bypass Kits 103 Neural Interrogation Computer 103 Remote Sensors 103 Explosives 106 Emergency Flare 106 Demolition Kit 106 C8 Blasting Block 106 Pentaglycerine 106 Satchel Charge 106 Anti-Personnel Mine 107 Personal Weapons 107 Ammunition 107 Reload/Recharge Time 107 Melee Weapons Sample107 file Small Arms 108 Support Weapons 110 Personal Gear and Expenses 114 Military Field Rations (MFR) 114 Restaurant Meal 114 Housing 114 Tri-Vid Set 114 Electronic Compass 115 Verigraphs 11 5 Uniforms 115 Clothing/Footwear 115 .,3 . ~/<:,y , Parachute 115 Underwater Operations Gear 115 , , :/~~'" c Climbing Gear 115 :/ Transportation 115 , J _'I)' TABLES 116 , ~!' INDEX 129 ,:!" 3 CR£D'.,S Written by Bryan Nystul Blaine l . Pardoe Additional Material loren Coleman Robert Cruz Phillip J. Deluca Chris Hartford Detief Howe Christopher Hussey Development Bryan Nystul MechWarrior Original Design l. Ross Babcock III Walter H. Hunt Evan Jamieson Richard K. Meyer Kevin Stein Jordan K. Weisman Additional Design and Development Alex Bund Clare W. Hess Dale L. Kemper Jim long Sam lewis Boy F. Petersen Jr. Mike Nystul Geoff Pass Dian e Pi ron-Gel man Anthony Pryor Editorial Staff Editorial Director Donna Ippolito Sample file Managing Editor Sharon Turner Mulvihill Associate Editors Diane Piron-Gelman Robert Cruz Production Staff Art Director Jim Nelson BAlTLETECH® is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. MECHWA RRl OR COM PA NIONTM is a Trademark of FASA Corporation. Cover Art Doug Andersen Copyright © 1995 FASA Corporation. Illustrations Ali Rights Reserved. Jeff Laubenstein Pri nted in the United States of Ameri ca. Ray Lederer John Paul lona Published by Mike Jackson FA SA Corporation Dave MacKay 1 100 W . Cermak Road Ch ris Moeller Sui te B305 Christina Wald Chicago. Ii 60608 Layout Mark Ernst FASA Corporation can be reached on the GEnie computer nel'Nork (E. Mail­ FAS A.5U PPORn on SCORPIA'S Roundtable (page 805) and on A merica Online (E. Production Joel Biske Mail-fASALou (Earthdawn). FASABryan (BartleTech) or FASAMike (Shadowrun and Mark Ernst General Harassment) in the Online Gaming area (Keyword "Gaming') Via InterNet The Green Man use <AOL Account Name>@AObCOM. but please. no list or server subscriptions. Thanks! 4 MECHWARRIOR COMPANION INTRODUCTION The MechWarrior Companion is an expansion rulebook The Equipment section features a wide selection of new for the MechWarrior, Second Edition (MW II) game system. equipment for MechWarrior. It includes rules for eq uipment The Companion contains a wealth of information designed to legality and the black market, as well as clarified rules for the add more detail and excitement to your games. New rules for use of personal armor. The Tables section at the end of the ch aracter creation and combat, new archetypes, cre atu res , book provides game statistic tables for all the equipment and guidelines for playing the Clans and running adventures and weapons introduced in the MechWarrior Companion. cam paigns, and a virtual warehouse full of new equipment- the Gamemasters should thoroughly familiarize themselves MechWarrior Companion gives players more options than with any new rules before incorporating them in MechWarrior ever before. games. Gamemasters may wish to confer with their players The Companion also contains large sections of support before introducing any new rules, equipment, or weapons into material for MechWarrior game masters . These secti ons are their games, but the final decision on incorporating new ele­ designed to help gamemasters meet th e unique challenges of ments should be the gamemaster's alone, an d the players runni ng ro leplaying campaigns in the BattleTech universe. should abide by that decision. The fi nal section in this introduction, An Uneasy Peace, updates the Historical Overview presented in MechWarrior, AN UNEASY PEACE Second Edition to include recent events in the Inner Sphere and provide a synopsis of the present situation. Ever since the Truce of Tukayyid ended the Clan invasion in 3052, a peace of sorts has settled over the Inner Sphere. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK However, the peace of the past six years has been an uneasy one. Clan forces still raid Steiner and Kurita worlds above the To make full use of the material in the MechWarrior truce line, rebellions and civil unrest plague many of the worl ds Companion, you will need a copy of MW II. The MechWarrior in the Clan occupation zones, and internecine warfare contin­ game is designed for use with BattieTech, a game of armored ues to plague both the Inner Sphere powers and the Clans. combat. Gamemasters interested in including BattleMech com­ bat in their games should have a copy of BattleTech, Third THE INNER SPHERE Edition or CityTech, Second Edition as wel l. During the years of the Clan invasion, the Great Houses of The MechWarrior Companion is divided into the following the Inner Sphere set aside their ancient hatreds and territorial secti ons: Characters, Archetypes, Combat, Running the ambitions to unite against their common enemy. With the tem­ Game, The Clans, Creatures, Equipment, and Tables. porary halt of the Clan threat, however, many of those sub­ The Characters section contains inform ation onSample creating mergedfile animosities and ambitions have again reared their ugly new characters and advancing th em through experience. The heads, spawning hostilities throughout the Inner Sphere. The section provides several new skills and advantages, as well as most striking and far-reaching example of this disturbing trend expanded definitions of the skills presented in MW II. is the so-called Chaos March. Archetypes presents a dozen new ready-to-play archetypes. For centuries, the worlds of the March belonged to the The Combat section provides some new options fo r per­ Capell an Confederation and the Free Worlds League. Later, sonal combat in MechWarrior and additi onal instructions for both realms lost countless possessions in the area to the integrati ng MechWarrior and BattieTech games. Federated Commonwealth. Ever since those losses, Liao and Running the Game features more help for the gamemas­ Marik rulers had dreamed of recapturing their lost worlds. ter. This section includes campaign and adventure frameworks, Neither House possessed enough military might to challenge guidelines on using adversaries and subplots to fl esh out cam­ the Federated Commonwealth, however, an d neither consid­ paigns, notes on ke eping yo ur games and campaigns on ered an invasion feasible until several unforeseen events cou rse, an d rules for different environments. Running the occurred that changed the equation. Game also provides numerous suggestions for creating the The first event was the Clan invasion. In addition to numer­ unique atmosphere o ~ the BattleTech universe in your games. ous other repercussions, the invasion prompted Federated The Clans offers insight into Clan culture, describes th e Commonwealth military commanders to transfer troops from the major Clan trials, and provides rules fo r using them in games. Commonwealth's possessions in the Sarna March to the Clan The section also presents a number of adventure possibilities front. The reduced Commonwealth military presence on these for groups of Clan characters. worlds emboldened many critics of the Federated Creatures provides rules for the creation and game use of Commonwealth, as well as Liao sympathizers and sleeper agents animals and extraterrestrial "monsters," and also provides a few planted on these worlds.