Mobile Unit/Vehicle Combat

1. Initiative

1. Save vs. Newtype Initiative is rolled (if applicable)

2. Characters that fail cannot go before any Newtypes with the Newtype Initiative ability

3. Roll Standard Initiative, d20 + Initiative Bonuses, the highest number goes first

2. Fight or Flight

Characters that do not wish to attack this melee must announce this. Those characters cannot attack on their turn but may still move. Those characters only use 1 APM on every 2nd turn.

3. Turn Actions

On their turns each combatant may move and attack. (In any order or at the same time.) Attacking, Dodging, switching hand weapons, and some other actions will cost APM (Actions Per Melee) Every character starts with a base of 4 APM, which can be modified by their combat stats, Mobile Unit stats, or even the Environment they battle is taking place in.

 

To attack you must do so in this order

Note: it requires 1 APM action to switch hand weapons. (You may still move)

 

1. State the target of your attack.

2. State the weapon/attack being used.

3. Make a called shot if desired.

4. State the Newtype power being used if any.

5. Roll d20 and add applicable bonuses.

 

(If making a called shot you must subtract the strike penalty listed by the section you are trying to hit on the targets MDC list.)

 

When defending you can

1. Let the attack hit you

2. Dodge at the cost of 1APM

3. Leap Dodge

4. Roll, taking ½ damage (can not be attempted if the attack is a beam attack or a blade attack)

5. Parry the attack with a limb, taking damage to that limb and you may not use that limb on your next turn. If the limb's MDC is reduced to 0, it is destroyed along with any weapon/equipment that is fixed to it. Hand weapons are not affected.

6. Parry a melee attack with a melee weapon. If you do, damage for both weapons is rolled and the melee weapon that inflicts the lowest damage takes the difference in damage (beam blades do not take any damage). If you parry with a melee weapon, you may not use that weapon on your next turn. You may not attempt to parry ranged attacks with melee weapons.

 

If Hit

1. Defender may attempt roll. If applicable and if not previously attempted.

2. Defender must roll applicable saves (if required).

3. Attacker rolls damage.

 

Taking Damage

1. If the attack was not a called shot, roll percentile on your units MDC table, to determine the section hit.

2. Reduce the MDC of the damaged section by the amount of damage inflicted. If the MDC of that section is reduced to 0 it is considered destroyed.

3. If the MDC of your units main body is reduced to 0 any remaining damage is transferred to your reinforced pilot compartment.

4. If in an MS equipped with a core fighter and the MDC of your units main body reaches 0 then the remaining damage is divided (evenly) between the main body and pilot compartment of the core fighter.

5. If the MDC of the section of the unit you are in reaches 0 you must roll save a VS death.

 

When you run out of APM

1. Your turn is skipped until all other combatants also run out of APM.

2. You may not move, strike or dodge until the next melee.

3. You may still parry (same rule applies), leap dodge, and roll.

4. You may still role saves VS beams, stuns, and wide beams.

4. Armour Types

When, taking damage the damage inflicted by the attacker is reduced by your armour type

1. Super high tensile steel - no damage reduction

2. Titanium - reduce damage by 10

3. Titanium/Ceramic Composite - reduce damage by 15

4. Luna Titanium - reduce damage by 20

5. Weapon Types

1. Beam - damage cannot be reduced by a successful roll.

2. Beam Blade - damage cannot be reduced by a successful roll.

3. Explosive - ½ damage is inflicted to all attached sections of a vehicle or mobile unit. Not including large vehicles (battleships), and Mobile Armours.

4. Melee - all damage done to large vehicles (battleships) and Mobile Armours is doubled.

5. Projectile - no special feature.

6. Weapons Saves

To roll a save you must roll a D20 and add any applicable bonus (usually the one provided, by the mobile unit or vehicle). If you match or beat the value of the weapon, then you do not suffer the bonus effect of the weapon (not including the damage).

Beam Save

If failed the beam destroys the section hit regardless of remaining MDC. The beam then continues on its directed path. Large vehicles (battleships) and Mobile Armours are immune to this and do not need to save when hit. However some sections of large vehicles are vulnerable such as protruding weapons and the main bridge. 

Wide Beam Save

Automatically hits the targets main body unless they make the required save (use the same bonus as used for the beam save.) The target may not attempt to parry, dodge, leap dodge, or roll. The only way to avoid this attack is to pass the save. Should your save total match the value you manage to dodge the attack (saving your main body), but one of your other sections is hit (usually an arm or a leg). The defender may choose witch section was hit. Large vehicles and Mobile Armours do not roll a save and may attempt to dodge, leap dodge, or roll; all of witch are at -2. If hit they take damage to their main body.

Stun Save

If failed the defender cannot move, attack of defend (may still roll saves) until the end of the attackers next turn. If on the attackers next turn the defender makes a successful save or the attacker misses or does not attack with the stunning weapon, the defender is no longer stunned. Does not affect large vehicles (battleships) or Mobile Armours.

Other 

All other weapons that do not have a Beam Value or Stun Value fall into this category. If 80 damage or more is inflicted on the defender’s Mobile Suit, then the suit is knocked of balance/knocked over and must spend it’s next turn regaining its balance/picking themselves up. Large vehicles and Mobile Armours are immune to this effect.

7. Mobile Unit’s Hand Damage

All Mobile Unit hand damage equal to the Mobile Unit’s Physical Strength (PS) –20. Example: If PS = 40 then the Hand Damage would be 20.

8. Distance Modifiers

9. Target Type Modifiers

10. Terrain Modifiers

11. Underwater Combat Rules.

Not all weapons will work under water. If under water you may not use the following type of weapons. (Unless the weapon notes that it can be used under water.)

These weapons may still be used to fire at targets in the water, or to attack targets from just bellow the water surface. Targets that are underwater may only be attacked from out of the water if they are just bellow the water surface.

12. Airborne Combat Rules

If your unit has an airborne time limit them you are only able to remain in the air for that amount of time before you must land. You must then spend 1 full melee on the ground before you may take to the air again. If you did not spend the entire time limit in the air and you land, you will only have to remain on the ground for 1 turn before being able to return to the air. You may not land during the last melee you are allowed to stay airborne and take of after 1 turn, as it still counts as being airborne for that melee.

(Example. You have an airborne time limit of 3 melees and you land on your second turn during the 3 melee. It still counts as being airborne 3 melees.)

If you take to the air part way threw a melee it counts as being airborne for that entire melee.

(Example. You take of on your last turn in a melee, you are now considered to have been airborne for 1 melee.)

13. Pilot / Co-Pilot Combat

When piloting a unit that requires both a pilot and a gunner follow these rules to determine the combat stats.

APM: the average of both the pilot and gunner rounded down.
Strike: use the gunners strike bonus.
Parry: use the pilots parry bonus.
Dodge: use the pilots dodge bonus.
Leap Dodge: use the pilots leap dodge bonus.
Roll: use the pilots roll bonus.

This also applies for any pilot requirements.

When piloting a unit that has both a pilot and co-pilot, you may simply use either the pilot's stat or the co-pilot's stat for each individual combat stat.

14. Common Sense

Remember to take note on where things are in battle. If it is not possible to hit a section of a target from the shooter's position then you can not hit the target. The game master and players must remember to use good reasoning and logic, for any battle.

15. Game Masters Rule

The game master is always in charge and is permitted to bend the rules for plot purposes, in a campaign. He should not bend the rules just to aggravate the players.

16. Have Fun

Like all RPGs the purpose of this game is to have fun.

17. Report In

Since this game is a work in progress, we like to hear how things are working out in your campaigns. Drop us some feedback.

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All Mobile Suit Gundam™ and all related materials are copyright Sunrise Entertainment.

Rifts™ RPG system copyright Palladium Games.