# Playtest
This document provides a streamlined set of rules for running Stars Without Number compatible mech combat scenes.
## For Want Of Fuel
The following sections contain the complete rules for running mech combat in your Stars Without Number game. The design notes below explain the reasoning behind key decisions.
### Key Design Principles
1. **Cognitive Load ≤ D&D B/X**
- One primary number per defensive category
- Minimal tracking requirements
- Clear, concise stat blocks
2. **Free Kriegsspiel > Edge-Case Math**
- Rules focus on intent over mechanics
- GM discretion encouraged
- Quick resolution of edge cases
3. **100% SWN Compatibility**
- 2d6 skill checks
- d20 attack rolls against target AC
4. **All Info at Point-of-Use**
- Tags and special rules in weapon/fit lines
- No global lookup tables
- Self-contained stat blocks
Core Loop & Dice Basics
Basic Resolution
Attack Roll: d20 + hit bonus vs. target’s AC
Damage Roll: Roll weapon dice, subtract target’s DR (if applicable)
Movement: Frames move in meters (m) per round
Actions: Each frame gets 1 Main Action, 1 Move Action and 1 Reaction per round
Combat Round Structure
Initiative: All participants roll d8 + Frame Speed
Turns: Each participant takes their turn in initiative order
Action Types
Main Actions
Attack with a weapon
Use a system that requires a Main Action
Take a special action (Grapple, Brace, etc.)
Move Action
Move up to your frames speed
Reactions
Trigger a Held Action
Use a fitting
Attacks of Opportunity
Damage & Armor Model
The PEX (Physical, Energy, Exotic) damage model creates distinct tactical choices in combat.
Damage Types
Physical (P): Standard physical damage (bullets, missiles, etc.)
Energy (E): Laser, plasma, and other energy weapons
Exotic (X): Strange or unusual damage types
Armor and Protection
Damage Reduction (DR)
Listed as a single number (e.g., DR 3)
Base DR applies to all damage types
Fittings may provide bonus DR vs. specific types
Infantry and Mech Scale
Infantry deals only half damage against mechs, and mechs deal double damage against infantry.
Narrative Themes
The Reward of Blood
Violence brings safety, heat, respect and even divinity.
The further you go from civilisation the more violence becomes a currency.
Mercy is Sin
Attempts at redemption lead only to death or corruption.
What you spare today will return tomorrow, twisted into something worse.
The Land is God
Everything pales in comparison to the land itself. Your mech is large, the mountains are titanic. You cannot outdo the land, ever.
The further you journey, the more time and space become unmoored from reality.
Oases are always contested, never safe havens.
Scars of the Long Night
The land bears eternal scars from the last war, with apocalyptic fires of the Scream frozen and preserved in ice.
Your deeds carve scriptures into the dirt, testimonies that outlast flesh.
Aesthetics
The sky bled and bled and the night did not come.
They fought and died and none sang for them.
ON TRAVEL
For three days they rode the glacier fields in silence, the snow crust splitting beneath their weight. The sun never rose proper. It circled low and sour in the east like a judgement half-sworn. They came upon bones swept clean by the wind. No beast or carrion bird in sight. Only the cold.
ON FACTIONS
The men of the Sultanate bore iron-standard spears and spoke in parables even as they killed. They lit fires from the fat of the dead and prayed with rifles slung across their shoulders. The Republic soldiers wore mirrored goggles and did not speak at all. They bled oil when cut.
ON LANDSCAPE
They crossed the scar of the crater where once land had ruptured upward and frozen in the act, as if in violence it had sought some last articulation of grace. The wind blew ice through the ravine like filings through magnet and the sky above was the white of old scars.
Mechanics
Sortie
After a Sortie
What You Bring Back
Every mission, sortie or expedition earns you something.
Fuel
Title
Description
0
Blood for Nothing
The mission failed. You lost ground, gear or people.
2
The Land is Not Yet Satisfied
Minor success. A cost was paid. Maybe too much.
4
The Fire Burns
Moderate success. Some control gained, some resources secured.
6
Something Dead Gave Way
Strong success. You left a mark. Something ancient stirred.
8
The Earth Remembers
Major success. The land and people echo your name.
“The fire dies when the blood runs dry. The land takes what it is owed.”
You must pay tribute to the land to maintain your mech and yourselves. Pay 1 Cred per Tier +1.
This is not about money or glory. This is about staying alive long enough to kill again.
Downtime
You get two downtime actions.
Stoke the Furnace
Spend fuel to refuel your frame or body.
Spend one fuel
Recover all your HP or recover all your mechs HP.
The warmest fire comes from things that once moved.
Work the Bone
Repair your mech, mend your gear, or rebuild your limbs.
Roll +Tech or +Heal: 10 = full restore, 7-9 = patch job, 6+ = costly mishap
On a 12+, you may also add a makeshift mod (unstable, one-use)
Steel is only honest when it breaks.
Cut a Deal
Leverage favors, guilt, barter, or flesh to get what you need.
Choose: gain black-market salvage, medica supplies, intel, safe passage or anything
GM sets cost: reputation, fuel, blood
If you fail to pay later, all who helped you will know
Nothing is ever given. Everything taken must be paid.
Burn the Map
Scout unknown terrain or send rumors into the wastes.
Learn about a new point on the map
Ask 1 question about faction movements, convoy paths, hidden threats
Mark 1 Stress—news is costly.
The land speaks in wind and ash and silence. Listen or die.
Try To Help
Fixes a local problem but failure creates a bigger one.
Walk Among Them
Try to connect with civilians on human terms.
Roll Culture
10+: Build genuine connection, reduce Dependency, gain local ally
7-9: Awkward but meaningful interaction, learn something important
6-: Your presence intimidates or alienates, increase Fear
Send Word
Try to maintain connections to distant places/people.
Costly and often brings bad news.
Provides intel and emotional anchoring.
Report In
Deal with Authorities.
They make demands, but you gain favor.
Ignoring them has consequences, but obeying them often conflicts with local needs
Wager the Self
Choose one ritual below. Roll 2d6 (optionally modified by a stat like Resolve or Guts).
On a 10: Clear 6 stress.
On a 7-9 Clear 4 stress.
On a 2-6: Clear 2 stress and suffer a mark (complication, trauma, or omen).
Brand the Beast – Scar your mount, mech, or bonded creature. Whisper your name into the wound. Speak the Names – Recite the names of the dead. Carve them into your mech or flesh. Lay Down the Mask – Confess to someone or something that cannot or will not answer. Burn the Mercy – Destroy something you spared: a prisoner, a memory, a relic. Read the Ice – Pilgrimage to a frozen place. Ask the land a question. Accept the answer. Feast in Silence – Eat something you shouldn’t. Do not speak. Work the Bone – Carve a token from bone or ruin. Name it after someone you failed. Leave it. Stand the Night – Go out into the frost naked, unarmed. Return if you can.
You must pay something to feel nothing.
Bury the Dead
Mourn the lost, name them, or feed them to the cold.
Clear 2 stress
Gain a temporary Blessing or Curse, GM’s choice
If you fail to bury the dead, they may return
There are no ghosts here. Only witnesses.
Forget What You Were
Alter your path. Change your code. Take on a new scar.
Choose a new Role-specific XP trigger
Gain a Scar. Physical or Mental.
Clear your Stress
This world has no place for who you used to be.
The Reward Of Blood
Award 1 XP per line fulfilled at the end of each session. Players should justify briefly. GM has final call.
Mercy Breaks You
If you showed mercy and things became worse because of it, gain XP. Blood Honors You
If you killed a named foe or many innocents, gain XP. Hunger Commands You
If you diminished yourself for fuel, warmth, or survival, gain XP. God Rides the Horizon
If you witnessed, provoked, or embodied something sublime and brutal, gain XP.
Scars of the Long Night
Every Sortie comes with a scar. Either roll or choose one. These shape worldbuilding, add flavor, and weight to your violence.
d6
Scar
1
The land changed. Ice melted or a crater filled. A map must be updated.
2
A mech component gained a quirk. It weeps coolant or hums psalms.
3
The battlefield ground is permanently stained with oil and blood. Animals avoid it.
4
A canyon echoes with the screams of the fallen.
5
The squad’s mechs now leave scorched footprints in the ice.
6
Blood has frozen on your mech. It wont come off.
Frame Catalog
A comprehensive catalog of available mech frames and their specifications.
Frame Classes
Note: Pilots of suit‑class mechs may choose to take an attack's damage on their own HP. Suit‑class armor does not apply against Heavy‑class weapons. Light/Heavy mechs ignore non‑Heavy attacks.
Light Frames
Medium Frames
Heavy Frames
Suit Frames
Frame Weapons
Complete list of available weapons for frame customization.
Weapon Categories
Melee Weapons
Name
Range
Damage
Type
Tags
Special
HP
Ranged Weapons
Name
Range
Damage
Type
Tags
Special
HP
System Weapons
Name
Range
Damage
Type
Tags
Special
HP
Frame Fittings
Complete list of available fittings for frame customization and enhancement.
Fitting Categories
Combat Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Tactical Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Mobility Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Systems Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Utility Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
General Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Drone Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Core Bonus Fittings
Name
Effect
SP
Standard Template Mechs
Mechs
GMS Everest Assault Pattern
Light Frame
Hull
GMS Everest
Speed
4
Armor
1
HP
40+4
AC
14
Hard Points
5/6
System Points
6/6
Weapons
Assault Rifle
Range10Damage1d12 P
[[tag:shock 4]]
Missile Rack
Range10Damage1d6+2 P
[[tag:blast 1]] [[tag:loading]]
Chain Axe
RangeMeleeDamage1d12 P
[[tag:shock 4]]
Fittings
Personalizations
+4 HP, cosmetic customization
Custom Paint Job
When you are reduced to 0 HP, roll a d6. On a 6, you are only reduced to 1 HP.
Smoke Charges
Deploy a cloud of dense smoke in a 2-range radius up to range 5. The smoke blocks line of sight and provides [[tag:soft_cover]] to anyone inside it. Lasts for 2 rounds. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].
HE Charges
Deploy a high explosive charge at a location within range 5. The charge detonates dealing 2d6 P damage in a 1-range radius. Targets must save vs [[tag:evasion]] to take half. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].
You can fly while moving, however you start falling when you stop or the end of your turn. [[tag:jump]]
Smoke Charges
Deploy a cloud of dense smoke in a 2-range radius up to range 5. The smoke blocks line of sight and provides [[tag:soft_cover]] to anyone inside it. Lasts for 2 rounds. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].
Deployable Cover
Deploy a 2 hardened barriers (Size 1). The barrier provides [[tag:hard_cover]] and has 10 HP.
An integrated NHP that assists you and can follow basic instructs when operating the mech independantly. [[tag:tech]]
Flight System
You can fly. You take Class+1 HP damage each turn when flying. [[tag:flight]]
Personalizations
+4 HP, cosmetic customization
Manipulators
Advanced articulated hands that can perform delicate operations. You can interact with objects designed for human use and make fine manipulations that would normally be impossible for a mech.
Deploy a turret drone within range 10 that attacks deals +6 damage to any target you hit within the drones range of 10. The drone has 5 HP, AC 12. [[tag:tech]]
Ammo Feeder
Once per scene, you can reload a [[tag:loading]] weapon as a [[tag:quick]] action.
Stabilizers
You can fire [[tag:brace]] weapons and move, but take -2 to Hit.
Mech Builder
Frame Selection
Weapons 0/0 HP
Fittings 0/0 SP
Mech Card
SELECT A FRAME
Speed
-
Armor
-
HP
-
AC
-
Special Ability
-
Weapons
Fittings
Saved Mechs
Import Mech
Save Mech
# Settlement Profile
## Core Questions
- What do they need that violence can provide? (bandits, beasts, territorial disputes)
- What do they need that violence cannot? (medicine, food, trade routes, leadership)
- What do they fear about you? (your reputation, your power, your unpredictability)
- What do they offer? (fuel, shelter, information, connection)
## Settlement Size & Character
| d6 | Size | Population | Character |
|----|------|------------|-----------|
| 1 | Waystation | 20-50 | Desperate traders, last-chance fuel depot |
| 2 | Homestead | 50-100 | Isolated families, suspicious of outsiders |
| 3 | Mining Camp | 100-200 | Rough workers, temporary but lucrative |
| 4 | Trading Post | 200-500 | Crossroads culture, news and gossip |
| 5 | Township | 500-1000 | Established hierarchy, competing factions |
| 6 | Regional Hub | 1000+ | Multiple settlements' lifeline, political complexity |
{: .mechanics-table}
## Settlement Mood (Roll 2d6)
| Result | Mood | Reception | Complications |
|--------|------|-----------|---------------|
| 2- | Terrified | Hide indoors, whisper prayers | Children cry when they see you |
| 3-4 | Wary | Polite but distant | Overcharge for everything |
| 5-6 | Neutral | Business-like transactions | Standard prices and treatment |
| 7-8 | Welcoming | Genuine hospitality | Expect you to solve their problems |
| 9+ | Reverent | See you as savior/hero | Create unrealistic expectations |
{: .mechanics-table}
## Settlement Relationship Track
| Status | Description | Implications |
|--------|-------------|--------------|
| Fear | They comply but plot against you | Inflated prices, false information, potential betrayal |
| Wariness | They deal with you but keep distance | Limited services, guarded interactions |
| Neutral | Standard business relationship | Fair trades, basic hospitality |
| Trust | They share information and ask for help | Better prices, insider knowledge |
| Dependence | They expect you to solve everything | Constant demands, emotional manipulation |
{: .mechanics-table}
> *"The more they need you, the more they'll hate you for it."*
## Settlement Problems
Roll 2d6 when arriving at a settlement to determine their immediate crisis:
| Roll | Problem | Violence as Solution? | Alternative Need |
|------|---------|---------------------|------------------|
| 2 | Plague outbreak | No - makes it worse | Medical knowledge |
| 3 | Food shortage | Partially - raid others | Trade negotiation |
| 4 | Missing persons | Maybe - if kidnapped | Investigation skills |
| 5 | Mechanical breakdown | No - too delicate | Technical expertise |
| 6 | Religious conflict | No - creates martyrs | Mediation |
| 7 | Bandit raids | Yes - classic mech job | - |
| 8 | Wild beasts | Yes - hunt them down | - |
| 9 | Corrupt officials | Partially - creates vacuum | Political solution |
| 10 | Infrastructure collapse | No - mechs too clumsy | Engineering |
| 11 | Trade dispute | No - both sides valid | Negotiation |
| 12 | Territorial conflict | Yes - but at what cost? | Diplomacy |
{: .mechanics-table}
> *"Not every problem can be solved with a mech. But the ones that can..."*
# Travel
> *The land stretches beyond reason. Ice and stone and silence that swallows mechs whole. You are small here. Your machine is small. Only the cold is infinite.*
## The Hard Truth of Distance
Mechs are gods of war, not gods of travel. They consume fuel like fire consumes air, break down in conditions that wouldn't slow a person on foot, and need supply chains that stretch across a continent of ice.
Between settlements lie days or weeks of frozen waste. No mech travels alone and survives. No pilot crosses the deep ice without paying the land its due.
## Before You Travel
### Supply Requirements
Every leg of the journey demands payment:
- **1 Fuel** for base consumption
- **Supplies** for crew and yourself
- **Spare parts** for inevitable breakdowns
### Travel Preparations
Choose your support:
**Solo Travel** (Desperate or Foolish)
- +1 Fuel consumption
- Automatically face all travel complications alone
- No backup when things go wrong
> *"Pride goeth before the fall, and the ice remembers fools."*
**Convoy Travel** (Standard for any smart pilot)
- Supply trucks, crew, guides
- Shared resources and expertise
- Social complications and obligations
- Roll for Convoy Dynamics each journey
**Authority Escort** (Safest but Costly)
- Official supply lines and support
- Navigation handled by authority bureaucrats
- Political complications and oversight
- May be conscripted for Authority business
## The Travel Roll
### Known Routes
Roll once for the entire journey between settlements.
**Choose Your Navigation:**
**Hire Local Guide**
- Cost: Negotiable (favors, fuel, violence)
- Roll 2d6 (guides minimize risk and variance)
- Guides always count as having rolled at least a partial success
**Follow Authority Roads**
- Cost: Papers, permits, tariffs
- Automatic navigation success
- Roll for Authority Complications instead
**Navigate Yourself**
- Roll 2d6+Navigation or +Survival
- Higher variance, more complications
- Complete independence
### Unknown Territory
When venturing into unmapped regions, break travel into legs. Each day or major terrain feature requires its own roll and complications.
## Travel Results
### Navigation Success (10+)
- Arrive on schedule without major incident
- Learn something valuable about the route
- Choose: reduce fuel consumption by 1 OR gain useful intel
### Partial Success (7-9)
You reach your destination but choose one:
- **Delayed**: Arrive late, consuming extra fuel
- **Costly**: Face a complication that demands resources or favors
- **Exposed**: Something follows you or learns of your business
### Travel Crisis (6-)
The land claims its due. Choose two:
- Lost: Add days to your journey, consuming extra fuel
- Breakdown: Mech suffers damage requiring repairs
- Encounter: Face a threat that may require a sortie
- Separated: If traveling with others, someone goes missing
- Storm-Bound: Weather forces dangerous shelter choices
## Seasonal Travel
### Frost (The Long Dark)
>*Most of the year. The ice roads are open but unforgiving.*
**Advantages:**
- Frozen rivers become highways
- Clear sight lines across the ice fields
- Avalanche zones are predictable
**Hazards:**
- Limited daylight for navigation
- Equipment failures in extreme cold
- Settlements may be sealed against winter
**Travel Modifier:** +0 to navigation, +1 fuel consumption
### Thaw (The Breaking)
>*Dangerous transition between seasons. The ice remembers nothing.*
**Advantages:**
- Some blocked routes open up
- Desperate people offer better deals
**Hazards:**
- Routes change daily as ice breaks
- Flash floods and mudslides
- Equipment failures from temperature swings
**Travel Modifier:** -2 to navigation, routes may become impassable mid-journey
### Bloom (The Brief Summer)
>*Short growing season. Everyone moves while they can.*
**Advantages:**
- Best traveling weather
- All routes accessible
- Maximum trade opportunities
**Hazards:**
- Crowded routes and competition
- Higher prices for everything
- Time pressure before next Frost
**Travel Modifier:** +1 to navigation, normal fuel consumption
## Convoy Dynamics
When traveling with others, roll for relationship complications:
| 2d6 | Convoy Complication |
|-----|---------------------|
| 2-3 | **Mutiny**: Crew questions your leadership or route |
| 4-5 | **Breakdown**: Critical supply vehicle needs repairs |
| 6-8 | **Politics**: Someone has conflicting goals or loyalties |
| 9-10| **Discovery**: Find something valuable but contested |
| 11-12| **Revelation**: Learn important information about your destination |
{: .mechanics-table}
### Authority Route Complications
When using official roads, roll for bureaucratic entanglements:
| 2d6 | Authority Complication |
|-----|------------------------|
| 2-3 | **Conscription**: Required to handle local Authority business |
| 4-5 | **Inspection**: Cargo searched, papers questioned, delays |
| 6-8 | **Tolls**: Unexpected fees, taxes, or "donations" required |
| 9-10| **Intelligence**: Authorities want information about your business |
| 11-12| **Escort**: Assigned unwanted official escort or observer |
{: .mechanics-table}
## Local Guide Relationships
Guides reduce travel risk but come with their own complications:
### Guide Motivations
- **Homeward**: Needs to reach family or clan territory
- **Trade**: Building relationships for future business
- **Political**: Advancing local faction interests
- **Spiritual**: Following traditional or sacred routes
- **Fugitive**: Avoiding someone or something
- **Curious**: Wants to know what you're really doing
### Working with Guides
- Guides know seasonal variations and hidden paths
- Can negotiate with locals you'd never reach
- May take routes that serve their purposes, not yours
- Always know more than they're telling you
- Judge you by standards you don't understand
> *"The land speaks to those who listen. Outsiders hear only wind."*
## Travel Hazards
### Environmental
- **Ice Storms**: Visibility drops to zero, equipment icing
- **Avalanche Zones**: Unstable terrain, sound discipline required
- **Crevasse Fields**: Hidden chasms that can swallow mechs
- **Temperature Extremes**: Systems failure, hypothermia risk
### Human
- **Bandits**: Desperate people with improvised weapons
- **Territorial Disputes**: Caught between competing claims
- **Refugees**: Fleeing disaster, may be pursued by threats
- **Authority Patrols**: Questions, searches, potential conscription
### Mechanical
- **Fuel Line Freeze**: Common in extreme cold
- **Gyro Drift**: Navigation systems fail in magnetic anomalies
- **Joint Seizure**: Hydraulics lock up, requires field repair
- **Sensor Ghost**: Equipment malfunctions create false readings
## When Travel Becomes a Sortie
Sometimes the journey becomes the mission:
- Convoy under sustained attack
- Major mechanical failure in hostile territory
- Discovered something that changes everything
- Weather forces shelter in a dangerous location
- Authority forces attempt to detain or conscript you
> *"The ice cares nothing for your schedule. The land takes what it is owed."*
Tag Glossary
Tags modify how weapons and systems function, creating unique tactical options.
Weapon Tags
Combat Tags
AP (Armor Piercing)
This weapon ignores the target's Armor rating when calculating damage. This makes it particularly effective against heavily armored targets.
Example: A weapon with AP will deal full damage even if the target has high Armor
Accurate
This weapon is particularly precise and well-balanced, granting a +2 bonus to hit when making attack rolls.
Example: A weapon with Accurate makes it easier to hit targets
Brace
This weapon requires a stable firing position. You cannot move and fire this weapon in the same turn.
Example: Brace weapons require careful positioning for optimal use.
Inaccurate
This weapon is difficult to aim precisely, imposing a -2 penalty to hit when making attack rolls.
Example: Inaccurate weapons are harder to hit with but often make up for it in other ways
Loading
This weapon requires an Action to reload after firing. You cannot fire it again until it has been reloaded.
Example: Loading weapons require careful management of your actions
Overkill
When rolling damage for this weapon, if you roll the maximum value on any die, you may reroll that die and add the new result to the total damage.
Example: Overkill weapons can deal massive damage on lucky rolls
Reach
This melee weapon can attack targets up to the specified range away. The number after Reach indicates the maximum range in range units.
Example: Reach 3 means the weapon can hit targets up to 3 range units away
Shock
This weapon deals damage even on a miss. The number after Shock indicates how much damage the target takes even if the attack misses. Additionally, Shock X sets the minimum damage of the weapon equal to the Shock value.
Example: Shock 4 means the target takes 4 damage even if you miss, and successful hits deal at least 4 damage
Smart
This weapon has advanced targeting systems that automatically hit the target. The target must make a save vs Tech to take only half damage.
Example: Smart weapons always hit their target, though targets may reduce damage with a successful save
Suppressive
This weapon can be fired to suppress a cone-shaped area starting from the weapon's location. You automatically hit all targets that are not in cover, dealing half damage. Targets can save vs Evasion to take no damage. Half cover grants +4 to the save.
Example: Suppressive weapons automatically hit exposed targets and force enemies to take cover
Threat
This weapon can be used to make attacks of opportunity against targets that move within its range, or leave it. The number after Threat indicates the range in range units.
Example: Threat 3 means the weapon can make an attack of opportunity against targets up to 3 range units away
Vigil
Once per turn, you can immediately attack a hostile that attacked an ally within your weapon's range.
Example: Vigil weapons allow you to protect your allies
Area Effect Tags
Blast
This weapon deals damage in an area. The number after Blast indicates the radius in range units. Blast weapons always attack AC 10. All targets in the area must save vs Evasion for half damage. If you miss your attack roll, the blast lands in a random direction d6 range units from the target.
Example: Blast 2 means the explosion affects all targets within a 2 range unit radius from the point of impact, forcing them to save vs Evasion for half damage
Cone
This weapon creates a cone-shaped area of effect, affecting all targets within the cone's area.
Example: Cone weapons are excellent for hitting multiple targets in a specific direction
Arcing
This weapon does not require line of sight to its target, allowing it to hit targets behind cover or around corners. Cover bonuses still apply.
Example: Arcing weapons can hit targets that would normally be protected by cover
Special Effect Tags
Burn
This weapon sets targets on fire. On a hit, the target takes ongoing burn damage at the start of their turn. At the end of their turn, they must make a save or the effect continues. Alternatively, they can use an action to end the burning effect.
Example: Burn weapons deal damage over time until the target saves or uses an action to extinguish the flames
Hex
When this weapon hits, the target must make a save vs Tech. On a failure, they become hexxed and suffer a -4 penalty on their next attack.
Example: Hex weapons can significantly reduce enemy effectiveness
Limited
This weapon can only be used a certain number of times before restocking it. The number after Limited indicates how many uses remain.
Example: Limited 3 means the weapon can be used three times before needing to be restocked
Overheat
When this weapon is fired, the user takes damage equal to the overheat value. This represents the strain on the mech's systems.
Example: Overheat 2 means the mech takes 2 HP damage when firing
Fitting Tags
Combat Tags
Quick
This fitting can be used as a free action, allowing you to use it without spending your main action.
Example: Quick fittings are excellent for tactical flexibility
Limited
This fitting can only be used a certain number of times per scene. The number after Limited indicates how many uses remain.
Example: Limited 3 means the fitting can be used three times per scene
Movement Tags
Flight
This fitting allows the mech to fly. While flying, the mech can move in any direction and ignore terrain obstacles.
Example: Flight fittings provide excellent mobility
Jump
This fitting allows the mech to make jumping or limited flying movements, with specific limitations on duration or height.
Example: Jump fittings provide tactical mobility options
Support Tags
Hard Cover
This fitting provides hard cover to adjacent allies, giving them a significant defensive bonus.
Example: Hard Cover fittings are excellent for protecting allies
Soft Cover
This fitting provides soft cover to allies within its area of effect, giving them a moderate defensive bonus.
Example: Soft Cover fittings can protect multiple allies
Immunity
This fitting makes the mech immune to all damage types, providing complete protection against attacks.
Example: Immunity fittings provide ultimate protection
Size
This fitting affects the mech's size. The number after Size indicates how many spaces the mech takes up.
Example: Size 2 means the mech takes up two spaces
System Tags
Tech
This system requires targets to make a save vs Tech to resist its effects.
Example: Tech systems are particularly effective against electronic systems
Physical
This system requires targets to make a save vs Physical to resist its effects.
Example: Physical systems affect the target's physical capabilities
Evasion
This system requires targets to make a save vs Evasion to resist its effects.
Example: Evasion systems test the target's ability to dodge or avoid effects
Mental
This system requires targets to make a save vs Mental to resist its effects.
Example: Mental systems affect the target's mental state or willpower
# Media Inspiration
## Soundtrack
## Literature
* **The Book of the New Sun** by Gene Wolfe
* The feeling of ancient, forgotten technology
* The weight of history and myth
* The relationship between violence and divinity
* **Dune** by Frank Herbert
* The importance of resources (fuel, water)
* The relationship between people and their machines
* The weight of prophecy and destiny
* **The Road** by Cormac McCarthy
* The stark beauty of a ruined world
* The constant struggle for survival
* The thin line between humanity and brutality
## Film & Television
* **Mad Max: Fury Road**
* The importance of vehicles and fuel
* The visual language of war machines
* The relationship between people and their machines
* **Blade Runner 2049**
* The weight of history and memory
* The relationship between humans and machines
* The visual language of ruins and relics
* **The Expanse**
* The importance of resources and territory
* The relationship between people and their machines
* The weight of history and politics
## Games
* **Lancer**
* The relationship between pilots and their mechs
* The importance of customization and specialization
* The weight of history and politics
* **Into the Breach**
* The importance of positioning and terrain
* The relationship between pilots and their machines
* The weight of sacrifice and loss
* **Frostpunk**
* The importance of resources and survival
* The relationship between people and their machines
* The weight of history and politics