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Mechs / Mech Combat

Taking Damage

Source Tech Revolution pg. 114
A mech typically has a combination of Hit Points (HP) and Shield Points (SP) that collectively represent how much damage it can sustain before taking penalties or ceasing to function altogether. When a mech takes damage, the damage is first applied to its Shield Points. If its SP are reduced to 0, its shields become inactive until the beginning of the mech’s next turn; for any excess damage, reduce the damage by the mech’s hardness (if any) and apply the remaining damage to the mech’s Hit Points.
At the start of its turn, a mech regains a number of Shield Points equal to its tier, though its total can’t exceed the mech’s maximum Shield Points.
If a mech is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it is wrecked. A wrecked mech can’t perform actions, including sustaining its altitude or depth if airborne or underwater; such mechs typically fall or sink, taking damage as normal. A wrecked mech’s operators aren’t necessarily in danger, though a mech wrecked in a precarious location could be perilous. A wrecked mech can be repaired (see Repairing Damage on page 115).
If a mech ever takes damage that exceeds twice its Hit Points, it’s destroyed and can’t be repaired.

System Failure

Source Tech Revolution pg. 114
As a mech takes damage, its various components can malfunction or become outright inoperable. Whenever a mech is reduced to two-thirds its remaining Hit Points, and again when it’s reduced to one-third its remaining Hit Points, it experiences system failure. To determine which component is affected, roll 1d20 and consult the table below.
If the component doesn’t currently have a system failure, it gains the malfunctioning condition. If the component already has the malfunctioning condition, it gains the inoperable condition. These conditions are explained below.
Overcoming System Failure: Although system damage is devastating, a mech can temporarily overcome these setbacks. At the beginning of its turn, a mech can either spend 2 PP to ignore the malfunctioning condition for any one component or spend 4 PP to treat one component’s inoperable condition as malfunctioning.
D20Component
1–5Upper Limbs
6–10Lower Limbs
11–13Frame
14–16Auxiliary System
17–18Power Core
19–20Cockpit

Upper Limbs: A mech with malfunctioning upper limbs takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls with weapons mounted in upper-limb slots, as well as to any combat maneuvers that don’t use a mech weapon. A mech with inoperable upper limbs can’t use weapons mounted in upper-limb slots.
Lower Limbs: A mech with malfunctioning lower limbs halves movement speeds not provided by an auxiliary system, and the mech takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls with weapons mounted in lower limb slots. If the lower limbs become inoperable, these speeds are reduced to 0; if the mech is hovering or flying using any of these speeds, it begins falling. A mech with inoperable lower limbs can’t use weapons mounted in its lower-limb slots.
Frame: A mech with a malfunctioning frame takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls with weapons mounted in frame slots, and the mech halves its hardness, if it has any. A mech with an inoperable frame can’t use weapons mounted in frame slots, and the mech’s hardness is reduced to 0.
Auxiliary System: Whenever a mech with malfunctioning auxiliary systems attempts to activate an auxiliary system, there’s a 25% chance that the auxiliary system doesn’t function and can’t be used until the beginning of the mech’s next turn; any action and PP used to activate the auxiliary system are wasted. Any auxiliary systems that provide a constant benefit have a 25% chance of not functioning for 1 round at the beginning of each turn.
Auxiliary systems with the inoperable condition behave as though they had the malfunctioning condition, with two exceptions. First, the chance of failure increases to 50%. Second, upon gaining the inoperable condition, select one auxiliary system at random; that auxiliary system ceases to function.
Power Core: The rate at which a mech with a malfunctioning power core regains lost Shield Points and Power Points is halved. The rate at which a mech with an inoperable power core regains lost Shield Points and Power Points is reduced to 0.
When a mech’s power core first gains the malfunctioning condition and again when it gains the inoperable condition, the mech loses 1d4 PP.
Cockpit: The cockpit is the control center where the operators reside. Cockpit system failure doesn’t directly impede the mech but instead threatens one or more operators.
When the cockpit gains the malfunctioning condition, half of the operators (rounded up) take bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 × the mech’s tier; they can attempt a Reflex saving throw to halve the damage (DC = 15 + half the mech’s tier). When the cockpit gains the inoperable condition, each of the operators takes the bludgeoning damage above (Reflex half). In addition, the operators’ controls become unreliable; the first time each turn that an operator uses a full action to pilot the mech, there’s a 50% chance that the mech doesn’t gain an action. Either effect lasts until the beginning of the mech’s next turn.
Tracking System Failure: The mech sheet on page 165 includes a section for tracking a mech’s systems’ conditions.

Repairing Damage

Source Tech Revolution pg. 115
When a mech combat encounter is over, a mech’s operators can repair damage dealt to their mech, provided it hasn’t been destroyed or lost.
Performing repairs requires stopping the mech, exiting, and working on the mech’s exterior. Any number of allies can use the aid another action to assist with the Engineering checks involved in repairing a mech.
You can remove system failure conditions from a mech component by spending 10 minutes working on the mech and succeeding at an Engineering check. The DC depends on the severity of the condition: DC 20 for malfunctioning and DC 25 for inoperable. If you succeed, you remove that component’s system failure condition, and the component can function as normal.
Restoring a mech’s lost Hit Points is fairly difficult and resource-intensive. You can restore a number of Hit Points equal to twice the mech’s tier by spending 1 hour performing repairs, succeeding at an Engineering check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 times the mech’s tier), and expending 10 UPBs per point of damage to be repaired. If you exceed the check’s DC by 5 or more, you can reduce the repair time by half or the UPB cost by half. If you exceed the check’s DC by 10 or more, you instead reduce the time and cost by half. If you fail the check by 4 or less, you choose either to make no progress or to increase the UPB cost per Hit Point by 5 for that hour’s repairs. If you fail by 5 or more, you make no progress.
Shield Points regenerate out of combat automatically at a rate of 2 per hour.