Whether it's for nostalgia or novelty, Wednesdays are the days that I put up old Battletech house rules I created nigh on 10 years ago. For those of you who aren't familiar with the (in)famous, addictive board game of armored combat, I'll add some context, but know that you should abandon all non-courier fonts, ye who enter here.
Multi- and Omni- Directional Ammunition Explosions
The Problem
This is a house rule I have and never use. I offer it untested to folks on the chance they might like it, run with it, and make it their own.
Every so often the ammunition inside of a 'mech explodes. Sometimes it takes a critical hit and sometimes the 'mech just runs too hot. Regardless, the ammunition does damage to the internal structure of the 'mech and, as the system is currently written, makes a beeline straight for its incredibly important center torso location.
A 'mech with a destroyed center torso stops being a unit. Ammunition explosions are often such an instant kill that the peripheral rules about pilot damage are often that: peripheral. Also, the unit can't be salvaged; you just tear the gear off of it and slam it into another unit. With the center torso, you can patch it up and add a 'mech to your forces.
The Proposal
Instead of dealing Damage per Shot * Shots Remaining damage that tears through every location between the offending bin and the center torso, each section that's got an ammo explosion will spread the explosion to all adjacent locations.
To that end, Multidirectional and Omnidirectional Ammunition Explosion rules allocate damage from ammunition explosions equally between the adjacent sections (and in the case of Omnidirectional Rules, between adjacent sections and armor).
Multidirectional Ammo Exposions
Damage from ammunition explosions is first allocated to the internal structure of the location where the ammunition explosion occurred. Excess damage is divided equally between adjacent sections according to the tables below.
Original damage is allocated by the Original Damage Spread Table with subsequent sections allocated according to the Secondary Damage Spread Table. Ammunition explosion damage is never redirected to a location which has already experienced an ammunition explosion.
Arm All ST
Leg All ST
Side Torso 1/3* Arm, Leg, Torso
Center Torso 1/3* Right Torso, Left Torso, Head
Head All Center Torso
Arm If Arm is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
Leg If Leg is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
Side Torso 1/2* Arm, Leg, Center Torso
Center Torso 1/2* Right Torso, Left Torso, Head
Head If Head is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
*Round up fractions.
ST is the corresponding side torso for a location. Arms and legs are the locations corresponding to the same side torso.
Omnidirectional Ammo Exposions
Damage from ammunition explosions is first allocated to the location where the ammunition explosion occurred. Excess damage is divided equally between adjacent sections and armor according to the table below.
Original damage is allocated by the Original Damage Spread Table with subsequent sections allocated according to the Secondary Damage Spread Table. Ammunition explosion damage is never redirected to a location which has already experienced an ammunition explosion.
Original Damage Dispersal Table
Arm 1/2* Armor, ST
Leg 1/2* Armor, ST
ST 1/5* Armor, Armor(R), Arm, Leg, CT
CT 1/5* Armor, Armor(R), RT, LT, HD
HD 1/2* Armor, CT
Arm All Armor
Leg All Armor
ST 1/4* Armor, Armor(R), Arm, Leg, CT
CT 1/4* Armor, Armor(R), RT, LT, HD
HD All Armor
Armor If Armor is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is ignored. ST is the applicable ST for an Arm or Leg.
Example:
A Mars battlemech who has already fired off two shots from its SSRM 4 takes a Large Pulse Laser shot to the rear right torso, which punches through the armor and does a single point of internal structure damage. The 'mech takes the damage and its controlling player rolls a critical hit on his SSRM 4 ammo. The ammunition explodes for 184 damage (4 * 2 * 23) . 14 of that damage eliminates the internal structure of the Mars' right torso. That torso is completely destroyed and nothing of it may be salvaged (save possibly armor. Oh wait.).
According to the Omnidirectional Ammunition Explosion rules, the remaining 170 damage is divided amongst the right torso front armor, right torso rear armor, center torso internal structure, right arm internal structure, and right leg internal structure. Dividing 170 by 5, we get 34 damage to each location.
34 damage to the front armor of 22 leaves 12 damage behind. Damage from armor does not transfer and is lost.
34 damage to the rear armor does nothing it was destroyed in the laser hit. Damage transfers to the armor, and immediately transferred off, and is lost.
34 damage to the 10 points of right arm internal structure. 24 remaining damage is transferred to the right arm armor. Because the internal structure of the right arm was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged.
24 damage destroys the 20 points of armor on the right arm. The excess 4 damage is lost.
34 damage to the 15 points of internal structure on the right leg. The 19 remaining damage is transferred to the right leg armor. Because the internal structure of the right leg was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged.
19 damage puts a dent into the 30 points of leg armor the Mars had. The armor can be salvaged.
34 damage to the center torso. The center torso's 21 points of internal structure knock the damage total down to 13 remaining damage, which is divided between the left side torso, head, and front and rear armor locations. Because the internal structure of the center torso was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged (unlike standard rules, everything else will be fine unless its directly vaporized the hot, devouring explosion).
13 damage divided by four gives each location a base of 3 damage, which rounds up to 4.
4 damage is allocated to the internal structure of the left torso(not destroying it, but causing a possible critical hit).
4 damage is allocated to the center torso rear armor(leaving only 7 points).
4 points are allocated to the front center torso armor(leaving 28 points).
4 is allocated to the internal structure of the head (destroying it and rendering the equipment [and pilot] inside of it unsalvageable. The armor takes a single point of damage).
Okay, so maybe that didn't make much difference. Actually, it makes things worse because any ammunition explosion sufficient to still destroy a 'mech's center torso will probably kill the pilot in there too.
Y'know, now that I think about it, a 65-ton 'mech has 104 structure points total. Even with the Multidirectional rule, a few hundred points of ammunition explosion can scour the internal structure of a 'mech. It's worse for salvage and worse for survivability.
*shrug*
Enjoy.
Multidirectional Ammo Exposions
Damage from ammunition explosions is first allocated to the internal structure of the location where the ammunition explosion occurred. Excess damage is divided equally between adjacent sections according to the tables below.
Original damage is allocated by the Original Damage Spread Table with subsequent sections allocated according to the Secondary Damage Spread Table. Ammunition explosion damage is never redirected to a location which has already experienced an ammunition explosion.
Original Damage Spread Table
Hit Section Damage Affected SectionsArm All ST
Leg All ST
Side Torso 1/3* Arm, Leg, Torso
Center Torso 1/3* Right Torso, Left Torso, Head
Head All Center Torso
Secondary Damage Spread Table
Hit Section Damage Affected SectionsArm If Arm is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
Leg If Leg is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
Side Torso 1/2* Arm, Leg, Center Torso
Center Torso 1/2* Right Torso, Left Torso, Head
Head If Head is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is dealt
to the armor of that location. Any remainder is ignored.
*Round up fractions.
ST is the corresponding side torso for a location. Arms and legs are the locations corresponding to the same side torso.
Omnidirectional Ammo Exposions
Damage from ammunition explosions is first allocated to the location where the ammunition explosion occurred. Excess damage is divided equally between adjacent sections and armor according to the table below.
Original damage is allocated by the Original Damage Spread Table with subsequent sections allocated according to the Secondary Damage Spread Table. Ammunition explosion damage is never redirected to a location which has already experienced an ammunition explosion.
Original Damage Dispersal Table
Hit Section Damage Affected Sections
Arm 1/2* Armor, ST
Leg 1/2* Armor, ST
ST 1/5* Armor, Armor(R), Arm, Leg, CT
CT 1/5* Armor, Armor(R), RT, LT, HD
HD 1/2* Armor, CT
Secondary Damage Dispersal Table
Hit Section Damage Affected Sections
Arm All Armor
Leg All Armor
ST 1/4* Armor, Armor(R), Arm, Leg, CT
CT 1/4* Armor, Armor(R), RT, LT, HD
HD All Armor
Armor If Armor is destroyed by secondary damage, excess damage is ignored. ST is the applicable ST for an Arm or Leg.
Example:
A Mars battlemech who has already fired off two shots from its SSRM 4 takes a Large Pulse Laser shot to the rear right torso, which punches through the armor and does a single point of internal structure damage. The 'mech takes the damage and its controlling player rolls a critical hit on his SSRM 4 ammo. The ammunition explodes for 184 damage (4 * 2 * 23) . 14 of that damage eliminates the internal structure of the Mars' right torso. That torso is completely destroyed and nothing of it may be salvaged (save possibly armor. Oh wait.).
According to the Omnidirectional Ammunition Explosion rules, the remaining 170 damage is divided amongst the right torso front armor, right torso rear armor, center torso internal structure, right arm internal structure, and right leg internal structure. Dividing 170 by 5, we get 34 damage to each location.
34 damage to the front armor of 22 leaves 12 damage behind. Damage from armor does not transfer and is lost.
34 damage to the rear armor does nothing it was destroyed in the laser hit. Damage transfers to the armor, and immediately transferred off, and is lost.
34 damage to the 10 points of right arm internal structure. 24 remaining damage is transferred to the right arm armor. Because the internal structure of the right arm was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged.
24 damage destroys the 20 points of armor on the right arm. The excess 4 damage is lost.
34 damage to the 15 points of internal structure on the right leg. The 19 remaining damage is transferred to the right leg armor. Because the internal structure of the right leg was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged.
19 damage puts a dent into the 30 points of leg armor the Mars had. The armor can be salvaged.
34 damage to the center torso. The center torso's 21 points of internal structure knock the damage total down to 13 remaining damage, which is divided between the left side torso, head, and front and rear armor locations. Because the internal structure of the center torso was destroyed by ammo explosion damage, it and nothing on it can be salvaged (unlike standard rules, everything else will be fine unless its directly vaporized the hot, devouring explosion).
13 damage divided by four gives each location a base of 3 damage, which rounds up to 4.
4 damage is allocated to the internal structure of the left torso(not destroying it, but causing a possible critical hit).
4 damage is allocated to the center torso rear armor(leaving only 7 points).
4 points are allocated to the front center torso armor(leaving 28 points).
4 is allocated to the internal structure of the head (destroying it and rendering the equipment [and pilot] inside of it unsalvageable. The armor takes a single point of damage).
Okay, so maybe that didn't make much difference. Actually, it makes things worse because any ammunition explosion sufficient to still destroy a 'mech's center torso will probably kill the pilot in there too.
Y'know, now that I think about it, a 65-ton 'mech has 104 structure points total. Even with the Multidirectional rule, a few hundred points of ammunition explosion can scour the internal structure of a 'mech. It's worse for salvage and worse for survivability.
*shrug*
Enjoy.
4 comments:
One of those cases where I think it's best to start at the specific end states you want--should ammo crits be an "oh shit" button, does CT destruction cause a fusion explosion, how much collateral damage to inflict on nearby units, etc--and then run the physics backwards to find the math.
Things to keep in mind for any next edition, I guess.
I like to imagine explosions roaring through the innards of a 'mech.
I never got the ability of an unfocused ammo explosion dealing damage to units 30m away and not blowing the fuck out of the unit it came from.
I think it's definitely one of the elements of Battletech squishy enough that every player has their own concept of how it plays out.
1st & 3rd counts, agreed.
2nd count: I figure that mostly-intact pieces of the exploding 'Mech could fly off and hit the other units 30m away.
Of course, the reason I used to *hate* ammo explosions is because, way way back when I played computerized BattleTech, an ammo explosion just about always made the REACTOR explode, which *did* completely vaporize the target 'Mech. (And apparently that's how the original rules went: CT gone = fusion explosion.)
I did not know that. That is crazy.
Post a Comment