Fma rpg - Basic Notes (playable alpha version)

 

Character creation:

Each Character receives 150 points with which to purchase Quality Die & Skill Die.  Cost of skills is the level desired, squared (level^2) to a maximum of 5 (d12).  This is a strait purchase, not a cumulative purchase, which the experience system uses. 

Quality die cost double this amount to purchase initially.

A standard infantryman will want at least a Combat Quality of 3 (d8) & Physique Quality of 3 (d8).  (depends on how good you want starting characters)

 

STATS & SKILLS:

*****

Combat Quality:

Infantry Tactics & Command

Infantry Support weapons (SAW, IAVR, etc)

Heavy weapons (GMS, mortars, ground-mounted heavy weapons)

Heavy Artillery (vehicle artillery etc)

Melee combat (Rifle butts, swords, clubs etc)

Small Arms (Pistols/Rifles/shotguns etc)

Vehicle Heavy Weapons (using fire-control)

 

Starcraft Quality:

Aerospace Tactics & Command

Aerospace Piloting (fighters/small craft)

Astrogation

Jump-drive Piloting

Ships Guns

System Piloting (Capital ships)

Space Survival

 

Technical Quality:

Starship Drives

Starship Weaponry

Sensors/EW

Communications

Vehicle Drives (GEV/Grav/Wheeled etc)

Infantry Weapon Systems (Rifles etc)

Electronics

Computers

 

Science Quality:

Administration

Business

Language (each language is separate)

Scientific Field (Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, etc)

First Aid (field medicine, paramedic)

Gambling (manipulating the odds is very scientific…)

Medical (qualified doctor etc)

 

Vehicular Quality:

Atmospheric Piloting (Non-interface small craft)

Driving (By Type - Grav, Wheel, GEV, Tracked, etc)

Power Armour Operation

VTOL Piloting

Vehicle Tactics & Command

Walker Piloting

 

Physique Quality:

Acrobatics

Endurance

Lifting

Thrown Weapons (grenades, knives etc)

Unarmed Combat

Zero Gravity Manoeuvres

 

COMBAT:

Initiative: Each combatant rolls their Combat Quality to determine whom attacks first.

Scale: Each unit of range is about 2 metres at this scale (normal SG = 10 metres/unit)

Leadership: If you need a leadership value for use with SG or FMA skirmish; add together the levels of the characters tactics, small-arms, melee & unarmed skills.  Vehicle crews use Vehicle Weapons, vehicle tactics, Endurance & the appropriate driving or piloting skill.

0-6: leadership 3, 7-14: leadership 2, 15-20: leadership 1. 

Another option is to assign the leadership value based on the character's motivation for the mission: High = 1, Medium = 2, Low = 3.

Range:  Close Only weapons from SGII use range bands equal to their Combat Quality in inches.  All other weapons use 5 x range bands (ie: Quality x 5 in inches for normal weapons, Size x 60 for fixed mount/vehicle weapons).  If using with miniatures in a normal SG scale game, then use normal range bands.

 

Cover & In Position: Characters gain an additional defensive die depending on their cover.  The highest roll of either range or cover is used to determine results. 

In Position gives a +1 die shift to the cover.  Soft Cover:    d6         Hard Cover:       d10

Characters can also evade while moving.  They use ½ normal combat move (strait die roll) & cannot use fire actions while evading.  This gives the character a d8 cover die while evading.

 

Attacker rolls Combat Q + Skill Q vs range + cover die.

Minor hit = Suppression

Major hit = Damage + Suppression

 

DAMAGE:

Damage rolls are worked out differently for this scale.  Small Arms roll a number of impact die equal to the firepower vs armour die.  Each impact die is read separately against the armour roll.  For Support Weapons, first roll the FP die to determine how many Impact die to roll. Cover gives an armour die shift against direct fire weapons (as SGII), +1 shift for Soft cover, +2 armour shift for ‘Hard Cover’.  This is an open shift, but doesn’t affect any impact multiplier (Eg: Heavy Anti Material Rifle has I:d12x2; PA (d12) in soft cover would result in the HAR using an I:d10x2 vs armour d12).

Each Impact die which exceeds the armour die scores 1 wound on the target.  If any impact die doubles the result of the armour die, then the target takes 2 wounds.

To remain conscious, the target must roll higher than the total wounds received using their Physique Quality.  Once a person has taken wounds equal to their Physique Quality die type, they are dead.  Any actual activity which requires a Physique roll is also downshifted 1 die type for every 2 wounds.

 

Eg.  A standard ACR is fired at a poor shmuck in light body armour.  A major hit is scored.  The attacker rolls 2d10 against the shmuck’s armour of d6 for a result of 10 & 5 vs 4.  The target takes 3 wounds & is unconscious for the remainder of the fight.  If the same target had instead been hit by a Gauss Saw, then he would have been hit by d10 x d12 impact die, which would most likely have killed him, as he would take 9 wounds on an average roll.

 

SUPPRESSION

Each suppression is the equivalent of losing 1 morale level, with a maximum of 3 suppressions (ie: if starting CO, 1 suppression = ST, 2 = SH, 3 = BR) with the appropriate moving restrictions.  You can't remove suppression unless in cover.  While suppressed, a character cannot make offensive actions & can only Communicate, Move into the nearest cover and Remove Suppression.

Player Characters can attempt to act normally while suppressed, but must first roll 3+ on their Combat Quality (Equivalent of Leadership 2) or lose the action due to self preservation taking hold.

When removing suppressions, the character rolls their Combat Quality die using their Leadership Value.

Q die > Ld x 1 = 1 removed suppression

Q die > Ld x 2 = 2 removed suppressions

Q die > Ld x 3 = 3 removed suppressions

 

Close Combat:  Characters in close combat roll their appropriate combat die (unarmed or melee) against their opponents combat die.  A minor success gives 1 hit using the physique quality for impact & a major success is 2 hits.  Damage is resolved as per fire combat.  Swords & other melee weapons give an additional +1 die shift to Physique & Power Weapons give a +2 die shift for the resolution of damage only.

 

Vehicle & Guided weapons:

Vehicle weaponry that uses a fire-control system & guided weapons (ie: GMS systems) have additional restrictions.

A character can only use the lower of either their skill level or the fire-control die for vehicle mounted weapons.

For guided weapons, roll to lock against air targets as normal using the weapons guidance vs ECM.  Once the weapon is fired, the lower of the skill or guidance is used for to hit purposes.

After all, a system is only as good as the operator.

 

Vehicle damage:

Point fire weapons against vehicles are resolved as normal per SG rules.  If the vehicle is damaged, characters check for wounds use the rules below with an impact of d8x1.  If it is destroyed, use the full impact of d8x2. (As per Heavy Point Fire weapons vs Infantry).

 

Heavy Point Fire weapons against infantry:

These weapons are deadly against infantry, if they are unfortunate enough to be hit.  Impact for all heavy weapons regardless of class or type d8x2, rolled once.  If armour saves the character, then they still take a number of wounds equal to the class of the weapon.  If Impact is greater than the armour roll, then the character takes a number of wounds equal to the double size class of the weapon.  If Impact is more than double the characters armour roll, they take wounds equal to triple the class of the weapon.

Eg. DFFG/3 hits a character in heavy power armour.  I:d8x2 vs Armour: d12.  If the weapon scores 3x2=6 vs armour 8, the character takes 3 wounds.  If it’s 3x2=6 vs armour 5, the character takes 6 wounds.  If it’s 3x2=6 vs armour 1, then they take 9 wounds, which would kill most characters outright.

 

Other Skills usage:

The Game-master assigns a difficulty die & the player rolls their quality & skill die.

Double 1 means the task has been botched with effects as determined by the GM (usually jammed weapon or similar result).  A minor result is an average success, nothing spectacular, but it works.  A major result means the task has been finished in half the normal time or has additional bonus effects.

 

FMA & Full Thrust Interaction

Weapons with a strait to-hit number (Pulse-torpedoes / Torpedo fighters) use a difficulty die based on the FT target number.

2+ = d4; 3+ = d6; 4+ = d8; 5+ = d10; 6+ = d12. 

A MINOR hit scores ½ normal damage (d3 damage).

A MAJOR hit scores normal damage for the weapon (d6 damage)

 

For beam weaponry, similar to-hit numbers are used, but are resolved differently.

The difficulty die are:  Unscreened ship = d8; Level-1 screen = d10; Level-2 screen = d12.

A number of difficulty dice equal to the number of beam die at that range, are rolled against a single skill roll.

Each MINOR HIT scores 1 point of damage.

Each MAJOR HIT scores 2 points of damage and 1 re-roll against a target of d8 to represent penetrating damage.  If a second MAJOR HIT results, then there are no further re-rolls (to balance against the easier to-hit numbers).

This gives a slightly different damage spread to FT, but the players are supposed to be heroic, aren’t they?

 

EG: A class-3 battery at point blank range fires at a frigate, the difficulty rolls (d8) result in 1, 5 & 8.  The player rolls 4 & 7 on their skill.  This gives 3 points of damage + 1 re-roll (MAJOR hit + MINOR hit + a clean miss).   The re-roll scores 3 vs 3 & 4, giving an additional point of damage.  A respectable result which cripples the frigate.

 

Missile weaponry uses a similar system to determine lock-on. 

Standard MT capship missiles are resolved using Astrogation skill instead of Ship’s Guns. 

A MINOR success against a difficulty of d8 allows normal operation (written orders or just move).  A MAJOR success gives the missile the benefit of Level-1 screens against the target (if also using RPG stats).  Failure results in maximum acceleration directly forward.

Salvo Missile Launchers use Astrogation skill as well.  1 difficulty die of d12 is rolled for every missile in the salvo.  A MINOR success indicates that the missile is on target, while a MAJOR success allows you to ‘reclaim’ a missile which has missed the target (failed roll).

This can result in 0 missiles on target or all 6 on target, but lets the player skill determine results.

 

*****

Experience:

Every skill use that results in a MAJOR result, 1 xp is noted against the skill OR the quality.

 

STAT & SKILL COSTS: (NB: stats of  d0 are considered to be a roll of 1)

Level     Description                    XP skill             XP Quality

1          Hopeless (d4):               2                      5

2          Poor (d6):                      8                      20

3          Competent (d8):             18                     45

4          Expert (d10):                 32                     80

5          Master (d12):                 50                     125

6          Phenomenal (d20):         (Only used for large creatures/aliens)

 

SKILL DIE TYPES:                                TASK DIFFICULTY DIE TYPES:

PHENOMENAL:            D20                  IMPOSSIBLE:               D20

MASTER:                      D12                  VERY DIFFICULT:         D12

EXPERT:                       D10                  DIFFICULT:                   D10

COMPETENT:               D8                    AVERAGE:                   D8

POOR:                          D6                    EASY:                          D6

HOPELESS:                 D4                    VERY EASY:                D4

 

Experience is reset to 0 after a gain in level.  After a game, each character will receive 2d6 experience points to assign wherever they wish to represent schooling and training from other people & experiences.