colwebbsfmc wrote:OK. Like I said, I've found answers to these, but they almost all say the rules mean one thing in some games, and another in others. What I'd like to do is clarify how they work for Robotech specifically.
1) OK, Attacks Per Melee. I dig the new clarification on "two for living" plus HtH. Add in MECT attacks. Groovy. The question is - Boxing. The FAQ says it does not apply to ranged combat. Unless it does. So which is it? Is Robotech one of the games in which it does apply to ranged combat?
Given that the description of the Boxing skill in TSC just says the character gets an additional attack per melee (i.e. melee = unit of time like seconds or minutes, instead of melee = type of attack being performed), & that said skill description matches the ones from both RUE & BTS2 [I'll assume it also matches the skill list in
Dead Reign but since I don't own that volume I can't say for certain], I'd say that's the interpretation that's going to apply across all settings.
colwebbsfmc wrote:2) Bonuses, bonuses. So PP does not apply, it states that pretty clearly. But when a bonus to strike is given in HtH or MECT, do they apply to ranged attacks or just melle ones in Robotech? I've seen it done both ways. Are ranged attacks always just +1 for Weapons Systems, plus any targeting modifiers, give or take an odd W.P. like Heavy MD Weapons? Or to the "+1 to strike" etc. from MECT apply?
Well, from all of the mecha from both TSC & Macross, only 2 groups of mecha don't specifically state the the strike bonus from MECT training only applies to HTH combat: the Cyclones, & the Silverbacks. Even the Invid mecha list separate strike bonuses for their various weapon systems. And given that the
Combat Computer descriptions for both the Cyclones & Silverbacks specifically state that they get a particular bonus with weapon systems -- a bonus identical to that enjoyed by the VF-1 (which specifically states that its MECT strike bonus is
only for HTH combat) -- plus the new specifications in RUE that also separate HTH strike bonuses from weapon strike bonuses for PA suits & robot vehicles, I'm going to go out on a limb & say that unless the MECT strike bonus specifically says it's for ranged weapon attacks, it doesn't apply.
But not to worry. Although only some of the UEEF mecha get sensor bonuses to their ranged weapon attacks, all of the UEDF Destroids enjoy a +2 strike bonus (+5 for the Defender, if it's advanced radar system is working), in addition to any W.P. or Weapon Systems bonus. Note that, in this case, I would suggest following the FAQ's guidelines, using W.P. bonuses for hand-held weapons (i.e. the VR-038L's RL-6) and Weapon Systems for built-in weapons (i.e. Tomahawk's heavy p-beam cannons). Gunpods for larger mecha (i.e. GU-11 for the VF-1) are a little tricky, but given the mecha tend to drop their innate strike bonus from +2 to +1 anyway, I'd probably allow use of the W.P. bonuses instead of Weapon Systems bonuses.
colwebbsfmc wrote:3) Dodges. Does the -10 rule apply to mecha combat? If so, this really changes the way the game is played for me. Missiles can explicitly be dodged, but since they're way slower than most ranged attacks, does the -10 not apply to them? 4 or more missiles cannot be dodged according to the R:tSC book, but the FAQ says there is a way. Now, I'd prefer to leave it be for simplicity, but if they can't be dodged, why is there then a way to dodge them in the FAQ?
The Ranged Combat FAQ does mention that the "Air & Space Combat" rules from Heroes Unlimited, TMNT & N&S allow for 4 or more missiles to be dodged. Note, however, that it is an advanced aerial maneuver, as the
standard rules for those games still specifically state (as per the old Robotech RPG) that 4 or more missiles can't be dodged.
There a number of maneuvers possible: Jink, Maneuver Escape & Roll-Over.
-- Jink: just a flat-out attempt to dodge everything possible. Pros: dodge roll is d20 + Speed Class +TMF. Note that TMF was specific to the TMNT game (found in TMNT Guide to the Universe), as the other games didn't rate vehicles with a TMF, let alone games not listed (like Robotech). Still, based on the top speed of most of the aerial mecha, you're talking about some very nice dodge rolls (at top speed at sea level, a VF/A-6 Alpha Fighter has a Speed Class 28; the VF-1 has a Speed Class 29). And if I had to pick, I'd say use the appropriate TMF for the type of conventional fighter the Veritech resembles, with perhaps a +1 or +2 to it (i.e. most will max out at TMF 4 or 5). Cons: must spend the
entire melee jinking in order to get the dodge roll, & the pilot cannot make
any attacks (although gunners can).
-- Maneuver Escape: you're moving at top speed, twisting & weaving to try & escape combat altogether. Pros: still have a nice dodge roll (d20+Speed Class). Cons: pilot is also unable to make any attacks during the attempt (although gunners are able to). The attempt itself takes at least 1 full melee, but the rules don't say whether you only get 1 dodge attempt per melee or not.
-- Roll-Over: basically an attempt at an acrobatic maneuver to gain an advantageous position during combat. Pros: the Roll-Over itself has a higher chance of success (d20+TMF+Speed Class), although the dodge attempt itself isn't quite as good (d20+TMF). Cons: maneuver takes a full melee, & the pilot still can't make any attacks (again, gunners can); again, it doesn't say whether you only get 1 dodge attempt per melee or not.
In any case, none of these maneuvers are "silver bullets" that can necessarily save your butt...unless, of course, you're so overwhelmed by attackers that you aren't going to be retaliating at the moment anyway.
colwebbsfmc wrote:4) Auto Dodge. This is it's own animal, yes? ONLY bonuses to "Auto Dodge" apply to this kind of dodge, not stack with normal dodge bonuses. Do PP bonuses apply to this dodge? If it fails can a character burn another attack to normally dodge, or is it all-or-nothing? I can see this being a potential for massive exploitation.
A) No, PP bonuses do not apply to the auto-dodge. Only O.C.C., R.C.C., MECT or HTH bonuses are counted for auto-dodge (& maybe super-powers, if your GM allows them).
B) I would rule that you have your choice: use up one of your remaining attacks, but (generally) have a higher bonus (& therefore higher chance of success) with the standard dodge; or save your attack, but have a lower bonus on the roll (& therefore lower chance of success) with the auto-dodge.
My reasoning comes from two perspectives. First, automatic dodge is an additional ability that supplements the regular dodge available to characters. When used in combat, however, it
replaces the standard dodge. Standard dodge doesn't let you keep burning actions to try & dodge a single attack from your enemy. So just because you have the choice of dodging or auto-dodging doesn't mean you get to do both. Second, auto-dodge IMHO is an "advanced" defensive move, along the lines of combination strike/parry and simultaneous attack,
all of which can only be selected in place of the standard dodge or parry, not in addition to them, in the combat sequence..
colwebbsfmc wrote:5) Missiles. So Minis are no bonus, but the Cyclone targeting computer applies, yes? And possibly W.P. Heavy MD Weapons. Normal missiles are no longer +3 unless explicity stated so? I was used to all missiles being +3, unless they were +5 for reflex. Am I reading this wrong?
Not exactly. As I & devillin pointed out previously, it's a cut-and-paste section from RUE. That's not to say that there aren't unguided "missiles" that could potentially be in use within the game setting, much as they are today (i.e. the Soviet BM-21 122mm rocket launcher system, US M270 MLRS, etc.) -- although the idea of "unguided" missiles is somewhat of an oxymoron, given that a missile by definition is a rocket with a guidance system installed, so an unguided missiles is simply... a rocket -- but they're almost certainly not the missiles we see in use for the most part in Robotech. Unguided missiles (aka rockets) only have parabolic flight trajectories for 1 reason: gravity. And their trajectories have a single orientation: vertical parabola. Missiles (aka guided rockets), OTOH, can have any flight path they want, depending on the type of guidance system they use: straight line, curved vertically, curving horizontally, or a combination of all 3. And they can change direction to chase after a target. Much like the missiles the 3 spies shot at Rick with when he 'tested' the Armored Valkyrie unit. Or the SRMs we see Scott & company fire multiple times from their Alpha Fighters.
As far as the Robotech setting is concerned, aside from specifically-designed rocket launcher systems (i.e. M270, BM-21), you'll generally only see unguided missiles used by independent military factions after the Rain of Death, or perhaps among Resistance groups during the Invid Occupation: groups that don't have a large, high-tech manufacturing basis available with the necessary computer chip manufacturing facilities (including the "clean rooms") to build the high-tech, advanced multi-sensor guidance systems most likely in use by the UEDF & UEEF.
colwebbsfmc wrote:6) SDC - MOS descriptions show a "+3D6" or somesuch. Plus to what? As I think I understand it, it's this number plus any bonuses from Physical skills like Body Building or Outdoorsmanship. But what it looks like is that there's a base SDC somewhere that I'm missing that the MOS adds to, then Physical skills add to that. Which interperetation is correct?
Nope, you had it right, there's no base S.D.C. anymore. Just consider it as being added to "0" S.D.C.