Topic: Powered Armor for Harp Sci-fi

[pyrotech]

This hasn't come up yet in any of my games, but I'm surprised it hasn't come up on here already.  What is the best way to handle powered armor.  This is similar to my unmanned vehicle vs. robot question.  The armor is much like an extremely small vehicle, but scaled closer to a robot.

Would simply modeling it as a vehicle with very low armor/hits (with the vehicle vs personal weapons modifiers simulating armor and structure) work, or would it be better to treat it more like a piloted robot from my unmanned vehicle vs. robot question?

Thanks,

Pyrotech

[Marc R]

I'd probably go with servo assisted man scaled armor as some combination of armor and external to the body cyber bonus modifications. . .i.e. +10 St arms and legs kind of thing.

Once it crosses the line into Mecha, it's a vehicle IMO.

[Ynglaur]

SpaceMaster 2nd Edition essentially handled Powered Armor as a special type of vehicle.  The rules for close combat were similar, with the caveats that characters in powered armor could easily punch through walls, etc.  It never really defined melee combat in detail, though.

[GMLovlie]

Oh, this has been discussed earlier, you're thinking along the lines of Landmates from Appleseed or something akin to that?

There is a mention somewhere about that.

My take would be a specific combat drive sort of skill, like a powered armour skill, which serves to reduce penalties… of course I'm not sure this would actually cover everything, like flying, which of course should be a pilot skill…

[Thom @ ICE]

That thread can be found here - not sure if it addresses Pyrotech's needs or not - but that's the discussion you referred to.

[markc]

Oh, this has been discussed earlier, you're thinking along the lines of Landmates from Appleseed or something akin to that?

  Mmmm, Appleseed good move to watch while I get over my sickness. Thanks
MDC

[pyrotech]

Fortunately I've only got a couple of powered exoskeletons to worry about for my game.  For those I'm thinking of treating them like either armor that enhances stats/traits or cyberware that isn't actually attached to the character.

But I'm a huge fan of Battletech and Ogre, and both settings are full of powered armor enhanced infantry.  So I can't help but wonder how to handle these cases in the current rules set.

I typically draw the line between powered armor and mecha depending on how it is controlled.  If the operator's limbs are inside the suits limbs and needs to move their own limbs to move the suits limbs it is probably powered armor.  If the operator sits in a cockpit and operates controls then it is a mecha.  There can be some grey area in this, but usually it is a pretty clear call.

And while I am an Otaku, I tend to actually hate 95% of the mecha anime out there.  The older appleseed included.... but I do have to admit the newer appleseed is much better.  Gasaraki is one of the few mecha anime exceptions for me (even with the psychic dancing kabukimen).

Pyrotech

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

This hasn't come up yet in any of my games, but I'm surprised it hasn't come up on here already.  What is the best way to handle powered armor.  This is similar to my unmanned vehicle vs. robot question.  The armor is much like an extremely small vehicle, but scaled closer to a robot.

Would simply modeling it as a vehicle with very low armor/hits (with the vehicle vs personal weapons modifiers simulating armor and structure) work, or would it be better to treat it more like a piloted robot from my unmanned vehicle vs. robot question?

Thanks,

Pyrotech

If you want to do it as a vehicle and its hull mass is less than 1 tonne, give it 5 Structural Hits. if the "hull" mass is above 1 tonne, add an extra hit per tonne. Look to the small vehicles already in HARP SF Xtreme for comparative values for other statistics. Armor DB should be very low - perhaps 5.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[RandalThor]

I typically draw the line between powered armor and mecha depending on how it is controlled.  If the operator's limbs are inside the suits limbs and needs to move their own limbs to move the suits limbs it is probably powered armor.  If the operator sits in a cockpit and operates controls then it is a mecha.  There can be some grey area in this, but usually it is a pretty clear call.

This. If the guy (or gal, or whatever) uses their own limbs to manipulate the limbs of the suit directly*, then it is equipment. If they sit in any type of cockpit it is a vehicle.


*Hoping that the emphasis is apparent: arms inside the arms of the suit, legs inside the legs, etc. Not a funky Babylon 5/Crusade style VR situation.