27 replies to this topic

[Skylarr]

Quote

Long before mankind reached out for the stars, the nations of Terra waged generations of war against one another. While each conflict underscored the barbarism and technological savvy of the human species, the Second World War stands out as the most epic and critical of them all. Locked in battle on land, sea, and air, World War II spared few as the Allied nations fought to hold back the imperial ambitions of the Axis powers.

Experimental Technical Readout: 1945 samples a number of designs that played a key role in the largest, and perhaps most critical conflict in Terra’s pre-spaceflight history. Representing the military capabilities of the mid-twentieth century powers, most of the designs featured in this book are obsolete even by the standards of the Age of War, their weapons and armor rendered completely ineffective long before the days of the BattleMech. But if you’re going to insist on using the anyway, statistics are included for 24 iconic vehicles and warplanes of the Second World War, complete with special rules that make them ready for play—either against each other, or against thirty-first century tech in BattleTech games where you need a chuckle.

Experimental Technical Readout: 1945 PDF (Buy From BattleCorps)
Experimental Technical Readout: 1945 PDF (Buy From DriveThruRPG)

http://bg.battletech.com/?p=4721

[Skylarr]

Quote

1945 vs. BattleTech: Remember, that the above benefits only apply as long as these units face one another with none of the “modern” conveniences of BattleTech technology present. If these units are employed in games set during the Age of War and later, none of these benefits will apply, and—in addition to suffering the gunnery modifiers for lacking fire control systems—all of the weapons featured in this book will behave in accordance with their BattleTech Equivalent Weapon as noted in the construction tables.



Weapon Damage
The damage values for each weapon given in the 1945 Gameplay Weapons Table reflects the effectiveness of these weapons against other 1945 units with an armor BAR of 5. When used against vehicles with a BAR of less than 5, add 1 point of damage to each hit for every point of BAR the target has below 5. Thus, an attack that would deliver 3 points of damage to a BAR 5 target would deliver 4 points against a BAR 4 target, and 5 points against a BAR 3 target. Armor stronger than BAR 5 simply did not exist in the World War II era. Against any target with a BAR of 6 or greater, treat the damage effects of these weapons as equivalent to their BattleTech Equivalent Weapon as noted in the construction tables.


Ammunition and Bomb Critical Hits
Any hit to the ammunition or bomb hardpoints that have not yet released all of their bombs on a 1945 era unit must be treated as an internal explosion in accordance with the standard BattleTech rules for an internal ammunition explosion. Exploding bombs are treated as 10-point explosives per each bomb in the hardpoint.

Excerpt taken from TRO: 1945 page 31

Edited by Skylarr, 01 April 2013 - 05:27 PM.

[Davers]

If we wait long enough will you copy and paste the entire PDF?

[Phoenix Gray]

I dunno, a P47 or Corsair carrying a payload of Zuni rockets could probably mess up a medium or heavy mech right nice.

[Davers]

Phoenix Gray, on 01 April 2013 - 05:47 PM, said:

I dunno, a P47 or Corsair carrying a payload of Zuni rockets could probably mess up a medium or heavy mech right nice.

What is the BAR armor rating of a mech?

[PaintedWolf]

Davers, on 01 April 2013 - 05:48 PM, said:

What is the BAR armor rating of a mech?

10.

BTW the PDF is FREE!!!

[Skylarr]

Quote

BAR
Barrier Armor Rating (BAR) is only used for support vehicles (see Support Vehicle Record Sheets, p. 31), and represents the fact that support vehicles are more susceptible to critical damage than Combat Vehicles (see Damage, p. 206, in the Support Vehicles section).
Excerpt from Total Warfare page 29

DAMAGE
Support Vehicles handle damage differently than Combat Vehicles. Every time a Support Vehicle suff ers a hit that exceeds its BAR rating, a chance exists for a critical hit (called a penetrating critical hit), even if armor remains in that location. Penetrating critical hits are rolled in the same fashion as standard critical hits (see Critical Damage p. 192), with the following exceptions.
Excerpt taken from Total Warfare page 206

[General Taskeen]

The technological advances of 1945 are mostly Germany's doing. Long Live Deutschlande!

[Skylarr]

Davers, on 01 April 2013 - 05:46 PM, said:

If we wait long enough will you copy and paste the entire PDF?

It is Free. BattleCorp is one of the groups used to obtain PDFs from Catalyst. When you order the PDF BattleCorp will send you a confirmation e-mail. Click the link and it will take you to the place were you can download the PDF.

Its a great PDF for you WoT fans.

[PaintedWolf]

Type: Panzer IV
Movement Type: Tracked (Medium)
Equipment Rating: B/X-X-X/D
Mass: 25 tons
Equipment Mass
Chassis: 9
Engine/Controls: 296 hp 5.5
Type ICE
Cruise MP: 2
Flank MP: 3
Heat Sinks: 0 0
Fuel: 200 km 0.11
Turret: 0.5
Armor Factor (BAR 5): 54 3.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 3 12
R/L Side: 3/3 10/10
Rear: 3 10
Turret: 3 12
Weapons and Ammo Location Slots Tonnage
75mm Cannon Turret 1 3.00
7.92mm Machine Gun Turret 1 0.02
7.92mm Machine Gun Front 1 0.02
Ammo (75mm) 100 Body 1 2.50
Ammo (7.92mm) 5,000 Body 0 0.20
Crew: 5
Cargo: 650 kg
Notes: Features Armored and Tractor Chassis Modification; Features the
following Design Quirks: Obsolete/1967

[Team Leader]

I don't get how it's an April fools joke if they actually made the whole thing and included rules for it

Edited by Team Leader, 01 April 2013 - 06:31 PM.

[PaintedWolf]

Team Leader, on 01 April 2013 - 06:31 PM, said:

I don't get how it's an April fools joke if they actually made the whole thing and included rules for it

[Hawkeye 72]

V2 rocket, meet Jenner. Jenner, meet V2 rocket...

[General Taskeen]

Michael “the Black Baron” Wittmann: As a German tank commander
during World War II, Wittmann rose to the rank of captain and was awarded
the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the Battle of
Villers-Bocage. It was in that battle that Wittmann’s tank was among the
German forces that ambushed Allied positions and Wittmann was himself
was credited with more than a dozen kills of enemy armor in less than
fifteen minutes. At the time of his death, the “Black Baron’s” score included
138 tanks, 132 anti-tank guns, and an unknown number of other armored
vehicles, making him one of Germany’s top scoring panzer aces.
Yet as impressive as his kill list was, Wittmann was a reckless tactical
commander, who preferred to lead from the front. This led to his eventual
demise against Anglo-Canadian forces near the town of Saint Aignan de
Cramesnil in 1944. There, the Black Baron and his force of seven Tigers were
caught in an armor ambush, but numerous conflicting stories emerged
over exactly who scored the killing shot.

Hero Tank. I'm quite fond of destroying an entire tank column with Michael Wittman's Tiger I in Theater of War.

Erich Alfred “Bubi” Hartmann: Though known as “Bubi” (“young
boy”) to his comrades, Hartman was better known to his Soviet adversaries
as “The Black Devil”. As a German fighter pilot in World War II, he claimed
352 kills across 1,404 combat missions, earning himself the distinction of
being the highest-scoring fighter ace in the history of twentieth century
aerial warfare.
During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash-land
his damaged fighter fourteen times, but never due to enemy fire. Indeed,
his forced landings came invariably due to mechanical failure or damage
sustained from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down or mechanical
failure. Hartmann was never shot down or forced to land due to fire from
enemy aircraft. Hartmann went on to serve in the West German air force
after the war, and—after retiring early from that service—became a civilian
flight instructor.

Hero Plane. The Highest Scoring Pilot Of All Time.

Edited by General Taskeen, 01 April 2013 - 06:41 PM.

[PaintedWolf]

Quote

1945 vs. BattleTech: Remember, that the above benefits only apply as long as these units face one another with none of the “modern” conveniences of BattleTech technology present. If these units are employed in games set during the Age of War and later, none of these benefits will apply, and—in addition to suffering the gunnery modifiers for lacking fire control systems—all of the weapons featured in this book will behave in accordance with their BattleTech Equivalent Weapon as noted in the construction tables.

Third Reich vs Clans

US/Britain vs FedSuns/FWL

Edited by PaintedWolf, 01 April 2013 - 06:46 PM.

[dal10]

PaintedWolf, on 01 April 2013 - 06:41 PM, said:

Third Reich vs Clans

US/Britain vs FedSuns/FWL

challenge accepted

[Sennin]

While an April fools prank this may be, it is truly a full TRO that is FREE to download from the Battletech Website. Hurry up and get it while you can because the website says the link expires on 6 April 2013.

[Karl Streiger]

Nice April Fools TRO
remembers me at this one - Free Taiw....St.Ives


http://rpg.drivethru...Taiw...St.-Ives

[Skylarr]

Shadowrun Rigger 4


This was put out yesterday ( I think) for Shadow Run. It includes a BattleMech called the WarHammer The test pilot was a Hanse Davion.

[PaintedWolf]

dal10, on 01 April 2013 - 06:55 PM, said:

challenge accepted

Well then keep in mind while a liberal democracy like the United States is able to prosper in our modern era, in the feudal/ultra-militarized battletech universe the Free Worlds League has fallen:

Quote

Jihad

The schism between ComStar and the Word of Blake would strongly affect the League, and ultimately destroy it. The Whitting Conference of 3067 resulted in the dissolution of the reborn Star League, just as Word of Blake was slated for full membership. The Blakists began attacking Inner Sphere powers as punishment. Eventually, the Jihad would engulf all of humanity. Over the decades, the Word had infiltrated and subverted a number of Free Worlds leaders, military units, and naval assets.^[85]

Blakist manipulation resulted in two provinces of the Lyran Alliance invading the League. Marshall Jeremy Brett was able to force the Lyrans off League worlds, but the Captain-General recalled troops loyal to him to Atreus. On 25 October 3068, the Blakists launched a coordinated assault on Atreus. A chemical attack killed most MPs and members of the 1st Knights of the Inner Sphere, a naval battle took place in orbit between pro-Marik and pro-Word forces, and the Blakists revealed the sitting Captain-General to be an impostor.^[86][87]

Members of House Marik, including Therese Marik and Alys Rousset-Marik, initially supported the false Thomas, but League worlds defected to the Word of Blake Protectorate. Additionally, Prince Kirc Cameron-Jones of Regulus declared "Thomas" unfit and staked his claim to the position of Captain-General. In August 3069, Paul Marik (brother of the real Thomas and a Word sympathizer) launched a coup, deposed "Thomas" and installed his daughter Corinne Marik as Captain-General. The false Thomas relocated to Oriente and refused to relinquish the title. On 19 November 3071, following the assassination of her husband Jeremy Brett, Therese Marik declared the Duchy of Tamarind independent and called herself its Captain-General.^[88][89]

The disparate forces of the Free Worlds League and the Inner Sphere were able to defeat the Word of Blake, but the League was torn apart into several competing states; namely the Regulan Fiefs, the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth, the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey, Duchy of Andurien, Rim Commonality, and the Oriente Protectorate.^[85]

Unable to reach a compromise, the rulers of these realms tried to re-unite the League under their own leadership. Their disputes inevitably led to conflicts, in which these states fought each other savagely. During this period of turmoil, the Lyran Commonwealth, taking advantage of the whole mess, successfully conquered a large portion of the former League's coreward border.

http://www.sarna.net...ds_League#Jihad

Good guys don't always win in Battletech, and sometimes bad guys, like WoB fanatics succeed, and while unfortunate I'd rather this happen in fiction then real life.

Edited by PaintedWolf, 02 April 2013 - 08:17 AM.