[2]

LANCER
CORE RULEBOOK
By
Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson Morgan

Edited by
Melody Watson

Layout by
Minerva McJanda

Cover Art by
Tom Parkinson Morgan

App Development by
John Arena, Ari K

Art by
Aurahack, Jan Buragay, Farel Dalrymple, Connor Fawcett, Cosimo Galluzzi, Peyton
Gee, Lee Yeong Gyun, Gabriel Johnson, Sloane Leong, Tom Parkinson Morgan, Simon
Roy, Robert Sather, Cameron Sewell, James Stokoe, Olympia Sweetman, Guy Warley,
Calum Alexander Watt, Jake Wyatt, Daniel Warren Johnson

Playtesting
Thanks to Kai Tave, Ashley “Winged” Moni, Gwendolyn “Spiny” Clark, Grandar, Ffzdf, GC,
Kotarou, Delilah, Ikiryo, Jackdaw, Jen, Sayt, Threshette, Techhead, and the rest of the
Lancer community discord for their years of feedback and playtesting.

Thanks to all the kickstarter backers that helped make this possible!

©2019 Massif Press

massif-press.itch.io
twitter.com/LancerRPG

ISBN: 978-1-7341438-0-5
 Book SKU: MFF0001
Printed in China by Ad Magic

Please do not reproduce without permission.

[3]
SECTION 0: CREATION EXAMPLE 36

GETTING STARTED 8 SECTION 2:

INTRODUCTION 10 The Cavalry 11 MISSIONS, UPTIME

PLAYING LANCER 12 What You Need 12 The Golden
Rules 12 Narrative Play and Mech Combat 12 Skill
AND DOWNTIME 38 THE
Checks, Attacks, and Saves 13 Missions, Downtime, STRUCTURE OF PLAY 40 The First Session 40
and Scenes 14 THE MISSION 42 Stage Five: Ending a mission and
Debrief 44 Missions and Narrative Play 45
DOWNTIME 50 Downtime Actions 53
SECTION 1:

BUILDING PILOTS AND SECTION 3:

MECHS 16 LICENSE LEVELS 18 MECH COMBAT 56

COMBAT BASICS 58 Characters and Objects 58
LL0 18 Leveling up 18 Reallocating Points 18 Level
Space, Size, and Measurement 59
Chart 19
TURN-BASED COMBAT 60 Movement 62 Attacks 64
THE PILOT 20 Backgrounds 20 Triggers 25 Example Harm 67 Actions 68
Triggers 26 Pilots in Combat 28 Creating a Pilot 28
PILOTS IN MECH COMBAT 74 Piloting Mechs 74
THE MECH 30 Mech Skills 30 Modular Mechs 31
General Massive Systems 31 Without Limits 31 QUICK COMBAT REFERENCE 76 STATUSES
MECH STRUCTURE 32 Frames 32 Size 32 Armor 32 AND CONDITIONS 77 Combat Terminology 78
Mounts 32 Weapons 33 System Points 33 Core Damage and Structure 80
Systems 33 Base Statistics 34 Core Bonuses 35 WEAR AND TEAR 80 Overheating and Stress 81
Talents 35 Creating a Mech 35 Repairs and Rest 82 Death 83 Quirks 84
[4] CONTENTS
SECTION 4: HARRISON ARMORY 224 HA Core Bonuses 225
BARBAROSSA 226 GENGHIS 230 ISKANDER
COMPENDIUM 86 TALENTS 234 NAPOLEON 238 SALADIN
SHERMAN 246 TOKUGAWA 250
242
90 GEAR AND SYSTEMS 104
Gear Tags 104 Valid Space and Direction 106 Artificial
Intelligence 107 SECTION 5:
PILOT GEAR 108 Archaic Weapons 108
Alloy/Composite Weapons (Melee) 108 Signature GM’S TOOLKIT 254 GAME
Weapons (Ranged) 109 Hardsuits (Armor) 110 Limited MASTER’S GUIDE 256 GM Principles 256 ELICITING
Pilot Gear 112 Miscellaneous Gear 113 RESPONSES 257
INTRODUCTION TO LICENSING 116 Leveling Up SETTING UP A GAME 258 THE FIRST SESSION 258
116 Icon Primer 116 The Big Four 117 BUILDING A NARRATIVE 258 MISSION HOOKS 259
GENERAL MASSIVE SYSTEMS 118 GMS CORE RUNNING THE GAME 263 THE GOLDEN RULES 263
BONUSES 118 GMS Mech Weapons 118 GMS SKILL CHECKS 263 SESSION Pacing 264 MECH
General Market Systems 120 GMS Flight Systems 121 COMBAT 264 CHARACTER PROGRESSION 265
EVEREST 122
GM TOOLKIT 266 Core Assumptions 266
IPS-NORTHSTAR 126 IPS-N Core Bonuses 127
BLACKBEARD 128 DRAKE 132 LANCASTER SITREPS 267 Control 268 Escort 269 Extraction 270
136 NELSON 140 RALEIGH 144 TORTUGA Gauntlet 271 Holdout 272 Recon 273
148 VLAD 152 ITERATIVE WORLD-BUILDING 274 World Types
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO 158 SSC Core 274 Defining Natural Feature 275 Defining
Bonuses 158 BLACK WITCH 160 DEATH’S Anthropocentric Feature 276 Environments 278
HEAD 164 DUSK WING 168 METALMARK NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS 280 Using Non-
172 MONARCH 176 MOURNING CLOAK 180 Player Characters 280 Non-Player Characters in
SWALLOWTAIL 184 Mech Combat 280 Types of Non-Player Characters
HORUS 190 HORUS CORE BONUSES 191 BALOR 282 Balancing Combat 283
192 GOBLIN 196 GORGON 202 HYDRA 206 BUILDING NPCS 284 Classes By Role 285 ACE 286
MANTICORE 210 MINOTAUR 214 PEGASUS AEGIS 287 ARCHER 288 ASSASSIN 289
218 ASSAULT 290 BARRICADE 291

[5] CONTENTS
BASTION 292 BERSERKER 293[6]
BOMBARD 294 BREACHER 296
CATAPHRACT 297 DEMOLISHER 298 SECTION 6:
ENGINEER 299 GOLIATH 300 HIVE 302
HORNET 303 MIRAGE 304 OPERATOR A GOLDEN AGE, OF A
306 PRIEST 307 PYRO 308 RAINMAKER
309 RONIN 310 SCOURER 312 SCOUT
KIND 334
313 SEEDER 314 SENTINEL 315 SNIPER ON CONTENT, DISCOMFORT, AND LANCER
316 SPECTER 318 SUPPORT 319 WITCH 337
320
A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNION 338 Accepted
SPECIAL CLASSES 322 HUMAN 322 SQUAD Timeline 338 The Shape of the Galaxy 340 The
323 MONSTROSITY 324 Beginning 340 A Galaxy Full of Life 342 The
TEMPLATES 326 COMMANDER 326 RPVS Utopian Pillars 344
326 ELITE 326 EXOTIC 327 GRUNT 327
UNION IN 5016U 346 Once More, With Feeling 346
MERCENARY 328 PIRATE 328 SHIP 329
The Bureaucracy 350 Off-Book Entities 355
SPACER 329 ULTRA 330 VETERAN 332
VEHICLE 333 VIOLENCE IN LANCER 356 Extra-Union Conflicts
356 Piracy 357 Space Combat 358 Armed Forces
362
 ECONOMY AND SOCIETY 366 Travel 370 Time, 402 HORUS 404 Notable Non-State Actors 408
Space, and How to Travel Through Both 372 PILOTS 418 Lancers 418 A Galaxy Full of Heroes
Science and Technology 374 Non-Human Life 379 419
Artificial Intelligence 379
BEYOND UNION 423
PLACES 386 Fulcrum Worlds 386 Polarity Worlds
389
PEOPLE 392 Galactic Powers 392 Harrison INDEX 424 BACKER CHARACTERS 430
Armoury 394 Smith-Shimano Corpro 398 IPS-N CHARACTER SHEETS 431
[7] CONTENTS
SECTION 0

GETTING STARTED
INTRODUCTION 10 PLAYING LANCER 12

INTRODUCTION
The vast mass of humanity is administered by a may have brought liberty – but it brought death first.
single sprawling government: Union, the galactic
hegemony. Luna and Mars, Mercury and Venus. The galaxy remains a dangerous place outside the
Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus. Phobos and Core. Rebellions, insurrections, piracy, wars – civil
Deimos. Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Titan and interplanetary – continue to flare and burn their
and Enceladus. These worlds strung in their orbit way through space, though only the most desperate
around Sol are the diadem atop which Cradle rests, conflicts require Union’s intervention. Disputes
the seat of Union’s power and humanity’s ancient between Union’s subject states are common enough
heart. From Cradle, Union controls the three levers that there is still a need for militaries, militias, and
of the galaxy: the blink gates, the omninet, and mercenaries. Five major suppliers offer arms and
manna. Without these levers, and without Union, the armor to states and entities outside the Core that
galaxy would fall into chaos. desire them. These manufacturers exist in delicate
balance with Union: though the administrators
Union is a new kind of utopia. A new state – regulate and the suppliers comply, these two philo‐
communal and post-capital – for a New Humanity. sophies – one of post-capital utopia and the other of
Union was born from the ashes and ice of the Fall: permanent and wild growth – rush toward an irrecon‐
the collapse that felled Old Humanity, boiling Cradle cilable end.
and withering her colonies entirely. Though it has
been thousands of years since Union was founded –
and thousands more since the Fall – New Humanity
knows only one truth among ten thousand
unknowns: if we are to survive, then we must come [10]
together in solidarity and mutual aid. It is 5016u, and the galaxy is home to trillions. At the core of
humanity’s territory there is a golden age, but outside of
Despite Union’s conviction – and despite its this newly won utopia the revolutionary project continues.
successes so far – the sheer size of this collective
project is daunting. Union is distant to most people: You are a lancer, an exceptional mech pilot among already
exceptional peers, and you live in a time where the future hangs
fictionalized in omninet dramas and novels; dreamed
as a spinning coin at the apex of its toss – the fall is coming,
about by children and wanderers; hailed as the
and how the coin lands is yet to be determined.
promised kingdom or damned as the pit by religions
across the galaxy. For all its authority, Union prefers to
Far now from our humble beginnings, humanity has spread out
rule from a distance. Few have ever seen one of
among and between the stars for thou‐ sands of years. We
Union’s administrators, let alone suffered one of its have set empty worlds and barren moons alight with civilization,
naval campaigns. For those who have never seen its tamed asteroids and gas giants – even built lives in the hard
flag, Union is all but a myth; for those whose skies vacuum of space itself. We have taken root in our arm of the
have been darkened by Union’s ships, the hegemony
Milky Way; life – in its infinite diversity – thrives and expands. Filling the lonely void is the omninet, a data-sharing network
built off the blink that connects every computer, every server –
For some, life in this time is as a river – forever moving, with the everything – to everything else. The omninet is much more than
land and time of their birth left somewhere far behind. For most, a way to send messages or a means for people on far-flung
life is spent on their home world, moon, or station, linked to the worlds to read the galaxy’s news; it overlays all human
rest ofhumanity via fantastic tech‐ nologies, or isolated to the communications, facilitating government, industry, culture, and
politics, stories, and histories of their own lands. The trillions realms more esoteric still. Data is the new wealth, and the
that make up humanity live, for the most part, as you or I do omninet means that all wealth can be shared.
now.
The form of that wealth is manna. Uniting the disparate nations
But wonders tie the galaxy together in this age. of the human diaspora outside the Core, manna is the universal
currency accepted by every market on every planet. When a
Connecting all worlds is blinkspace – an unknowably vast and galaxy’s wealth of raw resources are available for exploitation, a
strange plane parallel to the one in which we live, pierced by community’s wealth comes from both its past and its potential.
blink gates that allow us to travel with speed and safety. Thanks
to these massive, star bound doors, every corner of space is
open to the daring. These portals are common wonders: thou‐
SECTION 0 // Getting Started
sands of ships travel through them every day seeking trade,
migration, travel, war, and myriad other aims.
You are one person, alive in this time of somewhere in the vastness of the human experience, and neural or physical
tumult and peace – a time of promise that diaspora. In Lancer, it has been millennia augmentation, a lancer is the equivalent of
was built on the sacri‐ fice of those who since we left Earth, and most of humanity a knight of old, a flying ace, or another
came before and is threatened still by the lives among the stars in our arm of the class of elite warrior.
heirs of old adversaries. You are one Milky Way.
whose life is lived in the great river, where Lancers, many proudly declare, are a cut
lives cross stars and time; where one This humanity is familiar and strange in above other pilots.
person in the right place at the right time equal measure. As far as we know, the
can divert the course of history; where the only sentient, sapient beings in our stellar They aren’t entirely wrong. The
collective action of comrades can save neighborhood are other humans, but don’t recruitment, training, and maintenance of
worlds, lives, and better define Union’s take this as a limitation – there are many a mech pilot demand the invest‐ ment of
utopian dream. roads to becoming a lancer. Your much more time and capital than your
character might be the product of average soldier. To operate a mech at
You are a mech pilot – one of the best, a significant technological and capital peak efficiency, a pilot needs extensive
lancer – and yours is the story of this investment on the part of their employers; physical and mental training, or advanced
spinning coin at the apex of its toss. At or, they could be a born prodigy – a (and expensive) physiological and onto‐
this pivotal moment in history, what will wunderkind who commands a mech with logical augmentations. Washout and injury
you and your comrades do when fate, innate grace and ability, perhaps rates are high thanks to the demanding
foresight, and luck – good or bad – puts discovered by a secretive recruiter. Your training process, but a high bar is
you in the right place at the right time? character might be a lucky conscript – a necessary: once a candidate attains their
battle-proven draftee who managed to final certifications and ships out to their
On which side will you fall? survive their first drop, promoted by first posting, they face only the most
desperate commanders looking for a hero. dangerous missions. Mechs aren’t sent in
They could also be the scion of an to keep the peace – they’re sent in when
THE CAVALRY ancient, atemporal monarchy, destined to all other options have failed. Your
Your character in the world of Lancer is a inherit the chassis of their polypatriarch. character, a lancer, represents the best of
mechanized cavalry pilot of particular note Your character could be a jaded volunteer this exceptional corps.
– a lancer. Whatever the mission, from a Union liberator team, motivated by
whatever the terrain, whatever the enemy, a closely-guarded ember of hope for a Remember, whatever their history, your
your character is the one who is called in better future; or an anointed Loyal Wing of pilot is ulti‐ mately human. They’re just as
to break the siege or hold the line. When the Albatross; or a facsimile of a long- flawed as the rest of us, just as perfect.
the drop klaxons sound, it’s up to them to dead pilot, grown in batches of Pilots are heroes and villains; brave souls
save the day. and cowards; lovers and fighters, all.
thousands; a spacer who has spent too
Some of them stand strong when
long listening to the deep whispers of the
Your lancer hails from a world and culture void. everyone else runs, or are the first to face
of your choice, but is human. They might danger – our best and brightest. But they,
come from Earth – or Cradle, as it is now Whatever led your character to the cockpit too, break under the pressure; they fail;
called – but to hail from Earth in the age of of their mech, they are the sum of many they kill, even when they could have
Union is exceedingly rare. No, it is far parts: enhanced through a combination of spared a life.
more likely that your pilot hails from training, natural skill, battle‐ field
Pilots and lancers are from all walks of life. SECTION 0 // Getting Started
Every station, criminal history, and
[11]
INTRODUCTION
economic class is represented in their
ranks.

PLAYING LANCER
grids, such as graph paper or pre-prepared battle maps. tactical. Swapping between mech combat and
Miniatures aren’t necessary to play this game but they narrative play is fairly natural, especially if you’ve
can sometimes make combat easier to visualize. played other games with turn-based combat.

Most of the players take on the role of pilots - these

are the player characters, or PCs - but one player is
the Game Master, or GM. The GM acts as a narrative [12]
guide, facilitator, and the arbitrator of the game’s Your character in Lancer is, first and foremost, a pilot – a
rules. They help create the story and narrative your dynamic, larger than life presence on and off the battle‐ field
group will explore and portray all of the NPCs. For who inspires and terrifies in equal measure – but your character
more information on the GM role and a list of rules, also has a second component: your mech. Though you can
tips, and tools for GMs to use, refer to the Game define their identities separately, pilot and mech are two parts
Master’s Guide on p. 254. of the same whole.

Finally, we recommend that all players download our The first section of this book (p. 16) talks you through Building
free companion app, Comp/Con; it isn’t necessary to Pilots and Mechs.
have the app to play the game, but it can make it
The second section, Missions, Uptime and Downtime (p. 38),
more accessible to players who aren’t able or don’t
is about narrative play, choosing missions, and playing during
wish to thumb through this book.
downtime.

THE GOLDEN RULES The third section, Mech Combat (p. 56), is about fighting in and
with mechs.
There are two golden rules to remember when playing
Lancer: The fourth section is the Compendium (p. 86), in which all
character options can be found.
I: Specific rules override general statements and rules.
The fifth section is the Game Master’s Guide (p. 254), which
For example, when you shoot at an enemy, your roll is offers advice for tweaking rules, creating non-player characters
normally influenced by whether they’re in cover; (NPCs), and running missions.
however, SEEKING weapons ignore cover. Because the
SEEKING tag is a specific rule, it supersedes the The sixth and final section is the Setting Guide (p. 334), an in-
general rules governing cover. depth reference on the canon setting.

II: Always round up (to the nearest whole number).

WHAT YOU NEED
This game uses two sorts of dice: twenty-sided dice (d20) and
NARRATIVE PLAY AND six-sided dice (d6). You’ll roll these dice to determine the
MECH COMBAT outcome of uncertain situations, such as firing a weapon,
hacking a computer, or climbing a sheer cliff face. When the
Lancer makes a distinction between freeform rules call for you to make a roll, it will also tell you how many
narrative play and mech combat, in which tracking dice to roll. For example, 1d20 means you need to roll a single
individual turns and actions is important. d20, whereas 2d6 means you need to roll two d6s.

During narrative play, players act naturally and spon‐ Sometimes the rules will call for you to roll 1d3. That’s just a
taneously as needed. Time might pass more quickly, shorthand way of saying you should roll 1d6 and halve the
scenes might be shorter, and individual rolls might results (rounded up). When you’re called on to roll 1d3, a result
count for more or less. Most of your game’s story and of 1 or 2 on a d6 equals 1, 3 or 4 equals 2, and 5 or 6 equals 3.
interaction between characters will take place during
narrative play. In mech combat, players act on their Lancer is best played with 3-6 players, but can be played with
turn and are restricted in what they can do and how as little as two or as many as you feel comfortable with. Each
often, making each action much more impactful and player needs at least one d20, a number of d6s, and some
paper or a character sheet to write down information. If you’re This game makes use of grid-based tactical combat, so it can
playing online, or welcome computers at the table, the COMP/ be helpful to have paper with square or hexagonal
CON CHARACTER BUILDING TOOL is recommended.

SECTION 0 // Getting Started

The reason there are two types of play is bonuses – but the target number isn’t BONUSES
that they represent different approaches always 10, and usually depends on the
There are three kinds of bonuses that can
to storytelling in role‐ playing games. One, defensive capabilities of your target. For
be applied to rolls in Lancer:
narrative play, is focused on the story and an attack to be successful it needs to
characters, with a rules-light approach to equal or exceed the target’s defense. • ACCURACY (Represented as )
conflict resolution; the other, mech Successful attacks are described as “hits” �
combat, relies more on rules and tactics, - so if the rules tell you that an effect • DIFFICULTY (Represented as )
�
like a board game. Depending on your GM happens “on hit”, that means it takes
and group of players, you could spend a place when you make a successful attack. • STATISTIC BONUSES
whole session in one type of play or the Some attacks also result in critical hits.
other, or with some of both. On a roll of 20+ you perform a critical hit, ACCURACY and DIFFICULTY represent
which allows you to deal more damage or momentary advantages or disadvantages
sometimes trigger extra effects. (see below). Statistic bonuses come from
Neither of these is the “correct” way to
play the game. Groups will find a balance three sources: your pilot’s talent and
between the two that works for them. experience (triggers), their skill with
Although there are different types of
Lancer provides rules for both so that both attacks, including ranged, melee, and tech mechs (mech skills), and their GRIT. Each
people who like to explore stories or who attacks, they all use the same basic rules roll can only benefit from one statistic
enjoy tactical combat will have an described here. bonus at a time. In many cases, none of
enjoyable experience. these bonuses will apply and you will just
Lastly, saves are rolls made to avoid or roll 1d20.
resist negative effects in mech combat.
SKILL CHECKS, You might roll a save to prevent a hacker
wrecking your systems, to avoid being ACCURACY AND
ATTACKS, AND blinded by a flash grenade, or to dive DIFFICULTY ACCURACY and
SAVES away from an explosion. To save, you roll DIFFICULTY are temporary modifiers gained
1d20 and add any bonuses, but the target and lost in rapid, chaotic moments of
There are three types of dice rolls in
number can differ from 10 as it can with action.
Lancer: skill checks, attacks, and saves.
attacks. The target number for a save
usually depends on the abilities of the For example, two mech pilots, equally
In narrative play, you will only need to
attacker. If you equal or exceed this matched, duel amidst the shifting debris of
worry about the first of these. In mech
number, you succeed; if your roll is lower, a shattered frigate. Attempting to land a
combat you will use all three.
you fail. The outcome of each result will shot, they dodge to avoid incoming fire
depend on what you are trying to avoid. and floating, slagged bulkheads. The
You make skill checks when your
debris makes it unlikely that either will land
character is in a challenging or tense
a clean hit; however, one of the pilots,
situation that requires effort to overcome. CONTESTED CHECKS
thinking quickly, hides
When you want to act in such a situation, In some cases, the rules will tell you to
state your objective (e.g., break down the make a contested check, representing a
door, decrypt the data, or sweet-talk the challenge between two parties. In a
SECTION 0 // Getting Started
guard), then roll 1d20, and add any contested check, both participants make
relevant bonuses. On a total of 10+, you skill checks and add any bonuses. LANCER
succeed. A result of 9 or less means you Whoever has the highest result wins. If the
PLAYING
failed to accomplish your goal and may result is a tie, the attacker – the one who
suffer consequences as a result. Although initiated the contest – wins.
the GM can’t change the target number
(10), they have access to several tools that You might make contested checks in both
are explained later (p. 45-47), such as narrative play and mech combat.
declaring a skill challenge or deciding that
your action is DIFFICULT or RISKY.
CHOOSING TO FAIL
You may always choose to fail a skill
In mech combat, attacks are any
check or save. You might do this if an ally
offensive actions against other characters,
is trying to help you out or even just
like firing a weapon or hacking into an
because you think failing would create a
opponent’s mech. Attack rolls are similar
more interesting story.
to skill checks – you roll 1d20 and add any
[13]
MISSIONS, DOWNTIME, [14]
among the floating metal. When their enemy gets close, the
AND SCENES pilot springs forth from hiding and catches their opponent
Ongoing games of Lancer are usually divided into unaware – making the shot much easier than normal.
missions, each of which might encompass one play
session or several, separated by periods of Situations like this can cause pilots to gain ACCURACY or
downtime. DIFFICULTY.

Missions have specific goals or objectives that can be • Each point of ACCURACY adds 1d6 to a roll. • Each point of
completed within a discrete amount of time: DIFFICULTY subtracts 1d6 from a roll. • ACCURACY and DIFFICULTY
destroying a building, breaking into a secure facility to cancel each other out on a 1:1 basis.
recover vital data, evacuating civilians, uncovering a
If you are lucky enough to be rolling several of the same bonus
conspiracy, or holding the line against enemy attack,
dice, whether ACCURACY or DIFFICULTY, you don’t add them
for example. Missions also provide some preparation
together to determine the result. Instead, find the highest
time in which you can establish goals, stakes, and
number rolled and apply it to the final roll. Because of this, no
equipment for your characters.
roll can ever receive more than –6 or +6 from ACCURACY or
DIFFICULTY.
If your character isn’t on a mission, you’re in
downtime. This is the narrative space between
For example:
missions, in which moment-to-moment action
doesn’t matter as much and roleplaying matters • For an attack with 2 ACCURACY, roll 2d6 and choose the
much more. During downtime you can progress highest of the two dice, then add that number to your attack
plots, projects, or personal stories, moving the clock roll. If you roll 3 on one die and 4 on the other, you add +4 to
forward as much or as little as you want. Days, the roll, not +7.
months, and even years can pass in downtime, • For an attack with 2 ACCURACY and 1 DIFFICULTY, you only add
depending on the pace of your game. 1d6 to your attack roll as 1
DIFFICULTY and 1 ACCURACY cancel each other out. • For an attack
In both missions and downtime, play is divided into with 1 ACCURACY and 1 DIFFICULTY, you don’t add anything to the
scenes. A scene is a period of continuous dialogue, roll – the dice cancel each other out.
action, or activity that has a discrete starting and
stopping point. This is called a scene because it’s
helpful to think about it in cinematic terms: as long as
GRIT
the focus (or ‘camera’) is on the players and their Pilots are lucky and unique individuals, multi-talented and
resilient. Even so, brand-new pilots don’t measure up to
action, a scene is happening. When the focus cuts
tempered, battle-hardened veterans when push comes to
away from the current scene, or the current action
shove. The benefits of experi‐ ence are measured by GRIT, a
naturally ends, that’s when the scene should end too.
bonus that reflects your pilot’s deep reservoirs of resolve and
will to live.
A single combat encounter or a dialogue between
characters are both great examples of scenes, but a
GRIT is half of your character’s license level, rounded up. It
scene can also be something like a montage.
improves attack bonuses, hit points, and save targets for both
your pilot and your mech.
It’s important to pay attention to the beginning and
end of scenes, as many special character and mech
abilities end or reset at the end of a scene.
SECTION 0 // Getting Started

SECTION 0 // Getting Started

LANCER
PLAYING
[15]
SECTION 1

BUILDING
PILOTS AND
MECHS
LICENSE LEVELS 18 THE PILOT 20 THE
MECH 30 MECH STRUCTURE 32
CREATION EXAMPLE 36

LICENSE LEVELS
qualify for.
LEVELING UP
When characters complete a mission, whether they
succeeded or failed, their LL increases by one and
they add:

• +2 to an existing trigger or a new trigger at +2.

• +1 to a mech skill.
• +1 talent rank to choose a new talent or improve
an existing one.
• +1 license rank to spend on mech talents and
licenses.

Leveling up naturally increases a pilot’s GRIT, which is

equal to 1/2 a pilot’s total LL, rounded up. Pilots gain
their first point of GRIT at LL1.

At every third LL (3, 6, 9, and 12), pilots also get to

choose a new core bonus – a powerful improvement
to all mechs they build.
[18]
Unlike in other roleplaying games, in Lancer you don’t need to
REALLOCATING POINTS track currency. Your access to mechs, gear, upgrades, talents,
Every time your pilot’s LL increases, you also have and other character options is instead restricted by licenses.
the option to choose one: Licenses represent access to the valuable information,
resources, and authority required to acquire mech gear and
• Reallocate all ranks from one of your talents to parts. They are tightly controlled by the major powers in Lancer
any other talent. and allow their holders unlimited access to their included gear.
• Reallocate all ranks from one of your licenses to
any other license. In Lancer, your pilot progresses by completing missions and
• Replace one core bonus with another core bonus gaining license levels (LL). Your LL applies to both your pilot
for which your pilot qualifies. and your mech – as you level up, both parts of your character
become stronger and gain access to more advanced gear and
If reallocating ranks from one license to another combat techniques. Increasing it allows you to unlock new
means your pilot no longer qualifies for a core bonus, manufacturer licenses, opening the door to exclusive gear and
you must replace that core bonus with one you now mechs. Leveling up also allows your pilot to improve their
triggers, mech skills, and GRIT, and lets you choose talents to LL0 characters start with the following:
further customize your play style.
• A background, which provides bonuses on skill checks (p.
A new pilot typically starts at LL0 – an inexperienced rookie – 20).
and levels up to LL1 after their first mission, then again after • Four +2 pilot triggers (p. 25).
each subsequent mission to a maximum of LL12. • One +2 mech skill or two +1 mech skills. • Three rank 1
talents (p. 90).
This section includes a lot of information that is expounded • A license for all General Massive Systems (GMS) gear and
upon later in the book. Feel free to skip over it for now and weapons, and one mech FRAME - the GMS-SP1 Everest (p.
reference back when needed if this is your first time reading 118).
through the book.

LL0
New players should usually create characters at LL0. Even at
this level, your pilot has access to an extensive range of
bonuses and gear.

SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

GRIT TOTAL MECH TOTAL

LEVEL SKILL POINTS LICENSE RANKS
TOTAL TALENT
RANKS
TOTAL
CORE
TOTAL PILOT
TRIGGER POINTS
CHART LL (+6 MAX) BONUSES (+6 MAX)
LICENSE LEVELS
0 0 2 0 3 0 8 1 1 3 1 4 0 10 2 1 4 2 5 0 12 3 2 5 3 6 1 14 4 2 6 4 SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
7 1 16 5 3 7 5 8 1 18 6 3 8 6 9 2 20 7 4 9 7 10 2 22 8 4 10 8 11 2 [19]
24 9 5 11 9 12 3 26 10 5 12 10 13 3 28 11 6 13 11 14 3 30 12 6
14 12 15 4 32

THE PILOT BACKGROUNDS ROLL 1D20 1 Celebrity

 can’t reach a consensus, the person who years, and all other societies in
[20] invoked the background decides. between. Diasporan worlds can be
Your pilot is the person inside the
covered in glittering or stinking
machine; the char‐ acter whose entire
metroswathes, mixed urban spaces,
career you’ll be playing out. Lancers are
quiet ecological preserves, arcadian
generally interesting people – if they
paradises, or lonely terrestrial barrens –
weren’t, you probably wouldn’t be playing
any places humans or groups of
them! As you create your character, you
humans can live. For better or for
will be able to figure out who they are and
worse, the Diaspora is what people see
what makes them so interesting.
when they think of “humanity”.
Creating your pilot is a fairly simple SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs Celebrity
process. To begin with, you just need to 2 Colonist Example triggers: Charm, Pull
choose a background and four triggers. Rank, Lead or Inspire, Threaten
3 Criminal
After that, you can figure out your pilot’s You were a figure in the public eye. Were
other bonuses, statistics and gear before 4 Far-field team you an actor? A singer? An artist? An
embarking on a mission. 5 Hacker athlete? A politician? The public face of a
corporate or military advertising
6 Mechanic
campaign?
BACKGROUNDS 7 Medic
In your old life, you couldn’t go anywhere
Your pilot’s background describes their 8 Mercenary without the paparazzi hovering nearby.
life before they became a mech pilot. It 9 NHP specialist How are you adjusting to your new life as
doesn’t necessarily determine your pilot’s a pilot? Did you volunteer, or were you
current role – indeed, your pilot might 10 Noble
conscripted? Can you still practice your
reject their old lives, wanting nothing to do 11 Outlaw art, craft, or profession, or does the rigid
with their history even as it affects them in 12 Penal colonist military structure make it difficult to pull
the present – but it tells your GM and double-duty?
fellow players a bit about who they were 13 Priest
prior to entering their machine. 14 Scientist Colonist
15 Soldier Example triggers: Word on the
Think of a background as a prompt to Street, Spot, Survive, Patch
draw on when imagining your pilot’s full 16 Spaceborn You were a colonist on the frontier; one of
backstory. How did your pilot first become 17 Spec ops the first generations to be born on a newly
a soldier, a doctor, or a miner? And from settled world. You’re used to the demands
18 Super soldier
there, how did they become the lancer of frontier life and well-aware of the
they are now? 19 Starship pilot
precarious position most homesteaders
20 Worker live in. Why did you leave? Were you
When creating a character, you can forced to flee, becoming a refugee? Did
choose a back‐ ground from the list you choose to enlist?
below, choose one randomly from the list
by rolling 1d20, or just make one up And then there’s the home you left behind:
yourself. Is the colony still there? Your family? How
familiar are you with the luxuries of core
worlds? Do you find other cultures difficult
INVOKING BACKGROUNDS to deal with, or are you fascinated by the
Outside of combat, you (or the GM) can wealth of humanity’s cultural expression?
invoke your pilot’s background to receive DIASPORANS
1 ACCURACY or 1 DIFFI‐ CULTY on any skill To be a Diasporan is to be a member of Do you carry reminders of home, or do
check, if their background is relevant. For the largest class of humanity: world- you curse its name? Was your colony in a
example, someone who was a colonist bound people outside of the Galactic galactic backwater, or is it a fresh colony
might get +1 when negotiating with other Core, who identify with single in a populated, high-traffic area of space?
� Where is your colony located?
colon‐ homeworlds they may never leave.
ists, navigating the wilderness, or Dias‐ porans make up the vast bulk of
farming. A
character born in space, the human population, settled and left Criminal
however, might get +1 to develop on their own during the First Example triggers: Threaten,
� when doing the and Second Expansion Periods. The Apply Fists to Faces, Word on
same things. the Street, Take Control You
Diaspora includes everyone from the
were a criminal: small-time, master, or
people of worlds proximal to the Core
something in between. Did you work for
If there is any disagreement, the rest of through to worlds that have lived
corporate clients? A criminal organization?
the group – excluding both yourself and without – or have never known –
Yourself? Did you mug pedestrians in the
the GM – arbitrates. If the other players Union’s presence for thou‐ sands of
dark underbelly of a massive city, or did existence at this relative speed neces‐
you slip, unnoticed, into corporate sarily means that Cosmopolitan
[21]
databases to steal data? Did you do it for humans live outside of the course of
personal gain, or just to feed your family? “real” time. To the humans of the
How did you find yourself in this life, and Diaspora and the Core, these
how did you become a pilot? Did you Cosmopolitans are almost eternal,
operate with a code of honor? Were you seeming to live for generations. The
loyal to a single family, a small crew, a histories, stories, and cultures of
politician, or an ideology? Did you operate Cosmopolitans are separate from the
in the shadows, or was your work carried bulk of humanity, their lives defined in
out in the daylight, unafraid of rela‐ tion and contrast to the windows
consequences? of time they witness when they drop out
of nearlight. To observers, the
There must be a reason you decided to
Cosmopolitan life might seem lonely or
get out. Was it a bad job, or maybe
ahistorical, but Cosmopolitans have
witness protection? Are your former
rich and storied histories, shared
employers or crew still around? What
culture, and a vision of humanity as a
connections do they have, and how do
whole that few others have access to or
they feel about you now? What – if
the ability to witness.
anything – haunts you?

Note: for a more classic “Western”

flavor, see the Outlaw Background.
Far-Field Team
Example triggers: Survive,
Investigate, Spot, Charm
You were a member of a Union far-field
team (FFT), working on the frontier and the
edge of civilization to evaluate strange
worlds and planetoids for anomalies,
discoveries, and habitability. What have
you seen on the wild frontier? How many
worlds have you traveled? Were you part
of a small team, or a large one? Where is
your homeworld?
SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
Something must drive you to explore: Is it
THE PILOT
a grail world you seek? An Eden among
the stars? Was your interest in the frontier
mystical, scientific, based on old-
fashioned curiosity, or spurred on by
something else? Maybe there was a
legend you heard, out there in the dark,
that you long to find, or that you’re
terrified you might encounter? What
secrets – if any – have you encountered on
your long-range surveys? Do you remain
in contact with your old team members, if
they’re still alive?
As a former (or current) part of an FFT,
you're Cosmopolitan: When was “your
time”? How separate do you feel from the
passage of time?

COSMOPOLITANS
A Cosmopolitan is a person who lives
the majority of their life in interstellar
transit and keeps their ship as their
home. Interstellar travel in Lancer
occurs at or near the speed of light;
 corporation, or on a noble family’s payroll: NHPs
[22] Did you operate a small frontier practice, NHP stands for “non-human person” a
Hacker or work in a blink station urgent care name given to uncanny, incorporeal
Example triggers: Act Unseen or center, or in a massive hospital campus? parallel-space beings, most of which
Unheard, Get a Hold of
Were you a whitecoat or an EMT? Is there were discovered and developed
Something, Hack or Fix, Invent
a memory that haunts you, or one that following the manifestation of MONIST-
or Create
gives you comfort? 1/RA, though some have been created
You specialized in information warfare and
data espionage, either for your own gain since then. NHPs fill the role once
or the benefit of your employers. To you, occupied by machine-mind AIs: under
the omninet – the faster-than light supervision, they manage whole cities
information web that connects Union and systems, work along‐ side
worlds – is home. How did you come to scientists and engineers, and act as
this life? Did you grow up plugged into the companions and co-pilots for mech
omninet, or did you come to it late? How pilots and starship captains. They are
well-versed are you in the omninet’s SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs black-box para‐ causal entities – their
hidden places, tricks, and secrets? How Mercenary promulgation tightly controlled and
notorious were you before you became a Example triggers: Threaten, monitored by Union – but their use is
pilot? Do people still whisper your name? Blow Something Up, Take widespread. NHPs are increasingly
Do other hackers remember you, and are Control, Apply Fists to Faces regarded as fundamental infrastructure
you celebrated or cursed among them? As a soldier of fortune, you lived by the for any successful civic, scientific, or
motto, “have gun, will travel.” You and military endeavor.
It wasn’t just the omninet that you hacked, your kit were available to the highest
though. How adept are you at Noble
bidder. Did you work alone or with a Example triggers: Pull Rank,
manipulating other networks? Can you crew? Did your company have a ship? Lead or Inspire, Read a
manipulate discrete systems, genetic Was this when you started piloting mechs Situation, Show Off You are a
code, or some other type of environment, of your own? What was your code of
member of your world’s aristocracy,
digital or mechanical? What secrets have honor, if you had one?
destined from birth to ascend to power.
you gained access to?
Something pushed you to the mercenary From what authority does this birthright
Mechanic life: Was it the promise of riches? Desire come? A god? An ancestor? An ancient
text? A complex annual rotation? How is
Example triggers: Hack or Fix, for power? Adventure? Desperation?
power passed down from one generation
Get Somewhere Fast, Get a Hold For some reason, you left that life behind:
of Something, Blow Something Up Why? Was there a job that went bad, or to the next?
Grease monkey, wrench, working joe; you one that really was that legendary “one Your noble status came from somewhere:
were a mechanic prior to becoming a last job”? Are your old company mates still Are you the first in your family to receive a
pilot. Did you work in space, swaddled in kicking around? Was there a rival title of nobility, the last of your house, or
an EVA rig, patching up damaged company, or other enemies you made? Do the scion of a well-established line? Are
starships? Or were you planetside, tuning you remember that time fondly, or do you you the heir, or just a middle child? What’s
trucks and haulers in a motor pool? Did your relationship with your noble parents?
never speak of it?
you repair battle-torn mechs, dreaming
that you might one day pilot your own? Whatever privileges you might have
Did you own a garage, or did you work for NHP Specialist received at home, you found that Union
someone? Were you military, corporate, Example triggers: Stay Cool, disregards titles in its armed forces; your
part of a caste, or a union member? How Read a Situation, Invent or prior status is just background noise,
handy are you in the field? Is there a side Create, Investigate You were unless you return home or belong to a
project you've been working on? closely involved in the study, creation, or group that recognizes nobility. How did
maintenance of a prime non-human you take this change?
person. Non human persons, or NHPs, are
Medic complex artificial intelligences. As a prime Outlaw
Example triggers: Patch, NHP, the one you were associated with
Assault, Read a Situation, Stay was even more complex than most. Did Example triggers: Show Off,
Cool Take Someone Out, Charm,
you interact with that entity like a scientist Survive
You were a medical specialist in your old
or engineer, or more like a priest or You came from humble beginnings, born
life. How did you wind up piloting a mech?
shaman? Do you have a personal on the edge of cultivated space or
What was your specialty? Did you work in
connection to them, after all this time? beneath the looming towers of core
research, care, or trauma? Did you love
How do clones of that NHP perceive you? worlds – forgotten until you reached out
the life and take your duty seriously, or did
And now that you’re a pilot, how do you and took what was owed. Some call you
you see yourself as an organic mechanic?
feel about non-human intelligence? criminal, thief, or outlaw, but you just tell it
You might have worked in a colony or on a as it is: if they hadn’t denied you bread,
core world, in private practice, for a you wouldn’t have had to take it. Were
you a brute or a raconteur? A charmer or a Terran faith, born on Cradle and carried
THE PILOT
monster? Were your actions motivated by for millennia since? Or was yours a
ideology, need, desire, or some Cosmopolitan spirituality, one from the
combination of those three? Who defined stars and the void of interstellar space?
you as an “outlaw", and who saw you as a Perhaps you ministered to a small flock of
hero? Is there a bounty on your head? an obscure sect out on the frontier, or in
the urban canyons of a core world? Have
you kept your faith, or lost it?
Penal Colonist
Example triggers: Survive,
Apply Fists to Faces, Word on Scientist
the Street, Spot Example triggers: Investigate,
A long time ago, you were exiled to a Invent or Create, Get a Hold of
penal colony for a sentence of hard labor. Something, Blow Something Up
When the Third Committee abolished all You were a scientist – private or public,
penal colonies, your prison-planet was – in working in the lab or the field. What was
theory – “liberated”. Unfortunately, nothingyour area of expertise, and for how long
much changed until Union’s relief ships have you practiced it? Where did you
finally arrived. Now free in practice as well study, and what’s your relationship with
as theory, places that had once been off- that institution? Do you have rivals, and
limits were made open to you: Did you are you well-known or relatively obscure?
stay for a time? Or did you choose to How did your home society perceive
leave, heading for the stars or trying to science? How did you become a pilot?
find your way back home? Were you guilty
Importantly, did you work with a powerful
of your crimes, or unjustly condemned?
manufacturer like Harrison Armory, Smith-
Penal colonies were harsh, unforgiving Shimano, or IPS-N? Or did you delve into
environments: Was yours monitored by the uncanny, working in secret with a
some authority, or was it relegated to small, dedicated HORUS cell? What
anarchy even before Union's abolition of secrets do you know?
the system? Was there some kind of
rudimentary society there? Did you have
Soldier
friends and enemies there, and did any of
Example triggers: Assault, Blow
them make it off-world? What about your Something Up, Pull Rank, Take
family – did you have one before your Control
sentence? What has become of them, or Grunt. GI. Ox. Poilu. Man-at-Arms. You
do you not know? were a soldier of the rank and file, serving
Priest in a planetary defense force, local militia,
Example triggers: Read a national army, or royal guard. How long
Situation, Stay Cool, Take did you serve before Union called you up?
Control, Lead or Inspire You What kind of specialty did you train for?
were a priest in your old life, either from a Have you seen combat before, or are you
large, pan-galactic religion, or a smaller green? Were you a volunteer, a conscript,
sect. Were you a hermit? Did you live or a member of a warrior caste? Is
celibate in a monastery? Did you wear soldiering a proud family, civic, or religious
simple cloth robes, or majestic vestments? tradition, or a life that you regret? Where
What restrictions were placed upon you are the other soldiers from your old squad,
by your church? What manner of respect and what is your relationship with them
was afforded to you as a person of the like now?
cloth, and was it your choice to become
one? How did you come to serve as a
pilot?
There are churches everywhere, each
unique in their own ways. Were you a
member of a prominent religion, or a SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
secretive, outlawed one? Did you preach a [23]
Starship Pilot You flew a starship – civilian, corporate, military or
Example triggers: Get Somewhere Fast, Show otherwise. You may have piloted a freighter, a fighter, a
Off, Get a Hold of Something, Hack or Fix shuttle, or a larger ship. Did you have a regular run, or
did you fly anywhere? Were you a member of a crew, or
did you have one of your own? What kind of flying did Example triggers: Survive, Hack or Fix, Get
you do and what eventually happened to your ship? Did Somewhere Fast, Stay Cool
you stick to low and mid-orbit shuttle runs? You grew up on a space station, in tight quarters and a small
community, surrounded always by the unforgiving hard vacuum
Being a pilot is as much a lifestyle as it is a profession: of space. Were resources scarce, or plentiful? Was your station
What was your callsign, and were you known or isolated or was it a local (or galactic!) hub? Was it parked in the
obscure? Was there a rival service, pilot, or group of endless night of deep space, or in orbit above a planet, moon,
pilots that you had friction with? Have you worked with or another stellar body? Was it entirely manufactured, or was it
NHPs or flown in combat? Have you ever seen anything built into an asteroid or moon?
strange out in interstellar space or the total void of
blinkspace? No two stations are alike. Did you grow up watching great ships
dock and depart – exposed to the thousands of languages and
cultures of the galaxy, dreaming of exploration – or did you
Worker grow up in dark, rocky halls, ignorant of the galaxy outside? In
Example triggers: Word on the Street, Stay short, what was your life like, why did you leave, and can you go
Cool, Lead or Inspire, Invent or Create back?
At the end of the day, empire only functions when labor
clocks in. Labor mines the raw materials; labor fashions Spec Ops
stone and metal and organic matter into bolts and Example triggers: Act Unseen or Unheard, Take
screws and glue; labor designs the patterns for printers; Someone Out, Spot, Stay Cool You might have been a
labor shapes and welds, hammers and builds. Without spy or assassin, working alone, or maybe you were part of an
the labor of trillions, all progress would grind to a halt. elite unit, operating behind enemy lines with little-to-no support,
Before you set down the wrench and picked up a helm, equipped with the best equipment your commanders trusted
what kind of work did you do? Did you work in the fields, you with. Your missions were long, dangerous, and never
factories, shipyards, mines, or somewhere else? What publicized. If soldiers are hammers, you were a scalpel.
was your life like before you began training as a pilot? Whatever organization you served, it was spoken only in
Why did you leave? Will you return? Was there a project whispers around military barracks and academies both. What
you worked on that you're especially proud of? Do you work did you do that no one knows was you or your unit? How
have an old crew still working on the clock? What world close has the galaxy come to all-out war? Where have you
did you call home, and what were the working operated? How old are you – really? What secrets do you
conditions there? know? Where is the rest of your team?

Super Soldier
Example triggers: Apply Fists to Faces, Get
Somewhere Fast, Assault, Read a Situation You
are the result of a corporate or state project intended to create
better soldiers using biological enhancement, gene therapy,
neurological enhancement, or even just extreme conditioning.
Were you raised from birth to become what you are, or did you
volunteer as an adult for a super-soldier program? Are you one
of the countless “super soldiers” to be produced by Harrison
Armory’s facsimile-cloning programs? Was the project
sanctioned or not? Did it succeed? Have you tested your
abilities in the field, or are you unproven and eager to see what
you can do?
Under the Third Committee, fewer programs like the one that
created you still operate: Are you happy about that, or do you
think it makes Union weak? What is your relationship to your
makers? Is there a family that doesn't know you exist? Or are
you from a line of mass produced siblings? Were you liberated,
did you surren‐ der, or are you still in the service of the
organization or entity you were made to serve?

[24] SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

Spaceborn

TRIGGERS background, training, and personality

shine through. These moments are your
Apply Fists to Faces or Get Somewhere
Fast. Triggers are always accom‐ panied
As a central character in the story, your pilot’s triggers: short phrases that by a bonus of +2, +4, or +6.
pilot will have moments when their describe key decisions and actions like
When one of your character’s triggers is specific circum‐ stances or actions.
relevant to a skill check, you get a bonus
THE PILOT
to the roll. For example, if you have “+2 to
Apply Fists to Faces” written on your
sheet, any time your character acts in a
way that could be construed as applying
fists to faces, you get +2 to the skill check.
You can only receive a bonus from one
trigger at a time.

Triggers apply to actions that depend on

your pilot’s personal abilities, experience,
training, or background – not actions that
rely on their mech’s specifications. When
taking actions that rely on a mech, mech
skills are used instead.

Triggers are almost always used in

narrative play, and they never apply to
attack rolls, saves, or any rolls other than
skill checks.

Triggers are usually fairly open-ended,

allowing you to apply them in creative
ways. That said, the GM is responsible for
arbitrating outlandish claims. Be prepared
to justify how your Apply Fists to Faces
trigger helps you hack into an electronic
network.
TRACKING TRIGGERS
You only need to write down the triggers
your pilot currently has. Choosing four +2
triggers at LL0, you might end up with a
list like this:

• +2 Threaten
• +2 Get Somewhere Fast
• +2 Lead or Inspire
• +2 Spot

Or you might write them on your sheet as

“+2 to Threaten, Get Somewhere Fast,
Lead or Inspire, and Spot”. That’s it!

MAKING SKILL CHECKS WITHOUT

TRIGGERS Don’t forget, you don’t need a
trigger to make a skill check. You can
always roll 1d20 with no bonuses against
a target number of 10.

CREATING TRIGGERS
With GM approval, you can write your own
triggers. Custom triggers can be more
specific than the examples in this book –
Kill in Cold Blood or Insult Someone, for
instance – but they shouldn’t be more
general. They should always apply to
 SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
[25]
HACK OR FIX PULL RANK
Repair a device or faulty system; alternatively, hack it Pull rank on a subordinate: get information, resources,
wide open, or totally wreck, disable or sabotage it. or aid from them, maybe against their will. Any time
You’re probably hacking or fixing when accessing or you are trying to coerce or convince someone who
safeguarding secure electronic systems, including might respect your authority (military or otherwise),
electronic door locks, computer systems, omninet you might be pulling rank.
servers, and so on.
READ A SITUATION
INVENT OR CREATE Look for subtext, motives, or threats in a situation or
Use tools and supplies to design or build something, person: use intuition to discern someone’s motiva‐
either on the fly or over time; invent new devices, tions, learn who is really in charge, or find out who’s
tools, or approaches to problems. about to do something rash or stupid; get a gut feeling
about a situation or person; sense if someone is lying
INVESTIGATE to you.
Research a subject, or study something in great detail:
learn about a subject of historical relevance, or SHOW OFF
become well-read on a particular issue; investigate a Do something flashy, cool, or impressive, usually – but
mystery or solve a puzzle; locate a person or object not exclusively – with your weapon: shoot a tiny or
through research and detective work. rapidly moving target, shoot someone’s hat off or their
weapon out of their hand, knock someone out by
LEAD OR INSPIRE throwing a gun at them, perform an acrobatic flourish
Give an inspiring speech, or motivate a group of with a sword, throw a spear to pin a fleeing target to
people into action; efficiently and effectively admin‐ the ground.
ister organizations like companies, ship crews, groups
of colonists or mining ventures; effectively command
a platoon of soldiers in battle, or maybe an entire
army. [26]
PATCH EXAMPLE TRIGGERS When creating your
Apply medical knowledge to medicate, bandage a character and leveling up, you can choose triggers from this list
wound, staunch bleeding, suture, cauterize, neutralize or you can use them as inspiration for writing your own. At LL0,
poison, or resuscitate; alternately, diagnose or study your pilot gets four triggers at +2 each.
disease, pathogens, or symptoms.
ACT UNSEEN OR UNHEARD
Get somewhere or do something without detection, but not personal benefit) to get your way: smooth-talk your way past
necessarily quickly: hide, sneak, or move quietly; infiltrate a guards, get people on your side, sway potential benefactors,
facility while avoiding patrols and cameras; perform sleight of talk someone down, mediate between two parties, or blatantly
hand without being seen or heard, including picking pockets, lie to someone. You can also use it when trying to imper‐ sonate
unholstering guns, and cheating at cards; wear a disguise. someone.

APPLY FISTS TO FACES GET A HOLD OF SOMETHING

Punch someone in the face or fight in open, brutal unarmed Acquire temporary or permanent allies, assets, or connections
combat, whether it’s a fist fight, a martial arts duel, or a huge through wealth or social influence; obtain information, food,
brawl. Never subtle, clean, or quiet. materials, or soldiers.

ASSAULT GET SOMEWHERE QUICKLY

Take part in direct and overt combat: fight your way through a Get somewhere quickly and without complications, but not
building packed with hostile mercenaries, trade shots over rain- necessarily quietly: climb, drive, pilot, swim, or perform
slick trenches, fight in chaotic microgravity as part of a boarding acrobatic maneuvers to take a more dangerous shortcut; fall
action, or engage an enemy in the smoking urban rubble of a safely from a great height; move gracefully in zero-g; chase,
city under orbital bombardment. Loud, direct action. flee, outrun, or outpace a target; get somewhere faster than
anyone else.
BLOW SOMETHING UP
Use explosives (improvised or otherwise), weapons, or good
old-fashioned brawn to totally wreck something or turn it into an
enormous fireball.

CHARM SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

Convince a receptive audience or use leverage (money, power,
SPOT
Spot details, objects, or people that are hidden or difficult to make out: notice ambushes, hidden compartments, or disguised
individuals; spy on targets from a distance; make out the details, shape, and quantity of objects, vehicles, mechs, or people in
the distance; track people or vehicles.

STAY COOL
Perform a task that requires concentration, dexterity, speed, or precision under pressure: pick a lock while your squad trades fire
with encroaching guards, care‐ fully disarm an explosive, or unjam a gun under fire.

SURVIVE
Persevere through harsh, hostile, or unforgiving envir‐ onments: the vacuum of space, frozen tundra, a pirate enclave, a crime-
ridden colony, untamed wilderness, or scorching desert. Survival often involves journeys through the wilderness, navigation, or
avoiding natural hazards like carnivorous wildlife, rockfalls, thin ice, or lava fields. You might also try to survive in artificial
environments by navigating safely through a city or avoiding dangerous sections of a space station.

TAKE CONTROL
Use force, violence, presence of will, or direct action to take control of something. The thing you take control of will usually be
something concrete, like an object someone is holding – a gun or a keycard, maybe. You might also take control of a situation,
forcing those present to listen, calm down, or stop whatever they’re doing.
TAKE SOMEONE OUT
Kill or disable someone quickly and quietly, up close and personal or from a distance – probably before they even notice you’re
there. If you’re looking down a sniper scope at a target, preparing to knock out a guard with a strategic nerve-pinch, quick-
drawing during a gun duel, or dropping from a ceiling to slit a throat, you’re trying to take someone out.

THREATEN
Use force or threats to make someone do what you want; name what you want someone to do and what you’re going to do to
them if they don’t listen to you. Threatening someone could also involve blackmail, leverage, or something similarly nasty.
Whatever form it takes, there’s probably no chance of repairing the relationship after you’ve threatened someone.

WORD ON THE STREET

Get gossip, news, or hearsay from the streets, or from a particular social scene.
 SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

THE PILOT
[27]
CREATING A PILOT
To make the pilot part of your character at LL0, just
follow these simple steps:

1. Choose a background: You can create a

background yourself, choose from the list of
backgrounds, or roll a dice to randomly select
one. During narrative play, you can get bonuses
by invoking your pilot’s background.

2. Choose triggers: Choose four +2 triggers,

based on your pilot’s background.

3. Write down your pilot’s combat statistics: SIZE

1/2, 6 HP, 10 EVASION, 10 E-DEFENSE, and 4
SPEED.

4. Choose gear: Before embarking on a mission,

you’ll choose gear for your pilot from the gear list
in the Compendium (p. 108). Pilots can have
armor, up to two weapons, and up to three other
pieces of gear.

[28]
PILOTS IN COMBAT
You will mostly play as your pilot in narrative play, outside of their mech, but there are times you will need to know how your
pilot functions in mech combat. They might need to bail out of their mech during a fight, or you might want to track your pilot’s
HIT POINTS (HP) if they get injured during downtime.

Although pilots operate on a different scale to mechs, they have some of the same statistics: SIZE, HP, EVASION, E-DEFENSE, and
SPEED.

SIZE is how much space a character takes up on the battlefield.

HP is how much damage a character can take before they go down.

EVASION is how hard it is to hit a character with a weapon.

E-DEFENSE is how hard it is to hit a character with electronic systems.

SPEED is how many spaces a character can move at a time.

Pilots have the following statistics:

• HP: 6 + GRIT
• SIZE: 1/2
• EVASION: 10
• E-DEFENSE: 10
• SPEED: 4

Their statistics (especially their HP) might also change if they’re wearing armor.

SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
[29]
THE PILOT
 more than a person on foot. They grant of the way of danger.
[30] their pilots the ability to perform feats of

THE
incredible strength, speed, and resilience SYSTEMS
when skill alone isn’t enough. Roll SYSTEMS when: infiltrating hardened
and powerful electronic systems and
Your lancer has four mech skills that targets, including other mechs; boosting

MECH represent their ability to build, pilot, and or suppressing a signal; engaging in
fight with mechs: electronic warfare; scanning or analyzing
information; boosting or weakening the
Mechanized cavalry units – mechs – are • HULL describes your ability to build and electronic systems of vehicles, mechs,
the primary armored agents around which pilot durable, structurally sound mechs starships, or bases; interacting safely with
many states, agencies and militaries base that can take punches and keep going. electronic life forms; or, analyzing the
their ground forces. • AGILITY describes your ability to build and nature of unfamiliar electronic systems.
pilot fast, evasive mechs.
Depending on their chassis, mechs stand • SYSTEMS describes your ability to build ENGINEERING
anything from 3 to 15 meters tall. They are and pilot advanced mechs with powerful Roll ENGINEERING when: pushing your mech
almost always bi-, quadru-, or hexapedal, electronic warfare capabilities. past its limits; withstanding extreme
and the majority have either one or two • ENGINEERING describes your ability to conditions such as heat, cold, void, or
sets of arms capable of manipulating build and pilot mechs with effective radiation; using your mech’s reactor like a
weapons and interacting with the reactors, supplies and support systems. forge; keeping your mech running well
environment. Some pilots prefer their past its breaking point or for extreme
mech’s weapon systems to be built amounts of time; traveling or moving
SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs safely through hazardous or hostile
directly into the chassis and in some
cases – depending on the system’s size conditions; boosting the reactor output of
and power – this kind of integration might other mechs, starships, or bases; or,
be a necessity. Most mechs are controlled conserving and efficiently using ammo,
by a single pilot, but some larger, highly Mech skills go from +0 to +6 and are power, and other resources.
advanced platforms require additional
crew.
used...
MODULAR MECHS
• ...instead of triggers when you make Mechs are powerful machines, but what
Mechs are agile, quick, and responsive skill checks that directly utilize a mech makes them more powerful – and your
machines for their size. They can traverse (e.g., if you wanted to punch something character more unique than other pilots –
most solid and vacuum environments and with a mech, you would roll HULL instead is your ability to source and combine
their mobility is often augmented by (or of a pilot trigger like ‘Assault’). mech weapons, parts, and gear from
dependent on) maneuvering jets. Still, • ...in mech combat, especially when many different manufacturers. Mechs in
they’re heavy and reliant on internal cold making saves. Lancer are modular: each FRAME comes
fusion generators for power. Mech power • ...for additional bonuses when building with a list of license-restricted gear that,
plants are heavily shielded, reliable, and a mech. once unlocked, can be freely swapped
basically inexhaustible, but should a between all of your mechs. Because of
reactor be compromised the results are When you make a roll that calls for one this customizability, pilots are as much
catastrophic. of these skills, you add the relevant skill experts at building their machines as they
to your roll. are piloting them.
Mechs are common enough in
construction, hazardous materials Your pilot’s access to more and better
HULL
cleanup, exploration, and other roles that Roll HULL when: smashing through or parts increases with their LL. When your
they don’t shock the average person. pilot’s LL increases (up to a maximum of
pulverizing obstacles, vehicles, or
Mechanized cavalry, though, are different: buildings; lifting, dragging, pushing, or 12), you gain +1 license rank that you can
they’re military machines that often have a hurling an enormous amount of weight; spend on a license from a mech
lancer behind the controls - a pilot on the grabbing or wrestling mechs, starships, or manufacturer. Manufacturers offer a range
same level as the knights or flying aces of mech sized creatures; resisting a huge of different licenses, all of which have
old. three tiers – rank I, rank II, and rank III –
amount of force; or, staying upright in
that must be bought in order.
cataclysmic weather.

MECH SKILLS AGILITY Every new rank you obtain unlocks various
Mechs operate on an entirely different Roll AGILITY when: chasing, pursuing, or systems, weapons, and even mechs. At
level to anything else in Lancer. They’re fleeing with incredible speed; performing rank II, you get a new mech FRAME, and
powered, armored hulks of incredible acrobatics in your mech; hiding or moving rank III gives you access to the most
strength, packed full of advanced systems silently; performing a feat of fine manual advanced components. These weapons
and weapons. A mech is capable of far dexterity with your mech; or, dodging out and systems are interchangeable – you
can add as many to your mech as its
FRAME can support, from any license rank SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
you have unlocked.
[31]
THE MECH
For example, an LL5 character with
licenses for the IPS-N Raleigh III and the
SSC Metalmark II has access to every
piece of gear from ranks I–III of the
Raleigh license, and all the gear from
ranks I and II of the Metalmark license.
They could take the Raleigh’s rank I HAND
CANNON and put it on the Metalmark FRAME,
or take the Metalmark’s RAIL RIFLE and put
in on the Raleigh, mixing and matching as
they choose.

GENERAL MASSIVE
SYSTEMS
All pilots, even at LL0, have access to the
GMS-SP1 Everest FRAME and the GMS
gear list. At first, this will be the only gear
available to you – until your character
gains some LLS and unlocks new licenses.
GMS parts are galactic standards, useful
for even high-LL pilots.

WITHOUT LIMITS
You never lose access to mechs or gear
that you’re licensed to use. Your pilot is
assumed to almost always have access to
it by one means or another, whether
influence, patronage, wealth, or rank.

Accessing licensed equipment is made

even easier by advancements in 3D
printing. In Lancer, it’s possible to print
entire mechs wholesale. Even if your mech
is destroyed in battle, you can easily print
a replacement during downtime.

MECH STRUCTURE
MOUNTS FRAMES can have the following types of MOUNTS:

Mechs can only carry a limited number of weapons, Main mounts can take one MAIN or AUXILIARY
determined by their FRAME. Trying to install too many weapon.
weapons – and their supporting systems – places far
too much stress on the mech’s structure and reactor. Heavy mounts can take one HEAVY, MAIN, or AUXIL‐
IARY weapon.
Each mech FRAME has a different number and
different types of mounts. To add a weapon to your Aux/aux mounts can take up to two AUXILIARY
mech, you need an available mount of the right type weapons.
and size. You can, however, add smaller weapons to
larger mounts. For example, you could add a main or Main/aux mounts can take one MAIN weapon and
auxiliary weapon to a heavy mount or add two one AUXILIARY weapon, or two AUXILIARY weapons.
auxiliary weapons to a main/auxiliary mount.
Flexible mounts can take either one MAIN weapon or
up to two AUXILIARY weapons. anything from a heavy siege engine to an agile flier, or even a
cloaking mech that specializes in electronic warfare. These
Integrated mounts are designed around specific effects are expressed by a FRAME’S traits. Think about choosing
weapons, built into FRAMES. They automatically a FRAME as (more or less) choosing the mech your character is
include the listed weapons, which cannot be going to pilot. But remember that you’re not limited to just one
destroyed, removed, replaced, or modified in any FRAME – you can acquire new ones by unlocking rank II
way. licenses.

Superheavy weapons, which are especially large, In game terms, a FRAME is a mech’s modular base. It determines
require both a HEAVY mount and one other mount of your mech’s SIZE, ARMOR, and other specifications, as well as its
any size. available weapon mounts and capacity for additional systems.

Weapons mounted on a mech aren’t necessarily Each FRAME also comes with a unique CORE SYSTEM, a powerful
attached to the chassis – they can be slung in special ability that can typically only be used once per mission.
holsters, built into compartments, or held normally.
You can decide how your mech’s weapons are
mounted – it has no effect on the rules.
SIZE
All mechs, characters, and objects on the battlefield have a SIZE
that describes how large they are, in grid spaces, on each side
(rounded up to 1 if smaller, so a SIZE 1/2 and SIZE 1 character
occupy the same space). SIZE is an abstract measurement – it
doesn’t describe a precise height and width in feet, but the
space a character controls around them. Humans and the
smallest mechs are SIZE 1/2. Most mechs are SIZE 1, but some
are as large as SIZE 3.

[32] ARMOR
Most mechs have two arms and two legs, but you can modify
this basic structure however you choose within reason – just A mech’s ARMOR reduces all incoming damage by that amount,
ask your GM. Your mech’s overall look, structure, and layout excluding some special types of damage. ARMOR mostly
have no bearing on gameplay. depends on your mech’s FRAME, and never goes above four.

Let’s go through each mech component in detail.

FRAMES
The basic structure and components of a mech – its chassis,
armor, and mounts – is called its FRAME. A mech’s FRAME SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
determines its appearance, size, and function, defining it as

WEAPONS their general range and combat function. enemies. What they lack in precision, they
usually make up for in power.
Mech weapons have three traits: size, • Melee weapons are mech-scale swords, • Nexus weapons are reservoirs and
type, and damage. axes, power tools, and other hand-to- projectors for swarms of self-propelled,
hand weapons. A mech’s raw strength canarmed drones.
SIZE turn even crude tools into forces to be
reckoned with. Note: CQB, RIFLES, LAUNCHERS, CANNONS
• Auxiliary weapons are the smallest
mech weapons, light enough to use • CQB (close quarters battle) weapons and NEXUS weapons are Ranged
alongside larger weapons. are those designed for close-range Weapons, and always make Ranged
combat, including pistols, shotguns, Attacks even against targets within their
• Main weapons are the standard size for
mech weapons. flamethrowers, and more exotic weapons THREAT.
like nailguns. They usually have short
• Heavy weapons are larger, heavier
range but are better for reacting quickly to
weapons used to inflict massive damage.
emergent threats.
DAMAGE
• Superheavy weapons are very large Most weapons deal one of three kinds of
weapons with high power requirements; • Rifles are sturdy weapons with good damage:
kinetic , explosive , or
� �
range and stopping power.
they are usually rare or highly advanced. energy . Some special weapons also deal
• Launchers are weapons that fire �
missiles, grenades, or other projectiles. heat (harm to a mech’s internal systems)
TYPE • Cannons are high-caliber weapons �
All weapons have a type that describes useful for inflicting heavy damage on
or burn (damage over time), which are store extra CP, aside from some rare
�
equipment. Instead, you get CP when you
[33]
explained in the Harm section (p. 67).
start a mission or your mech receives a
SYSTEM POINTS FULL REPAIR. Sometimes, if you’re lucky,
the GM might grant you CP during a
Mech FRAMES also have a set number of
mission.
SYSTEM POINTS (SP). SP can be spent to
add extra systems to your mech, and
some heavier weapons require both
mounts and SP. You cannot add systems
to your mech that would cause you to
exceed your available SP.

Your pilot’s GRIT, equal to half their LL, is

added to your total SP, and you gain an
additional SP for every two points of
SYSTEMS.

CORE SYSTEMS
Every FRAME comes with a CORE SYSTEM.
These powerful abilities are unique to each
FRAME, can’t be transferred to other
mechs, and in most cases can only be
used once a mission by consuming CORE
POWER (CP).

CP refers to a reservoir of high-efficiency

reactor power, designed to be used in a
quick burst. This reservoir is essential to
the high-powered systems many mechs
use in emergency situations and heavy
action.
SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
At any given time, a mech either has CP or
STRUCTURE
it doesn’t. There’s no way to save it up or
MECH

IMPROVING MECHS Your pilot’s SYSTEMS affects your mech’s systems and
When your pilot builds a mech, their mech skills electronic warfare abilities. You gain:
allow you to boost some of its statistics. This is your
• +1 E-DEFENSE and TECH ATTACK for each point of
pilot’s unique or personal touch, giving you the ability
SYSTEMS.
to customize a stock FRAME.
• +1 SP for every two points of SYSTEMS.
Your pilot’s GRIT is added to your mech’s HP and SAVE
Your pilot’s ENGINEERING affects heat management and
TARGET, as well as its SP and attack rolls.
ease of repair. You gain:
Your pilot’s HULL affects your mech’s durability.
• +1 HEAT CAP for each point of ENGINEERING.
You gain:
• +1 to the maximum uses of any limited systems
• +2 HP for each point of HULL. or weapons for every two points of ENGINEERING.
• +1 REPAIR CAP for every two points of HULL.

Your pilot’s AGILITY affects your mech’s maneuverab‐

ility. You gain:

• +1 EVASION for each point of AGILITY.

• +1 SPEED for every two points of AGILITY.
 systems, and make tech attacks. If a character is within your
[34] SENSORS and isn’t hiding, you know they’re there – even if you
BASE STATISTICS can’t directly see them.
Different FRAMES have different starting statistics, giving them
unique roles in combat. TECH ATTACK: You add your mech’s TECH ATTACK as a bonus
instead of GRIT when you conduct electronic warfare.
HP AND STRUCTURE: Like your pilot, your mech has hit points
(HP). Your mech, however, isn’t destroyed when it reaches 0 E-DEFENSE: E-DEFENSE is how hard it is for electronic and guided
HP. Mechs have 4 STRUCTURE – when they reach 0 HP, they take weapons and systems to hit you.
1 structure damage and their HP resets. When they lose
STRUCTURE like this, mechs have to make a special structure HEAT CAP AND STRESS: Your mech can take heat from tech
damage check and receive a consequence based on the roll. attacks and some of its own systems. If it takes more heat than
Most mechs have 4 STRUCTURE and are destroyed when they its HEAT CAP, it overheats. Mechs also have STRESS, which is
reach 0 STRUCTURE. similar to STRUCTURE – when they exceed their HEAT CAP, they
take 1 stress damage and clear all heat. When they lose STRESS
REPAIR CAP: REPAIRS are a kind of currency that you can use to like this, mechs have to make a special stress damage check
heal and repair your mech. If your mech runs out of REPAIRS, you and receive a consequence based on the roll. Most mechs have
can no longer regain HP or fix damaged systems in the field. 4 STRESS, and are destroyed when they reach 0 STRESS.

SPEED: Your mech’s SPEED determines how far you can move on SAVE TARGET: When you force another character to make a save,
your turn, in spaces, when you make a standard move or BOOST. they must match or beat your mech’s SAVE TARGET or take
consequences.
EVASION: EVASION is how hard it is for ranged and melee attacks
to hit you.

SENSORS: Your mech’s SENSORS is the maximum distance (in

spaces) over which a mech can detect enemies, use tech
SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs

CORE BONUSES mech and three different rank I licenses,

equaling six in total.
seems.

As your pilot acquires more licenses, they 1. Start by picking a FRAME from the
gain know‐ ledge and skills specific to licenses available to you. The FRAME gives
individual manufacturers and their design TALENTS your mech its base statistics.
philosophies. This specialized know‐ Your pilot’s ingenuity and experience At LL0, you only have access to the GMS-
ledge is represented by core bonuses, piloting a mech are represented by talents SP1 Everest.
unique enhancements that offer – special enhancements that can help
interesting ways to customize your mech. 2. Add bonuses from your mech skills. At
pilots push mechs past their limits. Talents LL0, your character starts with two points
give your pilot benefits or abilities with to spend on mech skills.
Core bonuses are permanent specific weapon types, systems, or styles
improvements that apply to any FRAME of play, allowing you to further define them ▪ HULL: + 2 HP/point; +1 REPAIR CAP/2
your pilot uses. You cannot choose the within the rules and story. With a few points. ▪ AGILITY: +1 EVASION/point; +1
same core bonus more than once, but as exceptions, talents only affect your SPEED/2 points. ▪ SYSTEMS: +1 TECH ATTACK
your pilot progresses, you will be able to character’s capabilities as a mech pilot. and E-DEFENSE/ point; +1 SP/2 points.
choose a range of different bonuses. ▪ ENGINEERING: +1 HEAT CAP/point; +1 use
Talents, like licenses, are measured in for limited gear/2 points.
Your pilot gets a new core bonus every ranks: from rank I to rank III. At LL0, you
three LLS. You can always choose core start with three rank I talents of your 3. Add GRIT to your mech’s HP, SP, attack
bonuses from the GMS list, but for each choice. When your pilot levels up, you can rolls, and SAVE TARGET.
core bonus you choose from another either increase a talent to the next rank You get your first point of GRIT at LL1.
manufacturer, you first need to have three (i.e., from rank I to rank II) or choose a
license ranks with that manufacturer. For 4. Pick weapons and allocate them to your
new talent at rank I.
example, to choose a core bonus from FRAME’S available mounts. Unless they
IPS-Northstar (IPS-N) you would need at have the Unique tag, you can take
You can read the full list of talents and
least three ranks in IPS-N licenses; if you weapons more than once. At LL0, you can
their effects in the Compendium on p. 90.
wanted to choose a second IPS-N bonus, only choose from the GMS weapon list.
you would need at least six ranks in CREATING A MECH 5. Choose systems up to your SP. Unless
licenses. These ranks can be in any they have the unique tag, you can take
Constructing and customizing a mech
combination – for example, you might may seem daunting at first, but broken systems more than once.
have the rank I and rank II license for one down into steps it’s much simpler than it At LL0, you can only choose from the
GMS systems list. SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
[35]
6. Write down your core bonuses, if any. STRUCTURE
You choose your first core bonus at LL3.
MECH
7. Write down your relevant talents.
At LL0, you have three rank I talents.

With that, you’re done!

CREATION EXAMPLE
 SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs Before we move on, let’s take a glance at
[36] what Oda and Raijin might look like at
Let’s put it all together and see a BUILDING THE MECH:
LL3.
character in action. Our example lancer's RAIJIN At LL0, Oda, like all other
name is Taro Oda. pilots, only has access to GMS licenses.
After completing three missions and
Oda’s starting FRAME is the GMS Standard leveling from LL0–LL3, Oda gets three
EXAMPLE CHARACTER: Pattern I Everest, the only FRAME available
talent ranks, three license ranks, three
to LL0 pilots. Oda’s player decides to call
TARO ODA To begin with, Oda’s his mech Raijin. increases to his triggers, three mech skill
player grabs a piece of paper and jots points, and a core bonus.
down Oda’s name and license level - LL0,
Oda’s player looks through the GMS
for now. If this seems a little overwhelming,
weapon list and chooses the HEAVY ANTI-
remember that Oda’s player didn’t need to
MATERIEL RIFLE for the Everest’s heavy
The next step is for his player to choose a choose everything at once – she picks
mount, an ASSAULT RIFLE, a MAIN weapon,
back‐ ground and four triggers. Oda’s them one at a time!
for his main mount, and two TACTICAL
player decides that Oda grew up in the
KNIVES for his auxiliary mount.
colonies, so she writes down Colonist as Since Oda has a rank III license (IPS-N
his background. Oda is also pretty astute Raleigh), he has access to the Raleigh
From Oda’s HULL, Raijin gets +4 HP and
and good at gunplay, so his player FRAME (rank II). Oda’s player also gets to
+1 REPAIR CAP. She also gets six SP, and
chooses the triggers Read a Situation, choose a core bonus from the IPS-N list,
chooses the following customizations:
Spot, Take Someone Out, and Survive, since he now has three license ranks from
each at +2. • Pattern-B HEX Charges (2 SP) that manufacturer. She takes Reinforced
• Rapid Burst Jump Jet System (2 SP) • Frame, which gives Raijin an extra +5 HP.
In play, Oda’s player can invoke his Type-3 Projected Shield (2 SP) Oda’s player now has full access to all of
background to get additional ACCURACY on the systems and weapons in the IPS-N
a skill check, and the GM can invoke Here’s what the Raijin might look like on Raleigh license now.
Oda’s background to increase the DIFFI‐ paper:
CULTY of a roll. TARO ODA
RAIJIN (EVEREST) LL3
Next, Oda’s player writes down some gear HP: 14 (+4 from Hull) BACKGROUND: Colonist
that Oda always brings with him on Repair Cap: 6 (+1 from Hull) TRIGGERS: Read a situation (+6), Spot (+2),
missions. Looking at the list of available Evasion: 8 Speed: 4 Heat Cap: 6 Take someone out (+4), Survive (+2)
pilot gear, she chooses a MEDIUM Sensors: 10 Armor: 0 E-Defense: GEAR: Signature weapon (hunting rifle),
SIGNATURE WEAPON (Oda’s hunting rifle), a 8 Size: 1 Tech Attack: +0 light hardsuit, extra rations, cooking gear
LIGHT HARDSUIT for maneuverability, and TRAITS:
MECH SKILLS: HULL 5 (+10 HP, +2 REPAIR
EXTRA RATIONS. INITIATIVE
1/scene, the Everest may take any quick CAP) TALENTS: Crack Shot (rank II),
Infiltrator (rank I), Leader (rank III)
She gets to distribute two points in mech action as a free action.
skills, so she puts them both in HULL. CORE BONUSES: Reinforced Frame (IPS-N),
REPLACEABLE PARTS
While resting, the Everest can be repaired +5 HP LICENSES: GMS, IPS-N Raleigh (rank
Lastly, Oda’s player gets to choose three at a rate of 1 REPAIR per 1 structure I–III)
talents at rank I. She takes Crack Shot, damage, instead of 2 REPAIRS.
Infiltrator, and Leader. And what does Raijin look like at LL3?
SYSTEM POINTS: 6
Here’s what our example pilot looks like MECH SKILLS Instead of building Raijin with the Everest
on paper so far: Hull: 2 Agility: 0 FRAME, Oda uses the Raleigh. Oda’s player
Systems: 0 Engineering: 0 decides to mount two HAND CANNONS –
TARO ODA weapons from the IPS-N Raleigh license –
MOUNTS
LL0 instead of knives.
AUX: TACTICAL KNIFE
BACKGROUND: Colonist
AUX: TACTICAL KNIFE
TRIGGERS: Read a situation (+2), Spot (+2), MAIN: ASSAULT RIFLE Oda’s player has 7 SP to use (five from
Take someone out (+2), Survive (+2) the Raleigh FRAME and two from Oda’s
HEAVY: ANTI MATERIAL RIFLE
GEAR: Medium signature weapon (Hunting GRIT) and chooses the following upgrades:
Rifle), light hardsuit, extra rations. CORE SYSTEM
HYPERSPEC FUEL INJECTOR • Pattern-B HEX Charges (2 SP, GMS) •
TALENTS: Crack Shot (rank I), Infiltrator
Type-3 Shield (2 SP, GMS)
(rank I), Leader (rank I)
And that’s it – Oda’s ready for his first • Personalizations (1 SP, GMS)
CORE BONUSES: None.
mission! • Rapid Burst Jump Jet System (2 SP,
LICENSES: GMS.
LEVELING UP: ODA AND GMS)

RAIJIN AT LL3 RAIJIN (RALEIGH)

HP: 28 (+5 from core bonus, +10 M35 ‘MJOLNIR’ CANNON
from Hull, +2 from Grit, +2
[37]
from Personalizations) INSTALLED SYSTEMS
Repair Cap: 6 (+2 from Hull) PATTERN-B HEX CHARGES
Evasion: 8 Speed: 4 Heat Cap: 5
Sensors: 10 Armor: 1 E-Defense: RAPID BURST JUMP JET SYSTEM
8 Size: 1 Tech Attack: 0 TYPE-3 PROJECTED SHIELD
TRAITS
PERSONALISATIONS
FULL METAL JACKET
At the end of its turn, if the Raleigh hasn’t
made any attacks or forced any saves, it
can reload all LOADING weapons as a free
action.

SHIELDED MAGAZINES
The Raleigh can make ranged attacks
whenJAMMED.

SYSTEM POINTS: 7 (+2 FROM GRIT)

MOUNTS
AUX: HAND CANNON
AUX: HAND CANNON
MAIN: ASSAULT RIFLE
HEAVY: ANTI-MATERIEL RIFLE CORE SECTION 1 // Building Pilots and Mechs
SYSTEM EXAMPLE
CREATION

SECTION 2

MISSIONS,
UPTIME AND
DOWNTIME
THE STRUCTURE OF PLAY 40 THE
MISSION 42 DOWNTIME 50

THE STRUCTURE OF PLAY

 SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and 18 Inventors, engineers, and test subjects.
[40] Downtime
In Lancer, play sessions are typically 19 Heirs of a famous legacy.
structured around missions: sorties,
actions, or plans with at least one specific
THE FIRST SESSION 20 The only ones who can stop what’s
coming.
objective or goal. Before you start playing, it’s a good idea
to spend some time introducing the pilots WHO GIVES US ORDERS?
and any preexisting relationships between You might also want to have a patron or
A mission always has a clear goal and parent organ‐ ization, in which case that
stakes – you’ll establish both of these them. This section has some techniques
can also be established now. The
before you jump into the action. There’s and prompts for figuring out how your
characters have come together as a following prompts can help you choose if
something that needs doing, and it
group. Once you’ve figured out enough you’re unsure.
probably needs to be done fast. This
creates a natural tension in the story that detail about your charac‐ ters and why
PATRON ROLL 1D20 1–2 Anyone
can only be resolved through the actions they’re together, you should start the first
of the players. Without player intervention, session with the mission brief. who pays us.
the outcome will be radically different –
usually for the worse! If some players don't quite have an angle 3–4 Our commanding officer.
on their char‐ acters, then it’s perfectly
fine to start the first session without firmly 5–6 The hierophant or high priest.
Each mission starts with these steps:
establishing anything. In fact, many
7–8 A corporate patron or sponsor.
• BRIEFING: The mission’s goal is groups prefer to flesh out their characters
established by the players or the GM, and by playing through the first session and 9–10 Our ancient martial code or law; our
GM sets the stakes. seeing what happens.
• PREPARATION: Players build their mechs, duty. 11–12 Our mentor and founder.
pick pilot gear, and make any other WHO ARE WE?
preparations. In the following table, you can find some 13–14 Our local Union administrator and
• RESERVES: Players establish the RESERVES optional prompts to help decide what kind high command.
they are bringing on the mission. of group you’re playing. You can even roll
• BOOTS ON THE GROUND: The players arrive 1d20 and see what it comes up with, or 15–16 The whisperings of a long-dead
on the scene. you can just create your own concept.
monolith. 17–18 Our liege-lord or king.
At the end of each mission – whether it Whatever you decide should explain why 19–20 The elders of our organization.
was a success or otherwise – the pilots your pilots work as a cohesive group,
debrief, level up, and go to downtime, the rather than simply self-in‐ terested
narrative space between missions where individuals.
WHAT’S OUR HISTORY?
they can undertake projects, progress Lastly, you might want to flesh out some
their story, and prepare for the next history and relationships between the
mission. pilots. Adding personal history between
IDENTITY ROLL 1D20 1 An infamous characters creates hooks and oppor‐
Missions, depending on their size, can last private military corporation. 2 Glory- tunities to develop ongoing relationships.
for a whole play session or even several. seeking warriors. Building relationships between player
It’s possible, too – though unlikely – that 3 Union regulars, career soldiers. characters results in more meaningful
your group could do multiple missions in a 4 Union auxiliaries, recruited from a local roleplaying. That said, it’s perfectly fine to
single session. start without any history between
world. 5 Elite agents of a planetary
characters if that’s how you prefer to play
defense force. 6 Enforcers of the law. your game.
The following sections explain each of
7 A gang of criminals, thieves, and
these steps in a little more detail, starting
with the structure of the first session. swindlers. 8 Acolytes of an ancient martial There are a couple of ways you can
order. quickly build some personal history.
9 Devotees of a higher power.
One way is to go around the table and
10 Guardians of an ancient royal lineage. take turns asking one or two other players
11 Corporate security; asset protection. to establish a quick fact about their
12 Explorers of the unknown. characters’ relationships or experi‐ ences
13 Pirate scum. with the character of the player who chose
14 Defenders of the homeland. them. If you like – and you have the time –
you can even flesh out that history with a
15 The vanguard of the rebellion.
short scene or two.
16 Saviors of the weak and helpless.
17 Hungry travelers, in it for the money. Alternatively, players can take turns to ask
the group in general one or two questions 18 Which of you never expected to see
from the table below. Anyone can choose me again?
[41]
to nominate their character.
19 Which of you will support and stand by
No one has to answer the questions,
especially if they don’t know the answer me, no matter what?
yet or if the question makes them
20 Which of you calls me a friend?
uncomfortable. Remember to be
respectful of your fellow players!
PERSONAL HISTORY ROLL
1D20 1 Which of you did I grow up with?

2 Which of you almost killed me once?

3Which of you was I in love with? Do I still

love you?

4Which of you have I served with for some

time? SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
Downtime
5 Which of you distrusts me?
THE STRUCTURE OF PLAY

6Which of you have I gotten drunk with

more than once?

7 Which of you sees me as a mentor?

8Which of you taught me everything I

know about building mechs?

9Which of you was marooned with me on

a hostile planet?

10 Which of you took me on my first

mission?

11 Which of you is most likely to ask me

for advice?

12 Which of you knows a deep secret of

mine? What is it?

13 Which of you thinks they have me all

figured out?

14 Which of you finds me completely

incomprehensible?

15 Which of you is the most curious about

me?

16 Which of you finds me attractive?

17 Which of you thinks they can teach me

a thing or two?
 achieve – might be very different.
[42] 9Cause a distraction to provide cover for a

THE
Alternatively, the players might define a covert mission of utmost importance.
goal without any orders or any direction
from the GM. They might decide that they 10 Assassinate a VIP, discreetly, or in
want to clear out and secure a pirate- broad daylight, to send a message.

MISSION infested asteroid as a new base of

operations for their mercenary company,
in which case that would be their goal.
11 Attack a hostile defensive position to
destroy a key objective.

STAGE ONE: BRIEFING A mission’s success depends on the 12 Board a hostile ship or station and take
A mission briefing takes place at the completion of the goal(s), but missions
it over; or, destroy it.
beginning of every mission. This is when can end without it. Indeed, some missions
your pilots sit down around their consoles, end so poorly that they leave players – or Be the first on the ground on a world
or in their cockpits, a board room, or a their factions – worse off than before they 13
hostile to human life; create a beachhead.
barracks somewhere, and figure out – or embarked. Whether or not a mission is
get told – what needs to be done. successful, characters that survive a
mission always increase their LL by one. 14 Smuggle something safely or securely
This scene doesn’t have to be an actual through hostile territory.
in-character briefing. It can easily be a
conversation between the players and the SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and 15 Hunt down a team of notorious, feared,
GM, taking place entirely out of char‐ Downtime or respected mech pilots.
acter, especially if you need to figure out 16 Provide cover for an evacuation.
some details behind the scenes.
17 Rescue and extract someone from a
The briefing needs to determine a couple
secure or dangerous location, e.g. a
of things: the situation, the mission goal,
and the stakes. prison or warzone.
Here are some example goals for 18 Secure a dangerous location.
THE SITUATION
The GM should present as much inspiration: GOAL ROLL 1D20 1Escort
19 With Union’s backing, liberate a people
information about the situation on the a VIP from a compromised location to a held hostage by their cruel ruler.
ground as they deem relevant to the
players. This can be as in-depth or as new, safer one.
short as needed, but make sure to 20 Make a desperate attempt to stop an
establish clearly what the players know 2Respond to an SOS from an unknown incoming missile or attack.
about the mission at the start of the source with a location noted in the It’s also possible for a mission’s goal to
mission. message. change mid-mission. Maybe more
information comes to light, or there is a
THE GOAL 3Retrieve a valued or strategic object, shift in the mission’s circum‐ stances or
Regardless of what information the GM item, or information from a secure, hostile parameters. This is perfectly normal and
presents, the goal is what the players helps to create dynamic, interesting
location.
hope to accomplish with their mission. stories. The best-laid plans of pilots and
This might be the same as any objectives commanders often break down under the
Investigate a rumor or tip from a valued
set out by the GM, or it might be entirely 4 entropy of combat. Pilots with more than a
different. informant.
couple of live drops to their name know
this and plan accordingly.
For example, the GM might outline a 5Escort a long-flight weapon or ordnance
mission in which the players have received to its target. THE STAKES
orders from a powerful general to hold a Once you’ve chosen a mission goal, it’s
loyalist checkpoint against rebels. If the 6Defend an area expecting an attack (e.g., time to set the stakes – the mission’s
players’ broad objectives align, then their from pirates, hostile alien fauna, etc). possible outcomes and significance.
goal might be to defend the checkpoint;
however, maybe the players don’t like the 7Explore a long-abandoned derelict for The stakes are usually decided by the GM,
general or secretly work for the rebellion, but they can be strongly influenced by – or
artifacts.
or maybe they know that letting the rebels directly related to – the actions, history,
through the checkpoint will be the perfect drives, and backgrounds of player
8Bring down a piece of massive
distraction for them to pursue their real characters. For example, a character who
mission. In any of those cases, their infrastructure (e.g., a bridge, skyhook,
was once a slave might have a much more
group’s goal – what the players hope to dam, etc).
personal stake in stopping slave traders aren’t necessarily final – they might have SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
due to their history. opportunities to change gear mid-mission Downtime
– but it does determine the resources,
THE MISSION
A mission’s stakes are easiest to find by gear, and weapons that they start with.
phrasing them as a question, or several.
Here are some examples: Players can each bring one mech on a
mission, along with clothing, armor, up to
Will the players save the new Frontier two weapons, and up to three other
Shipping Clans settlement on Astrada IV pieces of gear from the gear list. Take a
from total destruc‐ tion at the hands of the look at the Compendium (p. 108) for the
Iron Tigers? Will they learn who’s paying full list of pilot gear.
the Tigers?
In some cases, pilots might not be able to
Will the players discover the location of print or acquire new mechs and
the HORUS cell that has stolen a Harrison equipment during a mission. This can help
Armory HELBOX before they have a create drama and exciting stories. For
chance to activate it? example, a group of pilots who crash-land
in the middle of an alien wasteland while
Will the players successfully escort the trying to find civil‐ ization probably won’t
Union emer‐ gency convoy through the have reliable access to gear. Of course,
raider-plagued Shatir Reef, or will the pilots can always try to trade, barter, build,
humanitarians be torn to pieces like so or acquire extra gear in the course of a
many others? mission.

Will the players be the first to discover the

location of the atemporal artifacts buried
STAGE THREE: RESERVES
beneath the planet’s surface, or will a rival The last thing to do before starting a
acquisition team lock it down before mission is for the players to establish the
them? RESERVES that their pilots are bringing on
this mission, or otherwise have access to
The precise details of the stakes for any in the field.
given mission depend on the kind of
narrative the GM is facilitating. They can RESERVES is an umbrella term for extra
be deeply personal, or broader. They can gear, ammuni‐ tion, support,
be immediate and brutal, or slow and reinforcements, information, access, and
gradual. Some‐ times, the outcome of a everything else that the pilots have
mission can be as simple as surviving an available to them during the mission.
impending attack, crash, or other Reserves are typically acquired during
desperate situation. downtime, but pilots can also be granted
them in the field.
It’s important to start a mission with both
a goal and some stakes established. Not There are no specific rules governing what
only does this give the characters clear counts as RESERVES and what can be
motivations for why they’re embarking on brought on a mission. As long as the GM
a mission, but it also sets up the possible agrees that you can bring it with you, then
consequences of failure and allows the it can be a reserve. Some examples of
RESERVES (and how to acquire them) can be
GM
found in the section on downtimes later in
to push harder if that should come to pass the book (p. 50).
– after all, you knew what the stakes were!
Establishing RESERVES before the mission
STAGE TWO: starts is important because it clearly
shows players and the GM what resources
PREPARATION are available from the beginning. This
Once the brief is complete, players enter prevents unnecessary attempts to acquire
the prepar‐ ation stage. In this stage, theyitems during the mission and arguments
choose the mechs and gear their pilots are over who has access to what. [43]
taking into the field. Their decisions now
STAGE FIVE: ENDING A MISSION Once a mission ends, successfully or otherwise, and
the characters have a moment to breathe, it’s time for
AND DEBRIEF
the debrief. Much like the briefing, the debrief
doesn’t have to be an actual in-character meeting. It
[44]
can easily be an out-of-character conversation STAGE FOUR: BOOTS ON THE GROUND
among the people playing at the table. Once the parameters of a mission have been estab‐ lished – its
goal and stakes clearly outlined, the characters briefed and
There are two things players should do during the debrief: prepared, and RESERVES identi‐ fied – play immediately moves to
the fourth stage: boots on the ground.
1. Level up: All characters move up to the next LL,
representing their improved access to resources, In boots on the ground, the game cuts straight to the moment
income, and clout. when the pilots arrive on the scene. The GM describes the
situation and puts the pilots in the middle of it, ready to take
2. Talk about the mission: This isn’t a necessary action and respond. This jump cuts out unnecessary planning
step but can be helpful for players (and their and stalling and cuts straight to the mission.
characters) to think about what worked and what
didn’t during the session. If there were any notable Putting boots on the ground doesn’t necessarily involve
moments that were fun, interesting, or exciting it throwing the pilots right into combat, and probably shouldn’t
can be helpful to talk about them here as well. Not most of the time. Let’s say the players have embarked on a
only is it good feedback for the GM but also can mission to escort a refugee caravan through a heavily guarded
help validate your fellow players. If you’re going to check‐ point manned by local partisans. The GM could decide
take this step, remember to be respectful – every
to start the mission just as the caravan is ambushed, throwing
session has the potential to be someone’s first
the players right into combat, but instead they decide to start
session or first experience with a situation,
the mission as the players meet up with the caravan outside of
encounter, or choice. Roleplaying is collaborative,
not competitive. the checkpoint, giving the players a little more time to establish
the situation.

Here are some other examples:

The mission is to infiltrate a crownmont – one of the premier’s

city-fortresses – and open an obscure gate, allowing the rest of
their team to sneak in and avoiding a siege. The GM decides
that the mission starts with boots on the ground as the pilots
creep toward the facility, advancing under the cover of night
through ancient siege trenches, swept by klieg lights and enemy
patrols.

The mission is to scout for missing colonists on a newly

founded colony planet. The GM decides the mission starts with
boots on the ground as the pilots make their way through the
jungle, just as they hear unearthly howls in the distance.

The mission is to help guard a diplomatic summit; an R&R

assignment gifted to them by their contract officer. The GM
decides the mission starts with boots on the ground at the
moment in the opening ceremony when the players see a
suspicious figure dart away from the crowd.

SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime

MISSIONS AND one session or several. You might

abandon your original goal in favor of a
From this point, the specifics of the
mission are mostly up to the GM – there
NARRATIVE PLAY new one, or encounter a twist in the story are no strong guidelines here about how
that throws your plans into disarray. to structure it! But in addition to explaining
Once you’ve got boots on the ground, the rules governing narrative play, this
you’re officially on a mission. It could last
section offers plenty of tools, advice, and tension and consequence, and might likely to have limited time to sneak out.
aid for playing in and running a compelling require a skill check. When rolling a RISKY skill check, a
mission. character always suffers the
Skill checks can cover activities as broad consequences (or a lesser version of
or specific as the narrative requires. For them) on any result under 20. A RISKY skill
NARRATIVE PLAY VS. example, a skill check might cover an check still succeeds as usual on 10+, but
MECH COMBAT entire day’s worth of infiltration into a the character suffers consequences
The following section deals with narrative covert facility, or you might instead roll for anyway.
play. This part of a mission is more individual moments of action – sneaking
freeform than mech combat, which is a lot into vents, hacking doors, disabling
more structured. In narrative play, rolls guards, and so on.
tend to accomplish more, scenes cover SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
larger stretches of time, and the outcome Let’s break down the process of making a Downtime
of individual rolls is more important. skill check:
THE MISSION
By contrast, mech combat is turn-based, 1. Name your goal.
tactical combat. Switching from narrative 2. The GM decides the consequences of
play to mech combat is as simple as the failure (e.g., losing time, alerting the
GM declaring it’s on, drawing a map, and guards, getting shot, etc). If there are no
picking who acts first. When you want to consequences, then you automatically
play out turn-based, tactical combat, you succeed.
can swap to mech combat.
3. Determine which triggers activate, if
These two modes of play have different any, and whether you or the GM are
background (+1 or
rules, espe‐ cially for combat. If a fight invoking your pilot’s �
kicks off during narrative play, combat is +1 ).
resolved using skill checks, rather than �
attack rolls. There are no turns, and 4. Roll 1d20 and add any relevant
NPCs don’t get to act on their own modifiers from triggers, ACCURACY, or
initiative; instead, their actions are decided DIFFICULTY. On a 9 or less, you fail to
by the outcome of player rolls. In mech accomplish your goal and suffer the
combat, outcomes are determined using established consequences. On a 10+, you
turn-based, tactical play. Players make accomplish your goal.
attack rolls, track HP and other effects,
and NPCs can act independently. 5. Only roll once to achieve your goal, and
stick with the result (except when you
want to push it; see below).
MAKING SKILL CHECKS
In narrative play, skill checks are used to TEAMWORK
determine the outcome of complicated If people want to help someone carry out
an action, only one character rolls as
situations and actions. They are only makes the skill
required in tense narrative situations and usual. The character that
when making a roll will move the story check gains +1 (no matter how
� many
forward. Your pilot will generally always
people are helping), but everyone helping
succeed in mundane tasks, especially if it
suffers any complications or
relates to their background. You don’t consequences of failure.
need to make a skill check to open a door,
cook a meal, or talk to a superior officer –
DIFFICULT, RISKY, AND HEROIC
unless there’s something complicating ROLLS
your attempt, the outcome might further a Before you roll a skill check, the GM can
situation or relationship in an inter‐ esting decide that the action you’re attempting is
way, or it might answer a question. DIFFICULT or RISKY (or both). A DIFFICULT roll
A barroom brawl, a tense escape, is harder than usual and adds +1
decoding an encrypted message, hacking DIFFICULTY. A RISKY roll has clear and
a computer, talking down a pirate, picking obvious complic‐ ations, even on a
someone’s pocket, distracting a guard, success. For example, if a pilot is trying to
hunting alien wildlife, and flattering the sneak into a heavily guarded facility, the
planetary governor are all examples of GM might decide the roll is RISKY – even if
situations that have some degree of the pilot manages to sneak in, they’re
[45]
Here are some examples of consequences or
complications that might apply to a roll:
[46]
If an action is so hard that success seems outlandish, the GM
can make it HEROIC. A HEROIC roll is only successful on a result
HARM: Damage, injury, or bodily harm. If you try to
of 20+, and the character making the attempt also suffers
take control of the gun someone’s pointing at you
consequences if the result is less than 20. If the GM wants to
and fail, you’re probably going to get hurt. Most of push things even further, a HEROIC roll can also be DIFFICULT.
the time, established harm results in 1–2 damage, Pilots that accomplish such tasks are the stuff of legend.
but getting shot at close range could cause 3–4
damage and truly deadly harm might cause 6 The GM may always declare that a skill check can’t be made
damage or more. under the current circumstances. No matter how good your
Apply Fists to Faces trigger is, you probably can’t punch
TIME: The action takes longer than usual. In a calm through a starship hull with your bare hands.
environment, you can hack any console – and this
one is no exception – but under fire and half TRYING AGAIN AND PUSHING IT
dressed, it’s going to take a lot longer. An unsuccessful skill check doesn’t necessarily equate to
outright failure, but it does mean that you have failed to
RESOURCES: Something must be used up, lost, or accomplish your goal. If you do fail a check, you cannot attempt
temporarily exhausted. This could be something the same activity again unless the narrative circumstances have
concrete like running out of ammunition, losing a changed (e.g., time has passed, you have new gear, a different
map, or your gun jamming, or it might be a social approach, or additional help, etc) or you push it.
resource – reputation, political power, favor, and so
on – that you need to spend in the process of As long as a skill check isn’t RISKY, you can make a second
completing your objective. attempt to achieve the goal of a failed skill check in the same
circumstances. This is called pushing it. However, if you do
COLLATERAL: Someone or something other than this, the skill check immediately becomes RISKY. If the situation
yourself or your intended target takes harm or injury, is already RISKY, you can’t push it further unless the GM allows
or is put in danger. This could be an innocent it, in which case the skill check becomes HEROIC. A HEROIC
bystander, an ally, the whole building, or an organiz‐ check can never be pushed further.
ation you belong to.
CONSEQUENCES
POSITION: Your actions put you in a worse position: When you roll less than 10 on a skill check (or less than 20 on
right in the line of fire, clinging to the edge of a cliff, a RISKY skill check), you suffer the estab‐ lished consequences.
in the bad graces of the baron, or under a spotlight. Since NPCs don’t act on their own in narrative play, these
complications and consequences are the main tools the GM
EFFECT: Your action is less effective than intended. If has for responding to player action.
you’re trying to kill someone, you merely injure them.
Before a roll is made, the GM must outline the consequences of
If you’re trying to sneak away undetected, you make
failure. They can only inflict consequences that are clearly
a lot more noise than you hoped. If you’re fixing a
established this way. The nature of the consequences depends
broken door, it only opens for a few people at a time.
on the skill check and situation. For example, if you’re trying to
take someone out with a sniper rifle at 200 meters and they
And here are some examples of what these
have no way to see you or fire back, it’s unlikely that failing the
consequences might look like in practice:
roll will immediately result in you being shot. If you’re in a melee
struggling over someone else’s gun, the possibility of getting
HARM: A player makes a skill check to knock out
shot is much higher.
someone who just drew a knife on them. They fail
their roll, meaning they don’t knock their target out
and they take a nasty slash for 2 damage.

TIME: A player makes a RISKY skill check to charm

the baron’s seneschal into granting them an
audience. They succeed, but don’t get 20+: the
baron lets them stew for a few hours, but finally
meets with them. As a result, the players miss their
appointment with a weapons broker. SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime
RESOURCES: A player makes a skill check to the player runs out of medical supplies COLLATERAL: A player fails a skill check to
patch up an NPC’s wounds, and fails. Not trying to treat them. blow up a door. The door’s blown open,
only does the NPC bleed out and die, but but the whole building starts to collapse.
POSITION: While infiltrating a hidden base, a is calculated based on the number of SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
player makes a RISKY skill check to rounds “won” by the players. For instance, Downtime
assassinate a target with a sniper rifle. an extended challenge with three rounds
THE MISSION
They succeed but don’t get 20+. They kill might require the players to gain the
their target but have to fire several times, baron’s, plant information in the baron’s
alerting the entire base. castle, and then sabotage the gate. The
players are only truly successful if the
EFFECT: A player makes a RISKY skill check majority of these tasks – two out of three,
to sabotage a security system and in this case – are accomplished.
succeeds, but doesn’t get 20+. They only
manage to shut it down for five minutes,
giving their team limited time to act.
PLAYER INITIATIVE & NPC
ACTION In narrative play, players
SKILL CHALLENGES always have the benefit of initiative – the
When a group of players are working chance to act first. This means that the
together to achieve an objective, the GM can’t ask for rolls until prompted by
outcome is determined by a skill player action. To initiate a skill check,
challenge. Everyone involved makes a players must name a goal – what they
relevant skill check, and success is hope to achieve – then the GM can ask for
determined by the propor‐ tion of a roll and decide if it’s ordinary, DIFFICULT,
successful rolls. If more players succeed RISKY, or HEROIC. After the roll is made and
than fail, the challenge is a success; if any consequences enacted, the players
more players fail than succeed, the have the opportunity to act (or not) once
challenge is a failure. If the same number more, probably with a ‘What do you do?’
of players succeed and fail, the success from the GM.
hangs on a razor’s edge – flip a coin or roll
a dice to determine whether the challenge In practice, this lets players decide the
succeeds or fails. course of action and ensures that each roll
has clearly estab‐ lished stakes and
Here are some examples of skill parameters – it helps the game feel fairer
challenges: and prevents unnecessary rolling.

Infiltrating a guarded facility: Success If the players fail to take action, stall, or
means everyone gets into the facility pass off responsibility, then they are
unnoticed; failure means the guards are effectively turning initi‐ ative over to the
alerted. GM. Any time the players look to the GM
to see what happens next, the GM can
Gaining the baron’s favor: Success move the story forward without player
means the group receives a private action.
audience with the baron; failure means
they are thrown out by rival nobles who Similarly, NPCs don’t take action or make
have noticed their meddling. rolls in narrative play. Their behaviors are
based on the outcome of player rolls. For
Traversing the wastes: Success means example, if a player character lies to an
they cross the wastes unharmed; failure NPC, the NPC doesn’t get to make a roll
means they cross the wastes, but it’s a to figure out if they’re being lied to. As
harrowing journey and they arrive with no long as the player is successful, the NPC
supplies, food, or water. doesn’t see through the deception; if the
player does fail, the NPC notices the
Challenges are ideal when players (and obvious lies. If the GM feels like the NPC
GMs) want to extend the narrative impact is particularly astute or insightful, able to
of rolls. easily see through lies, they might decide
For plans with several distinct stages, an the skill check is DIFFICULT, RISKY, or both.
extended challenge might be
appropriate. An extended chal‐ lenge has
several rounds of rolling, and the outcome [47]
the pilot’s goal is ‘kill the guard’ and they succeed, can make the roll RISKY or DIFFICULT, or else ask for a
they kill the guard. If an NPC is especially well-pro‐ different approach. For example, trying to take out a
tected, trained, or otherwise hard to take out, the GM guard in a tower with just a combat knife might be
nearly impossible, but doing it with a silenced sniper
rifle probably isn’t even RISKY.
[48]
COMBAT IN NARRATIVE PLAY When combat
If you want combat in narrative play to be a bit more takes place in narrative play, the normal rules for skill checks
structured, you can use skill challenges, with different apply. This allows combat to play out more like a movie than a
checks representing different parts of a fight. For tactical game. When resolving combat narratively, you don’t
example, the GM might ask players to make a skill need to track turns or make attack rolls, and the whole combat
check to cross open ground, assault the watch tower, might be over in just a few rolls. If there are no mechs involved,
then take out the turret that’s raining fire on them. it’s almost always preferable to resolve combat this way.

If mechs are involved in combat or you want to get Here are some examples of combat in narrative play:
into serious detail, then you might be engaging in
mech combat rather than narrative play. Ava Rhys is negotiating with the Black Star Bandits, trying to
secure the release of a hostage they’ve been contracted to
HIT POINTS, DAMAGE, AND INJURY rescue. The negotiations go sour when Ava fails her skill check
A pilot’s HP is most relevant during mech combat, but to charm the bandit captain, and the bandits tell them to drop
they can also get hurt and take damage as a result of their weapons. Ava decides to shoot the closest bandit,
hopefully giving her a chance to flee. Since she has the element
complications during skill checks.
of surprise, the GM decides the roll isn’t Risky. Ava rolls 15 on
At LL0, pilots have 6 HP. As they level up, they add her skill check, gunning down the bandit and getting away with
no complications.
their GRIT to their HP and can also get bonus HP from
armor.
Daniel “Inky” Boyd “accidentally” gets in a bar fight. He wants to
knock out the guy that just insulted his crew. The GM decides
HP doesn’t equate directly to a certain level of injury;
the roll isn’t Risky, but it is Difficult since the other guy is pretty
it represents how far a pilot is from death, not only in
big. Inky rolls a 7, failing to take out his opponent and getting
terms of bodily health, but also in terms of their ability
clocked in the face for 1 damage.
to duck, dodge, and avoid damage, and their sheer
luck. A pilot who takes damage doesn’t necessarily
In the middle of a pitched battle, on foot, Khan decides to take
sustain a physical injury. They might instead draw on control of the gun emplacement that’s raining hell down upon
their stamina, luck, or quick reflexes to avoid a his allies. The GM decides this is a Risky venture. Khan gets a 9
wound, but they can’t do that forever. on the roll, failing. The soldiers defending the emplacement turn
the gun on him, preventing him from getting any closer. Worse,
Consequences and complications from skill checks Khan watches as some members of his squad are gunned down
only deal damage if they would be sufficient, narrat‐ in the ill-advised assault.
ively, to hurt or kill someone. Things like minor grazes,
a glancing punch, bruises, and so on don’t deal Lin Yating, callsign “Marigold”, leads a platoon of troops in a
damage, although they could cause other issues. jury-rigged escape pod on an attempt to board and take control
of an enemy ship. The GM decides the maneuver is almost
Here’s what damage to a pilot looks like in narrative impossible but so daring that it deserves a Heroic roll. Marigold
play: leads the charge, rolling a 21 against all odds. They successfully
fight their way to the command center, and their enemies
• Minor damage is 1–2 damage. Minor damage immedi‐ ately surrender and hand over control of the ship.
might be a result of being shot by small arms fire,
stabbed, punched, or being hit by a flying rock. Like other skill checks, failed combat skill checks can’t be
• Major damage is 3–5. Major damage might be repeated until the circumstances change. For example, if Taro
dealt by assault and heavy weapons, long falls, gets in a bar fight and fails to knock out his opponent, he can’t
toxic gas, or exposure to vacuum. try again until he changes his approach or the situation
• Lethal damage is 6+. Lethal damage is changes. He could do this several ways, such as by picking up
catastrophic – a pilot might receive it if a mech a bar stool or getting some of his friends to help out.
falls on them, they’re hit by a mech-scale
weapon, or a grenade blows up under them. Don’t worry about calculating precisely how much damage is
dealt to NPCs during narrative combat – if

SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime

Pilots can have ARMOR of 1 or 2. Armor is weapon (i.e. a weapon with the AP tag) or lava, or exposure to a vacuum.
subtracted from any damage they take, is caused by something particularly
unless it’s dealt by an armor-piercing dramatic, like a long fall, immersion in DOWN AND OUT
If your pilot is ever reduced to 0 HP, roll SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
1d6: Downtime
[49]
THE MISSION
• On 6, your pilot barely shrugs off the hit
(or it’s a close call) – they return to 1 HP.
• On 2–5, your pilot gains the DOWN AND
OUT status (and the STUNNED condition) and
remains at 0 HP. They are unconscious,
pinned, bleeding out, or otherwise unable
to act. If you’re in mech combat, they are
Stunned and their EVASION drops to 5. If
they take any more damage – from being
shot in the head, for instance – they die.
• On 1, your pilot’s luck has run out – they
die immediately.

On a roll of 2–5, you can choose for your

pilot to die rather than becoming DOWN AND
OUT.
If a character spends an hour resting with
no strenuous activity, they regain half of
their maximum HP. If they’re DOWN AND
OUT, they recover and come back to
consciousness. It takes at least 10 hours
and a FULL REPAIR to recover all HP.

If your pilot dies, it might not be the end

for them. Death is addressed in more
detail in the section on mech combat.

As a general rule, outcomes should be informed by boss of the Red Dog Triad, a local crime syndicate.
narrative context. A roll made for an activity that takes Etcher knows his next mission might take them
place over several months will usually have a greater through Red Dog territory. He makes some checks
effect than an action that takes a few seconds. If a (and some promises) and gets in the boss’s good
character only has a few days of downtime to learn a graces. The GM gives Etcher’s player some RESERVES:
new martial art, they might not become an expert, but
they will probably be familiar with the standard moves • WEAPONRY: I’ve borrowed a coldcore sniper rifle (a
and techniques. If downtime skips ahead six months, HEAVY SIGNATURE WEAPON) from the Triad, just for
though, that character might actually be a pretty good this job.
martial artist by the beginning of the next mission. • BACKING: I have the Triad’s backing. If someone
messes with me, I can invoke that.
• INFORMATION: Thanks to the Triad’s spy networks, I
RESERVES can ask the GM what kind of enemies we might
Downtime can be used to prepare RESERVES for the
run into during the mission.
next mission. RESERVES covers anything being held as
an advantage for the next mission, including extra ROBIN CONNERS
supplies, gear, support, bonuses, allies, and so on. Robin decides to do some scouting during downtime,
The GM can grant RESERVES at any time it makes scavenging a strange, abandoned derelict for supplies.
sense – for instance, when a group’s patron gives After some harrowing exploration and a few skill checks,
them extra supplies for a mission – but players can the GM asks her to write down some RESERVES:
also ask for RESERVES by making downtime actions.
• AMMO: I’ve recovered extra ammo cases, giving
Here are some examples of RESERVES in play: me +1 use for all limited weapons.
• NANOMATERIALS: I found some strange nanomaterials,
ETCHER RONEN
giving my mech +2 REPAIR CAP this next mission.
During downtime, Etcher negotiates with the powerful
• CONNECTIONS: I’ve got a lot of material I could use as actions, and freeform play.
leverage to get us a meeting with the local smuggling
guild without having to make a skill check. Downtime actions are defined activities that allow players to
accumulate RESERVES for the next mission. Each player gets a
limited number of these actions – usually one, but sometimes
two for especially long periods of downtime. If the players are
[50] under siege, for example, they probably only have time for a
single action. The kinds of actions that characters can take are

DOWNTIME outlined below.

But the purpose of downtime isn’t just to prepare for the next
mission – it’s also for players to tell personal stories, advance
Pilots are people – exceptional people, but people nonetheless
plots, and flesh out characters. Players can do as much
– who have lives to live outside of their mechs. It’s assumed in
freeform roleplaying as they like during downtime – maybe
Lancer that your pilot has plenty of business to take care of
making skill checks, maybe just talking and interacting. Even if
between missions, although the precise nature of that business
their actions are totally unrelated to preparing for a mission, the
depends on the players, the GM, and the narrative.
GM can still feel free to reward this kind of play in ways that will
help them in the field. For example, even if Pan and Penny
Some stories don’t have space for much downtime – perhaps
simply go drinking at a bar together with no intent to prepare
the characters are on a planet under siege and have little time
something, gain RESERVES, or take downtime actions, the GM
to pursue other projects. Others will have much more,
might decide that their new bond grants them +1 ACCURACY on
potentially even skipping ahead several months between
skill checks to help each other during the next mission.
missions and allowing char‐ acters many opportunities to
pursue their goals.
TIME AND DOWNTIME
There always has to be some downtime between missions, Downtime is almost entirely narrative and doesn’t usually focus
even if it’s only a few hours. This space allows players to on every moment of action. Depending on the situation, one roll
prepare for the next mission and take actions that will shape the in downtime might cover any amount of time, from an hour to a
ongoing story. few months.

STRUCTURED AND FREEFORM PLAY There

SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime
are two components to downtime: structured downtime
Over the next few pages are some available depends on the GM, player when rewarding RESERVES, the GM doesn’t
examples of RESERVES. Some are relevant actions, and the story. necessarily have to pick from that list.
for mechs, some for pilots, and some for
While choosing RESERVES for a mission, if
the story. Whatever they are, reserves can typically
the GM is using a list – whether it’s one
be used for the duration of the next
from this book or their own – it’s helpful
Don’t take these examples as set in stone mission only. Once that mission’s over,
for it to be visible to everyone. This
– they’re ideas for the kind of resources they're gone!
ensures players have a good idea of what
that might be avail‐ able to a group of
might be available to them. Of course, DOWNTIME
lancers. The type and quantity RESERVES

ROLL 1D20
RESOURCES 1-2 Access A keycard, invite, bribes or insider access to a particular location.
3-4 Backing Useful leverage through political support from a powerful figure. 5-6 Supplies Gear allowing easy
crossing of a hazardous or hostile area.
7-8 Disguise An effective disguise or cover identity, allowing uncontested access to a location. 9-10
Diversion A distraction that provides time to take action without fear of consequence. 11-12 Blackmail
Blackmail materials or sensitive information concerning a particular person. 13-14 Reputation A good
name in the mission area, prompting good first impressions with the locals. 15-16 Safe Harbor
 Guaranteed safety for meeting, planning, or recuperating.

17-18 Tracking Details on the location of important objects or people.

19-20 Knowledge An understanding of local history, customs, culture, or etiquette.

MECH EQUIPMENT AND GEAR ROLL 1D201-2 Ammo Extra uses (+1 or +2) of a LIMITED
weapon or system.
3-4 Rented gear Temporary access to a new weapon or piece of mech gear. 5-6
Extra repairs Supplies that give a mech +2 REPAIR CAP.

7-8 CORE battery An extra battery that allows a second use of a mech’s CORE SYSTEM.

9-10 Deployable shield A single-use deployable shield generator – a SIZE 1 deployable that grants soft
cover to all friendly characters in a BURST 2 radius.

11-12 Redundant repair The ability to STABILIZE as a free action once per mission.

+1 ACCURACY to skill checks made with one skill – HULL, AGILITY,

13-14 Systems reinforcement SYSTEMS or ENGINEERING.

15-16 Smart ammo All weapons of your choice can be fired as if they are SMART. 17-18 Boosted servos IMMUNITY to the SLOWED
condition.

19-20 Jump jets During this mission your mech can FLY when moving, but must end movement on land. SECTION 2 // Missions,

Uptime and Downtime

[51]
TACTICAL ADVANTAGES ROLL 1D20

1-2 Scouting Detailed information on the kinds of mechs and threats you will face on the mission, such as
number, type, and statistics.

3-4 Vehicle Use of a transport vehicle or starship (e.g., a TIER 1 NPC with the VEHICLE or SHIP template.

5-6 Reinforcements The ability to call in a friendly NPC mech of any Tier, once per mission.

Equipment that allows you to ignore a particular battlefield

7-8 Environmental shielding hazard or dangerous terrain, such as extreme heat or cold.

9-10 Accuracy Training or enhancement that provides +1 ACCURACY to a particular mech skill or action for
the duration of this mission.
 11-12 Bombardment The ability to call in artillery or orbital bombardment once during mech combat (full
action, RANGE 30 within line of sight, BLAST 2, 3d6 explosive damage).
A custom harness that allows you to carry an extra pilot
13-14 Extended Harness weapon and two extra pieces of pilot gear for the duration of
this mission.

15-16 Ambush Intel that allows you to choose exactly where your next battle will take place, including the
layout of terrain and cover.

17-18 Orbital Drop The ability to start the mission by dropping from orbit into a heavily fortified or hard to
reach location.

19-20 NHP Assistant A non-human person (NHP) – an advanced artificial intelligence – controlled by the GM,
that can give you advice on the current situation.

SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime

[52]
DOWNTIME ACTIONS Unlike skill checks, downtime actions havetolerance), Charm (impressing the locals),
specific outcomes depending on whether or Word on the Streets (eavesdropping
Downtime actions represent specific you succeed, fail, or roll 20+, and most for gossip).
activities undertaken by pilots between ask you to choose from a list of possible
missions. Unless the downtime takes outcomes. Even though downtime actions
place over an especially long period, aren’t skill checks, triggers can still be
players usually only get to make one used to get bonuses when rolling. For
downtime action per downtime. example, the GET A DAMN DRINK action
might benefit from Survive (alcohol
Although the outcomes of downtime opportunity, or merely buy some time and SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and
actions depend on the roll, it’s up to the breathing room for you and your group. Downtime
GM and player to flesh out the details You might be trying to dodge some heat,
DOWNTIME
using the provided prompts. You can go survive stranded in the wilderness, or
into as much detail as you want about cause a distrac‐ tion so another plan can
what actually takes place. reach its climax. You can use that
distraction or bought time as RESERVES for
In addition to the downtime actions the next mission.
provided here, you can also easily create
new ones that are more relevant to your Describe your plan and roll:
particular game or story. Use these ones
as starting points! On 9 or less, you can only buy a little
time, and only if drastic measures are
POWER AT A COST taken right now. Otherwise, whatever
When you seek POWER AT A COST, you’re you’re trying to stave off catches up to
trying to get your hands on something. you.

Name what you want. You can definitely On 10–19, you buy enough time, but the
get it, but depending on the situation becomes precarious or
outlandishness of the request, the GM desperate. Next time you get this result for
chooses one or two: the same situation, treat it as 9 or less.

• It’s going to take a lot more time than On 20+, you buy as much time as you
you thought. • It’s going to be really damn need, until the next downtime session.
risky. Next time you get this result for the same
• You’ll have to have to give something up situation, treat it as 10–19.
or leave something behind (e.g., wealth,
resources, allies). • You’re going to piss GATHER INFORMATION
off someone or something important and When you GATHER INFORMATION, you poke
powerful. your nose around, perhaps where it
• Things are going to go wildly off-plan. • doesn’t belong, and invest‐ igate
You’ll need more information to proceed something – conducting research,
safely. • It’s going to fall apart damn soon. following up on a mystery, tracking a
• You’ll need more resources, but you target, or keeping an eye on something.
know where to find them. You might head to a library or go under‐
• You can get something almost right: a cover to learn what you can. Whatever it
lesser version, or less of it. involves, you’re trying to GATHER
INFORMATION on a subject of your choice.
This is a straightforward way to acquire You can use information gained as
RESERVES, opportunities, and additional RESERVES.
resources. You might want something
directly useful for a mission; some‐ thing Name your subject and method, and
more abstract, like time, safety, roll:
information, allies, or support; something
practical, like a base of operations, On 9 or less, choose one:
materials, shelter, or food; or, even some‐ • You get what you’re looking for, but it
thing as simple as a damn pack of gets you into trouble straight away.
cigarettes. • You get out now and avoid trouble.

On 10–19, you find what you’re looking

You can also use POWER AT A COST during for, but choose one:
missions for similar effects. Other • You leave clear evidence of your
downtime actions generally can’t be used rummaging. • You have to dispatch
during missions, but your group can adapt someone or implicate someone innocent
them if desired. to avoid attention.

BUY SOME TIME On 20+, you get what you’re looking for
When you BUY SOME TIME, you try to stave with no complications.
[53]
off a reck‐ oning, extend a window of
GET CREATIVE When you GET CREATIVE, you tweak something or try to
make something new – either a physical item, or a piece When you GET A DAMN DRINK, you blow off some steam, carouse,
of software. Once finished, you can use your new and generally get into trouble. You might be trying to make
creation as RESERVES. connections, collect gossip, forge a reputation, or even just to
forget what happened on the last mission. There’s usually
Describe your project and roll: trouble.
On 9 or less, you don’t make any progress on your
State your intention and roll:
project. Next time you get this result for the same
project, treat it as a 10–19. On 9 or less, decide whether you had good time or not; either
way, you wake up in a gutter somewhere with only one
On 10–19, you make progress on your project, but remaining:
don’t quite finish it. You can finish it during your next • Your dignity.
downtime without rolling, but choose the two things • All of your possessions.
you’re going to need: • Your memory.
• Quality materials.
• Specific knowledge or techniques. On 10–19, gain one as RESERVES and lose one: • A good
• Specialized tools. reputation.
• A good workspace. • A friend or connection.
• A useful item or piece of information.
On 20+, you finish your project before the next • A convenient opportunity.
mission. If it’s especially complex, treat this as 10–19,
but only choose one. On 20+, gain two from the 10–19 list as RESERVES and don’t lose
anything.
Your project doesn’t have to be something from the
gear list, but it usually can’t be as impactful as a piece You can only make this action where there’s actually a drink to
of mech gear. get (e.g., in a town, station, city, or some other populated area),
or some other kind of entertainment.

[54] SECTION 2 // Missions, Uptime and Downtime

GET A DAMN DRINK
GET FOCUSED skill or something personal to your reputation.
When you GET FOCUSED, you focus on character.
increasing your own skills, training, and When your organization directly assists
self-improvement. You might practice, GET ORGANIZED with an activity, you may add either its
learn, meditate, or call on a teacher. When you GET ORGANIZED, you start, run, or EFFICIENCY or INFLUENCE as a statistic bonus
improve an organization, business, or to your skill check. EFFICIENCY is used when
Name what you want to learn or other venture. performing activities related to your
improve (e.g., a skill, technique, academic organization’s FOCUS. INFLUENCE is used
subject, or language). The GM will give State your organization’s purpose or when acquiring assets, creating
your pilot a new +2 trigger based on your goal, and choose a FOCUS: military, opportunities, or swaying public opinion.
practice and training. For example, the scientific, academic, criminal, Advantages gained with the help of your
trigger could be +2 Playing Chess or +2 humanitarian, industrial, entertainment, or organization can be used as RESERVES.
Dancing. You can also improve a trigger political. It begins with +2 in either
from +2 to +4 or +4 to +6 by taking this EFFICIENCY or INFLU‐ ENCE and +0 in the Each downtime after the first, roll:
downtime action. other, with a maximum of +6. EFFICIENCY
determines how effectively your organiza‐ On 9 or less, choose one or your
This action can be used to learn tion conducts activities within its scope organization folds immediately:
something like starship piloting, cooking, (e.g., a military organization with high
chess, boxing, history, or etiquette. It efficiency would be good at combat).
should usually be a specific non-martial INFLUENCE is its size, reach, wealth, and
• Your organization loses 2 EFFICIENCY and a good old-fash‐ ioned face-to-face
2 INFLUENCE, to a minimum of 0. If both are conversation.
[55]
already at 0, you may not choose this.
• Your organization needs to pay debts, SCROUNGE AND BARTER
make an aggressive move, or get bailed When you SCROUNGE AND BARTER, you try to
out. You choose which, and the GM get your hands on some gear or an asset
decides what that looks like. by dredging the scrapyard, chasing down
rumors, bartering in the local market, or
On 10–19, your organization is stable. It hunting around.
gains +2 EFFI‐ CIENCY or INFLUENCE, to a
maximum of +6. You might want some better pilot gear, a
vehicle, narcotics, goods, or other
On 20+, your organization gains +2 sundries. It needs to be something
EFFICIENCY and +2 INFLUENCE, to a maximum physical, but doesn’t necessarily have to
of +6. be on the gear list. If you get it, you can
take it on the next mission as RESERVES.
You must roll for your organization every
downtime after starting one, but the roll
Name what you want and roll:
doesn’t count as a downtime action.
On 9 or less, you get what you want, but
GET CONNECTED
choose one:
When you GET CONNECTED, you make
connections, call in favors, ask for help, or • It was stolen, probably from someone
drum up support for a course of action. who’s looking for it.
You can use your contacts’ resources or • It’s degraded, old, filthy, or
aid as RESERVES for the next mission. malfunctioning. • Someone else has it
right now and won’t give it up without
Name your contact and roll: force or convincing.
On 9 or less, your contact will help you,
but you’ve got to do a favor or make good On 10–19, you get what you want, but
choose the price you need to pay:
on a promise right now. If you don’t, they
won’t help you. • Time.
• Dignity.
On 10–19, your contact will help you, but • Reputation.
you’ve got to do a favor or make good on • Health, comfort, and wellness.
a promise afterwards. If you don’t follow
through, treat this result as 9 or less next On 20+, you get what you’re looking for,
time you get it for the same organization.

On 20+, your contact will help you, no no problem. SECTION 2 // Missions,

strings attached. Treat this result as 10–19
next time you get it for the same
Uptime and Downtime
organization.

To take this action, you need to be within

comms range or somewhere you can have DOWNTIME

SECTION 3

MECH COMBAT
COMBAT BASICS 58 TURN-BASED
COMBAT 60 PILOTS IN MECH COMBAT
74 QUICK COMBAT REFERENCE 76
STATUSES AND CONDITIONS 77 WEAR
AND TEAR 80
 COMBAT BASICS
CHARACTERS AND [58]
It’s entirely possible to play through a session of Lancer without
OBJECTS even touching a mech, let alone mech combat. Some groups
There are two kinds of entities that mechs are likely to prefer a game focused more on roleplaying and politics, in
interact with during combat: characters and objects. which most conflicts are decided with skill checks.

Broadly speaking, a character is anything capable of That said, lancers have a particular talent, and it’s one that’s
taking independent action. This includes player char‐ bound to come up during missions: fighting in mechs. Even if
acters (PCs) – the pilots and mechs controlled by the you’re playing a more narrative game, there are times you’ll find
players – and non-player characters (NPCs), which that you want combat to be more tactical, and for each decision
are controlled by the GM. As long as they can take to matter more; you’ll want to test out your ingenuity, and put
independent actions or reactions, non-sentient char‐ your mech-building and fighting skills to good use. That’s the
signal that it’s time for mech combat.
acters like drones and automated turrets can also be
characters.
Unlike narrative play, mech combat is tactical and turn-based.
It’s also primarily about mechs – you can certainly use the mech
Characters can be hostile or allied depending on
combat rules for fights between pilots, but the options are far
their attitude towards you (rather than your attitude to
less interesting.
them). You never count as an allied character to
yourself.
There are a couple of key differences between using the mech
combat rules to play out combat and playing it out narratively:
An object is anything that isn’t a character and that
isn’t held, worn, or otherwise part of a character. This
In mech combat, instead of using triggers and skill checks to
includes both terrain features (e.g., walls, boulders, determine the outcome of conflicts, you use attack rolls, mech
and trees) and pieces of gear that have been placed skill checks, and saves. Players take turns, and during their
down or deployed (e.g., shield generators and land‐ turns have access to specific types of actions.
mines).
The stakes of mech combat are much higher, and the scale
much larger. Whatever other skills your pilot has, it’s only their
experience fighting in a mech that will help them succeed.
Instead of getting bonuses from triggers, a pilot’s GRIT
determines their bonuses for attack rolls and saves.

SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

SPACE, SIZE, AND MEASUREMENT other distances are measured in spaces.

Spaces are equi‐ valent to hexes or
Movement, range, areas of effect, and all squares on a grid map, but can also be
 S4
measured in inches or similar if you’re SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
keeping track of position another way. By
COMBAT BASICS
default, each space is equivalent to 10
feet (or 3 meters), but the scale can be SIZE doesn’t always represent a precise
changed to represent different types of height and width – it describes an area of
encoun‐ ters. For example, in a massive influence. Not all char‐ acters are
pitched battle, spaces might be 50 feet on physically as tall as the space they can
each side. control around them. For example, most
SIZE 1 mechs are taller than 10 feet.
All characters and objects have a SIZE
statistic, which describes their physical Characters and objects can be smaller or
presence on the battlefield and how many larger than SIZE 1. Pilots, for instance, are
spaces they occupy. A SIZE 1 char‐ acter SIZE 1/2, while mechs can go up to SIZE 3
occupies 1 space on all sides and is 1 and beyond. When measuring spaces,
space high, while a SIZE 3 character anything smaller than SIZE 1 is rounded up.
occupies 3 spaces on all sides and is 3 Both SIZE 1 mechs and SIZE 1/2 pilots take
spaces high. Most characters and objects up single 1x1 squares or hexagons.
range between SIZE 1 and SIZE 3.
It’s helpful to use a map and tokens,
TYPICAL SIZES icons, or miniatures to track characters
1/2 Humans, some small mechs, and objects during mech combat. The
extravehicular activity (EVA) suits. easiest option is to use a tactical grid or
1 Standard mechs. hex-based battle map, but you can also
2 Tanks, vehicles ( e.g. APCs or measure distances in inches or some
construction vehicles), heavy mechs. other unit of measurement.
3 Siege mechs, large or heavy vehicles.
4+ Titanic mechs, flyers.

S1 S2
S3

[59]

TURN-BASED COMBAT
TURNS AND ROUNDS Each character takes one turn per round unless they
Mech combat is separated into turns and rounds. otherwise specified. A round ends when every char‐
acter capable of taking a turn has taken a turn. STARTING COMBAT
To begin mech combat, the GM merely needs to declare it.
Turns represent activity, not the passing of time. Even
Hostile moves like firing at enemies, grappling, and charging are
though characters act in a certain order, the turns in usually enough to initiate combat.
each round are assumed to narratively occur at
roughly the same time. When the GM declares that combat is about to start, they show
the map to the players (at least the parts their pilots can see),
Players always get to act first. When mech combat explain the position of any visible NPCs or terrain features,
begins, the players agree on a player (or an allied and describe the situation. The players then place their
NPC) to take the first turn. If the players can’t agree characters on the map, wherever is appropriate, and the first
on someone, the GM chooses. turn begins.

Next, the GM chooses a hostile NPC to act, followed

by a player (or allied NPC) nominated by the player ENDING COMBAT
who acted previously. This is followed by another Combat ends when one side has carried out their main
objective – usually the defeat, destruction, or rout of the other
hostile NPC of the GM’s choice, then another player,
side, but not always.
and so on, alternating between hostile and allied
characters until every character has acted. If all char‐
Combat doesn’t always end with the total destruction of one
acters on one side have acted, the remaining
side or another; it’s perfectly fine for a GM to end combat early
characters take their turns in an order decided either and return to narrative play if there are no questions as to the
the GM or the players, as relevant. outcome. NPCs often have objectives of their own and tend to
be concerned with self-preservation. Surrender and retreat are
When every character has taken a turn, the round perfectly valid end-conditions for a fight.
ends and a new one begins. The turn order
continues to alternate, so if one side took the last
turn in the previous round, the other side starts the
new round. This can result in hostile NPCs acting
first in a new round.

Some talents, systems, and weapons can be used

once per round, turn, or scene. In their rules, this is
written as “1/round”, “1/turn”, and so on.

[60]
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
TYPES OF ACTIONS and take either two quick actions or one GET 1:
full action. The same action cannot be
Characters can choose between several
taken more than once per turn, except in
MOVE
different kinds of action, depending on
certain cases (e.g., special actions like PICK 1:
what they want to achieve. On their turn,
free actions and reactions). FULL
characters can make a standard move
REACTION character can take only one reaction per and talents grant additional reactions.
Reactions are special actions that can be turn (their turn or that of another Unless specified, reactions resolve after
made outside of the usual turn order as character), but there is no limit to how the action that triggers them. Some
responses to incoming attacks, enemy many reactions can be taken, overall. resolve beforehand under specific
movement, and other events. Each Mechs have two default reactions, each of triggers, such as when an attack is
reaction can only be used a certain which can be taken once per round – COMBAT BASED
number of times per round, and a BRACE and OVERWATCH – but some systems
TURN

QUICK + QUICK made – if so, the reaction will

specify.
declared but before the roll is
ONCE PER TURN, OVERCHARGE FOR: OVERCHARGE
QUICK STANDARD MOVE Pilots can overcharge their cost of heat.
+ mech, allowing them to make
an additional quick action at the Miscellaneous activities like
HEAT talking, wiping sweat out
Movement up to a character’s maximum actions and can be done any time during a
SPEED. character’s turn. If a player has a specific
[61]
goal and outcome in mind, like taunting an
QUICK ACTION enemy to draw their attention away from
Actions that take a few moments, such as an injured friend, then it might be an
quickly firing a weapon, activating a action, but if it’s just a matter of talking
system, or moving further. smack, there’s always time.

FULL ACTION
Actions that require full attention (e.g.
firing a barrage, performing field repairs on
a mech).

In addition to move, quick, and full

actions, there are several types of special
actions: free actions, reac‐ tions, and
OVERCHARGE. Unlike the standard action
types, there is no limit to how many free
actions and reactions a character can
take per round. Characters can even take
reactions outside of their turn.

FREE ACTION
Free actions are special actions granted
by character traits, like mech systems and
talents. Characters can take free actions
at any point during their turn, and they
don’t count toward the number of quick or
full actions they take. They can also be
used to take actions more than once per
turn. For example, if a character can
BOOST as a free action, they can do so
even if they have already used BOOST in
the same turn.
of someone’s eyes, slapping a button, and
taunting an enemy aren’t considered
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
ENGAGEMENT If a character moves adjacent to a hostile character,
they both gain the ENGAGED status for as long as they can’t drag or lift anything above SIZE 1/2.
remain adjacent to one another. Ranged attacks
made by an ENGAGED character receive +1 . Addi‐
�
tionally, characters that become ENGAGED by targets of [62]
equal or greater SIZE during the course of a movement MOVEMENT
stop moving immediately and lose any unused
On their turn, characters can always move spaces equal to their
movement. After you have become ENGAGED with a char‐
SPEED, in addition to any other actions. This is called a standard
acter, you may make further move actions as normal and move to distinguish it from movement granted by systems or
moving into other adjacent spaces does not stop your talents.
movement, though beginning a move within that charac‐
ter's threat may provoke reactions such as OVERWATCH. A character only counts as moving if they move 1 or more
spaces.
MOVEMENT AND REACTIONS
Starting movement within THREAT of another character, Characters can move into any adjacent space, even diagonally,
typically 1-3, can trigger reactions such as OVER‐ as long as the space isn’t occupied by an obstruction (and is
� one that they would be able to move in – characters can't move
WATCH. Characters that want to move more cautiously straight up unless they can fly, for example). There are several
can DISENGAGE as a full action, allowing them to ignore factors that can affect movement, which are detailed here.
reactions and engagement when moving.
SPLITTING UP MOVEMENT AND ACTION
INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENT Any time characters voluntarily move, whether it’s a standard
When characters are pushed, pulled, or knocked in move or something else, they can split up their movement with
certain directions, it is called involuntary movement. any actions; however, when they do this, any non-movement
Involuntary movement forces the affected character actions they take must fully resolve before they continue
to move in a straight line, in a specified direction. moving. For example, a mech with 6 SPEED could move 4
When moving involuntarily, mechs do not provoke spaces, BARRAGE, and then move two more spaces; however, it
reactions or engagement unless specified otherwise would need to complete the full BARRAGE action – firing with two
but are still blocked by obstructions. mounts – before moving those final 2 spaces. It couldn’t fire
one mount, move two spaces, and then fire another mount.

DIFFICULT/DANGEROUS TERRAIN
Mech combat takes place on many types of worlds in ADJACENCY
countless hostile and hazardous environments. Difficult Characters are considered adjacent to another char‐ acter or
terrain can be anything from rough, marshy, or swampy object when they are within one space of it in any direction –
ground, through to icy landscapes, and treacherous, even diagonal and vertical.
rocky scree. All movement through difficult terrain is at
half speed – each space of difficult terrain they move OBSTRUCTION
into is equivalent to two spaces of movement. An obstruction is anything that blocks passage, preventing
movement into its space entirely. Obstruc‐ tions are typically
When characters end their turn in dangerous terrain environmental but other characters can also be obstructions.
or move into it for the first time in a round, they must Characters are obstructed by any solid objects or characters
make an ENGINEERING check. On a failure, they take that are the same SIZE as them or larger.
5 damage – kinetic , energy , explosive , or
� � �
Characters can freely pass through spaces occupied by
burn , depending on the hazard. Each character
� obstructions smaller than them, including other charac‐ ters;
only needs to make one such check per round. however, they can’t end a movement in a space that is
Intense radiation, boiling gases, lava, and falling rocks occupied by another character or object unless specified. This
are all examples of dangerous terrain. means that a SIZE 2 mech, for example, could move through the
space of a SIZE 1 mech or object, but could not finish its move
in the same space.
LIFTING AND DRAGGING
Mechs can drag characters or objects up to twice their Allied characters never cause obstruction, but char‐ acters still
SIZE but are SLOWED while doing so. They can also lift can’t end moves in their space. Additionally, mechs can always
characters or objects of equal or lesser SIZE overhead move through spaces occupied by unmounted humans.
but are IMMOBILIZED while doing so. While dragging or
lifting, characters can’t take reactions. The same rules
apply to pilots and other characters on foot, but they SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
JUMPING AND CLIMBING its starting location, up to a maximum of 6 TELEPORTATION
spaces high.
Characters with legs can jump instead of Some characters can teleport, instantly
their standard move. They may jump moving to any free space within a
Flight movement must follow a straight
horizontally, moving half their speed in a specified range. They must start and end a
line; however, if a character takes
straight line and ignoring obstruc‐ tions at teleport on a surface they can normally
additional movement actions, such as
ground level that they could jump over move on; for example, a character that
BOOST, these can be used to move in a
(such as pits or gaps), or they may can can’t fly can’t teleport mid-air.
different direction.
jump vertically, moving 1 space adjacent
and moving up by spaces equivalent to Teleportation ignores obstructions, does
When flying, characters ignore
their SIZE. For example, a SIZE 1 mech not require line of sight, ignores
obstructions as long as it is physically
could jump up to 1 space high, and 1 engagement, and does not provoke
possible for them to do so – they couldn’t,
space over. Characters that jump and end reactions; however, it still counts as
for instance, move through a gap smaller
the jump mid air auto‐ matically fall at the movement and so is affected by
than their mech. Flying characters also
end of the move (see below). conditions like IMMOBILIZED. A teleporting
have IMMUNITY to PRONE.
character counts as moving 1 space, no
Like moving through difficult terrain, Flying also comes with some risks: matter how far they travel.
characters climb at half their usual SPEED –
each space moved is equi‐ valent to • When flying, characters must move at Characters can attempt to teleport to
moving 2 spaces normally. A successful least 1 space on their turn or begin falling.spaces they can’t see, but if a space is
HULL or AGILITY check might be required to • Flying characters begin falling if they already occupied, the teleport fails.
climb particularly difficult surfaces without become IMMOBILIZED, STUNNED, or otherwise
falling. can’t move. • Flying characters that take
structure damage or stress must
succeed on an AGILITY save or begin
FALLING
falling.
Characters take damage when they fall
three or more spaces and cannot recover SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
During mech combat, characters that fly
before hitting the ground. In standard MOVEMENT
too high above the battlefield can only
circumstances, characters fall 10 spaces
take certain actions. Flying characters
per round, but mechs can’t fall in zero-g or
must remain no more than 10 spaces
low-g environments, and falling speeds
over any surface (e.g., ground, water,
may differ depending on the location.
struc‐ tures) to act normally. For instance,
a flying mech could move 10 spaces
Unless specified otherwise, characters
start to fall at the end of the current turn, above the ground or float 10 spaces
of their turns above a building five spaces high – a total
and fall at the end of each of 15 spaces above the ground – and still
thereafter. They take 3 AP (armor
� act. Charac‐ ters cannot move beyond
piercing) for every three spaces fallen, to a this distance if they have already taken an
of 9 AP. action in the same turn; if they do move
maximum � more than 10 spaces above the battlefield,
they can only move and BOOST, and
Falling is a type of involuntary
cannot take reactions until they start their
movement.
turn below that ceiling.
GRAVITY This restriction does not exist in zero-g
Mechs operating underwater, in zero-g, or and outside of mech combat.
in space are SLOWED unless they have a
propulsion or flight system; however, CARRYING OBJECTS AND FLIGHT
they can’t fall and can fly when moving Except in zero-g environments, mechs
regardless of whether they have a flight cannot carry characters or objects with a
system. total SIZE larger than SIZE 1/2 while flying –
there’s just not enough thrust!
FLIGHT
Some characters can fly for either all or HOVER FLIGHT
part of their movement. Flying characters Some very advanced mechs can hover.
can move vertically and horizontally up to Hovering characters do not need to move
their SPEED. For example, a mech with a in a straight line, and can remain
flight system and 6 SPEED could end its stationary while airborne without falling.
movement anywhere within six spaces of
[63]
ATTACKS RANGE AND PATTERNS
RANGE is measured from any edge of the attacking
Mechs attack using the SKIRMISH, BARRAGE, QUICK TECH, FULL �
TECH, and IMPROVISED ATTACK actions. Characters on foot character, unless specified otherwise. Targets must be inside
attack using the FIGHT action. Whichever action is taken, the RANGE to be valid targets. On a grid, that means targets must
details of attacks are determined by the weapons or systems be at least 1 space inside a char‐ acter’s RANGE to be
that are used. attacked.

There are three types of attack in mech combat: melee, patterns:

Some weapons and systems have special attack
ranged, and tech.
LINE , CONE , BLAST , and BURST .
� � � � These attacks affect
MELEE ATTACK all targets within a defined area. A separate attack roll is
T made for each target, but damage is only rolled once and
The attacker chooses a target within weapon HREAT � bonus damage is halved if there are multiple characters
and line of sight, then makes a melee affected. For any ability or effect calling for you to choose a
attack roll - rolling
target or targets within RANGE, a weapon with a pattern can
1d20, plus GRIT and any ACCURACY or DIFFICULTY. To hit,
they must match or beat the target’s EVASION. choose any target that could be hit by its pattern.

Melee attacks ignore cover. LINE X: affects characters in a straight line,

�
RANGED ATTACK
R
The attacker chooses a target within weapon ANGE�
�
and line of sight, then makes a ranged CONE X: affects characters within a cone, X spaces long
attack roll - and X spaces wide at its furthest point. The cone begins
rolling 1d20, plus GRIT and any at one space wide.
X spaces long.
ACCURACY or DIFFICULTY. To hit, they must
match or � [64]
CRITICAL HITS
X spaces, drawn from a point within
� RANGE and line of sight. Cover and line of A 20+ on a melee or ranged attack causes
sight for the attacks are calculated based a critical hit. On a critical hit, all damage
BLAST X: affects characters within a radius
on the center of the blast, rather than the dice are rolled twice (including bonus
of damage) and the highest result from each
position of the attacker.
beat the target’s EVASION. source of damage is used. For example, if
Characters that are adjacent to hostile BURST X: affects characters within a radius a player got a critical hit on an attack that
thus ENGAGED) take +1 on all
targets (and � of X spaces, centered on and including would normally deal 2d6 damage, they
ranged attacks. the space occupied by the user (or target). would instead roll 4d6 and pick the two
When firing at targets in
If the Burst is an attack, the user or target highest results.
+1 on
soft cover, characters take � is not affected by the attack unless
ranged attacks; hard cover imposes +2 . specified. Cover and line of sight are
� calculated from the character. If a BURST
effect is ongoing, it moves with the
TECH ATTACK character at its center.
The attacker chooses a target within their
SENSORS and line of sight, then makes a
tech attack roll - rolling 1d20, plus TECH
ATTACK and any ACCURACY or DIFFICULTY. To
hit, they must match or beat the target’s
E-DEFENSE.
Tech attacks ignore cover.
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
Some LINE, CONE, BURST, and BLAST attacks
list a RANGE. In these cases, the attack’s
origin point can be drawn from a point
within the range specified and line of sight.
For example, an attack with 2 and 10
� �
would affect • objects that aren’t held or worn, and ARCING weapons are designed to lob
a BLAST 2 area centered on
aren’t part of a mech; projectiles over obstacles. They can be
any point within RANGE 10.
• spaces in the environment or on the used to attack targets without line of sight,
ground. although they are still affected by cover
Some mech FRAMES and systems grant
and the attack must be physically possible
increased RANGE. This does not affect the
To attack or take an action against a – an ARCING weapon still can’t fire through
size of the area affected by CONE, LINE,
target, by default the target must be within 50 feet of metal bulkhead.
BURST and BLAST attacks, although it does
RANGE, SENSORS, or THREAT (as appropriate
increase the RANGE of such attacks that
for the type of attack) and within the Powerful SEEKING weapons completely
have a listed range.
attacker’s line of sight. Unless otherwise ignore cover and line of sight, as long as it
specified, characters can’t target is physically possible to reach the target.
THREAT themselves. SEEKING weapons are usually self-guided,
THREAT is the maximum range at which a
� self propelled, and able to navigate
melee complex environments.
weapon can be used, and at which LINE OF SIGHT
both melee and ranged weapons can be Characters can only attack or take action
used for OVERWATCH reac‐ tions. THREAT, against targets that they can see, at least INVISIBILITY
like RANGE, is measured from the edge of a partially. If it’s not possible to trace a line Some characters are able to turn INVISIBLE.
character, so larger mechs cover slightly to some part of a target – perhaps INVISIBLE characters can still be seen or
more area than smaller mechs. Unless because it’s completely blocked by cover detected by heat patterns and some visual
weapons default to artifacts, but they are extremely hard to
noted otherwise, all or terrain – then they can’t be attacked.
1, which can be increased target – all attacks, regardless of type,
� with some Line of sight doesn’t imply visibility alone, have a 50 percent chance to miss outright,
talents and gear. but also a clear path for your attack – line before an attack roll is made. Roll a die or
of effect. Even if you can somehow see an flip a coin to determine if the attack
area that’s behind a solid wall (using a misses.
LINE 3 remote drone, for example), you can’t
attack targets within. Additionally, INVISIBLE characters can
always HIDE, even without cover.

CONE 3
CONE 3 SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
MOVEMENT

BLAST 1
RANGE 3

BURST 1
VALID TARGETS
The following are valid targets for attacks
and effects: BURST 1
• other characters;
 Hard cover includes ruined buildings, tall P
[65] walls, bulk‐ heads, reinforced
COVER emplacements, and destroyed mechs and
On the battlefield, all sorts of obstructions vehicles. Hard cover is solid enough to
– physical, mental, electronic, and others – block shots and hide behind, and adds
can separate an attacker from their target. +2 to any
The two that matter most are soft cover � ranged attacks. Characters
and hard cover. only benefit from hard cover if they are
adjacent to whatever they’re using
Soft cover includes smoke, foliage, trees,
blinding light, dust clouds, low hills, and
low walls. As the name implies, soft cover
isn’t solid enough to reliably block enemy SOFT
fire, but it does cause visual interference
R
or profile reduction sufficient to make
COVER
aiming difficult. Any time a target is
obscured or obstructed somehow, it has
soft cover, adding +1 to any ranged HARD
�
attacks. COVER

GM G
The Minotaur (M) has soft cover from the Raleigh (R)
thanks to the forest it stands next to.
L
The buildings (hard cover) are obstructing the Raleigh’s
line of
sight to Any line from the Blackbeard (B) to the Lancaster
the (L) would cross the white line marking out the
Goblin Lancaster’s point of contact with the cover, so the
(G), but Lancaster gets full hard cover bonus against the
as the Blackbeard’s attacks. That’s not true for the Genghis
Goblin (G)’s position, so the Genghis is flanking the Lancaster.
isn’t
adjacent Characters can shoot over cover or objects smaller or
to it, it’s the same SIZE as themselves without difficulty.
only
granting
soft
cover.
The [66]
Pegasus (P), on the other hand, is adjacent to the for cover and are the same SIZE or smaller. A SIZE 3 mech
buildings and so gets the full hard cover bonus against couldn’t get hard cover while hiding behind a SIZE 1 rock, for
the Raleigh’s attacks. example. If a character is obscured by hard cover but isn’t
adjacent, they don’t get hard cover; however, they might still
get soft cover.
Characters can only benefit from one type of cover at a time –
their benefits don’t stack.
Unless specified, characters never grant cover to objects or
other characters. Some mechs, however, are specifically built to
block enemy fire and can grant cover; these mechs typically
B
have the GUARDIAN trait.
CHECKING FOR COVER between one of the spaces occupied by the attacker and one
To determine if a character has soft cover, simply draw a line occupied by the target.
from the center of one character to the center of another. If
If you aren’t using a grid or hex map, draw a straight line where
a line can be drawn mostly unbroken, it’s a clear shot and
the target touches the hard cover, as in the figure below. If the
neither character has soft cover. If the line is significantly
attacker is over this line, fully or partially, the target does not
obstructed or is broken up by smoke, trees, or fences the target
benefit from hard cover.
has soft cover. Targets also have soft cover if they are
obstructed by objects that would give hard cover, but which If a character in hard cover could shoot over, through, or
they aren’t adjacent to. around the source of their cover, the cover does not block their
line of sight or obscure their attacks.
If a character is adjacent to hard cover, they benefit from that
cover against all characters – except for char‐ acters that flank
them. When using a hex or grid map, targets are flanked if it is
possible to draw a line that is totally clear of hard cover SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
Let’s say your mech has a total HP of 15. by two separate 2 attacks first takes 4
HARM An enemy shoots at you and scores a
�
damage (2 from each attack),
�
DAMAGE successful hit by beating your mech’s then marks
Every pilot hopes to avoid as much enemy E VASION on an attack roll. Thanks to down 4 burn (again, 2 from each attack).
another good roll, their cannon is going to At the end of their turn, that character
fire as possible, but they know this truth: check, failing and
sooner or later someone’s going to punch deal 12 makes an ENGI‐ NEERING
a few holes in your kit. � damage; luckily for you, you’ve taking an additional 4
installed armor on your mech. Your armor
� damage. Next
subtracts two from all incoming damage, another 2 turn, the same character gets hit by
There are four types of damage pilots attack. They take 2
need to reckon
with: explosive ,
� reducing the incoming damage to 10. � �
You’re left with only 5 HP – take cover! damage, then
energy , kinetic , and burn , each mark the extra burn down
� � �
representing a different sort of weapon (now it’s 6!). At the end of their turn, they
As another example, an attacker fires at
or target, dealing 5 damage. must succeed on another ENGINEERING
projectile. an EXPOSED � check or take 6 more damage.
The target has RESIS‐ TANCE to and has 2 �
� Fortunately they
pass, clearing all burn.
ARMOR AND RESISTANCE Armor. EXPOSED doubles the incoming
ARMOR reduces all incoming damage from damage to 10, minus the 2 Armor means
a single source by an amount equal to its the target takes 8 damage, which is
HEAT
from 1–4; however, AP � Heat is a special type of harm that
rating, which goes halved to 4 �
weapons and burn damage � by their RESISTANCE. doesn’t count
� ignore as damage and ignores
ARMOR altogether. BURN A RMOR , although it can be affected by
Pilots need to worry about more than just RESISTANCE. It represents damage to a
on the battlefield. Some mech's internal systems and reactor. It's
Characters with RESISTANCE to a specific bullet holes
type of damage reduce all incoming weapons deal burn most often inflicted by electronic warfare,
damage of that type by half. Characters � (damage over time). but is often generated by a mech’s own
can only have RESISTANCE once per type of Burn might represent flames, searing systems. A mech that takes heat marks it
damage – it doesn’t stack. plasma, acid or something more insidious, on their sheet. When it reaches its HEAT
like a swarm of greywash nanites. CAP, any additional heat causes it to
overheat. Overheating is discussed in
CALCULATING DAMAGE When characters take
�
, it has two effects: more detail on p. 81.
After an attacker has successfully rolled
first, they immediately take damage,
an attack, the total damage is calculated � If a character without a HEAT CAP (such as
in the following order: ignoring ARMOR, BIOLOGICAL characters and DRONES) would
and then they mark down take an equivalent
take heat, they instead
the burn they just took on their sheet. At
1. The attacker rolls damage, and applies
the end of their turn, characters with burn amount of energy� damage.
any relevant reductions or increases (such
marked must roll an ENGINEERING check. On
as the doubling from the Exposed status). a success, they clear all burn currently
2. The target’s ARMOR is subtracted from wise, they take damage BONUS DAMAGE
the total. 3. Any other deductions from the marked; other‐ � Some talents, systems, and weapons deal
defender are subtracted from the equal to the amount of bonus damage. Bonus damage can only
burn currently
remaining damage. This includes ranged attacks, and is
marked. apply to melee or
reductions from RESISTANCE, and any only ever kinetic , explos‐ ive , or
relevant systems, talents, or reactions. Burn from additional sources adds to the � �
burn, so a character that is hit energy damage (not burn or
4. Remaining damage is subtracted from total marked � �
the target’s HP.
heat ). damage is halved.
� If no type is specified, bonus [67]
kinetic damage, or
damage defaults to �
the attacker can choose a type
from one of
the same types as the weapon that dealt
it.

If an attack that targets more than one SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

character deals bonus damage, the bonus
MOVEMENT

ACTIONS [68]
This section describes the different actions available IMMUNITY
to characters, and how they work. While pilots can Some characters and objects have IMMUNITY, and can’t be
take several of these actions, most of them are affected by certain damage types, attacks, or effects. IMMUNITY
specifically relevant to mechs and mech combat. goes beyond simply ignoring damage – effects or actions that a
character has IMMUNITY to are completely ignored, and may as
Characters can take two quick actions or one full well have failed or not having taken place at all. For example, a
action on their turn. character with IMMUNITY to burn doesn’t take any burn from
attacks and never counts as having taken burn for the purposes
Characters cannot perform the same action more than of any other effects. Likewise, a character with IMMUNITY to
once in a turn, except as a free action or reaction. For damage never takes damage (even 0 damage), and a character
example, characters can only BOOST once per turn by with IMMUNITY to tech attacks can’t be affected by any tech
default, but some systems or talents might grant a attacks.
second BOOST as a free action; alternatively, a character
could also OVERCHARGE to get a second BOOST. OBJECTS AND DAMAGE
Unless specified otherwise, all objects (including terrain, cover,
ACTION RESOLUTION buildings, and deployable items) have 5 EVASION and 10 HP/SIZE.
If there's any uncertainty about when certain actions or
This means that a SIZE 4 object has 40 HP. If an object is more
effects take place or resolve, effects caused by other usefully thought of as a group of multiple sections, each SIZE 1
characters always resolve first during a character’s turn. section is independently destroyable and has 10 HP. If an
For example, a character starts their turn in a zone object is especially tough or hardy, like solid rock, it might have
created by another character that causes them to take 1–2 ARMOR; if it’s fortified, like a bulkhead, bunker, or starship
damage – this resolves before any other effects take hull, it might even have 3–4 ARMOR.
place. Otherwise, characters can always choose the
resolution order of actions or effects that they take on The GM may waive this rule outside of mech combat or when it
their turn (for example if they have two effects that trigger applies to objects not created by charac‐ ters (such as the
at the start of their turn, they can choose which resolve environment). For instance, if a group of players want to bust
first). If there’s any additional clarity needed, the GM adju‐ through a wall in their mechs to surprise their enemies, the GM
dicates. might decide that they just need to make a HULL check.

END OF TURN
Effects and activities that take place at the end of a
character’s turn occur after any standard moves and
actions (including free actions and overcharge) have
resolved, but before the next character starts their
turn. If a character is using multiple effects that trigger
at the end of their turn, their player chooses the order
in which they trigger.

END OF NEXT TURN

Effects that last until the end of a character’s next turn
persist until the next turn they have in the turn order,
not the current turn – even if it is their turn when they
receive the effect.
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
QUICK ACTIONS line of sight, obscured by sufficient cover, choose an option from the QUICK TECH list.
BOOST or invisible. If you HIDE while meeting one All mechs have access to these options,
When you BOOST, you move at least 1 of these criteria, you gain the HIDDEN but some systems enhance them or make
space, up to your SPEED. This allows you status. new options available.
to make an extra movement, on top of
your standard move. Certain talents and Hard cover is sufficient to HIDE as long as Unlike other quick actions, QUICK TECH can
systems can only be used when you it is large enough to totally conceal you, be taken more than once per turn;
BOOST, not when you make a standard but soft cover is only sufficient if you are however, a different option must be
move. completely inside an area or zone that chosen every time, unless specified other‐
grants soft cover – many systems and wise or granted as a free action.
GRAPPLE talents that grant soft cover or plain old
When you GRAPPLE, you try to grab hold of obscurement just don’t provide enough to To use QUICK TECH, choose one of the
a target and overpower them – disarming, hide behind! following options:
subduing, or damaging them so they can’t If you are INVISIBLE, you can always HIDE,
do the same to you. regardless of cover, unless you’re Bolster
ENGAGED.
To GRAPPLE, choose an adjacent character When you BOLSTER, you use your mech’s
and make a melee attack. On a hit: formidable processing power to enhance
The exact location of HIDDEN targets
another character’s systems.
cannot be identi‐ fied and they cannot be
• both characters become ENGAGED; targeted directly by attacks or hostile To BOLSTER, choose a character within
• neither character can BOOST or take actions, but they can still be hit by attacks SENSORS. They receive +2� on the next
reactions for the duration of the grapple; that affect an area. Although NPCs cannot skill check or save they
• the smaller character becomes perfectly locate a HIDDEN character, they make between now
IMMOBILIZED but moves when the larger might still know an approxi‐ mate location. and the end of their next turn. Characters
party moves, mirroring their movement. If Thus, an NPC could flush an area with a can only benefit from one BOLSTER at a
both parties are the same SIZE, either can flamethrower even if they don’t know time.
make contested HULL checks at the start exactly where a HIDDEN player is lurking.
of their turn: the winner counts as larger
than the loser until this contest is Additionally, other characters ignore
repeated. engagement with you while you are HIDDEN SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
– it’s assumed you’re trying to stay
A GRAPPLE ends when: ACTIONS
stealthy.

• either character breaks adjacency, such You cease to be HIDDEN if you make an
as if they are knocked back by another attack (melee, ranged, or tech) or if your
effect; mech takes a hostile action (such as
• the attacker chooses to end the grapple forcing a target to make a save). Using
as a free action; BOOST or taking reactions with your mech
• The defender breaks free by succeeding also causes you to lose HIDDEN. Other
on a contested HULL check as a quick actions can be taken as normal.
action.
You also immediately lose HIDDEN if your
If a GRAPPLE involves more than two cover disap‐ pears or is destroyed, or if
characters, the same rules apply, but you lose cover due to line of sight (e.g., if
when counting SIZE, add together the SIZE a mech jumps over a wall and can now
of all characters on each side. For draw unbroken line of sight to you). If
example, if two SIZE 1 allied characters are you’re hiding while INVISIBLE, you lose
grappling a single SIZE 2 enemy, the allied HIDDEN when you cease to be INVISIBLE
characters count as a combined SIZE 2 unless you are in cover.
and can try to drag their foe around.
QUICK TECH
HIDE When you use QUICK TECH, you engage in
When you HIDE, you obscure the position electronic warfare, countermeasures, and
of your mech in order to reposition, avoid other technical actions, often aided by a
incoming fire, repair, or ambush. mech’s powerful computing and
simulation cores.
To HIDE, you must not be ENGAGED and you
must either be outside of any enemies’ Each time you take this action, you
 computing core. They become IMPAIRED
[69] [70] and SLOWED until the end of their next turn.
Scan
You can also INVADE willing allied
When you SCAN, you use your mech’s characters to create certain effects. If your
powerful sensors to perform a deep scan target is willing and allied, you are
on an enemy. automatically successful, it doesn’t count
To SCAN, choose a character or object as an attack, and your target doesn’t take
within SENSORS and line of sight, then ask any heat.
the GM for one of the following pieces of
information, which they must answer
honestly:
• Your target’s weapons, systems, and full
statistics (HP, SPEED, EVASION, ARMOR,
MECH SKILLS, and so on). SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
• One piece of hidden information about RAM
the target, such as confidential cargo or When you RAM, you make a melee attack
data, current mission, the identity of the with the aim of knocking a target down or
pilot, and so on. back.
• Generic or public information about the
target that can be pulled from an info bank To RAM, make a melee attack against an
or records, such as the model number of a adjacent character the same SIZE or
mech. smaller than you. On a success, your
Any information gathered is only current at target is knocked PRONE and you may also
the time of the SCAN – if the target later choose to knock them back by one space,
takes damage, for instance, you don’t directly away from you.
receive an update.
SEARCH
Lock On When you SEARCH, you attempt to identify
hidden characters. To SEARCH in a mech,
When you LOCK ON, you digitally mark a choose a character within your SENSORS
target, lighting them up for your that you suspect is HIDDEN and make a
teammates’ targeting systems and contested SYSTEMS check against their
exposing weak points. AGILITY.
To LOCK ON, choose a character within
SENSORS and line of sight. They gain the To SEARCH as a pilot on foot, make a
LOCK ON condition. Any character making contested skill check, adding bonuses
character with LOCK ON from triggers as normal. This can be used
an attack against a
to reveal characters within RANGE 5.
may choose to gain +1
� on that attack
and then clear the LOCK ON condition after Once a HIDDEN character has been found
that attack resolves. This is called using SEARCH, they immediately lose
consuming LOCK ON. HIDDEN and can be located again by any
character.
Invade
SKIRMISH
When you INVADE, you mount a direct When you SKIRMISH, you attack with a
electronic attack against a target. To single weapon.
INVADE, make a tech attack against a
character within SENSORS and line of sight. To SKIRMISH, choose a weapon and a valid
On a success, your target takes 2 and target within RANGE (or THREAT) then make
�
you an attack.
choose one of the INVASION options
available to you. FRAGMENT SIGNAL is • In addition to your primary attack, you
available to all characters, and additional may also attack with a different AUXILIARY
options are granted by certain systems weapon on the same mount. That weapon
and equipment with the INVADE tag. doesn’t deal bonus damage.
FRAGMENT SIGNAL. You feed false • SUPERHEAVY weapons are too
information, obscene messages, or cumbersome to use in a SKIRMISH, and can
phantom signals to your target’s only be fired as part of a BARRAGE.
FULL ACTIONS To STABILIZE, choose one of the following: your next FULL REPAIR.
BARRAGE • Cool your mech, clearing all heat and
When you BARRAGE, you attack with two EXPOSED. • Mark 1 REPAIR to restore all HP.
PREPARE (QUICK)
weapons, or with one SUPERHEAVY weapon. Additionally, choose one of the following:
When you PREPARE, you get ready to take
an action at a specific time or when a
To BARRAGE, choose your weapons and • Reload all LOADING weapons.
specific condition is met (a more
either one target or different targets – • Clear any burn ( ) currently affecting
within range – then make an attack with your mech.
� advantageous shot, for example).
each weapon. • Clear a condition that wasn’t
As a quick action, you can PREPARE any
caused by one of your own systems,
other quick action and specify a trigger.
• In addition to your primary attacks, you talents, etc.
Until the start of your next turn, when it is
may also attack with an AUXILIARY weapon • Clear an adjacent allied character’s
triggered, you can take this action as a
on each mount that was fired, so long as condition that wasn’t caused by one of
reaction.
the AUXILIARY weapon hasn’t yet been fired their own systems, talents, etc.
this action. These AUXILIARY weapons don’t
deal bonus damage.
OTHER ACTIONS SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
• SUPERHEAVY weapons can only be fired as
ACTIVATE (QUICK OR FULL)
part of a BARRAGE.
When you ACTIVATE, you use a system or ACTIONS
piece of gear that requires either a quick
DISENGAGE
or full action. These systems have the
When you DISENGAGE, you attempt to
QUICK ACTION or FULL ACTION tags. You can
extricate yourself safely from a dangerous
ACTIVATE any number of times a turn but
situation, make a steady and measured
can’t ACTIVATE the same system more than
retreat, or rely on your mech’s agility to
once unless you can do so as a free
slip in and out of threat ranges faster than
action.
an enemy can strike.
BOOT UP (FULL)
Until the end of your current turn, you
You can BOOT UP a mech that you are
ignore engage‐ ment and your movement
piloting as a full action, clearing SHUT
does not provoke reactions.
DOWN and restoring your mech to a
powered state.
FULL TECH
When you use FULL TECH, you perform
MOUNT, DISMOUNT, AND EJECT
multiple tech actions or a single, more
(QUICK OR FULL)
complex action.
When you MOUNT or DISMOUNT, you climb
onto or off of a mech. Mounting and
To use FULL TECH, choose two QUICK TECH dismounting are the preferred terms
options or a single system or tech option
among most pilots. You don’t “get in” or
that requires FULL TECH to activate. If you
“climb aboard” – you mount. You’re the
choose two QUICK TECH options, you can
cavalry, after all.
choose the same option multiple times.
You can MOUNT or DISMOUNT as a full
IMPROVISED ATTACK
action. You must be adjacent your mech
When you make an IMPROVISED ATTACK, you
to MOUNT. Likewise, when you DISMOUNT,
attack with a rifle butt, fist, or another
you are placed in an adjacent space – if
improvised melee weapon. You can use
there are no free spaces, you cannot
anything from the butt of a weapon to a
DISMOUNT.
slab of concrete or a length of hull plating
– the flavor of the attack is up to you!
Additionally, you can also MOUNT or
DISMOUNT willing allied mechs or vehicles.
To make an IMPROVISED ATTACK, make a
When you do so, move into the same
melee attack against an adjacent target.
1d6 . space and then move with them.
On a success, they take �
You can also EJECT as a quick action,
STABILIZE flying 6 spaces in the direction of your
When you STABILIZE, you enact emergency choice; however, this is a single-use
protocols to purge your mech’s systems system for emergency use only – it leaves
of excess heat, repair your chassis where your mech IMPAIRED. Your mech remains
you can, or eliminate hostile code. IMPAIRED and you cannot EJECT again until
[71]
SHUT DOWN (QUICK)
When you SHUT DOWN, your mech powers completely
[72]
The trigger for your prepared action must be phrased as “When
off and enters a rest state. It’s always risky to do in the
X, then Y,” where X is a reaction, action or move taken by a
field, but it’s sometimes necessary to prevent a cata‐
hostile or allied character and Y is your action. For example,
strophic systems overload or an NHP cascading.
“when an allied character moves adjacent to me, I want to
You can SHUT DOWN your mech as a quick action. Your throw a smoke grenade,” or “when a hostile character
mech takes the SHUT DOWN status, with these effects: moves adjacent to me, I want to ram them”.

• all heat is cleared, as is EXPOSED; Your preparation counts as taking the action, so it follows all
• any cascading NHPs return to a normal state; usual restrictions on that action and on taking multiple actions.
• any statuses or conditions affecting the mech You can’t, for example, SKIRMISH and then prepare to SKIRMISH
caused by tech actions, such as LOCK ON, again; you also can’t move and then PREPARE to SKIRMISH with an
immediately end; ORDNANCE weapon, which normally needs to be fired before
• the mech gains IMMUNITY to all tech actions and moving or doing anything else on your turn. Additionally, after
attacks, including any from allied characters; you PREPARE an action, you can’t move or take any other actions
• the mech is STUNNED indefinitely. Nothing can or reactions until the start of your next turn or until your action
prevent this condition, and it remains until the has been triggered, whichever comes first.
mech ceases to be SHUT DOWN.
Although you can’t take reactions while holding a prepared
The only way to remove the SHUT DOWN status is to
action, you can take them normally after it has been triggered.
BOOT UP the mech.
You can also drop your prepared action, allowing you to take
reactions as usual. If the trigger condition isn’t met, you lose
SKILL CHECK (FULL)
your prepared action.
When you make a SKILL CHECK, you undertake an
activity that isn’t covered by other actions but has a
When you PREPARE, it is visible to casual observers (e.g., you
clear goal and is sufficiently complex to require a roll.
clearly take aim or cycle up systems).
The parameters and outcomes of SKILL CHECKS are up
to the GM, but they must be involved enough to SELF-DESTRUCT (QUICK)
require a full action. If you want to do something that When you SELF-DESTRUCT, you overload your mech’s reactor in
can be done quickly, no action is required. a final, catastrophic play if there’s no other option for escape or
you deem your sacrifice necessary.
Examples of SKILL CHECKS:
You can SELF-DESTRUCT as a quick action, initiating a reactor
• Bruja, on foot, wants to open a locked door. The meltdown. At the end of your next turn, or at the end of one of
GM asks her to make a SKILL CHECK and decides your turns within the following two rounds (your choice), your
that Bruja can get a bonus from her ‘Hack or Fix’ mech explodes as though it suffered a reactor meltdown. The
trigger. explosion annihil‐ ates your mech, killing anyone inside and
• Pan wants to jump a crevasse in his mech that’s causing a BURST 2 explosion that deals 4d6 explosive damage.
wider than he can normally manage. The GM Characters caught in the explosion that succeed on an AGILITY
decides to allow him to try it with AGILITY. save take half of this damage.
• Zaid wants to lift a heavy boulder with his mech, to
clear a passage. The GM decides this is probably a
full action and requires a SKILL CHECK with HULL.

SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

 Effect: You count as having RESISTANCE to SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
OVERCHARGE damage, , and from the triggering
When you OVERCHARGE, you briefly push all � � ACTIONS
your mech beyond factory specifications attack, and until the end of your next turn,
for a tactical advantage. Moments of against you are made at
all other attacks
intense action won’t tax your mech’s
+1 .
systems too much, but sustained action �
beyond prescribed limits takes a toll. Due to the stress of bracing, you cannot
take reactions until the end of your next
Once per turn, you can OVERCHARGE your turn and on that turn, you can only take
mech, allowing you to make any quick one quick action – you cannot
action as a free action – even actions you OVERCHARGE, move normally, take full
have already taken this turn. actions, or take free actions.

The first time you OVERCHARGE, take 1 OVERWATCH

When you OVERWATCH, you control and
defend the space around your mech from
heat . The second time you OVERCHARGE, enemy incursion through pilot skill,
�
reflexes, or finely tuned subsys‐ tems.
take 1d3 heat .
� Unless specified otherwise, all weapons
1 THREAT .
default to �
The third time, take 1d6 heat , and each
�
time there‐ after take 1d6+4 heat . Overwatch
� Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: A hostile character starts any
A FULL REPAIR resets this counter. movement (including BOOST and other
your weapons’
actions) inside one of
REACTIONS THREAT .
Reactions are special actions that can be �
taken out of turn order in response to Effect: Trigger OVERWATCH, immediately
certain triggers, such as enemy attacks or using that weapon to SKIRMISH against that
movement. Unless specified other‐ wise, character as a reaction, before they move.
once you take a reaction you cannot take
it again until the beginning of your next
turn. Even if a reaction is usable 2/round FREE ACTIONS
or more, your uses of it only refresh when Free actions are often granted by systems,
your next turn begins. talents, gear, or OVERCHARGE. Characters
may perform any number of free actions
You can only take one reaction per turn – on their turn, but only on their turn, and
your turn or other characters’ turns – but only those granted to them. Free actions
you can take any number of reactions per can always be used to make duplicate
round, as long as you have reactions still actions.
available.
The most common type of free action is a
By default, all mechs can take the BRACE PROTOCOL, which is granted by gear or
and OVER‐ WATCH reactions. Certain systems and can be activ‐ ated or
systems and talents can grant other deactivated only at the start of a turn.
reactions. Each Protocol can only be taken once per
turn.
BRACE
When you BRACE, you ready your mech
against incoming fire.

Brace
Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: You are hit by an attack and
damage has been rolled. [73]
 PILOTS IN MECH COMBAT
FIGHTING ON THE GROUND
On foot, pilots can rapidly find themselves out of their
depth: not only are pilot-scale weapons too small to
reliably take down mechs, but mech weapons are
heavy enough to completely pulverize anything
smaller than another mech.

In mech combat, the following rules apply regarding

unmounted characters:

• Unmounted characters make all attacks and

saves by adding GRIT to the roll instead of using
their triggers. It doesn’t matter how good
someone is in a fistfight – when they’re fighting
on a mech scale, everyone is on roughly the
same footing.
• Unmounted characters have the BIOLOGICAL tag.
They have IMMUNITY to all tech actions (even
beneficial ones) except LOCK ON and SCAN,
although they can be targeted by electronic
systems such as drones and smart weapons. If a
BIOLOGICAL character would take heat, they instead
take an equivalent amount of energy damage.
�
• Unmounted characters can’t aid mechs, benefit
from talents, or give or receive any bonuses that
apply to mech-scale weapons.
• Pilots don’t cause mechs to become ENGAGED
and don’t count as obstructions to mechs, no
matter their SIZE.

PILOT ACTIONS
Actions taken by pilots draw from the same pool – one
standard move and two quick actions, or one full
action – as actions taken by their mech. You can split
your actions between pilot and mech if you so choose.
You could, for instance, take a quick action to SKIRMISH
with your mech, take a quick action to EJECT, and then
use your move to run to cover on foot.
Pilots can take the following actions, using the same rules
as mechs: BOOST, HIDE, SEARCH, ACTIVATE, SKILL CHECK,
DISENGAGE, PREPARE, MOUNT. Pilots can OVERWATCH, and
use the FIGHT action (below) when they do so.

Pilots can also take three special actions: FIGHT,

JOCKEY and RELOAD.
FIGHT (FULL ACTION)
When you FIGHT, you attack (melee or ranged) with
one weapon.

To FIGHT, choose a weapon and attack a target within

RANGE or THREAT and line of sight as a full action.
Ranged attacks are affected by cover and receive
+1 if you’re ENGAGED.
�

[74]
During mech combat, pilots might leave their mechs for all kinds of reasons – to go somewhere their mech can’t go, interact
with a computer terminal, or even attempt to climb an enemy mech. Sometimes, pilots use non-human persons (NHPs) or
comp/cons – complex artificial intelligences – to control their mech when they aren’t in the cockpit.
PILOTING MECHS
Unless specified, a pilot must be physically inside a mech to control it, and can MOUNT, DISMOUNT, or BOOT UP a mech. A
powered-off mech always has the SHUT DOWN status – inactive mechs can’t do anything and make for easy targets.

While inside their mech, your pilot doesn’t have line of sight to anything outside the mech and nothing outside has line of sight
to them. This means that, as long as your mech is intact and your pilot is in the cockpit, they can’t be targeted, damaged, or
affected by anyone or anything outside the mech. If the mech does get destroyed, this benefit is lost – it’s got holes blown in it!
– and the wreck merely grants hard cover.

If your character pilots a mech they aren’t licensed for, such as an enemy mech, the absence of the correct neurological
(giving +1 on all attacks, saves, and
interfaces reduces its effective‐ ness. While piloting an unlicensed mech, it is IMPAIRED �
checks), and
SLOWED, which reduces its movement speed.

PILOT STATISTICS
In mech combat, pilots have the following default statistics:

HP: 6 + GRIT
Evasion: 10
E-Defense: 10
Size: 1/2
Speed: 4
Armor: 0
These statistics can change depending on a pilot’s gear. SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

JOCKEY (FULL ACTION) SLOWED until the end of its next turn. autonomously.
When you JOCKEY, you aggressively attack • SHRED: Deal 2 heat� to the mech by
an enemy mech while on foot. It cannot be ripping at If a mech has the AI tag, its pilot can
emphasized enough how foolhardy and wiring, paneling, and so on. choose to turn over control to the AI as a
• D : Deal 4 kinetic damage to the
dangerous this is. AMAGE
� protocol. The pilot cannot take any
mech actions or reactions with the mech until
by attacking joints, hatches, and so
To JOCKEY, you must be adjacent to a on. the start of their next turn, but the mech
mech. As a full action, make a contested gets its own set of actions and reactions.
skill check against the mech, using GRIT On each of your subsequent turns, you AIs don’t benefit from any pilot talents
(or a relevant trigger, at the GM’s can continue to choose from the options while controlling a mech.
discretion). The mech contests with HULL. above as full actions, as long as you
On a success, you manage to climb onto don't stop jockeying (or get thrown off). The pilot can act independently until they
the mech, sharing its space and moving pick the controls back up. They can do
with it. The mech can attempt to shake RELOAD (QUICK ACTION) this as a protocol, as long as they are
you off by succeeding on another When you RELOAD, you reload one Pilot physically present inside the mech.
contested skill check as a full action; Weapon with the LOADING tag, making it
alternatively, you can jump off as part of usable again. AIs in Lancer are typically referred to as
your movement on your turn. NHPs and follow special rules, detailed in
NON-HUMAN PERSONS
the Compendium (p. 107).
In normal circumstances, a pilot needs to
When you successfully JOCKEY, choose
be physic‐ ally present inside the cockpit
one of the following options:
for a mech to take actions. Mechs with the
• DISTRACT: The mech is IMPAIRED and
AI tag, however, have some ability to act
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
NHPS IN [75]
COMBAT
PILOTS AND
MECH

QUICK COMBAT REFERENCE

On your turn, you can make a standard move and take up to • BARRAGE: Attack with two weapons or a single
two quick actions or one full action. SUPERHEAVY weapon.
• FULL TECH: Perform two QUICK TECH actions or one more
• Characters can’t take the same action more than once in a complex tech action.
turn, except as free actions or reactions. • IMPROVISED ATTACK: Attack with a fist or
• Characters may take any number of free actions. improvised melee weapon.
• Characters can take one reaction per turn (their turn or • STABILIZE: Reload, patch up, and cool down a mech, or
that of another character). end conditions affecting it.
• Characters may OVERCHARGE to make an extra quick • DISENGAGE: Move safely, avoiding reactions and
action as a free action at the cost of heat. GET 1: engagement.

MOVE OTHER ACTIONS

PICK 1: • ACTIVATE (quick or full): Activate a system or piece of gear.
• SHUT DOWN (quick): Shut down a mech as a desperate
FULL measure to end system attacks, regain control of AI, and
FULL ACTIONS avoid overheating.
• BOOT UP (full): Fire up a mech after it’s been SHUT
QUICK + QUICK • MOUNT/DISMOUNT/EJECT (quick
or full): Get in or
DOWN.

ONCE PER TURN, OVERCHARGE FOR: out of a mech.

• SELF-DESTRUCT (quick): Set a mech’s reactor to go
QUICK + HEAT ditch effort. • PREPARE (quick):
Hold a quick action for a
critical and explode as a last-
specified trigger. • JOCKEY (full): Attempt to climb and attack a mech.
• SKILL CHECK (full): Perform an activity that has a • RELOAD (quick): Reload a pilot weapon with the
clear goal and a chance of failure. LOADING tag.

REACTIONS
• BRACE: Get ready for impact, reducing damage [76]
at the cost of next turn’s actions. STANDARD MOVE
• OVERWATCH: Attack a nearby target if they attempt • Move up to your Speed in any direction. ▪ If your character
to move. moves adjacent to a hostile character, they become ENGAGED. If
that
OVERCHARGE character is the same SIZE or larger than them, they must stop
• Push a mech past its limits, gaining an extra moving.
quick action as a free action at the cost of heat. ▪ Your character can freely move through allied characters, and
• Heat taken: 1, 1d3, 1d6, then 1d6+4 according smaller hostile characters or objects. Other characters and
to uses since last Full Repair. objects are obstructions, which block movement.

PILOT ACTIONS QUICK ACTIONS

Pilots on foot can take the following actions and reac‐ • SKIRMISH: Attack with one weapon.
tions: BOOST, HIDE, SEARCH, ACTIVATE, SKILL CHECK, • BOOST: Move spaces equal to your SPEED. • RAM: Attempt to
DISENGAGE, PREPARE, MOUNT and OVERWATCH. They also knock a target down or back. • GRAPPLE: Attempt to grab a
target, potentially IMMOBILIZING or riding them.
get the following unique actions:
• QUICK TECH: Perform quick electronic warfare or system-
• FIGHT (full): Attack with one weapon (used instead boosting activities.
of SKIRMISH when Pilots OVERWATCH). • HIDE: Attempt to hide.
• SEARCH: Look for a HIDDEN target. SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

CONDITIONS

STATUSES AND CONDITIONS

During combat, characters often inflict and by targets of equal or greater SIZE during • any cascading NHPs are stabilised and
receive statuses (like PRONE or SHUT DOWN) the course of a movement stop moving no longer cascading;
and conditions (like STUNNED). Conditions immediately and lose any unused • any statuses and conditions affecting
are temporary effects caused by things movement. the mech caused by tech actions, such as
like damage and electronic warfare, LOCK ON, immediately end.
whereas statuses are usually effects that EXPOSED (MECHS ONLY)
can’t easily be cleared. Characters become EXPOSED when they’re SHUT DOWN mechs have IMMUNITY to all tech
dealing with runaway heat buildup – their actions and attacks, including any from
Actions, talents, systems, and other armor is weakened by overheating, their allied characters.
effects can all inflict statuses and vents are open, and their weapons are
conditions. The source description spinning down, providing plenty of weak
While SHUT DOWN, mechs are STUNNED
points. All kinetic , explosive or
indicates how long they last. � � indefinitely. Nothing can prevent this
energy condition, and it remains until the mech
Often, effects specify that a status or � damage taken by EXPOSED ceases to be SHUT DOWN.
condition lasts until the end of the target’s characters is doubled, before applying any
next turn. This refers to their next turn in reductions. A mech can clear EXPOSED by
the turn order; if one of these statuses or taking the STABILIZE action.
conditions is inflicted on a character HIDDEN
during their turn, it lasts until the end of HIDDEN characters can’t be targeted by
their following turn – not the end of the hostile attacks or actions, don’t cause
current turn. engagement, and enemies only know their
approximate location. Attacking, forcing
Statuses usually require characters to saves, taking reactions, using BOOST, and
perform a specific action or meet certain losing cover all remove HIDDEN after they
criteria before they can be removed, resolve. Characters can find HIDDEN
whereas there are many ways to remove characters with SEARCH.
conditions. For example, STABILIZE allows
INVISIBLE SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
you to remove a condition like IMPAIRED,
All attacks against INVISIBLE characters,
but not a status like PRONE.
regardless of type, have a 50 percent
STATUSES AND
chance to miss outright, before an attack
STATUSES roll is made. Roll a dice or flip a coin to
DANGER ZONE (MECHS ONLY) determine if the attack misses.
Characters are in the DANGER ZONE when
half or more of their heat is filled in. Additionally, INVISIBLE characters can
They’re smoking hot, which enables some always HIDE, even without cover.
attacks, talents, and effects.
PRONE
DOWN AND OUT (PILOTS ONLY) Attacks against PRONE targets receive +1 .
Pilots that are DOWN AND OUT are
�
unconscious and STUNNED – if they take
Additionally, PRONE characters are SLOWED
any more damage, they die. They'll regain
and count as moving in difficult terrain.
consciousness and half of their HP when
Characters can remove PRONE by standing
they rest.
up instead of taking their standard move,
unless they’re IMMOBILIZED. Standing up
ENGAGED
doesn’t count as movement, so doesn’t
If a character moves adjacent to a hostile
character, they both gain the ENGAGED trigger OVERWATCH or other effects.
status for as long as they remain adjacent
made by SHUT DOWN (MECHS ONLY)
to one another. Ranged attacks When a mech is SHUT DOWN:
an ENGAGED character receive +1 . Addi‐
�
• all heat is cleared and the EXPOSED status
tionally, characters that become ENGAGED
is removed;
[77]
COMBAT TERMINOLOGY [78]
ARMOR: All kinetic, energy, and explosive damage is CONDITIONS
reduced by an amount equal to a character’s ARMOR. IMMOBILIZED
Mechs can’t have more than 4 ARMOR. IMMOBILIZED characters cannot make any voluntary movements,
although involuntary movements are unaffected.
BONUS DAMAGE: Extra damage – kinetic , energy
� � IMPAIRED
or explosive – that is added onto melee or ranged IMPAIRED characters receive +1 on all attacks,
� � saves, and skill
attacks. Attacks that target more than one character checks.
only deal half bonus damage.
JAMMED
CHARACTER: A player character (PC), non-player char‐ JAMMED characters can’t:
acter, (NPC), or any other entity capable of acting (or
reacting) independently, such as DRONES. • use comms to talk to other characters; • make attacks, other
than IMPROVISED ATTACK, GRAPPLE, and RAM;
DAMAGE: Damage taken is subtracted from HP, and is • take reactions, or take or benefit from tech actions.
either kinetic , explosive , energy , or
� � � LOCK ON
burn . ter’s LOCK
� Hostile characters can choose to consume a charac‐
ON condition in exchange for +1 on their
� next attack against
E-DEFENSE: The statistic used to defend against tech that character.
attacks.
LOCK ON is also required to use some talents and systems.
EVASION: The statistic used to defend against most
melee and ranged attacks. SHREDDED
SHREDDED characters don’t benefit from ARMOR or RESISTANCE.
GRIT: Half of a character’s LL (rounded up), repres‐
enting their experience in combat. GRIT provides SLOWED
bonuses to some rolls and traits. The only movement SLOWED characters can make is their
standard move, on their own turn – they can’t BOOST or make
HEAT: Heat taken by a target represents harm to any special moves granted by talents, systems, or weapons.
�
internal systems and reactor shielding. It fills in HEAT
STUNNED
CAP.
STUNNED mechs cannot OVERCHARGE, move, or take any actions –
including free actions and reactions. Pilots can still MOUNT,
HEAT CAP: The amount of heat a mech can take before
DISMOUNT, or EJECT from STUNNED mechs, and can take actions
it is at risk of overheating.
normally.
HIT POINTS (HP): The amount of damage a pilot can
STUNNED mechs have a maximum of 5 EVASION, and
receive before going DOWN AND OUT, and the amount
automatically fail all HULL and AGILITY checks and saves.
of damage a mech can receive before it takes struc‐
ture damage.

IMMUNITY: Characters with IMMUNITY ignore all damage

and effects from whatever they are immune to.

RANGE: The maximum range at which a weapon can

be used for ranged attacks, measured from the
attacking character.

REPAIR CAP: The number of times a mech can be

repaired per mission.

RESISTANCE: Characters with RESISTANCE reduce

damage, heat, or a type of damage, by half, after
SECTION 3 // Mech Combat
ARMOR has been applied. RESISTANCE to the same type
of damage does not stack.
STRESS: All PC mechs (and some NPCs) mechs reach 0 HP, they take 1 structure SPEED: The number of spaces a character
have a certain amount of STRESS – damage and make a structure check. can move with a standard move or BOOST.
generally 4 STRESS for PCs. This is the
amount of stress damage they can take SENSORS: The maximum range at which TECH ATTACK: The statistic used to make
before they suffer a reactor meltdown. you can detect other characters, make tech attacks and to take most tech
When mechs exceed their HEAT CAP, they tech attacks, LOCK ON, and use some actions.
take 1 stress damage and make an systems.
overheating check. THREAT: The maximum range at which
SIZE: The number of spaces that are melee and overwatch attacks can be
Structure: All PC mechs (and some occupied or controlled by a character or made with certain weapons, measured
NPCs) have a certain amount of STRUCTURE object. For example, SIZE 2 mechs occupy from the attacking character. All weapons
– generally 4 STRUCTURE for PCs. This is the an area 2 spaces on each side and 2 have THREAT 1 unless specified otherwise.
amount of structure damage they can spaces high. SIZE doesn’t necessarily CONDITIONS STATUSES AND
take before they are destroyed. When represent precise physical dimensions.

SECTION 3 // Mech Combat

[79]

WEAR AND TEAR

DAMAGE AND Let’s say that a character with 15 HP and 3 STRUCTURE takes
20 damage. First they take 15 damage, then they make a
STRUCTURE structure damage check and take 1 structure damage, then
take another 5 damage. This will leave them with 2 STRUCTURE
Unlike pilots, mechs don’t go DOWN AND OUT when they’re and 10 HP (assuming they’re still standing).
reduced to 0 HP. Mechs are powerful machines that can
take several hits before they start to break down. Their When a mech is reduced to 0 STRUCTURE, it is destroyed.
durability is represented by a STRUCTURE score. When they
reach 0 HP, taking major damage to their chassis and STRUCTURE DAMAGE
systems, mechs take structure damage. When a mech is reduced to 0 HP and takes structure
damage, its player (or the GM) makes a structure damage
Player mechs have 4 STRUCTURE; most NPC mechs have 1 check. This represents the results of unusu‐ ally powerful or
STRUCTURE, but some have more. accurate hits, which can disable a mech rapidly if not dealt
with.
When a character with STRUCTURE reaches 0 HP, it takes 1
structure damage, makes a structure damage check, and To make a structure damage check, roll 1d6 per point of
resets its HP to full. Next, it takes any excess damage structure damage marked, including the structure damage
beyond what was required to reach 0 HP. This does make it that has just been taken. Choose the lowest result and check
possible for a mech to take several points of structure the structure damage chart to determine the outcome.
damage and make multiple structure damage checks in one Rolling multiple 1s has particularly catastrophic
turn. consequences.

STRUCTURE DAMAGE TABLE CHECK THE LOWEST VALUE ON [STRUCTURE

DAMAGE] D6
and weapons that are out of charges are not valid choices. If
5-6 Glancing Blow there are no valid choices remaining, it becomes the other
result. If there are no valid systems or weapons remaining, this
result becomes a DIRECT HIT instead.
The result depends on your mech’s remaining STRUCTURE:
2-4 System Trauma
3+ STRUCTURE: Your mech is STUNNED until the end of your next
turn.
2 STRUCTURE: Roll a HULL check. On a success, your mech is
STUNNED until the end of your next turn. On a failure, your mech
1 Direct Hit is destroyed.
Emergency systems kick in and stabilize your mech, but it’s
IMPAIRED until the end of your next turn. 1 STRUCTURE: Your mech is destroyed.

Parts of your mech are torn off by the damage. Roll 1d6. On a
1–3, all weapons on one mount of your choice are destroyed;
on a 4–6, a system of your choice is destroyed. LIMITED systems
[80]
Multiple 1s Crushing Hit Your mech is damaged beyond repair
– it is destroyed. You may still exit it as normal.

SECTION 3 // Mech Combat