chain tentacle
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:48 am
I have been playing around with some custome mech designs whos designs are based around drawing oponents in (much like a mother mech) and then cutting them to ribons with buzz saws. I was hoping to use large chassies (CII or above) with leg anchors, rotating torsos and hooked axes. This how ever left it vunerable to small manuverable mechs. The answer : Chain tentacles, but there are some questions about these wonderful weapons I'd love to have answers for.
1. The brake DC for the chain is 28. This doesn't make a lot of sense for many reasons. I guess this weapon was designed to be used against huge/Gargantuan mechs. As most mechs are clockwork or steam this gives them a strenght check of:
1d20 + size mod in relation to medium size + Str mod.
Around 1d20 + 20 for a gargantuan mech. roll 8 to brake
Around 1d20 + 12 for a Huge mech. roll 14 to brake
These are not hard rolls concidering these weapons would be used over 100 -200ft range giving targets multiple atempts whilst being pulled in over a number of rounds (problem with this also: see 3.). You would think that designers would have used better materials.
This is especially confusing as it only takes DC 26 to brake a pair of manicals and 28 to brake an iorn door down off its hinges. Also the binder barb discription in the 2nd age of walkers has a brake DC of 34 and I would assume these chains to be smaller as there are so many.
I would expect the brake DC for the chain tentacle to be more like 35-40. 38 sounds nice, huge and smaller can't brake chain unless roles natural 20 which I would rule always brakes chain, gar can brake on a role of 18, colossal can brake on a role of 12. over a few rounds this should allow any colossal mech to brake free whilst giving a gargantuan one a fair chance. At least I would expect a DC of 36.
2. I assume the weapon is based on a kind of winch system other wise it would be hazardus to the mech it is on (500ft of chain dragging behind it). I don't think most mechs would be able to use their hands (if they have them) in such a coordinated manner to grab the chain and pull it in hand over hand so how can it drag the attacking mech??? I would sugest replacing:
"The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer (and vice versa!) as a movement action. Escaping the chain and dragging an opponent closer are resolved by opposed strenght checks." in the core book with:
"The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer with an opposed strenght check. If attacker wins opponent is dragged closer, if attacker looses opponent can move at half speed against pull of the chain that round if desired. The defender can try to escape the chain tentical on his turn with an opposed strength check."
3. the core book says:
"A dragged opponent is pulled half its normal movement toward the attacker"
This makes no sense as larger mechs are usually faster so it means a Gar mech effectivly puts up less of a fight than a Huge one.
I would use:
"A dragged opponent is pulled towards the attacking mech at a rate of the attackers speed minus half the defenders speed, minimum 20ft, per round."
This leaves the 4th paragraph of the chain tentical entry in the core book reading:
"The attacker must declare how he is using the chain tentacle before rolling his attack. On a successful spear attack, the target is chained to the attacker. The chain immediately tightens and the target may not move outside the radious of the attack range untill he escapes. The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer with an opposed strenght check. If attacker wins opponent is dragged closer, if attacker looses opponent can move at half speed against pull of the chain that round if desired. The defender can try to escape the chain tentical on his turn with an opposed strength check. Even if the defender loses the opposed roll, if his check is high enough (DC 38), he brakes the chain (leaving the weapon inoperative) and is free. A dragged opponent is pulled towards the attacking mech at a rate of the attackers speed minus half the defenders speed, minimum 10ft, per round."
Have I got the wrong idea about this weapon and what do people think of these alternate rules? I'd be very interested.
1. The brake DC for the chain is 28. This doesn't make a lot of sense for many reasons. I guess this weapon was designed to be used against huge/Gargantuan mechs. As most mechs are clockwork or steam this gives them a strenght check of:
1d20 + size mod in relation to medium size + Str mod.
Around 1d20 + 20 for a gargantuan mech. roll 8 to brake
Around 1d20 + 12 for a Huge mech. roll 14 to brake
These are not hard rolls concidering these weapons would be used over 100 -200ft range giving targets multiple atempts whilst being pulled in over a number of rounds (problem with this also: see 3.). You would think that designers would have used better materials.
This is especially confusing as it only takes DC 26 to brake a pair of manicals and 28 to brake an iorn door down off its hinges. Also the binder barb discription in the 2nd age of walkers has a brake DC of 34 and I would assume these chains to be smaller as there are so many.
I would expect the brake DC for the chain tentacle to be more like 35-40. 38 sounds nice, huge and smaller can't brake chain unless roles natural 20 which I would rule always brakes chain, gar can brake on a role of 18, colossal can brake on a role of 12. over a few rounds this should allow any colossal mech to brake free whilst giving a gargantuan one a fair chance. At least I would expect a DC of 36.
2. I assume the weapon is based on a kind of winch system other wise it would be hazardus to the mech it is on (500ft of chain dragging behind it). I don't think most mechs would be able to use their hands (if they have them) in such a coordinated manner to grab the chain and pull it in hand over hand so how can it drag the attacking mech??? I would sugest replacing:
"The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer (and vice versa!) as a movement action. Escaping the chain and dragging an opponent closer are resolved by opposed strenght checks." in the core book with:
"The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer with an opposed strenght check. If attacker wins opponent is dragged closer, if attacker looses opponent can move at half speed against pull of the chain that round if desired. The defender can try to escape the chain tentical on his turn with an opposed strength check."
3. the core book says:
"A dragged opponent is pulled half its normal movement toward the attacker"
This makes no sense as larger mechs are usually faster so it means a Gar mech effectivly puts up less of a fight than a Huge one.
I would use:
"A dragged opponent is pulled towards the attacking mech at a rate of the attackers speed minus half the defenders speed, minimum 20ft, per round."
This leaves the 4th paragraph of the chain tentical entry in the core book reading:
"The attacker must declare how he is using the chain tentacle before rolling his attack. On a successful spear attack, the target is chained to the attacker. The chain immediately tightens and the target may not move outside the radious of the attack range untill he escapes. The attacker can attempt to drag the defender closer with an opposed strenght check. If attacker wins opponent is dragged closer, if attacker looses opponent can move at half speed against pull of the chain that round if desired. The defender can try to escape the chain tentical on his turn with an opposed strength check. Even if the defender loses the opposed roll, if his check is high enough (DC 38), he brakes the chain (leaving the weapon inoperative) and is free. A dragged opponent is pulled towards the attacking mech at a rate of the attackers speed minus half the defenders speed, minimum 10ft, per round."
Have I got the wrong idea about this weapon and what do people think of these alternate rules? I'd be very interested.