Goodman Games

It depends - how realistic are you trying to be? For most groups, the 9 day limit is less of a resource-management challenge and more of an occasional adventure hook ("We've been running from the raiders for a week, and we're almost out of coal! What now?"). That keeps the focus on the PCs and the things they do, and off of the mechanics of how a mech operates, which is good because if we get too scientific the whole thing could fall to pieces on us.

But serious questions deserve answers. A steam-driven mech is "active" to some degree around the clock. It will burn more fuel when it needs more power, like when it's traveling or fighting, but it will always be burning some coal to keep its pressure up in case it needs to take action on short notice. It takes a while to heat enough water for a full head of steam. A mech that's only burning coal for 1/3 the usual time will probably have even less than 1/3 of the usual operating hours - it will have to warm up every day. Make sense?

Skinstealers have an unusual attack value for face grapple and hooks attacks. They are missing feats and skill points. The skill points used violate the maximum ranks allowed in a skill. Here is my suggested fix:

Lunar Skinstealer
Attack: Face grapple +7 touch (special)
Full Attack: Face grapple +7 touch (special) and 4 hooks +2 melee (1d2)
Skills: Bluff +26, Disguise +23, Hide +16, Jump -1, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4
Feats: Skill focus (Bluff)*, Skill focus (Disguise)

Skills: Lunar skinstealers receive a +15 racial bonus to Bluff checks and a +10 racial bonus to Disguise checks. Due to their camouflage ability, they receive a +10 bonus to Hide checks.

* A skinstealer has a 10% chance of having the feat Seroficitacit's Changes instead of Skill focus (Bluff).

Skill Explanation
Bluff: +7 Ranks, +1 Cha, +15 Racial, +3 Feat
Disguise: +7 Ranks, +1 Cha, +10 Racial, +2 Synergy, +3 Feat
Hide: +7 Ranks, -1 Dex, +10 Racial
Jump: +7 Ranks, +4 Str, -12 Speed
Listen: +7 Ranks, -3 Wis
Move Silently: +7 Ranks, -1 Dex
Spot: +7 Ranks, -3 Wis

Slathem are missing skills entirely although they have PC stats in Almanac of the Endless Traders from what I understand. I've heard that other monsters are likely messed up but haven't looked yet.

I'm trying to keep my updated skills as close to the original creature as possible. Forestrati has the correct skills but no feats. Dronog skills are off. Dronog also didn't seem to include -1 to hit for being large so I gave them weapon focus so that the attacks don't need to be adjusted.

Dronog
Feats: Alertness, Weapon focus (bite)
Skills: Climb +7, Listen +3, Spot +3

Forestrati
Feats: Endurance, Improved Sunder, Power Attack

Dronog Skill Explanation
Climb: +3 Ranks, +4 Str
Listen: +2 Ranks, -1 Wis, +2 Feat
Spot: +2 Ranks, -1 Wis, +2 Feat

(Why did you give Endurance to Forestrati since they don't really get much benefit from it? Mainly cause I want Diehard for advanced Forestrati but it seems like something you might have from surviving the lunar rain even if there is no rule reason.)

EDIT: Some more updated creatures. I've given the Dusk Devils the Run feat which removes the need for the Fast Run special quality. Their jump did not take speed into account.

Dusk Devil
Skills: Climb +11, Hide -5, Jump +30, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Endurance, Run, Combat Reflexes

Dusk Devil: Stavian
Skills: Climb +7, Hide -1, Jump +16, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Endurance, Run

Dusk Devil Skill Explanation
Climb: +5 Ranks, +6 Str
Hide: +3 Dex, -8 Size
Jump: +6 Str, +20 Speed, +4 Feat
Listen: +3 Ranks, +1 Wis
Spot: +3 Ranks, +1 Wis

Dusk Devil: Stavian Skill Explanation
Climb: +3 Ranks, +4 Str
Hide: +3 Dex, -4 Size
Jump: +4 Str, +8 Speed, +4 Feat
Listen: +2 Ranks, +1 Wis
Spot: +2 Ranks, +1 Wis

Are the lunar traits a leftover from 3E when the product was converted to 3.5? I was trying to write up a creature in the later monster format used by wizards and realized creatures no longer have half damage from things and vulnerability only adds 50% damage not double. I suppose it could be changed to vulnerability to earth and resistance 10 to air, water, and fire. (I must say I don't really like that format for monster but can understand why it is useful for combat.)

A few questions about Net Cannons (Mech Manual). #1 do net cannons make ranged touch attacks, and #2 what are the ranges for net cannons? The Mech Manual only has a - in the range column for them, which I presume is a mistake.

bump.

bump.

hmm... looking it over a "-" normally means melee range, but that doesn't sound right for something cannon fired.

and as far as attacking touch vrs full. It doesn't say that either...the difference against mechs is nothing but against larger monsters would be interesting. I'd think touch normally. I'd have to check the basic net in the PHB for more input.

Answer me this, oh godlike creators of Dragonmech...

What do lunar dragons have in the way of natural attacks? I've gone back and forth through their entry, and find no mention of biting, clawing, tail-lashing, and any other of those other funky attack methods.

For further information, I'm trying a playtest against a Young lunar dragon.

Arek,

The lunar dragon has the same basic dragon attacks as shown in the v3.5 Monster Manual and the SRD; that is, bite, claw, wing, and tail slap, for starters. See here for details:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.htm#

Let me know if you need more info. Thanks!

--Ken

Much obliged.

Now...

It says BAB +25 in the entry for a Young Lunar Dragon. Is that the actual BAB, or the attack bonus? My muzzy mental calculation says that'd be about right for 17 HD of full BAB, +7 or 8 for Strength.

I'd have to check with Joseph himself (the author) to be 100% sure, but the entry may be a little off. Looking at it again, I see:

17 (for the HD) + 9 (for the 29 Str) - 1 (for Large size) = attack modifier of +25, not +26

Unless anyone sees something I'd missed, that's the attack modifier I'd go with. That said, the +30 grapple modifier is correct, since the -1 doesn't apply for grappling; the +4 is the size modifier for that. Sorry for any confusion there.

By me.

By Seben-PistonRager

Still haven't gotten an official answer. You should really consider putting up an updating errata section, because while I hate to say it, there are some glaring errors in some of the books.

Yeah, I'd love to be important enough to do that... but I don't actually work for Mr. Goodman.

But lacking an official position hasn't stopped me from doing a lot. You could start a thread of the errors and inconsistencies and bug people till they get addressed, and possibly a compiled errata on the site.

Don't worry, I know your not an official employee, that's why I bumped.

bump

Purchased the remaining DragonMech books when the pdfs went on sale.

Squoli from Almanac of the Endless Traders
HD: 2d8+4 (13hp)
Skills: Listen +4, Swim +10
Feats: Improved Grapple (B), Power Attack

(I'm not sure I like Power Attack but can't think of what else to give them without altering Skills/Attacks.)

Squoli Skill Explanation
Listen: +5 Ranks, -1 Wis
Swim: +2 Str, +8 Racial

Do small characters use only 1/2 a payload unit? I haven't found anything to suggest that. I'm inclined to say no they still use a full PU. We do know that the aboleth count as 4 crew but the Brine Worm only lists it as having 1 PU for crew and 1 open.

I'd say they still count as 1 payload unit unless you stack them on top of each other.

I've got one: the Mech Manual has a mech called the Fell Hammer that is described as a mech for making other mechs, but I don't see any rules for this. How does using one or more of these affect the construction time and/or cost of making a mech?

Also, does the pilot of a suit of dire armor (or any of the similar armors) gain the benefit of its hardness rating when he is specifically targeted?