357th Core Guidelines

357th Infernal Division

(Updated 28 July 2015)

"We MechWarriors are devils. If this battlefield is hell, then it is our home. Where we go, Hell and chaos shall follow."

House Rules

Current Rule Set - the 357th ID (hereafter referred to as the ID) currently use the rules found in Total Warfare, with additions from TechManual, Tactical Operations, Strategic Operations and the Jihad sourcebooks where needed. As newer rulebooks are released, the ID will continue to expand with them. This includes Alpha Strike, Interstellar Operations, and the Campaign Companion.

Timeline - The current time is 1 Jun 3068, at the dawn of the Blake Jihad. This is the point in the BattleTech history where a large amount of hard facts are available, and it serves a good point before the start of the Jihad/Wars of Reaving. Because of this, any sanctioned campaigning will advance the timeline as the entire 357th moves into the next phase of war/peace/revolution. Pick up games are timeline irrelevant.

'Mechs Allowed - All 'Mechs from standard TROs may be used, including those from TRO3075/3085, & TRO 3145/3150 despite them being "future" machines. Custom 'Mechs are encouraged, provided they stick with tournament legal equipment (or, level 1 and 2 from older books). Canon designs that mount experimental technology (level 3 from older books), such as those in Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, may be used as an exception to this policy, provided the opposing player is fine with it. TRO: Prototypes is a sticking point here; 'Mechs from it may be used so long as all participants are fine and know the advanced rules for each piece of technology on said 'Mechs. TRO3145/3150 'Mechs can be considered to be as prototypes or unique one-offs up until we reach closer to that point in the timeline so that players may still use their entire collections.

Map Sheets - All standard mapsheets from sets 2-7 (or the compilations) and the Mappack: Solaris 7 are allowed, as well as the newer hardback "board game" quality sheets from Mappack: Cities and Roads and Mappack: Lakes and Rivers. Advanced players may use the mapless miniatures rules but these tend to bog the game down more than map sheets, so won't be used in sanctioned events.

Deviations - In the weapon attack phase, we resolve shots by each 'Mech as we go, rather than everyone assigning attackers and weapons & then resolving. This takes some of the realism out, as a dead 'Mech can alpha strike if it dies before firing, or whatnot, but it works well for our newer players.

MechWarriors

Player Characters - After noticing a trend that made larger units less able to compete against smaller ones on an equal P/G level, the idea of PCs versus NPCs came up. In a nutshell, every unit has the option for up to five PC MechWarriors that have their stats tracked. Since most of what we do are pick up games, we tend to use a set piloting/gunnery (see below) every time. Introducing PCs keeps the current system, while ensuring that there is at least one MechWarrior on the field that a player really gets behind. Because the PC can be improved with the use of experience points, you stop having "generic pilot A in the Marauder II that no one will miss if he/she dies" and start having "Tai-sa Takeda, who is valuable to me as an investment & needs to be protected."

Experience - Each PC gains a single experience point for participating in the battle, whether they fire a single shot or not. At the end of each battle, a player also gives one of this opponent's PCs an extra experience point based on whatever criteria they deem fit. This can be for best performance, most damage inflicted, best manuevering, whatever. Experience can be traded in to improve abilities at a cost of 4 to lower a base piloting number by one or 8 to lower a base gunnery number by one. In the future, MaxTech/Tactical Operations abilities will be added, with a cost to be determined based upon their usefulness in play. As more supplements are released, other new abilities may be added, at which time, all players will have equal access to them.

Manei Domini - To give the Word of Blake its uniqueness, Manei Domini (Hands of the Master) will be included for players of the WoB's Shadow Divisions, Light of Mankind or Opacus Venatori. These are also available in a more limited fashion to Capellan "Thuggee Domini" in Warrior Houses White Tiger and Rakshasa. To balance out the perks of cybernetics, the tonnage cost of each 'Mech or vehicle is increased by five tons per enhancement, not including the free perks;

"Free" Cybernetics
Cosmetic Enhancement
Pheromone Effuser
Prosthetic Limb
Secondary Power Source
Toxin Effuser
Prosthetic Leg MASC - Improves infantry movement to 2 MP, infantry only
Myomer Full-body Implants - Infantry can take an additional point of damage, infantry only

"5 Ton" Cybernetics
Pain Shunt - Pilots may ignore pilot damage from ammo explosion, heat or VDNI feedback, also don't need to make consciousness rolls.
Multi-Modal Cybernetic Implants - If pilot has VDNI, functions as a 2-hex Active Probe, or adds +1 to range if Active Probe already present in unit.
Enhanced Multi-Modal Cybernetic Implants - As above, but adds +2 to existing Active Probe.
Vehicular Direct Neural Interface (VDNI) - Pilot receives -1/-1 to skill numbers. Any time internal structure is hit on their unit, they must roll 2d6, taking a point of damage for every die that comes up 8+.
Buffered VDNI - Pilot receives -1 to Gunnery skill, may ignore the +1 to Piloting rolls for having a small cockpit. Any time a component takes a critical hit, they must roll 2d6, taking a point of damage for every die that comes up 8+. 

Triple-Core Processor - Force receives +2 to their Initiative roll for as long as the Manei Domini is on the field.

Pilot Abilities and Skills - Each player is encouraged to write up a history for his pilot, including MechWarrior, 3rd Edition (Classic BattleTech RPG) or A Time if War: the BattleTech Roleplaying Game stats. Eventually, we will add special abilities for MechWarriors, vehicle commanders and PC infantry as campaigns progress.

As a base, however, in non-campaign games, we use a 3/2 MechWarrior commander with 4/3 MechWarrior subordinates.

5th Succession War/Jihad and Affiliation

Unit Affiliation - Players of canon units already have an affiliation. Mercenary players must choose one based on his/her preferences. If building a canon unit, it is preferred that the majority of components ('Mechs, tanks, etc) be of the parent affiliation. If building a mercenary unit, it is preferred that at least 50% of the components be of the chosen affiliation, with another 25% being from the Mercenary General list. Use lists found in Combat Operations to determine affiliation. Clantech is allowed in Inner Sphere units (and vice versa) so long as a) it is plausible (if the unit has never faced the Clans, it should not contain more than one or two Clan components) and b) there are never more than one Clan component per 5 or 10 Inner Sphere components (1 or 2 per company). Clan units may use as many Inner Sphere designs as plausible.

Tech Balance
As a correlation to the above point on Clantech, the ID uses a tonnage system of balance. All Clan 'Mechs add 5 to their total tonnage, so that a 35 ton Kit Fox counts as a 40 tonner. Inner Sphere units cannot field more than one Clan 'Mech per three IS unless the specific scenario calls for it. Periphery nations should never have more than a single Clan 'Mech on the field per an entire company, using the same tonnage balancer as above.

5th Succession War/Jihad Affiliation - There are several factions in the BattleTech Universe but it is inevitable that multiple ID members will be playing units from the same faction. For the intents and purposes of the 5th SW, it is preferred that we have as many different factions represented. Players may be asked to run a faction their unit is not affiliated. It is hoped that this won't be a problem. The units used must still be plausible (a player using a pure-Clan Jade Falcon Falcon Guards cluster won't be asked to play the Marian Hegemony, for instance).

There will be cases where other things may be added. If so, I hope that all players will understand that it is all for the enjoyment of the game by the entire group. BattleTech is a great way to spend time and make new friends.
-Raymond "Fenris" Sempek