🎙 dear TTRPG chosters: got any recommendations for a TTRPG with a mecha setting that isn't lancer and also isn't a setting-agnostic system like FATE or BESM? i am on the search for something at least a little less crunchy and more RP-oriented for my more super robo-inclined heart with a brain that just combusts when told to play a tactics-based game
- He/Him + They/Them
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in reply to @ifritegi's post:
Uhhh I think Beam Saber is maybe a bit more about RP although it's still not incredibly simple. The simplest mech-based system I've seen is probably Kernel which is about playing a mech that's teeny tiny and fights bugs. Don't know how RP oriented that one is because I don't own it.
Do you specifically want something that leans into super robo and has a pre-existing setting rolled into it? How intensive can the character creation be?
thank you for asking! i am open to either leaning into super robo or just less real robo-oriented! (i'm aware lancer can be super robo flavor-wise since a lot of its world is just WEIRD and fun, but i personally feel its gameplay caters to real robo combat more). as for character creation, i'd just prefer something a little less Build or Die. i don't mind -some- crunch, but for me personally once we hit p2e levels (which is where i think lancer starts) that isn't what i'm looking for.
Beam Saber is a Forged in the Dark game that has the players playing roles in a huge never-ending war as the default setting. Your mech is a construct of keywords or phrases that can be invoked for positive or negative values. Something like "Bulky" could be invoked for a bonus on withstanding fire, but also act like a detriment during a high speed chase.
Armour Astir Advent is a Powered by the Apocalypse game where the players are some Cause fighting against some Opposition, where the Opposition has a small faction game built in for the GM between main missions. The game does have magic in it, if that dampens things, and has a like... 5 element Approach thing that makes some rolls harder or easier. Every one has one thing they're strong and weak against, sort of like Pokemon types.
Girl By Moonlight, a Magical Girl-theme-inspired FITD game has one of it's like "Game Modes" that is mecha based. A thorough review can be found here
my most complete, but worse, answer is my Itch collection of mecha games
https://itch.io/c/2023136/mecha-tabletop
narrowing down to a better answer...... Battle Century G is super robot but still has a dedicated chunk for its combat system, Steel Hearts would be my favorite super robot system if it was complete, although again with a dedicated combat system (less tactically demanding than Lancer's). BUT both of those are pretty gear-heavy in a way that it sounds like you wouldn't prefer, so, yeah probably not a good fit.
Actually, give Knights of the Round a look. They seemed to have pretty cool narrative tech there. and the Eldritch Automata Backerkit is up, for a more horror-ish game, but the full rules aren't available yet
yeah alright final narrative super robot game rec is Knights Of The Round, maybe Battle Century G if you like the look of the SRD
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/389281/knights-of-the-round-academy-english-edition
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6sw44poqwvehqxb/BCG%20Remastered%20SRD%20v1.84.pdf?dl=0
okay one more, this one's totally diceless and miiight be better suited for shorter campaigns but i haven't looked at the latest versions to be sure
https://ehronlime.itch.io/spectres-of-brocken
