House Rules Collection:
Kyn MacGowan
A Compendium of House Rules



Mekton II Style Machine-Fire/Auto-Fire Projectile Weapons
In the original MTS "machinefire" is what we now call "autofire" in MZ. Original "autofire" was similar, except all additional hits from the burst hit the SAME location as the first. (This is familiar ground to all the "Pre-Zeta" players.) We can bring back the old "autofire," but first we'll call it "machinefire" (just to confuse everyone), with the following multipliers (you buy you BV first, then apply this)

New Machinefire: x1.4
Selective Machinefire: x1.6

The costs are exactly as more expensive to normal autofire with this multiplier, as it was in the original MTS (feel free to test the math). Selective Machinefire allows you to choose whether you attack will be autofire or machinefire.

EMP/Microwaver Beam Weapons
Vast oversight in Mekton -- they even have these in Cyberpunk. Disrupts circutry, destroys magnetically store data and immobilises you enemy's mecha! Similar to the ion cannons in the X-Wing and TIE Fighter computer games.

EMP Only: x1.5
EMP Added: x2.0

Chemical/Biological Missile Warheads
Welcome to the next level of nastiness.... Missiles with this option may carry any number of toxic payloads (from nerve gas to viruses). GM's descretion as to the actual effects of the toxin, but all exposed characters in the blast radius must roll Resist Drugs vs Unscaled Kills + 10 or be affected. All missiles/bombs of this sort MUST perchace a Blast Radius. Up to Gm as to what will protect against the toxin (encloused suit, mecha's cockpit, etcetera).

Toxic Warheads: x15.0

Hey, if yer gonna have nukes -- why not these puppies?

Enhanced Armour-Piercing
Okay, let's face it -- not all AP weapons are created equal. Just look at the personal weapons list in MZ. Monoblades treat armour at 1/3 its SP. Moreover, chainsaws treat armour at a whopping 1/4 SP. Mind you, this could get out of hand (hence the high costs).

Extra AP (1/3 SP): x3.5
Super AP (1/4 SP): x5.0

Needler Projectile Weapons
Okay, here's another one not covered in the MTS -- Needlers! While admitedly, these aren't overly useful in scales other than 1/10 (except maybe to slowly chew armour, or tranq those REALLY BIG beasties). I included it here 'cause I like to at least have the option. :)

Needler Ammo: x2.0

Limited Movement
A derivation of Conditional Movement, this if for transforming mecha. Conditional Movement allow you to represent mecha that have movement systems that work in only one form. It's cost is -x0.1 All well and good, but a while back I was doing the stats for a Valkyrie, and pause for the fact that it's walking is slower in Gerwalk mode than in Battroid mode. But everyone knows that. In Mekton, there are no movement penalties for hybrid mecha, and I was in a hand-wavery mood so I said, "damn." That (oddly enough) led me to Condition Movement, which was too totalitarian for this job. So I sliced, diced and jullienned --thus...

Limited Movement allows your mecha to use the same movement system in another mode (unlike CM), albeit a bit more slowly. LM cost -x0.01 for each 10% less of the normal movement. Example: My Valkyrie has a land MA of 6 in Battroid mode, in Gerwalk its land MA is 4 (4 (4.2 rounded down) is 70% of 6 for a cost of -0.03 for the -30% MA).

This could be written off as special effect, but so can a lot of things.

Vectored Thrust
Okay, a lot of you will say, "Get Verniers an lessen your MV." But that's not what I'm going for. The PYBBN (Pitch Yaw Balance Beam Nozzle) vectored thrust nozzle on the F-15 ACTIVE shows not only that manoeuverablity is increased, but it provides better turn rates. "Aye, there's the rub..."

This system scales the Trurn radius down by one. (i e. -- Traveling at MA 40, the turn radius would be 3 hexes instead of 4. See p90 of MZ.) Mind you, this only works with mecha that use a turn radius, and, then, only with thruster movement. 

Cost is x0.1

(Save the Verniers for canard wings, apogee motors and 2D vectoring nozzles.)

Fueless Thrusters
Theoretically possible. Anyone who is not using the fuel rules -- just ignore this. Thruster systems. That don't use fuel. Surprise! Cost = Weight x0.0499 per 1 MA. That's normal thruster cost x1.33 -- makes sense, eh?