Fan Council 3062 Rules Thread

[Dave Baughman]

Current game rules can be found in this thread.

Official FGC Record Sheet

Faction Leaders are required to use the official FGC Record Sheet for recording their monthly faction orders. Modifications to the sheet require prior approval by the GM team and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

The current version of the sheet is 0.53, but versions 0.50 and forward are currently "game legal."

Orders and Posting rules

1. Faction leaders are responsible for submitting their orders on time. A deadline (usually the 5th of the month) will be posted by the GMs at the start of each turn.

2. Orders must be submitted to fgc_orders@intelser.org. Orders that are submitted to GM personal email accounts or to the orders mailboxes of other campaigns are not guaranteed to be processed until late orders processing.

3. The GM team will transmit monthly faction reports to all factions who submitted orders on time 1-3 days after the orders deadline.

4. Players have one week (seven calendar days) from the orders deadline to open any military operations threads they plan to carry out. The only exception to this is threads which are unable to be posted on time because they are waiting on responses to precursor threads such as allied or hostile movement requests.

5. Late orders will be accepted, but the reports for these orders will not be sent until the posting deadline expires. The posting deadline for late submitters is still based on the normal orders due date, so if orders are posted more than seven days late no ops threads can be opened by that faction that turn.

6. Players will have until the end of the month to resolve their threads.

Thread Title Guidelines

All threads must be placed in the appropriate folder (by turn)

All threads must identify the following factors:

• Type of thread - [RP] for Roleplaying only threads, [RP/MM] for Roleplaying + Combat threads
• Turn the thread occurs in
• Originating faction and target faction
• Hex and system the thread occurs in

Example:

[RP/MM] Turn 45, Dark vs FS - 3629 New Avalon



When a thread is complete, the thread owner should update the title to add [Complete].

[Dave Baughman]

Movement

Movement Points

Movement points (MP) are used to transport various assets around the Inner Sphere.

One MP can move one FP one hex. The maximum number of hexes that can be moved in a turn depend on the unit type.

Unit Types

For movement purposes there are several types of units in the game: static, transported, mobile, and WarShip.

Static Units are rare units that cannot move at all (military space stations, for example).

Transported Units do not have permanent JumpShip. These units are unable to conduct interstellar travel on their own, and need to use the factions’ transportation assets.

Mobile Units include their own JumpShips. This allows them to make interstellar journeys unaided; WarShips fall into this category and also provide some additional benefits.

Some Mobile Units are equipped with Lithium-Fusion batteries and are capable of crossing more hexes than regular mobile units; they also produce more movement points and have the option of special fast movement at the cost of movement points. These units' movement class is listed as "LFB Mobile" on the record sheet.


Calculating Permanent Pool of Movement Points      

Permanent Pool

The Permanent MP Pool represents the stored capacity of a factions economy to cover a major event. This pool is refilled once every 12 turns. The next scheduled reset of the permanent pool is Turn 44.

Permanent MP Pool is equal to one MP for each transported FP in a faction's military.

Cyclical Pool

The Cyclical Pool of Movement Points is a collection of movement points that is refilled every cycle; any unused movement points are lost at the end of any turn.  

The Cyclical MP Pool is calculated as follows:

• All factions gain 5 MP for each recharge station they control.
• Inner Sphere Technology factions gain 1 MP for every 10 FP of transported forces in their military.
• Clan Technology factions gain 1.5 MP for every 10 FP of transported forces in their military.
• All factions gain 1 MP for every 1 FP of mobile units in their military not equipped with Lithium Fusion Batteries.
• All factions gain 4 MP for every 1 FP of mobile units in their military that are equipped with Lithium Fusion Batteries.
• WarShips provide MP as if they were mobile units, plus the following bonus MP:
• 2 bonus MP for each WarShip docking collar.
• 15 bonus MP for each Special Warship (Nightlord, Potemkin, Thera, Conqueror, and Kyushu classes).

Purchasing Additional Movement Points

Movement points can be bought or sold between players; in these trades it is up to the players to negotiate the payment for such transactions.

Movement points can also be purchased from NPC corporations and merchants at a rate of 1 RP per 1 MP.

Using Movement Points

Static units cannot be moved, regardless of the available movement points.

To move a Transported Unit from one hex to another, movement points from one of the two pools must be expended. The maximum range of transported units is five hexes per turn.

Mobile Units and WarShip may move without spending MP.  

• Units without Lithium Fusion Batteries may move five hexes per turn
• Units with Lithium Fusion Batteries may move up to six hexes per turn for mobile units and seven hexes per turn for WarShips. These units additionally have the option to use fast movement (see below).

Fast movement: Mobile and WarShip units equipped with Lithium Fusion Batteries can move up to ten hexes per turn, but any movement past their normal range limit requires the use of movement points. The normal rate of 1 MP per 1 FP per 1 hex applies.


Command Circuit

A command circuit is a collection of JumpShips arranged at 30 light-year intervals to facilitate rapid movement. This method is very expensive and can only be used by transported units.

Each command circuit has a per-turn cost of 1 RP and 1 MP for every two hexes (round up) in the circuit.

The following restrictions apply:

• Each Command Circuit cannot contain more than 18 hexes
• Each hex can only contain one Command Circuit
• No two Command Circuits can be adjacent to one another
• Command Circuits can be co-owned by two or more factions, but two different Command Circuits cannot be combined.

Movement on a command circuit is free, but each command circuit can move a total of 10 FP (Inner Sphere technology factions) or 15 FP (Clan technology factions) per turn.

Command Circuit movement cannot be combined with any other special movement types (unplanned reinforcement, ready reserve, pirate transit, etc.)


Pirate Transit

For all order types except Invasion, pirate transit can be specified. If successful, hostile air defenses may not engage the "pirate" force; however, there is the possibility of a catastrophic misjump - roll on the Pirate Transit chart.

Pirate Insertion Chart

02      Misjump - Entire Force Disappears
03      Misjump - Half of Force Disappears
04      Failed Pirate Insertion
05      Failed Pirate Insertion
06      Failed Pirate Insertion
07      Failed Pirate Insertion
08      Successful
09      Successful
10      Successful
11      Successful
12      Successful


Infrastructure Movement

Hex Improvements (MF, SY, IC, etc) can be moved but require extensive preparations.

One turn before the move is to be executed, the facility must be taken offline for packing. The following turn it is removed from the map and becomes a transported unit with FP equal to its RP construction cost. These transport units may not initiate combat but they may be attacked. Note that issuing Blockade Running and/or Break Interdiction orders in response to enemy blockade or offensive interdiction is not considered to be "initiating combat" for the purposes of this rule if the infrastructure transport is attempting to flee the hex.

Infrastructure transports cannot contest a hex; if an infrastructure transport enters an uncontested foreign hex (or is present in one when its allegiance changes), the hex owner may seize control of the infrastructure transport without the need for combat.

Infrastructure transport units move per the normal rules for transported units.

Once a transport unit arrives at its destination, it must spend one full turn unpacking, at which point the Hex Improvement will come back online at the new location.

[Dave Baughman]

Construction

To construct units a faction must allocate Resource Points (RP) and indicate the exactly what type of unit is being built (and where) on their orders sheet.  

Each faction his a per-turn production limit based on their number of military factories (MF) and shipyards (SY). This limit is cyclical and unused capacity cannot be banked between turns.

Each MF provides 2 points of capacity, which can be used for all types of transported units except for DropShips.
Each SY provides 3 points of capacity, which can be used for all types of mobile and WarShip units, as well as transported DropShips and Aerospace units. SY capacity can also be used to build static space defenses such as military space stations.

To use production capacity, resources must be expended. Each point of capacity that is "activated" to be used in construction cost 1 Resource Points. In most cases, this means that every Force Point that is constructed costs one Resource Point; however, some movement classes are more expensive - see the table below.

• Static and Transported units require 1 point of capacity for each 1 FP that is actually produced
• Mobile and WarShip units without a Lithium Fusion Battery require 6 points of capacity for each 1 FP that is produced (i.e. it costs 6 RP for every 1 FP that is produced)
• Mobile and WarShip units with a Lithium Fusion Battery require 10 points of capacity for each 1 FP that is produced (i.e. it costs 10 RP for every 1 FP that is produced)

If insufficient capacity is available to build a unit in a single turn, the unit can be built over the course of multiple turns.

Technology Base restrictions
1. Inner Sphere Technology factions may not produce new Clan technology. They may maintain and repair Clan Technology units they acquire through other means.

2. Inner Sphere Technology factions may produce Clan technology from a captured Clan factory or shipyard for one cycle. At that point the facility runs out of parts and becomes useless. It may be retooled to Inner Sphere technology for 1/3 the cost of building a new one. The same is true for Inner Sphere Technology factories captured by Clan forces.

For the purposes of these rules, Clan Technology factions are defined as those capable of producing Clan technology. These are:

All Grand Council Clans
Rasalhague Dominion
Terran Hegemony

Inner Sphere Technology factions are:

Federated Suns
Capellan Confederation
Free Worlds League
Lyran Commonwealth
Draconis Combine
Magistracy of Canopus
Marian Hegemony
Taurian Concordat
Fiefdom of Randis

[Dave Baughman]

Dice Rolling

All dice rolling must be done through one of the following methods:

• Rolled used INTELSER Forums' built-in die roller

Previously-approved methods (rolling in MegaMek or requesting a roll from a GM) are no longer authorized. The GM team may still make their rolls on the private GM board, but must roll them there for record-keeping purposes.

Note: The GM private message redirect does not correctly capture die rolls. Please do not use [ roll ] in PMs to FC62GM as we will not be able to see the results.



Game Master Rules

1. All Private Messages from players will be answered in the order they are received (effective Turn 43).

2. All final GM decisions, regardless of size or scope, must be communicated through on-board means.

3. Any combat situation may deviate from the stated rules at the discretion of a GM. Any such ruling should be adhered to, but should not be regarded as precedent-setting unless it is accompanied by a rules update.



GM Private Message Guidelines

A new user account has been created: FC62GM -- all in-character PMs and all PMs which require GM action must/must include this account as an addressee. Private Messages that are not addressed to FC62GM are not "legal" for game purposes.

Non-game-related private messages should still go to the individual GMs' accounts.

Requests for rules clarification, rulings, and/or roleplaying posts will be addressed in the order they are received. To ensure the messages can be quickly parsed by the GM team, please make sure the title line on each post contains either [RULES], [RP], [TRADE], or a similar descriptor.

This system is brand new, so the rules may be modified going forward based on our experience, but hopefully this will help not only improve turnaround on responses but will also keep a more effective permanent record of both back-channel roleplaying and GM rulings.

[Dave Baughman]

Economics

Resource Point Pool

The Resource Point (RP) Pool represents the overall economic resources available to a faction at the start of the current turn. In addition to any RP banked from prior turns, the following revenue is gained each turn:

• Each control world generates 0.25 RP of revenue each turn
• Each Clan homeworld zone generates 0.50 RP of revenue each turn
• Each regional capital world generates 1.00 RP of revenue each turn
• Each national capital world generates 2.00 RP of revenue each turn
• Each MF and IC hex improvement generates 0.50 RP of revenue each turn
• Each SY and RS hex improvement generates 1.00 RP of revenue each turn
• Member worlds and PF hex improvements generate no revnue

Additional income can be obtained through commerce and through HPG service fees.

Commerce

Factions may engage in commerce with each other, exchanging MP, RP, and/or actual goods (such as military units). It is up to the players to determine the terms of these agreements. The details of all final trade agreements must be sent to the GMs by private message.

Technology Transfers

Factions may exchange blueprints and other technological information; the terms of such exchanges are up to the individual players to negotiate. Finalized technology transfer agreements must be copied to the GMs by private message.

Executing a technology transfer does not automatically allow the receiving faction to use the new technology. A research and development period of 2d6 turns is required, along with an expenditure of either 10 RP or 10x the production cost of the item being copied (whichever is greater). Note: If an example of the item being reverse-engineered is also present, it can be sacrificed (disassembled and considered totally destroyed) to halve the RP cost of development.

Technology Transfers cannot be used to change an Inner Sphere Technology faction into a Clan Technology faction, nor can they be used to change a faction's communications rating.

Banking

Any unused RP is automatically assumed to be banked, and is added to the next turn's RP Pool.

[Dave Baughman]

Guest Facilities

Guest facilities are military bases, civilian enclaves, and hex improvements that are located on planets belonging to a different faction.

Guest facilities generate revenue for the planet's owner as if they were part of that faction, but their output goes to the facility's owner.

The exact details of any guest facility arrangement are up to the two involved factions to negotiate.

[Dave Baughman]

Exploration and Colonization Rules

If a faction wishes to conduct exploration for habitable worlds, the following rules apply.

RP Cost: 8 RPs per hex searched, multiple searches may be conducted in the same hex.

2D6 Target number for successfully discovering a world: 9+

Die roll modifiers
General location already known (previous or rediscovered records*): +3
Each habitable world (beyond one) already in hex: +1 (Maximum modifier of +3)
Totally uncharted territory: -1

* Factions are expected to provide sufficient Role Playing to explain such an event.

If successful, any discovered world immediately becomes a Member World for that faction. The new world cannot be upgraded to a Control World for at least 10 cycles after discovery. This time represents the faction's efforts to turn the planet into an economically viable world and/or time needed to integrate it into general society.

[Dave Baughman]

Characters and VIPs

Players may create an unlimited number of characters from their faction to use as narrative devices. Characters may be canon characters, or they may be non-canon; other than the advantage of the notoriety and availability of background information for canon characters, they have no special game mechanical advantage over non-canon player-created characters.

Characters broadly fall into two categories: normal characters and VIPs.

Normal Characters are 'ordinary individuals' created for narrative purposes. Normal chracters are entitled to slightly less built-in rules protection then VIPs but otherwise function in the same manner.

VIPs are particularly important characters who have additional protections under the rules in order to ensure that they cannot be effortlessly killed. To qualify as a VIP, a character must be one of the following:

• A military official in command of a "line item" on the faction's orders sheet.
• A government official who is either head of government, head of a government ministry or department, or the administrator of a planetary or larger region.
• Any character who has become a recurring POV character (i.e. featured in multiple threads or in a large number of posts within a faction's IC roleplaying thread).

At this time, the definitions of VIP characters are somewhat vague. Players are expected to use discretion when declaring VIP status in borderline cases; if this becomes a problem, the GM team will develop explicit, concrete rules and require the tracking of VIPs (an added level of paperwork we are hoping to avoid).


Movement of Characters

Characters of any type may choose to "hitch a ride" on any of their faction's units or any unit of another faction (only with permission in the latter case).
Characters may move on their own up to five hexes per turn.
VIPs may move up to the maximum command circuit distance their parent faction is able to create. This option does not incur command circuit expenses.

The movement of characters is not impeded by Offensive Interdiction, but is stopped by Blockades. Characters may attempt Blockade Running, but if the results indicate their take damage they are considered to be in the power of the blockading faction and may be injured or killed (see Injuring Characters, below).


Activities of Characters

Characters are narrative devices; by default they do not have any special game mechanical abilities - their purpose is to carry out roleplaying. This is an aspect of the rule that may be expanded upon in future revisions.


Injuring Characters

A player may injure or kill his or her own characters at will, as long as it does not involve forcing an adverse action on another player's characters. For example, a faction leader may choose for one of their characters to suffer a heart attack, die in a shuttle accident, or be bitten by a snake, but cannot arbitrarily decide that their character is stabbed to death by another faction's ambassador.

A player generally may not injure or kill another player's character's without that player's permission, unless that character is in their power. Exceptions to this are the game mechanical functions of Assassination, Kidnapping, and certain critical hit results.

A character is "in the power" of another player when:

• The character is on in an uncontested hex owned by the other player, and is not 'hidden' by Clandestine Movement or other game mechanical means.
• The character has been captured or kidnapped by game mechanical means, or by the agreement of the character's owner (such as when a character offers themselves up as a hostage).
• The character's owner explicitly places the character in a location that will be subject to a mass destruction attack such as orbital bombardment or a nuclear explosion.

In these situations, without the permission of the other player, the player who holds the character in their power may:

• Dictate specific injuries or even death for an helpless* character.
• Initiate individual combat with an non-VIP character.
• Attempt to initiate combat with a VIP character.

*A character is "helpless" if they are either physically restrained, held in confinement they lack the means to escape (i.e. in a jail cell or similar imprisonment), or lack the skills or physical condition neccessary to defend themselves (i.e. character has injuries that prevents them from attempting to fight for their life).

VIPs who are not helpless may avoid combat on a successful initiative roll. If they survive the first seven rolls of combat and are still not helpless, they may attempt another initiative roll to escape. Note that this does not allow a VIP to avoid game-mechanical effects such as Assassinations.

[Dave Baughman]

Research and Development

Every faction receives a free roll for R&D every third cycle starting with Cycle 20. Additional rolls may be purchased in the intervening cycles at a cost of 5 Resource Points each. There can only be one roll per faction per cycle.

Only a GM may make R&D rolls.

The base target for success is 12 on 2D6. This target can only be modified by prestigious facilities, -1 each, at a maximum of three facilities per faction. When the initial roll is successful, further rolls are done against the Breakthrough Chart to determine what area of society is affected by the achievement. Rolls against the Breakthrough Chart are modified by +1 per Prestigious Facility owned by the rolling faction.

The Breakthrough chart is maintained on the GM staff board and is periodically updated based on game developments.

[Dave Baughman]

Intelligence Operations

Cost: The cost listed is for the operation on a flat die roll (no modifiers). Unless bonuses are prohibited by the text of the operation, paying twice the cost adds a +1 to the roll. Four times the cost adds a +2, and eight times adds a +3 bonus.

General Rules: All intelligence operations are rolled on 2d6. Generally an 8 or better is required for the basic level of success, with higher rolls resulting in additional information or benefits.

Low Rolls: An unmodified roll of 3-4 results in false or erroneous intelligence being received. An unmodified roll of 2 results in the operation being compromised (GMs will work with the faction who defeated the operation to determine the specific outcome).

Stacking attempts: Each faction may attempt a specific operation against a specific target once each turn. One faction cannot, for example, attempt 10 formation location rolls for the same target in a single turn; however, allied factions may work together to undertake multiple attempts on the same goal (one per faction).


Planetary Garrison Posting
Cost: 0.5 RP

Targets a single hex, attempting to identify defenders.

Roll   Result
5-7   No intelligence gathered
8   Names of units present at the start of the turn
9   Names and quality
10   Names, quality, current FP
11   As 10, plus the names of any units scheduled to arrive
12   As 10, plus the names and quality of any incoming units
13+   As 10, plus the names, quality, and current FP of any incoming units

Alternate outcome: If specified in the orders, the additional information at 11+ can be 'reversed' to reveal departing units instead of arriving units.


Industrial Espionage
Cost: 5.0 RP

Operator attempts to steal a design or technology from a neighboring faction.

General industrial espionage, resulting in a random theft (determined by the GMs) requires an 8+ to succeed
Stealing the plans for a specific small unit design requires a 10+
Stealing the plans for a specific enemy technology or a large unit (DropShip or larger) needs a 12+ to succeed




Operational Orders
Cost: 1.0 RP

Targets either a single unit (hex does not need to be known or specified) or all units in a specific hex.

Roll   Result
5-7   No intelligence gathered
8-9   Core order (move, raid, invasion, etc) only revealed.
10-11   Core order and target of orders revealed
12   Core order, target of orders, and flight path to accomplish orders are all revealed

Alternate outcome: If specified in orders, this order can reveal a units orders and other information during the previous turn rather than the current.



VIP Location
Cost: 5.0 RP

Targets a specific character.

Roll   Result
5-7   No intelligence gathered
8-9   Location only is revealed
10-11   Location, plus presence or absence of protective detail
12+   Location plus specific details of protective detail

Alternate outcome: If specified, this order can be used to reveal location and protection during the previous turn instead of the present.



Formation Location
Cost: 0.5 RP

Targets a specific unit

Roll   Result
5-7   No intelligence gathered
8-9   Starting location of a specific unit
10-11   Starting and ending location of a specific unit
12+   As 10-11 plus an ambush location is made available (GMs will determine the exact location)

Note: This operation can be used to locate a special forces team, even if the nationality and name of the team is not known as long as that unit conducted an operation or executed a combat order during the most recent turn.

Alternate outcome: If specific, this order can be used to track the movement of a unit during the previous turn; if so, 8-9 reveals the end location instead of the start location. Results of 12+ provide an additional turn of 'history' for each result above 11 (i.e. 12 reveals the last 2 turns, 13 the last 3, and so forth).

Interaction with Hunting order: Hunters can be dispatched either to the start or end hex (if both are known). If an ambush site is provided, this may also be used for hunting.



Disseminate Domestic Disinformation
Cost: 5.0 RP

Conceal a specific detail about your faction's activities. A common use is to conceal the natioality of forces being used in combat.

The base difficulty of this operation is 8+ on 2d6; the GMs will adjust the difficulty based on the specific details of the operation (i.e. concealing the nationality of a unique warship will be harder than disguising a company of 'Mech raiders).

A roll that does not meet the target number set by the GMs may still result in a partial success; they will adjust the results accordingly.



Disseminate Foreign Disinformation
Cost: 5.0 RP

Propogate false information about a rival faction. Commonly used to frame an enemy faction for intelligence operations or military attacks.

The rules listed for Disseminate Domestic Disinformation apply to this order as well.



Turn Agent
Cost: 10.0 RP

Attempt to compromise a specific faction's intelligence operations targeting the Operator's faction. This operation is ineffective against Special Operations.

Roll   Result
5-9   No effect
10   1d6 enemy operations are treated as if they rolled an unmodified 4
11   1d6 enemy operations are treated as if they rolled an unmodified 3
12+   1d6 enemy operations are treated as if they rolled an unmodified 2



Investigation
Cost: 2.5 RP

Attempt to gain information about past activities or plot events.

The GMs will set the difficulty based on how specific the investigation is and how obscure the information sought is. Partial success is possible.


Counterintelligence Operations
Cost: 5.0 RP

This order represents a general increased emphasis on counterintelligence operations faction-wide. At its basic level, CIO increases the amount of information reported by Passive Intelligence Operations. If an additional bonus is purchased, this translates into a penalty on enemy intelligence rolls.

Counterintelligence Operations do not affect Special Operations orders.




Passive Intelligence Operations
Cost: N/A

Failed enemy actions may provide clues that are detected by the Operator's faction. Passive Intelligence Operations does not need to be listed on the orders sheet; this operation is always active.

[Dave Baughman]

Special Operations


Special Forces are elite (or better) military units that offer a number of special capabilities to their owners. A number of additional intelligence operations exist that may only be attempted if a friendly special forces team is in the target hex.


Construction: A Special Forces team costs 12 RP and takes 6 turns to build (however, see "low-quality units" below).

Composition: Before skill modifiers, a Special Forces team is worth 1.0 FP in actual combat. This FP can be used in either ground or air combat, and may consist of any legal combination of units to equal the 1.0 FP amount. The actual FP amount is an abstraction; as long as the unit is active, it automatically returns to full strength at the end of the turn if it is not destroyed.

Skill: A newly-constructed Special Forces team is Elite. After one successful operation, they may be trained to Heroic (x2.24 FP multiplier). After three more successful operations, they may be trained to Legendary (x2.63 FP multiplier). Legendary special forces teams receive a +1 modifier on their operational rolls; Heroic units receive a +2.

Training: Special Forces teams may be trained using the normal training rules, but should be treated as if their base FP was 12 instead of 1.

Limits: A faction may have no more than three special forces teams, or an amount equal to its total number of PFs, whichever is greater. If for any reason a faction has more units than it is allowed (as a result of losing PFs, for example), it cannot build more teams until its number drops to below its limit.

Movement: Special Forces teams move by Improved Clandestine Movement (no hostile movement posts required, no chance of detection by defenders, automatic successful raid insertion) and have the LFB Mobile movement class. Special Forces teams cannot spend movement points, so their maximum move per turn is six hexes.

Core Abilities: The presence of a Special Forces team in a hex allows for Special Forces Intelligence Operations to be attempted. The presence and nationality of a Special Forces team only needs to be revealed if that unit attempts a raid, battle, or other standard combat order (assuming their nationality has not been concealed with a Disinformation operation).

Low-Quality Units: It is possible to build special forces units at Veteran or even Regular quality. A Veteran SO team receives a -1 penalty on all of its rolls, costs 8 RP and takes 3 turns to build; a Regular SO team receives a -2 penalty on all of its rolls, costs 5 RP, and takes 1 turn to build.

Escape and Evasion: In the event of a failed Special Forces Intelligence Operation, the team is not automatically destroyed. Instead, the GMs will roll on the following table, applying only the team's Operations skill modifier.

Roll      Result
2      Team is captured               
3      Team is surrounded, must surrender or commit suicide   
4      Team is heavily damaged, must move to a friendly PF and spend 1d6 turns repairing and rebuilding, nationality revealed.
5      Team is moderately damaged, must move to a friendly hex and spend 1d6 turns repairing and rebuilding, nationality revealed.
6      Team is lightly damaged, must spend 1d6 turns repairing and rebuilding, nationality revealed.
7      Team escapes undamaged, but its nationality is discovered.
8+      Team escapes undamaged and its identity remains unknown.

Note that a seperate Disseminate Disinformation operation can conceal the nationality of the team on a result of 3-7, but not on a surrender.

Operational Costs: Special Forces operations may be given bonuses on their rolls at the same costs as normal intelligence operations.


Protect VIP
Cost: 0.5 RP

The team protects a specific character.

All intelligence operations targeting the VIP suffer a -2 modifier on their operation roll; this penalty is further increased if a higher level of protection is paid for (i.e. paying for a +1 modifier leads to a net -3 penalty to enemy operations).

Additionally, if an enemy special forces team targets the VIP, they must fight the defending special forces team for one round of combat to reach their target - per interdiction rules, if they fail to inflict at least 25% on the defenders, they are unable to reach their target; the operation automatically fails and the attacker must still roll for Escape and Evasion.



Protect Hex Element
Cost: 1.0 RP

The team protects the hex improvements in a specific hex.

This operation follows the same rules as Protect VIP.



Disrupt Communications
Cost: 1.0 RP

The team attempts to disrupt enemy communications, leaving some enemy units out of position in the course of a larger campaign.

Unless specified otherwise in the orders, this operation is attempted during the Special Scenarios phase of the first round of combat to occur in the target hex.

Roll         Result
5-9         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
10         5% of the enemy force is out of position for one operational round.
11         10% of the enemy force is out of position
12         15% of the enemy force is out of position
13+         20% of the enemy force is out of position

Forces out of position due to disrupted communiations may not participate in that round of combat; in the context of this order, "enemy force" means the total of all enemy forces in the hex, taken proportionately from each individual unit present.



Destroy Supplies
Cost: 2.0 RP

The team attacks enemy supply lines.

Unless specified otherwise in the others, this operation is first attempted during the Special Scenarios phase of the first round of combat to occur in the target hex.

If successful, this operation can be attempted again in the next operational round. The results are cumulative (i.e. two successes result in a total of 30% of the enemy force being disabled for the rest of the turn).


Roll         Result
5-11         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
12+         Operation succeeds, 15% of the enemy force is out of action for the turn, team may roll again in the next operational round.




Sabotage Hex Element
Cost: 5.0 RP

The team attacks either a specific hex improvement or a target of opportunity.

If no specific target is indicated a +1 bonus is applied to the roll. The GMs will randomly select a target.


Roll         Result
5-7         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
8         Facility is offline for 1d6 turns
9         Facility is offline for 2d6 turns
10+         Facility is destroyed



Attack Enemy SF Team
Cost: 5.0 RP

The team attacks an enemy special forces team in the same hex. If a bonus is purchased for this operation, apply that bonus to the simple resolution roll* but not to any other rolls made.

Whichever team inflicts less damage must roll on the Escape and Evasion table.

*If the match is resolved by means other than Simple Resolution, the players involved should agree on an appropriate special to reflect any bonus that the attacker has paid for.



Incite Revolt
Cost: 25.0 RP

The team, with material support from their home faction, arms and trains rebel forces in the target hex.


Roll         Result
5-9         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
10         1d6 FP of rebels appear and the hex is terrorized for three turns
11         2d6 FP of rebels appear and the hex is terrorized for three turns
12         4d6 FP of rebels appear and the hex is terrorized for three turns
13+         8d6 FP of rebels appear and the hex is terrorized for three turns



Steal Transports
(temporarily removed until the MP system is overhauled)




Headhunting
Cost: 10.0 RP

The team attacks the enemy's commanders, temporarily reducing the enemy's skill level.

Roll         Result
5-7         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
8-11         Enemy units in the hex temporarily lose one skill level for the turn
12+         As 8-11, plus the enemy's overall commander in theater is killed


Terrorism
Cost: 2.0 RP

The team attacks a hex's civilian population.

Roll         Result
5-9         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
10+         Hex is terrorized for three turns



Assassination/Kidnapping
Cost: 15.0 RP

The team attempts to kill or kidnap a specific VIP


Roll         Result
5-7         Operation fails, roll for Escape and Evasion
8         Target sustains minor injuries, no game effect - RP only; kidnappings fail
9         Target is injured, out of action for one turn; kidnappings fail
10         Target is seriously injured, out of action for 1d6 turns; kidnappings fail
11         Target is killed or kidnapped                  

[Dave Baughman]

Training, Repair, and Refit

Note: For the purpose of these rules, a "unit" is defined as

• 1 Inner Sphere Regiment
• 1 Clan Cluster
• 1 Naval formation (i.e. one line-item on the naval tab)
• any smaller unit up to or equal to the sizes listed above

Training

Each faction may train one unit per turn. The cost of a training operation is equal to the unit's new maximum FP minus its old maximum FP.

Training a unit from Green to Regular does not have any special pre-requisites.
Training a unit from Regular to Veteran requires the unit has participated in at least one combat operation in the last six turns.
Training a unit from Veteran to Elite requires the unit has participated in at least three combat operations in the last six turns (and since the unit was promoted to Veteran).

Currently, regular military units cannot be trained to Heroic or Legendary skill (though Special Forces units may be -- see the special rules for that unit type).


Battlefield Repair

At the end of any combat operation, all units that sustain damage recover 10% of their losses, rounded to the nearest 0.25 FP. Additionally, up to 30% of the unit's total FP may be repaired using salvaged RP (see step 7 of the combat procedure).

Any additional repair beyond these limits must be accomplished by constructing new force points at an MF or SY. Repairing damage to units using new construction has a chance to reduce that unit's skill level (due to the influx of new troops). The chances are listed on the chart below; if any such rolls are required, they must be listed on the cover email and expense tab of the orders sheet - the outcome of the repairs will be listed on that faction's monthly report.

Percentage of FP lost     Roll on 2d6 required to retain quality level
Less than 10%              2+ (always succeeds)
10-20%                       3+
21-30%                       4+
31-40%                       5+
41-50%                       6+
51-55%                       7+
56-60%                       8+
61-70%                       9+
71-80%                       10+
81-90%                       11+
91-99%                       12
100%                          cannot be repaired – rebuild as new unit

If a unit fails its skill retention check, it may opt to forfeit the repairs in order to retain its original skill level. Units that take this option may attempt to repair again in subsequent turns and make a new roll at that time.

Note that currently the rules do not support combat units with "Very Green" and "Unskilled" skill levels, so no unit may drop below "Green" skill.


Repairing damaged infrastructure

In most situations when infrastructure is damaged, it is automatically repaired after a certain timeframe (specified in the description of the event that caused the damage). However, if a Hex Element receives actual FP damage (usually as a result of being attacked while being moved), RP must be spent to repair the damage.

The cost of repairing FP damage to infrastructure is equal to 50% of the total RP cost to build the hex improvement, regardless of the exact amount of FP damage sustained.


Refitting

Refitting is the process of significantly changing the composition of a unit. The following changes fall into the category of refits:

• Changing the unit type or tech base of an existing ground unit (i.e. infantry to battle armor or standard technology to Clan technology)
• Changing the type of a WarShip or JumpShip to a different variant of the same class (i.e. Invader to Invader (PPC) or Leviathan to Leviathan II)
• Note: Adding entirely new companies/squadrons/DropShips to an existing formation does not require refitting, but does incur  a chance of skill loss as if the unit is repairing from its current FP up to its new maximum FP.

The cost of refitting is equal to the full production cost of the units new configuration minus 75% of the full production cost of its old configuration (including movement mode modifiers if applicable).

[Dave Baughman]

Mercenaries

NPC Mercenary Rules

Mercs cost 1 RP per 20 FP based on the total NPC mercs.
Mercs sell their MP to their faction at .1 RP per MP (minimun of .5 RP) based on total NPC Mercs.

There are currently no rules for hiring new NPC mercenaries, though NPC mercenaries that are grandfathered into the game under old rules may continue to operate indefinitely under the rules listed above. Factions may transfer mercenary contracts between one another if they arrive at mutually agreeable terms.

Player-controlled Mercenaries

Mercenary 'factions' operate under slightly different rules than other factions.

Territory
Mercenary factions cannot exercise control over a hex; if a mercenary faction seizes control of a hex, they may choose to turn the hex over to their employer, or the hex may become factionless (beige).

Hex improvements owned by mercenary factions, even if they are in a factionless hex, are always guest facilies.

Because of these two restrictions, mercenary factions normally do not directly collect ownership income.

Record Keeping
Player-controller mercenaries must maintain a seperate record sheet for the mercenary unit.

Intelligence Operations
Mercenary units may attempt any intelligence operation, but suffer a -2 modifier on their operation rolls reflecting their relative lack of infrastructure.

This penalty does not apply to special operations projects.

Movement
Player-controlled mercenaries follow different movement rules than standard units.

Player-controlled mercenaries do not general movement points, regardless of their composition and movement class.

Mobile and LFB-Mobile mercenaries move per the normal rules. LFB-mobile mercenary units may fast-move without paying the additional MP cost.

Transported mercenaries may move by two different methods:

1) They may move using movement points provided by their employer (representing off-camera employer transport assets)
2) They may be carried onboard one of the mercenary command's JumpShips, providing that ship's DropShips have sufficient capacity to carry the units to be moved.

For the purpose of determinig the ability of a unit to move battle armor, infantry bays may be used for either conventional infantry or BA.

Size restrictions
Player-controlled mercenary factions are limited to brigade-size formations (3-5 regiments or clusters) of ground forces supported by regiment-sized aerospace formations (3-5 batallions/trinaries). This figure does not include auxiliary units such as appropriate numbers of transport JumpShips.

Upkeep
Mercenaries have two expenses each turn: MRBC fees and Overhead.

MRBC fees are a flat 10% of the current contract fee and are paid to the MRBC on Outreach. Failing to pay MRBC fees will result in losing the command's listing with MRBC, which will have roleplaying penalties.

Overhead is based on the size and composition of the unit, and is a percentage of the unit's FP that is paid each turn to cover routine maintainence, repairs, salaries, and supply expenses.

Step 1: Calculate Upkeep Weight
Each company of troops, squadron of fighters, DropShip and JumpShip has an upkeep weight that reflects its cost of maintainence.

• 'Mechs and Aerospace: Assault 1.5, Heavy 1.25, Medium 1.00, Light 0.75.
• Tanks: Assault 0.75, Heavy 0.5, Medium 0.25, Light 0.00
• Infantry: Battle Armor 0.25, Conventional 0.00
• Small Craft: Battle Taxis 0.25 each, Others 0.00
• DropShips: ((Dropship BV/1000)^(1/3))/2
• JumpShips and WarShips: (Jump-capable unit BV/1000)^(1/2)

Step 2: Calculate actual upkeep percentage
The percentage paid per turn is equal to ((Upkeep Weight)^2)/500

Attached Spreadsheet calculates unit Upkeep Weight (and upkeep %) automatically.

Contracting
Mercenary contract terms are entirely a roleplaying matter to be settled between players.

Multi-faction control
Mercenary commands do not count as a "faction" for the purpose of membership limits, but a player may not hire his or her own mercenary unit. Each player may opt to run one mercenary command.

[Dave Baughman]

Hex Elements

Each hex can contain several elements. In general, before any other hex elements can be added, at least one Control World must be present in the hex (Space Stations are an exception to this).

National Capital World

Cost to Purchase:      Special
Construction Time:      NA

Each faction has one national capital. If the current national capital is lost, or if the faction wishes to relocate their capital, all income for one turn must be spend to create the new capital. If for any reason a faction has more than one national capital world, all but one automatically downgrade to Regional Capital Worlds.

Homeworld Zone
Cost to Purchase: NA
Construction Time: NA

Some highly developed planets contain multiple zones, each of which independently produces revenue and can contain hex improvements. Homeworld Zones cannot currently be manufactured or destroyed.

Regional Capital World  
Cost to Upgrade (from Control World):      24 RP
Upgrade Time:      1 turn

Regional capital worlds produce more resources than normal Control Worlds; however, if an RCW is lost, all faction income in a two hex radius is lost.

Control World
Cost to Upgrade (from Member World):      12 RP
Upgrade Time:      1 turn

Control Worlds are sufficiently developed to provide revenue on a national scale, but are also able to be attacked by enemies.

Improved Communications
Cost to Purchase:      24 RP
Construction Time:      1 turn or more (note: see communications rules)

Improved Communications centers are hubs of the HPG network, greatly stabilizing and enhancing interstellar communications in the region. Real-time communications are possible between hexes with IC improvements, and ICs enhance the revenue earned by communications providers.

Each hex can only support one IC. IC hex improvements cannot be built on the Clan Homeworlds map.

Member World
Cost to Purchase:      NA
Construction Time:      NA

Member Worlds are worlds that while inhabited and present on the map are too insignificant to have any game impact. If all higher-order worlds in a hex ae captured by a rival faction, member worlds automatically surrender.

Military Factories
Cost to Purchase:      24 RP
Construction Time:      2 turns

Military Factories increase the production capacity of the owning faction.

Prestigious Facilities
Cost to Purchase:      NA
Construction Time:      NA

Prestigious Facilities contribute to a faction's research and development efforts. PF hex improvements can only be gained through random events.

Recharging Station
Cost to Purchase:      72 RP
Construction Time:      2 turns

Recharge Stations increase the efficiency of a faction's merchant fleet, increasing the Cyclical MP Pool.
  
Shipyards
Cost to Purchase:      48 RP
Construction Time:      2 turns

Shipyards increase a faction's capacity to produce aerospace and naval equipment.

Black Box Factory
Cost:  100 RP
Construction Time: 2 turns
Requirements: Primary or Secondary Black Box service provider.

Allows production of Black Boxes.  May produce one per cycle (see communications rules for costs).

Space Station
Cost to Purchase: 24RP
Construction Time: 6 Turns (3 turns if a Yardship is present in the hex that will contain the station)

Space Stations may only be build in hexes that do not already contain hex elements. If for any reason a hex containing a Space Station gains a control world or a capital world, the Space Station immediately changes into a member world.

Space Stations located more than three hexes from one of the builder's friendly hexes take an additional turn to complete for each hex of distance beyond three.

Space Stations operate like Control Worlds, but may only be invaded by Marine units.

If at least three hex improvements are build in a hex containing a space station, that hex gains a PF hex improvement automatically. This PF may not be moved and may only be claimed once per hex.



Hex Status Effects
There are several game effects that impact an entire hex, and are reflected on the map by overlaying the impacted hex with a symbol.

C (Contested) - this hex is occupied by two or more factions and is not subject to a sharing agreement. Contested hexes generate no resource points, and the hex improvements within them do not function.

T (Terrorized) - this status is caused by a number of different orders, projects, and events. A terrorized hex generated no resource points.

I (Interdicted) - this hex does not have access to FTL communications; see the Communications rules for full game effects.

☣ (Biohazard) - this hex has been infected with a biological warfare agent and poses a risk of infection to those who enter it.

[Dave Baughman]

Force Points

One Force Point (FP) of ground forces is approximately equivalent to one company of Inner Sphere Standard Medium 'Mechs.
One Force Point (FP) of aerospace forces is approximately equivalent to 15,000 BV points.

Elite units apply a 1.5x multiplier to their FP
Veteran units apply a 1.25x multiplier to their FP
Green units apply a 0.80x modifier to their FP


Inner Sphere Formations

Introductory-level Technology
Marine Infantry Company: .25*
Marine Mechs Company: -50%*

Conventional Infantry Company: 0

2x Light Armor Company:  .25
Medium Armor Company:  .25
Heavy Armor Company:  .5
Assault Armor Company:  .75

Light Mech Company:  .5
Medium Mech Company:  .75
Heavy Mech Company:  1
Assault Mech Company: 1.25

Inner Sphere Standard Technology
Marine Battle Armor Company: .5*
Marine Mechs Company: -50%*

2x IS BA Company:  .25

2x Light Amor Company:  .5
Medium Armor Company:  .5
Heavy Armor Company:  .75
Assault Armor Company:  1

Light Mech Company:  .75
Medium Mech Company:  1
Heavy Mech Company:  1.25
Assault Mech Company:  1.5

Clan Technology
Marine Infantry Company: .5*
Marine Battle Armor Company: 1*
Marine Mechs Company: -50%*

Clan BA Company: .25

Light Armor Company:  .5
Medium Armor Company:  1
Heavy Armor Company:  1.25
Assault Armor Company:  1.5

Light Mech Company:  1
Medium Mech Company:  1.5
Heavy Mech Company:  1.75
Assault Mech Company:  2


Clan Formations
Introductory-level Technology
Conventional Infantry Binary: 0
Marine Infantry Binary: 0.25*
Marine 'Mech Binary: -50%*

2x Light Armor Star:  .25
Medium Armor Star:  .25
Heavy Armor Star:  .5
Assault Armor Star:  .75

Light Mech Binary:  .5
Medium Mech Binary:  .75
Heavy Mech Binary:  1
Assault Mech Binary:  1.25

Inner Sphere Standard Technology
Marine Battle Armor Binary: 0.5*
Marine 'Mech Binary: -50%*

2x IS BattleArmor Binary:  .25

Light Armor Star:  .25
Medium Armor Star:  .5
Heavy Armor Star:  .75
Assault Armor Star:  1

Light Mech Binary:  .75
Medium Mech Binary:  1
Heavy Mech Binary:  1.25
Assault Mech Binary:  1.5


Clan Technology
Marine Battle Armor Binary: 1.00*
Marine 'Mech Binary: -50%*

Clan BattleArmor Binary:  .25
Clan ProtoMech Binary:  .75

Light Armor Star:  .5
Medium Armor Star:  .75
Heavy Armor Star:  1
Assault Armor Star:  1.25

Light Mech Binary:  1
Medium Mech Binary:  1.5
Heavy Mech Binary:  1.75
Assault Mech Binary:  2

*Marine units can participate in naval boarding actions and combat on Space Stations, but are not equipped for ground combat.

[Dave Baughman]

This section reserved.

[Dave Baughman]

Special Movement Orders

In addition to the general movement orders listed in the movement section, several special options are available:

Offensive Ready Reserve
Cost: 1MP for 1FP per planned hex traveled.

Execution: The MP cost must be paid and the target hex specified for the units being placed on Offensive Ready Reserve in the faction orders for the turn; the hex being targeted may not be changed mid-turn.

Forces on Offensive Ready Reserve are not eligible for defensive use in their current hex. Offensive Ready Reserve forces may only be activated if friendly troops become outnumbered during the course of the campaign. Reserve forces may only be drawn from once, and will arrive in the target hex 1 round of combat after being called.

If the attacking force is destroyed or forced to retreat before the reinforcements arrive, those reinforcements stop at the nearest friendly hex to the target.

The attacker may only call up enough reserves to equal the original attacking force (in FP).




Defensive Ready Reserve
Cost: 1MP for 1FP per planned hex traveled.

Execution: The target hex and units placed on reserve must be specified in the faction orders for the turn; MP costs must be paid even if the order is not activated.

Forces on Defensive Ready Reserve are not eligible for defensive operations in their current hex.

Defensive Ready Reserve forces may only be called up after combat begins in the targeted hex and the defending player becomes outnumbered.

Reinforcement may only be called up once per turn for each hex. The reserve forces will arrive in the target system one combat round after being called. If the defending force is destroyed or forced to retreat before the reinforcements arrive, they end the turn in the closest friendly hex.

Defenders may only call up enough reserves to make his force equal the original attackers' FP.


Unplanned Reinforcement
Cost: 2MP for 1FP per hex traveled. Additionally, all RP income from the hex the reinforcing units originate is lost next turn.

Execution: When under attack, or attacking, a player (or a player's allies) may call upon unplanned reinforcements if the forces to be reinforced have already engaged and are outnumbered 2 to 1 or worse.

Reinforcing forces will arrive two rounds of combat after being called up. Unplanned Reinforcement may only be used once per faction, per turn.

If the forces to be reinforced are destroyed or forced to retreat before reinforcements arrive, the force will end the turn in the nearest friendly hex.

There is no limit on the size of force that can be utilized in this fashion, but it can only originate from a single hex.

A dice roll of 8 or higher on 2D6 must be rolled, per unit, once the order is issued, to determine if it is able to muster quickly enough.


Hunting
Cost: The cost of the intelligence order "Formation Location" plus the cost in MP to move the attacking force its maximum per-turn travel per the Movement Rules.

Execution: The player must execute a successful "Formation Location" intelligence operation.

• If this operation is successful, the player's designated attack force will move to the discovered unit's location and engage them.
• If the operation provides false intelligence, the attacking force may end up in the wrong place.
• If the operation provides no information, the attacking force will remain in its starting hex, with the MP spent lost.

Attacking force must follow the Hostile Territory Movement rules.

Upon successful completion of intelligence and arrival in the Hunted unit's location, a forced engagement (either Battle or Naval Engagement) would occur. Both forces must fight at least one round before attempting retreat, and either can interdict the other's withdrawal attempt. Other, non-hunted, units in the same hex are eligible to fight as well, but not forced.


Hostile Territory Movement

If, for some reason, an attacking force needs to move through hostile territory, it risks identification and attack from local defenders.

The attacking player must identify the hexes traveled, one at a time, to the defender (via forum post or PM with a CC to the GM's). In each situation, the defender may be provided the FP value and given the option to engage or ignore. All engagements are naval/aero by nature, and are forced.  

Attacking forces intent on raids may only travel 2 hexes deep into hostile territory. Attacking forces intent on invasions may not travel through hostile territory. Forces on Hunting orders may travel through hostile territory at whim, but must follow these rules on the way out, as well as the way in - assuming the destination is within enemy territory.


Allied Territory Movement

Allies generally allow each other to transit military forces through each other's territory. This is allowable within the game, providing the owner of the territory being traveled is informed of the FP value moving and its final location (if within their territory). If the forces moving through allied territory are intent on a combat operation of any kind, they must first get permission from the allied player.

All communication on this order must CC a GM - failure to do so will result in the loss of the forces being moved.

Note: There is no option for "neutral" movement. For game mechanical purposes, open movement through foreign hexes must be characterized as either allied or hostile, since this determines what information must be provided to the owner of the hex.


Clandestine Movement

Some mobile units are specifically designated as being capable of Clandestine Movement. This is an option that allows a force to move through foreign territory without utilizing allied or hostile movement. Clandestine movement has none of the restrictions of allied or hostile movement, nor does it require the forces moving in this mode to be posted.

Clandestine Movement has a chance of being detected by the hex owner. Any Clandestine movement, and the flight path being used for that movement, must be noted on both the cover email and the appropriate military tab of the orders sheet. The GMs will provide a Clandestine Movement report along with the other monthly reports, providing instructions to the player as to whether or not they are discovered.

Clandestine forces that are not discovered may proceed directly to their mission. Forces that are discovered must instead immediately post a hostile movement thread for the hex they are discovered in.

Normally, the hex owner will only discover clandestine movers on a roll of 11+ on 2d6. The presence of at least one mobile unit in the hex adds a +2 bonus to this roll. A blockade in the hex adds an additional +2 bonus (for a total of +4).


Improved Clandestine Movement

Some special units (such as Special Forces teams) may use Improved Clandestine Movement. This movement order has all the benefits of Clandestine Movement but has no chance of discovery.

[Dave Baughman]

This section reserved.

[Dave Baughman]

Communications Rules

Each faction's communications technology status determines its capabilities in terms of interstellar communication.



HPG Primary

Capable of maintaining an HPG network of any size. These communications service providers keep active lines of construction open for parts and equipment to be manufactured.  They may produce all equipment allowed at the regular construction rate.

HPG Secondary  

Capable of maintaining an HPG network equal to twice its own size (in hexes). These communications service providers do not keep active construction lines open for parts and equipment.  All construction time is therefore doubled.

HPG Tertiary

Capable of maintaining its own HPG network only (not including Improved Communication Facilities). These communications providers construct all equipment one off, by hand.  As such increase construction times by four.

HPG Advanced Client

These nations may use Class C and D HPGs in their position, however the units will need callibration by a primary or secondary provider. Class D facilities require calibration every year (6 turns). Class C facilities require calibration every six months (3 turns). Should calibration fail to occur, roll 2D6 and on a roll of 4 or lower the first year, the HPG network will fail.  The required roll increases each year calibration does not occur, with an annual roll required.  Ignore military effects of communications in locations with Class C or D facilities managed by the HPG Advanced Client.

Black Box Primary

These nations may manufacture and use black boxes (versions 9 and 10).  Ignore diplomatic and military effects of communications interdiction.

Black Box Secondary

These nations may manufacture and use black boxes (version 1A).  Ignore military effects of communications interdiction.  Reduce effects of diplomatic effects by half.

Black Box Advanced Client

These nations may use black boxes (any in possession, usually 9).  Ignore military effects of communications interdiction.  Reduce effects of diplomatic effects by a third.

Black Box Limited

These nations may use black boxes  (any in possession, usually 9). Gain a bonus of +2 on military effects of communications interdiction.  Reduce effects of diplomatic effects by a third.



Improving Service Provider Status

Improving a factions position as a provider requires research and luck.  As such, the process requires a faction to pay a fee per turn based on which category of service provider they wish to become, and each turn they must roll 2D6 + prestigious facility bonuses (to a maximum of 3), and roll a combined 10 or higher.  Any turn that a 10 or higher is not rolled, is not counted as completed research and the funds are wasted.  The requirements are as follows.


From non provider to HPG Advanced Client provider:  15 RP per Cycle, 2 completed cycles.
From HPG Advanced Client to HPG Tertiary provider:  15 RP per Cycle, 4 completed cycles.
From HPG Tertiary to Secondary:  30 RP per cycle, 8 completed cycles.  In addition must construct an Improved Communications hex element.
From Secondary to Primary: 60 RP per Cycle, 16 completed Cycles.
From non-black box provider to Limited black box provider:  Possession of a black box and training via a provider.  No RP cost.
From Limited Black Box provider to advanced client black box provider: 10 RP per cycle, 4 completed cycles.
From tertiary to secondary black box provider: 10 RP per cycle, 8 completed cycles.
From secondary to primary black box provider: 10 RP per cycle, 16 completed cycles.

HPG Construction  

All providers may construct HPG stations. HPG stations take three turns to manufacture and cost 1 RP for member worlds, 3 RP for control worlds, and 5 RP for capital worlds. Each world in a hex must have an active HPG to prevent (or remove) interdiction.

In addition to planetary HPG stations, everal other types of communications equipment can be manufactured:

Mobile HPG
Description:  A portable transmitter capable of sending and receiving.  Not normally used as a relay as this would require manual targeting.
Range: 2 Hexes.
Location:  Mobile, portable and jumpship/warship installed units are used by the Clans and the Terran Hegemony. Faction must, at least, be a Tertiary Provider to utilize ship-based systems, or employ a service provider.
Cost:  Five RP.
Speed of Communications:  Send at will, normally set to receive monthly  (single batch send and receive per month, sending on demand).
Provider Requirements: Primary, Secondary
Construction Time: One cycle.
Construction Location: Off site, at a military factory (no FP cost) hex element and transported at no cost to the location (simply time).
Special: Any HPG sold which includes an RP post of over 100 words per HPG sold, will incur a profit of .25 RP.

Black Box – 1A
Description:  A portable fax machine capable of sending data across vast distances.
Range:  15 Hexes.
Location:  Mobile, portable by a single person.
Cost:  Five RP.
Speed of Communications:  Transmission rate is 1 days per hex traveled, maximum of six pages of text per transmission.  Constant on for reception.
Provider Requirements:  Black Box.
Note: Any receiver in the direction of transmission will receive all transmissions.  No encryption is used, however this device is directional.
Construction Time:  One cycle.
Construction Location: Off site, at a military factory (no FP cost) hex element and transported at no cost to the location (simply time).  Cost of per unit production is multiplied as follows: 1 unit is 1x, 2 units is 3x, 3 units is 6x and the most any faction may produce in a single turn.

Black Box – 9
Description:  A portable fax machine capable of sending data across vast distances.
Range:  26 Hexes.
Location:  Mobile, portable by a single person.
Cost:  Ten RP.
Speed of Communications:  Transmission rate is 1 days per hex traveled, maximum of thirty five pages of text per transmission.  Constant on for reception.
Provider Requirements:  Black Box.
Note: Any receiver range can receive, however encryption is used.
Construction Time: one cycle.
Construction Location: Off site, at a military factory (no FP cost) hex element and transported at no cost to the location (simply time).  Cost of per unit production is multiplied as follows: 1 unit is 1x, 2 units is 3x, 3 units is 6x and the most any faction may produce in a single turn.

Black Box – 10
Description:  A portable fax machine capable of sending data across vast distances.
Range:  40 Hexes.
Location:  Mobile, portable by a single person.
Cost:  Ten RP.
Speed of Communications:  Transmission rate is 1 days per hex traveled, maximum of thirty five pages of text per transmission.  Constant on for reception.
Provider Requirements:  Black Box.
Note: Any receiver range can receive, however encryption is used.
Construction Time: one cycle.
Construction Location: Off site, at a military factory (no FP cost) hex element and transported at no cost to the location (simply time).  Cost of per unit production is multiplied as follows: 1 unit is 1x, 2 units is 3x, 3 units is 6x and the most any faction may produce in a single turn.

[Dave Baughman]

Communications Outages

Communications are the lifeblood of any realm.  If communications are interrupted, wide spread panic and economic devastation can occur.  When communications are interrupted, it is referred to as a communications outage.  This can be caused by a variety of reasons.  Over all this has diplomatic, intelligence, military and economic effects. This has dramatic effects on interstellar powers, and the following rules provide the effects and differences between the types of communications loss.

As a communications outage continues, factions are able to utilize couriers, faxes, or other systems to circumvent the network. This is represented by the gradual decrease in negative effects of an outage.

Communication Outage Events

Event:   Blanket Communications Interdiction
Description:   The communications’ provider for an entire faction declares a stop on all communications.
Intelligence Effect:  Add a modifier of -4 for all intelligence actions by interdicted party, and -2 for all out side parties acting in the faction.  These are reduced by one per cycle.
Economic Effect:   Lose 75% RP production for one cycle, and for each successive cycle, reduce RP lost by 10% to a minimum of 25% when a secondary means of communications is fully utilized.
Duration:   Until ended by the service provider.  

Event:   Routing System Damage
Description:   An Improved Communication facility is destroyed or moved.  Area of effect is as follows: 10 hexes lose communications, these are found by going directly above the lost facility.  Select that hex and circle the hex expanding out one above the starting hex to expand the circle until ten hexs have been found to be disabled.  Each hex gets a roll of 2D6, on a roll of 2 – 9; they lose communications and are interdicted.  Hexes with an Improved facility may not lose communications in this way.
Intelligence Effect:  Add a modifier of -4 for all intelligence actions by interdicted party in the effected hexes, and -2 for all out side parties acting in the effected hexes.  These are reduced by one per cycle.
Economic Effect:   Lose 75% RP production for one cycle, and for each successive cycle, reduce RP lost by 10% to a minimum of 25% when a secondary means of communications is fully utilized.
Duration:   Duration is 2D6-2 cycles, minimum of one, or until the Improved Communications Facility is replaced.  

Event:   Partial Communication Blockage
Description:   HPG communication is blocked via damage, lack of pairing agreements or interdiction.  This becomes an issue when 40% or more of a faction’s border hexes are blocked from communications.
Intelligence Effect:  None.
Economic Effect:   Reduce RP production of the entire faction by adding up total border hexes of neighbors which border a faction, divided by the neighbor’s border hexes that do not communicate.  Take the total and divide by 2.  These is the RP production loss for one cycle, and for each successive cycle, reduce RP lost by 5% to a minimum of 5% when a secondary means of communications is fully utilized.
Duration:   Duration is 2D6-2 cycles, minion of one or until the Improved Communications Facility is replaced.  

Event:   HPG Destroyed or Turned Off
Description:   A HPG facility is destroyed or moved.  Area of effect is the effected control world (unless an Improved Communications facility is also present)
Intelligence Effect:  Add a modifier of -4 for all intelligence actions by interdicted party in the effected control worlds, and -2 for all out side parties acting in the effected control worlds.  These are reduced by one per cycle.
Economic Effect:   Lose 75% RP production for one cycle, and for each successive cycle, reduce RP lost by 10% to a minimum of 25% when a secondary means of communications is fully utilized.
Duration:   Until the HPG is replaced is replaced or reactivated.


Destroying an HPG  

The service provider may destroy an HPG they manage at will.  Outside parties may target an HPG by Orbital bombardment as a fluff addition on any bombardment type.  In addition, an HPG may be attacked by ground forces. The amount of damage required to destroy an HPG station is equal to its construction cost in RP.


Network Pairing Agreements  
Peering is the voluntary interconnection of networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic between the clientele of each network.  Any provider transmitting across other provider’s networks must have the permission of the foreign network provider or the messages will not be delivered.   Communications neutrality as a rule does not exist.  Each party in a peering agreement must plan on one of the agreement types.  Peering should be negotiated regularly, and compensation may be charged (or not).

Agreement types:
 
Full Peering: All data transmitted.
Unidirectional Peering: All data transmitted by one party is accepted, however the information is not two way.  Consider an outage with that party for trade and diplomatic purposes.
Message Inspection:  Each message is inspected and only those deemed acceptable are transmited.  Consider an outage for trade.
None:  No traffic is shared, peering does not occur.

Note: Providers who control at least one Homeworlds Zone are considered to have an additional two IC hex improvements for the purposes of determining provider revenue.

[Dave Baughman]

Yardships

Yardships area special category of space vehicles that combine the functions of WarShips and Hex Improvements

Two types of Yardships exist: Newgrange-class and Faslane-class. The cost of building these vessels is equal to the normal production cost of the unit plus 48 FP (Newgrange) or 24 FP (Faslane); this extra cost is subject to the normal 6x cost multiplier for mobile units.

Yardships function as mobile WarShips in all regards, but are also considered to contrain a mobile, packed Shipyard which can be unloaded (and loaded back up for transport) in any hex per the infrastructure movement rules. For income and production capacity purposes, a Newgrange unpacks into a full shipyard, while a Faslane unpacks into one-half of a shipyard. Unless concealed by an intelligence operation or located in a hidden location, an unpacked yardship must be placed on the map.

The Hex Improvement carried in a YardShip may only be attacked by enemy special forces when it is in unpacked condition.

The Newgrange design is available to the Terran Hegemony, Star League, and all Clans.

The Faslane design is available only to the Terran Hegemony.

[Dave Baughman]

Naval Recovery and Scuttling

Simple Resolution - determining WarShip survival

If a WarShip unit takes any damage during simple resolution (but not enough to destroy the entire unit), roll 2d6. On a roll of 5 or less, apply all available damage to the portion of the unit's FP representing the WarShip itself (bypassing fighters, dropships, and other support units). If enough damage was sustained to deplete the WarShip's FP to zero, the WarShip is destroyed.

If a WarShip is lost in this fashion but the overall unit still has FP (from support units), these units become a separate transported 'survivor' unit.

Example

SLS Target, a 6 FP unit built around a 4 FP Lola III destroyer sustains 5 FP. The Lola rolls a 3 on its survival check, so damage is applied to it first. 4 of the 5 FP inflicted destroys the Lola, but the 1 FP left is not sufficient to destroy the entire unit. Once combat is resolved, the remaining 1 FP would become a 1 FP transported ASF unit - "SLS Target Survivors."

Determining WarShip Salvage

WarShips destroyed in combat are salvageable on a 10+ on 2d6. Any ships that fail this check are total losses and cannot be salvaged.

Apply a +2 to the salvage check if the WarShip was destroyed in a MegaMek game.

Method of Recovery

It is not easy to recover a destroyed warship, even in friendly space. A Yardship or Shipyard in the same hex is required before any work can begin. The hex must be owned by the recovering faction, or be owned by a friendly faction with a Guest Shipyard or YardShip owned by you in it. Salvage operations may not take place in contested hexes.

A salvageable vessel is considered to be a Flotilla with an FP strength of zero. Before the vessel can be moved, it must be 50% restored in FP value (based on the FP of the WarShip alone). The vessel is not capable of offensive or defensive action until it is 100% restored in FP value (again based on the ship alone). If the hex the vessel is in is attacked before the ship is recovered, it is to be considered stationary and non-combat. Even if restored to 99% (of the ship's value), it may not participate in combat. If the hex is lost to another faction, that faction may claim the vessel and continue recovering it at the state you had it in (i.e. 99%).

The cost for salvaging a vessel is 1RP per 1FP. In game terms, the jump drive is considered functional so does not need to be replaced - thus negating the need for x5 and x9 modifiers to cost. This cost is only valid up to the point you reach the original flotilla's strength (including ASF/DropShips/Marines/Etc.). It does not matter if the original size was 2.5FP or 250FP.

Bonuses to MP Pools based on salvaged vessels (for Mobile FP or collars or cargo) do not count until the entire flotilla is restored to full strength.

Scuttling

There are two ways to scuttle a ship. The first is to scuttle a salvageable vessel to prevent another from recovering it. The second is to scuttle a ship in combat.

You may only attempt to scuttle a salvageable vessel once per turn per ship. It requires a roll of 9 or better to succeed, and a space-based combat force from your faction must be in the hex at the same time to carry out the action. There is no other cost. It may be attempted as many times consecutively as necessary, and is permanent once successful.

Scuttling during combat immediately removes the ship and any additional FP remaining in the flotilla from combat. Player characters and other crew still alive in that flotilla are considered to have escaped the battle alive. Combat Scuttling must be declared before the Combat Round is resolved. All vessels scuttled during combat are salvageable.

[Dave Baughman]

Hex Maps


The official game map should be regarded as In-Character information known to all factions.

All worlds, infrastructure, and ownership information is to be updated every turn (as needed) in the cover email for each faction's orders. Any failure to properly maintain the accuracy of your faction's map representation will result in the loss of missing elements. The only exception is worlds/elements hidden in canon (i.e. The Five), or locations not yet published (i.e. Barbados).

At this time, there is no way to permanently hide the identity or location of your worlds or infrastructure intentionally; however, Disseminate Disinformation operations can be used to temporarily delay a map update.

[Dave Baughman]

Combat Rules

Types of Combat

There are three types of combat in the FC:

Raid: a quick strike, usually executed by a small force, with a specific objective. The attacker may not use more than 10FP total aero and ground forces in a raid.

In a Raid scenario, the defender may not be able to deploy their full defenses: roll on the raid defense chart to determine what percentage of the raid force can be mustered by the defender (if available). If the raid made successful pirate transit, apply a -2 modifier to the roll.

If pirate entry was not used, a raid transit roll must still be made to determine if air defense can intercept the raiding party.

Aerospace forces may not intercept an attacker’s raiding party, unless the raid itself is targeting an aerospace facility with aerospace forces or raiding force fails it's transit roll.  

Defenders may not attack if raiding party retreats.

Only one raid per faction may be conducted against a planet in a single turn.

Note: A Raiding force may not retreat once a roll has been made on the Raid Defense Table.

Battles: a large scale engagement where a two or more factions' forces engage in combat.

Unless pirate transit was used, Aerospace forces may use interdiction to prevent hostile forces from arriving or leaving.

Clan Trials fall into this category for rules purposes.


Invasion – This is a special category of engagement that includes multiple raid and battle scenarios linked together.

Invasion forces cannot use pirate transit, so hostile aerospace forces may always attempt interdiction.

An invasion normally continues until either one side is destroyed or flees, or three ground Battle missions have been completed; in some cases, this can cause an Invasion to spill over into subsequent turns.

At the end of three ground Battles during an invasion, the faction with the lower total FP on the ground or loser of three engagements, loses the invasion and must retreat to an adjacent uncontested friendly hex at no cost in MP (or retreat to orbit if the looser on the ground maintained air superiority).

If the winning force meets the requirements, offensive interdiction can be used to harry a retreating enemy force.

Method of Resolution

Players may opt to resolve combat either by playing the battle in MegaMek or by rolling on the Simple Resolution chart. If players cannot agree on the details of a MegaMek match, Simple Resolution should be used.


MegaMek
Prior to rolling simple resolution or playing a MegaMek match, each side must allocate the percentage of their available force points used in each engagement. This may be announced in the thread or sent privately to each game master. Even if GM notification is selected, the forces used must be disclosed in the combat thread once combat has been resolved.

When using MegaMek, the players organize and complete the combat operation in MegaMek. Preferably, players from the participating factions will play the games. However, a neutral (meaning a player whose faction will not be affected by the outcome of the battle) stand-in may be used with the approval of both sides.

Each game is equivalent to a single engagement, with both sides able to retreat or surrender at any time between games.

FP loss in MegaMek should be calculated by the percentage of Battle Value lost, rather than the actual units destroyed (note: to correctly calculate BV, Force Battle Value Modifier must be disabled).

In large battles, one unit in MegaMek can be used to represent more than one actual unit in FGC; a common approach is for one MegaMek unit to represent one company (or binary). Unit selection should be based on what equipment is available to each force, and each unit should be representing a specific unit. For example, a Medium Inner Sphere Standard mech company would be represented by a Inner Sphere Standard-technology medium 'Mech. If that unit is veteran, then the mech used should be a veteran, as this mech (or fighter or warship) is representative of the unit.

Simple Resolution
In Simple Resolution, each faction rolls 2d6 and consults the Simple Resolution table to determine what percentage of their FP they inflict as damage to the enemy.

There are several different simple resolution charts; the chart closest to the actual difference in opposing forces should be used.

On a roll of 8 or higher, the player rolling needs to roll for a chance of critical event.
On a roll of 3 or lower, the opposing player rolls on a chance of critical event.

If a chance of critical event is rolled, roll 2D6:

2-7 no critical event occurs
8-9 one critical event is rolled
10-11 two critical events need to be rolled
12 three critical events should be rolled or victory declared with the defender retreating*

*choice of player who rolls the critical event, if forcing retreat is called then a minimum of 10% of this players forces survive, after calculating that turns damage.

If any critical events are rolled, the effects are applied to the current results.

The side that won the mission is required to post an after action report listing the forces involved, simple resolution rolls, and forces surviving.

If there are additional rounds of combat to be resolved, the wining side gains a +1 for initiative rolls.

Combat Procedure

The general procedure for combat is as follows:

1. Initiative: all involved factions roll 2d6 to determine the order they will declare orders in.

2. Declare Orders: each faction announces its actions.

3. Special Scenarios: any unique rules or conditions should be disclosed at this point (if they have not already).

4. Resolution: play MegaMek or roll for simple resolution.

5. Damage Control: any force that took damage but survived the combat regains 10% of the lost FP (round to the nearest 0.25).

6. Conclusion: in Raid and Battle type scenarios, the attacker withdraws to an adjacent friendly hex (if applicable). In Invasions, repeat steps 1-5 as neccessary until the Invasion has been completed.

Note: Each turn only contains six combat rounds. Invasion scenarios that continue past round six spill over into the next turn.

7. Salvage: Determine the total actual damage sustained and roll 2d6 to determine the percentage that is salvageable. Add a +5 bonus for raids, +10 for battles, and +15 for invasions (as well as an additional +10 incentive bonus if all operations were played out in MegaMek). Salvage is claimed by the faction that ends the turn in control of the planet, except for raids where the raider may roll on the Raid Salvage chart to steal a percentage of the available salvage (apply a +2 modifier if the raid was successful)*.

*If the operation was a Clan trial, and Zellbrigen was upheld for the entire fight, salvage is automatically 50%.

Surrender

Forces may surrender at any point in a campaign. When this occurs, the conquering force assimilates the equipment (FP value of the surrendered force, minus skill modifiers), on top of any salvage. The difference in FP between the skill-modified and green levels is considered the value of the personnel, and may be ransomed for that value in RP. If the surrendering force is green-rated, take 20% of the FP value. They may also be imprisoned or executed at the conqueror’s discretion.

At both sides discretion, terms of surrender can be negotiated that may differ from the guidelines listed above. Both sides must agree to the terms or else these default rules are used.




Hostile Boarding Rules

Boarding a hostile vessel during a battle is among one of the oldest methods to neutralize enemy combats, upon triggering an event roll that allows it, or an attempt can be called during a MegaMek game in which an boarding craft ends it turn in a hex with a warship. Roll simple resolution before continuing the battle. If the boarded ship is captured, it is removed from the battle. Determine each side's marine FP value as follows:

Attacker
NL-42 Shuttle (each in unit): +.25 IS / +.5 Clan
Designated Marines: Unit FP

Defender
Warship being boarded: 1 (this represent's a portion of the ship's crew being used as militia for internal defense)
Designated Marines: Unit FP


Coordinated Military Actions

The following rules apply to scenarios involving multifaction combat forces.

The coordinating factions must appoint a single player from within their alliance to be the commander for the combat. This person will make all tactical decisions for the engagement. If an individual cannot be agreed upon, the faction leader committing the largest force is the default choice.

The initial post by the coordinating factions must include all FP assigned to the combat, including blockaded forces, from every faction involved.

Once coordination is agreed upon, the member factions can only interject into the combat process, in-character, to withdraw from the alliance. All affected forces will immediately disengage and will not be eligible for further combat unless specifically attacked.


Tables

Raid Transit Table
2 Fail
3 Fail
4 Fail
5 Fail
6 Fail
7 Fail
8 Fail
9 Pass
10 Pass
11 Pass
12 Pass

Raid Defense Force Table
2 70% of Attacker
3 75% of Attacker
4 80% of Attacker
5 90% of Attacker
6 100% of Attacker
7 100% of Attacker
8 100% of Attacker
9 110% of Attacker
10 120% of Attacker
11 135% of Attacker
12 150% of Attacker


Raid Salvage Table
2 Raider claims 10% of available salvage
3 Raider claims 20%
4 Raider claims 30%
5 Raider claims 40%
6 Raider claims 50%
7 Raider claims 60%
8 Raider claims 70%
9 Raider claims 80%
10 Raider claims 90%
11 Raider claims 100%
12 Raider claims 100%


Interdiction Damage Table (see Interdiction rules)
2 80% of FP
3 40% of FP
4 35% of FP
5 30% of FP
6 25% of FP
7 20% of FP
8 15% of FP
9 10% of FP
10 5% of FP
11 0% of FP
12 0% of FP

Guerilla Cycle Losses (see Guerilla Warfare rules)
2 80% of Guerilla Force
3 30% of Guerilla Force
4 25% of Guerilla Force
5 15% of Guerilla Force
6 10% of Guerilla Force
7 10% of Guerilla Force
8 5% of Guerilla Force
9 5% of Guerilla Force
10 0% of Guerilla Force
11 Gain 5% of Guerilla Force
12 Gain 10% of Guerilla Force

Simple Resolution Table
2d6
2 Deal 10% of FP to Opponent^EC
3 Deal 15% of FP to Opponent^EC
4 Deal 20% of FP to Opponent
5 Deal 25% of FP to Opponent
6 Deal 30% of FP to Opponent
7 Deal 40% of FP to Opponent
8 Deal 50% of FP to Opponent^C
9 Deal 55% of FP to Opponent^C
10 Deal 60% of FP to Opponent^CD
11 Deal 65% of FP to Opponent^CD
12 Deal 70% of FP to Opponent^CR
13+ Deal 75% of FP to Opponent<sup>CR

EC</sup> – Defender has an opportunity to earn one or more critical event.
^C – Attacker has an opportunity to earn one or more critical event.
^CD – As C, plus the defending force is disrupted and may not be issue orders for one operational round.*
^CR – As C, plus the defender is routed and must use Withdrawal orders in the next operational round.*

*Additional effects do not apply if the attacker is destroyed during the course of the battle (though
critical events should still be rolled for).


Critical Events: Ground
2 Reduce damage received by 10%.
3 Reduce damage received by 15%.
4 Gain +1 on further rolls this combat (CO gains experience).
5 Opponent receives -1 on all future rolls this combat (CO killed).
6 Valor saves the day: reduce damage done to you by 15%, increase damage done to your opponent by 10%.
7 Valor saves the day: reduce damage done to you by 20%, increase damage done to your opponent by 15%.
8 Encircle and capture 10% of opponent, add that FP to salvage.
9 Encircle and capture 20% of opponent, add that FP to salvage.
10 Reduce damage received by 5%.
11 Double damage dealt to opponent.
12 Force enemy to retreat, increase damage dealt by 30%.

Critical Events: Aero
2 Reduce damage received by 10%.
3 Reduce damage received by 15%.
4 Gain +1 on further rolls this combat (CO gains experience).
5 Opponent receives -1 on all future rolls this combat (CO killed).
6 Valor saves the day: reduce damage done to you by 15%, increase damage done to your opponent by 10%.
7 Valor saves the day: reduce damage done to you by 20%, increase damage done to your opponent by 15%.
8 Encircle and capture 10% of opponent, add that FU to salvage.
9 Encircle and capture 20% of opponent, add that FU to salvage.
10 Largest enemy craft takes a fuel hit. Role 2D6, on a 10+, enemy craft is destroyed.
11 Boarding operation against smallest craft larger than a small craft or if not available, double damage dealt to opponent.
12 Boarding operation against largest craft larger than a small craft or if not available, double damage dealt to opponent.

[Dave Baughman]

Combat Orders

Recon Raid
Type: Raid
Minimum Force Size: 0.25 FP
Effect: Successful Recon Raids will discover the deployment of forces in the target star system.

Naval Recon
Type: Raid
Mimimum Force Size: 0.25 FP
Requirement: Mobile or LFB Mobile movement class. Pirate Transit is mandatory.
Effect: If the required Pirate transit is successfully undetected gain full knowledge of enemy forces in hex (100%
reliable). If Pirate Transit fails, the raider may retreat or engage any forces defending (which can be from any or all planets in the hex). If the defender successfully engages then damage is rolled. If the Recon mission is engaged by the Defender the recon unit gains full knowledge of the units that engaged them (only applicable if any of the Recon mission escapes) but no other Naval forces in the
hex.

Resource Raid
Type: Raid
Minimum Force Size: None, but see below.
Effect: If successful, the raiders steal RP equal to the maximum RP output of the hex, or the total FP of the raiding force, whichever is less.

Destroy Resources Raid
Type: Raid
Minimum Force Size: 10% of the RP cost of the hex element being targeted, rounded to the nearest 0.25.
Special: Ground forces are required to target all elements except for SYs and RSes, which must be targeted by naval forces. Hex elements on space stations are an exception to this and must be attacked with naval forces or marines.
Effect: If the raid is successful, roll 2D6:

2–10: Targeted element is offline for a number of turns equal to the roll result.
11-12: Targeted element is destroyed.

HPG: 0.25
MF or IC: 2.50
SY or PF: 5.00
RS: 7.50
Blackbox Factory or HPG Network Hub: 10.00

General Orbital Bombardment
Type: Battle
Effect: Damage or destroy all hex elements on a specific planet. Roll 2D6, 2 – 10, that is the number of turns the hex is terrorized, on an 11 or 12, all hex improvements are destroyed.
Note: May only be completed by WarShips. The use of this order cannot be concealed with Disseminate Disinformation.

Invasion
Type: Invasion
Effect: Initiates an Invasion operation, consisting of three or more combat operations. If successful, attacker may gain control of the target world.
Note: Invasions cannot occur without the presence of ground forces. Aerospace fighters may be used on Invasion orders in support of ground forces.

Defense
Type: Any, as per attacker.
Effect: Defends assets of target world or hex (all friendly forces in a star system under attack may use this order, unless they are specifically prohibited by their orders).

Naval Engagement
Type: Battle
Effect: Forces will engage enemy space forces and/or attempt to break an interdiction.

Planned Naval Engagement
Type: Raid
Requirement: Mobile or WarShip movement type. Successful Naval Recon by a different friendly force.
Effect: Forces will engage enemy space assets if a successful naval reconnaissance identified the targets, and if a successful pirate insertion is rolled.  The attack will however only allow one roll of the simple resolution chart or five turns on a 100 x 100 hex map.  This may not be retreated from.  A single formation can be targeted.  A failed pirate insertion will convert this attack to a standard Naval Engagement.

Tactical Orbital Bombardment
Type: Battle
Effect: Ground targets will suffer considerable damage with no ability to return fire. For every 10FP of warships, the opposing faction’s ground forces suffer 2D6 damage in FP. For every roll of 2 or 3, the faction’s own ground units suffer 2D6 damage in FP due to friendly fire. Defending units may react with Scatter orders to reduce damage.

Trial
Type: Battle
Goal: Obtain a desired item through customary Clan methods.
Effect: Whole planets can be acquired through the exertion of minimal resources. Clan Trials minimize waste and maximize results.

Blockade
Type: Invasion
Effect: No forces or supplies can move in, out or through of the Hex any faction save the blockader’s
faction. The Blockade remains in effect until the blockading faction chooses to cease the blockade or the blockade force is destroyed.

Blockade may be bypassed with Blockade Running orders or with Pirate Transit*

During a Blockade no RP from the target hex may be used, and it may only be banked a maximum of one cycle, in addition no troop or Flotilla movements will be allowed in, out or through the hex unless Blockade Running or Pirate Transit* is used.

*The presence of a Blockade imposes a -2 penalty on pirate transit attempts. A failed transit into or out of a blockade hex allows the blockade force the option of immediately attacking the interlopers.

Blockade Running
Type: Movement
Effect: Contest a blockade without directly attacking the blockade force. Roll 2d6;

2-7 - Failure: Blockade force catches the runners and inflicts 2d6x5% of its FP to them. Runners inflict 1d6x5% of their FP on the Blockade force.
8-10 - Failure: Runners are able to escape the Blockade Force but cannot execute their movement order.
11-12 - Successful: Runners are able to execute their movement order.

Commerce Disruption
Phase: Main
Type: Invasion
Effect: Remove a random number of resource points from a power. 2D6 roll: 2= fleet takes 50% damage
and is caught (GM will announce how much information is available to those who caught the Flotilla on
Commerce Raiding) and engages in 2 rounds of combat with defending OZ forces at 50% damage, 3-9 no
effect, 10= 1 resource point of Hex lost (plus lose .5 RP per cycle for three cycles), 11=2 resource points
lost (plus lose .5 RP per cycle for six cycles), 12=100% of Hex resource points lost (plus lose 1 RP per
cycle for 6 cycles). Note multiply lost resource points per Cycle the mission is successful. If the result is
10-12, roll 2D6, on a 2 or 12, power is caught. Any merchant group trading in said area loses equivalent
resource points percentages based on investment in the area.

Patrol
Type: Special
Goal: Defend all worlds in hex.
Requirement: Mobile or WarShip movement type.
Effect: The unit is declared on a standard defensive mission. This normally is done patrolling one hex of
space, but can include two hexs. If an offensive operation is attempted in a hex patrolled by a unit on
Defensive Patrol, the unit may respond, although its effectiveness against raids, battles and invasions
are different. They may be utilized as the forces defending an aero based raid if the raid is uncovered,
or as the percentage of raiding force defending. If a battle, they may defend on a roll of 5+ on 2D6.
They may always defend against Invasions.

The second hex must be specified in the faction orders and must be adjacent to the first.

Ground Support
Type: Battle
Requirement: Non-WarShip Aerospace units.
Effect: Eligible ASF units can contribute their FP in support of ground operations.

Guerilla Warfare
Type: Invasion
Requirement: Ground forces only
Effect: Survivors from any other Battle type order may be designated as Guerillas. Any forces designated as Guerillas immediately take 1d6 FP of damage representing materiel losses in the process of going to ground. Guerilla units become Static units and cannot be moved until friendly forces regain control of the star system.

The maximum Guerilla force (per faction) in any star system is 10 FP.

Each turn, hostile factions with garrison forces present roll 2d6 each turn. On a 10+ the Guerillas are uncovered and may be attacked. On any other results, roll again and consult the Guerilla Warfare table - this is the amount of damage the Guerillas sustain over the course of the turn through low-intensity combat.

Scatter
Type: Special
Effect: Forces can be scattered to avoid orbital attacks. Scattering makes all but 2d6+5% of the force immune to orbital attacks, but also leaves 2d6% of the force out of position and unable to participate in the next round of combat (invasion scenarios).


Defensive Interdiction
Type: Special
Requirement: Aerospace units
Effect: Successful interdiction prevents attacking transports from landing their troops. This is the default combat order for defensive aerospace and naval forces, and may be changed before the engagement if the defending player so chooses. If an interdiction is cancelled, there is nothing to stop the transports from landing.

Note: Naval Engagement or Break Interdiction orders can be used to penetrate interdiction. If 25% of the interdiction force is destroyed, the interdiction fails and is no longer effective.

Offensive Interdiction
Type: Special
Requirement: Aerospace units
Effect: Successful interdiction prevents defending transports from retreating from a system. Offensive Interdiction is only possible where no hostile forces are on interdicton, blockade, or naval engagement orders.

Note: Naval Engagement or Break Interdiction orders can be used to penetrate interdiction. If 25% of the interdiction force is destroyed, the interdiction fails and is no longer effective.
 


Break Interdiction
Type: Battle
Requirement: Non-aerospace units attempting to execute a movement order
Effect: If a force has no remaining aerospace or naval units and thus cannot use Naval Engagement to contest interdiction, it may continue attempting to break through the interdiction by using its transports to attack. When this is done, the attacker rolls on the Interdiction chart with a +2 modifier for damage dealt to the enemy. The interdicting force also rolls on the Interdiction chart, with a -2 modifier to determine its damage dealt.

This process may be repeated until the interdiction is broken, the attackers are destroyed, the attackers surrender, or the interdicter lets them go.  

[Dave Baughman]

Nuclear Weapons

Construction and deployment of nuclear weapons

Nuclear weapons are constructed at PF hex improvements and at capital worlds. Nuclear weapons are abstractly represented with asterisk (*) tokens. Each nuclear armament token costs 25 RP to produce and requires one turn; maximum production output is one asterisk per turn, per PF (or one per turn, if a faction has no PFs).

Nuclear weapons tokens can be stockpiled at any capital world, PF, or Clan homeworld zone (stockpiles must be noted and tracked on the orders sheet). Nuclear weapons tokens can be moved from stockpiles to eligible units at a cost of 5 MP per hex per token per the rules for transported units. A nuclear weapon token must end its turn either in an eligible stockpile location or an eligible unit.

Units eligible to carry nuclear tokens are:


Galaxies (or larger Clan formations)
Regiments (or larger Inner Sphere formations)
Mobile aerospace flotillas
WarShips

No more than five tokens can be carried by any one unit at a time.

If one or more nuclear weapons tokens are stockpiled on a world when it is captured, the tokens are automatically captured by the conquering faction.

Using nuclear weapons in combat

Any force equipped with nuclear weapons may spend nuclear weapons tokens to gain additional bonuses in combat.

Tokens may be spent to achieve any of the following effects:


Inflict 2d6 FP of damage on an enemy force before simple resolution results are applied
Use one nuclear weapon in MegaMek combat
Attack an enemy hex element (as per the "Sabotage Hex Element" intelligence mission)
Force a single WarShip to make a survival roll; if the roll fails the ship is destroyed even if not enough FP damage was inflicted to sink it.

Aerospace and WarShip units may only deploy nuclear weapons against ground targets if they have overcome enemy interdiction.


Secondary effects of nuclear warfare

If nuclear weapons were used in any star system during a particular turn, secondary effects may occur: terror and collateral damage. The specific details of each effect is based on the total number of tokens expended.

Nuclear Terror: Nuclear warfare causes serious disruption to civil authority, both in terms of dealing with contamination and with large-scale refugee movements. Nuclear Terror functions identically to the Terrorism intelligence order, with the following modifications:

Each nuclear token used in the current turn: +1 modifier on roll (cumulative)
Any nuclear tokens used against ground targets: +2 modifier
Nuclear weapons deliberately used on civilian targets: +5 modifier

On a particularly high roll, nuclear terror may spill over and effect nearby systems. Note that this effect ignores territorial boundaries and is not limited to systems controlled by the combatants.

Adjusted roll of...
10-14                         Affects the entire hex
15                         Affects the entire hex and 1 adjacent hex
16                         Affects the entire hex and 2 adjacent hexes
17                         Affects the entire hex and 3 adjacent hexes
18                         Affects the entire hex and 4 adjacent hexes
19                         Affects the entire hex and 5 adjacent hexes
20-24                         Affects the entire hex and all adjacent hexes
25+                         Affects the entire hex, all adjacent hexes, plus the closest capital worlds of all involved factions (or Strana Mechty if the nuclear warfare occured in the Clan homeworlds)


Collateral damage: large-scale nuclear combat within a planet's atmosphere can have additional negative effects. If 5 or more nuclear tokens are used against ground targets in a single system during a single turn, the system suffers damage as if it was subjected to a General Orbital Bombardment order (note that this will destroy space stations). If 10 or more tokens are used against ground targets, roll 2d6 at the end of the turn: on a 10+, the planet is downgraded by one level of development (national capitals become regional capitals with all the negative effects of losing a national capital, regional capitals become control worlds, control worlds become member worlds). Add a +1 modifier to the roll for each nuclear token beyond 10 used during the turn.

Worlds downgraded by nuclear warfare may not be returned to their previous status for six turns.

If a hex is no longer able to support its hex improvements (usually because all control worlds were downgraded to member worlds) those hex improvements are automatically destroyed.


The consequences of using nuclear weapons

Other than the penalties described above, there are not game mechanical consequences for using nuclear arms. It is entirely the responsibility of the players, through roleplaying, to regulate these dangerous weapons.

[Dave Baughman]

Individual Combat

All individual combat will be decided via best of seven D6 rolls; ties are rerolled.

In unarmed combat, the following modifiers apply

• Clan Elementals recieve a +2 bonus to their roll
• Clan Protomechwarriors recieve a -1 to their roll
• Clan Naval/Areo pilots recieve a -2 to their rolls
• Other modifiers or special scenarios may be applied at the mutual agreement of both players or at GM direction

If a player wins two consecutive rounds a secondary roll is made to determine injuries to his opponent. Injuries effect P/G skills for 1 real time week (i.e. two weeks game time) and can stack.

Injuries (1D6 roll)
1 - Broken Nose
2- Cracked Ribs
3- Broken Jaw
4- Broken Arm (+1 to Gunnery Skill)
5- Broken Leg (+1 to Piloting Skill)
6- Concussion (+1 to Gunnery and Piloting Skill)

If a player wins 3 consecutive rounds the opponent must make a roll 1d6 to determine consiousness. On a roll of 1 or 6 he is knocked out and loses the battle.

If a player wins all 4 roll rolls in succession the opponet must roll 2D6. On a roll of 10+ the player has suffered enough punishment to cause his death. All seven rolls must be completed even if a player wins 4 rolls to determine injuries sustained in the fight unless opponent was knocked out.


Melee Combat

If one or both characters are armed with individual melee weapons (swords, clubs, and so forth), any armed characters may substitute the appropriate modifier for their normal unarmed modifier:

• Simple Weapon (chair leg, police baton, broken bottle, etc): +1 modifier
• Deadly Weapon (sword, dagger, bayonette, etc): +2 modifier
• Powered Weapon (vibro weapons and other weapons which require a power source): +3 modifier

Note that a player may opt to use their normal unarmed modifier if it is better than that granted by their weapon, even if for roleplaying purposes the character is described as armed.

Ranged Combat

The use of firearms by one or both characters in individual combat significantly changes the balance of power in such a fight.

If any character involved in a particular round of combat is armed with a firearm (including ranged energy weapons), all positive unarmed and melee modifiers are negated. Negative modifiers still apply if one of the characters is attempting to fight unarmed.

Using a firearm in personal combat applies a +1 bonus to that character's combat rolls. Additionally, if one roll "hits" (i.e. exceeds the defender's roll), that character may continue to roll against that defense roll until they miss. Additional "hits" do not count towards determining victory in the fight, but do could towards determining injuries, unconciousness, and death.

At this time, the rules do not differentiate between the properties of different types of firearms, but players may enact special scenarios to reflect this if they both agree on the terms.

[Daemonknight]

Characters and VIPs

Players may create an unlimited number of characters from their faction to use as narrative devices. Characters may be canon characters, or they may be non-canon; other than the advantage of the notoriety and availability of background information for canon characters, they have no special game mechanical advantage over non-canon player-created characters.

Characters broadly fall into two categories: normal characters and VIPs.

Normal Characters are 'ordinary individuals' created for narrative purposes. Normal chracters are entitled to slightly less built-in rules protection then VIPs but otherwise function in the same manner.

VIPs are particularly important characters who have additional protections under the rules in order to ensure that they cannot be effortlessly killed. To qualify as a VIP, a character must be one of the following:

• A military official in command of a "line item" on the faction's orders sheet.
• A government official who is either head of government, head of a government ministry or department, or the administrator of a planetary or larger region.
• Any character who has become a recurring POV character (i.e. featured in multiple threads or in a large number of posts within a faction's IC roleplaying thread).

At this time, the definitions of VIP characters are somewhat vague. Players are expected to use discretion when declaring VIP status in borderline cases; if this becomes a problem, the GM team will develop explicit, concrete rules and require the tracking of VIPs (an added level of paperwork we are hoping to avoid).


Movement of Characters

Characters of any type may choose to "hitch a ride" on any of their faction's units or any unit of another faction (only with permission in the latter case).
Characters may move on their own up to five hexes per turn.
VIPs may move up to the maximum command circuit distance their parent faction is able to create. This option does not incur command circuit expenses.

The movement of characters is not impeded by Offensive Interdiction, but is stopped by Blockades. Characters may attempt Blockade Running, but if the results indicate their take damage they are considered to be in the power of the blockading faction and may be injured or killed (see Injuring Characters, below).


Activities of Characters

Characters are narrative devices; by default they do not have any special game mechanical abilities - their purpose is to carry out roleplaying. This is an aspect of the rule that may be expanded upon in future revisions.


Injuring Characters

A player may injure or kill his or her own characters at will, as long as it does not involve forcing an adverse action on another player's characters. For example, a faction leader may choose for one of their characters to suffer a heart attack, die in a shuttle accident, or be bitten by a snake, but cannot arbitrarily decide that their character is stabbed to death by another faction's ambassador.

A player generally may not injure or kill another player's character's without that player's permission, unless that character is in their power. Exceptions to this are the game mechanical functions of Assassination, Kidnapping, and certain critical hit results.

A character is "in the power" of another player when:

• The character is on in an uncontested hex owned by the other player, and is not 'hidden' by Clandestine Movement or other game mechanical means.
• The character has been captured or kidnapped by game mechanical means, or by the agreement of the character's owner (such as when a character offers themselves up as a hostage).
• The character's owner explicitly places the character in a location that will be subject to a mass destruction attack such as orbital bombardment or a nuclear explosion.

In these situations, without the permission of the other player, the player who holds the character in their power may:

• Dictate specific injuries or even death for an helpless* character.
• Initiate individual combat with an non-VIP character.
• Attempt to initiate combat with a VIP character.

*A character is "helpless" if they are either physically restrained, held in confinement they lack the means to escape (i.e. in a jail cell or similar imprisonment), or lack the skills or physical condition neccessary to defend themselves (i.e. character has injuries that prevents them from attempting to fight for their life).

VIPs who are not helpless may avoid combat on a successful initiative roll. If they survive the first seven rolls of combat and are still not helpless, they may attempt another initiative roll to escape. Note that this does not allow a VIP to avoid game-mechanical effects such as Assassinations.