Electro-Walkers, Mecha Rules for AE-WWII

[CmdrKiley]

I had this posted around the playtest group for some time and Rob just said to put up what I've got in the regular forums.

The purpose of these rules were to provide the option to include mecha type units into AE-WWII. The other part of these rules was to provide a construction system that would allow players to take existing models and make stats for them that will allow them to be played in AE-WWII.

The great thing about AE-WWII is that it incorporates a lot of Weird War II elements without being so rigid that one has to accept all forms. So just like the superhero rules in OTW these are some mecha rules.

Note that there is no fluff or background to these rules as they have not been established, nor yet written into the official AE-WWII. Think of the electro-walkers as unproven technology that is just starting to see use in the war. Rather than production models rolling out of factories and shipped to the front lines like Sherman tanks, these are hand built prototypes, using very experimental and unproven technology, being used for field evaluations. Overall these may not prove to be a better option than a more reliable tank, but in certain cases they may excel, despite their quirks and questionable reliablity.

So give these rules a look over and let me know what you think and if you find some errors or if there's something that just seems to not work right post it right here.

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[CmdrKiley]

These are the rules for creating a Walker Detachment. Very similar to a Tank Detachment.

Also included are the required field support units. Engineers sent to supervise the effectiveness of the design in combat. These units also help with the an electro-walker's greatest weakness, tipping over.

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[CmdrKiley]

These are the construction rules to design your own Electro-Walkers. If you have some questions or an idea for another feature to add to the design please post them here.

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[CmdrKiley]

Here are some example Electro-Walkers I made using the construction rules. I've used examples of existng models from Dust, SotTR, and Gear Krieg.

Post any other electrowalkers you have designed here.

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[kelvoro]

wonderful work here. I need to start building my walker now.

[Darkson]

Thanks for posting these Tom. I am excited to see the feedback from the players.


Cheers,
Rob

[CmdrKiley]

Here's some background to give you what I wanted for the Electro-Walkres. The goal was to make them not so significant that they impacted the existing AE-WWII history and thus be considered optional (like the superheroes and zombies in the previous OTW articles), generic enough that players could use existing models from other manufacturers, and yet still have some sort of feel that they 'fit in' with the AE-WWII factions.

Some of the names seem a little 'un-inspired' as i hadn't had time to research a better name (i.e. head computer). What's a good German word for head computer anyways? I figured on tackling these things later while trying to get the rules out for you to try out. Some of it probably pretty dry and needs some attachment to history. I tried to focus on explaining how all the factions ended up with Electro-Walker technology and ended up with variation along their own 'flavors'. I didn't hit on the SS or ROK, as walkers fit more in the realm of weird science than occult, and I wasn't crazy about the idea of an SS walker being powered by the souls of murdered children. The SD solution is gruesome enough.

Think of these things as hand built prototypes sent out for field evaluations by crews of engineers (thus the required unlocking unit). The technology is still very experimental and occasionally causes some unexpected hiccups. Due to each faction's design approach the quirks are different.

Background of the Electro-Walker

ARPA and Section-Q researchers are assigned to develop a larger robot in the form of a tank. The goal is to maximize the terrain flexibility of an infantryman with the armor and firepower of a tank using existing technology from the Robot Trooper, Targeting Computer, and Robot Tank projects. Using scaled up electrical servo motors powered from a gas or diesel powered generator the vehicles were known as electro-walkers.

The locomotion aspects of the project proved easy given the past experience with robotics between the two research groups. However the program ground to a standstill as the engineers struggled with a means to effectively control the vehicle. Due to the significant increase in mass and firepower as well as a general high center of gravity the designs proved to be ungainly and the control mechanisms could not calculate fast enough to compensate for shifts in weight. After many failures at the secret ARPA proving grounds, the electro-walkers were to be known by the test crew and field engineers as the ‘tippy tanks’.

The British engineers of Q-Section proposed a complex computational device to control the walker’s movement. However its size and complexity overloaded the crew making them less efficient. The racket inside of the computer also proved to be a distraction to the crew. Occasionally the walker just seemed to move on its own, resulting in some embarrassing crashes. The British crew often called them ‘clicky-clack’ machines.

The American ARPA engineers used a high voltage high speed gyroscope to maintain balance within the walker. The gyroscope worked well, but from time to time arced throughout the crew cabin and occasionally injured some of the crew. Furthermore, the gyroscope was known to tear itself loose under cases of sudden shock, like a large caliber weapon hit or the walker falling over. This resulted in some rather spectacular explosions which unfortunately killed all the test crew on board.

With neither team fully satisfied with the other’s proposal the progress ground to a halt. Coupled with some embarrassing test demonstrations the program was doomed to be cancelled. Unknown to Americans and British, plans of a walker design were smuggled out of America by Abwehr agents. The plans were for the walker chassis and covered many of the locomotion but did not include any of the controls as the allies had yet to decide on a design.

With the plans in the hands of SD engineers, they quickly solved their control problem. Using their experience from the Abgerzoldat and Strumaffe programs they came up with an abominable means to control their walker machines. To guard their secret, the Germans incorporated a self-destruct device into every walker built. The device successfully prevented the enemy from capturing and learning the means of control, but occasionally self detonated when the walker was subjected to a shock. The design was not perfect as the German walkers seem to move aggressively on the field, even sometimes clashing into one another or stomping on a nearby foot soldier. Most of this was dismissed as inexperienced driver related accidents. Many of the drivers refused to accept the blame and felt there was definitely something strange with the walker, as if it had a mind of its own.

While the allies fretted about developing their walkers, the Germans fielded prototypes in small numbers. These varied designs were field tested with close observation by SD engineers. The first were sent to the eastern front and showed promise maneuvering through the rubble congested streets of Stalingrad. With news that the Germans had succeeded in fielding electro-walkers, the British and American design teams went their own way with their control systems. To further develop the electro-walkers, they opened up the technology to the various companies of the defense industry. A plethora of new ideas flooded ARPA with prototypes of all kinds waiting to be field tested.

While in Stalingrad, Soviet troops overran an SD Walker Evaluation team and successfully captured a walker while it was being serviced. Fortunately for them the self-destruct device was disabled during the field repairs. They quickly shipped the walker and all surviving technicians to Moscow for reverse engineering and interrogation by the NKVD. A film by a British spy was smuggled out, to London and shared with the Americans. Both ARPA and Q-Section engineers watched intensely as the NKVD technicians opened up and disassembled the interior of the German walker. When a technician attempted to unscrew the pipes between what looked like a pump and a sealed bucket sized container with wires and pipes attached to it, a dark fluid oozed out. The workers then unbolted the bucket and more dark fluid poured out from the broken seals. Lifting the bucket shaped cover revealed to the shock of the Soviet technicians on the film as well as the Americans and British engineers viewing the film a living human head looking directly back at the camera.

The head, severed below the neck was kept on life support, as the dark fluid was realized to be nutrient rich blood. The one eye moved about as if it was a trapped animal in a cage. The other eye, removed with wires running into the socket. Wires ran in and out of the cavities that were the ears. The lower jaw removed, allowed the head to be mounted on a bracket while pipes ran up the back of the head filling the head with nutrients. The engineers quickly theorized that this must be an offshoot of the technology that created the shock troopers that were unleashed on the beaches of Normandy that repelled the Allied invasion. The head served as a control mechanism to handle the complex walking movements. Attachments to the inner ear gave output to control the balance of the walker. The single eye received commands through a complex series of flashing lights within the cover.

Shocked at the inhumanity of the SD engineers, all of the researchers viewing the film agreed they would rather work with the technology they have, as imperfect as it was, than sell their souls for such an abominable means. Both groups of researchers continued to perfect their separate paths while being able to incorporate them into the growing numbers of design proposal being brought forth to them. Meanwhile the NKVD had no qualms about utilizing live subjects as control methods for their walker program. Although Soviet forces have encountered SD abominations before, they have yet to unlock the secrets to making them work.

Rather than reverse engineer the German’s control method, researchers in the NKVD’s Psi Division proposed wiring the brain of an animal such as a chuman to the controls. The results proved to be a failure until the Psi division started experimenting with Psi-talented humans. As it turns out, humans with a certain telekinetic gifts for moving small complex objects such as locks were ideal subjects. Already having the technology of amplifying psychic energies by making direct connections to the human brain the Psi-Division succeeded in making the first functional Soviet electro-walker. Testing proved positive, however several glitches occurred when electrical feedback from the walker would trigger an uncontrolled ‘psionic scream’ from the crew and temporarily disabling the walker. This was kept a tight secret from the Premier and the NKVD, being always paranoid, insisted that all designs provide room for an NKVD Minder to be on board to ensure that the psionic crew are not captured, defect or fail to perform in combat. The minder’s orders were to sit in a cramped ‘rumble seat’ behind the crew and flip a switch that will electrocute the crew and destroy all controls.

Japanese agents in the Black Dragon Society were able to steal one of the ‘head computers’ from their German ally’s secret lab which prepared them prior to installation in a walker. This was rushed off to Japan where the dreaded Unit 731 scientists had no problem with reverse engineering this. Having worked closely with SD scientists; while exchanging technologies and having access to Abgerzoldats, allowed the Unit 731 scientists to recreate their own head computers. Using prisoners of war as a steady supply for their control mechanisms allowed the Imperial Japanese Navy to produce electro-walkers of their own to counter the designs they faced during the island hopping operations of the Americans.

Later researchers in the Nihon Kaigun caught onto to this idea. However they found that experiments using irradiated brains selected for use in their Atomojin program worked superior to the head computers used by the IJA. The brains, taken from Japanese exposed to high levels of radiation from the Hiroshima blast, and subjected to further irradiated treatments by the Nihon Kaigun proved to still remain sentient and willing to fight for The Emperor. The brains were able more effectively control the walker on its own, essentially taking over the role of a driver. It still needed input by a crewman, who was then relieved to focus on manning the walker’s weapons. The Imperial Japanese Navy quickly put this into production to field electro-walkers of their own. However the tight seals of the lead lined case that holds the Atomojin brain are not thick enough when the brain becomes excited or enraged enough that it lets out a burst of intense radiation that leaks from the case. When this occurs, not only the crew is exposed but so are nearby troops, prompting many to keep their distance from an IJN walker.

[Cilionelle]

Sweet! Saw this one on the Facebook page... but I've only just now had the chance to come and take a proper look!

[CmdrKiley]

I've been adding some tweaks, new gear and weapons, and some clarifications & corrections to v1.3.

There's some new items I'm adding to allow more customizing to fit in other mecha designs.

Soviets will have a choice of either proving space for an NKVD Minder (which provides a +1 DR, and allows you still to have a surviving model left over after the crew is executed for the cost of 1 slot in the design) or a Commissar Device for 1 man walker designs. This is basically a small bomb fitted near the head of the pilot and is tied into the psi-linked gear. The second the unit Routes the bomb goes off killing the model. It doesn't cost any slots, but instantly kills the walker when the pilot routes. However it allows for one-man walker suits like the new Dust KV47s.

Essentially I'd design a KV47 as a Light Chassis with the Short Stature Design Flaw (which I figure should be used for any heavy power armor suits that are bigger than a Buffalo). As it is a 1 man crew, it would have the Commissar Device on board.

Anyways, any ideas you have or if you see something that needs to be fixed, post it here.

[CmdrKiley]

Here's sort of a walk-thru of the Electro-Walker Construction process.

So I have a few of these Dust models around and I start with one of the Mickey designs for the Allies. There's a whole series of them so this would be a good example for coming up with a design that is consistent with all the variants.

Looking at the main one the M2-C Pounder.

First of all I determine this is a Medium Walker, given that there are light and heavy walkers in the Dust line-up. Also, it's about the size of a medium tank.

So picking a medium walker chassis I start with the medium chassis template.
M=6 RC=4+ CC=2 A=15 S=6 W=5 H=6, Slots 14
Special Abilities: Enclosed Compartment, Belt Fed, Slow, Experimental Technology (X), Walker, Terrifying

Now according to the Dust design it has the following:
A 17 Pounder Cannon in the Turret, a .30 cal MG in the hull and a .50 pintel gun.
It also has a searchlight and the Mickey series all have a special ability where they can jump.

Looking at the model it appears to have a 2 man crew, a driver in the hull and a gunner in the turret.

Now the walker is built with a combination of British and American gear, as the Allies in Dust are combined together into one army. So I there's a bit of a fudging to allow a British and American design that share some gear.

Having 14 slots I look up the weapons and gear.

QF 17 Pounder = 6 slots, +1 Slot for being mounted in the Turret
M2 .50 cal MG (Pintel Mount) = 2 Slots
M1919 .30 cal MG (Hull, Forward) = 1 Slot
Passenger (provision for gunner) = 1 Slot
Search Light = 1 Slot
Spring Loaded Legs = 2 Slots for a Medium Chassis

So that totals up to about 14 slots. Seeing this as pretty much the standard variant I decide not to add any more slots by taking design flaws. So the stat line pretty much remains the same.

Thus we get the following.

M2-C 'Pounder' Faction: US Army - ARPA, British Army - Q-Section
Type: Regular Cavalry
Role: Medium Walker, Tesla Unit (American) or Babbage Unit (British)
Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner
Armament: QF 17 Pounder (Turret), Browning M1919 (Hull), Browning M2 (Pintle)

M=6 RC=4+ CC=2 A=15 S=6 W=5 H=6
Special Abilities: Enclosed Compartment, Belt Fed, Slow, Experimental Technology (American = Tesla Gyro, British = Computation Device), Walker, Terrifying, Dangerous Gyro (American Only), Bulky Computer (Driver) (British Only), Spring Loaded Legs

As you can see, there are actually two types of walkers that are similarly equipped but perform slightly differently to reflect the joint venture design with controls being sourced by each country's weird science division.

I selected the Bulky Computer as affecting the poor driver of the British make because the hull was common to all the variants and it seemed logical to where to put the Computation Device.

With a Handling of 6 the Pounder must make a Handling check of 5 or less every time it fires the QF 17 Pounder cannon or tip over. As the 17 Pounder is a Very Heavy Gun and gets the Recoil (1) trait. Not too shabby for having such a powerful gun on a medium chassis that walks up on two legs. However, if the Pounder takes a hit, its Handling drops with each wound it takes, thus making it riskier to fire the main gun as it gets more damaged.

Now the Hot Dog variant has a Heavy Flame Thrower rather than the 17 pound gun. The heavy flame thrower takes up only 4 slots, freeing up 2 slots. Since the Flame Thrower is considerably lighter and doesn't impose any recoil, I'd suspect that the walker would be a bit faster and probably even more stable. So I spend then 2 free slots on Improved Locomotion and Improved Suspension. These give the Hot Dog a bit more speed +1 M and better handling +1 H than the Pounder.

M2-B 'Hot Dog'
Faction: US Army - ARPA, British Army - Q-Section
Type: Regular Cavalry
Role: Medium Walker, Tesla Unit (American) or Babbage Unit (British)
Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner
Armament: Heavy Flame Thrower (Turret), Browning M1919 (Hull), Browning M2 (Pintle)

M=7 RC=4+ CC=2 A=15 S=6 W=5 H=7
Special Abilities: Enclosed Compartment, Belt Fed, Slow, Experimental Technology (American = Tesla Gyro, British = Computation Device), Walker, Terrifying, Dangerous Gyro (American Only), Bulky Computer (Driver) (British Only), Spring Loaded Legs

The Hot Dog is faster, giving it up to 2" more movement in an activation than the Pounder. Also it pretty much will auto-pass any Handling check it's required to make unless it gets damaged or steps on a land mine.

Now there's are two more Mickey's that I'm aware of. The M2-F 'Steel Rain' which is armed with 4 4.2" Rockets and a Heavy Mortar. Since I really don't have any of those weapons defined yet, we'll skip that one for now. The other is the M2-H 'Recon Mickey' armed with a bunch of machine guns and an open top. This one we can do.

So taking the original lineup with the Pounder we remove the 17 Pounder Gun (6 Slots +1 for Turret mount), M2 MG Pintel Mount (2 Slot) and add the Design Flaw Open Top which provides 2 more slots. So we have 11 slots to work with.

First of all it seats 3 in the turret, has a twin-linked M2 MG in the turret and a pintel mounted M2 MG and M1919 MG.

Passengers x3 2 Slots (as we already have 1 gunner still allocated)
M2 MG x2 4 Slots, +1 for Linked Weapons, +1 for Turret
M2 MG Pintel Mount, 2 Slots
M1919 MG Pintel Mount, 1 Slot

Now since the Recon Mickey provides at least 1 additional seat over the diver and gunner, it may also have the Command Walker ability.

M2-H 'Recon Mickey'
Faction: US Army - ARPA, British Army - Q-Section
Type: Regular Cavalry
Role: Medium Walker, Tesla Unit (American) or Babbage Unit (British)
Crew: 1 Driver, 2 Gunners, 1 Commander
Armament: Twin Linked M2 MG (x2)(Turret), Browning M1919 (Hull), Browning M2 MG (Pintle), M1919 MG (Pintel)

M=6 RC=4+ CC=2 A=15 S=6 W=5 H=6
Special Abilities: Open Compartment, Belt Fed, Slow, Experimental Technology (American = Tesla Gyro, British = Computation Device), Walker, Terrifying, Dangerous Gyro (American Only), Bulky Computer (Driver) (British Only), Spring Loaded Legs, Command Walker

The Recon Mickey may not be a true recon walker as it's no faster than the Pounder but the extra crew in an open top condition allow it to observe better for Artillery Strike SO. Also the crew have lots of MGs with wide arcs and can be good for lots of anti-infantry work if not doing some crazy amounts of suppression. Just hope nobody lobs a grenade up there.

[CmdrKiley]

There is a v1.3 in the works right now.

Biggest changes are the base stat lines for each walker. The Armor and Strength have been adjusted up to match that of conventional tanks.

Also some other feedback I've recieved has put some more tweaks into the rules.

[themikado]

Single query - will there be a specific Japanese set of rules, to represent the irradiated brains and so on, as I note there are a few gaps in the pdf for Japan - am I just not looking in the right place?

[CmdrKiley]

There's some items mentioned about Brits and Japanese that are taken from some future expansion material that hasn't been released yet.

Consider it a sneak peek.