Archives of Nethys

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Mechs | Terrestrial Vehicles | Starships | Vehicle Modifications


Mech Examples

Auxiliary Systems | Frames | Limbs (Lower) | Limbs (Upper) | Power Cores | Upgrades | Weapons


Mech Auxiliary Systems

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
Auxiliary systems can provide mechs with an array of additional features, from augmenting the machine’s already impressive performance to granting completely unique abilities. Most auxiliary systems cost no Mech Points, but some systems have special requirements that a mech must fulfill to install them.

Click here for the full rules on Mech Auxiliary Systems.

Ammo Reserve

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
The mech stores an exceptional amount of ammunition for each of its weapons. The mech can reload each of its weapons two additional times.

Autotarget

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
This system of finely tuned energy rods and powerful heat sinks, allows a pilot to boost the mech’s attack accuracy in exchange for stabilizing its weapons’ output.
  • Accurate Strikes (1 PP) For 1 round, the mech treats all of its operators as though they each had a number of Piloting ranks equal to their respective levels for the purpose of calculating the mech’s attack bonuses.

Cargo Catapult

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
Prerequisite: The mech must have a cargo hold auxiliary system.
The mech’s cargo hold conceals subtle boosters that can launch its contents at high velocity.
  • Dispatch Hot (3 PP) As a standard action, the mech can transfer one operator into a vehicle it has stored in its cargo hold, after which the mech launches the stored vehicle at high speed; the vehicle exits the mech using the race action. The pilot of the launched vehicle, if any, doesn’t need to succeed at a Piloting check as part of the race action this turn.

Cargo Hold

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
Prerequisite: The mech must have a transporter frame.
The mech’s body houses a small garage capable of storing a single creature, vehicle, or other object no larger than two size categories smaller than the mech. An operator can move from a stored vehicle to the mech’s cockpit as a move action, and vice versa. A mech can have no more than two cargo hold systems.

Cloaker

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
Prerequisite: The mech must have a recon frame.
Consisting of light-warping and sound-dampening technomagical mechanisms installed just beneath the armor, a cloaker system enhances a mech’s ability to avoid notice. The mech gains the ability to attempt Stealth checks.
  • Fade (0 PP) As a full action, the mech initiates active camouflage, granting it concealment until it makes an attack or performs other harmful actions, at which point the effect ends. If the mech begins combat while this ability is active, it begins the encounter with 1 less PP (minimum 1).
  • Cloak (4 PP) As a standard action, the mech fades from view as per invisibility. The effect lasts for 1 round, though the mech can extend the duration each round by expending 1 PP. The effect ends if the mech makes an attack or performs other harmful actions.

EMP Cannon

Source Tech Revolution pg. 106
This electromagnetic pulse cannon destabilizes enemy mechs’ sophisticated machinery. Attacks with an EMP cannon target EAC, and the DC of Fortitude saves to resist its effects equal 12 + 1/2 your mech’s tier.
  • Jam Weapon (3 PP) The mech makes a ranged attack against another mech within 120 feet as a standard action, optionally targeting one weapon the mech has. If the attack hits, the selected weapon (or a randomly selected weapon without the analog property) becomes nonfunctional for 1 minute unless the targeted mech succeeds at a Fortitude save. At the end of each of its turns, the targeted mech can attempt a new saving throw to end the effect.
  • Kill Engine (4 PP) The mech makes a ranged attack against another mech within 120 feet as a standard action, selecting one of the targeted mech’s movement types. If the attack hits, the selected movement type’s speed is reduced to 0 feet for 1 round unless the targeted mech succeeds at a Fortitude save. As a standard action, the targeted mech can attempt a new saving throw to end this effect.
  • Sabatoge Power (3 PP) The mech makes a ranged attack against another mech within 120 feet as a standard action, targeting its power core. If the attack hits, the targeted mech can’t regain or expend Power Points for 1 round unless it succeeds at a Fortitude save.

Entry Hatch

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
This simple system consists of a secure, reinforced, motion-activated door that’s programmed to open when one of a mech’s registered operators enter or exit. An entry hatch system allows a pilot to enter or exit the mech as a move action. A registered operator can instead spend 1 Resolve Point to enter or exit as a swift action

Glider Wings

Source To Defy the Dragon pg. 59
When installed into a mech with thrusters, these winglike extensions to the mech’s frame allow it to fly for longer and higher when it activates its Power Jump ability.
  • Glide (1 PP) The mech adds an additional 30 feet to the maximum height of its fly speed when using Power Jump. After jumping, the mech remains floating in the air in the same position until the beginning of the operator's next turn. Remaining in the air for additional time requires additional uses of this ability; otherwise, the mech begins falling at a rate of 5 feet per round.

Haste Cicruit

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
This complex system plugs straight into a mech’s locomotive core, stabilizing its maneuvers and allowing for extraordinary bursts of speed.
  • Speed Surge (2 PP) Each time this ability is activated, the mech increases the number of times it can use an action to move by 1, exceeding the normal limit of two movements per turn. This auxiliary system can be used more than once per turn.

Plasma-Shock Circuits

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
These circuits channel the dissipating force of a mech’s shields, transforming the energy into offensive power.
  • Energized Retort (2 PP) As a reaction when the mech takes damage that causes it to lose Shield Points, the mech channels the shields’ lost energy into one of its weapons that deals energy damage. The next time the weapon deals damage before the end of the mech’s next turn, the weapon deals additional damage equal to half the number of SP the mech lost from the triggering attack.

Plow Plating

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
Consisting of specialized reinforcements to the mech’s lower limbs, this system allows a mech to plow past obstacles. The mech treats all difficult terrain as normal terrain.
  • Bulldoze (2 PP) The mech can activate this ability when it attempts a bull rush or reposition combat maneuver. The mech gains a +2 bonus to the attack roll, and if the combat maneuver succeeds, the target also takes damage equal to the mech’s tier plus its Strength modifier.

Reconnaissance Array

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
Prerequisite: The mech must have a recon frame.
Installed directly into a mech’s sensing and heads-up display systems, a reconnaissance array gives the mech a +2 bonus to Perception checks and a +5 bonus to Computers checks when using the scan action

Systems Jammer

Source Tech Revolution pg. 107
This device blasts enemies with a wide range of energy waves, overwhelming targets’ sensors and triggering erroneous readouts.
  • Overload Sensors (4 PP) The mech makes a ranged attack against another mech within 120 feet as a standard action. If the attack hits, the targeted mech gains the blinded and deafened conditions for 1 round, during which time the targeted mech also loses anyblindsense it might have; the targeted mech must succeed at a Fortitude save to negate this effect (DC = 12 + 1/2 your mech’s tier). As a standard action, the targeted mech can attempt a new saving throw against the effect, ending the effect if it succeeds.

Teleporter

Source Tech Revolution pg. 108
Prerequisite: The mech must have a phase frame.
Technomagical conduits weave through every part of the mech, constantly analyzing the mech’s position and calculating dozens of other possible positions nearby. With a burst of energy, the mech can teleport to any of these destinations.
  • Phase (2+ PP) As a standard action, the mech instantly teleports itself and its operators to any point within 60 feet that it can see, as per dimension door. For each additional PP expended when activating this ability, the range increases by 60 feet.

Thrusters

Source Tech Revolution pg. 108
The mech’s array of powerful engines enable it to fly across short distances.
  • Power Jump (2 PP) The mech can activate the thrusters as part of a move action, granting it a fly speed of 60 feet (average maneuverability) with a maximum height of 30 feet. The mech must either land at the end of this movement, expend additional PP to perform additional power jumps before the end of its turn, or fall.

Weapon Core

Source Tech Revolution pg. 108
This system consists of energetic nodes that connect to the mech’s sundry weapon mounts. When purchasing this auxiliary system, choose two of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic.
  • Engergize Weapon (2 PP) Choose one of the weapon core’s two types of energy. As part of a standard action or full action used to make one or more attacks with one of the mech’s melee weapons, the mech charges the weapon with the chosen energy; the energy selected must be a type of energy damage the weapon doesn’t currently deal. Until the end of the mech’s turn, half of the damage dealt by this weapon is replaced with damage of the chosen type. If the weapon already deals two types of damage, replace one of them with the chosen energy damage. This effect never causes a weapon that normally targets KAC to target EAC.
  • Boomerang Strike (2 PP) As part of a standard action to make a ranged attack with a thrown melee weapon, the mech infuses the weapon with telekinetic magic, granting the weapon the effects of the returning weapon fusion for 1 minute. The mech can apply this effect only to mech weapons, not to improvised weapons like those thrown with the hurl) special action

Weapon Rack

Source Tech Revolution pg. 108
The mech has numerous holsters, harnesses, and other fittings that can hold spare weapons. As a move action, the mech can store one weapon it’s currently wielding in one or more of its upper limb slots, placing it in the weapon rack. As part of that same action, the mech can also draw one weapon from the weapon rack, automatically installing it for immediate use. The weapon rack can be used only to store weapons that occupy upper limb slots, and the rack can hold a number of weapons with a total number of combined slots no greater than 4.

Starmetal Mechs

The following are new auxiliary systems that add starmetal alloys into a mech’s frame, providing it with various abilities based on the starmetal used. A GM might rule a PC needs access to a significant amount of the starmetal used before selecting this upgrade. As too much starmetal in the frame will weaken a mech’s structural integrity, each upgrade can only be selected once, and a mech can only have one type of starmetal frame.

Cost: 2.5 x tier

Horacalcum Frame

Source To Defy the Dragon pg. 60
A mech with a horacalcum frame has a dull coppery sheen, and time functions strangely around it, potentially creating permanent areas of altered time-flow if the mech stays in one location long enough. A horacalcum frame grants a mech the following special abilities.
  • Bullet Time (2 PP) As a reaction when it would take damage from a ranged attack, the mech can try to dodge the hit, attempting a Reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 15 + the enemy creature's CR or mech tier. On a success, the attack misses.
  • Temporal Pulse (4 PP) As a standard action, the mech can emanate a burst of chronological energy in an 80-foot radius. Allied creatures and mechs within the area can take an extra move action on their turn, while enemy creatures and mechs within the area must succeed at a Will save with a DC equal to 12 + 1/2 your mech's tier or lose their move action for the turn. This effect lasts for 1 round.

Inubrix Frame

Source To Defy the Dragon pg. 60
An inubrix frame mech gleams a pale white color, its metal appearing almost translucent in spots. The unusual properties of inubrix make it ideal for mechs designed for reconnaissance and stealth. Mechs with inubrix frames gain the following special abilities.
  • Ethereal Body (2 PP) As a standard action, the mech's molecular structure becomes slightly intangible. It's treated as incorporeal for the purpose of taking damage until the end of its next turn.
  • Ghost Shift (3 PP) As a move action, the mech passes through a solid object or surface of a thickness no more than 1 foot per its mech tier, emerging on the other side. If the object is too thick, the mech is shunted back where it began and takes 1d6 damage per foot of surface above its tier.

Noqual Frame

Source To Defy the Dragon pg. 61
Noqual-infused mechs have green crystalline inlays worked into their frames, and magic used around them sometimes falters. Mechs with noqual frames gain the following special abilities.
  • Anti-Magic Targeting (1+ PP) The mech can activate this ability when making a single attack against a magical construct or foe capable of spellcasting. If the attack hits the mech increases its damage dice by 2 × the PP expended.
  • Dampening Field (2 PP) As a standard action, the mech can create a magic-dampening aura around itself. The effect lasts for 1 round, though the mech can extend the duration each round by expending 1 PP as a free action. Spells or spell-like abilities cast within an 80-foot radius of the mech have a 25% chance of failure while this aura is active.

Siccatite Frame

Source To Defy the Dragon pg. 61
A mech frame infused with siccatite shimmers faintly with threads of silver and radiates an aura of cold or heat, depending on the type of siccatite used. When selecting this upgrade, choose either cold or hot siccatite. The mech gains the following special abilities.
  • Radiant Shield (2 PP) As a reaction when it would take damage from a melee attack, the mech can summon a shield of hot or cold flame, depending on its type of siccatite. The mech gains a +2 bonus to its EAC and KAC, potentially turning the attack into a miss. If the attack still hits, the attacker takes damage equal to the mech’s tier (cold damage if cold siccatite, fire damage if hot siccatite).
  • Thermal Burst (1 PP) As a standard action, the mech alters the temperature in an 80-foot radius around itself, dealing 6d8 cold (if cold siccatite) or fire (if hot siccatite) damage to all enemy creatures and mechs in the area (Reflex for half, DC = 15 + the mech’s tier).