The Keep Campaign Campaign Rules

Introduction To This Document
      This document provides information and rules for the Battletech¹ Campaign run at The Keep². All official campaign rules and information will be documented in this write-up or by addenda to this write-up. Each new version of this document replaces all previous versions and addenda. The rules in this document become effective upon distribution.
      Mindless lovers of the Battletech game system are warned that these Campaign Rules often contain sarcasm and other comments relating to the stupidity of rules and the obvious lack of knowledge on the part of the authors of the game. No apologies are offered here for pointing out that the authors of Battletech clearly lacked any serious concept of the military, any meaningful knowledge of military history, even the most basic knowledge of physics (or, apparently, any other science), or simple common sense; and, seemingly from some of the rules, didn't play the game. Much of this should already be apparent to anyone with a decent education, and a modest amount of everyday horse sense. If anyone is offended by this attitude ... tough! Battletech may be a fun game to play, but it is pathetic and downright absurd as science fiction. No arguments or contrary views on this point will be accepted (so don't offer them if you want to stay on the good side of the Campaign Masters).

1] Battletech, 'Mech, Battlemech, and Mechwarrior are trademarks of FASA Corporation, 1100 W. Cemak, Suite B305, Chicago, IL 60608.
2] The Keep, Games and Miniatures, 4720 Parnell, Fort Wayne, IN 46825, 219-471-4336. Located in the Coliseum Plaza. Troy Fisher, proprietor.

Introduction To The Campaign
      You are an experienced warrior who has just completed a term with a major military force. Using your experience, you intend to strike out on your own by organizing a new mercenary unit. Styling yourself with the rank of "Commander", you have come to the world of Outreach with a few friends and followers. You are now looking to acquire some mechs or combat vehicles and some personnel to begin the formation of a mercenary unit.

Unit Names
      A player is relatively free to name a unit as desired. The names of units which already exist in the Battletech universe may not be used (ex. Wolf's Dragoons, Black Thorns, etc.). Offensive names and names including unacceptable language will not be allowed. The Campaign Masters reserve the right to reject any unit name for any reason.

Campaign Masters
      The Campaign will be run by three persons.
            Andy Lybarger - Data printouts and head player.
            David Ternes - Contracts, rules doctor, and documentation.
            Tim Hoblet - Data recording and general putzing around.
            Larry Bingham - Designated scapegoat with no authority or responsibility whatsoever, and no interest in the campaign.
      Commanders of opposition forces will be drawn from the Campaign Masters and players, as needed and available.

General Campaign Information

Support Software
      The Campaign Masters will use the following computer programs to support the campaign.

      Battlemech Designer (BMDesigner) program (version 9.71) - This program will be the official battlemech design check program. Players may use any system desired to design a mech, but all designs must be checked in this program by a Campaign Master. Any limitations on mech design included in this program will be considered to automatically be applied to these rules (i.e., a mech design is not legal if the program cannot handle the equipment or function). This program will also be used to determine the official value of any mech design, other than those provided in the Maximum Tech book (pages 112-124).
      MechWorks program (version 1.1) - This program is available and may be used by players to design battlemechs. The program has numerous errors, and all results will be checked with the Battlemech Designer program. Anyone using this program is warned that the following areas may give inaccurate results; any use of an XL engine, any use of Endo Steel internal structure, and the use of Artemis IV systems.
      Vehicle Factory program (version 3.0) - This program will be the official vehicle design check program. Players may use any system desired to design a vehicle, but all designs must be checked in this program by a Campaign Master. This program will also provide the official cost values for all vehicle designs, other than those provided in the Maximum Tech book (pages 109-112).
      The Inner Sphere Planetary Locator program (version 2.0.0) will be used to determine the number of jumps between systems.
      The Mercenary Administrator's TO&E program (version 3.0.0) - This program was to be used to track a unit's money, equipment, personnel, and supplies. It has been found to have too many errors and is simply a pain to use. Instead, Excel spreadsheets will be used to track the unit's bank accounts, organization, equipment, and supply inventories.
      Microsoft Word (version 6.0c) - Although a (yuck) Microsoft product, Word is the only text processor readily available at The Keep. It will be used to maintain a simple text history for each unit and produce various reports as needed.
      Microsoft Excel (version 5.0c) - Another (yuck) Microsoft product, Excel will be used to process the Campaign Timeline, and the Mech Change Cost Sheet, which will be used to determine the cost of any modifications performed on a mech or vehicle.

References
      The Battletech Campaign will use the Battletech rules from the Compendium (1691) and Maximum Tech (1700) books as modified and expanded herein. The Mercenaries (1701) book will also be used as a campaign reference. Other Battletech related source books will be used as appropriate. The Hot Spots (1676) book will be used as a source for contracts. Hot Spots Behind The Scenes information should not be read by the players. The Campaign Master is free to change the background of any contract as desired. Rules from other Battletech source books and supplements may also be cited herein. The Campaign Master reserves the right to change any rule at any time for any reason.
      Just as these Campaign Rules were being finalized, the Battletech Master Rules (1707) were released. As with all of the reworked rules books from FASA (and most game companies, its seems), few of the rules with real problems were fixed, and a number of workable rules were modified so as to be ridiculous (apparently they were being brought in line with most of the rest of the Battletech rules). The rules in this new book shall not apply directly to the campaign. The Campaign Masters reserve the right to use the Battletech Master Rules as a source of guidance for adding, modifying, or interpreting the rules for the campaign.

Technology
      Mercenary units may purchase equipment up to Level 2 Technology. Clan and Level 3 Technology may occur in the campaign. Level 3 Technology is available only to the major military forces, and it is still very rare.

Game Rules
      The primary rules for battles will be the Battletech Compendium and Maximum Tech books, as modified herein. All battles in the campaign will be fought using the Battletech Miniature Conversion (Compendium, second insert) as modified herein and as commonly played at The Keep. Level 3 combat rules will be in effect, except as modified herein.

Start Date
      All mercenary units which begin the campaign are assumed to have completed their organization by the first day of 3058. Units which join the campaign after its start are assumed to complete their organization on the first day of the next administrative month.

Starting Assets

New Units
      The unit commander may select his background (all are equivalent for campaign purposes).

Background:	Private military academy, plus ten years in military service. State military academy, plus nine years in military service State university, plus eleven years in military service.
Starting Money:	60,000,000 CB (from saving and an inheritance)
Personal mech:	Any one mech weighing up to 80 tons or any one standard vehicle weighing up to 100 tons. The selected mech or vehicle may not have prohibited equipment and must be listed as a "standard" battlemech or combat vehicle. Yourself - A Veteran mech warrior. At your option, your Gun / Piloting skills may be 3/3, 2/4, or 4/2. You are rated as a Veteran 6.
	Friends - Three Regular mech warriors. Each mech warrior has Gun / Piloting skills of 4/4. They are rated as Regular 8. If any of these four individuals is part of a vehicle crew, each is considered to be a full crew, as required by their selected vehicle.

Restarting Players
      Should a player have their mercenary unit eliminated from the campaign for any reason, that person may restart with a new unit. The new unit may enter the campaign at the start of the next administrative month. Two penalties will be assigned to a restarting player.
      First, the levels of one of the "Friends" will be increased by one. For example, a player restarting for the first time would have two Friends as Regular 8 and one as a Regular 9. If all Friends are reduced to Green 1, the level of the player's character will be reduced.
      Second, The weight of the starting mech will be reduced by five tons from that of the previous starting mech.

Personnel Requirements
      The following personnel make up mercenary units. All of the following types of personnel may be hired through the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission (MRBC). The problems associated with not having sufficient technicians may be supplemented by problems issued by the Campaign Master.

Mech Warriors
      Mech warriors are usually the heart of most mercenary commands. The primary function of mech warriors is to fight. When not engaged in combat, they spend their time training and keeping fit (when not bar hopping). A few senior mech warriors in each unit are also tasked with the supervision of the other personnel in the force. All mech warriors are officers.

Vehicle Crews
      Vehicle crews are similar to mech warriors, but crew combat vehicles instead of mechs. Except for the type of combat unit they man, they function in the same manner as mech warriors within a mercenary unit. Most vehicle crew members are enlisted personnel, although at least one vehicle commander per platoon should be an officer or senior enlisted. For the purposes of recording, crews are listed only by the commander's name.

Technicians
      Technicians are required to perform both regular repairs and maintenance. These are separate functions, and cannot be performed at the same time by a technician. Each mech or vehicle in a unit must have a technician assigned to it. The technician works on his assigned equipment first for both maintenance and repairs. A technician who has completed all work on his own equipment may assist other technicians in their work.
      Repairs will be governed by the Repairing Combat Units rule in this write up.
      When performing maintenance, one technician is able to maintain four mechs or eight vehicles. Technicians do not work overtime (the United Mech Workers union does not permit this). A mech or vehicle which does not receive its full required maintenance, may have problems develop. For each month or part thereof that a mech or vehicle is not maintained roll a D10 (the unit commander may select the mech or vehicle which is not maintained). On a result of 1-3, problems develop according to the following table. A unit which suffers problems due to a lack of maintenance will continue to suffer the problem for four months.
      Astechs are not required, used, or available as part of the campaign.

D10	Unmaintained Mech Or Vehicle Damage
1-3	Questionable functionality - any weapon which rolls an unmodified 2 when firing becomes inoperable
4-6	Equipment out of action - randomly select one weapon or piece of equipment which will be unusable
7-0	Unit is not functional - unit cannot be moved or used in combat

Hiring And Firing Fees
      Mercenary units are not free to simply hire or fire personnel on a whim. The MRBC requires that all mercenary units register all of their personnel with the Commission. Each time a person is hired, fired, or otherwise terminates employment, the MRBC must be informed. No report is required in the case of death. The information must reach the MRBC within two months of the event or by standard ComStar message, whichever is longer.
      As with all things, there is a fee associated with the registration of information about mercenary unit rosters. The registration fee for hiring information is equal to one year's pay for the person being registered. The registration fee for termination information is equal to one-half of one year's pay for the person leaving the unit.
      A unit failing to provide the required information and fee within the specified time will receive a negative mark on its record with the MRBC (permanent -1 to Dragoons Points), be fined 50,000 CB, and may forfeit their ability to hire new personnel on Outreach.
      No Hiring Fees or information is required when a unit first forms. It is assumed this information is provided as part of the registration of the unit.

Hiring Personnel
      New mech warriors and vehicle crews are normally only available on Outreach, but may sometimes be found on other worlds. The availability of personnel other than on Outreach will be determined on a case by case basis by the Campaign Master. All mercenary contracts are controlled by the MRBC. No outside contracts are permitted.
      Warning: Units which constantly make hiring efforts with the clear intent of obtaining personnel of higher quality to replace existing Green personnel, will develop a bad reputation with the MRBC and the personnel in the hiring pool. At the Campaign Master's discretion, better personnel may begin to refuse to accept the unit's invitations to interview.

Hiring Limit
      To keep the number of requests for new personnel within reason, the MRBC had ruled that any one mercenary unit may make a request to hire new personnel only once per month. Any attempt to evade or circumvent this ruling will result in the unit or units involved being refused hiring privileges on Outreach for a period of one to six (D6) years.

Hiring Procedure
      Each time a mercenary unit wishes to hire new personnel, it must inform the MRBC (i.e., the Campaign Master) of the type and number of personnel it wishes to hire. The MRBC will not accept numbers which are greater than fifty percent (round all fractions up) more than the number of open combat billets in the unit. This means, for example, that a unit which has just purchased four new combat vehicles, and otherwise has no personnel openings, may request up to six additional personnel. If the unit has no open combat billets, it is allowed to request one individual or vehicle crew. The following Determining Quality Level tables are used to find out the Quality of each of the available individuals or crews.
      The hiring unit may accept or reject as many of the personnel presented as desired. For each mech warrior or vehicle crew rejected, one extra month is added to the Hiring Limit (previous rule). Thus, in the previous example, should the unit reject two Green vehicle crews, the unit will not be able to attempt to hire personnel for 3 months (2 rejected personnel plus the standard 1 month wait).

Rejection Fee
      It is assumed that each person presented for possible hiring is interviewed by the unit commander. Those personnel who are not hired must be compensated for their time. A Rejection Fee of 500 CB is charged for each individual or crew which is not hired.

Determining Quality Level
      To determine the initial Quality level of any new mech warriors, vehicle crews, or technicians use the following Quality table. Roll 2D6 and modify the roll by the values in the Modifiers table.

Quality Modified 2D6 Green <= 7 Regular 8-12 Veteran 13 Elite 14 Legendary 15+ These tables are used for mech warriors, vehicle crews, infantry, technicians, aerospace technicians, and mechanics.

Modifiers: Modifier Note     Dragoons Rating D -2     Dragoons Rating B +2     Dragoons Rating A +3     Startup unit -1 1     Unit suffers Big J's "wrath" -2     Unit is not on Outreach -3 2 Notes:     1) Applies until unit has successfully completed one contract.     2) Applies only if recruiting locally, not on Outreach.

Updated 20 June 1999.