THE GCM RPG CONVERSION RULE CHANGES

What you need to play:
Firstly you need the access to a rule book using the Palladium Mega Damage system, such as Robotech RPG, Macross II and of course Rifts.

I recomend getting the Robotech RPG or the Robotech II: the Sentinels RPG as these have a link to Mospeada through Robotech and are among the cheaper option, both brand new or second hand. These two books have the basic Robotech rules and information needed to play. Best choice would be the Sentinels book as it has info and stats on the Mospeada mecha (albeit in mutated Robotech form). Other RPG books that would be good to get (but by no means required) are the Invid Invasion and The REF Field Guide. Invid Invasion has all the Robotech REF OOC's, Mecha and background info on the Robotech Earth. The REF Field Guide has lots of good pictures of the Mospeada mecha that can help visualize your games and is readily available compared to other Mospeada source info.

Is this compatable with Rifts(as in Legioss's somehow go through a rift)? By the sheer fact that it uses only a slightly modifed version of the standard Palladium rules, yes it is. But if your expecting stats for how the mecha and characters could operate on Rifts Earth, I won't provide them in the foreseeable future. Why? While I have a few Rifts books and a okay grasp on the Rifts Backstory, I don't play it (too magiciy for my tastes). Also, with the short shift Robotech usually gets in Rifts games, what's the point in helping do that to Mospeada?

RULE CHANGES

These are simple changes to the basic rules of used in the Palladium/Robotech RPG/Rifts games, things altered from their original form in order to bring it closer to what we see in the series, and to take account some of the problems I see with the system (MDC vs SDC) or goofs with regards to the series (Robotech RPG Mini-missiles are un-guided, while in the series they clearly are). It is recommended that you use these adjustments in order to remain closer to the spirit of the series, but of course the choice is up to you.

1) S.D.C. CAN damage M.D.C.
My biggest change is S.D.C. weapons can damage M.D.C. armor.
If the combined SDC damage is over 100 (1 MDC) it does 1 point of Mega Damage. SDC weapons only damage MDC stuff if it's 100 SDC (1 MDC) or over. Always round down, e.g. if the damage to a mecha was 375 SDC, it would be rounded down to 300 SDC (3 MDC) Lets rewrite the example the rule books uses for MDC vs SDC:
The rebels combined damage was 400 SDC (equal to 4 MDC) It takes 4 points of Mega Damage.

If Mr. Siembieda thinks 7 M.D. is a scratch, whats 4 M.D. ???. If you think this change is bad listen to this, to get the 400 SDC (4 MDC) you needed thirty rebels who got in three shots each. One hit from a High Explosive (light) can be as high as 40 MDC, (400 SDC) or as low as 10 MDC (100 SDC). That kind of damage will kick the crap out of non-military vehicles and humans.

2) Basic level mecha training isn't forever.
Characters who are restricted to the Basic level of combat training can trade One of their Other Skills (either one of their original alotment or one gained with the achivement of a level) to atain the standard level of combat training, with each skill at the basic level training needing one other skill each. I suggest to GMs that they restrict the payment of the one other skill to atleast the second time the characters get their extra other skills as this better represents the time and experience needed for the PC to improve from the basic level.

3) Mini-Missiles ARE guided.
In Mospeada and even in Robotech, the small missiles mainly used by the Ride Armor's and refered to by Palladium as mini-missiles change course in flight and appear guided. Palladium says that they are not. I take the middle road: Using the targeting sight and with a lock on a target, they are guided. Targeting sight down and they are direct fire.
Random Hit Tables I actually prefer the not random at all targeting that Random hit tables provide. The always hit the main body rule used in the Robotech RPG always seemed ,IMHO, very chancey and fake. If you disagree with needing them, don't use 'em.

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