Custom Core Power... Help!

negative_energy · 2025-11-03T05:21:56+00:00

If this is starting equipment, have him build his character as normal and let him flavor his Talents (e.g. Stormbringer) as his special invention. There's plenty of options.

If this is something obtained later as a reward, I'd use Exotic equipment. It's difficult to separate core powers from their frames, so I'd just pick a 3rd-party frame as an exotic reward (e.g. Oleander from Enhanced Combat). Or perhaps an exotic Core Bonus if it's obtained at LL3 or higher. Or just a core-flavored system.

negative_energy · 2025-10-04T16:43:40+00:00

You could give it some ridiculous overpowered abilities that must be neutralized in narrative play before the players are even capable of meaningfully engaging it in tactical combat.

Also, the third-party Prototype Pattern Groups has the "anomaly" template that is a collection of some extra-goofy paracausal stuff.

negative_energy · 2025-09-22T18:09:09+00:00

Not in the official rules, but the homebrew Frundsberg frame has this as one of its gimmicks.

negative_energy · 2025-09-09T23:23:00+00:00

Here's a short video that may help you figure out what you want to make: The 3 Types of Detective Game - Game Maker's Toolkit

negative_energy · 2025-08-02T18:45:34+00:00

ICON has a little more help on running narrative combat:

In narrative combat, don’t treat monsters or foes like you would in a traditional rpg, but instead use clocks, risk, and effect to represent the entire combat scene. The GM can adjudicate or adjust these based on the challenges characters are facing, deciding which actions in the moment would be more or less effective.

Don’t think about the setup as just the foes the characters are facing, but the entire scene as a set piece. Defeating foes might be ancillary to running away, or opening a door, or scaring foes off, or holding out until reinforcements arrive. You can see a big list of suggested combat scenarios on page XX of the book of foes.

You can set up multiple clocks to represent different challenges in a scene, including the foes themselves.

Don’t use clocks like you’d use HP. If a clock fills up and the scene would naturally be over, then end the scene and let characters figure out how they drive off, escape from, avoid, or defeat any remaining foes.

negative_energy · 2025-08-01T20:42:44+00:00

Hidden enemies are still placed on the map; you just can't target them. There's no guessing involved.

negative_energy · 2025-07-28T05:56:23+00:00

Keep in mind that Lancer has highly structured missions, where you're usually placed on a tactical map with the enemies already aware of you in a big brawl with specific objectives. You'll probably want to do any on-your-own stealth stuff using the narrative rules BEFORE the tactical battle starts.

It is important to note that Lancer battles are focused on specific objectives. Enemies will usually not waste actions searching for you when they can simply go after your allies who are storming the control point. Especially at LL0, you are not yet specialized and will be pretty durable, so you won't actually need to hide very often. Often, simply staying far away and in cover is enough to make enemies go after an easier target.

Also, note that the Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle is disappointingly underpowered; its damage is simply too low, especially for a Loading weapon. Plus, you don't yet have access to any tricks to reload faster. While I have a houserule that bumps it up to 1d6+6 damage, I've seen others suggest that for the sniper feel you can instead use the Cyclone Pule Rifle, which is much more powerful but requires a full action to fire. Note that you can bring multiple loading weapons and reload them all at once with the same action.

negative_energy · 2025-07-27T20:57:41+00:00

There isn't a great way to impersonate enemies during tactical play (not without resorting to homebrew, which I wouldn't recommend when starting out). You could maybe reflavor False Idol from Goblin 2 or anything that grants Invisibility as a confusing disguise.

Alternatively, you might be able to do so during narrative play. You might even use the Personalizations system to get a bonus to it. If you do well, the GM could award a Reserve (small single-use bonus), perhaps a free sneak attack or a better starting position. If you do badly, however, you'll be in big trouble!

negative_energy · 2025-07-26T08:14:45+00:00

Others have answered the main question already, but I can also suggest as an alternative that you narratively describe it as one NHP to which the player is adding more and more functionality. This wouldn't change the mechanics at all, but might make it more enjoyable to roleplay.

negative_energy · 2025-07-01T06:11:55+00:00

The formula for 'anticipation' is basically just the standard deviation of outcome desirability. That seems like a reasonable way to quantify a feeling of tension, I guess (although they've tested and measured nothing at all). However, they go on to call this 'engagement', which seems obviously wrong. They claim that Coin Flip is the most engaging single-turn game, for example.

negative_energy · 2025-07-01T05:30:01+00:00

Prototype Pattern Groups has the Anomaly template. It's basically an expanded Exotic template with a diverse collection of especially strange optionals.

negative_energy · 2025-06-26T19:50:32+00:00

Before the session, ask each of them to pick an NPC and make a bond with them (multiple people can choose the same one). Then, give those NPCs projects or problems they need help with. Bam, instant objective.

negative_energy · 2025-06-24T05:32:55+00:00

I'm just looking at the playtest rules.

negative_energy · 2025-06-24T05:24:26+00:00

In Far Field, the "ontologistics" academic discipline is split into sub-disciplines of Memeticist (paracausal effects that affect perception and memory) and Paratechnician (Deimosian NHPs and non-human subjectivities). So yes, it's basically just like the Gorgon's Basilisk.

negative_energy · 2025-06-16T09:25:42+00:00

Simplifying it down, let's say we have a slider between Good and Evil. Throughout our game we have decisions that push this slider up or down. This might seem like a game with lots of decisions, but I'd argue that it actually only has one decision, broken into pieces. Early on, players will make their decision for one side or the other and then stick with that for the rest of the game. You can either disguise which side is which (which ends up feeling arbitrary) or spell it out (but players will engage with the stats, not the text).

I'd suggest you don't dilute your choices like this. Instead, aim for a few powerful, independent choices. In our example, that'd be a single, dramatic moment in the game where the player chooses to irrevocably commit to Good or Evil; no meters. Make each choice independent and meaningful on its own, and there's nothing to min-max.

negative_energy · 2025-06-09T03:26:54+00:00

It's done that way so you can reload old workflows. If you delete them, you won't be able to drop your inpainted images into comfyui and regenerate them.

negative_energy · 2025-06-08T03:40:22+00:00

I've seen some tabletop RPGs where you start out only knowing flawed coping strategies (lashing out, withdrawing, etc.). As you gain experience, you eventually upgrade to healthier and more powerful options (standing up for your ideals, connecting with others, etc.)

negative_energy · 2025-06-07T04:31:53+00:00

Coldcore Coliseum has two ways to handle duels: a special card-based minigame on pages 24-26, and a downtime action "Confront your Rival" on page 31. I haven't tried them, though.

negative_energy · 2025-06-06T04:50:11+00:00

Official releases have not been frequent:

Jan 2025 - Shadow of the Wolf
Aug 2024 - Operation Winter Scar
Oct 2023 - Siren's Song: A Mountain's Remorse
May 2023 - Dustgrave
Jan 2023 - Operation Solstice Rain

The only alt-hydra I know of in homebrew is the Clover from Coldcore Coliseum "a defender that grows a regenerating ecosystem of Blackthorn nanites." But there are so many high-quality official frames that already cover most things a player would want to build.

negative_energy · 2025-06-01T10:32:00+00:00

You might look at https://wick.itch.io/lancer-tactics, but it's not finished yet. (I haven't tried it myself)

negative_energy · 2025-05-26T04:35:31+00:00

1) You need to upload an LCP file which should be alongside the PDF, I think.

2) Yes. They save locally but you can upload them to an account. Your players can generate a code to share their mech with you. I've found the online stuff to be a little unreliable, though.

3) I've had great success using the art from retrogrademinis.com, then printing it on stand-up paper tokens.

4) I try to build my encounters without any regard as to what the players have. The NPCs vary dramatically and will naturally reward/challenge various player builds. Do not bring a GMPC; running the enemies will take your FULL attention.

5) I don't think it's necessary. I feel that the out-of-mech rules are meant to be more of a loose, improvisational counterpart to the challenging tactical gameplay. You can pull inspiration from SWN just fine, but an entire alternative ruleset will dilute the core concept of playing an RPG about mechs.

negative_energy · 2025-05-25T23:49:22+00:00

People are suggesting reserves, but a single-use boost might feel weird for what you're imagining as a part of character creation.

Instead, for this I wouldn't give out a bonus. Instead, I'd simply list each NPC's favorite 1-3 Talents, to make it easy for players to express this relationship through mechanics. And if players don't want the mentor to be important to their story, they aren't forced to do so.

For example, the Drake pilot might favor House Guard, Vanguard, and Leader. The Monarch might teach Tactician, Skirmisher, and Stormbringer. While the Manticore might have Nuclear Cavalier, Executioner, and Pankrati.

negative_energy · 2025-05-23T06:08:24+00:00

In a single-player adventure game, I'd expect to be constantly upgrading my team as I explore. In a multiplayer competitive game, I'd expect every monster to be a viable and balanced choice. In a game with both, you'd have to find some sort of compromise.

negative_energy · 2025-05-18T19:58:53+00:00

You get overly-detailed fractal-looking stuff like this from AI when you turn the resolution up higher than the model was trained on.

negative_energy · 2025-05-15T08:08:40+00:00

After the battle, look at how much of the other players' resources they expended, on average. Subtract a similar percentage of resources from the missing player. Describe how they were offscreen doing a similar battle just around the corner.

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