Claim To Equipment

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

So ... I need to set aside points for Rank for your game?!?!?!


I kid. I have no points left to set aside. :(

Rank is free in that game. As is wealth. Its a fun variant I like to play with. It always amuses me how much restraint people show when I say that.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by scc

Patron doesn't work if there's not a permanent organization that the PCs are working for.

This "The captain's boat" might be the best approach, unfortunately I don't have it, can you give me a run down?

As the author of the article it was built off Patron.
The idea is that a ship really is a business or other organization.
I came up with it to model the classic poor freighter captain who had a ship but was not wealthy. The captain is working for an organization, he is in charge of it but has responsibilities to keep it going.
All the resources of the Patron are tied up into the ship (made a nice table) which can include crew and administrative personal.
The article recommends using Ally instead of Patron for Mechs and fighters and gives some brief guidelines.
I think either approach could work for your mech pilots but the latter is better for your guys with battlesuits or gear.

And nothing wrong with your organization (ship) being part of a larger one (Military or Trading company).

[scc]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

A Patron that provided new Mexhs would be something like a very wealthy family. You get to keep Patron equipment and use how you want to.

An employer who provides you with equipment you need to carry out his orders for his purposes isn't a Trait at all. Especially if he takes back the equipment at the end of the job.

This equipment is probably in excess of what you actually need. If hired to assassinate someone in BT the PCs won't slip someone into his household to poison him, plant a bomb in his limo, or snip him from long distance, rather he's supposed to be killed when they conduct a military assault on his residence in their 'Mechs, with him likely dying after he's gotten into his own 'Mech and tried to fight off the PCs

Originally Posted by ericthered

So you're saying that the gear comes from rank? that... actually works out nicely.

Something similar at least , people in BattleTech tend to be rather possessive of family-owned 'Mechs, preferring them to anything else, so you may have cases where the commander of a merc company is in the company's lightest 'Mech.