MECHA COMMANDER

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The Mecha Commander is a tactician and operational strategist. He or she may command from a ship's bridge, an underground secret base, a flying fortress above the clouds, or at the head of a squadron of giant robots. He or she need not be a Mecha Pilot. Some work their way up through the ranks and "lead from the front" while others may be chosen for their strategic ability or force of will.

**Requirements**

To qualify to become a Mecha Commander, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

**Occupation:** Military

**Base Attack Bonus:** +2

**Skills:** Pilot (Mecha) 5 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Knowledge (Tactics) 5 ranks

**Feats:** Vehicle Weapon Proficiency

**Reputation:** +3

**Class Information**

The following information pertains to the Mecha Commander advanced class.

**Hit Die:** The Mecha Commander gains 1d3 + the Characters Constitution modifier in Hit Points per level.

**Action Points:** The Mecha Commander gains a number of action points equal to 7 + one-half his character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class.

**Skill Points at Each Additional Level:** 6 + Int modifier

**Class Features**

All of the following are class features of the Mecha Commander:

**Bonus Feat**

The character may select a bonus Feat. This Feat may be any of the Vehicle Feats or a Leadership Feat.

**Tactical Advice**

As an attack action, the Mecha Commander can offer tactical advice to all occupants of a single mecha (it can include his or her own mecha's crew, but not his or her own self). The mecha's location must be precisely known, and they must be in voice or communication range. This advice provides either a competence bonus on attack rolls, on Spot (or Computer Use) and Hide checks, or a dodge bonus to Defence, at the commander's option. The bonus equals the higher of his or her Wisdom or Intelligence bonus (minimum +1). Its duration, in rounds, equals the number of ranks he or she has in the Knowledge (Strategy) Skill. The Commander can delay activation of the bonus, however, until a specific event described by the commander is observed by the ally (such as, "the enemy attacks" or "you advance into the town"), provided that is within the same day. The commander may use the Tactical Advice ability no more times daily than shown on the class progression table.

**Aura of Command**

The Mecha Commander possesses a natural knack for leadership that grows as his or her confidence increases. The Commander can inspire allies or subordinates into following him or her into dangerous situations they might otherwise avoid or never consider undertaking. The number of people he or she can directly inspire at any given time is shown in parenthesis on the progression table. For example, a 6th Level character can directly inspire 2 people. Aura of Command's effects should be role-played, but one practical benefit allows the leader to add his or her Will save bonus (if higher) to his or her subordinates in any situation where they must make a Will save to avoid fear or panic. Few leaders have an Aura of Command sufficient to inspire their entire force at once. They usually concentrate on key individuals (such as immediate subordinates) and hope the actions of these people will encourage others to follow them.

**Handle Recruits**

At 2nd Level, a Mecha Commander can transform recruits (often teenagers ranging from 12-17 year olds) into motivated warriors. The Mecha Commander must spend at least 3 hours a day on the trainee group over the prior week to have any influence. A DC 15 check is required; add the commander's Charisma bonus and +1 every two class Levels. If the check succeeds, the commander can motivate them to fight and obey his or her orders when necessary, as if they were professional soldiers. If it fails, they will continue to act like ordinary teenagers: get scared, act like spoiled brats, run away, etc. New checks may be required whenever something happens that might break their morale — they are ordered to kill someone they know, see a friend die, become homesick, etc. The DC depends on the situation; the GM may wish to use the guidelines in the Handle Animal Skill.

**Battle Plan**

If the character takes at least (11 minus the Mecha Commander's Class Level) minutes to formulate and describe a battle plan to his or her allies in advance of actual combat, and they follow it in regard to their pre-battle disposition (marching order, formation, etc.), it grants an Initiative bonus to all members of the group, including the character him or herself. The bonus is +1 at 2nd Level and an additional +1 every three Levels. The bonus becomes a penalty, however, if the battle plan is revealed to the enemy (by treachery, mind-reading, etc.). In order to formulate a battle plan, the commander must know the exact number of his or her allies, their equipment, and the location and terrain of the battle. If this changes (perhaps he or she makes the plan too early), the bonus is lost. The character gains an additional +1 bonus if he or she has accurate intelligence on the enemy's capabilities or plans; it is up to the GM whether or not this bonus should be applied. A group of allies can only benefit from one battle plan at any one time. The time required to formulate a battle plan assumes the character is planning for a small force of platoon size or less — a half dozen mecha, or under 50 combatants. Planning a larger battle may take proportionately longer, at the GM's option.

**Organizational Ties**

Most Mecha Commanders belong to some form of organization, such as a military force. At Level 5, he or she may have operational responsibility and will often assist in or make strategic decisions (such as an army colonel or the captain of an important warship). At Level 10, the pilot has reached senior rank in the organization (such as the rank of a military general). For those characters who avoid responsibility, organizational ties may represent increased reputation and value to the organization, and the willingness of the organization to cut them slack in exchange for their support.

**Saint Crispin's Day**

At 9th Level, a Mecha Commander gains the ability to, once per game session, deliver an inspiring speech that provides major benefits to allies who listen to it. The speech takes one minute (10 rounds) and gives the same effect as a Hope, Rage, or Hate Emotion spell (see PHB, Spells), although it is not a spell. The commander decides which spell effect to apply. The speech affects only those individuals within the leader's Aura of Command; others may be inspired, but gain no game benefit. The effects last for a number of minutes equal to 10 times his or her Charisma bonus (minimum 10 minutes).