Mech repair costs.

Medieval fantasy mechs powered by steam, magic, or the labor of a thousand slaves.

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Zarpd
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Mech repair costs.

Post by Zarpd »

I'm either not quite sure I'm understanding the rules for repairing mechs correctly, or there's something wrong...

The example they give is a mech with a cost of 10k, 100hp, mising 30. So it comes out to 3 000 x 2 = 6 000. If the mech had been missing 50HP, it woul dhave been 5 000 x 3 = 15 000.

The next line is more or less, "Note that it's easier to repair mechs than build one in the first place."

Repairing this mech from 50% costs 15 000, repairing it from a theoretical 0% (it would be destroyed, I know) would cost 30 000... and the mechs cost 10 000.

What's going on here? The repair costs are more then the actual costs.
modus666
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DC is the key

Post by modus666 »

by easier i think it specifically means the craft DC is much lower to repair than to make a new one. Yes, if you were to repair it point per point you'd pay more in materials, but the DC for repairs is much lwoe rthan the DC to plan/design/craft a new one.
Zarpd
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Post by Zarpd »

So then seeing as crafting them is harder, and repairing them is more costly... the best solution is to buy a completely new mech once your current mech is down to ~40-50% hp?
walrusjester
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Post by walrusjester »

The rust riders would say that the best solution is to steal one...
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Zarpd
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Post by Zarpd »

Too bad that, in stealing one, they'd get in a fight and damage it, causing extremely expensive damage that'd need to be repaired =P
walrusjester
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Post by walrusjester »

Think of it as a tactical challenge for DragonMech parties. You have a mech; it gets damaged. You can either take the longer-but-easier route (find all the money for the relatively low-DC job of fixing it), or you can take the shorter-but-riskier route (try building one at a high DC). Mechs will invariably get damaged, and this gives players multiple options for dealing with it.

Or you could just use your mech to run away from things.
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Zarpd
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Post by Zarpd »

All right. Just making sure I'm understanding the rules correctly. 3 options.

1. Long, easy, but expensive: repairing a badly damaged mech.
2. Short, hard, but cheaper: building a mech from scratch
3: Short, easy, and fairly cheap: buying an entirely new mech.
modus666
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Post by modus666 »

Zarpd wrote:All right. Just making sure I'm understanding the rules correctly. 3 options.

1. Long, easy, but expensive: repairing a badly damaged mech.
2. Short, hard, but cheaper: building a mech from scratch
3: Short, easy, and fairly cheap: buying an entirely new mech.
you're mostly right with a few alterations:

1) actually pretty short, easy, and expensive

2) long, hard, and cheaper

3) short, easy, but more expensive than option 2

remember that each mech is a custom creation. you will likely not often find crazy habib's house of mechs. mechs, even smaller ones, are a power in and of themselves in the Dragonmech setting and are not likely to be readily available on the open market normally.

also remember theres a lot in volved with making a mech besides just you, there's getting the labor force, materials, overseers, etc. even a mid-level party will not always have all these things available to them without connections to one of the major factions most likely.

hence the reason you're more likely to fix your mech than buy a new one :) imho
Zarpd
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Post by Zarpd »

Hmmm! I always figured you'd be able to buy mechs for their market price, off of other adventures. Say, in a City-Mech.

But if not... Then repairing IS expensive. But what other choice do you have?

Ok, I think I've got it! It still seems like buying a brand new mech is the best idea... But I suppose it's not as easy as going up to the Mech Shop and saying "I'll take a two fangtooths and an incinerator, please."
mythfish
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Post by mythfish »

Zarpd wrote:Hmmm! I always figured you'd be able to buy mechs for their market price, off of other adventures. Say, in a City-Mech.
I think there are probably always mechs for sale somewhere...the problem is finding them. If my players wanted to outright buy a new mech, I'd at least make them make some Gather Info checks to track down someone who wants to sell. Then if I felt like it, I'd turn it into an adventure.

"Yeah, you found a guy whose cousin has a mech for sale. Problem is his cousin lives in Durgan-Lok, and you're on Nedderpik." And of course once they got to Durgan-Lok they'd get swept up in some kind of story before they could actually buy the mech.
Dieter Zimmerman
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Draconis Rex
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Post by Draconis Rex »

Zarpd wrote:"But if not... Then repairing IS expensive. But what other choice do you have?"
Offhand I'd say have your Constructor cast repair critical damage as many times as possible each day until it's fixed. Or have him call all his Combine Spell buddies and get 'er done all at once.

But maybe that's just me.

:D
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