[straight-up-lancing-it]

Really glad XPtoLevelThree is making lancer content now, as not only does it get new players into the game, it also gives incredible insights such as “the Nelson is not actually that fast, it just encourages you to play it as if it is”

[cyborg66]

I started binging Lancer Daybreak after the first vid (which is the game he plays in) and to be fair at LL2 I think all of them but the Lich had speed 7

[cyborg66]

I have remembered that sometimes things do not need to be finished to be shared. BEHOLD my lancer x starfinder 2e compatibility mod!! It was about 9 pages on the word doc and I had a couple issues copying it to tumblr which is why the tables are images. the couple of things I know I want to fix are adding a list of standard mech actions like lock on and stuff but I autism locked in then autism burnt out on this over the last couple weeks so I haven't done that yet. Uhhhhm, read enjoy use feedback ignore as you wish have a wonderful time and uh she lance on my star til I find 'er

X

Compatibility mod

Issue 0.2 

Introduction 

Love the gritty mech rules of Lancer? Love the in-depth mechanics of the Starfinder 2e system? Think the out-of-mech Lancer rules are too loose? Think the in-mech Starfinder 2e rules are too in the as yet unreleased tech-core and probably not as cool as Lancer when they release? Then this compat mod is for you :) 

Aim 

In general, the compatibility between Lancer and Starfinder 2e (SF2e) is straightforward, Lancer when in mech and SF2e when not in mech, but for those cases where they cross over this aims to bridge the gap.  In most cases, Lancer is being added to Starfinder. This is because Lancer has applicable out-of-mech rules while Starfinder does not have applicable in-mech rules; it is therefore easier to add some aspects of pilot play into Starfinder and keep the mech combat mostly separate.  

Scope 

The LSF2e compat aims to cover the downtime, boots on the ground, and mech combat areas of play. Where the area depends on GM choice, there may be suggestions for how to deal with it. 

Setting 

Setting is not my problem. Choose Lancer, choose Starfinder, choose to mash them together or homebrew it; it does not affect the rules in any way (unless you choose it to I guess). 

Disclaimer 

I have played a lot of dnd and pathfinder 2e, I haven't played any starfinder 2e or more than a oneshot of Lancer. I'm making these rules so I Can play Lancer for my next campaign :). My experience is in playing online with VTTs, and this will have affected how I consider the rules and conversion.  

General points 

Below is a suggested table to match the starfinder level to the license level in terms of conversion. It doesn’t have LL0 because I don’t like GMS enough for more than a level. The item/vehicle level of Lancer mechs should be the same as the tier bracket it is in, i.e. LL0-4 mechs are tier 1 are SF2e level 5. Costs of mechs are considered irrelevant in Lancer, but the values suggested for each tier roughly scale as SF2e does. 

Accuracy in Lancer could be carried straight across to become a circumstance bonus to the roll. The table below suggests a flat conversion for number of accuracies/difficulties on the roll to a circumstance bonus. The conversion should be applied after totalling the number of accuracies, i.e. +2 –1 is a +3 not a +1. 

Full characters should be created using both the Lancer and SF2e character creation tools (use pathbuilder and COMP/CON, they are cool and free!). The Lancer character does not need to choose any gear, as this should be used from SF2e. Backgrounds should also be taken from SF2e, although the suggested backgrounds from Lancer are good inspiration if required. 

Triggers can be added to skill checks as a circumstance bonus where appropriate. In combat, relevant triggers can be added to attack rolls using a hero point. 

Downtime 

Both Lancer and SF2e have great options for what to do during downtime, and Lancer especially has a strong focus on letting the players have downtime between missions. The Lancer downtime actions should be available to players in addition to the standard SF2e actions. The player can roll a relevant SF2e skill check against the DC for their level, with the difficulty adjusted as appropriate for the specifics of the action. On a critical success use the 20+ result, on a success use the 10-19 result, and on a failure or critical failure use the 9 or less result. If the pilot has a relevant trigger, this can be added to the skill check as a circumstance bonus to the roll.  As well as the usual rewards like reserves, a downtime action could reward minor (10) Xp or moderate (30) Xp to cover a whole party’s actions. 

Boots on the Ground – Exploration 

Exploration in SF2e covers the time between combat and downtime. It can involve a variety of actions and skill checks. Outside of combat, a relevant trigger can be used to add a circumstance bonus to the roll; For example, the Word on the Street trigger could be added to the Gather Information (diplomacy) or Access Infosphere (computers) exploration activities.  

Combat – SF2e encounters 

Encounters cover combat from SF2e, and these run as normal. Pilot gear, equipment, and skills should all be taken from the SF2e characters. Lancer pilot skill triggers can be applied to checks and attacks as a circumstance bonus using a hero point, which allows pilots to use their skills in important moments without adding a +6 from Assault to every attack. 

Adding enemy mechs to encounters 

Pilot vs mech is almost an inevitability in a game combining SF2e and Lancer, and the option will at least cross the mind of any GM planning a game. The design methodology for the conversion used is that a mech should hit hard, but not well, and be hard to damage with small arms. As an example of the conversion, the stat block for the tier 1 Assault class mech is displayed below. The conversion was designed around the Assault class because it is a good standard mech to start from and is supposedly the most common primary battle frame in the galaxy. 

The base idea is that mech scale is 1d8 larger than pilot scale, and the HASE skills are mapped H-Str, A-Dex, S-Wil, and E-Con. The full conversion is in the table below. 

 Effects that do heat (self) apply the heat as fire damage directly (1:1), bypassing resistances. Effects that apply heat damage to enemies are converted to d8s as normal. Kinetic is physical damage, energy is electricity damage, burn is persistent fire damage, and heat is fire damage. Weapons with inherent accuracy/difficulty add the equivalent SF2e bonus as in the earlier table to the attack roll (so attack roll + tier level + in/accuracy value), any additional accuracies gained from features/traits are added as a circumstance bonus to the attack. To convert action costs a quick action is one action, and a full action is two actions. 

Where optional systems or templates are applied to an NPC class this will affect the equivalent level, working out all those combinations and equivalent level is out of my scope :P. Rank Discipline is on the stat block as an example of applying an optional system but is not part of the standard level 5 mech. Annex A has a conversion for the Tier 2 Assault with optional Micro-Missile Barrage and the Tier 1 Assassin for examples. 

Adding friendly mechs to encounters 

Mech vs innocent space grunts is almost an inevitability in a game combining SF2e and Lancer, and the option will cross the mind of any idiot who took the warthog further than they were supposed to or decided that they paid for the whole Caliban they want to use the whole Caliban. The problem of getting the pilots out of the mechs to do SF2e stuff can be approached in many ways, which is a campaign problem not a compat problem. For friendly NPC mechs use the same class conversion as above, like you would having allied mechs in a Lancer combat. If the whole party wants to bring their mechs when you weren’t planning it, then the options are to convert all SF2e enemies to Lancer enemies (below) or to plan two combats for every fight depending on what your party does. However, the Barbarossa is unlikely to fit into the same holes as a Goblin does. If some - but not all - of the party wants to bring their mechs into a fight, then the following options are available.  

First, say no. It is a collaborative storytelling game and sometimes you don’t want to go through all that hassle, an appreciative player will understand that it is more work added to the whole 2 system campaign you are already running.  

Second, convert the mech into a SF2e creature using the table above. The conversion should be done with the equivalent Tier for the mech License Level, but you can also use the LL-SF2e level equivalent if you don’t want to entirely break the balance of your planned encounter by adding a level 5/10/15 problem. For in person play this is a task you can leave to the player who brought their mech to the people-fight, but for VTT players this is a GM task to create a player pilotable monster and should only be done if you really really like them. Structure should be used as normal from Lancer, additional health bars with structure checks in between. After the combat, damage should be converted back onto the mech by dividing the remaining HP by 5 and rounding down. Quick actions are one action, full actions are two actions, and mechs cannot overcharge in combat.  

Combat – Lancer mech combat 

Mech combat covers combat from Lancer, and these run as normal. Mech stats and pilot talents should be taken from the Lancer characters. Nothing from SF2e should be added to mech combat, for the same reason that skill triggers aren’t used in mech combat. Sometimes pilots will feel the need to exit their mech in the middle of the huge battle going on, so here are the rules to convert SF2e characters into Lancer combat. The general idea is that mech scale is 1d8 bigger than pilot scale, so everything a pilot does is reduced by 1d8. 

Pilot actions:  

Fight (full), make a ranged or melee attack or cast a spell. Expend 2 × the expend value if relevant. You cannot Grapple, Shove, or Trip a mech. 

Jockey (full), As in Lancer pilot actions but use an Athletics skill check + Grit. 

Annex A - additional SF2e mech conversions 

[cyborg66]

Malachi constant unc confirmed real

[cyborg66]

I'm making a Lancer/Starfinder 2e compatibility ruleset which I will be sharing next week, but in the meantime here is a stat block for using the Assault template in a starfinder combat ]:)

any feedback is welcome :)

[cyborg66]

I know that my flatmate doesn’t see me as a woman because when I said I’d started a Lancer podcast he assumed I was making one and not listening to one

[straight-up-lancing-it]

just cause I’m bored, reblog this post with your favorite mech and why you like it. I want to see some of the community’s thoughts on these things, just to see if I agree with the fandom on some things or not.

[cyborg66]

I’m a goblin goblin because I like hacking but mostly because aesthetically it is so cool to me. You can see the guy in there!! It’s just a puppet frame with ungodly hacking capabilities!

[jggmgms]

In my free time I've been dumping thrust into this big ugly asteroid orbiting the protoplanet I've been stationed around

I think it'll probably take about ten years to bank enough delta V to get it to drop out of the sky and kill everybody, but I've genuinely got nothing but time

[cyborg66]

I’ve just been reminded of the stupidity of trans bans in sport for having an unfair advantage, especially in amateur leagues. I’ve always been naturally smart, and I’ve not had to try as hard as others to get top grades. This is an unfair advantage, the luck of my draw and not the result of my effort. Because of this I have the job and the degree I want without having struggled too much for it. But in hockey an apparent natural advantage got me banned? I wasn’t the best player on the team or even the fittest. I went to training every week and tried my hardest, but I was still dropped half the season and never starting lineup. Idk it’s just bullshit and they hate us cause they want to not cause we deserve it. There were like 30 trans players in the whole uk hockey

[persicapink]

⚠️ Warning! This unit is Malfunctioning! 💖

[cyborg66]

Finally read the forever war which I bought a while ago. The base selling points of ‘Space Vietnam’ and ‘omg I’m back from Space Vietnam and everyone’s gay now’ are a really solid foundation of the book, but the core sci-fi question is about life in subjectivity and how that would strand you from realtime. I also think that despite the bad rep of the way he talks about gays, he managed to perfectly predict the Gen X approach to queer people of saying ‘I’m Gen X and (uncomfortable statement intended as showing neutrality but comes off as dismissive)’. + it’s a love story + like a required read for lancer games involving relativism + it’s well written

[cyborg66]

I hit a revelation about playing dnds tonight. I think that there’s a rock paper scissors of what type of player should be playing what type of character.

Charismatic players should be playing wisdom characters, because it takes charisma to make inane bullshit sound wise.

Wise players should be playing intelligent characters, because it takes wisdom to play smart without actually being your character.

Intelligent players should be playing charismatic characters, because you can keep track of the complex plots and social encounters.

[cyborg66]

My dnd group is somewhat blowing up because the GM for our most recent campaign moved it from Sundays so he could be holier, and now trying to move it back for the next campaign half the group can’t play then anymore. Having a Christian come in and irreversibly change our traditions only for it all to fall apart makes me feel like.. well.. a large proportion of the world I guess

[cyborg66]

I’m planning a Lancer/Starfinder2e combined campaign. Starfinder says a gargantuan (size 3) character is 48 bulk (double to 96 for construct/mech) and an advanced Null Space Chamber (12k credits) can hold 100 bulk.

I am now imagining someone getting their NSC checked at a spaceport and the computer just flashing HARRISON ARMOURY BARBAROSSA in bright colours

[cyborg66]

Season 3 opening so bad I was waiting for it to be revealed as a dream or something

[cyborg66]

I know I’m posting about this like every other day but shiet I’m watching it and it continues to piss me off. Wheel of Time show jingled the keys of ooo doomed yuri so people might think oh sweet what a progressive show! But no, the books actively show women having more power and sense around the world (outside of like military command but what woman wants to get dirty and wounded for some bs, and they still can if they want to) unlike in the show where all the women characters complain about patriarchal injustices

And maybe you think oh the Aes Sedai should show their emotions because they are humans too, it’s not bad to make them all emotional bitches doing openly petty drama. The Aes Sedai have to go through the torment nexus like 100 times specifically so they can repress their emotions effectively of all people they should not be doing all that. There’s less than a thousand Aes Sedai on the continent they can be cool calm emotionless without slandering half the population

[cyborg66]

As I watch adaptations of books I love, I have to remember the lessons I learnt from Scott Pilgrim changing to reflect the medium it is being told in. I take a deep breath and realise that the mortal engines film is like if the book sucked. I meditate and consider the chaos walking film as New World if the characters were pressed 2D like flowers between pages. Or that the wheel of time show is actually one of the bad timelines shown to Rand by the dark one

[cyborg66]

I can’t believe how bad the wheel of time show is slandering my goats. Abell Cauthon is the finest horse trader in the whole two rivers, not a cheating bum so poor Mat has to turn to thieving. And Perrin got deadwifed because apparently they all need some extra drama in their background.

[cyborg66]

I would like to add the following to my list of slandered goats: Thom Merrilin turned from colourful harp/flute bard to a shit grunge guitarist. The city of Baerlon, which apparently didn’t add anything to the story. The tinkers wagons. Elyas Machera who hasn’t been introduced (yet, I’m only on ep 4). The wolves (and presumably hopper) which are clearly just dogs. The one power, the concept of channeling, and shielding. The Aes Sedai and their three oaths. And finally the book The Eye of the World