Optional Rules Compendium

This is a compilation of "house rules" for the BattleTech gaming system. These rules come from different sources and might not be used by your GM. If your gaming group does not use a GM, then rules can be adopted by general consensus of the players. Please note that some of these rules may conflict with each other; this list is meant to complement existing rules.  This list is based on FASA's BattleTech, not the newer version by FanPro (Classic BattleTech).
Use of the phrase "House Rules" in no way implies that the sequenced garbage played in dance clubs in the early 1990's was even music, let alone any good.

Actuators* Armour* Critical Spaces* Conventional Aircraft* Damage and Repair* Endo Steel* Ferro Fibrous* Hatchets* Heat Sinks* Misc.* Physical Combat* ProtoMechs* Quads* Weapons and Equipment
Dropships | Warships
VehiMechs | Centaurs | Spiders

Armour

Deflector Shields

see Weapons and Equipment

Double-Armour

(unofficial)
'Mechs may mount up to twice the Internal Structure value in armour on both front and back facings of a torso. Any armour used in this fashion still counts against the total weight of the battlemech.

External Armour

(unofficial)
'Mechs may mount external armour skirts in addition to normal armor, much like tanks of the 20th century did. The supports for these sheets take up 1 critical space per ton (round up from 1/2 tons). A critical hit to External Armour in any location destroys all of the External Armour in that location. External Armour may be Ferro Fibrous or normal and may be different from the armour on the 'mech. Cost of External Armour is double that of armour of the same type.

OPTION: External Armour does not offer full protection. It only works on 1-4 on 1d6. This may allow damage to internal structure on one turn but not on another.

OPTION: When the armour value of External Armour is depleted, the 'mech takes an additional point of damage to its internal structure (regardless of the state of standard armour) due to the enormous strain caused.

OPTION: External Armour, like Hardened Armor, makes a 'mech more difficult to pilot. Add a +1 (penalty) to piloting skill rolls, regardless of locations.

Ferro Fibrous

See also Critical Spaces

Ferro Fibrous

See also Ferro Fibrous

Ferro Fibrous

(unofficial)
Since Ferro Fibrous Armour is lighter and occupies the space inside 'mechs, the 'mech should be able to support more that the total "point" value allowed by internal sturcture. The BattleMech may mount the same tonnage of Ferro Fibrous Armour as it could conventional armour.

Ferro Fibrous--Damage

(unofficial)
Critical hits to Ferro Fibrous locations can cause additional damage. Re-roll future critical hits to this slot, as per damaged equipment.
SYSTEM I: Roll 1d6 damage and apply to armout only (not internal structure as it is a critical hit to the armour). Excess damage transfers (per transfer diagram) to next armour location.
SYSTEM II: Apply 1 point of damage to armour and re-roll critical hit location.

Overbuying

(unofficial)
Armour may be bought in an amount that exceeds the maximum amount for a 'mech's Internal Structure if the maximum is not evenly divisible by 8 (9 ferro). Any extra armour points are not available and considered lost. This rule is designed to allow a 'mech it's maximum armour points.

Patchwork Armour

(unofficial) It seems ridiculous to impose the movement penalty on a 'mech that only has Hardened armour on its Head (as in the example in Maximum Tech), since the head normally is not considered to be a moving part. The GM should decide whether the penalty should apply. Hardened armour used on just the arms should apply a penalty to aiming instead of movement, again, at the GM's option. It also seems ridiculous to assign the massive amount of critical space for Hardened armour when most of the 'mech is protected by other types of armour. Using the "even spreading" method (see Critical Spaces, Ferro Fibrous), locations can have an "appropriate" amount of Critical Spaces dedicated to a type of armour.

Shields (electro-magnetic)

see Weapons and Equipment

Shields (hand-held)

see Weapons and Equipment

To submit a rule for posting, e-mail Koichi (please include "BattleTech" in the subject line)

This list was compiled by Jason Caesar and Koichi Ishitandai

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