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
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VehiMechs | Centaurs | Spiders

Hatchets

Battle Mace

Definitions

(clarification)
System 1: use of a hatchet requires the arm of the battlemech to be strengthened and reinforced. This would explain the use of internal space for a "hand-held" weapon. A critical hit could damage the shaft or the specialized equipment. System 1 makes hatchets on large 'mechs seem less vulnerable.
System 2: A hatchet is a large blade that protrudes from either the forearm or the side/back of the hand. Since the blade is not held like a club, the required, working Hand Actuator is free to manipulate. Option: if the blade is mounted to the forearm, a Hand Actuator would not be required to use the weapon.
System 3: The Hand Actuator is required to manipulate the weapon. Since the hand itelf is the weapon, it is not capable of fine manipulation. The 'mech cannot grasp or pick up objects with the arm. This may affect total lifting weight.

Hand-held Hatchet

(clarification)
A Hatchet may be made into a hand-held weapon (per Maximum Tech rules for allowed H2H weapons). A hand-held hatchet may not be armoured, unless specifically allowed by the GM. Hatchet weight may not exceed the BattleMech's maximum lifting weight. A dropped hatchet may be used by an opponent, subject to weight, as per normal hand-held weapon rules.
Hand-held hatchets may require the use of both arms (as per club rules) at the GM's discretion.

Naginata

"A Naginata is a weapon similar to a spear but with some differences. Instead of a tip made for piercing, it has a blade akin to a sword's, meant for slashing. It can be compared to a polearm."

A Naginata is a hand-held weapon that normally weighs 1 ton for every 10 tons of weight of the mech for which it was intended. As it is a 2-handed weapon, a mech must have all 8 arm actuators fully-functioning to use it and cannot fire arm mounted weapons in the same turn the Naginata is used. This weapon does 2 points of damage for every 5 tons of the mech wielding it; the damage is spread across TWO hit locations. Attacking with a Naginata generates an additional 3 point of heat.

Normal weapons attacks to a Naginata-equipped mech from the front destroy the Naginata on a roll of 2-4, 10-12 on 2d6. Physical attacks with melee weapons (hatchets, etc.) are parried (deflected) on a result of 1-6, unaffected on a result of 7-10, and also destroy the Naginata on 11-12, on a roll of 2d6.

A Naginata can me ripped away from another mech. The BCS is 6 on 2d6, with a modifier of +1 (penalty) for every 15 tons (or fraction thereof) heavier the target mech is. There is a bonus of -1 for every 15 tons (or fraction) lighter the target is. Mechs cannot make other physical attack or fire arm-mounted weapons while attempting to wrest away a Naginata.

Naginata designed for mechs up to 20 tons heavier, do only 1 point of damage per 5 tons of mech weight. Naginata designed for mechs up to 40 tons heavier do only .5 points of damage per 5 tons of attacker weight. Mechs cannot use a Naginata designed for mechs more than 40 tons heavier than they are. Naginata from smaller mechs only do the amount of damage they were designed for, based on the weight of the original mech.

Naginata stats originally contributed by "NightWolf"

Ono (BattleAxe)

Small Hatchets

(clarification)
A BattleMech may mount a hatchet that is smaller than the normal listed size. The smaller hatchet weighs less and may use less critical spaces, but it also does less damage. The statistics of the hatchet are based on those used by smaller 'mechs. NOTE: Players may not use this to decrease hatchet weight while maintaining the same damage value for sizes that do not yield exact damage values.

Tetsubo (Built-in Club)

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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