M.D.C. to S.D.C. ...this again?

[IronWarrior]

I've read both the RGMG and the RCB 1 and I'm still confused. I'm running an alternate universe campaign, a post apocalypse type borrowing ideas from Robotech, Rifts and After the Bomb so i decided to convert all M.D.C. to S.D.C. for the sake of convenience and i don't know if I killed too many brain cells in my youth or not but i still don't get A.R. Do Giant Robots and Vehicles get a Natural A.R.? And is Natural A.R. where you need to strike over the A.R. to do damage? What about Power Armor? Exoskeletons? Mutants? (which are classified as a type of supernatural creature, makes things easier for the game mechanics in my campaign) Some help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Blue_Lion]

AR for armor is a number you need to roll higher than to hit the person instead of the armor.
Try looking at vehicles and robots in HU. (How is converting convent?) After the bomb the creatures are already sdc stated.

[drewkitty ~..~]

There are four types of AR and three of them are the same mechanics.

The AR of body armor (examples are on page 342&343 of the HU2 book.) where if the attacker rolls above the armor they by pass it to do damage to the character wearing the armor.

And then there is Natural AR (biologics), Robotic AR (all robotic like vehicles from the smallest to the largest), and Vehicle AR (all other sorts of vehicles). All three of these have the same game mechanic in that if the strike roll is under the Nat/R/V AR score then the attack does no damage.
◆Rolling above the Nat AR score only does damage to the SDC of the being w/o possibility of doing HP damage till the SDC is reduced.
◆Rolling above the R/V AR score does damage to the SDC of the Armor w/o possibility of being bypassed.

❖Thus if the Nat/R/V AR score is only four (Nat.AR 4/Rob.AR 4/Veh.AR 4) the only thing the Nat/R/V AR does is not to do HP damage of be bypassed. Just like with tech Force Fields.

❖However, if the Nat/R/V AR score is say 10 or maybe 18 then any rolls under those numbers physical attacks will "just bounce off". While rolling above those numbers will just do damage to the being's SDC or just do damage to the Robot's or vehicle's SDC.

[ShadowLogan]

I don't think they say which AR type X is supposed to be in the descriptions in CB1r, but I think its supposed to be obvious to use Natural AR for creatures, though mecha (vehicles, bots, PA, borgs) you would be Vehicle/Robot Armor as they are in other SDC settings but that doesn't get mentioned. What is sometimes referred to as artificial armor would go toward body armor (drewkitty's first AR type).

Conversely you could just make all MDC items use the "Natural AR" rules instead.

[IronWarrior]

Thanks drewkitty that does clarify a lot for me. As for being convenient blue-lion...its simple, being a post apocalypse setting players will be rediscovering the past which includes weapons, vehicles and other gear in bunkers, underground storage, hidden ruins of military bases, etc, etc. Much like Rifts Earth. Only difference being not everyone and their mother was packing a super cool one-blast-and-your-toast laser gun and there are no demons stalking you, Mutoids maybe with inhuman strength hence classified as a TYPE of supernatural being. I'm borrowing elements from Rifts, Robotech and After the Bomb not combining them. I prefer s.d.c. weapons over m.d.c. This a post apocalypse setting....no energy weapons.