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Ok, here goes.
STR -1
BOD -1
RFL -1
INT +1
CHA +1
SOC +1 Min: 5
Affiliation: Federated Suns
Protocol/FS +1
Trait: Natural Aptitude/Strategy (Min SOC 4)
Stage 1: Early Childhood - Nobility
STR -1, BOD -1, RFL -1, INT +1, CHA +1, SOC +1 (Min SOC 5)
Traits: Wealth, Well-Equipped, Enemy
Skills: Protocol/Affiliation +2
Next Path:
Nobility Roll: (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/Themes/default/images/dice_warn.gif) This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 2d6 : 1, 3, total 4
Spending an Edge Thresh on a reroll:
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 6, total 10
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Not sure how to edit the first one without it showing modified dice, so will do new posts for each stage with a die roll.
Ok, Keeping the 10, "Yours was a soldier's family" BOD +1, RFL +1, CHA -1, must take Military School or Merc Brat next.
Let's go Mercenary Brat.
Stage 2: Mercenary Brat
Thresholds: INT -1, WIL +1, EDG +1
Skills:
Interest/Any +1, Administration +2, Negotiation +2
Event Roll: Rolled 2d6 : 6, 1, total 7
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Around a mercenary unit, any helping hand is appreciated. Scrounge +1, Streetwise +1
Edge Threshold to get into Federated Suns Academy/NAIS College of Military Sciences
Attribute Minimums: INT 4, WIL 4, SOC 3
Thresholds: WIL +2, SOC +2, RFL +1, INT +1
Traits: Promotion (2), Well-Equipped (2)
Skills: Academic/FS History +2, Protocol FS +2, Perception +1, Academic/Any +2, Bureaucracy/FS +2, Computers +1, Swimming +2
Fields: Basic Training
Next Path: AIT
Fed Suns Event Roll: Rolled 2d10 : 9, 3, total 12
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Event: You lucky dog! You got the girl of your dreams, and a career! EDG +1, Good Reputation, Dependent
AIT: 2 Years (to 19)
Traits: Promotion to Sergeant (Rank 6)
Skills: +2 to any 2 Field Skills, Tactics/Any +1, Leadership +1, Strategy +2, +1 to any 2 relevant skills, +1 to any one field skill
Field: Mechwarrior - Attribute Minimum: Dex 3, RFL 4
Special Training:
Time: 3 Year (to 22)
Attribute Minimum: WIL 5
Traits: Promotion (2), Well Equipped (3), Wealth, Well-Connected/New Avalon
Skills: +2 to any 3 Basic Training Skills, +2 to half the character's AIT skills (rounding up), Strategy +2, Tactics/Any +2, +2 to any one other skill
Field: Military Scientist
Next Path: Tour of Duty: Federated Suns
Stage 4: ToD: Federated Suns
Time: 2 years (to 24)
Traits: Vehicle (2)
Skills: +2 to any three Military Field skills, +1 to any three other skills
Event: Rolled 2d10 : 8, 9, total 17
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Ok, using an EDG threshold to get my roll to an 18.
You were the right man at the right place-awarded the Silver Sunburst for gallantry under fire [+6 to any one Military Field skill, EDG +1, Good Reputation (2), Promotion, Vehicle (4), Custom Vehicle (2), Well-Equipped, Wealth (2), choose from ANY Stage 3 Academy Life Path next, applying a +2 to Event roll]
Off to Albion
Time 1 year (25)
Attribute Minimums: INT 3, WIL 5, SOC 5
Thresholds: WIL +2, SOC +1, DEX +1, RFL +1, BOD +1
Traits: Promotion (2), Well-Equipped (2), Well-Connected/New Avalon
Skills: Academic/FS History +3, Protocol/FS +4, Perception +2, Running +4, Career/Soldier +4, Leadership +1
Fields: Basic Training
Event: Roll (with +2)Rolled 2d10+2 : 5, 7 + 2, total 14
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Current EDG Threshold is still 8, so going to add +4 to the roll to make it an 18.
18 - Congratulations, you graduated top in your class! [EDG +1, Good Reputation, Contact (2), Wealth (2), Vehicle (3), may take OCS, then return and continue this Path]
OCS:
Time: 1 year (26)
Threshold: WIL +1
Traits: Commission (Rank 1)
Skills: Academic/Military History +2, Bureaucracy/FS +2, Protocol/FS +1, Strategy +1
Field: Officer Training
AIT: Mechwarrior
Time: 2 years (28)
Traits: Promotion
Skills: +2 to any 2 field skills, Tactics/Any +1, +2 to any 2 Military Field Skills, Leadership +1, Survival +1, Interest/Sport (any) +1
Field: Mechwarrior
Next Path: Special Training
Special Training - Military Scientist
Time: 2 years (30)
Attribute Minimums: WIL 5, EDG 5
Attribute Thresholds: Add +1 to any one threshold of the player's choice, +1 to BOD, DEX or RFL (player's choice)
Traits: Promotion (2), Well-Equipped (3), Contact (2)
Skills: +2 to any 3 Basic Training Skills, +2 to half of the charcter's AIT skills (rounding up), Career/Soldier +2, Survival +1
Field: Military Scientist
26 or over, so finish at Albion before joining the Merc Unit.
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Summary: (before spending points, skill consolidation, etc., capped by Trait limitations)
Age: 30
STR -1
BOD +1
DEX +1 Min: 3
RFL +2 Min: 4
INT +1 Min: 4
WIL +6 Min: 5
CHA
SOC +4 Min: 5
EDG -3 Min: 5
Attribute Thresholds
+1 to 1 of player's choice
+1 to BOD, DEX or RFL (player's choice)
Affiliation: Federated Suns
Stage 1: Early Childhood - Nobility (Event: 10, Yours was a soldier's family.)
Stage 2: Mercenary Brat (Event: 7, Around a merc unit, any helping hand is appreciated.)
Stage 3: Federated Suns Academy/NAIS College of Military Sciences (Event: 12: You lucky dog! Girl of your dreams and a career!)
AIT: Mechwarrior
Special Training: Military Scientist
Stage 4: ToD - Federated Suns (Event: 18, You were the right man at the right place - awarded the Silver Sunburst for gallantry under fire)
Stage 3: Federated Suns Academy/Albion (Event: 18, Congratulations, you graduated top in your class!
OCS
AIT: Mechwarrior
Special Training: Military Scientist
Trait:
Commission (Rank 1), Promotion (3)
Contact (2)
Contact (2)
Custom Vehicle (2)
Dependent - Wife
Enemy
Good Reputation (4)
Natural Aptitude/Strategy
Promotion (2) [NOTE: Replaced with Promotion to Sergeant Rank 6]
Promotion to Sergeant (Rank 6) +5 [Replaced with Commission]
Vehicle (9)
Wealth (5)
Well-Connected/New Avalon (x2) [so should be 4?]
Well-Equipped ( 8 )
Skills:
+2 to any 2 Field Skills (Basic Training or Mechwarrior)
+1 to any 2 relevant skills*
+1 to any field skill (Basic Training or Mechwarrior)
+2 to any 3 Basic Training Skills
+2 to half the character's AIT (Mechwarrior) skills (round up)
+2 to any one other skill *
+2 to any 3 military field skills, +1 to any 3 other skills
+6 to any one Military Field Skill
+2 to any 2 Field Skills (all 4 available)
+2 to any 2 Military Field Skills
+3 to any 3 Basic Training Skills
+2 to half of the character's AIT skills (Rounding up)
Fields: Basic Training(x2), Mechwarrior(x2), Military Scientist(x2), Officer Training
*Academic/Any +2
*Academic/FS History +5
Academic/Military History +2
*Administration +2
*Bureaucracy/FS +4
*Computers +1
Career/Soldier +6
*Interest/Any +1
Interest/Sport (any) +1
*Leadership +3
*Negotiation +2
*Perception +3
*Protocol/FS +10
Running +4
*Scrounge +1
*Strategy +5
*Streetwise +1
Survival +2
*Swimming +2
*Tactics/Mech +4
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Ok, before I work to finalize my character, I'd like to know what kind of Mech I'll be driving. Using Custom Mech to modify, will roll randomly on Heavy for chassis.
Rolled 1d1000 : 838, total 838
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Ok, so an Orion for my Lance Commander. I'll take 3 Medium Mechs for my Wingmen.
Wingman 1Rolled 1d1000 : 555, total 555
Wingman 2Rolled 1d1000 : 212, total 212
Wingman 3Rolled 1d1000 : 118, total 118
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Ok, so Lance is:
Orion ON1-K (Custom) Lance Commander
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1
Vindicator VND-1AA (Avenging Angel)
Clint CLNT-2-3T
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OK, so here's a good reason why I wanted to do this face-to-face. I'm aware you're well beyond this point in the character creation process, but I haven't been able to look at the forum till now. (And for that matter I would have been useless even if I'd seen it; I didn't get a refill on my codeine scrip until mid-afternoon today).
Current EDG Threshold is still 8, so going to add +4 to the roll to make it an 18.
You cannot do that. Specifically, the campaign rules PDF has the following listed (note the example in #2):
The Effect of Edge: Your Edge Threshold can voluntarily be reduced [by] -1 for your benefit in three ways:
1) Reroll a Lifepath roll (may keep spending Edge and rerolling)
2) Add +1 or -1 to a Lifepath roll result (ie, go from 11 to 10 or 12)
3) Enter a path that didn’t appear on your “Path Exit†(ie, go from Stage 3: Capellan Academy/Capellan War
College, to Stage 4: Tour of Duty: Federated Suns)
4) Remember, your EDG minimum is 2; you cannot go below that during character creation
You can use Edge to generate rerolls, or use a point of Edge to move a result up or down by 1...but you aren't supposed to be able to use 4 Edge on one roll to get a +4 to the roll.
With that said, I can totally see how you're reading it that way; both my rules text AND the example text in the MW3e rulebook (and the "errata-corrected" - ha - reprint) are unclear. All I can say is that in every example character I ever saw on the official forums, and every bit of character creation advice for MW3 I've ever seen, I've never seen anybody advocate being able to stack the fixed roll modifiers like that during character creation. Moreover, even if this is the correct reading of the MW3e rules, allowing it at this point would still be unfair to the other players who have already created PCs and who have no opportunity to address this problem (at least 2 people would have really, really preferred to be able to stack mods like that rather than multiple rerolls).
For example: http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=727.0 (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=727.0) You can see that Mike wanted to get a 17 result, and during his rerolls rolled a 15, then went back, spent 2 Edge rerolling (getting a 5 and a 16), and then a 3rd Edge to bump a 16 to the desired 17. If he could have simply spent 2 Edge to increase by +2, he could have spend 2 Edge instead of 3 and bumped the initial 15 result straight to a 17.
I'm sorry man, but in the interests of group even-handedness, I'm afraid I'm going to have you to repeat that single step (if you so choose, you can even spend Edge on rerolls trying to get that 18 "back"). Note: as long as your eligibilities remain the same, the rolls from that point forward need not change, for example, as long as you still end up with a "Vehicle 6" trait, for example, the final roll of "Orion" still stands. Do remember that you still get points to buy Attributes and can take on Negative Traits in order to pay for things.
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Rob. Np. I looked at several examples along the way, obviously missed things. Would it be ok to just get together and do the whole thing start to finish? That would avoid further mistakes. How much time would we need?
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Rob. Np. I looked at several examples along the way, obviously missed things. Would it be ok to just get together and do the whole thing start to finish? That would avoid further mistakes. How much time would we need?
You're actually almost past the tough part; the trick would be to go back to that section and build from there. The only other tricky part is the conversion of skill points to skill bonuses (which is itself dependent on purchased Traits). Taking in account what you've already done and assuming we can build on it from the step you're going back to, we can likely have the PC banged out in under an hour.
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Ok, if I'm through most of the tough stuff, let's see if we can get an easy fix. Recovering the 4 points of EDG Threshold, here's new roll #1.
Rolled 2d10 : 3, 3, total 6
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Not what was needed, roll #2.
Rolled 2d10 : 7, 7, total 14
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Still not what's needed, roll #3.
Rolled 2d10 : 3, 10, total 13
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4th and likely last try.
Rolled 2d10 : 8, 9, total 17
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Success! It will cost me an extra point of EDG Threshold to get to 18 (+1), but puts that back on track. Working on the next step.
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Stats and Traits
Attribute Thresholds
+1 to 1 of player's choice [CHA - Already factored in]
+1 to BOD, DEX or RFL (player's choice) [DEX - Already factored in]
Stat, Thresh, Min, Cost, Score)
STR -1 Min: 2 5 5
BOD +1 Min: 2 5 5
DEX +2 Min: 3 6 6
RFL +2 Min: 4 6 6
INT +1 Min: 4 7 7
WIL +6 Min: 5 5 5
CHA +1 Min: 2 7 7
SOC +4 Min: 5 5 5
EDG -4 Min: 5 6 5
Total Cost: 52
Sell Vehicle (5) [Down to Vehicle (4)]
Increase Enemy to 2 (+1) [Lyran Noble]
Add Quirk (1) Never leave a man behind (why he got the Silver Sunburst)
Points still to spend: 9
SPAs - 40 XP (4)
* Environmental Specialist - Darkness
* Blind Fighter
Wealth 6 (1)
Couldn't afford to keep Custom Mech, so it'll be a stock Orion ON1-K.
Updated Trait List:
NOTE: Made Sgt. Major before getting his commission.
Commission (Rank 1), Promotion (3) - Rank 4 - Kommandant
Contact (2)
Contact (2)
Custom Mech (2)
Dependent - Wife (1)
Enemy (2) - Lyran Noble
Good Reputation (4)
Natural Aptitude/Strategy
Quirk - Never leave a man behind (1) (reason for the Silver Starburst)
SPAs (4) [40 XP]
* Environmental Specialist - Darkness
* Blind Fighter
Vehicle (4)
Wealth (6)
Well-Connected/Federated Suns (4)
Well-Equipped ( 8 )
Lance
[1291] Wolverine WVR-6M
[1041] Phoenix Hawk PXH-1
[966] Vindicator VND-1AA (Avenging Angel)
[770] Clint CLNT-2-3T
BV Total: 4068
Updated for corrected Traits.
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Skills:
+2 to any 2 Field Skills (Basic Training or Mechwarrior) - Tactics/Mech, Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech
+1 to any 2 relevant skills* - Strategy, Leadership
+1 to any field skill (Basic Training or Mechwarrior), Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech
+2 to any 3 Basic Training Skills - Career/Soldier, First Aid, Rifles
+2 to half the character's AIT (Mechwarrior) skills (round up = 3) - Tactics/Mech, Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech, Piloting/Mech
+2 to any one other skill * - Strategy
+2 to any 3 military field skills, +1 to any 3 other skills - (+2 to Tactics/Mech, Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech, Piloting/Mech), +1 to Scrounge, Leadership, Strategy
+6 to any one Military Field Skill - Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech
+2 to any 2 Field Skills (all 4 available) - Strategy, Tactics/Mech
+2 to any 2 Military Field Skills - Leadership, Strategy
+3 to any 3 Basic Training Skills- Career/Soldier, First Aid, Rifles
+2 to half of the character's AIT skills (round up = 3) - Tactics/Mech, Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech, Piloting/Mech
Fields: Basic Training(x2), Mechwarrior(x2), Military Scientist(x2), Officer Training [Accounted For]
*Academic/Any +2
*Academic/FS History +5
Academic/Military History +8
Administration +5
*Bureaucracy/FS +7
Career/Military Scientist +6
Career/Soldier +15
*Computers +7
Cryptography +6
First Aid +9
Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech +21
Gunnery/Laser/Mech +6
Cunnery/Missile/Mech +6
*Interest/Any +1
Interest/Sport (any) +1
*Leadership +9
Martial Arts/Military +6
Navigation Ground +6
*Negotiation +2
*Perception +3
Piloting/Mech +12
Pistols +3
*Protocol/FS +10
Rifles +9
Running +4
*Scrounge +2
Sensor Operations +6
*Strategy +13
*Streetwise +1
Survival +2
*Swimming +2
*Tactics/Mech +29
Training +3
Of the above, pull out the skills for the campaign:
Administration +5
Bureaucracy/FS +7
Career/Soldier +15
First Aid +9
Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech (highest of the 3) +21
Leadership +9
Negotiation +2
Piloting/Mech +12
Small Arms (was Rifles) +9
Scrounge +2
Strategy +13
Tactics/Mech +29
All of the other skills that get converted:
Academic/Any +2
Academic/FS History +5
Academic/Military History +8
Career/Military Scientist +6
Computers +7
Cryptography +6
Gunnery/Laser/Mech +6
Cunnery/Missile/Mech +6
Interest/Any +1
Interest/Sport (any) +1
Martial Arts/Military +6
Navigation Ground +6
Perception +3
Pistols +3
Protocol/FS +10
Running +4
Sensor Operations +6
Streetwise +1
Survival +2
Swimming +2
Training +3
94 points to convert, divide by 2 and round up = 47 free points to spend to improve the skills above
Administration +5 [+2] = Final Bonus: +2
Bureaucracy/FS +7
Career/Soldier +15 [-2] = Final Bonus: +3
First Aid +9 [-2] = Final Bonus: +2
Gunnery/Ballistic/Mech (highest of the 3) +21 - = Final Bonus: +4 [8 - 4 = 4 Gunnery]
Leadership +9 [+4] = Final Bonus: +3
Negotiation +2 [+19] = Final Bonus: +4
Piloting/Mech +12 [+9] = Final Bonus: +4 [8 - 4 = 4 Piloting]
Small Arms (was Rifles) +9 [4] = Final Bonus: +3
Scrounge +2 [+11] = Final Bonus: +3
Strategy +13
Tactics/Mech +29 [+2] = Final Bonus: +5
So cleaned up, final skills would be:
Gunnery / Piloting 4/4
Administration: +2
Bureaucracy: +2
Career/Soldier: +3
First Aid: +2
Leadership: +3
Negotiation: +4
Small Arms: +3
Scrounge: +3
Strategy: +3
Tactics/Mech: +5
Look right?
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Look right?
Your skills look fine (and it's a good reminder of why basically everybody a) took Davion PCs, and b) complains about Davion authorial bias).
You've got a small problem with your Traits. Your sell-backs are partially incorrect; you can only sell back Traits which are numerically-ranked (such as Vehicle or Wealth). So your reduction to Vehicle and Well-equipped are totally fine. Your sell-back of Custom Vehicle (2) and Contact (2) are not. So you'll need to square those points - the easiest way to deal with it will be to reduce Wealth to 6 and call it a day.
Aside from that, you'll need to name your various PC-specific people (like, your PC, dependent, Wingmen, Contact, and Enemies), and list planetary locations to the Contact and Enemies because being in their vicinity is what triggers them (ie, your Lyran Enemy could be based on Skye or Twycross or something). And you'll need to list out the specific Lvl 2 equipment that you have as a result of Well-equipped.
Your lance will start with 2 Techs (1 Vet, 1 Green). You'll be eligible to hire more Techs and some Medical Staff once you've officially joined up. I'll generate them in Against the Bot (the campaign program) and will update the TO&E thread with their info, so keep an eye out for that. And since every single person who has joined has asked, I'll pre-empt it now: yes, I'm 100% serious that there is no sharing of parts, or personnel, or anything else but advice between PC warehouses and lances.
Also, I swear I'd put up a thread for a sample Warehouse Spreadsheet, but I can't find it. So attached is my actual Warehouse as of right now, and you can make changes and re-fill stuff as you see fit. I would also recommend STRONGLY that you take the time to look over - in detail - how acquisitions work and how repairs/refits/Field Refits/Customizations all work. Basically, once you jump in with a PC, you're responsible for your own numbers, and if you mess yourself, there aren't takebacks.
Finally, I would perhaps recommend that you bring your kids to games, and we can ensure you all play together, whether as OPFOR or helping with your lance. Right now, I'm strongly recommending - but not requiring - that you ask them come to games through the end of the NEXT contract before building PCs for them, so they have a chance to acclimate to the group and decide if they actually want to generate full PCs or not.
Your Dependent: Will cost you a certain amount of money each month because you picked up dependent as a Negative Trait result during character creation (somebody else has a dependent who they rescued during play and married, which works differently). I have to go dig into the campaign program to see how much and I'll get back to you. If you pay more, they're happy and no problems. If you pay just enough, there's a very small chance each month of a "fight" which can temporarily impact 1-3 of your skills with a penalty. If you pay much less, there's a larger chance of that fight happening. Also a small chance each month of pregnancy and eventually, a replacement PC, if you're so inclined.
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Ok. Wealth 10 will help catch me up given that I’m behind. So instead I’ll drop Vehicle to 4 and decrease Promotion from 4 to 2 (Leftenant). Him leaving the FS military would be in part because of being denied a couple of promotions and staring at a poor assignment. Given I’m keeping custom, I’ll pick a Wolverine 6M.
Background is he was part of an FC unit under the command of a Lyran “Social General†in the War of 3039, though only a Captain. He panicked under fire and refused to go in to save the Company that had been cut off. The PC told him that they shouldn’t leave anyone behind and the Captain told him that if we wanted to go and get himself killed, so be it. Except the PC survived and saved the Company to the embarrassment of the CO and the great gratitude of the rest of the unit. The PC received the rewards for his actions including being awarded his ‘Mech and the Silver Sunburst. He got the praise and his CO got whispers of incompetence and a unit that didn’t support him for which the PC got the blame.
I understand completely about the kids, I won’t mention creating a Lance.
I’ll work on the rest of the request - names, equipment selection, etc. For the L2 equipment for Well-equipped, if I pick XL engine, do I specify the rating? I’ll go back through the rest of the rules and confirm starting money etc. Thanks for sharing the spreadsheet.
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I’ll work on the rest of the request - names, equipment selection, etc. For the L2 equipment for Well-equipped, if I pick XL engine, do I specify the rating? I’ll go back through the rest of the rules and confirm starting money etc. Thanks for sharing the spreadsheet.
Yes, your 3 pcs of Well-equipped Gear are all specific items.
Everything else looks solid. I'll let you know the two Tech's names and ages tomorrow, theoretically (medication allowing). Your Wingmen ages are 18+1d6 years, all have 3/4 skill ratings, and I'll check them for additional skills & SPAs when I do the Tech data.
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Name: Kato Atayde
Age: 30
Faction: Federated Suns
Attributes
STR - 5
BOD - 5
REF - 6
DEX - 6
INT - 7
WIL - 5
CHA - 7
EDG - 5
SOC - 5
Positive Traits
NOTE: Made Sgt. Major before getting his commission.
Commission (Rank 1), Promotion (1) - Rank 4 - Kommandant
Contact (2): Marshal Katherine Dunn, 2nd in Command of the 5th FedCom RCT (Tsitsang)
Contact (2): Kommandant Erich Brech, retired AFFS, now Kalon Industry rep (Wernke)
Custom Vehicle (2) - Select Mech - WVR-6M Wolverine
Good Reputation (4) - Federated Suns
Natural Aptitude/Strategy
Owns Vehicle (free)
SPAs (4) [40 XP]
* Environmental Specialist - Darkness
* Blind Fighter
Vehicle (4)
Wealth (6)
Well-Connected/Federated Suns (4)
Well-Equipped ( 8 ) [350 XL Engine (70 ton x2), 325 XL Engine (65 Ton), Guardian ECM Suite]
Negative Traits
Dependent - Wife (1) - Erin Mei Atayde
Enemy (2) - General Nial Slattery, Lyran Noble and Commander of the Fifth FedCom RCT. (Tsitsang)
Quirk - Never leave a man behind (1) (reason for the Silver Starburst)
Skills
Administration: +2
Bureaucracy: +2
Career/Soldier: +3
Gunnery/Mech: +4
First Aid: +2
Leadership: +3
Negotiation: +4
Piloting Mech: +4
Small Arms: +3
Scrounge: +3
Strategy: +4
Tactics/Mech: +5
BattleMech (Medium): WVR-6M Wolverine
Kato is of a minor noble family and served faithfully in the AFFS, attending the NAIS College of Military Science. He was bright with a ready mind for tactics and strategy though was beaten out for placement for OCS while attending. Upon graduation he was assigned to the newly formed Fifth FedCom RCT. His performance produced a rapid rise to the rank of Sergeant Major. He was far less impressed with his commanding officer though. He proved his worth in the taking of Halstead Station in the early part of the War of 3039, though it was in his actions during the Draconis Combine's counter attack that he shined. Trapped between two elite Sword of Light regiments, the RCT was breaking apart. General Slattery ordered a withdrawl and was informed that there was a company of 'Mech's pinned down that needed assistance getting to the evacuation zone. He refused to offer aid and when pressed by Atayde about not leaving any man behind, the General sarcastically told him if he wanted to go save them, go but he wouldn't wait.
Kato braved withering fire to extract not just the pilots but their 'Mechs as well getting them all to the dropships before take off. General Slattery first tried to ignore Kato's bravery, then claim credit for it, but his second in command was a solid Federated Suns officer who ensured Kato got the credit he was due. For his meritorious actions he was awarded the Silver Starburst, granted ownership of the Wolverine he piloted and then given a full scholarship to Albion where he went through OCS and graduated at the top of his class. Infuriated by Atayde's success, General Slattery arranged that should Kato return to service he'd return to the Fifth, a situation that would have been intolerable. Fortunately he found out about it in time to avoid reenlisting and has moved on to the Rangers to continue his career.
NOTE: Skills adjusted slightly as I'd forgotten to take into account his Natural Aptitude in Strategy.
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Rob, looking at starting funds anyone starting late up through Wealth 9 gets more than their Wealth trait (9 gets 9*20,000*4 = 720,000 + 500,000 = 1,220,000 > $1MM C-Bills). Wealth 10 loses $700,000 C-Bills and won't break even for 35 game months and only starts seeing the benefit in month 36. Is that correct?
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Rob, looking at starting funds anyone starting late up through Wealth 9 gets more than their Wealth trait (9 gets 9*20,000*4 = 720,000 + 500,000 = 1,220,000 > $1MM C-Bills). Wealth 10 loses $700,000 C-Bills and won't break even for 35 game months and only starts seeing the benefit in month 36. Is that correct?
That sounds roughly correct.
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Paul, do you have names for your wingmen? Oh, and a callsign for your Lance.
Lance Leader: (Wolverine WVR-6M) Kato Atayde
Wingman: (Phoenix Hawk PXH-1) Age 26; 3/4 G/P Skills, Tactics/Mech +3; Scrounge +3; Negotiation +2
Wingman: (Vindicator VND-1AA) Age 22; 3/4 G/P Skills
Wingman: (Clint CLNT-2-3T) Age 23; 3/4 G/P Skills; Administration +2; Strategy +1; Tactics/Mech +1; Leadership +2
Dependent: Erin Mei Atayde Base Cost: $2,000/month (10%). Well-kept: $3,500/month (5%).
Contact (2):
Contact (2):
Enemy (2): General Nial Slattery (Tsitsang)
Veteran Tech: SGT Douggie McDermott - Age 24, no other skills
Regular Tech: SGT Mary Johns - Age 23, Gunnery/Mech 4+
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Midnight Lance
Wingman: Lenora Hardesty (Phoenix Hawk PXH-1) Age 26; 3/4 G/P Skills, Tactics/Mech +3; Scrounge +3; EDG 1
Wingman: Miles Lassiter (Vindicator VND-1AA) Age 22; 3/4 G/P Skills
Wingman: Penny Roark (Clint CLNT-2-3T) Age 23; 3/4 G/P Skills; Strategy +1; Tactics/Mech +1; Leadership +2; EDG 1
Dependent: Erin Mei Atayde Base Cost: $2,000/month (10%). Well-kept: $3,500/month (5%).
Contact (2): Marshall Katherine Dunn, 2nd in Command of the 5th FedCom RCT
Contact (2): Kommandant Erich Brech, retired AFFS, now Kalon Industry rep on Wernke
Enemy (2): General Nial Slattery (Tsitsang)
Veteran Tech: SGT Douggie McDermott - Age 24, no other skills
Regular Tech: SGT Mary Johns - Age 23, Gunnery/Mech 4+
Updated to convert skills over to EDG 1 for 2 Pilots
Names including Lance Name added. I thought I also got a Doctor.
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Ok, attaching my current warehouse. Please let me know if it looks right.
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Actually a couple more questions before I call it done. Looking at the sheer costs of things and how little money Wealth 10 brings, would you recommend it over 2 promotions so officer rank 4 vs 2? It’d be 160,000 less up front and 40,000 less per month (160,000).
Related, as I haven’t started play, still ok to do that?
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You lose all promotion and rank when u join the unit
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You lose all promotion and rank when u join the unit
The rules noted that former rank may impact opportunities in missions, hence the question.
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You lose all promotion and rank when u join the unit
The rules noted that former rank may impact opportunities in missions, hence the question.
i see i thought it was regarding income in general not the random fluff chance stuff thats all rob no idea. I dont know if we have had anything truly come up yet with it though.
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I'll wait for a response from Rob then. Kommandant is the equivalent of Major. That may still not be high enough to trigger anything, so may be wasted points there if I were to switch it back. The money initially sounded nice until I put it in context. An extra $40K / month doesn't sound like much at this point.
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Related, as I haven’t started play, still ok to do that?
Yeah, it's still fine to do that. Your PC isn't finalized until you've joined up with the unit. As to whether or not you *should* do that, I can't honestly say. The promotion stuff won't come into play unless/until ya'll work for House Steiner (or the FedCom), but you're right in that $40K/month isn't much.
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Ok, updated Traits to restore promotion to 4, put back in Well-Equipped 8, dropped Wealth back down to 6 and updated the warehouse appropriately (attached). Next rank above Kommandant (4) is Lt. General (7) in the FS way of doing things. Not sure if Rank O4 will make a difference for opportunities, but at the very least it makes for a good story. :)
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...I believe you were asking about non-MechWarrior skills being used? (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=952.0)
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Ok, posting final version of warehouse for start. I intend to do customizations and will figure out how long the mechs will be down as part of that process. If there are any problems with the warehouse, let me know.
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Ok, looked back over my character to look at history and discovered I’d typed on my Admin skill when I copied it over into the final summary post. It should be +2 not +1. I’m updating my entries accordingly, but wanted to explain why.
I’ll need to update when I can get to a laptop. I can’t seem to edit the Google doc file from my iPad, even using Chrome.
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UPDATED for February 5, 3053
Name: Kato Atayde
Age: 36 (Born: May 12, 3016)
Faction: Capellan Confederation [Citizen]
Formerly Dual Citizen, FC and CC
Attributes
STR - 5
BOD - 5
REF - 6
DEX - 6
INT - 7
WIL - 5
CHA - 7
EDG - 5
SOC - 6 [Mandarin on Capella, Heir to Shonso on Capella]
Positive Traits
NOTE: Made Sgt. Major before getting his commission.
Commission (Rank 1), Promotion (1) - Rank 4 - Kommandant
Contact (2): Marshal Katherine Dunn, 2nd in Command of the 5th FedCom RCT (Tsitsang)
Contact (2): Kommandant Erich Brech, retired AFFS, now Kalon Industry rep (Wernke)
Custom Vehicle (2) - Select Mech - WVR-6M Wolverine
Good Reputation (4) [honorable and never leave a man behind] - Federated Suns, add Capellan Confederation as of July 1, 3053.
Natural Aptitude/Strategy
Owns Vehicle (free)
SPAs (4) [40 XP]
* Environmental Specialist - Darkness
* Blind Fighter
Vehicle (4)
Wealth (6)
Well-Connected/Federated Suns, Lyran Commonwealth & Capellan Confederation (5)(+10XP after campaign start)
Well-Equipped ( 8 ) [350 XL Engine (70 ton), 325 XL Engine (65 Ton), Guardian ECM Suite, Beagle Active Probe] - all equipment used by Sept 14, 3050
Title (6) Mandarin of Ceres City, Capella
Negative Traits
Dependent - Wife (1) - Erin Mei Atayde
Enemy (2) - General Nial Slattery, Lyran Noble and Commander of the Fifth FedCom RCT. (Tsitsang)
Enemy (2) Leftenant General Sarah Delittle, CO Valexa CMM, Believes Cato to be a CC sleeper agent tasked with reclaiming Epsilon Eridani for the CC. (2) (Valexa)
Enemy (1) General Pierre Benton, Epsilon Eridani, Sarna March Militia
Rival (Enemy - 1): Colonel Hiro Yamamori, Kato's older brother who was supposed to become Count, but remaining with the 4th Tau Ceti Lancers all but eliminated him from consideration. He's actively angling for the Mandrinn on Capella, though unsuccessfully. (Sian)
Quirk - Never leave a man behind (1) (reason for the Silver Starburst)
Quirk - Honorable (1)
Quirk - Loyal to Capellan Confederation (1)
Bad Reputation (Capellan March): Loyal to Capellan Confederation (2) until July 1, 3053 at which point it turns to Traitor.
Skills
Administration: +3
Bureaucracy: +2
Career/Soldier: +3
Gunnery/Mech: +4
First Aid: +2
Leadership: +3
Negotiation: +4
Piloting Mech: +4
Small Arms: +3
Scrounge: +3
Strategy: +4
Tactics/Mech: +5
BattleMech (Medium): WVR-6M Wolverine [Note, as of 3050, destroyed]
History to follow.
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Family History
Note: History for SGT Kenji Yamamori (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=359.0), and the 741st Royal Strikers, Echo Company (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=212.0) available.
The 50th Royal Infantry Division was involved in the campaign against the Rim World Republic as part of Task Force DeChavilier. Early in the campaign they fought against a brutal enemy commander who made a point of executing any enemy soldiers on the field and deployed infantry specifically in “cleanup crews†against downed pilots and vehicle crews. On July 9th, 2766 in one particularly brutal battle in a mountain forest, Kenji’s infantry platoon was part of those deployed to seek out and recover pilots for the 50th. In the waning hours of a busy day, he spotted the pilot of one of the upgraded Royal Warhammer’s punch out and angle for a clearing. What Kenji had discovered earlier was that the Rim World troops kept at least a platoon close to the clearing as an easy killing field and rapidly moved in that direction. Finding a spot a bit further up the slope from the clearing, he arrived in time to see the pilot land near an outcropping of rocks and begin to take fire. A couple of well-placed grenades from his mauser prevented them from charging the pilot’s position. His own position came under fire and so he disappeared, beginning a game of cat and mouse with the enemy infantry. Though they kept up fire on the pilot’s position, they were never able to get a clear shot. Every time they moved into the clearing to close, Yamamori dropped them with a quick burst of fire and then disappeared. He called in a recovery team to assist with the evac and continued his work on the enemy troops. In all he killed more than a platoon worth of troops before the recovery team could land in the clearing and remove the pilot to safety. Mission accomplished he faded back into the woods to seek out the next pilot or crew to protect.
Once back and treated for injuries, the pilot – Sergeant Ayane Nishamura, wanted to know which unit to thank for saving her. She had been able to thank the helicopter crew, but not the ground support. The duty officer consulted her records and was able to provide the narrow it down to the platoon on duty. Ayane found the platoon lieutenant and thanked him. He didn’t recall the specific situation, but with her explanation he remembered and nodded. He told her that he’d let him know. She caught the reference to a single individual and asked him about it. The lieutenant explained that it was just one soldier who’d helped her, racking up at least 30 confirmed kills in the process. Impressed she got Kenji’s name and went to thank him herself. The thank you was the beginning of a two year long relationship between the two of them. Over the next two years he was twice more wounded in action, though recovered and returned to duty. Through it all he acquitted himself admirably, though as with the 191st trouble seemed to find him.
In 2769, the 50th was involved in the fighting in Milvano against the RWR. Shortly before the battle, Kenji was permanently reassigned to a ‘Mech regiment. With equipment faster to fix or replace than personnel, he had earlier earned the opportunity to train as a ‘Mech pilot and finally the assignment transfer within the division came through. It was a move supported and encouraged by his C.O. as not only had they heard whispers of the “curse,†they had seen the effects firsthand. In the end, it didn’t matter. His old regiment was tasked with leading the assault on Camp Sienna. The detonated reactor obliterated two regiments of infantry including the one Kenji was assigned to. The timing was unfortunate because the paperwork hadn’t caught up yet, so he appeared on initial and ongoing KIA reports. Given the last known location of Nishamura’s unit she was listed as Missing, Presumed Dead. It wasn’t until the following month when he didn’t get a paycheck that they caught the clerical error, though it took some months to sort out. By then the remnants of the 50th were mostly off-world. His assignment to a ‘Mech triggered the unsealing of Major Stastny’s recommendation. It happened at a time when the 741st was looking for additional pilots and so he was reassigned there.
Unknown to Yamamori, Nishamura’s ‘Mech was taken out early in the fighting on that fateful day and she’d punched out. That misfortune ended up saving her life when the insurgents detonated Camp Sienna’s reactor. The vehicle she was in sustained heavy damage at the edge of the blast, and all the people were wounded or killed. The survivors made it to a nearby small town, where they were treated, but taken hostage. It was there that she found out she was pregnant and heard the news of the loss of the two infantry regiments including Kenji’s. When she was eventually able to access the casualty reports some months later, Kenji was still listed as KIA.
Ayane and the others she were with were eventually able to secure their release and transport out, but well behind the rest of the force. By that point she was far enough along that she was given a desk assignment until after her child was born. After giving birth to Hiro on February 5th – named for Kenji’s father, Ayane returned to duty on May 24th and assigned to the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers. The Rangers were an independent regiment, formed from the remnants of the 81st Mechanized Infantry Division which bore the name. When the final assault on Terra came, the Fourth was in a support position. It wasn’t until after the final had been fought and Ayane was reading reports of the Battle of Anchorage, that a familiar name resurfaced. It took just a bit of digging for her to confirm that the Kenji Yamamori from the 50th was the same as that in the 741st’s Echo Company. Her research also uncovered the fact that he was married which further complicated her decisions about Hiro and reaching out to him. She managed to get herself and Hiro who was 9 at the time to the ceremony where Kenji was honored along with other key personnel from the battle. So Hiro was able to see his father, though never met him.
Ayane continued to serve after the end of Amaris’ rule and decided to stay in the Inner Sphere along with the rest of the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers rather than answer General Kerensky’s call for an Exodus. She learned that Kenji and his wife were both going, though the rest of his family was staying on Earth. After their departure, she and Hiro went to meet his relatives. Through written correspondence and video messages, she was able to establish a relationship and bring Hiro back to Terra to meet with them. They had been saddened to lose Kenji, but were happy to have Hiro as a connection to their absent son or brother. As a token of their affection and a way to try and help Hiro with the loss of his father, they gave Hiro Kenji’s Order of the Sword sash and medallion. Both Hiro’s mother and his Yamamori relatives instilled a fierce loyalty to the ideals of the Star League and military service. The Yamamori line would continue a long and storied history with the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers along with the Nishamura line through Hiro’s half-siblings. It was a tradition that would last all the way through the 4th Succession War before things changed.
Character History
Kato Yamanori Atayde was born on May 12, 3016 and grew up on Epsilon Eridani then home to the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers. His mother Miko Atayde Yamamori was the only daughter of Sheng Mandrinn Atayde on Capella who ruled Ceres City. As part of the marriage contract, their second son would be given Atayde as his family name and so continue the family line. By this time the Yamamori family was well established with title and lands earned from the Capellan Confederation by service in the 4th during the 1st and 2nd Succession Wars. While a portion of the family relocated with the 4th, Kato’s family remained first under the leadership of Colonel Pavel Ridzik, and then the Federated Commonwealth after Ridzik’s assassination. Kato grew up on stories of the Star League and the long history of service in the SLDF and the Terran Hegemony. The family histories always included both the Yamamori and Nishamura service in the SLDF ending with Kenji and Ayane. All members of the family also knew of their service in the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers after the fall of the Star League, but the stories of the SLDF and their emphasis on the traditions and ideals of the Star League were the most nostalgic and pined for. The fate of the 4th was known, shared and lived. The fate though of Echo Company and the rest of the 741st was a mystery, one which fascinated Kato to distraction especially as he discovered that not all left on the Exodus. At age 10 he got involved with the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers, doing what he could to help out when he had time and beginning his military education. He saw many facets of operations for both readiness and then wartime footing as the 4th Succession War hit without warning.
His family was severely split as part of the 4th Succession War. He had aunts, uncles and both older siblings along with one of his grandparents relocate with the 4th. His parents, younger brother and sister along with other relatives less tied to the 4th remained. His parents as Shonso and Shanna (Count and Countess) felt a duty to take care of their holdings and their people, remained. Their titles were confirmed through the changes in rulership both in 3029 and again in 3031 when it entered the Federated Commonwealth. During the transition period, Kato worked diligently to ensure the people his family were responsible for were well taken care of and protected, including in assisting with resettling people who wished to remain within the Capellan Confederation. His siblings and other relatives kept in touch, encouraging him to consider going to the Capella War College upon completion of his military training, a tempting offer as it would bring him to the world he would one day be Mandrinn on. They helped him complete his evaluation for commitment to the state, pointing to his pro-Capellan public statements, treatment and assistance to the people of Epsilon Eridani and strong family ties to both the Mandrinn of Ceres City and the 4th. With his family’s assistance he was granted official citizenship in the Capellan Confederation in 3030. It was done so quietly so as not to cause a stir, though it wasn’t a secret.
After the Federated Commonwealth took control of Epsilon Eridani in 3031, it reviewed his family’s status as nobles to determine if they should be retained within the Federated Commonwealth. As part of the interview process, MIIO was tasked to confirm both their loyalties and that of Kato. The assessment was a bit unusual compared to others. All of the Yamamori family professed their belief in the proper role of nobility in taking care of their charges and fealty to the state. However, they were unapologetic about their belief that there is good within the Capellan Confederation and that it’s not the monster that it’s often characterized as by Federated Suns propaganda. Likewise, they were clear that they believed there’s good within the Federated Commonwealth. They sought to espouse and embody the high minded beliefs and approach of the Star League and use that as their guidance. They were excited about the merging of the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth, feeling it was the first step to a restored Star League. Given their sincere devotion to the prospect of a new Star League likely under the auspices of the current FC, the MIIO agents were mollified. Reports indicated confidence in the family’s loyalty and a note to work to bring Kato more firmly around to the cause as he was merely 15. Their assessment of him showed great potential and they recommended channeling it for the benefit of the Commonwealth. Steeping him in tradition and purpose was recommended as the best approach, given the family’s strong SLDF and Star League ties. They indicated that the Nagelring might be a good choice IF he could qualify and NAIS College of Military Sciences would be a close second.
As time approached for him to go to a military academy, there was increased pressure from various factions within his family. His relatives that did not reside within the Federated Commonwealth urged him to go to the Capellan War College. His parents recommended the NAIS and others recommended the Nagelring. All three had their advantages, all three their drawbacks. Kato reluctantly set aside the CWC. If he left it was unlikely he’d be allowed back and would quite probably undermine his parents position as Count and Countess. The Nagelring was tempting given its previous status as an SLDF Military Academy. NAIS which was equally prestigious offered something that the other two academies could not – a chance to potentially find out more about the 741st and what became of the members of Echo that did not leave on the Exodus. That decided, Kato entered NAIS in 3032.
He was bright with a ready mind for tactics and strategy though was beaten out for placement for OCS while attending. His friends joked that he would have graduated at the top of his class if he hadn’t met Erin Mei. Upon graduation he was assigned to the newly formed Fifth FedCom RCT. His performance produced a rapid rise to the rank of Sergeant Major. He was far less impressed with General Nial Slattery, a Lyran Noble and commander of the Fifth. Kato proved his worth in the taking of Halstead Station in the early part of the War of 3039, though it was in his actions during the Draconis Combine's counter attack that he shined. Trapped between two elite Sword of Light regiments, the RCT was breaking apart. General Slattery ordered a withdrawl and was informed that there was a company of 'Mech's pinned down that needed assistance getting to the evacuation zone. He refused to offer aid and when pressed by Atayde about not leaving any man behind, the General sarcastically told him if he wanted to go save them, go but he wouldn't wait.
Kato braved withering fire to extract not just the pilots but their 'Mechs as well getting them all to the dropships before take off. General Slattery first tried to ignore Kato's bravery, then claim credit for it, but Marshal Katherine Dunn his second in command was a solid Federated Suns officer who ensured Kato got the credit he was due. For Kato’s meritorious actions he was awarded the Silver Starburst, granted ownership of the Wolverine he piloted and then given a full scholarship to Albion where he went through OCS and graduated at the top of his class. Infuriated by Atayde's success, General Slattery arranged that should Kato return to service he'd return to the Fifth, a situation that would have been intolerable. Fortunately he found out about it in time to avoid reenlisting and has moved on to the Rangers to continue his career.
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NOTE: Work in Process
Yamamori Family Timeline
2745
- August 28 – Kenji Yamamori born, Terra, Olympia Washington
2763
- September – Yamamori enlists in the SLDF and assigned to the 191st Royal Jump Infantry Division, LXX Corps, 4th Army as jump infantry.
2764
- March – distinguished actions resulted in commendation, promotion to Corporal and earned him the nickname of Ghost.
2765
- January – Yamamori critically wounded in the fight that kills most of his unit and shatters the 191st, earns commendation and promotion to Sergeant. For his bravery under fire he is sponsored to West Point for special forces training and aptitude assessment.
- Summer – Begins studies at West Point while finishing convalescing from injuries. Formal aptitude testing indicates strong potential as a Mechwarrior, though a system glitch fails to attach it to his record.
2766
- February – Yamamori’s actions in a series of training exercises should have resulted in spectacular successes, but the fog of war landed the credit at other cadets’ feet who don’t correct the record. His efforts were noted by a Military Intelligence observer – Major Stastny and his observations added to Yamamori’s jacket. Intended to recommend him for assignment to an independent ‘Mech regiment, it ended up being encrypted with a note to only access if assigned to Mechwarrior training.
- Fall – Kenji completes studies at West Point early and with distinction for recon. A high-level urgent request for personnel matching that criteria had just arrived from the 50th Royal Infantry Division. The computer matched the request as his record showed him as a graduating recon expert, the special forces designation held up by a glut of qualified candidates in the graduating class.
2767
- May 29 – The 50th Royal Infantry Division is assigned to Rim World Republic campaign as part of Task Force DeChavilier.
- July 9 – Fighting RWR forces on Iolas, Yamamori rescued downed Mechwarrior Sergeant Ayane Nishamura from RWR infantry racking up 30 confirmed kills in the process. Yamamori and Nishamura become involved.
2769
- August 3 – On Milvano, with the 50th short on Mechwarriors, Yamamori is reassigned from infantry to a ‘Mech regiment, piloting an ECM equipped STY-3CM Starslayer. Major Stastny’s recommendation activated with the reassignment.
- August 4 – Two infantry regiments including Yamamori’s old one obliterated when insurgents detonate Camp Sienna’s reactor. Nishamura injured and taken prisoner discovers she’s pregnant and due to a clerical error, Yamamori is listed as dead. Nishamura listed as missing, presumed dead.
- August 18 – Fighting on Milvano mostly reaches mop up. Yamamori reassigned with his Starslayer to the 741st Royal Striker Regiment and sent to Bordon to rendezvous with the 741st.
2770
- January 3 – Yamamori joins Echo Company of the 741st, under the command of Major Gerald Freund. Details on the exploits of Echo Company can be found in Uncovered Legends of the Star League Volume 4: 741st Royal Striker Regimental History (http://forums.cincybattletech.com/index.php?topic=212.0).
- February 5 – Hiro Yamamori born to Ayane Nishamura.
- May 24 – Nishamura assigned to the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers.
2774
- March 20 – Yamamori meets SGT Alicia Banacek of the 77th Special Operations Group and becomes involved.
2776
- June 7 – Yamamori and Banacek married by Lieutenant Stevenson Hannay aboard the SLS Harrington (Luxor-Class).
2779
- September 29 – Yamamori as part of Echo company turned the tide in the final battle of the war, and while shot out of his mech stood alongside Truscott, DeChevilier, Hazen and the other members of Echo Company as they watched Stefan Amaris brought before General Kerensky.
- September 30 – For his actions in the campaign he was awarded the Hegemony Medal, SL Commendation Medal and along with the rest of Echo awarded the SLDF Valorous Unit Citation Oak Leaves and Membership in the SLDF Order of the Sword. Attending the ceremony were Nishamura and Hiro (age 9).
2782
- November 8 – Yamamori and Banacek welcome the birth of their daughter Heather Banacek.
2784
- March 3 – Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers enters the service of the Capellan Confederation as Mercenaries, hired by Chancellor Barbara Liao.
- July 8 – Kenji Yamamori and Alicia Banacek with their daughter and the majority of Echo company depart as part of Kerensky’s Exodus. Fate unknown. Daughter believed to be one of the founding Bloodlines for Clan Star Adder.
2785
- Ayane Nishamura marries Dr. Heinrich Keller.
2786
- June 9 – Meilynn Nishamura born.
- Upon turning 16, Hiro sent to West Point, sponsored by his Grandfather Hiro Yamamori.
2792
- Hiro graduates as an officer from West Point with honors, trained as a Mechwarrior with special forces training. He returns to the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers and begins his career as a lance commander. He managed to requisition a Starslayer configured the same as his father’s before it was destroyed.
2795
- April – Hiro displayed daring tactics and exceptional bravery under fire were instrumental in the seizure of Caselton. It earned him Capellan Citizenship, the Cluster of Conspicuous Heroism and promotion to Captain and command of a company.
2796
- Hiro’s action on Farwell established him as an exceptional military mind, earned him a promotion to Major and added to the command staff as 3IC when the XO retired after being badly injured. He took command of the 3rd Battalion.
- October – Hiro’s strategy kept Ranger casualties to a minimum on Sonnia and quieted any grumblings about his rapid rise.
2797
- Hiro marries and has four children over the next several years including a set of twins (oldest, fraternal).
2806
- Captain Ayane Nishamura retires from the Rangers at age 60.
2810
- Hiro promoted to Lt. Colonel and made XO of the Rangers.
2817
- Hiro promoted to Colonel and CO of the Rangers.
2830
- Trapped without support on Emerson during the Capellan Confederations invasion, Hiro managed to avoid the complete destruction of the Fourth Tau Ceti Lancers relying on his 3IC Major Hamilton Brandenberg to get the rest of the Fourth to safety and helped rally and save several other Capellan Confederation house units including a member of the Chancellor’s family. Hiro’s actions combined with Major Brandenberg’s managed to save half of the Rangers. Hiro’s command battalion was destroyed, nearly all personnel killed and Hiro crippled.
- For extreme actions and sacrifice Hiro was awarded the Baton of Illustrious Service, named Shonso of Gousha on Epsilon Eridani and added to the Sheng nobility rather than the Barduk. Pushing his wheelchair into the Chancellor’s presence was his mother still spry for 85 in her dress uniform.
2831
- The territory that Hiro was granted was generally raw and undeveloped, with abundant natural resources but limited industry. Deciding that trading would be a good way to ensure the family’s future, Hiro leveraged his new positions and holdings to acquire an Invader class Jumpship and two Mule class Dropships, striking a deal for the transport of Kressly Technologies’ vehicles to appropriate markets and customers. It would take most of a century to pay off all the debt associated with the undertaking as the Succession Wars resulted in losses and opportunities he didn’t foresee.
2834
- The Yamamori family discovered a Star League Cache hidden in Bayer Mountains, including a Pristine fully stocked Overlord for the 175th Royal Mechanized Infantry Division. This included 6 Ironsides IRN-SD1b, a company of Royal Black Knights, and two companies of Royal Shadow Hawks along with a stockpile of spare parts and supplies for mechanized infantry. Limited by what the Chancellor permits any member of the nobility, Hiro worked a deal trading two thirds of all of the mechs for almost a regiment worth of VTOLs and hovercraft primarily Maxim Heavy Hovertanks.
2835
- Modifications to the Overlord were completed transforming it to a transport for a combined arms regiment. Dedicated as Tradition’s Legacy, the Overlord would be the transport for the newly formed Yamamori Guards. It was configured to hold 6 Aerospace fighters, 2 squadrons of VTOLs, 1 company of mechs, 4 light vehicle companies and companies of infantry with command squad. The reconfiguration also more than quadrupled the amount of cargo capacity available.
2846
- Ayane Nishamura dies, age 101.
2852
- Hiro Yamamori dies of complications from old injuries at age 82.
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Updates from the Front
Dec 1, 3045
I reported to Major Saltier today for the first time. It was good to meet the CO and the other lance commanders in person. It was a bit of a culture shock though – No formal XO or 3IC, no company commanders, far more loosely organized. Hearing it was a unit made up of individual commands is one thing, experiencing it is another. It is chaos, but it appears to be working. Our time here on Pella II will be short. The Rangers have taken a new conract, Operation SLAMMER. We’re heading to Thirtyweight to hunt pirates. Better pirates than some of the alternatives. Most of the other officers are former FedCom, or at least from the individual nation militaries. I’m curious what their experience was. They’re here, not there, so that says something. The FedCom RCTs are still a work in progress. Too many culture clashes between professionals on the FedSuns side and the social generals on the Lyran side. The rank and file get along better for the most part, though you still get a sense of us and them, even if we all tried to make it work.
I expect the early days of the Star League may have had similar issues outside the Terran Hegemony units. The Star League represent an ideal, a call to be better something than they were. The FedCom is first and foremost a political alliance. I hope my parents are right about where the FedCom is headed. A reunited Sphere would be far better than where we are today. The First Prince’s declaration about giving his bride to be the Capellan Confederation is hardly a declaration worth comparing to the vision of the Star League.
Feb 18, 3046
I’ve gotten to know the other unit commanders and many of the rank and file. They’re decent sorts for the most part. There’s one Lance commander from the Confederation. She’s interesting. Not quite sure what she makes of me, though she at least appreciates my lack of veiled hostility or teasing by some of the others within the unit. I am the odd one in that I’ve been a citizen of three different nations all within the short span of not quite 30 years. My first 13 were as a Capellan Citizen, the next two as a citizen of the Free Tikonov Republic in the wake of the 4th Succession War and then finally and currently 14 years within the FedCom and more specifically the Federated Suns. Names may change, but loyalties and identities change much more slowly. The success in uniting the two realms albeit at the cost to the Confederation has certainly buoyed optimism and loyalty to the new flag. Under the surface there is still a lot of national pride. The first generation who have known nothing but the FedCom are only now entering and moving through the military academies. They’re still influenced by the thinking of those who saw its rise for all the good and bad that entails. Perhaps it is growing pains, but I can’t help but compare the life of my days before the 4th and after it was all done.
There was harmony in my time growing up within the Confederation. I had my place, my purpose. I was being groomed to become the next Sheng Mandrin of Ceres City. I looked forward to it, to doing my part for the State and honoring the wishes of my parents and grandparents. Then chaos decended. Even in the aftermath of the 4th, the transition through the Free Tikonov Republic and finally to being part of the FedCom, the State was gracious, granting me my citizenship that I had worked hard for. Had earned. The FedCom had an impressive appearance. It was and still is a juggernaut. I can’t help but wonder, seeing what I have, if there’s isn’t an overly polished veneer to be wary of.
April 28, 3046
We made landfall on Thirtyweight for operation SLAMMER on March 10th, 3046. Midnight is assigned as part of the defenders. The first mission out of the gate has us on a Recon Raid. We’re successful which helps set the tone for the entire operation. Less than five weeks on April 22nd after making planetfall we have taken out the pirate base and broken the pirates. In talking to the others there is a belief that the “pirates†were in fact members of the Com Guards, though it isn’t clear exactly what that is.
May, 3046
The Rangers moved to Wallis in the Free Worlds League for rest and refit of ‘Mechs at a factory. Unlike most standard military units, there’s a lot less uniformity in designs in large part due to the need to constantly salvage equipment to replace what’s been lost or improve upon the current lance’s situation. Along with this there’s almost an expectation that changes in existing designs beyond standard variants is a marked improvement on the existing available equipment. Parts of this are upgrading existing designs to be retrofitted with the Lostech that’s been manufactured since the Helm memory core was found.
I received the fire message from home that included the encrypted transmission. It confirmed that the series of one time cyphers we set up appear to be working just fine. The majority of the update discussed plans for continued upgrade of the family military assets. The Epsilon Eridani Sarna March Militia is a full Battlemech regiment, but the forces are green and the Leftenant General and his command unfamiliar with the planet. As Count and Countess, my parents have the right to maintain their own military provided they can continue to pay for it. They have earned the fervent loyalty of the troops through our continued service to the planet.
They were able to refurbish a VND-1R Vindicator to help fill out the lance I took with me. Right now the lance has a TBT-5N Trebuchet and a PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk in addition to the Vindicator. Not ideal but they also managed to refurbish an old GRF-1N Griffin. Their pride and joy are still the command lance - Star League era Black Knight, Royal Thunderbolt and Royal Griffin along with a Stalker. That lance has been such a paper tiger for so long. Many of the lostech components had failed or have been barely maintained. The recovery of the Helm Memory Core and what that has brought has given real hope to being able to restore the old star league mechs to their former glory. They can also finally get the Mongoose functional again. I’ve spent a bit of time brokering deals with them when I find components they’re missing and sending them back.
The other notable change is that Svetlana – the lance commander hailing from the Confederation is leaving. It was nice having someone who understood and appreciated the good points of the Confederation. I will miss her.
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Daughter Dai Eiko Atayde born February 16, 3053
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September 1, 3053
Kato's XO LTJG Carey Fletcher had accepted Kato's offer to join Kato's personal forces on Capella. It was in recognition of Carey's fine service and had the benefit that with Ceres Metal Works and Mujika Aerospace Technologies the LAM that Carey was used to flying could be serviced and kept in excellent shape - far better than would be the case out traveling with the Rangers. Kato transferred the LAM to what were becoming his personal guard and provided the young lieutenant with a sizeable bonus for his service.
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Manor House, Outskirts of Ceres City
Capella
November 4, 3057
Kato read the message again, stunned and unmoving while Erin Mae looked at him with growing concern. “Kato?” His fingers twitched as if wanting to crumple the paper in his hand but he handed it to her instead. He closed his eyes, seeking to bring his emotions under control while the giggles and squeals of the kids playing in the courtyard drifted in on the breeze. “NO!” His wife’s outburst reflecting his inner turmoil. “That BASTARD!” she added with vehemence, though in quieter tones.
“Mother, father, Enji’s wife An, their two older children, Chu Hua’s husband Haoxuan. All dead, along with more aunts, uncles and cousins than I’d care to count.” He shook his head, shock faded to sorrow. “Enji had been with his daughter who was ill. Chu Hua out with the kids and thankfully found by family retainers before General Benton managed to massacre them too.” He gritted his teeth thinking of the long time commander of the Sarna March Militia. He considered taking the Rangers up to deal with him before discarding that as impractical and a failure of duty to the State. Still he would go, if offered the chance.
Erin Mae had stopped reading, content to let Kato share. “What will they do?”
“Enji plans on taking his daughter Hwei-ru to Terra to escape the madness. His home has been destroyed twice in his lifetime, his family shattered on both occasions. He fought to help get them off-world, but would not continue on. I think his fighting days are done. Chu Hua seeks to come here and bring the Yamamori Guards with her if I will have them. They remember me and I can offer them a place.”
“Can you?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.
He considered a moment then nodded. “Most of my focus has been on rebuilding the Rangers 1st Regiment and establishing the 2nd over the past 3 years. It’s kept my growing of the Mandarin guard to a minimum. I expect enough individuals in the Yamamori Guard to not want to swear fealty or earn citizenship here to simply jump my permitted complement to full strength. The fact that I led the Rangers in taking Phact, Wazun and Corey should have put at least most lingering questions about loyalties to bed. If there would be too many I can have some be recruited by the Rangers or others moved at least for a time to Grandfather’s forces. I’ll reach out to Captain Edward. He should be able to help determine quickly if there are any additional concerns that need to be addressed.”
“Tomorrow,” Erin Mae told him firmly.
Kato looked ready to protest, but that faded quickly as the magnitude of his loss hit him once again. “Tomorrow,” he confirmed softly. They lapsed into silence and remained that way as shadows lengthened, their vigil disturbed only by the normal sounds of the household and the innocent cries and laughter of their children.