Commander

No situation is not made easier by the presence of a Commander. Their insight and judgement can turn a rag-tag group into a truly-effective team. A Commander's words can inspire their troops to accomplish more than they thought possible, and their deeds are the stuff legends are made of. The outcome of a battle often times is decided by just how good a Commander really is.

Role:

Characteristics:

Background:

Transformations:

Favored Tech Spec: Rank
Hit Die: d10
Energon Die: d4
Weapon Proficiencies: Projectile
Program Slots per Level: 4
Function-Programs:

Analyse (Int) Balance (Skl) Climb (Str) Instincts (Crg)

Intimidate (Crg) Jump (Str) Persuade Pilot (Skl)

Sincerity (Rnk) Socialize (Rnk) Spot (Int)

Survival (Crg) Swim (Str)

Sub-Routine Descriptions
The following are sub-routines a character gains as they progress in Function level:

Inspire: Whether through threat or wisdom, Commanders know how to get the most out of their troops. Beginning at 1st level, Commanders may spend a Standard Action to inspire their allies, giving them a variety of bonuses for 3 rounds. These allies must be able to hear and comprehend their the Commander, requiring a Move Action on their behalf to gain the benefit of the Inspire. This may be done on up to 3 allies at once, all within 3 hexes of the Commander. Once they receive the Inspire, allies may move away from the Commander without losing the benefits of the Inspire. At 7th level, the duration of the Inspire increases to 6, and they may inspire up to 6 allies at up to 6 hexes. At 13th level the duration of the Inspire increases to 9, and may be used on up to 9 allies at up to 9 hexes away.

As Commanders gain levels, they learn to inspire new things out of their troops:

Courage: ...

Confidence: ...

Rage: ...

Greatness: ...

Heroics: ...

An ally may only be subject to a single Inspire at a time.

Capable: The Commander is able to thrive in situations where others aren't sure what to do. Beginning at 2nd level, whenever a Commander makes a Tech Spec Check they may add a bonus to the roll equal to half their Commander level, rounded down.

Exemplary: Others look to the Commander not only as a shining example of how to be, but also for guidance in conquering any situation. When making a Program Check, anyone within range of the Commander's Inspire sub-routine may perform the same Program Check as if they had the same number of levels in that Program as the Commander. If they have more levels in that Program than the Commander, they gain no benefit from this sub-routine.

Tactician: Commanders learn to direct their troops in battle, making them a more effective fighting unit. Beginning at 4th level, a Commander may grant a variety of bonuses to up to 3 allies, provided they begin the round within 3 hexes of the Commander. This does not require any action on the behalf of the Commander nor for allies receiving the benefit of the Tactic. The range of this sub-routine and the number of allies it may effect increases to 6 at 11th level, and again to 9 at 18th level.

As Commanders gain levels, they learn new tactics to guide their troops:

Coordinated: ...

Aggressive: ...

Alert: ...

Cautious: ...

Defensive: ...

Allies may gain the effect of a Tactic as well as an Inspire, but not more than one Tactic at a time.

Spotlight Performance: When in command on the battlefield, no one excels as well as a Commander. Beginning at 5th level, the Commander gains a +1 performance bonus to all d20 rolls made in combat, provided they are the highest ranking member of the group. If they are only the second-highest ranking member, this bonus is halved, rounded down. At 10th level the performance bonus increases to +2, then again to +3 at 15th level, and finally to +4 at 20th level.

Leadership: Commanders naturally find their way into positions of authority over others. Starting at 6th level, a Commander gains a Cohort and a number of Followers based on their Authority level (character level + Rank Tech Spec Modifier):

Cohorts and Followers do not gain Experience, but do improve as the Commander's Authority level increases, with new Followers typically coming in at the lower levels and current Followers increasing in level to fill out the upper ranks. A Commander usually replenishes any lost Followers between Episodes, up to their full allottment.

Assign Mission: When a Commander gives a subordinate a task, they take it on with serious devotion. At 8th level a Commander may spend a full-round action to issue a mission to any ally with a lower Authority level than the Commander within their Inspire sub-routine range. That ally may spend a full-round action to make an opposed Authority Check against the Commander's Authority ckeck, with failure meaning they must undertake the mission. If they fail or otherwise don't resist the mission, they must undertake it to the best of their ability. If the mission has an open-ended duration which the ally cannot end with their own actions (such as "Wait here" or "Guard this area against attack"), the mission lasts for one day per Commander level. Otherwise, the mission lasts until completed. Suicide missions or missions with extreme danger may not be issued. The ally may attempt to delay the mission by one day by spending a full-round action to make another opposed Authority Check against the Commander, with success meaning they may go about their regular activities instead of work towards completing the mission. A Commander may only assign a mission to an ally without a current mission. When a mission is assigned, reduce the Commander's Authority level for purposes of this sub-routine until the ally undertaking the mission has completed it.

Strategy: As the Commander gains experience, they begin to look at situations with a wider scope, allowing them to form longer term plans for dealing with matters. Starting at 9th level the Commander may take a full-round action to issue an Inspire or Tactic to one ally within 3 hexes, allowing them to gain the benefit of that Inspire or Tactic for the remainder of the Segment rather than for a limited duration or based on their proximity to the Commander. This sub-routine may effect a total of 3 allies at any given time. To gain the benefit of this sub-routine, an ally must spend a full-round action paying attention to the Commander. An ally can only be under the effect of one Strategy at a time, though may choose to end the benefit at any time. The total number of allies and the range at which this sub-routine may be used increases to 6 at 14th level, and once more to 9 at 19th level.

Improved Authority: Commanders reach a point where they achieve an even greater level of authority over their forces. At 12th level the Commander adds their Reputation to their Authority level for all purposes, including Leadership.

Assign Quest: A good Commander sometimes must call upon allies to go above the call of duty and undertake a mission of significant duration and/or danger. Beginning at 16th level, the effectiveness of a Commander's Assign Mission sub-routine expands to include suicide missions and missions with extreme danger. Additionally, allies who are subject to the mission may not attempt to delay it.

Battlefield Miracle: Only the most impressive of Commanders can make miracles happen on the battlefield. At 17th level, the Commander may spend a full-round action to invoke one of the following miracles to occur on the field of battle:

Escape: When called for, a great Commander can get their troops out of danger. The Commander designates a 3 hex radius for the point of escape. All allies within that area are able to leave the current conflict and cannot be further effected by its participants.

Protect: In times of disaster, there is always hope when a great Commander is on your side. The Commander may invoke this miracle to provide an area protection from an earthquake, flood, storm, or other gigantic disaster. This only provides relief for a number of rounds equal to the Commander's level, and only protects an area equal to 10 times the Commander's level in hexes.

Reinforcements: For great Commanders, help is never far behind. They may call in a number of Followers as determined by their Leadership sub-routine, whose numbers and maximum level is determined by the Commander's Leadership sub-routine. If the Commander currently does not have their full allotment of Followers, these new Followers may join the Commander's cause.

Restore: When a powerful enough Commander demands their troops to fight, they can . One of your allies who has fallen in this battle gets back up and continues to fight. They regain up to half of their maximum hit points, and are fatigued, but otherwise may act normally in the next round. If executed on Drones, this sub-routine effects a number of Drones equal to the Commander's level.

Rout: Under the right situation, a force of any size can be turned away and forced to retreat. When invoked, this miracle causes the enemy to break and retreat, leaving the current conflict. They will take the most direct means towards direct escape, only turning to fight if attacked. This always requires some extra effort on the behalf the Commander and/or this troops, such as destroying a major power source, or striking down the enemy leader.

Strike: Sometimes imcredible things happen on the battlefield, bringing even the mightiest foe to their knees. This miracle inflicts a tremendous attack upon a specified target, dealing a number of d12's in damage equal to the Commander's level, with a saving throw for half. Which saving throw applies depends on the nature of the miracle that struck the target. When used against Drones, this miracle effects up to one Drone per Commander level.

Summon: Somehow, the Commander manages to make an ally and have them come to them in their hour of need. This has the effect of immediately gaining a new Cohort, whose maximum level is determined by the Commander's Leadership sub-routine. If the Commander currently does not have a Cohort, this new Cohort may join the Commander's cause.

There are two basic ways to call upon a miracle. One is where the Commander must cause a specific event to occur to invoke the miracle, and the other is where the miracle simply happens. In the latter case, the miracle happens within 1d4 rounds of when it is called for, and costs the Commander 5,000 XP to use.

Commanders may call upon a random miracle, in which case they do not have to take any action additional action to make the miracle happen, but do not get to specify which miracle will occur. The Game Master selects one which miracle will occur, and carries out its effect after 1d4 rounds have gone by. This delay is rolled in secret, so the players have no idea when the miracle will occur, nor any real idea of what it will be.

Naturally, the exact nature of how this miracle is invoked or what the Commander does to make it happen are very situational. It may be something as simple as a communication to the Commander's allies, or a dramatic vow made just before they enter the conflict. Likewise, a comet could strike the area, or an earthquake could occur, or some other phenominal event may happen. Whatever it is, when a miracle occurs, it is never subtle and always dramatic.

The Game Master is incouraged to place additional limitations and/or bonuses on the miracle based on its nature. For example, if a dimensional portal is allowing the characters escape from a battle, the Game Master may decide that once the character leaves the battlefield, they may not return, while if a spaceship is used to take the characters from harm they might have to wait for the last character to make it on-board to escape (or else leave them behind).

A Commander may only used this sub-routine once per Episode.