NPCs

NPCs suffer harm differently than PCs do, but in Mass Effect: Apocalypse, that damage can scale according to how “hard,” skilled, trained or just plain dangerous the NPC is. For reference:

When an ordinary NPC suffers…

• 1-harm: cosmetic damage, pain, concussion, fear
• 2-harm: wounds, unconsciousness, bad pain, broken bones, shock, likely fatal
• 3-harm: 50-50 immediately fatal, otherwise terrible wounds, shock, death soon
• 4-harm: usually immediately fatal, sometimes mangled and ruined, waiting to die
• 5-harm and more: fatal and bodily destructive

When a “lieutenant”-grade NPC suffers harm reduce the harm by 1 on the scale above for purposes of consequences only.

When a “captain”-grade NPC suffers harm reduce the harm by 2 on the scale above for purposes of consequences only.

Gangs

Gangs in Apocalypse World already scale by size. Gangs equipped with personal shields are assumed to have those shields against all attacks unless action is specifically taken to target members of the gang who have already had their shields depleted by harm. Moves that permanently destroy armor or shields are ineffective against gangs unless care is taken to attack only the same specific member of the gang who was attacked previously.

Vehicles and Starships

Vehicles and starships in Mass Effect: Apocalypse also scale in a manner similar to gangs. Vehicles have four size categories: small, medium, large, and dreadnought. Much like gangs, when a vehicle attacks another vehicle, it inflicts +1harm for every size category larger it is, and -1harm for every size category smaller. Vehicle-mounted weapons mounted to vehicles of size medium or larger will tend to just vaporize characters who are not themselves in a vehicle.

Building Vehicles:
Vehicles are characterized by stat profile, frame, strength, looks, and weakness.

Choose one stat profile:

• Power +2 looks +1 1-armor weakness +1
• Power +2 looks +2 0-armor weakness +1
• Power +1 looks +2 1-armor weakness +1
• Power +2 looks +1 2-armor weakness +2

Choose frame:

• Small: aircar, compact, off-road vehicle, ambulance, shuttle, tank, fighter-craft, construction/utility
• Medium: transport, frigate, raider, dropship
• Large: cruiser, cargo-hauler
• Dreadnought: carrier, dreadnought, ark-ship

Choose strength or strengths equal to Power stat:
Fast, rugged, aggressive, tight, huge, off-road, responsive, uncomplaining, capacious, workhorse, easily repaired

Choose looks equal to its looks stat:
Sleek, vintage, pristine, powerful, luxe, flashy, muscular, quirky, pretty, handcrafted, spikes & plates, garish

Choose weaknesses equal to weakness stat:
Slow, fragile, sloppy, lazy, cramped, picky, guzzler, unreliable, loud, rabbity.

Sample Vehicle List (Small):

• A-61 Mantis Gunship: Frame: Airship, Power +2 (aggressive, workhorse), looks +1 (sleek), weakness +1 (airborne), 1-armor, heavy machine-gun (4-harm close/far loud autofire)
• Atlas heavy mech: Frame: mech, Power +2 (agressive, rugged), looks +1 (powerful), weakness +2 (slow, cramped,) 2-armor, 4-shield (for pilot), mass-accelerator cannon (4-harm far loud reload), machine-gun (3-harm close/far loud autofire)
• ET3 Transport: Frame: Ground Utility Vehicle, Power +2 (rugged, off road), looks +1 (muscular), weakness +1 (slow), 1-armor
• M-44 Hammerhead: Frame: hovertank, Power +2 (fast, off-road), looks +1 (sleek), weakness +1 (sloppy), 1-armor mass-accelerator cannon (4-harm far loud reload)
• M-29 Grizzly: Frame: off-road transport, Power +2 (rugged, capacious), looks +1 (powerful), weakness +2 (slow, guzzler), 2-armor machine-gun (3-harm close/far loud autofire)
• M-35 Mako: Frame: off-road tank, Power +2 (rugged, off-road), looks +1 (muscular), weakness +1 (cramped), 1-armor, mass-accelerator cannon (4-harm far loud reload)
• M-080: Frame: infantry transport, Power +2 (rugged, capacious), looks +1 (powerful), weakness +2 (slow, cramped), 2-armor, mass-accelerator cannon (4-harm far loud reload)
• Tomkah: Frame: off-road transport, Power +2 (rugged, capacious), looks +1 (powerful), weakness +2 (slow, guzzler), 2-armor, mass-accelerator cannon (4-harm far loud reload)
• UT-47 Kodiak: Frame: Shuttle, Power +2 (fast, flying), looks +1 (powerful), weakness +1 (sloppy), 1-armor, machine-gun (3-harm close/far loud autofire)
• X3M Skycar: Frame: Aircar, Power +1 (fast), looks +2 (sleek, flashy), weakness +1 (rabbity), 1-armor