Battlechanger as Mecha

One of the things I wanted to do with Battlechangers (which is just one or two images from publication!) is to include a way to 'hack' the race creation system to build piloted, transformable mecha rather than sentient transforming robots.

I always planned to include mecha in future 'tech-oriented' Black Tokyo releases, and they fit well with my other campaign worlds. In the Battlechangers: Ironworks PDF, I'm going to stat up 3 distinct mecha designs, based on what I feel are the three most iconic robots in anime and gaming, and expect more when Battlechangers: Multiverse hits.

I doubt these three mecha designs will be illustrated in Ironworks, but I should be able to get comissioned art for at least some of them by the time Multiverse goes to press. That's a pretty unfortunate cost saving measure, but you probably already know how these mechs look anyway.

Take a look at how I built Veritech "Valkaryie" homage robot called the Cloudfire using the Battlechangers ruleset below.
CHRIS

Transforming Mecha: Battlechangers as Vehicles

            By hacking the Battelchanger race creation system somewhat, players and gamemasters can create piloted, transformable mecha rather than self aware alien robots. This section gives some basic rules of thumb for building Transforming Mecha.

·        Transforming Mecha are treated as Constructs of the appropriate size. Transforming Mecha gain the Battlechanger and Meca subtypes.

·        You spend Shannix as normal for a Battlechanger of the Mecha’s size to customize the Transforming Mecha. The Transforming Mecha gains an alt-mode (s) as normal, which usually must be a Vehicular alt-mode, though mechanical Primitive modes are possible with game master approval.

·        Transforming Mecha are typically mindless (but see the Mecha subtype). They might gain bonus feats by spending Shannix.

·        If the Transforming Mecha is treated as equipment, pricing and rarity are at the GM’s discresion, but usually these are extremely expensive, multi-million dollar hardware, equivalent in price to any other military vehicle and just as hard to acquire.

·        If the Transforming Mecha is intended as an opponent, assign ability scores and additional abilities as desired, keeping the monster creation guidelines in The Bestiary in mind. Usually these enemy Transforming Mecha are assigned a BAB appropriate to their challenge rating and ability scores representing an average, undistinguished pilot, with a 10 in all attributes save DEX, which is 15. The GM should modify as necessary to produce elite Mecha pilot opponents.

·        While piloting the Transforming Mecha, the pilot has total cover and cannot typically be targeted by physical affects, but remains vulnerable to magic and psionics. When the Transforming Mecha is reduced to 0 HP it is disabled and non-functional. When reduced to -20 HP or fewer, it explodes, inflicting 5d6 fire + 1d6 fire damage per Mecha Hit Dice (REF DC 20 half).

·        The Transforming Mecha’s pilot is considered to be wearing Heavy Armor for the purpose of arcane spellcasting failure.

New Subtypes

Battlechanger

            Monstrous Humanoids with the Battlechanger subtype are powerful alien mechanoids able to alter their form into vehicles, tools and other useful shapes.

Mecha

            Constructs with the Mecha subtype are vehicles designed to operate under the direct control of an intelligent pilot. Mecha have the following qualities.

·        Though the Mecha’s type is Construct, it is vulnerable to mind-influencing effects through its pilot. This weakness does not apply if the Construct is unmanned. Location: Weaknesses Format: Intelligent Pilot  

·        Piloted (EX) Some of the Mecha’s qualities, marked with an asterisk in the statblock, are replaced by the Mecha’s pilot if they are greater. The following qualities are replaced by the pilot’s when the Mecha is in action: alignment, languages, REF and WILL Saves, base attack bonus (which may modify CMB and CMD), DEX,  INT, WIS and CHA scores.

Location: Special Qualities Format: Piloted

Mecha, Cloudfire – CR 10

Huge N* Construct (Battlechanger, Mecha)

XP 9,600

Init +2 Senses Darkvision 500 ft, lowlight vision, perceive unencrypted radio/television/wifi signals, Perception +0       

Languages pilot’s languages*

Defense

AC 22 Touch 10 Flatfooted 20 (-2 size, +2 DEX, +12 natural)

HP 13d10 + 40 hp (112 HP)

FORT +4 REF +6* WILL +4*

Immune Construct Immunities

Weaknesses Cybernetic Security Risk -1, Intelligent Pilot  

Offense

Spd 40 ft Flight ft (average) alt-mode only

Melee +13/+8/+3 slam (2d8+2 bludgeoning, 20/x2)

Reach 15 ft

Ranged +15/+10/+5 Military Plasma Rifle of Distance (2d12 fire, 19-20/x2, 60 ft range increment, semi auto, 12 cell)

or +14/+9/+4 High UV Laser Pistol (2d8 fire, 20/x3, 30 ft range increment, single shot, infinite ammo)

Special Attacks Mini-Missile Flurry (4x/day)

Special Qualities Piloted, No Breath, Starflight, Unhealing

Statistics

Str 15 Dex 15* Con - Int 10* Wis 10* Cha 10*

Base Atk +13 CMB +17 CMD 19

Feats Ground Walk Mode, Mini-Missile Flurry

Skills Fly +4

Gear 6x spare cells for the Military Plasma Rifle (hip carry)

Cybernetics

Headware – Onboard Computer

Shannix Budget

Damage Reduction (1), Efficient Systems (1), Feat Programming (Ground Walk Mode, Mini-Missile Flurry) (total 4) Special Weapon (+2 Military Plasma Rifle of Distance) (3), Special Weapon (+1 High UV Laser Pistol of Infinite Ammo) (2)

Ecology

Environment any land or air

Organization serves as a vehicle for a Medium pilot

Treasure none

Special Abilities

Fuelon Reserve (EX)

             The Cloudfire has 8 points in its Fuelon reserve. It can expend a point of Fuelon to achieve a number of results, described fully in Battlechangers: Ironworks.

Ground Walk Mode (EX)

            The Cloudfire can assume a hybrid robot/aircraft form. In this form, it can use all vehicle mode weapons, as well as carry and manipulate objects.

Massive Strength (EX)

            The Cloudfire’s pneumatics and artificial musculature allows it to haul enormous weights, out of proportion to her size. Its lifting, carrying and dragging limits are 100 times greater than a humanoid creature of its size. Its maximum load is 20,000 lbs.

            Mini-Missile Flurry (EX)

            As a full-round action, the Cloudfire Mecha can unleash a flurry of mini-missiles against all targets within 500 ft who do not have total cover. The Cloudfire may target up to 6 individual opponents, inflicting 10d8 damage, half of which is ballistic, half of which is fire. Targets may attempt a DC 18 REF Save for half damage. The Cloudmaster can use a mini-missile flurry four times per day.

Alt-Mode

The Cloudfire’s alt-mode is a futuristic warplane, extensively modified from the F-15 design legacy. Fast, sleek and powerful, the Cloudfire’s purpose as a finely tuned instrument of war is clear. External weapons and armor, as well as drop off fuel pods and exo-atmospheric boosters give the Cloudfire even more threatening lines. The Cloudfire Mecha can change from alt-mode to robot mode as a move equivalent action that never provokes attacks of opportunity.

Classification Huge Sky Fighter

Armor Class 24

Damage Reduction 5/-          

Spd Fly 1,000 ft (average)

Maximum Load 20,000 lbs

            The Cloudfire can carry a single passenger, aside from the pilot in the instructor’s seat.

Nature

            The Cloudfire Mecha is a standard by which transformable mil-spec vehicles are judged. Fast and sleek, in its robot configuration, this mecha is a capable giant, dominating the battlefield with heavy firepower and great dexterity. Cloudfire Mecha serve as close-in air support, strafing ground vehicles and infantry with their integral energy weapons, using the mini-missiles slung beside the cockpit either as anti-personnel or anti-armor weapons, depending on the mission.

            The Cloudfire’s cockpit becomes an armor clad control pod within the robot’s chest, as reinforced plating slides into place to protect the bullet proof polymer. The robot has slender, humanoid proportions, with its wings partially retracting into the spinal plating, while the underslung missile pods move to become part of the shoulder plating.

            Cloudfire Mecha are painted in squadron colors, often with impressive nose art or tail-fin deco identifying the best pilots and most legendary machines. Most are painted in a smoke grey with golden trim and canopy, for best concealment among the clouds.

Variant Transforming Mecha: Apache Hunter

            The Apache Hunter is a helicopter-based iteration of the Cloudfire Mecha, transforming from a robot mode similar to the Cloudfire’s into a helicopter gunship. Apache Hunters are usually a matte black with smoked canopy and dark navy trim, tuned for night operations. The mecha’s four bladed rotors fold and partially retract, becoming a back-pack like unit. The Apache Hunter is taller and thinner than a Cloudfire Mecha, with more spindly proportions. Unlike the Cloudfire, an Apache Hunter carries only a single ranged weapon, a powerful anti-tank chaingun.

            Use the Cloudfire Mecha stat-block with the following changes.

Special Qualities Remove Spaceflight

Ranged

+16/+11/+6 Flaming M-60 Machine Gun (2d8 ballistic + 1d6 fire, 20/x2, 100 ft range increment, full auto, infinite ammo)

Shannix Budget

·        Replace Damage Reduction (1) with Racer (1)

·        Replace both Special Weapons with Special Weapon (+3 Flaming M-60 Machinegun of  Infinite Ammo) (5)

Feats Add Hover (alt-mode only)

Alt-Mode

The Apache Hunter’s alt-mode is a futuristic ground attack helicoptor, resembling a more advanced Apache bristling with missile pods and carrying a single chaingun firing depleted uranium rounds from a gimbaled mount slung beneath the cockpit. The Apache Hunter can change from alt-mode to robot mode as a move equivalent action that never provokes attacks of opportunity.

Classification Huge Sky Fighter

Armor Class 24

Spd Fly 1,250 ft (good)

Maximum Load 20,000 lbs

            The Apache Hunter can carry a single passenger, aside from the pilot in the instructor’s seat.

Art Preview: Ecchi Enchantments

In addition to my Battlechangers work, I'm also doing a short sequel to Enchantments of Black Tokyo, to be called Ecchi Enchantments, that focuses primarily on sex related magic items. Amanda just sent me a bunch of great work in progress shots of her illustrations for the book.

In her email to me, she referred to the first image as 'still life with gun and panties', which is such a classical title for a Black Tokyo image. I loved it. I was thinking of using something else as the cover, but I might use this image for the cover art. The other image depicts a critical hit enhancing amulet related to Lord Sharkskin, a setting villain I introduced in Black Tokyo: Electric Town, and will be following up on in future source books. This one's more violence than sex, but still a nice addition to the book.

Calling All Perverts!
I love talking to my fans, especially my freakier ones. If you've got a magic item or two you want to see appear in Ecchi Enchantments, no matter how bizarre, send me an email with Ecchi Enchantments in the subject line. You'll get credit in the book (either by real name or psuedonym, whatever you prefer) and a copy of the PDF, and your magic item will become Open Content under the OGL.

Don't send more than a couple hundred words, at most, because this is basically me thowing up the project to my existing readers and fans. I don't feel uncomfortable about asking fans to write 200 words or so worth of magic items for free, because I'm not going to be making huge money off it, and its a chance for them to see something odd and quirky and fun published. I would feel uncomfortable about somebody sending in a 12,000 word manuscript for free. So just send in one or two magic items, if you're interested.

Not sure how long I'll wait before publishing Ecchi Enchantments. I might delay its publication by a little bit if I get a big response, and if any of these items really cry out to be illustrated, there might be a short delay between receipt of the magic item idea and the PDF's publication as I commission additional artwork.

 CHRIS

A Battlechanger NPC or Two

Last night, mostly to test my Battlechangers: Ironworks manuscript to destruction, I started building some NPCs, who you'll see in the eventual Battlechangers: Multiverse. I ended up statting out three NPCs: two heroes, one villain for my two most iconic settings. So now I know that the system can handle building a Battlechanger Neo-Witch Midwife who turns into a racing bike- sorta like Prime Arcee with a ob/gyn degree (for Otherverse America), a Battlechanger sewer truck with an obsession with cute girls' panties, and a good working relationship with Black Tokyo's Akaname, and a Battlechanger general working with the Lifers after defecting from her own side. That last one, we'll meet today.

So what did I learn? Well the three characters were built at various power levels- the Motorcycle Midwife is a Cleric 6, the Sewer Truck Panty Freak a Ranger 3, and this badass you're about to meet is a Summoner 18, and an absolutely brutal fight. The stat blocks are a little longer than normal, and I debated whether doing a full vehicle stat block for each alt-mode, but eventually decided to just list the changes in a separate section, similar to how Paizo handles Barbarian Rage or other short term, in-combat transformations. I think it works okay, let me know....

Also, these guys are a bit unbalanced, power-wise, but less than I figured, and I find I really don't care too much that they've got incredibly high AC for their level at starting and low tier levels, and can haul INSANE amounts of gear. That's RIGHT for a race of giant robots- even in a high tech setting like Otherverse America, using guns against these big ass, giant metal mecha isn't going to work too well. The race's very high starting AC means that magic and psionics, or clever tactics or teamwork is required to take one down. So yeah, I doubt Battlechangers would be allowed in con games, because they're pretty powerful, but they're evocative, fun and true to the source material. To me, that's more important than pure mechanical balance.... call it a legacy of my first RPG being Rifts.

Anyway, our NPC today is Shocktread, a rather impressive homage of two of the best Decepticons- the classic Soundwave and the newer, but no less evocative, Tarn (that's the page image for today, by the way....). I decided to make her a CR 17 combat monster and place this NPC fairly high up in the Lifer command structure, just throw the Battlechangers concept right into the thick of things and see if it works. Shocktread does. She doesn't deal as much raw damage as her mentor Artemis (nowhere close!),but she's a battlefield control expert, with access to lots of summoning, buffing and teleportation spells- not to mention her own personal Ratbat/Laserbeak homage death machine- that allow a clever GM to use her to punch way outside her weight class. Basically, play her smart, and she can TPK parties at near epic levels.

Enjoy....

Shocktread, Repentant Tyrakron Warlord – CR 17

Huge LN Monstrous Humanoid (Battlechanger) Summoner 18

XP 102,400

Init +0 Senses Darkvision 500 ft, lowlight vision, perceive unencrypted radio/television/wifi signals, Perception +19     

Languages Celestial, English, Tech-FG, Tech-SV, Tech-TY

Defense

AC 22 Touch 10 Flatfooted 22 (-2 size, +12 natural, +2 shield**)

HP 18d8 + 108 hp (193 HP)

FORT +13** REF +8** WILL +14**

Immune Fire, Suffocation, Vacuum

Weaknesses Cybernetic Security Risk -1

Offense

Spd 40 ft

Reach 15 ft

Melee +16/+11/+6 slam (2d8+5 bludgeoning, 20/x2)

Ranged +16/+11/+6 Seeking Antimatter Cannon of Distance (3d10+4 energy*, 19-20/x2, 80 ft range increment, semi auto)

Special Qualities Aspect, Eidolon, Bond Senses, Greater Aspect, Greater Shield Ally**, Life Bond, Life Link, Maker’s Call, Merge Forms, No Breath, Shield Ally, Transposition, Unhealing

            **Greater Shield Ally is already figured into AC and saving throws, above.

Spellcasting (CL 18^th Concentration +23) 

Sixth – (3 slots) binding (W-DC 21), charm monster (mass) (W-DC 21), planar adaptation (mass), teleportation circle

Fifth – (5 slots) banishment (W-DC 20), greater heroism, greater rejuvenate eidolon, greater teleport

Fourth –(6 slots) hold monster (W-DC 19), mage’s faithful hound, overland flight, sending, teleport

Third – (6 slots) dimension door, dimensional anchor (W-DC 18), displacement, enlarge person (mass), fire shield, heroism, rejuvenate eidolon

Second – (6 slots) bull’s strength, cat’s grace, haste, invisibility, resist energy, see invisibility

First – (7 slots) expeditious retreat, protection from chaos, protection from good, rejuvenate eidolon (lesser), shield, unfetter

Zero –acid splash, detect magic, message, open/close, read magic, resistance

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18^th Concentration +23) 

8x/Day – Summon Monster IX (or any lower level Summon spell)

Statistics

Str 23 Dex 11 Con 20 Int 13 Wis 12 Cha 20

Base Atk +13 CMB +21 CMD 31

Feats Augment Summoning, Far Shot, Improved Critical (anti-matter cannon), Legend-Grade Technomage, Summoner’s Call, Spell Focus (conjuration), Toughness, Weapon Focus (anti-matter cannon)

Skills Intimidate +23, Knowledge (religion, history, technology) all +10, Perception +19

Cybernetics

Headware – Onboard Computer

Shannix Budget

Damage Reduction x3 (3), Energy Shielding (fire) (1), Feat Programming (Weapon Focus) (2), Special Weapon (anti-matter cannon) (3)

Ecology

Environment any land

Organization solitary or accompanied by other extremely high CR Lifer operatives or a smaller squad of subordinates, sometimes accompanying Artemis, Gen. Lang or other command level staff

Treasure standard (including gear)

Special Abilities

            Alloyed Technomage (SU)

            Shocktread is the pinnacle of machine evolution- an Alloyed Battlechanger warrior with few rivals. She receives a +1 trait bonus on opposed skill checks made against Battlechangers without the Alloyed trait. She increases the Saving Throw DC of any spell she casts against Battlechangers without the Alloyed trait by +1 DC, which stacks with the effects of Spell Focus (Conjuration) when applicable.

Anti-Matter Cannon (EX)

            Shocktread’s anti-matter cannon inflicts damage of an unspecified energy type, and is not subject to energy resistance or immunity.

Fuelon Reserve (EX)

            Shocktread has 4 points in her Fuelon reserve. She can expend a point of Fuelon to achieve a number of results, described fully in Battlechangers: Ironworks.

Massive Strength (EX)

            Shocktread’s pneumatics and artificial musculature allows her to haul enormous weights, out of proportion to her size. Her lifting, carrying and dragging limits are 100 times greater than a humanoid creature of her size. Her maximum load is 60,000 lbs.

Alt-Mode

            Shocktread assumes the form of a goliath jet black, multi-tread combat tank of unknown model. In tank mode, she is as massive as a two story office building, and gouges deep canyons in the tarmac of any street she travels down. Her ani-matter cannon becomes the centerpiece of a lethal weapons array, including UAV launch tubes (which move to her upper spine in robot mode) from which she summons the robotic predator known as Life-Flight. Shocktread can change from alt-mode to robot mode as a move equivalent action that never provokes attacks of opportunity.

Classification Gargantuan Ground Fighter

Damage Reduction 15/-

Armor Class 25                     

Spd 100 ft (Slow alt-mode disadvantage)  

Maximum Load 60,000 lbs

Eidolon: Life-Flight

            Shocktread’s Eidolon takes the form of an advanced combat UAV launched from the upper turret of her tank form. When deployed, the semi-autonomous Life-Flight drone spreads batlike wings. This eerily silent, jet black mechanoid is studded with luminous crimson energy vents that glow like bloody stars in the darkness. It prefers nocturnal operations. Life-Flight displays an almost animalistic devotion to its master, often perching atop her shoulder when she is in robot mode. For her part, Shocktread treats the drone with an affection she shows for very few other beings, mechanical or organic.

Hit Dice 14d10 + 70 hp (147 HP)

Size Huge Reach 15 ft Speed 40 ft Fly 50 ft (good)

AC 19

Spell Resistance 29

Immune Critical Hits, Stunning, Fatigue and Exhaustion

Senses Darkvision 60 ft, lowlight vision

Saves FORT +9 REF +13 WILL +11

Attacks +23 bite (1d6 + 17 slashing, 20/x2), two +23 claws (1d8+11 slashing, 20/x2),  +23 wing buffet (1d8 +11 bludgeoning, 20/x2)

Ability Scores STR 33 DEX 19 CON 21 INT 8 WIS 15 CHA 11

Skills Fly +26, Intimidate +17, Perception +19, Survival +19

Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Fleet x2, Fly-By Attack, Hover, Power Attack

Special Qualities Bond Senses, Devotion, Evasion, Greater Shield Ally**, Improved Evasion, Life Bond, Life Link, Maker’s Call, Merge Forms, Shield Ally, Transposition

Evolutions Bite x2, Construct Immunities, Claws, Flight, Limbs (legs), Size Increase: Huge, Skilled (fly) Wing Buffet

Nature

            The massive, somber Shocktread is one of the few xenoforms the fearsome star goddess Artemis trusted with command of the Lifer Army of God on Earth. Artemis encountered the Tyrakron general in campaigns across a ten million years, across a million solar systems. Artemis crippled the Tyrakron a thousand times or more and once, just once, Shocktread got the better of the star goddess. She commanded a meticulously planned assault that cost the lives of nearly 1,500 elite Tyrakron special forces troops and scortched the atmosphere of Robemiln-113, but nearly ended Artemis’ immortal existence. But when the thrill of conquest paled, when the glory of the Tyrakron Empire no longer held any luster, Shocktread drifted away from the armies she once proudly commanded.

            Soon after her conversion to Evangelical Lifer Christianity, Artemis made a short sojourn to the stars, eventually tracking the reclusive Shocktread. Artemis introduced the concept of maternity and femininity to the then-genderless Shocktread, forcing the Tyrakron to realize that the affection she felt for her combat partner was almost maternal, and that Shockblast was what humans could easily describe as female. Finding new purpose, resolve and identity, Shockblast accompanied Artemis into Earthspace, bringing ten million years of tactical experience to the Lifer Army of God. Along with General Lang and the Ghosts, Shocktread became one of the core commanders of the war-time Army of God.

            When Artemis fell at Boston, it was Shocktread who accompanied her body to her stellar tomb. She left Earth then, unbound by its laws and treaties, and left for the Big Black. She knew her one time rival, one time mentor would live again, and began intensive training and bio-system upgrades to be ready for her call. Her current whereabouts are unknown to humanity, but rumor of her presence beyond human explored space terrifies the Choicer military agencies tasked with tracking her.

            Shocktread is a massive Tyrakron warrior sheathed in black steel plating that gleams like oil at night. Her already massive frame is made even more imposing by the thick treads that gird her shoulder plating, upper shoulders and hips. On Earth, she redesigned her breast plate and torso cladding for a more feminine shape, and took on purple trim and Lifer rank insignia, even altered her vocal processors to give her words a smoky, feminine and determined cadence. However, she did nothing to soften the multiple layers of cranial armor protecting her facial sensors and systems. Like Artemis herself, Shocktread is armed with a single massive cannon, an anti-matter containment bottle worn on her left forearm, which glows like a dying star. 

            Shocktread is a brilliant general, using her occult and alien abilities to enhance the troops under her command, or to augment tactical maneuvering. She prefers hit and run strikes and well-planned ambushes, and is patient enough to abort a strike if conditions are not exactly right. She is lethally efficient against armed combatants, and shows no mercy and little emotion in battle. However, she has little taste for atrocity and will make a few tactical concession to minimize civilian causalities. While on Earth, she fought fully in accordance with the Geneva and Baghdad Conventions.

Upcoming: Battlechangers and Psi-Watch Bestiary

Having a full time job and 48 hours of work each week, minimum means I'm a little less dependent on RPG releases to pay my rent. That means that instead of smaller releases, I can work on bigger, more impressive books- quality over the blind grabbag of quantity. More art, more content, just better overall.

So what's in the pipeline?

Well, Battlechangers: Ironworks is just waiting on the last artwork from Amanda, Vic and Anthony. Than I'll lay it out and put it up on RPGnow. I plan to support it with Battlechangers: Multiverse, later in the year, which will be a big race-specific bestiary, focusing not only on pre-built NPC Battlechangers, but iconic characters from the non-D20 Battlechangers Quick Play RPG, as well as native bio-mechanical beasties. Also expect to see Battlechanger Iconic Characters built with specific settings in mind, like Otherverse America, Black Tokyo, Psi-Watch and Heavy Future. Eventually, probably at the end of the year, I'll recycle all these resources and more, to publish Battlechangers: Generation Two, a comprehensive second edition of the original Quick Play RPG. The mechanics for that are already finished, so e-mail me if you want a playtest packet.

I just sent a copy of Culture of Choice to my artists, so they can pick through it and select their illustrations. What Black Feats did for Black Tokyo, updating all the feats and powers fully to the Pathfinder system, Culture of Choice will do for the Choicer heroes of Otherverse America. I'll do similar sourcebooks (as yet unnamed) for the Lifers and Fed-Gov within the year.

Finally, I'm actively working on a yet-unnamed Psi-Watch Bestiary, which will be similar in size and complexity to the other monster books I've put out this year. That'll take longer. With Black Bestiary and Closed, I had a core of critters to draw upon from previous sourcebooks. I don't have as much material for Psi-Watch, and it takes a while to fill up a 200 page book with stat blocks. Expect this one in a few months.

So what art am I showing you today? A work in progress image of a Tyrakron robot from Battlechangers. I asked Anthony to make the robot look similar to the Bay Decepticons, as I've always wanted a visual distinction between the Tyrakron and Freegear factions. Freegear look very Gen 1, while Tyrakrons look very Bay-formers. Both are awesome, iconic looks, and making your factions visually distinct, as with the Lifers and Choicers in O.A. makes it easier for readers to get a handle on them.

I also asked Anthony to homage this image from Marvel Comics, wherein the Decepticon Straxxus dispenses death to a couple Autobot POWs.

Next up is a very rough sketch of Anthony's cover for the unnamed Psi-Watch monster book. As you can see, I decided to make the setting's Sentinel analouges, the Watchtower mecha the core baddies. Good choice, I think, especially with this awesome cover.

Blessed Be,
CHRIS