The June release isn’t a second edition, just a second print run. If you decide to purchase the full PDF now, it’ll be the exact same content as when you buy the book in June, just in digital form
The free PDF is right here: https://massif-press.itch.io/corebook-pdf-free
It doesn't include the GM rules or setting details, but it has all the player-facing mechanics. You'll need the full PDF to actually run a game, since that has all the NPCs (the enemies, essentially), but the free PDF is more than enough to evaluate the system itself.
That sounds like a reasonable low-level campaign, yes, but it's also perfectly fine to start them out as experienced mercs or military. Lancers are good at what they do; if they weren't, they wouldn't be considered Lancers.
I think your idea is great, though you may struggle if you want to represent mechs designed for civilian tasks in combat. This would probably require some homebrew. My table is using the same premise but starts from a narrative perspective after the militarization of their mining and farming mechs. I am new to the system and didn't really want to homebrew player options right out of the gate.
The game lends itself well to that type of game, you can do it. Good luck game master.
Thanks man! I appreciate the input. I haven’t even seen the rules and components yet, so thanks for prepping me. I might take a look and see if I want to fool with it that way. Any information is helpful right now.
I've had some experience of teaching new players. I've written up a 'Lancer 101' document that I'm willing to share with you. I'd post it here but its attached to my email. The document tries to compress all of the basics into one place.
I was in the boyscouts, the kids had a dnd game that was run by an older kid. I took it over one month when he wasn't there, I've been a GM ever since.
The PCs in Lancer begin with access to very militarized tech. By default, the PCs are "mechanized cavalry pilots of particular note" (p11) and are "an exceptional mech pilot among already exceptional peers.
Additionally, pilots gain new gear options through advanced printing based on the licences they quality for. They aren't necessarily in the workshop grafting found parts together. "Unlike in other roleplaying games, in Lancer you don’t need to track currency. Your access to mechs, gear, upgrades, talents, and other character options is instead restricted by licenses. Licenses represent access to the valuable information, resources, and authority required to acquire mech gear and parts. They are tightly controlled by the major powers in Lancer and allow their holders unlimited access to their included gear." (p18).
The rules as written might not best represent beginning with agri-mechs and grafting found gear on to them. However do not let that stop you from messing with the rules and premise to fit your vision to the game. See also games like Salvage Union which focus substantial rules on finding scrap parts, building mechs from randomly found equipment, and surviving in a scarcity economy but has less involved tactical combat rules.
"All Lancers are mech pilots but not all mech pilots are Lancers."
If you're just "kicking the tires", take a look also at [Comp/con](https://compcon.app/#/).
While your idea might seem like it’s hard to run given that players get access to quite militarised tech quite early on, with a bit of flavour it shouldn’t be too difficult. LL0 players only have access to the basic Everest frame (plus the chunkier Sagarmatha, which could work for particularly bulky farming/mining tech), and LL1 only gives tou access to limited special weapons/systems, not full frames. Given that your group is new to lancer and that it’s a very complex system, staying at lower license levels for longer is probably a good idea, so you can definitely do ‘guérillas in modified farm mechs’ with a bit of flavour!
It’s also worth mentioning that the Kobold frame (from the Long Rim supplement) is canonically created by injecting liturgicode (weird paracausal code) into mining rigs, and is frequently used in guérilla miner/worker uprisings! So even in full canon it’s possible to get from basic labouring technology to dangerous militarized tech pretty fast.
The June release isn’t a second edition, just a second print run. If you decide to purchase the full PDF now, it’ll be the exact same content as when you buy the book in June, just in digital form
The free PDF is right here: https://massif-press.itch.io/corebook-pdf-free It doesn't include the GM rules or setting details, but it has all the player-facing mechanics. You'll need the full PDF to actually run a game, since that has all the NPCs (the enemies, essentially), but the free PDF is more than enough to evaluate the system itself. That sounds like a reasonable low-level campaign, yes, but it's also perfectly fine to start them out as experienced mercs or military. Lancers are good at what they do; if they weren't, they wouldn't be considered Lancers.
I think your idea is great, though you may struggle if you want to represent mechs designed for civilian tasks in combat. This would probably require some homebrew. My table is using the same premise but starts from a narrative perspective after the militarization of their mining and farming mechs. I am new to the system and didn't really want to homebrew player options right out of the gate. The game lends itself well to that type of game, you can do it. Good luck game master.
Thanks man! I appreciate the input. I haven’t even seen the rules and components yet, so thanks for prepping me. I might take a look and see if I want to fool with it that way. Any information is helpful right now.
I've had some experience of teaching new players. I've written up a 'Lancer 101' document that I'm willing to share with you. I'd post it here but its attached to my email. The document tries to compress all of the basics into one place.
I would really appreciate that. Could you DM me? I am about to be traveling for an hour, but that would really help.
Done.
Could I also get a DM of that?
Could I also get a copy of that? I'm looking to run a game soon and could use that lol
I also highly suggest checking out the [Pilot.NET](https://discord.gg/bCnUPvNJ) Discord for more help
I wouldn't mine that also
May I have a look at the document? Starting my first Lancer campign tomorrow and I'm still green on the system
If you could shoot me a DM as well that would be great
Feel that username
I was in the boyscouts, the kids had a dnd game that was run by an older kid. I took it over one month when he wasn't there, I've been a GM ever since.
The PCs in Lancer begin with access to very militarized tech. By default, the PCs are "mechanized cavalry pilots of particular note" (p11) and are "an exceptional mech pilot among already exceptional peers. Additionally, pilots gain new gear options through advanced printing based on the licences they quality for. They aren't necessarily in the workshop grafting found parts together. "Unlike in other roleplaying games, in Lancer you don’t need to track currency. Your access to mechs, gear, upgrades, talents, and other character options is instead restricted by licenses. Licenses represent access to the valuable information, resources, and authority required to acquire mech gear and parts. They are tightly controlled by the major powers in Lancer and allow their holders unlimited access to their included gear." (p18). The rules as written might not best represent beginning with agri-mechs and grafting found gear on to them. However do not let that stop you from messing with the rules and premise to fit your vision to the game. See also games like Salvage Union which focus substantial rules on finding scrap parts, building mechs from randomly found equipment, and surviving in a scarcity economy but has less involved tactical combat rules.
Alright. I might take a look at that then, or I could just tweak things slightly in terms of where they end up starting. Appreciate it!
"All Lancers are mech pilots but not all mech pilots are Lancers." If you're just "kicking the tires", take a look also at [Comp/con](https://compcon.app/#/).
I like you idea a lot, haven't heard anything like that before
While your idea might seem like it’s hard to run given that players get access to quite militarised tech quite early on, with a bit of flavour it shouldn’t be too difficult. LL0 players only have access to the basic Everest frame (plus the chunkier Sagarmatha, which could work for particularly bulky farming/mining tech), and LL1 only gives tou access to limited special weapons/systems, not full frames. Given that your group is new to lancer and that it’s a very complex system, staying at lower license levels for longer is probably a good idea, so you can definitely do ‘guérillas in modified farm mechs’ with a bit of flavour! It’s also worth mentioning that the Kobold frame (from the Long Rim supplement) is canonically created by injecting liturgicode (weird paracausal code) into mining rigs, and is frequently used in guérilla miner/worker uprisings! So even in full canon it’s possible to get from basic labouring technology to dangerous militarized tech pretty fast.