Coffin Crushers Comic RPG!!

As you may have read over here we recently brought to you exclusive pre-release pieces from the successfully funded Coffin Crushers Comic. We obviously recommend checking that out.

The style and setting of Coffin Crushers was so evocative, and being huge tabletop rpg fans, we soon started talking about how awesome it would be to play in this setting. So that’s what we did. The first question was what rules system to use. We discussed the superlative Savage Worlds, but it lacked the mecha element that would be so central to the game (although the sci-fi compendium does have done rules for this).

Going through my collection of books I found a small treasure from a previously backed kickstarter campaign. That was Tiny Frontiers. Ostensibly a sci-fi space setting and system I remembered it has a modular mecha system. Originally planning to have players play as the protagonists from the comic I ultimately felt it would give players more creative freedom to play as aspiring coffin crusher pilots. The essential mechanic in tiny frontiers is that a skill check succeeds by rolling a 5 or 6 on a D6, usually rolling 2 of them, but adding or subtracting a die for advantage or disadvantage accordingly. The simplicity of this system meant that I could focus on the narrative aspects of Coffin Crushers rather than getting bogged down by too many rules. As aspiring pilots who have built their own mechas, the PCs mechas, in addition to having their compliment of systems, also had some kind of fault to represent the hobbled together nature of their constructions. Players made these up and negotiated with the GM how they would be implemented.

Here's the characters the three players created:

Name: Terris

Skills: Educated, Marksman, Ecologist

Weapon Prof.: Light ranged (Crossbow)

Mecha systems: Organic Materials, Swarm Missiles, Self-repair

Mecha hindrance: Organic Materials will ‘eat’ pilot if they don’t get enough organic matter regularly

This was an interesting one, and pushed the boundaries (probably broke them) of the comic setting. Terris’s mecha had a fungus that somehow bonded with vampire DNA and gained which gave it additional protection with self repair and reactive armour. The downside is that the vampiric DNA needs regular organic matter to feed from, otherwise it will start to ‘eat’ the pilot.

Name: Kell

Skills: Tough, Berserker, Opportunist

Weapon Prof.: Melee (Stakehammer)

Mecha systems: Enhanced armour, Emergency power, Self repair.

Mecha hindrance: The mechas weapon is a massive hammer instead of an arm – but it only has one arm.

Kell is bit of a badass. Designed for melee combat Kell is highly efficient when things get close and personal.

Name: Ray

Skills: Sneaky, Trap Master, Vigilant

Weapon Prof.: Light Ranged (Stake thrower)

Mecha systems: Stake Cannon, Self repair, Target tracking

Mecha hindrance: Overactive self-repair

Ray is the sneaky one, with good targeting and trap making skills. His mecha does have a tendency to ‘repair’ certain parts of itself making parts like elbow joints and hands seize up. If it ain't broke.. fix it until it is!

So that was the first session, took a little longer than expected but we all had bags of fun forging our places in the Coffin Crushers universe. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Coffin Crushers RPG as we see our band of plucky pilots and their trusty mechas set off on their first adventure!

Check out Part 2 here