Oh weird on the template - it wasn't following the usual setup. I've fixed it. It should just a small fix on your part - moving some text around mostly. Since this one isn't your issue, I can fix it for you if you'd like. Your call.
For the PA/Mecha thing, you could just say something like, "While the suit operates in a fashion similar to a Power Armor, its size, weapons, and durability put it into a class akin to that of smaller Mecha." and then you're good to go.
DR is
mostly about size, not durability or weapon compliment. A simple example would be that a Light PA with Zesu might be more durable than a Heavy PA with aluminum armor. At the end of the day, weapon effectiveness, armor, etc, is entirely up to GM discretion. A single torpedo could take out an entire space station (ala the Death Star) if the plot calls for it. Trying to go up (or down!) a DR class without changing the size of the thing in question to match breaks the entire system, so it's one of the few places where I'll draw a hard line.
(Personally, I'd recommend making it a Heavy PA with heavy armor - which is what the description says it is. It won't change how you use it in RP at all, but will make it the 'most' correct to the rules.)
Zesu is definitely not for sale and anyone trying to sell stuff using it is likely going to run afoul of the Star Army. Additionally, the way its made means that it can't be reshaped. You're completely welcome to grab some scraps, track down an aether cutter of some kind (which has its own 'legal' headaches, but it could be done) and attach those to individual units or use them as shields/swords.
There's some history of making katanas out of wrecked ships, so there's precedent here. If you
do really want to use ship scraps as part of the submission's armor, we should loop in Wes/a Yamatai FM on that one just to make sure he's cool with it and talk through the potential IC ramifications. I'm happy to help you work through that if you really want to pursue it, but I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't make you fully informed of all the concerns around it.
As for having used it in RP already - we can't really use that to establish precedent, because until something has been formally approved it's not
really approved for use in character. I'm down for working with you to have your submission match your vision as much as we can make it work, though!
So, that's a lot of text, so in summary..
- Our bad on the template. I've fixed it in a small way to make it more inline with the Mindy and other PAs that your Silverback should match format with. I can fix it or you can.
- DR - you can go up in size and just make it clear that it is a light mecha that's just big enough to cross the threshold, but still operates like a PA. Or keep it as a Heavy PA, which is probably more accurate.
- Either remove the Zesu or work with Wes/Andrew/Ra to find a way for Psychopomp to use it that feels right. I'm fine with this being legal or not legal, IC, so long as everyone else is and we call it out appropriately in the article.
- The other stuff from the previous post still stands afaik.
Thanks for getting back to me so quick, Ace. I know this is a lot of
text but the actual changes needed are pretty minor for the most part.