Welcome to the Nebula California

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Welcome to the Nebula California
Product information
Type	Sourcebook/Plotbook (April Fools joke)
Development	Ben Rome
Primary writing	Herb A. Beas II Paul Sjardijn
Pages	74
Cover Artwork	Matt Cross, David Kerber
Interior Artwork	Matt Cross, David Kerber
Publication information
Publisher	Catalyst Game Labs
Product code	E-CAT35APR23
First published	1 April 2015
MSRP	(free)
Content
Era	Dark Age
Timeline	3105
Series	April Fools releases

Welcome to the Nebula California is a humorous sourcebook and plot book, released as a free 2015 April Fools product.

The sourcebook is done in the style of an Interstellar Expeditions report on the rimward region of space known as the California Nebula. The report details several inhabited worlds that are incredible different (to the BattleTech universe) civilizations. However, the expedition also faces the inability to return to the Inner Sphere.

The sourcebook provides regional data, character creation rules, record sheets, Alpha Strike Cards, weapons/equipment rules, and units customized for this non-canon adventure.

Official Product Description

“

I Think I Feel a Song Coming On! ComStar lied! (We know: Big shock!) They said they checked out this distant rimward nebula, which ancient charts called “California” for some reason. Perhaps because someone in IE’s corporate mish­mash of a leadership didn’t trust them—or more likely because they forgot that there even was a report from the Explorer Corps—the loose confederation of explorers, prospectors, and dig gypsies who make up Interstellar Expeditions thought they’d check it out again... Contrary to an unremarkable (and uninhabited) region of stars surrounded by the dusty shell of a millions­-year-­old explosion, IE’s expedition to the California Nebula has made some startling discoveries! Welcome to the Nebula California (AKA Explorer’s Report: California Nebula) offers a few new venues for off­beat BattleTech adventures far from the hustle, bustle, and yet predictable chaos of the Dark Age­ era Inner Sphere. Here, far from known civilizations (and from HPGs!), are worlds, societies, and technologies unlike any seen back home! Special rules, back-stories,and yes, even record sheets, are included for a host of new (and hopefully unique) ...things, ready for play in your (really) advanced BattleTech and A Time of War games.

”

Content

• Explorers Report: California Nebula
• Monsters of Iron and Fire (Short Story)
• The Forgotten Kingdoms of Toreel
• The Star Empire

  Technical Specs - T-Fighter 

  Technical Specs - X-Fighter 

  Technical Specs - Scout Walker 

  Technical Specs - Assault Transport 

• Drones of Syberia

Selected Syberia Drone Units

• Seeker-Class Fighter Mech 

  Sounder-Class Wheeled Mech 

  Beetle-Class Wheeled Mech 

  Grimdark-Class Bestial Mech 

  Tankus-Class Tracked Mech 

  Leader-Class Wheeled Mech 

• The Superior Humans of "Earth"

  Circulus Oculus 

  Irapuman 

  Jane Grey 

  Magnetman 

  Scalawag 

  Skunk Bear 

  Spider-Lad 

  Upariman 

• Conclusions
• Rules Annex

  Castles and Critters / Roadfinder 

  Force Gets Disturbed 

  Till Are Won 

  Earth's Haughtiest Heroes

• Record Sheets
• Alpha Strike Data Cards

Summarized Technical Specifications: Star Empire

• T-Fighter: 8-Ton Aerospace Fighter with a 10-rated Fusion Engine (giving a meager 2.5G acceleration factor), 500 kilograms of Commercial Armor, and armed with two Laser Cannons.
• X-Fighter: 30-Ton Aerospace Fighter with a 30-rated Fusion Engine (2.5G), 2 tons of Commercial Armor, four Laser Cannons, two Proton Torpedo Launchers with 3 shots each, and a Fighter-scale Deflector Shield. A variant exists which trades each Laser Cannons for an Inner Sphere Medium Laser.
• Scout Walker: 12-ton Scout Mech, equipped with a 75-rated Fuel Cell (giving it 5/8/0 movement), a singular Dual Small Blaster Cannon, a single Large Blaster Cannon, one Vehicular Grenade Launcher and 1.5 tons of Standard Armor.
• Assault Walker: 120-ton Superheavy Quad Mech, functioning as a troop transport. It is protected by 7 tons of Industrial Armor, carries a pair of Laser Cannons and a pair of Large Blaster Cannons, has two infantry compartments (each of which can house 21 troops), and a 1-ton cargo bay which houses 5 hover bikes. A 360-rated Fusion Engine gives it a 3/5/0 movement profile.
• Laser Cannon: Technically a plasma weapon, and not an actual laser. The size, range and mass of this weapon are all identical to a Medium Laser, but the heat and damage are both identical to a Large Laser.

Notes

As an April Fools product, this PDF is explicitly considered non-canonical. The book also serves as parody book, with a number of references to favorite science fiction genres and franchises. The name of the product is a nod too the song "Hotel California" by the rock band, the Eagles.

Included in the book are sections which parody Dungeons and Dragons, Transformers, Star Wars, and both the Marvel and DC super hero universes.