Vehicles: Difference between revisions
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__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
<span style="font-size:larger">See also [[Mecha]].</span> | |||
=Vehicles= | =Vehicles= | ||
A vehicle might be little more than a means of getting somewhere. But it could be a source of extra firepower...or even part of a character concept! A fighter plane or mecha might be the high-tech equivalent of a knight's trusty steed, and a party on the move might call a pirate ship or star cruiser "home" for adventure after adventure. | A vehicle might be little more than a means of getting somewhere. But it could be a source of extra firepower...or even part of a character concept! A fighter plane or mecha might be the high-tech equivalent of a knight's trusty steed, and a party on the move might call a pirate ship or star cruiser "home" for adventure after adventure. | ||
==Vehicle Statistics== | ==Vehicle Statistics== | ||
{{Vehicle Statistics}} | |||
==Basic Vehicle Movement== | ==Basic Vehicle Movement== | ||
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|-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | |-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | ||
|8||align="left"|[[Utility Helicopter]]||87||+1/2||11f||3/110||10||3.5||+5||3+14||5/20||370||$8M||g1H3W||0||align="left"|[1] | |8||align="left"|[[Utility Helicopter]]||87||+1/2||11f||3/110||10||3.5||+5||3+14||5/20||370||$8M||g1H3W||0||align="left"|[1] | ||
|-align="center" valign="top" | |||
|9||align="left"|[[Tactical Tilt-Rotor]]||130||-1/4||12f||4/200||20||3||+6||2+18||30||?||$40M||gt3WrWi||0||align="left"|— | |||
|-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | |||
|9||align="left"|[[Tilt-Rotor Transport]]||130||-1/4||11f||4/200||20||4||+6||2+28||6||?||$20M||G3WrWi||0||align="left"|— | |||
|} | |} | ||
====PILOTING/TL (VERTOL)==== | ====PILOTING/TL (VERTOL)==== | ||
{| | {| | ||
|- | |-valign="top" align="center" | ||
!TL!!align="left"|Vehicle!!ST/HP!!Hnd/SR!!HT!!Move!!LWt.!!Load!!SM!!Occ.!!DR!!Range!!Cost!!Loc.!!Stall!!align="left"|Notes | !TL!!align="left"|Vehicle!!ST/HP!!Hnd/SR!!HT!!Move!!LWt.!!Load!!SM!!Occ.!!DR!!Range!!Cost!!Loc.!!Stall!!align="left"|Notes | ||
|-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | |-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | ||
|9||align="left"|[[Air Car]]||45||+2/3||11f||4/190||1.2||0.4||+3||1+3P||4||900||$500K||G4W||0||align="left"|— | |9||align="left"|[[Air Car]]||45||+2/3||11f||4/190||1.2||0.4||+3||1+3P||4||900||$500K||G4W||0||align="left"|— | ||
|-align="center" valign="top" | |||
|9||align="left"|[[Utility Vertol]]||90||+3/3||11fx||4/200||10||2||+5||2+8S||30||?||$12M||g3Rr||0||align="left"|— | |||
|-align="center" valign="top" style="background:#eeeeee" | |||
|11||align="left"|[[Nuclear-powered Vertol]]||100||+3/4||11||10/350||12||4||+5||2+12PSV||90||?||$24M||g3Rr||0||align="left"|— | |||
|} | |} | ||
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===Combat Results and Hit Location=== | ===Combat Results and Hit Location=== | ||
A vehicle suffers damage like any | A vehicle suffers damage like any other artifact. Certain hit locations have special damage effects – see the [[Vehicle Hit Location Table]] for details. | ||
other artifact. Certain hit locations | |||
have special damage effects – see the | |||
Vehicle Hit Location Table | |||
details. | |||
Hit locations for a given vehicle | Hit locations for a given vehicle appear in the Locations column on the relevant vehicle table, or in the vehicle’s text description. Assume that attacks are aimed at the vehicle's body (equivalent to the torso on a living being) unless the attacker specifically stated that he was targeting another location. Alternatively, roll randomly for hit location. In all cases, only exposed locations can be hit; e.g., if a tank is behind a hill and only its turret is visible, the turret is the only valid target. | ||
appear in the Locations column on the | |||
relevant vehicle table, or in the | |||
attacks are aimed at the | |||
(equivalent to the torso on a living | |||
being) unless the attacker specifically | |||
stated that he was targeting another | |||
location. Alternatively, roll randomly | |||
for hit location. In all cases, only | |||
exposed locations can be hit; e.g., if a | |||
tank is behind a hill and only its turret | |||
is visible, the turret is the only valid | |||
target. | |||
An attacker can sometimes target a | An attacker can sometimes target a vehicle's occupants directly. This is only possible if the vehicle has an exposed rider (E), glass windows (G or g), or an open cabin (O), or if the occupants are on a ship's deck, cargo bed, etc. A rider has no cover; someone in an open or glass-windowed vehicle has partial cover (legs, groin, and half the torso). There is an extra -1 to shoot into or out of a window unless the occupant is actually leaning out. | ||
only possible if the vehicle has an | |||
exposed rider (E), glass windows (G or | |||
g), or an open cabin (O), or if the | |||
etc. A rider has no cover; someone in | |||
an open or glass-windowed vehicle | |||
has partial cover (legs, groin, and half | |||
the torso). There is an extra -1 to shoot | |||
into or out of a window unless the | |||
occupant is actually leaning out. | |||
===Collisions=== | ===Collisions=== | ||
For the purpose of attack and | For the purpose of attack and defense rolls, any attempt to use a vehicle as a weapon is a slam (see [[Slam]]), with the operator rolling against control skill to hit. If the intent is to ram, calculate collision damage normally. If the intent is to force another vehicle off the road, assess damage for a "side-on" collision, but damage is [[knockback]] only. For details, see [[Collisions and Falls]]. | ||
defense rolls, any attempt to use a | |||
vehicle as a weapon is a slam (see | |||
Slam | |||
rolling against control skill to hit. If | |||
the intent is to ram, calculate collision | |||
damage normally. If the intent is to | |||
force another vehicle off the road, | |||
assess damage for a | |||
For details, see | |||
=== | ===Who's at the Wheel?=== | ||
There are usually dire | There are usually dire consequences when a vehicle's operator is taken out of action (killed, fell off, abandoned the controls, etc.). A one- or two-wheeled vehicle, or a mecha walking on two or three legs, rolls over as if it had lost control. Other types of vehicle just charge ahead until they hit something – but roll 1d each turn. On a 6, or any roll greater than the vehicle's [[SR]], the vehicle goes out of control. Someone else can regain control, but may need a few seconds to reach the controls, depending on where he was. If the former operator is incapacitated, skill rolls will be at -2 or worse while his body remains in the way! | ||
taken out of action (killed, fell off, | |||
abandoned the controls, etc.). A one- | |||
or two-wheeled vehicle, or a mecha | |||
walking on two or three legs, rolls over | |||
as if it had lost control. Other types of | |||
vehicle just charge ahead until they hit | |||
something – but roll 1d each turn. On | |||
a 6, or any roll greater than the | |||
but may need a few seconds to reach | |||
the controls, depending on where he | |||
was. If the former operator is | |||
while his body remains in the way! | |||
===Leaking=== | ===Leaking=== | ||
A leak occurs when a floating | A leak occurs when a floating vehicle suffers penetrating damage to the body below its waterline, a balloon or airship takes any penetrating damage to the body, or a submerged vehicle takes penetrating damage to any location but an external mount. Use the [[Bleeding]] rule, but replace the [[First Aid]] roll to stop bleeding with a [[Crewman]] roll to patch the hole. | ||
body below its waterline, a balloon or | |||
airship takes any penetrating damage | |||
to the body, or a submerged vehicle | |||
takes penetrating damage to any | |||
Bleeding rule | |||
First Aid roll to stop bleeding with a | |||
Crewman roll to patch the hole. | |||
==Scaling Damage== | ==Scaling Damage== | ||
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[[Category:Rules]] | [[Category:Rules]] | ||
[[Category:Vehicles]] | [[Category:Vehicles]] | ||
[[Category:Technology and Artifacts]] | |||
[[Category:Low-Tech]] | |||
[[Category:High-Tech]] | |||
[[Category:Ultra-Tech]] |
Latest revision as of 10:54, 2 November 2014
This page has not been finished up!
See also Mecha.
Vehicles
A vehicle might be little more than a means of getting somewhere. But it could be a source of extra firepower...or even part of a character concept! A fighter plane or mecha might be the high-tech equivalent of a knight's trusty steed, and a party on the move might call a pirate ship or star cruiser "home" for adventure after adventure.
Vehicle Statistics
The tables in this section give statistics for common vehicle types, and note the skills required to operate them. Some vehicle systems, such as sensors or weapons, may require additional skills not listed here.
ST/HP: The vehicle's ST and HP. These are equal for a powered vehicle: the vehicle's mass determines both how powerful its engine must be (ST) and how hard it is to destroy (HP). For an unpowered vehicle, this score is marked with a †, and represents HP only; ST is 0. Unpowered vehicles have Injury Tolerance (Homogenous); others have the Machine meta-trait, which includes Injury Tolerance (Unliving).
Hnd/SR: The first number is Handling; the second is Stability Rating. See Control Rolls for details.
HT: The vehicle's HT, a measure of reliability and ruggedness. Fragile vehicles have an additional code: "c" for Combustible, "f" for Flammable, or "x" for Explosive.
Move: The first number is Acceleration and the second is Top Speed, in yards/second (double this to get mph). These statistics are equivalent to a character's Move and his top speed with Enhanced Move. For ground vehicles, a * indicates a road-bound vehicle, while a ‡ indicates one that must follow rails. For spacecraft, divide Acceleration by 10 to find it in Earth gravities (G), and note that c means the speed of light (186,000 miles/second).
LWt.: Loaded Weight, in tons (1 ton = 2,000 lbs.), with maximum payload and a full load of fuel. Actual weight is often lower.
Load: The weight, in tons, of occupants and cargo the vehicle can carry, including the operator. To find cargo capacity, subtract the weight of occupants (for simplicity, assume 0.1 ton/person, including gear). To find "curb weight" (with fuel but no other payload), subtract Load from LWt.
SM: The vehicle's Size Modifier.
Occ.: The number of occupants the vehicle can carry in reasonable comfort, given as "crew+passengers"; e.g., 2+6 means two crew and six passengers. "A" indicates a vehicle built for long-term accommodation, with room to sleep, cook, etc. If the vehicle affords the occupants special protection, there is an additional code: "S" for Sealed, "P" for Pressure Support, or "V" for Vacuum Support.
DR: The vehicle's DR. Some vehicles have different DR on various faces or locations. The table lists the two most important DR scores – for ground vehicles, this is usually the front DR and the average of side and rear DR.
Range: The travel distance, in miles, before the vehicle runs out of fuel. For unpowered or exotic vehicles, "–" means only provisions (food and water) limit range. "F" means the FP of the rowers or draft animals, and stored provisions, limit range.
Spacecraft either omit this statistic or use the entry to give faster-than-light drive capabilities.
Cost: The vehicle's cost, in $. "K" means thousands; "M" means millions.
Locations: The vehicle's hit locations, besides its body. If a vehicle has multiple instances of a location, a quantity precedes the abbreviation; e.g., "3M" for a three-masted ship, or "14D" for 14 draft animals. A vehicle's hit locations determine both how it moves (see Basic Vehicle Movement, below) and what parts can be hit in combat (see Vehicle Hit Location Table).
Code | Location |
---|---|
A | arm |
C | caterpillar tracks |
D | draft animals |
E | exposed rider |
G | large glass windows |
g | small glass windows |
H | helicopter rotors |
L | leg |
M | mast and rigging |
O | open cabin |
R | runners or skids |
r | retractable |
S | large superstructure or gondola |
s | small superstructure |
T | main turret |
t | independent turret |
W | wheel |
Wi | a pair of wings |
X | exposed weapon mount |
Draft: For a watercraft, the minimum depth of water, in feet, it can safely operate in.
Stall: For an aircraft, the minimum speed, in yards/second, it must maintain to take off and stay airborne. "0" means it can hover.
Notes: Any special capabilities or problems the vehicle has. If the vehicle has complex systems, footnotes or a separate description will detail weapons and equipment.
Basic Vehicle Movement
When adventurers use a vehicle for transportation, it is usually enough to know how fast it can move (Top Speed, in yards/second) and how far it can travel (Range, in miles). The rules below are for those occasions when the details become important.
Long-Distance Movement
When covering significant distances, the following factors can be more important than Top Speed and Range.
Cruising Speed: Travel conditions, safety considerations, and the need to conserve fuel or energy mean that in practice, ground and air vehicles typically use only 60-70% of Top Speed when traveling long distances. An animal-drawn or rowed vehicle can only use its Top Speed for a few minutes – for the beasts or rowers, this is as fatiguing as running! The highest sustainable speed is about 75% of this, which is as fatiguing as hiking. If the beasts or rowers drop below 1/3 FP, halve Top Speed.
Endurance: Divide Range in miles by cruising speed in mph to determine endurance in hours for situations where "loiter" capability matters more than range. The vehicle must carry provisions in order to take advantage of endurance in excess of one day. Food and water are about 12 lbs. per person per day, but won't keep for more than a month before TL5 (at TL5+, canned goods and similar rations are available).
Convoys: Multiple vehicles traveling in convoy or formation move at 80% of the speed of the slowest vehicle, due to the need for station keeping. On a successful Leadership roll, use 100% of the speed of the slowest vehicle. For long journeys, roll daily.
Vehicle Tables
Ground Vehicle Table
TEAMSTER
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Dogsled | 27† | 0/2 | 12c | 6/6 | 0.29 | 0.14 | +1 | 1 | 2 | F | $400 | 14DER | [1] |
1 | Chariot | 22† | 0/2 | 11c | 4/9* | 0.29 | 0.2 | +1 | 1+1 | 1 | F | $330 | 2DE2W | [1] |
3 | Wagon | 35† | -3/4 | 12c | 4/8* | 0.84 | 0.5 | +2 | 1 | 2 | F | $680 | 2DE4W | [1] |
4 | Coach | 53† | -2/3 | 12c | 4/9* | 2.4 | 1.2 | +3 | 1+9 | 2 | F | $11K | 4DO4W | [1] |
DRIVING/TL (Locomotive)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Locomotive | 152 | -2/5 | 11 | 1/35‡ | 28 | 0.2 | +5 | 1+1 | 8 | 700 | $45K | 8W | — |
DRIVING/TL (AUTOMOBILE)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Roadster | 42 | -1/3 | 9f | 2/22* | 0.85 | 0.25 | +2 | 1+1 | 4 | 200 | $3.6K | O4W | — |
6 | Sedan | 46 | 0/4 | 10f | 3/30* | 1.3 | 0.5 | +3 | 1+3 | 5 | 360 | $8K | G4W | — |
6 | Jeep | 52 | 0/3 | 11f | 2/32 | 1.6 | 0.4 | +2 | 1+3 | 4 | 375 | $10K | O4W | — |
7 | Pickup Truck | 55 | 0/4 | 11f | 3/50 | 2.2 | 0.85 | +3 | 2 | 5 | 450 | $20K | G4W | — |
7 | Sedan | 53 | 0/4 | 11f | 2/55* | 1.8 | 0.6 | +3 | 1+4 | 5 | 500 | $15K | G4W | — |
7 | Van | 68 | -1/4 | 11f | 2/45* | 3.5 | 1 | +4 | 1+7 | 4 | 650 | $25K | g4W | — |
7 | Sports Car | 57 | +1/4 | 10f | 5/75* | 1.8 | 0.4 | +3 | 1+3 | 4 | 500 | $85K | G4W | — |
7 | Luxury Car | 57 | 0/4 | 11f | 3/57* | 2.1 | 0.6 | +3 | 1+4 | 5 | 500 | $30K | G4W | — |
8 | Porsche 911 Carrera GTS |
59 | +2/4 | 11f | 8/92* | 2 | 0.437 | +3 | 1+3 | 4 | 439 | $120K | G4W | — |
8 | SUV | 68 | -1/4 | 11f | 3/50 | 4 | 1.5 | +3 | 1+4 | 5 | 400 | $45K | G4W | — |
9 | LSU Surveillance Van | 75 | -1/4 | 12 | 2/68* | 2.83 | 1.2 | +4 | 1+6 | 5 | 2,000 | $88K | g4W | — |
9 | Smart Car | 46 | +1/5 | 12 | 3/60* | 1.4 | 0.6 | +3 | 1+4 | 5 | 400 | $20K | G4W | — |
10 | Dynamic Car | 40 | +2/5 | 12 | 6/75* | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1 | +4 | 10 | $30,000 | G4W | — |
DRIVING/TL (HEAVY WHEELED)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 2½-Ton Truck | 88 | -1/4 | 11f | 1/24* | 8.5 | 3 | +4 | 1+2 | 5 | 375 | $17K | G6W | — |
7 | Bus | 100 | -2/4 | 11f | 1/30* | 14.7 | 6.7 | +6 | 1+66 | 4 | 400 | $120K | G4W | — |
8 | Semi-Truck | 104 | -1/5 | 12f | 2/55* | 10.3 | 0.3 | +4 | 1+2 | 5 | 1,200 | $60K | G6W | [2] |
9 | Wheeled ATV | 100 | -1/4 | 12 | 2/40 | 10 | 2 | +5 | 1+9PVS | 40 | 400 | $200,000 | g8W | — |
DRIVING/TL (MOTORCYCLE)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Hvy.Bike | 33 | +1/2 | 10f | 5/32* | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 200 | $1.5K | E2W | — |
7 | Scooter | 29 | +1/2 | 10f | 3/27* | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 190 | $1K | E2W | — |
7 | Hvy.Bike | 33 | +1/2 | 11f | 8/55* | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0 | 1+1 | 4 | 200 | $8K | E2W | — |
7 | Sports Bike | 30 | +2/2 | 10f | 9/78* | 0.42 | 0.2 | 0 | 1+1 | 3 | 150 | $11K | E2W | — |
DRIVING/TL (MECHA)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | Exo-Spider | 80 | +2/2 | 13 | 8/16 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 1+4PVS | 70 | 360 | $200,000 | g6L | — |
DRIVING/TL (TRACKED)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | APC | 111 | -3/5 | 11f | 1/20 | 12.5 | 1.6 | +4 | 2S+11S | 50/35 | 300 | $120K | 2CX | [3] |
9 | Light Battle Tank | 150 | -2/5 | 11 | 2/25* | 30 | 1 | +5 | 2S | 500/200 | 100 | $8M | 2CTt | — |
Notes:
- [1] Draft animals are dogs for the dogsled, and horses for the chariot, wagon, and coach.
- [2] Hauls a 48' semi-trailer. With the trailer, Hnd/SR is -3/4 and Move is 1/30*. Trailer is HP 100†, Load 24, SM +5, and DR 3.
- [3] "APC"” means "armored personnel carrier." The higher DR applies only to attacks from the front. Mounts a machine gun (7.62mm or .50) on an external mount on the roof.
Watercraft Table
BOATING/TL (UNPOWERED)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Locations | Draft | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Canoe | 23† | +1/1 | 12c | 2/2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | +1 | 2 | 2 | F | $200 | O | 3 | — |
BOATING/TL (MOTORBOAT)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Draft | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Inflatable Boat | 20 | +2/2 | 11 | 2/12 | 0.6 | 0.5 | +1 | 1+4 | 2 | 100 | $2K | O | 2 | — |
7 | Speedboat | 50 | +1/3 | 11f | 3/20 | 2 | 1 | +2 | 1+9 | 3 | 200 | $18K | O | 3 | — |
SHIPHANDLING/TL (SHIP)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Draft | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Penteconter | 85† | -4/3 | 11c | 1/5 | 12.5 | 7.5 | +8 | 55 | 3 | F | $14K | MO | 6 | [1, 2] |
3 | Cog | 147† | -3/4 | 12c | 0.1/4 | 85 | 60 | +7 | 18 | 5 | — | $23K | M | 13 | [1, 3] |
6 | Tramp Steamer | 750 | -3/6 | 11f | 0.01/6 | 14,000 | 9,000 | +10 | 41+29A | 30 | 7,200 | $15M | g2S | 25 | — |
SUBMARINE/TL (MINI-SUB)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Draft | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Deep-Sea Minisub | 150 | 0/3 | 12 | 1/6 | 28 | 1 | +6 | 6PS | 100 | Unl. | $25M | 2Argst | 10 | — |
9 | Supercav Minisub | 135 | +1/3 | 11 | 8/150 | 20 | 0.5 | +5 | 2PS | 30 | 200 | $30M | gst | 6 | — |
Notes:
- [1] A "penteconter" is a Greek war galley with a sail and a single bank of oars, favored by raiders and pirates. A "cog" (or "roundship") is a single-masted medieval sailing ship.
- [2] Using oars, with 50 rowers. Under sail, Range is "–" and Move is 1/4 in a fair wind. Has a bronze ram, which adds +1 per die of collision damage.
- [3] Wind-powered. Weight includes ballast.
Aircraft Table
PILOTING/TL (LIGHT AIRPLANE)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | "Barnstormer Biplane" | 43 | +2/3 | 10f | 2/37 | 0.9 | 0.2 | +3 | 1+1 | 3 | 85 | $55K | O2WWi | 23 | — |
7 | Light Monoplane | 45 | +2/3 | 10f | 3/70 | 1.15 | 0.3 | +4 | 1+1 | 3 | 500 | $150K | G2WWi | 25 | — |
PILOTING/TL (LIGHTER-THAN-AIR)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Blimp | 120 | -4/3 | 10 | 1/38 | 18 | 4 | +10 | 10A | 1 | 2,300 | $3M | S | 23 | — |
PILOTING/TL (HEAVY AIRPLANE)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Twin-Prop Transport | 100 | -2/3 | 12f | 2/114 | 12.8 | 3 | +7 | 2+21 | 4 | 1,500 | $340K | g3WWi | 34 | — |
6 | Business Jet | 84 | 0/3 | 11f | 4/275 | 9.2 | 1.6 | +6 | 2+6P | 5 | 1,300 | $10M | G3WWi | 55 | — |
PILOTING/TL (HELICOPTER)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Light Helicopter | 47 | +2/2 | 10f | 2/90 | 1.5 | 0.5 | +4 | 1+3 | 3 | 225 | $400K | GH3Wr | 0 | — |
7 | Utility Helicopter | 70 | 0/2 | 10f | 2/65 | 4.7 | 1.4 | +5 | 2+12 | 3 | 300 | $2M | g1H2R | 0 | — |
8 | Utility Helicopter | 87 | +1/2 | 11f | 3/110 | 10 | 3.5 | +5 | 3+14 | 5/20 | 370 | $8M | g1H3W | 0 | [1] |
9 | Tactical Tilt-Rotor | 130 | -1/4 | 12f | 4/200 | 20 | 3 | +6 | 2+18 | 30 | ? | $40M | gt3WrWi | 0 | — |
9 | Tilt-Rotor Transport | 130 | -1/4 | 11f | 4/200 | 20 | 4 | +6 | 2+28 | 6 | ? | $20M | G3WrWi | 0 | — |
PILOTING/TL (VERTOL)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Air Car | 45 | +2/3 | 11f | 4/190 | 1.2 | 0.4 | +3 | 1+3P | 4 | 900 | $500K | G4W | 0 | — |
9 | Utility Vertol | 90 | +3/3 | 11fx | 4/200 | 10 | 2 | +5 | 2+8S | 30 | ? | $12M | g3Rr | 0 | — |
11 | Nuclear-powered Vertol | 100 | +3/4 | 11 | 10/350 | 12 | 4 | +5 | 2+12PSV | 90 | ? | $24M | g3Rr | 0 | — |
PILOTING/TL (CONTRAGRAVITY)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Stall | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
^ | Grav Bike | 30 | +4/2 | 11 | 20/80 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0 | 1+1 | 3 | 1,000 | $25K | E | 0 | — |
^ | Grav Jeep | 50 | +3/3 | 12 | 10/100 | 2 | 1 | +4 | 1+5 | 4 | 2,000 | $400K | O | 0 | — |
Notes:
- [1] Rotors have DR 20; all other locations have DR 5.
Spacecraft Table
PILOTING/TL (AEROSPACE)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move (G) | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Orbital Clipper | 170 | -2/3 | 10fx | 30/9,000 (3G) | 515 | 10 | +9 | 2+4SV | 4 | $350M | - | [1] |
PILOTING/TL (HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPACECRAFT)
TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move (G) | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
^ | Shuttlecraft | 136 | +2/4 | 12 | 20/c (2G) | 100 | 25 | +6 | 1+10SV | 100 | $35M | 3Rr | [2] |
^ | Star Freighter | 500 | 0/5 | 11 | 15/c (1.5G) | 1,000 | 400 | +9 | 2+18ASV | 100 | $100M | 3Rr2t | [2, 3] |
Notes:
- [1] The orbital clipper is a Space Shuttle replacement that can boost to Earth orbit and make reentry. Uses ordinary Newtonian space flight. Cost drops to M$70 at TL10+.
- [2] Uses reactionless or gravitic thrusters to accelerate to light speed (c) – or whatever fraction of c the GM sets as a limit. Star drives and force fields, if any, are up to the GM.
- [3] Has hyperspectral sensors (Hyperspectral Vision, with 360° Vision and Telescopic Vision 10) and radar (Radar, 500,000 yards, Targeting). Its two independent turrets can, at extra cost ($0.5M apiece), mount laser cannon: Damage 6d×5(2) burn, Acc 10, Range 100,000/300,000, RoF 4, Rcl 1.
Traveling
Control Rolls
A vehicle operator must make a "control roll" – against Boating, Driving, Piloting, etc., as appropriate – in any potentially hazardous situation. The GM may require a roll every few hours in an ongoing situation such as a fierce storm, or every few seconds in combat!
Modifiers: The vehicle's Handling (Hnd) statistic modifies all control rolls. For sudden deceleration or tight turns, see Pushing the Envelope. Visibility modifiers (-1 to -9 for darkness, fog, etc.; -10 for total darkness) apply if there is risk of collision; they aren't important when trying to weather a storm at 30,000 feet or in the mid-Atlantic, but they're crucial if you're zigzagging through mountains, landing or taking off in an aircraft, sailing just off a rocky coast, etc. See the relevant vehicle skill for other modifiers. The GM may assess situational modifiers as he sees fit.
On a failure, the operator does not perform the maneuver properly, or fails to avoid the hazard. Failure by no more than the vehicle's Stability Rating (SR) is a minor problem; e.g., a car skids off the road, or a ship loses a few hours of travel. More severe failure means a major problem; e.g., a crash. The GM may allow a second control roll, at a hefty penalty, to keep a major problem from becoming a total disaster; the modifiers should depend on the exact action(s) the operator takes. On a critical failure, disaster is inevitable!
Large vehicles may require a roll against both the master's Shiphandling skill and the crew's average Crewman skill. Use the average margin of success or failure.
See also:
Ground Travel
A ground vehicle moves on wheels, runners, tracks, or legs, as indicated by the notation in its Locations entry. The average speed it can sustain on a journey depends on the terrain and the weather. See Hiking for definitions of terrain and weather conditions.
Terrain: Figure cruising speed in mph from Top Speed in yards/second as follows:
- Very Bad (deep snow, swamp): Top Speed × 0.1 mph on wheels or runners, Top Speed × 0.15 mph on tracks, Top Speed × 0.2 mph on legs.
- Bad (hills, woods): Top Speed × 0.25 mph on wheels, Top Speed × 0.5 mph otherwise.
- Average (dirt road, plains): Top Speed × 0.5 mph on wheels, Top Speed × 1 mph otherwise.
- Good (paved road, salt flats): Top Speed × 1.25 mph.
For a road-bound vehicle (e.g., a normal car), use Top Speed only when traveling on a road. Off road, use the lower of Top Speed and 4 × Acceleration in these formulas.
Example: A luxury car with Move 3/57 gets an average travel speed of 57 × 1.25 = 71 mph on a paved road (Good). On a dirt road (Average), it could manage 57 × 0.5 = 28 mph. But off road in Average terrain, it would drop to 3 × 4 × 0.5 = 6 mph!
For a vehicle that follows rails (e.g., a locomotive), treat the rails as Good terrain. However, the vehicle cannot move at all off the rails!
These rates assume sustained travel at a safe cruising speed. A vehicle going flat out can move up to 60% faster (e.g., Top Speed × 2 mph over Good terrain, like a road), but the GM may require hourly control rolls to avoid a mishap, such as a collision.
Weather: This affects ground vehicles just as it does hikers. Treat sleds and snowmobiles as skates on ice and as skis on snow.
Water Travel
A powered vessel moves at Top Speed × 2 mph. A sailing craft moves at Top Speed × 2 mph in ideal wind conditions; actual speed can drop to a fraction of this – or even zero – depending on wind direction and strength. A rowed vessel can only sustain a speed of Top Speed × 1.5 mph (and even this will eventually fatigue the crew).
Currents can increase or reduce speed directly – typically by a few mph, depending on the current. Heavy seas (caused by high winds) usually reduce speed. An unpowered vessel faced with a storm may require Shiphandling and Seamanship rolls by captain and crew to avoid being blown off course or worse.
Draft: "Draft" is the distance between the vessel's waterline and its keel. In water shallower than this, it will run aground. Re-floating it requires waiting for a change in tide, or jettisoning ballast or payload. In waters of unknown depth, it is best to proceed slowly and cautiously! (Roll against Area Knowledge to recall depth, or against Navigation (Sea) to read charts.)
Air Travel
An aircraft's cruising speed is about Top Speed × 1.6 mph. Powered aircraft can reach Top Speed × 2 mph at the cost of burning 50% more fuel, reducing Range. Supersonic aircraft (Move 360+) can only use their full Top Speed at high altitudes where the air is thin (15,000' and above). At low altitudes, Top Speed rarely exceeds 350-400 (700-800 mph).
The GM should require control rolls for landings during bad weather or visibility, and when traveling at high speeds at very low altitudes or through mountains. Winds and storms affect balloons and airships much as they do sailing vessels.
Ground Speed: A powered air vehicle can usually taxi at up to 2/3 its stall speed.
Space Travel
It takes about (0.10 × velocity in yards/second)/(Acceleration in G) seconds to reach a given cruising velocity. A spacecraft moving at that velocity takes roughly (0.5 × distance in miles)/velocity hours to travel a given distance. For comparison, the moon is around 0.25 million miles from Earth, and Mars is 34 million miles away at its closest approach.
Example: To accelerate to a velocity of 90,000 yards/second in a spacecraft with an acceleration of 1.5G would take (0.1 × 90,000)/1.5 = 6,000 seconds, or about 1.7 hours. At a velocity of 90,000 yards/second, you would reach Mars in (0.5 × 34,000,000)/90,000 = 189 hours.
TODO NOT FORMATTED FROM THIS POINT ON
It is common to give interplanetary
distances in "astronomical units"
(AU). One AU is 93 million miles, the
average distance from the Earth to the
Sun. Interstellar distances are often
given in light-years (5.865 trillion
miles) or parsecs (3.26 light-years).
Earth's nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha
Centauri, is 4.3 light-years away.
For a spacecraft that uses a Newtonian reaction drive (e.g., any real-life rocket), Top Speed is really "delta-v”: the maximum change of velocity it can perform before running out of reaction mass (rocket fuel, etc.). Each acceleration or deceleration “costs” a fraction of this delta-v.
To lift into low Earth orbit requires Move 8,700. To achieve planetary escape velocity and leave orbit requires an extra Move 3,600. For other planets, multiply these velocities by the square root of (M/R), where M is planetary mass in Earth masses and R is plane- tary radius in Earth radii. In addition to having sufficient delta-v, the space- craft’s acceleration must exceed the planet’s gravity (1G, for Earth).
Travel through interplanetary space requires using up the required delta-v to achieve the desired velocity, coasting as described above, then using delta-v to slow to the velocity needed to enter orbit at the destination.
Example: A spacecraft in Earth orbit has a delta-v of 200,000. It uses 3,600 to break orbit and 90,000 to accelerate to a cruising velocity (Move 90,000). It drifts at that speed for 1.5 hours to reach the moon, and then use another 88,500 to decelerate to the moon’s orbital velocity. Its remaining delta-v is 200,000 - 3,600 - 90,000 - 88,500 = 17,900.
Some superscience space drives don’t have to worry about delta-v – the spacecraft can accelerate constantly! The only requirement for such a spacecraft to leave a planet is that its acceleration exceeds the planet’s grav- ity. When it travels long distances, it requires time in hours equal to the square root of (50.8 × distance in mil- lions of miles/Acceleration in G) to complete the trip.
If a spacecraft is capable of faster- than-light travel, its performance depends on what kind of superscience exists. The GM should design a drive to suit his campaign. See the Hyperjump enhancement on the Warp advantage (p. 97) for one possibility.
Vehicle Weapon Mounts
Any weapon built into a vehicle is considered "mounted." The type of mount determines the weapon's stability and arc of fire. For the effects of these mounts on ranged attacks from moving vehicles, see Ranged Attack Modifiers.
Arm Mount (TL8): If a vehicle has arms or strikers, these may contain weapons or have hands to carry them. They attack using the rules for handheld weapons.
Carriage (TL3): Some ships have weapons on wheeled carriages or sleds, either on deck or firing through ports. Treat these as fixed mounts, but skill is not limited to control skill, as the gun crew can use ropes to aim the weapon.
External Open Mount (TL1): Also called a pintle mount, deck gun, etc. Such a weapon can elevate to fire upward or swivel to fire in other directions. However, it isn't actually in the vehicle; the weapon and its crew have no protection.
External Stabilized Open Mount (TL7): As above, but with gyro-stabilization to reduce penalties for firing on the move.
Fixed Mount (TL1): You aim the gun by aiming the vehicle; e.g., a cannon in the nose of a jet fighter. The weapon can only shoot in one direction. The mount specifies which: [F] to the front, [R] to the right, and so on. The operator rolls against the lower of his Gunner skill or his control skill to hit.
Hardpoint (TL6): Aircraft often mount weapon pods, bombs, or missiles on pylons under their body or wings. Treat these as fixed mounts, but apply a -1 to Accuracy. External weapon loads like this count as encumbrance.
Stabilized Turret (TL7): As below, but with gyro-stabilization to keep the weapon aimed at the target regardless of the vehicle's motion.
Turret (TL5): This is a turret (or head) with weapons built into it. It can swivel to change facing independently of the vehicle. Large turrets are usually powered.
Basic Vehicle Combat
“Vehicle combat” is any combat that involves handheld weapons fired from within a vehicle (e.g., bank rob- bers shooting from a getaway car), weapons mounted on a vehicle (such as a fighter jet, tank, mecha, or spy car), or attacks that use the vehicle itself as a weapon (ramming, punch- ing and kicking with the arms and legs of a mecha, etc.).
In the rules below, a vehicle’s “oper- ator” is the person at the controls. A “control skill” is the skill the operator uses to direct his vehicle; e.g., Driving or Piloting. An “occupant” is anyone in or on the vehicle – operator, crew, or passenger.
Tactical Combat with Vehicles: When using the rules in Chapter 12 with vehicles, you can represent vehi- cles with models or multi-hex coun- ters drawn at three feet to the inch.
Maneuvers
Treat a vehicle as an extension of its operator. It moves on the operator’s turn, at his place in the turn sequence (as determined by his Basic Speed). To control his vehicle, the operator must take a Move or Move and Attack maneuver on his turn – but it’s the vehicle that moves or attacks, while the operator remains at the controls. If the operator takes any other maneu- ver, or is stunned or otherwise inca- pacitated, his vehicle plows ahead with the same speed and course it had on the previous turn.
The vehicle’s other occupants take their turns at their place in the turn sequence. They may use vehicle sys- tems, provided they are stationed next to the appropriate controls and take a suitable maneuver: Concentrate to use instruments or electronics, Attack or All-Out Attack to fire vehicular weapons, etc.
Occupants leaning out windows, standing on a deck, etc. may find Attack or even All-Out Defense prefer- able to All-Out Attack, as they will have a defense if someone attacks them instead of the vehicle. This mat- ters most for vehicles with an exposed rider (E), glass windows (G or g), or open cabin (O), and for crew manning exposed weapon mounts (X).
Bailing Out of a Moving Vehicle: Anyone who jumps or falls from a moving vehicle and hits the ground suffers a collision with an immovable object, at the vehicle’s speed. If the vehicle was flying, add falling damage as well. For details, see Collisions and Falls (p. 430). To jump between two moving vehicles, make a DX or Jumping roll. Apply the penalty for relative speed given on the Size and Speed/Range Table (p. 550).
Movement During Combat
As explained under Vehicle Statistics (p. 462), a vehicle’s Move score is split into two numbers: Acceleration and Top Speed. Acceleration functions just like Basic Move for a character; at this speed or less, the vehicle has no special restric- tions on movement. At higher speeds – anything up to Top Speed – use the High-Speed Movement rules (p. 394), but substitute control rolls (see Control Rolls, p. 466) for DX rolls.
Acceleration: A vehicle can acceler- ate up to its Acceleration each turn. A diving flyer may add 10 × local gravity in Gs (1G on Earth) to this.
Deceleration: A powered, wheeled ground vehicle can decelerate by 5 yards/second per turn. An animal- drawn or tracked, walking, or slither- ing ground vehicle can decelerate by 10 yards/second per turn. Most air and water vehicles can decelerate by (5 + Handling) yards/second per turn (minimum 1 yard/second). These rates assume safe deceleration. It is possible to decelerate further with a successful control roll, as explained under Pushing the Envelope (p. 395); failure means a loss of control.
Movement Control Rolls
The operator must make a control roll whenever he attempts a risky maneuver or encounters an obstacle, and whenever his vehicle suffers knockback or major damage. On a failure, he loses control of the vehicle. If you are using a rulebook that sup- plies a “crash table” for that type of vehicle, roll on the table; otherwise, see the applicable paragraph below. In addition to these results, a failed con- trol roll always erases any accumulat- ed bonuses for Aim maneuvers, and gives a penalty equal to the margin of failure to any attack from the vehicle until the operator’s next turn.
Air Vehicle: Failure by the vehicle’s Stability Rating (SR) or less means the vehicle loses 5 yards of altitude and decelerates by 10 yards/second. If it was flying dangerously low or slow, it could hit the ground or stall; other- wise, it just blunders ahead. Failure by more than SR, or critical failure, means an uncontrollable dive, tailspin, etc. If the vehicle was climbing, it stalls, then starts to fall; otherwise, it dives at Top Speed each turn. Either way, on subsequent turns, the operator must make a Piloting-5 roll to pull out!
Ground Vehicle: Failure by SR or less means the vehicle skids and fails to go in the intended direction if you were trying to turn – or veers random- ly left or right otherwise. The GM determines if it hits something. Failure by more than SR, or critical failure, means it rolls or spins out and crashes. It skids or rolls for a distance equal to 1/3 its current velocity before coming to a stop, and suffers falling damage based on the velocity it had when it lost control.
Space or Underwater Vehicle: Failure by SR or less means the vehicle charges ahead or veers randomly instead of per- forming the intended maneuver; if it was trying to avoid an obstacle, it fails to do so. A submarine also loses 5 yards of depth, which might lead to a crash. Failure by more than SR, or critical fail- ure, results in severe stress. Make a HT roll for the vehicle; on a failure, it suf- fers stress-related damage: a leak, engine failure, etc.
Water Vehicle: Failure by SR or less means exactly what it does for a ground vehicle. In addition, anyone standing on an open deck must make a ST or ST-based Seamanship roll to hold on or be washed overboard. Failure by more than SR, or critical failure, means the vehicle capsizes! Those on deck are tossed overboard automatically. An “unsinkable” vehicle like a surfaced sub, rubber raft, or canoe can be righted. Other vehicles simply sink.
Weapon Fire from a Moving Vehicle
When using a weapon from a moving platform – be it a Tommy gun from a getaway car, or a javelin from atop one of Hannibal’s elephants – it’s usually harder to hit your target than when you’re standing still or moving yourself. The penalty depends on how rough the ride is and whether you’re using a weapon mount or a handheld weapon – see Ranged Attack Modifiers (p. 548).
It’s even harder to shoot straight if you don’t know when the vehicle will weave or dodge! If the vehicle dodged and you aren’t the operator, you have an extra -2 to hit, or -4 if flying.
Aiming on the move is particularly difficult. The combined bonuses from aiming (Accuracy, extra turns of Aim, targeting systems, and brac- ing) cannot exceed the SR of a moving vehicle unless the sights or mount are stabilized. Also apply this limit when firing from a station- ary vehicle that is bobbing in the water or floating in turbulent air. In space, only apply this limit when maneuvering, not when moving in a straight line.
It is also important to consider apparent relative speed. If two cars are rushing toward each other on a collision course, the speed of one, relative to the other, may be over 120 mph . . . but the apparent relative speed is zero. Only apply speed penalties for crossing targets. Ignore the speed of targets moving more or less directly toward or away from you.
Attack
Mounted Weapons: Vehicle occu- pants can attack with the vehicle’s built-in weapons, provided they are manning weapon stations. At TL6+, many armed vehicles have targeting systems (optical sights, radar, com- puters, etc.) that add a bonus to the gunner’s effective skill, just like a tel- escopic sight. Most of these systems only work if the gunner takes an Aim maneuver. A good TL6 optical sight might add +2 to skill. A typical TL7-8 system, with computerized laser- or radar-directed fire control, would give +3.
Ramming: The vehicle operator can use the vehicle itself as a weapon; see Collisions and Falls (p. 430). Melee Attacks: If the vehicle has arms or legs, the operator can use it to punch, kick, grab, etc. as if it were an extension of his body.
Handheld Weapons: The viability of handheld weapons depends on the vehicle and the situation. Shooters in or on open vehicles, like jeeps and motorcycles, can fire in almost any direction. Occupants of enclosed vehi- cles must shoot through or lean out of an open window, door, hatch, port, or firing slit. Shots fired through a glass windscreen “star” it, rendering it opaque; it takes a Ready maneuver to clear away the broken glass. Shooting through a window is unwise if the vehicle is sealed, pressurized, or has vacuum support – it may result in a leak or explosive decompression!
If the operator fires a handheld weapon, he must take a Move and Attack maneuver. This gives him -2 to hit or a penalty equal to his weapon’s Bulk, whichever is worse – his atten- tion is divided between driving and shooting. Do not apply this penalty to mounted weapon attacks, ramming attempts, or vehicular melee attacks.
Defense
A vehicle's operator may maneuver evasively to avoid attacks on his vehicle. Treat this as a dodge; see Dodging. A vehicle's Dodge score is (operator's control skill/2) + vehicle's Handling, rounded down. For example, a biker with Driving (Motorcycle)-14 on a motorcycle with Handling +1 has a Dodge of 14/2 + 1 = 8.
The GM may require Dodge rolls to avoid other hazards, such as baby carriages and potholes, or to maneuver through tight spots. These could be instead of control rolls, or to avoid disaster after failed control rolls!
Occupants who are free to move (not strapped in, etc.) may dodge attacks specifically targeted on them, but they get no defense against stray shots or attacks that penetrate the vehicle and go on to strike them.
Combat Results and Hit Location
A vehicle suffers damage like any other artifact. Certain hit locations have special damage effects – see the Vehicle Hit Location Table for details.
Hit locations for a given vehicle appear in the Locations column on the relevant vehicle table, or in the vehicle’s text description. Assume that attacks are aimed at the vehicle's body (equivalent to the torso on a living being) unless the attacker specifically stated that he was targeting another location. Alternatively, roll randomly for hit location. In all cases, only exposed locations can be hit; e.g., if a tank is behind a hill and only its turret is visible, the turret is the only valid target.
An attacker can sometimes target a vehicle's occupants directly. This is only possible if the vehicle has an exposed rider (E), glass windows (G or g), or an open cabin (O), or if the occupants are on a ship's deck, cargo bed, etc. A rider has no cover; someone in an open or glass-windowed vehicle has partial cover (legs, groin, and half the torso). There is an extra -1 to shoot into or out of a window unless the occupant is actually leaning out.
Collisions
For the purpose of attack and defense rolls, any attempt to use a vehicle as a weapon is a slam (see Slam), with the operator rolling against control skill to hit. If the intent is to ram, calculate collision damage normally. If the intent is to force another vehicle off the road, assess damage for a "side-on" collision, but damage is knockback only. For details, see Collisions and Falls.
Who's at the Wheel?
There are usually dire consequences when a vehicle's operator is taken out of action (killed, fell off, abandoned the controls, etc.). A one- or two-wheeled vehicle, or a mecha walking on two or three legs, rolls over as if it had lost control. Other types of vehicle just charge ahead until they hit something – but roll 1d each turn. On a 6, or any roll greater than the vehicle's SR, the vehicle goes out of control. Someone else can regain control, but may need a few seconds to reach the controls, depending on where he was. If the former operator is incapacitated, skill rolls will be at -2 or worse while his body remains in the way!
Leaking
A leak occurs when a floating vehicle suffers penetrating damage to the body below its waterline, a balloon or airship takes any penetrating damage to the body, or a submerged vehicle takes penetrating damage to any location but an external mount. Use the Bleeding rule, but replace the First Aid roll to stop bleeding with a Crewman roll to patch the hole.
Scaling Damage
Large vehicles such as tanks, warships, and starships can have huge DR and HP scores, and their weapons can inflict massive amounts of damage. To avoid excessive die rolling, it is best to adjust the damage scale.
Decade Scale (D-Scale): Use this for battles involving tanks or ships – or even supers. Divide DR, HP, and damage dice by 10 before combat starts. Round fractions of 0.5 or more up. (Exception: If the converted damage is under 1d, treat fractions up to 0.25 as 1d-3, fractions up to 0.5 as 1d-2, and larger fractions as 1d-1.) Convert damage multipliers to dice first; e.g., 6d×25 becomes 150d, which scales to 15d. Do not divide armor divisors.
Century Scale (C-Scale): Use this for combats involving huge vehicles, such as giant space battleships. Follow the rules above, but divide by 100 instead of by 10.
Example: A tank has DR 700 and 300 HP; its main gun does 6d×30(2) and its machine gun does 7d. In D-scale, it would have dDR 70 and dHP 30; its main gun would do 6d×3(2) and its machine gun would do 1d-1.
After the battle, multiply remaining HP by 10 or 100, as appropriate, to convert back.