Chapter 4: Vehicle Combat

In general, combat involving vehicles works much like combat among characters and creatures. The main difference lies in the fact that vehicles can have multiple crew on-board who can act independently.

Vehicle Crew:

Typically, small vehicles have only one crewmember who does every task. However, vehicles can have multiple crewmembers for different positions (such as a pilot, an engineer, and a gunner). Large vehicles require a number of assistants for every crew position. So, a single engineer position on a scale 6 sailing ship requires 20 assistant engineers who do not make skill checks, but allow the head engineer‚s skill checks to function properly. Gunners never need assistants, although for some weapons one or more loader may be necessary for it to function practically in a combat situation.

Driver or Pilot:  

1.   Drive: The pilot flies the ship, drives the car, etc.. Generally speaking, the pilot moves the vehicle using the same rules that he uses to move himself. Any techniques the pilot has (such as Fast and Sprint) affect the vehicle, too. A vessel with multiple pilots can‚t move faster than it could with only one „ that is, no more than six seconds of movement per round. Multiple pilots can each move the vehicle for a few seconds on their turn, and spend the rest of their time doing something else. Only one pilot can make dodge or flare defence rolls per round (does not have to be the same pilot making the flare and dodge rolls, however)
2.   Move: The vehicle moves up to its speed. All other crew can go about their business normally. This takes a one second action from the Driver for every second of movement made by the vehicle. Generally, vehicles can run like humans can. Some vehicles might be able to climb or jump (the pilot makes a check using his athletics or drive skill bonus, whichever is lower)
3.   Cruise [Space Only]: This is a 0SA, though it cannot be taken if the vehicle moved that second. The vehicle continues at the same speed and direction as it did the second before. This action may only be done in a Zero-G, frictionless environment (such as in space).
4.   Attack: the Pilot usually fires any fixed-forward guns. This uses his drive or ranged skill modifier, whichever is lower. This functions as a regular attack, just that the pilot can use the ship‚s weapons (or any handheld weapons) to make them. He can use combos as usual.
5.   Dodge: The Pilot makes Dodge Defence rolls using his Drive modifier or Reflex modifier, whichever is lower. They function in all ways like a regular dodge (limited effectiveness against area attacks without Evasion, etc.)
6.   Deploy Flares: If the vehicle is equipped with flares, the Pilot can make defence rolls against guided missiles with the Pilot skill.
7.   Other Actions: Generally speaking, the pilot can make the vehicle anything that could be done as a character, such as block (if it has a shield) with the shield use skill, parry (if it has a melee weapon) with weapon skill, etc.. For any physical skill check, the pilot uses his Drive/Pilot skill modifier or his relevant skill modifier, whichever is lower.

Example 1: In this example, the pilot is flying an Interceptor in an encounter with a pair of Drone Swarmers. The pilot is 3.5km away from the Swarmers. The Interceptor has a move speed of 75m, but the Pilot has Fast (+1 square, or 8m) and Run (5x run speed), so on his first turn, he uses the run action, but decides not to use Afterburners to save on power. This takes his whole turn. He moves 2430m this turn (75m speed +8m [from Fast] all times 5 [from Run] per second for six seconds). This puts him 1070m from the drones. One of them has been modified to fire missiles, and shoots a guided rocket at him. The other fires its autocannon. The pilot deploys flares against the rocket, and attempts to dodge the autocannon rounds. Fortunately, he is successful.

In his second turn, the pilot uses Cruise to continue moving towards the Drones for 2 seconds, while he Aims his railgun. This moves him another 830m towards the drones, putting him 240m away „which is in the guns‚ second range increment. Fortunately, having aimed, he ignores the range penalty and fires his .50 rail gun. He uses a combo with three attacks, so he shoots one drone once and the other twice. The first drone is takes more damage than its toughness and begins dying, the second drone dodges one and is wounded by the other attack.

Example 2: In this example, the pilot is an inexperienced pilot but skilled fighter in a Charon assault mech battling a forest troll. The combatants are 10m away from eachother.

The pilot, nervous to close with the troll, opens by emptying his wrist-mounted PDW. His combo normally allows him three attacks, and the PDW runs dry in two. The Pilot has a +0 Pilot skill and is not proficient with light mechs, so takes a -1 improficient penalty. He normally has a +2 ranged skill modifier, but uses his lower pilot skill. His total attack bonus is +2  (-1 improficiency, -1 scale, +2 for point defence weapon, +2 for auto 2, +0 from skill). The pilot ignores the Charon‚s normal -1 mobility penalty because he has the Armour: Skirmisher technique. The forest troll has target 3, so the pilot hits both times. The troll lacks lightning reflexes, so cannot dodge the bullets. The pilot rolls 11 and 14 for damage, so wounds twice (the troll has toughness 18/12, but the PDW fires AP1 rounds). He uses his third attack to fire the held Heavy Machine gun, which only has a +0 attack bonus (it isn‚t point defence). The pilot curses as he rolls a 2, his shots went wide. He tosses the gun aside and draws his mighty Ogre Sword in his remaining 2 seconds.

The troll, enraged by the bullets, closes the distance to the armoured vehicle (2 seconds of movement moves him 8m closer to the Charon, bringing the vehicle within reach of the troll‚s claws). The troll then uses ROAR (charge, two attacks, Massive Damage). The troll rolls 5 and 2, so he hits the Charon (target 3) once, and misses with the other. The troll rolls 1d8 + 8 for damage, getting a 15 on a lucky roll of 7. The Charon is wounded as the claws rake the tough cerametal plating.

On his second turn, the pilot slashes the troll three times with his Ogre Sword. The pilot isn‚t a trained swordsman, but the improficiency penalties with the vehicle and the weapons don‚t stack. The pilot has +1 weapon skill, but is hampered by his +0 pilot bonus. His total attack modifier is -2 (+0 skill, -1 improficient, -1 scale). Of his three attacks, he only hits once. The mech‚s servos awkwardly respond to his clumsy commands, and he deals a mighty 15 AP2 damage with the diamond-edged blade. The troll is wounded.

Commander/Captain: The captain can make Charisma checks to inspire the crew, Intimidate checks on the crew of other vehicles (if you have open channels of communications), persuasion checks to negotiate with the enemy, and ingenuity checks to try to gain a tactical advantage.

If each character has their own ship, they should all be captains, and control all the NPCs under their command.

If the party all are in the same ship, the Captain can double as another roll ƒ especially the Pilot, who doesn‚t do a lot in large vessels (due to massive mobility and size penalties), or a Gunner.

Regardless of rank, PCs should probably not be ordering other PCs around on a regular basis.

Gunner:  

1.   Attack: The gunner can fire a vehicle-mounted weapon in the same way that he can fire a handheld one, except it is the vehicle itself that wields the weapon (the gunner doesn‚t have to be superhumanly strong to pull the trigger on a tank cannon, for example).  Only one gunner can fire a particular weapon per turn, but a ship can (and often does) have several gunners; one for every weapon.

Loader: Some weapons are best suited for use with a loader. The loader can reload a weapon in-between attacks from the gunner. Loaders typically have the Rapid Reload technique, and are often gunners-in-training.

Engineering: many larger vessels carry multiple engineers, and smaller ones often don't carry any.

1.   Repairs: The Engineer can attempt to repair the vehicle. see the Engineering Skill.
2.   Angle Shields: If the vehicle is equipped with Shields, the Engineer can make Shield defence rolls against enemy attacks. These use his Engineering skill, and can be made as an immediate 4SA. If successful, the shields take damage instead of the hull. Unlike normal defence rolls, this can be made after another defence roll has failed, such as Flares or Dodge or ECM.
3.   Raise/Lower Shields: Takes a 2SA, and is usually seen as a sign of hostile intent. Activating shields costs power points. See the shield‚s description for more information.
4.   Overcharge Shields: The engineer can attempt to boost power to the shields. This takes a 4SA, and has a Engineering DC of 8. This increases the shield's toughness by +1, but costs one additional power point per round. Reversing this is only a 2SA.
5.   Hypercharge Shields: The engineer can try to further power an overcharged shield generator. Every round, the Engineer can make a Engineering check to channel more power into the shields. The DC starts at 9 and goes up by 1 every turn, but increases the toughness of the shields by a further +1. See the Hypercharge chart, below, to find out how much power this costs per turn.
6.   Overcharge Engines: The engineer can attempt to boost power to the engines. This takes a 4SA and has a Engineering DC of 6, and increases the vehicle's speed +50%. This doesn‚t affect Warp drive or any other faster-than-light method of travel. Costs 1 pp per round. Reversing this is only a 2SA, and does not require a skill check.
7.   Overcharge Weapon: The engineer can attempt to increase the power of one of the ship's weapons. This takes a 4SA, with a Engineering DC of 10. Success confers one of the following benefits to the weapon:
8.   Increase rate of fire by 1 (Automatic weapons only). This increases recoil accordingly
9.   Increase damage by 1 (energy weapons only)
10.   Increase blast by 1 scale (plasma weapons only)
11.   Increase range by +50%

Every attack the weapon makes costs 1 pp. Disabling this modification is a 2SA. The same weapon can have multiple modifications, but each of a different type. PP costs stack.

1.   Hypercharge Weapon: An overcharged energy weapon can have further power routed through it. This takes an additional full round action from Engineering per round. Every round, the Engineer makes a Engineering check, with the DC increasing by +1 every round (starting at 11). Success increases the damage of the weapon by a further +1. The increases stack. However, every increase also adds one more power point than the one before. Roll a D20 when firing the weapon. On a 1 or 2, the weapon overheats. If the weapon has been hypercharged for two rounds, on a roll of less than 4 it overheats, for 3 rounds roll of less than six, etc

1.   Overcharge Strength: The engineer can attempt to increase power to the motors, engines, hydraulics, etc.. This has a DC of 12 and takes a 4SA. A successful attempt boosts the vehicle's strength by +1, but drains 1 pp per round. Changing this back is a 2SA.

ECO (Electronic Communications Operator): On smaller vessels, this role is sometimes combined with the Commander and/or Engineer. Larger vessels frequently have multiple ECOs. Two ECOs cannot use the same sensors or other equipment at the same time, so vehicles with multiple ECO positions often have multiple sensor or radar devices. The primary skill for an ECO is Science (Computers and Electronics)

1.   Jam Communications : This takes a 4SA every round in which you want to continue jamming communications, and requires a communications jammer. Communications can be jammed with a radio instead of a communications jammer, but at a -2 penalty. To jam communications, make a Science (Computers) check against DC 8. If you succeed, all wireless communications devices in range can no longer broadcast signals without a Science (Computers) check from their operator. This check is opposed by your initial roll and takes a standard action.
2.   Operate Sensors: Operating sensors does not take an action. The ECO can use the vehicle‚s onboard sensors (such as radar) to make sensor percpeption checks. This uses the operator‚s Science (Computers) skill instead of Perception, and uses the equipment‚s longer view distance.
3.   Sensor Scan: As a 4SA, the ECO can make concerted effort to discern information about another vessel, object, planet, creature, etc.. The base DC is 4 (modified by range, as always). For every point by which the DC is beaten, one new fact is discovered. See the charts for more information. A high result tells you everything in that row, and on earlier ones, too. A previously scanned target can be scanned again with a cumulative +1 bonus.

Vehicles:

Planet:

1.   Triangulate: The ECO can try as an immediate 4SA to locate a ship or object that is broadcasting. If the ship is using any communicators, the ECO can make a Science (Computers) check against DC 8 or an opposed check by the ECO aboard that ship (whichever is higher) to locate it, even if it is invisible to sensors.
2.   Blind Target: Takes a 4SA and requires a DC 8 Science (Computers) check. Choose one target vessel within communications range. The ECO on that ship may not use Operate Sensors on any round you use Blind Target unless he or she beats you in an opposed Science (Computers) check. Characters on board the Blinded vessel are forced to use Perception to locate enemies. This requires a computer and the Hack technique.
3.   Activate Countermeasures: requires the vehicle have ECM. Using ECM requires active effort, and the ECO must concentrate to do so. This may be started as an Immediate 4SA and continue as long as the ECO concentrates on it. While activating countermeasures, the ECO can use his Science (Computers) Skill to make defence rolls against guided missiles. Treat your Science (Computers) Skill as if it were staggered rather than fast (half your modifier, round down).
4.   Deploy Chaff: An immediate 4SA. Grants the vehicle sensor concealment for one round. This requires chaff.
5.   Deploy Smoke: An immediate 4SA. Grants the vehicle visual concealment for one round. This requires smoke launchers.

Movement in Vehicles:

In general, vehicles move just like characters do. There are a few exceptions for non-bipedal vehicles, however:

1.   Most vehicles can‚t enter the square (of their scale) that they just left. If they wish to turn around, they have to go around that square. In this sense, larger vehicles are less manoeuvrable than smaller ones ƒ they have a larger area to move around.
2.   Vehicle Mobility Penalties only apply to the Drive modifier of the pilot for the vehicle, and not to other dex-based skills. They still reduce the vehicle's speed by one square at its scale (except in space, see Zero-G combat).

Flight:

Depending on the method used to achieve flight, vehicles manoeuvre a little differently. If the vehicle is using fixed-wing movement, such as from jet engines or propellers, it risks stalling if it doesn‚t move at least 5 squares horizontally every round. Otherwise, flying vehicles can move up, down, and horizontally at their speed. This is a bit of an abstraction, but it keeps the game simple.

Stalling:

A stall occurs when a vehicle dependant on wings fails to achieve the requisite lift . This happens when  the vehicle does not move at least 5 squares horizontally in a round. Jets and propellers stop functioning, and the vehicle must attempt to glide. To pull out of a stall, the pilot must succeed in a DC 8 pilot check as a 4SA. The DC decreases by 1 point every round after the vehicle begins to stall.

Space Travel:

Launching:

The first, and some would say trickiest, step of space travel is getting out of the planet‚s atmosphere.

Movement in Space;

1.   Flying vehicles can never stall in space
2.   A character without Zero-G Training gets a -2 mobility penalty in a no or very low gravity environment
3.   Mobility penalties (such as from armour or carrying capacity) do not apply to speed, but still apply to Drive checks and other dexterity-based skills

Mech Combat:

  Works just like character-scale combat, with the following exceptions:

1.   Drive Skill: Whenever you make a physical skill check (dexterity, endurance, or strength) from a mech, you use your relevant skill modifier or your Drive Skill, whichever is lower. Without the proper mech operation technique, your drive skill modifier is treated as 0. For example, if you are trying to make a Dodge defence, and you have a +6 acrobatics modifier but only a +4 drive modifier, you would use the +4 bonus.
2.   Use the mech's stats in place of yours. Use the mech's strength, toughness, size, scale, speed, etc.

Flight:

  Flying Vehicles have the following statistics:

1.   Flight Speed: the maximum speed at which a flying vehicle can travel.
2.   Minimum Flight Speed: the slowest the vehicle can move without stalling is three squares of its size, unless it can hover
3.   Theatre: Either atmospheric or space, sometimes both. An atmospheric vehicle in a vacuum will not function, and vice-versa.
4.   Runway Distance: Vehicles must move a distance of 100 squares of their scale to take off. For a vehicle to land or take off on another vehicle, that vehicle must be large enough to include the runway distance. The first turn after an air vehicle takes off, it is treated as flat-footed.

Ramming and Collisions:

If a vehicle collides with another object, creature, or vehicle, there are often catastrophic results.

In the event of a collision (one vehicle moving into the occupied square of another) follow the following procedure:

1. Roll to evade: All creatures, vehicles, etc. can make a Dodge roll to avoid taking damage. The DC is 4.

2. Damage: All targets involved that fail their dodge roll take damage equal to 1d6 + the Base Toughness (from size) of the smallest vehicle (or creature or object) plus 1 per 10 squares of move speed made by the fastest vehicle

In the event of a deliberate Ram by one vehicle, use this procedure instead:

1. Enter the defender‚s area

2. Roll to evade: the defender (s) makes a Dodge roll. The DC is 4 + the attacker's Pilot modifier - the vehicle‚s scale

3. Damage: both sides take the smaller vehicle‚s Ram damage. If the defender took a wound, the attacker may continue moving and either bring the defender along for the ride or leave him behind.

Vehicle Destruction, Damage, and Repairs:

Wound: When a vehicle takes more damage from a single hit, it is dealt a wound. Wounds function identically with vehicles as they do with creatures. To remove a Wound, the vehicle requires repairs.

Dying and Destruction: Vehicle destruction works almost identically to character death. If a vehicle ever takes more than its Toughness in damage from a single hit, it becomes disabled. A dying vehicle must make a DC 4 strength check every round, with a -1 penalty per wound. Success means it gets to make another check next round. For every failed check, the DC increases by 1. If the DC becomes too high for the vehicle to be able to succeed (ex., it has strength 3 and the DC is higher than 9), then the vehicle is destroyed. If a dying vehicle gets wounded while dying, it is destroyed. Every round a vehicle is dying for, roll once on the Calamity chart.

For every wound a vehicle has, roll once on the Calamity chart to see what happens to it when it starts dying. Multiple of the same effect means reroll. If the effect doesn‚t apply, roll again.

A dying vehicle has a 10% (a roll of 10 on a d10) chance to stabilize each round. A stabilized vehicle is still immobile, but is no longer in danger of dying. A successful Repair check from Engineering (which takes 1 4SA) can also stabilize a dying vehicle.

If a vehicle dies, it explodes. Look at the vehicle‚s Reactor to see how big and powerful the explosion is. The default damage is 1d12 + the vehicle‚s base Toughness (6 at scale 0, 9 at scale 1, etc.) from size in Heat and Slashing damage.

Dying vehicles do not regenerate any pp.

Unless it is important, dying NPC vehicles can be ignored except as obstacles.

Destruction in Space: If a vehicle starts dying in space, there are a plethora of dangers to the crew. As soon as a vehicle starts dying, it begins to lose atmosphere. Certain areas may depressurize. Escaping from a wreck can be an adventure in itself.

Piloting a Dying Vehicle: A dying vehicle can still be controlled by a skilled enough pilot. The pilot takes a -3 penalty to pilot and must make a DC 6 check every round in order to move it at all. Failure means that it doesn‚t move (or, in space, it Cruises).

Vehicle Power

Any vehicle with an engine has a reserve of Power Points (abbreviated "pp.") The number of power points a vehicle has are based on its engine. A number of vehicular devices 'use up' power points to function. Power points are only regained when the vehicle refuels, recharges its batteries, etc.. Some engine types have a "recharge rate." This is the number of pp (per round) that the vehicle recharges, to a maximum of its normal amount of pp. Engine types with a recharge rate last, unless otherwise specified, essentially forever.

If a vehicle hits 0 pp (even if it can recharge) all electronic systems (i.e., basically everything) immediately shut down until the vehicle gets to 1 or more pp.

Long Distance Travel

Every 8 hours of operation at normal speed costs 1 pp, at double speed costs 2 pp, and at a run costs 4 pp. These costs are multiplied by (the vehicle‚s mobility penalty as a positive number +1). So, a vehicle with a mobility penalty of -1 would multiply the costs by 2. Since vehicles never tire, their maximum overland speed is their Run speed.

Vehicle Called Shots

Optional Rule: Physics

Obviously, the current spaceship movement rules are an abstraction. If you want to add a little realism, you can play with these optional rules.

In real life you can‚t stop on a dime, and there‚s no top speed in space. A spaceship has to spend as much of its energy slowing down as it does speeding up. These simple rules capture those dynamics without overly complicating gameplay.

Movement:

You carry your speed from the turn before. When you move on your turn, leave behind a …ghost‚ marker on the square you left. At the beginning of your next turn, put a marker ahead the same distance as between your current location and the ghost marker. You can move your ship anywhere within one movement distance from there as a 4SA (a single move) or double the distance (a double move). This allows you to attain incredible speed, but you should start decelerating ahead of time.

With Physics on, you do subtract your mobility penalties from your speed in squares, as in the atmosphere. This represents the slower acceleration of clumsier vehicles.

Missiles move at a speed of  600m per round (they are always Double Moving).

Round By Round Movement Examples:

Example One:

Round One:

A Frigate is moving through empty space. Frigates have a speed of six squares, so from a stationary start, these are the Frigate‚s options for moving (if it only moves once a round)

The Orange circle is the Frigate, and the shaded squares are the squares that the Frigate can move to this turn (ie, everywhere within six squares). The Frigate decides to move three squares south and once square east, which is well within the area it can move to. It leaves behind a ghost marker in the original square.

Round Two:

The Frigate places another ghost marker three squares south and one square east of its position at the start of round two, the same distance and direction it moved last turn. The Frigate can move to any square within six squares of the new ghost marker this turn.

The Frigate decides to turn, and goes three squares east and three squares north of the new ghost marker (or a total distance of four squares east of its current position).

The Frigate moves to the dark orange circle, which is within its ring of possible moves. It leaves behind a ghost marker at the light orange circle for next turn‚s movement.

Round Three:

Last turn, the Frigate moved a total of four squares east. So this turn, it places a ghost marker another four squares east of itself, and can move to within six squares of that marker.

Example Two:

Round One:

In this example, the Frigate has to narrowly dodge an obstacle. As before, the orange circle is the frigate, the shaded area shows the Frigate‚s possible moves, and the dark rectangle represents a wall the Frigate will try to avoid.

Foolishly, the Frigate flies towards the wall at full speed this round. It leaves behind a ghost token for next turn.

Round Two:

Since the distance at the start of the turn between the Frigate and the ghost token is 6 squares, place another token six squares in front of the Frigate‚s new position. The frigate can move anywhere within six squares of that token.

As you can see, this leaves the Frigate with limited options to avoid a collision. Note that even though the ghost is now on the far side of a wall, this does not necessarily mean a collision. The frigate is still travelling at a speed where it can avoid a crash. If it were going much faster, it would have to use a Jackrabbit stunt or possibly fire afterburners to avoid a crash. It chooses to fly south one square and east two squares.

By doing this, it avoids a collision with the wall. As always, leave behind a ghost token for next turn‚s movement.

Round Three:

The distance at the start of round three between the frigate and its ghost is one square south and two squares east, so place another token one square sound and two squares east of the Frigate.

Many of the available moves will still result in a collision, but the helmsman decides to fly away at full speed.

Changed Techniques:

Jackrabbit [Pilot]: Succeeding on a DC 8 Pilot check allows you to move your beginning of turn ghost marker up to one square closer than you. For every 1 point that you beat the DC by, you can move the marker an additional square closer to you. This allows you to make sharper turns.