Back to Chapter Three: Advanced CombatBook Two: BattleForward to Chapter Five: Buildings

Chapter Four: Vehicles

In every age, there have been warriors for whom the delicious crunch of a hand weapon plunging into enemy flesh eventually ceases to satisfy. Their insatiable need for mayhem has driven them to create ever-greater machinery of destruction, from the Giant Rolling Boulders of the CaveMen to the ShermanTanx of ModernMen, from the Catapults and Mangonels of MedievalMen to the AntiMatter Howitzers of the SpaceMen. It is thanks to the constant innovation and psychopathic tendencies of this proud brotherhood that today we have the really, really big weapons that make hardened veterans wet themselves.

4.1 Building Vehicles


4.1.1 Building the Chassis

Vehicles are classified by the size of their chassis, or the base plate on which they are built.  This refers to the plate that the designer of the vehicle started to build with.  The following chart classifies all of the most popular sizes of chassis.  If you are determined to build big capital-ship vehicles larger than the "Enormous" class, build them as if they were Bases and don't move them around much.

Ground Vehicles
(i.e. motorcycles, dump trucks, sleighs, dune buggies, unicycles, racecars)
Chassis cost: 1 CP for One-Piece Ground Vehicles, or (chassis Size/10) CP, rounded up
Maximum Accel/Decel (A/D): ½ top speed
Cargo Capacity (C"): Power"
Treaded Vehicles
(and animals on legs: i.e. tanks, giant millipedes, bulldozers, horses; also includes Vehicles on Legs when not using Supplement RV: Robotic Vehicles)
Chassis cost: 2 CP for One-Piece Treaded Vehicles, or Class Number + (chassis Size/10) CP, rounded up
Maximum Accel/Decel (A/D): 1/3 top speed, can turn in place
Cargo Capacity (C"): (1.5 x Power)"
Class Size Move Power Armor TL Examples
1 One-Piece up to 10 16" 2 1d10+4 TL1 horses, chariots
2 Small 11 to 50 14" 4 2d10+4 TL2 horse-drawn carts
3 Medium 51 to 100 12" 6 3d10+4 TL2 catapults, siege towers
4 Large 101 to 250 10" 10 4d10+4 TL3 multi-horse carriages
5 Huge 251 to 400 8" 14 4d10+8 TL4 triple trailer big rigs
6 Enormous 401 to 600 6" 16 4d10+12 TL5 mobile construction yards

Boats and Trains
(i.e. rafts, trolleys, pirate ships, monorails, aircraft carriers, submarines)
Minimum TL for all Trains is TL3.  Minimum TL for all Submarines is TL4.
Chassis cost: 1 CP for One-Piece Boats and Trains, or (chassis Size/20) CP, rounded up
Maximum Accel/Decel (A/D): ¼ top speed; boats can turn in place if rowed
Cargo Capacity (C"): (2 x Power)" for Boats and Trains, Power" for Submarines
Class Size Move Power Armor TL Examples
4 One-Piece up to 20 16" 2 1d10+4 TL1 rafts, canoes
8 Small 21 to 80 14" 5 2d10+4 TL2 junks, light sailboats
12 Medium 81 to 200 12" 10 3d10+4 TL2 Roman galleys, viking ships
16 Large 201 to 600 10" 15 4d10+4 TL3 galleons, passenger trains
20 Huge 601 to 1000 8" 20 4d10+8 TL4 battleships, freight trains

Fliers
(i.e. hang gliders, stealth bombers, ornithopters, dragons, jumbo jets)
Chassis cost: 5 CP for One-Piece Fliers, or (5 x Class Number) + (chassis Size/10) CP, rounded up
Maximum Accel/Decel (A/D): ½ top speed
Cargo Capacity (C"): ½ Power"
Hover Fliers
(i.e. helicopters, giant hummingbirds, space fighters, VTOL jets)
Chassis cost: 10 CP for One-Piece Hover Fliers, or (10 x Class Number) + (chassis Size/10) CP, rounded up
Maximum Accel/Decel (A/D): ½ top speed, can turn in place
Cargo Capacity (C"): (½ Power)"
Class Size Move Power Armor TL Examples
2 One-Piece up to 10 22" 2 1d6+2 TL3 hang gliders
4 Small 11 to 30 20" 4 1d10+2 TL4 minicopters, prop planes
8 Medium 31 to 90 18" 6 2d10+2 TL4 biplanes, fighters
16 Large 91 to 200 16" 10 3d10+2 TL4 bombers, passenger jets
28 Huge 201 to 400 14" 15 4d10+2 TL5 capital ships


MkII weapons are the biggest a One-Piece vehicle can carry.  One-Piece vehicles can mount a maximum of two weapons.
A Flier or Hover Flier cannot mount more weapons than its chassis' Class number.
The BrikWars Home Page
Table of Contents
Legal Disclaimer
Foreword
Introduction
BrikWars Basic Guide
The Trooper's Arsenal
Advanced Combat
Vehicles
Buildings
Siege Weapons
Military Professionals
Robotic Vehicles
The Tables

If you have a One-Piece vehicle, such as a MotorCycle, RoboHorse, or Flying SurfBoard, the cost of the chassis will be listed in the Chassis Cost.  For larger vehicles, you'll have to compute the Size (in dots) of the chassis.  Much of the time, you will have a regular rectangular-shaped chassis and can just multiply the length of the vehicle by its width.  Items which to not contribute to the Size of a vehicle chassis include:

pip wheels, jets, thrusters, sails, or other motive devices.
pip weapon barrels extending beyond the chassis.
pip the portion of the wings of a Flier that do not carry any mounted weapons.

If your vehicle is built on a vertical rather than a horizontal platform (as is true of giant humanoid robots), or its height is greater than its length or width (as is true of siege towers), you will have to multiply its height in Brix by either its length or width in dots (whichever is larger) to get the correct Size.

Once you know your vehicle's Size number, you can look on the charts to see what Class of vehicle it is.  With the Size and Class numbers, use the formula listed in the Chassis Cost for the type of vehicle you're building to find the base cost of your vehicle chassis.  These CPs pay for the chassis, engine, motive devices, and controls for one person.  Weapons and other modifications are purchased separately and will add to the total cost. The minimum total cost of a vehicle (including the chassis, weapons, and modifications), even a bicycle or a skateboard, is five Construction Points.


4.1.2 Outfitting the Vehicle

When you build your vehicle, you must include appropriate PBB's to represent the propulsion devices (i.e. treads, tires, propellers, warp engines), the controls (i.e. a steering wheels, flight sticks, computer consoles, switches and levers), and a place for the driver (i.e. a cockpit, a cabin, an easy chair).  Otherwise, the vehicle will not have these things, regardless of how many points you spend.

If a vehicle has no propulsion device (and we mean a real propulsion device - bolting a tail rotor to the back of your bulldozer doesn't count!), then you're going to have to have other units push, carry, tow, or row it around.  (In the case of a rowboat, units can row the boat as fast as they could carry or drag it on land.)  If you want to buy a backup propulsion device (in case the first is destroyed), the CP cost is equal to the vehicle's Power rating.

Vehicles with no controls cannot accelerate, decelerate, or turn. If you want to build additional sets of controls into your vehicle (in case the first set is destroyed, or if you want copilots and gunners) the CP cost for each set of controls is equal to the vehicle's Class number.  If you want an additional set of controls for the vehicle weapons only, the CP cost is equal to the number of weapons controlled.

Vehicles without a power source cost only half as many points (including the chassis and all Siege weapons and modifications, but not including any troop weapons mounted on the vehicle).  Moving and steering the vehicle, as well as loading and firing the weapons, must be done by manual labor.  One example would be a PirateFrigate, in which PirateMen have to furl and unfurl the sails, adjust the riggings, load the cannonballs and powder into the cannons, and light the fuses, all by hand.  Another example would be a MedievalCatapult, for which MedievalMen and MedievalHorses have to drag it around the countryside, draw the catapult arm back, tighten the ropes, and carry and load the boulders, all by manual labor.

Vehicles without drivers are not very useful, so try to avoid building them.

A vehicle must be at least three-fourths of the length of any weapon barrel or missile mounted on it.  Weapon mounting is covered in 6.1: Mounting Siege Weapons.


4.1.3 Performance

Every vehicle has a Power rating, which signifies the general engine power of the vehicle.  Most importantly, this rating determines the vehicle's Cargo Capacity (C").  Vehicle weapons, some vehicle modifications, and groups of passengers can be heavy enough that they incur Cargo Movement Penalties on their vehicles.  The vehicle's Cargo Capacity indicates how many inches of Cargo Movement Penalty the vehicle can 'absorb' before the penalties begin to affect its Movement and Maximum Accel/Decel.

Power also determines how much power the vehicle can provide to weapons and tools mounted on the vehicle.  Siege weapons each have a Power requirement; as long as the vehicle has at least as much Power as each weapon requires, then it can mount and use the weapons.  Weapons do not 'use up' Power; a vehicle with two points of Power can mount and use as many one- and two-Power weapons as it likes, but it cannot mount a single three-Power weapon.

Optional Rule: Vehicle Performance Modification Indifferent Face
In most military organizations, equipment, training, and vehicle types are heavily standardized.  This is due in large part to the fact that it keeps the generals from going insane trying to keep track of the peculiarities of two or three dozen different customized vehicles on the battlefield.  However, in mercenary outfits and among the more maverick pilots, vehicle modifications are a common sight.  In some military organizations, whole divisions of vehicles are given the same set of 'standardized customizations,' in order to gain the performance advantages without causing confusion.

If you want to increase the performance of your vehicle, the CP cost per improvement is equal to the vehicle's Power rating, per improvement.

Performance Improvements
pip Increased Top Speed - increases the top speed of the vehicle by 50%, after Movement Penalty adjustments.
pip Improved Handling - decreases the vehicle's TurnRate by 50%.  Pilots have a +1 bonus to all piloting Skill rolls.
pip Improved Acceleration and Braking - doubles the vehicle's maximum acceleration and braking speed, after Movement Penalty adjustments.
pip High Torque - the vehicle pushes, tows, and carries objects as if its Power were doubled.  It takes no movement penalties for moving uphill or over rough terrain.
pip Heavy Armor - adds 1d10 to the Armor Rating of the vehicle.  Incurs a -3" Movement Penalty.
pip Luxury Edition - cushy suspension gives a ride as smooth as glass, engine noise is reduced by 97.6%, other features are as appropriate to vehicle type (air conditioning, CD player, leather interior)

If you want to decrease the performance of your vehicle, you get no points back. However, for every disimprovement you take, you may take one improvement at no cost. You do not have to take the free improvement if you don't want to. You cannot have both an improvement and its corresponding disimprovement.

Performance Disimprovements
pip Decreased Top Speed - decreases the top speed of the vehicle by 50%, after Movement Penalty adjustments.
pip Decreased Handling - increases the vehicle's TurnRate by 50%.  Pilots have a -1 penalty to all piloting Skill rolls.
pip Decreased Acceleration and Braking - halves the vehicle's maximum acceleration and braking speed, after Movement Penalty adjustments.
pip Low Torque - the vehicle pushes, tows, and carries objects as if its Power were halved, and takes double the normal Movement Penalties for moving uphill or over rough terrain.
pip Light Armor - subtracts 1d10 from the Armor Value of the vehicle.
pip Previously Owned - the suspension is bad, the engine knocks, there's an oil leak, and the vehicle backfires every few yards. Add 50% to every Damage Roll made against the vehicle (round down), and any roll involving the vehicle in which all the dice come up two or less is an Automatic Failure.

If a vehicle receives Performance Improvements, it must be represented on the vehicle model somehow, so that it is obviously a High Performance Vehicle.  You might add a spoiler, racing stripes, performance tires, a blower, high energy ion engines, a braking parachute, plasma-spitting quadruple exhaust, chrome details, flame decals, etc.  Performance Disimprovements do not necessarily have to be represented in any way.

'Lowering' a vehicle model does not count as a valid way to represent a High Performance Vehicle.  Troopers of any era have enough good taste to be disgusted by such vehicles and will refuse to have anything to do with them.  Of all the peoples and characters of BrikWars, only Timmies and Jar-Jars are ever seen driving LowRiders.

Vehicles may also be used to transport troops.  A vehicle can carry as many Troopers as can fit inside.  Carrying a whole bunch of Troopers (or other minifigs, or Blox, or anything else of equivalent weight) might start to slow a vehicle down, though.  To see how much a group of troops will slow down a vehicle, take the vehicle's Power rating and divide the soldiers into groups of that number (round up - soldiers don't like to be divided into fractions!).  The first such group is carried at no penalty. Each additional group incurs -1" of Movement Penalty.

(For ease of play, passengers men do not actually have to be placed inside of the vehicle.  You can hold them off to the side somewhere, and place them on the board when the vehicle deploys them.  However, the men you claim are being carried by the vehicle must be able to fit in it.  Your opponent may, if he so desires, challenge you to show him that they all actually do fit in the vehicle.  If they don't fit, the extreme pressure of cramming the vehicle beyond capacity crushes the men to death and causes the transport section of the vehicle to burst asunder.)

Picking up and dropping off troops and vehicles is easy - just move them onto and off of the vehicle when it is their turn to move.  A unit cannot board a transport vehicle that is moving faster than the boarding unit's maximum speed.  If a passenger jumps out of a transport vehicle that is going faster than the passenger's maximum speed, treat it as a Collision between the passenger and the ground (3.6.5: Collisions).  Assume dirt or grass has an AV of 1d10, and asphalt or cement has an AV of 2d10.

If soldiers are in a vehicle that is open-topped or has open windows or gun slits, they can make attacks from the back of the vehicle.  Remember that for every 6" per turn they are moving, they take a -1 Skill Penalty (3.1.2: Skill Modifiers).

Vehicles may also be used to carry or tow other, smaller vehicles.  Each vehicle transported incurs a Movement Penalty equal to its Power rating in inches.

A vehicle's minimum movement after mounting all weapons, equipment, cargo, and passengers must be at least 4".  Vehicles of lesser speed are not allowed.  Unless they have Hover capability, Fliers must move at least 10" per turn to stay in the air.  If you (or your enemy!) manage to overload one of your vehicles past these limits, bad things happen.  Cars' wheels break off.  Jet planes crash.  Boats sink.  Hot-air balloons pop.  Submarines go into uncontrolled dives.  Dragons become angry and turn on their riders.  These are all the kinds of things you want to avoid.

Anything else you might want to do to modify a vehicle is covered under the heading of Custom Vehicular Modifications.  Common modifications would be cranes, robotic arms, storage bins, and bulldozer blades.  Uncommon modifications would be ejector seats, hydraulic jump springs, extra loud sound systems, jacuzzis, deep fat fryers, etc.  Many of these things can be added to a vehicle using the rules from Supplement RV: Robotic Vehicles.  For everything else, you and your opponent(s) will have find some way to agree on the specific abilities and CP cost of your modifications.  All custom modifications must be represented on the vehicle model somehow.

4.2 Vehicle Movement


All vehicles can be divided into six basic types: Ground Vehicles (trucks, snowmobiles, wheelchairs), Treaded Vehicles (tanks, bulldozers), Boats (rowboats, barges, sternwheelers), Trains (trains, monorails, subway cars), Fliers (jets, biplanes, space fighters), and Hover Fliers (helicopters, hovercraft, antigrav sleds).  They all move in similar fashion, with a couple of peculiarities to each type.

For each Class of each type, every vehicle has a standard Movement statistic.  This distance is how far the vehicle can travel each turn at top speed.

Optional Rule: Vehicle TurnRates
Vehicles are not as maneuverable as Troopers - there are limits to how fast they can accelerate and decelerate, and to how sharply they can turn.  There are three ways to handle turning limits; and you may find yourself using a combination of the three:

1: Zero Inertia Vehicles Happy Face
Especially in large battles, it may be a big hassle to keep track of vehicles' acceleration and turn rates - if that turns out to be the case, ignore them as much as your opponents will let you.

2: TurnDistance Indifferent Face
A vehicle's Class Number determines how many inches it has to travel before it can turn 45 degrees.  (in the case of some larger vehicles, this means they can only make a 45-degree turn once every other round!)  If the vehicle is going at half its maximum speed (after Movement Penalty adjustments) or slower, it only has to travel half that distance before it can make each 45-degree turn.  Vehicles on Legs, Treaded Vehicles, Hover Fliers, and rowed Boats can rotate in place, but they can't turn any farther in a single round than they could if they were moving.  All vehicles that cannot turn in place must move at least two inches between 45 degree turns, regardless of all other considerations.

3: TurnRadius Indifferent Face
A vehicle's Class Number, in inches, determines its tightest turning radius (this actually allows you to make slightly tighter turns than the TurnDistance rule).  If the vehicle is moving at half speed or slower, its TurnRadius is halved.  For this to work, you'll want a string marked off in inches.  Hold down one end of the string at a pivot point as many inches to the left or right of your vehicle as its turning radius; hold down the other end of the string on side of the vehicle's chassis that is closest to the pivot point.  Next, pivot the vehicle around as far as you want to turn it.  No vehicle can turn with a radius tighter than 2", unless it can turn in place.  It is up to you how you want to determine the distance traveled while turning, but remember the following rules of thumb: every 45 degrees the vehicle turns, it travels approximately ¾ the distance of its turning radius.  Every 60 degrees the vehicle turns, it travels approximately the same distance as its turning radius.

Optional Rule: Vehicle Accel/Decel
Every vehicle has an Maximum Accel/Decel rating (A/D), which indicates how much it can accelerate or decelerate in a single round.  We don't recommend you pay too much attention to vehicle acceleration amd deceleration; it takes a lot of effort and is included only for those players with a special interest in added realism.  You may decide only to track acceleration and deceleration for certain types of vehicles, such as Flyers or Boats.

If you do decide to use acceleration and deceleration rules, you will need to keep track of the velocity and direction each vehicle is traveling.  To do this, make a stack of blue Pips equal to the number of inches in the vehicle's current velocity.  Set this stack next to the vehicle, pointing in the direction the vehicle is traveling.  This direction may be different from the direction the vehicle is facing, if the vehicle is power-sliding.

A vehicle's A/D rating indicates the most a vehicle can increase or decrease its velocity in a single round, except for additional movement bonuses or penalties a vehicle may receive from rough or sloped terrain.

1: Simple Accel/Decel Surly Face
A vehicle's A/D rating is calculated at the time of its construction.  This rating cannot be changed for the life of the vehicle.

2: Complex Accel/Decel Surly Face
A vehicle's A/D rating is calculated at the time of its construction.  If the vehicle has any Cargo Movement Penalties beyond its Cargo Capacity, these are also subtracted from the vehicle's A/D.  If the vehicle gains or loses -CMP" during the battle, or if its Power is increased or decreased, the vehicle's A/D will be affected.

Whenever a pilot attempts a dangerous or difficult maneuver, he must make a Skill Roll, called a Piloting Roll, and the players must decide on the UR of the maneuver.  The most common type of Piloting Roll occurs when a pilot tries to make a Harsh Turn, turning twice as sharply as his TurnRate would normally allow.  Every time he tries to do so, he must make a Piloting Roll.  For the first 45 degrees of a Harsh Turn, he has to roll a 3 or higher.  For each additional 45 degrees of Harsh Turning he attempts in the same round, he must make another Piloting Roll, and the number he has to roll increases by one each time.  No matter what a daredevil he is, he can't tighten his TurnRate below 2".
Optional Rule: Autobahn Happy Face
Skilled Pilots (7.2.5:Pilots) never need to make a Piloting Roll if they are driving on a high-quality paved road.

What happens if a pilot fails his Piloting Roll on a Harsh Turn?  If the vehicle is top-heavy (because it is taller than it is wide or it is travelling down a slope), if it hits an obstacle that would "trip" it (like a big rock or a tree stump), if it is a Train on TrainTrax, or if it is a Boat, the vehicle rolls over!  Oh no!  The vehicle keeps heading in the same direction on its side or upside down for one turn at its current speed.  If it crashes into something while rolled over, it takes normal collision damage.  If the pilot is not in an enclosed cabin, check to see if he's crushed under the vehicle when it rolls over (hope you have roll bars!).  This does as much damage to him as if the vehicle crashed into him!  Usually a pilot in that position will want to try to jump free of the vehicle before it rolls over - a pilot attempting to jump out of a vehicle before it rolls must make a Skill Roll of 3 or higher (unless he is a Pilot (7.2.5: Pilots), in which case he is automatically successful).  Like any troop jumping off a moving vehicle, he takes damage from the collision between himself and the hard, hard ground.

If it isn't a situation where the vehicle's going to roll over, then it's really no sweat - the vehicle just skids out (or does the aerial equivalent if it is a Flier).  That is, the vehicle itself turns to face in the new direction, but it continues moving in the old direction.  After it has skidded along in this manner for a number of inches equal to its Class Number, it regains traction and begins heading in the new direction.  It can regain traction in half that many inches if it steers into the turn (turns the vehicle back to face in the direction that it is skidding).  If a Pilot tries to turn again before he regains traction, he automatically fails the Skill Roll and skids out even further.

The clever reader will have already realized that this kind of thing could really come in handy, because a driver who skids out properly can turn his car all the way around while still moving in a straight line.  Fortunately, by pulling the emergency brake or cutting the throttle, pilots can voluntarily make a Controlled Skid any time they like, allowing them to strafe targets.  Be careful! If your vehicle is skidding sideways when the round ends, it will still be skidding sideways in the beginning of the next round - if your opponent tosses some Brix or bodies in the vehicle's path during his intervening turn, your vehicle may "trip" over them and roll over!  Won't you feel stupid then!

A vehicle's type will limit where it can drive around.  For instance, Boats stop moving around if they're not in water.  Trains are limited to the range of their TrainTrax.  Ground Vehicles cannot drive in midair.  Fliers cannot dig tunnels into the sides of mountains (though it can be pretty spectacular to watch them try).  Hover Fliers cannot escape the event horizons of black holes.  We're sure you can think of other similar limitations.  The type that is going to give you the biggest hassle is the Flier.

A Flier is represented on the playing area as a vehicle with wings, propellers, etc., which is supported above the surface of the playing field by some kind of stand.  This stand doesn't represent anything on the battlefield except the shadow of the Flier, which has no more effect than you would expect a shadow to have.  Since Fliers fly, they don't take any Movement Penalties for rough terrain, and they can fly right over buildings and obstacles.

Optional Rule: Altitude Indifferent Face
Generally, a Flier's altitude is assumed to be one story (six Brix) higher than whatever surface is directly beneath it.  If you want to go to the trouble of keeping track of a Flier's altitude, you don't have to change the height of your Flier-stand every round (although you can if you want) - just put a stack of blue Pips next to the base of the stand, one for each story of altitude above ground level.  A Flier can climb (losing 2" of speed) or dive (gaining 2" of speed) one story of altitude per round.  Unless it is using bombs or some kind of hinged belly-guns, a Flier shooting at targets more than a full story lower than itself will lose a full story of altitude, due to having to point the nose downward.  Unless it is using guns on some kind of hinged turret, a Flier shooting at targets more than a full story higher than itself will gain a full story of altitude.  Unpowered Fliers (Gliders) either sacrifice 2" of speed or lose one story of altitude every turn.

To take off and land, regular Fliers need a minimum length of clear terrain, road, or airstrip, equal to four times the Class Number of the Flier.  (Hover Fliers, of course, have VTOL capability and can land anywhere there is enough room for them to sit.)  A base can halve the minimum runway length on landings by building a tripwire or net on their landing strip for five CP.  This tripwire will only work form Medium or smaller Fliers.  If the tripwire or net is used by a Large Flier, it will work once but break in the process.  If a Flier tries to land on an airstrip shorter than this, it will end up colliding with whatever is at the end of the airstrip.  Except when taking off or landing, a Flier on the ground taxis around at 4" per turn.

4.3 Vehicle Damage Resolution


Vehicles have Armor Values, just like normal troopers do.  This Armor Value is used exactly as the Armor Value for troopers is; that is, if a vehicle is hit by an enemy weapons blast, then the attacker rolls his Damage Value dice, and the defender rolls his Armor Value dice.  If the defender rolls higher, then the vehicle's armor repelled the blast with no damage, except for maybe a little bit of charred and flaked paint.

The difference is, if the attacker rolls higher, the vehicle is not instantly destroyed.

An attacker firing at a vehicle must choose a specific location on the vehicle.  If he makes his Skill Roll, then he hits that spot; if he misses, he might miss closely enough that the defender will have no choice but to choose another location on the vehicle (3.1.1: NearMiss Rules).  Every part of a vehicle has the same Armor Value as the vehicle, except for parts that are obviously so flimsy or fragile that attacks pass right through them and hit whatever is behind them (i.e. canvas sails, wagon covers, and giant palm leaves used as camouflage, etc.).  Glass is this fragile up until TL4, when all windows in military vehicles and installations are made of bulletproof glass.  At TL5 or higher, windows in both military and non-military vehicles and buildings are made of high-impact plastic or even force fields and energy shielding.

Once the attacker knows what part of the vehicle was struck, and before he makes his Damage Roll, he must decide how he wants the damage to be applied.  If he wants to cause specific damage to the subsystem (such as a weapon or propulsion unit) or individual PBB that was struck, then he will make a roll on the SubSystem Ker-Pow! Table (assuming his Damage Roll ends up higher than the defender's Armor Roll).  If he wants the damage to be applied in to the entire vehicle in general, then he will make his roll on the Vehicle Ker-Pow! Table.

The power of your attack will affect the extent of the damage.  To determine this damage, figure out by exactly how much the attacker's Damage Roll beat the vehicle's Armor Roll (Damage minus Armor); that number will be the Damage Bonus.  Add this Bonus to your roll when you consult the Ker-Pow! Table.  If the attacker's Damage Roll does not beat the vehicle's Armor Roll, do not bother rolling on the Ker-Pow! Table.


4.3.1 Subsystem Ker-Pow! Table

Subsystem Ker-Pow! Table
Ker-Pow! Roll
(1d6+Damage-Armor)
What Happens
Any time
a '1' is rolled,
regardless
of bonus

In a freak mishap, the weapon blast fuses crucial circuits and knocks mechanical bits into perfect alignment, causing the system to perform even better than before!

The affected system gets a minor upgrade. Controls get a +1 bonus to targeting, tires' TurnRadius tightens by 1", jet engines' top speed increases by 1", a weapon's range increases by 1", or some similar minor advantage as chosen by the defender.  If the PBB targeted is not a part of any specific subsytem, then the defender gets no particular bonus besides the warm fuzzy feeling of not being dead.

2

The weapons blast invokes the wrath of tiny godlike beings that happen to make their home inside the affected component.  They vent their rage by causing everything within a parsec to be instantly annihilated.

It is not really possible to get a 2 when rolling (1d6+Damage-Armor).  If you get this result, you've done something wrong.

3

The component is heavily damaged.*

If there is a Performance Improvement associated with that component, the Performance Improvement is nullified.  Otherwise, the effectiveness of the component is reduced by half.  Damaged controls double the UR of weapons fire and Piloting rolls, damaged weapons fire half as far and do half damage, damaged tires halve acceleration (if back tires) or double TurnRate (if front tires), damaged engines' top speed and Power are halved.  If the target PBB's function is not one whose effectiveness can be halved (i.e. a light switch or a hinge), then it is rendered non-functional.  If it has no particular function, then it is unaffected.

4

The component is rendered nonfunctional.*

The component is no longer useful for anything but emitting smoke and sparks.  I hope you have a backup.  Without controls, you can't steer, accelerate, decelerate, or fire weapons (unless you climb over to them and fire them by hand).  With broken front tires, you can't steer; with broken back tires, you can't accelerate; with either set of tires broken, your maximum velocity is halved and your TurnRate doubled.  With a broken engine, nothing on the vehicle has any power.  If the target PBB has no particular function, then it is blown off of the vehicle.

5

The component is heavily damaged and blown off of the vehicle or base.*

If you could attach the component to a power source, it would operate at half effectiveness; however, since it's no longer attached it is useless.  Set it on the ground next to the vehicle or base.

6
or more

The component is destroyed.*

Break the subsystem up into its component parts, remove half of them from play, and scatter the other half around the vehicle or base.
If the component is a power source, a roll of 6 on 1d6 means it explodes, doing as much Explosion Damage as half the vehicle's Armor Rating, rounded up.

* - if the affected component is an Explosive, a roll of 6 on a 1d6 means it goes off while still attached to the vehicle.


4.3.2 Vehicle Ker-Pow! Table

The Vehicle Ker-Pow! Table requires you to roll 1d20 and add your Damage Bonus.  If you do not happen to have a d20 handy, you can roll 2d10 instead, although this changes the odds a little. Any time both dice come up 1 on the 2d10, treat it as a roll of 1 on the Ker-Pow! Table.

If you roll a result that affects a propulsion device, control system, Pilot, etc., and there are more than one of the affected systems on the target Vehicle, then the defender may choose which of the systems is affected.  The choicemust be appropriate to the effect; an effect that impairs a Pilot's driving cannot be applied to a gunner, for instance.  Damaging effects cannot be applied to 'backup' components that are not active, unless there are no appropriate active components to target.


Vehicle Ker-Pow! Table
Ker-Pow! Roll
(1d20+Damage-Armor)
What Happens
Any time
a '1' is rolled,
regardless
of bonus

The flash of the weapon blast fills the driver with a grim sense of purpose and the nearness of death inspires in him abilities he never knew he had.

The defending player gets 1 point with which to give the affected Pilot any Trooper Performance Modification he wishes (7.1.2: Trooper Performance Modification).

2

In a freak coincidence, damage from the attack activates a MegaDestructoDevice hidden eons ago in a fold of subspace during a long-forgotten alien war.  The battle ends instantly as everything in the quadrant is instantly converted into a sparse cloud of rare and unstable high-energy subatomic particles.

It is not really possible to get a 2 when rolling (1d20+Damage-Armor). If you get this result, you've done something wrong.

3

The engine is hit lightly and begins spewing out clouds of dense smoke, enveloping the vehicle.

For 1d6 turns, the vehicle is at -1 to be hit by enemies, and the driver gets a -1 Skill modifier due to poor visibility.

4

The driver receives an ugly bruise on his elbow and other minor contusions.

The driver gets a -1 Skill modifier for the rest of the battle.

5

A minor concussion causes the driver to become confused and he has to radio for directions.

The vehicle stops and cannot move or fire for one turn.  Fliers maintain a holding pattern.

6

The driver becomes enraged and throws a fit, forgetting to steer or fire weapons.

The vehicle cannot fire for one turn. It travels in a straight line at maximum speed.

7

The shot panics the driver, causing an intense need to relieve his bladder.

The driver must park or land his vehicle as quickly as he can and run for the nearest tree, fire hydrant, or alleyway (or whatever is available).  He can do nothing else until he's spent a full turn there.

8

The driver becomes enraged and swears a Personal Death Vendetta against the soldier, vehicle, or weapon that hit him.

The driver will do everything in his power to destroy the offender. He can focus on nothing else until that attacker has been destroyed.

9

if the vehicle has any Performance Improvements or Custom Vehicular Modifications:
The damage from the blast ruins one of the vehicle's fancy modifications.

One Performance Improvement is cancelled, or one Custom Vehicular Modification falls off.

otherwise:
The stress of battle becomes too much for the poor driver, who becomes demoralized and starts drinking heavily.

Every time a driving Skill Roll is called for, it fails automatically.  Weapons are fired at -2 to Skill.

10

The shot hits the weapons systems, and a weapon is blown off.

One weapon of the defender's choice falls off of the vehicle but is undamaged.  If it is explosive, a roll of 6 on a 1d6 means it goes off when it hits the ground.

11

The shot hits the weapons systems, and a weapon is blown off.

One weapon of the attacker's choice falls off of the vehicle but is undamaged.  If it is explosive, a roll of 6 on a 1d6 means it goes off when it hits the ground.

12

The back wheels (or treads, propellers, thrusters, etc.) of the vehicle are severely damaged or blown off.

Unless the vehicle has a backup motive system, the vehicle may only move at half speed.  Fliers whose maximum speed is taken below 10" must attempt an emergency landing on their next turn.  If you are using the optional Altitude Rules, then these Fliers do not have to attempt an emergency landing but instead lose altitude every round.

13

All forward gears are destroyed.

The vehicle may only move at half speed, in reverse.  Fliers must attempt an emergency landing on their following turn.

14

The primary motive systems (wheels, jets, etc.) fall off but are not damaged.

Unless the vehicle has backup motive systems, it is now a stationary vehicle.  Fliers have one turn to pull off an emergency landing before they crash-land.

15

The links between the main control system and the rest of the vehicle are severed.

Unless the vehicle has backup control systems, it is now out of control.  It zips along at maximum speed, and the players take turns steering on alternate Movement Phases.  Defender steers first.

16

The engine shoots out of the vehicle and flies straight up into the air.  Soldiers from every team laugh at the comic sight.

The vehicle moves at half speed on its following turn and is then stationary.  Turrets no longer rotate, hinges no longer hinge, power windows no longer work.  You can still use the weapons by climbing over to them and firing them by hand.  The engine lands 1d6 inches away (defender chooses exact location) on the defender's following turn, doing 1d6 plus half its Power rating in Damage (round up).

17

The power cells overload.

All the weapons on the vehicle fry themselves and are destroyed.  Any explosive weapons detonate. The vehicle moves at double speed on the following round and cannot steer. After that, the engine locks and it is a stationary vehicle.

18

Arcs of electricity and clouds of shrapnel fill the interior of the vehicle.

The pilot and all troopers in the vehicle take the vehicle's AV in Damage.

19

Arcing electricity, shrapnel, smoke, bursts of pure energy, and geysers of flame fill the interior of the vehicle.  The driver explodes in a tremendous cloud of blood and viscera.  The vehicle flips end-over-end and lands on its top.

The driver is destroyed.  Passengers may be tossed clear, unless they are in an enclosed cabin, in which case they are pummeled into hamburger against the walls of the vehicle interior.  If the vehicle survives the additional damage of flipping over (roll a Collision between the vehicle and the ground for the vehicle's current velocity), it is useless until it can somehow be turned right-side-up again.

20
or more

The engine explodes in a huge plume of fire, setting off the fuel system and causing a tremendous explosion.  Everyone on the battlefield, friend and foe alike, cheer at this beautiful image, so dear to a warrior's heart.

The vehicle blows up, doing explosion damage equal to its Armor Value. Fliers nose-dive straight down and crash.  Boats sink to the briny bottom.

If you roll a result that doesn't apply to your vehicle (for instance, you roll a nine for a vehicle whose driver is already dead), keep adding one to your roll until you get a result that applies.



Back to Chapter Three: Advanced CombatBrikWarsForward to Chapter Five: Buildings
© 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000