Vehicle Combat

Sometimes characters will engage in combat from aboard a vehicle; this may involve vehicles fighting each other, or pedestrians fighting against or with vehicles. Vehicles follow the following rules when involved in a combat situation.

Vehicles are placed on the battlemap, and usually take up two or more squares (motorcycles only take up one square). A vehicle’s stats indicate the number of occupants (including the driver) it may carry.

The vehicle is essentially an extension of its driver. It acts on the driver’s Initiative, and moves on the driver’s turn. Other occupants act on their own turns, as normal. However, passengers move for free automatically with the vehicle, as you would expect.

Initiative

The driver rolls Initiative as normal. The vehicle’s Handling score provides a bonus or penalty to the driver’s Initiative roll.

Handling Initiative

1 +1d6

2 +1d6

3 —

4 —

5 –1d6

6 –2d6

Movement

A vehicle moves forward on its driver’s turn. The driver spends one of their actions driving the vehicle. The passengers do not need to spend actions to move, as they move for free with the vehicle.

A vehicle moves its current velocity; on the driver’s turn, as part of his driving action, they may increase or decrease the vehicle’s velocity by an amount up to its Acceleration score. For example, if the vehicle is moving at Speed 10, and has an Accel of 3, they may brake and reduce the Speed to 7, or they may put theirs foot down and increase it to 13. The vehicle cannot move faster than the Speed score listed in its stat block.

Turning

The driver may turn the vehicle. They may alter its course by up to 45 degrees. Every vehicle has a turning circle which indicates how many squares it must move forward before making a turn; as long as the vehicle follows this rule, leaving the requisite amount of squares between turns of up to 45 degrees, it may turn as often in a round as the driver wishes.

A vehicle’s turning circle is equal to its current speed multiplied by its Handling, divided by 5 (round down to a minimum of 1). A Handling 3 car moving at a velocity of 6 has a turning circle of (3 x 6) ÷ 5 = 3. A smaller Handling 1 motorcycle moving at the same velocity has a turning circle of just 1 hex, while a Handling 5 truck at that speed has a turning circle of 6.

Actions

The occupants of a vehicle can act as normal. They may shoot with handheld weapons normally, or they can use vehicle-mounted weapons (using the gunnery skill); or, of course, they can take any other action they are capable of.

The driver must use one of their actions moving the vehicle (unless it is stationary); they can use their  remaining action as they wish. However, any action taken while driving suffers a -2d6 complication penalty.

Firing Weapons

Weapons can be operated by vehicle occupants. Weapons have a firing arc, unless they are turreted, granting a 360-degree firing arc. Line of sight is required unless the weapon is designated Artillery. Some weapons are linked, which means one occupant fires both at the same time.

An occupant uses Agility or Intuition to fire (as normal), and applies the usual range increment penalties. Attacks are made against the target vehicle’s Defense; vehicles add their current speed to their Defense score, making fast-moving vehicles harder to hit.

Weapon damage is reduced by a vehicle’s SOAK and then applied to its HEALTH.

Vehicle Movement Modifiers to Hit

Situation Modifier

Stationary target +1d6

Rear attack +1d6

Forward-mounted weapons +1d6

Per range increment –1d6

Aft-mounted weapons –1d6

Shooting at occupants. If a vehicle’s occupant is targeted by a weapon, the occupant gains the benefit of the vehicle’s Soak score or his own Soak score, whichever is higher, and uses his own Ranged Defense score or the vehicle’s (whichever is higher—remember, the vehicle adds its current speed to its Defense score). Occupants also have cover (–2d6 to hit) unless they are on a motorcycle or other open vehicle.

Critical hits

Critical hits work slightly differently when a vehicle is the target. Roll on the following table when a critical hit is scored.

2d6 Location Effect

2 Weapon Weapon is damaged and inoperable

3 Tire Spin out (see below)

4 Engine Reduce max Speed by 1d6

5 Driver 1d6 damage to driver (no Soak)

6 Windshield Reduce Handling by 1 class

7 Chassis No additional effect

8 Passenger 1d6 damage to passenger (no Soak)

9 Fuel tank Vehicle catches fire, taking 1d6 damage each round; roll to end this condition as you would any other condition.

10 Engine Reduce Accel by 1.

11 Tire Spin out (see below).

12 Weapon Weapon is damaged and inoperable.

Collisions

There are four types of collisions: head-on, rear-end, T‑bone, and sideswipe. When a collision takes place, all vehicles spin out unless the driver makes a successful check (see below). Both vehicles take damage equal to three times the collision speed:

• Head-on. Two vehicles collide and each is in the other’s front arc. Add their current speeds together.

• Rear-end. A vehicle collides with the rear arc of another vehicle. Deduct the black vehicle’s speed from the red vehicle’s speed.

• T-bone. A vehicle collides with the side arc of another vehicle. Use the speed of the red car.

• Sideswipe. The result of a maneuver in which two vehicles collide with the side arcs of each other. Use half of the faster vehicle’s speed.

Spinning Out

Spinning out occurs when:

1. The driver is injured.

2. A tire is damaged.

3. A collision takes place.

4. The vehicle enters or begins its turn on slippery terrain (oil slicks, ice, etc.)

5. After a jump.

The driver may attempt to prevent the vehicle from spinning out by making an AGI check (bolstered by their driving skill, if they have it) with a difficulty equal to three times the vehicle’s current speed.

If the vehicle spins out, it comes to a stop in a randomly determined square half its current speed from the point where it span out. Also roll 1d6; on a roll of 5, it ends up on its side, and on a 6 it ends up upside down.

A vehicle which spins out causes 1d6 damage to all occupants. This damage cannot be SOAKed.

Stunts

A number of maneuvers are available as exploits, including emergency stop, handbrake turn (J-turn), and more. The driver may use his action to perform these exploits.

All vehicles can attempt a jump as long as a ramp is present. The vehicle jumps as part of its Speed (it cannot accelerate or decelerate while airborne), but the maximum distance it can jump is equal to its half its current speed divided by its Handling (round down). For example, a generic compact automobile moving at Speed 12 with Handling 3 can jump 2 squares, while a motorcycle moving at Speed 18 with Handling 1 can jump 9 squares.

Jumping is one thing, however. Landing is another. A vehicle automatically spins out (see above) when it lands after a jump, unless the driver is able to prevent it from doing so.