SILVER VOID: VEHICLE RULES

Though I am using the Blood and Treasure rpg rules for this game, I am lifting the vehicle rules from Grit and Vigor. Both games use the same engine, so compatibility is not an issue. However I highly recommend you pick up a copy of both games, as they are excellent.

For the Silver Void setting, I will be using the following rules for vehicles:

VEHICLE RULES

Vehicles in the game are treated in much the same way as creatures, except that they are controlled by their crew, rather than controlled by themselves.

SIZE: Vehicles use the same size categories as characters and creatures, with a few additional sizes added. While creature size is based on height and length, vehicle size is based on weight. The vehicle’s size modifier applies to its initiative and maneuver modifiers. The size modifier is already included in the statistics below.

TYPE: Vehicles are treated as a form of creature called a construct (See Chapter VI). Size category determines a vehicles Hit Dice (roll hit points normally) and applies a modifier to the vehicle’s Armor Class. 

ARMOR CLASS (AC)/DAMAGE REDUCTION (DR): A vehicle’s Armor Class and Damage Reduction (if it has one) are based on the material of its outer skin and the thickness of that material, modified by the size of the vehicle. The material provides a base AC (see below). 

For every inch of its thickness, a material has a Damage Reduction value. The DR is deducted from the total damage inflicted on the vehicle by a single attack, or from each dice of damage from weapons firing multiple bullets or shells.

Materials are rated on the chart above for their general hardness and resistance to damage. When a harder material strikes a softer one, the softer material’s DR is reduced. When a softer material strikes a harder material, the harder material’s DR is increased.

For materials of the same class, DR is 10 per inch. If an attacking material is one class harder than the defending material, reduce the defending material’s DR by 5 per inch for every class of difference, to a minimum of 0. If an attacking material is softer than the defending material, increase the defending material’s DR by 5 per inch for every class of difference.

Aircraft also modify their Armor Class by their maneuvering modifier.

SPEED (SPD)/ACCELERATION (ACC): Vehicles are given a top speed in miles per hour. While most creatures have a walking speed, jogging speed and running speed, vehicles simply have a maximum speed and a rate of acceleration. The vehicle’s operator decides at what speed they wish to travel, and the time it takes to reach that speed depends on the acceleration rate and the chosen acceleration of the operator.

MANEUVERING (MVR): This is the modifier that the vehicle’s operator adds to his task check when making a Drive Car, Ride Bike or Fly Plane task check.

ATTACK (ATK): This is a list of the vehicle’s weaponry. The attack roll uses the vehicle operator’ or weapon operator’s attack bonus and modifiers.

CEILING/CLIMB: For aircraft, this is maximum height to which the aircraft can operate, and the number of feet that it can climb per round.

CREW & PASSENGERS (C/P): This is the number of crew (C) and passengers (P) that can be carried by the vehicle. “Crew” is the standard number of crew needed to operate the vehicle. In most cases, only one person is needed to drive the vehicle; other crew members serve as gunners or copilots.

Passengers is the number of people in addition to the crew that the vehicle is designed to carry. Vehicles that carry passengers can use that space to carry additional cargo when passengers aren’t present. Each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 150 pounds of cargo.

WEIGHT (WT.): This is the vehicle’s normal weight in tons.

NEXT 

Several sample ships, some aliens and planets. So stay tuned!