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rules-piloting.md

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Piloting Rules

These expanded vehicle actions provide a wide range of options for players to engage in thrilling vehicle-based encounters, allowing them to make full use of their piloting skills and vehicle capabilities. To expand on the rules for piloting vehicles, we introduce the following concepts:

  1. Vehicle Types: Create a list of vehicle types, such as cars, motorcycles, planes, helicopters, boats, and more, along with their stats and characteristics. Each vehicle type should have unique attributes, such as speed, maneuverability, and durability.
  2. Piloting Skill: Use the Wits stat as the base for piloting skill checks, as it represents the character's ability to react quickly and make sound decisions under pressure.
  3. Vehicle Tags: Introduce vehicle-specific tags that characters can acquire to represent their expertise with certain types of vehicles. These tags can provide bonuses to piloting checks, grant additional vehicle-related abilities, or allow characters to perform specialized maneuvers.
  4. Vehicle Actions: Define a set of actions that characters can perform while piloting a vehicle. These actions can include accelerating, decelerating, turning, evasive maneuvers, and more. Some actions may require specific vehicle tags or piloting skill checks to perform successfully. Vehicle actions can consume Action Points, much like standard character actions.
  5. Vehicle Combat: Develop rules for vehicle combat, taking into account factors such as vehicle speed, range, and weapon systems. Characters might need to make piloting checks to avoid incoming fire, perform evasive maneuvers, or maintain control of their vehicle during combat.
  6. Vehicle Damage and Repair: Establish rules for vehicle damage, including how damage affects a vehicle's performance and when a vehicle becomes inoperable. Characters may need to perform repairs or jury-rig solutions to keep their vehicles running in the heat of battle or after sustaining damage.
  7. Chase Scenes: Create guidelines for running exciting chase scenes involving vehicles. These guidelines should include rules for determining chase distances, handling obstacles, and managing dramatic events during the chase.
  8. Environmental Factors: Consider how environmental factors, such as weather, terrain, and visibility, can impact vehicle operation and piloting checks. Characters might need to make additional piloting checks to navigate through difficult conditions or face penalties to their piloting checks based on the environment.
  9. Vehicle Upgrades and Customization: Allow characters to acquire upgrades and customize their vehicles, improving their performance or adding new capabilities. Upgrades can include better engines, armor, weapon systems, or specialized equipment tailored to specific situations or environments.

Vehicle Actions

These expanded rules provide a framework for incorporating vehicle piloting into your game, creating dynamic and exciting scenes involving high-speed chases, aerial dogfights, and other thrilling vehicle-based encounters.

These actions will consume Action Points, just like standard character actions.

  1. Basic Actions: These are fundamental actions that every vehicle operator should be able to perform. They are typically easy to execute and don't require specialized knowledge or tags.
  • Accelerate (2 points): Increase the vehicle's speed by a certain increment, up to its maximum speed.
  • Decelerate (2 points): Decrease the vehicle's speed by a certain increment, down to a full stop.
  • Turn (2 points): Change the vehicle's direction by a specific angle, depending on its maneuverability.
  • Maintain Control (1 point): Keep the vehicle steady and under control, especially in difficult conditions or after taking damage.
  1. Advanced Actions: These actions require more skill and may necessitate specific vehicle tags or successful piloting skill checks to perform.
  • Evasive Maneuver (3 points): Attempt to avoid an incoming attack or obstacle by making a sudden, evasive movement. Requires a successful piloting skill check.
  • Sharp Turn (3 points): Execute a tight, high-speed turn to change direction quickly. May require a successful piloting skill check to avoid losing control.
  • Ram (4 points): Attempt to collide with another vehicle or object to cause damage or force it off course. Requires a successful piloting skill check and may cause damage to the character's vehicle as well.
  1. Combat Actions: These actions are specific to vehicle combat and may require the character to have access to vehicle-mounted weapons or other combat-related upgrades.
  • Fire Weapon (3 points): Attack an enemy vehicle or target with a vehicle-mounted weapon, such as a machine gun, missile launcher, or other weapon system. This action follows the standard combat rules for attack and damage rolls.
  • Deploy Countermeasures (2 points): Activate defensive systems, such as smoke screens or chaff, to make the vehicle harder to target or hit.
  • Target Lock (3 points): Attempt to lock onto an enemy vehicle or target with guided weapons, improving the chances of a successful attack. May require a successful Wits check or a specific tag to perform.
  1. Special Actions: These actions involve unique or specialized vehicle capabilities, often requiring specific vehicle tags, upgrades, or successful skill checks to perform.
  • Stunt (4 points): Perform a daring maneuver, such as a jump, barrel roll, or tight squeeze through a narrow space. Requires a successful piloting skill check and may impress, intimidate, or surprise observers.
  • Land/Takeoff (3 points): For aircraft or VTOL vehicles, execute a safe landing or takeoff from a suitable surface. May require a successful piloting skill check in difficult conditions.
  • Dock/Undock (2 points): For boats or spacecraft, securely dock or undock with another vessel or structure.

Vehicle List

Sports Car (Land)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Handbrake Turn
  • Health: 10
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 2 Passengers, Small Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Pickup Truck (Land)

  • Vehicle Tags: Rugged, Off-Road
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 15
  • Defense: 12
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 2-5 Passengers, Large Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Motorcycle (Land)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Wheelie
  • Health: 5
  • Defense: 14
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Speedboat (Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Maneuverable
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 10
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 4-6 Passengers, Small Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Yacht (Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Luxurious, Stable
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 20
  • Defense: 8
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 10-20 Passengers, Large Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Submarine (Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Stealthy, Underwater
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Dive, Surface
  • Health: 30
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: Torpedoes (Range: Long, Damage: 6, Tags: Explosive)
  • Storage: 20-50 Passengers, Large Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Sonar Detection

Helicopter (Air)

  • Vehicle Tags: Agile, Hover
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Ascend, Descend, Hover
  • Health: 15
  • Defense: 12
  • Weapons: None (Civilian) / Machine Gun (Military, Range: Medium, Damage: 3, Tags: Rapid Fire)
  • Storage: 4-8 Passengers, Small Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Fighter Jet (Air)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Barrel Roll
  • Health: 10
  • Defense: 14
  • Weapons: Machine Gun (Range: Medium, Damage: 3, Tags: Rapid Fire), Missiles (Range: Long, Damage: 6, Tags: Explosive, Guided)
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Eject

Cargo Plane (Air)

  • Vehicle Tags: Large, Stable
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 30
  • Defense: 8
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 20-100 Passengers, Massive Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Cargo Drop

Space Shuttle (Space)

  • Vehicle Tags: Reusable, Orbital
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Ascend, Descend, Dock
  • Health: 25
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 5-8 Passengers, Moderate Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Reentry, Orbital Maneuver

Hoverbike (Land/Air)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile, Hover
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Ascend, Descend, Hover
  • Health: 7
  • Defense: 13
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Armored Personnel Carrier (Land)

  • Vehicle Tags: Armored, Off-Road
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 40
  • Defense: 14
  • Weapons: Machine Gun (Range: Medium, Damage: 3, Tags: Rapid Fire)
  • Storage: 10-20 Passengers, Moderate Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Tank (Land)

  • Vehicle Tags: Armored, Slow
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Rotate Turret
  • Health: 50
  • Defense: 16
  • Weapons: Main Cannon (Range: Long, Damage: 8, Tags: Explosive, Armor-Piercing), Machine Gun (Range: Medium, Damage: 3, Tags: Rapid Fire)
  • Storage: 3-5 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Sailing Ship (Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Wind-Powered, Classic
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Raise/Lower Sails
  • Health: 30
  • Defense: 8
  • Weapons: Cannons (Range: Medium, Damage: 6, Tags: Explosive)
  • Storage: 20-50 Passengers, Large Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Jet Ski (Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 5
  • Defense: 14
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Biplane (Air)

  • Vehicle Tags: Classic, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Barrel Roll
  • Health: 8
  • Defense: 12
  • Weapons: Machine Gun (Range: Medium, Damage: 3, Tags: Rapid Fire)
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Hovercraft (Land/Sea)

  • Vehicle Tags: Versatile, Hover
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 15
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 4-8 Passengers, Moderate Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: None

Space Fighter (Space)

  • Vehicle Tags: Fast, Agile
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn, Barrel Roll
  • Health: 12
  • Defense: 14
  • Weapons: Laser Cannons (Range: Medium, Damage: 4, Tags: Energy), Missiles (Range: Long, Damage: 6, Tags: Explosive, Guided)
  • Storage: 1-2 Passengers, Minimal Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Evasive Maneuvers, Boost

Space Freighter (Space)

  • Vehicle Tags: Large, Stable
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 35
  • Defense: 10
  • Weapons: None
  • Storage: 5-20 Passengers, Massive Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Cargo Drop, Dock

Space Battleship (Space)

  • Vehicle Tags: Massive, Armored
  • Vehicle Actions: Accelerate, Decelerate, Turn
  • Health: 60
  • Defense: 16
  • Weapons: Laser Turrets (Range: Medium, Damage: 5, Tags: Energy), Torpedoes (Range: Long, Damage: 8, Tags: Explosive, Guided), Point-Defense System (Range: Short, Damage: 2, Tags: Rapid Fire)
  • Storage: 50-200 Passengers, Large Cargo Space
  • Special Actions: Command Center, Launch Fighters

Dogfighting Example

In this example, we have two spacecraft pilots, Pilot A and Pilot B, engaged in a heated dogfight. Both pilots have Wits 4, and their spacecraft are equipped with lasers (+2 to Ballistics) and missile systems (+3 to Ballistics). Their spacecraft also have a base Defense of 10 and a Save of 5. The pilots have the "Spacecraft Combat" tag, granting them a +2 bonus to piloting checks while operating their spacecraft.

Turn 1: Pilot A wins the initiative roll and goes first. Pilot A decides to close the distance and get a better firing position. They spend 2 Action Points to Accelerate and position their spacecraft closer to Pilot B's.

Using their remaining 3 Action Points, Pilot A fires their lasers at Pilot B. They roll a d6 for their attack (rolling a 4) and add their Ballistics modifier (+2) and "Spacecraft Combat" tag bonus (+2), totaling 8. Since 8 is lower than Pilot B's Defense (10), the attack misses.

Now it's Pilot B's turn. They spend 3 Action Points to perform an Evasive Maneuver, attempting to shake off Pilot A. They roll a d6 (rolling a 5) and add their Wits modifier (+4) and "Spacecraft Combat" tag bonus (+2), totaling 11. Succeeding the maneuver, Pilot B manages to break away from Pilot A's firing line. Pilot B then uses their remaining 2 Action Points to Turn, facing Pilot A.

As Pilot B doesn't have enough Action Points left to fire their missile system, they end their turn.

Turn 2: Pilot A, now realizing the threat of Pilot B's missiles, decides to focus on evasive tactics. They spend 3 Action Points to perform another Evasive Maneuver, followed by 2 Action Points to Turn and face Pilot B. As Pilot A doesn't have enough Action Points left to fire their lasers, they end their turn.

Pilot B, sensing an opportunity, spends 2 Action Points to Accelerate and get closer to Pilot A. They then spend their remaining 3 Action Points to fire their missile system at Pilot A. They roll a d6 (rolling a 6, which explodes) and roll an additional d6 (rolling a 2), adding their Ballistics modifier (+3) and "Spacecraft Combat" tag bonus (+2), totaling 13. Since 13 is higher than Pilot A's Defense (10), the attack hits, dealing 3 damage (13 - 10), plus the missile damage (5), for a total of 8 damage.

This dogfight continues with both pilots employing a mix of evasive maneuvers, clever tactics, and well-timed attacks. The outcome will ultimately depend on their skills, luck, and the choices they make during the battle.