Vehicles

In Secret Wars, vehicles can serve numerous purposes. They can get you from point A to B, serve as an effective weapon, close the gap between supernatural powers and human capabilities, and become complex tools to solve complex problems. With just some rope, a car can become a powerful towing machine, a way to interrogate a monster, or an inefficient-but-effective lockpick.

Vehicle Traits

Crew: The number of crew needed to operate a vehicle. In most cases, a single crewmember pilots the vehicle, and additional crew members serve as gunners or co-pilots,

Passengers: The number of passengers a vehicle can carry, in addition to its crew. Vehicles can carry cargo in place of passengers. Each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 5 Bulk of cargo.

Cargo Capacity: The bulk of cargo the vehicle is designed to carry.

Size: The general size of the vehicle. Remember, size is an abstract, and reflects weight, mass, bulk and space.

Speed: The vehicle's safe speed. A vehicle can reach a top speed of about 50% beyond the listed speed value. However, when operating above the Speed value, double the Maneuver penalty or halve the Maneuver bonus to all checks made to Drive the vehicle. In addition, all failures become critical failures. 

As a general rule, most vehicles gain 1 Speed per round. Vehicles with the Fast trait gain 2 Speed per round. A driver can take 1 action and make a DC 15 Drive Check to increase the acceleration by +1 Speed per round. Remember to add the vehicle's Manoeuvre modifier to this check. Vehicles with slow acceleration cannot benefit from roles to improve acceleration.

Attempts to accelerate off-road are more difficult. Accelerating on a dirt road imposes a -2 penalty; on grass or rock you take a -5 penalty, and you take a -10 penalty on sand, snow or while in mud. All-terrain vehicles, such as ATVs, dirt bikes, or some SUVs and Trucks, suffer reduced or no penalties.

Manoeuvre: The amount added to any Drive check attempted with the vehicle. 

Defence: The vehicle's base defence score.

Hardness: Hardness reflects the general toughness and durability of materials, and its ability to withstand harm. Anytime a vehicle would take damage, subtract its Hardness from the damage suffered. 

Structure: Structure is the amount of punishment a vehicle can suffer before it becomes useless. It's the equivalent of a creature's vitality and wounds. An vehicle suffering half its Structure in damage imposes a -2 penalty on all Drive checks. At three-fourths its Structure in damage, this increases to -5.

Modifying a Vehicle

With mechanical know-how, a skilled engineer or mechanic can modify vehicles from their base stats. 

A vehicle can support a number of modifications equal to 1/2 of a mechanic's ranks in Technical Science. Modifying a Vehicle counts as an Invention.

Potential modifications include: 

Additional Seating

You install additional seating into a vehicle. It's tight, but you increase the total passenger capacity by 50%.

All-Terrain Adaptation

The vehicle reduces all penalties for difficult terrain by 1/2 (Dirt roads are now -1, grass and rock are -2, and snow, sand and mud are -5).

Enhance Engine

Increase the Speed of the vehicle by +1

Special: You can apply this modification up to 5 times

Improved Acceleration

Add the Fast trait to a vehicle. This trait cannot be added to vehicles with the Slow trait. 

Special: This modification counts as 2 modifications

Improved Handling

Improve the Manoeuvrability of a vehicle by +1.

Special: You can apply this modification up to 5 times

Night Scanners

A vehicle with this modification can scan the environment around it for potential threats. It offers Darkvision out to 4 Range to anyone looking at the vehicle's console.

Nitro Boost

You enhance your engine to take in nitromethane fuel to enhance acceleration. Once per scene, you can use your vehicle's nitro to increase your acceleration by +1 Speed for the next round. While the nitro boost is active, the Manoeuvrability of the vehicle decreases by -2. 

Personnel Enclosure

Additional panelling, usually made of bulletproof glass, protect the vehicle's passengers. Increase the level of cover offered to all passengers by one step (Light Cover to Cover, Cover to Heavy Cover). 

Reinforced Frame

Reinforce the vehicle's frame, adding +1 Durability

Special: You can apply this modification up to 5 times

Smuggler's Compartment

This secret compartment hidden within the vehicle can store a relatively small supply of contraband. A vehicle's Smuggler's Compartment can hold 1 Bulk of gear for every 4 Size the vehicle has. A creature must succeed at a DC 22 Awareness check to detect the compartment, or an equal Investigate check if given sufficient time with the vehicle.

Special: You can apply this modification several times. Each time you do, increase the DC to discover the compartment by 7. 

Weapon Mount

This modification installs a single longarm or heavy weapon into the vehicle. This weapon is operable by either the pilot or a passenger, though only one creature can operate the weapon each round. This modification increases the Crew requirement of the Vehicle by 1.

Vehicle Crashes

When a vehicle hits a creature or another vehicle, a crash occurs. There are two basic scenarios for this rule:

Vehicle Hitting Light Object

When a vehicle hits something equal to or less than half its Size, the target takes an amount of damage equal to the vehicle's size plus the vehicle's current speed.

The driver must make a Drive check against the damage dealt. Failure means the vehicle takes damage equal to the amount dealt. Any damage not absorbed by the Hardness is also dealt to the occupants of the vehicle. Airbags, seatbelts, and other safety devices halve this damage to occupants.

If a driver is intending to hit a target, they make a Drive check against the target's Armor. This check can critically hit a target.

Vehicle Hitting Heavy Object

When a vehicle hits something more than half its Size, both the vehicle and the target take an amount of damage equal to the vehicle's size plus the vehicle's current speed. If the vehicle collides with another vehicle head on or perpendicularly, add their speeds together to calculate the damage. If they're moving parallel to each other, subtract the lower speed from the higher speed.

If they are able to react in time, both drivers can make DC 15 Drive Checks. Each success reduces the damage by 2.

 Any damage not absorbed by the Hardness is also dealt to the occupants of the vehicle. Airbags, seatbelts, and other safety devices halve this damage to occupants.

If a driver is intending to hit a target, they make a Drive check against the target's Armor. This check can critically hit a target.

Vehicle Categories

Motorcycle

Unlike getting into a car, mounting a motorcycle is only a single action. Motorcycles tend to perform better than automobiles, but they provide no cover to their occupants.

Dirt Bike: Agile bikes designed to be driven off-road. A dirt bike suffers no penalties for driving on dirt roads or off-road.

Racing Bike: Top-of-the-line street bikes designed to win races.

Street Bikes: Huge bikes designed for long drives and compete for space on the road with cars.

Cars

Most new civilian cars include such standard features as air conditioning, air bags, antilock brakes, cruise control, keyless entry, and an AM/FM radio with Bluetooth. Luxury vehicles often also include extras such as heated side mirrors, power seats, leather upholstery, and sunroofs. In general, these luxury amenities can be added to a nonluxury car with an increase of 1 to the vehicle's purchase DC.

Unless otherwise noted, civilian cars provide cover for their occupants (although passengers who lean out of windows or sunroofs, perhaps to fire weapons, may only benefit from Light Cover).

Economy Coupe: Inexpensive two-door family cars, generally the smallest cars one can find on the road today.

Economy Sedan: Inexpensive four-door family cars.

Luxury Sedan: High-end four-door cars and limousines, made with the finest material.

Mid-Size Sedan: Large four-door cars designed for longer trips or larger families.

Mid-Sized Wagon: Large, four-door family cars with extra cargo space.

Sports Coupe: Two-door sports car equipped with top-of-the-line engines.

SUVs and Trucks

Trucks include pickups, sport utility vehicles, vans, and minivans. They generally have the same features as civilian cars.

Like cars, trucks generally provide three-quarters cover to their occupants. The rear bed of a pickup truck, however, provides only one-half cover.

Crossover: A four-door compact SUV built on a car frame.

Humvee: A modular military vehicle also available for civilian purchase. The military version can be configured in a variety of ways, including a two-door pickup, a four-door pickup with a short bed, and a completely enclosed, SUV-like body with a hatchback and four doors. It lacks the luxury accessories of the civilian version, but it is equipped with puncture-resistant tires. The civilian Hummer is decked out like a luxury vehicle inside, but this vehicle is every bit as rugged as the military version.

Minivan: A three-door vehicle, with one sliding door, designed for ferrying around large groups of people.

Pickup Truck: A two-door truck with a flatbed and enhanced cargo capacity.

SUV: A four-door vehicle with a robust frame that has come to dominate the North American market.

Water Vehicles

Piloting a civilian water vehicle is covered by the Drive skill.

Cabin Cruiser: a motor yacht with two internal diesel engines. It comes equipped with four berths and a fully equipped galley. It provides cover to occupants in the cockpit or stern, heavy cover to occupants below deck, and no cover to those forward of the cockpit.

Personal Watercraft: a two-seat jet ski that propels itself with a powerful jet of water. Personal watercraft provide no cover to its riders.

Runabout: a powerboat with an outboard engine and an open cockpit with a tiny cabin (about the size of the interior of an economy car) forward. A runabout provides cover to occupants in the cockpit or stern, full cover to occupants in the cabin, and no cover to those forward of the cockpit. 

Aircraft

All aircraft, from one-seaters to jumbo jets, require the Aircraft Operation feat. A few examples are provided here from the variety of air going vehicles that might be available to characters. Aircraft provide Heavy Cover for all passengers. 

Corporate Jet: These sleek business jets feature two turbofans, set on the fuselage above and behind the wings. The interior includes luxury accommodations and a lavatory. 

Heavy Helicopter: Twin-engine helicopters, used for passenger and cargo work all over the world. Military versions are also used in many countries .

Light Helicopter: This is perhaps the most common civilian aircraft worldwide, it has also been adopted by many military forces as a light utility helicopter.

Prop Plane: Relatively inexpensive single engine planes. 

Other Vehicles

A few types of vehicles don't fit neatly into the categories covered above. Many of these (such as the armored truck and the limousine) are usually custom built.

Armored Truck: Used to transport money between businesses and financial institutions, armored trucks are designed to deter would-be thieves. The truck has three doors and firing ports that allow the crew to use their firearms without leaving the vehicle. It provides Heavy Cover to all occupants. It is equipped with puncture-resistant tires.

ATV: All-terrain vehicles, like dirt bikes, suffer no penalties for travelling off-road or on dirt roads. ATVs provide no cover for their riders.

City Bus: A typical city bus. It has a door at the front and a second door about halfway down the right-hand side. It provides cover to all its occupants.

Limousine: A limousine is a big, comfortable car. The statistics given are for a moderate-sized vehicle, rather than a stretch limo or a conventional car with a professional driver. Limousines feature virtually every available luxury feature, often including televisions and small refrigerators. It provides cover to its occupants.

Semitrailer: A large cargo truck used to move freight. It provides cover to occupants in its cab.