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Endurance. A character can run at top speed for a number of minutes equal to his Strength score divided by 10, rounded up. The character then must rest for 10 minutes before running again. If characters walk for more than 10 hours, they move at half speed and their Dexterity scores and Reaction Speeds are reduced by half until they sleep.
Terrain: The type of terrain a group is crossing affects how fast the group can travel. The TERRAIN EFFECTS TABLE shows how various types of terrain affect speed. The types of terrain are described below.
Clear -- Any area that allows easy, unobstructed movement. Includes plains, prairies, salt flats, dirt roads and fields.
Broken Ground -- Any area with obstructions or a loose, shihing surface. Includes steep hills, sand dunes, ice or snow fields, forests and gravel slopes.
Rugged -- Any area that requires travelers to pick their path carefully, or that channels them into a few unblocked passes. Includes mountains, canyons, jungles, cratered plains and caverns.
Bogs -- Wet areas with lush vegetation, shallow, open water and soh ground that impedes movement. Includes swamps, marshes, mud flats, mineral terraces and slush.
Open Water -- Large areas of water such as lakes, rivers and oceans.
Highway -- An artificial or natural path that is smooth, flat and generally straight.
Hazardous -- Any area that cannot be crossed without a specially modified vehicle. Includes molten lava, acid pools, lime pits and frozen nitrogen or methane plains.
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* See Swimming.
** These limits apply only if the creature or vehicle is flying or gliding within 100 meters of the ground. If flying more than 100 meters above ground obstacles, all terrain is 1.0.
Animals. The movement speeds given for animals are adjusted to match the animal's native terrain, so no further modifications are necessary.
Encumbrance: There is a limit to how much weight a character can carry. This limit is equal to the character's Strength score, in kilograms. If the weight a character is carrying is more than half of his Strength score, he is encumbered. The movement rate of an encumbered character is cut in half in all terrain. A character can pick up an object that weighs up to twice his Strength in kg, but can carry it only a few meters.
Stacking: A character can stand in a space 1 meter square. This means a map square that is 5 meters across can hold up to 25 characters. If the characters are fighting, however, only eight can be in a 5-meter square and onlytwocan be in a 2-meter square. Onlytwocharacters can shoot out one side of a 5-meter square, only one can shoot out one side of a 2-meter square.
Wounds: A character whose current Stamina is one-half or less of his full Stamina can move at only half speed, and his carrying capacity is cut in half.
Mixed Parties: A party that contains a mixture of races can travel 5km/hour if it does not include Yazirians, 4 km/hour if it does. (Because of their high Stamina. Dralasites can keep up if they must.)
Special Situations: Leaping and Vaulting. A character can leap up to 2 meters ho!izontally without a running start. If the character can run 15 meters in a straight line before leaping, he can leap up to 5 meters. A character trying to leap across an obstacle must make a Strength check. A character who fails the check has lost his balance and can not move for 1 turn. A character who tries to leap farther than the distance has a -20 modifier on his Strength check for each aWitional half-meter. Failure means the character falls short of the distance. A character with a 15 meter running start can vault over an obstacle that is 2 meters high, or grab something that is up to 4 meters above the ground.
Falling, Jumping and Diving. Characters who fall from buildings, ledges or other heights suffer 1 d5 points of damage plus 1 point for every meter they fall. For example, a character that falls 10 meters suffers 1 d5 +10 points of damage. If a character suffers 15 or more points of damage in a fall, he has sprained a leg. His movement speed is reduced by half. If the character suffers 25 or more points of damage, he has broken a bone or a torn a muscle. The player mustroll 1d10; on 1-8,the character injureda leg, on 9 or 10 he injured an arm. A character with a broken leg can not move until the leg is splinted, and then moves at half speed. A broken arm can not be used. (Dralasites can spend 10 minutes absorbing the old limb and growing a new one; this does not heal the damage, but does remove the penalty.) If a character suffers 30 or more points of damage, he may be knocked unconscious. The player must rol I d 100; if the result is equal to or less than the damage the character suffered, then the character is knocked unconscious for 1d10 minutes.
Jumping. A character can jump down 5 meters without being hurt. If the character jumps more than 5 meters, he will suffer injuries the same as if he had fallen, but the distance is reduced by 5 meters.
Example: Lklekt (a Vrusk) jumps from a jetcopter that is hovering 15 meters above the ground. He will suffer 1d5+10points of damage,the same as if he had fallen 10 meters.
Swimming. All characters can swim 10 meters/turn, or 1 km/hour. After swimming for one hour, characters start losing 5 Stamina points every 30 minutes they continue swimming. Characters can hold their breath for a number of turns equal to their Stamina score divided by 5. A character who tries to hold his breath longer than this takes 2d10 points of damage every turn. Dralasites do not float naturally. They can swim, but if knocked unconscious they will drown. A Dralasite can float if it spends 5 minutes forming an air pocket in its body before entering the water.
Climbing. A character can climb a rope at a rate of 2 meters/turn. The character must make a strength check with +30 modifier at the halfway point of the climb and at the top. A roll of 96-00 is automatic failure. Failing the roll means the character falls. A character can climb a vertical surface at a rate of 1 meter/turn, if there are handholds and footholds on the wall. He must make a Dexterity check with a +30 modifier at the halfway point of the climb and at the top. A roll of 96-00 is automatic failure. Failing the roll means the character falls. These rolls are not necessary if the surface the character is climbing slopes less than 60 degrees. A character can climb a ladder at his normal walking speed.
Dangerous Movements. A character is making a dangerous movement if slipping could cause injury: inching along a ledge and swinging on a rope across a pit are two examples. A character must pass a Reaction Speed check to complete a dangerous movement safely. Failing means the character slips. The referee must decide whether the character has a chance to catch himself, and what happens if he falls.
Doors. Open doors and doors that open automatically do not affect movement. To move through a closed door, a character must stop next to the door. On the next turn the character can move through the door at half speed. To open a pressure door or hatch, a character must stand next to the door for two turns, and can move through the door at half speed on the third turn. A character can perform other actions while waiting for a pressure door to open, but can do nothing else while opening a hatch.
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Picking Up and Dropping Objects. Picking up an object that weighs more than 10 kg takes one turn. Picking up an object that weighs 10 kg or less takes half of a turn. Dropping an object takes no time at all.
Gravrty, Weight and Mass. The strength of gravity on a planet depends on the planet's size. Increasing or decreasing gravity can affect characters several ways. These effects are explained below. (This rule is optional. Referees who do not want the added detail can ignore it and assume all adventures happen on planets where gravity equals 1 g.)
For every tenth of a gravity (.1 g) less than 1.0
-- a character's carrying capacity is increased 5 kg
-- the distance a character can leap and vault is increased 5 m
-- the distance a character can jump aafely is increased 1 m
-- the damage a character suffers in a fall is decreased 2 points
For every tenth of a gravity (.1 9) above 1.0
-- a character's carrying capacity is decreased 2 kg
-- the distance characters can leap and vault is decreased .5 m
-- the distance a character can jump safely is decreased 1 m
-- the damage a character suffers in a fall is increased by 2
Weightless Movement. Moving in an area where there is no gravity is different than normal movement. Handholds are built into the walls of most space stations and spaceships, so characters can pull or push themselves along in freefall. Once a character starts moving, he will not stop until he bumps into a wall or grabs another handhold and stops himself. Characters moving this way can move at walking speed. They must follow a wall or, if they move across an open area, they must move straight at a constanl speed until they reach the opposite wall. Some ships have velcro strips along the hallways, so characters wearing special boots can walk normally. Characters walking this way can move at one-half their usual walking speed. Characters can move outside ships or space stations using space su its. Space suits have magnetic boots so characters can walk on the metallic surface of the ship or station at one-half their usual walking speed. Characters can connect themselves to the ship with a tether, if they are knocked off the ship they can simply pull themselves back along the tether.
GROUND VEHICLE MOVEMENT
Speeds: Vehicle speeds are given in meters per turn (meters/turn). To find out how many map spaces a vehicle moves in one turn, divide its speed in meters/turn bythe size of a square on the game map. For example, a skimmer traveling at 50 meters/turn on a map with 5-meter squares will move 10 squares per turn. Conversions from meters/turn to kilometers/hour and miles/hour are shown on the Vehicle Movement Table.
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Acceleration: A driver can increase the speed of his vehicle at the start of every game turn. To do this, the player decides how much faster he wants to move, and adds this number of meters/turn to his current speed. There is a limit to how much a vehicle's speed can be increased in one turn. This limit is the vehicle's acceleration rate. The Vehicle Data Table shows acceleration rates for all the ground vehicles in meters/turn.
EXAMPLE: During its last move, a skimmer traveled 40 meters/turn. Its acceleration rate is 80 meters/turn. At the beginning of its next move, the driver of the skimmer can increase its speed to 120 meters/turn (40 + 80 =120).
Deceleration: A driver can slow down his vehicle at the start of each game turn. To do this, he subtracts the amount he is decelerating from his current speed; the result is his speed for this turn. If the result is 0, the vehicle has stopped and it does not move this turn. The amount a vehicle can slow down in one turn is limited by its deceleration rate. Deceleration rates for ground vehicles are shown on the Vehicle Data Table.
Emergency Stopping: A vehicle can come to a complete stop from any speed in one turn by making an emergency stop. The vehicle moves one-half of its starting speed. At the end of the turn its speed is 0. The driver must make a Reaction Speed check to keep the vehicle under control. If he fails the check, he loses control; see Crashes, below.
Maximum Speed: No matter what its acceleration is, a vehicle can not move faster than its maximum speed. Maximum speeds are listed on the Vehicle Data Table.
Backing Up: A vehicle can drive backward at up to 50 meters/turn. A vehicle that is moving forward must come to a complete stop before moving in reverse. A vehicle's acceleration rate in reverse is one-half its normal acceleration.
Tum Speed: The Vehicle Data Table shows turn speeds for the ground vehicles. A vehicle can turn 45 degrees to the right or left in every 5-meter square it enters if its speed in meters/turn is equal to or less than its turn speed. If the vehicle is traveling faster than its turn speed, it must move straight at least 10 meters after making a 45 degree turn before it can turn again. This information is summarized on the table below. See the diagram for examples.
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Turn Speed or less 5 meters. Greater than Turn Speed 10 meters
Straight movement from the previous turn can be counted toward these requirements. A driver can turn a vehicle more sharply than indicated above, but risks losing control or crashing; see Short Corners.
Special Maneuvers: Besides driving straight and turning corners, vehicles, can perform special maneuvers. These include slips, pivots, skid turns, bumps and stunts.
Slipping. Slipping is similar to "changing lanes"; it allows a vehicle to swerve to the right or left without changing its direction of travel. Any type of vehicle can slip. A slipping vehicle moves 10 meters ahead and 5 meters to either side. This counts as only 10 meters of movement. A vehicle can not turn while slipping. A vehicle can slip once for every 10 meters it moves.
Pivot. A pivot is a turn of up to 360 degrees performed in one spot. Only hover vehicles and Explorers can pivot. A vehicle must be stationary at the beginning of the turn to pivot. The pivoting vehicle stays in the same square, and the driver can rotate it so it points in any direction.
Skid Turns. A skid turn is done by slamming on the brakes while turning so the vehicle skids around 180 degrees. Only ground cars ground cycles and Explorers can perform skid turns. The vehicle must be traveling from 60 to 80 meters/turn. It actually will move only 20 meters during the turn, and have a speed of O at the start of the next turn. The driver of the vehicle rolls percentile dice. If the result is less than or equal to his Reaction Speed, the driver performs the skid turn safely. If the result is higher than the driver's Reaction Speed, the vehicle will point in a random direction when it stops skidding. When this happens, move the vehicle as if it had skidded successfully. Now roll 1d10 and turn the vehicle 45 degrees clockwise a number of times equal to the number rolled.
Bumping. A driver can try to make another vehicle crash by bumping it. In order to bump, the driver or his team must have initiative for the turn. The driver must slip directly in front of the other vehicle. Both drivers then make Reaction Speed checks. The driver who performed the slip makes a normal check, but the driver whose vehicle was bumped has a modif ier of - 15. If either driver fails the check, he loses control of his vehicle (see Crashes).
Stunts. Drivers can perform other stunts, such as jumping their vehicles over bridges, at the referee's discretion. Things to consider when setting up a stunt are the type of vehicle being used, the amount of open space the vehicle has toworkwith, and the vehicle's condition and cargo.
Short Corners: A driver can try to turn his vehicle tighter than its speed allows, but risks losing control of the vehicle and crashing. A driver shortens a corner if he tries to turn 5 meters before he should. For example, a ground cycle has a turning speed of 100 meters/turn. If the cycle is traveling 150 meters/turn, it must travel straight 10 meters aher making a turn before it can turn again. If the driver tries to make the second 45 degree turn after traveling straight only 5 meters, he is shortening the corner by 5 meters. Whenever a driver shortens a corner, the player must roll d100. If the result is less than or equal to the driver's Reaction Speed, the driver makes the turn safely. If the result is higher than the driver's Reaction Speed, the driver loses control during the turn (see Crashes).
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Losing Control: When a driver loses control of his vehicle, the player must roll d100 and check the Control Table to see what happens to his vehicle. The die roll is modified by adding the vehicle's speed in meters/turn to the result.
Explanation of Results
REDUCE SPEED. The vehicle immediately reduces its speed by the indicated amount. If this is more than half of the vehicle's current speed, the vehicle slows down to one-half its current speed. The vehicle finishes the move at this new speed.
SKID. The vehicle is skidding out of control. Divide its speed in meters per turn by 10, rounding fractions up. Move the vehicle this number of meters in the direction it was moving before it went out of control. If the vehicle skids into a building or other obstacle, treat it as a collision (see Collisions). Otherwise, the vehicle continues moving from its new position.
SPIN. The vehicle is skidding out of control and spinning. Divide its remaining movement by two. Move it that many meters in the direction it was traveling before it started skidding. Now roll 1d10 and turn the vehicle 45 degrees clockwise a number of times equal to the number on the die. On the next turn the vehicle will skid to a stop. Move it one-half of its speed in the direction it was traveling before it went out of control and roll 1d10 again to determine how much it spins.
ROLL. The vehicle is rolling out of control. Treat this the same as a spin, but do not roll 1d10 to determine the vehicle's facing. Instead, each passenger in the vehicle suffers 1 d10 points of damage. When the vehicle stops rolling, roll 1d10; if the result is 1, 2 or 3, the vehicle is right-side-up. Otherwise it is on its side or top. The vehicle will run again in 1d10 turns if it was traveling at its turn speed or less.
ROLL AND BURN. This is the same as a roll, but the vehicle is burning also. Each passenger suffers an additional 1d10 damage from the fire at the start of each turn he is in the vehicle. A character can get out of the vehicle in one turn if it has stopped rolling. If a character tries to get out of the vehicle while it is rolling, he must make a Reaction Speed check. If he passes the check, he has escaped from the vehicle. If he fails the check, he has not gotten away from the vehicle and he suffers an additional 1d10 damage immediately.
Collisions: If a moving vehicle hits a building, rock, other vehicle or obstacle of any type, it has had a collision. The vehicle stops moving immediately.
Damage to Vehicles. If the vehicle was traveling faster than its turn speed, it will not run again without extensive repairs. If the vehicle was traveling at its turn speed or slower, it can be driven again after 1 d10 turns. However, its acceleration and turn speed are reduced by 20 meters/turn.
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ARMOR. Skeinsuits and inertia screens will absorb half of the damage a character suffers in a crash.
Crashing Through Obstacles. If characters try to drive through a barricade or obstacle, the referee must use his discretion to decide how badly the vehicle is damaged, whether it keeps running, and whether the passengers are hurt. A vehicle may be able to smash through obstacles that are less solid than concrete posts or parked vehicles.
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