Business Name: Transportation Complex
Staff/Proprietor:
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Goods/Services: Glijet: A glijet is a combination rocketpack and hang glider. The rocketpack is used to fly to high altitude, where the glider wings are extended. The user can glide slowly with the wings, or use the rocketpack to fly at higher speed. The chemical rocket pack weighs 2 kg and costs 50 Cr to refill. Jetcopter: A jetcopter is a helicopter with jet engines. They can be flown like normal helicopters at up to 50 kph. Using the jet engines allows them to fly at speeds up to 350 kph. Aircar: An aircar is a vertical take-off and landing vehicle, or VerTOL. It takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane. Parabatteries: All of the vehicles described above, except the glijet, are powered by parabatteries. Parabatteries range in size from fist-sized to 1 cubic meter. The following four types are used in vehicles: Type 1 ( 600 Cr):groundcycles and hovercycles Type 2 (1,200 Cr):groundcars and hovercars Type 3 (2,300 Cr):trucks, hovertrucks and explorers Type 4 (4,500 Cr):aircars and jetcopters Range. All vehicles listed above can travel 1,000 km on a new parabattery before it is out of energy and must be recharged. A glijet does not use a parabattery; its range varies with fuel use, altitude and air currents. LEV (Lunar Excursion Vehicle): LEV's are similar to the "Explorer" class of vehicle found in the ALPHA DAWN game rules, but small and designed specifically for lunar use. Large windows are located front and rear , and the airlock hatch is on one side. A radiophone is included. Treads are the primary movement power, but power struts ("legs") are also mounted, enabling the vehicle to jump. The horizontal range of a jump is 46-55 (1d10+45) meters from a stationary position, or 72-90 (2d10+70) meters when executed at maximum speed. The maximum height of a jump is 1/3 the jump range, reached at midpoint. Modification of the jump characteristics requires Level 3 Technician Skill and 3-30 hours of time. To make a moving jump, the driver must make a Technician Skill check for Operating Machinery. A -20% penalty applies unless the driver has 3 or more months' experience at LEV operation. If failed, each passenger takes 1d10 damage, and devices carried may also be damaged. Zeppelin, Civilian: Zeppelins are semi-rigid airships supported by internal struts of composite materials, unlike blimps which are simple inflated gasbags. They are powered by 2 Type 3 Parabatteries which drive a pair of propellers; the propellers can swivel and serve as secondary steering (in addition to the rudders) for the craft. A zeppelin can take off and land either vertically (like a copter) or on an ascending angle (like an airplane), and require no runway. Although not popular on Core planets dominated by aircars and such, zeppelins are very useful on colonies, low-tech planets, and for explorers due to their low maintenance, low cost, and good handling (a zeppelin can rotate in place and hover much like a helicopter). The zeppelin's gas bags (called "cells") are inflated with helium, making it non-flammable. Due to their similar sizes, there have been cases where camouflaged airships have been used as decoys for landed Hull Size 4 ships by smugglers and pirates; use of a zeppelin in this way to evade pursuit by law enforcement officers is a felony on all UPF member planets and is vigorously prosecuted. Zeppelin, Survey: These semi-rigid lighter-than-air vehicles are used primarily for survey and colonization. Their economical operation, high cargo capacity, extensive range, and low-tech design make them useful and versatile. Gondolas are custom-designed for specific applications. Survey robots act as tugboats for the assembly, inflation, mooring, and remote landing of these airships. |
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The basic vehicle defense is armor. Its effectiveness depends on its composition, method of fabrication, location, thickness, and angle of slope. For the game, all these considerations (as well as details like bulletproof windshields and wheelguards) are neatly integrated into coats of armor. Each coat provides a -2 modifier when rolling on the appropriate Vehicle Damage Table (Expanded Game Rules book, pp. 32-33). Every 5 coats will reduce crash injuries to occupants by -1 point per die. The cost per coat and the maximum coats applicable vary for each vehicle type; these are noted on the Vehicle Table below. Also noted (after the slash) are the number of coats that are concealable (i.e., that an observer will not notice as armor on the vehicle). Likewise, the price after the slash is the price for a concealed coat.
A vehicle can be painted with reflective paint. This costs the same as an armor coat and provides an additional modifier of -10 from vehicle damage rolls due to laser attacks. Note that these coats are not concealable.
A defensive screen can also be added to a vehicle. There are two types of vehicle screens:
Albedo: This screen uses 1 SEU per minute of operation, and it absorbs all laser damage at a cost of 2 SEU per die of damage absorbed.
Inertia: This screen uses 1 SEU per minute of operation, and it reflects half the dice of damage done by ballistic attacks (and crashes) at a cost of 1 SEU
per die of damage reflected.
Example: A hovercar and a jetcopter are slugging it out. The car's universal turret fires a heavy laser (set at 20d10 damage) straight up and hits the jetcopter. The jetcopter's albedo screen absorbs it at a cost of 40 SEU. The jetcopter then drops a heavy bomb (50d10 damage) which hits the car. The hovercar's inertia screen reflects half the dice (25) at a cost of 25 SEU. Its driver now rolls on the Damage table with a +25 on the dice.
Power screens are powered by the power econopack - 250 SEU, 25 kg, 1250 Credits; 4 weapons adapters, 1 screen adapter, 5 miscellaneous adapters. The cost for the screen varies with the size of the vehicle, as shown on the Vehicle Table.
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Many new weapons are available to mount on vehicles, as detailed on the Weapon Table below. All headings are the same as found in Expanded Game Rules statistics (p. 27), save for spaces and mounting fee, described below.
Spaces: Each vehicle's capacity to carry weapons is rated in spaces, as shown on the Vehicle Table. All weapons mounted in the vehicle's body or in turrets have their space rating subtracted from this number. When a vehicle's rating reaches zero, no more mounted weapon can be added to it.
Mounting fee: This is the cost to mount this weapon to a vehicle. All mounts are recessed, and it must be decided when mounting whether a weapon faces the front, back, right, or left side of a vehicle.
Descriptions and notes for these weapons are presented below.
Portable weapons: These include heavy lasers (HL), machine guns (MG), recoilless rifles (RR), and rocket launchers (RL). They can also be mounted on a post or swivel mount; this only costs 150 Credits, but these weapons cannot be fired by a gunner inside the vehicle. Normal ranged combat is used if someone hangs from a hatch to use one of these, but anybody doing that and wearing a screen will interfere with the vehicle's defensive screen (if any).
Post-mounted weapons are not charged against the vehicle's space total - but reasonable limits should be placed on this by the referee.
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Vehicle MG: A large caliber (12.7 mm) weapon with a greater muzzle velocity than a portable MG. Baffles surround its barrel so that the muzzle flash is not visible at night.
Vehicle RR: This is similar to the version in the Expanded Game Rules book, but it has a larger caliber.
Vehicle RL: This uses longer, larger rockets than the Expanded Game Rules version. Note the different rocket calibers; one vehicle RL cannot fire both. Also note that in jetcopter and aircar weapon pods, the rockets are each mounted in a separate tube; any number of rockets may be fired in a single turn.
Vehicle HL: Lacking a clear prototype, the heavy laser statistics were designed to keep it competitive with other weapons. It runs off the same powerpack as screens.
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Cannon: This is your basic 30 mm cannon.
Howitzer: This tank weapon is included for the sake of sheer overkill.
Guided Missile: GM platforms come in four sizes. The smallest holds one missile, takes up one space, and costs 300 Credits to mount. The largest holds 4 missiles, costs 1200 Credits to mount. All GMs available can be fired in one turn if so desired. They are an exception to normal combat rules. The cheap missile (1000 Credits/30d10) is guided by joystick movements of the gunner and finalizes its own aim with infrared sensors. The basic chance to hit is the gunner's DEX +20, as a percentage. All modifiers are applicable; range modifiers are reduced three categories if the gunner is wearing magnigoggles. The expensive missile (3000 Credits/6d10) is programmed with a target before launching, and is totally self-guided. Programming takes three turns during which the gunner can take no other action. The chance to hit is 95%, and no modifiers are applicable. Missile acceleration is 150 meters/turn/turn, top speed 1500 meters/turn; a jetcopter of aircar with a head start might be able to outrun a missile for its 10 km range.
Bomb: This is a dropped weapon, mounted on jetcopter or aircar pylons. Statistics for light and heavy bombs are given.
Minedropper: A shot from this weapon drops 5 mines on the road behind the vehicle. Distribution is determined by speed and maneuvers during the dropping turn. If any vehicle subsequently passes over them, the mines will detonate on a 50% activation roll. The 5d10 damage figure is per mine. This is a generally useless weapon for flying vehicles; the mines spread too much and explode on impact if dropped over 5 meters.
Sprayer: Various vile substances can be loaded into this. The most useful three substances are smoke, paint, and oil. A smokescreen forms a 50-meter diameter cloud, blocking vision and IR sights but not radar. It lasts 5 turns; any vehicle going through it is sightless for 1 turn.
Paint sprayers cover an area 10 meters X 3 meters behind the vehicle, and they block vision (but not IR or radar) by coating windows with paint. The paint lasts until scrubbed off. Paint will also completely ruin a coat of reflective paint; it cannot be removed without also removing the reflective paint beneath it.
Oil jets form a 20 meter X 2 meter slick. The driver of a vehicle traveling faster than its turn speed who encounters a slick must make a Reaction Speed check or lose control of the vehicle. An Explorer has a +20 on the control roll. Hover vehicles are not affected at all.
A limitation of recessed mounting is that weapons can only face one direction. To get around this, weapons are installed on turrets. Turrets have a 360º field of fire, and ca spin the full 360º and still fire each turn. Universal turrets can also elevate from -15º to +90º (straight up). Turrets have a minimum range of 10 meters due to their elevation from the ground (this does not apply to universal turrets).
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The maximum number of turrets on each vehicle type and their possible sizes are shown on the Vehicle Table. Note that cycle turrets are actually sidecars, and only have a 180º field of fire on one side. Also note that putting weapons in a turret does not add to the spaces in a vehicle.
Example: Simba is mounting a turret on his groundcar. According to the table, he can mount a small or medium turret. He chooses a medium universal turret (2 spaces) and decides to mount a vehicle machine gun (2 spaces) in it. It costs 3000 Credits to purchase the vehicle MG, 750 Credits to mount it in the turret, and 5000 Credits to buy a turret and mount it on his car. If he wants a pop-up turret, it will cost him another 5000 Credits. (The vehicle MG is automatically concealed.) Either way, he now has 4 spaces left to mount a cannon (or whatever) in his car.
Jetcopters and aircars are a special case. Their weapons are most commonly mounted not in the body or in turrets, but in weapon pods attached to pylons. These pods add space to a vehicle. A jetcopter can have two pods, each holding 2 spaces worth of weapons, while an aircar can have 4 pods, each holding 4 spaces of weapons. A small (1-space) pylon with post costs 200 Credits; a medium (2-space) one costs 400 Credits; and, a large (4-space) one costs 800 Credits. (Of course, regular weapon-mounting fees must still be paid.)
Example: Dandel is arming his aircar. He mounts a vehicle MG and a vehicle FT coaxially in a large, underbody turret. This fills up the vehicle's body spaces (as shown on the Vehicle Table). However, he can still add up to 4 pylons of up to 4 spaces each, under the wings, so the total weaponry on his aircar could be 20 spaces.
Note that pods are fixed, forward-firing weapons.
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Other pieces of equipment that are useful in vehicle combat are given here. These are listed on the Equipment Table and described below.
Cyberlink: This is a direct mental hookup (by computer) to a weapon to control its firing. Up to 5 weapons can be controlled by one person (3 by a driver) at no penalty to firing multiple weapons, but each weapon requires a separate link. Each weapon also guzzles 2 SEU per turn of operation.
Ejection seat: Upon manual activation, this slides back a roof panel and ejects the seat 20 meters straight up, where a para-wing opens to carry the passenger to safety. Safety features prohibit activation when the vehicle is not upright.
Infrared cameras: IR cameras project a 360º image of heat sources around the vehicle, to permit driving without lights at night and seeing through a painted windshield. They use 1 SEU per minute of operation.
Infrared jammer: IR jammers make the vehicle invisible to IR sensors, and they give guided missiles a -20 modifier to hit. They use 2 SEU per minute of operation.
Radar: Radar enables sight through any interference, but objects show up only as blips on a screen. It uses 1 SEU per minute of operation.
Searchlight: One can be mounted in a turret for 200 Credits (using 1 space) and can be used as a weapon to blind opponents. Blindness duration is 1d10 turns, or 1d10-3 if the searchlight is over 500 meters away. Light range is 1 km. SEU use is 3 per minute.
Combat
The Combat Sequence for vehicle combat is the same as for all other Star Frontiers combat, the only difference being the procedure used to determine hit probability. This is given below.
1.¼DEX / ½DEX. The basic percentage change to hit is ½ the gunner's Dexterity, since he has no control over the aim (only when to fire). If he is controlling a turreted weapon, the base percentage chance increases to ½ his Dexterity.
2.+5% / Tech level. If the vehicle is moving, 5% is added for each Technician level of the driver, since he can position the vehicle for the most favorable shots.
3.+5% / skill level. 5% is added for each skill level the gunner has with the weapon being fired.
4.-x% range. See Expanded Game Rules book for range modifiers.
5.+x% size. Cars, Explorers, air vehicles: +5% (Large). Trucks: +10% (Giant).
6.+x% movement. -10% if speed is 10-150 meters/turn; -20% if speed is over 150 meters/turn. This applies to both attacker and target.
7.-x% cover. See Expanded Game Rules book for cover modifiers.
8.-x% dodging. The driver can weave and otherwise try to prevent a harder target. Subtraction is -5% per Tech level of the driver. This applies to attacks on and by his vehicle, and it eliminates modifier #2 above.
9.-10% / extra weapon. If firing multiple weapons, a gunner has a -10% penalty "to hit" per weapon, for every extra weapon over and above the one weapon he considers his main weapon. A driver has a -10% penalty "to hit" per weapon on which he fires.
Example: Simba and Dandel are trying to bring down a Streel jetcopter. Simba (the driver) is firing two weapons; he has a -20% on each roll. Dandel (the gunner) is firing three weapons; he also has a -20% on each roll.
Once an attack succeeds, apply screen affects (if any), and find the number of dice of damage caused by the attack. Roll 2d10, add the number of dice, and subtract 2 for each coat of armor the vehicle has. Finally, add vehicle modifiers (+2 for cycles; -2 for Explorers), and consult the appropriate Vehicle Damage Table (pp. 32-33, Expanded Game Rules book).
Best wishes in your dueling, and may you never find yourself staring down a howitzer barrel.
Note: Any portable weapon may be mounted in a turret; it will take up to one space, and will have a mounting fee of 500 Credits. All other statistics are as
per the Expanded Games Rules.
* Fire from a portable flamethrower will do 1d10 damage/turn to a target for the next three turns after the turn in which it was fired.
** Fire from a vehicle-mounted flamethrower will do 1d10 damage/turn to a target for the next five turns after the turn in which it was fired.
*** The second kind of guided missile has no range modifiers, and is good out to a 10 km range.
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