A nice thing about designing a game and owning a blog is you don’t really run out of things to write on and discuss. The game design and thinking on solutions feeds nicely into article concepts, and vice versa. Thinking about what I want to write about on my blog often feeds into ideas and considerations for my larger project.

This is an easy article as I’ve had these rules implemented at my table for some time with good results. In the last session I had that featured vehicles, the players drove a tank through the cold streets of an Alaskan town as everything went to hell in a 30 Days of Night style vampire attack, reducing Licks to chunky salsa.

One of the design goals I had in mind with these rules is to make cars deadly, since 2 tons of steel moving down the road at 60 mph is pretty damn deadly. Likewise, I wanted a way of handling vehicle collisions which felt reasonable or natural. I think the solution I came to here is pretty good, though these rules are very light and I could add more to them for little added complexity, hence this article so people can comment and suggest ideas.

Last thing of note is these rules are built around the assumptions of my own system, Be Not Afraid. It’s however easy to convert said rules to any OSR system you intend on using these in, as per the spirit of it, but of course damage values and things like damage resistance might need some modification given my system is even more stingy with HP and healing than most for PCs, and very generous with damage and death.

To-Do List⌗

  1. One thing which I could implement but haven’t put my mind too is a bracketed health system, logically a vehicle at half HP should perform less than one in tip-top shape.

  2. time table for repairs and times for repairs, currently I kind of have wave it, and that might be fine as it’s one of those things maybe there shouldn’t be too much focus on.

  3. system for modifcations to vehicles would probably be a good idea.

  4. of of representing a weapon system in the statblock for a vehicle .

The Rules⌗

Vehicle Attributes⌗

  1. Hit Dice (HD):

    • Vehicles have d10 HD, making them more durable than human characters (who use d6 HD)
    • Damage Modifiers:
    • Vehicles take half damage from small arms and melee weapons unless the weapon is explosive or specifically designed to damage vehicles. (Or another vehicle)
    • HD also roughly represents the total mass of the Vehicle.

  2. Armor Class (AC) and Damage Resistance (DR):

    • AC: Represents the difficulty of hitting the vehicle.
    • DR: Reduces incoming damage after a successful hit. DR is reserved for armored vehicles.

  3. Speed:

    • Measured in yards per turn.
    • Indicates the maximum distance a vehicle can move per turn when operating at full speed.

  4. Acceleration:

    • Determines how quickly a vehicle can reach its maximum speed.
    • Categories:
      • Nimble/Sporty Vehicles: Full acceleration in 1/1.
      • Medium Vehicles: Full acceleration in 1/2.
      • Bulky/Large Vehicles: Full acceleration in 1/3.

  5. Saving Throw:

    • Vehicles have a single saving throw to determine outcomes in situations like avoiding obstacles or regaining control.
    • Smaller, nimbler vehicles have better save values than larger, clunkier ones.
    • Roll Mechanic: Roll a d20 over the vehicle’s save value.
    • Modified by the driver’s DEX and Drive Skill.

Vehicle Combat and Damage⌗

  1. Targeting Vehicles:

    • Attackers must overcome the vehicle’s AC to land a hit
    • Damage is reduced by the vehicle’s DR (if applicable)

  2. Disabling a Vehicle:

    • When a vehicle’s HP reaches 0, it is disabled and can no longer operate until repaired

  3. Totaling or Exploding a Vehicle:

    • If a vehicle takes damage equal to half its total HP in negative hit points, it is either totaled or explodes, depending on the situation

  4. Explosives and Specialized Weapons:

    • Explosives, armor-piercing rounds, and heavy weapons deal full damage to vehicles

  5. Ramming and Crashes:

    • Base damage equals the vehicle’s HD in d6s (a 6 HD Sedan does 6d6 damage)
    • Add Speed Modifier: +1d6 for every full 60 yards/round of current speed
    • Collision Types:
      • Head-on: Both vehicles add their speed modifiers
      • Rear-end: Use the difference in speed modifiers
      • T-bone/Side impact: Moving vehicle adds full speed modifier, impacted vehicle adds none
    • If the difference in HD between vehicles is 3 or more, the vehicle with more HD only takes half damage
    • Motorcycles operate at -1 HD for damage calculations
    • Creature targets of a ram are provided a Reflex save to attempt to get out of the way.
      • When a creature is hit a d6 is rolled, on a 1-2 the creature rolls off the top of the vehicle for half damage, on a 3-6 they take full damage, this range is modified by dex.

Maneuverability and Driving Checks⌗

  1. Driving Checks & Saves:
    • Players must make driving checks in scenarios like sharp turns, avoiding obstacles, or controlling the vehicle in hazardous conditions.
    • Vehicle Save: Roll a d20 over the vehicle’s save value, modified by the driver’s DEX and Drive Skill.

Modern Vehicle Statistics⌗

Civilian Vehicles⌗

Vehicle Type HD AC DR Speed (Y/R) Acceleration Save
Compact Car 3d10 10 0 160 1/2 11
Sedan 4d10 10 0 180 1/2 12
Luxury Sedan 5d10 11 0 200 1/2 12
Sports Car 5d10 13 0 360 1/1 11
Supercar 5d10 14 0 420 1/1 10
SUV 6d10 11 0 160 1/2 13
Minivan 6d10 10 0 150 1/3 13
Pickup Truck 7d10 11 0 160 1/2 13

Motorcycles⌗

Vehicle Type HD AC DR Speed (Y/R) Acceleration Save
Scooter 1d10 12 0 120 1/1 8
Standard Motorcycle 2d10 12 0 240 1/1 9
Sport Bike 2d10 13 0 300 1/1 8
Touring Motorcycle 3d10 12 0 240 1/1 10
Off-Road Motorcycle 2d10 11 0 180 1/1 8

Commercial/Heavy Vehicles⌗

Vehicle Type HD AC DR Speed (Y/R) Acceleration Save
Delivery Van 7d10 10 0 150 1/3 14
Box Truck 8d10 11 1 140 1/3 14
Semi Truck (Cab) 9d10 11 2 160 1/3 15
Semi w/Trailer 12d10 11 2 140 1/3 16
City Bus 10d10 10 1 130 1/3 15
Construction Truck 11d10 11 2 120 1/3 15

Military/Security Vehicles⌗

Vehicle Type HD AC DR Speed (Y/R) Acceleration Save
Light Tactical Vehicle 8d10 13 3 180 1/2 13
Armored Car 8d10 14 5 150 1/3 13
APC 10d10 16 8 140 1/3 14
Light Tank 11d10 17 9 130 1/3 15
Main Battle Tank 12d10 18 12 120 1/3 16
Military Truck 9d10 12 3 140 1/3 14

Special/Emergency Vehicles⌗

Vehicle Type HD AC DR Speed (Y/R) Acceleration Save
Ambulance 7d10 11 1 160 1/3 13
Fire Truck 11d10 11 2 130 1/3 15
Police Cruiser 5d10 12 1 240 1/2 11
SWAT Van 8d10 14 4 150 1/3 13
Riot Control Vehicle 10d10 15 6 130 1/3 14

Notes:

  • Speed (Y/R) = Yards per Round (6 seconds)
  • All stats assume vehicles in good working condition
  • Military/Security vehicles may have additional weapon systems not covered in basic stats