Vehicle Combat: Difference between revisions

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===The Basics===
===The Basics===
# '''Choose a station:'''
# '''Choose a station:'''
: At the start of combat, each PC declares which station of the vehicle he or she wishes to occupy.  Stations are: Channeler, Captain, Gunner, Pilot, Spotter and Repair Crew
: At the start of combat, each PC declares which station of the vehicle he or she wishes to occupy.  Stations are: Captain, Channeler, Gunner, Pilot, Repair Crew, and Spotter.
:: '''Changing Stations:''' PC's may change which station they are at, but it requires a full turn to change stations (no other actions or die rolls may be made while changing stations).
:: '''Changing Stations:''' PC's may change which station they are at, but it requires a full turn to change stations (no other actions or die rolls may be made while changing stations).


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:: '''You can't split dice:''' Note that pips from d6's in your action pool cannot be split up.  That is, you must use all of the pips on a single die if you use any of them.  This means if you wish to purchase an expenditure which costs 12 pips, and you have three 5's on your action pool dice, you must spend all three dice to pay for the 12 pip cost, effectively wasting 3 pips of your action pool.  Alternatively, you could bank your dice until next turn, and hope that your next turn's action pool dice allow you to divide your results less wastefully.
:: '''You can't split dice:''' Note that pips from d6's in your action pool cannot be split up.  That is, you must use all of the pips on a single die if you use any of them.  This means if you wish to purchase an expenditure which costs 12 pips, and you have three 5's on your action pool dice, you must spend all three dice to pay for the 12 pip cost, effectively wasting 3 pips of your action pool.  Alternatively, you could bank your dice until next turn, and hope that your next turn's action pool dice allow you to divide your results less wastefully.


===Vehicle Ranges===  
===Vehicle Ranges===  
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===Vehicle Weapons===
Weapons on vehicles are siege weapons, which do sunder attacks. Siege weapons have varying ranges, base damage and effects on their targets, depending on the weapon mounted to the vehicle.
Attacks always hit one of the stations of the target vehicle, and each station has its own durability score.  If a station has its durability reduced to 0, it can no longer generate dice on its own.
However, the channeler may grant dice to that station to allow it to function. This includes any dice the channeler has already given to that station
When a station gets hit, any PC acting in that area also takes hit point damage.
Half of all damage dealt is irreparable until the vehicle can be put into dock for repairs. However, this only applies to single hits which deal 2 or more durability damage. Each hits damage is halved, round down, to determine how much, if any, of the damage is irreparable.  Thus, a bunch of 1 point hits are all repairable, but a 3 point hit causes one point of irreparable damage.
Damage is repaired by the Repair Crew
If any three of a vehicles stations are reduced to 0 durability, the vehicle is considered destroyed.
In general, low-level siege weapons will deal 1-2 base damage, which can be upgraded by a talented gunner
High level siege weapons deal up to 10 base damage, which can be modified higher by talented gunners


===Length of Turns===
===Length of Turns===
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===Ship's Channeler===
===Ship's Channeler===
* '''Skill Required:''' Profession (Ship's Channeler)
* '''Skill Required:''' Profession (Ship's Channeler)
All vehicles have a motive source/power source:
* Can be sails or rowers or horse-drawn
* Can be dweomer-crystals or turning stones
* Can be lay sigils or channeled magic


A ship's channeler is responsible for making the motive force of the vehicle as efficient as possible.  This could be as mundane as beating a drum to keep time for the rowers, cropping the horses to make them go faster, or tweaking the magical matrix of the vehicle to coax a little more power out of it.  In non-magical vehicles, a ship's channeler might be referred to as a pace-setter, drover, or any other term appropriate.
A ship's channeler is responsible for making the motive force of the vehicle as efficient as possible.  This could be as mundane as beating a drum to keep time for the rowers, cropping the horses to make them go faster, or tweaking the magical matrix of the vehicle to coax a little more power out of it.  In non-magical vehicles, a ship's channeler might be referred to as a pace-setter, drover, or any other term appropriate.


A Ship's Channeler may use his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Channeler may use his action pool for the following expenditures:
* any number - improve next turn (allocate dice to next round's rolls)
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* 12 - buy temporarary d6 to grant to someone on the ship
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
* 25 - buy permanent d6 to grant to someone on the ship
|-  
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
|-  
| Focus Power || grant a d6, rolled immediately, to the action pool of any station on the ship. This d6 can be expended or banked as the receiving player wishes, but once used, it is gone. || 12
|-  
| Dedicate Power || grant a d6 each round for the remainder of the encounter to the action pool of any station on the ship. This d6 is rolled immediately, and can be expended or banked as the receiving player wishes. || 25
|-
| Overcharge || The channeler chooses one functioning station of the vehicle, and that station rolls d8's for its action pool, instead of d6's, for the remainder of the encounter, starting next turn || 40
|}


* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's channeler station, but is not crewed by a PC will grant no benefits to other stations.
* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's channeler station, but is not crewed by a PC will grant no benefits to other stations.
* '''If Destroyed:''' If a vehicle's Channeler station is destroyed, the ship can no longer improve its efficiency during the fight. Any dice granted by the Channeler's "Dedicate Power" expenditures are not refreshed in future turns, though they may be used this turn.


===Ship's Captain===
===Ship's Captain===
* '''Skill Required:''' Profession (Ship's Captain)
* '''Skill Required:''' Profession (Ship's Captain)


A ship's captain issues orders to the crew to make them operate more efficiently, or pay attention to something important.  
A ship's captain issues orders to the crew to make them operate more efficiently, or to force them to pay attention to something important.  


A Ship's Captain may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Captain may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
* any number - improve next turn
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* 12 - temporarily lower the cost of one ability for someone on the ship by 2
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
* 25 - permanently lower the cost of one ability for someone on the ship by 2
|-  
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
|-  
| Tactical Orders || The captain chooses one functioning station of the ship and lowers the cost of any expenditures made by that station by 2 for this turn || 12
|-
| Strategic Command || The captain chooses one functioning station of the ship and lowers the cost of any expenditures made by that station by 2 for the rest of the encounter || 25
|-
| Reallocate Talent || The captain can assist one PC in moving to a different station of the ship without losing a turn to do so. The PC must be willing to be reassigned. || 25
|}


* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's captain station, but is not crewed by a PC will grant no benefits to other stations.
* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's captain station, but is not crewed by a PC will grant no benefits to other stations.
* '''If Destroyed:''' If a vehicle's captain station is destroyed, it takes double damage from any ramming maneuvers it attempts to perform (but not those performed against it).


===Ship's Gunner===
===Ship's Gunner===
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A Ship's Gunner may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Gunner may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
* any number - improve next turn
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* enemy ship's hardness - fire a shot at the ship
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
** For each 5 by which the gunner exceeds the enemy ship's hardness (target DC), he inflicts 1 additional sunder.
|-  
* 12 - a shot this round inflicts a penalty on one role of the enemy ship  
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
* 25 - all shots rest of the encounter inflict a penalty
|-  
| Fire Weapons || Fire a volley at the enemy ship. || enemy ship's hardness
|-  
| Fire For Effect || The gunner's next shot will reduce the enemy ship's Captain's Pool by 2 on the turn after the attack is made. This penalty can be stacked with itself. || 12
|-
| Chain Shot || All shots by the gunner for the rest of the encounter reduce the enemy ship's Captain's Pool by 2 on the turn after the attack is made. This penalty can be stacked with itself. || 25
|}
 


A Gunner may only fire once per round, and only at a single target per round, regardless of how many siege weapons are equipped on the vehicle.  A vehicle with multiple siege weapons deals additional durability damage on successful hits.


A Gunner may only fire once per round, and only at a single target per round, regardless of how many siege weapons are equipped on the vehicle.  A vehicle with multiple siege weapons deal additional durability damage on successful hits.
A Gunner which exceeds the enemy ship's hardness by 5 or more deals 1 additional durability damage with his shot. He cannot increase his damage by more than 1 in this way.


Note, however, that if multiple PC gunners are present, and multiple siege weapons, they may split the siege weapons between them, and each of them may select a different target, or fire separately on the same target, as they wish.
Note, if multiple PC gunners are present, and multiple siege weapons, they may split the siege weapons between them, and each of them may select a different target, or fire separately on the same target, as they wish.  The vehicle's base weapon damage must be split evenly between the two of them, round down, drop any fractions.  That is, if a vehicle has three large catapults, dealing 3 base damage, and two PC's wish to man the Gunner's station to target different enemies, they will each do 1 point of base damage.  Since there are three siege weapons, a third PC could theoretically also join them, but only if a third enemy vehicle is present to be targeted. In that case, each of them would deal 1 base damage.


* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's gunner station, but is not crewed by a PC will fire no more than once per 3 rounds, assuming the enemy vehicle is in range.
* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's gunner station, but is not crewed by a PC will fire no more than once per 3 rounds, assuming the enemy vehicle is in range.
* '''If Destroyed:''' If a vehicle's gunnery station is destroyed, it may no longer make attacks with its siege weapons.  It may still perform ramming or boarding actions.


===Ship's Pilot===
===Ship's Pilot===
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A Ship's Pilot may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Pilot may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
* any number - improve next turn
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* any number - close distance, open distance or hold steady, in relation to the enemy ship. Opposed by the enemy pilot's expenditure of pips this round.
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
|-  
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
|-  
| Advance, Retreat or Hold Steady || Close the distance, open the distance, or hold steady in relation to the enemy ship. || Opposed by the enemy pilot's expenditure of pips this round.
|}


The pilot has to guess how much of his action pool to spend to maneuver his vehicle in relation to the enemy vehicle.  Each round, he records how many of his pips he is spending as well as whether he is attempting to close, open or hold his position, and the GM records the same for the enemy vehicle (or vehicles). Both sides reveal their results simultaneously, and the highest total gets their way, if the chosen actions are opposites.  That is, if the PC's vehicle wishes to close the distance, and the enemy vehicle wishes to open the distance, the winner of this bidding war will succeed in moving 1 success closer to the next range band (see maneuverability classes below). However, if the chosen actions are not contradictory, like both ships wish to close, they both succeed, as long as they each spent any pips at all to perform the action.
The pilot has to guess how much of his action pool to spend to maneuver his vehicle in relation to the enemy vehicle.  Each round, he records how many of his pips he is spending as well as whether he is attempting to close, open or hold his position, and the GM records the same for the enemy vehicle (or vehicles). Both sides reveal their results simultaneously, and the highest total gets their way, if the chosen actions are opposites.  That is, if the PC's vehicle wishes to close the distance, and the enemy vehicle wishes to open the distance, the winner of this bidding war will succeed in moving 1 success closer to the next range band (see maneuverability classes below). However, if the chosen actions are not contradictory, like both ships wish to close, they both succeed, as long as they each spent any pips at all to perform the action.


* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's pilot station, but is not crewed by a PC will generate 2 pips of action dice per campaign level (so 20 pips at campaign level 10, etc.).  These can be banked or spent as needed, for use on navigation-related expenditures.
Much like the gunner, if the Pilot exceeds the enemy ship's pilot expenditure by 5 or more, his expenditure counts as two successes instead of one.  He cannot increase his successes by more than 1 in this way.
 
* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's pilot station, but is not crewed by a PC will generate 2 pips of action dice per campaign level (e.g. 20 pips at campaign level 10, etc.).  These can be banked or spent as needed, for use on navigation-related expenditures.
 
* '''If Destroyed:''' If a vehicle's pilot station is destroyed, it slows to a halt and can no longer move or maneuver.


===Repair Crew===
===Repair Crew===
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A Ship's Repair Crew may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Repair Crew may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
* any number - improve next turn
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* 12 - reduces existing damage
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
* 12 - removes penalties to roles
|-  
* 25 - can harden one role against one shot's worth of damage
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
|-  
| Suppress Fires || reduce existing damage to one ship's station by 1 || 12
|-
| Emergency Repairs || remove up to 2 points of penalties to a single station (repeatable, if needed). || 12
|-
| Reinforce Hull || Repair crew can select one ship's station and increase the Hardness DC to hit it by 2 until the end of the encounter. || 25
|}


* '''If Unmanned:''' All vehicles have a repair crew station. If it is not manned by a PC, and the vehicle has an NPC crew available, the repair crew will remove 1 point of (repairable) durability damage from the ship every 5 rounds.
* '''If Unmanned:''' All vehicles have a repair crew station. If it is not manned by a PC, and the vehicle has an NPC crew available, the repair crew will remove 1 point of (repairable) durability damage from the ship every 5 rounds.
* '''If Destroyed:''' The repair crew isn't really a station on the ship, and cannot be destroyed.


===Ship's Spotter===
===Ship's Spotter===
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A Ship's Spotter may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
A Ship's Spotter may apply the pips of his action pool for the following expenditures:
* 12 - can assess target ships' Hardness/Durability and which roles are present, and whether or not the ship appears hostile (has gone to battle stations)
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
* 12 - can lower the gunner's next shot's target number by 2 (helps with aim)
! width="35%" | Expenditure || width="50%" | Effect || width="15%" | Pips Required
* 25 - can make the next shot target specific stations on ship
|-
| Bank Dice || allocate pips to next turn's action pool || any number
|-  
| Assess Enemy || determine a target ships' Hardness/Durability, which stations are present, and whether or not the ship appears hostile (has gone to battle stations) || 12
|-
| Sighting In || Lower the gunner's next shot's target number by 2 || 12
|-
| Called Shot || Makes the gunner's next shot hit a specific station on the enemy ship || 25
|}


* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's spotter station, but is not crewed by a PC can still spot vehicles in the Out of Range range band, and can still assess the target ship, per the first action above. However, an NPC spotter cannot provide any other bonuses to the vehicle.
* '''If Unmanned:''' A vehicle which has a ship's spotter station, but is not crewed by a PC can still spot vehicles in the Out of Range range band, and can still assess the target ship, per the first action above. However, an NPC spotter cannot provide any other bonuses to the vehicle.
* '''If Destroyed:''' If a vehicle's spotting station is destroyed, it can no longer detect enemy vehicles at "Out of Range" range. Any bonuses it has granted to the gunner expire at the end of the turn in which the Spotter's station is destroyed.




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* (quaternary is quartered, etc.)
* (quaternary is quartered, etc.)


The sum of all pips, after division, may be used on expenditures for that station
The sum of all pips, after division, may be used on expenditures for that station.
 
These rules do not apply to the Ship's Gunner station, as long as they are each firing on separate targets, and have split the vehicle's weapons between them (reducing the vehicle's damage appropriately).


===Ship Maneuverability Classes===
===Ship Maneuverability Classes===
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* Captain's pool (a rolled action pool which grants the GM additional pips to apply to expenditures that turn; can be banked)
* Captain's pool (a rolled action pool which grants the GM additional pips to apply to expenditures that turn; can be banked)


===Order of Play===
Note that there isn't really an initiative roll in these rules. All vehicles act essentially simultaneously. For simplicity and clarity's sake, however, the GM should ask the players to take each of their turns in whatever order they wish.  Many of the actions each player takes will modify or improve the outcomes for the other players, so order within the stations of a vehicle of PC's matters to some degree.  All of these individual actions are merely part of the ship's action, however, and the ship is treated as acting all at once, and at the same time as any enemy ships present.
The enemy vehicles, controlled by the GM, operate much more simply than a PC-controlled vehicle, abstracting a lot of the die rolling that PC's do during their turn. This makes it possible for a GM to manage multiple enemy vehicles without spending a lot of time rolling dice.
If there is ever a need to resolve the order of actions between vehicles, use the following to determine which vehicle acted soonest:
# Ship Maneuverability Class
# The number of expenditure costs required to move into the current range between the two ships (e.g. If the PC vehicle as "2/2/1/2/2" and the enemy vehicle has a maneuverability of "2/1/2/2/2", and the tie occurred at long range (the second number in the listing), the enemy vehicle would win, since it has a 1, whereas the PC's vehicle has a 2)
# The total number of pips in the Spotter station's current action pool (including any banked dice)
# The total number of pips in the Captain station's current action pool (including any banked dice)
# The total number of pips in the Channeler station's current action pool (including any banked dice)
# If all of these things are tied (which is highly unlikely), ties go to the enemy ship.
===Dealing Damage===
Weapons on vehicles are siege weapons, which do sunder attacks. Siege weapons have varying ranges, base damage and effects on their targets, depending on the weapon mounted to the vehicle.
Attacks always hit one of the stations of the target vehicle, and each station has its own durability score.  If a station has its durability reduced to 0, it can no longer generate dice on its own.
However, the channeler may grant dice to that station to allow it to function. This includes any dice the channeler has already given to that station
When a station gets hit, any PC acting in that area also takes hit point damage.
Half of all damage dealt is irreparable until the vehicle can be put into dock for repairs. However, this only applies to single hits which deal 2 or more durability damage. Each hits damage is halved, round down, to determine how much, if any, of the damage is irreparable.  Thus, a bunch of 1 point hits are all repairable, but a 3 point hit causes one point of irreparable damage.
Damage is repaired by the Repair Crew
If any three of a vehicles stations are reduced to 0 durability, the vehicle is considered destroyed.
In general, low-level siege weapons will deal 1-2 base damage, which can be upgraded by a talented gunner
High level siege weapons deal up to 10 base damage, which can be modified higher by talented gunners


===rules for damage===
===rules for ramming===
===rules for ramming===
===rules for crashing===
===rules for crashing===
===rules for boarding===
===rules for boarding===
===rules for destroying target ship, instead of merely disabling it===
===rules for destroying target ship, instead of merely disabling it===

Revision as of 20:55, 6 June 2016

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