Rules for Vehicles

Game Statistics

Hull Points (hp)

The vehicle’s structural integrity and ability to keep moving when damaged. Analogous to a character’s hit points. A vehicle that reaches 0 hull points is destroyed.

Armour Class (AC)

The vehicle’s ability to resist damage from attacks.

Movement Rate

The speed at which the vehicle can move. Every vehicle has a 'base movement rate' and an 'encounter movement rate' (noted in parentheses). The encounter movement rate is one third of the base movement rate.

Cargo Capacity

The maximum load the vehicle can carry, measured in coins (see Time, Weight, Movement).

Required Crew

The number of people or animals (e.g. sailors, oarsmen, horses) required for the vehicle’s normal operation.

Passengers or Mercenaries

Some vehicles have extra space aboard specifically intended to carry passengers or mercenaries (of any type, see Mercenaries) in addition to the normal crew. If a vehicle’s description does not mention this space for passengers, it is assumed to only have space for the crew—the referee may rule that cargo hold space could be converted into additional living quarters.

Seaworthiness

Water vessels are divided into two categories, each behaving differently under different wind conditions (see Wind Conditions). Seaworthy vessels are suitable for use on the high seas, away from coastal waters. Unseaworthy vessels are restricted to rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.

Damaging Vehicles

In combat, attacks and spells may directly target vehicles, as well as monsters or characters.

Normal attacks: Unless noted in a vehicle’s description, attacks with normal weapons (e.g. bows, swords, etc.) do not inflict hull damage.

Magical attacks: Damaging spells or magical attacks inflict one point of hull damage per five points of normal hit point damage the attack does.

Giant monsters: Can damage vehicles, inflicting one point of hull damage per five points of normal hit point damage the attack does.

Mounted weaponry: Some vehicles carry mounted weaponry specifically designed for vehicle-to-vehicle combat. Such weapons inflict hull damage directly. The rules for attacking with ship-mounted weapons are described in Water Vessels.

Effects of Hull Damage

When a vehicle loses hull points, the damage causes a reduction in its movement rate. In the case of water vessels, this may be due to water seeping into the hull.

Movement rate reduction: For every 10% a vehicle is reduced from its maximum hull points, its movement rate is reduced by an equal percentage. For example, a vehicle that has lost 20% of its hull points has its movement rate reduced by 20%.

Destruction

If a vehicle is reduced to 0 hull points:

• It will lose its structural integrity in 1d10 rounds (e.g. a water vessel sinks).
• Any mounted weaponry is no longer functional.

Repairs

In a workshop: Vehicle damage can be repaired by experienced technicians working in a suitable workshop or dock.

In the field: A vehicle’s crew can repair up to half of any damage sustained. Remaining damage can only be repaired in a suitable workshop or dock.

Time: Five crew-members can repair 1 hull point of damage in one turn. This is a dedicated task, so crew-members cannot perform any other actions while engaged in repairs.

Boarding

When the occupants of a vehicle wish to board another vehicle, the two vehicles must be brought alongside one another.

Grappling: If both vehicles are moving, they must be lashed together with grappling hooks before occupants of one may board the other. Grappling has a 2-in-6 chance of success per round in which the vehicles are adjacent.

Mutual boarding intent: If crew on both vehicles wish to grapple and board each other, the grappling attempt is automatically successful.

Boarding: Once two vehicles are grappled, characters may move between them freely. During the round in which a character moves between vehicles, they suffer a –2 penalty to attack rolls and AC.

Rowed Water Vessels

Rowing Encounter Speeds

Some rowed vessels may have an increased encounter movement rate. This represents the great effort on the part of the oarsmen that may be exerted during combat. Such speeds cannot be maintained for long periods, thus the per turn and per day movement rates of such vessels are much slower.

Reduced Oarsmen

Having less than the required number of oarsmen reduces a vessel’s speed.

Movement rate reduction: For every 10% reduction in the available rowing crew, the vessel’s rowing speed is reduced by an equal percentage. For example, if 10% of a vessel’s oarsmen are occupied repairing hull damage, the vessel moves at 90% of its normal speed (i.e. 10% slower than normal).