View source for Starpunks vehicles

A vehicle is a special type of creature, in that it has facing, and non-removable equipment which can only be hit from certain angles. 

=== Facing ===

When a vehicle moves, its facing becomes equal to the direction it was moving at the end of that movement. Vehicles frequently have a minimum turning radius, as well, which is the smallest distance the vehicle can pivot around while moving.

==== Movement ====

Vehicular movement is fundamentally different from the movement of other creatures. Rather than taking actions to move, at the beginning of a vehicle's turn it travels according to its current Movement Mode; after doing so, it may adjust its mode up or down one step. The following are statistics of a Mode:

'''Minimum Speed:''' The minimum distance that the vehicle must travel each turn in this Mode.

'''Maximum Speed:''' The maximum distance that the vehicle may travel each turn in this Mode.

'''Acceleration:''' Space movement has no maximum speed (except in an atmosphere) so instead of a maximum speed, it has a maximum amount it can change its momentum by each round.

'''Turning Radius:''' The minimum radius of the circle that the vehicle may pivot around while moving in this Mode.

'''Turn Rate:''' Some movement modes (generally Space) allow the vehicle to drift in any direction but accelerate in the direction it's facing, and thus can turn a certain number of degrees per round instead of having a turning radius.

'''Instability:''' How shaky the movement mode is. It is a penalty applied to all attacks made by the vehicle or creatures on it against targets beyond their weapons' second range increment. Half the penalty, rounded down, is applied to all attacks made ''against'' the vehicle or creatures or objects on it from beyond the attacking weapon's second range increment.

'''Climb:''' How rapidly the vehicle can go upwards. If specified in meters, this distance is measured independently of lateral travel. If specified in degrees, this is the steepest angle it can use. It only matters for Aerial and Submarine movement modes in a gravitational field.

'''Max Altitude:''' Some aerial vehicles have a max altitude, and can't climb upwards in a round when there's nothing below it within that distance.

Types of movement modes:

'''Default (Ground):''' The vehicle travels along the ground. Unless otherwise specified, it collides with objects, rather than rolling over them, if they are more than 0.25 meters high.

'''Aerial:''' The vehicle travels through the air.

'''Submarine:''' The vehicle travels through liquids.

'''Aquatic:''' The vehicle travels on the surfaces of liquids.

'''Space:''' The vehicle accelerates in the void of space. In space, carrying capacity does not matter. Instead, if the total amount it is carrying equals or exceeds its weight, divide its acceleration by 1+the number of multiples. ''So a 10 thousand kilogram ship carrying 43 thousand kilograms of stuff would divide its acceleration by 5.''

==== Crashing ====

When a vehicle collides with something, both the vehicle and that thing share an attack with values dependent on their relative velocity; if the other thing is [[stationary]] or an unattended object, it is never missed. The relative velocity for a vehicle/non-vehicle collision is simply equal to the full distance the vehicle would have moved this turn. The relative velocity for a vehicle/vehicle collision is equal to that full distance added to the distance the other vehicle moved on its previous turn, using vector subtraction. The damage of the attack is 1d6-7 with 0 [[Demolition]], and it [[fling|flings]] the target 45 degrees to the side of forwards, 4 meters per wound. It deals +2 damage and +1 demolition with a relative velocity of at least 50 meters/round, another +2 damage and +1 demolition if at least 100 meters/round, and +2 additional damage and +1 demolition for every doubling of velocity. The weight of the attacker (see below) applies to the damage and Demolition it deals as well.

If both parties wish to avoid the collision, the [[accuracy]] of the attack is -1, and the [[AD]] being targeted is that of the higher entity. If only one party wishes to avoid the collision, the attack is equal to the non-avoiding entity's [[AD]] minus 2 and the [[AD]] being targeted is that of the other entity. If neither entity is willing to avoid the collision, the attack hits. If the attack hits, both entities are hit, and if it misses, both entities are missed, but critical hits are rolled individually.

The moving vehicle is slowed by each thing it collides with: if it hits something and does not reduce that thing to 0 or less HP or destroy it, it ends its movement there. Even if it is not stopped, its remaining movement is reduced by 40 meters times the Slowdown Multiplier for the obstruction, divided by the Slowdown Multiplier for the vehicle.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ <div>{{Anchor|Table: Collision Damage and Slowdown by Weight}}</div>
|-
! rowspan="1" | Weight
! rowspan="1" | Damage Modifier
! rowspan="1" | Demolition
! rowspan="1" | Slowdown Multiplier
|- 
| Less than 1 [[kilograms|kilogram]] || -6 || -3 || &times;1/8
|- 
| 1-10 [[kilograms]] || -4 || -2 || &times;1/4
|- 
| 11-40 [[kilograms]] || -2 || -1 || &times;1/2
|- 
| 41-200 [[kilograms]] || +0 || +0 || &times;1
|-
| 201-1000 [[kilograms]] || +2 || +1 || &times;2
|-
| 1001-5000 [[kilograms]] || +4 || +2 || &times;4
|-
| 5001-25000 [[kilograms]] || +6 || +3 || &times;8
|-
| 25001 or more [[kilograms]] || +8 || +4 || &times;16
|- class="noalt"
|}

==== Sinking ====

When [[overloaded]] in a gravitational field, a vehicle sinks. In the air, it falls at half the normal rate, and counts only half the distance fallen for fall damage. In the water, it has a sink distance of 5 meters. In neither case can the vehicle travel upward.

=== Attacking Vehicles ===

Vehicles in Starpunks have Hull instead of HP and Toughness. All vehicles have 8 Chips of Hull, and anything that triggers on a wound triggers when it inflicts any Chips. At low Hull values, damage can potentially destroy a vehicle (demolition bonus damage is added), but at higher Hull values, only demolition matters.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ <div>{{Anchor|Table: Hull Damage}}</div>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Hull
! colspan="4" | Chips
|-
! 1 || 2 || 4 || 8 (all)
|- 
| 1 || &mdash; || &mdash; || &mdash; || 8 damage
|- 
| 2 || &mdash; || &mdash; || 8 damage || 16 damage
|- 
| 3 || &mdash; || 8 damage || 16 damage || Demolition 6
|- 
| 4 || 8 damage || 16 damage || Demolition 6 || Demolition 7
|- 
| 5 || 16 damage || Demolition 6 || Demolition 7 || Demolition 8
|-
| X || Demolition X || Demolition X+1 || Demolition X+2 || Demolition X+3
|- class="noalt"
|}

A combined volley of multiple identical weapons fired together can be added together to increase their demolition against a vehicle, if the weapons have at least Demolition 4. For every doubling in number of hits, the attacker may treat it as one hit with +1 Demolition.

==== Main Body ====

The main body of the vehicle is subject to accelerated destruction from attacks that deal a lot of damage or have a high [[Demolition]] value, [[Environment#Materials|like objects are]]. [[Piercing]] weapons do not do actual harm to the body of the vehicle, but can pass through it with the same amount of ease as when shooting through a wall with the same [[HP]] and [[Toughness]].

When a vehicle is reduced to 0 HP or less, it is destroyed, and each creature inside it takes one hit that does damage equal to the amount of damage left over after destroying the vehicle.

The [[AD]] and [[GD]] of a vehicle indicate how hard it is to get a good square hit on it when it's in motion. When parked or drifting uncontrolled through space, a vehicle is [[stationary]]. Some vehicles get [[AD]] and [[GD]] from having a good pilot: [ [[Deft]] ] vehicles add the pilot's bonuses to [[AD]] and [[GD]] from their Specialties; [ [[Half-Deft]] ] vehicles add half that much, rounded down.

==== Components ====

Vehicles have special equipment which can only be hit from certain angles. A Left Side item, for example, can only be hit by creatures that have a firing line to the left side of the vehicle. A glancing shot is less likely to be effective than a perpendicular one: if the angle from the firer to the vehicle's side is more than 45 degrees, the item has Cover.

There is no penalty for attacking components normally, unlike when [[sunder|sundering]] items, although some components get [[AD]] bonuses. Stronger components have Hull instead of HP and Toughness, but ignore all attacks that don't do at least 4 Chips of damage.

==== Passengers ====

Creatures inside a vehicle are protected by it: An attack that tries to hit the creature must do at least 1 Chip to the vehicle first, using the normal rules for firing through objects. The wound to the vehicle, if it is successfully inflicted by a non-[[Piercing]] attack, applies to its total Chips.

If a creature wants to shoot from inside a vehicle at targets outside of it without harming the vehicle itself, they must open some hole in the vehicle, like a window or porthole, and others that wish to fire back may then choose to treat the vehicle as [[total cover]] instead of shooting through it.

=== Mounting Weapons ===

Weapons can be mounted to vehicles with varying amounts of rotational ability depending on their weight. If it weighs less than half of the vehicle's carrying capacity, it is a '''Light Weapon''', and can be mounted to fire in every direction except for a specified 90 degree cone. If it weighs more than that, but no more than the vehicle's carrying capacity, it is a '''Medium Weapon''', and can be mounted to fire anywhere in a specified 90 degree cone. If it weighs as much as the vehicle's carrying capacity or more, it is a '''Strong Weapon''', and can only be mounted to fire in one very specific direction, and the vehicle must be turned precisely to face its target.

Each properly mounted vehicle weapon comes with a specialized reloader, which contributes all actions necessary to reload the weapon, delaying when no reloading is necessary. The weapon braces count as two hands devoted to holding the weapon. For incremental reloads, the reloader has an effective carrying capacity equal to twice the reloader's weight (any weight may be chosen for the reloader, but it's added to the weapon's weight to determine if it's '''Light''', '''Medium''', or '''Strong''').

Once per round, a gunner standing at the weapon can use a [[Standard action]] to fire a weapon two times, or once if it is [[Heavy]], taking penalties to accuracy in order to make extra attacks with semiautomatic and automatic weapons as desired. The gunner uses their own accuracy, at a -1 penalty if '''Light''', -2 if '''Medium''', and -3 if '''Strong'''. It is also possible to use a [[Standard action]] to [[Ranged Guard]] with a non-[[Heavy]] mounted weapon.

==== Grouping Weapons ====

Multiple weapons can be grouped together in order to make them easier for a gunner to fire, letting them all be fired with full effect at once as a single action, although they must always share the same group of targets, and no more than one hit may be allocated to each target per round. The attachments needed to group multiple weapons together cost 200 credits per weapon and weigh 20 kilograms per weapon. Use the total weight of the set of weapons including attachments to determine whether they work as '''Light''', '''Medium''', or '''Strong'''. If ten or more attacks are made by identical weapons in a weapon group, they use [[regiments#Rapid Rolling|Regiment Rapid Rolling]] rules.

=== Pilot ===

A vehicle can be built to be controlled by one or both of the following methods:

'''Driver:''' The Driver controls the vehicle's actions from within as a [[move action]] each round. This takes two limbs.

'''Remote Control:''' As per a '''Driver''', but the Driver controls the vehicle via a radio connection. The radio connection can be turned on or off at the vehicle as a [[standard action]].

==== Pilot Actions ====

A pilot can attempt difficult piloting actions using an Agility check, when piloting a [ [[Deft]] ] or [ [[Half-Deft]] ] vehicle. For a [ [[Half-Deft]] ] vehicle, the pilot's Agility is halved. The Agility modifiers from being Small or Big are ignored. Each [[move action]] Pilot Action can only be used once per round.

'''Pilot (DC 3) &mdash; [[lesser action|Lesser Action]]:''' The pilot can attempt to pilot the vehicle as a lesser action. Failing this check means the vehicle is not piloted this round. All other pilot actions they attempt this round also get +2 to the DC. For another +2 to the DC on top of that, they may do other Pilot Actions that are [[move action|move actions]] as [[lesser action|lesser actions]] this round.

'''Sharp Turn (DC 6) &mdash; [[move action|Move Action]]:''' The pilot pushes the craft to its limit, this turn when it moves its turn radius is halved and its turn rate is doubled, but it must adjust its mode down one step. This can't be used when in the lowest movement mode.

'''Smooth Turn (DC 9) &mdash; [[move action|Move Action]]:''' The pilot pushes the craft to its limit more gracefully, this turn when it moves its turn radius is halved and its turn rate is doubled. This can't be used in combination with Sharp Turn.

'''Juke (DC 8) &mdash; [[immediate action|Immediate Action]]:''' The pilot makes the craft hop to the side. They move it 5 meters in any direction (except into the air if it's a ground vehicle), and the vehicle gets +2 to [[AD]] and [[GD]] against whatever attack this interrupted. Failing the check means the vehicle moves 5 meters in a random direction, but only after the attack is resolved, with no bonus [[AD]] or [[GD]].

'''Pedal to the Metal (DC 6) &mdash; [[move action|Move Action]]:''' The pilot puts a bit of extra oomf in there. This turn its Maximum Speed and/or Acceleration for the current mode is increased by 25%, but it can't decrease its movement mode this round.

'''Barrel Roll (DC 10) &mdash; [[standard action|Standard Action]]:''' The pilot tries spinning, it's a good trick. This can only be used in an Aerial, Submarine, or Space movement mode. The vehicle gets +2 [[AD]] and [[GD]] until the pilot's next turn, but gets -25% to Maximum Speed and Acceleration this round. Failing the check means it still gets the reduced Maximum Speed and Acceleration, but no bonus [[AD]] and [[GD]].

=== Vehicular Stealth ===

The Stealth of a vehicle is equal to that of the pilot, or -1 if there is no pilot.

A vehicle's engine can be heard at a distance equal to three times the distance it moved that turn, plus its size. Keep in mind that sound only travels about 5000 meters per round through air.

=== Options ===

Many vehicles have options, chosen when the vehicle is created.

=== Hijacking ===

If a vehicle is not open topped, it will have some access hatches or doors. Wrenching open or blasting the hinges off an access hatch has [[AD]] and [[GD]] as the vehicle +1 (unless you are [[grappled|grappling]] or [[riding]] the vehicle in which case it has [[AD]] and [[GD]] 2), [[HP]] 1, and [[Toughness]] 8. The walls of the vehicle have [[Toughness]] 8 and [[HP]] 2 for the purposes of blowing a hole in to get inside; 1 Chip to the hull is also sufficient.

=== Pricing ===

Larger vehicles are extremely expensive, but difficult to sell. In typical situations, safely fencing off a stolen vehicle should only reward 10% of the list price, or even less for the biggest kinds.

Buying a used or stolen vehicle can also bring down the price a bit, to maybe half of the list price. If a player establishes theirself as a reliable fence somehow, they can probably bring down the price for stolen vehicles to closer to 20%, including all the overhead for laundering the registration and such.

=== Vehicle List ===

{{:Hoverbike}}

{{:Hover car}}

{{:Hover tank}}

{{:Light walker}}

{{:Tall walker}}

{{:Heavy walker}}

{{:Starfighter}}

{{:Space corvette}}

{{:Starfrigate}}

{{:Space freighter}}

{{:Starcruiser}}

{{:Starcarrier}}

{{:Battle station}}