Most vehicles can be operated under ordinary conditions without a Test. Routine driving through traffic, following a mapped route, docking a boat in calm water, or maintaining a steady flight does not require a roll when there is no meaningful risk.
A Test is required when speed, terrain, weather, damage, hostile action, difficult maneuvers, or other hazards make control uncertain and failure would have consequences.
A vehicle’s systems can assist its operator, but they do not replace skill. The vehicle’s performance and Handling determine what it is capable of and how forgiving it is when pushed beyond routine operation.
When pursuit or vehicle combat becomes the focus of a scene, use Chases and Vehicle Combat.
Operating Skills
The Skill used to operate a vehicle depends on the type of vehicle being controlled.
- Driving is a Core Skill used for cars, motorcycles, trucks, tracked vehicles, and other conventional ground vehicles.
- Boating is an Expertise Skill used for watercraft, including surface vessels and submersibles.
- Piloting is an Expertise Skill used for aircraft, VTOLs, walkers, and other vehicles requiring specialized control systems.
A character can attempt to operate a vehicle with an unfamiliar but closely related control scheme at the GM’s discretion, usually with a penalty. Some highly specialized vehicles may require the appropriate Expertise Skill to operate effectively at all.
Handling
Handling measures how responsive, stable, and forgiving a vehicle is when maneuvered under pressure.
When a Test directly involves steering, maneuvering, balance, or maintaining control, add the vehicle’s Handling Bonus Die.
| Handling | Bonus Die |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1d4 |
| 2 | 1d6 |
| 3 | 1d8 |
| 4 | 1d10 |
| 5 | 1d12 |
If the d100 Test succeeds, add any Bonus Hits generated by the Handling Bonus Die to the Test’s Hits. If the Test fails, the Handling Bonus Die provides no Hits.
Handling applies only when the vehicle’s controllability directly affects the action. It does not normally apply to navigation, repairs, mounted weapon attacks, or other tasks that do not involve controlling the vehicle.
Vehicle Tests
A Vehicle Test is required when an operator attempts a difficult maneuver, reacts to a sudden hazard, controls a damaged vehicle, or operates under conditions where failure would have meaningful consequences.
A Vehicle Test normally uses:
Agility + Instinct + Driving, Boating, or Piloting
The GM may use different Attributes when the situation depends more on judgment, endurance, technical knowledge, or another relevant capability.
Add the vehicle’s Handling Bonus Die when the Test directly involves steering, maneuvering, balance, or maintaining control.
A single Vehicle Test should normally resolve one maneuver, hazard, or continuous period of difficult operation. Hits determine how effectively the operator succeeds. On a failure, resolve the consequence established for the Test.
Speed Bands
At vehicle speeds, tracking exact movement is rarely useful. Speed Bands provide a common scale for comparing vehicles and determining how quickly they can travel.
A vehicle’s listed Speed is the highest Speed Band it can normally reach.
| Band | Rating | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Stopped | 0 | 0 km/h |
| Idle | 1 | 1–20 km/h |
| Very Slow | 2 | 21–50 km/h |
| Slow | 3 | 51–100 km/h |
| Medium | 4 | 101–200 km/h |
| High | 5 | 201–300 km/h |
| Fast | 6 | 301–500 km/h |
| Very Fast | 7 | 501–800 km/h |
| Subsonic | 8 | 801–1,200 km/h |
The listed speeds are practical benchmarks rather than exact physical boundaries. A vehicle may briefly exceed or fall below the normal limits of a band when the circumstances justify it.
During a Surface Chase, each vehicle tracks a Current Speed using these bands. A vehicle’s Acceleration limits how many Speed Bands it can increase during a round, as described under Change Speed.
Terrain and Conditions
Terrain, weather, visibility, traffic, and other environmental conditions can make a vehicle more difficult to control.
The GM applies modifiers when these factors meaningfully affect operation. Smooth roads and calm conditions normally require no adjustment, while mud, ice, dense traffic, rough water, turbulence, poor visibility, or similar hazards may impose penalties.
The effect of a condition depends on both the environment and the vehicle. A tracked vehicle may cross broken ground with little difficulty, while a low-slung car may be heavily penalized or unable to proceed at all. Vehicle Traits may reduce, ignore, or worsen specific penalties.
When several adverse conditions apply at once, combine only those that create separate difficulties. Do not stack multiple penalties that represent the same underlying problem.
Vehicle Crews and Passengers
A vehicle’s Crew entry lists the minimum number of characters required to operate it normally. If a vehicle is operated with fewer crew than required, the remaining crew may suffer penalties or be unable to use some systems while performing multiple roles.
Crew members may occupy positions such as operator, gunner, navigator, engineer, or commander. A character can normally use only the controls and systems available from their current position.
Changing positions inside a moving vehicle may require movement, an action, or a Test when space is limited or the vehicle is moving violently.
Passengers do not count toward the vehicle’s Crew unless they occupy and operate a required position. Exposed passengers may be targeted normally. Enclosed passengers benefit from the vehicle’s bodywork and any Cover it provides.
Uncontrolled Vehicles
A moving vehicle becomes Uncontrolled when no conscious character is operating it, the operator cannot act, or a rule causes control to be lost.
An Uncontrolled ground vehicle or watercraft continues along its current course and loses 1 Speed Band at the end of each round until it stops. Terrain, currents, obstacles, and damage may alter its course or bring it to a more sudden halt.
An Uncontrolled aircraft begins descending according to its design and condition.
| Aircraft Condition | Target Speed |
|---|---|
| Lighter-than-air vehicle | 1, modified by wind |
| Rotorcraft in autorotation | 2–3 |
| Fixed-wing aircraft in a stable glide | Speed − 2, Minimum 2 |
| Drag-heavy or partially supported fall | 4 |
| Uncontrolled fall | 5 |
| Streamlined or unusually dense fall | 6 |
A fixed-wing aircraft can only enter a stable glide while its lifting surfaces remain functional. A rotorcraft can only autorotate if its rotor system is intact and the vehicle is designed to do so. Otherwise, the aircraft falls toward the appropriate target Speed from the table above.
At the end of each round, the aircraft moves 1 Speed Band toward its target Speed. It then continues descending at that Speed until control is regained, it lands, or it crashes.
A character able to reach the controls may attempt an appropriate Vehicle Test to regain control. The difficulty depends on the vehicle’s Current Speed, condition, altitude, and immediate surroundings.
Collisions
Placeholder: Collision and impact damage rules are still in development.