And here's the summary. Actually, it's more like a revision since I changed some things. Feedback is mandatory. (Or at least strongly encouraged.)
Vehicle Combat Rules Summary:
The following rules govern the use of vehicles in combat. In general, they treat vehicles as equipment rather than characters. When one character rides another, a similar but not identical ruleset will be used. (That still needs to be written. Shouldn't be hard.)
Vehicles, like characters, are located inside zones. Characters who share a zone with a vehicle may use their action to enter that vehicle, acquiring an appropriate aspect in doing so. This requires no roll unless some force (locked door, uncooperative driver, etc) is preventing the character’s entry.
Some vehicles are large enough to contain entire zones. This does not significantly affect the rules that govern them.
Characters in vehicles are either drivers or passengers. Each vehicle may only have one driver, but the maximum number of passengers depends on the vehicle. The driver must take a supplemental action each turn in order to operate the vehicle. If he does not, then he becomes a passenger and the vehicle has no driver. Simply ignore any rules that reference the driver in that case, or assume a value of 0 for his skill when that is not possible.
Characters cannot move while inside a vehicle. However, the driver of a vehicle may move the vehicle a number of zones equal to the result of a Driving skill check each time he takes an action. When a vehicle moves, everyone inside moves with it.
Vehicles provide armour and can be used as weapons like other equipment. The armour applies to everyone inside, but the vehicle can only be used as a weapon by the driver. Attacks with vehicles use the Driving skill.
All those inside a vehicle have their skills modified by the Driving skill of the driver. In addition, the driver can substitute his Driving skill for the defence skill of anyone inside the vehicle against melee attacks made by those outside the vehicle.
Each vehicle has two statistics not possessed by most equipment. These are Durability and Maneuverability. Maneuverability modifies the driver’s Driving skill for all purposes. Durability dictates the difficulty to hex (or otherwise sabotage) a vehicle and that vehicle’s stress capacity. Some vehicles also possess the equivalent of Toughness powers and/or innate armour.
Vehicles can be attacked just like characters. They defend against attacks with their driver’s Driving skill. They take stress and consequences just like characters. The effects of a vehicle’s destruction upon its inhabitants are highly variable and should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Living mounts may also be treated as vehicles. Use Survival instead of Driving in that case. A mount’s Maneuverability is equal to its Athletics skill, and its Durability is equal to its Endurance skill.
Even if you argue sprit does not allow mental attacks some sponsored magic for example Kemmlerite Necromancy (attacks on an enemies soul and corpsetaker style possession
) and Fairy Magic (Enchantment and compulsion) certainly would.
It looks great! I just had a few comments which came to mind, and all of these are pretty minor suggestions.
Vehicle Combat Rules Summary:
Vehicles, like characters, are located inside zones. Characters who share a zone with a vehicle may use their action to enter that vehicle, acquiring an appropriate aspect in doing so. This requires no roll unless some force (locked door, uncooperative driver, etc) is preventing the character’s entry.
I think a vehicle - any vehicle except one that is obviously open, like a horse or a motorcycle - should automatically be considered its own Zone. Trying to get into most any vehicle requires *some* finagling unless it is already open (like a van door), and this would be anything from a 0- to 2-shift Zone Border. Having to use keys, having to jump into a convertible - any of these things are a nontrivial time sink when bullets are flying. But: this could be more detail than is appropriate for a summary.
Characters cannot move while inside a vehicle. However, the driver of a vehicle may move the vehicle a number of zones equal to the result of a Driving skill check each time he takes an action. When a vehicle moves, everyone inside moves with it.
I think we should specify what specifically "cannot move" entails. Passengers certainly can't move the vehicle along, we can all agree. But shifting seats happens in fiction all the time, and if the vehicle is large enough to have multiple zones (or one really big zone) then common sense indicates some moving is appropriate.
All those inside a vehicle have their skills modified by the Driving skill of the driver. In addition, the driver can substitute his Driving skill for the defence skill of anyone inside the vehicle against melee attacks made by those outside the vehicle.
We may want to specify that all skills are Limited by the Driving skill of the driver (not simply Modified). In intervehicular combat, I can see the opposite: a good Pilot/Driver can help line up shots. But if the rules are to represent vehicles and their handling on a personal combat level, I think passengers are unilaterally going to have their skills Limited by the Driver.
I decided that adding this to the first post would be unnecessary clutter. So the (hopefully) final vehicle rules go here.
Vehicle Combat Rules Summary:
The following rules govern the use of vehicles in combat.
Vehicles, like characters, are located inside zones. Characters who share a zone with a vehicle may use their action to enter that vehicle, acquiring an appropriate aspect in doing so. This may or may not require a roll, depending on the circumstances.
Some vehicles are large enough to contain entire zones. This does not significantly affect the rules that govern them.
Characters in vehicles are either drivers or passengers. Each vehicle may only have one driver, but the maximum number of passengers depends on the vehicle. The driver must take a supplemental action each turn in order to operate the vehicle. If he does not, then he becomes a passenger and the vehicle has no driver. Simply ignore any rules that reference the driver in that case, or assume a value of 0 for his skill when that is not possible.
Characters inside a vehicle must remain inside that vehicle unless they take an action to leave it (and remove the relevant aspect). Since vehicles have set locations, this often means that a character inside of a vehicle is stuck in their zone. However, the driver of a vehicle may move the vehicle a number of zones equal to the result of a Driving skill check each time he takes an action. When a vehicle moves, everyone inside moves with it.
Vehicles provide armour and can be used as weapons like other equipment. The armour applies to everyone inside, but the vehicle can only be used as a weapon by the driver. Attacks with vehicles use the Driving skill.
All those inside a vehicle may have their skills limited by the Driving skill of the driver. GMs should use their discretion when determining if a skill is modified or not. In addition, the driver can substitute his Driving skill for the defence skill of anyone inside the vehicle against melee attacks made by those outside the vehicle.
Each vehicle has two statistics not possessed by most equipment. These are Durability and Maneuverability. Maneuverability modifies the driver’s Driving skill for all purposes. Durability dictates the difficulty to hex (or otherwise sabotage) a vehicle and that vehicle’s stress capacity. Some vehicles also possess the equivalent of Toughness powers and/or innate armour.
Vehicles can be attacked just like characters. They defend against attacks with their driver’s Driving skill. They take stress and consequences just like characters. The effects of a vehicle’s destruction upon its inhabitants are highly variable and should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Living mounts may also be treated as vehicles. Use Survival instead of Driving in that case. A mount’s Maneuverability is equal to its Athletics skill, and its Durability is equal to its Endurance skill.
If a character’s mount is another character, then things are simpler. A character must take an action to mount/dismount from another character and so gain/lose a relevant aspect, as above. They cannot move as long as they are mounted, as above. And they may substitute their mount’s Athletics for their own when defending against attacks. Ignore everything else printed above.
Sanctaphrax, perhaps it would be helpful to have an example summoning spell in place such as Binder casting a spell to summon his minions before the scene in the parking lot during Turn Coat.
I just think example of systems are useful to see if they work for establish things that happen during a game?