I ran MEGS rules for vehicle combat paired with the traffic generators I made while watching my Rangers bet flame out this Sunday on TV. I'm preparing for a downtown city supers chase scene. I'm hoping I can parse the rules to create a dynamic running gun battle between supers and bystanders which will light up the mind like Hollywood lights up the big screen with their visual tools.
This is a solo roleplay example predicated on the next upcoming game session for Even Heroes Bleed so if you are in a player in VTP's current house game you should pass on reading this blog post till later.
To try and make sure I could run a credible chase scene I took notes and had the BoH rule book open to their optional rules for vehicle dog-fighting.
I'm making no deviation to the MEGS existing mechanics, only adding my random generators to provide on-the-fly content while I roleplay the game action. The Universal Modifier Table used in most contested skill checks will be adapted and used as situations require.
So the tools on the table are the Universal Modifier Table and the Optional dog-fighting rules with random traffic generators for scene details.
On page 182 of The Blood of Heroes Special Edition rulebook are instructions for an optional Vehicular Combat system. The rules are intended to adjudicate maneuvering into place to intercept and or shoot at your opponent in another from behind, on an opponent's "six" and blast it to pieces, like in an aerial dogfight. This is a vehicle chase with an airborne superhero so we have an aerial and land vehicle engaged with numerous environmental factors presenting obstacles which can hurt either one of the combatants. Of course, in any type of vehicle combat there is the opportunity to fire on an opponent at any angle a shooter may be able to manage. The important concept to remember, from a game mechanics point of view, is that the combatants are each trying to gain an advantage in positioning which will either allow one to escape or the other to force the other vehicle to stop.
At the beginning of each combat phase, just after rolling for initiative, everyone involved in the chase makes a maneuver check. Each driver rolls against an OV/RV 0/0, adjusted by the speed in PPs they are driving their vehicle (or speeding along as the case may be). Any degree of difficulty because of extreme maneuvering, damaging gunfire, or other environmental hazard which may make the maneuver fail can be added to the OV/RV.
Okay, I lied about not deviating from the MEGS rules. Adjusting the Maneuver Checks by the actors current speed is my own idea. Really, just spring-boarding off the rules and making good use of them in roleplay. Perfect example of trad play. I'm condensing the table narrative into a contested action, building up interest an tension as we approach dice rolling time.
Any RAPs earned on this action check are then allocated to enemy targets in any fashion the driver wants. In order to "attack" an enemy, the driver must allocate more of his maneuver RAPs to the enemy than the enemy allocated to him. In the situation of a tie neither pilot can attack (hit, shoot, cut off, etc.) each other. This seems convoluted as heck. This is why I took notes as I went about play, and once again for me the internal logic of MEGS snapped into place and I foresaw needing to refer to the rule book again and again to lessen.
When an "attacker" has been established they make an Attack roll using their appropriate skill versus the defender's appropriate OV. Any success with the attack indicates they achieved the maneuver and/or attack they were trying to make. The GM adjudicates the result of any "damage" done and another combat round of the chase begins.
For example: Distress is trying to get away from Olympian in a green Ford Mustang GTO. Croc is leaning out of the passenger side window trying to shoot at the flying Olympian as they speed through downtown traffic.
Distress has a DEX of 4, a Land Vehicle Driving skill of 8 APs, and a car with a max Running speed of 7. Olympain has a max flight of 6 APs and a DEX of 6. Distress makes a hard left through two lanes of oncoming southbound traffic as he attempts to drive west on 24th Avenue. Olympian will attempt to catch the fleeing sports car and use his tremendous strength to stop its forward movement.
Distress really wants to escape the EE so stomps on the gas and burns 10 VP on his initiative roll. Distress has a base initiative of 11 so he will be rolling with an initiative score of 21. Olympian has an initiative of 18 and for now is content to stay on top of the thieves in their speeding car and will not add any HP to his initiative roll. Croc is going to spray his M4 at Olympian and will take his shot when most opportune. Croc will not burn any VP to increase his initiative roll. Final initiative rolls are C 19, D 24 an, O 26. Croc and Distress announce their intentions before Olympian has to decide what he will do.
Now, before Olympian can take his three actions for the combat phase both Distress and Olympian must make their maneuver checks. Distress is driving at a speed of 5 PPs and making a dangerous 90 degree left hand turn into oncoming traffic (here I am just making decisions on modifiers as a GM as if I was in an actual live game session). This costs Distress +3 CS to the difficulty of making a maneuver at 5 PPs of Speed. An AV of 8 vs. an OV of 5 results in a 9 or better needed to make the turn. The OV gets +3 CS because of the 90 degree turn for a final target number of 15 or better. Distress burns 8 VP to give himself an AV of 16. Now Distress only needs to roll a 7 or better. He rolls a 13, so not only succeeds but gets 2 CS in his favor on the Results Table. Cross referencing his Land Vehicle skill of 8 versus a RV of 5 and 2 CS leaves Distress with 5 RPPs.
Olympian has a DEX of 6 and is flying at his max speed of 6. Olympian does not have to add any CS for difficulty because Olympian's flight power allows him to make 90 degree turns with ease. He only needs to roll an 11 or better to pass his maneuver check and stay on top of the speeding Mustang. Olympian burns 3 HP to give himself an AV of 9. He now only needs to roll a 7 or better now. He gets a 4 and fails, earning no RPPs. Distress has 5 more RPPs than Olympian and intends to spend them to increase the distance between his car and the flying superhero. Since Olympian cannot "attack" this phase he only gains 1 PP of distance on Distress (speed of the car 5 PPs vs. Olympian's flight of 6PPs. 20 feet. Just over the length of one car length. If we established the distance between Olympian and the Mustang at the beginning of the combat phase as 200 ft (4 PPs) than Olympian is now only 3 APs away, somewhere between 41 and 80 feet from the escaping villains, and due to intervening traffic (interpretation of Olympian's failed maneuver check) cannot take any action against them.
Distress is up next and will attempt to swerve through different lanes of traffic trying to get Olympian to fly into a street light or large commercial vehicle, all in an attempt to increase the distance between them. Distress "attacks" with her Land Vehicle skill of 8. Once again she will burn 8 VP to give herself a land vehicle skill of 16. Olympian will burn 5 HP to raise his Flight power to 11. Since he did not have to use his Movement Power as a Dice Action this phase he can use it as his OV. 16AV vs. 11OV = 7 or better. 13! Success with 2 CS. 8EV (driver's skill) vs. 6RV (O's Dex) with 2 CS results in 5 RPPs. 5 is greater than 4 (once again GM decision/interpretation on the fly) so Distress is able to open the distance back up 1PP to 4 PPs of distance. The Mustang has shot through traffic and is once again 150 to 250 feet away from Olympian. Distress is driving through heavy downtown traffic at 50 mph (5 APs) while Olympian gives pursuit flying close to the ground at 75 mph (6 APs).
Croc, since Distress won the "attack" for this vehicles maneuver check takes his shot against Olympian. Croc has a Dex of 6. The M4 has an AV of 4 so Croc will stick with his Dex. He uses 1 additional ammo point (the gun is an automatic) reducing Olympian's Dex OV by -1 CS. Croc sufferes +2 CS because of shooting from a moving vehicle (Universal Modifier Table). For a total of +1 CS in Olympian's favor. 6 vs. 6 = 11, plus 1 CS for a final target #13. Croc decides to make the autofire a Flailing Attack giving -2 CS to the OV. Croc now only needs a #9<, but will suffer +3 Cs to the RV in this attack. Croc rolls a 7 and misses. Automatic fire goes streaming harmlessly by Olympian. Croc ticks off an ammo expenditure of 2 and has 6 ammo points left.
Another round of initiative. None of the characters involved in the chase decide to spend any APs on initiative. C 17, D 15, O 26. Distress declares another sharp hand turn north at the next intersection. Croc declares he will take another shot at Olympian if he gets a chance and Olympian decides he is going to try and land on the Mustang by pushing his Flight and close the distance of 4 PPs.
Time for the maneuver check. The GM decides to see if there are any hazards to be considered at this intersection. Using my Traffic Generator I roll for the type of intersection. It is a T intersection with the road continuing east and west. It dead ends north due to road construction. It is a serious excavation so there are numerous street workers ahead. Distress decides to waste no time and sail through the intense street construction. There are large cranes swinging large concrete vaults around and lowering them below ground for city services.
Speed of 5, hazards give +2 CS against Distress' Vehicle Skill of 8. 13 or better. 10, Distress fails. Olympian is rolling against a 6AV/6OV. 11 or better. 8 Olympian fails maneuver check as well. Distress drives out the other side of the road construction with Olympian still buzzing behind 100-150 yards. Croc cannot get a shot off because Distress failed his maneuver check. The ride through the road construction was bumpy enough to make shooting impossible. Olympian maintains speed so is able to close the distance to 4 PPs, somewhere between 160 and 200 feet (all this is GM fiat/interpretation of the dice rolls and what they mean for the current situation).
Another combat phase begins. So far we have been through 8 seconds of chaotic action. In the next 4 seconds the north bound avenue changes angle 30 degrees to the right (random generator roll). There is a parked bus on the right unloading passengers. 9 people are crossing the street. Initiative is rolled. D 21, C 18, O 25.
Distress declares his action, not giving one fig for the pedestrians safety, he stomps on the gas bringing hisspeed up to 7. Croc still awaits an opening to take a shot. Olympian is going to try and get between the speeding car and the innocent by standers.
Maneuver Check. 8 Land Vehicle Skill vs. Speed of 7 PPs. 11 or better. Distress rolls a 10, failed. Distress will not get a chance to put any pedestrians in danger. Olympian is looking at an 11 as well, Flight 6 vs. Speed 6. Olympian wants to leave nothing to chance. He burns 5 HP bringing his Flight AV to 11. Olympian needs to roll a #5< to protect any pedestrians in danger. Olympian rolls an 8, success with no column shifts. Dex of 6 versus a RV 6 yields 1 RPP. Just enough to intercede! Since the pedestrians are all getting out of the way Olympian can launch his attack at the villains directly. With a speed of 6 it will take Olympian 1 second to reach the car. This gives him plenty of time to try and stop the car. He will attempt to get Distress to drive right into him. This is a "Trying to get Hit" combat manuever, -2CS OV/-2CS RV. This gives Olympian an AV/EV of 6/15 (Dex/Bod). OV is Distress' Vehicle skill of 8 and RV is the Body of the car, 6. The Block modifiers leave us with AV/OV of 6/4. I see no reason why the GM should apply -4 to the cars RV so the RV stays at 6 for a final OV/RV of 4/6. Olympian needs a 9 or better and rolls a 3. Miss. Distress is able to weave around Olympian's Block attempt and goes sailing on by leaving paniced, but safe, pedestrains fleeing for the sidewalks.
Olympian has been chasing Distress and Croc for almost 16 seconds through downtown traffic. Neither has been able to lose or stop each other yet. Fortunately for Olympian no one has yet to be killed in the mayhem. Perhaps he can put a halt to this madness before someone does! The GM rolls on random tables to see what the road ahead looks like...
