How do you handle vehicle to vehicle combat?

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jburkett
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How do you handle vehicle to vehicle combat?

Unread post by jburkett »

Hello, I anticipate that my players may soon find themselves in a situation where they will be engaged in some vehicular combat and I would like to have some sound game mechanics figured out before this happens. Rifts, as far as I can tell with the source books I have, doesn't really have a detailed system for this. RUE doesn't have a Vehicle Combat section like it does for Hand to Hand and Robot Combat (I do feel as though the Robot Combat could use some development for dog fighting techniques, etc.) Anyhoo, I imagine that weapon range and vehicle speed are vital factors here.

Questions: When vehicles are coming together in combat do you roll initiative as you would with normal combat? When do you make piloting skill rolls (jockeying for position, when dodging, to maintain control after attempting a tricky maneuver)? Which combat bonuses, if any, do you allow players to use when say driving an ATV? How do you handle an attempt to dodge? Is it with a piloting skill roll (which would not make it an opposed roll) or a d20 roll as per usual combat? Lets say one group is piloting an ATV and they are going up against a couple hovercycles. I would imagine that the hovercycles would have greater maneuverability (could more easily dodge incoming fire). How would you account for that? I have many more questions about how these game mechanics are handled. What has worked for you? Have you tried the Vehicle Combat rules in Road Hogs? Is there a simple way to handle vehicle combat that will keep up a good pace and not get to bogged down in rules management? As always, any advice you can offer would be much appreciated. Thanks!
shadrak
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Re: How do you handle vehicle to vehicle combat?

Unread post by shadrak »

Depends on your vehicle...

I imagine that you are talking about two vehicles like trucks as opposed to military vehicles like tanks/robots...

Read through combat driving in the skills section.

Also, how I normally run it (and vehicle to vehicle combat is pretty rare in my games) is that all parties that are able to act roll for their initiative.

Drivers generally focus on driving and passengers generally focus on combat.

If there is no stabilization system, passengers normally shoot wild.

Speed can be a factor as can evasive maneuvers (you would probably need to house rule this).

Terrain can be a factor (you would probably need to house rule this).

I have not used the Road Hogs rules.
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The Beast
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Re: How do you handle vehicle to vehicle combat?

Unread post by The Beast »

Heroes Unlimited and Ninjas & Superspies have vehicle combat rules as well.
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ShadowLogan
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Re: How do you handle vehicle to vehicle combat?

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

jburkett wrote:RUE doesn't have a Vehicle Combat section like it does for Hand to Hand and Robot Combat (I do feel as though the Robot Combat could use some development for dog fighting techniques, etc.) Anyhoo, I imagine that weapon range and vehicle speed are vital factors here.

Rifts Phaseworld (or is it the SB?) IIRC has something for space combat that would apply since PB "space physics" are to an extent just "aircraft physics". Heroes Unlimited 2E, Ninja's and Superspies, along with 1E Robotech (specifically Bk5 has the most expansive for the setting, but they are pulled from Road Hogs) and Macross 2 (and I suspect a few others) do cover vehicle combat to an extent. We don't do much ground combat with vehicles, mostly aerospace.

Even without those lines to look at the rules basically amount to an extension of how Hand to Hand Combat works (much like Robot combat).

jburkett wrote: When do you make piloting skill rolls (jockeying for position, when dodging, to maintain control after attempting a tricky maneuver)? Which combat bonuses, if any, do you allow players to use when say driving an ATV?

Skills rolls would be made for stunts, jocking for position, control rolls due to terrain/speed, etc. You really shouldn't have to roll for dodge via skill.

When using vehicles the only bonuses you get are from applicable skills (WP, Weapon Systems, Combat Driving, etc) along with any inherent bonuses from the vehicle itself and OCC bonuses that might apply when piloting vehicles. You don't factor in HTH strike, dodge, roll, etc.

jburkett wrote:How do you handle an attempt to dodge?

D20 + Strike Bonuses vs D20 + Dodge Bonuses, same as normal combat. A piloting check might be required to maintain control.

jubrukett wrote:Is there a simple way to handle vehicle combat that will keep up a good pace and not get to bogged down in rules management?

If you have a handle on HTH and Robot combat, as I've said the rules are basically extensions.
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