Taken from 'The Future Soldier's Battlefield Handbook', by Steampower Publishing.
NEW VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS
ARMORED PASSENGER COMPARTMENT:The interior of the vehicle is especially well-armored to protect valuable cargo or important passengers. The protection afforded is such that the passengers have a chance of surviving the destruction of the vehicle. For every five points of damage taken by the vehicle, each unit within only takes one point. If the vehicle is destroyed, every passenger takes 2d6 points of damage (Reflex save (DC 12) results in half damage). An armored passenger compartment may not be combined with gun slits.
CRAFT DC: 15.
GUN SLITS: Some vehicles are designed (or modified) to act as mobile fighting platforms for infantry. A vehicle fitted with Gun Slits has its Hardness reduced by 1, but half of all passengers may fire from the inside of the vehicle, gaining the benefits of cover while doing so. Passengers firing from a moving vehicle incur a penalty depending on the speed of the vehicle.
CRAFT DC: 10.
HANDHOLDS: The vehicle is fitted with handrails and safety fittings to allow passengers to ride on the outside of the vehicle. One-quarter of any passengers mounted in a vehicle may fire their weapons in any given direction (front, rear, left, right). Passengers firing from a moving vehicle suffer a -1 penalty to hit, in addition to the normal speed penalty. Passengers mounted in this way suffer the effects of any hits to the vehicle itself. Passengers mounted in this way may dismount as a free action, or mount as a move-equivalent action.
CRAFT DC: 10.
RAPPEL HARNESS: The vehicle is outfitted with specially-designed harnesses to enable the rapid deployment of troops. A vehicle must be stationary or moving slowly in order for passengers to deploy in this manner. If the vehicle is moving, rappeling passengers incur double the normal speed penalty to their Jump checks.
CRAFT DC: 12.
ROBOTIC BRAIN: The vehicle has been fitted with a robotic brain, effectively transforming it into a robot. In lower progress levels the brain might allow for the vehicle to be remote-controlled, wheras at higher progress levels the vehicle might be autonomous or even self-aware.
A vehicle equipped with a robotic brain may also have robotic sensors, skill software, feat software, ability upgrades (mental abilities only) and robot accesories.
CRAFT DC (Electrical): 15.
STEALTH TECHNOLOGY: A variety of methods have been developed over the ages to make a vehicle harder to detect, from sensor-deflecting shapes to reactive camouflage.
Sensor-deflecting shapes rely on the surface of the vehicle being angled in such a way that sensors such as radar are deflected and regiteres as being a much smaller and different-shaped object than they normally would. Sensor deflection only stops the vehicle from being detected by sensors-the vehicle appears as normal visually.
Sensor-absorbent material is designed so that sensor beams that strike it are absorbed and not reflected back towards the sensor, preventing it from detecting the vehicle. Sensor-absorbing material only stops the vehicle from being detected by sensors-the vehicle appears as normal visually.
Active sensor-cancellation technology uses advanced computer algorithms to detect incoming sensors and then project back a different frequency or sensor reading, canceling out the sensors or giving a different reading altogether. Active sensor-cancellation technology may be programmed so that the vehicle appears to a sensor as anything that the operator wishes it to, such a civilian vehicle or a much larger tank. Active sensor cancellation has no effect on visual identification.
Reactive camouflage is the pinnacle of stealth technology, using claking technology and optical arrays to make the vehicle appear as something completely different-or disappear altogether. Reactive camouflage works against both sensor and visual identification.
A vehicle equipped with stealth technology increases the DC to detect the vehicle by the amount given below.
+Sensor Deflecting Shape:
Spot DC: -
Sensor DC: +4.
PL: 5.
CRAFT DC: 20 (Res: Mil +3).
+Sensor-Absorbent Material:
Spot DC: -
Sensor DC: +6.
PL: 6.
CRAFT DC: 24 (Res: Mil +3).
+Active Sensor Cancellation:
Spot DC: -
Sensor DC: +10.
PL: 7.
CRAFT DC (Electronic): 28 (Res: Mil +3).
+Reactive Camouflage:
Spot DC: +10.
Sensor DC: +8.
PL: 8.
CRAFT DC (Electronic): 32 (Res: Mil +3).
THERMAL SIGHTS: Modifications to vehicle sensors and weapons sights can enable a gunner to spot a target even in complete darkness. The sights grant the crew of the vehicle darkvision, albeit with a -2 penalty to Spot checks made with them due to their relative imprecision. In hot climates, thermal sights work even less effectively, increasing the penalty to -4 or higher.
CRAFT DC (Electronic): 15.
TROOP TRANSPORT: The interior of the vehicle has been outfitted to carry one or more units of troops in relative safety, offering protection from all but the most direct of hits. Passengers carries within a troop transport may not fire unless the vehicle is also fitted with gun slits (see above). For every two points of damage taken by the vehicle, each unit takes only one point. If the vehicle is destroyed, each passenger takes 3d6 points of damage (Reflex save (DC 12) results in half damage). Passengers may enter or exit a troop transport as a move-equivalent action.
Some aquatic vehicles carry troops. Troops cannot deploy directly ashore from them-instead, they must use shuttle craft or small boats. Amphibious vehicles have no such problem and may deploy vehicles and troops directly ashore.
CRAFT DC: 12.
T.U.S.K. (Tactical Urban Survival Kit): Urban warfare has been traditionally the worse environment for a tank to operate in. The T.U.S.K. is a series of modifications made to an armored vehicle to compensate for the low maneuverability and high possibility of attack from close range.
A vehicle equipped with a T.U.S.K. gains a +4 equipment bonus to Defense against all attacks made from 60ft. of the vehicle, but applies a -2 penalty to Drive/Pilot checks due to the increased weight of the vehicle.
CRAFT DC: 15 + Vehicle's Hardness.
NEW STARSHIP SYSTEMS:
BOARDING CLAWS (PL 6):
Some vessels make use of telescoping arms to latch on to enemy vessels and bore throught their hull, allowing the deployment of large quantities of troops quickly into an enemy vessel. They are rarely used in modern warfare as few commanders wish to lock their ship so closely to an enemy vessel.
The pilot of a ship armed with boarding claws must succeed on a boarding maneuver. Success leads to each boarding claw clamping on to the enemy vessel and boring a hole in its interior, allowing troops to freely enter as though the two ships were one.
Note that because the docking mechanism is purely mechanical, boarding claws can be used to latch on to non-metallic hulls or ships using advanced armor. Once attached it takes 5 rounds to detach and retract boarding claws.
Only Colossal or larger-sized ships are big enough to use boarding claws.
Purchase DC: 12 + one-half the base Purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
DOCKING CLAMPS (PL 6).
Docking clamps are simply powerful magnetic clamps designed to firmly attach an assault shuttle or breaching pod to the exterior of an enemy ship. Docking clamps are also equipped with a docking mechanism comprised of cutting lasers and a rudimentary airlock to allow entrance to the attached ship.
A ship that completes a boarding maneuver agains an enemy vessel latches onto it, its cutting lasers affording entrance in 2 rounds.
Docking clamps may not be used against a non-metallic hull. Once attached it takes 1 round to detach again. Only Gargantuan or smaller-sized ships may be equipped with docking clamps.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base Purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
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BOARDING:
With great finesse and daring, the pilot positions his ship close enough to an enemy vessel to begin boarding with docking clamps and boarding claws.
To succesfully board the target, the spaceship must first enter the target's square, then the starship's pilot must succeed at a Pilot check (the DC depends on the size and Defense of the target being grabbed). If the check succeeds, the starship successfully deploys its boarding procedures, boring through the hull or bursting open airlocks.
The two ships continue to occupy the same space until the boarding systems release their hold. The grappling ship cannot move as long as it wishes to remain latched and moves in concert with the grappled ship. Neither ship can attack the other so long as the two ships are grappled.
As an attack action, the grappled starship can free itself from a grabbing ship by succeeding at an opposed Pilot check. Each ship adds a special grapple bonus on its check based on its size: Huge +8, Gargantuan +12, Colossal +16. A ship may only try to free itself once per round.
A starship using a boarding system to latch onto another ship can release them as a free action, although boarding troops may take longer to withdraw to their ship.
BOARDING PILOT CHECK DCs:
SIZE OF TARGET-----PILOT CHECK DC
Colossal-----5 + the target's Defense.
Gargantuan-----10 + the target's Defense.
Huge-----15 + the target's Defense.
Large-----20 + the target's Defense.
Medium-size-----25 + the target's Defense.
Small-----30 + the target's Defense.
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NEW SKILL USE: JUMP (RAPPEL).
It's not that hard to describe: grab the rope, slide down it, and try to hit the floor without breaking something.
The same check is used regardless of the exact rappeling method used.
A character may rappel any distance as a free action with a succesful Jump check (DC equal to the distance rappelled). Failure indicates that the distance is still covered, but as a move action. If the check is failed by 10 or more, then the rappel is unsuccesful and the character falls, taking falling damage as normal.
