House Rule: Combat Vehicle Quirks[]
Devised by fan writer, acksed.
This list expands upon the Design Quirks section in Interstellar Operations, This further expands upon the Design Quirks available for Combat Vehicles and some cases Civilian or Support Vehicles. Conceived for the the fan story canon for Not Invented Here fanfic, this may work for your table top game, but you should check with your fellow players and the GM's permission first.
Overview[]
Usage: "Design Quirk: Rugged Weapon (Holly SRM6), Variable-Rate Autocannon (Pontiac 100 AC/20)"
Optional Rule: If the manufacturer has been explicitly pointed out in the canon background information as producing the vehicle with a stated effect that matches a Quirk (Accurate Weapon, Rugged Weapon etc.), a player may request a 1-point reduction in the cost of a Positive Quirk, or an extra point for the application of a Negative Quirk. The GM has the right to refuse this request without complaint.
Positive Design Quirks[]
These are applications which are benefaction to the specified vehicle when applied.
Enhanced Crew Protection[]
This vehicle has been constructed with an armored crew capsule. In addition, the turret (if it has one) is unmanned, remotely controlled from within the compartment to further isolate the crew from penetrating hits and ammunition explosions in the turret.
Rules:
When rolling critical hits, the first time it lands on a Commander Hit, Crew Killed, Crew Stunned or Driver Hit result on the Ground Vehicle Critical Hits Table in a combat, it is resisted. Once this has occurred, subsequent rolls on the Critical Hits table resolve as normal.
Points: 3
Applicable to: Tracked, Wheeled and Hover Combat Vehicles.
Armored Cockpit (VTOL)[]
The inside of the cabin, cockpit glass and crew seats in this VTOL have been strengthened & armoured over and above the norm.
Rules:
When critical hit accrues, the first time in a combat it rolls a Pilot Hit, Co-Pilot Hit, or Crew Killed result for this VTOL on the VTOL Critical Hits table, it may be resisted. Once this has occurred, subsequent rolls on the Critical Hits table resolve as normal.
Points: 2 per weapons system of the same brand.
Applicable to: VTOL type Combat Vehicles
Armored Engine[]
The fuel tank and engine compartment of this CV's powerplant has been armored to high standards.
Rules:
When a critical hit accrues, the first time a Fuel Tank or Engine Hit/Engine Damage is rolled on the Ground Vehicle or VTOL Critical Hits table, it is resisted. Subsequent Fuel Tank and Engine Hit/Engine Damage result rolls on either Critical Hits table resolve as normal.
Points: 2
Applicable to: Tracked, Wheeled, Hover and VTOL Combat Vehicles, and BattleMechs & IndustrialMechs powered by ICE or Fuel Cell.
Tank Turn[]
This wheeled combat vehicle has a computer-controlled fully-electric transmission, with an independent motor driving each wheel and front and rear-wheel steering. This allows it to spin in place on Clear, Paved/Bridge or Road terrain like a tracked combat vehicle by counter-rotating its wheels.
Rules:
A Combat Vehicle with Tank Turn may reduce the cost of a Facing Change in its starting hex by 1MP by rolling a Driving Skill Check at the beginning of its Movement Phase. If it fails, it begins to skid and to regain control must roll another Driving Skill Check at a -1 per the Skidding rule. As it has not moved yet it does not skid into an adjacent tile (zero divided by 2 is still zero). If that fails, roll on the Motive System Damage table.
Points: 1
Applicable to: Wheeled Combat Vehicles
Limited to: Wheeled CVs with four wheels and/or all-wheel steering
Walking-Beam Suspension[]
The specialized suspension on this wheeled CV, combined with its all-wheel drive and wide tires, is capable of tackling terrain that would stymie a normal vehicle.
Rules:
A wheeled vehicle with this quirk may enter Rough, Light Woods and Rubble terrain, and move through each hex as if it were a tracked vehicle, but at cruising speed only. Any trailer being towed by it through the same terrain must have the same quirk.
Points: 2
Applicable to: Wheeled Combat Vehicles.
Reverse Thrust[]
Hover vehicles skate around on a frictionless cushion of air and as such require directed airflow to provide forward motion and steering.
Rules:
This hover combat vehicle can either rotate its ducted fans or redirect forward thrust to move in reverse at flank speed. This is risky, however, and any attempt to turn while moving backward at flank incurs a +1 penalty to Driving Skill Rolls made to avoid sideslipping.
Points: 3
Applicable to: Hover Combat Vehicles, Hover Support Vehicles
Smash Flat[]
This tank has the height, ground clearance and sheer mass to flatten most vegetation in its path, without doing anything so pedestrian as driving around trees.
Rules:
Upon entering a Light Woods hex, by using an extra movement point and passing a Driving Skill check, it may convert it into Rough terrain. It thus requires at least 3 movement points (1 for entering hex, +1 for Light Woods, +1 for Smash Flat).
If it does not have 3 movement to spare before entering, it may not attempt it. Failing the Driving Skill roll ends its movement in that hex, and does not change the terrain. It must then pass another DS check at the start of its next Movement Phase before it may move again.
Points: 3
Applicable to: Tracked and Wheeled Combat Vehicles of Assault weight or greater
Rugged (Expanded)[]
An expansion of the BattleMech quirk to apply to Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles and Aerospace Fighters.
Rules:
The Rugged design quirk, depending on how many points are placed into the quirk, increases the amount of time between maintenance cycles normally required for a 'Mech, CV, SV or ASF. A 'Mech, CV, SV or ASF with 1 point into Rugged may go twice as long without needing maintenance.
A design with 2 points in this quirk allows it to go three times as long without maintenance. Weapons fitted to said platform that were fired with the tweaks usable under the High Quality Conduits quirk are an exception, and must be maintained as normal to keep functioning.
Points: 1 or 2
Applicable to: BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles and Aerospace Fighters
Convertible Tracks[]
Since the dawn of mechanized warfare, the war over tracked vs. wheeled tanks has been fought: tracks are heavy and fragile, yet vastly more capable over land, while wheeled tanks are lighter, simpler to make, work better in urban environments but are prone to getting bogged down.
Some out-there prototypes tried to give tanks both. A few notable examples in history were given the transmission and linkages to run on their road wheels without the tracks.
A tracked CV with this quirk has the ability to be quickly changed to a wheeled vehicle if its tracks are ever damaged.
Rules:
If, due to accumulated Motive System Damage results, the tracked CV's movement was reduced to zero but not rendered immobile, and the zero-movement tank is on Clear, Road or Pavement terrain, the player can announce the crew are spending two Weapon Attack Phases cutting off the damaged tracks and extricating themselves.
If the CV is attacked during this phase, it is counted as a Crew Killed result. If successful, they now act as a wheeled vehicle with their original cruising and flank speed, but with "Minor damage: +1 to all Driving Skill Rolls" already applied.
Points: 1
Applicable to: Tracked Combat Vehicles.
Negative Design Quirks[]
These are features that, while not necessarily helpful to the specified vehicle when applied, do free up room for Positive Quirks.
Weak Suspension[]
This vehicle's suspension is not up to the punishment a modern combat vehicle is expected to endure.
Rules:
If a tracked CV with this quirk moves at flank speed across Rough, Rubble or Light Woods terrain, make a Motive System Damage roll. If a wheeled CV with this quirk moves more than 6 hexes at flank speed, roll a d6. On a 1, 2 or 3, make a Motive System Damage roll. This cannot be taken with Rugged.
Points rebate: 1
Applicable to: Tracked and Wheeled Combat Vehicles
Low Ground Clearance[]
Driving this low-slung CV across uneven terrain is an exercise in caution, lest it be grounded.
Rules:
A tracked CV with this quirk must make a Driving Skill check each time it enters a Rough, Rubble or Light Forest hex in its Movement Phase. If it passes, it proceeds as normal. If it fails, its movement ends there. Next turn, at the start of its Movement Phase, it must pass a Driving Check as the crew attempts to extricate it. If that fails, it is immobilized for the rest of the combat. This cannot be taken with Walking-Beam Suspension.
Points rebate: 2
Applicable to: Tracked Combat Vehicles
Slow Turret[]
Whether the manufacturer who built this skimped on this section of the design, or a substandard part was used in a repair, this vehicle's turret traverse is underpowered and slower than normal.
Rules:
A turreted CV or SV with this quirk can only turn its turret two hex-sides per Combat Round. This quirk may be taken again, increasing the rebate but reducing the movement to one hex-side per Combat Round. Vehicles with multiple turrets do not gain any extra benefit from this quirk.
Points rebate: 1 or 2
Applicable to: Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles