CREATING VEHICLES
Core Vehicle Design
☐ VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
What is the vehicle commonly called?
Who manufactures it?
What does the Adventurer need to know about this vehicle on first impressions?
☐ VEHICLE USE
What does the vehicle look like or do when started or activated?
What do Adventurers see, hear, feel, smell, or taste regarding this vehicle while in use?
☐ VEHICLE GAMEPLAY
What uses or effects will this vehicle have on the Adventurers' game?
Does the vehicle have any adventure hooks waiting to be discovered?
Extended (Optional) Vehicle Design
☐ VEHICLE TYPE
A general classification or grouping for the vehicle.
What category of vehicle is this?
Ground vehicles: wheels, tracks, runners, rails, articulated legs
Power Armor: Directly driven by the movement and action of the occupant but provides additional capability such as hydraulically-assisted increases in carrying ability.
Mecha: Large-scale vehicles, featuring two or more articulated limbs used to scale up pilot movements and capability many orders of magnitude.
Watercraft: Vehicles capable of operating on or below the surface of rivers or oceans such as boats, hovercraft, hydrofoils, ships, submarines, and submersibles.
Aircraft: Vehicles which fly above the surface up to the edge of space.
Interface Vehicles: Provide ground-to-orbit heavy lift or orbit-to-ground reentry.
Spacecraft: Vehicles capable of operating in vacuum and microgravity between worlds in a star system.
Starships: Vehicles capable of travelling from star system to star system.
☐ VEHICLE DECKPLANS
☐ VEHICLE CHASSIS / FRAME / STRUCTURE
Structural framework? trusses?
Articulated? Servos?
☐ VEHICLE POWER PLANTS / FUEL / COOLING
Radiators? Heat sinks?
☐ VEHICLE DRIVE / PROPULSION
What drives the vehicle forward?
Transmission? Transaxle? Direct drive?
Sails? Propellers? Jump Jets?
Rockets? Thrusters? Maneuver drives? STL?
FTL?
☐ VEHICLE SUSPENSION
What lifts the vehicle and makes it capable of moving and turning?
Wheels? Sled? Rails? Monorail? MagLev? Tracks? Air cushion? Ducted fans? Rudders? Airfoils? Hydrofoils? Balloon? Rotor? Jet? Ramjeft? Rocket?
☐ VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMS
Cockpit? Bridge? Workstations?
☐ VEHICLE BODY / HULL
Pressure hull?
☐ VEHICLE LIFE SUPPORT / MEDICAL
Bunks? Berths? Barracks? Officer and passenger staterooms? Animal pens?
Wardroom? Recreation areas?
☐ VEHICLE BAYS
Passengers? Cargo? Sub-vehicles? Weapon mounts? Ammunition?
External Cargo Support (Grapples, tie downs, tracks/rails, robotics)
Pressurized cargo? Strongrooms?
☐ VEHICLE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
Communications?
Internal sensors? External sensors?
Countermeasures?
☐ VEHICLE COMPUTERS
Navigation? Damage control? Fire control? Avionics?
Mission-specific software
Function Library (Integral Functions)
Program Library (Modular Functions)
☐ VEHICLE NETWORKS
Processing Nodes: Runs software to manipulate data
Data Nodes: Store information such as files and databases
Routing Nodes: Connect processing and data nodes to others
Controller Nodes: Connect network to external devices
Console or Workstation Nodes: allow people to interface to network
☐ VEHICLE ROBOTICS
☐ VEHICLE TOOLS
☐ VEHICLE ARMOR
☐ VEHICLE SHIELDS
☐ VEHICLE SCREENS
☐ VEHICLE WEAPONS / AMMUNITION
Turrets? Bays? Close in defense? Spinal mounts?
☐ SUB-VEHICLES
Escape pods?
☐ VEHICLE SUPPORT STRUCTURES
Garage? Hangar? Dock, slip, or marina? Silo?
☐ VEHICLE SUPPORT SERVICES
Fueling? Repairs?
Setting-Based Design Elements
☐ TECH LEVELS
Starting and Ending Tech Level Availability
When does the vehicle come into use as a prototype or as a common item?
What Tech Levels are this vehicle appropriate in?
When does the vehicles's technical abilities manifest?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ MAGIC LEVELS
Starting and Ending Magic Level Availability
What Magic Levels are this vehicle appropriate in?
When does the vehicles's magical abilities manifest?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ SOURCE
Where does an Adventurer obtain this vehicle? (craftperson, corporation, maker template)
☐ COST
What does the vehicle cost in which currency?
☐ RESTRICTIONS
Are there legal issues or requirements to obtain, possess, or use this vehicle?
(None, Licensed, Illegal/Black Market)
System- or Mechanics-Based Elements
☐ ENVIRONMENTS
Are there requirements or constraints to use this vehicle in specific environments?
(land, sea, air, space)
☐ MASS
How heavy or bulky is the vehicle when carried or transported?
☐ USES/SIZE/CAPACITY
How many times or how often may an Adventurer use this vehicle? (1-unlimited)
☐ REQUIRES
Does this vehicle require an Adventurer to possess or use other items at the same time?
☐ EFFECTS
What benefits and detriments will an Adventurer gain from using this vehicle?
Does the item or service alter the wearer's or operator's abilities or reserves?
☐ STRENGTH (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the wearer's Strength?
How durable is this vehicle?
How much capacity or lifting ability does the vehicle possess?
Gee-tolerance?
Strength Reserves: Structural Damage? Takeoff/Landing Capacity?
☐ ENDURANCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
How much damage can this vehicle take?
How tough is the vehicle superstructure and armor plating?
Life support capacity?
Endurance Reserves: Supplies? superstructure and hull armor points? Life support reserves?
☐ AGILITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the wearer's Agility or movement?
How maneuverable is the vehicle as a whole?
Agility Reserves: maneuvering delta-V?
☐ DEXTERITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to Adventurer's Dexterity?
How maneuverable are the vehicle's, such as cargo loaders or handlers or Damage Control robotics?
Dexterity Reserves: Damage control robotics capacity?
☐ SPEED (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to Adventurer's Speed?
How fast is the vehicle's drive system?
How fast does the vehicle itself operate for Acceleration/Deceleration?
Speed Reserves: Units of Delta-V?
☐ APPEARANCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
How attractive or stylish does this vehicle interior and exterior appear?
Appearance Reserves: cosmetic / appearance damage?
So called “smart vehicles” may add electronics, computers, bio-engineering, and synthetics bringing mental abilities into play.
☐ INTELLIGENCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Intelligence during use?
How autonomous or aware is the vehicle?
Intelligence Reserves: Throughput before maintenance? concurrent compute capacity / maintenance downtime?
☐ WILL (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Willpower or Will-based activity such as spell-casting, mysticism, or psionics?
How strong is the vehicle effect or personality?
Software robustness, mission completion
Will Reserves: security rating? resistance to hacking? software damage control?
☐ INGENUITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Ingenuity or creativity?
How capable is the vehicle of creatively working around obstacles to orders, repairing damage, or making self-modifications?
Ingenuity Reserves: Stability before crashing? Damage Control Reserves? How much capacity for self-programming can be used before ship's computer runs out?
☐ AWARENESS (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Awareness or observation abilities?
How sensitive are the vehicle internal and external sensors?
Are there any hidden attributes exposed to those with high Awareness?
Awareness Reserves: sensor capacity such as targeting computer number of trackable targets? |
☐ REFLEXES (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Reflexes or response times?
How fast does the vehicle react to events?
Reflex Reserve: Multi-tasking capacity?
☐ CHARISMA (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this vehicle grant a bonus or cause a penalty to others perception of the Adventurer?
How is the vehicle personality perceived by others it interacts with?
Charisma Reserves: patience?
☐ DEGREE OF SUCCESS
Are there any notes relevant to specific Degrees of Success when using this vehicle?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ ADDITIONAL ATTRIBUTES OR POWERS
What additional abilities or powers does this vehicle impart?
☐ ALLOWED FOR STARTING ADVENTURERS?
Is this vehicle allowed for starting Adventurers?
☐ TOOLS OR SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO USE
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to use this vehicle?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO USE
What skills would an Adventurer need to use this vehicle?
☐ CRAFTING RESOURCES
What resources and time are required to craft this vehicle?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO CRAFT
What skills would an Adventurer need to craft this vehicle?
☐ TOOLS OR SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO CRAFT
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to craft this vehicle?
☐ CRAFTING RECIPE
What steps are required to craft this vehicle?
☐ IMPROVEMENTS OR UPGRADES
What resources, skills, tooling, and time are required to improve or upgrade this vehicle?
☐ REPAIR RESOURCES
What resources and time are required to repair or refurbish this vehicle after use or if damaged?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO REPAIR
What skills would an Adventurer need to repair this vehicle?
☐ TOOLS/SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO REPAIR
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to repair this vehicle?
☐ REPAIR RECIPE
What steps are required to repair this vehicle?
☐ SALVAGE
What resources, skills, tooling, and time are required to salvage materials from this vehicle?
What is the salvageable yield?
Worksheets
| Attribute | Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Description | |
| Vehicle Use | |
| Vehicle Gameplay | |
| Attribute | Vehicle |
| Vehicle Strength | |
| Vehicle Endurance | |
| Vehicle Agility | |
| Vehicle Dexterity | |
| Vehicle Speed | |
| Vehicle Appearance | |
| Vehicle Intelligence | |
| Vehicle Will | |
| Vehicle Awareness | |
| Vehicle Ingenuity | |
| Vehicle Reflexes | |
| Vehicle Charisma |
| Subsystem | Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Frame / Structure | |
| Vehicle Power plant | |
| Vehicle Propulsion | |
| Vehicle Suspension | |
| Vehicle Controls | |
| Vehicle Life Support | |
| Vehicle Hull / Body | |
| Vehicle Bays | |
| Vehicle Options | |
| Vehicle Computers | |
| Vehicle Networks | |
| Vehicle Robotics | |
| Vehicle Tools | |
| Vehicle Armor | |
| Vehicle Shields | |
| Vehicle Screens | |
| Vehicle Weapons / Ammo | |
| Vehicle Sub-Vehicles | |
| Vehicle Structures | |
| Vehicle Services |
Vehicles by Technology Level
| TL | TL DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| -10 | Prehistoric | |
| -9 | Stone Age | Sleds, boats |
| -8 | Bronze Age | Carts and chariots, sailing ships |
| -7 | Iron Age | |
| -6 | Middle Ages ~500-1400AD | |
| -5 | Renaissance ~1400-1500 | |
| -4 | Age of Sail/Exploration ~1500-1760 | |
| -3 | Industrial/Technological Revolutions ~1760-1914 | |
| -2 | World War I and II ~1914-1945 | Rise of the Automobile, Airplane, Jet, Submarine |
| -1 | Atomic/Nuclear/Space Age ~1946-1970's | Rise of commercial trucking, supercargo, interface, and spacecraft |
| 0 | Information Age ~1970s-2020s (Now) | Rise of electric and alternate fuels |
| +1 | Synthetic (Biological/Intelligence) Age ~2020-2199 | Introduction of Power Armor and Vehicular Intelligence |
| +2 | Stellar Age ~2100+ | Common spacecraft and the first STL interstellar starships |
| +3 | Slower-Than-Light Interstellar Age | Commonplace STL starships |
| +4 | Massless Faster-Than-Light (Communication) | |
| +5 | Mass Faster-Than-Light (Travel) | The first FTL starships |
| +6 | Faster-Than-Light Interstellar Age | Commonplace FTL Starships |
| +7 | Galactic Age | Vehicles begin to give way to teleportation |
| +8 | Extragalactic Age | Teleportation is commonplace |
| +9 | Pre-Ascendant | |
| +10 | Post-Ascendance | Vehicles are no longer necessary |
Note: From TL+2 (Stellar Age) onward, multiple technology levels become possible in a setting as different distant locations diverge in their technological capabilities and social conventions.
Spacecraft and Starships by Technology Levels
| -10 to -2 | Pre-Space Age | Spacecraft are not yet possible except in fantasy settings such as scientific romance or steampunk |
| -1 | Atomic/Nuclear/Space Age ~1946-1970's | Interface, Orbital, and Lunar spacecraft exist using chemical and solar power. |
| 0 | Information Age ~1970s-2020s (Now) | Interplanetary including limited nuclear fission power. |
| +1 | Synthetic (Biological/Intelligence) Age ~2020-2199 | Improved interplanetary and introduction of nuclear fusion power. |
| +2 | Stellar Age ~2100+ | Introduction of Span Drive and first slower-than-light starships |
| +3 | Slower-Than-Light Interstellar Age | Widespread slower-than-light starship journeys. |
| +4 | Massless Faster-Than-Light (Communication) | Reduced use of spacecraft in system and slower-than-light to only operations where physical mass moves are necessary as information moves into Negative Space. |
| +5 | Mass Faster-Than-Light (Travel) | Introduction of Farspan Drive. Slower-than-light ends with mass FTL as cost of FTL rapidly falls. |
| +6 | Faster-Than-Light Interstellar Age | Starship travel between nearby systems, perhaps across a spiral arm becomes common - explosive expansion |
| +7 | Galactic Age | Starship travel is commonplace along arms, with regular jumps across the voids to other galactic arms. At some point, FTL becomes economical enough that any craft can be made FTL/interstellar capable at a price point equal to spacecraft which become optional. |
| +8 | Extragalactic Age | Starships are regularly able to span the voids including those between nearby galaxies and clusters |
| +9 | Pre-Ascendant | Universe-spanning starships able to outrace gravitic expansion |
| +10 | Post-Ascendance | Spacecraft and Starships are no longer necessary |
Additional Resources
Roleplaying Tips #0155 14 Elements of Starship Design for Newbie Sci-Fi Gamers
Roleplaying Tips #0446 Build Your Own Starship