Hey, I posted this is a thread but it might have been slightly off-topic, so here I present them again for some feedback. These rules are intended mostly for vehicles, but can also be used on drones, vessels and planes.


Advanced Battletech rules

This is inspired off the Severe Wounds rules from Augmentation, as well as the vehicle/vessel crititcal damage table from Twilight 2000 (2.2).

Normal rules apply as written, which means the Assault Cannon does alot of damage if it penetrates (which requires skill or luck, 4 hits is hard for most people in SR).

If a vehicle rolls a glitch on a damage resistance test (very unlikely) or takes 7 or more damage in one attack (very likely), it takes Minor Critical Damage.

Examples of Minor Critical Damage:
Roll 1d6 or GM decides

1. Damaged Electronics - this could include sensors, communication gear etc, rendering some or all inoperable.
2. Damaged suspension or traverse - this would make it more difficult for the vehicle to turn, or traverse a gun turret.
3. Crew wounded or killed - 1d6 of them takes damage equal to the base weapon, and it's AP.
4. Passengers wounded or killed. Same as above. If there is no passanger compartment, treat as #3. If it is empty there is only structural damage.
5. Engine damaged - halve speed and acceleration of vehicle. Driver takes -2 on all vehicle maneuver tests, and on a glitch the engine dies.
6. Advance to Major Critical Damage.

If the vehicle is reduced to 0 wound boxes or suffers a critical glitch (as if) on a damage resistance test, it suffers Major Critical Damage:

1. Sensors/computer/Comms destroyed - This renders the vehice "blind". Only manually-assisted Gunnery tests and Perception tests possible. Other computer-controlled functions are inoperable. If the vehicle has no sensors, windshield/Windscreen and mirrors are destroyed and crew takes half the base damage of the weapon used.
2. Engine destroyed - All utilities powered by the engine is also unoperable.
3. As above, + 1 random Minor Critical.
4. As Above, +2 random Minor Critical.
5. Fuel hit. If the base damage of the weapon + net hits exceeds the vehicle's wound boxes (undamaged), it explodes and destroys the vehicle and crew+passangers takes the vehicle's body in Fire damage. Otherwise it destroys half the fuel and causes a leak.
6. Ammunition storage hit. Same as above, except if it detonates crew takes the vehicles armament damage*2.

Well that's about it. GMs can choose effect themselves, replace them with more appropriate effects, or have the severity be affected by the base weapon DV instead of a dice roll. Since it is more difficult to make a vehicle explode with lighter weapons (ahem, autocannons), rockets or cannons might be more effective. It also makes the rules a bit less "all or nothing".


How does that sound?

Mostly feasible but some issues.

A vehicle's damage track is filled, the sensors are destroyed and what, it carries on with the same speed and handling? Really?

Also, the ammo explosion seems unrealistically devastating. Even if the driver was wrapped in the ammo belts I wouldn't make it so high, but usually the ammo will be in a separate and reinforced compartment.

Well, they are guidelines mostly. Damage track is abstract, so destroying sensors etc. but have the vehicle/drone/etc. carry on with the same speed might be even worse for the target, which cannot see where it goes and thus automatically crashes (causing yet another critical, most likely). Handling is a vehicle stat that never changes, but not being able to see will surely affect pilot checks severely, -6 at the very least. Someone on a completely straight road that lasts forever and has no obstacles would simply keep going, and probably would not require any pilot check in the first place. But that never happens.

The idea is that every time it takes damage after track is filled causes another major critical, and same effect could be rerolled or chosen otherwise. A called shot could also affect this, thus a called shot to the engine would automatically damage/destroy engine if critical damage happens.

Ammo explosion: This was mainly intended for tanks etc. and vehicles with HE ammo. I forgot to add the clausul that vehicles without storage of highly volatile ammunition will suffer a fuel hit instead. However if there are belts of 40mm grenades connected to a grenade launcher weapon mount, and they are hit with a serious attack (say a 16P rocket with 2 net hits (ignoring SR4A here)), then you should expect to see the vehicle being blown to bits. Ammunition storage is usually protected, but even so a determined enough attack can cause it to detonate and destroy the vehicle.

Without either fuel or ammunition, vehicles do not magically blow up when hit with a AP tank round or even a rocket. To so so would mean to cause a significant enough explosion outside (artillery), or a special round that explodes inside, and both of these are difficult when vehicles have armor. Simply shooting a whole in a car with APDS rounds will not cause it to explode, but might kill or destroy whatever it hits - people, engine, sensors etc.