Driving Rules

Let's face it, the current rules for vehicle combat with the maneuver score system are just a bit cumbersome. A fact which makes most GMs shy away from vehicle combat. But chase scenes are some of the best face-paced, adrenaline-pumping parts of movies, so why should we leave them out of shadowruns? I hope that these streamlined, simplified rules will make vehicle combat at least as easy as normal combat, while leaving in as much realism as possible. Everything starts with the vehicle handling score. Whenever a character attempts to do something with his vehicle, he rolls his driving skill vs a base target number that equals the Handling of the vehicle he is controlling adjusted by all the appropriate modifiers from the two following tables (for ground vehicles). Wherever a fraction is taken, round to the nearest whole modifier. And that, boys and girls, is it - at least as far as vehicles like cars, bikes, trucks and other ground vehicles go.

Example: Rigger X has a VCR rating 2 and is accelerating through oncoming light traffic in a 55mph highway (approx speed 70, open terrain) from a base speed of 70 (52 mph) trying to lose two Lonestar Ford Americars in his Eurocar Westwind 2000. Rigger X rolls his driving skill of 6 vs a TN of 8: [(Handling +3) + (VCR Implant -4) + (1/2 speed rating -1) + (oncoming traffic +11) + (Open Terrain -1)]. The two Lone Star cops whom have no VCR, but Reaction of 10 and 12 roll their driving skills of 5 vs a TN of 13: [(Handling +4) + (Reaction -1) + (oncoming traffic +11) + (Open Terrain -1)]. Rigger X rolls a 3,4,11,5,8 and makes it easily with 2 successes. The first LoneStar cop rolls 3,3,5,5,8 and must make a crash test because of traffic. The second Lonestar cop rolls 2,2,4,8,14 and manages to accelerate and stay on Rigger X's tail.

Hiding is simply done by breaking LOS (Line Of Sight) with the pursuer(s) and then rolling a Vehicle Stealth check (default appropriate Pilot skill) TN 4. Each success increases the signature of the vehicle. The pursuers must then make a Sensor check vs the signature of the target adjusted by the Target Stealth check successes, Terrain, and Weather modifiers.

Now on to aircraft. The system works exactly the same, however there are a few differences to maneuvers as outlined in the table below. Plus, if the aircraft brakes below it's stall rating (if it has one) the pilot must perform a crash test. Each round it remains below it's stall rating, the crash test target number goes up by 1.

One of the most important maneuvers for an airborne is establishing pursuit and breaking off pursuit of other aircraft. Because of the speed of air combat, dropping in behind another aircraft is the only way to establish enough time to aim and fire successfully.

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