This Study concerns Abilities related to the skillful operation of vehicles and their systems - everything from small personal automounts to massive airships larger than a village. No rucksack or pack animal can compete with a vehicle in travel speed and capacity, and when armed and armored, vehicles are technically the most powerful weapons in Lur-Asko. Although they are often useless in certain kinds of terrain (particularly the underground ruins favored by many adventurers), a vehicle can be an invaluable base for a party who operates in the right situations.
This Study dates back to the First and Second Alacrian Eras, in which almost all of the currently-known forms of vehicles were invented. Since most of Lur-Asko's hydrocarbon fuel sources were depleted towards the end of the First Era, all powered vehicles now gain their energy from insendite crystals. With the appropriate machinery being salvaged from Alacrian ruins, insendite engines and other vehicle devices can be produced competently by today's industrial companies; this has resulted in yet another strange aspect of Lur-Asko culture, since transportation and vehicles have outpaced many other areas of technology. Still, in today's world, vehicles are quite expensive to build, maintain, and fuel, meaning that they have failed to completely eclipse animals as tools of transportation and war.
Many types of Lur-Asko vehicles, such as wheeled transports, tracked tanks, seaships, and watercraft are essentially similar to their Earth counterparts. The only major difference is their use of insendite rather than internal combustion engines. Other types are more exotic, enabled by the strange capabilities of Alacrian adamant technology. Advanced gyroscopes and computers led to the production of walkers - legged vehicles known for their excellent off-road capability. Many lighter Alacrian war vehicles were hovercraft, which were held aloft by high air pressures generated and contained underneath the vehicle by strange energy fields. These complicated advances are rare today except in recovered Alacrian vehicles. Generally, the modern realms of Lur-Asko produce much larger numbers of less-advanced (but often more-efficient) wheeled and tracked vehicles. I'Gremsul, with its many rivers, has a particular affinity for watercraft - similar to land vehicles, but moved by propellers, paddlewheels, or Alacrian waterjets.
Meanwhile, in the skies, a similar story has played out with aircraft technology. Wynthian propeller technology followed the Manusians to Lur-Asko, affording the continent a (relatively) less expensive form of air propulsion. Later in the Adventuring Age, much-sought Alacrian aircraft technology was restored to Lur-Asko, returning ancient arcjets and ornithopters to the skies.
Airships, by far the most iconic Lur-Asko vehicle technology, were actually restored before the smaller Alacrian aircraft - perhaps due to the ease of finding the enormous specimens strewn about the continent after the Fall. Though extremely expensive due to their scale, the production of airships has returned in elven, Cevelkian, and dryadic culture. The other realms either import these or restore Alacrian vessels.
The most affordable liftgas airships rely solely on hydrogen buoyancy, which is quite effective due to Tsuunahgo's thick atmosphere. To inflate the massive balloons, Lur-Asko uses Alacrian devices called electrolyzers to extract hydrogen from water. Liftgas airships generally replenish their hydrogen in cities, and are favored by adventurers for their (relatively) low cost and their ability to hover indefinitely over a quest location.
In stark contrast to these examples, the more expensive type of airship complements or replaces hydrogen lift with an Alacrian naval pseudogravity net, comprising a network of adamant wiring running throughout the ship's hull, or even into sweeping rings around it. This exotic technology spreads the vessel's weight across a large radius of the surrounding terrain - not enough to crush objects below, but sufficient to counteract natural gravity and suspend the ship in the air. Although the physics are much more efficient than the constant air movement of an arcjet or hovercraft, gravnet airships cannot hover in place without expending some energy to run the net, and are therefore often equipped to land on both flatlands and water. They usually include advanced stations for multiple trained bridge officers, and enough heavy weaponry to defend the vessels from the piracy they often attract. These "singularities of wealth and excess" are often cited by agitators as clearly-visible examples of Lur-Asko's inequality and injustice. Socioeconomic opinions aside, gravnet airships wind up forming the backbone of wealthy cities' defenses, and the most successful adventuring parties have often obtained one to function as a "base" and facilitate the most challenging quests.
Vehicle Competencies Some Vehicles Backgrounds automatically grant you the Driving/Piloting Competency Ability at your 1st tier. Be sure to check the rules for this Ability below, and select your first categories of vehicle to become competent in.Advanced Firefighting
Overseer-favored
If at least 75% of the engine crew on a ship has this Ability, the ship's DCN is increased by 1.
Progression
None.
This Ability cannot be emphasized or maximized.
Advanced Flooding Control
Overseer-favored
If at least 75% of the engine crew on a seaship or submarine (not an airship) has this Ability, the ship's DCN is increased by 1. Even if a gravnet airship can function as a seaship in the water, it is excluded from this Ability.
Progression
None.
This Ability cannot be emphasized or maximized.
All It's Got
Overseer-favored
When functioning as engineering overseer on a ship with volatite generators, you may take 10 strain and roll d12 on INT at the
beginning of your ship's movement phase. If successful, you enhance and redirect the flow of energy. This provides a bonus to either SPD, MNV, PDL, or MBL, at your choice; the amount of the bonus is 1 plus 10% of the ship's base stat.
This Ability can only be successfully applied once per ship combat round; in other words, it cannot be applied multiple times to the same or different stats at once. If the ship has multiple Engineering stations, a later character can re-attempt it if an earlier character failed.
Progression
Normal:
For every 12 tiers, the strain cost is reduced by 1, and you gain a +TN of 1 in the INT roll.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 6 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 4 tiers.
Overseer-favored
This Ability allows you to move
an airship through inclement weather as though the weather was 1 less
Severity (see pg. __). This only affects the movement speed and danger
of crashing, and does not affect any damage caused by turbulence.
Progression
Normal:
The effect on Severity is increased by 1/0 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/5 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 1/3 your tier.
Command Prioritization
Overseer-favored
When occupying a ship's command station, you may assist another
occupied station. For the duration of this ship combat round, the
character on that station gains the following benefits:
-If they are providing a bonus to any ship stat(s) as a result of a
Vehicle Ability beginning with "Skilled," that bonus is increased by 1.
-If the character has an Ability relevant to their station that
requires strain, you may take their strain, or split the strain cost.
This Ability cannot be used to assist more than one station in the same
ship combat round, hence the "Prioritization" title.
Progression
Normal:
At 2nd tier, you gain a type of insight called command insight.
Its maximum is equal to your bINT, multiplied by your Vehicles tier,
divided by 4. It is fully replenished by a 4-hour rest, and can only be
used for the strain-sharing portion of this Ability, substituting for the strain you are taking for the other character.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but divide by 2 instead of 4 when calculating maximum
command insight.
Maximized:
As Normal, but skip the division when calculating maximum command
insight.
Commander's Expertise
Overseer-favored
Whenever you have occupied a ship's command station for at least 15 minutes, you may take 20 strain
to grant the ship a reactive +TN in any roll on any stat. The amount of
the +TN is 1/6 your INT (or at least 1). Additionally, your own
expertise re-rolls from the Study of
Vehicles can be used by the ship in any roll.
Progression
Normal:
The strain cost of the reactive +TN is reduced by 1/10 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/5 your tier.
Maximized:
As Normal, but 1/3 your tier.
Dogfighting
Competency
Pilot-favored
This Ability allows you to use
dogfighting maneuvers to gain advantage against other aircraft (see Vehicle Combat), and to make defense
rolls against such attempts. It gives you two important options in a
dogfight:
Basic Offense: As
a major action on your turn, you may spend 5 energy and roll d12 on
DEX; if successful, you gain 1 degree of advantage. Your target can
evade the attempt with a d20 defense roll.
Basic Defense:
You may make defense rolls against dogfighting maneuvers on your DEX.
Offense and defense rolls for actual weapon attacks
are not considered dogfighting maneuvers, and are not affected by this
Ability (aside from the possible impact of dogfighting advantage).
Progression
Normal:
You gain a +TN in all offense and defense rolls for dogfighting
maneuvers (including those affected by Abilities other than this one)
equal to 1/4 your tier.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but 1/2 your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Driving/Piloting
Competency
Driver-favored
Pilot-favored
This Ability grants
competency in the movement of vehicles. When you first obtain this
Ability, you gain competency in two categories. If you are incompetent
in a vehicle you are driving/piloting, the consequences may range from
much slower movement to outright risk of death (see Vehicles).
The categories are:
-Tracked & wheeled land vehicles
-Hovercraft
-Walkers
-All watercraft
-Propwings
-Ornithopters
-Arcjets
-Automounts
If you have the Crewman Background, both
of your first categories can be anything you choose. For any other
Background, they must be related to your Background (Drivers must
choose from land vehicles or watercraft, and Pilots must choose from
the aircraft). There are no restrictions on categories gained via
progression.
Progression
Normal:
For every 4 tiers, choose another category.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 2 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Elite Maneuvers
Overseer-favored
When functioning as a ship's helmsman, you may take 10 strain at the
beginning of your ship's movement phase, just before movement tactic is
chosen. This round, your ship gains
the following effects:
-If your ship successfully uses the Evasive
Maneuvers movement tactic, attacking ships must add 2 Hindrance to
their offense rolls on MBL this round instead of 1.
-If your ship successfully uses the Offensive
Maneuvers movement tactic, the ship may add 2 Easing in all rolls on
MBL this round instead if 1.
Progression
Normal:
At
4th tier, you gain the option to take double strain to increase the
Hindrance/Easing to 3 instead of 2. For every 8 tiers beyond 4th, the
base strain cost is
decreased by 1.
Emphasized:
At any tier,
you gain the double strain option as in Normal. For every 4 tiers
beyond 3rd, you reduce the base strain cost by 1.
Maximized:
As Emphasized, except that the strain cost decrease is equal to 1/3
your tier.
Energy Fighting
Expertise
Pilot-favored
This Ability requires the Dogfighting Competency
Ability, and adds more maneuver options:
Energy Offense:
As Basic Offense, but the defense roll is changed to 2d20 if your
energy is greater than your opponent's (after spending any required for
the maneuver).
Energy Defense:
You may make defense rolls against dogfighting maneuvers on your DEX
with a +TN equal to your INT, but only if you have more energy
than your opponent.
This Ability cannot be used in the same offense or
defense roll as Turn Fighting Expertise.
Progression
Normal:
At 5th tier, you may take 8 strain to gain a reactive +TN of 3 in any
dogfighting maneuver's offense or defense roll, but only if you have
more energy than your opponent. This +TN is further increased by 1 for
every 4 tiers beyond 5th.
Emphasized:
At any tier, you gain the reactive +TN from Normal. The +TN increase
occurs every 2 tiers beyond 3rd.
Maximized:
As Emphasized, but the +TN increase occurs a number of times equal to
3/4 your tier.
Expert Gunnery Driver-favored
Pilot-favored
As a minor action, you may use this Ability to take
careful aim to hit a defensive target. If you make a ranged attack on
the same
turn using vehicle weapons, you add 1 Hindrance to your offense roll.
Your target must add the same amount of Hindrance to their defense
roll.
Progression
Normal:
For
every 6 tiers beyond 3rd, you may add an additional 1 Hindrance to your
offense roll.
Emphasized:
The total amount of Hindrance added to your offense roll from this
Ability may be up to 1/3 of your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Favorite Vehicle
Driver-favored
Pilot-favored
Upon taking this Ability, you must
associate it with a specific model of vehicle (not a ship). You receive
a +TN of 2 in all offense rolls using that vehicle.
Progression
Normal:
The +TN is increased by 1/8 your tier.
Emphasized:
The +TN is increased by 1/4 your tier.
Maximized:
The +TN is increased by 1/3 your tier.
Gunnery Competency
Driver-favored
This Ability allows you to make
competent ranged attacks when functioning as the gunner in a land
vehicle or watercraft. If you are also the driver and are competent in
driving the vehicle, this Ability is effective on all driver-fired
weapons.
Progression
Normal:
For
every 3 tiers, you receive a +TN of 1 in offense rolls with land
vehicle/watercraft weapons, as well as the INT roll to aim in an
extreme range battle.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but a number of times equal to 2/3 of your tier.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Hull-Down
Expertise
Driver-favored
When competently driving a land vehicle, this
Ability gives the vehicle an armor bonus of 15 when using vehicle cover.
Progression
Normal:
The armor bonus is increased by 2 your tier.
Emphasized:
The armor bonus is increased by 4 times your tier.
Maximized:
The armor bonus is increased by 6 times your tier.
Inspiring Commander
Overseer-favored
When you occupy a ship's command station, the ship gains a bonus to
SPR. The bonus is equal to 1/6 of your Appeal tiers.
Progression
None. This
Ability cannot be emphasized or maximized.
Overseer-favored
Choose one of the ship station types (Helm, Command, Engineering,
Gunnery, or Technical) to associate with this Ability. You must be
competent at the chosen station type via Overseer Competency. Whenever
you are serving either on a vehicle's command station or on the type of
station matching the associated competency, you may "loan" the
associated competency to a character who does not have it. They
function as having that competency for as long as you both remain on
your stations.
This Ability cannot be used on more than one character at once (though
multiple characters on the same ship can use it).
Progression
Normal:
For every 12 tiers, you may associate another station type with this
one.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 6 tiers.
This Ability cannot be maximized.
Overseer-favored
When functioning as a ship's technical overseer, you may take 10 strain at the
beginning of your ship's movement phase. Any techshield
ship device you control has its maximum shielding points increased by
10%. This increase lasts until the beginning of your ship's next
movement phase (at which point you have the chance to continue using
this Ability).
This Ability can only be used once per ship combat round, even on ships with multiple Technical stations.
ProgressionTactical Fire Control
Overseer-favored
When functioning as a ship's gunnery overseer, you may take 10 strain
at the
beginning of your ship's main battery attacks when fighting another
ship. This round, choose one of the following effects:
-Wide fire: The ship may gain 1 Easing in any offense roll on MBL, but
the battery will never inflict more than 10% damage regardless of how
well the roll succeeds.
-Narrow fire: The ship must add 1 Hindrance in any
offense roll on MBL, but only 1/2 of any failures inflicted are chosen
randomly; the rest have their type selected by you. If the target ship
also takes damage from other sources in the same round, divide the
damage from your ship by the target ship's failure factor to determine
how many failures are considered to come from your ship.
This Ability can only be used once per ship combat round, even on ships
with multiple Gunnery stations.
Progression
Normal:
At 18th tier, the Easing provided by wide fire is increased by 1.
Emphasized:
As Normal, but every 9 tiers.
Maximized:
As Normal, but every 6 tiers.