If multiple locations or possibilities exist (e.g., a roll of 3-4 for a vehicle with small glass windows and an exposed weapon mount), the attacker picks which was hit.
Body: The vehicle’s hull. If a powered vehicle sustains a major wound, roll against HT. On a failure, the power or propulsion system is damaged, halving Move.
Caterpillar Track [C]: A track is hit. Most tracked vehicles have two tracks. Damage over HP/2 cripples one track, reducing ground Move to 0. Excess damage is lost.
Draft Animal [D]: A harnessed animal is hit instead of the vehicle. The vehicle takes no damage, and its DR doesn’t protect the animal.
Exposed Rider [E] or Open Cabin [O]: A person in an exposed position (e.g., riding a bike, sitting in a jeep, or sticking his head out a hatch) is struck instead of the vehicle. The vehicle takes no damage, and its DR doesn’t protect the occupant. If no one occupies this position, treat as a body hit.
Exposed Weapon Mount [X]: A small external mount for a weapon, sensor, etc. is hit. Damage over HP/5 cripples it; excess damage is lost.
Helicopter Rotor [H] or Wing [Wi]: A main or tail rotor, or major wing or tail section. Damage over HP/2 (wing) or HP/3 (rotor) cripples it, causing an air-borne vehicle to lose control and crash! Excess damage is lost.
Large Glass Window [G] or Small Glass Window [g]: A window or canopy is struck. Check for an occupant hit (see Occupant Hit Table, below). If a hit occurs, the attack strikes an occupant instead of the vehicle. A closed window gives half the vehicle’s DR (round up).
Large Superstructure [S]: A large, raised structure – e.g., conning tower, bridge, or castle – that often houses officers’ cabins or important control rooms. On an airship or a balloon, this is the gondola. If it sustains a major wound, roll against HT. On a failure, an important item of equipment is knocked out (GM’s option).
Main Turret [T]: A turret large enough to be a vital part of the vehicle, such as a tank’s turret. If it sustains a major wound, roll against HT. On a failure, a major item in the turret (e.g., a tank’s main gun) is knocked out, or the turret jams and can’t rotate (GM’s option).
Mast [M]: A mast and associated sails and rigging. Damage over HP/(2 * number of masts on vehicle) cripples one mast, reducing a sailing vessel’s Move by 1/(number of masts), rounded up; e.g., if three masts, loss of one results in 2/3 Move. Excess damage is lost.
Runner or Skids [R]: A skid, sled runner, or ski is hit. Damage over HP/3 cripples one skid, reducing ground Move to 0 and toppling a parked vehicle. Excess damage is lost.
Small Superstructure [s] or Independent Turret [t]: A turret or structure whose loss the vehicle could survive; e.g., the turrets on most naval vessels and infantry fighting vehicles. Damage over HP/3 cripples it, knocking out any weapons or equipment it contains. Excess damage is lost.
Vital Area: A powered vehicle (anything with a ST attribute) has vital areas: engines, fuel tanks, etc. The wounding modifier for a tight-beam burning attack is *2; that for an impaling or any piercing attack is *3!
Unpowered vehicles (e.g., sailing ships and wagons) don’t usually have vital areas – treat as a body hit.
Wheel [W]: A wheel is hit. Damage over HP/(2 ¥ number of wheels on vehicle) cripples the wheel; effects are the same as for a character with an equal number of legs losing one leg. Excess damage is lost. If the wheel of a vehicle with tires sustains any damage, roll vs. HT. Failure means a flat tire that cripples the wheel until changed.
Notes on Vehicle Damage
In addition to hit location effects, note that:
• Most powered vehicles are Unliving; most unpowered vehicles are Homogenous. See Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets.
• Many vehicles are Fragile: “c” after HT means Combustible, “f” means Flammable, and “x” means Explosive.
• Large-area injury will affect exposed occupants and the vehicle’s body; see Large-Area Injury.
Occupants and Vehicle Damage
When damage penetrates a vehicle’s DR, the occupants may suffer damage as well as the vehicle – the result of ricocheting projectiles, flying debris, etc.
Whenever five or more points of damage penetrate an occupied location (usually the body, main turret, or a superstructure), roll 3d on the Occupant Hit Table, below. If an occupant is hit, he takes 1d cutting damage per five full points of penetrating damage the vehicle sustained. Roll randomly for hit location. The occupant’s own DR protects him. If occupant damage exceeds 4d, the GM may opt to divide it among multiple occupants in 4d (or smaller) increments; e.g., 7d damage might inflict 4d on one occupant and 3d on another.
Note that occupant damage is separate from damage to the vehicle.