Vehicles

Vehicles are described by a number of statistics:

Crew: The standard number of crew. In most cases, only one person is needed to drive the vehicle; other crew members serve as gunners or copilots.

Passengers: The number of passengers (in addition to the crew) the vehicle is designed to carry. Vehicles that carry passengers can use that space to carry additional cargo when passengers aren’t present. Each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 100 pounds of cargo.

Cargo Capacity: The amount of cargo the vehicle is designed to carry. Many vehicles can carry extra passengers instead of cargo, but doing so is usually a cramped, uncomfortable, and often unsafe experience for those passengers. As a rule of thumb, one additional passenger can be carried for each 250 pounds of unused cargo capacity.

Initiative: The modifier added to the driver’s or pilot’s initiative check when operating the vehicle.

Maneuver: The modifier added to any Drive or Pilot checks attempted with the vehicle.

Top Speed: The maximum number of squares the vehicle can cover in 1 round at character scale (with the number of squares at chase scale in parentheses). This is the fastest the vehicle can move.

Defense: The vehicle’s Defense.

Hardness: The vehicle’s hardness. Subtract this number from any damage dealt to the vehicle.

Hit Points: The vehicle’s full normal hit points.

Size: Vehicle size categories are defined differently from the size categories for weapons and other objects.

Purchase DC: This is the purchase DC for a Wealth check to acquire the vehicle. This number reflects the base price and doesn’t include any modifier for purchasing the vehicle on the black market.

Restriction: The restriction rating for the vehicle, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the vehicle on the black market.

Era: The approximate time line when this item is available for purchase new. After this period ends, such an item may be available used, or may be available as an antique. Please note that for vehicles in particular, the statistics presented may vary widely over the years as the result of redesigns and improvements in a vehicle and its systems. The details given here attempt to be representative of as wide a range of dates as possible.

Civilian Automobiles

Unless otherwise noted, civilian cars provide three-quarters cover for their occupants (although passengers who lean out of windows or sunroofs, perhaps to fire weapons, may be reduced to one-half or even one-quarter cover). A convertible car with the top down only provides one-half cover to any occupant. Also, the rear bed of a pickup truck provides only one-half cover. The bed of a flatbed truck provides no cover.

Benz Patent-Motorwagen

The Benz Patent-Motorwagen is the first automobile. Earlier motorized vehicles exist that are horse-drawn carriages converted to run by means of an engine, but this was the first vehicle designed for motorized propulsion. Karl Benz' 1885 patent is sometimes referred to as “the birth certificate of the automobile.” This vehicle was small enough that it only occupies two squares.

Serpollet-Dampfdreirad

The Serpollet-Dampfdreirad, or Peugeot Type 1, was the first automobile produced by Peugeot. It was a three-wheeled, steam-powered horseless carriage, with the driver sitting over the steam engine, and the passenger's seat facing backward atop the front wheel. This vehicle was small enough that it only occupies two squares.

Peugeot Type 15

The Peugeot Type 15 was the first vehicle manufactured by Peugeot that used its own engine rather than one bought from Daimler. 276 were produced, the most of any line from the company to that point. A Type 15 was the first car imported to Brazil.

Fiat 4 HP

The Fiat 4 HP was the first automobile manufactured by Fiat. It had a three-gear transmission with no reverse and a fuel economy of approximately 29 mpg. Less than five feet wide, the vehicle only occupies two squares.

Oldsmobile Curved Dash

The Oldsmobile Curved Dash was a popular early model from Oldsmobile. The 425 produced by Oldsmobile in 1901 made the company the first high-volume gasoline-powered automobile manufacturer. The popularity of the Curved Dash was largely an accident, as prior to approval for production, a 1901 fire destroyed the other models under consideration, leaving only the Curved Dash.

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The Rolls-Royce 40/50 “Silver Ghost” was an early model automobile from Rolls-Royce and was dubbed the “best car in the world” by Autocar magazine in 1907. It was in production for twenty years in Britain, and from 1921 – 1926 was also produced in Rolls-Royce's Springfield, Mass. facility. Models from 1919 onward had electric starters and lights.

Ford Model T

The Ford Model T was the cornerstone offering from the Ford Motor Company. Its launch in 1908 marked the year that the automobile became popular in the United States. It was the first automobile mass produced on assembly lines, and Ford priced his car proportionate to his workers' wages, providing himself with a market for his automobiles.

Mercer 35 Raceabout

The 35R Raceabout was introduced by the Mercer automobile company in 1910. The car won several races, including the United States Grand Prix and The Corona Road Race. Unfortunately, in 1914 during a race in Elgin, Illinois, two Raceabouts collided, killing two. This led Mercer to cancel its racing program, and the 35R's designer left the company later that year. Subsequent designs did not create the same appeal as the Raceabout had.

A.L.F.A 40/60 HP

The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race car produced by Italian manufacturer A.L.F.A., later Alfa Romeo. It won its own category in the Parma-Berceto race.

Chrysler Imperial

The Chrysler Imperial was Chrysler's top-of-the-line offering for most of its history. It set a record the year it was introduced by driving more than 6,500 miles in one week. The Imperial was also offered in a seven-seat limousine model (+2 to Purchase DC).

Volvo OV4

The OV4 was the first automobile manufactured by Volvo. Rollout of the OV4 was delayed when the first OV4 rolled out of the factory, because as it was put into gear, it went in reverse. It was discovered that the rear axle's differential gear had been fitted wrongly, and the necessary correction caused a delay of one day.

Packard One-Twenty

The Packard One-Twenty was a popular model from the Packard Motor Car Company in the late 1930s. It was a less expensive model than their standard luxury vehicles, which was necessary to keep the company afloat through the last years of the Great Depression.

Chevrolet Suburban

The Chevrolet Suburban is the longest continuously running automobile nameplate in history, being in production for 75 years as of 2010. It is historically a station wagon body on a pickup truck frame, and seats seven. Extensive changes have been made to the vehicle's design and specifications in its 75 year history, but the statistics above intend to represent the most common specifications for the period of 1935 – 1950.

Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle was the most popular car since the Ford Model T, though its popularity did not come quickly. The car managed to survive its beginnings rooted in Nazi propaganda and eventually became an incredibly popular car in the United States. Though in the US, the “Beetle” name was not used officially until 1967, the original German name, Kafer, means “beetle”.

Nash 600

The Nash 600 was manufactured by the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and was the first mass produced American automobile with a unibody frame. The name comes from the car's ability to drive 600 miles on one tank of gasoline.

Civilian Motorcycles

Unlike getting into a car, mounting a motorcycle is a free action. Motorcycles tend to perform better than automobiles, but they provide no cover to their occupants.

Hildebrand & Wolfmüller

The Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the first motorcycle produced commercially. It had no clutch, no pedals, and the rear wheel was connected directly to the engine's connecting rods, similarly to the steam locomotives of the time.

Enfield 239 cc

The first motorcycle produced by the Enfield Manufacturing company (later, Royal Enfield) was essentially, as were most motorcycles of this early era, a bicycle with a 239 cc engine mounted on the front downtube.

Indian V-Twin

For the fhe first few years of its existence, The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company made a name for itself with its single-cylinder motorcycles, but in 1906, it developed its first V-twin racer, and the Indians began to gain great fame as racing motorcycles. Perhaps their largest victory was in the 1911 Isle of Man TT, when Indian motorcycles placed first, second, and third.

Scott Motorcycle

The Scott Motorcycle Company began production in 1908, producing two-stroke engines that were so powerful compared to others at the time, that race organizers declared them to be “overly efficient” and penalized them with a 1.32 modifier to their capacity; Scott simply saw this as free advertisement of their product's abilities. A Scott won the Isle of Man TT in 1912 and 1913. Production was halted in 1914 as the United Kingdom entered World War I.

Neckarsulm 4 PS

The Neckarsulm 4 PS was manufactured by German NSU Motorenwerke AG, and was one of the last motorcycles to be produced under the Neckarsulm marque. NSU eventually became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world.

Indian Chief

The Indian Chief was introduced as the larger “brother” to the Scout. The 1922 models had a 1000 cc V-twin engine, and improvements over time meant that by the 1940s, well-tuned Chiefs could reach speeds over 100 mph, though their weight hindered acceleration somewhat.

Harley-Davidson Servi-Car

The Harley-Davidson Servi-Car, or G series, was a three-wheeled motorcycle designed in the Great Depression to help Harley Davidson remain solvent by branching into new markets. The idea was to have a light, inexpensive vehicle for service stations to tow to and leave with a customer while their car was being serviced. It was designed with a rear wheelbase of a similar width of standard automobiles so that inexperienced drivers could maneuver safely in snowy or muddy conditions by using the ruts created by automobiles. Service stations eventually stopped making pickups from their customers, but the Servi-Car remained popular for some time as a lightweight vehicle for parking meter enforcement and other service jobs requiring a small runabout-type vehicle.

Harley-Davidson VH

The Harley-Davidson VH series (renamed UH series in 1937), was based on a 80 cubic inch two cylinder flathead engine. These engines were produced from 1935, at which point the company's single-cylineder engines were discontinued, until 1941 when it was discontinued.

Harley-Davidson FL

The Harley-Davidson FL series has been in production since 1941, and is a designation given to several series of large-framed motorcycles. Original FL-series bikes used the Knucklehead OHV engine, but in 1948, this was replaced with Panhead engines.

SdKfz 2 Kettenkrad

The SdKfz 2 Kettenkrad, produced by NSU, was a half-track motorcycle. That is, it had the front wheel and handlebars of a motorcycle, and two tank-like treads on the back. Slight turns were achieved simply from turning the front wheel, but for tighter turns, the track brakes would engage to improve the turning radius. They were produced for the German Army during World War II, but production continued until 1949 for agricultural uses.

Civilian Water Vehicles

Civilian Aircraft

Civilian aircraft are controlled by two different specializations of the Pilot skill: Pilot (light aircraft) for small one- and two-engine planes, and Pilot (airliner) for larger aircraft designed to carry cargo or passengers. Generally speaking, an aircraft that carries more than eight passengers or has a cargo capacity over two tons would be considered an airliner.

A few examples are provided here from the variety of airgoing vehicles that might be available to characters.

Experimental Aircraft

In the earliest years of flight, before fixed-wing aircraft had begun being commercially produced, aircraft were custom-built by enthusiasts and experimenters. The stats given are representative of this type of handmade craft. They are rarely available for sale, and are mostly flown by those who build them. The price given is the cost of parts to construct such a craft.

Bleriot XI

The Bleriot XI was designed by Louis Bleriot to fly across the English Channel in an attempt to claim a 1,000 pound prize offered by the Daily Mail. Though the landing gear broke on a hard landing, he was awarded the prize. Afterward, he received orders for 101 of his aircraft, which he began to manufacture.

Curtiss Model E/F

The Curtiss Models E and F were flying boats developed and produced for the United States, Russian, and Italian Navies. These aircraft were also available on the civilian market. Such craft in the service of the U.S. Navy were the first airplanes to fly under automatic control, were the first aircraft launched from a naval ship (via catapault), and were the first heavier-than-air aircraft to be engaged in combat.

Sikorsky Ilya Muromets

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets (S-22) was the first airliner ever built, designed to carry passengers in comfort. It was the first four-engine plane, the first aircraft to have an onboard washroom and toilet, and it also had an onboard saloon, comfortable wicker chairs, a bedroom, and electrical lighting. Unfortunately, with the advent of World War One the next year,t he airliner was redesigned as the world's first heavy bomber, and would remain a military vehicle for the remainder of its service. The two prices and restrictions listed are for civilian or military models. Civilian models come build for luxury, and military models come equipped with armaments.

Boeing Model 2

The Boeing Model 2 was the first commercial success for Pacific Aero-Products, the predecessor of Boeing. It was a training seaplane manufactured primarily for the U.S. Navt and Army Air Service. The final aircraft produced became the first aircraft to make an international mail delivery.

Boeing 247

The Boeing 247 was the first aircraft to incorporate many now-standard advances, such as a metal frame and retractable landing gear. Unfortunately, it was not a very popular airliner, mostly because of poor design decisions and limited capacity for cargo or passengers. 75 were manufactured, 60 of which were for Boeing's own airline.

Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 was responsible for revolutionizing the budding air transport industry in the 1930s and 1940s. Over 16,000 were produced, with over 400 still in commercial use as late as 1998.

Piper J-3 Cub

The Piper J-3 Cub was originally intended as a trainer, but went on to become one of the most popular aircraft of all time. Sales were initially slow, despite the incredibly low $1,000 price tag. The advent of World War II, however, made the plane very popular and very in demand for civilian efforts, including the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the Civil Air Patrol.

Military Ground Vehicles

Military Aircraft

Fokker Dr.I

The Fokker Dr.I triplane fighter was the plane made infamous by Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. Despite the fame of the plane, it suffered from a fatal flaw in the design of the wings. At high speeds, the lift on the upper wings could be up to 2.5 times higher than the lower wings. This had the unfortunate result of the wings regularly breaking up during flight. Production was halted after only a year, and only 320 were manufactured.

Sopwith Camel

The Sopwith Camel was the mainstay of the British Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps during World War I. In all, 5,490 were produced and comprised 13 full squadrons. Together, its pilots were credited with 1,294 enemy aircraft.

Vickers Vimy

The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber during World War I, and remained in service for many years afterward. It set many records in long distance flight, including the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1919.

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British fighter used extensively throughout World War II by many of the Allied forces. It was an incredibly versatile aircraft and saw service as an interceptor, fighter-bomber, reconnaissance craft, and a trainer.