Vehicle Devices
Vehicle devices
are analogous to the devices used by
tech-savvy characters. Unlike character devices, they cannot receive
additions or be modified in the vehicle; different vehicles simply have
different selections of devices. Vehicle devices are considered
separately from vehicle weapons, but
both will draw from the same charge generation provided by the
vehicle's volatite generator (if applicable).
Some vehicle devices are autonomous and do not require crew
control, such as kinetic shields. All other vehicle devices are
operated by the vehicle's commander, and all vehicles with such devices
require a commander. Vehicle devices do not have technology competence
requirements themselves, but vehicles with many devices list a
competence requirement for the commander. If the commander lacks the
required competence, the vehicle's non-autonomous devices cannot be used.
Vehicle devices cannot be extracted from the vehicle
and used outside of it, nor can they be swapped out for other devices.
Their prices and weights are therefore included in that of the vehicle.
Vehicle Kinetic ShieldAutonomous (see notes)
This device follows
the same rules as the Kinetic Shield Adamantology device, but it
is sufficient to protect the entire vehicle from kinetic ranged attacks
when powered. It can hold a maximum of 40 charge, which will be
lost only when expended by a major impact. Charge can be moved from the
vehicle's charge generation to the kinetic shield as a free action. The
device is not effective against
attacks originating from inside the vehicle (or through an open hatch).
This device can be operated by the commander, or set
to autonomous mode. In autonomous mode (or in vehicles without a
commander), the device can only be recharged when the vehicle is shut
down. If installed on a vehicle without charge generation, it can be
charged with volatite crystals manually when the vehicle is shut down.
Flying vehicles do not take damage from large kinetic shield impacts like flying characters do.
Seer Array I
Autonomous
This device provides shadow vision to all vehicle crew members, allowing them to see in any Low Light condition as if it
were Medium Light. Crew members are also immune to blinding from any bright light that originates outside the vehicle.
Seer Array II
Autonomous
This device provides all the benefits of Seer Array
I, but also provides thermal vision to all crew members; use the rules
for a Thermal Vision crystallurgy device with 2 size increases. Extreme range land vehicle stealth has no effect against a vehicle with this device.
VS-1 Techshield This device projects a visible, glowing shell
approximately 1 foot outside the vehicle, and provides it with
medium-precision energy
shielding. As a free action on the vehicle's turn, it may spend charge
to
create shielding points in the shield; each 1 charge creates 20
shielding points, and the maximum shielding points that can exist in
the shield is 200. The shield opposes all eligible
energy attacks against the vehicle, and cannot be set to ignore any
attack
while it is active.
Unused shielding points expire 5 minutes after they are created.
Shielding points cannot be converted back into charge, nor can
shielding points be added outside of the vehicle's turn. The shield may be
turned off (wasting all current shielding points) as a free action.
Due to the prioritization of defense against
explosive effects in the development of Alacrian techshields, this
device's shielding points are doubly effective against blast damage
(that is, 1 shielding point will remove 2 blast damage).
For as long as the shield is active and has at least
1 shielding point, it is visible and counts as a moderate light source.
VS-2 Techshield This device follows the same rules as the VS-1 Techshield, except that its maximum shielding points is 350.
VSS Techshield This device follows the same rules as the VS-1 Techshield, except that its maximum shielding points is 500.
Fire Control Computer
This device consumes no charge, but allows a land vehicle to attack at
extreme range as a non-slowing action. It also provides a +TN of 10 in
the INT roll to aim at extreme range.
Seeker Eye Up
This device allows the vehicle to lock seekers on aircraft.
Seeker Eye Down
This device allows the vehicle to lock seekers on land vehicles.
Seeker Barrage Computer
This device allows the vehicle to fire up to 4 seekers in a single attack, rather than 1.
Seeker Blinder
This device protects the vehicle against locked-on seekers. When a
seeker is fired, the vehicle's commander may roll d20 on INT; if
successful, the seeker loses its lock and misses. This device has no
effect on other weapons, including seekers fired without locking on.
Anti-Aircraft Scanner
When attacking aircraft, this device allows a land vehicle to treat the
aircraft as having one less Speed Class for the purpose of determining
how much Hindrance is added to the offense roll. It also allows it to
attack an aircraft that is about to strafe on its next turn, in
addition to the attacks normally possible on an aircraft that strafed
on its last turn. This rule also applies to firing seekers (if the vehicle also has a Seeker Eye Up device).
Energy Reactive Armor
Whenever a vehicle with this device would be harmed by explosive blast
damage or a ranged attack consisting entirely of energy damage (that
is, the damage is not shielded and has sufficient drive to harm the
vehicle), its armor reacts automatically and violently, doubling its
own armor range against that incident of damage.
When the armor reacts, it is physically damaged; its
normal armor range is not reduced, but it has a 25% chance of failing to react to future incidents of damage. Every time it reacts, this percentage chance increases by another 25.
Reactive armor can only be repaired at a city forge; this costs an
amount of coin equal to the first number of the vehicle's normal armor
range for every time the armor has reacted. Vehicles with separate
frontal and normal armor ranges do not track separate reactions for
frontal and normal armor (though either armor range can be doubled by
the reaction).
With the exception of explosive blast impact damage, reactive armor
cannot react to any damage that would not be shieldable by
medium-precision energy shielding.