VEHICLES
Not every hero can fly, teleport, or run at super-speed. Sometimes heroes
make use of various vehicles to get around. Vehicles are used primarily
for transportation, although they may come with additional capabilities—
including weapons—making them useful in other situations as well.
Vehicles are considered equipment and purchased with equipment points.
The vehicle tables list two costs; the one before the slash is the equipment
point cost and the one after the slash is the vehicle’s power point cost.
“Vehicles” with limbs, manipulative capabilities, and other humanoid
characteristics (such as giant, piloted robots) should be created as constructs
rather than vehicles (see Constructs, page 148).
VEHICLE TRAIT COST
TRAIT BASE VALUE EQUIPMENT COST
Strength 10 1 point per +5 Strength
Speed 0 movement power cost
Toughness 5 1 point per +1 Toughness
Size Medium 1 point per size category
Features — 1 point per feature
Powers — base cost times rank (see Chapter 5)
STRENGTH
A vehicle’s Strength, much like a character’s, determines its carrying
capacity. Vehicles have a base Strength of 10 and buy up their Strength
in increments of 5 for 1 power point each. A vehicle can move at normal
speed carrying up to its medium load, 2/3 speed with a heavy load. It
can also pull up to five times its heavy load at ½ speed (up to ten times, if
equipped with the proper hauling equipment and given an unobstructed
area in which to move). Each increase in size category increases a vehicle’s
Strength by 10 at no additional cost.
SPEED
A vehicle buys the appropriate movement power(s) for its movement
speed, paying the normal cost. Vehicles with multiple modes of movement
(air, ground, and water, for example) can pay full cost for one and acquire
the others as Alternate Powers (see page 108).
DEFENSE
A vehicle’s Defense is 10 + its size modifier.
TOUGHNESS
This is the vehicle’s Toughness rating, which starts out at 5 and costs
1 power point for +1 Toughness. Each increase in size category also
increases a vehicle’s Toughness by +2 at no cost.
SIZE
A vehicle’s size is measured like that of a character, as shown on the
Vehicle Size Categories Table. Vehicle’s start out at Medium size and
each increase in size category costs 1 power point.
RP
BR
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DEVICES & EQUIPMENT 143
FEATURES
Certain features are considered “standard” on any vehicle. These include
seating, headlights, safety harnesses or seat belts, air bags, heating and
air-conditioning, radio receiver, and similar things. The following features
are “optional extras” for vehicles and cost 1 point each. The GM can determine
if other features are included in the vehicle or cost points. Some
“features” are actually powers, described in the following section.
• Alarm: The vehicle has an alarm system that goes off when an unauthorized
access or activation attempt is made. A Disable Device check
(DC 20) overcomes the alarm. For each additional equipment point,
the DC increases by 5.
• Caltrops: A vehicle may be equipped with a dispenser for caltrops
(see page 135). Activating the dispenser is a standard action. Caltrops
automatically blow the tires of ordinary vehicles that run over them
(consider such vehicles “minions”). Heroes and villains can make
Toughness saving throws for their vehicles; tires are Toughness 3, the
DC of the save is 15. An injured result halves the vehicle’s movement
while a disabled result brings the vehicle to a stop.
• Hidden Compartments: The vehicle has hidden compartments or
cargo areas holding up to a tenth of the vehicle’s medium load in cargo.
A Search check (DC 20) allows the searcher to find the hidden compartment.
For each additional equipment point, the DC increases by 5.
• Navigation System: The vehicle has the equivalent of the direction
sense Super-Sense (see page 103), granting a +5 bonus on all skill
checks related to navigation. This can be increased by +5 per additional
power point to a maximum of +20.
• Oil Slick: The vehicle can release an oil slick, covering a 20-ft. by 20-
ft. area and forcing the driver of a pursuing vehicle to make a Drive
check (DC 15) to retain control of the vehicle. Releasing the oil slick is
a standard action.
• Remote Control: The vehicle’s owner can operate it remotely using
a transmitter and control device. Remotely controlling a vehicle
requires the same kind of action (usually a move action) as if you
were actually behind the wheel of the vehicle.
• Smokescreen: The vehicle can generate a smoke screen, visually
obscuring an area behind it 10 feet wide and up to 50-feet long (see
Obscure, page 95). Activating the smoke cloud is a standard action.
POWERS
A vehicle can have various powers of its own, usually reflecting the
vehicle’s systems. Attack effects are suitable for vehicle-mounted weap-
VEHICLE SIZE CATEGORIES
VEHICLE SIZE MODIFIER SIZE EXAMPLES STR TOUGHNESS DEFENSE
Awesome –12 128—250 ft. Space transport 60 15 –2
Colossal –8 64—128 ft. Passenger jet 50 13 2
Gargantuan –4 32—64 ft. Semi, yacht, fighter jet 40 11 6
Huge –2 16—32 ft. Stretch limo, SUV, tank 30 9 8
Large –1 8—16 ft. Car, truck 20 7 9
GROUND VEHICLES
NAME STRENGTH SPEED DEFENSE TOUGHNESS SIZE EP/PP COST
Motorcycle 15 5 10 8 Medium 9/2
Compact Car 30 5 9 8 Large 9/2
Midsize Car 30 5 8 9 Huge 7/2
Full-size Car 35 5 8 9 Huge 8/2
Sports Car 25 5 9 8 Large 8/2
Limousine 35 5 8 9 Huge 8/2
Pickup Truck 40 5 8 9 Huge 9/2
SUV 35 5 8 9 Huge 8/2
Van 35 5 8 9 Huge 8/2
Small Truck 40 5 8 9 Huge 9/2
Bus 45 4 6 11 Gargantuan 8/2
Semi 45 4 6 11 Gargantuan 8/2
Armored Car 35 5 8 12 Huge 11/3
Police Cruiser 30 5 8 9 Huge 7/2
Tank* 50 3 8 12 Huge 64/13
APC* 45 4 8 12 Huge 32/7
* = See individual descriptions for more information.
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ons, while defense effects protect the vehicle (and often the passengers)
from harm. Vehicle powers have their normal power point cost for the
vehicle (meaning they cost one-fifth the normal amount for the vehicle’s
owner, since the effects are incorporated into the vehicle and not always
available).
• Armor: Armor provides Protection for a vehicle in addition to its
normal Toughness, possibly including Impervious Protection. Ablative
armor (Protection with the Ablative modifier, see page 96) is also
common for vehicles. Some vehicles may have Force Fields instead of,
or in addition to, Protection.
• Cloaking Device: A vehicle may have a “cloaking device” granting
Concealment from visual senses. Some vehicles may also have
Concealment from auditory senses or things such as radar, giving
them a “stealth mode.”
• Immunity: While vehicles are immune to many environmental conditions,
they may also provide immunity to their passengers. Immunity (life
support) is necessary for vehicles that travel in space or underwater.
• Weapons: Vehicle weapons are based on attack effect powers, particularly
Blast with various modifiers. Vehicles may mount versions of
some of the weapons listed elsewhere in this chapter.
GROUND VEHICLES
Most cars include such standard features as air conditioning, air bags,
antilock brakes, cruise control, keyless entry, and an AM/FM radio with
CD player. Luxury (masterwork) vehicles often also include extras such as
power seats, leather upholstery, and a sunroof.
• Tanks are heavily armed and armored vehicles. The standard tank
comes equipped with a cannon (Blast 10, Explosion) and a heavy
machine gun (Blast 6, Autofire). It takes a full-round action to get
into or out of a tank, and another full-round action to start it up. Half
of a tank’s Toughness (or 6) is Impervious.
• APCs or Armored Personnel Carriers, are designed for carrying troops.
They come with a smaller cannon (Blast 6, Explosion), and are set up
so soldiers on board can fire their personal weapons from behind the
WATER VEHICLES
NAME STRENGTH SPEED DEFENSE TOUGHNESS SIZE EP/PP COST
Jet-Ski 15 4 10 5 Medium 5/1
Speedboat 35 5 8 9 Huge 8/2
Yacht 50 4 6 11 Gargantuan 7/2
Cutter* 60 4 6 12 Gargantuan 26/6
Destroyer* 75 4 2 15 Colossal 45/9
Battleship* 100 3 –2 18 Awesome 58/12
Submarine* 70 3 2 13 Colossal 42/9
* = See individual descriptions for more information.
AIR VEHICLES
NAME STRENGTH SPEED DEFENSE TOUGHNESS SIZE EP/PP COST
Helicopter 30 5 6 9 Huge 12/3
Military helicopter* 40 7 6 11 Gargantuan 32/7
Private Jet 40 7 6 11 Gargantuan 17/4
Jumbo-jet 55 6 5 13 Colossal 17/4
Fighter Jet* 50 9 6 11 Gargantuan 78/16
Bomber* 65 8 2 13 Colossal 59/12
* = See individual descriptions for more information.
SPACE VEHICLES
NAME STRENGTH SPEED DEFENSE TOUGHNESS SIZE EP/PP COST
Space Shuttle 70 10 2 13 Colossal 28/6
Space Fighter* 50 12 6 11 Gargantuan 49/10
Space Cruiser* 100 12 2 15 Colossal 89/18
Space Battleship* 150 14 –2 18 Awesome 115/23
* = See individual descriptions for more information.
SPECIAL VEHICLES
NAME STRENGTH SPEED DEFENSE TOUGHNESS SIZE EP/PP COST
Mole Machine 60 4 (burrow) 6 13 G 13/3
Time Machine* — — 9 8 L 3/1
Dimension Hopper* — — 9 8 L 3/1
* These “vehicles” have Super-Movement (dimensional, temporal, or both) rather than another movement power.
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cover of the APC’s armor. One-third of an APCs Toughness (or 4) is
Impervious.
WATER VEHICLES
Water vehicles range from small boats and outboards to massive seagoing
ships.
• Cutters are used by the Coast Guard and the Navy. They’re often
equipped with light machine guns (Blast 6, Autofire).
• Destroyers are main naval ships, carrying heavy guns (Blast 10,
Explosion).
• Battleships have massive gun batteries (Blast 13, Explosion) and
heavy armor.
• Submarines are equipped with torpedoes (Blast 8, Explosion) and
often ballistic missiles (Blast 15, Explosion, higher if the missile has a
nuclear warhead).
AIR VEHICLES
Air vehicles are all capable of flight, some of them at very high speeds.
• Military helicopters are equipped with machine guns (Blast 6,
Autofire) and rockets (Blast 9, Explosion).
• Fighter jets have machine guns (+6 Autofire Blast) and air-to-air
missiles (Blast 11, Explosion, Homing).
• Bombers may have machine guns and missiles, but also have powerful
bombs (Blast 12 or higher, Explosion) they can drop on targets. Bombers
are also capable of carrying nuclear weapons and similar payloads.
SPACE VEHICLES
Space vehicles are intended for use outside the atmosphere, some of them for
interplanetary or even interstellar travel. Generally space vehicles are found
in the possession of alien civilizations, although the GM may choose to allow
some organizations and individuals on Earth to have space vehicles.
• Space fighters are armed with blaster cannons (Blast 10).
• Space cruisers have larger beam weapons (Blast 12) and often
energy torpedoes (Blast 12, Explosion, Homing).
• Space battleships have the biggest weapons: blaster cannons (Blast
15) and high-energy torpedoes (Blast 15, Area: Explosion, Homing).
SPECIAL VEHICLES
These are unique vehicles, most likely found in the possession of super-villains,
aliens, or eccentric inventors.