Official Rules
1. Choose tonnage and type (ground, water or hover)
2. Determine stats (Str for vehicles is on page 132, table 4-16)
A. Basic version; Str, Agi, Vit are the same, referred to as Physical. Int, Ale, Wil are the same, referred to as Mental (Vehicle statistics, pg 129)
B. Or, use all six stats like a spaceship.
3. Determine Complexity (Table 4-11, page 112)
4. Decide speed class, here’s where the book lets you down, there is no chart to tell you how fast a vehicle goes. Use this table from Six Shooters & Spaceships:
SC MPH
1 10
2 20
3 40
4 60
5 100
6 150
7 240
8 300
9 600
10 1,200
5. Calculate tonnage of components (structure, power, controls, propulsion, etc) using standard formula 5 x Speed class + 20 = percentage of total tonnage (from Six Shooters & Spaceships pg 112). Speed class 5 = 45% ([5x5] + 20 = 25 + 20 = 45)
6. Determine fuel supply, 10% of total gives 600 hours.
7. Add additional components, such as weapons, armor, passengers, cargo. For seated passengers in a vehicle, I use 250 pounds per.
8. Add Assets and Complications. All vehicles start with the Born to the Blue (Major) complication, meaning they cannot work in a vacuum.
9. Calculate actual cargo capacity. For ground and water vehicles, multiply allocated cargo tonnage by 2. For hover vehicles, multiply by 1.5 (SS&SS pg 108)
10. Calculate cost. 10 credits per ton x Speed class x tonnage x Complexity modifier. Six Shooters & Spaceships adds a Size modifier:
Strength Cost
d2 x20
d4 x10
d6 x5
d8 x2.5
House Rules:
For non pulse drive ships, the cost is 7.5 credits/ton and the components tonnage formula is (5 x speed class) +10. This accounts for the space freed up by no pulse drive.
For Vehicles, the cost is 5 credits per ton and the components formula is (5 x speed class) + 5. Again, this reflects the lighter weight of not having pulse drives, airlocks, artificial gravity, etc. For vehicles, 10% of total tonnage in fuel gives 60 hours, not 600. The justification there is that the motors on vehicles are not as efficient as the fusion reactors on spacecraft. And, I didn't like designing ground cars with 30 hour+ fuel supplies.
Additional Assets and Complications:
Assets
Voidcapable(M)
The vehicle uses a fusion or other advanced power plant that doesn't require air. The hull is sealed and airtight. If a hover vehicle, the thrusters are dual mode systems like on spaceships and the vehicle can reach orbit. Exterior components are hardened to resist the cold or heat of space.
Hover (M)
Vehicle can fly with antigravity lift and air breathing turbines for thrust.
Go Anywhere
Minor would be a good off road vehicle, Major would be a tank.
Complications
Airbreather/Born to the Blue(M)
Vehicle is designed to work in a normal atmosphere and is not intended to work in a vacuum or in space. This is common for almost all vehicles.
Low altitude (m)
Hover vehicle is limited to 100 meters or less of altitude. If Major, the vehicle can only fly nap of the earth (1-5 meters).
