[SWEX] Vehicles in combat tracker

[ArthurLovat]

Hi there,

I dabbled around a little with the SWEX-ruleset. In my upcoming one-shot I really want vehicles as opponents. I have the pulp-tool-kit and I can open the vehicle stats, but I haven't found a way to make them a personality or to add them to the combat tracker.

How do I handle vehicles in combat?

Thanks!

[Griogre]

It kinda depends on what you want to do with the vehicle. If a vehicle is really to be an opponent you could then just input it as a personality. Usually vehicles in SW go on the vehicle list. Conceptually when the players run a vehicle that is a weapons platform typically each character "mans" a postion on the vehicle so defacto the vehicles abilites are spread over the players.

However when the GM runs a vehicle it may make sense to treat the vehicle as just one personality (especially if it is manned by extras) which allows you have all the stats in one place. Obviously the size of the crew makes a differance here. Vehicles are meant to be dragged onto the character sheets for the player's referance and then he can just use his skill to operate whatever part he is responsible for.

I don't have the Pulp took kit though so I'm not sure how the data is arranged in it.

[ArthurLovat]

The problem is that I can't put vehicles from the library in the combat tracker. Also I cannot not make the a personality.
I can open the vehicle sheet and make it available for the players, but I can't put it in the combat tracker. Maybe I have to create a personality called "tank" myself, but if I do that, what's the vehicle-library there for?

The weapons-list is just a picture, so you have to transfer the data manually. They didn't do that with the vehicles, so why didn't they include a possibility to make vehicles personalities?

Or am I doing anything wrong?

[Griogre]

Vehicles don't usually have an initiative because they go on the player's or NPC's initiative. Vehicles are usually just player equipment. Normally you wouldn't put a jetpack or a .45 on the tracker either. Why do you want the vehicle in the tracker? What benefit are you looking for?

[RiverRat]

One example I can think of off the top of my head would be a multi vehicle chase handled using the combat tracker. Last time I had to just create entries for the vehicle manually. It would be nice if I could just drag them from the either the library or module. With the stats and tokens all linked up properly.

[ArthurLovat]

Exactly, RiverRat!
I LOVE chase-scenes and I use them at least once per adventure.

Griogre:
Your comment cleared it up for me. A vehicle is not just a vehicle, but also needs a driver to complete it's stats. Of course, a vehicle can't be a personality. What was I thinking? ^_^

So, for a chase-scene (or a fight against a tank) I should create a personality, a driver, and a assign him a vehicle.
So "Red Van driver" can be put into the CT and I just keep the vehicle stats open next to his sheet.
Problem solved! Thanks! ^_^

[Griogre]

Edit: Opps got distracted and posted before I saw the above post. :p

My prespective is I usually use SW to run PotSM or 50F which use large crewed vehicles. And while in theory I like the idea of dragging a ship on the combat tracker how would you populate the to hits? Even in my case where most gunners typically go at the same time as the Captain to avoid the unstable platform modifer, the gunners do not all have the same stats - even the extras after a while. I end up with the different gunners in the combat tracker anyway. It's just easier to have the gunners have a cannon as a weapon on their personality so it is linked correctly with their shoot skill.

On the opposite case where there the vehicle has just one crew isn't it easier to just give him a vehicle token?

[ArthurLovat]

On the opposite case where there the vehicle has just one crew isn't it easier to just give him a vehicle token?

Yes, that's what I'm going to do!^^

I'm mainly using SW for Necessary Evil, so I'm using a lot of vehicles as opponents... or melee weapons.