In all of this discussion about vehicle combat in D&D 4th Edition, we have yet to discuss the issue of vehicle scale. Obviously the space station the size of a small moon can take a lot more abuse than the tiny fighter jet beside it, but how do you determine the numbers for such a thing? Well, I’ve built a basic vehicle size chart which I use to determine how likely a vehicle is to be able to damage another vehicle.
Dealing Damage
Each vehicle category has approximately twice the mass and takes up twice as many squares as the one below it. As a general rule, when determining damage between vehicles of different sizes, the damage dealt is halved or doubled for each step up or down the vehicle scale chart. However, vehicles can carry weapons and armor of different grades. Without making things complicated, here are some quick and dirty vehicle types which you may use to vary the effectiveness of vehicles in combat.
Military Class – these vehicles are mostly about combat, and do damage as if their vehicle class were one size larger than it really is.
Civilian Class – the typical space vehicle, does damage as normal for its size.
Cargo Class – for cargo, passengers, and other types of ships which have sacrificed defense for space. They do damage as if they were one size smaller than they are.
Experience
As damage is halved and doubled, experience is also halved and doubled. The PCs’ vehicle serves as the baseline for determining experience and salvage (read: treasure). If a vehicle is of the same class as their own – both Civilian, for example – but one size category larger, it grants twice as much experience as a monster of its level would give to the players. Be sure you adjust your encounters appropriately. Alternately, you can give vehicles the Elite, Solo, and Minion types instead of changing the damage (or in addition, for vehicles more than two steps larger or smaller), and use the standard experience rules. For example, a vehicle of one size category higher can use the Elite monster rules instead of doing double damage.
Vehicle Scale Categories
Here are some guidelines for classifying vehicles by size, along with some examples of vehicles which might fall into each category. The maximum number of passengers the vehicle is capable of carrying is listed, along with the maximum number of squares it can occupy. Max. cargo can be estimated by multiplying the number of passengers by 200 lbs. Note: if using the simplified vehicle templates: Civilian Class and Military Class, the maximum passenger/cargo capacity decreases as their damage capability increases. For example, a Category 7 Military Class vehicle would have a passenger capacity of 25, or a max cargo load of 5000lbs.
Category 1: 1 Passenger (or 300 lbs), 1 square
Examples: Bicycle, Jet pack
Category 2: 3 Passengers, 2 squares
Examples: Motorcycle, Jet Ski
Category 3: 6 Passengers, 4 squares
Examples: Car, Small boat
Category 4: 12 Passengers, 8 squares
Examples: Truck, Small Helicopter
Category 5: 25 Passengers, 16 squares
Examples: 18 Wheeler, Small shuttlecraft
Category 6: 50 Passengers, 32 squares
Examples: Small airplane, Military helicopter
Category 7: 100 Passengers, 64 squares
Examples: Small ferry, Private spaceship
Category 8: 200 Passengers, 125 squares
Examples: Riverboat, Jumbo jet
Category 9: 400 Passengers, 250 squares
Examples: Amphibious Carrier, Short-range cargo vessel
Category 10: 800 Passengers, 500 squares
Examples: Small Cruise Ship, Orbital Launch Vehicle
Category 11: 1,500 Passengers, 1,000 squares
Examples: Small cargo vessel, Small interstellar transport
Category 12: 3,000 Passengers, 2,000 squares
Examples: Scout ship, Tiny military vessel
Category 13: 6,000 Passengers, 4,000 squares
Examples: Aircraft carrier, Large cruise ship
Category 14: 12,000 Passengers, 8,000 squares
Examples: Small military vessel
Category 15: 25,000 Passengers, 16,000 squares
Examples: Interstellar cargo vessel
Category 16: 50,000 Passengers, 32,000 squares
Examples: Smallest of asteroids
Category 17: 100,000 Passengers, 64,000 squares
Examples: Average military vessel
Category 18: 200,000 Passengers, 125,000 squares
Examples: Large interstellar transport
Category 19: 400,000 Passengers, 250,000 squares
Examples: Small colony ship
Category 20: 800,000 Passengers, 500,000 squares
Examples: Large military vessel
