The Role of Vehicles

[Cdnwolf]

Finally got the infantry rules done for Roll20.net and now working on vehicle rules and was wondering how people see the role of vehicles in the Escape From Kalisz and other modules?

How much vehicle combat did your groups ever use. (besides using the secondary armament to mow down attacking troops?)

How much effect did LAW and RPG have on your vehicles?

In combat did you have to unhitch a trailer and fight or went into combat with the thing still attached?

Thanks for your feedback.

[Medic]

For Escape From Kalisz and other modules, vehicles make a good story element as well as a plot device. The SOP for each group tends to differ, but from tactical viewpoint, stopping to unhitch the trailer while under fire is lunacy.

The effect of anti-armor weapons vary. I've always tried to go for realism when figuring out the damage, both to humans and objects.

Depending on the vehicle, for PCs it can be means of transport, fighting asset and even home to some extent. It also means another thing to worry about, as it needs maintenance, fuel and possibly ammo, two latter being hard to come by. This enables the GM to use the vehicle(s) as a good plot device.

[Cdnwolf]

Thanks...

Now to try to come up with a workable damage effect for when the 25mm Autogun on the LAV 25 shoots at the charging calvary. Another 12 hours of conversions ahead of me I see.

[LT. Ox]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

Thanks...

Now to try to come up with a workable damage effect for when the 25mm Autogun on the LAV 25 shoots at the charging calvary. Another 12 hours of conversions ahead of me I see.

You do it so well.
As LT. Ox. opens another can of beer nd looks at the roll twenty screen.

[LT. Ox]

Only thing I have seen that is messed up on roll twenty is the Range factor of the table top. Square is ok but five feet per is limiting. Every one is shooting at close.

[Raellus]

Vehicles are cool but they're also kind of an albatross, for both players and GM's.

PCs should constantly have to consider accumulating wear, routine maintenance, fuel supply, and ammo availability. Vehicles give the group a mobility advantage so long as they are gassed up and running.

For GMs, it's extra record keeping and dealing, IG, with player attachment to said vehicles. AT weapons are a major threat, especially against relatively thin-skinned AFVs like Bradleys and LAV-25s. You don't want to deprive the players of their wheels/tracks but you don't want them rampaging around feeling invulnerable either.

I like to use a little fudge to keep vehicle-tied player teams honest. The first time I roll a hull or turret hit against a PC vehicle, if the result indicates serious damage, I don't even look at the damage tables. I just tell them that an externally-stowed ruck or water can took the brunt of the HEAT warhead. They lose all of that gear but they keep their vehicle. It lets them know that they are not invincible in their IFV (they do lose something), but also allows them keep hold of it for at least another engagement or two.

[Silent Hunter UK]

While I've not engaged in any vehicle combat myself, I would say their best role is as 'plot taxis'; getting players from adventure to adventure.

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by LT. Ox

Only thing I have seen that is messed up on roll twenty is the Range factor of the table top. Square is ok but five feet per is limiting. Every one is shooting at close.

HUSH... I had to fudge some rules to make it work smoothly. And the five foot grid is just for now for display. It would take me 3 months to write every single calculation to follow all the rules in the book.


Just getting a working armor vehicle combat system going. But I think it will work well enough. BEER ME NOW!!

[Cdnwolf]

Armor Penetration works. Am going to ignore if a vehicle gets hit in the rear and call it a catastrophic vehicle kill. IGNORE the sizing...

[LT. Ox]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

HUSH... I had to fudge some rules to make it work smoothly. And the five foot grid is just for now for display. It would take me 3 months to write every single calculation to follow all the rules in the book.


Just getting a working armor vehicle combat system going. But I think it will work well enough. BEER ME NOW!!

I think that guy has a black arts pin doll too, my head has been hurting all day and I have not been looking at the screen working like he does.

Cdnwolf you have done some outstanding work and I am learning a bunch.
I thank you

[Silent Hunter UK]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

Armor Penetration works. Am going to ignore if a vehicle gets hit in the rear and call it a catastrophic vehicle kill. IGNORE the sizing...

What programme is that from?

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Silent Hunter UK

What programme is that from?

Roll20.net

[LT. Ox]

Originally Posted by Silent Hunter UK

What programme is that from?

And why are you not playing?

[Dogger]

For my PC's the Humvee they started out with in Escape From Kalisz was *THE* most prized possession they had. They went to *great* lengths to keep it out of danger. going so far as to park/hide it well outside of a town or objective and camouflage the shit out of it then proceed (miles if necessary) on foot to complete the mission.

While it was equipped with an M2HB, they avoided as best they could situations where they needed it for direct fire support...but of course they did need it a few times, like it or not.

The humvee (yes, they had a name for it; they called themselves 'Wilson's War Whores' after Major Doug Wilson the team senior officer...and the humvee was 'The Old Whore' if memory serves) they knew not only carried all their gear and supplies, which they would have to hump if it went down...it also offered a quick withdraw from an area that got to hot if need be.

It never took heavy direct fire...but lots of small arms stuff which caused all kinds of repair heartburn...amazingly they had it thru the whole damn European campaign...until 'The Last Train to Clarksville'....

They had been shanghaied into 'one more' offensive operation against the Soviet forces before being 'released' for the bug-out to get to Bremerhaven for the ships back to the US...They ended up as part of an assault on the ruins of Warsaw (again) which they saw as a completely useless endeavor with the war all but over (as far as they were concerned.)

And it was...I am after all an 'evil GM' on occasion.

Long story short, after they bugged out, in eastern Germany they came across a pretty shot up bridge...it was pretty iffy the Humvee could get across...but they were running late for the boats home...so everyone but the driver dismounted and walked across with what supplies they could carry...sadly, the driver PC didn't make all his rolls...he got out, but 'The Old Whole' went into the river below...needless to say it was hard on the fellas...

But they made it to the boats...but only just.

[Ancestor]

In the campaign that I ran in college the LAV-25's mechanical unreliability became a central theme (and humor device) for escape from Kalisz, dealing with Baron Czarny, and the trip to Bremerhaven. It was a stark and hilarious contrast to the reliable deuce and a half that two Louisiana National Guard NPC's drove to carry the PC's worldly possessions.

[Olefin]

My first campaign the character vehicles we had were an M1 tank and a truck - we had NPC's with us as well that had their own vehicles - and our GM was a guy who really enjoyed the military side of the game - so we saw a LOT of vehicle combat - tank versus tank and tank versus other armored vehicles - by the time we finally got her back to the dock our tank had quite the accumulation of battle damage - and we spent a lot of time either brewing fuel, stealing fuel or getting damn lucky and finding fuel

and ammo got pretty damn low - we pulled into the docks with three main gun rounds left (and that was after we had bought some rounds in Krakow as well as obtained some from various sources in our trip thru Poland and Germany)

[LT. Ox]

Yep the story driver of NEED.
but I guess you can use food and small arms ammo the same way.
It is just so damn fun to blow things up.
I am thinking of Kelly's hero's here but man would a caravan like that goofball played by Donald Southerland be fun.
I have got to have a LAV-25 C and C with the tent and all.
Stripped of com gear but with a beer crock and other needed items for survival.

[Olefin]

Oh I agree - that tank was a lot of fun - we didnt sneak our way across the bridge and the town with the three tanks and 200 guys guarding it - we shot our way thru (and brewed up all three tanks in the process) and gave the one guy who tried to nail us with an AT missile a .50cal chest operation for free

and some of the most fun we had was paying that HQ a visit a la what Oddball did in Kelly's Heroes to that railyard - got to love killing enemy officers

[Silent Hunter UK]

Originally Posted by LT. Ox

And why are you not playing?

I've just signed for the site - I'm on RPOL myself, but I may use that to keep track of things.

[Draq]

I think Dogger has the right idea, that sounds exactly how I would play things.