Building an HFV is a very time-consuming and expensive process with a lot of considerations that don't apply elsewhere. The successful design will embrace these concepts and be able to crush the opposition. Or, alternatively, there is a wide range of prototypes already on the drawing board for you to choose from.
This system is very easy to use. Simply select the HFV model you wish to pilot, and then outfit it with equipment, up to a maximum depending on the HFV model. All
statistics of the HFV are dependant on the model, and are described in the following table.
| HFV Type | Damage | Armour |
Speed | Accel | Braking | Handling | Cost |
Payload |
|---|
| Light HFV | 36 | 4 | 45 mph | 15 mph | 10 mph | 4 | $200,000 | 1,400 |
| Standard HFV | 40 | 5 | 40 mph | 12 mph | 8 mph | 4 | $225,000 | 1,750 |
| Heavy HFV | 44 | 6 | 35 mph | 10 mph | 6 mph | 4 | $250,000 | 2,000 |
The costs listed here are simply for game balance and not the HFVs actual worth.
Damage increments are as follows:
| Damage | Damage Increments |
|---|
| Light HFV | 36 | 36/27/18/9 |
| Standard HFV | 40 | 40/30/20/10 |
| Heavy HFV | 44 | 44/33/22/11 |
Body:
The body has 2 Massive hard points, one mounted externally on each shoulder.
In addition, the body has 2 Heavy internal hard points. These mounts are seperate to each other and may not be combined to form one massive hard point.
If heavy weapons are included on the massive mount, then they may mount swivel vertical mounts, but not total vertical mounts. Non-massive weapons may be mounted either forward or rear.
The internal heavy mounts may not accept any weapon mount modifications (such as swivel mounts). Weapons may be mounted either forward or rear but this must be specified when the HFV is first created and while weapons may be changed later in the HFV career, the mount may not have its direction reversed. Note also that some HFV modifications may take up internal weapon space in this location.
Legs:
Each leg may carry 1 Heavy hard point.
Weapons can only be front facing.
HFVs may not mount passive weapons, nor may they mount turrets of any sort.
HFVs can use military style weapons and are designed to be able to mount bigger weapons than conventional interceptors. These weapons are designated Massive weapons. Non-massive weapons can be mounted on massive weapon mounts. Use the following chart to ease this process.
-
1 Massive = 2 Heavy
-
1 Heavy = 2 Medium
-
1 Medium = 1 Lightweight
Thus a shoulder-mounted massive mount can instead mount 2 heavy weapons or 4 medium or lightweight weapons.
Weapon Links:
Weapons may be linked, but must obey the follow rules (in addition to normal rules).
All weapons in a single location may be linked, thus all arm weapons may be linked. All four body locations may be linked.
Weapons from across locations may also be linked, thus both arms may be linked, and if desired, the body and the arms and legs may be linked!
Unlike normal vehicles, weapons from one location do not have to be fired when weapon from another location are. Thus if autocannon were linked in the LA, RA and LB, then only the body weapons need be fired, or just the arm weapons could be fired. If there are multiple weapons linked within one location (thus two autocannon in a LB mount), they must still be fired at the same time, but a LB and RB linked set need not be fired together.
Constructing an HFV using the advanced construction system is very similar to the Simple System really, but giving a few more options. The technique is the same as that found in
White Line Fever, and so you'll find the
HFV Performance Chart very useful for working out the speed and handling of your finished vehicle.
Use the Simple System for weapon mount allocation, standard armour allocation and initial handling.
HFVs may not carry passengers, cargo or gunners.
HFVs may not carry equipment designed for other vehicles, such as car handling devices (powered steering, robotic drive etc), car performance devices (chargers, computerised brakes), safety devices (passenger cage) or specific vehicle only devices (such as suspension modifications, tyres, etc). A full list of equipment has not been given here as the list is expanding all the time and it should be (hopefully) obvious what can and what can't be included. As an exception to this, ejection seats may be mounted in HFVs.
HFVs are considered sealed for purposes of gas effects.
When choosing your HFV chassis you have to firstly determine whether you want your machine to be built using Carbon Steel, Carbon Plastic or Military Grade armour. HFVs may not be bought stripped of armour, with reduced armour values, nor may HFVs be retrofitted once built. Once this choice has been made, the following table will list the cost and weight of the chassis.
| Carbon Steel | Carbon Plastic | Military Grade |
|---|
| HFV Type | Cost | Weight | Cost |
Weight | Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Light HFV | $200,000 | 3,500 | $250,000 | 3,000 | $300,000 | 3,500 |
| Standard HFV | $225,000 | 3,800 | $275,000 | 3,300 | $350,000 | 3,800 |
| Heavy HFV | $250,000 | 4,100 | $300,000 | 3,600 | $400,000 | 4,100 |
Military armour (MA) is a combination of carbons and other secret materials used on armoured fighting vehicles. It is very expensive and quite heavy but has a lot of additional advantages over Carbon Plastic.
When hit by non-AP or KP weapons, the damage rolled is halved (round up) before being applied to the target. Any HE handling checks are still applied at full value.
When hit by AP weapons, the AP special effect is lost and the damage is applied as normal to the armour. Military Grade armour is applied fully against KP weapons.
HFVs can mount a maximum of 8 points of armour in each of their six locations. Armour for all HFVs costs and weighs the same and differing types may be stacked in the same location if desired.
| Carbon Steel | Carbon Plastic | Military Grade |
|---|
| Armour Location | Cost | Weight | Cost |
Weight | Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Front Body | $5,000 | 45 | $8,000 | 30 | $20,000 | 45 |
| Rear Body | $5,000 | 45 | $8,000 | 30 | $20,000 | 45 |
| Left Arm | $5,000 | 40 | $8,000 | 25 | $20,000 | 40 |
| Right Arm | $5,000 | 40 | $8,000 | 25 | $20,000 | 40 |
| Left Leg | $5,000 | 45 | $8,000 | 30 | $20,000 | 45 |
| Right Leg | $5,000 | 45 | $8,000 | 30 | $20,000 | 45 |
Battle fists can be mounted on HFVs to allow them to inflict additional damage in close combat. Battle fists come into two types - Battle fists and Heavy Battle fists. Heavy fists do more damage than standard battle fists but they come with their own drawbacks - they may not be used for carrying hand-held weapons and their construction reduces the arm weapon mount to a single Heavy mount. Fists must be bought per arm and it is possible for one arm to different from the other.
| Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Battle fist | $5,000 | 50 |
| Heavy Battle fist | $8,500 | 75 |
A battle fist increases punching damage by +2, whilst a heavy battle fist increases punching damage by +4.
A armoured cockpit is an additional set of protection for the pilot of an HFV, helping to ensure that weapons fire will not damage the pilot. The armoured cockpit only protects against incoming weapons fire and not against collision, crashing or ramming damage.
Whenever a pilot critical is rolled, an armoured cockpit provides a saving throw. Roll 1d6 - an even result means that the cockpit takes the damage and the pilot is unharmed, whilst an odd result means that the pilot takes the damage.
An armoured cockpit may be combined with a padded cockpit.
| Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Armoured Cockpit | $12,000 | 60 |
A padded cockpit is one of the few safety devices available to pilots of HFVs and basically consists of lots of padding around the pilot with the aim of reducing the impact of any collisions. A padded cockpit does not protect against weapons fire of any sort, but against collisions, rams and crashes it confers the pilot with a saving throw. Roll 1d6 - an even result means that the cockpit takes the damage and the pilot is unharmed, whilst an odd result means that the pilot takes the damage.
A padded cockpit may be combined with an armoured cockpit.
| Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Padded Cockpit | $5,000 | 20 |
HFVs can't use normal means of increasing their handling as those systems will not walk with working vehicles. Instead there are several new means of increasing the handling of the HFV, and these are listed below. Unlike normal vehicles, none of these systems are compatible with each other, nor may a system be upgraded to the next level.
Advanced Controls:
HFVs don't use conventional means of control like robotic drive or powered steering, instead they use pilot-by-wire means and lots of microprocessors to be able to adjust the control of the HFV. To be able to improve the handling of the vehicle, these processors need to be given a complete upgrade at substantial cost.
Neural Assisted Control:
NAC is when the pilot plugs him or herself into the HFV and assists the control of the vehicle using their brain waves and their natural sense of balance to keep the HFV upright and moving. Experiments in using a pilot outfitted with a plug to partially their vehicle have already successfully been undertaken, but NAC takes it slightly further by using the pilots' brain to assist in control and not just to store the piloting software. The pilot must have a plug installed before they can use NAC.
Full Immersive Control:
FIC is the next stage of control for an HFV and is still considered experimental. In addition to the pilot using their mind and balance to control their HFV (as with neural assisted control) they also wear a special suit that is tied directly into the HFV and which the HFV is slaved to. When the pilot moves in the suit, the HFV translates the pilot movement and tries to mimic it. The pilot must have a plug installed and must wear the special sensor suit (included in the cost below, but bought separately costs $10,000).
| Cost | Weight | Handling |
|---|
| Advanced Controls | $10,000 | 0 | +1 |
| Neural Assist | $25,000 | 0 | +2 |
| Full Immersive Control | $50,000 | 25 | +3 |
HFVs can carry larger engines than normal for increased performance. However, space inside an HFV is always at a premium and thus each engine upgrade takes up the space of 1 medium weapon (taken from the internal heavy weapon mounts), meaning that an HFV can carry a total of 4 upgrades and if so may not mount any internal weapons.
| Cost | Weight |
|---|
| Engine Upgrade | $10,000 | 75 |
Each upgrade increases the performance by one row on the Performance chart (although it doesn't allow the HFV to carry more weight, so the maximum weight limit of a light HFV is still 4,800). If this would put the performance off the chart, then the Max. Speed is increased by 2 mph and the Acc by 1 mph. Braking and Handling are unaffected.
For example, a HFV weighing in at 6,000 normally has a Max. Speed 25 mph and Acceleration. With one engine upgrade, this increases to a Max. Speed 26 mph and Acceleration 7 mph.
If three upgrades were added, the Max. Speed and Acceleration would be 30 mph and 9 mph.
An HFV weighing in at 3,000 with four upgrades would have a Max. Speed of 58 mph and an Acceleration of 15 mph.
All HFVs come with hands as standard on their arms. These can, however be removed. There is no real benefit for this save as a cost and weight saving benefit. HFVs with massive weapons in their arms *must* remove the hands on those arms.
Each hand removed saves $15,000 and 50 weight.
HFVs with hands have the unique ability to carry hand-held weapons. Hand-held weapons need not be standard armament for an HFV, they can obviously drop or pick up weapons when needed. Hand-held weapons must be designed for the task, an HFV cannot just pick up any weapon and use it!
To design a hand-held weapon, choose the weapon that is to be carried. The additional straps, triggers and other accessories take up 10% of the weapons weight and cost $100 per point of that weight. All normal weapon accessories can be added to the weapon (for standard cost and weight) and the weapon may be double loaded.
When listing hand-held weapons on the HFV write up, list the weight of the weapon so that the performance of the HFV can be easily recalculated if the weapon is dropped.
For weapons of Heavy or smaller size, the HFV needs one free hand. For Massive weapons, the HFV must have 2 hands. An HFV may only carry and use one hand-held weapon at a time though.
Available for massive weapons only, the weapon sheath is an armoured covering that protects the weapon from incoming fire and other damage. A sheath weighs 10% of the weapons basic weight (round up) and costs $100 per point of that weight. Whenever a massive weapon with a weapon sheath takes damage, it gets a saving throw - roll 1d6, an even result means that the sheath takes the damage and the weapon is unharmed, whilst an odd result means that the weapon takes the full brunt of any damage scored.
