Car Wars Corebook

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WAV
Game Design by Chad Irby and Steve Jackson
Additional Material by Aaron Allston, Stephen Beeman,
Keith E. Carter, Scott Haring, David Ladyman,
Charles Oines, Ken Scott and David N. Searle
Cover by John Dismukes
Illustrated by Dan Carroll, C. Bradford Gorby, Denis Loubet and Kim Strombo
Loyd Blankenship, Managing Editor; Carl Anderson, Production Manager
Layout and Typography by Monica Stephens
Production by Carl Anderson and Don Arbuni
Print Buying by Kerry Havas
Playtesting, helpful comments and creative interference:
Karen Bingham,
Loyd Blankenship, Ian J. Brotzman, Christopher Burke, Carl Cravens, Scott Mercer,
Mike Montgomery, Charles Oines, Mike Piacsek and Tim Ray
Fourth Edition. Copyright © 1990 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated.
Car Wars,
AADA,
Autoduel,
Uncle Albert's
and the all seeing pyramid are registered trademarks, and the AADA logo and
Boat
Wars
are trademarks, of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Acceleration and Deceleration
8
INTRODUCTION
3
Handling Class
9
Chronology
3
Handling Status
9
System Support
4
Regaining Handling Status
9
The AADA
4
The Control Table
10
1. GETTING STARTED
5
Maneuvers
11
Game Setup
5
Bend
11
The Game Maps
5
Drift
. 12
Swerve
12
Vehicle Selection
6
Controlled Skid
12
The Referee
6
Bootlegger Reverse
13
2. MOVEMENT
7
T-Stop
13
Movement Chart
7
Pivot
14
Straight-Line Movement
8
Deceleration
14
Maneuvers and Speed Changes
8
Evening-Out
14
Using the Movement Chart
8
Reverse Movement
14
ISBN 1-55634-185-7
12 3 4 5 6 7 10
STEVE JACKSON
GAMES
Fishtail 14
Hazards and Road Conditions 15
Tire Blowouts 15
Banked Curves 15
Jumping and Falling 15
The Crash Tables 17
Crash Table Modifiers 17
Crash Table Results 17
Crash Table 1: Skids & Rolls 17
Crash Table 2: Fishtails 18
Collisions 18
Collision Damage Table 19
Collision Types 19
"Conforming" Movement 19
Collision Procedure 20
Concussion from Rams (Optional) .... 21
Fixed Objects 22
Debris and Obstacles 22
Off-Road Duelling 23
Ditches and Gullies 24
Water 24
Jumping Out of Vehicles 24
Rolling 24
Pedestrian Movement 24
3. COMBAT 25
Rate of Fire 25
General Combat Procedure 25
Line of Fire 25
Car Targeting 25
Cycle Targeting 26
Trike Targeting 26
Rolling to Hit 26
Targeting Modifiers 27
Range 27
Movement 27
Vehicle Targets 27
Specific Target 27
Visibility 27
Miscellaneous 27
Damage 28
Burst Effect 28
Area Effect 28
Recording Damage 28
Damage Location 28
Collision Damage 29
Combat Results 30
Injury to Drivers 30
Fire and Explosion 30
Odds and Ends 31
Automatic Fire 31
Dropped Weapons 32
Paint and Smoke 33
Linked Weapons 33
Hand Weapons 34
Range 34
Firing Penalties and Bonuses 34
Grenades 34
Buildings 36
Breaches and Collapsing Buildings .... 36
Cover 37
Height Modifications 37
Missed Shots 37
4. CHARACTERS 38
Skills 38
Beginning Skills 38
Earning Skill Points 38
General Skill Points 39
Spending Points to Improve Skills .... 39
Using Skills
39
Contests of Skill
39
Skill Descriptions
40
Prestige
42
Wealth
43
Pedestrians
43
Pedestrian Movement
43
Equipment and Encumbrance
44
Combat
44
Pedestrians and Vehicles
45
Pedestrian Equipment
45
Hand Weapon List
47
5. VEHICLE DESIGN
48
Cars
48
Body Types
48
Armor Types
48
Chassis
49
Suspension
49
Power Plants
49
Range with Electric Power Plants
50
Tires
50
Weapons
50
The Human Element
50
Cargo
51
Acceleration & Top Speed
51
Vehicle Diagram
51
Repair and Salvage
52
Modifying Vehicles
52
Cycles
52
Suspension
53
Power Plants
53
Tires
53
Weapon Placement
53
Cycle Accessories
53
Trikes
53
Construction
53
Reversed Trikes
54
Trike Combat
54
6. WEAPONS
55
7. ACCESSORIES
57
8. SAMPLE VEHICLES
60
9. SCENARIOS
62
ABBREVIATIONS
63
INDEX
63
Introduction
Since
Car Wars
was first released in
1981, it's become one of the most popular
adventure games ever written. This box is
intended to be a basic rule set... to let you
get into the world of
Car Wars
quickly.
The rules in this set are 100% upward-
compatible with the second edition of the
Car Wars Compendium.
In other words
. . . if you want more rules and more detail,
you can get the
Compendium,
and you
won't have to "unlearn" anything.
astated. Severe food shortages spring up
across the globe. The U.S. is in better
short-term shape than most, since the blight
apparently has no effect on foods with pre-
servatives in them.
2016:
The Food Riots. "Fortress"
towns develop. National government fails
to keep order throughout much of the U.S.
2018:
Gangs rule most of the U.S. out-
side of the fortress towns. Country real es-
tate becomes worthless; algae farms make
up lost food production.
2020:
Many large cities totally aban-
doned. National government regains au-
thority but enforcement decentralized.
Economy weak but stable, with food ra-
tioned and unemployment at 37%.
2022:
Supreme Court decision decrimi-
nalizes manslaughter in arena games.
"Death sports" become popular. Televi-
sion becomes nation's number-two indus-
try, just after food production.
2023:
"Crazy Joe" Harshman wins
Fresno destruction derby by mounting a
surplus .50-caliber machine gun in his
Chevy. Term "autoduelling" first used by
sportswriters.
2024:
Armadillo Autoduel Arena opens
on site of former shopping mall in Austin,
Texas.
2025:
Autoduelling becomes most popu-
lar TV sport, edging out combat football
and private wars. Eight more autoduel are-
nas open in North America. The American
Autoduel Association (AADA) is formed.
2026:
Utah autoduellists form vigilante
group to counter Badlands cycle gangs.
AADA holds first sanctioned "National
Championship" in Austin, Texas. AADA
also begins issuing area advisories and help-
ing duellists organize against cycle gangs
and other hazards, upsetting local police
forces.
2027:
Police admit inability to deal with
duellist-armed vehicles in highway use. In-
formal duels increase in numbers.
2028:
Many localities legalize vehicular
weaponry of a "defensive nature" — very
loosely defined. Duelling outside city limits
Chronology
Car Wars
is set 50 years in the future.
The "now" of the
Car Wars
world moves
ahead as the real world does. It was 2031
when the game was first published. As
these words are written, it is mid-2040. It's
arough world . . . and "Drive Offensively"
is its motto.
2000:
Federal government moves to na-
tionalize dwindling supplies of oil and natu-
ral gas production. Legislatures in Texas,
Oklahoma and Louisiana react by seceding,
and nationalize these resources themselves.
Pitched battles with federal forces follow,
resulting in the destruction of several
oilfield sites on both sides of the newly-es-
tablished border.
2003:
U.S. forces stopped in the hills of
central Texas, ending bloody "Gulf or
Bust" campaign. Rebel forces begin to re-
take lost territory.
2004:
Texarkana Accords are signed,
ending the Second Civil War. Oklahoma,
Texas and Louisiana become three separate
sovereign nations, referred to as the Free
Oil States.
2012:
Grain blight breaks out in Ne-
braska, spreading rapidly to neighboring
areas. A simultaneous blight takes root in
the Ukraine. Accusations fly, charging de-
liberate biological war, followed by nuclear
warheads. To everyone's surprise, satellite
defenses stop most of the missiles. Mean-
while, the world's stock of grains, exclud-
ing barley and sesame, has been dev-
Introduction
now legal in 14 states and tolerated in most
others.
2029:
A variety of weapons becomes
available as "factory options" on all U.S.
makes of cars and several imports.
2030:
Statistics show "smash-and-
grab" cycle and car gangs much reduced.
Rural real estate begins to rise in value.
Law-enforcement officials credit vehicular
weaponry of private citizens, but most point
out that "The gangs that are left are now
better armed than we are . . .". Autoduell-
ing now legal in 39 states, as well as the
Free Oil States.
2033:
Autoduel Quarterly,
"The Jour-
nal of the American Autoduel Associa-
tion," is first published. Autoduelling now
legal in all 47 states in the U.S., as well as
Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, most Cana-
dian provinces, the Republic of Quebec,
Australia and Mexico.
2036:
Gas-powered racing and duelling
events begin to grow in popularity.
2037:
Armed and armored boats be-
come popular among coast-dwellers. Piracy
rises dramatically but drops again by the
end of the year as more and more boats
have "defensive" modifications added.
2038:
AADA recognizes boats and
other watercraft events.
2040: In
response to the increasing num-
ber of "sport" flyers armed with duel
weaponry, the AADA sponsors several
"aeroduel" events on a trial basis.
Autoduel Quarterly
Autoduel Quarterly
is the official
Car
Wars
magazine. It appears four times a
year, with new rules and variants, scenarios,
background information, fiction, and other
Car Wars
material. If you can't get it at your
hobby store, write Steve Jackson Games for
subscription information. Our address is
Box 18957, Austin, Texas 78760-8957.
The llluminati BBS
For computer users, SJ Games runs a
multi-line bulletin board with an active
Car
Wars
discussion area. The number is 512-
447-4449; you can log in at 300, 1200, or
2400 baud, 24 hours a day. This is another
good place to get news about new releases.
Errata Support
Errata sheets for
Car Wars
products arc
available free from Steve Jackson Games;
please enclose a long stamped self-ad-
dressed envelope with your request. If you
locate new errata, please let us know!
System
Support:
With over 200,000 copies of
Car
Wars
sold since its 1981 release, and over a mil-
lion and a half
Car
Wars
products of all
kinds now in print, the game has a huge
base of players. Steve Jackson Games pro-
vides several different kinds of support for
the world of
Car
Wars,
and we are always
interested in your suggestions.
Nearly 50 different
Car Wars
supple-
ments have been published, including both
"straight" rules material and the
AADA
Road Atlas and Survival Guide
roleplaying
series. While some supplements are out of
print, many are still available. Check at
your local hobby store.
Jlillllk
The AADA
The American Autoduel Association is
an international network of official
Car
Wars
clubs. Check
Autoduel Quarterly
for
a list of existing chapters you can join, and
information on starting one of your own.
The AADA has two yearly World Champi-
onship events: duelling, with the finals at
Origins, and racing, with the finals at Gen-
Con. Any AADA member can enter.
There are other benefits open only to
AADA chapters, so write us for more infor-
mation.
4
Introduction
1. Getting Started
In order to play
Car Wars,
you will need
this set; several 6-sidcd dice; pencil and
paper; and a table big enough to play on.
The game can be played solo, but is
more fun with an opponent. It is probably
best with 4 to 6 players. A game with over
8 players can take a very long time.
ing can shoot through them and almost
nothing can crash through.
The black squares marked with a B are
pedestrian bunkers. Any pedestrian who
can enter the white "notch" on the side is
automatically safe (but out of the event).
The white areas represent low walls.
Vehicles may shoot over these walls but
may not cross them (treat as a regular wall
in case of a collision). A pedestrian may
cross a low wall without stopping. A pedes-
trian who lies down behind a low wall can-
not be hit by shots fired from the other side.
To change the arena, treat the low walls
as regular walls — or the regular walls as
low walls — or both.
Dice
Car Wars
uses 6-sided dice only. These
rules use abbreviations to indicate what dice
are to be rolled. For instance, "2d" means
"2 dice." "2d-l" means "roll 2 dice and
subtract 1 from the result." "3d+2" means
"roll 3 dice and add 2." And so on.
Some weapons do
"Vid"
of damage, or
a ' 'half-die.'' This means to roll one die and
divide the result by 2,
rounding up.
Racetrack Map
The racetrack map can be used for sce-
narios in which cars have to follow a certain
path or complete a certain number of laps.
The winner is the first one to complete the
path, regardless of what condition he's in
when he finishes! Before the game starts,
decide whether the track will be used in
"oval" or "figure-8" configuration.
The boundaries of the racetrack are
heavy walls with 80 DP. Cars cannot see or
shoot through them. The dashed lines at in-
tersections are merely lines on the road, and
don't affect movement or combat.
The black dots at the road-forks repre-
sent
crash barriers.
If a car hits one of these,
it takes only half damage.
Game Setup
To start playing
Car Wars:
(a) Decide what sort of scenario you
want to play (see p. 62). Spread out one of
the maps — we recommend that you tape it
down — or draw up a map of your own.
(b) Select vehicles. Make a record sheet
for each car. Pick a counter (or a miniature
or model) for it. Set beginning speed and
handling status for each vehicle. Mark them
on the record sheet or a piece of paper.
(c) Roll for each driver's reflexes (see
Handling Class,
p. 9). Reflexes of charac-
ters other than drivers do not count.
(d) Place all vehicles in starting position
— and go!
Highway Chases
The racetrack map may also be used for
highway
scenarios. Most such scenarios in-
volve pursuit. When the
lead
car in a pur-
suit comes to a fork in the road, ignore it if
the angle is more than 90 degrees, and take
the straightcr path. If it is less than 90 de-
grees, roll one die. On a 1-2, the leader
takes the right path. On a 3-4, the leader
takes the left path. On a 5-6, the leader can
choose which he wants. Other cars must
follow or be lost.
When a fork appears and a 6 is rolled,
the pursuing player can take 6 debris mark-
The Game Maps
This set includes two different maps, de-
scribed below. Players can create their own
maps. See
Scenarios,
p. 62, for more infor-
mation.
Arena Map
This arena has six gates. The heavy
black areas are concrete walls. Cars can't
cross them, and pedestrians can't climb
them. They have 80 DP (damage points —
see pp. 28 and 36) which means that noth-
Getting Started
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