Rules & Errata
Errata & Clarifications
A majority of the following errata are my interpretations, and not those of PEG Inc. Should I ever get any sort of "official" ruling on these, I'll be sure to put it up. To view the Official Weird Wars errata, click here. Note that when I said "majority" I meant that I have included the official errata in this list, as worded by PEG Inc., just so anyone printing this out for reference won't have to flip over to a totally separate page to view more errata.
Improved Healing (WW pg.30)
The Medic's power Improved Healing is also slightly confusing as the text says one thing and the table says the other. The text is correct (the Medic adds half his level to his healing roll). Ignore the "plusses" from the table.Rifle "Strip Clip" Ammo (WW pg.80)
The M1 Garand actually uses an "en bloc" clip, which follows the usual rules for stripper clips - this is technically a misnomer, as it's not a stripper clip at all. Any other rifle listed as using a stripper clip is actually using a quick-load device termed either a "stripper" or a "charger" clip (depending on whom you ask; see the Weapons and Equipment page for details) for reloading, having a standard internal magazine in all other respects. The KAR-98K also used a stripper clip, so should be listed as a "5S" weapon on the table. Although charger/stripper clips take slightly longer than the M1's en bloc clip to load, they have the benefit of being able to "top off" a partially-loaded magazine. In game terms, charger-using rifles can be reloaded with spare rounds as if they had a standard internal magazine, or can be reloaded with a move-equivalent action by a charger clip (those not proficient with rifles require a standard action to reload with a charger clip). Note that even the M1 can be loaded with single rounds, although it is a cumbersome operation and requires a Full Round action to load a single bullet into an M1 that contains a partially-loaded en bloc clip.Hand Grenades & Explosives (WW pg.81)
The entries for the Stielhandgranate 24 and Stielhandgranate 24 with spliterringe have their Primary Burst and Range Inc entries reversed; they should be Burst 5 Range 10 and Burst 4 Range 10, respectively. Additionally, the Schiessbecher grenade burst radius' are double what they should be - 2 for the AT and 5 for the HE.
The listing for "Smoke" doesn't make any sense to me no matter how I rearrange the stats - use the stats for the AN-M8 for all smoke grenades, regardless of nationality. Also note that only the primary burst area will be completely full of smoke - although there will (potentially, depending on wind) be smoke in the secondary burst area, it will only be enough to obscure the area in special circumstances (WM's call).Stray Rounds (WW pg.88)
When firing an automatic weapon, only use this rule if the entire burst misses; if some of the rounds hit, but not all, assume the other rounds either hit the ground or, due to recoil, went high over the target (missing any other possible targets). Additionally, if the burst hits someone else, it follows the usual rules for automatic fire (i.e. an additional round hits for every 5 points rolled above the DC). This is for ease of play, as automatic fire will slow down combat if you roll for each individual round from a burst that misses. If you (the WM) do wish to roll for each individual round that misses, only targets that roll a 1 on 1d6 will be subject to a new attack roll, not on a 1 or 2 as stated in the book.Suppressive Fire (WW pg.88)
Suppressive fire is used against individuals that have some cover available to them, in the hopes that they'll fully conceal themselves from the gunfire. Individuals failing their Will saves must either move out of the suppressed area, or hide behind full cover somewhere within the area (whichever is closest) - this is what takes up their actions for the round. Those that make their saves are gutsy enough to hold their ground, ignoring the incoming fire.
Note that, depending on the location of the person doing the suppression fire in relation to the suppressed area, there may be others in the line of fire that will also have to make Will saves. From a geometrical point of view, a triangular cone spreading out from the firer to the extreme edges of the 20-foot radius area is all being suppressed. About the only time this wouldn't happen is if the firer is located on significantly higher or lower ground than the suppressed area, as the line of fire would pass through open space not filled with scurrying GIs.
If there fewer than 10 rounds left in the gun, give anyone within the target area a +1 circumstance bonus to their Will saves for each round fired below 10 (i.e. +2 for 8 rounds, +5 for 5, etc.) - covering a 40-foot area with 4 rounds just isn't that effective, after all.
Finally, it doesn't take that long for 10 rounds to fire from a fully-automatic weapon, so (just so it's down in writing) people entering the suppressed area later in the round do not have to make Will saves.Aiming, Telescopic Sights, Full-Round Actions (WW pg.89)
An "aimed attack" is simply a full-round shot. If a soldier takes a full-round action while using his telescopic site, he gets the bonus. The same applies for other feats that use the term "aimed attack."Aiming, Telescopic Sights, Full-Round Actions - Sneak Attacks (WW pg.89)
For characters with the Sneak Attack ability, it may be used in conjuction with a telescopic sight in the following manner - the usual sneak attack restriction of 30 feet for ranged weapons is multiplied by the scope magnification to determine the new maximum sneak attack range. For instance, a 1903A4 Springfield rifle with it's standard 4x scope could perform a sneak attack at up to 120 feet (4 x 30 feet).
The one restriction to this is that sneak attacks can never be made at a range category greater than the initial range category, i.e. even with a 10x scope a Springfield '03 would still only be capable of performing sneak attacks up to 120 feet.
Finally, a weapon with a telescopic sight that is fired without the sight being used (which would normally incur a to-hit penalty, as specified in the rules) also is incapable of making a sneak attack.Explosions (WW pg.90)
The burst radius listed for personal explosives (such as hand grenades) is listed in yards.Stun (WW pg.90)
Stunned characters (as described in the DMG, pg.85) are unable to take any actions, loses his dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and foes gain a +2 to hit the character. At the beginning of each (subsequent) round the character can make another Fortitude save (at the same DC as the first, failed save) to shake off the effect, in which case they get to act normally that round. Saves can be made each and every round until the save is made (or the character is killed, or the battle is over and the character has a couple minutes to rest).Grenades (WW pg.90)
Ignore the text on page 90 that says all grenades have a Range Increment of 15 feet. The table is correct.Returning Grenades (WW pg.90)
Although it says that the grenade is returned as a "normal attack", that doesn't mean you need an available action to do so. The difficult Reflex save makes up for that.Flamethrowers (WW pg.91)
Although every flamethrower carried a different amount of fuel, most could only fire for 8-10 seconds before being empty. In game turns, assume that a full tank has 10 shots, and reloading (from a jerrycan or other container) is a full round action (performed by someone other than the engineer wearing the tanks, obviously).Vehicle Combat (WW pg.100-112)
Getting into or out of a vehicle is a move-equivalent action, and (as specified in the rules, albeit in a round-about way) getting a vehicle going is a Full-round action.Crew Actions: Loader (WW pg.106) and Steel On Target: Main Guns (WW pg.107)
Unloading or loading the main gun is a move equivalent action for those that are belt, clip or otherwise non-breech fed. Main guns that are breech fed require a full round action to load (including unloading a spent shell casing, if necessary). In essence, this means that a gunner/loader team can aim a turreted gun, fire it, then reload it by both using up all their actions for the round.Blood Mages (WW pg.150, 162)
The box at the top of page 150 states "All mages cast spells in Weird Wars according to the process in Chapter Seven"; and "Blood Mages are identical to adepts in class and special abilities, but gain one additional benefit as well." It goes on to describe the effects of "oppressive area" and "Death Camps" on Blood Mage spellcasting. On page 162 in the description of Waffen SS Blood Mage under Special Qualities it includes "Blood Magic: The blood mage suffers no fatigue cost from casting spells."
It should say "The blood mage has reduced fatigue costs when casting spells, see the sidebar on page 150."Medals (WW pg.158)
It seems we left the Medals Table out of the main book. Here it is:
D20 Roll US Decoration British Decoration French Decoration XP 1-20 None None None 0
21-24 Bronze Star Mentioned in Dispatches Mentioned in Dispatches 250 25-27 Silver Star Military Medal 500 28-29 Legion of Merit Distinguished Conduct Medal Medaille Militaire 750 30-31 Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Order 1000 32+ Medal of Honor Victoria Cross Legion de Honeur 2000 Boys Antitank Rifle (AK pg.47)
The Boys rifle is bolt-action, with a 5-round detachable box magazine.13mm MG (DfA pg.20 and elsewhere)
A .50 cal machinegun is almost 13mm, so unless you find some stats for a 13mm MG elsewhere, use those.
New Rules
The following rules fill in some gaps I feel were left in the
Weird Wars rules. Some make the game more deadly, especially for low-level
characters, but I'm all about massive amounts of blood. However, the rule for
combining Bennies with Experience offsets the others somewhat (if that makes you
feel any better).
If you use any of these rules, please let me know how they work out for you (and
any suggestions you have for modifying them for fairness).
Bennies and Experience
This rule replaces the standard method of giving experience to characters based on challenge ratings; instead bennies are handed out more frequently, and can be "turned in" for experience whenever the player decides.
Each character (including NPCs that play an important role in the game, such as the PC's platoon mates, etc.) gets 1 bennie at the beginning of each session. During the course of the session, an average of 2 or 3 bennies are given to PCs as they win battles, solve problems, for roleplaying, etc. At any "appropriate" time (at night, end of an adventure, etc. - WM's decision), players can "use" one or more bennies to receive 500 XP per bennie. This experience works normally, raising the character's level, or can be used for any other appropriate reason (creating magical items being a prime example). The only limitation to this is that, under normal circumstances, a character cannot advance more than one level per game session. The WM can obviously waive this limitation, as certain campaign considerations would allow for more than one simultaneous level advancement (for example, while characters are spending time training, being shipped to a new theatre of operation, etc.)
This rule fulfills two main purposes: First, it allows a WM to tailor level advancement as he sees fit, regardless of how violent (or combat-lacking) the game may be. Having a bunch of NPCs fighting alongside the character's won't necessarily stunt PC level advancement, nor will blowing up a major villain with a tank cannon give the PCs a ton of experience. Since NPCs are also getting bennies (albeit much fewer than the PCs, unless the WM is also giving them more than 1 bennie a session), they will be able to advance in levels as well, just not as quickly as the PCs (preventing unstoppable high-level platoons of infantry from running all over the Wehrmacht; that's the PC's job). Secondly, it allows PCs to keep a larger-than-normal amount of bennies for "emergency use", instead of advancing as quickly in levels. Given the overall deadliness of Weird Wars, combined with the rarity of Raise Dead spells, it's nice for a player to be able to (in essence) exchange levels for life, so to speak.Damage Variant: Clobbered (DMG pg.66)
Technically this is an existing rule, although I'd like to bring attention to it as it is a good rule for use with firearms. For those too lazy to look it up, if a character takes half his/her current hit points in damage from a single attack they are "clobbered", meaning that they may only make a partial action next round. In Weird Wars, use it only for attacks by firearms, explosives, or other modern weapons. In the case of explosives, if the damage causes a character to be clobbered and they also fail their stun check, only the stunned effect counts (that should be common sense, but we all know at least 1 rules lawyer out there who'll try to argue it if it's not in writing).Damage Variant: Death from Massive Damage (DMG pg.66)
This is also an existing rule, however there are some modifications that should be taken into account for Weird Wars. Since penetration values are technically damage against armor, they should also be taken into account when determining the "total damage" caused by the weapon for purposes of death from massive damage. Whenever a living creature is struck by a weapon that has a positive penetration value (antitank rifles, large-caliber guns, rockets, etc.), determine the damage caused and apply that normally, and if the creature survives add the penetration value to the damage and if the total is 50 or more (if the target is medium sized, otherwise it can be modified as indicated in the DMG) have them make a Fortitude save vs. DC 15. If they fail, then the attack vaporizes (or otherwise irrevocably kills) them. If they save, they just take the damage and go on with their lives.
Yes, this rule takes away one of the benefits of being a high level character - namely, HP. However, there's no reason what-so-ever that *any* character should be able to survive a hit from a large-caliber weapon (in reality, at least), so all this rule really does is help balance things out somewhat and force PCs to act like their characters were actually in danger of dying from each and every gunshot wound they suffered (that's not too much to ask, I think). It also gives characters a reason to use an antitank rifle as a sniper rifle, which makes perfect sense considering that the energy necessary to propel a 7.92mm round through 30mm of steel armor is more than enough to boil (and subsequently cause the explosive release of said energy) the internal organs of a creature. If you have a problem with this, find an ex-military man who has witnessed what a .50 cal machinegun round does to a human and ask them to validate this.Penetration Values versus Damage Reduction
Since Damage Reduction and Armor Values are, in essence, the same thing, I think it's only fair that weapons designed to penetrate armor would also do well against creatures resistant to damage (due to thick skin, not due to magical reasons), or those protected by spells such as Stoneskin. In such cases where an attack from a weapon with a (positive) penetration value hits a creature with Damage Reduction, and the Damage Reduction is not negated due to enhancement bonuses, the attack's PV should be subtracted from the DR just as if the DR were a vehicle's Armor Value. In the case of spells with a "total damage accumulated" limit (such as Stoneskin), PV counts as "damage" for the purposes of the total damage absorbed by the spell.
For example, Andre the Blood Mage has Stoneskin active, giving him a 10/+5 Damage Reduction. This is great against pesky small-arms fire, but as soon as he gets hit by an antitank grenade with a PV of 80 it's completely worthless, with the only effect being that the Stoneskin spell is now 10 points of damage closer to being used up.
This rules variant is really a WM call issue - obviously there are some creatures with DR that shouldn't be affected any more by AP rounds, as their DR is due strictly to magic. The prime example would be demons or werewolves, who simply insta-heal damage that isn't bad enough to get past their DR. Other creatures, such as Golems, get their DR from their composition, and so the penetration-vs-DR concept is much more realistic. Another modification that you may want to do is adjust the DR depending on the enhancement requirement to penetration it; for instance, if a creature is DR 15/+3, you may want to multiply the DR by 3 (getting 45) when determining if an attack would penetrate or not. This makes Stoneskin more powerful, as low-strength AP rounds won't do any better against it, but it also makes some creatures neigh-impossible to hurt. It's all up to you, mister WM sir.Automatic Fire - Hitting Multiple Targets with a Single Burst
If more than one round from a burst hits, the additional rounds can instead be "walked" onto adjacent targets (anyone within 5 feet of the original target), as long as the other target(s) could have been potentially hit by the same to-hit roll. If 3 rounds hit, the third can either be applied to the original target, or hit a different adjacent target (but not 2 on the adjacent target and only one on the first target - if the firer wanted to do that, they should have targeted the other target instead). If 4 rounds (from an MG42, for example) hit, the fourth round can be applied to a different target within 10 feet of the original target, or taken on the original target.
For example, a GI fires a burst of 3 shots from his Thompson SMG at an SS soldier, the SS soldier having an AC of 12. The GI rolls, and after to-hit bonuses gets a total to-hit roll of 22. Since this is 10 greater than the DC, all 3 rounds from the burst hit. If there was another SS soldier standing next to the one hit, one of the bullets could instead be taken on the second soldier (if his AC was 22 or less, as that's the best AC the original shot could have hit), and 2 on the first. If there were yet another soldier, 1 shot could be applied to each.Automatic Fire - Spraying an Area
Rather than firing at a specific individual, or suppressing an area, there's always the option of unloading dozens of rounds into a group of charging soldiers in the (likely) hope that some aren't quick enough to get out of the way.
A character armed with an automatic weapon may spray an area as a full round action. To do so, the character fires 10 rounds of ammunition and designates a target spot. Anyone within 20 feet of the target spot, or within the line of fire between the character and the affected area (i.e. a cone of fire beginning at the character and extending out to a 40-foot wide area), must make a Reflex save versus a DC of 15 or take an attack from the firing character (remember the circumstance bonuses to Reflex saves for being in cover). The character firing the automatic weapon makes a normal attack roll against any character failing their save, although no more than one bullet can hit (in other words, this counts as a single shot attack, not a burst, although the -4 circumstance modifier for not bracing a rifle-sized weapon may still apply). Those making their Reflex save are able to hide behind cover, duck low, or otherwise avoid the incoming gunfire.
If there are fewer than 10 rounds left in the gun, give anyone within the target area a +1 circumstance bonus to their Reflex saves for each round fired below 10 (i.e. +2 for 8 rounds, +5 for 5, etc.).Suppressive Fire by a Group
In practice, it's just as possible for several semi-automatic weapons to lay down suppressive fire as it is for a single machinegun or other fully-automatic weapon. To do so, all participants must act on the same initiative; the easiest (and most common) way to do so is for an officer (or other leading character) with the Command feat to give an order for several individuals to perform suppressive fire that round. If that is not a viable option, multiple characters (as long as they are able to communicate with each other) can delay their actions until the slowest character acts, at which point they all lay down suppressive fire together.
All characters participating in a group suppressive fire must use Full-round actions to make the maximum number of attacks possible with their guns; automatic weapons can either fire a single 10-round suppressive fire burst, or one or more (3-round, normally) automatic bursts. The attack counts as a normal Suppressive Fire attack (WW pg.88 and above) with each participant rolling to hit the target area as if it was a standard Suppressive Fire attack (i.e. vs. a DC of 10 + range modifiers), and totaling up the number of "hits" to determine how many shots are in the attack. The target spot/suppressed area is chosen by either the character using the Command feat, or the participating character that had the highest initiative roll that round (as appropriate to the situation).
If fewer than 10 rounds "hit" the target area, give anyone within the area a +1 circumstance bonus to their Will saves for each round fired below 10 (i.e. +2 for 8 rounds, +5 for 5, etc.). If there are more than 10 rounds, the DC of the Will save increases by 1, up to a maximum of 20 (i.e. up to 15 shots can effectively be combined into a single Suppressive Fire action/attack).Flamethrowers - Conserving Fuel
If the target is at half maximum range or less, the flamethrower only uses 1/2 of a shot.Flamethrowers - Spraying an Area
A character armed with a flamethrower may spray an area as a full round action. To do so, the character fires 5 shots of fuel/ammunition (they must have a full 5 shots available to do so) and designates a target spot. The character must roll to hit the target area versus a DC of 10 plus range modifiers. If the attack misses, use the Deviation Distance table (WW pg.90) to figure out where the attack actually hit. Anyone within 10 feet of the target spot, or within the line of fire between the character and the affected area (i.e. a cone of fire beginning at the character and extending out to a 20-foot wide area), takes 4d10 fire damage, 1/2 if a Reflex save vs. 15 is made. This has all the effects of a standard flamethrower attack (WW pg.91), except that no attack roll is needed to hit those in the target area (so much fuel is being pumped into the area that it's pretty much impossible to completely avoid the attack). If the target area is at less than half maximum range, only 3 shots are used.Flamethrowers - Exploding Tanks
Although flamethrowers don't necessarily burst into fireballs whenever they're hit, it sure is a lot more entertaining when they do.
Consider your average flamethrower to have an Armor Value of 5 and 10 Hit Points. Once it takes damage it begins leaking, losing 1 shot a round (at the beginning of the round, should timing matter), until it is reduced to a total number of shots equal to it's remaining Hit Points (if the tank already has fewer shots than Hit Points, nothing leaks out). If the tank is ever destroyed it explodes, creating a fireball with a radius (in yards) equal to the amount of shots left, doing 4d10 damage to anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the explosion (Reflex save vs. 15 for half damage), and setting them on fire (as with a normal flamethrower attack, WW pg.91). The combat engineer strapped to the flamethrower doesn't get any reflex save, and cannot even attempt to put out the flames for 1d6 rounds.
A flamethrower primarily takes damage from any burst weapon (or area-affect spell) it's wearer is hit by, and by attacks specifically targeted against it (AC of 11 plus its wearers Dexterity modifier, and counts as being in three-quarters cover if the wearer is between the flamethrower tank and the firer). Attacks aimed at the wearer from behind may also hit the tank - it provides three-quarters cover to the wearer, and may be hit by missed shots (see the Cover rules, PHP pg.132-133).
Note that this rule is not terribly realistic, and probably way more deadly than in reality, but it sure makes running around with a flamethrower a little more risky, and helps to offset the deadliness of the "Spraying an Area" rule, above.Twin- and Quad-Barreled Weapons
Linking multiple guns together gives the benefit of a greater hit probability, at the expense of wasted rounds.
Linked weapons gain a +1 modifier to hit for each gun beyond the first (i.e. +1 for linked guns, +3 for quads), and can hit with up to 3 rounds per gun (following the usual rules for automatic fire). In most situations this means there are going to be all sorts of missed shots, so roll for stray rounds (WW pg.88) for every 3 rounds that missed, rounding fractions down. In other words, although the linked guns are being fired as if a single weapon, any gun whose burst didn't hit should be counted as missed automatic fire.
For example, a Flak 38 (with four 20mm guns) is being fired at a M3 Halftrack. With all combat modifiers figured in, the DC to hit ends up being 14. With the +3 bonus for 4 barrels, as well as other bonuses, the Flak 38 gunner gets a total of 26 on his to-hit roll. Since that is 12 more than the DC required, 2 more rounds hit (3 total), leaving 9 rounds missing. If there are any other targets in the area that could be hit by stray rounds, they would have to roll for 3 stray bursts (9 rounds missing being the equivalent of 3 full bursts missing). If 1 more round had hit the halftrack, only 2 stray bursts would pose a danger to those nearby (as 4 rounds hitting is the equivalent of 1 gun hitting with it's entire burst, and another gun hitting with 1 shot from it's burst).
This rule is basically a restatement of the rules found in Resolving an Air Attack (DfA pg.10), so you should probably use it even if you think all my other house rules are crap.
Note: If using the Hitting Multiple Targets with a Single Burst rule (above), everything remains the same except there are potentially more shots that can be "walked" to a new target. If 4 or more rounds hit, the WM should allow targets within 10 feet of the original target to be hit.
For Suppression Fire or Spraying an Area rules (above), add the to hit modifier (+1 or +3) to the DC of the Will or Reflex saves (respectively). In the case of Spraying an Area, also keep the to hit modifier for making the attack roll against those that fail their saves.American "Time On Target" Artillery Barrage Tactics
American artillerists were trained to time their firing with artillery from different locations so all incoming fire, regardless of their relative positions to each other and to the target area, would arrive simultaneously. This technique, named "Time On Target" (ToT), was used to great effect throughout the war, as it gave those in the target area no time to make it to the safety of cover.
To make a Time On Target artillery attack, the forward observer calling in the attack must specify that he wants a ToT barrage. There is no spotter round; make the Artillery check (DC15) to see if the barrage is on target, but there is no spotter round, and hence no opportunity to adjust fire. Instead, determine the duration of the attack (WW pg.94), but wait until the next-to-last last round of the attack to resolve all rounds of fire (up to that time) simultaneously. Since the mathematics for timing this attack are difficult and the artillerists do not have a lot of time to prepare, resolve the very last round of the barrage by itself, accounting for the "stray shots" that are were not timed correctly.
For example, artillery fire from a series of 105mm howitzers is called in on the center of a German infantry column. The forward observer rolls a 25 on his Artillery skill check, indicating 5 rounds (25 divided by 5, subtracted from 10) of talking to the batteries before the strike is timed and guns begin firing. 1d6+1 is rolled to determine the duration of the barrage, with a result of 5 rounds. Since a ToT attack does not arrive until the next-to-last round of the barrage, the attack doesn't actually hit until the 9th round after the forward observer began calling in the fire. Since a 105mm howitzer barrage fires 1d3 shots per round, 4d3 shots will all arrive simultaneously on the 9th round. On the following round (round 10) the remaining combat round of artillery fire arrives (1d3 shots).
Although it is quite possible for anyone to do so, only the American military used the Time On Target technique as a standard tactic, and hence were the only ones with the training and equipment to do so."Kid" Characters
Should a player want to play a young character who still qualifies as a "kid" rather than a "young adult", the following modifiers can be used. Only the Resistance Fighter class is likely to have any underage individuals in it, although it's possible to have German or Russian characters who, late in the war, were "recruited" for service despite only being in the early stages of puberty - the Volkssturm units definitely included "children", and even Waffen SS units formed from members of the Hitler's Youth (late in the war, if I remember my history correctly) might contain a young man or two.
"Kid" characters are Small size, most likely bordering on Medium (right about 5' tall). As such, they gain a +1 size modifier to AC and attacks, and a +4 size modifier to Hide checks, but can only lift and carry 3/4ths as much as an adult (as per their strength, which should also be low to reflect their underdeveloped muscles). Additionally, they gain a +2 kid bonus to Disguise, Tumble and Gather Information. On the down side, they suffer a -2 to all Knowledge skills, Drive, Piloting, Motorcycle Driving, and Profession skills. Finally, the rules for Bracing (WW pg.88) are modified as follows: Any weapon firing pistol rounds on automatic must be braced (no more than a 5-foot step taken), or the character suffers a -4 circumstance modifier to the attack roll. Any non-automatic weapon firing rifle rounds must be braced, or else the character suffers a -4 circumstance modifier. A weapon firing rifle rounds on automatic causes a -4 circumstance modifier if it is braced, and automatically misses if it is not braced.
Motorcycle Rules
For the most part, motorcycles use the standard vehicle rules as stated in the Weird War book (WW pg.100-112). Rules that are different are noted below. Additionally, see the Skills & Feats and Vehicles pages for further motorcycle-relevant material.
Collision Damage (WW pg.104)
Being involved in a motorcycle crash is a nasty affair. When determining to what degree those on the motorcycle are about to be mangled, the first step is to determine if they are thrown from the vehicle or not. If the collision speed is from 0 to 30 feet/round, they may make a Reflex save (DC10) to keep from falling off. If the speed is from 31 to 60 feet/second, the DC for the save is 15. Any speed greater than that automatically results in the individual(s) on the motorcycle being thrown off.
Individuals that are not thrown off take 1/2 the damage that the motorcycle does (rounded down). Normally this is a good thing, although you may prefer to have been thrown off if your motorcycle bursts into flames or the tank you just ran into decides that the motorcycle would look better lodged under it's tread.
Those thrown from the vehicle end up on the ground (in a tree, on the hood of an enemy vehicle, etc.) some distance from the crash. If the motorcycle T-boned another vehicle, or was involved in a head-on collision, the riders are likely to be thrown straight ahead. If the motorcycle is T-boned or side-swiped by someone else, things get more complicated. Riders will be thrown a number of feet equal to 1/2 the collision speed, unless they collide with something in the process. The direction of travel, collision with intervening terrain, and overall distance thrown are all up to the WM - the above are just suggestions, as simulating a motorcycle wreck is not something easily done in the context of a game.
Damage for those thrown from a motorcycle can be really good or really bad, depending on luck and reflexes. No matter what the speed, characters make a Reflex save vs. a DC of 20. Those making the save take 1/2 as much damage as the motorcycle does (rounded down). Those failing their save, but not by more than 5, take the same amount of damage as the motorcycle. Those failing by more than 5 take twice as much damage as the motorcycle, and have probably wound up in some really awful position (lodged halfway through a windshield, under a tank, wrapped around a tree, etc.). Those rolling a 20 on their saves luck out, taking a quarter of the damage the motorcycle does as subdual damage. Those rolling a 1, well...let's just say that there are reasons why many motorcyclists wear a one-piece, preferably liquid-proof, suit.Crew Positions (WW pg.105)
Motorcycles have 2 crew positions, 3 if they are equipped with a sidecar.
Driver: The driver is responsible for safely maneuvering the motorcycle from position to position.
Passenger: Sitting behind the driver, the passenger really doesn't have any job beyond hanging on. They can fire ranged weapons, potentially, although using a weapon that requires 2 hands will possibly result in the passenger falling off. Depending on the circumstances, the passenger may also fulfill the role of commander, radio operator, or otherwise.
Sidecar Rider/Gunner: If a machinegun is mounted on the sidecar, the sidecar rider is the gunner, and responsible for the targeting and reloading of the weapon. Otherwise, he can use his personal weapons, be a spotter, etc.Crew Actions (WW pg.105)
In combat, each crew member can perform actions specific to his assigned position.
Driver: As described in the Maneuvering section, a driver expends actions to maneuver the motorcycle in combat.
Passenger: If the passenger is firing a two-handed weapon, or otherwise not holding onto the driver with at least 1 hand, they risk falling off. In this situation, whenever the driver must make a Motorcycle Driving check the passenger must also make a Reflex save vs. the same DC as the driver check, or fall off. Since this is not quite as bad as being thrown off of a bike during a crash, the character takes damage based on the motorcycle's speed as listed on the Collision Damage Table (WW pg.104). If they make a Reflex save (DC15) they take half.
Sidecar Rider/Gunner: If there is no machinegun, the sidecar rider can fire his personal weapon, or make most other standard actions. If he's a gunner, he may fire the machinegun as if it were a standard tripod mounted weapon. Loading the machinegun is a standard action, as it is a little more difficult to do while riding in a cramped sidecar than it is when kneeling out in the open.Hit Location & Vehicle Damage (WW pg.107-108)
Motorcycles use a different hit location table than a normal vehicle, and only have a single Hull location (and corresponding armor rating):
Motorcycle Hit Location
d10 Roll Location 1-2 Suspension 3-4 Sidecar 5-6 Hull 7-10 Driver Sidecar hits are Hull hits if the shot came from the left side (sidecars are mounted on the right side), or if there is no sidecar. Sidecar hits use the Hull AV, but critical hits against a sidecar roll on the Turret Critical Damage table if there is a machinegun mounted in it, and a "crew member hurt" result does damage to the sidecar rider.
A Hull/Body Critical Damage result of "crew member hurt" damages the driver or passenger (if present), with an equal chance for each.
Driver hits do full damage against a character on the vehicle - there is an equal chance of the driver, passenger or sidecar rider being hit.
Note that, although it is possible to aim for the riders on a motorcycle as opposed to the vehicle, this should only be allowed by a WM if the motorcycle is stationary or moving at a relatively low speed (30 or less feet/round). At speeds greater than that, the odds of hitting the vehicle instead of a rider becomes high enough that the table should be used. In any case, the ability to target a rider rather than the vehicle is left up to the WM's judgement.
Explosives Versus Vehicles (WW pg.109)
All motorcycle crew are damaged by burst weapons if caught in the blast radius, same as if they were on foot.Artillery Versus Vehicles (WW pg.109)
Artillery does damage to the Hull armor of a motorcycle, as well as damaging the entire crew, same as if they were on foot.
Back to the Weird War II Main Page
Weird Wars, Weird War II, and all related trademarks are Copyright 2001, Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc. Dungeons & Dragons and all related trademarks are Copyright 2001, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Other stuff is Copyright 2002, Biznatch Enterprises. See the Open Game License page for further information.