5th Edition Control Check questions

[Jeffr0]

Originally Posted by thudthwacker

And final (I hope) collision-related question: in the Vindicator vs Dragon book, under Collisions, it mentions that collision damage is 1d per 10mph of the net speed of the collision, and that you determine the net speed of vehicles going in the same (or almost the same) direction by subtracting the lower speed from the higher one. Okay, clear enough -- if I sideswipe another car doing 50mph, and he's doing 30mph, the net speed is 20mph, so 2d of damage to each car. Then, under the Sideswipe section on the next page (where it's saying that speed/facing aren't affected by a sideswipe), it says that "both vehicles involved take only one hit per 10 mph".

So: which is it? 1d per 10mph, or 1 hit per 10mph? I could see it being 1 hit if it were, say, 15 degrees or less, but it doesn't say that.

Normally it is 1d6 per 10 mph of "ram speed"... but sideswipes use the lesser amount of damage-- just one point for those instead of 1d6.

Originally Posted by thudthwacker

Also: if speed and facing don't change, doesn't that mean that I'm going to hit the other car again immediately? eg: If I'm going 50mph and, 1" into my Movement, and I hit another car at just under 30 degrees. Nobody's speed or direction changes, and I've got 4" of movement left. Unless I lose control and fishtail, doesn't that mean I'll hit the other car again immediately?

It looks like they tried to address these issues in 5th edition. Notice that for head-on rams, the cars pivot away from each other. There are pivot rules in the T-bone section, too. Rear-ends and sideswipes won't require any impromptu physics or rules fudging-- those are pretty straight forward.

As a long time referee for older versions, I admit that I've often ruled that the ramming car simply plows through its target with the target "conforming" to the ram car and he pushes through. These pivot rules look like a better alternative to my "fudged" rulings-- they also look like they'd make rams a bit more unpredictable. Another "rule of thumb" from the old game-- if two cars are mixing it up... we always played that there is just one ram executed until they separate and drive away from each other. They have to turn around and come back to do any more ram damage.

[Jeffr0]

Originally Posted by thudthwacker

If I lose control badly enough during a deceleration to go into a skid or spin, do I do the required movement immediately or at the start of my first movement phase?

Speed is declared secretly and simultaneously during the turn break.

Deceleration is a maneuver. If it results in a fishtail, you can go ahead and resolve that immediately. If it's a skid or a spin, you'll have to remember to apply those when your movement comes up.

(Note that... if you are playing Compendium 2 or later, you can use a mid-turn speed change. You wait until its your "turn" during any phase and declare your deceleration right then. If it succeeds, your speed drops right then. If it doesn't you can go ahead and resolve the crash table result and not worry about remembering it for later.)

Originally Posted by thudthwacker

It seems that straight movement isn't considered to be a maneuver -- am I correct in my assumption that, even if your car's HS is below 0, you don't need to make a control check to go straight?

Correct. Though if you did the D0 bend, it *is* a maneuver and would require a control roll if your handling status was already bad enough. Anything with a "D" is a maneuver. Straight-line movement is *completely* free... even more "free" than a D0 maneuver!

[thudthwacker]

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

Normally it is 1d6 per 10 mph of "ram speed"... but sideswipes use the lesser amount of damage-- just one point for those instead of 1d6.

Okay. I guess I just feel like there should be something *between* a T-bone and a sideswipe. I go for a T-bone, and if I hit at 29 degrees instead of 30, I do (for example) 5 points instead of 5d6 + ramplate.

It looks like they tried to address these issues in 5th edition. Notice that for head-on rams, the cars pivot away from each other. There are pivot rules in the T-bone section, too. Rear-ends and sideswipes won't require any impromptu physics or rules fudging-- those are pretty straight forward.

A sideswipe can be pretty steep, though -- I mean, just a smidge under a T-bone is a sideswipe. I guess, in those cases, both cars should pivot away from the collision, similar to other 5e collisions.

(Sidenote: many thanks for all your assistance. It's appreciated.)

[thudthwacker]

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

Deceleration is a maneuver. If it results in a fishtail, you can go ahead and resolve that immediately. If it's a skid or a spin, you'll have to remember to apply those when your movement comes up.

That's what I was assuming; thanks for confirming.

(Note that... if you are playing Compendium 2 or later, you can use a mid-turn speed change. You wait until its your "turn" during any phase and declare your deceleration right then. If it succeeds, your speed drops right then. If it doesn't you can go ahead and resolve the crash table result and not worry about remembering it for later.)

Interesting option. I've never played Car Wars before, so anything before 5e is undiscovered country for me.

Correct. Though if you did the D0 bend, it *is* a maneuver and would require a control roll if your handling status was already bad enough. Anything with a "D" is a maneuver. Straight-line movement is *completely* free... even more "free" than a D0 maneuver!

Excellent, thanks.