(Exotic) Vehicles in Champions Complete?

[CaptnStrawberry]

Restating the obvious, distinctive super-vehicles are a staple of comic lore from the Batmobile and Invisible Plane to the Fantasticar, Quinjets and Helicarrier and some have almost become characters in their own right. 

 

But when I look at the vehicular example list of Champions Complete, it seems, well, a bit pedestrian.  Cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, speedboats. . .everyday stuff (there is one example build of a quinjet equivalent).  I know there was a 5ed book devoted exclusively to unique/fantastic vehicles, but I gather there is nothing more current?  This is a bit of a follow-up to my earlier question about 5ed vs 6ed villain books.

 

As an aside, how big a role do 'metavehicles' play in your games, if any? 

[Hyper-Man]

5e referred to movement in INCHES per Phase.  INCHES were normally defined as 2 meters.

6e now just refers to movement as meters per Phase.

 

Other than that, the two 5e vehicle books are fully compatible with 6e.

[Hyper-Man]

One other change that could affect costs is the minimum cost change to the Megascale Advantage.  In 5e it was +1/4 but did not scale down. In 6e it is +1 but does scale down.  Like the villain books, the builds will work as-is mechanically.  The costs just might not match up 100%.

[Beast]

Most GM's I have played w/ prefer that vehicles just be the way to get you from point to point
maybe a little lab work,but do not like if it will be your main way to do stuff

Restating the obvious, distinctive super-vehicles are a staple of comic lore from the Batmobile and Invisible Plane to the Fantasticar, Quinjets and Helicarrier and some have almost become characters in their own right. 

 

As an aside, how big a role do 'metavehicles' play in your games, if any? 

[Hyper-Man]

Yep.

 

The vehicle rules can be used to create wearable armor/mecha in lieu of OIF or OIHID rules.  Each has it's own set of game time accounting issues.

 

OIHID gives the least point break and the least amount of hassle.

OIF means any Body damage that gets past the defenses of the 'armor' means that it loses a power.

Vehicles have their own similar rules for damage past defenses.  This is the most complicated way to do things.  Generally to be avoided unless you are extremely versed in the system (a cheat-sheet would help).

[BoloOfEarth]

As an aside, how big a role do 'metavehicles' play in your games, if any? 

 

An early Detroit-based Champions adventure of mine involved the PCs having to locate and board the Boblo Boat after it is captured by supervillains.  Had a similar situation in another campaign, involving terrorists taking control of a cruise ship.  IIRC, one of the heroes was aboard the ship in secret ID.

 

I ran an adventure where Foxbat was committing crimes across the city, and one of those crimes involved stealing a prototype VTOL from VIPER (it had a cloaking field, which then helped him commit more crimes).  He renamed it the Foxbat Flier, and when the heroes finally stopped him, they took the Flier as their own team vehicle.  That vehicle had a part in many encounters, whether it was VIPER or Foxbat trying to steal it back, or PRIMUS trying to take possession of it, and I think another villain group tried to get their hands on it too.

 

In a Millennium City-based Champions campaign, I had the Boblo Blimp, a dirigible (yes, I know dirigibles aren't blimps, but it was a word play on Boblo Boat) with a casino and restaurant.  (I figured MC needed something iconic to appeal to tourists.)  That airship was either the setting for or played a part in several adventures.  (The original airship appeared as the Bayside Blimp in Digital Hero #12.)  It played enough of a part in that game world that the PC gadgeteer hero built a "smaller" scale (large van-sized) version for his remote-controlled GI Joe robots.

 

My most recent campaign involved aliens declaring war on Earth, and the heroes captured a small starship that became their team vehicle.  (If you've seen the Future Armada deckplans, I used the Gryphon.)  That campaign involved quite a few vehicles from Future Armada, from landing craft to space stations, and I still use the Argos III space station maps when the heroes do anything on UNTIL's Gateway station.

 

My heroes have had fun dealing with TEE-HEE, the CLOWN car; the Zodiac orbital base/vehicle; a floating mobile "island"; Soundwave's flying surboard.  So yeah, vehicles can play a decent role in my games.

 

If I was to give advice on "metavehicles" it would be to give each one some sort of personality, whether from the vehicle itself or the NPC(s) that drive/fly/repair it.  The rusty but trusty bucket of bolts.  The too-slick high-tech vehicle with a generally helpful but often sarcastic AI.  The really useful vehicle that's nonetheless maybe more trouble than it's worth.  (That was the former Foxbat Flier, by the way.)  A hotshot pilot who could make even the most mundane trip a real adventure.  The mechanic who keeps adding untested features to the vehicle.  ("Oh, that red button?  It kicks in the afterburners.  Yeah, you got afterburners now.  No promises, but they might get you up to Mach 3.  But if the button starts blinking, better hit it again to turn 'em off.  Might want to land and let things cool off a bit, too.")  The metavehicle shouldn't outshine the PCs, but it should be memorable in some way.

[CaptnStrawberry]

Great advice, Bolo!  That's the thing with super-vehicles, some of them are so massive they can become adventure settings in and of themselves. 

[wcw43921]

In a Millennium City-based Champions campaign, I had the Boblo Blimp, a dirigible (yes, I know dirigibles aren't blimps, but it was a word play on Boblo Boat) with a casino and restaurant.  (I figured MC needed something iconic to appeal to tourists.)  That airship was either the setting for or played a part in several adventures.  (The original airship appeared as the Bayside Blimp in Digital Hero #12.)  It played enough of a part in that game world that the PC gadgeteer hero built a "smaller" scale (large van-sized) version for his remote-controlled GI Joe robots.

 

Italics mine.

 

Actually, a blimp is a type of dirigible, which is a term for a steerable balloon equipped with an motor-driven propeller for forward motion.  The other type is a zeppelin, which is a dirigible with a rigid framework. Dirgibles were invented by Alberto Santos-Dumont just before the beginning of the 20th century.

 

This informative bite-size piece of information was brought to you by the letter "N" for "Nitpicky" and the letter "K" for "Know-It-All."

[Christopher R Taylor]

If you're not worried about the point value of the vehicles, you can use 5th edition stuff straight across.