Val CHA Cost Notes 7 Size 35 Length 5.04", Width 2.52", Area 12.7", Mass 12.8 ton, KB -7 50 STR 5 HTH Damage 10d6 END [5] 14 DEX 12 OCV 5 DCV 1 20 BODY 3 12 DEF 30 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Total Characteristic Cost: 91 Movement: Ground: 18"/72" Swimming: 0"/0" Cost Abilities and Equipment Propulsion Systems 10 1) Motorized Wheeled Vehicle: Ground Movement +12" (18" total), x4 Noncombat, 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 3 Days (+0); OAF Bulky (tires; -1 ½), Only On Appropriate Terrain (-¼) -2 2) Ground Vehicle: Swimming -2" (0" total) 6 3) Super Reinforced Tires: (7 DEF, 7 BODY) 5 4) Eight Wheels: +4 Wheels (total of 8) 4 5) Heavy: Knockback Resistance -2" Tactical Systems 62 1) Forward/Rear .50 Caliber Machine Guns: RKA 3d6, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼), Autofire (10 shots; +1), 2,500 Charges (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 degrees; forward/rear; -½), Real Weapon (-¼) plus +2 OCV; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼) plus Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), [2,500] 10 2) Forward/Rear .50 Caliber Machine Guns: 3 more .50 Caliber Machine Guns (total of 4) 67 3) Side .50 Caliber Machine Guns: RKA 3d6, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼), 2,500 Charges (+1), Autofire (10 shots; +1); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; side; -¼), Real Weapon (-¼) plus +2 OCV; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼) plus Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), [2,500] 10 4) Side .50 Caliber Machine Guns: 3 more .50 Caliber Machine Guns (total of 4) 55 5) Forward/Rear Flame-thrower: RKA 3d6, 60 Charges (+½), Area Of Effect (44" Line; +1), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 degrees; forward/rear; -½), No Range (-½), Real Weapon (-¼) plus RKA 1 point, Uncontrolled (lasts until flammable material affected by RKA 3d6 is consumed, or a Full Phase is spent putting out the flames; +½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Sticky (anyone or anything flammable touching victim/target also catches on fire; +½), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), Linked (RKA; -½), [60] 5 6) Forward/Rear Flame-thrower: Another Flame-thrower (total of 2) 59 7) Side Flame-thrower: RKA 3d6, 60 Charges (+½), Area Of Effect (44" Line; +1), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), No Range (-½), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; side; -¼), Real Weapon (-¼) plus RKA 1 point, Uncontrolled (lasts until flammable material affected by RKA 3d6 is consumed, or a Full Phase is spent putting out the flames; +½), Sticky (anyone or anything flammable touching victim/target also catches on fire; +½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), Linked (RKA; -½), [60] 5 8) Side Flame-thrower: Another Flame-thrower (total of 2) 59 9) Side Flame-thrower: RKA 3d6, 60 Charges (+½), Area Of Effect (44" Line; +1), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), No Range (-½), Limited Arc Of Fire (only against targets above the top of the car; -¼), Real Weapon (-¼) plus RKA 1 point, Uncontrolled (lasts until flammable material affected by RKA 3d6 is consumed, or a Full Phase is spent putting out the flames; +½), Sticky (anyone or anything flammable touching victim/target also catches on fire; +½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Continuous (+1); OIF Bulky (-1), Linked (RKA; -½), [60] 22 10) Forward/Rear Grenade Launcher: RKA 2d6, 20 Charges (+¼), Explosion (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 degrees; forward/rear; -½), Real Weapon (-¼) plus Penalty Skill Levels: +2 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), [20] 5 11) Forward/Rear Grenade Launcher: Another Grenade Launcher (total of 2) 24 12) Side Grenade Launcher: RKA 2d6, 20 Charges (+¼), Explosion (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; side; -¼), Real Weapon (-¼) plus Penalty Skill Levels: +2 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), [20] 5 13) Side Grenade Launcher: Another Grenade Launcher (total of 2) 51 14) Forward Rocket Launcher: RKA 4d6, 15 Charges (+0), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼), Armor Piercing (+½), Explosion (+½), No Range Modifier (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (Forward hex row; -¾), Extra Time (travels at the rate of 120" per Segment, taking a minimum of one Extra Segment to reach it's target, -½), [15] 5 15) Forward Rocket Launcher: Another Rocket Launcher (total of 2) 18 16) Razor Wing: HKA 2d6 (4d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Must Perform a Move By To Use (-½), Real Weapon (-¼) plus Stretching 1"; OIF Bulky (-1), Only To Cause Damage (-½), Always Direct (-¼), No Noncombat Stretching (-¼) 5 17) Razor Wings: A second Razor Wing (total of 2) 5 18) Roof Mounted Magnesium Flare Launcher: Sight Group Images Increased Size (4" radius; +½), 6 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each (+0); OIF Bulky (-1), Only To Create Light (-1), [6 cc] 5 19) Anchoring Columns: +20 STR; Only To Resist Being Picked Up Or Moved (-2), OIF Bulky (-1) Operation Systems 5 1) 360 Degree Viewing System: Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group; OIF Bulky (-1) 2 2) Infrared Filters: IR Perception (Sight Group); OIF Bulky (-1) 6 3) External Speakers: Hearing Group Images 1" radius, +3 to PER Rolls, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Set Effect (only amplifies what's said into it; -1), No Range (-½) 9 4) Radar: Radar (Radio Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Telescopic: +4; OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Sight Group As Well As Radio Group (-½) 11 5) Detect Radiation 16- (Radio Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Telescopic: +12; OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Sight Group As Well As Radio Group (-½) 4 6) Radio: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group); OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-¼) 6 7) Telescopic Lenses: +8 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group; OIF Bulky (-1) Personnel Systems 14 1) Air Conditioning: LS (Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Self-Contained Breathing) 3 2) Food Locker: LS (Eating: Character does not eat), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 Week (+0), [1 cc] 2 3) Radiation Shielded Cabin: LS (Safe in High Radiation) 1 4) Restraint System: +4 PD (adds to standard seatbelt PD of +4); Only To Protect Occupants Against Damage From Collisions (-2), OIF Bulky (-1) 1 5) Restraint System: Another Restraint System (total of 2) Talents 3 Compass: Bump Of Direction Skills 6 +3 Skill Levels To Counteract Offroad Driving Penalties with Ground Movement 7 Tactical Computer: +3 with Ranged Combat; OIF Bulky (-1) 17 Advanced Locks: Lockpicking 19- Total Abilities & Equipment Cost: 597 Total Vehicle Cost: 688 Value Disadvantages 15 Distinctive Features: Armored Car (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) Total Disadvantage Points: 15 Total Cost: 673/5 = 135
Description: In Roger Zelazny's post-holocaust novel/short story Damnation Alley, ex-con Hell Tanner drives from Los Angeles to Boston in a heavily armed and armored "car." The story describes the car as follows: "...had eight heavily treaded tires and was thirty-two feet in length. It mounted eight fifty-caliber automatic guns and four grenade throwers. It carried thirty armor-piercing rockets which could be discharged straight ahead or at any elevation up to forty degrees from the plane. Each of the four sides, as well as the roof of the vehicle, housed a flamethrower. Razor-sharp "wings" of tempered steel—eighteen inches wide at their bases and tapering to points, an inch and a quarter thick where they ridged—could be be moved through a complete hundred-eighty-degree arc along the sides of the car and parallel to the ground... The car was bullet-proof, air-conditioned, and had its own food locker and sanitation facilities."
If this isn't enough, the car has IR screens, a flare launcher, a radiation detector, radio, radar, loudspeaker system, targeting computers, compass, and no windows. The driver sits in an illuminated cabin that's shielded against radiation. He views the world from a series of "eyes" that show each side of the car, including straight up and down. Form this secure point he operates the vehicle, which can hit speeds of up to 80 miles-per-hour, as well as run the weapons systems by himself or with a co-driver.
Aside from all the armament, the car holds two motorcycles in the back, some basic tools, spare "eyes" (in case one is damaged or shot out), a medical kit, a long-barreled .357 Magnum near the driver's door, a 30.06 rifle, a .45 automatic, and six hand grenades.
For the bikes, use the Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod on page 52 of The Ultimate Vehicle. For the firearms, use the weapons found on page 332-333 of HERO System 5th Edition. Use the .357 Magnum and give it +1 RMod to represent the long barrel. For the .45 automatic, use the .45 ACP automatic pistol. For the 30.06 use the M-1 Garland. For the hand grenades, use the fragmentation grenades found on page 333.
Designer's Notes: I will admit, although this car is well described, parts of it were pure guess work. For example, the number of rounds in the machine guns... or the flame-throwers. BTW, the flame-throwers use one charge per Segment (i.e. they have one minute of fuel). Tanner only uses them in short bursts or for upwards of 10 seconds, so I figured 60 Charges made sense. The top speed of 80 MPH is a guess as well, the fastest he gets the car up to is around 60. The 12 DEF is meant to make the car immune to rifle fire (which it was), although a tank could take the car out (one almost does), and around 40' (or more) of giant lizard crushes one car. Tanner also avoids angering the 120' snakes as well... As a final note, the car doesn't make it to Boston, but finally fails some 30-odd miles out (or so I guess). It's telling that a car made it from Boston to LA, but was so wrecked they simply incinerated it.
Damnation Alley Car's Hero Designer File
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