Basic SetTSR 6850 · 1984

Hardware & Vehicles

Original Boxed Set · Battle Book + Campaign Book

Hardware Overview

Chapter 2 of the Campaign Book covers everything mechanical: vehicles, heavy weapons, buildings, and alien technology. The 1984 Basic Set keeps these systems light — vehicles have a handful of stats and use the same Universal Table mechanic as heroes.

Vehicles

Every vehicle has these stats:

Driving a vehicle uses the driver's Agility, but the Control stat sets a ceiling — even a Monstrous Agility driver can't handle a Feeble-Control vehicle better than Feeble.

Vehicles In Combat

A moving vehicle in combat:

Heavy Artillery

Tanks, helicopters, jets, and military hardware are scaled-up vehicles with weapons. Their weapon damage typically ranks Excellent to Amazing, and they often have Excellent or better Protection. Heroes generally can't outslug heavy artillery — they have to outmaneuver or disable it.

Building Things

The Campaign Book includes guidelines for inventing gadgets, vehicles, and devices in play. A hero with the appropriate Reason rank, talents (Engineering, sciences), and Resources can build special equipment. The Judge sets the time, cost, and Reason FEAT required.

Throw-away inventions (one-use devices) are easier than permanent gear. The Judge can rule that any reasonable invention requires a Reason FEAT vs. an intensity equal to the invention's effective rank.

Alien Technology

Alien gear in the hands of heroes typically uses the same vehicle/weapon framework, just with higher ranks. The Judge decides the ranks and any special properties when the alien tech enters play. Replacement parts and repairs are usually impossible — alien tech tends to be unique.