Many super-heroes possess vehicles that exceed the abilities of normal equipment. These are built as Focus powers according to the sidebar on p. 137 of Wild Talents. In short, super-vehicles have their own hit locations, distinguishing them from battlesuits and other Focus powers that may cover the hero’s body and use his hit locations.
The core of a super-vehicle is a Useful power that represents the vehicle much like the Sidekick power represents a separate character. Since the vehicle has a physical existence of its own, this power should be Permanent and Always On. Finally, add whatever Focus flaws are appropriate to the vehicle, which should almost always include Bulky. Take 2HD in this power.
Super-Vehicle 2HD (4 pts per die; 16 pts)
Useful (+2), Always On (-1), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Permanent (+4)
This yields a roughly man-sized vehicle, maybe about the size of a slim motorcycle. To have a larger or smaller vehicle, add a Permanent version of the Useful quality from the Size Shift miracle to the power above and increase the number of hard dice as necessary to achieve the desire size.
Now you can start attaching powers to this one to define the abilities of the vehicle. All attached powers must have the same Focus flaws as the core power.
Begin with dice in Body, to set the vehicle’s lifting capacity and ground speed. While you may need to use Booster to reach final levels, keep in mind that the final wound boxes for the vehicle’s hit locations are based on the number of dice in each associated power, so find the highest number of Body dice that will get you to the desired capacities.
There are three areas to develop with additional powers: protection; weaponry and offensive systems; and additional systems like sensors or alternate movement modes.
For protection, you can rely on the Heavy Armor and Light Armor powers. Look to p. 87 of Wild Talents for benchmarks. In addition, many vehicles will include life support systems to protect passengers from hostile environments. The following will keep occupants alive just about anywhere.
Life Support 2HD (4 pts)
Useful (+2), Attached to Super-Vehicle (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), If/Then (Only for Variable Effect) (-1), If/Then (Only for immunities) (-1), Permanent (+4), Self Only (-3), Variable Effect (+4)
Something to consider is whether the armor covers all hit locations. For example, the bulk of a vehicle may have the equivalent of light tank armor, but the cockpit windows may only be as effective as bulletproof glass. You can use a variation of the Locational flaw to limit the hit locations that a defensive power protects. For every location excluded from protection, apply a -1 flaw.
Attack and Useful powers can be built as you normally would do, with the addition of the Attached and Focus flaws. These powers are suitable for the addition of the Operational Skill extra, particularly for the various types of Driving and Ranged Weapon skills. Use the capacities of the powers but the dice pools of the skills.
Once you have defined all of the vehicle’s powers, you must assign hit locations as described on p. 137 of Wild Talents. One hit location goes to seating such as a cockpit and one to cargo. The other eight locations are divided up among the vehicle’s powers. You can assign multiple hit locations to a single power. If you assign multiple powers to a single hit location, assign damage from each attack to a random power at that location. Each power must be assigned to at least one location, and each location must be assigned to one or more powers.
Sample Vehicle: Grav Car
Grav Car 3HD (24 pts)
Useful (+2), Always On (-1), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Permanent (+4)
Useful (+2), Always On (-1), Attached to above quality (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Permanent (+4)
Hyperbody 6D (6 pts)
Hyperstat (+4), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Booster (+1), Focus (Bulky) (-2)
Flight 6D (12 pts)
Defends (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2)
Useful (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Booster (+1), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2)
Heavy Armor 2HD (8 pts)
Defends (+2), Armored Defense (-2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Interference (+3), Limited Width (-1), Permanent (+4)
Defends (+2), Armored Defense (-2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Interference (+3), Locational (Exclusive) (-1), Permanent (+4)
Graviton Beam 8D+1WD (54 pts)
Attacks (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), High Capacity (Mass) (+1), Penetration 4 (+4), Power Capacity (Mass) (+2). Capacities: Mass and Range.
Useful (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), High Capacity (Mass) (+1), Power Capacity (Mass) (+2). Capacities: Mass and Range.
Life Support 2HD (4 pts)
Useful (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), If/Then (Only for Variable Effect) (-1), If/Then (Only for immunities) (-1), Permanent (+4), Self Only (-3), Variable Effect (+4)
Multispectral Sensors 5D (30 pts)
Useful (+2), Attached to Grav Car (-2), Booster (+2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), If/Then (Only for Variable Effect) (-1), If/Then (Only for Perceive effects) (-1), Permanent (+4), Variable Effect (+4)
The grav car is about the size of a normal sedan, seating four comfortably. In normal operation, it can skim the ground at about 50 mph and carry about 8 tons. In flight mode, it takes to the air at 800 mph. (Flight uses the lower of the Flight power pool and the pilot’s Driving (Grav Car) skill.)
The body of the grav car features armor equivalent to a light tank (HAR 3). The cockpit windows are made of a bulletproof composite material that still offers significant protection (HAR 1).
The grav car features a weapon that emits a directed beam of gravitons. This beam can pierce heavy armor with ease, and delivers extreme force (almost 6.5 tons) at a range of nearly 1.5 miles. It can also be tuned to function as a “tractor beam”, operating nondestructively with similar force and range. (The gravity beam uses the lower of the Gravity Beam power’s dice and the gunner’s Ranged Weapon (Gravity Beam) skill.)
The vehicle is sealed against the environment and can keep its crew alive and comfortable even in the depths of space. It features a sophisticated sensor array that can be tuned to examine nearly any material or energy, with a range of 9 miles. (The sensors use the lower of the Multispectral Sensors power’s dice and the operator’s Knowledge skill appropriate to the subject to be scanned.)
Hit Locations: 10, cockpit; 7-9, engine (Body), 6 boxes; 6, cargo; 5, gravity generator (Flight), 6 boxes; 4, Gravity Beam, 9 boxes; 3, life support, 2 boxes; 2, sensor array, 5 boxes; 1, armor plating, 2 boxes.
Total cost is 133 points.
Sample Vehicle: BSR-7
BSR-7 7HD (56 pts)
Useful (+2), Always On (-1), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Permanent (+4)
Useful (+2), Always On (-1), Attached to above quality (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Permanent (+4)
Heavy Armor 4HD (56 pts)
Defends (+2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Interference (+3), Permanent (+4)
Defends (+2), Armored Defense (-2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Hardened Armor (+2), Permanent (+4)
Hyperbody 8D+2HD (12 pts)
Hyperstat (+4), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Booster (+1), Focus (Bulky) (-2).
Jump Jets 2HD (8 pts)
Defends +2 (+4), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Go First 3 (+3), Slow (-2)
Useful (+2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Booster (+2), Focus (Bulky) (-2), Go First 3 (+3), Slow (-2)
Missile Rack 7D (56 pts)
Attacks (+2), Area 9D (+9), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Depleted (-1), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), Spray +2D (+2)
Heavy Maser 10D (30 pts)
Attacks (+2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), Penetration (+3), Speeding Bullet (+2)
Sensor Package 2WD (56 pts)
Attacks (+2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Augments (+4), Focus (Bulky) (-2), If/Then (Only for Augments) (-1)
Useful (+2), Attached to BSR-7 (-2), Booster (+2), Focus (Bulky, Operational Skill) (-2), If/Then (Only for Variable Effect) (-1), If/Then (Only for Perceive effects) (-1), Permanent (+4), Variable Effect (+4)
The BSR-7 is a 25-foot humanoid robot piloted by a single human operator. It is heavily armored (HAR 4 and LAR 4, both hardened), with a fully enclosed cockpit and life support. A sensor package can track multiple targets and establish weapons locks, and it can analyze most conceivable signals to a range of over a mile. (Sensors use the lower of the Sensor Package power and the pilot’s appropriate Knowledge skill.)
The BSR-7 features articulated limbs and human-like hands and can lift over 125 tons. It can sprint at about 120 miles per hour. The robot’s legs also contain powerful jump jet rockets that can propel it about 500 yards in a “jump”, but they must then recharge for a few moments.
Offensive systems include a missile launcher system that fires high-explosive warheads and a heavy microwave laser that can punch through most unhardened armor. (These systems use the lower of the powers’ dice and the pilot’s appropriate Ranged Weapons skills.)
Hit Locations: 10, cockpit; 9, sensor package, 2 boxes; 6-8, power plant (Body), 10 boxes; 5, armor plating, 4 boxes; 4, cargo; 3, missile rack, 7 boxes; 2, heavy maser, 10 boxes; 1, jump jets, 2 boxes.
Total cost is 274 points.
Variations
It is possible to have a vehicle that is easily transported by a hero with normal human strength. In this case, do not apply the Bulky flaw.
It is also conceivable that the vehicle can be hidden, collapsed, stored in a pocket dimension, or otherwise “turned off” when not in use. In this case, remove Always On from the Super-Vehicle power and reduce Permanent to Endless. There will always be some kind of physical object (perhaps just a key or remote control) left behind that can be damaged or taken away, denying you use of the vehicle.