TOMAGOMB Modern Skills

These rules are supplementary to the classic TOMAGOMB rules. I have therefore found it unneccesary to explain all the rules twice, so many questions can be answered by looking there for the basics.

Proficiencies
New technology brings with it new skill-sets, and combat is no different. This list can be continually expanded depending upon how extensive and detailed the GM wishes to be. For simplicity, Professional Gear was gathered into a single category, although in a campaign that's extremely detailed the GM may ask that separate profession gear sets be separate proficiencies. This will normally be unneccessary for most campaigns.

While larger weapons exist, they are generally covered under the Explosives skill rather than a combat roll.

Skills
While the skills from original TOMAGOMB may be used in the modern age, there are a number of changes and addendums that separate the modern times from the medieval. Some skills have been upgraded, such as Knowledge: Anatomy becoming Knowledge: Medical, while other skills have simply fallen into disuse or don't even exist (such as Knowledge: Arcana in a nonmagical campaign setting). Ask the GM and use common sense.

For my long-time players, check out the mini-crits rule, which was added to the main TOMAGOMB Skills description.

Gunsmithing
Governing Stat: Dexterity or Mental Aptitude

A good skill for any gun owner to possess at minimum competency, Gunsmithing at its most basic allows for the care and maintenance of firearms and ammunition. Someone who does not possess minimum competency must rely on Luck (and his/her companions) to keep their firearms in good repair and working order. When a weapon jams, it requires Gunsmithing to fix. Anyone with minimum competency can fix a jammed weapon in 2d4 minutes outside of combat without a roll. In combat, the character must roll using a main action to try to fix the gun. Failure means they can try again during another action, while success clears the jam and makes the gun ready for use. Critical success means the gun won't jam again during that battle, critical failure means the gun can't be fixed until after the fight is over.

Gunsmithing can also be used to load your own ammo, modify your weapons, and even create new weapons. Loading ammo can be done at minimum competency, cutting your ammo costs in half. An initial investment of $400 for the workbench and ammunition device is required however. 100 rounds can be loaded over the course of 4 hours (you can even listen to music or watch T.V. while you work), or with the $1000 version of the equipment in 1 hour. You can also get a +1 damage bonus (per 100 bullet set) by succeeding on a Gunsmithing check while loading your ammo if you're willing to take some risk. Critical success gives +2 damage, as do mini-crits. However, failure means that Luck takes a -4 penalty on checks to see if the gun jams (such as on attack critical failures) when using that ammo. Critical failure is disastrous - the ammo does -1 damage per die and any attack failure jams the gun. On a critical attack failure, roll Luck. A failed Luck roll means the gun blows up in your hand, dealing regular weapon damage to yourself. Success means the gun is just irreparably jammed until the fight is over.

Weapon modifications can also be done to give the weapon user some sort of bonus. Succeeding at Gunsmithing with a -1/5th penalty and a week's work indicates the gun has been modified to do +1 damage permanently; this costs $100. Critical success gives it +2 damage permanently. A mini-crit gives the gun +2 damage whenever you take a full round to aim, otherwise it has the normal +1 damage. Failure means the gun is unusable until you can work on it some more and wastes $50 worth of materials, critical failure ruins the gun. Modification can also be done to reduce recoil, but Gunsmithing takes a -2/5ths penalty and it requires two weeks of work and $150. Success reduces the recoil by 1, although no projectile thrower can go below -1 recoil penalty. Critical success will also lower the Strength requirement by 1, as does a mini-crit. Failure wastes $75 and renders the gun temporarily unusable, critical failure ruins the gun. Range may be improved for the same time and price as recoil, success adds +5 range, while critical success adds +10. A mini-crit adds +10 range whenever you take a full round to aim, otherwise it gives the normal +5. Ammo can also be increased by 50% (rounded down) for the same price as range and recoil, double for critical success (it will never be as easy to hide with a big clip though, and some guns simply can't have more ammo added). A mini-crit increases ammo capacity by 75%, rounded down, but at least 1 higher than normal success. A gunsmith can even increase a gun's accuracy, but this is the most difficult modification, requiring a solid month of work and a Gunsmithing check with a -3/5ths penalty along with $200. Success increases the gun's accuracy by +1. Critical success and mini-crits don't increase the gun's normal accuracy beyond this, but they grant a +1 even to partial aims made with the gun (+3 instead of +2!). Failure wastes $100 and means the gun can't be used yet, critical failure ruins the gun.

A creative player may use high levels of this skill to create entirely new guns and ammunition. The DM should have one roll each week the character is creating a new schematic, always at -3/5ths penalty. One success means the idea seems sound, two successes means the character has actually starting drawing up something reasonable, three successes further confirms the work and four successes gives a finished schematic. The final product must pass the GM's inspection and may not be exactly what the player envisioned depending on how far-fetched their idea is. Even after the plans are drawn up, it requires time and money to actually produce the new gun. Assume that if it can be made with minor tweaks of existing parts on the market, the prototype will cost double its normal market value and require a month of work to assemble (Gunsmithing -3/5ths). If the parts must be made from scratch, the price will skyrocket (the prototype will cost a minimum of 10 times the market value of the gun, and the crafter may run into troubles such as companies not making less than a gross of the needed parts per order...). Of course, if the design is good and popular, the character may become wealthy by selling their innovation to a gun company, and a rich character may even self-finance their design into the market.

Electrical Engineering
Governing Attribute: Mental Aptitude

While Knowledge: Computers will be very helpful from the software end, there a whole world beyond that where people are soldering capacitors and transistors in their garages, people who understand what "assembly code" means, and how to program it. These are electrical engineers, and they use this skill. Minimal competency means that you can identify what some of the little parts are on a motherboard and can answer questions like what an ohm is. You'll also be assumed to have a steady hand with a soldering gun and be able to enact simple repairs on electrical devices. You should have minimal competency with a computer, unless you're a veteran engineer who still prefers vacuum tubes and analog circuits, in which case this skill suffers a -1/5th penalty when working on high-tech digital devices. The character also needs minimum competency with Knowledge: Mathematics, or the skill suffers a -1/5th penalty.

Repairs that aren't simple or easy will require a skill roll, possibly with penalties from -1/5th to -4/5ths depending on what the character is trying to do (it's a lot easier to repair a hard drive motor than it is to fix a device you've never seen before covered in tesla coils). Not having any proper tools gives -20% skill. For instance, trying to get functionality from a computer that has experienced electrical trauma would be at -3/5ths skill (and expect damage even if you succeed). Electronics skill can apply in a lot of other weird ways; the GM will have to adjudicate many of these. For instance, if the character is trying to apply electronics knowledge to a security system, have the character roll with a -1/5th skill penalty. If they succeed, grant a +10% skill bonus to Breaking and Entering, a critical success will bypass the system entirely. A mini-crit will give +40% skill to B&E instead. Failure will have no effect, while critical failure will instantly trip the system. This same check can apply to Explosives skill to disarm bombs with electrical systems (which almost all modern bombs have).

The character can also tinker and build new devices. The player and GM need to discuss what is possible before starting out, at which point use the rules in the last paragraph under Gunsmithing for invention of new devices. Extremely complex devices may require months instead of weeks, while simple devices may only require days (and a lot of energy drinks).

Mechanical Engineering
Governing Attribute: Mental Aptitude or Dexterity

This noble science allows one to understand the intricacies of mechanical devices and how to build and repair them. While this is an extremely broad field, in TOMAGOMB terms a single skill encompasses them all (unless the GM wishes to be very detail-oriented). Basic competency will let you do things like change your tires and your oil on your car without having to consult a manual and make 20 mistakes in the process. You may also be familiar with the basic premise of how some other mechanical devices work.

More complex repairs will require a roll, with a possible penalty from -1/5th to -4/5ths (and some things are impossible). Changing your brakes or spark plugs may be somewhat straightforward, but repairing a hydraulic lift or a robot will be more of a challenge. Not having proper tools gives -20% skill or worse. Ingenious players will come up with all sorts of uses for mechanical know-how, from sabotage to unexpected functionality. For uses of this skill more advanced than car repair, the character must have minimum competency with Knowledge: Mathematics or take a -1/5th skill penalty.

To create entirely new devices, follow the advice given under Gunsmithing and Electrical Engineering, with emphasis on "months."

Breaking and Entering
Governing Stat: Dexterity

This used to be called Lockpicking/Disable Traps, but it has been altered for modern sensibilities. The character can indeed still pick locks and disable basic traps (although those are very rare), but the skill encompasses other actions as well. The character can break into a car, turn off the security system (with a second check), and then hotwire it (with a third check). Driving it away is a different skill! This skill also encompasses knowledge to bypass some forms of more advanced security, but at some difficulty. Bypassing a keycard lock takes a -1/5th penalty to skill; turning off simple home security takes a similar penalty. More advanced security ranges from -2/5ths to -3/5ths; beyond that point, the character would be better served to hack the electronics that power the security. As a final note, without basic equipment Breaking and Entering takes a -10% penalty.

Explosives
Governing Stat: Mental Aptitude or Dexterity

While a true thief may have no use for explosives, many other sorts of stealthy characters may wish to know it (for game purposes, detonations and similar destructive forces fall under this skill). The explosives skill has two primary uses: setting charges, and defusing bombs. Setting a charge is a relatively simple matter as long as the explosives expert in question has taken the time to familiarize themself with that type of explosive (assume an hour of prep time reading manuals for a new type of basic explosive). Minimum competency means you can set charges you are familiar with in 3 minutes without making a roll. To set a charge in 2 minutes, take a -1/5th skill penalty (as always, if this brings you below minimum competency, you must roll). To set it in one minute, take a -2/5ths skill penalty. To set it as a full-round action, take -3/5ths, and as a main action at -4/5ths. If you are able to partially prepare the charges beforehand rather than do the work all at once, remove a 1/5th penalty from these times. An accomplished and confident Explosives expert may choose to roll a skill check when setting explosives. Success adds an extra 1d10 damage per full 20% skill success. Failure calls for a Luck check. If the Luck check succeeds, the charge still goes off but for half damage. If the Luck check fails, the charge is a dud. Critical Luck success still yields a normal explosion, while critical Luck failure causes the bomb to blow up in your face. If the skill success is critical, the bomb does double its normal damage (including the bonus damage noted above). A mini-crit does 50% more damage than normal, rounded down. A critical skill failure causes the bomb to blow up in your face. Some bombs will be more difficult to arm; the GM may add a -1/5th or -2/5ths penalty for obscure or difficult bombs (such as nuclear devices or other state-of-the-art creations).

Any person or creature caught in the radius of an explosion rolls against dodge; if they succeed, they only take half damage (or no damage if a convenient and sturdy barrier is within 5 ft.). Armor class also reduces damage from explosions directly, though armor alone won't be enough to save a character from a bomb of any real magnitude. If a character jumps behind a barrier that doesn't stop the full force of the explosion, assign the barrier an AC that reduces the damage the character takes. This is all assuming the creature in question is aware than an explosion is possible. If caught completely off-guard (failing perception against a trap, for instance), then the subject gets no dodge at all and takes the full damage. As a final note, while it is normally impossible to get a backstab with explosives, if a skilled (and crazy) character stealths up to someone, uses Pickpocket to place an explosive on them with a -1/5th skill penalty, then stealths away and sets it off, in that rare instance the explosion damage is multiplied by the character's backstab amount, which almost certainly kills the target.

Disarming bombs is another issue entirely. It isn't too hard to set one, since you know exactly how the bomb works. For this same reason, if you are disarming your own bomb or one just like it, if you possess minimum competency and take 2 minutes you can disarm it without a roll. In one minute, take -1/5th skill penalty, in a full round take -2/5ths, and in a main action take -3/5ths. Since the bomb is already set up, it is slightly faster to disarm it than to set it. For unfamiliar or complex bombs, you must roll and you automatically take a -1/5th skill penalty, and the GM may up it to -2/5ths for being both unfamiliar AND complex. If you have time to study the bomb though, roll an Explosives skill check with a -1/5th penalty after 2 minutes of careful observation. If this check succeeds, you may remove the 1/5th penalty for unfamiliarity. Additionally, some sophisticated bombs (the sort that secret agents might use) have nasty security systems in place that will result in premature detonation. This imposes another -1/5th skill penalty (though skill penalties can never exceed -4/5ths). A bomb security system can be disposed of by other skills though, such as Breaking and Entering at -2/5ths or -3/5ths, and a bomb integrated with a computer system can be hacked with Knowledge: Computers at -2/5ths to -3/5ths. Electrical Engineering skill can assist with disarming all but the simplest bombs by rolling at a flat -1/5th skill, which if successful grants +10% on disarming checks. Critical success on any of these skills automatically disarms the bomb, while critical failure causes premature detonation. A mini-crit with an assisting skill check grants +40% to disarm with Explosives skill. If you fail a disarm check, the bomb does not automatically explode: roll Luck. If you succeed, you have not set it off and may try again. If the Luck check fails, the bomb does indeed explode in your face (you may still try to dodge, as listed above).

Performance
Governing Stat: Mental Aptitude

This skill appeared with thief skills in TOMAGOMB because bards were one of the more skillful classes, and sometimes share a subset of skills with thieves and assassins. In TOMAGOMB Modern, this is essentially a professional skill. It may be how the character makes a living, or simply a hobby they've acquired. In the right setting, a good performance will cause NPCs to like the character better (the GM may work this as a contest: make a Performance check, then the NPCs (the GM can roll a crowd as one check using the average M.A.) make a M.A. save with a -1 penalty per 10% of skill success the character had. If they save, they may like the music but not be especially impressed.  If they fail, they are impressed with your performance and will be more helpful afterwards.  Critical success or failure push these reactions even further: NPCs will either love or hate you, and even though these feelings may ebb they will remember the performance.

Characters who perform for a living are assumed to lump any earnings into their monthly income. However, if the character is really down on their luck they may attempt to play in the street for money, earning 1d6 dollars per two hours with a successful Performance check, +1d6 dollars per 10 full points of skill success. Critical success will earn you double the maximum result! A mini-crit will earn you the maximum result. Failure earns you nothing, while critical failure will generally summon the police to pick up a loitering vagrant disturbing the peace.

Pickpocket
No change from classic TOMAGOMB.

Stealth
This is also a classic: no changes.

Subterfuge
The GM may keep this skill as it is, or may choose to divide it up into as many as 4 skills: Disguise, Bluff, Diplomacy and Seduction. TOMAGOMB usually has more compact, simplified skills, which is why these aspects of interaction were all rolled into Subterfuge originally. It is up to the GM to decide if it should stay that way or be more complicated (and pricey on skill points). Rather than four skills, two skills might be more reasonable: Trickery (Disguise/Bluff) and Influence (Diplomacy/Seduction). Another take on it would be Silver Tongue (Bluff/Diplomacy) and The Look (Disguise/Seduction). For now, I will go with:

Trickery
You can fool people more easily with this skill, gaining the former Subterfuge uses of disguise and bluff.

Influence
Your skill with Influence can affect the attitudes of others, gaining the former Subterfuge uses of diplomacy and seduction.

Knowledge Skills
Governing Stat for all Knowledges: Mental Aptitude

Knowledge: Chemistry
This skill gives you familiarity with chemicals. Without minimum competency in Knowledge: Mathematics, Knowledge: Chemistry takes a -1/5th skill penalty (you can't do the science end very well, but you can mix things together). While this is primarily a skill used in science labs, the common people use this skill for recreation by making explosives and certain drugs. With proper equipment and one hour of time, you can test any substance to analyze its composition; the skill bonuses and penalties possible for such an action are too numerous to list, but assume that well-known chemicals can be identified just by having minimum competency ("Yep, that's vinegar."), while more difficult ones take a -1/5th to -3/5th skill penalty. Complex biological compounds tend to be the hardest to identify if they have no obvious clues.

Since there are a nigh-infinite number of possible chemicals you can create, ranging from automatic success for competency all the way to a -4/5ths skill penalty, work with the GM to determine a fair cost and process for each chemical you wish to craft. The Explosives section on the TOMAGOMB Modern Items page lists a few possibilities for explosive mixtures, but there will never be an exhaustive list of chemicals you can create. Note that the Explosives skill is needed to set your mixtures off safely!

Knowledge: Computers
This skill lets you do practically anything involving computers and other devices that can act as a computer, such as a cell phone or a powerful console game system. Minimum competency will allow the user to use a computer for any day-to-day mundane task without a skill check, such as using a search engine on the internet, checking your email, using word processing, instant messaging, and playing your favorite games. Less than 20% skill means the character is computer illiterate, and may need to make skill checks for things even as simple as double-clicking on an icon or checking their email.

More advanced computer usage, such as getting two systems to talk to each other over a LAN after configuring different operating systems and firewall settings cannot be done as an everyday mundane task and requires a skill check. Computer programming can be performed with a -1/5th skill penalty and an amount of time based on the complexity of the program. Only the GM can adjudicate the necessary time to create a program.

Even further advanced is the ability to perform computer hacking, which takes anywhere from -1/5th skill (to hack into a poorly guarded and/or unimportant system) up to -3/5ths (to attempt hacking into government databases or other heavily-guarded systems). Success generally indicates that the hacker got in undetected, although if the server is actively being guarded by an administrator they may first attempt to perform a straight skill faceoff to notice the hacker's presence, and if they detect the hacker, another skill faceoff to oust the hacker and track his IP address and system information. If they get that far, the admin can then attempt reverse hacking using the hacking rules! Administrators may vary greatly, but anyone worthy of the name will have a bare minimum of 40% skill, with no upper limit for high-level admins. Potent admins will also possess Skill Specialist - be ready for a fight! Critical success on a hacking attempt bypasses all security and does not allow the admin to detect the hacker unless he does something blatant, like plant a virus that includes flashy visuals and/or audio. A mini-crit bypasses system security, and grants +40% skill in faceoffs against administrators for that hacking attempt. Failure generally has no effect, although if an admin is present a basic skill success will reveal your IP address. Critical failure gives away not only your IP, but also your system specifications. An admin can reverse-hack someone who critically failed with no skill penalty.

Knowledge: Mathematics
This skill opens up the potential for anything from arithmetic to transfinite mathematics. Minimum competency means the character can do simple arithmetic in their head, and lengthier arithmetic and algebra on paper. Having less than this competency makes your character somewhat math-impaired, having to spend painful seconds calculating change and needing to roll skill against any problem beyond the most primitive. Not being minimally proficient with math also incurs a -1/5th skill penalty to Knowledge: Chemistry, Electrical Engineering and any advanced form of Mechanical Engineering (you can repair cars without math, though).

Those with higher skill can use math to determine all sorts of things, such as volume, distance, surface area, etc. Unless the numbers REALLY MATTER, this is better done by abstracting with a skill roll and the GM giving his best approximation, or just saying, "You know the answer." Penalties for higher math range from -1/5th to -3/5ths.

Finally, if you use math to supplement an appropriate use of Knowledge: Chemistry, Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, roll against skill with a -1/5th penalty. If you succeed, you gain a +10% bonus to the relevant skill for that check.

Knowledge: Medical
The level of this skill determines whether you can perform first aid, fix someone up with surgery, or are a quack. Anyone with minimum competency (20%; see TOMAGOMB Skills) can perform basic first aid on any wound with a full-round action, healing 1 point of damage and preventing infection. This can be performed once for each wound a character has, though the characters need to hold still - it can't be done in combat unless the characters are hiding behind cover or want to get shot! Without the right equipment for first aid, the character suffers a -10% penalty to skill. If this brings them below minimum competency, they must roll to do even this. A confident character may roll anyway to attempt more extensive first aid: success heals 1 HP + 1 HP / 5 points of skill success per wound. Failure has no real effect (although it at least covers the wound with a bandage). Critical success doubles the healing that would normally be performed with that check. A mini-crit heals 50% more than usual, rounded down. Critical failure actually worsens the wounds by 1 damage for every 20 points the skill missed by, minimum 1 damage.

Surgery is another matter entirely. Any character who has at least 60% skill and Skill Specialist in Knowledge: Medical may be treated as a doctor in game and have appropriate benefits (being called Dr., able to prescribe medical drugs, etc.). This doesn't mean they are automatically a part of the upper middle class, as they may still be paying off their student loans or mortgaging a house, etc. In any case, surgery is a serious matter, and it takes 1d4 hours to perform. A successful check heals 1 damage / 2 points of skill success, minimum 4 points healed. Critical success doubles the amount, essentially to 1 point healed / point of success, minimum 8 healed (if your skill is that low, you shouldn't be attempting surgery... or college). A mini-crit does 50% more healing than usual, rounded down. Failure deals 1 damage per 10 points the skill missed by, minimum 1 damage, and critical failure doubles this amount, minimum 2 damage.

Knowledge: Urban Survival
The modern urban equivalent of Knowledge: Nature, you can do many tasks related to cities and large towns. You can identify dangerous buildings or city areas, such as construction zones or condemned buildings. You can figure out the general layout of a city, where to find food and water (even in worst-case scenarios) and get shelter in inclement weather. The character may also use this skill for answering more specific questions pertaining to a city they live in, or have lived in. Each extra person you must provide food and water for gives -10% skill.

Swimming
Governing Attribute: Fortitude

While any character can stay afloat and move 5 ft. per action with a successful Fortitude roll, possessing the Swimming skill will enable you to enter the water without a panicked fight for your life. Minimum competency in Swimming enables the character to swim without a roll under normal circumstances and move 10 ft. per action. An accomplished or competing swimmer may make a Swim check to go faster, gaining an extra 5 ft. of speed per action for every full 50% they beat their Swimming skill by. Critical success doubles your speed for one round, while a mini-crit adds 50% more speed rounded down, minimum +5 ft. Failure means you go underwater and start holding your breath, critical failure means you also get disoriented, possibly swimming the wrong direction (even downwards), and that round counts triple against your breath holding. You may need to succeed on Perception checks to determine which way is up after a critical failure.

However, the more encumbered the character is, the harder it is to swim: weight above 1/3rd carrying capacity gives -1/5th skill, weight above 2/3rds capacity gives -2/5ths skill, while weight at your maximum or above makes swimming impossible and anchors you to the bottom. Turbulent water also gives -1/5th skill penalty, while raging torrents and storm-wracked oceans give -2/5ths. If minimum competency is not maintained after negative modifiers, the character must roll against either Swimming skill or Fortitude as described above to remain afloat (assume a -2 penalty to the Fortitude roll for every 1/5th penalty the skill would take).

You can also use Swimming to save a drowning character's life. A character can hold their breath for 2 rounds per point of Fortitude under ideal circumstances, but only for 1 round per point of Fortitude when caught off-guard or in combat. To save a drowning character, roll Swimming with a -20% skill penalty (drowning people thrash and flail in a very unhelpful manner). If you succeed, you get the subject's head back above water and can swim them back to shore (for purposes of encumberance, people weigh 1/3rd as much in water).

Drive: (Vehicle Type)
Governing Stat: Dexterity

This skill can be described in a multitude of ways, such as Drive: Automobile, Drive: Trucker, or Drive: Motorcycle (the DM may allow you to start learning a similar vehicle skill at a -1/5th to -2/5th default from your original skill rather than start from scratch). It is a skill used to operate a moving vehicle without causing injury to the passengers or the vehicle itself. Minimum competency means that as long as the character is operating the vehicle under normal conditions in a generally safe manner (uses a turn signal, doesn't speed more than 10 over), the character can be assumed to drive safely without making a roll. Less than 20% skill (say, a teenager who has gotten their permit within the past few weeks or months) means that the character must roll to perform even basic driving, although failure may simply result in embarrassment and angry drivers if they are being careful (the GM may add up to +50% to effective skill for safe, ideal conditions).

Operating on icy roads or while dodging Martian heat rays will call for a Drive: (Vehicle Type) check, with a -1/5th penalty if the driver is distracted and another -1/5th if the roads are unsafe (very slick, full of rubble, etc.). There are also penalties for high speeds: -1/5th for speeds of 100 MPH and up, -2/5ths for 150 MPH, -3/5ths for 200 MPH or more. The total penalty cannot exceed -4/5ths no matter how many problems the driver faces, unless the GM rules that driving is simply impossible. Success means the driver is keeping the vehicle and passengers safe (but might pull over if conditions are adverse enough), failure means temporary loss of control of the vehicle. To prevent a crash, the driver must then succeed against Drive skill with -3/5ths, success gets the vehicle stabilized once more. If not, crashes are ugly and painful things. First, all passengers involved must roll a Fortitude check. Success indicates their body took the wreck well (1d6 damage per 40 MPH of speed, minimum 1d6), failure means they suffer worse in the crash (1d6 damage per 20 MPH of speed, minimum 1d6). If the occupants weren't wearing seat belts, increase the damage to 1d6 per 20 MPH for success, and 1d6 per 10 MPH for failure. Unfortunately, motorcyclists take the higher damage formula for any wreck, although AC can help against crash damage, and wearing a helmet adds +2 to the Fortitude save in addition to adding 4 AC vs. crashes. Critical success subtracts 1 damage from each die (1d6-1), critical failure means the character suffers some debilitating effect from the wreck (the GM can choose any number of options, including broken bones, bruised ribs, back injuries, and any number of various ailments that can result in deficits to Strength, Dexterity, Fortitude and even Mental Aptitude) which lasts for 2d4 weeks. If the vehicle has a head-on collision with an object moving towards the vehicle, add that object's speed to the total speed for determining wreck damage (two cars travelling at 60 MPH that crash head-on will wreck as if it had been a 120 MPH wreck).

The GM should use some common sense in determining the wreck damage to the vehicle, anywhere from $200 (cosmetic scratches and dents) up to the vehicle being completely totalled (insurance gives you the blue book value). If the insurance is minimal it could be very costly, especially with medical bills.

Finally, Drive can be used to shadow other drivers and take part in car chases. To shadow another driver, first succeed a Drive check to escape notice. The driver of a shadowed vehicle gets a Perception check to detect you, but takes a -1 for every 10% you succeed Drive skill by. Passengers in the shadowed vehicle may also attempt this Perception, but take a -2 penalty since they don't have to pay as much attention to the road (paranoids and guards don't take a penalty). If that succeeds, the character only has to succeed on one more Drive check to make sure they don't lose the target (two for a long drive, three for a day-long road trip). Critical success bypasses the chance of detection and requires no further checks to shadow that target during that drive. A mini-crit gives opposed Perception checks a -3, although critical Perception checks still find you. If you're not spotted, you don't have to roll any more checks to shadow during that drive, though if you are spotted you get +40% skill for your final Shadowing if they try to lose you, and for your first roll in a car chase. If the target detects you, they may either give no signal (GM rolls against your Perception -6 to notice something is wrong in the other car) or somehow lose or mislead you. There is little you can do if they are misleading you except to follow or not follow them. If they try to lose you, make one last-ditch effort to shadow at Drive -4/5ths. If that fails, you can either let them go or move on to a car chase.

In a car chase, you've left sublety behind in exchange for RPMs and screeching tires. Nothing is stopping the police from getting involved (or bystanding vehicles, although they're probably trying their best to avoid the cars in the chase), so it's best to NEVER GET IN A CAR CHASE. What are you, crazy??? Of course, (rarely) you have few choices when an unknown car comes up on a tight stretch of road and starts trying to ram you, or the passengers are shooting at you. Or perhaps the vehicle just kidnapped someone, and you're trying to keep up while someone else phones the police (not necessarily a good idea, but people do all sorts of things in emergencies). One way or another, you've put the pedal to the metal and have nothing left to lose. '''Before you read the section below, be aware that 9/10ths of it can be avoided by using the GM's best judgment and common sense. So... don't get caught in the specifics if you feel confident.'''

The first step is to determine whether you are the followed or the following in a car chase. In either case, you make a Drive faceoff against the opposing driver or drivers, with any relevant penalties applied (going 100 MPH or more, unsafe roads, distractions, etc.). If you are trying to get away, anyone who beats you on this check advances a length (it seems better to abstract the distances for a chase; bear in mind that all lengths are relative to each vehicle, so you may start all the vehicles in the middle of a map and go from there). Anyone you beat loses a length. If you beat everyone chasing you, you advance a length away. (The GM will determine how many lengths apart the cars are when the chase starts, the default is two lengths.) If you are chasing another car, you need to beat their check to advance a length. If any driver actually fails their check, they lose a length, which is added with the lengths other cars are losing or gaining. Critical success gains two lengths, as does a mini-crit. Critical failure loses 2 lengths, and requires a Drive roll at -3/5ths to avoid a crash. In the event of a tie, no lengths change between the two cars in question.

The GM should also bear in mind the quality of the cars in the chase. Although the chase rules are abstracted, there are a couple rules of thumb to use involving the cars. Assume that a rustbucket can't hit 100 MPH (or if it does, it takes penalties for vibrating horribly). For this reason, any rustbucket involved in a car chase cannot outrun better cars unless every driver chasing the rustbucket actually fails their Drive check. The only way a rustbucket can get away is through tight turns and obstacle driving, which qualifies for the -1/5th hazardous road penalty (if the road was already hazardous, it goes to -2/5ths). Similarly, rustbuckets as chasers can't keep up during the 2nd round of the chase when speeds start increasing dramatically, unless the prey actually fails their Drive check. During the 1st round, a rustbucket might be able to take the prey on by surprise. Assume that cheap used cars and used cars can break 100 MPH, but just barely. If the chase goes to 150 MPH or more, they can't keep up or get away just like rustbuckets can't. Assume that a nice used car or new car of the right variety (or custom build) qualifies to keep chasing in the 150 MPH category, even if the vehicle can't technically hit that speed. Of course, some vehicles in this category weren't made to go fast, so they might be stuck with the used cars in terms of speed. So too, even a pricey new car might be a Hummer or something not built for speed, but assume any other pricey new car can hit the 150 MPH category. If you can prove your vehicle can hit 200 MPH (internet research, etc.), and the other vehicles can't, you have a drastic advantage, but only after 2 rounds have passed in the chase. In the first round you smoke the rustbuckets with any success, in the 2nd round you leave used cars in the dust as you accelerate. If you succeed in the 3rd round, you've left almost everything on the road and some things in the sky behind you. If you're still tangling with things in your speed category after that, it comes down to skill. Of course, this is all assuming the GM has given you a big, flat, straight road to drive down, like an Interstate in Kansas. If you're whipping around curves or navigating traffic, a lot of the advantages of speed get removed, and slower cars might still be able to participate. Ultimately, it comes down to GM discretion.

A driver gets away when they've put 6 lengths between themselves and everyone chasing them. When the chasers get close, they have any number of options available. In a dead heat with the prey, the chasing car's passengers can use pistols at no penalty (or the driver can shoot with a -2 penalty to attack and the distraction penalty for Drive on his next check), while all other ranged weapons take a -2 penalty for awkwardness unless they've been specifically set up for the situation (such as sitting on the far side of the back seat with a rifle pointed out the window). Melee weapons can be employed in a dead heat at a -4 penalty. Subjects in a car lose -20% dodge however, since their movements are much more restricted. Subjects not wearing a seatbelt only get -10%, but will suffer greatly in a wreck. Each length counts as another -2 penalty for guns and crossbows, and -4 for everything else, with melee only possible in a dead heat.

The driver of a chasing car can attempt to ram the prey with a Drive faceoff. If the chaser succeeds, the prey needs to roll against Drive at a -2/5ths penalty to avoid a wreck. If the chaser fails, he must make the same Drive -2/5ths roll to avoid wrecking himself. The chaser can also attempt to get a length ahead of the prey, generally to attempt to brake in front of them and cause a controlled wreck. Use the chase rules to get a length ahead of the prey, then roll a Drive faceoff with any relevant modifiers. The prey gets a +20% bonus in this faceoff to avoid you as long as they are aware of you. If the chaser succeeds, the prey is involved in a controlled wreck unless the chaser is insane, in which case it can be a normal wreck. If the prey succeeds, they avoid the chaser and the chaser loses 2 lengths. In a controlled wreck, the prey and chaser lose 3 lengths (relative to any other vehicles) and everyone in each vehicle takes 2d6 damage, or 4d6 if they aren't wearing seatbelts. On the prey's next turn, their only recourse is to attempt to break away with a Drive check at -3/5ths. If they pull it off, they must make a Drive check against all the other chasers at -3/5ths and enter the chase proper again, with the chaser who used a braking controlled wreck losing 2 lengths and making any Driving checks at -2/5ths that round. If the prey doesn't break away, the chase most likely ends that round, with their vehicle coming to a complete stop.