When it first came out, Car Wars was bad on the poor pedestrians. But that was all right because they were only useful as cannon fodder anyway. Then Sunday Drivers came out and with future versions of the game, pedestrians got it better and in the last compendium they were fully integrated with role-playing skills and everything. Life was good.
Now, with the new version of Car Wars, pedestrians have it bad again. Suddenly they are simply cannon fodder again, despite the fact that they use some changes from the latter editions of the Classic game.
I'm attempting to redress some of the balance here with some new skills. However, the skills presented here are solely skills that might have some use in the new game, and thus you won't find any role-playing skills here.
Some skills require rolls for them to be successful, and for skills not referred to elsewhere, skill rolls are made as follows.
Skill rolls are made like Gunner rolls, with skills having a to-hit of 7. A roll must be made on 2d6, various modifiers added, and the final result must be 7 or less for the skill to be successful.
Modifiers include all the normal modifiers, but unless applicable, range and target don't count.
Unless stated in the skill descriptions, one skill point is awarded for every combat that a character uses one of these skills. There are some exceptions to this, including Martial Arts.
As per normal, all skills are limited to a maximum of +4.
The following is a complete list of Car Wars skills available.
Blade is the skill of being able to wield knives, swords and other sharp implements in hand-to-hand combat. See the Unarmed Combat School for more details.
The ability to attack targets in hand-to-hand combat. See the Unarmed Combat School for more details.
The ability to drive a motorcycle. See Car Wars for more details.
The ability to drive a four or six-wheeled vehicle with proficiency. See Car Wars for more details.
First Aid is the ability to give a wounded patience enough medical attention so that they will be stable and alive long enough for an ambulance and properly trained personnel to care for the injured. First Aid is not enough to fix holes in people, only to prevent their condition from getting worse.
In game use, First Aid doesn't get a lot of use - the action is too quick for someone to generally bandage a patient, and who would want to do that while cars are still zipping around shooting everything in sight? However, if a First Aider can get to a character that has been reduced to 0 hits while a game is still occurring (or within three minutes for long games), then there is a chance that the character may be stabilised and stay alive. A successful skill roll is required, success meaning that the character is stabilised. They will remain at 0 hits and be unconscious, but they will live.
Now for the bad news. The First Aider must stay with the character until professional help comes along. If they leave, then every turn that the patient is alone, roll 1d6. On a 6, the character dies. No first aid will bring this character back to life.
Gunner is the skill of being to use and fire vehicular weapons. See Car Wars for more details.
The skill of being able to use hand weapons, such as pistols and rifles, but not melee weapons such as knives. Each level of this skill gives the user a +1 to hit.
Being trained in the knowledge of Martial Arts means that the character can revel in the fact that they are one of a select few around the world who knows about the mystical arts of unarmed combat. See the Unarmed Combat School for more details.
Mechanics are those who know how fix and build things, a very valuable skill to know in the world of Car Wars where people are constantly blowing things up with missiles and lasers and the like. During the game itself, this skill has very little meaning as fixing things takes far longer than any game will take. However, outside the arena, a mechanic can reduce the cost of repairing items from $100 per point of damage, to $100 - (mechanic skill level x $10) as they can install the parts and do the labour themselves.
Unfortunately, you cannot get skill points just from installing parts in your car. Instead, you have to actually spend time out learning and being a mechanic. This is usually done in time periods of half a year or so.
The skill of travelling on a pogo stick. See the Skate Shop for more details.
Running is the ability that allows a character to get from one end of the arena to the other at record-breaking speed. It is a life saving skill.
Each level of the skill allows the character to run at an extra 5 mph. This means that every extra 5 mph means the character can run at a further 1/2" of movement per phase.
You cannot get skill points by running in combat, but track training outside of the game could increase this.
The ability to use skates and rollerblades. See the Skate Shop for more details.
The ability to use skateboards for various tricks and movement. See the Skate Shop for more details.
Strength is not so much a skill, rather a feature of a persons build and muscle capacity. Being strong allows you to carry much and to do more damage in hand-to-hand combat.
Each level of strength allows a character to carry 15 lbs. extra worth of equipment. Simply add 15 to all levels of the Encumbrance Chart. In addition, each level allows the character to inflict an extra +1 damage in hand-to-hand combat. This applies when using hand weapons as well.
Skill points cannot increase strength. Instead, going to the gym, working out or lifting weights and other heavy objects, can increase it.
This skill allows you to throw weapons - such as grenades and knives - with much more accuracy than normal. In fact, each level allows you a +1 to the to-hit roll when using such weapons.
