Snowmobiles

by Brian Simon

Editor's Note: these rules are a variant only. They are not official.

It is time that the AADA realized the importance of snowmobile duelling to the populations of the North. These machines are the size of a motorcycle, using a 1/2" x 1/2" counter, and specialize in traveling on snow and ice. Like cycles, they are armored in the front and back only, and they also use motorcycle power plants.

Snowmobiles are powered by a track in back, and guided by a skid in the front. More information on them is provided below. Snowmobiles cannot carry sidecars, but a mini-van trailer can be outfitted with a skid and dragged behind the vehicle.

For those that want to use the Dueltrack supplement, metal armor and gas engines can be used on snowmobiles. Armor accessories can also be made of metal, at the listed modifications to cost and weight.

Snowmobiles are -2 to be hit, and targeting one from the front or back is an additional - l. Specific parts of snowmobiles can also be targeted (details are given below); all targeting modifiers are cumulative.

Vehicle Construction

Frame
Snowmobiles come in three basic sizes:
Frame SizePriceMax. LoadSpacesDPArmor $/Wt
Light$250225850410/4
Medium$3502751150511/5
Heavy$4503251400712/6

Skids
Snowmobiles have no suspension. Instead, the skids determine the handling class of the vehicle. If the skids are destroyed, the HC of the snowmobile is lowered to -2 immediately, and stays there until the skids are repaired. Skids share collision damage with the front armor, and can be targeted at a -4. When a snowmobile takes damage from weapons fire, use the motorcycle damage allocation table, and substitute "skids" for "front tire."
SkidsPriceWeightHCDP
Standardfree2504
Improved50% frame3516
Heavy100% frame4529
Super200% frame60312

TracksPriceWeightDP
Regular$150304
Improved$300456
Heavy Duty$400609
Super$7008012

Tracks
The track on a snowmobile is what moves the vehicle over the terrain. The tracks are protected by the rear armor, so they can be targeted from the sides only at a -3. When a snowmobile takes damage from weapons fire, use the motorcycle damage allocation table, and substitute "track" for "rear tire." When the track is destroyed, the snowmobile decelerates at 10 mph per turn automatically, though braking may slow it faster. Once stopped, the snowmobile can be lifted from the back by a pedestrian and pushed along on its skids, at 2.5 mph. If the skids are also destroyed, however, the vehicle cannot be moved at all.

Armor
Snowmobiles may have armor on the front and rear only. The usual armor types -- Normal, Fireproof, Laser-Reflective, and Laser-Reflective/Fireproof-- are available.

Accessories
Skidguard: $10 and 2 lbs. per point of armor, no space, 10-point armor maximum. Only one guard is necessary to protect the skids. When the skids are hit, roll one die. On a 1-5 the guard is hit first. Skidguards do not affect HC. Skidguards can be made FP, LR, or LRFP, and the armor type must match the rest of the snowmobile's armor.

Trackguard: Same as skidguard in cost and effect, except two are required, and the trackguard protects only on a 1-4 die roll. Available in all armor types, and the armor types must match.

Ramplate: Cost and weight the same as a car ramplate, no space. Cuts damage taken by the snowmobile in a collision in half; does double damage to other snowmobiles and cycles, and 1.5 times damage to larger vehicles. Must match front armor type, at standard cost and weight penalties.

Movement

Acceleration is figured for snowmobiles the same way as for cycles. Deceleration of up to 10 mph/turn is possible at no hazard. Deceleration of 15 mph/turn is a D3 hazard; 20 mph/turn deceleration is a D6 hazard; greater deceleration is not possible.

Maneuvers
All standard maneuvers are possible on snow except the bootlegger reverse, which can only be performed on ice. Snowmobiles may also jump, using the rules for off-road duelling. Snowmobiles cannot move or maneuver in reverse.

Skipping: If a snowmobile is moving fast enough, it may "skip" over a short stretch of open water. This occurs when a snowmobile is going at least 5 mph for every 150 lbs. of vehicle (or fraction thereof). For example, if a snowmobile and rider weighed 780 lbs., it would have to be going at least 30 mph to skip. The distance of water a snowmobile can cross is 2", plus 1/2" for every 5 mph over the minimum skip-speed. If the above-mentioned snowmobile was going 45 mph, it could cross 3 1/2" of water; at 75 mph, it could cross 6 1/2" of open water.

If a vehicle jumps on to open water, subtract 30 mph from the landing speed when determining if the snowmobile will "skip" when it lands.

Once solid ground is reached, the vehicle takes a D2 hazard if it's going 25 mph or less; D3 at 26-50 mph; D4 at 51-75 mph, and so on. The snowmobile decelerates 5 mph for every inch (or fraction) of water it "skips." The snowmobile above, crossing 6-1/2" inches of water at 75 mph, would be going only 40 mph when it got to the other side, taking a D3 hazard.

A snowmobile cannot change direction while "skipping" -- it can only go in a straight line. If a snowmobile doesn't make it to the other side, it sinks. It only takes one second for a snowmobile to sink to the bottom of a lake or river. Referees must take into account distance from shore and personal encumbrance when determining the fate of the snowmobile driver in such an instance.

Hazards
Ice: Snowmobiles run on ice, but not very well. Maximum acceleration on ice is 5 mph/ turn. If you try to accelerate any more, acceleration will drop to 2.5 mph/turn as the track spins on the ice. Deceleration, likewise, is limited to 5 mph/turn. If greater deceleration is attempted, roll immediately on Crash Table 1, substituting the "Spinout" result for all results of 6 or more. If a snowmobile spinning on ice hits snow, it will begin rolling. Snowmobiles add D1 to all maneuvers performed on ice.

Snow: A snowmobile's natural element. There are no penalties of any kind for maneuvering on snow.

Off-Snow: On bare ground, a snowmobile cannot safely accelerate more than 5 mph/turn, its safe top speed is cut in half, and its HC is reduced by 2. For every turn that the snowmobile travels over half its top speed, or accelerates more than 5 mph/turn, the snowmobile's track takes 1 point of damage. Deceleration of greater than 10 mph/turn off-snow results in a die of damage per turn per 5 mph of "extra" deceleration to the track; for example, if a snowmobile decelerated 20mph per turn for 2 turns, the track would take 2 dice of damage each turn, for a total of 4 dice.

Woods: In unfamiliar wooded territory, roll 2 dice every turn. On a roll of 2 or 3, a stump or boulder was hit; the skids and front armor both take 1 die -4 points of damage, and the vehicle takes a D2 hazard. The referee can change the severity or frequency of this roll to fit the terrain.

Trails: The roads of snowmobiling, these are cleared paths where there is no chance of encountering random obstacles, such as rocks and tree stumps.

Dropped Weapons: Spikes do not affect skids, but do 1 point of damage to the track; Mines do half-damage to the track (and none to the skids), but cause a D3 hazard when set off; oil has no effect; flaming oil does the usual amount of damage, but is no hazard; an ice dropper can be used, but seems redundant. Flaming oil, flamethrowers, and other incendiary weapons can melt a patch of snow and force another snowmobile to go off-snow. This is only possible if the snow is not too deep. Flaming oil will melt 3 inches of snow per point of damage every turn it burns; Napalm mines will melt 2 inches of snow per point of damage; and all other flame weapons will melt 1 inch of snow per point of damage rolled. If this melts all the snow in a patch, that area becomes "bare" and subject to off-snow rules. Flamethrowers affect a 1" x 1/2" area of ground; incendiary rockets affect a 1/2" x 1/2" area; and incendiary ammo affects only a 1/4" x 1/4" area.

Sample Vehicles

Worker: Hvy frame, Std. skids, Reg. track, Lg. power plant, driver, MG front, Lt. hitch. Armor: F5, B5. Cargo capacity: 2 spaces, 425 lbs., can tow another 1,000 lbs. Accel. 10 with full cargo and up to 200 lbs. in tow, 5 at greater weight, HC 0, 975 lbs., $3,970.

Skid Hauler: Minivan trailer, Std. skids. Armor: 2 on each side. Cargo capacity: 3 spaces, 415 lbs. 485 lbs., $308.

Abominable Light: Lt. frame, Hvy. skids, Hvy. Dty. track, Med. cycle power plant, driver, 2 linked LRs front. Armor: F25, B17. Accel. 10, HC 2, 848 lbs., $2,520.

Lynx: Med. frame, Sup. skids, Sup. track, Med. cycle power plant, driver, RL front. Armor: 2 10-pt trackguards, 10-pt skidguard, F15, B10. Accel. 10, HC 3, 1,150 lbs., $4,675.

Polar Bear: Hvy. frame, Sup. skids, Sup. track, 100-cu. in. IC engine, carburetor, 5-gallon HD tank, driver, 2 linked MRs front. Armor: 2 10-pt trackguards, 5-pt skidguard, F40, B30. Accel. 10, Top speed 85, Base MPG 48, HC 3, 1,400 lbs., $5,695.
Option: Replace carburetor with turbocharger. Accel. 10 (15 at 40 mph+), Top speed 105, Base MPG 50, $7,195.

Polar Ram: Hvy. frame, Sup. skids, Sup. track, 100-cu. in. IC engine, turbocharger, nitrous oxide, 5-gallon Economy tank, driver, MML front. Armor: F33 (with ramplate), B22. Accel. 10 (15 at 40 mph+), Top speed 105, Base MPG 50, HC 3, 1,3991bs., $8,464.

ADQ 5/1, Spring 2037, pps. 18-20
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