Combat Cheat Sheet – Vehicle Chase Combat Sequence

[There was no game last week, so no session report this week.  Instead, here is the much belated Vehicle Chase cheat sheet.]

This expands on the terse description of determining the combat sequence in the Shadowrun 5th Edition rulebook.  Where they went for compactness, this version goes for clarity.

Terms and Requirements:
This cheat sheet refers to Piloting skills as Piloting skills, not Vehicle Skills, as that is what appears on character sheets.

Vehicle Test = Piloting Skill + Reaction [Handling] Test

• The threshold is determined by the difficulty of the situation, see p. 199 for the

Vehicle Test Threshold Table (ranges from 1 to 4).
• The threshold is modified by Terrain Modifiers (p. 201)
• Piloting by AR raises the limit by 1.
• Piloting by VR raises the limit by 2.

Controlling a Vehicle

• Drivers must spend at least one Complex Action in each Combat Turn driving the

vehicle or it becomes Uncontrolled at the end of the Combat Turn.
• Uncontrolled vehicles apply a -2 die modifier on all actions taken inside the vehicle.
• The pilot has one Combat Turn to regain control (by spending a Complex Action) or:

o The Autopilot takes over (if the vehicle has a Pilot rating)

o The vehicle continues on last course with no defense roll against attacks

Chase Combat Process (p. 203)

1.   Determine Environment

• Option 1: Speed Environment
• Option 2: Handling Environment
• Changes at GM discretion

2. Establish relative Chase Ranges for vehicles

• See Chase Range Table, p. 204
3. Roll Initiative
• Vehicle moves at driver’s initiative
4. Take actions in initiative order
• Drivers may perform Chase Actions (below and p. 204) or regular Combat Actions

 (p. 205)
• Passengers may only perform regular Combat Actions (p. 205)

Chase Actions
Limits are based on current Chase Environment (Speed or Handling), which dictates which vehicle attribute is the limit.

Catch-up/Break Away (any range)
• Driver makes a Reaction + Piloting skill [Environment]
o The threshold is in the Vehicle Test Threshold Table (p. 199)
o Remember to apply Terrain Modifiers (p. 201)
• For each Net Hit, the driver may shift one Range category closer or farther away to the
limit of the vehicle’s Acceleration
• If the driver shifts past Extreme range, the pursuer must make a Reaction + Piloting
skill [Environment] with the same threshold as just made to stay within sight.

Cut Off (Short range only)
• Acting vehicle seeks to make target crash
• Opposed Reaction + Piloting skill [Handling*] Test (that’s the vehicle’s Handling
attribute)
• If attacker gets more Net Hits, target must make a Vehicle Test with a threshold =
number of net hits to avoid crashing (see Crashes, p. 201, for effects of crashing)

Ram (Short range only)
• Acting vehicle seeks to ram the target
• Opposed Reaction + Piloting skill [Environment] Test
• If attacker gets more Net Hits, the vehicles have collided.
o Target takes Damage = attacking vehicles Body + Net Hits
o Attacking vehicle takes damage = its Body/2

Stunt (any range)
This covers any other crazy action the driver thinks will shake pursuit.
1. The GM sets a threshold based on the Environment (p. 201) and the difficulty of the
 maneuver (p. 199).
2. The Driver rolls Reaction + Piloting skill [Environment]
• Fails: vehicle is out of control (-2 die penalty on all actions inside the vehicle). The
vehicle could crash, slow, or do whatever the GM thinks appropriate.
• Succeeds: Pursuer must now make a Vehicle Test to maintain range
o Pursuer Fails: range increases by one category.
o If already at Extreme, fleeing vehicle escapes.

Other Notes:
• Passengers attacking suffer a -2 die penalty to all attack rolls.
• Vehicles attacked in combat roll Driver’s Reaction + Intuition as Defense.
• Drones attacked in combat roll Rigger’s Pilot + Autosoft [Handling] as Defense.
See p. 266 if the Rigger is jumped in.
• Evasive Driving = Full Defense for vehicle combat.
o -10 to Initiative
o Add Intuition to Defense pool
o Requires a Free Action to do
o May not be done vs. Ram attacks
• Called Shot can be used to knock out specific vehicle components.
o Target component is destroyed.
o Each shot out tire invokes a -2 die penalty to Vehicle Tests
• See p. 205 for attacking passengers in vehicles.