Main Rules

File:Placeholder
Dark Future is a game of Highway battles and the conflicts between people trying to survive in an increasingly harsh and unforgiving world, while the Original Game provided extensive gaming for Vehicles engaged in battle on the Highway, and some rules to allow for Pedestrians on the road, it was not designed to provide rules for rough terrain situations, off the road, and comprehensive rules on Pedestrians (Due largely to the products being discontinued).

Here we will attempt to present the rules for Dark Future in all its glory (or as much as we can manage), and we shall include Off Road and more comprehensive Pedestrian Combat rules, and of course for those of you who wish to take it even further there will be rules for carrying over your favorite Gangs, Cults, and Ops Team's Characters.

## **Playing Dark Future**

Playing Dark Future does have a number of requirements, depending on what sort of game you would like to play, but no matter what you will need at least **Two Players**, at least **3 Six Sided Dice**, **Pencils**, **Paper**, and a positive attitude.

In addition to these things there are a number of additional things that are required for some games, these can range from 1:64th Scale (20mm/S Scale) miniature Vehicles and People all the way to city scape's of scenery for the most grandiose games. If you own a copy of the Dark Future Game then you should already have Vehicles and Road Sections at the very least, and possibly even people to represent your Characters on foot.
If you do not own a copy of the game you can make do with some Matchbox scale cars and a table top if you are using the Off Road rules, and if this is even out of reach then you can engage in Dark Future Roleplay that requires nothing more than the basic supplies listed above.

### **One Off Games**

If you intend to play a Game of Dark Future as a One Off event then it is best to begin with a few Vehicles and road sections and follow the Tournament Rules section for a basic game, if you wish to include more creative One Off Games then you can use the Main Rules presented here for such games, though a One Off Roleplaying Game could be difficult unless you plan to make a simple adventure for your Players.

Generally the One Off Game ignores any outcome of the game for the purpose of future games, this way each Player has the same value of Force each time you play and requires no special development for Characters of Vehicles even if the same force is played in many One Off Games.

### **Campaign Games**

If you intend to engage in a continuous storyline with recurring Characters and growing with experience you will likely be playing a Campaign Game, these Games will require each Player to build a Force and keep a track of what happens to each Character and Vehicle in their Force, this will typically include Engagements occurring regularly over the course of the Campaign.

A Campaign Game will typically require at least **Three** players though up to 10 can be accomplished without to many complexities, as with a One Off Game, each player will be playing a Force of Characters and Vehicles (or perhaps even more) that they develop and adapt as the Campaign develops.

## **On The Road**

(See On The Road)

When an Engagement occurs between Vehicles it is typically on the Highways of the Dark Future (Especially if you are playing the original game), when such an Engagement Occurs the Players should be familiar with the rules on how this works. The On The Road Rules cover Vehicles engaged in combat on any sort of marked Road Sections, Highway Track Sections are included in the Original Game and can be made with some ingenuity.

If even one Player in an Engagement is using a Vehicle then they must add to the Games Turn Sequence the Vehicle Movement Phases after the Pedestrian Phase, and any Vehicles must follow the Engagements Rules for their position and Speed Factor at the beginning of the game.

### **Declaring Engagements**

(See Engagement and Environment)

In One Off Games all the Players deal with is Engagements and once each player has designed a Force, they may decide mutually or roll randomly to see what sort of Engagement and Conditions they will be fighting in, regardless of how the Engagement is determined, each Player then follows the Engagements rules on placing each Vehicle and Character they control into the Field.

In Campaign Games each player plays a Campaign Turn and during the Contract Sequence they may declare an Engagement against another Player, this will determine the environment the Game will be played in and they must choose an Engagement type from the list of choices they have available to them.

#### **Approach and Engage**

This is the most common type of Engagement in One Off Games, when an 'Approach and Engage' Engagement is selected it indicates that one of the Forces has either chanced upon or intentionally caught up with an Enemy on the Road.

In One Off Games each Player in this Engagement must roll an Approach Roll by rolling a D6 and adding their best Characters Skill, the Player with the Highest result is the Aggressor and places a single straight road section (Highway or City Street) they then place all their Vehicles and Characters facing the same direction on any space in this Track Section and secretly select the current Speed Factor of each Vehicle they control, the next lowest roll then follows suit by placing a single straight track section in the direction of the first players facing and then places their Vehicles and Character in any Spaces on that Track Section, this continues until each player has placed their force, then one additional Straight Track Section is laid.

In Campaign Games the Player who Declares the Approach and Engage has deliberately attempted to catch up with an Enemy on the road (Highway or City Street), both Players then roll a D6 and add their Highest Skill among their Characters, if the Attacking Character rolls equal to or higher than their target then they become the Aggressor and follow the set up rules as listed under One Off Games above. if the Attacking Character loses the roll then the defender may choose to escape and not fight the Engagement or fight it as normal except that they are the Aggressors and place their vehicles first.

The Aggressor wins the Engagement when they have Disabled or Destroyed every Defender Vehicle in Play. The Defender wins the Engagement if they Disable or Destroy all the Aggressor Vehicles or they put 6 or more Track Sections between them and the Aggressor.

#### **Assault**

This type of Engagement is fought most commonly as a Campaign Engagement when a Player wishes to attack another Players Territory, though a One Off Game can be played with this Engagement Type.

In One Off Games both players roll a D6 and add their highest Skill of all Characters they Control, the Player who wins then places a single straight track section in the middle of the board, then each Player randomly generates 4 Track Sections on each others side of the Centre Track Section, randomly determine the track sections by rolling a D6, on a 1,2,3 or 4 the track section is Straight, on a 5 it is a Shallow Curve, on a 6 it is a Corner. if a Shallow Curve or Corner are rolled then roll a D6 to determine its direction (Odds = Left, Evens = Right), each player then places all their Vehicles and Characters on opposite ends of the Road facing one another and then secretly determines each Vehicles current Speed.

In Campaign Games the players follow the above rules for laying their track and placing Vehicles, but the Defending player may also place a single Defensive Facility on the Centre Track Section before play begins.

The Engagement is won by whichever player Disables of Destroys all their opponents Vehicles and Characters.

#### **Raid**

Raid Missions are typically declared during a Campaign Game as a way of gaining resources and weakening an Enemy Players Force, One Off Raid Games can be played but some marker must be determined as the Resource Cache in either game type.

In One Off Games the Track is laid in the same manner as Assault Engagements Above, then the Defending player is determined by each player rolling a D6 and Adding their Skill, the Player who rolls lowest is the Defender. The Defender then Places Structures (or some scenery) on either side of the Centre Track Section as their Cache location, they then place their Cache Marker within 16cm of the Centre Track Section and their Vehicles and Characters on the Track Section or Structures around it (Vehicles must be facing the Track if they begin Off Road).
the player who rolls the highest on their Approach roll then chooses one end of the Track and places their Vehicles and Characters on the end Track Section facing the Centre Track Section and secretly determines each Vehicles current Speed. if there is additional players they then take turns placing their Vehicles at other road ends (If you have Junctions then you may choose to use a Junction as the Centre Track Section instead).

In Campaign Games the Setup is the Same as for One Off Games, except that the Defending Player may place 2 Defensive Facilities on the Track Sections directly touching the Centre Track Section and may place 1 Facility Building as part of their Cache Structures.

The Aggressor wins the Engagement if at least 1 Vehicle carries the Cache Marker off any Track end in the Field, the Defender wins when all Aggressor Vehicles have been Disabled or Destroyed.

### **Determining Initiative**

(See Initiative)

Once the Engagement Type is determined and the Play Field is set up each Player must determine their position in the progress of Turns and Phases that a Game is played in. This depends on the Type of Engagement as much as any other factor.

Vehicles are always dealt with based on their Current Speed and Position in Play, In Approach and Engage type Engagements the Players all count the far edge of the Highway as the Road Ahead, A Vehicles Initiative is determined by their Current Speed Factor with the fastest Vehicles moving first, and progressively down the list of Vehicles until all Vehicles have been Moved, if Two or more Vehicles are moving at the same Speed then the Vehicle closest to the Road Ahead is moved first, if there are multiple vehicles with the Same Speed and Equal Distance to the Road Ahead, then determine by each Vehicle rolling a D6 with the highest result moving first. Each Phase the Initiative of each Vehicle must be determined by these factors as they jostle for position and vehicles Accelerate, Break, or Crash.

In Assault or Raid Engagements there is no Road Ahead as the Players Vehicles are not all moving in the same direction on the Road, in this instance the Players use their Vehicles Speed Factor to determine their Imitative, if two or more Vehicles are moving at the same Speed then they each roll a D6, with the highest result moving first.

If there are Characters On Foot then they are moved in order using the Road Ahead rule to determine Initiative and only Move in the Pedestrian Phase at the beginning of each Turn.

### **Turn Sequence**

(See Turn Sequence)

Once the Players have determined the Engagement Type, Set up the Play Area, and Determined Initiative they may begin to Make Moves and Engage in battle on the Road, this is done by following a Turn Sequence that determines how each Vehicle behaves as they race down the Highway.

Each Turn in Dark Future is divided into 6 Movement Phases, each Phase is numbered from 1 to 6 and a D6 should be used to keep track of the Current Phase of the Turn, the Turn always begins on Phase 1 (Unless there are Characters On Foot in which case the Pedestrian Phase comes before Phase 1), and as each Phase end the next begins in turn until Phase 6 has been resolved and the Turn ends.

Each Phase follows the same sequence of events in the Phase Sequence, this Sequence of events provides each Vehicle in the Field with the opportunity to make Moves, Declare Actions, and Resolve Events, each Vehicle makes a full Phase Sequence of activity before the next Vehicle moves in that Phase or the Phase ends.

#### Phase Sequence

There are 6\* Steps in the Phase Sequence that Each Vehicle should execute unless they are stationary, once a Vehicles turn to Move begins they should start at the beginning of the Phase Sequence and follow each step if they apply to their Action.

**1:** The Vehicle Declares an Action or Combination Action that they are able to use (A Vehicle without any Weapons cannot fire weapons for example.), See Actions

**2:** If the Vehicle is travelling fast enough to Move in this Phase it then executes its Move forward and completes any Manoeuvre that it has declared, if the Vehicle is not Moving Fast enough to make a Move and Maneuver it may still execute other Actions.

**3:** The Vehicle makes any Hazard Rolls that resulted from their Move (Hitting Passives, Debris, or moving too fast for safety).

**4:** If the Vehicle declared a Shoot Passives Action it then lays Passive Markers directly behind the Vehicle (If the Vehicle has lost control or Panic Braked as a result of a Manoeuvre it cannot lay Passives).

**5:** If the Vehicle Declared a Shoot Weapon Action they may begin to check fire corridors and measure ranges, then they make a To Hit Roll and resolve any results of the attack, the Driver of a Vehicle may choose not to fire their weapons before they check fire corridors or measure ranges but not after.

**6:** The Vehicles Record Sheet should be updated for the effects of any Actions or Hazards that affected the Vehicle, and the Next Vehicle then begins their Phase Sequence.

This Sequence of events should be completed for each Vehicle in Initiative Order until all Vehicles have acted in the Phase, then the Next Phase begins and starts with the Vehicle with the Highest Initiative until no more Vehicles are travelling fast enough to move in the next Phase or you reach the end of Phase 6, at which point the Turn ends and a new Turn can begin.

(\*) The six steps do not include the Phase 0 pedestrian phase. This is explained later under pedestrians.

### **Declaring Actions**

(See Actions)

When a Vehicle declares an Action there are a number of options the Driver can choose from, these are dependent on the Current situation of the Vehicle, Some actions can only be taken if the Vehicle is in Motion (Is moving fast enough to Move in the Phase), while others can be performed at any time regardless of the Speed of the Vehicle.

The Speed Factor chart determines which Phases the Vehicle can Move in and how many Spaces the Vehicle is moving each Phase, if the Vehicle is Moving at a high enough speed to Move they can also declare Manoeuvre Actions, otherwise they may only Declare Combat Actions.

A Vehicle can declare any Single Action they are permitted or they may declare a Combination Action and make Two Actions at a Penalty of -1 to all rolls for that Phase, During a Move the Vehicle moves a number of Spaces (8cm) forward depending on their speed factor this occurs before most Actions unless otherwise listed, if the Vehicle is not permitted a Move they may only make Combat Actions as a Single Action.

#### **Manoeuvre Actions**

These Actions cause the Position of the Vehicle or its current state when they are used, each Action listed here states if it can be part of a Combined Action or not, and provides an overview of the Action, for more detail See Actions.

**Drift:** When a Vehicle executes a Drift Action they first Move forward 1 Space and then they are moved one Lane to the left or right, then any other Moves Forward indicated by their Speed Factor, if the Vehicle is on a Curve or Corner it can only drift outward and will always come to rest on the Space Markings for its final outside lane rather than the inner lane, The Safe Limit for a Drift is 80mph, if the vehicle is travelling faster than this they must make a Hazard Roll to determine if they safely complete the Action. A Drift can be part of a Combined Action.

   **Swerve:** Sometimes a Vehicle needs to get out of the way much faster than a Drift will allow, in this instance the Vehicle Makes a Swerve by first moving the Vehicle 1 Lane to the Left or Right, then Moves 1 Space forward and makes a Drift in the same direction as before, then executes any remaining moves their Speed Dictates, unlike a Drift a Vehicle can Swerve inward on a corner but they must obey the rules on final alignment to the Spaces on Curves and Corners, The Vehicle must make a Hazard Test with a Safe Limit of 40mph to determine if the vehicle remains safe during the Action. A Swerve cannot be a part of a Combined Action.

   **U-Turn:** It is sometimes necessary for a Vehicle to turn around on the road and at low speeds the U-Turn allows the Vehicle to do exactly that, The Vehicle is Moved Forward, then Four Lanes left or right, and its facing is reversed and it makes any remaining Moves its Speed Factor allows, this causes a very large Contact Zone for the vehicle and requires some clear road ahead, a U-Turn cannot be performed on a Curve or Corner safely, The Safe Limit for a U-Turn is 10mph, but if a vehicle attempts this Action at speeds over 31mph they automatically lose control. A U-Turn cannot be a part of a Combined Action.

    **Bootlegger Turn:** The Bootlegger Turn is used to reverse a vehicles facing when travelling at high speed, the Vehicle is Moved all its Moves Forward and then its facing is reversed, this requires some space to the left or right of the Vehicle and if there are any objects in the two lanes on the chosen side for the Action then the Vehicle comes into contact with them and must make Hazard Rolls for those Obstacles, the Vehicle must be travelling faster than 30mph to attempt a Bootlegger and must make a Hazard Test against a 60mph Safe Limit to determine if they are successful, if the Vehicle is moving faster than 60mph it automatically loses control in the Bootlegger. A Bootlegger Turn cannot be a part of a Combined Action.

    **Bulldozer:** Disabled Vehicles and some Debris can be pushed clear by a Vehicle if it moves slowly, a Bulldozer Action is done by moving into the same space as an Obstacle that is directly in front of the Vehicle and moving the Obstacle to one side of the Vehicle as it moves, The Obstacle is moved in the logical direction for its position (If the Obstacle is more on the left before the move then it is displaced to the left), if the Obstacle occupies the Same Lanes as the Vehicle then it is shunted forward 1 Space as the Vehicle moves forward. If the Vehicle is travelling 20mph or slower they can execute a Bulldozer safely, if they are travelling faster than that it is treated as a Ram. A Bulldozer cannot be a part of a Combined Action.

**Reverse:** if a Vehicle is Stationary in the first Phase they may make a reverse action, this causes the Vehicle to Move 1 Space back rather than forward and cannot be used in any other Phase, The Vehicle is considered to be travelling at 10mph for the purpose of Hazard Tests and is generally safe, It is possible for a Reversing Vehicle to Declare a Combination Drift or U-Turn even though it is not normally possible, these actions are treated as normal for a Vehicle except that the Vehicle is moving in reverse. A Reverse can be part of a Combined Action.

**Accelerate:** Being able to catch up with or get away from an Enemy is a function of Speed, an Accelerate Action allows a Driver to increase the Current Speed of their Vehicle, after the Vehicle Moves the Driver can raise the Current Speed of the Vehicle by anywhere between 1mph and the maximum Acceleration Stat of the Vehicle. An Accelerate Action can be a part of a Combined Action.

**Brake:** Obstacles can often force a Driver to hit the Brakes and slow down, the Break Action allows the Driver to lower their Current Speed, after the Vehicles Move the Driver can lower the speed of the Vehicle by anything between 1mph and the maximum Braking Stat of the Vehicle. A Brake Action can be a part of a Combined Action.

    **Ram:** When an Move causes two Vehicles to be in close proximity (Adjacent Spaces or Lanes, or within 2cm), a Driver can Declare a Ram, if the Vehicles are Side By Side the Ram is called a Sideswipe, in this case both Vehicles roll a D6 and add their Optimum Control, the Driver who declared the Ram also adds +1, the loser of the roll immediately makes a Hazard Roll with a Safety Limit of 40mph and takes 1 damage. if the Drivers Vehicle is directly behind another Vehicle it is called Tailgating, in this situation the Driver guns the Gas to shunt the Vehicle in front, in this instance both Drivers roll a D6 and add their Adverse Control, the Driver who declared the Ram also gains +2 to their roll, the loser makes an immediate Hazard Roll with a Safety Limit of 40mph.

**Regain Control:** When a Vehicle is out of Control the Driver can attempt to recover and get the Vehicle back, this requires the Driver to roll a D6 and add their Current Speed Factor, then subtract their Adverse Control, if the result is 1 or less the Driver regains control of the vehicle and may act normally in their next Phase, if they roll a 2 or 3 they Skid and regain control, a result of 4 or 5 causes the Vehicle to Skid and remain out of control, a 6 or 7 results in a Spin, and an 8 or more results in a Roll.

### **Combat Actions**

A Vehicle can always declare a Combat Action, even if they are Stationary or not moving fast enough to Move in a Phase, Combat Actions that can be a part of a Combined Action are able to be combined with any Manoeuvre Action as normal for a Combined Action (All dice rolls that Phase suffer a -1 on their result).

    **Shoot:** When a Driver wishes to attack an enemy they can Fire Weapons or lay Passives by declaring a Shoot Action, once a Shoot Weapon Action is Declared the Player determines the Fire Corridor for their weapon and the Range to the Target and rolls a D6 adding the Weapons Accuracy to the roll, if the total is equal to or greater than the Range to the target then the shot hits and Damage should be resolved. If a Shoot Passive Action is made, the Vehicle Deploys a Single Passives marker in the Space directly behind the Vehicle occupying the same Lanes. A Shoot Action can be a part of a Combined Action.

**Complex:** This Action describes any more involved operation an occupant of a Vehicle can make and includes Hacking, Using Med Kits and Tool Kits, and any other complex activity the Driver or his Passengers and Gunners wish to make. A Complex Action cannot be a part of a Combined Action.

#### **Shooting**

(See Shooting)

Using Weapons on the Highway is commonplace in the Dark Future and being able to use them well is the hallmark of a great Road Warrior, there are two different types of Shoot Action that can be taken, this is determined by the Type of Weapon being used, any Ranged Weapon from the Light, Medium, or Heavy Weight Weapons lists are considered to be this type of Weapon and Requires a declared 'Shoot Weapon' Action to be used. Any Light or Heavy Weight Passives count as a Declared 'Shoot Passive' Action as both are resolved differently. A Driver of a Bike, Trike, or other open topped Vehicle can also choose to make a 'Shoot Sidearm' Action where they may fire a Shot from any One Handed Sidearm they are carrying, Passengers and Gunners on the Vehicle can also make a Shoot Sidearm Action in the Pedestrian Phase (See On Foot).

#### **Shoot Weapon**

When a Vehicle declares a Shoot Weapon Action, either on its own or as a part of a Combined Action the Vehicle is not committed to Shooting the weapon until they begin checking the Vehicles Fire Corridor and Range to Target, once this process has begun the Weapon must be fired even if the Target is not in Range or the Fire Corridor, all Shoot Weapon Actions are resolved in the same manner regardless of the Weapon being fired (Even Sidearms use the same rules), but there are a number of factors that can affect the outcome of such action.

These Factors can alter the chance to hit a target as a result of several factors.

 Through Smoke
 Firer at 81mph+
 Target at 81mph+

**Hood Mounted Weapons:** These weapons are right in front of the Driver and they can see more clearly what is directly in the Fire Corridor for the weapon, this gives them a +1 bonus for all To Hit rolls with that Weapon.

**Through Smoke:** Smoke Markers obscure the vision of the Gunner when firing a Weapon, this causes a -1 on the To Hit roll for each Smoke Marker between the Firer and their Target though if there are 3 or more Smoke Markers it only counts as 3 as after a while it really doesn't matter how many there are.

**Firer at 81mph+:** When Firer is travelling at 81mph or higher they are suffering from the condition of the road and the sheer speed of the vehicle and find it harder to accurately hit their tagets, this results in a -1 on the To Hit Roll.

**Target at 81mph+:** Similarly when a Target is moving at 81mph or faster they are seemingly a blur and the potholes and cracks in the Highway making them bounce around makes them harder to hit, this also causes a -1 penalty on rolls To Hit the target.

**Other Factors:** There are numerous other factors that can affect the To Hit roll, Turrets are just one example of equipment that can alter a To Hit Roll.

Once the Factors have been determined, the Firer measures the Range from their Vehicle to their Target, this can be accomplished by counting the Spaces between the two vehicles (Including the Space occupied by the Target, but not the Firer) on the Road if the weapon is Fixed Firing, or using the Range Ruler for more complex tasks (Include partial Spaces as whole Spaces).
Once you have determined the Distance of the Target the Vehicle rolls a D6 and adds their Accuracy and any other Factors to the result, if the total is equal to or greater than the Range of the Target then the Shot Hits (A result of a 6 Always hits), any other result means the Shot misses its intended target.

#### **Shoot Passive**

(See Passives)

When a 'Shoot Passive' Action is declared a Vehicle is intending to lay a Passive Marker on the road behind them as they Move, this can be done with any sort of Passive Weapons, but some are able to be 'Locked On' so that they lay a Passive after each time the Vehicle makes a Move (After the first Move if the Vehicle is moving faster than 120mph).

Laying Passives is automatically accomplished as long as the Vehicle is not Out of Control or Panic Braking, the Passive Marker is placed on the Spaces directly behind the Vehicle in the Same Lanes and occupies the entire area of the Spaces, any Vehicle that comes into contact with the either or both of the spaces occupied by the Passive must resolve the Passive as normal.
Vehicles with Two Passive Layers may lay a Singe Marker or Lay one from each, placing both on the same spaces one on top of the other.

If a Vehicle wishes to lay a Passive when there is a Vehicle directly behind them they must roll a D6, on Odds the Passive does not deploy correctly (Oil sprayed on the hood, Mines nocked aside, etc. and the Passive is wasted, on at Evens the Passive is deployed correctly and the Vehicle behind must immediately resolve the effects of the Passive, Smoke is the exception to this rule and will always be deployed successfully.

Once a Passive is Deployed (Successfully or not) the Passive Layer expends 1 Shot from its supply and stops deploying Passives, Unless it is locked on in which case a Passive will be laid each Phase without the Drivers input.

#### **Shoot Sidearm**

(See Sidearms)

When the Driver of an open Topped Vehicle is in trouble they can use Sidearms to open fire on other Vehicles and Characters instead of using a Vehicle Weapon (This is especially useful when the Weapons have run dry), this is accomplished in the same manner as Shooting any normal Weapon on the Vehicle, except that the Driver can Shoot in a 90 Degree arc in front of the Vehicle rather than Fixed Forward.

In all other respects this is treated as a normal shoot action with To Hit rolls and other Factors playing their part as normal, but the Driver is using a weapon in one hand and as such has less control over their Vehicle while Shooting the Weapon, this causes the Driver to suffer an additional -1 Penalty to all Hazard Rolls and Control Tests in the same Phase as the Shoot Sidearm action was used.

### **Crashes**

(See Crashes)

There are several circumstances that can cause a Vehicle to Crash on the road, Rams can often result in one or more Vehicles experiencing a Crash, Hazard Rolls can cause a Crash, and Control Tests if failed will result in a Crash.

When a Vehicle is Ramming or being Rammed there is a Chance that one of the Vehicles will lose control and Crash, if this does not happen then the Ram does not count as a crash and both Vehicles continue as normal, if one of the Vehicles fails their Hazard Roll then they experience a Crash as detailed below.

#### **Hazard Rolls**

When a Vehicle is called to make a Hazard Test they will need to make a roll to determine if they manage to keep the Vehicle under Control or if they lose it, Hazard Tests will typically state the Safety Limit of the Roll and this is used to determine the chance of success.

When a Vehicle must make a Hazard Roll they must roll a D6 and add +1 for every 10mph (or part thereof) over the Safety Limit they are (Vehicles under the Safety Limit do not reduce the total), then subtract the Vehicles Optimum Control (The Highest between their Handling and Skill), then consult the chart to determine the outcome of the roll.

 1 - 4
 5+

**Ok:** The Driver manages to keep the Vehicle under Control and drives away feeling smug.

**Panic Brake:** The Vehicle begins to buck and the Driver slams on the Breaks, the Vehicle slows by 5mph times the result (E.g. a roll of a 3 means 15mph), up to the limit of the Braking for the Vehicle, but the Vehicle stays under Control and drives on with a sweaty driver.

**Control Loss:** The Driver loses control of their Vehicle and it begins to suffer from Control Loss as described below at the Beginning of their next Move.

#### **Out of Control**

Once a Vehicle has lost Control it is considered by be Crashing, this can result in a number of possibilities depending on the Drivers Control Test, once a Vehicle is out of Control the Driver can either let the car do what it wants for a while or they can make a 'Regain Control' Action and try to reign in the Vehicle. Unless the Vehicle has no Driver or its Handling has been reduced to 0, in which case resolve a Control Test but add +2 to the result.

 2 - 3
 4 - 5
 6 - 7
 8+

**Regain Control:** The Driver manages to get the Vehicle back under their control and returns to normal at the beginning of the next Phase.

**Skid and Regain Control:** The Vehicle Skids on the Road but the Driver Regains Control (See above), The Vehicle rolls a D6, odds it skids straight and loses 5mph, Evens it Skids and Drifts losing 10mph (Roll randomly to determine which direction the Vehicle Skids, if the vehicle is on a Curve or Corner it always skids outward).

**Skid:** The Vehicle Skids out of control, this is resolved as with 'Skid and Regain Control', except that the Vehicle is still out of control at the end of the Phase and the Driver must try again to Regain Control.

    **Spin:** The Vehicle overcompensates and enters a Spin, this causes the Vehicle to begin Spinning as it moves forward, The Vehicle tests for a Skid as above before placing the spin template over the Vehicle, if the Vehicle has just started a Spin roll a D6 to determine direction (Odds = Left, Evens = Right), then roll a D6 and add the Vehicles Speed Factor, then turn the Vehicle to the new angle, and reduce its Current Speed by the amount shown on the Spin result. (See Spins for a full description of how a spin works).

**Roll:** The Vehicle Skids into a Spin and loses all control bouncing into a Roll, The Vehicle first determines a Skid as listed above, then a Spin lowering the Vehicles Speed and changing its direction. Once these have been done the Vehicle begins to roll in its next Phase instead of Spinning again, The Vehicle Moves 1 Space Forward and is flipped (The first flip will put the Vehicle on its roof), this causes it to lose 20mph from its current speed, and the Vehicle takes a single Hit with a Damage equal to its Speed Factor (A Vehicle moving at 60mph would suffer a +3 Damage Hit), this process is repeated, moving forward, flipping over, lowering speed, and taking damage until the Vehicle comes to a complete stop, if the Vehicle is on its Wheels and has not taken too much Damage then the Driver can try to get the Vehicle back on the road (If he is still alive), otherwise the Vehicle is Wrecked and cannot continue in the Engagement.

#### **Resolving Collisions**

When a Vehicle is out of Control and comes into contact with other Vehicles, Hazards, or Passives they are potentially entering very dangerous waters, A Vehicle that is out of control is not able to make Manoeuvre Actions in order to avoid hitting other Vehicles or anything for that matter, this can result in a Vehicle losing control and ploughing through all sorts of bad before it comes to a stop.

**Vehicle to Vehicle Collisions:** When an out of Control Vehicle hits another Vehicle it is treated in much the same manner as with a Ram but the Rammer is out of control and as such has no Optimum Control, instead they add their Speed Factor to the roll, if the Rammer loses the roll they take damage as normal but remain out of Control.

**Vehicle to Hazard Collisions:** When the Vehicle comes into contact with a Hazard (Wrecks, Trees, etc. that would normally call for a Hazard roll they are Ignored as the Vehicle is already out of control.

**Vehicle to Passive Collisions:** When an Out of Control Vehicle collides with Passive Markers they can further reduce the chances of recovery, with Mines, Napalm, and Spikes resolve them as normal but the Vehicle remains out of control, in the case of Oil the Vehicles Wheels will get slicked and suffer the Normal Handling loss but no further action is taken, Smoke is ignored.

**Vehicle to Character Collisions:** When the Vehicle ploughs into a Character on foot they are at risk of getting run down, the Vehicle rolls a D6 and adds its Speed Factor, the Character rolls a D6 and adds their Skill, if the Vehicle wins it deals damage equal to its Speed Factor to the Character, if the Character wins they manage to dive aside of the Vehicle and they are Moved 2 Lanes (4cm) to the Left or Right to avoid the Vehicle.

### **Damage and Critical Hits**

(See Damage and Critical Hits)

With high speeds and weapons blazing it is common to suffer damage to a Vehicle or Character on the road, these situations are usually as a result of Rams, Shooting, or Passives, and will typically cause a Vehicles condition to worsen as they suffer more and more Damage and even Critical Hits to their Vehicle.

#### **Damage**

(See Damage)

When a Weapon successfully Hits a target or a Vehicle runs into a Passive they will often deal damage to a Vehicle, this is listed under the Weapons or Passives **Facts and Figures** as **Damage: +X** the value after the plus or minus indicates how much the Weapon adds to a D6 roll for its total Damage.

When rolling for the Damage cause the Player rolls a D6 and adds (or subtracts) the Weapons Damage modifier to determine how much Damage is caused to a Target Vehicle or Character, once the Damage has been determined it is then Subtracted from the Vehicles Damage Total or Characters Wounds Total, if the Damage reduces a Vehicle below one if its listed Thresholds then the Vehicle also loses 1 Handling, 10mph Max Speed, and 3mph Acceleration in addition to any other effects the hit causes, if this would reduce the Vehicle Damage to 0 then the Vehicle is Wrecked and counts as Out of Control until its Current Speed reduces to 0 then it becomes a Wreck Hazard on the Road. If the Vehicles Acceleration is reduced to 0 then it is no longer able to generate enough power to move and begins to slow down at 5mph each Phase (faster if the Driver uses a Brake Action), if its Max Speed is reduced to 0 then its engine stops working all together and it beings to slow at 10mph per Phase until it comes to a stop.

When Damage is caused to a Vehicle or Character that has Armour the total Damage is reduced by the amount of Armour the Target has *(E.g. an Interceptor is hit for 5 Damage and has 4 Armour, this results in the Interceptor taking 1 Damage (5 - 4).)* if the Armour of a Vehicle reduces the Damage to 0 or below then the Shot harmlessly pings off the Bodywork and is ignored.

Some Weapons deal special types of damage and is always marked with its damage modifier as an abbreviation such as HE or AP, these Damage Types cause additional effects to occur for the Target if they are hit by such weapons.

**HE Damage:** He or High Explosive hits cause a large explosion when they strike their target, this results in a Vehicle being struck by a significant force that can cause them to lose control of their Vehicle, When a Vehicle suffers a HE Hit they must make a Hazard Roll against a Safe Limit equal to 80mph -10mph for each point of damage caused *(E.g. Chico fires his 20mm GL at the Agent and hit, he rolls his damage of D6+2HE, and rolls a 3 dealing a total of 5HE Damage, the Agent must now make his Hazard Test against a Safety Limit of 30mph (80 - 50))*.

**AP Damage:** AP or Armour Piercing Munitions are designed to cut through the Heavy Armour of Vehicles, these Rounds can ignore some or all of a Vehicles Armour based on their Damage Modifier, if a Weapon deals Ap Damage then each point of the Damage Modifier ignores 1 Point of Armour *(E.g. the Agent fires his AP Missile back at Chico and Hits, it deals +4AP so the first 4 points of Armour on Chico's Vehicle are Ignored he is in a Renegade so his Armour is only 3 and the full damage gets through.)*

**IN Damage:** IN or Incendiary Hits are a result of highly Flammable materials getting stuck onto a Vehicle or Character and continuing to Burn for several Phases, this can result in a Vehicle getting steadily worse as they drive, when a Vehicle is Hit by an IN weapon they deal damage as normal, if no damage was dealt by the blow then the Fire has not caught and the Vehicle ignores any further effect. If the Hit causes any Damage then it Deals its damage as normal and then Next Phase the Vehicle takes the Weapons Damage Modifier in Additional Damage (unmodified by Armour) each Phase for the Weapons Damage Modifier in Phases *(E.g. Chico's Vehicle races ahead of the Agent and drops some Napalm on the road and the Agent drives through it, the Napalm deals +2IN and Chico rolls a 5 for a total of 7 Damage, the Agents armour is 4 so he takes 3 damage from the flames, but it keeps burning for the next 2 Phases and takes 2 more damage each time)*.

#### **Critical Hits**

(See Critical Hits)

When Combat occurs with bullets flying and explosions all around, there is a chance that a Hit on a Vehicle can result in a Critical Hit, this is determined by the To Hit roll, whenever the Die result is a 6 (Before Modifiers) on a To Hit roll the Weapon has scored a Critical Hit and deals Damage as normal, but in addition to any Damage or Hazard Rolls that result from the Hit the Target Vehicle also suffers Damage to one of the Vehicles Systems or Passengers (Including the Driver or Gunners).

When a Critical Hit is Scored the Firer rolls a D6 against the Target Matrix for the Facing the Shot struck, this is determined by the Facings of the Target Vehicle, if its rear is facing the Firer then it counts as a Rear Facing Hit on the Target Matrix, if the Target Vehicle is at an Angle to the Firer and Two or more facings are exposed then roll randomly to determine which facing is struck.

The Firer rolls a D6 on the Target Matrix to see which Vehicle System has been hit and then consults the Chart for The Specific System that has taken the Critical, again the Firer rolls a D6 and checks the Chart, if the Target is a Character then there is no Target Matrix, instead simply consult the Character Critical Hit Chart to determine the results of the Hit.

Once the Hits Location and effect have been determined the Target Vehicle then makes any alterations to their Vehicle Record Sheet and the Game Moves on as normal (Some Critical Hits may require the Victim to make Hazard Rolls or take further Damage as a result, this should be resolved before play continues).

### **Death, Injury, and Escape**

(See Recovery)

The Highways of the Dark Future are a dangerous place, the Wrecks of Vehicles and Bodies of the Dead lay unclaimed in the NoGo, while in the PZ they are cleared away within days by the Enforcers and Destitute of the World.

Vehicles are considered Wrecked when they have lost all their Damage or they have suffered a catastrophic Critical Hit that renders them useless (Such as an Engine Critical), in these situations the Vehicle is considered Dead for the remainder of the Engagement, if you are Playing a One Off Game then these Vehicles simply become Hazards on the Road and reduce your chance of Winning, in a Campaign Game they become Wreck Hazards for the rest of the Engagement but if your force wins the Wreck can be recovered after the Engagement and any Damage repaired along with new parts and the Vehicle can live again, if you do not Recover a Vehicle then it is salvaged by the Citizens or Settlers of the Area and is lost.

Characters are Considered Downed when they have lost all their Wounds or suffered a K.O. on a Critical Hit, if the Character is on 0 Wounds but has not suffered a K.O. Critical they may be recovered during play using a Med Kit and rejoin the fight, if you are playing a One Off Game then when a Character suffers a K.O. Critical Hit they are considered Dead, otherwise they may rejoin the fight if the are healed of lost Wounds.

Vehicles and Characters can both Escape an Engagement if they wish, this is done by Moving off the edge of the play area, if the Game is using the Rolling Road Rules then they must put at least 6 Track Sections between them and any other Vehicle or fall far enough behind that the Track Section they are on is removed, Characters may Move to the nearest Edge and simply walk out of play, if you are playing a One Off Game these Vehicles and Character count as Escaped for Victory Conditions if they leave Play at the Leading Edge of the Board, otherwise they count as Lost, if you are Playing a Campaign Game the Victory rules apply in the same manner, but the Vehicle or Character is able to return home and remains an active part of your Force.

In Campaign Games any Character that suffered a Critical Hit or lost Wounds (Even if they were healed) during an Engagement, is considered to be Injured and must roll on the Character Recovery Chart to determine how badly they were hurt, they may also recover lost Wounds and restore Critical Hit effects during the Downtime Phase.

### **Aftermath**

(See Campaign Games)

Once an Engagement is over there are a number of things to take into account, this is much easier in One Off Games than it is in a Campaign due to the number of details that can change as a result of an Engagement.

#### **One Off Games**

Once an Engagements Victory Conditions have been met the Engagement ends, at this point the Player who met their Victory Conditions first is the winner and can sing and dance of their glory. if there are more than two Players then the second place goes to the Player with the Fewest Casualties (Vehicles and Characters), while last place goes to the Player with the Most Casualties (If more than one Player has no forces left then the Player who was eliminated first is the loser).

Players can remove any lost Shots, Damage, Wounds, Acceleration, Braking, Max Speed, Handling, or Skill, and any Critical Hit Effects from their Record Sheets if they wish to use their Force again in other One Off Games.

If a One Off Force was particularly good to you and you wish to convert them to a Campaign Force, then you must keep a record of their original Cash Value as well as the number of Wins and Losses they have accumulated as a result of One Off Engagements, they can then begin a New Campaign with that Cash Value (if all other players are using the same starting value), or enter an existing Campaign as long as the number of Wins and Losses they have accumulated are equal to or fewer than the number of Campaign Turns that have passed, they enter the Campaign as they are must use their first Campaign Turn to carve out a territory under the Territory Design Rules.

#### **Campaign Games**

Once an Engagement is over and the Victory Conditions are met the Players must begin their Engagement Finalizing Phase, each Vehicles Record Sheet must be updated with any damage and Critical Hits they scored and how much Damage they have taken, this can then be repaired in the Forces Garage as normal. Characters that suffered Wounds or Critical Hits must heal in the safety of their HQ, but Critical Hits will not heal without medial intervention either by a professional or another Character with a Med Kit, even then the Character must roll on the Character Recovery Chart to determine how well they do.

Once a Winner of the Engagement is determined they may then engage in Salvage of the play area, this may be rushed if they are in another Players Territory otherwise they can clear the field and recover several pieces of Equipment, Enemy Characters, and Vehicle Parts. If they Winner does not control the Territory of the play area and another Player does then they can press in on the area and force the Winner to move quickly, this allows the controller of the Territory to pick over what is left and gains some Salvage themselves.

Once the Winner of an Engagement and the Territory Owner (if any) have Scavenged the play area the locals will pick clean anything that remains of the Vehicles and Characters that were lost and nothing remains.

After the salvage has been done the Players move on to the next Campaign Phase.

## Off Road

(See Off Road and Downloads)

While the Original Dark Future rules were designed for travel on Highways, not all Engagements will be limited to what could be called roads, the US is now covered with a considerable amount of flat Desert and Arid regions, though the roads allow a Vehicle to travel much faster than when they are clunking around off road.

Much of the Rules for Off Road Engagements are much the same as when a Vehicle is On The Road, though the lack of Spaces and Lanes does require some differences, and the open landscape does offer a number of new possibilities and dangers to Vehicles using this terrain.

### Turning

The lack of Road Markings on such terrain means that Vehicles cannot use the Safety Limits and Spaces of a Curve or

Corner to determine their Turns and Limits, the use of a Turn Key is required or at least a Protractor, the basic system

for corners is a Safety Limit of 100mph - the Turn in Degrees (E.g. a Vehicle turning 45 Degrees has a Safety Limit of 55mph (100 - 45)).

When a Vehicle Moves and Turns they are declaring a New Action that is not normally necessary on the Road, a Turn Action is considered an Action like others and can be Combined with another action (See Actions).

Using the Turn Key is simple, place the Key to the side of the Vehicle so that the Corner is aligned with the Left or Right rear corner of the Vehicle, the Turn Key is 1 Space (8cm) long and can be used to measure a Move, then turn the Vehicle onto the Key to the desired degree, then move the vehicle directly forward until it is off the edge of the Turn Key. The Key is also marked with Lanes (2cm) along its bottom edge for Drifting.

### Movement

As with On The Road Vehicles can Make Moves based on their Speed and the current Phase, but without Road Markings the distance a Vehicle Moves should use the Range Ruler with a Single Move covering 1 Space (8cm) on the Ruler.

The Vehicle is Considered to have a Contact Zone the size of the Miniature for Off Road movement and if the Miniature comes into contact with a Hazard, Passive, or Terrain they must deal with any Safety Limits and Rolls that contact would require as normal for coming into contact with such Markers.

Vehicles that are Off Road can make Drift Actions as a part of their Move, using the Turn Key it is possible to make Moves and Drifts using the Markings on the Two Straight edges to measure the distance for the Move or Drift.

### Safety Limits

While roads are relatively smooth and clear road surfaces to Drive on, Off the Road there are no such smooth areas, this means that Vehicles will typically suffer a Safety Limit simply for moving on the surface.

Vehicles suffer a Safety Limit based on the type of Terrain they are driving on, Deserts tend to be flatter than Temperate areas and as such different Terrains will have different Safety Limits.

**Desert Safety Limit:** 80mph

**Arid Safety Limit:** 70mph

**Humid Safety Limit:** 60mph

**Temperate Safety Limit:** 50mph

Vehicles Travelling faster than the Safety Limit must make a Control Test to see if the Driver can maintain control of the Vehicle at those speeds.

If the Vehicle Comes into contact with a Hazard they must use the Hazards Safety Limit if it is lower than the Terrains Safety Limit (E.g. Hector's Bike is Off Road in the Desert and he hits a Sand Bar, the Safety Limit of the Desert is 80mph but the Sand Bars Safety Limit is only 30mph, He must Test at the Lower 30mph Limit of the Sand Bar.)

### Passives

As with on the road a Vehicle can lay passives off road, this must always be done in a Phase where the Vehicle can also Move, after a Move the Passive Marker is placed directly behind the Vehicle. If the Vehicle is narrower than the Marker (such as with Bikes) then the Marker is placed so that it is centered along the Vehicles length, resulting in the marker spilling out of both sides of the vehicle.

A Vehicle is considered to come into contact with a Passive Marker when part of the model is touching the Marker, each Passive Marker should be circular with a diameter of 4cm, and counts as the contact zone for the Passive.

## On Foot

(See On Foot)

Blah

## Campaign Games

(See Campaign Games)

Blah

## Dark Future Roleplay

(See Dark Future Roleplay)

Blah

## See Also

Downloads

Index