SDC to MDC: MDC = SDC/10 (round up).
SDC to MDC: MDC = SDC/10 (round up). If the vehicle has a turret, but no separate turret SDC listing, then the turret MDC is determined as follows: Tank Turret = Body MDC/10; Other Turret = Body MDC/25.
Light Tracked Vehicles (APCs, IFVs, etc.) have tracks with 2D4 MDC(again, the variable is from wear), plus their drive & floating wheels, which keep the track moving and in place.
Heavy Tracked Vehicles (Tanks, Self-Propelled Howitzers & Engineering Vehicles) are like the light ones, except their tracks have 3D4+3 MDC.
Damage to these types of suspension are as follows:
Category 1 Damage: Equalling or surpassing the damage listing for a tire or tread ruins the tire or breaks the track. Losing all the tires on one corner of a vehicle, or losing one track, causes the vehicle to stop until repaired. This is called a Mobility Kill, as the vehicle can no longer move, and is a sitting duck. Remember, however, that this duck is still armed.
Category 2 Damage: Exceeding the damage listing for a tire by 4 or more MDC will ruin the wheel itself. Exceeding a track MDC by 4 or more MDC will make the track irreparable.
Category 3 Damage: Exceeding the tire MDC listing by 8 or more ruins the hub; depending on the vehicle type, this may also ruin the axle (see category 4). Exceeding a track MDC by 8 or more will ruin the wheels that guide the track.
Category 4 Damage: If the damage is 12 MDC or more over the tire MDC, then the entire axle is damaged beyond repair. If a track MDC is exceeded by the same amount, then that side's entire track & wheel system is destroyed. Vehicles at Category 4 are usually scrapped for parts, except in times of war, when there are usually vehicles even more heavily damaged to salvage the parts from, and working vehicles are a rare commodity.
Repair Time - Category 1: 5D6 minutes (double in the field). Either changing the tire/wheel or repairing the track (Repaired track automatically has minimum MDC).
Category 2: Wheel = 5D6 minutes (changing the wheel). Track = Requires a replacement track. 2D4x10 minutes in a properly-equipped garage, or 1D4+1 hours in the field.
Category 3: Wheel = 3D4x10 minutes (double in the field). Track = 2D4 hours (double in the field). Replacement parts required for repairs.
Category 4: Repair impossible in the field. Axle replacement = 2D4 hours in properly-equipped garage. Track system replacement = 4D6 hours. If repair done in a substandard garage (such as a civilian one) by persons capable of the repair, double the time needed.
Heavy Machineguns: A.R. 18, SDC: 5D4x10.
Grenade Launchers, Autocannons, Light Mortars(60mm): 5 MDC.
Medium Cannons(41-100mm), Medium Mortars(81/82mm): 10 MDC.
Heavy Cannons & Mortars(101-165mm): 15 MDC.
Ultra-Heavy Cannons, Howitzers & Mortars(166mm+): 20 MDC
Missile Launchers: 5-30 MDC; minimum 5 MDC, or 2 MDC each.
Spaced Armor: Locations with spaced armor take full damage only from Armor Piercing and energy weapons. For these conversion purposes, Robotech & Macross II Gun Pods and Rifts Rail Guns are considered Armor Piercing Weapons. All other weapons do 1/2 damage. Weapons doing 2 MD or less (after any modification) do no damage to the vehicle's MDC, being absorbed by the spaced armor.
Reactive Armor: Reactive armor is made up of explosive blocks that are triggered by attacks doing 5 MD or more. Plasma weapons will trigger all reactive blocks on a location, while all other weapons will only trigger 1 set of blocks. An MDC attack that hits reactive blocks, but does not trigger them, has a 50% chance to damage them to where they will not function. On a hit on an area that has reactive armor, roll 2D4 - the number of reactive block sets that have already been triggered or ruined. If the roll is positive, then functional blocks are hit; otherwise, the hit goes directly to the area's MDC. When reactive armor is triggered, it disrupts explosive-based projectiles. Plasma, Fragmentation, HE, HEDP and HEAT rounds do only 1/10 normal damage. Armor piercing and energy weapons trigger the blocks, but still do normal damage, -1D4 MD. Other than the potential ruining of reactive blocks, weapons that do less than 5 MD do not damage the vehicle.
Compound (Chobham) Armor: Currently found on such high-tech tanks as the M1 Abrams and the Challenger, areas armored with it are immune to most modern weapons. Only Plasma, AP rounds of at least 100mm caliber, energy weapons, Robotech/Macross II Gun Pods and Rifts Heavy Railguns (the last two must be capable of at least 1D4x10 MD) do normal damage. All other weapons do 1/4 of normal damage, and any weapon with a modified damage of 10 or less MDC does NO damage AT ALL.
1. Ammo kept separate from the crew: -10%;
2. Ammo kept in special area, designed to divert an ammo explosion away from the crew: -30%;
3. Vehicle out of volatile ammo (anything larger than MG ammo): -30%;
4. Ammo stored in the crew compartment: +10%;
5. Ammo on carousel setup around base of turret in order to be picked up by the gun's autoloader: +30%.
Note that the M1 Abrams falls under modifier #2, while autoloader equipped Russian tanks (such as the T-72) are under modifier #5. Is it any wonder why the Iraqis had so little a chance?
- Twilight: 2000 = Indirect Fire and Guided Missile ranges remain unchanged. Direct Fire ranges for all unguided ordnance is the TW2000 extreme range (listed range x 4m).
Rate of Fire and Burst Sizes:
For autocannons, the length of a short burst is the TW2000 ROF listing, provided the ROF # is 3 or higher. Weapons with an ROF of 2 or less cannot be fired in bursts. A Short burst does double (1 round) damage, and counts as one attack. A Long burst counts as two attacks, and does 5x damage. A Full Melee burst does 10x damage, takes all of that gunner's attacks, and must be the gunner's first (and only) action that round. Long bursts use twice the ammo of a short burst; Full Melee bursts use twice the ammo of a long burst.
For mortars, howitzers and tank cannons, the ROF is handled as follows. Each TW2000 heavy weapon of these types has a Reload (Rld) rating. Each "point" of Reload time is equal to 4 seconds or one attack. Note that weapons using autoloaders must take the 4 seconds to reload, while weapons using one or more human loaders can fire more quickly when crew is higher level. Note that W.P. in Heavy Weapons (or Vehicular Weapons) gives the loader a quicker loading time, provided he is familiar with the vehicle type.
Maximum Rate of Fire
Reload # | Autoloader* | Crew Loader* | Gunner-Loaded
----------+---------------+---------------+-----------------
None | 3 per round | As Loader | Attacks x 2/3
1 | 2 per round | As Loader | Attacks x 1/2
2 | 1 per round | As Loader/2 | Attacks x 1/3
3 | 3 / 4 rounds | As Loader/3 | 1 per round
4-5 | 2 / 3 rounds | 1 per round | 2 / 3 rounds
6-7 | 1 / 2 rounds | 2 / 3 rounds | 1 / 2 rounds
8-9 | 1 / 3 rounds | 1 / 3 rounds | 1 / 3 rounds
10+ | 1 per (Reload/3) rounds, rounded up (all weapons)
* The Gunner of an autoloaded vehicle can use his attacks to fire any of the other weapons at his disposal during the reloading process. The Gunner of a crew-loaded weapon can do so only if the reload time limits the weapon to 2 or less attacks per round.
Indirect Fire Accuracy (general case): To have a chance of hitting with an indirect fire weapon, Weapon Proficiency in either that category of weapon or the general Heavy Weapons WP must be possessed. Instead of the normal Strike rules, use the ones below:
Range ----> Point Blank | Short Range | Long Range Target Type | (<10%) | (10-60%) | (61-100%) ---------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------- Small, Stationary | 10% | 30% | 20% Large, Stationary | 15% | 60% | 40% Building, House-size| 20% | 70% | 50% Modifiers to rolls | Point Blank | Short Range | Long Range ---------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------- Moving Target | -5%/5 MPH | -3%/5 MPH | -5%/5 MPH WP Bonus | +1%/level | +2%/level | +1%/level Follow-up shots | +4%/shot | +8%/shot | +6%/shot Firing Computer | +5% | +10% | +10% Counter-Batt. Radar*| +5% | +5% | +10% * Uses radar to locate opposing IF weapons to allow return fire.
Automatic Grenade Launchers: Burst lengths are as follows -
Short: 4; Long: 8; Full Melee: 16 grenades. No more than 16 grenades may be fired in a round, and bursts can only be fired using belted rounds. Otherwise, treat as autocannons above. Note that sprays are possible, covering a set area, and that combined bursts from multiple weapons are as well.
A 4-round spray will be a line 5 burst radii long:
S*D*D*D*S
An 8-round spray can be 9 or 5 burst radii long:
S*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*S or D#Q#Q#Q#D
A 16-round spray can be 17 or 9 burst radii long:
S*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*D*S or D#Q#Q#Q#Q#Q#Q#Q#D
Key - Burst Damage: S=Single, D=Double, Q=Quadruple;
- Impacts: * = Single Impact, # = Double Impact.
Example: 25mm HE does 6D6x10 SDC per round; this is equal to 1D3 MD singly, and bursts(short/long/melee): 1D6+1/3D6/6D6 MD.
Palladium SDC to MDC (Heavy weapons) = MD = SDC / 10.
Example: 125mm HEAT does 3D4x100 SDC; this becomes 3D4x10 MD
Palladium - Burst Damage = See below.
TW2000 to Palladium - Direct Damage:
Exploding Rounds: Max MD = 2C+Pen/2, +9 if over 50mm. If result is < 1, then the max damage is (Cx200) - (Penx10) SDC.
AP Rounds: Max MD = (4D+Pen)x0.60 for rounds over 50mm, Square root of (D+Pen) for smaller rounds.
Burst Damage (Both Systems): Find burst radius in meters (the B listing inTW2000). For Palladium weapons, this is now defined as the variable B as well. The weapon does 1/2 damage out to "B" feet, (2xC)D6 SDC from there out to "B" meters, plus any specials (see below). Note that AP rounds have no burst radius, but will cause shrapnel from its impact with a hard object equal to 1/100 damage to a 3 meter (10 ft) radius. If the target hit is another vehicle, one would also have to worry about secondary explosions.
Explosives (Both Systems): 1 stick (1/2 kg) of dynamite = 1 DP = 1/4 kg of Plastic Explosives (C4). In Palladium rules, a stick of dynamite used as a weapon (untamped) does 1d4x10 SDC. These rules for explosives are a combination of the two games' rules.
C = 5 x [Square Root of (DP/2)]
Penetration (tamped) = C x 2; (untamped) = C/2.
Max SDC = (C+Pen) x 10; or Max MD = (C+Pen)/10.
Burst Radius for explosives 2 x log2 DP, in meters; minimum is 1.
Damage Simplification: Round result to nearest easy dice roll, using only D6s or D4s, with modifiers such as additives or multipliers when needed. Example results: 6.75 MD = 1D6+1 MD, 155 MD = 4D4x10 MD, 88 MD = 2D4x10+10 MD, etc.
A Note on Burst Damage: If a round hits one side of an armored vehicle and doesn't pass through to the other side, any persons on the far side of the vehicle will be sheltered from the blast.
Special Damage - Phosphorous (WP) rounds: Treat as normal fragmentation weapons with a "nil" penetration value (unless a Penetration value is actually listed, in which case the weapon is treated as an HE weapon), with additional damage coming from the heat of the WP fragments. Fragments exposed to the air will burn out in 6D6 minutes, burning hot enough to damage MD armor. Those that are imbedded in a living creature will burn for 3D4+3 rounds, but less intensely due to the lack of exposure to air. However, these fragments are not consumed, and will burn violently as above if removed in a manner that exposes them to air. The best way to deal with phosphorous fragments is to submerse them in water, which slows the chemical reactions to a near-halt.
Additional Damage - Personnel: Burst Damage/10 SDC, double damage (direct to hit points) if hit by the round, not the burst. Damage is taken every round for 3D4+3 rounds. Another 1D4 rounds of damage occurs if fragment removal is attempted in an aerobic environment. Submerging all WP wounds reduces damage to 1 SDC.
Additional Damage - Body Armor/Power Armor (and wearer): Armor takes 2D6x10 SDC (1 MD) per round for 6D6 minutes; double on a direct hit. With MDC armor ONLY, fragments can be washed off if gotten to in first minute of exposure. Otherwise, the armor must be removed. Wearers of armor that has been hit by WP take 2 SDC per round after the first, from the heat, and take 6D6 per round if the fragments burn through the armor (SDC/MDC depleted).
Additional Damage - Vehicles, Mecha/Robots and MDC creatures not immune to fire (Zentraedi, Dragons, etc.): All locations on the side of the target hit take 4D6x10 SDC (1-2 MD) per round for 6D6 minutes; burst damage can be ignored by non-flammable vehicles, but are painful to living targets (-2D4 to all combat rolls, -1D4 if save vs. drugs made). Fragments can be washed off if gotten to in first minute of exposure; otherwise, they embed into the target. For conventional vehicles with external fuel tanks (such as a T-72), there is a 10% chance per round that the fuel tank will suffer a burn-through and explode; as the fuel is not in a prime explosive situation, the explosion has 1 DP per gallon of gas or 2 gallons of diesel. Hydrogen has 8 DP per kg.
Decontamination (removal of WP) of affected personnel: submergence of WP fragments in water reduces further damage to almost nil, and surgical removal of fragments is best done with the affected areas of the patient submerged. Locating fragments is usually done by adding a special powder to the water, which causes the fragments to glow under UV light (powder costs 10 CR per use). In the field, thermal imagers can be used by an assistant to locate the fragments, but removal is at a -10% penalty.
Special Damage - Thermite Grenades: Not truly an offensive weapon, Thermite grenades are supposed to be used to destroy captured equipment, or to deny immovable equipment to the enemy. The grenade is set on the object, the pen is pulled, and the pen-puller runs like hell, not looking back. The grenade does not explode (though it could trigger secondary explosions of fuel, ammo or even superheated steam), but burns at a temperature of over 2000o Celcius(4000o F) for 30-45 [(1D4+5)x5] seconds. Each 5 seconds is counted as 1 attack, doing 3D4 MD to the object and 3D4x10 SDC(1 MD) to everything else within 10 feet. If the object takes more than 50% of its normal MDC, the grenade burns through that layer, either dropping into the interior or to the ground below. Note that an active thermite grenade in any vehicle's passenger area renders the vehicle permanently useless, even if it burns through the floorboard in the first 5 seconds. This is due to the secondary fires and melting resulting from the great heat.
Regardless of MDC, ANY pre-2000 vehicle (and most vehicles, mecha and robots of later periods) WILL be destroyed by non-combat use of this weapon. Use in combat follows the damage rules above, but the grenade is -4 to hit when thrown, requires a called shot to land on a stationary target (otherwise, it bounces off), a Critical strike to land on a moving target, and has a 25% chance per first three damage rolls to fall off a moving target, reducing that attack's damage by half and preventing further damage.
Also, it is unwise to look directly at a burning thermite grenade at distances under 100 meters. Doing so requires a save vs. non-lethal poison. A failed save results in blindness for 3D4 days; catastrophic failure (a roll of 1) results in permanent blindness. Light-sensing goggles, visors and artificial eyes add/get a +10 to the save, and prevent permanent damage.
Special Damage - Flamethrowers: Flamethrowers using gas/oil mixtures do 1D4x10 SDC, plus secondary fire damage; those using napalm-type fuel do 1D6x10 SDC, plus secondary damage. Secondary damage occurs the next round, is 1/2 the amount originally rolled, and applies only if the fire is not extinguished in the first round. Napalm-type fires do 1/4 damage the next round as well. Exposed fuel tanks and ammo have a 30% chance of explosion in the first round, 90% within the next 3 rounds from secondary fires. MDC vehicles could have external fuel tanks explode (see Phosphorous for results), and have a 9% chance that long (3+ round duration) external fires will cause an internal ammo or fuel explosion (roll each minute until fire is out). Needless to say, such an explosion will kill the crew and destroy the vehicle.
Special Damage - Napalm, Incendiaries and FAEs: Napalm bombs are primarily used to set fires, but also have minor explosive effects. They are figured up using explosive rules, with the following modifications: 1 kg napalm = 2 DP, and Penetration = C/4. In addition to the explosion, fire damage is done as the Napalm-type flamethrower above.
Incendiary bombs are combination HE/WP Bombs. Damage is figured as explosives, but with WP exposure & damage added.
FAEs (Fuel-Air Explosives) are designed for mass destruction. By misting, then igniting its fuel, the FAE causes a tremendous concussive effect. The fires that result are inconsequential. Damage is figured as explosives, except that Penetration = C. The burst radius is split into 10 rings, measured by 10% increments of the radius. The damage caused by the explosion is based on the target's location in this bulls-eye formation. The inner circle takes 100% of the resulting Mega-Damage figure, the first ring outside the circle takes 90% damage, while the outermost ring takes only 10% of the damage rolled. Note that in actuality, the rings are shells of a sphere; they are only presented as circles for simplicity.
An example of a FAE weapon is one of the most destructive non-nuclear bombs ever made: the 6000kg BLU-82, so large it can only be dropped from C-130 Hercules (using the rear hatch), or by similar aircraft in other games (such as the Robotech VC-33).
DP=48,000. C=5x(sq. root of 24,000)=approx. 775;
Pen=C=775; Max MD = (775+775)/10 = 155 MD = 4D4x10 MD.
Burst Radius = 2 x log2 48,000 = approx. 31 meters (100 feet).
Each ring has a 10 ft radius. Inner Circle takes 4D4x10 MD; reduce multiplier by one for each ring until outermost ring (91-100 feet from center) takes only the 4D4 MD.
Special Rounds - ICM, ICM-DP and CBUs: These rounds are submunition rounds; i.e., their sole purpose is to cover an area with a multitude of smaller rounds. In particular, these submunitions are equivalent in damage and burst to 40mm grenades. Normal ICM and CBU subunits are equal to 40mm HE rounds, while ICM-DP and CBU-DP subunits are equal to 40mm HEDP rounds. ICM types are artillery shells, mortar and rockets, while CBUs are bombs dropped from aircraft. At a designated altitude and location, they disperse their bomblets over an area listed as their burst radius. As each bomblet has its own burst radius, and there are so many of them dropped on so small an area, many of the radii will overlap. The following charts give the chances for direct hits and blast hits:
Versus Personnel |Dispersal | Direct | Blast Chances Launcher & Round Type | Radius | Chance | # | Chances -----------------------+----------+--------+-----+--------------- 4.2" Mortar ICM-DP | 110 feet | 20% | 2 | 60% 122mm Howitzer ICM | 110 feet | 30% | 2 | 65% 152mm Howitzer ICM | 190 feet | 40% | 3 | 70% 155mm Howitzer ICM-DP | 190 feet | 40% | 3 | 70% 203mm Howitzer ICM-DP | 240 feet | 50% | 4 | 75% MLRS Rocket ICM-DP | 280 feet | 50% | 4 | 80% 100 lb. CBU (Bomb) | 50 feet | 30% | 2 | 60% 250 lb. CBU-DP | 64 feet | 40% | 3 | 65% 500 lb. CBU | 72 feet | 40% | 4 | 70% 2000 lb. CBU-DP | 90 feet | 50% | 4 | 80% Vs. Vehicles, RPA, etc.|Dispersal|Direct Chances | Blast Chances Launcher & Round Type | Radius | # | Chances | # | Chances -----------------------+---------+-----+---------+-----+--------- 4.2" Mortar ICM-DP | 110 ft. | 1D4 | 40% | 1D6 | 80% 122mm Howitzer ICM | 110 ft. | 1D4 | 50% | 1D6 | 85% 152mm Howitzer ICM | 190 ft. |1D4+1| 60% |1D6+1| 90% 155mm Howitzer ICM-DP | 190 ft. |1D4+1| 60% |1D6+1| 90% 203mm Howitzer ICM-DP | 240 ft. | 1D6 | 70% | 2D4 | 95% MLRS Rocket ICM-DP | 280 ft. | 2D4 | 40% | 2D6 | 95% 100 lb. CBU (Bomb) | 50 ft. | 1D4 | 40% | 1D6 | 80% 250 lb. CBU-DP | 64 ft. |1D4+1| 50% |1D6+1| 85% 500 lb. CBU | 72 ft. | 1D6 | 60% | 2D4 | 90% 2000 lb. CBU-DP | 90 ft. | 1D4 | 40% | 2D6 | 95%
Special Rounds - FASCAM: FASCAM rounds also disperse submunitions. Instead of grenade-like objects, however, FASCAM rounds release land mines. FASCAM rounds come in two types: ADAM (anti-personnel) and RAAM (anti-tank). For damage purposes, treat ADAM submunitions as M14 mines, RAAM submunitions as M21 mines. Use of Twilight: 2000 mine field rules for both FASCAM and regular mine fields is recommended.
Special Rounds - Mines: Most mines are treated as heavy weapons that strike from below. As a result, the triggering object usually takes the damage to the suspension or legs, unless the mine is fell upon, triggered remotely or a botched attempt is made using EOD to remove the mine. Other objects in the burst radius take burst damage, modified as to their location and what triggered the mine; vehicles that trigger anti-personnel mines tend to smother the blast. Also, as noted before, a mine triggered by the left side's suspension will not affect people walking in the lee of the right side of the vehicle. Three types of mines that don't fit the classical mine profile, however, being as much offensive weapons as defensive. These are ORAT, Directional and Bounding mines.
ORAT mines are the "dumb" ancestors of the AM-2 "Watchdog" mine of the Robotech RPG, being remote-triggered anti-tank missiles. Instead of a computer and sensors, they are triggered by mechanical means (a pneumatic hose, like a gas station bell hose), the breaking of a laser beam set across the target area, or by command detonation. The weapon is aimed at or just ahead of the trigger point, provided you know the direction of the enemy's approach. Aiming requires a Demolitions roll at -10% or Weapon Systems at -30%. The ORAT hits on a natural roll of 8 or better, provided the rocket was properly aimed(-5 for small targets). The target cannot dodge, unless it has Sixth Sense, Zanshin (martial arts technique) or an Automatic Dodge. In either case, the target must roll an initiative against the rocket (to simulate reaction time). If the target wins, it can attempt to dodge, but without bonuses other than those given by the ability in question (no HTH, PP, physical or non-autododge specific bonuses). If the initiative roll is lost, only an attempt to roll with the impact is possible (also with no bonuses). If none of the above abilities are possessed, not even the attempt to roll is possible. If the target is missed, the rocket will continue its flight until it runs out of fuel or hits something, at which time it will explode. Note that most ORATs are positioned to where they will hit the ground or another object within 1/2 blast radius range of the intended target area, to allow a near-miss to hit the target with shrapnel. The biggest danger with this weapon type is that civilians or unwary allies might accidently trigger it if left unsupervised. As a result, many ORATs are equipped with sensors that allow them to ignore pedestrians and vehicles under a certain size. That doesn't mean that it will ignore something totally unfamiliar. Range of an ORAT is usually 500-1000 ft.
Directional mines: The best example of this type of mine is the infamous M18A1 Claymore. The burst area is a 30o cone. Therefore, the width of the cone is 1/2 the distance from the mine, all the way out to the end of its range. Objects in the first 50% (by distance) of the cone take double damage, those in the second half take normal damage. All caught in the cone can attempt to roll with the impact (no bonuses), but only those who had a chance to dodge an ORAT can attempt to dodge a directional mine (with bonuses, this time).
Bounding mines: These are set to "bounce" into the air when their nearby trigger is hit (or when command detonated), then explode in the air to cover a large circular area with lethal fragmentation. As with the directional mines, one has to actually be in contact with the mint to take Mega-Damage, but the fragmentation unleashed is heavy.
Chemical Mines: See the description of chemical weapons.
Special Damage - Chemical Weapons: There are many types of chemical weapons, ranging from smoke and tear gas to the more deadly types developed for warfare. The non-deadly types are smoke, tear gas, puke gas (tear gas effects + nausea), and the two high-tech (as in not yet developed in the real world)knockout and paralysis "nerve" gasses listed in the Palladium games. The DEADLY GASSES are illegal in ALL Palladium settings, from the 20th century games to Robotech to Rifts. Punishment for possession is at best hard jail time, possibly execution in the more brutal societies. Actual USE of deadly gasses is a capital offense even areas that oppose the death penalty!
Gasses of any type are released from their container in one of two ways. In the slow-release method, the radius of effect increases 3 feet per second until the maximum radius is reached. The second method uses exploding containers; half the radius is covered in the attack it detonates, the rest of the area of effect on the same initiative one attack later. Exploding rounds that physically hit a target do damage equal to a 1 DP explosive blast. Unarmored people hit by fragments get a -4 to their poison save, due to the chemical's presence on the fragments; this penalty is cumulative with other penalties due to the severity of the chemical. All chemical clouds last for 4D6+6 minutes unless dispersed by wind or neutralized by magic. The deadly gasses are:
Blood Agent (WWI Mustard Gas): 1D6 Hit Points of damage per round, bypassing SDC round. Stopped by full clothing & gas mask, a chemical defense suit, or any environmental armor.
Blister Agent (Advanced Mustard Gas Variants, etc.): Similar to Blood Agent, it more easily penetrates clothing and has tear gas effects as well. Damage: as Blood Agent + Tear Gas. Stopped only by chemical defense suits and environmental armors, but a small hole in the protective covering might not affect the wearer (save vs. Lethal poison each round to avoid exposure).
Nerve Agents (VX, etc.): Does 2D4 Hit points per 3 seconds, and the victim must save vs. lethal poison each time damage is taken or pass out. Damage continues for 1D4 rounds after being removed from the cloud, which means that death is almost guaranteed. Atropine injections halt damage upon entering the body, but incapacitate the person injected for 4 hours, to the point they aren't capable of movement, let alone combat. Chemical suits and environmental armors stop the gas, but MUST have a perfect seal; it only takes a few molecules to kill.
For all three types, a saving throw must be made each time damage is taken, reducing damage to 1/2. However, once one save is failed, all other saves fail automatically until the character is clear of the affected area.
Residual Effects of Deadly Chemical Rounds: Persons rendered comatose by chemical rounds may permanently lose points of P.E., based on how far they dropped below 0 hit points. One save must be made per 3 points below zero (rounding to the next lower multiple of 3; -4 rounds to -6, -8 to -9, etc.).
Blood Agents: Each failed save results in the permanent loss of 1 P.E. Coma recovery is based on this new number.
Blister Agents: As Blood Agents, but saves are at -2.
Nerve Agents: As Blood Agents, but saves are at -5.
Residual Contamination: Equipment contaminated by these gasses (vehicles, armor, etc.) do 1D6 SDC per minute to people exposed to the contaminated areas. Contamination can be removed by washing, or a rainstorm of not less than 1 inch of rain falling on the contaminated parts. The ground covered by the gas cloud will remain contaminated for at least 2D4+2 hours, doing 1 SDC per round to unprotected persons in it, and contaminating all items that touch the ground (such as boots, tires, etc.). Any digging or explosions in the contaminated area have a 50% (-1% per year) chance of stirring up gas traces and recontaminating the area for 1D4 hours. Note that this can happen decades after the original contamination.
Medical treatment of deadly gas exposure: Note that it takes at least the Paramedic skill to treat gas victims that have been rendered comatose, although any idiot can stick himself or a fallen comrade with an atropine auto-injector. All military personnel with Paramedic or MD training have been trained to effectively treat gas victims; civilian Paramedics, Nurses and Doctors are at a -20% to treat gas victims, including the coma recovery rolls.