Killer Mines: $200, 10 lbs each.
These mines do no physical damage to a car. Instead,
they emit an electromagnetic pulse that wreaks havoc on a car's electronic
systems. When they are detonated (using standard mine rules), the player
rolls 1 D6 for the engine and each of the weapons. Gas engines will stall
out on a roll of 5-6, and electric power plants will stall out on a roll
of 3-6. Weapons will have their "circuit breakers" tripped on a roll of
3-6, making them useless until someone gets under the hood and resets them.
The pulse is especially harmful to computers (vehicular, targeting, etc). All targeting bonuses are instantly eliminated, and the affected computer is destroyed irreparably on a roll of 1 on a D6.
In addition to the risk of tripping a circuit, gauss guns and other electromagnetic weapons risk further damage. If such a weapon is fired on a Killer Mine's detonation phase, roll 1 D6 and consult the following table:
1) Ammunition reverses down barrel, applying damage internally, first
to the weapon and then to the rest of the vehicle's interior. Roll randomly
to see where the damage goes.
2-4) The weapon's barrel is clogged and the weapon is neutralized.
5-6) The weapon's projectile is shot at double speed, causing double
damage. This effect triples the weapon's power consumption for that shot.
The chances for a Killer Mine affecting a car are reduced by 1 for intact plastic armor, and for passing next to the mine counter (not directly over it. Metal armor on a car that detonates a Killer Mine increases the damage effects roll by 2. Plastic armor under the metal reduces the increase by 1.
Killer Mines may be fitted with proximity fuzes or detonated by remote
control. Vehicles carrying these mines will suffer their effects if the
mine system (MD, MF) is damaged or destroyed.
Hydroxide Engines: 4x base engine cost, normal weight & spaces.
As the saying goes (in Europe), we don't have gas,
but we do have ideas. The latest of these ideas is the long-awaited mass-release
of a new engine type that runs on a substance that is more easily found
than gasoline or even electricity: water. To be clear, a Hydroxide Engine
burns the hydrogen and oxygen produced by dissociating water. The main
advantage of this engine type is the fact that it is extremely expensive,
as well as being very rare. There are few mechanics across the world who
have the skills necessary to repair them if the need arises.
The HO engine comes in the same sizes (in cubic inches) as the gas engines, including trucks, boats, and non-jet aircraft. They have the same characteristics (space, weight, DPs, power factors and MPG), except for the cost, which is 4x base. The price is expected to drop in the next few years if the public responds favorably to this new technology.
A gas engine can't be converted to run on HO, no matter how good the mechanic is. It is an entirely different system. However, a car that used to have a gas engine can have an HO engine retrofitted into it. This is a very hard task for a mechanic, and it costs an extra $200 for each space of the vehicle being converted.
A HO engine uses the same accessories as a gas engine. The only difference is that they cost twice as much, due to the newness of the technology. Nitrous Oxide bottles in this case don't contain Nitrous Oxide, but still work the same.
Theoretically, a HO engine needs two fuel tanks (one for the hydrogen and one for the oxygen). However, for simplicity, assume that the fuel tank for a HO engine is a unique, double-walled design. A basic HO tank cost $50 and weighs 5 lbs per gallon of capacity. A heavy-duty HO tank costs $250 and weighs 20 lbs per gallon of capacity. A breach in a standard HO tank is treated as a breach in a economy gas tank, while a breach in a heavy-duty HO tank is treated like a breach in racing gas tank. The hydroxide mix costs $1 and weighs 6 lbs per gallon.
Since Hydroxide Engines are so new, there aren't many stations that carry hydrox fuel. A water dissociator can be used to transform water into such fuel. It costs $10,000 and weighs 250 lbs per gallons of capacity, and can dissociate 1/4 of its total capacity in one minute.
Acceleration and top speed, as well as fuel consumption are unaffected. However, if you believe that HO engines are safe, just ask NASA about its hydrox troubles. In fact, the only real difference from hydrox engines is that fire extinguishers work with HO engines without subtracting 1 from the roll as you would with IC engines.
Frictionless Flywheels: Do you want to go fast, really fast?
Suppose you want that kind of speed without the noise and air pollution
of gas or jet engines. Consider the Frictionless Flywheel.
The frictionless flywheel was invented and applied
on a small scale in the late twentieth century, but its use at that time
never really progressed beyond the limited role of a low-voltage battery.
Its high cost in the initial stages of its development made it impractical
as anything but a scientific curiosity, and with research funds diverted
elsewhere in the riot-torn years that followed, the natural growth of this
invention was stunted. Now, Stevenson Scientific has taken up where 20th-Century
scientists have left off, offering to the public both the frictionless
flywheel power plant and the frictionless flywheel drive.
The frictionless flywheel system consists of a magnetized shaft of disks magnetically suspended in a vacuum chamber. This shaft is encircled (but not touched) on both ends by superconductors (see diagram). When power is applied to these superconductors, the shaft begins to spin at a very high rate speed. This rotation continues after the power is cut off. Without going too deeply into the physics, this means that energy is stored in the system and can be used to power the vehicle at later time. The various sizes of a frictionless flywheel power plants are given below.
| Spaces | Weight | DP | Cost | Power Factors |
| 1 | 120 lbs | 1 | $1,500 | 628 |
| 2 | 200 lbs | 2 | $4,500 | 1,256 |
| 3 | 300 lbs | 3 | $6,000 | 1,884 |
| 4 | 450 lbs | 4 | $7,500 | 2,512 |
| 5 | 600 lbs | 5 | $9,000 | 3,926 |
| 6 | 750 lbs | 6 | $11,000 | 5,654 |
| 7 | 900 lbs | 7 | $15,000 | 7,696 |
| 8 | 1,150 lbs | 8 | $36,000 | 10,052 |
| 9 | 1,350 lbs | 9 | $50,000 | 12,724 |
| 10 | 1,550 lbs | 10 | $75,000 | 15,953 |
Another application of this technology is the frictionless flywheel drive. In this system, the wheels of the vehicle are suspended on a cushion of magnetic force generated from a frictionless flywheel drum. This field is turned by the rotation of the magnetic disks within the drum. The result is a constantly accelerating rotation of the wheels that require 1/10th the power of other drive systems. It actually uses power to slow the vehicle down from this natural acceleration. Because of this, FF drives aren't recommended for in-city driving.
Only vehicles with electric power plants (either standard or FFPP) may be fitted with FF Drive, and doing so drops the acceleration by 5 mph per turn (minimum of 2.5 mph/turn). The advantages are the high top speed, conservation of power and the smooth ride provided by the magnetic cushion between the axle and wheel.
Vehicles may be retrofitted with FFPPs and/or FF Drive, but the process
is very expensive and there are few mechanics with the necessary knowledge.
FFPPs may not use platinum catalysts or superconductors since they are already included in the system. The current produced by an FFPP is direct current (DC). Top speed (unless using FF Drive) is figured using the formula (240 x PF)/(PF + weight). If the vehicle has both FF Drive and an FFPP the formula is (360 x PF)/(PF + weight).
FF Drive also cannot use platinum catalysts or superconductors. Additionally, HD brakes and the anti-lock braking system may not be used since they are already a part of FF Drive. The top speed of a vehicle with FF Drive is 250 mph, regardless of power source (it does have to be electric). The current cost of FF Drive is 30% of the power plant's cost per wheel, and all of a vehicle's wheels must be so fitted for the vehicle to work. Retrofitting with either and FFPP or the FF Drive is a very hard task for a mechanic. Any additional skill in either physics or electronics, or any training in installing the system makes the task only hard. Improperly installed FFPPs and FF Drives give a D6 hazard to the vehicle due to excessive torque.
When a driver wishes to accelerate, he applies 1 point of power per 50 mph he desires to travel (1-50 mph: 1 point, 51-100 mph: 2 points, etc) for the next 10 or fewer miles. The wheels then run on that power for that distance as there is no constant application of energy. Braking the vehicle causes all power in the wheels in the wheels to be lost. The driver must, after braking at regular deceleration rates, reapply 1 point of power per 50 mph of the new speed he wishes to travel at. For example, a driver could use 4 points of power to accelerate up to 200 mph within the first 10 miles. The next ten miles, he spends 4 more points to maintain that speed. When he wishes to brake to a speed of 100 mph, he does so at the maximum safe rate of 15 mph per turn. The driver then spends 2 points of power to keep moving at 100 mph (even if his second 10-mile stretch at 200 mph wasn't used up).
As the wheels of a vehicle using FF Drive aren't completely attached,
the vehicle has an additional D2 penalty when encountering a road hazard.
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