DC Heroes RPG – Missiles
Context
This is a technical article for the DC Heroes RPG. This quick framework makes writing up missiles easier and gives them coherent stats.
Types of missiles
There are 3 main kind of missile depicted in fiction – pulse, long and persistent.
- “Pulse” missiles will hit or miss their target within a Phase, and will not attempt to hit their target again if they miss.
- “Long” missiles may fly for several Phases, and will not attempt to hit their target again if they miss.
- “Persistent” missiles may fly for several Phases, and will dogfight or buzz around a target until they hit it or are destroyed.
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Most “Pulse” Missile have the following stats : [BODY 02, (warhead), Range: 08, R#03, Grenade drawback, Limitation : (warhead) has No Range and uses the listed Range instead].
They are used with the Weaponry (heavy) Subskill – in fiction, it’s not about how accurate a missile is, it’s about who shoots it. Missiles fired by faceless villains with low skills will usually miss, missiles fired by clear-eyed hero with high skills have a much higher chance to hit.
Most “Long” missiles have the following stats : [BODY 02, (warhead), AV 04, Flight: 12, R#02, Grenade drawback, Limitation : (warhead) had No Range, (warhead) has no AV and uses the listed AV instead, Flight can only be sustained for five Phases (-2)]. Long missiles have their own AV, and no SKill score is used with them.
Most “Persistent” missiles have the following stats : [DEX 06 BODY 02, (warhead), Flight: 10, R#02, Grenade drawback, Limitation : (warhead) had No Range, (warhead) has no AV and uses the listed DEX instead, Flight can only be sustained for nine Phases (-2)]. Persistent missiles have their own DEX, and no Skill score is used with them.
Thus, Pulse missiles are a simple ranged attack ; Long missiles fly themselves to the target then try an attack using their AV ; “Persistent” missiles fly themselves to the target then start maneuvering and attacking using their DEX, until they run out of fuel or impact with something.
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Types of tracking mechanism
Most missiles will track their target through unspecified means – modern missiles sometimes uses shape-analysis software, meaning they aim by recognizing their target by a variety of signatures – shape, radar shape, heat signature, etc.
Two other common kind of missiles are Heat-seeking and Radar-guided. Those are 15 pts Drawbacks for the missile : Heat-seeking means it can be fooled by flare-type countermeasures, and radar-seeking means it can be fooled by chaff-type countermeasures.
There is no need to give missiles with such an aiming mode Thermal vision or Radar sense – those inputs are solely used to explain the missile AV or DEX, which has already been paid for.
Some missiles are also intended to be aimed at pretty large targets :
- Low resolution missiles will attack vehicles like tanks and jet fighters normally, but add +1CS to the OV of any man-size target. Low Resolution is a 10 pts Drawback.
- Very low resolution missiles will attack huge targets like buildings or ships normally. Vehicles add +1 CS to their OV, and individuals +2 CS. Very low resolution is a 15 pts Drawback.
Types of payloads
Common payloads include :
- High explosive : Bomb: 12.
- Anti-armour : EV 13 (Area of effect 0 AP).
- Anti-ship : EV 14 (Area of effect 1 AP).
- Cratering : Dig: 08 (Area of effect 2 APs).
- Proximity fuse : EV 10 (Area of effect 2 APs) – common for anti-air missile.
- Super penetrator : EV 12 (Area of effect O APs), Sharpness (EV): 03.
- HARM : EV 12 (Area of effect 1 AP), Detect (radar): 12.