Scale Conflict and Vehicles

Contents

Overview
Conflict Scale
Era Scale Profiles
Scale Mismatch
Battle Phases
Force Scale Battles
Vehicle and Vessel Exchanges
Crew Roles
Vessel Spotlight Cycle
System Damage
Boarding and Breach
Magic and Technology at Scale
Zooming Between Scales
Future Use

Overview

Large conflicts are not personal combat with larger wound tracks.

Armies, vehicles, vessels, starships, city sieges, drone wings, battlefield rituals, and orbital weapons operate at different scales. They should use the same outcome-band logic as Core Resolution, but their consequences should target cohesion, position, systems, supply, command, terrain, and mission objectives rather than only individual wounds. The focus eras from System Design Principles provide the expected baseline for what a large force, vehicle, or vessel can do.

The guiding rule is:

Large forces decide the scene’s pressure; player characters decide the turning points.

Conflict Scale

Use conflict scale to decide what one exchange or phase represents.

Scale Unit of Action Examples

Scale	Unit of Action	Examples
`Personal`	Individual exchange.	Duel, skirmish, capture, escape under fire.
`Squad`	Small group exchange.	Patrol fight, boarding team, vehicle crew, security cell.
`Force`	Tactical phase.	Company action, shield line, cavalry charge, siege breach, fortified street.
`Vehicle`	Platform exchange.	Chariot, wagon, tank, walker, aircraft, gunship, shuttle, skimmer.
`Vessel`	Crew-and-system exchange.	Ship, ironclad, airship, submarine, starship, orbital platform.
`Strategic`	Campaign move.	Supply, territory, winter, alliances, morale, production, fleet posture.

Personal

Individual exchange.

Duel, skirmish, capture, escape under fire.

Squad

Small group exchange.

Patrol fight, boarding team, vehicle crew, security cell.

Force

Tactical phase.

Company action, shield line, cavalry charge, siege breach, fortified street.

Vehicle

Platform exchange.

Chariot, wagon, tank, walker, aircraft, gunship, shuttle, skimmer.

Vessel

Crew-and-system exchange.

Ship, ironclad, airship, submarine, starship, orbital platform.

Strategic

Campaign move.

Supply, territory, winter, alliances, morale, production, fleet posture.

When scales differ, do not automatically compare them as equal combatants.

Era Scale Profiles

Use these profiles to decide which large-scale assets and systems are normal for a scene.

Era Common Scale Assets Scale Notes

Era	Common Scale Assets	Scale Notes
`ME`	Armies, cavalry, shield formations, ships, siege engines, warded walls, battlefield rituals.	Vehicles are simple platforms. Vessels are usually sea or river craft unless magic changes the premise.
`IN`	Rail lines, ironclads, airships, artillery, steam vehicles, factories, telegraph command.	Supply, smoke, machinery, rail timing, and industrial infrastructure become major force qualities.
`MO`	Tanks, aircraft, submarines, radio command, mechanized infantry, artillery networks.	Combined arms, hard cover, air pressure, detection, and logistics shape most scale conflicts.
`PM`	Drones, smart weapons, corporate vehicles, cybernetic crews, networked command, orbital-adjacent assets.	Sensor state, jamming, automated pressure, and command-network breakpoints often decide the phase.
`ES`	Shuttles, habitats, orbital platforms, early starships, sealed transports, docking infrastructure.	Hull, life support, docking, vacuum, cargo, and orbital position become ordinary conflict systems.
`FF`	Mature starships, autonomous fleets, exotic drives, living vessels, resonance engines, strategic megastructures.	Permission, shielding, anomaly state, autonomous doctrine, and system phases matter more than raw damage.

ME

Armies, cavalry, shield formations, ships, siege engines, warded walls, battlefield rituals.

Vehicles are simple platforms. Vessels are usually sea or river craft unless magic changes the premise.

IN

Rail lines, ironclads, airships, artillery, steam vehicles, factories, telegraph command.

Supply, smoke, machinery, rail timing, and industrial infrastructure become major force qualities.

MO

Tanks, aircraft, submarines, radio command, mechanized infantry, artillery networks.

Combined arms, hard cover, air pressure, detection, and logistics shape most scale conflicts.

PM

Drones, smart weapons, corporate vehicles, cybernetic crews, networked command, orbital-adjacent assets.

Sensor state, jamming, automated pressure, and command-network breakpoints often decide the phase.

ES

Shuttles, habitats, orbital platforms, early starships, sealed transports, docking infrastructure.

Hull, life support, docking, vacuum, cargo, and orbital position become ordinary conflict systems.

FF

Mature starships, autonomous fleets, exotic drives, living vessels, resonance engines, strategic megastructures.

Permission, shielding, anomaly state, autonomous doctrine, and system phases matter more than raw damage.

Mixed-era conflicts should be framed through permission and objectives. A ME army cannot usually damage an ES vessel directly, but it may threaten a landing site, ritual anchor, supply route, crew on the ground, or political objective.

Scale Mismatch

Scale mismatch turns direct combat into hazards, objectives, or permission problems.

Mismatch	Default Handling
PC vs vehicle	Treat the vehicle as a hazard or objective unless the PC has anti-vehicle permission, special terrain, sabotage access, magic, or heavy weapons.
Vehicle vs PC	Resolve as cover, escape, survival, sabotage, boarding, or disabling targeting rather than ordinary defense.
PC vs vessel	Usually a mission inside or around the vessel: breach, board, escape, sabotage, negotiate, guide, or survive.
Vessel vs PC	Environmental disaster, bombardment, pursuit, shelter, evacuation, or countdown.
Army vs PC group	The army creates battlefield pressure; PCs act at turning points.
Monster vs army	Resolve at force scale unless PCs engage the monster personally at a vulnerable moment.

Mismatch

Default Handling

PC vs vehicle

Treat the vehicle as a hazard or objective unless the PC has anti-vehicle permission, special terrain, sabotage access, magic, or heavy weapons.

Vehicle vs PC

Resolve as cover, escape, survival, sabotage, boarding, or disabling targeting rather than ordinary defense.

PC vs vessel

Usually a mission inside or around the vessel: breach, board, escape, sabotage, negotiate, guide, or survive.

Vessel vs PC

Environmental disaster, bombardment, pursuit, shelter, evacuation, or countdown.

Army vs PC group

The army creates battlefield pressure; PCs act at turning points.

Monster vs army

Resolve at force scale unless PCs engage the monster personally at a vulnerable moment.

Scale mismatch should ask, "What can the smaller side actually affect?" If the answer is unclear, the action probably needs an objective before it can be rolled.

Battle Phases

Use battle phases for force-scale or vessel-scale conflict.

Define each side’s objective.
Define force, vehicle, or vessel templates.
Identify current position, terrain, system status, supply, morale, and command.
Choose the spotlight PC role or turning-point action.
Build the dice pool from Talent, role, system state, tags, help, pressure, and scale permission.
Resolve the outcome band.
Apply position change, system damage, cohesion loss, casualties, supply strain, command disruption, or objective progress.
Decide whether to continue at the same scale or zoom into a smaller scene.

A battle phase may represent seconds in a starfighter exchange, minutes in a boarding fight, hours in a siege push, or days in a campaign maneuver.

In a force-scale phase, provide only one clear player-character turning point by default. Additional turning points should require preparation, superior command, special assets, strong reconnaissance, or accepting extra pressure. This keeps one group of player characters from solving every part of a battle phase at once.

Force Scale Battles

Force-scale battles use force qualities instead of individual stat blocks.

Force Quality	Meaning
Size	Relative number of troops, vehicles, beasts, drones, or bodies.
Quality	Training, discipline, equipment, morale, doctrine, and Talent-equivalent competence.
Cohesion	Willingness and ability to keep acting as one force.
Command	Leadership, communication, doctrine, signals, officers, command magic, or tactical AI.
Supply	Ammunition, food, fuel, replacement parts, charge, medicine, mounts, water, or ritual material.
Position	Terrain, fortifications, altitude, weather, cover, routes, chokepoints, and visibility.
Special Assets	Cavalry, artillery, wards, mages, aircraft, drones, siege engines, monsters, vehicles, or divine support.

Force Quality

Meaning

Size

Relative number of troops, vehicles, beasts, drones, or bodies.

Quality

Training, discipline, equipment, morale, doctrine, and Talent-equivalent competence.

Cohesion

Willingness and ability to keep acting as one force.

Command

Leadership, communication, doctrine, signals, officers, command magic, or tactical AI.

Supply

Ammunition, food, fuel, replacement parts, charge, medicine, mounts, water, or ritual material.

Position

Terrain, fortifications, altitude, weather, cover, routes, chokepoints, and visibility.

Special Assets

Cavalry, artillery, wards, mages, aircraft, drones, siege engines, monsters, vehicles, or divine support.

Force-scale consequences should usually hit one of these qualities.

Outcome Force-Scale Effect

Outcome	Force-Scale Effect
Breakthrough `10`	Seize a decisive position, break cohesion, destroy a key asset, force retreat, or complete the tactical objective.
Clean Success `8-9`	Gain position, damage cohesion, exhaust supply, or complete a limited objective.
Costly Success `6-7`	Gain ground but take casualties, supply loss, command strain, exposure, or magical/technological backlash.
Unstable Result `4-5`	Partial progress; the enemy holds, reserves arrive, morale wavers, or terrain worsens.
Trouble `1-3`	Position collapses, command breaks, casualties mount, morale fails, or the enemy seizes initiative.

Breakthrough 10

Seize a decisive position, break cohesion, destroy a key asset, force retreat, or complete the tactical objective.

Clean Success 8-9

Gain position, damage cohesion, exhaust supply, or complete a limited objective.

Costly Success 6-7

Gain ground but take casualties, supply loss, command strain, exposure, or magical/technological backlash.

Unstable Result 4-5

Partial progress; the enemy holds, reserves arrive, morale wavers, or terrain worsens.

Trouble 1-3

Position collapses, command breaks, casualties mount, morale fails, or the enemy seizes initiative.

Casualties should be described by effect: scattered, pinned, routed, captured, exhausted, wounded, dead, isolated, or unable to continue.

Enemy special assets create persistent pressure when they are relevant to the current phase. Cavalry, artillery, drone nets, warded walls, battle-mages, siege engines, monsters, orbital support, or command magic should keep affecting matching phases until the players disrupt, evade, counter, exhaust, or outmaneuver that asset. Do not apply every special asset to every phase; choose the active asset that currently shapes the battle.

For equal-force battles, an ignored active asset should usually shift the phase toward the enemy. If the players answer the asset directly, it becomes pressure instead of automatic loss. If they ignore it for several exchanges or phases, add casualties, cohesion loss, system damage, supply loss, or worsening position even when the main action makes progress. This keeps PC turning-point actions important without letting one successful roll solve the whole battle.

Vehicle and Vessel Exchanges

Vehicle and vessel combat uses exchanges, but damage targets systems.

Exchange Focus	Examples
Position	Range, angle, speed, cover, orbit, depth, altitude, vector, firing lane.
Attack	Weapons fire, ramming, boarding launch, missile lock, spell battery, drone strike.
Defense	Evasion, shields, armor angle, wards, jamming, decoys, counterfire, terrain.
Systems	Engines, weapons, sensors, command, life support, shields, hull, cargo, ritual core.
Mission	Escape, board, disable, protect convoy, breach blockade, seize docking, force surrender.

Exchange Focus

Examples

Position

Range, angle, speed, cover, orbit, depth, altitude, vector, firing lane.

Attack

Weapons fire, ramming, boarding launch, missile lock, spell battery, drone strike.

Defense

Evasion, shields, armor angle, wards, jamming, decoys, counterfire, terrain.

Systems

Engines, weapons, sensors, command, life support, shields, hull, cargo, ritual core.

Mission

Escape, board, disable, protect convoy, breach blockade, seize docking, force surrender.

Use vessel exchanges when the vessel is the acting unit and crew roles shape the roll.

Outcome Vehicle or Vessel Effect

Outcome	Vehicle or Vessel Effect
Breakthrough `10`	Disable a key system, breach defenses, force surrender, escape, board, or achieve the mission objective.
Clean Success `8-9`	Damage a system, improve position, gain lock, break lock, restore a system, or protect a vulnerable section.
Costly Success `6-7`	Achieve the intent but take heat, power strain, shield loss, crew pressure, exposure, or system stress.
Unstable Result `4-5`	Partial position, glancing damage, lost lock, sensor noise, forced maneuver, or unstable system.
Trouble `1-3`	System hit, hull breach, command disruption, weapon failure, boarding risk, or mission setback.

Breakthrough 10

Disable a key system, breach defenses, force surrender, escape, board, or achieve the mission objective.

Clean Success 8-9

Damage a system, improve position, gain lock, break lock, restore a system, or protect a vulnerable section.

Costly Success 6-7

Achieve the intent but take heat, power strain, shield loss, crew pressure, exposure, or system stress.

Unstable Result 4-5

Partial position, glancing damage, lost lock, sensor noise, forced maneuver, or unstable system.

Trouble 1-3

System hit, hull breach, command disruption, weapon failure, boarding risk, or mission setback.

Objective progress should usually require the right crew role or a convincing substitute. Helm changes position, Weapons damages enemy systems, Sensors creates or breaks locks, Engineering restores or protects systems, Command coordinates surrender or timing, Boarding/Security handles breaches, and Magic/Resonance handles wards, anomalies, and occult systems. A mismatched role can still act, but should accept pressure, reduced effect, or a setup-only result.

For equal-tier vehicle or vessel fights, wrong-role action should not be harmless. It can still be the correct fictional choice, especially in an emergency, but it should usually add pressure, reduce progress, expose a system, or force the next appropriate role to clean up the problem. Right-role action should be the main way the player side converts Clean Success and Breakthrough into decisive objective progress.

When the enemy vessel has momentum, it applies system pressure if the responding player character earns a Costly Success and the active threat still has a clean angle. The PC gets the intended progress, but the vessel also takes heat, shield loss, power strain, crew pressure, boarding risk, or another Minor system hit. If the responding role directly answers the threatened system, reduce this to temporary pressure instead of immediate system damage. If the responding role does not answer the threatened system, make the pressure persistent until the correct role stabilizes it.

Major systems have simple system armor by default. The first clean hit to a major system creates Minor system damage or pressure. A second clean hit, a Breakthrough, or a hit against an already stressed system creates Serious damage or disables the system until repaired, rerouted, or stabilized. System armor should slow decisive disablement, not prevent objective progress such as escape, lock, surrender pressure, boarding position, or convoy protection.

Crew Roles

When several PCs serve on one vehicle or vessel, each PC should have a meaningful role if the platform supports it.

Crew Role	Typical Actions
Helm or Pilot	Position, evasion, pursuit, ramming, docking, atmospheric entry, vector control.
Weapons	Fire, suppress, disable systems, manage arcs, exploit locks, conserve ammunition.
Sensors or Comms	Detect, lock, jam, spoof, scan weak points, coordinate allies, preserve signal.
Engineering	Route power, repair, reinforce shields, vent heat, restore engines, overload safely.
Command or Tactics	Set objective, coordinate timing, rally crew, read enemy doctrine, force surrender.
Boarding or Security	Repel boarders, prepare boarding, seal breaches, control prisoners, protect crew.
Magic or Resonance	Wards, ritual shielding, resonance navigation, anomaly handling, countermagic.
Medical or Crew Support	Treat injuries, control panic, manage exhaustion, preserve morale, keep crew functional.

Crew Role

Typical Actions

Helm or Pilot

Position, evasion, pursuit, ramming, docking, atmospheric entry, vector control.

Weapons

Fire, suppress, disable systems, manage arcs, exploit locks, conserve ammunition.

Sensors or Comms

Detect, lock, jam, spoof, scan weak points, coordinate allies, preserve signal.

Engineering

Route power, repair, reinforce shields, vent heat, restore engines, overload safely.

Command or Tactics

Set objective, coordinate timing, rally crew, read enemy doctrine, force surrender.

Boarding or Security

Repel boarders, prepare boarding, seal breaches, control prisoners, protect crew.

Magic or Resonance

Wards, ritual shielding, resonance navigation, anomaly handling, countermagic.

Medical or Crew Support

Treat injuries, control panic, manage exhaustion, preserve morale, keep crew functional.

Not every vessel has every role. A ME wagon might only have Driver, Guard, and Cargo Handler. An ES or FF starship might have all roles plus specialized posts.

Vessel Spotlight Cycle

Momentum belongs to the vessel side, but spotlight rotates among participating crew roles.

When the player vessel has momentum, choose the next spotlight role by priority:

A participating role that has not rolled in the current vessel spotlight cycle.
A role tied to the current opportunity, threat, damaged system, or objective.
A role whose Talent, station, equipment, magic, or authority is most relevant.
If still tied, the crew chooses.

When every participating role has rolled once, clear the vessel spotlight cycle.

This is not rigid initiative. It is a fairness rule. Over several exchanges, active PCs should get roughly equal time unless the fiction clearly excludes a role.

When the enemy vessel has momentum, the Storyteller chooses the active threat: incoming fire, boarding action, sensor lock, engine failure, command disruption, shield collapse, environmental hazard, or enemy maneuver. Then choose the PC role best positioned to answer it.

If the best-positioned role has already acted this cycle, it may still roll when the fiction demands it, but mark the role as overtaxed or apply pressure to that system. This preserves role fairness while allowing emergencies to matter.

System Damage

Vehicles and vessels use system damage instead of ordinary wound totals.

System	Pressure When Damaged
Hull or Frame	Breach, structural strain, leaks, decompression, fire, flooding, or exposed crew.
Shields or Wards	Reduced protection, flicker, overload, breach, resonance bleed, or recharge delay.
Engines or Drive	Lost speed, drift, stall, failed jump, bad vector, overheating, or escape risk.
Weapons	Jam, lost arc, depleted ammunition, unstable charge, misfire, or targeting fault.
Sensors or Comms	Blind spots, lost lock, false signal, jamming, spoofing, isolation, or delayed orders.
Command	Confusion, panic, conflicting orders, stunned commander, broken doctrine, or morale loss.
Power	Brownout, heat, overload, limited systems, emergency reroute, or cascading failure.
Life Support	Smoke, poison, cold, vacuum, water, disease, panic, or time pressure.
Cargo or Objective	Damaged payload, exposed civilians, ritual object instability, lost supplies, or mission failure risk.
Crew Cohesion	Panic, exhaustion, casualties, mutiny, fear, discipline break, or surrender pressure.

System

Pressure When Damaged

Hull or Frame

Breach, structural strain, leaks, decompression, fire, flooding, or exposed crew.

Shields or Wards

Reduced protection, flicker, overload, breach, resonance bleed, or recharge delay.

Engines or Drive

Lost speed, drift, stall, failed jump, bad vector, overheating, or escape risk.

Weapons

Jam, lost arc, depleted ammunition, unstable charge, misfire, or targeting fault.

Sensors or Comms

Blind spots, lost lock, false signal, jamming, spoofing, isolation, or delayed orders.

Command

Confusion, panic, conflicting orders, stunned commander, broken doctrine, or morale loss.

Power

Brownout, heat, overload, limited systems, emergency reroute, or cascading failure.

Life Support

Smoke, poison, cold, vacuum, water, disease, panic, or time pressure.

Cargo or Objective

Damaged payload, exposed civilians, ritual object instability, lost supplies, or mission failure risk.

Crew Cohesion

Panic, exhaustion, casualties, mutiny, fear, discipline break, or surrender pressure.

Use severity like Conditions: Minor system damage creates pressure, Serious damage restricts permission or worsens consequences, and Severe damage can remove a system from the scene until repaired or stabilized.

Boarding and Breach

Boarding and breach are scale bridges.

Event	Handling
Boarding attempt	Vessel-scale objective until the boarders reach an entry point, then zoom to squad or personal scale.
Hull breach	System damage plus hazard pressure; may become personal survival inside the vessel.
Repel boarders	Security, crew cohesion, doors, wards, atmosphere, and local terrain matter.
Sabotage	Personal or squad action that creates vessel-scale system damage.
Capture vessel	Requires command disruption, system control, crew surrender, or custody of key spaces.

Event

Handling

Boarding attempt

Vessel-scale objective until the boarders reach an entry point, then zoom to squad or personal scale.

Hull breach

System damage plus hazard pressure; may become personal survival inside the vessel.

Repel boarders

Security, crew cohesion, doors, wards, atmosphere, and local terrain matter.

Sabotage

Personal or squad action that creates vessel-scale system damage.

Capture vessel

Requires command disruption, system control, crew surrender, or custody of key spaces.

A boarding scene should not pause the larger battle unless the fiction says it does. The vessel fight may continue in the background as pressure, countdown, or periodic threat.

Magic and Technology at Scale

Large-scale magic and technology should create objectives, vulnerabilities, and system effects.

Asset Scale Use

Asset	Scale Use
Battlefield ritual	Force-scale objective with ritual roles, perimeter defense, backlash, and visible progress.
Warded wall or shield	System or position defense; can be breached, drained, keyed, bypassed, or overloaded.
Smart weapon network	Sensor, command, and targeting asset; vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, wards, or command breach.
Drone swarm	Group or vehicle threat; pressure through numbers, sensors, and coordinated angles.
Resonance drive or core	Powerful system with `Resonant`, `Channeling`, `Draining`, or `Unstable` risks.
Orbital weapon	Strategic or vessel-scale threat; personal-scale scenes should focus on shelter, sabotage, evacuation, or targeting disruption.
Divine or mythic intervention	Objective, phase shift, special permission, or catastrophic pressure rather than simple damage.

Battlefield ritual

Force-scale objective with ritual roles, perimeter defense, backlash, and visible progress.

Warded wall or shield

System or position defense; can be breached, drained, keyed, bypassed, or overloaded.

Smart weapon network

Sensor, command, and targeting asset; vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, wards, or command breach.

Drone swarm

Group or vehicle threat; pressure through numbers, sensors, and coordinated angles.

Resonance drive or core

Powerful system with Resonant, Channeling, Draining, or Unstable risks.

Orbital weapon

Strategic or vessel-scale threat; personal-scale scenes should focus on shelter, sabotage, evacuation, or targeting disruption.

Divine or mythic intervention

Objective, phase shift, special permission, or catastrophic pressure rather than simple damage.

At scale, powerful assets should change the shape of the conflict rather than only increase damage.

Zooming Between Scales

Zoom when a smaller scene can change the larger conflict.

Zoom Trigger	Use
Turning point	PCs can decide whether a breach holds, a commander survives, or a system fails.
Scale mismatch	Smaller side needs an objective to affect a larger threat.
Named stakes	A character, place, artifact, hostage, ritual, or ship system matters personally.
Boarding or breach	Vessel-scale action opens a personal or squad scene.
Command decision	One role’s choice changes the force or vessel’s next phase.
Catastrophe	Fire, vacuum, panic, backlash, or collapse forces immediate personal action.

Zoom Trigger

Use

Turning point

PCs can decide whether a breach holds, a commander survives, or a system fails.

Scale mismatch

Smaller side needs an objective to affect a larger threat.

Named stakes

A character, place, artifact, hostage, ritual, or ship system matters personally.

Boarding or breach

Vessel-scale action opens a personal or squad scene.

Command decision

One role’s choice changes the force or vessel’s next phase.

Catastrophe

Fire, vacuum, panic, backlash, or collapse forces immediate personal action.

After the zoomed scene resolves, translate the result back to the larger scale: position gained, system damaged, cohesion broken, supply saved, command restored, objective completed, or threat escalated.

Future Use

Later work should define example force templates, vehicle templates, vessel templates, crew role Talents, system damage examples, siege procedures, starship exchanges, campaign-scale logistics, and automated test scenarios.

The current document is the scale chassis. It should be tested before adding detailed ship classes, army lists, or tactical vehicle rules.