New Shinies!
First of all ... this!
Hoverboards!
Imperial (or whatever flavor yours come in) Marines are bad enough. Imagine a bunch of them chasing you on hoverboards (cutlass waving optional).
Add fluff.
Hoverboards are personal transport devices and another step on the road to realizing mankind's dream of personal flight. first designed in the early 2ith century on Terra the devices use rotorcraft technology and are usually an open platform with some screening around the fans to prevent injury. By the mis 21st century advancements in energy storage allowed the vehicles to increase their range and become valuable tools for search and rescue, exploration and reconnaissance. Although they are classified as vehicles they definitely fall in the area where the line between equipment and vehicles will blur. They are compact, simple and with multip[le rotos and battery pack they are surprisingly robust.
Hoverboards are also much cheaper and easier to find parts for on low technology worlds. Some repair stations will even rent boards out for you while you wait for your expensive grav vehicle to be repaired ("Sorry, we got to send offworld for parts. It'll be two weeks at least and we're adding 16,000 credits for our parts man's middle passage? Padding the bill? How dare you!")
They are not as versatile as grav vehicles, requiring some atmosphere to function. They are far more limited in altitude and earlier models don't actually hover very well or for very long. Unlike grav technology they are also noisy as hell and have a pronounced heat signature especially when they first appear. Grav boards are also in use but due to cost are regarded as rich men's toys. Eventually anti-grav boards are replaced by anti-grav harnesses and true flight is finally realized.
Classic Traveller Stats
TL 7 Hoverboard
Weight .02 Tons. Cost 10,000 cr. Endurance 15 minutes. Speed 2 bands per round (50 kph). Ceiling 3 meters. Does not cost endurance and does not prevent rider from firing weapons (at -1 per band moved that turn). Riders may make a melee attack at -2 (some traditionalists favor pole arms). Users may take Hoverboard skill when generated in place of vehicle skill or +1 Str. Use the rules for air/rafts however unskilled users roll at -3. A crash does 1d6 damage to the rider unless they roll +8 with +2 if Dex is 9+ and +skill.
Making aerobatic feats on hoverboards is possible but not advised. Throw the user's Dexterity with +2 per skill level on three dice or less to succeed. Unskilled users' dexterity is modified by the unskilled modifier given above. Failure means a crash.
TL 8
Weight .02 Tons. Cost 2,000 cr. Endurance 1.5 hours. Speed 4 bands per round (100 kph). Incorporating advanced batteries, more composite materials and mini gyroscopes with computer feedback the TL 8 version is otherwise similar to the TL 7 version. Unskilled use is at a -2 due to more advanced autopilot features. A crash at 3-4 bands movement does +1 d6 damage to the rider.
A helmet and protective clothing is a must to avoid injury during crashes (riders who crash and sustain damage take +1d6 damage.)
Helmets
TL 5 Cost 20 cr. (Weight is considered part of clothing allowance or 2 kg if carried.)
TL 7 Cost 50-100 cr. and up for trendy or decorated models. Contains ports for personal communicator
TL 8 Cost 100 cr. The TL 8 version has provision for communicator and any visual/sensor systems available at TL 8.
TL 9+ 100 cr. The TL 9 version has a full faced visor that can provide heads up display for a personal computer. TL 9 sensors and cameras can be placed in slots on the helmet and send their data to the visor where it superimposed on the visor. A crash may disable a sensor on 10+.
OSR Stats
The TL 7 version is appropriate for a planet with modern day Earth technology. The TL 8 version would be a 'near future' technology.
If you're using Starships and Spacemen then the Military Branch uses their primary skill to fly hoverboards. Hoverboards cost 1 EU and any branch may requisition one.
In White Star people can make a saving throw to avoid mishaps on a hover board. Mercenaries get a +2 to their saves. Pilots get a +1. If you are using a skill system.
Optionally the save may be modified by the character's Dexterity bonus to armor in an OSR system.
Hoverboards!
Imperial (or whatever flavor yours come in) Marines are bad enough. Imagine a bunch of them chasing you on hoverboards (cutlass waving optional).
Add fluff.
Hoverboards are personal transport devices and another step on the road to realizing mankind's dream of personal flight. first designed in the early 2ith century on Terra the devices use rotorcraft technology and are usually an open platform with some screening around the fans to prevent injury. By the mis 21st century advancements in energy storage allowed the vehicles to increase their range and become valuable tools for search and rescue, exploration and reconnaissance. Although they are classified as vehicles they definitely fall in the area where the line between equipment and vehicles will blur. They are compact, simple and with multip[le rotos and battery pack they are surprisingly robust.
Hoverboards are also much cheaper and easier to find parts for on low technology worlds. Some repair stations will even rent boards out for you while you wait for your expensive grav vehicle to be repaired ("Sorry, we got to send offworld for parts. It'll be two weeks at least and we're adding 16,000 credits for our parts man's middle passage? Padding the bill? How dare you!")
They are not as versatile as grav vehicles, requiring some atmosphere to function. They are far more limited in altitude and earlier models don't actually hover very well or for very long. Unlike grav technology they are also noisy as hell and have a pronounced heat signature especially when they first appear. Grav boards are also in use but due to cost are regarded as rich men's toys. Eventually anti-grav boards are replaced by anti-grav harnesses and true flight is finally realized.
Classic Traveller Stats
TL 7 Hoverboard
Weight .02 Tons. Cost 10,000 cr. Endurance 15 minutes. Speed 2 bands per round (50 kph). Ceiling 3 meters. Does not cost endurance and does not prevent rider from firing weapons (at -1 per band moved that turn). Riders may make a melee attack at -2 (some traditionalists favor pole arms). Users may take Hoverboard skill when generated in place of vehicle skill or +1 Str. Use the rules for air/rafts however unskilled users roll at -3. A crash does 1d6 damage to the rider unless they roll +8 with +2 if Dex is 9+ and +skill.
Making aerobatic feats on hoverboards is possible but not advised. Throw the user's Dexterity with +2 per skill level on three dice or less to succeed. Unskilled users' dexterity is modified by the unskilled modifier given above. Failure means a crash.
TL 8
Weight .02 Tons. Cost 2,000 cr. Endurance 1.5 hours. Speed 4 bands per round (100 kph). Incorporating advanced batteries, more composite materials and mini gyroscopes with computer feedback the TL 8 version is otherwise similar to the TL 7 version. Unskilled use is at a -2 due to more advanced autopilot features. A crash at 3-4 bands movement does +1 d6 damage to the rider.
A helmet and protective clothing is a must to avoid injury during crashes (riders who crash and sustain damage take +1d6 damage.)
Helmets
TL 5 Cost 20 cr. (Weight is considered part of clothing allowance or 2 kg if carried.)
TL 7 Cost 50-100 cr. and up for trendy or decorated models. Contains ports for personal communicator
TL 8 Cost 100 cr. The TL 8 version has provision for communicator and any visual/sensor systems available at TL 8.
TL 9+ 100 cr. The TL 9 version has a full faced visor that can provide heads up display for a personal computer. TL 9 sensors and cameras can be placed in slots on the helmet and send their data to the visor where it superimposed on the visor. A crash may disable a sensor on 10+.
OSR Stats
The TL 7 version is appropriate for a planet with modern day Earth technology. The TL 8 version would be a 'near future' technology.
If you're using Starships and Spacemen then the Military Branch uses their primary skill to fly hoverboards. Hoverboards cost 1 EU and any branch may requisition one.
In White Star people can make a saving throw to avoid mishaps on a hover board. Mercenaries get a +2 to their saves. Pilots get a +1. If you are using a skill system.
Optionally the save may be modified by the character's Dexterity bonus to armor in an OSR system.
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