More vehicles for Dark Heresy? (Especially motorbikes)

By HeXetic, in Dark Heresy Gamemasters

Does anybody have any lists of vehicles suitable for Dark Heresy 2.0 beyond the trifling handful in the main book? I'm sending my PCs to a sprawled-out Hive World where scooters and mopeds are so abundant that just about everybody uses them for transportation, at least for short distances, and I want to have a little variety present, from basic wheezing putt-putt moped to tricked-out superbikes, as well as 4-wheel-drive off-road buggies and similar.

I've called the planet they're going to "Kasoku IV", and it is famous for producing the Kano-pattern combat bike from a relatively large Mechanicus Forge. I came up with a few of vehicles of my own, listed below, but I've probably screwed up the stats since this is the first 40K RPG I've ever GM'd.

-- Basic vehicles

Common Kasoku “Runabout” Scooter

Extremely common single-seater, low-HP scooter. Suitable for getting around local areas of Metroplex. Not suitable for off-road use or long-distance cruising.

AV 4 all-around

Cruising speed 60 KM/h, tactical 15 M

Manoeuvre +10, Size Average, Availability Common

Capacity 0, Integrity 5, Threat 1

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

No weapons

Passenger: Can carry 1 passenger but eliminates Manoeuvre bonus

Common Kasoku “Tak-Tak” Rickshaw Minicab

A common sight on city streets providing taxi services to the general public. Essentially a Runabout scooter with a larger chassis and two rear wheels. Sacrifices speed and manoeuvrability for the ability to carry passengers.

AV 5 all-around

Cruising speed 50 KM/h, tactical 15M

Manoeuvre +0, Size Hulking, Availability Average

Capacity 2, Integrity 7, Threat 2

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

No weapons

Roof: Has a thin sheet-metal or cloth roof to protect against rain. Can still target occupants from above, but called shots to hit them are at a further -20 due to uncertainty about exact positioning.

-- 4WD buggies

Common Kasoku “Shikoku” Buggy

Suitable for on- or off-road use, this light 4-wheel-drive buggy seats 2x2 and sees all sorts of custom modifications for everything from package delivery (replace seating capacity with cargo space, reduce manoeuvrability to -10), to commuter transport (add roof & doors to remove open-topped), to light farm work or wilderness recon (reduce capacity to 2, adds rugged). Named for a popular Kasokuan small hunting dog breed. Stats for a buggy straight from the manufactorum are below.

AV 8 all around

Cruising speed 80 KM/h, tactical 30M

Manoeuvrability +0, Size Enormous, Availability Average

Capacity 3, Integrity 15, Threat 5

Traits: Rugged, Wheeled, Open-Topped

Standard weapon: Autogun (hull-mounted for front-seat passenger)

Deluxe Kasoku “Kishu” Buggy

Upgraded, enlarged version of the Dirt Devil, seating 6 in a 2x3 configuration. Fully enclosed by default, with either windows (typically tinted) or armoured slits to match the front windscreen choice. Some security forces have added roof turret weapons manned by a 2 nd row passenger. Usually equipped with long-range radio voxcomm systems. Standard command vehicle for the Kasoku PDF. Most noble houses have at least a handful for their security forces as well. Named for a popular Kasokuan medium hunting dog breed.

AV 12 all around

Cruising speed 80 KM/h, tactical 30M

Manoeuvrability +0, Size Enormous, Availability Scarce

Capacity 5, Integrity 20, Threat 7

Traits: Enclosed, Rugged, Wheeled

Standard weapon: Autogun (hull-mounted for front-seat passenger).

Optional weapons: Twin-linked Autogun (replaces autogun, availability SC), Heavy Stubber (roof turret, availability RA)

-- Upscale bike models

Deluxe Kasoku “Minsk” Motorcycle

Minimal luxuries but excellent performance and rugged durability make this an extremely popular base model bike. Used by couriers and messengers, low-level functionaries, PDF scouts, wildsmen and farmers, and even commonly used by stunt performance teams (with decorative upgrades, of course)

AV 7 all-around

Cruising speed 80 KM/h, tactical 35M

Manoeuvrability +20, Size Average, Availability Average

Capacity 0, Integrity 7, Threat 2

Crew: Driver
Traits: Bike, Wheeled

No weapons

Passenger: Can carry 1 passenger but reduces Manoeuvre bonus to +10

Deluxe Kasoku “Cruiser” Bike

A deluxe cruiser bike, suitable for underclass members who like others to think they’ve ‘made it’, or merchants & skilled tradesmen who actually have. Seats two in relative comfort. Standard issue vehicle of the Metroplex Police. Equipped with Laud Hailer and vox playback system, usually for music.

AV 8 all-around

Cruising speed 80 KM/h, tactical 30M

Manoeuvrability +20, Size Hulking, Availability Scarce

Capacity 1, Integrity 10, Threat 3

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

No weapons

-- Tricked-out bikes, the best a civilian can expect to get

Custom Kasoku “Sacred Eights” Heavy Cruiser

Custom heavy bike, for the true motorcycle enthusiast who needs to be able to independently cruise Metroplex, and sometimes even the surrounding countryside. Enormous engine, often modified to be extra-loud. Seats two comfortably, with cargo space. Equipped with Laud Hailer and vox playback system. Named for the Mechanicus text containing the blueprints for the engine: “The Omnissiah and the Sacred Eight”

AV 10 all-around

Cruising speed 100 KM/h, tactical 35M

Manoeuvrability +10, Size Hulking, Availability Rare

Capacity 1, Integrity 10, Threat 4

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

Standard weapon: Autogun

Custom Kasoku “Katar” Sport Bike

Custom sport bike, for the speed freak or security agent who needs speed above all. Light construction for speed and manoeuvrability, although a sloped plate in the front provides frontal protection. Named for its superficial resemblance to a kind of ritual punch dagger favoured on the planet.

AV 10 front, 8 side, 8 rear

Cruising speed 120 KM/h, tactical 35M

Manoeuvrability +20, Size Hulking, Availability Rare

Capacity 0, Integrity 10, Threat 3

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

Standard weapon: Autogun

-- The famous Kano-Pattern military bikes

Kasoku Kano-Pattern Combat Bike

Regarded as the premier combat bike issued to Imperial armed forces. Well-armed, well-armoured, and fast.

AV 12 front, 10 side, 11 rear

Cruising Speed 120 KM/h, tactical 35 M

Manoeuvre +20, Size Hulking, Availability Very Rare (reserved for Imperial armed forces)

Capacity 0, Integrity 15, Threat 6

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

Weapons: Twin-linked Autogun (PDF/private issue), Twin-linked Lasgun (Imperial Guard issue) Twin-linked bolter (Space Marine issue, increases rarity to Extremely Rare)

Passenger: Can carry 1 passenger but decreases Manoeuvre bonus to +10

Kasoku Kano-Pattern Recon Bike

As the Kano-Pattern Combat Bike, but a reduction in armament allows more aggressive gearing and superior suspension components to be fitted.

AV 12 front, 10 side, 11 rear

Cruising Speed 140 KM/h, tactical 40 M

Manoeuvre +30, Size Hulking, Availability Very Rare (reserved for Imperial armed forces)

Capacity 0, Integrity 15, Threat 6

Crew: Driver

Traits: Bike, Wheeled

Weapons: Autogun (PDF/private issue), Lasgun (Imperial Guard issue), Bolter (Space Marine issue, increases rarity to Extremely Rare)

Passenger: Can carry 1 passenger but decreases Manoeuvre bonus to +20

Do these stat blocks make sense to my fellow GMs, or have I been smoking some absolutely heretical Lho-sticks? I'm hoping the campaign winds up with at least a few exciting motorcycle highway or street battles.

Edited by HeXetic

Very cool. Stats make sense to me, but I have a few suggestions:

Deluxe Kasoku “Kishu” Buggy

with either windows (typically tinted) or armoured slits

I'd go here with either windows or the option of firing ports for passengers from the chimera.

For the vehicles that are sometimes used by military or police I would give an option for increased armour protection.

Deluxe Kasoku “Cruiser” Bike

Standard issue vehicle of the Metroplex Police.

Maybe give the police version a weapon. Maybe something non lethal. A grenade launcher with choke grenades would be cool, imho.

Black Crusade's Tome of Blood has a bike. It uses different mechanics for it than Only War, though, treating it more like a mount rather than a vehicle (complete with a set of unique rules), and as I don't have the book right now, I'm not sure which DH2 is closer to.

But if you are going to use bikes a lot in your games, those rules might be of interest to you.

That being said, in case DH2 leans more towards OW when it comes to bikes, here is something Ramellan and I have been working on. The Vehicles section features an OW-inspired variant of the BC-bike, and a variant of the Tauros I've read about in Hammer & Anvil. Maybe you can salvage something. ^^

Edited by Lynata