A question about the Chimera

By ExoSaeptus, in Only War Rules Questions

What would be a good idea for operational range for a Chimera on a single tank of fuel, what would be usable as fuel (I know Leman Russes are said to run on nearly anything combustible, but...) and would it be believable to say that the multilaser is linked up to the engine and thus has unlimited ammunition as long as it's running?

Chimera engines will run on any combustible material also. Same can be said of a lot of Guard vehicles.

Ask your GM. If you are the GM, you're screwed, you'll just have to make something up. Kinda wished they had included some stats for this kind of thing.

I'd say pick your'e favorite real life tank, google it's operating range and use that for the Leman Russ.

So for example lets make a Abrams pattern Leman Russ, it would have a fuel capacity of 500 gallons and an operational range of 265 miles.

Modern IFVs have a cruising range (on highway ) from 300 to 600 km for tracked vehicles, more for wheeled. You can select any value from these variants :)

Edited by Jargal

300-600km sounds about right.

As for the Multilaser, it is listed with a clip size that should be used in combat, but it's not unreasonable to assume that the power packs can be recharged over time, but that could take hours.

Lascannons however burn our their batteries completely.

Lascannons however burn our their batteries completely.

According to RAW, both lascannon&multi-laser use "charge pack (heavy)" which can be recharged (Core Rulebook, p.192)

Lascannons however burn our their batteries completely.

According to RAW, both lascannon&multi-laser use "charge pack (heavy)" which can be recharged (Core Rulebook, p.192)

That's odd, I don't where I got that from. I seem to remember it from DH, but can't find the rule there either.

I think you could argue that a Chimera doesn't have a reactor-type power source, so the energy required to run a Multilaser must come external to a combustion engine ... or the clip-size is just a limiting factor in that even though no pack needs to be slotted out, it needs to take a short break to rebuilld its full charge off the engine and/or cool down so the barrel doesn't melt.

Yeah, i'd go with whatever you feel fits your purposes. I like the idea of the weapon having its own power supply, but a techie character could use the power supply to fuel the tank or the fuel supply to power the weapon if things got desperate (though not if the techpriest is looking!)

as for "when you run out of fuel" just go with "when you want the players to run out of fuel" haha you are the GM after all. you can make excuses if people get pedantic "the extreme cold has drained the power and it has run out of fuel early" or "it wasn't quite fixed properly last time round and malfunctions"

Or the opposite, if you DON'T want it to run out of fuel (or worry your players with solving that specific problem) just never bring it up, or detail hidden fuel caches dropped by advance scouts or airborne forces. Alternatively, recent discovery of an old outpost/village/supply depot could make for a nice sidequest. The fuel station is infested with Stenchbeasts! or some natives have constructed a crude shrine to the Ruinous Powers here, there is an ambush by your campaign's primary foe here, etc etc.

I currently have players using a Chimera to ferry themselves safely through a Fydae Strain Zombie Apocalypse on Ohmsworld. Mostly using Dark Heresy 2 rules, though some of the players are using Only War to run Severan Dominate Guardsmen. I have found however, that the Chimera effectively makes the players indestructible while it's running. Anyone want to weigh in on when it seems fair for the fuel to run out other than "dramatically appropriate"? I don't want my players to feel cheated, but it's somewhat hard to gauge. I'd also like to make scavenging for promethium a survival factor. I already have them scavenging for food, water & air.

I use stats based on WWII armored vehicles. 300 km for tracked IFV is quite suited for me. But don't forget that Chimera engine can operate at a very bad or diluted fuel.

I currently have players using a Chimera to ferry themselves safely through a Fydae Strain Zombie Apocalypse on Ohmsworld. Mostly using Dark Heresy 2 rules, though some of the players are using Only War to run Severan Dominate Guardsmen. I have found however, that the Chimera effectively makes the players indestructible while it's running. Anyone want to weigh in on when it seems fair for the fuel to run out other than "dramatically appropriate"? I don't want my players to feel cheated, but it's somewhat hard to gauge. I'd also like to make scavenging for promethium a survival factor. I already have them scavenging for food, water & air.

It will depend a lot on how far the PCs need to go of course, which is entirely up to the GM.

However if the goal is to get your players out of that Chimera, in my experience simply use the terrain or threat of anti-vehicle weapons. Wait, zombies? That changes things... in fact I think the whole "zombie apocalypse" is silly due to the fact that armies everywhere have tanks and such, which would make them pretty much immune to such. I probably wouldn't let the PCs have IFVs in a zombie campaign at all.

Possible fixes: Terrain causing the vehicle to get stuck or tracks damaged, live soldiers with AT weapons wanting to take on the IFV to use it themselves or in desperation for their weapons and ammo, stuff like that.

I'm using the Fydae Strain Zombie Plague, as appears in Disciples of the Dark Gods for Dark Heresy, on a Severan Dominate controlled Hive World. Bolters spread the infection faster than bites can, I've found. Had two players come dangerously close to being infected due to the fact that a bolter got them sprayed with blood.

As is, I managed to coax them out by use of terrain, and the 330 Zombies currently pressed against the compound gates encouraging them to sneak past in the sewers instead.

I can't imagine the Chimera can be made completely airtight/waterproof, at least not for an infinite amount of time. Chewed up zombie parts getting stuck in air-intake valves or exhaust causing stalls could be an idea. Straight up running out of fuel and having to siphon it from other abandoned vehicles ... maybe an old pumping station but the pump causes so much noise it starts to attract zombies? Running over a zombie who, when alive, carried a few krak grenades strapped to his vest would serve as a great landmine.

I can't imagine the Chimera can be made completely airtight/waterproof, at least not for an infinite amount of time. Chewed up zombie parts getting stuck in air-intake valves or exhaust causing stalls could be an idea. Straight up running out of fuel and having to siphon it from other abandoned vehicles ... maybe an old pumping station but the pump causes so much noise it starts to attract zombies? Running over a zombie who, when alive, carried a few krak grenades strapped to his vest would serve as a great landmine.

I can. It has the sealed ability, which renders its immune to gas, radiation and other such (NBC sealed). Of course every time they open their hatch the seal is broken temporarily.

Also, grenades do not explode when run over unless already armed, but hey thats up to you as GM how Hollywoody you want your game.

It's the 40K universe with infinite worlds with infinite variations, Ohmsworldian grenades, soaked in who-knows-what caustic body fluids and warp energy blowing up when you run them over is totally within suspension of disbelief :)

I used operational time instead of distance.

Full tank with another 3 fuel drums I said would let them run the Chimera for about 3-4 days (Most of that being for simple shelter and warmth)

If you want to go with distance I would use double the Abram's stats (assuming that in the future we manage to make our engines more fuel efficient) and count any combat maneuvering as 2-4 times the distance.