Vehicles are central to travel, crime, pursuit, escape, and status in Sin City.
Use D&D 5e ability checks as the foundation. Vehicle scenes should focus on speed, traffic, road conditions, damage, witnesses, police response, and escape routes.
Vehicles are useful tools, not guaranteed escape methods.
Routine driving requires no roll.
A Dexterity check with land-vehicle proficiency may be required for:
High-speed turns
Heavy traffic
Dangerous overtaking
Roadblocks
Off-road driving
Stunts
Crash avoidance
Controlling a damaged vehicle
A driver without proficiency may still drive but does not add proficiency.
Suggested DCs:
DC 10: Sudden stop or simple evasive move
DC 12: Fast turn, alley, or moderate traffic
DC 15: Roadblock, damaged vehicle, or dangerous stunt
DC 18: Extreme maneuver or severe hazard
DC 20+: Nearly impossible action
Adjust for speed, weather, visibility, traffic, and vehicle type.
Each vehicle record should define:
Armor Class
Hit points
Speed
Passenger capacity
Cargo capacity
Handling
Special features
Legality
Price
Repair cost
Common categories include motorcycles, sedans, sports cars, luxury vehicles, trucks, vans, SUVs, armored vehicles, and police vehicles.
A chase begins when one side actively tries to catch or escape another.
Track:
Distance
Traffic
Terrain
Hazards
Routes
Vehicle condition
Police or faction involvement
Each side’s objective
Use simple distance bands:
Contact: Vehicles are beside one another
Close: Ramming and attacks are practical
Medium: Firearms may suffer range penalties
Far: Attacks are difficult
Escaped: The target breaks sight and pursuit
A successful driving contest usually shifts the chase by one band.
Drivers and passengers may:
Accelerate
Brake suddenly
Ram
Force another vehicle aside
Take a shortcut
Hide in traffic
Fire weapons
Navigate
Create obstacles
Call support
Change vehicles
Abandon the vehicle
Franz should state the required check and likely consequences before the roll.
Possible complications include:
Heavy traffic
Pedestrians
Construction
Narrow alleys
Road debris
Police checkpoints
Wet roads
Blocked intersections
Tire damage
Engine failure
Civilian vehicles
Complications should come from the route and circumstances, not arbitrary punishment.
A failed driving check may cause:
Lost distance
Minor collision
Spinout
Vehicle damage
Injury
Loss of control
A major crash
Severity depends on speed, failure margin, vehicle size, restraints, and what was struck.
Ramming damages both vehicles.
A minor failure should not automatically destroy a vehicle.
Attacks from moving vehicles may have disadvantage because of speed, vibration, poor angles, or sudden movement.
A trained shooter, stable platform, mounted weapon, or class feature may reduce this penalty.
Vehicle gunfire creates noise, witnesses, evidence, property damage, and Heat.
Tires, engines, windows, and other small components may be targeted as called shots.
These attacks may involve:
Disadvantage
Increased Armor Class
Limited firing angles
Reduced effectiveness against armor
Tire damage may reduce speed or impose disadvantage on driving checks.
Engine damage usually causes reduced performance, smoke, or eventual shutdown rather than immediate destruction.
At half hit points, a vehicle may suffer:
Reduced speed
Disadvantage on difficult maneuvers
Damaged tires
Steering problems
Broken lights
Smoke
Fluid leaks
At 0 hit points, the vehicle becomes disabled, wrecked, or unsafe.
Vehicles do not automatically explode.
Minor repairs may require tools, parts, time, and an Intelligence check.
Major damage may require:
A garage
Replacement parts
Engine work
Bodywork
Electronic diagnosis
Several hours or days
Significant payment
Illegal garages may hide damage or alter identifying features in exchange for money or favors.
Vehicles may be identified through:
License plates
Registration
Cameras
Toll records
Parking records
Paint transfer
Tire tracks
Witness descriptions
Digital telematics
Repair records
Removing plates does not erase the vehicle’s color, model, damage, or electronic history.
Stealing a vehicle may require:
Lock bypass
Key theft
Electronic intrusion
Deception
Threats
Towing
Insider access
Modern vehicles may have alarms, immobilizers, trackers, cameras, or remote shutdown systems.
A stolen vehicle usually gains immediate Vehicle Heat.
Vehicle Heat tracks how strongly a specific vehicle is linked to crime, police reports, faction activity, or public attention.
It is separate from personal Heat.
Vehicle Heat increases when the vehicle is:
Seen during a crime
Recorded by cameras
Used in a chase
Linked to gunfire
Reported stolen
Left at a crime scene
Identified by witnesses
Used repeatedly in the same territory
Possible effects:
Plate checks
Casual witness interest
Security questions
Possible effects:
Police database flags
Increased traffic stops
Camera searches
Faction recognition
Registration scrutiny
Possible effects:
Immediate police response
Roadblocks
Armed stops
Plate alerts
Impoundment
Search warrants
Faction retaliation
Vehicle Heat may be reduced through:
Time without further incidents
Repairs or repainting
Changing plates
Altering visible features
Falsifying records
Bribing officials
Hiding the vehicle
Abandoning it
Using another vehicle
Cosmetic changes do not automatically remove camera, registration, or forensic evidence.
Police may use:
Patrol cars
Unmarked vehicles
Roadblocks
Spike strips
Cameras
Coordinated dispatch
Air support during major incidents
Criminal factions may instead:
Follow discreetly
Block likely routes
Watch garages
Pressure associates
Track destinations
Prepare ambushes
Police should not appear instantly without cause, but dangerous public driving will attract attention quickly.
Police or security may search vehicles through consent, warrants, probable cause, arrest authority, checkpoints, or private-property rules.
An impounded vehicle may be photographed, tested, searched, and held as evidence.
Recovering it may require fees, legal action, bribery, theft, or proof of ownership.
Vehicles communicate wealth, profession, faction ties, and reputation.
A luxury car attracts different attention than a damaged van, motorcycle, armored SUV, or police-style sedan.
A distinctive vehicle may improve Reputation while making the crew easier to identify.
Franz should clearly establish:
Distance
Traffic
Routes
Hazards
Vehicle condition
Passengers
Evidence
Police response
Vehicle Heat
A chase ends when the target escapes, is caught, either side abandons pursuit, or continuing is no longer reasonable.