Motor Mayhem: Skirmish Speedway

Objective

Be the first to cross the finish line or be the last car remaining.

Components

• Track: A drawn or printed track with a start and finish line, including obstacles and sections.
• Car Tokens/Miniatures: Representing each player’s car.
• Dice: Six-sided dice (1d6) for movement, attack, and damage rolls.
• Character Sheets: For tracking car stats, health, and abilities.
• Power-Up Tokens: Representing various power-ups on the track.

Car Stats

Each car has the following stats:

• Speed: Determines the number of spaces a car can move per turn.
• Armor: Reduces damage taken from attacks.
• Weapons: Each car has a primary weapon with specific range and damage.
• Health: Indicates the car’s remaining durability.
• Handling: Determines how easily a car can navigate obstacles.

Car Setup

Players choose or create their cars using a point system to allocate stats:

Points: Each player has 15 points to distribute among Speed, Armor, Health, and Handling.

•   Speed: 1-6 (1 point per Speed)
•   Armor: 1-5 (1 point per Armor)
•   Health: 10-20 (1 point per 2 Health)
•   Handling: 1-6 (1 point per Handling)

Weapons Setup

Players select a primary weapon for their car:

• Machine Gun: Range 3, Damage 1d6, Ammo 10
• Rocket Launcher: Range 5, Damage 1d8, Ammo 5, Cooldown 1 turn
• Flamethrower: Range 2, Damage 1d4+2, Ammo 8, hits all cars in a line
• Energy Blaster: Range 4, Damage 1d6, Ammo 6, ignores Armor.

Special Abilities

Each car has one unique special ability:

• Nitro Boost: Once per game, double your Speed for one turn.
• Reinforced Armor: Increase Armor by 2 for one turn.
• EMP Blast: Disable all opponent weapons within 3 spaces for one turn.
• Auto Repair: Restore 5 Health once per game.

Turn Order

Players take turns in the following phases:

1. Movement Phase
2. Attack Phase
3. End Phase

Phases in Detail

Movement Phase

1. Roll 1d6 and add your Speed stat.
2. Move your car up to the total number of spaces rolled.
3. Navigate obstacles by rolling a Handling check (1d6). If the roll is less than or equal to your Handling stat, pass the obstacle. If not, lose 1 Speed for the rest of the turn.
4. Collect any power-ups in your path.

Attack Phase

1. Choose an opponent within your weapon’s range.
2. Roll 1d6 to determine if the attack hits (4-6 is a hit).
3. If the attack hits, roll for damage based on your weapon’s stats.
4. Subtract the opponent’s Armor from the damage rolled.
5. Deduct the resulting damage from the opponent’s Health.
6. Track ammo usage. If you run out of ammo, you cannot attack until you find more (via power-ups).

 End Phase

1. Resolve any ongoing effects (burning, EMP, etc.).
2. Check car status (destroyed cars are removed from the game).
3. Check for victory conditions (finish line crossed or last car remaining).

Power-Ups

Place power-ups at specific points on the track. Players collect power-ups by moving over them.

• Ammo Refill: Restore 5 ammo to your primary weapon.
• Health Pack: Restore 5 Health.
• Speed Boost: Increase Speed by 2 for one turn.
• Shield: Gain +2 Armor for one turn.

Oil Slick: Deploy an oil slick behind your car, causing the next car to pass it to spin out and lose their turn.

Obstacles

Place obstacles at various points on the track:

• Rocks: Require a Handling check to pass. Failure results in losing 1 Speed for the turn.
• Potholes: Reduce Speed by 1 for the next turn if hit.
• Ramps: Require a Handling check to jump. Success gives a Speed boost; failure causes damage (1d6).

Boss Battles

Boss battles in Neon Nights feature powerful corporate champions and notorious Syndicate enforcers. These bosses have unique abilities and high health, requiring strategic teamwork and skill to defeat.

Example Boss: The Overlord

Appearance: A heavily armored, jet-black vehicle with glowing red accents.

Stats:

•   Speed: 8
•   Armor: 5
•   Health: 40
•   Handling: 6

Abilities

Overload Pulse: Every two turns, emits a pulse that disables all nearby vehicles for one turn.

Nan0-Regen: Recovers 5 health points every turn for three turns (once per race).

Turbo Boost: Doubles Speed for one turn (once per race).

Behavior: Targets the player with the highest Speed. If multiple targets have the same Speed, targets the nearest one.

Back in the 80’s the one game I played to death was Car Wars, and I loved the counters as it meant I could play the game without miniatures. It also meant I could take it school and friends very easily without a case of miniatures, it would easily fit in my bag.

Now I’ve used Ai to generate these images, just to prototype and get a feel for the artwork style.

This is my first attempt at creating a skirmish style wargame, the idea is Cyberpunk motor racing with the added thrill of weapons. This is where I’ll post up rules and background. It won’t be in any particular order and will be random as I come up with ideas.

I plan to use some Ai artwork generation to prototype the art work and create counters in the style of Cars Wars in the 80’s.  This will then become a design project when I start to design the layout and graphics for a rule book once I’ve finished the rules and background.

Introduction

In the neon-lit streets of the sprawling megacity of Neon Nexus, racing isn’t just a sport—it’s a way of life, a ruthless competition that separates the powerful from the powerless. The year is 2147, and the world as we know it has transformed into a dystopian labyrinth of towering skyscrapers, advanced technology, and rampant corruption. Corporations rule the city, and underground racing leagues are the only escape for those seeking fame, fortune, or freedom.

Setting: Neon Nexus

Neon Nexus is a sprawling metropolis, a hive of activity where the rich live in luxurious penthouses high above the clouds, and the poor scrape by in the neon-lit slums below. The city is divided into distinct districts, each with its own character, challenges, and dangers:

The Spire: The affluent district where the wealthy elite and powerful corporations reside. High-tech, glistening skyscrapers dominate the skyline, and the streets are patrolled by corporate security forces.

The Undercity: The lower levels of Neon Nexus, a chaotic maze of narrow alleyways, bustling markets, and seedy bars. This is where the disenfranchised masses live, and where underground races often take place.

The Wastelands: The outskirts of Neon Nexus, a barren, lawless zone plagued by gangs and mercenaries. Races in this area are dangerous, with treacherous terrain and deadly obstacles.

The Cyber Grid: A virtual reality district where digital and physical worlds converge. Here, racers can participate in augmented reality races, blurring the lines between reality and cyberspace.

Factions and Corporations

Neon Nexus is controlled by powerful factions and corporations, each with their own agendas and interests in the underground racing scene:

Neon Corp: The largest megacorporation in Neon Nexus, controlling most of the city’s infrastructure and technology. Neon Corp sponsors high-profile races, using them to test and showcase their latest advancements.

The Syndicate: An underground organization that controls illegal races, gambling, and other illicit activities. They offer big rewards but demand loyalty and ruthlessness from their racers.

The Rebellion: A group of renegades fighting against corporate oppression. They see racing as a means to spread their message and recruit new members.

The Mechanists: A faction of cybernetic enthusiasts and engineers who create and modify vehicles with advanced technology. They are always on the lookout for new parts and innovations to give their racers an edge.

Characters and Racers

In Motor Mayhem: Skirmish Speedway, players take on the roles of daring racers, each with their own background, motivations, and cybernetic enhancements. Character development is central to the game, as racers gain experience, upgrade their abilities, and unlock new potential.

Example Characters

Raven: A former corporate enforcer turned rogue racer. Raven seeks redemption and aims to bring down the corporations that once controlled her.

Zero: A street-smart hacker who races to fund his revolutionary software development. Zero’s cybernetic implants give him an edge in navigating digital and physical obstacles.

Blaze: A hot-headed mercenary with a passion for speed. Blaze races for the thrill and the lucrative contracts offered by the Syndicate.

Echo: A mysterious figure with ties to the Rebellion. Echo’s goal is to use the fame from racing to inspire others to join the fight against corporate tyranny.

Character Development and Cybernetic Enhancements

As players progress through the campaign, they gain experience points (XP) that can be used to upgrade their vehicle stats and cybernetic enhancements. These enhancements provide unique abilities and advantages in races.

Cybernetic Enhancements

Neural Interface: Improves reaction time and handling.

Cybernetic Armor: Increases resistance to damage.

Augmented Vision: Enhances targeting accuracy for attacks.

Nanotech Repair: Allows for rapid in-race repairs.

EMP Shielding: Protects against electronic attacks and disruptions.

Example Upgrades

Speed Upgrade: Increase Speed by 1 point.

Armor Upgrade: Increase Armor by 1 point.

Health Upgrade: Increase Health by 2 points.

Handling Upgrade: Increase Handling by 1 point.

New Ability: “EMP Blast” – Disables nearby opponents’ vehicles for one turn (unlocks at Level 3).

Improved Ability: “Nanotech Repair II” – Heals 5 health points instantly (improves at Level 5).