Victorian Carriages- Carriage Mishaps

Carriage rides aren’t all gentle neighs, and a lover’s soft gaze. Here are a few ideas for the sorts of mishaps and dangers that may come up during a carriage ride. These aren’t for every session featuring a carriage. Think of it more as encounters that could be thrown in to heighten the danger of a fight or chase. If players try to surgically take down an opponents’ vehicle piece by piece, reward their strategy with the disastrous results of the table below.

The mishaps are numbered in case anyone wants a “1D10 Carriage Mishap Chart” to roll on.

Carriage Mishap

1. Broken Body- The carriage body has been damaged, exposing its passengers. This may be from shattered windows, ripped leather hoods, or broken cabs. The carriage no longer provides cover bonuses to any of its passengers from attacks.

2. Carriage Accident- Whether with a costermonger’s stand, another carriage, or a brick wall, the carriage collides horribly, causing a terrible accident. All characters aboard must pass a Dodge test (3 black dice) or take 12 dice of damage. A successful character safely leaps from the carriage before the crash.

The carriage and any draft horses automatically suffer 12 dice of damage.
If any horses remain alive and the carriage intact, characters may board and continue toward their goal.
Any other mishap may accompany a Carriage Accident at the Gamemaster’s discretion.

3. Carriage Flips- The characters suffer crushing damage from rolling wheels, horse’s hooves, and the bulk of the over-turned carriage itself. All characters aboard and all horses pulling the carriage take 9 dice of damage, with 4 points of armor penetration. Needless to say, a flipped carriage cannot move until righted.

4. Harness Incident- Some part of the horse’s harness and rigging (collar, reins, bit, etc) has come undone or broken. The driver lost the reins, or the horse came untethered to the carriage. All driving tests (including Chase Pools) have +6 black dice. If failed, the carriage is no longer under the driver’s control (see Runaway Carriage).

5. Horse Injured- An injury severely limits the horse’s ability to continue pulling the carriage. If another horse is pulling the carriage with it, the carriage continues moving but adds 6 black dice to Chase Pools. If no other horses remain, the carriage adds 12 black dice to Chase Pools.

6. Horse Killed- A stray bullet, blade, or spell ended the draft horse’s ability to pull the carriage. If another horse remains, the carriage continues moving (12 black dice to Chase Pools), but only after the driver passes an immediate Drive Carriage test (no black dice). If no other horses remain, or the Drive Carriage test failed, the carriage is now a runaway (See Run Away Carriage).

7. Lost Wheel- Whether from shattered spokes or a cracked axel, the carriage lost a wheel. The carriage driver must pass an immediate Drive Carriage test (no black dice). If passed the carriage continues moving, but all Driving tests (including Chase Pools) have +6 black dice. If failed the carriage flips (see Carriage Flips).

8. Run Away Carriage- Somehow the driver has lost control of his carriage. He may have lost control of the horse, been knocked unconscious, or been pushed off. Any character aboard the carriage may attempt a Drive Carriage test (3 black dice +3 per oppositional character also trying that round) to regain control. Failure results in a Carriage Accident (see Carriage Accident).

9. Shattered Lamp- The headlights of the carriage break, sending oil splashing over the carriage and its passengers. If lit, all passengers exposed to the splash must pass an immediate dodge test (no black dice) or take 6 dice of damage. A small inferno may ensue at the Gamemaster’s discretion.

10. Shattered Springs- The suspension springs of the carriage snap leading to a much bumpier ride or further damage to the carriage. All actions undertaken by passengers (including the driver’s Chase Pools) have +3 black dice from the much rougher ride. At GM’s discretion the carriage axel also cracks, causing a lost wheel (see Lost Wheel) in 1d6 turns.