Monday 21 December 2015

Wizzodds

Wizzodds are not to be confused with fairytale Wizards who are often mystic guides that can do anything. Wizzodds can probably do anything, but are in no fit state to guide anyone.

Wizzodds are people so obsessed with a single Arcanum that it starts to rub off on them, eventually forming a bond. As a standard Arcanum-user might bent the device's powers in new ways, a Wizzodd becomes one with their beloved, and uses it in ways that shouldn't work.

They are isolated, because you need to give your whole self to an Arcanum to reach this level of affinity. If you have any other relationships it doesn't work. They cannot even tolerate other Arcana in their presence, let alone bring themselves to use another.

The bond extends to their names, which they either shed completely or combine with the name of their Arcanum.

d6 Wizzodds

1: Great Xtenda
STR 6, DEX 8, WIL 16, 10hp. Carapace (Armour 1).  
Extension Mask: The wearer can speed/slow their perception of time. 
Odd Uses: 
- Re-view a past occurrence, even if he wasn't there. 
- Age/Revivify himself or others unwillingly. 
- Produce objects from the distant past or future. 





2: Tormental
STR 5, DEX 14, WIL 17, 9hp.
Torment Crown: Causes intense pain to the wearer and all within range, which depends on the intensity of pain chosen by the wearer. 
Odd Uses: 
- Cause enough pain that the target burst into flames (d12 Damage on a failed WIL Save). 
- Cause a highly specific type of pain that triggers old memories, which Tormental can also see. 
- Destroy a target's sense of pain entirely, leaving an empty feeling. 










3: Orrob Boss
STR 10, DEX 3, WIL 14, 8hp. Immortality Suit (Armour 1).
Angel Orb: Float from the wielder to a known person, delivering a single telepathic message.
Odd Uses:
- Transfer ailments from the wielder to the receiver. 
- Transfer stored energy or emotions from the wielder to receiver. 
- Impregnate the target with a new Orb, violently born the next day (lose d8 STR). 










4: Phaserod

STR 16, DEX 15, WIL 12, 12hp. Metal Parts (Armour 1).
Phase Rod: Touch an object to temporarily show its state in the most likely future reality. 
Odd Uses: 
- Cause incredible coincidences for good or harm. 
- Prevent sure fire certainties from happening.
- State something that absolutely will not happen. If it happens, reality tears Phaserod apart. 










5: Rekt Torso
STR 11, DEX 10, WIL 13, 12hp. Crystal Teeth (d6), Staff (d8).  
Mummified Star-Prince: If fed intelligent flesh, will reveal secrets about that being.
Odd Uses:
- Reproduce the effect of Arcana it is fed. 
- Refine or modify raw material fed to it. 
- Temporarily take control of a living creature it feeds from. 













6: Demo-Lich
STR 14, DEX 8, WIL 10, 11hp. Lead Suit (Armour 1).
Demolition Maul (d8): Any structure struck by this will begin to slowly crumble, losing 1hp every hour until it is ruined. 
Odd Uses: 
- Cause organic things to slowly crumble.
- Cause ideologies and movements to slowly crumble.
- Cause laws of reality to slowly deteriorate. 




Wednesday 16 December 2015

d6 Law Enforcement Groups in Bastion

 d6 Enforcement Groups of Bastion

Obviously there's no centralised law enforcement in Bastion, so anyone can set up a group of thugs and have a go. They have different ideas of the law too, which doesn't help. If you get into trouble, think carefully before you call out for help from that person in a uniform. 

They usually have an ulterior motive. 

1: Drum Jockeys - 2hp, Jagged Metal Uniforms, Lead Beaters (d6).
  • Ride on a variety of huge drums, rigged up to wagons (4hp, Armour 1, d8 Crush).
  • Carry out harsh punishment en-masse at Justice Raves.
  • Talk in a drum-like rhythm even when separated from the beat.


2: Wristwatchmen - 3hp, Ultra-Slick Suits and Hair, Gadget Watch.
  • Transfer a miniature version of an Arcanum’s effect into their specialist wristwatches.
  • Fire a pitifully small gun mounted on their watch (d4).
  • Pretend to know the future (they don’t).



3: The VSF (Very Strong Fighters) - 5hp, STR 15, Tight, Colourful Costumes, Clenched Fists (d6).
  • Explain their own carefully thought out name and gimmick in extreme detail.
  • Attempt a silly finishing-move when they’ve almost beaten their opponent (d4).
  • Make a big speech about the role of the strong (them) in protecting the feeble (you).


4: Bombheads - 6hp, STR 5, 1ft Tall, Tiny Bombs (d8, must be set in place). adorable little uniforms, riding-rats, squeaky voices.
  • Use hidden wealth to hire backup-muscle.
  • Upon death, explodes for d8 damage.
  • Try to cut off crime at the source.


5: The Cadaver Club - 4hp, Death Shrouds and Pick-Sticks (d6).
  • Believe that all life is essentially guilt, and the older you live the more guilty you are.
  • Bury the guilty alive with lots of food and water.
  • Carry out trial-by-combat between corpses rigged up as puppets.


6: The Wind Order - 1hp, DEX 15, Gilded Uniforms, Breathy Voices.

  • Strike criminals down without touching them, using the mystical soul-wind (d10 damage, actually a hidden sniper with a huge rifle)
  • Flee from any real danger, claiming that “a more dangerous wind blows to the south”.
  • Sell you a 6-week course (1g) that will (not) teach you the Soul-Wind-Strike.

Wednesday 25 November 2015

First Oddiversary - Paper

So, on Friday Into the Odd turns one year old.

I was going to write a post about the traditional anniversary gift for one year. Then I looked it up and saw it was paper. The reprint is on its way, so job done right?

LET'S BRING THE FUN OF PAPER TO THE GAME!



Just as the wizards of myth have spell-books and scrolls, there really is great power in putting words on paper. Bastion elevates this to an industrial scale. The bureaucratic art of Paperwork.

Of course there are some compatibility issues when everyone has their own systems in place.

d12 Schools of Paperwork

1: Delegationists
With so many people processing paperwork in Bastion, it's improbable that anything is actually your responsibility. This means it's downright egotistical to actually process any paperwork yourself. Extremists apply this to everything in their life, and expect to utterly cared to by other people. They don't last long.

2: Scratchers
Take the phrase hand-written literally. Using their long nails, they can etch a barely readable script into slabs of soft wood. Extremists may try to destroy any other means of writing or printing.

3: Faunal Apologists
Sometimes terrible things must be printed. Massacre warrants, heretical theories, or forgotten torture methods. To pass the blame, beasts are painstakingly trained to type, one letter at a time, from the directions of alternate dictators. When the deed is done, the beast is slaughtered.

4: Press-Puritans
The printing press has brought mass communication to the world, so should be treated as a god. Any machine found in less than worshipful condition must be rescued, and taken to a more careful owner. Extremists would deal out harsh punishments to the heathens that let dust gather on such holy devices.

5: Dictorators
Paperwork is inhuman, so oral tradition must be brought up to date with these industrial times. Vast rooms of chanters, repeating passages from memory over and over. What an honour to be a part of the passing-on of Bastion's knowledge.

6: Fifth-Copyists
Some cosmic prophecy predicts that the fifth copy of anything will be its true form. Everything must be copied out five times, and the four lesser copied stored away somewhere safe. Copies beyond the fifth must be hunted down and destroyed.

7: The Raised Form
As we progress, a move into the third dimension of written language is only natural. Their sculpted-script is incomprehensible to all but its most dedicated devotees. The language is left open to personal interpretation, so even if you're fluent you might read it differently to someone else. Imagine communicating only through tiny clay figures and you're nearly there.

8: Bureaumantics
Who says paperwork has to be boring? Why can't it have pictures or a musical score that it should be read to? Scratch and sniff? Words come from our hearts after all, so they want to pump some emotion back into even the dullest pages. They especially love making up their own words and performing live readings.

9: Hds
Space is limited, so if we don't need to write it down then we should just commit it to memory. Short words better than long. Vwls mstly uncssry.

10: Debunkers
They don't have any good ideas, just lots of reasons why everyone else's ideas are wrong.

11: New Universal Standardists
Dedicated to finding a system that works for everyone. Fiercely opposed by the One-Page Movement that are trying to do the same thing.

12: Bottlers
All paperwork should be bottled up and thrown into the sea. If the impartial currents deem it to be important, it will wash it back up. A lot of members are just doing this for a laugh and don't truly believe it will work. Extremists break into archives at night and force their ideal on frustrated bureaucrats.

Monday 23 November 2015

WARPHAMMER 99,000

WARPHAMMER 99,000

In the bright madness of the Hundredth Millenium, there is only Chaos. 

Things that have stayed the same for the last 59 Thousand Years:
- There are humans, copyright-free Angel Legions, Orcs, and all those guys you love.
- People fight with both massive sci-fi guns and medieval weapons with chainsaw-bits. 
- The Four Gods don't get along.

Things that have changed:
- The Four Gods of Chaos won, and now everything is all warped. 
- The Emperor you knew is gone, but others follow.
- Every being now serves a God in their own way, from gobbos to elders, bugs to inquisitors. 



Playing the Game

Saving Throws
Roll equal or under the appropriate Ability Score to pass.

Attacking
Roll the die noted by your weapon, and cause this much damage to your target. If the target has an Armour score, this much damage is ignored from the attack. If the situation is in the attacker's favour, Enhance damage to d12. If it is against them, Impair damage to d4. 

Damage
Damage comes off your HP score. If there is excess damage, it comes off the target's WAR Score and they must pass a WAR Save to avoid Critical Damage, which knocks them out of action, killing them if left untended for an hour.

Ability Score Loss
When WAR reaches 0 you die. When DAR is 0 you're paralysed. At GRM are 0 you lose control of your physical form and either twist into a spawn or explode into a demon.

Recovery
A Short Rest of a few minutes restores lost HP. A Long Rest of a week in safety restores lost Ability Scores and generally other ailments. 

Scale
Heavy targets can only be damaged by Heavy attacks or bigger. 
Super-Heavy targets can only be damaged by Super-Heavy attacks or bigger. 



The Group
Despite your different races and Gods you have pulled together because everyone else is a total dick. Those with most in common with you are probably worst of all. It's a free-for-all, so there's ripe opportunity to grab power. 

You get a Void-Boat (5hp, Heavy) between you, propelled through space by a bound Demon. 

The Gods

Everyone serves a God. Some claim to be free, or worship Chaos in its pure form, but they're wrong. Followers of the same God get along even worse than followers of different Gods, as nobody agrees on the details of being a good servant. 

The Holy Fire, Emperor Tzeen - Change, Secrets, and Ambition.
The Perfect Beast Slaan - Pleasure, Excess, and Aesthetics. 
The Lovely Grandfather Nurg - Disease, Submission, and Nurture.
KHOR KHOR KHOR - Blood, Warfare, and Trophies. 



Rolling a Character

Roll 3d6 for each of:
WAR - Fighting
DARK - Doing things in the Dark.
GRIM - Frowning, being closed minded and barking orders.
and d6 for Hitpoints



Cross reference your HP against your Highest Ability Score on the table below for your starter package. If no God is listed, choose one to worship. 

Starter packages are for humans, but the warping has made everyone a bit different. Angels are pretty much humans beneath their suits and mutations.



If your God isn't already decided for you, pick one. 



1-2hp
3-4hp                    
5-6hp
3-10
Rat-like Mutant
Smokebomb
Psycho-Sword (d8, Ignore Armour)
Iron-Head
Chain-Armour (1)
Heavy Flamer (d10, Blast)
Stunty
Mega-Suit (2)
Hoverboard
Slugger (d6)
11
Arcane Staff (d8 Bolt)
Blue Angelsuit (2)
Limited Psychic
Tzeen
Soundblaster (d8) 
Lash Whip (d6)
Purple Angelsuit (2)
Slaan
Blaster (d8) built-into Scythe (d8)
Pale Angelsuit (2)
Nurg
12
Chitin (1)
Hook Swords (d8)
Slaan
Spike Rifle (d8)
Melt-bomb (d10 Heavy) Club (d6)
Chain-Mace (d8)
Monk Robes
Tzeen
13
Saw (d8)
White Angelsuit (2) 
Powerbike (6hp, Armour 3, d8 Blasters)
Slaan
Great-Axe-Saw (d10)
Red/White Angelsuit (2)
Eat Anything
Khor
Autocannon (d10) Wrecking Mace (d8) Iron Angelsuit (2)
Nurg
14
Auto-Pistols (d8)
Gang Affiliation
Knife (d6)
Big Dog Head (d6 Bite)
Chaingun (d10)
Khor
Death-Mask
Camo Suit
Machete (d6)
15
Saw (d8), 
Great Scent Grey Angelsuit (2)
Khor
Plasma Blaster (d10)
Sword (d6), 
Hood
Green Angelsuit (2)
Nurg
Hammer (d8) Gold Angelsuit (2) with Gold Shield (Impair non-heavy melee attacks)
Tzeen
16
Pig-Head
Pipe (d6)
Chain-Jaws  (d6)
Fancy Hat
Big Pistol (d8)
Laser-Eye (d6, Ignore Armour)
Reputation as a Killer
Bionic-Legs
Spike-Arm (d6)
17
Saw (d8), Bite (d6) Red/Gold Angelsuit (2)
Wing Pack
Khor
Blaster (d8), Sword (d6) Blue/Gold Angelsuit (2)
Slaan
Power-Claws (d8) 
Black Angelsuit (2)
Khor
18
Bird-Staff (d6)
Rainbow Robes (Armour 1 vs Warp Stuff)
Tzeen
Goat-like Mutant
Can only Bray
Rip-Gun (d6, Spray)
Insectoid-Mutant
Awful Smell
Staff (d6)
Nurg



Things to Fight

Hive Blight-Mother (Nurg, Heavy)
WAR 19, DAR 6, GRM 16, 10hp, Armoured Shell (2). Jaws (d10, Heavy)
- Birth out disgusting new lifeforms. 
- Take motherless beings under her shell. 
- Shed her rotten shell for an even more rotten one underneath. 

Elder Banshee (Khor)
WAR 10, DAR 16, GRM 12, 8hp, Red Screamer-Suit (Armour 1, Screaming Mask). Pyscho-Sword (d8, ignore armour)
- Herald the arrival of an Elder War-Host. 
- Seek to strike the unarmed and unready. 
- On Critical Damage, scream at you until your head explodes. 

Robo-Flayer (Slaan)
WAR 14, DAR 10, GRM 20, 4hp. Metal Body (Armour 1) under human skin, Flay-Gun (d8). 
- Use its ray to remove your skin for its own body.
- Try and fail to pass as human. 
- Seek to understand human emotion and sensation. 

Orc Ecksozist (Tzeen)
WAR 12, DAR 7, GRM 13. 13hp. Banishmunt Prod (d6, Non-Tzeen Demons must GRM Save or be Banished). 
- Summon a Demon of Tzeen, which is will refer to as an 'Oly Servunt. 
- Gather increasingly fancy ornaments for his headdress. 
- Report directly to a Holy Inquisitor Lord, who may provide orbital support. 

Friday 30 October 2015

Selling your Soul in the Underground

Expeditions to the Far Lands are terrible undertakings. Those wanting just to sneak a look are more likely to be tempted into the Underground, which connects everything. Some explorers just want to know what's out there, but others are hunting for Arcana.



Such devices might come from the stars, or the Far Lands, or the distinction might not even exist.

But then we meet all sorts of crazy beings that seem able to break reality without relying on a physical Arcanum. How does Average Joe Bastion get in on that sort of power?

It's been called Selling your Soul, but really you're just making a deal with an otherworldly being. Inhuman power in return for something they want.



When you go looking for such a deal, roll 3d10.

Who's Offering the Deal?
(Note: These things are off in their own distance places and times, able to reach you only through the Underground's disregard for time and space. If you need stats for them, remember that this is just a shadow of their real form.)
  1. The White Noise: A howling mass of flashing lights obsessed with purity. Terrified of contamination by touching lesser beings. 
  2. Huk Colony: Featureless humanoids with a collective, highly psychic, consciousness. Disgusted by emotions, including their own disgust.  
  3. Adol: A huge golden demon that wants to grant the desires of lesser beings as a penance for its previous sins. Asks only for something in return so that it may be passed on to another. 
  4. M-System: A huge network of computers that knows everything that's happening across all realities. Petty and vain. 
  5. Oot-bog: Sentient swamp that births disgusting gifts to those that feed it. Only requests payment through cryptic symbols in the moss. Takes forever to actually do anything.  
  6. Narin and Az: A titanic ape-like creature being groomed and caressed by a smaller mate. When not cooing over each other they want to take others to the peaks of pleasure. If you go along with this, they'll offer you a deal. 
  7. Fith-Halle: A mass of bloated corpses, conjoined at various body parts. All are silent except the speaker, who can sacrifice one of her conjoined bodies to grant a favour. 
  8. Slaughter: A flabby blue lion-like thing encased in silver armour. Will grant gifts only to be used in service of death. 
  9. Glass Heart: Speaks to those who enter her body. If she thinks your request is sincere, she will make you a deal. 
  10. Axigt: Serpentine, yellow bird, seemingly stretching on to infinity. Obsessed with enforcing punishment on broken vows, lies, and false intentions. 



What they're Offering
  1. Innate arcane ability. Start with Cantrips and 1st Circle, learning a new circle each time you please your master. 
  2. Monstrous wings and claws (d10). 
  3. Psychic ability.
  4. A blessing to the laws of probability. All your Saves roll 2d20 and keep the lowest result. 
  5. A cloned version of yourself that you control with a tandem ego. 
  6. A resurrection.
  7. Passage to a Far Land of practically unlimited wealth. 
  8. A target of your choice will get dragged to a hellish realm from their bed, damned for eternity. 
  9. Exemption from one immutable law (mortality, gravity, bureaucracy)
  10. A one-off time travel. 

What they Want 
  1. Your voice.
  2. Your soul for real. When you next take Critical Damage, they sense your incoming death and materialise to snatch you away.
  3. A gate opened up in Bastion. They tell you exactly what to do, but you'll cause a real mess if you do it.
  4. d6 innocents (children are best)
  5. Put something into Bastion's water supply that will cause a load of horrible things to happen. 
  6. A place in your mind. They want to observe things and will psychically lash you for d6 WIL loss if you get boring. 
  7. A load of bodily fluids, weakening your STR by d4 permanently. 
  8. A chunk of your brain, lowering your WIL by d4 permanently.
  9. Take this tiny creature with you and care for it until it grows into its adult form. If you lose the creature you'll be hunted down.
  10. Nothing for now. They'll be in touch with a completely unreasonable demand in a few weeks.

Monday 19 October 2015

The Far War

When people in Bastion talk about The War they aren't talking about some bloody mess come right-of-passage. The War is serious stuff.

No one power in Bastion has a chance of bringing the city under their rule, and even the most stone-headed armies of Deep Country bumpkins wouldn't last long against the city's guns.

So of course the great enemy of this terrible War is in some far off land. It might even be a coalition of far-land cities united against the dominant power of the world (clearly us).



There's a lot of uncertainty, but one thing's for sure is that you're with Bastion or the enemy. If we don't take the fight to them it's only a matter of time until there's an army at our door.

Recruits are conscripted, given uniforms, taken off to ships. Sometimes they come back with thousand yard stares. More often they don't. It's a great way to get rid of prisoners, orphans, and other surplus population.



For the common Bastionard, The War is the reason why your butcher can't get those good sausages anymore, or an excuse for the local militia to enforce a curfew at sundown.

If want to avoid going out to fight in the Far Lands you'll join one of the Home Defense Platoons. Bankers and bakers training each other to defend against an enemy they can't agree on. You get a fancy rank, regimental scarf, and some medals for long-service. You might even get to lynch some of your neighbours if they talk a bit different to you.



Officers are enforcers of War Law within the city, so you can count on them being total shits. They differ from Generals in that they consider any citizen of Bastion to be under their command and they have no actual thirst for battle.



So who are we fighting again? Roll 3d10.

First d10

  1. The Star-Duchy of...
  2. The Colossus named...
  3. The Mirror-City of...
  4. The Hidden World of...
  5. The Flesh Pit of...
  6. The Dead...
  7. The Fleet of...
  8. Terrible...
  9. Heathens of...
  10. The Godly...


Second d10

  1. Mock-
  2. Drek-
  3. Slag-
  4. Sly-
  5. Or-
  6. Dun-
  7. Fat-
  8. Luxi-
  9. Bad-
  10. Jerr-

Third d10

  1. -berg
  2. -stani
  3. -ich
  4. -a
  5. State
  6. -ania
  7. -lings
  8. -lackia
  9. -eria
  10. -olia

Saturday 3 October 2015

Two Weeks in the Far Lands

Right! I'm off to a distant land for two weeks, so don't take the lack of content here as my usual unreliability.

Back around the 19th with another IP-infringing OddMod for you all.

Thursday 24 September 2015

Into the Odd Reprint

If you're looking to buy Into the Odd, you'll see that print is currently sold out.

I can reassure you that another printing is on its way!

Further news to follow as I get it.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

ODDPOCALYPSE

OH YEAH IT'S INTO THE ODD PLUS MAD MAX LET'S GO ALL CAAAAAAAPS



As Into the Odd Free Edition with the following changes. 

Creating a Character
Roll 3d6 for STR, DEX, MAD, and 1d6hp as a normal Into the Odd character but use the starter packages below. 

MADness is how well they've adapted to life in this new world.

Top axis is your HP. Side is your highest Ability Score. 



1-2hp
3-4hp
5-6hp
3-9
Axe (d6)
Revolver (d6)
Hidden Blade (d6)
Armour (1)
Danger Sense
Chopper (d6hp, 1 Seat, Light, Fast)
Hunter Rifle (d8)
Machete (d6)
Flashbomb
Smell Petrol
Muscle Car (2d6hp, 4 Seats, Middleweight, Mid-Speed)
Assault Rifle (d8)
Club (d6)
Immunity to Extreme Weather.
Jeep (2d6hp, Armour 1, 5 Seats, Middleweight, Slow) 
Sack of dead rats. 
10-11
Long Rifle (d8)
Kitchen Knife (d6)
Pet Panther (5hp, d8 Bite)
Slugger (d6), Wrench (d6) 
Bus (3d6hp, 20 Seats, Heavy, Slow)
Baseball bat (d6), 3 Firebombs, 
Big Rig (3d6hp, 4 Seats, Super-Heavy, Slow)
12-13
Techno-Eyes,
Chainsaw (d10),
Sports Armour (1)
Dead Snake Scarf
Portable Siren
Paired Pistols (d8)
Exotic Sword (d6)
Sportscar (2d6hp, 2 Seats, Mid-weight, Super-Fast)
Spear (d6), 3 Bombs, 
ATV (d6hp, 1 Seat, Light, Mid-Speed)
Tame Vulture (2hp)
Poncho
14-15
Bike Chain (d6), Hog Trike (d6hp, 2 Seats, Mid-Weight, Mid-Speed) 
Road-Mine (d10)
Iron Knuckles (d6)
Skull-Mask
Pickup (3d6hp, 6 Seats, Mid-weight, Slow)
Crossbow (d6)
Fake Map to Paradise
Bomb Vest (d12 blast on death)
Poisoned Beer
16-17
SMG (d6), Badass Helmet. 
Dirtbike (d6hp, 1 Seat, Light, Fast)
Circular Saw (d8)
Throwing Knives (d6)
Fake Bomb
Fake Shotgun
Big Hammer (d8)
Filed-Sharp-Teeth
Mutt (3hp, d6 Bite)
Horns
18
Lizard skin (Armour 1)
Bite (d6)
Tattered Rags
Prehensile Tail
Metal Body (Armour 2), Energy Beam (d8) The only robot in the wastes. 
Shotgun (d8), Liqor bottle. No Legs, Power-Wheels (Slow)
Warning Flare

If none of you have a ride, you get a Scrub Buggy (Light, Slow, 2 Seats, d4hp) to share. 
All vehicles start with Low Fuel. 

Vehicles
Muscle-powered attacks cannot harm vehicles, unless the attacker is some sort of super-strong monster. 
Firearms and power tools can damage a vehicle, but cannot take it below 1hp.
Explosive and high impact weapons are required to deal a wrecking blow. 

When vehicles run out of HP they're Wrecked. The driver must pass a MAD Save to crash safely, or else it rolls/blows up and all on board take d6 damage. 

Repairing HP requires a Short Rest, but repair from being Wrecked requires a Full Rest. 

Ramming and Overrunning causes damage depending on the vehicle's weight or speed, whichever is better. Light/Slow (d6), Mid-Weight/Speed (d8), Heavy/Fast (d10) or Super-Heavy/Fast (d12). 
If one vehicle is heavier than the other, damage against it is Impaired. Vehicles take no damage for running over soft targets like people. 

Driving uses MAD Saves for risky situations, or may simply incur damage to the vehicle. 

Vehicles list a number of seats. An indefinite number of extra riders can hang on, but whenever the vehicle takes damage, they take the same amount.

Fuel is crucial, so any significant length of travel leaves you on Low Fuel. Another significant length of travel leaves you Empty. 

Upgrades do all sorts of crazy things but generally open up new options rather than simply improving your vehicle. Turbo might let you go fast but use all your fuel in one go. There's no currency so barter or steal.