Litter (TL5)

Although the litter and sedan chair initially appear very similar and are indeed often confused, they are actually two versions of non-wheeled transport which are very different in form and function.

The litter, a direct descendant of the Roman Leticia, was used until the end of the 19^th century, which shows how efficient it was as a mode of transport. It had two seats facing each other, and minor modifications introduced over time were more to the style of decoration, which kept up with the artistic taste of the day and of the manufacturer, rather than to the form. The litter was transported by two mules harnessed respectively at the front and the back to a pair of long shafts attached to the side of the body, thereby suspending the litter and it occupants above the ground. This type of vehicle owned it enduring popularity to the fact that you could travel comfortably and relatively fast along the narrow winding streets of the city and over long distances on the worst roads.

Subassemblies: Body +1.

Powertrain: None (carried by 2 mules).

Occupancy: 2 NPS

Cargo: 0 cf.

Armor: 2/2W overall

Equipment:

Body: Luxury interior.

Statistics:

Size: 5.2'x5.3'x2.7' Payload: 0.2 tons Lwt.: 0.46 tons

Volume: 61 cf. Maint.: 194 hours Price: $10,560

HT: 4. HPs: 38 Body.

Design Notes:

A litter is essentially two passenger seats in a wooden box, and was designed as such. Four poles (p. B212) were added to the structure for carrying. Structure is Extra Light, with Expensive materials. Armor is DR 2 Expensive Wood. Empty weight is 527 lbs. Most typical small mules (ST 30) would carry the litter with passengers as Heavy Encumbrance (Move 2). Larger mules (ST 40) would reduce this to Medium Encumbrance (Move 4).

From the Aerodrome for GURPS