Vehicles (PSR Supplement)
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Common Hazards
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- See also: Vehicles, Variant (PSR Supplement)
Vehicles are objects that carry and move creatures and items.
During encounters, vehicles work best with Group Turns. Outside of group turns, if a vehicle is to be assigned a turn, it delays to the turn of its pilot—or its hauler if the vehicle lacks any pilot or crew. The pilot or hauler decides how the vehicle moves, but the vehicle cannot take actions or reactions.
Each vehicle is defined by several statistics as detailed below.
Speed. The vehicle's move speed is for moving over the surface of land, over the surface of water, or through the air as a fly speed. The presented speed is in feet for each turn in an encounter, or in miles for each day of travel. For example a vehicle with 20 speed has a 20-feet-per-turn speed, and a 20-mile-per-day speed. Like a creature, a vehicle might have several speeds, though most only have one.
- Haul. A vehicle with a speed listed as "hauled" can only move when hauled by appropriate creatures, and moves at the speed of those creatures as detailed in Hauling Objects. Typically a vehicle with any other speed can still be hauled by appropriate creatures, which in some cases enables greater speed.
- Water. A vehicle with a water speed can move over the surface lakes, rivers, and small stretches of saltwater but cannot handle open sea—sails are needed for sea. Unlike a true swim speed, a "water" speed can only traverse over the surface of water.
- Sail. When moving by sail, a vehicle under favorable winds is Fast, under unfavorable winds is Slowed, under neutral winds moves normally, and in dead wind has its speed reduced to 5 feet. Unlike a true swim speed, a "sail" speed can only traverse over the surface of water.
- Dashing. Vehicles take no actions and thus a vehicle itself nor its pilot cannot take the Dash action. However, hauling creatures can Dash to increase the vehicle's speed.
Capacity. Capacity is the number of Medium creatures or objects that can be carried by the vehicle. Two Small creatures occupy the load of one Medium creature, and four Tiny creatures occupy the load of one Medium creature. A Large creature occupies the load of 2 Medium creatures, and a Huge creature occupies the load of 4 Medium creatures. A vehicle cannot carry a creature larger than Huge, nor any creature of a size beyond that of the vehicle itself.
Each unused point of capacity can be used to store up to 20 items or 2 heavy items. Up to 10 light items take up the space of 1 normal item.
Crew. Crew is the number of working folks needed for the vehicle to move under normal conditions, excluding any creatures used to haul the vehicle. If there is insufficient crew, the vehicle's speed is reduced to 5 feet. Working as crew takes no particular skill, but if you're proficient in the vehicle you count as 2 crewmembers.
Size, HP, and Defense. Like most objects, vehicles have a size, defense, and hit points. Vehicles are always immune to poison and psychic damage, and have resistance to cold damage. Any vehicle reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed, and if in water it will sink 5 feet at the end of each of its turns.
Saves. The vehicle is unaffected by effects requiring a Grit or Will save. If the vehicle is forced to make a Reflex save, the pilot or the most representative member of the crew respectively makes the save on behalf of the vehicle.
Huge and Gargantuan Vehicles
Due to their momentum, vehicles of this size are more difficult to maneuver during an encounter.
Huge Vehicles Can Only Turn Once Each Round. Vehicles of Huge size cannot be maneuvered easily. Within the span of a single turn a Huge vehicle can move in a straight line and take no more than one 90-degree turn.
Gargantuan Vehicles Can't Slow or Turn. Vehicles of Gargantuan size or greater have so much momentum that they lack the maneuverability to be controlled within the span of a single encounter. The speed and direction a Gargantuan vehicle has at the start of the encounter will be maintained throughout the entire encounter, unless it crashes into something or falls Prone.
Prone
Though it is a difficult task given the size of most vehicles, any vehicle can be knocked Prone. When a vehicle is knocked Prone all creatures inside must succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save or also fall Prone. Upon failing this save by 10 or more a creature is also Shoved 5 feet out of the vehicle in an direction appropriate to the direction of momentum.
A Prone land or water vehicle has its speed reduced to 0, and while Prone its speed can't change. Any creature or team of creatures capable of hauling the vehicle can upright it with a Use action, ending this Prone condition on the vehicle.
While a vehicle is Prone in water, at the start of each of its turns it takes bash damage equal to its size die.
Crashing
If a vehicle moves into the space of a creature or object of a size greater than or equal to the vehicle's, the vehicle crashes. This also applies if a water vehicle moves at a high speed into land.
A crashed vehicle takes its size die in bash damage, and one member of its crew must attempt a mark 15 Dexterity check, adding its PB if proficient with the vehicle. On a failure, the vehicle falls Prone. The crashed-into creature must succeed on a mark 15 Reflex save or take the vehicle's size die in bash damage.
Example Vehicles
Your narrator's world may have more, fewer, or different vehicles. This list is just an example. Autonomous or otherwise complex vehicles might have their own stat blocks and be treated as construct creatures.
This list sticks to simpler vehicles that could be manned by a typical party and could be attained with a comprehensible amount of gold. Note that these costs don't include the cost of hauling creatures, which must be acquired separately.
Vehicles can't be bought during downtime trading, as they're too big to be items.
| Vehicle | Speed | Size | Capacity | Crew | Defense | HP | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cart | land hauled | Medium | 1 | 0 | 12 def | 4 (1d8) | 15 gold |
| Sled | land hauled | Large | 2 | 0 | 15 def | 21 (4d10) | 20 gold |
| Wagon | land hauled | Large | 2 | 1 | 13 def | 25 (5d10) | 100 gold |
| Chariot | land hauled | Medium | 1 | 1 | 20 def | 22 (5d8) | 250 gold |
| Carriage | land hauled | Huge | 4 | 1 | 15 def | 26 (4d12) | 500 gold |
| Raft | water 10 | Large | 2 | 1 | 8 def | 5 (1d10) | 10 gold |
| Canoe | water 20 | Medium | 1 | 1 | 12 def | 9 (2d8) | 50 gold |
| Rowboat | water 30 | Large | 2 | 2 | 15 def | 18 (4d8) | 100 gold |
| Riverboat | water 20 | Huge | 4 | 1 | 17 def | 39 (6d12) | 3000 gold |
| Dinghy | sail 30 | Large | 2 | 1 | 13 def | 27 (5d10) | 5000 gold |
| Sloop | sail 50 | Huge | 4 | 2 | 15 def | 39 (6d12) | 10000 gold |
Canoe and Rowboat. The pilot must take a Use action to move the vehicle using oars supplied with the vehicle, and can do so no more than once per round.
Chariot. While a chariot's speed is above 0, the pilot has three-quarters cover against all attacks.
Raft. The raft can only move by the pilot Using a 20-foot pole (supplied with vehicle) in water no deeper than the pole is long. Otherwise the raft moves only with the water's drift.
Sled. On snow or slippery terrain the sled is Fast and automatically succeeds on saves made for slippery terrain. On a slippery slope the sled can move 60 feet directly downhill under its own power. The sled is Slowed on all other terrain.