Vehicles

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Vehicles v.1

Vehicles can in all shapes and sizes, from the massive galleons that prowl through the waves to small chariots pulled by a single horse to even a balloon pulling a basket into the skies. An individual typically specializes in one of three vehicles, though they may learn additional vehicles thanks to their background or training. Those vehicle options are Air, Land, or Water vehicles.

  • Air. Many worlds may not have access to the newest forms of transportation. Airships are the newest techno-magical marvels created by ingenious tinkerers and wizards. From hot air balloons to massive ships kept afloat by captured air elementals, taking to the skies brings with it many dangers.
  • Land. Probably the most common type of vehicle, land vehicles are wagons, chariots, howdahs, and more. Those who have mastered these types of vehicles are often merchants, caravan leaders, or trained athletes.
  • Water. From ships with sails billowing in the wind to small rowboats and more, those with training in water vehicles lead a dangerous life. Drowning is the least of their worries as they know what horrors lurk beneath the surface and how the seemingly gentle waves can suddenly turn.

Controlling a Vehicle

Most of the time, there is no action or check required in order to guide a vehicle you are proficient with. When a vehicle is required to make a saving throw or ability check, and you are in control of the vehicle meaning that you are at the helm, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the vehicle's total. If you are not at the helm, the vehicle does not gain the benefits of your experience and does not add your bonus to it's total.

In addition, while you are at the helm and in control of the vehicle, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the vehicle's Armor Class. If a vehicle requires multiple creatures at it's helm, only one creature can add their bonus to the AC of the vehicle.

If you are at a component on the vehicle other than the Helm, you might be able to add your Proficiency Bonus to that component's Armor Class, saving throws, or ability checks, based on the DM's discretion.

Miscellaneous Skills

A wide variety of situations might rise up over the course of gameplay that may relate to your experience on a vehicle. Some of these situations could include:

  • Tying Knots.
  • Recalling information about locations you've been.
  • Recalling rumors and myths.
  • Finding possible smuggling locations.
  • Determining what a vehicle is transporting.

Dangerous Situations

In the normal process of controlling a vehicle, no check is required by the operator at the helm. There are rare circumstances where a vehicle is forced to make a saving throw or ability check or suffer damage, being destroyed or any other circumstance. Typical DCs, and examples for each type of vehicle, can be found below.

Air Vehicles
DC Examples of Danger
5 Very Easy. A non-essential rope snaps.
10 Easy. The rudder becomes jammed and you must work out the issue.
15 Moderate. Heavy winds (20+ miles per hour) from a powerful storm are causing the vehicle to sway.
20 Hard. Hurricane winds (100+ miles per hour) are tossing the vehicle around.
25 Very Hard. A primordial from the Plane of Air is attempting to pull you out of the sky.
30 Nearly Impossible. The vehicle has 0 hit points and is plummeting.
Land Vehicles
DC Examples of Danger
5 Very Easy. A large rock on the road causes the vehicle to bounce.
10 Easy. Must make a detour along a rocky hill as the road ahead is flooded.
15 Moderate. Being chased by other vehicles and need to make a sudden turn.
20 Hard. Going downhill at full speed with no way to stop yourself.
25 Very Hard. A powerful spellcaster splits the earth open beneath the vehicle.
30 Nearly Impossible. The vehicle is split in half and you are moving at terrifying speeds.
Water Vehicles
DC Examples of Danger
5 Very Easy. A shark rams the side of the vehicle.
10 Easy. The winds keep shifting directions.
15 Moderate. Trying to find a cleverly disguised smuggling location.
20 Hard. A whirlpool is pulling the vehicle in.
25 Very Hard. The Kraken's tentacles are pulling the vehicle under the waves.
30 Nearly Impossible. The vehicle is on fire and it's movement is 0.

Taking Damage

When a vehicle suffers damage, the amount of damage it suffers is based on the threat or the size of the object, creature, or structure that is interacting with it. See the chart below for typical damage based on the severity of the threat.

Crashing

If a vehicle crashes into a creature or object, the vehicle must immediately make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes damage to its hull (for water and air vehicles) or it's frame (land vehicles) based on the size of the creature or object it crashed into.

If a creature is struck by a vehicle, it must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + the vehicle's Strength modifier, taking damage based on the vehicle's size on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

If an object is struck by a vehicle, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + the ship's Strength modifier, taking damage based on the vehicle's size on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. An object has an amount of hit points as determined by the DM. The chart below offers suggested hit points based on size.

Damage Chart
Threat Object or
Vehicle Size		 Bludgeoning
Damage		 Typical Hit Points
for an Object
Very Minor Small 1d6 10
Minor Medium 1d10 20
Moderate Large 4d10 80
Serious Huge 8d10 160
Deadly Gargantuan 16d10 320

The DC for crashing into a creature or object may increase if the winds are pushing the vehicle to move faster, if they are made of a special material like adamantine, or other circumstances as determined by the DM.

Examples in Play

The following are examples of dangerous situations that a vehicle may be placed in. Each example specifies what type of vehicle is used in the example, though many can be adjusted to fit a different vehicle.

Dangerous Winds

  • Vehicle Type Air or Water
  • Severity Moderate
  • DC 15

Sudden powerful gusts of winds are sweeping through the air. The sails, balloons, or other fabric-based components of the vehicle are blown and tossed about. The pilot can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Vehicle) check, on a success they have enough time to order the sails drawn up or to navigate the vehicle out of harm.

On a fail, the vehicle is struck by heavy winds and the sails, balloons, or other fabric components of the vehicle suffer 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage for every minute they are subjected to the wind. The wind lasts for 1d4 x 10 minutes. In order to put away the sails, it requires a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check from the crew hoisting the sails. To navigate out of the wind, it requires a DC 15 Dexterity (Vehicle) check to safely navigate the winds and move out of their path. The check can be made once per minute.

Leaks

  • Vehicle Type Air or Water
  • Severity Minor
  • DC 10

A leak has formed on the hull or balloon of the vehicle. In order to be seen, the pilot can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Vehicle) check, on a success they notice the leak either by walking the ship and noticing it, or the crew has successfully seen it.

While the leak is there, the vehicle either starts taking on water or it begins descending from the sky. For every hour that the leak is present, the vehicle begins sinking 1d10 feet. In order to repair the leak, a creature must repair it with a DC 10 ability check using an appropriate tool, like Carpenter's Tools or Woodcarver's Tools (for wood), or Leathework's Tools or Weaver's Tools (for cloth). If those tools are not available, the pilot can attempt a DC 10 Intelligence (Vehicles) check to staunch the leak until it can be taken into port and fixed. The ship will be unable to ascend higher than it currently is at. A creature can attempt the check once per hour.

Broken Movement

  • Vehicle Type Air, Land, Water
  • Severity Serious
  • DC 20

The helm of the vehicle has stopped functioning and the pilot is immediately aware of it. The danger is not the helm malfunctioning but the danger that the vehicle is now in. The pilot can make a DC 20 Intelligence or Wisdom (Vehicles) check to realize that they are about to crash into a huge object. This object could be a mountain top, a floating mote of earth, an underwater rock, a massive pothole in the road filled with water, or a huge creature.

The vehicle will crash into the object in a matter of seconds and the pilot must make a DC 20 Intelligence (Vehicles) check in order to realize the problem and fix it. This could be the chain has jumped off it's tracks on a ship, the horses are not listening to your commands, the elemental powering the airship is weakening, or something else that is affecting the ship. On a failed check, the vehicle crashes into the huge object and must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or the hull or frame takes 8d10 bludgeoning damage.

Vehicle Components

All vehicles share the same types of components and are used for the same basic purposes. A component represents many different things but are for a singular purpose.

  • Hull/Frame. A hull (Air/Water) or frame (Land) is the basic form of the vehicle and is what supports all other components. If the hull/frame is ever reduced to 0 hit points, the vehicle is destroyed.
  • Control. How the vehicle is controlled, this is where the helm is located.
  • Movement. How the vehicle moves, the helm controls this component. If this is destroyed, the vehicle's speed is reduced to 0 unless it is what is holding the vehicle aloft. In which case, the vehicle begins falling towards the ground.
  • Weapon. The combat capability of a vehicle, not all vehicles carry weapons.

A vehicle might have special components not listed here, if so it will be described in the vehicle's stat block.

Example Vehicles

The following are a few examples of different vehicles, more vehicles can be found in the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus (2019) by Wizards of the Coast, Ghosts of Saltmarsh (2019) by Wizards of the Coast, or Unearthed Arcana - Of Ships and Seas (2018) by Wizards of the Coast.

Creating Your Own Vehicle

When creating your own vehicle, there are few things to keep in mind. Land vehicles will often rely on beasts of burdens in order to move them, in which case the Armor Class, Hit Points, and speed of those components will be determined by that beast as well as if it has any barding. A land vehicle relying on a beast can only travel for 8 hours a day, attempting to push the beast to travel for longer may require a Constitution saving throw or become exhausted per the DM's discretion.

In addition, to determine how many hit points the hull or frame has, refer to the chart below:

Constitution
Modifier		 Hit Points Damage Threshold
+0 50 -
+1 100 10
+2 200 10
+3 300 15
+4 400 15
+5 500 20

If you wish to remove the vehicle's damage threshold, increase it's hit points by 200.

Cart

  • Large vehicle (10 ft. x 15 ft.)
  • Creature Capacity 1 crew, 5 passengers
  • Cargo Capacity .5 tons
  • Travel Pace 3 miles per hour (24 miles per day)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 0 0 0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Actions

On its turn, the cart can take the move action below. It can't take this action if it has no crew.

Move. The cart can use its helm (reigns) to move with its horse.

Frame

Armor Class 8
Hit Points 100 (damage threshold 10)

Control: Helm (Reigns)

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 20
Movement Move up to the speed of the vehicle's horse, with one 90-degree turn. If the helm is destroyed the cart can't turn.

Movement: Draft Horse

Armor Class 10
Hit Points 19
Speed (land) 40 ft. (requires at least 1 crew)

Movement: Wheels (2)

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 20; -5 ft. to speed per 5 damage taken
Speed (land) see Movement: Draft Horse

Features

A cart has the following features:

  • Frame. The vehicle has a open, wooden frame that can carry heavy creates.
  • Helm. The vehicle uses reigns for its helm, and they must be used to move the cart.

Cart Storage

The storage of the vehicle has the following features:

  • Railing. The cart has a 2-foot-high rail covered in wood around its perimeter that provides half cover for Medium creatures and three-quarters cover for Small creatures behind it.

Hot Air Balloon

  • Huge vehicle (15 ft. x 15 ft.)
  • Creature Capacity 1 crew, 9 passengers
  • Cargo Capacity .5 tons
  • Travel Pace 5 miles per hour (120 miles per day), only with the wind
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 0 0 0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Actions

On its turn, the vehicle can take the move action below. It can't take this action if it has no crew.

Move. The vehicle can use its helm to move with its balloon.

Hull: Basket

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 100 (damage threshold 5); if reduced to 0 hit points, all occupants and supplies plummet to the ground unless they hang on to the ropes connected to the balloon.

Control: Helm

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 50
Movement Move up to the speed of the vehicle's movement component. If the helm is destroyed, the vehicle can't ascend.

Movement: Balloon

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 100; -5 ft. speed per 25 damage taken; if reduced to 0 hit points, the vehicle plummets to the ground.
Speed (hover) 20 ft. ascend or descend; the wind controls where it goes

Features

A hot air balloon has the following features:

  • Balloon. The vehicle has a balloon that is 50 feet wide and 70 feet tall.
  • Helm. The vehicles uses a burner for its helm, and must have fuel to power the flame or it can not rise and begins to descend.
  • Rigging. Rigging on the vehicle can be climbed without an ability check.

Hot Air Balloon Basket

The basket of the vehicle has the following features:

  • Sand Bags. Twelve sandbags line the hot air balloon, one sand bag can be dropped from the balloon as an action which causes the hot air balloon to immediately rise 20 feet.
  • Railing. The deck has a 3-foot-high rail covered in wood around its perimeter that provides half cover for Medium creatures and three-quarters cover for Small creatures behind it.

Hulk

  • Gargantuan vehicle (80 ft. by 25 ft.)
  • Creature Capacity 40 crew, 30 passengers
  • Cargo Capacity 175 tons
  • Travel Pace 4 miles per hour (96 miles per day)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 5 (-3) 20 (+5) 0 0 0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Actions

On its turn, the hulk can take 3 actions, choosing from the options below. It can take only 2 actions if it has fewer than twenty crew and only 1 action if it has fewer than ten. It can't take these actions if it has fewer than three crew.

Fire Ballistas. The hulk can fire its ballistas. DMG, ch. 8

Move. The hulk can use its helm to move with its oars or sails. As part of this move, it can use its naval ram.

Hull

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 500 (damage threshold 20)

Control: Helm

Armor Class 18
Hit Points 50
Movement Move up to the speed of one of the ship's movement components, with one 90-degree turn. If the helm is destroyed, the hulk can't turn.

Movement: Oars

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 100; -5 ft. speed per 25 damage taken
Speed (water) 20 ft. (requires at least 20 crew)

Movement: Sails

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 100; -10 ft. speed per 25 damage taken
Speed (water) 35 ft.; 15 ft. while sailing into the wind; 50 ft. while sailing with the wind

Weapon: Ballista (2)

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 50 each
Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage.

Weapon: Naval Ram

Armor Class 20
Hit Points 100 (damage threshold 10)
The hulk has advantage on all saving throws relating to crashing when it crashes into a creature or an object. Any damage it takes from the crash is applied to the naval ram rather than to the ship. These benefits don't apply if another vessel crashes into the hulk.


Features

A hulk has the following features:

  • Ceilings. The ceilings in the lower decks are 8 feet high.
  • Flat-Bottomed. The hulk has a flat bottom and can sail in as little as 3 feet of shallow water, provided it has no cargo. This ship is not designed for the open sea but rather rivers.
  • Light. Hanging lanterns cast bright light throughout the ship.
  • Rigging. Rigging on the ship can be climbed without an ability check.
  • Sails. The hulk has two 20-foot-tall masts with sails.

Hulk Deck

The decks of the hulk have the following features:

  • Ballista. A ballista is mounted on the fore and stern. Ten ballista arrows are stacked and secured nearby each one.
  • Decks. A cog has three decks, the main deck, and two holds for cargo and sleeping quarters.
  • Oars. Twenty benches are built into the deck of the lower deck, each with a 20-foot-long oar. When the ship is rowed, crew members sit on these benches to work the oars. Ten spare oars hang on the walls of the ship.
  • Railing. The deck has a 3-foot-high rail around its perimeter that provides half cover for Medium creatures and three-quarters cover for Small creatures behind it.