Main Page | Ground Vehicles

Vehicle Movement and Combat

Using Modified D20 modern rules.

Characters in Vehicles

Driver:
Copilot:
Gunner:
Passenger:

Scale

Character Scale:
Chase Scale:

Facing and Firing Arcs

Facing is important for vehicles, as they can only move in the direction they’re facing (with exception of reverse).

Vehicle Speed

Declaring Speed

Moving

h3 Effects of Speed

Driving a Vehicle

Simple Maneuvers

Stunts

Avoid Hazard

Bootleg Turn

Dash

Hard Break

Hard Turn

Jump

Sideswipe

Driver Options

Collisions and Ramming

Resolving Collisions

Damage to Vehicle Occupants

Losing Control

Hide and Seek

Fighting from Vehicles

The following is the basic framework for combat involving vehicles.

Vehicle Combat Actions

Actions during vehicle combat are handled the same way as actions during personal combat. In general, a character can take a move action, a standard action, and a bonus action. Free actions can be performed normally, in conjunction with another action.
Move Actions: Changing positions within a vehicle is usually a move action, especially if the character has to trade places with another character.
Attack Actions: Anyone aboard a vehicle can make an attack with a personal weapon, and drivers and gunners can make attacks with any vehicle-mounted weapons controlled from their positions.

Attack Options

Firing a vehicle’s weapon requires an attack action and uses the driver’s or gunner’s ranged attack modifier. A driver with proficiency in the vehicle can apply proficiency when firing vehicle-mounted weapons while driving.
Driving Defensively: Just as in melee combat, one can fight defensively while driving a vehicle, which grant’s + 2 dodge bonus to a vehicle’s Defense and applies disadvantage to attack rolls bade by occupants of the vehicle.
Total Defense: A driver can choose the total defense action which grants + 4 dodge bonus to defense but does not allow the driver to attack (Gunners or passengers take uncountable disadvantage on attack roles). These modifiers last until the driver’s next round of action.
Multiple Attacks: A driver cannot normally make multiple attacks, since controlling the vehicle requires a move action. Bonus actions can be used for a second attack if an ability allows.

Targeting Occupants

An attack made against a vehicle uses the vehicle’s Defense, modified by it’s speed category. Attackers can choose instead to target specific vehicle occupants. An attack against a vehicle occupant is made like any other attack. Remember, however, that a character in a vehicle gains bonuses to Defense from both the Vehicle’s speed and any cover it provides.

Damaging Vehicles

When a vehicle is reduced to 0 hit points, it is disabled. Although it might be repairable, it ceases functioning. A vehicle that is disabled while moving drops one speed cateogry each round until it comes to a stop. The driver cannot attempt any maneuvers except a 45-degree turn.
Unlike characters, vehicles don’t start “dying” when they hit 0. Instead a vehicle is destroyed when it loses hit points equal to twice it’s full normal total. A destroyed vehicle cannot be repaired.
Exploding Vehicles: If the attack that disables a vehicle deals damage equal to half its full normal hit point or more, the vehicle explodes after 1d6 rounds. This explosion deals 10d6 points of fire damage to everyone within the vehicle (Dexterity Save DC 20, for half damage), and half that much to everyone and everything within 30 ft of the explosion (Dexterity Save DC 15, for half damage).

Repairing Damage

Repairing damage to a vehicle takes a full hour of work, a tinkerers kit, and a garage or suitable facility. At the end of the hour make an Intelligence Check (DC 20). You may spend a Spare Part to gain a +5 to the check. Success restores 2d6 Hit Points. If damage remains, the character may continue to make repairs for as many hours as it takes to restore all the vehicle’s hit points.