Archives of Nethys

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Military Vehicles

Ancient Roots

Source Starfinder #24: The God-Host Ascends pg. 47
Perhaps the eldest of war machines, and indeed the predecessor of many vehicles that have followed, is the two-wheeled chariot. Records indicate that horse-drawn war chariots were used in times considered ancient even on pre-Gap Golarion. Early civilizations on dozens of planets have echoed this basic design, each vehicle adapted to accommodate the local herd animals, and some species employ chariots to this day. Even on worlds that have left the design behind, chariots can often be found in museums and occasionally as part of ceremonial parades.

By contrast, the sturdier four-wheeled cousin of the chariot, called a war wagon, still sees practical use in regions where more advanced technology is impossible to maintain. Although war wagons’ basic structure remains essentially unchanged from pre-Gap days, improvements such as titanium plating ensure a war wagon is a safe place to hunker down during a dust-up with bandits or troublesome wildlife. Other improvements have resulted in new classes of vehicles. For example, the sky chariot forgoes the cumbersome wheels of its ancestors, instead employing modern gravity manipulating technology to keep itself afloat and its passengers firmly onboard as it careens through the clouds. These vehicles often serve as novel pleasure craft for tourists taking in the vaporous vistas of Bretheda and Liavara, but the Xenowardens use sky chariots as sustainable low-impact vehicles for patrolling newly discovered worlds.