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Vehicles

Custom Vehicles

Source Tech Revolution pg. 76
Vehicles play a crucial role in most modern societies. While mass manufacturers provide many reliable options, the galaxy’s near-infinite challenges call for constant innovation, begetting custom prototypes of every variety. This section provides rules for creating your own custom vehicles, designed for whatever your adventures demand!

Building A Vehicle

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Designing a new vehicle involves choosing the vehicle’s item level, which determines many of the vehicle’s base statistics. From there, apply several templates to adjust those statistics and make the vehicle fit your concept. Whatever you design, you can augment it further using the vehicle modifications on pages 80–83.
The following provides an overview of the vehicle-design process, detailed further in the following pages.

Step 0: Vehicle Concept

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Before you start designing your vehicle, you should have a clear idea of what the purpose of this vehicle is. Is the vehicle a fast transport, a powerful gunship, or an invulnerable tank? Why was it designed? What task was it created to perform? Who created it? A racing vehicle designed by goblins will sport a very different set of abilities than a Veskarian assault tank.

Step 1: Array

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Choose the level of the vehicle, then locate and use the starting statistics in Table 3–1: Custom Vehicle Array.

Step 2: Vehicle Type Graft

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Choose and apply one of the vehicle type grafts based on your vehicle’s general shape, such as a cycle, flying vehicle, tank, or walker. Apply any adjustments that template provides. The vehicle type graft has a significant impact on your vehicle’s final statistics.

Step 3: Vehicle Size Graft

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Determine the vehicle’s size. Choose a vehicle size template and apply any adjustments to your starting statistics. Large vehicles have no adjustments, as Large is the default size for most vehicles. Small creatures sometimes use Medium vehicles.

Step 4 (Optional): Vehicle Origin Graft

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Is this custom vehicle created by a large corporation for wide distribution, a hand-made vehicle, or an experimental vehicle? You can choose one graft that best describes your vehicle and apply it.

Step 5 (Optional): Special Grafts

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The templates in this section describe rarer types of vehicles, such as those that are built from scrap, designed for off-road travel, or include an auto-pilot. Apply up to two of these grafts if they help to describe your vehicle.

Step 1: Array

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The following pages provide base statistics for creating your vehicle, such as AC, speed, and starting price. The level determines the item level of the vehicle and its base statistics, which are modified further in the subsequent steps. Record each of these statistics for the level of your vehicle.
Level: The item level of your vehicle.
Price: The base price of the vehicle; it is modified by further templates. Apply changes in the order you apply the templates, starting with Step 3.
Speed: The vehicle’s base speed. Land vehicles can move only along the ground, air vehicles have fly speeds, and water vehicles have swim speeds.
EAC: The vehicle’s Energy Armor Class.
KAC: The vehicle’s Kinetic Armor Class.
HP: The vehicle’s Hit Point total. Its Break Threshold equals half the vehicle’s Hit Points, unless otherwise stated by a template.
Hardness: The vehicle’s hardness. Additional grafts can increase the hardness up to twice this starting value, though vehicle modifications like adamantine plating (page 80) can increase the hardness beyond this limit afterward. A vehicle’s hardness is always at least 5, even if a graft would reduce it below this value.
Collision Damage: The vehicle’s base collision damage, which can be altered by grafts and later modifications.
Collision DC: The vehicle’s base collision DC.
Modifiers: The vehicle’s modifiers to Piloting checks and attack rolls, with a larger modifier to attack rolls listed in parentheses for when the vehicle is traveling at full speed.
Modification Slots: The number of modification slots (page 80) the vehicle has.

Level	Price	Speed	EAC	KAC	HP	Hardness	Collision Damage	Collision DC	Modification Slots
1	700	25	12	14	12	5	4d4 B	10	1
2	1,800	25	13	15	20	5	5d4 B	11	1
3	2,600	25	14	16	30	5	6d4 B	12	1
4	4,000	25	15	17	40	5	5d6 B	13	1
5	6,000	25	17	19	55	5	5d8 B	13	2
6	8,500	30	18	20	75	6	6d8 B	14	2
7	13,000	30	19	21	95	7	6d10 B	15	2
8	19,000	30	20	22	120	8	7d10 B	16	2
9	27,000	35	21	23	135	9	8d10 B	16	2
10	36,000	35	23	25	150	10	9d10 B	17	3
11	50,000	35	24	26	165	11	10d10 B	18	3
12	73,000	40	25	27	185	12	11d10 B	19	3
13	100,000	40	26	28	205	13	12d10 B	19	3
14	150,000	40	27	29	230	14	14d10 B	20	3
15	230,000	45	29	31	255	15	15d10 B	21	4
16	345,000	45	30	32	280	16	17d10 B	22	4
17	520,000	45	31	33	310	17	18d10 B	22	4
18	760,000	50	32	34	340	18	20d10 B	23	4
19	1,150,000	50	33	35	370	19	23d10 B	24	4
20	1,750,000	50	35	37	400	20	25d10 B	25	5

Other Statistics

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Several other statistics, described below, are derived from grafts rather than the vehicle’s level.
Adjustments: These are modifications to the vehicle’s statistics. Cover: The amount of cover the vehicle provides.
Passengers: The number of passengers the vehicle can comfortably carry, in addition to the pilot.
Special: Unique effects or prerequisites that apply to the vehicle. Speed (Full): The vehicle’s full speed, primarily determined by the vehicle type graft.
Speed (Travel): The vehicle’s overland speed used for noncombat movement, expressed in miles per hour. Except where otherwise noted, this speed equals the vehicle’s full speed divided by 10.

Step 2: Vehicle Type Graft

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Chose one or more of the following vehicle type grafts.

Boat (Water Vehicle)

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These craft enable travel on the surfaces of liquids, such as water, using a wide variety of propulsion methods.
Passengers: 2
Cover: Partial cover; Speed (Full): speed × 15
Modifiers: +0 Piloting, –2 attack (–4 at full speed)

Cruiser (Land Vehicle)

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These land vehicles use powerful propulsion methods that enable them to travel at high speeds on open terrain.
Passengers: 3; Adjustments: Increase price by 10%, decrease KAC by 1, increase Hit Points by 10%
Cover: Improved cover; Speed (Full): speed × 25
Modifiers: +0 Piloting, –2 attack (–4 at full speed)

Cycle (Land Vehicle)

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Cycles are vehicles that the pilot (and sometimes a passenger) ride directly on top of, and they can have a wide variety of uses.
Passengers: 1 (can’t be increased by other grafts); Adjustments: Decrease price by 10%, decrease EAC and KAC by 2, decrease Hit Points by 10%
Cover: None; Speed (Full): speed × 20
Modifiers: +2 Piloting, –1 attack (–3 at full speed)

Fast Flyer (Air Vehicle)

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These speedy air vehicles are designed for continuous forward movement and generally have wings and landing gear.
Passengers: 2; Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, increase speed by 15 feet, decrease EAC and KAC by 2, decrease Hit Points by 10%
Cover: Total cover; Speed: Fly only
Speed (Full): speed × 25
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, –2 attack (–5 at full speed)

Hovering Flyer (Air Vehicle)

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These slower air vehicles provide maximum maneuverability and are often propelled by large rotors or hover pads.
Passengers: 2; Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, decrease EAC and KAC by 1, decrease Hit Points by 10%
Cover: Cover; Speed (Full): speed × 20
Modifiers: +0 Piloting, –1 attack (–4 at full speed)

Submersible (Water Vehicle)

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These vehicles can submerge completely in a liquid (usually water) for extended periods, providing access to strange new realms for nonaquatic creatures.
Passengers: 2; Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, increase hardness by 20%
Cover: Total cover; Speed (Full): speed × 10
Modifiers: –2 Piloting, –2 attack (–5 at full speed)
Special: The submersible can’t take grafts that reduce its cover to less than total cover.

Tank

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These heavily armored vehicles resist damage, maneuver ponderously, and are rarely available to civilians, though an adventurer with the right connections (legal or not) can certainly procure one.
Passengers: 1; Adjustments: Increase price by 35%, decrease speed by 5 feet, increase KAC and EAC by 2, increase hardness by 20%
Cover: Total cover; Speed (Full): speed × 10
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, –2 attack (–4 at full speed)

Truck (Land Vehicle)

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These rugged ground vehicles transport passengers or cargo.
Passengers: 3; Adjustments: Increase Hit Points by 10%
Cover: Cover; Speed (Full): speed × 20
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, –3 attack (–5 at full speed)

Walker

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These relatively slow vehicles use numerous legs to stride over challenging terrain with ease.
Passengers: 2
Cover: Improved cover; Speed (Full): speed × 10
Modifiers: +1 Piloting, –2 attack (–6 at full speed)

Step 3: Vehicle Size Graft

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Apply one of the following grafts based on the vehicle’s size category.

Medium

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Single-occupant and passenger vehicles of this size cater to Small users, such as goblins, halflings, and ysoki.
Adjustments: Decrease collision damage by 1 die, increase collision DC by 1. If the Piloting modifier is less than +0, increase it by 1.

Large

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This is the most common vehicle size.
Adjustments: No adjustments.

Huge

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Huge vehicles excel at moving sizable cargo and ferrying passengers.
Adjustments: Increase price by 10%, increase collision damage by 1 die, decrease collision DC by 1, decrease Piloting and attack modifiers by 1, increase passenger limit by 100%.

Gargantuan

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At this scale, vehicles tend to be built for mass transit or heavy freight hauling.
Adjustments: Increase price by 10%, increase Hit Points by 10%, increase collision damage by 2 dice, decrease collision DC by 2, decrease Piloting and attack modifiers by 1, increase passenger limit by 200%.

Colossal

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Only the most massive vehicles are colossal in scope, such as enormous trains and aircraft carriers.
Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, increase Hit Points by 20%, increase collision damage by 3 dice, decrease collision DC by 3, decrease Piloting and attack modifiers by 2, increase passenger limit by 400%.

Step 4 (Optional): Vehicle Origin Graft

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While most vehicles are mass-produced after rigorous testing, the following arrays can help express prototypes or experimental vehicles that aren’t ready for mass production yet. They can also represent completely customized, hand-crafted vehicles that are unique in design.

Experimental

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Created by mechanical artisans, these one-of-a-kind vehicles are an expression of their creators’ visions.
Adjustments: Decrease price by 50%, increase modification slots by 1.
Special: The vehicle must have been created by the experimental vehicle alternate class feature (page 22).

Factory-Made

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Most vehicles are factory-made, use standardized parts for a particular civilization, and are relatively easy to repair, but have little room for creative modification.
Adjustments: Decrease price by 10%, decrease modification slots by 1 (minimum 1). While in an area where standardized parts are available (such as a major settlement), decrease repair costs by 10% and decrease repair time by 25%.

Prototype

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Design prototype vehicles might represent secret technologies (potentially stolen), yet companies sometimes sell off old prototypes as collectors’ items after their associated technologies are refined, patented, and on the market.
Adjustments: Increase price by 10%, increase modification slots by 1, increase repair time and repair cost by 20%.

Step 5 (Optional): Special Grafts

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The following grafts can help specialize your vehicle. Apply up to two of these grafts.

All-Terrain

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Designed for off-road travel, these rugged vehicles withstand rough terrain, weather, and abuse like no other.

Adjustments: Increase price by 5%, decrease speed by 5 feet, decrease full speed by 25 feet, decrease attack modifiers by 1. When moving through difficult terrain, this vehicle treats every other space of difficult terrain as a space of normal terrain.

Amphibious

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These craft travel just as easily on land or in water.
Adjustments: Increase price by 10%. The vehicle becomes a land and water vehicle, gaining either a ground speed equal to its swim speed, or vice versa.
Special: The vehicle must have the boat type graft (page 77) or any type graft that grants a land speed.

Armored

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These robust vehicles are fitted with armored plates or shielding systems that allow them to withstand punishing conditions.
Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, decrease speed by 10 feet, increase EAC and KAC by 2, increase Hit Points by 10%, increase hardness by 10%, increase cover by 1 step (partial cover becomes cover, cover becomes improved cover, etc.)
Special: The vehicle can’t have the tank type graft.

Computer-Assisted Controls

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Your vehicle contains a limited virtual intelligence (page 163) that can control the vehicle for short periods of time.
Adjustments: Increase price by 5%.
Systems: The vehicle gains an autopilot with a Piloting bonus equal to 4 + 1-1/2 × the vehicle’s level.

Hover

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Your vehicle’s movement is based on hover technology, achieving lift through powerful jets or antigravity fields. These vehicles are relatively fragile, as they need low overall mass to function properly.
Adjustments: Increase price by 10%, increase speed by 5 feet, decrease EAC and KAC by 1, decrease Hit Points by 20%. The vehicle becomes a land and water vehicle and gains the hover trait to its speeds. It can hover up to 5 feet over surfaces and ignores difficult terrain.
Special: The vehicle must have the boat type graft (page 77) or any type graft that grants a land speed.

Hybrid Aircraft

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These vehicles operate just as effectively on the ground as they do in the air, whether they use extendable wings or jet propulsion.
Adjustments: Increase price by 15%, increase speed by 10 feet, decrease EAC and KAC by 1, decrease Hit Points by 10%. The vehicle becomes an air and land vehicle, gaining either a land speed equal to its fly speed, or vice versa.
Special: The vehicle must have a land speed or fly speed.

Junk

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These vehicles are made of spare parts and discarded refuse, making for cheap (albeit unreliable) rides.
Adjustments: Decrease price by 20%, decrease full speed by 50 feet, decrease Piloting modifier by 3, decrease attack modifiers by 1. The vehicle gains the broken condition when reduced to 75% of its Hit Points instead of 50%.
Systems: The vehicle gains the Unstable Engine system.
Unstable Engine: Once the vehicle becomes broken, its engine explodes in 1d4 rounds (even if it’s been wrecked), dealing 1d6 fire damage in a 10-foot burst around the vehicle; this damage increases to 3d6 for anyone riding the vehicle. At 3rd level and every odd level thereafter, the burst deals an additional 1d6 damage (or an additional 2d6 damage to riders). Creatures can take half damage with a successful Reflex save (DC = the vehicle’s collision DC).
Special: If you have access to inert electronic and mechanical junk, this graft instead reduces vehicle price by 50%. This requires at least 10 bulk of junk for a Medium vehicle. For each size category larger than Medium, multiply the junk required by 8.

Luxury

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These vehicles are built for comfort and boast amenities like fully adjustable heated seats, chilled beverage holders, and premium sound systems.
Adjustments: Increase price by 20%, increase attack modifiers by 1 (maximum +0).
Systems: The vehicle gains a planetary comm unit and an autocontrol with a Piloting bonus equal to 4 + 1-1/2 × the vehicle’s level.

Racer

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Designed entirely for speed, these vehicles are designed for a single pilot for the purposes of racing or high velocity transportation; they also make excellent stunt fighters.
Adjustments: Increase speed by 5 feet, decrease Hit Points by 10%, decrease hardness by 20%, decrease passengers by 50%. After recalculating speed, increase full speed by 25%.

Transport

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These vehicles tend to be large and ponderous, but are capable of high speeds over long distances.
Adjustments: Increase overland speed by 20%, decrease piloting modifier by 1, increase passengers by 100%.

Improving Vehicles

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Sometimes an owner’s own level outpaces their trusty vehicle’s capabilities, and when modifications (pages 80–83) aren’t enough, it’s time for a retrofit that boosts the vehicle’s item level. This often increases the vehicle’s performance and defenses, providing a good way for PCs to keep their vehicle competitive in tactical combat and vehicle chases without having to build or buy a completely new vehicle. The process for upgrading a vehicle varies, depending on whether the vehicle is a custom creation using the rules presented earlier in this chapter, or whether the vehicle is a prebuilt vehicle, such as those found on pages 228–229 of the Core Rulebook. In either case, upgrading a vehicle by one level takes a number of days based on the vehicle’s size: Medium = 1 day, Large = 2 days, Huge = 3 days, Gargantuan = 5 days, and Colossal = 10 days.
Custom Vehicles: Calculate the price of the custom vehicle as though its item level were one higher (plus any grafts you want to add as part of the upgrade). The cost of upgrading the vehicle equals the difference between this higher price and the vehicle’s current price. Upon completing the upgrade, recalculate the vehicle’s statistics using the new item level (plus any added grafts).
Prebuilt Vehicles: Upgrading a prebuilt vehicle costs a number of credits equal to 50% of the vehicle’s current cost. The vehicle’s item level increases by 1, and its new price becomes the sum of its original price plus the cost of any subsequent upgrades. The vehicle’s EAC and KAC values each increase by 1; if the vehicle’s new level is divisible by 5, the EAC and KAC instead increase by 2 each.
The vehicle gains additional Hit Points based on its new level. Increase the Hit Points by 10 if the vehicle’s new level is 4 or lower, by 15 if the new level is between 5–10, by 20 if the new level is between 11–15, or by 30 if the new level is 16 or higher. If the vehicle’s new level is 6 or higher, increase its hardness by 1. If the vehicle’s new level is divisible by 4, increase its speed by 5 feet, increase its full speed by 50 feet, and increase its overland speed by 20%.
If the vehicle’s new level is divisible by 5, the vehicle gains an additional modification slot. As part of performing the upgrade, a PC can also remove or install any available vehicle modifications without increasing the total time required for the upgrade.

Vehicle Modifications

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Though countless vehicle makes and models exist throughout the universe, it’s the modifications that make each vehicle truly unique. From turbo-boosted speedsters to adamantine-plated luxury hovercars, well-selected modifications turn dependable vehicles into perfectly augmented tools as diverse and unique as those that pilot them.

Understanding Vehicle Modifications

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A creature can customize their vehicle by purchasing and installing vehicle modifications, described below, which add bonuses or customized abilities to vehicles. Installing or removing a vehicle modification takes 4 hours, so replacing one modification with another takes 8 hours. Some individuals keep a collection of modifications on hand, swapping them out as needed. Unless otherwise stated, a vehicle modification that must be activated can be activated by the vehicle’s pilot or passengers. Explanations of entries for modifications’ statistics are below.
Some vehicle modifications are magical or a hybrid of magic and technology; this is indicated next to the modification’s name. If neither “magic” nor “hybrid” is listed after a modification, it’s a technological modification.

Charges

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For a technological vehicle modification that requires charges to function, this entry lists the maximum size battery the upgrade can hold. The batteries that upgrades hold can be recharged as normal using either a generator or a recharging station. A magic vehicle upgrade that can be used a certain number of times runs on magical charges; these charges are integral to the construction of the item and can’t be replenished with generators or batteries—though they do refresh each day.

Usage

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This entry lists how many charges are consumed when the vehicle modification is used. This might be per activation or a certain duration. If a vehicle modification uses a certain number of charges over an interval, the modification’s abilities can be shut off before that amount of time has passed, but it still uses charges for the full interval.

Modification Slots

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Each vehicle contains a certain number of modification slots, which are not literal slots but instead represent the vehicle’s capacity for further adjustments and additional features while still being able to function normally. If not otherwise stated, a vehicle has one modification slot, plus an additional number of slots equal to one-fifth its item level (rounded down). Unless otherwise noted, a vehicle can’t accommodate or benefit from multiple copies of the same modification.

Vehicle Encounters

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High-speed vehicle chases have long been a staple of cinematic action, and Starfinder brings this adrenaline-pumping tension to your game using the vehicle tactical and chase rules (Core Rulebook 278–286). Even then, there are a few considerations when introducing vehicles into your campaign to maximize these encounters’ excitement and fun while also avoiding a few potential pitfalls.

Vehicles In Tactical Combat

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Whether your PCs are facing off against space goblins driving junk dune buggies on Akiton or cybernetic ninjas riding enercycles on the streets of Verces, adding vehicles to a tactical encounter gives another dimension to the action. Vehicles provide secondary targets for the PCs to attack or defend against, such as goblins’ scrapheap ATVs the PCs have to wreck before they can crash into the PCs’ own vehicles and explode. Even more crucially, vehicles represent a big change to speed and action economy, with one creature piloting a vehicle while all of the passengers benefit from the free movement around the battlefield. Vehicles might even be a crucial tool in accessing an environment, such as a hovercar that enables the PCs to chase enemies escaping over the waves.

Choosing the Right Vehicle

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The vehicles you choose strongly determine an encounter’s feel. An skirmish with goblins in dune buggies is very different than those same goblins driving through the desert on a huge, heavily armored transport scavenging scrap metal.
Is the tactical combat likely to evolve into a chase, or is it the conclusion of a chase? If either is true, choose vehicles with capabilities similar to your PCs’ vehicles. Evenly matched vehicles keep the tension high, as both parties stand a fair chance of victory. Using a vehicle with a slightly different movement form (wheeled travel compared to hover-based movement, for example) can help you create specific zones to give your PCs the advantage or disadvantage, depending on your needs.
How much cover does the vehicle provide? When a vehicle provides improved cover or total cover, its passengers usually become so difficult to harm that the vehicle itself becomes the only viable target. However, if your NPCs are of lower CR, the massive cover benefits might increase their defenses to competitive levels that keep them in the fight for a few additional rounds. Compare this to a vehicle that provides cover, partial cover, or no cover, which leaves the passengers exposed and invites gunfire between rival crews.
If you don’t see the perfect vehicle in an official resource, try using the vehicle creation rules in this book (page 76) to make your own vehicle for the encounter.

Power Level

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Technically, a vehicle doesn’t have a Challenge Rating, and it’s not part of an NPC’s typical gear allowance. So how does one account for a vehicle when building and balancing an encounter? There’s no magical formula, but there are important qualitative considerations. A vehicle might simply grant a creature more mobility without significantly increasing their power, such as how ysoki on motorcycles don’t have greater firepower or defenses, in which case no adjustment is needed. A vehicle that provides substantial cover, passenger space, or mobility options might significantly change the encounter, though, allowing gunners to fire freely from untouchable heights or behind durable barriers. A vehicle might even have potent integrated weapons that could exceed the passengers’ usual gear allotments. In these cases, consider increasing the CR by 1, much as recommended on page 389 of the Core Rulebook.
Don’t overlook the impact vehicles can have on the PCs’ resources. A powerful vehicle might make a fun challenge, but it could also represent a huge boost to wealth if captured. In some cases, stealing such a tank is the encounter’s goal, yet it could easily upset the balance of subsequent encounters. Lower-level vehicles, on the other hand, are unlikely to upset wealth and encounter balance, even if sold.

Chase Combat

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Many of the same considerations of vehicle choice and power levels apply to designing chase encounters, with key differences.

Terrain and Obstacles

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Because vehicle chases are more abstract than tactical combat, you have the freedom to create and describe any environment you need without depicting it on a map, giving you substantial flexibility. Consider your chase zones’ features and how these might facilitate or complicate maneuvers. An area with lots of small obstacles like rocks, trashcans, or pedestrians might increase the DC of Keep Pace or Speed Up actions. An area with slippery mud or wet pavement might increase the DC of Evade and Slow Down actions. Varying these conditions keeps each zone exciting, especially if those conditions might affect certain vehicles unequally. Shallow pools of acid can melt the tires off a vehicle, but a hover vehicle likely avoids this damage altogether. Smoke-filled air might endanger occupants of a vehicle that doesn’t provide passengers with total cover. The ratio of how many hazards threaten the PCs versus their opponents can tip the encounter’s overall challenge in either side’s favor.
A basic chase is strictly linear, but environments are rarely so simple. Upon departing a zone, a vehicle might have to choose between multiple routes that later intersect and rejoin, providing the participants vital options that enhance engagement. Do the PCs veer onto the highway where their exposed position offsets their ability to speed up, or do they detour into the crowded alleys where they enjoy cover yet must avoid more obstacles? When presenting these choices, be sure the players have enough context to infer how they will impact the experience, otherwise their actions might feel random and unfulfilling.

Pacing

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Because escaping and getting left behind (Core Rulebook 284) are relatively easy in Starfinder, requiring only a two-zone difference, it’s valuable to plan for ways to extend an important chase scene near the encounter’s start and help the PCs succeed near the end. This ensures that the chase doesn’t end prematurely and uneventfully, and it allows the PCs to experience the different environments you’ve created for them.
Extending a chase scene is more art than science, especially since bad die rolls could stymie even the best drivers. If one party is too far ahead, adding complications could slow them down, and removing earlier complications for whichever group is behind could speed them up. Be careful of using too much overt manipulation, however, as a heavy hand can dispel the idea that the chase was ever fair.

Vehicle Campaigns

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Including vehicles in a campaign changes up some expectations in adventure design, so be prepared to adapt and embrace these nuances.

Avoiding Encounters

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With the right plane or submersible, clever PCs could entirely bypass whole encounters. Rather than penalize them for missing that loot and experience, let the PCs celebrate as they knowingly skip a few threats, then adapt one of the threats to provide a challenge. For example, after the PCs dodge terrestrial predators in their enercopter, they might find some of the enemy patrols have jetpacks that let them take to the air. Occasionally, you might use circumstances that limit the vehicle’s use, such as inclement weather, but be wary hindering the PCs’ vehicle so frequently that it feels contrived. Instead, you can softly limit vehicle use by providing objectives that require the PCs to explore a threat rather than bypass it. Then, give them a way for their vehicle to facilitate the mission, like being able to parachute past some defenses or plan a daring getaway—possible only thanks to their exploration buggy.

Party Vehicles

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Vehicles are expensive, and acquiring one that can transport the whole party safely could represent a big share of the PCs’ wealth. If you intend for vehicles to feature prominently in your campaign, you might treat the party’s main vehicle as you would a starship in most campaigns: providing the PCs one for free and allowing upgrades as the PCs gain levels. This lets the PCs get the intended function from the vehicle without its purchase impacting their overall character wealth.

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