Fighting with Vehicles

Fighting with Vehicles

I have thought for a long time that vehicles were not getting enough love in Starfinder. It’s the future, if you can’t shoot or stab someone while travelling 150 mph what’s even the point? In an effort to fix that, I came up with this. I hope you all enjoy it.

Soldier Fighting Style - Lancer

Like the medieval knights, Lancers deploy to the field of battle aboard steeds that can range from enercycles to power armor and wield long handled melee weapons that can be used defensively or even at range. Sometimes called cyberknights, these warriors are as dangerous as pilots as they are with a weapon.

Loyal Spear-1st

Thrown weapons you wield, that are not ammunition or grenades, gain the effects of a returning fusion. The returning weapon always travels to where you are instead of where you were when you threw it. This does not count towards the maximum number of fusions the weapon may have. 

Pole Master-5th

When throwing a Pole Weapon* you may apply any gear boost you have that modifies a melee weapon to the thrown weapon attack instead. You consider all pole weapons to have the thrown weapon quality with a range of 5 ft for each point of strength bonus you have. If your pole weapon already has the thrown special quality, it increases its range by 5 ft per point of Strength Bonus.

*Pole Weapons include any Lance, Pike, Spear, or Staff. This includes advanced versions of these like Nova Lances, Cryopikes, Singing Spears, Stun Staffs, or any similar weapons.

Cybersteed-9th

While Piloting a vehicle no larger than one size category bigger than you, which also provides no cover to the driver, you may pilot it through a cybernetic connection, without using your hands. While doing this, if you make no other attacks this round, you may make one attack with a weapon in your hands as a free action while controlling the vehicle. This attack has the same penalty as if you were making a full attack, even though you only make one attack. You may also spend one resolve point to gain the effects of Shot on the Run and Spring Attack feats until the end of turn. If using a Pole Weapon* that weapon gains the penetrating special quality also until end of turn.

Note: If using the Creature Companion rules from Alien Archive 3, this ability may be used while controlling a mount instead of a vehicle. It otherwise remains the same.

Road Warriors-13th

Any vehicle you pilot increases its ram DC by 1 for every 3 Soldier levels you possess. You also apply your weapon specialization bonus to the collision damage. You are considered proficient in any vehicle mounted weapon and apply your weapon specialization bonus to them.

Note: If using the Creature Companion rules from Alien Archive 3, you may apply your weapon specialization bonus to your mount’s natural attacks instead.

Dragoon Leap-17th

You may make a Leap when Charging and come down on an enemy from above. This ignores an amount of difficult terrain equal to your jump distance (or Jump Jet Distance, if applicable). You must end your charge in any space adjacent to the target, it does not need to be the closest space, but must be within your charge distance. Make an Athletics check equal to 20+the target’s CR. If successful, the target is knocked prone in addition to other effects of the attack. Other creatures within your natural reach at the place you land must make an opposed strength check against you, or they will also be knocked prone. You get a +4 bonus on this check and do 1d10+5 damage to everyone knocked prone by this attack if you are wearing Power Armor. This ability may not be used in the void.

Vehicles

These vehicles are high-tech “mounts” designed specifically for use by Lancers. These ones are optimized for Large creatures. For medium or small creatures, change the size to Large and its dimensions to (4 ft wide, 10 ft long, 3 ft high).

This article was the real-world inspiration for the following vehicles. They have even more articulate armatures and can operate at high speeds.

Cybercyle LEVEL 4

PRICE 6750
Huge ground vehicle (7 ft. wide, 15 ft. long, 6 ft. high)
Speed 40 ft., full 600 ft., 65 mph
EAC 16; KAC 17; Cover none
HP 28 (14); Hardness 5
Attack (Collision) 6d4 B (DC 10)
Modifiers +2 Piloting, -0 attack (-2 at full speed)
Systems Onboard Computer, Cargo 2 bulk; Passengers 1
Onboard Computer: This vehicle has a tier 2 computer. It is Hardened and can only be accessed through a cybernetic dataport. It has feedback, a tier 1 shock grid, and a control module allowing it to operate the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION
This vehicle features multiple wheels on armatures which allow it to have an extremely smooth ride in almost any ground terrain. Its computers are housed in the main body. Designed to be operated either cybernetically or by more traditional means.

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“Destroyer” Cybercycle LEVEL 8
PRICE 32,000Huge land and water vehicle (7 ft. wide, 15 ft. long, 6 ft. high)
Speed 40 ft., full 600 ft., 65 mph
EAC 18; KAC 20; Cover none
HP 100 (50); Hardness 10
Attack (Collision) 8d10 B (DC 14)
Attack (Turret) (NIL Grenade Launcher, Squad) (by grenade, range 70 ft., ammo 12)
Modifiers +2 Piloting, +0 attack (+2 at full speed)
Systems Onboard Computer, Automated loader; Cargo 2 Bulk; Passengers 1
Onboard Computer: This vehicle has a tier 4 computer. It is Hardened and can only be accessed through a cybernetic dataport. It has a firewall, feedback, a tier 1 shock grid, and a control module allowing it to operate the vehicle, a control module for operating the grenade launcher, and an AI which can use either one of the control modules.

Automated Loader: This device consists of a small robotic arm and a storage compartment that holds up to 2 bulk of ammunition for the grenade launcher. The AI can activate the automated loader as a move action to reload the grenade launcher.

DESCRIPTION
Where the basic cybercyle uses wheels, the Destroyer model uses turbines on its armatures to hover above terrain. While it can’t achieve true flight, it is able to operate on land or water. It has an AI which typically operates the turret mounted grenade launcher while the operator does the driving. This model also carries heavier armor than the basic model.

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“Magus” Cybercycle LEVEL 16
PRICE 640,000Huge air, land, void and water vehicle (7 ft. wide, 15 ft. long, 6 ft. high)
Speed 40 ft., full 600 ft., 65 mph
EAC 30; KAC 31; Cover none
HP 280 (140); Hardness 15Attack (Collision) 18d10 B (DC 20)
Attack (Turret) (NIL Grenade Launcher, Squad) (by grenade, range 70 ft., ammo 12)
Modifiers +2 Piloting, +0 attack (+2 at full speed)
Systems Onboard Computer, Automated loader; SAASI System; Cargo 2 Bulk; Passengers 1
Onboard Computer: This vehicle has a tier 8 computer. It is Hardened and can only be accessed through a cybernetic dataport. It has a firewall, feedback, a tier 1 shock grid, and a control module allowing it to operate the vehicle, a control module for operating the grenade launcher, control module for the SAASI system, and an AI, which can use any one of the control modules at a time.

Automated Loader: This device consists of a small robotic arm and a storage compartment that holds up to 2 bulk of ammunition for the grenade launcher. The AI can activate the automated loader as a move action to reload the grenade launcher.

SAASI (Spell Ampule and Serum Injector) System: This system holds up to 5 Spell Ampules and 10 Serums. It includes monitoring systems that allow the onboard AI to check your health and help keep you alive. It can be programed with uses other than medical and is not limited only to healing effects.

DESCRIPTION
Where the basic cybercyle uses wheels, the Magus model uses antigravity systems on its armatures to easily pass through any environment, even the void of space. It can achieve true flight and even function on asteroids or other airless voids. Typically constructed from star metals, its much heavier armor and hardened systems are difficult to destroy. It has an AI which typically operates the turret mounted grenade launcher and the SAASI system while the operator does the driving.

Weapons

Let’s discuss a lancer’s armament for a bit. Clearly, they would be using a “Pole Weapon” which is going to be taking both hands, while they use a cybernetic connection to the vehicle to drive. They can poke with it or chuck it at someone for some limited range. And they might be satisfied with that, especially with the ability to race their vehicle into range of your target. But they might want to carry a gun too, and I wanted to point out some options to do just that.

The best way to do this in my opinion is to use a nuar maze core (see the nuar entry in Alien Archive) to combine the Lancer’s pole weapon with a longarm or heavy weapon (among other things). It can switch between the two component weapons with a swift action giving them ready access to multiple ways of fighting at a moment’s notice.

The next best option would be either an integrated small arm, part of your armor, so you don’t have to stow the pole weapon. Or a cybernetic one for the same reason. Though most small arms lack much more range than a good thrown weapon, so this option may not offer you anything.

Lastly there is the more standard option of carrying additional weapon. If this is the rout you want to take, you’ll be stowing or dropping your weapons to switch to the other. This is not idea, but to help speed up that process I recommend also using nullspace accessories or even Uniclamps, each of which will make it easier to switch weapons.

In the future, I’ll present to you a mechanic that gets custom vehicle instead of a drone or exocortex. Until then, I hope you enjoy my posts and find them useful.

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