Vehicles

Vehicle Codex   Ground Vehicles   Airspeeders   Starfighters   Space Transports   Capital Ships   Vehiculum Personæ   Templates

Vehicles in the Star Wars universe run the gamut from ponderous armored walkers and capital ships to agile airspeeders and starfighters. Despite this variety, the basic purpose of all vehicles remains similar: moving passengers from one place to another. Of course, the places involved in this journey can greatly affect the form and function of the vehicle.
     These rules come into pay whenever vehicles figure prominently on the battlefield—whether that battlefield happens to be on a planet’s surface or in the dark void of space. The movement and combat rules presented here cover all types of vehicles, from planetary vehicles to starships.
     In most respects, vehicles follow the same rules as characters, insofar as the have movement, actions, and the capacity to take damage.

Scale

These rules use two scales: character scale and starship scale. If the encounter involves both vehicles and characters on foot, use character scale. If the scene involves vehicles only, use starship scale.

Character Scale

Character scale is identical to the standard movement scale. Combat is carried out on a grid in which each square equals 1.5 meters (about 5 feet).
     In character scale, most vehicles are large enough to occupy multiple squares on the battle grid. How many squares a vehicle occupies is determined by the vehicle’s size (and the same holds true for characters and creatures). Vehicles of Colossal (frigate) size or greater are not placed on the battle map; they are either off the map (perhaps providing fire support), or the battle takes place inside them.
     In character scale, more than one surface vehicle cannot occupy the same space on the battle grid, and a collision occurs whenever a vehicle enters a square occupied by a creature, obstacle, or other vehicle.

Starship Scale

Starship Battles

You can play out starship battles using the Star Wars Miniatures: Starships Battles starter set, which comes with a battle mat, a rulebook, and several pre-painted plastic starship miniatures. In addition, you can purchase Starship Battles booster packs and add more ships to your fleets.
     The Starship Battles rules are easy to learn, and if you want to play out a starship battle as the backdrop for your roleplaying game campaign, you can do so. However, the Starship Battles, rules don’t let you modify ship statistics to account for the presence of heroes from the roleplaying game, nor do they allow you to run battles that involve anything but starships. If you want to stage a starship battle that hinges on the participation of the heroes or other characters, use the rules on this page.

In starship scale, each square of the grip is abstract, representing a variable amount of space depending on the vehicles involved. In most cases, one square is hundreds or even thousands of meters wide. In starship scale, the grid itself represents relative movement, not absolute movement, so several starships in orbit might be drifting together at many kilometers per second even as they move around one another.
     At starship scale, a vehicle can pass through squares occupied by allies but not squares occupied by enemies.

Vehicle Types

The term “vehicle” encompasses both planetary vehicles (such as airspeeders, landspeeders, and walkers) and starships (such as starfighters, space transports, and capital ships). The major difference between planetary vehicles and starships is that planetary vehicles generally do not travel in the vacuum of space. Rules that pertain only to planetary vehicles or starships are called out specifically.

Planetary Vehicles

Planetary vehicles are further subdivided into ground vehicles and air vehicles.
     Ground Vehicle: The most basic vehicles in the Star Wars universe, ground vehicles only operate on (or very near) a planetary surface.
     Speeder: Speeders are common sights on the technologically advanced worlds, Equipped with repulsorlift drive technology, they hover above the and ground at a height of anywhere from a few centimeters to several meters and can achieve remarkable speeds. Speeders ignore penalties for difficult terrain.
     Tracked: Tracked vehicles have treads or tracks looped around a large number of wheels, providing great traction but making them less maneuverable at higher speeds—and extremely loud at any speed. Tracked vehicles ignore penalties for difficult terrain and take half damage from collisions with obstacles at least one size category smaller than them.
     Walker: Walkers move about on two or more legs, literally walking over the terrain. Walkers retain their balance by means of finely tuned gyroscopes and offer a fairly smooth ride. They rely on even footing, however, and when they topple, the results can be disastrous. Walkers ignore obstacles that are three or more sizes smaller than them.
     Wheeled: Wheeled vehicles move on one or more wheels (most commonly two to four). Faster and more maneuverable than tracked or walker vehicles, wheels are a cheap alternative to repulsorlift technology for light and fast vehicles.
     Air Vehicle: Air vehicles generally operate above a planetary surface, but within the planet’s atmosphere.
     Airspeeders: Airspeeders are repulsorlift vehicles that can travel anywhere up to about 300 kilometers above ground level, but they are incapable of true spaceflight. Because they fly so high above the ground, they ignore penalties for terrain or obstructions. Of all planetary vehicles, airspeeders are the most maneuverable.

Starships

Starships are vehicles capable of interplanetary and interstellar travel. They are further subdivided into starfighters, space transports, capital ships, and space stations.
     Starfighter: Starfighters are small, agile starships of Gargantuan size or smaller. Though they can travel in atmosphere, they excel at space combat. Starfighters can function with as few as one crewmember (the pilot).
     Space Transport: Space transports are mid-sized starships of Colossal or Colossal (frigate) size with fewer than 200 hit points. Most space transports are designed for moving passengers or cargo, but some are used as gunships, drop ships, or assault shuttles.
     Capital Ship: Capital ships include all starships of Colossal (frigate) size or larger. Capital ships usually carry hundreds if not thousands of crew members and passengers, and some are large enough to house other capital ships within their hangar bays. Some very large transports and colony ships fall into this category despite not being designed for combat.
     Space Station: Though not technically modes of transportation, space stations have statistics like other starships. A space station can have a population in the thousands or millions, depending on its size. Most space stations are immobile, the Death Star being a notable exception.

Vehicle Combat Statistics

Vehicle Sizes
Vehicle Size	Size Modifier1	Examples
Colossal (station)	−10	Executor-class Star Dreadnought, Death Star
Colossal (crusier)	−10	Imperial-class Star Destroyer, MC80 Mon Calamari cruiser
Colossal (frigate)	−10	Corellian corvette (Tantive IV), Nebulon-B frigate
Colossal	−10	AT-AT, YT-1300 light freighter (Millennium Falcon)
Gargantuan	−5	AAT-1 repulsor tank, X-wing starfighter
Huge	−2	AT-ST walker, TIE fighter
Large	−1	Speeder bike, X-34 landspeeder
1 Apply this size modifier to the vehicle’s Reflex Defense, as well as to Initiative and Pilot checks made by the vehicle’s occupants.

All vehicle statistics that are relevant to combat are described below.

Vehicle Size

Vehicles use similar size categories as creatures, as shown on Table: Vehicles Sizes directly to the right of this paragraph. The colossal size category is further subdivided to differentiate particularly massive starships and space stations.
     A vehicle’s size modifier applies to the vehicle’s Reflex Defense, as well as to Initiative and Pilot checks made by the vehicle’s occupants.

Attacks

Facing and Firing Arcs

Just as in character combat, vehicle facing and fire arcs are not used. It is assumed that the pilot is orienting the ship in the most advantageous way possible during combat, and most vehicles in the Star Wars universe are quite maneuverable in any event.

Any vehicle equipped with weapons can make attacks against enemies within range. An attack roll with a vehicle weapon is calculated as follows:

1d20 + base attack bonus + vehicle’s Intelligence modifier + range modifier

     Base Attack Bonus: Use the base attack bonus of the gunner (which, in some cases, may be the pilot).
     Intelligence Modifier: A vehicle’s computer improves the accuracy of the vehicle’s weapon systems, and the vehicle’s Intelligence score measures the quality of the computer.
     Range Modifier: A vehicle weapon can attack a target at point blank, short, medium, or long range. If you make a ranged attack against a target within the weapon’s point blank range, you tak no penalty on the attack roll. Your penalty on attack rolls increases to −2 at short range, −5 at medium range, and −10 at long range (see Table: Vehicle Weapon Ranges below).

Vehicle Weapon Ranges
	———Character Scale (in squares)———				———Starship Scale (in squares)———
Weapon Type	Pt. Blank	Short	Medium	Long	Pt. Blank	Short	Medium	Long
Blaster cannon	0-120	121-240	241-600	601-1,200	0-1	2	3-4	5-8
Ion Cannon	0-300	301-600	601-1,500	1,501-3,000	0-2	3-4	5-10	11-20
Laser cannon	0-150	151-300	301-750	751-1,500	0-1	2	3-5	6-10
Missile or Torpedo	0-450	450-900	901-2,250	2,251-4,500	0-3	4-6	7-15	16-30
Point-defense1	0-150	151-300	301-750	751-1,500	0-1	2	3-5	6-10
Tractor Beam1	0-150	151-300	301-750	751-1,500	0-1	2	3-5	6-10
Turbolaser1	0-600	601-1,200	1,201-3000	3001-6,000	0-4	5-8	9-20	21-40
1 This weapon can only be mounted on a vehicle of Colossal (frigate) size or larger.

Critical Hits

As in character combat, when you roll a natural 20 on your attack, you automatically deal double damage. When using a vehicle weapon, you cannot apply any effect that causes an automatic natural 20 or automatic critical hit (such as spending a Destiny Point or using the Jedi Master’s serenity class feature), unless a rule specifies that it can be used with vehicle weapons.

Automatic Misses

If you roll a natural 1 on your attack, you automatically miss.

Damage

When you hit with a vehicle weapon, you deal damage according to the type of weapon (listed in each vehicle’s statistics). Damage dealt by a vehicle weapon is calculated as follows:

     (Weapon Damage + ½ heroic level + miscellaneous modifiers) × damage multiplier

     Damage Multiplier: After rolling the weapon damage dice, multiply the result by the listed damage multiplier. For example, when you fire a vehicle weapon that deals 6d10×2 damage, roll 6d10 and multiply the result by 2.

Defenses

A vehicle’s defenses represent how difficult it is to hit or overload its systems. Unlike characters, vehicles do not have a Will Defense. However, vehicles have a Reflex Defense and a Fortitude Defense which are calculated as follows:

     Reflex Defense = 10 + vehicle’s Dexterity modifier + size modifier + armor bonus or pilot’s heroic level

     Fortitude Defense = 10 + vehicle’s Strength modifier

Reflex Defense

Whenever you make an attack against a vehicle, compare your attack roll to the target’s Reflex Defense (abbreviated “Ref”). If you equal or exceed the vehicle’s Reflex Defense, you hit and deal damage.
     Size Modifier: Use the vehicle’s size modifier instead of your own when calculating the vehicle’s Reflex Defense (see Table: Vehicle Sizes above).
     Armor Bonus: Use the vehicle’s armor bonus instead of your own when calculating the vehicle’s Reflex Defense. You may add your heroic level instead of this armor bonus.
     Dexterity Modifier: A vehicle’s Dexterity modifier represents how well it can move out of harm’s way. If the pilot is flat-footed, or if the vehicle is ut of control or attacked by an undetected opponent, the vehicle loses its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense. If the vehicle is at a full stop, powered down, or disabled, it is treated as if it has a Dexterity score of 0 (−5 penalty to Reflex Defense).

Fortitude Defense

Vehicles use their Fortitude Defense (abbreviated “Fort”) to determine their damage threshold (see below).
     Strength Bonus: A vehicle’s Strength bonus represents its overall toughness and durability.

Hit Points

Vehicles have hit points, just like characters. Hit points are abstract, meant to represent not only the vehicle’s physical mass but also the robustness or fragility of its systems.

Damage Threshold

Like creatures, vehicles have a damage threshold calculated as follows:

Damage threshold = Fortitude Defense + size modifier

     Size Modifier: Apply the following size modifiers to a vehicle’s damage threshold: Large, +5; Huge, +10; Gargantuan, +20; Colossal, +50; Colossal (frigate), +100; Colossal (cruiser), +200; Colossal (station), +500.
     If a vehicle takes damage from a single attack that equals or exceeds its damage threshold, the vehicle moves −1 step on the condition track. A vehicle pushed to the bottom of the condition track is disabled and comes to a complete stop immediately. If the vehicle was flying in a gravity well at the time it became disabled, it immediately falls 150 meters (100 squars) plus another 300 meters (200 squares) every round until it either hits the surface or is reactivated. Resolve falling damage normally.
     If a vehicle is reduced to 0 hit points by an attack that deals damage equal to or greater than its damage threshold, it is destroyed. In addition, all the vehicle’s occupants take damage equal to one-half the amount that exceeded the vehicle’s damage threshold.

Crew Cover

Most vehicles provide at least some cover to their passengers. Passengers gain a cover bonus to their Reflex Defense against any attacks that target them instead of the vehicle. A vehicle can provide no cover, normal cover (+5 cover bonus), improved cover (+10 cover bonus), or full cover. You cannot attack a target that has full cover.
     The cover a vehicle provides to its passengers is included in its statistics.

Speed

Every vehicle has a speed, given in squares. The pilot may move a wehicle up to its listed speed as a move action, and up to four times its speed with the all-out movement action.
     Starships and airspeeders have a separate listing for their speed in starship scale.
     Maximum Velocity: This is the maximum speed a vehicle may move in character scale. It is seldom relevant in combat because such speeds quickly move the vehicle off the battle map and out of range.

Characters in Vehicles

A character in a vehicle fills one of several roles, which determines what the character can do. A character can fill several roles at once, but most rolled may be only be filled by one character at a time. For example, an X-wing pilot also acts as the vehicle’s commander and gunner, while her astromech usually acts as copilot, shield operator, and engineer. On the other hand, an Imperial-class Star Destroyer with thousands of crewmembers still only has one pilot, one commander, and so forth. You can change roles from round to round, but you can only start filling a particular role if no other crewmember has filled that roll since your last turn.
     Pilot: The pilot of the vehicle controls its movement. Most vehicles have only one position from where the vehicle an be piloted. Piloting a vehicle is at a minimum, a move action, which means that the pilot can do something else with his standard action and swift action. A vehicle can have only one pilot at a time. The pilot adds the vehicle’s size modifier and Dexterity modifier on all Initiative and Pilot checks.
     Copilot: A copilot can help the pilot by using the aid another action. The copilot must be seated in a location where he can see in front of the vehicle and advise the pilot (in most cases, this location is the cockpit). Aiding the pilot is a standard action, leaving the copilot with a move action, and a swift action each round to do something else. A vehicle can have only one copilot at a time.
     Gunner: Most military vehicles and some civilian vehicles have built-in weapons. Any weapon not controlled by the pilot or copilot requires a gunner to operate. A vehicle can have as many gunners as it has gunner positions.
     Commander: The commander coordinates the various crewmembers and stations aboard the vehicle, analyzes the battle as it unfolds, and looks for weaknesses in the enemy’s vehicles and tactics. A vehicle can only have one commander at a time.
     System Operator: The system operator manages the vehicle’s shields, sensors, and communications. A vehicle can only have one system operator at a time.
     Engineer: the chief engineer keeps the ship running even as it takes debilitating damage to its systems, diverting power from overloaded circuits to keep the ship functional. The engineer also leads efforts to repair damage to the hull between battles. A vehicle can have only one chief engineer at a time.
     Other Crew: Other crewmembers can fill many supporting roles, coordinating troops or starfighters, administering medical care, guarding sensitive areas, and providing general maintenance. These can assist others on some skill checks; for example, the members of a repair team may assist the chief engineer in his duties on capital ships.
     Passenger: All other personnel aboard the vehicle are considered passengers. Passengers have no specific role in the vehicle’s operation but may take actions aboard the vehicle or replace crewmembers as needed.

Starting the Battle

Weapon Batteries

A weapon battery is a cluster of up to six identical weapons. If a starship has weapon betteries, special rules apply when a gunner aids another gunner in the same battery. First, the aiding gunner automatically frants a +2 binus on the attack roll; no attack roll is required to determine whether the aid another attempt is successfull. Second, for every three points by which the attack roll exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense, the target is hit by another weapon in the battery, adding +1 die to the weapon’s damage. (Apply this extra damage before applying the weapon’s damage multiplier, if any.) If a starship has weapon batteries, its statistics include the modified attack bonus because these weapons are usually fired as a group. However, the weapons may still fire independently without this bonus, if you wish.
     In addition, a weapon battery can also aid another weapon battery. In this case, only one gunner in the aiding battery needs to make an attack roll against Reflex Defense 10. If successful, add a +2 bonus on the attack roll for every weapon in the aiding battery. Unlike weapons in the same battery, there is no chance that these extra weapons hit the target, regardless of how much the attack roll exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense.

Unless noted otherwise, climbing aboard a vehicle is a move action, and powering up a vehicle requires a second move action.

Initiative

There are two options for determining initiative in vehicle combat. First, each character can make a separate Initiative check. This is probably the best method if most or all characters are aboard the same vehicle, but it can result in a lot of delayed or readied actions as passengers wait for pilots to perform maneuvers. An alternative is to make an Initiative check for each vehicle, using the pilot’s Initiative check modifier. This is particularly appropriate when characters are in separate vehicles, since it allows everyone aboard the same vehicle to act more or less simultaneously.
     Special: If you are trained in the Pilot skill, you can choose to make a Pilot check instead of an Initiative check to determine your place in the initiative order. In any event, you must apply the vehicle’s size modifier to your check (see Table: Vehicle Sizes above).

Vehicle Combat Actions

The types of actions you can take during a single turn don’t change when you’re aboard a vehicle.
     Some of the actions described below can only be performed by particular crewmembers. In this case, the eligible crewmembers are listed in parentheses following the action’s name.

Standard Actions

A standard action could be any one of the following:

Aid Another

As a standard action, you can aid an ally’s next skill check, ability check, or attack roll.
     Aiding a Skill Check or Ability Check: You can help another character achieve success on her skill check or ability check by making the same kind of skill check or ability check in a cooperative effort. If you roll a 10 or higher on your check, the character you are helping gains a +2 bonus on her check. You can’t take 10 on a skill check or ability check to aid another. Only the copilot can assist on Pilot checks, and only the commander can assist on Use Computer checks. Any crewmember can aid any other skill check.
     Aiding an Attack Roll: In combat, you can aid another character’s attack by providing improved targeting data or by coordinating that attack with other vehicle actions. A bunner can grant a +2 bonus to another character’s attack roll by making an attack against a Relfex Defense of 10.
     A sensor operator can grant a +2 bonus on another character’s attack roll by making a DC 10 Use Computer check.
     A vehicle’s commander can grant a +2 bonus on another character’s attack roll by making a DC 10 Knowledge [tactics] check.

Attack with Melee Weapon

With a melee weapon, you can strike any enemy in a square you can threaten. You can only threaten squares within your reach from the vehicle’s space, and you don’t threaten spaces around the vehicle at all if it grants total cover. For example, a Jedi on a speeder bike could attack targets adjacent to the bike with his lightsaber, but the same Jedi could’t do so while in an AT-AT.
     You can’t make a melee attack in starship scale, except within the confines of the vehicle you occupy.

Attack with Ranged Weapon

With a ranged weapon, you can throw or shoot at any target within your line of sight, as long as your vehicle does not grant you total cover. For example, clone troopers can fire their blasters at targets outside a LAAT/i gunship as long as the ship’s doors are open. Range modifiers apply normally for your weapon.
     You cannot make a personal ranged attack in starship scale, except within the confines of the vehicle you occupy.

Attack with Vehicle Weapon

Gunner Only
Any gunners (including the pilot, if there are pilot-operated weapons on the vehicle) can make an attack with their vehicle weapon as a standard action. The maximum range and the range modifiers of a vehicle weapon attack depend on the weapon used (see Table: Vehicle Weapon Ranges above).
     Capital Ships: Capital ship weapons are designed for long-range bombardment against large or immobile targets, and they have difficulty tracking very small enemies. When attacking a target of less than Colossal size, a vehicle that is Colossal (frigate) size or larger takes a −20; penalty on its attack rolls. Point-defense weapons are specifically designed to attack smaller targets and do not take these penalties.
     Trained Pilot: If you are trained in the Pilot skill, you gain a +2 bonus on all attacks made with any vehicle weapon identified as being crewed by the pilot.

Attack Run

Pilot Only
As a standard action, you can move up to your vehicle’s speed (minimum 2 squares) in a straight line through unobstructed terrain directly toward your target, and then make an attack with a vehicle weapon at that target at the end of your movement. You gain a +2 bonus on your attack roll and take a −2 penalty to your vehicle’s Reflex Defense until the start of your next turn. In starship scale, you cannot make an attack run through squares occupied by enemies, but allies do not hinder your attack run.

Dogfight

Pilot Only
As a standard action, the pilot of an airspeeder or starfighter can initiate a dogfight against an enemy airspeeder or starfighter in an adjacent square (starfighter scale). Make a Pilot check at a −5 penalty, opposed by the enemy’s Pilot check. If you succeed, you and the target vehicle are engaged in a dogfight.
     Consequences of Dogfighting: A vehicle engaged in a dogfight must select the dogfight action on every turn, and it cannot move out of its current square until it disengages (see below). While engaged in a dogfight, you cannot attack any target outside of the dogfight.
     Firing into a Dogfight: If another vehicle fires into a dogfight, it takes a −5 penalty on its attack roll unless the gunner has the Precise Shot feat.
     Attacking in a Dogfight: Make an opposed Pilot check as a standard action. If you win the opposed check, you may make a single attack with a vehicle weapon as a swift action. If you fail, you cannot attack the target, and any gunners on your vehicle take a −5 penalty on any attack rolls they make until your next turn.
     Disengaging from a Dogfight: Make an opposed Pilot check as a move action. If you win the opposed check, you successfully disengage from the dogfight and may move a number of squares equal to your speed. If you fail, you remain in the dogfight, and any gunners on your vehicle take a −5 penalty on any attack rolls they make until your next turn.
     Attacks of Opportunity: If an enemy starfighter tries to move through your square or and adjacent square, you may attempt to initiate a dogfight as an attack of opportunity. If successful, the enemy starfighter must stop moving.

Fight Defensively

Pilot Only
As a standard action, you can concentrate more on protecting your vehicle than hurting your enemies. You and all gunners on your vehicle take a −5 penalty on your attack rolls and your vehicle gains a +2 dodge bonus to its Reflex Defense until the start of your next turn. If you choose to make no attacks, your vehicle gains a +5 dodge bonus to its Reflex Defense and all gunners on your vehicle take a −10 penalty on their attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
     Trained Pilot: If you are trained in the Pilot skill, your vehicle instead gains a +5 dodge bonus to its Reflex Defense when you and your gunners take a −5 penalty on attack rolls, or a +10 dodge bonus if you choose to make no attacks on your turn.

Move Actions

Move actions include the following:

Move

Pilot Only
You can move up to your vehicle’s speed. The only restriction for vehicle movement is that you cannot reenter a square you just left.

Swift Actions

Swift actions include the following:

Aim

Gunner Only
Just as in character combat, you can aim before making a ranged attack.

Full Stop

Pilot Only
If you haven’t already used a move action or full-round action to move your vehicle this turn, you can spend a swift action to bring your vehicle to a full stop. After that, the vehicle is considered stationary.
     You cannot bring a vehicle to a full stop if you used all-out movement (see below) on your last turn.

Increase Vehicle Speed

Pilot Only
If you are trained in the Pilot skill, you may make a DC 20 Pilot check as a swift action to push your vehicle beyond its normal limits. (You can’t take 10 on this check.) If the check fails, your vehicle’s speed does not increase, and your vehicle moves −1 step on the condition track. If you succeed, your vehicle’s speed increases by 1 square until the start of your next turn. For every 5 points by which you exceed the DC, your vehicle’s speed increases by an additional 1 square. You may attempt to increase vehicle speed once per round as a free action when using the all-out movement action.

Raise or Lower Shields

System Operator Only
By spending a swift action, you can activate or deactivate the shields on your vehicle. Shields are generally kept inactive in noncombat situations to reduce strain on the vehicle’s systems, and raising shields is often perceived as evidence of hostile intent, so many commanders prefer to keep their shields down unless they are expecting trouble.

Recharge Shields

System Operator Only; 3 swift actions
By spending 3 swift actions during the same turn or on consecutive turns, you can make a DC 20 Mechanics check to increase your current shield rating by 5, up to the vehicle’s normal maximum.

Reroute Power

Engineer Only; 3 swift actions
By spending 3 swift actions during the same turn or on consecutive turns, you can make a DC 20 Mechanics check to move your vehicle +1 step on the condition track.

Full-Round Actions

Full-round actions include the following:

All-Out Movement

Pilot Only
As a full-round action, you can move up to four times your vehicle’s speed. All of this movement must be in a straight line, and you can’t avoid collisions while doing so. Your vehicle loses its Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense until the beginning of your next turn.
     You can’t use all-out movement unless you moved on your last turn.
     Because most power is diverted to the engine when using all-out movement, gunners on board your vehicle cannot attack until the start of your next turn.
     Maximum Velocity (character scale only): If you use all-out movement on your turn, you may move up to your vehicle’s maximum velocity with all-out movement on your next turn. If you use your vehicle’s maximum velocity, you must either continue moving at the vehicle’s maximum velocity or use all-out movement as your action on the following turn.

Full Attack

Gunner Only
If you are capable of making more than one attack (because you have the Double Attack feat or a similar ability), you must make a full attack to get those extra attacks. A pilot who spends at least a move action every round moving his vehicle cannot make a full attack action unless the vehicle has already been brought to a full stop.

Ram

Pilot Only
As a full-round action, you can attempt to ram a target by moving your vehicle into the target’s fighting space, and the ram is treated as an area effect. You can use your vehicle to ram just about anything, including another vehicle, a creature, or a structure.
     Make a Pilot check at a −10 penalty against the target’s Reflex Defense. If the check succeeds, your vehicle, the target, and all passengers aboard vehicles involved in the collision (including you) take the amount of damage listed in Table: Collision Damage. Assuming you’re alive and conscious, you can continue moving through the target’s fighting space if your vehicle has any movement left. Otherwise, your vehicle is pushed out of the target’s fighting space and into the nearest available squares, and your turn ends.
     If your Pilot check fails, your vehicle, the target, and all passengers aboard vehicles involved in the collision (including you) take half damage. In addition, your vehicle is pushed out of the target’s fighting space and into the nearest available squares, at which point your turn ends.
     All-Out Movement: If the colliding vehicle is moving all-out or moving at maximum velocity (see above), double the damage caused by the collision.
     Vehicular Evasion: If you have the Vehicular Evasion talent, you can reduce or negate the damage your vehicle and its passengers take when rammed by another vehicle.

Reactions

As always, a character may make any number of reactions during a round. Reactions include the following:

Avoid Collision

Pilot Only
Anytime your vehicle is subject to a collision, you can make a DC 15 Pilot check as a reaction. If you succeed on the check, all targets involved in the collision take half damage.
     You can’t attempt to avoid a collision when you intentionally ram a target (see above).
     Starship Scale: Collisions are easier to avoid at starship scale. If you succeed on the Pilot check to avoid a collision in starship scale no collision occurs.

Special Vehicle Combat Rules

Vehicles have a few additional rules during combat that are different from those used with characters.

Area Attacks

Except as noted here, area attacks work the same for vehicles as they do for characters.
     Starship Scale: Because of the size of each square compared to the size of starships, area attacks (including autofire, burst radius weapons, and splash weapons) are resolved as attacks on a single target in starship scale unless the weapon is specifically listed as having a starship-scale area attack.

Autofire

If your vehicle weapon is capable of autofire, you can use it to make an area attack in character scale, just as in character combat.
     Strafe Attacks: Instead of attacking a 2-square by 2-square area, airspeeders and starfighters may attack a number of squares in a straight line as they fly over them. Doing this requires the attack run action (see above), and the area attack applies to a straight line 1 square wide and 5 to 10 squares long. You take a penalty to your attack roll equal to the number of squares included in the area attack.
     You cannot make a strafe attack in starship scale.

Collisions

Uncontrolled Vehicles

In the event that the pilot is incapacitated or abandons a vehicle before using the full stop action, the vehicle’s emergency systems automatically kick in. On the pilot’s initiative ount, the vehicle moves in a straight line a number of squares equal to its speed and then comes to a complete stop.
     A vehicle without a pilot cannot land itself while flying, so after coming to a complete stop, it will fall as if it had been disabled.

A collision occurs whenever your vehicle moves into a space occupied by a creature, structure, another vehicle, or hazard (such as an asteroid, or whenever such things move into your vehicle’s fighting space. A collision is treated as an area attack. You can reduce or negate the damage from a collision as a reaction by succeeding at a DC 15 Pilot check (see Avoid Collision, above). Unless the vehicle provides no cover to those onboard, any damage dealt to passengers and crew in a collision is reduced by an amount equal to the vehicle’s damage threshold.
     Ramming Vehicles: When the source of the collision is a ramming vehicle, the pilot of the ramming vehicle makes a Pilot check (instead of an attack roll) and compares the result to the Reflex Defense of the target. If the check succeeds, the ramming vehicle, the target and all passengers aboard vehicles involved in the collision take the amount of damage listed in Table: Collision Damage. If the check fails, reduce the damage by half.
     Mobile Hazards: When the source of the collision is a mobile hazard of Large size or greater (such as an asteroid or unguided vehicle), the colliding hazard makes an attack roll against the target’s Reflex Defense. The hazard’s attack roll is resolved by rolling 1d20 and adding a flat modifier based on its size: Large, +1; Huge, +2; Gargantuan, +5; Colossal or bigger, +10. If the attack hits, the colliding hazard, the target, and all passengers aboard vehicles involved in the collision take the amount of damage listed in Table: Collision Damage. If the attack fails, reduce the damage by half.

Missile and Torpedoes

Some vehicles carry guided projectile weapons such as proton torpedoes or concussion missiles. Attacks with these weapons are resolved just as with any other weapon.
     If you aim before making an attack with a missile or torpedo, it locks on to the target and can track its target independently. Make your attack roll normally, but if you miss, the missile or torpedo can attempt to attack again on your next turn. This next attack is made using the same attack bonus, but with a −5 penalty. (You do not need to spend an action to make this attack.) If the missile or torpedo misses its target a second time, it self-destructs harmlessly.
     Attacking a Missile or Torpedo: If a missile or torpedo misses its target initially, it is possible to shoot it down before it attacks again. A missile or torpedo has a Reflex Defense of 30 and 10 hit points, and it is considered to occupy the same square as its target for purposes of determining range penalties.
     It is also possible to attack a missile or torpedo prior to its first attack, but you must have readied an action specifically for this purpose.

Tractor Beams

Instead of damaging a vehicle’s hit points, tractor beams prevent another vehicle from escaping. When attacking with a tractor beam, your attack hits if you equal or exceed the target’s Reflex Defense. If you hit, make an opposed grapple check. If you win the opposed grapple check, the target is grabbed.
     If a grabbed target is of your vehicle’s size or smaller, then it cannot move and it loses its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense. Each round on your turn, you must make another opposed grapple check; if you win the opposed check, you may pull the target up to 10 squares close to you (or 1 square closer to you in starship scale) or hold it in place in its current square. If you lose the opposed check, the target manages to slip free from the tractor beam.
     If the grabbed target is larger than your vehicle, the target retains its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense and can move freely, but you may move your vehicle up to 10 squares closer to it (or 1 square closer to it in starship scale). If the grabbed vehicle ever moves beyond the range of your tractor beam, the tractor beam’s hold is broken automatically.
     If you pull your target into your square (or pull your vehicle into a larger target’s square), your vehicle may use docking clamps to attach itself to the targets. Once this is done, it is possible to board the target ship by blowing open or cutting through an airlock or the hull (see Attack an Object).

Vehicle Descriptions

Crew Quality

Rather than providing statistics for every member of a vehicle’s crew, most vehicle descriptions provide a general “crew quality” descriptor.
     The following chart lists the five levels of crew quality for GM-controlled vehicle crews, along with the appropriate check modifier. Use the number in the Attack Bonus column for all attack rolls performed by the crew. Use the number in the Check Modifier column for all skill checks related to the operation of the vessel (including Mechanics, Pilot, and Use computer checks). Crew Quality modifies a vehicle’s CL, as shown in the CL modifier column. These modifiers are already included in the vehicle’s statistics.
     For unique vehicles where the crew’s statistics are included, this table is unnecessary. All crewmembers of a general crew quality are considered to only have nonheroic levels.

Crew Quality	Attack Bonus	Check Modifier	CL Modifier
Untrained	−5	+0	−1
Normal	+0	+5	+0
Skilled	+2	+6	+1
Expert	+5	+8	+2
Ace	+10	+12	+4

Every vehicle description comes with a set of combat statistics. Some statistics are exclusive to vehicles or require more elaboration:
     Challenge Level (CL): Heroes gain experience points (XP) for destroying, disabling, or otherwise overcoming the vehicle based on the vehicle’s CL (see Awarding Experience Points). However, they don’t gain additional XP for incidental crew or passengers killed as a result of the vehicle’s destruction. For example, heroes who blow up a shuttle don’t also receive XP for its crew; however, if the shuttle was transporting an Imperial Moff that the heroes were hired to eliminate, they should received XP for the Imperial Moff as well.
     Maximum Velocity: The maximum speed the vehicle can achieve using all-out movement for at least one full round. Maximum velocity is never used in starship scale.
     Grapple (Grp): The vehicle’s grapple modifier is mainly used to resist attempts to restrain the vehicle physically (usually via tractor beam).
     Fighting Space: The fighting space that the vehicle occupies at character scale, starship scale, or both.
     Cover: The amount of cover the vehicle grants to its crew and passengers. listed as none, +5 (normal cover), +10 (improved cover), or total.
     Crew: The number and quality of the crew (see the Crew Quality sidebar). The crew modifiers are already included in all other statistics in the vehicle description.
     Passengers: The number of passengers (including troops) that the vehicle can carry, in addition to its crew.
     Cargo Capacity: The amount of cargo the vehicle can carry.
     Carried Craft: Other vehicles that are usually carried aboard this vehicle.
     Payload: The vehicle’s complement of grenades, rocket, missiles, and torpedoes. If the vehicle has no payload, this line is absent.
     Hyperdrive: The multiplier used when calculating hyperspace travel times. If the starship has a backup hyperdrive, its multiplier is listed in parentheses. Hyperdrive is never used in character scale. If the vehicle has no hyperdrive, this line is absent.
     Availability: See Restricted Items.

Starships

This section features new starships from a variety of eras and locales. Each starship has its own entry, with a complete stat block and an illustration of the starship. Many entries describe multiple ships, sometimes variants or famous individual ships, to further expand the usefulness of each entry.
     Additionally, some space transports have deckplans included in their entries. These ships are among the most suitable vessels for heroes to use as a base of operations and means of transport, and the deckplans are designed to let Gamemasters use the ships as an adventuring locale as well as a means of transport.

Tactical Fire

A number of capital ships in the Vehicle Codex have a tactical fire option, an alternate ability that allows them to function more like commanders than like individual ships. Each tactical fire option produces an“aura” around the ship that affects the battlefield, replacing all of the capital ship’s normal attacks in a given round. When engaged in combat against other capital ships, a capital ship is better off using its normal attacks because they have the greatest chance of dealing the most damage.
     The tactical fire option is provided as a means of using capital-scale ships in space combat scenarios without making them another enemy that the heroes need to defeat. In essence, using the tactical fire option transforms a capital ship from an opponent into an obstacle or complication. This should allow you to include capital ships in a combat scenario, adding an interesting element to the fight without the danger of blowing the heroes out of the sky with a lucky shot.

Focused Fire

All capital ships have the ability to focus their weapons on a large area of space, allowing the vessel to make a starship-scale area attack. Essentially, focused fire creates dangerous “terrain” in space by filling large areas of the battlefield with a hail of weapons fire. Much like the tactical fire option, this allows Gamemasters to use capital ships in a new way without making the ship into a direct combatant. A Colossal (frigate) size ship can attack a single square with focused fire, a Colossal (cruiser) size ship can attack a 2×2-square area, and a Colossal (station) size ship can attack a 3×3-square area.
     The capital ship selects a single blaster, turbolaser, or ion cannon system as its primary source of focused fire. The capital ship must forgo all other attacks in the round it uses focused fire, making an attack roll against a Reflex Defense of 10 (range penalties apply). If successful, that area is targeted by focused fire. If a starship ends its turn in an area targeted by focused fire, compare the result of the attack roll to the starship’s Reflex Defense. If the attack roll is equal or higher, the target takes normal damage from the chosen weapon system; if the target’s Reflex Defense is higher, the target takes half damage.

Starship Listings

Airspeeders	Space Transports
Starfighters	Capital Ships
Vehicle Codex

Vehicle Codex   Ground Vehicles   Airspeeders   Starfighters   Space Transports   Capital Ships   Vehiculum Personæ   Templates

Footnotes and References
Please see the following pages or sites for further information: