Capacity & Draft Requirements
Creature capacity describes how many creatures can ride in the vehicle comfortably. More creatures can fit by squeezing or clinging to the outside of the vehicle. Most creatures comfortably occupying the vehicle occupy an Action Station and perform a specific role (see “Action Stations” below). Cargo capacity specifies how much weight the land vehicle can carry, excluding the weight of the creatures inside it.
A creature pulling a land vehicle can move weight up to five times its base carrying capacity. If multiple creatures pull the same vehicle, they add their carrying capacity together to determine if they can move the vehicle. The weight of a vehicle also includes the weight of all passengers and cargo.
Difficult terrain such as thick mud, snow, or sand doubles the strength required to pull a vehicle.
A land vehicle’s speed is equal to the slowest draft creature pulling it. If all draft creatures have special movement, such as a flying or swimming speed, the vehicle does as well. All draft creatures act simultaneously on the driver’s turn as ordered by the driver, unless the draft creature is intelligent enough to act independently.
Armor Class
A land vehicle is typically made of wood and has an Armor Class of 15 + its Dexterity modifier. While the vehicle is not moving, attack rolls made against it have advantage, and it does not add its Dexterity modifier to its AC.
Hit Points
A land vehicle hit points can be restored by making repairs (see “Repairs”). When a land vehicle drops to 0 hit points, it ceases to function and is damaged beyond repair. Enemies can also target the draft creatures pulling it; if the number of draft creatures falls below the vehicle’s minimum requirements, the vehicle cannot be operated until any corpses are removed and new draft creatures are added.
Opportunity Attacks
A land vehicles provokes opportunity attacks upon exiting another creature’s reach, as if it were a creature. When a land vehicle provokes an opportunity attack, the attacker can target the vehicle or any creature riding on or inside it that doesn’t have total cover and is within the attacker’s reach.
Impact
If a land vehicle takes damage that exceeds half its maximum hit points, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to the damage taken or be knocked prone. Any creature occupying the vehicle must make the same saving throw, landing prone in a random space 10 feet away from the vehicle on a failed save. Any creature squeezing into the vehicle or clinging to the outside makes this save with disadvantage.
Repairs
When a land vehicle is damaged but has at least 1 hit point, a creature not operating the helm or guard station can try to repair it. The creature must be within reach of the damaged area and have the right tools for the job (often woodcarver’s tools or smith’s tools), and the vehicle must be stationary.
After 1 hour of repair work, the creature makes a DC 15 Dexterity check, adding its proficiency bonus to the check if it’s proficient with the tools used to make repairs. If the check succeeds, the vehicle regains 2d4 + 2 hit points. If the check fails, the vehicle regains no hit points, but the repair can be attempted again using the same replacement parts.
Action Stations
Action stations represent any seat or position the vehicle is designed to have occupied by creatures which contribute to its Creature Capacity, collectively referred to as “crew.” Only one creature can occupy each station unless multiple crew are required. To exit an action station, a creature must expend 15 feet of movement, as though dismounting.
Helm
The driver steers the land vehicle and the creatures pulling it. A driver proficient with land vehicles adds its proficiency bonus to any check or saving throw the land vehicle makes, as well as to its Armor Class while moving.
- Actions. While the land vehicle is attached to living draft creatures, the driver can use an action to propel the vehicle up to its speed or stop it. While the vehicle is moving, the driver steers it along a course of the its choosing.
If the driver is incapacitated, leaves the helm, or does nothing to alter the vehicle’s course and speed, the vehicle moves in the same direction and speed it did during the driver’s last turn until it hits an obstacle big enough to stop it. - Bonus Actions. The driver can cause the draft creatures to take the Dash or Disengage action, moving the vehicle farther than it could with an only an action.
- Reactions. Some vehicles have special reactions, which the driver can choose to activate using its own reaction.
Guard Stations
Each guard takes a position on the vehicle, fighting from its station and attacking within its range or reach as normal. While a guard is not necessary to operate a vehicle, they bolster its defenses significantly.
Passenger Seats
Passengers sit passively upon or within the vehicle, and are not necessary to operate it. A passenger can fight, but targets it chooses outside the vehicle gain the same cover bonuses against its attacks that the passenger gains against attacks targeting it that originate from outside the vehicle.
Weight
The listed weight of each vehicle does not account for cargo or crew, whose weight must be added to the vehicle’s weight when determining if the draft animals can move the vehicle.