Vehicles

See also: Vehicle Combat, Equipment, Star Wars Saga Edition Starships of the Galaxy

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.

 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.

Mounts

Trained Beasts utilized by local forces to take advantage of the creatures' natural instincts and senses, where a mechanical Vehicle would otherwise fail.

Ground Vehicles

The most basic Vehicles in the Star Wars universe, Ground Vehicles only operate on (Or very near to) a planetary surface.

Speeders

Speeders are common sights on the technologically advanced worlds. Equipped with repulsorlift drive technology, they hover above the 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 Vehicles

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.

Walkers

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 Vehicles

Wheeled Vehicles move on one or more wheels (Most commonly two to four). Faster and more maneuverable than Tracked Vehicles or Walkers, wheels are a cheap alternative to repulsorlift technology for light and fast Vehicles.

Weapon Emplacements

Weapon Emplacements are a staple or ground warfare. They typically fall under two categories: antipersonnel and antivehicle. Weapon Emplacements are treated as Vehicles for statistical purposes, but they are usually immobile and do not require a Pilot to function. Instead, Gunners control all the functions of the Weapon Emplacement.

Air Vehicles

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 space flight. Because they fly so high above the ground, they ignore penalties for Difficult Terrain and obstacles. 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.

Starfighters

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 Transports

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 Ships

Capital Ships include all Starships of Colossal (Frigate) Size or larger. Capital Ships usually carry hundreds, if not thousands of crewmembers 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 Stations

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 it's Size. Most Space Stations are immobile, the Death Star being a notable exception.

Vehicle Descriptions

This section pertains to several common Vehicles that you can include in your Star Wars campaign. 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. 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 it's crew; however, if the shuttle was transporting an Imperial Moff that the heroes were hired to eliminate, they should receive XP for the Imperial Moff as well.

Maximum Velocity: The Maximum Speed the Vehicle can achieve after using All-Out Movement for at least one full round. Maximum Velocity is never used in Starship Scale.

Grapple: 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 it's crew and passengers, listed as none, +5 (Normal Cover), +10 (Improved Cover), or Total Cover.

Crew: The number and quality of the crew (See Crew Quality). 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 it's crew (See Getting Comfortable with Passenger Space).

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, Rockets, Missiles, and Torpedoes. If this Vehicle has no Payload, this line is absent.

Hyperdrive: The multiplier used when calculating hyperspace travel times (See Astrogation). If the Starship has a backup Hyperdrive, it's multiplier is listed in parentheses. Hyperdrive is never used in Character Scale. If the Vehicle has no Hyperdrive, this line is absent.

Availability: Whether or not the Vehicle is a Restricted Item.

Additional Vehicle Statistics

Reference Book: Saga Edition FAQ (Q154)

You determine the following stats in the following ways (In order of stat block appearance):

Vehicle Initiative: The Pilot's Initiative modifier (Or the Pilot skill modifier if you are Trained) + Vehicle's size modifier + Vehicle's Dexterity modifier.

Perception: Character's normal Perception modifier.

Reflex Defense: The Vehicle’s Reflex Defense is equal to 10 + size modifier + armor bonus (Or Pilot’s Heroic Level) + Dexterity bonus.

Attack Rolls: Gunner's Base Attack Bonus + Vehicle's Intelligence modifier + miscellaneous bonuses (Point-Blank Shot, Weapon Focus, etc.) + 2 (If Trained in Pilot and firing Pilot-controlled Weapon Systems from the Pilot's position).

Base Attack Bonus: The Gunner's Base Attack Bonus.

Grapple: A Vehicle’s Grapple modifier is equal to its Pilot’s Base Attack Bonus + the Vehicle’s Strength modifier + the Vehicle’s special size modifier (Large +5, Huge +10, Gargantuan +15, Colossal +20, Colossal (Frigate) +25, Colossal (Cruiser) +30, Colossal (Station) +35).

Skills: Character's appropriate Skill modifiers (+ Vehicle size modifier + Vehicle Dexterity modifier in the case of the Initiative and Pilot skills). If the ship's computer is Friendly or Helpful towards you, you also add the ship's Intelligence modifier as an Equipment bonus to your Use Computer checks.

If it is not listed above, than it is not changed by having unique crew or is otherwise explicitly spelled out in the rules above.