Helskarg and Vehicle Rules


Iron Gods


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

In a couple sessions, my players will probably be reaching enough Scrapworth to be summoned to a duel with Helskarg, so I'm trying to brush up on the Vehicle Rules to make sure it's as memorable an encounter as it should be. I'd appreciate any advice that forumites have on vehicle combat in general and running Helskarg in particular. A couple questions off the top of my head--by my reading, the Ogres get cover from attacks from outside the chariot, even though they're just harnessed to the thing. is that accurate? Also, are there any rules for damaging somebody by dragging them behind your chariot, as Helskarg's main tactic would seem to be?

Sovereign Court

I took a look at those rules and wondered: do I really wanna try to grasp these rules, JUST for this one scene? And it looks like the effect won't be all that impressive anyway, so..

I'm inclined to just use the mounted combat rules, or perhaps Fly skill rules, if I want to play with momentum and all that.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

In general, I found that the vehicle rules amounted to barely anything. The PCs targeted one of the two ogres, and when that one died, the chariot ended up flipping. That was basically round one, so the vehicle rules barely did anything. I'd recommend doing something else, since the chariot is not likely to survive for long.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Well, anyone have suggestions on what else I could do, then?


My group readied their actions and the party wizard just cast "Create Pit" under the ogres and they all fell into it... Grenades did the rest.

If I had to run it again, I would have the two ogres just charge the group (maybe the same target or at least two targets close to each other) and Helskarg shooting once and then jumping of the chariot shortly before they arrive at the group.

Now look, this idea wouldn't have changed the outcome in my session to much probably, but at least I wouldn't have had to prepare these convoluted vehicle rules.


Suggested changes:
1. Replace ogres with bigger and bulkier creature which can survive first volley of attacks.Or give them better AC, perhaps with few mutations from Numeria book.
2. Chariot grants partial cover (+2 AC, +1 Ref)
3. Read crowd rules. This bonuses should stop PC from winnig in first round
4. Give hellskarg improved overrun feat. Otherwise described tactic is less effective
5. Fluff says that arena combat is unfair. Drunken smiler shot from audience? Masked pit/traps in convienient place around arena ? (Hellskarg should know that)Still spell from ally from crowd?


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So the actual vehicle rules aren't too hard but I wanted to do something special in this fight for my group.

Since this whole module is METAL on multiple levels and the arena looks like a place to hold monster truck rallies, I replaced the chariot with a very okry cobbled together demolition derby car. If people are figuring out how to build robots in this setting I figure a simple combustion engine isn't out of sorts. So a more mechanically-minded version of Helskarg entered combat by ramping up over the party while pyrotechnics erupted and heavy metal played over the speakers. Some captured rust-risen were sprinkled in to distract the PCs and give something else for Helskarg to run over while she desperately tried not to crash. She stuck one arm out the window and used one of those grappler gun things to snag PCs and drag them behind the car.

The car exploded as soon as they won but Helskarg survived and they wound up being friends, oddly enough. It was all to put on a good show, after all. I just wanted something awesome.


BRILIANT !


Luther wrote:

So the actual vehicle rules aren't too hard but I wanted to do something special in this fight for my group.

Since this whole module is METAL on multiple levels and the arena looks like a place to hold monster truck rallies, I replaced the chariot with a very okry cobbled together demolition derby car. If people are figuring out how to build robots in this setting I figure a simple combustion engine isn't out of sorts. So a more mechanically-minded version of Helskarg entered combat by ramping up over the party while pyrotechnics erupted and heavy metal played over the speakers. Some captured rust-risen were sprinkled in to distract the PCs and give something else for Helskarg to run over while she desperately tried not to crash. She stuck one arm out the window and used one of those grappler gun things to snag PCs and drag them behind the car.

The car exploded as soon as they won but Helskarg survived and they wound up being friends, oddly enough. It was all to put on a good show, after all. I just wanted something awesome.

Ok, that's awesome. My party just entered Scrapwall, via the smiler's backdoor thanks to our swashbuckler getting chummy with the only smiler to survive Aldronard's. I've been working on making Scrapwall feel like more than just a classic massive open air dungeon with a few bits of tech sprinkled about by planning it out more along the lines of the heist rules from Ultimate Intrigue, with the ultimate goal being to find Hellion and find out what he is. This ought to throw a nice wrench in whatever plan my PCs will come up with.

I've also added a Claw statue (like the one from FoC) to the middle of the arena enchanted with sift thoughts by Nalakai and Meyanda that senses thoughts of destroying Hellion, servitude to Unity, or seeking to defeat the Lords of Rust. This enchantment is linked to a bunch of pit traps I scattered around the arena that will trigger when someone that the statue has detected thinking any of these thoughts steps over them, but will not trigger otherwise. Should make the fight feel suitably frantic, especially with a souped up fantasy derby car roaring around them.


Luther, you wouldn't happen to have the rules for Helskarg's car and/or her more mechanically minded self available would you?


I spent a ton of time on the arena in my Roll20 campaign, i plastered a ring around the arena floor with post apocalyptic scenes from movies and art, including the crazy crowd from the Star Trek TNG in the Q trial, a War Rig covered in War Boys, and the Coma-Doof Warrior. Helskarg's chariot as the land pirate ship from Ice Pirates.

My party killed both ogres and Helskarg in one round. :(


eakratz wrote:

I spent a ton of time on the arena in my Roll20 campaign, i plastered a ring around the arena floor with post apocalyptic scenes from movies and art, including the crazy crowd from the Star Trek TNG in the Q trial, a War Rig covered in War Boys, and the Coma-Doof Warrior. Helskarg's chariot as the land pirate ship from Ice Pirates.

My party killed both ogres and Helskarg in one round. :(

eakratz,

I don't suppose you might want to share your map? I'm prepping for the arena fight next and my home-built arenas look crappy. Most are far to Roman Colosseum and not nearly enough Mad Max.

Sean14powell (at) gmail


Shoot, just saw this. No prob. I'll try and get it done soon.


Is there a way to save and send the map? It is built in Roll20.


kurohyou wrote:
Luther, you wouldn't happen to have the rules for Helskarg's car and/or her more mechanically minded self available would you?

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Didn't think anyone would ask. I ad hoc'd it mostly. It had a pinch of narrative armor and would work until it took enough damage at a dramatically appropriate moment to make a fun fireball.

But if you still want to recreate it for a later thing: just make it 2x3x1 squares, provide improved cover to those inside, make it Fast with a capital 'f', give it three big buckets of hitpoints, add somewhere like 10-12 hardness, give it a good trample or ram attack, and stir well. Make it dangerous as hell to drive and with seats/steering built for a large-sized troll. If they take possession of it, it should be fun but difficult to drive and will likely fall apart before it becomes too much of a nuisance for the DM.

I'd say it has one good dramatic entry, smashing through the wall of the baddies' lair, before it becomes useless.

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