Equipment
• Gloves. These simple leather gloves grant you protection from friction whilst using the push rims.
• Rear Backrest Compartment. This bag, which has been designed to fit snug against the back of the chair, is attached to the seat's backrest and the camber bar. This item is the same as an explorer's pack in your Starting Gear so you may wish to forgo that and use the backrest compartment instead - it can hold the same items and amount as a standard explorer's pack can.
The Anatomy of the Chair
So far it's been mentioned that the Combat Wheelchair is based on the design of the chairs used in high impact sports such as wheelchair rugby and basketball, but what does that mean regarding how the chair actually looks? None of the items used to make the base frame of the chair give the user any significant benefit, all they do is provide the foundations of an item that allows disabled adventurers to be as independent as abled adventurers.
There are 5 main aspects to the chair's anatomy:
• Slanted Wheels. These wheels allow for easy passage over Coast, Forest, Grassland, and Mountain terrains. Similar to how a Ranger finds ease over lands familiar to them, the artificers who carried out data research discovered that these 4 terrain types are the ones most often traversed by adventuring parties. The slant of the wheels as they turn inwards and upwards disperses weight evenly and gives you good control when travelling over these terrains. The spokes are covered by wooden covers to prevent debris getting tangled in them. Upgrades for tyres that account for more terrains at an additional cost are available in the Upgrades section of this item's description.
• Pouches. About the frame of the chair are an additional 3 small pouches, near the armrests. One of these serves as a waterskin holder to save you from having to waste time stopping and rummaging around the rear backrest compartment looking for your drink. It acts the same way as another adventurer might wear theirs at their hip for convenience. The other 2 pouches can be used to hold your weapon(s), much like a sword belt or shield harness, or can simply be used to carry a bit more gear - much like trouser pockets.
• Seat Tilt Lever. This small lever sits just under the seat. When pressed as an action, it releases a lock mechanism that causes the seat to tilt up so that getting in and out of the chair is easier.
• Adjustable Armrests. These armrests are affixed to the chair and are adjustable to your arms' length. Within one of the armrests (your choice) is a beacon stone. Refer to the final point in this section for details on beacon stones.
• Seatbelts. These seatbelts are affixed to the chair and strap about the waist, knees and shins. This helps to hold you in the chair correctly and prevents them from falling out whenever the chair is struck, thrown, or handled roughly by a creature or spell in combat. These belts all have clasp buckles which can be undone by using a bonus action to press the release buttons.
• Beacon Stone. These stones are common, factory-made by artificers across the Realms for this sole purpose. They are magically imbued with very low-level transmutation magic. To be specific, they carry about the same level of energy as a cantrip spell does, providing enough energy for a little boost and nothing more. Each chair comes with one of these stones set into an armrest (your choice) and you can use it in 2 different ways. The first is that you can run your hand or fingers over it to indicate and guide the chair in which direction you want it to go --- this use was designed for users who may not have full use of their arms or an illness or disability which means they lack the energy to push the chair themselves. Regardless of whether you push or direct the chair using the stone, the Combat Wheelchair always has a base movement speed of 25 feet. The second way to use this stone is when faced with ascending or descending stairs; the true favoured enemy of many a wheelchair user. Refer to the next section for details on how to use this chair with stairs. Additionally, the Beacon Stone is unique in that it only responds to the owner's touch. If someone who is not the chair's user attempts to use the stone, the chair will not respond and will, instead, have to be moved using the push rims. Dispel Magic has no effect upon this stone.
Ascending & Descending Stairs
We all know dungeons often have a lot of stairs and, sweet Azalin, let's not get started on Castle Ravenloft's maze of steps! Let's face it, stairs are difficult, especially when you're in a wheelchair, which is why the beacon stone is here to help. By tapping your fingers or hand against the stone twice, you inform it that it needs to help you go up or down a flight of stairs. As a result the chair begins to hover, starting at 2 feet off the ground. Using your fingers or hand on the stone's surface, you guide it to go forwards or backwards (depending on which direction the stairs go in) on the staircase, tapping the stone twice to hover up to the next step or tapping once if you would like it to hover down. The chair will always hover 2 feet over the step it is above when being used in this manner and can continue ascending or descending like this until the end of the stairs has been reached. Once you have reached the top or bottom of the stairs you can continue to move the chair as it usually does using either the push rims or by directing it with the stone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyre Strike
By pivoting on one wheel and turning into your momentum, you can strike a target creature in range with one of the chair's rear wheels. Melee Weapon Attack: Your Strength/Dexterity modifier + proficiency to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + Your Strength/Dexterity modifier) bludgeoning damage.
Ram
By moving 10ft in a straight line towards a Small or Medium creature, you can bodily slam the chair into the target creature. Melee Weapon Attack: Your Strength/Dexterity modifier + proficiency to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + Your Strength/Dexterity modifier) bludgeoning damage. If this attack is made using the optional Feature Swift, the chair deals an additional 4 bludgeoning damage to the target creature on a successful hit. The target creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength save or be pushed back 5 feet from you.
Crush
If the target creature is prone on the ground, you can choose to roll your chair over them, dealing damage. Melee Weapon Attack: Your Strength/Dexterity modifier + proficiency (with advantage) to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit:(1d8 + Your Strength/Dexterity modifier) bludgeoning damage. If this attack is made using the optional Feature Swift, the chair deals an additional 4 bludgeoning damage to the target creature on a successful hit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swift
When moving downhill, you can choose to let gravity make you roll faster, moving up to 2x the chair's base movement speed. This means that instead of 25ft movement, you have 50ft movement speed going downhill unless you choose to keep a tight control of the chair using either the push rims or the beacon stone. If you choose to retain control, the chair's movement speed stays at its base of 25ft. If you decide to roll faster, you must bear in mind that you can't come to an abrupt halt. Instead, you must use your hands or the Emergency Brakes on your two rear wheels to slow down.
Emergency Brake
When the chair is moving at a high speed using the Swift Feature, you put a great risk to yourself if you try to use your hands on the wheels to stop suddenly. When this happens, you can use the emergency brakes located either side of the seat pan by the rear wheels. Using the brakes is an Action and slows the chair down by 10ft per round.
Stable
Due to the chair's fifth wheel acting as a stabiliser, -- a staple you'll find on many wheelchairs -- you have advantage on saving throws versus being knocked prone whilst you are in the chair. If the chair does get knocked prone, you are not thrown out of it so long as you are wearing the seatbelts. You can release these belts at any time using a bonus action to press the buttons on the clasps. Whilst you are in the chair and the chair is prone, you are also considered prone and any close range melee weapon attacks made against you have advantage. You must use your own half movement to get up if you are thrown out of the chair. If you are still in the chair when it is prone, you must use the chair's half movement to push you and it back up unaided. This is reduced to zero movement if you are assisted by an ally. This is no different to an abled character being knocked prone and spending their movement getting back up.
Attuning
When you attune to Magical Items, the effect of the item is shared between you and the Combat Wheelchair when you are in the chair.
For example, Boots of Flying in accordance with the Dungeon Master's Guide aren't designed with disabled adventurers in mind; some disabled folks have mobility issues where they can't support their own weight standing unaided and will require the Combat Wheelchair.
Using this Feature, when you attune to a Magical Item and are using the chair, both you and the chair share the item's benefit and any effects it may have. When you get out of the chair, only you retain the benefit of the item.
Upgrade: Spider Legs
- Tucked up snugly underneath the seat are 8 mechanical legs, folded up tightly in a clawlike position. A button has been set into one of the armrests (your choice which one) which, when pressed as an action, activates the legs to fold out and stand, lifting you and the chair 4 feet off the ground, allowing you and the chair to move across the ground in the same manner a spider does.
- These legs are powered by a small, intricate, and extremely expensive construct engine that is also affixed under the seat of the chair, the legs folding over it protectively when they are not in use. Designed by some of the best Dwarven smiths and artificers in the Realms, this construct is a genuine work of mastercrafted art. You can use the Beacon Stone to steer and control the legs whilst they are active. The legs ignore the effects of difficult terrain and the sharp hooked claws that act as feet have such a powerful grip that they enable the user to climb any vertical surface and ceiling.
- Using the legs increases the chair’s base movement speed from 25ft to 40ft and also grants the chair a climbing speed of 40ft. When the legs are not in use, the chair no longer has a climbing speed and reverts back to its base movement speed of 25ft. Additionally, the construct engine can only be used for 1 hour at a time before needing to recharge itself for 2 hours. It is self-charging, sustaining itself on a small dragonshard core that burns eternally.
- After 1 hour of use, the legs stop moving and begin to retract. During the 2 hours that the legs are recharging, you can still use your Combat Wheelchair as normal, you just can’t use the legs. Once the cooldown period has ended, you may use the legs again for up to another hour.
- To keep the core of this construct engine safe, there is a protective outer shell shielding it from most damage. The AC of this casing is 18. Its AC is considered as separate from you and the chair's.
- The weight of this Upgrade is significant enough that you may need a cart or mount to help transport the chair when it is not being used. When using this upgrade, you cannot use the Combat Wheelchair as a weapon --- you cannot make a Tyre Strike, Ram, or Crush attack.
- Dispel Magic has no effect on this upgrade.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Combat Wheelchair – v2.0. - Sara Thompson (mustangsart) © 2020
Comments