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COMBAT WHEELCHAIR

By Mark Thompson

The combat wheelchair is a ruleset designed to help you play a wheelchair user in Daggerheart. This section provides mechanics and narrative guidance for you to work from, but feel free to adapt the flavor text to best suit your character. Have fun with your character’s wheelchair design, and make it as unique or tailored to them as you please.

ACTION AND MOVEMENT

When describing how your character moves, you can use descriptions such as the following:

  • “I roll over to the door to see if it’s open.”
  • “I wheel myself over to the group to ask what’s going on.”
  • “I pull my brakes and skid to a halt, turning in my seat to level my bow at the intruder.”

CONSEQUENCES

Here are some ways you might describe complications you encounter when your character uses their wheelchair:

  • “I pull my brakes, but I don’t think to account for the loose gravel on the ground.”
  • “I hit a patch of ice awkwardly and am sent skidding out past my target.”
  • “I go to push off in pursuit, but one of my front caster wheels snags on a crack in the pavement, stalling me for a moment.”

GMs should avoid breaking a character’s wheelchair or otherwise removing it from play as a consequence, unless everyone at the table, especially the wheelchair user’s player, gives their approval.

EVASION

Your character is assumed to be skilled in moving their wheelchair and navigating numerous situations in it. As a result, the only wheelchair that gives a penalty to a PC’s Evasion is the Heavy Frame model.

BURDEN

All wheelchairs can be maneuvered using one or two hands outside of combat. However, when being used as a weapon, the chair is restricted to requiring one or two hands to perform attacks, depending on the model you’ve chosen. If you’re playing a character who has limited to no mobility in their arms, their wheelchair can be attuned to them by magical means. For example, your character might use a psychic link to guide the chair around like a pseudo-electric wheelchair. All the rules presented here can be tailored and adapted to any character’s needs.

CHOOSING YOUR MODEL

All combat wheelchairs are equipped as Primary Weapons. There are three models of wheelchair available: light, heavy, and arcane. You’re encouraged to consider the type of character you’re playing and the class they belong to, then choose the model that best matches that character concept.

LIGHT FRAME MODELS

Though tough, these wheelchairs have light frames that allow the chair to move with your character in more acrobatic ways. These models are best suited to adventurers who rely on speed and flexibility.

NAME TIER TRAIT RANGE DAMAGE BURDEN FEATURE
Light-Frame Wheelchair 1 Agility Melee d8 phy One-Handed Quick: When you make an attack, you can mark a Stress to target another creature within range.
Improved Light-Frame Wheelchair 2 Agility Melee d8+3 phy One-Handed Quick: When you make an attack, you can mark a Stress to target another creature within range.
Advanced Light-Frame Wheelchair 3 Agility Melee d8+6 phy One-Handed Quick: When you make an attack, you can mark a Stress to target another creature within range.
Legendary Light-Frame Wheelchair 4 Agility Melee d8+9 phy One-Handed Quick: When you make an attack, you can mark a Stress to target another creature within range.

HEAVY FRAME MODELS

These wheelchairs have bulky and heavier frames, allowing the chair to lend its weight to your character’s attacks. It also makes them a bigger target.

NAME TIER TRAIT RANGE DAMAGE BURDEN FEATURE
Heavy-Frame Wheelchair 1 Strength Melee d12+3 phy Two-Handed Heavy: -1 to Evasion
Improved Heavy-Frame Wheelchair 2 Strength Melee d12+6 phy Two-Handed Heavy: -1 to Evasion
Advanced Heavy-Frame Wheelchair 3 Strength Melee d12+9 phy Two-Handed Heavy: -1 to Evasion
Legendary Heavy-Frame Wheelchair 4 Strength Melee d12+12 phy Two-Handed Heavy: -1 to Evasion

ARCANE FRAME MODELS

These wheelchairs have frames that are attuned to your character and their magic, allowing them to channel their spells through the chair. Unlike other primary magic weapons, the arcane-frame model doesn’t specify a trait to use when making an attack with it. Instead, you use the Spellcast trait indicated by your subclass.

NAME TIER TRAIT RANGE DAMAGE BURDEN FEATURE
Arcane-Frame Wheelchair 1 Spellcast Far d6 mag One-Handed Reliable: +1 to attack rolls
Improved Arcane-Frame Wheelchair 2 Spellcast Far d6+3 mag One-Handed Reliable: +1 to attack rolls
Advanced Arcane-Frame Wheelchair 3 Spellcast Far d6+6 mag One-Handed Reliable: +1 to attack rolls
Legendary Arcane-Frame Wheelchair 4 Spellcast Far d6+9 mag One-Handed Reliable: +1 to attack rolls