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Originally posted by BlackJaw
Now I already have rules for allowing a simple autopilot component... but the question here is for vehilce that are inteligent. |
Let's first of all keep in mind that there's all the difference in the world between an Intelligent vehicle and a creature. A vehicle, by definition, cannot fly itself. Anything, wether it be construct or undead, that can propel itself through the air or the ether or what have you, is a creature.
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| If a powerful Lich animates the corpse of a massive whale (Collosal zombie/medium vessel) and loads it with vehilce components... that zombie has an INT score of "--" (IE: none) but can still move under its own power... can it pilot itself? |
A zombie doesn't have a fly speed so not unless the lich alters it significantly. But if it can pilot itself then it is no longer a vehicle.
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| BUT then how do we determine when a vehicle can be self piloting? |
A vehicle is never self-piloting.
The real problem is that we have TWO qualities for vehicles: one, that they require a pilot, and two, that they can take Vessel components. I propose these two qualities be separated.
VEHICLES require a pilot. A vehicle cannot move itself. It has no DEXTERITY score, which means that unless it is supplied with Dexterity via a pilot, it cannot maneuver.
VESSELS can have vessel components. Whether a vessel is a creature or a vehicle is immaterial. There's no real reason you couldn't design a creature capable of carrying cargo and so on. Or a creature that required fuel or life support systems.
So do we now have two type modifiers to make use of? The Vessel modifier which can be applied to Aberrations, Constructs, Plants and Undead, and allows them to acquire vessel components according to their hit dice. By these rules a Griffin cannot be a vessel, though it is a flying creature. Possibly we could come up with a Vessel definition that could include the Griffin and other flying creatures, however. In this case it would appear that the Vessel type modifier could conceivably be attached to any creature type (indeed I can imagine Outsider, Ooze and Elemental vessels with ease).
The Vehicle modifier can only be applied to a creature with the type modifier of Vessel already applied to it. The Vehicle modifier removes a creature's Dexterity score, so that it requires a Pilot in order to maneuver. Perhaps the Vehicle type modifier can only be applied to Aberrations, Constructs, Plants and Undead.