Infernal War Machines

Infernal war machines are vehicles built within Infernus and fuelled by the souls of the damned. Smaller war machines carry raiding parties or scouts while larger more menacing war machines can crush entire hordes of demons or deliver shock troops behind enemy lines. Infernal war machines are made of infernal iron and bristle with spikes, blades, chains, and siege weapons. An infernal war machine's engine roars a bass, growling rumble with an undertone of agonized screams as its furnace burns souls for fuel.

## Stat Blocks

When considering the stat block of an infernal war machine, its statistics function like those for creatures, however there a few additional considerations.

### Creature and Cargo Capacity

Creature capacity describes how many creatures can ride the infernal war machine comfortably. More creatures can fit by squeezing or by clinging to the outside of the vehicle. Cargo capacity specifies how much cargo the infernal war machine can carry.

### Armour Class

An infernal war machine is typically made of infernal iron and has an Armour Class of 19 + its Dexterity modifier. While the vehicle is not moving, attack rolls made against it have advantage.

### Ability Scores

An infernal war machine has the six ability scores and corresponding modifiers. Its size and weight determines its Strength. Dexterity represents its handling and manoeuvrability. A vehicle's Constitution reflects its durability and quality of construction. Infernal war machines usually have a score of 0 in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

If an infernal war machine has a 0 in a score, it automatically fails any ability check or saving throw that uses that score.

### Hit Points

An infernal war machine's hit points can be restored by making repairs to the vehicle. When an infernal war machine drops to 0 hit points, it ceases to function and is damaged beyond repair, and any souls trapped in the vehicle's furnace are released to the afterlife.

Infernal war machines have bulk or armour that allows them to shrug off minor hits. A vehicle with a damage threshold has immunity to all damage unless it takes an amount of damage equal to or greater than its damage threshold value, in which case it takes damage as normal. Any damage that fails to meet or exceed the vehicle's damage threshold is considered superficial and doesn't reduce the vehicle's hit points.

If an infernal war machine takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than its mishap threshold, it must roll on the Mishaps table.

### Action Stations and Crew

An infernal war machine doesn't have actions of its own. It relies on crew to occupy stations and use their actions to operate the vehicle's various functions. Any option that appears in the Action Stations section of an infernal war machine's stat block requires an action to perform.

## Rules

The rules for infernal war machines are summarized below.

### Magical Elements

An infernal war machine's engine, furnace, and weapons are magical and become inoperable within an antimagic field. When the engine or furnace comes into contact with such an effect, the infernal war machine shuts down and can't be restarted until both the engine and the furnace are free of the field.

### Opportunity Attacks

Infernal war machines provoke opportunity attacks as normal. When an infernal war machine provokes an opportunity attack, the attacker can target the vehicle or any creature riding on or inside it that doesn't have total cover and is within reach.

### Action Stations

A creature can use an action of the station it's occupying. Once a creature uses a station's action, that action can't be used again until the start of the creature's next turn. Only one creature can occupy each station.

A creature not occupying an action station is either in a passenger seat or clinging to the outside of the vehicle. It can take actions as normal.

#### Helm

The helm of an infernal war machine requires a single driver to operate and a war machine with no driver automatically fails Dexterity saving throws. A driver proficient with land vehicles can add its proficiency bonus to ability checks and saving throws made using the infernal war machine's ability scores.

**Drive.** While the infernal war machine's engine is on, the driver can use an action to propel the vehicle up to its speed or bring the vehicle to a dead stop. While the vehicle is moving, the driver can steer it along any course. If the driver is incapacitated, leaves the helm, or does nothing to alter the infernal war machine's course and speed, the vehicle moves in the same direction and at the same speed as it did during the driver's last turn until it hits an obstacle big enough to stop it.

**Bonus Actions.** As a bonus action, the driver can do one of the following:

* Start the infernal war machine's engine or shut it off.
* Cause the infernal war machine to take the Dash or Disengage action while the vehicle's engine is running.
* Insert a soul coin or pour a flask of demon ichor into the engine's furnace.

#### Weapon Stations

Each of an infernal war machine's weapons takes up a station on the vehicle. One weapon can be replaced with another, provided that the crew requirement needed to operate the replacement weapon is the same.

### Soul Fuel

The engine at the heart of every infernal war machine has a furnace fuelled by soul coins. Among the vehicle's helm controls is a narrow slot into which soul coins can be fed. Soul coins placed in this slot tumble into the furnace, which is two size categories smaller than the vehicle containing it.

An infernal war machine's furnace consumes a soul coin instantly, expending all the coin's remaining charges at once and destroying the coin in the process. The soul trapped in the coin becomes trapped in the furnace instead, powering the infernal war machine for a duration determined by how many charges the soul coin had when it was consumed: 1 charge, 24 hours; 2 charges, 48 hours; 3 charges, 72 hours. If it's still trapped in the furnace when this duration ends, the soul is destroyed. Not even divine intervention can restore a soul destroyed in this manner.

Regardless of its size, a furnace can hold any number of souls, their screams of anguish audible out to a range of 60 feet. Each new soul fed to the furnace adds more fuel to the vehicle, allowing it to run longer.

### Demon Ichor Boost

Pouring a flask of demon ichor into an infernal war machine's furnace increases the vehicle's speed by 30 feet for 1 minute. While the vehicle's speed is increased in this way, roll a d20 at the start of each of the driver's turns. On a 1, the vehicle suffer the Furnace Rupture result on the Mishaps table.

### Mishaps

Roll on the Mishaps table when one of the following occurs to an infernal war machine while it's in motion:

* The infernal war machine takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than its mishap threshold.
* The infernal war machine fails an ability check (or its driver fails an ability check using the vehicle's ability) by more than 5.

If a mishap has a repair DC, the mishap can be ended by making repairs to the vehicle.

### Vehicular Exhaustion

The harsh conditions of Infernus can cause an infernal war machine to stop functioning properly, until it eventually breaks down. Such wear and tear is represented using exhaustion as described in appendix A of the Player's Handbook, with these modifications:

* When an infernal war machine reaches exhaustion level 6, its hit points drop to 0, and the vehicle breaks down.
* The only way to remove the effects of exhaustion on an infernal war machine is to repair the vehicle.

### Repairs

When an infernal war machine is damaged, suffers a mishap, or gains one or more level of exhaustion, a creature can attempt to make repairs to the vehicle. The creature making the repairs must meet the following criteria:

* The creature can't operate the vehicle's helm or one of its weapon stations while making repairs.
* The creature must be within reach of the damaged area in need of repair.
* The creature must have the right tools for the job (smith's tools or tinker's tools for example).

Before beginning repairs, a creature must decide whether the repairs are aimed at ending a mishap, removing a level of exhaustion, or restoring the damaged vehicle's hit points. Each option is discussed below.

#### End A Mishap

A creature can use its action to make an ability check based on the nature of the mishap (see the Mishaps table), with disadvantage if the vehicle is moving. The creature adds its proficiency bonus to the check if it's proficient with the tools used to make the repairs. A successful check ends the mishap. A mishap with no repair DC can't be repaired.

#### Remove Exhaustion

If the infernal war machine has one or more levels of exhaustion, a creature can spend 1 hour or more trying to reduce the vehicle's exhaustion level. The vehicle must be stationary, and the creature must have spare parts to make the necessary repairs. After 1 hour of repair work, the creature makes a DC 15 Intelligence check, adding its proficiency bonus to the check if it's proficient with the tools used to make repairs. If the check succeeds, the vehicle's exhaustion level decreases by 1. If the check fails, the vehicle's exhaustion level remains unchanged, though the repair can be attempted again using the same replacement parts.

#### Restore Hit Points

If the infernal war machine has taken damage but has at least 1 hit point, a creature can spend 1 hour or more trying to patch the hull and replace damaged parts. The vehicle must be stationary, and the creature must have the spare parts necessary repairs. After 1 hour of repair work, the creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity check, adding its proficiency bonus to the check if they are proficient with the tools used to make repairs. If the check succeeds, the vehicle regains 2d4+2 hit points. If the check fails, the vehicle regains no hit points, but the repair can be attempted again using the same replacement parts.

### Crashing

When an infernal war machine crashes into something that could reasonably damage it, such as an iron wall or another vehicle of it, such as an iron wall or another vehicle of its size or bigger, the infernal war machine comes to a sudden stop or takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it moved since its last turn (maximum 20d6). Whatever the vehicle struck takes the same amount of damage. If this damage is less than the infernal war machine's damage threshold, the vehicle takes no damage from the crash.

Regardless of whether or not the infernal war machine takes damage, each creature inside the vehicle when it crashes must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet the vehicle moved since its last turn (maximum 20d6) or half as much on a successful save.

#### Crashing Into Creatures

An infernal war machine can crash into a creature by entering its space. The creature can use its reaction to attempt to get out of the vehicle's way, doing so and taking no damage with a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. If the saving throw fails, the vehicle slams into the creature and deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage to the creature for every 10 feet the vehicle moved since its last turn (maximum 20d6).

An infernal war machine that is at least two size categories bigger than the creature it crashed into can continue moving through the creature's space if the infernal war machine has any movement left. Otherwise, the vehicle comes to a sudden stop, and each creature on or inside the infernal war machine when it crashes must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet the vehicle moved since its last turn (maximum 20d6), or half as much damage on a successful save.

### Falling

When an infernal war machine goes over a cliff or otherwise falls, the vehicle and all creatures on or inside it take damage from the fall as normal (1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet fallen, maximum 20d6), or half as much damage on a successful save.

## Fiendish Equipment

Devils work tirelessly to create new and more powerful engines of war to stem the demonic tides flowing out of the Dread Abyss. In addition, infernal war machines can be equipped with more unusual weapons and armour. The following is a list of some of the more common variations of equipment used within infernal war machines.

### Alternative Weapon Stations

One weapon stations can be switched for another, but the infernal war machine can't have more weapon stations than it normally has. A handful of alternative weapon stations are described in this section.

#### Acidic Bile Sprayer

This hose weapon is attached to demonic organs that produce an acidic bile that dissolves flesh on contact.

**Acidic Bile Sprayer (Requires 1 Crew and Grants Half Cover, Recharge 5-6).** Acidic bile sprays from a nozzle in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 40 (9d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage is dissolved, leaving behind any objects it was carrying or wearing

#### Flamethrower

Although useless against demons, this weapon is great against flammable creatures and objects.

**Flamethrower (Requires 1 Crew and Grants Half Cover).** Fire shoots out of the weapon's nozzle in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being carried or worn.

#### Infernal Screamer

A writhing humanoid torso made of melting wax juts out from this station, with a barbed hand crank between its shoulder blades. The figure telepathically shrieks in agony when the crank is turned.

**Infernal Screamer (Requires 1 Crew and Grants Half Cover).** The screamer's operator targets one creature it can see within 120 feet of the screamer. The target must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, taking 26 (4d12) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

#### Styx Sprayer

This flexible hose is connected to a tank that holds 30 gallons of water from the River Styx. Each use of the weapon depletes 10 gallons of the water. Refilling the tank requires access to the Styx.

**Styx Sprayer (Requires 1 Crew and Grants Half Cover; 3 Uses).** Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30ft., one creature. Hit: The creature is struck by water from the River Styx and targeted by a *feeblemind* spell (save DC 20). An already feebleminded creature is immune to this effect, as is a creature adapted to the River Styx. If the target fails its saving throw and the spell's effect on it is not ended within 30 days, the effect becomes permanent, whereupon the creature loses all its memories and becomes a near-mindless shell of its former self. At that point, nothing short of divine intervention can undo the effect.

### Armour Upgrades

An infernal war machine can receive one armour upgrade. Sample upgrades are described below.

#### Hellfrost Armour

The infernal iron used to make the vehicle was reinforced with the infernal cryomancy of the sixth layer, the coldest layer of Infernus. An infernal war machine with Hellfrost armour has an Armour Class of 22 + its Dexterity modifier. While the vehicle is not moving, attack rolls made against it have advantage. The infernal war machine also has immunity to cold damage in addition to its other damage immunities, and it's immune to the effects of extreme cold.

#### Gilded Death Armour

Gold stolen or bartered from the archdevil Qaibun plates the vehicle's exterior. This gold can't be removed without destroying the vehicle and turns to dust when the infernal war machine drops to 0 hit points. Gilded death armour grants the infernal war machine resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

#### Soul Spike Armour

The vehicle is covered with spikes inscribed with blasphemous symbols. Luminous, ghostly figures impaled on these spikes wail and reach out in agony. If a creature that isn't a devil dies within 30 feet of the infernal war machine, its soul (if it has one) is torn from its body and joins the wailing throng impaled on the spikes. As long as its soul remains trapped, a creature can't be raised from the dead by any means. A trapped soul is freed if the vehicle is destroyed, if the spike anchoring it is the target of a *remove curse* spell or similar magic, or if the spike is destroyed. Each spike is a Small object with AC 19, 15 hit points, and resistance to all damage except radiant damage.

### Magical Gadgets

Devils like to bedeck their infernal war machines with fiendish gadgets to bedevil foes. Such gadgets are usually activated from the helm station.

#### Necrotic Smoke Screen

The vehicle's driver can activate this magical device as a bonus action, causing the vehicle to expel a 30-foot cube of opaque smoke directly in front of it or behind it. The cloud is stationary, and lasts for 1 minute. The area within is heavily obscured. Any creature that enters the cloud for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. A strong wind disperses the cloud. The device needs 24 hours to recharge before it can be used again.

#### Teleporter

The vehicle's driver can activate this magical device as a bonus action, causing the vehicle to teleport to an unoccupied space that the driver can see up to 300 feet away from the vehicle's current position. All creatures and objects in contact with the vehicle are teleported along with it. This device needs 24 hours to recharge before it can be used again.