Wheel Scythe — Bladed Hubs for War Chariots
At a Glance
- Type
- Bladed wheel-hub attachment for chariots, carts and war wagons
- Construction
- Forged, outward-facing curved blades fitted to reinforced hubs
- Price
- 75 gp per permanently bladed wheel or 150 gp with removable blades
- Purpose
- Wounding enemies who stand close to a fast passing vehicle
- Weaknesses
- Exposed wheels, obstacles, broken axles and difficulty manoeuvring near allies
The chariot passes the gate at full speed, blades whirring from the iron-rimmed wheels. Footmen scatter from its path, but the captain sees too late that the gate’s narrow passage leaves no room to turn. If he presses onward, the blades may strike his own escort; if he pulls aside, the left wheel may shatter against the stone.
A wheel scythe is an aggressive fitting built around a broadened hub. Long curved blades extend outward on either side of the wheel, sweeping a dangerous path wherever the vehicle passes. It offers no reliable defence and makes a chariot harder to manoeuvre on crowded roads. In 1454, a ruler who commissions these weapons equips a carriage for battle rather than comfortable passage.
Forged Blades and Reinforced Wheels
The blades are forged in a shallow curve, allowing the moving rim to cut along its path. The hub, spokes and axle have to withstand an additional shock whenever a blade strikes armour, timber or stone. A lightly built cart may lose its wheel before it harms a well-protected enemy.
Permanent fitting. Fixed scythes project from the wheel whenever the vehicle moves. They cannot safely be used in a busy street or inside a narrow gate, where a projecting edge can strike a pedestrian, horse or building.
Removable fitting. A smith can provide detachable blades locked by heavy pins. Fitting or removing them takes two minutes and suitable tools. A detached blade lacks a safe grip and is not a usable hand weapon.
During a charge. The driver needs a clear course along the enemy’s side. A sharp turn may present the wheel at the wrong angle or cause it to dig into the ground. Guards riding near the scythed side are as much at risk as the opponent.
War and the Road
Wheel scythes suit a sudden rush against unprepared infantry, but they are less useful in streets, forests and on steep mountain tracks. The exposed blades can snag rubble, fences or stones. After a battle the crew checks the hub for fractures, strips blood and mud from the blades and replaces bent fastenings before travelling again.
The Procession of Blades. A noble insists that a scythed war carriage lead a diplomatic procession through a crowded market. One wheel is damaged, and the driver quietly asks the characters to find the person who weakened the hub before the city’s gates are opened.
The Road of Broken Axles. Three abandoned war carts lie at the edge of an old battlefield, their scythes intact and their wheels still turning. Villagers say that anyone who tries to remove the blades hears an army approaching from an empty road.
Wheel Scythe — Equipment Rules
Wheel Scythe — D&D 2024
Weapon Fitting (custom vehicle equipment). A wheel scythe is an attachment, not a vehicle with its own speed, crew, hit points or ramming statistic. The published Chariot is 250 GP and 100 lb.; this fitting is purchased separately.
| Permanent scythe | 75 GP per wheel (setting) |
|---|---|
| Removable scythe | 150 GP per wheel (setting) |
| Installation or removal | 2 minutes with tools (removable type) |
| Attack condition | Vehicle must move at least 20 ft. and pass within 5 ft. of the target |
Passing Blade (custom action). The driver uses an action as the equipped wheel passes the target and makes a melee attack roll of +5; on a hit the blades deal 7 (2d6) Slashing damage, plus 1d4 if the vehicle has moved at least 30 feet this turn. A Large or smaller target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or gain the Prone condition. No more than one Passing Blade attack can be made against a target each round, and no free extra attack is granted for having two equipped axles.
Damage. A damaged wheel may stop the vehicle even when the weapon blades are intact. Use the edition’s object and land-vehicle rules for broken axles and hazardous collisions. These special effects are a playable setting conversion, not printed official D&D weapon statistics.
Official framework: D&D 2024 Basic Rules — Drawn Vehicles.
Wheel Scythe — D&D 2014
Custom vehicle weapon attachment. The official 2014 Chariot costs 250 gp and weighs 100 lb.; scythed wheels are additional equipment, not a listed universal siege engine.
| Permanent fitting | 75 gp per wheel (setting) |
|---|---|
| Removable fitting | 150 gp per wheel (setting) |
| Remove or install blades | 2 minutes with suitable tools |
| Passing attack | One attack action when moving adjacent to a target |
Scythe Strike. After at least 20 feet of movement, the driver uses an action to make a +5 melee weapon attack against one creature within five feet of the fitted side. A hit deals 2d6 slashing damage; if the vehicle has moved at least 30 feet add 1d4 slashing damage. A creature Large or smaller must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone. One strike per target per round is allowed, regardless of how many scythed axles the vehicle carries.
Collision and breakage. The attack does not replace the normal rules for the vehicle actually ramming a wall or another conveyance. Wheel, axle and blades can be targeted as objects. These actions are custom mechanics for this attachment.
Official framework: D&D 2014 Basic Rules — Combat, Equipment and Objects.
Wheel Scythe — Pathfinder 1e
Scythed Wheel (custom vehicle weapon fitting). It is not an independently driven vehicle and does not receive a separate vehicle AC, CMB, CMD or ram attack. A fitted vehicle keeps its own printed vehicle statistics.
| Permanent blades | 75 gp per wheel (setting) |
|---|---|
| Removable blades | 150 gp per wheel (setting) |
| Installation | 2 minutes with tools |
| Attack | Driver’s base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier − 4 |
| Damage | 2d6 slashing + 1d3 per full 10 ft. of vehicle speed beyond the first 10 ft. |
| Critical | 20/×3 |
Scythe pass (setting rule). When the fitted side passes within five feet of a creature during a move of at least 20 feet, the driver uses a standard action to make one scythe attack. A hit forces a Large or smaller creature to make a DC 15 Reflex save or fall prone. An equipped second axle can attempt a second attack at an additional −8 penalty during the same pass against a still-standing target. If the first attack knocks it prone, the second axle’s blades pass above it without another hit. No separate attack is made against a creature beyond the blades’ reach.
Driving. Use the actual vehicle’s propulsion, driver check, turns and collision rules. This is an explicit conversion of a third-party 3.5e weapon, not a printed Pathfinder weapon.
Official vehicle baseline: Pathfinder Ultimate Combat — Vehicle Attacks.
Wheel Scythe — D&D 3.5e
Third-party vehicle fitting, Ultimate Equipment Guide II (Mongoose Publishing, 2005).
| Fixed blades | 75 gp per wheel |
|---|---|
| Removable blades | 150 gp per wheel |
| Blade installation/removal | 2 minutes with suitable tools |
| Attack | Ride-by pass at −4 to the attack roll |
| Damage | 2d6 + 1d3 per complete 10 ft. of movement speed beyond 10 ft. |
| Critical | 20/×3 |
| Knockdown | Reflex DC 15 or prone, Large or smaller creatures only |
Ride-by scythe. The driver brings the fitted wheel close enough to strike on a passing movement. The supplement treats this as a special vehicle Ride-By Attack at −4. A chariot moving at speed 30 deals 2d6+2d3 when it hits. In a two-axle vehicle equipped front and rear, the driver may attempt a second attack at −8 for the rear axle; a target already knocked prone is not affected by the second pass.
Limits. A removed wheel blade is not a wieldable hand weapon. Turning, movement and damaging the underlying vehicle use ordinary 3.5e rules and the chosen vehicle’s specifications; these special scythe rules do not create an independent vehicle stat block.
Original source: Greg Lynch and J. C. Alvarez, Ultimate Equipment Guide II (Mongoose Publishing, 2005). Core reference: D&D 3.5e — Transport.
Related Vehicles and Sources
Fit scythes to a Chariot, Heavy Chariot or Carriage. For hazardous ground compare Spiked Wheels. Return to the Vehicles catalogue.
Original wheel design, prices and 3.5e attack values: Greg Lynch and J. C. Alvarez, Ultimate Equipment Guide II, Mongoose Publishing, 2005. The other three editions are explicitly identified setting conversions. The previous late-nineteenth-century painting of an ancient battle has been removed pending artwork showing the actual wheel fitting.
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