Vehicles in 3.5

[Dragon Elite]

If you made a construct with:

1)Voice Commands
2)Movement and
3)A hole in a side
It could function as a vehicle, right?
This is a totally cheap method of moving, because you travel forever without tiring. Power gaming?

[PumpkinEater]

Uhh... you can just hitch a ride on any construct and it'd be the same thing. And constructs that are large enough to carry humans generally aren't cheap.

[Ashtagon]

Wouldn't a horse and cart be cheaper?

[Dragon Elite]

A construct can go day and night, at the same speed as a horse(And you're in style) True. Can constructs have wheels?

[DracoDei]

Juggernauts have wheels.
Also, constructs don't require food, water, or grooming, so those are some other pluses.

[Dragon Elite]

And imagine:
Riding on a construct made with flashy colors.
It would make a very flashy appearance AND carry stuff(read: loot)

[DracoDei]

You can do the same thing with a mount's plate-type barding...

[Etcetera]

Or you could use animate object and permanency on a cart. Or a metal, stone or even wooden statue/model. It wouldn't be so powerful. Cast animate object on a skateboard and see how that goes...

[AstralFire]

Ascended Apparatus of the Aquatic Animal

Apparati of the Crab? Ha! That shard of metal did not merely injure, brothers... no, it gave me, ARCHIDEN MAGGOVOS an open wound to the realm of dreams! And in that madness I have found the designs for my greatest creation yet! The gnomes will SEETHE with envy! - A crazy half-orc inventor.

This metallic vessel has the basic profile of an oversized teardrop on its side, and its exterior shines with the dull luster of adamantine. Three hatches on either side have been propped open, and thick, spidery legs of metal and soarwood extend from each. Two giant claws extend from the front of the vessel, their inner edges sharpened precisely. A glassteel window is built into the large end of the teardrop, and white light pours from two sunken tunnels at each side of the window - permanent daylight is enchanted onto crystals deep within, also providing some illumination inside. At the rear end, there is a continual sharp breeze - perhaps the lingering effects of the gust of wind spell that can be directed at will through the jets on either side of the flexible tail.

A DC 22 Disable Device check allows someone to find and undo the complex mechanisms that keep the door tight and secure; someone who has succeeded on the check once need not do so again. It takes a minute to open the hatch.

The apparatus has the following characteristics:

Huge Object
HP 240/20 Hardness
Spd 15 ft., swim 30 ft (good).
AC 23 (-2 size, +15 natural)
Atk +4 melee (3d8, 2 pincers), +14 grapple, +4 ranged (4d8 Force, Magic Torpedo)
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the object must hit with a pincer attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Inside, there are several well-labeled switches and controls. Unless otherwise indicated, each control requires a full-round action to utilize. No control can be used more than once a round.


TERRESTRIAL LOCOMOTION
- Move with legs.

AQUATIC LOCOMOTION
- Controls horizontal movement underwater.

HIGH SPEED TRANSIT
- When used underwater, increases swim speed by 90 ft, but attacks cannot be made until the round after this lever is switched off. Decreases maneuverability to clumsy.

PINCERS
- Controls the grappling pincer.

MAGIC TORPEDO
- Activates the Force Orb chamber.

EMERGENCY EXIT
- Pops open the hatch above immediately. Activating this control is a swift action.

BALLAST
- Controls vertical movement.

DYNAMIC LIGHTING
- Toggles the daylight headlamps.

Up to two Large creatures or four Medium or smaller creatures can utilize the controls at once, and the vessel can carry up to eight Medium creatures. The Ascended Apparatus can function in water up to 1000 feet deep. It can also go deeper if necessary, taking 2d8 points of damage per minute for every additional 100 feet it goes lower. Such pressure damage bypasses the vessel's hardness. Under such higher pressure conditions, the Apparatus will also immediately rupture if it takes in excess of 20 points of damage in a round.

The apparatus is so enchanted that it will never run out of fresh, breathable air - although the crew may be constrained by other supplies.

Moderate evocation and transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, daylight, gust of wind, orb of force, water breathing, creator must have 12 ranks in the Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Craft (Gadgetry), and Profession (Crazy Inventor) skills each.

[Etcetera]

Well, you've upped the ante slightly...
Creator must have 12 ranks in the Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Craft (Gadgetry), and Profession (Crazy Inventor) skills each.
Very specific though. Could you improve it by giving it wheels?

[Athaniar]

Doesn't some Monster Manual have a monster that's a living Giant Transport Crab?

[AstralFire]

Sure thing, I'd just have to take another look. That was something I made for an Eberron Campaign I DMed; never got around to pricing it. I have the stats for the airship laying about somewhere...

[Dragon Elite]

Astralfires answer: Yes
Nice creation.

[hamishspence]

Doesn't some Monster Manual have a monster that's a living Giant Transport Crab?


Yes: MM3: Siege Crab.

[Athaniar]

That's the one.

[Cieyrin]

Ascended Apparatus of the Aquatic Animal

Apparati of the Crab? Ha! That shard of metal did not merely injure, brothers... no, it gave me, ARCHIDEN MAGGOVOS an open wound to the realm of dreams! And in that madness I have found the designs for my greatest creation yet! The gnomes will SEETHE with envy! - A crazy half-orc inventor.

(SNIP!)


That's beautiful, Astral. Now, if we can get a Mech Jockey in one of those...

[Zuki]

That's beautiful, Astral. Now, if we can get a Mech Jockey in one of those...

I was in the party that got to use it.

We killed a debatably demi-god with high-speed aquatic chase, a well-placed Immovable Rod, and RAMMING SPEED!

And then the Apparatus was gonna explode so we had to take the goat with us, but not our dead comrade's body.

Man, this is my favorite gaming story.
:smallbiggrin:

[DracoDei]

Man, this is my favorite gaming story.
:smallbiggrin:
So where do you have further details posted?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Inspired, I am.

Maybe I'll make a template that allows siege-crab-like creatures to be made from anything...
Hm...
(digs out Stormwrack and the MMIII

Seige Beast
Siege beasts are magically augmented beast which has a compartment in it. All are a bit bigger than the original creature and have extra appendages.
This template was created by "reverse-engineering" from a Huge monstrous crab(Stormwrack) to a siege crab(MMIII).

Sample siege beast (dire wolf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/direWolf.htm))
Huge Animal
HD: 10d8+60 (105 hp)
Init: +0
Speed: 100 ft (20 squares)
AC: 22 (-2 size, +9 natural, +5 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 22
BaB/Grap: +7/+25
Attack: Bite +15 (2d6+15)
Full Attack: 2 Bites +15 (2d6+15)
S/R: 15/10
SA: Trample 1d8+15, Trip
SQ: DR 5/Adamantine, Force Hide, Internal Compartment, Low-light Vision, Scent
Saves: F+13, R+7, W+3
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Hide -4, Listen +5, Move Silently +4, Spot +5, Survival +5*
Feats: Alertness, Great CleaveB, Power AttackB, Run, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-30 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —


Creating a siege beast
"Siege beast" is a template that can be added to any corpereal creature (hereafter referred to as the base creature), but is rarely applied to creatures smaller than Large and almost never to ones that are Fine.
Size: A siege creature is one size category larger than the base creature.
HD: Between magical toughening and greater size, a siege beast has two-thirds more HD than the base creature (round up). For example, a seige pegasus (base creature 4 HD) has an extra (2/3 times 4) 2-2/3 HD, rounded up to 3, for a total of 7 HD. These extra hit dice give all of the usual benifets, includung feats and ability score increases.
Speed: A siege beast has been bred for speed. All of its speeds are doubled.
AC: A siege beast's natural armor bonus increases by +3, plus the bonus from size increase. See also force hide, under special qualities.
Attacks: Double the number of primary attacks the base creature has. If the base creature has no natural attacks, double its number of weapon-wielding appendages (e.g, arms).
Damage: Increase for size. A weapon-wielding siege creature can wield weapons of its new size.
Special Attacks: A siege creature gains the trample ability. Damage is the amount on the table below plus 1-1/2 times the siege creature's Strength bonus.
{table=head]New Size|Damage
Fine|n/a
Diminutive|1
Tiny|1d2
Small|1d3
Medium|1d4
Large|1d6
Huge|1d8
Gargantuan|2d6
Colossal|2d8
Colossal+|2d10[/table]
Special Qualities: A siege creature gains the following special quarities.
Damage Reduction: A siege creature may have damage reduction; see the table below.
Force Hide (SU): A siege creature has runes inscribed on its hide or scales or shell or whatever. These project a field of force around the creature. These provide a deflection bonus to AC equal to half of its current HD (round down), a resistance bonus to all saving throws (see table below), and immunity to magic missiles amd similar effects. Anyone in the siege beast's shielded compartment also gains these bonuses. Obviously, the force hide provides these benifets against incorpereal creatures, too.
The force hide is effectivly a magic item; a dispel magic can supress it for 1d4 rounds, and a Mordenkainen's disjunction can destroy it.
Shielded Compartment (EX): Much of the interior tissue or material of a siege creature has been replaced with a sealed compartment. It has enough space for one creature two size categories smaller to stand in (e.g, a Small siege creature would have a roughly 1-ft cubed compartment, sufficient for protection of a wizard's toad).Blah blah blah. More detail later.
{table=head]HD|DR|Saving throw bonus
0-5|-|+2
6-10|5/adamantine|+4
11-15|5/adamantine|+6
16-20|5/adamantine|+8
21-25|5/adamantine|+10[/table]
etc
Abilities: As size increase, plus: Str -4, Dex -2, Con +2, Wis -2; Replacing a creatures flesh with an internal compartment is not good for strength, agility, or sanity; but a creature made partially of metal is tougher.
Feats: A siege beast gains Power Attack and Great Cleave as bonus feats.
CR: +7?
LA: +?

[DracoDei]

I suspect the deflection bonus MIGHT get too high if you applied this template to a Gargantuan or Colossal creature, but I am not sure.

Most creatures this would be applied to would have a PENALTY to AC for size, so doubling their bonus would be kinda pointless.
What type of action is it on the creature and/or passenger's part to enter or leave the compartment...

You realize of course, that the smaller fae don't need to modify anything... they just use kangaroos and dire possums (hmmm... may have to ask Bhu to stat out dire possums...).

[GreatWyrmGold]

(1)I suspect the deflection bonus MIGHT get too high if you applied this template to a Gargantuan or Colossal creature, but I am not sure.

(2)Most creatures this would be applied to would have a PENALTY to AC for size, so doubling their bonus would be kinda pointless.
(3)What type of action is it on the creature and/or passenger's part to enter or leave the compartment...

(4)You realize of course, that the smaller fey don't need to modify anything... they just use kangaroos and dire possums (hmmm... may have to ask Bhu to stat out dire possums...).

1.) It dpends on HD, not size. Those two go together but are not the same.
2.) Er...Which bonus?
3.) I'll put that in...er...well, eventually. That's lacking from the Siege Crab entry, so I'll have to figure it out...
4.) Yes, I realise it.

[Strawman]

I'm all in favor of anything that provides a smooth transistion in D&D from medieval to steampunk. Or coexsistence of the two.

Construct rides and horses side by side.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm all in favor of anything that provides a smooth transistion in D&D from medieval to steampunk. Or coexsistence of the two.

Construct rides and horses side by side.

How about D&D to mod (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116841)ern times? I can see permanent Walls of Fire powering power plants...cars that run by permanent Animate Object-ing the wheels...Ah, magic and tech!

[Odentin]

Stone Horse + Stagecoach?

[Cieyrin]

How about D&D to mod (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116841)ern times? I can see permanent Walls of Fire powering power plants...cars that run by permanent Animate Object-ing the wheels...Ah, magic and tech!

Why a Wall of Fire? Open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire and keep stuff going in style, just have to worry about the occasional planar incursion, which shouldn't be that big an issue, considering a portal doesn't have to be that big, so you'd be dealing w/ mephits and the occasional malnourished azer.

[Strawman]

Or make a clockpunk setting that takes place in a world made entirely of clockwork. No need to ride constructs, the streets are part of one. You can ride a rotating gear to work.

[DracoDei]

1.) It dpends on HD, not size. Those two go together but are not the same.
I am aware of that, just using a shorthand.

2.) Er...Which bonus?
Sorry, never mind.


3.) I'll put that in...er...well, eventually. That's lacking from the Siege Crab entry, so I'll have to figure it out...
Ok


4.) Yes, I realise it.
:smallbiggrin:

[braingamer47]

Warforged artificer with craft construct works very well. You can also repair your construct cheaply and effectively.

The shield guardian (there is a 3.5 conversion down-loadable from wizards) works rather well with boots of speed.

[imp_fireball]

Just imagine all the other benefits of having modern elements in a 3.5 game.

Like say, a cleric that worships wiccanism. Or the over deity of videogames (chaos leaning aligned). :smallbiggrin:


Warforged artificer with craft construct works very well. You can also repair your construct cheaply and effectively.

Could they also repair themselves?

[Thatguyoverther]

Just imagine all the other benefits of having modern elements in a 3.5 game.

Like say, a cleric that worships wiccanism. Or the over deity of videogames (chaos leaning aligned). :smallbiggrin:


I'm about to DM a game like now. We've got a satanic Heavy Metal Bard, a florist turned Druid, and all sorts of other awesomeness. Almost had a cleric of Dio, but we dodged the bullet on that one.