Aparattus of Kwalish (crab)

[Vhaidara]

So a friend of mine had an idea to make this infamous item amazing. 2 vampires pool their money (at will gaze dominate makes bank), buy the AoK, and have their coffins installed. Now they live in it. We now have a pair of immortal vamps in a giant enemy crabbot crab robot thing that protects them from sunlight.

Failing coffin installation, make one out of the coffins.

My addition was make the AoK intelligent and give it Repair spells and Mending for self-repair.

Opinions/other funny uses for this classic magic item?

[unseenmage]

I was always curious if there were other shapes for the Apparatus-bot. Is there an Apparatus of the Wolf? Apparatus of the Moth?

While we're at it why not Figurine of Wondrous Power: Apparatus of the Crab?

[Wiwaxia]

Y'know, I've never been able to see the Apparatus as anything other than the eurypterid strutter from Dinotopia.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Eiwce13X738/SI2oku9vpjI/AAAAAAAADWg/bY1DbPCUNMg/s1600/CrabbsStrutterLOASA.vsm.w.jpg
http://bp0.blogger.com/_Eiwce13X738/SI2okrMzZ4I/AAAAAAAADWY/3RsxU3U1Pt8/s400/Strutter1.vsm.jpg

[iceman10058]

i think that if it does look like that, then i need one

[CrazyYanmega]

Y'know, I've never been able to see the Apparatus as anything other than the eurypterid strutter from Dinotopia.

I thought I was the only one! Anyway, I think installing 1 coffin per Crab would be the limit. Also, I think the construct should stay unintelligent, as making it intelligent would give it a possibility of rebelling, and I think constructs are immune to mind affecting effects.

[hymer]

Just working off memory here, but it sounds risky. When clobbered, a vampire turns gaseous and must return to coffin, right? And if unable to do that within a specified time, you've killed the thing, IIRC. But the AoK is suited to underwater operations, making it airtight, meaning you can't get into it while in gaseous form. At least not without help.

[Brookshw]

A) I like it

B) We all live in a yellow submarine apparatus of kwalish

[Vhaidara]

I thought I was the only one! Anyway, I think installing 1 coffin per Crab would be the limit. Also, I think the construct should stay unintelligent, as making it intelligent would give it a possibility of rebelling, and I think constructs are immune to mind affecting effects.

I would say otherwise based off of:
1. A coffin fits 1 person
2. An AoK fits 2 people.

As far as intelligence, there must be a way around that.


Just working off memory here, but it sounds risky. When clobbered, a vampire turns gaseous and must return to coffin, right? And if unable to do that within a specified time, you've killed the thing, IIRC. But the AoK is suited to underwater operations, making it airtight, meaning you can't get into it while in gaseous form. At least not without help.

Why would they leave? Just have one be a cleric with Restoration and the other one is a Wizard with a familiar. Blood drain and energy drain the familiar and restore it to health.

[Incorrect]

Have a small hole made in a way that allows gasses but not sunlight (a very tiny labyrinth). This should be the main way of entering or exiting. The hatch is only for goods/cargo.
You could make a hatch for the labyrinth as well, for complete isolation.

Make a Huge version?

[hymer]

Why would they leave?

Especially being spellcasters, leaving the nearly defenceless piece of junk that the AoK is would be the obvious thing to do. If you want to do almost anything at all, you'd have to leave.


Have a small hole made in a way that allows gasses but not sunlight (a very tiny labyrinth). This should be the main way of entering or exiting.

I guess you don't want to go underwater exploring, then. :smallwink:

[Segev]

I guess you don't want to go underwater exploring, then. :smallwink:

Vampires don't need to breathe, and the apparatus would keep the water inside still (not running). They'd be fine. If soggy.

[Incorrect]

I guess you don't want to go underwater exploring, then. :smallwink:
Undead.
You might want to seal it and fill it with poison gas though.
I do agree that in order to be combat effective, they would have to exit first. But it is a nice transport.

[Vhaidara]

Why can't they cast from inside? Especially if it is sentient, it's like a mount. Maybe give it levels in Crusader for Thicket of Blades and such.

Also, since what we think it looks like came up, I always imagined a barrel. That grows legs.

[Segev]

Why can't they cast from inside?

They still need line of effect, and I think being inside an object blocks that.

[hymer]

Undead.

Oh, right. Silly me. Still, it reminds me that water and gaseous form goes together horribly. And I'm not sure the coffins would hold up so well if they get flooded regularly.


Especially if it is sentient, it's like a mount.

Well, it isn't sentient. And as has been pointed out, you ride around inside it, not on top of it. The controls are inside.

[Vhaidara]

They still need line of effect, and I think being inside an object blocks that.

I'm sure 2 casters who can afford this thing have ways around that (install 2 way tinted mirrors, scry the outside, etc)


Well, it isn't sentient. And as has been pointed out, you ride around inside it, not on top of it. The controls are inside.

Part of my idea is to make it sentient to handle self-repairs. I'm sure there are ways to ensure loyalty.

As far as being inside it, there are rules for vehicles. And there are rules for using a Gelatinous Cube as a mount, from the inside. You do not have to be on top of a mount.

[unseenmage]

...

As far as being inside it, there are rules for vehicles. And there are rules for using a Gelatinous Cube as a mount, from the inside. You do not have to be on top of a mount.

Yeah, but you will need line of effect for a whole slew of your offensive spells.

[Yuki Akuma]

I'm sure 2 casters who can afford this thing have ways around that (install 2 way tinted mirrors, scry the outside, etc)


Neither of those things grant line of effect. Line of effect is a straight line drawn from your square to the target square - if there are any obstructions, you don't have line of effect.

[Vizzerdrix]

If I remember correctly, an Effigy siege crab costs less than the AoK.

[CrazyYanmega]

I would say otherwise based off of:
1. A coffin fits 1 person
2. An AoK fits 2 people.

As far as intelligence, there must be a way around that.

A coffin tends to be bigger, bulkier, and stiffer than your average stiff. For an example, take your average city bus. One of those seats fits 2 people. However, do you think you could fit a coffin in there, let alone two, without some special installation?

[Flickerdart]

I would say otherwise based off of:
1. A coffin fits 1 person
2. An AoK fits 2 people.
A coffin, like any container, must by necessity be larger than the object which it is to enclose. It is also not flexible. Space is at a premium inside a submarine, and these two factors doom the idea of fitting 2 coffins inside (or even really 1 coffin and 1 operator, barring some weird setup).