Industry is Magic: Animate Object Engine

[Darkweave31]

So I've been trying to come up with interesting fun uses of D&D magic to spark an industrial revolution in New Cyre. I've seen older threads about steam engines using decanters of endless water and whatnot, but it just dawned upon me... why do all the work of creating steam when you could instead just animate the factory!

So the basic premise is to use animate object combined with permanency to animate large stationary wheels and harness the rotational energy directly from there rather than needing steam...

How would you all refine and apply this? How does it compare to the steam engines previously explored?

[Yogibear41]

If you just animated a wheel, it wouldn't have any means to turn itself, you would probably be better off just creating a normal "mouse wheel" if you will then sticking something a construct or even unintelligent undead (probably better off with the construct as they generally don't try to eat people) and command it to walk to generate power. Granted the rules say they never get tired, but over time their bodies would break down(not to mention the mouse wheel needing repairs) but this should be easily fixed by a few mendings/make wholes/repair light damage, which should be easily achieved by someone with the means to actually create the constructs in the first place.

One foreseabble problem is that if you tell a mindless construct to just "walk" and something happens and the wheel breaks or it gets off, there is a good chance it could "walk" right off, or worst case scenario go crashing through your factory causing damage just because it was "walking" so you should be careful in your instructions and put up safeguards just in case something goes wrong too. If you turn this into a reasonably profitable factory it would probably be worth hiring a 1st level expert or someone to just hang out and keep an eye on things just in case.


Although you could probably just set up a water wheel in a river nearby and create a similar amount of energy.

[JeminiZero]

Actually, the default method for setting up a magical factory involves using fabricate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fabricate.htm) to just transform raw materials to finished goods.

Since there is a craft check, you stick it on a command word item and then rent it out. Craftsmen will come in with their raw materials, use the item, walk out with the finished goods, and pay you a fee.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, animating a Gargantuan object is possible pre epic. As the cost of permenancy is set, that is the best bang for your buck. It would be best to create a four legged statue and animate that though, as it would then have the bonus to load, meaning more ability to pull the wheel.

It could, taking 10 on strength checks, make a DC17 strength check every round. That is not really useful, as there are other things that can do better in a smaller package.

It could pull or drag (and I think turning a crank as a drag action) 42000lbs, or 21 short tons. Not a bad amount.

I see these being used more as train engines than something used for strength checks.