Instant Fortress

[Tindragon]

Something about this seems too much overkill, and I am wondering if it's gamebreaking to allow an NPC wizard to have one that is loaded:

Instant Fortress
This metal cube is small, but when activated by speaking a command word it grows to form a tower 20 feet square and 30 feet high, with arrow slits on all sides and a crenellated battlement atop it. The metal walls extend 10 feet into the ground, rooting it to the spot and preventing it from being tipped over. The fortress has a small door that opens only at the command of the owner of the fortress—even knock spells can’t open the door.

The adamantine walls of instant fortress have 100 hit points and hardness 20. The fortress cannot be repaired except by a wish or a miracle, which restores 50 points of damage taken.

The fortress springs up in just 1 round, with the door facing the device’s owner. The door opens and closes instantly at his command. People and creatures nearby (except the owner) must be careful not to be caught by the fortress’s sudden growth. Anyone so caught takes 10d10 points of damage (Reflex DC 19 half).

The fortress is deactivated by speaking a command word (different from the one used to activate it). It cannot be deactivated unless it is empty.

Strong conjuration; CL 13th; Craft Wondrous Item, mage’s magnificent mansion; Price 55,000 gp.


So, if I want this to be his mobile laboratory, including his Clay Golem guardian inside, and his other gear, treasure etc... Is that really too much?

This guy, known as the 'Toy Maker' has all kinds of goodies, including a Huge Stone Golem, he keeps in a "Golem Closet" he crafted (portable hole, but bigger is all, takes a full round action to fold/unfold, and his big boy can come out and play then).
He's taken up with a dwarf clan, that lets him live in their caves, so long as he enchants stuff for them regularly, and they supply him with raw materials. He is all about the crafting feats, and will have plenty of toys to use against the party. The 2 golems of course, and wands scrolls, wondrous items, maybe a rod or 2...

[Tindragon]

I suppose he could just load the clay golem down with BoH with all the stuff, and use it like a mule. But that's no fun.

[Extra Anchovies]

As long as the item cost accommodates for the fact that it (probably) turns into an über-Bag of Holding, I don't see why this can't happen. You are the DM, you're allowed to make fiat items.

[Chronos]

Just remember that anything that the villain has, the PCs are probably going to end up with, one way or another.

[drack]

OK, it says empty, but you've probably got basic furnishings. Perhaps the golem chest is one of these furnishings, and after the tower's construction it was enchanted with the whole bag of holding bit. It's sort of like enchanting the wand chamber in your sword hilt to be a bag of holding. It won't influence the weapon or it's enchantments, any it just compacts the two. Mind you a GM may rule additive price for the item or base price of expensive item +1.5X price of cheaper item. Anywho, it lets you get away with it, especially as a nice GM who doesn't abuse fate. Still as a player it would be the sort of thing to ask a GM about first.

[P.F.]

You could probably give yourself some added leeway here because the item is based on magnificent mansion, which is itself a furnished extra-dimensional space (complete with food and servants!). The fact that the effect of a magnificent mansion is nothing like the effect of an instant fortress was apparently glossed over by the designers.

I interpret the rule as disallowing 1, using the fortress as a vault/oversized portable hole; and 2, using the fortress as a trap to crush your enemies. If your intention is to do neither, but to use it as a portable laboratory/wizard's tower/whatever, that's clearly better than the unfurnished version, but you could probably ad hoc an additional price, which compared to the expense of the tower, the golem, the lab, and all the other junk this NPC presumably has, shouldn't break the bank.

[Bronk]

I think this could do pretty much what you want without changing the fortress item, as long as the 'toy maker' guy just kept all of his items, craft room and spare golems in an enveloping pit or two. Then they could open the fortress, walk inside, toss the enveloping pits on the walls, and suddenly have a lot more room in there. Then he can take them down when he leaves.

If the toy maker just wants his golems, he can take them out of the pit instead.

[ericgrau]

A portable hole (10,000 gp) is often used as a portable lab. If you want something bigger then I'd scale the cost accordingly. Since this is more of a lab than something for battle, this seems like a better starting point than the fortress for pricing. For scaling look at the different bags of holding: About 8 times the size for 4 times the cost or 5 times the size for 3 times the cost or etc. If you want it to also function as a fortress, I'd add half the cost of the less costly ability to the total price since it is a related function. So if the portable lab portion costs more than 55k, for it to also be a fortress you add 27.5k to the total price (half of 55k). No I don't think it will be game breaking at these prices because there are already similar items that do the same things.

[Bronk]

A portable hole (10,000 gp) is often used as a portable lab. If you want something bigger then I'd scale the cost accordingly. Since this is more of a lab than something for battle, this seems like a better starting point than the fortress for pricing. For scaling look at the different bags of holding: About 8 times the size for 4 times the cost or 5 times the size for 3 times the cost or etc. If you want it to also function as a fortress, I'd add half the cost of the less costly ability to the total price since it is a related function. So if the portable lab portion costs more than 55k, for it to also be a fortress you add 27.5k to the total price (half of 55k). No I don't think it will be game breaking at these prices because there are already similar items that do the same things.

Enveloping pits are 10' wide, 50' deep and only cost 3,600g...

[ericgrau]

Enveloping pits are 10' wide, 50' deep and only cost 3,600g...

It figures MiC would have something better and cheaper than every item in the DMG. That's power creep for you. Just build a tower inside of that thing, yeah. Whatever the DM allows. Don't forget to be lawful neutral.

[drack]

It figures MiC would have something better and cheaper than every item in the DMG. That's power creep for you. Just build a tower inside of that thing, yeah. Whatever the DM allows. Don't forget to be lawful neutral.

Actually both the portable hole and bag of holding are from the DMG... :smallconfused:

[Bronk]

Actually both the portable hole and bag of holding are from the DMG... :smallconfused:

Not the enveloping pit though.

[drack]

Whoops, true, forgot about that one. :smallbiggrin:

[Bronk]

You know, there was a Forgotten Realms novel, Thornhold, that featured one of these. It was pre 3.5, and it was treated with the reverence of a major artifact, but it might be more what you are looking for.

In the book, it turns out that the one they have can shrink back down with items and people still inside. They do this to one of the bad guys in the story, let him out while the fortress is still small, and the guy comes out only a few inches tall! They say that he'll slowly regain his normal size over a few months. So, that version could keep thinks inside by shrinking everything down.

I think Jarlaxle used one in a recent Drizz't book too...

[Tindragon]

Just remember that anything that the villain has, the PCs are probably going to end up with, one way or another.


Of course, using the crafting rules


Other Considerations
Once you have a final cost figure, reduce that number if either of the following conditions applies:

Item Requires Skill to Use
Some items require a specific skill to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%.

Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use
Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the cost by 30%.

I allow for (players too, they have used this) restrictions, and cost benefits of Race, Class AND alignment (30% each), so all the toy makers toys, are based on his race, class alignment and ranks in a goofy skill he has. So yeah, they might get em, they won't be able to utilize them... Or the magic arms/armor of his allies... :smallamused:

[drack]

I allow for (players too, they have used this) restrictions, and cost benefits of Race, Class AND alignment (30% each), so all the toy makers toys, are based on his race, class alignment and ranks in a goofy skill he has. So yeah, they might get em, they won't be able to utilize them... Or the magic arms/armor of his allies... :smallamused:

You use that one too!? I used to use that one! :smallbiggrin: