The Floating War Machine

[assafelron]

Reading Damon_Tor's post: "The most powerful melee weapon in D&D 5e is... The Rowboat", I remembered a tactic I always wanted to implement but never did (the past few years I'm mostly theory-crafting on my own rather than playing due to practical limitations).

I really love rituals, and I always felt their battle uses are grossly underestimated.

My favorite one, due to it's possible introduction of a whole new mechanic to your combat is TENSER'S FLOATING DISK.
People think of this spell as a spell for mere carrying, but the truth of the matter is it's a spell that allows you to assert 500lb worth of force each turn by your movement alone.

I don't have a good name for this tactic, but I'll call it for the moment: The Floating War Machine:

I'll leave the specific build of this War machine to your imagination, but i'll describe a few of my basic features:
1. It's bottom is attached to metal chains which allows it to be attached to the disk and float after you as you move.
2. A few pointy metal poles are pointed from each of it's 4 directions
3. It should be able to provide some sort of cover or at least concealment when hiding behind it, whether with wood or cloth.
4. It should either be built with ingredients you can carry yourself, ones that can fit in your bag of holding\portable hole, or be built with a cart (200lb) as a basis thus you can move it easily while the ritual is inactive (possibly with a way to quickly remove its wheels when necessary).

What you do with a Floating War Machine:
1. You use your movement to direct a 500lb worth of force attached to pointy metal poles into your enemies.
2. You maneuver your mobile cover to an area useful to you\your allies.

Extras:
1. Imagine yourself riding a phantom steed (another awesome ritual) at the speed of 100\200 per round while using your floating war Machine.
2. An alternative war machine is small Balista with simple levers controlled by an unseen servant. The disk can either pull the Balista itself pointing it to the exact direction you are facing, or pull the spring of the Balista controlled by switched levers. The servant loads 40lb arrows in it and shots the Balista on command the moment you fall to the ground (so the arrow shots above you).

There are many complications, and I'm sure many possible improvements \ alternative tactics,
How would you build your War Machine?

[Wildarm]

Well, it could follow you but reading the spell it sounds like it automatically tries to avoid obstacles so it's difficult to force a spear attached to it into an enemy. Could try with really long poles perhaps?

The movement is kinda awkward as you have to be 20' away for the disk to start moving so you need the enemy to be between you and the disk to poke them.

Having a mobile 3/4 cover platform that can follow you around is kinda neat. I imagine some sort of 3 sided metal box with arrow slits. Directionality of the disk/open side and line of sight might be a problem. The disk can't be rotated from the spell description. The disk itself is also only 3' wide so it may also have problems with someone tipping it off the disk(with you inside!).

Another idea would be to place some hazard on the disk such as a big hot fire and move it around to bump and burn enemies. Disk can't move into an occupied space though which means your hazard has to affect adjacent squares.

Are there any spells that maintain a line of effect to an object and damage creatures caught in between?

Keg of smokepowder on the disk. Move to get the keg adjacent to the monsters(and you safely 20' away). Firebolt the keg.

[assafelron]

Well, it could follow you but reading the spell it sounds like it automatically tries to avoid obstacles so it's difficult to force a spear attached to it into an enemy. Could try with really long poles perhaps?
Yeah, that's how I imagined that.


The movement is kinda awkward as you have to be 20' away for the disk to start moving so you need the enemy to be between you and the disk to poke them.
Yeah, its not simple, but not completely impractical, given its not wasting any resources I think it can be worth it.


Having a mobile 3/4 cover platform that can follow you around is kinda neat. I imagine some sort of 3 sided metal box with arrow slits. Directionality of the disk/open side and line of sight might be a problem. The disk can't be rotated from the spell description. The disk itself is also only 3' wide so it may also have problems with someone tipping it off the disk(with you inside!).
I like it. Yeah, tipping it can be a problem, also if somehow due to someone putting pressure on it it carries more than 500lb the spell ends. A possible solution for it is sort of pointy legs pointed downwards that stick into the ground when the apparatus is tilted, thus it doesn't tip and also the disk won;t carried the added weight.


Another idea would be to place some hazard on the disk such as a big hot fire and move it around to bump and burn enemies. Disk can't move into an occupied space though which means your hazard has to affect adjacent squares. Keg of smokepowder on the disk. Move to get the keg adjacent to the monsters(and you safely 20' away). Firebolt the keg
That's awesome.


Are there any spells that maintain a line of effect to an object and damage creatures caught in between?
Not sure I understand what sort of spell you are looking for

[cullynthedwarf]

Are there any spells that maintain a line of effect to an object and damage creatures caught in between?

Lighting Bolt.

In a similar vane since it goes 120 ft regardless ask you DM if you can invent a lightning rod tower. Something to aim for and the have your bolt make a 90 turn and finish out its course.

Just a thought