[3.5] 101 uses for an orbital satellite

[jiriku]

So, in my Tippyesque quest for more wizardly power, I've come to the conclusion that by teleporting a thousand miles straight up, then activating an immovable rod, then building a small location atop the rod, I can construct a satellite that is effectively locked in geosynchrynous orbit with any location of my preference. I'm trying to think up uses for this satellite.

1) Augmented with magical protections from detection, a secret location to store valuables/prisoners/etc.

2) conjure massive lead missiles and drop them on targets below as kinetic energy weapons.

3) Use the satellite as a rest point/waystation en route to the moon, where I will construct my Evil Genius Secret Moon Base (TM).

4) ???

5) Profit

So, umm, obviously I need more uses for my satellite. Any suggestions?

[Tyndmyr]

With the aid of a long wire, ridiculous amounts of power via lightening. Now, I have no idea what crazed scheme this is good for, but insane quantities of power are always useful.

[Blackfang108]

Drop onto a Vampire's Argentinian Villa.

[Mooch]

if this is in tippyverse or teleportation is common that would be a great spot for a restaurant

edit: to the above; nice idea hoss

[t_catt11]

When you teleport, make sure that you have some sort of ward against vacuum... don't let your GM chortle in glee as your eyes bug out of your head during your (senseless) death.

[Mr. Mud]

Open a sky space jumping company .

But realistically, I imagine it could serve as a pretty nice jail cell.

Sure they could escape, but if they do, they plummet 1000 miles to their death. That's on average, 1.5 million damage points if my math is correct (it probably isn't)

[Blackfang108]

if this is in tippyverse or teleportation is common that would be a great spot for a restaurant

edit: to the above; nice idea hoss

It should be the first idea ANY Wizard worth his bathrobe has.

[Bayar]

Hey, if you are trying to bring real scientific stuff into the discussion, here is what happens:

ITT: When GM's go so bad it turns back into good.

A while ago I got my hands on an Immovable Rod. I placed it in the air and told it to stay. The GM asks whether i'm stading to the east or west fo the rod. I say west. The GM states that I die. The rod shot forward at the same speed the earth revolves around the sun, as the rod is stuck in a universal stillpoint and the earth moved away from under it. The rod also cut its way through a large area of woods before being ejected into space.

Later we used this trick to destory a castle.

[Suzuro]

If an immovable rod is activated it is not geosynchronous orbit. The orbit has to be about a Lagrange point to do that, meaning that it rotates at the exact same speed as the planet. If the object isn't moving, it seems to constantly move in the sky, making it more similar to a N.E.O (Near Earth Orbit).

Now that the science stuff is out of the way (I'm a big space nerd), I'd say fins some way to make a magic lazer and put it there.


-Suzuro

[Random832]

If an immovable rod is activated it is not geosynchronous orbit. The orbit has to be about a Lagrange point to do that, meaning that it rotates at the exact same speed as the planet. If the object isn't moving, it seems to constantly move in the sky, making it more similar to a N.E.O (Near Earth Orbit).

Unless you define what an immovable rod does as fixing something relative to the ground (in which case it would _not_ seem to constantly move in the sky; and this interpretation has the advantage of not making the immovable rod completely useless for any of the things it's shown doing in the books)

I have no idea what Lagrange points have to do with anything.

[Bayar]

When the button is pressed, the rod stays in place even if it would defy the laws of gravity.

As per RAW, the rod will sit in a specific point in space, while the universe keeps moving.

RAI is obvious though...

Edit: Something like this:

[OMG PONIES]

Please tell me that, once we open this restaurant, we will be using our wizardly powers to destroy the Universe, shield ourselves from the blast in some crazy Genesis'd demiplane, and rewinding the whole event every night with a hefty cover charge.

[Mooch]

well naturally that the first thing that comes to mind, but serving tasty snacks and beer would work as well

[The Gilded Duke]

Use it with the Roofjumper tactical feat to rain down raptoran death.

[Random832]

As per RAW, the rod will sit in a specific point in space, while the universe keeps moving.

RAW does not specify a frame of reference, and there is no privileged frame of reference to pick as a default. That means we only have RAI (which says, roughly, "relative to the ground") by which to select one.

[Radiun]

I think RAW presumes medieval wizards didn't journey to space very often.

[Random832]

I think RAW presumes medieval wizards didn't journey to space very often.

My point is simply that any way you look at it, "you hit the immovable rod and are pulled away from it at 900 mph as it remains stationary and the earth rotates you away" is not RAW and there is no way to justify it as being RAW.

[Johel]

Mmmh...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...m#immovableRod
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environmen...fallingObjects
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems....htm#ringGates
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...m#bagofHolding

Yep, just that :

You are at an altitude of a few thousands meters, still low enough to breath or at least low enough not to froze and then burst in the vacuum. You have a Immovable Rod, a Ring Gate and a Bag of Holding, Type III, full of 1lb balls of an really dense metal.

Your assistant, in your lair, has also several similar bags, as well as the 2nd Ring Gate.

Choose a target (city, preferably) and stand over with the rod. Contact the leader of the majestic city and ask for money/power/women/cookies.
If he says "**** You"... EMPTY THE BAG, ALL THE BALLS AT ONCE !!
1.000 projectiles that, on impact, will each inflict 20d6 to anything they fall on should be enough to pierce through stone, steel or anything, actually.
Contact the leader of the (formerly) majestic city and ask for money/power/women/cookies. If you aimed with a rough accuracy, he should say "Yes".

If the King says "No" again, push the empty bag through the Ring Gate. Your assistant will hand you over another full bag.

If the King says "Yes",... well, that's not funny but you have to make a living out of this, somehow. Get to him the next day, push the gold through the Ring Gate and get back to work.

To travel between targets, cast Phantom Steed (CL14) or, if unavailable at that CL, Overland Fly (CL9) or, once you've circled the planet a few times, Teleport (CL9).

To rest, cast Rope Trick, tie the rope to the rod and sleep. That way, you stay up and are ready for tomorrow morning's orbital bombardment.

To get food, cloths or anything else, since the Ring Gates can transfer up to 100lb of material, you can still change bag AND get an instant delivery of 30lb/day.

[Occasional Sage]

So um, what if the planet doesn't rotate? Or space isn't a vacuum at all? Do Spelljammers exist in your game world, making your Secret Lair pirateable? Is gravity really the same, on such a large scale, as it is for us?

Just sayin', you're in a fantasy world. Do your homework!

[Yukitsu]

Epic spells fired at your enemies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9u-M...eature=related

[Mad Wizard]

I made an orbital strike satellite once... it's linked in my sig. The errata ruined it.

[jiriku]

So um, what if the planet doesn't rotate? Or space isn't a vacuum at all? Do Spelljammers exist in your game world, making your Secret Lair pirateable? Is gravity really the same, on such a large scale, as it is for us?

Just sayin', you're in a fantasy world. Do your homework!

The setting is Ancient Earth. Standard physics is assumed. Necklace of adaptation required at that altitude. I know that technically I am not in geosync, but practically speaking I am: I remain above a fixed point on the Earth, even as it rotates. If I teleport quite a bit higher, I can achieve true geosync, in which case I wouldn't need the immovable rod to maintain orbit any more, but I don't think I could come up with any in-character way to know that.

I rather like the idea of a restaurant. And also a prison. Perhaps a restaurant that serves prisoners.

[Johel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9u-M...eature=related

Oh, for that, there are no-epic ways and without real world physics.
Of course, you'd need two auto reset magical traps, Wings of Flying, a pair of Ring Gates and a henchman you know well and can trust (aka Dominate Person).

1. Build a Magical Trap : Teleport Object (CL13).
2. Build a Magical Trap : Major Creation (CL9).
3. Send your henchman out, with the Wings of Flying. He must locate your target. The target must preferably a city or something big and must be within a radius of 1.300 miles from the trap.
4. The henchman rests for the night, close to the target and contacts you by putting his head through the Ring Gate and yelling. Alternatively, he can also put a written message or anything similar.
5. The henchman takes off and must reach an altitude of about 1.400 feet above the target. (70ft x 20 fall increments)
6. The henchman contacts you by putting his head through the Ring Gate and yelling. Alternatively, he can also put a written message or anything similar.
7. Cast Scrying, Greater to make sure the henchman is in position. Study the place for about 1 hour.
8. Start the traps. The Teleport Object trap must be locked on the henchman's position. The Major Creation trap must churn out lead balls of 1lb or more.
9. Each object will inflict 20d6 damage upon impact. Keep the dumping until you are happy with the supposed result. Then switch the traps off.

[Yukitsu]

But you see, I don't dislike cat girls.

[Brendan]

Use an epic spell that lets you create a plane of existance.
Heavy gravity and on foot wide, cilindrical and the maximum distance for length. Put a gate at the bottom. Put the other gate above the enemy. Make the plane filled with lots and lots of steel balls or rocks. Make it a somewhat malleable form, so each object returns in perfect condition after 10 minutes. Endless 20d6 falling damage. You now win.

[deuxhero]

Assuming it stays around the planet, Colony drop sounds fun.

[FMArthur]

[flabort]

All, right!

Got an awsome campaign idea now, thanks! I'll definitely be using an "orbital cannon"/flying jail now!

for those that want to know, or copy:

Spoiler

Show

Campain world doesn't matter.
country(s) don't matter.
Players may not put equipment on their charachter sheets.
Roleplay charachters in different settings. siblings or close friends may be together. Some spell of proportions against which they have no chance renders them each unconsious.
All charachters wake up in the same room with two doors, at roughly close times. they should be chained to the walls, all wearing different clothes then in the market. Dark grey and bright green striped uniforms, to be precise. a woman walks into room, tells them that she will release them into a laberinth in 5 days, were she will hunt them for sport. the laberinth DOES have exits into the outside world, and getting there means that she will lose her "game".

Jail cell and laberinth are built around several immovable rods. If the exits are found, woop-de-do, thier over an ocean, with a massive maelstrom below them. a massive Dimmensional Anchor field prevents teleportation. however, if they go to thier jail cell again, there's the other door. it's a permanent portal to one of the players' city.

However, until this occurs to them, their stuck with a Warlock 9/barbarian 4//ranger 6/Duskblade 7 female human hunting them, with other creatures as well.

[industrious]

Drop onto a Vampire's Argentinian Villa.

Asteroid Dresden, you are cleared for descent.

[Randel]

Get a decanter of endless water or two and point them straight down. Wait a few eons until it floods the entire world!

Or, get a flying carpet and set up immovable rods all over the place in select locations in the sky (particularly in big cities where villains make repeated attacks on the populace) Then get some sort of spell or device that fires a grappling hook or extra strong cord (maybe with the strength of spider silk). Then if you have to quickly move around the city, you can just target the immovable rods with your grappling hook/spider silk shooter and swing across the city (even in places where there aren't any tall buildings to latch onto).


Build a restaurant on the rods, build a Create Food and Water trap in the restaurant, then just dump out whatever food you don't need out the window. Watch as wild animals and peasants see all the food falling out of the sky and the hilarious shenanigans and problems that arise.

Get a whole bunch of puppies and kittens, zap with them with feather fall, and toss them down to the ground below for fun.

Get some cats, strap a piece of buttered toast on their back, and drop them to see what happens.

Use the create food trap, bud have a tank full of green slime that you dump the excess food into, when the green slime overfills you dump out half the slime to the ground below. Repeat until you ruin the ecosystem of whoever is below you.