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2010-01-15, 08:36 PM (ISO 8601)
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zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
It has been stated that the commoner railgun does not work... or rather, it works but it does not do anything.
because the RAW which allows traveling at an arbitrary speed, does not say that having done so confer any benefit. the object does not shoot off at warp speed to impact something, it merely reaches the end of the chain.
That doesn't mean it doesn't have other creative uses. Specifically, 6 second travel between any two arbitrary locations that can move massive amounts of people and goods.
You need:
1. Zombies, skeletons, or constructs... 2 of them per 5 foot of "track" you wish to make.
2. 1 non-dimensional space (ex: portable hole) per "cabin" for the journey.
Note:
Remember that in DnD world non sentient undead are under the command of their creator (or the last cleric to command them) and will follow the last order given to them after being freed. Constructs avoid the limit on controlled units, but are much more expensive to make...
Construction of a rail:
Make a lot of zombies, give each one specific orders to not move from a specific spot... to always ready an action to receive an item from whatever is to their right, and then pass it on to their left.
Avoiding raising costs:
Raise dead has a material component cost. This can be avoided (at low level even) using the metamagic feat "fell animate" from libris mortis page 26. It is a +3 LA that makes anyone who can normally be raised as a zombie who is killed with it to come back as a zombie in one turn
To avoid mass executions, use non sentient targets.
how it all comes together.
Make two rails going in opposite directions from/to each town.
people will enter a portable hole (or be shrunk and enter a bag of holding)... the hole can be furnished with seats and a permanent source of light.
when the last passenger has boarded, the hole is folded and handed to the first zombie/skeleton/construct... 6 seconds late the last skeleton receives it and hands it over to a human conductor... or alternatively, a zombie with very specific instructions.
the hole is unfolded and the passengers leave. The same portable hold can either be loaded for the return trip, or just handed to the "rail" going the opposite direction if they need more holes on that side.
This can also be used by armies and the like.
As a fail safe, ever zombie can be ordered to hand off whatever he receives to the left OR unfold the hold himself if there is noone to receive it. That way it does not get stuck in transit if a saboteur destroys one of the zombies (replacement zombies can be delivered using the track itself)
more complex orders include defending themselves, calling for help if attacked, or walking to "skip" broken or missing zombies if the item has a red ribbon (passenger/cargo) and opening it if it has a yellow ribbon (repair crew). so a missing zombie just means that the trip is extended by 6 seconds.Last edited by taltamir; 2010-01-16 at 12:24 AM.
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-15, 08:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2008
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- A house.
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2010-01-15, 08:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Thank you kind sir, I love wins... *eats the win*... mmm, taste like general tsao's chicken :)
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-15, 09:00 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2008
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- A house.
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2010-01-15, 09:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
I like it, it is all free and possible from level 3 and onwards too.
As when you reach level 3 you can use arcane thesis (acid splash) to cast feel animate acid splash spells on helpless commoners to animate them free of charge.*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*As a DM I run sand-box games.
Challenge me.
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2010-01-15, 09:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2006
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Question:
Where do you find this?
You'll need quite a few castings, considering that while the commoner-1 only has 2 HP (1, if he's an elf), there's still that pesky "dying" state... or are you planning on bludgeoning them unconscious and using the spell for a Coup De Grace?Last edited by Jack_Simth; 2010-01-15 at 09:14 PM.
Of course, by the time I finish this post, it will already be obsolete. C'est la vie.
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2010-01-15, 10:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
As for time let us presume we have unlimited time but limited resources.
The example used the least possible amount of resources, a low level caster.
Apply more resources in the form of gold and xp and it will become more and more effective.
There is much discussion on how mindless undead behave after being released, i presume we are going by the "will perform last order until destruction" presumption.*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*As a DM I run sand-box games.
Challenge me.
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2010-01-15, 11:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2008
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- Bottom of a well
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2010-01-15, 11:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-16, 12:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*As a DM I run sand-box games.
Challenge me.
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2010-01-16, 12:04 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
I believe for massive society transport, Tippy's teleportation traps are likely more efficient, as they're cheaper (less magic items, less vulnerable to disruption).
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2010-01-16, 12:09 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*As a DM I run sand-box games.
Challenge me.
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2010-01-16, 12:13 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2007
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- Texas...for now
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Assuming you're a 17th level Wizard, 22,500 GP.
Remember that the zombie conveyor belt is basically free.[/sarcasm]
FAQ is not RAW!Avatar by the incredible CrimsonAngel.
Saph:It's surprising how many problems can be solved by one druid spell combined with enough aggression.
I play primarily 3.5 D&D. Most of my advice will be based off of this. If my advice doesn't apply, specify a version in your post.
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2010-01-16, 12:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Last edited by taltamir; 2010-01-16 at 12:15 AM.
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-16, 12:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
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- Bottom of a well
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
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2010-01-16, 12:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Avoiding raising costs:
Raise dead has a material component cost. This can be avoided (at low level even) using the metamagic feat "fell animate" from libris mortis page 26. It is a +3 LA that makes anyone who can normally be raised as a zombie who is killed with it to come back as a zombie in one turn
to be honest, I forgot that raise dead has a material component cost... but Otodetu pointed out the fell animate workaround.
Arcane thesis acid splash fell animate. takes 2 feats but lets a level 3 caster create as many zombies as needed.Last edited by taltamir; 2010-01-16 at 12:23 AM.
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-16, 12:20 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2008
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- Bottom of a well
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2010-01-16, 12:24 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2007
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- Texas...for now
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
When was the last war in any of those regions? And since D&D is set with NI monsters roaming the land, ordinary people suddenly developing sorcerous powers and raising a legion of undead, demons breaking into our reality to cause chaos and destruction at every opportunity, and a midieval political system leading to kingdoms going to war at the drop of a hat, I'd expect any non-terrain feature that can't defend itself to die in about 12 seconds in the average countryside.
[/sarcasm]
FAQ is not RAW!Avatar by the incredible CrimsonAngel.
Saph:It's surprising how many problems can be solved by one druid spell combined with enough aggression.
I play primarily 3.5 D&D. Most of my advice will be based off of this. If my advice doesn't apply, specify a version in your post.
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2010-01-16, 12:24 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
start a monkey farm.
"Zombie" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system (referred to hereafter as the base creature).Last edited by taltamir; 2010-01-16 at 12:25 AM.
I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-16, 07:04 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
One problem I forsee is that someone could try to arrange a Great Zombie Chain Robbery to capture some more valuable cargo (or kidnap an important person). This could become a plot hook, though.
What would be the practicality of using animated constructs instead of zombies?LGBTitP
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2010-01-16, 07:40 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2006
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
What would be the practicality of using animated constructs instead of zombies?
Today 12:24 AM
hmm, this could proberly be made a lot safer with permanent animated objects (though not quite as easy).Last edited by lord_khaine; 2010-01-16 at 07:41 AM.
thnx to Starwoof for the fine avatar
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2010-01-16, 07:42 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
I seem to recall an area off the coast of Somalia... An area where cargo is hijacked, and ransomed.
Apply this to this scenario.
Bandits disrupt an area. Bandits take bags of holding/portable holes (easily transported commodity), ransom the people/goods inside.
When indeed have supply lines been attacked?
Every major war/insurgency in recent memory, as well as in any area not totally subjugated and orderly...
Which is roughly 99.5% of most D&D worlds.
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2010-01-16, 08:47 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
The simplest solution to the interference problems is to build a corridor or tunnel. You already have your undead workforce and a goodly amount of free time, zombie badgers can dig a trench and you can throw logs and dirt on top to make a sturdy roof.
This gets the railway out of immediate sight and makes it a bother to dig up and disturb. You'll still need to maintain the thing, land sharks and flooding are going to be major annoyances, but it will cut down on the easy access problem for bandits.
Actually actual bandits should only be a minor nuisance. Fire Trap and Glyph of Warding are pretty strong deterrants to normal people trying to interfere with packages. Adventurers and sabotuers don't count, the only thing you can do about those is to get your own adventurers to hunt them down and gank them. Anything safe enough for a regular coach or wagon to travel without 6+ armed guards is safe enough for this.
Heck, you could bury the rail line under the road. Regular road patrol should keep the trouble down to manageable levels.
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2010-01-16, 08:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Or you could build teleport traps, and guard those. As is, any cleric with a couple levels can end the effort.
Teleport traps can also be built in about a half hour. Zombie express? Years.
If you're assuming Tippyverse? Money is no object, nor is XP.
If not? you need to know decades in advance which two specific points you're connecting (and uncontrolled zombies can only really do 2 points).
Uncontrolled undead haven't been shown to continue their last given command.
It's so incredibly work intensive and time intensive that it's highly impractical.
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2010-01-16, 09:36 AM (ISO 8601)
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2010-01-16, 09:49 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
You could have a confirmation system. It only takes six seconds to get from one end to the other right?
Well, when a parcel reaches the second station, send a message back to the first saying it got there. If the first station receives this confirmation, everything is cool. If it doesn't, it knows there's a problem and can stop sending stuff until it's fixed.
It doesn't really take much longer than just passing things along one-way, but this way, while you can disrupt the line, you can't really hijack it without some nigh-impossible timing.SpoilerBossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!
Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!
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2010-01-16, 09:59 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
Zombie railway has the advantage of being attainable at level 3, which is very, very low. To build a teleportation trap, you have to be 17. On the other hand, building the railway is tedious and time-consuming, but ask yourself a question: how long did it take to build the american east-west railway? This sort of investments take time. Yet, it's worth it, if high level casters are hard to come by.
In a war it doesn't matter who's right, only who's left.
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2010-01-16, 10:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
This; high level casters are rare, the campaign might not even have a single one.
The zombie conveyor belt can be used to great success INSIDE a city (necropolis i guess) to transport goods from one side to the other, or other safe areas where vandalism is not an issue.
example; your city includes a port, an industrial area, and a outlying mine, with zombie conveyor belts you can move ore, goods and finished products around quickly, allowing the craftsmen and workers more time to focus on their tasks.
The availability of corpses is a issue, but a monkey farm might be the solution, you can even skin the monkeys first to get a real profit.*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*As a DM I run sand-box games.
Challenge me.
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2010-01-16, 11:09 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)
You can also use the zombie conveyor belts to pass on sacks full of letters.
that way you can manage a large volume of letters between cities.I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman!
the glass is always 100% full. Approximately 50% of its volume is full of dihydrogen monoxide and some dissolved solutes, and approx 50% a mixture of gasses known as "air" which contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
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2010-01-16, 02:25 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: zombie express (based on commoner railgun)