An orbital elevator (or “Beanstalk”) is an elevator reaching from the surface of the planet to a space station in geosynchronous orbit directly above it. Here is a magical variant (a "Magic Beanstalk") I’m going to use in my Dragonstar campaign. I have a major corporate conglomerate called the Draconis Combine that is the major economic and technological force in the sector of the Empire I’ve set my campaign in. Any comments or suggestions welcome.
First select a sight on the equator of the planet for the base of the beanstalk, and then place a space station directly above it in geosynchronous orbit.
Having the space station in an unchanging location makes it much easier to levitate cargo between the surface and the space station. The Industrial Might and Magic division of the Draconis Combine has created two orbital elevators (also referred to as “Magic Beanstalks”) that stretch from the surface of the planet to the space station, 240 miles above. The Up beanstalk is a series of permanent levitation rings that always go up, while the Down beanstalk is a series of levitation rings that always go down. Both are assisted by automated mage hand emplacements to keep the cargo from hitting the rings, creating what is effectively the largest grain elevator in existence. In addition to the grain, frozen meats, ores, and other goods being lifted into orbit, you can buy transport on a passenger pod and take the slow trip into orbit. It takes 4.4 days to reach the space station via the beanstalk, but it is much less expensive than taking a shuttle. (Standard fee of 25 cr to ride into orbit - this includes life support and basic food for 4 days.)
Technical details:
Height of the Space Station above the planet: 240 miles.
Diameter of the rings: 100 feet
Circumference of the rings: 314.159 feet.
Rate of Ascent/Descent: 200’ feet per minute (takes 4.4 days to travel 240 miles)
Vertical distance between the rings: 100 feet apart.
Lifting capacity of each ring: 25 tons (1 Huge vehicle, with cargo.)
Once all the rings are in place and activated, the beanstalk can lift 25 tons every six seconds, 250 tons a minute, 15,000 tons an hour, 360,000 tons a day, 131,400,000 tons a year.
Each beanstalk is composed of 13,000 rings. (Only 12,672 rings are needed to reach 240 miles, the other 328 rings are used as spares, and to compensate for variations in the space stations height above the planet).
Each ring is composed of 50 sections.
Each section provides 1,000 pounds of lift, 50 sections combine to give 50,000 pounds, or 25 tons of lift.)
Each section is 6.283 feet long, comprising 1/19th of the ring's circumference.
Cost of each section: 50,000 cr
Cost of each ring: 2,500,000 cr
Cost of each beanstalk: 32,500,000,000 cr
Cost of both beanstalks including construction costs, the space station in orbit, and the spaceport on the ground in big round numbers: 100,000,000,000 cr. (100 billion cr.)
Maintenance cost per year for both beanstalks: 100,000 cr a year. (Mainly replacing damaged or worn out ring sections.)
If you can operate it at full capacity, 24 hours a day you lift 131,400,00 tons a year. If you charge 75 credits per ton lifted into orbit, you could pay it off in approximately one year. If you charge 1 credit per ton lifted, it could be paid off with 75 years. If you factor in that it doesn’t actually operate at full capacity at all times, and you include maintenance costs, plus the need to keep the cost below that of other means of attaining orbit, it will realistically pay for itself completely in about 75-150 years. (That’s the WAG estimate.)
Each ring creates a levitation field within it and around it’s out edges. The levitation field supports the ring directly above it, and lifts anything within 50’ of the ring upward at the rate of 20’ per round, until it comes within range of the next ring, which takes over lifting. Living creatures and their attended items are not affected, but any vehicle or large object they may be standing on (or in) will be lifted and carry them with it.
The same effect operates in reverse for the Down beanstalk, except that the rings still lift each other, but lower anything else, and will affect living creatures.
Because the rings do not actually touch each other, and because they only support the weight of the ring directly above them (due to the levitation field), they are almost completely unaffected by the metal fatigue and stresses created by gravity and orbital forces, making them nearly maintenance free.
Each ring is composed of 19 sections and each section is 19 feet long. Each section is constructed of titanium and includes a suite of sensors and communications gear that reports on the integrity and position of each ring, and cameras located on each section allow technicians to visually inspect the ring or it’s neighbors without leaving the space station or the star port. Each section continuously casts the levitate spell at 10th level, giving it a lifting capacity of 1,000 pounds and allows it to effect anything within 50 feet of it.
When the sections are connected together in a ring, their lifting capacity is added together for a total of 50,000 pounds (25 tons) and the levitation field effects are created. Each section also incorporates an effect similar to that of an immovable rod (DMG, page 197) that prevents it from moving from side to side once the entire ring is in place and activated.
Since each ring section can operate independently as well as in unison with the other sections, it is possible to replace individual ring sections. Technicians can deactivate a single ring section, remove it from the ring, and replace it with a new ring section with only a temporary diminishment in lifting capacity for that part of the beanstalk.
Levitation Ring Section: Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, levitate, mage hand; Market Price: 50,000 gp. (Each ring costs 40,000 cr for the enchantment, plus another 10,000 cr for the materials, sensors, communicators, and electronics). Limitations: Only lifts or lowers once activated, entire ring must be disabled to change the settings on any section, and all the sections in a ring must be set the for the same direction.
First select a sight on the equator of the planet for the base of the beanstalk, and then place a space station directly above it in geosynchronous orbit.
Having the space station in an unchanging location makes it much easier to levitate cargo between the surface and the space station. The Industrial Might and Magic division of the Draconis Combine has created two orbital elevators (also referred to as “Magic Beanstalks”) that stretch from the surface of the planet to the space station, 240 miles above. The Up beanstalk is a series of permanent levitation rings that always go up, while the Down beanstalk is a series of levitation rings that always go down. Both are assisted by automated mage hand emplacements to keep the cargo from hitting the rings, creating what is effectively the largest grain elevator in existence. In addition to the grain, frozen meats, ores, and other goods being lifted into orbit, you can buy transport on a passenger pod and take the slow trip into orbit. It takes 4.4 days to reach the space station via the beanstalk, but it is much less expensive than taking a shuttle. (Standard fee of 25 cr to ride into orbit - this includes life support and basic food for 4 days.)
Technical details:
Height of the Space Station above the planet: 240 miles.
Diameter of the rings: 100 feet
Circumference of the rings: 314.159 feet.
Rate of Ascent/Descent: 200’ feet per minute (takes 4.4 days to travel 240 miles)
Vertical distance between the rings: 100 feet apart.
Lifting capacity of each ring: 25 tons (1 Huge vehicle, with cargo.)
Once all the rings are in place and activated, the beanstalk can lift 25 tons every six seconds, 250 tons a minute, 15,000 tons an hour, 360,000 tons a day, 131,400,000 tons a year.
Each beanstalk is composed of 13,000 rings. (Only 12,672 rings are needed to reach 240 miles, the other 328 rings are used as spares, and to compensate for variations in the space stations height above the planet).
Each ring is composed of 50 sections.
Each section provides 1,000 pounds of lift, 50 sections combine to give 50,000 pounds, or 25 tons of lift.)
Each section is 6.283 feet long, comprising 1/19th of the ring's circumference.
Cost of each section: 50,000 cr
Cost of each ring: 2,500,000 cr
Cost of each beanstalk: 32,500,000,000 cr
Cost of both beanstalks including construction costs, the space station in orbit, and the spaceport on the ground in big round numbers: 100,000,000,000 cr. (100 billion cr.)
Maintenance cost per year for both beanstalks: 100,000 cr a year. (Mainly replacing damaged or worn out ring sections.)
If you can operate it at full capacity, 24 hours a day you lift 131,400,00 tons a year. If you charge 75 credits per ton lifted into orbit, you could pay it off in approximately one year. If you charge 1 credit per ton lifted, it could be paid off with 75 years. If you factor in that it doesn’t actually operate at full capacity at all times, and you include maintenance costs, plus the need to keep the cost below that of other means of attaining orbit, it will realistically pay for itself completely in about 75-150 years. (That’s the WAG estimate.)
Each ring creates a levitation field within it and around it’s out edges. The levitation field supports the ring directly above it, and lifts anything within 50’ of the ring upward at the rate of 20’ per round, until it comes within range of the next ring, which takes over lifting. Living creatures and their attended items are not affected, but any vehicle or large object they may be standing on (or in) will be lifted and carry them with it.
The same effect operates in reverse for the Down beanstalk, except that the rings still lift each other, but lower anything else, and will affect living creatures.
Because the rings do not actually touch each other, and because they only support the weight of the ring directly above them (due to the levitation field), they are almost completely unaffected by the metal fatigue and stresses created by gravity and orbital forces, making them nearly maintenance free.
Each ring is composed of 19 sections and each section is 19 feet long. Each section is constructed of titanium and includes a suite of sensors and communications gear that reports on the integrity and position of each ring, and cameras located on each section allow technicians to visually inspect the ring or it’s neighbors without leaving the space station or the star port. Each section continuously casts the levitate spell at 10th level, giving it a lifting capacity of 1,000 pounds and allows it to effect anything within 50 feet of it.
When the sections are connected together in a ring, their lifting capacity is added together for a total of 50,000 pounds (25 tons) and the levitation field effects are created. Each section also incorporates an effect similar to that of an immovable rod (DMG, page 197) that prevents it from moving from side to side once the entire ring is in place and activated.
Since each ring section can operate independently as well as in unison with the other sections, it is possible to replace individual ring sections. Technicians can deactivate a single ring section, remove it from the ring, and replace it with a new ring section with only a temporary diminishment in lifting capacity for that part of the beanstalk.
Levitation Ring Section: Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, levitate, mage hand; Market Price: 50,000 gp. (Each ring costs 40,000 cr for the enchantment, plus another 10,000 cr for the materials, sensors, communicators, and electronics). Limitations: Only lifts or lowers once activated, entire ring must be disabled to change the settings on any section, and all the sections in a ring must be set the for the same direction.
Last edited:
if it's a pure non-living cargo lift), so would each section require an operator to control the sections magic? (basically to "use" the section like an item?)
