Right, well, I should have gotten round to another update ages ago but I've only just managed to get back onto a computer that has the fully updated copy of the St&St manuscript on it. Anyways, today's teaser is variant materials
A steamwork item can have many different types of engine. It can be constructed at various different levels of quality. But for the
really wierd stuff... well, its variant material time
Want a dragonscale plated war machine? Or a steel sentinel amde of
obsidian?
Who needs iron, anyway?
Special Materials:
As well as the usual forms of iron and steel used for the bulk of the parts of a steamwork device, plenty of other possibilities are available, from elaborate and ornamental metals to crude and primitive materials such as bone or coral. Note that many steamwork devices might have decorations in the forms of precious metals or odd substances inlaid or plated onto them, but the entries here represent the use of non-standard materials for the construction of the main part of the machinery (except in the case of adamantine plating).
The weight modifier indicates the modifier that should be applied to the base weight of a device. The cost indicates the increase in cost of a steamwork device, calculated by a percentage increase to the base price of the object, except in the case of adamantine and dragonscale plating.
Metal Weight Modifier Cost
Adamantine None +150%
Adamantine Plating +10% +2,000gp
Bone -50% +0%
Copper None +50%
Coral -25% -10%
Crystal +25% +150%
Dragonscale Plating +10% +15,000gp
Gold +50% +100%
Mithril -50% +150%
Obsidian +50% +100%
Adamantine: This rare and incredibly hard metal can be used to build a steamwork device to create an amazingly resilient structure, as well as an obvious display of the wealth of the creator. Although it is expensive to acquire so much of the metal, adamantine is sometimes used to create steamwork war constructs, their armour very difficult to penetrate. A device created from adamantine gains a +3 non-magical enhancement bonus to its AC.
Adamantine Plating: Although still expensive, adamantine plating is considerably less costly than creating an entire device from adamantine, while still reaping some of the benefits of the metal. Adamantine plating covers the armour of the device – usually constructs – with a layer of the metal that helps turn aside strikes and missiles. A device with adamantine plating gains a +1 non-magical enhancement bonus to AC.
Bone: Sometimes used by necromancers to construct their steamwork devices and constructs, as well as by societies with an advanced capacity for scientific thought but lacking the metal resources needed to built steel devices, bone can be used for parts, structure and framework. Smaller bones are carefully chipped and shaped with tools and larger ones bound or riveted together, creating a somewhat rickety whole. Hollowed bones stoppered with natural sealant like resin provide pipes, and genuine teeth can be used for the teeth of cogs. Bone steamworks are bound round with spells and magics, and creating a device from bone requires a spellcaster capable of casting spells of at least 3rd level – even with this, bone is far less resilient than iron or steel and also less reliable. Bone steamworks suffer a –2 penalty to their natural armour and have their Maintenance DC increased by 1. However, the rituals and magic that holds the thing together grants the device a +2 innate bonus to saves against spells.
Copper: Copper appears in some areas in a natural, raw form which can be easily harvested and shaped by primitive societies. When properly treated metal is used, it is possible to construct copper steamworks. Such devices are also sometimes the result of the fancy or aesthetic tastes of someone rich. The beaten copper gives such a device an impressive appearance, and the treated metal is as tough as steel. Furthermore, the treatment grants the device Fire Resistance and Acid Resistance 5.
Coral: Some undersea civilizations manage to build weird steamwork devices with exotic engines, and may construct their items from coral due to a lack of natural metals available. Equally, those in coastal areas and near reefs may use the same material, as do some religions of sea deities to show where their faith lies. Coral is lighter than steel, and carefully selected specimens interwoven with thick shells of deep sea creatures mean that it is still fairly tough, although the brittleness of the organic substance means that it is still far from as resilient as metal, suffering a –1 natural armour penalty. The visual effect of multi-coloured and multi-textured corals and armouring shells put together to create a steam-hissing construct is impressive.
Crystal: Some truly spectacular steamwork devices are crafted from crystal. Sometimes the pieces are hand-crafted, chipped and formed from crystal pieces, while the more puissant or knowledgeable crafters of crystal machines actually encourage and culture mineral growths deep in underground caverns, carefully manipulated to be harvested later. Such devices are especially impressive when their components have threads of brightly coloured mineral impurities running through them. The pieces of the crystal machinery are treated with powerful arcane and alchemical processes and then assembled to create the final device, granting it a +2 AC bonus and a +2 innate bonus to saving throws against spells.
Dragonscale Plating: Although it is not possible to use dragon scales to build an entire steam engine, they are highly valued for use as an additional layer of armour plating. Getting hold of such scales in the first place can be a difficult task, but they give an impressive appearance to any construct or device as well as the practical virtues of using such materials. A steamwork device with dragonscale plating benefits from resistance 10 to fire, acid, cold or electricity depending on which type of dragon the scales came from.
Gold: Any precious metal can be used as ornamentation and elaboration on a steamwork device, but only the most ostentatious, grand and wealthy craft entire items of gold. As it is very heavy, gold is less practical for smaller devices, and in the case of constructs it may appear impressive but normal gold is softer than steel, meaning that specially treated metal is needed instead. Gold steamwork devices benefit from Fire Resistance 5 and Acid Resistance 5, as well as granting a +1 morale bonus to Will saves to any friendly characters within 15ft.
Mithral: Another rare and expensive metal, mithral is very light and hence excellent for crafting smaller devices that need to be carried around. Items built from mithral weigh half their listed weight. Constructs built from it are lighter and faster in their movements and reactions, benefiting from a +4 inherent bonus to their Dexterity value.
Obsidian: Rarely, steamwork constructs are build from crafted obsidian components, resulting in massive, heavy and resilient devices. The stone armouring means that an obsidian device gains a +2 natural armour bonus, and obsidian constructs benefit from an inherent +4 bonus to their Strength value.
