The Three Thousand Elf Mach 2 Army

[Iron Sky]

Preface: If this has been done, errata'd, and/or refuted somewhere, let me know.

The Three Thousand Elf Mach 2 Army
Postulate:

An army of 4e D&D elves with the Light Step feat can achieve Mach 2.


Definitions:
Light Step Feat - The group gains a +1 unnamed bonus to travel speed per elf in the group.
Overland travel speed - Each point of travel speed gives .5 miles per hour.
Base elven travel speed - 7.
Mach 2 - 1516 miles per hour. Double the speed of sound(approximately 768 Miles per hour).
E = number of elves in the army.

Proof:
7 elf travel speed x .5 mph/travel speed = 3.5 elf mph

Light step: +1 elf travel speed x .5 mph/travel speed = .5 elf mph

3.5 mph + .5 elf mph x E = 1516 mph(Mach 2)
.5E mph = 1512.5 mph
E = 3025 elves.

So there you have it. An army of about three thousand elves can travel overland at about mach 2. This army could cross the continental United States in about an hour, more depending on terrain. If you convert it to miles per minute, you get about 25 miles a minute, so they can travel in a minute about as much as the average adventuring party can in day.

If you can catch them in battle, their speed drops to a measly 3.5 miles per hour, but if they escape, you'll never catch them, unless you have an even bigger army of elves. Kingdoms and empires should, of course, stockpile elf armies for rapid strikes on their enemies. If the enemy capitol is 250 miles away, you can deliver a few dozen 3025 arrow vollies to them in about 10 minutes.


FTeLf
Elves are also the solution to faster than light travel - let's call it FTeLf. The speed of light is 670,616,629 mph, so if you can compress 1.34 billion or so elves into a spacecraft, harness their speed, and get them to take a step then they immediately can accelerate to light speed. And, as a bonus the FTeLf Drive is that it will probably last up to 300 years (a bare mininum for an elf's lifespan) before its speed begins to decrease.


Closing statement:
The advantages of Elf-based transportation are limited only on the ability to minaturize elves and/or harness their amazing locomotional prowess. Some sort of elf-minaturizing methods, via magic, breeding, or other means will only amplify their effectiveness. Reducing their required food, water, and/or air expenditures are also key to achieving maximal elf compression ratios(ECRs) to achieve higher and higher speeds, especially if such things do not decrease their current exceptional lifespans.

 

[Wik]

Plus, you don't even really need to feed 'em anything more than some sprouts and some gingko poloba.

 

[El Mahdi]

Elves also have the advantage of being considered a "Green" power source!

 

[CapnZapp]

Light Step obviously doesn't stack.

 

[Herobizkit]

Light Step obviously doesn't stack.

But it does. All unnamed bonuses stack; if you have 2 elves in a group, you get that +1 bonus PER ELF. As is, you can only refute the FTeLT if you define "group" as an adventuring troupe no more that x, x being a reasonable number between 4-10 (your standard adventuring party).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

But it does. All unnamed bonuses stack; if you have 2 elves in a group, you get that +1 bonus PER ELF. As is, you can only refute the FTeLT if you define "group" as an adventuring troupe no more that x, x being a reasonable number between 4-10 (your standard adventuring party).

It's still the same ability, so the same-source-rule applies.

 

[Herobizkit]

The why even list "per elf"? Is it a typo? Is it in the errata?

 

[D'karr]

The why even list "per elf"? Is it a typo? Is it in the errata?

If I remember correctly there is a blurb somewhere that describes that bonuses that apply to groups are designed with an average adventuring party in mind and that the intent is that they would only apply to parties of approximately that size. I think it had to do with an example of a warlord power.

I'll see if I can locate it but I'm sure some others' google-fu will be stronger.

So in the example given, which was btw a humor example, the first 5-10 elves would get a bonus. Then the next 5-10, followed by the next 5-10. In essence an elven army would move at a speed of 12-17 squares or about 60 - 85 miles per day.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

But the original hypothesis explains House Elves. The obviously represent the limit the Wizarding World achived in Elf Compression. However, they did seem to increase the travel speed so that it appeared instantenous.

 

[D'karr]

But the oroginal hypothesis explains House Elves. The obviously represent the limit the Wizarding World achived in Elf Compression. However, they did seem to increase the travel speed so that it appeared instantenous.

This might also explain Santa's travels.