Tell me more ×
Role-playing Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -3 down vote favorite

I'm looking at increasing the amount of damage that my catapult is going to do - and I've been thinking that putting a floating disk in there, to increase the payload.

So, assuming a specially designed catapult is built (I'm thinking it has to, for example, be extra wide, so it can accomodate the disk without forcing it to rotate relative to the ground - otherwise the increased payload idea might not work out), what effect will casting a floating disk, and adding it in the middle of the payload, have?

Will the distance travelled change (esp. on a smaller payload)? Can a heavier load be delivered? What kind of damage is a high-speed disk likely to cause to a target?

share|improve this question
Whoa downvotes! Is the question that low ql? – blueberryfields Oct 24 '12 at 21:27
1  
It's probably a violent reaction to a herculean amount of cheese ;P – Robobot Oct 24 '12 at 22:25
@blueberryfields With precise timing it should be possible to increase the payload via the Shrink ritual - shrink the components of the payload 24 hours before you were prepared to fire them, then ensure that you fired them in time for the ritual to wear off while they were in the air. That should allow you to fire more total mass than the catapault could normally manage. Probably way more fiddly than it would be worth, though. – Ananisapta Oct 24 '12 at 23:21

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote

It would have no effect;

You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It can hold 100 pounds of weight per caster level. (If used to transport a liquid, its capacity is 2 gallons.) The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.

The disk would simply wink out of existence when you fired it out or range and when it left the ground. Nice try though.

share|improve this answer
That only tells me I have to get more creative. Maybe the catapult launches a significant chunk of the ground, and I'm inside of it. Forgot about the height limits :( – blueberryfields Oct 24 '12 at 3:24
3  
The cited text is not from 4e - the equivalent of the highlighted text from the 4e ritual is: "If you are more than 5 squares from the disk for 2 consecutive rounds, the disk disappears, dropping whatever it was carrying." – Ananisapta Oct 24 '12 at 12:41
Oh, you're right, I did not notice that it was 4e. Still, it would be functionally impossible. Besides, I don't think that magical force-effects have mass. – Robobot Oct 24 '12 at 22:28
The rules are rather silent when it comes to effects conjured up by rituals - conjurations from powers are covered, but they are never really clear on just what will affect a ritual creation, or what such a creation counts as in terms of keywords. It probably wouldn't work, but it is difficult to prove it. – Ananisapta Oct 25 '12 at 12:06
Text says "3 feet about the ground". I would deem if it got below that, it would rise up to meet the 3ft. If it got above 3ft I would deem it to decrease to 3ft. Meaning as the catapult slings through, the disc would counteract the action and attempt to reach the 3ft. Meaning on the way up it would push down and hence reduce the swing. A fraction of a second later it would be outside the range, but the payload hasn't really reached any potential vector so it would probably fall short of target. – DoStuffZ Oct 25 '12 at 12:32
show 1 more comment

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.