I am trying to make a energy source called aether cells (metal containers that have a pinprick sized portal to one of the elemental planes) and i am struggling to come up with ideas on how they would work and what would happen if they broke down or were destroyed. Any ideas?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
Well part of it would depend on the role of aether cells in the world. If they are used to power children's toys, they probably shouldn't create a black hole when damaged. If they are ancient artifacts found only in the deepest ruins, they may be much more dangerous.
Thanks, I have a couple of ideas what they would power (Forges, airships and maybe a primitive electricity generator), so if I had one powering a forge or airship and it broke and it exploded it would do 3d6 fire damage for creatures in the vicinity... that kind of use?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
One effect that could be cool was if most of the function was just to keep the portal very small so that only a trickle of energy can come through. Failure of that could cause a large portal to form, allowing creatures to cross over, or maybe it displaces a large chunk of the world with the Elemental Plane or something. Then presumably measures would exist to contain or revert this process the same way we have failsafes for nuclear reactors.
That's a really cool idea. It's like an elemental battery! That would work great for straddling that line between classic sword & sorcery fantasy and a slightly-more-technological kind of fantasy.
So each battery would be a metal (let's say cylindrical) metal container with a pinhole-size portal to an elemental plane inside, and some kind of magic shielding around it to keep it contained, and as a safety measure. So to prevent these things from becoming super common, you'll probably need a specific and very rare kind of metal or alloy to make the cylinder out of. And of course the mining guild and maybe a dwarven kingdom will be carefully regulating that, both for safety sake but also for profit. Or maybe they could be made of crystal spheres and there's a powerful guild that controls and regulates the knowledge of their construction and the rate of their production.
But once you've got the materials to make the cylinder, you'll need a wizard to open the portal inside it. And that's gonna be expensive and carefully regulated, because it's kinda risky, and because wizards must know that these batteries could replace the need for their services if they become super common, so the Arcanist Guild will be carefully controlling who can make these batteries and how many they can make.
But once you've got one made, and the wizard "turns it on", it's on. Maybe there's some doohickey mechanism on it that let's you turn the power up or down a little, but once it's turned on - it's on. At least, until that portal is closed. Which leads us to another problem - portals work both ways. If you're siphoning even a small amount of energy from an elemental plane, that could get noticed by someone or something on that plane. So maybe your battery taps into the plane of fire, and maybe an Efreet Lord takes offense to that. He could try to close that portal from his side, thus turning off your battery. Or he could get angry and try to send elementals through, thus overloading the battery and hurting those around it. You might think, "Big deal, it's just one little battery." But you're not the only one making one. Imagine being an Efreet Lord and suddenly you've got hundreds of little portals siphoning energy away all over your realm. That sh*t adds up. It's the half-cent problem from Superman II.
Okay, so let's see what the batteries can do. Let's say there are small batteries and there are large batteries. A small battery is about the size of a scroll case, or maybe a can of Arizona ice tea. A large battery is the size of a large mailbox, or maybe a sphere about two feet in diameter. (Sorry, I'm American, I can't metric.) And you've got batteries that connect to planes of: Fire, Cold, Water, Air, and Lightning. Okay.
Fire: A small fire battery is basically like a heating pad. It'll keep a 10 ft cube room warm. It'll gradually melt a barrel of ice. It won't burn you, it won't deal damage (because of the protective shielding), but it'll allow a small group to traverse arctic conditions without dying of frostbite. You'll still get wicked cold, but you won't die. It's a nice comforting warmth. A large fire battery is like a furnace. It will keep an entire building toasty warm. It'll bring a swimming pool to a rolling boil. You could pipe water around it and generate steam pressure if you want to delve into some real hardcore steampunky adventures. And of course you just know somebody somewhere is already working on a way to turn the dang thing into a Cannon of Fireballs.
If you destroy a small fire battery (intentionally or not) it deals 3d6 fire damage in a 10 ft radius, Dex save for half. A large fire battery does 10d10 fire damage in a 30 ft radius, Dex save for half, and everyone in that area is lit on fire and will keep taking 1d6 fire damage per round until someone uses an action to put that fire out.
Cold: A small cold battery will keep you cool while you traverse the desert. It'll keep your food fresh. A large cold battery could turn a swimming pool into one giant ice cube. You could freeze a river to divert the water away from an enemy's crops. And maybe if you're near it you'd have resistance to fire damage, in case a red dragon shows up.
Destroying a small cold battery does 3d6 cold damage in a 10 ft radius, Dex save for half. A large cold battery does 10d10 cold damage in a 30 ft radius, Dex save for half, and everyone in that area has to make a Con save DC 15 or be frozen in place for three rounds.
Water: A small water battery is like a never-ending thermos. Oh, but then we'd need some kind of opening or nozzle in the container. A large water battery could be used to create a river or to irrigate fields of crops in an otherwise arid environment.
Destroying a small water battery wouldn't really cause damage. It'd just stop the water flowing. But destroying a large water battery could maybe cause a momentary flood. Like maybe enough water to fill an Olympic swimming pool suddenly pours out and then stops. So everyone within 30 ft has to make a DC 15 Dex save or be knocked back 10 feet, take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and be knocked prone.
Air: A small air battery is like a little scuba tank. You can use it to breath underwater, maybe two people could share one. You could also create a small gust of wind to clear out some fog or mist. A large air battery is like a portable wind tunnel. You could place one on the rear deck of a ship and blow enough wind into the sails to keep the ship going indefinitely. Flying creatures within a 100 ft cone in front of that area would have trouble flying.
Destroying a small air battery probably wouldn't cause any damage. It just turns off. A large air battery might cause a brief whirlwind. Like maybe everyone within a 60 ft radius has to make a DC 15 Dex save or be flung back 20 ft, take 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and be knocked prone.
Lightning: Hmmm. Lightning batteries would probably cause the most disruption in the theme of a fantasy setting, since now we're starting to get dangerously close to actual electricity. They could function similar to the other types, but personally I would probably rather steer clear of lightning batteries unless you want to deal with a real technological campaign.
So if someone in your world is wealthy enough, they could get a large air battery to make their airship fly. And a large fire battery to provide warmth in the cabins, and to fuel the ovens to cook the food, and to heat the baths. Back home they may have a large water battery powering the decorative fountains around their estate. A city may have large air batteries lining their out wall to deflect incoming arrows, and to ward off flying monsters. They could mount a large fire battery at the gate to shoot fireballs at attackers.
It's a neat idea. I'd be worried though that it might cause some serious power-balancing issues in the campaign world. New forms of technology usually do.
I would not use the term battery and use the term "energy portal", create a special gate type spell that only allows energy to pass through or a special circle of power/protection/etc that limits what can come through the opening. The "energy gate" spell would have a limit on how much could pass through it.
Why? From your description it sounds like you are creating a way to direct/divert energy from one place to another, like power lines and not store energy to be released later like a battery.
That does sound better. I'm really more of the conceptual guy rather than the marketing guy. I just make sh*t up and let other people worry about how to sell it.
Thanks for all the ideas and help!!! (I really like the idea that it would be a drain on the elemental planes, I could use this to start a elemental invasion)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
That does sound better. I'm really more of the conceptual guy rather than the marketing guy. I just make sh*t up and let other people worry about how to sell it.
I also have trouble with names and naming, often having PC's with names like Homer son of Simps, Elvis Priestly or other such names until I get something that sounds good. For me, and it sounds like for you, get the idea down and then worry about what someone would or could call it.
Thanks for all the ideas and help!!! (I really like the idea that it would be a drain on the elemental planes, I could use this to start a elemental invasion)
Having a drain might be a good thing for the elemental plane in question as it would/might change the environment to be more like the area the energy came from. An earthly example might be a salt mash expanding, desert growing or an inlet drying up.
I also ask if my idea has any long term implications in the game world and am I ok with that or does it really matter at all? In the does not matter category if I am running a one short series of games that are just using elements of standard game lore it is different then the campaign is linked to other campaigns and each can have an impact on others.
Thanks for all the ideas and help!!! (I really like the idea that it would be a drain on the elemental planes, I could use this to start a elemental invasion)
Having a drain might be a good thing for the elemental plane in question as it would/might change the environment to be more like the area the energy came from. An earthly example might be a salt mash expanding, desert growing or an inlet drying up.
I also ask if my idea has any long term implications in the game world and am I ok with that or does it really matter at all? In the does not matter category if I am running a one short series of games that are just using elements of standard game lore it is different then the campaign is linked to other campaigns and each can have an impact on others.
Have Fun
So if I had a aether cell drawing on the energy of the elemental plane of earth it could cause a sandstorm if it went awry in a desert?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
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I am trying to make a energy source called aether cells (metal containers that have a pinprick sized portal to one of the elemental planes) and i am struggling to come up with ideas on how they would work and what would happen if they broke down or were destroyed. Any ideas?
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
Well part of it would depend on the role of aether cells in the world. If they are used to power children's toys, they probably shouldn't create a black hole when damaged. If they are ancient artifacts found only in the deepest ruins, they may be much more dangerous.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Thanks, I have a couple of ideas what they would power (Forges, airships and maybe a primitive electricity generator), so if I had one powering a forge or airship and it broke and it exploded it would do 3d6 fire damage for creatures in the vicinity... that kind of use?
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
One effect that could be cool was if most of the function was just to keep the portal very small so that only a trickle of energy can come through. Failure of that could cause a large portal to form, allowing creatures to cross over, or maybe it displaces a large chunk of the world with the Elemental Plane or something. Then presumably measures would exist to contain or revert this process the same way we have failsafes for nuclear reactors.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
That's a really cool idea. It's like an elemental battery! That would work great for straddling that line between classic sword & sorcery fantasy and a slightly-more-technological kind of fantasy.
So each battery would be a metal (let's say cylindrical) metal container with a pinhole-size portal to an elemental plane inside, and some kind of magic shielding around it to keep it contained, and as a safety measure. So to prevent these things from becoming super common, you'll probably need a specific and very rare kind of metal or alloy to make the cylinder out of. And of course the mining guild and maybe a dwarven kingdom will be carefully regulating that, both for safety sake but also for profit. Or maybe they could be made of crystal spheres and there's a powerful guild that controls and regulates the knowledge of their construction and the rate of their production.
But once you've got the materials to make the cylinder, you'll need a wizard to open the portal inside it. And that's gonna be expensive and carefully regulated, because it's kinda risky, and because wizards must know that these batteries could replace the need for their services if they become super common, so the Arcanist Guild will be carefully controlling who can make these batteries and how many they can make.
But once you've got one made, and the wizard "turns it on", it's on. Maybe there's some doohickey mechanism on it that let's you turn the power up or down a little, but once it's turned on - it's on. At least, until that portal is closed. Which leads us to another problem - portals work both ways. If you're siphoning even a small amount of energy from an elemental plane, that could get noticed by someone or something on that plane. So maybe your battery taps into the plane of fire, and maybe an Efreet Lord takes offense to that. He could try to close that portal from his side, thus turning off your battery. Or he could get angry and try to send elementals through, thus overloading the battery and hurting those around it. You might think, "Big deal, it's just one little battery." But you're not the only one making one. Imagine being an Efreet Lord and suddenly you've got hundreds of little portals siphoning energy away all over your realm. That sh*t adds up. It's the half-cent problem from Superman II.
Okay, so let's see what the batteries can do. Let's say there are small batteries and there are large batteries. A small battery is about the size of a scroll case, or maybe a can of Arizona ice tea. A large battery is the size of a large mailbox, or maybe a sphere about two feet in diameter. (Sorry, I'm American, I can't metric.) And you've got batteries that connect to planes of: Fire, Cold, Water, Air, and Lightning. Okay.
Fire: A small fire battery is basically like a heating pad. It'll keep a 10 ft cube room warm. It'll gradually melt a barrel of ice. It won't burn you, it won't deal damage (because of the protective shielding), but it'll allow a small group to traverse arctic conditions without dying of frostbite. You'll still get wicked cold, but you won't die. It's a nice comforting warmth. A large fire battery is like a furnace. It will keep an entire building toasty warm. It'll bring a swimming pool to a rolling boil. You could pipe water around it and generate steam pressure if you want to delve into some real hardcore steampunky adventures. And of course you just know somebody somewhere is already working on a way to turn the dang thing into a Cannon of Fireballs.
If you destroy a small fire battery (intentionally or not) it deals 3d6 fire damage in a 10 ft radius, Dex save for half. A large fire battery does 10d10 fire damage in a 30 ft radius, Dex save for half, and everyone in that area is lit on fire and will keep taking 1d6 fire damage per round until someone uses an action to put that fire out.
Cold: A small cold battery will keep you cool while you traverse the desert. It'll keep your food fresh. A large cold battery could turn a swimming pool into one giant ice cube. You could freeze a river to divert the water away from an enemy's crops. And maybe if you're near it you'd have resistance to fire damage, in case a red dragon shows up.
Destroying a small cold battery does 3d6 cold damage in a 10 ft radius, Dex save for half. A large cold battery does 10d10 cold damage in a 30 ft radius, Dex save for half, and everyone in that area has to make a Con save DC 15 or be frozen in place for three rounds.
Water: A small water battery is like a never-ending thermos. Oh, but then we'd need some kind of opening or nozzle in the container. A large water battery could be used to create a river or to irrigate fields of crops in an otherwise arid environment.
Destroying a small water battery wouldn't really cause damage. It'd just stop the water flowing. But destroying a large water battery could maybe cause a momentary flood. Like maybe enough water to fill an Olympic swimming pool suddenly pours out and then stops. So everyone within 30 ft has to make a DC 15 Dex save or be knocked back 10 feet, take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and be knocked prone.
Air: A small air battery is like a little scuba tank. You can use it to breath underwater, maybe two people could share one. You could also create a small gust of wind to clear out some fog or mist. A large air battery is like a portable wind tunnel. You could place one on the rear deck of a ship and blow enough wind into the sails to keep the ship going indefinitely. Flying creatures within a 100 ft cone in front of that area would have trouble flying.
Destroying a small air battery probably wouldn't cause any damage. It just turns off. A large air battery might cause a brief whirlwind. Like maybe everyone within a 60 ft radius has to make a DC 15 Dex save or be flung back 20 ft, take 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and be knocked prone.
Lightning: Hmmm. Lightning batteries would probably cause the most disruption in the theme of a fantasy setting, since now we're starting to get dangerously close to actual electricity. They could function similar to the other types, but personally I would probably rather steer clear of lightning batteries unless you want to deal with a real technological campaign.
So if someone in your world is wealthy enough, they could get a large air battery to make their airship fly. And a large fire battery to provide warmth in the cabins, and to fuel the ovens to cook the food, and to heat the baths. Back home they may have a large water battery powering the decorative fountains around their estate. A city may have large air batteries lining their out wall to deflect incoming arrows, and to ward off flying monsters. They could mount a large fire battery at the gate to shoot fireballs at attackers.
It's a neat idea. I'd be worried though that it might cause some serious power-balancing issues in the campaign world. New forms of technology usually do.
Well, that's just my 2 c.p. Hope it helps.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
I would not use the term battery and use the term "energy portal", create a special gate type spell that only allows energy to pass through or a special circle of power/protection/etc that limits what can come through the opening. The "energy gate" spell would have a limit on how much could pass through it.
Why? From your description it sounds like you are creating a way to direct/divert energy from one place to another, like power lines and not store energy to be released later like a battery.
Good Luck
Yeah. I was just using the word "battery" as a shorthand so I wouldn't have to write "device containing a portal to an elemental plane" over and over.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
PET or Planer Energy Transmitter sounds like something the wizard creators would get behind to sell to the masses.
That does sound better. I'm really more of the conceptual guy rather than the marketing guy. I just make sh*t up and let other people worry about how to sell it.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Thanks for all the ideas and help!!! (I really like the idea that it would be a drain on the elemental planes, I could use this to start a elemental invasion)
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'
I also have trouble with names and naming, often having PC's with names like Homer son of Simps, Elvis Priestly or other such names until I get something that sounds good. For me, and it sounds like for you, get the idea down and then worry about what someone would or could call it.
Having a drain might be a good thing for the elemental plane in question as it would/might change the environment to be more like the area the energy came from. An earthly example might be a salt mash expanding, desert growing or an inlet drying up.
I also ask if my idea has any long term implications in the game world and am I ok with that or does it really matter at all? In the does not matter category if I am running a one short series of games that are just using elements of standard game lore it is different then the campaign is linked to other campaigns and each can have an impact on others.
Have Fun
So if I had a aether cell drawing on the energy of the elemental plane of earth it could cause a sandstorm if it went awry in a desert?
'Torfin Strongjaw gasped as the wall he had spent most of his life protecting collapsed, and over the rubble the kobolds surged forth. The invasion had begun.'