#arcane artillery platform

[dungeon-duck]

Honestly my favourite part of the one-shot was adding an upgrade platform on the boat so our artillerist artificer could go crazy

[onlyexplorer]

Netflix may have found its new Arcane

Netflix may have found its new Arcane

While Arcane is slow to return to our screens, this animated series has solid arguments to establish itself as our new favorite. In the animation sector, Netflix is ​​slowly starting to make its mark. Faced with ultra-specialized offers like Crunchyroll, the platform is pulling out heavy artillery to attract fans of the genre into its nets. After the resounding success ofArcane, acclaimed by…

[thecreaturecodex]

Ultima Weapon

Image © Square Enix, accessed at the Final Fantasy Wiki here

[Commissioned by @warfares-bridge​. Ultima Weapon first appeared in Final Fantasy VI (although the FF3 import I grew up with referred to it as “Atma Weapon”). It has had multiple recurring appearances in the series since then, with different appearances and abilities. This version builds most heavily on the Final Fantasy XIV version, where it is the final boss of the main campaign. That battle has a timer on it--if Ultima Weapon isn’t killed within a certain time limit, it casts Ultima, which in that game is an auto-TPK. I wanted to capture that flavor, but instant death is frowned upon in Pathfinder, and I had to come up with a rationale as to why it wouldn’t just use that ability Round 1 and save itself a lot of trouble.]

Ultima Weapon CR 24 LE Outsider This colossus appears something like a mechanical reptilian centaur, but its body appears to be grown from metal rather than forged. Blade-like wings and a lashing tail grow from it, and all six of its limbs bear deadly claws. Its head is proportionately small, and vaguely like that of an insect.

Ultima Weapon is a relic of the early days of the multiverse. During the Titanomachy, when the thanatoic titans rebelled against the gods, the inevitables donated their services to create potent weapons to strike against the titans and their elemental allies. Multiple Weapons were forged, Ultima being the most infamous. Ultima Weapon was corrupted by the temptation of power and struck out against inevitables and titans alike. Ultima Weapon maintains a low profile for millennia at a time, and its appearance is a sure sign of cosmic calamity.

Ultima Weapon was designed to be a mobile prison, capable of binding titans to itself and delivering them for judgment. It still has the ability to bind powerful creatures, and hunts down exemplary outsiders such as balors, solars and pit fiends in order to enslave them. Any creature it has bound to itself it can call upon to assist in combat, and Ultima Weapon has rotated its cast of servants over the course of the ages to suit its needs. Even if its servants are defeated or dismissed, Ultima Weapon lives up to its name as a mobile artillery platform. It can fire beams of divine lightning from its hands and chest, direct powerful magic missile-like effects in an instant, and crush opposition with its claws and tail. Most feared is its namesake ability, which has only been activated three times in known history, each time when the Weapon was on the brink of death. The Ultima energy mimics an implosion spell but can affect dozens of targets at a time.

Ultima Weapon   CR 24 XP 1,230,000 LE Colossal outsider (evil, law) Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +37, see invisibility Aura awe (30 ft., Will DC 32) Defense AC 42, touch 21, flat-footed 33 (-8 size, +8 Dex, +21 natural, +1 dodge, +10 deflection) hp 492 (25d10+300 plus 80); regeneration 15 (epic) Fort +19, Ref +22, Will +23 DR 20/epic and good or epic and chaotic; Immune constructed; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, sonic 10; SR 35 (40 vs. divination) Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, superior ferocity Offense Speed 60 ft., fly 180 ft. (average) Melee 2 claws +32 (4d6+15/19-20 plus 2d6 electricity), 2 wings +30 (2d8+7), tail slap +30 (4d12+22) Space 30 ft.; Reach 20 ft. (30 ft. with tail slap) Special Attacks binding shackles, force missiles, magitech beams, powerful blows (tail), trample (8d6+22, Ref DC 37), ultima Spell-like Abilities CL 25th, concentration +35 Constant—freedom of movement, nondetection (self only), planar adaptation, see invisibility At will—arcane sight, dimensional anchor, greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), moment of prescience 3/day—binding (DC 28), earthquake, empowered meteor swarm (DC 29) 1/day—freedom, gate (planar travel only), imprisonment (DC 29) Statistics Str 40, Dex 26, Con 33, Int 21, Wis 29, Cha 30 Base Atk +25; CMB +48 (+52 bull rush); CMD 77 (79 vs. bull rush, 81 vs. trip) Feats Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Dodge, Empower SLA (meteor swarm), Greater Bull Rush, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical Skills Acrobatics +33, Diplomacy +35, Fly +28, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (arcana, planes) +33, Knowledge (dungeoneering, religion) +30, Perception +37, Sense Motive +37, Spellcraft +33 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Giant, Infernal, truespeech SQ no breath, planar acclimation Ecology Environment any Organization unique Treasure triple standard Special Abilities Aura of Awe (Su) The first time a creature approaches within 30 feet of Ultima Weapon, it must succeed a DC 32 Will save or be dazed for 1d4 rounds. Regardless of whether it passes or fails the save, it cannot be affected by Ultima Weapon’s aura of awe for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing effect and the save DC is Charisma based. Binding Shackles (Su) Ultima Weapon can use its own body as a spell component for the binding spell-like ability. When it uses binding, it can make its own body the focus of the minimus containment version of the spell. Ultima Weapon can shackle a number of creatures to itself equal to its Intelligence modifier. Ultima Weapon can only use this ability on creatures with Hit Dice equal to or less than its own. Ultima Weapon can summon a creature contained inside itself as a standard action. The creature appears within 60 feet of Ultima Weapon, obeys Ultima Weapon without question, and counts as a summoned creature for the purposes of spells and effects. The creature remains for one minute or until slain, whereupon it returns to within Ultima Weapon without harm. Ultima Weapon cannot summon more than one creature this way at a time, and may summon each bound creature once per day. When Ultima Weapon is slain, the creatures remain bound inside its corpse. If freed, they behave as normal for their attitude and alignment, although they will likely be at least indifferent to any rescuer, if not more favorably disposed. Constructed (Ex) Although Ultima Weapon is a living outsider, their body is constructed of physical components, and in many ways they function as constructs. For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger's favored enemy and bane weapons), Ultima Weapon counts as both an outsider and construct. They are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Ultima Weapon is not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. They are not at risk of death from massive damage. They have bonus hit points as constructs of their size. Force Missiles (Su) As a swift action every 1d4 rounds, Ultima Weapon can fire 10 missiles of force. It may fire these all at a single target within 240 feet, or split fire between enemies, but multiple enemies must be within 30 feet of each other. Each missile strikes automatically, ignoring cover and concealment, and deals 2d4+2 force damage. Magitek Beams (Su) As a standard action every 1d4 rounds, Ultima Weapon may fire three beams of energy as 120 foot lines. A creature caught in each beam takes 25d6 damage, half of which is electricity and half of which is typeless (Reflex DC 33 half). A creature caught in multiple beams does not take additional damage, but suffers a -2 penalty to its save. These beams may be in fired in any direction from Ultima Weapon’s square. The save DC is Constitution based. Planar Acclimation (Ex) Ultima Weapon is always considered to be on its home plane, no matter what plane it is on. It never gains the extraplanar subtype, and the planar acclimation spell protects it from the hazards of any plane except the Material Plane. Superior Ferocity (Ex) Ulitma Weapon does not die until its negative hit points reach twice its Constitution score, or -66 hp. Ultima Weapon is not staggered when using ferocity, but does suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and to the saving throws of its special abilities. Ultima (Su) As a standard action once per day, Ultima Weapon can set up a destructive resonance in the bodies of all corporeal creatures within 60 feet. A creature affected takes 250 points of damage (Fortitude DC 30 half). A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage is destroyed and can only be returned to life by a miracle, true resurrection or wish spell. This can affect undead and constructs as long as they have a physical body—creatures in gaseous form and incorporeal creatures are unaffected. Ultima Weapon can only use this ability when it is below 0 hit points, with its superior ferocity ability. The save DC is Charisma based and has a -2 penalty from superior ferocity.

[monstersdownthepath]

Spiritual Spotlight: Valmallos, the Answering Rite

Lawful Neutral Primal Inevitable of Ceremonies, Magic, and Preparation

Domains: Law, Magic, Rune, Water Subdomains*: Inevitable, Rites, Legislation, Ice

Concordance of Rivals, pg. 19

Obedience: Spend 1 hour refining existing prayers, rituals, and spells by adding additional movements, verses, and diagrams. Benefit: Gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on skill checks to cast a ritual.

(*IMPORTANT NOTE: The Subdomains are my best guess; Subdomains are not listed in Concordance of Rivals. Anywhere! ... Also, Water??? Really? This is like the third deity that has nothing to do with water getting the Water Domain. I would replace it with the Knowledge Domain, Education Subdomain.)

Easy enough to do! You can focus on one at a time or do multiple alterations in one go, and you don’t even have to really carry anything with you, given how it doesn’t say you have to actually write down your... “Refinements.”

If there’s one problem I have with this Obedience, it’s that adding things to an existing work is not “refining” it, Valmallos. The word you’re looking for is “complicating,” especially if the work in question already works fine. Now, if you were shaving them down and making them less complex, THAT would be refining! And it’s especially glaring if your character doesn’t really know that many rituals, prayers, spells, etc etc etc because you’d just be very thoroughly scrombling up a perfectly good and operational hymn.

Since this Obedience is so simple to do (based on how it’s written, the alterations you make don’t even have to be particularly good), how about talking a bit on how well it fits Vallamalla here? You see, Val is the reason so many spells--especially higher-level ones--have restrictive component requirements. All those wild gestures and inane babbling you have to do to cast spells? Many of them were developed by the Answering Rite as a method of keeping them out of the hands of people ‘unworthy’ to wield such power. Valhalla dislikes it when people use magic as a toy or for trivial matters (the killjoy probably despises Prestidigitation) and believes it should only be used in accordance with one’s needs or goals, not just for willy-nilly inconveniences. Thus, spell components block off any but the most dedicated.

It hasn’t really stopped Wizards from using magic for trivial pursuits anyway, but y’know.

The benefit is... low-tier. Rituals by design are often far too slow and clunky for use in anything but player downtime (click the link to see all rituals currently available!), and their effects can usually be replicated with regular spellwork anyway. They’re mostly made so non-magical NPCs can still pull off magic and that cults can be a legitimate threat even when made of rank-and-file grunts with knives and robes. For a player to use ritual casting the ritual has got to be something special and unique... meaning it’ll probably be used once, for the sake of the plot. Plus, then there’s the annoyance of finding them in the first place, since they can’t be learned like a normal spell can. At the very least, a +4 to every single skill check you use to cast the ritual is a good benefit if you DO end up regularly casting them.

Boons are gained slowly, gained at levels 12, 16, and 20. Servants of the Monitors, though, can enter the Proctor Prestige Class as early as level 8. If entered as early as possible, you can earn your Boons at levels 10, 14, and 16. You MUST take the Monitor Obedience feat, NOT Deific Obedience. Monitors grant only a single set of Boons.

Boon 1: Enduring Magic. Gain Protection From Chaos 3/day, False Life 2/day, or Arcane Concordance 1/day.

False Life is a spell that I would never prepare, but would be happy to just have. It grants 1d10+Level (max +10) temporary HP that lasts for 1 hour/level, plenty of HP to survive one powerful attack or a lot of smaller ones... If you roll lucky. If you don’t, you may just end up with 11 extra HP.

It’s not worth if if you consider the power that Protection From Chaos and Arcane Concordance supply. ProFroCho stops Chaotic creatures in their tracks and protects the enchanted victim from even being touched, halting not only Proteans, but Demons and Azata. Arcane Concordance is also a VERY powerful spell, granting +1 DC to the saves of ALL spells cast within its area and allowing anything within its effect to automatically apply Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Silent Spell, or Still Spell Metamagic for free, though it’s painfully limited in two ways; one, its area of effect is a meager 10ft bubble around you. Two, the material component is a spent wand; wands are expensive!

However, as a spell-like, Arcane Concordance requires no components! And since the Proctor is a caster, you can benefit from your own power! AND forming a Hug Zone around yourself for all ally casters. With sufficient protection from enemies that would take advantage of such tightly-clustered treats, you can turn yourself into a powerful artillery platform... Plus there’s also the beautiful little detail about being able to use Arcane Concordance to give nearby allies Still or Silent Spell (but not both!) so they can cast even if you’re all tied up and being escorted to prison! 

Boon 2: Overwhelming Intricacy. When you cast a spell or spell-like ability whose casting time is at least 10 minutes, you increase the DC of saving throws to resist that spell by 1. If the spell's casting time is at least 1 hour, you instead increase the DC by 2.

Strokes my chin thoughtfully... Alright, alright, I see you. Power up your Nightmares and your various Symbol spells. Make it harder for called creatures to resist your Planar Bindings, and make your Glyphs of Warding harder to avoid. This is a decent bonus if you’re planning on setting traps for your enemies... Which is the opposite of what the players are usually doing, making this Boon powerful in the hands of NPCs but unattractive for players. +1 DC may not seem like a lot, and in truth it’s not, but it’s an untyped bonus that stacks with everything else you do, which counts for something.

The second portion of this Boon is much harder to take advantage of than the first, as spells which take an hour to cast that ALSO require a saving throw are rare... However, the biggest primary example of such a spell just so happens to be SCRYING, one of the most powerful tools a player can get their hands on, to the point that a side who doesn’t have it and takes no steps to protect themselves from it is the side destined to lose. Slapping an extra +2 to its DC, for free, is a big enough deal to make my opinion of this ability turn from a thumb-to-the-side to a thumbs up. What REALLY buffers this power, though, is the final Boon...

Boon 3: Sophisticated Symbols. 1/day you can cast a Symbol spell (such as Symbol of Persuasion) of 7th level or lower as a spell-like ability without needing material components, but the casting time is increased to 1 hour.  Alternatively, you can use this ability 1/day to eliminate any Symbol spell's material component by increase its casting time to 1 hour. You can maintain only a single Symbol spell created with this ability, and using this ability again causes the first Symbol to dissipate.

hhOOOOOOHHHHHH MAN

Alright even the most mobile of players will want to take a seat for an hour to scribe out the Symbol spells. Even with the level 7 restriction, that still means you can use the niche Symbols of Mirroring, Healing, Revelation, Scrying, Sleep, Striking, Persuasion, Sealing, as well as the heavier-hitting Symbols of Debauchery, Laughter, Slowing, Pain, Fear, Stunning, and Weakness. Carrying the thing around on a slat of wood covered by a tarp is a viable tactic, by the by, just don’t go throwing the thing like a frisbee since it’s debatable if Symbols can be used offensively like that. Depending on your DM’s answer, this ability could be anything from “outstanding” to “game-breaking,” though I’m sure allowing you to throw a single bouncy ball engraved with a Symbol of Laughter is something the DM will only allow once.

The biggest limiting factor for Symbols is often their incredibly costly material components, going anywhere from 500 to 15,000gp, a hefty order for the average player character to fill out day after day. But Sophisticated Symbols removes the draining of your bank account, and though you can only sustain one Symbol at a time, carrying Symbol of Slowing, Weakness, or Stunning into a fight with you, or using it to guard a location while you’re away, is still fantastic.

And if you can already cast Symbol spells, such as the higher-level Symbols of Death, Dispelling, Insanity (engrave that on a bouncy ball for extra fun), Vulnerability, and ESPECIALLY Symbol of Strife, this ability turns them from ‘use once in a great while’ to ‘exploit every day.’ And guess what? Extending the casting time to 1 hour means Overwhelming Intricacy kicks in, giving them a +2 DC to their saving throws. Nice! It’s almost good enough to help you ignore the fact that Vanhalen is kind of a jerk.

You can read more about him here.

[asktheadeptus]

Thanatar-class Siege Automata

The Thanatar-class Siege Automata is a heavy class Imperial robot utilized by the Legio Cybernetica during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the late-30th and early 31st Millennia. Designed as a mobile artillery platform rather than a general battle unit, it is armed with a Hellex Pattern Plasma Mortar. This is a terrifying weapon able to launch dense spheres of blazing plasma on arcing trajectories over defensive barriers and into the heart of enemy fortifications, incinerating anything in their blast radius with a liquid tide of sun-hot fire. The Thanatar 's frame, built to accommodate the huge weapon and the power systems and fuel reserves required to supply it, is considerably larger than even the hulking Castellax-class Battle Automata. Its frame is also heavily reinforced, both to withstand the stresses of firing its principal weapon and to protect it from incoming attacks. This factor, alongside the use of an Atomantic Shield array, make Thanatars notoriously durable. Such is their resilience that Thanatars are beyond the ability of most small arms, no matter how advanced, to harm. It is not known if this particular class of heavy-siege automata is still utilised by the mysterious Legio Cybernetica in the late 41st Millennium.

History

Unlike many of the Battle Automata produced to enhance the Mechanicum's military power during the Great Crusade, the origins and lineage of the Thanatar pattern remain uncertain, save perhaps for the fact that its armament was known to be the product of the Forge World of Ryza. Ryza remained the only locale where the Hellax Pattern weaponry utilized by the Thanatar was produced during the time of the Great Crusade.

Notable Variants

Thanatar-Calix class Siege-automata - The Thanatar-Calix Class Siege-Automata is a potent war machine and a wonder of the Mechanicum's craft. Combining arcane and secret technologies, it carries a twin-linked Mauler Bolt Cannon alongside a rare Solex pattern Heavy Lascannon, whose beams of coherent light can reach far across a battlefield to lethal effect. The Thanatar-Calix's most destructive armament though is the Graviton Ram, a weapon whose origins are lost in the Dark Age of Technology. The ram's crushing waves of gravitational force can pulverise infantry and vehicles alike, and it can be utterly devastating at both range and close quarters. The Thanatar frame, designed as a heavy weapons platform, is well armoured and further protected by Atomantic Shield Generators, making it nearly impervious to all but the heaviest of weapons fire. Whilst it is slow to advance, the Thanatar-Calix's durability allows it to close steadily on its target, moving ever nearer until its formidable weaponry can be brought into range.

Unit Composition

1 to 5 Thanatar-class Siege Automata (comprising a Maniple)

Wargear

Hellex Pattern Plasma Mortar - Shunning the crude shells favoured by most siege guns, the Hellex Plasma Mortar fired high-density charges of burning plasma in programmed trajectory arcs timed to detonate over their targets. These airbursts created rolling waves of incinerating energy which engulfed the surrounding area, burning through anything they encountered.

Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannon - The Mechanicum utilised a variety of Bolter weaponry which, while operating on similar principles to the standardised weapons of the Legiones Astartes, were often more sophisticated and difficult to maintain. Such weapons include the Mauler Pattern Bolt Cannon, a fearsomely-baroque and bulky automatic cannon using substantially larger and denser shells than a standard Heavy Bolter.

Infravisor - This simple visor allows its user to see across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. So equipped, they can see better in low-light conditions than a normal human could see in optimal daylight.

Atomantic Shielding - Certain Battle-automata featured particularly powerful Atomantic Reactor cores designed to energise defensive field generators built into the Battle-automata's exterior armour plating, as well as power its combat systems.

Optional Wargear

Searchlight

Enhanced Targeting Array

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com