Design Phase, Turn 4Steiner's Kinetic Shield (Enchantment)
Barrier is okay at a pinch for keeping a mage alive, but it's a brute force approach. Mage Steiner felt a more efficient approach was needed.
The Kinetic Shield consists of a small buckler to be strapped to the user's forearm, with an inbuilt flywheel. When activated, the buckler projects a "shield" (in much the same way barrier does) around the buckler. Any object that attempts to pass through the area within the shield has its kinetic energy "stolen" and transferred to the flywheel. Thus, a burst of small arms fire will end up with a handful of bullets suspended in front of the user and a slowly spinning flywheel. A simple grip brake (like on a bicycle) allows the user to slow down and stop the flywheel.
More powerful attacks such as high calibre rounds or explosives will naturally carry more kinetic energy and speed up the flywheel more, so user discretion is advised to avoid the flywheel spinning too fast and violently disassembling.
Design: Steiner's Kinetic Shield (5) [Hard]
"Dr. Steiner would like to make it perfectly clear that this tool has absolutely no connections to Abbracccio's so-called 'Fulcrum Armor'. The Kinetic Shield was developed independently
long before we started seeing instances of Fulcrum Armor on the battlefield, and it is in no way inspired by Abbraccio's similar -
yet distinct - bullet-stopping enchantment."
-Dr. Dino Horvat, representative of Dr. Dubravko Steiner
Steiner's Kinetic Shield is a free-spinning circular disk set within a frizbee-shaped cradle which can be mounted to a Mage's forearm. The disk and cradle are both engraved with a complex series of spiral runes inlaid with copper filigree, all connected and leading into the center of the device. Due to the complex nature of the enchantment, additional surface area was needed for further magical instructions; engravings controlling the field of effect, targeting, redirection, threshold values, etc are inscribed on larger rectangular sheets, which are then rolled into cylinders and affixed to the edges of the frame. Upon activation, the Kinetic Shield will detect, target, and redirect the kinetic energy of any sufficiently high-velocity physical object with the shields range (4' radius half-circle directly ahead of the face). The kinetic energy is rapidly redirected into the center disk, causing the flywheel to spin. This stored energy can be safely dissipated by engaging the braking mechanism. In preliminary tests, this tool has proven apt at neutralizing otherwise lethal rifle rounds and shrapnel. Unlike the Barrier, the SKS can defend the user without their direct intervention, though at a much higher budgetary cost.
While the enchantment works fine, a few aspects of the design stand to be improved. The field only covers the forward vectors of the user, leaving them prone to flanking fire. Sufficiently high amounts of incoming fire can overwhelm the shield, causing the brakes and bearings to melt or even shatter. While the shield can hold up against rifle rounds and sprays of shrapnel, direct or near-misses from artillery strikes (or other high-energy objects) will be able to pass through the field before their energy can be sapped. However, most notable is the fact that the field is indiscriminate of "friendly" fire and the shield must be turned off or redirected to the side in order for the user to fire small arms. This has additional complications for nearby allies, and the SKS can easily cause jams when operating over a firearm during operation. Additionally, the placement of the shield on the forearm is rather unweildy for rifle use, as the field no longer protects directly ahead and the physical frame can get in the way. As one tester asked, "Why can't they make it into a breastplate? Or better yet, a backpack?"
Despite these issues, the Steiner's Kinetic Shield is leaps and bounds better than our existing defensive equipment. Some of our more experienced Mages would even go as far as to call it "pretty good". Users can still cast while using it, and so long as they have the Mana to power it the field will render them virtually invulnerable against low-to-moderate rates of rifle fire - and without wearing out like the Fulcrum Armor does. The SKS can maintain its enchantment for more than 40 hours when on standby mode, and run down a Rookie's Mana Pool in 6 hours when active. Neutralizing small arms fire will increase Mana consumption accordingly.
Progress: (0/13)(3)
Type: Enchantment
Experience: Rookie
Cost: 6
Synergetic Scepter - Life
This design is a specialized wand --well, really a staff-- aimed at both vastly improving the effectiveness of the Rune of Power - Life (as the rune seems to have had more of a morale impact than a tactical one) and creating a base for further staves for our runic spells.
The Synergetic Scepter is not a small, thin little wand: it's a sizable staff, as a matter of fact, though it is usable if a little clunky with one hand. The staff is made of wood, though efforts are made for the construction to be fairly sturdy, as far as wood construction goes. The reason that the Synergetic Scepter is as big as it is is because of the way that it uses the real estate that size creates. Along the surface of the Synergetic Scepter, making it the Synergetic Scepter - Life, are a series of Runes of Power - Life, drawn in intricate patterns that swirl in rings around the staff before meeting at a single point at the top of the staff. The intent of this is to both remove the requirement to stop and bandage somebody, as mana can be pumped through the runes on demand through the Scepter, and to vastly increase the speed and power of the spell through the patterns and the multiple runes, allowing for rapid on-the-battlefield recovery from wounds.
The Scepter is intended to be modular enough as a concept for a runic staff that it merely takes a revision in the future to tailor new versions of it for other spells.
Design: Synergetic Scepter - Life (
1) [Hard]
Well, they can't all be winners.
Made of wood and inscribed with Runes of Power, the Synergetic Scepter attempts to amplify the healing effect of our Rune by increasing surface area. The staff is painstakingly etched with these runes, all focused and drawn to the central tip of the Scepter like a bunch of batteries wired in series. The effects are immediate and noticeable; when tested on living goats, the Synergetic Scepter will halt bleeding from gunshot wounds as soon as the effect is applied. While useful for preventing blood loss, the Scepter will also cause fractured bones to heal as well. This carries considerable danger, as broken arms or legs will heal crooked or twisted unless set properly, and modern X-Ray machines are just slightly too big to fit in a standard medic's satchel. Additionally, loose bone splinters will form bizarre, unique, and fragile spiderweb-like latices around the fracture and further complicate the healed wound.
Healed areas tend to form rather
horrific scars. While this isn't a terrible issue for peripheral wounds, this can be close to a death sentence for internal organs or ruptured arteries. The Scepter functions only on living or recently-living tissue and will not heal injuries to corpses undergoing cellular death.
Mana consumption for Rookie-level Mages is 100%. Though extraordinarily high, some may argue that going a day without casting a spell could be worth saving a life. For use in the field, carrying a staff as well as a rifle may become cumbersome.
Most of these issues seem to revolve around the rather directionless and random pattern of runes applied to the staff, as well as the non-uniform nature of a wooden medium. A more precise design could possibly resolve most of these issues, as well as further exploration of the Rune of Power itself.
Notably, the Synergetic Scepter is more expensive than the standard Rune of Power, despite being a Sorcery rather than an Enchantment. It seems that while the basic Runes are inexpensive and feature low levels of effect, more elaborate designs will proportionally increase in cost.
Progress: (0/9)(1)
Type: Sorcery
Experience: Rookie
Cost: 4
Revision Phase, Turn 40 Dice Available.
Army: Neutral. "The men seem to like them, at least." -General Weingartner
Navy: Poor. "We nearly had them in Porec, and we lost it. We could have pushed them out of the peninsula, and we damn lost it." -Admiral Waismann
Political: Neutral. "They're not very...classical, are they? Where's the fire? The lightning? The flaming swords?" -King Meusburger
Public: Positive. "My cousin's a soldier. He wrote home about a mage that bandaged him up with a weird symbol, said it saved his life." -Random Citizen
Sorceries
Clear Sight: A spell developed by old mages with poor eyesight. Created by preparing a bowl of spring water, which is then stirred with the Mages wand of choice while casting. The Mage then dips their face into the bowl and opens their eyes. The water adheres to the pupil, forming a lens to correct the refraction of light into the back of the eye. Sorcery is good for 16 hours of use unless refreshed. May require practice. It is advised not to rub your eyes when in use. [Rookie] [1]
Sky Eye: The practice of casting ones very soul out of their body and observing the surrounding area, or at least achieving an effect similar. A Mage's disembodied perspective can reach about 100 meters for every experience level (100m for Rookie, 200m for Competent, etc). Spell is cast through a ritual involving a bowl of spring water and a period of meditation. The Mage's perspective is displayed on the surface of the water as a reflection, allowing non-Mages to see. Mages are able to cast despite distractions and maintain the effect for three hours before ending it. [Rookie] [3]
Synergetic Scepter - Life: A wooden staff engraved with Runes of Power. Completely drains a Rookie's Mana when used, but will heal an otherwise lethal wound. Causes horrific scarring, and functions poorly with broken limbs, damaged arteries, and internal organs. Large and cumbersome. [Rookie] [4] [<50% Complete]
Evocations
Palm of Light: Imaginatively named, this Evocation causes the palms of a Mages hands to glow. Light feeds directly off the users Mana pool, but the draw is negligible at low intensities. Mana is channeled through the use of a hand sign (open palm, fingers together). Extended use may cause tingles in the palm region. Light at high intensities can cause first degree burns on the palms. [Rookie]
Telekinesis: Cast through movements borrowed from tai chi and yoga. Can manipulate objects larger than a loaf of bread within a range of 10 meters, exerting a force between 250 and 450 newtons. Linear Telekinetic Precision allows the user to hurl oblong objects with surprising accuracy at respectable speeds. [Rookie]
Barrier: Similar to our Telekinesis spell, but for stopping bullets. Presents a solid "wall" of magical energy directly in front of the Mage in the shape of a flat circle. Barrier prevents matter from moving across this boundary by directly counter-acting the force presented against it. Defending against bullets can eat up a large chunk of a Mage's Mana supply. The spell does not do well against multiple rapid hits, such as from concentrated fire or from a burst of shrapnel, and will crumple. Sufficiently high-force hits may also cause the shield to crumple, but the redistributed force could also send a Mage flying if not properly braced. The size of the shield can be adjusted up to the Mage's height in diameter before it becomes too unstable to hold. [Competent]
Enchantments
Dr. Baeder’s ‘Never Lost’ Compass: From a short-lived attempt to commercialize magical items, Dr. Baeder’s ‘Never Lost’ Compass is a standard 2” compass featuring N, S, E, and W on the face, along with a freely swinging needle. A button on the top will lock the current location to the compass, causing the needle to point towards it. It was later revealed that the user must be a Mage for the button to work, resulting in abysmal sales. A complex system of circles and lines on the back hold the imbued Mana, and pressing the button causes the target circle to shift and lock the current location. Replenishes itself naturally when attached to a Mage, but will only run for an hour by itself. [Rookie] [4]
Rune of Power: A Rune gleaned from holy sites in the wilderness around Kolubaria. When applied to a wounded person, the rune will slow bleeding, dull pain, and encourage quick healing. Applied via ink produced from a collection of various herbs. Rune resembles a number of concentric circles with an exploded star reaching out from the center, connected at the points with forked lines. Will burn through its own spell-Mana within 8 hours unless applied to a Mage, or refreshed by a Mage. [Rookie] [2]
Rune of Power - Water Control: A Rune gleaned from battle sites in the north around Germany. When applied to the ground, the rune will gradually draw water towards itself over the course of a few hours, turning the soil nearby to mud. Alternatively, the rune can also be used to draw water away, helping dry certain areas. The rune can cover an area of 10 meters and can be made with virtually any physical components that leave a shape, such as string, stones, a furrow in the ground, etc. Rune resembles a circle with a number of branching lines. [Rookie] [2] [<50%]
Camo Cloak v2: A cloak laden with pigments. Can rearrange pigments to form adaptive camo, though the change in pattern requires the user to do so manually. Resolution on the cloak isn't much more than blurry patches. The cloak must be maintained thoroughly to ensure the dyes stay fresh and the fabric does not grow brittle. [Competent] [8]
Scrying Focus: A pure quartz set within a steel ring and charged with a Mage's unique Mana signature. Allows that Mage to tether themselves to the focus when casting Sky Eye up to 10 kilometers away, though the distance they can move away from the object is halved. [Rookie] [4]
Steiner's Kinetic Shield: A buckler-sized flywheel, set within an enchanted cradle. Redirects kinetic energy of high-velocity projectiles into the flywheel. Active field is a 4' half-sphere ahead of the shield. Worn on the forearm, enchantment lasts 40 hours in stand-by mode and 6 hours when active. Draws increased Mana when stopping projectiles. [Rookie] [6] [<50% Complete]
Misc Magical Equipment
GDMC Mk. 3b: A General Directive Magic Computator, Mk. 3, version b. A little larger than an open hand, and physically resembles a pocketwatch. The internals feature a revolving metal disk engraved with a spider web, which is powered by a wound spring. A GDMC is a method of efficiently directing a Mage’s magic into Sorceries and reducing the amount of Mana required to perform a spell; essentially a general-purpose spell circle. The device functions a bit like a funnel, helping capture unfocused magical energy from a Mage. Allows a Mage to more easily cast two spells at once by off-loading some of the focus required. Expensive, delicate, and time-consuming to produce, each GDMC is hand-crafted and Enchanted by skilled non-combat Mages, intermixing the magical and mechanical. This better allows a Mage to focus his Mana through a well-understood means and redirect it into a secondary means of spell direction, such as a wand or circle. Enchantments must be maintained daily. [10]
Wooden Wand: Carved from broom handles, fence posts, and any other scrap of wood that can be found. Used to assist in Direction during spell-casting, allowing the user to more efficiently spend their Mana and apply their Will. Generally engraved with lines and symbols by the user. Used for casting low-level Sorceries, with a penalty to effectiveness. Generally, a wand should be specialized to whatever spell is being cast, but this works in a pinch. [0]
Mundane Weapons
Weisz-Vaszary Model 95: A modern bolt-action rifle, taking advantage of new smokeless powder cartridges. Proudly produced by brave factory workers in the homeland. The Weisz-Vaszary is the standard weapon for our infantry in the field, who will all point out that a rifle round will kill a man dead just as surely as a fireball. Long, heavy, and chambered for 8 mm rounds fed out of an internal 5-round box. The body is made of hardwood, and the rifled barrel is fitted with lugs for bayonets. Prone to rust despite proper care, and accuracy tends to decrease noticeably over the rifle’s lifetime. [5]
Makovecz 8mm: Standard-issue sidearm. Redeeming qualities are cheap cost and compact size. Comes with a seven round magazine and a safety that works most of the time, although the mechanisms are prone to wearing out and causing misfires. Short range. [1]
Double-Barrel Shotugn: Commonly used by hunters and farmers. Can be sawn short if needed. Spent shells must be removed manually. [3]
Spotting Scope: A small brass telescope, usually reserved for officers. [2]
Lanner Special: The Spotting Scope, to be affixed to the Weisz-Vaszary Model 95. Mounted in a small bracket, mounted on a rail, mounted on the wooden body of the gun. Surprisingly accurate, with hand-drawn crosshairs and adjustable screws to zero out the scope. [2]
Alpenkanone Shells: 7 cm shells from light mountain artillery guns. HE with percussion fuses. Comes with brass casings and powder, but they can be removed if needed. Slightly larger than a loaf of bread. Cheap, since 7 cm cannons are common among Kolubarian artillery teams and there is no supply shortage. [1]
Misc
Mage Uniform ’14: Standard mass-produced infantry uniform, adapted for mages. Durable and warm, but made from itchy wool. Gray trousers and jacket with a sharp-looking collar go over top, with faded red vest and pale shirt underneath. Boots mix together leather and canvas to stay cheap. Supplies are kept in a satchel that hangs down by the hip, leaving the other hip free for a sidearm. A floppy old-fashioned wizard's hat adds an additional foot and a half of height, though it tends to slip and block the wearer's vision. Does not protect against bullets or shrapnel. [0 ]
Budget: 27
Rune of Power - Water Control | (3/10)(3) | 3 Dice Spent | [Rookie] | [0 ] | Enchantment
Synergetic Scepter - Life | (0/9)(1) | 3 Dice Spent | [Rookie] | [0 ] | Sorcery
Steiner's Kinetic Shield | (0/13)(3) | 3 Dice Spent | [Rookie] | [0 ] | Enchantment
ScirePerun 1 | Competent | Recon
Veles 2 | Competent | Sky Eye
Svarog 3 | Competent | Front-Line
Dazhbog 4 | Rookie | Sky Eye
Author
Topic: Wands Race 2: The Great War - Kolubaria (Read 23861 times)