Goblin Gear: Orc Scorpionship part II

Second part, helm & spells.



Blood Altars: Orc Lifejammers

            Being a cruel and savage race, it is little surprise that orcs
would use helms that involve inflicting pain and suffering to fly their
ships.  The secrets of the lifejammer are a gift from evil deities.
Yurtrus, the orc god of death, is considered the most likely inventor of the
lifejammer, although he may have stolen the secrets from another.

            A lifejammer takes the form of a pitch black stone alter about
three feet long, two feet wide, and a little over two feet high.  Grooves on
the upper surface draws blood spilled upon it into a basin at the center of
the top.  The blood then flows through a tiny drain at the bottom of the
basin, emptying into tiny channels run throughout the entire ships, just as
veins in a human.  When blood is freshly spilled, the veins glow with a
hellish crimson light.  The light dims over the course of the day, until it
vanishes completely after twenty-four hours, when a fresh batch of blood
must be sacrificed.

            Each lifejammer is linked to a ceremonial dagger, carried by the
ship's witch doctor or shaman.  If lost or destroyed, a new dagger must be
crafted (see below).  The dagger is made from bone, gold, and gemstones.
The edge is very sharp, and black from dried blood.

            The lifejammer is a terrible device.  To make it operate, blood
must be spilled upon it altar, which uses to fly the scorpionship.  The
damage must be inflicted by the ceremonial dagger, which causes a minimum of
1d8 points of damage as it draws life from a victim, who must make a saving
throw or perish due to the necromantic energies (3e: Fortitude save, DC 15;
2e: Save vs. Death, no penalty).  The damage cannot be magically healed or
regenerated; it can only be healed naturally.  Healing skills and
proficiencies will have not affect on the rate of healing.  The bloodletting
is part of an elaborate ritual that involves chanting in tongues and making
precise cuts.  The whole ritual takes 1 minute for every 1d8 points
sacrificed.

            At the option of the shaman (or witch doctor), more damage can
be inflicted on a victim to increase the speed of the ship.  For every 1d8
points of damage inflicted, the ship gains 1 ship's rating, to a maximum of
ship's rating 5.  Thus, if the shaman were to cause 3d8 points of damage to
a victim, the blood gives the ship a ship's rating of 3.  Every additional
ship's rating increases the chances of death (3e: +2 to DC per point; 2e: -1
penalty to save).

            After the blood is collected, the victim is no longer needed and
can be tossed back in a cell, tossed overboard, or returned to duties
(depending on the circumstances).  In exchange for this blood sacrifice, the
scorpion can be flown without tying up a spellcaster or forcing the helmsman
to sacrifice his spellcasting abilities for a day.

            Crafting a lifejammer is a fairly simple task, so long as the
proper materials are gathered.  The stone must come from the cold, dead
heart of an extinct volcano.  Tools of cold iron are used to carve fiendish
runes into the stone.  The runes must be carved during nights of a new moon,
when darkness is strongest.  Ritualistic chanting and the sacrifice of a
living being (preferably an elf, human, or dwarf) completes the alter piece
of the lifejammer.  A rib bone is torn from the victim's carcass and used to
craft the ceremonial dagger.  The dagger takes 3 days to complete.  Making
the alter takes a month to construct.

            Once complete, the lifejammer can be installed.  If the ship is
a scorpionship made from the exoskeleton of a dead scorpion, no further work
needs to be done; blood will flow through veins already existing in the
exoskeleton.  For all other ships, tiny grooves must be carved into the
sides of the ship to allow blood to flow to every part of the ship.  This is
a labor-intensive process that takes about a week for every ten tons of
ship.





Scorpionship Spells

            The orcs have devised a number of vicious spells for use in
conjunction with a scorpionship.  It is unknown if any of the spells
presented below will operate with other ship; all copies were destroyed by
the elves during the Unhuman Wars.  Undoubtedly the Elven Fleet has copies
of their own hidden away in a library in Lionheart.  The scro might have
their own versions, keyed to their own ship designs.



Hellfire Claws

Level: 3

Range: 0

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round/level

Casting Time: 9

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: None



            This spell places an enchantment on metal claws, such as those
found on a scorpionship.  The claws will glow red-hot, with small bursts of
flames dancing across the surface of the claws.  Due to the great heat, any
creature struck by the claw suffers and additional 3-12 points of heat
damage.  Against ships, the ship must make a saving throw vs. fire or suffer
an additional hull point of damage due to the burning heat.  The claws can
set fire to sails and rigging, tearing them away with great ease.

            The material components of this spell are a billows, sulfur
dust, and coal.  The billows are used to stoke the coals and spread sulfur
over the claws.



Sting of the Star Scorpion

Level: 2

Range: 0

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 2 rounds/level

Casting Time: 4

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: None



            The Sting of the Star Scorpion is a simple enchantment that is
cast on the tail of a scorpionship.  The orc spellcaster can then cast
certain, so-called "venom" spells through the tail, using the inherent magic
of spelljammers to increase the power of these spells.  The spells siphons
power from the helm such that for every round in which a spell is cast
through the tail in this manner decreases the ship's speed by one point for
one round.  Each tail can handle only one spell per round besides the
initial Sting of the Star Scorpion spell.

            The component of this spell is a scorpionship with an active
helm aboard it.



Animate Sting

Level: 4

Range: 0

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 2 rounds/level

Casting Time: 1 round

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: None

            This powerful spell imbues the tail of a scorpionship with a
life of its own.  The spellcaster can direct the tail by concentrating.  If
the spellcaster can direct the tail to repeat a command (usually striking at
a ship) until he gives it a new order.   Any weapon on the tail can no
longer be used, but the tail gains melee attacks.  The tail can strike once
per round, causing 1-2 hull points against ships or 3-24 hit points against
creatures.  The tail attacks as with the same THAC0/BAB as the caster who
cast the spell.  Animated Stinger siphons power from an active spelljammer
helm, draining 1 point of SR while the spell is active.

            The material component of this spell is a scorpionship with an
active helm aboard it.



Scorpion Tailblade

Level: 2

Range: 0

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round/level

Casting Time: 3

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: None

            The Tailblade spell causes a vicious metal blade to grow out of
the tip of the tail of a scorpionship.  The blade can be used in conjunction
with the Animated Stinger spell, increasing the damage done by the tail to
2-3 hull points versus ships and 4-32 points of damage versus creatures.



Woodvenom

Level: 2

Range: 0

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Special

Casting Time: 5

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: Nil

            This spell is used in conjunction with the animate sting spell.
When cast on the animated tail of a scorpionship, it creates a tiny
reservoir of specialized venom that causes rot in wooden targets.  Each
strike causes 1-3 points of wood rot damage.  The reservoir has enough venom
for 1 strike for every 5 levels of the caster.  The venom can remain unused
for up to 1 day; after that time, the venom loses its potency.  Woodvenom
does not affect any creature other than plant creatures such as treants.
Against plant creatures like treants, a strike causes 3-18 points of damage.

            The material component of this spell is a piece of wood infected
with wood rot.



Airvenom

Level: 1

Range: 4 hexes

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Instantaneous

Casting Time: 4

Area of Effect: Special

Saving Throw: None

            The airvenom spell creates a sphere of poisonous gas that is
launched from the tail of the scorpionship.  It makes a single attack roll
as if made by the caster of the spell with a +2 bonus to hit (it merely
needs to hit the air envelope of the other ship).  If the sphere hits, the
poison gas mixes into the air envelope.  The poison degrades the air
envelope of the ship at the rate of 1d12 man-days per level of the caster.
Thus, a 7th level orc spellcaster that uses this spell against an enemy ship
can destroy 7d12 man-days of air if it hits.  If the sphere misses, it
dissipates harmlessly.

            The material component of this spell is a rotten egg.



Cometvenom

Level: 3

Range: 5 hexes

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Instantaneous

Casting Time: 3

Area of Effect: 15' radius

Saving Throw: ½

            The cometvenom spell creates an icy sphere that is launched from
the tail of the scorpionship.  It makes a single attack roll as if made by
the caster of the spell.  If the sphere hits, it bursts into a sphere of
unbelievable cold.  Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving
throw vs. spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of cold damage.  The
spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs. cold
or be rendered inoperable.  The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage.
If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly.

            The material component of this spell is an iceball made from the
ice of a comet.



Meteorvenom

Level: 3

Range: 5 hexes

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Instantaneous

Casting Time: 3

Area of Effect: 15' radius

Saving Throw: ½

            The meteorvenom spell creates a fiery sphere that is launched
from the tail of the scorpionship.  It makes a single attack roll as if made
by the caster of the spell.  If the sphere hits, it explodes into a
fireball.  Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw vs.
spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of fire and debris damage.
The spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs.
fire or be destroyed.  The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage and
can start fires.  If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly.

            The material component of this spell is a rock taken from a
meteor that has passed through the atmosphere of a world of at least size D.