Goodman Games

I have a question regarding the use of some of the steam powers. If I understand it correctly, attaching a pump to a pilot light shoots a flame forward in a line attack (hitting everything in the way, like a line spell) When combined with an amplifier, the maximum range of the stream would be the 'area' of the original divided by 5 feet. So with a pilot light, 4 amplifiers, and a pump you would have a light that illuminates 25 square feet, and can fire a flame up to 125 ft. With 6 amplifiers, this increases to 175 ft. Um. I might be wrong, but this seems a bit excessive. Considering that a flamethrower fired in this fashion hits everything in a line, this would be (very roughly) a flamethrower with a range of up to a 100 metres! Maybe I made a calculation error, but a flamethrower that can shoot flames higher than most mechs are tall doesnt seem right.

Size isnt an issue; this is still about a large weapon. Furthermore, the pump mentions a range inc of 40ft. Would this still apply to a flamethrower, for example, or a torch? The same questions apply to the billows and lobber.

Whereas building the mech in the first place makes perfect sense? This is fantasy engineering, after all.

Your calculations are correct. It seems reasonable to me. Achieving that 125-foot flamethrower requires 6 steam powers, or all the steam powers of a normal 5th level coglayer. A coglayer with a higher Int and the right feats could build this weapon sooner, but it would still constitute a healthy portion of his total power output. Meanwhile, wizards of similar level are lobbing around 2nd or 3rd level spells, and fighters are learning Great Cleave.

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Joseph Goodman
Goodman Games
www.goodman-games.com

Oh right, silly me. I forgot steam powers were level-dependant benefits. Thanks for clearing that up.

So my coglayer can slap boilers on four or five hydrolic armors so they have a 40 STR and they go mech hunting?

One thing you have to remember is that it is going to be a very large device as well to do that.

I do not have my book on hand but I know that is going to be at LEAST large and likely huge.

It's more of a large cart with the flame gun on it then it is what most people thing as a flame thrower.

Think the chinese Dragon Tanks