Steam Armor
Steam-powered armor has existed in one form or another over the last century. In terms of their impact on military design, the fundamental mechanics of steam-powered armor parallel the development of warcaster armor. When the first mass-produced suit of steam armor emerged from Jachemir's foundry in Khorsk, it simply affirmed the usefulness and durability of such devices. Steam-powered warriors, unlike warcasters, did not require elite training, and they consumed fewer resources than warjacks while providing a similar return on the battlefield.
Because steam-powered armor has a reputation for being able to dole out and absorb punishment nearly as well as a light warjack, it has become widespread among mercenary companies and militias that cannot easily afford warjacks. The Man-O-War—the most widely known type of steam-powered armor—is a prime example of a mass-produced version. Most suits of steam armor are cobbled together by mechaniks. Some are retrofit models that use salvaged parts and customized armor, while others are unique models built entirely from scratch with signature styles. The individuality and built-in idiosyncrasies of such armor often render it operable only by the builder, although Man-O-War armor is built with a standard series of controls an elite solider can be trained to use. Most suits of steam-powered armor stand six to ten feet tall. No matter their size, such suits are uniformly designed to be driven by a steam-based power plant—the boiler— mounted on the rear of the armor. Most suits of steam armor are bulky, heavily armored, and enhanced with numerous mechanikal attachments.
The operator’s space aptly called “the coffin” is a heavily insulated and armored cavity in the chest of the armor. The operator sits in the coffin with arms and legs extended into the arms and legs of the suit, and the inner arms are equipped
with grasp manipulators and various controls that fit in and around the operator’s hands. The coffin only partially covers the operator. A hinged armored cowling, much like the visor on a knight’s helm, typically covers the operator’s head. This
cowling is often folded up in order to ventilate fresh air into the armor’s interior but is folded down in battle in order to foil snipers and protect against shrapnel.
Getting into and out of Steam Armor
Due to a large number of straps, locking buckles, and secure points, steam armor is difficult to put on and take off. Standard-class steam armor takes 15 minutes to put on and 10 minutes to take off, and heavy-class steam armor takes 18 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively. STEAM ARMOR FEATURES Steam armor has several unique features, as described below.- While you are operating steam armor that has power, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
- Steam armor has a damage threshold of 5 and a critical damage threshold of 10.
- You have a maximum Dexterity modifier of 0 while wearing steam armor.
- While wearing steam armor, your base speed becomes 20 unless it is already lower.
- If you are wearing steam armor and hit a target with an unarmed strike, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
CRITICAL DAMAGE
A solid hit can still rock a massive suit of steam-powered armor. If you are wearing such armor, roll on the Critical Damage table whenever one of the following happens:- An attacker scores a critical hit against you.
- The armor takes an amount of damage from a single attack or effect equal to or greater than its critical damage threshold value.
- The armor is subjected to circumstances that warrant a dangerous malfunction, as determined by the GM
Warcaster Armor
Militaries equip their warcasters with mechanikal armor so advanced that only the most skilled armorers and arcane mechaniks understand its construction techniques. Each suit of warcaster armor is custom-fitted to the individual. Although plate armor is the basis for warcaster armor, many types can be modified to suit the needs of an individual ’caster, with some warcasters choosing to sacrifice protection in order to augment their mobility. Every suit of warcaster armor is unique, and the cost, look, and specific materials vary considerably. The most expensive and refined suits are built from the finest alloys by the militaries of wealthy nations, and they include small, precisely tooled components. By contrast, those produced by mercenary companies and poorer nations are usually more cumbersome and employ heavier metals and thicker pipes and gauges. Yet even these are marvels of modern mechanika, using scores of dedicated runeplates connected by an intricate lattice of arcane conduits. Most importantly, each suit of warcaster armor integrates an arcane turbine, a highly efficient and advanced type of steam engine worn on the back and fueled by coal. The steam engine in an arcane turbine powers small internal mechanisms, the negligible weight of which allows the turbine to run for many hours on a small quantity of coal. A turbine typically needs to be refueled once a day, although it can sustain itself at its lowest setting over several days of use if its wearer does not engage in active combat. Warcaster armor includes exhaust pipes for venting smoke and excess steam pressure. These tubes expel thick plumes when running at full power but only a trickle when dampened. Warcasters must be wary of running an arcane turbine at full power in enclosed spaces, such as aboard a passenger train, where emissions can quickly become a breathing hazard. The heart of the turbine is a complex series of wire-coiled wheels spinning inside a thinly layered metal lattice, all constructed of arcane-sensitive alloys. When worn by a warcaster who has bonded to the armor, the turbine powers a protective power field around the warcaster that helps negate the armor’s encumbrance and safely disperses the heat generated by its boiler. This field absorbs damage that would otherwise be sustained by the warcaster. A warcaster can enhance the field’s otective qualities by overboosting it, thereby allowing the warcaster to walk unscathed through explosions and direct fire that would otherwise be instantly fatal. WARCASTER POWER FIELDS The Focus Manipulation feature allows a warcaster to reduce incoming damage while wearing warcaster armor, but in addition, excess power from the armor’s arcane turbine can be used to produce a protective shield around a bonded wearer. While its boiler is fueled and its arcane turbine is operating, a bonded suit of warcaster armor generates a power field that acts as a buffer against incoming amage. Note that non-bonded warcaster armor cannot generate a power field. As a bonus action, a warcaster can expend charges from the armor’s arcane turbine. Each charge expended in this way grants the warcaster 1d4 temporary hit points that last for 1 minute. Warcaster Armor, Light. This warcaster armor is made of lightweight plate and includes a breastplate designed to support the armor’s turbine and boiler. Because much of the warcaster’s body is left unarmored, this armor relies primarily on the power field for protection. Light warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules. If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Warcaster Armor, Medium. This warcaster armor is based on the infantry armor used throughout the Iborian Empire. Although it invariably includes a fitted breastplate that houses the armor’s arcane turbine, other elements vary from nearly full suits of plate armor to armored shoulder and leg elements in combination with an armored greatcoat. Medium warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules. If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 13 or higher. Warcaster Armor, Heavy. This warcaster armor is based on extremely heavy full plate armor and fitted with a huge boiler and arcane turbine. Although the armor is effectively weightless, its sheer bulk somewhat restricts its wearer’s movement. Heavy warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules. If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 15 or higher.
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