An Introduction

A visual guide to the ships and their systems in Ager Gensiustus. By D. M. Zwerg

Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................3 Propulsion Systems.........................3
Gravity Drives.................................3
Ship Foil...........................................4 Gravity Plate.....................................4 Actuare Gravitus (Gravomag)..........5 Gravity Coil......................................5 Gravitic Accelerator.........................7 Comet Drive.....................................7 Lightning Arc Drive.........................8

Landing Craft (Planetary)..............17 Transportation Stones.....................17

Miscellaneous...............................17
Libraries.........................................17 Labs................................................17 Teleprobes (sensors).......................17 Communications............................18
Internal..........................................18 External.........................................18

Reaction Drives...............................9
Creature: Aspidochelone..................9

Lading Capable..............................18 Docking Capable............................18 Planetary (Landing/Launching) Capable...........................................18 Stealth.............................................18

Sails..............................................10
Aether Sail: Chute..........................11

Ships..............................................18
Ship Size.........................................18 Ship Types......................................18 Miscellaneous details.....................18

Weaponry.......................................12
Hand Projectors..............................12

Ship Weaponry..............................13
Aeols and Bow Weapons................13
Heavy Scorpion Ship Killer Aeol .......................................................13 Double Tian Light Anti-personnel Aeol...............................................13

Serpentine.......................................13 Gravitas Throwers..........................13 Weapon Loads/Payloads................14

Solid Shot.......................................14 Bolts...............................................14 Alchemical Loads..........................14 Ball of Fire.................................14 Lightning Strike.........................14 Sticky Packs...............................14

Iotic Bombs....................................14

Other Systems................................15
Life Support...................................15
Air Processing & Food...................15 Algae Vats......................................15 Air Candles.....................................15

Defenses........................................15
Shield Projectors............................15 Phase Shields..................................16 Gravitas Throwers..........................16 Ablative Hull..................................16

Transport.......................................17
Lading Craft...................................17

D.M. Zwerg

May 4th, 2012

Preface

Propulsion Systems

This document was created as a visual List of propulsion systems and elemental introduction to a concept I had of creating a aspects: space game where magic rather than Propulsion Element Magic Ship Foil (shape drive) (?) (?) futuristic technology is the ruling force. I Gravity Plate Earth Rune created this as too many space fantasies Gravomag Earth Rune involve magic without a basic in logic or Gravity Coil Air Rune/Alchemy alternate physics, something I tried to Gravitic Accelerator Earth & Air Rune/Alchemy Comet Drive Fire Alchemy/Spell accomplish here. The basics involve the Rune/Spell real world theory of Luminiferous Aether Lightning Arc Drive Air Recoil Drive varies (?) combined with the idea of five elements Ice Ram Drive Water Rune/Spell (Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Wood). I have Creature Wood (?) Aether Sail: Chute varies Alchemy dubbed this fantasy space RPG the Ager Aether Sail: Wing varies Alchemy Gensiustus game and setting. Air Sail Air Alchemy/Spell What this document examines is the (?) - Indicates none as in can be accomplished various ships, ship systems, propulsion without magic as well as an inability to define any systems, and so forth, including graphical particular set that primarily uses or makes this type, representations. This document investigates the various propulsion systems available, including which element and schools of Gravity Drives magic are tied to each type. From there it looks into weaponry and other ship systems Gravity drives manipulate the gravitic affects of Luminiferous Aether to create used by the various races & cultures that make up the multiverse of Ager Gensiustus. propulsion. This is generally done through the attraction, repulsion, or redirection and D.M.Zwerg, May 4th, 2012 concentration of Gravitas particles. The following is a list of Gravity Drives: Ship Foil (shape drive) Gravity Plate Gravomag Gravity Coil Gravitic Accelerator Comet Drive Lightning Arc Drive This document are copyright May 2012 by D.M.Zwerg, all rights reserved.
http://knightsandknaves.phpbbserver.com/

Ager Gensiustus

Ships & Systems

Ship Foil
A Ship Foil Drive uses an alterable foil (or wing, similar to sails in a radius around the ship) to allow travel along currents in the Aether. Note that unless two different Aether energies exist and are not moving in the same direction at the same pace and the ship itself and/or its foils are designed of materials that affect one but not the other the Foil Drive would be of limited use at it would only allow traffic along and with the current. A minimum of two Aether mediums (usually aligned to different elements) that affect different materials and not moving in unison allow for differing frictions to exist and thus the ship may be able to maneuver and possibly even move upstream against one of the currents, much like a ship in water with the hull interacting with the water and the sails interacting with the air, thus allowing controlled movement.

Gravity Plate
This drive uses a temporary or permanent Gravity Plate to create a plane of gravity in the ship. By putting the Gravity Plate at the front of the ship more mass is pushing against one side of the plate than the other and thus forward motion is created. By using internal mass (often two rollers perpendicular to each other) the resultant mass offset allows for maneuverability. It tends to be a slow and somewhat clumsy design, but is something that can be jury-rigged and is cheaper than many other propulsion systems.

D.M. Zwerg

May 4th, 2012

Actuare Gravitus (Gravomag)

A Gravomag is a focused gravity engine that is typically designed within a three axis pivot. As they need to pivot on command they are automata with some rudimentary intelligence. Being Earth aspected they typically prefer Dvergar handlers.

Gravity Coil
An older, more primitive system than a Gravomag, Gravity Coils are the most common drive for older Empire war ships as well as most war ships used by the former colonies, <<<the Theocracy of Baleygr? >>>, and a number of other races & cultures. Due to the gravitic diffraction (see image) they are significantly less efficient than Gravomags and tend to yield larger, less maneuverable ships. The gravity coils themselves are an amalgam of two substances to cause the movement of gravitic energy towards then away from the coil, channeling it through the coil. Advantage: Amount of power can be varied.

Ager Gensiustus

Ships & Systems

Disadvantages: Slower and less efficient.

D.M. Zwerg

May 4th, 2012

Gravitic Accelerator

Comet Drive
Utilized the principal that fire turns Aether and thus heat rises to create a gravitic imbalance to the flaming front and sides of a typically spheroid ship or semi-cylindrical ship. By altering the density of the flames to the sides allows for turning.

Ager Gensiustus

Ships & Systems

Lightning Arc Drive

Like a comet ship but using lighting to heat and repel Aether. Unlike the comet s ships with a Lightning Arc Drive tend to be more disk shaped and typically vary some of the frontal lightning arcs to slow and turn the ship.

D.M. Zwerg

May 4th, 2012

Reaction Drives
Recoil Drive (particle projection) Ice Ram Drive (particle projection) Creature (swimming or rowing)

Creature: Aspidochelone

Ager Gensiustus

Ships & Systems

Sails
Sail ships are generally Air Aspected (as they catch wind) and generally involve the use of Wind Bags or Fans to provide the motive wind force, including those that travel in space (either "leaking" wind via the bag or "perpetual motion" with the fan or Wind sword directing the winds, generally on a turnable boom off the back). Wind magics can get one into space and possibly beyond but can greatly anger the captured wind if it is taken from a planet without permission and thus tend to be fairly slow as only minor winds and breezes are wont to travel far from home and their base of power. Portals to the Floating Island World is also Air aspected but tends to lead to slower, more danger-wrought travel than traditional portals (see below). A variant is the Fire aspected sails that catch light and heat radiated from the sun or allow travel along a ley line (including earth & wood variants). The disadvantages are needing to carry multiple aspected sails and multiple aspected mages to activate each type as well as needing to stay rigidly to ley lines and Aetheric Steering Ores needed to steer. Water ships do not typically leave the surface of the water let alone the planet but at Aubrey knots or very deep trenches there tend to be portals to the Water World. Also, Aetheric Corridors [may typically be water aspected] and require use of Water Sails or Aetheric sails to cross [depending on direction of travel???]. The following is a list of different sail drives: Aether Sail (chute) Aether Sail (wing) Air Sail (chute)

D.M. Zwerg

10

May 4th, 2012

Aether Sail: Chute

Ager Gensiustus

11

Ships & Systems

Weaponry
List of propulsion systems and elemental aspects: Weapon Element Magic
Hand Projectors Rune/Alchemy Ionizer Air Rune/Alchemy Heater Fire Rune/Alchemy Thumper Water Rune/Alchemy Slug Thrower Earth Rune/Alchemy Aeols & Projectiles <...> n/a none Heavy Scorpion Ship Killer Aeol Rune Double Tian Light Anti-personnel Aeol Rune Other Ship Weapons Pressure Gun Air Rune Serpentine Fire? Rune/Alchemy Gravitas Thrower Earth Rune Payloads Solid Shot n/a (?) Bolts n/a (?) Alchemical Loads Ball of Fire Fire Alchemy Lightning Strike Air Alchemy Sticky Packs Wood Alchemy Iotic Bombs Air Air Rune Earth Earth Rune Fire Fire Rune Water Water Rune Wood Wood Rune (?) - Indicates none as in can be accomplished without magic as well as an inability to define any particular set that primarily uses or makes this type,

Thumper (Water Aspected) - a ball of water shoots forth and tends to stun or known down opponents. Slug Throwers (Earth Aspected) - shoot out balls of earth or metal like higher velocity sling bullets. Recharge caps are based on size & type of Hand Projector. Hand projectors tend to be fairly small to minimize their weight (they involve a decent amount of plummet in their construction to minimize bleed). Extra caps are carried in specially designed plummet cases to minimize energy bleed even between caps, thus most people carry few if any spares.

Hand Projectors
Ager Gensiustus has a number of Hand Projectors. They use sympathetic magic to amplify forces, but are typically limited in power both due to size/space limitations (on their "recharge caps" and so as not to destroy the ships one tends to travel on: Ionizers (Air aspect) - shoot out streams of electricity/lightning for a limited range. Heaters (Fire Aspect) - shoot out bursts of heat (not quite flame, but scalding hot).

D.M. Zwerg

12

May 4th, 2012

Ship Weaponry
Every ships weapon has a crew to operate it. Part of the need for a specific crew is training and knowledge of the weapon and position in the ship, the other is that, in the case of Aeols, the weapon may not be willing to work for anyone they are not comfortable with.

Double Tian Light Anti-personnel Aeol Typically installed under a one-way PhaseShield turret exterior to the ship these weapons spew forth a preponderant weight of fire from the four linked Aeols crossbows. They generally have a 2-man crew consisting of a gunner (who aims and gives commands using foot pedals for up/down left/right) and a bard/musician bin reloader that sings to the Aeols.

Aeols and Bow Weapons

(Wood Aspected or Mechanical) Self-firing mechanicals are called Aeols, short for Aeolagostotrop. Aeols often have the fastest reload rates, but that tends to be inversely proportional to the mass of the loads and the speeds to target and depend on the gearing of the specific Aeolagostotrop. On the other hand Aeols are almost always turreted and thus can adapt to different angles and circumstances faster than any other type of weapon. Manually firing bow weapons also exist, but tend to be much slower firing and less often turreted as the operators need to manually crank them back and load them. It is not uncommon for either weapon to fire through one-way phase shields to allow the weapon to operate under relative safety (and atmosphere) yet still fire projectiles at specific direct-line targets. One advantage of Aeols & bow weapons is that once activated they often do not require a Magistar to use them. Heavy Scorpion Ship Killer Aeol Heavy weapon generally mounted such that it is at least partially open to the Aether as it tend to fire Iotic Bombs and other large payloads that could potentially overwhelm a Phase Shield

Serpentine
(Fire Aspect) shoots out a payload, but requires component loads to fire (which have to be loaded each time). Payloads tend to have much greater initial velocities and thus lower times to target than Gravitas Throwers, but they usually suffer from lower reload rates. Some serpentines are designed to respond to commands and thus not require a Magistar to operate them, although most require one for initial activation and some require a fire cantrap to activate each firing (for security reasons).

Gravitas Throwers
(Earth Aspected) use gravity to propel a mass at a target (any type of payload). As the speed it limited by the gravitic constant of the weapon (which is often a factor of size and drain) as well as the distance the gravity is projected through mileage will vary and the load speed could be as little as 16ft/sec to ??? but the other ship often has time to react. Gravitas Throwers can also be used to deflect incoming payloads or redirect payloads fired from other projectors and thus have multiple uses. Fire rates are based on however fast payloads are set into

Ager Gensiustus

13

Ships & Systems

the projection field and released. Gravitas Throwers generally require a Magistar to activate and direct the device, especially if in an Actuare Turret Mount (which is directed by will rather than command or pedals).

Iotic Bombs
Iotic Bombs are basically very large "amulets", "wands" or "enchanted gems" programmed for a destructive use over a large area. Once activated they, as the largest such object in the area, draw all the magical energy in an area and focus it into creating an elemental effect in a "localized" area. A Iotic Fire Bomb would create a continuous ball of fire; Water, a large sphere of water; Earth, a sphere of earth; Air, gale force cyclonic winds in the area; Wood, greatly increased plant growth.

Weapon Loads/Payloads
Solid Shot Stones or ceramic loads Bolts

Alchemical Loads Ball of Fire

Lightning Strike

Sticky Packs generally in a hollow ceramic load

D.M. Zwerg

14

May 4th, 2012

plants, etc (hydroponics for food)

Other Systems

Other systems covers a wide variety of things including Life Support, Defenses, Lading Craft, Landing Capabilities, Launch Man consumes (per day) Capabilities, Libraries, Labs, Teleprobes 0.84kg Oxygen (sensors), Communications, and so forth. List of propulsion systems and elemental aspects: Propulsion Element Magic
Life Support Algae Vats Wood Air Candles Air/Fire Defenses Shield Projectors <Water?> Phase Shields <???> Gravitas Throwers Earth Ablative Hull varies Transport Lading Craft varies Landing Craft varies Transport Stones Earth Doors to Somewhere Wood Gateways varies Communications Internal Air External Air Miscellaneous Libraries any Labs any Teleprobes varies Lading Capable Air Docking Capable Air Planetary varies Stealth Air Alchemy Alchemy Rune/P&C Rune/P&C Rune/Spell (?) (?) (?) Rune Rune Rune (?) varies varies / none varies varies varies (?) varies varies

Therefore 145-150 day break even between food supply & hydroponic ecosystem.

0.62kg food 3.52kg water plus more water for hygiene) 0.11kg solid waste 3.87kg liquid waste 1.00kg carbon dioxide

and Yields (per day)

Algae Vats
Minimum 6 liters of algae-water per person to replenish air; more if need to feed fish (fish/shrimp/crab 10:1 ratio applies); additional area for farming/food supply as well as safer waste processing (swamp plants).

Air Candles
Air Candles alchemical (fire/air aspected) candles that produce oxygen as they burn. Roughly 16 man-hours of good air (oxygen) per candle.

(?) - Indicates none as in can be accomplished without magic as well as an inability to define any particular set that primarily uses or makes this type,

Life Support
Air Processing & Food
Air requires 6 liters of algae-water / person Chlorea less efficient @ 86sf surface water / person Rocketpunk estimates 0.75ton/person for

Defenses
Shield Projectors
Like all other magical items used only in times of active combat shield projectors are kept in sealed plummet chests only to be

Ager Gensiustus

15

Ships & Systems

opened during the conflict, then stowed system can be overloaded) >>> away once the ship is safe to conserve their energies until such time as they can be safely recharged. One projector is needed Ablative Hull for each shield and it consumes energy when in use (see amulets) draining unshielded weaker items in its area and getting drained by more powerful items, such as the Gravomag if it is in range, or any active unshielded Iotic Bomb. Even a relatively small ship will tend to have dozens of hopefully fully charged shield projectors on board at any given time. Shields are of the power scale where they resist full dice of damage rather than points of damage. <<< each Die reduces or dice > X reduce; different sized dice? >>>

Phase Shields
Potential for blow to one come out of another if they are close enough together (within 50'); glow with blue light when brought together, usually strong enough to read by; 5 is alway safe; by 10 in same area the blue light is blinding and there is a chance for a rift (5% per above 5); when critical mass is reached (random chance but 100% chance at 25) a rift is ripped in reality and all matter within a 50' radius is blasted out of phase into another plane/dimension, random location and height (potentially underground, random chance)

Gravitas Throwers
<<< Combat: Roll to hit (some inaccurate); if multiple Gravitas Throwers then gain Defense Roll only if G.T.s not currently directing loads (permit re-rolls to missed hits is alternate use for directing loads; (since ships have limited number of G.T.s

D.M. Zwerg

16

May 4th, 2012

Transport
Lading Craft
Lading craft are any and all craft used to move goods between one ship and another or a ship and an orbital station. Typical Lading Craft include Launches, Skiffs, Small Foats, and sometimes even Ketches and Cutters depending on the size of ship and need for speed in lading. Small Foats such as Grave Plate Foats are particularly common at large Empire Resupply Depots due to their speed and efficiency in moving heavy masses but Skiff, Launches and Cutters are more common at Rotational Stations due to their relative ease in matching spin for docking. See individual craft for details.

Pads & Gateway Portals are often deactivated when the ship is en route but Doors generally don't have such precise activation and thus are typically locked to prevent unauthorized use.

Miscellaneous
Libraries

Space is boring and traveling in space is faster and ultimately safer the more competent and efficient the crew is. This goes for both more mundane skills as well as for the magical abilities the typical Magistar needs activate the devices. To this end most races & cultures that use Magistars in the military provide some means for said to continue and refine their training while traveling, because ultimately Landing Craft (Planetary) the more powerful and highly skilled their <<< I have no definite clues yet, figuring military Magistars the more powerful of some sort of atmo craft with a gravity devices they can make when they retire to booster such as a dirigible would be needed, civilian life. The means to this are else use of gravity negation such as fire or libraries in which to do research and labs in lightning, or 2G Gravomags or even Space which to experiment & practice. For this Elevators using Gravity Plates or Coil reason most Line ships have large libraries Drives for elevation alteration. >>> fully-stocked with all the latest treatises and journals as well as both the newest and standard texts for most (if not all) schools of magic and often covering multiple Transportation Stones elemental aspects. Small stone pads located in key areas of the ship (usually in a Support Tube for security) allow for individual transport. Larger cargo pads (in Lading Tubes) are used for mass transit of supplies; in either case attuned stones are carried to allow for remote activation of Transport Pads. Alternate are 1-way doors, shops of somewhere else, or gateway portals.

Labs Teleprobes (sensors)

Ager Gensiustus

17

Ships & Systems

Communications
Internal

External

in space. The most common is to pain the ship black and have no exposed light or active gravitics if possible, or if possessing gravitics at least remaining motionless. Other methods include actual active invisibility and so forth.

Ships
Lading Capable
This indicates the ship is capable of landing on/in a shipboard or station bay. It generally indicates the ship has skids on at least 1 side

Ship Size
Need 10m^3 per person to 20m^3 including work space (galley, etc) plus air & food processing areas, etc Roughly 1-2 tones per person + 1-2 tons fittings & equipment thus each person = 3-5 tons

Docking Capable

Planetary (Landing/Launching) 20m^3 ~ 100sf w. 7' ceiling Capable therefore 10m^3 ~ 50sf w. 7' ceiling
This indicates the ship is capable of either landing on a planet, launching from a planet, or both. For example: most Skiffs are Landing Capable, using the Sail as an emergency chute in a gravity well, but generally lack the ability to take off again under its own power; most Gravitic Vehicles have limited if any landing capabilities and only very few can take off again once landed (requires >1G for many planets limiting it to Couriers and actually including Gravity Plate Foats (albeit landing and reorientation is tricky at beast in either)).

Ship Types
Ice Ship Water Stone Ship Earth Metal Ship usually Fire (or Earth) Crystal Ship usually Earth Ceramic Ship usually Fire Coral or Shell/Bone Ship Wood or Water (as some can be alchemically grown via Wood magic) Plant Ship Wood Creature Chariot usually Wood Creature Symbiosis usually Wood

Stealth

Stealth indicates any of a variety of methods used to make a ship less noticeable Sealed Hulls - Although pressure from luminiferous aether tends to maintain an

Miscellaneous details

D.M. Zwerg

18

May 4th, 2012

air bubble around any object of significant mass due to gravity due to shielding this does not happen to the same degree when under way and gravitic engines would push all atmosphere away thus hulls tend to be sealed. In gravitic ships sealing prevents air loss & creates good air/water flow; also defense, hide (by preventing light pollution), and even physical loss of cargo, people, etc.

Ager Gensiustus

19

Ships & Systems