Certain weapons are designed not for interpersonal combat, but to lay siege to a
fortified or otherwise well-defended area, such as a fort, bunker, castle, or other such
structure. These weapons may also be used for large-scale fights, such as skirmishes
between warring armies or battles against large (in both size and/or quantity) foes.
These weapons, not meant to be wielded by lone individuals or hauled around in the
dangerous dungeons and wilds oft explored by adventurers, are known as siege weapons,
and described here are what sets them apart from normal weapons, their effects, and some
examples.
What Makes a Siege Weapon
Siege weapons in Iron & Aether are in large part defined by their size, often
being as large or larger than most Sentients (typically ranging from Medium to Huge).
They are also defined by their purpose: as described above, siege weapons are designed
for large-scale combat, breaking through castle walls or bringing down large monsters.
Siege weapons can sometimes be moved, but often only with special tools and the work of
multiple Sentients, and as such are unfit for interpersonal combat, around which most of
I&A's combat rules are designed.
What Sets a Siege Weapon Apart
Siege weapons deal double damage to buildings and structures unless otherwise stated. In addition, there
is no “Siege Weapons” skill, as the damage a Siege Weapon deals is not determined by the
skill of any one wielder, but by the nature of its construction, e.g. the materials used
to make it and the quality of its construction, meaning a siege weapon presented here
can deal more or less damage depending on the exact circumstances and nature of its
construction.
Ranged siege weapons deal a bonus amount of damage equal to the DEX
score of the person in charge of firing it. Melee siege weapons deal bonus damage
equal to the combined STR scores of everyone wielding it.
Example Siege Weapons
Given here are some example siege weapons, with their size, defenses, and
description all given.
Size: Big Defenses: M-DEF 10, R-DEF 12; Health 30 Description. A large crossbow, usually constructed of wood, that
uses bolts of wood or iron as ammunition. A ballista can only target
one creature, however if that creature is Big or smaller, there is a
chance it may also pierce whatever is behind them. A ballista takes 6
seconds to load, 3 to aim, and 3 to fire. It deals 3d10
physical damage, has a range of 50/200m, and does not deal
double damage to buildings and structures.
Size: Large Defenses: M-DEF 5, R-DEF 6; Health 30 Description. The siege version of the battering ram, not to be
confused with its portable counterpart, is used to break down large
doors and sometimes walls. 6-12 people must each use 3 seconds to
land a strike against a structure, dealing 1d10 physical damage for
every 2 people helping to use it.
Size: Medium Defenses: M-DEF 15, R-DEF 18; Health 25 Description. A cannon is a mounted iron tube designed to fire
relatively large projectiles out of the open end of said tube – it is
essentially a large gun. It takes 6 seconds to load, 3 to aim,
and 3 to fire. It deals 4d12 physical damage in a 2-meter diameter
and has a range of 100/200m.
Size: Large Defenses: M-DEF 10, R-DEF 11; Health 30 Description. A large wooden arm that is pulled back and then
released, a catapult is a handy tool for chucking large projectiles
(such as big rocks) across large distances. It takes 20 seconds to arm,
6 to load, 20 to aim, and 3 to fire. It deals
3d12 physical damage in a 2-meter diameter and has a range of
200/600m. It cannot hit anything within 20m of it.
Size: Varies Defenses: None Description. Usually dropped on top of attackers, rocks are a simple but
effective defense against infantry and attacking creatures. The damage the rocks
deal, as well as the time it takes to drop them (minimum 2 seconds) varies with
the size of the rocks; assume it is 50% more than the fall damage appropriate for
the rocks' Size (e.g. a Medium falling rock
would deal 1d6 physical damage for every 3 meters it falls).
Size: Small Defenses: Defenses: M-DEF 8, R-DEF 12; Health 20 Description. Typically found in more technologically advanced
societies, a mortar is a small metal tube that is loaded with an
explosive shell that is then fired in a high arc to strike the targeted
area. It takes 3 seconds to load, 3 to aim, and 2 to
fire. It deals 5d8 physical/burn damage in a 6-meter diameter
and has a range of 50/150m.
Size: Massive or Colossal Defenses: M-DEF 20, R-DEF 21; Health 50 Description. Not designed to deal damage but to protect and ferry
large numbers of troops and equipment, a siege tower is a large,
wooden-frame structure on wheels that allows creatures inside to reach
heights of up to 20m. The cumulative STR score of all the creatures attempting
to push it must be >15, and if every creature pushing it uses 3
seconds to push it, it moves a distance equal to 1/4 their cumulative STR.
Size: Medium Defenses: M-DEF 8, R-DEF 11; Health 15 Description. An iron cauldron that is often suspended over the
entrances/exits to a given area and filled with something dangerous,
such as boiling oil, sticky tar, masses of caltrops, or some other such
obstacle. When filled with boiling oil it deals 4d8 burn damage to
every target in a 4m diameter beneath it.
Size: Large Defenses: M-DEF 20, R-DEF 21; Health 75 Description. A tank is both a siege weapon and a vehicle - its vehicular
information can be found here. Basically, it is a
large metal vehicle with space on the inside for its crew, typically consisting
of a driver that drives the tank, the turret loader that loads the turret, a
gunner that fires the turret, and a commander that oversees the tank's operation.
The turret takes 6 seconds to load and 3 to fire; as the turret can swivel 360
degrees, moving the turret 45 degrees takes 1.5 seconds. The turret has a range of
100/200m and cannot fire at anything > 45 degrees above it or within 5m of
the tank itself. A standard turret shell deals 4d12 physical damage, but other
types of shells can be loaded that deal different damage types. Standard shells
cost 150 Aeons and weigh 15 lbs. each; a tank can carry up to 12 shells in reserve
+ 1 in the chamber. Lastly, as tanks come in many different shapes and sizes, any
and all of the statistics given here and in Chapter 5 may vary somewhat depending
on the relative condition and quality of the tank itself.
Size: Huge Defenses: M-DEF 12, R-DEF 13; Health 35 Description. An upgraded version of a standard catapult, the
trebuchet has similar arming, loading, aiming, and firing times, but
can toss heavier loads at further ranges. This means it deals 5d12
physical damage in a 4-meter diameter with a range of 300/1000m. It cannot
hit anything within 30m of it.
