With Steam and Steel, We Fight!

A Sneak Preview of Some Dwarven War Machines

Jul 19, 2022

There’s only 48 hours left in the Kickstarter campaign for BY THIS AXE: Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization. At $40,000, BY THIS AXE is now the most successful Kickstarter we’ve done since Dwimmermount. I’m thrilled and grateful for the support. If you’re a backer, thank you! If you’ve been waiting for the last minute to back the project, the last minute is nigh. Back it now!

For those of you on the sidelines wondering if you should jump in, or curious about what’s inside the book, check out this sneak preview of some of the Dwarven automatons included in the book. If it motivates you to back the book, great! If not, you can still use them in any D20 OSR campaign… what megadungeon doesn’t need some mega-mecha?

Machines of War

As the numbers of their race have dwindled in the face of constant warfare, more and more the dwarves have been forced to rely on the machinists’ arts, using war machines of steam and brass to defend their vaults. Below I have profiled some of the most powerful and impressive of these creations. - Sürcaneus of Cyfaraun

Repeating Steam Ballista

This one-ton armored siege engine is designed to inflict a continuous bombardment upon enemies. It carries sixty ballista bolts, and is able to fire one bolt every round for a continuous period of up to one turn. Each bolt does 3d6 damage in a 5’ line up to a range of 320’. It is otherwise similar to a heavy ballista, though it lacks the force to punch through more than a single line of troops.

Heavily armored and sealed, immune to both fire and lightning, the repeating steam ballista weighs 360 stone. It lacks the means to move under its own power, and requires an operator with the Siege Engineering proficiency standing adjacent to operate it. A dwarven battlewagon (q.v.) can tow the steam ballista, but it can only fire to the rear while towed; a colossal automaton such as a war titan (q.v.) could carry and operate the steam ballista as a weapon.

The repeating steam ballista requires 50gp of maintenance per week and consumes 18 stone of charcoal (18gp) per 8 hours of operation.

Hit Dice: 6 (24 HP, save F3)
Armor Class: 3
Move: None
Weight: 360 st. (Huge)
Carry: 180 st. (60 ballista bolts)
Attacks: 1 ballista (3d6 damage, 5’ line area of effect, range 360’, damages structures as artillery)

Ironclad Battlewagon

An ironclad battlewagon is a wide, heavy wagon-like automaton that rolls itself into battle. The 9-ton wagon is entirely enclosed with thick bands of metal, forming an armored shell atop rows of thick iron-shod spiked wheels. Four dwarves can sit in a compartment within the shell, peering out of small grates while safe from arrows and stones: a pilot, a crossbowman, an artillerist, and a loader.

Extending forward from the top of the wagon’s iron shell is a thick metal tube. This dwarven artillery weapon, called a cannon, is the battlewagon’s primary armament. The cannon launches a 3-pound lead ball with a crashing roar of fire and acrid smoke, which strikes like a heavy ballista bolt of immense force. After each shot, the cannon retracts into the compartment, where the loader then rams a batch of smoke powder and a new ball into the cannon’s mouth with a stick. This reloading process takes him seven rounds. Additionally, the crossbowman opens his own door in the shell at this time to shoot any nearby enemies. The battlewagon’s secondary armament is a pintle-mounted repeating crossbow operated by the co-pilot that allows the vehicle to sustain fire while it reloads its main armament.

The battlewagon’s large frame carries enough ammunition for 98 shots from the cannon (3lb each for shot and powder, for 59 stone) and 120 bolts for the crossbow (1 stone total). It can drag up to two and a half tons (500 stone) behind it, usually to pull wagons with supplies or soldiers, or a repeating steam ballistae (q.v.).

Because of its reinforced construction, the battlewagon has structural hit points and counts as a stone structure for purposes of taking damage. The ironclad battlewagon requires 18gp of maintenance per day and consumes 45 stone of charcoal (45gp) per 8 hours of operation.

Hit Dice: 8 (32 SHP, heavy structure, save F4)
Armor Class: 5
Move: 60’ (20’)
Weight: 1,290 st. (Gigantic)
Carry: 640 st. (4 protected passengers)
Attacks:
- 1 3lb gun (3d10 damage, 20’ line area of effect, ROF ⅛, range 600’, damages structures as artillery)
- 1 heavy repeating arbalest (1d8+1, range 180’)

Siege Colossus

A 25’ tall 10-ton armored humanoid automaton, the siege colossus is a fearsome though rare sight in dwarven armies. Its right forearm ends in a bronze cannon, a dwarven artillery weapon similar in effect to a heavy ballista, which hurls 2-pound lead balls in an eruption of flame, smoke, and thunder. Its left arm has a hand-like appendage and a spike-like mechanism which is driven into the cannon to load it with a ball and smoke powder. The loading process takes five rounds to complete, though the colossus is not defenseless at this time: mechanical bolt hurlers mounted atop its shoulders can fling two iron-tipped darts at enemies each round. If necessary, a siege colossus can punch or kick a foe who closes to melee.

A siege colossus carries enough ammunition for 70 shots from the cannon (2lbs per shot for ball and powder, 28 stone total) and 120 bolts for each bolt hurler (2 stone total). It can drag or carry another three tons (650 stone). A colossus can follow simple orders like other automatons; a mechanist or dwarf who has learned to use it can instead control it manually while seated in the operator compartment within the colossus’s head. A second dwarf can sit behind the operator to act as a navigator or commander.

The siege colossus requires 20gp of maintenance every day and consumes 50 stone of charcoal (50gp) every 8 hours of operation.

Hit Dice: 12 (48 HP, save F6)
Armor Class: 4
Move: 90’ (30’)
Weight: 1,440 st. (Gigantic)
Carry: 720 st. (2 passengers)
Attacks:
- 1 2-lbs gun (2d10 damage, 15’ line area effect, ROF 1/6, range 400’, damages structures as artillery)
- 2 repeating crossbows (1d6 damage, range 120’)
- 1 slam (1d12+2 damage, damages structures as gigantic creature)

War Titans

War titans are colossal humanoid automatons that resemble the titans of old. A machinist who has risen to the status of vaultlord might craft such a rare and mighty machine as a symbol of his status and potent defender of his vault. A war titan is an imposing sight when active, with a massive plume of thick black smoke continually erupting from its hulking 23-ton frame, and the ground seeming to shake with every step. It weighs around 16 tons (3,242 stone); due to its immensity it is incapable of high ground speeds. Its bulk and slowness make it easy to hit, but its sturdy steel construction makes it as hard to destroy as a castle wall.

A war titan cannot carry passengers, and like all automatons can only follow simple instructions. Each of a war titan’s fists is the size of an adult ogre, and it can attack with both fists every round. It can also hold and operate a repeating steam ballista, should one be available (q.v.).

Because of its reinforced construction, the war titan has structural hit points and counts as a stone structure for purposes of taking damage. The war titan requires 25gp of maintenance every day and consumes 65 stone of charcoal (65gp) every 8 hours of operation.

Hit Dice: 18 (72 SHP, heavy structure, save F9)
Armor Class: 1
Move: 60’ (20’)
Weight: 3,240 st. (Colossal)
Carry: 1,620 st. (no passengers)
Attacks: 2 colossal fists (2d12+3 damage, damages structures as colossal creature)

More Automatons In the Book

There’s dozens more automatons in BY THIS AXE, so if you’ve enjoyed this overview of Dwarven engineering, be sure to back the book. Otherwise, the dwarven stormtroopers will come for you.*

*There are not actually dwarven stormtroopers in the book. But perhaps there should have been.

Join Me and Together We Can Rule the Mountains

Check out the links below for ways to get involved in the Autarch community. If you’re a fan, be kind and spread the word!

Arbiter of Worlds

Discussion about this post