Train Tuesday Part 87: Fill ‘er Up

We’re pivoting back to another support vehicle to ensure our Hovertrains ultimately reach their destinations. Additionally, we’ve suddenly realized that we haven’t specifically outlined the energy process and makeup for our new DnD transportation system. So, let’s dig in! explore how EC3D Designs is lending a fueling hand to Aether Studios.

Fact: Energy gets you to where you want to be in any world. Mechanized machines can’t get from Point A to Point B unless they have a “full tank,” and the founders of The Forgotten Rails know it. They needed a way to transport additional Corederite material to a downed Hovertrain in need and quickly get it back into service. Time is gold, people!

Thankfully, EC3D Designs’ and their Novus Landing Kickstarter wonderfully complement our Hovertrains campaign setting. They created this fun Fuel Tanker vehicle, and it’s just what we need whenever one of our trains unexpectedly gets stranded on the way to its final destination.

DM Ben “volunteered” to paint this one up over the weekend and kept it quite simple. He’s digging that lighter Army Painter Fantatic Army Green with some light drybrushing of white over the top. That color combo gives us those Return of the Jedi Endor vibes, ya know? And then everything else is just good ol’ Army Painter Speedpaint metalics with a wash over the top to give it a grimey look. Delightful.

We dig the mystery surrounding the actual power source of our mighty Hovertrains. While there’s no doubt that our magic mastermind Leland Farce is using dangerous arcana in combination with this previously ignored earthly mineral, not a single Tinkerer in Waterdeep has been able to put it altogether and replicate his infamous formula (yet).

So imagine everyone’s surprise when this new contraption was spotted in the wild. It features a variety of copper pipes, long hoses, and other rare metal connectors, but what the heck is inside it?! This new 3D-printed scatter piece takes us to a key decision point in our Hovertrain functionality. What is a DnD train’s final fuel form?

This conundrum has sparked a feisty debate among the 3DRPG team. Some of us wanted our fuel substance to be more coal-like, while others preferred the liquid angle. Ultimately, we aimed to simplify the power source of our Hovertrains like so:

• We start with our mined mineral,
• Which is then intentionally broken down into smaller, 30-lb-ish jagged pieces.
• From there, our nutbar wizard infuses a big batch with a mysterious dark arcana.
• This process produces a new stone & emits a powerful, silent pulsing energy,
• Which then spreads through our intricate steampunk engines.
• And whammo! We have liftoff!!

The more final-formed rocks you mix together, the stronger the lift. Still, nothing too complicated, right? Certainly, it’s a process that can be easily explained to your gaming group.

Two buzzwords are moving through Waterdeep: Corederite and C-glass. Many are calling the initial mineral C-glass due to its host Elemental’s somewhat shimmering form, while the fuel in its final form is being dubbed Corederite. However, the words are often used interchangeably because everything about this process is so new and mysterious.

This newfound propellant material can be placed in any sorta steampunk contraption to generate the proper lift and zip. Of course, you have to actually get your hands on these final rare combustible stones to use them in other makeshift floater vehicles.

This energy conundrum leads to all sorts of new DnD scenarios and TTRPG one-shots, right? Uncovering the mage’s secretive fusing spell will be extremely tricky, but getting your hands on some existing, post-processed material is certainly doable (with the right plan and scavenging skills).

Plenty of lingering questions here, though, right? What are the side effects of making, handling, and even being around this new fuel source? Can this newfound energy become unbalanced and explode? How much is too much, and how much is not enough? All things we look forward to exploring in future Train Tuesday posts!

Until next time!