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Powder, Gears, and Blessed Steam - A WHF Engineering Quest

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Nah man we got the blood of Leman Russ, that's our Unique And Special (TM) OC backstory, so we're immortal.
 
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2490 IC, Sommerzeit
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    • Carefully fiddling with the still unopened bottle that had been forced into your hands, your eyes dart from it to the street only a story below as you find your thoughts drifting again. So much work to do, so much to take. New sights, new people, work you've never done before. All of it is exciting and interesting in ways you couldn't have even begun to contemplate just a few months ago.

    You had fun teaching mercenaries how to tend to a gun without blowing their hands off from simple mistakes.

    For all the danger it offered, exploring Wolfenburg was enthralling in its own right for the only streets you have ever known was Altdorf's.

    Every day walking this city's streets brought new things to your attention as your mind becomes increasingly aware of the hardline martial context even the architecture has taken on.

    And yet...

    "And yet, I've never been further from it than I have now... I want someone else to see it. To understand it," You place the bottle onto the nightstand with some reluctance as your gaze focuses on the passerby below, "Will they? Gramps always responded with a grumbling and angry stomping as he chased me out of the room. 'Blasted Umgi and your maddened rantings, bah! Out, out plaitling!'"

    Your lips twist into a smile at the act though you know well enough it isn't genuine. Sighing, you step away from the window reluctantly, "Work to be done..."

    THERE WILL BE A SIX HOUR MORATORIUM ON VOTING.
    Feel free to use that time to discuss the available options and the new information you've gotten below.

    Notes:
    Believer of Steam begins to rear its head, penalties will be incurred next turn. Can be assuaged by progress towards the creation of Steam.

    What do you do this month?     (You have five AP to distribute each month. We'll be using plan voting.)
    [] Looking for a Workshop - Maybe all the way to Ostland is far enough for you to be out of the eye of the college and the Sigmarites back in Altdorf. Finding somewhere you can get things setup for all your future work might be a good idea though it would force you to settle down for a little while to really be worth it...
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty 1

    [] Seeking Patrons, Ostland Edition - A wealthy patron can fund an Engineers research for years if one is lucky enough to draw their interest. Finding on in a foreign land where you know little of the people or culture there might be rather challenging, but this certainly seems a place that could use a steady supply of guns at the very least. Might as well start asking anyone that looks well off and see where it gets you.
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty ???

    [] A Steady Supply of Powder - Ori, the name of the bartender as you later discovered, placed a rather... Lucrative offer directly into your lap, but it is quite a challenging one given the circumstances. Prove that you can create viable gunpowder. If you can he muttered something about 'a dozen purses we can dig into fund it' before pushing you on your way.
    ???
    Requires 1 Barrel of Gunpowder.
    Difficulty ???

    [] Search for work with Mercenaries - While you have an in with the Road Walkers it never hurts to shop around, even if the idea does make you think of Gramps' grumbling disapproval. A place like Ostland is bound to be swarming with mercenaries so its just a question of who looks worth working with.
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty ???

    [] Getting to know Wolfenburg - A new city, a new culture. A childish part of you wants to explore every nook and cranny of the city you can find while a more tempered adult part of you recognizes some places are not worth sticking your nose into. Still, there's a lot one can learn by spending some time on the streets!
    ???
    Difficulty 1, Slight Danger

    [] Eyes towards Kislev - With Wolfenburg being far closer to Kislev and one of the main channels of trade between it and the Empire it should be far easier to find a group heading that way. Asking around the marketplaces and checking with the head of the caravan that brought you here would be good places to start.
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty ???

    [] South to Ostermark - Just like Ostland the province of Ostermark is constantly dragged into one conflict or another. Such a place would make a decent enough home for an ostracized engineer looking to make a living off what little of their trade they know though the question is how willing you are to stare down a vampire one day, an orc the next, and a beastman the day after.
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty ???

    [] North to the Sea of Claws - A frontline against the never ending threat of Norscan raiders with beastmen at its back. A crucial trade route infested with piracy. If there was one thing you could be sure of it is the love every sea merchant and sailor has for the might of gunpowder, one that can likely act as an easy in for any long term work in the area be it from one of the ports along the coast or the belly of a ship.
    Mind/Diplomacy
    Difficulty ???

    [] Studying Gromdottir - A repeater pistol crafted by a Dwarf. By Gramps himself. It doesn't quite enter into the territory of being a work of art in its own right, but to you it is a thing of beauty utilizing knowledge well beyond your own and tying in something entirely unknown to you. At the very least nothing you've ever made has glowed blue! You want to know more about it. How repeater pistols work. How it was made. How the golden engravings were made. Why does it glow blue? What does the light do?
    ???
    Difficulty ???

    [] A Gifted Raven - Alongside Gromdottir was an amulet carved in the shape of a raven, the sign of Morr. His eyes in the mortal world, and His voice in dreams... Or so the priests say. Whatever it is, you were told to always keep it on you and while you have... Well, you are rather curious what exactly the thing is?
    ???
    Difficulty ???

    [] Street Peddler - You have a few goods that you could reasonably sell and several markets to try and sell them at. Best get to work...
    ???
    Difficulty ???
    • [] Sell Matchlocks
    Actions below can be taken multiple times.
    [] Arming the Road Walkers - Alric, after learning a bit more of what you can do, has requested you help the Road Walkers modernize even more. He laid out an offer to cover the cost of materials and parts if you could handle the assembly. All told it seems a pretty steep investment to make though the man himself simply waves it off every time you bring it up.
    Mind/Engineering
    Gain 2 Wealth and 1 Favor.
    Difficulty 3

    [] Crafting - Even without a workshop there's some simpler things you know that you can piece together if you commission a few smiths and carpenters…
    • [] Matchlocks - Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Will create three.
    • [] Flintlocks - Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Will create three.
    [] Inventing - While working from the confines of an inn room greatly limits what you're capable of there's a handful of things in your mind you can start working on at least. Whether it is worth risking that is the real question…
    • [] Seeing Farther - You've seen some great overwrought examples of your idea upon Hochland Rifles back in the college, and have proof of their effectiveness both from it and the simple magnifying lens used by some of the colleges older professors. While a flintlock or matchlock wouldn't properly benefit from it just the ability to more accurately see at a distance could be quite handy in many situations. Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
    • [] A Better Crossbow - For all the power of firearms and cannons you have also looked to the more uncommon ranged companion of the flintlock and found it rather poorly tended to. Surely hidden in all the knowledge of engineering you have there is a path forward for this humble weapon? Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
    • [] Voice Enloudening - You have been to more than one sermon in the various cathedrals, chapels, and temples spread throughout Altdorf and there you've witnessed clergy screaming to be heard even as the very buildings are designed to carry their words to the crowd. You listened to Godri grumble about how much you could learn from a room just by the way your voice carried through it... Could something not be made to help a speaker be heard louder and clearer?
      Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
    • [] Oh, the Wonders of Soap - Your former colleagues might look down upon you for the act, but you're certain with your grasp of alchemy the creation of passable soaps should be simple enough if you can find the trick. Black listed or not, rich folk are always in need of fine smelling soaps to clean themselves with and it is a surefire way of lining your pockets at the end of the day.
      Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
    [] Eureka! - You use your brilliance to gain a bonus die on an action! Costs 1 Inspiration and 0 AP.

    [] Calling in Favors - You have some that would consider themselves in your debt and a desire to call that debt in. Cost varies based on Favors picked. Costs 0 AP.
    • [] Write in.

    Name: Margaret
    Age: 16

    Wealth: 9
    Inspiration: 0

    Favor:
    • Road Walkers - 4

    Attributes and Skills:
    Body -     3
    • Athletics 2
    Mind - 2
    • Engineering 3
    • Alchemy 2
    • Inventing 2
    • Construction 1
    • Diplomacy 0 [1/2]
    • Wayfinding 0 [1/2]
    Soul - 2
    • Oration 1

    Traits:
    Believer of Steam -     Gain two bonus dice on any project involving the creation or use of steam power. Lose two dice when working with alternative power sources for what could compare to the marvel of a boiler? You are deeply unsettled by the absence of steam powered machinery and have a desire to explain to anyone who will listen the greatness of steam.
    Student of Innovation - Gain an additional die when working on any engineering that is odd, experimental, or cutting edge.
    Accidents Happen - On failing an engineering test with something new or experimental there is a 50% chance of an accident occurring.
    Brilliant Mind - Provides an additional die when learning any new skill, halves chance of accidents.

    Possessions:
    Engineer's tools of the trade
    Several sets of clothes
    3 Matchlocks     (Prone to misfires, Unreliable in even wet conditions, Godri would disapprove)
    Gromdottir (+4 bonus dice when used for combat, ???, ???, Limited amount of ammo)
    Raven Amulet (???, ???, ???)
    Bottle of Kislevite Vodka

    Assistance on an Action - 1 Favor per Die on applicable actions.
    Bodyguards - 2 Favor and 1 Wealth per month required, gives you six Road Walker bodyguards during the duration. (Unlocked from Relationship 2)
    Request Investment - 1 Favor per Wealth requested. Can potentially harm your relationship with the group. (Unlocked from Relationship 2)
     
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    • So the same as last turn minus the Maintenance action.

    I'm probably gonna vote for/make a plan that just does Workshop and 4 AP on Arming the Walkers, then spend 2-3 Favors on Workshop to give us really good chances of finally succeeding.
     
    [ ] Plan Favored Workshop
    -[] Looking for a Workshop +1 Favor
    -[] Getting to Know Wolfenburg +1 Favor
    -[] Arming the Road Walkers x3
    -[] Calling in Favors (1 on Workshop, 1 on Getting to Know Wolfenburg)

    Using 2 favors to get an extra die on the workshop and escort for getting to know wolfenburg, remaining 3 AP on arming them which earns us money

    Rockeye said:
    Crossbow research?
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    We take a penalty from our steam trait- and I want the funds for any workshop purchase and then into steam research because we are getting close to a debuff there
     
    It is hard to be very ambitious about our first steam projects when we are, rn, at the very start of the tech tree. Aside from potion sprays, our only available steam project is a politely rephrased "Hey, is this thing useless or what? Can I actually do anything with it?"
     
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    Derek58 said:
    I don't have any interest in it myself. The only advantage they have over guns iirc is that they're much more quiet, and that's too niche to use any of our very limited AP on imo.
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    Also, I'm pretty sure crossbows suffer from our character's malus towards non-steam powered designs.
     
    Void Stalker said:
    We take a penalty from our steam trait- and I want the funds for any workshop purchase and then into steam research because we are getting close to a debuff there
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    True. I mean once we get a minature steam engine (Aeolipile) we could potentially leverage it into making a new crossbow. Namely using it's motive force to rewind the crossbows.

    Because we get a debuff so long as steam is not the motive force behind a machine etc. My vague notion is that winding/pulling back the string or winding gears yourself; you fire the crossbow, hook it up to the steam-powered winder and grab another pre-wound crossbow to fire. It's a higher tech version of the setup where you would have one man firing one of several crossbows and another dedicated to recocking the things (since the process was slower than a traditional bow).

    And since we are involving steam in this design, we'd ignore the malus and potentially even get the buff.
     
    Gentlemen, I present to you; literally the most garbage, unusable incarnation of the steam engine!

    *polite applause mixed in with coughing*
     
    Hazeron said:
    Gentlemen, I present to you; literally the most garbage, unusable incarnation of the steam engine!
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    -shrug-
    We (the players) don't know what examining the Aeolipile might get us. On one hand, yes its less efficient than a traditional steam engine design. But at the same time this is WHF where clockwork and steam mechanisms can do a lot more than IRL equilvalents.

    I mean, take the steam tank. Realistically that thing should not be able to do anything near what it does.
     
    That's because it's specifically enchanted I believe, not an actual representation of physics being substantially different (also Games Workshop employs morons as writers who are physically incapable of even going within ten feet of technical documentation so take their depictions of things with a grain of salt).

    EDIT: of course I was being facetious I should say; I know we have to start somewhere and the Aelopile is important to show that steam can generate appreciable force
     
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    Derek58 said:
    I don't have any interest in it myself. The only advantage they have over guns iirc is that they're much more quiet, and that's too niche to use any of our very limited AP on imo.
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    The biggest advantage crossbows have imo is in Total Addressable Market, or TAM for short. Basically, how many people would be willing to buy this sucker. Most folks in Ostland looking for a ranged weapon will select a crossbow over a gun, due to the latter's greater reliability and the high cost of gunpowder. Therefore, we will be able to sell a whole hell of a lot more improved crossbows than improved firearms.
     
    They also have an appreciably higher rate of fire than the sorts of guns we can manufacture for now, which will also be a good selling point (until we hopefully go full Renaissance Man and invent a fuck ton of things all by ourselves, like cartridge breech loaders).
     
    Yeah I did some more reading and it seems he was pulling heavily from Dwarven design, and they have more advanced metal working capabilities (and weirdly high tech levels in general) so it might have been feasible to cludge some low weight steam engine together that technically can drive an armored vehicle using their alloys and drive mechanisms. The inability of Imperial engineers to understand it at all despite destructive analysis kind of supports this because it suggests the materials themselves can't be replicated.
     
    Here's my plan for going almost all in on Arming, and using 3 Favor (since we'll hopefully make just as much, if not more, on Arming) on Workshop

    [] Plan Workshop and Arming
    -[] Looking for a Workshop +3 Favor
    -[] Arming the Road Walkers x4
    -[] Calling in Favors (3 on Workshop)
     
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