After spending the past two days digging out from a massive snow storm, I'd love nothing more than to be able to assemble a big steam rig to get the job done!
Today, I'll have a sneak peek at just a fraction of the parts that go into building your own Rig for a game of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars. Backers will have access to the full text from this massive chapter tomorrow, but for today, we'll look at a couple of key elements.
Building Your Rig
A steam rig should be built by the players at the table. Even if the characters are from different alliances, they can be in the same rig as a special collaborative effort or for other reasons such as espionage. Wartime politics tend to be a bit messy with certain moments where adversaries are working together within limited constraints.
Choose Headcab
The first step of building the steam rig is determining the style of headcab. All the headcabs are modelled after medieval and renaissance era helmets and impart the same style of armor to the overall steam rig. Each Alliance provides an alliance benefit to the headcabs they favor. Additionally, each headcab provides their own benefits.
Headcabs
On top of every steam rig is a giant helmet where the main controls are. Inside this headcab are the pilots and officers who command and control the tempo of the rig’s operation. Observers and pilots peer out the eyeports at what lies ahead on the battlefield. They communicate with the rest of the crew in the other parts of the rig through hollow communication tubes and engine order telegraphs. Pilots have levers, a steering wheel, and an engine telegraph that directs the amount of steam that goes to the engine.
All personnel working in the headcab reach it by climbing ropes or ladders up the rig’s body. Once inside they are mostly protected from the elements (no headcabs have windows nor insulation) and can sit and enjoy the somewhat smooth ride. To direct the rig, whomever is sitting in the pilot’s chair, be it a Captain or Pilot, controls the levers that prompt the rest of the rig to start moving and direct the ambulators and boomsmen to start the walk cycle, and the Engineers to adjust the amount of steam. This is done as a Pilot or Leadership + appropriate Attribute, as agreed upon by Players and their Storyguide.
The style of a headcab itself influences the overall style of the steam rug, regardless of the size class. Some styles are preferred by the Steam Forces of an Alliance and grant a unique Alliance benefit in addition to whatever unique benefit each style provides with its design.
Armet Style
A headcab styled like the classic full face helmet from medieval Europe. The front visor is pinched forward and can be lifted to allow the crew better visibility than through the narrow slit in the eyeport. Some variations of the armet style have a raised fin along the top.
Fulcrum benefit: Wing It. Steam Force crews of the Fulcrum have figured out how to cobble together solutions on the fly to keep their rigs fighting even when they are on their last gasp of steam. Once per session, when the rig is Ruptured and gains the Malfunctioning status effect, vent 2 steam dice to stave off the effects of the Complication for one more turn.
Armet Style: Rigs with armet style headcaps benefit from better stability. Once per session, when the rig is on the verge of being Toppled, you can vent two steam dice to maintain your feet.
Barbute Style
An Italian style of headcab resembling the 15th century barbute helmet. Barbute style headcabs feature a rounded headcab with a T- or Y-shaped eyeport that ends at the rig’s “chin”. Some variations of this style of headcab feature an open-faced form with an arched opening.
Confederation of the Sea benefit: Never See Us Coming.The Confederation of the Sea have discovered interesting ways to board enemy rigs. They’ve built rig to rig boarding equipment into their rigs, making it easier for them to take the fight inside of an enemy rig. Gain +1 to boarding actions.
Barbute Style: Rigs with barbute style headcaps benefit from overfiring their engines to increase their steam pressure knowing that shifting the balance can result in catastrophic system failure. Once per session, double your steam dice to a maximum of ten.
Capeline Style
Capeline headcabs resembled the capeline or lobster-tail helmets of the 17th century characterized by its long peak, extended tail shield, and most notably a sliding nasal bar gun elevator developed specifically to accommodate the first headcab artillery. There is a smokestack directly through the cab.
Confederation of the Sea benefit: Never See Us Coming. The Confederation of the Sea have discovered interesting ways to board enemy rigs. They’ve built rig to rig boarding equipment into their rigs, making it easier for them to take the fight inside of an enemy rig. Gain +1 to boarding actions.
Capeline Style: Rigs with capeline style headcaps benefit from better ammunition management. Once per session, when the battlerig suffers Complications from weapons running out of ammunition or being jammed, you may ignore the first instance of the Complication until the end of combat but not subsequent Complications of the same type.
Close-Burgonet Style
British style of steam rig named for the headcab’s resemblance to the open faced Renaissance helmet of the same name, characterized by a peak above the cab and rounded dome with comb.
Fulcrum benefit: Wing It. Steam Force crews of the Fulcrum have figured out how to cobble together solutions on the fly to keep their rigs fighting even when they are on their last gasp of steam. Once per session, when the rig is Ruptured and gains the Malfunctioning status effect, vent 2 steam dice to stave off the effects of the Complication for one more turn.
Close-Burgonet Style: Rigs with close-burgonet style headcaps benefit from being able to vent steam through stovepipes at the back of its neck. Once per session, when the rig would suffer a pernicious failure, treat it as a normal failure instead.
Select Rig Class
Rig class is the size of the rig and restricts the armaments that can be equipped. It also dictates how big of a crew is needed to operate it.
Classes of Fighting Rig
Where headcabs determine the style of a steam rig’s appearance, the class determines the size, weight, crew size and possible armaments available. Rig classes tend to be named after mythic heroes and deities. Every rig is customized to the crew, while similarities exist between Alliance Steam Forces, each rig has ticks that crews must learn to navigate to keep their fighting rig at peak efficiency. Rig heights can vary by several feet between rigs of the same class based on load out and legs used.
Achilles Class
Invented by Major Matthew Bedford Creed and pushed into prominence as a “strategic rig,” the achilles class is one of the smallest classes of steam rigs that suffers from an identity crisis. It has been noted as not being small enough to be fast nor big enough for decent armament. They are the most plentiful rigs found in the rig graveyard on the Manitoban border.
Size: 3 Handling: 1 Armor: 2 Speed: 2 Height: 27 feet Crew Size: 3 – 4 Armament Limits: Achilles rigs can employ up to one .30 machine gun in their torso.
Agincourt Class
A British class of steam rig equivalent to the American goliath class, the agincourt class steam rigs have additional armaments at midrig – midport and starboard.
Size: 4 Handling: 2 Armor: 3 Speed: 2 Height: 90 feet Crew: 25 – 35 Armament Limits: Agincourt Class can equip typically 37mm rapid fire cannons or .303 machine guns.
Ajax Class
One of the most popular rig classes for deployment on the battlefield for its lower maintenance and fielding costs than the larger rigs, providing efficient use of armor and fuel for its smaller crews. Additionally, it has a midrig walkway allowing crew additional access to the torso and providing another observation point and fighting platform for embarked marines to fire from.
Size: 3 Handling: 1 Armor: 3 Speed: 2 Height: 45 – 48 feet Crew: 8 – 10 Armament Limits: Ajax rigs can employ up to one 3” gun in the chest and one machine gun in its headcab.
Pick Booms
Booms are the arms of the steam rig. The type of suspension used on the arms provides different benefits based on how the rig might be used.
Booms
Everyone needs a hand, luckily, steam rigs have multiple. The ones that count are the booms, which help balance the steam rig with an offset walk cycle. Some booms are better for more precise work while others are better for heavy loads and combat.
Heavy Chain
Heavy Chain supported booms are better suited for combat and handling heavy loads. These booms are more robust for performance in adverse conditions. But when the chains break, the risk of damaging the rest of the rig is high.
Heavy Combat: Heavy Chain Booms provide rigs with a benefit of reducing the cost of rig combat stunts by 1 hit to a minimum of 1 hit. If the boom breaks, it imposes the Moderate Complication Broken Linkthat does one damage to the rig every turn the boom is used until the chain is repaired or replaced if the Complication is not bought off.
Hidden Sword
There is wisdom in not allowing the enemy to readily identify what sorts of weapons your rig is equipped with. Japanese engineers have recently invented a pneumatic mechanism to deploy and retract a rig sized sword to use in rig to rig combat. These blades are sharp enough to slice through rig hulls, regardless of how thick the armor plates are.
Retractable Blade: Hidden sword booms conceal a rig sized blade to be deployed from the boom to be used in rig to rig combat. Vent 1 steam die to deploy a rig sized sword with the Piercing and Sunder tags.
High Tension Cable
High tension cable booms are better for more precise and quick movements. They require more regular inspection and maintenance after battle to ensure there is no abrasion or breakage to weaken the cables. Despite needing more maintenance, these booms are cheaper to produce and maintain.
Dexterous Booms: High Tension Cable Booms provide rigs with a benefit of reducing difficulty of actions using the booms by 1. If the boom breaks, it imposes the Moderate Complication, Malfunctioning until the cable is repaired or replaced. If not bought off, that does one damage to the rig every turn the boom is used.
Pick Legs
Pick the style of legs for your steam rig. Many of these provide additional benefits for the rig’s mobility.
Legs
All rigs need to stand on their own two gigantic mechanical feet. Controlled from the ambulation chamber midrig, a rig walks in a counterbalance with its arms to keep upright. A good observer will keep the rig from accidentally wandering into a crevice or body of water too deep or slick for the rig to escape from.
Barrel Sheath
Barrel sheath leg configurations are the most common, concealing the shins of the rig in a metal sheath. The gears in the hips can either be enclosed or exposed. These lower sheathes both protect the legs and make the rig more difficult for troops to scale.
All About Scale: The barrel sheath imposes a Moderate Complication to boarding parties attempting to scale the steam rig. Failure to buy off the complication can result in the Dazed status effect if the steam rig is still or 1 Injury Level in motion (respectively) while the climbing attempt was made.
Enclosed
This leg design for steam rigs is the baseline with all gears and mechanisms enclosed within a bipedal frame. They will get a steam rig from point A to point B and are often used for runabout class rigs. On larger battlerigs, enclosed boots are reinforced, to provide both stability and make kicks more impactful.
Das Boot: Battlerigs with enclosed boots gain access to the Earth-Shaking Step trick and can buy Stomp for 1 hit instead of 2.
Pick Armaments
Based on the class of the steam rig your group has selected, will restrict how many and how big the armaments can be.
Rig Armaments
Steam rigs employ a mixture of artillery, anti-rig, and anti-personnel heavy weapons. Most weapons are classified by the size or weight of the projectile it fires. Many are meant to penetrate and explode inside the body of an enemy rig and are devastating when used against personnel. All rig armaments work to Long range.
Armstrong Whitworth Recoil Carriage
Allows for a machine gun to be mounted in the headcabs of steam rigs larger than the achilles class. Its recoil to be absorbed so it does not disrupt the balance of the rig or require additional weight for absorption.
Range: Long
Tags:
Armor Piercing: A rapid volley of molten lead cuts through a rig’s armor, inflicting Ruin to a battlerig despite its armor plating. Rupturing: Gain access to the Rupture Trick when making attacks with this weapon. Armor negates this effect.
Rupture (1 hits):Inflict the Faulty Valve status effect (p. XX) on your target.
Special Rules: Cramped: This carriage may be mounted in any steam rig larger than Achilles Class. The addition of a Recoil Carriage to a headcab reduces the amount of space within, imposing a Minor Complication which if not bought off causes the crew to bump into each other. Continual collisions with the rest of the crew in the headcab can shift the attitudes toward the crew member negatively. Firing a Recoil Carriage adds 1 steam die every other turn it is fired.
Field Gun
Field guns are a type of field artillery that fire a heavy shell to provide long range fire support and counter battery fire. Typically referred to by the weight or size of their shells. Recoil of the weapon is reduced by drag shoes placed under the wheels and secured to the deck of the steam rigs with chains and cables. These can be mounted on battlerigs or used by troops outside battlerigs — when used by troops, each field gun gains this additional tag: Long Range: (Ranged) This weapon can be used to make attacks out to Long range.
10 Pounder
A muzzle loaded field gun capable of firing a 2.9in (74mm) or 3 in (76mm) diameter shell weighing up to 10 lbs. Range: Long Tags:
Brutal: The weapon inflicts massive damage. Reduce the number of hits required to purchase the Critical Trick by 1. Wrecking: This weapon gains access to the Destroy Object Trick. When purchasing the Destroy Object Trick on an attack with this weapon, you may destroy any armor.
Again, we're just scratching the surface of the options presented in Chapter 4. Backers will have access to the full draft manuscript chapter tomorrow!
