Arcane Acculumators

[NukaCola]

What exactly are these used for? I know the Arcane Mechanik can charge it but I'm so confused as to what it exactly does. It seems to be a battery of some type but I want to be sure.

[Nerdynick]

The Arcane Accumulator is a magical battery that stores up charges to power mechanika. Mechanika is the IK's version of magical gear. Instead of normally enchanting an item, an arcane mechanik will fit the item with rune plates, conduits, and accumulator sockets. The accumulator powers the magical effect until it runs out of charges.

[StJason]

Yes, that's it exactly. They are batteries of arcane energy. Mechanika uses them to charge up their ability. Your Shocking Longsword is just a longsword without a charged one in it, just like your iPod is just a paperweight without charged batteries.

[Whimper]

Certain items will only drain charges from the accumulator when they are used, but the majority of mechanika drains a number of charges every day (or even hourly). This is why it's important to have extra accumulators around, and an arcane mechanik to recharge them safely.

[Darklordofbunnies]

I am interested in how exactly they get recharged. I know that they say turbines are involved but does anyone have any theories on what is actually being siphoned off to charge this stuff and what kind of side effects are possible.

[Killj0y]

There are 2 ways to recharge an accumulator.

The first method is alchemical, the accumulator is immersed in a chemical bath that slowly recharges the energy over a period of hours/days. The process is slow but costs almost nothing so if you're largely stationary it's not a bad way to have some backup power ready.

The second method involves an expensive piece of equipment known as an arcane condenser. This device allows an arcane spellcaster to place an empty accumulator in the device and then by expending spell levels to charge the accumulator. If I recall correctly the cost is 2-3 spell levels per charge stored with the arcane mechanik getting a cost break on this fairly early in their progression which drops the cost to 1 for 1 (I think).

The danger in this process lies in a couple of factors. 1. overcharging - if you put too many charges into an accumulator they can rupture and explode like a grenade I think it's something on the order of 1d6 per charge stored. The second difficulty is that once you start draining spell levels you can't stop without an effort of will meaning that if you fail the save it might start draining spells you still needed or will drain spells that are too large causing overcharge, rupture and death.

[Nerdynick]

I recall that Arcane Turbines can also be used to charge them, but I never found official rules for it (I homebrewed some).

Also, if I recall correctly, the Iosan accumulators (which are far more advanced than normal mechanika) use interdimensional friction between Caen and Urcaen as a power source. Food for thought.

[scc]

Amk are 2:1 charge ratio, to get a 1:1 you need a devotional engine and a cleric of cyriss

[Whimper]

Actually, that was updated in the Liber Mechanika in the revised Arcane Mechanik class. Now Arcane Mechaniks charge accumulators at a 1:1 ratio (one charge per spell level). Other classes still apparently charge at a less-efficient 3:1 ratio.

Nerdynick, the rules for Arcane Turbines are also in the Liber Mechanika. With a full hopper, they can produce an astounding 8 charges per 6 second round of combat.

[Killj0y]

An arcane turbine is a constant stream power source in the same class as a storm chamber. Accumulators are a stored power source. This is kind of the difference between AC and DC current in electricity.

If you're using something like warcaster armor which has a boiler and turbine built in you can route the power into any of the effects of the armor. Anything from powerfields to movement assists and into armor effects.

Warcaster armor has all the same slots open for magical enhancement and rune plates as does a breastplate, halfplate or fullplate armor. I think 5 is the default for those. So warcaster armor can have normal armor enhancements like Slick, shadow, fortification, etc. These enhancements are normally powered by standard accumulators in normal sockets on the armor but in a pinch they can be powered by the turbine's extra charges.

Additionally there is a coil of some kind whose name eludes me that allows you to connect other devices like weapons, ACE's and other devices to a turbine powered device to draw on their charges.

I do not recall if warcaster armor has any method for putting charges back into accumulators. My gut says no since turbine power is so much more plentiful than what can be drawn from a condenser that it would quickly supplant condender technology altogether.

Now if someone wanted to spend a mechanikal innovation slot to make a accumulator charging system that relied on turbine power I'm sure they'd be hailed as a mechanikal genius but I don't think the device currently exists.

[Whimper]

Now if someone wanted to spend a mechanikal innovation slot to make a accumulator charging system that relied on turbine power I'm sure they'd be hailed as a mechanikal genius but I don't think the device currently exists.

Charge Accumulator: Any bloke can charge an accumulator by plugging it into the charging socket on an arcane turbine.

That was easy.

[Nerdynick]

@Whimper:

Now if someone wanted to spend a mechanikal innovation slot to make a accumulator charging system that relied on turbine power I'm sure they'd be hailed as a mechanikal genius but I don't think the device currently exists.

This is what I meant. I'd read your quote, but I don't believe there are rules on if the ratio is 1:1 or what. Also, it doesn't seem to me like an Arcane Turbine would have a charging socket on it for some reason.

My aforementioned houserule was that any turbine could be attached to an accumulator socket by arcano-conduction coils and charged on a 1:1 ratio

[Whimper]

Arcane turbines have a charging socket on them that charges accumulators. That is all there is to be gleaned from my post, a quote from the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide. I don't see why you need to further complicate matters.

[scc]

Yes but there are no rules for it and there is no cost of coal that I can find

[Whimper]

Rules for creating and using Arcane Turbines are found on IKCG p. 340. The Liber Mechanika clarifies how many charges they can provide on p. 65, and further revises the IKCG rules on p.69. The price of coal is found in Liber Mechanika on table 1-25 Trade Goods, p. 60.

I'm not saying that all of these rules are great, and the LM is notable for introducing more inconsistencies than it fixed, but the rules are out there for those willing to look for them.

[Killj0y]

Well there you go then.

[Darklordofbunnies]

Now we just need to burn a mechanikal innovation on building a man-portable storm chamber into warcaster armor with sockets and we can run about spraying runeplated spells like it was nothing. Potential for abuse, yes. Prohibitively costly, also yes.

[scc]

Storm chambers won't work for that, there are limits on the sort of spells they can power

[Killj0y]

storm chambers can power weapon and armor effects as well as spells with the lightning descriptor. +5 warcaster armor with hand mounted elemental emitters of chain lightning.

Storm chambers will also fit into any standard accumulator socket so warcaster armor can hold 5 of them.