Expanding the Apparatus of Kwalish | Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy D20 Spotlight (2025)

This was a continuation of this thread but I think since the topic has changed sufficiently it's better to make a new thread.

My group has found an Apparatus of Kwalish. They are level 10. I've decided to do an underwater adventure this weekend. I've decided to add a compartment to the Apparatus and let the whole party in rather than sticking with the official two person crew. May possibly install other weapons so the rest of the party has something to do when they encounter the sea monster. Probably not a torpedo, but maybe harpoon? Maybe allow them to channel lightning bolt into the Apparatus to give it a range attack or electrify it or something.

Anyone with a good idea on how to give a group of possibly six players in a minisub things to do when fighting a sea monster? They will have water breathing too (they're level 10) so them going out to battle the sea monster is an option, but I'm hoping to pull an underwater vehicle combat. I am experienced enough that I can hack some rules up, but if you all have some suggestions I would like to see it.

Lewd Beholder said:

What's the party made of?

Click to expand...

A monk, a wizard, a warlock, a barbarian, a battle artificer, and a sorcerer.

Also bones and soft tissues.

Have a variety of weapons that are each controlled by individual levers - that way there is a default "doing something constructive" action.

Helm control must be considered by group - is this left to one character or is it a group decision? Is helm control going to be a rewarding enough action or does it need to allow something else? Underwater is dark, could the helm have control of a beam of light, so rotating the device is as important as moving it?

Is treading water, going to require a move action? If so the device can become a solid platform for action economizing. Are unconscious creatures and PCs going to float or sink? Again the apparatus becomes a base for action.

Well, take a page from Matthew Mercers ship combat rules, well they weren't his I think, though I think he modified them. Think they were an UA or released on twitter by Jeremy Crawford.

Basically, give the ship HP and AC and speed. And weapons.
Have the group all have jobs. One guy steers the ship. maybe he can use his action to speed up the ship or increase it's AC.
Some of the group will have to man the weapons, rolling for attack and damage if it hits. Though you might have the "steers the sub guy" not be the guy who can make it move. You might try to have one guy aim a weapon but be different form the person who loads and fires it.
So communicatin is important.

We're playing Ghosts of Saltmarsh and are at 9th level and my party also just got an Apparatus.

They were super excited, not least of which because only one of the characters lacked means of adventuring underwater. Everyone else was a sea elf, a warforged with a swim speed, or had cloaks of the manta ray. So he was excited to get this cool magical vehicle for his dwarf cleric.

Then... he was underwhelmed. (nautical pun not intended)

He's by himself with no co pilot so he was at a disadvantage. He could barely keep up with the others. He couldn't fit through medium-sized underwater spaces. He could only turn facing once per round - I at least said he could rotate the apparatus UP to 90-degrees, instead of forcing to to move in 90-degree turn increments.

It was funny at first as they navigated through an underwater maze that was all 90 degree turns. He was "wait. Hold it. gotta turn. Okay. Move forward. Wait. Gotta turn again. Okay. Wait." But he missed entire fights as he was just trying to catch up. Then had to wait at the entrance while the others went into a tight passage.

yeah, I'd almost redo it using the vehicle rules in ghosts of saltmarsh/descent into avernus.

and I got an idea since your group is spellcaster heavy.

They burn spell levels to make the apparatus do stunts.

and the barberian and the monk can burn their per day tasks to make it to do stuff (such as CLAMP!)

Lewd Beholder I don't have Saltmarsh not Avernus. I have heard of the vehicle rules in both, but the Youtuber XP to Level 3 coverage of Saltmarsh convinced me that that one is a bad fit (for one thing, it's very geared to ships). The Avernus one might be useful. What's it like?

EvilSchemer Right. The Apparatus clucky movement rule has to go then. A simple 30' swim speed will do.

M Manitou Giving everyone something to do is basically the reason for this thread. The Apparatus already have HP (200), AC (20), and a speed, but the speed is clunky in that turning requires an action. A throwback from earlier edition of the Apparatus. Like I said to EvilSchemer, the speed will be replaced with a simple swim speed.

M MatthewJHanson Ooo. A couple of wands of the war mage. Maybe no bonus but require no attunement. Basically just a narrative device to allow the spellcasters to cast offensive spells from within the Apparatus.

A adwyn The Apparatus has a pair of forward facing lights. All pictures of it shows a pair of lights. Yes, basically everyone has to have something to do. I know enough from non-D&D games to understand that this is analogous to starship combat, where there are several positions like command, weapons, engine, etc. It's probably going to be more ad-hoc with no rigid command structure and people doing whatever they think is best since it's a one-off expedition for the party.