Seedward Triangulation
The Seedward Triangulation is an emergency defensive ward designed to keep a seed wagon moving while a dragon attacks. It does not kill the dragon outright. Instead, it turns the dragon's own elemental fury into protective bursts that shield the wagon, scatter attackers, and preserve the living seed within.
Seedward Triangulation
Defenses
Detection
“A ring of ironbound seed crates surrounds a central wagon axle marked with ocher sigils. Thin copper cables run from the wagon to buried bronze stakes, each stake topped with a weathered grain seal. When the ward activates, the cables glow like banked embers and the ground exhales the scent of scorched wheat.”
Standard Engagement
A dragon enters within 120 feet of the wagon, uses a breath weapon within 120 feet, or a hostile creature damages the wagon or tampers with a ward-stake.
On its turn, the ward performs one action if it has not gained energy since the end of its previous turn, or two actions if a dragon used a breath weapon within 120 feet since then. It uses Scattering Ember Pulse as its first action. If a dragon used a breath weapon this round, it uses Seed-Saving Aegis as its second action. If the ward has used Seed-Saving Aegis twice since the beginning of its last turn, it can replace that action with Harvested Fury.
The hazard resets at the start of each round while at least two ward-stakes remain intact. If all three stakes are disabled or removed, it cannot reset until repaired with 10 minutes of work and a successful DC 30 Crafting, Nature, or Religion check. The ward has no routine if the wagon is empty or the focus axle is removed.
The ward releases a concussive burst of heated wind. Each creature in a 20-foot emanation from the wagon must attempt a DC 30 Reflex save. On a critical success, the creature is unaffected. On a success, it takes half damage. On a failure, it takes 6d6 fire damage and is pushed 10 feet away from the wagon. On a critical failure, it takes full damage, is pushed 20 feet, and falls prone.
The ward converts a nearby burst of draconic energy into a protective shell. The wagon and each creature adjacent to it gain resistance 15 to the triggering dragon's damage type until the start of the hazard's next turn. This protection applies only to damage from the dragon or its immediate breath weapon, not to attacks from other creatures.
When the hazard has absorbed enough elemental force, it lashes back at the dragon. The dragon must attempt a DC 30 Reflex save. On a failure, it takes 8d6 damage of the triggering breath weapon's type and is dazzled until the end of its next turn. On a critical failure, it is also pushed 15 feet. If no dragon is within 120 feet, the backlash strikes the nearest hostile creature instead.
The ward has three active ward-stakes positioned around the wagon. Each stake has AC 28, Hardness 15, and 24 HP. Damage to a stake is not reduced by the hazard's resistances. A stake is disabled when destroyed or successfully uprooted.
Whenever a dragon within 120 feet uses a breath weapon, the ward gains 1 energy. At 2 energy, the ward can use Harvested Fury. At 3 energy, it automatically uses Seed-Saving Aegis even if it has already done so this turn, then loses all energy. The ward loses 1 energy at the end of a round in which no dragon used a breath weapon within 120 feet.
The wagon is the ward's protected object. While at least one ward-stake remains, the wagon gains resistance 10 to fire, acid, cold, electricity, and physical damage from nonmagical attacks. If the wagon is reduced to 0 HP, the hazard immediately becomes disabled and releases one final Scattering Ember Pulse.
If a creature moves the wagon at least 20 feet during a round, the focus axle shifts. Until a creature spends 1 action to secure it with a successful DC 25 Survival or Crafting check, the ward's emanations are centered on the wagon's previous position.
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