GearAscendancy.com

Ledge Net Deployment System LND411

—

by

Dale
in

From: Gyre Leaper 771

This is a more elaborate, multi-component item used in strategic locations. It consists of a large (approximately 20×20 foot) fine-mesh net woven from enchanted “Spider-Steel” (a miraculously strong and flexible metal that resembles woven threads). The net is folded into a compact package and equipped with several small, single-use “Aetheric-Spring” mechanisms. These mechanisms are strategically positioned along the perimeter and loaded with tension. When a hunter observes a Gyre-Leaper being driven towards a specific chokepoint or a fall onto a prepared ledge, they trigger the system via a long, thin, enchanted pull-cord. The Aetheric-Springs rapidly deploy the net, snapping it taut across a gap or over a target area, creating an instant, resilient barrier or catching surface. The Spider-Steel mesh is fine enough to entangle even a rapidly moving creature without immediately tearing, allowing hunters to secure the animal.

Lore and Origins

The Ledge-Net Deployment System (LND-411) is a masterpiece of subterranean engineering, created by the reclusive, deep-dwelling Gnomes of the Iron-Silk Weaver clan. This clan has a unique symbiotic relationship with a species of colossal, magically-attuned arachnids known as “Forge-Spiders.” These creatures do not spin silk, but rather excrete a metallic, semi-liquid filament that, when harvested and properly treated in a forge, becomes the legendary Spider-Steel.

The Aetheric-Springs are a Gnomish invention, a fusion of complex clockwork and enchantment. Each spring is a marvel of miniaturization that can store an immense amount of kinetic energy drawn directly from the Aether, the magical field that permeates the world. The LND-411 is their standard large-area capture and defense model, often used to protect their cavern cities from flying predators or rockfalls. They are rarely sold, but occasionally traded to trusted surface-dwellers for rare woods, exotic fungi, or detailed astronomical charts, which the deep-dwelling Gnomes find endlessly fascinating.

Tier 1 Statistics

  • Item Type: Elaborate Mechanical Trap
  • Durability (Net HP): 150/150 (Resistant to slashing and fire damage)
  • Area of Effect: 20 ft. x 20 ft. square
  • Deployment Time: 15 minutes (Requires at least four solid anchor points)
  • Escape DC: 16 (A creature must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity check to break free of the entangled mesh).
  • Weight: 40 lbs (includes net, springs, and anchors)

Slot

  • Heavy Equipment: This is not a casual item. It is carried in a specialized, heavy-duty pack or crate and occupies a significant portion of a character’s carrying capacity, equivalent to a large backpack and its contents. It is gear brought for a specific mission.

Temporary Skills Gained

  • Strategic Trap Placement: Handling the system’s components and anchor points gives the user an intuitive understanding of terrain, chokepoints, and the optimal geometry for setting large-scale ambushes.
  • Tension Mechanics: Working with the Aetheric-Springs and the enchanted pull-cord provides a practical education in setting up complex, high-tension mechanical traps.

Passive Magics

  • Inherent Resilience: The Spider-Steel mesh is passively resistant to common forms of damage. It does not rust, is difficult to cut, and the enchantment woven into it deflects a portion of the heat from magical fire.
  • Tension Sense: The enchanted pull-cord provides faint, tactile feedback to the user holding it. A steady, low hum indicates the system is correctly deployed and under proper tension. If this hum ceases, it warns the user that an anchor may have slipped or a spring mechanism has malfunctioned.

Active Magics

  • Aetheric Deployment: This is the primary activation. When the enchanted pull-cord is sharply tugged, it sends a pulse of magical energy to all connected Aetheric-Springs simultaneously. This releases their stored kinetic energy, causing the net to launch and expand to its full size with supernatural speed (in less than a second), snapping taut across the target area.
  • Glyph of Re-priming: Each Aetheric-Spring mechanism is single-use, but not disposable. Etched on the casing of each spring is a complex gnomish glyph. By tracing this glyph with a finger and channeling a steady stream of magical energy into it for one hour, a magically-attuned user can coax the spring to once again draw in and store kinetic energy from the Aether, effectively “reloading” it for another deployment.

Tags: Trap, Net, Area-of-Effect, Deployable, Capture Device, Heavy Equipment, Artificer-Made, Magical, Spider-Craft, Strategic, Gnomish-Craft, Barrier, Entanglement, Spring-Loaded, Underdark Origin, Masterwork, Tactical, Aether-Powered, Ambush, Defense, Metal-Weave, Exotic

The Ledge-Net Deployment System (LND-411) is not a common item to be found in any adventurer’s emporium or marketplace. It is a piece of heavy, specialized, tactical equipment. Its sale and acquisition are handled through specific, professional channels that cater to clients with the need and the resources for large-scale capture and defense solutions.

Types of Shops and Venues

1. Gnomish or Dwarven Engineering Guildhalls: This is the most direct and reputable source for purchasing a new LND system. In major cities with deep connections to the subterranean kingdoms, the Gnomish and Dwarven guilds maintain official trade halls.

  • Atmosphere: These are not shops but formidable, secure embassies of craft. Business is conducted in quiet, private chambers where schematics are reviewed and contracts are signed. The air smells of clean machine oil, ozone, and polished stone.
  • Process: One does not simply buy an LND-411 off the shelf. A client places a formal commission. The guild acts as a broker, sending the request to the Iron-Silk Weavers and arranging for the system’s construction and delivery, a process that can take months.

2. Military & Siege Outfitters: These establishments cater to mercenary companies, city-states, and the castellans of noble houses. Shops with names like “The Bulwark & Bailey” or “Aegis Siegecraft” specialize in fortifications and tactical equipment.

  • Atmosphere: These are more like warehouses or fortified compounds than shops. The floor space is dominated by ballistae, catapults, and reinforced barricades.
  • Inventory: They might have a single LND-411 system in stock for demonstration or for a client with an urgent need. More often, they, too, operate on a commission basis, using their established trade routes to the subterranean realms to procure the systems.

3. The Beastmasters’ Consortium: A major guild that deals in the live capture of large and dangerous magical beasts would be a primary user and secondary seller of these systems.

  • Atmosphere: A sprawling compound with reinforced pens, alchemical labs, and a well-stocked quartermaster’s office.
  • Process: They do not sell to the public. However, a trusted client or a highly skilled adventurer hired by the consortium might be able to purchase a used, guild-certified system. These are often field-tested but meticulously maintained by their own artificers.

How the Item is Bought and Sold

The transaction for an LND-411 is a logistical and educational process.

  • Sold as a Complete System: The LND-411 is always sold as a kit. This includes the folded Spider-Steel net, a standard set of four charged Aetheric-Springs, the enchanted pull-cord, a set of heavy-duty anchors, and a reinforced, often wheeled, transport crate. It also includes a detailed, diagram-heavy instruction scroll written in Gnomish script (a translated copy usually costs extra).
  • Demonstration and Training: A reputable seller, such as a guildhall or siege outfitter, will insist on a demonstration. They will have a dedicated training yard with anchor points where they can deploy a smaller, reusable training net to show the speed and force of the Aetheric-Springs. For a significant additional fee, they may offer a half-day course on proper anchoring, reloading the springs with the “Glyph of Re-priming,” and net maintenance.
  • Authentication: A genuine system is identified by the Iron-Silk Weavers’ guild mark on the packaging and a tiny, nearly microscopic version of the same mark woven into the four corner points of the Spider-Steel net.

Cost and Value in the World of Saṃsāra

The LND-411 is a piece of strategic, military-grade equipment. Its price is substantial, reflecting the extreme rarity of Spider-Steel and the gnomish ingenuity of the Aetheric-Springs. It is an investment for a guild, a noble house, or a very wealthy and ambitious adventuring party.

  • Base System Cost: A new, complete Ledge-Net Deployment System (LND-411), commissioned through a Gnomish or Dwarven guildhall, costs approximately 250 Platinum coins. The price from a human military outfitter may be as high as 300 Platinum.
    • Calculation Breakdown: 250 Platinum = 2,500 Gold. This is an expense on par with outfitting a small military unit or buying a small ship.
  • Component Costs:
    • Replacement Aetheric-Spring: Each spring is a marvel of gnomish artifice. A single, charged replacement spring costs 25 Platinum coins.
    • Magical Re-priming Service: If a character cannot perform the “Glyph of Re-priming” enchantment themselves, a guild enchanter will offer the service for a fee of 5 Platinum coins per spring.
  • Barter Value: The Iron-Silk Weavers have little need for currency. They value knowledge and rare materials from the surface world. They would trade a full LND system for a masterwork-quality astronomical telescope, a complete set of encyclopedias on marine biology, or a large quantity of rare, bioluminescent moss that only grows in a specific surface swamp.

The roleplay of using a Ledge-Net Deployment System is about strategic thinking, meticulous preparation, and the deeply satisfying moment when a complex plan comes together perfectly. It is a tool for leaders, engineers, and tacticians. Characters using it are not reacting to the flow of battle; they are defining the battlefield itself, turning a chosen piece of terrain into an unsolvable problem for their enemies.

In a Canyon Chokepoint or Forest Clearing

Offensive Roleplay: This is the LND-411’s intended use as a masterwork ambush tool. The roleplay is in the tense, coordinated setup. Imagine a party preparing a trap for a heavily armed patrol. The gnome artificer, Pip, directs the placement of the four heavy anchors into the canyon walls above, a task requiring the whole party’s strength. She checks the tension on each line, her brow furrowed in concentration. The strongest party member has the enchanted pull-cord, their knuckles white as they wait for Pip’s signal. The moments stretch into minutes. The roleplay is in the shared silence, the hand signals, the quiet confidence in their plan. When the patrol is directly underneath, Pip gives a sharp nod. The cord is pulled. The activation is a sudden, violent THWOOMP as the Aetheric-Springs fire in unison, a sound that echoes off the canyon walls. A 20×20 foot shadow snaps into existence, and the glittering Spider-Steel net slams down, turning an organized military unit into a chaotic, struggling mass of entangled limbs and useless weapons.

Defensive Roleplay: As a defensive tool, the LND-411 is a barrier of last resort. Picture the party retreating from a horde of ravenous beasts through a narrow forest pass. “We can’t outrun them!” the scout yells. “We don’t have to,” Pip replies, unstrapping the heavy kit. The roleplay is one of desperate, frantic teamwork. While the warriors form a defensive line, Pip and another character race to anchor the system to two massive, ancient trees. The sounds of battle get closer. A spring mechanism gets snagged, and for a heart-stopping moment, the plan falters. With a final, desperate effort, they clear it and deploy the net vertically. It snaps taut between the trees, a shimmering wall of steel mesh. The first wave of beasts crashes into it, howling in fury. The net holds. It’s not a permanent solution, but it is a life-saving barricade that has bought them the time they need to escape.

In a Grand Hall or Urban Street

Offensive Roleplay: Here, the LND-411 is a tool of audacious, large-scale subterfuge. Imagine the party needing to capture a group of conspirators meeting in the center of a grand ballroom. The night before, disguised as maintenance workers, they mounted the compact system high in the rafters, hidden behind a decorative banner. The roleplay is in the social tension of the following evening. The party’s face, a charming rogue, has the pull-cord disguised as a tassel on a curtain pull. She mingles, laughs, and watches her targets, waiting for the perfect moment. When they are all gathered, she excuses herself, strolls to the curtain, and gives the tassel a sharp, deliberate tug. Amidst the music and laughter, the deployment is a shocking spectacle—a silent shadow that resolves into a massive steel net, dropping from the ceiling to pin the entire group of stunned conspirators to the marble floor.

Defensive Roleplay: The party is defending a guildhall entrance during a city-wide riot. They have deployed the LND-411 across the wide street, anchoring it to the sturdy stone buildings on either side. The roleplay is about holding the line and controlling the crowd. The mob surges forward, a wave of anger and chaos. As they reach the designated point, the party’s leader gives the signal. The net snaps across the street at chest height. It doesn’t fall on them, but becomes a sudden, immovable wall. The front rank of the mob piles into the resilient mesh, their charge completely broken. The chaos is contained, the building is protected, and the threat is neutralized without having to resort to mass bloodshed.

On the Deck of a Ship at Sea

Offensive Roleplay: This is where the LND-411 becomes a tool for naval domination. The party’s ship is pulling alongside a pirate vessel for a boarding action. Their goal is to capture the ship, not sink it. They have the system mounted in the rigging of their own main mast, aimed to fire horizontally across the gap. The roleplay is in the chaos of battle at sea. With the roar of cannons and the splintering of wood, the party’s captain gives the order. The gnome pulls the cord. The net fires across the 20-foot gap, blanketing the pirate ship’s main deck in a web of Spider-Steel just as the pirates are preparing to repel boarders. Their cannons are fouled, their crew tangled and pinned to their own railings. The offensive potential of the entire ship has been neutralized in a single, brilliant move, allowing the party to board with overwhelming advantage.

Defensive Roleplay: The tables are turned, and the party’s ship is being boarded. As grappling hooks bite into their rails and pirates begin to swing across, the party’s defender plays their trump card. They have the LND-411 pre-set to cover their own main deck. The roleplay is about turning a desperate defense into a decisive victory. The pirates land on deck, expecting a fight. Instead, they land in a heavy, entangling steel web. Their charge becomes a confused, struggling mess. They are now helpless and vulnerable, easily subdued by the crew. The system has transformed the deck of the ship from a battlefield into a massive, inescapable trap.

Perception of Activation:

Sight

  • What’s Perceived: A Geometric Explosion of Light and Metal.
  • Description: The activation is a visually stunning and instantaneous event. The compact package bursts open with four points of brilliant, white-hot light as the Aetheric-Springs discharge. These flashes are immediately followed by the net itself, which erupts from its container not as a loose bundle, but as a rapidly expanding, perfect 20×20 grid of glittering Spider-Steel. For a fraction of a second, it looks like a solid wall of shimmering, silver light before it locks into its final, taut position.
  • Positives: The deployment is so shockingly fast and dramatic that it often causes targets to freeze in surprise. It provides absolute, unambiguous visual confirmation that the trap has been sprung.
  • Negatives: It is the opposite of a subtle effect. The brilliant flash from the springs is a beacon that gives away the trap’s anchor points and announces the use of powerful artifice to everyone in the vicinity.

Sound

  • What’s Perceived: A Resonant Boom and a Metallic Snap.
  • Description: The sound of activation is a deep, powerful, two-stage report. First is a loud, resonant THWOOMP, like the sound of a giant’s siege drum being struck a single, mighty blow. This is the sound of all four Aetheric-Springs firing in perfect unison. It is immediately followed by the sharp, high-frequency ZZZZING-SNAP! of the Spider-Steel mesh locking into full tension, a sound like a thousand metal wires being tuned at once.
  • Positives: The sound is loud and authoritative, confirming a successful deployment even if the user is far from the trap or has no line of sight. The sheer volume can cause panic and disorientation among those caught in or near the trap.
  • Negatives: It is deafeningly loud. Any hope of stealth is utterly obliterated. The sound will alert every creature, friendly or hostile, in a very wide area to the user’s exact location and actions.

Smell

  • What’s Perceived: Aetheric Discharge and Hot Metal.
  • Description: An incredibly sharp, sterile scent floods the area around the deployment points. It is the smell of pure ozone, like the air after a massive lightning strike, mixed with the acrid scent of superheated metal. This is the smell of raw Aetheric energy being converted into kinetic force.
  • Positives: The distinct, unnatural smell is a clear signature of the powerful magic used, leaving no doubt as to the nature of the trap.
  • Negatives: The smell is potent and lingers for several minutes, leaving an unmistakable trail for anyone tracking the party or investigating the event later.

Touch

  • What’s Perceived: A Violent Jerk and a Concussive Blast.
  • Description: The user holding the pull-cord feels a violent, powerful jerk, strong enough to wrench the cord from their hands or pull them off their feet if they are not braced for it. Anyone standing within ten feet of the deploying net is struck by a powerful blast of displaced air, a concussive force that feels like a solid, invisible wave. Those caught by the net feel a sudden, crushing, and unyielding impact from thousands of points at once.
  • Positives: The powerful jerk on the cord is undeniable physical confirmation of activation. The blast of air can stagger or knock down enemies who are close to, but not in, the target area.
  • Negatives: The pull-cord’s jerk can be dangerous, potentially causing the user to fall or lose their weapon. The concussive blast is indiscriminate and can easily affect allies who are positioned too closely.

Taste

  • What’s Perceived: A Sharp, Metallic Tang.
  • Description: The immense energy released by the Aetheric-Springs ionizes the air so intensely that anyone nearby will experience a sharp, coppery taste in their mouth, as if they have licked a powerful battery.
  • Positives: A final, close-range sensory confirmation of the massive energy discharge.
  • Negatives: It is an unpleasant sensation that offers no tactical benefit and requires being dangerously close to the deployment mechanism.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

Arcane Sense (Aura)

  • What’s Perceived: A Deafening Magical Detonation.
  • Description: To a magic-sensitive individual, the activation is not a subtle flare; it is a cataclysm. A massive, blindingly brilliant sphere of raw, untyped Aetheric energy erupts from the springs and is instantly consumed as it is converted into force. The Spider-Steel net then begins to hum with an incredibly powerful and stable aura of Abjuration magic. It is the magical equivalent of a flashbang followed by a powerful, humming wall of force.
  • Positives: The magical signature is so potent it can likely be detected by a powerful mage from miles away, serving as a beacon or signal.
  • Negatives: The activation is a magical shout that announces the user’s presence and use of extremely high-tier artifice to every magic-user, elemental, fey, and fiend in a vast radius. It is impossible to hide this event from magical senses.

Mechanical Empathy (Artifice Sense)

  • What’s Perceived: A Perfect, Harmonious Cascade.
  • Description: For a user with a deep connection to machines, such as a gnome artificer, the activation is a moment of pure mechanical perfection. They perceive it as a flawless, instantaneous cascade of events: the magical trigger releasing the latches, the springs discharging in perfect synchronicity, the net unfolding without a single snag, and the tension equalizing across the entire mesh at once. It is the feeling of a masterwork machine performing its singular, violent purpose with absolute grace.
  • Positives: Provides an incredible sense of satisfaction and confidence. The user can intuitively feel if the deployment was flawless or if one of the springs was misaligned by a fraction of a degree.
  • Negatives: A malfunction (a rare event) is felt as a deeply jarring, physically sickening “crunch” in the user’s own senses, a feeling of beautiful machinery grinding itself to ruin.

Tactical Sense (Battlefield Awareness)

  • What’s Perceived: An Instantaneous Redrawing of the Battlefield.
  • Description: For a character with a keen strategic mind, the activation is perceived as a fundamental and irreversible alteration of the battlefield’s reality. An open field is now bisected by a wall. An escape route ceases to exist. A defensive position is now a kill-box. This perception is not of the item itself, but a clear, instantaneous understanding of how its deployment has changed all available tactical options for everyone involved.
  • Positives: Allows a tactical leader to immediately capitalize on the new reality they have created, issuing commands to exploit the sudden advantage.
  • Negatives: The change is so absolute and binary that it can also eliminate previously available flanking routes or fallback positions for the user’s own team, requiring a high degree of certainty before activation.

Iron-Silk Weaver’s Schematic for the LND-411

This document outlines the master-level crafting process for a Ledge-Net Deployment System. This is not a task for a single artisan but a collaborative project requiring the skills of a master smith, an expert artificer, and a proficient enchanter. The process is a fusion of exotic metallurgy, high-tension clockwork, and raw Aetheric magic, a hallmark of Gnomish ingenuity.

Materials Needed

Net Components:

  • Fifty (50) pounds of raw, stabilized Forge-Spider Filament.
  • One (1) vial of Elemental Air Essence, to create a forging vacuum.

Aetheric-Spring Components (for a set of four):

  • Four (4) large, flawless Quartz Geodes, each at least the size of a human head.
  • Four (4) Primary Power Gears, salvaged from a decommissioned Clockwork Golem.
  • One (1) pound of refined Mithral Bars, for crafting the release mechanisms.
  • Four (4) small, pure Silver Plates, for the runic inscriptions.

Magical & Miscellaneous Components:

  • One (1) 20-foot spool of Enchanted Glimmer-Moth Silk, to serve as the pull-cord.
  • A set of eight (8) Dwarven Grip-Pitons (GPT-559), to be used as heavy-duty anchors.
  • Gnomish Artificer’s Sealant, a resin used to protect the clockwork from the elements.

Tools Required

  • Aetheric Forge: A specialized, sealed forge that can create a vacuum and use magical heat to process delicate, exotic metals.
  • Heavy-Duty Metal Loom: A large, powerful loom capable of weaving metallic wire under high tension.
  • Gnomish Clockwork Assembly Station: A dedicated workbench featuring magnifying lenses, miniature manipulators, and diagnostic tools for building complex mechanisms.
  • Aetheric Accumulator: A dangerous device that draws raw magical energy from the environment to charge artifacts. It must be operated with extreme care.
  • Runic Engraving Kit: A set of precise chisels and hammers for inscribing runes onto metal plates.

Skill Requirements

  • Master Metallurgist (Spider-Steel): The unique and dangerous process of converting raw filament into workable Spider-Steel wire is a closely guarded Gnomish secret.
  • Master Artificer (Aether-Mechanics): The crafter must be an expert in building high-tension, magically-powered clockwork. One mistake in the assembly of the springs could result in a catastrophic, explosive discharge.
  • Adept Rune-Scribe: The ability to inscribe the runes of “Tension” and “Release” with the correct magical intent is crucial for the trigger mechanism.
  • Coordinated Teamwork: This project requires at least three specialists working in perfect concert.

Crafting Steps

Step 1: Forging and Weaving the Net (Approx. 72 hours) This is a long and arduous process. The raw Forge-Spider Filament is loaded into the Aetheric Forge. The forge is sealed, and the Elemental Air Essence is used to create a perfect vacuum. The filament is then heated and drawn through a series of diamond dies, transforming it into strong, flexible Spider-Steel wire. This wire is then transferred to the Heavy-Duty Metal Loom, where the smiths spend two days weaving it into the precise 20×20 foot mesh pattern.

Step 2: Assembling the Aetheric-Springs (Approx. 24 hours) While the net is being woven, the artificer constructs the four spring mechanisms. Each one is a marvel of Gnomish engineering. The Clockwork Golem gear is used as the central axle for a powerful spring made of coiled Mithral. The Rune-Scribe carefully engraves the Silver Plates with the runes of “Tension” and “Release,” which are then integrated into the clockwork trigger. The entire delicate assembly is housed in a reinforced casing.

Step 3: Charging the Springs (Approx. 8 hours) This is the most dangerous phase. One by one, each completed Aetheric-Spring is placed inside the Aetheric Accumulator with its Quartz Geode installed. The machine is activated, and it slowly channels raw, chaotic energy from the Aether into the geode, which stores it as pure kinetic potential. The process creates an audible, high-pitched hum and makes the air crackle with static. The spring is now “primed” and under immense magical and physical pressure.

Step 4: Final Assembly and Integration (Approx. 4 hours) With extreme care, the four charged Aetheric-Springs are attached to the four corners of the folded Spider-Steel net. The Enchanted Glimmer-Moth Silk pull-cord is then connected to the runic triggers on all four springs, a process requiring perfect synchronization. The entire system is coated in a thin layer of Gnomish sealant, carefully folded according to a complex diagram, and locked into its deployment package. The system is now complete and ready for use.

King’s Wall and Gnomes’ Falling Sky

Listen to this tale, for it is heavy. It was carved on a stone tablet that is now dust, so the words are a memory of a memory.

In the Sun-Lands, there was a great King whose pride was a tall tower. And deep below his city, in the quiet dark, lived the Gnomes who weave steel from the spiders’ gifts.

And a great hunger awoke in the deepest deep. A worm that gnawed the bones of the world, a beast of mindless stone and power. Its crawling made the King’s tower tremble. The King, in fear, demanded the Gnomes use their arts to stop the World-Gnawer.

The Gnomes came, and they were small and quiet. They offered their Ledge-Nets. “With these,” they said, “we can guide the destruction.”

The King laughed a loud, foolish laugh. “Nets? To stop a god-beast? You will build me a wall! A wall of the thickest stone and the strongest steel, a wall of defiance!”

The Gnomes looked at one another. Their leader said, “A wall is a challenge to a great force. And a great force loves nothing more than to break a challenge. We will not challenge it. We will prepare for it a bed to sleep in.”

So the King built his wall in the great passage below his city. It was a monument to his power. And the Gnomes went to a different cavern, a place with a weak and fractured ceiling, and there they set their nets. They did not stretch them across the path. They anchored them to the roof of the cavern itself.

And the World-Gnawer came. It was a river of destruction. It met the King’s great wall. And the wall became sand. And the wall became dust. And the wall was forgotten. For a wall is only a thing to be broken.

The beast crawled on. It entered the cavern of the Gnomes. And as it passed to the center, the Gnomish masters pulled their enchanted cords. The Aether-Springs gave a great and terrible sound. But the nets did not fall on the beast.

Lo, they sprang upwards. They caught the sky of the cavern. They held the crumbling, fractured ceiling for one heartbeat. They held the weight of a mountain. Then, the Gnomes let them loose.

And the sky fell. The entire roof of the cavern collapsed in a single, mighty crash. The World-Gnawer was not killed by a sword or a spell. It was given a mountain for a blanket. And it slept a sleep of stone from which it does not wake. The King in his tower was saved not by his wall of defiance, but by the Gnomes’ clever bed.

The Moral of the Story: To stop a great wave, you do not build a wall for it to break, but you dig a channel for it to follow. The greatest strength is not in resisting a force, but in telling it where to go.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

High-Level Overview: This is not a piece of commercial equipment but a singular, dangerous artifact. The “Spider-Steel” is likely a non-Euclidean alloy woven by some subterranean intelligence, and the “Aetheric-Springs” are mechanisms that briefly warp reality to achieve their instantaneous deployment. Setting it up is a lengthy, nerve-wracking process, best suited for sealing a chamber against a major Mythos entity or capturing a large, horrific specimen. Witnessing its activation is a sanity-straining event, a glimpse into physics not meant for human minds.

Game Mechanics:

Elaborate Containment Net

  • Description: A heavy, 40-pound package of folded, unnervingly flexible metal and four complex, clockwork-like mechanisms that hum with a faint, internal energy.
  • Setup: Deploying the system is a major undertaking, requiring 1D4+2 hours of work and a successful Hard Mechanical Repair or Craft roll. A failed roll means the system is faulty and may not trigger correctly. A fumble could mean it triggers prematurely during setup.
  • Effect: When triggered, the net covers a 20×20 foot area. Any entity within that area is trapped beneath it. Escaping requires winning an opposed STR vs. the net’s STR of 150 on the Resistance Table. The net itself is highly resistant to damage.
  • Sanity Cost: The unnatural, instantaneous deployment is a shock to the human mind. All who witness the activation must make a Sanity roll (1/1d4). A character attempting the lengthy ritual to re-prime a spring must spend 5 Magic Points and make a Sanity roll (1/1d6) upon its completion.

Blades in the Dark

High-Level Overview: In Doskvol, this is a Gnomish Siege-Net, a piece of heavy equipment that a crew might acquire as a special asset. It’s not for subtle scores; it’s for loud, bold statements. It’s the tool you use to block off an entire street to cover an escape, drop a steel ceiling on a rival gang’s meeting, or defend your lair during a faction war. Deploying it is a major operation, requiring planning and teamwork, making it the centerpiece of a score.

Game Mechanics:

Gnomish Siege-Net (Crew Upgrade / Special Equipment)

  • Description: A heavy, complex gnomish trap system that deploys a massive net of spider-steel. As it’s heavy equipment, an individual PC would need to dedicate 4 or 5 Load to carry it, or the crew can acquire it for a specific job.
  • Function: The Siege-Net is a tool for controlling a large area. Its deployment is typically a Setup Action performed by the crew.
    • On a successful setup roll (using Tinker or Wreck), you create a powerful situation Aspect like Impenetrable Steel Web with 2 free invocations.
    • You can use this Aspect to block a path completely, trap a large group of foes, or create a defensive barrier. Any action taken to breach the net or maneuver within it is made from a Desperate position.
  • Flashback: A crew could use a Flashback to have already placed the net. Given its scale, this would be a costly Flashback, likely requiring 2 or 3 Stress. “Don’t worry, we knew they’d retreat this way. We spent last night rigging a surprise in this alley.”

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

High-Level Overview: The Ledge-Net Deployment System is a rare Wondrous Item, a marvel of gnomish artifice and enchantment. It is a piece of portable siege equipment, invaluable for parties who hunt large monsters, defend fixed positions, or engage in tactical, large-scale combat. It is not an item for a solo adventurer but a tool that rewards a well-coordinated party.

Stat Block:

Ledge-Net Deployment System Wondrous item, rare

This item comes in a heavy, 40-pound crate containing a folded 20-by-20-foot net of spider-steel, four single-use Aetheric-Spring mechanisms, and an enchanted pull-cord.

As an action that takes two creatures at least 10 minutes to complete, you can anchor the system to solid surfaces surrounding a 20-foot square. As an action, a creature can pull the 50-foot-long cord to deploy the net.

When deployed, the net instantly covers the 20-foot square area. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be caught under the net and become restrained.

The net has an AC of 18, 60 hit points, resistance to slashing and fire damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. A creature can use its action to make a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check to free itself or another creature within its reach on a success.

The four Aetheric-Springs are expended upon use. A creature proficient with tinker’s tools can spend 1 hour and make a DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check to magically re-prime one of the expended springs.

Knave (2nd Edition)

High-Level Overview: In Knave, the Ledge-Net System is a unique and powerful piece of equipment whose function is defined by its description. It is incredibly bulky, taking up a significant portion of a character’s inventory and forcing a deliberate choice about whether to bring it. It is a problem-solving tool on a grand scale, rewarding parties who plan ahead and think strategically.

Item Description:

Ledge-Net System (4 inventory slots)

  • Description: A very heavy (takes up 4 slots) crate containing a folded metal net, four complex spring-loaded mechanisms, anchors, and a long pull-cord.
  • Properties:
    • It takes a party a full turn (or 15 minutes out of combat) to set up the system across a 20ft by 20ft area.
    • When the cord is pulled, the net deploys instantly. All creatures in the area are trapped underneath and are considered helpless until they can succeed on a difficult STR save to escape.
    • The net is made of enchanted steel, immune to normal fire, and can only be damaged by magical weapons or creatures of immense strength (e.g., giants, dragons).
    • The four spring mechanisms are single-use and are destroyed upon activation. Replacements must be commissioned from a master gnome artificer.

Fate Core System

High-Level Overview: In Fate, the Ledge-Net Deployment System is a major piece of equipment, best represented as a team Extra or a crew asset rather than personal gear. Its deployment is a significant event that should define a scene. It’s a tool for big, dramatic plans, allowing the players to Create an Advantage on a massive scale, controlling the environment and dictating the terms of a conflict.

Game Mechanics:

Extra: The Ledge-Net Deployment System

  • Aspects:
    • Gnomish Over-Engineering: This can be invoked when the net needs to withstand incredible force (like a charging troll or a speeding vehicle) or when you are trying to impress someone with your crew’s technical prowess. A compel might be its immense complexity, requiring a specific, hard-to-find component to repair if it gets damaged.
    • An Instant, Unyielding Wall: You can invoke this Aspect to completely block an escape route, halt a charge, or create a formidable defensive barrier.
  • Stunts:
    • Perfect Ambush: Once per session, when you have significant time to prepare, you can declare that you have set up the Ledge-Net in a strategically perfect location. This creates a Massive Steel Net Trap situation Aspect with two free invocations for your team to use.
    • Area Denial: You can spend a Fate Point when deploying the net. In addition to its normal effect, every enemy group caught within its area is immediately saddled with the Pinned, Panicked, and Powerless Aspect.

Numenera & Cypher System

High-Level Overview: This is a powerful, single-use Cypher or a rare, rechargeable Artifact. It is a relic of a past civilization’s military or crowd-control technology. The “Spider-Steel” is a smart-metal filament that deploys from compact projectors, and the “Aetheric-Springs” are canisters of matter-conversion catalyst. It is a dramatic, environment-altering piece of the numenera that can turn the tide of a major conflict.

Game Mechanics:

Automated Deployment Barrier

  • Level: 7
  • Form: A heavy, 40-pound crate containing a dense, folded metallic mass and four canister-like deployment projectors with integrated anchors.
  • Effect: It takes two people 15 minutes to set up the four deployment canisters to cover a 20-foot by 20-foot area. When triggered remotely (the trigger is a level 2 cypher), the net instantly deploys. All creatures of level 6 or lower in the area are trapped. Trapped creatures cannot move from their space, and all their tasks are hindered by two steps. Breaking free requires a successful level 7 Might-based task. The net itself is a level 7 object for the purposes of damaging it.
  • Depletion (if an Artifact): 1-3 on a d20. The four deployment projectors are expended on use and must be recharged or replaced. Recharging one requires a successful difficulty 6 Intellect-based task and access to a numenera workshop.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

High-Level Overview: In the tactical world of Pathfinder, the Ledge-Net Deployment System is a rare, high-level magical trap. It’s a piece of adventuring gear for high-level parties, requiring significant time, teamwork, and a dedicated action to use. It is the ultimate tool for a party that specializes in ambushes and battlefield control, capable of neutralizing a large group of powerful foes in a single, decisive moment.

Stat Block:

LEDGE-NET DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM ITEM 6 RARE MAGICAL ABJURATION GNOMISH TRAP

  • Price 250 gp
  • Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk 3 (when packaged)

This complex system comes packed in a heavy crate. It takes two characters 10 minutes working together to set up the net and its four Aetheric-Spring anchors to cover a 20-foot square area. The net itself is made of enchanted spider-steel and is difficult to see (DC 22 Perception).

  • Trigger [R] Interact; A creature pulls the 50-foot-long enchanted pull-cord.
  • Effect The net deploys instantly, and all creatures within the 20-foot square must attempt a DC 22 Reflex save.
    • Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
    • Success The creature is flat-footed for 1 round.
    • Failure The creature is restrained for 1 minute or until it Escapes (DC 22).
    • Critical Failure The creature is restrained for 10 minutes and is pulled prone.
  • Net Properties: The spider-steel net has Hardness 12, 48 HP (BT 24). The Aetheric-Springs are expended on use. A character with the Magical Crafting feat can spend a day of downtime to re-prime the four springs.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

High-Level Overview: In Savage Worlds, the Gnomish Siege-Net is a powerful piece of Rare Magical Gear, designed for large-scale encounters. Its rules are straightforward, allowing it to affect a large area and apply debilitating conditions to multiple foes at once. It’s the perfect “ace in the hole” for a party of heroes expecting to face off against a small army or a massive beast.

Game Mechanics:

Gnomish Siege-Net

  • Description: A heavy, complex gnomish trap system that deploys a massive net of spider-steel.
  • Setup: It takes two characters a full minute to set up the Siege-Net over a 4″ x 4″ (8 yard x 8 yard) area.
  • Effect: When triggered, the net deploys. Place a Large Burst Template anywhere within the prepared area. All targets under the template must make an Agility roll at –2.
    • Failure: The target is Entangled.
    • Critical Failure: The target is Bound.
  • Special Properties:
    • Steel Web: The net is incredibly tough. It has a Toughness of 14. A creature must achieve a raise on a Strength roll to break free from the Entangled or Bound condition.
    • Single-Use Springs: The deployment mechanism is expended after one use. Re-priming it requires a workshop, 1d4 hours of work, and a successful Repair or Weird Science roll at –4.

Shadowrun (Sixth World)

High-Level Overview: In the Sixth World, this is the Ares “Lancer” Tactical Deployment Net. It is a piece of corporate and military-grade hardware designed for area denial, high-threat containment, and riot control. The “Spider-Steel” is a proprietary, high-tensile smart-fiber weave, and the “Aetheric-Springs” are advanced, compressed-gas launchers. It is not subtle; it is a loud and brutally effective tool for locking down a situation, favored by Knight Errant high-threat response teams.

Game Mechanics:

Ares “Lancer” Tactical Deployment Net

  • Type: Special Equipment
  • Availability: 16F
  • Cost: 45,000 nuyen
  • Description: A heavy, 20 kg crate containing a folded smart-fiber net and four launcher mechanisms.
  • Setup: Deploying the system takes two people a full minute (20 Combat Turns) and requires a successful Engineering + Logic (4) test.
  • Effect: When triggered, the net covers a 10m x 10m area. All characters within that area must succeed on an Agility + Reaction (4) test or gain the Immobilized status. The net has an Armor Rating of 18 and a Structure Rating of 15, making it very difficult to destroy.
  • Wireless Bonus: When connected to the user’s commlink, the system can be triggered remotely with a Minor Action. A user with a smartlink can also get real-time feedback on the net’s structural integrity. A hacker can attempt to hijack the trigger mechanism as if it were a standard locked device.

Starfinder

High-Level Overview: This is the “Stasis-Web Projector,” a high-level piece of technological gear. Instead of a physical net, it deploys four nodes that project a grid of cohesive, semi-solid force energy. This is advanced tech, likely reverse-engineered from a lost civilization’s technology. It is used by elite security forces to create non-lethal barriers, contain dangerous xenomorph outbreaks on starships, or secure high-value targets without collateral damage.

Game Mechanics:

Stasis-Web Projector, Mk III Level 8

  • Price 10,000 credits; Bulk 3
  • Type Technological item; Hands 2
  • Capacity 40; Usage 4 per deployment
  • Description: A heavy case containing four disc-shaped projector nodes and a remote trigger.
  • Setup: It takes two people 1 minute to place the four projector nodes, which can cover up to a 20-foot square.
  • Effect: As a standard action, you can use the remote trigger to activate the system. The area becomes filled with a web of sticky, static energy for 1 minute. The area is considered difficult terrain, and the web provides partial cover. Any creature that starts its turn in the area or enters it must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save or gain the entangled condition.
  • Disabling: The web itself cannot be attacked, but each of the four projector nodes can be targeted (AC 22, HP 35). Destroying two nodes causes the web to dissipate. The projector nodes are expended upon use.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

High-Level Overview: This is a TL-14 Rapid Deployment Barrier, a piece of advanced military and law enforcement technology. The “net” is a high-tensile, monomolecular weave stored in four projector units. The “springs” are chemical propellant launchers that fire the net into place with incredible speed. It is a tool used by Imperial Marines to block corridors on starships during boarding actions or by planetary authorities for riot control and creating instant security cordons.

Game Mechanics:

Rapid Deployment Barrier System

  • Tech Level: 14
  • Mass: 20 kg (for the full kit)
  • Cost: Cr 150,000
  • Description: A reinforced case containing four launcher pods and a remote detonator.
  • Setup: The four pods can be set up in 1 minute by one person, covering an area up to 8m x 8m. This may require an Engineer (mechanic) check depending on the complexity of the surface.
  • Effect: When triggered, the monomolecular net is deployed. The barrier has a Damage Resistance of 15 (as per Armour) and requires 30 points of damage to a single section to be breached. Cutting the net requires a Formidable (14+) task and appropriate tools (like a plasma torch).
    • Any character attempting to move through the net becomes entangled and must win an opposed STR check against the net’s effective Strength of 16 to get free.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

High-Level Overview: This is a legendary, perhaps unique, artifact known as the Dwarf-Engineered Siege-Catcher. Forged in a lost Karak during the war against Chaos, it combines the masterful metalwork of the Dwarfs with arcane principles possibly learned from High Elf allies. The net is woven from gromril-steel, and the springs are complex rune-powered mechanisms. It is a relic of a bygone age, a tool of war designed to stop a unit of charging Beastmen or to ground a rogue Manticore.

Game Mechanics:

Dwarf-Engineered Siege-Catcher

  • Description: A massive, heavy crate containing a folded, gleaming metal net and four bulky, rune-etched deployment mechanisms.
  • Qualities: Magical, Masterpiece, Rare, Unreliable, Dwarfen Craft
  • Setup: Setting up the Siege-Catcher is a major task, requiring at least two people and 10 minutes of uninterrupted work. At the end, one character must make a Difficult (–10) Trade (Engineer) Test. A failure means one of the mechanisms has jammed. A Fumble means it may trigger at a highly inopportune moment later.
  • Effect: When triggered, the net covers a 6-yard by 6-yard area. All characters in that area must make a Hard (–20) Agility Test.
    • Failure: The character gains 3 Entangled Conditions and is knocked Prone.
    • Astounding Failure (Fumbles): As above, but the character is also Stunned for 1d10 rounds as the heavy net knocks the wind out of them.
  • Net Properties: The gromril-steel net is incredibly tough. It has a Toughness of 15 and can only be damaged by magical or siege-weapon attacks.