PDA

View Full Version : Cool ways of Travelling



Frog Dragon
2009-09-05, 01:31 PM
This is a thread for all the cool ways of travelling you've seen in a game. Be it from the position of DM or player.
My players have three submarines and they recently got another addition to the party (actually a replacement for the players dead old character) who was a halfling. He had a rowing boat. Well the rowing boat wasn't nearly as fast as their magitech submarines so they tied the rowing boat into one of the submarines. I thought that was pretty cool though it might have been because magitech submarines are inherently cool.

kamikasei
2009-09-05, 01:41 PM
Figurine of wondrous power: obsidian steed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#obsidianSteed). One day a week, at-will plane shift and overland flight. You can straight-up hellride.

In a similar vein, a phantom steed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantomSteed.htm) is pretty gorram badass.

quick_comment
2009-09-05, 01:44 PM
Lightning Leap, in CM. Not only is it one of the only ways I know of to teleport without really teleporting, but you teleport as lighting. Also, firestride exhalation - you breathe fire, and reappear somewhere in the cone.

Too bad they are both short range. Still, an item of lightning leap at will is affordable, and basically gives you 60ft move speed.

arguskos
2009-09-05, 01:47 PM
I've seen players manage to use a combination of Gate and Plane Shift to do some hilarious jumps. Basically, they shifted to Limbo (subjective gravity), and waited until they got going nice and fast, then opened a Gate in their path and used the momentum to fling themselves to where they needed to go. The landing was... painful, but funny as hell. :smallamused:

Kylarra
2009-09-05, 01:48 PM
Lightning Leap, in CM. Not only is it one of the only ways I know of to teleport without really teleporting, but you teleport as lighting. Also, firestride exhalation - you breathe fire, and reappear somewhere in the cone.

Too bad they are both short range. Still, an item of lightning leap at will is affordable, and basically gives you 60ft move speed.

... haha that's hilarious. I need to make a beguiler (race) that can use lightning leap now.

woodenbandman
2009-09-05, 02:01 PM
Riding a Roc or an Elsewhale has always been my favorite. Also, a Dwarven Digger form the AEG.

Kurald Galain
2009-09-05, 02:04 PM
The suck-u-bus from Barry Trotter.

Crow
2009-09-05, 02:11 PM
A Darkwood Longship propelled by weather-controlling Druids is pretty damn cool.

thegurullamen
2009-09-05, 02:19 PM
Had a fighter who built a clockwork horse once. (Magical training background if you're curious.) When he got sick of it getting stuck in the mud, he tore the legs off and replaced them with all-terrain wheels. All terrain. He eventually had a mustang motorcycle that could drive up the wrong side of a 60 degree incline. When he rode anywhere with the wizard (typical scouting duo for some odd reason), the wizard made sure to bring a parachute (read: ring of Feather Fall).

Grumman
2009-09-05, 02:30 PM
Lightning Leap, in CM. Not only is it one of the only ways I know of to teleport without really teleporting, but you teleport as lighting. Also, firestride exhalation - you breathe fire, and reappear somewhere in the cone.
An Arcane Archer or Eldritch Theurge can put an area-effect spell on an arrow or an eldritch blast, respectively. Thus letting you shoot someone, hit them with a blast of fire, and appear next to them. I'm rather disappointed that you can't fit Swiftblade 9, Arcane Archer 2 and Telflammar Shadowlord 4 into the same build, because that would be hilarious fun.


Too bad they are both short range. Still, an item of lightning leap at will is affordable, and basically gives you 60ft move speed.
A DM that lets you buy such custom items is asking for trouble.

quick_comment
2009-09-05, 02:51 PM
A DM that lets you buy such custom items is asking for trouble.

Party artificer. Done.

kamikasei
2009-09-05, 02:52 PM
Party artificer. Done.

See above, but replace "buy" with "craft".

Admiral Squish
2009-09-05, 03:03 PM
A couple of my favorites:
Wagon caravan pulled by were-elephants. They were guarding the prince of an india-based nation where everyone was a lycanthrope. The prince was a white tiger.

Turtleboat. A dragon turtle kept dominated and used to take travellers across a dangerous straight. They had a wooden/metal carrieage strapped onto it with a huge rope belt sorta-thing, and a Wall of Force bubble that kept them from drowning when the turtle went under to avoid pirates and suchlike.

Turtlecarriage. A dire tortoise saddled much like the turtleboat, but less magic involved.

Earth sled. From ebberon. A nice alternative to airships, and allowed some cool scenes with lizardfolk leaping out of the swamp they were floating over onto the deck, and the party had to fight them off.

Tumbler. Also ebberon. Basically an inverted airship with earth glide.

Gustav's Throne. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67551) Riding in style. Because who messes with you when you're in a massive, adamantine, animated throne?

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-09-05, 10:23 PM
13 posts and no mention of the Blood Magus? For shame.

You get the ability to teleport and appear inside someone, ripping out of their blood. It's pretty nice.

Also, Tippy(IIRC) once stated out a spaceship using various spells to fly, shoot, and teleport. Too bad that PBP never got off the ground. :smallfrown:

PId6
2009-09-05, 10:29 PM
... haha that's hilarious. I need to make a beguiler (race) that can use lightning leap now.
Beguiler! Volt Tackle! :smallbiggrin:

sofawall
2009-09-05, 10:40 PM
... haha that's hilarious. I need to make a beguiler (race) that can use lightning leap now.

You win.

You know what? I have a Beguiler Factotum. I win.Arcane Dilettante ftw.

Lycanthromancer
2009-09-05, 10:43 PM
For my player(s) in my homebrew...do not read. (That means you, "Zenith"...)

I plan on having the spirit of a TN shadow dragon permanently haunt shifting a minor artifact.

The artifact in question? A ship-in-a-bottle. (Think "Pokemon," except with a pinnace instead of a Pikachu.)

Also, I had a blue goblin shaper/constructor at one point that rode around on his astral constructs most times. Both for fights (with flight) or for long-distance travel.

LurkerInPlayground
2009-09-05, 10:49 PM
I remember meeting a group that with a player that was playing a bard. Somehow, the topic of a boat made of gold came up.

The obvious question was:
"What would you do with a boat made of gold?"

His reply:
"We'd go on adventures!"

Me:
"But why?"

His reply:
Something to the effect that it was essentially a badass thing to do. Because it would really leave behind some distinctive legends about their band.

I also asked if the boat would be magical. But no. Just a boat of gold that you go on adventures in. Like something out of a myth.

JadedDM
2009-09-06, 12:41 AM
Wouldn't a boat of gold...sink?

LurkerInPlayground
2009-09-06, 01:41 AM
Wouldn't a boat of gold...sink?
Well, details aren't quite so important. It could be gold over wood or something.

The point is, that it seems like the sort of thing that pops out of something like Arthurian legend.

Why does the scabbard make King Arthur invulnerable? Why is there a Lady in the Lake? Or a wizardly mentor? Or a magical charm on Lancelot that makes him invincible in combat as long as he remains pure?

Why do the adventurers seek danger and excitement in a golden boat?

Just because.

Doc Roc
2009-09-06, 02:28 AM
You win.

You know what? I have a Beguiler Factotum. I win.Arcane Dilettante ftw.

Damn but I miss that character. I'm going to restart that campaign sometime.

Kylarra
2009-09-06, 02:30 AM
Beguiler! Volt Tackle! :smallbiggrin:
Exactly!


You win.

You know what? I have a Beguiler Factotum. I win.Arcane Dilettante ftw.
Haha. That is impressive. Factotum isn't quite the effect I'd be going for though.

Fizban
2009-09-06, 02:32 AM
Argh, forum died right before I had to go to work. Here's my post from 8 hours ago:

Wind Walk's pretty great: 60mph is faster than any airship I've seen printed. Shadow Walk get's up to 50mph and has limited planar travel, but you appear slightly off target and you can't save it for later. Phantom Steed and the druid's more badass Phantom Stag are great. Wings of the Dragon is for when you want to be able to respond instantly without worrying about your magical mount, especially the original Dracononmicon version.

Airships are of course awesome, but unless you buy a really expensive straight Airship, they're difficult to wrangle up. The Arms and Equipment Guide has the cheapest with Zepplins and Dirigibles, and they're a lot friendlier to the ship rules by still needing their rigging and such (or the balloon pops and you go splat). Failing that, making a boat fly is pretty standard, but most of the boat enhancements to do that cost more than an airship would have. The spell Suspension in Shining South can levitate several tons for a week or two, but a big ship weighs a lot more than that. I'd go with a tricked out Zepplin or Dirigble myself.

There's also the giant animal or giant animal pulling something route. SilverClawShift recently did a campaign journal where they zombified a huge blue dragon, and proceeded to have it pull their ship at crazy speed. When the ship got attacked and couldn't sail anymore, they had it tear off the deck and carry it around. You could also have something pull a Suspend'ed platform, by air or ground.

Good ways of getting nifty awesome creatures under your command without 9th level spells for Dominate Monster: Animate Dead to zombify (retains fly speeds), Effigy Creature Template (too expensive for high HD creatures, but effective for one-man bombers), and Simulacrum. Simulacrum is by far the easiest, since all you need is a tiny piece of the target. It costs xp but it's not dispellable like Permanency, so that's a win over Permanent Animate Objects. Awesome creatures to emulate: True Dragons, Dragon Turtles, Dire Tortises, Archelons (sea Dire Tortise), Zaratans (island sized turtle, cast Fly for lulz), Soarwhales (flying whales, increase speed for lulz), Giant Eagle/Owl/Raven (mounts or tie fighers), and Griffon/Hippogriff/Pegasus (same). Things with few HD are easy to craft Effigies of, or you could hunt them down and zombify them for slower versions. The big stuff will require Simulacrum and some CL enhancers, or zombify, but that's too slow for me. Remember that dragon scales are a material component in many spells without a listed price, and thus come in all spell component pouches, or failing that, buy some dragoncraft weapons to ensure bigger dragon results.

Ichneumon
2009-09-06, 02:34 AM
Flying on a giant infernal goldfish.

Jade_Tarem
2009-09-06, 02:46 AM
Wouldn't a boat of gold...sink?

Not if it displaced enough water relative to its mass. Weight isn't the issue - Aircraft carriers are heavier than just about everything, but they float just fine.

The real problem with the gold boat is the fact that gold isn't a very good building/armor material - it's too maleable and soft.

This is assuming that you aren't in some kind of JRPG, where gold makes perfectly dandy armor, weapons, and shields. They're generally slightly less effective than mithral. :smalltongue:

Kylarra
2009-09-06, 02:48 AM
Not if displaced enough water relative to its mass. Weight isn't the issue - Aircraft carriers are heavier than just about everything, but they float just fine.

The real problem with the gold boat is the fact that gold isn't a very good building/armor material - it's too maleable and soft.

This is assuming that you aren't in some kind of JRPG, where gold makes perfectly dandy armor, weapons, and shields. They're generally slightly less effective than mithral. :smalltongue:
Sometimes it costs a bit extra though (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/03/download-oblivions-horse-armor-for-a-price/).

sofawall
2009-09-06, 03:37 AM
Exactly!


Haha. That is impressive. Factotum isn't quite the effect I'd be going for though.

Arcane Dilettante, it wins. I can Volt Tackle, then ****ing Thunder your ass.

Bayar
2009-09-06, 03:47 AM
Read this thread: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872670/Broken_Super_Symmetry_in_an_Advanced_Theoretic_Gen eral_Relativistic_Interpretation_of?num=10&pg=1

It has all kinds of cool stuff, like making giganitc battlecruisers powered by a adamantium bar that is halfway through 2 ring gates placed one in front of each other. Cast a spell to bond the 2 ends of the bar and cover it in Quintensence. Congradulations ! You have a indestructible metal pole that travels through the planes as an infinite loop. Singularity ensues or something.

Doc Roc
2009-09-06, 04:02 AM
Read this thread: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872670/Broken_Super_Symmetry_in_an_Advanced_Theoretic_Gen eral_Relativistic_Interpretation_of?num=10&pg=1

It has all kinds of cool stuff, like making giganitc battlecruisers powered by a adamantium bar that is halfway through 2 ring gates placed one in front of each other. Cast a spell to bond the 2 ends of the bar and cover it in Quintensence. Congradulations ! You have a indestructible metal pole that travels through the planes as an infinite loop. Singularity ensues or something.

Heheh, so I'm Doc Roc, by the way. :)

Aken0008
2009-09-06, 04:42 AM
One of my favorite ways of traveling is in Morrowind, where you can find a scroll that gives you +200 to jump, so that you can just jump incredible distances ( landing is a bit hard though)

Gorbash
2009-09-06, 06:40 AM
You get the ability to teleport and appear inside someone, ripping out of their blood. It's pretty nice.


Yes, but it unfortunately requires you to be a Blood Magus.

Yuki Akuma
2009-09-06, 07:12 AM
Yes, but it unfortunately requires you to be a Blood Maus.

Is that some sort German demon rodent?

kme
2009-09-06, 08:08 AM
Just look at the pic for the standing wave spell in spell compendium :smallcool:.

Thrawn183
2009-09-06, 08:45 AM
I had a character that travelled everywhere by beating animals into submission and then riding them. As he leveled he moved from mere elephants to dire bears, whales and eventually dragons.

It's hilarious to complete a rescue mission by roping the npc to whichever mount you have from that general area, and then letting it go.

bosssmiley
2009-09-06, 09:11 AM
Chariot of Sustarre - golden flying chariot, which is on fire! :smallcool:
The Worm Raft - from that one issue of Dragon. Maggot surf down the street
Volospin's Dragonfly of Doom - complete with magic missile door gunners and a loudhailer playing "Ride of the Valkyries"
Umber Hulk TBM with Ankheg outriders
Azlum Swith's Geodome Airship - a giant flying d20 with perfectly reflective mirrored surfaces. 'twas pimp.
Dragonship pulled by wyverns - none more Viking

Kylarra
2009-09-06, 09:50 AM
Arcane Dilettante, it wins. I can Volt Tackle, then ****ing Thunder your ass.It is impressive, but the other factotum abilities are less well, towards the ends we both know we're alluding to. Whereas simple spellcasting and a certain electric reserve feat... :smallbiggrin:

boomwolf
2009-09-06, 10:08 AM
I had a human riding a purple worm
A goblin riding a minotaur
A sorcerer that propelled himself with explosive fireballs (immune to fire)
A gnome with a huge gun that tend to send him flying the other way whenever he shot anyone.
An elf that got a "ring of random teleport" (at will, by command word, immediate action, teleports you anywhere within 500 ft. randomly.)

John Campbell
2009-09-06, 10:50 AM
My Runesmith's party, for a long while, traveled in a ship named the Blind Justice, after the fight in which we seized it. The ship itself was nothing special, but I permanencied Mordenkainen's private sanctum on it, so it was wreathed in impenetrable shadow at all times, and the cleric hallowed it. I was going to make it fly, too, but the DM wasn't being any fun. I think he was just upset about the increasingly apparent size of the monkeywrench that us having a portable base of operations that blocked all divination, mind control, and evil summoned creatures had thrown into his neatly planned railroad.

(The BBEG's favorite tactic was to divine our location, then throw mind controlled or summoned attackers at us (instead of, y'know, just teleporting in and snuffing us all, which she totally could have, because she was a frickin' 20th level Wizard), thus giving us our USRDA of one pointless fight per session. I guess he thought we wouldn't recognize this strategy and take measures to counter it.)

As of our last adventure - and after switching who was DM - the whole ship and all got somehow transported to Mechanus, where it's currently aground on a giant gear with no navigable water in sight. I'm thinking now that I need to make it not merely fly, but plane shift. And then we can play Spelljammer.

Cieyrin
2009-09-06, 11:39 AM
I was just yesterday playing a Horizon Tripper just high enough level to have the Shifting Planar Terrain Mastery, so Dim Door with 1d4 round cooldown. DM got upset for some reason, despite the fact he was throwing around disintegrates, slay livings, power word: kills and other badass spells of arcane and divine might. Case of "Melee can't have nice things" I guess. :smallannoyed: