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Johel
2009-11-05, 06:10 AM
http://www.iwozhere.com/SRD/images/MM35_PG214a.jpg
Ravid (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ravid.htm)

Ravids are creatures from the Positive Energy Plane. These bizarre entities imbue creatures with energy by their touch and animate lifeless objects around them. Ravids that make their way to the Material Plane wander about aimlessly, followed by the objects to which they have given life.

I'm trying to come up with a process for a non-epic flying fortress and that creature, if we could tame it, seem to be the perfect engine.
Basically, restrain it, dominate it and order it to order its animated object (the fortress) to go in a specific direction.
I must still find a cool, durable, cheap and reliable way to get the fortress a fly move but that's not a big deal. Worst case, I can have it walk.

So, first thing is, the engine (aka the Ravid).
Can anybody give me additional information on this creature ?
Interests (so we can maybe bargain) ?
Ecology (to avoid killing it accidentally) ?
...

Eldan
2009-11-05, 07:04 AM
I'll go check Planescape books when I get home.

Chrono22
2009-11-05, 07:13 AM
It states in the Ravid's monster entry that it effects a random object within a certain radius of it. The only reasonable solution to make sure it animates the object you want it to, would be to keep it more than 20 feet away from any other objects.
If you give the ravid a magic item of comprehend languages, it should be able to understand and communicate with you. Intelligence 7 is low, but still within human tolerances.

Ok... so bear with me here. At this point things get a little more complicated. With each casting, the Ravid animates a gargantuan sized object, for a duration of 20 rounds. Thus, you have a maximum of 20 gargantuan objects if the Ravid continuously animates them. I suggest the objects be buoyant, in case the Ravid dies or needs to rest. So, 20 balloons should suffice. Put wings on them, and they should be able to propel the entire structure through the air.
Each of the gargantuan balloons must be 20 feet away from the nearest other two balloons. This means that the circumference of the structure will exceed 400 feet... it will look like a gigantic ring. You could create a series of platforms under each balloon and to connect them...
To be honest, I can't really see a practical application for the structure. The 20 gargantuan balloons, if evenly spaced, won't generate enough lift to hold up a large structure.

Yeah, so I think this exercise won't work, logically or logistically.

Johel
2009-11-05, 07:46 AM
I was thinking of something along the line of :

Helm of Telepathy : 27.000 gp
Telepathy works regardless of language.
It is then possible to give instructions to the Ravid, who'll relay them to the animated object.
The pilot just have to remain within 60 ft of the Ravin, with a direct line of sight.
Gargantuan-sized hollow structure made of iron : ??? gp
Restrain the dominated Ravid at the center of the structure, so that it can only animate the structure

If we want to add more structures, we just need more Ravids.
Linked the structures together with chains and arrange them around a central sphere where the pilot, through special shafts, has a direct line of sight on each Ravid while they are still kept at isolated from other objects (which means the "random" factor doesn't apply : there's only one object to animate).

Now, if we don't find a magic way to make it fly, we can adapt this with a balloon but that's not exactly my idea of a fortress : too fragile.

Prime32
2009-11-05, 08:46 AM
Voidmind ravid maybe?

There are rules for airships.

Dimers
2009-11-06, 12:04 AM
It states in the Ravid's monster entry that it effects a random object within a certain radius of it. The only reasonable solution to make sure it animates the object you want it to, would be to keep it more than 20 feet away from any other objects.

So ... if you want to negotiate face-to-face, you'd better take off all your clothes ... but then you'd be invisible! :smallbiggrin:

BobVosh
2009-11-06, 01:42 AM
Why not steal Eberron's flying stuff with elementals?

If not, dominate it? The always popular mindrape?