Extraordinary Balloons! [3.5 Item]

[Temotei]

Extraordinary Balloons

An extraordinary balloon is treated similarly to a figurine of wondrous power, bringing to life animals of various natures and strengths. However, the similarity ends there.

Using an extraordinary balloon requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Upon use, a balloon becomes a single animal of the user's choice, except in balloon form. Balloon animals have the same hit points, AC, attacks, attack bonuses, feats, skills, and abilities as the normal animal.

A balloon animal may be changed into a different animal as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Doing this changes the balloon animal's statistics to match the new animal form's.

After its made, a balloon creature gradually releases air, eventually leading to an inability to act. When used, the balloon animal is fully inflated. After 1 minute, the balloon animal takes a -2 penalty to all physical ability scores. After 5 minutes, it takes another -2 penalty to all physical ability scores. A balloon animal's ability scores cannot be reduced below 1 in this manner. After 10 minutes, the balloon animal pops, unable to act anymore and unable to be used again.

Balloon animals are more vulnerable to air and wind effects than most creatures. Whenever a balloon animal is subject to such an effect, the DC to resist the effects increases by 5. As well, wind speeds need only be half of their normal speed to affect the balloon animal as an ordinary version of the same animal.

If a balloon animal is subject to piercing damage, the damage is 1.5 times the normal amount.

Upon reaching 0 hit points, a balloon animal pops, leaving behind a bit of balloon residue, never to be used again.

Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects; Price 50 gp (Diminutive), 150 gp (Tiny), 400 gp (Small), 800 gp (Medium), 1,400 gp (Large), 2,000 gp (Huge), 2,400 gp (Gargantuan), 2,900 gp (Colossal).

[Debihuman]

Wouldn't a balloon animal just float away?

Debby

[Temotei]

Wouldn't a balloon animal just float away?

Debby

That's no fun, is it?

[Samm]

Wouldn't a balloon animal just float away?

Well, I can't imagine where a bunch of adventurers are going to grab hold of some helium. If you actually inflate a balloon by breathing into it or using a pump, it will actually fall if you let it go. This is because the air inside the balloon is at a higher pressure than the surrounding atmosphere and the rubber on the outside has a small mass. This means that overall, it's denser than air, so it sinks.

So in short, they're not going to float away, but they may blow away, hence the vulnerability to air and wind effects.

I like the idea of re-inflatable extraordinary balloons. Say you grab hold of a magic pump and use that and then you can re-inflate them using that magic pump. That'd be cool.

[unosarta]

Is this for any animal at all, or is it the animals normally animated by a Figurine of Wondrous Power? Because if it is the first...

Fleshraker balloon. Yeah...

[Temotei]

Is this for any animal at all, or is it the animals normally animated by a Figurine of Wondrous Power? Because if it is the first...

Fleshraker balloon. Yeah...

Any creature with the animal type.

Tyrannosaurus? :smallbiggrin:

[unosarta]

Any creature with the animal type.

Tyrannosaurus? :smallbiggrin:

... for 1000 GP? :smalleek:

I am afraid for all of Eberron if these are implemented anywhere near an Artificer.

[Temotei]

... for 1000 GP? :smalleek:

I am afraid for all of Eberron if these are implemented anywhere near an Artificer.

Yeah, that's a low price. Accident. Changing a little...

It's hard to gauge the exact price for this, simply because summon nature's ally VII costs 910 gp in the spellcasting services section, but that only lasts for 1 round/level. :smallsigh:

Is it still too low?

[unosarta]

Yeah, that's a low price. Accident. Changing a little...

OK, I guess. If they weren't 1 use only, I would be really worried. For now, because of that, I cannot see anything truly broken. Of course, that is ignoring the fact that a level 2 Character can have 1 of these per wealth by level. :smalleek:

And with Artificers, it gets kind of ridiculous. If a pump that was mentioned earlier were to be made... :smalleek:

Also, I have been holding myself back from making puns throughout reading this.

[Fizban]

I'd slap a HD, or at least a size limit on there, otherwise you'll have people busting out the 'ol Seismosaurus. Even a Triceratops or Dire something is pretty bad news. The best thematic way is probably different balloons for different sizes, getting more expensive as they get bigger. Look for the most powerful animals you can find at each size, and price it accordingly. The minutes/level duration is worth around +2 levels above a normal 1 round/level summon, or you could try using the prices for Planar Ally.

Edit: did some pricing for Planar Ally tokens. Outsiders are way different from animals, but here are the prices.

Lesser: calls an elemental or outsider with up to 6 HD for 7 minutes. Pricing is 50x4x7 + 500 + 600 = 2,500gp.
Standard: calls an elemental or outsider with up to 12 HD for 11 minutes. 50x6x11 + 1,250 + 1,200 = 5,750gp.
Greater: calls an elemental or outsider with up to 18 HD for 15 minutes. 50x8x15 + 2,500 + 1,800 = 10,300gp.

Animals usually have a lot more hit dice for their CR, so I might go as far as doubling those limits. Or use Large for Lesser, Huge for Standard, and Gargantuan for Greater.

[Debihuman]

Well, I can't imagine where a bunch of adventurers are going to grab hold of some helium.

Gas geyser actually. It won't be pure helium but there should be enough to fill a balloon with it. Or several or more. Depends on how much and fast it flows. You could also fill balloons with methane (nasty for explosions but it's probably easier to find and use). They could also use hydrogen.

As a last resort, they could fill it with water and have a water balloon fight. :-)


If you actually inflate a balloon by breathing into it or using a pump, it will actually fall if you let it go. This is because the air inside the balloon is at a higher pressure than the surrounding atmosphere and the rubber on the outside has a small mass. This means that overall, it's denser than air, so it sinks. So in short, they're not going to float away, but they may blow away, hence the vulnerability to air and wind effects.

You were concerned where they'd get helium and yet you have no trouble wondering how they'd vulcanize rubber or create the latex for the balloons? [I believe I hear the sound of catgirls dying in the distance...]


I like the idea of re-inflatable extraordinary balloons. Say you grab hold of a magic pump and use that and then you can re-inflate them using that magic pump. That'd be cool.

I agree. Magic balloons just seem to fit the D&D setting much better.

Debby

[Temotei]

Tentative price change and expansion...

[Samm]

Gas geyser actually. It won't be pure helium but there should be enough to fill a balloon with it. Or several or more. Depends on how much and fast it flows. You could also fill balloons with methane (nasty for explosions but it's probably easier to find and use). They could also use hydrogen.

Yeah... But how are they going to know what gas to use? And why would you bother, when you can inflate it blowing it up?


As a last resort, they could fill it with water and have a water balloon fight. :-)

Yeah, then it wouldn't blow away. And all the leaks would be incredibly obvious.


You were concerned where they'd get helium and yet you have no trouble wondering how they'd vulcanize rubber or create the latex for the balloons? [I believe I hear the sound of catgirls dying in the distance...]

Yeah, I just kinda assumed it would work. I mean it's DnD, people can fly for goodness sake. I just assumed that some wizard cooked it up.

Apparently, you can make a balloon from a dried animal bladder, so I wouldn't imagine it'd be out of the picture entirely. However, I prefer colourful rubber balloons than brown boring bladder ones. It's a better mental image.

[Debihuman]

Yeah... But how are they going to know what gas to use? And why would you bother, when you can inflate it blowing it up?

A Knowledge check should suffice. It won't float on its own with just air. You need to fill it with something lighter than air to make it float.

So how many rounds does it take to blow up a T-Rex balloon?

Debby

[Samm]

A Knowledge check should suffice. It won't float on its own with just air. You need to fill it with something lighter than air to make it float.

So how many rounds does it take to blow up a T-Rex balloon?

Debby

I'd actually wager that it is supposed to use air. If you inflated it with Helium, you might be able to have a flying T-Rex! Take on some sandbags and hope the wind blows in the right direction and off you go!