fighter bomber!

[big teej]

this was inspired by a story in the mcguyver thread.


so I'm looking for help on building a "fighter bomber"

what I have in mind is a flying mount of some sort (giant eagle?)

mounted on the saddle of said creature would be several wands, (at least 2 of magic missle, and 2 of fireball)

strapped to the underside of the saddle (the creatures belly) would be MANY flasks of alchemists fire, thunderstones, acid, and other various droppable munitions.

any suggestions on making this work mo' betta?

suggestions for increased dakka are welcome as well.

[Telonius]

Alchemist Savant (Magic of Eberron) seems like it needs to be in there somewhere. You can create things called "Spellvials" and "Universal Potions" that can hold infusions or spells, to be used as thrown weapons.

[big teej]

Alchemist Savant (Magic of Eberron) seems like it needs to be in there somewhere. You can create things called "Spellvials" and "Universal Potions" that can hold infusions or spells, to be used as thrown weapons.

that's an excellent suggestion, and I'll be sure to add that to the build as soon as I get my hands on this book.

I can't stop cackling and laughing evilly.... is that normal?

[Flickerdart]

Spellvials can only target a single creature though - 10ft throw range makes it impossible to aim from any sort of height. Gnome Calculus (A&EG) increases that range to 50ft, though, and then you can scope it for more range.

[big teej]

any suggestions for mounts?

I was thinking a giant eagle or a wyvern but I'm aware there's likely a far better idea out there.

[Vandicus]

Assuming the mount is purchased, take the warbeast and magebred templates at the very least. A necklace of fireballs would be a decent payload.

[Inferno]

an arcane hierophant build perhaps? animal familiar for an intelligent fighter/bomber and you'll have tons of spells to throw around. maybe put a portable hole on its back so it can do a barrel roll and drop whatever payload is in it.
alchemists fire, acid, rocks its all golden

[Vizzerdrix]

What about using Blast Discs as the bombs?

[Johel]

The big questions :

What is the power level we are looking at ?
(More specifically, what Spell Level ? :smalltongue:)

What is the budget you have in mind per "fighter bomber" ?
(In gold pieces)

The classicals :

Giant Eagle
Giant Owl
Dire Bat
Giant Wasp


If the budget allows for it, just try to get your hands on a "wall of fire" wand.
Who needs mere bombs when you can litterally bath the area in burning napalm ? :smallamused:

[Ravens_cry]

I prefer kinetic strikes, using Shrink Object for maximum payload efficiency.

[Zonugal]

If you want to go with a Kamikaze-theme bomber all you have to do is give a Mineral Warrior Human the Final Strike feat from Savage Species. Upon death the pilot will cause an Earthquake, as the seventh-level spell.

[Graha013]

this was inspired by a story in the mcguyver thread.


so I'm looking for help on building a "fighter bomber"

what I have in mind is a flying mount of some sort (giant eagle?)

mounted on the saddle of said creature would be several wands, (at least 2 of magic missle, and 2 of fireball)

strapped to the underside of the saddle (the creatures belly) would be MANY flasks of alchemists fire, thunderstones, acid, and other various droppable munitions.

any suggestions on making this work mo' betta?

suggestions for increased dakka are welcome as well.

Is this a mountable fighter bomber, as in the PC is the pilot, or more like an unmanned drone?

[Ravens_cry]

If you want to go with a Kamikaze-theme bomber all you have to do is give a Mineral Warrior Human the Final Strike feat from Savage Species. Upon death the pilot will cause an Earthquake, as the seventh-level spell.
Wow, that could be nasty. And thanks to Resurrection or Reincarnation spells, they are reusable!

[Yora]

This reminds me of the mandalorian ground attack crafts from the Old Republic era.
http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/9/92/Basilisk.jpg

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/c/c5/Mandalorians_-_TEA.jpg
Lots of guns, all mounted downward.

[Zonugal]

Wow, that could be nasty. And thanks to Resurrection or Reincarnation spells, they are reusable!

But you see the trick can be pulled off at level one, so it is probably cheaper to just hire more kamikaze bombers than to ever cast resurrection or reincarnation on them.

Just have the bomber be flown over a major city/area and drop them. The falling damage should kill the bomber and thus activate the Earthquake.

[Ravens_cry]

But you see the trick can be pulled off at level one, so it is probably cheaper to just hire more kamikaze bombers than to ever cast resurrection or reincarnation on them.

Just have the bomber be flown over a major city/area and drop them. The falling damage should kill the bomber and thus activate the Earthquake.
True, but if you promise that you'll bring them back, you are much more likely to attract hirelings. Unless they have a terminal disease and some pressing monetary needs, most people don't volunteer for certain death on a pay basis.

[big teej]

Is this a mountable fighter bomber, as in the PC is the pilot, or more like an unmanned drone?

mounted creature, PC pilot.

I figure, standard/move action to fire off wands (there are feats for that somewhere right?) guide the mount with my knees (free action ride check)

when I'm tired of strafing, or through shooting down enemy fliers, I can loose straps holding my payload to the creatures belly, sending alchemist's fire, acid, shriek rocks, spring walls, nets, anything I can think of really, down upon my earthbound opponents.

at this point in time I'm looking specifically at either a Wyvern or a Giant Eagle. but I am by no means set on those creatures

(haha, if I could afford it I'd use a roc or a sky manta, but that's a bit fanciful)


This reminds me of the mandalorian ground attack crafts from the Old Republic era.
http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/9/92/Basilisk.jpg

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/c/c5/Mandalorians_-_TEA.jpg
Lots of guns, all mounted downward.

zomg that's awesome.

[Zonugal]

True, but if you promise that you'll bring them back, you are much more likely to attract hirelings. Unless they have a terminal disease and some pressing monetary needs, most people don't volunteer for certain death on a pay basis.

I find honor works better than any coin in such situations.

[Groverfield]

Wonderous items instead of wands (Necklace of fireballs retooled) so a fighter doesn't have to take ranks in UMD to use it.

[Prime32]

Warforged raptor? (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070618a&page=5)

[Ravens_cry]

I find honor works better than any coin in such situations.

True, but unless you have some special circumstances, that, yes, do have historical precedent, such 'honour' does not exist for most people. Being willing to potentially die for a cause is a very different thing from certainly dying for a cause.

[evil-frosty]

For the mount maybe a large carpet of flying instead? Better maneuverability i believe as well as more stealthy and can still have as much dakka...plus you can have gunners now with different wands/staves and whatever else you can think of :smallamused:

[aquaticrna]

my i suggest qual's feather tokens? a little pricy but nothing quite like dropping a tree on someone(s).

[Zonugal]

True, but unless you have some special circumstances, that, yes, do have historical precedent, such 'honour' does not exist for most people. Being willing to potentially die for a cause is a very different thing from certainly dying for a cause.

Of course the 'honor' card is only appropriate in a culture who favors it. But you could offer other things as well. One option is for one's family debt to be repaid entirely by the government in service as an Earthquake Bomber while another could be securing your family is financially/economically well off (as supplied by the government).

In the end there a ways to sign people up.

[Ravens_cry]

Of course the 'honor' card is only appropriate in a culture who favors it. But you could offer other things as well. One option is for one's family debt to be repaid entirely by the government in service as an Earthquake Bomber while another could be securing your family is financially/economically well off (as supplied by the government).

In the end there a ways to sign people up.
If you are doing that, it might actually be cheaper to simply give them a resurrection as it would take a pretty big debt/economic incentive for me to die like that. Also, there is only going so many mineral warriors with that feat who are willing to go through with this, so that's another reason to recycle.

[Zonugal]

If you are doing that, it might actually be cheaper to simply give them a resurrection as it would take a pretty big debt/economic incentive for me to die like that. Also, there is only going so many mineral warriors with that feat who are willing to go through with this, so that's another reason to recycle.

True, very true if you play by the random assignment of templates & feats in an individual.

I am imagining something akin to a basic soldier/commoner going under for an intense medical/scientific operation in which the template & feat are instilled in their being.

In my campaign setting I actually have that happen to the high sentinel captains of the Dwarvish army. They cover any retreats required for their men and fight until they die thus triggering an earthquake to seal off the area.

[big teej]

For the mount maybe a large carpet of flying instead? Better maneuverability i believe as well as more stealthy and can still have as much dakka...plus you can have gunners now with different wands/staves and whatever else you can think of :smallamused:

that's more "heavy bomber" too me... and I think prohbitively expensive...

I like it though :smallbiggrin:


my i suggest qual's feather tokens? a little pricy but nothing quite like dropping a tree on someone(s).

I like this.... this is wonderful...

mwuahahahahh

[Ravens_cry]

True, very true if you play by the random assignment of templates & feats in an individual.

I am imagining something akin to a basic soldier/commoner going under for an intense medical/scientific operation in which the template & feat are instilled in their being.

Sure, if you assume that. But that is hardly an assumption that can be made for all campaigns in all worlds, considering that, with rare exceptions, 'installing' feats is homebrew. And even then, you're spending a bunch of money convincing people to undergo a possibly painful process only to die a certain death later, a process that itself is probably not inexpensive. I still say recycling your super soldier bombs is cheaper.
Or for even cheaper, but less damage, drop things. Big things, heavy things, that have been shrunk. Have them attached on cords, have the caster say the command word,. the cord snaps, bombs away.
Like I said, I prefer kinetic strikes.

[big teej]

alrighty... I've got my mount picked out (hello proof of concept)

now.... lets talk ammunition

Alchemists fire
Acid
Shriek Rocks
Caltrops?
arrows
crossbow bolts
javelins
rocks
eggshell grenades
tree-tokens.

any suggestions for ammo/payload?

what about for "guns"

I'm thinking 4 wands mounted on the saddle that fire past the head of the mount.
2 wands of magic missle (high enough caster level to have maximum # of missles)
2 wands of fireball (cannons?)

additionally, you could have wands of lightning bolt, disentigrate, or acid arrow.

any suggestions "guns"

[Graha013]

alrighty... I've got my mount picked out (hello proof of concept)

now.... lets talk ammunition

Alchemists fire
Acid
Shriek Rocks
Caltrops?
arrows
crossbow bolts
javelins
rocks
eggshell grenades
tree-tokens.

any suggestions for ammo/payload?

what about for "guns"

I'm thinking 4 wands mounted on the saddle that fire past the head of the mount.
2 wands of magic missle (high enough caster level to have maximum # of missles)
2 wands of fireball (cannons?)

additionally, you could have wands of lightning bolt, disentigrate, or acid arrow.

any suggestions "guns"

Wand of grease and wand of ...something flames. = flamethrower ?

[big teej]

Wand of grease and wand of ...something flames. = flamethrower ?

I approve of this idea...

anyways, I scoured my sourcebooks and here's what I've found.

Chakram
Throwing Irons
Spinning Javelins
Orc Shotput
Shriek Rocks
Springwalls
glass bullets
festering bomb
flashpellets
glow powder
nets
bolts
arrows
caltrops
acid
alchemists fire
smokesticks
tanglefoot bags
thunderstones
eggshell grenades.

[vampire2948]

Depending on what sort of range you expect to fight from, the Orbs of Fire/Force/Similar might work well for you. Some of them have interesting secondary effects like blind (cold orb).

My players once made a bombing airship in the last campaign I ran. The Dread Necromancer took the Corpsecrafter feat that causes undead to explode on death, then ordered over a hundred skeletons to hold onto the side of the Artificer's airship, then let them fall over a target. Is rather cheap.

If you are also looking for things to improve the survivability of the bomber, I suggest Mirror Image, Greater Invisiblity, and such. Mind Blank for the mount and rider too, of course. Perhaps the ability to create an Antimagic Field if you need to escape due to magical problems.


Also, make friends with a druid - Fire Seeds (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireSeeds.htm) Ice Storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/iceStorm.htm) ... plenty of others.

[big teej]

anybody have any suggestions for what class to go with?

I'm thinking just a fighter or a rogue

either halfling or human....

halfling because of the bonuses on thrown.

human for the extra feat

[vampire2948]

Why wouldn't you be a caster? Spells = More bombing.

But.. there're plenty of throwing-based PrCs and such floating about. Think there's one in the Tome of Battle that might suit.

[Giarc]

What about also using cards with various spells on them like explosive runes or such and using gust of wind to scatter them into an enemy camp? You'd be able to bring a lot more with you to scatter about and you'd make a few guys and his pals explode.

[big teej]

paper with exploding runes on it...

they explode if the paper is damaged right?