Answered. Closed.

[Barbarian MD]

I'm back with another question, fellow 'Grounders!

I'm building a character who is basically the Operative from Firefly, the Dwarven Paladin from Goblins, and John Preston from Equilibrium.

Such a character needs a fast mode of travel, and I want an airship. I have up to 500,000 gp to spend on this sucker.

I checked out the airships from Eberron, but there's a direct relationship between speed and size. I need something smaller, like a crew of less than 10. But I still want to be able to cover at least 100 miles in a day, if not 200.

So, fellow 'Grounders, where should I look? What book contains the answers to my needs? Is there a book I'm not thinking of, or should I cobble something together from the Stronghold Builder's Guide. Or should I move this thread to the Homebrew section?

Thanks in advance!


EDIT: For clarification, I guess I should point this out: my monk already has a fly speed of 80', so he can do something like 80 miles in a day by himself.

I'd like a ship that can do at least twice that, if not more, and can carry others.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Must it be an Airship? An undead Dragon has many of the same benefits, and is much easier to boost the speed of.

[Choco]

Must it be an Airship? An undead Dragon has many of the same benefits, and is much easier to boost the speed of.

And it has no upkeep costs. Though you will have to do something about the smell.

Yeah, I would suggest talking with the DM about homebrewing something. Some things just dont exist in the official books.

[Barbarian MD]

In this campaign, basically anything that's not human is evil. Arcane magic detects as evil to a paladin. It's Dystopia, with a capital D. I don't think dragons would be allowed to live.

Yes, my character is definitely one of the bad guys Children of the Light good guys.

But no, it doesn't have to be an airship.

[Choco]

I don't think dragons would be allowed to live.

There lies the beauty in having an UNDEAD dragon! You got gotta worry about pesky little details like it being "allowed to live"

Is this a world where airships are common technology? Or do they even normally exist at all?

[Barbarian MD]

There's airships everywhere, apparently.

As an aside, there's a giant anti-teleport artifact blanketing the country, so it's either airships or horse and/or carriage.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

There's airships everywhere, apparently.

As an aside, there's a giant anti-teleport artifact blanketing the country, so it's either airships or horse and/or carriage.

Fun fact. A wheeled Tiny Animated Object has 80' move speed and can carry 18 lbs as a light load. Get enough of those together, build a platform, and you can travel around the nation by surfing on the backs of robots.

[Deth Muncher]

Fun fact. A wheeled Tiny Animated Object has 80' move speed and can carry 18 lbs as a light load. Get enough of those together, build a platform, and you can travel around the nation by surfing on the backs of robots.

If I have been anywhere, it was on the shoulders of robots.

[Asbestos]

Fun fact. A wheeled Tiny Animated Object has 80' move speed and can carry 18 lbs as a light load. Get enough of those together, build a platform, and you can travel around the nation by surfing on the backs of robots.

Extremely well coordinated robots to boot.

I was thinking some sort of flying animated object.

But, what's wrong with a crew? The guy from Firefly had a warship didn't he?

[Barbarian MD]

Nothing's wrong with a crew. I'd definitely want a pilot, so I could sleep on the flight.

What I don't want is a crew of 200, which is what a galley airship requires. The thing is, they have the fastest move speed. A rowboat only has a couple of crew members, but it's got an incredibly slow speed (my flying monk can do 86 miles in a day, which is faster than most ships).

[Deth Muncher]

Nothing's wrong with a crew. I'd definitely want a pilot, so I could sleep on the flight.

What I don't want is a crew of 200, which is what a galley airship requires. The thing is, they have the fastest move speed. A rowboat only has a couple of crew members, but it's got an incredibly slow speed (my flying monk can do 86 miles in a day, which is faster than most ships).

Resetting trap of Unseen Servant?

[Asbestos]

Resetting trap of Unseen Servant?

Depends on how simple flying an airship is...

[Choco]

A colossal effigy creature costs 50,000g + 2,000g/HD. So an effigy of a great wyrm gold dragon would run ya only 132k gold.

Effigy creatures are described in Complete Arcane, they are basically robots. So yeah, for only 132k gold out of your 500k, you can be riding your very own robotic great wyrm gold dragon!

[Deth Muncher]

Depends on how simple flying an airship is...

That's fair, but isn't there a better Unseen Servant somewhere? One that can do something over a DC10 skill check?

[Jayngfet]

In this campaign, basically anything that's not human is evil. Arcane magic detects as evil to a paladin. It's Dystopia, with a capital D. I don't think dragons would be allowed to live.

Yes, my character is definitely one of the bad guys Children of the Light good guys.

But no, it doesn't have to be an airship.

Wait, does this make celestials evil? Metallic Dragons?

[Doc Roc]

Level of physics "realism" in your game? Answering is probably a bad plan. In fact, just start running now. It won't help, but at least you won't see it coming.

[BobVosh]

www.spelljammer.org

Make an elven flitter. One man vehicle that is swift as lightning. Could go to the moon for a picnic if you wanted with one.

[Doc Roc]

www.spelljammer.org

Make an elven flitter. One man vehicle that is swift as lightning. Could go to the moon for a picnic if you wanted with one.

Spelljammer's total-conversion is deeply incomplete, almost to the point of complete unplayability. Certainly none of it ever got any serious testing.

[Iku Rex]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96729 (Gargantuan Wyvern Effigy)

[dsmiles]

One word:
Spelljammer

[The_Werebear]

Carriage dragged by Phantom Steeds?

[PaladinBoy]

If you're dead set on an airship, about the only thing I can think of is some of the special abilities of the windwright captain prestige class in the Explorer's Handbook. You wouldn't need that class, but it could help, and you could ask the DM if your pilot can have it or something.

Barring that? You'll probably need homebrew. For our party's airship, we just came up with ideas and asked the DM to set game effects. I think it turned out pretty well, but then we were mostly ignoring prices for any of the enhancements.

[Leon]

Take the elements of the larger ships and apply them to a smaller type such as a Keel Boat

Scaling down where necessary and adjusting to your needs

[Vizzerdrix]

Oh! how much would a ship in a box with a built in Cloud Keel and a lightning Turbine and/or wind favored sales cost?! Then you could keep it in your pocket

OR, you can get an Eberron Airship (one of the big ones) and buy a few Fahrlanghn's Lines to cut back on needed crew.

A dirigible with a lightning turbine can have a movement of either 15xwind or 90 ft, whichever is better. 90ft speed x 100 rounds/ hour = 9000 ft/hour x 12 hours = 108000 ft = 20. 46 miles a day.

So to get up to 100miles/day you'd need a base speed around 90x5=450ft/round

Hmm... Can a vehicle make a run action? a constant full withdraw maybe?

[Ormagoden]

Gray render mount with boots of flying?

[Doc Roc]

If you have full "physics" transparency, I have a sun-crusher waiting for you, complete with hyperdrive.

Turns out there's ways to exert infinite torque in D&D. You can, in fact, fly by pulling upward on your own bootstraps.

[Deth Muncher]

If you have full "physics" transparency, I have a sun-crusher waiting for you, complete with hyperdrive.

Turns out there's ways to exert infinite torque in D&D. You can, in fact, fly by pulling upward on your own bootstraps.

That's ridiculous. You might as well say you could fly by throwing yourself at the ground and missing.

[Barbarian MD]

I can name at least one person who learned to fly by this method.

[Tyndmyr]

Decanters of Endless water, sent to maximum output.

Behold, a jetpack.

[Barbarian MD]

I guess I should point this out: my monk already has a fly speed of 70', so he can over something like 80 miles in a day by himself.

I'd like a ship that can do at least twice that, if not more, and can carry others.

I do appreciate so many people tossing out ideas!