Home decorating an airship.

[YPU]

One of my players is going for the pilot class in eberron explorers book, so of course he wants to customize his airship when he gets it. I was thinking to use the size of the map from that book, and let him build the interior from components from stronghold builders guide. Of course I am going to remove the cost of the interior from the general airship from this cost, he shouldn’t have to pay for things that he would have anyway. There are of course no costs for walls, these are very thing and part enough of the structure to negate in the cost. So do you people think this is balanced, enough? Side note, open rooms of course do not have a cost.

[SpiderBrigade]

Can you really fit that many components into an airship? I mean, sure, some fancy rooms and a kitchen and things, but not any of the ones that would pose balance considerations, I wouldn't say (alchemist's lab, smithy etc.) So I would almost just let him pick some components to replace what's on the ship already. Unless you get the sense that he's trying to abuse it somehow.

[YPU]

nope, he wants to fit on a lot of ballista’s, but as long as he pays for them full and keeps on paying their crews, costs from the same book, i see no problem with that. you are probably right. he can make the floorplan any way he likes, using the walls of the original maps as boundaries, perhaps to be elongated en tightened or widened and shortened if he wants to, keeping the inside the same size. If he wants to have something special in it, like a lab or smithy I’ll use the prices for it.

[SpiderBrigade]

Heheh, lots of ballistas. Of course, I should have known. Yeah, in that case, you also want to figure out how much those things weigh, as well as the cost to install, feed the crew, etc. There's a big difference between a light, fast, maneuverable airship, and one that's been loaded down with heavy weapons. But, it does sound like your PC is willing to deal with this, and pay for it in any way you deem necessary. So that's good.

[Inyssius Tor]

Wow, that sounds really cool. I wish I had the Explorer's Handbook so I could contribute in a meaningful fashion.

[mikeejimbo]

Instead of Ballistae, he should hire a wizard. They're lighter and deadlier!

[Emperor Tippy]

Or custom magic items. Those are always good, and they never run out unliek wizards.

[mikeejimbo]

Wizards don't run out, per se, they just take a while to make.

[Emperor Tippy]

A wizard can run out of spells. At least for the day. An item can be made use activated and never run out of spells.

Although the use activated turret of enlarged disintegration is a bit much. At CL 20 it costs 280,000 GP, has a range of 600 feet and can instantly vaporize any object. Nothing beats it for destroying enemy ships.

Especially if your DM lets you extend it 2 more times so it takes up a 9th level slot. Then it gets a range of at least 1800 feet (and with a nice DM up to 4800 feet)

[Mewtarthio]

A wizard can run out of spells. At least for the day. An item can be made use activated and never run out of spells.

Although the use activated turret of enlarged disintegration is a bit much. At CL 20 it costs 280,000 GP, has a range of 600 feet and can instantly vaporize any object. Nothing beats it for destroying enemy ships.

Especially if your DM lets you extend it 2 more times so it takes up a 9th level slot. Then it gets a range of at least 1800 feet (and with a nice DM up to 4800 feet)

Okay... A command-activated Turret of Sniping Disintigration (Enlarged to ninth level for a x5 bonus to range using somewhat spurious stacking of Enlarge Spell):

• Range: 1500 feet
• 40d6 damage to living creatures (Fort Save for 5d6)
• Disintigrates 10 cubic feet of nonliving matter
• Price: 9 * 20 * 1800 = 324,000 gp

I'm not quite sure how your math (28,000 gp and 1800-4800 feet) is working out to that.

[Emperor Tippy]

Reread my post. 280,000 GP. You missed a zero. And that is the price for a base enlarged disjunction turret at CL 20.

7x20x2,000 (use activated not command word)

If you up it to 9th level it costs 360,000 GP.

As for the range.

The assuming that the range only increasing by the base amount each time (2 doubling equal a triplying) then the range is 600+600+600 or 1800 feet.

I'm not sure how you got 1500 feet at CL 20. It's base range is 100+10 ft./level or 300 feet. Enlarge increase it by 100%. To 600 feet. At the bare minimum (if you allow the feat to be applied multiple times) then you get 1800 feet.

If instead of doing 2 doubling's equal a triplying you have it increase exponentially then you get the 4800 range.

[ExHunterEmerald]

Ooh, ooh, I can show off my awesome math skillz.

I worked out how much devastation I could unleash. First, we have a Cha 18 Windwright Captain.

Then, we have the Leadership and Improved Followers feat--that gives you enough men to crew an airship.

Let's replace the level one expert crew with these followers---and give them all ranks in UMD.

Then we outfit all of them with wands of fireball.

Each one does 5d6 fire damage. Get all men on deck, divide your 150 (using "basic" crew numbers) men into 75 two-man fireball teams.
Order each of those individual groups to fire on a single compartment of your enemy's ship. Two rounds of two crewmen makes it four fireballs. That should do enough to destroy the compartment--then, they sight another and attack again.

By my estimation, without my notes handy, you can destroy another airship within ten rounds.

Now, as others have done before me...

Bwaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!

[Mewtarthio]

The assuming that the range only increasing by the base amount each time (2 doubling equal a triplying) then the range is 600+600+600 or 1800 feet.

I'm not sure how you got 1500 feet at CL 20. It's base range is 100+10 ft./level or 300 feet. Enlarge increase it by 100%. To 600 feet. At the bare minimum (if you allow the feat to be applied multiple times) then you get 1800 feet.

As you said, the base range at CL 20 is 300 feet. Enlarge Spell increases the range by 100% and, if we allow it to stack, we can bring it up to level nine by applying the feat three times. Since percentile increases add before the multiplication, that's a 300% increase, or a quadrupling. 300 * 4 = 1200. (I accidentally applied the metamagic an extra time in my last post).

[jjpickar]

How about a meteor swarm cannon? Or two or three , actually you can't have enough weapons so get a lot.

[Emperor Tippy]

As you said, the base range at CL 20 is 300 feet. Enlarge Spell increases the range by 100% and, if we allow it to stack, we can bring it up to level nine by applying the feat three times. Since percentile increases add before the multiplication, that's a 300% increase, or a quadrupling. 300 * 4 = 1200. (I accidentally applied the metamagic an extra time in my last post).

Doh. Me no thinky clearly. Yeah your right. It's 1200 feet. Still very nice.

See you just aim for the supports for the elemental ring. There are only 4. So in 4 rounds you make the airship all the sudden lose all propulsion. And have a giant ring with an elemental in it fall on the ship.

The other good idea is to actually split the ship in half. Its only 100 feet wide and 20 feet tall (in the middle according to the map of one in explores handbook). 10 shots and its done. And a guy can fire the turret 2 times per turn (activating a use activated item doesn't take a full round or standard action) if you make activation a move action. Haste for a 3rd action per round and you will have the thing beat in 3-4 rounds.

[Mewtarthio]

Doh. Me no thinky clearly. Yeah your right. It's 1200 feet. Still very nice.

See you just aim for the supports for the elemental ring. There are only 4. So in 4 rounds you make the airship all the sudden lose all propulsion. And have a giant ring with an elemental in it fall on the ship.

The other good idea is to actually split the ship in half. Its only 100 feet wide and 20 feet tall (in the middle according to the map of one in explores handbook). 10 shots and its done. And a guy can fire the turret 2 times per turn (activating a use activated item doesn't take a full round or standard action) if you make activation a move action. Haste for a 3rd action per round and you will have the thing beat in 3-4 rounds.

Pity it costs more than most Epic Magic Items. You could afford a Ring of Nine Wishes before you could afford this thing.

[Dareon]

Yes, but once you've bought it, you can do all kinds of interesting things. Like test whether or not Sharn will give in to the demands of terrorists.

[Collin152]

Pffffhh. Wizards? No. FOr heavy firepower, hire a sorc, or if you want to bew SURE it doesnt run out, Warlock. Yes, hire a warlock. >:D

[Wehrkind]

A buddy of mine put together a scale starship for his Star Wars compaign he was running. He built it out of card board with the plastic sprue's from miniatures to give the outside the bumpy Star Wars look, and then modeled all the interior rooms. They then used it when there were boarding actions/alien infestations etc. They also added weaponry and tech whenever they upgraded. It was really sweet. You should encourage your player to do something similar if this is going to be a long term campaign, assuming airships engage in boarding actions.

[Collin152]

Also, try and get a Druid onboard; Weather spells, long distance artilliery in the form of cal lightning, alltogether a great utility, with a Warlock as your main weapon. Eldritch spear ftw!

[YPU]

Jup, there is a lot of room for abuse. But I haven’t seen any sign of it yet, and if I keep promising him that airship ones he has the levels perhaps I can get them of those bags of tricks. Since leadership was brought up, do or don’t you need to feed your followers? And how much would it cost per follower per, say, month?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Eh. I like the idea, personally. I suggest working out just how much weight he can add before it starts affecting speed/maneuverability, though. Standard Airships aren't meant for heavy lifting - they're pretty much yachts, or at best, can be adapted for aerial reconnaissance or privateering. War galleons they ain't.

And as a side note, one time in an Eberron game, I played a Warlock/Mindbender, with Telepathy and Charm Monster at will. I was both the main gun emplacement and pilot for a while, thanks to my Eldritch Blasts and magical ability to buddy up to the bound elemental.

[Bryn]

Jup, there is a lot of room for abuse. But I haven’t seen any sign of it yet, and if I keep promising him that airship ones he has the levels perhaps I can get them of those bags of tricks. Since leadership was brought up, do or don’t you need to feed your followers? And how much would it cost per follower per, say, month?

No feeding if you hire a Warforged crew!

Otherwise, perhaps make a magic item of Create Food and Water.

Failing that, use the costs for food in the PHB.

[Collin152]

No feeding if you hire a Warforged crew!

Otherwise, perhaps make a magic item of Create Food and Water.

Failing that, use the costs for food in the PHB.

Or a crew of the Living dead! You know, Murland's Spoos (or however it is spelled) work wonders for shoving gruel down your crew's collective gullet.