Motorcycles in Fantasy

[Cardea]

So I tend to play magic item crafters quite a lot both online and in my IRL group. Because I'm a heavy believer in character progression beyond mere "My +2 sword now has fire on it", and my preference towards magic item crafters, I always give them some sort of unique item that they develop over a campaign. An Arm that helps with misc. skill checks, a couple of heavily useful Golems, an ever improving base that serves as a home, etc.. Most often, my go to is an Airship. Depending on the campaign, it may be smuggler size, it may be goliath in nature. But I've been tinkering away in my mind about something for potential use in the future, and I've hit a wall.

I want to design a one person airship, and currently I'm trying to figure out a magical equivalent to a motorcycle for use in fantasy roleplaying, with the idea of wanting a one-person boat that isn't just a magically enhanced rowboat. The question I have, is, is there anything that might fit what I'm looking for?

[Knitifine]

I want to design a one person airship, and currently I'm trying to figure out a magical equivalent to a motorcycle for use in fantasy roleplaying

A flying broom.

[Coventry]

So I tend to play magic item crafters quite a lot both online and in my IRL group. Because I'm a heavy believer in character progression beyond mere "My +2 sword now has fire on it", and my preference towards magic item crafters, I always give them some sort of unique item that they develop over a campaign. An Arm that helps with misc. skill checks, a couple of heavily useful Golems, an ever improving base that serves as a home, etc.. Most often, my go to is an Airship. Depending on the campaign, it may be smuggler size, it may be goliath in nature. But I've been tinkering away in my mind about something for potential use in the future, and I've hit a wall.

I want to design a one person airship, and currently I'm trying to figure out a magical equivalent to a motorcycle for use in fantasy roleplaying, with the idea of wanting a one-person boat that isn't just a magically enhanced rowboat. The question I have, is, is there anything that might fit what I'm looking for?

Larry Walters's lawn chair? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFVVo9usFY

The traditional form is a flying mount, such as a Pegasus or a nightmare. Giving it something like pathfinder's Clockwork Creature template would follow the motorcycle motif. Dress it up as a flying chariot for an older version.

Imagine a comfortable throne, wrapped inside something that looks like an oversized bird-cage with a large wooden perch on top. When it is time to fly, a VERY large bird (Roc?) appears, grabs the perch, and takes off carrying the perch, cage and comfy chair.

An amulet, that when activated takes a minute to unfold and wrap the user entirely inside something like Iron Man's armor. Only give it flight to begin with, but build up as the person tinkers.

[RagingBluMunky]

A golem horse, if that's too large, a golem pony. If handlebars are important to you, a golem giant goat.

Heck, you could create a different golem animal for every terrain, or even one that transforms!

[Excession]

I want to design a one person airship, and currently I'm trying to figure out a magical equivalent to a motorcycle for use in fantasy roleplaying, with the idea of wanting a one-person boat that isn't just a magically enhanced rowboat. The question I have, is, is there anything that might fit what I'm looking for?

Fantasy? Check. Motorcycle? Check. Most metal thing to ever exist? One hell of a good chance: http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comi...of-names-1-10/

[Fri]

You could have flying broom, but with this esthetic

Spoiler

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(Which I think is used in a couple of things I think, but I forgot what).

Some sort of flying "surfboard" which you ride standing are prevalent as well in various settings I think, which various level of coolness and lameness

[Storm_Of_Snow]

Some kind of mage-chanical beast of burden would be my choice, or a flying carpet/broom. Otherwise, it'd depend on what you've got in your campaign - for instance, if the nobility travel in sedan chairs, a magical one without any bearers might work.

[Spore]

Maybe use a bubble.

A BUBBLE?! you shout in disbelief.

Why yes. They are timeless, spherical and you can make up loads of reasons why they can be stashed away on a ground mission. They can be soap bubbles. They can be arcane power. They can be whimsical, they can be flaming meteors. They can glow in bright pink. They can be radiant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFs3lOqr1UE

[Brother Oni]

...with the idea of wanting a one-person boat that isn't just a magically enhanced rowboat.

There are small one person sailboats:

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Add a streamlined canopy and it's good to go.

Alternately you could scale it up a bit and have the pilot sail in more comfort (the solo transatlantic/transpacific boats would be a good starting point).

That said, why rely on the wind when you can generate your own?

Spoiler: Swamp boat

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Or for that matter, why restrict it to water only?

Spoiler: Hovercraft

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And with this option, you can scale it up for when you need to invade a small country (which is probably on most adventurers' bucket list at some point):

Spoiler: Military LCAC

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[Tiktakkat]

Motorcycle = chariot
Airship = broom or carpet
Boat = apparatus of Kwalish

Beyond those, you can look at some of the old 1-man spelljammers from AD&D. Those are mostly flying, but many can land on water.

[LibraryOgre]

Broomstick first popped to mind. The Flying Carpet is another option. Baba Yaga had a mortar and pestle that would let her fly. Some sort of summonable magical horse?

[GreatWyrmGold]

All things considered, I don't see the problem with sprucing up a horse.

[Bohandas]

The phrase "Motorcycles in fantasy" immediately makes me think of the comicbook and film series Ghost Rider, as well as Terry Pratchett's Discworld story Soul Music

[Bohandas]

Another option would be to ride an actual hog.

[oxybe]

The mount of "Le Corbeau Noir" in Wakfu.

17:38 for what is one of the best fantasy "motorcycle" IMO.

[Excession]

Another option would be to ride an actual hog.

Maybe a flying pig? Also known as a Pigasus.

A flying bison might work too

[Inevitability]

Just gonna leave this here.

[Mutazoia]

You mean something like these?

[oxybe]

Maybe a flying pig? Also known as a Pigasus.

A flying bison might work too

Flying bison?

:P

[Prime32]

Clockwork Steeds (Monster Manual IV, p32) are basically motorbikes. They're Constructs but can only move when there's someone at the controls, and the base model is dirt-cheap but comes with a few customization options.

[PrismCat21]

I saw this thread when it popped up but didn't have good option until NOW!

Spoiler: Mustang Suzy

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Mustang Suzy!

Why ride a motorcycle when you can BE the motorcycle! Fluff it as a Tauric creature maybe? Or warforged componet.
You mainly find her in Hawkman comics. She's one of my favorites

[Cernor]

This thread immediately brought to mind Hagrid's motorbike... The only problem being getting that to fit in fantasy. First invent the bicycle, then motorize it (with the help of your local gnome enclave), then enchant it to fly, perhaps?

Then fly around, tell random kids they're wizards, and kidnap them. And when people object, Baleful Polymorph!

[wumpus]

Flying bison?

:P

I was expecting a Tunnels and Trolls shoutout.

Depends on the fantasy. Standard [old] mythological settings would be a horse. Magical horses of various types "sired by Sleipnir" would work. For something like Eberron, you could pretty much make a full-blown motocycle, with magic/elementals where the engine goes.

Also decide how you want to flavor such a thing. Expect a mighty stallion to take a considerable "ride" or "handle animal" check. Tolkien had some exceptions where elf-steeds and Shadowfax would bear a rider regardless of skill, assuming they bore him at all (although Gandalf's original roll must have been off the charts).

I'd expect motorcycles to do the same: more power, higher ride check (modern sportbikes tend to handle easily, until they don't [typically due to physical limitations the rider wasn't aware of or didn't think through]. Often with nasty results). Greatly increased ride checks might indicate things like old-school power tuned at the expense of other considerations (like safety and comfort), decreased ride checks (or simply not following the increased speed) imply things like rider aids (presumably starting with anti-lock brakes and traction control).

[darkrose50]

[1] Delivery Bicycle

The Dutch have delivery bicycles for bakeries and such with a cargo compartment that looks like a herse (station wagon automobile that delivers dead bodies to mortuaries). This is due to narrow streets, if I recall correctly.

Google dutch bakery bicycle

A souped-up steam punk delivery bicycle with over-sized rubber wheels, for all terrain delivery, and steam powered via a small fire elemental or enchanted coal driven steam engine would fit fantasy with a steampunk element. It would likely be a tricycle.

I can see the dwarves having delivery bicycles for narrow streets and/or tunnels. I can also see the need for more power to deliver coal, ore, ingots, armor, and weapons.

Gnomes do this sort of thing. I think that the gnome trinket ability is neat, but does not last long enough and/or is too expensive, but this is along those lines.

[2] Floating Log

I once had a character with a floating log he could ride on, and push with a gondolier pole.

The RPG Space 1889 has wood that floats and can be made into ships.

A wind elemental, or steampunk fan would make an interesting flying swamp boat hovercraft looking ship.

[Storm_Of_Snow]

[1] Delivery Bicycle

The Dutch have delivery bicycles for bakeries and such with a cargo compartment that looks like a herse (station wagon automobile that delivers dead bodies to mortuaries). This is due to narrow streets, if I recall correctly.

Google dutch bakery bicycle

Having been to the Netherlands, the Dutch don't necessarily need specially designed bikes to haul cargo around.

[Inevitability]

Having been to the Netherlands, the Dutch don't necessarily need specially designed bikes to haul cargo around.

As someone from the Netherlands (kudos for not calling it Holland), I'm kind of curious what you're referring to.

[Cluedrew]

As someone from the Netherlands (kudos for not calling it Holland), I'm kind of curious what you're referring to.

Wait, what? A branch of my family is from there and they call it Holland.

I think the comment is about the terrain. The Dutch Bicycle joke I know is that they only have 3 gears: head-wind, tail-wind and cross-wind. No hills apparently, never been there myself.

[Inevitability]

Wait, what? A branch of my family is from there and they call it Holland.

Education time!

Long, long ago, the Netherlands were a bunch of loosely united provinces. The wealthiest and most influential of these provinces was called Holland. As a result, the country as a whole has become known as 'Holland', despite the fact that Holland makes up under a fifth of it.

This map does a pretty good job of showing the difference between the Netherlands and Holland.

[darkrose50]

My family went on a day-trip to Holland Michigan this summer, it is not that far away from me*. It is basically a town with all sorts of Danish stuff . . . windmills and wooden shoes everyplace. We visited a little amusement park called Ditch Village.

http://www.dutchvillage.com/

One of the Dutch items they have on display is a pie-cart bicycle used to deliver baked goods and . . . per the guide . . . this was helpful because they had narrow streets. It was a long-ish tricycle with a "trunk" for pies and other backed goods.

Perhaps it was useful to go around other traffic, I don't know. I do not trust everything guides say, but this sounded plausible.

Another guide said that they could not make and sell wooden shoes because they did not have the legal right. They only made wooden shoes for the employees. I remember my sisters having wooden shoes made for them when I was a kid. This did not seem that logical to me, but it could be true.

My nephew has the patent on sewing a knit-cap onto a hoodie.

http://hedjak.com/

I just read a story about a kid having the patent on a vending machine for first aid kits that someone offered him $30,000,000 for.

A healing potion vending machine would be humorous. Perhaps the alchemist works at night, and does not want to be bothered during the day. Or hates people. Or is from a race that scares folks, like an ogre, or old kindly wererat stuck in wererat form.

*I live by Chicago . . . work downtown . . . and 5,000,000 people were there on Friday for a parade . . . traffic was nuts.

[Cluedrew]

To Dire_Stirge: Ah... maybe they are from the actual Holland part. Thanks for the explanation.