Airship Combat Rules? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Airship Combat Rules? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ukkic
04-29-07, 03:46 PM Is there a post about this already somewhere?

If not:
Are there any rules for ship to ship combat? I have heard someone suggest that Stormwracked had rules that would work. I haven't looked at them, are these the best availible rules? Are there any unofficial rules that people have created that work well?

Thanks
-Ukkic
InfinityStar8
04-29-07, 05:54 PM Stormwracked is the way to go for ship to ship rules. Might need to fudge just a little to add the Z axis to the grid.
Identitystolen
05-02-07, 01:07 AM Bastion Press has a book about airships called Airships that was helpful for me. The ships themselves weren't too Eberron-y (think they're for the Oathbound setting), but good rules and interesting concepts if you're looking for more complex air combat.
Alex_
05-02-07, 02:48 PM There's more info on how Airships take damage and ca use their elementals to attack in the Explorer's Handbook.
Kensan_Oni
05-02-07, 03:33 PM Or....

Forget about making rules for airship combats. Run the things as scenes. Players are rarely, if ever, are going to be in control of an airship anyway. Therefore, what you are really doing is trying to justify why you want something to happen. Maybe even worse, you are trying to add a risk of randomness that will end up killing of the encounter or your players quick.

Just simply run the combat as a staged scene. Allow for player input to the captain, but if you want a boarding action, go ahead. If you want it as a puzzle that the players have to figure a way to evade someone, play it as a puzzle. If you are going to crash the ship, crash the ship. However, large ship to ship actions are just plain boring for players that can not become involved. Move onto the actions, and leave the complicated systems behind. Trust me, you're players will thank you when the action happens in a few minutes instead of half a hour to a hour of convaluted manuvers in a clunky add-on system.
TheAnthroDM
05-02-07, 06:04 PM ......If you're going to crash the ship at least make sure the PCs can surivive AND defeat a Huge(or bigger) elemental. Our last DM forgot to calculate that the crash would take us down to practically no HP, so we ran... and died from the Elemental.
Cifer
05-03-07, 08:36 AM I'd advise cutting out spaces in the shape of the airship so you can move the whole ship (and possible opponents) in the direction you need and know who can shoot whom. Otherwise, just narrate the scene.
PerasThorngage
05-08-07, 12:13 AM I would agree with what was said by Kensan, I've ran the combat using rules and as a scene, and it worked much better during the latter. My best suggestion is to eyeball the battle and ranks and skills of the ships and play it out as the players act just describing whats happening. Players dont feel like they are that important when its ship vs ship instead of players doing great things.

suggest spells to throw off the other crew, a boarding action or damage the ship on a mass scale. Do things that the party would think "man its just like in the movies" if you get that your doin it right.

P.S. sorry about the grammar/punctuation I'm not the best at all.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ukkic 04-29-07, 03:46 PM	Is there a post about this already somewhere? If not: Are there any rules for ship to ship combat? I have heard someone suggest that Stormwracked had rules that would work. I haven't looked at them, are these the best availible rules? Are there any unofficial rules that people have created that work well? Thanks -Ukkic
InfinityStar8 04-29-07, 05:54 PM	Stormwracked is the way to go for ship to ship rules. Might need to fudge just a little to add the Z axis to the grid.
Identitystolen 05-02-07, 01:07 AM	Bastion Press has a book about airships called Airships that was helpful for me. The ships themselves weren't too Eberron-y (think they're for the Oathbound setting), but good rules and interesting concepts if you're looking for more complex air combat.
Alex_ 05-02-07, 02:48 PM	There's more info on how Airships take damage and ca use their elementals to attack in the Explorer's Handbook.
Kensan_Oni 05-02-07, 03:33 PM	Or.... Forget about making rules for airship combats. Run the things as scenes. Players are rarely, if ever, are going to be in control of an airship anyway. Therefore, what you are really doing is trying to justify why you want something to happen. Maybe even worse, you are trying to add a risk of randomness that will end up killing of the encounter or your players quick. Just simply run the combat as a staged scene. Allow for player input to the captain, but if you want a boarding action, go ahead. If you want it as a puzzle that the players have to figure a way to evade someone, play it as a puzzle. If you are going to crash the ship, crash the ship. However, large ship to ship actions are just plain boring for players that can not become involved. Move onto the actions, and leave the complicated systems behind. Trust me, you're players will thank you when the action happens in a few minutes instead of half a hour to a hour of convaluted manuvers in a clunky add-on system.
TheAnthroDM 05-02-07, 06:04 PM	......If you're going to crash the ship at least make sure the PCs can surivive AND defeat a Huge(or bigger) elemental. Our last DM forgot to calculate that the crash would take us down to practically no HP, so we ran... and died from the Elemental.
Cifer 05-03-07, 08:36 AM	I'd advise cutting out spaces in the shape of the airship so you can move the whole ship (and possible opponents) in the direction you need and know who can shoot whom. Otherwise, just narrate the scene.
PerasThorngage 05-08-07, 12:13 AM	I would agree with what was said by Kensan, I've ran the combat using rules and as a scene, and it worked much better during the latter. My best suggestion is to eyeball the battle and ranks and skills of the ships and play it out as the players act just describing whats happening. Players dont feel like they are that important when its ship vs ship instead of players doing great things. suggest spells to throw off the other crew, a boarding action or damage the ship on a mass scale. Do things that the party would think "man its just like in the movies" if you get that your doin it right. P.S. sorry about the grammar/punctuation I'm not the best at all.