Airship Action [Archive] - Wizards Community

Airship Action [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Isran_Imrador
04-27-05, 03:42 PM Airship Action (steal this hook) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20050425a)

Loots of Airship hooks! Anyone other than me got inpired? (not by monsters from Dal Quor)

Also just read Marked for death and its Airship action....
chimpman
04-27-05, 04:17 PM I read it (twice) and although the Lord of Blades plot was fairly interesting to me the others just had too many holes. I might be being overly critical, but here are the things that bothered me about these hooks [along with how I might fix them]:

Lord of Airships:
How is the LoB going to send the airship on "an interesting test of piloting skills"? He doesn't have control of the ship, and the PCs are supposed to be the ones setting a trap. I like the idea that the LoB would be prepared for this, but I think the logic needs a bit of tweeking in order to get it to work.

[Unfortunately I think the PCs get to choose the terrain/flight path on this one (since they are the ones setting the trap). The LoB does expect it however and changes his game plan. He mounts a raid to try and capture the ship, but the PCs manage to get the drop on him and prevent it... or so they think. Instead, the warriors that the LoB sent were all suicide warriors - living bombs meant to bring the ship down just as it passes near the Mournlands. The PCs will need to survive the crash as well as escape from the LoB's clutches (and from the Gray Mists).]

Stowaways:
This one had the least holes (that I could see). I do like the idea of a patron who manages to stow the PCs on board an airship and then gets himself killed. Other than that though... maybe a little boring.

Exploring the Dead Gray Clouds:
1) Would an airship even risk going into the mournlands? Not bloody likely IMHO.
2) Half-orc captain? Huh? I suppose it's possible after all (perhaps it's a privateer ship), but it seems more likely that a Lyrander ship would have a Lyrander captain. That captain might take orders from someone (whoever hired out the ship), but man... I just don't know about this.

[The half-orc is not actually the captian of the ship. Instead he (along with a band of fellow cutthroats) manages to pirate the ship. He intends to use it for his own purposes (revenge or whatever) and the PCs are sent to stop him. Perhaps they get wind of this character before he actually steals the ship and manage to infiltrate his gang. They have to play along until they find out what his real goals are (well after he steals the ship). Once they know what his plans are, they must decide whether to stop him or help him.]

Flight of the Nightfarer:
This one was by far the worst.
1) Sharn Academy of Shipwrights? Is everything located in Sharn now? I thought that ships (especially elemental bound ships) were created in Zilargo.
2) Scarcely visible ring (air elemental?) ??? Huh? The ECS clearly states that airships use both bound fire and air elementals for propulsion so are we now to believe that no one knows what an air elemental ring looks like? Besides I thought that the air elementals had bursts of lightning shooting through them.

[Well... first thing is move this one to Zilargo. This is just begging for gnome vs Cannith vs Lyrander intrigue. Instead of a disgruntled changling substitute a disgruntled gnome elementalist. There is less surprise when he manages to return with his own airship, but the overall plot generally makes more sense.
Perhaps the gnome has been lured with riches by House Cannith, or perhaps the Trust has decided to acquire a few ships for their own uses.]

Mostly the mini-hooks were ok. This one left me thinking though:
The PCs leave the skyport in a Thrane airship, but they must arrive in Droaam in a goblin air schooner -- they'll have to create a disguise for their airship en route.
Are there really a lot of goblin air schooners in Droaam? That just seems wrong. I do like the idea of a goblin air schooner though, but I don't think I'd make them commonplace. Perhaps building them is an ancient technology once possessed by the Dhakaani. It would make a cool goblinoid centric adventure to try and recover such information in an attempt to rebuild the empire.
I wouldn't make them commonplace though, especially not in Droaam...
Bluebrush
04-27-05, 06:42 PM I think someone needs to remind future Eberron writers that airships are supposed to be relatively rare.

Anyway. I think one way to account for the Lord of Blades having access to an airship is the development of a magic item which improves one's ability to control elemental vehicles.

Another idea which I suggested elsewhere is a feat which improves one's chances to control elemental vehicles. This could account for some non-half elf captains.

As the the Half-orc captain, maybe he was just the captain and the helmsman was a Lyrandar heir who left the house.
araelethe
04-27-05, 08:06 PM Imagine if one of the Eberron handbooks actually provided schematics for the airships ... that would be inspirational! Nothing in the ECS (beyond a vague description on 267 and 124) or Sharn (soarsled?). From what I've seen, RoE seems to continue the theme (I realize that this is not the focus of the handbook).

Is the module Whispers of the Vampire's Blade the only source for airship statistics? The module Grasp of the Emerald Claw mentions an airship (and just that) and does not even provide the stats for the airskiff, the Nellie, that adventurers might damage if it were described. This seems a bit ridiculous as this was to be one of the attractions of the high magic setting ...

Any plans for a deckplan?
Gurv
04-27-05, 10:10 PM Any plans for a deckplan?
I think it is in the works for one of the future sourcebooks, but it might be a while.

For now, have you seen THIS (http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1350&PN=1)? It isn't official or anything, but it is very well done for fan art.

I thought the hooks were pretty good. But I agree that the designers should get together and decide how common such things are. I say as Keith would say: there are just enough for one to be available when the plot requires it to be so, but rare enough that there are none around when the plot says there shouldn't be.

My players are currently sailing about on a Lyrandar galleon, so maybe I can adapt one of these hook to my needs.
scaryfroman
04-27-05, 10:12 PM Perhaps building them is an ancient technology once possessed by the Dhakaani. It would make a cool goblinoid centric adventure to try and recover such information in an attempt to rebuild the empire.
:D I didn't read this...

**************************

This I think was one of the worst StH articles that we have gotten. It had some nice ideas, but had glaring inconsitencies along the lines of what we have been seeing in SI articles.
MavrickWeirdo
04-27-05, 10:23 PM someone beat me to the link :mad:
madteuton
04-27-05, 10:49 PM Anyway. I think one way to account for the Lord of Blades having access to an airship is the development of a magic item

Or, another would be that a few were moored somewhere in Cyre on the Day of Mourning and the LoB's forces recently stumbled upon their half-buried remains and somehow managed to salvage them (perhaps by trapping living spells in some way).
chimpman
04-27-05, 11:32 PM :D I didn't read this...

No, you didn't. Well, just don't mention it to Mogaan. ;)

This I think was one of the worst StH articles that we have gotten. It had some nice ideas, but had glaring inconsitencies along the lines of what we have been seeing in SI articles.

Yeah, it was actually a little depressing to read this one. The title was great too and I was expecting good things when I read it. It just didn't quite do it for me.

Or, another would be that a few were moored somewhere in Cyre on the Day of Mourning and the LoB's forces recently stumbled upon their half-buried remains and somehow managed to salvage them (perhaps by trapping living spells in some way).

Hmmm... now thats a neat idea. Airships powered by bound living spells instead of elementals. That could work (at least in some cases).

Anyway, the good thing is that we have these forums, and a lot of creative people out there. Maybe we can come up with some nice airship plothooks on our own.
Urko
04-28-05, 01:58 PM Maybe we can come up with some nice airship plothooks on our own.

Sir, I accept that challenge!

House Lyrandar hires the PCs to recover the wreckage of the Breath of Syrania and discover the cause of the crash. Over the course of the investigation, the PCs learn through interviews with Lyrandar staff or the ubiquitous recovered journal fragments that Captain Jayce Armast, the Breath's pilot and master, was an eccentric, even by the standards of a profession rife with free spirits. He was obsessesed with exploring the upper reaches, taking his ship higher than any had gone before. As the investigation proceeds, troubling questions begin to appear. What are the strange, sucker-like marks found on many of the crew's bodies? Where is the body of Captain Armast? And why is House Lyrandar willing to risk sending Wings of Siberys, the lost vessel's sister ship, on another expedition far above the clouds?

(anyone who can name the inspiration for this gets a cookie!)
ryanroyce
04-29-05, 12:33 AM Sir, I accept that challenge!

House Lyrandar hires the PCs to recover the wreckage of the Breath of Syrania and discover the cause of the crash. Over the course of the investigation, the PCs learn through interviews with Lyrandar staff or the ubiquitous recovered journal fragments that Captain Jayce Armast, the Breath's pilot and master, was an eccentric, even by the standards of a profession rife with free spirits. He was obsessesed with exploring the upper reaches, taking his ship higher than any had gone before. As the investigation proceeds, troubling questions begin to appear. What are the strange, sucker-like marks found on many of the crew's bodies? Where is the body of Captain Armast? And why is House Lyrandar willing to risk sending Wings of Siberys, the lost vessel's sister ship, on another expedition far above the clouds?

(anyone who can name the inspiration for this gets a cookie!)

Reminds me of a Star Trek: TNG episode... ;)

Ryan
Urko
04-29-05, 11:40 AM If so, they ripped of the same source I did...
Liane the Wayfarer
04-29-05, 12:13 PM Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Horror of the Heights, which can be read here (http://www.geocities.com/sherlockiana/doyle/doyle_hght.html).

Aberrations, perhaps? Or some sort of natural creature that lives in the ring?

And I like my cookies with double chocolate! :D
Bodger
04-30-05, 09:22 PM I am working on a vessel that resembles the millenium falcon in shape and floorplan. Also was leaning towards the crew being a 1/2 elf fighter (capatain) with a Warforged Articifer with an armbow as well as a few homocs... dedicated wright (r2) as well as a new one Dedicated Domo ((butler) C3). This came from earlier posts. Also it all depends is that there is a 2nd Warforged scout idea to take the R2 spot and or ling to the vessel to pilot it while the Han character is doing his thing. Plans are 50 %done. With thoughts on adding a ventral and dorsal repeating quad hvy crossbows. and the lower one in a drop pod.

Bodger
I gots tools I can fix.
Ohtar Turinson
04-30-05, 11:12 PM Flight of the Nightfarer:
This one was by far the worst.
1) Sharn Academy of Shipwrights? Is everything located in Sharn now? I thought that ships (especially elemental bound ships) were created in Zilargo.
2) Scarcely visible ring (air elemental?) ??? Huh? The ECS clearly states that airships use both bound fire and air elementals for propulsion so are we now to believe that no one knows what an air elemental ring looks like? Besides I thought that the air elementals had bursts of lightning shooting through them.

See, I assumed that the Sharn Academy of Shipwrights was one place where normal ship building and, to a far lesser degree, building the Shell of an airship could be learned.

Note too that 'air elemental' has a question mark next to it- that can be explained away. Maybe there is no elemental, but something else, something more subtle at work. (Most likely the author missed that bit in the description in the ECS- I know I did the first read through)

Maybe it was all an illusion and Arz went and got a job at the drycleaners. No way of knowing... Really, I thought that aspects of it had the greatest potential of all them.
chimpman
05-01-05, 02:29 AM The PCs are on board a Lyrander airship traveling to wherever their destination is. During the journey they see creatures manifesting on the struts that hold the airship's elemental ring. The creatures attempt to destroy the struts, although no one but the PCs can see them.

Are the creatures real? Or are they figments of the PCs imagination? What is really going on?

If the creatures are real, the PCs will have to find a way of stopping them without alerting the crew. The crew, frightened by the PCs reactions may try to restrain them for the rest of the flight.

Perhaps the captain harbors something horrible in the cargo hold, something that is trying to cause the ship to crash. The captain and his crew are immune to its powers, but the PCs start to see strange things. Can they discover the secret before they end up damaging the ship.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Isran_Imrador 04-27-05, 03:42 PM	Airship Action (steal this hook) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20050425a) Loots of Airship hooks! Anyone other than me got inpired? (not by monsters from Dal Quor) Also just read Marked for death and its Airship action....
chimpman 04-27-05, 04:17 PM	I read it (twice) and although the Lord of Blades plot was fairly interesting to me the others just had too many holes. I might be being overly critical, but here are the things that bothered me about these hooks [along with how I might fix them]: Lord of Airships: How is the LoB going to send the airship on "an interesting test of piloting skills"? He doesn't have control of the ship, and the PCs are supposed to be the ones setting a trap. I like the idea that the LoB would be prepared for this, but I think the logic needs a bit of tweeking in order to get it to work. [Unfortunately I think the PCs get to choose the terrain/flight path on this one (since they are the ones setting the trap). The LoB does expect it however and changes his game plan. He mounts a raid to try and capture the ship, but the PCs manage to get the drop on him and prevent it... or so they think. Instead, the warriors that the LoB sent were all suicide warriors - living bombs meant to bring the ship down just as it passes near the Mournlands. The PCs will need to survive the crash as well as escape from the LoB's clutches (and from the Gray Mists).] Stowaways: This one had the least holes (that I could see). I do like the idea of a patron who manages to stow the PCs on board an airship and then gets himself killed. Other than that though... maybe a little boring. Exploring the Dead Gray Clouds: 1) Would an airship even risk going into the mournlands? Not bloody likely IMHO. 2) Half-orc captain? Huh? I suppose it's possible after all (perhaps it's a privateer ship), but it seems more likely that a Lyrander ship would have a Lyrander captain. That captain might take orders from someone (whoever hired out the ship), but man... I just don't know about this. [The half-orc is not actually the captian of the ship. Instead he (along with a band of fellow cutthroats) manages to pirate the ship. He intends to use it for his own purposes (revenge or whatever) and the PCs are sent to stop him. Perhaps they get wind of this character before he actually steals the ship and manage to infiltrate his gang. They have to play along until they find out what his real goals are (well after he steals the ship). Once they know what his plans are, they must decide whether to stop him or help him.] Flight of the Nightfarer: This one was by far the worst. 1) Sharn Academy of Shipwrights? Is everything located in Sharn now? I thought that ships (especially elemental bound ships) were created in Zilargo. 2) Scarcely visible ring (air elemental?) ??? Huh? The ECS clearly states that airships use both bound fire and air elementals for propulsion so are we now to believe that no one knows what an air elemental ring looks like? Besides I thought that the air elementals had bursts of lightning shooting through them. [Well... first thing is move this one to Zilargo. This is just begging for gnome vs Cannith vs Lyrander intrigue. Instead of a disgruntled changling substitute a disgruntled gnome elementalist. There is less surprise when he manages to return with his own airship, but the overall plot generally makes more sense. Perhaps the gnome has been lured with riches by House Cannith, or perhaps the Trust has decided to acquire a few ships for their own uses.] Mostly the mini-hooks were ok. This one left me thinking though: The PCs leave the skyport in a Thrane airship, but they must arrive in Droaam in a goblin air schooner -- they'll have to create a disguise for their airship en route. Are there really a lot of goblin air schooners in Droaam? That just seems wrong. I do like the idea of a goblin air schooner though, but I don't think I'd make them commonplace. Perhaps building them is an ancient technology once possessed by the Dhakaani. It would make a cool goblinoid centric adventure to try and recover such information in an attempt to rebuild the empire. I wouldn't make them commonplace though, especially not in Droaam...
Bluebrush 04-27-05, 06:42 PM	I think someone needs to remind future Eberron writers that airships are supposed to be relatively rare. Anyway. I think one way to account for the Lord of Blades having access to an airship is the development of a magic item which improves one's ability to control elemental vehicles. Another idea which I suggested elsewhere is a feat which improves one's chances to control elemental vehicles. This could account for some non-half elf captains. As the the Half-orc captain, maybe he was just the captain and the helmsman was a Lyrandar heir who left the house.
araelethe 04-27-05, 08:06 PM	Imagine if one of the Eberron handbooks actually provided schematics for the airships ... that would be inspirational! Nothing in the ECS (beyond a vague description on 267 and 124) or Sharn (soarsled?). From what I've seen, RoE seems to continue the theme (I realize that this is not the focus of the handbook). Is the module Whispers of the Vampire's Blade the only source for airship statistics? The module Grasp of the Emerald Claw mentions an airship (and just that) and does not even provide the stats for the airskiff, the Nellie, that adventurers might damage if it were described. This seems a bit ridiculous as this was to be one of the attractions of the high magic setting ... Any plans for a deckplan?
Gurv 04-27-05, 10:10 PM	Any plans for a deckplan? I think it is in the works for one of the future sourcebooks, but it might be a while. For now, have you seen THIS (http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1350&PN=1)? It isn't official or anything, but it is very well done for fan art. I thought the hooks were pretty good. But I agree that the designers should get together and decide how common such things are. I say as Keith would say: there are just enough for one to be available when the plot requires it to be so, but rare enough that there are none around when the plot says there shouldn't be. My players are currently sailing about on a Lyrandar galleon, so maybe I can adapt one of these hook to my needs.
scaryfroman 04-27-05, 10:12 PM	Perhaps building them is an ancient technology once possessed by the Dhakaani. It would make a cool goblinoid centric adventure to try and recover such information in an attempt to rebuild the empire. :D I didn't read this... ************************** This I think was one of the worst StH articles that we have gotten. It had some nice ideas, but had glaring inconsitencies along the lines of what we have been seeing in SI articles.
MavrickWeirdo 04-27-05, 10:23 PM	someone beat me to the link :mad:
madteuton 04-27-05, 10:49 PM	Anyway. I think one way to account for the Lord of Blades having access to an airship is the development of a magic item Or, another would be that a few were moored somewhere in Cyre on the Day of Mourning and the LoB's forces recently stumbled upon their half-buried remains and somehow managed to salvage them (perhaps by trapping living spells in some way).
chimpman 04-27-05, 11:32 PM	:D I didn't read this... No, you didn't. Well, just don't mention it to Mogaan. ;) This I think was one of the worst StH articles that we have gotten. It had some nice ideas, but had glaring inconsitencies along the lines of what we have been seeing in SI articles. Yeah, it was actually a little depressing to read this one. The title was great too and I was expecting good things when I read it. It just didn't quite do it for me. Or, another would be that a few were moored somewhere in Cyre on the Day of Mourning and the LoB's forces recently stumbled upon their half-buried remains and somehow managed to salvage them (perhaps by trapping living spells in some way). Hmmm... now thats a neat idea. Airships powered by bound living spells instead of elementals. That could work (at least in some cases). Anyway, the good thing is that we have these forums, and a lot of creative people out there. Maybe we can come up with some nice airship plothooks on our own.
Urko 04-28-05, 01:58 PM	Maybe we can come up with some nice airship plothooks on our own. Sir, I accept that challenge! House Lyrandar hires the PCs to recover the wreckage of the Breath of Syrania and discover the cause of the crash. Over the course of the investigation, the PCs learn through interviews with Lyrandar staff or the ubiquitous recovered journal fragments that Captain Jayce Armast, the Breath's pilot and master, was an eccentric, even by the standards of a profession rife with free spirits. He was obsessesed with exploring the upper reaches, taking his ship higher than any had gone before. As the investigation proceeds, troubling questions begin to appear. What are the strange, sucker-like marks found on many of the crew's bodies? Where is the body of Captain Armast? And why is House Lyrandar willing to risk sending Wings of Siberys, the lost vessel's sister ship, on another expedition far above the clouds? (anyone who can name the inspiration for this gets a cookie!)
ryanroyce 04-29-05, 12:33 AM	Sir, I accept that challenge! House Lyrandar hires the PCs to recover the wreckage of the Breath of Syrania and discover the cause of the crash. Over the course of the investigation, the PCs learn through interviews with Lyrandar staff or the ubiquitous recovered journal fragments that Captain Jayce Armast, the Breath's pilot and master, was an eccentric, even by the standards of a profession rife with free spirits. He was obsessesed with exploring the upper reaches, taking his ship higher than any had gone before. As the investigation proceeds, troubling questions begin to appear. What are the strange, sucker-like marks found on many of the crew's bodies? Where is the body of Captain Armast? And why is House Lyrandar willing to risk sending Wings of Siberys, the lost vessel's sister ship, on another expedition far above the clouds? (anyone who can name the inspiration for this gets a cookie!) Reminds me of a Star Trek: TNG episode... ;) Ryan
Urko 04-29-05, 11:40 AM	If so, they ripped of the same source I did...
Liane the Wayfarer 04-29-05, 12:13 PM	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Horror of the Heights, which can be read here (http://www.geocities.com/sherlockiana/doyle/doyle_hght.html). Aberrations, perhaps? Or some sort of natural creature that lives in the ring? And I like my cookies with double chocolate! :D
Bodger 04-30-05, 09:22 PM	I am working on a vessel that resembles the millenium falcon in shape and floorplan. Also was leaning towards the crew being a 1/2 elf fighter (capatain) with a Warforged Articifer with an armbow as well as a few homocs... dedicated wright (r2) as well as a new one Dedicated Domo ((butler) C3). This came from earlier posts. Also it all depends is that there is a 2nd Warforged scout idea to take the R2 spot and or ling to the vessel to pilot it while the Han character is doing his thing. Plans are 50 %done. With thoughts on adding a ventral and dorsal repeating quad hvy crossbows. and the lower one in a drop pod. Bodger I gots tools I can fix.
Ohtar Turinson 04-30-05, 11:12 PM	Flight of the Nightfarer: This one was by far the worst. 1) Sharn Academy of Shipwrights? Is everything located in Sharn now? I thought that ships (especially elemental bound ships) were created in Zilargo. 2) Scarcely visible ring (air elemental?) ??? Huh? The ECS clearly states that airships use both bound fire and air elementals for propulsion so are we now to believe that no one knows what an air elemental ring looks like? Besides I thought that the air elementals had bursts of lightning shooting through them. See, I assumed that the Sharn Academy of Shipwrights was one place where normal ship building and, to a far lesser degree, building the Shell of an airship could be learned. Note too that 'air elemental' has a question mark next to it- that can be explained away. Maybe there is no elemental, but something else, something more subtle at work. (Most likely the author missed that bit in the description in the ECS- I know I did the first read through) Maybe it was all an illusion and Arz went and got a job at the drycleaners. No way of knowing... Really, I thought that aspects of it had the greatest potential of all them.
chimpman 05-01-05, 02:29 AM	The PCs are on board a Lyrander airship traveling to wherever their destination is. During the journey they see creatures manifesting on the struts that hold the airship's elemental ring. The creatures attempt to destroy the struts, although no one but the PCs can see them. Are the creatures real? Or are they figments of the PCs imagination? What is really going on? If the creatures are real, the PCs will have to find a way of stopping them without alerting the crew. The crew, frightened by the PCs reactions may try to restrain them for the rest of the flight. Perhaps the captain harbors something horrible in the cargo hold, something that is trying to cause the ship to crash. The captain and his crew are immune to its powers, but the PCs start to see strange things. Can they discover the secret before they end up damaging the ship.