Airship Fleets [Archive] - Wizards Community

Airship Fleets [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Loca`ne
09-08-04, 11:49 AM I was just currious, and because I don't have the book to look it up myself. Does any of the cities/countries have Airship Fleets and different designs for different tasks.

For example: Sharn has a complement of Airships
2 Operation Command Ships (for the military comanders and thier mages with msg sending capabilites)
8 Aireal Assault Ships (for use with archers and heavy hitting mages, maybe a light war engine or two)
10 Troop Carrier Ships (for quick deployment of troops from barracks to air to ground 0 of the fight)
5 Anti Airship Fighters (something that's extreamly fast, small and use one or two heavy weapons and mages)

Something to that effect. Any thoughts?

Loca
WotC_Doog
09-08-04, 12:06 PM I don't remember seeing lists of fleets or even different designs for airships anywhere.

I think of it as a time similar to the Henry Ford mass-production era -- you'll get one type of airship and you'll like it. What was Ford's quote about the Model T? "You can have any color you like, as long as it's black." :)

Now, that's not to say that enterprising navy officials and individual captains haven't done some customization themselves. Once the basic airship is constructed, you could outfit it with different sails and rigging, or install a different fire elemental, for a slight edge in speed. You could arm it with heavy cannon for war. You could hang netting below it for extra cargo transport. You could paint the bottom a cloudy blue for stealth missions. (You know, so that when people look up it's hard to see the ship against the sky.) (And, um, you'd have to paint the enormous fire ring blue too. Ahem.)

And I like your idea of a command ship with magical communications "equipment." As you imply, a lot of customization can be done just by swapping out the crew. Evoker mages = war ship. Troops with feather fall potions = paratrooper transport. Cartographers and scholars = science vessel or recon/intelligence/scout ship.

Coming up with different designs of airships would make a good article or boards project.
Hellcow
09-08-04, 12:38 PM Ask on the Ask Keith thread and I'll give you my thoughts. ;)

But remember that you need an heir of the Mark of Storm to reliably control an airship.
Loca`ne
09-08-04, 02:38 PM well, I wasn't going to bother to post there but okies :P

Loca
Edymnion
09-08-04, 03:03 PM Personally, I don't get the feeling from the book that there are actually enough airships in service to actually make a fleet out of them. They exist, and there's more than a handful of them, but I doubt any particular group or organization would have enough of the things to make any showing of force with them.

Seeing an Airship going by should be a special event, seeing TWO of them together at the same time should be the talk of the town for everyone that saw it, but a FLEET of airships? That would have to be a once in a lifetime event, or more.
stembolt
09-08-04, 10:37 PM Airships strike me as needing to be economical, because they are so darn expensive.

Modern day cargo ships need to constantly be on the move. I heard the figure once that each minute of delay costs about a thousand dollars to cargo haulers on the great lakes.

Similar then are airships, cargo and passenger airships are constantly moving and making money.

Private vessels probably are available to the ultra wealthy and the kind of people who can and will keep house Lyrander retainers. That means Kings and possibly dragon house heads.

As for military well, they probably have some (if they have no other Air core) mostly for scouting.

Warships on the other hand, what are they supposed to fight? Since actual air to air conflict is unlikely (and maybe impossible due to house lyrander) airships only targets would be ground troops. Two thoughts 1) Talk about being a target. If you dumped burning oil from high altitude you just made that airship a target of every unconventional attack feasible. 2) I have a feeling that house Lyrander frowns on wholescale slaughter
Dauntless
09-08-04, 11:14 PM Personally, I don't get the feeling from the book that there are actually enough airships in service to actually make a fleet out of them. They exist, and there's more than a handful of them, but I doubt any particular group or organization would have enough of the things to make any showing of force with them.

Seeing an Airship going by should be a special event, seeing TWO of them together at the same time should be the talk of the town for everyone that saw it, but a FLEET of airships? That would have to be a once in a lifetime event, or more.

I gotta agree with Edy here. Airships are rare and expensive. In my game not only will there not be fleets, but seeing more than a couple at once would only occur if you were in Sharn near the docks on a day multiple rich folks were arriving at once.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Loca`ne 09-08-04, 11:49 AM	I was just currious, and because I don't have the book to look it up myself. Does any of the cities/countries have Airship Fleets and different designs for different tasks. For example: Sharn has a complement of Airships 2 Operation Command Ships (for the military comanders and thier mages with msg sending capabilites) 8 Aireal Assault Ships (for use with archers and heavy hitting mages, maybe a light war engine or two) 10 Troop Carrier Ships (for quick deployment of troops from barracks to air to ground 0 of the fight) 5 Anti Airship Fighters (something that's extreamly fast, small and use one or two heavy weapons and mages) Something to that effect. Any thoughts? Loca
WotC_Doog 09-08-04, 12:06 PM	I don't remember seeing lists of fleets or even different designs for airships anywhere. I think of it as a time similar to the Henry Ford mass-production era -- you'll get one type of airship and you'll like it. What was Ford's quote about the Model T? "You can have any color you like, as long as it's black." :) Now, that's not to say that enterprising navy officials and individual captains haven't done some customization themselves. Once the basic airship is constructed, you could outfit it with different sails and rigging, or install a different fire elemental, for a slight edge in speed. You could arm it with heavy cannon for war. You could hang netting below it for extra cargo transport. You could paint the bottom a cloudy blue for stealth missions. (You know, so that when people look up it's hard to see the ship against the sky.) (And, um, you'd have to paint the enormous fire ring blue too. Ahem.) And I like your idea of a command ship with magical communications "equipment." As you imply, a lot of customization can be done just by swapping out the crew. Evoker mages = war ship. Troops with feather fall potions = paratrooper transport. Cartographers and scholars = science vessel or recon/intelligence/scout ship. Coming up with different designs of airships would make a good article or boards project.
Hellcow 09-08-04, 12:38 PM	Ask on the Ask Keith thread and I'll give you my thoughts. ;) But remember that you need an heir of the Mark of Storm to reliably control an airship.
Loca`ne 09-08-04, 02:38 PM	well, I wasn't going to bother to post there but okies :P Loca
Edymnion 09-08-04, 03:03 PM	Personally, I don't get the feeling from the book that there are actually enough airships in service to actually make a fleet out of them. They exist, and there's more than a handful of them, but I doubt any particular group or organization would have enough of the things to make any showing of force with them. Seeing an Airship going by should be a special event, seeing TWO of them together at the same time should be the talk of the town for everyone that saw it, but a FLEET of airships? That would have to be a once in a lifetime event, or more.
stembolt 09-08-04, 10:37 PM	Airships strike me as needing to be economical, because they are so darn expensive. Modern day cargo ships need to constantly be on the move. I heard the figure once that each minute of delay costs about a thousand dollars to cargo haulers on the great lakes. Similar then are airships, cargo and passenger airships are constantly moving and making money. Private vessels probably are available to the ultra wealthy and the kind of people who can and will keep house Lyrander retainers. That means Kings and possibly dragon house heads. As for military well, they probably have some (if they have no other Air core) mostly for scouting. Warships on the other hand, what are they supposed to fight? Since actual air to air conflict is unlikely (and maybe impossible due to house lyrander) airships only targets would be ground troops. Two thoughts 1) Talk about being a target. If you dumped burning oil from high altitude you just made that airship a target of every unconventional attack feasible. 2) I have a feeling that house Lyrander frowns on wholescale slaughter
Dauntless 09-08-04, 11:14 PM	Personally, I don't get the feeling from the book that there are actually enough airships in service to actually make a fleet out of them. They exist, and there's more than a handful of them, but I doubt any particular group or organization would have enough of the things to make any showing of force with them. Seeing an Airship going by should be a special event, seeing TWO of them together at the same time should be the talk of the town for everyone that saw it, but a FLEET of airships? That would have to be a once in a lifetime event, or more. I gotta agree with Edy here. Airships are rare and expensive. In my game not only will there not be fleets, but seeing more than a couple at once would only occur if you were in Sharn near the docks on a day multiple rich folks were arriving at once.