Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rocksa 11-21-05, 01:06 AM	Alright, here's my misguided and possibly morally wrong idea. Elemental bound airskiff. Well, okay, a larger airskiff. Basically a tiny airship, just big enough to transport roughly a dozen characters and their gear, plus a pilot, gunner, and their gear. Problem is the modifications I had planned for it. So far. 1. Rotating repeating ballista attached to an observation blister located beneath the vehicle. 2. A forward pilot posistion in a sort of cockpit. 3. Several 'windows' with walls of force instead of glass, allowing the pilot to view out. 4. Lightning elemental providing ship's movement. 5. Lightning turbine located near said elemental to provide constant extra speed. 6. Ship is armor plated and airtight, protecting occupants from gas and stray arrows. 7. A bound air elemental to provide fresh air. 8. A bound fire elemental to provide heat in frigid climates. 9. A bound water elemental to protect against hot climates. 10. An item that provides an orb of invisibility just large enough to enclose ship and elemental 11. Landing struts so that the ship can land about anywhere. 12. A way to make the ship float for water landings. 13. Some rods of fireball mounted on the sides for firepower and a way for the pilot to activate them It's a tall order, but it's what my artificer has been saving up for. Question is can I do it in phases, like say, get the ship's basic frame built and the lightning elemental bound to it, then later on bind the other elementals and add the other modifications. Also, what here is and isn't even possible? I mean, can I use a lightning elemental for an airship like this? Can I even make one this size? What would the price be for something like this, or even the stats? Anybody?
Edymnion 11-21-05, 01:21 AM	Basically, its impossible for a single character to build an airship of any kind, it takes an entire team working to do it. And the only people in the setting that actually do it are the gnomes of Zilargo, and they don't tend to share that knowledge with others. And just from a flavor point, what you're talking about is a serious gunship, and the state of airship tech just isn't that high. Airships are still essentially new technology. They're still shaped like sailing ships, after all. Just from the sound of it though, it looks like you're trying to build a star trek ship here. Fully enclosed, cloaking device, force field windows, life support systems, and what sound like photon torpedo launchers... Airships in Eberron are still basically incredibly rare novelties that just get from point A to point B, they're nowhere near the point where you can turn them into fighter craft. But hey, thats just my take on this. If your DM says its okay, its your game, and you can do whatever you want. I just wouldn't let this fly in one of mine.
ChimericalWolf 11-21-05, 01:50 AM	I agree with Edymnion on this one. It's just too much. Tone it down and it becomes more reasonable. Small personal team Airship? Sure, but it'll take getting very chummy with the Gnomes, and that's no guarantee. It'll be expensive, too. And take a while. Forward pilot? Sure, no problem, if you're having it made custom. Force windows? It's doable, but I'd make it expensive to shape and permanance the effects, to the point where you're better off just having an open front. Wind though your hair would be worth it as well. I don't see any problems with using a bound Lightning Elemental for a lighter, smaller ship, but the turbine is far and away out of Eberron's tech range, and it probably wouldn't help you any. The elemental's pretty much giving it it's all. Armor plating would severly cut down on speed and turning, and I'd just stay away from air-proofing in general in a fantasy world. 7-9 can easily be accomplished by individual magical items easier than binding. Invis field: Artificer with scrolls. Fireball launchers: Artificer with Wands. Landing struts: Sure. Floating ship: Lightwood, or notdensewood, or whatever those prissy elves are hoarding. And always remember, the more complicated you make things, the more likely it is that whatever you're trying to do will end up falling to pieces. Keep it simple.
Sieylianna 11-21-05, 12:09 PM	There is also Glassteel in some of the older D&D products which is more efficient that walls of force for windows. IMO, the invisibility field isn't going to do much for you, remember that one constant of elemental powered vessels is that they are incredibly noisy. I cast my vote with the people who say this isn't feasible. The gnomes of Zilargo are getting rich filling demand for civilian elemental vessels. There isn't enough demand for your specialized version to make it worth the effort. They are also not going to give you the basic version, if they know your plans, they don't want the competition. Finally, there is the fact that your ship has no less than 4 bound elementals, while the trend appears to be to voluntary elemental service. Ed
Rocksa 11-21-05, 04:26 PM	Oh. Ah well. Was actually trying to make something along the lines of a troop/party transport that could possibly provide ground support and basically get the group whever they needed to go. Well, that and possibly making the single most powerful pirating vessel ever. A small, fast ship that could sneak up on other airships, get into their blind spots, and fire away or possibly allow the party to sneak aboard, steal what they want, and sneak away without anyone ever being the wiser. Maybe with some toning down, maybe going from the multiple elementals to just the main one, and doing something like getting all chummy with the Power of Purity, and perhaps just building the ship myself and leaving the elemental binding process to the gnomes...eh. Guess I really should chalk this up to something to do for a homebrew or the like. Heh, looks like my artificer will be pouring his money into a huge shield guardian now.