One of my players wants to build a flying machine from wood and animal skin in the Dark Sun setting. I figure that wood, rope and animal skins might make a glider. Maybe a Nature skill check to assemble it?
Does anyone have a cue how this might be done?
Hi All,
One of my players wants to build a flying machine from wood and animal skin in the Dark Sun setting. I figure that wood, rope and animal skins might make a glider. Maybe a Nature skill check to assemble it?
Does anyone have a cue how this might be done?
Your player wants to get himself a cliff glider:
They were introduced way back in Dragon Kings and got 3e stats in the excellent Athasian Emporium from athas.org. Check out those products for some ideas. Otherwise, though, yeah, animal hide, wood and rope would work. You might use bone instead of wood - it's lighter and looks cooler too. Maybe you could use silk syrm silk instead of animal skins, too. That would be super-light. And there's always those wind-howdah things from Raiders of the Chanth as well, if you want to take the psionic route.
What is the wind thingy from Raiders of the Chanth?
Would an Intelligence check of some DC (?) be a better way to mechanically represent constructing the cliff glider?
Silk Syrm comes from what, by the way?
Oops, that should read silk wyrm, lol! So, silk from a silk wyrm
.What is the wind thingy from Raiders of the Chanth?
The wind howdah is a little platform with a sail that levitates through psionics. The 2e version appeared in Dungeon #44 and there was a 3e version in Athasian Emporium. No idea if there's a 4e version. They're pretty cool.
Would an Intelligence check of some DC (?) be a better way to mechanically represent constructing the cliff glider?
I'd go with whatever feels right. Int check, Nature check, Craft check, Superfly check, whatever suits your game and doesn't provoke rioting from your player
.I'd make this a skill challenge, not just one check, and have it take a while. Failed rolls lead to potentially-catastrophic experiments as the PC tries to get everything to balance out right. (And get pictures of the different 'flying machine' and 'personal glider' apparatuses that people have made over history.)
Rolls to use:
INT check to deduce the basic principles of flight.
Nature check to get the right kinds of materials.
Bonuses if the PC can get an aarakocra (sp?) to talk to him / allow a physical examination.
Dungeoneering check if his Arcana totally bites - somebody else tried this before and left notes.
Perception check to indicate running a test and seeing there is a problem, without getting hurt doing it.
Is the PC a noble? He could put a slave in the flying suit and chuck HIM out a 5th-floor window. It's just safer that way.
Silk Syrm comes from what, by the way?
Oops, that should read silk wyrm, lol! So, silk from a silk wyrmWhat is the wind thingy from Raiders of the Chanth?
The wind howdah is a little platform with a sail that levitates through psionics. The 2e version appeared in Dungeon #44 and there was a 3e version in Athasian Emporium. No idea if there's a 4e version. They're pretty cool.Would an Intelligence check of some DC (?) be a better way to mechanically represent constructing the cliff glider?
I'd go with whatever feels right. Int check, Nature check, Craft check, Superfly check, whatever suits your game and doesn't provoke rioting from your player
I like you line of thought, no rioting please.
A crash landing that isn't fatal could be fun, but I'm not sure I want the PC using slaves as test dummies, BRJN. I don't want to encourage inhuman actions, that's not very heroic.
I don't want to encourage inhuman actions, that's not very heroic.
Some must be sacrificed for the greater good of all ;)
The players could also dominate some floaters and rig a platform or basket for more of an air balloon vessel.
Would an Intelligence check of some DC (?) be a better way to mechanically represent constructing the cliff glider?
You are going to need to montage.
The players could also dominate some floaters and rig a platform or basket for more of an air balloon vessel.
Oh yeah, wasn't there one of those air-balloon things in Dragon's Crown? Rings a bell. And Thagya Phon from the Veiled Alliance in Nibenay had a balloon too made from specially treated isha moth webs. Balloons are cool.Would an Intelligence check of some DC (?) be a better way to mechanically represent constructing the cliff glider?
You are going to need to montage.
Best answer. Do it with a montage. Problem solved :D
Not sure what montage is about, Mach4? Do you mean a number of different skill checks, like BRJN suggested?
I like the air ballon idea, but I'll let the player suggest it first. The cliff glider might not work they way he wants unless he has something high to leap off. What is a floater?
Floaters were renamed Floating Mantles in 4e - Creature Catalog p46.
Not sure what montage is about, Mach4? Do you mean a number of different skill checks, like BRJN suggested?
This is how you do a montage (NSFW!):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvNu8LoTo0
I was going to use either Athletics or Acrobatics for the flying part of the Cliff Glider. What is a reasonable DC for flying the Glider?
Cliff Glider
The Jagged Cliffs and any location with high mountains can be used to fly cliff gliders. To make a cliff glider the following of materials are required: long thin lengths of wood or bone, silk cloth, hemp or silk rope, animal hide.
Constructing a flying cliff glider is not simple and each attempt at the challenge takes a full day. The same skill or ability check cannot be made more than twice.
Level: 3 (XP 750)
Complexity: 1 (requires 4 successes before 3 failures).
Special: If the character uses bone and silk to construct the glider they get a +2 bonus to all skill checks in the challenge.
Skill Challenge: Building the Cliff Glider
Primary Skills: History, Intelligence ability check, Nature, Perception.
History (DC 15): The character remembers vital information about a historical person who has mastered the art of glider assemble.
Intelligence Ability Check (DC 18): The character deduces the basic principles of flight.
Nature (DC 13): The character manages to collect the right kinds of materials and construct a strong gliding wing.
Perception (DC 15): The character does preliminary tests and inspections that indicate minor problems in design and construction, without getting hurt doing it.
Aftermath
Success: If the character earns 4 successes before 3 failures the glider is structurally sound and aerodynamically correct.
Failure: If a character accumulates 3 failures, a fault in construction or aerodynamic design exists in the cliff glider. The player character takes a -5 penalty to Athletics and Acrobatic skill checks when flying the glider.
Well this is what I came up with. What do people think?
...but I'm not sure I want the PC using slaves as test dummies, BRJN. I don't want to encourage inhuman actions, that's not very heroic.
Around here, Noble and Heroic are not forced to be synonyms.
And frankly, if you are not SURE you have this flying thingy right, why not find a willing volunteer, while you stand to the side and ... ahh ... make scientific observations?
Besides, won't the PC in question be just floored when the slave in question tries to make a break for his freedom, and he has to shoot his own flying contraption out of the sky?
Your solution is to get the faulty flying contraption and use Mom as the test pilot. Actually, I'll get out-of-character and stop now. I didn't catch that your budding Leonardo da Vinci is a youth. Encourage him to be inventive; it may spill over into Real Life.
Actually, I'll get out-of-character and stop now. I didn't catch that your budding Leonardo da Vinci is a youth. Encourage him to be inventive; it may spill over into Real Life.
Thank you, that was my concern.