Sail Barges - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Sail Barges

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
barefoottourguide
Oct 14, 2012 13:31:30 Yes, this shows my Star Wars gaming roots, but has Dark Sun developed a type of large sail barge where slaves who would be rowers are more a source of life energy to be tapped in destructive arcane magic to provide a source for the ship to go? How could I make this idea work in the rules/setting?
Garrett
#2
Pennarin
Oct 14, 2012 14:19:56 It's not in Dark Sun style to make such blatant use of magic.

The most magical use of magic for transportation are silt shooners that float using psionics, and undead war beetles created by the sorcerer-kings for use in war (a 4e DS adventure has a bigger, nastier version of that).
#3
barefoottourguide
Oct 14, 2012 17:48:27 I understand. How would you handle a large-scale sail barge? Desert winds strictly? Slave rowers over the dunes?
Garrett
#4
Pennarin
Oct 14, 2012 20:27:51 The short story "Equinox", by William W. Connors, found in the Marauders of Nibenay 2e adventure, describes two battle wagons―the Raamite slave-powered Equinox, and the Nibenese wind-powered Dune Thunder.

Equinox has to be light but pretty complex to convert sixty men's elbow grease into mechanical motion, and Dune Thunder has to be light as well but is far simpler; the former can work in the absence of wind, and the latter is faster but only when wind catches its sails.
#5
waxwingslain
Oct 15, 2012 11:47:27 I don't think that idea is very Dark Sunny to me, but for a LOT of resources if you want to go with it, check out the various Earthdawn books. The Earthdawn world is built around the use of various airships, and the Theran Empire's ships are powered by slaves forced to "row" them through the air, driven by an evil "priest" of sorts, their life energy powering the ships.

Also check out the "Escape the Tempest" module for Dark Sun:
www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&...

which follows an enormous slave vessel on a rezhatta hunt. While I'm not sure I want to incorporate fortress-sized crank-powered vehicles into my Dark Sun game, there are a lot of good ideas (as well as good execution!) in the adventure.
#6
OskarOisinson
Oct 23, 2012 2:17:26 This could work in Dark Sun, but in the default setting, probably only for an SK or a very high-level templar as there are lots of examples of these beings using defiling magic with impunity, even in front of the populous. Though, I don't know if this counts as defiling magic or 'dragon magic' which some preservers (Sadira, Ktandeo, Nok and potentially others in the Prism Pentad) end up using. The difference I think, is by using obsidian to draw life force from fauna rather than just flora, including one's self.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 barefoottourguide Oct 14, 2012 13:31:30	Yes, this shows my Star Wars gaming roots, but has Dark Sun developed a type of large sail barge where slaves who would be rowers are more a source of life energy to be tapped in destructive arcane magic to provide a source for the ship to go? How could I make this idea work in the rules/setting? Garrett
#2 Pennarin Oct 14, 2012 14:19:56	It's not in Dark Sun style to make such blatant use of magic. The most magical use of magic for transportation are silt shooners that float using psionics, and undead war beetles created by the sorcerer-kings for use in war (a 4e DS adventure has a bigger, nastier version of that).
#3 barefoottourguide Oct 14, 2012 17:48:27	I understand. How would you handle a large-scale sail barge? Desert winds strictly? Slave rowers over the dunes? Garrett
#4 Pennarin Oct 14, 2012 20:27:51	The short story "Equinox", by William W. Connors, found in the Marauders of Nibenay 2e adventure, describes two battle wagons―the Raamite slave-powered Equinox, and the Nibenese wind-powered Dune Thunder. Equinox has to be light but pretty complex to convert sixty men's elbow grease into mechanical motion, and Dune Thunder has to be light as well but is far simpler; the former can work in the absence of wind, and the latter is faster but only when wind catches its sails.
#5 waxwingslain Oct 15, 2012 11:47:27	I don't think that idea is very Dark Sunny to me, but for a LOT of resources if you want to go with it, check out the various Earthdawn books. The Earthdawn world is built around the use of various airships, and the Theran Empire's ships are powered by slaves forced to "row" them through the air, driven by an evil "priest" of sorts, their life energy powering the ships. Also check out the "Escape the Tempest" module for Dark Sun: www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&... which follows an enormous slave vessel on a rezhatta hunt. While I'm not sure I want to incorporate fortress-sized crank-powered vehicles into my Dark Sun game, there are a lot of good ideas (as well as good execution!) in the adventure.
#6 OskarOisinson Oct 23, 2012 2:17:26	This could work in Dark Sun, but in the default setting, probably only for an SK or a very high-level templar as there are lots of examples of these beings using defiling magic with impunity, even in front of the populous. Though, I don't know if this counts as defiling magic or 'dragon magic' which some preservers (Sadira, Ktandeo, Nok and potentially others in the Prism Pentad) end up using. The difference I think, is by using obsidian to draw life force from fauna rather than just flora, including one's self.