Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Griefswald Jun 24, 2014 17:10:52	So lately I have been wondering about the crew on an Airship or other elementally bound transport and I can not see why there would be more than about 2 to 3 people needed.   Without knowing anything about traditional Ships / Trains I am presuming that most of the crew are there to organise the sails so if the direction of an Airship is dictated by the Captain controlling the bound Elemental why have any more crew?   I figure you probably need 2 crew members with Lyrander dragonmarks, either one driving on one of 2 shifts and maybe a cook.   Of course this is purely for Cargo freighters. Luxury Liners or Combat Ships obviously need other crew to fill various duties but none of these would have to do with actually flying / sailing / drive the ship / train.   Any ideas?
#2 Syltorian Jun 25, 2014 8:40:38	There is nothing official, but many representations of airships show them with vaguely sail-like fins, so you could rule that the dragonmarked captain can give the ship drift and speed, but keeping it on course or from spinning or suddenly flying upside down is done by adjusting these fins. In game terms, I'd say that the ship loses manoeuverability if only the captain is at the wheel. Airships are, at this stage, fairly experimental, being only about 8 years old.   Beyond that, you'll need a first mate (to stand in for the skipper, or work on shifts, and responsible for security), a boatswain (who on a normal ship would control the rigging and crew, so far as I remember, and here would be in charge of the fins, the crew, and the elemental shards and the props holding the elemental ring; so likely, an artificer), a few people who keep the ship clean, someone in the equivalent of the crow's nest, a communicator, repairmen (carpenter, magewright, artificer,...) for when something or other comes loose, a navigator (the captain may be able to tell the elemental where it is to drive the ship, but other people are needed to sound the depth of the water or figure out which meridian you're on), a ship's doctor (although I've heard it mentioned this was often the carpenter, who knew how to use a saw), some people to jump over board when the vessel makes berth to attach it to the bollards, a watch detail, and enough guards to repel boarders, sahuagin who have forgotten about agreed terms, and other nuisances.
#3 Noctaem Jun 26, 2014 10:27:45	If you look in the Seekers of the Ashen Crown adventure, there's an encounter on page 57 of the encounter section called Sky Robbery.  Within that encounter it lists the stats other various information for the airship named Kordanga.  It states that the airship requires 5 crew members in addition to the pilot for a minimum crew of 6 total.  It also states that normal operation of the airship has a crew of 12 + the pilot.  Probably for rotating shifts.  Airships should basically work like seafaring vessels when it comes to crew I figure.   EDIT:  Found a link online for the specific encounter.  It has various other information as well.  It's worth a read for anyone interested in how airship stats work.   https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/excerpts/excerpt_sotac_4.pdf