Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Griffin2099 Aug 06, 2015 17:11:30	Hi Guys,   Juat a couple of quick question about Elemental Binding.   1 - Fire, Wind and Water Elementals are used to power the Elemental Ships for House Lyrander, I'm not sure what type of Elemental is used in the Orien Coaches, Rail, etc (I tend to say they use Lightining Elementals but thats just me I think). Are Earth Elementals bound in some way I can't think of?   2 - The Spells Summon Elemental and the Rings of Control Elemental allow for control of an elemental without being dragon marked, would that allow someone to control an airship? or is there specific security built into the airship itself?   Thanks
#2 Beoric Aug 07, 2015 8:40:22	At ECS p. 125, the lightning rail's crew cart is powered by an air elemental.   Orien Coaches are pulled by horses.  There is a vehicle called a land cart which is powered by an earth elemental per the Explorer's Handbook (p. 27 and 33).  According to the EH, and impliedly in the ECS, control of them is not linked to any particular dragonmark.   I think by canon external powers that control elementals can be used to control an airship:  ECS p. 267, EH p. 25ff.  However, IMO this is not in keeping with other elements of the design of the setting, so I think you could be excused if you did not want to allow it.  At least, it might not be that easy; the magic might not be readily available, or it might require skill checks to persude the elemental once you could communicate with it.  Or the elemental might be pursuaded to help, but not know how to do so, since it is crammed into the bound environment.  So maybe the mark is used to direct the elemental in ways that the elemental itself doesn't understand.  I note it would prevent elemental vessels from wandering off on their own it they are unattended.
#3 Tempest_Stormwind Aug 07, 2015 11:12:47	Earthglide carts show up in a few places prior to the Explorer's Handbook (i.e. in Shadows of the Last War), and Tumblers appear in Magic of Eberron. Both are earth-elemental powered, however both also require a mark to control.   That said, if I'm recalling correctly (AFB), the Lightning Reins and the Wheel of Wind and Water both give marked individuals the ability to control these vehicles without a check, while anyone can attempt a difficult Charisma check to assert control over an elemental. To me, this implies that anyone can act as a pilot, but only marked Lyrandar or Orien heirs can do so reliably enough for it to matter economically, and at low enough levels to be commonplace.
#4 Beoric Aug 07, 2015 21:18:00	ECS p. 267:  "A character at the helm of an elemental vessel can telepathically command the bound elemental ... In order to make the elemental obey any of these commands, an unmarked character must win an opposed Charisma check ... A wheel of wind and water allows a dragonmark heir of House Lyrandar to control an airship or elemental galleon without making opposed Charisma checks. Lightning reins allow an Orien heir to control a lightning rail coach in the same way. A character without a dragonmark can cast charm monster or a similar spell on the bound elemental ..."