Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 subtle_knife_02 Apr 26, 2008 10:52:52	Looking through the details provided in the Explorer's Handbook, I found that the details provided might not help/apply to airship-related combat. As I am planning to DM several airship-ground, ground-airship, and airship-airship combat scenarios, I thought I would brainstorm some of the various means by which an airship might be disabled. 1) Free or Suppress the Bound Elemental (as detailed in the Explorer's Handbook) 2) Disable the crew of the airship (particularly those capable of piloting the airship) 3) Bulk damage to the airship - for the average airship, deal damage sufficient to destroy 250 hull sections (as per the Explorer's Handbook); resulting in enough fragmentation of the ships hull that it starts to break up 4) Destroy the Elemental Binding Ring and/or it's support struts. The details of this are not described, but I would imagine that doing so would effectively suppress the elemental (as it is actually bound within an interior Khyber shard) until such time as the ring and/or struts are repaired or replaced. I would imagine that the struts/ring probably account for only 20 hull sections (2% of the total vessel hull sections), but are composed of Hardened bronzewood and otherwise protected, so are more difficult to damage. I might consider stating these hull sections thusly: Elemental Ring and Struts Hull sections 20 (destroying 10 of these hull sections reduces movement to half, destroying all suppresses elemental until repaired); section hp 120; section hardness 15; section AC 3; SQ resistance fire 10; takes no damage from small/medium missile weapons, quarter damage from cold, half damage from melee piercing weapons, large ranged weapons, ballista, acid, electricity, fire Thoughts? SK
#2 subtle_knife_02 Apr 26, 2008 11:09:05	As a side thought, I began thinking about how to survive the fragmentation of an Elemental Airship. The bulk of an elemental airship is composed of Soarwood, a lighter-than-air form of Aereni lumber that allows the ship to remain buoyant even without a bound elemental (which in truth really only provides motive force). Given this, the majority of a fragmenting airship should either remain aloft or if heavy enough (supporting enough non-soarwood material), slowly descend to the ground. As such, one should be able, with enough experience in such horrible events, to grab hold of an appropriate fragment of hull and slowly descend to the ground; though saved from plummeting to one's death, this would still leave one at risk of assault from one's opponents; a smart survivor would try and use the fragment as cover and hide (or defend yourself until your opponents destroy the hull section you are clinging to). Any thoughts? How many Hull sections do you think should be necessary to prevent you from plummeting without keeping you aloft indefinitely? This also provides a cool visual effect - the aftermath of an airship battle, with the defeated airship in large, listing fragments, floating through the air on the wind, occasionally raining the cadavers of crewmen on the countryside as they lazily twist... SK
#3 subtle_knife_02 Apr 26, 2008 11:21:51	I'll also solicit for other ideas - what cool ways could one board an opposing airship? Here are my thoughts: 1) Grappling crossbow bolts/arrows/ballistae with ziplines! Wee! 2) Teleport! Nothing provides the element of surprise like a group Dimdooring in to your crew bunk! 3) Attacking from below. Destroy a few lower hull sections, making yourself a door without facing any armaments from above. A bit of a piloting challenge, as any opponent who spies you coming will take measures to avoid you (flying low, approaching obstacles, etc.) 4) Attacking from above. While you will have to face any deck armaments, reaching the ship should be relatively easy through the power of gravity! 5) Stowing away - the assassin's favorite. Very nice on a larger ship, particularly those taking on cargo. I've already used this scenario, and it was surprisingly successful (the party nearly lost a Schema fragment, creation pattern, and Elaydren d'Cannith!) 6) Flying. These might include both methods of personal flight (wings, spells, items, psionics), living mounts and elemental-bound skiffs. Living mounts are nice because they also serve as friendly combatants. Can be very nice, as they provide a way on AND off the opponent craft (if organized right). Other thoughts? SK
#4 dr._benway Apr 28, 2008 3:33:35	Disjunction is just about the WORST thing that could happen to an airship, just keep that in mind. Another thing...I could be wrong about this, but my understanding is that soarwood is not weightless per se, but more naturally bouyant than it should be. Also, my understanding is that it acheives this thru ingrained magical properties, not naturalisitc traits. Hoever, its these same innate magical qualities that allow the binding of elementals and magical lift work so effectively. So the soarwood allows the flying magic to work, but is not so magical unto itself. That said, there is nothing game breaking about changing those qualities to be as you described. Its very reasonable to assume that pure soarwood on its own might float around as you describe, but anything attached to it overburdens it and makes it start to sink. The heavier the weight the faster the fall...so a disrupted and damaged airship would still start to crash pretty fast considering the tons and tons of stuff attached to and filling the ship... Just some thoughts tokeep in mind as you envision this stuff. DocB :88E: vs :coolcthul Who shall prevail?
#5 mystrich Apr 28, 2008 22:44:41	Disjunction is just about the WORST thing that could happen to an airship, just keep that in mind. Another thing...I could be wrong about this, but my understanding is that soarwood is not weightless per se, but more naturally bouyant than it should be. Also, my understanding is that it acheives this thru ingrained magical properties, not naturalisitc traits. Hoever, its these same innate magical qualities that allow the binding of elementals and magical lift work so effectively. So the soarwood allows the flying magic to work, but is not so magical unto itself. Actually, I believe in one of the books it says an airship who's ring is destroyed won't just plummet, as the soarwood either lets it float or it at least slows the fall enough for it not to kill you. I'd have to look for this though.
#6 rageofthemodrons101 Apr 29, 2008 21:06:01	Well, I know Sulatar drow have limited control over fire elementals, but maybe a spellcraft check would shut it down or control it. I got that Idea from Secrets of Sarlona, since it says you have to Psicraft to shut down a monolith.:lightbulb