Airships?

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:55 pm

While digging through old notes on my homebrew I found some things I did on the possiblities of airships. This is something I have debated back and forth and could see both sides of the issue.

I was wondering what everyone else thought of them. It seems some love them and some hate them. Usually it's about a 50/50 split. I know for me too many can blow a setting. Likening them to nothing more than modernday aricraft.

I know my notes had them as uncommon enough that there were not full fleets of them flying over everyday but common enough that the average villager did not hide and throw stones at them.

I guess I am just curious as to how many have used them and how they worked.
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:13 am

I have solar sail powered interstellar travel. So ya. I have air ships.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:20 am

Mine are more steam powered but that sounds interesting.
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Jynx · Post by **Jynx** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:07 am

Try this ...
http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/airships.htm

If you can still get it! I have a copy and it's not really doing much for me since the Airships I use are directly from Eberron.

I personally love the idea and use it when it fits the story... as when I had the party be passengers on a lightning rail across Eberron and there was an airship air lifting cargo from the back of the train at full speed. It was a air heist on a railroad.

Anyhow, try that book for particulars on how they work or just look into the Eberron book if you can.

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:33 am

For me, I might allow them if they were very crude/simple. Hot-air balloons using burning wood/firepit maybe. Interesting idea.
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:10 am

Julian Grimm wrote:
Mine are more steam powered but that sounds interesting.

The art of applied quantum thought mechanics, or 'magic' as some prefer, is quite advanced in my small but detailed campaign setting.

What is warp drive after all save for a very powerful dimention door spell?
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:42 am

The only sort of thing like that in my games are the odd (ie, rare, made by eccentric, and extremely expensive) items made by temples of technology / wizards with a vested insanity in the supranormal. Also, some "relics" of the past (ie, Wilderlands / Blackmoor style) are buried in ancient catacombs.

I've no direct problem mixing magic with tech... as long as it makes sense. I'm not going to have sentient warbots as PCs though, despite what the setting may offer as "history."

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:10 am

Gnomes are always my technologists. I was introduced to that "rule" early enough in my gaming career, probably from Krynn, that I've kept it as a "rule".

I have also been know to have "steam powered" golems that roll on wheels of steel. IE trains. and other instruments conducive to massive mining.

moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:10 am

I have used them in a *very* limited capacity in one of my old campaigns. They were entirely magickly and were akin to flying galleons. Very costly to construct (as well as magickly costly -- Wishes were needed).

I see no problem if you consider, for example, the notion a flying citadel!

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Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:28 pm

Not IMCs.
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Dragonhelm · Post by **Dragonhelm** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:41 pm

I always enjoyed Spelljammer and, by default, airships. I have used them in my old Forgotten Realms games and even for Dragonlance for a bit. The jump from flying citadel to flying ship is a short one.
Bastion Press' Airships is a fantastic product, btw. Very compatible with Spelljammer.
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Nelzie · Post by **Nelzie** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:22 pm

The Mountain Dwarves, technologists that make very useful technology, even if sometimes their devices seem overly complicated, such as their "Talking Box", have a number of airships that they use to travel in between their mountain homes.

These vessels resemble rigid airships, with a large gondola beneath them. They are powered with steam that is used to produce an electrical power that spins powerful propellors. As the Mountain Dwarves are currently in self-imposed exile, they also produce a cloud of steam that "hides" the airships from the eyes of the people in the ground. The airships appear as clouds and are also typically only used when there is ample cloud cover.

Mountain Dwarves are a paranoid (afraid that others will steal their technology) lot who are "rumored" to only have contact with the Empire of Dracar. Which could explain the Empire's fielding of an army that uses a primitive form of blackpowder Rifle. (The rumors are true and the Empire is working on its own version of "airship" only with a stronger mix of magic with technology rather than the Mountain Dwarves purely technological creations. Their efforts have so far proven fruitless, yet they are getting closer and this is also considered a "State Secret".)

You can read a bit about the Mountain Dwarves at my site, www.nelzie.net

I won't be updating that site anylonger, as I am slowly working towards building a Content Managed Site that will feature a full indexed and searchable database of data. I hope to have enough time to get that worked out over the next few months.
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johns · Post by **johns** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:13 pm

I allow the elves some old magical airships (i.e. flying galleons) - relics of their golden age. A human civilization has more "scientific" airships - colorful balloons with rococco gondolas.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:42 am

The easiest way to descibe mine is that they look like those in FFIX or in the earlier games in the series. Gasbags with a boat type construction attached.
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