Making a Galleon Fly

[Krelios]

Okay, here's the question. What spell or spells could a moderate-level caster use to create a Galleon that could fly? I know about the Planar Sails and the Rudder of Wind (or whatever the item from the AE&G is that lets ships fly), but neither of those can be created by anything short of an epic caster.

I was thinking about making hundreds of plates of continuous Levitate, but that would take between 1400 and 2000 such plates at 10th level and require the casters to contribute about 56-80 million gold and 2.2-3.4 million xp between them.

I also considered expanding a Carpet of Flying (call it a Hull of Flying) to the point that could hold a three masted galleon and cargo (roughly 800 tons), but that was 14 million gold and 560,000xp from a single caster (meaning he'd have to be 34th level).

So. Call it an intellectual exercise. The goal is to get a three-masted galleon that weighs roughly 100 tons into the air with a reasonable cargo capacity. Typically, Spanish galleons could carry between 600 and 900 tons, so a total weight of 700-1000 tons would be what I'm looking for.

If that seems totally impossible, what about a fantasy zepplin?

 

[AuraSeer]

Have you looked at the airships from Eberron? Each is powered by a bound elemental, which manifests as a big firey ring around the ship. I think the main setting book just has prices for buying or hiring them, but one of the supplements may have more details on construction.

 

[Lobo Lurker]

All of the ideas that you've come up with so far work just fine. It's your approach that's all wrong. Question: How many people do you know that could build a regular galleon all by themselves?

Your pc should be looking for a patron. And in the end, the galleon wouldn't belong to the pc, but all the pcs would have access to it. By dint of questing or indentured servitude, they can get what they want within the bounds of your campaign world.

And does it have to be a galleon? What about a smaller ship with some extra-dimensional storage space?

Also, Eberron features flying ships. They're powered by elementals bound into rings that provide the motive force.

 

[Bad Paper]

I think the Gith in the Manual of the Planes have a special Item-Creation feat like Craft Astral Ship or whatnot. I don't have the MotP at work, sadly, so I can't check. You can check against that and modify it.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Eberron's flying ships have not (yet) been explained to the point of a PC making one, they are the end result of a Guild's worth of resources.

Here's an idea: Animate Object + Fly

 

[JimAde]

First you withdraw your Galleon from Gringott's. Then you throw it really hard.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

 

[mvincent]

Here's an idea: Animate Object + Fly

Technically, you could just put a cloak of flying or boots of levitation on an animated ship (since it is a construct). The problem is usually making the ship large enough, but since permanent Animate objects requires a 14th level caster anyway, a 16th level caster could animate a Gargantuan object, and/or use use Polymorph any object on it after animating it to make it Colossal... i.e. big ship-sized.

Oddly, the spell Animate objects is for bards and clerics, while permanency is a Sor/Wiz spell, so you would likely need two spellcasters involved.

 

[Taloras]

Halruaan Skyship from Shining South. Caster level 15th, Craft Wondrous Item, suspension, fly, 400,000 gp weight: 20 tons.

 

[Talmun]

First you withdraw your Galleon from Gringott's. Then you throw it really hard.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

I was thinking you take a fly, and then add the Galleon template...presto! A Galleon-fly!

 

[comareddin]

This option might be totally useless because I have absolutely no idea about the numbers at the moment but if certain strength of a certain size monster has the required carrying capacity, making that guy fly might solve your problem