D&D 5E Cloud kingdoms....brainstorming

[Casimir Liber]

One of the important element in the first deathgate cycle (the one in the "air" lands) that was important was water. where does water go? Where does it come from? It was a valued commodity in this setting.

Well, except that clouds are full of water (if playing for Realism) - am thinking about economics in other ways. Food for starters..

 

[Zardnaar]

Well, except that clouds are full of water (if playing for Realism) - am thinking about economics in other ways. Food for starters..

As long as you have somewhat abundant rain food won't be a problem assuming arabale land/clouds whatever.

You won't have oceans though.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Another source of inspiration you can use, if a silly one, is Skypeia from One Piece.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Speaking of water…

In my aforementioned Niven-inspired homebrew, some of the water would cling to the lacey physical terrain. But just as in his books, free-floating water would form into rippling spheres. Here’s the thing: surface tension becomes a serious hazard.

You have to defeat it in some way to get things out of or into a floating pool. But in doing so, it could creep up whatever via capillary attraction…and too much water could suck you in. And how do you get out of a sphere of water with nothing to push off of?

 

[Mind of tempest]

had a similar idea for a bit of my setting so I will list it here for possible inspiration.

the sky kings

riders, traders, rulers of the vast sky-ship fleets the sky kings or zes-hel as they call themselves (which is conveniently translates as sky kings) are the present most rich group of individuals in the world, sailors of the sky in the ships they build or inherited from Haga Vato-yusha and are the single most reliable trade network in the world however some are far more close to there older roots as raiders willing to strip settlement down to the foundations.

The sky kings also rule the dockland as they call them or the tamed floating earth bergs once ruled by the Haga Vato-yusha which are neutral territory and violence is forbidden there as this is where houses intermix, swap crew and new ships are built.

They are noted that in addition to the normal pantheon the sky kings have added in the saint of artifice, a sun god and several wind gods to their pantheon. They like arcane magic much more than most folk

their rulers are called hels but outsiders are far more likely to call them Zhels as that caught on somehow.

the types of ship

moriha the smallest ships they fly, good for getting in and out of small places fast carries a crew of thirty plus cargo and fuel.

jegehaso the medium-sized ship of the fleets the most used and the general workhorse of the fleets crew of 100 plus cargo and fuel.

shuchiha and largest type normally only seen in war or diplomacy the zhel rules from one of these with one per house. A crew of 750 plus cargo, fuel and war machines.

list of known sky king houses

house eclipse embraces
house lights crown
house devils winds
house Ruthless limbs
house stones cocoon
house winters teeth

the exiled
house defiler eagles

the missing houses
house steel arbiters
house dawn butterflies
house void giants
house thunder beast

 

[Casimir Liber]

Speaking of water…

In my aforementioned Niven-inspired homebrew, some of the water would cling to the lacey physical terrain. But just as in his books, free-floating water would form into rippling spheres. Here’s the thing: surface tension becomes a serious hazard.

You have to defeat it in some way to get things out of or into a floating pool. But in doing so, it could creep up whatever via capillary attraction…and too much water could suck you in. And how do you get out of a sphere of water with nothing to push off of?

Clever - and I guess these spheres could be populated by giant skating water beetles and water spiders......

 

[Casimir Liber]

Another source of inspiration you can use, if a silly one, is Skypeia from One Piece.

View attachment 141704

no idea is (too) silly. I have come up with monsters based on pokemon.....

 

[Casimir Liber]

had a similar idea for a bit of my setting so I will list it here for possible inspiration.

the sky kings

riders, traders, rulers of the vast sky-ship fleets the sky kings or zes-hel as they call themselves (which is conveniently translates as sky kings) are the present most rich group of individuals in the world, sailors of the sky in the ships they build or inherited from Haga Vato-yusha and are the single most reliable trade network in the world however some are far more close to there older roots as raiders willing to strip settlement down to the foundations.

The sky kings also rule the dockland as they call them or the tamed floating earth bergs once ruled by the Haga Vato-yusha which are neutral territory and violence is forbidden there as this is where houses intermix, swap crew and new ships are built.

They are noted that in addition to the normal pantheon the sky kings have added in the saint of artifice, a sun god and several wind gods to their pantheon. They like arcane magic much more than most folk

their rulers are called hels but outsiders are far more likely to call them Zhels as that caught on somehow.

the types of ship

moriha the smallest ships they fly, good for getting in and out of small places fast carries a crew of thirty plus cargo and fuel.

jegehaso the medium-sized ship of the fleets the most used and the general workhorse of the fleets crew of 100 plus cargo and fuel.

shuchiha and largest type normally only seen in war or diplomacy the zhel rules from one of these with one per house. A crew of 750 plus cargo, fuel and war machines.

list of known sky king houses

house eclipse embraces
house lights crown
house devils winds
house Ruthless limbs
house stones cocoon
house winters teeth

the exiled
house defiler eagles

the missing houses
house steel arbiters
house dawn butterflies
house void giants
house thunder beast

Heh, now about those skyships ...are they just mechanical or.....weird. IN both Monster Blood Tattoo and H.P. lovecraft fantasy, ships had some weird "things" inside them that rowed in the ocean. So the idea of some buoyant gassy "things" in the bowels of a skyship. Like an organic zeppelin come to mind. I also remember a bio-mech zeppelin called a Huxley...now which book did that come from....

 

[Casimir Liber]

Aha it is
leviathan with some art here

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Oh, I forgot the Skyports, of the Kharadron Overlords (Age of Sigmar);