Adventurer's Vault Excerpt: Airships

[blargney the second]

Thought I can't help but wonder how many members of the "4e is too video-gamey" crowd are rolling their eyes at this.

Who cares what they think? I want airships for fun in my own games!
-blarg

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Though Im not sure how you would work cannons.

Cannons should be very easy to add to this stat-block. Simply add an at-will ranged attack, perhaps with a recharge rate, that one of the crew can operate.. move action to aim, standard action to fire.

If you want more complexity, add firing arcs and perhaps an action or two for reload.

Cannons are a bit nasty so perhaps take the medium damage range for a light cannon from the level 5 row on the DMG's cool chart {1D10+4}... and a heavy cannon from the level 8 row {2D6+5} and add Int Mod.

That means that 5 solid hits from an opposing airship will start slowing it down..

Thinking more on it, a cannon would probably be an Int vs Fort attack...

eh.. should probably fork this off into the HR forum to discuss further... just call me a bad "Poster C"... again!


So, back on topic.. I like the stat-block and the implied rules!

 

[Scribble]

So, back on topic.. I like the stat-block and the implied rules!

That's one of the things I REALLY REALLY like about the new rules... How "clean" everything is.

All elements are presented in a similar fashion that is easily scanable for needed info. Makes determining how soemthing works or happens in the hat of the game a snap.

 

[Gundark]

Well if this is the kind of thing that is in the book I may definetly have to pick this one up. I'm hoping it has a lot of "mundane" treasures.

 

[doctorhook]

It helps Eberron for sure... but does anyone else want to run Spelljammer (possibly reflavored to sail on the Astral Sea) after seeing this?

Even if Adventurer's Vault doesn't spell out how spelljamming vessels will operate in 4E, if the previewed Airship is an indication, it ought to be dirt-simple to put together stats for new vehicles.

I consider this to be a foot in the door!

 

[sukael]

Four AC and two Reflex, and no damage resistance? I wonder if that is a typo, there are some unknown vehicle rules (I.E counts as an object), or there are ways to improve them.

I also hope they are going to put in siege weapons.

The description notes a passenger deck and room for 30 Medium creatures... I have the feeling this is the stat block for essentially a small passenger ferry/transport, and anything specifically built for combat purposes will have more impressive stats (but lower cargo and transport capacity).

Given that it has cargo capacity at all, I wonder if Adventurer's Vault or another source coming soon might have basic running-a-business rules?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Thought I can't help but wonder how many members of the "4e is too video-gamey" crowd are rolling their eyes at this. Because even though its a fantasy-genre stand-by, it's become part and parcel of the FF series, right up there with Chocobos, Moggles, and guys named Cid.

Probably none, since, well, it's a fantasy-genre stand-by.

 

[Steely Dan]

Even if Adventurer's Vault doesn't spell out how spelljamming vessels will operate in 4E, if the previewed Airship is an indication, it ought to be dirt-simple to put together stats for new vehicles.

I consider this to be a foot in the door!

Yep, here comes my squidship!

 

[AllisterH]

Probably none, since, well, it's a fantasy-genre stand-by.

You know, I was going to agree with you...but pre Final Fantasy, I don't actually remember airships being part of the fantasy lexicon.

Looking back at the 1e list of "influential books", did airships show up in ANY of those sources?

 

[Steely Dan]

You know, I was going to agree with you...but pre Final Fantasy, I don't actually remember airships being part of the fantasy lexicon.

I do recall them in Mystara.