Aerial Adventures Volume I: Rulers of the Sky is the first sourcebook in a three part series from Goodman Games designed to bring the sky above any campaign alive with activity. The book written by Michael Mearls retails for $11 and contains 32 pages of good text-density material. V. Shane’s eye-catching cover highlights some of the material found within the book. What follows is a chapter-by-chapter breakdown detailing the contents within this sourcebook.
After a brief introduction detailing some questions any player or DM might have about opening up the sky above in campaign to activity, the book’s first chapter discusses adding cloud realms to a campaign. Several options for how common contact between those on the earth and those in the sky should be are briefly discussed. The default setting the book uses assumes that some travel takes place, but that travel is too difficult for any lasting bond. The chapter continues with a discussion of designing a cloud realms and cloud communities that might be found in a campaign. Some commonly encountered cloud realms featured include: typical cloud, fire cloud, floating island, negative energy cloud, sculpted cloud, and wild cloud. Each cloud is given between a one to two paragraph write up enough to plant a seed into any DM who wishes to bring it to life in a campaign. The chapter concludes with offering some tips on designing adventures in the sky. A player might have a sudden desire to soar after picking up this book. However, what goes up can come down, as any DM will take delight in showing a player.
The second chapter details three races that dwell amongst the clouds. Each is given about a two-page write up that details personality, physical description, space, religion, language, names, adventurers, and racial traits. The detailed races include: (1) The Evil Arachial, intelligent spiders from the elemental plane of air that need the blood and fluid of other living creatures to survive. Is that creepy enough for you? If not, the small interior drawing of one of these creatures should be enough to make it so. (2) Barbaric Avian, wandering barbarians in the sky resembling a cross between orc, human, and birds of prey. These creatures can be used as NPC’s leading a group into the upper reaches of the sky for the first time. (3) Sky Elves who were once dissatisfied elves who dwelt in forests that ended up being given a place above thanks to some deity intervention. This group is one of the most powerful races in the sky above. The drawing on page 10 doesn’t do this write up justice, as it resembles more an undead than the sky elf described in the pages. From the adventurer’s section, the option of playing one of these is briefly mentioned. However, I would use them more as encounters for a party in their travels through the sky. This chapter concludes with discussing the various surface races present in most campaigns and how each would adapt to life amongst the clouds and character classes within an aerial campaign.
Chapter three introduces two new prestige classes. The first is the air knight or sky knights. This class is heroic warriors who patrol the airways and defeat demons, dragons, and other creatures that menace the peaceful realms of the elves or others within the sky above. Although it originated with the elves, any race is eligible to become an air/sky knight, as the elves do not turn aside a candidate based upon his/her race. The second prestige class featured is the sky elf battle captain, graduate of the prestigious War College. Although again elven based, any race is eligible as the college now accepts applicants with proven morals and skill in battle. With this prestige class, a character can become a master tactician handling a sky ship with the skill that would make any Top Gun fan green with envy. I like both of these prestige classes and can see both being popular with players. Additionally, since both would feature contact with the sky elves, the use of these prestige classes could give a DM a wide variety of roleplaying opportunities.
Chapter four introduces new feats for an aerial campaign. The feats include: Aerialist Fighter, Agile Flier, Air Combat Ace, Flyby Attack, Hawkeyed, Merchant Guildsman, Skilled Pilot, Sky Captain, Sky Lord’s Blessing, Sky Lord’s Luck, Sky Shipwright, Steady Feet, Talon Attack, and Thunderbolt. Additionally, there is a brief discussion clarifying the use of some core feats in an aerial campaign.
Chapter five provide two plus pages of aerial combat rules. I have not play tested these rules. However, they appear to be concise and easy to pick up. The latter is a must for my players and I in my campaign. Some topics covered under these Aerial Combat Rules include: Aerial Initiative, Facing, Abstract Movement, Aerial Combat Options, Attack of Opportunity, Crashing, and Altitude. You even get to hear the Pythagorean theory mentioned again which will either bring a smile or a scream depending upon your history with mathematics.
Chapter six details the rules for sky ships. Besides giving an overview of armor class, hit dice, hardness, base speed, base maneuver, hard points, crew, cargo, abilities, combat, and destroying ships, there are some sample designs of flying ships that might be encountered in the default setting presented within the book. The sample ships come with stats and include: The Spinner (the favored ship of the arachial raiders), Javelin (found with independent sky dwellers), Scow (common with merchant and traders), and Sky Elf Warhawk (found with the sky elves). The descriptions are brief and give enough to allow a DM to quickly insert them into a game session. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the types of crews found on sky ships.
Chapter seven is the final chapter and features over five pages detailing monsters that can be found in the sky. The monsters have brief descriptiosn along with stats and combat discussion. The monsters found here include: Arachial (previously discussed), Avian (previously discussed), Cloud Lurker (tentacle grabbing predator with illustration), Sky Elf (previously discussed), Leviathan (sky whales), Sky Serpent (Illustrated Snake like creature that have no wings but sway to fly), Thunder Cloud (Vicious, animal like creatures that like to smite creatures with lightning and blast them with thunder), and the Winged Creature Template (can be added to any beasts, animal, etc.) A sample-winged lion is included fully with stats. The chapter concludes detailing other monsters of the sky, without stats, that could be good choices for any aerial campaign.
My complaint with this chapter is regarding the three previously discussed monsters that were discussed in detail in Chapter two. The stats for the arachila, avian, and sky elf should have been found there and some other creatures detailed for this last chapter.
Comments: I am not easy to please. I have only one D20 publisher that I buy consistently from. However, after seeing a trailer for the upcoming Treasure Island animated movie (don’t laugh it looks beautiful), I started thinking more about ships in the sky within my campaign. I never played this element out before as a DM or player. Thus, for me to feel comfortable having spent $11 on a 32 page book, two factors come into play. This book had to be fascinating enough to take the spark I had and stimulate ideas to begin to incorporate the sky above into my campaign. Additionally, any new rules had to be simple to learn while providing a good measure of detail. In those two aspects, this book succeeds very well. Mearls’ writing style is very engaging and I already have several ideas based upon what I’ve read. Additionally, the rules presented would not be a problem for my group to pick up. This statement says a lot as my players had to be slowly coaxed and in some cases dragged into 3rd edition. Incorporating elements of this book into any campaign should not be problematic for any DM or player.
My biggest gripe besides chapter seven’s duplication is about the internal artwork. I really wish the drawings featured within were larger. As they are now, they take up about a third of one column on a page. I really wish a select few had been larger perhaps one every chapter or so.
In conclusion, Goodman Games has done very well with this first book. I plan to buy the next two installments and would recommend this to anyone wishing to add aerial elements into their campaign.
